Government Notes: BELIEVE in CR Schools collects 4,000 voter signatures

BELIEVE in CR Schools has collected more than half the number of signatures needed to get a $117 million school bond referendum placed on the ballot in November.

About 4,000 of the 5,500 signatures needed have been collected since the campaign kicked off in May.

The bond referendum for the Cedar Rapids Community School District, if approved, would modernize three historic schools in the Cedar Rapids district and renovate aspects of Kennedy High School.

The plan also includes allocating $35 million to renovate Wilson Middle School into an elementary school that would house Cedar River Academy and Grant Elementary, which would be removed from the district’s inventory.

Ballot language is due to the county auditor 46 days before city and school elections. At least 25 percent of the number of registered voters in the school district voting in the last election of school officials must sign the petition, according to Iowa Code.

The bond referendum has received wide-ranging support from labor, civic, education partners and local elected officials in the Cedar Rapids community.

“With passage this November, we will ensure that students and teachers can enjoy safe, comfortable, welcoming and accessible learning environments. The bottom line: the plan is focused, affordable and prioritizes student safety,” said Barbra Solbert, public policy strategist with the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and chair of BELIEVE in CR Schools.

Key endorsing organizations include:

Economic Alliance seeks ‘community champions’ to connect with potential residents

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance is seeking “community champions” willing to connect with potential new residents.

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Champion program — launched as part of the broader Collaborative Growth Initiative — aims to connect current residents of Cedar Rapids, Marion or Hiawatha with those interested in moving to the area.

Current residents will provide information, local connections and advice to potential movers, as well as share what makes the greater Cedar Rapids region important and attractive to themselves and their families.

Those interested can fill out an online form at bit.ly/CRChamps for more information. Filling out the link does not lock respondents in as community champions, but rather indicates their interest to the Economic Alliance.

The Collaborative Growth Initiative is a private-public partnership to drive resident recruitment and retention. It is a collaboration between the Economic Alliance and the cities of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Marion.

Johnson County elected officials to hold listening posts at fair

Johnson County elected officials are holding informal listening posts during the Johnson County Fair this week to speak with county residents about any county-related topic.

The listening posts will be at Building D on the fairgrounds, located at 3109 Old Hwy 218 S., Iowa City.

County staff also will have an information booth for the duration of the fair to connect residents with various programs and services.

College Community unveils new logo

The College Community School District this month unveiled a new Prairie Hawks logo.

The district has been engaged in a process of creating a unique Prairie Hawk logo to replace the current one.

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The goal was to create a new Hawk logo that is distinctly “Prairie” — something that embodies “the strength, spirit and uniqueness of our school community,” according to a news release from the district earlier this month.

The new Prairie Hawk logo becomes the district’s official athletic logo starting Jan. 1, 2026. The old logo, visible on all the district’s buildings, fields and uniforms, will be naturally replaced over the coming years.

Johnson County Historic Poor Farm to hold open house Aug. 2

Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, located at 4811 Melrose Ave., Iowa City, is hosting a field day and open house on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

The field day is a free event that includes historic tours, a no-till vegetable demonstration as well as other activities for both children and adults.

In addition various food trucks and area organizations will be at the field day.

The Johnson County Historic Poor farm is on the National Register of Historic Places and is meant to serve as an intact example of the county farm model. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has adopted a plan to continue to preserve the farm over the next decade.

Iowa City Council extends fare free transit program

Two years after it embarked on a pilot program to offer fare-free transit on city buses, the Iowa City Council has voted to extend the program.

Launched in August 2023, the fare free program was intended to remove barriers to public transportation, boost ridership and reduce carbon emissions, all goals that align with the city’s Climate Action Plan.

Transit ridership is expected to increase by 68 percent by the end of the pilot this coming August, which is an annual increase of approximately 710,000 trips. In a news release announcing the extension of the program, the city said national transit ridership has rebounded to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels, but Iowa City Transit's ridership is projected to reach 118 percent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this fiscal year.

The program has saved riders $3 million in fares, and its implementation reduced transportation emissions in Iowa City for the first time in five years, with nearly 1.8 million fewer vehicle miles driven within city limits between 2023 and 2024.

The Fare Free program will continue through fiscal year 2026, which runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The Iowa City Council voted to fund the program through an increase in franchise fees and parking rates.

The program will be evaluated annually to ensure its financial sustainability.

Field Day brewing sells beer to help fund Centennial Park development

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Field Day Brewing recently released Centennial Smash — a strawberry kiwi sour beer — to benefit the capital campaign to raise money for North Liberty’s Centennial Park development project.

The beer is available in the Field Day Brewery taproom, 925 Liberty Way, North Liberty. For every pint sold in the taproom, or every 4-pack purchased to go, Field Day is donating $1 to the capital campaign, with the goal of reaching $50,000. More than $11,500 has already been raised from Centennial Park Pilsner, the first iteration of Field Day’s beneficiary beer.

The Centennial Park project broke ground in 2024 and is expected to be completed in four phases by 2030. Hy-Vee Center, an indoor event venue, will begin hosting events in November, and the connected outdoor stage, Hy-Vee Amphitheater, will host its first season in summer 2026. Future phases include a splash pad, an open-air pavilion and honor garden.

The capital campaign that will help fund the development has raised $3.2 million toward a total of $3.5 million.

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