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Home My WebLink About2007-04-03 Bd Comm minutes em: MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MARCH 1, 2007 -7:30 P.M. EMMA J. HARVAT HALL - CITY HALL APPROVED CALL TO ORDER: MEMBERS PRESENT: Brooks called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. Charlie Eastham, Ann Freerks, Terry Smith, Bob Brooks, Wally Plahutnik, Beth Koppes, Dean Shannon STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Sarah Waiz OTHERS PRESENT: Jeff Amelon (4640 Sharon Center Road SW), Paul Bethke (12 Amber Lane), Martha Greer (530 S. Governor St.), Scott Ritter (Hartford Consultants; 5060 James Ave SW, Kalona), Suzanne Bentler (520 S. Governor St.), Mark Russo (614 Clark St.), Adam Bohr (McClare Engineering) RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL (become effective onlv after separate Council action): Recommended approval, by a vote of 7-0, of SUB07-00001: an application submitted by Todd and Debra Hahn for a preliminary plat of Mount Prospect Addition Part IX, a 16-lot, 5.21 acre residential subdivision located on Lakeside Drive, west of Amber Lane. Recommended approval, by a vote of 7-0, SUB07-0002/SUB07-00003: an application submitted by American Bank & Trust for a preliminary piat and final plat of Olde Towne Village Part 2, a 3-lot, 1.82-acre commercial subdivision located south of Rochester Avenue and east of Scott Boulevard. Public Discussion of Anv Item not on the Aoenda No discussion. Rezonino Item REZ07-00002: Discussion of an application submitted by Martha Greer for a rezoning from Neighborhood Stabilization Residential (RNS12) zone to Medium Density Single Family (RS8) zone for approximately 5.75 acres of property located on South Governor Street. Freerks announced that she owns property in this area so she would recuse herself. She left the meeting room. Walz stated that the area to be rezoned begins with 416 on the east side of the street and 423 on the west and extending to the opposite end of Governor Street. It includes adjacent properties along Bowery Street. This area was rezoned from RM12 to RNS-12 in 2000. RS8 and RNS-12 zones are fairly similar because they are both single-family in character. The main difference is that in the RS8 zone, duplexes are allowed only on corner lots, and only on those lots with 8700 square feet or larger. In the RNS-12 zone, one could change a single-family home into a duplex, as long as the lot is 6000 square feet in size and the lot is 45 feet wide. The RNS-12 zone was meant to stabilize single-family character. There are three multi-family units in the area proposed for rezoning. All of these were nonconforming when they came into the RNS-12 zone and would still be nonconforming if the area was rezoned to RS8. They can continue to operate under their current permits because they were grandfathered in. The current limit for unrelated persons living in a dwelling unit is three in both RNS-12 and RS8. In the past, the limit was higher. These properties have been grandfathered in and can continue to operate with the higher limit so long as they keep their permit active. Even if the house is sold to someone else, the occupancy can be maintained. Existing duplexes can continue to operate as duplexes and would only have to come in conformance with the new standard (duplexes on the corner only) if the property was destroyed. Homes that are presently single family would not be able to be divided to duplexes. The Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 2 corner lots are not large enough to become duplexes. As It is zoned presently, there are a few properties that could become duplexes. Since the RNS-12 rezoning, several of the homes have been converted to single-family homes and people have invested in rehabilitating properties. Many of the people who are making this application with Greer own their homes and rental property in the area. There has been some reinvestment and more owner-occupied housing. The applicants state that the reason for the rezoning is to keep the balance between rental and owner-occupied housing. Over 75% of the uses in the area are single-family but the ratio of renter to owner occupied is about 50/50. The applicants have circulated a petition and have the support of the majority of property owners in the area, including those property owners that own the duplexes whose uses will become nonconforming if the area is rezoned. There are four properties that currently have duplex permits. One has already given up their permit, but is keeping a rental aspect with an apartment attached to the garage (an allowed accessory used in the proposed RS-8 zone). All current permit holders have signed on. When we think about rezoning, we think about the number of nonconforming uses that would be created. There are a number of lots that are considered nonconforming because they are too narrow. However, the RS8 zoning contains a density option that states that a narrower width is acceptable if there is an alley. This option will make all lots conforming except for three. The only increase in nonconforming uses would be the duplexes that become nonconforming. Staff recommends rezoning for the following reasons: 1. the existing predominance of single-.family uses, both renter and owner occupied in the area 2. the owners of the three duplexes that would become nonconforming have signed in support 3. there is no change to status in the three multi-family properties which are already nonconforming in the RNS-12 zone 4. the rezoning reduces the number of nonconforming lots due to the bonus provision of the RS-8 zone 5. the comprehensive plan includes goals to preserve the older, historic, neighborhoods closer to downtown. Smith asked which property on the map was owned by Mike Sandersfeld, since he had submitted a letter to the Commission in opposition of the rezoning. Mike Sandersfeld owns the northernmost lot on the east side of the street. His property is a single-family, renter-occupied (4 non-related persons) house. Smith asked if Sandersfeld's property was on the fringe and Walz confirmed that it was the last lot. The staff suggested this boundary because they felt that it was as far north as they could go without getting into more multi-family uses and duplexes where properties would become nonconforming. Eastham asked about the property at 520 S. Governor which is shown as a two-family duplex but is not shown as a nonconforming use under the RS-8 zone. He asked if this was because the owners have indicated that they will change the configuration from duplex to single-family. Walz stated that the owners intend to drop the duplex permit and would not be a nonconforming use. After this duplex, there are three duplexes left in the area. Eastham asked about rental permits which allow 4 unrelated persons in a dwelling. He asked if the permit regulation would continue even if the property were rented to three unrelated persons or a single- family. Walz confirmed that one does not have to rent to the maximum number in order to retain the right to rent to the maximum. The permit simply indicated the maximum allowed. Applicant Martha Greer (530 S. Governor) thanked City staff for helping to put together this application and reason with the applicants as to where the boundary lines should be drawn. She purchased her home about 8 years ago and was looking for a home that she could renovate. She is a single mother and was looking for a safe neighborhood where her son could walk to school and have a diverse school. She looked at the Mann and Longfellow neighborhoods. She is only the 41h owner of her home which was built Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 3 in 1920. The Lorenz family built the home and the two subsequent owners have family connections to Greer, as she is a lifelong resident of Iowa City. When she moved into the neighborhood, she thought that she had made a mistake in buying this home. She was awoken several nights from the sounds of drunken people. She also had problems with landlords who would not respond to concerns and often could not be found. The rezoning in 2000 and the nuisance ordinance and conservation district made a huge difference in turning the neighborhood around. In this neighborhood, people can afford to purchase homes and renovate them. They can walk to work and downtown. She would like this rezoning to further stabilize the neighborhood. She feels that the neighborhood provides affordable housing for people who want to buy but also for those who want to rent in a comfortable neighborhood. She is concerned about the neighborhood becoming any higher density. There are a few homes that could be changed to duplexes. There is already a parking problem on the streets. Greer stated that changing some of these homes to duplexes wouldn't necessarily do much to provide more affordable housing as the current zoning allows for an entire house to be built on the back of an existing house which could be called a duplex. She doesn't feel that eliminating the possibility of further duplexing reduces the affordable housing available. She feels that this rezoning application furthers the goals of the comprehensive plan. Eastham asked about her comment that she doesn't believe that changing a single-family home to a duplex necessarily makes the units more affordable. Greer responded that she feels that this conversion would not automatically make them more affordable. This would depend on rental audience. The rental audience is typically 3 unrelated people who can afford $1500lmonth or $500 per person. A family or single professional may not be able to afford what three unrelated people can. Eastham suggested that two duplexes at $800lmonth would be more affordable and would give about the same rental income. Greer states that this would assume that the existing structures were duplexes as opposed to adding on another structure. She is not sure that a property owner would have much incentive to convert an existing structure when the rental income would be about equal to the current rental income. Greer stated that she appreciates the consideration of the Commission and appreciates the City's role in improving the neighborhood. Brooks opened the floor to public discussion. Suzanne Bentler (520 S. Governor) lives in one of the homes that is going to release their duplex permit. When they first bought their house, they lived in an apartment off the garage while they saved money to move into the house to start renovating. They still rented after they moved in, using it as a duplex. They have since decided to relinquish their duplex permit. Her family is excited to have the home and to be in the neighborhood. Bentler read a letter from Grace and Whitey Piro (521 S. Governor), long term residents of the neighborhood who supported the rezoning. Bentler stated that she has enjoyed getting to know the neighbors and the neighbors have appreciated seeing the improvements that they have made. Bentler is also a landlord who owns a duplex in the neighborhood and is supportive from both positions. Eastham asked about the tenants in Bentler's duplex. She responded that one half of the duplex is a single woman with a disability and the other is a student. Mark Russo (614 Clark St.) moved to the area three years ago from NE Iowa. Russo and his wife bought an old Mennonite church and have spent the last years converting the church into a home. His wife was familiar with the Summit and Governor Street areas. She had lived at the corner of Burlington and Summit for many years. They were looking for a neighborhood which would not be compromised by uncontrolled expansion and which would have a buffer from the younger people. They considered the Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 4 Longfellow and Governor/Summit Street neighborhoods. Governor Street provided a risky option because of the zoning. Their intent was to buy a home (Russo is a builder) and turn it into a comfortable, single-family residence. He is in favor of the proposal because Clark Street. is a wonderful, diverse neighborhood. It is close to the school and downtown. It has all the amenities of Governor, but enjoys slightly more zoning protection. He feels that the Peninsula development seems to be a City-funded effort to recreate a neighborhood very similar to the one that the applicant here lives in. The difference is that this neighborhood is very close to town and doesn't cost any money to taxpayers. He feels that this is a wonderful neighborhood and that the City has a great stake in preserving and enhancing this neighborhood. Miklo clarified that the City paid for the original concept plan for the Peninsula Neighborhood and then sold the property to a private developer. The streets and homes are being built with private money and not City funds. Brooks closed pubiic discussion. Brooks stated that he felt that it was possible to vote tonight. However, there may be some people who are in opposition but were not able to come due to the inclement weather. Eastham stated that he would like to defer this application because of the significant effects that it will have on the neighborhood. He feels that it would be wise for the Commission to express and discussion their opinions tonight. Smith agreed with Eastham that discussion should take place tonight. Brooks would like to allow at least a couple of meetings for people to voice their concerns. Walz has taken several phone calls from people both in the neighborhood and outside of it. None of those calls have been negative. The only negative opinion is the email from Mike Sandersfeld who would like his property excluded. Smith feels that this is not a development or a decision that is holding someone at bay. The area is doing well and will continue to do so for the next two weeks until a decision can be made. He is struggling with the one lot (416 S. Governor - Mike Sandersfeld) which is not fully in support. Because this property is on the fringe, he doesn't see the rationale of including this property in a voluntary rezoning when the rezoning is involuntary as applied to him. He would like to amend the zoning to not include this lot so that someone who is not in support is not included. He would like the opportunity to work with this owner. Eastham is hesitant to vote tonight for the same reasons as Smith. He notes that there are 30 addresses in the application; 18 addresses express support for the rezoning but very few of the one-house rental addresses have indicated whether they are in favor or not. He would like to give them another meeting to express their concerns. Piahutnik agrees with Smith that two weeks will not make much of a difference. He is happy to be sitting on a commission that can look back and see how their decisions have positively affected neighborhoods as the previous conservation zone has done in this area. Brooks feels that it is reasonable to defer so they can get the support of as many people as they can. Plahutnik suggested that Smith look at the zoning proposal as far as whether Sandersfeld's property was on the fringe of the zoning or not. Staff has identified this area as the natural break and that good zoning is good for the neighborhood whether it is in the center or on the edge. Smith feels that if the house was in the middle of the zoning request, you couldn't spot zone the house another way. He knows that if the majority feels that this decision is in the best interest of the community, the single owner might be outvoted. Since the boundary was drawn in the middle of the block, he doesn't Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 5 see what the harm would be in not including the house. He asked Miklo about the possibility of amending the application to exclude this home. Miklo stated that the applicant would have to indicate whether or not they consented to the amendment. Eastham confirmed that the current applicants are Martha Greer and Suzanne Bentler. Smith made a motion to defer the application to March 15. Koppes seconded. Eastham felt that this application was straightforward until he read through the information provided by the staff. There are 30 properties in this application: 23 single-house properties, 4 duplex properties (1 is being converted so there will eventually be three), and 3 muiti-family properties. Nine of the single house properties are currently used for rental purposes. The purpose of the application is to inhibit the expansion of rental uses in the area by eliminating duplex conversion. However, there are only 3 duplexes in the 30 units and he doesn't see much of an indication that there has been a recent pattern of increased duplex conversion. He doesn't feel that eliminating the possibility of duplex conversion will change the rental occupancy in the area. He was surprised at the number of single-family units that are used for rental in this area. One third of the total single homes are used for rental purposes. Most of them are probably used by unrelated people because most have a permit for 4 unrelated people. He feels that the actual change in zoning which would inhibit duplex conversion would have very little effect on the conversion to rental uses because the value of the remaining single-family homes is very similar to the current single-family homes that are used for rental purposes. He wonders why there is a market for 3 unrelated people to want to rent a single occupancy home. He stated that a single person could pay $500 a month and the rent earned would be $1500, which is the house purchasing equivalency for one family who earns $60,000 a year. Most of the remaining single- family houses could be purchased by families making $60,000 a year. He feels that it is likely that rental usage will continue in this area even with RS-8 zoning because the market is there and the housing prices are appropriate. Eastham felt that if duplex conversion is prohibited, single-family, lower-income renter occupants will not be able to move into this area. A family making $30,000 a year can afford approximately $800 in rent. You could not afford to rent a single-family home on this budget. He feels that if people want to preserve the neighborhood and increase the number of single-family homes, they should convert the duplexes and make them more attractive to single-family renters. He feels that this will attract single-family renters and also possibly some students. He still thinks that this will be a better situation than having only student renters able to move into the area. He is struggling to understand why this is a good idea and wonders if this is the best idea if the purpose is to encourage people to stay in the neighborhood longer. Eastham encourages people to respond to his comments at the public input session at the next meeting. Shannon stated that he was on the commission when this rezoning was approved (at that time it was RNC-12, not RNS-12). He thought that the neighborhood was in its decline. He compares this situation to Johnson Street, which has been converted to all multi-family and looks like parts of New Jersey. He is glad that the zoning worked out for the neighborhood and that they have stabilized it. He would like to see everyone happy and would like to see the one disgruntled lot owner be excluded from the rezoning or be supportive of this application. Brooks stated that a deferment would allow Walz and the applicants to discuss the northern boundary of the application with the person who is not in full support. Motion carried unanimously. Development Item Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 6 SUB07-00001: Discussion of an application submitted by Todd and Debra Hahn for a preliminary plat of Mount Prospect Addition Part IX, a 16-lot, 5.21 acre residential subdivision located on Lakeside Drive, west of Amber Lane. Miklo stated that the property was zoned RS-5 which allows single-family homes on lots of 8000 square feet or larger. A special exception was granted in the mid-1990's for a church. The church was never built and the property is being sold to developers to create this residential subdivision. The subdivision would consist of one new street, called Aniston Street, that would intersect with Lakeside Drive. There would be 16 lots and an out lot that would provide access to the trail network. Storm water management would be sent to the Sycamore/Greenway regional storm water management system. There would be no storm water facilities on the property. The property contains some hydric soils near the center of the site. There are no jurisdictional wetlands on the site so the Sensitive Areas Ordinance for wetlands does not apply. The plat will have to include a drainable base for the street to deal with the hydric soils. It is estimated that this subdivision would generate approximately 112 vehicle trips per day onto Lakeside Drive. This is in compliance with the amount of traffic expected on a collector street. The revised plat has no deficiencies. Staff recommends approval. Koppes asked about the normal cul-de-sac length that is recommended by the City. Miklo stated that this cul-de-sac is between 650 and 700 feet. The maximum allowed is 900 feet. Applicant Scott Ritter with Hart Friedricks Consultants stated that he was here to answer any questions for the Commission. There were none. Brooks opened the floor for public discussion. Paul Bethke (12 Amber Lane) owns property to the east of the proposed construction. He presented a petition from his 6th grade daughter which has been signed by her friends and classmates. Bethke asked about the location of the sidewalk connecting with the trailway. He wasn't sure if it would be heading south or west. Miklo pointed this location out on the map for Bethke. It leads east from near the end of the cul-de-sac to the existing trail. Bethke thought that the church had turned over the ownership of the extension from Lakeside Drive to the trail over to the City so it could finish building the trail. He asked if this property is now for sale. Miklo responded that the trail in this area was an easement over the church's property and with this plat it will be dedicated to the City. Bethke asked when ground would be broken for this construction. Miklo stated that a final plat must be submitted before that point and ground wouldn't be broken before spring. Bethke asked if property values would be commensurate with recent values in the area, especially Stanwick which is the newest development in that area. Brooks stated the City has no control over the prices of the homes but that he assumes because the lot size is similar to the existing, that the prices would also be similar. Bethke would like to know if this would put any pressure on Grant Wood Elementary which is already pretty full. He assumes that these lots will be purchased by families with school age children. Koppes stated that Bethke needs to bring this issue to the school board. Bethke stated that his children are very concerned with keeping the field. They knew that eventually the area would be developed and they are glad that the church was not built because it would have caused even more problems than they are currently facing with this development. Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 7 He is concerned about early morning construction with small children living ali along the street. He is also concerned from experience with past construction projects about fiooding and about construction related trash blowing into his property. He stated that the greenway fioods frequently, especialiy at the first intersection of Lakeside extension and the Stanwick part of the trail. He said it has been almost constantly fiooded for the past week. Miklo stated that this area does contain storm water and he is not sure if it was designed to fiood or not. He recommended that Bethke bring this to the attention of the City Engineer. Brooks asked Bethke to thank his daughter for the petition and suggested that a copy be given to the developer. Brooks closed public discussion. Motion: Eastham motioned to approve. Freerks seconded. Koppes would like to ensure that a stop sign is installed at the end of the new street since it is so close to the Grant Wood Eiementary School entryway. Miklo stated that this can be addressed by the City Traffic Engineer. Eastham asked if there were stop signs on Amber Lane and Koppes indicated that she thought there were. Motion was approved 7-0. SUB07-0002/SUB07-00003: Discussion of an application submitted by American Bank & Trust for a preliminary plat and final plat of aide Towne Viii age Part 2, a 3-lot, 1.82-acre commercial subdivision located south of Rochester Avenue and east of Scott Boulevard. In November, the Commission approved a site plan for this lot as weli as the two adjacent lots. The plat before the Commission will not change the site plan, but will divide one plot into three separate plots. There wili still be three buildings and the parking lot and landscaping wili be the same. The only difference is that the individual building owners will own the land under their property rather than owning it in common in a condominium association. The plat as submitted is in order and staff recommends approval subject to staff approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to Council consideration. Brooks stated that his understanding was that the platting process is to facilitate the subdivision and purchase of the land by different buyers. The prior plan as approved in November stays in tact. Adam Bohr with McClare Engineering (applicant) came forward to address any questions from the Commission. He confirmed that nothing will be changed on the design. Brooks opened and closed public discussion. Motion: Freerks motioned to approve. Koppes seconded. Motion was approved 7-0. Election of Officers Smith asked about the time line for changing posts. Miklo stated that the new officers would take their positions at the next meeting and would serve for a year. Eastham stated that the by-laws state that officers would be elected at the first meeting in February or soon after as possible. Brooks stated that the elections have usually been postponed due to absence in the commission or other circumstances. Eastham nominated Freerks for the position of chair. Motion carried unanimously. Freerks nominated Eastham for the position of vice-chair. Motion carried unanimously. Planning and Zoning Commission March 1, 2007 Page 8 Eastham nominated Plahutnik for the position of secretary. Motion carried unanimously. Other Items Miklo brought to the Commission's attention a recent Supreme Court case regarding a rezoning in Dubuque. The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a rezoning because of ex parte communication (discussion outside of a public meeting). The City Attorney prepared a memo directing the City Council on how to react to this decision. The Council needs to act as a quasi-judicial body which is a fairly high standard. If there is communication, it should be announced at the meeting who the communication was with and what the nature of the communication was. Everyone should have the same information. The Commission's by- laws are already stated in this way. The American Pianning Association recommends that, if a Commission member is approached by someone at home or on the street that the member encourage them to come to the meeting and discuss the issue or put the communication in writing. If the communication cannot be avoided, it should be announced at the meeting. There will be a change in procedure in how the Council deals with rezonings. Now, the Council discusses them at their Monday informal meetings with their staff presentation. This will now occur at the Tuesday meeting so that the public is also aware of the staff presentation. In terms of the Commission's attendance, they would need to attend the formal meetings on Tuesday instead. When the code is being amended broadly and does not affect a certain property, this is a legislative decision and these rules do not apply. Eastham confirmed that the City Attorney is not suggesting that the P&Z Commission's current practice of discussing rezoning applications at the informal meeting needs to be changed. Miklo confirmed this and stated that the informal meeting should only be used to gather information and not to make up your mind about how you will vote. You should not make up your mind until you've heard the last of the public input. Koppes asked about the capital improvement project for Sycamore Street. Miklo stated that the current end of the pavement to the city limits is currently in the plan for 2009. Miklo stated that it is very important that Sycamore Street stay in the budget because the City has approved some zonings that have allowed limited or no access to Sycamore Street until it is improved. Smith stated that he would not be available for the next meeting. Eastham stated he would not be there either. Koppes will be here on Thursday but is not sure about Monday. Eastham asked if there was any possibility that the discussion of the Governor Street rezoning application be moved to a meeting where all Commission members are present. Miklo stated that the date of the next meeting has already been announced to the public. Miklo stated that the Commission has met during spring break before. Even with Freerks steeping out on this application, there will be a sufficient number of people. In order for the application to be approved, all four present members would have to vote in favor. The application could also be deferred again if the applicant agrees. Consideration of the Februarv 15. 2007 Meetina Minutes Smith motioned to approve. Eastham seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Adiournment Meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m. Minutes submitted by Megan Weiier. slpcd/m in uteslp&z/2007/3-1-07 ,doc Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission Attendance Record 2007 FORMAL MEETING Term Name Exoires 1/18 2/01 2/15 3/01 Brooks 05/10 X X X X Eastham 05/11 X X X X Freerks 05/08 X X X X Koppes 05/07 X X OlE X Plahutnik 05/10 X X OlE X Shannon 05/08 X X 0 X Smith 05/11 X X X X INFORMAL MEETING Term Name Exoires 1/29 2/26 B. Brooks 05/10 X X C. Eastham 05/11 X X A. F reerks 05/08 X X E.Koppes 05/07 X OlE W Plahutnik 05/10 X X D.Shannon 05/08 OlE X T. Smith 05/11 X X Key: X = Present 0 = Absent OlE = Absent/Excused I I I ~4b(2) FINAL MINUTES City ofIowa City Animal Care Task Force February 22, 2007 - 6:00 P.M. Meeting Room E -- Iowa City Public Library Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 6: I 0 p.m. Members Present: Teresa Kopel, Jane McCune, Pat Farrant, Lisa Drahozal Pooley Members Absent: Paula Kelly Staff Present: Misha Goodman Others Present: Michelle Hickman., Sue Pearson Old Business: I. February 8, 2007 minutes approved as revised. 2. Continuation of Committee Discussion Pat Farrant will classify the many spay/neuter programs into types. Further detail can then be added after discussion of these types. Lisa Drahozal Pooley presented a summary of the ordinances feasible for Iowa City. Members were asked to choose which to present to Center staff and the City Council. Misha Goodman wants to extend permit rules to rescues and fosters, especially concerning the health, care, and history of the animals. Misha will present this information in April. She also wants the rules and regulations to be attached to the corresponding ordinance within the city code. Currently they are separate. Misha Goodman also mentioned that there is currently a 'no exotic animals' bill at the state level. Iowa City's exotic animal ordinance is comprehensive; the state law would only affect us by allowing no pythons at all. Teresa Kopel contacted Bonnie Hendrickson of the Association of Iowa City Realtors but that Bonnie was out of town. She also contacted Campus Housing to ask about a database of properties that allow pets. Teresa is working on a draft of an initial survey to send to landlords to determine what properties currently allow pets and why or why not. 3. Spay Day Update The schedule is full - 40 cats, 20 dogs, and also some rabbits. There is going to be a second day to Spay Day for Pitbulls, paid for by Pit Bull Rescue Central. New Business: I. Misha to present Animal Center statistics from 2003 to current Misha Goodman presented the statistics for the Animal Center and eXplained the structure of the report. Teresa Kopel will put the statistics into a binder and will report on them at the next meeting. The statistics also brought up the question of presenting educational seminars for the public to decrease relinquishment of animals. These seminars can be funded by FACF as education is part of their mission statement. Ideas for seminars included cat behavior, declawing (why not to do it), feral cats and colonies, dog behavior, Pitbulls. 2. Misha Goodman to update on current license discussion with vets and City Essentially there are two options: I) Give vets specifically numbered tags and forms for licenses. Vets would then receive a kickback per license. 2) The software to facilitate licensing at vets is expensive but there is a website that can be made available to vets so that vets can enter some information about the animal including rabies. The software company could update the screen so that the vet can also include the license number on the website and can then send the form via em ail. There is ongoing discussion about these options with the city. It will be necessary to change the city code to allow vets and pet stores to issue licenses as well as to require vets to turn over rabies information to the Animal Center. Currently Petland issues temporary licenses to their animals sold there, as well as licenses and rabies vaccinations to dogs and cats over a certain age. If a new pet store permit requires licensing of dogs and cats, it would mean that the Animal Center would also get owner information from pet stores. 3. County Contract discussion update Misha Goodman meets with the County next week. Misha will present information at our next Task Force meeting. 4. Member comment Teresa Kopel reported on the resolution offees for Iowa City. 5. Staff comments Misha Goodman reported that she will not be available for the March 22, 2007 meeting. 6. Public comments 7. Set next agenda Agenda for March 8,2007 Old Business: I. Approve Minutes of February 22, 2007 2. Continue Committee discussion 3. Misha Goodman - Spay Day update 4. Continue fees discussion 5. Continue statistics discussion 6. Misha Goodman - County meeting report 7. Misha Goodman - Follow up on exotic animal state law 8. Continue educational seminars discussion New Business: I. Reschedule March 22, 2007 meeting Action Items For Members: -Review ordinance summary and determine which ordinances we should pursue. -Misha will bring I st quarter 2007 statistics to the next meeting. -Review fees and come up with changes. Meeting was adjourned at 7:50 P.M. r= MINUTES City ofIowa City Civil Service Commission March I, 2007 at 9:00AM Emma Harvat Hall - City Hall Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 9:10AM. Members Present: Lyra Dickerson, William Cook, Dorothy Maher Members Absent: None Staff Present: Sylvia Mejia, Karen Jennings, Sarah Holececk, Fire Chief Andy Rocca Others Present: Mike Kennedy, Larry Kahler, Crystal Usher, Karen Kahler, Eric Nurnberg, Tina McDermott, Troy Roth, Scott Goolsby, Chris Lacy, Axel Swanson, Jason Jordan, Lance Carolan, Marc Reyhons, Adam Riss, Roger Jensen, Jerry Blank Recommendations to Council (become effective only after separate Council action): None Approval of Minutes/Consent Calendar: Dickerson called the meeting to order at 9:00AM. The item of business was Chief Rocca's recommendation for the decertification of Larry Kahler from the certified promotional list for Battalion Chief. The proceedings were recorded and a written transcript of the hearing is available in the City ofIowa City Personnel office. Following testimony and closing statements Cook made a motion to let the promotional list for Battalion Chief stand as certified. Maher seconded the motion. Motion passed 2- I with Cook and Maher voting in favor and Dickerson voting opposed. Cook moved to adjourn, Maher seconded and meeting adjourned at II :30AM. Board/Commission: Civil Service Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2007 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM 03/01/07 EXPIRES Lyra Dickerson 4/5/10 X Dorothy Maher 4/7/08 X Bill Cook 4/6/09 X KEY: X = Present 0 = Absent OlE = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting --- - Not a Member Ci[ MINUTES Youth Advisory Commission February 21, 2007 - 7:00 P.M. Lobby Conference Room, City Hall FINAL Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 7:03 P.M. Members Present: Keranen, Stubbers, Nelson, Weeks, Segar, Ziegenhorn Members Absent: Bleam Others Present: City Council Liaison Correia, City Clerk Karr, Human Rights Commissioners Joy Kross and Beverly Witwer, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County Rep. Robin Sueppel Auurove Minutes: Stubbers motioned to approve the minutes; Ziegenhorn seconded. Approved 6-0. Discussion ofIowa Youth Survev Results: Correia pointed out the results from the most recent survey in response to a question asking if the students believed students in their school treat each other with respect. Correia provided a graph of the Youth Survey results for Iowa City students for that question from years 1999, 2002, and 2005 for grades 6, 8 and 11. Over time there is a general trend of decreasing positive responses to the question, indicating more students believe others do not treat each other with respect. The statewide trend is opposite, with positive responses increasing. Correia noted possible ways of finding out what is behind this shift, including convening groups of students at different Iowa City schools for discussions, creating a youth council at the junior high schools, and spreading the peer conflict resolution program at the elementary schools to the junior high schools. Correia stated that there is a movement in the community to address this issue that the Commission could be a part of. Keranen noted speculation in the effectiveness of peer counseling programs. Correia added that before developing programs to respond to this program a possibility would be to meet with students to leam more about what they think would work. Ziegenhorn noted that Southeast Junior High and City High have reputations for being "dangerous" schools, with increasing fights and peer violence. She stated that changing demographics ofIowa City and its schools, with more people moving to the area, could be creating the conflicts since they have different backgrounds. Keranen confirmed that a similar trend is being experienced at West High. Correia responded that a possible first step to addressing this issue is to bring students new to the area together with long-time Iowa City students to talk about differences and issues that arise. Youth Advisory Commission February 21,2007 Page 2 Human Riehts Commission Youth Human Riehts Awards: Witwer introduced herself and Kross. She explained the mission ofthe Iowa City Human Rights Commission is to prevent discrimination and increase awareness. She provided handouts for the Youth Awards ceremony on April 24, 2007, containing background information and nomination forms. Witwer extended an invitation to the Commission to attend the Youth Awards ceremony to be introduced, and then explained the eligibility for the awards. Witwer expressed interest in building a relationship between the Human Rights Commission and the Youth Advisory Commission, and invited the commission to attend their one of their future meetings, noting their next meeting was March 27.. Kross expressed interest in building a relationship between the commissions, and noted that their web site is a good place to go for more information. Witwer asked the commission to let members of the community know about the Youth Awards Ceremony. Neiehborhood Centers of Johnson County 50K Road Race & Relav: Sueppel explained the mission of the NCJC and their operation of community outreach programs in the Broadway and Pheasant Ridge neighborhoods. On April 21 the NCJC will be hosting a 50K road race or relay in Iowa City to raise funds. She asked for volunteer help from the commission for help operating the event. The entry fee for participation is $50 for the first person, and $25 for each additional portion. Update on Council Presentations: Keranen stated that at the budget request input session for fiscal year 2008 she and Stubbers faced many questions from the council. The web site and Summer of the Arts involvement was accepted without much objection. The mini-grant program brought more concerns from the council, including fundraising, handout of money, and supervision of the program. Stubbers added that the council liked the Commission website and asked for input on the city website. Correia and Karr added that input from the youth of the city would be helpful for improving the website. One idea for the Y AC web site involved posting seasonally applicable links to other city departments. Correia stated of the $3700 requested for the Commissions fiscal year 2008 budget, the council agreed to fund $2500 total. $1500 for the mini-grant program, $500 for the web site, and $500 for the Summer of the Arts Global Village. The total amount requested by Commission was $3700, with $3000 for mini-grants, $200 for the web site, and $500 for the Summer of the Arts Global Village. Ziegenhorn reported that she read the Commission recommendation for establishing a late-night bus service route during the February 6 city council meeting. Correia noted that Youth Advisory Commission February 21,2007 Page 3 in the 2008 fiscal year budget there are no appropriations for expanded bus service, but because of the revenue from the Court Street Transportation Center, it may become more feasible by mid-2008. Karr added that late-night bus service and Sunday service expansions are being considered. Renorts from Subcommittees: For the Summer of the Arts Global Village subcommittee, Ziegenhorn reported that she, Segar, Weeks, and Subha Subramanian met with Deb Greene to determine what they needed to prepare. There will be a mask-making activity and flag-decorating activity. There will be a few Ghana flags present. The Ghana kit did not contain much useful material. By March 15 the subcommittee must report to Greene what crafts they will have and must provide a supply list. The Summer of the Arts provides $200 to offset the cost of supplies. There must be enough supplies for 400 children. Karr stated the $500 appropriated from the city council for fiscal year 2008 can be used to offset the cost of this year's event, for such supplies as beads, large maps, and flags. On Saturday, June 2, the day ofthe event, volunteers must be present from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., with approximately an hour before and after dedicated to setting up and cleaning up. The Summer of the Arts provides a tent, chairs, and three or four tables. The subcommittee decided to arrange the tables with the volunteers on the inside of a square and the children on the outside. Greene recommended having music from Ghana. There should be food from Ghana, but it should not spoil or need to be refrigerated. There must be a display about Ghana and information about the Commission. The subcommittee must submit a sheet for a passport packet about Ghana, including information targeted to five year old children. The event takes place in Black Hawk Mini Park on the pedestrian mall. At the next meeting of the subcommittee on March 1, Subha Subramanian and her friend will report which food they will prepare for the booth. They will later meet with Deb Greene to report their decisions and get an estimated cost. Karr noted that for printing exceeding the $200 from the Surmner of the Arts, the city has a contract for reduced prices with a printing company. Correia added that the UA Y is creating a youth volunteer corps which could help with operations on the day of the event. Keranen and Ziegenhorn added that they could solicit volunteers from various student groups at City and West High Schools. Three to four volunteers should be at the booth constantly, with overlapping shifts to ensure that enough volunteers are available at all times. Karr noted that Regina High School could be solicited for volunteers as well. Keranen noted that during the shifts there could be a mixture of Commission members and other volunteers. Keranen expressed interest in having live music, but Ziegenhorn added that Greene favored having a stereo playing music from Ghana. For the website subcommittee, Nelson reported that the alumni section is now online and that photos for Segar and Weeks are not yet posted. Karr stated that the photos are not posted because the parental release sheets were not yet received before the time of the meeting. Karr reported that the council encouraged posting more videos and expressed Youth Advisory Commission February 21,2007 Page 4 interest in knowing how many hits the website received, which would be recorded by a counter. The counter would record how many visits the site received as well as which sites were viewed. Keranen expressed interest in finding a way to attract more youth to the page through advertising events on the website. Karr stated that written criteria might be useful for determining which events could be posted. Correia expressed that one criteria could be that the events must be alcohol-free. A calendar could list the events. Correia added that the Student Citizenship award speeches could be linked to from the Commission website. Keranen stated that the website could be advertised through posting of flyers. Karr added that the easiest way to distribute the advertisement would be both in print and electronically, and that the page could be placed on the Iowa City website under the highlights section. Keranen added that the Commission could make advertisements in bookmark form to distribute at area libraries. Karr added that opportunities for distributing bookmark advertisements would be at the book exchange events and at local school libraries. For the grant-programming subcommittee, Nelson and Keranen met on February 18 and discussed how the mini-grant program could be administered. Nelson provided a handout outlining the process. Remaining issues to be determined included how the funds would be disbursed, how to monitor the progress of the projects, and whether outside funding should be pursued. Keranen added that the rationale for the potential grantee meeting with a subcommittee first would be to help explain the process as well as to help them prepare for their presentation. Pictures of events or people involved would be good additions to the website. Karr noted that potential grantees should submit a proposal to the subcommittee before meeting to minimize the workload. While it may be helpful to have the grantee submit the completed packet to the subcommittee before meeting, it may also be an unnecessary burden to the grantee if their project is not something that would be approved. Stubbers and Keranen noted that a proposal containing a mission statement and information about who they would be working with would be helpful while not presenting too much of a preliminary obstacle. Correia stated the proposal could ask who the grantee will be working with, what their project will be, and why they want to do it. Karr noted the amount of subcommittee assistance to the potential grantees in the application process is dependent on the number of applicants. A two-step process was proposed, with first the proposal introducing the concept and the second detailing the actual project. For the application process, information about the process and information on the proposal would be available on the website. The applicants would submit a proposal to a subcommittee. The subcommittee would then screen projects, meeting with promising applicants and give them the application packet and receive guidance. The applicants would present their final presentation to the Commission. The Commission would then decide based on a rubric including uniqueness, feasibility, effect on the Iowa City community, and the presentation strength. Youth Advisory Commission February 21,2007 Page 5 Correia noted that while the subcommittee would filter the applicants when deciding who to give application packets to, they would not specifically recommend them at that point because the applicants would still need to complete the application and present to the Commission. Keranen mentioned the largest issue to be worked out was how to disburse the funds. Karr and Correia stated that the most feasible option would be to reimburse the expenses. Karr added that it is a possibility to disburse the funds beforehand rather than reimbursing, but that the details must be worked out with the city attorney. In order to reimburse, the grantee must provide receipts. The grantee must submit the receipts to the city clerk as well as to the subcommittee. The subcommittee would have to approve the expenses, while the city clerk would then process the reimbursement. Keranen noted the question of whether the program should seek outside funding. Correia added that the only reason to seek outside funding would be to expand the program. Correia also noted that a possible criteria for determining who would receive funding could be whether they also have outside funding, since this could encourage larger projects. The grant-programming subcommittee then agreed to revise the outline of the process and meet with the city attorney to resolve remaining issues. Keranen stated a mock-up of an ideal proposal would be helpful. Nelson asked if the Commission wanted to support group as well as individual led projects. The consensus was that they should make the determination based on the nature of the project. Correia noted that the Commission could organize a contest to design posters through the website. Public Discussion: Correia commended the subcommittees for the amount of work accomplished. Announcements/Invitations: The dates of future meetings were noted. The March 27 meeting of the Human Rights Commission could not be attended by most of the Commission, so a request to meet at future meetings would be made by Karr. Citizenship Awards: Keranen agreed to present at the reschedule March 5 meeting. Stubbers agreed to present at the April 3 meeting. _._~._-------~_._-----_..--------_._-------_._._---~.~.__._.~_.,._..~-~-_. Youth Advisory Commission February 21,2007 Page 6 Ziegenhorn agreed to present at the April 16 meeting. Karr noted that the commissioners should wear their Commission shirt to make themselves more recognizable. Motion to Adiourn: Motioned by Stubbers, seconded by Ziegenhorn. Approved 6-0. Meeting was adjourned at 8:45 P.M. Minutes submitted and prepared by Nelson. , . ____.___.___~~______~__._.___,_,._._____.__.______.,_____._~_____.__n_'_.__"_____. I I I ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2006-2007 l (Meetml!. Date) TERM 3/23 3/30 4/13 4/20 5/25 6/14 7/10 8/14 9/6 10/4 1111 1/17 2/21 3/21 NAME EXP. ! Audrey 12/31/07 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Keranen Sarah 12/31/07 X X X OlE OlE X X X X OlE X X X OlE Ziel!.enhorn Lin Weeks 12/31/08 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X X X David Segar 12/31/08 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X X OlE Maison 12/31/07 X X X OlE OlE OlE 0 OlE X X X X OlE X I Bleam Jacqueline 12/31/07 X x X X X X X OlE X OlE X X X OlE Stubbers Michael 12/31/08 X X X X X X OlE X X X X X X X Nelson KEY: X = Present o = Absent OlE = AbsentlExcused NM = No meeting --- = Not a Member i ! f I ! C[ ~Iowa City ~Public library Minutes Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting FINAL APPROVED Thursday, February 22, 2007 Members Present: Linzee McCray, Thomas Dean, William Korf, Thomas Martin, Mary New, Meredith Rich-Chappell, Leon Spies, David VanDusseldorp Members Absent: Pat Schnack Staff Present: Barb Black, Terri Byers, Maeve Clark, Susan Craig, Debb Green, Kara Logsden, Heidi Lauritzen, Patty McCarthy, Andrew MacKay, Elyse Miller, Hal Penick Call to Order: McCray called the meeting to order at 5:04 pm. Public Discussion: None. Approval of Minutes. The minutes of the regular meeting of January 25, 2007 were reviewed. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Korf, seconded by Spies. Motion carried 8/0. Unfinished Business. Leased Space. Craig talked to Kevin Hanick on Tuesday. He has shown the space to another potential tenant. Representatives from UIHC say that they are still interested. FY08 Budget. President McCray spoke with City Council on January 29, 2007, with Martin and Spies also attending. The 2008-2010 City of Iowa City Proposed Financial Plan Budget Summary was distributed to Board members at the meeting. The City Council votes on the budget on March 6; the City must submit an authorized budget to the State of Iowa by March 15. 2007. New Business. Review of Board Policv #814- Librarv Copvriaht Policv. This is a regularly scheduled policy review. Craig talked about how copyright has changed through the years and has become an ever more complicated issue. Craig used the example of purchasing some children's dvds for one price and purchasing the same materials with public performance rights. We must get permission from each publisher of books used in a story time before we can use the story time on Channel 10. Another example is the Friday night film series, Fridays First and Last. The Library paid a fee for each movie we showed for that program to be within copyright law. A motion to approve the revised Library Copyright policy was made by New, seconded by Dean. Motion carried 8/0. Review of Board Policy #812 - Hours of Service. Craig explained that the calendar is usually set in February for scheduling and budgetary purposes. Since it is on Monday in 2007, Craig proposes that Christmas Eve be declared a holiday, in lieu of a floating holiday this year, but the Library would be open with holiday staffing. McCray asked about the floating holiday. Craig explained that this is an extra holiday that staff must take during a speCific period of time between December-January, if the holiday is not already designated by the Library Director. Dean clarified that all permanent staff get the floating holiday. Craig also proposes a standard closing time of 4:00 for Christmas Eve day. Christmas Eve is typically a slow day at the Library. Another issue to be considered by the Board is Sunday hours. When an hour was added this year closing time was moved from 5:00 to 6:00. Building usage is fairly slow between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Sundays and staff feel that the community would be better served if the Library opened at 12:00 pm instead of 1 :00 pm, with a 5:00 pm closing. New wondered how many staff work on a holiday when the building is open. Craig explained that Holiday staffing is similar to weekend staffing, and that it refers to service desk staffing. New suspected that this required a very complicated staffing schedule. VanDusseldorp pointed out that we are also accepting the Friday night hour changes to this policy. It was moved by VanDusseldorp, seconded by Martin to accept the proposed changes to policy #813, Hours of Service, including the annual calendar. Motion carried 8/0. Staff Reports. Departmental Reports: Children's Services McCray really likes the idea of the R.EAD. dog program and is pleased to see the story time convenient for working parents on Sundays. Green says it is in response to the strategic plan. Green hopes to get funding for paperbacks for the dogs to give to the attendees. Rich-Chappell remarked that her sister's class in Ankeny had a very successful time with the R.EAD. McCray wondered if any other libraries are doing this program. Svstems McCray remarked on the Office 2007 update in the Systems report. Staff assured her that although very different from the current Office suite, Office 2007 was a good change. Technical Services VanDusseldorp wondered about the turnaround time of materials from when they are reserved online to when they appear on the shelf. Black stated that items go into the catalog as soon as they are ordered, which accounts for why there may be holds on items before they even get here. Spies wondered about whether we get discounts from vendors. Black said that we typically receive about a 40% discount on hardcover, similar to bookstores, and that we negotiate with our vendors to get good contracts. Baker and Taylor and Ingram are primary vendors for us. It was explained that Express books are rented rather than purchased. We pay for a core number of books for the year, and the turnaround adds and subtracts from that core. Everything in the Express collections is also held by the Library in its regular collection. We use Express materials to add more copies temporarily of popular items for patrons. Once a month, a selector identifies materials that are needed. They are received by the Library already tagged and are on the shelves the same day. The Express collection comes from our primary purchasing vendor, which has a program for this purpose. The Library keeps Express items for as long as they are popular. Development Office McCarthy talked about the Iowa City Spells. She pointed out the certificate the Library Board of Trustees received for sponsoring a team each year of the ten years of the bee's existence. Iowa City Spells raised more than $6000. The outcome of the spelling bee was the top news item in the Iowa City Press-Citizen the next day, above the fold. Iowa City Spells is a very popular fundraiser. Ride 'N Read Proaram To cut down on abuse, the Library made some changes to the Ride 'N Read program that staff thought were reasonable for both patrons and staff. People requesting a pass must show a library card and they are limited to two passes per week. McCray appreciated staff's willingness to continue the program and hopes that it's not too onerous on staff. VanDusseldorp wondered about feedback from program users. Spies asks that staff continue to monitor Ride 'N Read and to be sensitive to the parking stamp versus bus pass program public relations issue. Library News. The All Iowa Reads (AIR) book this year is The Splendid solution: Jonas Salk and the conquest of polio by Jeffrey Kluger. Bookmarks were given to Board members at the meeting. Craig encouraged members to go to the website and share stories at www.iowapoliostories.org. President's Report. McCray thanked the Foundation for organizing and coordinating the spelling bee. It is a beloved event in Iowa City. Friends and colleagues told McCray that they stayed home to watch it that night. McCray also thanked the Trustee Spellers and Nic Arp for participating at the last moment. McCray also mentioned that a visitor from out of town whose spouse is a potential UIHC hire was shown the library and was really impressed. McCray stated that it was time to appoint a Nominating Committee: Martin will Chair the Committee, with VanDusseldorp and Rich-Chappell. The Committee is charged with presenting a roster of candidates for President, Vice President, and Secretary for the Library Board of Trustees for FY08. Announcements from Members. VanDusseldorp said that he saw Duke McGrath at the grocery store and congratulated him on his team's Iowa City Spells victory. McGrath said that he had been spelling for many years and was very excited to finally win. VanDusseldorp stated that it was Duke and Della McGrath who originally got him involved in volunteering at the Library and that it is good to keep mentors posted on the work the Library is doing. VanDusseldorp also mentioned the UICCU members meeting on 2/28/07 at the old Highlander Inn to vote on a name change at 6:00 pm. Committee Reports. None. Communications. Craig received an email from Jean Junis. Green and Craig will meet with her next week. Disbursements. Visa expenditures for January 2007 were reviewed. A motion to approve the disbursements for January 2007 was made by Spies, seconded by New. Motion carried 8/0. McCray asked about Unique Management. Craig explained that they are a collection agency for long overdue materials. Lauritzen said they do a very good job, and that they charge a flat fee per account, not a percentage of what they collect. Set Agenda Order for March Meeting PR report Adjournment. A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Korf, seconded by Martin. Motion carried 8/0. McCray adjourned the meeting at 6:06 pm. Martin reminded all that the Chamber's Iowa City Roundtable Group will next meet on Tuesday 3/6 in Library Meeting Room A. Craig will update the group on Library matters. The next meeting of the Library Board of Trustees is March 22, 2007. Respectfully submitted, Elyse Miller Board or Commission: ICPL Board of Trustees ATTENDANCE RECORD CALENDAR YEAR 2007 MeiltinQ Date " .i I Name Term j)25/07 2/22/07 3/22/07 4/26/07 5/24/07 6/28/07 7/26/07 8/23/07 9/27/07 10/2$/01 11/15/07 12/20/07 EXD. ..., Thomas Dean 7/01/09 x x x Bill Korf 7/01/09 x x x Tom Morfin 6/30/11 x x x . Linzee McCray 7/01/09 x x x Mary New 7/01/07 ole x x i Meredith 6/30/11 , Rich-Chappel x x x , I I Pat Schnack 7/01/07 x OlE OlE I Leon Spies 6/30/11 I x x x David 7/01/07 V anDusseldofP x x x , KEY: X = Present i o = Absent i I OlE = Absent/Excused I NM = No meeting I I Res = Resigned I i I , I I i I ! i I i i , 1::[. MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FEBRUARY 21, 2007 FINAL MEMBERS PRESENT: Margaret Loomer, Ryan O'Leary, Matt Pacha, Jerry Raaz, Phil Reisetter, John Westefe1d MEMBERS ABSENT: David Bourgeois, Craig Gustaveson, John Watson STAFF PRESENT: Mike Moran, Terry Robinson, Terry Trueblood GUESTS PRESENT: Elizabeth Koppes RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: Moved bv Raaz. seconded bv Reisetter. to accept Wetherbv Park as a possible location for a splash pad pendine approval of Community Development Block Grant fundine, Unanimous, OTHER FORMAL ACTION TAKEN Moved bv Westefeld. seconded bv Raaz to approve the January 10. 2007 minutes as written. Unanimous. PUBLIC DISCUSSION: No public discussion. CONSIDERATION OF "SPLASH PAD" PROPOSAL FOR WETHERBY PARK: Elizabeth Koppes was present at this meeting on behalf of the Wetherby and Grant Wood Neighborhood Associations. They are applying for Community Development Block Grant funding to finance the entire project. This project does qualify due to the low/moderate income make up of the area. Koppes stated that there is a need for more recreational activities for children in these neighborhoods. Koppes reviewed two proposals with the commission. One called Cloud Burst with a cost estimated of $102,000 and the other called Monsoon, price estimate of $89,000. These costs, however, include materials only. She stated that after all is finished final cost will be about $200,000. The Commission discussed the different types of water systems, one being a filtration/circulation system which cleans and re-circulates the water, similar to a swimming pool, or just allowing the water to run off onto the ground, which would . mean constantly pumping new water onto the pad. The recirculation system does cost more to build and maintain. According to Terry Robinson a larger water line would have to be installed for either system. Pacha asked if there was any neighborhood open space money available to help fund this project. Trueblood stated that he would look into this but does not believe there is Parks and Recreation Commission February 21, 2007 Page 2 of 6 any available for this area. Westefeld asked if the grant would cover the total expense. Trueblood indicated the neighborhoods' application is to cover the total expense, but that it would be in competition for the funds with a number of other submittals. O'Leary mentioned his concern of vandalism and maintenance costs. Pacha asked if there would be security lights in place. Trueblood stated that this would probably be the case. Trueblood also stated that a project of this nature would need to go through the formal bidding process. Moved bv Raaz, seconded bv Reisetter, to accept Wetherby Park as a possible location for a splash pad pend in!! approval of Community Development Block Grant fundin!!. Unanimous. DISCUSSION OF GOLF PASS CONCEPT PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER BOURGEOIS: Commissioner Bourgeois has begun to research the possibility of the Parks and Recreation Department, on behalf of the Foundation, selling "discount cards" to be used at area golf courses, He is asking for the Commission's endorsement to continue to do so. The basic concept is for the Department to sell these cards, which can be used at participating golf courses, with the proceeds going to the Parks and Recreation Foundation. The idea is to sell these cards for a certain amount, possibly $25. They could then be used to get a discounted rate, perhaps $5 off every round for the entire season. There may be some restrictions applied such as the discount applies to green fees only if the participant rents a cart, or it may be that the discounts are good only on weekdays. If this plan is endorsed by the Commission, Bourgeois will continue to pursue contacting selected golf courses. He has already been in touch with Finkbine, and is awaiting a response. O'Leary asked if the idea is that this concept benefits citizens of Iowa City because we do not have a municipal golf course. Trueblood indicated that this is indeed one of the reasons, the other being a fund raiser for the Foundation. Moved bv Westefeld, seconded bv O'Leary to endorse the continued investi!!ation of the discount !!olf pass concept, with the proceeds l!oin!! to the Parks and Recreation Foundation. Unanimous. MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES FROM DIRECTOR TRUEBLOOD: Master Plan: At the request of the City Manager, Trueblood presented again the Master Plan idea to the City Council to update them and to be certain they are still okay with it. He received no opposition from the Council. Parks and Recreation Commission February 21,2007 Page 3 of 6 The seven-member committee met today, Wednesday, February 21, 2007, to review the nine proposals received. Four finalists were selected: Bucher, Willis & Ratliff (BWR) from Kansas City; GreenPlay, LLC from Broomfield, CO; Moore, lacofano & Goltsman (MIG) from Portland, OR; and PROS Consulting from Indianapolis. Budl!:et: The City Council held its annual Boards/Commissions/Community Events meeting on Monday, January 29. Pacha spoke primarily about the Peninsula pedestrian bridge proposal encouraging them to provide necessary funding, preferably by FY09 at the latest. He indicated to them that this is not the type of project that lends itself to fund raising. The Council has tentatively scheduled this project to be funded in FYI I. Trueblood feels that the Council will expect us to find other sources of funding to help pay for this project. Westefeld asked what the Council means by "other types of funding." Pacha stated that he wasn't sure but reiterated that he feels private fund raising is not feasible for this type of project. Trueblood indicated we will likely to have come up with a variety of grants. O'Leary stated that he attended a meeting where the budget was explained to the public. He finds this decision about the pedestrian bridge frustrating as costs will only increase with time. Sand Lake: Trueblood will be meeting with the Johnson County Conservation Board to discuss support for the Sand Lake Recreation Area. He stated that we are currently in the process of developing an application for a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Grant and are requesting support from the Conservation Board in order to enhance our chances of being awarded a grant. He would like to get some in-kind contributions for this as these are looked upon favorably. At a minimum, he will be asking the Board for a letter of support or resolution to be included in the application. Boathouse: Not much to report, however, Trueblood did meet with University staff and their architects once to get an update and discuss what needs to be done relative to use of the land. Due to financial considerations, it appears there is virtually no chance that a "community room" will be included in this building. In view of this, O'Leary asked if Parks and Recreation Commission and/or the City Council have considered investigating other uses for that land. He feels that building this boathouse on this land may render it useless for anything else to be placed there. Trueblood indicated no other plans had been discussed. There was much discussion about Commission's concerns with there not being a plan to build a "community room" as part of this project. The Director reminded them that there will be other community-use opportunities, and that his recollection was that the Commission had supported the project with no such strings attached, but had merely requested that the University consider this as a possibility. He also asked that they keep in mind that a large room for large events would require more parking. Trueblood will communicate these concerns to University staff and the architect. ___ ___.__~_____~____________..__._____,,_~_~__~____.____..__AA.___~ _______..___,_______..__________'___".__.____~_.'_.MW_ Parks and Recreation Commission February 21,2007 Page 4 of6 Neil!hborhood Meetiol!s: Trueblood met with both the Northside and Peninsula Neighborhoods recently. The Northside Neighborhood, in cooperation with the Horace Mann PTO, is applying for a PIN grant to fund a master plan for North Market Square Park and the adjacent school grounds. The Peninsula Neighborhood will be applying for a PIN grant for the placement of playground equipment at the Emma J. Harvat Park. He reported that, while at this meeting, he also answered questions about the proposed pedestrian bridge (which the neighborhood supports), and received a few negative comments about the traffic produced from the Dog Park and the disc golf course. Public Art: The Public Art Advisory Committee has mentioned that they would like to commission an artist to paint a mural at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center Pool. They also like the idea of a sculpture to be placed in Creekside Park, near Muscatine Avenue. Cell Phone Tower: Trueblood is meeting with a Verizon representative later this month. They want to go ahead with design work, although, there has not been a policy written or an agreement signed at this point. Festival Stal!e Proiect: The bid opening for this project was on January 31. The City received II bids. The contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder, Selzer Werderitch Associates of Iowa City. This is the same company that constructed Scanlon Gymnasium. The estimated cost for this project was $250,250 and Selzer's bid came in at $211,200. Disc Golf: Trueblood announced that there will be a Peninsula Park Disc Golf Course Grand Opening event on Friday, March 30, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. Following the opening ceremonies, the members of the Iowa City Disc Golf League will be offering a 9-hole Celebrity Doubles event. This is a non-competitive event in which they will pair a non-player with a skilled player so that participants have the opportunity to tryout the sport first hand. COMMISSION TIME O'Leary stated that he was excited to review the SOQ's for the Master Plan. He is particularly interested in including more adult recreation in this plan. He also reiterated his wish for there to be a community room included in the boathouse project. Raaz asked that the following item be placed on the March 2007 agenda for the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting: IRC/Elks Iowa River Trail including history review, cost, what permission/negotiations need to happen to get a trail built in this location. Parks and Recreation Commission February 21,2007 Page 5 of6 CHAIR'S REPORT Pacha noted that our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14 which is during spring break. No conflicts noted by any Commission members so meeting will take place as scheduled. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Trueblood announced that Howard Villhauer has passed away. The Department sent a flower arrangement and card to the family on behalf of the staff and Commission. ADJOURNMENT Moved bv Raaz. seconded bv Reisetter to adiourn the meetin2 at 6:25 p.m. Unanimous Parks and Recreation Commission February 21, 2007 Page 6 of 6 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2007 TERM NAME EXPIRES 1/10 2/7 3/14 4/11 5/9 6/13 7/11 8/8 9/12 1.0/10 11/14 12/12 David Boumeois 1/1/11 X OlE Craig Gustaveson 1/1/11 X OlE Margaret Loomer 1/1/08 X X Ryan O'Learv 1/1/1 0 X X Matt Pacha 1/1/09 X X Jerry Raaz 1/1/08 X X Phil Reisetter 1/1/09 OlE X Johu Watson 1/1/11 X OlE John Westefeld 1/1/10 X X KEY: X= 0= O/E= NM= LQ= Present Absent Absent/Excused No meeting No meetiug due to lack of quorum Not a Member I ~4~<ZL APPROVED MINUTES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FEBRUARY 22, 2007 IOWA CITY LIBRARY, ROOM A Call to Order: Jerry Anthony called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Members Present: Jerry Anthony, Steven Crane, Marcy DeFrance, Holly Hart, Thomas Niblock, Brian Richman, Charlotte Walker Members Absent: Andy Douglas, Michael Shaw StalT Present: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long Others Present: Steve Ramirez, Suellen Novotny, Laura Dowd, Sandy Pickup, Thomas Walz, Christina Canganelli, JeffVanatter, Dick Brown, Steven Rackis, Deb Riggs, Maryann Dennis, Charlie Eastham, Allan Axeen, Joshua Webber, Jesse Bums, Dawn Newbill, Jeff Enberg, Jordan Pettis, Elizabeth Koppes, Brian Loring, Liz Weinberg, John Watson, Kristie Fortmann-Doser RECOMMENDA TIONS TO COUNCIL (become effective only after separate Council action): None NOTE: The minutes of the Feb. 22 minutes are abbreviated as the digital recording of the meeting was erased during download. APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 18TH, 2007 MEETING MINUTES Niblock motioned to approve the minutes as submitted. DeFrance seconded the motion and the motion carried on a vote of 7:0. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None FY08 QUESTION/ANSWER SESSION Jerry Anthony introduced himself to the room and asked the rest of the Commission to do the same. Jerry Anthony said that the city received 20 applications requesting $2,346,185 in CDBGIHOME funding. Anthony said that the city expects to have $1,694,376 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Anthony said that after removing the Council approved set-asides (administration, Aid-to-Agencies, housing rehabilitation), the City oflowa City has approximately 1,122,000 available to allocate to FY08 project requests. Anthony said that of the total funds available, it is the City's goal to allocate 48% to housing activities. This year there is $939,364 set aside for housing activities, $726, 516 is available for allocation. There is $121,700 set aside for Public Services (8%), $16,700 is available for allocation. Anthony said that of the $409,900 set aside for Public Facilities and Infrastructure (21 %), $378,784 is available for allocation. Anthony said that of the total FY08 funds of $1 ,694,376, there is $1,122,000 available for allocation. Anthony reminded housing applicants that they have ten minutes to answer questions. Hightshoe said that when there is a minute ieft, she will hold up a sign to inform the applicant as well as the Commission of the remaining time. IC Housing Rehabilitation-Lead Based Paint Assistance, JeffVanatter Anthony asked Vanatter why he was requesting funds from both HOME and CDBG. Vanatter stated that their program receives both sources of funds. The distinction must be made between the programs as HOME funds for lead based paint can only be used on HOME assisted properties. The clarification is also needed for budget purpcses. CDBG funds would go to CDBG funded projects and HOME funds would be used for HOME assisted projects. Walker asked Vanatter how Ie Housing Rehabilitation lets people know about their services. Vanatter stated through press releases, mailings in the water bills, etc. Walker asked Vanatter if the IC Housing Rehabilitation rehabilitates mobile homes. Vanatter said yes, however the repairs to mobile homes are usually considered emergency repairs for safety issues such as furnace replacement or plumbing/electrical work so would not be subject to lead based paint provisions. Crane asked Vanatter is the ICHR uses one specific contractor. Vanatter replied no as the homeowner can choose their own contractors, however the contractor must use lead safe work practices. Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity (IVHFH), Dick Brown Anthony asked what the average cost is. Anthony asked about new subdivision. Anthony asked about design guidelines. Niblock asked about land trusts. Brown stated he did not know the particulars but stated as they are not sure what will happen in 5,10,15 years they were uncomfortable with the concept. Walker asked if the IVHFH has selected any lots. Brown stated they are always looking. Homes for Our Future - Iowa City, Steven Rackis and Deb Briggs Walker asked if Briggs' research included the spouses of teachers. Riggs said there was no way to check that. Niblock asked if they would be providing services to University workers. Briggs stated any public servant. Walker asked if they've identified the houses. Briggs stated no. Walker then asked how they market their houses and if they have a realtor. Briggs stated they do not a realtor due to the extra expense. The Housing Fellowship CHDO Operating Expenses, Maryann Dennis and Charlie Eastham Crane asked what The Housing Fellowship has used in the past for funds. Dennis replied that they have used funds generated from rent, donations, and the sale of existing units. Richman asked if this would be a one~time request for funds. Dennis stated they believe so, but can't guarantee that in the future they wouldn't come back to request these type of funds. Walker asked if they submit reports. She was concerned about the HCDC approving funds that The Housing Fellowship does not need. Dennis stated they provide financial oversight and have an active Board. They also receive an annual audit and must submit reports and the audits to the City and State. Walker and Richman requested a copy. Hightshoe stated staff would mail them their most recent audit. The Housing Fellowship - Home and Neighborhood Program, Maryann Dennis and Charlie Eastham Richman asked if these were two~bedroom homes and ifso, what types of people get these two~bedroom homes. Dennis replies yes. Their most recent project was for 3 bedroom units. This project proposes 2 bedroom units as that is their largest rental demand. Single moms make up the most number of clients for rental units. Hawkeye Area Community Action Program - Transitional Housing, Allan Axeen Crane asked about the "negative cash flow." Axeen stated there was a mistake and submitted a revised proforma. Axeen stated any deficiency would be made up by the organization. Axeen stated that buying condos has worked very well for the organization as exterior maintenance is paid through association fees as well as snow removal/landscaping. Builders of Hope - Transitional Housing, Joshua Weber Weber read aloud and addressed the five questions on the back of the staff report. Richman asked how residents are able to pay. Weber stated through work earnings, disability payments, etc. Richman asked who owns the company. Weber stated it is a for profit owned by Builders of Hope. He is an owner of the company. Crane asked if there is a waiting list. Weber stated he has five persons that have already expressed an interest. Blooming Garden IHA Limited Partnership, Jesse Burns Bums read aloud the memo he handed out to the HCDC (see attachment) Long asked about constructing zero-step entrance ways. Burns stated the application is for down payment assistance, not construction so the zero-step entrance may not apply. If is does, they will work something out. Richman asked how they were handling the construction financing. Richman asked about additional company loans. Jerry Anthony informed Public Service applicants that they have five minutes to answer any questions in front of the HCDC. Visiting Nurse Association, Suellen Novotny Walker asked Novotny if the VNA has had trouble monitoring costs. Novotny stated no, they keep detailed records. Local Foods Connection - Operations, Laura Dowd Dowd handed out a memo titled "Items to be Addressed." (Dowd read from her memo verbatim.) Niblock asked Dowd how Local Foods Connection selects its clients. Niblock then asked if there is a waiting list. Dowd stated they get referrals from local agencies. They don't technically have a waiting list as they inform their referral sources how many clients they can take and the agency only provides referrals up to that number. I f they could accept more, the agencies would send more referrals. Walker asked Dowd if Local Foods Connection's services are open to the public. Walker asked how much clients pay. Dowd says they work on a referral basis from agencies like DVIP, Crisis Center, etc. The food they provide is free to the client. Free Medical Clinic - Pharmacy Technician, Sandy Pickup There were no questions from HCDC. Extend the Dream Foundation (EDF) - Financial Management Snpport, Thomas Walz Anthony asked Walz ifhe had asked the city for funds. Walz stated they have in the past for various projects. They have had different volunteers in the past, but will be contracting with a tax/bookkeeping firm to work with their financial reporting and records. Shelter House - Outreach Services Coordinator, Christina Canganelli Canganelli read aloud the four questions listed on the staffreport and answered them one by one. Refer to attachment. Anthony called for a ten-minute break. Crisis Center - Accessibility & Security, Jesse Burns and Dawn Newbill Bums read the 3 questions on the staff report out loud and answered each one. Niblock asked about the facilities outside lighting. Newbill stated there is currently no outside lighting in those locations. Iowa City Free Medical Clinic - Facility Rehab, Sandy Pickup Pickup addressed each of the three questions on the staff report. Extend the Dream Foundation - Property Acquisition, Thomas Walz Walz stated they would address the financial management issues. Walz stated they applied as a public facility as it seemed to make more sense given the reporting requirements and nature of project. The project is also available under economic development; however job creation/retention records must be kept. Wetherby Friends & Neighbors Neighborbood Association - Recreational Facility, Elizabeth Koppes Hightshoe announced that the Parks and Rec. Director could not attend but would answer any questions that the commission had. Parks and Rec, had committed to funding the ongoing maintenance and water costs for the project if funded. Niblock asked what would happen to the facility during wintertime. Koppes said that the facility would be winterized. The water shuts off in periods of no motion, high wind and will be open basically during the summer months when warm. Neighborhood Centers of Johnson Connty, Brian Loring and Liz Weinberg Walker asked about kitchen remodeling. Anthony asked which of the three projects they would place the most priority on. Loring stated the kitchen remodeling. Goodwill Industries of SE Iowa, John Watson Hightshoe asked Watson what his number one priority is, ifhe had to choose, He stated the whole project is important, but they would prioritize if needed. Their goal is to have it all done, how long that will take is the question. Adjournment Crane motioned to adjourn the meeting. meeting was adjourned at 9:35 pm. Walker seconded the motion and the motion passed 7:0. The Housing & Community Development Commission Attendance Record 2007 Term Name Exoires 01/18 2/21 02/22 Jerrv Anthonv 09/01/08 OlE X X Steve Crane 09/01/09 X X X Marcy De France 09/01/09 X X X Andv Doue:las 09/01/08 X OlE OlE Hollv Jane Hart 09/01/07 X X X Thomas Niblock 09/01/08 X OlE X Brian Richman 09/01/07 X OlE X I Michael Shaw 09/01/09 OlE OlE OlE Charlotte Walker 09/01/07 -- -- X X I Key: I X = Present 0 = Absent I OlE = Absent/Excused I NM = No Meeting -- -- = Not a Member I c:: APPROVED MINUTES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2007 -11:30 AM LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Jerry Anthony, Steve Crane, Marcy DeFrance, Holly Hart, Charlotte Walker MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Andy Douglas, Tom Niblock, Brian Richman, Michael Shaw Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL (become effective only after separate Council action): None Call to order: Chairperson Anthony called the meeting to order at 11 :40 a.m. Site Visits to FY08 CDBGfHOME Proposed Project Sites Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County - Pheasant Ridge Center (2651 Roberts Road). Brian Loring provided a tour of the center and highlighted the proposed improvements. Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County - Broadway Center (2105 Broadway). Brian Loring and Sue Freeman provided a tour and highlighted the proposed improvements. Goodwill Industries of Southeast Iowa (1410 S. First Ave.) John Watson provided a brief tour and highlighted the proposed improvements. Iowa City Free Medical Clinic (2440 Towncrest Drive) - Sandy Pickup provided a brief tour and discussed the proposed improvements. Adjournment: MOTION: Hart moved to adjourn the meeting. Crane seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m. i i I Housing & Community Development Commission Attendance Record 2007 Tenn Name EXDires 01/18 2/21 Jerry Anthony 09/01/08 OlE X Steve Crane 09/0 1/09 X X Marcy De France 09/01/09 X X Andy Don!!'las 09/01/08 X OlE Holly Jane Hart 09/01/07 X X Thomas Nihlock 09/01/08 X OlE Brian Ricbman 09101/07 X OlE Michael Shaw 09/01/09 OlE OlE Charlotte Walker 09/01/07 ---- X I I I Key: X = Present 0 ~ Absent OlE ~ AbsentlExcused , NM ~ No Meeting j I -- -- = Not a Member C[ APPROVED MINUTES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MARCH 8, 2007 IOWA CITY LIBRARY, ROOM A Members Present: Jerry Anthony called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Jerry Anthony, Steve Crane, Marcy DeFrance, Holly Hart, Brian Richman, Charlotte Walker, Andy Douglas Call to Order: Members Absent: Thomas Niblock, Michael Shaw Staff Present: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long Others Present: Steve Ramirez, Charlie Eastham, David Dowell, Jesse Burns, Chris Harms, Beth Koppes, Steve Rackis, Laura Dowd, Dawn Newbill, AI Young, Suellen Novotny, Mark Patton, Maryann Dennis, John Watson, Sue Freeman RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL (become effective only after separate Council action): None PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA Waiker asked Anthony to explain the procedure for public comments. Anthony said that during public comments, members of HCDC are not allowed to engage in the conversation. Anthony said this will be in the minutes. Anthony said that if HCDC feels that the pubiic has raised an issue that needs immediate attention, they can put it on the agenda for the next meeting. Charlie Eastham, The Housing Fellowship, said that at the last HCDC meeting, when the application for the Housing Fellowship was discussed, member Charlotte Walker asked a series of question regarding the Housing Fellowship's need for the money. Eastham, at the last meeting, replied that the Board had approved the application and therefore in their judgment the application was justified. Eastham said that Walker then made a reference to another non-profit organization, which has been in the news, and she indicated a comparison between that organization's board and the Housing Fellowship's Board. Eastham said that the past chairperson for the non-profit organization that has made recent news has been indicted for fraud and theft. Eastham said that he has never had any public official in a public meeting compare an organization's board with another's, especially one that has been accused of criminal conduct. Eastham said that is inappropriate. Eastham requested HCDC member Walker to apologize for her remarks and if that is not forthcoming, Eastham requested the other HCDC members to examine Walker's ability to be fair and impartial and her ability to serve on the HCDC commission. David Dowell, 320 S. Dubuque St., said that when Eastham was discussing his needs for the funding, Walker asked a question concerning administrative costs in the past so to compare how much was used for salaries and how much was going to housing. Dowell said that he remembered Eastham not having those figures, but saying the Board did. Dowell said that Walker replied that Boards shouldn't be considered equal and then referred to the non-profit organization being indicted as a point of reference to make her point that all boards are not equal. Dowell said he doesn't think Walker was slanderous but instead, Eastham shouid know the administrative costs himself and not rely on an absent Board. Dowell said that Eastham is wrong in asking for Walker's apology and possible resignation. Dowell said Walker doesn't have anything against fair housing. Dowell said that Eastham never answered the question and that is the issue, not Walker's reference to the non-profit organization being indicted. Public comment session closed. Housing and Community Development Commission March 18,2007 Page 2 DISCUSSION REGARDING FY08 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (HOME) REQUESTS Douglas asked when the minutes of the February meeting would be available for review. Hightshoe explained that the digital recording of the HCDC meeting on February 22, 2007 was accidentally deleted. She said that while a brief outline of the meeting was provided, there would be no official minutes to approve until the following HCDC meeting on March 22,2007. Hightshoe thanked HCDC for their timely responses with their rankings. Hightshoe said she summarized them into preliminary rankings and then she averaged the scores. Hightshoe said that she changed some of their scores because some fields required 0 points if the member answered no to the first question. If a member put no, the applicant gets zero points for that particular section. Hightshoe said if there are questions about rankings, they can discuss those right now. Hightshoe asked for questions about the summary ranking sheets. Hightshoe pointed out that she passed out the original ranking sheets that the members submitted. Hightshoe reiterated that the ranking sheet is very preliminary. Hightshoe said that "no scores" were not averaged into the finai score. Hightshoe said that the same principles apply to their average allocation worksheets. Walker asked the question: if she chooses to allocate money to an applicant, can HCDC hold back the funds for six months? Hightshoe said yes, however the source of funding is important and there are always time constraints. If a HOME project, it has to be completed in 5 years. The longer we wait, the greater the risk a project not being completed on time. Housing projects, especially new construction, are complex and take much longer than most public facility projects such as room renovations. Walker said that she put zero on all the housing projects because she doesn't really know what the housing applicants are going to do with it-at least, she said, not on paper. Hightshoe stated the applicants did outline their projects and completed estimates on costs. She stated it is very common for developers not to have a site at time of application as the application is due in January; however, funds are not available till July. Most sellers will not wait that iong to sell individuai lots. Without a site secured most organizations will not pay to have plans made in advance. Walker questioned the need for various types of housing and if the City had documents verifying the need. She questioned if the City shouldn't wait for the survey on housing to be done before making decisions. Anthony said that they have significant documentation from housing applicants, Census information and documentation in CITY STEPS. Anthony stated the reason for the upcoming housing market analysis Walker referred is to get data that has not been picked up in some census documents. Anthony said that the lack of this specific information will not alter the dimension or scale of the applicants' proposal. Anthony said that the amount of money that they have is fairly insignificant compared to the need. Walker said that the most urgent needs are for those at the low end. Anthony said that HCDC members surely will be willing to fund those on the "low end" as well. Anthony said that they did hold money back last year. Richman said they held back money last year, thus do we need to do anything to indicate of the HOME funds, what needs to be spent first? Hightshoe said that is done internally. Richman said if Hightshoe could clarify the night's goals. Hightshoe said that the goal of this meeting is to look at the rankings/allocations and look for major differences or discrepancies and address possible reasoning behind such differences. HCDC members can ask applicants questions if they still have them regarding their applications and why they scored/funded as they did. HCDC members may make changes and submit them to Hightshoe for the March 22 when HCDC makes their final recommendation to Council. Richman said that in his opinion the allocation sheet is the most important document. Anthony said that they will start with the ranking sheet. Anthony said that they will start with Public Services. Hightshoe said that due to the federal regulations and necessary record keeping they request that no application is allocated less than $1,000. This is a requirement of the HOME program. Hightshoe stated that for some applications, each HCDC member will have to ask if the project is feasible and at what amount does it no longer become feasible. Housing and Community Development Commission March 18, 2007 Page 3 Public Services Walker said that the Free Medical Clinic and Shelter House are also getting money from the city. Walker used an analogy of a poor person asking for food from two different sources. Walker said that while both applicants are commendable, do they need the money? Anthony said that HCDC doesn't know the logistics of any additional funding requests and therefore the members should not hold it against them. Walker said the VNA is a for profit and is also getting money from the city through Aid-to-Agencies. Hightshoe said that VNA does not receive Aid-to-Agency funds. Novotny, VNA Director, confirmed this and also stated they are a non-profit. Hightshoe said that Shelter House and Free Medical Clinic receive Aid-to-Agency funding. Long said that it's important to look at the project at hand, not external requests or other funding sources not related to the specific project. Anthony asked the commission about rankings and if they are comfortable. Hightshoe asked DeFrance about her low scores for Free Medical Clinic and Extend the Dream. DeFrance said both were a mistake. DeFrance said that the score of 21 should have been 52. DeFrance said that she "shorted" Weatherby Park 10 points. Richman asked about the VNA's low scores. He wanted those who scored them iow to explain their reasoning. Walker said that the reasons she did was because they were serving so few people, but requesting a lot in funds. She also stated the County has an obligation to take care of mentally ill people. Anthony said that his reasoning was based on the amount of money being spent on each person. Anthony said the other issue was the amount of money being leveraged. Anthony said that VNA ieveraged $5.12 per CDBG dollar, however some of the other public service applications leveraged $40- $50 per CDBG doilar. Anthony said that given the limited resource pool, the VNA was the least efficient. Richman asked what people thought about the Local Foods Connection application. Anthony said it's a new project. Walker said that it's too much money for so few people. Crane said he put zero because while the mission is great, it's not a priority for him amongst the other applications. Anthony said he scored it high because the lack of food is making national headlines. Anthony said that nourishing Iowa's kids with healthy food is a major priority. Dougias said that one thing he struggled with is whether to ailocate more money to fewer applicants or divide the available funds equaily, in which more applicants would get less. Richman said that this question was a recurring issue. Anthony said the advantage of dividing the money equaily would be that everyone gets money; however, a little may not be enough to make a difference. Douglas asked staff what HCDC has done previously. Hightshoe noted that the previous year, almost every applicant got a little bit of money. Hightshoe said that precedent aside, each project should be evaluated independently and the commission should ask, "is this project feasible and at what amount?" Anthony asked if there was any project the commission would like to see funded more than the others. Anthony noted that they cannot ailocate more than $16,700. This is a federal cap. Anthony said that they may only spend 15% of the available CDBG funds for public services. $105,000 is a council earmark for the Aid-to-Agency fund. Crane asked Anthony about his low ranking for Extend the Dream. Anthony said that while he commends the organization, he has a concern about its lack of organizational structure. Anthony said that he did not allocate anything to it because Iowa City has the Economic Development Fund (EDF), which can be accessed for both requests from the applicant. Anthony said that EDF accepts applications on a rolling basis so he thinks Extend the Dream is a prime candidate for EDF and HCDC should forward the application to that pool of funds. Anthony said that 15% of CDBG funds are usuaily taken out for EDF but this year that was not the case. Hightshoe said the amount available for economic development was prorated between housing and public facilities based on the CITY STEPS percentages. Hightshoe noted that in years where more than $250,000 is available in the economic development fund, no new aliocation will be taken from that year's CDBG entitlement. Public Facilities Anthony suggested that HCDC move on to public facilities. Anthony asked the members for their reasoning behind ailocating zero doilars to Extend the Dream. Hart said that while she has an interest in Extend the Dream, she said there were other funds they could apply for. Hart said that for Weatherby Park, she was looking for something to cut and this was the least priority in her opinion. Walker said that her reason for ailocating zero to Weatherby Park was that their funds should be coming from City Housing and Community Development Commission March 18, 2007 Page 4 recreational funds. She felt that some money could be taken away from the walking trails and given to the Weatherby Park applicants. Richman said that, as the only person who allocated money to Weatherby Park, he felt that in terms of the number people a project serves, this one in particular serves the most, in his mind, even though it can be deemed as a low priority project. Richman said the challenge with Weatherby Park is that it is an "all or nothing" type of project. Richman asked if the applicant had to scale back, what wouid be the effects on the project. Beth Koppes, Weatherby Friends & Neighbors Neighborhood Association applicant, said that scaling back funds would affect the size of the recreation facility. They could and are willing to scale back the project; it would just reduce the number of kids that could use it at anyone time. Richman asked if she's applied for funds from the parks and recreation department. Koppes said she hasn't applied yet, however she has met with their board to discuss the project. They possibly could contribute some money, however nothing is definite and they might only have limited amount available for a capital type project. Anthony said that it's a fantastic project and such a facility would be good for the neighborhood. Anthony said that the City should be responsible for this project through their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Koppes said that it was too late to apply for these funds. Richman said he was placing emphasis on the two new large, brick and mortar type projects when deciding which projects to allocate funds to and Weatherby Park got his vote. Changing the subject, Walker asked why Extend the Dream didn't just buy the building themselves if already paying $1 ,200/month in rent. AI Young, Extend the Dream Foundation, said that with the money ($99,000) they could make their private, bank loan $50,000. Young said that freeing up funds as a grant would make other things happen. Young said that as for the rent itself, if we could buy the building, they could reduce the rent and use the money for other programs. Young said it's hard to explain but what he likes about it is that it serves a lot of people. Young said that whatever their allocation is would be well used. Richman said that as far as NCJC, he funded the work at the Pheasant Ridge Center, however not the proposed improvements at Broadway. He stated he felt that since they put CDBG money into the Broadway center a couple of years ago (FY06), it's now time to fund or look at other projects. NCJC stated the kitchen improvements at Pheasant Ridge was their top priority, thus Richman stated he funded that portion of the proposal. Anthony agreed with this reasoning. Crane said he allocated the full amount because of all the people it affects. Walker asked how Richman was able to specify funds to a specific location. Richman said it can be done. Hightshoe agreed as staff has done it in the past. Any stipulations/restrictions approved by HCDC and Council are identified in the funding agreement. Housing Projects Anthony suggested that they move on to the housing projects. Hightshoe said that she wanted to raise some questions to applicants. Hightshoe said that she would like to answer some housing questions that were raised by individual commission members. Hightshoe said that when HACAP did the pro forma, it showed a negative cash flow. Hightshoe said that HACAP submitted a revised one that still shows a negative cash flow in the first two years and then the rest of the cash flow was $200 to $600 in subsequent years. Hightshoe stated that HACAP had previously stated any shortages would be funded by outside funds. Hightshoe cautioned against funding a project that relies on donations/supportive services/outside funding to subsidize the project for it to be viable long term. She stated housing projects must be viable for 15 to 20 years depending on the project and how much HOME money is invested in the project. Additional HOME funds can't be reinvested in the project during this period as it is against program rules. Hightshoe stated staff will sit down with the organization to go over how they estimated revenues/expenses and inform commission members on staffs assessment of project viability by March 22. Hightshoe said there was a distinction she wanted to make. Hightshoe said that the Housing Authority and Housing Rehab. applicants requested CDBG dollars as opposed to HOME dollars. This makes a difference is some commission members allocations. Hightshoe said HOME funds can only pay for housing activities. Eligible HOME projects are identified on top on the allocation sheet. HOME funds can't be used for public service or public facility projects. CDBG funds can be used for all the projects submitted this year, even the housing projects. (The operating expenses for the CHDO are eligible under public services under the CDBG program, but subject to the federal cap for CDBG funds.) Hightshoe Housing and Community Development Commission March 18, 2007 Page 5 said that we have to spend at least $726,000 in HOME funds for just HOME eligible activities. Hightshoe reiterates that HOME funds cannot be used to fund anything in the public facilities or public services categories. So when a housing activity asks specifically for CDBG funds and not HOME funds and the HOME allocation falls below that $726,000 requirement then additional HOME eligible housing activities must be funded. Richman stated basically that there is approximately $726,000 to fund housing applications and just short of $400,000 in CDBG funds to be allocated to housing, public facilities and public service applications. Anthony suggested that the commission start with Blooming Garden. Walker said that Blooming Garden had the most complete information and good paperwork. Walker said she doesn't know what the others are going to build. She said she didn't have a picture or a lot. Hightshoe said that this was very common for housing applications. Walker said there should be a picture. Walker said she wants to compliment Blooming Garden for being compliant with all of their criteria. Richman said that the money HCDC provides is the "seed money" and developers in most situations can't obtain the information at the time they apply. Walker requests that they should wait until they have a iot to know what will be built. Long said that all the plans come through the City and must meet design guidelines. Walker said that building houses in the peninsuia doesn't seem like good judgment. Anthony asked Blooming Garden if $15,000 would be acceptable. Jesse Burns, Blooming Garden applicant, said that this amount would scale down the structure by a third and it would hence make it not very useful. Anthony said it was a very good project and for similar reasons he funded the ICHA. Anthony said it is important to serve populations not served by the market. Richman said he is in favor of the mission of Blooming Garden, the ICHA, etc. His concern with Blooming Garden is cost effectiveness. He referred to Habitat for Humanity, where $40,000 brings in an entire family; per unit cost is $120,000. This project per unit cost is $200,000. For Blooming Garden, Richman noted, it's a duplex unit. Habitat is single, detached homes. Richman said that the City has a Down Payment Assistance program (DPA) with a maximum of $5,000 dollars for an applicant. Richman asked the question: if we're going to do a DPA program, why say to people you have to live in one of these three houses as opposed to anywhere in Iowa City? Burns said that to reach out to the people who need assistance, you need to find a builder who is willing to work with the people. Burns stated he wants to serve those who don't qualify for section 8 housing. He thinks his costs are reasonable and he says that his design is very nice, as opposed to the stereotypical low-income housing designs. The design fits into the neighborhood and someone could not go by and pick it out as the low-income/subsidized unit. Burns said that this alone is a service to an entire neighborhood. Crane said that Builders of Hope is a good project for those who don't normally have a lot of opportunity. Crane liked the idea that the applicant already has enough of a waiting list or interest to fill the units. Hart also liked the project but couldn't figure out how to allocate enough money to make it viable. She would be revisiting it, however. Anthony said that it's an "all or nothing" deal and it's not scalable. Hightshoe suggested asking the applicant this question on March 2200. Richman agreed with Anthony's concerns. Richman said that the applicant has very limited experience as far as owning and operating a housing project. Richman was not sure if he wants to take this risk. Crane said that a bank would be willing to fund more than the applicant initially said. Staff stated they would contact the applicant to discuss what level of funding makes the project viable and confirm if the entire amount is necessary or if they can accept iess than full funding. Anthony asked for comments on Habitat for Humanity. Walker said she gave it zero dollars because it is questionable to buy a condo for a homeless person. Hightshoe said Walker was most likely referring to HACAP's application. Walker said she didn't have any problem with Habitat other than the need and cost. Anthony said that for $47,000 per household, you can't beat that efficiency. Anthony moved on to HACAP. Walker continued her argument. Walker said that the idea of homeless people living in condos doesn't make sense to her. Walker asked why they don't just live in an apartment. Hightshoe said that HACAP's transitional housing units are rented out like apartments. The only thing that makes it a "condo" to the renter is that HACAP owns the unit. HACAP remains the tenant's landlord. Housing and Community Development Commission March 18, 2007 Page 6 Walker asked why social workers can't help the homeless people find apartments. Richman said that under HACAP's project, a homeless person will get a place to live temporarily, for two years at the most. Hightshoe stated that HACAP rents the units based on the tenant's ability to pay, the renter does not need Section 8 to get into their units. Other landlords for private market apartments do not base rent of the tenant's ability to pay. Walker asked what this will do to the "condo people." She was concerned that a homeless person in a condo would "weird them (the neighbors) out." Walker said that this project seemed too extravagant for a homeless person. Anthony said transitional housing is very much needed. Long said that it's important to look at the continuum of care, or big picture. Crane said that HACAP provides a good service. He has a problem with the pro forma but he'll wait to address this issue with the applicant. Anthony said he gave zero dollars because when he scored the project it scored very low. The negative cash flow was the deciding factor for him. Also, HCDC has funded HACAP quite a bit in the past. Anthony moved on to ICHA. Hart said she liked the idea however the project did not serve a large segment of the population, thus she did not see it as the number one priority. Hart said she'd be interested in revisiting her own numbers. Richman said that the evidence presented at the last meeting seemed "anecdotal" to him. Richman said the analysis was not very scientific and he would like to see a survey that shows there's a need for housing for public servants. Anthony said that he found the data compelling and recommended allocating $260,000. He said that the ICHA talked to someone in the school district and the fire department (or police department) and to him it seemed like a good faith attempt to provide compelling evidence. Richman said that he felt like the evidence was not credible. Steven Rackis, ICHA applicant, said that the statistical data Richman speaks of is not yet available. He said he discerned the need based on salary information. Rackis said it wasn't anecdotal but instead factual. Richman asked if they'd be willing to accept partial funds. Rackis said this would mean the third unit couid not be set aside for those households over 80% of median income. Rackis said that the other component is neighborhood revitalization. Hightshoe reiterated Richman's question and then added if they'd object to getting HOME funds instead of entirely CDBG funds. Rackis said that they wouldn't even begin to look at home uniess they had the funding. He said that if they are partially funded, the project will still go. Anthony moved on to IC Housing Rehabilitation. Crane put the full amount because the kids are top priority. Hightshoe noted that this applicant also requested money from both HOME and CDBG. Walker said she objected because they don't itemize to the public where they're putting that money. Walker said she can't find anywhere where they've spent money in the past. Hightshoe said anyone can request that information. Hightshoe said the amount of funds and how the funds were used is in the CAPER. Walker said it's still hard to get. She tried to find out where the money went for rehab of mobile homes but she couldn't find it. Long said the City does not publicly publish information for individual home owners (address with income information) due to privacy issues. Hightshoe stated any private citizen can request this information and it would be provided. Anthony said that the issues brought forth by the applicant were very important. Lead paint mitigation means safer housing. Anthony said that if a iow-income person wants to use a DPA program to buy the home at $100,000, you can't do it because of lead paint issues. Walker asked what if you rehab the house and then the owner sells it? Does the homeowner have to pay back the money? Hightshoe said the amount for the rehabilitation is a loan and must be repaid. The amount attributed to lead based paint would be a forgivable loan as stated in the application. Anthony moved on to Housing Fellowship Projects - CHDO. Hart asked where people got more than $31,000. Richman said it was from both CDBG and HOME funds. Crane said that because of cash flow problems throughout the years and the amount of units they have, he is very supportive of funding. Richman said that he would rather see HOME funds go into capital costs. Richman said that this project resembles a public service project and he felt that, unlike Extend the Dream for example, the Housing Housing and Community Development Commission March 18, 2007 Page 7 Fellowship has a source of income. Richman said that the large amount of money spent on contractor fees could be used to cover operational costs. Maryann Dennis, The Housing Fellowship applicant, said that all of the capital expenses come out of rental income also. She said that because they're community housing, they've met HUD's test and guidelines to remain a certified CHDO. Dennis said that they've continued to meet all of the requirements so that the city will continue to grant them CHDO status. Anthony said that this is the reason he funded the applicant. Anthony said he found it favorable because if an organization comes in and says it has money for operations, it gets additional points because it encourages housing applicants to leverage dollars. Anthony supports the full amount requested. Anthony moved on to The Housing Fellowship-Affordable Housing. Douglas noted that this is the only affordable rental program on the list. Richman asked if the applicant is comfortable with their project from an administrative perspective. Applicant said yes. Richman said he just wanted to know that Dennis was confident and comfortable with the project. Hightshoe said she'll be following up with the questions put forth toward applicants not present. Hightshoe said that HCDC can keep their original ranking sheets for now but she will need them back. The HCDC commission and staff agreed that the revisions to the ranking sheets/allocations shall be due to Tracy on Monday, March 19th, 2007. Hightshoe requested that the earlier they could submit their changes the faster they could get the packets out. ADJOURNMENT Crane motioned to adjourn the meeting. Richman seconded the motion and the motion passed 7:0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm. sfpcd/minutesfhcdcJ3.18-07.doc Housing & Community Development Commission Attendance Record 2007 Term Name Expires 01118 2/21 2/22 3/8 Jerry Anthony 09/01/08 OlE X X X Steve Crane 09/01109 X X X X Marcv De France 09/01109 X X X X Andy Donglas 09/0 1/08 X OlE OlE X Holly Jane Hart 09/01107 X X X X Thomas Niblock 09/01108 X OlE OlE OlE ! Brian Richman 09/01107 X OlE X X Michael Shaw 09/01/09 OlE OlE OlE OlE Charlotte Walker 09/01107 -- -- X X X , i . i i I I I i Key: 1 X = Present , 0 = Absent i I OlE = AbsentlExcused NM = No Meeting I -- -- = Not a Member ! I MINUTES lOW A CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TUESDAY, February 27, 2007 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL FINAL ~ Members Present: Scott King, Sehee Foss, Kate Karacay, Sherry Hunter, Eric Berger, Sara Baird, Joy Kross. Members Not Present: Beverly Witwer, Martha Lubaroff Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers Others Present: Jennifer Delgado Call to Order Baird called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Recommendations to Council (Become effective only after separate Council action): None. Consideration of the Minutes of the January 23. 2007 meeting MOTION: Foss moved to accept the minutes as submitted, and Hunter seconded. The motion passed on a vote of7-0. Affordable Housing Roundtable Baird stated the City had hired a consultant to look into affordable housing and their finding would be published sometime in the spring of2007, therefore a symposium on the topic should be planned for September. Baird would like to have testimonials as well as Mary Copper from the Housing Authority participate in the program. Building Blocks Liaison Foss will be the liaison through April and then Karacay will serve as liaison. Baird suggested the program be held at an elementary school. Youth Awards Kross updated Commissioners on the meeting with the Youth Advisory Committee (Y AC). Y AC will be introduced at the Awards Ceremony and also assist with the evening. Announcements and nominations have been sent to the various organizations and schools, Commissioners will call these places the week of March 19 to promote nominations. Human Rights Proiect Lubaroff and Witwer were absent, Baird will contact them by the next meeting to coordinate a meeting. Soeaker Uodate for Breakfast Bowers reported the selected keynote speaker has not yet accepted the invitation but will call to check the status. Handouts for International Non-Native Soeakers Pamohlet King passed out handouts in Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and English. Spanish, French and Arabic are forthcoming. Bowers will place on the website and also send out to local organizations and the schools. Film Series Homeless in America will be shown March 21 ". Commissioners Karacay, Baird and Kross will host the evening. Karacay is still working on completing the panel for after the film. Commissioners want the next film to focus on immigration or AIDS. Karacay will forward a list of immigration films to Bowers. Scholarshio Fund Baird will work on defining the scholarship and produce a draft by the next meeting date. Reoorts of Commissioners King reported the International Center currently provides training for non-profits on the changing dynamics of the workforce. Kross attended the screening of Making Whiteness Count and found the film to be very informative. Berger went to the Darfur discussion sponsored by the University, the keynote speaker was unable to attend due to weather but the program was still well put together and educational. Baird also attended the Making Whiteness Count, in addition she plans on attending What Keeps Minorities Behind in Wealth Conference in March in Illinois. Adiournment There being no further business before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 7:54 p.m. Board or Commission: Human Rights ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2007 {Meetin 0 Date TERM NAME EXP. 1/23 2127 3/27 4124 5122 6126 7/24 8128 9/25 10123 11/27 12125 Bev Witwer 1/1/08 X OlE Sara Baird 1/1/08 X X Scott King 1/1108 OlE X Martha 1/1/09 X OlE Lubaroff Kate Karacay 1/1/09 X X Sehee Foss 1/1/09 X X Joy Kross 1/1/10 X X Eric Berger 1/1/10 X X Sherry Hunter 1/1/10 X X KEY: x = Present o = Absent OlE = AbsentlExcused NM = No meeting --- = Not a Member NMNQ - No meeting, no quorum