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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Muscatine Fire responds to record number of calls in 2022

MUSCATINE, Iowa – It was another record setting year for the Muscatine Fire Department, but it is not one of those records you like to break at all. The Muscatine Fire Department responded to a record 5,909 calls for service in 2022, breaking the previous record of 5,709 calls that was answered in 2021. If you thought that the Muscatine Fire Department was busy in 2021, you were right. The Department responded to 5,238 calls for service in 2019.

The record call volume continues a steady upward trend in service calls with the number of calls climbing 47 percent over the last decade. The Department has seen the number of service calls top 5,000 annually in each of the last six years including 5,100 in 2017, 5,027 in 2018, 5,238 in 2019, 5,034 in 2020, and 5,709 in 2021.

Medical calls made up 86.2 percent of the service calls in 2022, down from 91 percent of service calls in 2021 and 92 percent in 2020. The Department responded to 817 fire incidents in 2022, a 37 percent increase over 2021 (521 fire responses).

Five of the 12 months in 2022 saw the Department respond to over 500 calls with December leading the way with 591 calls followed by November (537), July (523), June (519), and May (504. February had the highest fire responses at 79 with April next at 75, and December with 74. December had the highest number of medical calls at 373 with November second at 338.

MFD Fast Facts:

  • Every fire call category was up in 2022 including the most building fires in the last 10 years.
  • The top five fire responses in 2022 were structure fires (51), vehicle fires (15), vegetation fires (15), trash fires (11), and cooking fires (7).
  • Training continues to be a main ingredient for the life of a Muscatine firefighter with the department conducting 11,586 hours of training in 2022.

Click on the following link to download the 2022 Annual Report as a PDF. 

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Garrett is named Musser Library Assistant Director

Molly Garrett - Assistant LIbrary Director (JPG)MUSCATINE, Iowa – A familiar face for those who have watched “Libraries Alive!” on Musser Public Library’s TV station (Cable Channel 5) has been named Musser Public Library (MPL) assistant director. Molly Garrett was selected following an extensive search and began her new duties on October 3.

“I’m looking forward to this next step, the next chapter,” Garrett said, adding that she wants to bring innovative ideas to the library, including more programming for adults and teens.

MPL Director Robert Fiedler said he is happy to have Garrett on the library staff. 

“We are delighted to welcome Molly aboard and look forward to working with her in creating new, dynamic programming,” Fiedler said. “Molly will be a great addition to the Musser team and brings a wealth of experience that will complement the library’s mission and goals.”

Garrett’s involvement in libraries began early. At age 16, she worked as a page at the Wilton Public Library where she also became involved in the teen board.

She earned her associate’s degree from Muscatine Community College before going to the University of Iowa to earn both her bachelor’s degree in English and her Master’s degree in library science. She worked in the university libraries while completing her Master’s, focusing on government documents. 

Garrett briefly worked part-time for the Coralville Public Library after earning her Master’s before starting full-time work at the Cedar Rapids Public Library in 2013 where she worked as a programming librarian for eight years. Some of her “passion projects” at Cedar Rapids included the creation of the annual Renaissance Fair, the Be Heard program, and the diversity audit. 

The Renaissance Fair – complete with sword fights, jugglers and dancers – drew about 2,000 people each year. The Be Heard program brought books to incarcerated youths for them to share their thoughts on. 

Garrett coordinated efforts with Sarah Voels, Cedar Rapids Library Community Engagement Librarian, on the diversity audit, with Garrett’s focus being on programming and Voels’ on collections. They have presented for many groups about the processes they followed, including the 2020 Public Library Association Conference.  

Garrett served as library director in her hometown of Wilton for a year before coming to Musser Public Library. At the Wilton Public Library, she created a maker space and held the Wines & Spines fundraiser. While the director in Wilton, Garrett reached out to Musser to collaborate and to learn more about MPL’s inner workings and partnerships. As a result, she was drawn into the creation of the MPL-TV/MPW Cable Channel 5 show, “Libraries Alive!” which she also co-hosted by remote connection at the Wilton Public Library. Garrett is working with MPL-TV Director Chad Yocom to restart the show soon.

“In thinking about what comes next, I’m excited, because there are so many people and organizations to partner with in Muscatine,” Garrett said. 

Garrett lives in Wilton. She and her husband, Brad, like to go ghost hunting. They tend goats and chickens and also have pet cats. 

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Grants available to help Southend residents with projects

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The City of Muscatine is extending a helping hand to those who would like to promote neighborhood activities or develop other projects that would build on community pride and develop connections in the south end of Muscatine.

The Grandview Neighborhood Grant Program was established earlier this year by the City of Muscatine to assist with neighborhood revitalization in the Grandview Corridor. The program is funded with $50,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.

The Grandview Neighborhood Grant Program would encompass neighborhoods from Hershey Avenue to the Mississippi River and from Carver Corner to the U.S. Hwy 61 Bypass.

A total of $10,000 will be earmarked for Tier I Mini Grants for projects such as neighborhood cleanups, community gardens, community spaces (e.g., benches, gardens, etc.), neighborhood events (e.g., picnics, outdoor movie nights, ice cream socials, neighborhood tool library or food pantry, or other similar projects that would instill sense of community. Individuals or groups will be able to apply for up to $1,000 to help offset the costs for these projects.

Applications for the Tier I Mini Grants will be accepted through October 31 with one of the requirements being that the proposed project be completed within 90 days of the grant award. Grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. 

More details on the application process can be found at Neighborhood Grants.

A total of $40,000 will be awarded in Tier II property improvement grants. Applicants may apply for up to $10,000 but there is a 50 percent match requirement for the grant. Proposed improvement projects must include at least four properties, must be on the properties exterior, and be visible from the street (e.g., facades, roofs, landscaping, windows, front entry doors, sidewalks, steps, retaining walls, etc.).

Applications for the Tier II Property Improvement Grants will be accepted February 1 to April 30, 2023. Grants will be awarded based on a defined scoring criteria.   More details on the application process can be found at Neighborhood Grants.

The Grandview Corridor Revitalization Project was launched in March 2021 with the goal of improving neighborhoods and enhancing Muscatine’s southern gateway. The Project includes five pillars: Grandview Avenue Reconstruction Project, Economic Development, Business Support, Recreational Amenities, and Residential Support.  

As part of the Residential Support Pillar, the City of Muscatine conducted neighborhood outreach meetings utilizing the Muscatine Heart and Soul engagement model. This model focuses on identifying what residents appreciate about living in Muscatine, what they like about living in their neighborhood, and what opportunities exist to strengthen those connections. 

A key theme that emerged in these community discussions was that residents would like to feel more connected to their neighbors and to feel more engaged with their community. In addition, the 2022 Muscatine Community Survey Results support neighborhood initiatives as a priority. 

While 72 percent of survey respondents stated they would like to feel more connected and engaged with their community, only 33 percent responded that the quality of those connections were excellent or good. The gap between importance and quality suggests that an initiative supporting neighborhood connections will be a good investment of ARPA funds.

Grandview Neighborhood Grant Program Flyer

Grandview Neighborhood Grant Program website

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Time to tee it up … Municipal Golf Course opens Thursday

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Pull the bag out of the closet and dust off those clubs as the 2022 golf season begins Thursday (March 17) at the Muscatine Municipal Golf Course. Tee times start at 12 p.m. with daily tee times available starting at 9 a.m. Friday (March 18).

 

The decision on use of golf carts will be made on a daily basis, and dependent on course and weather conditions. 

 

The Driving Range will also be open starting Thursday with golfers asked to hit from the mats until it is determined that the grass is ready for players to hit from. Driving Range tokens can be purchased at the Pro Shop and previous season tokens may be used.

 

Season passes are now on sale with payment plans available during the months of March, April and May. Passes that are purchased prior to April 1 will also receive an incentive card good for two range tokens, two guest green fees, two 18-hole cart rentals, one 15-minute golf lesson, 15 minutes on the TruGolf Simulator, and 10 percent off any golf retail merchandise purchase over $50 (some restrictions apply). Incentive cards are not available with the payment plan. 

 

Pass holders for the 2022 season can also take advantage of the “refer a friend” special. Current pass holders will receive a $50 gift card to the Muscatine Municipal Golf Course when they refer a new pass holder for the 2022 season who did not have a 2021 season pass. All Junior Pass referrals are eligible for a $25 golf course gift card.  

 

A complete list of 2022 fees can be found on the Municipal Golf Course website.

 

For more information, to schedule a golf lesson, or to schedule a tee time, please call the Muscatine Municipal Golf Course at 563-263-4735. 

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