The public is invited to the open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center on July 31 between 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. at 935 2nd Street SW in Cedar Rapids. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 5:15 p.m. The re-opening of the Jean Oxley Public Service Center marks another significant step in Linn County’s rebuilding efforts following the 2008 flood.

The ceremony will include remarks from Linn County Board of Supervisor Chairman Brent Oleson, former Linn County Supervisor Jean Oxley and FEMA Region VII Administrator Beth Freeman. The Linn County Board of Supervisors named the Public Service Center after Oxley to honor the contributions she made to Linn County during her 24-year tenure as the first woman supervisor in Linn County and the longest-serving Linn County supervisor (1972-1996).

“We are excited to officially celebrate the re-opening of the Public Service Center. I encourage the public to stop by, take a look and see how we’ve dramatically and responsibly improved this building to better serve them,” said Brent Oleson, Chairman of the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

Linn County’s return to its pre-flood home follows an extensive renovation project that has changed the layout of the building to provide better customer service and improved access for the public. The renovations help protect against future flood threats, meet pre-flood space needs and reduce the lifetime operational cost of the building by using energy efficient and sustainable building practices. The building will meet Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards, an internationally recognized green building certification system. Parking at the Public Service Center has also been expanded with Linn County’s acquisition of land across 2nd Street.

Approximately 130 staff members work at the Public Service Center in the offices of the Board of Supervisors, Auditor, Recorder, Treasurer, Linn County Assessor, Planning and Development, Budget and Finance, Human Resources, Risk Management, Purchasing / mailroom and the Civil Division of the County Attorney’s Office.