Government Notes: Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center to expand

The Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center plans to add a 1,400 square foot multipurpose room near the south side of the facility by the end of next year.

The new multipurpose room will be used for animal training, event space and overflow animal housing.

City Council approved putting the project out for bid last week. The city hopes to award a construction contract before the end of the year and have the space open by next spring.

Back in February the council approved an agreement with the Friends of Animal Center Foundation. The agreement states that the foundation will pay for 100 percent of the construction costs for the facility expansion.

Iowa City plans to sell 20 acres of land to MidAmerican Energy

Iowa City Council unanimously approved the sale of 20 acres in the city’s industrial park near the 420th street corridor. Once the final deal is approved, MidAmerican will pay a little over $1 million for the land.

The purchase agreement is contingent on one of MidAmerican’s plans to sell around 2 acres of its land near Muscatine Road.

City Council approved the sale of the other 20 acres of city-owned land in the area to PJP Holdings back in August.

“ … Staff are currently working with all the parties to move those pieces forward with the goal of closing by the end of the year, as stated in that purchase agreement. And then after in assuming that we close on both of these land sales with PJP and with Mid American, that'll be the last of the property that we have available in the industrial park,” said Iowa City Economic Development Coordinator Rachel Kilburg Varley, at a city council meeting.

Linn County collecting winter weather clothing donations

The Linn County Mental Health Access center is collecting winter clothing donations to provide to community members in need.

The center recently launched its closing drive in preparation for the upcoming winter season. All donations will be reallocated to those who would otherwise be unable to afford them.

Residents are invited to drop off new or gently used winter clothing to support the program with an emphasis on pants, sweaters, sweatshirts, gloves and hand warmers.

Donations can be dropped off any time before Nov. 9 at the 24/7 access center at 501 13th St. NW in Cedar Rapids.

I.C. school board to discuss ‘continuum of services’ Tuesday

The Iowa City school board has a board work session Tuesday immediately following their regular meeting to discuss “continuum of services.”

The discussion follows a presentation on continuum of services to the school board last month where district officials reviewed how special education staff and resources are allocated, policies related to violence, and guidance for student discipline.

At that same meeting, a dozen people spoke on behalf of a teacher who says she was harmed by a student.

The presentation last month reviewed injury response protocol, which states when an employee is injured at school, the injury must be reported to the principal and assessed by the school nurse. An electronic accident report is to be completed, which alerts the human resources department.

The presentation affirmed a commitment to seek feedback and adapt plans and procedures to meet the needs of students and staff.

The district plans to establish a centralized data review team to evaluate office referrals and resolutions, academic performance, attendance and truancy, and special education eligibility.

The Iowa City school board meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Educational Services Center Room 200, 2255 N. Dubuque Road, Iowa City.

The work session is to immediately follow the meeting.

New K-9 joins Cedar Rapids Police Department

The Cedar Rapids Police Department has gained another four-legged officer with the addition of Riggs, the department’s newest K-9.

Riggs, a 1.5-year-old Belgian malinois, joins the department from the North Carolina kennel where he was born. He is trained in narcotics detection and patrol tactics, per a recent department announcement.

He will join the Cedar Rapids Police Department’s K-9 Unit, a specialized support team that pairs highly trained dogs with capable handlers to assist in law enforcement activity.

The unit includes six narcotics detection dogs, one explosives detection dog and one scene-discriminating bloodhound.

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City of Marion, YMCA partner for community days

Marion residents can now get a special one-day rate at the Marion YMCA & Community rec center through a new Community Days program.

The Marion YMCA, located at 3740 Irish Drive, recently partnered with the city to offer a special one-day access rate to all city residents on the final Sunday of each month.

Community Day rates are $10 a day for children, $20 a day for adults or $35 for a family pass. If one is not already on file, waivers will be required at check-in to participate.

Participants will have complete access to the YMCA’s facilities, which include several gymnasiums, exercise areas, an indoor pool and more. Operating hours for the fall and winter will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Sunday.

Learn more by visiting crmetroymca.org and clicking on the Marion YMCA tab.

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Fall Leaf Vacuum Collection begins today in Cedar Rapids

The Fall Leaf Vacuum program begins today and runs through Dec. 5. Residents can expect leaf collection every other week based on where they live.

Leaf collection in the southeast and northeast quadrants will be on Monday/Tuesdays in alternating weeks. Leaf collection in the southwest and northwest quadrants will be on Wednesday/Thursdays in alternating weeks.

Residents can consult a calendar online at CityofCR.com/Leaf to identify when their leaves will be collected. They can also call the Solid Waste and Recycling Division at (319) 286-5897 to determine their collection day. To ensure residents always know when leaves will be collected, the City offers text and email alerts at CRNewsNow.com, as well as through the Mobile CR app at CityofCR.com/App.

Residents should have their leaves raked to the parking area or grass next to the street in front of their homes by 7 a.m. on the respective Monday or Wednesday of their quadrant’s collection period.

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If heavy volumes prevent collection as scheduled, crews will finish collecting leaves in each quadrant before moving onto the next. Fridays and Saturdays will be used as makeup days. If weather or leaf volume slows service, the Cedar Rapids Solid Waste and Recycling Division will strive to reach any missed properties by Thursday (for quadrants with collection beginning Mondays) or Saturday (for quadrants with collection beginning Wednesdays). The number of leaf trucks deployed is ramped up as the volume of leaves increases during the program.

Do not rake leaves into the street. Leaves must be kept out of the street and away from obstacles like mailboxes, signs, poles and trees. The vacuum truck will not collect leaves from alleys. Leaf piles should be free from brush and debris. Sticks and twigs can be placed in the yardy cart. Litter should be bagged and placed in the GARBY garbage can. Residents are asked not to park cars in front of leaf piles; the trucks will not be able to collect the leaves if cars are blocking piles.

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