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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-06-27 Correspondence Marian Karr a:J From: Sent: To: Subject: schomers@mchsi.com Sunday, June 18, 2006 3:43 PM 'City Council; 'City Council Iowa City/Coralville Animal Shelters To Whom it May Concern: Please consider the current state of the animal shelter. The size of the shelter is very small and poorly laid out to be either inviting or accomodating to the public. I would like to see a bond issue before the people to raise funds to either move or greatly improve the current shelter. My father is handicapped and it would be difficult to have him visit the shelter. While there he would have little choice of a place to sit and view or interact with the animals. The shelter is expected to to house animals in need. is small. serve the needs of a growing community but has so little space I go every Saturday to spend time with the cats but the space While the shelter and its staff do a wonderful job with the resources they have, I think we could help them better serve the people and animals by providing them with a larger and more people-friendly facility. Please consider this issue as Iowa City and Coralville continue to grow. Thank you, Roxanne M Schomers Schomers@mchsi.com Iowa City, Iowa 1 IJ:J Marian Karr From: Edwin Stone [edwin-stone@uiowa.edu] Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 2:28 PM To: toni.cilek@iccsd.k12.ia.us; Iiz.crooks@iccsd.k12.ia.us; patti. fields@iccsd.k12.ia.us; gayle.klouda@iccsd.k12.ia.us; jan.leff@iccsd.k12.ia.us; aletia.morgan@iccsd.k12.ia.us; pete.wallace@iccsd.k12.ia.us; Jim Behle; plugge.lane@iccsd.k12.ia.us; Mark Hanson; opinion@press-citizen.com; 'City Council Subject: Dream No Small Dreams Dream No Small Dreams Dear School Board Members, School District Administrators, City Council Members, and Press-Citizen Editor; Goethe said: "Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men." There is tremendous power in "big ideas" and although individual humans are fragile and imperfect, by tapping into this power we can accomplish almost anything - a man on the moon, Hoover Dam, a cure for blindness. In the past two weeks, I have spoken with many people in our community about the value of public education - and specifically about the fantastic public education that the Iowa City schools have provided to our children for decades. Although a major challenge is currently facing our school system (well-summarized in recent letters by Gary Whittington, Dan Siegfried, and Carol Tippe), I am convinced that this problem can be rapidly and successfully resolved if we commit ourselves to the following three "big ideas": 1) Every child in our school district should have an equal and excellent educational opportunity. 2) We should use our public resources wisely and fairly. We should not build any new schools or temporary classrooms until projections suggest that we are less than 6 years away from exceeding the combined capacity of our existing schools. (It takes about five years to plan, pay for, and build a new school.) 3) We should view our school system (both its resources and its problems) from a "whole community" perspective and not from the perspective of individual neighborhoods (or, heaven forbid, from the perspective of "sides of town"). Current demographic projections show that the first of these "big ideas" is already in jeopardy, and without urgent and thoughtful action, the other two could soon be in jeopardy as well. I am extremely encouraged by our community's enthusiastic interest in public education, and by the skill and dedication of the professional educators and elected officials in our school district. I think that we should endeavor to combine this enthusiasm, interest, skill and dedication into some crisp plans for addressing the problems that face our schools -- and I think that we should do this NOW. Sincerely, Edwin Stone 534 Wood ridge Avenue 6/16/2006 Page 2 of2 Iowa City, IA 52245 354-2261 13dwiIHlJQI113@LJiowa,13c:lLJ www.twofin13schools.org 6/16/2006 Marian Karr Page lof4 From: whittinglong@aol.com Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 10:06 PM To: 'City Council; toni.cilek@iccsd.k12.ia.us; aletia.morgan@iccsd.k12.ia.us; gayle.klouda@iccsd.k12.ia.us; pete. wallace@iccsd.k12.ia.us; patti. fields@iccsd.k12.ia.us; liz.crooks@iccsd.k12.ia.us; jan .leff@iccsd.k12.ia.us; Behle.Jim@iccsd.k12.ia.us; plugge.lane@iccsd.k12.ia.us; Ehly. Pam@iccsd.k12.ia.us Cc: twofineschools@yahoogroups.com; opinion@press-citizen.com Subject: Re: [twofineschools] Two Fine High Schools 1 learned this evening that 1 got a fact wrong. 1 withdraw my comment concerning the biology courses. For a more expertly compiled and thoroughly researched list of the growing list of imparities, 1 would recommend Carol Tippe's comparative analysis, of which you are probably aware. Sorry about this mistake. -----Original Message----- From: Whittington, Gary <gwhittin@aegonusa.com> To: council@iowa-city.org; toni.cilek@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; aletia.morgan@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; gayle.klouda@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; pete. wallace@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; patti.fields@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; liz.crooks@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; jan.leff@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; Jim Behle <BehleJim@iccsd.kI2.ia.us>; plugge.lane@iccsd.kI2.ia.us; Pam Ehly <Ehly.Pam@iccsd.kI2.ia.us> Cc: twofineschools@yahoogroups.com; opinion@press-citizen.com; whittingtong@aol.com Sent: Thu, 8 Jun 200611:12:38 -0500 Subject: [twofineschools] Two Fine High Schools Dear School Board Members, City Council Members, and Press-Citizen Editor: I have spent my professional life as a lawyer on Wall Street and in Iowa. Most of my work has involved real estate capital. My primary work has been helping a large company invest tens of billions of dollars in commercial real estate throughout the United States. I've spent many hours listening to smart people analyze urban real estate trends and decisions. When Ed Stone approached me last week and described the teacher cuts at City High and their cause, I grasped the urgency of the problem immediately and committed myself completely to its successful resolution. Are Ed and I overreacting? Are our emotions too inflamed to permit us to see the problem clearly and to analyze it closely? I don't think so. Iowa City and Coralville absolutely need two fine high schools. That outcome must not be placed at risk. A TIPPING POINT? The School Board's long term focus on demographic change and the decision whether to build a new high school in the Northwest Corridor seem to have blinded it temporarily to the possibility that a loss of parity between the two existing high schools for several years will have far-reaching and potentially disastrous consequences. The public perceives that, perhaps unconsciously, the Board has made avoiding political fallout from boundary change a higher priority than maintaining parity between programs at West High and City High over the next few years. Static boundaries have resulted in a dramatic dip in City High enrollment. Coupled with the strict student teacher ratio requirement, this dip has resulted in teacher cuts that have eliminated parity in prominent, excellent programs. In the last public meeting, these cuts seemed to raise no concerns. Mr. Hanson (the City High principal) made no mention of them, although he spent some time wincing over the anticipated agony 6/9/2006 -'-'-'- Checkout AOL&omJoday. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and 1M. All on demand. Always Free. Page 2 of4 associated with boundal)' change, based on his Waterloo experience. The City High administration's stinging demotion of its recently recruited band director, Dr. McReynolds, its lack of a 10th grade honors biology program and its relocation of Travis Rupp, a popular honors English teacher, are tangible public evidence that the loss of student population has already started to damage parity. The situation can only get worse, unless we disable the policy mechanism that is at work. The Board seems to be acting as though the perception and reality of continued City High excellence are invulnerable, and as though we can be certain that outstanding quality will returu as soon as long term demographic trends increase enrollment. Will parity be recoverable once it is lost? Can lost teachers be rehired with others just as good? Will fewer good students be drawn to programs perceived to be in decline? During the period of lost parity, will the East Side become less attractive to prospective home purchasers? Will such purchasers believe the Board's assertions that the loss of parity is only temporal)'? Will businesses have more trouble attracting personnel who prefer older housing stock? The only honest answer to each of these questions must be "no one knows." But these are the risks the Board is taking with the community, rather than face the ire of parents affected by redrawn boundaries. The Board must restore parity immediately to avoid these risks and signal that its first priority is maintaining Iowa City and Coralville as a single community with two fine high schools. When an opportunity for a serious blunder presents itself, it rarely announces itself as clearly as this one. It is understandable that the signals would be missed, since City High is a great school and the current enrollment is still "a good number," as Mr. Hanson pointed out in the last meeting. But here are the principles that would argue for inaction: (1) ignoring long-term risk to avoid short-term discomfort, (2) underestimation of the sensitivity of parents to cuts in important programs in which their students' excellence will open the door to future opportunities, and (3) forgetting that the Board is a primal)' actor in community development, rather than passive reactor to change caused by outside forces. How can a decision based on such principles produce good results? TWO VISIONS It is also rare to find a potentially disastrous outcome that is so easily avoidable. Here are two visions. 1. The Board fails to balance population and program while erecting temporal)' buildings at West. In 2009, the problem is measurably worse. The parents of school- age children relocating to Iowa City/Coralville notice the rapid growth on the West Side, compare the programs at City High to those at West, and conclude that the political balance is shifting to the West Side. Although they might have preferred the older housing stock to newer construction, they choose the West Side because of declining City High enrollment and programs, activating a feedback loop that makes the problem even worse, reducing the population of excellent City High students. There are still many City High Merit Scholars, but not nearly as many as at West, which is thriving though operating at full capacity. The Board is forced into boundal)' change, but controversy is intense because City High's reputation has been significantly damaged. 2. The Board reverses its course and publicly commits itself to the Two Fine Schools priority, reversing cuts and announcing that boundal)' change is imminent to maintain program parity. It works through a relatively minor boundal)' adjustment, including a large enough area to permit a liberal policy of hardship exceptions. It demonstrates that improved programs will follow the increase in City's enrollment, eliminating some ofthe concern over imparity. It quantifies and explains the capital savings from improved facilities utilization that results from balanced enrollment. It keeps its resolve strong, realizing that community stress proves that the public perception of an adverse trend at City High is real. A well orchestrated public relations campaign makes it clear that the entire community will benefit from two fine schools through business recruiting and University success. The majority of East and West Side parents correctly perceive that the Board is doing the right thing by utilizing 6/9/2006 Page 3 of4 City High fully and maintaining its excellence. FACE IT NOW There are cities all over the country that would give anything to turn back the clock and undo the mistakes they made in permitting educational inequalities to arise between neighborhoods. There are auto makers facing bankruptcy because they became sanguine about their brand names and sacrificed product quality. We cannot anticipate all of the challenges we will face as a community. But we know that having two fine public high schools with balanced programs will make us more united and resilient, and will help keep our community a place where people want to live, even if we have no mountains or oceans. We are like a patient with a small, easily treatable tumor. Just a few melanoma cells, easily removed, but they have a plan. We need two very fine public high schools. We know what we need to do, if we are to have them. As Dr. Plugge noted at the last meeting, doing nothing is not an option. I submit these ideas respectfully, with confidence that the School Board will consider them thoughtfully and act appropriately. Gary Whittington 1907 Ridgeway Drive Iowa City, Iowa 52245 ""{b~t.t.ingtQlJ-g<W<:i,QLf:.Ql11 --.---.......,....-.-------... Messages in t.1;til;topic (1) Replv (via webj2Q!itll Start.a newtopie M.ess.age.s ~GROUPS You are receiving Individual Emails Chance Oeliverv Settil]gs Visit)'our Group I )'..hooiGrouRs.Terms of Use I Unsubscribe We Made Changes Your Yahoo! Groups email is all new. Learn More Share Feedback RECENT ACTIVITY target= =blank> 54 New Files 6 Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS . High school baseball . High school wrestling 6/9/2006 I::[J Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: robert-hoff@uiowa.edu Friday, June 16, 2006 12:51 PM 'City Council skate park additions Hello Iowa City Council. This email is in regards to the Iowa City skatepark. As a user of the park, I can honestly say that it does not fulfill the needs of rollerbladers and skateboarders alike. With constant pressure from the University, we are getting kicked out of more and more skating spots around Iowa City. Additions to the skatepark will accomodate this and make it less likely to skate not only on University property but also on the street. Possible additions include a wooden 8'-10' half-pipe and handrails. Doing this will also bring skaters from allover the rnidwest to Iowa City (if the half-pipe is good enough) and will allow for more and better competitions to be held in Iowa City. Fundraising ideas can be constructed after approval of additions. Please contact me with the council's thoughts on this. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and possibly considering my ideas. Bob Hoff robert-hoff@uiowa.edu 319-330-1451 1 Page 4 of 4 . High school diploma . High school reunion . High school alumni . H ig h school yearbook 6/9/2006 528 S. Cunton Street Iowa City, IA 52240-4212 'i'fione 319-339-4350 'Fm:. 319-339-4426 e-mail: 11U1rty@milrtinaiazww.com IJ:J ::Martin (])iaz Law Pirm :Martin jl. ([)iaz License'in Iowa June 13, 2006 o ~O J> ==~ t>..,~ c~~.:J C~ <J"' '--- ~ -11 City Council City of Iowa City 410 E Washington Iowa City, IA 52240-1826 ,..-, --. ~ .' ~~~~ -n1 -::::-0 (.J:>: ~ "'" :1Z "-,1 : t I r"-'\ ,-j 0"' ~-- a U1 .::- Dear Council Members: I think it's time to write about a subject that's been bothering me for some time. I received a letter recently advising that my property was going to be assessed for $276.85 by Resolution at the June 13, 2006 meeting. The assessment was for claimed unpaid amounts to trim the hedges on my property at 3 North Westminster in Iowa City. I have issued a check to the City of Iowa City and given it to the City Clerk so this can be taken off the agenda. My payment does not reflect the debt I owe to the City, but rather a decision that it is less costly (both financially and emotionally) than to continue to argue to a brick wall. As background, my property sits on a corner lot at Washington Street and Westminster Street on the east side of Iowa City. On Washington Street, adjacent to my property, is a bus stop. The bus stop has become a lightning rod for complaints of one kind or another about my property. If someone is not unhappy with the snow removal, then someone is unhappy with the hedges that sit next to the sidewalk directly across from the bus stop. While I don't personally like the hedges, they do provide some buffer for purposes of privacy. If there were no issue of privacy, I probably would have removed the bushes long ago. have mulled over the alternatives, which include a fence or some other buffer, but I have not come up with anything to date that is better than the present situation. Unfortunately, hedges have a natural inclination to grow, and when they extend into the sidewalk that sits between the bus stop and the hedges, people get upset. City Council 6/13/06 page 2 Because of neck problems I've experienced over the years, I choose not to do the heavier labor around my house. Rather, I hire a landscaper to come in occasionally to take care of the needs on my property, including trimming the hedges. Unfortunately, during the year 2005, I wasn't able to get the landscaper out there in time to trim the hedges, and, as a result, a complaint was filed regarding the fact that the hedges extended into the sidewalk. With a deadline looming, I decided to tackle the project myself. I enlisted the assistance of a friend, and the two of us were able to clear the hedge completely of any object that would impede anyone's progress on the sidewalk. The hedges were trimmed to the edge of the sidewalk and therefore in compliance with the request that was made. This occurred on a Saturday or Sunday either June 18 or 19, 2005. A few days later, I noticed that I had gotten into some poison ivy in the area and began to treat that topically. I then took a business trip out of town; when I returned, I found that the hedges had been trimmed by someone else, and the trimming was done drastically and dramatically inward toward my property; My first thought was that the City had apparently decided that my work was not good enough. I waited to see what the bill would be before I decided whether to pay the bill. When the bill came ($276.85), I decided to investigate to find out why it would cost that much to trim those hedges when it is likely that they would have had far better equipment than I had to work with. I contacted the City and found that Quality Care had done the work; I contacted Quality Care and asked them to produce documents regarding the work they did. I enclose a copy of the document they produced. I was shocked to see the following description of what they claimed to have removed from the hedges (which I had just worked on): Hedge hangs over walk approx. 15 " - obstructing sidewalk from 1/3 to 1/2. Also obstructing bus stop. ,...... Granted, I recognize that people might describe the same condition a li~ bit g differently, but I do not believe that anyone could have described the c~n at the hedges after the work we did as "obstructing 1/3 to 1/2 of the sidewalR"" add ~2 extending 15 inches into the sidewalk. There is no other way to descrilie?tbe 0' --I I ' ~ ~- -, I , . rp :.r.~/IO _.___"'"" :::t:: C-):;:,':!. ~"...", 5 j3: U1 .s:- -n "-'l ' ; 11 CJ City Council 6/13/06 page 3 statement made by the contractor but as wholly untrue.1 Now, someone might ask, aside from the friend who assisted, what evidence is there that you in fact did this work? If you look at the Quality Care report, you will note the following statement: Honeysuckle hedge had large 1" stems and full of posin (sic) ivy. I enclose a copy of the 6/27/05 progress note from my dermatologist, Dr. David Boysen, which proves that I was in the hedges during the time period prior to Quality Care's work. His note specifically states the following: About a week ago, he was trimming bushes. A few days later, he began to break out with a pruritic rash over the lower legs, which has now spread to include the thighs, buttocks, and arms as well. He has been using Sarna and Calamine lotion. They give him a little relief. The problem seems to be spreading. It is evident that I got into the poison ivy that Quality Care describes and that that was the cause of my developing a rash shortly after I did the work and before Quality Care came out to work on my property. I contend that the City of Iowa City did not have a valid basis to be on my property on June 23, 2005 when it sent Quality Care to do work. While I do not dispute the fact that the bushes needed trimming, we had trimmed them by the time Quality Care came out. I do not believe the bill was at any time justified, but, as I indicated, I've decided to pay it because the amount of time this disagreement would take from my obligation to my clients and from my personal life cannot be justified. On the other hand, I cannot allow what transpired to ever happen again - to me or to anyone else in this community. ,...., I would ask that you investigate the City's policy with regard to trimming@3dges~ or doing any other yard work. In the future, when I am contacted by the~~ I '= will take photographs of any problem that exists and take them after l'ver'aej3tlt ~t:; with the problem. However, I suggest that the City do the same. Befor~9rualityO"'> Care should be permitted to do any work, date-stamped photographs s~ be,",_ "--J -I: C)~- -'" <"........ (:) <> j> U1 1 I will not tackle the issue of whether four people were needed to do the job. """ il \'--1' ....., ',...) City Council 6/13/06 page 4 taken. This would establish that the work was necessary and that the company's presence on an individual's property was legitimate. It is unacceptable to allow any contractor to represent the city without justifying their work. I look forward to a response reflecting that you have taken my complaint seriously. If not, then I intend to bring this issue to a head by filing an action (most likely in Small Claims Court) to recover the money I have expended and for any additional damages to which I would be entitled for a claim of trespass. Sincerely, c: Housing & Building Inspections ..., 9 => = 0' .<:0 L_ )>-..\ c.:: -n :,7!~ C~1 cr> 1-- -; :~, -, [On c< ,-- iT'., ):~ CJ ~ ..,M.'~ 0 -"'.-<, S 7' i.5 )> ,." .s:- AUG-22-2005 14:38 _ FROM:QUALITY CARE 3193585845 TO: 3394426 P.2 customer fl; 3!U8 Home Phone: (J19) 356-5060 Work Phone: ( ) Service Address: CITY LOTS. I.C. 410 WASHINGTON IOWA CITY, IA 52240 "'c_~."". ' . "r..,,__. #250 PRUNING 3 N. WESTMINSTER ST- 1RItif~~'KtJCTING SIDEWALK ON WASHINGTON ST. SIDE ., . . - .;';" Invoice Number 106851 specialist-&J/ /{a~/~4t;l1e<<-balemme: u>k~ - 2:.'1ym Wind (mph): N E S W Temp: Products Used: o Balanced Fertilizer OBalance<! FertilizerPre-emetgenl (Team Pro) DBroadleafWeed Control (Trl-Power) 1.25oz/100Osf o Post- Emergent Crabgrass Control (Drive) .37 oz/1000 sf OOther nOthe[ Customer Notes To pay by VISA or MASTERCARD please complete & retum the bottom portion. If you would like to be set up for automatic payment by either bank w~hdrawal or cred~ card please call our ollice. Date Printed: 08129106 1/;. Schedule Date: ~cf Crew: 222 10 Charge c:?d',fI, F5 EX TAX .'f Today'sCharge 07a. J' Please Remit ,;;? de.. ff Due Date: Due Upon Receipt 9 '" co> >:::1 <To 2.2~1().411-4'2-4'3-4'4:4'5-416-4'7-418-404'-4043 iOH 1045 ~042 Service Hlstorv ProDertv Informatton . -:::: ~-n /' - Rol.it8" SheelJloteS- ---lC; ,T1 -< r- p. ._~ - c: - -:It I,~ ;~~) - ~-;K '2 ~ (J1 C"' , -cr- -.....,.~ --,,'- ~. -...~. """,,,; .- , Send Paymenllo: QUALITY CARE 212 1ST STREET CORALVILLE, IA 52241 Please Return This PortIon With Payment I'nv#. 106851 Please Remit -, Icustomerfi 135481' ,::? ?? tfS Bill To Address: CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 WASHINGTON IOWA CITY IA, 52240 Bill my VISA Card # Exp (mmlyy) MASTERCARD 3 Digit 10 C"l___._ JUN-13-2006 09:59 FROM:ORS PUHL AND BOYSEN, (319) 341-0024 TO: 3394426 PROGRESS NOTES I'A "'NT NAME D,:a.:z., 41--a...'Ct/?'1__ _______________ _ ","l'--IIlMf o<H.,p ~Q :>... -~ --< "I ~~t"~': ~, r)-~-" ~/::-, ~ )3: .Jp./~7..1Q~_____ ______u___ ____ Patient returns for evaluation of a pruritic eruption. --------Alioiit-a:-week ago; he was trimining bushes. A few days later. ------------he--beganto break out with a pruri tic rash over the lower -------------_...legs_._____which____has__now__spread to invo.l ve_ the thighs . buttocks and arms, as well. He has been using Sarna and Calamine ulCifIon-.---u'1'hey givEiliim a little relief. - The problem seems to--- be spreading; He has a his tory of poi son ivy ____sens__i ti__vi ty . Medica tions: Zocor. 111 1 "YO'; '''' t n ~edicationg: P~nicillin. Past medical history: -------- Hyperlipidem:Ca.:-No hisfory of TB,diabetes. hypertension. ------- He did have-H--pyl ori at-one point, but no actual stomach ----------u-l cers .-.-- PX: Patient..has moderate number of erythematous, edematous papules in linear streaks, some which --are--Weepih!r;------some which are vesicular over the --..------------lower legs-and ankles, buttocks, forearms. None _,_ .1oo,k_s__econdarily infected. DX: I.At,~ # ...:?.. N = = 0' L- ~ (j'> P.2 11 r- "., ::x '? U1 .&:" .11 'r4 "~.J PROGRESS NOTES , . Iiiii\H .....~.........- !Ift)#~~ '< ~~........--.,'....~olol4.~~"',)"~~ "_ . 4 7 ~ . ' ,'-.,.." '~:it 't \>, r ~. '. . ....~.J JUN-13-2006 09:59 FROM:DRS PUHL AND BOYSEN, (319) 341-0024 TO: 3394426 fMdX: H IV U1JL2- 01;;1. 71as g;,ntJ RX: Poiso~ ivy dermatitis. 1. Discussed topical therapy versus oral therapy n______ with a burst-and~taper with Prednisone. Potential side-effects of Prednisone orally discussed including aseptic necrosis of the n - --'-femoral head. Patient would prefer to try topical medication first. ___'_~_'_ ._',l'~movate gel B._lD up to two weeks to the active areas. Avoid face and body folds. --."- -(60 grams, 0 refills). Cooler baths or showers, Sarna lotion as often as needed. Cold tap water wet-to-dry compresses B.ID prn. -P~tieriC-tti-call if thi. therapy is not -adequate and he desires a burst-and-taper of _ Prednisone. ... ...--3-," ...4.. s. 6. r' o ~O y:::j ~- 0" :::.:ie; -<' r-c- . - [T', 1""-) _'_..J "---"7 ~~ )> ,...., = = C7' c_ ~ \l (J"\ ,.- I \T~ ',...1 "'" =.: C5 U1 .".. 11(1.407-0770:11,);16653 ClI996 COLWELl 1800&:17 '140 Janet L. Maxson FNP ph D ~ #6 Ninth Str~et Sf ' . ~ Minot, North Dakota 58701 / /f;W ~ ~ Ik ~ tfJMf7t 1;11 :j;/Wd ~ wi,; !kMw~~ ~ Ai fiL~ .H~ t!p, ~/Y flL.4~ tM' ai ~ Jt- P ~ ],1 N4J f~"1 Jt/if ~ c;t~1~~~- y/!/L d(f vb /PcdtJ;! / ..;j" In 4-:( ., ::----". -.. en ~~:: j"';; r. .,- ,C:cc. ~J ;:;: uJ,..." U..' c-cr \ N -J::::: ::--2- - '- _ (.J L1- -' /' ~~ L-. ,. ..' _', __~"'::.l.. :";.:) (~:?' ./' E: 0 c::: - "'......" Marian Karr I::J From: Sent: To: Subject: Kurt Friese [kurtfriese@mac.com] Tuesday, June 20, 2006 1 :23 PM 'City Council Dairy Queen I'm writing to say thank you and offer my support for your efforts to help Scott and Tracy McWane rebuild the Dairy Queen just the way it was. Scott is my brother-in-law, and I know how hard he and tracy have been working since they inherited the business from his mOIn. April's tornado was devastating, as was the 7 feet of water in their basement in '93 and the time a guy drove his Packard through the front window in '59, but this is a tough family and they always bounce back. It's nice to know that with your help the family that survived all this won't be stopped by a simple sign regulation. Keep up the good work! Yours, Kurt M Friese Devotay 11 7 N Linn St Iowa City, Iowa 52245 319.354.1001 1 o:n Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Ron Logsden Tuesday, June 20, 20064:27 PM 'City Council Dale Helling; Joe Fowler FW: Bus Routes Dear. City Council Members: I met with Kerri Walter this afternoon to discuss the route changes that you approved. I explained the changes, how we arrived at the changes that were recommended to you and the public input process that went into the changes you approved. I also explained to her the direction that you gave us to look at possible service expansions for next year for work related trips later at night, on Sunday or other times if there is a demonstrated need. Ron Logsden Transit Manager Dear Council Members- I am a journalism student at the University of Iowa and I am writing a potential story of the Daily Iowan about the new bus routes. I would like to set up an interview with someone who could give the council1s perspective about the decision and also clear up a few things about the proposed late night route. Thanks, Kerri Walter kerri-walter@uiowa.edu (913)449-8068 1 rno Marian Karr From: John Murphy Dhnmurphy@qwesl.net] Sent: Monday, June 12, 20064:02 PM To: 'City Council Subject: Mid American Energy contract Dear City Council Members, During a recent visit with a friend who works for Mid American Energy, he told me thatthere is not a current franchise agreement with the city and his employer. The recent utility vote made it seem apparent that the citizens of Iowa City are not interested in a Public Utility. I feel Mid American Energy should have a long term franchise aggrement in place, to be able to invest in the future of Iowa City's power infrastructure. The power outages and damaged utility poles caused by the recent tornado were replaced very efficiently by Mid American Energy. I wonder how quickly and professionally a City owned utility could respond. Please move forward with a long term franchise with Mid American Energy. Thanks for your time and the work you do serving Iowa City. Sincerely, John Murphy business address 1016 Gilbert Ct Ste A Iowa City, la 52240 6/12/2006 Marian Karr IJ':j From: Sent: To: Subject: garry.klein@act.org Thursday, June 08, 2006 2:16 PM 'City Council Dump the Pump Day This event promotes taking public transportation on 6/8 as part of a national program. It was promoted on the CNN website. Garry Klein Forwarded by Garry Klein/ACTInc on 06/08/2006 02:14 PM ----- Garry Klein To: ron-logsden@iowa-city.org 06/08/2006 02:14 PM cc: Subject: Dump the Pump Day Ron, I noticed Johnson County is not listed as participating in this event (it is today, as a matter of fact)--why not? http://www.publictransportation.org/contact/stories/default.asp It seems like it would be a good public relations opportunity. Garry Klein 1 Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Kathryn Johansen Thursday, June 29, 2006 11 :56 AM 'Naftaly Stramer' 'City Council Arts and Jazz Festival Parking Dear Naftaly, At its work session on Monday night (June 26) Council members discussed your request of offering free parking during the Art and Jazz Festivals. However, there was not a majority of council members in favor of this idea. Money received from parking is revenue to finance the parking system. If parking revenue decreases it must be made up from another source such as property taxes. Council has historically chosen not to use property tax to fund parking. The basic thought is that parking is a user based service. Parking in the Court Street Transportation Center and Chauncey Swan Garage is not enforced after 5:00 p.m. and thereby available for your evenings in downtown. I hope you find this information helpful, Naftaly. Thank you for communicating with the City Council. Sincerely yours, Kathi Johansen Administrative Assistant to the City Manager 1 r:::J Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Kathryn Johansen Wednesday, June 21,20062:40 PM Marian Karr Subject: FW: Parking at the Art and Jazz festivals From: Naftaly Stramer [mailto:nattaly@oasisfalafel.com] Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2006 10:38 PM To: Kathryn Johansen Cc: *City Council Subject: RE: Parking at the Art and Jazz festivals Dear Kathryn, Thank you for responding to my email and explaining the process of contacting the city council via email. I know about the option of contacting each of the council members by phone, but I was under the impression that the email option is the best way to communicate with all member of the council. I now understand that this is a semi one way communication channel. This is defInitely an in-efficient way for Iowa City residents to "talk" to their council, but I guess this is not up to you to agree/disagree with me. Sincerely, Naftaly Stramer Kathryn Johansen <Kathryn-Johansen@jowa-city.org> wrote: Dear Naftaly, Thank you for your communication to the City Council. Council members do not receive their email messages directly. Your email was forwarded to them and accepted as official correspondence on their June 13 City Council agenda. The Art and Jazz festival parking issue was not raised at their meeting. If you wish, you may contact Council members directly. Their names are listed on the City website www.icgov.orQ. Click on "council" on the menu bar for their names and telephone numbers. Thanks again for writing. Sincerely, Kathi Johansen Administrative Assistant to the City Manager From: Naftaly Stramer [mailto:naftaly@oasisfalafel.com] Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 7:01 AM To: *City Council Subject: Re: Parking at the Art and Jazz festivals 6/21/2006 Page 2 of2 The email below was sent to the Iowa City Council three weeks ago. As of today, I did not receive any answer. A NO answer is OK. Actually any answer is OK, but no response at all is not acceptable for a city council that should stay in touch with Iowa City residents. Regards, Naftaly Stramer Naftaly Stramer <naftaly@oasisfalafel.com> wrote: Dear council members, As in the last two years, Oasis Falafel (206 N. Linn St) will participate this year as a vendor in the Art and Jazz festivals in downtown Iowa City. These two festivals are probably the two major events in down town Iowa City in which more then 40,000 people are coming to Iowa City to enjoy art and music. A few years ago, the City of Cedar Rapids decided to allow free parking in the down town area hoping to get more people to come and visit/shop in the down town area. Personally, I think it's a great move that Iowa City should consider too, but I am sure it will take years to get such a resolution, if at all. But how about considering free parking in down town during the two festivals? This is definitely something that will benefit the City of Iowa City and local business owners. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Naftaly Stramer Owner, Oasis Falafel 206 N. Linn St. Iowa City, IA 52246 319-358-7342 6/2112006 ~ Marian Karr From: Hirst, Donna L [donna-hirst@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, June 21,20068:54 AM To: 'City Council; Sunil Terdalkar Subject: Brown Street Historic District This note is to indicate my support for the retention and maintenance of brick streets in the Brown Street Historic Neighborhood. I have lived in the near north side of Iowa City since 1973 - several different houses, several different streets, but always the Near North Side with its stately older homes, the tall trees, and little local businesses sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. I remember from my very early days in Iowa City learning that the brick street on Linn Street lead to the brick street on Brown Street and these were the only two streets kept open through the winter to allow access to Oakland Cemetery. The cemetery and the little parks reflect earlier times. Even the occasional brick sidewalks allow strollers to remember an earlier age. The brick streets in the Brown Street Historic area are worth keeping because they help define the character of the community. I realize that maintaining these streets is very expensive, and I do not think that it is important to keep these streets in perfect condition. It's important to keep a street like Interstate 80 in excellent condition due to the traffic and safely issues (don't we wish!). The brick streets in the Brown Street area can be maintained at a lower level. There may even be sections in this neighborhood which should be paved. But I would hope that most (or even all) of the brick streets in this area can be retained with basic maintenance. I know that making decisions in a context of very scare resources is difficult, and I am very pleased that each of you are willing to offer this leadership to our community. In deciding to maintain brick streets in the Brown Street area you would be deciding to maintain some of the basic character and heritage of Iowa City. Good luck in your deliberations. Donna Hirst 810 N. Linn Iowa City, IA 52245 319-351-5253 6/21/2006 House at 17 S Governor St U;(1"2) J Marian Karr From: Jay Geisen Dgeisen@co.johnson.ia.us] Sent: Wednesday, June 21,20061 :02 PM To: 'City Council Cc: Sunil Terdalkar Subject: House at 17 S Governor St Hello, We would like to make a formal complaint about the condition of the house at 17 S Governor St. Since the tornado struck our neighborhood on April 13th, this house has been left abandoned, with many of the windows and the roof uncovered. We are concerned about what will come of this wonderful old house right across the street from us. If there is any possible way to save the house, we feel this would be the best possible scenario. Our houses have stood across the street from each other for over one hundred years. We sincerely hope that this year will not be the last. Thank You, Jay and Michelle Geisen 14 S Governor St Iowa City, IA 52240 (31 g) 530-6842 6/21/2006 Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: Jann Ream Sent: Thursday, June 29,20065:05 PM To: jgeisen@co.johnson.ia.us Cc: 'City Council; Dale Heliing Subject: 17 S. Governor Street Dear Mr. Geisen, Housing and Inspection Services is the department of the City that has been involved with enforcement at 17 S. Governor Street - as we have been with ali of the properties that were damaged by the tornado last April. At the end of last May, the Historic Preservation Commission sent a memorandum to H.I.S. requesting that we require the owner of 17 S. Governor to at least make sure the building is water tight. Their concern was that no further damage would occur to the structure whiie the determination was being made whether or not demolition was going to be approved by Historical Preservation. The owner of the property, Ben Rittgers, had applied for a demolition permit on Aprii 25th. HPC has made the owner aware that they will not make a decision about the demolition of this property until they receive an evaluation by a structural engineer. That report has not been forthcoming. Mr. Rittgers lives out of town and his agenUcontact for his properties here in town is his son-in-law, Tom Reis. Mr. Reis was first contacted 5/26/2006. He had already boarded up the first floor windows to make the building secure but he was told the upper floors would also need protection in order to keep rain and animals out. He agreed to do that but asked for some time -he was given three weeks. He also stated that the roof was not leaking that he could teli (there is a false roof over the turret room so even though the turret is gone, there is still a roof protecting the structure). He agreed that if he could detect any roof leaks, he would tarp over them. Because there was no visible progress after three weeks and other problems at the property became apparent, three Notices of Violation were sent both to Ben Rittgers and Tom Reis. 1) a notice was sent for Demolition by Neglect - it required him to board up ali the window that were still left open. 2) a notice was sent for tali grass and weeds -it required that the tali grass and weeds be mowed by June 26th. It was not and a work order has been sent to Quality Care to mow 3) a notice was sent requiring that the garbage, junk and debris be cleaned up by June 26th - it was not. Another call was made to Tom Reis and he has agreed to get it cleaned up by July 10th. If it is not, a citation wili be issued and the City will have to go to court to get a court order to aliow us on the property to clean it up. In the past week, Mr Reis has been (albeit slowly) putting up plywood on the upper story windows. In a conversation today, he indicated that they hope to get themali done in the next week. We understand how difficult it can be having to view a property in this condition every day - especially a property that has not had a very good maintenance record in the past. The City has tried to work with ali property owners affected by the tornado in such a way as to make the repair and clean up process as painless as possible. I would ask you to remember that is has realiy only been 10 weeks since the tornado and to understand that the City is working toward compliance with ali damaged properties including 17 S. Governor. The sorority next door to 17 S. Governor and St. Patricks are also contributing old structures; these structures are completely open to the elements. There are many structures on Coliege and Iowa where no attempt at repair has started. We understand that property owners have to wait for insurance adjusters and engineering reports and then they have to try and make hard economic decisions about what to do next. We are trying to give property owners time to make those decisions. Obviously after a certain amount of time, something has to be done but after only 10 weeks, we are stili being patient. I hope this answers some of your concerns. Please contact me 356-5120 if you have other issues or want to discuss this property further. If you are worried about the property being demolished, I'm sure the Historical Preservation Commission would be happy to hear about your concern. Thank you - Jann Ream, Code Enforcement Assistant, City of Iowa City. 6/30/2006 r::J June 20, 2006 -0 ~0 J:" ,...) ~ = "'~ '-:=; (:;2: City Council Iowa City, Iowa c_) :::~ :~;: \~l :.]"/' -7 'P Dear Members of the City Council: ASAP The residents of Thatcher Mobile Home Park request the following documents and studies: Any and all soil testing or geological studies done to the public land or other land running south of Thatcher Mobile Home Park to Oak Crest Hill Road, between South Riverside and the Iowa River. Any and all engineering and planning studies done to determine the route of the extension of Mormon Trek Drive across this piece of land, the route of any other possible street or highway across this piece of land, and the placement of the proposed bridge crossing the Iowa River on this piece of land. Any and all contracts existing or recently drawn up pertaining to land use or land purchase regarding this same piece of land described above running south of Thatcher along the Iowa River. Any and all archeological studies done to this same piece of land running along the Iowa River for Indian artifacts and settlements. A map of where the former landfill/dump was located within this piece of land. The residents of Thatcher Mobile Home Park will need the above-named documents to launch an independent assessment of the area and a legal defense. We will expect to pick up these documents sometime next week, that is, the business week of June 26, near the end of the week, if that is alright with you. Thank you very much for your help. Sincerely, ~~~ Laura Stem Thatcher Mobile Home Park Resident 2254 S. Riverside Dr., #38 Iowa City, Iowa 52246 r'> -II -- ,- , :\\ ....---, \_.J - ~ -". -.... - .. <:J1 :;- G:JJ Marian Karr From: gary sanders [iowacitystopwalmart@yahoo.coml Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 20064:32 PM To: .City Council Subject: Referendum Proposal To the City Council ofIowa City: Since several of you have mentioned that you believe that a majority of the citizens ofIowa City support the Wal-Mart deal, and you believe it's just a handful of anti- Wal- Mart folks that are holding things up with two lawsuits, I have a serious proposal for you. I suggest that at the June 27 Council meeting you adopt the following resolution: The City Council ofIowa City hereby asks the city attorney and the county auditor to place the following on the November 7, 2006, general election ballot: " Should the City ofIowa City rezone and sell 23.2. acres of public land adjacent to the Iowa City airport to Wal Mart for construction ofa Supercenter. " I would the propose that if this appears on the November ballot and it is accepted by the people, Iowa City Stop Wal Mart would drop its lawsuits. However,ifthe measure is voted down, the city must immediately drop this plan permanently. I would further propose that as soon as this ballot proposal is adopted by the Council,evenbefore the details are finalized with the County Auditor, that all negotiations between the City and Wal-Mart cease until the citizens ofIowa City can vote on it in November. I realize that with the recent change in the City Charter, a referendum can not be held on a zoning change, This is unfortunate----and it is the reason I have chosen the lengthy,time consuming,(and not very interesting) path of lawsuits. Further, I hope that every Councilmember, whatever their position on this issue, believes that the people should be allowed to vote on this contentious issue. This is,after all,the only vacant piece of city-owned property that is of any significant size. I would suggest that the city and county attorneys jointly work out a way to override the recent City Charter prohibition on rezoning referenda for this one ballot measure, or work out a way to have the measure placed on the November ballot as a "non-binding" referendum that we all agree will be binding. I look forward to a discussion and vote by the Council on this proposal. Thank you very much, Yours truly, Gary Sanders, chair, Iowa City Stop Wal-Mart 831 Maggard Iowa City IA 52240 319/337-7739 iowacitystopwalmart@yahoo.com 6/21/2006 r::l Marian Karr From: Cheryl Nelson [cheryl@icaar.org] Sent: Thursday, June 22,20067:37 AM To: 'City Council Subject: Ambassadors to Cities Dear Mayor and Council: We are grateful to you for your support and cooperative involvement in the community issues that the Iowa City Association of REAL TORS@ and the Fair Housing Ambassadors are concerned about for our city. We iook forward to continued cooperative efforts building on our work to date. Congratulations on this shared honor of being a 2006 Ambassador for Cities Designation. Cheryl Nelson Association Executive Iowa City Area Association of REAL TORS@ 438 Hwy 1 West Iowa City, IA 52246 319-338-<5460 This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. 6/22/2006 Page 1 of 1 -=:?, ~(\to ') Marian Karr From: Wilson, Larry T [Iarry-wilson@uiowa.edu] Friday, June 23, 2006 5:05 PM -City Council Karin Franklin Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Letter in support of the Burlington Street Median Project Attachments: Burlington Street Median Project Support Letter.pdt Dear Council Members: I have attached a letter of support tor the Burlington Street Median Project which you will consider at your meeting Monday, June 26. 1 believe strongly that this is a worthwhile City project, but I also wanted to suggest further enhancements that will optimize the opportunity to create a memorable and pedestrian friendly streetscape. I have placed a hard copy of the attached letter in the mail to you. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Larry Wi Ison B_ B* eSafe scanned this email for malicious content *** IMPORTANT: Do not open attachments from unrecognized senders B* 6/26/2006 306 Koser Avenue Iowa City, IA 52246-3002 (319) 339-0976 June 23, 2006 Iowa City Council City Hall 410 East Washington Iowa City, IA 52240 RE: Burlington Street Median Project Dear Council Members: I wish to express my support for the Burlington Street Median Project as an important project to enhance the appearance of a main route to and through downtown Iowa City. My comments express my views only as a member of the Iowa City community. This project will make a dramatic improvement in providing a pleasing and pedesbian mendly link between the north and south sides of Burlington to connect the downtown to the south of Burlington development area. The median, where it can be planted, will soften the affect of traffic and the visual dominance ofthe street in the Burlington conidor. It also will greatly improve the pedesbian experience and street crossing safety by restricting crossing to street comers where it is safer. However, wherever lefttum lanes are necessary, the median will not be wide enough to support the planting of trees or any other vegetation. This means that, with the exception of the block between the Iowa River and Madison, only about a third of each block will have median plantings. In the Unn to Gilbert block, there will be no room for median plantings at all. While there is no question that the project will greatly improve the streetscape and will definitely improve pedestrian safety, I do not beUeve the median trees will be extensive enough to create a memorable green pedesbian corridor and visual bridging of the street All that can be done in median planting has been done, which leaves only the areas between the curbs and buildings to further soften the impact of the street and make the conidor more pedesbian mendly. I strongly recommend that the City commit to improvements between curbs and buildings as a Phase 2 project (but designed now), and that at least the following be considered to further enhance the streelscape: . Replace any trees that have been removed even if the planting space is tight (commit to more frequent replacement because of the tight growing space-in 15:t years if necessary . Identify any other locations along the corridor where trees could be planted, even in tight spaces . Modify zoning setbacks for any future bUlldings/construction to allow for street trees . Extend the brick paving from curb to building facades (the narrow concrete sidewalk makes the sidewalks seem even narrower) and make the area flatter/more inviting where possible. . Install banners on light poles and consider up-lights on trees to help strengthen the visual connection across the street AJ~ Y;T. Wilson . c: Karin Franklin