Athletes looking for a winter challenge don’t need to wait till summer to get their triathlon fix. Urbandale Parks & Recreation will host its 2nd Annual Indoor Triathlon at the Urbandale Public Swimming Pool – Saturday, February 25, 2012.

Participants will be challenged to swim 500 yards, bike 10 miles and run 5k. Swimming and biking will take place at the Pool, thanks to stationary bikes courtesy of Bike World. Running will be performed on Star Trac 4500 treadmills (with individual cable TV and 3-speed fans!) at Xpressive Fitness 24/365, located at 6941 Douglas Ave. in Urbandale.

Events will be timed and totaled to determine winners in (4) individual age divisions: 18-30; 31-40; 41-50; 51+ and (2) team divisions: male and female (teams of (3) members each, any age 18+). Awards will be presented to individual winners and teams – trophies for first place and medals for 2nd and 3rd place.

Register today by phone at 278-3959, or online at www.Urbandale Pool.org beginning Dec. 13. Must be at least 18 years old to enter; $50 per person or $80 per team. Registration deadline: Saturday, Feb. 11.

The indoor Urbandale Public Swimming Pool is open year-round for public swimming, swim lessons, fitness classes, pool rental and special events. Hours of operation, admission prices, class schedules, registration information and more are available by phone at 278-3959 or online at www.UrbandalePool.org.

When the snow is deep, where do you set out your carts?

Setting out recycling and garbage carts in the winter can be a challenge. Here are some helpful hints:

• Dig Out a Spot: When you dig out your driveway, be sure to dig out a spot for your carts. Have enough room (about 18 inches) on all sides of the cart for the truck’s arm to be able to grab the cart, dump it and set it back down.  
• Avoid Snow Piles: Do not place your cart on top of the snow piles. This causes carts to tip over and litter the street, and it also makes it difficult for the collection trucks to set the cart back down. 
• Avoid Streets: Do not place your carts in the street. We realize this cleared area is an enticing place to put your carts, but it is a hazard. Carts can get hit by vehicles or taken away by snow plows.

Here are some hints that apply for any time of year:

• 3 Feet Apart: Keep your carts three feet apart to allow sufficient room for the truck’s arm to grab the cart, dump it and set it back down. If possible, place your recycling and garbage carts at the opposite sides of your driveway, as pictured. 
• Metal Bar Faces Street: Lastly, remember to place the metal bar toward the street so that the lid opens when the cart is tipped. 

When carts are properly placed, waste and recycling removal is safe, quick and easy. We appreciate your help and cooperation.  For more information, visit us at www.MWAtoday.com or call 224-0021.
 

The Urbandale Police Department named its 2011 Employee of the Year awards on Friday, January 13, 2012.  The Police Department annually honors an Officer, Reserve Office and Civilian Employee each year.  The 2011 Employee of the Year go to:

Officer - Zac McDowell - Officer McDowell is currently assigned to the 2nd watch in the Patrol Division.  Officer McDowell is a member of the Suburban Emergency Response Team (S.E.R.T.) as a tactical operator on the entry team.  Officer McDowell is also a certified CPR/AED/First Aid instructor for the Police Department.  Officer McDowell has been an Urbandale Police Officer since 2008 and has prior experience working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (M.I.N.E.) Task Force as a criminal analyst.  Officer McDowell served 12 years in the Iowa Army National Guard with A-Troop 1-113th Cavalry as a Cavalry Scout and served on deployments to Kosovo (2003-2004) and Iraq (2007-2008).  Officer McDowell is married with two children.

Reserve Officer - Lieutenant Nick Brockman - Reserve Officer Nick Brockman holds the rank of Lieutenant within the Reserve Program.  Reserve Officer Brockman has been an Urbandale Police Reserve Officer since 2003.  Reserve Officer Brockman started his time in law enforcement at the age of 14 as an explorer with the Des Moines Police Department, working his way up to Assistant Chief.  Reserve Officer Brockman works full-time in Communications Division for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office where he started as a Detention Officer in the Polk County Jail.  He is a member of the Urbandale Police Reserve Benevolent Association and the Iowa State Reserve Law Officer’s Association.

Civilian Employee - Shanda Hughes - Ms. Hughes is the Administrative Assistant to the Urbandale Chief of Police.  She has been employed with the City of Urbandale since 2002. From 2002-2009 she was the Administrative Assistant for the City’s Engineering and Public Works Department. In 2009, she transferred to her current position with the Police Department.  Ms. Hughes holds an Associate Degree in Business Administration from AIB (American Institute of Business).

The Urbandale Fire Department (UFD) Citizen Fire Academy will take place in Spring 2012.  The goal of this program is to enhance relationships between Urbandale residents and the men and women of the Urbandale Fire Department.  This program, although not new to Fire & EMS agencies, is designed to give a clearer understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the fire department in the community.  Participants of the program will have the unique opportunity to learn how the Urbandale Fire Department provides quality community services to its customers.

Additional information and applications may be downloaded here.  Questions about the Citizen Fire Academy and application requests can also be directed to Fire Marshal Jon Rech at jrech@urbandale.org or by calling 515-331-6733.

The results of The National Citizen Survey™ conducted in the fall of 2011 are in. The City of Urbandale received a 95% overall quality of life rating of excellent or good. Even in the recent economically difficult times, the City has maintained its high overall quality rating since the last survey conducted in 2009, then at 96%. Urbandale’s highest rated characteristics were its air quality, its overall image or reputation, and its cleanliness. The characteristics receiving the least positive ratings were opportunities to attend cultural activities, employment opportunities in Urbandale and ease of bus travel in the City.

“National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) conducts The National Citizen Survey™ (NCS) in hundreds of jurisdictions across the U.S.,” said Thomas Miller, Ph.D., president of NRC, the independent company out of Boulder, Colorado that conducted the survey. “Of the more than 19,000 cities in America, we estimate that only 200-300 conduct general citizen surveys of this kind every year or two, and Urbandale is among this elite group for two reasons. First, it has the wherewithal and guts to ask questions whose answers it doesn’t already know and second, it is among only a handful of places where answers almost uniformly put the jurisdiction in the top tier of participants across the U.S.,” Miller said. “Urbandale has the empirical evidence from an unbiased and dispassionate source that, from the point of view of its own residents, things are going remarkably well there.”

A copy of the Survey report, Benchmark report, Demographic subgroup report and Geographic subgroup report can be obtained on the City’s website (www.urbandale.org) or by calling City Hall at (515) 278-3900.

The National Citizen Survey™ is sponsored by the International City/County Management Association in cooperation with National Research Center, Inc. The questionnaire and survey procedure were designed based on the experience of hundreds of local governments, ranging in size from small to large. Scientific sampling and weighting of the responses in each city ensure accurate and reliable results. Because each city's survey is developed using a standard template, and many cities can be surveyed at one time, The National Citizen Survey™ is a very efficient way to measure resident opinion.

What do a Chinese New Year Party, Daddy-Daughter Dance, Valentine Crafts, a Winter Carnival and Indoor Triathlon have in common? All are upcoming events from Urbandale Parks and Recreation! Highlights and deadlines follow:

Jan. 28 – Chinese New Year Party at the Urbandale Senior Center. (10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.)
   • 10:00 a.m. – Noon: Chinese calligraphy and brush painting workshop ($3-$5 per brush or bring your own)
   • Noon – 1:00 p.m.: Sample Asian appetizers!
   • 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Tai Chi and Chi-Kung demonstrations; instructors available for questions.

For more information, visit www.UrbandaleSeniors.org or call 278-3907.

Feb. 4 – Daddy-Daughter Dance at the Urbandale Senior Center. (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)
   • Fathers, daughters, grandfathers and granddaughters can make memories at this special event.
   • $12 per child and adult. Must register by January 30 and present tickets at the door!

Feb . 8 – NEW Valentine’s Craft Fun (Ages 3-5) at Lions Park Shelter House. (12:30-1:30 p.m.)
   • Stories, songs and crafts (may include glue and glitter)!
   • $11 per child. Children must be potty-trained; register by Feb. 1.

For more information regarding the Dance or Valentine’s Crafts, visit www.UrbandaleParksAndRec.org or call 278-3963.

Feb. 20 – Winter Carnival at the Urbandale Public Pool. (1:00-4:00 p.m. and 7:00-8:30 p.m.)
   • School’s out for the day, let the kids come and play! Carnival games, a giant slide, refreshments music and more.
   • $8 per person ($4 for annual pass holders); no pre-registration required.

Feb. 25 – 2nd Annual Indoor Triathlon at the Urbandale Public Pool. (8:00 a.m.)
   • Swim 500 yards - bike 10 miles - run 5k!
   • Swim and bike at the Pool. Bike trainers provided by Bike World. Star Trac 4500 treadmills provided off-site at Xpressive Fitness 24/365 (located at 6941 Douglas Ave.).
   • $50 per person, $80 per team. Register by Feb. 11 online at www.UrbandalePool.org or call 278-3959. Must be at least 18 years old to enter.

For more information regarding the Carnival or Triathlon, visit www.UrbandalePool.org, or call 278-3959.

The Urbandale Police Department will be offering a R.A.D. women’s self-defense class in February.  This class is for women only and will be held at the Urbandale Police Department, 3740 86th Street.  The class will be offered on Saturday February 4th, 11th and 18th from 8:00a.m. - Noon.  The class size is limited to 15 students. Participants must attend ALL classes.  Cost for the class is $25 which includes a lifetime return policy.  For more information or to register, please contact Sgt. Gary Lang at 515-331-6895 or glang@urbandale.org.

The Urbandale Police Department has opened enrollment for the next Junior Detective classes.  The classes have been set for March 31st and April 14th.  Classes will run from 10a.m. - 1p.m. and is for ages 8-12 years old.  The class is offered to Urbandale residents only and costs $10.00 per child.

Junior Detectives is a very popular class that fills up quickly and has a 12 student limit.  Junior detective work with an Urbandale Police Detective and an Urbandale Police Officer and are taught criminal investigative techniques to help solve a mock crime.  You will view a burglary and process fingerprints and other evidence found at the crime scene.  Junior detectives will get to work in the police lab to compare prints and to dust for fingerprints.  The class also includes touring the police station and a light treat and juice.  Please contact Officer Randy Peterson at (515) 331-6804 or via e-mail rpeterson@urbandale.org to get your child enrolled.

The City Council has set January 30th, January 31st and February 1st to review the proposed FY2012/2013 City budget.  The meetings all three days will be held at City Hall (3600 86th Street) and start at 5:30 p.m.  The January 30th meeting agenda will include a general overview of the budget.  In addition, the public safety, community development, economic development and general administration service areas will be discussed.  The January 31st meeting agenda will review public works services, parks and cultural services, including the library, and the distribution of hotel/motel requests.  The February 1st meeting agenda will include a review of debt and capital, and a review of any changes made on the January 30th or 31st meeting.  For questions or comments on the budget contact the City Clerk at (515) 278-3900 or by email. 

The Douglas Avenue Preservation project will provide for concrete patching and an asphalt overlay on Douglas Avenue from 100th Street to 111th Street.  The project will start on September 10, 2012 and last for 20 working days.  The City Council, at its January 24th meeting, approved the low bid of OMG Midwest, Inc. for a total project cost of $674,738.80.  The City has received STP funding for this project from the IDOT in the amount of $232,000. 

The 86th Street and Douglas Avenue Intersection project will provide for the adding of a right turn lane for westbound traffic on Douglas Avenue, extending the eastbound right turn lane on Douglas Avenue and the southbound right turn lane on 86th Street.  This project will also increase the northbound left turn lane storage on 86th Street.  Curb and gutter work would also take place during this project and storm sewer will be added to this section of Douglas Avenue. 

The City Council, at its January 24th meeting, approved the IDOT bid letting of this project to Sternquist Construction.  The total project cost will be $1,699,185.01 and the City has received a ICAAP grant for $480,000 for this project.  This project is anticipated to start April 2nd and should be completed within 130 working days.

The City Council, at is January 24th meeting, also directed city staff to look at adding the burying of electric wires along Douglas Avenue from 86th Street, west to the creek and adding curb and gutter, and storm sewer to the access road at Walker Johnston Park.  These items would be brought back to the City Council as a change order at a future meeting.

The City Council, at its January 24th meeting, approved the first reading of a new animal control and vicious animal ordinance.  The new Chapters, 52 - Animal Control and 53 - Vicious Animal would replace the city's current ordinances (Chapters 55, 56 and 57).  The new chapters (52 and 53) would combine many regulations from the deleted chapters and is needed to further the effort of the consolidated pet licensing program between the cities of Urbandale, Clive and West Des Moines. 

In addition, the new animal control ordinance would set pet licensing fees by resolution.  The new fees are proposed to be the same in all three cities (Clive, Urbandale and West Des Moines) to allow for ease of licensing and cross city recognition of licenses.  The fee in Urbandale would increase.  Typically new ordinances require a three reading process to become law.  However, the City Council may waive readings to expedite the passage of new laws and it is anticipated that the second reading would be waived at the February 7th meeting.  Therefore, making the new ordinances effective on February 7th. 

The City Council, at its January 24th meeting, set February 7th as a public hearing to consider a revised 28E agreement for the Metro Salt Storage Facility.  The Facility is a joint venture for storing larger quantities of salt, which are used during snow and ice control operations during a winter season.  The original 28E agreement would expire on June 30, 2013.  The new agreement would allow for the same agreement terms, but would extend the lease agreement to June 30, 2028.  The Facility has been beneficial to Urbandale as a way to purchase salt once a year at a lower cost and store the salt at the off-site facility till needed. 

Again in 2012 the City will partner with the Metro Waste Authority (MWA) to hold a Residential Scrap Tire Collection in Urbandale.  This collection would allow residents to deposit a maximum of five scrap tires at the Public Works Complex (9401 Hickman Road).  The collection will be from April 23rd to April 28th.  Under this partnership the MWA would pay for storage receptacle and recycling of the tires.  The City would provide the collection site and help staff the collection area.

The City Council, at its January 24th meeting, set February 21st to accept bids for the 2012 Concrete Street Repair Program.  This Program would replace approximately 3,893 square yards of pavement at 167 locations city-wide.  The streets in this program were chosen for rehabilitation based on the 2011 Street Management Report Update.  The repairs will take place on Aurora Avenue from 70th Street to 86th Street, and on 75th Street north of Aurora Avenue. Additional patching on 62nd Street and Twana Drive north of
Aurora Avenue will be bid as alternates. It is anticipated that all of the work would be completed by September 30, 2012.