CITY OF ADEL, IOWA

CITY OF ADEL, IOWA
CITY ADMINISTRATOR
POPULATION 3,682
Adel is located in Dallas County Iowa
about 13 miles west of the intersection of
Interstate 80 and Interstate 35. The town
is situated on the west bank of the North
Raccoon River, and at the time of its
founding, along the only county road,
making Adel the oldest town within
Dallas County. This road carried gold
seekers west and was the course of one of
the most important stage routes in Iowa.
Native American artifacts found in the
area provide evidence of earlier residents
including the Sac and Fox Indians in
whose language Penoach means “far away”. Originally called Penoach, the town was
founded as the county seat and was located on the first road in the county. Adel has been a
community since 1847, growing with pride, to be the community it is today.
Whether young or young at heart, you will find this community a vibrant place to live, play
and work. Adel offers many unique shops, exceptional restaurants, four major festivals
each year and ample recreational opportunities on the Raccoon River and the Raccoon
River Valley Recreational Trail. You will also find excellent public schools, comfortable
neighborhoods and a highly educated population in this community.
Within the community, major employers include Stine Seed Company (225 employees),
United Brick and Tile (169 employees), Dallas County (273 employees), Adel DeSotoMinburn School District (200 employees), and Hy-Vac Ag and Chicken Products (80
employees).
Recreation
The City maintains three parks including
the Kinnick/Feller that accommodates
softball fields, flag football fields, and
tennis courts. A new aquatic center is
soon to be under construction in the
spring of 2012. Island Park features a
soccer field and camp grounds. Two golf
courses serve Adel: a private 9-hole
course, and a public 18-hole course. The
scenic 54-mile Raccoon River Valley Trail
biking and hiking trail passes through
Adel and connects with Des Moines. Over
75,000 cyclists use the trail annually.
The Parks and Recreation Department maintains 150+ acres of park land, a fifty site
campground, two boat ramps, three cemeteries, three basketball courts, three sand
volleyball courts, two tennis courts, seven baseball/softball fields, a nine hole disc golf
course, three plus miles of multi-use asphalt trails, a football field, soccer complex and
offers over sixty recreational programs throughout the year.
A variety of special events are held in Adel throughout the year. Highlights include the
Dallas County Fair in July and the Sweet Corn Festival, a 32-year old event that draws an
estimated crowd of 10,000 people to Adel each August. Adel Partners and the Main Street
Chamber of Commerce organize the Sweet Corn Festival as well as several other events
including a Classic Car event in June, an Oktoberfest in October, and the Holiday Business
Open House in December.
Education
Education needs of the community are provided by the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn Community
School District which has a district population over 7,000 and an estimated student
enrollment of 1,500. The District operates elementary schools in Adel and Desoto as well
as a middle school and high school in Adel. Recent additions
to the high school and elementary have been completed as
part of an $11 million dollar improvement project.
Opportunities for further education in the region are found
at Iowa State University, Drake University, Grand View
College, Simpson College, Des Moines University, and the
Des Moines Area Community College.
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Health Care
Several health care specialty clinics are located in Adel. Several major hospitals and trauma
centers are located in Des Moines. Lakeview Medical Park also serves the region. The
Dallas County Hospital is located in nearby Perry.
Library
The Adel Public Library has been at the current
location since 2006 and is designed to be
completed in three phases. Phase I and II are
completed and beginning in October, 2011, the
Library Board is working with a design company to
complete Phase III. The library has a collection of
over 42,000 items including a wide variety of
fiction, non-fiction, children and young adult
books. The latest addition is the library’s eBooks
and audio books that can be downloaded through
the web site. During 2010, the library had over 46,000 visitors who checked out almost
89,000 items. The library also features regular activities for adults, families, children and
teens. Some of the regular programs include book clubs, story times, after school activities,
guest speakers, summer reading programs, scrapbooking, exercising and many more.
The Organization: A City of Service
The City of Adel has a Council/Mayor form of
government with a City Administrator. The
City is governed by a Mayor elected to two year
terms and a five-member City Council elected
to four-year terms. The Mayor and Council are
assisted by citizen boards and commissions
including Parks and Recreation, Planning and
Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustment, and
the Library Board. The Librarian reports
directly to the Library Board. The Pool and
Parks staff serve as liaison to the Parks and Recreation Board but report directly to the City
Administrator. The City employs a full-time staff of 23. The general fund budget is $3.3
million. The total budget is $4.4 million.
City Services
The City police force consists of nine full time officers. The county sheriff’s department is
based in Adel. Fire protection services are provided by a 28 member volunteer
department. The City operates a water utility and a wastewater treatment plant; each with
a 1 million gpd capacity. The water supply is from wells with an elevated storage capacity
of 450,000 gpd.
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The City owns and operates the Adel library and the community pool. All city facilities
including city hall and the public safety building are either new or have been newly
remodeled within the past several years.
In September 2011, the City completed a community survey with the following results:
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92% indicated an overall positive experience with the City of Adel.
91% responded that the City is “easy to do business with.”
88% indicated the City provides services that fit their needs
City projects which have been recently completed
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Two major street projects; one a major downtown streetscape and the other a
traditional residential street improvement program (both in the $1.7M range).
Successful passage of a voter approved one cent sales tax for construction and
operation of a family aquatic center.
Successful passage of a 22 property owner’s
annexation expansion.
Two new subdivisions with approximately 50
new residential lots.
Three new commercial buildings in the
business park with valuation in excess of $3
million.
Implementation of a Storm Water Utility /
Storm Water Management Program.
Implementation of a residential tax abatement
program including sustainable building
practices - directly responsible for 20 new housing starts in 2011.
Comprehensive Plan revision completed in 2008
Strategic water and sewer infrastructure review and analysis in 2007
The Position
The City Administrator is the chief administrative officer of the City and is responsible for
the general supervision and direction of the administration of the city government in
accordance with codes, ordinances, resolutions and directives from the city council.
Specific Duties Include:
 Responsible for the administrative coordination of all city departments.
 Supervise departments and employees of the City including, but not limited to: streets,
sewers, parks, waste disposal and central administration. The City Administrator has
the authority to employ assistants and other employees of the City for which the council
has approved the position, with the exception of the police chief, fire chief and the city
attorney.
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Formulate and recommend employment and personnel policies, compensation and
benefits, and job descriptions for all city employees with the approval of the council.
Represent the City in all negotiations and relations with employees, contractors,
consultants, other governmental units and civic organizations.
Work cooperatively and advise all administrative agencies, boards and commissions,
and serve as the council liaison and representatives to city boards and commissions.
Coordinate and assist city boards and commissions and all city departments in the
preparation, administration and operation of the annual budget.
Oversee accurate accounting and record keeping.
Make recommendations to the council and participate in projects to support and
promote economic growth and development.
 Supervise the zoning administrator who
is responsible for building permits and
the coordination of the planning and
zoning commission and the board of
adjustment.
 Coordinate the activities of the public
works department including streets,
water, wastewater, parks, cemetery and
pool.
 Supervise the performance of all
contract work done for the City and the
purchase of materials and equipment.
 Supervise the construction, capital
improvements,
maintenance
and
management of all city property.
Organization Chart
Police
Code
Compliance
Mayor
City
Council
Fire
City
Administrator
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Administration:
Public Works:
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Clerk
Accounting
Payroll
Billing
Streets
Water
Wastewater
Boards:
Parks/recreation
Planning & Zoning
Adjustment
Library
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Parks and
Recreation:
Parks
Pool
Campground
Cemeteries
Recreation
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Background and Experience
Candidates for the City Administrator should possess a four year degree (Master’s preferred)
in public administration or a related field and have a minimum of three years of experience in
a responsible municipal management position. The new Administrator should also possess
strong municipal budget and finance capabilities as well as effective economic development
credentials.
Preferred background includes:
 Significant experience in budgeting, financial planning, investments, and debt
management.
 Background in strategic planning as part of the budget process.
 Experience in managing infrastructure improvements and project financing.
 Experience in business, industrial, and downtown development and knowledge of
public financing methods including TIF, bond issues, and successful grant writing.
 Strong background in working cooperatively and effectively with the public, boards,
and other government entities.
 Experience in human resource activities including union negotiation, performance
evaluations, staff development, and compensation/benefits.
 Experience in applying for grants, especially dealing with brownfield redevelopment.
 Knowledge of technology and computer resources pertinent to city operations.
 Familiarity with Tax Abatement Programs.
 Experience in managing public works projects, especially street reconstruction.
 Strong customer service orientation.
 Ability to read and understand contracts.
Management Capabilities
The next City Administrator will be an energetic and confident leader who can communicate
effectively and provide strong direction for strategic actions to achieve the community's
unified vision. The City Administrator will become involved in the community and promote an
atmosphere of quality constituent service and collaboration.
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Keep the council informed and prepared to deal with the media and public in a timely
manner.
Work closely with the School District and the County Board.
Have an “open door” policy, listen and follow through.
Assist the city council to stay on task and move forward with direction.
Possess strong negotiation skills.
Promote coordination and emphasize communications among department’s staff.
Establish and maintain a regular schedule of staff meetings.
Establish expectations for staff performance and track results.
Be a community booster and actively participate in service clubs.
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Create and maintain an open and respectful work environment. Set up the framework
for a cohesive, team-driven city hall staff.
Possess a dynamic and outgoing personality with a positive and progressive attitude.
Possess strong customer service orientation, especially within city hall.
Position Priorities
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Manage the completion of the construction of the Aquatic Center.
Continue the Tax Abatement Program for development and housing projects.
Work with the Adel Economic Development agencies for increasing retail development
in the downtown area.
Complete the annexation plan including amendments.
Work with County officials to provide adequate space for County operations.
Explore options to extend utilities to the southern area of the City.
Develop fund balance policies and guidelines for cash reserves.
Review the recently completed community survey and provide a report to the City
Council.
Work with the City Council and Library Board to complete the final phase of the library
expansion.
Implement the City’s recently adopted rental inspection program.
In cooperation with the school district, facilitate a process to determine the usage of the
vacated middle school building.
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Announcement
City Administrator, City of Adel, IA (pop.3,682). Located six miles from Interstate 80 and
approximately 15 miles west of Des Moines serving as the county seat of Dallas County; the
fastest growing county in Iowa. Starting salary low $70s to low $80s. Appointed by a
mayor and five-member city council. Responsible for supervision of 23 full-time
employees and a total budget of $4.4 million. Qualified candidates for the City
Administration position will possess a B.A. degree (Master’s preferred) in public
administration or similar field and a minimum of three years of experience in a responsible
municipal management position. Candidates should also possess experience in economic
and community development, finance and budgeting, sound negotiation skills, desire for
community involvement, and strong customer service orientation. Position profile is
available at www.brimgroup.com.
Send letter of interest and electronic resume to
adel@brimgroup.com by 11/11/11.
For additional information about Adel please visit: www.adeliowa.org
Timetable:
November 11th
November 29th
December 9/10
February 2012
Deadline for Applications
Present Candidates /Selection of finalists
Interviews/Selection
Proposed Starting Date
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