Linn providing $17,500 for Czech Village district

Linn County will support redevelopment efforts in Cedar Rapids' New Bohemia and Czech Village neighborhoods for another year.

Supervisors voted Wednesday morning to spend $17,500 from their economic development fund on a grant for the Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street District. Over the past two years, they've allocated $20,000 to the New Bo City Market, a major neighborhood project managed by a separate organization.

"I understand the need for another year (of funding)," said Supervisor Brent Oleson, R-Marion. "We need to start thinking about tapering off, so we're not a permanent funder."

The appropriation was approved 4-0, with Supervisor Lu Barron abstaining. Barron, D-Cedar Rapids, is a member of the group's board.

Czech Village/New Bo executive director Jennifer Purden said the county money will help fund the group's marketing and development efforts for the coming year. The balance of the group's $156,100 annual budget came from the city and donations and grants from private sources including the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, Purden said.

Purden said the group's current focus is developing a master plan for neighborhood redevelopment taking into account historic preservation guidelines and funding sources. Czech Village/New Bo helped neighborhood businesses land $225,000 in grants to restore the facades on their historic businesses and another $600,000, she said.

Supervisors also approved a memorandum of understanding expressing the county's intent to participate in joint planning with Jones and Benton counties under the state's reorganization of services for mental health and developmentally disabled (MHDD) residents. The state strongly encourages counties form the cooperatives to ensure a uniform level of services are offered across Iowa.

"It's a formal signal to the other supervisors that we are very interested," said Supervisor Linda Langston. She added other area counties may join the effort.

An $83,365 contract extension with Premis Consulting of Chicago was also approved. The firm is

managing an upgrade, nearly a year overdue for completion, of the county treasurers' property tax software to allow online records access.