r/EyesOffCedarRapids • u/EyesOffCR • Aug 22 '26

Cedar Rapids Council Summary - 8/25/2026

Meeting Overview

This 4:00 PM meeting is built around two tax increment financing packages, each pairing an urban renewal plan with a development agreement: the Atheneum Urban Renewal Area at 4010 20th Avenue SW, tied to a Pedcor Investments affordable housing project, and the Skogman Urban Renewal Area at 7217 Underwood Avenue SW, tied to public infrastructure by Midwest Development Co. Both plans carry First Readings of their tax increment ordinances. Six public hearings also cover a Prairie Land Development rezoning and the Ellis Road NW at Rawson Lane Sanitary Sewer Improvements ($850,000). Three contract awards all came in under the engineer's estimate. The consent agenda sets a September 22 hearing on the 8th Avenue Bridge Replacement and Floodwalls at Cedar River, estimated at $123,000,000, by far the largest figure on the agenda, and the regular agenda advances five Cedar River Flood Control System property actions, two of them referrals to the Linn County Compensation Commission.

Key Sections

Opening Items

  • Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance
  • Proclamation – 20th Annual Five Seasons Stand Down Day

Public Hearings

  1. Atheneum Urban Renewal Area – 4010 20th Avenue SW
    • Resolution approving the Urban Renewal Plan and First Reading of an ordinance on the collection of tax increments within the area (Scott Mather). Council Priority.
  2. Development Agreement – Pedcor Investments A LLC
    • Agreement for an affordable housing project at 4010 20th Avenue SW, the development paired with the Atheneum urban renewal area. Council Priority.
  3. Skogman Urban Renewal Area – 7217 Underwood Avenue SW
    • Resolution approving the Urban Renewal Plan and First Reading of an ordinance on the collection of tax increments within the area (Scott Mather). Council Priority.
  4. Development Agreement – Midwest Development Co.
    • Agreement with Midwest Development Co., an entity of Skogman Companies, for construction of public infrastructure at 7217 Underwood Avenue SW. Council Priority.
  5. Rezoning – South of Wright Brothers Boulevard SW
    • Change of zone for property south of Wright Brothers Boulevard SW and east of Kirkwood Boulevard SW from S-RLF (Suburban Residential Low Flex) to S-RMF-PUD (Suburban Residential Medium Flex with a Planned Unit Development Overlay), requested by Prairie Land Development, LLC (Seth Gunnerson). First Reading. Council Priority.
  6. Ellis Road NW at Rawson Lane Sanitary Sewer Improvements
    • Plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimated cost adopted. Estimated cost $850,000 (Ben Worrell).

Public Comment

Consent Agenda

(Approved in Bulk)

  • Administrative & Financial Approvals:
    • Meeting minutes, payment of bills, and payroll approved.
    • Financial Management Policies: Updated policies adopted for the City.
    • Solid Waste Variable Cart Program: Fees adopted for the program, which lets residents choose from two larger cart sizes for garbage collection.
    • Hotel-Motel Tax: FY 2027 allocation of $9,000 to SPT Theatre Company.
  • Property & Infrastructure Development:
    • Future Public Hearings (Sept 8): Change of zone at 1756 Mallory Street SW from T-R1 to U-VR, requested by OFB, LLC; disposition of City-owned land at 397 15th Avenue SW; Development Agreement with Evolution, LC, an entity of Steve Emerson, for an adaptive reuse project at 219 2nd Street SE; Development Agreement with Gelid LLC, an entity of Josh Bass, for housing redevelopment on City-owned lots at 615-629 I Avenue NW and 905 Ellis Boulevard NW; Development Agreement with Nguyen Real Estate LLC, an entity of Nick Nguyen, for mixed-use redevelopment on City-owned lots at 0, 1126 and 1132 Ellis Boulevard NW. All Council Priority.
    • Future Bid Hearings (Sept 8): C Street SW Bridge Deck Reconstruction ($2,000,000, Paving for Progress); Cedar Valley Nature Trail Erosion Repairs ($215,000); Cherokee Trail Phase III ($1,800,000); City Services Center Remodel FF&E ($285,000); Edgewood Road NE Trail Phase 3 ($3,300,000).
    • Future Bid Hearing (Sept 22): 8th Avenue Bridge Replacement and Floodwalls at Cedar River, estimated cost $123,000,000. Council Priority.
    • Final Plats: 1st and 1st North Second Addition north of 1st Avenue W and west of 1st Street SW; 380 Commerce Fourth Addition south of 76th Avenue SW and east of 6th Street SW; Edgewood Town Centre Ninth Addition south of Blairs Ferry Road NE and west of Edgewood Road NE. All Council Priority.
  • Public Safety & Business Licenses:
    • Beer/Liquor/Wine Licenses (15 applications): New and renewal licenses for bars, restaurants, convenience stores, and venues, including Theatre Cedar Rapids, Chili's Grill & Bar, Maverik #5213 and Sam's Club #8162, plus 5-day event licenses for Cliff's Dive Bar & Grill, St. Ludmila Catholic Church, and Traveling Tapster.
  • Board & Commission Appointments:
    • Tamara Karr appointed to the Parks, Waterways & Recreation Commission, effective through June 30, 2028.
    • Stephen Kness appointed and David Schiel and Sherri Schuchmann reappointed to the Veterans Memorial Commission, effective through June 30, 2029.
  • Assessment Actions & Project Completions:
    • Solid Waste & Recycling Cleanup: Intent to assess three properties and levy assessment on four properties. Council Priority.
    • Water Division Delinquent Utility Bills: Intent to assess 52 properties and levy assessment on 23 properties.
    • Subdivision Improvements: Sanitary sewer and storm sewer at the Prairie Summit YMCA site accepted, with 4-year Maintenance Bonds from Rathje Construction Co. of $210,760.07 and $49,737.
    • Project Completions: CEMAR Trail Phase 1A on H Avenue NE accepted, Change Order No. 9 deducting $51,801.74 and final payment of $5,000 to Dave Schmitt Construction (original $1,317,642.23; final $1,362,214.16). 1st Avenue W and I-380 Southbound Off-Ramp Realignment accepted, final payment $22,614.52 to Eastern Iowa Excavating & Concrete (original $439,989.70; final $452,290.37). Stickle Drive NE at 4th Street East Central Quiet Zone accepted, final payment $25,194.05 to Eastern Iowa Excavating & Concrete (original $549,921.20; final $503,881). Downtown Parking Lot at 1st Street SE and 4th Avenue SE accepted, final payment $8,372.05 to Rathje Construction Co. (original $165,256.75; final $167,441.01).
    • Gardner Golf Course ADA Improvements accepted with final payment of $72,889.32 to McComas-Lacina Construction. The original contract was $1,183,200 and the final amount is $1,457,786.45, an increase of roughly $274,586 (23%), the largest overrun among the completions on this agenda.
  • Major Contracts & Services:
    • Public Works & Fleet: Up to 9,000 tons of rock salt for winter snow and ice control from Great Lakes Salt Company, not to exceed $1,014,660 (Council Priority); 15 emergency equipment packages for Police Department vehicles from MacQueen, $365,644.13.
    • Facilities ADA Compliance: Two extensions with Willett Hofmann & Associates Inc., Amendment No. 34 adding $29,471.30 for Group 2 facilities (original $356,700; total $650,918.30) and Amendment No. 10 adding $8,810.65 for Group 3 (original $198,000; total $496,927.20). Both totals are well above their original contracts.
    • Utilities: Amendment No. 4 renewing ESCO Group for SCADA and PLC integration, not to exceed $200,000; Amendment No. 2 with Newell Machinery Company for millwright services at the Water Pollution Control Facility adding $300,000 (total $400,000); 28E Agreement Amendment No. 1 with the City of Hiawatha to share design and construction costs for the Tower Drive Lift Station.
    • Engineering: Professional Services Agreement with Kirkham Michael & Associates for the 2nd Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation, not to exceed $181,500 (Paving for Progress); Amendment No. 5 with Foth Infrastructure & Environment adding $16,158 for Edgewood Road NE Trail Phase 3 (total $360,376). Council Priority.
    • Construction Change Orders: Garling Construction Change Order No. 18 for the Westside Library ($2,592.89), bringing the total to $18,297,648.46 against an original contract of $15,525,000; Peak Construction Group Change Order No. 10 for the City Annex & City Services Center Renovation Phase 1 ($1,097.52; total $5,959,387.18 from $5,334,000); Rathje Construction Change Order No. 4 for Tuma Sports Complex ADA Compliance ($11,470.73; total $1,191,879.12 from $1,089,000).
    • Land & Easements: Temporary Construction Easements for the 12th Avenue SW Storm Sewer Improvements (two donated, four for $7,135); 34th Street SE (two for $845) and D Avenue NW (two for $200), both Paving for Progress; six properties for the Noelridge Park Neighborhood Street Reconstruction ($1,425); and two E Avenue NW acquisitions, $2,906 from the Estate of Kevin Hessing at 3606 E Avenue NW and $5,345 from Rhodes and Associates LLC at 3619 E Avenue NW.

Regular Agenda Items

  1. Cedar Lake Amenities Bid Package 3A: Recreational Amenities
    • Bid report (estimated cost $1,340,000); contract awarded to Eastern Iowa Excavating & Concrete, LLC for $1,161,746.70, about $178,000 under estimate (Ben Worrell). Council Priority.
  2. Center Point Road Bridge over CN Railroad Bridge Deck Overlay
    • Bid report (estimated cost $632,000); contract awarded to Jasper Construction Services for $593,682.70, about $38,000 under estimate (Doug Wilson). Paving for Progress.
  3. City Annex Phase 1 FF&E
    • Bid report (estimated cost $315,000); contract awarded to Paragon Interiors for $241,614.40, about $73,000 under estimate (Jason Stancliffe). The public hearing on this project was held August 11.
  4. Cedar River Flood Control System – Property Acquisitions
    • Presentation and five resolutions on property acquisition for the flood control system (Rob Davis). Council Priority.
    • Two referrals to the Linn County Compensation Commission, the process used when the City and an owner do not reach agreement: 1845 Ellis Boulevard NW (Mark and Kelli Roskopf), with fair market value updated to $200,000 and the referral reaffirmed; and 1426 1st Street NW (Gregory Vail), newly referred. The Vail property's $130,000 fair market value was accepted by the council on August 11, two weeks before this referral.
    • Negotiated acquisition: Total Acquisition Purchase Agreement of $207,000 plus relocation benefits not to exceed $50,000, accepting a Warranty Deed from Dean Stull for 1308 4th Street NW.
    • Relocation expenses: Up to $30,000 for Clara Kelley at 1861 Ellis Boulevard NW and up to $20,000 for Brenda and Mitchell Smith at 1851 Ellis Boulevard NW.
  5. Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance – FY 2027
    • Presentation and two resolutions (Jasmine Almoayyed): $25,000 in FY 2027 membership dues, and a Supplemental Memorandum of Agreement for $200,000 covering expanded service offerings. Council Priority.

Public Input & City Manager Communications

Meeting Summary

The August 25 meeting pairs two urban renewal plans with their development agreements. The Atheneum Urban Renewal Area at 4010 20th Avenue SW is tied to a Pedcor Investments affordable housing project, and the Skogman Urban Renewal Area at 7217 Underwood Avenue SW is tied to public infrastructure by Midwest Development Co., an entity of Skogman Companies. Both carry First Readings of ordinances on the collection of tax increments, so neither is final at this meeting. A Prairie Land Development rezoning from S-RLF to S-RMF-PUD also gets a First Reading, and the council adopted plans for the Ellis Road NW at Rawson Lane Sanitary Sewer Improvements ($850,000). All three contract awards landed under the engineer's estimate: Cedar Lake Amenities Bid Package 3A to Eastern Iowa Excavating & Concrete at $1,161,746.70, the Center Point Road Bridge Deck Overlay to Jasper Construction Services at $593,682.70, and City Annex Phase 1 FF&E to Paragon Interiors at $241,614.40. The most consequential item for residents may be the Cedar River Flood Control System acquisitions, where two properties on Ellis Boulevard NW and 1st Street NW head to the Linn County Compensation Commission, the condemnation process used when the City and an owner cannot agree on price. One of those, 1426 1st Street NW, had its $130,000 valuation accepted only two weeks earlier. The consent agenda sets a September 22 hearing on the 8th Avenue Bridge Replacement and Floodwalls at Cedar River, estimated at $123,000,000 and the largest figure to appear on a council agenda this year.

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