North Liberty City Council Meeting – October 13, 2026

The North Liberty City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:24 PM. Agenda items included consent calendar approvals, public comments, department reports, a public hearing on park and water maintenance additions, and extensive council discussion on automated license plate readers (Flock cameras). Several site plans, resolutions, and appointments were approved.

Consent Calendar

• City Council Minutes, Regular Session, September 22, 2026
• Liquor License Renewal, Mirabitos Italian
• Forevergreen Road & Jasper Avenue Improvements Project, Pay Application Number 6, CJ Moyna & Sons, Inc., $758,916.75
• Water Supply and Treatment Improvements, Division 1, Pay Application Number 1, Wynn Company, LLC, $403,806.15
• Claims list

Public Comments & Testimony

• Chris von Feld questioned a consent agenda item from a previous meeting that included a payment for Axon body cameras with AI and ALPR capabilities, noting he could not find details about the contract or previous council approval.
• Sheriff Brad Kunkel spoke in favor of the Johnson County jail bond (94.5 million, 12-year bond, estimated average increase of $20–22/month), urging support and reminding of early voting.
• Daniel, a North Liberty resident and member of Johnson County Deserves Better, opposed the jail bond, citing the risk of increased ICE arrests originating in county jails and mentioning the deportation of a community member.

Reports

• Engineer Report: City Engineer Josiah Bilskemper reported substantial completion of the Community Center Parking Lot, progress on Forevergreen Road and Jasper Avenue (roundabout south side), repair of Goose Lake Pond outfall structure, and abandonment of Fox Valley Lift Station.
• City Administrator Report: Ryan Heiar updated on Front Street water main boring (contractor delays) and the Joint Entities meeting scheduled for October 19 at 4:30 PM at ICCSD Educational Service Center.
• Mayor Report: Mayor Hoffman read a proclamation declaring September 15 through October 15, 2026 as Hispanic Heritage Month. He also reported on the Digital Infrastructure committee, his appointment to the ICCSD boundary advisory committee, and recognized Councilor Smith’s promotion to Chief of Cedar Rapids Fire Department.
• Council Reports: Councilors reported on EMA meetings, volunteer activities, community events, League of Cities conference, jail bond presentation, manufactured housing legislative forum, and Coffee Connections.

Parks Building and Water Maintenance Additions

• At 6:25 PM, Mayor Hoffman opened and closed a public hearing with no oral or written comments.
• Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-112 (plans, specifications, contract, and estimated cost) and Resolution 2026-113 (preliminary site plan for Auditor's Parcel Number 2007087).

Automated License Plate Readers (Flock Cameras)

• Chief Diane Venenga presented changes made after the previous discussion: reduced agency sharing from 60 to 28 (only those with public transparency portal and policy), limited officer searches to in-state, and reduced data retention from 30 to 7 days. She stated the system costs $36,000 per year, has assisted in locating missing persons and stolen vehicles, and is used with strict policy and training.

• Public comment (11 speakers) was overwhelmingly opposed to the cameras, citing privacy, security, vendor trust, potential for misuse, and the existence of other important community issues (e.g., school budget cuts). Several speakers questioned the security of Flock’s cloud infrastructure, the ability to audit searches, and the risk of AI features expanding beyond license plate reading. One speaker (Dawson) recommended a full security assessment of city infrastructure. No member of the public spoke in favor of the cameras.

• Council discussion: Councilor Park moved to remove Flock cameras from North Liberty (seconded by Fortney). Councilor Leibold then moved to table the motion to the next council meeting to allow time to review contractual obligations and digest public input (seconded by Smith). The motion to table passed 4-1 (Park opposed). The item will be revisited at the next regular meeting.

Site Plan Approvals (Resolutions 2026-114, 2026-115, 2026-116)

• Lot 2 Resubdivision of Lot 10, I-380 Industrial Park: 9,000 sq. ft. building for expansion of existing business. Unanimously approved.
• Lot 4, Forevergreen Estates (Part One): 32 townhouse units in four-unit buildings. Unanimously approved.
• Lot 11, Water Tower Place: Amended preliminary site plan for a self-storage facility. Unanimously approved.

Other Resolutions

• Water Supply Treatment Project Acquisition Value (Resolution 2026-117): Unanimously approved to establish fair market value and just compensation for property acquisition, enabling negotiation under eminent domain timeline.
• Urban Renewal Area Plan Amendment (Resolution 2026-118): Unanimously approved, setting a public hearing date for the expanded North Liberty Urban Renewal Area and plan amendment.
• Water Revenue Loan (Resolution 2026-119): Unanimously authorized a loan and disbursement agreement for the issuance of $1,809,301 Water Revenue Bonds, Series 2026.
• Library Board Appointment: Unanimously confirmed the mayor’s appointment of Ann Johnson to the Library Board.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda and all resolutions passed unanimously, except the Flock camera motion which was tabled 4-1.
• Flock camera contract to be discussed further at the next council meeting; council to receive contractual obligation details.
• Site plans for I-380 Industrial Park, Forevergreen Estates, and Water Tower Place approved.
• Property acquisition for water supply improvements to proceed under established appraised values.
• Ann Johnson confirmed to the Library Board.
• Several project updates noted: Community Center Parking Lot substantially complete; Forevergreen Road/Jasper Avenue work continuing; Front Street water main project expected substantial completion by end of November.