Government Notes: Iowa City applying for REAP grant for historic Ashton House

The city of Iowa City is applying for a $200,000 state grant for ecological restoration of the Ned Ashton House in partnership with Project Green.

The Iowa City Council last week approved the city’s application for a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This was on the council’s consent agenda.

The project includes clearing invasive species, as well as adding native flood plain trees, prairie plantings, a fire pit and bird blind. The project also includes adding accessible pedestrian trails and trail lighting, in addition to a drinking fountain, benches, bicycle racks and a bicycle fix it station.

The city got a REAP grant in 2015 to help restore landscaping and gardens at the historic home.

The Ashton House, at 820 Park Rd., was built in 1947 by Edward L. “Ned” Ashton as a private residence. Ashton was a professor of civil engineering at the University of Iowa from 1943 to 1957, according to the city.

He designed several bridges over the Mississippi River in addition to smaller bridges, including the Benton Street Bridge. Ashton has been called “the most distinguished bridge engineer in the history of Iowa” and “a pioneer in the design of welded plate girder bridges,” the city said on its website.

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The house and its grounds, next to the Iowa River, were named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The property was damaged during the 2008 flood.

The city purchased the house in October 2011 to restore it for use as a special events facility. As part of the requirements to purchase the home, the city agreed to develop a plan to preserve the historic nature of the home and prevent it from future flooding.

The Ashton House accommodates up to 100 people and can be rented out for events, including meetings, reunions, parties, weddings and receptions.

Iowa City applying for grant funds to extend Iowa River Trail

The city of Iowa City is applying for grant funds to support extending the Iowa River Trail to Park Road Bridge.

The Iowa City Council on Tuesday approved an application for the State Recreational Trails program run by the Iowa Department of Transportation. This was on the council’s consent agenda.

The grant would support extending the trail from the University of Iowa’s Hancher pedestrian bridge to the Park Road bridge. According to the city, this will fill a “critical gap in the trail system and provide a long-desired ADA-accessible off street route” that avoids busy Dubuque Street.

If Iowa City is selected, the funds will cover up to 75 percent of eligible costs with a 25 percent local match. This project is currently included in the Capital Improvements Plan and budgeted for $700,000.

Johnson County program will increase child care slots for low-income families

A new Johnson County program funded by pandemic relief dollars looks to increase access to quality child care for low-income families.

Johnson County Social Services is now accepting applications for the new Child Care Incentive Program. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 1 for the first round. After that, applications will be accepted and approved on a first-received basis.

The program was developed to create additional opportunities for families eligible for Child Care Assistance, which is a federally funded initiative that provides tuition support for low-income families.

The program’s goal, according to the county, is to incentivize child care providers to expand the number of slots for children ages 0 to 2 who are eligible for child care assistance. Providers can bill up to $100 per month for each eligible and occupied slot.

The program’s funding is $575,000 over three years. For 2023, there is $191,000 in funding available. For 2024 and 2025, there will be $192,000 each year.

Applications and more information about the program is available online at johnsoncountyiowa.gov/cca-incentive-program.

Linn County supervisors award historic preservation grants

The Linn County Board of Supervisors last week awarded $28,800 to eight nonprofits through the county’s Historic Preservation Grant program.

The county Historic Preservation Commission makes recommendations to the three-member board through an annual competitive process. Awards were made for fiscal 2024, the budget year that spans July 1 through June 30, 2024.

“Our discussion about this grant program is very in depth every year,” Linn County Historic Preservation Commission Chair Maura Pilcher said in a statement. “We not only review the program itself and make sure we are asking the right questions, making sure its accessible to all of our applicants, but also we are really making sure this is a tool to promote quality in preservation of our cultural heritage in Linn County.”

The following organizations received funds:

Linn-Mar kids design new brochure for local firm

Linn-Mar High School students completed a yearlong project collaborating with Rinderknecht Associates Inc., a local contractor, to revamp their “request for proposal” brochure.

The brochure promotes Rinderknecht Associate’s team and services to make them competitive in soliciting bids for potential business.

The project was done by students in the district’s Venture Academics program, a project-based program that launched two years ago.

Project-based learning partners high school students and businesses to work on projects. This gives its students the ability to learn and use real-world skills such as leadership, accountability and teamwork on projects they are passionate about, while earning high school credit at the same time.

According to a news release from the Linn-Mar Community School District, the students met with Rinderknecht employees to understand their requirements for the brochure. They divided into teams to work on different aspects of the project.

The students learned Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and digital photography for the project and communicated regularly with Rinderknecht to share drafts of the brochure, receive feedback and refine the design.

Darby Winger, Rinderknecht’s marketing and engagement manager, said working with the Venture students was enjoyable, the students were professional, polite, enthusiastic and energetic, according to the district’s news release.

Winger was impressed with the technology and resources available in the Venture classroom and the collaboration among students.

“I would say to every business in the community: you should give this a shot — the kids are our future,” Scott Pantel, Rinderknecht vice president of marketing, said in a news release.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Marissa Payne, Izabela Zaluska and Grace King contribute.