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Mayor Matson's virtual State of the City address

Mayor Matson's State of the City address
Posted on 06/30/2020
Safe, stable and welcoming community

DAVENPORT, IOWA (June 30, 2020) — Davenport Mayor Mike Matson unveiled his first State of the City address online today. In it, he touts the City’s dedication to sustainable infrastructure, fiscal vitality, welcoming neighborhoods, high performing government, making Davenport a well-protected community and the leader of a vibrant region.

See the video below.

“We’ve done a lot of great things this year,” Matson says. “You need to be proud of what is going on in your city.”

“The most important thing for you to know is that we are moving forward,” he says. “You will see that Davenport is this great city and next year and the years to come all the wonderful things that will happen and make you proud of what we do.”

The new City budget features a nearly 50 percent increase since 2019 in funding for infrastructure that include repairs to 26 major roadways and 41 neighborhood streets with East 53rd Street resurfacing the most noticeable project. The significant amount of construction prompted the creation of BRAD (Better Roads Ahead Davenport) and GIA (Greater Infrastructure Ahead) as a way to better alert drivers of traffic changes and the start of construction work.

In June, the City Council approved a flood protection study consultant. The action came from a task force created following the record-setting 2019 flood. Aldermen and Mayor Matson considered the objectives of the study should include greater mobility in flood-prone areas, land use planning evaluating flood operations as well as funding and implementing any recommendations made by the study.

Mayor Matson and the City Council are committed to rejuvenating central City neighborhoods through the Davenport DREAM Project. The program provides funds for home renovations in order to rejuvenate designated neighborhoods. City staff and Police Department personnel have partnered on the Good Neighbor Project to foster and encourage community engagement.
The City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2021 budget which begins July 1. It includes a nearly 25 percent unassigned fund balance that allows the City to weather uncertain financial times like the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Council is also committed to providing essential services with a minimal impact on taxes and fees for property owners.

A well-protected community is high on the Mayor’s priority list and Davenport has launched several initiatives regarding gun crimes. The Police Department purchased the NIBIN system that analyzes recovered evidence of gun crimes and links to a national database of high resolution images of shell casings. Since the system has been online it has provided the department with more than 250 leads. The department has also entered into a Public Safety Partnership that provides access to a number of federal training and assessment programs for law enforcement.

The City recently purchased a site on 42nd Street between Brady Street and Welcome Way that will be the future home of Davenport Fire Department’s Station 3 as well as replaced three of DFD’s frontline vehicles in the last year.

Last summer, the City dedicated the Miracle Field at Prairie Heights Park and will be doing the same this year for an inclusive playground at Vander Veer Botanical Center.

The City’s workforce gets a shout-out in the Mayor’s video as he expressed praise for how public safety and Public Works employees responded during the 2019 and 2020 floods as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that in Davenport we ask, “How can we help and when can I help?”

Mayor Matson thanked his colleagues on the City Council for their dedication to the goals and initiatives they have attained and continue to strive to make Davenport a safe, stable and welcoming community.