Government Notes: Linn County Supervisors to hold final reading of Duane Arnold rezoning

Linn County Supervisors this week will hold a final vote on whether to rezone land around the Duane Arnold Energy Center for nuclear energy production.

Supervisors will hold their third and final reading of the rezoning request at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, 935 Second St. SW in Cedar Rapids.

Residents can attend the meeting in person or watch a recorded livestream on the county’s website. Public comment will take place ahead of the vote.

The rezoning is one step of many in plant owner NextEra Energy’s efforts to restart the nuclear energy plant near Palo. The 615-megawatt nuclear plant entered service in 1975 and was decommissioned in 2020.

The company is seeking approval from federal, state and local regulatory agencies to restart plant operations by early 2029 to help meet growing U.S. energy demand.

As part of that process, NextEra is seeking to have the land around the Linn County plant rezoned to an exclusive use district meant solely for nuclear energy generation and/or waste storage.

The rezoning requires three rounds of approval from the Linn County Board of Supervisors, and the first two readings passed unanimously last week.

Also last week, the board approved a host community agreement with NextEra that establishes an annual, inflation-adjusted payment to the county to support the various government functions and public services associated with hosting a nuclear facility.

Per the terms of the deal, those payments will begin if and when energy production resumes at the plant. The first payment will be $1.9 million with adjustments made annually for inflation.

Marion sets community open house for Seventh Avenue reconstruction

The city of Marion this month will host a community open house to seek feedback and answer questions on the next phase of reconstruction of a busy roadway near Uptown Marion.

The open house will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, at the Marion Public Library, 1101 Sixth Ave. with a staff presentation set for 6:30.

The meeting will discuss plans for construction along Seventh Avenue between 12th and 22nd streets. Current plans include a full reconstruction of the roadway and the replacement of underground sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water infrastructure.

Once complete, the project will convert the roadway from its current state of having two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction with a dedicated center turn lane.

Work on the project will begin in 2027 and span two construction seasons.

Iowa City Downtown District renewal approved

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The Iowa City Council unanimously approved the final reading for renewal of the Iowa City Downtown District’s Self Supported Municipal District.

A SSMID — or, self-supported municipal improvement district — is an area where taxpayers have given permission for the city to levy an additional tax on property owners to raise money for specific purposes within the district’s boundaries.

The new term will begin July 1 and run through June 30, 2036. The renewal petition also expanded the district’s boundaries to include the University of Iowa Health Care Downtown Campus — formerly Mercy Hospital — at 500 E. Market St. And the district has been expanded to the south, to the railroad tracks south of Prentiss Street.

Proposed Iowa City Downtown District boundary changes

Iowa City Council will vote on the SSMID renewal proposal at a city council meeting next month.

Source: Iowa City Downtown District

The Downtown District has been operating since 2012 and is overseen by a board of directors that includes property and business owners. The first iteration of the district was for four years, then the board decided to increase it to 10 years in 2016.

For the first seven years of the renewal, the property tax levy will stay the same, at $2.50 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value. During the last three years, the district’s board of directors has the option to increase the levy to $2.75 per $1,000.

The board of directors always has the option to decrease the levy annually, but cannot raise it more than what’s detailed in the petition.

Iowa City’s Seventh Avenue now open to vehicle, pedestrian traffic

Seventh Avenue, between Rochester Avenue and Muscatine Avenue in Iowa City, is now open to all traffic and pedestrians.

Temporary sidewalks and curb ramps are available on the west side of Seventh Avenue through the Court Street intersection.

Sidewalks in the area will not be replaced until Spring 2026 so pedestrian access on Court Street will remain limited.

The larger $9.6 million Court Street reconstruction 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 farther 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.

North Linn schools names next leader

The next leader of the North Linn Community School District will be Brendan Schott, the school board announced last week.

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Schott is the current principal at North Linn Elementary School, where he has implemented programs aimed at closing student learning gaps and fostered mentoring programs between secondary and elementary students.

Schott will begin as superintendent of the North Linn district July 1, replacing interim superintendent Lisa Glenn.

“Mr. Schott’s calm and consistent leadership as our elementary principal, deeply rooted connections in our district and student first philosophy are just a few of the reasons he is our top candidate,” school board President Matt Hoover said in a press release.

“Mr. Schott lives our core values of leadership, growth, community and accountability, and we look forward to his continued leadership in his new role,” Hoover said.

Schott has received community service program recognition from the North Linn district for creating a service learning course for the district and veterans appreciation honors for his role in orchestrating an annual Veterans Day assembly at North Linn High School.

“This school and community have played an important role in my life, and the people and opportunities here helped shape who I am today,” Schott said. “I am driven by a desire to contribute to continuous district and school improvement while building upon the strong foundation already in place — one that makes North Linn a wonderful place to learn, work and raise a family.”

The North Linn school board worked with Grundmeyer Leader Services to conduct a superintendent search. Schott’s contract is expected to be approved Jan. 21, at a school board meeting.

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