Government Notes: Meet Taylor Drift, one of North Liberty's newly named snowplows

North Liberty streets will be Taylor Drift’s stage to clear this winter.

Radio station Z102.9 partnered with the city of North Liberty to name its snowplows — among them Taylor Drift after pop star Taylor Swift.

Other snow names include Snow Worries, Aaron Burrrr after the third U.S. vice president, Snorth Liberty, Frostin’ Plowers, and Penn Street Pulverizer.

City staff named the seventh plow Snojo Dojo Casa Plow, a reference to the Barbie movie.

The city’s six plows will have large name tags on their scoops.

Z102.9 listeners submitted suggestions for names and voted on finalists. One plow driver’s mom called in to pitch an idea.

“Some folks have a negative reaction to snow — especially the further we get into the winter season,” Clare Duffy, co-host of Z102.9’s “The Morning Scramble,” said in a statement. “Naming the snowplows is a way to keep the fun of winter alive all season long.”

Cedar Rapids schools job fair is Tuesday

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is hosting a job fair Tuesday, Dec. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids.

Prospective employees can meet hiring managers and explore career opportunities within the school district.

The district has open positions for teachers, paraprofessionals, coaches, food services assistants, custodians, secretaries, bus drivers and bus attendants.

The job listings can be viewed at applitrack.com/cr/onlineapp.

Linn County awards funds to reduce lead hazards

The Linn County Board of Supervisors last week allocated $596,370 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help residents remediate lead hazards in homes where children live or frequently visit.

Funds help the family and the Linn County Healthy Homes assessor by providing tool kits and providing contract work such as pest control, cleaning work, dumpsters or other resources.

The funds will support community partners by establishing a contract to fix an approved list of hazards when the partners are working with families that financially qualify and that have a child 6 years old or younger, according to county public health officials.

Many families that encounter lead hazards are low-income and live in affordable housing — about half living in rentals and half in owner-occupied in Linn County.

Eligible recipients in owner-occupied homes within the Community Development Block Grant area qualify for funding as long as they have a child under age 6 and are in housing built before 1978, according to Linn County Public Health, and it’s assumed they would be low- or moderate-income households.

Families outside of the CDBG area will have to be at or below 300 percent of the 2023 federal poverty level.

For investor-owned properties, the owner shall own less than 50 rental dwellings. Only three are eligible for this program.

If the property is within the CDBG area, tenants — who are assumed to be low- or moderate-income — automatically qualify for this grant if they have a child under age 6 and the housing was built before 1978.

If the property is outside the CDBG area, tenants will be asked to qualify for this grant instead of the investor owner.

Riverside skatepark earns concrete award

Yes, there’s an award for a project having the best concrete, and Cedar Rapids’ newly rebuilt Riverside skatepark earned it.

The “Excellence in Concrete” award is sponsored by the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the Iowa chapter of the American Concrete Institute. It was given to the city of Cedar Rapids for the skatepark’s relocation.

The city in August opened the facility, in Riverside park at 1501 A St. SW, after building a detention basin as part of its permanent flood control system. The skatepark is now entirely made of concrete, doing away with the previous steel parts, and features 28 obstacles — a variety of quarterpipes, wedges and ledges.

The new skatepark cost about $1.5 million and was funded by Iowa Flood Mitigation funds. Moving and upgrading the skatepark is part of a $20 million detention basin, pump station and flood wall adjacent to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. When the Cedar River floods, detention basins store water until it can be safely pumped back into the river.

Prairie Middle School band director honored

Prairie Point Middle School band director Jeff Schafer was recognized with the Middle School Phillip Sehmann Excellence in Teaching Award from the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association earlier this month.

The award is considered the highest honor bestowed to members of the association. It is given annually to one high school, middle school and elementary band director in memory of Phillip Sehmann, former director of bands at Crestwood Community Schools.

Those given the award display excellence, dedication and commitment to the value of instrumental music education in schools.

Iowa City plants 1,000th tree in Roots program

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Iowa City is celebrating the planting of the 1,000th tree in its Root for Trees program.

Nancy Purington and Mark Tade of Iowa City planted the 1,000th tree, an emerald arrow pine, on their property in mid-November.

The Root for Trees program started in the fall of 2020, after Iowa’s devastating derecho, to expand Iowa City’s tree canopy and diversify the species.

Through the program, which is ongoing, residents can apply for a voucher that subsidizes the cost of a tree planted on residential property.

Vouchers are valid for 50 percent off the retail purchase price of one tree, up to $125 for a $250 tree.

Vouchers for an additional discount off retail price are available for income-eligible households, up to $225 for a $250 tree.

Those interested in the program can visit icgov.org/root4trees and complete the application form.

Sponsor a brick in Marion’s Central Plaza

The city of Marion is selling commemorative bricks in Central Plaza as a way to memorialize connections to Uptown Marion.

For $100, a brick with a personal inscription will be prominently displayed in Marion’s Central Plaza at City Square.

For more information on this campaign or to purchase a brick, visit cityofmarion.org/parksfoundation. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (319) 447-3590 with questions.

Iowa City offering free Black history calendar

Iowa City has a limited number of free 2024 Black History calendars and planners for community members.

The calendars are available, while supplies last, from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Equity and Human Rights Office at City Hall, 410 E. Washington St. The office is closed over the noon hour.

Calendars also can be mailed by emailing humanrights@iowa-city.org.

Marion seeks nominations for Community Impact Award

The Marion Chamber of Commerce and the city of Marion are seeking nominations on the Morris F. Neighbor Community Impact Award. Nominations will be accepted through Jan. 31.

Nominees may be an individual, couple or organization whose volunteerism, service and dedication have made a significant impact in the city.

“The ideal candidate has made a positive difference in the lives of fellow residents, continually volunteers in the Marion community, demonstrates the spirit of collaboration and is enthusiastic about the community and its residents, and models honesty and integrity, exemplary character and leadership either as an individual or through an organization,” according to City Manager Ryan Waller’s weekly memo to the community.

Visit marioncc.org/community-impact-award-nominations to access the nomination form. The award recipient will be recognized and announced by Mayor Nick AbouAssaly at the Marion State of the City event in March.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. Gazette reporters Marissa Payne and Grace King contribute.