To mark the turn of the calendar, the T-R reached out to a host of local leaders for their reflections on the year that was and their goals for the year to come. Those who responded are directly quoted in their own words below. Happy new year!

Barry Kell, At-Large City Councilor — Persistence, progress, people. Before I turn my intentions to eating better and exercising more in 2024, I want to shine light on those who continue to champion Marshalltown with passion and pride while encountering more than a few hurdles. When we reflect on 2023 and all the ground we’ve covered, it would not be possible without the countless individuals and organizations who believe our tomorrow is brighter than today. The list of progress is long, State Street reconstruction, industrial complex expansion, vibrant and authentic projects by the Arts+Culture Alliance, awarded a $2,000,000 Destination Iowa grant, new McFarland Clinic building, in-progress new VA clinic, marquee events in the 13th Street District that attracted thousands, reconstruction and improvements of the MHS athletic complex, Main Street investments such as the world class refurbishment of the Willard-Hopkins buildings, reimaging of the old Gildner’s building and new additions such as Nied’s Pharmacy, The Outlet, and Five Star Real Estate.

There is a strong common thread with all of these, Marshalltown is a worthy and viable destination for investment and progress. Next time you scroll through comments from naysayers — I ask you to look at the actual things happening in Marshalltown as proof of their ignorance. As a common recipient of those comments, I can confidently say most are largely uninformed. I am often reminded of the Yogi-ism, “nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” If what the keyboard warrior says is true, this investment would not be happening.

Looking forward to 2024, several things come to mind. Navigating changes by state legislation and the impact to our budgeting process, full completion of once every 100 years work on State Street and beginning of East Main (again, once in a generation plus work), Center Street viaduct bid letting, and Linn Creek District progress. These goals and projects are defined by our budgeting and strategic plans and will be a priority throughout the year.

What I would encourage us all to work towards and aspire to is restoring a broad sense of pride in our community. Building bridges versus tearing down. I think a lot of people are misled to believe activism means pointing out everything wrong. I welcome critique but we should work from a place and be done in a way to make the outcome better. Drilling holes in a boat only ensures it sinks. I want us to truly have pride in our community, where we live, where we work, where our kids go to school, the businesses we have and support and our many unique neighborhoods.

Find ways to get involved to provide your knowledge, skills, and passion. Let us councilors know your support for initiatives and projects that make Marshalltown a better place to live, learn, work and play. Get with your neighbors and do something unique, call in that pothole to be repaired, support your MHS Bobcats and MCC Tigers, thank your police officers, firefighters, and educators. Most importantly, be present. We are a better community with you and 2024 will be better when you are involved.

Mike Ladehoff, Ward 1 City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem — 2023 was very busy, with a few surprises along the way. It seems that Marshalltown is settling into a more “normal” pace as the pandemic and storm clean-up goes into the rear view mirror. State Street gut and replace got underway in force with Phase 1 completed, Edgewood Drive was completed garnering some attention from a few businesses already.

The McFarland Clinic was completed with a new neighbor, a Veteran care facility being built as I write this. Many new housing options were added this year with the new JBS apartments on South 7th Avenue, a new apartment complex East of Wolfe Clinic on Church Street plus many units added above stores and businesses along Main Street. More individual housing is being built West of 6th Street. Building permits continue to jump as people view Marshalltown as a good place to invest their money.

The 13th Street District held several activities as a place to not only do business, but as a prime gathering place for events. The Marshalltown Arts and Culture Alliance continues to dazzle us with creative and beautiful projects adding depth and meaning to living in Marshalltown. We lost our City Administrator Jessica Kinser, but have found a solid replacement with Joe Gaa.

The brightest point in 2023 (to me) has been the re-emergence of the Main Street District. The Central Business District finally has recovered from storm damage issues and took full advantage of it. Deb Millizer & Company, (aided by the Chamber) drove investment and participation into the Main Street District and the investments can really be seen. Event after event let the District shine more than it has in the past 25 years. There is a new vibe in the downtown area with more to come.

The Marshall County Courthouse looks great! Kudos to the County, we look forward to working with you in 2024.

We welcome two new councilors with Greg and Mark for their first City budget sessions. The first vote on a franchise fee was voted down, but it gives us direction forward. I cannot end 2023 without a shout-out to our 145 staff and dedicated employees at the City.

Time and time again, they have gone above and beyond, helping myself and residents with all sorts of problems. You can’t ask for a better bunch.

Now, we look forward to 2024. In my eight total years on the City Council, the 2025 budget gives me the most concern. Double digit increases in health care, projects, materials, vehicles, with the elimination of levies by the State combined with new assessments and roll backs will be challenging to say the least. On Jan. 1, we will get our first glimpse of what we are dealing with.

I expect more attention will be given to street repair and to nuisance abatement. To put it bluntly, our system of nuisance abatement does not work. We will look at changing our ordinances and possibly add more manpower to see an improvement over the winter. We seem to be short of manpower at the police department. Almost all cities are hiring, having the same problem and we are in competition with them for what few people want to be officers.

I expect 2024 to bring more good news from the Central Business District, more eye-popping ideas from the Arts and Culture Alliance, more interest along Edgewood Drive and more good news from John Hall and the Chamber. The Water Plaza in the Linn Creek District is due to start construction along with the solid planning for gutting and replacing Main Street. State Street Phase 2 will get going in the spring towards completion by fall.

I do expect a resolution to the Marshalltown Mall in 2024. It can’t keep going like this. The businesses still located there deserve better.

Greg Nichols, Ward 3 City Councilor — Marshalltown has come a long way since the disaster of the tornado and derecho. There has been a lot of rebuilding and restoration. This has been a cooperative effort, and every contribution has made a difference.

Moving forward, the city will need to adjust to the effect of HF718 passed by the state legislature. The pre-existing levies will be eliminated, put into a single category that is reduced, with overall funding being affected as well. We should find out in January the full extent when the state provides these numbers. We will learn what our property tax revenue targets will be so we can start reviewing the budget.

One of the areas I have heard much about is the Destination Iowa Grant for a splash pad, trailhead, and bridge. Many want the town to have great amenities, and others are concerned about the cost and competing needs in our town. Prior to my election the council approved bonding for the city’s portion of the Matching responsibility. The General Obligation (GO) Bonds are the city’s contribution. Destination Vision Advocates now need to show their support. The current projected private fund raising that needs to happen before these projects can be completed is $1,332,803.

The following figures for each project are listed below from left to right: total estimated cost, designated Destination Iowa grant funding, other committed fundraising sources and how much money still needs to be raised.

Playhouse — $1,568,635; $588,312; No city funding for this part of the project.

Trailhead — $1,263,390, $464,356; $560,000 in GO Bonds, $200,000 from TRAILS Inc.; $39,034.

Bridge — $1,108,350, $369,316, $700,000 in GO Bonds; $39,034.

Water Plaza — $2,382,750; $578,015; $450,000 in GO Bonds and a $100,000 Wellmark Grant; $1,254,735.

Joel Phillips, Marshall County Sheriff — We had several successful new initiatives at the Sheriff’s Office this year. The first Sheriff’s Citizen Academy was held to provide participants with a look inside the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and to provide a broad overview of the numerous functions the Office of Sheriff is responsible for. A second session is scheduled to begin March 5 through May 21, 2024.

The first Marshall County Sheriff’s Office K9 program successfully raised over $115,000 to purchase a dual-purpose police K9. In August, K9 Bosco was introduced to Marshall County and began training with a handler. The money raised provided K9 handler training and certification, training equipment, dedicated K9 vehicle including K9 insert, veterinary expenses, and kennel construction materials. This could not have been possible without the generous support from citizens and businesses in our community.

Through grants and partnerships with Emergency Management (Coordinator Kim Elder) and Marshall County Communications Center (Director Rhonda Braudis) Marshall County was able to secure an incident command trailer fully equipped to respond and provide a mobile communications center for a variety of major incidents.

The Sheriff’s Office expanded the Traffic Safety Unit’s efforts by utilizing a three-prong approach; education, training, and enforcement. For traffic safety programs to be successful, we must look beyond simply issuing citations to have a positive effect on driving behavior.

Working with local organizations such as CAPS and MICA to assist their clients with education and proper installation of child safety seats has a positive impact in the community. Electronic traffic message boards, data collectors, citizen complaints, and crash data provide information to target enforcement efforts in areas where it will have the greatest impact on traffic safety. This approach has reduced motor vehicle crashes in Marshall County by over 40 percent. Additional efforts are needed to reduce extreme speeding and fatality rates throughout Iowa that have increased over 12 percent for 2023 from a five-year average.

Our goals for 2024 include completing the Marshall County Jail security system replacement and upgrades. Relocating the Jail courtroom and court video system to provide staff and judicial efficiency for court proceedings. Expanding safety holding cells for persons susceptible to causing harm to themselves and behavioral issues.

The Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with the Marshall County Board of Supervisors to develop priorities and funding plans for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office facility renovations. The 1969 Marshall County Care Facility was repurposed for the Sheriff’s Office in 1998. Mechanical systems, windows, and many fixtures have exceeded end of life that reduce efficiency, reliability, while raising energy and operating costs.

As vacant certified jailer positions are filled in 2024, we would like to re-implement the Alternative to Incarceration Program (AIP). This program is designed to allow persons sentenced to jail for non-violent crimes to participate in work programs. This will reduce labor and housing costs.

We anticipate our partnership with CICS to continue with the Jail Diversion Program to reduce incarceration and recidivism by providing support services to help establish employment, housing, and education.

As the host agency for the Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (MIDTF), our investigators continue to identify, disrupt or dismantle drug trafficking organizations in Marshall, Tama, Hardin and Grundy counties. To increase our efforts, in 2024 MIDTF has been assigned two Division of Narcotics Enforcement Agents along with a National Guard Analyst. It is important we continue partnering with state and federal agencies to have resources available for successful drug investigations including long term high impact multi-agency investigations.

In 2023, the Sheriff’s Office has been fortunate to maintain a full roster of sworn deputy sheriffs. Public safety is a difficult career. A lot of efforts are put towards recruiting to attract viable candidates, which is a major investment for agencies. The same efforts also need to be invested to retain employees. One program for 2024, staff are developing a wellness program designed for law enforcement promoting mental, financial, and physical wellbeing. Recent studies show having support programs helps law enforcement officers build resiliency and manage stress throughout their career.

Many challenges may come our way in 2024, but with dedicated and professional staff, the Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide proactive law enforcement and accept challenges to turn them into successes.

David Rierson, Marshalltown Fire Chief — 2023 was a busy year for the Marshalltown Fire Department. With three days left in the year, we have exceeded the number of calls we ran in 2022. Emergency medical calls have driven the increase the past several years. This is not a Marshalltown only situation, it is a nationwide problem. Additionally, the number of overlapping calls in 2023 will exceed that of 2022. Overlapping calls occur when more than one emergency call is being handled at the same time. Overlapping calls continue to be an area of concern as responses may be delayed or, depending on the situation, no response at all. 2023 also saw the adoption of a new fire code and implementation of a new records management system. Fire code compliance inspections are important as the best way to extinguish a fire is to make sure it doesn’t happen. Records management is important as we are required to submit data to the State of Iowa and the U.S. Fire Administration. Submission is also required if you plan to participate in Federal Grant Programs.

2024, I believe, will be very similar to 2023 in regard to activity. It will be different, however, as the department will be led by a new Fire Chief. It has been an honor to be the Marshalltown Fire Chief, but the time has come for me to retire. Working in the fire service requires a considerable amount of sacrifice, mostly on the part of the family. Missing holidays, school events, and birthdays are just some of the sacrifices made. Retirement provides the opportunity to move closer to our kids and grandkids and be a bigger part of their lives. I am proud of what we have accomplished in my time as Fire Chief and wish nothing but the best for the department and community moving forward.

Theron Schutte, Marshalltown Community School District Superintendent — The Marshalltown CSD is continuing to invest in providing our students, staff, parents and community stakeholders with excellent learning, teaching and activity spaces for the future. On the heels of the MHS Bobcat Stadium renovation, construction is underway on the primarily FEMA funded $3.8 million Tornado Safe Team Room building on the west side of the stadium. This building will include public restrooms, team meeting rooms, concessions and officials and trainers’ rooms. Part of this project will include improving the current drainage conditions for our neighbors houses on the north of the complex. Construction is also underway on an $8 million+ renovation of the MHS career and technical education (agriculture, industrial arts and family and consumer arts) spaces to include a culinary kitchen; as well as, the renovation of all science classrooms & labs. A new larger greenhouse on the southside of the building will also be part of this project. The district is also in the early stages of evaluating Miller Middle School (the former Marshalltown High School from 1925-1964) to determine how best to create high quality 21st century learning and teaching spaces for the next 100 years.

Kendra Sorensen, Marshalltown Area United Way Executive Director — In 2023, Marshalltown Area United Way (MAUW) experienced an influx of calls and emails from those needing assistance with shelter, utilities, rent assistance, and food. Inflation was impacting everyone, and we quickly understood how critical it would be to provide funding to our 28 partner agencies so that residents could get the support needed to endure the ever-changing economy.

There were several historical moments this year, most of them in an extremely uplifting manner and one that presented an immense challenge. MAUW had a record-breaking golf tournament and additionally an over-the-top Power of the Purse event bringing in close to $39,900! We were incredibly grateful that these events were as profitable as they were due to finding out in late September that one of our significant, primary grants would not be available which has for decades, historically provided sustainability for our 32 local programs and services.

However, our community arose to the challenge to raise the needed funds to ensure that there wouldn’t be a disruption in services for 2024. As MAUW communicated the shortfall that we were faced with, we had 11 local businesses newly join our Leadership Circle (a contribution of $250 and above). We had local entities such as the Marshalltown Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fire Department welcome a fun and competitive Jail & Bail challenge to raise awareness and revenue toward the campaign. We’ve seen our donors rally around us and make second time contributions to get us closer to the necessary $825,000. I cannot begin to express how sincerely grateful I am for our area residents, local businesses, corporate partnerships, MAUW Board members, Co-Chairs Kyle Martin and Carrie Barr, Campaign Cabinet members, Special Events Committee members, partner agencies, other non-profits, volunteers, staff members and many others that eagerly stepped up and came alongside us to show their support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

As I look forward into 2024, we will be collectively focused on proactively finding ways to support those facing hardships and working together to prioritize and implement strategic objectives.

Mike Tupper, Marshalltown Police Chief — 2023 flew by. There are many opportunities in front of Marshalltown in 2024. Our community is on a positive path toward growth and recovery from two natural disasters. Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. We are making steady progress. I look forward to working with the community and city council in 2024 to navigate challenges in an ever-changing government budget landscape. The police department has to make a future decision about the replacement of body camera and vehicle camera equipment which is vital to our daily operations. We have time to thoughtfully examine our options for this project. Technology and public communication platforms in law enforcement are quickly evolving. In 2024 the police department will be carefully examining how we can leverage modern technology and communication channels to our advantage to enhance public safety and build community support.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com