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2019 Membership Dues

Please join or renew your MHNA membership for 2019!

By becoming a member of the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association, you help make a difference in our community. Membership dollars help support the events and activities of our all-volunteer association. Membership is open to anyone who lives, rents or owns property, and to businesses within the neighborhood boundaries. Non-residents may also join as non-voting members. As a 501(c)(3) organization, all dues and donations are tax-deductible. Membership dues are as follows:

• Individual: $15
• Couple: $30
• Business: $30
• Church, School, or other Non-profit: $10

Dues for 2019 can be paid in person at association meetings, or mailed to:

Merle Hay Neighborhood Association
PO Box 31036
Des Moines, IA 50310

Thank you for supporting MHNA in the upcoming year!

Annual Meeting on January 17

The Merle Hay Neighborhood Association will host its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 17, at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave. We expect to be joined by Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, followed by a rep from Midwest Basement Systems. We also plan to have public safety updates, neighborhood news, and a discussion about neighborhood goals for 2019. The meeting will conclude with officer and board elections. Please join us!

Supper and Quarterly Meeting on Thursday, October 18

Please join the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association for our annual supper at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 18, at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave. We’ll have a variety of soups, sides, and desserts. If you would like to contribute something for the supper, please contact April at 515-707-6386.

After supper, we’ll hear from Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly, who will provide an update on county business. We’ll also hear from the local developer who plans to convert the former Franklin Junior High/First Federated Church building at 4801 Franklin Avenue into a mixed-use commercial property with a boutique hotel, restaurant, office space, and other possible uses. The new property owner plans to file for rezoning soon, and MHNA’s October 18 quarterly meeting will allow residents and other stakeholders to ask questions and provide feedback.

The meeting portion will include public safety updates, neighborhood news, and a look ahead to 2019. Please mark your calendars and invite a neighbor. We look forward to having a great turnout!

City debriefing on flash flood response on Sept. 4

The following information is from the City of Des Moines Public Information Office:

WHAT: Des Moines residents are invited to a public meeting focused on reviewing
the city’s response to the recent flash flood event on June 30. The
discussion will focus on outcomes, successes, lessons, opportunities and
needs.
Residents will have an opportunity to work alongside other city leaders to
help improve processes. Those interested in participating in one of four
subcommittees — communications, capital improvement
projects/infrastructure, debris management and insurance — can sign up
online at http://bit.ly/DSMfloodcommittees by 7 p.m. Sept. 4 or in person at
the public meeting. Additional subcommittees may be established based
on public input.
WHO: City of Des Moines
WHEN: Tuesday, September 4, 2018
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Central Library (1000 Grand Avenue)

BACKGROUND
On June 30 the Des Moines area received as much as 10 inches of rain in
less than three hours. Within 24 hours of the flash flood event, Des Moines
developed a debris management plan, began a pre-assessment plan and
committed to work through the Fourth of July holiday. Neighboring metro
public works and fire departments worked alongside Des Moines crews to
clean up and haul away more than 6 million pounds of debris and waste.
Regional coordination with citizens, Polk County, Red Cross, and United
Way generated programs to help residents with home repair and recovery.
Watch Cable Channel 7 DMTV “Your Source for the City”
Visit the City Web Site at www.dmgov.org

Programs ranged from a voluntary flood buyout program allowing the city
to purchase certain homes located in the floodplain that suffered
substantial structural damage, to an interest-free loan up to a maximum
amount of $6,000 to replace items such as furnaces, water heaters, sump
pumps and general electrical systems.
Visit http://www.dmgov.org/Pages/FloodInformationCenter.aspx for more
information on flood recovery. For more information about the public
hearing, contact the City of Des Moines Public Information Office at 515-
283-4057.

MHNA Celebrates Merle HayDay during our July Quarterly Meeting

MHNA Celebrates Merle HayDay during our July
Quarterly Meeting

Please join the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association for our annual
neighborhood celebration, Merle HayDay, during our July 19 Quarterly
Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Northwest Community Center,
5110 Franklin Ave. There will be a presentation about Merle
Hay, our neighborhood’s namesake, by our own neighborhood historian,
Pat Meiners, and we will cool off with an ice cream social!

Our neighborhood celebrations and meetings are a great way to
meet your neighbors and learn more about our neighborhood. They
are also a wonderful opportunity to find out how you can get more
involved in making the Merle Hay neighborhood an even better
place to live, work, and play. Please help spread the word! Contact
April Beck at 515-707-6386 to donate goodies for the ice cream
social.