Resident raises concerns about Cedar Falls Utilities operations, board communications and stormwater-rate increases

During public comment at the Sept. 2 Cedar Falls City Council meeting, resident Kim Jordan raised concerns about operations and oversight of Cedar Falls Utilities and about recent infrastructure work and stormwater-rate increases.

Jordan said board actions and unofficial communications had caused confusion and asked the council to review whether the mayor’s appointment process and board oversight were operating as intended. She named Richard McAllister as a long-time city administrative staffer who, she said, had engaged the city on various issues and expressed concern about board members contacting city employees directly when the mayor or CEO should be the principal point of contact.

Jordan also questioned recent excavation and removal of heavy electrical equipment at locations such as Union Road, Green Hill and First Street and urged the council to consider whether federally funded grants (she mentioned about $500,000 in federal money tied to an intersection project) should be retained for other needs such as lighting. Separately, she noted that Cedar Falls Utilities was authorized in 2023 to increase stormwater rates 7% for the next five years and asked whether those increases — which she characterized as raising rates by 14% when combined with other charges — would be absorbed by customers.

Her comments were made under public comment and did not result in council action at the meeting. The council did not take immediate steps on the matters Jordan raised during the session recorded in the transcript.