HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-11-06 TranscriptionPage 1
Council Present: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Taylor, Teague, Thomas
Staff Present: From, Jones, Goers, Grace, Platz, Russett, Lehmann, Dulek, Sitzman,
Rummel, Knoche, Havel
Others Present: LeFevre, USG Liasion, Monsivais, Alternate
1. Clarification of Agenda Items
Teague: All right, it is November 6th, 2023, and this is the City of Iowa City's work session. The
fust item will be clarification of agenda items.
2. Information Packet Discusssion [October 19, October 26, November 21
Teague: We'll move on to item number 2, information packet discussions, October 19th.
Information packet October 26, information packet November 2nd.
3. University of Iowa Student Government (USG) Updates
Teague: We'll move on to item number 3 on our agenda, which is the University of Iowa student
government updates USG. Welcome.
LeFerve: Hi guys.
Teague: Hello.
LeFerve: We'll start off with Matthew not being here today. Due to it being a Monday. He has to
work, um, so he will not be here. Um, I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Uh, we
sure did, Matthew and I uh, had a great time. Uh, I dressed up with my sister as Dipper
Pines from the show Gravity Falls, and she was the sister, but that doesn't matter. Um, I
was a little upset though that we didn't have Council all dressed up. Um, Shucks, it's
always on the fifth Tuesday. Um, we'll start off with some good news from the
university. Uh, just yesterday, the Iowa women's soccer team won the Big Ten
championship, so they're automatically heading to the NCAA. They uh, won 1-0 against
Wisconsin, so we're really proud of them. Um, one of the cool new USG initiatives going
on is UI grades. Uh, this is a website that anonymously has everyone's grades from like a
previous semester. So you can just type in your class or a professor look at the grades and
it has it all spread out from A plus to F, to even withdrawn. Um, so that's really cool. Um,
we're seeing really good results so far and we're hearing a lot of positive feedback. So
that's going through our academic affairs committee. Um, GR is also working with the
uh, nonprofit Welfare Red, which is helping advocate at the state level and uh, hopefully
here at the local level to get more feminine products around campus and donation drives.
This is just, hence things like the pink tax and just unaffordability. This will just
hopefully help some eases of some students. Um, I will apologize, the renters guide is
coming along a little slow, but I'm finally compiling everything together so Pll hopefully
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work
session of November 6, 2023
Page 2
have it done before winter break. Um, this just has been a really big beast. The code has
been really hard since we've changed up a lot, but um, it should be done by the end of the
semester. Keen will be back and Matthew and I will present with that. Um, and
something you'll look out for is that the board of regents is making their decision and
recommendations on DEI coming out Tuesday or Wednesday I believe. This will really
affect our state agenda and what we're going to be doing um, at every level of
government and from any- any committee. So that's all I really have, so, thank you guys
so much.
Alter: I'm gonna ask a quick question.
LeFerve: Of course.
Alter: What kind of advocacy has USG been doing for that DEI?
LeFerve: Um, we've unfortunately not been able to take too many stances on anything because of
its limbo, um, we have- when we had the Board of Regents visit, I know that that was
kind of a topic we didn't wanna talk about because we didn't know how everything was.
But from what I heard, every single Board of Regent immediately went to DEI the whole
time. Um, everyone in USG, from what I know is very supportive of DEI. And at least in
some aspect from accessibility to just just inclusion and stuff like that. Um, but we didn't
really- we can't really know what's coming yet. The- from what I've heard from, I will
not- I will not say. Um, from what I've heard, some of the recommendations will be light,
some of the recommendations will be a little bit difficult. So.
Alter: Okay. Thank you.
LeFerve: Yeah.
Teague: Great. Thank you.
LeFerve: Of course. Thank you.
Teague: Next time, come to the City Clerk's office. They are all dressed up for Halloween.
4. Council Updates on Assigned Boards, Commission, and Committes
Teague: All right. We're on to item number 4, which is council updates on assigned boards,
commissions and committees here, and no updates. We are adjourned from work session
and we'll be back at 06:00 P.M. for our formal meeting.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work
session of November 6, 2023