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The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
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Special council meeting held, bids opened, approved CAPA
by Ken Boesenberg |
The Manchester City Council held a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 1.
At the meeting the council adopted R-161-2007 a resolution authorizing and approving a loan agreement and providing for the sale and issuance of $715,000 General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds, Series 2007, and for the levy of taxes to pay the same.
Previously the council had approved the securing of $750,000 in General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds but was able to lower the amount actually needed by $35,000.
Bids on the bonds were opened earlier on Monday with the purchaser being Bankers’ Bank, Madison, Wisc., with Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Manchester.
The interest rate goes from a low of 3.700 percent starting with the payment due on June 1, 2009 to 4.050 percent for the payment due on June 1, 2018.
The purpose of the bond proceeds is to (i) acquire and mitigate a dangerous and dilapidated building (the old Don & Walt building), (ii) improve streets, (iii) finance a downtown urban renewal project and (iv) pay the cost of the issuance of the bonds.
The council also approved payment of $15,421.82 to Penny and Mike Sebany (114 N. Franklin) from the Downtown Incentive Program for Facade Grant, Commercial Rehab and Acquisition Assistance.
In their final action of the meeting the council adopted resolution R-162-2007 a resolution approving Community Activity Participation Agreement between the West Delaware Community School District and the City of Manchester.
A list of those programs and their tentative dates for 2007 - 2008 are as follows.
Youth Flag Football - September 15-30 (all days in between); October 1-23 (all days between); Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 4:30 - 7:00 p.m.; grades 1,2,3,4; through the Youth Recreational League; location is at the Middle Schools Fields.
Youth Volleyball - September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Sundays); October 7, 14, 21, 28 (Sundays); 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.; grades 3, 4, 5, 6; Youth Recreational League; location is in the High School Gym.
Adult Co-ed Volleyball League - November 7, 14, 21, 28, December 5, 12, 19, January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9; (Wednesdays); Adult recreational League; location is the Middle School Gym.
Adults Women’s Volleyball League - November 12, 19, 26, December 3, 10, 17, January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, April 7 (Mondays); 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.; Adult Recreational League; location is the Middle School Gym
Adult Volleyball Open
Gym - November 8, 15, 22, 29, December 6, 13, 20, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28, March 6,13, 20, 27, April 3, 10 (Thursdays); 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.; Adult Recreation; location is the Middle School Gym.
Adult Basketball League - November 4, 11, 18k, 25, December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23 (Sundays); 3:00 - 10:00 p.m.; location is in the High School Gym.
Basketball Open Gym - November 7, 14, 21, 28, December 5, 12, 19, 26, January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16 (Wednesdays); 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.; Adult Recreation; location is in the High School Gym.
Youth Soccer League - July 28, 29, 30, 31, August, All days, September 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.; Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; location is at the Middle School south of the track. |
DREAM Plus Committee: Community growth and enhancement ideas
by Ken Boesenberg |
A little more than seven years ago the DREAM Plus Committee was formed in Manchester. The committee was a joint effort between the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Manchester.
Initially there were 17 members on the committee which represented a very good cross section of interests throughout the community.
Over the years some of those members have moved on and others have stepped in in their place.
The original reason for forming the committee was to evaluate and consider improvements for the downtown business district.
The committee recognized the need for the growth and enhancement of the entire town and came up with a list of 38 initial ideas that they thought should be considered.
The top of the list belonged to Downtown Identity. It was desirable to establish a stronger identity and appearance for the downtown district.
It was that desire and identification that brought about the Downtown Incentive Program.
To date over $500,000 in program funds have been invested into the downtown area buildings. On top of the program funds there has been $2.5 million in private investments in the downtown area.
One can clearly see the improvements in the downtown area with the new face lifts that have been given to many of the business buildings.
The second item on the defined issues list was the need for a community auditorium, possibly associated with the high school.
Today just such a structure is in the process of being built on the main campus of West Delaware High School.
The auditorium, back in 2000, was just a dream, but thanks to the vision of the West Delaware School Board and the tremendous support of the public that project too has become a reality.
Public funding for the auditorium has topped the $1million mark.
The project should be completely done and ready for use by late fall or early winter.
Next among things that the committee thought should be done was a community bike, pedestrian trail loop that would go throughout the city.
Currently that ongoing project has 2.78 miles of paved bike way, walk way paths in town with another .41 miles to be paved in the spring.
The trails currently have three locations.
One starts on Acers Street on the north side of the middle school and goes 1.07 miles into Baum Park.
Another section starts on Bailey Drive and East Main and continues for 1.33 miles to Brewer Street, ending near the old compost site entrance.
There is also a bike way, walk way that is on West Main connecting Casey’s with Wal-Mart.
The next step is to complete the project from the West Marion Street bridge to the West Main Street bridge. This project should be completed this spring.
There were many other project possibilities envisioned by the committee back in 2000- 2001. A number of those are currently in the works or being considered for implementation in the near future.
Community entry ways were another concern of the committee. One will notice the flower beds and planting along West Main that have started to address that concern.
Also, Schram Pond/Park was identified some seven years ago and today work is beginning on making that park a reality.
The Manchester Rotary Club is heavily involved in getting a shelter constructed which will let the rest of the project hit the ground running.
The River Street Floodplain was another top 10 item on the committees initial list.
To date the City has purchased the old FDL Farmland property, two residential properties and most recently the Don & Walt property. This is all being done with the long-term plan being to extend Tirrill Park south down along the river.
Improvements in any town don’t come over night, rather through long-term planning with input and direction from committees such as The DREAM Plus Committee here in Manchester.
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Page resigns from Parks and Recreation
by Ken Boesenberg |
After nearly six years of service as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Manchester it is time for Ben Page to move on.
Ben has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Des Moines.
Things will be much different in Des Moines from what Ben is used to dealing with here in Manchester.
“The shear numbers are a bit mind boggling. Here we have a budget of $330,000 where in Des Moines the Parks and Recreation budget is $16,000,000. Another big change will be the fact that the Parks and Recreation Deaprtment there has some 148 full time employees,” said Page.
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Ben Page |
“It is going to be hard to leave a place like Manchester where we have so many friends and where everything is going so well for a new career in a city the size of Des Moines,” stated Page.
He and his wife, Kim will be making the move to Des Moines in the very near future.
Originally from Fort Dodge, Ben will be getting closer to home while wife Kim, who is from Dyersville, will be putting some distance between herself and her family.
“I think so much of the people in the town of Manchester that I will really be looking forward to coming back through town as we go to Dyersville to visit Kim relatives,” commented Ben.
Ben says that there have been a lot of very good things happen during his six years here in Manchester.
“We have really accomplished an awful lot over the past six years. People should be aware that the Parks and Recreation Department is not just the Ben Page show,” stated Page.
“I have had some absolutely great people to work with, from the Mayor to the City Council and obviously all the city personnel involved in making everything work as smooth as it does.”
Additions to Baum Park, the restoration projects at the band shelter in Tirrill Park and the progress that has been made on Schram Park are among Ben’s list toppers for projects in town.
“All of those things have been very exciting to be a part of. I wish I could be around to see the completion of the Schram Park project as it is coming along very nicely. Hopefully the new shelter will be up in the next month or so.”
“That addition to town will really give the people that drive by on the four lane something to look at and hopefully stop and explore. We have a lot of things to offer and hopefully this will be just one more reason for someone to come into Manchester,” commented Page.
“I am really going to miss the people here in Manchester. It has been a great place to start a family and to have lived for the past six years. I would like to say a special thanks to Lyle Saunders who has worked for me over the past six years. He is the true meaning of loyalty and hard work. I know for a fact that I would not have been nearly as successful had it not been for his loyalty to the Parks and Recreation Department and the City of Manchester,” concluded Page.
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