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Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart delivers the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart delivers the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
WATERLOO — Less than two weeks out from the election, Mayor Quentin Hart talked about the importance of good leadership, touted his 2030 Vision Plan and teased citywide broadband during his fifth State of the City address.
Hart’s speech, inside the still-being-renovated Waterloo Convention Center, included video testimonials from city directors on the progress in their various departments.
“I am proud to report the state of our city is strong, and our best days are still to come,” Hart told the socially distanced crowd inside the convention center’s main exhibit hall.
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart delivers the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
“By reflecting on the accomplishments of the past year … we also reaffirm our pride-fueled drive to constantly improve our community and inspire the next generation of leaders,” he added.
The Waterloo 2030 strategic plan, officially adopted by city council recently, outlines eight areas for city government to focus on in the next eight years. They include positively marketing the city, improving housing, growing a “diverse and skilled workforce,” turning the Crossroads Mall area into a “sports- and recreational-themed retail center,” adding art and lighting projects to downtown, adding sports facilities to attract youth tournaments and “eliminating barriers” to create “an equitable and sustainable community for the future.”
“It’s our goal to be bold and ambitious,” Hart said, asking those in attendance to fill out cards indicating their level of interest in the eight priorities. “The season of politics has too many feeling division is our only path forward. But this, too, shall pass.”
In short videos, Planning and Development Director Noel Anderson talked about the new development and redevelopment over the past year, with Hart noting last year was one of “our highest permitting years” with $141.06 million in new permit valuation and 720 newly created jobs in the past year.
Community Development Director Rudy Jones said, although it would be a stretch, “we should be able to move toward that goal” of rehabilitating 800 houses in eight years “with additional resources.”
Waterloo Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald talked about the decline of crime in the city and the addition of embedded mental health personnel, while Leisure Services Director Paul Huting noted the new skate park and Greenbelt Lake improvements.
Hart was also joined on stage for conversations with VGM CEO Mike Mallaro, Elevate Behavioral Health’s Bob Lincoln and DREAM Iowa co-founder and activist Nilvia Reyes Rodriguez about the 2030 vision.
“Where people want to live, that’s going to be key in the next couple of years,” Mallaro said. “There’s some great stuff to aspire to, to elevate the quality of life … All those things are going to help make this a better community.”
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart speaks with VGM Group CEO Mike Mallaro during the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
Toward the end of the address, a video said the city was “laying the foundation for universal fiber” to connect the city’s public infrastructure, like city buildings, the utility network, parks and other city-owned spaces.
Asked about that after the event, Hart said the city council “will explore” expanding that to residents and businesses in the future, but said there wasn’t a specific timeline yet, noting federal and state funding would need to be secured.
“We’re still waiting to get back those preliminary numbers, but we do want to let the community know that we’ve talked about this for 20-plus years — a couple decades,” Hart said. “Now we’re at the point where that design is almost finished, and we need to move as a community forward.”
Hart held his 2020 State of the City virtually in September of last year due to the pandemic. The address had previously been given in the spring.
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Reporter covering Waterloo, Black Hawk Co. and politics
UNI political communications/journalism grad. Alum of The Calumet (MCC), The Northern Iowan (UNI), Fergus Falls (Minn.) Daily Journal and KWWL. 4-time award-winner while at The Courier. Interested in exposing wrongdoing and holding power to account.
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Mayor Hart will be joined by other city officials and community leaders to discuss city updates, tech sector growth, equity and housing market expansion.
WATERLOO — Mayor Quentin Hart borrowed a line in his second annual State of the City address Friday from Gov. Terry Branstad.
WATERLOO — Mayor Quentin Hart said the city is strong and poised for growth.
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart delivers the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart speaks with VGM Group CEO Mike Mallaro during the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart delivers the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart delivers the State of the City address on Thursday at the Waterloo Convention Center.
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