Government Notes: I-380 work disrupts traffic near North Liberty this week

The City of North Liberty announced there will be overnight closures and traffic disruptions at the Penn Street interchange at Interstate 380 this week due to an Iowa Department of Transportation project.

The closures include:

The closures are necessary to prepare for work to widen and reconstruct the Penn Street interchange and widen Interstate 380 between Penn Street and the Iowa River starting later this year.

The project is expected to last through 2027.

Iowa City Council Special election primary is tomorrow, Feb. 4

Voters in Iowa City will cast ballots in a primary tomorrow to decide the two candidates who will advance to a March 4 special election for the vacant District C seat on the Iowa City Council.

Three candidates filed to run for the open seat, which was vacated when Andrew Dunn resigned Jan. 1. However, on Jan. 24, candidate Sharon DeGraw announced she was suspending her campaign due to a personal matter. DeGraw’s name will remain on the ballot because it’s too late to have it removed.

Real estate agent Ross Nusser, and Oliver Weilein, who works for System Unlimited serving adults with intellectual disabilities, are still vying for the open seat.

In-person early voting is taking place at the county auditor’s office, located in the county administration building, 913 S. Dubuque St. in Iowa City.

Early voting is available today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Polling places in District C will open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters in District C can confirm their polling place on the Johnson County website at gis.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/pollingplaces.

Election Day voter registration will be available at polling locations.

Johnson County to pursue joint law enforcement facility study

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The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved spending $31,900 for a joint law enforcement feasibility study with the City of Iowa City.

The Iowa City Council will vote to approve its share — also $31,900 — to cover the cost of the study at its meeting Tuesday.

The current Johnson County Jail is overcrowded, posing safety concerns for both inmates and staff, and requiring that some inmates be housed at facilities outside Johnson County. Between 2021 and 2023, the county paid an average of $387,000 per year to house inmates out of county, according to county data.

The Iowa City Police Department is in a similar situation. Officials have said the department’s current space, which is housed within city hall, isn’t fit for long term use due to its age and overcrowding concerns.

Both Johnson County and Iowa City completed space needs assessments of their facilities in the past two years. The two architectural firms that completed the studies — OPN architects and Shive-Hattery — have been meeting to discuss what a joint facility could look like.

The approval of funds by the Iowa City Council would formalize the feasibility study to be completed by Shive-Hattery in conjunction with OPN Architects.

CR Council approves paving projects

The Cedar Rapids City Council took action last week to approve one street repaving project and review bids for another.

The first project is to repave Fifth Avenue SE, from Fifth Street to 19th Street SE. The council awarded a contract to Rathje Construction of Marion for $4,047,613.03. Rathje's bid was lowest of seven bids submitted for the project and is below the city's estimate of $4.39 million. The project will begin this spring and be completed next year.

The council also reviewed bids for a reconstruction project on Third Street SW from Diagonal Drive to Third Avenue SW. Six bids were submitted, with Pirc-Toben Construction of Alburnett being lowest at $2,676,666.15. The bid is below the city's estimate of $2.83 million.

The council is expected to take action on the project at its next meeting.

Cedar Rapids approves pay raise for union employees

The Cedar Rapids City Council took action last week to approve pay raises of 3.5 percent for each of the next two fiscal years for employees who are members of Local 238 of Chauffeurs, Teamsters and Helpers Union.

The 25 affected employees work in the city's Joint Communications Department, which includes dispatchers. The raises would begin on July 1 of this year and next year.

Linn County achieves gold status in UNI resiliency awards

Linn County is among the first recipients of the Resilient Iowa Communities Award established by the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education.

The awards recognize communities of all sizes engaging in best practices in the six categories of buildings and energy; land use; transportation; environmental management; economics and community development; and environmental equity and inclusion.

Award recipients can achieve gold, silver, or bronze status in the six best practice categories. Linn County earned gold status in two categories: land use and community & economic development.

Linn County’s key initiatives include strengthening flood resilience, engaging in comprehensive land use and conservation planning, and fostering regional economic development through collaboration.

Among the county’s accomplishments is its creation of a sustainability department and integrating sustainable practices into other departments and outside partners, including the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG), Emergency Management Agency (EMA), and local municipalities.

“The Linn County Board of Supervisors showed great vision when they dedicated staffing toward creating a resilient future. That vision, in combination with great leadership and teamwork across County departments, has allowed Linn County to be a leader in sustainable work. I celebrate the ingenuity and look forward to continued progress into the future,” Linn County Sustainability Director Cara Matteson said.

The University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education announced the winners of their first annual Resilient Iowa Communities Award for 2024 during a ceremony at the state Capitol last month.

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