Cedar Rapids city leaders meet with Iowa lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Cedar Rapids city leaders met with Iowa lawmakers in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to discuss several issues.

Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell, City Manager Jeff Pomeranz, and more traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with Iowa Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst.

O’Donnell said a main topic of discussion was flood protection.

She said the city applied for what’s called a raise grant, which would be significant funding to help tear down and rebuild the 8th Avenue bridge. They want to build it 15 feet above water.

The city currently has to shut down the bridge when the river reaches the 100 year flood threshold, which means one less way to cross the Cedar River when it floods.

“Should we ever have another flood, it would make sure that we have two ways in and out of town. It would serve our most vulnerable citizens. It would protect, it would connect us to law enforcement and our federal building.”

Senator Ernst says they also talked about helping replant trees lost in the Derecho.

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