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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Art Center to be closed to public as exhibitions change

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine Art Center will be closed to the public from February 21 through March 8 to facilitate the changing of exhibitions. Art Center staff will be working behind the scenes to pack up the Nature Connects exhibition, deep clean the facility, and install several new exhibitions during this time period.

 

During the closure, appointments must be made in advance by calling 563-263-8282. Appointments are available Monday through Friday.

 

Visitors to the Muscatine Art Center encounter paintings made by artists recognized around the world, fascinating objects connected to Muscatine’s past, beautifully crafted decorative arts, charming period rooms, and a Japanese Garden installed nearly a century ago. Learners of all ages can pique their curiosity through changing exhibitions, classes, and events. For more information, visit Muscatine Art Center, visit the Art Center Page on the City of Muscatine website, or follow the Art Center on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, 

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

West Hill public information meeting scheduled for February 17

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The City of Muscatine will host a public information meeting on Phase 5 of the West Hill Sanitary & Storm Sewer Separation Project from 5-6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Council Chambers at Muscatine City Hall, 215 Sycamore St., Muscatine. This will be an open house format with no formal agenda for the meeting. Maps will be available for the public to review.

 

Representatives from the Department of Public Works, and general contractor Hagerty Earthworks LLC will be on hand to update the public on the schedule for the second year of the three-year project, and answer questions about any issues that the public may have.

 

Phase II of the project will replace the combined sewer along with other infrastructure improvements on Climer, High, Logan, and Lucas streets, and Knott Avenue.  

 

A schedule of the work for 2022 and what is planned for 2023 will be available during the public meeting. The public, especially anyone in the affected construction area, is welcome to attend the meeting.

 

More information can be found on the West Hill page on the City of Muscatine website.

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

State, local health agencies moving from response to recovery

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The State Public Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. For nearly two years, the proclamation waived specific provisions in Iowa code that allowed the state to shift resources to respond to the public health emergency. As such, the state publicly reported information that was more detailed and frequent than what the agency would typically produce. This allowed the state to respond and shift resources appropriately.

 

The expiration of the proclamation will result in operational changes related to the state’s pandemic response. State agencies, including the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), will now manage COVID-19 as part of normal daily business and reallocate resources that have been fully dedicated to the response effort to serve other important needs for Iowans. 

 

IDPH and your Muscatine County Public Health Department remain committed to doing the work we’ve always done around disease surveillance to protect the health of all Iowans. Moving forward the Iowa Department of Public Health will continue to provide critical data to understand COVID-19 prevalence in Iowa. The Muscatine County Public Health Department will refer our communities to IDPH for continued updates on COVID-19 beginning February 16, 2022.

 

Changes in Published Data:

 

  • Both the coronavirus.iowa.gov and vaccinateiowa.gov websites will be discontinued.
  • Weekly COVID-19 data points will be published on the IDPH website beginning February 16, 2022.
  • IDPH is no longer requiring Long Term Care facilities to notify them when they have three or more infections in residents, therefore this will no longer be reported publicly by IDPH. Instead, IDPH will use Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) data to identify and assist facilities in infection control.
  • Hospital general COVID-19 data is available through the CDC: www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/nhcs.htm

 

Moving Forward the IDPH Website, www.idph.iowa.gov, will Include:

  • Positive Cases
  • Positive tests since March of 2020 (age/sex/race)
  • Deaths since March of 2020
  • Case by county
  • Positive tests in past 7 days
  • Epi Curve since March of 2020
  • Variant breakdown by week
  • Vaccine Data
  • Total series completed
  • Booster completed
  • County map
  • Fully vaccinated (age/sex/race)

 

Public Health Work Continues

  • First COVID-19 data upload to IDPH website will be February 16, 2022
  • Access to COVID-19 testing and vaccine remain unchanged.
  • At this time, Test Iowa at Home will continue unchanged. www.testiowa.com
  • COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutic allocations continue.

 

For information related to COVID-19, visit www.idph.iowa.gov/ or Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC.

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

City to host public meeting on Grandview Reconstruction Phase II February 10

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The City of Muscatine will host a public information meeting on Phase II of the Grandview Avenue Reconstruction Project from 5-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Rose Bowl Bowling Center, 1411 Grandview Avenue. This will be an open house format with no formal agenda for the meeting. Maps will be available for the public to look at.

 

Representatives from the Department of Public Works, general contractor Heuer Construction, Inc., and the engineering firm of Bolton and Menk will be on hand to update the public on the schedule for the second year of the two-year project, and answer questions about closures or any other issues that the public may have.

 

Phase II of the project will remove and replace the pavement along with other infrastructure improvements from Musser Street to the South Houser Street/Sampson Street intersection. Heuer Construction tentatively plans to resume construction activity on February 28 when they will close Grandview Avenue from Brier Ditch to Musser Street. The detour will be Musser to South Houser (or vice versa) and will be posted.

 

Work on this section is expected to take three weeks and includes milling and removal of the existing pavement, sanitary and storm sewer installation, water main replacement, and replacement of the culverts at Brier Ditch.

 

Phase I of the project removed and replaced the pavement from Pearl Street to Musser Street. Most intersections have been repaved but the contractor still has work to do to complete the sidewalks and remaining intersections.

 

Anyone with questions about the project and/or timeline for completion of the project are urged to attend the meeting on February 10.

 

The City, the contractor, and consultants will resume their weekly meeting with business owners along Grandview Avenue on March 4. The meetings will be held at 9 a.m. every Friday in the parking lot at the Rose Bowl.

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

City Council to hold public hearing on revised Animal Control Ordinance

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine City Council will conduct a public hearing on changes to the Animal Control Ordinance, and then hear the first reading of that ordinance during Thursdays’ (Feb. 3) meeting in the Council Chambers at Muscatine City Hall. 

 

A virtual meeting will be held in conjunction with the in-person meeting for those who want to view the proceedings or make a comment but do not feel comfortable in attending in person. Details for joining that meeting are listed below.

 

The Muscatine City Council directed staff to prepare changes to portions of Title 6, Chapter 8 of Muscatine City Code related to animal regulations during the October 14, 2021, in-depth meeting. Substantial changes were proposed by staff during the January 13, 2022, in-depth meeting, and the code was revised following feedback from City Council. 

 

A summary of the changes can be found by clicking the link on the February 3 City Council agenda or download the file by clicking Animal Control Revisions.

 

“It is possible that additional resources will be needed to effectively enforce the proposed code changes,” Carol Webb, City Administrator said in her memo to the City Council. “City staff will seek to offset those costs to some degree through appropriate fees and penalties associated with animal control.”

 

The Council will be asked to set a public hearing for revisions to the Standard Penalties section of Muscatine City Code (Title 1, Chapter 2, Section 14). The public hearing will be scheduled for February 17 if approved by Council.

 

Three other public hearings will be held Thursday, each a part of the South End Improvement Project. The first of the three will be on the plans, specifications, form of contract, cost estimate, and bid opening date for the Taylor Park Improvement Project. The second concerning bid documents for the Taylor Park Splashpad Project, and the third on the High-Intensity Activated crosswalk (HAWK) Project. 

 

Thursday’s City Council meeting is open to the public. Citizens attending the meeting are asked to follow current CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommendations for wearing a mask indoors whether vaccinated or not. The City of Muscatine does not require wearing a mask, but does urge the public to follow Public Health and CDC recommendations. 

 

Citizens who do not want to attend the in-person meeting can watch and/or participate through the GoToMeeting virtual meeting portal. Information on joining the session and how to make a comment during the meeting is listed below. The session will also be broadcast live on the City of Muscatine YouTube channel and on Muscatine Power & Water Cable Channel 2.

 

Information on the presentations and other agenda items can be found by clicking AGENDA to download the February 3, 2022, City Council agenda and/or attachments.

 

The best way for the public to participate is to dial in to the GoToMeeting session, mute your device, watch the session on YouTube or Cable Channel 2, and, at the appropriate time, unmute your device to ask a question or make a comment. The public can also use the “chat” feature on the GoToMeeting virtual meeting to pose a question to the Mayor, Council, or staff member.

Muscatine City Council Regular Meeting | Thu, Feb. 3, 2022 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (CDT) 
 
Join the meeting from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone by clicking the following link: https://www.gotomeet.me/CityofMuscatine/city-council-meeting


You can also use your phone by dialing +1 (669) 224-3412, follow the prompts, and type in Access Code 970-499-597 when prompted.
 
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/970499597

 

Please mute your computer or phone while listening to the proceedings (press *6 when using phone or mute button on computer). A chat window is available when you use your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Those wishing to speak or to ask a question are asked to use the chat box to post a message that will be seen by the Mayor who will address the questions or call on the speaker in turn. Those using their phones must wait until the Mayor asks for additional comments. The Mayor will recognize you prior to you addressing the Council.

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Public Safety, other employment opportunities await you

MUSCATINE, Iowa – If you are called to public service and want to make a positive contribution to the residents and visitors to Muscatine the City of Muscatine has several opportunities for you. 

 

The Muscatine Police Department is compiling a list of candidates for the position of a police officer. If you are interested in joining a top-notch team responsible for community protection you need to submit your application for the current round of selections by 5 p.m. Monday (Jan. 31).

 

The Muscatine Fire Department is compiling a list of prospective candidates for the position of fire fighter. If you are interested in joining our premier team of firefighter-paramedics, please submit your application to be placed on the current selection list by the May 18 deadline. Click here to view our recruitment video.

 

The Muscatine Parks and Recreation Department is recruiting dependable, hard workers to fill positions for the 2022 spring and summer programs. Positions available include lead groundskeeper, equipment operator, groundskeeper, on-site supervisor, equipment operator on the weekend tournament crew at Kent Stein Park, clubhouse curbside services, food and beverage cashier, clubhouse supervisor, pool manager, lifeguard, slide attendant, pool cashier, recreation program instructor, recreation program aide, Parks & Recreation office clerk, College Search Kickoff program assistant, and College Search Kickoff program technician. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.

 

The Musser Public Library and HNI Community Center is seeking a part-time library assistant responsible for maintaining library social media accounts, preparing the monthly newsletter, and creating and anchoring daily messages for the library’s television station.

 

The Transfer Station is accepting applications for individuals to serve as a Substitute Refuse Collector on an as needed basis.  Hours will vary depending on need. Individuals applying should be reliable, physically able to lift 75 pounds and be able to work flexible and early morning hours. The position will remain open until filled.

 

The Transit Division of the Department of Public Works is seeking a part-time Transit Driver for the night bus route. Click on the link for more information on hours and qualifications. The position will remain open until filled and all applicants are welcomed.

 

For more information, visit the Employment Opportunities section on the City of Muscatine web site. The City of Muscatine is an equal employment affirmative action employer.

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