Episode 8: The one from Atkins

The Square went on the road this month to visit Atkins, a beautiful city of 1,670 residents that has experienced some growth in recent years with expectations of adding to their population in the coming years.  We are joined by Eric Christianson, a field specialist at ISU Extension, who helped the city develop strategic initiatives and plans for the community. Eric shares what that process is like and how it can be beneficial for any city. Atkins Mayor Bruce Visser talks about how the community has changed over the years and what the city has done to work with citizens. The city has constructed a new wastewater treatment facility, improved roads, and added subdivisions. Mayor Visser describes the challenge in keeping up and the need to thoughtfully prioritize projects.  We tackle the issue of council member compensation and elected officials performing work as independent contractors in the Your Questions Answered segment. And The Square's producer (and League Network Administrator) Ryan Pealer is our featured guest in the Get to Know Your League segment! Get the answer to last month's trivia question (which city had the largest population increase from 2000 to 2010) and take a stab at this month's: The smallest community in the U.S. to be granted a Carnegie library is in Iowa, which city is it?   Send your questions for the Your Questions Answered segment and trivia answers to [email protected]