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Cedar Rapids Today

Monday, November 25, 2024

IN FOCUS: 7.8.22 A Weekly Update from City Manager Ryan Waller

For the Good of the Order

City Hall Hours

Beginning on Monday, July 11, the office hours at Marion City Hall will be adjusted to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This change will improve accessibility and is one more way our organization can Reach Higher! for those we serve.

7th Avenue Reconstruction & Streetscape Update

The latest update regarding the 7th Avenue Reconstruction & Streetscape project is now available at www.cityofmarion.org/7thAveStreetscape. Highlights from the last couple of weeks include the installation of the decorative bollards along 7th Avenue and the North Plaza, removal of the remaining pavement and east sidewalk in the 600 block of 10th Street, and removal/replacement of the sanitary sewer main. Work has also continued on the building entrance improvements to the Owen Block Building.

Please note, the Uptown Marion Market returns this Saturday, July 9 from 8 a.m. to noon. Seventh Avenue from 10th to 12th Streets will close to traffic from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. A detour will be posted.

Lowe Park East Entrance and Parking Lot to Close for Resurfacing

The Lowe Park driveway and parking lot will be overlayed the week of July 11. All programs and activities for July 11-15 will be cancelled and there will be no access from N. 10th Street. The office will be open, but visitors will need to park in the Irish Drive parking lot and walk the trail up to the building. Gardeners will be contacted directly with instructions for accessing their gardens during construction. Thank you for your patience during this improvement project. 

Friends of the Marion Parks Scavenger Hunt

The Friends of the Marion Parks advocate for the use of Marion parks and work to support the Parks and Recreation Department. They host family-friendly, free events to highlight and help residents discover some of the hidden gems the Marion park system has to offer. A summertime favorite is their Parks Photo Scavenger Hunt - available at www.cityofmarion.org/scavengerhunt. This summer the scavenger hunt explores Boyson Park, Gill Park, Hanna Park and Waldo's Rock Park. Happy hunting!

Solid Waste Collections System Study

The City of Marion’s Strategic Plan includes an objective to explore sustainable practices of waste collection and removal. On June 3, 2022, the City solicited a request for proposals from qualified firms to provide consulting services to review the current solid waste collection systems. The service provider is responsible for evaluating the current methods for solid waste management and providing cost analysis of alternative models of service, including the implementation of automated refuse collection systems. The vendor will make formal recommendations for revised programming and assist with implementing the selected solid waste collections and management system. On July 7, the Marion City Council awarded the Solid Waste Collections System Study to SCS Engineers. Over the next few weeks, a preliminary schedule will be formulated that will detail dates and key milestones for the study. A formal contract for services will be considered for approval at the July 21 Marion City Council Meeting.

City Issues RFQ for Classification and Compensation Study and Analysis

The City of Marion is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to conduct a comprehensive classification and compensation study and analysis for both union and non-union employees. The chosen firm will provide an updated market study of comparable entities in the public and private sector, will evaluate the current position classification system and will evaluate employee positioning within the existing or recommended salary schedule. The chosen firm will also make recommendations pertaining to the implementation of the study, employee progression and revisions of policies and procedures related to compensation. With budget in mind, this could mean immediate changes or a plan of action to adjust to the recommendations over a series of years. View the RFQ at www.cityofmarion.org/publicnotice. Responses are due by July 29, 2022.

Three Cheers for Pool Safety Training

A note of thanks to our Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire Departments for collaborating to provide valuable training for our pool staff earlier this week. Special thanks to Karlene Hummel (Parks and Recreation), Rob Schlitter (Fire), Leah Pedersen (Police) and Brian Davis (Police) for facilitating. The pool staff learned how to handle difficult customer situations and how to keep their mental health a priority. The lifeguards also ran through four different rescue drills with our City’s first responders. The rescue team offered many great tips and positive reinforcement for the pool staff. It was a win-win all around!

Thanks to All Involved in a Successful Fireworks & Fireflies Event

Fireworks & Fireflies presented by Hanna Plumbing & Heating returned with a bang on July 3! Beautiful weather and another record-breaking crowd made their way to Lowe Park to enjoy live music, food trucks and a grand fireworks finale. An event of this magnitude could not happen without the support of many City departments including Marion Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation, Administration and Public Services. Special thanks to the City’s event coordinator, Jessica Carney, for skillfully organizing the many details of the event. Thanks too, to all of the sponsors and volunteers who helped make it possible. It was a great celebration of community!

Word on the Street

This feature of the newsletter helps answer some of the frequently asked questions we’re hearing.

  • There have been a lot of new trees planted in our community since the derecho. When they are planted in the right-of-way, what type of information is shared with the homeowner and who is responsible for watering?

    When the City’s Urban Forestry Division plants trees in the right-of-way, we send letters to the homeowners. We let them know that we will be planting on their street and that the Parks and Recreation Department will stake, mulch and water the tree for the first year. We also publicize a variety of educational workshops offered by our city arborist and Trees Forever. Materials are also available as part of the Monarch Research Project’s Planting Forward program. We have a crew that does weekly watering of right-of-way trees when necessary, but we also encourage adjacent property owners to assist as the trees start to become established.

Upcoming Events

It’s shaping up to be another festive weekend in Marion. Here’s a quick look at the free events that are scheduled in City spaces this weekend:

Friday, July 8

Pop-Up Acts in the Artway featuring Matt Gogel – 6-8 p.m. – Uptown Artway

Moonlit Movie presented by Hills Bank featuring Cruella – POSTPONED due to ground conditions

Saturday, July 9

Sunrise Yoga – 7:30 a.m. – Klopfenstein Amphitheater at Lowe Park

Marion Farmers Market & City Council Office Hours – 8-11 a.m. – Taube Park

Uptown Marion Market – 8 a.m.-noon – 7th Avenue and City Square Park

Future Project Updates

Here’s a look at the tentative agenda containing a list of several items that will be coming before the City Council in the weeks ahead.

On the Docket

The following are a few of the major activities on my calendar for the coming week:

  • Marion Chamber Golf Outing
  • Meeting with Keith Rippy from Area Ambulance
  • Airport Committee meeting
  • Introductory meeting with Greg Bjornsen

Sign up to receive this weekly newsletter and other updates from the City of Marion directly in your inbox by visiting www.cityofmarion.org/enotify.

Original source can be found here.

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