Linn County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Linn County supervisors approve $165M budget amendment, land sale

The Linn County Board of Supervisors approved a $165,083,975 fiscal year 2027 budget amendment and authorized the sale of three county-owned properties in Cedar Rapids for $600,000 at its Aug. 12 meeting. The board also approved ballot language for a Sept. 1 special election on an EMS tax levy at its Aug. 10 meeting.

Budget and land sale

At its Aug. 12 meeting, the board unanimously approved the FY2027 budget amendment with total appropriations of $165,083,975. It also authorized the sale of properties at 520, 420, and 430 11th Street NW in Cedar Rapids for $600,000. The board approved the final plat for Waubeek Bluffs Second Addition at 4366 Boy Scouts Road. It also approved several purchase orders: $39,019.20 for a replacement Chevrolet Silverado for Planning and Development, $19,407.32 and $11,850.06 to CDW Government for IT software, and Baker Group security maintenance renewals of $15,558, $9,845, and $4,159. All votes were unanimous. The board also approved Class C alcohol licenses for Edith Lucielle's Bait Shack and BK's Bar, and a $210 fitness reimbursement to Sami Scheetz; Scheetz abstained from that vote.

EMS tax levy ballot

On Aug. 10, the board adopted Resolution 2026-8-107 approving ballot language for a special election on Sept. 1 for the Lisbon-Mount Vernon Area Benefited Emergency Medical Services District tax levy. The vote was unanimous. The board also transferred $75,000 from the Sheriff's budget to the Medical Examiner, authorized the chair to sign a letter of support for a CSG Technical Assistance Grant, and approved the first consideration of an ordinance amending Chapter 107. All votes were unanimous.

Other board actions

At the Aug. 10 meeting, the board also approved minutes of Aug. 3 and 4, payroll authorizations, and entered closed session to discuss a draft economic development agreement. At the Aug. 12 meeting, the board approved minutes of Aug. 3 and 4 as well.

Informational meeting

On Aug. 11, the board held a public briefing on county departments' responses to large-scale disasters, including the Aug. 7 tornado in Prairieburg. No formal decisions or votes were taken.

Other recent meetings

Several other meetings were held but minutes have not yet been published. The Community Services Advisory Board met Aug. 11 to review FY26 finances and program updates. The Board of Supervisors held a work session Aug. 17, a regular meeting Aug. 18, and a formal session Aug. 19, with agenda items including a housing contract amendment, alcohol licenses, and a bridge weight restriction. The Planning & Zoning Commission met Aug. 17 to review plats and a rezoning. The Historic Preservation Commission met Aug. 19 to discuss its FY27 work plan.

Coming up

The Linn County Conservation Board will meet Aug. 24 to decide on shooting range repairs at Matsell Bridge Natural Area, a trail easement for the Morgan Creek Trail, and several grants. The Board of Adjustment will meet Aug. 26 to consider a front-yard setback exception for a property at 3234 Whynot Drive in Alburnett. The Food Systems Council will meet Aug. 26 to finalize its 5-year strategic plan.

Linn County supervisors approve $2.8M in payroll, set hearings on property sale and budget amendment

The Linn County Board of Supervisors approved $2,847,812.90 in payroll and claims at its July 20 meeting, the largest single spending action among recent county meetings. The same session included a closed session on two draft economic development agreements, both entering and exiting on 3-0 votes.

Board of Supervisors — July 20

Supervisors approved minutes from July 13, 2026, and the $2,847,812.90 payroll and claims total. The board entered closed session to discuss two draft economic development agreements and exited closed session, both on 3-0 votes. Members discussed the status of the Large-Scale Data Center Moratorium Implementation Plan and heard public opposition to the proposed Morgan Valley Power Plant rezoning. No decisions were recorded on either topic in the available minutes.

Board of Supervisors — July 21

The board approved minutes from July 14 and 15, 2026. The remainder of the meeting consisted of departmental updates on budgets, staffing, and ongoing infrastructure projects. No spending actions were recorded.

Board of Supervisors — July 22

The board approved accounts payable and ACH totaling $2,484,269.19, plus a $207.10 payment to Brandy Meisheid. Other approved items included five 60-month copier leases with Gordon Flesch Company, a $34,200 LP gas contract awarded to Linn Co-Op Oil, an amended provider agreement with Abbe Center for Community Health, and a Class C Retail Alcohol License for FB & Co.

The board set a public hearing for August 12, 2026, on a fiscal year 2027 budget amendment. It also adopted Resolution 2026-7-97 to hold a public hearing on August 3, 2026, for the proposed sale of three properties on 11th Street NW to the Cedar Rapids Electrical Apprenticeship Training and Educational Trust.

Planning & Zoning Commission — July 20

The commission's agenda called for review and recommended approval of four land additions: Knapp Walnut Grove Farm Addition at 929 Paralta Road, Springville; Notbohm Addition at 3817 E Otter Road, Alburnett; Corridor Energy First Addition at 2111 Hindman Road, Marion; and Boland Farm Addition. The commission was also set to consider an amendment to the Unified Development Code to permit data centers as an accessory use to nuclear power production in the EU-2 district, and to discuss vacating a 10-foot utility easement on Lot 1, Payton's 1st Addition. Minutes were not yet published, so outcomes are not confirmed.

Items discussed but not yet confirmed

Several late-July meetings had agendas published but no minutes available as of this report. The July 27 Board of Supervisors work session was set to discuss a $22,997.56 carryover for Public Health licensing and food inspection equipment, a resolution vacating a utility easement for the Coggon Solar LLC project, an August 10 public hearing on a Chapter 107 code amendment, and a $14,114.82 increase to the CDBG-DR contract for the Dows Pocket Neighborhood housing project. The July 29 formal session was set to include a land preservation parcel split at 11610 Cherry Valley Road, Fairfax, a 10-foot utility easement vacation in Peyton's 1st Addition, Coggon, a $16,813.55 laptop purchase for the Facilities Department, and a $230.80/month copier lease for the Sheriff's Office.

The Conservation Board's July 27 agenda included a resolution to set a public hearing for Matsell Bridge Natural Area shooting range repairs (Project 14-26), plus agreements with the University of Iowa for water monitoring, Eastern Iowa Airport for water quality practices, a 28E agreement for emergency response dispatching at Morgan Creek Park, and a scope-of-services contract with Anderson Bogert Engineers for the Interurban Trail alignment study (Project #07-19).

Coming up

• **August 3 — Board of Supervisors:** Public hearings on disposal of real property at 520, 420, and 430 11th Street NW, Cedar Rapids, and on a preliminary plat for the Lisbon–Mount Vernon Area Benefited Emergency Medical Services District. Also on the agenda: a 28E agreement with the City of Walford for property maintenance inspections, the $22,997.56 Public Health carryover request, and an ordinance updating court-appointed attorney compensation rates.
• **August 6 — Technical Review Committee:** Review of four subdivision cases — Landrus First Addition at 7480 Macon Drive, P and M Peterson First Addition at 12100 Locust Street, The Wilder Side First Addition in the 400 block of Wilder Drive — and a rezoning from Agricultural (AG) to Rural Residential Two-Acre (RR2) on Wilder Drive.
• **August 10 — Board of Supervisors (scheduled):** Public hearing on ordinance amending Chapter 107 of Linn County Code.
• **August 12 — Board of Supervisors (scheduled):** Public hearing on FY2027 budget amendment.

Linn County Board approves $5.09 million in payments, advances Elf Lane rezoning

The Linn County Board of Supervisors approved more than $5 million in accounts payable during its July 9 meeting, the largest single payment action in the past two weeks. The Board also moved forward on rezoning 9.29 acres on Elf Lane and accepted FY2026-2027 property tax levies.

Board approves $5.09 million in payments

On July 9, the Board approved $321,346.42 in checks and $4,773,140.16 in ACH transfers, totaling $5,094,486.58. The meeting adjourned after that single action. Earlier, on July 6, the Board approved payroll claims totaling $2,432,977.41.

Elf Lane rezoning advances through second consideration

The Board held public hearings on July 6 for a land use map change and rezoning at Elf Lane, both opened and closed the same day. The Board approved the first consideration to rezone 9.29 acres on Elf Lane from Agricultural to Rural Residential 2-Acre. On July 8, the Board approved the second consideration (2-0) and a land use map amendment changing the designation to Rural Residential Development 2-Acre Area (2-0). A third and final consideration, along with a final plat for Elf Lane First Addition in the 7400-7600 block of Elf Lane, was on the July 15 agenda.

Appointments, purchases, and tax levies

On July 8, the Board approved the appointment of David C. Thompson as Assistant Linn County Attorney (2-0) and accepted FY2026-2027 property tax levies (2-0). The Board authorized several purchase orders: $22,796.47 change order for the Courthouse Interior Remodeling Project, $12,000 agreement for Islamic services at the Correctional Center, $36,695 for a 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, $68,374.60 for metal culverts, $8,898.70 for HDPE culverts, $35,324 for IT switch replacement, and $15,193.23 for Fortis laptops and docking stations. All passed 2-0. The Board also authorized release of a mortgage for the Village Dr. property in Tiffin (2-0).

Housing support and General Assistance

On July 6, the Board authorized a letter of support for the Housing Fund for Linn County's HOME-ARP funding application. The General Assistance Advisory Committee met July 8 to discuss its budget, receive an update on the General Assistance Code rewrite, and consider approval of minutes from January 14, 2026 and October 8, 2025. Minutes from that meeting have not yet been published.

Items on agenda but not yet decided

The July 13 Board agenda included an actuarial services agreement with Nyhart for $7,600 in FY 2026 and $3,000 in FY 2027, a 28E agreement for law enforcement and fire department response at Morgan Creek Park, and a resolution to set a public hearing on a Preliminary Plat and Engineer's Report for the Lisbon-Mount Vernon Area Benefited EMS District. The July 15 agenda included a $53,948.04 purchase order to Metal Culverts Inc. for the Secondary Road Department and suspension of FY2027 property taxes for 30 residents due to age or infirmity. The Historic Preservation Commission met July 15 to discuss its FY 2027 Work Plan, a grant update, and the Lincoln Highway Kiosk. Minutes for these meetings have not yet been published.

Coming up

• **July 20 — Board of Supervisors:** Update on the Large-Scale Data Center Moratorium Implementation Plan, claims and payroll authorizations, and a closed session on two draft economic development agreements.
• **July 20 — Planning & Zoning Commission:** Recommendations on several land-addition cases, including Knapp Walnut Grove Farm, Notbohm, Corridor Energy, and Boland Farm additions. The commission will also consider a Unified Development Code amendment to permit data centers as an accessory use to nuclear power production in the EU-2 district.