The City Council, at its November 13th meeting, approved the revised residential acreage assessment reduction guidelines.  The guidelines would provide an assessment reduction for properties that meet the qualifications
of a residential acreage. To qualify, a residential acreage would need to abut the roadway being assessed, have at least 150 feet of frontage on the roadway, be at least 1.25 acres in size, and have one single family residence on the property in which the owner lives.

The basic definition of an acreage did not change in this revision. Further, parcels claiming agricultural deferral
would continue to be disqualified from the Revised Residential Acreage Assessment Reduction Guidelines.  The two main modifications are a 50% reduction in assessment compared to 25.25% in the previous guidelines. The second modification is that if the property were to develop within a ten year period after the final assessment, the repayment would be prorated with yearly compounded interest being charged on the repayment amount.

By the Iowa-Illinois Safety Council (IISC):
Now that warmer weather has is right around the corner in most of the country, motorcyclists will soon be out in force.  Drivers of cars, trucks and buses are reminded to look out for and share the road with motorcycle riders, and motorcycle riders are reminded to obey traffic laws, wear DOT-compliant helmets and other protective gear, and make themselves visible by wearing bright colors and using reflective tape.

Increasing safe riding and cooperation between all road users and motorcyclists will help to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation's highways.  Motorcyclists have all the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle driver on the roadway. During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May - and during the rest of the year - drivers of all other vehicles and all road users are reminded to safely "share the road" with motorcyclists, and to be extra alert to help keep motorcyclists safe. 

Some important reminders are:

• Road users are reminded to never drive, bike, or walk while distracted.  Doing so can result in tragic consequences for motorcyclists.  
• A motorcycle has the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the roadway.  
• Allow a motorcyclist a full lane width. Although it may seem that there is enough room in the traffic lane for a motor vehicle and a motorcycle, the motorcycle needs the room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.  
• Because motorcycles are small, they can be difficult for other road users to see them, or judge their speed and distance as they approach.  
• Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows motorcyclists to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.  
• Because of its smaller size, a motorcyclist can be hidden in a vehicle's blind spot. Always check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.  
• Don't be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle - motorcycle signals may not be self-canceling and motorcyclists sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the rider is going to turn before you proceed.  
• Remember that road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists can pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Motorcycle riders may change speed or adjust position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.  
• Allow more following distance -- three or four seconds - when following a motorcycle so the motorcycle rider has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

The Urbandale Historical Society helps to preserve Urbandale's history for all.  The Society recently undertook a campaign to collect all the High School Yearbooks for the Urbandale High School.  That campaign has almost yielded a complete set, just the 1993 yearbook is left to complete this collection.

In addition, the Urbandale Historical Society needs the help of Urbandale's residents to continue its collections.  The Society asks that residents think about contacting the Society if they have pictures of people and places, small memorabilia and articles that pertain to Urbandale's history.  The Society can take photocopies of the material and return the items to you for save keeping.  In this way we can all help the Urbandale Historical Society fill its collections. 

You can contact the Urbandale Historical Society at 515-270-2917 or online at www.urbandalehistoricalsociety.org. 

The City Council, at its May 14th meeting, approved a request to vacate and convey a portion of the right of way of Urbandale Avenue.  The request was submitted on behalf of Mr. Clark A. Colby, Sr., seeking a portion of the Urbandale Avenue street right-of-way that lies between 128th Street and Cardinal Lane be vacated and conveyed to Mr. Colby. This street is a dead-end remnant of the original, meandering alignment of 128th Street between Douglas Avenue and Hickman Road. Colby-owned properties adjoin and lie to the south of the right-of-way, and the Donald J. Brush Park adjoins and lies to the north. This remnant of Urbandale Avenue only provides access to the Colby residences and to the Park.

The approved vacation and conveyance pertains only to a strip of right-of-way located to the south of the paved roadway, for the most-part 10 feet in width. The exception to the 10-foot width is a triangular parcel of right-of-way at the intersection of Urbandale Avenue and Cardinal Land, which narrows easterly to become a 10-foot wide parcel that continues east along the frontage of the Colby properties, stopping short of the “new” 128th Street right-of-way. Therefore, the net result was to reduce the width of the Urbandale Avenue right-of-way, while Urbandale Avenue will continue to exist as a dead-end public street.

The City Council, at its May 14th meeting, approved the bid for the US Highway 6 (Hickman Road) Improvements at Heritage Park.  The bid was awarded to Hawkeye Paving Corp. of Bettendorf, Iowa for $615,313.15.  This contract is $108,012.85 less than the engineer's estimate for the project. 

The project will add a right turn lane for westbound traffic, create a single left turn lane for eastbound traffic, traffic signal modifications, and adding an “S” median across the median break for the east drive to Stew Hansen’s Dodge, and the west entrance to Menards. This “S” median will convert this existing full access location on US Highway 6 to only allow left and right turns in. It will prevent any left turns out of the entrances from Menards and Stew Hansen’s. The Heritage Park developer will install a frontage road that will provide a connection from Stew Hansen’s, east to the signalized intersection in front of Love’s Truck Stop.

The work is anticipated to be completed by November 1, 2013.

The City Council, at its May 14th meeting, set a public hearing date of May 28, 2013 to consider an address modification for Colby Woods Plat No. 8, Lot 73.  This request comes from Colby Interests, current owner, and pertains to a vacant, commercially-zoned lot that has frontage on 83rd Street, Dennis Drive, and on the private frontage road that runs along the south side of Douglas Avenue.

At the time that the property was platted, addresses were assigned to the property for 83rd Street and Dennis Drive.  An address was NOT assigned to this parcel for Douglas Avenue, since the property does not physically front on Douglas Avenue and it was not anticipated that the eventual development on this property would want to use a Douglas Address.

However, the property does have some visibility from Douglas, through a “view corridor” between the adjoining Pizza Hut and Kum & Go for west-bound traffic, and through the 83rd Street corridor for east-bound traffic. A prospective purchaser of the lot concluded that a Douglas address would be more easily located by their customers, and Colby Interests has filed this request on behalf of the prospective purchaser.

The Pizza Hut has an address of 8134 Douglas Avenue and the Kum & Go is addressed as 8200 Douglas Avenue, so it is possible to assign a Douglas Avenue address to this property as requested. This formal process of readdressing is necessary to ensure that the address will be recognized as official by 911 and all of the other GIS “systems” et.al that are address-dependent.

The City Council, at its May 14th meeting, approved the low bid for the 2013 Sanitary Sewer Televising Program.  The low bid was awarded to Hydro-Klean, LLC in the amount of $29,320.  Hydro-Klean will televise sanitary sewer lines and provide detailed reports on the findings. The lines to be televised were selected based on the age of the lines or where problems have been known to exist. The majority of the
televising will occur between Douglas Avenue and Aurora Avenue from 67th Street to 72nd Street, between Aurora Avenue and Meredith Drive from 72nd Street to 86th Street, and between Douglas Avenue and Aurora Avenue from Mary Lynn Drive to Patricia Drive.

The Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District (USSD) and the Urbandale Windsor Heights Sanitary District will fund the entire cost of this project.  It is anticipated that this work would be completed by November 30, 2013.

The City Council, at its May 14th meeting, approved new yield signs at the intersections of 147th street and Aurora Avenue, and 152nd Street and Aurora Avenue.   The Engineering and Public Works Department reviewed the intersections to determine if these two intersections warranted yield sign installations. The review determined that yield signs were warranted on 147th Street at Aurora Avenue and on Aurora Avenue at 152nd Street. These signs would comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
guidance on installing yield signs. The MUTCD was adopted by the Iowa Department of Transportation to serve as an engineering and policy guide for the installation of yield signs, stop signs, traffic signals and other regulatory traffic controls.

The City Council, at its May 14th meeting, approved the low bid from TK Concrete Inc. for the construction of the Walnut Creek Estates Plat 7 Trail Project.  The low bid amount was $56,918 and was $7,332 less than the engineer's estimate for this project.  The Walnut Creek Estates Plat 7 Trail Project will provide for an 8 foot wide trail. The project would start at 147th Street, north of Aurora Avenue, and extend to the east through City parkland, connecting up to Walnut Creek Estates Plat 13 and Aurora Avenue.

It is anticipated the project will be completed by September 27, 2013.

Police Chief Ross McCarty announced a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA), will arrive June 9th , 2013, to examine all aspects of the Urbandale Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.  Verification by the Assessment Team that the Urbandale Police Department meets the Commission’s state-of-the art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. 

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session Monday, June 10th 2013, at 5:00 pm.  The session will be  conducted at the Urbandale Police Department, 3740 NW 86th street, Urbandale, Iowa. 

If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session, but would still like to provide comments to the Assessment Team, they may do so by telephone. The public may call 515-252-8231 on Monday, June 10th 2013, between the hours of 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 pm.

Telephone comments, as well as appearances at the public information session, are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.  A copy of the standards is available at the Urbandale Police Department. Local contact is Lieutenant Rob Johansen, (515) 252-8233.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Urbandale Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155.
 

The Urbandale Police Department report that at 9 pm on Friday, May 18, 2013, a maintenance worker with Westpointe Apartments was doing a walk through around the pool area at 2510 Canterbury Road.  He observed a young girl at the bottom of the shallow end of the pool.  He immediately jumped into the pool and pulled the girl to safety.

Urbandale Police and Medics were on the scene within minutes and began to give medical attention to the girl. The girl began coughing and expelled fluids, and was able to communicate to first responders. She was transported by Urbandale Paramedics to Mercy Hospital for evaluation.

The victim is an 8 year old girl (unknown name at time of this press release).  The pool does not have a life guard on duty.  For more information contact Officer Randy Peterson, Public Information Officer, at 515-331-6804.

The Urbandale Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance on locating sixteen year old Taylor Ann Claiser.  It is believed that she is with twenty year old Spencer Brookman.  Taylor has been missing since April 15, 2013.  If you know Taylor’s whereabouts please contact the Urbandale Police Department at 515-
331-6803.

As severe weather is increasing, the Urbandale Fire Department would like to remind residents and businesses that you can sign up for emergency text alerts.