City News

North Liberty Announces Small-Business Development Program

May 16, 2012 — The City of North Liberty and The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, have started a program to help encourage, advise and assist small businesses in North Liberty.

“Small business is an essential part of our community,” said City Administrator Ryan Heiar. “We believe this will encourage innovators to come to and invest in North Liberty.”

The loans were conceived as gap financing to help worthy under-funded projects get off the ground.

Under the program, North Liberty will offer loans, to be repaid within five years, of up to $25,000 for projects that create or retain permanent jobs, make investments into the community’s tax base or provide unique services in the community. Proposal will be reviewed by a committee composed of city staff, elected officials, local business owners and business experts, and funding and terms will be approved by the city council.

Details of the program, as well the application, are available at northlibertyiowa.org/economicdevelopment

Board Vacancies—Volunteers Needed

North Liberty needs you! You can make a difference in many aspects of community development. On July 1, each year, new terms begin on the following boards and commissions. You are invited to take this opportunity to volunteer your time to serve on any one of the following. Applications are available at the City Administration building at 3 Quail Creek Circle or on the city’s website (click here for the PDF application), and must be turned in by June 5, 2012. The City Council will make appointments at their June 26, 2012 meeting for terms that will begin on July 1.

Iowa State Code requires that cities have gender balance on all boards and commissions. With appointments and reappointments, gender balance will be considered.

Applicants must be 18 years old and a legal resident of the City. (Click here for a PDF of these descriptions)

Planning & Zoning Commission (Two positions)

This advisory board makes recommendations to the city council regarding requests for annexation, zoning, amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, subdivision plats and commercial site plans. The Planning & Zoning Commission assists in determining how North Liberty will grow and how land is utilized. The Commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Appointments are for three years.

Board of Adjustment (One position)

The Board of Adjustment hears and decides appeals for building permit approval when a permit has been denied because of non-compliance with certain requirements of the zoning code. This Board meets only when an appeal has been filed. Appointments are for a five year term.

Board of Appeals (Two positions)

The Board of Appeals hears and decides appeals to decisions made by the code official in the enforcement or interpretation of the building code. This Board meets only when an appeal has been filed. Appointments are for a three year term.

Park & Recreation Commission (Three positions)

The Park and Recreation Commission plans for the continuing development of parks and recreation facilities in North Liberty. They also set policies for operation of those facilities. This Commission meets monthly. Appointments are for a three year term.

Library Board of Trustees (Two positions)

The Library Board of Trustees oversees and sets policies for the operation of the North Liberty Community Library. The Board meets once each month. Appointments are for a three year term.

Tree and Storm Water Advisory Board (One position)

The Tree Board studies, plans, advises and recommends actions necessary for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, or removal of trees, shrubs and plants in City parks, along streets and in other public areas. The Tree Board meets quarterly. Appointments are for a three year term.

Telecommunications Commission (Two positions)

The Telecommunications Commission oversees the development and enforcement of the telecommunications ordinance and acts as a liaison between the cable provider and local subscribers. They also set policy for the local access television channel. The Commission meets quarterly. Appointments are for a three year term.

Cemetery Board (One position)

The Cemetery Board, jointly with the Penn Township Trustees, oversees the operation and maintenance of the Ridgewood Cemetery and the historic cemetery in Penn Township. The Cemetery Board meets several times each year. Appointments are for a three year term.

North Liberty signs contract with animal shelter

May 7, 2012 — As of the beginning of May, the City of North Liberty is using the Cedar Valley Humane Society (CVHS) for its animal shelter needs. This transition comes after the Iowa City Animal Shelter asked neighboring municipalities for increased funds in order to build a new facility. After weighing the options, North Liberty city council determined they would sign an agreement with the Cedar Rapids-based animal shelter.

City Administrator, Ryan Heiar, says, “We are grateful for the years of service provided to us by the Iowa City Animal Shelter. They have always done a great job. The decision for the move to Cedar Valley is a financial one.  That being said, we are excited to build this partnership with CVHS. We are looking forward to a long relationship with the organization. They are even coming to the city-sponsored festival North Liberty Blues & BBQ to introduce themselves to attendees.”

With the transition from the Iowa City Animal Shelter to CVHS, the protocol for reporting a stray animal in North Liberty remains the same: residents should contact City Hall at 319-626-5700. Heiar says, “Residents won’t see a service-quality change due to the move.”

“We’re excited to be partnering with North Liberty,” says Bob Citrullo, executive director of the Cedar Valley Humane Society. “It’s a great community to be involved with, and, as a nonprofit organization, we’re looking forward to providing these vital services in a professional and fiscally responsible manner.”

The Cedar Valley Humane Society website is http://www.cvhumane.org/. They can also be reached at 319-362-6288 or email at info {at} cvhumane(.)org. For additional information contact the City of North Liberty at 319-626-5700.

Prioritizing Play for Children: Non-Profit Organization KaBOOM! Names North Liberty Among 213 “Playful City USA” Communities

- Communities Recognized for Fighting Play Deficit by Implementing Pro-Play Policies -

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today’s children spend less time playing outside than any previous generation, but 213 cities and towns, including North Liberty, earned recognition from national non-profit KaBOOM! as 2012 Playful City USA communities for their efforts to increase play opportunities for children.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is critical to healthy brain development. It allows children to use their creativity while simultaneously developing imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive and emotional strength. Yet today’s children spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 live within walking distance of a park or playground. The resulting play deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, socially and academically.

Presented by The Humana Foundation, Playful City USA is a national program advocating for local policies that increase play opportunities for children and is a key platform in combating the play deficit.

KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play, created Playful City USA in 2007 to help local governments address the play deficit and it is through mayors, city council members, parks and recreation departments, school districts and community leaders that the program succeeds in benefitting children.

Tracey Mulcahey, Assistant City Administrator said, “The City of North Liberty is excited to be a new honoree named to the Playful City USA list of honorees. We are looking forward to increasing our access to play!”

Hailing from 41 states, the 213 Playful City USA honorees range in size from six-time honorees such as Orlando and Phoenix to first-time recipient Independence, Oregon (population: 9,607). These Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community.

“Some of the most innovative concepts and cost-effective programs are being developed in Playful City USA communities,” says Darell Hammond, Founder and CEO of KaBOOM! and author of The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. “Cities like North Liberty are key allies in the fight to combat the play deficit and serve as outstanding role models for government and community leaders across the country.”

In the sixth year of the annual program, 19 Playful City USA communities received recognition for the sixth consecutive year, while 24 earned honors for the fifth time, 27 for the fourth time, 29 for the third time, 45 for the second time and 69 claimed their first Playful City USA designation.

For the fifth consecutive year, Florida paced the nation with 29 Playful City USA communities. California earned second-place with 24 communities, while Texas finished third with 14 Playful City USA communities.

Each of the 2012 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to addressing the play deficit. Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children. City initiatives include:

•    Ferguson (Mo.) – The city hosts Sunday Parkways, a free community play street event in neighborhoods on Sunday afternoons. Streets are closed to cars in order to allow residents of all ages and abilities to play in the streets.

•    Houston (Texas) – The Volunteer Initiatives Program engages residents through service and community projects to promote volunteerism in neighborhoods and city playspaces. By utilizing Love Your Block Grants, citizens have the opportunity to revitalize neighborhood parks, transform civic spaces and advocate for quality open space.

•    Pico Rivera (Calif.) – The city recognizes the need for play and is regularly researching ways to improve existing playspaces or add new opportunities. In September 2011, more than 200 volunteers rallied together to transform an empty lot into a beautiful playspace using the community-build model.

•    Providence (R.I.) – The parks and recreation department offers extensive programming for all children and families to play together, including the free Fun Bus initiative that travels to various communities to engage children with fun games and sports equipment.

•    Starkville (Miss.) – The parks commission, local school district, civic groups and businesses continue to collaborate to set tangible goals to invest in play. These partnerships created a joint use agreement resolution to open school playspaces for public use during non-school hours.

KaBOOM! also selected North Liberty for its outstanding dedication to play. North Liberty is committed to creating a family-friendly community with ample play opportunities for children. The city will partner with community groups to create a strategy for after-school programming for youth, which will create better access to play for North Liberty’s children.

The 213 Playful City USA communities are now eligible for $15,000, $20,000 and $30,000 grants via Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, to get kids and families active nationwide. Grant recipients will be announced on June 4, 2012.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program, including Let’s Play grants and applications for 2013, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.

2012 Playful City USA Communities by State/Territory:
29: Florida
24: California
14: Texas
12: Arizona, Georgia
7: North Carolina, Pennsylvania
6: Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina
5: Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Washington
4: Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia
3: Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota
2: Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin
1: Arkansas, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. To fight this play deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 89,000 places to play, built more than 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

About The Humana Foundation
The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health care companies. Located in Louisville, Ky., the site of Humana’s corporate headquarters, the Foundation’s mission is to support charitable activities that promote healthy lives and healthy communities. The Foundation’s key priorities for funding are childhood health and education, health literacy, and intergenerational health. For more information, visit www.humanafoundation.org.

Humana and The Humana Foundation are dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Our goal is to ensure that every business decision we make reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members, our associates, the communities we serve, and our planet.

Water and Sewer rates considered by council

April 19, 2012 – The City Council held a first reading of the ordinance approving water and sewer rate increases on April 10. The second and third readings will be held on April 24 and May 8 respectively at 7:00 PM at the North Liberty City Council Chambers (1 Quail Creek Circle). The public is welcome to attend and comment on the proposed increases. Click on the image below to see a PDF that explains the need for rate increases.

Ranshaw House application for consideration on the National Historic Registry

April 17, 2012 -

The Johnson County Historical Preservation Commission will be meeting on Thursday, May 3 at the North Liberty  Council Chambers at 5 p.m. for review and consideration of the Ranshaw House application. This application is to have the house listed on the national Historic Registry. The Ranshaw House is located just north of the Community Center and has been undergoing maintenance. Though this meeting will not be televised, the public is invited to attend.

The complete application is available at northlibertyiowa.org/ranshawapplication

For more information, please contact City of North Liberty City Hall at 319-626-5700.

North Liberty names major accomplishments

April 12, 2012 — Every two years Jeff Schott of the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Iowa visits with North Liberty city council and department heads to discuss goals, trends, opportunities, and commitments. His findings are then published as a report sent to city administration and council; this report was approved at the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 10.

Schott says, “I have been very impressed with the City of North Liberty’s commitment to ‘acting strategically’  – addressing critical issues, identifying priorities, and developing plans to accomplish the priorities – is a fundamental means by which municipal policy leaders can provide effective policy leadership.  North Liberty’s goal-setting process has been very beneficial in meeting this strategic objective and assisting the mayor and city council and staff in developing a future focus, discussing issues and identifying opportunities facing the community, setting strategic directions, and determining priorities for the upcoming two year period.”

City Administrator Ryan Heiar says, “We listed nearly 60 major accomplishments for the last two years. Everyone works very hard to make on-going improvements, which truly make a difference to residents, businesses, and the community as a whole. We are particularly proud of our investment in streets, the annexation agreement with Coralville, our sustainability initiatives and the planning we are doing for future growth.”

The report, which was unanimously approved, included the following City Council goals:
1.    Develop a plan for ball field needs to include planning for the future of Penn Meadows Park and the future west side park.
2.    Complete Jones Boulevard – Phase II
3.    Partner with developers to assure the easterly expansion of North Liberty in a planned fashion
4.    Establish Centennial Celebration committee
5.    Branding program

The entire report is available as a PDF at northlibertyiowa.org/goals; however, the list of accomplishments is described below. For additional information contact the City of North Liberty at 626-5700.

The following were identified as major City of North Liberty accomplishments during the past two years:

1.    Expansion/building plans for library, city hall and streets departments
o    Fundraising for Library completed and ready for bid
2.    Relocation of City Hall, Council Chambers and Police Dept.
3.    New council chambers, which includes wireless connection and fiber line for NLTV viewer ability
o    Council Chambers also includes side monitors rather than relying on projections and easel displays.
o    All Board and Commission meetings televised
o    Chambers includes audio system for audience amplification.
o    Chambers includes room dedicated to closed session meetings
4.    Paperless council and commission packets via iPad
o    One of the first in the state to do so. Featured in American City and County magazine, as well as Iowa League of Cities Cityscape magazine
5.    Streets
o    Phase 1 Jones Boulevard project
o    965 Phase 1 completed with Phase 2 being planned and $1.125 million in Surface Transportation Funds awarded
o    Traffic signals
o    Continued monitoring of 965 for added lights and “tweaks” on annual basis
o    Penn Street widening project with stop light at Jones Blvd
o    Cherry Street signals
o    Golfview Drive Connection
o    Alignment of Golfview and Fairview
o    Dubuque St. added to MPO 20 yr plan
o    Forevergreen Road
6.    Library increased hours of operation
7.    Staff
o    Hiring of city attorney
o    Hired support staff for HR
o    Updated personnel manual
o    Ongoing training/”Lunch & Learn”
o    Street Dept. additional employee
o    Police Dept. additional staffing
8.    Development of a city wide safety committee and updated safety programs.
9.    Discussed multi-family land use and zoning at joint Council/Planning Commission meetings
10.    Executed an annexation agreement with Coralville
11.    Updated City Codes
12.    Started Economic Development Plan, including publication and working with outside organizations to create programs for small businesses.
13.    University of Iowa Community Credit Union project (other parties/rezoning/economic development)
o    Reprecincting completed
14.    Trails
o    Dubuque Street Trail installed
o    New trail extension Liberty Centre Park
o    New trail tie in Meade Barn
15.    Parks
o    New parks facility
o    New playground Penn Meadows Park
o    Community Gardens
o    Using a percentage of compost on city park grounds in lieu of traditional fertilizer
o    DNR Free Fish weekend at Liberty Centre Park
o    Parking lot/Rain Gardens at Penn Meadows Park
o    Completed development of Cornerstone Park
o    Harvested prairie seed from some of our existing landscape areas and seeded a 20,000 sq foot area at Cornerstone Park with this seed
o    Parks department staff completed much of the demolition work in preparation for the new council chambers project, tearing down of old homes and cleaning up and seeding of the Main Street property
o    Stock fish with the DNR in City owned ponds
o    Met with Parks and Rec and P & Z for joint planning
16.    Completed sanitary sewer study – infrastructure
17.    Accomplished a lot in last two years while maintaining tax rate and cash reserves
o    Increased general fund reserve (maintaining 25%)
o    Excellent financial shape
18.    Police
o    Completion of first police contract
o    Police providing 24/7 service
o    Additions to Police Dept staff
19.    Fire Dept
o    Fire Dept space expansion
o    Purchase of new fire attack truck
20.    Transit
o    Transit Committee appointed with transit study. Recommended extension of existing route.  City executed agreement with City of Coralville for providing the service effective March 2012
o    MPO reps supported Future Transit Needs in 20 year Master Plan
21.    Adopting Golf Cart Ordinance
22.    Completion of Hazard Mitigation Plan
23.    NLTV
o    New live streaming system for NLTV broadcast
o    New NLTV programming system, which displays schedule with ease and makes view ability cleaner
o    Backup system acquired for NLTV – the 25TB combined Drobo drives keep large files off city server, but still create a backup
24.    Completed citizen survey
25.    Landscaping
o    Highway 965 intersections
o    Golfview Drive
o    St Andrews Drive and Jones Blvd
26.    Trees
o    Planting trees at Quail Ridge Park North dry detention basin – received grant
o    Received Trees Please grant for Cornerstone Park
o    Awarded the Tree City USA award for 16 years in a row
27.    Meade Barn remodel
28.    Annual Muddy Creek Clean-up
29.    Ranshaw House roof replacement
30.    Host of the State Baseball tournament
31.    Upgrade Babe Ruth baseball field and new scoreboard
32.    Assisted Nick Kaeding from the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau installing the “Bookmarks” statues around Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty
33.    Blues & BBQ Celebration
34.    School Alliances – Sports & Rec; Addition of Buford Garner BASP/Gymnasium Use
35.    Lift Stations
o    Installations of 4 lift station generators, 8 lift stations now have permanent stand-by power
o    Cedar Springs Lift Station was upgrade with larger pumps, motors and electrical systems. This will meet the current and future growth in that area of the city
o    Required Penn Meadows Lift Station for the development in that area of the city
36.    Changes made to water shut off policy have reduced the work load
37.    New program to store service line/curb box information
38.    Finished the ASR well testing got the ok to start filling
39.    Improved valve exercise program
40.    Water meter change out program
41.    Replaced 12” water main along Penn Street
42.    Replacement of the Water Pollution Control EQ Liner.
43.    Completed a number of Zoning Ordinance amendments in order to stay current
44.     Increased use of social networking such as Twitter and Facebook. (Over 500 “Likes” on Facebook)
45.    Library growing partnerships with various organizations, such as creating The Tall Corn Book and Going Green series
46.    Fiber network – all city facilities (in process)
47.    Replaced crack sealer
48.    Updated snow removal equipment
49.    Named as one of Money Magazine’s top 100 small town towns.
50.    Building Inspectors obtained certifications and met State requirements
51.    Web-based building permit software program (in process)
52.    Established program recognizing new businesses in town
53.    Upgrading city facilities’ telephone system (in process)
54.    All police marked squad cars have on-board computers
55.    Library now has downloadable audio books, e-books and laptops
56.    Library is first in state to go to subject-based catalog system
57.    Ramped up public outreach on city activities

Concrete sawing tonight on South Jones

April 10, 2012 — Horsfield Construction will be working on South Jones in North Liberty this evening and into the night. The sawing of concrete may continue past 2:00 a.m. Street Superintendent Don Colony says, “The sidewalk will be complete on Jones after this late-night project. The disturbance should be minimal.”

For additional information contact the City of North Liberty at 626-5700.

Muddy Creek Clean Up Day

April 3 – In observance of Keep America Beautiful Day, the Tree & Storm Water Advisory Board with assistance from Boy Scout Troop 216 and Cub Scout Pack 216 will be leading this clean-up day to remove debris along Big Muddy Creek and the bike trail.

Public involvement, participation and education of storm water pollution prevention and management is the goal of this event!

For more information, please call the Parks Department at 626-5720.

New North Liberty public transit route starts April 2

March 29, 2012 — Starting Monday, April 2, the public bus route will offer additional stops throughout North Liberty. The city’s transit task force met a number of times last year to examine current transit service and determine ways to enhance the public transportation program. New stops include several west of Highway 965, such as Fairview Lane and Sugar Creek Lane. Previously, the bus route only included North Liberty stops along Front Street and the Community Center.

Transit task force staff liaison and North Liberty City Planner Dean Wheatley says, “The new stops bring convenience to the public transportation system. Having an alternative to private automobiles is very nice during this time of escalating gas prices. We are able to offer a green, affordable solution for commuters.”

For more information, visit http://northlibertyiowa.org/transit or contact City Hall of North Liberty at 319-626-5700.

North Liberty lifestyle magazine now available

March 29, 2012 —As the population of North Liberty has grown, so too has the number of people who know first-hand that the city is a great place to live, work and play. To let others in on the secret, the City of North Liberty worked throughout the winter with the Corridor Media Group to develop an economic development magazine. The magazine highlights North Liberty’s potential as a place to locate business and families. Copies will be inserted in the Corridor Business Journal in May as well as mailed to leaders across the state and region.

“While other Iowa communities have developed similar publications, it is my understanding that no one has distributed their piece like we plan to,” said City Administrator Ryan Heiar.  “We will, once again, be one of the first.”

This lifestyle magazine features articles about parks, public schools, development, business, fiber-infrastructure, community library and growth. The publication also includes area photographs, advertisements, and timeline. Copies are available throughout North Liberty including the Community Center and City Hall or online at http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=104416.

For more information, contact City Hall of North Liberty at 319-626-5700.

Playground Petition

March 26, 2012 — Do you have kids that play in our parks? Have you wondered what happened at the Quail Ridge Playground?  Would you support a grant to assist in the replacement?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, click the following link to support the replacement of the aging equipment in the park.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/replace-quail-ridge-parks-play-equipment/

North Liberty welcomes walking school buses to Garner Elementary