Government Notes: North Liberty pond being dredged

Employees in the North Liberty Parks Department have spent time this month working to dredge Liberty Centre Pond.

The city announced in November that the pond, located at 820 W. Cherry St., would be drained of its water to prepare for contracted work in December.

Since the pond was opened 18 years ago, water has begun to erode the gravel foundation of the pond. Works is being done to reverse that erosion.

While the dredging is being done, at time, access to the pond and the nearby walking trails will be limited.

The city, in a social media post, said once the work is done and the pond’s water level is returned to normal, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will stock fish in the pond. That stocking is planned for the morning of March 20.

Johnson County expands Childcare Assistance Incentive Program

The Board of Supervisors recently voted to expand eligibility for its Childcare Assistance Incentive Program. Under the expansion, the program will serve children up to 47 months.

The program offers childcare reimbursement of up to $300 per month for each child in the Iowa Childcare Assistance program.

Johnson County’s program, which was launched in 2023, has $575,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds that will be spent by December 2026.

“This initiative underscores Johnson County’s commitment to addressing critical gaps in early childhood education and supporting our local providers,” Laurie Nash, Youth & Family Services manager, said in a news release. “By increasing the reimbursement amount and raising the age qualifier from 35 to 47 months, we aim to further alleviate financial barriers for childcare providers and make quality childcare more accessible to families in need.”

Linn-Mar schools surveying interest in before and after preschool care

The Linn-Mar Community School District is asking parents of preschool-age students about their interest in a potential new initiative — before- and after-school childcare.

Linn-Mar offers free preschool for children who turn 4 years old on or before Sept. 15, of each school year. Both morning and afternoon half-day sessions are offered through the Linn-Mar Little Lions preschool program in four of the district’s seven elementary school buildings.

Based on the interest of families, the district may offer on-site childcare before and after school at one preschool site for a limited number of Little Lions families during the 2025-26 school year.

If offered, daycare would be available at Linn Grove Elementary School for 20 families in its first year. School officials would continue to evaluate the program to potentially offer it again in the future.

The childcare option would be available by a contracted provider for an additional fee to families. Little Lions half-day preschool will continue to be offered at no cost.

Families of a preschool child attending Little Lions preschool in the future can share their feedback or interest in before and after childcare by completing an online survey by Jan. 22.

The survey is available online at bit.ly/linnmarsurvey.

DNR to host open house on Johnson County wildlife area

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will host an open house next month to discuss Redbird Farms Wildlife Area in Johnson County.

The meeting, planned for Wednesday Feb. 5 from 6-8 p.m., will discuss the habitat management, recreation use, forest stewardship plans, wildlife populations and other topics of interest at the wildlife area.

It will be held at the Iowa State University Extension office, 3109 Old Hwy. 218 South, in Iowa City, and will be a come-and-go open house format meeting with staff on hand to answer questions.

For more information, or special accommodations, contact the DNR or ADA Coordinator at 515-725-8200.

Marion transitions to online permit, licensing process

The city of Marion is using new software to process permits, licenses and more. The public can now apply, submit documents and follow the permitting process all online, and online payments also will be accepted.

Questions about the process should be directed to the Building Division at (319) 743-6330. To apply, visit www.cityofmarion.org/buildingpermits.

Iowa City to renovate Fire Station No. 1, part of City Hall

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The Iowa City Council last week approved a $575,000 contract with Swanson Construction to renovate the third floor of City Hall and Fire Station No. 1.

The work on Fire Station No. 1 will update the building’s sleeping areas, wellness center and restrooms.

The third floor of City Hall has not been updated since it was built in the 1990s. The project will add more offices for the engineering division and update the offices’ lighting.

The project is expected to start later this month, with an estimated completion date of July.

Marion Receives Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant

A grant will help the city of Marion become more energy efficient by installing more LED fixtures along roads throughout the city.

Marion received a $76,000 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). The EECBG is designed to assist in implementing energy-reducing strategies to improve energy efficiencies and reduce fossil fuel emissions.

In Marion, the funding will replace existing high-pressure sodium (HPS) light fixtures with light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures.

The light fixtures impacted by this change include:

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. The Gazette’s Grace King, Megan Woolard and Sara Konrad Baranowski contributed.