HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-05-01 Transcription
#2
ITEM 2
Wilburn:
Karr:
Holland:
Wilburn:
Page I
PROCLAMATIONS.
a) Bicycle Month: May 2007
(reads proclamation)
Here to accept the proclamation is Iowa City bicyclist, Del Holland.
(applause)
Thank you very much. I'd just like to mention a couple of public events
that some of the bicycling community is working on in Iowa City and
Coralville over the next month. This Friday is the monthly recognition of
bicycle commuting breakfast at the Bike Library, which is held every... the
first Friday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30. So, ride your bicycle up
and join us for coffee and a roll or fruit, and then go on to work, and if that
ends up delaying you, we'll write you a tardy slip. (laughter) Urn, and
also, as Ross mentioned, uh, May 14th through the 18th is Bike To Work
Week and during that week this year we have many events planned to
encourage bicycle commuting. There is a contest with fabulous prizes for
all those who are bicycling to work. You can register every time you
bicycle to work at many of the local merchants, and with your employers,
and the drawing will be held Friday night at a gala at Fitzpatrick's to
celebrate Bicycling To Work. There're also going to be pancake breakfast
in Iowa City for all bicycle commuters, and in Coralville for bicycle
commuters, and Wednesday evening, Ross will be leading a ride from
Iowa City with the bicyclists forming over here at Chauncey Swan Park
and then you'll ride from Iowa City near Pioneer Co-Op to the Co-Op in
Coralville and celebrate out there. So, there're many events. You can find
out about those on the web, and they'll be announced in the newspaper.
We'd love for as many people as possible to take advantage of the
conditions that Ross has mentioned and the important thing that bicycling
can be to our cornmunity. Thank you very much.
Thank you. There was also a nice kick-off to Bic~c1e Month with the
Iowa City Criterion. I think it was...is it their 30t ? 30th year, so I got my
nice shirt there this weekend, and I joined Bicycles ofIowa City and got
my free pair of bicycling socks, and you too can have a spiffy pair of bike
socks (laughter) if you join the Bicyclists ofIowa City.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Conncil meeting of May 1, 2007.
#2
ITEM 2
Wilburn:
Karr:
Logsden:
Wilburn:
Page 2
PROCLAMATIONS.
b) Irving B. Weber Days: May 2007
(reads proclamation)
Here to accept the proclamation is Kara Logsden, Adult Services
Coordinator for the Iowa City Public Library. (applause)
Happy Weber Days! The kids are all running around my neighborhood
tonight, delivering May baskets, so that must mean that it's Weber Days.
Weber Days was moved to the month of May last year to coincide with
National Historic Preservation Month and it actually was a very good
move for Weber Days. Urn, we have a lot more groups participating in the
programs and a lot more activities planned. So, the purpose of Weber
Days is to bring history alive through programs and events. We appreciate
the funding provided by the City Council to support the Weber Days'
programs that we offer. Today I'm accepting this on behalf of the many
groups that participate in Weber Days. It is a collaboration with
leadership from the City of Iowa City and the Iowa City Public Library.
The other groups participating are: Johnson County Historical Society,
Friends of Historic Preservation, Iowa Project on Play Studies, the Iowa
City Genealogical Society, and the Iowa City Host Noon Lions' Club. So,
I hope you're able to participate in some of the events that are planned,
and the schedule is at www.icpl.org/weber. Thank you.
Thank you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#2
ITEM 2
Wilburn:
Baeth:
Page 3
PROCLAMATIONS.
Special Presentations
Before we get to Item 3, I do have another couple of presentations to give.
This is related to the University ofIowa Student Government
representatives, and I would like Austin Baeth and Abigail Volland to
please come forward. Couple years ago the City ofIowa City established
the University ofIowa Student Government Liaison positions, and while it
was a split vote, to a certain extent, we've had... we're on our second go
round, ending here, with the two of you representing the University of
Iowa Student Government, with the City of Iowa City and the City of
Iowa City Council. I remember. . . well, he's gone now so I can put him on
the spot. The first representative, at the very first.. .at his very first work
session, the very first question that he asked about was alcohol related, and
when Austin came to our work session, he soaked it all up, and I believe,
ifI'm not mistaken, his very first question was a Planning and Zoning
issue. So, I want to thank the both of you for the work that you've done,
and Abigail did some work helping decide on Human Services' funding
and we appreciate that. And so, for their dedicated service as University
of Iowa Student Government student liaisons to the City of Iowa City
Council, to better identify issues of concern to students and the City, and
for their commitment to improve communication between the University
of Iowa Student Government and the City of Iowa City, on this first day of
May, 2007. Thank you on behalf of the City ofIowa City. (applause)
(several talking at once)
If I could say something very fast. Thank you for this honor, and thank
you for the honor of allowing me to work with you for the last couple
years. I don't know if I can think of a more rewarding experience than
I've had at college. I mean that! You know, through my involvement in
other levels of government, I can now definitively say one thing, and
that's in this City Council, politics is at its purest, and that's because each
and everyone of you votes with your conscience, and I really appreciate
that, and I think the members ofthis community really appreciate that. I
hope that through this position I have helped to strengthen the relations
between our City and our Student Body, and I know that Abigail will do a
fine job continuing that, and just thank you very much. I'm going to miss
you guys, urn, I'll be leaving next year for a year oftravels, but I'll be
back here for med school and between studying, I'll probably be right
back here, bothering you for one thing or another. Thank you very much.
(applause)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
~ P.4
ITEM 3 CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED.
Champion: Move adoption.
Bailey: Second.
Wilburn: Moved by Champion, seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Want to point out
that there is in the Consent Calendar. . . we are setting a public hearing on
May 14th, 2007, amending the Fiscal Year 2007 Operating Budget.
Correia: Was that...urn, it says that the information will be available on May 4th.
Will that be in our packets then? On May...our Information Packet, or do
we need to request that separately?
Karr: It will be in your packet, probably before the hearing. Do you wish it to
be in your third Info Packet, rather than. . .
Correia: .. . for the 4t\ that's fine, on the...
Karr: Okay.
Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#4
ITEM 4
Wilburn:
Honohan:
Wilburn:
Siders:
Kubby:
Siders:
Page 5
COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA).
This is the time reserved for the public to address the Council and
community on items that do not appear on tonight's agenda. If you wish
to address the Council, please state your name for the record, and limit
your comments to five minutes or less.
Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council, my name is Jay Honohan. I'm here
on behalf of the Senior Center Commission. Mike, you're always
interested in my dancing. Well, we had, with the Alpha Phi Omega, a
dance on the 26th of April, which was attended by approximately ISO to
160 seniors and college students, and for your information, Mike, I danced
with my (can't hear). I danced with some young ladies who are young
enough to be my granddaughters, and of course, I danced with my
roommate of 59 years. (laughter) As far as the.. .I'm not finished with the
dancing, because the drill team is now practicing a new number. We're
practicing the "Jailhouse Rock," but there will be no Elvis costumes, I
assure you. I'd kind of like to make this very brief, but I would like to
mention the Legacy Letter Project that I hope you have heard ofthat is
going on in cooperation with David Gould and the University ofIowa at
the Senior Center, and if you don't know what this project is, it's an
invitation to seniors to write letters, any length that they want to. In fact,
we had one come 17 pages, although that was quite a surprise. Giving
advice to college students based upon their life experiences, and anyone is
invited to write those letters. Anyone in the audience here can write them.
When the Gallery Walk comes in June, they will be on display. Many of
the letters will be on KGAN and the Press-Citizen. And it can't be too
hard because they've accepted.three of mine. So, I know it's pretty easy!
But I certainly would encourage everyone here to take advantage of this.
This has been a worldwide project. David has gotten communications
from all over the country and some parts of the world as part of this
program, and it's... we've had requests for information from news media
throughout the country. So, it looks like it's going to be an outstanding
project and we hope a very worthwhile one. With that, I'll let you get on
with your business. Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you.
The tag team of Kubby and Siders has returned. (laughter)
We're reporting because spring has sprung.
If you would recall, we were here before you in October oflast year,
presented the Council with a letter, outlining some of our intentions to get
together and work on the affordable housing issue. It was our hopes and
our attempts to.. . and the letter stated, to hopefully report to you by spring
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
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Kubby:
Wilburn:
Siders:
Page 6
ofthis year. Weare not at that plateau yet; however, I did. want to let the
Council know that we are meeting, about every other week. Most of the
people that signed that letter are at each and every meeting. We have
entertained numerous interesting discussions and found that this is just a
massive subject, and we're trying to highlight.. .it's a very diverse group.
We're working very well, and we're trying to highlight as many things as
we can, and it's simply going to take a little bit longer for us to give you
some feedback, but we are moving forward, and I think we're moving
forward in the right direction. In light ofthe decision the Council has
made on the consultant study toward affordable housing, I think that will
mix well with what we are trying to do, and I think our timing will come
out at about the same time. So, things are looking bright. We just wanted
to make you aware that we are still here, and we are still very interested in
that subject. I'm going to let Karen maybe touch a little bit on what we
have been talking, some of the issues we have been talking about, just to
keep you informed.
So, we really look forward to you having an affirmative vote tonight on
the consultant, and think that the results of that may inform what we've
already begun to do and to discuss. And one of the things that's been very
heartening is to see people with really different approaches to affordable
housing being able to talk through issues, and maybe come - we hope - to
some, some areas of consensus over time, and one of the ways we've
approached this lately is instead of.. .as well as looking at geography and
looking at home ownership and looking at transitional and emergency
housing, looking at income and saying, 'So, what are the varied profiles of
people at different areas of median income in our community,' at 30 and
50 and 80 and 100%, and what are some of the housing challenges, and
what are some things that are possible and some things that might just not
be possible for different income levels of our residents, and so that's been
our approach lately, and so we've worked through some of that and hope
to report back, and again, if you approve the study, it gets done. I think
that we'll go back and kind of reopen some ofthose discussions to say,
what are the results of that study and how does that shift how we're
thinking about things. So, we're glad you're moving forward. We hope
that will help us move forward as citizens, that have a varied set of
interests, trying to come together to provide some feedback, and hopefully
create some action and change of policy in a positive way for our
community.
Thank you, and thank you for your work.
Again, we're open for any suggestions or comments. If you have any, you
can contact either Karen or I or numerous other people who are involved
on the committee. We appreciate it. Thanks very much.
This represents only a reasonably accnrate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#4 Page 7
Elliott: Karen, Glenn, I can't tell you how pleased I am that you folks, all of the
folks, have formed this group. I can remember the evening last October
when I saw during the meeting the two of you standing back there, talking,
and I thought, 'That's an interesting combination,' and pretty soon you
both came forward, and I thought, 'What in the world is going to happen?'
This is a strange.. .it's just great. I am so pleased that you're working on
this!
Siders: We appreciate being recognized for being strange, Bob, and (applause)
and we'll continue.
Elliott: (laughter) Glenn, you're strange. Karen's not.
Wilburn: Would anyone else care to address the Council on an item that is not on
tonight's agenda?
Newbill: Good evening. I'm Dawn Newbill with the Crisis Center here in Iowa
City and I just wanted to extend a public invitation to join the Crisis
Center for their 19th Annual Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast coming up
on Saturday. It's an actually different day for us. May sth at Parkview
Church. Also, a different location for us. So, we're very excited about
that. It's $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children, and remember that all the
proceeds raised at the Pancake Breakfast go to help Johnson County
residents in need. Last year it was 17,000 Johnson County residents using
our services, in both the Crisis Intervention Program and the Food Bank
Program. So, this is a very important fundraising event for us. So, again,
please join us on Saturday, May sth , at Parkview Church, right on Foster
Road and Dubuque Streets, for our 19th Annual Pancake Breakfast. Thank
you.
Wilburn: Thank you. Tell your boss I said, 'Hey!' (laughter) Would anyone else
care.. .yep...
Gustaveson: Hi, I'm Craig Gustaveson. I'm President of the Downtown Association. I
talked to you last time about the taxi stands and I wasn't sure. . . I thought
there was going to be an agenda item, but it doesn't appear that it is. I
know last night you talked about the taxi stands in your work session, and
according to the paper you agreed to extend this, which as you know, we
did send a correspondence from the Downtown Association. It was
unanimously voted on that we would like to see this rescinded, urn, with
the.. .with the confusion and the ill will that it's causing downtown, I think
this is a poorly implemented...I don't think it's a poor idea for the taxi
stand. I just think it was poorly implemented, and for this to work for all
of us downtown, at least we'd like to see you move the date up, or the time
up to at least 10:00 to start ticketing people and towing people. This
adversely affects so many businesses downtown that are trying to conduct
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
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Page 8
business, where people are trying to pick things up, either food or even
just stopping in a store for a quick pickup. When you started doing this at
5 :00, it really affects all of our businesses, restaurants and retail. So, if
you're going to continue it, I would really ask you to move the time up to
10:00. I would like to see more effort made into informing people, and to
designating these areas as taxi stands. I don't think there was enough
effort to put into these. Urn, just putting a sign up that replaced a sign that
looked just like the one before isn't adequate enough, and even the flags
aren't, I don't think, adequate enough, and we would like to see, if you're
going to continue on, at least make a better effort to signify that these are
taxi stands, either by painting the curbs yellow, which people understand
that that's a no-parking area, and urn, just.. .you know, signify that this
is...these are going to be enforced at certain times. Urn, and I don't have
to tell you, I'm sure you've all gotten phone calls from businesses and
from people who are getting tickets here. It's, again, I can't emphasize
enough what a black eye this has caused on downtown Iowa City again.
You know, parking issues always are controversial, and when you take
away places that have been used for parking for the last ten to fifteen years
from people that are used to doing it, and not adequately marking it, I just
think this was...a terrible black eye on downtown, and for us that battle it
every day, it just makes our job that much more frustrating. When, when
you look at the downtown, you know, the City is also in a partnership with
us in the downtown. You are the major contributor to the Summer of the
Arts, which starts injust three more weeks. We're into the time of year
when people are coming down more and more to the downtown for the
Friday Night Concert Series and the different festivals we have downtown,
and these parking places are used, greatly used, by patrons of these
festivals. We have, you know, we're partnership with the City on
studying a market niche on how to bring more people downtown and
again, the City's investing a lot of money on how to figure out how we can
bring people downtown and once again, we create a situation that
adversely affects us, and it's kind oflike we're fighting against ourselves.
As merchants we spend a lot of money on promoting downtown, trying to
get people to come downtown, and then I feel like we turn right around
and we fight ourselves by implementing a policy that makes absolutely no
sense at all. So, if you are going to continue doing this, please reconsider
the time that's going to be implemented. Please think about resigning it so
it's more visible, and.. . and I would really like to have the City and the
taxi companies sit down with the Downtown Association, talk about
something that will work out with all of us. I would like to see the City
maybe change its policy on how they go about doing these things. A
simple phone call to the Downtown Association saying we're considering
doing the taxi stands would have been, would have alleviated a lot of these
problems when we could all sit down and talk about these issues. I think
it's really something we need to look at, when a decision's being made on
that's going to affect my livelihood and other businesses' livelihoods on
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
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how these things are implemented. So I think there's a lot of work that
can be done to alleviate a lot of these problems. We would like to invite
the City Council, City staff, and the taxi companies to sit down with us
and discuss this, and in the meantime, I would really like you to reconsider
the timing on it. Thank you.
Wilburn: Craig, just so you know. I'm not sure, I didn't see that article in the
newspaper so I'm not... which one you read, but just so you're aware what
we discussed last night. The Council was really interested in a period of
observation, to see what is happening, so we can collect some anecdotal
information. You will continue to give some to us, I'm sure. Some of us
make our own direct observations. Urn, and part of the conversation was
also a willingness to take a look at that hour, hoping that... that you or us
together would be able to sit down with the taxi companies because they
were in favor of this, to take a look at what might be a time, and I'm sure
that the Council would be very amenable to that. A second thing that you
should be aware of. You brought up the Arts Festival and the Jazz...the
Summer of the Arts. Urn, and in your opinion, a barrier to...this creating
a barrier to coming downtown. We did discuss and give staff direction to
go forward with the plan to use our bus system or public transportation
system to offer busses during those main events and free bussing to get
people down, so hopefully that will alleviate....just a couple FYI's.
Gustaveson: Thank you very much.
Wilburn: Thank you. Would anyone else care to address the Council on an item
that is not on tonight's agenda?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#5 Page 10
ITEM 5 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
a) CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR
MAY 14 ON AN ORDINANCE REZONING APPROXIMATELY
14.5 ACRES FROM REA VY INDUSTRIAL (1-2) TO GENERAL
INDUSTRIAL (1-1) AND REZONING APPROXIMATELY 36.65
ACRES TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT
OVERLAY/GENERAL INDUSTRIAL (OPDfI-l) FOR A
SENSITIVE AREAS DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR PROPERTY
LOCATED NORTH IZAAK W ALTON ROAD EAST OF
OAKCREST HILL ROAD. (REZ07-00004)
Vanderhoef: Move to set the public hearing.
Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef.
Bailey: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Bailey. Discussion? I thought we had set a precedent with
setting the hearings, we didn't need to worry about Ex Parte.. . okay.
Discussion?
Correia: Will we have those April 19th meeting minutes in our packet by that next
meeting, so we'd have that?
Wilburn: All those in favor say aye. Opposed same sign. Carries 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#5
Page II
ITEM 5
PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
b) CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR
MAY 14 ON AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF
THE HOLL YWOOD BOULEVARD RIGHT -OF- WAY
LOCATED SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 6 EAST OF BROADWAY
STREET (V AC07-00001)
Vanderhoef: Moved to set the public hearing.
Champion: Second.
Wilburn: Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Champion. Discussion?
Correia: So, this vacation then will include purchasing from the City that property?
Franklin: Urn, yes. We will bring you the conveyance, concurrent with the ending
of the process for vacation.
Correia: And what's the market value of that property?
Franklin: I don't know that that's been established yet.
Dilkes: It's not been established yet. This is just very preliminary, setting the
motion, but you'll have that information when you get to that. . .
Correia: Oh, okay.
Wilburn: Other discussion? All those in favor say aye. Opposed same sign.
Carries 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
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Page 12
ITEM 5
PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
c) REZONING APPROXIMATELY 0.77 ACRES OF PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 828 E. WASHINGTON STREET FROM
NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION RESIDENTIAL
CONSERVATION DISTRICT OVERLAY (RNS-20/0CD) ZONE
TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT
OVERLAY/NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION
RESIDENTIAL/CONSERVATION DISTRICT OVERLAY
(OPD/RNS-20/0CD) ZONE (REZ07-0003)
1. PUBLIC HEARING
Wilburn: This is a public hearing.
Vanderhoef: Mr. Mayor, I will be abstaining on this issue and leaving the room, as I am
a member of the Alpha Chi Omega fraternity.
Wilburn: Okay. (several talking at once) She belongs. She can call it what she
wants. This public hearing (pounds gavel) public hearing is open.
Franklin: As Dee referred to, this is for the Alpha Chi Omega house, which was a
victim of the tornado last year. The reason that the Council is seeing this
as a rezoning is because of the sensitive areas that are on the site. There
are two sensitive area features that are being addressed through this
rezoning. One is exceeding the disturbance of critical slopes by more than
35%, and the grading of an altered, protected slope. An altered, protected
slope is a slope that is 40% or greater, and was man-made. Ifit is a
natural protected slope under our sensitive areas ordinance, it cannot be
touched, but because this is an altered slope, with the Council's approval,
it can be modified. Urn, we can go into some detail of the drawing, if you
wish to, but why don't I go through the rezoning discussion first and then
we can get to that if you want to get into that level with detail. Okay?
Wilburn: All right.
Franklin: Urn, the house, as you can see from the drawing, is essentially in about the
same location as the previous house. I'm going to use this little red thing
because that's not working. Urn, the driveway will come off of
Washington Street. This is a new drive. The previous drive was right in
front of the house, here. These are two sidewalks, which will lead up to
the house. Then there will be vehicular access from Washington and from
Governor Street. To the rear of the north of the house, is a two-level
parking facility, which you will enter either the lower level off of
Washington Street, and enter, and then you will be under covered parking,
or you will come in off of Governor Street, and be on the level that is at
grade with Governor Street. The drive on Governor is shared with the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#5
Elliott:
Franklin:
Elliott:
Franklin:
Elliott:
Bailey:
Franklin:
Bailey:
Page 13
house, 17 S. Governor, which has just been renovated, to the north of it,
and that reflects an existing situation. There will be room here for 47
residents. There's 35 off-street parking spaces and nine bicycle spaces.
This is a rendering of the house that is proposed, and then this is a view
more from the, a little bit from the west, southwest. So, here's the front,
the front entrance is right here, and the previous view, the front entrance
would be over here. So, this is the Governor side, and this is the
Washington side. Urn, the Planning and Zoning Commission
recommended approval of this by a vote of 6 to 0, and it also is
recommended for approval by the staff. Any questions about it?
Karin (other person talking). . . go ahead. Uh, I assume since staff has
recommended approval that obviously that means that adequate protection
for erosion on those deep slopes...
Yes!
And you're very confident in what will be taking place then?
Yes, it's required to be certified by an engineer, and (can't hear)
Engineering, who's a certified engineer, has certified these plans. So,
yes...
Good. The (can't hear) house has been there for years. I remember it
when I was in school. It was a very attractive structure on that comer and
I'm pleased that something similar is going back there.
Do you have an elevation from Governor Street of the parking area? I
mean, this is a very visible area, and it's a beautiful structure, and I'm
hoping that will carry through to the parking, and will there be screening,
or will there, will there be a need for screening between the parking area
and Governor Street? (unable to hear) That's what I'm trying to get a
sense of.
Yeah, I.. .let me see if one of these drawings is going to.. . um, well, let me
just point out that.. .I'm going to just try to blow this up a little bit here.
This is showing the lower level, but this is a wall that... this is at grade
here, because as you come in this drive here, you will be on this lower
level. This signifies a wall structure, which will take you to at-grade at
Governor Street. So when you're looking at this from Governor, you're
going to see a driveway that will come in to the surface parking area that
will be at-grade. There wont' be sticking out of the ground. There's urn
landscaping here along the drive, and then there's landscaping that is
required here between this property and the one to the north.
So what we will see behind that house is a surface lot.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council meeting of May 1, 2007.
#5 Page 14
Franklin: What you will see here will be a surface lot, essentially.
Bailey: Hmm...
Franklin: Now what you, when you're coming down...remember, you come down
Governor Street and there's the trees that are planted here and this
vegetation here, but there's no way to screen this and still be able to get in
to the surface lot.
Bailey: Right. Right.
Franklin: Urn, they were required, the sorority, was required because it is starting
from scratch to meet the parking requirements, and it's a very difficult
site. I think they've done an admirable job of getting this in there, using
the change in grade to do it.
Bailey: It's just that the.. .it's such a visible corner and, I mean, the house is very,
very attractive and there's, without question, nothing attractive about a
surface lot ever, regardless of what you do with it.
Franklin: Well, I think that.. .let's see if! can go back to the slides here.
Sorry. . . urn, when you see the size of the building, this is a three-story
building, and with enough variation in the roof that the building is going to
be quite dominant. So, it is going to be.. .as you're coming down
Governor Street, you will have those tree plantings that are along
Governor, and the shrubs that are planted along Governor by the parking
area, and it will be a surface parking lot in the back, yes. . .
Bailey: What's the footprint compared, I mean, so I can see this mass.. .so it's the
parking lot to the north about.. . (unable to hear).
Franklin: It's.. .it's roughly, this is the depth of the house.
Bailey: Yeah, and it's as wide as the house.
Franklin: And so that's the depth of the parking area.
Champion: Longer than the house.
O'Donnell: Karin, what was the parking in this location before? Did they have on-site
parking?
Franklin: No. I mean, no more than.. .how many (unable to hear person in
audience) eight spaces before.
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O'Donnell: So this is going to free up approximately 30 spots on Washington Street.
Franklin: Well, yeah. Short of granting a.. . having it go to the Board of Adjustment
to get a special exception to reduce the required parking, which would be
extremely hard to justify for a sorority.
O'Donnell: Oh, I think they've done a great job.
Franklin: I don't know what can be done about this, to not have the parking
required, other than to change the code. I guess, one thing I would say to
maybe try to assuage your concerns, Regenia, urn, that the material, you
can kind of see it in the back ofthis drawing in terms of the materials that
are being used. I mean, they're trying to, with this facility in the back,
make it blend in with the building as much as possible. Now, of course,
you're not going to see that stone wall on the Governor Street side because
it's right at grade.
Bailey: Right.
Franklin: And there may be some folks who are from the sorority, or from the
design team, who might be able to address your issues.
Bailey: Can I ask you another question?
Franklin: Sure.
Bailey: And I read a little bit about drainage, and that also will be looked at so it
won't affect the surrounding properties, given that there's...
Franklin: Right, right, right.
Bailey: .. . and feel confident that the plan will do what it needs to do...
Franklin: The plan is in technical compliance. There are two things that require
minor modifications that have to do with the height of. . . this here, which is
a minor modification, which is going to be considered by the staff next
week. That's an administrative consideration, and then the distance
between the building, right there, and the parking needs to be ten feet, and
it's just a squosh short. A squosh, that's a technical term.
Champion: How much is that? A finger, or (laughter and several talking at once)
three fingers?
Franklin: Uh-huh, it's about three.
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Bailey:
Franklin:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Steffan:
Bailey:
Steffan:
Correia:
Steffan:
Correia:
Steffan:
Page 16
So where the parking lot starts, it looks like it's even with the house, and
distance from Governor Street. Correct?
Right.
Any way that that could be farther?
I'm sorry. You're going to have to approach the microphone.
Chris Steffan from MMS. Vh, let me.. . okay. Right here is a doorway.
Then what you're seeing is the top ofthe door on the east side, the side
facing Governor Street. So, urn, and the bottom of this door, which is like
six feet lower than what we're looking at here, is where the parking lot
level is at on the north side of the building. So, as you're driving by out
here on the east side of this building, now there's a substantial berm there
and we're intending to keep that berm there and that house is going to set
in that berm.
So there's a substantial berm against the house...that's what you're calling
a berm.
This area here there was a large tree that was here, and there's some, an
existing retaining wall, and so what you're seeing here out of this doorway
is a retaining wall, with a walkway well, if you will, that goes back to that
parking level. So that parking level, as you're driving down Governor
Street actually is sitting in the ground when you're looking from Governor
Street, and by the time you get up to the driveway to go in to it, you're
really past the parking lot. You're just not going to see much, and then by
the time we, the ground, or the ground we've got here is at that level and
we start putting plantings on top of that. We're going to even screen it
more than what you're seeing. This picture doesn't demonstrate the
plantings that we're going to put there.
Well, I mean, and the house that has just been remodeled, or rehabbed, sits
a little bit higher. It seems like when I'm driving down, my eye is gong up
because there's this fabulously remodeled house, right there.
Right, and that, that house...the parking lot that's on the south side of that
house is probably about two foot higher than the parking lot for the
sorority house.
Okay.
Okay? All right. It's sort of set in, that's exactly right. And we had some
elevation issues and, 00, the architect can talk about, you know, we're not
matching floors, we're in between floors, and that's kind of what' s
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happening with this doorway, is you can see we're not quite in the lower
level and we're not quite at the first floor level either, but that's where it
seemed to work best for the.. .did I...l don't know if!.. .tried to answer it
but don't know if I got there or not.
Bailey:
I just wish I could see a picture.
Steffan:
Sorry, I don't have one ofthose.
Bailey:
Yeah.
Wilburn:
Shall I do the Ex Parte.. ..does any Council Member have any Ex Parte
communications on this item that they wish to disclose at this time, that
they have to disclose at this time? Okay, the public hearing is still open, if
anyone wishes to address the Council. Please come forward and limit
your comments to five minutes or less. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is
closed.
2. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST
CONSIDERATION)
O'Donnell: Move first consideration.
Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell.
Champion: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Champion. Discussion? Roll call. Item carries 6-0, with one
abstention by Vanderhoef, due to a conflict of interest.
Karr: Motion to accept correspondence.
Correia: So moved.
Wilburn: Moved by Correia.
O'Donnell: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by O'Donnell to accept correspondence. All those in favor say
aye. Opposed same sign. Carries 6-0, with...can she accept
correspondence on this?
Karr: We're fine.
Wilburn: Okay. 7-0.
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#5 Page 18
ITEM 5 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
d) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE REZONING APPROXIMATELY
5.75 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ALONG A PORTION OF
SOUTH GOVERNOR AND BOWERY STREETS FROM
NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION RESIDENTIAL (RNS-12)
ZONE TO MEDIUM DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY (RS-8)
ZONE. (REZ07-00002) (SECOND CONSIDERATION)
Bailey: Mr. Mayor, I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be
considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the
meeting at which it is to be finally passed be suspended, that the second
consideration and vote be waived, and that the ordinance be voted on for
final passage at this time.
Wilburn: Motion by Bailey to expedite.
Vanderhoef: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion.. .on the expedition? Expediting?
Roll call. Item carries 7-0.
Bailey: I move that the ordinance be finally adopted at this time.
Wilburn: Moved by Bailey.
Vanderhoef: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Roll call.
Dilkes: Do you want to do your Ex Parte?
Wilburn: Dh, yeah, I'm sorry. Urn, are there any Council Members that have any
Ex Parte, discussions on the side that they must disclose? No? Roll call.
Item carries 7-0.
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#5 Page 19
ITEM 5 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
e) CONSIDER A MOTION APPROVING A LETTER TO THE
JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF A REZONING FROM
COUNTY AGRICULTURE (A) TO COUNTY RESIDENTIAL
(R) ZONE FOR 3.0 ACRES OF PROPERTY LOCATED ON
THE WEST SIDE OF KANSAS AVE SW, APPROXIMATELY v..
MILE SOUTH OF IWV RD SW AND A NEARBY 3.0 ACRE
PROPERTY FROM COUNTY RESIDENTIAL (R) ZONE TO
COUNTY AGRICULTURE (A). (CZ07-00001)
Champion: Move to send the letter.
Wilburn: Moved by Champion.
O'Donnell: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion?
Vanderhoef: And who...it appears we added from the City, this well business and the
connect up, and...
Franklin: Yes, yes.
Vanderhoef: . . . and is that for underground springs in the area or something?
Franklin: No. Urn, as we were reviewing this at a stafflevel, the Director of Public
Works, Rick Fosse, raised the issue of the expansion of the landfill over
time. The landfill has a long-range plan that right now the landfill is right
here. The long-range plan for the landfill is to potentially acquire property
out into this area, to Kansas A venue, and there is a requirement at the
State level that you cannot have a well within 1,000 feet of a landfill.
What we don't want to get into is a situation in which we are precluded
from using the area that we have acquired for landfill, because there is a
(TAPE ENDS)
(TAPE STARTS ON OTHER SIDE WITH ITEM 6 DISCUSSION ALREADY GOING)
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ITEM 6
Page 20
APPROVING THE IOWA CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY'S
ANNUAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007.
a) PUBLIC HEARING
(TAPE BEGAN HERE)
Rackis: .. . make sure that people are watching those. There has been discussion,
and I think we will be going forward with putting them on DVD's, so that
people can access them either via the internet or via a computer, and then
developing a short exam to, again, make sure that somebody has
participated in curriculum. We continue to find, or to seek out grant
opportunities. It takes about $5,000 to put on the class, and that's partially
the advertising, the materials, the hand-outs that we give to people, urn,
some food, some expert presenters that are not available through the Iowa
City Area Association of Realtors. Other than that, it remains a complete
volunteer effort, and I'd really like to commend Deb Briggs ofthe
Housing Authority and Cheryl Nelson of the Association of Realtors for
jointly taking the leadership and keeping this going with the Fair Housing
Ambassadors, and finding ways almost on a weekly basis to expand and
make the class better. So, urn, we foresee some good things coming out of
that. Secondly, the only other comment I'd like to make is to thank you
for your positive comments on our Homes for the Future Project. Urn,
although it's not being funded, urn, we will find ways, hopefully, to go
forward with that and just to say the Housing Authority views community,
or neighborhood revitalization and trying to preserve existing homes as
owner-occupied as being a key component in maintaining and developing
affordable housing, now and in the future, for the community. So, with
that, any questions that you might have on our Annual Plan, Annual
Report for this year?
Elliott:
Rackis:
Elliott:
Rackis:
Elliott:
Rackis:
Steve, the class you just described, is there a charge for that when they
attend it at Kirkwood?
No.
Kirkwood provides it?
No, the realtors actually provide the class, in conjunction with the Housing
Authority.
So they can participate without having to pay anything?
And I believe.. . Cheryl and Debra negotiating.. . Kirkwood is going to
charge minimal registration fee for people who are not mandated to take
the class. So the Housing Authority and other participants, who have to
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take the class to get into home ownership, will not be charged, but people
from the general public will pay a minimal registration fee.
Vanderhoef: 1'd just like to thank, urn, Steve... this past week, he and Cheryl Nelson
and Deb Briggs made a trip up to Cedar Rapids and presented this
program to statewide housing task force for Iowa League of Cities, and it
was very well received. We're going to try and work it somehow into a
housing program for League of Cities session in September in Dubuque.
Thank you, and all the staff that spent their time up there with us.
Bailey: I do have a question, and because I. . . the Homes for Our Future, and this
might exhibit my naivete about the potential homebuyers. If somebody is
a public servant moving to this area there is the potential that they've
owned a home before, and it's just the affordability of homes in our area
that would be a barrier, and you require them to take the home buying
class. Would you require that of everybody, or is that just for first-time
home buyers in this situation?
Rackis: Well...
Bailey: Or perhaps you're not even seeing that situation, so it's a moot point.
Rackis: No, we're not seeing...if somebody is a prior homeowner, according to
our program, well, at least in the Section 8 program, if they're going to use
their voucher for homeownership, they would have to, in effect, sit on the
sidelines for three years. So if somebody owned a home, sold the home,
and were on our program, they couldn't participate for three years.
Bailey: Even in this Homes for Our Future Program?
Rackis: Urn, you know we hadn't really discussed that. I mean, we're typically
targeting the first-time homebuyer. We have not encountered any
previous homeowners, in any of our homeownership programs, yet, and
that would require a staff discussion on how we would want to deal with
that.
Bailey: But it's not, obviously it's not a big issue. Okay, thanks.
Vanderhoef: This program is, is certainly worth looking at in the future. I would
support it at this point in time personally because this is a re-use of dollars,
because even though it shows in the prospectus $130,000 to purchase one
of these homes and rehab it, there's a huge amount oflead-based paint
involved in a total rehab that's required by the federal government, but
then that house is being sold, so it may well be only $30,000 to $40,000
that we put into it. The sold house - that money comes back in for
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#6
Rackis:
Correia:
Bailey:
Correia:
Wilburn:
Page 22
recycling for another purchase, and it will continue along that way. So,
urn, I hope we can do it, ifnot this year, next year.
Well, yeah, actually in the mechanics, the way we would work it. Let's
say we did have, uh, well, to make the math easy. Let's say we had a
home that we rehabbed it, and the home was appraised to sell, and we
would have to use a HUD approved appraiser. Let's say the house
appraised at $100,000. That is the sale price, no negotiations. We would
require the family put up 75% ofthe purchase price through whatever
funds they can get from a private lender, you know, gifted money,
inheritance, whatever. So, and then we would have a $25,000 second
mortgage on the home. So if we put up say $100,000 to rehab it and that's
what the house sold for, at the point of sale, we're going to get $75,000
back immediately. So, I think in that $130,000 example in our grant
application, upon sale $97,500 would be coming back immediately to be
either returned to CDBG Home, or recycled through the Housing
Authority for another purchase. So it actually becomes less money.
I really like this concept, as well, and while I think that because ofthe
turnaround nature of it, the loaning out, the getting money back, that I
think that there are options to implement this program without having to
use CDBG and Home funds, which I believe should be used for the lowest
impact needs at the lowest income level, which is what those funds are for,
and be able to...I think we should have a discussion on this project at
some time in the future, urn, how could we fund this through the City,
without using our federal resources.
I agree with you, because I think, urn, it's not only an exciting home
ownership project, I think it's a neighborhood stabilization project, and I
think comprehensively there are benefits to the community on so many
levels, but we need to be exploring how we can make this possible.
One of the things I just wanted to point out that I think is, just for
community education, is that the Housing Choice Voucher Program, you
indicate on page six of the report, puts $3 million into our local economy
through payments to private landlords, and I think, you know, they don't
necessarily know that about this program. That's fabulous economic
development. Additionally, at one point $8 million was paid, urn, and
that's just in Iowa City, and an additional $1.8 in North Liberty and
Coralville, and then you also have figures for the private contractors for
maintenance in our public housing, but a big benefit to the community,
generally, in terms of this program.
Thank you, Steve. Would anyone else care to address the Council on this
item? (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed.
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b) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
Bailey: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by Bailey.
Correia: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Correia. Discussion?
Vanderhoef: Just one other comment that I'd like to make, urn, if we look at the total
funding coming in for Home and CDBG monies, we're down about
$340,000 from the previous year. At this point in time, that may continue
to go down, depending on the federal funding for the program. So, just
keep watching. There certainly are some moves towards trying to
eliminate it at the national level. Cities are lobbying very hard to keep it
into the program, and keep those programs funded.
Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0.
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ITEM 8
APPROVING PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF
CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE 2007 PCC PAVEMENT PROJECT -
BENTON STREET, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID
SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY
CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND
FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
a) PUBLIC HEARING
Wilburn:
This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is open. This
deals with patching, diamond grinding, sawing, cleaning, fixing Benton
Street between Mormon Trek Boulevard and Sunset Strip. Street, I'm
sorry. (laughter and several talking at once) Dh, golly! (laughter) Dh,
did I open the public hearing yet? Anyone care to address the Council in
the public hearing? (pounds gavel) Public hearing is closed.
b) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
Correia: Move the resolution.
Champion: Second.
Wilburn: Moved by Correia, seconded by Champion. Discussion? Roll call, please.
Item carries 7-0.
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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.
a) PUBLIC HEARING
Wilburn: The next two items may take a little discussion. Does the Council want to
press on, or do you want to take a break? Take a break?
Vanderhoef: I hear a break
Wilburn: Let's come back at ten after 8:00. (BREAK)
Wilburn: For Items 9 and 10, I will not be participating because I have a conflict of
interest. Is that right, 9 and 10? 9 and 10; both involve the use of
Community Development Block Grant and/or Home Funds, and I work
for an organization that has received those funds in the past, and is a
current applicant.
Bailey: (reads Item 9) This is a public hearing. (pounds gavel) Public hearing is
open.
Pickup: My name is Sandy Pickup. I live at 818 3rd Avenue, and I work at the
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic, and I've just come to thank you all and the
Commission for all the good things that have come to the Free Medical
Clinic because ofthe Community Development Block Grant Funds, and
urn, you know, over the last probably four years, I think we've seen like a
25% increase in the number of patients that come to us that have chronic
health problems - hypertension, diabetes - those kinds of things, and the
funds that we've received from CDBG have gone to partially fund a case
manager to help those people with their multiple needs, and then also, just
over the last ten years, I was looking back through our finances, and we've
received over $80,000 from those funds for other kinds of things, as well,
and we are, you know, just grateful that through those funds we're able...I
think that's helped us be in our new building, which has really been a
wonderful, uplifting thing for the patients, and they feel so much better
being there, and urn, you know, mostly I just wanted to thank you all and
that's.. .I'm thanking you! (laughter)
Vanderhoef: Sandy... Sandy, how are the patients dealing with transportation.. .out to
the new location?
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Pickup: Oh, there's a great bus stop right there - Towncrest bus is right there, you
know, half a block away, and we have parking now, which we didn't have
before, and a lot of our patients have cars, and you know, they just had to,
you know, walk for blocks and blocks before because there wasn't any
parking nearby, and then also people.. .it's within walking distance from
some of our patients' homes that live out in that area. So it's been fine,
and we get bus passes from the City too, so that's great.
Champion: The new facility is working out very well.
Pickup: We like it a lot!
Dennis: Good evening. I'm Maryann Dennis and I live on Rochester Avenue and I
work for the Housing Fellowship. Urn, I do have news from the Housing
Fellowship. The...we, and the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County,
will move our offices next week. Our new address will be 322 2nd Street
in Iowa City. We're looking forward to that. I'd like to thank the
Housing and Community Development Commission for their support of
our applications and I especially wanted to mention to you that I just think
that Steve Long and Tracy Hightshoe do a terrific job and it's been my
pleasure to work with them on our projects. The application from the
Housing Fellowship for the new construction of affordable rental housing
is specifically to acquire lots in neighborhoods where the development of
HUD-assisted housing is currently encouraged by the Council. We will
not build rental homes in areas that don't fit your policies. So I wanted to
make sure that everybody understands that.
Champion: Thank you. Appreciate that. (unable to hear full comment)
Dennis: The plan is to build...okay...the plan is to build ten homes, urn, accepting
the recommendations, your acceptance of the recommendations of the
Housing and Community Development Commission will provide the local
support that we need in order to secure the other sources of financing, and
we're confident that we will be able to secure the sources that we need to
go ahead and build the ten homes. Thank you.
Elliott: Maryann? These houses that you will be building, will... based on
financial need, for rental purposes, they will be on the tax roles, is that
correct?
Dennis: That's correct.
Elliott: Good!
Dennis: We'll establish a for-profit limited partnership.
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Elliott:
Dennis:
Elliott:
Dennis:
Correia:
Dennis:
Correia:
Koppes:
Harms:
Koppes:
Page 27
And one of the things that, uh, that I think you people mentioned, is this
brings in a lot of work into the city ofIowa City for home builders and
construction workers. I like that aspect also.
Thank you.
I don't agree with everything, but there are some very positive aspects to
it.
The development of affordable housing has a significant economic impact
on a community, absolutely! Thank you.
And, I was also going to point out that, we didn't discuss this last night,
but because public funds are being used, then the homes will be universal
design.
Yes, that's a City ordinance.
City ordinance, so they'll have no-step entries and numerous other
designs.
Hi, I'm Beth Koppes from the Weatherby Neighborhood Association. I
live on California Avenue.
And I'm Chris Harms and I am with the Grant Wood Neighborhood
Association, and I live on Aster Avenue.
And we want to thank you for considering our splash pad idea. Urn, we
know the money is seed money, and we are looking for lots of other places
to get money, including private and public, and we're really are willing to
try do the fundraising and we'll know. . . I think March 15th next year by
next year we'll know how we're going and if things are going well then
we can continue, from what I understand. This is a project we feel
benefits many, many people south of Highway 6. Some who can't afford
to get into Mercer Park, because this would not have admittance... any fees
to get into, and you cannot get there by transportation because Highway 6
is quite the barrier for kids. We know that.. .well, anyway, we've been
talking quietly to some people offhand. We haven't really been pushing
until after this meeting, on filling out grants or anything, but we wanted to
make sure that the seed money became ours before we started, 'cause it's
best to have money before we can start fundraising. A little bit
anyway.. .so, anyway, we've had a few preliminary discussions and we've
been to the last Parks and Rec meetings. Urn, although we've not really
gotten into discussions of money that they could give to us, we're hoping
that there's at least some help with installation, or you know, contracting
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Patton:
Bailey:
Karr:
Elliott:
Bailey:
Dowd:
Page 28
on cement work or something that they can give us their expertise,
because these are sort of similar to playgrounds. I'm not saying like them
because you involve water, you involve a lot of other things, and you have
to...because we're doing a filtration system, there's a whole set of, a
building that has to be built to house the filtration systems, and there's a
lot of other work on this that I'm hoping Parks and Rec will help us with,
and other than that, you know, it is a very large undertaking. So, if you
guys have any suggestions on grants, other places to get money, we're
open for them, and we really are hoping some of the community will step
in and help us with this great project. Thanks.
Good evening. My name is Mark Patton. I'm the Executive Director of
Iowa Valley Habitat here in Iowa City, and I'd like to say two quick
things. One is, thank you for your past and current support of our efforts.
I'm not sure we could afford to raise enough money to buy building lots in
Iowa City without your help, and just as a sort oflate breaking news, when
you approve money for our projects, it takes about two years before they
come to fruition, but coming in two Sundays, we have dedications, a
house at 1910 H Street; this coming Sunday at 1:30. It's a Tippy School
build, and then a week later on Mother's Day, we have our Women's'
Build project on Rochester Avenue, and some of you maybe wondering
why it wasn't done in January, but the Women's' Build Committee
wanted to dedicate it on Mother's Day, so that's why it's taken that long.
Thank you.
Other comments? Public hearing is closed. (pounds gavel)
Motion to accept correspondence.
Regenia, I think there was...
Oh, I'm sorry, Laura. Come on.
Hi, my name is Laura Dowd, and I'm the Executive Director of Local
Foods Connection, and I'm here to discuss Local Food Connection's
application for $5,000 for a quarter-time salary for the Executive Director
for Financial Year 08, and to answer any questions you might have. Local
Foods Connection purchases food from small family farmers surrounding
the Iowa City area, and donates that food to low-income families. We
emoll the families in CSA's, community supported agriculture, which is
anywhere from 18 to 23 weeks of a box of vegetables every week, urn,
grown by a local farmer. This year we hope to serve approximately 33
families and organizations in the Iowa City area, urn, including the Star
Program of the Shelter House, urn, the Domestic Violence Intervention
Program. The Johnson County Crisis Center recommends families to our
program. Will be recommending families this year. The ARC of Johnson
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County will be, as well, and the University Healthcare Alliance Club, the
Hill's Family Resource Center is going to be getting our food out to
Regency Trailer Court, and Hope Christian Church is recommending
families to our program this year, as well.
Champion: Do you have any idea how much food you distributed last year, just out of
curiosity?
Dowd: How many pounds? No. We served about 26 families in Iowa City, one
in Des Moines, and three in Fairfield. And this year we will probably
have three in Des Moines and six in Fairfield. The, as I said, the CSA
share season is 18 to 23 weeks, urn. The weight of the boxes depends on
the type of foods that are harvested, so half a bushel of lettuce weighs very
much differently in the spring than a half a bushel of zucchini and
purnpkin in the fall, but it is, urn, for... there's two different size shares -
the smaller family gets about a half a bushel a week, and the larger family
about a full bushel a week.
Champion: And I thought it was interesting that you were going to serve a special
needs diet, which I think could be quite complicated. Will that be the
director's job to...is there a nutritionist you can consult with? How are
you going to handle special needs diets?
Dowd: Urn, what happens is the organizations, such as the Crisis Center, who
have special needs clients make our food share a component oftheir work.
So we do not do any meal planning with the families at all. We do have
educational activities that clients can participate in, such as weekly
information sheets where they could read about the information on a
vegetable that's in season that week and take a quiz. They can read from
our recommended book list, or visit a farm, and by doing those activities,
they earn points, and with those points they can purchase kitchen
equipment. So it is an incentive program, urn, but we do not do any...and
we have a nutritionist helping us with, this year we have Katy Tharp who
is a licensed and registered dietitian helping us with that. But we do not
work directly with the families on their specific needs.
Vanderhoef: What's the purchase of the kitchen equipment?
Dowd: Urn, well, we get things, we get donations of items, like, urn, salad
spinners or cutting boards, knives, urn, things that people can use to
prepare the vegetables we give them, because sometimes our clients don't
have adequate tools. So we get those donations and we have like a little
store and then we create an inventory list and we send that out with the
clients, with the informational packet on all the different educational
opportunities. So we had about, almost 100% participation last year by
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our clients, doing at least one of the activities. (unable to hear person
talking) Sure.
Champion: .. .not familiar with it. Sounds really good!
Dowd: Thanks, and we're all volunteer run right now.
Bailey: Okay, any other.. . okay. . . comments, before I officially close the public
hearing? (laughter)
Handler: Hi, my name is Robert Handler. I live at 1338 Carroll Street, and Ijust
came also in support of the Local Foods Connection, urn. I've been a
volunteer with the organization for about three years, and I recently joined
the Board of Directors of the Local Foods Connection within the past year,
and urn, we're.. . all of us on the Board of Directors are very proud of what
Laura's managed to do with very limited funds in the community. I think
it's a beautiful marriage of two systems that are both in desperate need of
community support, urn, helping local sustainable solutions for food
procurement, and also helping needy families who are often not able to
afford a healthy diet of consistent fresh fruit and vegetables. So, urn, we
think it's a great program and we're growing steadily in the area. Right
now, as Laura mentioned, she does all of this basically on a volunteer
basis. She has no set salary, despite all of the hours she puts in, and we're
applying for this grant to help her get a salary that's more commensurate
with other social service organizations in the area, and will help us with
our taxes and to make us more attractive to other state and federal grants
as we continue on, applying for bigger fish. So, thank you very much.
Bailey: Other comments? Let's try this again. Public hearing is closed. (pounds
gavel)
Karr: Motion to accept correspondence.
Vanderhoef: So moved.
Correia: Second.
Bailey: All those in favor say aye. Motion carries.
b) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
Correia:
Move adoption.
Champion:
Second.
Bailey:
Moved by Correia, seconded by Champion. Discussion?
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Correia: One of the things I was just. . . I wanted to point what I really like about the
housing proj ects is we have a range in this allocation. We have
transitional housing, we have affordable rental, we have affordable
homeownership, we're supporting capacity of our non-profit housing
developer, we're doing the lead-based paint, and urn, and the housing
rehab - I just think that it's a really good range of, urn, areas within the
issues that we've identified in our community around housing, so it's
really nice to see that.
Bailey: Any other discussion or comment?
Elliott: Ijust wanted to thank the Commission that worked on this. When a group
of volunteers who are concerned about serving people who have some
very real needs, and you get something in excess of $3.5 million in
requests and applications, and you have a $1.5 million to hand out, it's
emotionally distressing to have to say "no" to very sincere, well-meaning
people and to say "no" to some people who have some very significant
needs, but that's what these folks have had to do, and they do it every
year, and they do it very well. We don't all agree, but I'm just pleased
that the Commission is there with the leadership that it has, and I say
thank you.
Vanderhoef: I second it!
Bailey: Okay, other discussion? Roll call. Motion carries 6-0, Wilburn abstaining
due to conflict of interest.
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#10 Page 32
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.
Champion: Move the resolution.
Correia: Second.
Bailey: Moved by Champion, seconded by Correia. Discussion?
Correia: What I really liked about the process, outlined in the memo, was how we
brought in outside constituents to help select and be part of putting
together what we wanted out of this study (unable to hear). I think that's a
really good model for (unable to hear) in this process. Appreciate that.
Bailey: Other discussion? Karin, did you have any comments about this, at all?
Okay.
Vanderhoef: I'll just, urn, report - I had a question about it. I talked with Karin, and
because we're doing research on the age of housing, we'll be able to
extrapolate from that where the housing is that is constrained by lead-
based paint, and this is one of the things that we talked about earlier, and
so that's going to be worked out with the consultants so we get that report,
even though it isn't stated directly in this.
Bailey: Good, that seems consistent with Council's interest, so I'm glad you
checked into that.
Elliott: I look forward to, urn, Glenn Siders and Karen Kubby talked with us
earlier. The group that they have put together, I look forward to City
Council, City staff, and that group, and the consultant, working on this
important project, working very productively together.
Bailey: Okay. Roll call. Motion carries 6-0, Wilburn abstaining due to conflict of
interest.
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ITEM 12 CONSIDER RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $8,870,000
GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERlES 2007A.
Champion: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by Champion.
Correia: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Correia. Discussion?
Elliott: Rather quick question just for the public's information, Steve or Kevin's
here. Where does this place us in our policy of percentage of the budget
that is allowable for GO Bonds? We do have a policy on...
Atkins: Oh, 1 believe 24%. It'sjust short of the policy...
Elliott: Okay, we're well...(several talking at once).
Atkins: And we did receive a AAA-credit rating. That'll be in your packet on
Thursday, and we had 11 bidders, which (several talking at once).
Vanderhoef: 3.75%, I like those numbers.
Champion: Well, if! had $8 million, I'd like 'em too! (laughter)
Wilburn: And just for.. .it'll come out later with that in the packet, but the difference
between AAA and AA-ratings is about $200,000 a year savings, is that
correct?
Atkins: A tad bit more than that.
Wilburn: A little bit more? Okay. All right. Roll call. Item carries 7-0.
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#13 Page 34
ITEM 13 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING DISTRIBUTION OF
THE "PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS" (PIN)
GRANT FUNDS.
Champion: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by Champion.
Vanderhoef: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef and everybody else. Discussion?
Wright: Good evening, I'm Mike Wright. I'm wearing two hats this evening. I'm
the Chair of the Northside Neighborhood Association, and I'm also the
spokesperson for the Iowa City Neighborhood Council. We have seven
PIN grants for your consideration this evening, and I know you've talked
about most of them from Grant Wood, Northside, Goosetown, Weatherby,
Glendale-Morningside, Washington Hills, and the Peninsula area
neighborhood. Urn, we had originally had applications for grants totaling
$30,000 this year, which was the most I've seen since I've been involved
in this. As you know, the funding is $15,000, and it was quite a bit of
horse trading getting this down into the size of the appropriated budget.
Urn, we have representatives from each association here this evening to
talk about their grants and to answer any quick questions that you have,
and I will offer some closing comments, as well, and right at the moment,
I will turn it over to the Grant Wood Association.
Harms: I'm Chris Harms. I'm with the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association.
We applied for $750 and urn, we got scaled down to $700. Urn, our
association represents 960 households, urn, and we would like to just form
bonds within the neighborhood. The money is going to be used for a
Harvest Party, urn, about $500 of it, we hope, will be used for that. We
had a Harvest Party last year. Our first one, and we had between 400 and
500 people at it, so it was a huge success, urn. We had games, we had free
food, we had prizes. The kids dressed up in costumes. We had the Fire
Department was there with a fire truck, and the Police Department were
handing out stickers. So, everybody seemed to have a really good time
and then, urn, the rest of the money we'd like to use, urn, to show a movie
in Fairmeadows Park, an outside movie this summer some time, and we
would like your approval ofthat. Thank you.
Wilburn: Thank you.
Wright: I'm back. Urn, this time wearing my Northside Neighborhood Association
hat. This year, the Northside Neighborhood submitted a PIN grant for
development for a master plan for North Market Square Park. Urn, some
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Wilburn:
Klaus:
Page 35
of you may know that North Market Square and College Green are the two
oldest parks in Iowa City, dating to 1839. Urn, College Green has had
quite a bit of renovation over the years. Unfortunately, they lost a number
of their trees during the storm last year. Northside, on the other hand, has
not seen, um, quite so much care, although it is a very heavily used park.
We serve in the Northside neighborhood, our newsletter goes to over
1,100 households, and a fair number of those must use the North Market
Square Park. Urn, this is a partnership that we've put together, between
the Mann School PTO, the Northside Neighborhood Association, and the
Parks and Recreation department to fund this study, to determine what
the... steps we should have in terms of renovating the park. The
neighborhood will be consulted heavily throughout the process. Urn,
we're requesting $4,400 this year and we much appreciate your
consideration. Thank you.
Thank you.
My name is Carl Klaus. I live at 416 Reno Street and I'm speaking on
behalf of Goosetown's PIN grant proposal, to have a local engineering
firm study the feasibility of installing 19-Century style streetlamps at key
points throughout the neighborhood. The idea for this proposal was
conceived some three years ago by Marybeth Slonneger, resident and
historian of Goosetown. She initially presented her idea back then at a
large neighborhood picnic, celebrating the installation of the highly
successful goose plagues that were funded by an Art in the Neighborhood
grant. Since then, Marybeth has drafted the current proposal in
consultation with members of the Committee that developed the idea for
the goose plagues. Like the plaques, the proposed streetlamps are
intended to highlight Goosetown's historic heritage and its striking array
of vernacular cottages, many dating from the pre- to Civil War period.
Such antique-style lighting is intended not only to produce a more
pleasing streetscape, but also a more safely illuminated vista for persons
on foot or on bicycle, by virtue of supplementing the taller overhead
fixtures with pedestrian focused light. If the proposed study goes forward
and historic streetlamps are installed, groups of neighborhood volunteers
will plant clumps of purple coneflowers at the base of each lamp, using
neighborhood funds and contributions to purchase these hardy perennial
flowers, native to Iowa, that bloom from early to late summer. This
collaborative planting project is intended not only to compliment the
streetlamps and highlight Goosetown's immigrant gardening heritage, but
also to produce a greater sense of cohesion and social interaction within
the neighborhood. So, the proposed historic style streetlamps will be the
focal element in a neighborhood improvement project that will have a
practical and esthetic benefits, both for residents and visitors of
Goosetown.
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#13 Page 36
Champion: When you say you wanted to put those in specific places, you have like in
mind like comers where the little plaques are, or what did you mean when
you said strategically placed lamp posts?
Klaus: Urn, I'm a bit hard of hearing. ..
Champion: You said you want to put them in certain places, the lights would be
(unable to hear person in audience).
Wilburn: I'll need you to speak into the microphone, sir.
Klaus: The location ofthe streetlamps will be determined in part by the feasibility
study. Urn, at... when we first discussed this with, urn, a representative of
the engineering firm, HLM, we were thinking that they might be on the
comers, but then it occurred to us, urn, as well as Mr. Lewis from the
engineering firm, that it might really be more useful in terms of providing
supplementary lighting to have them intermediate, along the blocks, rather
than on the comers because at the comers, they would be simply
duplicating the overhead lamps, whereas if they were midway in the
blocks, they would be supplementing it.
Bailey: And this is a project for the feasibility study, not the placement of the
lamps, correct? It will only get us to saying that this is possible and we
should move ahead or we shouldn't move ahead?
Klaus: Urn, the...the placement, the question of placement will also be included
in the feasibility study.
Bailey: Okay.
Champion: Thank you.
O'Donnell: Thank you.
Koppes: I am Beth Koppes from the Weatherby Friends and Neighbors, and this is
my first public grant that I've requested for the splash pad at Weatherby
Park. Again, it's a great project and we really are hoping to get going on
it. Thank you for providing this money.
Romero: Hi, I'm Mindy Romero, 12 Hawthorn Street, and I'm subbing in for the
representative for the Glendale-Morningside neighborhood, and we have a
decent sized area that, urn, the Glendale Park, that has two baby swings
and three little bouncy horses, and a teeter totter, and then there's a creek,
part of the creek goes through there, and then the rest of the area is being
cleared and is just grass, and we've asked for $3,000 to get things rolling
for the park. Urn, there's some drainage issues and other things that
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Page 37
we're, that the Parks department has noted that need to be taken care of
before climbing equipment, slides, things like that for older children
would be able to be put in place for the neighborhood. We're meeting
with them on Thursday and then we have a Family Fun night scheduled
for the summer time to raise awareness and urn, interest, and hopefully
raise money for the park, but we.. .it's the only park that's in walking
distance for a large number offamilies. There's about, I think there's
about three quarters of the families, urn, in the neighborhood that have
children that could or would use a park. Urn, those of us who have
children that are under four, can use the park for brief periods of time
because of the wonderful, but limited equipment that is there now.
Champion: Where is that park?
Romero: It's on Jefferson Street. Is it Glendale or Jefferson? (several talking)
Correia: .. . right down the street from there, so Jefferson turns into Glendale, and
it's right on the creek before you get to 7'h Avenue. It's a little hidden
park.
Romero: I think that, urn, that the original equipment was put in about, when the
neighborhood started in the 1950's, and urn, then, urn, I think it was
neglected because maybe the families...
Champion: No one could see it, that's why! (laughter)
Romero: And then, you know, families aged and didn't use it as much, and now
there's a lot of young families in there, and the reason I didn't know if it
was Glendale or Jefferson because Jefferson turns into Glendale (several
talking at once).
Champion: Thank you.
Romero: So, we're looking forward to having a park that many families can use
(TAPE ENDS)
Hightshoe: . . . a bench to go along the arterial on Scott Boulevard that has 8- foot wide
sidewalks. Urn, we will put a concrete slab under the bench, and we'll
provide an extended concrete slab for wheelchair accessibility, strollers,
urn. Since this concrete slab will be adjacent to the sidewalk there, urn,
it's in the public right-of-way, and we also felt it was important to put the
concrete slab so that the homeowner wouldn't have to mow under the
bench to maintain it long term. So that's what increased our expense with
the bench. Thanks.
Wilburn: Thank you.
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#13
Hamilton:
Wilburn:
Wright:
Page 38
Good evening. My name is Sara Hamilton. I'm from 1207 Swisher in
Iowa City and I'm here representing the Peninsula Neighborhood
Association. I think this is the first time the Peninsula Neighborhood
Association has been up here and talking with the neighborhood
associations, as well. We submitted a grant application this year to help us
get some playground equipment purchased and installed on Emma Harvat
Square, which is in the center of our neighborhood. Urn, Peninsula
Neighborhood is a new, but thriving community. We have currently about
88 residents and 27 children, and IS ofthese are from the low-income
housing. Currently 17% of our housing is low-income, urn, and we don't
have any major community areas for the children to play that are safe.
The Peninsula was designed to have small lots and so no one really has
space for playground equipment oftheir own, swing sets or anything on
their own lots, but we do have community green spaces, and the Peninsula
Development Corporation has spent significant resources, just in the past
couple months, preparing a park on Emma Harvat Square with sidewalks
and sod and trees, and lighting, and a nice sign, but now we'd like to get
some playground equipment on there so the children have a safe place to
play that is away from what is becoming increasingly busier Foster Road,
because of the Dog Park and the Disc Golf Park traffic. We would fence
the area around and make it a safe place for those children and families to
play, and because currently the closest playground equipment is more than
two miles away, not really walkable for most families at City Park, and
public transportation does not come all the way into the Peninsula area.
So, we...we graciously appreciate any consideration you can give us for
the Peninsula neighborhood. Thank you.
Thank you.
One of the most, urn, amazing parts of the PIN grant process is the
sharing, the creativity, and the energy that all the neighborhoods put into
the development ofthese grants. As I mentioned, the...we had quite a bit
of conversation to try to get this. . . all the grants notched down to fit into
the budget that we had this year, and it was an amazing exercise in
goodwill among the different neighborhoods. Urn, it was...in some ways it
was actually kind of a fun process. It was a little long at the time
(laughter), we did manage to get through that, and we do very much
appreciate the Council's continued support of the PIN grants. Urn, one of
the things that we discussed, and just, just wanted to mention, it that the
PIN grants were cut a number of years ago, down from $25,000 to
$15,000 and as budget planning goes on during the next fiscal year, just
kind of stick that thought in the back of your minds, the neighborhoods
would be thrilled! (laughter)
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Vanderhoef: I wondered when somebody would ask, because I remember when it was
$25,000 and then...
Wright: We've been at $15,000 now for a nurnber of years, and it's remaining a
very popular, very vital program, and urn, it would be...it would be just
this side of magic for the neighborhoods to have (unable to hear).
Champion: Well, you have more neighborhoods asking for them now, too.
Wright: We do have more neighborhoods. We have new neighborhoods, urn, and
it's just a... been a remarkable growth opportunity for some of these
associations to gather around the PIN grant process. This has really
revitalized and introduced the new associations.
Champion: And I did mention last night that a lot of this is going into neighborhood
parks, which is good, but I think that's also a reason we need to increase
this money, if we're going to start putting this money into a lot of park
stuff. . . we should be, that money should be coming from somewhere else.
So yeah, keep in mind at budget time. (laughter)
Vanderhoef: I'm pleased to see how over the years the program has sort of gelled down
with better and better projects, and more futuristic kind of projects. We
still have those neighborhood activity things that are important for
community development, but like Connie said, urn, park and park
planning and serving the age ofthe children that are there, recognizing
that neighborhoods turn over. We heard about one tonight, uh, that now
has young children again, and I've been through neighborhoods and lived
in different places in Iowa City and have seen that same kind of thing
happen and it's important for us to hear back from you folks to know for
sure when those sales of houses are changing, and what is happening, what
used to be a young neighborhood now is becoming gray haired, like
myself, and that's okay. Thank you.
Wright: Thank you very much.
Wilburn: Thank you. Any further discussion?
Bailey: Well, as I mentioned last night, urn, with the Goosetown historical lighting
project, I was wondering if we could step back. It's a big project, and look
at how it might fit into a more comprehensive streetscape study for the
City, and then, urn, the PIN grant wouldn't necessarily be going for the
feasibility, but it might go for historic lighting, instead of studying the
concept of historic lighting, and we could do a broader study of how that
would fit into our community streetscape, and I was wondering if anybody
else had thought about that and if there was interest in doing that. Ijust
think it makes sense from a planning perspective.
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Vanderhoef: I like that idea. Uh, there certainly are different pockets in town that may
need upgrading, just because of age of lighting fixtures that we have. It's
one of the things that we need to inventory every so often and take a look
at and see where they are, uh, and then see where they would possibly fit
into our Capital Improvement Plan. So, I would like to go that direction. I
think that's a great idea.
Elliott: When you brought it up last night, I was ambivalent about it, but from
what I heard tonight, this is more extensive than I had understood it to be.
We're talking about streetlights, placement of additional streetlights, kinds
of lights, and so yeah, I think it would be a good idea. Are you thinking of
holding back on the consultant or allowing the consultant to go ahead and
then we, we chip in when they are more in a planning mode?
Bailey: I was thinking that we might undertake the study as our capital portion of
it, and then allow PIN grants to go forward for the installation, once we
have a plan, a broader plan. I don't think $1,750, I mean, I'm sure that the
Council discussed this, doesn't get you much of a consultant, urn, an
engineering consultant. So, I was thinking that we could playa greater
planning role and allow the neighborhoods to play the implementation
role.
Correia: Who would do a...a city-wide lighting...plan, I mean.. . (several talking at
once)
Bailey: Karin could probably indicate how this might work.
Correia: You could assign it to somebody (unable to hear).
Franklin: Oh, yes, I don't think we'd do it in-house. Urn, no, I mean, I think we
probably would, just off the top of my head, I think we would hire a
consultant to look at this from a streetscape perspective. We would be
working with MidArnerican, we would be working with Public Works,
and... because we've got the traffic lighting aspect of it, the esthetic aspect
of it, the cost, all those things have to be looked at. So...
Correia: So, if we're interested in doing this, how...what's, I mean, how do we
move forward?
Franklin: What you would need to do would be to assign it to him, and then he'll
assign it to me (laughter), and then we would put together an RFP for
consultants to, to put it together. I mean, it means spending some money.
Correia: Do we have a ballpark on how much that would be?
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#13 Page 41
Atkins: If you've got some...why don't you let us staff it and bring it back to you
in a couple of weeks, give you some ideas...
Franklin: And we can get that kind of in the ballpark.
Bailey: We could break it down by areas of the community too, and roll it in over
a period of time. . . this is the neighborhood, or the area that's interested in
starting with it. Definitely we want to start with the study in that...
Franklin: Maybe we do the Central District.
Bailey: Absolutely!
Franklin: 'Cause we're in the midst of Central District planning right now, and this,
that's where Goosetown is.
Correia: .. . makes sense too if you're looking at historic neighborhoods to start at
doing the implementation.
Atkins: We'll staff it and bring something back to you.
Champion: Okay.
Wilburn: Sounds good.
Elliott: And it appears you've roped me in to yet another consultant.
Atkins: Yes. (laughter)
Elliott: I love it!
Correia: So would we...would we, essentially, be holding this $1,750 for the
lighting, once we have. ..
Champion: .. .or give it back to the (unable to hear).
Correia: .. .information on what is feasible?
Bailey: Well, and I'd like to hear their thoughts on how, on moving forward in this
way, urn, sort of going, getting some of the feasibility study done and then
allowing the neighborhood, potentially the neighborhoods in the Central
District, to do some implementation with PIN grants. I don't know.
Wilburn: I think what we're saying, and feel free to come forward and comment,
but I think what we're saying is you've sparked an idea that's, there's
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potential interest in growing, impact the entire city, and so we'd like to run
with your idea.
Bailey: It's a good, big idea. Can we take it and run with it, I think is what we see
here.
Wilburn: I think they're nodding their heads yes, so...
Atkins: If you adopt the PIN grants as recommended to you by the Neighborhood
Council, you've substantially earmarked this. I don't think
there's.. .you've identified that these monies will be available for street
lighting. We'll get real specific when the time comes, as opposed to using
it for planning money.
Wilburn: So the mechanics may change slightly.
Atkins: The mechanics may change, but I think your expression ofthe policy is
that you intend to use these monies for street lighting improvement
program.
Bailey: And we're assuming that what our consultant will say is this is feasible
and appropriate, but yes. . .
Atkins: I think the feasibility is probably the biggest issue, because of wiring and
so forth. The desire to have something with respect to ornamental lighting
in neighborhoods, that's real, that's clearly a policy question. You either
like it or you don't.
Bailey: Well, and I think that's the feasibility is both the esthetic (several
talking). . .
Correia: . . . that placement, esthetics, that kind of a recommendation, I mean, that's
what I would be expecting.
Champion: And would it replace the awful things we have now?
Correia: I bet no.
Wilburn: There's a philosophical (laughter and several talking at once).
Champion: Well, why not? We don't have those big things downtown now.
Atkins: Well, remember those big things that you don't like, apparently...
Champion: I just don't think they're very attractive.
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Atkins:
Wilburn:
Atkins:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Page 43
Well, the intent is to light... we have sort of a long-standing policy in our
development that we light intersections, and that's clearly intended. These
lights, these ornamental lights, often don't throw off the same, what do
they call it? Luminescence? Whatever they.. . and I think that has to be
weighed. You have to weight that when you do this review.
I think we've given a pretty clear direction to go with this, and before we
get into discussing the downtown lights and things (laughter) the people at
Van Allen HaIl can't come down and express concerns about the
luminescence given off, blocking their telescopes... we should probably
move on to other areas of the PIN grant.
We will staff this and we will bring it back.
Okay, thank you. Any other comments on the PIN grants?
It was my understanding that we will vote on as recommended; however,
the recommendation for Goosetown will now be transferred to lighting,
rather than a feasibility study.
Yes.
Okay.
Roll call. Item carries 7-0. And for the benefit of the viewing public, the
items where we've allocated these funds...the funds have already been
allocated with the, with the fiscal year 08 budget. This is just now the
mechanics of how those funds are going to be divided up. So, this is
already within City budget.
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ITEM 15 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO
SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A LICENSE
AGREEMENT FOR TEMPORARY USE OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-
WAY BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, LANDOWNER
PLAZA TOWERS, LLC, AND TENANT J & E, INC. D/B/AI
FORMOSA ASIAN CUISINE, FOR A SIDEWALK CAFE.
Bailey: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by Bailey.
Vanderhoef: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion?
Correia: Where was...the outside Forma, like how many tables? It doesn't seem
like there's...(several talking at once).
Atkins: City Plaza. (several talking at once)
Dilkes: Comes ten feet out from the...
Atkins: It's substantially the same as others. It's just on the City Plaza this time.
Wilburn: There's space there. Roll call.
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ITEM 17 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK
TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE
NEWTON ROAD WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
Champion: I move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by Champion.
Vanderhoef: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Engineer estimate $435,000, urn, I
can't pronounce that at all.. . (several talking at once)... Tschiggfrie
Excavating, yeah, thank you, $429,994.55. Public Works and Engineering
recommend awarding the contract to them out of Dubuque, Iowa. It will
be funded by water revenues. Discussion?
Vanderhoef: Why only one bid? Any.. . are they really that busy? The bid came in...
Atkins: As I had it explained to me, asking that same question, is that this is
underground work. Apparently there is sufficient underground work that
you don't have as many bidders. Whereas surface work, street paving,
like the one...youjust simple get more bidders. I do okay, Sarah? Ok,
thanks!
Vanderhoef: Okay
Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0.
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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.
Champion: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by Champion.
Bailey: Second.
Champion: Award to All American Concrete.
Wilburn: Seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Engineer's estimate was $116,000, and
as Connie said, recommended to All American Concrete from West
Liberty, Iowa for $68,645 and no cents.
Champion: This is a good bid!
Wilburn: Roll call. Item carries 7-0.
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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.
O'Donnell: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell.
Champion: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Champion. This resolution repeals the previous resolution,
which authorized the acquisition of property interests necessary for the
construction of this project. City Council no longer wishes, or the
majority of City Council, no longer wishes to proceed with the project.
Discussion?
Bailey: Well, and since I'm the person who jumped sides, Ijust want to be clear
on why I did this. Urn, I think it's important that we do projects with
people and not to people, and as we moved forward, it became less and
less clear that the businesses down there saw the public safety concerns. I
assumed, and I always assume, that as we move forward on these projects
that we are considering public safety and traffic movement, and I also
assume that businesses take that into consideration and are concerned
about those issues, but when it became apparent that nobody was coming
forward agreeing, or indicating support, or... it continued to be difficult to
work with these businesses, it made me wonder if we do indeed have
public safety issues down there that we should be addressing or if we
should just leave well enough alone, and so that's why I decided to change
my mind on this project. I don't think we will be able to ever build
ourselves out oftraffic congestion. I think we're very impatient on the
street and the more I went through this intersection and increasingly with
my new job I'm in my car much more, the more I noticed that there wasn't
as much congestion as I had originally thought there was.
Champion: And I thank you, for changing your mind. You did the right thing.
Bailey: Well...
Champion: .. .for the right reasons. (laughter)
Bailey: Well, it was a thoughtful, thoughtful change. So...
Elliott: I think that what this illustrates is that when we as a City do things, such
as an intersection, we need to consider much more than simply the
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technical engineering aspects of the job at hand. We need to consider the
human element that's involved, whether it be residential or commercial.
So, I'm glad we reconsidered. I would certainly be open to some
significantly less intrusive kind of enhancing this intersection, but I think
we've done the right thing this time.
Wilburn: Okay. I believe that we were considering the human element. We just
disagree on where that focus is.
Vanderhoef: Likewise, uh, this happens to be just one particular area, but nh, we are
intrusive in many places in this city, on a regular basis, whether it be
building new streets or widening other streets or making bus pull-offs or
changing parking on streets. It is intrusive to the people around and they
are being put. . . we do these for public safety and the more we are
expanding in our community to the south, it's very important that we plan
for that and we already have, uh, maximum capacity on Highway 6, and
traffic movement in that corridor is certainly getting more and more
dangerous. Consolidating driveways would be a very good safety
consideration to put down there. We always make sure that we have
accessibility to properties. It may not be like it looked before, but it can
be done safely and still make viable properties down there. Dh, I've
looked at other designs - in fact I drove in to a gas station on the way to
Des Moines this past week and it had a similar location to the gas station
that is in that comer and how you accessed it and came back out, by going
around the building. It was very visible from the street. I knew where it
was. I just had to go to the comer and wind back in there to get gasoline.
It worked out just fine, and it was a tighter comer actually than what this
one is. It's pretty amazing. That was in downtown Des Moines and they
had, uh, seven pumps there and they worked around this, and it was busy
as could be. So, nh, it can be done, and we work hard to accommodate
those folks, and I think we should be going altead with this project.
Wilburn: Roll call. Resolution passes 5-2, Vanderhoef and Wilburn in the negative.
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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.
O'Donnell: Move the resolution.
Wilburn: Moved by O'Donnell.
Elliott: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by.. . Elliott. Sorry about that. Almost called you Bailey again.
(laughter and several talking) Discussion?
Correia: Well, there's...
Wilburn: The Chair will entertain a motion to...
Correia: Well, I move to amend, is this what I need to do? Move to amend the
Annual Plan to not allow bow hunting, as part of our Plan.
Champion: Second.
Wilburn: Moved by Correia, seconded by Champion to remove the bow hunting.
Discussion on the amendment?
Bailey: Well, I agree with that amendment. I mean, I think that reducing the deer
herd is, urn, something that we have to do. It's an unfortunate necessity
due to habitat degradation and lack of natural predators, but I believe that
including bow hunting turns it into, this task that we have to do, into more
of a blood sport and hunting, and I don't think that that's our intent, and so
I don't want to move anywhere in that direction. That doesn't mean I'm
necessarily against hunting. I'm just not supportive of city-sponsored
hunting.
Correia: Well, I mean, I appreciated Steve's memo that you submitted to the
packet, back from 2005 or whenever, that was an original memo with your
concerns about (unable to understand). I mean, I think those are very
valid concerns. Those are the things I would be concerned about if that
was in place. I think that we have a process that has worked for the City
for the last few years and I don't think we need to change that.
Wilburn: Further discussion on the amendment?
Elliott: This is going to pass, I understand that, but the public needs to understand
that we have spent hundreds, literally hundreds of thousands of dollars
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doing what virtually everyone else in the state does almost for nothing.
You mentioned the lack of natural predators. Certainly bow hunting is
much more easy on the animals than natural predators. Natural predators
are eating the animals on the way down, before they're dead, so if you
want something that's easier on the animals, this is certainly easier than
natural predators. I just think the public needs to know Iowa City is
spending hundreds of thousands of dollars doing what it could do for
nothing.
Bailey: We're not a hunting preserve. Our community is not a hunting preserve. I
mean, that's it. So, if we have to spend money, we have to spend money,
or we can restore natural deer habitat if you'd prefer.
Elliott: I'm just saying, if you want to reduce the deer population, there's a much
more safe, a much more less expensive way to do, and Iowa City wants to
do a lot ofthings with parks and recreation, with art, and we spend all this
money getting rid of deer, that we need not do and if you don't want them
doing it as hunters, I presume then that every sharpshooter that comes in
must sign an affidavit that he or she will not enjoy what they're doing,
because...because they're hunters. (several talking at once)
Correia: I think there are two things. I think one is that, you know, in the Iowa City
community we have a very community supportive of animal welfare. I
think that's an issue that's part of it. The character of our community, and
that we need to respect that, and I also think that there are two other safety
issues and that we are spending money for public safety, and we're also
using the food that is produced and distributing that food to low-income
families, through.. .there's food production and distribution, along with the
public safety and trying to have the most, you know, humane way of
responding to this complicated issue.
O'Donnell: It's not, it's not very humane to see a deer out on Interstate 80 that's been
drug for two blocks. The natural predator for a deer today is a brand-new
Buick, and brand new Buick, and you also have a public safety involved
here. We spent almost a half million dollars killing deer. We could hire
firemen. Urn, we could do so many things with that money. Other
communities are doing bow hunting, doing it successfully, and actually
making a profit, or eliminating a potentially dangerous situation, but I, we
have a Deer Committee that has recommended using bow hunting as a
form of maintenance and I support it.
Bailey: Well, and last year I saw video footage from one of those communities
that uses bow hunting. It was a deer with a bow, or an arrow, through it,
walking around. I mean, well, yeah, in a neighborhood, and that is just not
an approach that I think we need to use in this community.
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O'Donnell: I saw a picture of a guy on a motorcycle who had run into a deer, and that
was a terrible picture also, Regenia. It's a safety factor. We are not going
to agree (several talking at once). We're not going to agree on this. Ijust
think it's inappropriate to spend a half million dollars in this manner,
about $450 per deer is what we're spending. So...
Elliott: In other words, you feel better hiring hunters from Pennsylvania than
allow hunters from this local area? It comes down to that. (several talking
at once) They're hunters. They're hunting.
Champion: They might be hunters, but they're hunting in a very.. .you know, we're
not going to agree. (several talking at once)
Bailey: Well, I'm philosophically opposed to bow hunting in this manner. Period.
Austin pointed out we vote our conscience, and I'm going to.
Elliott: And I don't think we need to discuss it anymore. (several talking at once)
Vanderhoef: I'd like to make a comment, now that you've had your back and forth.
Wilburn: Go ahead.
Vanderhoef: Uh, the memo that Steve sent out made a lot of sense early on, because we
were one of the very first communities, if not the very first community, in
Iowa that took on a deer reduction program, and we certainly had a lot of
community input at that time. We had a large deer committee, covering a
lot of different areas of expertise, but what I have seen in the last few
years is a progression of other cities addressing this same problem, and
each city has its own unique characteristics, and I think perhaps we have
some areas in our city that could be addressed with bow hunting, but I'm
not willing to put it in place until I know where those are, how they
connect up with other hunt areas, for instance, on the west side, but I think
we ought to be exploring a little bit more on where, if any, there are safe
areas to use bow hunting.
Wilburn: The only other piece that I'll add and obviously the Council has some
philosophical differences about whether bow hunting is appropriate within
an urban setting, and I'll just say that I was biking with a couple folks in a
community that does a lot. . .. bow hunting is their deer management, and I
know that they segmented off portions of the city where this is allowable
and I'm hoping that it wasn't near the bike trail, but we saw some hunters
coming by and we felt very uncomfortable, and I don't want to have that
feeling in this community, and that's why I don't support bow hunting.
Roll call on the amendment that is removing bow hunting from the Deer
Management. Oh sorry, all those in favor of removing bow hunting from
the Deer Management Plan, signify by saying aye. Opposed same sign.
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#20
Champion:
Wilburn:
Champion:
Wilburn:
Page 52
The opinion of the Chair carries 4-3, with Elliott, Vanderhoef, and
O'Donnell in the negative. So, now we are back to the amended
resolution, approving the Deer Plan, minus the bow hunting. Further
discussion?
Move the resolution.
It's already been moved. Thank you, though. Roll call.
Can we take a break....
Sure. Let's take five. Let's make it a quick one. Be back at 9:25.
(BREAK)
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#21B Page 53
ITEM 2lB 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.
a) PUBLIC DISCUSSION
Wilburn: This is a public discussion, continued from 4/16. Ask Doug Boothroy to
walk us through some recommended changes, based on some of the
questions and comments and further exploration.
Boothroy: Staff put together answers to questions that the Council had. Hopefully
that's been helpful. We also in answering your questions suggested some
changes, and Ijust wanted to point those out, urn, for the public that's here
tonight, as well as anybody that's watching at home. Let me first start
with a clarification of one ofthe occupancies that came up at the last
meeting regarding bowling alleys being classified as an A-2 use. They're
specifically culled out in the International Building Code as A-3 uses. It's
not a matter of interpretation. They're identified as an A-3 use, and
therefore would not be regulated by this particular ordinance as we have it
drafted. We've also suggested some amendments. Let me go through
those for you. Urn, we are recommending that the change of ownership
criteria be dropped, urn, let me put that into context. Under the ordinance,
excuse me, under the ordinance, a change of ownership criteria was a
trigger that would require an existing business to comply immediately
with the A-2 occupancy life safety standards. By removing it, that would
no longer be a criteria that would trigger compliance. We still recommend
keeping the financial investment as a criteria for requiring an upgrade of
life safety. Go ahead.
Vanderhoef: I have a question about change of ownership.
Boothroy: Okay.
Vanderhoef: And it has to do with, urn, loss ofliquor license. In the past, we have seen
a bar who lost their liquor license, that changed ownership - however the
arrangement was - but then immediately reopen with a new liquor license,
and I would like to investigate how that might be implemented within the
plan, still giving the exclusion that you're talking about for these family
members and some of those kinds of things that are normal business plans
within families.
Boothroy: Well, let me repeat what you said so that I know that I understood what
you said. You want to look at keeping change of ownership as a criteria,
when what happens?
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#21B Page 54
Vanderhoef: When a bar losses its liquor license for non-compliance.
Boothroy: Okay, we can look at that. Well, loss ofliquor license, I mean I'll put it
down so I don't forget it, loss ofliquor license for non-compliance, and
we can talk about that.
Dilkes: I think, you asked this question last night, Dee. I think what you're
assuming is that having a sprinkling requirement kick in at that point
would be a disincentive to do that, to retain a liquor license, and I'm not
sure that that's going to be the case. Urn, I think that's a big assumption
(several people talking at once).
Vanderhoef: I'm not looking at it as a disincentive. I'm just looking at it as a potential
loophole to reopen...
Dilkes: But the licensing requirement is separate from what we're talking about
here.
Vanderhoef: I know it is.
Dilkes: So, I'm having a hard time seeing where you get the loophole. And the
only way I can, that can make sense is, if you think that the imposition of a
sprinkling requirement, once there is a change of ownership, would be a
disincentive to do that.
Vanderhoef: I hadn't thought of it in that term, in those terms. Ijust thought of it as
this is one occasion that we see ownership change, to stay in business, urn,
excluding the sprinkler thing, but if we put it in here that, that you can
change ownership...
Dilkes: Well, we're not saying you can change ownership. We're simply saying
that a change in ownership does not kick in the sprinkling requirements.
Boothroy: Right. In an existing....
Dilkes: In existing units.
Bailey: .. .my question with that, because I actually thought that that seemed
reasonable. Urn, is there a way, and.. . and the reason that you're deleting
this is because it becomes difficult, changes in financing, new partners,
family members, etc., etc., is there a way that we can comb that out and
make it more distinctive when it is a sale of one particular business?
Correia: 100% change in ownership.
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#21B
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Page 55
Yeah, originally we were thinking of going from a business, A,...a totally
new business, B, but then in talking it through with business owners,
there's all kinds of reasons why the liquor permit ownership records
would change, and that's how we track it. So...
That's my question.
It gets very complicated, and I don't know how to comb it out, to use your
phrase. I, urn, but we have built in the mechanism of dollars invested, and
we have built in that it has to occur within five to ten years, which we can
talk later if you have questions about that. So we felt that with those other
criteria still in place, that we had enough to get what we wanted and not
get caught up into some of these other things, because I think in some
cases it may be viewed, may be unfair, based on where we were coming
from initially and thinking it was going to be a complete change in
business. It just becomes administratively very complicated, I think.
Doug, then precisely what, rather than a time frame, would trigger the
necessity of installing sprinklers? The time frame of five to ten years...
If you invested $25,000 of what we refer to as permitted improvements
that require a construction permit of some type, electrical, plumbing, etc.,
and we, that's another change that we're recommending. We clarified that
to refer to interior improvements of the business, not to repairs of roofs,
walls, etc.
So there would be two triggers.
Well, basic time and...
. . . and the, uh, yet to be determined level of investment, inside as you said
- not roof, not brick facing in front or something.
We believe that if you're going to spend $25,000 in improving your
business, you need to prioritize life safety. And, and... we've, historically,
that's how smoke detectors got retrofitted in houses in Iowa City. We
went from to a point where if you put $1,000 worth of improvement in
your house, you had to go back and retrofit smoke.. . smoke detectors in
your house, and now the requirement's even more, in terms of certain
types of uses. So, it makes some sense to have some logic, and I think it
works.
I was just interested in how many so-called triggers.
Just the two, as we're suggesting at this point. And I've addressed the
second one I was going to mention, which was that we've changed the,
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Page 56
how the dollar amounts are calculated. They're calculated on the interior
improvements and not for repair work on the exterior of a building. We
looked at that again, and good points were made about, you're in a multi-
use building or don't have control of the building and the owner puts a
roof on and you're not doing anything to your business, you know, you're
being penalized, and I think that also grows the value of the $25,000
because it's only for the interior improvements, so it's much more realistic
number in terms of what we're talking about with regards to life safety.
The other change that I want to point out to you is, urn, the one about the
occupancies. Through the process we've been dealing with A-2
occupancies with liquor permit, and those are identified in the
International code, they're identified in the National Fire Protection
Standards as high-risk occupancies, and it's a standard that's out there.
It's recognizable, there's science, there's experience - all that stuffs there.
So we went with that, but in thinking about Iowa City and thinking about,
urn, at least one bar which is not an A-2 occupancy that's located above
the ground floor. As I pointed out, or as we pointed out in the response,
getting people out of an establishment, evacuation, is a huge part of saving
lives and there's a very short period oftime, a window of opportunity, to
get people out. If you're above or below the ground floor, it complicates
that, and if you're serving alcohol, it further complicates that, so we
have.. . making a recommendation now that a B occupancy with a liquor
permit would be a bar or a restaurant and ifthey're above or below the
ground floor, they should be required to meet these standards, and so
that's the, I guess, the fourth clarification or change that we made on these
particular. . .
O'Donnell: Regardless of occupancy? Is that what you're saying?
Boothroy: It would be.. .it's the smallest occupancy, Mike, so it's 49 or less. It really
does become regardless of occupancy, because you can't get much lower
than that. Urn, but the critical factor here, Mike, is that you're above or
below the ground floor and it's difficult in those emergency situations to
always make good decisions, and getting people out quickly is critical, and
that's why that becomes complicated. So we think there's grounds to
break out the occupancies in this case. Any other questions about our
changes?
Elliott: I just, my question is, you keep referring to the National Study that shows
that the establishments that have a capacity, an occupancy, capacity higher
than say 100, and serve liquor, are those most likely to have a problem.
Have you seen the research data on that? Because that does seem to make
sense, but I'm interested in the research data on that, and then when you
translate that to locally, I'm interested...we've, you've had listed the
number of bars and restaurants serving alcohol, in which there have been
fires in Iowa City, but I haven't seen a comprehensive listing of all of say
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#21B
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Page 57
the downtown fires in Iowa City, and I would like to know what is the
relationship between fires in downtown Iowa City where there (TAPE
ENDS)
... that some of what I'm saying is that in the International Building and
Fire Codes, the A-2 occupancy is recognized as a high-risk occupancy,
and those new occupancies do require these standards, if they're being
built new. Urn, the NFP A standards that Roger had on his presentation,
which have been adopted by Councils in both West Des Moines and
Clinton, require retrofitting existing uses, going farther than the
International Code. Also, our national codes that come to those
conclusions based on these studies, this research, and actual experience.
As far as what he's seen or read, I'll let him address that particular
question.
I have a clarification on what you just said. The A-2 occupancies with
liquor licenses, correct, are the high-risk, or A-2 occupancies?
No, A-2 occupancies that serve alcohol. The factor that, uh, becomes
complicating with, with bars and restaurants is that if you go back to that
one answer to the question, you have only so much time to evacuate. It's
called an evacuation period of time, til the premises gets to a point where
it no longer will sustain life. Studies have shown that three-fourths of that
time, people are trying to decide what to do, uh, and then they decide to
get out. If the occupancy has any peculiar things going on, like it's above
or below the ground floor, if it's poorly lit, ifit's got lots of tables, if it's
got lots of people, ifthere...ifpeople are consuming alcohol, particularly
alcohol, judgment is impaired, decision-making slows down. It
complicates the factor, and that's why these occupancies become more
hazardous. Uh, we regulate, we also regulate alcohol in other areas for the
same reason - driving and drinking don't mix. It's the same kind of
problem that happens when you use alcohol. But I'll let Roger talk about
those studies.
I have a final question to that, because I'm getting communication from
people who have A-2 occupancies not serving alcohol and they're
concerned that down the road, is there a triggering mechanism,
particularly for downtown businesses that are connected, which we
previously talked about, that we may require this kind of retrofit for those.
Do we anticipate that within the next five to seven years?
I'll let. .. Tim can address that specifically, but to my knowledge, there is
nothing on the horizon that would require in general A-2 occupancies to
retrofit or do anything like what we're talking about for A-2 occupancies
with alcohol. We're basing these on the standards that we see in the Code,
uh, and as we mentioned at an earlier meeting, the... what we see down the
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#21B
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Boothroy:
Correia:
Boothroy:
Correia:
Boothroy:
Page 58
road with regard to this particular issue is that because certain National
Codes are already picking this up, as well as certain states and certain
communities are already doing this, that we believe at some point in the
future, we don't know when that will be, what we're talking about tonight
will be in the International Code, uh, but, uh, I don't see that happening
for A-2 occupancies. It's hard to crystal ball that, urn, because codes do
change over time, but at this point, we're not talking about the same
factors that we're talking about when we're talking about bars and
restaurants.
I understand, but I think it's more of a process question. The more, the
more times a business owner, regardless of whether they serve alcohol or
do not, have to anticipate these kinds of changes, they can budget this in,
or as they make other renovations, can accommodate these kinds of
changes.
We're not recommending it.
At this time.
Well, I don't... what I'm trying to say, Regenia, is I don't envision us ever
recommending that, but that's...
Even in our downtown with connected buildings?
That's just at this point in time, I can't tell you what my successor's going
to do or anything like that. I'm just saying that we've, we've analyzed this
at this point in time. We've gone through this process. We've had this
discussion. We had this discussion with the Board of Appeals, and the
conclusion was, it's not where we want to go at this point in time. What
we do five years from now, different Council, different staff, I don't know,
but I can give you what I know at this point in time.
Okay.
That's the best I can do. Now, Roger, did you want to...
I have a quick question. You...
Might forget your question, Bob, before we get to Roger.
(several talking at once) Urn, you say that you're not recommending B
occupancies?
Only if they serve alcohol and are located above or below the ground
floor.
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#21B
Correia:
Boothroy:
Bailey:
Correia:
Boothroy:
Correia:
Boothroy:
Correia:
Dilkes:
Boothroy:
Correia:
Wilburn:
Boothroy:
Wilburn:
Correia:
Boothroy:
Page 59
Okay, but I mean, did you submit that recommendation into this public
hearing?
I submitted it, I'm submitting it tonight, but it was also in answers that I
provided over the weekend.
It's on page three, about midway through that page of the answers.
I'm trying... but I mean...
They have to be serving alcohol, Amy.
I understand.
Okay.
Urn, where's the code in here? I mean, we're amending the code that's in
here.
The code is not in your packet. The ordinance is not in your packet this
week. It was in your packet the last... the change that he's suggesting is
in, I believe it's one of the staff recommendations in the answers to the
questions that you did receive in your packet. It doesn't matter that it's
not in the body of the ordinance.
If you want to go forward with that, you need to tell us yay or nay on that,
and then we will craft the language, but I didn't want to craft ordinance
language until I have.. .
Well, I'm just thinking that it's, that's not available for other folks who
might want to respond to that suggestion, or recommendation...
Well, if it's in the packet of information and folks took a look at that,
then...
Well, yeah, we only have one use in effect so we (several talking at once).
At the end of the, excuse me, at the end of the last meeting I had said,
'Council, public, questions - get 'em in,' and so folks would be looking
forward to those answers.
You had provided us with a list of A-I occupancies with liquor licenses.'
What are the B occupancies?
Urn, what's the name ofthat...Skybox.
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#2lB Page 60
Bailey: What about Dublin Underground?
Boothroy: It's already covered. Under the existing ordinance as proposed.
Dilkes: The change he's suggesting would add one new business to that list.
Boothroy: That's right. That's exactly what I said. Skybox only, it's the only
business.
Vanderhoef: On what time frame?
Boothroy: Well, it would be on the same time frame as the 100 to 299. We'd put it
on the... 00, yeah.
Vanderhoef: So it would be ten years.
Boothroy: I didn't spell that out. I should have. Sorry. There were a nwnber of
questions, and I just missed that.
Vanderhoef: Imagine that! (laughter)
Wilburn: Roger, did you want to come forward and address now?
Jensen: Bob, you asked about three questions.
Elliott: Yeah, you have on several instances said that the national research, the
national figures, and I'm just asking, you have seen the research and there
is substantial... urn, scientific research?
Jensen: There is. It's a consensus code building project that the National Fire
Protection Association uses and it reflects itself in the life safety code, or
thePAlOl.
Elliott: But the research backs, there is research to back that up? That's my
question.
Jensen: Absolutely! There's, and there's also local experience. You also ask
questions about local experience, and those are the fires in the A-2
occupancies in Iowa City where we have had risk for life loss. Certainly
not all of our fires are in A-2's, but in those fires where we have had near
life loss events, they have resulted from those A-2 fires. So our local
experience, the national codes, and the provisions that exist in the national
codes all lead us to believe that these recommendations are appropriate.
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#21B Page 61
Elliott: I would, I would like that...you had a listing of all of the establishments
that serve alcohol, and in which those establishments have had fires, but
I'd like to also know what non-alcohol providing establishments have had
fires? The theatre fire, the _ fire, that sort of thing.
Jensen: Sure. That was not an inclusive list.
Elliott: Right, right...
Jensen: A contemporary list of recent events.
Elliott: Yeah, I wasn't questioning, just for my information, 1'd like to know how
many fires have we had in the downtown area, ofthose, how many have
been alcohol-related, how many non-alcohol... .and I hate to say alcohol
related, but have been in those establishments?
O'Donnell: Are you finished, Bob?
Elliott: I guess so. Thank you.
O'Donnell: Can I ask you one thing.. .the bowling alley is now A-3, and they're not,
they're not...
Jensen: They would be excluded from these requirements.
O'Donnell: What's the difference between an establishment like that and a stand-alone
bar/restaurant?
Jensen: In terms of...how...
O'Donnell: Are we still considering a stand-alone bar/restaurant also an A-2?
Jensen: Yes.
O'Donnell: What's the difference between that and the bowling alley?
Jensen: The bowling alley is by definition of the International Codes falls into the
A-3 classification. It does sell alcohol, but that's considered an accessory
use. So it's still classified an A-3. The alcohol sale would be an
accessory use. The building official makes those determinations as to how
an occupancy is classified, and Doug and Tim had the opportunity to
review Colonial Lanes and have determined that that would be the
appropriate classification. Regenia, you asked about.. .how many A-2's
were non-alcohol, and I know of no attempts whatsoever in the National
Code building process to retrofit non-alcohol serving A-2's with fire
sprinklers.
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#21B Page 62
Bailey: Even in a downtown such as ours where the buildings are joined together
and there is a risk?
Jensen: Again, I'm speaking about the National Code Building Processes...
Bailey: Sure, right.
Jensen: I'm aware of no efforts to do that. It's only those that retail alcohol, where
the risk is enhanced by the patrons consuming alcohol, that the codes have
looked to include that requirement.
Vanderhoef: Do you have any statistics on below ground and above ground to
substantiate whether they are safer or less safe when you have a liquor
license?
Jensen: You know, we do. In fact, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, they
have done egress studies, Dee, that look at time that's necessary to
evacuate a building. You can move people across a horizontal plane,
almost twice as fast as you can when they go up or down stairs, and so that
becomes the issue, as to how quickly you can move a capacity of people
up or down stairs versus the horizontal plane.
Vanderhoef: So that makes me question the ten year versus five year on our above,
second story, and underground.
Jensen: I just read the answer, actually we had recommended five years. I miss... I
apologize for that. It wasn't under the ten year, it was in the five year, so
we did recommend five years on that. If you look in your answers, you'll
see that, on the second page. . .
Vanderhoef: I see the. . . I see your staff recommendation require all the occupancies
located above and below...
Jensen: . . . another recommendation farther on, on that page, near the end.
Bailey: Oh, it's on, yeah, page four.
Vanderhoef: There it is. Okay.
Jensen: .. .I've got that wrong.
Vanderhoef: Okay, that makes more sense.
Jensen: Any other questions?
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#21B Page 63
Correia: How do you determine...is it accessory use? Like what's the...
Hennes: The International Building Code identifies bowling alleys specifically as
A-3. There's a few other categories under that A-3. Urn, the A-2's are
restaurants, nightclubs, bars, so there's very specific categories. So it's a
classification based on its use, so the bowling alley use is the A-3.
Primary use of that building is bowling. The alcohol portion of it and the
food eating is accessory, or incidental, to the bowling alley.
Boothroy: I just want to mention one other thing is that our recommendations
tonight, just to remind you of the Board of Appeals did recommend this
with financial support being provided as a condition of their
recommendation. So Ijust wanted to remind everybody that that's part of
the package, if you will, in terms of this particular ordinance.
Bailey: So, while you're up there, can you speak to the letter that we have from
the Eagles. That's an A. . . .
Boothroy: I don't have that. I don't know what it does. I didn't see that letter,
Regenia, so I'm not sure I...
Bailey: Okay, I'm not going to read it to you.
Boothroy: Okay.
Bailey: Essentially, they're concerned that this would have an impact on them,
and I just wonder where they fall in the classification?
Boothroy: I think we have it listed as a A-2 occupancy, right. I think it's on that list
that we gave you.
Vanderhoef: I have another question for probably Steve. I started thinking about some
of the costs and the connect-ups is one of the costs that we note on certain
streets we have upgraded the water lines already. So there's a benefit to
the people who happen to have their businesses on that street, but the
downtown business district is in a TIF district, and I know we have
assigned much of the TIF to building projects down there, but I think we
ought to be looking at some of our TIF dollars for doing this upgrade for
all of our. It's an infrastructure upgrade that can be paid, as I understand it
at least, with TIF dollars.
Atkins: I don't think it's out of the question, Dee.
Vanderhoef: But whether there's any available right now, I'm not sure. I would like to
investigate that piece, and that would take a piece of the cost off of the
establishments.
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#21B Page 64
Correia: That would be from the establishments that are in the downtown. I mean,
there are a lot of establishments listed on this list, that aren't located in the
downtown, that aren't adjacent to other buildings...
Vanderhoef: I understand, but this is a use that we can use for city infrastructure.
Correia: I mean, I understand that, but I mean, that would you know want to be
looking at, if we do move forward, how we would address infrastructure
needs, related to the other. . .
Vanderhoef: Depending on where it's located.
Correia: Well, it would depend on what the will is ofthe body.
Bailey: Has anybody else considered...I mean, just a thought. I don't know if!
have an opinion on this, but financial incentives would be helping out
specifically bars and then restaurants, and then we have this ongoing,
continuing discussion about alcohol and responsible drinking in our
community, and I wondered if anybody else is thinking about the linkage
of City support for these kinds of establishments, and what you might
think about that.
Champion: I've actually thought about it, and I'm not willing to commit Iowa City tax
dollars to benefit the improvement of some landlord's building or some
bar. I cannot, in my good conscience, say, 'I'm going to bond so I can
help somebody who owns a building downtown who is getting a lot of
money for rent and other things to improve their building.' I'm not
willing to do it. I mean, that's just not going to be part of my. . . (several
talking at once). I've given it a lot of thought.
O'Donnell: .. .everybody's thought of that, and I think that's one of the major
problems is what is it going to cost and is it right that somebody in this
community who doesn't support these establishments is going to be
paying for it?
Wilburn: Well, the way that I've been looking at it, unless a Council is willing to go
ahead and mandate it, meaning you're going to tell those businesses that
you're saying you don't want tax dollars to support, that you will do this,
so unless there's a Council willing, without financial incentive, urn, you
know, it's how can we encourage it, and I don't know how, and have a
sense from a lot of the questions that were asked that this is a Council that
has a majority that's going to say you will do this, without the financial
incentive.
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#21B Page 65
Champion: Well, when we get to Council discussion on that, I mean, I've got a couple
things that I know I'm willing to support. I'm not willing to support Iowa
City tax dollars going into like, I said, I'm not. I'm not willing to mandate
this, as written, because I think it's going to put people out of business. I
disagree with your position with the liquor license. I think when the liquor
license changed hands, that's an automatic time for people to put in a
sprinkler system or meet those safety standards. I disagree with you on
that, that that's...I suggested that ten years ago and it amazes me that we
didn't already have that in place. When a business changes hands, you
have to meet certain safety standards. People are usually borrowing
money to buy that business. They know it's going to be expensive. I
think all, all bars and restaurants with a capacity for over 350 should be
mandated to do this within five years, or whatever number you want
to. . . they can afford to do it, and I think those are big bars that are
overcrowded and I see real danger there, and I know they can afford to do
it. It's not going to put them out of business. I mean, that's kind of where
I'm coming from on this. I cannot in my good conscience support this as
it's written, and I can't support tax dollars for it.
Wilburn: To continue where I was going, and thank you for being clear on where
you stand with that, I haven't had the sense that that's a, the statement you
just made is that there's a majority on this Council that's willing to say
whichever category, you are going to do this, and so given that it's been so
many years that this has been occurring and the number ofliquor licenses
has increased, we continue on with the life safety issues and so what's a
way that we can try and nudge it along to at least make progress toward
addressing those issues, and if a financial package to do that is a way to do
that, if the Council is not willing to mandate it for whichever category,
then I'm willing to do it because if something happens, there's a, there's
a...you know, God forbid there's a fire and/or loss oflife, well, even just
the fire, we're spending tax money on it anyway, so why not put some tax
money into nudging it along to help with some fire safety, suppression
devices, but that's where I'm coming from. So, if...if.. .ifthe will of this
Council is not willing to mandate it for any category in here, then I'm
willing to go ahead and at least try and move us along so we're getting
further to where we need to be, because, again, it will should something
happen it's going to require, you know, fire response, police, ambulance,
and we're spending.. . and putting them at risk, and increasing our risk
management.
Elliott: Well, I share the concern about putting tax money into a business. On the
other hand, for me, when this first came up. I don't know how other
people feel, but I was embarrassed because over the past two or three
years, the City has refused to spend what would represent about I % of our
budget for some very needed public safety, and now we seem to be willing
to tell a business operator that you will spend anywhere from 10 to 20 to
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#21B
Page 66
30% of your budget to do what we think you should do. It's both public
safety. The City is unwilling to step up, but we seem to have no problem
telling private business operators to step up. I could not conceive doing
this, without providing financial incentives for the business, and while
saying that, I find it very difficult to swallow, putting tax money into the
businesses. This is, this is a very difficult situation for me to address, and
I just have lots of questions and lots of concerns about it.
Wilburn: I disagree with the statement about, I'm glad to hear that you're saying
you're willing to.. .put some type of incentive in it. I disagree. I think that
the statement about the City not stepping up, ignores the millions of
dollars that we put into, um, public safety, fire, etc., etc., so we're going to
disagree on that one. Go ahead, Doug.
Boothroy: I just want to clarify something with Counie was saying. I know you're
talking about not using tax dollars, but there was a two-prong fork. We
provide loans all the time for all types of uses. Are you also referring to
loans, which come back, or are you just referring to the grant?
Champion: I'm referring to the grant (unable to hear).
Boothroy: So there could be still some financial support that you might reach
agreement on, with regard to a loan program. Is that a fair statement?
Champion: Yes.
Boothroy: From your perspective.
Champion: Yes.
Boothroy: Okay, I just wanted to make sure I understood.
Elliott: Would you. . . are you talking about 100% loans, or would you be talking
about a 50%? For instance, I was at a groundbreaking yesterday. I was
standing between two bankers, and I asked them, if you have a business
that's starting up, and they are already borrowed to the hilt, would you
loan them money for this? And they say, what's the collateral?
Boothroy: Well, and that can be a problem in some situations. I don't know, you
know, some. ..the building could be the collateral. I mean, there's all
kinds of things, who knows, Bob. I think that's how you qualify people,
and maybe some people wouldn't qualify for the loan. That's one of the
reasons that we suggested a grant program, because we thought that there
may be some circumstances where it might be difficult to get a loan.
Elliott: I don't, I don't think...
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#21B
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Wilburn:
Wolfe:
Page 67
.. . and it's all about securing it.
I don't think anybody here feels good about questioning what you are
attempting to do, which is very important, and which is public safety, but
we just have some very serious concerns about it, and I have a lot of things
running around in my feeble mind that, that I've got to have answered, and
I'm not finding them.
Well, it is a community balancing issue because you're balancing the level
of risk versus the expense to lower that level of risk, and it's a tough
question, and I certainly sympathize with you and this is a time to have
ideas out on the table, to talk about different approaches. We've got it to
you at this point. You've had the Board of Appeals' recommendation.
They looked at it, and now it's up to you to decide do you want to modify
it? Do you want to vote it down? Do you want.. .you know, how do you
want to proceed, and it's a tough call, but if we can get some direction, we
can move forward with getting back to you with more information or, or
you can vote it down, or you could do what you need to do, but it would
be helpful to have some direction and... tonight, so that we can decide how
we're going to go forward.
Well, we still have, we still have room for public discussion here, if
someone has a new comment. If you've already addressed the Council on
this. . . or a different type of question, feel free to come forward now at this
time. Please state your name and limit your comment to five minutes or
less.
My name's Chuck Wolfe and I am a representative of the local Iowa City
Elks' Lodge, and I apologize for not knowing about this issue until just a
few days ago. I think I've been listening closely to all of the discussion
that's going on tonight, and I see sort of a disconnect between
organizations such as ours that are fraternal and have different missions,
most of which is community-oriented, that also have liquor licenses and
are considered A-2 facilities. I consider us in a little bit different situation
than maybe a downtown club that caters primarily the students of who
knows what age. The thing that concerns me, and it's been mentioned
here briefly, is the cost to these various A-2 facilities to actually make
these retrofits. They could be anywhere from very small to upwards of
$100,000 or more, and I don't think anybody's done a study yet of all
these organizations that are on this list, to know actually how much this
might involve of expense within the community, and what economic
impact that would have on those businesses, but from the standpoint of our
organization, I know that we don't have the revenue stream to support
taking out a loan of the magnitude that we might have to take out, and I
actually don't know how much it would cost us, but I know that just to get
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#21B
Wilburn:
Wolfe:
Wilburn:
Wolfe:
Wilburn:
Wolfe:
Wilburn:
Page 68
the connect up to the facility itself would be a substantial amount, and it
could be up to $100,000. I don't know, but I'm just, all I'm saying is that
there needs to be a little more study done of what the cost to all of these
facilities that might have to come into compliance. There should be a
study done to see what that is, before you go forward with this proposal.
That's my read on what I've been hearing tonight, and you would all be
more informed. It has nothing to do with whether it's right to have this
additional public safety or not. I don't think anybody can really argue
with lowering risk, but I think there has to be additional study done on
what the overall cost is going to be, and how many businesses might
actually have to close their doors? I mean, we're a different type of
organization than a bar downtown, even though we do have a liquor
permit. We do many, many charitable things, youth activities, scholarship
programs, veterans' activities, and I'm sure that the Eagles Lodge, which
wrote a letter, and also the Moose, and maybe some of the other, like the
American Legion, the VFW, they probably all have activities that they
support, as well, that are not related to drinking, and that.. .I'm just saying
that I would like to see a little more study done before going forward with
any final recommendations on this and vote.
Thanks for your comments. I just have a couple things I wanted to
mention. Urn, I don't know how this would fit for the size and type of
your organization, but in our last, at our last meeting there was
information provided, just some examples of the cost involved to some
businesses that have gone ahead and retrofitted their business with
sprinklers, etc., etc., urn, so you might take a look at that, or you might, I
don't know if you have access to online, or you could talk to our City
Clerk's office about getting a copy of that, or you can contact the...
Well, we're kind of located, as you know, out near the Peninsula area, and
we're kind of away from...
Again, I was just saying that there has been...
.. . might be a little bit more considerable cost involved, and...
.. . and I think our building inspector will be willing to take a look...
. . . some of those. I'd be happy to.. .
And just a question for you, uh, as part of the financial package that is
kind of being tossed around the table, either a loan and/or a grant, if your
organization was eligible to receive a grant to do it, would you be willing
to accept a grant?
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#21B Page 69
Wolfe: It depends on what percent of the overall cost that that grant money
covers. Ifit came down to the point where we had to be in compliance,
then.. . and the loan had to still.. .the amount we had to borrow in order to
complete the retrofit was such that we would have to pay it back over a,
like a 10- or 12-year period of time, that would, you know, that would
have to go into payback to our operational revenue, and as I said, our
revenue stream isn't big enough to pay back...
Wilburn: Philosophically...if it were a grant that would...
Wolfe: Ifa grant would cover all of the cost, or a high percentage of it, we...
Wilburn: That's what I wanted to hear from you.
Wolfe: .. .just to please everybody! (laughter) Thank you.
Wilburn: Thank you.
O'Donnell: Did we determine that the amount of the grant was going to be $20,000?
Boothroy: That was the recommendation. A maximum of $20,000. It's just a
recommendation. Discussion.
Champion: Up to $20,000.
Boothroy: Yeah, max.
Wilburn: Anyone else from the public that has not had an opportunity to address the
Council on this issue want to come forward and make a comment or ask a
question that we can get further information...
Sueppel: I am Bart Sueppel. I am here to represent LaCasa, and we are not
downtown. We are on 1200 Gilbert Court. We've been there 25 years. I
guess my concern is, it's hard for me to differentiate from an A-2 to an A-
3. Our restaurant sells probably three quarters more food than alcohol,
and a bowling alley probably does twice as much alcohol business as we
do. So what I'm trying to figure out is, how do we get to an A-2,
compared to an A-3, and I can say as long as we've been in business down
there, I can't recall one time ever calling the Fire Department. Now, I
would be more than happy to call them because I have all the respect in
the world for them, but the way our restaurant is set up, I believe, it is very
safe, and for us to have to do this, we would probably shut our doors.
And, urn, because we couldn't afford it. My brother-in-law is here with
me tonight and he's a plumber, and he said it would probably take us
$30,000 to get water for the system to the restaurant. There's no possible
way we could afford this. That's my comment.
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Wilburn: Thanks for your comment. Thanks for coming down tonight. Anyone
else care to address the Council that has not addressed the Council on this
issue before, or have a different comment? Further Council discussion?
Correia: So can you.. . currently if there's a new business, yeah, a new business
comes in that's.. . and they're going to be A-2. They have to comply. So
is that, so if.. .like, I'm wondering, why the Picador is a new business, just
a year or two old.
Boothroy: It will be required under the new code. Yes, I'm sorry.
Correia: That's not already in effect?
Boothroy: That's correct.
Correia: Okay. So that's, you're proposing that, okay.
Boothroy: These standards are not already in effect.
Correia: Okay, so that's part of what we're...that new...
O'Donnell: I have a great deal of respect for the Fire Department. I used to be a
fireman in Coralville (unable to hear). I remember coming in to Iowa City
because we had a 20-8E agreement and I helped with the cleaners fire,
which didn't serve alcohol, and I also served with the fire, which
didn't serve alcohol. Urn, I think this is an incredible hardship on local
businesses, and I understand where this comes from. An upstairs bar and
a below ground level bar seems to me what our targets are. I cannot, I just
can't support this, because of the financial hardship on the businesses, and
I really can't differentiate between a bowling alley and a stand-alone
bar/restaurant, and a good point was made that the bowling alley sells
more alcohol than the resta~rant. I really, I just don't see that, and as well
as the clubs where, that are stand-alone in town. Their main source of
revenue is not alcohol.
Wilburn: Excuse me for interrupting, Mike, but just so I can kind of get a sense of
the Council, and again, I'm saying this and putting this out there in terms
of we're not where we need to be. Life safety is the issue and the issue
driving the fire code is related to the behavioral issues and difficulties
associated with rescue when alcohol has been consumed, and also in these
larger, the congregation of people. Uh, what type of support would there
be on Council if we were to take a look at, uh, removing from this the
example that you just expressed your concern about where it's more ofa
family restaurant type, what type.. . maybe I should ask staff, what
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type. . . well, let me hear from Council first. What type of reaction do you
have t that? Would you be supportive...
Elliott: Can of worms.
Bailey: If we've got a public safety issue, which has been identified, I don't think
we should begin to slice and dice public safety. I still go back to my
comment, if we've got a public safety issue, the time lines are still
incongruous for me about addressing this issue, and so I've never gotten
past that point, that it's a public safety issue. It needs immediate attention.
People need to spend money to retrofit their establishments, but we'll give
them ten years. I mean, it's either a critical public safety issue or it's not.
It's either a public safety issue for all establishments that serve alcohol, or
it's not, and I don't usually see things in black and white, so this is very
unusual for me, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the
concept that we might slice and dice, you know, this building or that
building or this thing. I mean, initially we were talking also about the
concerns of downtown, and alcohol and buildings joined together. We've
crossed off the buildings joined together. Clearly, our housing inspection
services and our firefighters want us to focus on the issue of alcohol, and
businesses that serve alcohol, and that seems to be what they've identified
as the public safety risk in these establishments for evacuation. So I don't
think we should start exempting and...
O'Donnell: But we started it with the bowling alley. We determined that's A-3.
(several talking at once)
Wilburn: Can I hear from other Council Members who haven't addressed the
question that I just put out there? Thanks for discussing your opinion.
Elliott: I think in addition to the financial aspect, because you, there's a fairness
issue. To be very blunt, I've had people tell me, "Bob, I could care less if
half the bars in downtown Iowa City had to close." Well, that maybe
true, but what they're overlooking is that those bars are operated by people
with spouses, with children, with bills to pay, they're citizens, so they are
a business, and the fairness comes in - I'm thinking that within the past
year, I stood in a level of a bookstore that was not ground level, and we
were waiting for a book signing. There was a long line of people. In
bookstores, you have islands of books that are all over. There's no clear
path, and I can remember thinking at the time, looking to see if they had a
sprinkler system, and they didn't, and so I'm thinking, where's the fairness
issue of that, and then you go on the other hand, where would the fairness
issue be if you mandated a bookstore, had to have a sprinkler system? I
recall when the sprinkler system at Mercy Hospital gift shop went off
accidentally and ruined everything. If a sprinkler system goes off
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accidentally in a bookstore, the entire. . . there's so many fairness and
financial issues, I can't wrap my head around this.
Wilburn: Other Council Members? In terms ofthe suggestion Ijust threw out there.
Champion: What was your suggestion? I forgot.
Wilburn: The concern has been expressed about single, those that are more of a
family restaurant.
Champion: I would support this. I just have one quick sentence. Occupancies of over
350 people, in an attached building, would have to comply within five
years. That's what I'm looking for.
Bailey: And I would...
Champion: And any new business or new liquor license that would click in an
automatic fixing up.
Wilburn: Okay, thank you. Amy?
Correia: It's difficult. I mean, I'm looking at this list, in terms ofthinking about
accessory, and I see the India Cafe, and I understand the public safety
issues, and it's hard to decide what makes the most sense. If it's moving
forward - all business. If it's the most at-risk, which I would admit, agree
is over 350, where that is the purpose of going, and there are no other sales
at some of these establishments besides alcohol sales, like the Union Bar,
for example. I'm having a hard time with this.
Wilburn: Well, we can still mull through this, but before you go, Dee, I'm just,
again, I'm coming from the perspective that there's a big gap here, in
terms oflife safety, and I'm not in favor of slicing and dicing either, but if
we're going to end up, if the end result of our discussions, however many
discussions we have, is that we do nothing and we still have this life safety
issue out there, you know, I'm trying to see where we can find some sense
of agreement. Go ahead, Dee.
Vanderhoef: Okay, we've had some ideas put on the table. I think staff has had a good
opportunity to hear our concerns and how we might approach it. I know
people in the community - I see the Chamber here certainly, fraternal
organizations are being represented. There are some bar owners, and
we've heard from them before. I think we'd better go look for a
compromised situation and I think it's getting too late for any of us to
make a good, reasonable decision tonight. So ifthe, the recommendations
get published now, with the ordinance, as we discussed tonight, and then
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we'll come back and take one more look at it, but we've got to have some
compromise kinds of recommendations here. We've offered some...
Boothroy: You want us to come back with more options. . .
Bailey: I have a question actually for Connie. Would you state what you would
support again?
Champion: I would support no tax money, loans fine.
Wilburn: No grants?
Champion: No grants, right. Bars, restaurants with an occupancy of over 350 or
above, have to comply within five years in an attached building. That
kind of gets rid of the Eagles out there by itself, and LaCasa and whatever
else, but I think, my concern is large groups of people when the main
service is alcohol. That is a very dangerous situation. I totally agree with
you.
Bailey: Would you. . .
Champion: And attached buildings, I think that addresses the spreading of the whole
downtown burning down.
Vanderhoef: Would you add in above ground level and below ground level?
Champion: No. Only because the two we're talking about are so small, they couldn't
possibly afford it. They'd have to close.
Bailey: Would you reduce your five years to three?
Champion: Yes.
Bailey: And, would you consider over a longer period of time, I mean, are you
completely against rolling this in for other businesses, over a longer period
of time?
Champion: I'm not completely against it. I just suggest that any new ownership
would have to comply.
Bailey: What about. . .
Champion: Any new liquor license.
Bailey: What about renovations?
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Champion: Any new, whether it's passed from family member to family member, any
new liquor license would have to comply.
O'Donnell: Over 350?
Bailey: No, but you would have a couple triggers, aside from t his category that
you've identified. What about renovations? For any size?
Champion: Future renovations, I suggested that ten years, no, when I first got on the
Council. Any major renovation has to put in a sprinkler system.
Correia: For all A-2?
Champion: I don't know if it's (TAPE ENDS)
Boothroy: .. .like Giovanni's and, they're looking at $30,000 total to upgrade their
system. If you're going to put $25,000, you need to think about
prioritizing and picking that up as part of your improvements.
Champion: I don't object to major renovation require it. We would have, we would
have several buildings downtown now retrofitted with sprinklers, and that
will happen. Buildings do change, businesses do change. It might take
longer than you want, but it will happen.
Boothroy: I also want to address your 350. The codes recognize 300 as that
benchmark. Could you, would you be willing to accept 300, because
that's a national standard.
Champion: Not tonight. I might be able to, though.
Boothroy: It's a national standard.
Bailey: I think that moves us... but I don't want to...
Elliott: 350 reduces 46 to about 10.
Boothroy: I think 350's too high. I think 300 is what's recognized. There's science.
In other words, you're basing it on...
Champion: In the attached buildings.
Boothroy: Okay, so what I hear, wanting us to come back with some...
Champion: Well, that's what I want.
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Boothroy: No, I'mjust trying to understand what you're saying, and Ijust want to
restate it for the rest of the Council. It's... we're not changing. The new
use thing is still not, nothing's going away with that. That's still as
proposed. We're looking at occupancies of300 or more, possibly three
years to comply; you're looking at criteria, change of ownership, new
liquor permit; and you're looking at major renovations for the other A-2
occupancies.
O'Donnell: It should be occupancies 0000 or more, with a certain percentage of
alcohol sales. That's (several talking at once).
Dilkes: We don't want to go there. I just, that, we're going to have to...
O'Donnell: We do that all the time.
Dilkes: Not very well.
Boothroy: It would be, it would be so tough to get those books and keep those...
Bailey: We've identified alcohol as...
Champion: It is a big problem.
Bailey: I think we should...
Champion: And alcohol and fire do not mix.
Bailey: Okay.
Wilburn: I'm sorry. Eleanor had another comment.
Dilkes: I just had one clarification. You're talking about a change of ownership,
not a new liquor license. We do a new liquor license every year. It's
essentially new ownership (several talking at once).
Karr: A new name, or a percentage of ownership change?
Bailey: Well, and can we explore the percentage of ownership change?
Boothroy: You want to change of business.
Dilkes: You want a change of business, not...okay. Yes, we'll explore a
definition.
Champion: What I also mean is, is if (can't hear) Dublin's Underground gets sold to
somebody, that would be a new liquor license or a new ownership?
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Dilkes: It would be both, but I thiuk what triggers the compliance is the change in
ownership.
Champion: When you buy a business, you're, you have certain expenses that you
know you're going to have. When I own that business now, I don't plan
for that $20,000.
Boothroy: So you're also looking at, uh, exempting stand-alone buildings that are
probably single story so you don't have multiple occupancies, and would
you also exempt stand-alone buildings, single story that have a single
business in them? In other words, like a Pizza Hut. It's a stand-alone
building with a single business and it's single story. Fair exemption?
(several talking at once)
Champion: Their purpose is not to sell alcohol.
Boothroy: I don't disagree with what you're saying. I'm just trying to understand if
that would be...
Champion: .. .not to sell alcohol. The golf course is not, well, maybe it is...
Boothroy: Under that exception, that I just mentioned, those would be exempted.
Bailey: Well, my objective is to address the public safety, and I would like to see
perhaps a roll-in. I mean, do this 300 in three years, change of ownership
trigger, then look at buildings that are connected, give them more time.
Champion: If you have new ownership and new remodeling, Regenia, you'd be
amazed at how fast that will kind of click in over the years. It probably
will click in just as fast as the ten years that they're willing to give them to
get it done.
Bailey: How are we going to address these stand-alone? Do you thiuk that would
also do it for businesses that are away from the Central Business District?
Champion: I thiuk so.
Boothroy: Well, if we could put together a list of those that would be accepted under
that criteria. You can evaluate them and make a conclusion based on that.
Champion: Any new business, of course, any new. . .
Boothroy: .. . sure, any new business is still...
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Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Page 77
What's the basis of.. . of.. . (several talking at once).. .what's the basis of
eliminating stand-alone businesses?
Well, you know...
.. .research to determine that people are in less danger when a fire breaks
out?
It sort.. .let's put it, you know, the higher the occupancy, the higher the
hazard. I mean, there's gradations of all of this, you know, and the code
tends to lump uses together. You know, you have a business that's
running a bar at this point in time and they may be. . . the ownership may be
keeping that place clean, fully compliant, it's great. They sell it, the next
owner comes in, I can think of a couple bars downtown, and they're never
compliant. We're constantly dealing with exit issues, all kinds of fire
safety issues, and we're catching them.. . and it's a disaster waiting to
happen. So, you know, if a sprinkler system tends to even that out by
making it automatic, but then when we look at stand-alone, to
take.. .you're only dealing with, you've got less impact with that stand-
alone. You still have the problem with what's happening inside, but you
don't have occupancies above or next door, so ifthat occupancy, God
forbid, has an emergency situation, if it's single-story, they're going to be
able to get out because it's a horizontal exit, and if they don't have people
living above or businesses besides, they won't be impacted.
In other words you're saying the firefighters have found through
experience that there is less danger from a stand-alone business, than from
a business that has other entities, either on either side and/or above.
I'd rather say it's less complicated because you're not dealing with a
multi-story building that's got zero lot-line walls.
We're talking about danger, and so that does make sense to me. If
firefighters can say, yes, our experience has showed that there is less
danger involved with a stand-alone building, then with a building that
is.. .has people on both sides.
It's easier to address, but at the same time, Bob, I don't want you to be
mislead, thinking that if you had an emergency situation in a stand-alone
building, you could have loss oflife. It still could happen. So it's not
whether it's less hazard within that building, it's that the impact ofthat
building in an emergency situation is not going to impact other buildings
or other occupants.
And my concern is both public safety and fairness in implementing it.
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#2lB
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Elliott:
Boothroy:
Wilburn:
Wolfe:
Bailey:
Wolfe:
Bailey:
Wolfe:
Page 78
And I can let Roger address that question.
. . . fairness, because it's been pointed out that in fairness the bowling alley,
through a technicality, would not be included, because alcohol is
considered, what did you call it?
Secondary. It's clearly not the purpose...
.. .not many people that I know go to LaCasa to drink. They go to LaCasa
to get the food.
When it was Moody Blue, uh, I certainly, in my single days used to go
there and drink and it was essentially the same thing. It was the Moody
Blue for a while, and I can tell you that...(several talking at once)...shame
on you! (laughter) And I can tell you, Connie, I was always able to find
the door! (laughter)
Go ahead and come to the microphone. Sir, up to the microphone. You
can make it - just come to the microphone.
I'm Chuck Wolfe again, and I was just thinking of each building has a
requirement for fire inspection on an annual basis, and approved
evacuation plans, and urn, some buildings probably are closer to being
safer than other buildings because of their stand-alone nature and I was
just thinking about a large facility. We have four exits on the upper level
and two on the lower level, and that's not that big of a facility, but that
seems to be more than adequate, and I think...past inspections it's been
found to be more than adequate, and it just, I don't know, it just doesn't
seem right to me that a building with that many evacuation exits is, uh,
going to be less safe because...then a building downtown that's got maybe
one or two exits for maybe 300 or more people. We have a much smaller
occupancy load.
I have a question about your Lodge, and maybe this doesn't apply to you,
but do you rent it out or are people who are not, who are less than familiar
with the facility, do they rent it or...
Members are able to, uh, use the facility for private outings. It has to be
member-sponsored. So, ifthere are non-members that are at those
activities during that time. True, they may not be as familiar with all six
exits that the members would be.
Right, and I guess that would become a safety factor, as well.
You could look at it that way. Thank you.
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Wilburn:
Okay, thank you. Urn, Doug, you're going to put some...
Boothroy:
We'll come back with some more language, and assume we'll defer
tonight.
b) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
(DEFERRED FROM 4/16)
Vanderhoef: I move we defer, or continue, the public hearing for the next Council
meeting. (several talking at once)
Wilburn: Okay, it's been moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by O'Donnell to continue
public discussion at the May 14th meeting. All those in favor say aye.
Opposed same sign. Carries 7-0.
Bailey: I move to defer the first consideration...
Wilburn: Moved by Bailey.
Bailey: .. . to the 14th of May.
Wilburn: First consideration to May 14th. I need a second.
Correia: Second.
Wilburn: Seconded by Correia. Discussion?
Elliott: Before they go, Doug, Roger, thanks. You know, this is so tough. Thanks
for all the work. This is important.
Wilburn: All those in favor say aye. Opposed same sign. Carries 7-0. Thanks to
members of the public for coming here. Clearly this is, again, life safety is
the issue, lot of food for thought here to continue the discussion.
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#25 Page 80
ITEM 25 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION.
Wilburn: Amy? Nobody? Anybody?
Vanderhoef: I do, I'm sorry.
Wilburn: Go ahead, Dee.
Vanderhoef: Okay. I've been at the State House several times in the last two weeks to
do some lobbying for League of Cities, and certainly looking at things that
we have put out to our local legislators. I was there for the bill signing for
greenhouse gas, which is something that goes with our environmental
proposal that we just recently signed, and the other one was one that the
League had lobbied for very heavily, which was the local government
innovation commission and fund that created the Tim Shields Governing
Excellence. It'll be administered, actually, by the Department of
Management, but it will be a stand-alone and this is something that's been
terribly important. The Shields family, as some of you knew Tim, was
there, his daughter, his wife, sister-in-law and so forth, so it was a very
nice ceremony and it was the first time I have been down there for a bill
signing. So, I saw two in one day. The other thing that I would like to
acknowledge, this past week I had an opportunity, thanks to the FAIR
committee ofIowa City, to listen to Michael Bodaken who came and
talked to the group. He is Executive Director of the Housing
Trust.. .National Executive Director of the Housing Trust Fund. It was
very informative. He was very practical, I thought, in the way he did his
approach. I have recommended to National League of Cities that they
look at his materials and see ifhe would be someone to put into a
workshop for National Convention, and earlier this evening, I did mention
our local group who talked about our partnership with the realtors in town
and our classes through the Housing Authority. I've also recommended
this for National League, for workshop, maybe together. So we're moving
forward with those kinds of things, but it really speaks well for our
community that we get this level of speaker, and this level of innovation,
by our local people, and I want to say thank you to them, whoever it was
that invited Michael. That's it.
Wilburn: Regenia?
Bailey: Farmers Market tomorrow night, 5:30 it opens, yeah! And then just a
reminder that the community meeting with staff to talk about Church and
Dubuque Streets will be Thursday, this Thursday, May 3rd, at 7:00 P.M. at
Horace Mann School and that's the comer of Church and Dodge, and
that's a community meeting, not just a neighborhood meeting, so
everybody's invited to attend.
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Wilburn:
Bob?
Elliott:
Thank you.
Wilburn:
We did say that we would set a date, but I think everybody's going to
strangle me about City staff evaluations, so I'm going to... we'll come up
with that at the next work session, because I don't want to get strangled.
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