116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Government Notes: Marion Council approves sale agreement for airport runway
Also, the city of Cedar Rapids and Cedar Rapids schools will host an open house to discuss a green schoolyard initiative
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After a turbulent bidding process, the Marion Airport runway is set to change hands by the end of the month.
Marion City Council members last week approved a purchase agreement and memorandum of understanding with 530 Investments LLC for the purchase of the city-owned runway.
The company will pay the city $500,000 to purchase the runway while the remainder of the airport will remain under the ownership of LuxAir, a private company formed in 2015.
Per the terms of the sale, 530 Investments will maintain the land as a runway for at least 10 years in return for a rebate on a portion of its city property taxes up to a maximum of $50,000.
The city also will cooperate with any plans for the buyer to extend the runway up to 4,000 feet, although it will not be expected to cover any expenses related to that expansion. The runway currently spans 3,775 feet.
Council members directed staff to prepare the purchase agreement at a May 8 meeting where 530 Investments was identified as the only potential buyer to put in an offer for the runway.
The city first put out a request for proposals in February. No bids were received by the initial deadline, so council members voted to close the runway by June 30 in a move that would have effectively halted all flights to and from the airport.
The council reversed course shortly thereafter, however, and voted March 20 to reissue the request for proposals at a lower asking price. 530 Investments LLC was the only bidder to respond to the second request.
Cedar Rapids, district host open house to discuss green schoolyard initiative
The city of Cedar Rapids is hosting an open house this week for those interested in learning more about the city’s recent Nature Everywhere Community designation and its implications for area schools.
The open house and ice cream social will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Indian Creek Nature Center, 5300 Otis Rd. SE., and will include a brief presentation and opportunities for public feedback.
The city in March was named a Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community by the Children & Nature Network, a nonprofit that works to make nature more accessible for youth across the country.
Through the designation, a core committee of Cedar Rapids leaders will spearhead the local initiative to bring more greenery to school yards across the city. Potential options include new outdoor classrooms, native gardens, walking trails and more.
Strategic partners involved in the project include the city, the Cedar Rapids Community School District and the Indian Creek Nature Center. As part of their work, the collaborative will seek community feedback to help create a vision for increasing nature access.
Tuesday’s open house is one such opportunity for public outreach and education. If you can’t make the event, however, you can provide feedback online at bit.ly/CRgreenyards.
Iowa City Pedestrian Mall playground to close for resurfacing
The Iowa City Pedestrian Mall playground will be closed until June 21 to allow for resurfacing work.
The cost for the work is being covered by the general contractor and comes at no additional cost to the city after previous resurfacing work began to show signs of deterioration.
City officials have noted that the playground may look open before June 21, but the surfacing requires a period of time to fully cure before it is ready for use.
Cedar Rapids schools names new principals
The Cedar Rapids Community School District Thursday announced new principals at several school buildings pending board approval.
Sam Hostetler will become the next principal of Jefferson High School, effective July 1, pending board approval.
He will succeed Jessica Auliff, who is moving to a new role as principal of Wright Elementary School.
Hostetler has been the associate principal of Jefferson High with over a decade of experience and a background in special education.
At Wilson Middle School, Charlie Goetzinger has been named the next principal effective July 1, pending board approval.
Goetzinger has 14 years of experience within the Cedar Rapids district, having served as a teacher, facilitator and most recently as an associate principal at Jefferson High.
“I’m excited to partner with the incredible staff at Wilson to continue improving the experiences of all our stakeholders — students, families, community, and staff alike. I look forward to connecting with each of you and working together to make Wilson a place where everyone thrives,” Goetzinger said in a news release from the district.
The Cedar Rapids district also named Jennifer Van Fleet as new executive director of student services pending board approval.
Van Fleet has more than 15 years of experience in public education, most recently serving as the state and federal programs specialist for the Davenport Community School District.
Her leadership has focused on Multi-Tiered System of Supports, English Learner programming, at-risk services and equity-drive student support.
“I am honored to join the Cedar Rapids team and excited to support the incredible work already happening across the district. I look forward to building strong relationships and ensuring every student receives the support they need to thrive,” Van Fleet said.
Linn County Mental Health Access Center seeking public feedback
The Linn County Mental Health Access Center is seeking public feedback to help identify its strengths, weaknesses and potential growth areas.
The 24/7 center offers mental health and substance abuse crisis services for walk-in or referral service at 501 13th St. NW in Cedar Rapids.
The county-run mental health crisis center — which celebrated its fourth anniversary earlier this year — seeks feedback annually to understand community perceptions and plan for future growth initiates.
The public can provide that feedback through an online survey available at bit.ly/MHAC25. The survey is open through 5 p.m. June 20, and all responses will be anonymous unless respondents choose to include their contact information for additional follow-up.
In the brief survey, respondents will be asked to provide information on what they see as the strengths of the access center, as well as potential areas for improvement or increased collaboration.
Marion installs ‘Walk Your Wheels’ signage in Uptown district
In an effort to promote pedestrian safety, the city of Marion has installed sidewalk signage in the Uptown area reminding bicyclists to “walk their wheels.”
The signage is part of an effort to reduce potential conflict points between bikes and pedestrians. The city’s designated Walk Your Wheels zones are located on Sixth, Seventh and Eighth avenues between 10th and 13th streets.
Per city ordinance, those using bicycles or scooters in that area must either move to the street for continued operation or walk on the sidewalk alongside the bike/scooter.
The ordinance does not apply to disabled citizens who use specially equipped bicycles for accessibility reasons or to children under the age of 13 and their accompanying adult.
Linn-Mar seniors intend to be future educators
Eight students who graduated from Linn-Mar High School last month signed a symbolic letter of intent to join the future workforce as an educator.
This is the fourth year the district has encouraged students to consider returning to Linn-Mar after completing their postsecondary education.
By signing a letter of intent, the Linn-Mar district is promising to offer them an interview with the district once they finish their studies.
The students are Sydney Rose, Abigail Zieser, Caroline Stoddard, Ross Ruehlow, Reagan Keith, Hayden Depuydt, Vania Baird, and Alivia Corbett.
Iowa City Fire Department community survey
The Iowa City Fire Department is asking residents to complete an online community survey by June 30 at 11:59 p.m.
The Fire department is looking for feedback on the importance of different department services such as public education, Emergency Medical Services, and fire suppression.
Feedback from the survey will be used to help shape the department’s strategic priorities.
Iowa City area residents can complete the online survey at bit.ly/ICfiresurvey.
Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. The Gazette’s Grace King, Grace Nieland and Megan Woolard contributed.
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