A graphic for implicit bias training is shown.

Culturally Responsive Communication Training available to area Property Managers and Businesses

Friday, August 28, 2020 - 11:00am
Contact: 
Stefanie Bowers
Equity and Human Rights

Is your business ready to transform the conversation? Join us for Implicit Bias Zoom training from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.

The rapidly changing demographics of the United States and the changing demographics taking place in our respective communities requires us to be proactive in facilitating respectful conversations that will challenge us to examine our own implicit biases, cultural biases, and stereotypes.

There is increasingly overwhelming scientific evidence for the effect of implicit bias on all aspects of life and human interactions. While at times our...

Senior Center continues virtual programming into fall

Friday, August 28, 2020 - 10:00am
Contact: 
Emily Edrington
Communications

The Iowa City Senior Center continues to support wellness, community engagement, social connections, and lifelong learning for the diverse and growing older adult population with an expanding lineup of remote programming.

The Center’s building remains closed due to COVID-19, but older adults are invited to participate in virtual activities, classes and events, both online and via phone this fall.

Members of The Center will soon receive a printed September calendar in their mailboxes, and the digital program calendar can be viewed at...

Community Connection: Center for Worker Justice helps families navigate pandemic, derecho disaster

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - 7:30pm
Contact: 
Bruce Teague
Communications
Community Connection: Center for Worker Justice

Community Connection is a video series that highlights the different people and organizations in our community to discuss the issues that are important to our residents. In this episode, Mayor Teague speaks with Mazahir Salih, Interim Executive Director of the Center for Worker Justice . Watch to learn how this organization has stepped up to help community members navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the...

Office of Equity & Human Rights offers memo on emotional support animal decision by Iowa Supreme Court

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - 3:30pm
Contact: 
Kristin Watson

The City's Office of Equity and Human Rights has written a memo on the Iowa Supreme Court's recent decision on emotional support animals in animal-free apartment complexes.

The July 30, 2020 decision was about a property manager allowing an emotional support animal in an animal-free apartment complex and another occupant with severe animal allergies filing a lawsuit.

This memo is meant to help guide other property managers, and can be found in-full online.

City’s permitting process a critical element to protester and public safety

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - 1:30pm
Contact: 
Geoff Fruin
City Manager's Office

Following the incident involving a vehicle unlawfully driving through a demonstration on Friday, Aug. 21, the City of Iowa City reminds residents of the long-standing permitting process, which aims to protect the safety of participants and the public.

The City supports freedom of speech and understands that activism is an important element of a just society. In its role to maintain safety and provide public access to all, the City relies on a permitting process, to protect demonstrators and the general public by diverting traffic away from a designated protest area, providing...

An image of garbage truck is shown.

Final round of storm debris curbside pickup begins Monday, Aug. 31, 2020; residents urged to move tree debris to curb

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 - 4:00pm
Streets and traffic engineering

The final round of curbside pickup of large debris caused by the Aug. 10 derecho will begin on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020.

City crews are currently working with staff from Johnson County and the Iowa Department of Transportation to remove large debris left at the curbs of residents. This work requires the use of trucks, skid-loaders, and other large equipment.

It may be late September until the final round of storm debris clearing will be completed, as City crews will be slowed following the departure of partners from the county and state.

The focus of crews has been...

Assistance announced for Iowa WIC Families affected by severe weather

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 - 3:15pm
Communications

The Iowa Department of Public Health announced additional assistance for families who receive benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) following the destruction of the August 10 derecho.

Families who already receive WIC benefits and are living in the 16 counties designated under the federal disaster declaration are eligible, including Johnson County. They can request to replace WIC foods purchased between the dates of August 1 and 10 and destroyed or spoiled as the result of storm damage or power outage may be replaced....

Crews are shown cleaning storm debris from the curb.

Storm cleanup update: Burlington St. (Summit to Muscatine) will be closed Wednesday morning, Aug. 26; Dodge & Governor Streets reduced to one lane

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 - 1:15pm
Transit

Burlington Street from Summit Street to Muscatine Avenue will be closed for about an hour starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2020, while City crews remove tree debris.

Following this work, crews will begin debris cleanup on Dodge and Governor streets. These one-way streets will remain open to traffic, but expect delays as crews work to clear debris and reduce traffic to one-way.

The closure will speed up the clearing process, and help keep crews safe.

Travelers should seek alternate routes during this time, and potentially expect travel delays in the area....

A new City of Iowa City bus is shown.

Towncrest route to detour due to storm damage cleanup effective Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 - 11:30am
Contact: 
Curtis Brenton
Transit

Effective Tuesday, August 25, 2020, the inbound Towncrest route will detour due to storm damage cleanup operations closing Muscatine Avenue between William Street and Scott Boulevard. The detour route will use Village Road to Chamberlain Drive to Wellington Drive back to Village Road and will travel inbound using Wayne Avenue to Wade Street.

The bus stops located at Muscatine Avenue & Maplewood Lane (stop 7266), Muscatine Avenue at Autumn Park (stop 7267), Muscatine Avenue & Dover Street (stop 7268), and Muscatine Avenue & Arthur Street (stop 7269) will be out of...

City and Mayor join Supreme Court brief in support of non-discrimination protections

Monday, August 24, 2020 - 1:00pm

On Thursday, August 20, 2020, the City of Iowa City and Mayor Bruce Teague joined more than 160 other mayors, cities, and other local governments as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors in asking the Supreme Court to rule in favor of upholding nondiscrimination requirements regulating government contractors and taxpayer-funded agencies.

The amicus (friend of the court) brief supports the City of Philadelphia in Fulton v Philadelphia. The case considers whether a foster care agency may override the city of Philadelphia's contractual nondiscrimination requirement and turn away LGBTQ...

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