City Of Marion: IN FOCUS: 1.14.22 A Weekly Update From City Manager Ryan Waller

Press release from the City of Marion:

01/14/2022 4:10 PM

Tower Terrace from C Avenue to Alburnett Road Update
The first sub-phase of this project, constructing Tower Terrace Road from C Avenue to Alburnett Road, will begin in March. Boomerang was the low bidder for the grading and utility package from east of Meadowknolls Road to Alburnett Road. They have 240 working days to complete the project but, with good weather, have a projected completion date of September 2022. Given the location this will be a joint project with the City of Cedar Rapids, they will provide the construction administration and Marion will provide the construction inspection services. The project will be partially funded by SWAP funding which is administered through the CMPO. Specific information about this project can be found at www.towerterraceroad.com.

Marion Seeking Input from Public Transportation Users
Public transportation users and potential users are being asked to participate in a transit survey to determine the viability of a new, on-demand ride-sharing service. The service, which would be provided through an existing local transportation agency, would allow users to submit a request for a ride via an app up to two weeks in advance. Anyone in the metro area who currently uses public transportation in Marion (or is interested in doing so) is invited to fill out the survey. Find the survey at https://polco.us/s4pgcn. It will remain open through the end of January. Hard copies are available at Marion City Hall.

Cedar Rapids Meeting Update
Today, Public Services Director Miller and I met with representatives of the City of Cedar Rapids to discuss several sewer-related topics. The main topics covered during the meeting were: future sewer rate increase they will be charging Marion for sewer service, anticipated upgrades to their wastewater treatment facility and the intergovernmental agreement between our communities. Monthly meetings will be scheduled to continue discussions on these various topics. Additional updates will be provided in the future.  

Solid Waste Agency Budget & Rate Increases
Attached, please find a letter and budget from Joe Horaney, communications director with Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency, announcing various increases to garbage and yard waste tipping fees. The impact of the increases is being evaluated.

Change in Library Hours of Operation
Effective today, the MPL Tech Station, located at 5650 Kacena Ave in Marion will close. As a result, the Marion Public Library will be making permanent changes to the Uptown Library hours. Beginning Jan. 15, 2022, the Uptown Library located at 1064 7th Ave in the Uptown Marion District will be open as follows:

Faulkes Heritage Woods Log Sale
The first log sale for Faulkes Woods occurred last week. Three sealed bids were received with Bruggeman Lumber Inc. being the high bidder. Their bid of $22,535 will be split with 60% coming to the City and the remaining 40% going to the contractor responsible for clearing the site and preparing the logs for sale. Attached you will find the bid tab. Future log sales will be posted at www.cityofmarion.org/publicnotice.

Marion Awarded $40,000 to Replant Trees
ITC Midwest has awarded $40,000 to support tree replanting in Marion following the August 2020 derecho. The contributions are part of ITC Midwest’s ongoing commitment to support tree-replanting initiatives in communities throughout the derecho storm zone. The funds will be used to purchase new trees for derecho-damaged areas in public parks and recreational areas across the city. Kudos to City Arborist Mike Cimprich for writing the successful proposal.

BambooHR Implementation Update
The City recently purchased BambooHR, a Human Resources Information System (HRIS), that serves as the backbone to HR functions and helps automate several HR processes. These processes include HR administration, talent acquisition, performance management, onboarding and offboarding, and reporting. Build out is nearing completion and the Human Resources team has started implementation and roll out throughout the City organization. This system will allow for greater efficiency and centralization of HR functions as outlined in the City’s Strategic Plan.

Marion Police Department Looks at Different Shift Model
Officer retention and recruiting have been a challenge over the past 24 months. Chief Kitsmiller reports that officers on the Chief’s Advisory Committee, as well as potential recruits, have repeatedly expressed interest in working a different shift model (10-hour shifts, 12-hour shifts, rotating days off, etc.) After exploring the options and working to ensure that the department can maintain adequate coverage and any changes will not result in increased overtime expenses, nine patrol sergeants have begun a three-month trial of working 10-hour shifts. This allows two of the sergeants on each shift to have a weekend off each pay period and provides all of them with one four-day weekend per pay period – and ultimately more work-life balance. If the trial goes well, and a majority of officers want to make the change, the City and Marion Policeman’s Protective Association will draft a Memorandum of Understanding and look to implement the change in July of this year.

Fire Department Statistics
The Marion Fire Department saw another increase in call volume from 2020 to 2021 with a total of 4,940 calls. Of that number, 4,240 were medical calls and 700 were fire calls.

There are a number of items that will be coming before City Council in the weeks ahead. Here’s a look at the tentative agenda.

The following are a few major activities coming up next week:

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This press release was produced by the City of Marion. The views expressed here are the author’s own.