The Square

Latest Episodes:

Episode 32 - The one about conference 2021 Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

On this months episode we talked to a few of the award winners from our 2021 Annual Conference & Exhibit: Rhonda Wood Smith Award Winner: Holly Berg, Council Member, Ottumwa Hall of Fame Award Winner: John Lundell, Mayor, Coralville Hall of Fame Award Winner: Decker Ploehn, City Administrator, Bettendorf Each award winner offers great advice to newly elected, veterans and everyone in between. We finished up this month's interviews with Joe Heieck, president and CEO of gWorks who is one of our Community Alliance Partners. This episode is a bit long but well worth it!

Episode 31 - The one about Camp Coralville Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

The League's Annual Conference & Exhibit is quickly approaching and The Square is joined by Kelly Hayworth, Coralville City Administrator, as he discusses the great events that his community will host in September. Kelly shares some of the benefits of attending the Annual Conference, the fun spots around the Iowa River Landing that attendees can enjoy during their stay, and how the camping theme in the Exhibit Hall will create an unforgettable Camp Coralville. You can also hear about the latest developments around the Coralville community, which has truly been transformed during Kelly's tenure. We also chat with Travis Squires with Piper Sandler, one of the League's Community Alliance Partners, to hear more about the latest trends in municipal financing and tips for cities that are considering ways to finance projects and purchases. Head online to get more information about the 2021 Annual Conference & Exhibit, and as always, send your feedback to thesquare@iowaleague.org.

Episode 30 The One About City Elections Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

It may be summer but this fall’s regular city elections are right around the corner. This month we brought in Heidi Burhans with the Secretary of State’s Office who is a true expert in all thing’s elections. We discuss what cities need to do to prepare, the nomination process, what is required for someone to be eligible to be a candidate for elective office in Iowa, and much more. We then welcome Greg Broussard with Bolton & Menk, an engineering firm that works with clients all over the state and is a League Community Alliance Partner. Greg shares what projects we should be looking out for around the state. Send us what Mickey Shields will be doing this summer with his wife from this month’s episode and you could get a shout-out in an upcoming episode. Send any questions or comments to thesquare@iowaleague.org.

Episode 29 - The one about summer trips Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

What's your favorite place to visit in Iowa? In this month's episode, we chat with Amy Zeigler, the State Tourism Manager at the Iowa Tourism Office, about the many great places around the state to visit this summer. And our hosts, Katie Wheeler and Mickey Shields, also share some of their favorite summer travel spots. Give it a listen and let us know your favorite places in Iowa! This month's episode also features a discussion with Dustin Leo of McClure Engineering who details some of the interesting projects the firm has helped cities with recently and what is on the horizon. Send in your questions, comments, and travel suggestions to thesquare@iowaleague.org!

Episode 28 - The one about Clinton's Neighborhood Revitalization Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Spring is in full bloom and cities across Iowa are gearing up for summer programs and projects. Part of the work includes nuisance abatement, which is usually not a fun part of municipal government but always a necessity. This month's episode of The Square features a lively discussion on city nuisance abatement efforts as we are joined by Clinton's Rich Foley and Tammy Johnson along with Pat O'Connell from the Lynch Dallas law firm (a Community Alliance Partner with the League). The group shares some of the work that has been done in Clinton to deal with nuisance property issues and help turn around derelict properties. Hear what a nuisance process looks like from a city zoning official's perspective and the various problems that can arise. We also chat about the legal concerns a city has when taking action on nuisance properties and staying the course to revitalize neighborhoods. Drop any questions or comments you have at thesquare@iowaleague.org. Enjoy the show!

Episode 27: The one about your streets Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

A community's road infrastructure is critical to daily life and in this month's episode, we are joined by Travis Goedken, Humboldt City Administrator, who talks about what it's like to manage a city's street system. Travis details the importance of planning and prioritizing needs, the different types of streets that the city maintains, and the process to complete road projects. We are also joined by Derek Johnson of ISG, one of the League's Community Alliance Partners that provides engineering services to cities across Iowa and the midwest. Derek gives a look at what it's like from an engineering perspective to get public infrastructure projects done and also shares some of his background, which included serving as a city engineer. Send in your comments and questions to thesquare@iowaleague.org, enjoy the episode!

Episode 26 The One with IMWCA's Safety and Risk Improvement Team Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back! After a bit of a delay, The Square is rolling again as this month we chat with IMWCA's Safety and Risk Improvement Team. Dean Schade, Scott Smith, and Staci Griffin provide insights into working safely during an Iowa winter, pitfalls to avoid, and navigating the roads when winter weather hits. We are then joined by Jim Holz of MSA, an engineering and architectural design firm that works with cities all over the state and is a League Community Alliance Partner. Jim shares some tips on how cities can identify when infrastructure needs to be updated, prioritize community needs, and complete important projects. Thanks for listening to another episode and be sure to send any questions or comments to thesquare@iowaleague.org.

Episode 25: The One About City Budget Season Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

City budget season has arrived! The Square chats with Marion's Budget Manager, Zach Wolfe, to get his thoughts on how to prepare for the city budget and what leads to a successful process. As a city official that is relatively new to Iowa, Zach also shares his perspective of learning our state's property tax system, fund accounting and more. We are also joined by Nate Summers from DA Davidson, one of the League's partners that serves as a municipal advisor for cities as they go through capital projects. Nate discusses financing options available to cities, how to manage debt and keep the city budget in the best position to complete needed projects. We hope you enjoy this month's episode and as always, let us know your thoughts at thesquare@iowaleague.org.

Episode 24 - The One With Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

Summer has ended, school has started and The Square is back with a new episode! We talk with Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart, who was recently elected as President of the League. Mayor Hart shares what led him to serving on the city council and as mayor, the unique position of being a full-time mayor (a rarity in Iowa) and some of the fun and challenges that come with the job. We also talk about Mayor Hart's plans for his League presidency and finding ways to enhance services and programs. We then chat with Kathryn Kunert of MidAmerican Energy and Joel Schmidt of Alliant Energy about the work each company did to restore power after the derecho storm that swept through the state in August. Kathryn and Joel talked about the importance of having strong partnerships with cities and how critical that is to storm recovery. The League thanks each of these partners for their incredible work in our communities to get power back to residents and businesses following such an unprecedented storm. We hope our listeners and communities are doing well, please contact thesquare@iowaleague.org with any questions or comments!

Episode 23 - The one about the COVID-19 financial impact Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

Summer is rolling along and we have another episode of The Square for your listening pleasure! This month we talk to Erin Mullenix, the League's Research Director, who provides a rundown on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on city finances. We discuss the various revenues that are projected to decline as well as expenditures that may be affected. Erin also shares findings from recent surveys of cities that measure the local financial impact of the pandemic. Erin was gracious enough to stick around for the Get to Know Your League segment, which is always a fun listen. We encourage cities to utilize resources we have available online to help respond to the pandemic, including our COVID-19 Finance Tool that can help gauge local impacts. Take care and join us next month for another episode!

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