Articles Tagged: Cedar Rapids City Council

After City Council tabled action to allow time to meet neighbors’ concerns, the Cedar Rapids Country Club’s expansion plans are on the agenda for the council’s 4 p.m. Tuesday meeting.

With four of nine City Council members recusing themselves from voting on the Country Club’s expansion plans, five voting members tabled consideration of the project to give the Country Club more time to meet conditions addressing neighbors’ concerns

At least four of nine Council members may recuse from voting on the Cedar Rapids Country Club’s expansion plans, raising questions about how the part-time officials declare conflicts of interests when city business intersects with private lives.

Frew Development is seeking workforce housing tax credits to support a $34 million housing project to add 200 units as part of the Westdale Mall redevelopment. City Council also OK’d projects in NewBo, the northwest quadrant and former TaxAct site.

The city is preparing to distribute hotel-motel tax revenue to nonprofits, which will reboot a funding source that was halted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there will be some changes to the grant application process.

Prompted by a contentious and costly local election cycle, the panel reviewing Cedar Rapids’ charter is exploring whether to recommend doing away with runoff elections and instead establish ranked-choice voting -- should Iowa lawmakers allow it.

The Charter Review Commission now has until June 30 instead of May 1 to complete its review of the city charter and consider recommending changes such as language to adopt ranked-choice voting if it becomes allowed under state law.

The redevelopment of long-vacant city-owned property known as First and First West will start this spring, bringing a mix of restaurants, housing, a Big Grove and other uses online now that the City Council has approved a development agreement

Council will consider rezoning land and right-of-way vacation for Cedar Rapids Country Club expansion plans. The proposal worries some who fear increased traffic, light pollution, and impacts to the area’s historic character.

The City Council has extended its contract with VeoRide, the vendor that owns and operates Cedar Rapids’ bike and scooter rental program. With the deal comes changes intended to promote safety and reduce the amount of clutter of the devices.

Love them or hate the devices, the City Council is slated to consider keeping electric scooters and bikes. The city may OK a three-year contract extension with VeoRide for the device rental program with changes to address safety and clutter concerns.

The citizen panel completing a once-a-decade review of Cedar Rapids’ charter anticipates extending the deadline to recommend changes to the city’s foundational document to leave ample time to review and weigh feedback.

The Cedar Rapids City Council embraced plans to connect Ellis Boulevard NW to Sixth Street NW, a boon for the Time Check area, but were split 6-3 in their support for work near St. Patrick’s Church that some parishioners opposed.

The commission doing a once-a-decade review of Cedar Rapids’ charter is seeking public input on the governing document. Here’s how to provide feedback.

With an influx of local, state and federal cash, “the time is now” to advance game-changing infrastructure investments that can shape Cedar Rapids now and for the future, Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a virtual State of the City address Wednesday.