Our Vision for the Community Dubuque Vision 2022

TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT:
Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Transmittal
DATE:
January 25, 2008
"The city is a partnership for living well ... The City comes into existence
out of the bare necessities of life, but continues in existence for the sake
of a good life."
Aristotle
The Mayor and City Council are focused on efforts to provide the opportunity for a good
life for all. To that end, the City Council met in September 2007 to establish the
Missions, Vision, Goals and Priorities for the community. These are the foundation of
the City's work plan and of this budget recommendation:
Our Vision for the Community
Dubuque is a city of...
• History
• Beauty
• Opportunities
• Excitement
Dubuque Vision 2022
The City of Dubuque is a progressive, sustainable city with a strong, balanced economy
and connections to the world.
The Dubuque community takes pride in our history and heritage and has actively
preserved our picturesque river and community.
Dubuque citizens have choices of quality livable neighborhoods and fun things to do,
and are engaged in the community.
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Dubuque city government is financially sound and providing services with citizens
getting value for their tax dollars.
City of Dubuque Mission Statement
The City's mission is to deliver excellent municipal services that support urban living,
plan for the community's future, and facilitate access to critical human services, which
result in financially sound government and citizens getting value for their tax dollar.
City Council Goals 2010:
•
•
•
•
•
Diverse, Strong Dubuque Economy
Planned and Managed Growth
Partnering for a Better Dubuque
Improved Connectivity: Transportation and Telecommunications
Riverfront Development
City Council Goals - Policy Agenda:
Top Priority
•
•
•
•
•
Workforce Development Strategy
Green City Initiatives
Every Child I Every Promise - City Actions
KeyLine Transit Service
Police Staffing: Evaluation and Actions
High Priority
•
•
•
•
•
Street Program Continuation and Funding
Water Pollution Control Plant Facility Upgrade
Unified Development Code
East-West Corridor Study
Southwest Arterial: Direction
Management Agenda 2007-2009:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ADA Actions
Air Service Expansion
All-America City Award Promotion
Drainage Basin Master Plan
Diversity: Next Steps
"Hot Spots" Police Patrol
North Fork Catfish Creek (Stormwater and Sanitary Sewer Improvements)
Port of Dubuque Parking Facility
Service Needs Assessment and Staffing Plan
Traffic Safety Solutions (Northwest Arterial/Pennsylvania Avenue)
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Meeting some of these priorities will be especially challenging in this budget
recommendation because of some of the economic realities facing the City.
While the local economy appears to still be strong, the following decrease in revenues
or increase in costs are affecting the City:
• 20.9 % gaming market share reduction to Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino
due to the Diamond Jo expansion.
~ Impacts both the 1% lease revenue as well as the annual ORA distribution by
a projected total of $21.4 million over the next five years, of which $5.5 million
is a reduction to operating and $15.9 million reduction to CIP. In Fiscal Year
2009, the expected loss to the operating budget is $246,858. This is
anticipated to increase to $781,165 in Fiscal Year 2010.
• Electric and Gas Franchise Fee is currently under litigation, which restricts the
City from increasing the fee collected until the outcome of the case is known.
• Federal Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) Funds will be completely
spent in Fiscal Year 2010, and it will be necessary to shift previously budgeted
economic development expenditures of $226,034 from the UDAG Fund to the
General Fund.
• The increased cost of utilities and fuel.
Several things have happened and several budget changes have occurred that mitigate
the effect of the negative impacts on the budget:
• Reduction by the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa of the
City contribution for Police and Fire Retirement from 25.48 % to 18.75%, which is
a savings of $606,951 in the General Fund.
• Reduction of City portion of health insurance contract from $900 per contract to
$715 per contract due to favorable experience in claims and increased health
insurance reserve fund balance. This is a savings of $767,627 in the General
Fund.
• Stormwater User Fund to be a self-supporting Enterprise Fund. When the
Stormwater Utility was created in Fiscal Year 2004, it was agreed that the
maintenance of storm sewers would continue to be paid from the general fund at
its existing level of expense at that time ($175,177 was the benchmark).
Expense relating to maintenance over that benchmark was charged to the
Stormwater Utility Fund ($91,261 in Fiscal Year 2007). The projected reduction
of ORA funding has necessitated the Stormwater User Fund to become selfsupporting. Over $3.4 million in stormwater capital improvement projects over
the next five years that were previously funded by other funds are now proposed
to be funded with the Stormwater User fee. In addition, $221,336 stormwater
operating expenses previously funded by the General Fund are proposed to be
paid solely from Stormwater User Fees. The General Fund will continue to
provide funding for the stormwater fee subsidies, which provide a 50% subsidy
for the stormwater fee charged to property tax exempt properties, low-tomoderate income residents, and residential farms.
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•
•
•
•
Payment in lieu of taxes to the General Fund for Police and Fire Protection from
the Water and Sewer Funds in the amount of $270,000.
Overhead recharge of Planning and Economic Development Services charged to
the utility funds in Fiscal Year 2009 amounting to $161,733.
Projected increase of Diamond Jo admissions increased the per patron fee
$145,000 and the riverboat related tax on bets $178,481 to the General Fund.
Iowa Communities Assurance Pool special dividend to be received for three
years through Fiscal Year 2010 in the amount of $225,000 per year.
Additional revenues are needed to continue providing the same level of service to the
citizens and to meet some of the City Council priorities.
PROPERTY TAXES
With this Fiscal Year 2009 budget recommendation, the City of Dubuque will be the only
city in Iowa with a population over 50,000, of which there are ten cities, to have reduced
the City portion of the property tax rate over the last seven years.
City Property Tax Rate Comparison
Fiscal Year 2002 - Fiscal Year 2008/2009
City
FY 2008
FY 2002
% Change
FY08 - FY02
Sioux City
Iowa City
Council Bluffs
West Des Moines
Cedar Rapids
Ames
Davenport
Waterloo
Des Monies
Dubuque
Average wlo Dubuque
Average Higher than
Dubuque
Highest Rank City
$18.47
$17.30
$18.19
$12.38
$14.62
$10.43
$15.58
$18.77
$17.19
$10.09
$15.88
57.39 %
$14.41
$14.85
$15.72
$10.90
$13.04
$9.36
$14.60
$17.80
$17.05
$10.76
$14.19
31.90%
28.17%
16.50%
15.71%
13.58%
12.12%
11.43%
6.71 %
5.45%
0.820/0
-6.23%
11.90%
44.65%
86.030/0
65.43%
Since we do not yet know the Fiscal Year 2009 levies of the other cities, I will compare
Dubuque's proposed Fiscal Year 2009 rate with the actual Fiscal Year 2008 rates of the
other nine large cities in the State of Iowa.
-32-
Fiscal Benchmarks
Tax Rate Comparison for Iowa's 10 Largest Cities
(1)
20
~
18
$18.77
$18.47
'
.
$18.19
$17.30
$17.19
$15.58
"0
~ 16
$14.62
(1)
~
g
o
$12.38
14
12
~ 10
...
(1)
~ 8
10
0:::
6
><
co
~ 4
o
o
~
2
LL
Waterloo
Sioux City
Council
Iowa City Des Moines* D3venport
Cedar
West Des
Arms
Dubuque
Bluffs
Rapids
Moines*
* Includes the transit tax levy adopted by the Des Moines Regional Transit Authority for comparability.
Dubuque's Fiscal Year 2009 recom,!,ended property rate is $10.09
Dubuque's recommended City property tax rate ($10.09) is the lowest in the State, as
compared to the Fiscal Year 2008 rate for the other cities in the State of Iowa with a
population over 50,000. The highest ranked city (Waterloo - $18.77) is 86.03°ib higher
than Dubuque's rate, and the average ($15.88) is 57.39% higher than Dubuque.
How does the City of Dubuque compare with property tax revenue per capita?
Fiscal Benchmarks
Property Tax Revenue per Capita
Fiscal Year 2008/2009 Comparison for
Iowa's 10 Largest Cities
Rank
City
10
9
8
West Des Moines
Iowa City
Council Bluffs
Cedar Rapids
Davenport
Waterloo
Sioux City
Des Moines
Ames
Dubuque (FY09)
Average wlo Dubuque
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Taxes per Capita
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$820
$648
$587
$579
$540
$504
$429
$400
$397
$308
$545
Dubuque has the lowest property taxes per capita for the City portion of the property tax
bill in the State for the comparison cities. The highest ranked city (West Des Moines $820) is 166% higher than Dubuque's rate, and the average ($545) is 730/0 higher than
Dubuque.
From an historical perspective, the Fiscal Year 1987 City of Dubuque City portion of the
property tax rate was $14.58. The Fiscal Year 2009 recommended property tax rate is
$10.09. The Fiscal Year 1987 rate was 450/0 higher than the Fiscal Year 2009
recommended rate.
The year 2007 started with the Dubuque City Assessor's Office revaluing all residential
property. This will affect the Fiscal Year 2009 revenues. In Iowa every odd year is an
equalization year, thus the 2007 year was a revaluation year for the City Assessor's
Office. The Dubuque City Assessor's Office, by law, is required to keep property
assessments at market value. The adjustments needed for residential are figured by
looking at the prior years' sales and comparing them to the 2006 assessments for each
property. The Department of Revenue monitors sales for a two-year period to
determine if values are at market value.
In 2006, 924 residential sales were used for the study. The end result was a sales ratio
of 88%. This indicates that the Dubuque City Assessor's Office would need to raise the
total value of residential property between 10% and 150/0 to fall within the accepted
range of property value, as determined by the State. The raising of residential value
can be accomplished two ways. The first is to allow the State of Iowa Department of
Revenue to raise all the properties in a specific classification a set percentage (12% for
this year).
This method is quick and easy but it lacks on finding the true market value for each
individual parcel. Until this year, this was the method used by the Dubuque City
Assessor's Office. The second option is what was used this year. All of the 2005 and
2006 sales were researched. These sales were then used to value all other properties
by adjusting the sales to the remaining parcels. The Assessor's Office used this
method to revalue 19,364 residential properties by April 1, 2007. Individual parcels
varied from no increase to 30% and 35% increases. The total residential value for the
City of Dubuque was raised by just over 120/0, or $234 million.
There are three other main classes of property. Commercial property was approached
in the same manner as residential, but no group adjustments were needed. There were
some individual parcel adjustments made, increasing the overall commercial value by
1.2%.
-34-
Industrial properties do not receive equalization orders from the Department of
Revenue, but they will be monitored every two years so there is not a discrepancy
between industrial and commercial assessments. The final classification is agricultural
and there are very few in Dubuque.
If the City of Dubuque just maintained the Fiscal Year 2008 property tax rate
($10.3169), the average homeowner would see a property tax increase for the City
portion of their property tax bill of over 6.34% after the State required Residential
Rollback.
The recommended property tax rate for Fiscal Year 2009 of $10.09 per thousand dollars
of assessed valuation (a 2.2 % rate decrease) will be a 4% increase ($20.43) in property
taxes for the average homeowner.
The average commercial property taxpayer will see a 2.47 % ($90.98) decrease.
The average industrial property taxpayer will see a 2.20% ($136.30) decrease.
A further historical comparison of Dubuque property taxes for the City portion of the tax
bill follows on the next page.
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CITY OF DUBUQUE
HISTORICAL TAX RATE AND COST COMPARISONS BY CLASS OF PROPERTY
RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL - 1987 - 2009
Residential
FY
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
Tax Rate
10.0895
10.3169
9.9803
9.6991
10.0720
10.2730
10.2120
10.7608
11.0671
10.7160
11.0734
11.4011
11.3815
11.7821
11.7821
12.6059
12.4989
12.7741
12.2660
11.6891
11.8007
13.9500
14.5819
Avg Change Per Yr
%
-2.20%
3.37%
2.90%
-3.70%
-1.96%
0.60%
-5.10%
-2.77%
3.28%
-3.23%
-2.87%
0.17%
-3.40%
0.00%
-6.54%
0.86%
-2.15%
4.14%
4.94%
-0.95%
-15.41%
-4.33%
Net
Property
Tax
530.88
510.45
496.93
504.62
495.21
493.26
485.79
511.37
511.38
511.38
512.25
512.25
515.91
518.10
522.65
510.24
508.73
483.63
466.92
449.94
453.98
512.38
522.17
Commercial
%
4.00%
2.72%
-1.52%
1.90%
0.40%
1.54%
-5.00%
0.00%
0.00%
-0.17%
0.00%
-0.71%
-0.42%
-0.87%
2.43%
0.30%
5.19%
3.58%
3.77%
-0.89%
-11.40%
-1.87%
-1.56%
Net
Property
Tax
3}597.66
3}688.64
3}538.03
3}152.52
3}349.90
3}278.42
3}186.27
2}910.24
2}993.08
2}934.21
2}952.03
2}738.43
2}659.36
2}439.60
2}439.60
2}250.15
2}231.05
2}280.18
2}189.48
2}086.50
2}106.42
2}490.61
2}571.50
0.14%
Industrial
%
-2.47%
4.26%
12.23%
-5.89%
2.18%
2.89%
9.48%
-2.77%
2.01%
-0.60%
7.80%
2.97%
9.01%
0.00%
8.42%
0.86%
-2.15%
4.14%
4.94%
-0.95%
-15.43%
-3.15%
Net
Property
Tax
6}048.66
6}184.95
5}983.21
5}814.61
5}036.00
5}136.52
5}106.00
5}380.40
5}533.55
5}358.00
5}536.70
5}700.56
5}690.75
5}891.05
5}891.05
6}302.95
6}249.45
6}387.05
6}133.00
5}844.55
5}900.35
6}975.00
7}290.95
1.72%
%
-2.20%
3.37%
2.90%
15.46%
-1.96%
0.60%
-5.10%
-2.77%
3.28%
-3.23%
-2.87%
0.17%
-3.40%
0.00%
-6.54%
0.86%
-2.15%
4.14%
4.94%
-0.95%
-15.41%
-4.33%
-0.69%
RECAP (1987 - 2009):
FY
2009
1987
Tax Rate
10.0895
14.5819
%
-30.81%
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Net
Property
Tax
Net
Property
Tax
Net
Property
Tax
%
1.67%
530.88
522.17
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3}597.66
2}571.50
%
39.91%
6}048.66
7}290.95
%
-17.04%
You can see over a 22-year period, since the citizens passed by referendum a local
option sales tax of 1% with 500/0 dedicated to property tax relief, the changes to property
taxes.
The $10.0895 rate recommended in Fiscal Year 2009 is a 30.81 % decrease from the
Fiscal Year 1987 rate of $14.58, for an average decrease of 1.56% per year.
The property tax payment of the average residential property has increased 1.67 %
($8.71), for an average increase of 0.14% (40¢) per year.
The property tax payment of the average commercial property has increased 39.9%
($1,026.16), for an average increase of 1.72 % ($46.64) per year.
The property tax payment of the average industrial property has decreased 17.04 %
($1,242.29), for an average decrease of 0.70/0 ($56.47) per year.
The City faces some significant financial challenges over the next several years, with
property tax increases for the average homeowner projected at 6.44% in Fiscal Year
2010, 9.95% in Fiscal Year 2011, 8.26% in Fiscal Year 2012 and 6.01 % in Fiscal Year
2013. The City must continue to identify operational efficiencies to give the taxpayer the
best value for their investment, but the City must also identify additional revenue
opportunities. One greatly under-utilized asset the City has is the land, especially on
the riverfront, that is owned by the City and leased out for private use. Fifty years ago
the City Dock Commission negotiated leases at a fraction of market value. Should the
City be able to start getting the true market value of these properties, the City could
realize approximately $2 million in additional general fund operating income.
WATER RATE
I am recommending a 9% increase in the water rates. Water Department Manager Bob
Green has contacted other cities in Iowa with a population over 50,000, that use a water
softening process, to determine the recommended water rates for these communities
for Fiscal Year 2009.
In spite of the recommended water rate increase, Dubuque would move from the
second lowest water rate in the State (as in Fiscal Year 2008) of these seven
communities, to the lowest water rate in the State. This is mainly because of a
recommended increase in Cedar Rapids of 19.5%.
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Water Rate Comparison
Monthly Water Rate Comparison for Largest Iowa
Cities with Water Softening for the Average User
Proposed
Rate (FY09)
City
Iowa City
West Des Moines
Ames
Council Bluffs
(Study Underway)
Des Monies
Cedar Rapids
Dubuque
Average wlo Dubuque
$27.34
$25.40
$18.42
$17.44
$17.06
$17.80
$16.48
$20.58
For Fiscal Year 2009, the highest ranked city (Iowa City - $27.34) is approximately 660/0
higher than Dubuque, and the average ($20.58) is approximately 25°10 higher than
Dubuque.
SANITARY SEWER
I am recommending a 90/0 increase in the Sanitary Sewer Rate. Dubuque will still
maintain the position of second lowest sewer rate.
Sanitary Sewer Comparison
Sanitary Sewer Rate Comparison
for Average User
City
Iowa City
Sioux City
Des Moines
Council Bluffs
Waterloo
West Des Moines
Ames
Cedar Rapids
Dubuque
Davenport
Average Without Dubuque
FY08
$34.26
$22.45
$26.84
$17.20
$18.95
$18.90
$18.46
$18.10
$16.57
$15.36
$21.17
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FY09
(Based on FY08 unless
Noted)
$34.26
$27.04 (FY09 Proposed)
$26.84
$20.64 (FY09 Pending)
$18.95
$18.90
$18.46
$18.10
$18.05 (FY09 Proposed)
$15.36
$22.06
For Fiscal Year 2009, the highest ranked city (Iowa City - $34.26) is approximately 90%
higher than Dubuque, and the average ($22.06) is approximately 22.2% higher than
Dubuque.
The City Council has major decisions to make on the future processes used in the
treatment of waste at the Water Pollution Control Plant, which will impact rates
beginning in Fiscal Year 2010. This is described in the Capital Improvement Program
budget and mentioned further later in this message.
STORMWATER FEE
When the Stormwater User Fee Fund was created in Fiscal Year 2004, it was intended
that this fund would be funded from a number of sources, which included the existing
level of General, Sales Tax, and ORA Distribution funds, as well as Stormwater User
Fees. A number of factors have impacted the need to have the Stormwater Utility Fund
exist as a self-supporting Enterprise Fund, including the projected decrease of ORA
funding, lack of State and Federal Grants, and an increase in the original costs to
implement the Bee Branch Drainage Master Plan. Fiscal Year 2009 will be the first
fiscal year that the Stormwater User Fee is recommended to be fully funded by
Stormwater User Fees. The General Fund will continue to provide funding for the
stormwater fee subsidies that provide a 50% subsidy for the stormwater fee charged to
property tax exempt properties, low-to-moderate income residents, and residential
farms. The schedule of the proposed rate increases in Fiscal Year 2009 is as follows:
Current Rates
Proposed Rates
FY 2009
$4.00
$4.00
FY 2010
$4.25
$5.00
FY 2011
$4.25
$5.50
FY 2012
$5.00
$6.35
FY 2013
$5.00
$7.00
The topography of Dubuque and the limestone bluffs and outcroppings make Dubuque
a beautiful place, but this, and the close proximity to the Mississippi River, provides
unique stormwater management issues that are more expensive to deal with than in
other communities. Efforts to keep the Mississippi River out create problems when
stormwater from rain events is trapped in the community.
The $4.00 monthly fee in Fiscal Year 2009 will make Dubuque the second highest in the
State, behind Des Moines at $6.43.
REFUSE COLLECTION
I am recommending a 4.70/0 increase in the refuse collection rate, going from $9.89 per
month to $10.35 per month, for a 46¢ increase.
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COST OF CITY SERVICES
In Fiscal Year 2009, the average homeowner will pay $69.21 more for City services,
including property taxes, sanitary sewer, water, refuse and stormwater, than in 1995 an average increase of just $15.70 per year.
Fiscal Benchmarks
Dubuque's Rankings among
Iowa's 10 Largest Cities
ISSUE
RANK
Property Tax Rate (Lowest)
#1 of 10
Water Rate (Lowest)
#10f7
Sanitary Sewer Rate (2
nd
Lowest)
Refuse Collection Rate (Lowest)
Stormwater Rate (2
nd
#2 of 10
#1 of 10
#19 of 20
Highest)
As you can see, the City of Dubuque is very competitive among the ten cities in the
State of Iowa with a population that exceeds 50,000. I would like to show you how
much money this saves Dubuque taxpayers when compared to the average of the other
nine cities, and to the highest cost in each category (property tax, water, sanitary sewer,
stormwater and refuse collection).
Fiscal Benchmarks
Savings to Average Homeowners
Property Tax
I
Current Annual If Equal to the Highest
Dubuque Cost Large Iowa City
$ 530.88
$ 988 (+$457)
Water Fee
$ 198
$ 328 (+$130)
Sanitary Sewer Fee
$ 217
$ 412 (+$195)
Stormwater Fee
$
$
Refuse Fee
$ 124
$ 252 (+$128)
Total Annual Cost
$1,118
$1,973 (+$855)
48
77 (+$29)
These savings put almost $38 million back into the local
economy annually, compared to if the City of Dubuque charged
the highest fee of the comparable cities.
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ANNEXATION
Additional Police Officers
With the Police Department's crime strategy, Territory Accountability Design, in full
implementation, the department projects the need to increase Dubuque's current six
patrol territories to seven as new areas of the City are annexed and developed. To add
a seventh territory, five additional police officers are needed.
Partly in response to this need, the Police Department has developed a Sworn Officer
Plan, which proposes the addition of 15 sworn police officers over a five-year period,
with the first five (three Police Officers and one Police Corporal acting a's a Section 8
Investigator) approved in the current fiscal year, and four more proposed in the Fiscal
Year 2009 budget recommendation. The plan's staff increases will create sufficient
staffing to establish an additional patrol territory, proposed for the third year of the plan.
Additional Snow Plow Drivers and Snow Plow Route
Dubuque's expansion will also increase the number of streets and roads that must be
maintained by the City's Public Works Department. In order to maintain the current
level of street maintenance, street cleaning, and snow and ice control to all areas of the
City, the Public Works Department is requesting the addition of a snow plow driver in
Fiscal Year 2009 and another is expected to be requested in a future year. Two drivers
are needed to staff a route 24 hours a day in a snow event. The Public Works
Department plans to create another snowplow route with these two employees as
annexation and development dictates. In the warm months, this position will be
assigned to the Leisure Services Department to maintain City parks and landscaping in
the Washington Neighborhood, Port of Dubuque, Iowa Street and the Locust Street
connector.
New Fire Station
AFire and Emergency Service Response Study was completed in November 2006 by
the Matrix Consulting Group. The report stated, "As development occurs, the City
should add one additional station and relocate one current station to accommodate the
increase in Fire Department workload. This scenario would consist of adding a station
at or near Chavenelle and Radford to provide service to the west side of the City." To
act on this recommendation, a CIP budget item was created to provide funds to begin
preparing a site in Fiscal Year 2008, with design of the facility anticipated in Fiscal Year
2012. In fall 2007, the City Council approved a purchase agreement with Dubuque
Initiatives for 1.8 acres along the Northwest Arterial in the Dubuque Industrial Center to
provide a site for a new West End fire station.
Water and Sanitary Sewer Service
The City is in the process of extending sanitary sewer and water service into new
development areas or recently annexed areas as part of pre-annexation agreements.
• In 2003, a new water main was activated from Highway 20 north on the east side
of the Northwest Arterial to John F. Kennedy Road then west to a new 1.25
million gallon water tower located at the Dubuque Soccer Complex. By
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•
•
constructing this tower, it allowed growth to take place for residential, commercial
and industry to the west of the community.
Funds have been reserved for a project to conduct a water consumption study in
the Roosevelt Road and Industrial Park West areas to evaluate the timetables
that additional water towers should be built in these areas. The project includes,
as needed, a new one million gallon water tower after 2011.
To date, both sanitary sewer and water service have been extended through the
Dubuque Industrial Center West, along Seippel Road to the north edge of the
Callahan subdivision. Funds are budgeted in the current year to extend service
to the 700-acre west-side annexation area, as well as the 270-acre Corey/Herrig
development on the northwest side of Dubuque. Additionally, service will be
extended, in phases over the next two years, to the 280-acre McNamer
residential property on North Cascade Road on the south side of Dubuque.
Additional funds are available to extend water and sewer service to areas under
consideration for annexation. The City is spending in excess of $2 million to
replace much of the North Fork Catfish Creek Sanitary Sewer Line.
New Rental Housing Inspector
As part of the City's initiatives offered in response to neighborhood issues, the budget
recommendation creates an additional Rental Housing Inspector position that will allow
the Housing and Community Development Department to bring the non-Section 8 rental
housing units inspection cycle down from seven years to less than five years between
inspections. This will also accommodate inspections needed in any new rental units in
areas to be annexed.
RESPONSE TO DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES
The Washington: Revitalize! initiative was developed beginning in October 2004, and
introduced in a public kick-off event in June of the following year. This initiative included
a 16-point "strategy" to address neighborhood concerns. Key recommendations
included the following:
• encourage homeownership
• encourage a mix of household incomes
• form a private lender mortgage lending fund, offering subsidized financing to
homebuyers within the neighborhood
• assist in formation of a representative neighborhood association
• target blighted buildings for improvement, notably the Casket Factory
• target additional code enforcement to improve the appearance and condition of
housing
• promote public safety, with the leadership of the COP Program
• build the capacity of non-profits to provide affordable housing and needed
supportive services to families
• encourage rebuilding of Prescott School, as a "community-centered" school,
serving as a resource to families and parents in the neighborhood
• develop a park for neighborhood children
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•
•
•
create a "neighborhood vision," developed from a consensus of stakeholder
interests
create a comprehensive neighborhood plan, to guide future development and
public investment
"re-market" the image of the neighborhood, by developing a marketing plan
emphasizing the neighborhood's assets and attributes.
As of September 2007, the City can point to many successes in the implementation of
this strategy, among them:
• a new $11 million Prescott charter elementary school, representing a
commitment from the Dubuque Community School District to downtown
neighborhoods, families and children
• a $250,000 City investment at Prescott for a "neighborhood resource center"
• the Washington Neighborhood Association, formed in 2005 and now one of the
most active associations in the City - five neighborhood clean-ups have been
held to date
• renovation of the Casket Factory building into Washington Court, with 36
apartments, a $6 million historic preservation project that has garnered State
awards
• as part of the Washington Court project, creation of the Crescent Community
Health Center (a partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater
Dubuque, the State of Iowa, local health care providers, and others), with federal
funding support secured and an array of health and dental services offered to
lower-income residents
• City assistance to the Washington Court and Heath Center projects totaled more
than $1.1 million. This included removal of four homes on Elm Street and
construction of a City-owned parking lot for Crescent Community Health Center;
as well as direct investment in construction of both the housing project and the
Health Center facilities
• the CDBG Community Partnership Program will provide another $19,000 grant to
the Crescent Community Health Center this year, for expansion of the dental
facilities
• the new Orange Park in the center of the neighborhood, offering a safe play area
for young children and representing $320,000 in City investment
• over $1.7 million in homeowner lending activities, with conversion of eight former
rental and/or vacant houses to homeowner occupancies, and 19 new
homeowner families in the neighborhood
• commitment of a $1 million low-interest mortgage loan fund from DB&T, offering
the possibility of first-time homeownership to lower-income families
• a partnership between the Housing Department and DB&T to acquire vacantabandoned properties, then find homeowner families to refurbish and reoccupy
them
• expansion of the Community Oriented Policing (COP) unit, adding officers on the
street and developing relationships with neighborhood residents
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•
•
non-profits such as the Multicultural Family Center, the Four Mounds-HEART
Program, the Crescent Community Health Center, 'Davis Place and Manasseh
House providing housing, services and hope to neighborhood residents
a just-completed Washington visioning process, as a first step toward agreement
on a plan for the future of the neighborhood
While these accomplishments represent progress, they are only part of the "solution" to
the many issues. Citizens and neighborhood residents perceive the need for a greater
degree of public safety and personal accountability from tenants and landlords. The
condition and appearance of housing is a constant source of complaint. The
Washington Neighborhood, with 700/0 of the housing units renter-occupied, still suffers
from an instability caused by transience. Many neighborhood residents do not find
access to employment and educational opportunity. Young children need more
supported after-school activities, and families need advocates to access services and
realize their potential.
In the past three years, the Dubuque Police Department, through the budget process,
has been working to streamline and enhance crime-fighting abilities through effective
crime analysis and the deployment of personnel and resources. As part of the effort,
the department upgraded a patrol Corporal position to a patrol Lieutenant. During this
time the Department increased narcotics enforcement through the addition of a State
supervised 18-County Drug Task Force officer. As of July 1, 2006, funding for this
position moved from the State 18-County Drug Task Force to the Dubuque County Drug
Task Force, creating a third local drug task force officer.
The Community Policing Officers (COPS) supplement the department's crime-fighting
abilities through their close relationships with internal and external partners throughout
the downtown areas. To enhance this effort, the Community Policing Unit was
upgraded in Fiscal Year 2007 from a Corporal and three officers to a Captain and four
Corporals, to better serve those living in the downtown area and neighborhoods.
The City Council also approved the Fiscal Year 2008 addition of one new officer
position beginning July 1, 2007, bringing the City's sworn officer allocation from 94 to 95
officers. The police department is proposing the creation of 14 new police officers, in
addition to this one new officer, over a five-year period. The hiring begins April 2008
with four officers, as approved by the City Council in December 2007. Of these 14, four
would be placed in patrol to lessen the patrol deficit regarding the annual turnover rate
of 5.67 officers and the 33-week training cycle (13 weeks - Police Academy and 20
weeks - Field Training). Additionally, as the City expands its boundaries through
annexation, the five-year hiring plan creates five positions to establish an additional
patrol territory proposed in the third year of the plan.
One officer will allow the creation of a Corporal position that will be assigned to the
COP's, but stationed at the Housing and Community Development Department as a
Section 8 Housing Investigator.
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There will be a new three-person traffic unit assigned to the Community Oriented
Policing Group. The purpose of the dedicated traffic unit is to comprehensively
coordinate, plan and monitor traffic safety efforts.
One new officer will be assigned to the School Resource Officer Program. Currently,
there are three School Resource Officers assigned full-time to the Dubuque Community
School District. With the addition of three new schools to the district in the recent past,
the fourth officer offsets the additional workload. The sworn officer five-year plan
follows the table below:
FY2008
2
1
1
Patrol
Patrol/Annex
Traffic/
COP Unit
Section 8
1
- - Investigator
5
FY2009
1
1
1
1
4
Patrol
Patrol/Annex
Traffic/
COP Unit
SRO
FY2010
1
1
Patrol
Patrol/Annex
Traffic/
COP Unit
1
1
FY2011
FY2012
Patrol
Patrol/Annex
Patrol/Annex
TOTAL
5
5
3
1
3
2
The addition of these 15 sworn police officers follows the addition of 17 sworn police
officer positions since 1994, bringing the total department strength to 109 sworn
positions, an increase of 42%.
In addition to these efforts, the police department has developed a new crime strategy,
implemented in the fall of 2006. The strategy "Territory Accountability Design" or TAD is
designed to meet new challenges. Simple in design, this crime strategy (Territory
Accountability Design) enables police, through computer aided crime analysis, to
identify trouble spots, distinguish emerging crime patterns and target the appropriate
resources to strategically fight crime in a comprehensive manner.
Currently, the police department patrol area is divided into six patrol territories. As
crime patterns and/or safety concerns emerge, the Territory Lieutenant addresses the
concerns with the District Captain. In consultation, extra resources are applied beyond
the daily assignments through the allocation of resources through a Special Operations
request.
Through the Territory Accountability Design, the police department continues to address
areas of concern through a number of special projects. These projects include:
• Special Drug and Burglary Surveillance and Apprehension Teams;
• Directed Weekend Police Patrols to Increase Police Visibility Regarding Local
Liquor License Businesses;
• Special Traffic Safety Teams;
• Special Park Patrols;
• Special Liquor License Inspections with Members from the Department of
Corrections and Fire;
• Special Tobacco/Alcohol Compliance Projects; and
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1
15
•
Neighborhood Saturation Patrols.
Also recommended in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget process is the purchase of portable
surveillance cameras. Surveillance cameras would be placed in areas of suspected
criminal activity and have the ability to be viewed and record from a remote location.
The City has found that landlords playa significant role in impacting many of the quality
of life issues. In partnership, the police department works with landlords in many ways.
The police department encourages and shares local arrest information regarding
potential tenants at no cost to the landlords. Additionally, beginning July 1, 2007, the
police department initiated a statewide criminal history reimbursement program. This
program reimburses landlords for criminal history checks of potential tenants. Costing
on average $13-$20 per state criminal history, the program provides reimbursement
funds to cover the expense. Through this effort, landlords know the criminal history of
their tenants before the rental agreements are completed.
In 2007, the Housing Commission instituted a preference point system for Section 8
eligibility for applicants living in Dubuque at the time of their application. Those policies
have since been augmented by requirements for additional documentation of local
residence. As a result, there is a trend of decreased turn-over of participants, indicating
that more families on the program may be making longer-term commitments to
Dubuque residence.
A vacant or abandoned building (VAB) ordinance was passed in June 2006. The
ordinance provides a tool for tracking VABs and an inspection mechanism to ensure the
buildings are secure and are not a public safety risk under the Housing, Building, Fire,
Health or Zoning codes. The ordinance requires registration and the submission of a
plan for the building. The City has funds to acquire properties that do not comply.
In 2007, an Interdepartmental Task Force on Code Enforcement Activities developed
recommendations for the Housing Code Enforcement Program, including the following:
1. Target areas for more intensive code enforcement;
2. Establish a "chronic offenders" program, involving more frequent inspections;
3. Adopt more aggressive enforcement actions regarding "problem properties"; and
4. Increase acquisition/condemnations of problem properties.
The City Attorney's office is currently updating the City of Dubuque's Crime Property
Ordinance. These updates will provide a more effective tool for dealing with problem
tenants and the landlords who do not remedy problems in their units. The amendments
will allow a property to be designated a crime property and outline a series of resulting
implications. They will include, but are not limited to, regular meetings with the Police
Department, mandatory attendance at the Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program, posting
"No Trespassing" signs, and/or suspension or revocation of a rental license.
A Habitual Violator Ordinance is also being researched and evaluated for
implementation in the City of Dubuque. The purpose of this ordinance would be to
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target property owners, including landlords, who do not maintain their properties in
accordance with the Housing, Building, Fire or Health codes. While the research is in
its infancy, the expected result is better maintenance of property, particularly rental
properties, of which the highest density is in the downtown area and the Washington
Neighborhood.
The Public Works Department currently uses a red tag system to address noncompliant refuse. Residents receive a red tag if refuse is set out early, excessive in
quantity, not properly prepared for pickup or left out in excess of twenty-four hours after
collection. It is recommended that in the Washington Neighborhood the properties with
alley collection be required to use City-owned and maintained refuse carts that hold
larger volumes to help improve the appearance of the alleys.
The City of Dubuque has 7,600 rental dwelling units. These ,are required by Iowa Code
to be "periodically" inspected. Just over 1,000 of these are enrolled in the Section 8
Program and are annually inspected by Section 8 staff. The remaining are inspected by
1.2 FTE housing inspectors, on a 7-8 year cycle. In December 2007, the City Council
approved the addition of one full-time inspector to reduce this cycle inspection time to
less than five years.
Additional street and alley lighting is recommended in the Washington Street
Neighborhood through the following programs:
• All existing street lights will be upgraded to 100 watts;
• Street lights will be added in mid-blocks where an alley intersects a street;
• The City will pay 50% (up to $250) of the cost of a private light in a home's front
yard at the public sidewalk; and
• The City will pay 50% (up to $100) of the cost of a light to be installed behind a
house or garage at the alley.
A pilot program will reconstruct four blocks of alleys near the Crescent Community
Health Center with a permeable pavement to improve the appearance and drainage in
alleys.
On-going Housing Department initiatives include continuing successes in garnering
additional funding for housing purchase and rehabilitation programs. These funds
leverage local capital budget expenditures and make homeownership possible for more
low- and moderate-income families. The City received more than $300,000 from the
Iowa Finance Authority's Housing Trust Fund for Washington Neighborhood
homeownership promotion. Coupled with the City CDBG allocation and a five-year,
$100,000/year tax fund commitment from the City Council, the neighborhoods are being
marketed to families and households at all income levels. The City tax funds are made
available to persons without income limit; the IFA grant assists those earning less than
500/0 of median income. Community Development Block Grant funds are used for loans
to families in the 50-80 0h income range.
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All buyers receive these funds at the same terms. For down payment assistance, the
City offers a $5,000 forgivable loan. For rehabilitation, the first $5,000 is again made as
a forgivable loan; the next $10,000 is a due-on-sale loan, with no payments or interest.
Finally, another $10,000 is available for rehab, at no interest, for 20 years. This means
a buyer family may borrow City funds totaling $30,000, at a total payment rate of $42
per month.
A Housing-Health Department partnership has successfully administered a "Lead
Hazard Reduction Program" in the downtown neighborhoods, since 1997, making more
than 700 housing units "lead-safe," using $6 million in grants received from HUD. The
City has just been awarded another $2.7 million grant to continue this work. Reducing
lead poisoning in young children is a high priority. The program also improves living
standards for lower-income families, encourages additional housing rehabilitation and
stabilizes the residential tax base in the Washington and surrounding neighborhoods.
A Fiscal Year 2008 initiative concerns a demonstration project to improve energy
efficiency and conservation practices in the homes of Washington Neighborhood
residents. Through a contract approved by the City Council with Down-to-Earth
Solutions, the City will conduct extensive energy use audits in 40+ homes in the
neighborhood, then develop an energy management program designed to reduce
consumption through cost-effective and affordable energy-conserving improvements to
the home.
Another new venture that has received City Council support is the demonstration project
to convert a vacant, historic apartment building on White Street to owner-occupied town
homes. This building, located across from Prescott School, was purchased by the City
from the Dubuque Community School District. The project goals include demonstrating
interest in market-rate housing in the Washington Neighborhood; and in particular,
attracting "young professionals" employed in the downtown to live in the neighborhood
and walk to work, reducing reliance on auto commutes for downtown workers.
The City Council has approved development of a comprehensive plan for the
Washington Neighborhood. Building on the work of the visioning project, this will
leverage the interest of the committed group of visioning participants into a consensusbuilt neighborhood planning effort. This will comprehensively address housing and
zoning, land use, public service and traffic issues; but also seek to respond to the needs
of residents for social, educational and employment support.
A Housing-Engineering Department partnership continues to prepare the way for the
Bee Branch Creek Realignment Project, a storm water mitigation initiative that will have
major impacts on the North End and Washington Neighborhoods. Consultant
engineering analysis determined that, when completed, this project will remove 1,150
homes from the area of chronic storm water flooding. The Housing Department has
completed purchase of 13 homes on 32nd Street for expansion of the detention basin at
that location; and purchased the first 30 (of 70) homes in the 16th-24th Street corridor.
This will result in an improved quality of life for residents in this area, as well as
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generate investment in home improvements. The completed realignment will also result
in a linear parkway, with hiking-biking paths, offering a recreational amenity for public
use. This budget recommends acceleration of this project timeline.
The City is currently committed to providing $3,200,000 to the $6,799,318 cost of the
Dubuque Carnegie-Stout Library Renovation Project. The rest is being raised by a
citizen committee chaired by Telegraph Herald Publisher Jim Normandin. This project
is important to addressing neighborhood concerns and to the Every Child/Every
Promise initiative. This budget recommendation includes an additional $500,000 of City
funds for this project.
While recognizing that enforcement and capital investment are key elements in
neighborhood revitalization efforts, development of human capital is a longer-term
solution to improving the quality of life. In particular, the City must assist the lessadvantaged citizens to access the ladder of economic opportunity that leads out of
poverty.
The City has initiated "Project Hope," a convening of area workforce development
agencies, City staff and educational institutions, in a challenge to respond to high
unemployment and/or under-employment of residents of the downtown neighborhoods.
A discussion has begun on how to reach these residents, who are traditionally cut off
from opportunities for advancement, due to social, cultural or educational barriers. The
objective of Project Hope is to establish inter-agency programs specifically designed to
provide opportunities - hope - to these citizens, and to find ways of over-coming barriers
to their participation in the job market.
The Every Child/Every Promise initiative, in partnership with the Community Foundation
of Greater Dubuque and others, has been supported by the City since its inception. The
purpose of Every Child/Every Promise is to insure that the "Five Promises" are delivered
to all children in the community. The Five Promises are:
• Caring Adults
• Safe Places
• Healthy Start
• Effective Education
• Opportunities to Help Others
Connecting youth to opportunity is a high priority in efforts to improve conditions in the
downtown neighborhoods. It is the surest long-term strategy for breaking the cycle of
poverty and raising a standard of living.
The City Council approved a three-year, $25,000/year grant to assist Every Child/Every
Promise in employing a full-time, paid executive director. This would be partial funding
for a $250,000 budget for that three-year period. While the organization has been
admirably served in a voluntary capacity by its first two directors, to raise the level of its
effectiveness, paid staff is needed.
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Assistance to the Every Child/Every Promise initiative is proposed for Fiscal Year 2009
through funding of a grant program of $25,000 a year to provide funding for agencies to
move this effort forward. It is expected that this will be matched by other community
corporate and educational institutions, in the interest of promoting delivery of an
assured quality of life for all the youngest (0-20) citizens.
As part of the City's commitment to children, and to families of diverse origin, the City
has supported the Multicultural Family Center for the past two years, with over $88,000
from the Community Partnership Program to subsidize operating expenses. Due to the
success of the Center in providing services and programming to a broad spectrum of
neighborhood residents, the Center has out-grown the current space and are in need of
expanded facilities.
This budget recommendation includes purchase and renovation of the former Kepharts
building from the Dubuque Community School District, which will increase the Center's
space from its current 720 square feet to more than 6,000. This relocated Multicultural
Center, in partnership with the Dubuque Community School District and Iowa State
University Extension, will be able to provide a number of additional programs and
accommodate many more children and families. Features will include an expanded
computer lab, the possibility of a "family resource center" within the facility staffed by
ISU Extension, and small and large meeting rooms and offices for other agencies and
organizations serving the neighborhood.
The budget also proposes renovating the former City Housing offices at 18th and Central
to its historic character as one of the City's original fire stations, and offering a lease on
this neighborhood anchor building, through a Request for Proposal process, to an
agency that will provide services to the neighborhood.
The Leisure Services Department budget includes additional staffing for site supervision
of the City's after-school sports programs and provision of physical activities, crafts and
games to 35 kindergarten through third grade students five days a week at Fulton
School, while St. Mark's provides academic assistance.
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
Partnering with property owners in the Warehouse District on their planned $100 million
investment in over one million square feet in historic structures is important to the future
of the City of Dubuque. Assistant City Manager Teri Goodmann and other City staff
have been working with Dubuque Main Street, the Dubuque Area Chamber of
Commerce, the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, the Community
Foundation of Greater Dubuque and others to help the property owners access State,
Federal and private foundation resources to help fill the financial gap that exists as
property owners look at the cost of these massive renovation projects.
The City Council has already expanded the Downtown Urban Renewal District to allow
Tax Increment Financing to assist with the creation of public parking facilities, other
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public improvements and to defray some of the renovation costs. This budget proposes
several million dollars to repair and replace the streets, water lines, sanitary and storm
sewer facilities.
While not in the Warehouse District, another budget proposal for downtown is the
creation of new sidewalks and amenities from 9th Street to 14th Street on Main Street,
the site of significant investment in renovations by Gronen Properties and the Fischer
Companies.
OTHER SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS
This budget recommendation includes the addition of two full-time dispatcher positions
to the Emergency Communications Center. This will serve two purposes. This will
increase from three to four dispatchers on the evening shift at the center six days a
week. It also provides an additional twenty hours a week to provide additional
opportunities for time-off to be scheduled by dispatchers for vacation and training. The
other piece of flexibility these positions add is the need for this fourth position on this
shift is marginal, so this fourth position can be left open at times when it is important to
allow dispatchers a scheduled vacation or training time. Should staffing needs and
scheduling of vacation and training time continue to be an issue, two things will need to
be evaluated in the future; additional staffing and the current practice of employees
working four 1O-hour days, instead of five a-hour days.
The Emergency Management budget includes a recommendation for a high-speed
outbound telephone notification system. The system would be able to notify a specific
geographic area of the City in a matter of minutes. This system has endless
possibilities, from notification of an emergency, to notification of parking restrictions, to
notification of a zoning hearing. This system is GIS-based, so it can be operated on a
map screen with the click of a computer mouse.
The budget recommendation includes additional fire rescue equipment to provide
equipment on engine companies strategically positioned in the City for more efficient
responses.
Web hosting of CityChannel a would be implemented, making CityChannel a
programming available on the internet, dramatically increasing access of citizens and
people around the world to more information about Dubuque.
The City Clerk's Department would add a part-time secretary position for 20 hours a
week, which would replace the 10 hour per week intern position. The part-time
secretaries in the City Manager's Office and the City Attorney's Office and the part-time
Maintenance Worker in the Building Department, responsible for supervising the
cleaning crews at City Hall, the City Hall Annex and the Historic Federal Building, would
be upgraded to full-time positions.
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A contract position is recommended as an Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator at
seven hours per week. This may change from a contract position to a City employee
working part-time, depending on the results of a State grant that is being submitted to
add hours to the position.
To further the efforts in the area of intercultural competency and to provide training
assistance and support for Employee Involvement Teams, the creation of a Training
and Workforce Development Coordinator in the Personnel Department is
recommended. Also recommended is the creation of a part-time secretary in this
department.
The creation of a part-time Communications Assistant position is recommended in the
Public Information Office to assist with improving the quality and quantity of information
made available to citizens.
The Parking Division would add a full-time Parking System Technician to provide the
necessary back-up and support for the more sophisticated equipment and software now
running the parking system and to provide staffing for the new parking lot and ramps
that have been expanded or added over the years. There is a corresponding increase
in parking fees to fund this position and other expenses.
The Engineering Department would add a new full-time position to complete the
consolidation of the State-mandated Iowa One Call Utility Location Program.
Funds are recommended to reactivate the City of Dubuque's Sister City Initiative. The
City currently has two Sister Cities, Pyatigorsk, Russia, and Handan, China. The City
has also been previously approached by Trois-Rivieres, Canada, about creating a Sister
City relationship.
There are four major changes recommended to the Transit budget:
• A Dubuque resident, Sue Balsamo, is starting a Dubuque branch of Independent
Transportation Network (ITN) America. This innovative transportation service will
offer 24 hour a day, seven days per week transportation to seniors in and around
Dubuque. Seniors who use the service become dues-paying members (and may
even donate their automobile to ITN America). Members are expected to pay for
half the true cost of their rides. In Fiscal Year 2007, Dubuque minibus operations
carried 9,477 seniors, above the federally-required ADA requirements, at a cost
of $92,590. The ITN America financial plan for Dubuque is designed to be selfsufficient in four years, with contributions by the City as follows:
FY09 - $62,500
FY10 - $46,875
FY11 - $31,250
FY12 - $15,625
• Security cameras and audio systems will be installed on each of the fixed route
buses.
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•
•
The part-time hours available to mini-bus drivers will increase from 19,944 hours
to 20,970 hours annually.
The KeyLine fixed route bus system currently has three full-time drivers, with the
remaining hours covered by part-time hours. The mini-bus service is completely
covered by part-time hours. This budget recommendation is for one full-time
mini-bus operator position.
Funding is provided for two pet parks at the former A.Y. McDonald site on 12th Street
and off of Terminal Street in the South Port of Dubuque. The City Council has not yet
designated either of these sites for a pet park, but has asked for locations to consider.
There are several green initiatives, in addition to what is already occurring, including
consultant services to help the community define what being a green community means
to Dubuque. City Focus and City News would be printed on recycled paper. Staff
would attend two conferences to learn more about creating a sustainable community.
The two-year food scrap collection pilot program in the Public Works Department would
be made a permanent part of the City's refuse collection and composting program.
Software would be placed on City computers to regulate power consumption by
powering down computers not in use. A bicycle would be purchased for the Health
Inspection staff when weather and distance allow for bicycle travel for inspections. The
City will continue to use bio-fuels in vehicles and to do life cycle analysis on more
energy efficient vehicles. One hybrid refuse truck will be purchased as a test c~se.
The City has been very successful with economic development efforts and is in need of
additional developed industrial lots. The development of a section of the North Siegert
Farm off of Middle Road, owned by the City as part of Dubuque Industrial Center West,
would be graded and streets and utilities extended beginning in Fiscal Year 2009.
Over $20 million, mostly in Federal funds, would be committed over the next five years
to construction of a new airport terminal.
Over $6 million would be used to replace all the City water meters, preventing lost
revenue, and modernizing the meter reading program. Additional sewer and water
revenues from improved meter accuracy will fund this debt payment.
The City has identified some sources of local match for the source of the $35 million in
Federal and DMATS funds available for the IA32/Southwest Arterial project. Now that
preliminary design is complete, that will allow the project to make progress through final
design, environmental mitigation and property acquisition.
Funds are recommended in Fiscal Year 2013 to begin a study about the need and cost
to expand the Grand River Center for the growing convention and meeting demands.
One of the biggest decisions that will come to the City Council this year is which plan
will be selected for the upgrade of the Water Pollution Control Plant. This project will
exceed $40 million. Depending on the City Council's choice, and not taking into
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consideration annual sewer rate increases for normal operational and capital needs, the
monthly sewer charge will need to increase between 40% over the next six years and
50% over the next eight years. With anticipated normal operating and capital needs
and the plant upgrade debt, those increases will range from 74% over six years to 100%
over eight years.
RECOGNITION
The City has made much progress over the last year, evidenced by the many economic
development projects, the outstanding job creation numbers, the work in the
neighborhoods and downtown, along with the over $200 million in additional investment
started in the Port of Dubuque.
In 2007, th~ City received important recognition, highlighted by receipt of the National
Civic League 2007 All-America City Award, a community effort led by Assistant City
Manager Cindy Steinhauser, featuring the Crescent Community Health Center, the
America's River Project in the Port of Dubuque, and the Downtown Master Plan
implementation. In 2007 and 2008, the City of Dubuque received a 100 Best
Communities for Young People recognition from America's Promise - The Alliance for
Youth. In May 2007, Inc. Magazine ranked Dubuque 22 nd among the "Top 25
Boomtowns" in the nation. The list ranks the nations 393 largest metro areas. In
September 2007, the Milken Institute ranked Dubuque 8th nationally among small cities
and 11 th among all U.S. metros for job growth.
The Greater Dubuque Development Corporation has now launched the 5-year $6.2
million Destination for Opportunity campaign to create 5,500 jobs, have $300 million in
new construction and increase the County population by 6%.
CONCLUSION
I want to thank Budget Director Jennifer Larson, Assistant City Manager Cindy
Steinhauser, Financial Analyst Rick Till, Office Manager Juanita Hilkin, Secretary Liz
Willems, Secretary Jessica Kurt, and Management Intern Cori Burbach for all their hard
work and dedication in preparation of this budget recommendation.
As President John F. Kennedy said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only
to the past or the present are certain to miss the future."
The City Council has shown vision as the difficult decisions are made to move Dubuque
forward. I look forward to City Council questions and input as you review this budget
recommendation and then this will be implemented according to your final decisions and
direction.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
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