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Home My WebLink About2007-01-23 Correspondence I ~ j !~~~*t -..:::..... .....,~ .....,...~ /-ZJ-"7 ] C I T Y 0 F lOW A C I T Y I 4f(1) MEMORANDUM Date: January 11, 2007 To: City Clerk 11.1 \( From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~ Re: Item for January 23, 2007 City Council meeting: Removal of Iowa City BUS STOP sign on N. Dubuque Street at Foster Road As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(19), Remove Iowa City BUS STOP sign on N. Dubuque Street at Foster Road in front of 1818 N. Dubuque Street. Comment: This action is being taken at the request of Iowa City Transit to eliminate the bus stop that was installed for an individual residing at 1818 N. Dubuque Street that no longer needs the bus stop. Mgr/agdfaw-dubst bus stop rem~val.doc Q "'::.0. '--'. -. -'ll i" ---1 '__..,.1- ."::.0- j:;; Go a CJ I ~ I .::;~'5_~... ~~~;!:~ -..;;;:.....~IIII.~ ......- C I T Y 0 F lOW A C I T Y~ MEMORANDUM Date: January 16, 2007 To: City Clerk From: Kent Ralston; Assistant Transportation Planner~ Re: Item for January 23, 2007 City Council meeting; Installation of four NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on William Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 38 of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A (10); Install (2) NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on the east side of William Street, and (2) NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on the west side of William Street between Muscatine Avenue and Towncrest Drive. . Comment: This action is being taken to remove on-street parking on William Street between Muscatine Avenue and Towncrest Drive due to the number of commercial access points. On-street parking is already restricted south of Towncrest Drive. mgr/agd/kr-NPAT_William Street.doc : ~ ,.--. :--.:::,-:>, :'C:; (..) . ~ Marian Karr From: Kevin O'Malley Sent: Friday, January 05, 20071:12 PM To: 'EMTPLlEUT73@msn.com' Cc: 'City Council; Kathryn Johansen Subject: FW: requiring e-mails on traffic ticket payments Dear Mr. Handley: Email addresses are required by the site as a way to deliver a receipt the payee. We feel it very important that a person paying at our site have a receipt for that transaction. The City never sells or distributes email addresses gathered in any way. Most people that are very secretive about their email just put in nQway@nQthing,coll1 or something similar. Very truly yours, Kevin O'Malley Director of Finance City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 kevin.o'malley@iowa-city.org 319.356.5053 fax 319.341.4006 From: Kathryn Johansen Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 8: 16 AM To: Kevin O'Malley Subject: FW: requiring e-mails on traffic ticket payments Good morning, Kevin: An e-mail for your review. Please respond to Mr. Handley and cc City Council on your reply. Thank you, Kathi From: ROBERT HANDLEY [mailto:EMTPLIEUT73@msn.comj Sent: Friday, January 05,200712:17 AM To: *City Council Subject: requiring e-mails on traffic ticket payments (gentlemen) I am e-mailing you to protest the FACT that YOUR ez-pay for simple parking fines 1/5/2007 Page 20f2 REQUIRED ME to give my e-mail address. YOU have my credit card number, address, license plate, VIN, and SPECIAL CREDIT CARD NUMBER. I DO NOT WANT MY E-MAIL ADDRESS DISTRIBUTED I!!!!! There are enough companies around that buy people's personal information and those people end up getting spam, and junk mail dumped on them. I want your assurances that my e-mail address will not leave the government office if you truly feel that my e- mail address is essential to complete payment for that traffic ticket. I don't understand why anyone needs it in the first place to pay a parking ticket. I would prefer that you make all further correspondence with me to be in MAIL. I have copied the transaction for citation # 749134 on my computer and the transaction approval sheet, so I really don't need any further e-mail from You. If this is not the city government actualiy requiring the e-mail address, then please inform the people at "Secured site" to discard my e-mail address. You may respond to my e-mail address in reference to this e-mail ,but I would prefer all further communications be as indicated by mail. I have no reason to communicate with you further than that. -Robert Handley 1/5/2007 Marian Karr r:l From: Barker, Joyce A [joyce-barker@uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 2:34 PM To: Anthony, Jerry; 'City Council; Persson, Dorothy M Subject: this requires an explanation to me Attachments: image001.gif City ofIowa City, Iowa: Official Web Site ------ a city services District Planning North District Plan Northeast District Plan South District Plan South Central District Plan HistOric Context Current Characteristics District Subareas - Airport Central - Highway 1/Airport North Current Land Uses Environmental Features Future Development - River Corridor - Rural/Airport South Implementation Southwest District Plan Urban Planning 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa, 52240 Office: 319-356-5240 _searCh Home> City Departments> Planning and Community Development> Urban Planning> District Planning> South Central District Plan> District Subareas> Subarea 8, Highway l/Airport North> Future Development District Planning Subarea 8, Highway 1/ Airport North - Future Development <<Previous Section I Next Section >> Current Land Uses I Environmental Features I Future Development Airport Central I Highway 1/Airport North"j River Corridor I Rural/Airport South Historic Context I Current Characteristics I District Subareas I Implementation Although most of the properties along Highway 1 have been developed for commercial uses, new development is anticipated on vacant and/or rural parcels In the west portion of the subarea and within the North Airport Commercial Park, and redevelopmernt has occurred in the Gateway One (Wardway Plaza) area. Continued commercial development is anticipated within the City's growth area west of Highway 218. _ South Central District Future Land Use Scenario Highway Commercial/Office In the southeast quadrant of the Highway 218/Highway i intersection, a highway commerciai and office area with a hotel would be appropriate as development occurs in this part of the subarea, The highway commercial businesses would be well situated in this area to serve motorists on the highways; and the office development could be designed to preserve the character of the wooded ridge and avoid an extension of strip mall problems. Residential uses should be minimized at this intersection of two major highways and in the vicinity of a primary airport runway. Natural water features, such as drainageways, can be used to separate and buffer the residential uses to the south from the proposed commercial area. Suitable street access will need to be designed to serve the residential uses south of the commercial area. I have been told this area is nnacceptable for residential development....if this is true how can you have this in your plan and sit and leave families out in the cold in the winter and not use this land to help people in an area that will need workers in the future and this would be a fantastic place for people to get close jobs to get back on their feet. Intensive Commercial Land available in the western reaches of this subarea with fairly direct access to Highway 1 and near Highway 218 provides opportunities for large lot development. These large properties would be suitable for intensive commercial uses with extensive outdoor storage needs. entranceway aesthetics need to be considered as these intensive commercial properties develop and redevelop. Intensive commercial development and zoning are planned for most of the 54-acre Airport North Commercial Park. The City pians to provide streets and utilities for the new business park, and the Airport Commission will enter into long- term leases with deveiopers, who may further divide the property for businesses that can function as freestanding entities or provide support services for other businesses and industries in the South Central District. Airport-related businesses and a science center are being encouraged to locate in this new commercial park. Retail Commercial As the east retail area of this subarea is upgraded, encouraging intensive commercial businesses located on or east of the Westport Plaza property to relocate to CI-i zones to the south or west could result in a more compatible mix of traffic and commercial shops, offices, restaurants and residential uses in the area. To address the appearance of the buiit-up commercial area along Highway 1, entranceway improvements, including upgrading landscaping, creating pedestrian access, introducing a consistent, attractive lighting design and minimizing signs and utility poles within the streetscape, should be considered. Ideally, a joint public/private project could be initiated by the City to address both sides of the Highway i commercial corridor. Due to increasing traffic congestion on Highway 1 and the discontinuities in the frontage road for this commercial area, vehicular travel between businesses along Highway 1 is impeded. Pedestrian walkways are virtually nonexistent in this subarea. Opportunities for private drive connections between businesses should be encouraged and a connecting service lane along the north edge of the airport commercial property should be considered to facilitate travel between commercial properties anti provide an alternative to entering/exiting Highway i. The collector street proposed off Ruppert Road through the Airport North Commercial Park to Riverside Drive, the realignment of Dane Road and an extension of a collector street south and east from the intersection of Mormon Trek Boulevard and Highway 1 to Riverside Drive should help alleviate traffic congestion on Highway 1. Industrial There is only a nominal amount of land in the Highway l/Airport North Subarea that is zoned for industrial use, and most of that is located at the end of Runway 12 and is scheduled to be acquJred by the Iowa City Airport. Because the vacant land in the runway clEiar zone cannot be developed, this property could be considered for prairie restoration; a low-maintenance, attractive entranceway feature that could provide a natural separation between intensive commercial uses on the west and retail/office commercial on the east. No industrial development is proposed for this subarea. <<Previous Section I Next Section >> Current Land Uses I Environmental Features I Future Development http://www .icgov .org/pcd/urbanplanning/southcentral planlBfuture.asp 1/8/2007 IJ;J Marian Karr From: Dale Helling Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 20074:39 PM To: 'City Council; Marian Karr Subject: FW: DISTRICTS From: Dale Helling Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 9:58 AM To: 'Sher' Subject: RE: DISTRICTS Dear Ms. Hunter, I am responding on behalf of the City Council to your email regarding district representation. Scott Park Drive is in Council District B and Connie Champion is your District representative. She can be reached at her residence, 337-6608 or her place of business, 338-2210. For future reference, this and much other information about the City Council can be found on the City Council page of the City website at 'www.icgov.org', including the names and contact information for all Council members. I hope this information is helpful. Have a pleasant day. Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager From: Sher [mailto:hunt8088@mchsi.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 9:32 AM To: *City Council Subject: DISTRICTS What district is Scott Park Drive in and who is our representative. Thank you. Sincerely, Sherry Hunter 1060 Scott Park Dr., #207 Iowa City, IA 52245 1/9/2007 Gl:J Marian Karr From: SUE KLlNKHAMER [sklinkhamer@cityofchicago.org] Sent: Monday, January 08,200710:41 AM To: JHieftje@a2gov.org; hbergson@ci.duluth.mn.us.; mayor@ci.lansing.mi.us; mfah ey@ci.omaha.ne.us; denn is. eisnach@ci.pierre.sd.us; abrede@ci.rochester.mn.us; mayor@ci.stpaul.mn.us; mvitous@ci.traverse-city.mi.us; mark. mallory@cincinnati-oh.gov; Commu n ications@city.cleveland.oh.us; jbrady@city.mankato.mn.us; rashella.lavender@cityofdayton.org; dwalaker@cityoffargo.com; senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov; mbrown@grandforksgov.com; 'City Council; cokcitymanager@kalamazoocity.org; mayor@kcmo.org; amanda. ragan@legis.state.ia.us; bi II. dotz ler@legis.state.ia.us; david .jo h nson@legis.state.ia.us; jeff.lam berti@legis.state.ia.us; jerry. beh n@legis.state.ia.us; joe. bolkcom@legis.state.ia.us; john. ki bbie@legis.state.ia.us; joh n. putney@legis.state.ia.us; larry. mckibben@legis.state.ia.us; mark.zieman@legis.state.ia.us; mary.1 und by@legis.state.ia.us; michael. gronstal@legis.state.ia.us; mi ke. connolly@legis.state.ia.us; thomas. cou rtney@legis.state.ia.us; th urman. gaski 1I@legis.state.ia.us; mayor@lincoln.ne.gov; Bob. ney@mail.house.gov; david. hobson@mail.house.gov; Deborah. p ryce@mail.house.gov; den nis. kurci n ich@mail.house.gov; Jean. schm idt@mail.house.gov; jim. ramstad@mail.house.gov; john. boehner@mail.house.gov; marcy. kaptu re@mail.house.gov; mark. ke n nedy@mail.house.gov; michael. oxley@mail.house.gov; michae I. turner@mail.house.gov; Patrick Tiberi@mail.house.gov; paul.gillmor@mail.house.gov; Raiph. Deborah@mail.house.gov; Ral ph. Rag u la@mail.house.gov; Ryan. Timothy@mail.house.gov; sherrod. brown@mail.house.gov; stephanie.jones@mail.house.gov; steve. chabot@mail.house.gov; steven.latourette@mail.house.gov; rt@minneapolis.org; sen.betsy. wergin@senate.mn; sen.david.senjem@senate.mn; sen.geoff. michel@senate.mn; sen .jim. metzen@senate.mn; sen.larry. pogemiller@senate.mn; info@sioux-city.org; Mayor@terrehaute.in.gov.; tim@timwalz.org; mayor.toledo@toledo.oh.gov; bbunten@topeka.org; aric _ newhouse@voinovich.senate.gov; CMayans@wichita.gov Subject: City of Chicago Olympic support letter Attachments: SampleOlympicLetterandinstructions.doc; Ueberroth Draft Letter 1.doc; Ueberroth Draft Letter 2.doc Dear Midwest Elected Official, The City of Chicago, IL is currently competing to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Part of the process is to obtain letters of support from surrounding states and municipalities. Although all Olympic events will take place in the City of Chicago many surrounding locations are needed for training during the time period leading up to the actual event. On behalf of Mayor Daley I am asking if you would be willing to draft a letter of support (see attached) to be included in our package to the United States Olympic Committee. I have attached sample letters. Please feel free to edit and add your own location to the letter. Please fax them to our office in Washington DC. The fax number is 202-783-3524. If you have any questions please feel free to call me at the number listed below. Thank you for your attention to this matter. It is a real opportunity to put our region on the international map. Sincerely, Sue Sue Klinkhamer Associate Director 1/8/2007 Page 2 of2 City of Chicago Washington DC Office 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 404 Washington, DC 20004 (202)783-0911 1/8/2007 [Your Name] [Street Address] [Street Address 2] [City, ST ZIP Code] [Phone number] [E-mail address] June 10, 2006 Mr. Peter Ueberroth, Chairman United States Olympic Committee Sent via Fax Dear Mr. Ueberroth: As a leading elected official in the Tri-State region, I have signed this letter so that you are aware of my unequivocal support for the City of Chicago's potential bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. As you know, The Olympic Games are truly the greatest sporting event in the world and for them to come to the Midwest, would be an unbelievable triumph for the breadbasket of America. Chicago is a city that not only loves sports but is also a city that has fantastic diversity, culture, restaurants, people and environmental record. I have no doubts that they would be magnificent hosts for the Olympic Games. We are tremendously excited that Chicago is being considered as a possible host city; not only for the incredible opportuuity that hosting the Games presents, but for the Olympic Movement's ability to help sustain the positive growth of our youth and society in our region and our cOlmtry. The Olympic Games represent the very best of the human spirit and I feel there is no better fit for hosting this event than one of the truly great cities on the planet. I sign this letter in full support of Chicago's potential bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Thank you. Governor XXX CC: City of Chicago DC Office Fax: (202) 783-3524 Instructions: Olvmpic Outreach letters of support Chicago is seeking to become the United States representative to compete with other cities through out the world for the right to host the 2016 games. It would be a great help if you would send a letter of support addressed to Peter Ueberroth the head of the United States Olympic Committee. Please fax all letters to 202-783-3524 which is the City of Chicago, Washington DC office. Mayor Daley is convinced that the Olympics would have a substantial economic and social benefit on not only Chicago but the entire Midwest. Timing is critical in that Chicago's proposal must be submitted by !h January 19 and due to the turn around needed we have drafted and formatted a sample version of text for this letter. Although we encourage you to modify the text of our sample letter please do not edit the format. Dear Mr. Ueberroth: As a leading elected official in the Chicago region, I have signed this letter so that you are aware of my enthusiastic support for the City of Chicago's potential bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. As you know, the Olympic vision strives to build a better world through sports, that are practiced in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. I believe that these ideals are well exemplified through the people and characteristics of Chicago. Ever since Chicago hosted the 1893 World Fair, the city and its people have been globally recognized as a leader in hosting international cultural events. In the fall of 2006, the people of Chicago demonstrated their great passion for sports through their support for the World Champion Chicago White Sox. Chicago is not only recognized as a great American sports city, but is also internationally known for its rich culture, umivaled diversity, exceptional arts and music scene, public transportation, museums, restaurants, people and commitment to the environment. I wholeheartedly believe that they would be extraordinary hosts for the Olympic Games. I am excited that Chicago is being considered as a possible host city; not only for the incredible opportunity that hosting the Games represents, but also for the chance to demonstrate that our region possesses the unique ability to bring the people of the world together. I believe that Chicago is the ideal candidate to host the 2016 Olympic Games and I sign this letter in full support of Chicago's potential bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Thank you for your consideration. Signed, Elected Official XXX Dear Mr. Ueberroth: As an elected official in the Chicago region, I am proud to sign this letter in full support of the City of Chicago's potential bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Since the advent of the modem Olympic Games in 1896, no Midwestern city has ever had the opportunity to host an Olympic games. I believe that the 2016 Olympic Games represent the best opportunity for our region to showcase America's breadbasket to the entire world. Ever since the 1893 World's Fair, the City of Chicago has deservedly upheld its reputation as a global leader in hosting world class cultural events. Every year the city welcomes internationally recognized cultural symposiums, art exhibitions, music festivals and sporting competitions. The people of Chicago are well-known for their passionate love of sports, as is most recently demonstrated through their enthusiastic support for the 2006 World Champion Chicago White Sox. Chicago is also a city that is known for its diversity, cultural history and welcoming people. As you know, the Olympic Games strive to create a better world through the promotion of sports that are played in the spirit of fair play, mutual understanding and friendship. I strongly believe that Chicago would be exemplary hosts for the 2016 Olympic Games not only because of their demonstrated ability to host internationally acclaimed events, but because of the region's unique ability to welcome international visitors. I sign this letter in full support of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Elected Official XXX ~ Marian Karr From: Jack Hatch Uack@hatchdevelopment.com] Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 11:19 AM To: altringerbond@mchsLcom; anita.walker@dca.state.ia.us; beth@marshallnet.com; chaza@newtongov.org; 'City Council; gbeach@cLmarshalltown.ia.us; Gorden Henderickson (gordon.henderickson@iowa.gov); Guzman, Thom [IDEO]; jph@tremontonmain.com; kimd@pcpartner.net; Ihein@inhf.org; maanderson@dmgov.org; mwmtkc@aol.com; MichaeI.Tramontina@iowa.gov; Mike Kiernan; noel.anderson@waterloo-ia.org; citymanager@cityofmarion.org; Rodscott@iowaconnect.com; rbang@masoncity.net; ruthrandleman@aol.com; sovel@kirkwood.cc.ia.us; steve. falck@iowa.gov; susanjudkins@iowaleague.org; tbriley@ci.davenport.ia.us; tguzmania@mchsi.com; mayor@waterloo-ia.org Subject: FW: Iowa leaders hope to find urban, rural balance Greetings: The article below is the first article regarding the results of our Marshalltown conference "Small Towns - Big City Neighborhoods". The bill was revised last week by Senator Dotzler and me and it will be introduced by the end of the week. We expect to have it assigned to a Senate committee and a sub-committee within the week. Please do not hesitate to call me or you can reach me at the following legislative email jcu:;k, hatc:h@legis.stateJcLus . Thank you for your interest. Jack From: Eric Bakker [mailto:eJeeb@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 7:43 AM To: Eric Bakker Subject: so: Iowa leaders hope to find urban, rural balance Iowa leaders hope to find urban, rural balance By Dan Gearino, Journal Des Moines Bureau DES MOINES -- In Iowa politics, the greatest conflict isn't necessarily between Democrats and Republicans, it's between urban and rural. At least that's what a coalition oflegislators and city leaders believe -- and they're sick of it. The group is putting together a five-point plan aimed at serving the mutual interests of urban and rural economic development. . "As rural Iowa grows, all ofIowa benefits, and as urban Iowa grows, all ofIowa benefits. We need to put programs together than can benefit these communities simultaneously," said Sen. Bill Dotzler, D- Waterloo, one of the lead sponsors of the plan. A preliminary draft of the plan includes the following elements: -- A tripling of the tax credit for historic preservation and cultural districts. -- A sales tax exemption for art sold in designated cultural districts. 1116/2007 Page 2 of3 -- A new program for job training in areas with high unemployment or a shortage of skilled workers. -- A doubling of the funding for the Main Street program, which helps communities revitalize old downtowns. And then there's the controversial part: The plan would allow local govermnents to seize private property for the purpose of connecting existing recreational trails. To pay for the land acquisition, the state would sell bonds and make a $2.9 million payment on the bonds each year. The total cost for all of this would be in the neighborhood of $20 million per year. A precise cost estimate is not yet available. Urban vs. rural The idea of urban-rural cooperation gets a lot of talk, but has little to show for it. Rural legislators complain that the state's largest economic development program, the Iowa Values Fund, gives a grossly disproportionate share of benefits to urban areas. At the same time, urban legislators complain that the state's highway funding system devotes way too much money to rural roads and not enough to the areas with the most traffic. This tension between urban and rural plays out in just about every major issue before the Legislature. In an attempt to get beyond this conflict, a group gathered last September in Marshalltown for a day of seminars and policy discussions. This was the meeting that led to the set of proposals. "It's an acknowledgement that small towns and big-city neighborhoods have more in common than they have dissimilar," said Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, one of the organizers of the event. Among the participants were the mayors of Carlisle, Marshalltown, Mason City, Newton and Waterloo; city council members or staff members from Davenport, Des Moines and Marion; and state legislators. Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, is a longtime supporter of an increase in the historic tax credit. He didn't attend the conference, but he likes the idea of directing tax breaks toward small communities and historic restoration. His Northwest Iowa district includes several small cities n such as Spirit Lake and Spencer n that have improved their downtowns with projects that qualify for historic tax credits. "These are good programs that have produced results," he said. Eminent domain revisited Most parts of the new plan will likely have wide support. The big exception is the proposed changes to eminent domain. Former Gov. Tom Vilsack signed a bill in his first term that bans local govermnents from seizing land for recreational trails. And last year, the Legislature overwhelmingly approved wide-ranging restrictions on eminent domain, a measure that became law through an override of a Vilsack veto. Both measures had strong support from the Iowa Farm Bureau. 1/16/2007 Page 3 of3 Considering this recent history, the trails proposal faces an uphill fight, but the people behind the plan say the fight is worthwhile. Marshalltown Mayor Gene Beach points to two bike trails in his region, one that goes through the center of town and one in a rural area just outside the city. The trails are just a few miles away from connecting with each other, but the land in-between is owned by a farmer who refuses to sell. "One of the greatest things we can do is provide people with opportunities to walk and to bike," Beach said. He thinks recreational trails are an amenity that can help attract new residents and tourists, but the trails need to be long and they need to go somewhere. Any attempt to change eminent domain rules will face stiff opposition from the Farm Bureau. Christina Gruenhagen, government relations counsel for the group, said she can't comment on the new proposal because she hasn't seen it. Speaking in general about eminent domain for trails, she said the Farm Bureau "would certainly oppose any attempt to erode private property rights." Johnson opposes any change in eminent domain rules for trails. He notes that many new trails have opened and been connected with other trails since Vilsack signed the current limits into law. "What's the problem? We continue to develop trails in this state at a good pace," he said. Dotzler strongly supports the trails proposal, but won't let it derail the whole plan if he senses strong opposition. "This bill is not going to hang or die on one single provision," he said. Dan Gearino can be reached at 515-243-0138 and dan.gearino@lee.net. 1/16/2007 Marian Karr ~ From: Sent: To: Subject: Seth Tobey [sethtobey@gmail.com] Wednesday, January 17, 2007 10:56 PM 'City Council What do you think of Senator Obama? Dear Mayor and Council Members, I'm writing to invite you to get involved in the Draft Obama Movement. I'm sure you've heard a lot about him and I don't want to waste your time telling you why you should support him. Suffice it say, that I believe he can bring healing and unity to our country because he has proven that he is willing to comprise for the greater good like all politicians should be willing to do. If you're interested in getting involved, I have direct access to the national leaders of Draft Obama and would love to put your endorsement on our site. See http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/01/16/70313. Well, I know Iowa City isn't quite Minneapolis, but you get the idea. Thanks, Seth Tobey, Iowa City Resident Founder, Independents for Obama Part of the Draft Obama Movement http://independents4obama.blogspot.com http://www.draftobama.org 1 Page 10f4 '1 ~ (~ J Marian Karr From: MonaShaw@aol.com Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 1 :56 PM To: .City Council Cc: Ross Wilburn; Regenia Bailey; Amy Correia Subject: Bridges out of Poverty Workshop City Council of Iowa City Council Members 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240. Dear Council: I'm gravely concerned about a workshop being offered this weekend in Iowa City called "Bridges out of Poverty." The workshop is sponsored by the Iowa City Housing Authority and is based on Ruby Payne's book, "A Framework for Understanding Poverty." More than 1200 low-income people have been invited to attend. A number of reputable scholars have debunked Payne's work as incompetent, right-wing propaganda, inherently racist, and "downright dangerous." I'm honestly convinced this workshop will cause more harm than do good. I did copy a message of my concerns to Regenia Bailey in an emailto another concerned person last week when I learned of the workshop. I realize that my message likely failed to adequately convey the seriousness of the problem. I have fieshed out the issue more below and also placed it on my blog, where it may be easier to read, at www.monashaw.J,om I implore you to read this and if you share my concerns, please relay this to Iowa City Housing Authority. I understand that it may be too late to cancel the workshop that is scheduled, but hopefully this program can be pulled from offerings in the future. Thanks for your time, Mona Shaw PO Box 10084 Iowa City, IA 52240 Comments on the work of Ruby Payne, and "Bridges out of Poverty" workshops Class is the tow rope that puliS oppression. Its aching, twisting stretch for respectability churns the undertow that drowns equality and erodes courage. This high-gauge lash is dragging through a workshop this weekend (January 27, 2007) in a workshop at the HACAP center on Waterfront Dr. called, "Bridges out of Poverty." The workshop is sponsored by the Iowa City Housing Authority and is based on the work of Ruby Payne and her book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Payne's skill at self-promotion has been a good fit with educators eager for a quick fix in dealing with poverty, and her popularity has rapidly surged with little or no honest investigation of her competence. In fairness, it is flashes a beacon of hope to those who sincerely seek educational equality for their students from low-income families. Confidence in Payne's methods, like Payne's 1/22/2007 Page 2 of 4 thesis, is based on collegial gossip and unsubstantiated and rather rare anecdotes of success. The fundamental problem with Payne's thesis is that she doesn't know anything about poverty, let alone the culture of poverty, either through direct experience or scholarly research. Anita Perna Bohn, an assistant professor at Illinois State University, examined Payne's scholarship and discovered that her work didn't meet any of the academic standards of research. I.e. There is no documentation that Payne has ever been a serious scholar of poverty or the impoverished either through academic or self-education. The "findings" in her self-published book are not verifiable, reproducible or valid. Bohn goes on to say that Payne's methods are not only incompetent but "downright dangerous" and states: "On my first read-through of the [Payne's] "rules" I didn't know whether to laugh at the sheer stupidity of some of them or to rage at the offensive stereotyping of people in poverty and the thinly veiled bigotry reflected in others. I am still hard pressed to understand why ideas like this have made Payne the hottest speaker/trainer on poverty on the public school circuit today. One thing is certain, though: Ruby Payne has flown under the radar far too long. It's time for teachers and administrators to take a critical look at her immensely popular message." In fact, there's scant evidence that Payne has ever read a book about poverty, other than her own. Her bibliography (consists entirely of authors with a right-wing, conservative, and economically laissez faire perspective. It includes several books by Thomas Sowell, who has written position papers against a minimum wage, affirmative action, the liberal media bias, universal health care, and same sex marriage. She has no reference to any of the scholarly titans in the field including, Shirley Bryce Heath, Jonathan Kozol, Annette Lareau, and J.U. Ogbu. Payne shares these political views and seeks to advance them in her work. She is a public proponent of "No Child Left Behind," and cites Fox News as the authority for her statistics. It's not only that Payne is a white, affluent, woman with no direct experience of poverty; she regurgitates and reinforces the most vicious stereotypes of those who live in poverty. Payne contends that people in poverty never plan, are slothful and undisciplined, talk funny, and don't care about their children. Payne's theory is far from new and basically an unimaginative rehashing of the bigotry that blames poverty on those who are poor. She maintains that if "you people" would learn to talk, walk, and dress like "us," you'd be fine. (Apparently she's unaware of the millions of those with Ph.D.s and other advanced academic credentials working the same low-paying jobs as the working poor.) This bias is outlined in the flyer distributed for the Iowa City workshop. The flyer states: "You will be able to... . Explain how economic realities and living in an economic class system affect patterns of living and decision-making [Low income people are on to this.] . Describe and teach the hidden rules of middle-class [These rules are hardly hidden and are basically the problem.] 1/22/2007 Page 3 of 4 . Understand the various language registers [It's okay to look down on you if I think you talk funny.] . Understand how to use discipline to bring about positive change [Working two to three jobs to survive takes more discipline than" The flaws in these teachings isn't only that they assume that most low-income people don't know these things already, they deny that it is, in fact, middle-class and affluent America that has a whole lot to leam from the low-income people about discipline, planning, and cultural linguistics. One particularly perverse tactic used by Payne is to make fun of how the underclass tells a story. Payne insists that a story must have a succinct beginning, middle, and an end without tangents or colorful illustration. This exposes Payne's own aversion to knowing anymore than she wants to know and lets the dominant culture that desperately needs some of this information off the hook for their own class bigotry. Fortunately Payne's limitation here hasn't had more social acceptance, yet, or the entire body of our most beautiful and powerful creative literature would be erased. Rayne denies the interlocking connections between class and race and gender. This has led to a teaching manual specifically addressing the inherent racism in Payne's approach. In An African Centered Response to Ruby Payne's Poverty Theory, by educational consultant, Jawanza Kunjufu, Dr. Kunjufu asserts that "to provide an adequate education to students in poor communities requires teaching students how to eliminate poverty" rather than meaningless middle-class mimicry. The case he makes is solid and has led to several educational consultantships to debunk and/or clean up after Payne's work. A peer review of Payne's book, "Savage Unrealities" by Paul Gorski (an assistant professor in the graduate school of education at Hamline University and founder of EdChange.org) refers to Payne's standpoint as "horrifying." "Payne argues that her work is not about race but about class. ... why does she paint such racist portraits of the African-American and Latino families in her scenarios? Payne identifies violent tendencies, whether in the form of gang violence or child abuse, in three of the four families of color depicted in the vignettes, but not in any of the three white families. Each of the families of color, but only one of three white families, features at least one unemployed or sporadically employed working-age adult. Whereas two of the three white children have at least one stable caretaker, three of the four children of color - Otis, who is beaten by his mother; Opie, who is left in the care of her "senile" grandmother; and Juan, who is being raised by his gang-leader, drug-dealer uncle - appear to have none." Ruby Payne's workshop is not driven by informed educational practice but by a desire to foster a conservative economic agenda. Given some (proportionately few) people of color adopt conservative social and economic philosophies, it is safe to assume that the African Americans and Latinos that Payne has recruited for her cause come from those philosophical ranks. I recently watched a recording of this workshop that was presented last year and found the program to be completely consistent with the fears and objections of Payne's critics. This column is not an indictment. Well meaning people can be misinformed and otherwise misled. It is a plea for more caution and thoroughness before we subject people to things that may do more harm than good. Our helping agencies should not be exploited to advance a narrow political agenda. Mona Shaw 1/2212007 Page I of I ~(~) Marian Karr From: Teja Huntley [arloguthrie22000@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 3:39 PM To: Mary Copper; .City Council; Ross Wilburn; Regenia Bailey; Amy Correia Subject: RE: January 27th Seminar After reading about the upcoming workshop on the 27th and doing more research into Ruby Payne's work, I have become concerned about the messages that will be presented to the 1,200 invitees to this event. Ruby Payne's writing assumes that middle-class norms are the "right" way of doing things and that others should fall in line. Being poor just means that you haven't yet learned the appropriate way to act and you should take a lesson from those who make more money. Also, the "hidden rules" she speaks of are glaring generalizations that can't possibly be applied to an entire class of individuals. It is unclear where she comes up with her hidden rules and how they have been decided upon and defmed--research appears to be lacking. She focuses on minorities as those in the lower-class and her portrayal of both minorities and those in poverty is largely negative and condescending. Her argument is based on blaming individuals rather than looking at the larger picture of how policies, racism, and classism have created the inequities in education that exist today. From my reading, Ruby Payne has not even attempted to address the glaring realities of poverty and the reasons for such inequities in this country. It is a narrow and uneducated view and is insulting. In light of such information, I would ask that workshop that is scheduled for the 27th be cancelled or the topic be changed to better address the realities of why poverty occurs and ways individuals can work together to encact change in their communities. A social action framework that those in poverty can use to fight inequities and injustice in their lives would be empowering rather than blaming. Thank you. Teja Huntley Don't pick lemons. See all the new 2007 cars at YahootAutos. 1/22/2007 Page 1 of 1 I- f (~ ) Marian Karr From: Steven Rackis Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 9:46 AM To: 'City Council Cc: Steve Atkins; Mary Copper Subject: Bridges Workshop Controversy I would like to invite you to this workshop so you can judge how our presenter - Tony Wilson - handles the material. In reviewing prevoius workshop evaluations, Mr. Wilson was extremely weil received by the participants 1/23/2007 POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD A Board of the City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City IA 52240-1826 (319)356-5041 January 10, 2007 Mayor Ross Wilburn 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor and Council Members: At the January 9, 2007 meeting, the PCRB voted in open session to request another 60-day extension in addition to it's previous request regarding the reporting deadline for the Public Report according to the City Code for PCRB Complaint #06-03 for the following reasons: . Due to further investigation . Public Report presently due February 2, 2007 60-day Extension request - Report would be due on April 3, 2007 The Board appreciates your prompt consideration of this matter. Sincerely, y~~ - gi~be+k~L Elizabeth Engel, Vice-Chair Police Citizens Review Board cc: City Attorney ~ L1L.J