Corbett passes gavel to Hart

CEDAR RAPIDS - The next mayor of Cedar Rapids, Brad Hart, will need to identify a new focus for uniting the community as the city moves beyond the flood recovery era, outgoing Mayor Cedar Rapids Ron Corbett said Wednesday.

Flood recovery was a driving force that kept the City Council and citizens aimed toward a common goal during Corbett's eight years in office. The need to develop a new common goal was a parting piece of advice for Hart.

'As we move beyond the post-flood recovery time in our community, try to find some goals and objectives that unite the council but also keep the citizens united,” Corbett said.

Hart and Corbett held a news conference Wednesday after spending 90 minutes speaking privately in the mayor's office about the transition and items Corbett viewed as unfinished business.

Corbett presented Hart his gavel, congratulated him on becoming the next mayor and wished him luck.

Hart and four other new council members, Marty Hoeger, Ashley Vanorny, Dale Todd and Tyler Olson, are set to be sworn in Jan. 2.

Hart thanked Corbett for his service and credited Corbett's leadership for pulling Cedar Rapids past the 2008 flood.

Hart had a four-hour orientation Wednesday and will have a second orientation Thursday. Other new council members are also going through orientation.

The two talked about taking the first three to six months with the new council to examine top issues such as flood protection, economic development and streets to make sure everyone is on the same page, Hart said.

'We are going to spend some time looking at that again and making sure here are the three or four big issues that we all agree on,” Hart said. 'I think that will help us be more successful as a council and help us lead the city.”

Hart said he wants Cedar Rapids to be a welcoming and engaged community open to people of all nations, and open and welcoming to new businesses and those wanting to expand.

Hart said he plans to focus on strengthening boards and commissions, and noted several of the unsuccessful council and mayoral candidates are interested in being involved.

Hart said he'll continue the push for federal aid for flood protection. At the same time, he said he'd look into bond financing to spread the cost over several decades and ask the state to extend the growth reinvestment initiative, which lets Cedar Rapids keep sales tax proceeds for flood protection.

Corbett said the top pieces of unfinished business include continued building of flood protection and identifying visions for land that was the original casino site on the west side of the Cedar River and for a downtown parcel near the Paramount Theatre that had been targeted for One Park Place, which would have been the city's tallest building.

'We want the people of Cedar Rapids to know stability, predictably is going to be the two issues as we transition the power,” Corbett said.

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