HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-11-21 Transcription Page 1
Council Present: Alter,Bergus,Harmsen, Salih, Taylor, Teague, Thomas
Staff Present: From,Jones, Goers, Grace, Platz,Knoche,Havel, Sovers, Gardner,
Hightshoe, Sitzman,Russett, Syedell, Coleman,Harland,Dumach
Others Present: Monsivais,Alternate
1. Clarification of Agenda Items
Teague: Today is November 21st, 2023, and this is the City of Iowa City work session. And Item
number 1 is clarification of agenda items.
2. Information Packet Discussion [November 9,November 161
Teague:Hearing none,we're gonna go to information packet discussion November 9th.
Alter: Trying to pull it up.
From: Mayor, if I could just call attention to IP2, our climate,uh, action staffs been hard
working with the,uh,Home Builders Association and realtors to launch a new energy
efficiency.
Teague: Can you pull your mic closer,please. I don't know why the-
From: I'm sorry. Um, IP2 is the, uh,memo from Sarah Gardner who's here,uh,today on the new
energy efficiency,uh, construction grant. Just wanna acknowledge,uh,the work by the
climate action staff. It's been a long collaboration to get to this point,um, and a lot of
hard work from Sarah and her team. So I'm happy to share that with you and I know the
Climate Action Commission saw it at their last meeting too.
Alter: Thank you.
Teague: Any other items from November 9th?We're gonna move on to November 16th.
Alter: Um, I wanted to draw attention to IP7,which is the board of adjustment on November 8th
minutes. And,um, as per usual,the-the Board of Adjustment was very thoughtful,but
this had to do actually with 4C's,um, acquiring,um,the Odd Fellows Building on
Avenue B,um, for,uh, childcare center in what is kind of an Iowa City childcare desert.
And so I just wanted to draw attention to it because it went through with good colors,um,
and,uh,the neighborhood seems to be,um,right on track for a really good,um, addition
for childcare, 50% of which is going to be CCA. So it's very exciting. So kudos to the
Board of Adjustment for really looking at,um, all of the things that would need to be
done and then also understanding what the mission is. So I just wanna let people know
about that.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work
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Harmsen: Cool. Um, also wanna mention the,uh, I forget which IP number it is. Um,but the
legislative priorities development. Um,thank you for that. Uh,just kind of following up
from our last meeting. Uh,thank you, in particular. I mean, a lot of good stuff on there.
Thank you in particular, of course, for the,uh,protecting the rights of manufactured
housing residents. Uh,that one,uh, of the many good things jumped out at me for
obvious reasons. Um, also notin-noting that there is on,um,there's a paragraph in there
about law enforcement agencies needing expanded legal avenues for addressing hate-
related acts. Um, appreciated seeing that in there too, I know if anybody saw the op-ed in
the Press Citizen a week or so ago about a- an incident of harassment against the-the
Quire of Eastern Iowa recently,um,that kind of was in this legal gray area. So- so
strengthening that,uh. I was- I was happy to see that in the,uh, in the list as well as- as
well as, again, a lot of other really good,uh, good initiatives here.
Alter: And that actually raised a question for me. I don't know. Um,maybe one of you can, er,
uh, are equipped to address it. Is this,uh,memo is it or the,um, legislative items,uh, for
advocacy, are those prioritized?Are they in a particular order or not?Um, does it matter
to those who are receiving this memo?Um, cause it,uh, I was just curious about that.
Fruin:No,there's no-no particular order, and this will actually be converted to a resolution-
Alter: Okay.
Fruin: At your next meeting, and we [OVERLAPPING] will ask you to vote on that. And then,
uh,uh,we have scheduled a meeting later on in December with our delegation and we'll
actually sit down and walk point by point these,uh,uh, on all these and have more
detailed discussions. Uh,but they're-they're in no priority order.
Alter: Okay. Yeah.
Teague: I wanted to just mention IPI, and that's just tentative schedules. In December,we'll only
have one meeting and that will be December 12th. And so that's the second Tuesday of
the month. So we won't have meetings on the fust or the third Tuesday in December.
Bergus: And two meetings on January 2nd.
Teague: Yes. Yes. And then our,um,budgetary uh,meetings are a little different. Typically,we
have it the fust Saturday of the month. So just look at,um, uh,be on the lookout for those
schedules. It is posted on our website.
3. University of Iowa Student Government(USG) Updates
Teague: All right,we are on to Item number 3,University of Iowa updates,USG. Welcome.
Monsivais: Thank you.
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Teague: Welcome.
Monsivais: Hello, Council. Um.
Teague: Hello.
Monsivais: My good friend,Noah, is out of town. Um, so it's good to see you all kinda just
speaking up here by myself. Uh,he's back in Kansas. Um, so for updates this week,um,
my birthday was yesterday. So 20th [OVERLAPPING]
Teague: Happy birthday.
Monsivais: Um,very good way to,uh, start out this next decade of my life, so I'm really
appreciative of that. Um,USG got some new merch, so I think it looks very,uh, slick. I
like that a lot. Um,renters guide is almost done. So this past week,Noah and I worked,
um,pretty diligently on data visuals,uh, for the guide, and we will be presenting it on the
December 12th,uh,work session. Um, our last cabinet meeting included,uh,hearing
from campus safety. Um,they are hiring a full-time night ride driver as of November
13th. This is aimed to reduce wait times as well as expand the boundaries of the service
to the GuideLink Center. Um,yeah. And then per the DEI report,uh, from the Board of
Regents,University of Iowa is aiming to create a task force,um,that will provide some
oversight into our,uh, clubs and programs and they'll be working closely with the
president's office and the provost's office. Uh,nothing new as of right now is expected to
drastically change. Uh,Hawkeyes football,uh,narrowly won against,uh, Illinois,making
us the Big Ten west champs, and then Iowa women's basketball won against Drake
Bulldogs, 113 to 90. All I have for updates this week. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you.
4. Council Updates on assigned boards, commission, and committees
Teague: We're on to Item number 4, Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and
committees.
Taylor: Our,uh,JECC Committee,the Joint Emergency Communications Commission meeting,
uh, last Friday. Uh, the majority of the discussion centered around budget preparation as,
er, as we just had talked about budgets, it's starting up for them also, and that's a,uh, a
big part of- of,uh,their discussion,uh, as well on a big part as we're talking about
personnel and- and costs. Uh,big part of their cost is also personnel. Uh, and they're
doing pretty well in that respect. They,uh, only have a- a few lines that,uh, remain to be
filled,uh, and they're actually holding some trainings,uh, for-for,uh,new dispatchers,
which is good and they're hoping to get,uh, some new dispatchers out of that. So, uh,
they're-they're doing a good job. So that's good. I don't know if you had anything to add,
Laura.
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Bergus:No,thank you.
Teague: Any other updates?
Salih: Yeah, I just wanna ask you,uh, do I have a commission that Andrew used to be in, I have
to jump in, or there is no?
Harmsen: Probably not this month.
Salih: I don't know. Okay.
Teague: We'll connect you with our City,uh, Clerk. Um, and I think,you know, at this point,
um, Council,would we be, I- I guess,just comfortable with,uh, Councilor, um, Salih just
taking over any of Dunn's committees?
Bergus: Yeah.
Teague: Yes. All right.
Taylor: Yeah.
Teague; There you go.
Salih: Just let me know whether they are then.
Teague: It's about 10 before the end of the year, so. All right.
Salih: Okay.
Teague: Any other- anything else for,uh, our work session?Hearing none,we are adjourned
until our formal meeting at 6:00 PM.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work
session of November 21, 2023