Water quality projects likely first in line for Linn County bond

CEDAR RAPIDS - Linn County Conservation projects funded by the county's $40 million land and waterway bond could begin in a matter of months.

Director Dan Biechler on Monday presented the county's five-member conservation board with a preliminary draft of projects slated for possible bond funds.

Priority projects on the list involved a handful of water quality efforts that include wetland restoration, mitigation and construction at county lands such as Morgan Creek Park and Squaw Creek Park.

'What's reflected on this list is subject to change and will change, but the focus on this and certainly the out-of-the-gate projects are more water quality projects,” Biechler said.

Hillary Hughes, chairwoman of the conservation board, said some of the more than one dozen possible water quality projects on the list - which come with a total estimated cost of about $5 million - could begin this construction season.

'These are projects we look to take action on this year or maybe even in the next few months,” Hughes said.

Other projects on the preliminary five-year list - many of which are a few years down the road - include potential land acquisitions and easements, additions to the county pollinator program and upgrades to parks and trails.

Individual projects will come back before the board for more formal review at a later date.

Early estimates for bond dollars would see $22 million toward land and water quality efforts, $12 million for park improvements and $6 million for trails projects.

However, Biechler stressed estimates are very preliminary and bond dollars would be leveraged toward state and federal grant sources to ensure an even larger investment.

Linn County Conservation Deputy Director Dennis Goemaat said conversations with potential partners in bond-funded projects indicate it could take several years to prepare for grant opportunities.

'We're continuing to evaluate and look for those opportunities, but we were surprised some of them have mentioned considerable lag from the time that you start the process compared to when you get reimbursed,” Goemaat said.

With grant funds crucial to fully leverage bond dollars, Hughes said it's very unlikely spending of $40 million in bond funds will be split evenly over the bond's 20-year life span.

In addition, planning and engineering of larger projects could take several years.

'In all reality, we're probably going to spend a lot more time planning on the front end and then get into really a peak spending where we're actually spending much more than $2 million (a year), with the idea that by essentially 2031 ...

the last projects would be in construction phase, so that when the bond completes our projects are completed,” Hughes said.

In November, more than 74 percent of Linn County voters approved a $40 million Linn County Water and Land Legacy bond. The measure needed a supermajority, or 60 percent, approval to pass.

Last fall the conservation board and the supervisors passed resolutions establishing percentages - 55 percent for water quality and land protection, 30 percent for parks and 15 percent for trails - for the proposed Linn County Water and Land Legacy bond.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com