The Square

Happy holiday! The Square closes out 2019 with an interview of Tom Lazio, Ottumwa Mayor and President of the League Board. We learned some interesting things about Mayor Lazio's career before he entered public office and how that helped prepare him to be an effective mayor. He also shared some of the great work they're doing in Ottumwa, a few of their goals for the future and what he hopes to do a...

It is a busy time for the League as we are visiting various cities for our Budget Workshops and Municipal Leadership Academy. So, we decided to have a little fun with this episode with an idea that sparked during our travels. We have 942 great cities in Iowa and each have a unique character and some have a unique name. We discuss our favorite city names and attempt to pronounce them right! This is...

You may have noticed The Square took last month off, but we promise we were busy! In fact, we grabbed some live interviews from the Exhibit Hall of this year's Annual Conference & Exhibit in Dubuque and had some fun chatting with a bunch of great city officials from around the state. Give those a listen and enjoy some of the sounds from the luau-themed Exhibit Hall! We also review this year's Leag...

We're back with another fun episode of The Square! This month we focus on the value of training and highlight some important upcoming events hosted by the League. We talk about the 2019 Annual Conference & Exhibit, including some of the great workshops and networking events that attendees can join. And we also discuss this fall's Budget Workshops and Municipal Leadership Academy, which will offer...

It's sometimes easy to take employee safety for granted, but cities that have had to deal with workplace injuries know how critical workers' compensation coverage and a safe working environment is to a successful organization. This month we talk to Jeff Hovey and Dean Schade of the Iowa Municipalities Workers' Compensation Association (IMWCA) about the importance of safety and workers' compensatio...

It's summertime in Iowa, so we wanted to have a little fun with this episode and share some of our favorite city slogans and welcome signs that we've seen around the state. We talk about some of the clever city slogans, interesting welcome signs and memorable places that stand out to us. Check these out when you're out traveling this summer! There are so many great city welcome signs, slogans, pub...

This month's episode features a recap of the recently completed legislative session, which includes several pieces of legislation important to city governments. We sat down with Robert Palmer and Daniel Stalder from the League's Government Affairs team to get their thoughts on the session. They provided some interesting perspectives on what it's like to work in the Capitol, a few of the important...

Nuisance abatement is challenging for all communities, and this month we sit down with Charlie Nichols, Linn County's Planning & Zoning Division Manager and formerly with the City of Burlington. Charlie offers his thoughts on how city's can effectively manage nuisance properties and describes the Healthy Neighborhoods program in Burlington, a proactive approach that helps residents improve propert...

The one from Colfax On the road again...that's right, The Square ventured out to Colfax for another fun episode. We had the pleasure of talking with city clerk Nancy Earles and city administrator Wade Wagoner about what it's like to serve in their roles. Nancy had a lot of interesting stories from her career working as a city clerk... some the of the strangest things can come through city hall. Wa...

The Square went on the road this month to visit Atkins, a beautiful city of 1,670 residents that has experienced some growth in recent years with expectations of adding to their population in the coming years.  We are joined by Eric Christianson, a field specialist at ISU Extension, who helped the city develop strategic initiatives and plans for the community. Eric shares what that process is like...

Happy new year! The Square kicks off 2019 with a special look at this year's legislative session. The episode features an interesting conversation with Kim Downs, city administrator of Hiawatha, who shares some of the important legislative issues for municipal governments, her role on the League's Legislative Policy Committee and some tips for successful grassroots advocacy. We also chat with our...

As 2018 winds down we took the opportunity to look back over the past year and recognize some big moments for the League and cities around the state. We even brought in the boss to help as League executive director Alan Kemp co-hosts to share his perspective! We talk about some of our favorite Cityscape magazine cover photos and articles, new League events and services that stood out to us, what w...

Jim Thompson, Downtown Economic Development Specialist at the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), joins the podcast for a fun conversation about his experiences working with cities and programs that can help communities at the IEDA. Jim previously served as a council member in Charles City before getting involved in economic development work, giving him keen insight into what works for cit...

Our fourth episode of The Square features a fun interview with Scott Naumann, Bettendorf Alderman and current President of the League Executive Board. Scott's passion for his community and local government is evident throughout our chat as he talks about how he got on the city council, the important projects that have been completed in his tenure and some of the challenges he's faced as a public o...

We took The Square on the road! This month's episode features interviews with city officials in the Exhibit Hall at the 2018 Annual Conference & Exhibit in Council Bluffs. Hear about some cool things happening in different communities and get a feel for the networking and fun that is always part of the annual conference. In the Your Questions Answered segment we give our take on how to best manage...

This month on The Square we feature stories and interviews from our 2018 All-Star Community Awards – Bondurant, Lisbon and Marion! Bondurant won in the 3,000-10,000 population category for its fantastic community entrance project that included a welcome sign unlike any other featuring 10 porch swings and a firefly lighting element. Lisbon won in the fewer than 3,000 category for its community sola...

The one about Home Rule with Bob Josten Our first ever podcast! This inaugural episode focuses on a topic near and dear to all cities: Home Rule. In Iowa, Home Rule was adopted through a Constitutional amendment in 1968, with overwhelming support from citizens across the state. That effort provided city governments the authority to establish local laws and policies without needing the approval fro...