They're from the Government...and They're Here to Help

 

Although it has been trendy for decades now in some circles to hate on “government” (as that oft-quoted celebrity politician from a bygone era once claimed, “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem”*), our government—and it is our government—exists to serve our needs. And nowhere is the usefulness of government more apparent, and more responsive, than in our local communities.

Share your thoughts on planned changes to
Whispering Meadows and other local parks.

We are fortunate to live in a city that takes its role as a protector and steward of our resources seriously, and consistently seeks input from citizens on how best to carry out its duties. Every year we have the opportunity to cast votes for people to represent our interests on the City Council, County Board of Supervisors, and the School Board. We are able to communicate with all of these groups at public meetings, and raise concerns about issues that are important to us.

There are any number of Boards, Commissions, and Committees made up of regular community members that help city staff and elected officials make decisions and guide plans (if you are interested in serving, there are a number of vacancies for those willing to offer their time and experience).

In addition to all the indirect representation through these individuals, the city often asks for your direct input about plans and programs that will guide them in the future. Here are just a few opportunities to share your opinions:

·       Iowa City Gather Here Recreation Master Plan: related to the future of the city’s recreation programming and facilities. Take a survey or browse and add notes to the idea wall.  You can also provide feedback at the Rec N’ Roll events from 3 to 5 pm October 24 (at Scott Park) or October 31 at Happy Hollow.

·       Park Projects: The City is looking for feedback on improvement plans to three parks:

o   Whispering Meadows: park plan and Survey

o   Chadek Green: preliminary concepts and survey

o   Court Hill: preliminary concepts and survey

"Hello, ICgovXpress? There appears to be a
giant...sinkhole along the Greenway."
Days later:

In addition to these formal requests for input, there are a number of ways to share your thoughts directly. You can easily report concerns around town, from a dark streetlight to a downed tree to potholes and more, via ICgovXpress. Each city department’s web page also has a link with staff contact information, so you can reach out directly with questions (speaking from experience, both of these methods of communication resulted in a swift and satisfactory response).

City staff can’t be everywhere, see everything, and talk to everyone, so citizen feedback—your feedback—is essential to keeping our city a great place to
live.

 

*Just as often the introductory qualifying phrase “In this present crisis,” is omitted, interestingly transforming the meaning from a limited rhetorical flourish to a universal ideological truth.