A New Energy Source?
The goals established by the Kirkham, Michael and Associates plan are designed to carry the city into the 1990's. The plan describes two great developments for the future growth of Pleasant Hill. The first would be the proposed Archer Daniels Midland Company alcohol distilling plant, which would be located to the southwest of the city. The construction of the plant would help Pleasant Hill in two ways. First, it would mean that the Iowa Power generating plant would not be shut down. In fact, the distilling process would require so much power that the generating plant would have to go back to full use. The other benefit to Pleasant Hill would be in the available jobs. Archer Daniel would employ about 100 workers, some of whom would undoubtedly come from Pleasant Hill.
The other great development to the city would be the Beltway 500 project. This is a bypass freeway which would come down from Interstate 80 and pass around to the south of Des Moines to Interstate 35. Pleasant Hill would benefit since the latest Department of Transportation proposal puts the beltway just to the east of the city limits. A freeway with resulting interchanges would draw businesses that cater to the traffic.
In a more local effort to diversify the tax base, the city council and others are encouraging development along Maple Drive. The intent is to have this as an eventual business district, something the community has never had. The addition of a Hy-Vee Food Store and the construction of the Capital City Bank are steps in this direction.
Another proposal for the future in Pleasant Hill is to have a public safety building to house the volunteer fire department and city police department.
The following are the people who currently help make Pleasant Hill a total community. This listing is not meant to slight those who came before and will come after, for many have played a part in the city's development.
Planning and Zoning Commission: Merrill McCoy, Wayne Henry, Bill Kovacs, Don McGillivray, Dennis Shafer, Wendell Shellabarger, and Kermit Tannatt.
Board of Adjustment: Larry Albers, Shirley Law, Dennis Sissel, Galen St. John, and Chesley Waterman
Parks and Recreation Commission: Betty Henry, Mark Law, Joe Sciorrota, Karen Shaffer, Virgil Stanford, John Stalter, and John Flynn.
Development Commission: Don Albertson, Russell Altes, Bea Brock, Paul Carico, Edward C. Hill, Robert Kelly, and Galen St. John.
Library Committee: Kent Forbes, Richard Delk, Sherry Jones, Al Baldwin, Al Ranker, Richard Shaffer, Virgil Stanford, Jane Daniels, and Jan Green.
Cemetery Commission: Martha Miller, Jean Anderson, Ruth Grant, Dorothy McCoy, and Caroline Villier.
The city is overseen by the elected officials -- the mayor and council members -- but those who currently help run the city are: city clerk Mark Miller; deputy city clerk Connie Janes; director of public works Ronald Brandt; billing clerk Carol Brown; maintenance supervisor-building inspector Lester "Mike" Johnston; maintenance workers Cecil Cook, Michael Dales, and Virgil Sackett; mechanic Richard Byers; waste treatment operators James E. Smith and Arthur Cherry; recording secretary Patricia Voyce; police chief Robert Woods; sergeant Donald Kulisky; officers Jean Anderson, Ronald Emary, Robert Evans, Billy Gilbreaith, Dennis Parker, and Tom Wilson; fire chief Frank "Hank" Grant; assistant chiefs Phil Hildebrand, Bob Bell, Evan Nichol, and Tom Wilson.
Pleasant Hill has developed with incredible speed since its founding twenty-five years ago. Increasing from under 300 citizens in 1956 to over 3,600 in 1981, the population had an average growth of 132 new persons per year.
When the growth rate of the last 25 years is viewed against the backdrop of the area's history since the 1840's, the basic pattern is evident. It has always been some form of energy that has allowed the area to prosper. First there was wood, then coal, then electricity and gas. For the future, the pattern could very well repeat itself. If Archer Daniel Midland Company carries through its plans to produce fuel alcohol, then energy may continue to provide the foundation for future city growth.