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Home My WebLink About2007-02-22 Info Packet I::: 1 ~~~~~'t -.;;:...._....~ ..,.. - CiTY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET February 22, 2007 MISCELLANEOUS IP1 Tentative City Council Meetings and Work Session Agendas IP2 Sertoma Clubs of Iowa City and Coralville - National Heritage Essay Contest [submitted by Mayor Wilburn] IP3 Memorandum from the Civil Engineer to the City Manager: US Highway 6 & Gilbert Street Intersection Improvements Update #2 IP4 Letter from the Civil Engineer to Pleasant Valley LP & Inc.: US Highway 6 & Gilbert Street Intersection Improvements IPS Memorandum from the Assistant Director of PCD: Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) funding for First Avenue railroad overpass IP6 Memorandum from the Community Development Coordinator: February 20 Council Work Session IP7 Agenda packet: Economic Development Committee: February 20, 2007 IP8 Approved Minutes: Economic Development Committee: February 9, 2007 PRELIMINARY/DRAFT MINUTES IP9 Senior Center Commission: January 16, 2007 IP10 Airport Commission: February 8,2007 IP11 Animal Care Task Force: February 8, 2007 IP12 Board of Appeals: February 5,2007 IP13 Telecommunications Commission: January 22,2007 I:; 1 .:::~=_IIt... ~~W;!:"I.~ -.::.. ....., --- CITY OF IOWA CITY City Council Meeting Schedule and Work Session Agendas Ul-ll-Ut 'P1 February 22, 2007 www.icgov.org TENTATIVE FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS I . MONDAY, MARCH 5 Emma J. Harval Hall 5:00p Council Work Session 6:30p City Conference Board Meeting 7:00p Special Formal Council Meeting . MONDAY, MARCH 19 6:30p Council Work Session Emma J. Harval Hall . TUESDAY, MARCH 20 7:00p Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall . MONDAY, APRIL 2 6:30p Council Work Session Emma J. Harval Hall . TUESDAY, APRIL 3 7:00p Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall . WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 4:30p Joint Meeting North Liberty . MONDAY, APRIL 16 5:30p Work Session 7:00p Special Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall . MONDAY, APRIL 30 6:30p Council Work Session Emma J. Harval Hall . TUESDAY, MAY 1 7:00p Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall . MONDAY, MAY 14 6:30p Council Work Session Emma J. Harval Hall . TUESDAY, MAY 15 7:00p Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall . MONDAY, JUNE 4 6:30p Council Work Session Emma J. Harval Hall . TUESDAY, JUNE 5 7:00p Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall . MONDAY, JUNE 18 6:30p Council Work Session Emma J. Harval Hall . TUESDAY, JUNE 19 7:00p Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harval Hall Submitted by Mayor Wilburn ~ SERTOMA CLUBS OF IOWA CITY AND CORALVILLE NATIONAL HERITAGE ESSAY CONTEST "ls A Solution Needed To The Issue Of Immigration Between The United States And Mexico?" _.._-_.,_._-_.----,------------_.~--'-~--'-----_._-_.-_.~._... ~..."'-fifu ".~~~.'....'.. .....:,t\. '.. ,;;.:r ' v/S\ (I , )~: \0" ;. "!j/'" 'l~~~^~~< ~~~. Old Capitol Sertoma Club President.............................................................. Dennis Mitchell Secretary .....................................................:...Chuck Lindemann Treasurer........................... .......................................... Gary Ortale Vice President, Sponsorship ................................. Steve Ballard Vice President, Membership ..........................Ann Ruckdaschel Vice President, Programs .........................................Keith Kurth Sergeants at Arms............................... Ted Halm, John Jadryev Chairman of the Board...................................Larry McConahay Directors ................................ Jim McCarragher, Nadia Elleroff Directors ............... David Redlawsk, Olga Sassine, Ken Urmie University Sertoma Club President ................................................................ Ann L. Tvedte Secretary jTreasurer ............................................ Maralee Dyson Vice President, Sponsorship .............................. Jill Stephenson Vice President, Membership. Deb Downey, Elayne Sexsmith Vice President, Programs ........................................ Lorna Cress Sergeant at Arms .......................................................John Dyson Chairman of the Board..................................... Marilyn Holland 'Directors ....................................... Tammi Craft, Susan Newton AWARDS PROGRAM University Athletic Club February 15, 2007 Pledge of Allegiance Welcome ..............................................................Dennis Mitchell Lunch Reading of Proclamation ........ Mayor Pro Tem Henry Herwig Introduction to Essay Readings..................................Ted Halm Essay Readings: "ls a solution needed to the issue of immigration between the United States and Mexico?" Clear Creek-Amana Middle School.................... Walker Olson Kathy Brack, Teacher Lone Tree Middle SChool...................................spencer Stumpf Tom Dickey, Teacher North Central Junior High ......................................Sarah Elliott Charlie Huff, Teacher Northwest Junior High ...........................Saranya Subramanian Scott Jespersen, Teacher South East Junior High ...............................................Jeff Haidri Mike Merulla, Teacher West Branch Middle School............................. Valerie Guetzko Terry Christiansen and Janice Murry, Teachers Presentation of Awards and School Trophy Presentation of Awards and Trophy..........................Ted Halm Closing ......... ................... ................. ................... Dennis Mitchell City of Iowa City rnrl Date: February 15, 2007 MEMORANDUM ~ I)I"~ ~u To: '8f(:;,e ~lI_:City Manager Sarah Okerlund, Civil Engineer11(O From: Re: US Highway 6 & Gilbert Street Intersection Improvements Update #2 This is a follow-up to previous written and verbal correspondence between staff, council, and the property owners regarding the above referenced project. Proiect Status: The project continues to be on track for a January 2008 bid letting. Survey work is complete within the ROWand along the property boundaries. This establishes property ownership limits and allows for the preliminary design to be expanded. Design work and final plat preparation will continue over the next few months. Propertv Owner Concerns: Discussions have continued between city staff and the corridor property owners. Property owners were offered the opportunity to speak directly to City Council members at the January 23'd and February 20th Council meetings. Hills Bank took the opportunity to speak at the January 23rd Council meeting and brought up three major concerns. They also introduced a traffic engineering consultant they have hired to assist with their concerns and internal circulation. All requested information regarding this project has been delivered to this consultant. The three concerns and responses/progress are below: . Raised median o Hills Bank has requested this raised median be eliminated and/or shortened. o The raised medians are required for dual left turn lanes and the turn lane length is based on traffic projections. This is a key element to the success of this project and must remain in the design. . Maintain north entrance as right-in/right-out o Hills Bank has requested to keep their existing north driveway for access to their drive-through. o If you recall, a concern with maintaining this driveway was the geometric restraints of driving southbound and making a 1800 turn northbound to the drive-through. If this turning radius is too narrow, vehicles will either jump the curbs to make the movement or slow down significantly creating a safety concern on Gilbert Street. Advantages of this driveway are the right-in/right-out status, and distance from the intersection. o We continue to look into this item. We'll know for sure later in the design process, but it appears to be possible with internal improvements made on the Hills Bank property. . Signalize the south driveway "intersection" o Hills Bank has requested to have their south driveway signalized with this project. o We plan to conduct a signal warrant study for this "intersection" once the snow melts, since it will combine several property entrances into one main entrance off Gilbert Street. Among these properties are Hills Bank, Mystery Office Buildings (south of Hills Bank), Aldi's, Carlos O'Kelly's, Los Portales, and Car X. Additional updates will be provided as this project progresses. CC: Rick Fosse Ron Knoche Eleanor Dilkes Mitch Behr Karen Franklin Jeff Davidson Roger Reily; Hills Bank & Trust Co.; 1401 S Gilbert St; Iowa City, IA 52240 2-15-07 Memo - Re: US Highway 6 & Gilbert Street Intersection Improvements Update #2 Page 2 012 --------,------"-"------------~------"---'----_."--_.----- February 15, 2007 ~' rJuI"~ ~ I ~ .c:::J =~~.....IiQ... ~~~~'"t. ~.. ~1II'i\f~ ........~ CITY OF IOWA CITY Pleasant Valley LP & Inc Attn: Aleda Kroeze Feuerbach 1301 S. Gilbert Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: US Highway 6 & Gilbert Street Intersection Improvements 2-07-07 Email: Comment Response 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319] 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Dear Mrs. Feuerbach, This letter is in response to an email sent to the City Council members on February 7, 2007. The major items and responses are included below: . History: While I have not researched this item, it is my understanding the past impacts to the Pleasant Valley property you mentioned were associated with the original Gilbert Street realignment project. Because the ROW is so narrow on the north side of this intersection, it is assumed only the property absolutely necessary to construct this intersection was purchased at that time. It is certainly not the intention of this project to put anyone out of business. . Impacts: You have referenced the original concept plan showing a shared drive between the UI Surplus building and Pleasant Valley, and the parking lot relocated to the back of the building. We are developing an additional alternative with parking on the south side of your building. Once this is compiete, I will forward you a copy for review. As previously mentioned, we are open to additional, out-of-the box ideas. At this time, we do not consider this 1 st proposal the only or final option. . Construction Schedule: Construction is never easy on adjacent property owners. During the final design phase, special construction staging will be specified to reduce impacts to your properties as well as others in the corridor. Since spring seems to be vital to your business, it might be possible to start construction on the south end of the project. Our goal is to maintain access, either direct or indirect, throughout the project. . 1225 Gilbert SI: This property (UI Surplus) does have some impacts as mentioned in your email. We'll continue to work with you on these items in an attempt to minimize impacts to the way this building/tenants do business. . 1226 Gilbert SI: This property (State Farm Insurance) impacts unfortunately do include removal of the existing building. As mentioned before, the remaining lot is developable and a new building can be constructed further back if desired. As you are aware, this is by no means an "easy" project and adjacent property owners will be impacted. The intersection has exceeded its capacity and improvements are necessary for increased safety and functionality. You mentioned in our first meeting that you hoped to work together during this process. This is a viewpoint I respect. Please know we will continue to work with you to the best of our ability. We will keep in touch as we refine the concept and develop the preliminary drawings. In the meantime, if you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me. Sarah Okerlund Civil Engineer Cc : Rick Fosse Ron Knoche -~.; Karen Franklin Jeff Davidson Eleanor Dikes Mitch Behr ._--_._-----,----_._-----~_._-,.-,._--_. I! 1 --= -14- ~~W!:1lt -..;;:.....~IIIII~ ~~ CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM ~ Date: February 22, 2007 To: City Council -r(I From: Jeff Davidson, Asst. Director, Dept. of Planning & Community Development Re: Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) funding for First Avenue railroad overpass You will recall that last fall we applied for $2 million in ICAAP funds for the First Avenue railroad overpass project. The Iowa Department of Transportation considers applications to this grant program once a year. We have been informed that our project will not be funded in FY07. Iowa DOT received 21 grant applications totaling $16 million for the $4.7 million avaiiable. Our project was not funded along with three projects which were requested by Cedar Rapids- Marion. Of the 11 projects that were funded, five are from Des Moines, totaling $2 million. Although we have received funding from the ICAAP program in the past, it is our perception that the Des Moines area receives most of these funds. I have discussed the funding situation for the First Avenue railroad overpass project with Mayor Wilburn and Mayor Pro tem Bailey. They indicated to me that this project received a favorable reception on the recent lobbying trip to Washington, D,C. I have recommended that we contact Richard Bender at Senator Harkin's office and inform him that we were not funded through the ICAAP program, and request that we be considered for full 80/20 funding of the railroad overpass project through a special earmark in the FY08 federal transportation bill. I believe this is our best strategy for attempting to secure funding for the First Avenue railroad overpass. Let me know if you have any questions. cc: Steve Atkins Karin Franklin John Yapp Rick Fosse Ron Knoche ppdad m/mem/icaapfunding. doc City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 21, 2007 To: City Council Steve Long, Community Development Coordinator<gL; From: Re: February 20 Council Work Session I just wanted to confirm the outcome of the housing discussion at'the February 20 Council work session.. At that meeting, Council members agreed that both The Housing Fellowship and the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity can proceed with the purchase of lots in Census Tract 18 (south of Highway 6) for the construction of owner-occupied affordable homes. Also, we will be setting a time at a March Council work session to discuss a policy for locating rental and owner-occupied affordable housing in Iowa, City using FY08 funds. Please feel free to contact me at steve-Iong@iowa-city.org or at 356.5250 if you have any questions or comments. 02-22-07 IP6 IP7 AGENDA City of Iowa City City Council Economic Development Committee Tuesday, February 20,2007 8:30 a.m. City Hall Lobby Conference Room 410 East Washington Street 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Minutes of February 9,2007 Economic Development Committee meeting 3. Compile Interview Questions for consultant interviews 4. Determine decision-making process. 5. Committee time 6. Adjournment Next two meetings: . February 27,2007,9:00 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, 325 E. Washington Street, Large Conference Room . March 6,2007,9:00 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, 325 E. Washington Street, Large Conference Room MINUTES CITY COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE February 9, 2007 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM DRAFT Members Present: Regenia Bailey, Connie Champion, Bob Elliott Members Absent: None Staff Present: Wendy Ford, Karin Franklin Others Present: Nancy Quellhorst, Joe Raso, Craig Gustaveson, Lisa Barnes, Helen Burford, Irvin Pfab, Tim Kenyon, a reporter from the Daily Iowan and several journalism students. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: None CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chairperson Regenia Bailey called the meeting to order at 9:05 AM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - JAN. 23. 2007 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MOTION: Champion moved to approve the January 23, 2007 minutes as submitted. Elliott seconded the motion. The motion passed 3:0. DISCUSSION OF PROPOSALS FOR DOWNTOWN MARKET NICHE ANALYSIS There was discussion and consensus to evaluate proposals on their content and merit without discussion of fees initially. Each council committee member, the representatives from the Downtown Association and Chamber and Staff members shared with the group their three top three choices of the eight proposals submitted. Two proposals were eliminated initially: Gibbs Planning Group and University of Wisconsin Extension Service. Of the remaining six, the group agreed that three clearly stood out: Marketek, ERA and PUMA. Discussion ensued about each of these. Progressive Urban Management Associates They have done extensive, worked with similar communities and have intimate knowledge of the area, having successfully worked on the renewal of the Cedar Rapids SSMID last year. They understand the importance of locally owned businesses in downtown. They seem focused on BIDs, SSMIDs as an outcome or solution to all downtown's problems and there was concern because of that, their focus might be limited. There was some concern that implementation strategies did not have an analysis component. Consensus was that their process was not clear enough. Other concerns were that there was not mention of lodging or entertainment and they may be too focused on retail. They talked about retail leakage in the proposal, which indicated their interest was too strong on retail and of competition or cannibalism of one local area on another. The leakage study suggested an approach of competition with other shopping areas in IC instead of a preferred focus on how downtown could improve its pull by improving market mix. Another concern was that they did not specify a time line and that 9 visits seemed excessive. After thoughtful discussion, the committee agreed to set this one aside for now and not invite them for an interview at this time. Economics Research Associates (ERA) There was favorable discussion of ERA's apparent understanding of downtowns and college towns. Past studies include Chapel Hill, NC and Austin, TX where the campus is integrated into the downtown. The project team is impressive. Melissa Mayer had experience in St. Louis which has come a long way. There were favorable comments about their study of local policy for a framework of reference at the outset. Also about how their market analysis looks thorough, and their project task outline very good, and timeline -- excellent in 4 months. They also mention pull factors which the group noted has a better perspective that "leakage". The group indicated that they'd like to bring in the project team for an interview. Marketek Favorable comments included that they were resuits oriented. They also seemed tuned in to our interest on the arts and who we are from the beginning. They did their research. Broad scope which goes a little beyond - looking at ability to develop a creative ciuster downtown. Good proposal presentation. Discussion ensued about surveys and how are they are conducted. Mailed surveys are expensive as shown by the detailed item in the proposal. Discussion to include specific questions about surveying in the interviews ensued. We should explore internet survey possibilities with the firm. Since surveys are an integral part of each of the proposals, we need to ensure that the expense of them will net the value that we want. We should ensure that the surveys are necessary, relevant, and conducted in order to achieve the goals we want. We should explore whether we could we get the same info with focus groups. There was consensus that there should be several questions about surveying techniques and tabuiation in the interviews. The group agreed they'd like to bring in the project team for an interview. Interview process The committee decided to meets once early to assemble and assign interview questions on Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. Staff will scheduie interviews with Marketek and Economics Research Associates on 2 different mornings chosen from Feb 27, March 1,6,7, or 8. Quellhorst offered the Chamber conference room as the location for the interviews. Ford will make invitations and begin due diligence. Council Time Adjournment MINUTES CITY COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE February 9, 2007 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM APPROVED Members Present Regenia Bailey, Connie Champion, Bob Elliott Members Absent: None Staff Present Wendy Ford, Karin Franklin Others Present: Nancy Quellhorst, Joe Raso, Craig Gustaveson, Lisa Barnes, Helen Burford, Irvin Pfab, Tim Kenyon, a reporter from the Daily Iowan and several journalism students. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: None CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chairperson Regenia Bailey called the meeting to order at 9:05 AM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - JAN. 23. 2007 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MOTION: Champion moved to approve the January 23, 2007 minutes as submitted. Elliott seconded the motion. The motion passed 3:0. DISCUSSION OF PROPOSALS FOR DOWNTOWN MARKET NICHE ANALYSIS There was discussion and consensus to evaluate proposals on their content and merit without discussion of fees initially. Each council committee member, the representatives from the Downtown Association and Chamber and Staff members shared with the group their three top three choices of the eight proposals submitted. Two proposals were eliminated initially: Gibbs Planning Group and University of Wisconsin Extension Service. Of the remaining six, the group agreed that three clearly stood out Marketek, ERA and PUMA. Discussion ensued about each of these. Progressive Urban Management Associates They have done extensive, worked with similar communities and have intimate knowledge of the area, having successfully worked on the renewal of the Cedar Rapids SSMID last year. They understand the importance. of locally owned businesses in downtown. They seem focused on BIDs, SSMIDs as an outcome or solution to all downtown's problems and there was concern because of that, their focus might be limited. There was some concern that implementation strategies did not have an analysis component. Consensus was that their process was not clear enough. Other concerns were that there was not mention of lodging or entertainment and they may be too focused on retail. They talked about retail leakage in the proposal, which indicated their interest was too strong on retail and of competition or cannibalism of one local area on another. The leakage study suggested an approach of competition with other shopping areas in IC instead of a preferred focus on how downtown could improve its pull by improving market mix. c;:J Another concern was that they did not specify a timeline and that 9 visits seemed excessive. After thoughtful discussion, the committee agreed to set this one aside for now and not invite them for an interview at this time. Economics Research Associates (ERA) There was favorable discussion of ERA's apparent understanding of downtowns and college towns. Past studies Include Chapel Hill, NC and Austin, TX where the campus is integrated into the downtown. The project team is impressive. Melissa Mayer had experience In St. Louis which has come a long way. There were favorabie comments about their study of local policy for a framework of reference at the outset. Also about how their market analysis looks thorough, and their project task outline very good, and limeline -- excellent in 4 months. They also mention pull factors which the group noted has a better perspective that "leakage". The group indicated that they'd like to bring in the project team for an interview. Marketek Favorable comments included that they were results oriented. They also seemed tuned in to our interest on the arts and who we are from the beginning. They did their research. Broad scope which goes a little beyond - looking at ability to develop a creative cluster downtown. Good proposal presentation. Discussion ensued about surveys and how are they are conducted. Mailed surveys are expensive as shown by the detailed item in the proposal. Discussion to include specific questions about surveying in the interviews ensued. We should explore internet survey possibilities with the firm. Since surveys are an integral part of each of the proposals, we need to ensure that the expense of them will net the value that we want. We should ensure that the surveys are necessary, relevant, and conducted In order to achieve the goals we want. We should explore whether we could we get the same info with focus groups. There was consensus that there should be several questions about surveying techniques and tabulation in the interviews. The group agreed they'd like to bring in the project team for an interview. Interview process The committee decided to meets once early to assemble and assign interview questions on Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. Staff will schedule interviews with Marketek and Economics Research Associates on 2 different mornings chosen from Feb 27, March 1, 6, 7, or 8. Quellhorst offered the Chamber conference room as the location for the interviews. Ford will make invitations and begin due diligence. Council Time Adjournment I I I Council Economic Development Committee , I Attendance Record I 2007 i I I I Tenn Name Expires 1/23 2/09 Regeoia Bailey 01102/08 X X Bob Elliott 01102/08 X X I Connie Champion 01/02/08 X X i I I I I Key: X = Present 0 = Absent I OlE ~ Absent/Excused , i I I I I I i I I DRAFT JANUARY 2007 mw MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION JANUARY 16, 2006 205 SENIOR CENTER Others Present: Meeting called to order at 3:30 PM Robert Engel, David Gould, Jay Honohan, Betty Kelly, Sarah Maiers Nancy Wombacher Craig Buhman, Michelle Buhman, Linda Kopping, Susan Rogusky, Julie Seal Lynn Campbell Call to Order: Members Present: Members Absent: Staff Present: RECOMMENDA nONS TO COUNCIL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion: To approve the December minutes as distributed. Motion carried on a vote of 5-0. Engel/Gould PUBLIC DISCUSSION None COMMISSION ASSIGNMENTS Gould agreed to write the web article for today's meeting and to report on it to the Board of Supervisors. Honohan plans to attend the City Council's January Work Session for Boards and Commissions to discuss the projected FY08 operational budget. Maiers volunteered to write the web article summarizing the February 2007 meeting. STANDING COMMITTEE STATUS REPORT None of the standing Committees met since the December Commission meeting. OPERA nONAL REVIEW-Kopping Operations- Kopping Kopping reported that she has accepted and invitation to speak at the University of Iowa's Emeritus Faculty Council meeting next month. I DRAFT JANUARY 2007 Volunteer Programming- Rogusky Rogusky reported on the following topics: I. The operation and success of the Eldercraft Gift Shop needs to be reviewed. Volunteer clerks are still needed to staff the shop on an ongoing basis and customer traffic in the shop is not reaching expectations. 2. A participant committee is being created to look at room usage in the building and develop a room reallocation plan that will accommodate the use of one room for weight training equipment. Following their evaluation, the committee will make recommendations to the staff and Commission. 3. Volunteers in Senior Center Television continue to work with Intermedia students from the University of Iowa who provide training on new technology. 4. During the fall of2006, the members of the chorus decided to implement a participation fee that would generate enough revenue to provide the chorus director and accompanist with a small stipend. The fee was implemented in January 2007 and will be collected every 6 months thereafter. 5. Following the resignation of Richard Tiegs, Becky Fields has been hired to be the director of the Voices of Experience. Unfortunately, she is only available through the spring semester of this year, so they are already looking for a replacement. The University ofIowa's School of Music has been approached for help in permanently filling the position. General Programming- Seal Seal distributed list of programs (l_) offered since June of2006. She discussed the speakers she uses and asked the Commission for feedback on programming. Finances and Membership- M Buhman M. Buhman reported that over the past year, approximately 125 new people have purchased a Senior Center membership; however the total number of members has remained around 925. In light of this fact, M. Buhman and afternoon receptionist Larry Lynch conducted a telephone survey of participants whose memberships had expired between June I and October 31, 2006. The purpose of the survey was to find out why they decided not to renew their membership. By means of the telephone survey, it was found that a large number of people moved away without providing a forwarding address or phone number. Of those who Lynch was able to contact, most were very friendly and reported that they had not renewed because they had found other things to do, lacked money or simply forgot. Several p~ked to have another renewal form mailed to them. A summary ofthe responses (_) was distributed. Commissioners expressed support for this project and recommended that it be continued. Facility- C. Buhman C. Buhman evaluated the building as being in a "fair" condition and noted that several areas will require extensive work in the near future. The most pressing concern at the moment is the roof membrane, which needs to be replaced. In addition, the chiller and 2 DRAFT JANUARY 2007 boiler systems are aging and will need to be replaced at some point in the near future. C. Buhman suggested developing a comprehensive plan to replace the roof membrane, chiller and boiler simultaneously in order to save money. Additionally, all of the rest rooms in the building need work. Many of the stalls are not ADA accessible and will require renovation. He asked that the Commission keep an open mind when developing plans to update and renovate the building. COMMISSION DlSCUSSION-Honohan Engel visited the Board of Supervisors and City Council. Engel reported on the progress of the Promotion Committee and Community Outreach projects. Motion: To adjourn. KellyfMaiers-Motion carried on a vote of 5-0. 3 DRAFT JANUARY 2007 Senior Center Commission Attendance Record Year 2007 Name Term 1/16 Expires Bob Enael 12/31/08 X David Gould 12/31/08 X Jay Hanahan 12/31/07 X Betty KellY 12/31/07 X Sarah Maier 12/31/06 X Nancy Wombacher 12/31/06 OlE Key: X= 0= O/E= NM= Present Absent Absent/Excused No meeting Not a member 4 [!;J MINUTES Iowa City Airport Commission February 8, 2007 Iowa City Airport Terminal- 5:45 PM DRAFT Members Present: Randy Hartwig, Chair; John Staley; Janelle Rettig; Howard Horan, Greg Farris Staff Present: Sue Dulek, Michael Tharp, Karin Franklin Others Present: David Hughes, Earth Tech; Jay Honeck; Harrel Timmons and Phillip Wolford, Jet Air; Harry Wolf, Iowa Realty; Dan Yeager RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None DETERMINE QUORUM: Chairperson Hartwig called the meeting to order at 5:46 PM. Chairperson Hartwig then stated that he would like to move Item 4.A. to the top of the agenda as Karin Franklin from the City is present to discuss some ofthe issues raised at the previous meeting. A. Aviation Commerce Park - Karin Franklin gave Members a handout from the Zoning Code, to help explain the covenant questions that were raised by the Commission. Hartwig asked what would happen if they did remove any of the existing covenants, and Franklin stated that the zoning laws in force there are what is important. Franklin addressed the question that was raised regarding outdoor storage, stating that in the new zoning code, outdoor storage is allowed; however, this storage must be screened and she went on to explain what the zoning code implies. She stated that the Commission needs to decide how they want to handle this type of situation. Franklin then responded to Members' questions regarding the covenant restrictions versus zoning restrictions. Jay Honeck addressed the Commission about his plans for this area, stating that if they allow outdoor storage on the adjacent lot, it won't fit in with their plans for expanding the Alexis Park hotel and building a restaurant in this area. Franklin suggested that Honeck attend next week's Zoning Board meetings regarding the land use for this area - both Monday and Thursday evenings - to let his concerns be heard. Franklin then addressed various questions from Members, in regards to screening issues, zoning issues, and how they wish to proceed. Harry Wolf responded to Members' questions regarding the purchase agreements currently under review. Rettig discussed the possibility of a recommendation to remove the covenants on this land and go with the zoning codes in place, with the exclusion of Lot 5. Airport Commission February 8, 2007 Page 2 of6 Hartwig stated that he agrees with this, as well, and questioned ifhaving these stricter covenants is a hindrance to selling. The issue of the School District use was addressed briefly by Franklin, stating that the City is looking into this internally, and that the District will most likely have a year to find a new place for this storage. Rettig asked if they could table the discussion on covenants, pending the sale of Lot 5, since they have not yet been "officially" asked to remove the covenants. Wolf stated that the Lot 5 buyers are aware of these covenants. Franklin stated that the issue for the Airport Commission is to remember why they originally put these covenants in place and to decide if this is still relevant. Horan stated that he would be comfortable letting the covenants go and letting the CI-I zoning stand. The discussion continued with Wolf giving his opinions on the land use and subsequent zoning. (TAPE ENDS) Rettig made the motion that Lots 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 have the covenants removed from them, and maintain the covenant on Lot 5, stating that this would make them a "good neighbor" to the surrounding neighbors. No second was heard; motion died for lack of a second. The discussion continued, with Franklin responding to Members' concerns. Tharp stated that he is concerned about the view from the air, as well, and that he feels there was a reason for the initial covenants. Members continued to ask Franklin questions on zoning issues, with Wolfreading from zoning ordinances in question. Hartwig asked if Members were ready to decide on this issue or if they wanted more time to consider it. The general consensus by the Airport Commission Members was to review this before a final decision is made on either keeping or removing the covenants in place, and specifically on what lots. Wolf ended the discussion by telling the Commission that the level of interest in this land is higher than it has been, most likely due to increased activity in the area. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 11, 2007, MEETING: Hartwig asked if anyone had any corrections, changes, and/or additions to the minutes. Horan moved to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by Rettig. Carried 4-0, Farris abstaining. PUBLIC DISCUSSION: None. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION: A. Aviation Commerce Park - see above. B. FAAlIDOT Projects - Earth Tech - David Hughes a. Runway 7/25 - Hughes stated they are hoping to get construction underway again in the spring. The engineering agreement for the paving should be finished up in the next few weeks with the City. Airport Commission February 8, 2007 Page 3 of6 b. South Aviation Development Study - Hughes stated they do have the approval from the FAA on the forecast. They've gone back and revised the forecast slightly, in order to address some of the concerns that were raised regarding the initial waiting list of aircraft for hangar space, and the 20-year planning period. Hughes stated this would be covered when they prepare a 40-year plan in order to address the FAA's concerns. Hughes further stated that as he gets this drafted, he will seek the Members' opinions on this. c. South Taxilane Rehab - Hughes stated that they have done all of the field work on this project and have started development of plans. He is waiting for some items back from Geo Tech to see what they found in the core samples. They are planning to bid this in the early spring. d. Hangar A Rehab - Hughes stated that he would recommend they bid the floors under the bid laws that are going to be close to the dollar limit. Along with this, they did get approval from the State to spend money for door replacements in Hangar B. Due to the dollar limit on this, Hughes stated he would like to go through the quote process on this, combining the doors for A and B in the quote process. e. Terminal Apron Rehab - Hughes reports that that they haven't done much on this project, other than the Geo Tech in the field. Dulek addressed the Hagen parcel and what the holdup there is with a sign Issue. f. Obstruction Mitigation - Hughes stated that they have a couple proposals from Mid American Energy on how they want to go about relocating their line. He stated they are also starting their initial review in the field on what obstructions they have. (TAPE ENDS) Rettig asked for clarification on the amount spent thus far on obstruction mitigation. Hughes explained what this amount includes, stating that he can give the Members a breakdown on this. g. 405 Approach Surveys - Hughes noted that this is just a review process with the National USGS for conformity, stating that "405" is an FAA-named survey. C. FY2008 State Airport Improvement Program and General Aviation Vertical Infrastructure Grant Application - Tharp discussed this process with the Members, stating that everyone has a copy of the letter from the State regarding the grant application. He stated that the Commission needs to discuss any potential projects, such as the fuel pump issue and possibly a fueling station, that they would like to put on this grant application. He also suggested adding pavement improvements to this application, as well. A discussion ensued with Members talking about the most needed projects, and which funding would cover which projects. Rettig agreed that they should replace the fuel pump and add ajet fueling station, as well as perform major pavement upgrades. Timmons spoke to the Members about what size of jet would use this self-fueling area, and also helicopter use. Timmons also Airport Commission February 8, 2007 Page 4 of6 responded to Members' questions regarding typical usage at the Airport. Hartwig agreed that they need to identify what their needs are, and asked the Commission to let Tharp know of anything they want considered. Tharp reiterated the deadline for this grant application. D. Airport "Operations"; Strategic Plan-Implementation; Budget; and Airport Management - Hartwig noted that the Iowa City Aerohawks recently had a swap meet in conjunction with Jet Air, noting that several Members were present, as well. Tharp noted that he, Horan and Rettig met with some City staff and a Councilor recently and gave them a tour. Rettig asked if Tharp would check with the City on a bike rack, as she noted there is a bike outside the Airport at this evening's meeting. Tharp will let the Commission know. Rettig then questioned a line item on broom replacement, stating that she got some clarification on this. Staley asked for a clarification on a "welding" charge. Rettig asked about the Airport Management agreement term. Hartwig then noted that he, Tharp, and Rettig appeared at a City Council budget meeting recently, stating that Rettig went over the budget numbers for the Airport with the Council. Discussion continued regarding the Council's support for selling the Airport land for development and the various CIP projects. E. FBO Staff Report - Harrel Timmons with Jet Air spoke to the Commission regarding the fuel pump issue. He gave the Commission a brief history of the company that makes this style of pump, stating that recently he had received information regarding an upgrade for this pump. He stated that Phillip Wolford convinced them to give the Airport an extension to February 28, as this offer was to expire in January, and he passed around this information for the Members to read. He stated that Jet Air would propose going ahead with locking in this upgraded pump at the lower price of $4,995 and that they could then work out some kind of deal in paying them back, in order to have a $2,000 savings. Timmons added that in addition to the pump price there would be approximately a $1,000 installation fee that could possibly come out of Maintenance. He gave the Members further detail of this upgraded pump, responding to their questions. Hartwig stated that the Commission would have to look into an arrangement like this further, and he asked Tharp to put some numbers together on a trade-off type deal if Jet Air would purchase this pump. Staley motioned that they authorize the Chairperson to finalize this deal after numbers are come up with. No second was heard; motion dies. Rettig noted that she feels they would be able to get the grant they discussed earlier to pay for this and that they should continue with that plan, although it is unfortunate that the price is going up so soon. Timmons stated that a big concern is the fact that this pump is no longer being made, and that the company will no longer service it; therefore, it is crucial to replace it as soon as possible, before something major occurs. Another issue that Timmons brought up concerned a new quote on the jet fueling with putting the pump by Airport Commission February 8, 2007 Page50f6 the corner of the ramp. There are several items that need to be addressed, and were found during the estimate process. A brief discussion ensued, with Jet Air giving their concerns about this. Timmons then brought the project total to the Commission's attention, stating that they have had quotes as high as $88,769. Phillip Wolford then explained what the project would entail. Timmons added a comment about their Chief Pilot at Jet Air who died in a crash recently, stating that he was flying an old airplane when he crashed. F. Subcommittee Reports - Tharp noted that in the Members' packets there is a small questionnaire in regards to the newsletter. He stated that he will start doing a "spotlight" section in the next newsletter based on the Members' feedback on these. Rettig asked if they couldn't "spotlight" tenants, instead of Commission Members. (TAPE ENDS) Farris stated that he has been working on the viewing area plans. Rettig brought up an Iowa Arts' grant and the possibility of putting a piece of public art in the viewing area. COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: Hartwig noted his condolences to Blane Anderson's family, noting that he had flown with Blane several times in the past. Staley noted that Tharp has a card for the Commission Members to sign for the Anderson family and a brief discussion ensued regarding a contribution in Blane's name. Horan thanked Rettig for her recent presentation/tour. Rettig noted that Wendy Ford with the City's economic development would like some input on what type of businesses might be interested in the development of the Airport land. Rettig also noted that she will need an "excused absence" in July as she recently won a large poker tournament and will be in Las Vegas when the July meeting is scheduled. STAFF REPORT: None. SET NEXT REGULAR MEETING FOR MARCH 8, 2007, AT 5:45 P.M. ADJOURN: Meeting adjourned at 8:02 P.M. Airport Commission February 8, 2007 Page 6 of6 Airport Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2007 (Meetine Date) TERM 1/11 2/8 NAME EXP. Randy Hartwig 3/1/09 X X . Greg Farris 3/1/07 OlE X John Staley 3/1/10 X X Howard Horan 3/1/08 X X Janelle Rettig 3/1/12 X X . KEY: X = Present o = Absent OlE ~ AbsentlExcused NM ~ No meeting --- ~ Not a Member DRAFT MINUTES City ofIowa City Animal Care Task Force February 8, 2007 - 6:00 P.M. Meeting Room E -- Iowa City Public Library Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m. Members Present: Teresa Kopel, Paula Kelly, Pat Farrant, Lisa Drahozal Pooley Members Absent: Jane McCune Staff Present: Misha Goodman Others Present: Roxanne Schomers, Michelle Hickman Old Business: I. January 18, 2007 minutes unanimously approved as presented. 2. Committee Reports on Goal Setting Lisa Drahozal Pooley presented information on city code ordinances from other Big Ten cities as well as from Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. In relation to this topic, Misha Goodman explained ongoing discussions pertaining to licensing in Iowa City. Licenses can currently be renewed through the mail and credit cards are now accepted as payment. There has been some interest expressed in licensing onsite at veterinary clinics, however, the process, especially transfer of money and information, needs to be worked out. Teresa Kopel presented information on possibilities in the commercial arena including landlords, pet stores, puppy mills and veterinarians. Pat Farrant created a list of potential field headings for a database to collect information on the broad topic of spay/neuter programs. Misha Goodman also mentioned an existing fund, currently used toward the Animal Center's medical fund, which is collected when an unaltered license is purchased. Half of the $30.00 fee goes into this fund, which could potentially be used to help fund spay/neuters. Teresa Koppel suggested asking for donations at the Animal Center when transactions, such as the purchase of licenses, take place. OZ-ZZ-07 'P11 I Misha Goodman handed out the Animal Center fee schedule. She asked members to consider which fees might be raised as fee increases are currently on the table. New Business: 1. Spay Day February 28, 2007 Misha Goodman related that there is good media coverage for the event. The target number is 40 cats and 20 dogs. The dog schedule is already filled. Other services offered will include microchipping, rabies vaccine at a reduced cost, and other vaccines at a reduced cost. Dr. Jen Doll and Dr. Dennis will be the participating veterinarians. Support is being provided by Johnson County Humane Society, Friends of the Animal Center Foundation, Pit Bull Rescue Central, Humane Society of the United States, and Spay Iowa. 2. Project Discussion Members will work to further define spay/neuter goals. Lisa Drahozal Pooley: _ Will send any fee information from ordinances and all information from report to members. - Will write up relevant ordinances from survey that would work in Iowa City. Teresa Kopel: - Will contact the City Clerk about the resolution of fees. - Will look into doing a survey to landlords concerning allowing pets and will contact Bonnie Hendrickson of the Iowa City Area Realtors Association for information on landlord associations. Misha Goodman: -Will send fee information from earlier research for comparison Paula Kelly: -Will talk to BEBT about how onsite licensing might work in their facility Michelle Hickman: Will find out about permits for a business such as street vendors with relation to other permit fees for businesses. All members: Will consider database fields we could add to the spay/neuter program database. All members: Will review the Animal Center fee schedule and compare to other fees 3. Set next agenda Agenda for February 22, 2007 Old Business: 2 1. Approve Minutes of February 8, 2007 2. Continue Committee discussion 3. Spay Day update New Business: 1. Misha to present Animal Center statistics from 2003 to current 2. Misha Goodman update on current license discussion with vets and City 3. County Contract discussion update 4. Set next agenda Meeting was adjourned at 8:17 P.M. 3 DRAFT ~ MINUTES IOWA CITY BOARD OF APPEALS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2007 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, IOWA CITY CITY HALL 410 E. WASHINGTON STREET MEMBERS PRESENT: John Roffman, Steve Buckman, Gary Haman, AI Gerard, Doug DuCharme and Tim Fehr MEMBERS ABSENT: Chad Campion STAFF PRESENT: Tim Hennes (Sr. Building Inspector), Loren Brumm (Building Inspector), Roger Jensen (Fire Marshal), Sue Dulek (Asst. City Attorney), Jann Ream (Code Enforcement Assistant acting as minute taker) OTHERS PRESENT: Chad Mellinger and Kurt Simeno (3920 Buckingham) Marcus Parrot (public) RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Roffman called the meeting to order at 4:02 PM CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES: Minutes from the January 18, 2007 meeting were reviewed. Minutes were approved with a unanimous vote 6-0. Appeal the decision of the Buildina Official because there are practical difficulties involved in carrvina out the provisions of the code. (3920 Buckinaham Lane) Hennes handed out the local amendment concerning egress windows to the Board members so they were aware of the code as it is written in the 2003 International Residential Code and the local amendments. Hennes explained that, although the actual verbiage has changed from code cycle to code cycle, the Building Code has always intended that an egress window exit directly to the exterior. The Building department has always interpreted and enforced the code that way. The issue at 3920 Buckingham is that bedrooms on the main floor and the basement level exit into screen porches - not directly to the exterior. Hennes talked about a previous situation in the Village Green subdivision on three properties where the plans showed an egress window exiting to an open DRAFT porch (which is allowed) but, when the final inspections were done, inspectors saw that the porches had been screened. In this instance, the City required an Affidavit of Use that required the area directly across from the egress window to remain clear and free of screening. Because of the current situation, it has been brought to the Building Department's attention that screens have been replaced on the porches of these properties in violation of the Affidavit of Use. This will be a separate enforcement action that the Building Department will pursue. It is not a precedent to allow the situation in front of the Board at this time. Although the current violation at 3920 Buckingham Lane was not noted during the initial plan review, it was brought to the contractor and owner's attention during the framing inspection. Because of the floor plan and the advanced stage of the construction, a workable solution has not been agreed upon and the contractor, Chad Mellinger, has brought his appeal to the Board. Mellinger stated that he did not disagree with the Building Department's interpretation that the egress windows need to exit directly to the exterior. The problem was that it was not discovered during plan review and now, because of the advanced stage of construction, it would be very costly to change the plan. The bedroom and porch are framed, electrical is roughed in, and the porch and house roof is shingled. He felt that he, as the contractor, was to blame for not catching the problem. But he also felt that the designer and the Building Department were equally to blame for also not catching the problem during the plan review stage. He did not feel that the homeowner should be penalized for everyone else's mistakes. He asked that they be allowed to install a removable panel in the screened area close to the egress window. This panel would pop out with ease and be labeled so both the occupants and the Fire Department would know it was there. Hennes stated that there was always the option not to screen the porch but just leave it as an open covered porch. That would be acceptable. Mellinger stated that the homeowners wanted a screen porch. If the mistake had been caught earlier in plan review, it would have been fairly simple to move the location of the porch -now it is not. Buckman asked for clarification. He wondered if the problem applied to both the bedroom on the main floor and the one in the basement. Hennes responded yes. Buckman then asked if that meant that a bedroom could never open to a screen porch. Hennes said no -a bedroom could open to a screen porch as long as there was an additional window that exited directly to the exterior. DuCharme asked if the stamp that stated "Plan Review may not reflect all code deficiencies" was applied to the plans during plan review. Hennes responded yes. Du Charme asked if it was possible to make the screen porch narrower by moving a wall of the porch. Mellinger said that would be difficult since the roof was built and shingled. DRAFT Roffman asked if the other wall of the bedroom was an exterior wall. Hennes explained that it was a common wall with the garage. Brumm stated that another option would be to box out an open alcove in front of the window under the existing porch roof or just screen half of the porch and leave the other half open. The roof itself is not an issue. Roffman explained to the applicants that the Board can only approve a modification to the code if all of the criteria are met. One of those criteria is that the modification does not lessen the fire protection requirements. Mellinger thought that his proposal of a removable panel did meet the intent of the code. Fire Marshal Jensen stated he felt it would lessen the fire protection and that allowing the appeal would be a misinterpretation of the code. Discussion occurred concerning various options that would be permitted. Hennes stated that he would want to see an actual plan before any approval for an alternate design was given. MOTION: Haman moved to deny the appeal because there are other solutions and the proposed modification would lessen fire protection requirements. Fehr seconded. DISCUSSION: Hennes stated that the intent of the code was to have an egress window open through an exterior wall. The previously mentioned resolution with Affidavits of Use on the other properties would not be an acceptable alternative in this case. Simone stated that he did not think it was fair that he should be penalized because the architect, the contractor and the plan reviewer all originally missed the problem. Roffman stated that he empathized with the homeowner but that the Board could only approve the appeal if it met all of the criteria to allow the modification. Roffman thought the best solution would be to box out an alcove since that would allow most of the screen porch area to stay. VOTE: The Board voted 6-0 to deny the appeal. OTHER BUSINESS: Hennes informed the Board that the Regina booster club had requested that their appeal concerning accessibility be deferred to the March meeting since they still had not discussed accepting the City's proposal. MOTION: Gerard moved to defer the appeal until the March meeting. Haman seconded. The motion was approved with a unanimous vote 6-0. The next meeting date was set for March 5, 2007 DRAFT Hennes also brought the Board up to date on the issue of retrofitting existing A2 occupancies with sprinkler, voice alarm systems and wider exits/entrances. Public meetings have been scheduled for February 13th (7:00PM - 9:00PM) and 20th (2:00PM - 4:00PM) in Room A of the Public Library and informational letters have gone out to all A2 occupancies in Iowa City. This included A2 occupancies that serve alcohol and those that don't. DuCharme requested that a draft of the actual proposed ordinance be available for a few days before the March 5th meeting. Various Board members had questions about how flexible the ordinance could be. Hennes stated that their specific questions should be discussed at the next meeting. Buckman said that the specifics are important in defining what actually will need to be done, how much it will cost and which contractors and designers would be appropriate. Hennes suggested it might be helpful to invite some actual alarm and sprinkler contractors to the public meetings. Jensen stated all of that information will be in power point presentation he was preparing for the public meetings. ADJOURNMENT: Gerard moved to adjourn the meeting. Haman seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 5:00PM John Roffman, Board of Appeals Chairperson Date Board of Appeals Attendance Record 2006 NAME TERM EXPIRES Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07 Apr-07 Gary Haman 12/31/2007 x x Steve Buckman 12/31/2011 x x Doug DuCharme 12/31/2009 x x Tim Fehr 12/31/2008 x x John Roffman 12/31/2007 x x Chad Campion 12/31/2008 0 0 AI Gerard 12/31/2010 x x KEY X = present o = absent O/E = absenVexcused NM = No meeting _ = not a member lOW A CITY TELECOMMUNICA nONS COMMISSION DRAFT MONDAY, JANUARY 22--5:30 P.M. CITY CABLE TV OFFICE, 10 S. LINN ST.-TOWER PLACE PARKING FACILITY (][] MEMBERS PRESENT: Saul Mekies, Nicholas Parker, Margaret Wieting, Gary Hagen, Brett Gordon MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Drew Shaffer, Dale Helling, Bob Hardy, Mike Brau OTHERS PRESENT: Beth Fisher, Josh Goding, Craig O'Brien, Lee Grassley RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL None at this time. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Grassley reported that Iowa Senate Government Oversight Committee will be holding a hearing regarding the dispute between Sinclair and Mediacom. The CEOs of both companies will be present. Grassley said that on the state level that a statewide franchising bill very similar to the one promoted last session by Qwest is in draft form. The FCC recently announced that they will be issuing rules designed to streamline the franchising process. Shaffer has been participating in weekly conference calls with people from around the country to share information and develop strategies to deal with deregulatory legislation that is being promoted by telecommunications companies in state legislatures. Shaffer said he and Mekies have been working on a presentation for the City Council's budgeting process. Included in the presentation will be an overview of the City Cable TV Division budget and why there are reserve funds and why it is important for them to remain intact. Mekies will be addressing the Council Thursday evening. Mekies said it is important to inform the Council of the range of cable activities. Shaffer reported that the FCC approved the ATT/SBC merger. As part of that agreement the parties agreed to the principle of network neutrality for Internet services. The FCC recently took steps towards national franchising in a rulemaking that would limit a municipality from requiring full build-out of infrastructure, put a 5% cap on all fees, set a 90 day time limit to negotiate a franchise, and remove consumer protection enforcement from municipalities. In Iowa City P A TV's operating subsidy and the $0.55 pass-through would exceed the 5% limit. The rules have yet to be published. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Hagen moved and Gordon seconded a motion to approve the December 18,2006 minutes. The minutes were approved unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS Mekies commended the City Cable TV staff for the program on the Sinclair/Mediacom dispute and said it was very well done and informative. Mekies referred to the transcript of an interview regarding wi-fi in the meeting packet which noted that a number of countries are ahead of the U.S. in adopting wi-fi. Parker said that urban sprawl and the geographic nature in the U.S. have made adoption slower than in more dense countries. This is demonstrated in the G3 broadband cell phone coverage. SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSUMER ISSUES Shaffer referred to the complaint report in the meeting packet and noted there were 10 total complaints and that all that could be resolved have been. Shaffer said he received a number of compliments on the Sinclair/Mediacom program. MEDIACOM REPORT Grassley reported that the Iowa Senate Government Oversight Committee will be holding a hearing regarding the dispute between Sinclair and Mediacom. The CEOs of both companies will be present. Grassley said that he participated in a conference call that included Senators Inouye, Grassley, Leahy, and Rocco Commmissio, CEO of Media com. Inouye was chair of the committee that developed the must carry/retransmission consent law. Inouye said that at that time he was asked what would happen if an agreement could not be reached and he replied that the bill anticipated arbitration. The dispute between Sinclair and Time Warner for retransmission consent on their systems was resolved at the last minute before the Sinclair stations were to be taken off the systems. Mediacom issued a press release saying they would accept the terms reached in the Time Warner agreement sight unseen. Grassley said that on the state level that a statewide franchising bill very similar to the one promoted last session by Qwest is in draft form. The FCC recently announced that they will be issuing rules designed to streamline the franchising process. Mekies asked about the retransmission consent negotiations between Sinclair and Comcast. Grassley said that those negotiations are continuing. Hagen asked how many customers Mediacom has lost. Grassley said that the chum numbers are about 5-7% higher than normal. Grassley said 20,000 antennas have been given away by Mediacom in Iowa. Overall Grassley said that Mediacom is pleased with the overall consumer reaction to their efforts. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA REPORT Shaffer reported that McBride emailed him that he would be unable to attend. A copy of the University channel's annual report was included in the meeting packet. PATVREPORT Goding reported that the next Open Channel program will be Jan. 31 from 6-9. The next Guidelines class will be Feb. II and the next studio class Feb. 28 from 6-9. The next Board meeting will be Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. Goding, Shaffer, and Gordon have been working on a survey of PEG channels in Iowa that inquires how they are organized and their revenue streams. KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE REPORT O'Brien reported that student productions will be gearing up after the semester break. Students will be covering Kirkwood's basketball game on Feb. 10. Development has started on 3-5 minute programs on some of the educational programs at Kirkwood. A jazz Christmas special was produced that put video to the jazz music selected by KCCK radio. Work is continuing on moving to a digital server for program transmission. Mekies asked about the proportion of educational to entertainment programming. O'Brien said about 20% of the programming is academic in nature. SENIOR CENTER REPORT Shaffer said Rogusky em ailed him that she would be unable to attend. IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS REPORT No representative was present. Mekies noted that there was no programming on the channel after 9 p.m. Mekies said that the channel space is very valuable and in high demand and that the schools are not doing as much as they could with the channel. Mekies noted that the job description was included in the meeting packet. Shaffer said he was glad to see that the description included supervising students. Finding someone with all of the job skills required will be difficult. Hagen said that if a national or statewide franchising process were to eliminate the City's existing franchise it is possible that only 3 channels would be available to communities. Mekies said the schools are putting themselves in a place where they would be a possible choice for elimination. Mekies asked if the schools had contacted Hardy to discuss the recommendations he developed regarding equipment for the schools. Hardy said he had not been contacted. LIBRARY REPORT Fisher referred to the quarterly report included in the meeting packet. There were some problems in transferring data from their old server to their new one. The new series of international programs on Mondays will be beginning soon. The library has been experiencing equipment failures with the remote control system in Meeting Room A. CITY MEDIA UNIT REPORT Hardy reported that the Media Unit and the Community Television Service have been a bit slower as expected in December. The Media Unit was asked to tape the 7 Y, hour City Council budget hearing. The program will be split up into several programs. The first League of Women Voters Legislative Forum will be shot in January and every month thereafter while the Iowa General Assembly is in session. A new piece of equipment purchased with Community Television Group funds has been received and tested. The equipment allows graphics to be inserted while taping which greatly reduces post production time. The CTS will be taping a program with an agricultural economist on how food production can contribute to economic development, a lecture celebrating the State Historical Society's l50'h anniversary, a music competition benefit for the Emma Goldman Clinic at the Englert Theater. More programs are now being offered through streaming video on the citychannel4 website and on Infovision. CABLE ADMINISTRATOR REPORT Shaffer thanked Goding and Gordon for their assistance in conducting the survey of access operations around Iowa. Shaffer has been participating in weekly conference calls with people from around the country to share information and develop strategies to deal with deregulatory legislation that is being promoted by telecommunications companies in state legislatures. Shaffer said that after looking at the access channel's quarterly reports he was impressed with how much programming is being accomplished. CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION Shaffer said he and Mekies have been working on a presentation for the City Council's budgeting process. Included in the presentation will be an overview of the City Cable TV Division budget and why there are reserve funds and why it is important for them to remain intact. Mekies will be addressing the Council Thursday evening. Mekies said it is important to inform the Council of the range of cable activities. MEDIA COM/SINCLAIR DISPUTE Mekies noted that this item was discussed under previous agenda items. LEGISLA TIVE, FCC, AND LEGAL UPDATE Shaffer reported that the FCC approved the ATT/SBC merger. As part of that agreement the parties agreed to the principle of network neutrality for Internet services. The FCC recently took steps towards national franchising in a rulemaking that would limit a municipality from requiring full build-out of infrastructure, put a 5% cap on all fees, set a 90 day time limit to negotiate a franchise, and remove consumer protection enforcement from municipalities. In Iowa City PATV's operating subsidy and the $0.55 pass-through would exceed the 5% limit. The rules have yet to be published. WI-FI Mekies noted that there was a memo from Crawley in the meeting packet regarding wi-fi. Shaffer said Crawley had to devote a lot of time to debugging the playback system and was unable to get a full list of hot spots. Mekies said the list will never be perfect and will need constant updating. Parker said that in a few years he expects free wi-fi will be readily available and there will be web sites that will offer advanced mapping services. Wireless may make a technological leap with the wi-max, which has a much-extended range. ADJOURNMENT Wieting moved and Hagen seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Adjournment was a 6:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Drew Shaffer Cable TV Administrator TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 12 MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD 01/01/03 to CURRENT Meeting Date Kimberly Saul Meikes Brett Castillo Terry Smith JlmPusaek Thrower 6/2/03 x x x x x 7/28/03 x x x x x 8/25/03 x x x x ole 9/22/03 x x x x ole 10/27/03 x x x x ole 11/24/03 x x ole x x 12/15/03 ole ole x x x 1/2/04 x ole x x x 1/26/04 x x x x x 2/23/04 x ole x ole x 3/22/04 x x x x x 41 26/04 x x x x O/C 5/24/04 x x O/C x x 6/28/04 x x x ole x 7/26/04 ole x x x x 8/26/04 did not meet did not meet did not meet did not meet did not meet 9/27/04 X X X X X 10/25/04 X X 11/04 Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet X X X X X 12/20/04 1124/05 X X X X X 2/28/05 X X X X Garv Hagen 3/8/05 X X X X X 3/25/05 X 0 X X X 4/25/05 x ole X X X 5/23/05 X 0 x vaeanev X James X x Bebe x Ehrmann Balantvne 6/27/05 X x X X X x Michael Chritians 7/25/05 0 X X X X 9/26/05 0 X X 0 X 10/31/05 X X ole X X 11/28/05 X X X X X 1/23/06 ole X X 0 X 2.27/06 X X X 0 X 3/27/06 ole X X John X Weaterson X 4/24/06 X X X X X 5/22/06 0 x x10 0 X 6/26/06 0 X Vacant 0 X Nick Parker 7/24/06 x x x X 8/24/06 X x M. Wietina ole X 9/25/06 x x x Ole x 10/23/06 x X x ole X 1 0/30/06 x x x vacant X 11/27/09 x x x x 12.18/06 X X X X Brett Gordon 1/22/07 X X X X x (X) = Present (0) = Absent (O/C) = Absent/Called (Excused) _.__.________.____~__,__._.._,~__u__... __~.__~________.._____,.__.____,__..".~___._._."..,._~___.__.,.~________.__~~___..__~~__..___~..._.___