116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Government Notes: Linn County gears up for $5.7 million more in derecho recovery funds
Federal funds will help with tree replanting, generators
The Iowa Economic Development Authority this week will accept applications for federal funds to assist communities with recovery from the 2020 derecho.
The Cedar Rapids City Council this week is slated to approve resolutions of support for the applications, which open Friday, for a slice of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery dollars.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated the funds to the state to divvy up among disaster-affected counties, with Linn County receiving the lion’s share — about $46 million overall to go toward housing and other things.
For the Tree Canopy and Tree Replacement Program, IEDA has made $4.4 million available in Linn County for stump removal and tree planting on public property or rights of way. The money includes funds for watering the new trees for two years.
All stump removal and tree plantings must occur in areas where at least 51 percent of the residents are at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
Cedar Rapids officials estimate the funds will assist with the stump removal or planting of approximately 4,400 trees.
Another $1.3 million is available to “critical facilities” in Linn County that need a generator to provide power in times of disaster. The money will buy about 13 large facility generators.
According to the city, agencies interested in applying for the generators include Willis Dady Homeless Service, Catherine McAuley Center, The Salvation Army, Eastern Iowa Health Center, Foundation 2 and the Cedar Rapids Community School District.
Awards for both programs are anticipated in May.
Iowa City adding pedestrian improvements to Riverside Drive
Iowa City will be adding pedestrian improvements to a portion of Riverside Drive later this year.
The Iowa City Council approved the project, estimated at $520,000, last week as part of its consent agenda.
A sidewalk will be installed on the west side of Riverside Drive under the Iowa Interstate Railroad Bridge, along with street and pedestrian level lighting and trees from Benton Street to the Iowa Interstate Railroad. This is the portion of Riverside Drive by the Riverview West apartments.
The project also includes storm sewer and sanitary sewer upgrades to support the Riverfront West development. The $160,000 in construction costs will be reimbursed by Scannell Properties, the developer.
The work is in line with the city’s streetscape master plan for the South Riverside Drive Corridor, Assistant City Engineer Scott Sovers wrote in a memo to council.
Work should be completed by this fall.
Scannell Properties is working on a new student housing development called Riverfront West at the corner of South Riverside Drive and Myrtle Avenue, north of the railroad. A sidewalk from the railroad to Myrtle Avenue will be installed as part of the project.
Iowa City lending $300K for Downtown District's alley improvement project
The Iowa City Downtown District, with a loan from Iowa City, will improve the alley between Basta, St. Burch Tavern and other businesses in the city’s downtown.
The city has received numerous complaints about the cleanliness of the private alley — which is to the east, southeast and south of 121 Iowa Ave., according to a memo from city staff.
Improving the alley’s surface will improve access for trash and snow removal and will convey water away from building foundations.
The $300,000 will be lent from city reserve funds and paid back at 1 percent interest over 10 years.
Ownership of property in the private alley is divided among 15 surrounding property owners. In collaboration with the owners, the Downtown District developed a plan to make improvements for a “cleaner and safer environment,” the memo said.
The Iowa City Council approved the loan agreement last week as part of its consent agenda.
Coralville hires new finance director
The city of Coralville has hired Melissa Christianson as its next director of finance.
Christianson succeeds Tony Roetlin, who was the city’s director of finance for the last decade.
Christianson has nearly 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. She was most recently the senior director of finance at Kirkwood Community College.
Before that, Christianson was an accouting instructor at the University of South Dakota and lead financial analyst at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in South Dakota. Christianson also has worked as an accountant at several private firms.
Christianson, a Coralville resident, has a Ph.D. in business from the University of Cumberlands in Kentucky and a master’s in professional accountancy from the University of South Dakota.
The finance director is responsible for planning and managing the city’s financial operations. Christianson will oversee personnel responsible for treasury, accounts payable/receivable, utility billing, financial reporting, payroll, debt management and procurement.
Cedar Rapids schools receive grant for bus driver training
The Cedar Rapids Community School District was awarded $98,990 from Future Ready Iowa for entry-level school bus driver’s training to help offset the costs of implementing new state training requirements.
Last December, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the new training program to provide more opportunities for drivers to obtain their commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Iowa. The Cedar Rapids district was among 46 school districts and businesses to receive funding, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced last month.
“This training means drivers will receive more classroom training and behind-the-wheel training before they are licensed to drive a school bus,” Cedar Rapids schools transportation manager Scott Wing said in a news release. “This grant will help offset our training expenses and allow us to continue training our new bus drivers at no cost to them or for the district.”
Metro High hosts annual alternative education conference
Metro High School in Cedar Rapids hosted the Iowa Association of Alternative Education’s annual conference last week at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Center.
Last Thursday at Jefferson High School, renowned neurodiversity activist and author Jonathan Mooney shared his personal experiences as someone with dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.
Mooney — who didn’t learn to read until he was 12 — talked about the latest theories, research and examples of how to support neurodivergent students.
Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Marissa Payne, Izabela Zaluska and Grace King contribute.
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