Cedar Falls council approves business park and street projects, signs RAGBRAI agreement; hears hate-incident and Sartori property concerns

The Cedar Falls City Council on Monday approved final plans and funding authorizations for multiple local infrastructure projects, authorized the city’s overnight agreement with the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) and its advisory committee, and took steps on a street reconstruction project — all while hearing public comment about an alleged hate incident at a downtown bar and concerns about the future of the Sartori property at 515 College Street.

Council adopted a resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract and an estimate of cost for the Creekside Business Park project, which includes two roundabouts on West Ridgeway Avenue, a looped Gibson Drive south of Ridgeway, trails and related utilities and landscaping. Tom Bitter of the engineering division said the construction estimate is $9,863,431 and that the project will be funded by the South Cedar Falls tax increment financing district. The resolution passed by roll call.

The council also approved the 2025 sidewalk and trail infill and repair project, a package of sidewalk replacements, ADA ramp work and trail repairs with a construction estimate of $323,704 to be funded by general obligation bonds and hotel-motel tax proceeds. During discussion Roger White, a member of the Cedar Valley Trails Partnership, asked the council to prioritize additional sections of Prairie Lakes Trail in future capital plans; staff said the trail system is being evaluated for future CIP programming and funding.

Related street actions included passage of a resolution of necessity and a second resolution directing preparation of final plans for the West 20th/Third Street reconstruction project from Hudson Road through Campus Street. Engineering staff said the procedural steps approved Monday complete most preliminary assessment work for the project and allow staff to prepare detailed design and bid documents.

Councilors also approved a request to vacate a section of Campus Street south of West 20th/Third Street that lies on the University of Northern Iowa campus; planning staff said utilities and CFU (Cedar Falls Utilities) will not need additional easements because utilities in the area are already established as private. The item advanced on first consideration.

City leaders authorized RAGBRAI-related items: (1) a 2025 overnight-town agreement with Venture Endurance LLC d/b/a RAGBRAI and (2) a resolution establishing a RAGBRAI advisory committee and appointing members. Mayor and staff encouraged community volunteers and noted RAGBRAI would announce routing in early April; volunteer sign-ups and committee coordination are underway.

The council approved a resolution authorizing submittal of a carbon reduction program grant application through the Black Hawk County Metropolitan Planning Organization for intersection improvements at Union Road and West 20th/Seventh Street. Staff described the request as one of several grant opportunities the city is pursuing to reduce project costs and emissions through traffic-flow improvements such as roundabouts.

Council approved a package of ordinance amendments covering Police and Fire division succession, mobile merchants, park tree rules, sidewalks and sidewalk cafés, contractor bonding and traffic rules; most amendments were described by staff as periodic code cleanup or clarifications and were adopted on first consideration.

Public comment highlighted two substantive community concerns. Everett Wilson recounted an incident on March 15 at Sharkey's Bar on College Hill that he said involved verbal harassment and physical interference with his phone; he said he has opened a police case and is pressing charges. In public forum the mayor stated that assault and harassment remain crimes and will be enforced, and noted the city cannot comment on an active police investigation. Wilson concluded, “Trans rights are human rights, and we will never be erased or forgotten.”

Kim Johnson Jordan urged the council to examine the city’s stewardship of the Sartori property at 515 College Street, a roughly 14.6-acre site the speaker described as a community asset currently under lease to MercyOne. Jordan reviewed historical trust and lease arrangements, referenced the Sartori Trust and earlier agreements with health-care partners, and asked the council to look at maintenance and readiness of the building if MercyOne ends tenancy in 2026. She said trust minutes show limited routine maintenance and urged more active planning for the site’s future use.

The council had multiple other public comments, including on residential lot availability and the city’s short-term financial plan. Staff noted property-tax notification letters from Black Hawk County may overstate increases because they assume a uniform 10% assessed-value increase; Director Romack said the council is considering rate options that would reduce the effective increase for a typical residential home and that two public hearings in April will finalize the rate.

Actions taken Monday will move into design and procurement phases for the construction items; councilors and staff said timing and final funding packages depend on subsequent CIP programming and availability of grant funds. The agenda included multiple consent and resolution items approved by voice or roll call; most were adopted unanimously.