The city of Cedar Rapids launched an eviction protection program on Friday that will assist low- to moderate-income households with rent and utility payments. The city allocated $623,757 to establish the program. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in March that she was suspending most evictions as part of an additional State Public Health Emergency Declaration due […]
Cedar Rapids City Council
Posted inCOVID-19
CR City Councilmember Ashley Vanorny is hosting weekly webinars to connect with constituents, provide information about COVID-19
Cedar Rapids City Councilmember Ashley Vanorny had been considering for some time doing a podcast or webinar series as an additional way to connect with her District 5 constituents. The COVID-19 pandemic was the “catalyst” for Vanorny to start her COVID-19 Conversations webinars. “I realized that I needed to have an opportunity to communicate differently […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Climate striker Ayla Boylen isn’t letting COVID-19 stop her fight for a Green New Deal
Ayla Boylen has been striking every Friday, asking local and state leaders in Iowa to take action on climate change. She began her strike outside Cedar Rapids City Hall last fall, then changed her location to the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids on March 6. But a few days later, on March 8, the first […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Cedar Rapids City Council moves its Tuesday meeting online due to COVID-19, but residents can still participate
The Cedar Rapids City Council is moving its Tuesday meeting online due to COVID-19. The public will still be able to watch the proceedings in real-time and participate. The meeting, which begins at noon, will be streamed live on the city’s Facebook page, as city council meetings usually are. The city also has videos of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘One death is one too many’: Cedar Rapids leaders discuss gun violence prevention in the city
Last year, there were 99 shots-fired incidents in Cedar Rapids, but only 9 percent of those cases resulted in an arrest, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said during a discussion at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. He emphasized the importance of the community working together with police to address gun violence in the city. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
CR Mayor Brad Hart talks infrastructure, traffic cameras and making ‘difficult decisions’ in State of the City speech
During his third State of the City speech, Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart shared his top infrastructure goals for 2020, his thoughts on the city’s traffic cameras and various projects residents can look forward to in 2020. Hart also acknowledged that during his two years as mayor there “have been — and will be — […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids City Council passes resolution recognizing urgency for climate action
The Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday recognizing the urgency of taking action to address climate change and outlining steps for creating a community-wide sustainability plan.
Posted inCommunity/News
Rompot residents seek to join lawsuit over Cargill’s construction of a new Cedar Rapids rail yard
The pushback against Cargill’s rail yard near the Rompot neighborhood and Prairie Park Fishery is continuing, and this week a group of Rompot residents filed motions seeking to join a pending lawsuit that challenges the Cedar Rapids City Council’s decisions to amend the future land use map and plan to rezone nearly 17 acres of land.
Posted inCommunity/News
Electric-assist bikes and (even more) e-scooters returning to Cedar Rapids in the spring
The number of scooters will increase from 30 to 80, and the full fleet of 150 bikes will be brought back in the spring once weather allows. Officials also shared potential plans to add an adaptive bike to the fleet. The city launched the bike-share program in May 2019
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids issued more than 120,000 citations and collected $3.1 million in fines from traffic cameras in six months
Cedar Rapids’ automated traffic cameras generated 122,620 citations during the first six months after the city started using them again in July. The city also collected $3.1 million in fines for speeding or red light violations during those six months.
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids emergency overflow shelter being ‘heavily used’ and facing challenges
The emergency overflow shelter in Cedar Rapids has been “heavily used” this winter season, people involved with running the shelter told the Cedar Rapids City Council last week.
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Our community is still fighting this’: Protesters call out Cargill’s rail yard, environmental track record during CEO’s visit to Cedar Rapids
As Cargill CEO David MacLennan discussed the company’s future in Cedar Rapids, protesters across the street criticized the company’s environmental record and the contentious rail yard planned for construction next to the Rompot neighborhood. MacLennan, who was in town for the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance’s annual meeting
