Experience. IT MATTERS
October 16, 2017, 6:30 pm at the ADM Middle School/High School Auditoruim
Want to learn more about the candidates running for City Council and Mayor?
Here is your opportunity.
Join the Adel Partners Chamber for a forum discussing the issues of Adel.
Joe Murphy, Senior VP of Government Relations and Public Policy at the Greater Des Moines Partnership will be our moderator.
(Republished from DiscoverAdel.com)
In June, Adel’s Mayor, Jim Peters spoke with Mediacom Newsleaders host, Elizabeth Klinge about the city of Adel.
They cover some of the history of Adel, the downtown district, the Court House, the brick streets, the Adel Tax incentive and the Adel Sweet Corn festival, which is August 8th.
(An open letter to retiring Adel Police Chief, Jim McNeil )
On behalf of the city council, staff, and the citizens of Adel I would like to express my sincere appreciation and deepest sense of gratitude for your 29 years of dedicated service to the City of Adel.
Although you are departing while I am still in office, I have always told you that you would be my legacy. I can honestly say that during 24 years as mayor, hiring you as Chief of Police was the best decision I have ever made as measured by the positive impact your service has had on the city… Read More
(Republished from the July 2011 Newsletter)
A significant part of any community is it’s leadership. For over twenty years, Jim Peters has served Adel as councilman and Mayor.
We got a chance to visit with him and hear about his love for the community and his drive to remember ADM Alumni who gave their all.
With his trademark salt and pepper ponytail, suit and bow tie, he fits the image of a Mayor who has the community’s best interest at heart. Jim is quick to give an ear as he listens attentively to every side of an issue.
Jim is the third member of his family to have the name James Peters, his grandfather, also named James, was the mayor of Perry.
As a child, his parents moved to Adel to run a local drive-in. His first friend upon moving to Adel was Van Harden, who lived across the street… Read More
January 21, 2008
Dear Editor,
We have heard unofficially that the City of Waukee plans to contact property owners with the intention of annexing land West to R16 and two and one-half miles North and two miles South of Highway 6. This is an aggressive plan as the proposed annexation area is nearly two times the size of both Adel and Dallas Center combined. Included are 960 acres of the ADM School District and 1,690 acres of the DCG school district and comes to within one mile of Dallas Center’s city limits.
Representatives of Adel, Dallas Center and Waukee have been meeting over the past year discussing annexation moratoriums but had not reached an agreement. The intention of these meetings was to agree on future city boundaries by considering things such as school district boundaries, natural drainage patterns, rural mailing addresses and plans that each city had submitted for consideration.
Our last meeting, on September 20th, indicated several common areas that our three cities had included in their respective annexation territories. We were scheduled to meet again two weeks ago, on January 10th, to discuss these common areas and had hoped to reach agreement, but Waukee asked to cancel because of a conflict. It now appears that these areas, and more, are included in Waukee’s aggressive annexation plan.
When we learn the specifics of their plan we intend to respond more formally, but in the interest of being proactive and informing our citizens, it is our position, and we will strongly request, that Waukee respect the current school boundaries and not encroach them as part of the their annexation plan. It seems fair for now to respect these long established boundaries.
In line with the adage that good fences make good neighbors, we believe that the current school boundaries would make good neighbors.
Jim Peters, Mayor, Adel
Mitch Hambleton, Mayor, Dallas Center
September 19, 2006
This letter is going to bounce around a bit, but I wanted to cover a variety of topics.
When people ask me how things are going in the city, my reply generally is, “It depends on who you ask.” There are certainly a lot of things happening right now, over and above barking dogs and junk cars – the typical issues in a small town. I say that because when I first became involved in city government those seemed to be the issues. Adel was a small town which is now experiencing growing pains.
Obviously the brick streets were a volatile issue that divided the town, and regardless of which side you were on, the outcome was definition to the issue. The city eventually paved 3½ blocks of brick streets and designated the others for preservation / improvement – the best example of the most recent improvement is Court Street in front of the old Ben Franklin, the block now occupied mostly be the county.
Our Park and Library Boards have made great strides to improve their facilities with the backing of the citizens through a bond issued and tireless volunteer hours. We are in the last stages of our final street improvement project under the old funding system of assessments. The city council with input from the community will craft a new policy for funding future street improvements which may or may not include some form of assessment.
These are the types of activities that occur in a town that is growing, and we are growing, no doubt about that… and will continue to grow… no doubt about that; but how will we grow? That is the question facing Adel right now. Having grown up here I have seen the town change. I know a lot of folks in town who have seen more changes than me, but having considered Adel my hometown for the last 50 years, I have seen enough changes to know if you aren’t proactive, change may not quite happen the way you want it to.
There are two issues that will impact Adel’s future – the proposed airport and annexation. Let me set the airport aside for a moment. I mention annexation because just last Thursday the City of Adel sent letters to the property owners to the East of Adel inviting them to an annexation workshop later this month. For years annexation has been talked about by the city council in planning sessions but we had not taken the step to contact property owners about this possibility. Some may see this effort as aggressive land-grabbing by the city, but in reality it is an effort to define our borders which in turn will define our development through zoning, which in turn will define our community.
Neither the City nor the recipients of the letter have had this type of annexation experience, and those property owners might be thinking this is a cavalier effort by the council, or, “Why wasn’t I informed earlier?” Or “Why now?” The truth is progress, growth and development are coming this way and we can prepare for it, embrace it and leverage it to our advantage; or let it seduce us into a false sense of security that any growth is good [which is not so]. There are many factors to this topic and the council is not taking this lightly
Like it or not, the City has a date with destiny and we can be early or late. We have chosen to be early. Like the brick street issue, it may divide the community, especially those in the proposed annexation area, but hopefully the outcome will be similar to the brick streets where there will be definition to the issue, in this case our future borders.
And the airport – the WMRA Authority has made great progress in taking care of administrative tasks, selecting a site and securing a grant to update the airport plan and conduct an environmental study. No doubt the airport Authority has an uphill climb to overcome the demo gouging, negative comments and opinions offered by the anti airport / ban the airport groups.
The Authority’s task is to get information and facts to the public. To those that already have an opinion, recall the basis for your position. All that’s being asked of the community is to hear both sides of the issue before passing judgment. The first informational meeting about the airport will be later in October. It is difficult to change someone’s opinion, and even more difficult when the opposition has a three year head start. For the Authority changing opinions will be like eating an elephant… it can be done, just one bite at a time.
To those that do not want to see Adel change, and this position includes some of my friends, whether you realize it or not, it has been changing and will continue to change. The growth in the Western suburbs, the ease of transportation and communication has redefined many towns like Adel. I am most concerned about our downtown. Just recently Adel Enterprises (formerly Adel Developers) and Adel Partners (the Main Street / Chamber of Commerce group) met to discuss Adel’s current economic development / business environment and will be developing plans to compete for businesses and labor. I see the discussions about annexation and the airport as be a component of those plans.
There have been good things [change] that have happened in Adel, but it hasn’t been easy. The civic leaders could bury their heads in the sand and wait for things to happen, but instead they are attempting to influence what will happen. Change is never easy, especially for those who don’t initiate it, but change can eventually be positive and the city council is working towards positive change.
Respectfully submitted,
James F. Peters
Mayor, Adel.
January 31, 2006
Adel is a great place to live right now, but actually, being my home town, I have always thought Adel was a great place to live. Even during my time in the military and after college residing in Los Angeles and Chicago, I always knew I would return to Adel where friends and family influenced me in my youth and helped mold me into the person I am today.
Growing up in Adel and being on the ADM Alumni Board I have become familiar with the generations that have grown up here and have remained part of the community. I have also gotten to know folks that have moved to Adel seeking life in a small town. Many of our residents participate in one way or another to help keep this community a viable and welcome place to live.
The opportunities include serving as board members or coaches on youth leagues, as Scout leaders, helping with Adel Partners and the Sweetcorn Festival (~SCF2k6), Adel Developers and as members of the civic organizations that do so many wonderful things for the community. Activities such as these create a positive atmosphere in our community. And although it has been slow to gain traction, as time passes the Character Counts program will become more visible as a positive influence on our community.
Our citizens supported a new library that we all can be proud of. So much hard work went into turning a dream into a reality. I have heard some folks question the design or location, but then admit they have not visited the library. I would encourage everyone to stop by – we have a friendly staff that will help you with any question you might have.
Speaking of city facilities and services, in recent years we have upgraded our public works building, created a dedicated public safety building and moved into a city hall in preparation for the growth that will eventually make its way to our boundaries. And all with the vision of retaining our small town charm and appeal. The growth in Adel will eventually move east and south, and instead of purchasing land in the countryside and relocate the services there, the decision was made to stay at the core of the city and make access more convenient for everyone.
There are many activities and projects that are occurring in Adel. A new paving project is up for discussion which would finish the non brick street improvements throughout the city. The brick streets will surface again as the city will want to create a dialogue among all citizens about the best approach to preserving and retaining them.
United Brick and Tile, Adel’s largest and oldest employer is expanding it facilities. For those of you that do not know, this privately owned business is widely known and respected in the brick industry. Phil Harrington and the Harrington Group recently acquired the Adel industrial park on the West edge of town. Phil has always been a big supporter of Adel – his plan for the area will be a positive addition to the community. And, despite some store front opportunities on our square, we have a vibrant and healthy business environment where the need to seek products and services outside of Adel can be limited of you take advantage of all that Adel has to offer.
And finally you have to love this town for its spirit. The most recent example was the fundraising event for local businessman Marvin Cohonour and his family to help them during Marvin’s illness. During my time in this town I had never seen a more successful fundraising effort than the Library’s – it will be difficult to match it in terms of the total dollars raised. However, the effort and contributions by so many citizens of this town and the surrounding area for the Conhour family was overwhelming and had to have exceeded the organizers’ expectations. It makes you proud to live in a community like Adel.
The city’s official motto is “Growing with Pride”, however when I talk others about where I live, I say, “Adel – a great place to call home.”
Jim Peters, Mayor, Adel