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Annual Report, 2005 D~"B~E ~t/Ae-~ MEMORANDUM July 14, 2005 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: 2005 Annual Report Publication Discussion The City of Dubuque will soon publish its first Annual Report. A draft of the publication is enclosed. Approximately 31,000 copies will be distributed in the Sunday, Aug. 7, issue of the Telegraph Herald and in the Wednesday, Aug. 9, issue of the TH Extra. The Sunday distribution will reach all Dubuque subscribers and local single-copy distributors. The TH Extra is distributed free of charge to all mail addresses in Dubuque. There will also be some mailings of this report. Recommendation I respectfully request that you receive, file, and approve this document for publication and distribution. ,), ft" ~ ~( / ", "' " " Ii Iz L ill) (--' / Michael C. Van Milligen City Manager MVM :rg Attachment cc: Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer ,. ~t\\ -- - CITY OF DUBUQUE 2005 STATE OF THE CITY AND ANNUAL REPORT MASTERPIECE ON THE MISSISSIPPI TABLE OF CONTENTS City Council Vision, Goals, and Priorities 3 National Recognition 3 City Manager's Message 4 A Masterpiece in the Making 6 Maintaining Fiscal Responsibility 8 How the Money is Spent 11 Your City At Your Service 12 [/UaJl~~!' (/fAe~e e~Wtat [MeJt1le~ .~ ~;~~ i ,*,..". :'- , A ... '.,11--_ "' .~- , iii~~tt) V ". .'.' "~;~':: , M!I! . -. fji...:-..-:;oI. '_-:~ r \~~ ~rf'~ I- ........._ '~./ John Markham, First Ward Roy Buol, Second Ward Patricia Cline, Fourth Ward Ann Michalski, At Large City Manager Michael Van Milligen Corporation Counsel Barry Lindahl City Clerk Jeanne Schneider 2] Stale of the City and Annual Report Joyce Connors, Third Ward - '.' '."" "',,' ,. I '. .. ' , . '. -,' . , :f 11- Dan Nicholson, At Large Dear Dubuque Citizens. In recent ye:lrs, Dubuque h:lS become known as the "r..lasterpiece on the Mississippi," \Xl1ile this nickname reflects our natural river scenery and historic architecture, it also acknowledges the transformation Dubuque has undergone. Our community faced numerous challenges and has emerged as a vibrant city recognized regionally and nationally for our revitalization and ability to innol'atively address those challenges. You are the artists that have creared this masterpiece. Few masterpieces are created overnight. They often require thoughtful reflection, tremendous effort, and firm commitment. The Dubuque mastelviece of 2005 represent~ years of steady progress, This masterpiece is still a work in progress, but we, as a community, should be proud of recent accomplishments and encouraged by the transformation as we work to meet current challenges, I am pleased to present this inaugural annual repon and snapshot of the current state of our community. On behalf of the Dubuque City Council, thank you for your suppon and involvement. We SHive to he responsible stewards, pro\ide quality services, and carefully set a course for continuecl growth and success. Sincerely, ~~ Teny Duggan, Mayor City of Dubuque Ward Map ~h, 1 i~u :\ Ii -. I} 1 \ .,.:..., ':""-c~, -'.J.'~ ,..J {j' ",. r\. J~ ~ . ,---c...~' . " ,~ ..:'WI ,. .Waodl .wn, ....n) .WMt_ o ~ca,L'"* -t}ulu9ue rua~/1 :30:30 The city of Dubuque is a growing city with a strong, balanced economy and connections to the world. The Dubuque community takes pride in our histOry and heritage and has actively preserved our picturesque river and community, Dubuque citizens have choices of quality livable neighhorhoods, fun things to do, and are engaged in the community. Dubuque City Government is financially sound and provides services with citizens getting value for their tax dollars, I I .1 I cA~ e~Wt~' ~ · Improved Connectivity: Transportation & Telecommunications . Planned and Managed Growth · Diverse, Strong Dubuque Economy . Riverti'ont Development · Partnering for a Better Dubuque u~ rp~~1t(a!' . Southwest Arterial · Opponuni(pIowa/State-ot:the An, Affordahle, Universally Available Communication Services . StOrmwater: Bee Branch Creek Restoration · Street Improvement Projects . ArtS Policy and Funding (lft#( rp~~1t(a!' · East-West CorridorStudy . Air Selvice and Enplanement Strategy · National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) · Newly Annexed Areas: Plan, Zoning, Services . Property Maintenance Cases · WaterlSewer Services to New Developments NATIONAL RECOGNITION · The Greater Dubuque Area was ranked #1 by the Milken Institute for High Tech Output Growth, 1998-2003. · The Metro Business Retention Index for November 2001 ranked the Greater Dubuque area 2nd in the nation for business retention. · Forbes magazine ranked Dubuque 13th of 168 cities for the Cost of Doing Business. · The May 2004 issue of Etpa1lsion Management magazine selected Dubuque as one of just 50 five-star communities in the country. Identifying schools and home affordability as the two most imponant quality of life issues, they selected Dubuque as #7 for quality of schools and #1 in housing affordability. They also ranked Dubuque #11 in peace of mind for its level of safety. · The Milken Institute's 2004 Best Pelforming Cities Index ranked Dubuque 34th out of 118 small U.S. metropolitan areas. · America1l City and County magazine selected Dubuque as one of only six "Crown Communities" in 2003. · A December 2002 Des Moines Register editorial, entitled, "Dubuque shows how," began "Few Iowa cities were hit harder in the '80s. Few have a better outlook now." The editorial ended saying, "The Dubuque story might offer lessons for every Iowa city." · In 2004, Country Music Television named Dubuque County :.IS the #4 Top Destination to Visit Worldwide. · In May 2003, USA Weekend magazine selected the Upper Mississippi River Valley as the Third Most Beautiful Place in America. · Dubuque received the Merit Award for Economic Development for the AmeriCtI S Ril!er Project in 2004 from the International Downtown Association. · TIle National Trust for Historic Presen'ation named Dubuque to it~ 2005 list of America's Dozen Distinctive' Destinations, an annual list of unique and 100ingly preserved communities in the United States, · A 2004 study by the Milken Institute showed one-year \\'age growth in Dubuque outpaced 75% of all U.S. smaller metros, . Dubuque W:.lS designated a Preserve America Community in November 2004. · lnc, magazine ranked Dubuque #62 out of 274 metros mea.~ured on its list of "Best Cities to Do Business in America" in it~'May 2005 issue. Dubuque dimbed 177 spots from last year! Dubuque 2005 13 C4~ ~e~f-(/fAe~e The first year I started in Dubuque, 1993, an elderly gentleman asked me to visit his home. \X'llen I arrived at his well-kept, modest house, we sat at his kitchen table and discussed property taxes. He told me about his pension and social security and how increases in property taxes were causing him concern. That ~isit had tremendous impact on me as I carried out the City Council policy not to rJise the City portion of propeny taxes on the average homeowner. The average homeO\\11er h:.lS not had a City-initiated property tax incre:lSe in the last 11 years, with five of these years showing a decrea'ie. The gentleman I met in 1993 paid $463 in City propeny taxes that year. ACisuming he is still in the same home, he would pay $442 next year. Assuming City property taxes had only increased by the rate of inflation overthat ll-year period, he saved $971 overthis ll-year period. Dubuque is entering a new era, an era of vehicular accessibility. The time has alTived, the highways are open. Now the heavy lifting begins. How do we take advantage of this tremendous asset? The investment of hundreds of millions of dollars by three states ha~ created an unprecedented opportunity for Dubuque. ~,.~~~.~::j;:L ': Highway 61 is four-laned to Davenport (1-S0): Highway 151 South is four-Ianed to Cedar Rapids; Highway 218 is four-laned to MinneapolislSL Paul, Minnesota; Highway 20 is four-Ianed to north of Ames (1-35); and, in a few months, Highway 151 North will be four-laned to Madison, Wisconsin (1-90/94), This has all happened since 1999 and mostly in the l:.ISt two years. Will Dubuque seize the opportunity through aggressive marketing of its many a~sets and the continuation of community improvements? Improved vehicular access has created an opportunity for Dubuque to hecome the growing, thri\ing community it was prior to 1980. Dubuque h:.lS seen much growth over the last 10 years while the City Council h:.lS been a good steward of the taxpayers' investment in local government senices. What is Dubuque doing to build on its success and take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity? First and foremost, Dubuque is continuing to get strong political and entrepreneurial leadership. Much of the success of that leadership is in the City's ability to panicipate in pannerships recognizing the whole is greater than the sum of the pans. 41 State of the City and Annual Report In that spirit, some of the things occurring or being planned that are moving Dubuque to seize this opportunity are: · Implementation of the annual priorities set by the City Council. · OpportunftyDubuque A citizen's group looking at the possibility of a municipal communications utility to provide affordable, universal, state-of-the- art communication services to Dubuque residences, business, and other organizations, · Economic Gardening and Retail Expansion A collaborative initiative between the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, City of Dubuque, and Dubuque Initiatives to coordinate and improve the retention, attraction, and diversification of retail business and development in the Dubuque area. · Envision: Ten Community Projects by 2010 This community visioning process, developed hy the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Dubuque Area Chamher of Commerce, and funded by the Dubuque Racing Association, is designed to engage tri-state area citizens in a community visioning process: an open, all-inclusive discussion to develop a variety of ideas for the future of Greater Duhuque. · The Formation of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque - a vehicle for community philanthropy that, through the establishment of charitable endowments, will positively impact Dubuque's future in perpetuity. · Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development With low unemployment in Dubuque, initiatives like AccessDubuqueJobs.com and "Keep it Real" were created to help develop the local workforce, · Regional Collaborative Marketing Grant This three-year $175,000 grant to the East Central lmergovernmenta' Association will facilitate collaboration with local governments, development groups, private enterprise, and other organizations to promote economic development opportunities :.IS well as to incfe:.lSe and expand the economic segmenl~ within the six-county region of Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones Counties. . Northeast Iowa Business Accelerator $175,000 Grant Nonheast Iowa Community College will work closely with Clarke College, Loras College, University of Dubuque, the Greater Dubuqu( Development Corporation, the Dubuque Chamber, Iowa Workforce Development, ECLA., City of Dubuque local financial institutions, an( other partners to operate this new business start up accelerator to help more entrepreneurs become successful in growing businesses Dubuque's total assessed valuation increased 83.2% 'rom $973,733,675 in 1992 to $1,784,090,311 in 2004, which is an average increase of 6.9% per year. . Community Health Center An initiative to open a facility to help serve low- and moderate-income uninsured and under-insured residents will be funded with state and federal funds and may be supponed with a grant from the Dubuque Racing Association. · Mississippi Valley Promise The local chapter of "America's Promise," this group's mission is to build the commitment of individU3ls, businesses, organizations, schools, and gO\'ell1ment~ to fulfill the five promises to all the children and youth in our community so they can lead healthy and productive lives, · Private Community Investment Redevelopment of the former Dubuque Pack, downtown, Dubuque Inn, and elsewhere. . The funher development of the Port of Dubuque and continued expansion of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, · Improvemerm to Dubuque Community Schools with implementation of the countywide S 100 million sales tax for capital expense, including the commitment to a new school downtown, · Dubuque Racing Association Future Fund This new distribution program will provide significant dollars (minimum of $250,000) to assist in the development of social, cultural. recreational, entenainment, and educational opportunities and programs. . River Valley Initiative This five-year plan for managed economic growth seeks to effectively promote and market Dubuque :.IS an attractive and appealing business location and to retain and create 2,500 jobs in manufacturing, disHibution, fabricating, and the service sector. . Destination Dubuque A collaboration between the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, the Chamber of Commerce, and the City to bring together the largest not-for-profits in the community involved in community and economic development on a routine, informal ba.'iis to share idea.'i, · City Council's Entrepreneurial Leadership on Economic Development, Transportation Issues, Connectivity, Neighborhood Reinvestment, Downtown and Riverfront Development, and Community Building. Recent job creation statistics show Dubuque County jobs growing by 2,000 in 2005. Population Contrary to local estimates and beliefs, the lateSt US Census Bureau projections say Dubuque's population has decreased since the 2000 census, The Census Bureau estimates the City has lost 182 people, or almost one percent of the population, Even optimistic estimates from DMATS would show Duhuque adding only about 3,800 people. Population in Dubuque since 1950 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 July I. 2004 Census Estimate 49.671 56,606 62.309 62.374 57,538 57,686 57,504 Community Marketing With all Dubuque's recent successes and the creation of five, four-lane connections to the outside world, the "Ma.'iterpiece on the Mississippi" must be marketed to others, not just for tourism, but to brand an image in peoples' minds to spur economic growth. Have no doubt that Dubuque will have a branded image, whether we let others create that brand or we work to create it. This first ever annual repon of the City of Dubuque is designed to provide a brief overview of Dubuque's recent past and current condition. Above all else, what we can never forget is that it is all about people, those that live here today and those yet to come, people who have hopes and dreams. We must continue to build and market Duhuque as the place to fulfill those ambitions, The employees of the City of Dubuque are committed to making Dubuque a great place to live and work through a dedication to public service, [ am proud to serve with this outstanding group of caring and concerned City employees. fJ1~~t1~ Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Over $7.5 million has been invested in Dubuque's park system through the renovation of existing parks and the creation of 21 new parks. Dubuque 2005 I~ c7I //Ua~1fM~ tu ll(e JUa{tui Then "Unemployment in Dubuque and nearby counties rose to 8.5 percent in 1980 from 7.1 percent in 1979 and is now at 8.9 JJercent." . "Plan.' for Reviviog Duhuque Siok ";[11 Ecollomy: NM" York lillie<, :-;(lV, 21. 19H1 -Recession. hit Duhuque setks l1e'o\' footing; Hard times draw city residt:nt\ leaders together," '!be a'rislinn Sdence .IInmlor, June 10, 19~2 ~'t98g , 1983 ~i Duguquer :i:!!P9pl!llatibn( , ) reaches, a;~r.ecord' - high oY62]'374 and"43,700 are " employed in' l;;,.Qubuque " County. Elubuque's 4unemployli1ent' . r.ate exceeds 14%. ~ State of the City and Annual Report To fully understand where we are today, it is important to examine the city's recent history, particularly the 1980s: · Dubuque averaged 8.9 percent unemployment for the entire decade of the 19805 and reached a high of more than 14 percent in 1983. · This community lost 7.8 percent of it~ population (4,836 people) between 1980 and 1990. · Annexation W:.lS all but non-e:'\istent and Dubuque had very little, if any, propenyavailable for indusllial development. · Dubuque W:.IS dominated by two major employers, one that had eliminated 6,000 jobs and the other was on the brink of closure, which would eliminate 2,000 jobs. .. This town had a blighted downtown area with many vacant storefronts and W:.lS home to the XXX Cine'ma and the Gentleman's Bookstore, .1.984 1987 1985 1,988 Commu,nity approves a,local 9ption sales tax;' with a poRion of the revenue allocated'to help d_efray prop~r:ty . tax. assessments. -Referendum ,'aif,gener-al obligation bond for greyhound racetrack passes with 7-1 % voter 'apJilroval. 'Opening on JURe 11\' 1985, DubtJque' Greyhound Park became the nation's first nonprofit " greyhound track. The facility is owned by the City of Dubuque and is run under the guidance of the Dubuque Racing Association. Property tax rate reaches $14.58 per thousand. - · The riverfront was blighted with dilapidated buildings, polluted ground and huge, abandoned storage tanks. · Dubuque was a town with an aging park system, a street system that W:.lS decaying at a much f:.lSter rate than it was being rebuilt, and outdated water and sewer plants, · The city had no four-lane connections to the outside world, an airport in serious need of upgrading, and antiquated analog, single-switch phone selvice. · Hundred~ of Dubuque homes were vulnerable to stormwater flooding and other areas of town contained vacant and abandoned homes. · With only a short section completed of a two-lane al1erial, Dubuque was in dire need of a full anerial roadway. · The City's property tax rate reached $14.58 per thousand in 1987. " 1-9-9.0 Du6(tque's 'population drops ...to~5:h538: a-no .almost 8~", . -decrease in just 10 years.' - ,eounty-wid:e "employment reaches 46,000. The Dubuque Racing Association, in conjunction with Robert's River Rides, was the first applicant to be granted permission to operate a river gambling boat in the state. City Council creates Long- Range Planning Commission. "Statistically, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Dubuque led the nation ill unemployment injanuary witb a high of23 percent. While much oftbat was due to a month-long shutdown by Deere & Co., and civic leaders put the current IlnemploJ'ment figure at closer to 11 to 12 percent, man)' families here are still feeling tbe pinch. " 1992 1993 City Council adopts Vision 2000. City Council adopts '. Neighborhood ,[!,eirJ}'E!stment _ ~trategy. 1983, the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce blication 'The Dubuque Connection" said: partnerships externally and internally. From that, with the Mayor and City Council providing much of those final three key elements, grew the Dubuque of today and the bright future that exists for tomorrow, Now ubuque's plight is becoming desperate. It suffered ore severely during the recent recession, and has r the past three years had the highest unemployment te of iowa's SMSA's (largest cities). That unfortunate ct is no surprise to Dubuquers. It has been losing th industry and retail business consistently for the t clecade."'The publication went on to say, "Dubuque losing its people, Recent estimates show 10% of the using stock vacant or available for sale." Today, Dubuque is a community receiving national and international awards and is identified as a model for how to do things right. Elected officials are selected for leadership positions with the Iowa Depanment of Economic Development, National League of Cities, Iowa League of Cities, and others, Property ta.xes are down and benefits to citizens are up. In 2004, thejulien'sjoumal referred to the last 10 years in Dubuque as, "". what is viewed by man)' as among the most productive and exciting periods in the city's bistor)'. " The City Council's entfepreneUlialleadership, stressing partnerships and a willingness to make difficult policy decisions, allowing for calculated risk-taking, h:.lS set Dubuque on a dramatic course for a bright future. The Dubuque of today is truly the "Masterpiece on the MississippL" Most recently, tbe january 5, 2005, editorial in tbe Telegrapb Herald was titled, "Good news plentifu~ for Dubuque in past year - From new construction to businesses addingjobs, the City bas progressed. " nunately, new and existing City Council members . d community leaders decided it W:.lS time for a ange. They recognized that Dubuque had some mendous assets to build upon: a historic pa.~t: a rdworking, caring citizen!)'; beautiful rock bluff.~ and Is; the mighty Mississippi Ril'erj and, most importantly, ion, leadership, and a willingness to fonn ,;119:97' 19:98~" i~gpO 2002 2003 2004 2005 ~:;..,..:~~~ "i'i~.~ }.,-- ..tft~ '53,500 people 'oum:;il. " . DUQ\lque's ":."' ity/.':, lQubuque's Grand Harbor The Dubuque The Grand City propert~ sa' ,.;. '. ;"wafl\r is,awar,ded. j.. te~~$2,0~ ~pbR:ulation'" '< Resort & -County annual River C:enter, a ar,e'employetl"in taxes in 19 7 tehensive "Best Municipal - rffillibn over . ~im;reases to"- , ,Wll~efpark, home unemployment conference . Dubuque County were 50% .:orf1'prised Water" by three years to . ~5:7;686, justa ;ofrHewa's..first 'rateJor 2002 faci Iity locilted higher than ides, Berkeley develop aver' '.3CY~ increase .themed indoor was less than in the Portof A study by today's .and Springs. 900 acres of froni } 990,. , waterpark, the State Dubuque, Economy.com $9.6991 per ic. 'new industrial Farmiand,'FooC!s opeAed in' - unemployment owned. by tbe; shows thousand rate. ives-' The City:'begi ns parks at 'f.i VEl -December. , rate for the first City of:,"'" 'Dubuque's .d on a program to locations. closes, laying off time since Dubuq!le andf personal income Almost 4,000 ical, reduce property '1,100 at its Alliant Energy 1978. man~gea by . rate for'2004 acres have been ic, and tax supported Dubuque Amphitheater Platinum . . 'grew at its fastest annexed into elements debt payments. loc'lltion. dedicated in The City of Hospitality rate in nearly a Dubuque since munity October. Dubuque's bond Group, opened decade, up 35% 1995, compared is Dubuque rati ng was in November. from the to 40 acres from a 1935 becomes the Greater Dubuque upgraded to Aa2. previous year. 1990-1995. ehensive first Iowa Development The City community to Corporation The National implements Non-residential The City of receive begins its River Mississippi Storm water construction in Dubuque has Visionlowa Valley Initiative, River Museum & Uti Iity to Dubuque has 518 full-time funding when it a five-year Aquarium protect homes averaged almost employees, a is awarded a campaign to raise opened its doors and properties 1 million square decrease of 70 $40 million more than $2.2 on June 28. subject to feet per year for full-time grant in million, create The Mississippi flooding. the last six employees from December for more than 5,000 years. 588 in 1981. the Americas jobs, and Riverwalk was River Project. generate $200 completed in 2004 was the million in June, third consecutive commercial year of record development, real estate sales among other key in Dubuque. goals. Dubuque 2005 [7 \j - ull{ai!t(&ftrt!19 9-trud'}Qerf~d6[{;ly Iowa Benchmark The City's ranking among the nine largest cities in the State of lowa in important financial categolies, based on Fiscal Year 2006, is as follows: Ranking Among Iowa's largest Cities Issue Rank Lowest Bonded Indebtedness .".".""".".#1 Best Bond Rating.""".""".",,,,,,,..,,,,,,,,,,,,#2 Lowest City Property Tax Rate.""."..."",,#l Lowest Water Rate.."..."".."."..""""....",,#2 Lowest Sewer Rate""""."."""...""".""",,#2 Lowest Refuse Rate".""""""."""""...".".#1 Lowest Stormwater Rate ."""."....."...".".#4 Fewest Government Employees "."..".".#1 (Federal, State, Local) Lowest Unemployment Rate ".."".....".".#1 \.~~a\ \\~\)\ t4\a~i\\\ Of the nine largest cities in the State of Iowa, the City of Dubuque has the lowest percentage of legal debt margin projected to be utilized for Fiscal Year 2006 at 21%. The highest ranked city, Des Moines (81%), is 290% higher than Dubuque, and the average of the other cities (59%) is 184% higher than Dubuque, Bond Rating The City of Dubuque's bond rating was upgraded in 2003 and is the second highest rating in the State of Iowa (Aa2). Bond Ratings of Iowa's Largest Cities Rank City Rating 1 Ames Aaa 1 Cedar Rapids .Aaa 1 Iowa City Aaa 2 Dubuque Aa2 2 Davenport Aa2 2 Des Moines Aa2 2 Sioux City Aa2 3 Council Bluffs Al 4 Waterloo A2 8l State of the City and Annual Report Then Dubuque averaged 8.9 percent unemployment for the entire decade of the 1980s and reached a high of more than 14 percent in 1983, Now Dubuque's unemployment rate for May 2005 was 4,6 percent. Iowa's Largest Cities Legal Debt Margins 90 c 80.7 ~ N 80 75.82 :::i i= 70 :J 61.19 62.47 64.27 Z 60 c.::J 52.22 a::: < 50 44.62 :!: ~ 40 lXI ~ C 30 28.38 ~ m" ~D < c.::J 20 ~ ~ u- 10 0 #. 0 Dubuque Ames Council Iowa City Davenport Sioux City Waterloo Cedar Des 81uffs Rapids Moines Then From 1990.1994, the City's annual commitment to the street program averaged $2.1 million. Then In 1983, the number of people employed in non.farm positions in Dubuque County W:.lS 37,600, Now From 1995.2005, an annual average of $7.5 million has been invested in street reconsH1Jction and resurfacing, Now Iowa Workforce Development reported 52,900 people working non. farm positions in May 2005.