CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) - More than 300 Cedar Rapids property owners whose homes were damaged in last summer’s record flooding have registered for federal buyouts.

The city announced on Tuesday that 301 property owners have registered for a buyout.

The city mailed letters to property owners last week explaining the buyout program, which is voluntary.

Under the program, the city will buy homes at the pre-flood assessed value.

Officials say the city doesn’t have enough money to pay for the estimated $175 million in property acquisitions but that taking care of registration now will speed the process later.

DES MOINES (AP) - Gov. Chet Culver and top Democratic legislators are near agreement on a $600 million bonding plan to finance flood repairs and work on Iowa’s infrastructure.

Culver told reporters Thursday that he’s close to a compromise with the legislative leaders.

As part of the deal, Culver agreed to cut about $150 million from the package.

Most of the $600 million would go toward flood repairs, but Culver says about $100 million would pay for other work to roads and bridges.

Iowa Governor Chet Culver thanks volunteers filling sand bags at the Palo Community Center in Palo on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The governor met with Palo and Linn County officials to talk about flood preparations. He also visited Vinton and Iowa City. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY (AP) - Because of damage from last year’s flooding, University of Iowa officials say graduation ceremonies for the spring semester will take place in alternate venues.

Ten ceremonies are scheduled for May 14. In past years eight have taken place in Hancher Auditorium and Carver-Hawkeye Arena has
hosted two.

But Marcia McNamara, a commencement planner in the UI registrar’s office, says Hancher and its 2,500 seats remain closed because of the June 2008 flood.

So she says the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center will host five of the 10 commencements. Carver-Hawkeye and the Iowa
Memorial Union will host the rest.

All the ceremonies are scheduled between May 14 and May 17, except the College of Dentistry, which is June 5.

CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) - Cedar Rapids officials are outlining a first come, first-serve plan to buy homes damaged in last spring’s flooding.

The City Council on Thursday agreed with city staff members that there’s no way to fairly prioritize a list of more than 1,300 homes.

The council says homeowners must act quickly when a buyout letter arrives in the mail. They must also make sure the home’s title and abstract are in order and ready for transfer to the city. Any liens or title issues will slow the process.

The expected rush of buyouts won’t apply to 192 properties closest to the Cedar River that will be bought to make way for a greenway. The city has already started the buyout process with 167 owner who’ve signed agreements.

CEDAR RAPIDS - Volunteers in Cedar Rapids have a plan on how to handle the feral cat population in town.

Volunteers say there is really only one way to reduce the high number of feral cats in Cedar Rapids, the problem is, the best method is against city ordinance.

“I think it’s beyond count, anything from 15,000 to 20,000. 25,000, maybe, there’s a lot,” says Janet Ashman of the Iowa Humane Alliance.

The Iowa Humane Alliance says those numbers aren’t just from the flood, it’s taken 50 years to get that high, the flood just made everything worse.

And the flood gave those cats more places to call home, and form a colony.

“They already have their own hierarchy. People think cats are independent, but not outside cats. It’s a hard life, they band together and form colonies.”

The Alliance says the best way to reduce the population is to trap the cats, spay or neuter them, and then release the cats back to their own colonies.

However, it’s that releasing part that is against city ordinance, it’s also the one piece that makes this approach work.

If the cats don’t go back to their colony, others will move in, and the Alliance says the cycle of reproduction continues.

“They protect that territory, live out their lives and the kittens don’t come, and over time the population drops through natural attrition,” says Mary Blount with the Iowa Humane Alliance.

The group says it’s humane and effective, it’s just not fast. They are working with the city, and hope to have any issues resolved in the next few weeks.

The group says it will take years to really take care of the problem.

DES MOINES - A new forgivable loan program opens Thursday designed for Iowa landlords.

The Business Rental Assistance Program will offer assistance for businesses that reopened in, or have plans to locate in a commercial building that was damaged by the flood.

The program will pay rental assistance for up to six months, with a maximum of $50,000 awarded per business.

Applications will be accepted starting Thursday and are available online at http://www.iowalifechanging.com/jumpstart/business_rental.html.

(AP Photo/Hannah van Zutphen-Kann, Pool)

CEDAR RAPIDS - On Tuesday night, the public will weigh in on the Cedar Rapids city council’s decision to hire a flood recovery manager.

The city’s asking for suggestions on what the responsibilities and duties should include.

It starts at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the temporary city hall on the lower level of the AEGON building.

The city will use the information to create a job description for recruiting candidates.

The city hopes to have a city manager in place by the anniversary of the flood.

CEDAR RAPIDS - Seventh Graders at a Cedar Rapids school are using parts of the flood zone for a real-life look at the effects of erosion and weathering.

McKinley Middle School students toured damaged areas of Czech Village Wednesday.

They also planned to look at the Indian Creek Nature Center to see how floods affect natural areas.

Teachers say a real life experience impressed the students more than facts in a book.

“They’re pretty horrified they hadn’t seen a lot of it, they’re seeing some stuff they’d never seen,” says Teacher Ted Neal.

As part of this science section, students will also study the flood rebuilding process.

And they’ll each have to write a letter to the city council offering suggestions.

DES MOINES - Governor Chet Culver Thursday announced the creation of a new program will now help owners of large rental properties damaged by last year’s severe storms and floods.

The Large Rental Rehabilitation program allows disaster-impacted landlords with eight or more units to receive up to $24,999 per unit for repairs. Supplemental funds will also be available for the following: lead hazard reduction, project delivery costs and temporary relocation. Total cost including supplemental assistance cannot exceed $37,500 per unit. Assistance will be in the form of a five-year forgivable loan (non-receding) which will be forgiven in full at the end of the five-year compliance period.

“Like small business owners statewide, many landlords have experienced great difficulties as a result of the floods of 2008,” said Governor Culver. “The Large Rental Rehabilitation program is one more step toward assisting these business owners, while at the same time helping to provide accessible housing for Iowans who live in flood-affected areas.”

This assistance is available for landlords who own eight or more units in one building. The Large Rental Rehabilitation program will be administered by the 11 Council of Governments (COG) and Entitlement Cities that currently administer the Jumpstart Housing Program. Applications must be submitted to one of these eleven entities.

Eligible applicants must be:
- Rental property owners (individuals; for-profit entities; and non-profit entities) whose properties were impacted by the disasters of 2008
- The owner of record for the property prior to the disaster event
- Able to demonstrate the ability to fund on-going operational expenses associated with the rental property over the life of the forgivable loan

Property owners must agree to comply with all federal, state and local requirements (including but not limited to Large Rental Rehabilitation guidelines, Fair Housing, Labor Standards and Equal Opportunity requirements, accessibility for persons with disabilities, procurement and contracting requirements, etc.).

The Small Rental Rehabilitation Program for units of seven or fewer units was announced in January and is still available.

Both the Small and Large Rental Rehabilitation programs are funded by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The distribution of funds to various communities will be based on the housing needs in that area.

No rental rehabilitation benefits to structures or projects located within the 100-year floodplain will be allowed, unless the activity meets all Housing and Urban Development (HUD) environmental requirements, all applicable flood mitigation design standards and the property is insured by the Federal Flood Insurance Program. Also, no rental rehabilitation benefits will be allowed for structures or projects located in a designated or proposed buy-out area.

To access an application and guidelines for the Large and Small Rental Rehabilitation programs, visit the Iowa Department of Economic Development’s Web site at http://www.iowalifechanging.com/jumpstart/rental.html.

Iowa Governor Chet Culver thanks volunteers filling sand bags at the Palo Community Center in Palo on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The governor met with Palo and Linn County officials to talk about flood preparations. He also visited Vinton and Iowa City. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

CEDAR RAPIDS - Flood damaged small businesses, family farms, and non-profit groups can now get more help rebuilding.

Each can apply for up to $5,000 from the Small Business Disaster Recovery Grant Program.

To be eligible, a small business must have no more than 25 employees.

Groups can apply through the Iowa Workforce Development and the Rebuild Iowa Office.