Saturday, May 11, 2013
The Waukee City Council, which has set a goal for 2013 to emphasize community and economic development, agreed to bring much economic development work in-house.
From a City of Waukee news release: The Waukee City Council this week agreed to establish a community and economic development department. One of the top council priorities for 2013 is to reshape the approach to community and economic development to put the city in the best position for short term and long term economic success. Under the proposal, the city will establish a Community and Economic Development Department that will bring many economic development activities in-house. The city will hire a director to begin in August. An Economic Development Advisory Board will be created to engage citizens in the development process; working with city staff to write and implement an economic development action plan with the goal of improving …
Alice's Road isn't the only major street in Waukee that will receive attention this year as city leaders set their top priorities.
From the City of Waukee website: Members of the Waukee City Council approved a slate of top priorities at the May 7 council meeting. These priorities are the actions that will be taken over the next 12 months to bring the community vision to fruition. Both the Community Vision and 2013-2014 City Council Priorities were developed during a strategic planning session held on April 22. The Mayor and City Council worked to develop a list of 15 top City Council Priorities by brainstorming outstanding projects and community needs and then voting to reach consensus on the top 15 initiatives. Mayor Bill Peard said he was "pleased with the work that both the City Council and city staff have put into the strategic planning process. The preparation …
Monday, April 29, 2013
Mayor Bill Peard and members of the Waukee City Council have completed strategic planning that maps out how to continue improving the community.
Waukee Mayor Bill Peard and members of the City Council completed a strategic planning session on April 22 that mapped out how to keep improving the community, according to a news release from the city. During the session, leaders were asked to brainstorm what “The Key to Good Living” entails and how future policies and community initiatives can work toward continued community betterment. LINK UP WITH PATCH: Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Have Waukee news delivered to your inbox every morning by signing up for our newsletter. Officials were asked to develop a comprehensive list of City Council priorities and then create a consensus on the top priorities for the next 12 months. Peard said, “This is the first step in creating…
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The late Hiram Ori left the Waukee Public Library a bequest in his will that is financing an expansion of the library. A public ground-breaking ceremony was held Tuesday.
The son of two immigrants -- who succeeded in business and left the city of Waukee nearly three-quarters of a million dollars upon his death -- was remembered last week at a ground-breaking for an expansion of the Waukee library. The City of Waukee broke ground on the Hiram Ori Conference Center Tuesday, with a ceremony at the Waukee Public Library, 950 Warrior Lane. LINK UP WITH PATCH: Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Have Waukee news delivered to your inbox every morning by signing up for our newsletter. Members of the Hiram Ori family were asked to speak, along with Waukee Mayor Bill Peard and Library Board member Jason Craig. The groundbreaking ceremony will kick off the project that will construct a coal mine museum and…
Monday, April 22, 2013
The late Hiram Ori left the Waukee Public Library a bequest in his will that is financing an expansion of the library. A public ground-breaking ceremony is planned for Tuesday.
From a City of Waukee News Release: Before Waukee was a booming suburb with shiny new schools it was a coal mining community and immigrant families. The son of two those immigrants -- who succeeded in business and left the city nearly three-quarters of a million dollars upon his death -- will be remembered Tuesday at a ground-breaking for an expansion of the Waukee library. The City of Waukee plans to break ground on the Hiram Ori Conference Center at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, with a ceremony to be held at the Waukee Public Library, 950 Warrior Lane. Members of the Hiram Ori family have been asked to speak, along with Waukee Mayor Bill Peard and Library Board member Jason Craig, the city's release said. The groundbreaking ceremony will …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The winner was chosen for her service to Waukee Schools, her church and community projects including Diapers for Haiti.
Mayor Bill Peard announced Cyndi Craigmile as the 2012 Waukee Citizen of the Year at Monday's City Council meeting. According to a news release from the city, Craigmile was chosen for the award by a committee consisting of Mayor Peard; David Wilkerson, superintendent for the Waukee Community School District; Vickie Dornfeld, Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce president; and 2011 Citizen of the Year Ann Strong. Craigmile was selected for the honor for her service to the community in various areas including the Waukee Public Schools, her church, and community-wide initiatives including Diapers for Haiti, the release said. “My sincerest congratulations to Cyndi for her involvement in this community," Peard said. "She has done a fine job.” As …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The plan urges cities to reduce stormwater runoff and improve recreational trails in the metro area.
- GOVERNMENT
- Deb Belt
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Wednesday, February 27
A new regional planning document for the Des Moines area could influence Waukee city officials as they work to lure commercial development to the city. During an interview with the Des Moines Register after the hourlong forum last week at Waukee City Hall, Waukee Mayor Bill Peard, who is a member of the planning group’s policy board, said he supports many of the ideas put forth in the plan. For example, it calls for continued improvements to nature trails across the region. “We’ll take some of the best practices they were talking about,” Peard told the newspaper. He said the Tomorrow Plan would not interfere with Alice’s Road project. Planner Bethany Wilcoxon said the plan calls for communities to work more closely together on how they …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Waukee's new city administrator, Tim Moerman, was greeted by community leaders and residents at an open house Tuesday afternoon at Waukee City Hall. He starts work on Monday with the challenge of shaping economic development in the city.
- GOVERNMENT
- Deb Belt
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Wednesday, February 13
What does new Waukee City Administrator Tim Moerman need to know about the town when he starts work Monday? Call him up and set up a meeting. He wants to hear from you. At a public reception Tuesday afternoon, Moerman said he welcomes meetings with community members as he gets to work on important projects, including the extension of Alice's Road and the growth tied to that project. "I want to make time for (community input) early on and get going on this adventure," Moerman told the crowd. Moerman comes to the City of Waukee with more than 25 years of professional local government experience with an emphasis in city management and economic development. Most recently he has served as an assistant city manager for Ankeny overseeing special …
Monday, January 28, 2013
Waukee Mayor Bill Peard has been appointed to the Central Iowa Workforce Development Board.
Waukee Mayor Bill Peard has been appointed to the Central Iowa Workforce Development Board, according to the city newsletter. The bipartisan board works to develop personnel capital throughout the state of Iowa. Peard was appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad to serve on the central Iowa board made up of 14 members, who come from varying trades, including business, labor, local and county government, school districts and community colleges, the newsletter said. Iowa is broken into 10 regions, all having their own board, which is tasked with identifying local workforce needs, assisting contractual processes for providers and monitoring their performance, and providing recommendations on workforce development issues to the Iowa Workforce …
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Mayor Bill Peard is sending a letter of condolence on behalf of Waukee residents to the mayor of Newtown, CT.
- GOVERNMENT
- Deb Belt
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
This story originally published Dec. 18 Waukee Mayor Bill Peard has sent a letter of condolence and support to a city official in Newtown, CT, the scene of the mass school shooting that killed 20 children. He shared that letter with Waukee Patch, the text is below. December 17, 2012 First Selectman E. Patricia Llodra Newtown Municipal Center 3 Primrose St. Newtown, CT 06470 Dear First Selectman Llodra, On behalf of the City of Waukee, Iowa, I wish to express my deepest sympathy to you and the citizens of Newtown in light of the recent tragic event in your community. Please know that despite the geographical distance between our two cities, the people of Waukee hold the victims and their families close to our hearts and are keeping …
