City Of Marion: IN FOCUS: A Weekly Update From City Manager Ryan Waller For April 29

Marion IA

02 May, 2022

3:31 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Marion: April 29, 2022 YMCA's Healthy Kids Day and Marion's City Showcase Happening This Saturday Make your way to the Marion YMCA & Community Rec Center, 3740 Irish Dr., this Saturday for the YMCA's Healthy Kids Day and the Marion City Showcase. Between 9 a.m.-noon this Saturday, April 30, there will be dozens of free, hands-on activities for the entire family to enjoy. Kids will have a chance to get up close to various City vehicles, watch a K9 demonstration and win prizes. There will also be games, storytime, fitness demonstrations and giveaways. The first 100 attendees will have the opportunity to take home a 3-gallon tree. My family and I look forward to having the opportunity to meet you. We will be collecting canned food donations to benefit the Churches of Marion Food Pantry. Marion Fire Department to Host Open House for Fire Station No. 1 This Saturday Also on Saturday, community members are invited to visit and explore Fire Staton No. 1 and the new headquarters for the Marion Fire Department. The open house will take place between 9 a.m. and noon at 100 Irish Dr., Marion. Attendees will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours and visit with members of the Marion Fire Department. This is one of the first opportunities for residents to explore the new station, which was placed into service last August. The physical and mental well-being of Marion's firefighters is at the heart of the facility's two-story design, which received an Excellence in Design Honor Award from the Iowa Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Employee Appreciation Week Happening Next Week Each year, during the first full week of May, we celebrate all City employees during Public Service Recognition Week. It is an opportunity to celebrate our collective successes and the role we play as public servants. This year the week kicks off with Healthy Kids Day and the Marion City Showcase. Other activities include trash pick-up in the Uptown area, a picnic lunch and the announcement of the 2022 recipient of the Paul Draper "Spirit of Marion" Award. Streetscape Business Support Initiative Honored at Main Street Iowa Development Awards Main Street Iowa hosted the annual Main Street Iowa Development Awards celebration last Friday in Des Moines. The program honored the efforts of those who work tirelessly to revitalize Iowa's downtowns – the heart and soul of communities across the state. The awards honor outstanding accomplishments, activities and people making a difference in the state's Main Street districts. Uptown Marion received the Main Street Business Support Award for the Streetscape Business Support Initiative. This joint initiative between the Uptown Marion Main Street Program and the City of Marion was created to support small businesses through the hardships of the 7th Avenue Streetscape and Reconstruction project. As the project progresses into its second year, please continue to patronize those most closely impacted by construction. They are worth it!! Keep Signs out of the Right-Of-Way Did you know that signs other than official traffic or street signs are not allowed in the City right-of-way? This includes signs such as For Sale, Open House, Garage Sale, advertising or political signs. Signs placed between the curb and sidewalk, within 15 feet of the curb where sidewalks do not exist, or on City property are considered in the right-of-way and will be removed. This time of year these types of signs tend to become very prolific and can cause additional distractions and sight barriers to drivers. Therefore, staff will work to remove them. The City cannot guarantee that signs will be available to be returned if removed from the right-of-way. Let's work together to keep Marion looking its best. Fireworks Legislation City departments, particularly Fire, Community Development and Legal, are working together to address fireworks legislation that was signed by the Governor late last week. The law now prohibits cities from placing zoning restrictions on where fireworks are sold. Purchasing Policy Development The City recently added a purchasing coordinator to the Finance Department to help centralize purchasing functions. Among the first orders of business is a careful look at the City's current purchasing policy and any pain points associated with it. Department heads met to discuss purchasing approval levels, purchase orders, exceptions and change orders this week and will continue the conversation as a revised policy is developed. Employee Certifications Kudos to two members of Team Marion on recently achieving advanced certifications in their line of work. Marion building inspectors are combination inspectors, meaning they check for compliance with all local codes including structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and more. Richard Szewc, building inspector for the Community Development Department, passed his commercial electrical inspector certification. In addition, Joe Westendorf has tested and been certified as an Advanced EMT. He joined the Marion Fire Department as an EMT-B. The new certification provides advanced knowledge and allows him to apply additional medical care when treating patients. Thank you both for your commitment to your professions. New Faces in New Places Please join in congratulating Staci Vigil, current accounting associate, on being promoted to accountant with our Finance Department. Stacy joined the City of Marion in October 2021. Congrats, Staci – we look forward to working with you in this role! Here's a look at the tentative agenda containing a list of several items that will be coming before City Council in the weeks ahead. The following are a few major activities on my calendar for the coming week: Sign up to receive this weekly newsletter and other updates from the City of Marion directly in your inbox by visiting www.cityofmarion.org/enotify. This press release was produced by the City of Marion. The views expressed here are the author's own.