The Council of Council Bluffs held a study session and regular meeting on July 27, 2026. Key topics included Iowa West Foundation Cycle II grants, proposed sewer rate changes for industrial users, repeal of the city weapons possession ordinance, investment strategy for the riverfront maintenance fund, and public comments on noise, code enforcement, and civic engagement. The meeting included multiple votes on ordinances and resolutions.
First up on study session, we have Brenda Maywaring here to talk about the Iowa West Foundation Cycle II grants. Good afternoon. This is hot off the press. In fact, the press hasn't seen it yet. So you're the first. So I apologize for being tardy with it. But last week the board approved $4.6 million in grants and initiatives. As usual, just running through a few of these. So we've allocated $500,000 towards the project that we're working on collectively with the city and with the chamber, what we're calling growing CB, just so we can be kind of flexible and available as things come up. An example is as we found out about some other community events that were going on. We were able to give the city some additional funds so that the city could support the July 3rd event as something that they would they wanted to be involved with. So that's the kind of thing that we're trying to be on top of as opposed to making people wait three months and in case they're having an event more quickly. That is specifically to engage neighborhood revitalization, really focused on west of downtown. On the second page, there's a paragraph that starts out rounding out the cycle. Two grants that focus on retaining talent. So one of those is STARS, which we've been doing for I think something like 30 years now, continuing to work on the STAR scholarship, which is really intended for single parent families so they they can go back and finish out whatever schooling seems appropriate, up to and including a bachelor's degree. And then also Iowa Western Skills for Success. We have collectively been trying to figure out how to help employers upskill and reskill workforces, and I think that Iowa Western has really figured out a process. They're delivering some really good results on that. So if you look at the list, um Child Saving Institute is making additional improvements at Children's Square. Almost all of the school districts participate, and about a million of that 1.3 million goes to Council Bluff School District because we also consider the level of need. So every school district gets at least one classroom, and then we disperse the rest of it based on uh economics. Also a new program in uh councilwell school districts, Iowa Legal Aid has this functioning in some other communities. They've approached Council of School District. Oftentimes educators will identify that uh child or children are having some challenges at home, and this puts Iowa Legal Aid school-based attorney with the school districts so that those referrals can happen directly so that a family can so that a student can be identified and families come can come in and get help, especially with uh housing and retaining housing. Um Nebraska Philanthropic Trust Regional First Responder Education and Training Center. This is of course a Nebraska-based facility, but it is going to be the best in the region by far. We consulted with uh Chief Davis and Chief James. Um both were very supportive of this project. It allows relatively close access to training that is above and beyond what can be offered locally. Um I was in uh Texas with Union Pacific, I was on the an advisory council for Texas AM. They have the premier um hazmat training in the country, and this one will they've done a lot of study in at AM, and I think they're gonna do some things that will really put our metro area on the map with training for first responders. Together Inc. has been doing some really great work on housing stability, essentially identifying folks that need emergency support with just a little bit of money, less than $2,000. Oftentimes you can keep people in their homes, and if you can keep them out of homelessness, that is the solution all of us want. And then last thing I'll point to the community housing organizations, um, including a couple of folks from Council Bluffs, City of Council Bluffs. Uh, we do scholarship folks to pay both the tuition and the cost to go to those summits. This is the Iowa Housing Summit in September in Des Moines. It just is an opportunity to see what other communities are doing to connect with some of the folks who have the money to make sure they know all the great stuff that's going on in Council Bluffs, and they can start thinking about the western side of the state to get some of those resources. So that's sort of a high-level review. Any questions since you've had about three minutes to look at it? Any questions for Brenda? Thank you very much. Thank you. All right, next up is review of the agenda. Is there any questions on the consent agenda for this evening? I have one thing on a grabbing reminder. Sorry. I'll have to abstain from one uh item on the agenda on the Cassandra agenda. That's uh I'm looking it up here.