Successes
that Matter.
Nothing worth doing gets done alone. With a fabulous team of professional staff, thoughtful and intentional colleagues on the City Council and within our committees, and volunteers who engage in city processes, you can count on the Urbandale team for successes that matter.
Miracle on 86th St.
In 2021, my vote and belief in opportunities to bring families and the community together launched the Miracle on 86th Street. This project has been wildly successful, activating our parks and bringing smiles to children and families throughout the holiday season!
​
​​
Crisis Intervention Team
As a social worker, I strongly value the work that our law enforcement does every day. When I asked them about the situations that fall outside their areas of expertise, it is moments of mental health crisis. I voted for and strongly believe that an integrated approach to addressing incidences related to brain health will have the best outcomes possible for the individual, our officers, and ultimately, our community. This is why I voted to take our pilot CIT program in-house where we can ensure it is funded regardless of political climate.
​
Planning Processes
Strategic planning is part of the role of a city council member. When I campaigned, I noted that Urbandale's comprehensive plan was twenty years old. Today's Urbandale looks much different than the Urbandale of 2000. In the past four years, collectively as a council, we have begun to chart the path for Urbandale to thrive in the 21st century.
-
As a team, we recrafted the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, charting how Urbandale will grow.
-
Collectively, we continue to retire debt and have continued to drop the levy through our tedious, yet effective budgeting process. Urbandale has the 4th lowest tax rate of cities its size in Iowa.
-
Chaired and stewarding the work of the Human Services Strategic Planning process, with the help of a Human Services Planning Team focusing on the greatest needs identified in Urbandale. This strategic work will ensure Urbandale is positioned to receive federal Community Development Block Grant funding once we have 50,000 residents.
-
​Support and inform the creation and launch of the Downtown Urbandale Master Plan.
Strengthening our Future
With my colleagues, hired the new City Manager for Urbandale and supported the new Urbandale Fire Chief. We continue to strategically align services between Clive and Urbandale Fire and EMS response to increase efficiencies and response times amongst both communities while continuing to reduce the city's tax levy.
​
Helped the city structure a long-term agreement with the Urbandale Food Pantry to create the first Human Services "campus", which will be a permanent home for the Urbandale Food Pantry.​
​
Identified federal funding to offset significant local project costs by delaying a vote by two weeks, saving the city over $500,000.
​​
Provided expectations, connections, and support to transform the Motel Relax (now The View) into affordable, quality housing and along with our great city team, helped manage resources and incentives to increase affordable housing for families and individuals in Dallas and Polk County.
​​
Encouraged and embraced more community forums including the Community Listening Sessions, Comprehensive Strategy feedback sessions, Downtown Urbandale community feedback sessions, and the Complete Streets community sessions.
