Government Notes: Linn County Supervisors vote Wednesday on proposed nuclear energy ordinance

The Linn County Board of Supervisors this week will hold a final vote on the county’s proposed nuclear energy ordinance.

Supervisors will vote on the matter Wednesday at their 10 a.m. board meeting. Members have twice voted in favor of the draft ordinance, but three readings are required before it can take effect.

As written, the ordinance would create a new exclusive use zoning district with its own application process and unique zoning requirements for nuclear energy generating and/or waste storage facilities.

Applicants would be required to submit a general application form, major site plan and an application fee to be established by the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

Project leaders also would need to submit a completed economic development plan and enter into a “host community agreement,” or HCA, with Linn County to cover county costs associated with hosting a nuclear energy facility.

The code was drafted in a way that focuses on local impacts while leaving the majority of safety considerations to overarching federal regulators at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

“The Linn County Board of Supervisors is not the final say on a nuclear power plant being open and operated in Linn County,” said District One Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt. “With this ordinance, we are doing the best job we can to give a voice to the citizens of Linn County on (the subjects) are able to.”

Public comment will be taken prior to Wednesday’s vote. The meeting will be held in the boardroom of the Jean Oxley Public Service Center, 935 Second St. SW in Cedar Rapids.

The meeting also will be livestreamed and a recording will be made available on the Linn County website.

City of Marion unveils new Uptown sculpture

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Marion’s Central Plaza project has taken another step forward with the installation of a new city sculpture.

City officials and area residents gathered at the plaza late last week to celebrate the unveiling of “Echos of Marion,” a new public art piece recently installed in City Square Park.

The large, mirrored sculpture is meant to mimic the city’s natural environment by reflecting the ever-changing images of the local cityscape.

“Echos of Marion mirrors the native flora around it, inviting viewers to see themselves woven into the natural world,” a city statement reads. “It serves as a tribute to the community’s past, present and future — shaped by its history, inspired by its present and guided by a vision for tomorrow.”

The sculpture was sponsored by the Marion Chamber of Commerce and designed by Los Angeles artists Gavin and Kelley Brodin. It was part of the larger $8.35 million Central Plaza revitalization project that celebrated substantial completion this spring.

The overall project included the addition of a refrigerated ice loop, water features, public seating and the enclosure of the nearby Depot Pavilion.

Cedar Rapids Council awards first contract for F Avenue NW improvement project

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The Cedar Rapids City Council has selected a local contractor to kick-start the F Avenue flood control improvement project.

Council members last week voted 8-0 to award the $576,738 contract to Walford-based Schrader Excavating & Grading Company for stage-one improvements near F Avenue and Third Street NW.

The project will include the reconstruction of Third Street NW, the addition of temporary pavement to convert E Avenue NW to two-way traffic and additional infrastructure improvements.

Work on the project will begin in September with a completion date of Nov. 11.

Phase one will clear the way for a larger $7 million flood control project in the area set to take place during the 2026 and 2027 construction seasons.

Those improvements include the construction of a flood levee that will extend along F Avenue NW toward I Avenue NW.

To complement that development, F Avenue will be reconstructed to rise over the levee and be converted to two-way traffic and a new roundabout will be added at the intersection of F Avenue and Third Street.

Linn County wins award for property tax transparency tool

Linn County has received a national innovation award for its online property tax transparency tool.

The county recently received the Special Achievement in GIS award from Esri, a global geographic information system software leader that annually recognizes organizations for innovative uses of GIS technology to solve complex community problems.

The award recognizes the collaboration between the county’s GIS department and the Linn County Treasurer’s Office to create an online tool to explain the property tax collection and distribution process.

“There’s a common misconception that Linn County keeps all of the property taxes it collects,” Linn County Treasurer Brent Oleson said in a news release. “In reality, County Treasurers collect property taxes on behalf of all jurisdictions in the county ... and then distributes those dollars accordingly. This tool allows residents to see exactly how their taxes are distributed and provides a clear picture of where their money goes.”

The online tool uses interactive maps, dashboards and charts to explain the property tax billing cycle, countywide property tax statistics, relevant levy rates and distribution patterns.

By searching their address on the site, property owners can see how their property tax dollars are distributed among taxing jurisdictions such as their city, school district and Linn County — down to the exact dollar amount and percentage.

They can also compare their current tax bill to the past three years and see how their taxes compare to similar properties nearby.

Residents can explore the interactive tool online at through the property tax website found at linncountyiowa.gov.

Westwood schools using AI gun detection technology

Another Iowa school district is using artificial intelligence gun detection technology with the goal of better protecting students and staff.

The Westwood Community School District, south of Sioux City in Sloan, added the technology called ZeroEyes this year. The district serves about 575 students in northern Monona County and southern Woodbury County.

“ZeroEyes’ ability to seamlessly integrate with our security app and provide real-time alerts in the event of a potential threat adds a critical layer of proactive protection for our staff and students,” Jay Lutt, superintendent of Westwood district, said in a news release last week. “This added safety measure aligns with our mission to help every student reach their fullest potential by fostering a secure environment. The response from our community and parents has been overwhelmingly supportive.”

ZeroEyes aims to reduce response times and provide valuable situational awareness to the location of a threat, the gun type and a description of the perpetrator to first responders. This potentially could save lives in active shooter situations, company officials said.

Once the AI technology detects a weapon, the image is sent to ZeroEyes’ operations center, where a human can confirm whether a firearm is present.

There are more than 15 school districts in Iowa that use the technology. ZeroEyes has its headquarters in Philadelphia and was founded in 2018. Their technology is in hundreds of school districts worldwide, Carter said.

Earlier this year, the Union Community School District entered into a five-year contract with ZeroEyes, costing the district just over $43,000 a year for five years. It is being paid for through Secure an Advanced Vision for Education — which is funded by a statewide sales tax — and the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, a property tax levy. Both funding mechanisms can be used for infrastructure needs.

Johnson County Auditor warns of voter registration letters

The Johnson County Auditor’s office is warning residents of letters they may have received about their voter registration status. The office said it has become aware of letters being sent telling voters they are not registered to vote.

Neither the county nor the Iowa Secretary of State’s office authorized the letters, so the information may not be accurate.

Anyone looking to confirm their voter registration status can visit johnsoncountyiowa.gov/auditor/elections or call the auditor’s office at 319-356-6004 for more information.

Iowa City Council approves final Governor Street rezoning

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The controversial rezoning of a northside Iowa City property, which would allow for an 84-unit apartment complex, has been approved by Iowa City Council after multiple delays.

The proposed apartment buildings will be about 236 feet long, which those opposed to the rezoning pointed out is the about same size as some city blocks. The development also would include a surface lot and underground parking.

Plans call for demolition of an existing vacant office building and two single-family homes along Governor Street. Along Dodge Street, there are two existing duplexes and two multifamily residences. While they would remain, the development plan would convert one of the duplexes to a single-family home to adhere to zoning standards.

The rezoning request has been controversial because of neighbors’ concerns and because of a legal history between the city and the developer, TSB Holdings, that resulted in a 2018 Iowa Supreme Court ruling.

Iowa City splash pads set to close for the season

Iowa City plans to close down its splash pads for season on Tuesday Sept. 2. The splash pads will open back up after Memorial Day weekend in 2026. The following splash pads will close Tuesday:

The city plans to keep the splash pad in the Pedestrian Mall in downtown open through the end of September.

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