All Black County residents are invited to the annual Energy & Environmental Fair, Saturday September 25th at Cedar Falls Utilities. The fair runs 9:00- 2:00 and is co-sponsored by Cedar Falls Utilities and the Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission. The commission is funding a free household hazardous materials drop-off event for Black Hawk County residents. To see a list of toxic materials that will be accepted at the event, click here. The commission is subsidizing a one-day sale of backyard compost bins for $40, and new this year, 55 gallon rain barrels for $50. For more details about the compost bin or rain barrel, view the flyer. To further promote backyard composting, free composting workshops will be held for the public. Information can also be found at the link below, or call the Waste Trac Education Team at (319) 266-8722. [Black Hawk County Solid Waste Managment...]

Are you looking for a way to become more involved in City government? Consider serving on one of the many City boards and commissions. A bill passed by State government in 2009 requires cities of more than 1,000 to have an equal number of men and women on boards and commissions by the year 2012. As of this time, of the City’s 121 mayor-recommended and council-appointed board and commission members, 45 (over 36 percent) are women. The City is actively seeking to achieve gender balance on each board and would like to cultivate a pool of applicants to choose from as commissioners resign, move from the city, or terms expire.

More information about these and other boards/commissions, as well as applications, are available online at www.cedarfalls.com/boards or at the Cedar Falls City Hall, Dept. of Administrative Services, 220 Clay Street.

The Cedarloo Recycling site at 4302 University Avenue will no longer be available as of September 1, 2010.

Grass clippings and other debris in the street can find its way into the storm sewer system and cause costly clogging and backup of the storm sewer system, affecting homeowners.

Cedar Falls is enforcing federal mandates to clean up our nation’s waterways, with an emphasis on monitoring and cleaning up storm water discharges. Anything that washes off your yard or street is capable of finding its way to the city’s storm sewer system, without treatment, and into the water we use for fishing, swimming and recreation.

The City of Cedar Falls has received a grant of $156,130 from the Iowa Office of Energy Independence to reduce energy use in specific city, school and University of Northern Iowa buildings. Funding comes from the federal American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act (stimulus money) through the state. Matching funds of at least 50% were required.

Mayor Jon Crews said only cities or counties could apply for these funds. "We're pleased that Cedar Falls could help the local schools and the university continue the energy reduction efforts that we're all taking."

Energy reduction work for projects in the UNI Library and Wellness Recreation Center is already started and will be completed by August, according to John Streicher, senior facilities engineer. "We're reducing lighting use in the Rod Library by turning off every other fixture on the fourth floor (floors 1-3 have been completed), installing LED (low emitting diode) exit lights that are energy efficient, occupancy sensors, and daylighting controls." These efforts will reduce energy use in the building by 142 kW and save about $39,000 annually, according to UNI records.

In the Wellness Center later this summer, metal halide fixtures in the basketball courts will be replaced with energy efficient fluorescent lights and occupancy timers. "Currently the metal halide fixtures in the basketball courts take seven minutes to come on so lights are usually left on to anticipate users," Streicher explains. Fluorescent bulbs on timers will allow users to turn on the lights to match court use. Ventilation to reduce humidity will also be improved resulting in energy savings of 40 kW and about $43,500 annually.

The city plans to convert lights in the Cedar Falls Recreation Center to more energy efficient fixtures, said Steve Bernard, Cedar Falls Utilities customer services and business development director. This work will be started in spring 2011 and be completed that summer.

"The city's Recreation Center is highly visible and an ideal candidate for energy improvements that can be on display for the whole community," Bernard notes. "The building already uses geothermal heating and cooling, a substantial amount of day lighting, and will soon have a more energy efficient boiler installed. "All of these projects show Cedar Falls' commitment to energy reduction. The Recreation Center will be a showcase of efficient technology," he said. The lighting retrofit will reduce energy demand by 21 kW for an annual savings of about $6,300.

In 2012, four Cedar Falls Schools will convert to more energy efficient lighting fixtures in three elementary buildings and Cedar Falls High school. Doug Nefzger, director of business for the school district, estimates this will save the schools more than $16,000 annually and reduce energy use by 71 kW.

"The district has taken a vigorous approach to energy conservation especially over the last eight years, however inefficient fluorescent systems still exist in a number of building areas," Nefzger said. "This project will address these areas to expand the comprehensive nature of our approach to energy conservation."

"The city, schools, and UNI all have a history of working to reduce energy use," Crews noted. "This federal/state funding helps us continue our many sustainability efforts."

With the impending change in weather comes a different set of weather concerns. Spring and summer weather brings with it potential severe storms, flooding and tornados. The June 2008 flooding was due to significant rain throughout the watershed area during the Spring of 2008. The effect, if any, of this year’s snowfall on the river level is unknown; however, it is always a good idea to start preparing and have all contingency plans in place.

Now is the time to review family emergency preparedness plans, including a list of items needed in the event that evacuation becomes necessary. A brochure that provides guidance on flood levels and evacuation notices is available at www.cedarfalls.com/flood.

Citizens are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED, which is a system that allows the City to telephone all or targeted areas of the City in case of an emergency situation that requires immediate action.

The system is capable of dialing 60,000 phone numbers per hour. It then delivers a specific recorded message to a live person or an answering machine, making three attempts to connect to any number.

During the City Council meeting of March 8, 2010, City staff will provide an update regarding the city’s preparedness for any emergencies. The City has made plans to protect what is possible and to safely and expeditiously evacuate affected areas as necessary.

Citizens may sign up for CodeRED by clicking on the link every page on the City web site.
[Sign up for CodeRed...]

The Falls Aquatic Center will open Saturday, May 29. Passes are sold only at the Cedar Falls Recreation Center. The Recreation Center will be CLOSED Monday, May 31st for the Memorial Holiday, so please plan ahead. Season Passes are not available for purchase at The Falls. [Summer Pool Prices...]

As of May 1, 2010 the City of Cedar Falls will no longer be allowed to operate a recycling drop-off site at the Wal-Mart Super Center on Brandilynn Blvd.

The elimination of this site is a corporate decision that is being implemented at all Wal-Mart stores nation wide. The decision has nothing to do with the appearance or maintenance of the site. Local management was very pleased with the method in which the site was managed and realized the impact this operation had on bringing in customers.

Recycling will continue at all other locations including:

• The main recycling facility located at 15th and State St.
  
• Fareway Grocery Store on Magnolia Drive
  
• UNI – Panther Parkway on the UNI campus between 27th and 31st St.
  
• The Western Home Communities off of South Main St. on Hyacinth Drive
  
• Pointe West -1921 W. 18th St.
  

The main facility is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

All other sites are in operation 24 hours, 7days a week.

The City of Cedar Falls will continue to explore recycling options that will best serve the community and minimize the overall environmental impact.

Many people have experienced damage to their homes and vehicles due to the recent hailstorm in Cedar Falls. Door-to-door solicitors may approach residents. Solicitors must have a license that is issued by the City of Cedar Falls. Residents are urged to ask all solicitors to show their identification and a copy of their city-issued license prior to discussing any potential services.

All businesses that do repair work on homes must have a building permit from the City of Cedar Falls Inspections Services Division. Residents should confirm that anyone repairing their home has the properly issued City building permit.

The City is not endorsing any solicitors or contracting businesses and the fact that they have a license or permit does not imply anything about the quality of work. Property owners are urged to make their own investigation and evaluation.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Cedar Falls one of its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. Cedar Falls, nominated by the local Community Main Street, was selected for its eclectic retail and cultural offerings, its elegantly preserved Main Street and its many recreational opportunities. This year for the first time, the public will determine which of the 12 destinations is the 2010 Fan Favorite. From February 3 to February 28, any legal resident of the U.S., 18 years of age or older, can vote as often as they like for their favorite city or town on this year’s list. Visit www.PreservationNation.org/ddd for official rules, and begin voting! [Read the entire article...]

In 2009 the City commissioned the UNI Center for Social and Behavioral Research to conduct a citizen satisfaction survey and compare the findings with the results of the survey conducted in 2004. Satisfaction increased, particularly with the much improved swimming facilities at The Falls aquatic center. Improvements in the College Hill district and recycling options resulted in an increase in satisfaction with Economic Development and Public Works ratings. The two highest rated conditions in Cedar Falls are the quality of life and ready access to quality housing.

To read the survey, please select the link below.
[Read the survey]

The Iowa State Tourism Conference took place this past week in Tama. Each year the Iowa Tourism Office and Travel Federation of Iowa presents awards in various categories during the conference. At this year's conference, the City of Cedar Falls was named 2009 Community of the Year! "Cedar Falls' citizens and city leaders understand how important tourism can be to a community," said Iowa Tourism Office Manager Nancy Landess. "The city has dedicated hotel/motel tax to the visitor center, grants to tourism organizations and development of new tourism amenities. More than 100 volunteers keep the visitor center running, supplying valuable information to people as they travel. We are also proud of Cedar Falls' designation as the state's first Bicycle Friendly Community." Cedar Falls was chosen from entries in the category for communities with a population of more than 10,000. The winning community was based on several criteria including outstanding performance in 2008-2009, outstanding economic impact, effective marketing and a well-rounded mix of local events and attractions.

The Census Bureau is taking applications for temporary Census numerators and office workers for a 25 county region based in Waterloo. Those who are interested in a temporary Census job, call the toll free number at (866)861-2010 or view the attached public service announcement from the Census Bureau. [View the Census Video]

The City of Cedar Falls has maintained its Aa2 rating for the upcoming general obligation bond sale. The high rating is attributed to Cedar Falls' history of tax base growth, stable economy, sound financial operations and ample financial flexibility. [Moody's report...]

The City recently added video to this web site. The system allows the City to broadcast cable TV programming via the Internet 24/7. Those who do not have access to local cable TV are now able to view public meetings and other programming of interest to citizens “live”, and can select video to be viewed “on demand”. Integration of the Video Plus and Agenda Plus systems allows viewers to not only view public meetings “on demand” at a later date, but provides the ability to skip directly to the agenda items that are of particular interest to the viewer. Video is available by following the links on the Cable TV Division’s web pages, or can be found using the direct link at www.cedarfalls.com/video.

The City has also implemented a new system for communicating with citizens via the Internet. The system, Citizen Support Center, gives citizens a user-friendly method of requesting services or information, and is available using the link found on each page of the City’s web site, at www.cedarfalls.com.

Cedar Falls Police will be charging Jay Harkless of Iowa City with five counts of Robbery in the 2nd Degree in connection with five bank robberies that occurred in Cedar Falls throughout 2008 and 2009. Harkless was suspected of robbing a Rent-a-Center yesterday in Iowa City . During that investigation, Iowa City Police found evidence at his home that led officers to believe he was involved in the bank robberies. Cedar Falls Police officers went to Iowa City shortly after midnight last night.

Harkless has also been connected to other bank robberies in Iowa, including Waterloo, Iowa City, Muscatine and North Liberty. Cedar Falls Police have been working with Waterloo, Iowa City, Muscatine, North Liberty, DCI, and the FBI in the investigation of these robberies.

Harkless is 23 years old and lived on Valley Park Road in Cedar Falls in 2008 and part of 2009. He currently resides at 840 Maggard Street - # 10 in Iowa City.

Harkless will be charged with the following robberies occuring in Cedar Falls:

Lincoln Savings Bank (November 6, 2008)
301 Washington Street

Community National Bank (November 18, 2008)
312 W. 1st Street

Iowa Community Credit Union (November 29, 2008)
3301 Cedar Heights Drive

Wells Fargo (December 1, 2008)
6309 University Avenue

Veridian Credit Union (May 8, 2009)
HyVee at College Square
6301 University Avenue????

A criminal charge is an accusationd and the Defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The City of Cedar Falls has joined a national program called Call2Recycle™ that helps Cedar Falls residents conveniently recycle their cell phones and portable rechargeable batteries.

The City of Cedar Falls is providing residents with an easy way to recycle their old cell phones and used rechargeable batteries. Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn), and Small Sealed Lead* (Pb) are commonly found in cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, cordless power tools, two-way radios, camcorders, digital cameras, and a variety of other portable electronic products. When the battery can no longer hold a charge, it can and should be recycled.

The average American cell phone user has a total of 3 or more cell phones and 6 cordless electronic products in their possession. Consumers can simply drop off their used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones at The City of Cedar Falls Recycling Center, at 15th and State Street, and it will be collected for recycling.

The City of Cedar Falls and other communities nationwide are working in cooperation with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Cooperation (RBRC), a nonprofit public service organization that operates the Call2Recycle program. By participating in the RBRC program, the City of Cedar Falls is helping to conserve the earth’s natural resources and to prevent cell phones and rechargeable batteries from entering the country’s landfills.

“Community participation is a crucial part of our program because it puts us in touch with the public,” says Carl Smith, RBRC President. “Communities such as the City of Cedar Falls are helping to make rechargeable battery and cell phone recycling a reality, and that’s great for the environment.”

The Call2Recycle program has various recycling plans that collect used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones from retailers, businesses, communities, and public agencies.

To learn more about the Call2Recycleprogram or to find a participating drop off location in your area, visit the website at www.call2recycle.org or call toll free 1-877-2-RECYCLE.

*Portable rechargeable batteries weighing less than 2 lbs/1 Kg.

Cable TV broadcasts of City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission meetings are now available via the Internet. Meetings are broadcast live or can be viewed on demand.

If you would like to be notified when the agenda for either meeting is published to the web site, please sign up on our Notify Me page. [Watch meetings online]

The Black Hawk County Emergency Management Commission has contracted with Emergency Communications Network, Inc., of Ormond Beach, Florida, for its "CodeRED" high-speed telephone emergency notification services. The CodeRED system gives county and city officials the ability to deliver emergency telephone notification/information messages to targeted areas, a city or the entire county at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.

The web-based enrollment in the CodeRED emergency notification system is free. Online enrollment begins April 15. The system will go live July 1, 2009 in Black Hawk County.

All individuals and businesses are encouraged to log onto the Black Hawk County website, (www.co.black-hawk.ia.us) and follow the link to the "CodeRED Residential and Business Data Collection" page. Cedar Falls residents can use the link found on this page. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code, primary phone number, and additional phone numbers (optional). The cities of Cedar Falls (www.cedarfalls.com), Evansdale (http://evansdale.govoffice.com), Hudson (www.cityofhudsonia.com), La Porte City (www.laportecityia.com) and Waterloo (www.waterloo-ia.org) have links on their home pages also. You can connect to these websites from any computer that has Internet access, including public use computers at libraries. If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called during an emergency.

Street addresses are needed to select which phone numbers will receive emergency notification calls in any given situation. Your street address is also needed to receive emergency notifications on your cell phone.

Also included is the CodeRED Weather Warning service, which automatically places calls when the National Weather Service issues a tornado, flood, and severe weather warning. Any resident who registers their phone number(s) will receive the CodeRED Weather Warning alerts unless they choose to opt-out of this service. The CodeRED Weather Warning specifically calls those registered people who live within the warning’s polygon that is drawn by the weather service.

No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included. All residents and businesses should register, including individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address within the last year, and who use a cellular phone as their primary home phone. If after registering, you move within the county but keep the same listed or unlisted phone number, you will need to update your address in the CodeRED database via the CodeRED web link.

Questions should be directed to the Black Hawk County Emergency Management Agency Office, 319-291-4373 (M-F, 9 AM – 5 PM).

FEMA approved the entire funding application of the City of Cedar Falls for flood buyouts necessitated by the June 2008 flood. The City will present voluntary buyout offers for as many properties as possible over the next 12 months. Costs of the buyout program will be covered with a combination of federal, state and local funds.

The City is committed to making the property acquisition program work as efficiently as possible so that the affected property owners may make their property decisions. The City must execute a project agreement with FEMA prior to sending out purchase offers to affected property owners. This agreement between FEMA and the Cedar Falls City Council will be executed within the next 30-60 days.

After the agreement is finalized between FEMA and the City, purchase offers will be sent to property owners based upon a priority system adopted by City Council. It is not possible for the City to process all of the purchase offers at the same time, therefore the order in which offers will be presented is as follows: The first offers will be sent to those properties that have been condemned by the City; thereafter owner-occupied properties located within the floodway; owner-occupied properties in the “Cedar City” area (those east of Main Street/Big Woods Road); and then owners-occupied properties in the “North Cedar” area (those west of Main Street/Big Woods Road). Thereafter, rental properties in each of these categories will be processed in the same order.

Property owners will receive a letter from the City outlining this timeline and the process. Property owners should locate and organize various documents, including their abstract, as well as taking various others steps, prior to beginning the buyout process. Processing the buyouts will be as efficient as possible if affected property owners read their letter carefully and follow its instructions. The City will present offers to eligible property owners as quickly as possible and staff will be available to guide owners through the acquisition process.

The Bike Task Force, in its efforts to promote bicycling as a viable mode of transportation, has developed several on-street bike routes that provide a connection to major destination points in Cedar Falls. At the direction of the Cedar Falls City Council, city staff has taken steps to implement one of these routes along Clay Street and Seerley Boulevard as a pilot project.

A bike lane established on the public street can either be a dedicated lane for cyclists or a lane that is shared by both vehicles and cyclists. The pilot project on Clay Street and Seerley Boulevard is being developed as a shared lane. Public Works crews will paint stencils of the shared lane marking or “sharrow” on these streets, and install signs to inform motorists and bicyclists to “share the road.” This project will be included in the annual street painting program.

Studies have shown that the sharrow concept allows more freedom to the cyclist where they are not confined to a bike lane, which may present conflicts with parked vehicles. Sharrows also allow the motorist to become more aware of cyclists on the street as opposed to a bike lane or separated bike trail.

With the results of the pilot project, City Council and staff will evaluate the potential expansion of other on-street bike lanes throughout the city.

May is Bike Month and the American League of Bicyclists celebrated by announcing 13 new Bicycle Friendly Communities. Cedar Falls is the first community in the state of Iowa to receive this prestigious distinction. The League of American Bicyclists oversees the program and the process is rigorous. Applicants are judged on areas of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation. Designations are made in four levels of accomplishment – platinum, gold, silver and bronze. Communities are encouraged to improve as they renew every four years. Cedar Falls received honorable mention during the last cycle and achieved the bronze level of recognition this time.

The Mayor’s Bicycle Task Force, an effort lead by Councilman David Wieland and comprised of approximately thirty volunteers from throughout the community, has been diligently working toward this goal. The vision of the Task Force is to make Cedar Falls a model city for utilitarian bicycling. Official designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community offers additional evidence of the quality of life enjoyed in the Cedar Valley and will further assist in efforts to retain and recruit young professionals to the area. It is believed that the strong interest and support demonstrated by area bicyclists and the Task Force’s development of a master plan were instrumental in pushing the Cedar Falls application over the top. Funding, received by the Cedar Trails Partnership and the Cedar Falls RAGBRAI Committee enabled the Task Force to hire the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and Active Transportation Alliance of Chicago to assist in developing the plan.

The Bicycle Task Force plans to celebrate this accomplishment by inviting the public to explore developing on-street bike routes each Friday evening in May. A complete schedule of these events can be found at the Cedar Trails Partnership website.

A link to information regarding Cedar River levels and flood impacts can now be found on this website, as a page under Developmental Services, and also from the Flood Information page. [Find the link here...]