Local Government

Mental health and disability services throughout a nine-county area in East Central Iowa will get a $5.47 million boost after a regional board on Thursday approved spending down much of its end-of-budget year surplus.

The Iowa City Police Department has implemented majority of the recommendations outlined in the 2020 plan to restructure the department toward community policing. The police chief said the plan is “just a start” and now is an opportunity for council to weigh in on next steps.

An engineering consulting firm will conduct a facility condition assessment and present findings to the Iowa City Council later this year. The firm will also offer a recommendation if City Park Pool should be repaired or completely replaced.

The city of Cedar Rapids is working on a five-year plan to upgrade 55,000 water meters throughout the city. The meter and meter-reading equipment replacement will make the technology more efficient and allow most to be read digitally, allowing staff to more quickly access the data.

Also, federal funds boost Forevergreen Road extension in North Liberty, Coralville

As construction continues on the anchors of Cedar Rapids’ $81.5 million mixed-use First and First West site, the development team is planning to bring online other components of the massive project in the urban core.

A portion of Tower Terrace Road in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha, which has been closed for a little over a year for the construction of an interchange connecting the road to Interstate 380, is scheduled to open later this month.

Marion Fire Chief Tom Fagan presented a new strategic plan for the fire department in Tuesday’s Marion City Council Work meeting. The new plan includes a goal to become an accredited fire agency through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International by 2028.

Riding city buses in Iowa City will be free once a two-year pilot program launches in the coming months.

Although the flood wiped out much of the neighborhood, it’s on the cusp of recovery with permanent flood protection on the horizon. Investments from residents and developers are slowly but surely bringing it back to life.

Learn about the different types of infrastructure built into the massive network and how the city is working with the community to build a system that will fortify Cedar Rapids against future flooding.

The cities of Iowa City and Coralville, along with the University of Iowa, worked on various flood control projects to protect the communities from future disasters while also embracing the Iowa River. Here’s how they did it.