Windsor Heights Blog

The next Council Study Session is scheduled for Monday, January 30th at 4:00 p.m. 

The Windsor Heights Chamber of Commerce invites the public to attend its sixth annual Legislative Coffee on Saturday, January 28^th, at the headquarters of 3E, 953 73^rd Street, Windsor Heights, from 9-11 a.m.

Officials elected to represent Windsor Heights’ residents and surrounding areas at the state and county levels have been invited to attend.  Those individuals are State Senator Pat Ward; State Senator Brad Zaun; State Representatives Chris Hagenow, Peter Cownie, Jo Oldson, Scott Raecker, Matt McCoy and Janet Peterson; and Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly.

Each representative will have 10 minutes to give an update, followed by questions from the audience. “This is a lively, casual event. Citizens are able to ask specific questions, and elected officials can address their concerns,” says Barb Niccum, Executive Director of the Windsor Heights Chamber. “The Chamber is pleased to be involved in bringing these kinds of events to the community.”

The Legislative Coffee gives citizens an opportunity to learn more about the issues before the state legislature this session and about issues facing Polk County.  The event is open to the public and free of charge.

The Cowles Montessori School, in honor of Maria Montessori’s vision of peace, will celebrate the 100^th day of school by donating cans of food to the food pantry. Each classroom is being encouraged to collect 100 cans of food the week of January 30^th – February 3^rd. On Friday, February 3^rd, the food would be delivered to the food pantry.   The whole community can also donate cans of food to the effort at City Hall.  There is a barrel in the front vestibule of City Hall and the food will be taken to the warehouse for distribution to the area emergency food pantries at the same time the food collected at the school is taken.  Bring your items in now and help feed the hungry families in our area.

It is the time of year when dog and cat owners are reminded to have their pets licensed and tagged. This allows the City to quickly notify their owners should the pets stray and be picked up. It also verifies animals have proper rabies vaccinations. Licenses cost $10 for altered pets and $20 for unaltered pets. There is an additional fine if your pet is not licensed prior to April 1, so license your pet as soon as possible. Pets must have proof of their current rabies vaccination from their vet. Registration forms are on the city website or you can stop into city hall and license your pet today!

Do you like July 4^th, Oktoberfest, Movies in the Park? Event planning requires a full range of skills including organization, communication, following a budget, implementing a plan – all important. We value your input as a member of the Windsor Heights Special Events Committee. In addition to the events, the Community & Event Center is directly under the auspices of this Committee. .. as is the marketing … So, don’t delay. Should you be interested, the Committee meets monthly on the 2^nd Monday from 5:15 – 6:30 p.m. Give Tracy a call at 645-6821 or e-mail her at tlevine@windsorheights.org

Windsor Heights values sustainability.

As a community completely surrounded by other cities, we simply cannot grow our borders to expand our city. Instead, we have to improve everything we have. An important step towards a healthy, sustainable community is educating our citizens on the efforts the city has undertaken to become more green. In addition, individuals can do a tremendous amount themselves to make their own home more green. Throughout the year, we will be offering an informational series on sustainability on a variety of topics. Below are two scheduled events.

February 16 • 6:00 pm • Community and Events Center

3E, Electrical Engineering and Equipment Company based in Windsor Heights, will be presenting on different types of lighting, occupancy sensors, etc., available and how evolving technology can be used in a person’s residential home to save electrical costs and help the environment. Specific information on how up-front costs can be negated by the significant long term energy savings will be available.

March 29 • 6:00 pm • Community and Events Center

Every year, the sanitary sewer pipes in Windsor Heights, through broken and deteriorating pipes, leaking joints and manholes and also through private residential lines with the same problems (and other connections like perimeter home drains and sump pumps), send thousands of gallons of rain and ground water into on sanitary sewer lines. As you can imagine, this creates a massive problem for our environment, the city as a whole and sometimes, individual property owners. Not only does all the water in our sanitary sewer lines have to be treated in a waste water treatment plant, costing millions of dollars, but this also causes sewer backups into people’s homes – a problem no one wants to deal with. The City of Windsor Heights has worked with the Windsor Heights-Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District and Polk County to create a fund, administered by the Neighborhood Finance Corporation, to help residents offset the costs with fixing their private sanitary sewer problems. Plan to attend and learn more about financing available to help solve your home’s problems.

Hickman Road near 63rd Street is one of the last locations with open land in Windsor Heights. The city owns the property and is working to create a master plan vision for what type of growth the city would like to see in that area.  Please join us on February 2nd from 5:00-6:00 p.m. for a public open house with the final vision plan presentation at 6:00 p.m. followed up with discussion and questions. The master plan will be a guide as the city looks to grow one of the last remaining open spots within the city.  The meeting will take place at city hall and is open to everyone. For more information on the open house and the Hickman Road development, check out the Windsor Heights website at http://www.windsorheights.org/hickman.htm.

Eric Shambaugh is donating his time and hard work to benefitting the Windsor Heights community.  The Merrill Middle School 6 grade student is part of a community service project, “Dollars Doing Good.”  His grandmother, Windsor Heights resident Mary Beth Craven helped brainstorm the idea after receiving so many accolades each time she served her home baked brownies.

For $5 a wrapped brownie and copy of the recipe is delivered to your home by Mary Beth, Eric and Eric’s younger brother Ryan.  The raised money will be used to help pay for a crossing pedestrian light on College Drive.

To purchase a brownie and receive the recipe, send $5 to: Eric Shambaugh, 7804 College Drive, Windsor Heights or call: 276-5505.  The deadline to place an order is January 15.

With winter upon us, the City of Windsor Heights would like to remind residents of the ordinances that pertain to snow and ice. If you have any questions or concerns about the City’s snow ordinance, please do not hesitate to call City Hall at 279-3662.

What are the rules regarding parking a vehicle on the street during the winter? City code states that it is unlawful to park on any street during the time of any snowfall and within the 24 hours following the end of the any snow event (60.10.10). Any vehicle parked on the street during a snowfall or within 24 hours after a snowfall faces the possibility of receiving a $25 parking ticket and/or impoundment. It is important to remember the times when you cannot be parked on the street and that the snow ordinance automatically goes into effect when snow begins to accumulate. This allows for timely removal of snow from the streets and is needed to maintain the safety of our main thoroughfares to get emergency response apparatus to residential areas expeditiously.

What about my sidewalks during or after it snows? It is the responsibility of the abutting property owners to remove snow and ice accumulations promptly from sidewalks. If the property owner does not remove snow and/or ice accumulations within a reasonable time, the City may do so and ultimately assess the costs against the property owner for collection in the same manner as property tax. For purposes of enforcement, a reasonable time period is generally 48 hours after the snow or ice accumulations end. While the City realizes it can be frustrating to finish clearing your driveway and then have the plow come by, the snow removal policy adopted by the City Council indicates that snow placed in driveways by City plows is the responsibility of the property owner to remove. Snow from a private driveway may not be placed on or pushed across a City street.

Registration is now being taken for two classes offered at the Windsor Heights Community & Events Center.

Right Brain Journaling ($35.00)

February 27, March 5, 12, 7 – 9 p.m.

Learn a new way to journal that is fun and easy.  Use it to solve problems, expand your creative side and pursue your dreams in a relaxed and supportive environment.  No writing experience necessary.  Just come prepared to try new ideas and share your creative spirit with others.

Colored Pencil Drawing ($44.00)

February 20, 27, March 5, 12, 1 – 3 p.m.

Have fun and try using colored pencils and the new watercolor pencils for a day of interesting experience in drawing with color.  A small finished piece will be completed in class.  No prior artistic or drawing experience is necessary.  All materials provided.

Yoga classes began on January 10, 2012 at the  Windsor Heights Community & Events Center.

The Windsor Heights Community & Events Center is pleased to announce a winter line up of one hour yoga classes with Stephanie Abbott began Tuesday, January 10 and will continue for 9 consecutive weeks on Tuesdays from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  The first class is FREE.  There is a per class charge of $8 after the 10th.

Stephanie Abbott has been a student of yoga since November 2001.  She received her Yoga Alliance 200 hour RYT certification in 2011 with Christy Burnette who has been teaching in Des Moines for 6 years, conducting teacher trainings and workshops for all yogis.  Stephanie has also studied with other well known teachers in the yoga world and is extremely highly regarded in the field.

The one hour level 1 class explores body, breath, and the basics of Yoga.  The fundamentals of Yoga are explored in a safe and playful environment.  The class is appropriate for beginners and ongoing students alike.  A yoga mat, comfortable clothing and the desire to go deeper in your yoga practice are all that’s required.  Stephanie says, “I believe in teaching from the heart, not taking myself too seriously and always hold space for laughter. “

For more information or to sign up, please contact Stephanie Abbott, steph4yoga@yahoo.com.

Windsor Heights residents can easily dispose of their household hazardous waste (HHW) just outside their door. The City of Windsor Heights has teamed with Metro Waste Authority (MWA) for a new collection program for items such as lead and oil-based paints (not latex*), chemicals such as insecticides, poisons and solvents, lawn products, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), sharps and cleaners.
 
Windsor Heights residents can sign up on an as-needed basis at City Hall, where they must pick up 12-gallon bins, specific handling instructions and a list of accepted and not accepted items. The cost of collection is $25 for up to two bins.
 
Once residents fill their bins, they call MWA to schedule collection. MWA collects on the second Friday of each month, starting November 11. The collected material is taken back to MWA’s Regional Collection Center in Bondurant where it is recycled or safely disposed. 
 
Emptied bins are returned to City Hall for future “check-outs” by residents.

Starting September 1, 2011, the city will begin a partnership with the Neighborhood Finance Corporation, Polk County, and the Windsor Heights-Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District to help homeowners with sanitary sewer problems. The goal of the program is to eliminate the inflow and infiltration of stormwater and groundwater into sanitary sewer lines. The new program will help a homeowner replace or slipline a sanitary sewer line from a person’s home to the main and/or decouple sump pumps and perimeter tiles/drains from the sanitary sewer. The program will include a forgivable loan to the homeowner, creating the opportunity for significant cost savings. There is no income limitation for people participating in the program, but the homeowner must be able to credit qualify.  Click on the link to learn more about this program.   http://www.windsorheights.org/SOS.html

A call was made, and the word spread – would we collect and send items to our own Windsor Heights Police Officer, Hector Arias, and his fellow service men and women deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan? The community responded with an overwhelming, “Yes!” We collected over 800 lbs of items, filling more than 50 boxes, in just a few weeks time.

The collection started at National Night Out in Colby Park on August 2nd with a donation drive for items to send to Windsor Heights Police Officer [and Senior Master Sergeant with the Air National Guard’s 132nd Fighter Wing] Hector Arias and his military personnel currently deployed with the Iowa Air National Guard. Officer Arias is on his 8th deployment in a twenty-two year military career and is presently overseeing about one thousand US Air Force members in Afghanistan at a NATO air force base. “Little things from home mean a lot, especially when they come from our friends and family. If I can do one little thing to make their stay a little easier, I can have some comfort,” says Officer Arias.

Logistics for this effort included getting the word out quickly through multiple media outlets, collecting, packaging, and finding the best way to send the items overseas (When sending gifts to military personnel stationed overseas, strict guidelines are enforced. There is a list of items prohibited and all packages require an individual U.S. Customs form listing the items contained.). Once dropped off at the U.S. Post Office the packages are sent to New York and then transferred into the Army Post Office system for transport to Afghanistan. The packages can take between one to two weeks to reach their destination.

“We are very pleased with the efforts of our entire community to support this cause. Officer Arias has been a Windsor Heights Police Officer for over nine years and we are proud of his military service,” says Police Chief Dennis McDaniel. “We look forward to his safe return and our thoughts are with all those serving in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The packages are just a small token of appreciation for their service to our country. They are true heroes and if we can do a little to make their time away from home more comfortable, then we need to act without hesitation.”

The primary focus of the collection was personal care products and pre-packaged snacks and sweets that military personnel may not have access to in the field. Officer Arias is expected to return to the Windsor Heights police force sometime in late October.

The City of Windsor Heights is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of the International City/County Management Association Program Excellence Award in the Strategic Leadership and Governance Category for 2011 for its Comprehensive Citizen Engagement program.    ICMA Program Excellence Awards are presented to local governments and their chief administrators in recognition of their innovative and successful programs.  Strategic Leadership and Governance Awards recognize the innovative and successful local government programs or processes that have significantly affected a local government organization’s culture or strategic direction.

The ICMA Program Excellence-Strategic Leadership and Governance award is given to Windsor Heights for the Comprehensive Citizen Engagement program.  The City is being honored for undertaking activities that inform, educate and involve citizens in a variety of mediums and in creative ways.  One example of how the city accomplishes this is through the Takin’ It To The Streets program, which has the City Council holding meetings on the street and following them with refreshments.  This program not only promotes citizen involvement, but encourages neighbors to get to know each other.  Another example would be the Community Coffee Club.  Community Coffee Club is held one Saturday per month and the City Administrator and a Council Member invite citizens to join them for coffee at a local coffee shop.  It provides another chance to support citizens’ desire to keep themselves current on community events.  Citizens are encouraged to stop by and ask questions about any subject they like.  It is also a good venue for people who are intimidated to stand at the dais and speak in front of people at a council meeting.

“The City of Windsor Heights has been working tirelessly to identify creative and inexpensive ways to keep people involved and informed,” said Mayor Jerry Sullivan.  “It is exciting to receive the award honoring the Council’s and my desire to work with the citizenry and keep them informed and engaged and highlighting staff’s effort in making that a reality.” 

The award will be presented to the City’s chief administrative officials at the annual ICMA Conference in September in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The International City/County Management Association has 9,000 members nationally and an additional 2,000 members in 23 countries worldwide.   Founded in 1914, ICMA (International City/County Management Association) is the premier local government leadership and management organization. Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by advocating and developing the professional management of local government worldwide.  ICMA provides publications, data, information, technical assistance, and training and professional development to thousands of city, town, and county experts and other individuals throughout the world.