OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Cedar Rapids City Council Meeting - July 28, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, July 28, 2026
BodyCedar Rapids, Iowa
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, July 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:48:10

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

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

0:11

Welcome everybody to the Cedar Rapids City Council meeting for Tuesday, July 28th, 2026.

0:16

I'd like to note my council colleague, uh Councilmember Tyler Olson is excused from today's meeting.

0:22

I'd also like to rec welcome our acting city manager, our city clerk, and our city attorney, and thank you as always to city staff for being here today.

0:30

Appreciate that.

0:31

A reminder to those of you who are here to turn off any cell phones or electronic devices that might distract us from our meeting.

0:37

And as a reminder, the city council must remain an orderly meeting.

0:40

So we'll ask you to kindly review the rules of conduct for persons in attendance that are available at the entry and then project it onto the screen during those comment periods.

0:51

Disruptions to council proceedings will not be tolerated.

0:56

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

1:01

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

1:06

We will begin as we always do with an invocation by public safety chaplain Rick Gale, immediately followed by our Pledge of Allegiance.

1:20

I'd say thank you for the quality of leadership that we have in this community.

1:26

For our mayor, city council members, God, for the leadership of this of the departments.

1:32

God, they come in week after week and make themselves available to the citizens of the city.

1:39

Thank you, God, for their availability for us.

1:43

And now, Lord, I pray that this will be a time where quality things happen.

1:50

And I thank you for it.

1:52

Amen.

1:54

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

2:02

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

2:10

We'll begin with a proclamation today.

2:13

This is uh the day of celebrating home ownership and community.

2:16

I'd like to invite those of you who are here to mark this proclamation to join Councilmember Poe here at the Dais.

2:24

Come on up, everybody.

2:35

Come on.

2:36

Just come on right up here.

2:39

Come on up and join us.

2:41

There we go.

2:44

This is fine.

2:46

Perfect.

2:47

Look at this is great.

2:48

Wonderful.

2:48

Thank you all for being here today.

2:50

This is a great crowd.

2:52

Congratulations.

2:53

So a proclamation from the City of Cedar Rapids, whereas home ownership plays an important role in building strong neighborhoods, supporting families, encouraging civic pride, and contributing to the continued growth and prosperity of the city of Cedar Rapids.

3:11

And whereas the City of Cedar Rapids has long been shaped by residents, businesses, and organizations committed to expanding access to home ownership and strengthening local neighborhoods.

3:26

And whereas in observance, dedication dedicated to home ownership, offers an opportunity to recognize the residents, neighborhoods, and organizations whose investment continues to shape Cedar Rapids.

3:42

And whereas celebrating home ownership and neighborhood pride encourages residents to take an active role in the well-being and the growth of their community.

3:53

And whereas the City of Cedar Rapids values initiatives that bring residents together in recognition of people and places that make our communities strong and welcoming.

4:06

I therefore, on behalf of Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell and the entire city council, hereby recognize August 7th, 2026 as 8-7 day, celebrating home ownership and community.

4:21

The observance recognizes the lasting contribution of homeowners, neighborhoods, businesses, and community organizations, while encouraging continued investment in the people and places that make Cedar Rapids a welcoming and vibrant community.

4:40

Thank you all.

4:50

I just want to say thank you very much.

4:51

We're with Real TA7W.

4:53

Thank you very much.

4:53

And homeownership, you said it very well.

4:56

And so thank you for your support.

5:00

And I see there's some things on the agenda today, neighborhood finance, some other things, all encouraging homeownership and support.

5:04

So thank you very much.

5:06

Thank you for all you do.

5:07

Thank you.

5:08

Thank you very much.

5:11

So we before we move on to our regular business of the meeting.

5:24

What a tremendous loss for a community.

5:26

Many of you, whether you saw him at the Mother Mosque or you saw him here as chaplain, oftentimes in our city council, it is a tremendous loss to this community in leadership.

5:37

And just want to extend our heartfelt thank you and gratitude to him and his family for all that they have done and supported the city.

5:48

And certainly to the Imam for his constant peaceful presence in what can be often chaos in these chambers.

5:57

So our thoughts and prayers are with our Muslim brothers and sisters in the coming days and months.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████48%
Procedural██████████████15%
Historic Preservation██████████████15%
Economic Development███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Traffic███3%
Public Engagement██2%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Environmental Protection██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Cedar Rapids City Council Meeting - July 28, 2026

The Cedar Rapids City Council met on July 28, 2026, to address a range of items including housing development incentives, zoning changes, infrastructure projects, and public comments. Key discussions centered on the Neighborhood Finance Corporation's annual progress report, several urban renewal and housing redevelopment agreements, and a contested zoning change on Mallory Street. Council also heard public concerns about a proposed data center and water infrastructure.

Proclamation

  • Council proclaimed August 7, 2026 as "8-7 Day" celebrating home ownership and community, recognizing homeowners and organizations.

Presentations

  • Stephanie Murphy, Executive Director of Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC), reported on FY2026 achievements: 55 closings in Cedar Rapids (expected to meet 75 goal), $1.2 million in renovations, $462,000 in forgivable loans, and a new $15,000 forgivable loan increase. NFC also launched a 4% Energy Upgrade Loan with a $1 million commitment from the Iowa Energy Fund, and is raising a second $8 million round from local financial institutions. Council praised NFC's impact and discussed expanding awareness.

Consent Calendar

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously with no objections.

Public Hearings & Testimony

  • Item 5 (1756 Mallory Street rezoning): Multiple residents opposed the rezoning from TR1 to UVR for a four-unit building, citing preservation of neighborhood character, concerns about scale, and potential for gentrification. Fifteen signatures were filed in a petition of objection. The developer (Josh Bass of OFBLC) argued the property had been a nuisance rental and the proposal would improve the neighborhood. Council heard extensive debate; some members supported deferral for further neighborhood communication.
  • Public comment: Tamara Krug, representing Save Morgan Valley, criticized the city's lack of transparency regarding water and sewer agreements for the Morgan Valley Energy Center, referencing a March 31 letter from the city's utility director about capacity at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant.

Discussion Items

  • Items 1 & 2 (Caledonia Haulers Urban Renewal Area): A $14 million capital investment for a 40,000 sq. ft. transportation/logistics building, creating 27 new jobs (15+ at or above $30.41/hr). Standard 10-year, 50% property tax rebate (estimated $1 million rebate of $3.3 million total taxes). Approved with a reminder about light pollution.
  • Item 3 (Parkland LLC housing development): A $7.85 million investment for 36 mixed-income units (60% and 80% AMI, plus market-rate) on city-owned land near Ellis Boulevard. Includes 15-year, 100% tax rebate (estimated $1.3 million of $1.5 million new taxes). Council praised the design and mixed-income approach.
  • Item 4 (Matthew 25 duplex rezoning): A request to rezone two parcels from TR1 to TRF to build two duplexes (six units) on 8th Street NW. Approved on first reading with discussion about sidewalk and alley maintenance.
  • Item 6 (Ellis Park parking lot): $900,000 project to relocate parking (adding 79 paved spaces) for flood control alignment. Approved. Council questioned environmental alternatives; staff noted durability issues with permeable pavers.
  • Item 7 (Fourth Avenue SW gatewell): $390,000 gatewell structure to prevent flood backflow, with construction scheduled around McGrath Amphitheater events. Approved.
  • Item 27-28 (Street and sewer projects): Third Street SE paving ($590,000) and FY27 Sanitary Sewer Repairs ($250,000) awarded to low bidders. Approved.
  • Item 29 (219 2nd St SE adaptive reuse): Resolution of support for converting upper three floors of an office building to 21 market-rate apartments ($4.1 million investment). Approved with birthday wishes to staff.
  • Item 31 (416th St SW duplex proposal): A proposed duplex on city-owned land was deferred after council requested more design character and a 360-degree view of the building. Council encouraged the developer to improve the aesthetic.
  • Item 32 (Speed restrictions ordinance): Second and third readings adopted unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Items 1 & 2 (Caledonia Haulers) approved unanimously.
  • Item 3 (Parkland housing) approved unanimously.
  • Item 4 (Matthew 25 rezoning) approved on first reading.
  • Item 5 (Mallory Street rezoning) deferred to a future meeting after council discussion about neighborhood concerns and design.
  • Items 6, 7, 27, 28, 29, and 32 approved unanimously.
  • Item 31 (416th St SW) deferred for redesign.
  • Consent agenda approved.
  • Meeting adjourned at approximately 2:45 PM.

Meeting Transcript

This meeting of the Cedar Rapids City Council will come to order. Welcome everybody to the Cedar Rapids City Council meeting for Tuesday, July 28th, 2026. I'd like to note my council colleague, uh Councilmember Tyler Olson is excused from today's meeting. I'd also like to rec welcome our acting city manager, our city clerk, and our city attorney, and thank you as always to city staff for being here today. Appreciate that. A reminder to those of you who are here to turn off any cell phones or electronic devices that might distract us from our meeting. And as a reminder, the city council must remain an orderly meeting. So we'll ask you to kindly review the rules of conduct for persons in attendance that are available at the entry and then project it onto the screen during those comment periods. Disruptions to council proceedings will not be tolerated. Please note that all city council meeting agendas, minutes, and videos are available on our city's website. Regular sessions are also available to watch live and on replay through Facebook Live. We will begin as we always do with an invocation by public safety chaplain Rick Gale, immediately followed by our Pledge of Allegiance. I'd say thank you for the quality of leadership that we have in this community. For our mayor, city council members, God, for the leadership of this of the departments. God, they come in week after week and make themselves available to the citizens of the city. Thank you, God, for their availability for us. And now, Lord, I pray that this will be a time where quality things happen. And I thank you for it. 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. We'll begin with a proclamation today. This is uh the day of celebrating home ownership and community. I'd like to invite those of you who are here to mark this proclamation to join Councilmember Poe here at the Dais. Come on up, everybody. Come on. Just come on right up here. Come on up and join us. There we go. This is fine. Perfect. Look at this is great. Wonderful. Thank you all for being here today. This is a great crowd. Congratulations. So a proclamation from the City of Cedar Rapids, whereas home ownership plays an important role in building strong neighborhoods, supporting families, encouraging civic pride, and contributing to the continued growth and prosperity of the city of Cedar Rapids. And whereas the City of Cedar Rapids has long been shaped by residents, businesses, and organizations committed to expanding access to home ownership and strengthening local neighborhoods. And whereas in observance, dedication dedicated to home ownership, offers an opportunity to recognize the residents, neighborhoods, and organizations whose investment continues to shape Cedar Rapids. And whereas celebrating home ownership and neighborhood pride encourages residents to take an active role in the well-being and the growth of their community. And whereas the City of Cedar Rapids values initiatives that bring residents together in recognition of people and places that make our communities strong and welcoming. I therefore, on behalf of Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell and the entire city council, hereby recognize August 7th, 2026 as 8-7 day, celebrating home ownership and community. The observance recognizes the lasting contribution of homeowners, neighborhoods, businesses, and community organizations, while encouraging continued investment in the people and places that make Cedar Rapids a welcoming and vibrant community. Thank you all. I just want to say thank you very much. We're with Real TA7W. Thank you very much. And homeownership, you said it very well. And so thank you for your support. And I see there's some things on the agenda today, neighborhood finance, some other things, all encouraging homeownership and support.

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