For the Good of the Order

Transit Agreement Extended
Last Thursday, July 6, the City Council approved a new 28E Agreement with the City of Cedar Rapids for fixed route transit service. This agreement serves to continue the Route 20 circular in Marion, as it is currently, for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. From July 2022 through June 2023, the Marion circular provided 48,607 trips which is a 31.6% increase from the previous year. The fares for the next fiscal year will be $1 regular fare, free for elderly, disabled, income eligible, or children age 12 and under. The first Marion bus leaves the Twixt Town stop at 5:40 a.m. and makes its final loop of the City beginning at 4:40 p.m., each loop taking an hour to complete. For more information about fixed route service in Marion, or the rest of the metro area, visit the Cedar Rapids Transit website. 

Curbside Collections Services Survey Underway
Providing sustainable infrastructure and services is one of six focus areas included in the City of Marion’s Strategic Plan. To support this, the City of Marion and SCS Engineers are working together to conduct a study of the City’s curbside collection program for garbage, recycling and yard waste. Marion residents are invited to complete this online survey (https://polco.us/szaaqt) to help inform the study - thanks to the 1,700+ individuals who have already weighed in!  

Eastern Iowa Construction Code Council
The Eastern Iowa Construction Code Council (EICCC) has been in existent since the late 1990’s. EICCC consists of 19 jurisdictional members and over 70 individual members in its early chapter status, with all committed to building safety through code enforcement. As of December 2022, Building Official Gary Hansen was voted as President of the organization. He and other members of the EICCC decided to apply for International Code Council (ICC) chapter status. With over 400 chapters worldwide, ICC is one of the largest networks of building and fire safety professionals. We are pleased to announce that the EICCC received ICC status earlier this month. Congratulations to all involved in the EICCC and way to reach higher, Gary!

Trails Connection
The Linn County Trails Association is raising funds to help close the paving gap along the Indian Creek Trail. They are hoping to raise $35,000 for the project to pave a quarter mile of the trail that is currently a limestone surface. The funds will be awarded to the City of Marion to pay for the paving materials and staff hopes to address the paving of the gap in Fall 2023.

Celebrating Parks & Recreation Month 
July is designated as Parks and Recreation Month and today is Park and Recreation Professionals Day. The City of Marion is proud of its more than 600 acres of parks, trails and natural areas and recognizes the benefits derived from such resources in promoting the well-being of our community and giving residents opportunities for a great quality of life. Please help us thank this team of professionals that keeps our community looking great and our residents active and entertained. 

Friends of the Marion Parks Scavenger Hunt
The Friends of the Marion Parks advocate for the use of Marion's 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 Ascension Park, Taube Park, Donnelly Park and Butterfield Park. Happy hunting! 

Movies on the Move Happening at Thomas Park Next Friday 
Join the Marion Parks and Recreation Department for this month’s Movies on the Move event featuring Top Gun Maverick at Thomas Park on Friday, July 21. Bring your chairs/blankets to the park and enjoy the show starting at 8 p.m.  

10th Avenue/Business 151 Resurfacing Continues 
LL Pelling’s crews completed drain tile installation and asphalt paving on Phase 1 of the project on 10th Avenue/Business 151. Eastbound 10th Avenue/Business 151 is reduced to one lane. Today, the traffic pattern was shifted in preparation of the project beginning Phase 2 on Monday, July 17. The south/outside lane is closed to traffic from 35th Street to Highway 13. The north/inside lane is open to normal, reduced-speed traffic. Westbound 10th Avenue is open to normal traffic during this project. While work is active within an intersection, traffic will not be allowed to cross intersections and roadway detours will be posted. While work is inactive within an intersection, temporary pavement will be placed to allow for crossing through the intersection.

Twixt Town Road Reconstruction Project Began
Corum Construction began work on the 2023 Twixt Town Road and Marion Boulevard Intersection Improvements Project this week. This project will add a right-turn lane to Marion Boulevard and realign the Twixt Town Road approach to Marion Boulevard to provide better sight visibility. During this project, Twixt Town Road will be closed at Marion Boulevard and southbound Marion Boulevard will be reduced to one lane. Twixt Town Road business access will use Collins Road and directional signage will be in place.  

2023 Sidewalk Ramp Project to Begin July 17
This annual program uses bond funding and includes the reconstruction of sidewalks, sidewalk ramps and associated work. In 2013, the City adopted the “Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan” as required by the ADA Act of 1990 and Title II. Per the plan, the City has committed to annual funding to provide for the reconstruction of non-compliant ramps. Work will occur at various locations throughout the City over the next two months. Construction crews will utilize parking areas for staging and the replacement work will have minimal traffic impacts.   

Kudos to Engineering
With a compressed construction season, we know there can be a lot of projects happening simultaneously. I give our Engineering Department a lot of credit for their efforts in scheduling and managing the workload. Last week, we received similar sentiments from a resident who is appreciative of the work happening on 29th Avenue. Here's what they had to say, "My wife and I just wanted to share how good of a job the contractor and the work being done on 29th Avenue is going. They have done a great job of keeping traffic flowing for all the work that is being done. Someone at the city has done a good job of evaluating the contractor ahead of time.” 

New Faces in New Places
Nathaniel Van Keuren is joining Team Marion! He will be our new Equipment Operator with Public Services. Welcome to the team, Nathaniel!

Upcoming Events

It’s shaping up to be another eventful weekend. As a reminder, it’s always best to visit the event organizer’s website and/or social media accounts for the latest event information.

• Friday, July 14 – Pop-Up Acts in the Artway featuring Casey Klein – 6-8 p.m. – Uptown Artway
• Saturday, July 15 – Sunrise Yoga – 7:30-8:30 a.m. – Lowe Park
• Saturday, July 15 – Marion Farmers Market & City Council Office Hours – 8-11 a.m. – Taube Park
• Saturday, July 15 - Shania Twin: Shania Twain Tribute Show - 7 p.m. - Lowe 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:

• Scheduled time out of the office
• MEDCO board meeting
• Internal meetings
• City Council Work Session
• Meeting with Geoff Fruin
• City Council Meeting