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Home My WebLink About2007-04-30 Transcription April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page I April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session 6:30 PM Council: Bailey, Champion, Correia, Elliott, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn UISG: Baeth Staff: Atkins, Briggs, Davidson, Dilkes, Fowler, Franklin, Hightshoe, Helling, Karr, Klingaman, Logsden, Long, O'Malley, Rackis, Robinson TAPES: 07-34 and 07-35, Both Sides Annointments Wilburn: Ok. Let's go ahead and get started. Before we get to Council appointments, I just need to have the Council ok Item 21 a being added to the agenda. This is the appointment of Abigail Volland as the student liaison from the University ofIowa Student Government. Bailey: Yay! O'Donnell: Salut. Vanderhoef: Yay! Elliott: No, we don't want that. I've talked to her already. Wilburn: Carefully before you answer. O'Donnell: We could probably do it tonight. Elliott: Yes. By all means. Wilburn: Ok. Council appointments.] believe there's just one, Telecommunications Commission. Hans Hoerschelman. Champion: Sounds good. Wilburn: Everybody ok with that? Vanderhoef: ]'mfine. Wilburn: All right. Elliott: Very controversial. Wilburn: So appointed. Champion: V cry controversial. Bailey: We like the controversy. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 ITEM 9. Wilburn: Long: City Council Work Session Page 2 ADOPTING IOWA CITY'S FY08 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS A SUB-PART OF IOWA CITY'S 2006.2010 CONSOLIDATED PLAN (CITY STEPS), AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT SAID PLAN AND ALL NECESSARY CERTIFICATIONS TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND DESIGNATING THE CITY MANAGER AS THE AUTHORIZED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. Next item is CDBG HOME allocations. I will not be participating in this discussion because I work for an organization that is an applicant and has received CDBG and/or HOME funds in the past. So tomorrow night I will be abstaining two items, 9 and 10, FYI, due to a conflict of interest. Ijust wanted to give you an overview of this year's CDBG and HOME funds and the process. First of all I wanted to thank the Housing and Community Development Commission members who spent dozens of hours looking at the applications and making the funding recommendations. And we have a couple here tonight: Brian Richman and Charlotte Walker. Ijust wanted to say thank you. This year we received, we had 20 funding applications for just under 3.2 million dollars in requests, which includes Housing Rehab, Aid to Agencies and the admin, which are the Council earmarks, and we have about 1.6 million dollars to allocate. Just to give an idea of the process, the applications came in in January and then February 20th and 21" there were site visits to the projects where there were actually sites identified. Presentations were made by applicants on the 22nd of February and then the 8th and the nnd of March they went over the applications, ranked them, and allocated the funds. I'll start with Housing. Housing Rehab came in requesting sixty thousand dollars, and HCDC recommended fifty thousand. This is for a, to help up to eight households with lead-based paint issues related to owner-occupied housing rehab. Habitat for Humanity was allocated, or recommended $117,000.00 to acquire 3 lots for affordable home ownership. And as you know, as Allison mentioned, the City STEPS priority, which is part of our consolidated plan. This is an example of one of their houses on Diana Street. This year the Housing Fellowship requested funds for, it's called CHDO Operating Funds, and that's funds to allow with the operation or expansion and, which is what the Housing Fellowship is considered. That's a HUD term, and we can use up to 5% of our HOME funds for these operational expenses. The Housing Fellowship also came in for construction of affordable rental housing. It's part of a low income housing tax credit project, and they requested for about $500,000.00 and HCDC recommended $347,772. It says in there to acquire at least 7 lots, but I believe for the tax credit project, to make it feasible, it probably would have to be up to 10 lots, and I believe it's about a 1.8 million dollar project. And this is their house in Longfellow Manor. It's just an example of one of their houses. Vanderhoef: How much did you say per? On that one? How much did you say per? You said 7 lots and that probably would go up to 10? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 3 Long: Just to make it feasible for a tax credit project. They'll have to come up with some of their own funds or - for our purposes for the action plan it's, we prorated 7 lots. HACAP, for the Hawkeye Community Action Program came in for, asked for funds for affordable rental housing, to acquire 3 units, and HCDC recommended funding for I unit. This is for transitional housing where a family who has been homeless can move into this unit for up to 2 years with support services. Builders of Hope is a new applicant, and this is a for-profit developer who's requesting funds to acquire an existing home on I't Avenue near Muscatine and HCDC recommended, it's 6 units of transitional housing, single room occupancy housing - a rooming house, basically. And HCDC recommended $125,000.00. I get caught up on all these acronyms. It's hard to believe this picture was just taken a little over a month ago, with the snow. Lyndon Garden is also a for-profit developer, requesting funds for essentially down payment assistance. They're going to construct a duplex on this lot next to the existing home, and then use the funds for down payment assistance for two households. Correia: Where is that? Long: Catskill Court. Just east of Hy-Vee. On I" Avenue, sorry. Next I'll move to Public Service, which is a category where we're capped by HUD to spend no more than 15% of our funds. Visiting Nurse Association requesting funds for operational funds. They provide home health services for persons with mental health disorders. Local Foods Connection is a new applicant. They're asking for some operation funds to distribute fresh, organic food to low income households. And they work with existing non-profits. Vanderhoef: Can you give us a little more information about that? You know, who is- Long: They're a relatively new non-profit. Vanderhoef: Yeah. Long: And they work with local farmers and community support agriculture farms and distribute, get the produce and I believe meat products as well, and then distribute it to domestic violence sheIter, crisis center, Shelter House. Vanderhoef: But, as I understand the application, they are asking for a paid administrator. Long: Yes. Vanderhoef: Do they have one now? Or is this? Long: No, volunteer. Vanderhoef: It's all volunteer. So are they just trying to buy some time or a full time or a? Long: I think it's quarter - three quarter time? One quarter time. Vanderhoef: One quarter time. So this will be the only funding that they have for that position? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Long: (can't hear) Long: Bailey: Champion: Bailey: Champion: Bailey: Elliott: Long: Elliott: (can't hear) City Council Work Session Page 4 They also receive funding - Sorry. Yeah. From the New Pioneer Co-op. I believe it's through their, when you get your yearly dividends through the Co-op, you can ask to have that money given to this non-profit. And the administrator has been with the organization for quite some time, so this is the same person who's been serving in this capacity, but now will be compensated. But she just seemed really keen to talk to us when we were distributing funds. Do you remember? No. This is a different; this is a different organization. Oh it is? Mmm hmm. So part of the object ofthis funding is to assist local growers of produce. Is that correct? And to provide fresh, organic food. Which is usually more expensive than the stuff we buy. Atkins: Steve, microphone. Correia: You have to go up. Long: You have to go up. Did you hear that? They also work with people with special dietary needs. Elliott: Ok. Long: Free Medical Clinic is asking for operational funds for a pharmacy technician. Extend the Dream Foundation, they're asking for funds, basically to pay for someone to assist them with fiscal organization and management. And that's, yes. Correia: (can't hear) capacity building. Long: Yes. Bailey: And a very, very good thing for this organization. Vanderhoef: I didn't hear that. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 5 Bailey: It's a very good thing for this organization. Elliott: Mmm hmm. Bailey: I think that they've faced challenges in this area because it's been volunteer. Vanderhoef: Either the mics aren't working or I'm really having trouble hearing tonight, I'm sorry . Long: Shelter House, requesting funds for the Outreach Services Coordinator, and this also is a match for their federal STAR grant. It's about a $450,000.00 federal grant. Moving on to Public Facilities. Crisis Center, they're requesting funds for a, to improve accessibility to two of their entrances, add some exterior lighting - it's actually kind of dark right now - and security fencing along the railroad tracks. Sandy was having fun with this picture. Free Medical Clinic is also accessibility improvements to both interior and exterior. Wetherby Friends and Neighbors is a neighborhood organization requesting funds for a splash pad in Wetherby Park. Champion: What is a splash pad? Long: It's basically- Champion: Is it water coming out like a fountain? Bailey: Like it's - yes. Long: Yes. With a - Elliott: Kind of wading pool type thing? Long: No. There's no actually standing water. Elliott: No standing water? Long: No. Correia: It's like a fountain to play in? Bailey: It's more like a fun, a fun fountain. Correia: A fun fountain. Vanderhoef: Water comes out of each of those apparatuses that you - Bailey: Like fancy running through the hose or the sprinkler. Elliott: Hopefully a little safer. Vanderhoef: Without mud in the backyard. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 6 Bailey: True. Long: Since this is a City park, it will be- Elliott: Yeah. Bailey: Hmmm? Long: The safety issues are a little more prevalent. Bailey: Will be addressed. Long: Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, they're coming in asking for, expanding their Pheasant Ridge, the kitchen at Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center. They initially came in for Broadway and Pheasant Ridge and the Commission decided to just allocate the funds, direct them to Pheasant Ridge. They serve, I believe it was 9,000 meals a month in the summer, the childcare. Goodwill: a pretty major expansion. I think it's their final phase of expansion. They continue to renovate and expand their training area and production area in the back warehouse. Construction in the Computer Store, where people can donate their used computers, and then they rework them and put them together and make them useful. Remodeling the offices and then the exterior siding. Domestic Violence Shelter. It's probably hard to see on this, but their ceiling is, they're having some plumbing problems upstairs and the ceiling needs pretty serious repair. First we have to fix the plumbing. Then we have two projects that were not recommended for funding. First was Extend the Dream Foundation. They were requesting funds to acquire a facility across the street from their current F Street facility. And the Commission decided it would be best to send that on to the Economic Development Committee. And the Iowa City Housing Authority requested funds for acquisition and rehab for affordable home ownership, and the Commission decided that it was just, it was 3 units and that the costs per unit, they felt was too high. And here isjust a, there's a lot of information on this slide. I wanted to show you the recommendation and then the CDBG, the breakdown for Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds. Any questions? Vanderhoef: Ok- Long: What's - ok. Go ahead. Vanderhoef: The question I have going back to the Housing Authority project: of that $130,000.00, how much of that goes into just lead abatement? Lead-based paint abatement? Long: That would depend on the house. They currently do not have sites identified, so each house is different. It would depend on the purchase price and the amount of rehab that is necessary. If they find a house that was built after 1978, obviously there wouldn't be any. But every house is different. Vanderhoef: That program. I looked at the lead-based paint project and you said fifty thousand there and that was to help 8 I think you said? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. .--------------- - - ---_._.._.._--_.._.._..-._-_._---_._--_.._-~-._._- - ~--_...,_.,--_._-,---------_._..,.- --" .-.-. .....~.- April 30,2007 City Council Work Session Page 7 Long: Up to 8, yes. Vanderhoef: Up to 8. But is that a loan program? Long: That's a 5-year forgivable loan. Vanderhoef: If they stay in the house. Long: Yes. Vanderhoef: If they sell the house? Long: It depends on the year they sell it, that some of that money would corne back. If they sell it in year 2, then a portion of that money would corne back to the City. Vanderhoef: Ok. So it's prorated. Long: Yes. Vanderhoef: Until it's forgivable at 5 years. Long: Yes. Mmm hrnrn. Vanderhoef: But that is not the total rehab of aid. It is only additional funds to assist low interest loan versus a bank loan. Long: Yes. Right now we're not able to allow even a 5 year forgivable and homeowners are hesitant to sign a loan for the abatement for our existing housing rehab program. This makes it more attractive to assist more of the comprehensive rehabs, when we go in and you're spending thousands of dollars is when the lead paint kicks in. When you go in and do an emergency repair, the lead-based paint rules do not apply. So these are major, the major projects. We go in and, you know, fix a door, a roof, a furnace. Paint the exterior. Bailey: Are there other questions for Steve? Correia: So the extreme - do you - I meant to bring my chart of the, what extremely low income, low income. Do you have? Oh good. (laughter) Vanderhoef: Just happened to have. Elliott: Always on top. Correia: So, and so the housing rehab is targeting extremely and very low, so that's the 30% and below, up to 50%? Long: Yes. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 8 Bailey: Ok. Correia: And the same with housing rental, that's the very low, targeting? Long: 0 to 30%. Correia: So their application is out with a tax credit? Is that? Long: No. They'll be applying this fall. Correia: Ok. Long: First they have to secure local funds. Correia: Ok. Vanderhoef: They have to secure what? Correia: Local funds. We've done this before, where they apply for the City federal funds and then they go take that to apply for the tax credits. Long: Right, and we give them two years. Correia: Two years, right. Elliott: Steve, give me a quick run down if you will on the housing rehab. How is that - is it people who have the houses? People who don't, but the City will acquire the houses and loan them for the rehab? What process are we talking? Long: Our existing, the program we have up and running right now? Elliott: Yeah, yeah. Long: It's owner-occupied rehab only. You have to own your home. Elliott: Ok. In other, you own your home, rehab funds are available on a loan basis? Long: Yes. Except for manufactured homes. Elliott: Mmm hmm. Champion: I like that program. My other question is, I have some problems with this, but I'm going to support it, but I do wonder if we're not again concentrating the low rental and low income housing in school areas where we already have very low, high level of low income, and has that been looked at when you're talking about 1" Avenue and? Long: Yeah, all the projects that are rental, they have to be in an area that's wherever that map that was - they have to be in an area that has been identified as - This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ---~---~---_..-~-~._,"-_._-~------ -_.._._-----_.~------------_._-----_...._-----_._~_._.--- April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 9 Champion: Great. That's fine. Thank you. Long: Right, and yeah, the transitional housing on I" Avenue are just for people living alone. There'll be no children. Champion: Ok. Vanderhoef: Is there anyone else on Council that would like to at least start in on this housing program for the Housing Authority? The Homes for Our Future? Correia: I, I like the program - Champion: I like the program too. Correia: But I think it's not the right fit for this funding source, in terms of you know, these are federal funds that are designed to target those most at need. And I think that we have the ability within the City to be able to decide if we want to operate this type of a program and direct the Housing Authority to do it. Because a loan based program, there's reserves in the Housing Authority. We could shift some of the affordable home, you know, affordable dream whatever- Vanderhoef: The ADHOP. Correia: The ADHOP, and target certain segments of our workforce. I think it's an exciting program, and I'd like to consider it as part of our big housing discussion. I think the projects that were selected really fit this funding source. Champion: I would like to see. I think, and this has something to do with what's been delegated today, but Mr. Elliott had a nice letter in our Council packet not too long ago about rehabbing houses, and I really liked that. We do have rehab money available if the - and that's available to like teachers and policemen, the cut-offlimit? Atkins: It's income-based, yeah. Champion: Yeah. It's income-based, but the. Correia: Well, it goes up to 100 % - Champion: Yeah, it goes up - Bailey: 100%. Correia: Because we have this funded program, and we have the program funded with GO bonds. Champion: Yeah, and I think that that program can fit that need ifit's used and implemented by people who fit in that economic bracket. And I love that program, because not everybody is really poor that can't afford to do something. So I agree with you Dee, it's an excellent program, but I do agree that these funds are not what that should be This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. -,~-,._~-,_..,-----,",_.,_._--~_._---_._-~._,,,------~---'..._--_._--,-~._----- .....-.--.------...------.-- April 30, 2007 Elliott: Correia: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Long: Champion: Long: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Long: City Council Work Session Page 10 used for. But I do think it's something we can approach and think about and find a solution to it. Connie, the impetus for that was the home that was built in Longfellow I think for $207,000.00, and I thought there are so many, there are more than a hundred homes available, probably more than two hundred, under two hundred thousand, and if you could spend ninety, a hundred and twenty thousand, spend another twenty, thirty. The only thing I'm not comfortable with providing these for almost middle income people. I think people, especially people who are starting as fire fighters and teachers, are almost guaranteed to be at a level where they can afford the homes themselves after renting for a few years. I don't think that's the area that needs our assistance. I mean, I do think when we have an opportunity with the housing study that we're gonna be doing to really target some of the workforce that has the types of issues with affordability. I know that in a lot of big markets it's looking at fire fighters and police officers because the housing (can't hear) were difficult for those folks to afford. It might be a little more different here. All right. Any more comments? I have a question about - I'm not familiar with the organization Builders of Hope. Can you talk a little about that? It's a brand new for-profit entity. Oh. It's a brand new for-profit entity. And based here then? Based in Iowa City. Ok. The president worked previously at Successful Living, which was a non-profit in transitional housing. And eventually I want to hear more ahout this Local Foods Connection, especially if they're gonna ask for funding next year and it's approved. I want to hear more about it before I approve it next year. Ok. And then I'm curious about the splash pad. I read the discussions, but is this enough _ I know that they've talked to Parks and Rec, but are they going to be able to move ahead with this project, given that, I mean, there's $30,000.00 here. Do you feel confident that that will move ahead? We've been, there's a couple neighborhood representatives here and it is kind of start-up funds for a major fundraising campaign. Sure. And I believe, I believe, you know we're looking at about $100,000.00. $120,000.00. So it's been scaled back a little bit from the proposal. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. --------.--......-.- ,,'-- -- --- _._---_.-......_~-_._,-------,-_._.__... ... ...--.. "-.--- --,-.-.---------.,..., ,.,-..-,----'.--- April 30, 2007 Bailey: (laughter) O'Donnell: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Elliott: Correia: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Long: Bailey: Elliott: Bailey: Elliott: Long: Elliott: City Council Work Session Page II Ok. So besides giving funds; ok, this is just a little unusual, but besides just giving funds, could we do a challenge or a match or? I mean, I assume that you need this to go ahead and you won't do the project if you only have ours plus, you know, $20,000.00 more. But is there something more that the City can do to help you raise funds, besides give you additional money? I think that's a question they had. I think this is a great idea. But what I'm saying is often the State will do a challenge or a match or something like that. Is there something more that we can do? I mean, we have the dollars. Is there something more we can do to help them get the funds? Did you talk about that in any way? Not, not directly, no. Ok. I know they've been talking with Parks and Rec. Right, I know that. Steve - It's essentially a challenge, because they're not gonna have $30,000.00 without getting the rest. They're not gonna be able to do it. In our guidelines they're set up that if you don't, anybody who receives it be - by March 15th of next year, so we give about 9 months. Ok, so basically, if they put it out- You have to spend 50% of it by then. Yeah, ok. So essentially it's designed that way. That was my question. They can't just accept and bank it. Right. And get more next year. Not without coming back. They can bank 50% of it? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. - - -------~--,---~-_.- --,._--_._..~_._-,---,--,---_.-- April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 12 Correia: They have to spend. Long: They have to spend 50% of it by March 15th. Elliott: Well, that means you could bank 50% of it. Correia: Oh. Spend 50 and bank 50. Long: Right. Bailey: They also have to show a project at the end. Long: Then they come back to the Commission and ask, I mean, special, something: if they're getting really close, then the Commission can decide whether or not to extend that. Elliott: I think Regenia's, what you were saying, is this sufficient to- Bailey: To motivate. Elliott: To provide them with any real benefit, or is it so little that they can't do anything with it? Bailey: Well also I mean it is time, it's time constrained, so that will motivate some level of fundraising, but I'm just wondering if it's enough. Vanderhoef: I share some of those concerns, and I'll add another concern in there, that we have several neighborhoods that may well be coming to us in future years. I truly like the idea of the splash pad if it can be done safely and economically for the small parks, particularly when they are remote from the big central parks and a place for young people. And this would be something that I'd like to explore with Parks and Recreation, about can we do one every other year or whatever until we have covered all of them? Because I think this is a nice idea, but it's not all fulfilling at this point. The other point that I'd like to make about, I can't find it just at the moment, but our purpose and use of our moneys that's in our plan talks about things for the community facilities of the City, and to me, when I look through the whole list, this is the only one that is quote for the City and could be labeled for all of the community. We have had previous times that large number of dollars have been spent for a project like the Senior Center. And all the money was used for something that would benefit certainly the percentage of people that fall in the low and medium incomes. But I think this is something that we ought to be looking at and that's the same way that I was looking at the Housing Rehab, in that the lead-based paint and to get the houses rehabbed in our communities that we're trying to stabilize. So in another year I would like HCDC to really be aware of is there something that should be done quote for the City versus all the non-profits and partners that we have that, you know, they're great - Correia: For certain - I mean, the funding is for to assist a segment of. I mean, I understand your point about the splash pad is available to anybody who can go to Wetherby Park or get to Wetherby Park. But CDBG and HOME are designated to serve those most This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _.___.._.______"'..___.____'" . ____ ___._.._.._...,_._~._.__m_____.__._..__ "'.'_"__'_"__"_'_'''___ .. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 13 at need for housing and public facilities at, you know, below, the majority has to go below 50% of the area median income. Vanderhoef: And we have a number of those areas, so thinking big picture, how can we direct them to something that will benefit the entire community, but particularly the neighborhood where it is presently. Bailey: I understand your concern. I'm not sure I agree with your analysis, because I mean, if you look at some of the public facilities projects, they aren't restricted by income. I mean, what we know about domestic violence is it effects a wide range of people and this is a community impact across the board, and I think you can go down on each one of these. I think if we have a narrow definition of what our non-profits do at the community, perhaps, you know, perhaps you can make that point. But I don't agree with that point. I think our non-profits serve the community and I think- Vanderhoef: Absolutely. Bailey: And so I don't - I think these projects are for the community. Vanderhoef: I agree that they're for the community. Bailey: And everybody has access. Vanderhoef: But there isn't anything for the City. When it comes to a project. Bailey: What's the difference between the City and the community? Correia: What do you mean the City? Vanderhoef: Facilities. Bailey: Oh. So we are not - Vanderhoef: We always go out and go through bonding - Bailey: I got it. Vanderhoef: Which raises taxes to do a City facility instead of using some of the CDBG to benefit those same projects and those same people within our community, and that's what our plan talks about. Bailey: Well, but is that the best use of a shrinking pool of dollars? Vanderhoef: It is when we're talking about raising taxes. Correia: Which current City facilities would you think could utilize these funds? Vanderhoef: Well, the splash pad is one of them. Correia: Ok, the splash pad, ok, but- This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ._~____._~_____~___,_____.,.~~_..______~~____~__.____.m_"""._~~_"'____'_"_'____'_____"__'_'___'___ April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 14 Vanderhoef: Ok. So that's one, and will it go out for bonding, or will it have cash in hand? It'll go out for bonding? Correia: What will go out for bonding? Vanderhoef: The additional dollars that Park and Recreation puts into it will be bonded money, not federal moneys. Correia: Well we don't know that. It seems like Cedar Rapids used CDBG funds, my understanding - Vanderhoef: No, they used one-cent sales tax. Correia: No. To get it started, that they seeded the effort with CDBG and then it became part of Parks and Rec, their Parks and Rec master plan, however they came up with it- Bailey: Mmm hmm. Correia: Because of, I would imagine, it's for everybody in the City and then those funds that are raised through whatever method they're raised, come from everybody in the City. Bailey: So, this seems like a discussion that we can continue to have this year. Are we all good with these projects? Do you have any additional questions for Steve? Champion: Yeah. Vanderhoef: Yes. Elliott: Ijust wanted to say something about this project here. This is very much- Bailey: The splash pad? Elliott: This being the splash pad at Wetherby. I have concerns because I think ofCDBG funds as being for those who really need life support - food, shelter, health, that sort of thing. On the other hand, this is strictly a neighborhood park because of the parking, so that's my negative on that. But the reason I will be in favor of this, without going into detail, I think the City owes this neighborhood. Without going into detail, I believe some of the things the City has done, that this is owed to the neighborhood. And so while I have concerns about this kind and type of project, I'm in favor of this. Champion: Well the neighborhood center, too, is gonna gain some of this money. Bailey: The Pheasant Ridge, not the Broadway. Correia: This is for Pheasant Ridge. Champion: Oh, I thought it was- This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. Apri] 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page ]5 Bailey: Right, not the Broadway Center, the Pheasant Ridge, on the west side. Champion: Oh, ok. But still, that's assisting that neighborhood. I don't have any problems with it. Elliott: Ok. I've had my say. Bailey: Ok. Has everybody had their say? Ok. I think we're all good then. Champion: Yes. Vanderhoef: Wasn't enough. Bailey: Thank you Steve. Long: Thank you. Prol!ram to Improve Neil!hborhoods ITEM 13. Wilburn: Klingaman: CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING DISTRIBUTION OF THE"PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS" (PIN) GRANT FUNDS. Program to Improve Neighborhoods. Get this thing situated. Tomorrow evening you're getting your annual presentation from the neighborhood associations for their recommendation. The neighborhood council's recommendation for the 2008 Program to Improve neighborhoods. There's $15,000.00 available, and in your packet you have a summary of those projects that were funded, to what level they were funded. There were a couple that were actually withdrawn through the negotiations for a variety of reasons, but tonight I wanted to run through those with you, because tomorrow night the neighborhoods will do a brief presentation on their own, and I wanted to make sure that any questions or concerns were responded to. Very quickly, the Wetherby Park benches, the neighborhood decided to withdraw the application as a second priority to their application for the splash pad, so they prefer to see the splash pad funded, so withdrew that application. The Grant Wood Neighborhood Association applied for $750.00 to fund in part both their harvest party, which they had for the first time last year, and which was a roaring success, almost overwhelmingly so. They had some funds left, surprisingly enough, from the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association that got going back in 1994. I think they still had money in an account so they used some of that, but they're going to need some more this year, plus they'd like to do an outdoor movie, which has an outdoor licensing fee of between $150 and $200. So they'll do that movie some time after July I't and through the fall months, whatever works out. The Longfellow Neighborhood Association had an application for safety hand rails and actually this was part of an application they had in last year, but chose to withdraw that too when they saw the dollar amounts that were being requested by the other neighborhoods and thought it was more important to fund those other projects. The Northside Neighborhood would like to develop a master plan for North Market Square, and that's very similar to what they did at Benton Hill, similar to This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of Apri] 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 16 what they did at Brooklyn Park, and if you've been to either of those, you can see what the results are. North Market Square is a park that has been routinely upgraded to some degree, but the neighborhood would like to really see some type of comprehensive plan established that provides more variety in terms of the amenities it provides to the neighborhood, both for children, elderly, young adults, those types of things, and to spruce it up generally in terms ofplantings. So they originally applied for $5000.00; they were allocated the $4400.00. The Goosetown Neighborhood Association's application is probably the most complex, and I need to back up a little bit with this one. In March, which was the deadline for the first go-round of applications, they submitted an application for $5000.00 to install 3 historic light fixtures in the neighborhood. And their goal is just to improve the aesthetics, to establish some identity. They feel it would improve the pedestrian safety and lighting in the neighborhood. The Neighborhood Council was a little concerned about this because simply 3 light fixtures is going to make a small dent in that total area. So it was decided and actually Karl Klaus, who's a Goosetown neighbor who was at the meeting, suggested rather than apply for $5000.00 for 3 fixtures, that maybe they apply for a feasibility study as to what was involved. There were too many questions, too many things outstanding in terms of will this lighting effect the drivers' ability to see? Will there be glare problems? What about the mechanics of it? Do you have to underground electric wires? Do you, can you feed off of existing lighting fixtures and that type ofthing? So they'd like to do a study. The original request was for $4000.00, with the $1750.00 they've gotten an agreement from a consultant that they would be willing to do just a portion of that study to get a sample of what's involved in that. And so what you will probably be seeing is the results of that study as to whether or not it is feasible to do something like this and if so, you may be seeing them back at some point to see if there is additional funding, to possibly start the installation of these fixtures. Any questions about that? Bailey: I have a lot of questions about that project, but you go on. Klingaman: Ok, you want me to keep going? Ok. Wetherby, Friends and Neighbors, the splash pad which you've already discusses, they've already begun their fundraising, obviously. They've requested $5000.00 and they were recommended at $3200.00. The Glendale Morningside Association has a little park called Glendale. I don't know if any of you have been there, but it's not a large park, but it's highly, has been highly underutilized and the neighborhood would like to change that. The Parks Department installed two new pieces of small children/toddler playground equipment last year, and they'd like to see at least one of their larger child, maybe a swing-set or something, piece of equipment, and wanted to apply for funds to help out with that effort. They're going to be meeting with the Parks and Recreation staffthis Thursday to start talking about different things that can be done to the park and talk about different pieces of equipment. Washington Hills applied for $3445.00 for two benches that they would like to install along Scott Boulevard. The street is heavily used by pedestrians, bikers, you know, just recreational uses, and they'd like to provide an opportunity for people to sit down and relax and make it a little bit more neighborhood like. They have, they chose to take a request down to $1350.00 and that will provide one bench rather than two This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. -_.,.._-_.._-_...-_._---,--_.._-"--_._.~-~_.._,.._---".-,_.~.._---,---_._-------_..,.,._._---,._-,-,_._~--_.--..-.. April 30, 2007 Wilburn: Klingaman: Elliott: Klingaman: Elliott: Klingaman: Elliott: Klingaman: Elliott: Champion: Bailey: Champion: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 17 benches. And then the Peninsula Area Neighborhood applied for $5000.00 to assist in the installation of playground equipment in their Emma Harvath Park that I understand is supposed to be dedicated to the City here shortly. There's been a committnent by Parks and Rec. to provide some funding for that; they would like to assist with that as well. Their recommendation came in at $2400.00. Any questions? Since we'll be getting a presentation on this tomorrow night, I don't know that Marcia is necessarily going to have all the answers, but if you just have a couple questions, maybe you can state them so the neighborhood representatives that are present can make sure they're addressed tomorrow if it's a pretty detailed list. Maybe after the meeting make sure they've got your questions. Or I'll relay them. No question but an observation. Last year I know at least one of the neighborhoods came up with matching funds for a project, and I like that. I noticed one of the neighborhood parks you were talking about tonight I thought was a neighborhood that would be nice to have them come up with matching funds, so that the taxpayer funds can be used for those areas where the people aren't able to afford as much as some in other areas. And that's easy for me to ask for. It's tough to do. They're dependent on the neighborhood and their financial situations. I'd like to see those neighborhoods take some pride and do some of those things. It's not part - there's a very specific ranking criteria that the Neighborhood Council goes through when they're evaluating these. We don't have matching funds as being something to consider in that. Right. But it's talked about very regularly as they evaluate them. Good. The observation that I'm making of the past couple years is we have more and more PIN grants that are being asked to be delegated to our City parks, and that bothers me. I think PIN grants should be an additional wonderful thing for a neighborhood, even a simple thing, but when we're talking about basic playground equipment, that seems the wrong use of these funds to me. That they should go, for like, the little signs, the lampposts, the flower gardens, the - See I had the opposite response. I thought "oh my gosh, these people are really using their parks"- Well, sure. And they, you know, and I thought that was great that they were actually thinking about what they wanted to see in the parks. Regarding the Goosetown project, I'm assuming you talked about the study addressing the broader streetscape plan for the This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ---.----------------.----- ._._-~_.,._-------~----_.,~...,..--,_._-~---_._._._._."--. -_._~-_._.._-.- -- ----,~---_.__._<..._~,."_.- --". April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 18 City. And does this fit into the comprehensive plan? Because, 1 don't know, are we going to? I mean, do we have a streetscape plan for the City? Klingaman: Not as a whole. I mean, for specific areas we've done that, but not neigbborhoods. Summit Street is about the only one that at some point had some type of study completed about potential lighting and general improvements. Bailey: So it seems a little, I don't know - it seems like an unusual project. Ifwe don't have a plan, how will this fit into the City? Klingaman: Well, I think that's ultimately what the neighborhood is going to be asking. Once the study results are completed - Bailey: Right, but that's what I'm saying, it would just - Klingaman: I know. (can't hear) We could end up with a study that basically says it's very impractical to do this and at what stage - Bailey: Well, I'm not even talking about impractical. I'm talking about what do we want our city to look like? It's, I mean, a lot of these are you know how we use our neighborhood. This is about how are neighborhood looks, which is a little bit different. This goes to sort of Bob's comment about the streets are for everybody. Our neighborhoods and our streetscapes are something that our, the community, versus how we use our park or how we use our neighborhood or our trail in our neighborhood. And so I'm just wondering if that feasibility study will address those bigger issues, and for $1750 I doubt it. Klingaman: There was a discussion about taking this request to the Historic Preservation Commission in terms of design. Bailey: That would be a better place for it. Klingaman: You know, I don't know that they're that familiar with all of these issues, but- Bailey: I think it's an interesting question and potentially a great idea. I think that we migbt be starting in the wrong place to have that discussion. That's just my thought about this. So I'm not exactly sure that I will be supportive of that. I think that we should be asking that question and doing that work maybe somewhere else. Or on a broader, or have a broader question for the City. Vanderhoef: Mmm hmm. Klingaman: In terms of neighborhood participation, the only other variation within that study will have to be the neighbors that would be adjacent to new lighting would have to have approval, offer approval for installation. Bailey: Right, but you're driving along and all of a sudden there are different lights. I mean, is everybody gonua want different lights for their neighborhood? Are they all gonna be different lights? Are they gonna be reflective of when the neighborhood was developed? I just think that it's very piecemeal. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of Apri130, 2007. ______ _.._.____._____._~~___._..~_._____.._"._.__._..__~______._..___.___.____._"_.____._ ________..",""_..__..._.___.__ _._~__ __'_ __.,...___.,_____u.'.__ __.._~'_.. ",_______...__._ April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 19 Klingaman: Reasonable questions. Elliott: Would you be more top down on something like that, as opposed to neighborhoods up? Bailey: Well yeah. I think that this has to fit into some kind of comprehensive, comp plan, streetscape plan. Elliott: Didn't this town already, do they not already have their specialized street signs? Klingaman: They have their geese from the, geese signs. Bailey: Well, so does Northside. EJlliott: That was a bit of a start on that. Klingaman: Northside has the houses. So they've established some identity that way and that's where Goosetown is coming from. That's, their primary focus is to continue to establish their identity through the physical. Bailey: I get that, but I mean, shouldn't we look at it a little bit more broadly? I mean, it could be an interesting question. Wilburn: How does it fit with the rest of the community? How does it transition from one neighborhood to the rest? Bailey: Yeah. What's our - is this something we want to see throughout the community? Do we want to do -I mean I'm sure when we did the downtown there was a study and approach about what we wanted to do about streetscape. I mean, that's what we're talking about here. Vanderhoef: I know at one time we talked about lighting specifically for the entranceway of Dubuque Street. Bailey: Right. Vanderhoef: And how that might look and certainly the cost was a big factor at that point in time that we didn't see that we really could do the cost of it. So if we're talking about a neighborhood and they want one on every comer in the neighborhood or something, we're talking about, perhaps a significant amount of money for this project that isn't in our capital plan. And that's where it would have to be. Bailey: Well also isn't in our aesthetic plan. And so I'm not saying I want to necessarily lose this idea. I'm just saying that I'm not sure that this is the place that we want to park it. Wilburn: Well maybe we'll get some feedback about that tomorrow night for us to consider, and it's probably an ongoing discussion for us. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 20 Bailey: Yeah. So I encourage all of you to consider that as well. Wilburn: Anything else? Klingaman: Any questions? Transit Overview Wilburn: Thank you. Transit overview. (cut off - end of tape) Fowler: We're going to try and be modem again, but as a backup we made copies. (laughter) Elliott: Always be prepared. Fowler: We haven't always had good luck. Wilburn: I will admit to a smirk coming across my face when I heard you were doing a PowerPoint. Bailey: Ask your boss. Vanderhoef: Thanks Dale. Fowler: We're gonna break this down, as you can see. Vanderhoef: You're gonnajust break it, that's what you're gonna do. (laughter) Fowler: Several different components. I'll start off with just kind of an overview. Ron is gonna go through the operations, and then we're both gonna talk about what the future has for us, as soon as I put this back together. Sorry Marian. Wilburn: Would you like us to take a quick break while you get setup? Logsden: Sure. Vanderhoef: Sounds like a winner. Elliott: Do it. Vanderhoef: Good idea. Wilburn: Start 10 minutes. Fowler: You really want us to? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ----_._--~-~~--~_._,,_._---~....,-'--'_..._.,...,. ._~---_.._..-_._~----_...-,._._._-_.__.__.__._.._---,_." ,.---"'- -'-'---'_._-"-'--~-"- ... .----.----.--------.-.-..-...---.--------..'.--.-. April 30, 2007 Wilburn: Fowler: City Council Work Session Page 21 Yeah, just start talking and we'll see. Marian are we ready? Marian? Ready? Ok. Tapes rolling. To start off your first shot is the exterior of our transit facility on South Riverside Drive, followed by a second picture of our downtown interchange, which we have leased with Old Capitol to have that building on that site. Our purpose is Iowa City transit is to provide a safe and reliable means for Iowa City residents to travel within the community. Who influences our budget and our operations? Our patrons. We take the input that we receive from them in formal proposals which we then bring to the Iowa City City Council and use the Council then. You approve our budgets, you conduct public hearings on our service and approve changes in our service for the community. The Parking and Transit Department implements the policies and manages the day to day operations after they're set by the Council. JCCOG plays an important part of our system in that JCCOG approves the distribution of the federal funding and that is the funding that comes into the community and the distribution to Iowa City, Coralville, Cambus. In addition you approve our planning programs and you may look at those planning programs some day and think wow, what is all the stuff they have in there? And that's basically because of the next one. The State and federal governments, they control our funding, set policies that effect our operations and our purchases and for us to get any approval, it has to be in our long range plan for any project that we have, so if we think in 3 or 4 years that we may want to try something, then we have to put it in the plan. It doesn't mean we're gonna do it, but if we're even thinking about it, it needs to be on paper. Johnson County SEATS - we contract with them for ParaTransit service. Currently we provide more service than we're required to. The SEATS contract, we're about to enter our last year, and so during the fall we anticipate we'll begin negotiating with them for a future contract, so that will greatly influence what we can do based upon what our costs for ParaTransit service will be in the future. University ofIowa, they have programs to promote transit ridership for students, faculty and staff, and those have a great influence on our ridership. And our contract with University Heights. Yearly we have a contract with University Heights for service to their community. Just a picture of our downtown interchange. What do we do? The services we provide: we operate 19 regular fixed routes; 3 new routes were added in 2006 with the transit intensive funds that we received from the federal government. We provide ParaTransit service to the community through a contract with Johnson County SEATS and by the community, we mean Iowa City and Coralville, because Iowa City does pay for a ride if it originates in Iowa City and goes to Coralville, just as Coralville pays for rides that originate in Coralville and come into Iowa City. Our fixed route service hours are from 6am-Ilpm Monday through Friday, and from 6am to 7:20 on Saturday. And ParaTransit services during these same hours, plus on Sunday, they operate from Sam until 2pm. And we do extend our service. Federal guidelines require 3/4 miles from a fixed route would be all that we would have to serve with ParaTransit, and a decision Council made years ago was that we would serve the entire community and not be constrained by that regulation. A picture of one of our ParaTransit vehicles. The city ofIowa City owns these vehicles and then we lease them to SEATS for use. That's why they say Iowa City Transit on the side This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. __.__..~~_" _,..".".__ ___,__,_..._.__,___.____.____"___._..__.________....w__~___.. ____,__._,__,_ April 30, 2007 Correia: Fowler: O'Donnell: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Baeth: Fowler: Baeth: Wilburn: Fowler: Wilburn: City Council Work Session Page 22 of them. Our system has 52 bus shelters, 451 bus stops. 20 buses operate during our peak service hours from 6am to 9am and from 3pm to 7pm Monday through Friday. We run 8 buses midday, the 9am to 3pm Monday through Friday. We operate 5 buses at night. The 7 to 11 pm and on Sunday, excuse me, Saturday. Last year we used 154,197 gallons of diesel fuel, and that cost us $327,232.00. And we are running a bio-diesel, we're running a 2% and that's being increased to a higher percentage, so we are running a bio-diesel in our vehicles. So all the buses are on bio-diesel? Yes. Who do we serve? In FY06, one million six hundred and forty thousand four hundred and eighty five riders on the fixed route buses. Sixty seven thousand four hundred and fifty on ParaTransit. From '04 to '06, we've had a 9% increase in our fixed route ridership and a 10% increase in our ParaTransit ridership. Phil, how many people rode the shuttle last year? You know, I don't have that number right in front of me. It's close to a hundred ninety thousand. Another picture of a bus over by University Hospital, by their parking facility and chilled water facility. The next two graphs just basically show you the difference in our revenue from '06 to '07. Our property taxes in '06 made up 56% of our budget in '07, 53%. During that time our revenue increased about $700,000.00. Our federal grants went from II % to 14. Court Street Transportation Center went from 5% to 9% of our revenue. And our fares, although our fares were consistent from one year to the other, dropped from 18% to 15% of our total income. So basically our fare revenue stayed the same. Our transit intensive money pushed up our federal money, and the Court Street money almost doubled. So we're seeing additional sources of income. Like I said, our budget is increasing and it's coming from basically federal grants and Court Street. The property taxes - is that 100% of it from the 95 cent levy? Yes, yes it is. And that stayed basically the same, but it just became a smaller percentage of our overall budget. Joe what, sorry - what's the dollar amount of that increase for the transit center? Court Street? I think it's about $350,000.00. Ok. Just last year. Ok, thanks. I'm sorry. You're cruising along really well and I don't want to mess things up. Would you mind starting the slide show - click on the word view up top? And then it'll say slide show. Just to blow it up a little bit. You're really gonna make this hard on him aren't you? Slide show - it says slide show. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 23 Fowler: Up one. Oh no - that right there. Wilburn: And just go and - yeah. Champion: Oh! A miracle. Wilburn: My eyes were starting to get buggy there. Sorry. Vanderhoef: Join the club. Wilburn: Ok. Thank you. Logsden: Average daily ridership. Average daily ridership - our ridership varies from times of year, depending on whether the University is in session or not and the weather outside dramatically affects our ridership. On average, 4200 riders during the summer months, and about 8500 riders when the U of I is in session. And that varies slightly between the nicer months and the winter months. It goes up a little bit from there. 94% of the fixed route rides occur on Monday through Friday and 6% on Saturday, and on ParaTransit we average 252 trips a day. 96% of the ParaTransit trips occur Monday through Friday, and 5% occur Saturday and Sunday. Our staff, Joe is the Director of the Parking and Transit Department, so it's 50% transit, 50% parking. Myself, we have 3 supervisors to cover the 6 day operation and we actually start, the supervisor has to be there at 5:30 and they stay 'til about 11:30 at night to cover that span. And one of them is in charge of maintenance, one is in charge of training and safety and one is in charge of service dispatch and information. We have 21 full-time drivers and 203/4 time drivers. One customer service representative that kind of handles the walk-in people, answers the phone a lot, pays the bills and things of that sort. 4 full-time mechanics. One body technician that does the bodywork for all the City vehicles, not just the Transit vehicles. Our mechanics . also, one of the mechanics makes the signs for the City. The sign shop was moved to Transit about 5 or 6 years ago, and he makes signs when he's not working on buses, so it's kind ofa way to utilize some downtime and to help out. We have one full-time parts person, we have 4 people on our night crew that clean the buses. One is full- time and the other three are 3/4 time. We have a half-time senior maintenance worker that's shared between Parking and Transit. One maintenance worker I and then a half-time maintenance worker that's more of a custodial/janitorial that cleans our facility, facilities. Now this is FY06 expenditure budget. It basically breaks down, a big cost of ours is personnel, drivers predominately. It's about 57% of our budget. Services and supplies, which includes a lot of different commodities, fuel, for one is a major component. And as you can see the reserve funding is 7% of that. I'll talk a little bit more about that later, or Joe will, actually. Our fleet, we have 25 heavy-duty buses. One of those is 30 feet long; the rest are 40 feet long. One light duty bus that's 22 passenger. Two vans, one pickup truck, the shop truck used for maintenance, and then one cargo van that we share between Parking and Transit that the senior maintenance worker has. We just went out for bid and actually have the buses on order, and a heavy duty bus costs about $320,000.00 This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Elliott: Logsden: Elliott: Elliott: Logsden: Elliott: Logsden: Wilburn: (laughter) Logsden: City Council Work Session Page 24 now. And then we add on a few, you'll see, it came a little higher now because we add on extended warranties and things of that sort that raise that slightly that aren't paid for out of the federal money. The useful life of a heavy-duty bus is 12 years and 350,000 miles. That's kind of arbitrary, because you can't add them or replace them at anywhere near those standards. That's really went up over the last 4 to 5 years. As it says there, our fleet averages 13.6 years old. We have 10 buses that are 10 years old, 3 buses that are 12 years old, 4 that are fifteen, 8 that are eighteen years old. We have, the total fleet has over 10 mi\1ion miles with an average mileage of386,000 miles. This kind of shows you, when we're using the buses this long, you have to do a lot of major work that we didn't have to do in the past. This is really, the ones that we're about to replace we had to do 2 major rust repairs on them, take all the side body panels and weld new metal in. The floor is completely gone. This one to repair frames, and in a minute there'll be a little close-up that you can see the actual rust damage. I think that the brine or whatever they're using on the roads now, especially the State roads, really has taken a toll on the metal. We have 6 buses are currently on order and should arrive in June. We've applied for a State grant to purchase one additional used bus and we have 10 light duty buses for ParaTransit service operated by Johnson County SEATS. In the last 2 years we've replaced 9 of those 10, so the ParaTransit fleet is in very good shape. You keep, when you get new buses do you keep some to cannibalize or do you get rid of all of them? Can you sell them? What? We keep what we can use I guess is the best way to - You have to apply to DOT to ask to be able to do that. Ok. And if we have any more of those buses in our fleet. We actually bought two Coralville buses because we have the luxury of having our own body shop. If Coralville looked to have their rust repair (can't hear) and it was over fifty thousand sight unseen; as soon as they got it there if it was more. So basically they decided to buy used buses, we bought theirs, and we're cannibalizing those right now, so. This is a little closer up photo. The one on the left or my left anyway- That's coo\! Shows the frame completely rusted through and cracked. That's not good, right? Not good. Luckily it wasn't a front frame structure. Now this is just to show you some of the issues that we deal with with our bus shelters. Vandalism is not uncommon. We've had two. This one was actually at Mormon Trek and Melrose, was hit by a drunk driver, and they actually did find out who did it eventually after a This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 25 couple of weeks. A City employee saw the car and identified it later, but we've had a couple ofthose mishaps oflate. Correia: So in that case will their insurance pay for those? Logsden: Yes. We got one over by Broadway that was, they found that person after about 2 months and then this one was, so they'll both be replaced by their insurance carriers. Court Street Transportation Center has 600 parking spaces; 520 of those are sold by permit and those are all sold and there's 140 people on the waiting list for those spaces. Vanderhoef: 140? Logsden: 140. What else. We have 4 commercial spaces in the facility and those are all rented and we're deriving revenue from those spaces. That just kind of lists what those are. There's also the bike lockers. Right now we have 5 of the 10 rented. There was, I think 3 people, 3 just opened up recently, so if anybody needs a bike locker we have 5 available. Iowa City Transit funding sources. Federal funds received by Iowa City Transit for operating assistance and capital replacement are distributed by the State of Iowa, except for the case of the direct federal earmarks. These funds are distributed by the Department of Transportation based on formulas and what follows is a brief summary of the funds available. 5307 funds, otherwise known as Governor's Apportionment: it's for systems in 50 to 200,000 population and they come to the State, they're in the federal register a specific dollar amount, they come to the State, the Governor has the option of distributing them according to what was in the federal register or coming up with their own formula. Historically they've distributed it according to the federal register. As most of you know then that money comes to us, to JCCOG, and the local formula is used to allocate those funds. They're derived from a mixture of fuel tax and general fund money and the amounts are determined by DOT. 5307 funding is released in November and December after the dollar amount is determined. Sometimes we don't get the money until it goes through a process and get 'em in March or so. 20% of this funding must be spent on capital items and that is an agreement that, Iowa is the only state that does that. The DOT set because we are getting so far behind in our capital replacement. In the State of Iowa right now there's a hundred and five million dollars of buses that have reached their useful life standards. So they're past their useful life. So the DOT has set the 20% so it encourages systems to either buy like the ParaTransit vehicles, small vehicles, or not put in for funding for maintaining facilities. So what we mainly use our money for is I think we bought over the last 3 years 3 ParaTransit vehicles and we also used it to maintain our facility. We've put new doors on our building and put a new rood on. These funds then come to JCCOG Board for distribution and any changes in the local formula will affect our, Iowa City Transit funding. Just on a note, just for information purposes, the University ofIowa is the only totally university-run system in the nation that receives any of this money, and that's because the JCCOG Board years ago decided to allocate that money. And it was more because they, by getting the operating money they get access to the capital replacement money, which is the big bonus, because of the cost of the $320.000.00 for buses and getting those 83% funded. I get calls 3 or 4 times a year from systems around the nation that are university run and asking how, why we do that and how it came to be, because they would like to get access to that money too. So I think it's the local formula and I This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ------",._--,...._._--------~-,-~-~..._-"--"--_..._'~.-.,-.-....--.---.--..,.---..--------."------..---.-"----'.._--".-. - --_._-,-_._",._..._.._~--,--"..,"_.. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 26 know there were some contentious issues recently with JCCOG, and I think it works out very well for everybody under the current system. Elliott: But the University ridership is a benefit for our system, is it not? Logsden: For the transit intensive money it is. For the 5307 money it doesn't, because according to, in the federal government's eyes they don't have a population, the City has the population. Elliott: But overall. Logsden: Overall, with the new transit intensive it works out for everybody. Vanderhoef: Only in this last year. When we started getting that money. Logsden: 5309 funds. These funds are for new and replacement buses. At this time Congress has earmarked all available funds. Current process in Iowa is that the State gets a grant for statewide bus replacement and all the buses in the State are ranked based on a useful life and accumulated miles. They've set up a system called PTMS, Public Transit Management System, where every bus depending on its useful life is ranked and as soon as your bus comes, meets the dollar threshold that's on the earmark, then you'll get a bus replaced. So you wait on the list quite a while. The State awards funding for the highest ranked buses until the funding is exhausted. 5310 funds, which is transportation for elderly and persons with disabilities, we just got access to this money as urban systems 2 years ago. The State got an audit and they said they needed to - before it was going to the regional systems and they needed to share it with the urban systems. The State applies for these funds and they can be used for ParaTransit vehicles and transportation services under contract. Iowa City currently receives funding to assist with the Johnson County SEATS contract and to offset some of the incurred costs of extended services to Chatham Oaks. 5316 funds, these funds are to develop transportation services for welfare recipients and low income individuals. This is what we call JARC funds. Funds are allocated on a discretionary basis with 20% going to areas under 200,000 population. These funds are distributed by Iowa DOT. And State Transit Assistance funds, this is money coming from the State of Iowa; the revenue is generated by 1/20th of the I" four cents of the use tax on the sale of motor vehicles and accessory equipment. The amount awarded varies yearly, as it is dependent on the vehicles and parts sales. Fortunately it's, over the last I 0 years has been slightly increasing each year. There has been recent discussions on changing the formula but no immediate changes are anticipated at this time. Fowler: So the ending part of this basically is what's next? And it's with a question mark and it's really a decision that would be made by the Council as to where you would like to see Transit go from this point. Some of the options that we have discussed internally would be the addition of new routes, adding to our fleets the purchase of new and used buses to cover those routes or replace the buses that we currently have; the hiring of additional drivers if services expanded; installing additional bus shelters and concrete pads around the community; and expanding our existing routes. Right now we kind of had to get a little bit ahead of ourselves because of paperwork that needed to be into the State. So we put in for 2 job access reverse commute projects that obviously can't go forward without Council approval. But, because of timing, we This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Bailey: O'Donnell: Fowler: Bailey: Correia: O'Donnell: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 27 had to put it in and we thought these were things that we had heard Council say a year ago, so we put them in. So obviously they're not in stone as to whether they're going to go forward or not. One is an after hours cab service and the other one is extending the North Dodge and Manville current routes from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. The after hours cab service program, this would be a 50/50 program, where 50% would be federally and state funded and 50% would be local money. And the way we envision this when we put it together would be people that had a pass to ride Iowa City Transit would be able to use a cab for trips to work or class or daycare that was necessary because of either going to work or class. And they would use this after the regular service ends during the week, Saturday and Sunday. And we put in for this at a $40,000.00 program. Basically $20,000.00 and then $20,000.00 local funding. And we checked with the cab companies. I think a cab ride could run up to what was it, $14, $18 from one side of town to the other. So that's, we kind oftook a median of about $10 a ride and kind of guesses at where we could go from there. So that, that's the first one, would be the cab program. Can I ask- So would you contract with one company? No we would not. The person who was going to have the ride would call a cab company that was approved by the City and they would arrange for their own ride. The reason for this is that by doing that it eliminates the cab company from having to comply with the alcohol and drug testing federal requirements which add quite a bit of cost to their program. So as long as we don't schedule the ride, they can make the ride and then the cab company doesn't come under the federal guidelines. It's a challenge to arrange for a ride. This is, there is - That would be. Cedar Rapids, does Cedar Rapids have a program? Their JARC program is similar. They have a subsidized cab program, is that right? Yes. Mmm hmm. So when you, having a bus pass, that would mean a monthly pass? Right. You would have to have a monthly pass in order to - is that similar in Cedar Rapids? That I'm not sure of, but we would want the person to use the fixed route service when it was in operation and then just use this as a supplement to get home or get to work and then take the bus home. Is that realistic for people who would need JARC or would qualify? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Correia: Champion: Bailey: Correia: Fowler: Champion: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Elliott: Bailey: Fowler: Elliott: Fowler: Elliott: Bailey: Wilburn: Elliott: O'Donnell: Wilburn: Elliott: City Council Work Session Page 28 I have - yeah, I'm wondering, if someone is working a part time job and most of the hours are after the bus service, it's probably really not as economically feasible for them. Or if they work on Sundays and that was a main - because you really have to ride the bus so many days in order to make that monthly pass - We have discounted passes though, don't we? Those are for rides, aren't they? They're not for monthly? We have discount monthly passes for low income? Low income. Yes. We do. How much? $20. $20. You mentioned something in passing, drug and alcohol testing. You're doing something so they don't have to do that? Is that what you said? Mmmhmm. That's correct. So we test the vehicles that our cab companies use. We do not test the drivers. No we don't. You know, I hadn't thought of that before. That concerns me. Well yeah, we don't have a requirement, right, at all. Well there is, I mean, if you get, they're subject to citation by law enforcement anyway, and so indirectly if you lose your license to drive just from operating while under the influence then you're not going to be able to drive a cab. I'm- They'd have to be caught. I'mjust saying that it's not totally un- I was looking at Eleanor and she didn't seem concerned, but I guess I'm thinking if we have a City program where we're saying you can do this, does the City not have liability that that program is guaranteed safe and the drivers are tested? I, that concerns me I guess. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ---~_.__._.,._-,._--_._-,,,,._----_.__..-_.__._~_._-"" ,._._--~--~.._--_..~----_.__..._._._. -- .__....~- '--'-'-""---'-"-'--'-~'----------' April 30, 2007 Champion: Karr: Dilkes: (laughter) Elliott: Bailey: Dilkes: Elliott: O'Donnell: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Baeth: Fowler: Baeth: Champion: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 29 They would be (can't hear) We do require a State certified driving record and a DCI record for each driver once a year. Well and we can be sued for anything. And have been. Frequently are. But the licensing of a cab does not create liability. That doesn't concern you then. Ok. Ok. The only reason I brought it up is I thought with the numerous cab companies we have we could be getting into a paperwork nightmare. What we would do would be request proposals from cab companies for a rate to negotiate a low rate and then we would have approved cab companies that the rides could be with. They couldn't be with anyone that wasn't approved by the City to provide the service. How would you verify that they actually did a trip for somebody that was eligible? Well, we're working on this. Oh. We just put the proposal out there because we needed to get it on paper right now and then we would have to come back to you with a formal proposal if you wanted us to as to how we would actually implement it. Well I'm sure Cedar Rapids has a system set up for those types of things that you would be able to borrow from them. And Joe, the use of this ride, it has to be for work or school or day care. Is that a federal stipulation for the JARC money? Yes. Ok. And that would be our whole idea, getting people to work and back. Or to school. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 30 Vanderhoef: The question I have is how many of our cab companies truly work all night or - Bailey: Well we didn't require it so- Vanderhoef: No we don't require it, that's exactly right. Bailey: Sad to say. Vanderhoef: So getting the assuranCe from the cab companies when they start making - Bailey: So if they're on the approved list there's an expectation that they will pick up their phones at those hours on Saturday night and Friday night and they will be available to provide the service, right? Fowler: Yeah. Karr: You do, you did in your ordinance require one car. You required two cars for company status and one to be in operation 24 hours a day. Logsden: In this program most of the rides would be pre-scheduled. Bailey: Oh. Elliott: And that would be a part of your getting RFPs from the company, that they would need to have 24 hour, or during those off hours. Bailey: Pre scheduled would be yeah, well. Because they'd have to be. They don't pick up their phones. Fowler: The second JARC request that we made was to extend the Manville Heights route and in conjunction with that also the North Dodge route. And so by extending the Manville Heights route we would be able to serve the Peninsula area and the low income housing that's currently located there. Right now the nearest bus stop is 2 miles away. In the past we had people who actually traveled in wheel chairs from the Peninsula down to where you turn to go up to Forest View Trailer Court, to and from. Since the bridge is open at the Iowa Power Dam, they now go the other way, across the dam and ride a Coralville bus. So even though they found a semi-solution it's not really an acceptable solution, especially in the inclement weather that they have to travel in. Correia: Somebody in a wheel chair though would be eligible for SEATS. Fowler: Yeah. Some people just choose to use the fixed route. Correia: Oh ok, I know, just that they have the option but they choose - ok. Fowler: Mmm hmm. Correia: Can we just go back one second? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Elliott: Fowler: Correia: Champion: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: O'Donnell: Fowler: (laughter) City Council Work Session Page 31 Sure. This is not really related at all to running the service out there. I just wanted to, I don't know if you give this presentation other places than City Council- First time. Or if you're planning to give it anywhere else, but I guess there's a premise in here that the City has located all affordable housing in one neighborhood as has been the case in the past. And I guess I would say the City hasn't located affordable housing in one neighborhood even in the past. I mean we are working on wanting to have it more scattered, but it's sort of making a claim that I would say is not factual. So I want you to take it out. Where was that? You're right. I hadn't noticed that. It says "Iowa City is struggling with having enough affordable housing for its residents" which I think is accurate, "and has determined that scattered site affordable housing is" a goal? But to say "much better than locating all of the affordable housing in one neighborhood as has been the case in the past." I mean, we haven't located affordable housing all in one neighborhood in the past or the present, but. That can be reworded. Can we just take it out? Yeah, that'll be changed. Ok thanks. Ok. So service is misspelled. Is that the first one you caught? Vanderhoef: Spell check. Fowler: The other extension is the North Dodge route, which would be extended out to the Northgate Corporate Park. We're seeing a real increase in growth in that area. We're getting more requests, and Mercy is looking at building an expansion out there, and they've indicated a willingness to put a bus turn around which is what has prevented us from going into this area before, because we basically would be driving into a dead end and there's no way to turn the bus around once we get in there. It would also allow us to increase trips to ACT throughout the day instead of the 3 trips that This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ---~-~,------,-,~"-,,,,--,-----------,-"---'---"-'-_._~~-_.._---- April 30, 2007 Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Correia: Champion: Logsden: Bailey: Champion: Logsden: Champion: Bailey: Elliott: Bailey: Logsden: Correia: Champion: Fowler: Vanderhoef: City Council Work Session Page 32 we make now, so we could serve both areas better with an extension in that area. Now the next page, the cost for these route extensions. Ijust have a question. Oh, yes. Well, you noted the veterinary clinic and the dog boarding clinic, but you don't allow dogs on your buses unless they're service dogs right? Correct. Ok. But would you? People would - If they're in a cage? This is a JARC grant, it's to get people, they're looking for jobs that, some of that. Ok. But Ijust thought it was interesting that you noted that. I mean, people wouldn't. In had my cat in a cat cage I couldn't take him on a City bus? No. Just service animals because of, mainly because of allergies. Oh. But people work there. It's just distracting. Connie you can't take your pet goat on the bus. (can't hear) pet to the vet on the bus. I guess not. Any angle to leverage the JARC 50% money I guess is what you have to go for on the grants. Sure. Yep. I like that North Dodge route. We have the cost figures on the next page. These cost figures are a little misleading because we have to use our fully allocated costs, which is $72.00 an hour when we figure these for our JARC applications. And our actual cost for service is $56.00 an hour after we take out our fixed cost of our building, our supervisors that we have to have either way. So these numbers are higher than they would actually be if we went to implement this program. 52 you said? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. __ __________..~._,~__..___."._~._.__ - _____._~___.__.~_..___._._____~.___._____.__.____._'__~___e .. ..___"__~_____.____ April 30, 2007 Fowler: Correia: Bailey: Fowler: O'Donnell: Fowler: Correia: Fowler: Correia: Atkins: Champion: Fowler: Champion: Correia: Vanderhoef: City Council Work Session Page 33 Yes. So basically right now our financial future is that with the additional money from Court Street and the Transit Intensive Communities money, Transit no longer is dependent on the general fund for transfer to operate. We have a cash balance of $322,526.00 and we're projecting to increase that by $246,588.00 at the end of this year. When you say cash balance, do you mean a reserve balance or do you mean money over what was projected for revenue that could have been? These are part of the reserves, right? Right. These are reserves. On hand. And when we came last year we talked about we were going to spend the Transit Intensive money but we weren't going to spend the Court Street money because we really didn't have a handle on how much money that was gonna be as to what we could actually do. So basically we have a cash balance. What we're faced with is we have 6 buses on order and the decision that needs to be made is does that cash balance then pay for the local match to cover the new buses that are coming, or does that cash balance go to additional service in which case general fund debt service has to cover the local match when the buses come in. And I guess from this point it's really your discussion. What did we plan for? I believe the way that it's been planned for at this point is that this money would go for local match. No, no. I'm sorry. What did we, so we planned for the 6, because you've ordered. them, so we had already planned to pay for them using a GO (tape dropout) - that's my question. I have to go get my budget. If we use this money for our cash match would this money be available next year for these extended routes? Is this money that's gonna be coming in every year, this cash balance? At the end of this June, this fiscal year, if that money goes to the local match, then we would anticipate a minimum of a similar if not higher revenue for the future. Great. So because the match is $119,000.00 for the routes, plus $40,000.00 - plus $20,000.00 for the cabs, subsidized cab. So that's what you're saying. So it's not even all of. It's part of it. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 34 Champion: You know, I'm sorry. I've got to get this through in my head. If we spent the $322,000.00 for the match we would still have at the end of '07 $246,000.00. That's what you're anticipating. Because these numbers aren't separate here. Fowler: Kevin, Kevin's here to help address these financial issues that would come up this evenmg. Correia: But Ijust, the- Champion: Because according to what this says we ended the year with a cash balance of $322,000.00, are projecting to end '07 with a cash balance of$246 and I'm asking if there's two separate numbers. I mean do we, if we didn't spend any of it, would we have a half a million? That's my question. O'Malley: Yes. '06 we had- Bailey: Yes. I like that. O'Malley: We had $325,000.00 roughly and this year we expect $226 but we plan on using that money to pay for the buses. Champion: A half a million? Correia: That's what we planned on? O'Malley: Whatever the 20% or the 17% of the 6 times $320,000.00 is. Bailey: So it was budgeted to buy the buses. O'Malley: That's correct. Vanderhoef: To buy the buses and not to extend routes. Bailey: Not to extend routes. Correia: So but what we need, the match that you're talking about, the $139,165.00, that's the 119. Champion: That's for the routes. Correia: Plus the 20 for the cabs. That's what you're saying, do we want to spend that, so that still leaves - Bailey: But that's contingent on JARC grant funding? Champion: Right. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 35 Fowler: That would be if we got the JARC funding and then Council would want to discuss and decide whether they wanted to do one or both of those programs or ifthere's a totally different program that you'd like us to look at. Correia: One of both which programs? Bailey: The Manville - Fowler: Extended routes or- Bailey: North Dodge or the cabs. Elliott: Manville Heights or North Dodge. Fowler: They went in as two separate requests. Correia: But the routes, all 3 are packaged for $119 for half. That's what the slide says. Champion: Routes? I don't think that includes the cab, does it? Elliott: No. Bailey: No. Correia: The cab is cheap, $20,000.00. Bailey: You have 38330- Elliott: Yeah. Grand total for both. Bailey: Right. Champion: Ifwe got the JARC grants. Bailey: Well no. It would cost, it would cost this, and then we could offset. Champion: Right, right. Bailey: Ifwe got the JARC. Correia: If we offset it, if we got the JARC, we would need to spend $139,000.00. Vanderhoef: We'd still need. Champion: Right. Correia: If we got it. Bailey: But we could, for example, if we didn't use our reserves to pay for buses, we could cover the costs of expanding these routes without JARC funding, right? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 36 Correia: Ifwe didn't get the JARC. Fowler: Correct. Correia: What's the likelihood? Anybody? Of getting JARC? Bailey: When will we know? Logsden: Pretty good we'll get some. Whether we'll get it all or not, we may just get the cab, we may, you just don't know. They may fund it at, you know, a lower level. Bailey: And we will know - Vanderhoef: We're competing at the- Correia: If we can have one or the other we should say routes. Bailey: And when will we know? Logsden: Ah, this fall, October I believe. Bailey: So we wouldn't expand these routes until the fall? Logsden: Correct. Correia: I like the routes. Fowler: If we would go ahead and implement anything prior to that then they wouldn't fund it, because they'd say well you came up with enough local money. Bailey: Oh right. I remember that discussion. Correia: Yeah. Champion: Well I like the routes too but I, I would like to use a good portion of this cash balance to pay for those buses, because I think our property taxes are high enough. Vanderhoef: I do too. Correia: Well you know we took out, oh shoot, where is that? Did, were we gonna spend GO bonds on that Highway 6 Gilbert? Champion: We're not doing that? Correia: That's what I mean. Then we have some GO bond capacity to shift. (laughter) O'Malley: There are federal dollars associated with that and that goes back into the - This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ,_......, ..__.___________~.__...___m______~_m'_~~'_.~__._.._.,___._____ ____~_._~._ . __..___.___...____,___.____,,_____'_~__._..._~ _m...._._~_.___._ April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 37 Correia: No, I know that part, but I don't think it was all federal. Vanderhoef: It was 2 million. Bailey: In GO bonds. Vanderhoef: Ah, federal highway. Bailey: Yeah. Champion: We, what - I'm sorry. Is it, will it take the whole half million to cover our share of the bus, the capital? Vanderhoef: Mmm hmm. Atkins: Plus. Fowler: Yes. Vanderhoef: And on the replacement - Champion: Do we have an exact number? Because we have 322, 420, 520 - do we have about? Atkins: We have, the buses should cost us about 2 million dollars. Champion: Oh. O'Donnell: There's 6 of those. Atkins: And 20% of2 million is $400,000.00. Champion: Oh, so we would still have $100,000.00- Atkins: No, remember, these are budget estimates. Champion: I don't like estimates. Fowler: There's some, there's some additions on the buses, extended warranties on the motors, the transmissions that aren't covered by the federal money. Vanderhoef: The 83 - Fowler: Camera systems that, and voice announcement systems that are on there. O'Donnell: (can't hear) from 320 to 350 Joe? Champion: Ok. Well those are good things. Atkins: Amy, your question on Highway 6, it's budgeted over 2 years- This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. --",.._--~---~~---------"_._._-~--~-----------_..-.~--_._-----~----_._-_._----_.._--------~-_._--_.- April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 38 (cut off - end of tape) Correia: Champion: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Logsden: Elliott: Champion: Correia: O'Donnell: Elliott: Correia: Elliott: Champion: Correia: Fowler: So looking at the '08, which is when these expenditures are going to happen in, is there what, what was the, what did we think we'd have available in '08? Good question. Ask me the question again. So this project, these, is planned for '08. This project being what? This project, the JARC, the new routes, the subsidized cab- The JARC project. Ok. Two routes and the cab. Ok. Is being planned to happen in '08 and so when we, our '08 budget for transit, since we've had cash reserves accumulate in '06 and '07, do we expect there to be additional cash reserves coming in '08? What was our estimate for our budget? Would we be able to handle, you know, that 139, 165 if we got the JARC or the total if we didn't? I should add that the 2 used buses we bought in order to do the service we expanded last fall were, came out of the cash reserve from '06, so those were just over a hundred thousand dollars, so we've been spending that cash reserve down slightly, so it's not all there. And you're planning on spending it down further are you not? Because you're expecting to go from 322 to 246? Is that right? No. It's just ending with- That's a- Yes. No. So we ended one year with $322,000.00, we're anticipating ending the following year with 246, which is a drop of a considerable amount of money. No no. No. It's extra. Which was spent on buses. That's additional funds that we transferred. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _"._._._______..._"~_____~.____,,___~_____._____'___~_______.__________._,..___.____.'._____..______u________ April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 39 Correia: Additional. She did ask - no, she asked this question. A quarter, a half a million. Elliott: We ended the year with a cash balance and are projecting to end '07 with a cash balance of significantly lesser amount. Champion: No. O'Donnell: Which is 246. Elliott: Yes. Correia: And add it to the $300. Champion: You have to add - O'Donnell: 350 one year, 246 another. Fowler: Right. Because the cash balance doesn't stay in our account. It's then transferred out to a reserve fund. Into a different fund altogether. Elliott: But when you say you end with a significantly higher cash balance one year and you're projecting a significantly lower cash balance the following year- Champion: It was moved. Elliott: That means a less cash balance. Unless you're saying this is an additional 246. Correia: It is. Elliott: Because it says here you are projecting to end the year with that cash balance. Correia: I see what you're saying. Champion: Yeah this - Correia: This is this - Logsden: This is our operating account. It's the ending cash balance, which is then transferred to the reserve fund. Elliott: Yeah. But the previous year you had 60,70, $80,000.00 more. Vanderhoef: That had accumulated over a period. Elliott: Yeah. Correia: Is that because we added new routes? Fowler: Right. That's multiple years. It's multiple years. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 40 Correia: Oh that was multiple years. Vanderhoef: Yes. Elliott: But you're ending one year with considerably less than you ended the previous year. Champion: No. Vanderhoef: No. Bailey: It's multiple years. Elliott: But it said - well then this is written wrong. Vanderhoef: I agree. Champion: It might be. Elliott: Because it says we ended this year with a $322,000.00 cash balance and are projecting to end the '07 year with a cash balance of $246,000.00. Champion: Right. Vanderhoef: In the parameter - Elliott: So that's a significantly lower cash balance. Wilburn: I'm sorry. Can we allow Bob to ask his question? There's too many conversations going on for the transcriptionist and (can't hear) Elliott: So the cash balance is lowering unless either it's written wrong or I'm not- Fowler: Kevin, do you want to address that? O'Malley: Sure. Atkins: I'd like to say something too as soon as Kevin finishes. O'Malley: In 2006, let's put it in terms of a business, we made three hundred and some thousand dollars. In 2007, current year, we're projected to make about two hundred and twenty five. We would have made three hundred and some but we spent a hundred thousand on used buses. So we have a nest egg currently of roughly around a half million dollars in a reserve fund, which we plan to spend on the 6 new buses. Now in 2008 we should have according to our budget an additional three hundred and twenty five thousand of net profit for the year. Elliott: Ok. So you're talking about one, a reserve fund, which is a carryover. O'Malley: The profits go into the reserve fund. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _ ___~_.. ~__________..___.____." _~___._._'__m~_'___'__"_ m__._~'_'__________'______~'__ - --- --"....----~._- --- -.-----.--.--..---... April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 41 Elliott: And then you're talking about a cash balance, which means only that year's cash balance. O'Malley: Yes. That's correct. Elliott: At, then you're talking about a cash balance being something differently than a carryover reserve fund. O'Malley: Because of governmental accounting we have to use odd terms. Elliott: Ok. O'Malley: That's why I'm using net profit, which we put into a reserve. Elliott: I see. You can see where I misunderstood this. O'Malley: Yes. I see it all the time. (laughter) Elliott: Because to me a cash balance is a cash balance. O'Malley: Not only from you Bob, but from others. Elliott: Good. Thank you. Thank you. Vanderhoef: That, if you would present this someplace outside of Council, those, that slide maybe just needs to be removed. Champion: Or just lie about it. Call it a- Vanderhoef: Call it a different name. Bailey: So what I heard you saying Kevin is the year that the JARC funding may come through we are projecting that we will have a cash balance at the end of that year. So potentially we will have funding to go ahead with the JARC in FYOS even if we spend this reserve on the buses. Champion: Great. Correia: Yes. 1- Vanderhoef: But I have one more question. Correia: Win win. Bailey: I have a lot of questions. Vanderhoef: Because this is - This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 42 Atkins: Can I suggest - Correia: Steve wanted to say something. Atkins: No, I'll wait. Correia: Oh, ok. Vanderhoef: This was one purchase. But we are in the pipeline for regular purchases of buses. We saw the age of those old buses. So whenever we get to the top of the list within the state for new buses we're going to have to come up with that match again. So this reserve money that you're talking about maybe using for the JARC program is not a guaranteed every year unless we pledge ourselves to bond for our 18%. Bailey: How long is a JARC grant? Is it a year grant, annual grant? Correia: Is it renewable? Logsden: It's an annual, renewable - yes. Correia: Renewable. Champion: So it would only take $119,000.00 from the reserve. Correia: Possibly. Or a 139- Champion: I think we're gonna get the JARC, we're gonna get the one for the ones I like. All three of them. (laughter) bailey: So call your friends in Washington and make sure of it. Champion: I mean I'm excited about those two, especially those two extended routes. I think they have a lot of possibilities and will increase our ridership which also might increase our funding, right? Bailey: Mmm hmm. Correia: I think it's great. Vanderhoef: The North Dodge is- Champion: We'll have to wait and see because they won't be making this decision until the next budget year anyway, isn't that correct? Correia: What? Atkins: We need to prepare. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Correia: Atkins: Champion: Bailey: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Champion: Atkins: Fowler: Atkins: Fowler: Logsden: Correia: City Council Work Session Page 43 We need to make it now. Yeah. We need to begin preparing for that and I think Amy is correct; if not right now, but it's got to be made reasonably, reasonably soon. I'm for it. Well it seems- A couple observations. Can I? I'll wait. No, no, you go, no. It would seem that if we can get some sort of a priority order out of you on those that would be very helpful. That's one. Secondly, remember, we will need to go back and looking at your priorities then put together a financing plan which uses reserves which answers any number of your questions. Because a third point is that these route expenses are at the $76 an hour and for calculating for an expense we would do it at the $52 an hour. Which means those numbers have got to be massaged. But if you give us a priority I think you know we will come back to you and give you sort of a financing scheme that you can vote up or vote down. Well, and I wondered, so- And one final thing. Oh, ok. Transit Intensive will go away in a couple of years. Remember that. Oh. We, it's only 5 year, right? Right. We've got 2 left? It's a program, whether or not it's renewed by the federal government. It's through '09. This amount, the 238, for the expanded routes, is that for 12 months? And we don't, 'cause you don't find out about JARC until October, so we wouldn't really start the This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. "--_._--~.__._---_.~----~-"---------'-'-'---~"-'----'--. April 30, 2007 Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Wilburn: Fowler: Wilburn: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 44 routes until we knew, or we would? Because you can't, you can't start it before you get this money. So it wouldn't be a l2-month cost that first year anyway. It would be good to start as soon as possible given that if we get it in October, inclement weather is the time people tend to. I have additional questions though about priorities. Because I also came prepared to talk about Festival buses and then Sunday service, and I wonder where you are on those discussions as well. Because if we're going to talk about our priorities I'd like to sort of be able to at least talk about Sunday service within the broader and then also talk about how we leverage our assets in a federally legal way to benefit other community activities. We can do the Festival type service by publishing a schedule. Right. Making it open to everyone so anybody could ride. And we basically need your guidance before we can go ahead and - Do we have some costs on those? Well basically if we run a bus and we pay the driver straight time it's gonna be $56.00 an hour for the bus and the operator. Ifwe end up in an overtime mode, say, well, the Arts Fest if we decide to do the Arts Fest on a Sunday and we ended up paying overtime, it would be $66.00 an hour. And so that money I'm assuming would come from this cash balance. Correct. So I think we need to figure that in, because that was one of the items we wanted to talk about with Transit was Festival routes, I thought. And you know, right, one of the questions that's come up, well, basically the Hancher event. Yeah. We've talked about shuttle buses to Hancher, but I'm not, I personally am not really clear as to what that meant. Does that mean a shuttle bus from the downtown to Hancher or, and back afterwards or? From the east side, yeah. What I'd like to suggest- Do we run buses back to the community afterwards? Which would - What I'd like to see us do is to be in contact with the Summer of the Arts folks. We have been. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. -~-------_.~.~--_...,--,-~_._----------_._-,-_'._-_'"_._._---_._._._-,..__.._._...__._~._,~------------_._--_.~,._-_.._--- April 30, 2007 Wilburn: Bailey: Champion: Wilburn: Bailey: Wilburn: Bailey: Wilburn: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Correia: Bailey: Correia: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 45 And if Council's willing to say we're looking at making this available, what's a recommended - This is what we, this is why we scheduled this for May. Or for this meeting, is because we have to make some decisions and I, so - I mean, I was a little bit surprised that we didn't see those numbers. Well !'mnot- Well I guess just what I'm, I hadn't heard- Because this, I mean, it's May 1 st, Yeah. ! understand that. ! understand that, but we're guessing at which numbers of hours and that type of thing to have it available. So we're going to go another year not having this that we talked about last year, right. No. I'm just talking about it, can we get a day or two turnaround from, unless anyone at the table has talked to someone from the Summer of the Arts about it. I have communicated with Lisa and what we talked about were routes, not commuter sorts of things from parking lots, and we, and we, I had suggested running service on Sundays with Saturday routes. But I thought that you might look at scaling those back because not all ofthose routes are going to be, I don't know, significant, I don't think. I mean, do we want them running to neighborhoods that would have, I don't know, I was thinking the east side for sure, Broadway and Lakeside and- Ron and I basically had discussed this. Ifwe, we could run larger loops but we're looking at basically, if you wanted to do the community, the Broadway Lakeside area, the Westwinds area, the Oakcrest, where you have a large concentration of students and then maybe somehow- Chatham Oaks. Right. Be able to combine a Court Hill and a Towncrest where you could make a large sweep through the east side. That's basically what we've been talking about, but we were waiting to hear what you really wanted to do and then we can just take the number of hours and depending on the day give you a cost for what you. Well, we also had - Sounds good. Vh huh. We also had money left in our community events. We didn't - How much did we have left? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 46 Correia: I don't know - $13,000.00. Bailey: That's, July, I mean, for this fiscal year or for next? Correia: Oh. That's for next. Champion: The other thing is I think buses for community events are great, but I'm not willing to sacrifice extended routes for community events. Bailey: No, I'm not either, but I thought that that was part of the broader discussion tonight. Champion: It was. Bailey: To talk about priorities and to look at numbers. I thought what you described sounds like it would give good coverage and I don't know, we're not gonna know about utilization until we try it. Wilburn: So we're talking Arts Fest, Jazz Fest and 4th of July or? What are we? Elliott: Jazz Fest, 4th of July, right, yeah. Wilburn: Yeah. Bailey: You mean fireworks, not? Elliott: Oh, 4th of July fireworks? Bailey: What do you mean? Elliott: Because you said Arts Fest, Jazz Fest - two events. Wilburn: I'm thinking, I'm thinking- Vanderhoef: Or Joffrey thing? Bailey: 7th. Wilburn: I was thinking the Joffrey thing. Elliott: Oh. Three. Wilburn: I was just asking what the- Elliott: Except the Joffrey is a one time only. Bailey: Well then and I figured you were already talking with the University and had some sense of what they were talking about for that. Fowler: They were just talking shuttles from downtown to Hancher, but I wasn't sure that that really met what Council had. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 47 Correia: Can they do with the Cambus? Bailey: It seems like they have a few buses. (laughter) Fowler: I don't know, but my only conversation with Cambus was that they hadn't been contacted by Hancher. But that was - Correia: Oh. Champion: Cambus runs 7 days a week, doesn't it? Vanderhoef: For shuttle bus I think- Correia: And they do, they do special event bussing. Bailey: Yeah they do. Champion: Yeah they do, they do. Correia: So maybe that's, maybe, could we contact Cambus and say, "have you all been talking to Hancher?" Fowler: I just did a real quick, if we had $56.00 an hour and we ran four buses for 10 hours, we're probably in the $2500.00 neighborhood per event. $2500.00 to $3000.00. Bailey: So, but shouldn't we run the overtime hours if it's Sunday, would that be overtime? Fowler: Well ifit was Saturday. It would depend on the driver. Elliott: Yeah. Bailey: Oh sure. Fowler: If it's a part time driver who doesn't have 40 hours in so- Bailey: So just use those. Elliott: You're talking about 5 grand for two events. Fowler: Roughly. Bailey: I think that's a bargain. Wilburn: Yeah. Champion: That is a bargain. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 48 Correia: I do too, yeah. And I also wonder - Elliott: I agree with Connie that if it came to priorities, my priority is the North Dodge Street. that's an employment priority, but a second would probably be, I never was a fan of moving people to the Peninsula who needed that, but now we have done it so we really have committed ourselves to it. Champion: I like both of, I like all of the ideas, actually. Correia: Yeah I do too. Champion: Ijust think another half million. Bailey: Do we have any special events contingency funding in this fiscal year? Because $5000.00. Correia: Well, and I also wonder if we - Atkins: Well, if it's a $5000.00. budget decision. Vanderhoef: It's $5000.00 - Atkins: Don't start hunting for it. Just tell us you want it done. Champion: And so - Correia: How about other contingency funds? Atkins: We'll figure it out. Bailey: On Sunday, I mean on Sunday of Arts Fest it's Children's Day and Sunday of Jazz Fest. Let'sjust give it a shot. Champion: And it we get those neighborhoods that don't have a lot of transportation to understand that the bus is gonna run to get them downtown, neighborhood centers can probably help us with that. Bailey: Well that's true. I think if we do this we also need a marketing plan with this. Correia: Yes. Champion: What if we make those buses free? Fowler: We could do that. Champion: I mean, and then market it with neighborhood centers and the schools. W ouldn 't that be great? Wilburn: That would be great. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Bailey: Champion: Bailey: Fowler: Champion: Correia: Champion: Bailey: Correia: Champion: Bailey: Elliott: Atkins: Correia: Bailey: Elliott: Wilburn: Atkins: Elliott: Correia: Elliott: Atkins: City Council Work Session Page 49 It's brilliant. I like your idea at that amount of money. Oh, I like it a lot. I would say the revenue that we would take in probably wouldn't be that significant, it wouldn't be that big a hit to the system. I think it would be a great thing to try. If we got the neighborhood centers and the schools to let kids know they can ride the bus for free, those families can ride the bus for free. Come to those free events. Remember, schools are not in session. Oh. Summer school is. Well the June one, Arts Fest. Not for Arts Fest, right before. They're getting out. Family Resource Centers can get people. In the playground, the City Park has all those playground programs. Can we sit down with Lisa at Summer ofthe Arts and talk about this? Steve just said if we want to do something for 5 or $6000.00 just tell him. Just do it. Let's do it. Do it. Do it. Ok. We're doing it and we should contact Summer of the Arts so they can know to include this in their promotional materials. The community events contingency July I budget is $14,000.00. Ok. Starting July 1. Now, my - I have something, an observation and a suggestion. When we're done with routes per say. Does any- I'm done. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ------,~_._~_._--_.._------~.,-----~--_._.._--_._'~_.-----.-.-, ------,_.__..__.,,--~._---_._--_.. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 50 Elliott: Ok. Atkins: Tell us what to do. Correia: Do we have to remind you? Elliott: Yes. I was talking with there was at least one business, one of our leading businesses downtown provides as an employee benefit bus transportation to and from work all the time. Champion: Mmm hmm. Bailey: Mmm hmm. Elliott: How about working with our businesses to see one, we could create an increased ridership, and if we could work with the businesses and say if you'll give your, make this available to your employees we'll give you a good rate on bus passes for your employees. And we could do that, we could increase ridership, we could take some cars off the road, we could, those employees would benefit from their business because they're riding to work more cheaply than if they drove their car. I'd like for us to put a push on this, on this sort of thing. Bailey: I agree with you Bob. Logsden: The business can deduct: if they do provide the bus pass they can deduct that as a. Bailey: You must be saying the right thing. Elliott: Yeah. I don't know how many businesses do but I know at least one financial institution that does that right now. Correia: The University does it, don't they? Vanderhoef: There are some out in the park. Logsden: They subsidize, yeah, and if they do not have a parking permit they get a $10.00 a month, basically an annual pass at $10.00 a month pre-tax. Elliott: And I don't know who in the City would do that, but Ijust, I would like to see a push to do, because we could increase ridership. Logsden: Right now any downtown business can buy a monthly pass for their employees for $23.00. It's reduced- Bailey: Who works on promotion for Transit? Is that you? Logsden: That would be me as well, yes. Champion: $23.00 for a monthly pass? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Logsden: Champion: Bailey: Champion: Logsden: Elliott: Bailey: Fowler: Champion: Bailey: Wilburn: Champion: Bailey: Correia: Elliott: Bailey: Wilburn: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 51 Yes. Wow. So is that a feasible, I mean, what are you doing now with some of our other major businesses, in so far as promotion? Is that what you're doing now or would that be an add-on. That is a promotion. That would be I guess an add-on. We've looked at several things. When it became so you could deduct bus passes as an employer if the employer provided it, we did a push on that and didn't get a lot of takers to be honest with you at that time. It's, the times have changed, gas prices are much higher, and it may have changed the climate a little. The last time this came up, for instance at ACT, was back when we were aghast that gasoline was going up over a buck a gallon. And now we're at $3.00 a gallon, almost. I guess I'djust like to try this if, if there's somebody who could do it. It will take time. I think, yeah, I think we should, I mean, would that be possible for you to prioritize on your? What if we just put a program together, put it in the information packet, send it to you. Ifwe don't hear we'll know that you approve it and go from there. Now on the routes, though, we need to establish our priorities on those. You don't hear from us? Silence is- Before, before we move away from that, is there consensus on Council to proceed with? Oh yes. Yes, I would like to proceed with that approach. Proceed with what? I hope so. And perhaps we can work with our economic development coordinator with business contacts? I don't know. I was thinking that same thing. I think that would be. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 52 Champion: I mean, we already have a discounted rate for businesses tbat want to buy it, but they probably don't even know that. Bailey: I think we should do, yeah, a push and then a regular push. Vanderhoef: Well those businesses that used to do it, as I recall, they would buy and distribute and sell them on site so that the riders didn't have to go out and buy from our transit station and so forth, so it's a bit more cost onto the business, because they have the office work of having to administer. Logsden: Some of them do, like Mercy Hospital participates, Hansen, Linn, Meyer used to and their office I think is, they changed their name. Vanderhoef: Didn't P & G do it? Logsden: But anyway, the buy them at the Civic Center, at City Hall, at the cashier for the reduced rate currently, and I think there's a couple other businesses that do. But several of the banks participate in the $23.00 for their employee program. Vanderhoef: And then the industrial park - I thought P & G did it at one point in time. Logsden: It would have been before my time. Bailey: Will I think yeah, I think we need a push. Vanderhoef: The industrial park is a spot we need to give a push. Elliott: I guess I don't see a need to if we'd like to do it let's do it and see if we can - it'll take some selling and promoting. Bailey: Well and I think, yeah, making Wendy available, aware of it and working with her would I think also be helpful. Logsden; Can I just add one thing regarding the JARC grants? Before DOT approves that in October when they get ready to split up the money when they determine how much is available and what systems are requesting it, the general rule is you don't want get the grant and then turn around and say you don't want it. So we would I guess need some direction prior to that in order to tell them the late night services are our priority, the other routes are the priority or something like that and where we would want it to go, because the next time you go to the well they don't take you seriously if you turn the money back into them. Champion: I like the North Dodge route. Vanderhoef: I agree. Elliott: How many alternatives are we laying out for which you would like priorities? In other words, we have North Dodge, we have Manville Heights, we have late night cab service. Those are three. Are there more? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Champion: Logsden: Elliott: Logsden: Bailey: Fowler: Bailey: Fowler: Correia: Champion: Bailey: Wilburn: Correia: Bailey: Fowler: Correia: Bailey: Champion: Bailey: Champion: City Council Work Session Page 53 No. Not at this time. So you'd like priorities on 3? The issue gets a little more complicated because when you change a route from a half hour to 45 minutes it changes our entire route pairings for our entire system. So it's - So are these paired? Are these the ones you presented would be the paired ones? They wouldn't be the paired ones, right? We would have to pair those two with another ro"te. Oh. But you would basically need to approve both of them for us to make it work at this point. I like them both. Use both. I like them both. Both. I just, to go back to the after hours cab, is the, I guess when I thought of job access reverse commute with something like a cab service I thought of folks that are needing to get to ajob where there isn't currently bus service. This would be thinking about being able to get to and from after bus service. You have to get one way there on bus, don't you? If it is a part of the community, let's say in the evening when we reduce our buses that a bus doesn't serve, I think it would also qualifY. Ok. No, I know it qualifies, I wasn't saying it didn't qualifY. I guess when I was thinking about some of the issues. I, yeah, I thought you had to get, be able to get there typically one way on the bus and there just wasn't access to a bus route on the way back. Maybe I'm making- Or you have a bus route to get home but not there. Right. Exactly. That's how I thought it worked. It has to be some kind of control and that's a good way to do it, to have, be approved, pre-approved. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 54 Vanderhoef: How about ADA compliant? Certainly if someone could get a, say a computer job in the industrial park that they needed the equivalent of a ParaTransit, then how do we get a cab? Champion: We can't. Vanderhoef: Well, some of them may do it if we have a need for them. Logsden: What some communities have done is when they basically replace a ParaTransit vehicle they may give that to a cab company to enable them to have an accessible vehicle available. Vanderhoef: Yeah. Elliott: One of the nice things about putting the North Dodge on a higher, on highest priority is I would be willing to think that your ridership would pay a greater percentage of that cost than perhaps any other of the three alternatives you talked about, because you'd be getting more paid ridership out of that then perhaps the others. Logsden: Cab you're not going to get any. Fare box (can't hear) Elliott: Yeah. Wilburn: You have what you need from us. Atkins: No, not yet. Just want to make sure. Bailey: We like it. Atkins: We agree to a shuttle route for Arts Fest and Jazz Fest. Champion: Yes. Wilburn: Yes. Bailey: Yes, and the routes that they talked about. Fowler: And Hancher? Atkins: I'm not done yet. Bailey: Cambus. Atkins: Ok. So the shuttle for Arts Fest and Jazz Fest, basically what Joe said, is a go. Bailey: On Sunday. Wilburn: Yes. Atkins: Hancher. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Correia: Champion: Atkins: Bailey: Champion: Correia: Bailey: Correia: Bailey: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Fowler: Atkins: Champion: Bailey: Correia: Bailey: Wilburn: Champion: Elliott: Fowler: City Council Work Session Page 55 I think we should talk to Cambus first. Only for the Joffi'ey. Ok. Well that's, yeah, they're talking about the Joffrey event on July 7"'. Only for the Joffrey event? But why can't Hancher do that? Cambus do that? But, will Hancher, will Cambus, for example, go to these neighborhoods that we talked about? What day of the week is that? It's a Saturday night. Oh. 7th. We stop at 7:20. Ok. What? Cambus wouldn't go out to the community, but we could run our buses. Ok. Those 3 things. Can you, you could run the buses later that night for the Hancher, for the Joffrey? We run all of our buses until what? What time is that going 'til? If we ran all of our buses untiI9:30? It starts at 7:00. I wonder. It would probably be 10:00 or 10:30. 10:30, yeah. Buses run until II :00. Our buses bring them downtown, Cambus takes them to Hancher. Well the other thing we talked about, and excuse me Steve - This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _.._....-.__._._-_._._----_....~------,,---_._--~--~-----,.__..~------" . April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 56 Atkins: Sure. Fowler: Running a shuttle bus from downtown to Hancher and then after the event bring people back downtown then send 4 buses out to 4 areas of the community, take everybody home with one trip. Bailey: So you'd have to get downtown on the last bus, because if it's a 7 o'clock event you'd take the 6 o'clock bus down, right? Yeah. I think we should just extend our routes that night. Atkins: I suspect that it's probably a 7:30 event. Correia: How would you know everyone's going? Take 4 buses to get everybody home. Champion: Think, work on that a little bit. We have, when is that? Bailey: I'm interested, I'm interested in extending the bus routes that evening. I mean, that's what you first proposed and probably in a similar fashion to the bus routes that you proposed for the Arts Fest, and I don't imagine that the cost would be, it wouldn't even be as high as it would for one of the Arts Fest days. That, I think that makes sense. Correia: Extend all our routes. Bailey: Yeah. And Hancher's responsible for promotion. Champion: Hancher is going to be full. I think you need to keep people from driving there, because there's not going to be any place to park anywhere. Bailey: Right. This should be, well the Green is going to be full. Champion: Well it's full even when it's an inside performance. So this is an outside event that's free. Bailey: Right. Vanderhoef: Well we need the coordination between Cambus and Iowa City bus. Champion: Yeah. I think they need to talk to Cambus and see what - Correia: As long as we can get people from downtown to Hancher. Bailey: Yeah, if we run people to downtown. Atkins: Ok. Correia: Get people there. Vanderhoef: And those who drive and park - This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ._-~---~._---_.~.._-----_.~----_._~._-._._._----_._-----~-_._~~~~_._------ April 30, 2007 Champion: Bailey: Correia: Atkins: Champion: Atkins: Bailey: Atkins: Bailey: Correia: Bailey: Correia: Atkins: Wilburn: Bailey: Atkins: Correia: Champion: Wilburn: Atkins: Wilburn: Atkins: Wilburn: City Council Work Session Page 57 They can walk from downtown. Yes. Yeah. Joe, it would seem that getting folks downtown would be in our best interest at the end of the Hancher event. I mean, if it starts at 7:30 it's going to end around 9:00 or 9:30; it's going to be light until 9 o'clock. Yes. And I'm assuming folks are going to want to- Hang out. Continue to hang out, and they might as well hang out downtown. Absolutely. So extend Hancher - Joffrey night until II :00. Yeah. That sounds great. The business bus passes, we agreed that you wanted us to take a look at that. Is that what you said? Yes. We want a promotion of that. And then a priority on 3 JARC projects were - 2 bus routes. The 2 bus routes. Right. And then the night is the last. Yes. Joe, did you get all that? And you'll get a- This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _m._.______.___.__.____.___.,_.._.____~______~__.~___'---. .---.-.-.-........----.-......-.--.-.....-------..-.----.'"--.,,-------,--.~.--._----_.---.-_._.--------_._. April 30, 2007 City Council Wark Session Page 58 Correia: These bus routes are a package, right? That's what we're? Bailey: Yeah. Vanderhoef: Otherwise we definitely want North Dodge. Correia: They're saying it's a package; they work together in order to- Atkins: Ok. Bailey: It seems to be more popular. Wilburn: And you'll get that in a memo to us so we'll remember what we said. Fowler: Correct. Bailey: And then are we going to at some time revisit the concept of Sunday service? Particularly if - Champion: Such a small ridership thought. Fowler: I figured that out because I thought it might come up. Bailey: Mmm hmm. Ijust keep getting calls about it because people do work on Sundays and even ifit'sjust 6%, those are people, I mean, that's some of the JARC cab stuff would be. Wilburn: Joe. Fowler: We, if we can do it without paying overtime which, we would hire more drivers so we didn't get into an overtime situation. Approximately $250,000.00 a year. Champion: That's a lot of money. Bailey: We should have a fundraiser. Wilburn: Tuck that one in the back of your head. Bailey: Ok. Can we talk about this again and can we add that to the list of what we'll talk about in the fall for budget? I think we should keep - Correia: 258? Fowler: About 250. Bailey: Do we have a fundraiser for the City? (laughter) Wilburn: Can't cook enough pancakes for that. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Bailey: Wilburn: Correia: Logsden: Correia: Logsden: Bailey: Logsden: Bailey: Correia: Logsden: Bailey: Logsden: Correia: Logsden: Wilburn: Bailey: Champion: Bailey: City Council Work Session Page 59 Not events based fundraising. All right. Ok. How much can you - is there a cap on how much you can get in JARC funding? The program has changed. It used to be earmarks and we did very well in the earmarking. Now it's formula-based, and it just basically depends on how many other cities in our Governor's apportionment size applied for it. So that's basically, and then what DOT deems is worthy. Could Sunday service be a JARC project? Sure. Mmm hmm. But if we're continuing to put in for the re-allocation of our other JARC projects, then- We'll build on the success of those. We're not getting any right now. We tend to look and see who is getting the money, yes. We hardly ever get money from DOT. So you never know. I'm just saying that to be realistic, the money has shrunk a little bit, so we avoided it before because it was very soft. Now it's allocated. We don't get any now. We do not get any now, no. Neither does Coralville or Cambus. Our metro area just gets zero at this point. Ok? Thank you. Good presentation. Thank you. Can we sit down, I'd be willing to sit down and talk with you with Lisa. Ok. Thanks. Taxicab Parkin!! Wilburn: Bailey: Taxicab parking. Yay. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 60 Wilburn: Anyone? (laughter) Bailey: Yes. No. Who's talking about this? Atkins: Ah, you after the folks from the Chamber and a couple other folks came to the microphone you said put it on the agenda for tonight and here it is. Bailey: What are we gonna do with this? Correia: How's it going? Atkins: I don't think anybody's any happier. O'Donnel1: Did we mark the spots better? Wilburn: We did mark the spots. We ticket, not tow. Bailey: Are they being used? Champion: That's what I'm interested in. Correia: I've seen them. Bailey: Are we still seeing cabs in the middle of Dubuque Street? Wilburn: The folks who expressed the concern and wrote the letter that's in tonight's packet say no. I think it's, I think it's sporadic. I think it'l1 take time for it to happen. I took a picture of one cab in a spot on Iowa Avenue. Correia: I saw four cabs in a - Vanderhoef: What time of day? Wilburn: It was 10:30 at night. Vanderhoef: Ok. Bailey: And what about Dubuque Street? Did you notice that they were doing that parking in the middle? That's way too late for me. Wilburn: I think one Saturday I did at the time I was down, one Saturday I didn't. I think it's still in flux. Elliott: I thought it was a good idea. I think we made a mistake in the process and I think we need to admit that, that we made a mistake, but I think it's too early to say yes or no that it's a good idea or a bad idea. I think we need to look at this for at least 2 or 3 months and take a review of it. But I think as soon as we realized what we needed to This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. .'"".__.._.______,._______...,.,_.'._.,._._... _ .__.__.._.__4__...~________._u_______~______'___~.__......_-~._.._.._-_.- April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 61 do and put flags out and ticketed instead of towing I think the. You know, sometimes we have good intentions - we just don't think enough. Wilburn: Well I think we also thought this was- Elliott: And that was me. I didn't think of it. Wilburn: Supported by the cab companies and then- Atkins: Oh sure. Wilburn: And then I think the Downtown Association was initially supportive and then they saw some of the, got some complaints of difficulties. I encourage the president of the Downtown Association to talk to the cab companies to find out if they can corne to some agreement. I said we're willing to take a look at it. There was concern about the time. Bailey: See, I think that's the detail right there, don't you? Vanderhoef: And I think also we're going to have a difference in use of those cabs depending on the weather and I think during the school year and cold weather they're gonna want more of those spots than they want over the summer when many of the partying people downtown walk. O'Donnell: The calls I've been getting are people are not using the designated area. The hot spot is still Dubuque Street. I've heard that the, and we've all heard that the spots were not designated as they should have been. I don't know if it's a mistake. You know, the intentions are good and I think it has potential if we get it. Are we all in agreement that the spots are in the right location? I mean, do we need 'em on Iowa Avenue? Is that a hot spot for cabs? Or is it Dubuque Street and Washington Street? Elliott: I guess to that Mike I'd say no, but I want to wait a couple of months and kind of assess it. Bailey: Well and the people I've heard from, the people I've heard from had the concern about cutting it off at 5:00, because what they're getting are people who come- Elliott: Wait'tillater. Bailey: Yeah. So I'm wondering about the time, and I don't have a magic answer. But I think that might be the detail we have to address. Champion: Because the employees that work downtown were parking there at 5 o'clock. That was- Bailey: Well actually I heard from people who have regular customers who corne in after work at 5:00 and are accustomed to using those spots to run in to these particular businesses. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 62 Champion: I think on a busy night the cabs are going to drive around the streets. They're not going to stay in a taxicab stand. Because that's not how it works in cities unless you're at a hotel. I mean, you go out in the street and you flag down a cab. Bailey: We're not to that place yet. You can't flag a cab here yet. Wilburn: Actually I saw that happen this past Saturday night. I think Bob's right, it's, let's gonna see - Champion: I'm willing to try it for a while longer. If they're not being used by the taxicab people. Correia: How will we know that they're not being used? Who is watching them? Bailey: So ok. Yeah. What is our check-in? What is success? Correia: Use a little web cam? Wilburn: I think. Bailey: No. Wilburn: I think we ask. Again, we take a look - I did encourage the Downtown Association president to talk to the cabs. That's where a possible recommendation about the time could come. I'm sure that the people who addressed a concern will continue to say whether they see something or not. I think we, if any of us are in the area we take observation, anecdotal. I think we ask law enforcement if they're in the area anyway to see what they're seeing in terms of people on Dubuque Street. You know, I think it's more of a collection of anecdotal things than anything quantitative. Correia: How many tickets have we given for people in the taxi stand? Atkins: I'll find out. Bailey: Yeah. That would be interesting. I mean, that would be data. Vanderhoef: The community service vehicles run in the evening? Atkins: We have one usually on the, probably until at least II :00. Vanderhoef: If even that driver could just note times of- Atkins: Calls that were coming in, the police said that they would receive an actual complaint. There is a car parked here and there is a unit in the neighborhood we'd dispatch it and hang a ticket on it. I'll see if! can find out the number of tickets. Vanderhoef: But how many? If they noted, you know, there were cabs parked there rather than the people that were being ticketed. Just as they are in and around downtown. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 63 Atkins: Let me ask the patrol captain. See what we can get you. I'm still not real sure how we're gonna measure this thing, but I do understand what you're saying. Elliott: It's gonna be a subjective decision and let's just wait awhile and decide do we want to change the hours, do we want to change locations or do we want to do away with it. Bailey: Well and I would like the Downtown Association to playa greater role. That, that's the organization we have, so. O'Donnell: They've already recommended that we do away with it then. Bailey: As an official action? Or just members? O'Donnell: We have a letter in the packet. Were they not in the newspaper? Bailey: What? Vanderhoef: From the president of the Downtown Association. O'Donnell: From Craig Gustaveson. Vanderhoef: I don't know whether he was? Bailey: They want us to completely? But was that an official? Elliott: Craig will be here tomorrow night. Atkins: Craig, yeah, Craig said that. Bailey: See, I thought that was from him individually. Karr: f(IO) on the consent calendar. Bailey: Ok. Wilburn: What was that one dated? Bailey: 25th. Well, ok, so that's our next action is sitting down and talking with them. That's what they'd like to do. I guess Ijust read that from him. Thanks. Wilburn: Incidentally Connie, the person that hailed the cab had a really loud, ear-piercing whistle and that's how - Champion: It worked! Wilburn: Oh yeah. Champion: Must not have been a good-looking girl then. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. .._-_.__.._~_._----_.__.__..__.,,_._-_._~-_._-'--~.._------..-.,- ."-----~----_._-----"'. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 64 Wilburn: That] don't know. Elliott: That was always a plus for me. Wilburn: ] was eating my ice cream. Correia: For you. Aeenda items Wilburn: Ok. Agenda items. Vanderhoef: ] will be abstaining on 5c. Karr: ] can't, ] can't hear. Bailey: Dee we can't hear you. Vanderhoef: Oh. I'mjust saying I'm going to be abstaining on 5c again. And ]'11 leave for that public hearing. ITEM 9. ADOPTING IOWA CITY'S FY08 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS A SUB-PART OF IOWA CITY'S 2006-2010 CONSOLIDATED PLAN (CITY STEPS), AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT SAID PLAN AND ALL NECESSARY CERTIFICATIONS TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND DESIGNATING THE CITY MANAGER AS THE AUTHORIZED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. ITEM 10. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND MULLIN & LONERGAN ASSOCIATES FOR AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS FOR THE GREATER IOWA CITY METROPOLITAN AREA. Wilburn: And I'll be abstaining for items 9 and 10. Due to a conflict of interest. ITEM 19. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 07.28 AUTHORIZING ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY INTERESTS NECESSARY FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE U.S. HIGHWAY 6 & GILBERT STREET INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. Bailey: Item 19. About the Gilbert Street; we do have a JCCOG meeting on the 23"' of May and] think we probably should have some idea of funding and what, ] mean, the memo was pretty clear about that. Vanderhoef: 19th you say? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 65 Bailey: 19. Item 19. O'Donnell: !thought you said 17. Elliott: I thought that was a past tense. Correia: Well, we- O'Donnell: Pardon? Wilburn: Are you talking about an alternative to use the funding? Is that what you're talking about? Bailey: Yes. Elliott: Oh, ok. Bailey: Well it goes back into the JCCOG money. Do we want to use it as an Iowa City project? Then I would suggest that we talk about that at our next work session. Wilburn: We have a work session before the date? Before JCCOG? Bailey: Yes. But it's that one that's dual. Wilburn: Ok. Correia: Have the I" Ave. railroad been before JCCOG? Bailey: It's on our list. Vanderhoef: Well, or Mormon Trek bridge. Bailey: Steve, can you put that on our next work agenda? Vanderhoef: Jeff is here. Atkins: Highway 6 and Gilbert? Wilburn: Alternative use of funding for item 19 before the JCCOG meeting. Davidson: You know, I should know that and I'm not certain. ['mjust drawing a blank right now. I'm thinking it was not considered. Did any of you remember? Did JCCOG consider the I" Ave. railroad overpass when they funded STP projects? O'Donnell: [don't think so. Vanderhoef: No. because we were waiting to get our earmark and so- Davidson: For the CDF, yeah, for the CDF funding. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 66 Correia: We keep waiting for that earmark. I think we should just - Vanderhoef: Well, we got the other one so we had to come to the top of the list again. Davidson: Yeah, and since we didn't get the State grant we went after we have actually increased the CDF amount. Bailey: Right. Davidson: We're just waiting to hear. You know, they're starting to talk about the federal transportation budget. And you know it's between now and hopefully October I". Elliott: You're talking about I" Ave. railroad? Bailey: Yeah. Davidson: Because that's been suggested as a possible project to use the 2 million dollars for. Bailey: Shift it. Elliott: Didn't you say one ofthe things we needed to do was get back to them with a specific design a specific figure? Wilburn: Right. Davidson: The State, the State seemed to be, I mean, it's very important to the State. The State manages the STP funds for the feds, that's why they get to kind of be the arbiter of this. And it's very important to them that it be, that for Iowa City to suggest taking the 2 million and using it for another Iowa City project rather than have it go back for reallocation that it be a project that was considered for funding. That's why the, some of the Iowa City staff from Engineering and Public Works suggested the Kirkwood Avenue, excuse me, the Lower Muscatine Road project, because that was one that was considered for funding. Champion: Oh, ok. Elliott: Yes. Correia: Do we know, so, but I guess I want to know all the list of things. Champion: That would be fine. Bailey: I don't think that that's a fine project. Champion: We bonded for it. Davidson: Well the ones on the federal aid routes when we talked about it were Sycamore Street, reconstructing and paving Sycamore Street from Burns to the, well, you could go as far south as you want. The project that's in your CIP is Burns to the City limits, but you could take it, we anticipate the City limits going further south within the next This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 67 year or two, so you could take it as far south as the Soccer Park road if you wanted to. That's one that's federally eligible. In other words, it's a road that the federal funds can be used on. I" Ave. railroad overpass was another one, but the one that seemed to be the best candidate, subject to all of your political opinions on it, is the Lower Muscatine Road one. It is in your CIP, it is- Elliott: The Kirkwood bottleneck. Davidson: Yeah, in the vicinity. The project is actually clear from I" A venue to Kirkwood Avenue. That entire stretch, it's widening a portion of it to 3 lanes and narrowing a portion of it to 3 lanes. And that's in a funded year and it's one that's gone through JCCOG. Bailey: it's gonna have a huge impact on those houses along there. Correia: That's the only, isn't that the only one that's gone through JCCOG? Vanderhoef: What about the Mormon Trek bridge. Champion: Which one is that? Bailey: Go down to - Vanderhoef: Across the river. Bailey: Go to Sycamore Mall on Lower Muscatine. Davidson: That's the one that's almost in the process of being built. Bailey: Past Kirkwood College. Vanderhoef: Yeah. Can we move the funding into that? Davidson: That's a CDG project too Dee so I'm sure that has not been through JCCOG funding, because that had 5 million dollars of CDF funds. Champion: Jeff, can I ask a question. Elliott: Got me. Correia: What does CDF stand for? Davidson: I'm sorry. That's Congressionally Designated Funding. The special earmark funding. Champion: That Kirkwood project you're talking about - that wasn't really going to widen the road. It was going to take a lane that's not, it's being used as a 2-lane road. Didn't you say you were gonna take the lane that's there? Davidson: The concept, ok, the concept, which is subject to being modified, is to make the entire corridor three lanes. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. ._,._--_.__...,-~---~.--~-"_._------,~+'---_._._._--'-_..._---,--,_._~-,---_._---------~-_.,_.,..-..._.__.+-,.-------.-- April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 68 Champion: Right, but not necessarily widen. Correia: Yes. Bailey: Yes. You'd have to. O'Donnell: You would. Davidson: A portion of it between, between - Bailey: All those little houses along there. Vanderhoef: In front of Kirkwood. Davidson: Yeah and actually I should maybe clarifY. Ok. Let's start at the curve at Kirkwood there, ok. Champion: Yeah. Ok. Davidson: Until you came down to where there would be travel lanes for the - Atkins: Can I interrupt for a second? Davidson: Pardon me? Atkins: I'm sort of looking out for Eleanor's interest. Wilburn: I, I just - we are, I already made eye contact with Eleanor for- Atkins: Ok. Davidson: Basically the 3 lane would start at the Sycamore Street intersection, the intersection that comes in at a skew, ok, which actually lines up with the MidAmerican driveway. It's a four-way intersection there. From that point down to I" Avenue 3-lane section. So there's a portion Amy that would have to be widened from 2 lanes to 3 and then the remainder would be narrowed from 4 lanes to 3. Correia: Right. Champion: That's why I thought it was gonna be narrower. I didn't think it was gonna be widened. So that part, how many houses does that affect? Do you know offhand? I just can't place where- Davidson: It would affect, there would be small parcels of property that would be, need to be acquired. Again, this is all concept, it's subject to the final design. Champion: I understand, I know. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Davidson: Champion: Davidson: Elliott: Champion: Elliott: Champion: Elliott: Davidson: Bailey: O'Donnell: Bailey: Champion: Bailey: Wilburn: Davidson: Wilburn: Correia: Wilburn: Correia: Davidson: Bailey: Champion: Elliott: City Council Work Session Page 69 But we anticipate that there would be small parcels of property on both sides of the street that would need to be acquired between the sidewalk and the curb. Oh, between the sidewalk and the curb. Yeah. It's not going to take anybody's house or anything like that. And besides, the private homes are only- Not going to take anybody's business? On the south side. South side. And they're between Sycamore. There's only 2 or 3 houses, aren't there? Probably more than that. Yeah, and I've - There's a bunch of houses Bob up there. Well I think we should talk about it at our work session. I'm going to drive by there. With a map. What I would suggest, could you, could you just give us a reminder memo before the next work session as to the likely projects that are on the STP that could. Ok. What that will mean Ross, we'll just go back to the last time STP funds were divided up and see ifthere's anything else that we could possibly consider. That would be great. That would be great. So then what we would do is we would ask JCCOG to- Amend the - Amend that. Yeah. It's basically a decision of the 14 member JCCOG Board as to what happens. So we have to go in knowing what we're doing? We have some thoughts. That'll be a change. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. -~...._-_._-"---------~---,-_.~,-_._._._-~,._~----~~..-----...---- April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 70 Atkins: Yes. Bailey: Well, I'm trying to, you know, herd the cats here you know. Correia: Herd the cats. Wilburn: Thank you. Other agenda items. ITEM 18. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF 2007 PAVEMENT REPLACEMENT FOR WATER MAIN PROJECT. Elliott: One, one quick notation. Just above that item (tape skip - can't hear) would be a perfect example of things we need to look at and consider with the chamber (can't hear - end of tape) Atkins: I believe the Chamber recognizes and understands the difference. Elliott: Yeah. But when you bring us a recommendation and we react to it. Wilburn: Other agenda items? O'Donnell: Has everybody got all their questions answered on item #2l? Vanderhoef: No. Champion: No, I haven't asked ~ Correia: Could I just, can I go back to item 20 real quick because I think it will be faster? O'Donnell: Mmm hmm. ITEM 20. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2007-2008 DEER MANAGEMENT ANNUAL PLAN, RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 05-328, AND APPROVING A REVISED LONG-TERM DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN. Correia: Maybe. The Deer Management Plan. Bailey: Faster? Correia: Who is not for bow hunting? Wilburn: I'm not. Elliott: Yeah. Correia: That's 4. Ok. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. -_."_.__._---~-_._-"_.~_._,-_.._-_.._._-_.,-----~_._"-.._-----~----_.._._---"_._,----"'--~._""."_.__._--_._.-.__..,.,--------_.~-~_._---_.. April 30, 2007 Elliott: Correia: Atkins: Correia: O'Donnell: ITEM 21. Bailey: Elliott: Atkins: O'Donnell: Champion: Correia: O'Donnell: Elliott: Bailey: O'Donnell: Bailey: Wilburn: O'Donnell: Elliott: City Council Work Session Page 71 Those of us who prefer it are gonna be in the minority. There's not gonna be any discussion on that. So basically what we do is we pass their plan, amending it by taking it out the bow hunting. We need to do that when we do that motion. Ok. Yes. Ok. Thank you. Sorry. I thought that would be quicker. That's ok. AMENDING CITY CODE TITLE 7, ENTITLED FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION, AND TITLE 17, ENTITLED BUILDING AND HOUSING TO ESTABLISH FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW AND EXISTING GROUP A-2 OCCUPANCIES. But I thought we were gonna have all the discussion around item 21 at the public meeting. Oh yeah. That's, folks- We all submitted a list of questions. I helped and - I never did it. I did. I did it. I still don't have my questions answered on this one. I didn't. But I think that's what we were gonna - But I support this until I get an answer. It's gonna impact too many people. Well, but I think we'll have public discussion until all of our questions are answered. Were there subsequent questions that you had or you just disagree with the - I'm just curious. Ifthere's additional information that could possibly be gathered by tomorrow night - that's what I was getting at. Ah, what I would like to know, yeah, is cost. One of my questions, under the proposed change how many would be involved? What would be the total cost? If the City were to come up with financial incentives, what would be the total cost of those incentives? Those are the kinds of dollars and cents things that we would need to know before. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 Champion: Dilkes: City Council Work Session Page 72 Well you've got a list of the businesses that would be affected in your packet, the last packet. Those figures are in the - (all talk - can't hear) Dilkes: Champion: Atkins: Correia: Wilburn: Bailey: Atkins: Correia: Wilburn: Bailey: Correia: Dilkes: Bailey: O'Donnell: Champion: O'Donnell: Champion: Bailey: O'Donnell: Elliott: Atkins: Answers to the questions. Exactly. Yeah. Is there clarification in the packet this week about the Colonial Lanes? I think there was. Yes. Yeah. I thought we took care of that. So Colonial Lanes is not affected? It's A-3. It's A-3. What is A-3? I'mjust making sure that- It's not an A-2. I don't know. We can ask that tomorrow. Do we know downtown which businesses are gonna have to enlarge their waterline? Here. We have a list. We have a list. I didn't see that in there. Oh yeah, it was in - The last one. The last one. Ok. The estimated cost is there for each one? Ross? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _ _ ___..".~___._._._.,___~_~.._____~____._______'_'__'.'_____~..__.___.._._._~_____.._____,._...__.__~'__._"______.,...._.______,.___._____~______~__._. ," _'u...______..__... April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 73 Wilburn: Yes. Atkins: Just for a heads up, I've gotten some calls from folks and they were asking about the discussion and I told them you were not gonua talk about this tonight, that you were waiting for tomorrow night. Bailey: Right. I thought that was our agreement. Atkins: That's what I thought, that that was your plan. I just wanted to let you to know that's what I told folks. Bailey: I think you should (can't hear) Wilburn: All I was trying to do was say if there are additional questions, not discussion but questions that could be gathered by tomorrow - Atkins: That's ok, sure. Wilburn: That's all I was. Vanderhoef: I've got one for Eleanor. Wilburn: More like, excuse me, a heads up for tomorrow night I'm going to be asking this. Elliott: Good. Vanderhoef: Mmm hmm. The, it's on page 5 of those questions and it's clear at the end about the additional considerations, and down at the bottom there's a number 2 and it says delete the requirement to comply with life safety and fire safety standards because of a change of ownership. And I understand exactly what that says as far as it goes. But history has shown us that when there's been a loss of liquor license sometimes the business is quote shown to someone else so that they can get the liquor license renewed or get a new liquor license under someone else's name. And I think the way they're talking about it here is gonna add a loophole so if we restrict or deny a liquor license to an establishment, they will sell the business quote so they can get a new liquor license and I think that's circumventing what we want to have happen and therefore if we left the sprinkler requirement on those situations when the have lost their liquor license that, that it would be a good thing. Wilburn: So can you think about that and elaborate on that tomorrow? Ok. Bailey: And you have to repeat that question tomorrow. Vanderhoef: And then I had one more. O'Donnell: Finished my whole section. I went right into yours. Totally missed my questions. Stand corrected. Bailey: But the list was in the last one. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 74 O'Donnell: It's a first. Vanderhoef: Oh. Another question I have for you Eleanor is is there a way other than zoning that Council could future restrict any new upstairs or below ground bars? In a standalone building? I know we have to be careful. Dilkes: Well, we currently have a provision that's not very effective because it makes a distinction between bars and restaurants and you just don't have to be much to be a restaurant. So yes, we could address the licensing of above ground or below ground facilities. Bailey: Well there was a, wouldn't the staff recommendation require all B occupancies with a liquor license located above or below the ground floor to be retrofitted to fall under this requirement? Wouldn't that, wouldn't that address your concern? Vanderhoef: Well it mayor it may not. Dilkes: I think when staff has talked about this the bar restaurant distinction does not work very well and I think the better way to approach it is from a safety perspective and so I think that that, as Regenia is pointing out, that applying the safety requirements, for considering that it's a greater risk when it's above or below grade and then having height and safety requirements is the way to go. Vanderhoef: Rather than try to do it through zoning, code change or something like that. Dilkes: Well we've talked about that whole zoning issue and that's certainly something that could be done. It has a lot of hurtles. Champion: And the other thing Dee is you don't want to restrict liquor licenses off of second floors. I mean make it a safety issue, because you don't want a bar, because what's wrong with 126 upstairs? It's not, it's a restaurant, but like you say, it is a bar at night. After 10 o'clock it is a bar. So how do you ever work out all those things? O'Donnell: But they're not affected because they're under, who isn't affected downtown is under 50. Wilburn: Can we bring this up again tomorrow? Bailey: Yeah, let's talk about this tomorrow night. I think this is a discussion that people should hear. Elliott: Yeah, tomorrow. Wilburn: Other agenda items? ITEM 10. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND MULLIN & LONERGAN ASSOCIATES FOR AN This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. . April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 75 AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS FOR THE GREATER IOWA CITY METROPOLITAN AREA. Correia: I have just one, this is maybe a micro-manage-y thing. In item 10, in the contract. And it's just in the exhibit B, terms and conditions, the non-discrimination doesn't include all of our protected classes. On page II. Dilkes: What's the item number? Correia: 10. Bailey: 10. Correia: It's the contract. Bailey: Which one is 1O? Vanderhoef: Can't find 10 at the moment. Dilkes: Let me just find it. Vanderhoef: What's it, what's before it or after it? Dilkes: It should. Bailey: Yeah I noticed it too. Elliott: And this is item 10? Correia: It's just the contract and it's in the exhibit B, terms and conditions. Bailey: Is that, and what I wondered is that because we're using some federal funds- Correia: Federal order. Bailey: And so we have to use their non-discrimination? Correia: Half of it is City funds, so. Bailey; Right, I know. Dilkes: Oh yeah. Those are very standard provisions in federal funds. Bailey: We can't add ours? Dilkes; We typically add- Correia: Add ours. Bailey: We can't add ours because we're paying a portion of it? This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 76 Elliott: Is this discrimination? Correia: Yeah. Bailey: Mmm hmm. Elliott: So it conforms with, our City's more stringent than, yeah. Correia: Yeah. Vanderhoef: The new State law has - Dilkes: Our general terms and conditions that we as a City add do include them all. Correia: Maybe Ijust didn't look at that. Bailey: In 18 where it says executive order, blah blah blah. Elliott: How do you spell that? Dilkes: Well on number, anti-discrimination provision- Bailey: It's on page II, you mean clause 18? Dilkes: 28, I'm looking at 28. Correia: Oh so - Dilkes: Page 13. Correia: Oli, ok, so we have it as a separate one. I didn't read that far. Dilkes: Contractor shall not discriminate against - Correia: Thank you. Right. So we have both, we have it in two places. Bailey: We have it in the federal and the- Correia: And then our City. Ok. Dilkes: Those, those federal ones I think are just the stock provisions that need to be included so if anybody looks at our contract they, but it looks like we've got tlie other ones in there. Correia: Ok. Vanderhoef: Same item. Under number 3 of the tasks. One of the things that I want highlighted there on the collection and analysis of data is specifically lead-based paint in homes. We can partially do that by age ofliomes after 1978 and before 1978, but I think it's This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 77 something that the general population needs more and more education on the fact that that's why we can't use federal dollars unless we go in and do the total abatement. Correia: I don't think we can, within the scope of this contract, have this consultant go in and find out how many homes have lead in them. Vanderhoef: No. Bailey: I think we should use the year, otherwise I think it becomes very labor intensive. Correia: Yeah. We should go by years. Vanderhoef: But to put that in the analysis so that, and Karin said - Correia: By age - but then we have research age of housing. Bailey: Right. Vanderhoef: Yeah. They're doing that. But then to put that in the analysis and highlight the fact that there is the lead-based paint and how that affects housing market and which dollars can be used there or not. Wilburn: You done discussing that item? Vanderhoef: I am. Bailey: Oh, yeah. Wilburn: Other agenda items? Correia: I had just - oh, go ahead. Bailey: No. I'm done. Correspondence f(2) Erin Fleck: Downtown Global Market Correia: Oh. I'm sorry. So in the correspondence number 2, from Erin Fleck, the Downtown Global Market. It was just the issue about Tate's. Do we have any sense of what's going on with Tate's, this space? Atkins: Well we can check but. Correia: Is that something? Atkins: I don't know whether the developer is obligated to share it with us, but we'll find out for you. Correia: Well isn't this, I mean, isn't this a tax, what is it? Atkins: TIP. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 78 Correia: A TIP. Bailey: It's not part of the conditions, is it? I thought it was best to attempt a grocery store. Atkins: That's what I want to check. I'll ask for you. Champion: All right. O'Donnell: That's what it was. Bailey: I wasn't on Council. Correia: Best attempt? O'Donnell: Thought that he could do it. Elliott: There are financial problems there too. Atkins: See what we can find out. Bailey: Ok. Vanderhoef: Yeah, that lawsuit. Correia: And the other thing I'm wondering just in correspondence in general because there's another correspondence that we have from somebody who emailed back again saying "did anybody get this email"? Bailey: Yeah, can we develop a protocol for response? Correia: Let's just do an auto response. I know it says when you, I know when you're on the website before you click on the email it does tell you, but you know, people mayor may not read it that closely or remember that. I would just like there to be an auto response. Because people send an email and they imagine these Council people are seeing this email on their computer screen and they haven't clicked reply, rather than getting an auto response saying they do not receive their emailsdirectly.It.s going to the packet. Bailey: I agree. I think we should have some kind of protocol for it. Ifwe're responsible for answering them I would like to know. I'll answer them. Stop asking us about smoking. Talk to the legislature. Correspondence: f(12)Andrew Dipilato: Panhandling on the Ped Mall Vanderhoef: Also, we had one letter, number 12, about panhandling on the ped mall. I'd like just a brief update on whether our police are actually seeing more of that or if this was just one person's observation. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 79 Champion: There's just nice weather. They're panhandling more. It's fine. I mean, you can't tell them they can't. What difference does it make ifthere's 10 or 20? Elliott: New York City did. Dilkes: Well, there are some, that, there are some ordinances that prohibit it within so many feet of an ATM, etc., etc. There are some ordinances that are far more specific than ours are. But we tried that with, with the median issue. I mean, that was the idea with the median issue. Champion: There are ATMs on every single store downtown. Dilkes: So. Bailey: So you're feeling like that would just not be good use oftime, is that what you're saying? (laughter) Bailey: Read it as you will. Correia: (can't hear) first. First. Bailey: As long as you're there first. Champion: They don't harass anybody. Vanderhoef: But is it that, is there that much going on down there? Champion: There's a lot going on right now. Correia: There's some. Bailey: Yeah. You can walk downtown and - Elliott: I get - every time I walk by the old - Champion: Bank. Elliott: What, the old bank there - they always nail you. Correia: I wonder if that will change once there's a business there. Elliott: You can always ignore them. Bailey: If they'd playa little bit better music or something. Champion: They actually get a lot of money. I mean, not a lot to pay Iowa taxes, but they get a lot- This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 80 Bailey: I'm not sure that they're declaring that. (laughter) O'Donnell: Maybe that's how to stop it. Vanderhoef: Well, they've got amnesty coming up now. Bailey: Yeah, really. O'Donnell: Well- Bailey: You don't have to declare? There you go. Correia: It's a gift. Wilburn: Any other agenda items? Vanderhoef: One other thing. Could we send a thank you letter to the bicyclists' group that gave us money for the signs. Correia: Those signs are great. Bailey: But did we? I mean, I hope we always send thank you letters to people who give us money and. Vanderhoef: Did we acknowledge them at all? Atkins: I, that's typically what we do. ljnst don't recall. Vanderhoef: I know. Atkins: I'll find out. Vanderhoef: Just check and be sure that they got a thank you, because I do appreciate it. Bailey: Oh yeah. Wilburn: Any other agenda items? Anyone want Council time? Vanderhoef: Not tonight. Council Time Correia: I, oh - Vanderhoef: No, go ahead. Correia: At the softball park on Sunday there was so much plastic going into the garbage cans. So much plastic. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _._._--_..~-~---_..__.._--"._"-_._---~._.._---_._-_._-'._---~---------~._...-----_.._--------------"._-_. April 30, 2007 Wilburn: Correia: Atkins: Correia: Bailey: Atkins: Bailey: Karr: Elliott: Bailey: Karr: Atkins: Bailey: Correia: Atkins: Karr: Atkins: Bailey: Atkins: Wilburn: Bailey: Elliott: Bailey: O'Donnell: City Council Work Session Page 81 The receptacles were ordered a little too late and they are (can't hear) Ok. So we are getting them. Yes. Excellent. Good. Have we named our compost yet? Who won that contest? Yeah, um- Will Jen come and announce it? Eric. You name compost now? It was a branding. What? Eric did. Eric. Eric Goers won the contest. Yeah. And so are we going to get an announcement? What's the name? Iowa's - oh gosh. Iowa City Community Compost. Yeah. It was a really hard-hitting title. Oh. It wasn't pay dirt or anything like that. No it was not. Should have entered. That was gonna be my pick. Great ground breaking today, guys. Nifty. Oh good. I found out one thing today. You cannot fish down at the gravel pit, the new Sand Road gravel pit. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. _ ____"_"_..________.._______~_._._.______.__"'___._._._....____.__".__._____,_______"._._____. .._.___.__.._u__~__".__.___ April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 82 Elliott: Why? O'Donnell:- Because there's a no-fishing sign there. (laughter) O'Donnell: Can I ask a question? There's a sign there that says no fishing. Until we clean up there. Atkins: I sent my son and daughter-in-law- O'Donnell: What's that? Atkins: My son-in-law and daughter down to go fishing. (laughter) Vanderhoef: Whoops. Bailey: If you don't know. Wilburn: Marian, did you have something? Karr: Yes I did. Just real quickly, it's ourtum for the joint meeting in July. And for those of you who went to- Bailey: Not on second Wednesday. Karr: To the meeting in North Liberty, there was interest expressed, since it was going to be in July, it's the same week of the fair, to maybe do it at the Johnson County Fair, the joint meeting. Correia: Yes. Karr: The only time we can do it at the fair, because oflogistics and space, is a breakfast meeting at 7:00 or 7:30 in the morning. Bailey: Excellent. Karr: On Wednesday, July 25th. O'Donnell: That's a little bit early. Karr: So my question to you is before I go to other bodies with this, is that your desire, or do you wish to stay with 4:30 that day at the library. Bailey: That's a great idea. Correia: That's so fun. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 City Council Work Session Page 83 Bailey: We get breakfast, right? Karr: I didn't hear any of that. Go ahead. Bailey: I, it's a great idea if we get food. Karr: We do. We'll be at the Regina food booth. O'Donnell: But it'll be too early for food. Karr: No, they open at 7:00; they open earlier. They open at 6:00, actually. Bailey: Excellent. People eat in the morning. Wilhurn: FYI, I will be on RAGBRAL Karr: RABGRAI. O'Donnell: I may go too if the meeting is at 7:30. Bailey: You're going to bike across Iowa instead of going to a 7:30 meeting. Champion: Fine with me. Bailey: Are we? Correia: I like it. Bailey: It sounds fun. Bob? I know that it's a killer for you. Vanderhoef: I'll get up. It's, the sun is shining atthattime of day, at least. Bailey: That's what I hear. Champion: Come on, Bob. Elliott: I'm, I'm propping my eyes open and reading the papers and thinking god, ain't retirement great. Wilburn: Let's go. See you tomorrow. . Elliott: You can do it without me. Wilburn: See you tomorrow. This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of April 30, 2007.