Government Notes: Cedar Rapids Transit makes bus route, schedule changes

Effective Tuesday, Cedar Rapids Transit making bus route and schedule changes.

On weekdays, buses will depart the Ground Transportation Center in downtown Cedar Rapids beginning at 5:30 a.m. The last departures will leave the center at 7:15 p.m., an hour later than they have been leaving.

Peak bus service on Routes 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 will have morning departures at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 a.m. and afternoon departures at 1:45, 2:45, 3:45 and 4:45 p.m.

Route 1: The outbound bus route will begin using Sixth Street to Ellis Boulevard NW instead of Fifth Street to E Avenue NW.

Route 6: The outbound bus will change to using Third Avenue SE to 10th Street SE instead of Second Avenue SE to 10th Street SE.

Route 7: This route will begin staying on C Street SW instead of going through the Transamerica parking lot, and will then continue on C Street SW past Kraft Heinz to 41st Avenue Drive SW to Bowling Street SW.

Route 8: The bus route will begin using Sixth Street to Ellis Boulevard NW to A/B Avenue NW when outbound. The inbound route will use B/A Avenue NW to Ellis Boulevard to Sixth Street.

Route 20: This bus route, the Marion circulator, will change to using Eighth Avenue to Seventh Street to Seventh Avenue inbound.

Route 30: This route will add a bus stop on the north side of Lindale Mall near HuHot Mongolian Grill.

Linn County awards $100,000 in economic development grants

The Linn County Board of Supervisors last week awarded $100,000 in economic and community development funding to 13 Linn County organizations in an effort to spur economic growth and enhance quality of life.

Requests for this year’s funding totaled more than $428,000 through the annual competitive grant process. For more information, visit LinnCountyIowa.gov/EconomicDevelopment.

The following organizations were awarded economic development funding this year:

Affordable Housing Network: Sustaining Wellington Heights Neighborhood Progress, $6,000. The organization will use the funds to acquire additional single-family and multifamily properties, rehabilitate them and offer them at affordable rates for rent, sale or rent-to-own.

  Buy Photo

African American Museum of Iowa: Voices Inspiring Progress, $12,500. The museum’s renovation project — prompted by Cedar Rapids flood control work — will relocate the entrance, improve the exterior facade, upgrade the interior and add a new roof. It is slated for February 2024 completion.

Arc of East Central Iowa: Customized Job Discovery, $5,250. This program identifies strengths, interests and capabilities of individuals with disabilities who are the most significantly disabled and have had little to no employment success, supporting them with career pathways.

Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival: Rock ‘n’ Bowl for Persons with Disabilities, $2,250.

Discovery Living: Fully Accessible Handicap Home for Individuals with Developmental, Physical & Intellectual Disabilities, $5,250.

Families Helping Families: Winter Wonderland Event — Foster Families, $5,000. This event at Hawkeye Downs supports youth in out-of-home placements and their foster families.

Hope Community Development Association: Stability House, 12-month recovery and job training program for men, $12,000.

Kids First Law Center: Restorative Justice Prevents School Dropout, $12,000. This project helps youth resolve conflicts, helping them be less likely to be disruptive in class and suspended from school.

Kirkwood Community College: English Language Learner classes, $6,000. Funds will help grow the English language programming offered through Kirkwood to support residents who require English skills to live and work in the region, particularly the immigrant and refugee population.

Lisbon Historic Preservation Commission: Meyers Farmstead Historic District repair and rehabilitation, $6,000. The city of Lisbon will contract with OPN Architects to draft preservation plans for the structures. The commission is looking to create public spaces in Pleasant Grove Heritage Park and the adjoining sports complex.

Marion Public Library Foundation: Book Mobile Collection Development, $5,000. This grant will help with the purchase of 1,700 items for a book mobile.

Riverview Center: Sexual Assault/Abuse Crisis Response Program, $11,500. It provides mental health and care coordination for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.

  Buy Photo

Trees Forever: Campus Canopy 10+ Program, $11,250. Trees Forever provides site assessments, trees, tree “diapers,” stakes, supports and training at participating sites. In turn, the sites provide volunteers to maintain the trees.

You can learn about water, conservation in C.R.

Residents can sign up for a new, four-part Community Water Academy being offered next month in Cedar Rapids.

Water department staff will lead programs and tours so participants can better understand water management, sustainability and the roles people play in preserving water as a vital resource.

The program is free, but spots are limited. The programs will be held from 3 to 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday in October.

To learn more and apply, visit CityofCR.com/CWA.

If you live in Marion, free trees for fight of way

Marion residents and landowners willing to commit to the planting, watering and protection of trees can register online for up to three free trees.

The trees, native to Iowa and in 3-gallon buckets, will be provided by the Monarch Research nonprofit.

This tree-planting program is targeting right of way areas — typically, the area between the curb and the sidewalk.

Program registration will remain open through Sept. 10 at cityofmarion.org/ROWtrees or at https://monarchresearch.org/

The city of Marion’s Urban Forestry Division will decide the number of trees suitable for available right of way. The city will maintain the trees in the long run.

More information about the program and native tree species is on the Monarch Research Project website.

Learn about accessory housing in Iowa City

Iowa City will host two open houses this month for residents interested in accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or accessory apartments.

ADUs are small, self-contained dwelling units located on the same lot as a primary home. They can be attached or detached and come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and configurations.

The open houses will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Terry Trueblood Park Lodge and from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A.

C.R. schools seek advisory volunteers

The school improvement advisory committee for the Cedar Rapids Community School District is looking for volunteers to join the committee.

One of the issues the committee will focus on this year is college and career readiness, according to a news release from the school district. The committee is made up of students, families, community members and district staff.

The purpose of the committee is to provide input and feedback to the district.

The district’s goal is to ensure every Cedar Rapids high school graduate leaves with college credit and/or industry certification by May 2027.

  Buy Photo

Calling Mount Vernon school alumni

Alumni from the Mount Vernon Community School District are invited to help say goodbye to the football field on First Street and celebrate the completion of the new activities complex on Sept. 15.

A brief celebration will follow after the Mount Vernon Mustangs play their last varsity football game on the First Street Field against Solon on Sept. 15 before moving to the new activities complex next to Mount Vernon High School, 731 Palisades Rd. SW.

Alumni members of the Marching Mustangs marching band are invited to join the current Marching Mustangs to play the national anthem and fight song. Alumni who played football and were cheerleaders will be asked to help form a tunnel the players will run through before the game.

The district is looking for one player from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s to join the team for the coin toss before the game.

If interested in taking part, contact the Mount Vernon school district’s alumni director Julia Andrews at jandrews@mvcsd.org or Superintendent Greg Batenhorst at gbatenhorst@mvcsd.org.

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