Mississippi Drive To Be Considered by City Council On Sept. 1

Bolton & Menk, Inc., the engineering firm tasked with developing plans for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project, will be back to present to the the City Council at their next meeting on Sept. 1.

The City Council Meeting will take place on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 215 Sycamore Street. 

The meeting will include discussion about the Carver Corner intersection and the intersection of Mulberry Avenue and 2nd Street. Bolton & Menk will present the updated design options to the Council before Council ultimately makes decisions about the best course of action.

Design options include traditional intersections as well as newer considerations, such as a roundabout or what is known as a sweep. All options will be brought before Council, where they will choose the designs for the two intersections.

The roundabout options that will be presented include roundabouts that are significantly larger than the existing roundabout we have on Cedar Street.

Here are the diameters of the current roundabout compared to the roundabout options that will be presented at the Sept. 1 City Council Meeting:

Existing Roundabout on Cedar Street:                   120’ Diameter

Roundabout Option at Carver Corner:                  140’ Diameter

Roundabout Option at 2^nd and Mulberry:            132’ Diameter

The below image is the Cedar Street Roundabout overlaid on the roundabout concepts at the two intersections.

If you’re interested in learning more, here are the Mississippi Drive presentations that were given to the City Council in July and August of this year:

2016-07-14 Mississippi Drive

2016-08-18 Mississippi Drive

These presentations, along with the project website, include information about potential design plans.

It seems only fitting that Bolton & Menk will be back on Sept. 1 as exactly one year ago on Sept. 1, 2015, the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project had its kick-off! Since then, input from  citizens at public engagement events and stakeholder meetings and through online comments on the project website have driven the process. From the beginning, the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project has been a way for citizens to come together to create a shared vision for Mississippi Drive. It’s excited to see how this project is shaping the future of Muscatine!

Thank you for your interest and engagement! We value your input.

 

6 Ways to Stay Connected with the City of Muscatine

With school starting today in Muscatine, schedules are getting busier. It’s finally time to admit that summertime is coming to a close. It was enjoyable to see the way our community embraced the summer. From seeing our parks and trails system utilized to observing the way Muscatine came together to welcome RAGBRAI to our town, citizens of Muscatine were active and engaged! We even gained a new downtown street fest called Muscatine Second Saturday, which takes place the second Saturday of every month from June to October from 5-8 p.m.

Having full schedules means it may be difficult to stay up-to-date on relevant information. That’s where the City of Muscatine’s communications efforts come in. Our goal is to keep you informed about what your city government is doing and create opportunities for open communication with you. We want to share how we are working to make Muscatine better while also hearing from you about how we can best move us into the future.

1. Like the City of Muscatine Facebook Page – Facebook is by far the place we tend to see the greatest level of engagement with citizens. We post regularly about anything from construction projects to the services we offer to job opportunities. Staying connected with us on Facebook is a wonderful way to keep informed.
2. Follow us on Twitter – Like on Facebook, Twitter is a place for us to share timely information about what’s happening in the City.
3. Sign up for Notify Me –  Our website has a great feature called Notify Me that allows you to receive text or email notifications about areas that interest you. Take a look at the and sign up for notifications. You can get notifications about anything from City Council Agendas to Kent-Stein Field Conditions to Declared Snow Emergency information.
4. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter – We send out a monthly newsletter via MailChimp that gives an overview of news from each of the City’s departments. The newsletters are a great way for you to read and stay informed in one place. It’s delivered right to your email inbox so you don’t have to search for information.
5. Attend a City Council Meeting – The City Council meets the first, second and third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers.  Meetings are televised on Channel 2, the Government Access Channel. We also have a YouTube Channel where videos of the meetings are shared.
6. Of course, we can’t wrap up this blog post without pointing out that another way to stay connected with the City of Muscatine is by following this blog! You can do so by clicking the “Follow” button at the bottom right of the screen. Enter your email address to receive blog posts directly in your inbox.

We hope that by utilizing some of these 6 ways to connect with the City that you will be able to stay informed and engaged as we work together to enable Muscatine to thrive!

Back-in Angled Parking is Being Demonstrated in Muscatine – Here’s Your Guide!

Here’s your guide to back-in angled parking that is now in Muscatine! Linn Street, between Mississippi Drive and Alley #1, was recently striped and prepared to accommodate back-in angled parking. This is a demonstration project in order to allow community members to experience back-in angled parking.

Back-in angled parking is being considered for incorporation into the design for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project because it will increase safety and allow for a greater number of on-street parking spaces to be added to Mississippi Drive. This type of parking is also safer and more convenient for loading and unloading vehicles, especially when children are present.  Additionally, it allows you to see better as you are pulling out of the stall. At the 2nd Mississippi Drive Corridor Project public meeting, 67% of attendees voted that they were open to this concept.

Because it is a new concept to Muscatine, a demonstration of back-in angled parking has been set up on Linn Street. This will allow community members to experience back-in angled parking and offer feedback prior to the final decision of whether to incorporate such parking into the redesign of Mississippi Drive.

So, how do you do it? 

Cars parking on Linn street will be utilizing back-in parking on both sides of the street. Whether you are entering the area from Mississippi Drive or from Alley #1, you are able to pull forward and past your desired stall, use your right turn signal, stop, and then back into the stall. Back-in parking is one step easier than parallel parking.

The following YouTube video demonstrates how back-in parking is being used in the City of Austin. This is just one example of the effectiveness of back-in parking as it is being used in cities all across the United States.

Shelter Rentals with Muscatine Parks and Recreation

The Muscatine Parks and Recreation Department takes pride in maintaining clean, quality facilities for use by citizens and visitors.

There are 14 shelters within the City of Muscatine’s park system and on average the Parks and Recreation Department sees 400 rentals per year. Advance shelter reservations may be made one day less than a year prior to the desired date.

Each shelter contains approximately 6 picnic tables. The rental period is the full day during park hours (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.) for a fee of $30 for residents and $40 for non-residents. Extra tables may be reserved for a $15 fee for 3 tables. To make a reservation you may do so in person at the Parks and Recreation office at City Hall or by phone with a credit card payment at 563-263-0241.

On the day of a reservation at a shelter, Parks and Recreation staff will post the notice of reservation on the shelter and clean it between the hours of 6-8 a.m. The shelter is prepared for use on the morning of the same day of the reservation.

Your satisfaction is our highest priority, but please keep in mind that once our staff members have prepared the site, some situations are out of our control.

Guidelines for Usage Success

1. Parks open at 5 a.m. and close at 11 p.m.
2. No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the parks.
3. Fire is only allowed in grills.
4. Dogs must be on a leash of no more than 6′ in length.
5. Motor vehicles are allowed only on roads and parking areas.
6. Your receipt is your permit. Please have your receipt available throughout the duration of your event.
7. If you see anything in a park or facility which is in disrepair, or if you witness vandalism at any time, please notify the Muscatine Parks and Recreation Department at 563-263-0241 within business hours. If it is outside of business hours, you may contact dispatch at the Muscatine Police Department at 563-263-9922.

We hope you enjoy your experience utilizing your park system and take the opportunity to rent a shelter for your next outing!

For more information about the shelters available for rent, see our Facilities Listing.

City Council Approves Pilot Sidewalk Poetry Program

Beginning this year, your walk around Muscatine could be inspired by more than just green grass and trees. On Thursday, the Muscatine City Council approved a Pilot Sidewalk Poetry Program. Community Development Director Dave Gobin gave a presentation to request the approval of the Muscatine County Arts Council’s pilot program to install stamped poetry in new or replacement sidewalks. The program will be done under the direction of the Public Works Department as part of the annual sidewalk construction projects throughout the community.

In April, the Muscatine County Arts Council held a poetry contest, with over 40 applicants participating. All poems were judged by Iowa Poet Laureate, Mary Swander. Five winning poets were chose to have their poems embossed into stamps that will be placed into wet concrete as Public Works replaces or repairs sidewalks. The intent is to have one or two poems stamped per block. Residents will have the choice as to whether they would like poetry stamped onto concrete in front of their home if the sidewalk is being replaced or repaired.

There is no cost to the City for the poetry stamps as they were donated by the Muscatine County Arts Council after receiving a grant from the Community Foundation.

Gobin introduced the project to the City Council because he believes it’s a step in the right direction to encourage arts and tourism.

“It’s a low or no cost way to attract visitors from outside of town,” Gobin said. “With our best foot forward, the City can leave a lasting impression.”

To see example photos of sidewalks with poetry stamped into them, visit the Public Art Saint Paul website.

RAGBRAI 2016 – PHOTOS — Made In Muscatine

Having RAGBRAI end in Muscatine this year was absolutely incredible! We’re so proud of every rider for their tremendous achievement and we were honored to be a part of your moment of triumph! Also, our sincere thanks to RAGBRAI Muscatine for all the hard work volunteers did to make this possible! Click the photos below […]

via RAGBRAI 2016 – PHOTOS — Made In Muscatine