Statement from outgoing City Manager Jim Prosser

Today, City Manager Jim Prosser provided the following statement to the Cedar Rapids community:

"I have advised the Mayor and City Council that I am resigning my position as city manager of Cedar Rapids effective April 13. I thank the City Council, employees and all the people of Cedar Rapids for the opportunity to serve this outstanding community.

"The focus during my tenure as City Manager has been to be part of a team preparing Cedar Rapids to be a better place now and for the next generation. The flood of 2008 provided enormous challenges to this goal but there are good reasons to be confident of our ability to continue to make this city the community of choice for people to live, work and do business.

"We should be proud of what we have accomplished while not neglecting the commitment required to fully recover from the 2008 floods. Not a day goes by that we are not mindful of the pain still being suffered by so many as a result of this flood. A lesser community would have been brought to its knees by this disaster. But Cedar Rapids has kept moving ahead with urgency, providing services essential to growing this community and building systems to deliver flood recovery assistance.

"Significantly, our ability to recover is linked to several notable accomplishments including:

"Government reorganization and service improvements – The Blueprint for the Future reorganized city government and has made us more effective, efficient and responsive. We have incorporated best practices that guide world class organizations including continuous process improvement; customer service systems, and performance measurement. The result of these efforts is that we can clearly demonstrate that we not only do more with less but have improved the benefit received from your taxes.

"Public participation and communications – We have increased communication and meaningful public engagement through the public open house process, neighborhood meetings, workshops; the Your City newsletter, Citizens Feedback Network, and increased communications planning and staff. Better public participation means more informed decisions which leads to decisions that stick and will be implemented.

"Planning for the future – We have solid structures in place to guide the work of the City including strategic planning, long-term financial planning; the Downtown Area Plan; City Vision deployment, and the parks and recreation master plan. These plans will accelerate redevelopment for a more vibrant City as seen in the Medical District initiative currently underway.

"Flood recovery – Cedar Rapids has received recognition for both the quality and rapid pace of developing recovery plans including the River Corridor Redevelopment flood management plan; the Neighborhood Planning Process Action Plans, and the Public Facilities Plan. While we can never be satisfied with recovery efforts until the last flood impacted person or business is back on their feet, significant progress has been demonstrated.

"Though there is still much work ahead, this community's efforts to recover from this disaster have been remarkable. I want to thank the thousands of residents that have shown their commitment to the city in flood recovery efforts and in taking the time to participate in our many open houses, workshops and forums. Through your engagement in government, you have invested in preparing this community for future success.

"I want to express my profound appreciation for the hard-working, talented, and dedicated employees of this city. It has been my distinct privilege and inspiration to work with you and along side of you. I owe all employees my gratitude for their commitment to this City, its residents and public service. It has been a humbling experience to be part of a team that has clearly and tirelessly rose above the call of duty to serve this community at a time of need.

"Finally, a special thanks to my Cedar Rapids neighbors for their thoughtfulness and words of encouragement and support. I will especially remember shortly after my arrival to Cedar Rapids, an invitation by David from Hy-Vee to share a casual dinner with his extended family and watch an Iowa football game.

"It has truly been an honor to have worked with you all to make Cedar Rapids an even better place to live; a community that is well on its way to flood recovery and becoming a greater city."

Separation Agreement Between City Council & City Manager