Update: City Hall calls it 'miscommunication;' no charge for prayer event in Greene Square Park

CEDAR RAPIDS - An organization called Serve The City and the Linn County Association of Evangelicals are co-sponsoring a local celebration on May 6 of the 59th Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer.

Charles Daugherty Sr., of Serve The City, is asking the City Council to waive the city's proposed $325 fee for the local groups to use Greene Square Park downtown for the event.

In a letter to City Hall, Daugherty points out that the bulk of those attending the Thursday event will be in the park for one hour, from noon to 1 p.m.

He adds, too, “We believe that our prayers will be beneficial to the community.”

Late Thursday afternoon, Daugherty's request was answered.

Cassie Willis, the city's spokeswoman, said the prayer group would not be charged for the use of the park after all.

In his letter, Daugherty had pointed out that the event had been held without a city fee for over 20 years on the lawn in front of the Veterans Memorial Building on May's Island.

The event moved to Greene Square Park last year because the city still did not want crowds on the May's Island lawn above the flood-impacted underground parking garage. No park fee was charged a year ago.

The City Council now has asked for a new look at the underground garage's status, but it's not clear if that structural analysis will be complete by May 6.

“We will gladly move back to May's Island when given the green light,” Daugherty says.