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West Des Moines eNewsletter

October

2021

Connect with us! www.wdm.iowa.gov

Join us for our Grand Opening Community Open

House at the new MidAmerican Energy Company

RecPlex!

Area residents will have an opportunity to tour

the RecPlex on Sunday, October 3, from 2 p.m.

to 4 p.m.

The new 300,000 square foot facility, located at

6500 Grand Avenue, is an all-in-one sports and

events venue equipped for everything from hockey

and ice skating to soccer, basketball, volleyball,

pickleball, sports rentals, drop-in hours, special

event space and much more!

The facility’s open house will give everyone an

opportunity to try out many of the activities availa-

ble such as open ice skating with skate rental; run

and play on the indoor turf; get your game on in the

Esports Center; collect RecPlex swag; sign up for

raffles & giveaways; tour all the incredible spaces

inside and grab a snack at the RP Grill.

Participants are also invited to check out the Des

Moines University Clinic Physical Therapy area and

the Can Play Sports center for athletes with special

needs located within the RecPlex.

This FREE event is open to the public and no regis-

tration is required. We hope to see you there!

RecPlex Open House on October 3!

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The City of West Des Moines has launched a web-

site to help eligible residents find and enroll in dis-

counted or free internet service through the Emer-

gency Broadband Benefit (EBB), a temporary Fed-

eral Communications Commission (FCC) program

to help households struggling to afford internet

service.

The $3.2 billion program provides eligible house-

holds a discount of up

to:

• $50 per month on

wireless internet

plans and a free

phone

• OR $50 per month

on wired internet

service to the

home

• One-time discount

of up to $100 for

a laptop, tablet or desktop computer. A small

fee will be required.

A household is eligible if one member of the

household meets at least one of the criteria be-

low:

• Meets federal poverty income guidelines or

participates in certain assistance programs,

such as SNAP, Medicaid, or the FCC’s Lifeline

program;

• Attends a school that participates in the feder-

al lunch program that provides no-cost meals

to all students;

• Individuals approved to receive benefits under

the free and reduced-price school lunch pro-

gram or the school breakfast program in the

2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;

• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the

current award year; or

• Experienced a substantial loss of income

through job loss or furlough since February

29, 2020, and the household had a total

income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for

single filers and $198,000 for joint filers.

To help eligible resi-

dents find and enroll

in EBB discounts, the

City launched https://

ebb.wdm.iowa.gov.

Those who have a

mobile or home inter-

net provider can see

a summary of the EBB

discount being of-

fered by their

current provider.

Those without a service provider can enter their

home address to see a list of all EBB discounts in

the area. Once an EBB service plan is selected,

users will be taken to the internet service provid-

er’s website where they will need to complete the

National Verifier Lifeline Application form and

enroll.

The City and other community stakeholders have

been working to ensure that all West Des Moines

residents have access to comparable high-speed

internet and have the necessary knowledge and

skills to use available digital technologies to im-

prove their lives.

For more information about this federal emergen-

cy broadband program, contact Christine Gordon

at Christine.Gordon@wdm.iowa.gov.

New website helps residents enroll in Federal

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

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The Low-

Income Home

Energy Assis-

tance Pro-

gram (LIHEAP)

is a federal

program

established

to help qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners

and renters pay for a portion of their primary heat-

ing costs. This is a one-time credit that households

can reapply for each year.

If you live in western Polk County and are interest-

ed in applying for LIHEAP, please contact West

Des Moines Human Services at 515-222-3660 to

apply. Applications are accepted November 1,

2021 through April 30, 2022; if a household mem-

ber is disabled or 60 years or older, applications

are accepted beginning October 1, 2021.

Dallas County residents, please call New Opportu-

nities at 515-465-5185 to apply.

Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Don’t miss this opportunity!

For more information, please visit: https://

www.wdm.iowa.gov/government/human-

services/programs-services/energy-assistance-

weatherization.

Required documents include but are not limited

to:

1) ID for each adult household member.

2) Proof of income for all household mem-

bers. This would include documentation of

gross earned wages, self-employment, Social

Security/SSI, child support, pension/

retirement funds, dividend earnings, gross un-

employment, etc. for 30 days preceding the

date of application, or the most recent calen-

dar year Federal Income Tax Return.

3) Documentation of social security numbers for

all household members

4) Copy of your most recent heating/electric bill

Keep your family safe by taking unused or expired prescription drugs to the

WDM Police Department at 250 Mills Civic Parkway!

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If you would like to learn more about Engineering and Parks and Recreation

projects under construction, just visit our website. You can also view drone footage of

construction projects by visiting Engineering Services YouTube Channel!

Construction Updates

Beginning on October 24,

a new FCC rule will require

everyone to dial all 10 digits

for phone calls in

515 and 319 area codes.

In total, about 85 area codes

across the country are affected

by this new rule.

Join us on Saturday, October 2! The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce

and the City of West Des Moines are excited

to announce the inaugural

Raccoon River Rally, present-

ed by Google Fiber, scheduled

for Saturday, October 2,

2021.

Raccoon River Rally is the first

fall festival of its kind at Rac-

coon River Park celebrating

WDM’s community and wa-

ters.

This is a FREE family friendly,

rain or shine event, and every-

one is invited!

Attractions and activities include a morning

bike ride, live music, cardboard boat races, a

vendor fair with fun activities

for kids, a beer tent featuring

craft beer from Kinship Brew-

ing Co. and a variety of food

trucks.

Learn more about the event

and how to get involved in the

fun!

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West Des Moines Human Services is now offer-

ing financial coaching services.

Michael Hardat, a financial counse-

lor from the Polk County Financial

Empowerment Center, is spending

time at Human Services, 139 6th

Street, twice a month on Tuesdays

to provide in-person counseling at

no cost.

One-to-one remote financial coun-

seling also is available for individu-

als who are unable to attend an in-

person meeting.

Michael is a lifelong resident of the Des Moines

Holiday Assistance

metro area and a recent graduate of Iowa State

University.

If you are looking to talk to someone

about your finances, this is a great

educational opportunity that you

won’t want to miss!

Appointments may be made over

the phone or in person between the

hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, visit

https://www.empowermoney.org/

book. He also an be reached by call-

ing 515-697-1450.

New! Financial coaching available

West Des Moines Human Services will

be offering a limited number of programs

for holiday assistance to qualifying

West Des Moines residents.

Registration begins October 11. Income

guidelines and deadlines apply.

To learn more, call 515-222-3660 or visit

www.wdm.iowa.gov\HolidayAssistance.

Winter Coat Giveaway

West Des Moines Human Services will be

distributing new and gently used winter

coats and outerwear on Oct. 13 and 14

from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and on Oct. 15

from 9 a.m. to noon.

Coats are available to income-eligible

residents of West Des Moines, Clive

and Windsor Heights.

Clients are encouraged to make an

appointment by contacting the Human

Services office at Human Services

@wdm.iowa.gov or 515-222-3660.

Limited number of walk-in

appointments available.

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November 27 Yard Waste Pickup Ends

Dec. 27, 2021 —

Jan. 7, 2022 Winter Yard Waste & Christmas Tree Collection

2021 Solid Waste Events for WDM Residents

Yard Waste events are available to all WDM residents who are eligible for solid waste collection.

For Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Options, visit Metro Waste Authority’s website.

For more information, visit www.wdm.iowa.gov or call (515) 222-3480.

Keep leaves out of the street this fall

Fall is here already! Along with the beautiful

colors that trees provide during this season

comes the task of blowing or raking up all those

fallen leaves.

While blowing or raking leaves into the street

might get them out of your yard, they often end

up in a stormwater drain where they clog pipes

and cause street flooding. In extreme cases,

water can even back up into homes.

Since blowing leaves into the street is illegal,

residents have several other options:

1. Composting or recycling.

2. Blow leaves underneath nearby garden

shrubs – this creates useful mulch that

improves the soil.

3. Blow the leaves onto the lawn before you

mow. As you mow, the mower will vacuum up

the leaves. When you mix dry leaves with the

grass clippings, you get a wonderful compost

mixture.

4. Rake leaves into flower beds. A 4–6 inch

layer of mulch protects plants from winter

cold. Some flowers that normally don’t over-

winter well can be kept in the ground with

heavy mulching.

5. Utilize a mulching mower which cuts the grass

clippings and leaves repeatedly (until they’re

very small) and returns them back to the soil.

Remember: City Code 4-4-2:C prohibits deposit-

ing leaves, mud, dirt, gravel, snow, or other debris

in the public right of way.

Don’t let this happen on your street!

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Did you know that glass takes one million years to

fully decompose in a landfill? The good news,

though, is that it can be recycled endlessly with-

out loss in quality.

That’s why Metro

Waste Authority

offers a couple

different recycling

options to make

glass disposal

easier than open-

ing the lid off a

pickle jar!

Option 1: Toss it

in Your Curb It! Cart

Once you’ve cleared out your favorite jar of salsa

and emptied those beer bottles, they can be easi-

ly recycled in your Curb It! cart. Curbside recycling

accepts glass jars or bottles you’d typically have

after cooking or drinking, like clear pasta sauce

and pesto jars or colored wine bottles.

Glass not accepted in curbside recycling includes

treated glass like mirrors, window glass, din-

nerware, drinkware, and ceramics. These items

are different than normal glass as they are often

treated with chemicals to make them more dura-

ble.

Option 2: Take it to a Glass Drop-Off

While jars and bottles are accepted in your Curb

It! cart, glass that is kept separate from other

recyclables has many more recycling possibilities.

To encourage glass-only recycling, Metro Waste

Authority has free glass drop-offs around the met-

ro!

Glass recycled in the drop-offs is collected by Rip-

ple Glass and made into cool things like fiberglass

The facts about glass recycling

insulation, countertops, and brand-new glass con-

tainers.

Glass drop-offs accept the same food and bever-

age jars and bot-

tles that can be

placed in your

cart at home, and

additional con-

tainers such as

empty mason or

candle jars. When

visiting a drop-off,

ensure your glass

is placed inside

the recycling container, since glass on the ground

can become a safety hazard.

What About Lids and Labels?

If your glass jar or bottle has a lid or bottle cap,

you can remove it from the container and recycle

both items separately in your Curb It! cart. If you

are bringing your recyclables to a glass drop-off,

make sure to leave the lids at home. Separating

the lid from the container allows both items to be

sorted into the right category of material.

Labels can stay on, but containers should be gen-

tly rinsed before being recycled.

Next time you are tempted to trash that beer bot-

tle or pickle jar, think again! You can help ensure

it’s recycled over and over instead of sitting in a

landfill forever.

For more information on glass recycling and drop-

off locations, visit Metro Waste Authority’s web-

site at www.WhereItShouldGo.com, or call

515.244.0021.

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YA Not Club Read

(For Grownups who read young adult)

Are you a "Grown Up" but

you like to read Young Adult

books? Are you looking for

a book club that doesn’t

take itself too seriously?

Then YA Not join us for YA

Not Club Read! YA Not

meets 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. on

the 2nd Thursday of each

month. Our next read is To

Be Honest by Maggie Ann

Martin (a local author who works at the

library!)

Next Meeting: October 14 from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Register at https://www.wdmlibrary.org/events/ya

-not-club-read-42.

Club Read (For Grownups)

On each second Monday of

the month, join Amy and

Alana for a group book

discussion on the selected

month. Every fourth Monday

of the month, come ready to

discuss any book you're

reading or have read during

Book Club Social. Our read

for this month is Of Women

and Salt by

Gabriela Garcia.

Next Meeting: October 11 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Register at https://www.wdmlibrary.org/events/

book-club-zoom-edition-15.

Kids Club Read (Ages 7 - 10)

If you like to read and talk

about books, this club is for

you. Join us for discussion

and activities related to this

month's book, Ugly Cat and

Pablo by Isabel Quintero. If

you need a copy of the

book, please come to the

Children's Desk and check

out a book club copy! Reg-

ister anytime by calling 222-3405 or stop in to

the Children's Desk.

Next Meeting: Oct. 12 from 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Register at https://www.wdmlibrary.org/events/

kids-club-read-ugly-cat-and-pablo.

Kids Graphic Novel Club Read, Ages 8 —12

If you like to read and talk

about graphic novels, this

club is for you. Join us for

discussion and activities

related to this month's

book, Catherine's War by

Julia Billet. If you need a

copy of the book, please

come to the Children's Desk

and check out a book club

copy! Join us for discussion and activities related

to this month's book. Register anytime by calling

222-3405 or stop in to the Children's Desk.

Next Meeting: Sept. 23 from 4:15 p.m. - 5:15

p.m. Register at https://www.wdmlibrary.org/

events/kids-graphic-novel-club-read-catherines-

war.

Join a Book Club at the WDM Library

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