Gov Notes 12/29: Cedar Rapids residents can request larger garbage cans soon

Cedar Rapids residents will soon be able to order larger curbside trash bins using the city’s online portal.

As part of the city’s new variable cart program, residents will have the option to order 65- or 95-gallon carts to replace the standard 35-gallon carts currently in use citywide. Exchanges are optional, meaning households can choose to retain the smaller carts.

Cart exchange requests will open on the MyCR portal starting Jan. 5 and requests will be accepted through the end of February. Delivery of the larger carts would then take place between April and June of 2026.

Participating households will pay a $25 cart exchange fee, and monthly collection costs will increase in tandem with cart size. The monthly cost for the 35-gallon cart is expected to remain at $9.54 while the cost for the 65 and 95 gallon carts will be $15.54 and $18.54 per month, respectively.

City staff have stated that the goal of the program is to better meet residents’ “diverse waste needs” while simultaneously simplifying the collection process by minimizing the number of extra, tagged bags laid out next to carts as is currently standard practice.

After an exchange, households must keep their selected cart size for a minimum of 12 months. Exchange requests will open again in the fall for those that miss the January-February window.

Curbside Christmas tree disposal underway in Linn, Johnson counties

With Christmas in the rear-view, area municipalities are now offering several ways for residents to dispose of their live Christmas trees.

Cedar Rapids Solid Waste will be collecting live Christmas trees curbside now through Jan. 16. Live trees should be placed at least 3 feet from collection carts or broken down and placed within a cubside YARD cart for collection on your typical pickup day.

Marion residents can place their live, unbagged Christmas trees curbside between Jan. 5 and Jan. 16 for pickup as long as they are free of stands and decorations. The service is available to all households, regardless of whether they subscribe to curbside yard waste services.

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Natural trees will also be accepted from any Linn County resident at the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency office at 2250 A St. SW in Cedar Rapids for a flat $15 fee.

Iowa City curbside customers can place their natural trees on the curb for pickup on their normal pickup day. No yard waste stick is required for the service, although trees should have all decorations removed.

Johnson County residents without curbside composting can bring their natural, unflocked trees to the Iowa City Landfill Facility at 3900 Hebl Ave. SW between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Linn County awards contract for courthouse renovation

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has approved a $722,300 contract to kickstart a multiyear renovation of the county courthouse.

The board recently approved the contract with Garling Construction for phase one of the Linn County Courthouse interior remodeling project. The final bid price came in slightly lower than the original $755,000 estimate.

Phase one of the project includes the creation of additional offices and conference space on the building’s main floor for court administration and clerk of courts staff, as well as mechanical upgrades to the area’s heating and cooling system.

Future phases call for the construction of a new courtroom and an expansion of the Linn County Attorney’s Office.

Phase one construction is expected to be complete by the fall of 2026. However, the cost and timeline of future phases will be dependent upon funding availability, material costs and the urgency of other county projects.

Kick of 2026 with guided ‘First Day’ hikes at these Corridor parks

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is inviting people to kick off the new year in the great outdoors with the return of the annual “First Day Hikes.”

The event invites people to people to attend a variety of guided and/or self-guided hikes on New Year’s Day at parks across Iowa. More than 40 parks are participating statewide.

Guided hikes within the area include:

For more information on the guided hikes, trail conditions and/or self-guided offerings, visit iowadnr.gov/firstdayhikes.

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City of Marion adds 2 battery drop-off locations

The city of Marion has partnered with the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency to provide residents with a free, safe way to dispose of old batteries.

The city recently installed residential battery drop-off boxes at the Marion Public Library, 1101 Sixth Ave., and the Marion Recycling Center, 195 35th St. The boxes can be accessed free of charge during the buildings’ regular operating hours.

The boxes aim to encourage residents to dispose of batteries safely rather than throwing them out with their curbside waste given that incorrect battery disposal is a leading cause of fires at landfills and recycling facilities.

C.R. Council member Ashley Vanorny reappointed to National League of Cities board

Cedar Rapids City Council member Ashley Vanorny has been reappointed to help lead a national organization dedicated to supporting the work of local governments across the U.S.

Vanorny recently was reappointed to the board of directors for the National League of Cities, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for municipal priorities on the federal level. She secured her first two-year term in 2023.

In her continued board role, she will help guide the league’s strategic objectives around federal advocacy, leadership-development programs and broader initiatives to strengthen local governments nationwide.

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“I am honored to serve again on the NLC Board of Directors,” Vanorny said in a news release announcing her reappointment. “Iowa’s cities differ in size and challenges; this role gives me the opportunity to make sure the voices of Cedar Rapids and communities across our great state are heard in national conversations.”

Vanorny represents District 5 on the Cedar Rapids City Council, and she also serves as past president of the Iowa League of Cities.

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Iowa City’s Terrell Mill skate park renovation project construction contract awarded

A construction contract for the renovation project of Iowa City’s Terrell Mill skate park has been awarded. The project includes the complete renovation of the existing skate park area, as well as the addition of bicycle pump track and another skate park area.

City Council approved a $1.9 million contract to Vieth Construction corporation of Cedar Falls. The city engineer’s project estimate was around $1.75 million.

Construction is scheduled to take place between March and November of 2026.

Iowa City began conducting public input sessions on the project back in early 2024. The city secured a $250,000 federal land and water conservation grant that will be put toward the project.

Iowa City’s Court Street reconstruction project update

An estimated $9.6 million reconstruction of Court Street, between Muscatine Avenue and First Avenue in Iowa City is underway.

The construction project has limited access to the area, however upon completion of a portion of the project the street will reopen. Once the stoplight at Muscatine Ave. and Court Street is operational, Court Street will reopen to vehicular traffic.

Yet, sidewalks in the area will not be replaced until Spring 2026 so pedestrian access will remain limited.

The project includes complete replacement of the street and sidewalks, upgrades to the utility lines in the area, new traffic signals and a new joint utility trench that would move utility lines underground.

Sidewalks are being moved further from the road and provide ADA access, which project consultants say are not up to standard in the area.

The entire project is anticipated to be completed in fall of 2027.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. The Gazette’s Grace Nieland and Megan Woolard contributed.