July 2026 Meeting Minutes

July 20, 2026 Meeting Minutes | Call to order: 7:03pm
Attendance: George Heeren, Amy Hall-Haney, Betsy Borchardt, Treyner Wentzien, Nicole Schroeder, Denise Klemp

• Treasurer's Report - Amy Hall-Haney - Current balance as of 6/30/26: $4,677.25.
  
  • Since June 30th, various expenses have been paid out, including egg hunt reimbursement and safety fair gift cards to Amy and the quarterly fee for Idea Queen Marketing. Additionally, we have received a $100 donation from the safety fair, reimbursement from the City for the egg hunt, and the grant from Big Grove. The total estimated bank balance was $4,477.25. 
    
  • We are also awaiting $4,148.20 repayment from the City, including our Trees Forever expenses ($3,150), Insurance ($400), Parks & Rec fee #1 for safety fair ($84.00), Parks & Rec ($200.00), and our deposit for the Block n Roll trailer ($250) for FY26. They originally issued this in FY27. Betsy got this fixed for us! 
    
  • In total, we spent $8,818.49 for FY26. 
    
  • Amy and George will go to Collins Community Credit Union to get Amy set up with online banking. We have attempted this before, but it hasn’t been done because of Collins Community’s lack of customer service.
    
• City Updates - Betsy Borchardt - City of Cedar Rapids is hosting Summer Square. More information is available online, with most activities being free. 
  
  • Matt Wagner with SAFE CR provided information for June’s Nuisance Property Report. Not in attendance.
    
  • Lt. Randall provided information on City calls for service. Not in attendance. 
    
• Park Playground Status Update - George Heeren - Bathrooms and concrete work are complete! The roof is just waiting on shingles and lighting under the overhang. Electrical will be completed as soon as the roof is finished; then the splash pads will be turned on. City projected the work will be completed 2-3 weeks from today. We are hopeful for an earlier date to avoid any scheduling issues with National Night Out in the park. 
  
  • George Heeren has reported less trash in the park than normal - mostly because of non-use of the park.
    
  • Denise Klemp shared a recent story of another dog off-leash at Cleveland Park. Dogs are not to be off-leash at Cleveland Park; there are other off-leash parks in the Cedar Rapids area. The biggest concern isn’t just cleanup; it’s safety for others, including small dogs and children at the park.
    
  • Update from David Maier on the Cleveland Park trees: The (mostly) dead trees in the Cleveland Park area along 1st Ave, 15th St, and 17th St SW right-of-way (ROW) are being replaced by the contractor. These trees were planted wrongly and are also the wrong species. Neighbors can review the whole revitalization plan here. Not in attendance. 
    
• Community Safety & Wellness Fair Recap - Nicole Schroeder - We welcomed 182 registered attendees and were supported by 44 incredible volunteers who contributed more than 200 total volunteer hours to make the event happen! 52% of attendees were NOT from our neighborhood this year. 
  
  • Next year, Nicole Schroeder would like to consider purchasing reusable vinyl signs to hang on the Cleveland Park fencing, in lieu of spending money on yard signs, since we already have reusable ones. 
    
• 2026-2027 Event Plan & Committee Sign Up
  
  • National Night Out - August 4, 2026 - 5:30-7PM - Amy is coordinating tables and chairs. George has confirmed 150 hot dogs and 150 burgers, plus water and chips from Fareway. Neighbors are encouraged to bring side dish or dessert to share. Big Grove For Good Foundation is also gifting us pans of Mac and Cheese! Nicole will pick those up. Eastern Iowa Arts Academy and Band of Blue are NOT available for music. George is working on a string quartet. 
    
  • NEW - Playtime Poppy - October 3, 2026 - Playtime Poppy presents "An Interactive Storytelling Performance" (Name is WIP) in partnership with the Cleveland Area Neighborhood Association. Setup at 9-9:30AM. Doors at 10AM. Performance at 11AM. Done by 12PM. CANA will provide a special event park permit (COI may be required by the City for Playtime Poppy - TBD). CANA will provide the Block 'n Roll trailer with chairs, tables, speakers, and yard games. https://www.cedar-rapids.org/residents/parks_and_recreation/block_n_roll_.php  CANA will provide paid ads through Meta (Facebook), printed yard signs, and printed flyers. CANA will work with HyVee and/or Fareway to provide snacks and beverages for guests. Playtime Poppy will provide the staging. Playtime Poppy will assist with cross-promotion to help kick off the 75th anniversary year. Rain/weather call will be made by 3PM on Friday, October 2nd. Rain/weather makeup date in Spring 2027. Trey and Nicole will coordinate graphics to announce BEFORE National Night Out. 
    
  • NEW - Jefferson Band of Blue - May 25, 2027 - Betsy and Nicole have spoken about renting the municipal band stage. Nicole will coordinate this application later in 2026. 
    
  • Backpack Giveaway - Shekita and her husband are hosting their annual Backpack Giveaway at Cleveland Park on August 22nd. More information will be included in the email to neighbors and on Facebook. 
    
• Other Business 
  
  • Succession planning for the President position
    
  • Neighborhood communications 
    

Meeting adjourned at 8:03pm. 
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Next Meeting: Monday, October 19, 2026 at 7:00PM at Central Church of Christ

RSVP for National Night Out on Facebook