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Home My WebLink About2023-07-11 Transcription Page 1 Council Present: Bergus,Dunn,Harmsen, Taylor, Teague, Thomas Absent: Alter Staff Present: From,Jones,Kilburg, Goers, Fruehling,Platz, Knoche,Havel, Sovers, Olsen, Sitzman, Whitman, Schultz Others Present: LeFevre,USG Liaison 1. Call to Order Teague: It is 6:00 P.M. on this Tuesday,July 11, 2023. And I'm going to call the City of Iowa City formal meeting to order. Roll call,please. (Roll Call) Well,welcome everyone in person and everyone online. Happy that,uh,that you're here with us today. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 2 2. Proclamations 2.a Americans with Disabilities Act Awareness Day Teague: We're gonna go to item Number 2,which is proclamations. 2a is Americans with Disabilities Act Awareness Day. (Reads proclamation). And to receive this is Megz,who is here with us now. Stroback: Hi,my name is Megz Stroback and thank you for inviting me today to accept the proclamation and honor 33 years of the ADA. It's a very big honor. Um, I may not look it,but I am a person with multiple hidden or invisible disabilities and the ADA has definitely helped me over my lifetime. And I also have been working with people with disabilities for the past 12 years and currently work at Access to Independence of the Eastern Iowa Corridor. Today, I just wanna honor and remember the disabled folks that we lost to the pandemic and welcome and embrace those who have become disabled as a result of the pandemic. Um,the disability community will never forget the people we lost. And we're also here to support those who are newly disabled. Thank you. Teague: Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 3 3. - 7. Consent Calendar Teague: We're onto our consent agenda,which is items 3-7. I want to get a motion to approve, except we will remove Item 61 for separate consideration. Can I get a- a motion,please? Dunn: So moved,Dunn. Thomas: Second, Thomas. Teague: All right. Anyone from the public like to address this topic? If you're online,please raise your hand. Seeing no one in public or online, Council discussion. Roll call, please. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6 - 0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 4 6.1 North Gilbert Street Reconstruction—Resolution authorizing the acquisition of property interests necessary for construction of the North Gilbert Street Reconstruction Project Teague: Can I get a motion to accept-well, let's go to- let me get a motion to approve consent agenda item 61. Bergus: So moved. Teague: Moved by Bergus. Harmsen: Second. Teague: Seconded by Harmsen. Alright. Thomas: Um,how do we- Teague: Who seconded?You seconded? Harmsen: If you did too John,that's fine. Thomas: Well,no. I- Teague: Right. Harmsen-Harmsen seconded. Anyone from the public like to address item number 61? Teague: Seeing no one in person or online, Council discussion. And actually,before we go to the Council discussion,um, I'm going to invite staff maybe to comment on this. From: I'm going to,um, go ahead and ask staff to-to come on up. Tyler's going to present to you a little bit on this, but just by way of background,uh,this is a,uh, future CIP project that is in our budget. It's the reconstruction of North Gilbert Street. And,uh,we held a neighborhood meeting last fall,went through the scope of the improvements with the neighborhood. I think,uh,probably the reason it's being pulled is to discuss the sidewalk impact. Um,just to be clear,that's not what's being considered tonight,but we can provide the-the context on the design deci- decisions. So tonight, Tyler's going to show you the,um, areas of- of property acquisition and discuss the reason for those property, uh, acquisition needs. Um,we expect to have more design information later on in the process. Um, and, of course,we always-we-we follow the complete Streets Policy in our design,we prepare for that. But ultimately your decision is going-you're going to have to decide on whether you want to pursue sidewalks on- on both sides of this corridor, one side of the corridor,none of the corridor. We'll present-we'll present you with the information on the impacts of that decision. Um, and of course,you'll hear from,uh, neighbors at that time too. But for now I'll turn it back- I'll turn it over and we can get a little bit deeper into the weeds on this project with Tyler. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 5 Teague: Welcome. Olson: Thank you. Whoops. See if I can get this to work here. So this is for a future project that we're looking at construction in the year 2025. And this is for a section of North Gilbert Street that goes-uh, includes the intersection with Brown Street and goes all the way up to Kimball Road. Fruin: Ty- Tyler, can you scoot a little closer to the mic or pull it up a little? Olson: Oh, I'm sorry. Fruin: Thank you. Olson: I'll start again here. Um, so this- can you hear me? Teague: Yeah. Olson: Okay. Thanks. That sounds good. Okay. So this is for a future project that's planned for construction in the year 2025 and is for a section of North Gilbert Street that includes the intersection with Brown Street and will go all the way up north to Kimball Road. And with this project,we're looking at doing a new street,there will be new pavement. This will also include a sanitary sewer. This will include the sidewalks, and it also includes new storm sewers. And then also as another item there, it will also include utility under- grounding as part of this project and will be getting those aerial,uh, lines on the poles , they'll be burying those underground. Okay, so this project's evolving a little bit with time here and there was another smaller project that was to address a drainage issue at the corner of Kimball Road and North Gilbert Street and that has since been lumped into this project. And with this project here,um,we're looking at doing a right-of-way acquisition for this little corner of 250 Kimball Road. And the idea behind this there is that over the years we're trying to address a drainage issue where stormwater will come down Kimball Road flowing downhill and will actually cross the intersection of-with North Gilbert Street and would end up ponding where this,uh, sidewalk curb ramp is located. And you can kind of see with the photo down in the left-hand corner there that there's that leftover rock from storm-that stormwater has since passed and has dried up. And we're looking at the,uh,the opposite side,which would be in the other photo on the right-hand side. It would be a small spot just behind the utility pole there. And the idea behind this is that there is,that we'd like to put a curb along this location where the-where the sidewalk is currently right now. And the idea is to help to deflect that stormwater so we're not having the drainage issue at this location. And part of that there would involve moving the sidewalk over to the south and on the west side of the intersection,there's enough room to put a sidewalk there at the- for the crossing,but on the east side it is a little too congested and that's where private property is located. So this right-of-way acquisition would be just for,uh,where the crossing is located for the sidewalk. And then that sidewalk eventually tied back in to the current sidewalk that's along Gilbert,uh, sorry,Kimball This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 6 Road. The other property acquisition is,uh,near the c-the curve along North Gilbert Street and this would be at the addresses of 828 North Gilbert Street and 908 North Gilbert Street. And this was something that was brought up at the last public meeting that we had back last November. And this was actually proposed,um,by the current property owner of a way to- if we were to acquire some property there,we can actually move the curve of that street there and make it a little bit wider so it's not so much of a sudden curve and a sudden drop around that corner. And right now these are two photographs. The fust one there at the lower left there is just a little bit further back to the south and the other one's just around the curve. And it's just kind of a tight spot to be driving there. It's a little sharp and there's a drop there. And with a little bit of property acquisition, what's shown in yellow there,would allow us to curve the road a little bit at that location so we can help ease that radius. And I'm gonna go back two slides here just to show- so this was just the general area and this would include- so there you have those two right- of-way acquisitions there. The other,um, item that will be covered by the agenda will be any temporary construction easements. So this would be for,um, any work that we need to be on private property to remove, a- a tie into a driveway or any kind of sidewalks that are connected to people's homes. This is mostly just for us to get access in there to do the work to tie in properly at a good location versus trying to makeshift somewhere else within the right-of-way. So that- that's what would be the other item that's associated with that. Okay. Um,just to kind of talk a little bit about the project there and kind of get an idea of the sidewalks. Um, so right now there's two sections of the right-of-way. The southern area has an eighty-foot wide right-of-way and the north side has a 50-foot right- of-way. And within this project corridor,there are items inside the right-of-way that may conflict with where we put sidewalks or where we put the street, or if there's any plantings or retaining walls that may conflict with how we construct the improvements. So these are just some ah, examples here, for the most part,the top and the left are from the south side and down in the right-hand corner there is from the north side. They're just showing some examples, like we have staircases and the sidewalk that's there. There is retaining walls near the road. And, ah,we brought about with the, ah, last public meeting, is that we talked about the road widths and currently right now it's 31 feet wide. And there was expressed interest from many people to maintain some parking on the street. I know there wasn't every single person who agreed with that,but there was a number of people that did like to maintain some on-street parking and that, and,when we construct a street,we can go down to a width of 26 feet and that would still allow alternating day parking like it currently is right now. And that will give us a little more room in there to try to help get sidewalks in there. So at this time,right now,we're still in the early pre- uh,preliminary stages of this project. There's no commitment on where sidewalks are going to be going at this point. Uh,but right now we're looking at for those two right-of- way acquisitions--the one is from another project that we're now including in this project to address a drainage issue. And the other one there is,uh,to extend that radius of the curve there. So that way it's not so much of a sudden curve or sudden drop going down the street. And I had just one more slide here. It's a little bit more involved there,but this was one of the slides that we presented at the public meeting last November. And it just shows kind of a typical cross section. And you can see the widths there,the one down at the bottom,the little cartoon drawing they are showing 80 feet wide right-of-way that's This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 7 currently there. And then the upper one,they're showing the 50 foot right,right-of-way. And this is just one of those examples there that has a 26 foot wide street that would allow alternating day parking. That's the last slide that I have for this presentation. Is there any questions specifically? Teague: Hearing none. Thank you. Olson:No, okay. Teague: All right. Great. Council discussion. Thomas: Well, I just wanted to- to report to the Council that I- I did contact some residents who live along North Gilbert after seeing this in the consent calendar and asked if they were aware of the fact that this resolution was going to be considered tonight and they were not aware of it. Uh, and they're understanding of how the process was going to proceed was that there was some time they-they were not expecting it at this particular time that-that such a resolution would be considered. They asked if I would ask the Council to differ o- on this item until our next meeting on August 1st,uh, and have it scheduled as a aregular, formal agenda item so that we have an opportunity to hear from the neighbors as a part of this process, ah, at this point. And so that's, I'm just passing on their request. I do think, you know,this is as we- as was indicated in the slides,this is a- a complex project. The, ah,you know,the conditions along the edges of the roadway are variable and rather inconsistent in terms of the degree of accessibility and so forth. Uh, so I'm hoping that we can-we,you know,the neighbors will have a chance. I don't think anyone on Council has actually heard from them to, ah,voice their concerns as we move forward with the project. I'm not- I'm not questioning the need for the project. Anyone who's ridden on North Gilbert knows it's probably one of the worst paved streets in Iowa City or certainly second to none. And,um, so the work needs to be done,uh. I,you know, I just, I'm hopeful that we can reach a-reach, develop a process for this so that there is a sense of, um,that the neighbors are being listened to. That's what I was hearing over the last couple of days was,you know,they're-they're concerned that their concerns are not,um, not being heard. And so I- I'm offering,you know, I offered to them that I would, I would ask the Council to consider deferring so they,they had an opportunity at this point to-to make comment. Dunn: Question for. Bergus: I'm sorry. Dunn: Question for staff. Um, is there any immediate timeliness concern if we were to defer this to the next meeting. Olson: We're really early in the project. So we're really early in the project, ah,process here. So we're-we're not,we don't have any solid preliminary designs or anything like that at the moment. Um, so and we're doing construction,but it's been already been postponed to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 8 2025. Uh, so there's not an immediate need at this very moment in time here. This is just part of the process of going through the project. Fruin: If I can add to that. So the- the neighborhood meeting was November 16th, 2022. So we- we just met with them in the fall. And what we communicated was the overall project, um, ah, intent. We got their feed,you know,we understood their feedback at the time. And we said,when we are at that design phase where we've got to make these critical decisions on what this looks like,we'll come back to you. Those are questions like will there be sidewalks on both sides,will the sidewalks need to be four feet or five feet,will this retaining wall be impacted?All of those things. Um, you can certainly defer this item,but I think you saw the-the two pieces of acquisition that we're talking about don't really pertain to the concerns that the neighborhoods-the neighbors have. Actually there in response to concerns that we've heard from the neighbors on drainage issues and that- and that sharp turn. So I- I don t think delaying this project gets us to the point where we're ready for a design conversation on the design of the corridor. You certainly can. Um, ah,but I want to be clear, come August 1st,we're not going to have any more information to tell you what our recommendation is when it comes to the design of this project. Dunn: I think the design question aside, it would probably just be,um,you know, good- good trust-building to-to bring people in and say,these are responses to your concerns and you want to talk about it. Go ahead. If not, we do what we do,um,personally. So I don't have- I don't have a problem with a deferment. Taylor: Go ahead. Bergus: Well, thank you. I just I'm looking at the resolution,um,that's in front of us and I appreciate the explanation on,that's what I was going to ask is the time-frame and sort of where we are because I heard you say, Tyler,we're not-we're not at design yet where those critical decisions would be made. So what's in front of us tonight is the acquisition of property to be negotiated with the property owners. And if that can't happen for some reason,then we can proceed in the process of figuring out,you know,what adjustments we would make or how we would proceed with that. So I don't see this as,um, an either or or like a interfere. I don't- I don't see the deferment as necessary to engage the-the public,um, input on those design questions. I think that that will happen and,you know, needs to happen. But right now,we're just enabling staff to say,we understand the overall reconstruction will require these right-of-way acquisitions, so please proceed with that. Is that a fair characterization of what we're doing? Goers: Yeah,that's-that's correct. The only other comment I would make about a possible deferral is I would want to make sure we don't send the public the wrong message about what's going to take place on August 1st. That is, staff is not gonna be here prepared to, you know, lay out a design for that. They don't have it. Yeah. And so certainly they can listen to what the,you know,neighbors have to say on top of what was whatever was sent into the November meeting and so forth. But I just want to make sure that everyone's This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 9 clear about what conversations could take place on August Ist and, and what are premature. Taylor: I understand that. And I understand your concern, ah, Councilor Bergus. Ah,but I also agree with Councilor Dunn and, ah, Councilor Thomas. I- I'm still just a little confused by your-by your pictures that just shows those two corners that are, are possible acquisitions or for certain you need that acquired. But on what I've been hearing is that towards Brown Street and along there, if indeed we decide on the sidewalks,some of that property is also going to be,have to be acquired from folks. Ah, and would that be a separate consideration for us or is this a blanket statement that whatever you need to acq- to acquisition to do this project,we're approving. I'm confused. Fruin: We're targeting the permanent acquisition of the two yellow hashed pieces in there. Um, if you look at the right-of-way in this quarter,the right-of-way, it goes almost up to some- some folks front doors. Um,the issue of property acquisition to fit sidewalks won't be the-won't be the challenge. It won't be a matter of do we have the-the property to place sidewalks. It will be probably more of the Councils will and the neighborhood's wanting of sidewalks in that corridor. So correct me if I'm wrong,we don't anticipate any other, um,property acquisition. OVERLAPPING] Olson: This is what we're looking at as for right-of-way acquisitions, correct. Harmsen: I think given that we're talking about a very narrow bit of property acquisition for things like drainage and that it's already like the property owners of the involved property are going to be the ones that like,we're not forcing this acquisition upon them. Um,you know,we're not doing an eminent domain or anything like that. That's sort of self- corrects. And I think the instinct to try and say,you know what? I agree with the instinct and the-the want to have the neighborhood talk about these design issues. This just doesn't seem like that's the spot for it to me. So I mean, I don t think deferring that and then having them come in now prematurely and then having to do that again when we get to the design phase and,you know, or- or even, I mean, certainly that doesn't presuppose they can't send us their input now. And- and certainly I'm sure people gave their input back just,you know, eight months ago,um, I don't see- I don't see the point of deferring for this narrow little agenda item. Goers: If I can, I just want to clarify one point that you made and that's the question about eminent domain and so forth. One of those two property parcels is on the property of a property owner who the last time we did that project, we did have to condemn on and so that very may,very well may happen again. In fact, I- I think it's probably likely. So I just want to make sure that Council doesn't go in with an- an understanding that eminent domain won't be needed for this project, I suspect it will. Dunn: So,you know, I- I-uh, I understand and- and I see the merits of the-the conversation here. Um, again, I think something that we need to consider here is public perception. And the public perception by a number of people in the community is that,uh,there- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 10 there is a- a lack of trust. Um, and I think that this is a really great opportunity for Council and for staff to say,hey,we heard your concerns. We're not at the design phase yet,but here's what we did to address your concerns that you shared at the meeting. Thank you for coming. Please keep engaged. That's the kinda way that I'm thinking about it. I don't see anything bad about doing anything like that. Um, I think that we need to do more of that. Bring people here and say we heard what you said.Not just here's an email, uh,you know,we that's not what this is about. And,you know,that could be seen as dismissive. We're doing our jobs,but,you know,we-we have a real opportunity to tell people this is not the design phase,the proper time to come for that will be this and this is actually really good because we-we take into account what you guys told us. So thank you for your input. Bergus: I- I think invading people to a public meeting where we're not going to be talking about those things and saying,hey, come back later when we're talking about those things really, I think that's just a really unsatisfactory engagement with us. And these business meetings that we have are not intended to,you know, enable the back-and-forth. I know how frustrating it is when people come to the podium and we just stare at them and say, thank you for your comments. I think that is maybe more of the issue,but this particular- this particular item, if people come back on the Ise, and we have public input and further discussion, I think it's likely that there'll be some misunderstandings as to where we are in the process and what we're actually deciding. So I think- I think it makes sense to move forward with this and say,we know there will be public input actually about the design at the design phase,which could be a long time from now given that this is a 2025 project. Thomas: Well, let me try provide a little bit of- of,um, focus on this. The, if you look at the language in the resolution,uh,which I-which I did,you know, in terms of before contacting the neighbors. The resolution states very clearly that there would be new sidewalks on both sides of the street.Now,um, I'm hearing now from staff that that is not in fact what necessarily will happen,but that's not what the language in the resolution. The resolution is stating, I- I don't know how el-how else to interpret that,but that there will be new sidewalks on both sides of the street. There's no-no way in which that's qualified, it's just simply that's what you're going to get. And that's-that was a concern to the neighbors. So- so my feeling was,um, that misunderstanding or confusion over that item could be something that could be addressed at the August Ist meeting.Where there would-they would be here in person. They would no doubt ask for clarification on the question of this reference to language and, and the resolution stating new sidewalks,both sides of the street,what exactly are we talking about? That could be clarified. I'm hearing now that there's actually,um,you know,tha-that's not necessarily going to translate to sidewalks running continuously from the beginning to the end of the project. Um,but I'll just tell you as- as Councilor Dunn just said the-the correspondence I was getting from the neighbors was I'm not sure if they're going to hear anything we have to say. So that- that's where the- I'm hearing from them at this point. Fruin: And I can explain the-the-the resolution item. When- anytime we start a project,we're going to have an intent on how we go about improving this road. Um,we have an This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 11 adopted complete streets policy that guides us to put sidewalks on both sides,uh,with exceptions. Your strategic plan tells us to prioritize pedestrians over adjacent property owners. It doesn't mean it's written in stone,but that's how we go about these design projects. We go and we look at that scenario. We evaluate those impacts and ultimately that's going to come to you to make that decision. Um,just like in that-in that we talk about extensions of sewer and under grounding utilities-there may be things that come up in the design process where we decide,you know what?We can't really underground these utilities. It's too expensive. There's not enough right-of-way to do that,um, same with the utility improvements. We-we go in with the intent and then we have to adjust as we study the corridor and we learn more and we get that input and ultimately you've got to make the fm-the final decision. So I can see where that could be concerning language in- in the resolution. But-but that's the marching orders that the Council and previous councils have given us on how to approach designs in- in street reconstruction. Bergus: And I think our experience shows that what we're doing here is authorizing. And that when we've had exceptions in my tenure on Council where we-we do make changes based on public input. So but we wouldn't want to authorize only a limited aspect of the project if in fact, in the end,that's what we all agree is needed and desired. So we're authorizing based on our policy,based on what we prioritize in our plans. And that's-that makes sense to me. There's nothing,you know, I don't think that that's,um, hopefully not confusing to folks. Sovers: If I may add,we are planning on having at least one, if not two more public meetings for the project. So there'll be more opportunities for engagement with each of the property owners to,you know,kind of tell them or work with them on the design and- and,uh, gather their input through the process. So we're, like I said, we're just really early on in the- in the design process and I wanted to get this in front of you so. Harmsen: That's good to know. Thank you. Teague: So I- I appreciate everybody's comments. Um,what I know- I think is unfortunate that we are talking about if we don't allow this deferment that people from the public might feel like they're not heard. But there is many ways for the public to engage and for us as councilors,to reach out to the public for engagement. One-on-one opportunities for this particular item, I think it would be great. Um, so I- I don't want anyone thinking that if we don't differ that we're not open to hearing the public. There's so many different ways to hear from the public and on the item that is before us,you know, I think it is safe that we're talking about two particular items that's gonna be a part of this,um,no matter what and I feel like it's safe to move forward with that. Um, with that being said, I also believe that if there's,you know,tonight is a public meeting where people could have came a gave public comment, even on a consent agenda. And I understand one person is out of town,um, and not saying that they should interrupt their vacation to get on Zoom and be included,but there are ways for the public to engage. This is a public meeting now, and there's no one here from the public. And I understand they say they weren't notified and not, it's not- I'm not trying to debate on,um,they should-that they really should be here This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 12 right now. I think my point is there's many ways to engage with the public on this item and in future things related to this item. I don't believe that,um, us differing this item for- the public can still come and share. And I think as we just heard,they'll be some public engagement opportunities. Flip side, I need to just ask our attorney for some guidance on some procedural things. Um, I know it's probably not the most,um,proper way to do it, but we don't have seven individuals,we only have six. So I anticipate we'll get a motion for deferment. Um, and let's say for instance it went 3-3 well,that would fail. Goers: That's correct. Teague: And, and then the original motion is still on the floor,which is the motion to approve. But if that is 3-3- Goers: It would not be approved. Teague: It will not be approved, and then we will end up,um, at-with this agenda in the future on our well,what would happen? I mean, it's- it's not approved. Goers: Right. Unlike a zoning process where you would-that would be considered a defeat and would-you would need to begin again with the whole process-that's-that's not this. We would need to return to this item assuming that the Council will is to actually move forward with this project uh, at some later date. Um,presumably,we would want to have some discussion about uh,how to get there. Maybe that's resolved by the return of uh, Mayor Pro Tem Alter depending on how she felt about it. But um,yeah it would return to this Council probably one way or another unless Council wanted to defeat the project. Teague: Okay. Thomas: May I offer one suggestion for your consideration?Um, if we were to simply say on the resolution,new sidewalks rather than new sidewalks,both sides of the street, since it's- you know just simply new sidewalks,not including both sides of the street,would that be acceptable? Goers: I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if you're asking your fellow Councilor Thomas: Well, I'm asking my fellow Councilors,but,you know. Teague: I- 1 think that would kind saw maybe the concern. Thomas: I think they feel heard if we deleted the both sides piece of this,uh, so that,you know, their concerns were reflected in the language of the resolution. Taylor: So Councilor Thomas,you're uh, suggesting to amend... Thomas: To amend the resolution to [OVERLAPPING] This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 13 Taylor: ...this resolution to new sidewalks. Thomas: Amend the resolution by deleting both sides of the street from the,the fust program. Taylor: I'd be agreeable to that. Teague: Would you like to make [OVERLAPPING] Bergus: Sorry. Just a clarification. Um,would that be-would that preclude both sides of the street? Thomas:No. Bergus: Okay. Right. Thomas: That's-that would be [OVERLAPPING] Bergus: So the effect is the same. We just want to change the words. Thomas: Just to say new sidewalks rather than new sidewalks,both sides of the street. Teague: Yeah. Any comments, is that,that acceptable? Goers: I'm just waiting for the motion I assume, Councilor Thomas would like to make a motion. Thomas: I would like to move that we revise the language to-to state new sidewalks without defining that as both sides of the street. Taylor: Second. Teague: Moved by Thomas seconded by Taylor. Roll-call. Any discussion on that amendment to the language?Roll call,please. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6-0.Now we're back to uh,the motion on the floor which is to approve with the amendment of Item 61. Um, could I get- So that is what we are going to vote on now. Roll call,please. (Roll Call) Teague: Motion passes 6-0. Can I get a motion to accept correspondence for Item 61? Dunn: So moved,Dunn. Taylor: Second, Taylor. Teague: All in favor say aye. Teague: Any oppose?Motion passes 6:0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 14 8. Community Comment(Items not on the agenda) Teague: We are on to item, our community comment period,which is item number eight. And the public is um,public comment as intended so that members of the public may be heard by Council because community comment is for items not properly noticed on the agenda. Council cannot engage in discussion or debate,uh, due to open meeting laws. So we invite the public to come up at this point to share their comments. I wanted to see how many individuals want to speak during this period, if you can raise your hand. And I see no one online. All right, so we'll allow 3 minutes for each individual,um at this time. Welcome. Reilly: Thank you. I'm Joe Reilly with the Iowa City Downtown District. Thank you for taking your time for public comment. Uh, I'm here on behalf of our Iowa City Downtown District, but also our legislative committee,uh to let you know that we support this proposed plan to purchase the former US bank lot at 21 Southland Street. Teague: Oh, I'm going to,that's-that's on our agenda. So we'll have you come back up. Reilly: Thank you. Teague: Thank you. Yeah. Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. Ross: Brandon Ross, Iowa City. Thank you Mayor Teague and uh, Iowa City Council members. Uh, I want to come here just to speak to an issue that affects all of us and affects everybody the world round. And uh, it has to do uh,with our US military engagements in Ukraine,uh,which-which is costing the world a lot of trouble right now. Uh,to US, it's our taxpayer money. Uh, it's,we'ree sending $150 billion of weapons. Uh,there's climate change related. There's inflation. But maybe more important,there's 350,000 young Ukrainians who have died. Uh,that is kind of the upper end of the estimation. 350,000 Ukrainians have died. Most of them are young. Uh, from 17-59 Ukrainians by law,have to be in the military and fight. And this is a whole lost generation of young people,young people who will not be there for Ukraine. So it's World War I proportions of a disaster there. Um,when the midst of this, our country, and I'm ashamed of our country. I'm a Democrat,but I'm ashamed of the Democratic Party which just continues to beat the drums for war. And comes up with slogans like, I stand with Ukraine,which is to say that I stand with the State Department who is filled with neocons working in our Biden administration,that wants a victory against Russia. The Ukrainians are just dying while we give them weapons and I'm ashamed of my own party---I'm vastly ashamed of it. Our party has been an anti-war party at times but right now with the most military party and we're the most brutal party. Dr. Martin Luther King said before he died tragically,that the US is the most violent country in the world. I wish that this could be changed by now,but it is not. Anti-war activists in Ukraine are shut-out or are arrested. Uh,Zelenskyy has conce-has canceled elections, so you cannot vote him out and get a peace candidate in. Zelenskyy has shut down five media operations and 11 opposition parties. Most of the world,most countries in the world,you will read,have supported This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 15 negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The one country that stands in the way of these negotiations is the United States. I am vastly ashamed of the Democratic Party. I believe that we need to call our White House and the Senate and Congress in demand negotiations and an end to this war. Teague: Thank you. Ross: Thank you. Teague: Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. Pfohl: My name is Beth Pfohl, and I'm from Iowa City. Thank you very much for the ability to communicate um, in this forum. I'm a member of the City Park Pool Back to the Future Steering Committee dedicated to working as a community with the leadership of City of Iowa City to create a pool that provides a space that is relevant and inclusive to all City of Iowa City community members. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize that there are several of my uh, fellow committee members here with me today. And if they so choose,they could stand and just show support for uh,my statement this evening. Um, I fust just want to thank you all who have met, emailed, and conversed with many members of our group. Uh, it doesn't go unnoticed, and we greatly appreciate your ability to work with uh, our community,to work together on the future of City Park Pool. Second, is my understanding that there will be an open house meeting in the future, or maybe several meetings in the future,to discuss the future design of the pool. And I would like to suggest that these open house meetings function like a working meeting where break-breakout groups are paired with City staff and design staff, so that there's a facilitated open discussion regarding the design of the pool uh,to allow ideas to be discussed,to learn from each other,uh, as well as provide City staff and design staff the ability to communicate in hear everything from all aspects of the community. And that's pretty much it. I just wanted to thank you for your time. Teague: Great. Thank you. Anyone else like to address,um, Council at this time during public comment on things that are not on our agenda? Great. Welcome. Please state your name and city you are from. Terrill: Hi, there. Teague: There's also a sign in there. Terrill: I'll do that. My name is Damon Terrill. I'm from here in Iowa City. Uh, I just became, I guess, associated by email with the group earlier today. So I don't know that I've been elevated to the central committee,but I just wanted to say- I just wanted to say that I support the goals. I think it's a great idea and I really support the idea of the interactive iterative,uh,proposal to discuss these issues that she described. Thanks very much. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 16 Teague: Thank you. Anyone else before we close public comment? Seeing no one else jumping up?No. All right. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 17 9. Planning& Zoning Matters 9.a County Conditional Use Permit—4201 Nursery Ln SE—A letter of recommendation to the Johnson County Board of Adjustment for an application submitted for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a home industry at 4201 Nursery Ln SE. Teague: We're gonna to go to item number 9-9,which is Planning and Zoning Matters, 9a this is the County Conditional Use Permit for 4201 Nursery Lane S.E. - A letter of recommendation to the Johnson County Board of Adjustment for an application submitted for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a home industry at 4201 Nursery Lane SE.. Can I get a motion to approve,please? Dunn: So moved,Dunn. Thomas: Second, Thomas. Teague: Alright. And welcome,Danielle. Sitzman: Thank you Mayor, Council. Danielle Sitzman,Neighborhood and Development Services.No presentation tonight,just a brief statement. This agenda item is for a motion to approve sending a letter of recommendation to the Johnson County Board of Adjustment for the application that the Mayor just introduced for a Conditional Use Permit(CUP) at 4201 Nursery Lane S.E.. That's approximately one mile south of Terry Trueblood Recreation Area on South Gilbert or Sand Road SE. The subject property is located outside the corporate limits of the City of Iowa City, and it's also outside the cities growth boundary,but it is within the two mile fringe area around Iowa City. So according to Johnson County's own zoning code,not our fringe area agreement,the County requires itself to allow the City time to review a Conditional Use Permit when it's in the fringe area. The subject property does contain an existing single-family home and two warehouse buildings. The application to the County for their CUP is to convert one warehouse to a home industry. The pro-proposed conversion is intended to serve the business included in your packet,which is Superstar Granite LLCs kitchen remodeling business. And the County zoning rules would apply to the use and operation of this business. The proposed conversion would comply with the County's rules. Staff found that the proposed use would remain consistent with the intended development pattern for the future land use plan map that we maintain uh, in our comprehensive plan and the policies and our fringe area agreement with the County. At their meeting on June 21 by a vote of 6-0,the Planning and Zoning Commission concurred with staffs opinion and voted in support of the letter of recommendation, and no public comments have been received on this item. Teague: Great. Any questions for Danielle? Thank you. Anyone from the public like to discuss this topic? Council discussion?Roll call,please. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 18 10.b Adopt Code of Ordinances,aka City Code- Ordinance to Adopt the Code of Ordinances of the City of Iowa City,Iowa,2023,aka "The City Code." (First Consideration) Teague: Item number 10b is Adopt Code of Ordinances, aka City Code. Ordinance to adopt a Code of Ordinances of the City of Iowa City, Iowa 2023, aka the City Code. And this is fust consideration. Can I get a motion,please? Bergus: So moved Bergus. Thomas: Second, Thomas. Teague: Alright. And we have our City Attorney,Eric. Goers: Thank you, Council. I'll be very brief. This is one of those kind of routine matters that we just have to take care of every five years or so. The law, in my view, is a bit uh, antiquated uh, as it refers to, or envisions that everyone is referring to the paper code book that is above my desk and in Kellie's office and elsewhere,when of course,when the reality is that everyone's really referring to it online. That said, here we are,we need to uh, adopt it at least every five years. Um, and so I'd ask Council to do so. Teague: Any questions for Eric?Anyone from the public like to address this topic? Seeing no one in-person or online, Council discussion. Roll call, please. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6 - 0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 19 10.c Urban Chicken Permits - Resolution adopting an urban chicken policy and rescinding Resolution No. 12-533. Teague: Resolution adopting an urban chicken policy and rescinding resolution number 12-533. Can I get a motion to approve please? Taylor: So moved, Taylor. Dunn: Second,Dunn. Teague: All right. And we're gonna go back to our staff,Eric Goers. Goers: Thank you. A little more to say about this one,Mayor. Um, so as Council is aware,you had a work session where there was a discussion about what you'd like to see as a Council,uh, changed about the,uh,urban chicken ordinance and so forth. And,uh,you were able to reach a consensus and passed on that consensus to staff with directions to bring forth,uh, some changes in the policy. Uh, I'll note that the meat of the policy considerations,that this Council considered, are actually contained in the,uh, a resolution,the Urban Chicken Policy resolution, as opposed to an ordinance. There is an ordinance that,uh, it speaks to this,but it basically says that all the,you know, all the rules are going to be found in the resolution. So it is this, uh, amended resolution that's before you,uh,today. Again,the highlights are,um, a change to,uh,neighbor,uh,well, I'll say involvement. It went from neighbor consent being required to neighbor notification being suggested. Uh,the word,uh,neighborly was used in the discussions. Uh, so the language in the application, or in the resolution that we've settled on is the applicants should notify,uh,their neighbors and so forth. To be clear,there is no requirement,uh,to do so. Uh,next major point is,uh, allowance for,uh,urban chickens in multifamily residences. And so we,uh adjusted the language to account for the possibility of housing cooperatives and condominiums, in addition to more traditional multifamily residential,uh, situations in which there's maybe one landlord who controls the whole,uh, apartment complex. Um,there is the allowance for staff discretion,uh,to allow a coop in a side yard if the property lacks a backyard, imagine corner lots. Um, again, discretion, er,we'd want to make sure there's a proper,uh, separation and,you know, screening and- and those kind of things and enough space,uh, for that to make sense. Uh,we made the change from four hens allowed to six hens allowed and that was the last kind of significant change that was brought forth. Uh, I'm aware that Chris is here. If you have any more specific questions about,uh,the implementation of this policy or anything having to do with the actual care of chickens, I will gladly defer to her,um, but do you have any questions,uh, for me? Teague: The only question I have is,um,well, thanks for ah,presenting this to Council based on our conversation at the work session. The only question I have is really related to,um,the word should notify the neighbors. I think sometimes interpretation years down the road may get,you know, debated a bit. I wonder if we couldn't,you know,would consider changing the word to encourage,um, something more of that nature than should. I don't This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 20 know if Council would like encouraged to notify their neighbors instead of the word should. Dunn: I- I don't- everyone's looking at me. Uh, I don't really have any strong feelings about it. So if- if people are okay with that, I think it means effectively the same thing. So if- if that's what makes you comfortable going forward, I'm cool with it. Thomas: I- I think it'll resolve itself on the ground. I think it's- it's sort of a- a gauging of the relationship you have with your neighbors and,um, I think people will have to make that decision on their own as to how they make that contact. Harmsen: And we hope people don't have a foul relationship with their neighbors. Dunn: Thank you so much. Teague: All right. We're going to go to,uh,public comment and then I will make a- a motion at that point to change the language. Anyone from the public like to address this topic at this time,please come forth. Seeing no one in public,uh, in person or online, Council discussion. Taylor: Eric, you mention the-the last topic we talked about that the-the law was sort of antiquated. And I kind of see that the previous original resolution about the chickens might be a little antiquated at this time too,because when it was originally written,there probably weren't so many,there weren't co-ops. Uh,the Miller Orchard one has-has since developed and- and not as many condos either. And- and those kinds of folks are the ones that are coming and talking to us and saying we'd love to have chickens and all of our neighbors,you know,want to,but we can't with the ordinance. So I just see it as a no-brainer and- and that the language is a little more clear. Bergus: I just want to observe that if we'd been taking bets a decade ago on whether we would have zero public comment on expanding the chicken ordinance, it's uh- I would have lost that bet. Teague: Yes. Dunn: We are blessed in this community. Thomas: Well,you know, I-this was first considered by the Council shortly after I arrived in Iowa and um, I have to say I was kind of stunned by the response to this issue. Uh,you know, I- I quickly learned that it was easier to raise chickens in San Francisco than in Iowa City. And I thought,wow, I thought I had moved to the heartland. What's going on here?Um, so it seemed to be a kind of a tempest in a teapot. And I'm really pleased to see that,you know, and thank Andrew Dunn for kind of leading this-this initiative and,um, you know,that we all agree to the changes,you know. I'd certainly heard over the years from folks who were frustrated by the previous ordinance. So I'm- I'm happy to see that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 21 we've finally kind of brought things up to speed. And yeah,there aren't people out there anymore who,um, are all concerned with,you know,that the sky would fall if we should allow chickens in Iowa City. Teague: Well, I'm excited about this. I just wonder if any of my neighbors want to do it,um,we have to go up to the limit--so how many eggs will equal to, like are the-the financial limit that we can accept as Councilors?But anyway, I know, alright. Harmsen: Yolks on you. Teague: Yes. If no more comments, I want to make a motion to amend the resolus-resolution language from should to are encouraged to notify. Taylor: So moved. Teague: Moved by Taylor. Dunn: Second. Teague: Seconded by Dunn. Alright,um,roll call please. (Roll Call) Goers: You don't have to have a roll call for a motion if you're not interested,but I'd be happy to roll call if you wish. It's just a motion,not a resolution. A voice vote would be fine. Teague: All right. All in favor say, aye. (Voice Vote)Any oppose?Motion passes 6-0.Now we're going to vote on,um,the resolution as amended. Goers: As amended. Teague: Yeah. As amended,um, so roll call, please. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 22 10.d Almost Paradise Tobacco Penalty -Resolution assessing$1500.00 civil penalty and thirty-day retail cigarette permit suspension against Almost Paradise. Teague: Resolution assessing $1,500 in civil penalty and 30-day retail cigarette permit suspension against Almost Paradise. And could I get a motion to approve,please? Walsh: Um, I'm here on behalf of Almost Paradise. Teague: Oh,yeah. One second. Yeah. I'll- I'll introduce you. Bergus: So moved. Dunn: Second. Teague: Yeah. Moved by Bergus, seconded by Dunn. And we're going to go to our staff, Eric Goers on this matter. Goers: Thank you. Um,not much to offer on this one either. Um, it's, uh, I believe that we,uh, yes,we have one officer who's present who,um, if there's gonna be a contest as to,uh, this,uh-uh,motion then we would have,uh-uh, Officer Michelle Schultz come forth and offer the evidence,uh, in support of the,uh,resolution. And then,uh, if,uh, this Council finds that there was in fact a violation,then the language is shall,uh, impose the penalties,uh,that are listed in, uh,the resolution. And so I- I think that's where we are. So procedurally,uh, I,think we would start with, uh, Officer Schultz and then,uh, proceed with the,uh,permittee if they wish. Teague: Great. Officer Schultz, come on up. Welcome. Schultz: Thank you. I'm short. Um,yeah. I-my name is Michelle Shultz. I'm an officer with the Iowa City Police Department. Um, I was conducting tobacco compliance checks on the 13th of May. Um,we also have an under-aged individual who,um,we don't disclose their name obviously,um,but we give them strict instructions about,um,what we're looking for. So they go into an establishment that sells nicotine products,um, if, and ask to purchase something. Um, if the clerk asked how old they are,they are not to lie. They tell exactly how old they are and- and everybody who does that is under age,under 21. Um, if they asked for an ID,they give them the-their real ID,which indicates that they are under 21. Um, and if the clerk tells them that they're not to-they're not going to sell nicotine products to them,they just walk out and that establishment has obviously passed the check. Um, in this instance,um,the, ah,undisclosed individual walked into Almost Paradise,requested a nicotine product,um, and was able to purchase that. Um,we had, um, audio and video. Um,this person was fitted with audio and video recording of- of that, and so we were able to verify,um,who they spoke to,what happened during that exchange,um, and we cited the clerk for that,um, citation. So, and it looks like the clerk, um,that person entered a guilty plea for the citation on the 6th or the 8th of June. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 23 Teague: Any questions? Thank you so much. All right. And then I'm going to invite Almost Paradise representative up to speak at this time. Walsh: Thank you. Teague: Welcome. Walsh: Thank you. My name is Shannon Walsh. I'm an attorney in Iowa City and I represent the owners of Almost Paradise and several other businesses that they own. And I'm aware of the code and I know that, ah,his options are limited,but he wanted me to come today and express his frustration. Um,but fust of all, I would like to say that from what I read of the code,he can strike one of his tickets,uh, if they've- if the employees have gone through, um, a training program that,the retailer training program, iPLEDGE, and he would invoke that right now for this ticket. But, um,he-he just feels that this is an extremely unfair process. He,you know,he trains his clientele,he has signs all over the store "must be 21 to enter,"to purchase anything. He-he tries to very clearly, and I have had discussions with his employees about,you can not let anyone under 21 in the store and you must check everyone's ID, even if it's your mother,you check her ID and they're like, Oh, of course,we do-we do. So,you know,he's got this young guy who works there and he got sloppy and he got this ticket. And it- it has happened before,but,you know,we're talking about this man's livelihood plus the livelihood of at least 10 employees in jeopardy because one young man made a mistake and sold. And I,you know, I have children. I don't want my kids smoking or anything else of that nature,but,um,he's just very concerned. He feels a little bit,um, singled out. He owns other stores of the same nature. Uh, one in Coralville, one in Des Moines, one in Moline, one in Davenport, and the Iowa City store's always the store that's the problem that he-that they check and they find something and it's,you know,he just feels like he's being singled out to some extent. But,um, I mean, I've read the case law, I've read the statute, and I know that your hands are tied mostly,but he wanted me to express his frustration and,you know,the downtown and all retail is- is suffering right now. It's very grim. I mean, Iowa City Marketplace or Sycamore Mall is on the auction block for the second time. The downtown mall is basically not a mall. Uh, Coralville Mall is desperate for,uh,retailers,um, stores are closed all over the place. Uh, I spent 17 years in the East Coast, Washington DC neighborhood,um, as a commercial real estate agent and developer and this market is bad and I've never seen it worse. So he knows he's bringing business to Iowa City. He-he's opening another store on the Ped Mall and another store on the same street as Almost Paradise. So he's bringing businesses to town. He is paying taxes. He's being a good citizen. He's raising a family in the community. And he's just frustrated and he wanted me to express that to you and,um, if,you know,this particular ticket isn't struck because of the training option,uh,he intends to appeal it all the way up- all the way up. So,um, we'll see. But that's why I'm here, is to just let you know that he's not trying to,um, entice kids into buying cigarettes or tobacco products or vape or anything of that nature. He's just a businessman who's trying to make a living and employ people and he's very strict about it. If you go to the store, and I invite you all to go,he's got signs all over the place saying "You must be 21,"right on the front door,big letters, "you must be 21 to enter." This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 24 So he can't help but feel entrapped to some extent. Um, and I know that in the code that's not a thing,but,uh,he feels strongly about it. So that's why I'm here. Teague: Thank you. Goers: Ms. Walsh, I have just one clarifying question. You mentioned that you-your client wished to invoke the iPLEDGE thing. Have you brought the employee in question certificate of completion? Walsh: I have one,but I don't think it's,which, I'm not sure which employee it was. Goers: Was it looks like Steve Tim- Timpee(ph), I may be mispronouncing this person's name. Walsh: I don't think I have his,but I know it exists because I can get it. Goers: Well, this would be the time. Walsh: I know it would have been. Goers: Right. Actually,when we send out our letter, that probably would have been the time, but,um, certainly no later than tonight. Um, and this was- this individual-this clerk's second offense this calendar year I noted. I don't know if he completed it after the fust time or... Walsh: That I can't answer that, I don't know. But he- I know that he has-before he'll hire anybody,they have to finish this course. And so I don't know why that kid is working there anymore, so I don't know why he was sloppy,but some people have theories about what he is up to. But, um- Teague: Thank you-thank you. Any questions from Council? Thank you. Oh. Bergus: Oh, I'm sorry. I have a question for our attorney. Walsh: Okay. Yep. Thank you. You can,yeah. So,um, one, I have a question,Eric. If I bring- if I can get him to bring it over... Teague: At this point,the Council is going to have to have the discussion. Walsh: Okay. Teague: Yeah. On that. Thank you. Councilor Bergus. Bergus: Does the guilty plea by the clerk inform our finding of the violation? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 25 Goers: Right. And I'm not hearing that there's any contest that the illegal sale took place. Um,the employee, as,uh, Officer Schultz mentioned,pled guilty on June 6 of- of this year to the offense. I think that's pretty dispositive. Bergus: Thank you. Teague: Anyone from the public like to address this topic? Seeing no one in-person or online, Council discussion. Taylor: As a long time health care professional, I'm sorry,but smoking, I've seen the effects of it, the negative effects of it. It's terrible. And I've also seen in this community an increasing use by young teens,young kids,uh, and the vaping. And I was just told recently that you've gotta do something about this vaping in this town and the vaping by the young children. And if we encourage this kind of thing,the sale when this person knows that they're not supposed to do that, I think,you know,there has to be some consequences in infractions and I think- I think we're very transparent on the fact that you-you just can't do that. I mean, I would like to see it not sold even to over 21,but especially the under 21 s. That's just not right and not to ask for ID,uh, to verify that. Again, I know I just I- I'm- I'm in favor of imposing this penalty. Teague: Any other comments?Roll-call,please. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 26 10.e Real Estate Purchase—21 S.Linn Street—Resolution approving a Real Estate Sale Agreement for acquisition fo 21 S.Linn St.,Iowa City. Teague: Resolution approving a real estate sale agreement for acquisition of 21 South Linn Street, Iowa City, and can I get a motion to approve? Dunn: So moved,Dunn. Bergus: Second,Bergus. Teague: Alright. And we're going to invite our City Manager, Geoff From. From: Thank you Mayor and Council. So tonight we're talking about the acquisition of the northwest corner of Linn and Washington Street, 21 South Linn, commonly referred to as the former US Bank lot. Ironically,the site of Iowa City's original City Hall, built in 1881,uh, and served that purpose until it was demolished in 1962, I believe. So,uh, coming back full circle here with this acquisition. The property is currently owned by CA Ventures. I'll probably refer to them as CA throughout my comments here. CA bought the property from US Bank in 2021 for 3.8 million. They promptly demolished the one-story bank building. You may recall there was a drive-through bank building and a large surface parking lot. Uh,they promptly demolished the building and tore out the pavement and its currently,uh, fenced off and has been in that condition for quite some time. Uh, CA's intention was to build student oriented housing in that location. CA is the owner of the Rise at Riverfront Crossing. They also developed the Latitude in Coralville River Landing,which has since sold and re-branded. Uh,but they went through the process of getting a site plan approved by City staff. The property is already zoned CB- 10, so there was no Council consideration,but they advanced the project all the way to the building permit stage, so put quite a bit of time and energy into developing their concept. Earlier this year,we began- staff began fielding inquiries from folks that were interested in potentially buying the property from CA and that was much to our surprise. But as we started to talk with folks,um, we heard a lot of interest for similar student- oriented housing. Uh,we also started to get a lot of questions about,um, enlarging the site through the acquisition of the properties along Washington Street immediately to the west there. Um, and that's something that CA had originally approached us about when they were buying the site in 2021. Given the current market conditions, I think it's safe to say that student-oriented housing would likely be the resulting development should it go to sale on the private market, should the City not pursue this acquisition. As Council knows,we put quite a bit of energy into creating opportunities for student-oriented housing in our Riverfront Crossings district over the past decade. Um, and as a reminder, when we encourage that development in the Riverfront Crossing,that also kicks in our affordable housing,um, efforts where that is not the case in,uh, a CB-10 zoning district. Uh,we've seen quite a bit of student housing built in Riverfront Crossings so that supply of student-oriented,uh,housing continues to grow. We have two very significant,uh, projects under construction right now. Uh, on South Dubuque and Riverfront Crossings, and on Myrtle and Riverside-the Riverfront Crossings District. Um, over the past decade This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 27 and a half,we've also been very intentional about our efforts to diversify the types of uses downtown,uh, from zoning restrictions on drinking establishments to different grant programs to invest in facades and encourage different uses. We've done quite a bit to,uh, diversify uses, allowing for more retail opportunities, office opportunities,while maintaining a strong restaurant and nightlife scene. We've also invested quite heavily in entertainment, arts, and culture types of venues to ensure that downtown,uh,remains a place for both town and gown and,uh, is- is appealing to everybody throughout the community. So through the acquisition of 21 South Linn,uh,we can work to identify the exact uses that we would like to see on that property. We can identify some high level goals and partner with the private sector to develop that in a way that's going to add some long-term stability and vibrancy to,uh, downtown Iowa City. Um,we do not have plans for this property, I want to be clear about that. We do not have any plans. We don't have, um, any preconceived notions on what this may be. We just have confidence as a staff and hope-hope you share that,that we can facilitate and guide development that's in the best long-term interest,uh, for Iowa City. We do have a track record that I think we can lean on,uh,uh,most recently with,uh,the Chauncey property,uh, in which the City had publicly owned property. We partnered with the-the private sector and we identified uses that we'd like to see and we were able to achieve that. We now have state of the art entertainment. We have,uh, additional hotel rooms. We have,uh, office space,public housing,market rate housing all in that building, and that started with the City controlling that property and articulating our goals for that site. You can go back to the,um,parking lot that used to be across from the library that now,uh,holds the Bread Garden Market and HotelVetro, and the same story exists there with the City really guiding that development,thinking strategically about what uses could complement the existing uses downtown and strengthen,uh,the entire downtown area for everybody. Should the,uh, Council approve the purchase agreement,we would likely close,uh, sometime in mid to late August, and,um,my suggestion would be that-that we-we not be in a rush to-to go about developing this site. I think we first probably need to look back and study the processes that we employed for, say the Chauncey, and decide if that's the same process or if we want to make adaptions to that process,uh,when it comes to this property. But we-we would likely, at our recommendation, likely start the goal-setting for the redevelopment of this process in 2024. Obviously,we have a Council election coming up, we have four seats,um,that-that are,um, going to be,uh,up, and I think it's important that we-we start with-uh,uh,with that future Council on that goal setting process. Um, if we follow that trajectory,we might be drafting an RFP in the summer or fall of,uh, next year. And even from that stage,we could be looking at another year or two before you really get to,uh,uh,uh, a final concept that,uh,where a shovel could be put in the ground. So this is definitely a long-term effort. I think the Chauncey was probably eight or nine years,uh, from- from start to finish, and we should expect that this one could be, uh,the,um, same,um, going forward here. The purchase price,uh, is 4.55 million. It's an approximate 20 percent increase over what CA paid in 2021. Uh, as we know,property values have increased quite considerably throughout the community, also in downtown Iowa City. It's,uh, again, at 20 percent increase over what they paid. They also put considerable,um, expenditure into demolishing,uh,the site,preparing the site, doing environmental studies, a lot of those things that,um,uh,will save the future owners some This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 28 costs going forward. So I think the 4.55 is certainly a fair price. Uh, I think our ability to close quickly actually allows us to,uh, secure this property at a bit of a discount,uh, as opposed to what it might get on the private market,uh,with a longer due diligence period. I'm happy to, ah answer any questions that you have. But,uh, in- in summary,this is a strategic acquisition that I think,um, we can take and then trust in ourselves in the process, in the public input that we'll get to create a product that otherwise would not be built in Iowa City and would certainly be in the best long-term interests of our community. Harmsen: Real quick clarification. Uh, if we were to approve this tonight then some of those environmental studies and other studies you said that the current owners have done that woul-those would come to us and then we would have a period of time to review those and we would still have an out should those become less than satisfactory. Goers: Right. The purchase agreement calls for those documents to come to us by tomorrow, and then,uh,the 15-day,uh, due diligence period would allow us to review those materials, see if we've got any concerns, see if there's any surprises there and so forth, and if we are shocked by what we see,we can walk away. Harmsen: Thank you. Teague: Any other questions for staff?Anyone from the public like to address this topic? Welcome. Reilly: Yep,Joe Reilley with the Iowa City Downtown District. Um, thank you for taking comment on this. Um, I'm here on behalf of the Iowa City Downtown District and our legislative committee to let you know we support this proposed plan to purchase this,uh, plot of land. Having control over this land,uh, as Geoff said, can share request for the proposals for future redevelopment of the site, can take into consideration the needs of the community as well as the market. A future Council- future Council will be able to incentivize development that strikes a balance with the allowable density of downtown while contributing to the streetscape character. This also creates an opportunity to identify developments that more closely align with the retail,residential, and community space needs in downtown. We would like in this process to similar development incentives that spoke to community input, like the Tailwind's project on the 100 block of East College Street and also the Chauncey Tower that's here across the street from City Hall. Structures like these,more closely align with the Iowa City Downtown District's advocacy and this strategic purchase of land will help shape the face of downtown for decades to come. Thank you. Teague: Thank you. And by the way,that's our nighttime Mayor. Welcome. Gerlach: Thank you. Cady Gerlach,Director of Better Together 2030. Thanks for your time this evening. As Executive Director of Better Together 2030, I'm here to register support of the City of Iowa City's purchase of 21 South Linn Street as described this evening,um, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 29 and for the reasons stated by City staff. This purchase will allow the City to play a lead role in the redevelopment of this critical property, and by taking this proactive approach, our community can ensure that the future use of this site aligns with our long-term goals, fostering stability and vibrancy throughout our community. Without the City's involvement,market-market conditions will not produce a development that meets our vision, and we risk losing historic properties that contribute to the character and diversity of our central business district. The City of Iowa City's purchase of 21 South Linn Street using those general funds is a step towards realizing the goals outlined in the Better Together 2030 All-In Vision Plan. The strategic plan emphasizes the importance of creating a vibrant and inclusive community, and the acquisition of this property aligns perfectly with that vision and allows Iowa City residents to take an important role in the redevelopment of this critical property. Ensuring that it aligns with our long-term goals and adds considerable value to the community as outlined in the City Strategic Plan as well. The Better Together 2030 All-In Vision Plan recognizes the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors in creating projects that benefit the community. Overall,the City's purchase of 21 South Linn Street using general funds is a strategic decision that aligns with the goals and visions outlined. And it presents an opportunity to create a vibrant, inclusive community while ensuring responsible redevelopment and long-term benefits for our residents. Thank you. Teague: Thank you. Welcome. Kubby: My name is Karen Kubby. I live in Iowa City and I'm really happy this is happening. I have spent countless hours sitting on the curb looking at this property before it was demolished. And I'm really intimate with this area. Um,having community guidance for the redevelopment here is very exciting to me. Um, it's one of the last infill properties in downtown Iowa City and so what happens here is really critical. So I'm grateful that- and- and I hope that this will be a unanimous and positive vote. There's so many things that I hope will happen with this project. Being able to talk about long-term residents in the- in terms of housing, so I hope there's housing involved. Looking at affordable housing,uh, looking at the materials that are being used to build this,uh,building, and long-term energy efficiency goals and other sustainability factors. The historic preservation aspect of it for me is really important. Because when you really look at where it is and look on every side of this property,there are historic properties that were contributing properties for the new historic- downtown historic district,that the City applied to the fed's for and was approved. So taking that into consideration is really critical. And then there'll be all kinds of height discussions, I'm sure about this. Um, and I'm hoping that if it is a taller building that was proposed by CA, a 12 or 13-story building,that design factors will be part of it to help mitigate the experience on the street from a tall building. So the other thing that I want- I briefly want to mention is that, um, that property looked really bad when people came to town for orientation and as new students, so I'm hoping it will be maintained by the City in this longer interim period. Maybe it could be maintained in a way that there could be short-term programming that happens in that space that we could talk to the Downtown District about. So what are the opportunities in the interim for this space? I don't know, it might be too much money,but This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 30 to look at it and at least, uh,have it presentable. The only caution I have about,um,the process of a public-private partnership, as with the Chauncey,there was a process outlined and there was a matrix that Council was going to use that they didn't end up using. So I hope if you have a process outlined for the community that you follow it all the way through. Because it does break trust with the community or at least to explain why you may use a different process before the night of the meeting would be awesome. So,uh,make this happen and I- I'm happy. Thanks. Teague: Thank you. Welcome. Bird: Good evening. I'm Nancy Bird. Um, I'm with the merged entity of the Iowa City area Development Group and the Iowa City Area Business Partnership. We will have a new name soon that will be much shorter and I'll be happy to say it. But thank you for having public comment on this night. I,um, I don't want to repeat what my colleagues have said, but we're really pleased that,um, staff has brought this forward. It is a really great opportunity for downtown Iowa City and in the region as a whole. I think a lot of people don't fully understand the delicate ecosystem that is downtown with the juxtaposition of the old historic buildings and what new buildings can bring to them to add value and,um, clients and all the things for even the historic properties. So,um, over the course of time, when some of these properties are left vacant or for the private market to take control of them, oftentimes you get outside investors. They don't fully understand the climate on the ground or the regulatory course, and they can stall out and sit for a very long time,which is hard on everybody when this is like premium property that can be used for the community good. So,um,you have the-the support of our organization. Um, and I'm sure that there'll be lots of conversations about this moving forward. A couple of things as you go through your goal setting to consider, is that,um, where possible, it would be great if you could use,you know, I know it's not always possible,but to,um, focus on local developers and local architects. I think downtown Iowa City is a center of design excellence. There's multiple funis and engineers that are really doing remarkable things, not only in Iowa City but in the state and in the- in the entire country. Um, so tapping into those resources will be exciting. Um,then also just the opportunity to invite,um, a number of,uh,uses into the mix,whether it's personal use or professional use,which I think there's a lot of opportunity out there, even still for- even those remote or office users that really want to be downtown and headquartered downtown,um, as well as,uh, the ground floor which I think over the course of time,we have a lot of cultural venues downtown and they've been very exciting,um,uses. Um,the retail segment still needs a lot of support,um, and work and I think that's a great place to put,uh, some of the efforts for the ground floor. In the past,um,working with CA in the past, they had devoted some part- component of the,um, ground floor at the time. The conversation was that they would devote,um, some space for independent retail which would really be great too. So, um,we'd love to be a partner with you and explore some of the goals that you'll be setting for the project and,um, I really hope that you approve this unanimously tonight. And you have a really great partner with the Downtown District. You know,they really are the voice of the downtown and they are there for all the things that the community I think This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 31 will find exciting as well. So I encourage you to look at their website and all the reports that they've already done as you go through your goal-setting. Thank you. Teague: Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? Seeing no one in person or online, Council discussion. Dunn: I'm very much in favor of this. Um, I've got four reasons and I wrote them down. Uh, so, you know,the-the first one is the community-focused development,what's already been, uh,touched on today. We can make sure that this project does good things for the people that are on the ground here in Iowa City. Um, second is it's timely. Uh,you know,things are not gonna be on the market forever. Uh,third, is- it's a solid investment. One of the discussions that has yet to come up, and I'm- I'm sure will be-is if- even if we go into this with the best of intentions and- and things that end up not working out or there's not the money or there's not the political will,this is still an asset, uh,that we can then go back and we can sell it and we can get the money of the taxpayers back. So I think it's low risk. I think it's great for the community. And my final reason is, it's a- it's a continued precedence of Council using,uh, our community shared capital for common good,uh, which is something that I'm very thankful that we're-we're hopefully going to do today. I'm thankful for staffing us the opportunity to do,uh, and something that I'd like to see more of So yeah, I'll be voting to support this. Bergus: I agree with Councilor Dunn. I don't really have anything to add. Uh, I think the community aspect is really critical and I think,you know, apropos some of our other discussions, it's helpful to know from the very beginning that the entire process will be, um,will have many,many opportunities for people to come and let us know what they think and to prioritize and that kind of thing. So as long as we are led by our Strategic Plan and,um,you know,hear all of that input, I'm- I just think that there's incredible opportunities for what could happen in that space and I'm grateful that this was brought forward so that we can take that proactive approach,um, and seize the opportunity. Thomas: I- I too am quite pleased,uh,with where we are at this moment, and- and I do recall, and maybe Nancy you can remem-remember exactly,when you and I were walking around in the downtown and I kinda posed the question to you of,perhaps the City should acquire this site because it had been sitting vacant for so long. And I think you said,well, I'll look into,uh,the status. And I was then-then I learned that CA Ventures had made an offer on the property. So that was a very bad day for me because of, as we know,the,you know, case of the market directing development in a- in a- in a manner which was not going to be consistent with a community vision on arguably one of the most important properties in the downtown. So the fact that we had-we- a chance to purchase it,you know, I'm extremely grateful that,um,you know,we have it. And,uh, optimistic that,um, you know,the community values will be revealed as we go through the process. Uh, and there were some- I think some good comments that we heard from you all tonight on what some of the aspects of that might be. Uh,but again, it's I think a- a great day. I'm quite happy to see the City,uh,being more proactive, and not-not simply expecting or relying that,you know,the private markets will deliver,uh,uh, deliver This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 32 projects that will be supported by the community as a whole. So I'm- I- I think we really, you know,we did the right thing, and you know, I'm confident that we'll be able to-to realize the vision for the property Teague: So normally I'd say begin with the end in mind, and that-that often means renderings, you know,we need to see e- exactly what's gonna be happening. But that is not the case here. But-but as I think about,you know,begin with the end in mind, I still think that we have that,um,here. When we think about our strategic values and Strategic Plan for the- for the City,um, the opportunity to bring the community together to dream of something that would really impact,um,the lives here. It's in the downtown,um,which is the heart of our, er,well, is the living room of our community, as often said by Nancy Bird. Um, but it is the living room of our community, and I- I think it's a great,um, asset that we will have. We are using our general fund reserves,which,uh,will still keep us within that 25-35%,uh,range of revenues that we want to maintain. So I- I feel comfortable,uh, moving forward with this, and so I'll be supporting it tonight. Roll call,please. Dunn: Can we say one more thing? Teague: Yes. Dunn: Yes. I- I just really want to reiterate the-the appreciation for- for staff in this project,um, spearheading this,bringing this to us and- and being that proactive. This is not something that we could do,um, and probably did not necessarily come to top of mind for some of us. So,um,just want to make sure that-that is- is really hammered in there. Thank you very much. Teague: Thank you. Roll call. (Roll Call) Motion passes 6-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 33 11. Council Appointments ILa Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission -Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission - Two vacancies to fill an unexpired term,from appointment date to December 31,2024. (Mohamed Traore and Kevo Rivera resigned). Teague: We are on to Council appointments. Item l la,Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We have- and tonight we have,um,three different commissions that we're going to be discussing. So what we normally do is just,um, we'll go through each one of them and kind of determine who we will have as our person. So we'll start with the Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Comm-uh, Comm- Commission. So there are two vacancies to fill an unexpired term from appointment date to December 31, 2024. And- Taylor: Two-two male requirement, I believe. Harmsen: Mr. Mayor. Teague: Well, go ahead. Oh, go ahead. Yeah. Harmsen: I was just going to launch into this. Um, it is- there are-there's a two male requirement. I think there's only two males that have submitted. Um, I'm sort of torn on this and I'd love to hear from the rest of my,uh,my fellow Council members. On the one hand,this is a- a commission that we want to get things done, and you know, it's on a clock,you know-you know. Um, so we want them to be able to get quorum. On the other hand, it is,you know,we do want commission members new- even new commission members that-that seem to be sort of up to speed a little bit more. Um, and with just two people to choose from, I'm worried that we don't have a big enough candidate pool for these two spots to really make the best choices. Um, so I'm a little split on this, and so I was kind of wondering,uh,my fellow councilors were feeling and if- and if maybe they also feel a little bit, like we maybe want to send this back out for more, give it more time, like reopen the-the submission date,um, for applicants. Just-just a thought to throw out there,was wondering if anybody else felt that. Teague: I wonder if we can just ask if we were to redo this. Do we,uh, open it back up for application?Do we have a time requirement? Typically, it's 30 days. We can do another two weeks. I don't know if Council is thinking. Harmsen: I think we've done it before,but I can't remember how we did it before, since I've been on Council. Taylor: And would that change? There's usually a date where we don't have to consider male versus female. Would-would that apply then to we could do either male or female? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 34 Goers: Well, that part would not apply because that's if you can't find any candidates who are available. And as Councilor Harmsen mentioned,there are two at will. Fruehling: Typically,we would just do open until filled. Um, and if you had a- a date in mind that you wanted to-to look at appointments again to put it back on the agenda,we could do that. Bergus: If we were gonna be looking at the August I st meeting,what would-what would the actual window for applications be then? Fruehling: It was a Tuesday before the Thursday packets, so... Teague: So we have three weeks. Bergus: Okay. Teague: Oh, do we?No? Fruehling: It'd be two weeks. It'd be the 25th. Teague: Right,two weeks,because- Fruehling: For a deadline Teague: Yeah. Bergus: What kind of promotion did we do for these openings, do we know? Fruehling: Um,we do the paper,uh,they do social media,um,we do our website,the agenda,. Bergus: I always see the HRC openings,but none of the other ones. I don't know if- Fruin: Yeah. Taylor: I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't hear you,Laura. Bergus: Oh, I said I always see the HRC openings,but none of the other commissions. Maybe they do separate social media or something. Fruin: Stefanie always does a great job of- of trying to get the w-word out. So,uh,promoted through City Channel 4, Twitter,uh,posted in public facilities,the Lens newsletter, Facebook,Linkedhi,Nextdoor, and in an official news release. Um, and then we always encourage staff and commissioners to do the word of mouth,um, advertisement as well. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 35 Taylor: I- I too had some concerns about the limited number of male applicants, and I appreciate your comments,uh,Mr. Harmsen,but looking at the date it's- it's an unexpired term,uh, that expires. Oh- oh, I'm sorry. It's December 24. I was thinking it was 2023. If it's 2023, that's a very short term. So never mind. Teague: Yeah. Well, I'm- I'm in favor of,um, opening it backup. The question becomes, do we only have two weeks for people to apply or do we at least go four weeks for people to apply? I- I mean,we can-we have the option of until filled,but we have to have it on our agenda. Harmsen: I- I think- I think you're right. I think we need to put a time limit on it. Um,uh, again, I'm- I'm sensitive to the fact that we need a TRC that can reach quorum. And you know, as long as we have two unfilled seats,we make that more difficult for them. Um,but I think two weeks is awful quick turnaround. I think- I don't know. What does anybody else think?Uh, does anybody think two weeks is too quick, four might be better, and then we take this up in the middle August meeting? Bergus: Is there- I've a- I was just gonna ask a question to Redmond. I'll let him finish. Fruin: Maybe. Sorry if I was jumping ahead there. Bergus:No, I was just gonna ask Redmond,uh,ha-have they started that work for the three- month time? That like- so there's the seven-month contract with the facilitator, and I know the last sort of I saw they hadn't started that fust chunk yet. Have they begun that work? Jones: Well, so,um, it depends how you look at it. So,uh,there-there was some- some hold up on getting some of the contractors,uh, getting some of the paperwork in. So all that has been,uh, addressed. Uh,but the last meeting,uh,they weren't able to have a quorum. So we-we do expect that there's some vacations and everything that-that,uh, should be kind of played out, so that the next meeting we should expect quorum. Um, and then the commission can actually say,yes,we're-we're ready to,um,move forward. So,uh,the contractors want to start in July. They haven't really gotten the official start as of yet. Um,but we do expect that the fust kickoff meetings will be fust of August- the fust week of August. So Think Peace,uh,being the group that's going to start the training of the- of the commission,uh,that's supposed to start the fust- fust week of August. So there's- there's that. But I think the commission does know that that's kind of a big piece,uh, starting pen. And so we s-we suspect we should have quorum there,but it is pretty tight with,um,the vacancies. Teague: Yeah,we saw in their meeting-meeting minutes that Think Peace was going to be doing something, I believe, as early as the 4th, and that's gonna be some of I think five-hour trainings. I- I think there is an urgency here. So I- I'm- I- I- I almost felt like we need to suggest August 1--well, I'll have August 1 to get back on our agenda and try to do what This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 36 we can to get the word out. And if we find,you know, at that moment that we still aren't comfortable,then we're not comfortable. Bergus: That makes sense. Teague: Okay. Harmsen: Yeah. Teague: Alright. So we're going to defer this,um, open it back up, and then City Clerk will put it back on our agenda. Alright. We're going to move on to the next. And I- I think we're-we don't really need a vote on that. I mean,that's just a- Goers: I- I-yeah, I think that's fine. Teague: Yeah. Great. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 37 ll.b Historic Peservation Commission—Northside- Historic Preservation Commission (Northside) - One vacancy to fill a thee-year term,July 1,2023 -June 30,2026. (Deanna Thomann's term expired on June 30,2023) Teague: We're going to move on to item number l lb,Historic Preservation Commission, Northside. This is one vacancy to fill a three-year term,July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026. And this is,uh,no gender requirement. Harmsen: I think there's only one applicant for the challenge. Thomas: And she's already serving. Taylor: She's finishing her term.Yeah. Teague: And are people? Bergus: Yep. Sounds good. Teague: The-the-the districts are a little bit harder. Taylor: Deanna Thomann. Teague: Yeah, so it looks unanimous to reappoint Deanna Thomann. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 38 ll.c Human Rights Commission -Human Rights Commission - One vacancy to fill an unexpired term,upon appointment- December 31,2025. (Badri Kuku resigned) Correspondence included in Council packet. Teague: Alright,we're gonna move on to item number l lc,Human Rights Commission, one vacancy to fill an unexpired term upon appointment through December 31, 2025. And we have one male requirement here. Harmsen: Just to launch the discussion,um, I had-there were two names that jumped out at me. And by the way, I should have said this before, I mean, like on all of these, again, I'm always impressed by the people that are willing to serve the community,by the qualities of those people that are willing to serve the community. I should probably make clear that for the last,the TRC was not meant to be a slam or a slight against the two male candidates. It just feels like for that position, I feel like we should have a few more to- more to choose from for something like that with the work that has to be done. Uh,HRC, same thing,number of really good candidates. Uh two that I would like to throw out there for consideration that jumped out to me, especially out of- of the outstanding field,uh, T. J. Dedeaux-Norris, if I pronounced that correctly. Um I was impressed by some of their art practice and teaching, I thought those were-those jumped off the page at me a little bit. Taylor: I thought that was a female. Harmsen: Um, and then I think that's male candidate,yes? Teague:No. Taylor: That was a female. Harmsen: My apologies. Uh,there were 20 candidates, so- so that would. Taylor: That's a long list. Harmsen: And then uh,you know,Mark Pries,who has been on the commission before, is a retired pastor,um, and,you know, I think is devoted to this work. And, in fact, I will talk about this more later perhaps,but was impressed and I noticed Mark's presence today at the State Capitol to,uh,protest a- a degradation of human rights in Iowa. And so- I was impressed by that. So,um,not again taking away from anybody else,but these are things that among a good number of good candidates that jumped out at me. So I'll just toss that out there for consideration. Taylor: We did have a lot of great candidates and I agree with,uh,the recommendation for Mark Pries. Uh, this is,we say all of the commissions take a lot of our time and effort to get your feet on the ground. But this one in particular, and he even mentioned in the letter he This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 39 wrote to us about,uh,the ranking the,uh,non-profits, and he's familiar with that and knows that process and I think that's helpful to have somebody,uh,to fill that term. Dunn: I would also support Mark Pries. Bergus: I agree. Thomas: I- I do too. And- and Mark, also,he's retired now,but he was the minister at Zion Lutheran over in the northside neighborhood and showed a real concern for,uh,the neighborhood,which was,you know, certainly appreciated by the neighborhood residents when there were issues in the neighborhood. He was-he was right there on them. Teague: Alright. It appears that we have our two,um, commissions,the persons selected. So can I get a motion to approve for the Historic Preservation Commission-Northside,Deanna Thoman, and for the Human Rights Commission,Mark Pries. Bergus: So moved. Harmsen: Second. Teague: Moved by Bergus, seconded by Harmsen. All in favor say aye. Any oppose,motion passes 6-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023. Page 40 14. City Council Information Teague: Item number 14 is City Council Information. Taylor: I'd just like to remind people that the,uh, South District Diversity Markets have started, uh, every Saturday from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M. If you missed that last Saturday, come- come again. There's some wonderful vendors, some great food, and- and just fun to be around. Also music,wonderful music. So at Pepperwood Plaza, so I would encourage people to do that. And we had all this great talk about downtown Iowa City. I'd remind people that Sidewalk Days are this weekend, so come out and support our- our businesses down there,many of whom are minority or women-owned. So get out there. Harmsen: A couple of things real quick. Um, fust of all,um, thank you to Cady Gerlach and Better Together 2030, and all of the people that partnered for the 3D Printing House Project and the tour that we had,uh, last Friday down in Muscatine. I was able to go down to that and- and check out the in-progress fust home that they're doing in Muscatine. Of course,um, everybody in the Council here remembers we're looking at doing a similar project here that we've approved,um,you know, in Iowa City,uh, coming up sometime in the future not too far from where Blackstone,that neighborhood up there. Um, and thank you to the City staff and Deputy City Manager,um,Redmood Jones was there as well and- and Red- did I forget anything other than just to mention that we had a chance to go and look at it in person? Jones: Yeah, and it was cool. Harmsen: And it was co- it was pretty cool. I mean, I'm kind of a techie, so it was kind of-kind of cool to see,but hopefully that'll be a technology that will help us,uh, in our quest for affordable housing. Um, second thing is,uh, I think the next time by the next time we meet,uh, it will be free to ride buses in Iowa City. So a reminder that is starting August 1, and again, another kudos to staff for all the work to get our two-year pilot program off the ground. So I want to make sure I didn't forget that. Uh, and finally,uh,people noticed that I'm not wearing my usual shirt and tie. I'm wearing this bright pink shirt. Uh,that's because I, and don't want to take any of Councilor Bergus' thunder away,we were in Des Moines today,uh,to protest the special session trying to institute Governor Reynold's, uh,new abortion ban. Um, I will say,make this statement-that I am a- I'm a son, I'm a brother, I'm a husband and I'm a father. And I feel very deeply that my mother--sorry,just getting emotional--my sisters,my wife, and my daughter should have the same rights to their bodies as I do. That's all I want to say on that. Teague: Very emotional and I know that everyone on this Council supports that and have those same feelings. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of July 11,2023.