Government Notes: Iowa City residents invited to join City Park Pool planning process

The Iowa City Council voted last month to replace City Park Pool, an iconic facility that has served the needs of the Iowa City community since 1948. And now, the public is invited to get involved in planning for the new pool.

The Iowa City Council voted unanimously this week to replace the pool. The vote followed an hourlong presentation of a report prepared by consultants from Williams Associates Architects of Itasca, Ill. The city hired the firm in May to analyze whether the pool should be repaired or replaced.

The city will host two community sessions so the public can meet consultants from Williams Associates Architects of Itasca, Ill., which was hired earlier this year to assess the current pool’s conditions.

The dates and times for the sessions are:

All ages are invited to attend the sessions to provide their ideas and preferences for a new pool. During these events, community members will view images of possible design elements and have the chance to give feedback on these options. There is no presentation planned. Residents may come and go throughout the two hours. Registration is not required.

Focus groups are also planned to gather detailed information about the needs and preferences for the pool. Groups of 15-20 people will meet privately with the consultant team. Up to 14 focus groups will target demographics that reflect the community and represent pool users, as well as those who do not use the pool

Residents interested in participating in focus groups are asked to complete an interest form by 5 p.m. on Oct. 30. The form can be found at https://www.iowa-city.org/Forms/CityPoolFocusGroup.

Emma Goldman Clinic granted historic landmark status

The Iowa City Council voted unanimously last week to designate property at 715 N. Dodge St. – the original location of the Emma Goldman Clinic -- as an Iowa City Historic Landmark.

The clinic last month celebrated 50 years of providing health care to women. The not-for-profit independent organization was founded in 1973. It “empowers people of all gender and sexual identities in all life stages through the provision of quality reproductive health care,” according to its website. The clinic provides abortion and gynecology services, as well as education.

The rezoning was recommended by the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission. According to the commission, the property is significant “for its role in our local feminist history and women’s healthcare.”

Iowa City Council approves $100,000 to fund winter shelter

Iowa City Council members last week approved $100,000 in financial assistance to Shelter House, a local shelter for people experiencing homelessness, to add an additional winter shelter during the coldest months of the year.

Shelter House has provided additional temporary overnight shelter during the winter months since 2015. The agreement provides funding for a winter shelter at 340 Southgate Avenue for 15 weeks from December to March and outlines the requirements for staffing.

The winter shelter is distinct from the permanent emergency shelter at 429 Southgate Ave., which also provides overflow capacity in the lobby as needed during winter months.

Wellington Heights Community Church looks to establish Flourishing Neighborhood Index

The Wellington Heights Community Church is looking to support community development in the neighborhood with a Flourishing Neighborhood Index -- a metric to measure community health and foster engagement.

The Cedar Rapids City Council this week at its Tuesday meeting is slated to vote on a one-time $25,000 grant to the church, housed in the revitalized Paul Engle Center, to support the establishment of the index.

The index is a framework developed by the Atlanta-based Lupton Center. In this process, the church and other stakeholders will conduct door-to-door surveys to engage residents on needs and strengths of the community and draft action steps guiding the neighborhood’s future progress.

“This is a process that equips organizations and neighbors to gather data while building neighborhood collaboration and facilitating communal decision making,” Pastor Stephanie Carter said in a recent council Development Committee meeting.

Carter said an executive summary with findings will help “get a really good story of what is happening in Wellington Heights, what's flourishing? What's going really well and what are some of the things that we can work on improving?” It will also contain recommendations for how to move forward.

This work is non-denominational, so all residents and stakeholders in the Wellington Heights area will be part of this process.

Wellington Heights Community Church has begun a fundraising campaign to cover costs and has received a $25,000 grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, according to council documents. The city funds would match this grant.

Pastor Keeyon Carter said this data will help them plan with the neighborhood on how best to see the neighborhood flourish.

“We are working with the residents,” he said. “We're working with the community not as the experts coming in, but as residents, they are the experts.”

The process will take 18 months to two years to complete, Stephanie Carter said.

“We can build a shared vision together and an understanding with our neighbors and the stakeholders so that we can implement it together as a community because this kind of work can't be done in a silo,” she said.

Linn County awards food access grants

The Linn County Board of Supervisors this week announced a second round of Food Access, Resiliency and Equity grants totaling $115,000 to the following organizations:

The county FARE grants are funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Linn County Food Systems Council. The county Board of Supervisors allocated $250,000 overallce to support local food initiatives to increase food security.

Regina High School Named to Advanced Placement School Honor Roll

Regina High School, a private Catholic school in Iowa City, has been named to the Advanced Placement Program School Honor Roll, the College Board announced last week.

At Regina High School, 86 percent of seniors have taken at least one AP exam during high school, 60.9 percent of seniors have scored a three or higher on at least one AP exam, and 48.8 percent of seniors have taken five or more AP exams. Regina currently offers 16 AP courses taught by seven teachers.

The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.

College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies -- with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both -- while still in high school. Through AP courses in 38 subjects, each culminating in a challenging exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue — skills that prepare them for college and beyond.

“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement, and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program with the College Board. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance – they represent the best of our AP program.”

Contract awarded for Gilbert Street bridge replacement

Iowa City Council members awarded a more than $3.7 million construction contract to remove and replace the Gilbert Street bridge over Ralston Creek with a new four-lane concrete span with 6-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides. Water mains will be improved north of the bridge and storm sewer upsized to provide greater capacity and alleviate street flooding during heavy rainstorms from Court Street to Ralston Creek.

Construction of a new bridge was delayed after no bids were received for the project this past spring.

The city received three bids, with Boomerang Corp. of Anamosa as the lowest responsible bidder. The construction cost estimate for the project was $3.2 million.

A 2019 bridge inspection identified advanced deterioration of the bridge deck and super structure, with “significant cracking and spalling at the north bridge approach that currently requires frequent maintenance,” according to a city memo. “Widespread minor damage and bank slump is noted in the channel and there is no traffic barrier separating pedestrians from vehicles.”

The bridge was constructed in 1972.

Construction of the new bridge is slated to begin in March and be completed in November 2024.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Tom Barton, Marissa Payne and Grace King contribute.