Government Notes: Linn County to host public hearing on data center ordinance

County supervisors are seeking community feedback on a draft ordinance outlining where and how data center development can occur in Linn County.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors will host a public hearing and preliminary vote on the draft ordinance at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Palo Community Center, 2800 Hollenbeck Rd.

Members of the public are invited to attend in person or virtually, and a meeting recording will be uploaded to the county website.

As drafted, the ordinance would create a new exclusive-use zoning district with specific parameters and application requirements for large-scale data center developments proposed within unincorporated Linn County.

Any large-scale data center developer looking to build in unincorporated Linn County would be required to undergo the rigorous application process outlined within the code.

That includes the submission of a major site plan with a description of the project, development timeline, site layout and an estimate of the number of jobs that would be created as a result of the project.

The applicant would also be required to complete and submit a water study “demonstrating there is sufficient reliable water supply to meet all projected water demands without undue adverse impacts on existing users, aquifers or watersheds.”

To review the code in full, visit the Linn County Planning & Development website.

The code will require three rounds of supervisor approval before it can take effect. The second and third readings are scheduled for Feb. 9 and 11, respectively.

Cedar Rapids schools’ survey closes Tuesday morning

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is currently surveying families, students, staff and the community as it gathers input ahead of a decision to reconfigure the district. The survey is open for responses until 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

The district is reducing its spending after more than a decade of declining enrollment — exacerbated by a sudden and unexpected enrollment drop of 622 students this year — and few budget reductions made in that time.

Earlier in January, the school board approved a plan to reduce almost $13 million from the district’s annual budget, but more spending cuts are needed. The district is considering proposals for consolidating and closing schools in an effort to reduce at least $6 million more from the district’s annual budget.

Last week, the school board heard from community members and staff about three viable options for reconfiguring the district. The first would create intermediate schools, a second would create middle schools for grades five through eight, and the third option would have just two high schools in the district.

Information about the three plans — and a link to the survey — is available on the district’s website at bit.ly/CRSchoolsSurvey.

The school board will vote on a proposed plan for community review and feedback at its meeting Feb. 9. Throughout the spring, district officials will take that proposal to families and the community for additional feedback and deeper conversation.

The school board is expected to make a final decision on consolidations in April, with changes not taking effect until Fall 2027.

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Marion sets date for annual ‘State of the City’ event

The city of Marion has set the date for its annual “State of the City” address.

The event is set to take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 9, at the DoubleTree by Hilton convention complex in Cedar Rapids. This year, the theme is “City of Opportunity.”

Mayor Nick AbouAssaly will provide the annual address to highlight progress over the past year and share forward-looking initiatives to watch out for in 2026.

The event also will recognize this year’s Morris F. Neighbor Community Impact Award winner to honor an individual or organization within the community whose volunteerism has had a positive impact on Marion.

To reserve a spot at the event, visit cityofmarion.org/SOC. All reservations are due by Feb. 27.

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Cedar Rapids Council OKs land sale to Habitat for Humanity

The city of Cedar Rapids has approved the sale of a southwest Cedar Rapids property to Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity for affordable housing development.

City council members last week unanimously approved the sale of the property at 413 Fifth Ave. SW for $1 through the city’s Saving Properties and Revitalizing Communities program.

The city acquired the plot through a state law that allows for city acquisition of vacant and abandoned properties. Due to the condition of the property at the time of acquisition, the structure previously found there was demolished.

The city issued a request for proposals to eligible nonprofit housing developers, and Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity was the sole applicant for the plot.

Per council documents, the nonprofit intends to build one new house on the property. Work on the project should begin within six months.

“This program continues to be just a terrific one from start to finish,” City Council member Ashley Vanorny said ahead of the council’s recent vote. “I really appreciate all the intentionality behind all these programs that allow us to put neighbors back into these communities.”

Johnson County Supervisors to consider Department of Homeland Security funding resolution

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors plans to consider a resolution that calls for Congress to restrict funding to the Department of Homeland Security unless certain “guardrails” are put in place.

The board plans to consider and vote on the resolution at its formal meeting Thursday.

The resolution calls for Congress to deny any additional funding requests without certain protocols such as to “stop using masked agents for immigration enforcement actions, and prohibiting enforcement at sensitive locations,” eliminating the use of for-profit prisons and independent investigations into agent conduct.

It also asks for “an end to Border Patrol deployments and an end to ICE and CBP’s lawless surges in cities across the country that are undermining public safety.”

“The Board calls on Congress to deliberate a plan to restructure DHS to bring more accountability to this sprawling agency, to ensure that the Department’s essential national security and public safety functions, including cyber security and emergency management, can be separated from immigration enforcement, and to completely rebuild immigration enforcement agencies from the ground up to stop the culture of lawlessness and ensure guardrails and accountability,” as written in a draft of the resolution.

Should the resolution be adopted, a copy will be sent to each member of the state’s congressional delegation.

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