Government Notes: Johnson County offices return to renovated administration building

The Johnson County Planning, Development and Sustainability Office will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 27 to facilitate the department’s move to its permanent location on the second floor of the renovated Administration Building, located at 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City.

The department will reopen Wednesday Aug. 28 and resume normal business hours.

The County Assessor’s office will be closed Thursday Aug. 29. The office will resume normal business hours Friday Aug. 30 at its new location, also on the second floor of the Administration Building.

The Johnson County Administration Building has been undergoing a renovation since August 2023, a project that was proposed years ago. The project, whose contract has a price of $7.3 million, is being funded with a combination of American Rescue Plan Act dollars and money from the county’s general fund. Taxes were not increased to pay for the project.

Improvements include HVAC system upgrades, fire safety measures, elevator upgrades and additional emergency upgrades.

The project is being completed in three phases. Final completion is expected in January 2025.

Hills Elementary to be demolished

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The Iowa City school board will consider demolishing Hills Elementary School in its consent agenda Tuesday, a decision announced by the school district in a news release last week.

The meeting is open to the public and will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City.

The cost to demolish the school is $41,850 with a possible start date of Aug. 28, and completion date of Nov. 30, according to board documents.

District administrators are recommending to the school board the demolition project be approved and awarded to MMS Consultants of Iowa City. It would be funded by SAVE — Secure an Advanced Vision for Education — an existing statewide sales tax allocated to districts based on certified enrollment.

The school at 301 Main St. in Hills closed to students at the end of the 2023-24 school year in a decision by the Iowa City school board that was opposed by residents. Closing the school is saving the district $1.66 million annually and preserve educational programs and staff as Iowa schools continue to face budget shortfalls.

Starting Friday, students who previously attended Hills Elementary began attending Alexander Elementary School, 3571 Sycamore St. in Iowa City.

Coralville’s North Ridge Playground Grand opening

An opening ceremony for Coralville’s North Ridge Playground, located in North Ridge Park, 2250 Holiday Rd., will be held Tuesday Aug. 27 at 5:45 p.m.

The opening ceremony is called “First Feet for Fun,” and will include everyone stepping onto the playground together to try out the new equipment. The playground features zip lines, swings, balancing pods, ping pong tables and more.

The $485,000 project was funded through a mix of city reserve funds, urban renewal funds, local grants and community donations.

The new playground replaces the original structure, which was installed in 1998.

Popsicles will be available at the opening ceremony while supplies last. Residents are encouraged to walk or bike to the event, or to park on South Ridge Drive or Parkway Drive.

Marion prepares to open new Public Works Facility

The City of Marion is preparing to move into its new Public Works Facility, 202 44th St.

The move to the new facility will start today, according to a weekly memo from City Manager Ryan Waller. To ensure minimal disruption to city services, the current facility on 35th Street will remain open through Sept. 10.

The city expects it will open the doors of the new building to the public on Sept. 3. A ribbon cutting is planned for later in September.

Signage will direct residents from the old facility to the new facility. The city’s recycling and yard waste drop-off facilities, both located on 35th Street, will continue to operate in those spaces with the same hours.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Grace King and Megan Woolard contributed.