The 1960's
Entering the 1960's, Pleasant Hill seemed to be more of a country village than a metropolitan suburb. A special census in 1958 (taken as part of the school consolidation process) found that 322 persons lived in the town. By 1960, the population had increased to only 397. Most of the residents lived along Shadyview Blvd. or on acreage's and farms.
However, the seemingly country ease hid the fact that the community was at the beginning of a boom. The advance planning by the town leaders for a town of 4,000 plus the large amount of tax revenues available to e able the plans to be carried out combined to make Pleasant Hill the fastest growing town of the 1960's. Following the 1957 comprehensive plan that laid out the steps to make the town as modern as those on the west side of Des Moines, the residents approved of bond issues to add street lights, put in water and sewer lines, build a sewage treatment plant, and run gas lines. Most of the funds used to pay for the construction came not from the residents but from the energy companies. Since the Great Lakes Pipeline Plant (tax value $1,739,569) and Iowa Power and Light (tax value $12,791,568) were the main tax payers, they paid to build the town.
The 1959 city elections brought a new group of people to the leadership of the town. Ernie Voshell retained his position as mayor for another term, but of the original council members, only Alvin Peterson was left. Joining Peterson on the 1960-61 council were Ellis Monk, John Fogle, Dwayne Fredregill, and Marion Wheeler.
Others who helped to provide continuity were Vic Peterson as treasurer and Sonja Churchill as town clerk. Robert Eike was reappointed as town marshall. Churchill resigned as town clerk February 10, 1960. Anne Witzenburg was hired for a salary of $100 per month. The council also paid Witzenburg $35 per month to have the town office in her home.
About Face by Iowa Power
The young town faced its most important battle in March of 1960, the unfavorable result of which would have severely crippled the town's growth. The officials of Iowa Power and Light Company wished the plant to be taken out of the city limits of Pleasant Hill and be annexed to the City of Des Moines. The reasons for this change of attitude (Ipalco took an active part in creating Pleasant Hill only four years earlier) had to do with the ongoing school consolidation suits. In January of 1960, the district court ruled that the southern part of Pleasant Hill, including the Ipaco plant, could be attached to the Southeast Polk School District. It looked like this judgment would be upheld in the Supreme Court.
Iowa Power and Light Company had always wanted to stay out of the new school district. The philosophy of Ipalco's Lew Slade was to have the people who pay for a utility's services receive its tax benefits. If creating Pleasant Hill could not keep the power plant out of SEP, then maybe joining with Des Moines might. Besides, being part of the city was really what was wanted at the time anyway. So Ipalco announced that it would seek to be separated from Pleasant Hill to join with Des Moines.
Ipalco and Des Moines Agree-- Pleasant Hill Should Be Annexed
On February 1, 1960, Ipalco President A. Paul Thompson met with the Des Moines City Council. He presented a five-part program and asked the council to endorse it. His proposal was 1) the city would annex the Iowa Power plant, 2) in return for the property taxes the plant would now pay (estimated at $450,000 per year), the city would cancel the franchise tax paid by Ipalco, 3) Des Moines would grant Ipalco a new 25-year gas and electric franchise, 4) together Ipalco and Des Moines would work to annex the town of Pleasant Hill plus the school districts of