Library starts ‘A Conversation With . . .’ Perry Mayor John Andorf

Among the new programs of Hometown Heritage at the Carnegie Library Museum (HH@CLM) is  “A Conversations With . . .,” which will recur on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. and will feature a different Perry resident at each meeting.

March 10 marked the first meeting as “A Conversation With” Perry Mayor John Andorf attracted some eight auditors.

Perry Public Library Director Mary Murphy introduced the program, explaining that “A Conversation With . . .” will explore the varied “riches” of Perry’s people and history — in other words, “everything Perry,” Murphy said.

Andorf touched on a even dozen of topics in his review of current and ongoing city projects, including:

1. The annual city budget preparation which foresees an increase in the levy rate of 1-2 cents,
2. The vacant seat on the Perry City Council for Ward 2,
3. The April 6 start of the city’s annual yard waste pickup,
4. The major upgrade of the city’s sewer plant, expected to be complete by summer 2023,
5. The airport expansion and new runway, expected to be complete by summer 2023,
6. The digitizing of the city’s cemetery records,
7. The widening and repaving of Bateman and Rawson streets between First Avenue and Fourth Street,
8. The boom in city building permits,
9. The prospect on two new buildings in the Perry Industrial Park,
10. The phase 2 upgrades of the McCreary Community Building,
11. The good work of the Raccoon River Pet Rescue, on whose board Andorf sits, and
12. The city’s service for basting public service announcements.

The monthly HH@CLM conversations are free and open to the public at the Carnegie Library Museum.