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Home My WebLink About2007-02-20 Transcription #2 ITEM 2 Wilburn: Karr: Rossie: Wilburn: Page 1 PROCLAMATION. a) Special Olympics Month - March 2007 (reads proclamation) Here to make introductions is Joyce Rossie from the University ofIowa Hospitals and Clinics. I would like to thank the Council for once again giving our Special Olympics' athletes the recognition they so deserve by making March Special Olympics' Month. Sergeant Eunice Shriver founded Special Olympics in 1968 with less than 100 participants in the first competition in Chicago. Special Olympics Iowa has served Iowans with intellectual disabilities for 39 years and in 2006, Iowa provided training and competition for 22 sports for 12,500 athletes from across the State of Iowa. I would like to introduce tonight.. . our coach is Mike Lightbody, our intern is Melissa Wagner, our athletes are Traci Long and Shelly Wade, and both of them competed in National Games and won many, many medals. We have James Shrock, Mary Kay Eckerman, Mary Ruth Arensdorf, Brian Bates - and Brian is also one of our Global Messengers. We have several competitions coming up - the midwinter tournament is March 9th and loth at the University of Iowa Fieldhouse. The midwinter tournament will bring over 1,000 Special Olympics' athletes and their coaches to the Iowa City area to compete in basketball, basketball skills, cheerleading, gymnastics, and power lifting. Once the athletes arrive in Iowa City, all their expenses are covered through the proceeds of all of our fundraising events. All funds raised in this area are used to offset expenses for the midwinter tournament. We have a new and exciting fundraising event this year. It's the Polar Plunge, it's March 24th (laughter) at the Coralville Reservoir. If any of you would like to join us, please feel free. So far, we have a Johnson County Sheriffs Department, Iowa City and Coralville PD, L.L. Pelling, and University ofIowa. So, feel free to sponsor your guys next door. We also have a sponsor and athlete campaign where businesses donate and help us provide the lodging for our athletes. Our Swing With the Celebrities Steve Alford Golf Tournament is in its 6th year and it's May 14th at the Amana Golf Course. We would like to thank our event sponsors, which are L.L. Pelling, Hills Bank, and Iowa Speedway. I distributed a small piece of paper, and I would like to recite the Special Olympics oath with us. We begin with let me win (several talking), but ifI cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. (several talking) Thank you again. Thank you, and congratulations to you all. Thanks for your hard work. (applause) I think we can all remember this pledge during City Council election time. (laughter) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #3 Page 2 ITEM 3 STATE OF CITY MESSAGE. Wilburn: Unfortunately the Citizenship Award recipients were all sick this evening, so we wish them well- get better - and thank you for not bringing it down here this evening. I did want to say "welcome" to Troop 218, Boy Scout Troop, and good luck with your Citizenship and Communication badges this evening. Looks like there's an insertion here before we get on with the rest of the agenda. It's the State of the City Address. (reads address) Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #4 Page 3 ITEM 4 CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED. O'Donnell: So moved. Bailey: Move adoption. Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell, seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Bailey: We need to make a note that all of the public hearings that are being set tonight that are indicated, they will be on March 5th instead of March 6th Wilburn: I think you just did. Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Page 4 ITEM 6 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. a) CONDITIONALLY REZONING APPROXIMATELY.2 ACRES OF PROPERTY LOCATED WEST OF DIANA STREET AND SOUTH OF KIRKWOOD AVENUE, FROM LOW DENSITY SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (RS-5) TO COMMERCIAL OFFICE (CO-I). (REZ06-00027) 1. PUBLIC HEARING Wilburn: This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed. 2. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Bailey: Move first consideration. O'Donnell: Second. Wilburn: Moved by Bailey, seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Bailey: I know that we've had discussion about commercial encroaching into this neighborhood, but it seems like there's neighborhood support for this and I think it makes a lot of sense to square off that commercial property. So, I will be supporting this tonight, and I commend Lensing Funeral Home for having a neighborhood meeting regarding this. I think that really helped in the process. Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 ITEM 6 Wilburn: Craven: Page 5 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. b) CONDITIONALLY REZONING APPROXIMA TEL Y 1.03- ACRES OF PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1902 & 1906 BROADWAY STREET FROM COMMERCIAL OFFICE (CO-I) TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (CC-2). (REZ06-00028) 1. PUBLIC HEARING This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. Good evening. I'm Dennis Craven, Vice President of Southgate Development Services. Weare the applicant for this rezoning request, and I'd like to make a couple of comments and then be available to answer any questions that you may have. First off, I'd like to thank staff for the time and effort that they've taken in this application. There has been a significant amount of resources applied to this and a significant amount of compromise to get to the site plan that was approved by Planning and Zoning, and then subsequently we believe even improved through the interaction with staff after that. So, I wanted to thank them for that. Some comments in support of this. I think that the obvious concern is the transition from and issues to the multi-family residential to the south. The property directly to the south is owned by HACAP. HACAP spoke out in favor of this rezoning at the Planning and Zoning meeting, and actually issued a letter which I don't know if that was included in your packet or not. HACAP themselves are in favor of this use on this site and they are fine with the site plan and the 35-foot buffer. We also asked HACAP to survey their tenants to get their input and the response we got back from HACAP said that they had no negative input from their tenants about this use in this location. In fact, the comment that we received from them is that one of the main reasons they're in support of this is that it adds job potential for their tenants, within walking distance, and that's a real big deal to.. . many of their tenants do not have vehicles and this just gives them more opportunities to secure work. In addition, I wanted to point out that the 35-foot buffer doesn't start at the property line. The 35-foot buffer actually starts 12 Y, feet north of the property line. There's a 12 Y, foot access/easement between Southgate and HACAP, and so from the property line there's 12 Y, feet and then a minimum of 35-foot buffer beyond that, and in some places, I think that buffer extends to well over 40 feet. So, from the actual HACAP housing units, you have parking lot, you have driveway, you have this 25-foot easement, 12 Y, is there, 12 Y, is Southgate's, and then you have a 35-foot buffer, before you actually get to the property that's. . .. that would be for commercial use. I ask that you also, when you consider this, consider the fact that what's on the other side of this property is pretty intense, Highway 6 is probably one ofthe most intense arterials in town, 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles a day. As was mentioned in the work session, there's a very high probability that we're This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. ~-",,,,,--------~----~~-~'----'-~----~---~--'-'" - -- ----,------~--_.." -- -_._-_.._._._..~--_._._._-----------"_._-----_._--_.-------..-- #6 Page 6 going to take Coronet Apartments down, whether this use is approved or not. So, we've been marketing this property for redevelopment for over 12 months. All of the uses that, all of the serious inquiries that we've had have been from CC-2 users, not CO-I. So, the possibility exists that if this redevelopment doesn't occur, we will take Coronet down and HACAP will then be exposed directly to the highway. That was another comment that HACAP made to us. They felt that this buffer was actually less intrusive to them, than if we take Coronet down and now they're exposed directly to the highway. So I'd ask that you take that into consideration. Urn, also, as I'm sure you're aware, Southgate has invested significant amount of money in this neighborhood over the past five years. Pepperwood redevelopment, as well as the redevelopment of the Cedarwood Apartments, which we believe was very successful. Weare committed to continue to spend more money in the neighborhood. This is part of, this is part ofthat process, and I ask that you consider that. Also point out that at Planning and Zoning, the two most vocal supporters for this rezoning were the two Planning and Zoning members who lived in the neighborhood. Both of them were very vocal about the need to continue to redevelop the neighborhood, and both saw this as a use that was very, very positive to enhance the neighborhood. So, I ask that you consider that, as well. Just another comment - CO-I zone would allow us to put residential above office, and because of this comer, there'd be a decent chance that if we do have to develop this property as CO-I, that would happen - that we would put residential upstairs and now you've got residential directly, right next to the highway, and so, you know, I guess I ask that you consider what's the, you know, what's the worst scenario- having a 35-foot buffer with a solid wall between this commercial use and the residential, or having residential use right on the highway. And also, in regards to the CO-I use, there's only a IO-foot buffer requirement in a CO-l use, so we could redevelop this without rezoning, put up a fairly substantial office building, and actually be a little more intrusive, I think, to HACAP than we would with this use, and the buffer that's been requested. So, that's the extent of my comments. Again, I'd be more than willing to respond to any questions that you may have. Elliott: Mr. Craven, you have caused me some concern, because earlier tonight I expressed serious reservations about this, about a drive-in just across the street from the apartment house, but in your remarks tonight, you remarked that people from HACAP were in favor of this. They saw benefits to it that two Planning and Zoning people from that neighborhood were in favor to it, so. . . I still would prefer to have some time to think this over, but you have said some things tonight that cause me to, I think at this point perhaps reverse my concerns about it, because to me it seems that the worst possible thing from my perspective to go in there across from an apartment house is a drive-in, but what you've said has, has caused me to rethink that, at least. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. ~ P.7 Craven: I understand. Your comments at the work session gave me a fair amount of concern too. That was mutual, yeah.. . again, HACAP is in favor of this. Just one other comment, Bob, to follow up on that, and this hasn't been... with the, we probably have nine months in putting this deal together. Fairly complex deal. We have multiple property owners, and because of some time constraints on our user, we can't delay. If we have a delay in this, we're going to lose the deal and we're going to be back to ground zero. So, Ijust want to make sure that you're aware of that. Wilburn: Would anyone else care to address the Council on the public hearing? Klein: Hi, I'm Garry Klein, 628 2nd Avenue, and I was at the Planning, the first Planning and Zoning meeting for, where this project was proposed. I am, I have to say two things. One is, the benefits are tremendous based on what I'm hearing in terms of what could happen to this property. What I find troublesome is that there is a possibility that we'll lose 34 units of affordable housing in our community. None of us, the one thing that I don't hear in anyone's plan is what we'll do about that. Now I understand there's really nothing that can be done, other than to express that that's a reality. Now, how do we as a community address situations like that in the future? I think that's really an issue for the Council to take on in your future work. Thank you for your time. Wilburn: Thank you for your comments. Would anyone else care to address the Council, the public hearing for this item? Before I close the public hearing, I think I need to hear some comments from Council, because if we go against the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission, then I'm going to need, we'll need to meet with them and I would also have to keep the.. . continue the public hearing. So... Champion: Well, I was going to suggest that we go with the more stringent buffer that staff recommended, but after listening to Dennis, I've decided to go with the Planning and Zoning recommendation. Correia: I'm not supportive of the recommendation. I certainly think that redevelopment is a priority in this area, urn, but as Karin said at the work session, the first question is, is this appropriate...is it appropriate to make this change? I think we don't have CC-2 so close with this use, so close to residential. There are other opportunities for CC-2 development in this, right in this vicinity. I drove by Pepperwood Plaza today. There're out- lots available, at least I saw a sign that said out-lots were available. I imagine that's CC-2 right there. There are properties on Keokuk Street. I certainly appreciate that the Coronet Apartments are not salvageable. They were built in 1966, there're structural issues, they're not ADA compliant and all ofthat, and it has been a non-conforming use since This represents only a reasonably accnrate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. -_.._----------_._-,--~._---~---,_._.._------~---_._--..~,--,-_._-----_..._.~-----_..---..~---- #6 Page 8 1966, so essentially, it's been operating as a residential area, and I think that this, while we need to think of the impact on the development and homes right next door in the HACAP, those are the most transitional folks on that street. The average length of stay in those apartments are, you know, 8 to 12 months. There're other impacts on development. I was at the neighborhood center today and staff let me know that other folks that live on Broadway Street have reservations about this, so we certainly aren't hearing representative ofthe entire neighborhood. There's going to be impacts beyond, behind the residential, on Taylor Drive. There's a high impact proposal, lots of noise and traffic, and so I'm just concerned. While I'd like to see some redevelopment here, and I think that there may be some other potential redevelopment options, I'm not supporting a CC-2 encroachment this close, and there are examples of residential, in terms of right along a highway. The Lodge is an example. There's other apartments right on Highway I, above community commercial, or community, so there's certainly are instances in the community where we have apartments above commercial use. So, I'm not supporting the change. O'Donnell: Well, I am going to support it. Dennis, I appreciated your comments tonight. I like the idea of creating new jobs. I think Southgate has done a tremendous job in bringing back the entire Pepperwood area, and I think this is another piece of the puzzle. So, I happily support it. Bailey: I won't be supporting this. I don't think that we need an expansion of CC- 2 in the area. From a simple economic development sort of perspective, I think CO-I is the more appropriate use. Broadway makes a nice buffer, and I believe that it makes a nice buffer with residential. I have experienced residential abutting CC-2, actually a drive-through restaurant, and there was more than a 50-foot buffer and it doesn't mitigate the noise, it doesn't mitigate the lights, I believe, even with our standards, I don't think that would be mitigated or that impact. Now, I appreciate the fact that we're talking about jobs here, but let us remember that we're talking about a restaurant, and so these are not necessarily high-paying jobs. I appreciate that Southgate has done a lot in this area to redevelop it. I'm sure that there are additional job opportunities and others can be created in the area that's zoned CC-2. So, I don't think that this is an appropriate rezoning, and I don't think it's an appropriate use. Bob brought up an interesting point. Would we be considering this question ifit were another neighborhood in our community, and I think that bears some consideration. Vanderhoef: I'll be supporting this rezoning. With our Comprehensive Plan, we look at arterials and collector streets, specifically for this kind of activity, that's on the border of neighborhoods, but certainly out front where the traffic does not go through the neighborhood. I think about what it might look This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Page 9 like with commercial and housing up above, in comparison what the one- story Coronet Apartments were in that neighborhood, and if you're familiar with the area, you look at the topography and it's downhill, so if we put commercial on the first floor and then raised apartments up above, they are right up there where they get the highway noises. I think we have done and shown that we can control the lighting, and that we site them, and change lighting if we don't meet our standard of x-number of candlelight at the center of the street, or from the boundary line, and in this case, the HACAP has a parking lot adjacent to this. So I think we can certainly control the lighting in there. There's still an undeveloped lot to the east that, ifthis is in place, certainly the new developer for that property will have the option of choosing that lot or not choosing that lot. So I think that this is a good, walkable place. I see beginner jobs for our young people that don't have transportation, parents don't have transportation for them, to start their jobs, and I think this will be a positive for that neighborhood. So, I'll support it. Correia: Just to clarify, the Coronet Apartments are two-story. Did you say one- story? Vanderhoef: I did say one story, and I'm sorry, but they are down so that they, down the hill from the highway. Yeah, it goes down. Correia: And just for the public's.. . across the street there, right on the Highway 6, is a CO-I. Karin, is that correct? Commercial on the bottom and apartments up above, much.. . actually closer to Highway 6 than the area that we're discussing. So... Bailey: Well, and Apartments are down the road on Highway 6. I really don't think we (unable to hear). Correia: And there are certainly opportunities for additional CC-2 development in this neighborhood, that would provide the type of jobs that we're talking about, the potential providing here. I mean, you just go around that neighborhood, there are businesses, lots for sale, businesses for sale, that can be used or. . . Wilburn: .. . questions for.. .I'm sorry, were you finished? Okay, I have a question for staff. Karin, could you come forward, please? Champion: .. .Bob.. .he didn't comment yet. Elliott: Well, while Karin's walking up, it's not without some trepidation, but in my mind, I will be supportive ofthis, and it, because of the support from HACAP, the support from the people in the community, and also, it previously was outweighed in my mind, the job that Southgate has done This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Wilburn: Franklin: Wilburn: Correia: Elliott: Champion: Dilkes: Correia: Page 10 with that commercial area, I'm very pleased with what has happened in that commercial area, and while as I say I have some reservations, I think the positives outweigh the negatives on this. Karin, I'm sorry. The question I have in considering this rezoning, your advice earlier was taking a look at, given a particular zone, the, I supposed, the highest impact situation one would look at. With the existing zoning, the CO-I, what is the, what's the highest impact, in terms of the concerns that are addressed, you know, if we don't change this and, you know, they were to go back to the drawing board with a project, what in the existing zoning are we talking about, in terms of some ofthose concerns about impact, negative... potential negative impact. Well, probably a sit-down restaurant. Just because the hours of operation are likely to be into the evening, beyond what an office use would be. So that's, that's the thing that seems to me to probably be the most intensive in the CO-I, in commercial office. Okay, thank you. Urn, I actually...I don't have the HACAP letter with me, and I, I would be interested in hearing more...I didn't get an opportunity to talk to neighborhood centers like you did, to hear some of those comments, and I would have been interested potentially in continuing this, and if it looks promising or however we move forward, to collapsing and doing two readings at the next, the next meeting, to keep this moving on track, but, two, three, four, but it does appear there are four that are interested in accepting the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission. So, I'm going to go ahead, it's my judgment to go ahead and close the public hearing. Can I just, can I...Bob, would you be supportive of keeping this open. We've heard from a small percentage of folks in that neighborhood. Ifwe had an opportunity to continue the public hearing, to hear from additional. . . We will have additional considerations on this, and as I've been told before, that this would be first consideration ifthere are others who would like to speak and address their concerns, I would certainly listen to them, and Amy, I share your concerns, I think not to the level that you have. We've never not allowed discussion when (unable to hear). Just remember that with a conditional rezoning, you lose option to change the conditions once the public hearing is closed. So if we kept it open, there would be opportunity. I mean, I'm just asking. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _____,.._..__._~,_"___.~._._____..__._~.___._..___~__.__..__.~_....._.._.,. __."__m___ #6 Page II O'Donnell: Well, and it should be pointed out that Planning and Zoning, or Planning and Zoning Commissiol). did approve this, and staff approved it. So, I'm comfortable with voting right now. Correia: But we don't, I mean, Parks and Rec Commission, I mean, their number one priority was a certain capital improvement project and staff supported that as well, and we're not moving forward on that, so I don't necessarily think our job is to rubber stamp it. O'Donnell: That's your opinion. I'm ready to move on. Correia: So would there be majority support to continue the public hearing, with the option of. . . Wilburn: It's my opinion that there were already four that were willing to continue on. Okay, so I'm going to close the public hearing. (pounds gavel) 2. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Champion: Move first consideration. O'Donnell: Second. Wilburn: Moved by Champion, seconded by O'Donnell. Any further discussion? I would just like to point out to, I believe, we were told that even if we continue with preapprovals of this, that it would still need to go to the.. . for the drive-through, need to go to the Board of Adjustment, where they make the final determination whether to allow that exemption? Dilkes: No, whether to allow the drive-through use. Wilburn: Okay. All right. Okay. Urn, any other discussion? Roll call. Passes 5-2, Correia and Bailey in the negative. Keep looking at Bailey and thinking of Elliott. I don't know why. (laughter and several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _______u_~________._._.__._,_,_._.____~_.~__,,______._',,_w._,.__._____~_____U". _ _ _ ._____.___._.".'.w__ __ ____.,___.______.___...._._..w_,_"... #6 Page 12 ITEM 6 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. c) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF MCLEAN STREET BETWEEN HUTCHINSON AVENUE AND LEXINGTON AVENUE. (V AC06-00006) (PASS AND ADOPT) Vanderhoef: Move to adopt. Bailey: Second. Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Elliott: This is because it really is there. This is addressing reality! Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Page 13 ITEM 6 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. d) AUTHORIZING CONVEYANCE OF THE PORTION OF MCLEAN STREET LOCATED BETWEEN LEXINGTON A VENUE AND HUTCHINSON AVENUE IN MANVILLE HEIGHTS ADDITION, TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS. 1. PUBLIC HEARING Wilburn: This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed. 2. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION O'Donnell: Move the resolution. Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell. Champion: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by Champion. Discussion? Correia: Well, I'd just like to bring up in the formal meeting that I would like, if possible - ifthere is support, to earmark the proceeds of this sale of this land into an affordable housing fund, as the Council is discussing (TAPE ENDS) affordable housing, and once we receive information from the study, we'll want to take some sort of action, we would have funds that are set aside. Bailey: I'm interested in that, and we learned in Washington, it's not earmarks anymore. We would call this Council-designated funding. Correia: Okay. You know, we designate, similarly the Council designates funding for our. . . the speed neighborhood, traffic calming, it would be similar to that sort of idea of a Council-designated fund. So... Bailey: Well, and Karin pointed out that this would perhaps be a use we could fund our study with (unable to hear). Wilburn: Are there others who would be interested - I would, and possibly using the proceeds for a Council-designated funding with the proceeds from the sale, towards affordable housing issues. Vanderhoef: At this point in time, once again, I don't mean to belabor this study that we're doing on housing, but it seems to me, we already have some sources of money that we're using, either for updating the housing or for affordable dream houses, and some money that we have through CDBG, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Page 14 that this just sort of muddies the water until we have a total plan put together. Certainly, this is a small amount, as far as General Funds, but if we look at our revenues to the City, we have this miscellaneous revenue and this is where we have put all of these, and it has allowed us to do some extra things within, and there still isn't any reason why we can't do that for housing, without creating another fund at this point in time. Correia: What I think, I mean, I know we've spent a lot of time over the last, oh, 12 months really talking about affordable housing. I think that there's a lot of community support for those discussions, and this would be a message and a sign to the community that we're serious. It certainly is not going to tie our hands, if we end up identifying other sources offunds within the City to use, you know, we could redesignate it somewhere else. Ijust think it's a good, a good message to the community, that we're serious about addressing an issue that's important to many people. Champion: I think it's a serious issue because we're willing to fund a study to find out what we need to do. I have no doubt in my mind that we will find a way to solve our problems, but I don't think we even know really what our problems are yet. So, I just, I think I'd just put this in the... whatever that fund is you call it, the miscellaneous fund. And hopefully we'll spend it for something really worthwhile from miscellaneous funds. Vanderhoef: The study is very worthwhile, and this only pays for about half of the study. Champion: Right. Vanderhoef: So, I think we could safely say if we wanted to that we're designating it for the housing survey for our community so that we can move further and faster in towards putting together a whole housing plan. Wilburn: I count three. Is there one more? O'Donnell: Right here. (several talking) Wilburn: Is there one more who would be in favor of a Council-designated fund from the sale of this? Elliott: No earmark, no birthmark, no postmark. (laughter) Wilburn: Okay, because I can close the public hearing. (several talking) Oh, okay. Roll call on which item is what I'm getting at. Karr: To adopt the resolution. (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accnrate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Page 15 Wilburn: Okay, thank you, so I have closed the public hearing. Okay. O'Donnell: I'm not sure where we are right now. Wilburn: We are...we are taking a roll call on the resolution of 0, authorizing conveyance. Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #6 Page 16 ITEM 6 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. e) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE NO. 06-4245, WHICH AMENDS CERTAIN SPECIFIC PROVISIONS WITHIN TITLE 14, ZONING CODE, CHAPTER 2, BASE ZONES; CHAPTER 3, OVERLAY ZONES; CHAPTER 4, USE REGULATIONS; CHAPTER 5, SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS; CHAPTER 7, ADMINISTRATION; CHAPTER 8, REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCEDURES; CHAPTER 9, DEFINITIONS. (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Vanderhoef: Mr. Mayor, I move the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally passed be suspended. That the second consideration and vote be waived, and that the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time. Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef to collapse. O'Donnell: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by O'Donnell. (several talking) Discussion? Roll call. Carries 7-0. Vanderhoef: I move that the ordinance be finally adopted at this time. Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef. O'Donnell: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Champion: This is just a housekeeping item. Wilburn: Roll call. Carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #7 ITEM 7 Wilburn: Walker: Page 17 TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2007 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2008, THE PROPOSED THREE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN, AND ALSO THE MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2011. PUBLIC HEARING: This is a public hearing, and only a public hearing. No formal action will be taken by the Council tonight. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. Hi, my name is Jean Walker, and I'm a Board member of the Johnson County Dog Park Action Committee. Last month we communicated with you our strong support of the proposed pedestrian bike traillbridge across the Iowa River, from Rocky Shore Drive to the Peninsula neighborhood and parkland, which includes the Dog Park and the disc golf course. In summary, the reasons we saw for needing the bridge were, one, relief of overcrowding of the park lands parking lot, even before the disc golf course opened; two, relief of traffic through the Peninsula neighborhood; three, relief of the Water Division's concerns about excessive parking in the parkland; four, a way of getting people on foot or on bicycle to and from the parkland, whether for recreational or commuter purposes, and of being yet another aspect of Iowa City that would attract people to settle, work, and enjoy life in this city. Five, to supply a missing link in the trail systems from Iowa City to the northern trails; six, this project is a winning situation for neighbors, bikers, runners, hikers, dogs, and disc golfers, as well as any other Iowa Citian or visitor who would like to use the bridge. Seven, promotion of a healthy lifestyle; eight, promotion of respect for the environment by reduction of vehicular traffic. This bridge is the highest priority of the Park and Recreation Commission. It was included in the City Manager's recommended list of Capital Improvement Planned Projects and was recommended for funding in Fiscal Year 08, in the amount of$1.3 million, where the total CIP budget is about $19 million. At the special capital improvement plan budget work session on January 16, five Council Members expressed at least some support for this project; however, three of these Council Members expressed reservations about its funding, suggesting that help outside the City should be obtained for its funding. Subsequently, the Council decided to remove this item from Fiscal Year 08's budget and suggested it be deferred for consideration until Fiscal Year 2011. We, the Johnson County Dog Park Action Committee, strongly urge the Council to consider approving this project no later than Fiscal Year 09. City staff has said that funds from JCCOG are possible, and the Parks and Recreation Commission will be discussing the possibility of pursuing multiple grants to help finance it. We understand that in order to obtain such grants, the Council would need to provide some local funding, and so we ask that the Council consider This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #7 Wilburn: Walker: Wilburn: Morrow: Wilburn: Kubby: Page 18 committing to do this, to secure those outside funds, that the Council would like to be obtained for this project, and I'd like to note that the longer the building ofthis bridge is delayed, the more expensive it will be, probably an increase oD to 5% per year. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. And I would like to submit this (unable to hear). Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Kevin Morrow. I am the Project Manager for the Peninsula Neighborhood Development; however, I'm also a homeowner out there, and it's in that capacity that I address you tonight. I too am in support of the bridge. I was disappointed to hear that it had been deferred, and would like to request that, like Jean did, that you guys consider moving that up in the agenda. I do think that the bridge would be an improvement. The fact is that since the Dog Park opened up, we've seen a pretty significant change in the amount oftraffic that has come through the Peninsula. As the Project Manager, I think that's a good thing. Quite frankly, I think that the increased traffic has brought some more awareness to the neighborhood; however, as a homeowner it does give me some concern towards the safety of Foster Road, which I don't think was ever intended to handle that much traffic, certainly not in a through capacity, which obviously this neighborhood was designed to be a pedestrian- friendly neighborhood and we've now put a destination point beyond that neighborhood, so that it's now becoming a through fare to the Dog Park. For that reason, I think that the bridge would be a good addition. Additionally, I echo all of Jean's comments that it would improve the Park. As we heard in your address earlier, we've done a lot of good things in terms of improving the park system last year. !t'd be a shame to take this recommendation from the City staff and Parks and Rec and defer it for what's really tantamount to another five years away. I think that we could really create a good loop, and cohesive, to the trail system by including it sooner rather than later. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Karen Kubby. I live in southeast Iowa City, and I'm here as a representative of the group FAIR!, and FAIR! is a local political organization that strives to be a progressive voice on local issues of social justice and transparency in government, and making government more accessible to its people. And, one of the things, one of the ways we tried to live out our values is hosting a budget teach-in about a month ago that Amy and Regenia were prepared to help us look at the budget, understand how does it work, and hopefully create more viable feedback This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #7 Page 19 for you during the public process. And so I'm here to provide some . feedback that partially came from questions that came up at the teach-in, and that FAIR! kind of batted around and said, 'Okay, so what are our priorities,' from all of that feedback and discussion that happened at the budget teach-in, and the other thing that we were doing about the budget as FAIR! was we had a subcommittee who really looked at the Citizen Summary to say how do we understand the budget through the citizens' summary, and it was really great because we had one person who knew the budget a little more intimately, one person who knew it kind of as a neighborhood activist looking at certain sections of it, and one person who had never looked at the City budget before or the summary. So, we had a good spectrum of people, and we came up with quite a few suggestions for the City about how to make the budget summary more accessible to its citizens. Some of it was just rearranging where the information was, adding some pie charts, and making things just a little more friendly in its appearance, and we met with Steve Atkins and he was really great because he's the one who kind of brought the budget summary to the City in the first place, and so he was really helpful and asking us questions, and the irony here is that the budget summary was a little late in getting printed because of our attempt to get it more accessible. (laughter) So we apologize for that piece, but we were grateful for the openness of the system to take our suggestions to heart and so, it'll be interesting to see next year when we look at it to see is it more understandable to us with these changes, and we might end up having different kinds of things to suggest to always make improvements for that. So, part ofthis is just a thank you for the openness of the system and the administration for taking our suggestions. But in looking at the budget, one of the things the three of us on the subcommittee - it was myself, Garry Klein, who is here, and Gale Ardrey, and we were looking at the General Fund Year-End Cash Balance, and looking at how much money is there, and we started asking some questions about the reserved and the unreserved monies that are there, and realizing that there's so many things that go into why you need reserve monies, and we were grateful that there were reserve monies when the tornado hit because we needed to spend money immediately to deal with all the aftermath, and we mayor may not get reimbursed, but you've got to spend it now. So we're grateful that there is a reserve and we recognize that the size of the reserve, at least a portion of it, helps us have that triple-A bond rating, which helps us as a City to be financially sound and get cheap money when we need to borrow money, but our question is about the policy discussion that, after we started talking about, we realized you all were talking about the policy about the 30% in the reserve, and I was trying to look through the transcript a couple days ago to really figure out, okay, what was the conclusion of the body about that discussion, and I wasn't really clear from the transcript, and so FAIR! is really interested in asking the question about, how low can that, those reserves go, have enough money to be flexible for new projects and emergencies, maintain This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _______.______._.__._._____~____~________'_ m.____.....___._..___~_____________'_____.__.,.__ ._"._...-~-___,.__ #7 Wilburn: Kubby: Wilburn: Kubby: Wilburn: Knapp: Page 20 our triple-A bond rating, and have cash flow for when services are needed and payroll has to be made, but taxes haven't been collected yet. So, I guess what we're asking for is that in the ensuing year that you look at that policy to say is 30% the magic number? It's been 30% for long time, at least ten years, maybe more than that. Is that appropriate? Can we still do everything we want and have it be at 27% and have a little bit of money for some projects, whether it's housing, whether it's money towards the new fire station, or other community needs that you've heard from the community about. So, that's our number one request, I think, is that you look at that policy to see if it can be reduced, but still have all the values that were mentioned. And secondly, we're concerned about not having any money for additional Council-designated money for housing, and it was interesting - I didn't know about this $37,000. FAIR! hadn't talked about it, but those symbols are important when we're having these kinds of public discussions, to say that, you know, yeah - it is only half of what the study costs, but we made a commitment. It's the beginning of our commitment of having additional local tax money going towards housing issues. So, FAIR! would really love to see some money, at least in 09, for housing, even though we don't know what the outcome is going to be of the study and what Council direction is going to be about that, but if we don't start designating money now, it's going to be years and years before we implement anything. So, we ask two things: that you look at the 30% policy in the next year, and think about designating money for housing with local funds. Thanks. Just so that you know, I believe we did, we are taking a look at that at a work session, the 30% policy, so we had plarmed on doing that. Great. If someone would let us know the date when that is scheduled, although we can take responsibility too to look for it, that'd be great. Sure. Thank you. Would anyone else care to address the Council, the public hearing for the (unable to hear). Jim Knapp from Iowa City. I want to say you've done a magnificent job of bring Highway I to a safer - well, it will be when it gets done - a safer point of egress and access to Iowa City. Done the same thing on north Dubuque Street. I think one place that we've fallen down was when we built the Peninsula and Foster Road, that they didn't set it up with Coralville and put a bridge right straight across, would have made the Peninsula more accessible from both sides. Would have made something happen there. I just hope that now that you've had the, seen what This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. __.___._____,~_.__m___________"___.___.____...___. .__.________,_._.___,~__.,______._n__.~.______m___.___-......-,.-. -----',-..-.....,---- #7 Page 21 Coralville's done as far as getting some plans brought up to them from a firm in Missouri that maybe Iowa City could get involved and take part in that. Both sides of that river could be developed. It could be widened out, it can be made for a recreation area. A lot of things can be done and taken care of there that will make that more valuable and more usable. Low income housing or providing money ahead for the housing - I just wanted to ask if you can tell me how many homes the City of Iowa City owns, residences, single-family residences? I think the number's over 100. Atkins: About 90. (several talking) Knapp: Pardon? Correia: It's about 80, I think. Knapp: 80? (several talking) Vanderhoef: 90, it's 90. Knapp: I don't know, but I would think that if those properties were put back on the tax rolls by seJling them to these people at a no down payment, graduated interest rate over time as they can afford it, and allow them to take pride in their property, start fixing them up and doing things that the City would have to be paying for now or federal money would have to pay for it, that that might eventually help to curb and reduce some of the taxes in Iowa City by spreading, making a larger base. The county took a huge $10 million area off the tax rolls in Iowa City. I presume that the money that Old Capitol Mall, that's gone to the University, has taken that off of the tax rolls. As we keep depleting the structure ofIowa City, we keep dumping the load on a lot of people that can't afford it, a lot of fixed income people, a lot of low-income people. Talked tonight earlier, but I don't want to address that because that's closed, but I helped move two families out of that area last year and we need, before we go forward and do other things with money and development, we need to make sure that these people have safe places to live. If there's a crime area, put a higher visibility of the police there, maybe a sub-station in the area or something like that, you know. This all costs money. I'm glad I don't have the problems with the budget that you do, but do please think about these people and where they're going to go when they get moved out of these areas, because low-cost housing is not low cost housing anymore, and I've bought lots and built houses they were on $4,500 lots. Those houses are worth $200,000, $300,000 today. Now it's a $45,000 lot. We call it low cost housing when they built it out in the Peninsula. I computed up the square footage that was wasted. It's like 45% of the building is wasted square footage. Nobody's living in that 45% - it's hallways, it's elevators, it's rooms that didn't get finished, it's things that won't happen. You This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #7 Wilburn: Knapp: Wilburn: Klein: Elliott: Klein: Page 22 can't afford to build low cost housing if you're going to have that much wasted space in any kind of a building. We need to get to a point where we can provide stuff. The City of Forest City, in order to bring people in for Winnebago to work developed land and gave it to people that came to work for the City of Forest, or Winnebago, and they actually moved in and they built their homes and they're thriving. Now, I'm not saying that the City needs to do that, but maybe we ought to make it a little easier for some of these people to get into a house and own their own home, because that's the American dream, and that's where you start taking pride in your property is when you own it. Then you'll paint it up, then you move the cars out, then we can enforce the rules so you don't hide, store cars in your back yard like I got a pickup in my yard now, you know. You...let's care about the little people. We've turned our back on them long enough and walked away from them. We haven't even resolved the low income housing problems that we have for the Shelter, the homeless, and everybody else. So, include them in your budgets, include them in your hearts, include them in your prayers. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. If you want anybody to help with some suggestions - I talked to Wendy Ford and she said, 'Jim, you've got six of the greatest suggestions I've ever heard.' Thank you. Would anyone else care to address the Council on the public hearing for the budget? Garry Klein once again. This time as a FAIR! member, and I'm actually making comments for Mike Carberry, our President, who is actually home with a really nice flu that he didn't want to share with you guys. Thank you! (several talking) FAIR! has been working on two primary issues this particular year. One Karen alluded to is affordable housing. Another issue that's very important to us is that of transportation, and this case, I'd like to talk about it two different ways for, in terms of budget planning. One way is the trails. We've heard a lot about our wonderful trails system, which the issue of the trails is, is we have trails that lead to nowhere and we have trails that lead everywhere, and the idea of course is we want trails that connect to things and help people to move from their homes to work, their homes to the grocery store, their homes to schools and so on, and as.. .it's a good use of public funds because I keep watching the road, what we invest in our roads going up and up and up every year and it seems to me if we could get some people out of some cars that might help alleviate some of the potholes. So, that's one thing that we're thinking...we'd like This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. -_....._---~-_..,--~~ . . --~--_..__...__.-.~~-----,_.._-------_._.._--~----_.,_.-._-,------- #7 Page 23 you to keep considering is our trails system, of course, and the second thing is our transportation system as it implies to mass transportation. We continue to have growth out into the eastern part of Iowa City and the west. Certainly, low income housing continues more to the east, and the issue really is one of making sure that people who are working have a place, have an ability to get to work and get home from work, and when I say that, I mean seven days a week, 24-7 if we could figure out a way to do that, because, you know, we're not all as lucky as I am and work at a job I can go there about 9ish and come home around 5ish. A lot offolks are going to work, you know, 10, 11 o'clock at night, or 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock in the morning, and they're rather stuck. Now, I know that there's some people that are looking at, at JCCOG, are looking at something called JARC, which is jargon which means the Job Access and Reverse Commute program, which is a federal transit grant program that basically you, you ask for money and if you're lucky you get it, but the point is that it allows people to have an alternative to a mass transportation system that, quite frankly, I'm not sure that we can always afford to do everything we'd like to do with it, but it does allow people to use other kinds of transportation - shuttle vans, cabs, etc. And I encourage the City, obviously, to work to get those kinds of grants written and lastly, transportation in our area is, it's a regional issue, and I know that we're working closer and closer with other cities, trying to improve our transportation systems. I simply suggest that Iowa City, as an example, is.. .does wonderful things. You provide bus passes to low-income people, you provide agencies reduced prices for those bus passes, past a certain amount. Our neighbors south, west-ish of here do not do that, and so what we actually do is we help people get to jobs out, say, at the Coral Ridge Mall, but you know, then they have to figure out how to get home. So, 1.. .my brief statement of that is simply that by working regionally, perhaps we can alleviate some of the pressure that we feel here locally to provide and provide, because we're the big dog, but... but in fact there are some other dogs that are getting pretty big, pretty fast, and they ought to be contributing too. So, on behalf of myself and the FAIR! organization and Karen Kubby and everyone else, thank you very much for listening and keep up the good work. Wilburn: Thanks for your comments, and just in regards to your comment about trails, for the public's information, at our work session earlier, we did...the Parks and Recreation Commission will be proceeding with a master plan for that department and there will be plenty of opportunities for public input, including youth input - it was discussed here. Bailey: And didn't we also agree to have a work session on trails? So we'll also be looking at connectors and where those need to be. So... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. m P~~ Wilburn: Would anyone else care to address the Council on the public hearing for the budget? Feurbach: I'm here on another matter, and that is the Gilbert Street-Highway 6 intersection. My name is Aleda Feurbach and I'm with Pleasant Valley, excuse me -let me get my composure here. That particular project is on the budget to effectively take apart the whole intersection in spring of 08. Now, I don't think you could argue with too many people that there's a lot of traffic that goes through there. Bottom line is you will incredibly affect what happens on our comer, on the other comers too, but we will lose three of five accesses into our property. Right now the concept plan says that they want to have us have our parking in the back. We're a service business. I don't think it's quite right to expect us to service our customers from the back door, which is about 150 feet away. Not to mention that we'd lose all of our access for parking, except for maybe three or four spaces. All of our plantings. All of our 40-some years of investment on that comer. So, I throw that out there arid hope that something can be figured out that makes it workable for all of us, because the way it is now, it will deeply affect and damage our business, because we can't service the customers that we have with four parking spaces at our front door. There's been some comment about, well, use the area next to you. Well, the area next to us we own, but it's rented and quite frankly, both tenants are a little concerned about what's going to happen to us, and maybe we ought to find some place else to go. So what you're doing is stirring it up and it scares us. We pay a lot of taxes, not like many other people who have talked today, but it is concerning, and I appreciate what you could do. Thank you. Wilburn: Thank you for your comments. Anyone else care to address the fiscal year budget, the three-year financial plan, or the multi-year capital improvement program? Anyone from Troop 218? (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed. Karr: Motion to accept correspondence. Champion: So moved. Vanderhoef: Second. Wilburn: Moved by Champion, seconded by Vanderhoef to accept correspondence. All those in favor say aye. Opposed same sign. Carries 7-0. Champion: I think it's important for the public to know that this is a working document. It's not set in stone. All we're really setting in stone is the amount of money we can spend. So I'm sure if somebody came up with some big grant for that bridge, we would certainly be willing to listen. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #8 Page 25 ITEM 8 AMENDING TITLE 16, ENTITLED "PUBLIC WORKS," CHAPTER 3, ENTITLED "CITY UTILITIES," ARTICLE A, ENTITLED "GENERAL PROVISIONS," BY AMENDING SECTION 5 TO ALLOW FOR DEPOSITS TO BE BILLED INSTEAD OF PAID IN ADVANCE WITH PROPER PAYMENT HISTORY. a) PUBLIC HEARING Wilburn: This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed. b) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Bailey: Move first consideration. Wilburn: Moved by Bailey. Vanderhoef: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Bailey: Now that I understand this better I'm very supportive. (laughter) Yes, I love with these payment options, I think it's great that we're moving into the 21 st century. Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. --,._---,----_.__.,----_._~_._--_._._-------".-'--_..,_.~."'--~_._._,_._-,-_._._._--_._-----~_.,-------_..---_.-.-. #9 Page 26 ITEM 9 APPROVING A FIFTH AMENDMENT TO A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT - INSTALLMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND THE UNITED ACTION FOR YOUTH FOR CONDOMINIUM UNIT l-C IN TOWER PLACE AND PARKING. a) PUBLIC HEARING Wilburn: This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed. b) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION Bailey: Move the resolution. Wilburn: Moved by Bailey. Correia: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by Correia. Discussion? Correia: I just have a couple questions. One, this...the money for the sale of these units goes towards the parking deck? Atkins: Yes. Correia: Is that because this is a parking structure, and that is... Atkins: Yes. Correia: Okay, and then my other question is, so this lump sum final payment, their contract ends at the end of. . . Elliott: 07. Correia: Calendar year 07, and what would happen if they weren't able to make payment, make. . . pay 100% on this? Atkins: I would assume I would be bringing this back to you for likely amendment. I think we feel comfortable. We're not going to kick them out. We're not going to kick them out. (laughter and several talking) Vanderhoef: We have a history of not meeting the contract, and that's why there are so many amendments. Elliott: However, they have been making regular payments towards that. That's the important thing. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. ~ ~~n Atkins: Absolutely! Vanderhoef: The question, or two questions actually, when was this to have been paid off with our first contract? How many years are we behind on this now? Atkins: I believe, Dee, that we're only about 18 months behind. Yeah, that's not particularly...it's not a long time. No. And again, they have made regular payments. Vanderhoef: Oh, I know they have! Atkins: And kept us well informed in advance. Vanderhoef: And, what's the interest rate on this, do you remember? Atkins: I'm sorry, I don't. I'd have to look it up. Vanderhoef: I should have checked earlier. Bailey: And I'm assuming that in your discussions and regular correspondence with them that you've seen their fundraising plan and it looks viable and feasible, and... Atkins: .. . going to report to you that you had asked me to get that. Jim dropped it off this afternoon. I have a copy to be sent out to you. Bailey: I don't necessarily need a copy, as long as you have assurance, or you feel assured that the fundraising plan is reasonable to meet this goal. Atkins: Okay. I haven't read it yet, so... Bailey: Okay. Well, I'm glad you have that document. I guess that's helpful. Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. I've had a request to take a break. Let's come back at 8:35. (TAPE OFF) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _____._____~__.._..._... _ __,__"___._._._._____..._...._.__._..~__~.".__...___'_____._..._,.,._._.._.~...~_M_ __ "."..._____._._'__'._ #10 Page 28 ITEM 10 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING AN ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE OF UNPAID MOWING, CLEAN-UP OF PROPERTY, SNOW REMOVAL, SIDEWALK REPAIR, AND STOP BOX REPAIR CHARGES AND DIRECTING THE CLERK TO CERTIFY THE SAME TO THE JOHNSON COUNTY TREASURER FOR COLLECTION IN THE SAME MANNER AS PROPERTY TAXES. O'Donnell: Move the resolution. Bailey: Move the resolution. Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell, seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Correia: Marian, did any payments come in? Karr: No, but they just would have been notified because of the holiday. The typical payment schedule that we see the most activity would be between now and when they're assessed on the 29th of March. They'll get their formal letter (unable to hear). Correia: They need to pay before the 29th... Karr: That's when we certify them and the interest starts, yes. Correia: Okay. Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _________,.._______.__._.__,_______.__~________.._.~___m__"__"__ __,~..,.________..___._.__._m_.__._._._._.,. #11 Page 29 ITEM 11 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND HDR ENGINEERING, INC. TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR A WATER AND SEWER COMPREHENSIVE RATE STUDY. Vanderhoef: Move the resolution. Bailey: Second. Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Champion: This'll be paid with water money? Atkins: I'm sorry? Connie, I didn't hear. (several talking) Champion: Will this be paid with water revenue? Atkins: Water and sewer, yeah, it'll be shared. I'm sorry. (laughter) Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. ,"-,---,---,~-,,-----,-~-,-,----~'_._-"---'----~----'~..----.- _..,--_._._,._,._._----~-~,~_._._- #12 ITEM 12 Bailey: Correia: Wilburn: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Wilburn: Fosse: Page 30 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION OPENING CERTAIN CITY PROPERTY TO THE PUBLIC DEDICATING SAID PROPERTY AS PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY AND DESIGNATING SAID PROPERTY AN ALLEY. Move the resolution. Second. Moved by Bailey, seconded by Correia. Discussion? This is the said alley, is the alley between the parking on, between the Plaza Towers and the Sheraton, and that parking... Parking garage. ., . right there. You got it. So, between Linn Street and the Dubuque Street circle, when you're at the Sheraton? Yes. Okay. Those are the two... The circle fooled me for a minute. Sorry! Okay. 'Cause it's right there. It's right there. Because right now there's a post there, you can't...is that right? It's blocked off for vehicles? We're going to... Rick is dying to get up to.. . (laughter) This will not go all the way through to Dubuque Street. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #12 Page 31 Correia: Oh, okay! Fosse: It'll stop at the Sheraton there. So the alley goes about two-thirds of the way through the block. (several talking) Champion: So what's the point? Fosse: It serves both the Sheraton, as well as Plaza Towers. Champion: Oh, for equipment, supplies, that... Fosse: Yes, in the parking lot out back there, and the loading dock for the Sheraton. Correia: So right now...it seems like I've driven on it when I've gone.. . (laughter and several talking). Fosse: It looks like an alley. It's been there for a number of years. When 64-1b was developed, when the Sheraton was developed, that alleyway was preserved only with an easement to keep our options open for 64-1 a. Now that that's developed and uses it as an alley, we're converting it to public right-of-way and an alley. Correia: Okay. Bailey: But it's not an alley and I can't drive through from Dubuque Street to Linn Street? Fosse: That's correct. You won't get all the way through. Correia: And who maintains it then? Fosse: We will, the City will. Correia: Okay. Champion: Why don't we give it to them? Dilkes: I thought the resolution said that by agreement, their.. .let me look. Fosse: Do they clear the snow? Is that right, Eleanor? Dilkes: I think so. Fosse: Okay. We have the pavement maintenance. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #12 Bailey: Fosse: Bailey: Correia: Dilkes: Bailey: Dilkes: Fosse: Bailey: Wilburn: Page 32 Just point of curiosity. Is there any reason we're not making it all the way through? That land was given up when 64-1 b was developed and there are electrical transformers there that serve the downtown... So it's not wide enough. I was going to say, I thought there was something in the way. (several talking) There's a structure there. You could... Couldn't get a vehicle. No, couldn't get a vehicle. (several talking) You can walk through (several talking). Okay, I'll trust you on that and will not try and drive my car through it. (laughter) . Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. ,_.______._'"~___~._________~____.,__._~_..~__~_____.___m.__.._______,____...___._.____________.._______._...._______m._____._____.._____"__.....'.__.__ #13 Page 33 ITEM 13 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND ACT, INC. TO USE A PORTION OF CITY STREETS AND PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY FOR THE INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A FIBER OPTIC NETWORK. Vanderhoef: Move the resolution. Champion: Second. Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Champion. Discussion? Champion: Sounds great! Bailey: So if at any point this becomes dark fiber do they remove it, or does it just remain mapped? Atkins: I have no idea what dark fiber is. Bailey: It's fiber that's not being used. Atkins: Oh, thank you! Bailey: Or, that's what I call it. Fosse: The conduits will remain in the ground and we can probably use them. Bailey: Okay. Because I understand we have a lot of fiber in the ground and we don't know, that people no longer use or companies no longer use. Atkins: So dark as opposed to light? Is that... Bailey: I suppose. (several talking) Vanderhoef: With energy and without energy. Atkins: Okay. Bailey: Okay, thanks. Atkins: Thank you. (several talking and laughing) Bailey: I can't help it if you don't know the terms! Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. .----...-------.-.,,------...-.--...,....-------.--------_.._-_._-,."-~---_..---_._-----_._--_..- #14 Page 34 ITEM 14 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE DEER TASK FORCE FOR ONE (1) YEAR AND RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 04-225. O'Donnell: So moved. Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell. Champion: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by Champion. Discussion? Go ahead, sir. Jochimsen: My name is Peter Jochimsen. My family and I moved to Iowa City in 1974. If you think...I appeared before the Council last time was in 1979 when Bob Vevera was Mayor and I tried to convince him, well, actually I convinced him to sign up for the Great American Smoke Out. I don't think I ever got he or Jane to stop smoking, but I prevailed. I want to talk about the Task Force. Originally I was involved in Historic Preservation Commission and three years ago I joined the Task Force, and I wanted to sign up as the scientist. I thought I had some attributes in that area. Instead they thought I should be the "hunter." I had never hunted deer. I had never killed a deer, neither with gun nor bow, but I had killed one with a car. I had rented a Suzuki S. The S I think stands for suicide. (laughter) It did $2,800 damage to the automobile and the deer was, well it was obviously killed. The problem with the Task Force, as we know, is that the membership has declined substantially, and that's because an influential minority holds sway over the major issue of contention, which is bow hunting in Iowa City. At our last meeting, if you read the minutes, there were five members present. Two had asked to be taken off for a variety of reasons, and the Chairperson is on record for asking that the Task Force "sunset," and that's what this resolution addresses. The.. . last year we had a veterinarian on our Task Force, who abruptly got up in the middle of a meeting and left because of his disagreement with the way the sessions were run. The issue with the Task Force, as you undoubtedly know, is that we have to generate our own members. You do not, Council does not advertise for them, and I fear that we.. .truly a diminished number, that there would be no way that we will recruit members ifthey come with the understanding that in 12 months, actually... well, I guess 12 months, before they even come up to speed with what it is we are trying to accomplish here, that they would be subject, either to (TAPE ENDS) . . . their membership would be tenuous, which seems. . . would add an increased burden to our ability to get members. The City spent $54,000 for sharpshooters last year, and that's an expense that none of the other major urban centers have to pay. I had hoped that materials I had given to the secretary of our Task Force that the City provides would include the materials that I had provided to her; however, that was not accomplished. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #14 Page 35 I, at the end of our meeting, had asked for an opportunity to make some comments, and if you read the minutes, you will note that before I finished, "Tape ran out." So, I think that basically says it all. My comments were truncated and so Ijust wanted to spend a minute, perhaps, discussing some of those issues. If the Council wishes to take up those topics which are the major issue of the Deer Task Force, I think that's fine. I think you will find that you have more on your plate than you really want to deal with, but that of course would be up to you. I'm just here basically to say that we will not generate enough members to have a meaningful discussion, given the thrift of dismemberment within a year. So, just to conclude the comments relative to other areas where deer hunting is allowed, this is in the August 17th Cedar Rapids' Gazette. The bow hunt "very successful." The Task Force is run by the Fire Chief, Havlick. It was their first year, last year, for bow hunting. No one in the City Council opposed bow hunting. It approved last year's and this year's hunt by a vote of 9 to O. In 2005, 2006, bow hunters killed 298 deer with "few complaints." Cities with bow hunting - Dubuque, Davenport, Des Moines, its suburbs, Marion, Ottumwa, Waterloo, Coralville, and North Liberty. According to the Cedar Rapids' Deer Task Force, 453 deer died after crashing into vehicles in 2004 and in 2005, that declined to 332, a decline of27%. 27% reduction in accidents and dead deer. In the January 23rd, 2007 Gazette, hunters killed 11.7% more deer in Cedar Rapids, and 20.2% more in Coralville. You know, it's not like Coralville is, you know, on the other side of the state. In Cedar Rapids, there were 333 deer killed, up from 298; and in Coralville, 168, up from 138, and in Coralville it was their 8th year of urban hunting, and again, at no cost to the city. If you think of the damage to automobiles, and life, of deer and people, and the waste of a resource, a lot of people like venison. Again, Fire Chief Havlick called the bow hunt in Cedar Rapids very successful. The City Council again approved the hunt by 9 to O. He said that the, Havlick said that the deer-vehicle crash numbers in the city have dropped nicely. So the numbers are coming down, but the deer populations continue to grow. I see that the budget for next year includes $70,000 for the Deer Task Force. It's certainly not for meals by the members, but it's.. . obviously the $54,000 - you're anticipating spending more and I ask why. There wasn't in any meeting I had ever been to in three years, there had not been a citizen that came forward and asked, or was against the concept, of a bow- hunting season in Iowa City. Not one. Thank you. Wilburn: Thank you for your comments. Discussion? Council discussion. O'Donnell: Why are we just continuing this for one year? Champion: Because it's a task force and not a commission. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #14 Page 36 Bailey: And this will give them the time to discuss the opportunity to become a commission, instead of sunsetting it. O'Donnell: But ifwe...I share the concern that you're not going to have people lined up to join a commission that's going to last one year. Champion: Task force - it's not a commission. O'Donnell: Task force. Bailey: Well, this allows the current members on the Task Force can continue to serve, but... O'Donnell: Well, if we wanted to, we could extend this past one year, and I think we should do it. Champion: Well, maybe we should consider making it a commission. Then we would advertise for members, people could join. I think deer are going to be a constant problem. They're not going to be a problem that's going to go away in the near future, and it seems to me that in asking this task force to try to hang together to decide if they should be a commission or not, that should probably be our decision. Wilburn: Do you have a comment, Eleanor, about... Dilkes: Ijust wanted to, you know, give you a little background on why the one year. When it hit my office and in discussions with Marian, we started looking at the differences between task forces and boards, and task forces traditionally have been short-term, you know, Scattered Site Housing Task Force, for example. We have a resolution, for instance, that says you can't serve on two boards. We have not interpreted that to mean you can't serve on a board and a task force because often you want someone who's on a particular board to be on the task force, addressing the specific problem. Matt Hayek, for instance, was on HCDC, was also on the Scattered Site Housing Task Force. The Charter requires that boards ofthe City operate under rules provided by the City Council, including by-laws. As you know, you adopt by-laws for all commissions, so we're really beyond the point that we think this is a task force, and so in stead of just saying, okay, you know, this is a few days ago, we need to... we need to deal with the sunset and we need to deal with the fact that this is a busy time of the year for them. So, we'll extend it for a year and then during that time, they can operate and you can make the decision about whether you want a permanent board or not. There is nothing. . . there's nothing to say that the people who are on the board at the end of that year could not, if they applied, could not be appointed to that permanent board or commission. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _._--_.~_.~-_...._.__._---~_.__._--~--_.._~-"-_......._-~_..._---_.,.~--~-_._--_.__._._--------_.-_._-~-_._'------...,.--.-.-" ,,-_.~..._--~_..,,--"'- #14 Page 37 Elliott: Is that resolution, urn, 04-225? Is that what makes it a sunset? Dilkes: Yes. Elliott: And does that designate the end time? I'm not familiar with 04-225. Does it make it a sunset, and does it also indicate the time? Dilkes: Sunset's March 15th of this year. Elliott: Okay. If! could read I could have known. Dilkes: That was our dilemma, and that's how we solved it for right now. Wilburn: Further Council discussion? Elliott: I'm interested in extending it for at least another year, and, Peter, I couldn't agree with you more. For seven years, between 98 and 05, the City spent about a half million dollars doing the same thing that virtually everyone else, perhaps literally everyone else, does for nothing. We need all sorts of things and we keep spending money here. Jochimsen: And again, the issue with the damage to automobiles, and lives... Elliott: My automobile took it worse than yours. Wilburn: This is Council discussion right now, with all due respect, and we are discussing the extension of the Deer Task Force... Bailey: And not the job of the Deer Task Force. Vanderhoef: I'm just curious. In your history with the Task Force, how many changes have been made in the Deer Plan, the action plan, in say the last five years. Jochimsen: Extensive. The document that now exists, which would serve as a framework for by-laws, which are required for a commission, are in place, and we would start meeting monthly, twice a month, and then weekly, thrashing out the verbiage on that document, and that's why I say, you know, if that's something the Council wishes to take up, go for it, and I hear what you say. I honestly don't think...with five members at our last meeting. Two members leaving. The Chairman wanting to basically abandon it, that left two folks. There were two unexcused absences. I don't think that you're going to have enough foundation to make this thing last another year, and that's my own perception. It's a very contentious issue, apparently. I don't know why. It seems rather clear-cut to me, but you know, when we started meeting last year and we were going from twice a month to you know, every week, I said, 'Well, what's the sense of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #14 Page 38 this?' We've got a vote, 6 to 3, for, you know, a recommendation of bow hunting. What are we going to accomplish? Changing it to 7 to 2? Or you know... Wilburn: Once again.. .once again, 1 think, sir. Jochimsen: We have no say! Wilburn: I think you've made your point with that particular aspect. Does the Council have any further questions related to whether to continue this for a year and dissolve, or not? Correia: The issue of the City not, what's it called? (several talking) .. . advertising for membership. I mean, it does sound like, will we have a task force? There's a sense in looking at the notes, there were three people there last time that said they probably don't feel like they want to continue. There were two, three people who weren't even there, and so we don't know, based on the notes, and it's their intentions...why is it that we don't advertise? For members? (several talking) Vanderhoef: It's a task force that was appointed by Council. Karr: It's not appointed by Council. It's...well, it was originally adopted, established by Council as part of the Deer Plan, but the way it was structured was that the categories and the input was received by the Board. The Board members solicit their own membership. Then they bring it to you in the form of a recommendation, and the Council... (several talking) Correia: I mean, how would the task force, the first board, become board members? Champion: I don't remember. We had criteria. Vanderhoef: We had criteria and we had applications...(several talking) Correia: So, I mean, if people, if we're losing people we need new people, do we solicit? We need people. . . (several talking) Bailey: In the hopes of moving this discussion a little bit forward, what are our options here? If this sunsets, what happens? Dilkes: If it sunsets, you no longer have a Deer Task Force and you can no longer have a Deer Task Force, or you can do a board or commission, a Deer Board or Commission. Champion: A Deer.. .Deer Board. (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. #14 Page 39 Dilkes: Or you can continue it, the Task Force, for one year. I think that the issue is, is there work you want to be being done in the next year? Bailey: That we don't do, because if we don't have a task force, somebody needs to do this work. I'm assuming. Dilkes: I don't know the answer. Wilburn: Well, if we extend it, the charge is to give a recommendation on whether or not to make it a board or commission. Ifthe members are frustrated or disgruntled or for other commitments, don't wish to meet, then there's no acting folks meeting and we would have to chose our action accordingly from there. It would be something we'd have to.. .use ourselves and/or staff to discuss whether or not we wish to make it a. . . Champion: The other hand... Dilkes: Let me just interrupt for a minute, but the charge of this Task Force though is not to decide that. The charge is to deal with deer management. Wilburn: Can we ask for a recommendation from that? That's what I'm suggesting. Dilkes: Yes. Champion: On the other hand, this might be the opportune time for us to take the deer by the horn, so to speak, because we've just gotten over the deer kill, sounds awful. . . and, reduction, deer reduction, and so now we would have time to form a commission or a board, put an advertisement out for members, and appoint them, and they would have time, I think, to get organized before the next deer reduction. Vanderhoef: I think the timing is actually off, Connie, if I understand it right, in that they have to be up and running and get all their approvals from the DNR far enough in advance to put the action in place. So, I may be wrong on that, but that's kind of what I thought I was reading in the minutes, and this is their busy time. Once they've had the hunt, then they put everything together and present it to the DNR for approval. So, right now is when they're the busiest. (several talking) Dilkes: I think that's right. We could defer it, also, until the 5th. That's another option. O'Donnell: All we're doing is talking about extending this task force one year or it sunsets. Now, if we don't do it, it sunsets and goes away, and why wouldn't we approve it for one more year and take that year to try and work out some of our questions? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. . ...._"__.___~.~"..___.__~___,_._~_._._.._._.________._...___..________'.__n..__n____. ____.._.....___.....______.._.....__......__._.'.._._....._.____n.".__. #14 Page 40 Bailey: Exactly! Champion: Sounds to me like the Deer Task Force is interested in... Bailey: How is it then that at their February 6th meeting, they recommended that the Council extend sunset provisions for three years? So, I mean... Jochimsen: That's historically what it's been. Originally it was set up for three years. It was extended for another three years, and I was surprised that, I think if you want to extend it for another three years and we could get a group together and make application to make it a commission, that seems reasonable, but I don't honestly see how we're going to get a group of people together with the concept or idea that whatever time and effort they put into it may well just disappear in a year. Bailey: Well, actually it wouldn't. It would be a recommendation to Council. It would actually be a time-limited volunteer opportunity that might have more appeal than a three-year task force. I mean, that's another way to look at it. So I'm ready to vote on this. O'Donnell: I am too. Elliott: I'm just surprised and pleased that they even want to stay on the Task Force. Wilburn: If you have a comment relative to.. . okay. Relevant to... Knapp: I'll speak quickly! Wilburn: Okay, go ahead. Knapp: 1963 my wife bought me a recurved bow. I strung it backwards after I had gotten out of the Army. My brother-in-law says, I though you got a left- hand bow. He says, you dummy. Opening day, season, in Forest City, I got my first buck ten minutes after the season opened. That's the only deer I've ever killed, except last year when I drove from North Liberty and killed a fawn. I was so elated the day I killed the first one. I cried all the way home when I killed the second one. I worked in northern Michigan. I was walking... Wilburn: I'm sorry, sir, with all due respect, what I had asked... Knapp: ...walking through the forest there was a huge... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _____.___._..~_ ___'___~'"~__"'~___" __ ___ _ __.........__.._____..___.________ .____-<____..___.,__'~..~.___.,._"______.__ __..u.__,._"______ #14 Wilburn: Knapp: Wilburn: Knapp: Wilburn: Knapp: Wilburn: Elliott: Page 41 Sir, I'm going to ask you to sit down. I had asked you to speak to whether, if you had a comment related to whether to extend this board for a year or not. I will be on the Task Force if you want me, and I will have a suggestion that might help the City ofIowa City resolve their problem with their deer. Okay, thank you for your comment. If you want to hear that, I will tell you. Thank you for your comment. Right now we're talking about... ...1 didn't say anything. I just gave you a history. If you want to create something that might bring a lot of money and people to Iowa City, and also handle the deer. . . These comments are not germane to the issue that we have. Okay? Council, ready to discuss, or ready to vote? Uh, roll call. Item carries 6-1, Champion in the negative. I'd like to have it at a work session that we meet either with the Task Force, at least discuss what we're...so this is not just more of the same, we're going to decide during this coming year how we're going to continue to address this problem. (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. -------_._~._---_.~----~---_.__.,.~.--_._--'--------_.--- __ _e___.._...._.___".._ ,,_.~.,.._____.____,....__ M'" - .__..__._~"_.__."_.__.,,'_._..__.__._.~,,...,__'..._._._,--..-.-----.~-~.-. #16 Page 42 ITEM 16 COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS. Wilburn: At our work session earlier this evening, there was consensus to appoint Charles Felling to the Senior Center Commission. I will entertain a motion to approve. Bailey: So moved. Wilburn: Moved by Bailey. Vanderhoef: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Bailey: I just want to thank him for his work on Public Art, and thank him for his willingness to continue to serve the City. Wilburn: All those in favor say aye. Opposed same sign. Motion carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _~~_._.._.___.___~"__".M__'_'____'__'_'__'_'__'__'_____~.-__.____.__.____,~_^ . . --.-.---..---..-.-..." #18 ITEM 18 Wilburn: Correia: Champion: Correia: Champion: Page 43 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION. Amy? Well, Ijust wanted to remind everybody of the tax preparation clinics that are going on throughout the County, and I don't know if you saw in the Nation's City Weekly, but February 1" was "promote national earned income tax credit awareness day" and just to give you an update, there have been, there are outreach tax preparation clinics this year. It's a collaboration with the University ofIowa, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. They've been doing tax preparation sites out at Penn Elementary, the Family Resource Center. Well, actually they're doing it in the Media Center. They're doing all e-filing. At Lucas Elementary, at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center. Those are all beginning in January, early February. They've just started the Iowa City Public Library site. In the first three weeks, they've filed 77 tax returns, roughly about $134,000 in refunds that came back just through earned income tax credit or child tax credit or others. I'll keep you updated, but it's been a really good collaborative project involving the Iowa City Housing Authority, JCCOG, Johnson County Social Services, University ofIowa, AARP, they also have a site at the Senior Center. We've been doing outreach for them, as well. So, some really good first year, doing the outreach sites out in the community. I wanted to let people know that the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, the African-American Council, and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication is hosting a. . . an event on Friday afternoon, II :30 to I :00. It's part of the "Respectful Communities Project _ Mirrors of Privilege, Making Whiteness Count," and so they're hosting a conversation with the question "how can experiences with race and racism be used to combat intolerance, bigotry, and prejudice. They're showing a film, Mirrors of Privilege, Making Whiteness Count, followed by a discussion, and that will be in the University Capitol Center, that's in the Old Capitol Mall, right there by the T -Spoon. I just wanted to let the community and Council know it's II :30 to I :00 on Friday, and then I also wanted to give kudos to Austin. There's a nice article in the Daily Iowan on yesterday, on...yesterday was Monday. Urn, about the efforts to change State law allowing for landlords who withhold some or all of tenant's deposits for unfounded reasons, will have a penalty, and so I know Austin and other students at the University have been working really hard on this and that Bill has been introduced, so congratulations to them. We'll hope it passes. Yep! I have nothing. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. _ .____."_~.__________.__.___,_^____~_w..__"...".__~_____.~.__ ,- #18 Page 44 O'Donnell: I don't either tonight. Wilburn: Dee? Vanderhoef: Urn, League of Cities hosted a very successful legislative day on Valentine's Day. We had quite a lineup, starting with the Governor as our keynote speaker, and we had Chairman Joe Bolcom from Iowa City, Senator, as Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee, and the ranking Chair, or ranking Member, Larry McKibbon, from Marshalltown. Both spoke to us in the morning about issues that were on the table. I would welcome a little opportunity to update Council on some of the legislative things in the very near future. I'll be going back to the Statehouse tomorrow morning for some sessions and some meetings with leadership. So, if you have anything you'd like brought up to leadership, I have our City Council goals and I have lead goals, and I make sure that I keep those separate. My first job is certainly League lobbying - when we go to see them I go with the lobbyists, one of the three lobbyists from League of Cities. So that is great. The roundtables, unfortunately, Eastern Iowa had a little problem getting to Des Moines on Wednesday. However, I did spend some time at the Rotunda and brought home a couple of things. One of them that I will share with Public Art Committee is what Charles City has done with their public art along the river and in conjunction with trails, and they're giving artists opportunities to, the first five... projects were to be what they called "seatable" and they put out a call and they had the artists do a mock-up and they paid the artists $300 for that, and the project, if accepted, they would get $3,000 for it, and some ofthe very clever ideas. I have a picture, brochure, here of the things that they have done. They thought they'd do one a year because they were looking for funding from the community, the $3,000, from the community. They got the first five done in the first year, because.. .it's really fun and they are now up to having completed 14 different projects. They are not all seatable, but the first five along the river were that. Another little thing that I brought home was recipe for community, which looks like a little recipe box, but each divider gives information about the city. It is quick reference kinds of materials, and this comes from Windsor Heights, which is actually in the center of the Des Moines metro area, so they call themselves the "Heart of it All," which is a good gimmick for them. So, anybody that wants to look at that, but there were some other good ideas and presentations on Vision Iowa projects that were out there, some that are completed, some that are in the process, some TIF projects out there. So, there was a little bit of something for everyone and I'm sorry you folks were in D.C. and, some of you at least, and could not go, but hopefully you'll plan for it next year. Wilburn: Regenia? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. "------_.__._-----------_.,,_._----_..._--_.._-~.~-"-------,-----------"-_._~---'- #18 Bailey: Elliott: Bailey: Elliott: Wilburn: Page 45 Just a couple of calls I got about downtown snow removal from somebody at Ecumenical Towers and I'm not sure, just a complaint that generally snow isn't being removed from sidewalks downtown, so it makes it difficult for some of those residents to walk. I don't know what we do to. . . knock on doors to encourage businesses to get that snow removed. Urn, and then downtown delivery trucks, I think I'm noticing more in the middle ofthe streets once again, even with the loading zones open and plowed. So we might just want to check in again about that. I received a lot of comments about our CIP work session. It runs every time I'm on Channel 4, but people are watching it. (several talking).. .Bob, I'm sorry wrong. People are watching it and liking it and saying that it helps them understand our process. They gotta get a life! (laughter) I've heard from at least a half a dozen people that they saw it. Six (several talking) if they're saying it, that's at least, you know, represents people out there so I think it's great! I want to congratulate Dee Vanderhoef on being named the Chair of the Transportation Infrastructure and Service Policy and Advocacy Committee for the National League of Cities and nice photo in the centerfold of the paper from National League of Cities. Very interesting, and I think that our trip to D.C., I think our projects received some positive response, and I thought it was a good trip and well worth the time and investment and we'll be debriefing that trip tomorrow with the Economic Development Coordinator, who also accompanied us on that trip, so think good thoughts. I think we can get some funding this year. Think you know. Okay. I'm just going to echo Regenia's comments about the corridor trip to Washington D.C. I want to thank all the elected officials and members of the Chambers of Commerce, both from the City of Iowa City and the Cedar Rapids' area. Urn, overall I thought it was a very productive trip and we were, I think, pleasantly surprised at the possibility for some funding for, in particular I think the First A venue railroad separation project. So, we'll keep our fingers crossed, keep providing information, and see if that's a project we can get going here. Otherwise, that's it. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. .__..__.,.,_.._--,._._-----~.~-,-~--~._,._,._.,--~_._._._._-_.._--~_..__.."--- '"._..,---,_.._--_.~._----,------,..__...._._"-_.__.__.--- #19 Page 46 ITEM 19 REPORTS ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF. Wilburn: City Manager? Atkins: You received a letter on playground equipment from Neighborhood Council. Would you like that on a work session to talk about. . . we can schedule that. That's it. Wilburn: City Attorney? Dilkes: Just briefly. I thought the public hearing on the Broadway Street project was a perfect example tonight of why you need, why you may have concerns about something or questions about something. You need to wait until you hear people talk, because when you have someone in the audience who hears you say, before they even speak, that you've made up your mind, that's not a good situation for you to be in, or for the City to be in. So... Wilburn: Thank you. Marian? Entertain a motion to adjoum Bailey: So moved. Wilburn: Moved by Bailey. Vanderhoef: Second. Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. All those in favor say aye. Opposed same sign. (pounds gavel) We are adjourned. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of February 20, 2007. ~-~_.'_.'-"----'-----'---'-"---- . --~,._--_._--"---,,,,'-"-,- -~,__,_,,_-------'----'------"---"-"---"~"-'---"----_._._---_.__....__._-----_.._------_._-_...__._~ -