Cedar Rapids extends contract with lobbying firm in effort to secure flood protection money

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday extended its contract with a lobbying firm to help secure federal money for the city's flood protection system.

The city first contracted with Kutak Rock LLP, a law firm with headquarters in Omaha, Neb., in May at a cost of up to $24,500.

The contract extension is for one year and calls for the city to spend up to an additional $50,000 for lobbying services.

Earlier this year, Congress and the White House authorized the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013, which included $73 million to help pay for a flood protection system in Cedar Rapids.

Congress now must appropriate money for the project.

Angie Charipar, special assistant to the Cedar Rapids city manager, told the City Council's Flood Protection Committee last week that Congress likely will provide federal money to the project in phases, and perhaps no sooner than the federal fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2015.

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, who is retiring at the end of the year, has told the city he may try to get some money for the project in the federal budget for this year, Charipar said.

The city already has secured $264 million in state funding over 20 years for the flood protection project.