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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977-08-16 CorrespondenceCAB P.O. BOX 593 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 -INC- PHONE 351.0380 9 l HOME OF FRIENDL Y COURTEOUS SERVICE 3'/y8 ?til 0 9 WHERE ONE OR MORE GATHER, INC. 3127 Brady Street - Suite 3 Davenport, Iowa 52803 July 28, 1977 City Council of Iowa City City Hall Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Gentlemen: You have been informed of our interest in leasing one of the temporary units on Clinton Street Mall through Paul Glaze, Urban Renewal Director. This corporation has recently acquired status whereby it is to function as an exempt nonprofit corpora- tion; therefore, by authority of the Board of Directors, applica- tion is made for the right to lease one of these units consisting of 450 to 600 square feet of space. Recognizing that the use of these premises could only be temporary, we would be willing to enter into a written lease for two years with the landlord reserving the right to terminate upon giving sixty days written notice. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the rental and lease terms with the proper officials. "Where One Or More Gather, Inc." is a nonprofit corporation recently formed to promote and conduct Christian educational programs for groups through audio-visual means and for individuals through audio equipment. The matin source of materials .for group use would be materials from Bauman Bible Telecasts, Incorporation, of.Washington, D. C. These are the same materials that have been presented on various television scr.es throughout the country. It is hoped that several different groups 15-20 in size would make use of these free courses each week. A portion of the building would be fitted with booths for the individual use for prayer and study through use of audio materials that would be available. We would assume all expense for interior renovation and the improvement to meet the requirements of our program; however, we would reserve the right to remove partitions, fixtures and equipment upon termination of the lease and upon the restoration of the unit to its original condition. The corporation has ample funds and support to meet projected costs, :including the rentals for a two-year period, and it is hoped that it will merit public support to permit expansion and moving to other quarters after that time. We would like to complete renovation and start our programs as near the beginning of the school year as possible and request your prompt consideration of this application. Please contact: Respectfully submitted, QW WIII:RI ONG OR MORN GATHER, INC. Ahaziah Umanah, Vice Pres.V`r Iowa City, Iowa By:/RL,thard L. StOMIS, President ent Tel: 354-2393 CC: Paul Glaze JUL2 91977 ABBIE STOLFUS CITY CLERK 3yy 9 CIVIC CEN TER UO E. WASIIINGTON sr. IOWApWYliO A l 111913191 3 ]:1.1000 tll rl August 23, 1977 MAYOR "RYNEMIQWER OOMRCIL MEMBERS JOHN BAEMER 114110I.&PROS,E LP. SOWER OAVID PERRET MA%SEUEN ROBERT VEVERA Mr. Richard L. Stevens, President Where One or More Gather, Inc. 3127 Brady Street, Suite 3 Davenport, Iowa 52803 Dear Mr. Stevens: At its regular meeting of August 16, 1977, the City Council received and placed on file your letter concerning leasing one of the temporary units on Clinton Street. Since these units have been used for a much longer period of time than originally planned when they were constructed, it has been the decision of the Council that the City should not rent the modules to new businesses or organizations as they become vacant. If you should have any questions concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Si erefy yours, ✓ Neal G. Berlin City Manager Is cc: City Clerk / Ahaziah Umanah, Vice President Where One or More Gather, Inc. 559 Hawkeye Court Apartments Iowa City, Iowa 52240 W 3vy9 August 14, 1977. To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the Iowa City Council: For the information of your Honorable Body, I am inclosing herewith a copy of a letter which I sent to the Iowa City Committee on Community Needs for their August 3 meeting. A copy is also being sent to Ms. Susan Sheets. One of the most sensible and useful things for which federal grant money can be used is sidewalk repair, and it is highly im- portant that the Iowa City pilot program get oV to the right start. There is one thing that stands between success and failure. I£ the City proceeds to repair all of the bad spots in all of the public sidewalks in this project area, with the exception of those where an owner requests permission to repair his own at his own expense, then the Longfellow pilot program of sidewalk repair will be a success. If, however, each and every owner who wishes the public side- walk in front of his property repaired is required to go to the Civic Center and file a written request, the project will be a failure, with the majority of the area sidewalks remaining un- repaired, at the end of the experimental period. Let's work toward success! 1530 Sheridan Venule Fromt 1530'Sheridang Iowa City. Iowa 52240 Y AUG 51977'7 ED \BBIE STOLFUS CITY CLERK 3 515 August 2, 1977. To the Iowa City Committee on Community Needs: I live in the Longfellow area where the experimental pilot program of neighborhood site improvements is being initiated. In a program such as this I feel that if some part appears to be headed in the wrong direc- tion that the people shouldn't wait until it fails and then say, "If this or that had been done differently, this project would have been a success instead of a f ilure." Instead the people should speak: up while there is still time for turn -around which can head the project toward success. The following are my comments regarding the proposed sidewalk, r6pair'project: From the very beginning the sidewalk repair program appeared to be -headed toward failure. On .page 2i Title 3, of the questionnaire (a copy of -'which was sent.to each of the 642 households in the Longfellow project ` area) appeared a map showing streets on which there are sidewalks in need ofrepair.' However, these streets number less than half of the streets in the; project area that have sidewalks. The map also indicates some of the atreets where there.are no sidewalks, but those streets are arked the same as ;those with sidewalks in need of repair (thus and so there is noway of telling which is which. The first question on Topic 3, Sidewalk Repair, was (Shall we) "Repair a sidewalks inlocations as shown on the map, with no additions or subtractions?" If, the-City,Counoil had said, "Yes, that is what we want, just as it is shown map",`then the following would have been the situation: '1. About 321,000. would have been available for constructing new rr sidewalks.on streets in the project area where there now are no'sidewalks, and never have been. 2: 'About S10y000. would have bben available for repairing sidewalks on less ,than half of the streets in the project area where there are•sidewalks. 3: But not even one red cent would have been available for repairing the sidewalks on the other more than half of the streets in the Project area -= and those streets have sidewalks in need of t` 1j repair too. P If that'. part of the pilot experimental program providing for sidewalk ", repair ie to be a success, then all of the damaged 4' x 4' sidewalk squares in all ,of the streets in the project area will need to be repaired, and not " juet,thase on some certain selected streets. u y 'I attended the July 29 informal session of the City Council, at which time`.Mre (Susan) Sheets asked for approval of specific sums for each of s" :the five proposed projects No funding was asked for construction of new sidewalks:'." 312,000:'was asked for sidewalk repair (and approved). It was apparently:the-oonsensus of the Council members that all sidewalks in the " project area ,in need of repair should be repaired; and Mrs. Sheets apparently agreed.' Fo171� AUG 51977 ABBIE STOLFUS'' `CITY CLERK 3y.5'D, a • Committee Community Needs, page 2. 8-2-77 It is often said that no one should oriticise a proposed plan unless he thinks he has something better to offer. In my opinion, the following plan would keep happy 98% of the people in the project area who have aide - .walks in need of repair, and at the same time would insure the success of the sidewalk repair project: 1. Begin at Fifth and Muscatine Avenues, that being the less affluent part of the area, and work toward Summit Street. 2. Have an engineer check all sidewalks in the project area. Have him put one small dab of red paint on each 4' x 4' sidewalk square that is in need of, repair, and. two small dabs on each square that needs to be replaced. 3: Mail a letter to each household in the project area, omitting perhaps those on streets where there are no sidewalks. (a) Explain in this letter that 'the City will repair all sidewalks in the project area that are in need of repair; f that there will be no charge for this; no special assessC f , ment,..neither now or at any time in the future -- that ` the entire work will be paid from the federal grant which has been alloted for neighborhoodsin the Longfellow area. Y (b) Note also that if any property owner objects to having - the'City`repair the sidewalk in front of his property - r that he.come to the Civic Center and talk it over with r �l the staff.. (Some of the owners might want to repair the walk 'in:front, of"their property themselves, at their own r expense, and the City should have no objection to that.) My reason for writing your Committee is because I, and others with whom I havettalked,'are very much concerned because we are told that the present 4" r "plan is, to require each property owner in the project area who wants his y`t" public;'sidewalk repaired,'.as part of the pilot program, to go to the Civic Center:and"file a written application. - But why 7? The City owns the land and has power to order property owners to'keep'public sidewalks in front of their properties in good repair, and so `S therein.nothing to prevent them from beginning at one end of the project �1ey area., and repairing all "sidewalks. ;therein that'need; it. That is the .way the _ ttr City;does'when'a'street needs resurfacing -- why should it be any different with sidewalkrepair? „ -And if the City Council should decide that they do not want to repair walks'in`Yront'.of prop' ties,where.the-owners might.not want them repaired, then those are the people who should go to the Civic Center and sign, in- yE;✓i� stead:of the other way;, around. Think of: the ,time and effort that would nave r Yor both *he.staff and'the people, because those who will want the repairs '} will ba' many while'tbose who'do not will be few. Why do it the hard way there' ia'an'easy''way. V (over) q � A 14 1 r i a . 0 ED uvm CE N rER an C. wnaaxc TON ST. /q/IOY/ C1 T 1319, OW.1 5%NO V{��G� E//r/V ESIT//V/V/ evl�9C�� I'JI91 J'v1.INfp August 23, 1977 MAYOR MARYNEUHAUSEA COUNCIL MEMBERS JOHN SALVER CAROLPEIIOSEE LS.EOSTER DAVIOPERNET MA%3ELEER ROCERTVEVERA Ms. Della A. Grizel 1530 Sheridan Avenue Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Ms. Grizel: At its regular meeting of August 16, 1977, the City Council received and placed on file your letter concerning sidewalk repair. By this time you should have received a letter from Ms. Susan Sheets of the City staff inform- ing you of the City's position. Thank you for expressing your concerns. If you should have further comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Si cerely yours, Neal G. Berlin City Manager is / cc: City Clerk ✓ 3y3