Doug Lindner

SOLON– A county initiative to build a behavioral assessment center received positive responses from members of the Solon City Council.
“I can guarantee you the money that is saved by having these types of services for people that are mentally ill, versus throwing them into a jail or a prison system, is substantial,” council member Shawn Mercer said after a presentation during an April 19 meeting.

SOLON– There will be at least two candidates for the special city council election Tuesday, May 30.
Both Dale Snipes, appointed April 5 to fill a seat vacated by longtime council member Mark Krall, and Lauren Whitehead, who had also applied for the position, plan to appear on the ballot.
Anyone interested in becoming a candidate has until Friday, May 5, to submit the appropriate paperwork to the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. Ten signatures are required for the nomination petition.

SOLON– Solon High School’s 5th Street Jazz vocal ensemble participated in the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships nine times and won the Class 3A title five times, but the group was not invited to participate in 2016.
It made this year’s competition special for Solon seniors.
“My sophomore year, I was in Blame It On Our Youth, and we got third at championships, so it was very hard last year, being in 5th Street and not qualifying,” Solon senior Elizabeth Hand said.

SOLON– Everyone’s favorite route between Solon and Cedar Rapids will be the subject of extensive construction this year.
Two more phases of an Ely Road (W6E) overhaul are planned for this season, including the conversion of its intersection with Highway 382 into a three-way roundabout.
Following the completion of the roundabout, the Johnson County Secondary Roads Department plans to proceed with the paving of three-quarters of a mile of Ely Road from the intersection north to 140th Street NE, adjacent to the Lakeview OHV park.

SOLON– A one-time, $150,000 investment into 121 on Main will be made by the city.
At a March 15 meeting, city council members voted 4-0 in support of a lump sum payment to HPR Investments LLC for a Main Street commercial/residential development planned west of Big Grove Brewery.
The city expects to use an internal loan to cover the initial expense, to be paid back through Tax Increment Finance (TIF) revenues.
One member of the public, however, said the city had not gone far enough in requiring off-street parking for the project.