Government Notes: New signage raises awareness about Linn County watershed

Indian Creek watershed leverages state funds for awareness campaign

The Indian Creek Watershed Management Authority is looking turn awareness into action through the installation of more than 100 new informational signs.

The watershed authority has installed 127 new creek signs across Linn County to alert residents to the fact they’re entering the Indian Creek watershed.

Per a county-issued press release, the signs were installed to raise awareness of the watershed and the importance of watershed management.

“Raising awareness and helping people form a connection with their local watershed/waterbody is a key component of real and lasting change,” Linn County Soil Health Coordinator Marissa Cartwright said in the release.

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A watershed is an area that drains to a common waterway such as a stream, lake or wetland, and the health of a watershed is directly tied to water quality and the support of a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

The Indian Creek watershed covers portions of Alburnett, Robins, Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids and nearly all of the city of Marion.

The signs were funded throughout the area using Iowa Department of Natural Resources grant funding and installed by the public works crews of participating jurisdictions.

IEDA awards support for projects in Iowa City, Coralville, Fairfield

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board on Friday approved assistance for a slate of business expansions, startups and community projects, including significant investments in Iowa City, Coralville and Fairfield.

P&G expansion in Iowa City

Procter & Gamble will add a new production line at its Iowa City facility, a $150 million project that includes construction of a 150,000-square-foot building and new equipment purchases. The expansion is expected to create 100 jobs paying a qualifying wage of $31.85 per hour. The board approved tax benefits through its High Quality Jobs program. P&G, a multinational consumer products company, produces a range of personal care, household and health products.

Innovation funding in Iowa City

Two Iowa City startups also secured state support. Harvest Increase Agriculture Inc., received a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan to advance its fertilizer additive, SUPRGrow, designed to boost corn and soybean yields through a sulfide-based seed treatment. The company said the additive offers a cost-effective way to enhance crop growth and productivity.

Separately, Inseer Inc., was awarded $500,000 from the State Small Business Credit Initiative Innovation Fund. The company uses proprietary AI computer vision systems to improve workplace safety and ergonomics in manufacturing. By analyzing short video clips of movement data, Inseer’s technology provides real-time risk assessments and safety recommendations to workers and employers.

Coralville med-tech startup wins support

Coralville-based NeuroPed Inc., was awarded a $50,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan. The company is developing a software platform that integrates with electronic health records to support stroke recovery. The software helps clinicians predict cognitive and behavioral outcomes following brain injuries, supporting more targeted rehabilitation plans.

Dexter Laundry expansion in Fairfield

In Fairfield, Dexter Laundry — a 100 percent employee-owned manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment — received approval for tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs program. The company, founded in 1894, plans a 22,500-square-foot addition to its headquarters to house a new paint system. The nearly $9 million project is expected to retain six jobs at a qualifying wage of $25.25 per hour while boosting output capacity.

‘Summer in the Square’ drew thousands to downtown Cedar Rapids

A new event series meant to activate Greene Square drew more than 5,000 people to downtown Cedar Rapids this summer.

The program — which ran in Greene Square between June 9 and Aug. 19 — saw overall attendance figures of 5,176 people for its inaugural season.

The event series included a mix of concerts, fitness classes, hands-on kids activities with events taking place every weekday, weather-permitting.

The goal was to offer residents and visitors alike an opportunity to engage in mostly free recreation activities while also drawing more people to the downtown area.

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The only part of the program that required an entry fee were the Thursday night concerts, from which the proceeds were donated to area nonprofits.

The most popular program was “Game On,” a twice-weekly game time for children ages kindergarten through fifth grade, followed in attendance by the Thursday night concerts and an ice cream social.

Northwest Recreation Center Program Supervisor Zach Gibson provided those findings and more in a recent update to members of the city’s Public Safety and Youth Services Committee.

He noted the city’s intent to reprise the event series next year and said city staff will use key takeaways from this year’s program to identify any potential improvements or adjustments.

Portion of Boyson Trail to close for improvement project

A portion of the Boyson Trail through Marion will be closed for the next several weeks to allow for a trail improvement project.

Construction begins today and is expected to last between six and eight weeks, weather permitting. Affected portions of the trail include those north of Marion Boulevard at the Milwaukee Road Bridge to the pedestrian bridge in Donnelly Park.

Planned improvements in the area include streambank stabilization, culvert replacement and paving the existing granular trail.

Given the nature of the work and the significant amount of grading that will occur along Indian Creek, officials stress that it is imperative that trail users observe the posted closures and stay out of the construction zone.

Public input meeting planned for Burlington Street Bridge project

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A public input meeting will be held at Iowa City Hall, 410 E Washington St., on Thursday Sept. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m., to discuss the Burlington Street Bridge project.

The existing Burlington Street Bridge structure, which includes the two bridges and a dam below, is owned by three different public entities.

The dam, which was built in 1906, is owned by the University of Iowa. The eastbound bridge, built in 1915 and restored in 1986, is owned by the City of Iowa City, while the westbound bridge, which was build in 1969, is owned by the Iowa Department of Transportation.

A planning study is currently underway that is exploring options for the bridges and dam.

Future design options and decisions are being made with four key elements in mind: the future of the dam; what type of bridge should be built; bike and pedestrian crossings; and the potential realignment of Grand Avenue from the intersection of Melrose/South Grand Avenue to Highway 1/Highway 6.

Members of the public also are invited to complete an online survey about the project at bit.ly/BurlingtonBridgeSurvey. The survey will be open through Oct. 10.

Johnson County survey on non-metro area housing

Johnson County is asking residents to complete an online survey about housing issues within the non-metro area. The non-metro area includes Hills, Lone Tree, Swisher, Shueyville, Solon, Oxford, and unincorporated parts of Johnson County.

The survey responses will be used by CommunityScale, a consultant planning to prepare a housing recommendation report for the non-metro area and unincorporated parts of the county.

CommunityScale has been working with the county since April and holding a series of public input sessions throughout the county on housing issues.

The survey, which can be found online at bit.ly/NonMetroSurvey will remain open through Sept. 30 and is available in other languages.

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