FY 2024 City Council Priorities | Q1 Report

CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES QUARTERLY REPORT

Q1 | FY 2024

The Cedar Rapids City Council meets annually to establish goals for the City’s overall direction. City staff track progress in the resulting key priority areas. The following report provides public transparency with an emphasis on communication; ensures alignment with the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Envision CR; and assists in the effective prioritization of resources.

4 FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM/ GREENWAY

5 AFFORDABLE HOUSING

6 STRENGTHEN & STABILIZE NEIGHBORHOODS

7 QUALITY OF LIFE ENHANCEMENTS

8

9

FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM/ GREENWAY

RIVERSIDE SKATE PARK RIBBON CUTTING

In August, we marked the completion and relocation of the Riverside Skate Park with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. We also unveiled the updated playground and additional amenities and features incorporated throughout the park. This collaborative project, led by the Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments, fostered positive public engagement with several community groups.

GREENWAY PARKS PLAN UPDATE

We kicked off the process to update the Greenway Parks Plan in August. Our staff met with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) and the entire consultant team. Late September marked the start of public engagement, including a series of in-person and online opportunities for community members to share their vision. MVVA visited Cedar Rapids and toured Greenway locations in early October. They also joined the first Public Open House for the plan, held on 10/3. To ensure diverse input, we extended efforts to connect with the community at events such as Festival Latino and AsianFest, meeting people where they are.

5TH AVENUE GATEWELL PROJECT

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management announced FEMA officially approved Community Project Funding for our 5th Avenue Gatewell project. This marks a significant step in completing the Flood Control System on the east side of the river. Federal funding in the amount of $1.725 Million, and State funding in the amount of $0.23 Million, will cover 85% of the anticipated project cost.

STICKLE PROPERTY ACQUIRED

The real estate acquisition process for the Stickle property at Cedar Lake concluded successfully. The City’s acquisition of the land and other property rights marks a critical milestone for the completion of the Flood Control System around Cedar Lake.

FLOOD RESPONSE MANUAL UPDATE

Our Public Works Operations team recently updated the Flood Response Manual. The update incorporates new portions of the permanent Flood Control System, updated flood inundation maps, temporary flood-control needs, and an equipment inventory. Maintenance will have heightened emphasis as we continue to bring new parts of the system online. Public Works staff actively engage in such tasks as mowing and inspecting the levee areas to ensure the system’s longterm viability and continued effectiveness. Utilities Department staff inspect and test pump stations to ensure they are in working condition.

Riverside Skate Park 1115 C Street SW

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

CDBG – DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAMS

Cedar Rapids secured affordable housing funding for CDBG – Derecho Disaster Recovery, as follows:

• Multi-Family New Construction — $9M (94 units)

• Development agreements are underway, with projects primarily in Spring 2024; some will be in Fall 2023

• ROOT’s 2.0 — $15M (76 units)

• Development agreements are underway, with projects primarily in Spring 2024; some will be in Fall 2023

• Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation — $2.5M

• Agreement with ECICOG for grant administration

• Program underway with applications made available on 9/27

The City also secured CDBG–Derecho Disaster Recovery funds for these activities:

• Tree & Stump — $3.5M

• Leveraging this grant as part of the ReLeaf Plan for Cedar Rapids

• Generators — $0.4M

• Four (4) local-social service agencies providing emergency-disaster services received awards

NFC UPDATE

The Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC) continues to take part in community outreach, providing information at neighborhood association meetings and attending community events like the City Week Open House. NFC closed 17 loans in the past year.

FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER PROGRAM

The City’s First-Time Homebuyer Program closed for the year, with plans to reopen in March 2024. This year, we provided downpayment assistance to ten (10) low-to-moderate income households. These households received up to $14,999 in assistance with the purchase of their home.

The Heights

1500 2nd Avenue SE

THE HEIGHTS

Construction continues on the transformation of the former Colonial Building. The project will convert previous office space into 25 affordable housing units, slated for completion in March 2024. City Council approved opening a Request for Proposals to identify an entity to own and operate the building throughout a 15-year affordability period. A review committee will provide a selection recommendation to the City Council in November. Following this, the City will enter into a Development Agreement to ensure ongoing compliance throughout the entire 15-year affordability period. The transfer of ownership would occur upon project completion.

WORKFORCE HOUSING TAX CREDITS

Our staff played a crucial role in supporting local project developers through successful applications to the State’s Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program. The applications totaled $3.4 Million in requested credits across 320 new workforce housing units in our community.

STRENGTHEN & STABILIZE NEIGHBORHOODS

CITY ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY EVENTS

We aim to create a bridge between our employees and the community we serve. This year, for the first time, we were thrilled to host City information booths at Juneteenth, CR Pride Fest, Festival Latino, and Asian Fest — in addition to entering a float in the Cedar Rapids Pride Parade. Participating in these festivals, staff heard gratitude from community members, with words like, “Thank you for being here,” and, “Seeing our local government in spaces supporting us is extremely important and needed”. Staff members at all levels volunteered their time and talent. Through these events, our staff reached more than 45,000 community members, highlighting City employment and opportunities to serve on Boards and Commissions.

MOUNT VERNON ROAD RECONSTRUCTION

Two significant construction projects kicked off in the MedQuarter. We will reconstruct the 8th Avenue SE/10th Street SE/Mount Vernon Road intersection into a roundabout. This project will improve safety for vehicular traffic and pedestrians, improve operational efficiency, and establish a visually appealing gateway with brick pavers and median plantings. The MedQuarter supported this project as part of their Master Parkway Improvement Plan. Additionally, the Paving for Progress Project, reconstructing Mount Vernon Road SE between 14th Street and 19th Street, joins with improvements already accomplished along the route — identified in the Council-adopted 2017 Mount Vernon Road Corridor Action Plan.

WESTSIDE LIBRARY PARK

We are in the midst of planning for the Westside Library Park. We engaged with the community through various events this Fall, including an open house at the Ladd Library on 9/27 and additional in-person and online engagement opportunities through 10/13. Our focus has been on gathering input related to desired character elements for the park space. We want to understand preferences such as natural versus built-up areas, passive versus active recreation, and more. Our staff provided the City Council Development Committee a comprehensive update on 9/25.

LIGHTLINE LOOP DESIGN WORKSHOP

In August, we hosted a three-day design workshop for the LightLine Loop project. This initiative aims to transform portions of the Czech Village, spanning from 16th Avenue SW to 21st Avenue, into a vibrant community space — aligning with the Czech Village/New Bohemia Area Action Plan. The project includes the Czech Village Roundhouse, a woonerf, and pedestrian promenade. It received partial funding from a $3 Million Destination Iowa program grant. We actively sought public input on project details and proposed designs through an online visioning survey and in-person charrettes, inviting residents and visitors to share their thoughts. Construction is scheduled from Spring 2025–Fall 2026.

TREE BUD PROGRAM LAUNCH

We launched the Tree Bud program as part of our ReLeaf effort, engaging interested volunteers to assist with watering trees planted in City rightsof-way near their homes. To date, Tree Buds have adopted 170 trees.

QUALITY OF LIFE ENHANCEMENTS

GARDEN PLOTS

Community gardens are a sustainable way to improve residents’ quality of life by supporting healthy lifestyles and providing opportunities to engage with nature. These benefits tie into the goals of the City’s Pollinator and Natural Resources Initiative and the Community Climate Action Plan.

The City previously managed three community garden sites. In October 2022, a fourth site was added at Sinclair Park. City Council adopted the Community Gardens in Parks Plan in April. The Plan will construct future garden sites, with Lincolnway Park slated for 2024 implementation. Our staff also created a resource guide for community members interested in garden plots to assist in the benefits of community gardens.

JONES PARK RE-PURPOSE

September marked the opening of the first project aiming to re-purpose Jones Golf Course into parkland. We celebrated the opening of a ten-court pickleball complex with a ribbon-cutting event. The layout includes five courts on either side of a central, shaded area with electrical outlets. Each court has a four-foot fence around it with an eight-foot fence enclosure.

We engaged the public to create a concept plan for re-purposing Jones Park following Council approval in 2020. The plan included pickleball courts, expanded disc golf, an off-leash dog park, trails, and pollinator habitat. We also recently gave the public an opportunity to review concept designs for the offleash dog park slated for construction in Jones Park in 2024. Designs included a large dog zone, small dog zone, training yard, pond, shelter, and trails. This new amenity will help attract new residents and future employees to the city.

ROLLIN’ REC ROLLS INTO A SUCCESSFUL 4TH SUMMER

The Parks and Recreation Department prides itself on finding creative and effective ways to ensure residents can access recreation opportunities in the community. 2022 was the fourth summer of the Rollin’ Recmobile program and the second summer with two dedicated units bringing mobile recreation opportunities into neighborhood parks. During the 2022 summer

season, Rollin’ Rec units visited 17 different parks every week for nine weeks and appeared at nine community special events. The units engaged 3,580 people, distributed 1,350 free meals, and handed out 310 back-to-school supply kits. The program aims to make recreation more accessible and promote equity within the community by breaking down transportation, financial, and awareness barriers that often exist within communities while promoting healthy and active lifestyles.

RECASSIST PROVIDES BETTER ACCESS

The Parks and Recreation Department’s RecAssist program aims to make programs accessible to more community members. Families that qualify can participate in most programs, including pool passes, at a 50% fee reduction. This past year, the Rec Assist program assisted 765 people with more than $19,383 in reduced fees, allowing more people access to programs and activities that promote healthy and active lifestyles.

INCLUSIVE SWIMMING LESSONS

Identifying a need for the City to offer more inclusive and equitable swim-lesson programming, we launched summer and early fall lessons designed specifically for individuals with disabilities this year The lessons provide a less-stimulating environment, helping participants feel comfortable and safe while learning the importance of water safety and building confidence in skills. Once individuals completed all the levels, they could join the Special Olympics swim team. Unlike traditional swim lessons, participants do not pass or fail. The seven-week program meets twice weekly. Participation is anticipated to increase with more awareness as the program grows.

RESIDENTIAL STREET RECYCLING

In addition to the street improvement work we contract externally, our Public Works-staffed crews complete approximately 50 of their own improvements projects on residential streets each year. Concrete and asphalt removed from projects is recycled by crushing the materials into a reusable sub-base. This summer, we generated 57,109 tons of material that will be used in upcoming projects, continuing street improvements and reducing waste.

HOMELESSNESS

NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS DESIGN CLINIC

We allocated ARPA funding to collaborate with the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). NAEH conducted a two-day Design Clinic, tailored to Linn County, involving local service providers, City and County staff, leadership and other agencies dedicated to supporting our friends, family members and neighbors experiencing homelessness. NAEH provided a list of recommendations to enhance coordination and efficiency across organizations, encouraging the groups to work as “one clock” rather than “separate clocks in a clock shop,” as shown in the analogy below. By regularly reviewing local data and aligning funding with performance measures, we are committed to maximizing the impact of available funds.

OVERSIGHT BOARD AND STAFF PERSON

The top recommendation from the NAEH Design Clinic emphasized the importance of securing funding for a full-time staff person to assist the Oversight Board. In line with this recommendation, the City remains committed establishing the Board, with an inaugural meeting in July 2024. The City and Linn County are collaborating to jointly fund the staff position for 3 years. The City will use Homeless Services funding from the FY24 budget. Linn County also secured their portion of funding for the initial 3-year period.

WINTER OVERFLOW SHELTER

Our team will again work with Linn County to operate the Winter Overflow Shelter, a vital, jointly-funded annual initiative. The project provides a low-barrier shelter during the cold months, spanning from November to March. The primary goal is to prevent health and safety crises for individuals experiencing homelessness during harsh winter conditions. A key focus this year will be ensuring coordination with existing shelters to maximize efficiencies.

CLEAN & SAFE CITY

CITY MANAGER’S ONE-BAG CHALLENGE

After celebrating more than 10 years of program success, the City Manager’s 1-Bag Challenge litter collection program celebrated a record-breaking year of litter collection in July. A total of 7,192 bags of litter were collected in FY23, shattering the previous record of 4,476 bags of litter collected. Resident volunteer individuals and groups, City staff, contracted workers, and Willis Dady clients all contributed to the litter-collection totals. City staff and contracted workers provided litter collection along I-380 and busy street corridors; these efforts contributed more than 2,600 bags to this year’s record-breaking count. Willis Dady participants collected nearly 3,500 bags.

Since its inception in 2012, the City Manager’s 1-Bag Challenge has inspired our community to fill over 30,000 bags of litter. The combined efforts have removed an estimated 300 tons of trash from City streets and highways. In 2012, City Manager Pomeranz challenged every able resident to collect at least one bag of litter each year. Since then, we have survived disasters such as extreme flooding and the 2020 Derecho, and our community continues to come together with resilience and strength to CleanUpCR.

STORM CLEANUP FROM JULY 28, 2023

The Forestry team took proactive measures to clean up following a storm that took place on 7/28. Our staff received and responded to calls and emails throughout August, specifically pertaining to the storm. The team took multiple routes through the city, collecting tree debris on City curbs.

EVENTS COORDINATION

Our Public Works staff coordinated with a number of community events, parades and conferences, including the Downtown Farmers’ Markets and Iowa League of Cities Conference this year. Crews worked overnight to sweep and clean up the downtown, showcasing a Clean & Safe environment for several high-profile events.

RENTAL INSPECTIONS

The Building Services Department continues to inspect all rental units through their rental

inspection program. The program is in year two of a transition from a 5-year re-inspection cycle to a 3-year cycle. Our staff completed approximately 7,000 rental inspections last year. The purpose of the rental inspection program is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all who occupy rental properties in Cedar Rapids.

FIRE ACCREDITATION

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department achieved Commission on Fire Accreditation International Accredited Agency status on August 29 — a culmination of five years of work since the Department’s first accreditation in 2018.

ZERO-EMISSIONS TRANSITION PLAN

The Fleet Services and Transit teams are working with consultant Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc. on our Zero Emissions Transition Plan for light-duty vehicles and buses. The plan includes review of City facilities, a current vehicle and use inventory, and a review of infrastructure needs in consultation with Alliant Energy. The City team will review a draft plan in October.

REMOVAL OF EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB)-INFESTED TREES

Although the City contracts ash removals on City rights-of-way, there are areas with dead ash trees that are not accessible to contractors, or that are too high of a priority to wait for the contractor’s schedule. This group of trees is comprised mainly of very large ash near targets that would be damaged by a full tree failure or smaller ash near busy streets, requiring complex traffic control coordination to remove. Ash trees become brittle after death, adding to the difficulty of the removal and requiring a fast response time to get the trees removed.

FLEET BIOFUELS STUDY

Fleet Services is looking into the potential for use of biofuels in City vehicles and equipment. An innovation team is researching biofuels and opportunities to reduce emissions by 20–75%. The research includes biofuels B20 and B100 use, in place of diesel. Data from this study will be collected by November.

BUSINESS-FRIENDLY

ALLEYWAY COLLABORATION

Public Works worked with local businesses to pave two gravel alleyways in the Czech Village, correcting drainage, reducing dust, and improving access.

PRIVATE INVESTMENT

In FY23, the City of Cedar Rapids saw the secondhighest recorded valuation of construction in history, with a total valuation of close to $525 Million. While under construction, the Building Services Department’s trade inspectors review the developments for compliance with the Building Code in the interest of public safety.

HOME OCCUPATION UPDATES

Our staff are working through updates to the Zoning code related to home-based businesses, often referred to as “home occupations”. Amendments are needed in order to align with recent State legislation. An additional goal is to provide increased clarity and encourage entrepreneurs to pursue activities that are compatible within our neighborhoods.

WORKFORCE ECOSYSTEM

We assembled a staff working group to begin constructing a workforce ecosystem that represents existing workforce and education supports in Cedar Rapids. The purpose of this work is to increase employers’ access to pipelines of skilled workers and identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration.

COLLABORATIVE GROWTH INITIATIVE

We formalized a partnership with the cities of Marion and Hiawatha as well as the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance on a collaborative workforce and population-growth initiative. The City of Cedar Rapids serves as the fiscal and lead agency for the partnership. Development Counselors International (DCI, Inc.) was selected through a competitive process as the consultant which will lead the first phase of the initiative. The project partners will kick-off the project, starting with a community-immersion tour with DCI, in mid-November.

OUTREACH & PROMOTION ACTIVITIES

• 15 retention calls to interstate commerce companies since August 1

• Two (2) Iowa Innovation Podcast episodes sponsored by the City and featuring the Mayor, identifying Cedar Rapids as business-friendly location to grow

• Two community group presentations — CRB&T Business Roundtable and Skogman Commercial – New Agents Classes, representing City Economic Development Programs and functions.

BY THE NUMBERS

Building Services

INSPECTIONS LAST YEAR

3,600 1,400 30,000+

smoke detectors found inoperable carbon monoxide detectors found inoperable rental property violations cited

Community Development

15,364 FY23 TRADE INSPECTIONS

DUAL-USE FACILITIES STUDY 1,200 SURVEY RESPONSES in 48 hours (new City record)

ReLeaf

937 Trees Planted July–Sept. 2023

$3.5 Million GRANT FROM HUD’s CDBG DERECHO RECOVERY GRANT for stump removal & tree planting

July 28 Storm Cleanup

>1,100 Calls taken for a storm that lasted 20–30 minutes

Community Gardens

Wood Chips Generated: 320 cubic yards

Wood Debris Collected: 5,185 CUBIC Yards

394 PLOTS RENTED in 2023 — 100% of all plots!

9,786 FY23 PERMITS ISSUED

Historic Preservation Rehabilitation Projects

13 projects $100,000 in grants

$6 Million GRANT FROM USDA: Forest Service’s Inflation Reduction Act — Urban & Community Forestry

1,600 WORK HOURS UTILIZED, EFFECTIVELY DEDICATING AUGUST TO STORM CLEANUP

Human Resources

$1.5 Million

SAVED IN 2024 WITH NEW PHARMACY PROVIDER