'State of the Community' with Ames, county leaders shows progress and needs for improvement
An annual discussion Friday of civic, education and health leaders from Ames and Story County showed how the challenges but also opportunities of the past several years continue to evolve and shape local communities' growth.
There have been "State of the Community" addresses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that have continued to feature representatives of institutions including the Ames city government, Iowa State University, the Ames Community School District, Mary Greeley Medical Center and the Story County Board of Supervisors.
Friday's "State of the Community" address, held at City Church of Ames-Des Moines, was no different in that regard but appeared to be the first time the Ames Tribune has covered the event since the start of the pandemic; before more widespread acknowledgment of and activity in diversity, equity and inclusion work, and consideration of alternatives to traditional policing prompted by the murder of George Floyd; and before the ongoing economic disruptions including inflation and staffing shortages caused by the pandemic and other events that have ballooned construction, salary and other costs in budgets.
The Ames Tribune appeared to have last covered the event in January 2019. Here are a few examples of what's on local leaders' minds as January 2023 comes to a close.
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Improved health care staffing and mental health response systems
Amber Deardorff, vice president of Mary Greeley Medical Center, said hospital staff feel like they're getting to a new normal after the pandemic's multiple surges. There are still COVID-19 patients, but people are generally less sick from the virus, the hospital has greatly reduced the number of contracted traveling staff it uses from 45 to two, and Mary Greeley has been working with Des Moines Area Community College to increase the number of student interns from about 200 pre-pandemic to more than 700.
Deardorff and John Haila, mayor of Ames, also spoke Friday about a partnership between the hospital and city to give 911 dispatchers the ability to send a paramedic and social worker to respond to mental health crises, without sirens and flashing lights, instead of a paramedic and police officer.
More:Typically 'behind the scenes,' Mary Greeley named Lab of the Year by medical publication
Infrastructure challenges and progress on improved diversity, equity and inclusion
Latifah Faisal, chair of the Story County Board of Supervisors, and Haila spoke about how inflation has affected budgets or slowed progress on projects, and how there's some uncertainty given possible action by Iowa legislators to lower property taxes.
"We're pushing pause for right now and just waiting to see what will happen next," Faisal said.
She said the county is in good shape financially, but also that broadband access, having a countywide transportation plan that serves people who live outside Ames, and being able to connect landowners to conservation plans and funding sources to improve water quality continue to be challenges.
Haila touted major developments the city continues to work on — including the Linc, an outdoor plaza downtown and an indoor aquatic center — but said the availability of good quality affordable housing continues to be a need.
Faisal was also among those on the panel who said their institution's work on diversity, equity and inclusion has not yet gone far enough. "We are moving in the right direction, but not quite as quickly as I, personally, would like."
She said the county's formal recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth as holidays are good steps, and the county has formed a diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
"We are putting our money where our mouth is and we're financially sponsoring events, and that feels really good, but it feels like a very cosmetic step to the really hard work that we still have to do," Faisal said.
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This year's panelists also included Robert Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College; Jeff Hawkins, associate superintendent of the Ames Community School District; and Jon Wickert, vice president and provost of Iowa State University. League of Women Voters Ames & Story County, United Way of Story County and KHOI community radio sponsored the event.
Phillip Sitter covers education for the Ames Tribune, including Iowa State University and PreK-12 schools in Ames and elsewhere in Story County. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. He is on Twitter @pslifeisabeauty.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames, Story County panel highlights challenges, opportunities in 2023
