CEDAR RAPIDS INFO: Neighborhood Planning Area Meeting on February 10

  Meet in roundtable discussions to

• ·Focus on specific neighborhoods in each area
• ·Identify the best parts of your neighborhood
• ·Identify opportunities for improvements in your neighborhood

You are invited to meet with the people that live, work and play in one of the three neighborhood planning areas listed below.

• North Area – Time Check/Northwest, Ellis Park, Taylor Area, and Cedar Lake
• Central Area – Downtown, Medical District, and Cedar Lake
• South Area – Czech Village, Oak Hill/Jackson, New Bohemia and Cedar Valley (Rompot)

Please note that Cedar Lake is included in two areas because of its connection to multiple neighborhoods. For more information about the Neighborhood Planning Process, call (319) 286-5041 or visit www.corridorrecovery.org/neighborhoods.

FINANCIAL INFO: Jumpstart Funding Affected by National Register of Historic Places

If your flooded property is listed in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, there may be a delay in Jumpstart funding. Historic properties are treated differently than other properties.

According to federal law (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966), the City is required to allow the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) 30 days to comment before proceeding with the project. The Jumpstart program is required to do this work before any money is committed to the property.

• If the property has been previously surveyed by a professional architectural historian, and found not eligible for the National Register, this must be documented in the property’s Jumpstart file.
• If the property has not been surveyed by a professional architectural historian to make a determination, it must be reviewed to determine eligibility.
• If the property is identified as potentially eligible, the scope of work must reflect federal standards for the treatment of historic properties. 

Owning a historic property does not prohibit you from receiving Jumpstart funds to repair your home. It may extend the timeline while the project is reviewed, and there may be specific guidelines as to work methods and materials that do not adversely affect its historic character.

CEDAR RAPIDS INFO: Clarifying Letter from City Contractor

If you received a letter about the “Construction/Study Area Right-of-Entry Agreement,” the City of Cedar Rapids apologizes for the confusing wording of this letter. A City contractor named JCG Land Services, Inc., sent those letters on behalf of the City. The agreement enclosed with that letter is important to the US Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study for a flood protection system along the Cedar River.  

“Right-of-Entry” is a legal term that means the City would like your permission to study the land around your flood-damaged house or buildings. We are NOT asking to enter your house or buildings. These land studies may include mapping the land, locating utilities and taking soil samples for testing.  

If you have not already signed the agreement, please consider signing both copies of the agreement, completing the Property Owner Questionnaire and returning them, in the self-addressed, stamped envelope provided, as soon as possible. Your agreement gives the City and its contractors permission to access your property for land studies over the next two years. The US Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study is expected to take two years to complete. If you have any questions, please call (319) 362-3507 for more information.

 While there is no funding available to acquire properties in the Construction Area at this time, the City is searching for federal funding resources for buyouts in the future.

FAMILY INFO: Foundation 2 Offers Crisis Help

Foundation 2 provides assistance to adults, youth and families in crisis. A crisis is any stress or pressure that has become too great for an individual or family to cope with alone. There are problems parents and youth may not be able to resolve without help. Foundation 2 counselors will help you determine your strengths, values and needs, and assist you in building the skills necessary for resolving conflict. Trained, compassionate telephone counselors are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at (319) 362-2174.

FAMILY INFO: Call 2-1-1 For Help

Who do you call when you need food for your family? Where can you turn when your electricity is shut off and you can’t pay the bills? What do you do now that you’re unemployed? Are there affordable housing options available for my family? Now more than ever, people are finding themselves in need of help because of the recent economic crisis and natural disasters. 

United Way 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects individuals and families to community resources and the services they need. When you dial 2-1-1, a trained professional will confidentially listen to your situation, access a comprehensive database of health and human services and then give you information about the most appropriate community services.

• To find help, dial 2-1-1 or toll-free 1-866-469-2211
• From a cell phone, or pay phone, dial (319) 739-4211

LINN COUNTY INFO: Answers to Your Questions

Q: When will Linn County know if it has to move offices out of Westdale?

A: Linn County staff has left a message with Cushman & Wakefield, managers of Westdale Mall, asking them to confirm whether they will extend the County’s leases beyond April 30, 2009, or if the leases will end on that date. At this time, we do not know when or if Cushman & Wakefield will respond. This uncertainty is why the Board of Supervisors directed staff to search for alternative lease space. It is critical that Linn County has a location to conduct business that offers stability for our temporary space needs until a long-term solution is in place. Our highest priority is continuing operations with minimal interruption in services to the public. If Cushman & Wakefield does not extend Linn County’s Westdale Mall leases beyond April 30, 2009, the County has less than 90 days to relocate County offices and make them operational. The County needs to begin the transition process now to ensure minimal interruption to the public. The first step in that process is to look for available space.


Q: Where will Linn County offices go if Westdale leases are not renewed?

A: The Linn County Flood Recovery Committee prepared two contingency plans in the event the County’s leases at Westdale are not renewed beyond April 30, 2009. These two options were presented to the Board of Supervisors at the Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, January 21. One option was finding space to lease at another location in the community. The second option was returning some offices to the upper floors of the Administrative Office Building (AOB). Both of these options would be temporary. At the January 28 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board directed staff to look for alternative lease space to house the County offices currently at Westdale in the event Linn County’s leases are not renewed. 

Q: Why would Linn County lease space instead of returning to AOB or Witwer?
A: At this time, the future of the AOB and Witwer buildings is unknown. The Witwer building sustained damage to the main floor, which affects the public entrances to the building. Before the Witwer building or the AOB could be re-occupied, a number of major repairs or replacements would be needed, including:

• The main electrical switch gear
• Air handling units
• Fire alarm system
• Card access system
• Phone demarcations
• Communication fibers

  In addition, the elevators in both buildings were also damaged and are inoperable at this time. The elevators would be needed for ADA compliance. 

 It would likely take the full 90 days between now and April 30 to repair the AOB’s public lobby and to make the elevator and public restrooms operational, as well as complete the repairs listed above. It would be mid-May or later before the AOB’s air conditioning unit would be operational.  

The Flood Recovery Committee worked for several months with Design Dynamics to prepare six post-flood building options for Linn County. The options were based on input from Linn County employees since employees know best which departments they need to be near for maximum efficiency and customer service. A lot of time went into interviewing departments and incorporating their input into the various options. The options were presented to the BOS on January 16, ranging from the least amount of change to the most substantial change. They were not prioritized. The six options are posted on the Linn County website at www.linncounty.org.  

All but one option included sale of the Witwer Building. The options for the AOB ranged from returning to pre-flood use, to reusing the building for different County departments (e.g., LCCS, Juvenile Court or DHS), to selling the building. Relocating offices from Westdale to the AOB or Witwer buildings before the long-term use of the building is determined could be problematic for several reasons. Notably, if the County decides to keep the buildings for County offices, the remodeling needed would have to be done while the building is occupied. Remodeling a building while it is occupied can increase costs. It would also cause inconvenience and be unsafe for the public to enter a building while it is undergoing construction. In addition, staff would face challenges and safety issues working in a building while contractors remodel it around them. If the County were to re-occupy either of these buildings on a temporary basis and then decide to sell the buildings, staff would face yet another relocation.  

The BOS directed staff to look for lease space because leasing office space would be less disruptive to staff and the public than moving into a building that may be remodeled or sold. 

Q: Will FEMA pay for the County to relocate again and pay for leased space somewhere else?
A: Linn County has asked FEMA if they will cover the cost of a move and another build-out of temporary office space, and we are waiting for their response. Linn County’s temporary leases are covered by FEMA through April 26. FEMA grants lease extensions in 6-month increments, so the County must request FEMA to extend its reimbursement of County leases for the next 6 months that begin April 27. The County would have to make this request of FEMA even if offices were to remain at Westdale. 

Q: Why did Linn County decline the offer to purchase Westdale Mall?
A: The offer from Cushman & Wakefield to buy Westdale Mall was an offer of exclusivity for Linn County. This means that the offer was made to Linn County only. The letter from Cushman & Wakefield dated January 13 stated they needed to move quickly on their plans to sell Westdale Mall, so they placed a deadline of March 30 on the exclusivity offer. Linn County intends to explore co-location with the City of Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Community School District. This process is in the beginning stages and could take a minimum of six months to gather and process public input on the concept. Should co-location be agreed upon, site selection and property purchase for the co-located facilities would be a joint decision and undertaking by the parties involved. This process does not fit the March 30 timeline from Cushman & Wakefield. 

Q: Why didn’t Linn County sign the confidentiality agreement with Westdale Mall’s owners (Cushman & Wakefield)?
A: Signing the confidentiality agreement would have placed restrictions on what information Linn County could share with the public. This would have put Linn County in a position of making decisions based on confidential information. Furthermore, Linn County intends to explore co-location with the City of Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Community School District. 

Q: What has Linn County been doing the last seven months?

• Ten Linn County buildings were damaged in the flood. They have been mucked out and stabilized.

• Linn County offices were relocated and made operational at temporary locations.
• The upper floors of the County Courthouse were reoccupied Sept. 29.
• The Linn County Elections Depot was reopened for use Sept. 12.
• The upper floors of the Correctional Center will reopen by the end of March/early April to house inmates.
• Linn County is working with FEMA to reassess the Youth Shelter that was damaged by the flood.
• The County will replace the Options of Linn County building with FEMA assistance. Linn County is working with FEMA to determine whether the building will be a relocation.
• Linn County conducted a telephone survey of Linn County residents to get their feedback on the future of Linn County offices and services. The survey results are posted on Linn County’s website at www.linncounty.org.
• Linn County’s Flood Recovery Committee worked for several months with Design Dynamics to prepare six post-flood building options for Linn County. Representation of the committee is as follows: Strategic Services, Legal, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Risk Management, Communications, Purchasing and Facilities. The six options are posted on the Linn County website at www.linncounty.org.
• Linn County representatives (Supervisor Lu Barron and Grants & Communications Manager Joi Bergman) are part of a work group with City of Cedar Rapids and Cedar Rapids School District representatives, and have had preliminary meetings about the community facilities (co-location) concept. We expect formal discussions to begin within the next couple of weeks. The work group is preparing a presentation for each of the three governing bodies, which will explain the coordinated public facilities public participation process. The three governing bodies will independently decide if they want to participate in this joint public participation process.

 
Additional questions may be sent to the Linn County Board of Supervisors at bd_supervisors@linncounty.org, or by calling (319) 892-5000.

TAX INFO: AARP Free Income Tax Assistance

IRS-certified free tax preparation sites are available to assist residents of Linn County with their tax returns. To schedule an appointment, call United Way 2-1-1 at 2-1-1, (319) 739-4211 or 1-866-469-2211. When you schedule your appointment, you’ll be told which documents to bring to the tax appointment. The AARP tax preparation sites include: 

• First Christian Church, 840 3^rd Ave SE
• Hope Lutheran Church, 2736 Bowling St SW
• Christ Episcopal Church, 220 40^th St NE
• First United Methodist Church, 1298 7^th Ave, Marion
• Hiawatha Library, 150 W Willman St, Hiawatha
• Anamosa Library, 600 E 1^st St, Anamosa

TAX INFO: VITA Free Income Tax Assistance

Wage earners who worked in 2008 and earned less than $41,646 may qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). IRS-certified tax sites will help prepare tax returns for low income families free of charge. Residents of Linn County can call United Way at 2-1-1 or (319) 739-4211 or 1-866-469-2211 toll free to schedule tax appointments. Tax assistance locations include:

• Oakhill Jackson Neighborhood Resource Center, 1230 5^th St SE
• Wellington Heights Neighborhood Resource Center, 392 15^th St SE
• Mound View Neighborhood Resource Center, 1700 B Ave NE
• Matthew 25 Hub, 220 6th St. NW

VITA is offering additional tax locations The locations listed above and the following two additional locations will open at 9:00 a.m. for one day only – Super Saturday, February 7:.

• St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 4700 Johnson Ave NW
• St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1340 Third Ave SE

LIBRARY INFO: Cedar Rapids Public Library Update

Toddler Time: Send Me a Letter
Date: Friday, February 6, at 10:30 a.m. 
Location: CRPL-West Side Branch
Enjoy stories, songs and action rhymes around a particular theme designed for children ages 1-2 years old.

Story Time: Send Me a Letter
Date: Saturday, February 7, at 10:30 a.m. 
Location: CRPL-West Side Branch
Enjoy stories, songs and action rhymes around a particular theme designed for children ages 3-5 years old.

The Big Read One-Woman Play Featuring Ruth Ann Gaines: “Queen Zora”
Date: Saturday, February 7, at 2:00 p.m. 
Location: Westdale Mall Community Room
Ruth Ann Gaines, a teacher at Des Moines East High School, was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2003. This event is part of the 2009 Big Read programming based on Zora Neale Hurston’s novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” The Big Read is presented in cooperation with the African American Historical Museum of Iowa, and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  

Bedbug Story Time: Happy Valentine’s Day
Date: Monday, February 9, at 6:30 p.m.
Location: CRPL-West Side Branch
Enjoy stories, songs and action rhymes around a particular theme designed for children ages 3-5 years old. Children may wear pajamas and bring a stuffed animal friend with them.

Story Time: Hats
Date: Wednesday, February 11, at 10:30 a.m. 
Location: CRPL-West Side Branch
Stories, songs and rhymes are all part of this 30-minute program centered on a weekly theme. Preschool-aged children are welcome.

Learning Safari: Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln!

Presented by the African American Museum of Iowa
Date: Thursday, February 12, at 10:30 a.m. 
Location: CRPL-West Side Branch
President Lincoln turns 200 years old today! Find out about his life and family, and learn about the Emancipation Proclamation. Draw your face on a penny, like President Lincoln. And parents, bring your cameras for a presidential photo-op!

We are all Alike...We are all Different: A Multigenerational Reading Program
Date: Friday, February 13, at 9:00 a.m. 
Location: CRPL-West Side Branch
Discover similarities and differences among us as you participate in this year’s multigenerational reading program, “We are all Alike...We are all Different.” Adults and children check out a book bag kit from our Children’s Desk in the Bridge Facility, read all of the books together and return the kit to the desk to pick up special prizes. The program will last until April 11. Book bag kits can be reserved.

HOUSING INFO: FEMA Says Keep Fan Running

To improve indoor air quality in your FEMA-issued mobile home, the agency suggests running the fan of your furnace constantly to ensure the air exchanger is on a constant setting. The fan is a major component for maintaining good indoor air quality in these homes.

FAMILY INFO: Counselors Ready to Help You

If you or a member of your family is having trouble coping with the 2008 flooding disaster, ask for help. Call the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health at (319) 398-3562, or the Iowa Concern Hotline at 1-800-447-1985. Counselors are standing by to listen, free of charge.

FAMILY INFO: Help Starts with 2-1-1

2-1-1 is a free and confidential, information and referral service of United Way ready to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Whether you’re in need of services like financial assistance, transportation services or the most essential of services – food, clothing & shelter – 2-1-1 can connect you to the resources you need.

• To find help dial 2-1-1 or toll-free 1-866-469-2211.
• From a cell phone or pay phone, dial (319) 739-4211.

FINANCIAL INFO: Help in Making Ends Meet

The Iowa State University (ISU) Linn County Extension, with funding help from the City of Cedar Rapids, is offering financial counseling for residents of Linn County who have been affected by the flood.  Families can receive free assistance:

• To reclaim documents lost in the flood
• To build a new after-flood family budget
• To review housing options
• To link to other community support

This process is completely confidential. You can share as much or as little of your financial information as you feel comfortable. If you would like to make an appointment or want more information about this service, please contact Christina Barger at (319) 377-9839 or cbarger@iastate.edu.

CEDAR RAPIDS INFO: Is the City Serving Your Needs?

Rate the City on its customer service performance by completing a survey online at www.cedar-rapids.org, using the “Flood Response: Customer Satisfaction Survey” link, or by calling 2-1-1 or (319) 739-4211 to take the survey verbally.

FINANCIAL INFO: Alliant Energy May Help You Replace Flooded Appliances

In response to summer flooding, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), an Alliant Energy company, has created the Alliant Energy Flood Relief program, committing over $300,000 to replace major appliances in moderate and low-income flood-affected homes across the state. Qualified customers will receive full replacement value for the purchase of energy-efficient clothes washers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers. Flood-affected customers must meet federal income guidelines to participate in this program. For example, a flood-affected family of four making $53,000 or less is eligible for this program. To apply, call 2-1-1 or (319) 739-4211.

FINANICAL INFO: Apply for Home Energy Assistance

Now is the time to apply for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds. The federal LIHEAP provides dollars to moderate- and low-income level households for utility bills.  

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. (HACAP), is accepting applications from Linn County residents between now and April 15, 2009. To apply, call (319) 366-7632 or 2-1-1. If you have access to a computer, you can download the applications from the following website: http://www.hacap.org/Programs/Energy_Assistance/Overview.aspx  

Applicants must bring these items to HACAP to determine eligibility:

• Proof of income for all household members 19 years or older for the previous three months
• Social Security cards for everyone in the household
• Current energy bill
• Rent certificate or statement from the landlord confirming whether or not heat is included in rent payments

 
LIHEAP payments depend upon household size, income level and home energy costs. The program helps pay for home energy costs for households with incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Households may also qualify for crisis assistance benefits, which can include purchase of home heating fuel, reconnection of utility service, temporary shelter and heating unit replacements or repairs. Eligibility for energy assistance is not based on whether the household is behind on energy bills or is renting versus owning a home.