The Square

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Episode 2: The One About The 2018 All - Star Community Awards Aug 15, 2018

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This month on The Square we feature stories and interviews from our 2018 All-Star Community Awards – Bondurant, Lisbon and Marion! Bondurant won in the 3,000-10,000 population category for its fantastic community entrance project that included a welcome sign unlike any other featuring 10 porch swings and a firefly lighting element. Lisbon won in the fewer than 3,000 category for its community solar project that brought solar installations to four city facilities, leading to significant cost savings and serving as an example for residents and businesses. In the greater than 10,000 category, Marion was awarded for its Uptown Artway project that features nine public art installations in an underused alley that has propelled development to the city’s main commercial district. We talk to several city officials and community volunteers, who describe the importance of quality of life, public art, forming meaningful partnerships and handling vandalism. We applaud our 2018 All-Star Community Award winners and applicants – there is a lot of great work being done by cities around the state! And if your city has done something really cool (we know it has), let us know – we’d love to talk about it on The Square and you can apply now for the 2019 awards. Join us at the Annual Conference & Exhibit, September 12-14 in Council Bluffs, as we will formally recognize the All-Star Community Award winners. You can also participate in choosing our 2018 People’s All-Star Community by going to our Facebook page and liking your favorite projects! Enjoy the episode, and come back next month for a special Live from the Annual Conference edition of The Square!

Episode 1: The one about Home Rule with Bob Josten Jul 25, 2018

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The one about Home Rule with Bob Josten Our first ever podcast! This inaugural episode focuses on a topic near and dear to all cities: Home Rule. In Iowa, Home Rule was adopted through a Constitutional amendment in 1968, with overwhelming support from citizens across the state. That effort provided city governments the authority to establish local laws and policies without needing the approval from the state legislature. This change has led to more innovative and effective municipal governance while allowing city officials to be more responsive to citizen needs. This episode’s guest is Bob Josten, bond counsel at the Dorsey Whitney law firm in Des Moines who served as the League’s executive director in the years immediately after municipal Home Rule powers were adopted in the Code of Iowa. We talk to Bob about the transition to cities gaining Home Rule powers in those early days, why it was so important to municipal government and how Home Rule has evolved since its passage. We hope you enjoy this fascinating interview, and we thank Bob for sharing his time and expertise! Also, be sure to give a listen to the Your Questions Answered segment for a little more info on Home Rule and how we’re celebrating the 50th Anniversary. And stick around to the end for some fun Home Rule trivia! Visit our Home Rule page for additional guidance on this important topic, and join the effort in celebrating the 50th Anniversary by issuing a proclamation! Be sure to join us next month as we will talk with some of our All-Star Community Award winners and discuss some cool city projects that have occurred in their communities

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