OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Cedar Rapids City Council Meeting – April 28, 2026: Budget Hearing, Police Academy, Sub-Zero Expansion, and Citizen Review Board Debate

City Council — Tuesday, April 28, 2026
BodyCedar Rapids, Iowa
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, April 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:44:35

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

This meeting of the Cedar Rapids City Council will come to order.

0:09

Welcome everybody to our council meeting for Tuesday, April 28th, 2026.

0:12

I'd like to note that my council colleague Scott Overland will be absent today.

0:17

I'd like to welcome our city manager, our city attorney, and our city clerk.

0:20

And as always, thank you to city staff for being here and available to answer questions.

0:25

A reminder to those of you here with us today to turn off any cell phones or electronic devices that might distract us from our proceedings.

0:32

And note that all of our council meeting agendas, minutes, videos are available on our city's website.

0:38

Regular sessions are also available to watch live and on replay on Facebook Live.

0:44

We'll begin now with our invocation by public safety chaplain Josh Kent, and that will be immediately followed by our Pledge of Allegiance.

0:58

Our gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity we have again to serve the great city of Cedar Rapids.

1:03

Lord, I pray for the council men and women, Lord, as they represent us.

1:07

Lord, I pray for uh Mayor O'Donnell, Lord, as she leads us.

1:11

Lord, I pray that uh every day that we seek to honor in you and to make Cedar Rapids a better place than it was before.

1:19

Lord, I'm thankful for all those in attendance.

1:21

Lord, I pray that you'll be with the meeting.

1:23

Lord, that all that we say and do would bring honor to you.

1:26

We ask all these things in your name.

1:28

Amen.

1:30

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

1:38

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1:46

All right, we'll begin with proclamations.

1:49

First of all, we're going to mark bike month.

1:52

So I'd like to invite all who are here for this proclamation to join Councilmember Poe at the dais.

2:08

Welcome.

2:10

Glad you're here.

2:10

Thank you for being here.

2:13

Thank you for being here.

2:15

All right.

2:16

We've got a proclamation.

2:18

The City of Cedar Rapids proclamation.

2:21

Whereas May is recognized nationally as bike month, a time to celebrate the benefits of bicycling and encourage more people to ride bike to ride for transportation, recreation, and health.

2:36

And whereas bicycling is an affordable, convenient, and environmentally sound form of transportation and an excellent tool for recreation in Cedar Rapids.

2:48

And whereas increased bicycle use strengthens community connections, improves health and well-being, supports local businesses, attracts tourism, and contributes to vibrant livable neighborhoods.

3:03

And whereas the city of Cedar Rapids is proud to be designated as a Silver League bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists, reflecting our commitment to creating transportation and recreational bike resources that benefit the residents of all ages and abilities.

3:23

Now, therefore, I Anne Poe on behalf of Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell and the entire Cedar Rapids City Council hereby recognize May 2026 as bike month and encourage residents to participate in bike month activities and embrace bicycling for recreation or transportation during the month of May and year around.

3:45

Thank you.

4:14

And so from the sustainability from our um, you know, the effect on the planet and reducing our uh dependence on cars and you know, every bike on the street is a car not in traffic.

4:31

Um, I'm really excited to be part of the Active Transportation Commission, where part of what we can do is build on a lot of the success that we have in the city uh with our trail system, um, really strengthening the bicycle infrastructure that we have, not just the recreational, but also the infrastructure that gets people um kind of from where they live to where they're going so that they can run their errands so that they can uh take uh take part in more active transportation, healthier, those health benefits for our cities, uh turn into opportunities for all of us to live more um kind of fulfilled lives here in Cedar Rapids.

5:10

Wow.

5:14

Thank you.

5:14

Thank you so much.

5:15

Next up, we'd like to honor Coach Kim Moole.

5:19

If you're here to honor the coach, please join Councilmember Ashley Van Orney here at the Dice.

5:32

That's great.

5:32

Everybody's welcome.

5:48

All right, this is a pretty fantastic career, so bear with me here.

5:52

Whereas Coach Kim Moole has dedicated his career to excellence in collegiate athletics as the head women's basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College, shaping generations of student athletes through leadership, discipline, and a commitment to success both on and off the court.

6:08

And whereas his remarkable coaching career is defined by unparalleled achievement, including leading the Kirkwood Eagles to nine NJ CAA national championships in 1999, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2022, 2024, and whereas Coach Moole has established himself as the winningest coach in NJJ CAA women's basketball history, concluding his career with an extraordinary record of 1,108 wins and 178 losses, while sustaining an unprecedented streak of 37 consecutive 20 win seasons.

6:50

And whereas his excellence has been recognized through numerous accolades, including being Ray Meet being named Region 11 Coach of the Year 23 times and mentoring 37 all-American student athletes who have excelled at the collegiate and professional levels, and whereas in recognition of his profound impact on the sport of women's basketball, Coach Moole has been selected for the induction into the women's basketball hall of fame as part of the 20 class of 2026, joining the ranks of the game's most celebrated figures.

7:21

And whereas his legacy reflects not only competitive success, but also a lasting contribution to the C uh Cedar Rapids community, elevating the city's reputation as a center of athletic excellence and inspiring pride amongst its residents.

7:34

Now, therefore, I, Ashley Van Orney, on behalf of Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell of Cedar Rapids and the entire Cedar Rapids City Council don't do hereby proclaim that we honor Coach Kim Moole and urge all residents to join in recognizing and celebrating his historic achievements, his dedication to student athletes, and his lasting impact on the game of basketball and our community.

7:54

Thank you.

8:01

Wow, I don't know what to say to that.

8:03

I mean, I appreciate uh City of Cedar Rapids to uh honor me.

8:07

Uh it's it's been a pretty much a whirlwind since uh March hit going to the final four and standing next to Julia Serving was probably the biggest highlight of my maybe my career.

8:20

Uh they didn't think so because there was a rapper there, but I did not know who the rapper was.

8:25

But I knew who Julia Serving was.

8:27

So it was quite an experience there.

8:30

It's they've done a great job going to Knoxville in uh June.

8:33

That's when the induction actually happens.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████████████████25%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Public Safety█████████████13%
Economic Development█████████████13%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%
Active Transportation█████5%
Affordable Housing██2%
Water And Wastewater Management██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Cedar Rapids City Council Meeting – April 28, 2026

The Cedar Rapids City Council met on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 4:00 PM. Councilmember Scott Overland was absent. The meeting included proclamations, public hearings on the FY2027 budget and a police academy renovation, multiple consent and regular agenda items, and a lengthy public input period dominated by calls to re-establish the Citizens Review Board (CRB). Key actions included adopting a $928 million balanced budget with no tax levy increase, approving a $4.377 million police academy project, and supporting a $196.3 million Sub-Zero expansion.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the agenda as amended (with recusals noted).
  • Consent agenda approved unanimously.
  • Routine approvals and resolutions not discussed individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Kimber Donahue (Cedar Rapids resident): Spoke during the public hearing on the police academy project, asking for a public plan detailing training, oversight, and constitutional compliance. Stated investment should ensure effective, law-abiding officers.
  • Kimber Donahue (second appearance): During public comment, opposed bond issuances totalling $47.07 million, $6.7 million, and $4.1 million, arguing the city should use reserves instead of taking on debt. Also suggested more funding for startup businesses.
  • Sophia Joseph (Cedar Rapids resident, via sign-up): Spoke on the Citizens Review Board, but due to residency issue, was not allowed to speak during final public input; council offered to speak offline.
  • Paradox Elam (Cedar Rapids resident, on behalf of 5051 Iowa Coalition): Expressed support for re-establishing the CRB, criticized the five-month delay, and urged the council to follow through on promises. Raised hands to show community support.
  • Mimi Daoud (Cedar Rapids resident, on behalf of Advocates for Social Justice): Detailed the broken promise of replacing the CRB, noted the delay, cited specific incidents of police misconduct (Jeremy Mitchell, William Isaac Rich, Devonna Walker, Saber Jonathan Bernard), and demanded a new ordinance by late May/early June.
  • Kimber Donahue (third appearance): Accused the council of prioritizing police infrastructure over oversight, claiming “gaslighting” and “justice delayed.” Called for immediate action on the CRB.
  • Unidentified speaker (final public input): Made extensive accusations against council members, alleging corruption, conflicts of interest, and failure to act on complaints. Claimed federal safe sport whistleblower status and threatened legal action.

Discussion Items

  • Proclamation: Bike Month (May 2026): Councilmember Anne Poe recognized May as Bike Month, highlighting Cedar Rapids’ Silver League bicycle-friendly designation and the benefits of active transportation.
  • Proclamation: Honoring Coach Kim Moole: Councilmember Ashley Van Orney presented a proclamation honoring Coach Kim Moole for his 1,108 wins, 9 NJCAA national championships, and induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Moole thanked the city.
  • Public Hearing: FY2027 Annual Budget (Item 1): Finance Director Abhi Deshbande presented the $928 million all-funds budget (7% increase). Key points: no tax levy increase (16.66 per $1,000), $136 million in property tax revenue, $55 million in reserves, $361 million in capital improvements. Residential property taxes on a $200,000 home would decrease by $97 (6.1%). Police and fire account for 44% of general fund. Budget balanced without use of reserves. Council members praised the budget; Councilmember Poe recused from items 7 and 11 (transfer resolution). Budget adopted unanimously.
  • Public Hearing: City Annex Renovation – Police Regional Academy (Item 2): Jason Stancliff presented the $4.377 million project to remodel the city annex for a regional police academy. Bids due May 6. Public comment raised concerns about oversight and training content. Councilmembers Todd, Van Orney, and Olson supported the project, noting need for state-of-the-art training and regional demand. Resolution adopted unanimously.
  • Report on Bids: 4th Street SE Cedar River Trail Extension (Item 24): Eric Turnquist reported five bids, low bid $1,830,041.87 from Midwest Construction Concrete. No vote required.
  • Report on Bids: Fuel Dispensing System Replacement (Item 25): Tina Wickman reported one bid from Actara Group at $289,425 (above estimate of $240,000). Evaluation ongoing.
  • Report on Bids: 2026 Pavement Milling & Curb Repair (Item 26): Doug Wilson reported three bids; low bid $5,395,094.50 from Midwest Concrete. Contract awarded unanimously.
  • Report on Bids: Old Bridge Road to 76th Ave SW Sanitary Sewer Extension (Item 27): Ben Warrell reported 10 bids; low bid $938,650.02 from Boomerang Corporation. Contract awarded unanimously.
  • Report on Bids: 2026 Sanitary Sewer Service Replacement (Item 28): Ben Warrell reported two bids; low bid $79,460.30 from Brecky. Contract awarded unanimously.
  • Presentation: Adaptive Reuse at Former Principal Building (Item 29): Scott Mather presented a $16.3 million project by Steve Emerson to convert vacant office space into 26 market-rate apartments and ground-floor commercial. City incentives: 10-year 100% TIF rebate for housing, 50% for commercial. Estimated $2.4 million in new taxes over 10 years with $1 million rebated. Councilmember Hager recused. Resolution approved unanimously.
  • Presentation: Housing Redevelopment at 10th Ave & 5th St SE (Item 30): Scott Mather presented a $2.45 million project by Tyler Oswood to build 11 townhome units on a difficult triangular brownfield site. City incentives: 15-year 100% TIF rebate. Estimated $725,000 in new taxes over 15 years with $600,000 rebated. Councilmember Todd questioned subsidizing market-rate housing but supported due to site challenges. Resolution approved unanimously.
  • Presentation: Sub-Zero Group Expansion (Item 31): Scott Mather announced a $196.3 million expansion at 10015 6th St SW, adding 225,000 sq ft, creating 312 new jobs (115 at or above $30.41/hr wage threshold). State incentives: 10-year 100% tax exemption. Estimated $13 million in new taxes over 10 years with $7 million exempted. Councilmember Olson recused. Resolution approving term sheet and state incentive application approved unanimously.
  • Ordinances (Items 32-38): All ordinances adopted on second and third readings as follows:
    • Item 32: Edgewood Point Urban Renewal Area tax increment collection – passed (one nay).
    • Item 33: Parks, Waterways, and Recreation Commission roles amendment – passed.
    • Item 34: Wastewater user group for contributing cities – passed.
    • Item 35: Garfield Urban Revitalization Area – passed.
    • Item 36: Mount Vernon Road Urban Revitalization Area – passed.
    • Item 37: Alley vacation between 2nd St SE and Osbourne Park – passed.
    • Item 38: 17th Ave SE and adjacent alley vacation – passed.

Key Outcomes

  • FY2027 Budget adopted (unanimous): $928 million all-funds budget, no tax levy increase, $55 million reserves, balanced without reserve use.
  • City Annex Police Academy project approved (unanimous): $4.377 million for remodeling, bids due May 6.
  • Sub-Zero expansion term sheet approved (unanimous, Olson recused): $196.3 million investment, 312 new jobs, state incentive sponsorship.
  • Two economic development incentive resolutions approved (unanimous): adaptive reuse of former Principal Building ($16.3M, 26 units) and housing redevelopment at 10th Ave & 5th St SE ($2.45M, 11 units).
  • Multiple infrastructure contracts awarded (unanimous): pavement milling ($5.4M), sanitary sewer extension ($938K), sewer service replacement ($79K).
  • All ordinances adopted on final readings (Items 32-38).
  • Citizen Review Board: Public speakers demanded action; council member noted a meeting with ASJ scheduled for May 6 and a potential ordinance presentation on May 26 or June 9. No formal vote or resolution occurred.

Meeting Transcript

This meeting of the Cedar Rapids City Council will come to order. Welcome everybody to our council meeting for Tuesday, April 28th, 2026. I'd like to note that my council colleague Scott Overland will be absent today. I'd like to welcome our city manager, our city attorney, and our city clerk. And as always, thank you to city staff for being here and available to answer questions. A reminder to those of you here with us today to turn off any cell phones or electronic devices that might distract us from our proceedings. And note that all of our council meeting agendas, minutes, videos are available on our city's website. Regular sessions are also available to watch live and on replay on Facebook Live. We'll begin now with our invocation by public safety chaplain Josh Kent, and that will be immediately followed by our Pledge of Allegiance. Our gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity we have again to serve the great city of Cedar Rapids. Lord, I pray for the council men and women, Lord, as they represent us. Lord, I pray for uh Mayor O'Donnell, Lord, as she leads us. Lord, I pray that uh every day that we seek to honor in you and to make Cedar Rapids a better place than it was before. Lord, I'm thankful for all those in attendance. Lord, I pray that you'll be with the meeting. Lord, that all that we say and do would bring honor to you. We ask all these things in your name. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, we'll begin with proclamations. First of all, we're going to mark bike month. So I'd like to invite all who are here for this proclamation to join Councilmember Poe at the dais. Welcome. Glad you're here. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being here. All right. We've got a proclamation. The City of Cedar Rapids proclamation. Whereas May is recognized nationally as bike month, a time to celebrate the benefits of bicycling and encourage more people to ride bike to ride for transportation, recreation, and health. And whereas bicycling is an affordable, convenient, and environmentally sound form of transportation and an excellent tool for recreation in Cedar Rapids. And whereas increased bicycle use strengthens community connections, improves health and well-being, supports local businesses, attracts tourism, and contributes to vibrant livable neighborhoods. And whereas the city of Cedar Rapids is proud to be designated as a Silver League bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists, reflecting our commitment to creating transportation and recreational bike resources that benefit the residents of all ages and abilities. Now, therefore, I Anne Poe on behalf of Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell and the entire Cedar Rapids City Council hereby recognize May 2026 as bike month and encourage residents to participate in bike month activities and embrace bicycling for recreation or transportation during the month of May and year around. Thank you. And so from the sustainability from our um, you know, the effect on the planet and reducing our uh dependence on cars and you know, every bike on the street is a car not in traffic. Um, I'm really excited to be part of the Active Transportation Commission, where part of what we can do is build on a lot of the success that we have in the city uh with our trail system, um, really strengthening the bicycle infrastructure that we have, not just the recreational, but also the infrastructure that gets people um kind of from where they live to where they're going so that they can run their errands so that they can uh take uh take part in more active transportation, healthier, those health benefits for our cities, uh turn into opportunities for all of us to live more um kind of fulfilled lives here in Cedar Rapids. Wow. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next up, we'd like to honor Coach Kim Moole. If you're here to honor the coach, please join Councilmember Ashley Van Orney here at the Dice. That's great. Everybody's welcome. All right, this is a pretty fantastic career, so bear with me here. Whereas Coach Kim Moole has dedicated his career to excellence in collegiate athletics as the head women's basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College, shaping generations of student athletes through leadership, discipline, and a commitment to success both on and off the court. And whereas his remarkable coaching career is defined by unparalleled achievement, including leading the Kirkwood Eagles to nine NJ CAA national championships in 1999, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2022, 2024, and whereas Coach Moole has established himself as the winningest coach in NJJ CAA women's basketball history, concluding his career with an extraordinary record of 1,108 wins and 178 losses, while sustaining an unprecedented streak of 37 consecutive 20 win seasons. And whereas his excellence has been recognized through numerous accolades, including being Ray Meet being named Region 11 Coach of the Year 23 times and mentoring 37 all-American student athletes who have excelled at the collegiate and professional levels, and whereas in recognition of his profound impact on the sport of women's basketball, Coach Moole has been selected for the induction into the women's basketball hall of fame as part of the 20 class of 2026, joining the ranks of the game's most celebrated figures. And whereas his legacy reflects not only competitive success, but also a lasting contribution to the C uh Cedar Rapids community, elevating the city's reputation as a center of athletic excellence and inspiring pride amongst its residents.

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