Siftings
Dec
26
Admonitions
I got lost. I had been here a month or so in the fall of 2001 and was supposed to look at something in Centennial Park. I couldn’t find a park, so I headed back to City Hall. I described where I went and was told the collection of mud, gravel, chain link and rusting metal buildings was...
Dec
25
Craig’s Friday Countdown 2014 iPod Additions
2014 iPod additions
A year-end Top 10 song list? A Top 50 list? Couldn’t decide so let’s do both. Not saying these are the best 60 songs of 2014, or even that they’re 2014 songs (a few aren’t). I am saying these are the best 60 songs added to my iPod in 2014. Ms. Swift was left off (as were...
Dec
23
Winter Break ?
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." So said Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby. As I stare out the window of the Budweiser Champions Club at Modern Woodmen Park, there are roughly 83 geese not waiting for...
Dec
18
Craig’s Friday Countdown - Strat Plan Prep Pages
Strat Plan Prep Pages
Mayor Gluba and the City Council will be meeting Saturday for a strategic planning session. Staff has assembled a preparatory 61 page collection of information with a mix of facts, observations and process advice. Here’s my favorite 12 pages.
12 – Page 14: A HBR summary...
Dec
17
Phoenix
Over the gunnel we went. The U.S.S. DFD got hung up on something, and Chief Frese and I jumped into the water to lighten the load and try to push the vessel off what had stopped us. Here’s a hint. Don’t wear the shortest boots on any given work team. Mine filled with cold spring flood water...
Dec
16
Bridges
Wood is good. Mayor Gluba asked for my reaction to the proposed pedestrian bridge over River Drive at last night’s Council worksession and I hope I didn’t cause anyone to be late to their post-meeting responsibilities with three, one syllable words. I was previously misinformed the bridge would...
Dec
11
From The Engine Room
It was one of those trick city manager interview questions. “Are you more like Captain Kirk, full of passion, or Spock, full of logic?”. The alderwomen smiled and leaned in. She knew she asked a tough one, and I’m supposed to struggle with it. “Neither” I reply. “I’m Scotty”. “It's my job to...
Dec
11
Craig’s Friday Countdown - Culture & Rec Funding
Percentage of city budget devoted to culture and recreation for Iowa cities over 100,000. Source http://auditor.iowa.gov/afr/search.php. FY13 - most recent fiscal year available.
3 - Cedar Rapids 4.60%
2 - Des Moines 5.69%
1 - Davenport 7.61%
Dec
09
Miles To Go
Steve from the Argus was last to leave. The last of the media, that is. The discussion at Joe’s Barbershop would end with everyone holding hands in prayer, but the media was long gone by then. The television cameras got their video bites early and left to make the 9:00 / 10:00 news. The QCTimes...
Dec
05
On The Move
The City of Davenport moved to Oklahoma City. So did Bettendorf, LeClaire and Eldridge. Not really, of course. We’re still here. But the combined population of Davenport, Bettendorf, LeClaire and Eldridge moved to Oklahoma City in the past twenty years. 457,386 in 1993. 610,613 today.
Four...
