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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-08 Info Packet of 9/26 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY September 26, 2002 www.icgov.org I MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS IP1 Meeting Schedule and Work Session Agendas IP2 Letter from City Manager to Mark Paterno (Grilled Cheese Cart): Sale of Tobacco IP3 Letter from Tom Brase (JC SEATS) to Parking and Transit Director: SEATS Negotiations IP4 Letter from Cynthia Quast (Trinity Episcopal Church) to Planning and Community Development Director: Parking [staff response included] IP5 Memorandum to City Manager from David Robertson: Water Retention Area on Sandusky Drive IP6 Iowa League of Cities 2003 Legislative Priorities [Vanderhoef] IP7 Minutes: June 20 Council Economic Development Committee IP8 Minutes: August 1 Council Economic Development Committee IP9 Article: Airport [Atkins] IPI0 ECICOG September 26 Meeting Packet [Wilburn] IPll September-October 2002 ECICOG Express [VVilburn] ~ City Council Meeting Schedule and September26,2002 ~ Work Session Agendas CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org TENTATIVE FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS · MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 Emma J. Han/atHall 6:30p Special Council Work Session · TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00p Special Council Formal Meeting · MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Council Work Session · TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00p Special Council Formal Meeting · MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session · TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Emma J. HarvatHall 7:00p Regular Council Formal Meeting · MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Veterans' Day Holiday - City Offices Closed Meeting dates/times/~opics subject to change FUTURE WORK SESSION ITEMS Regulation of Downtown Dumpsters Downtown Historic Preservation Comprehensive Plan Update Design Review Procedures Age of Consent Comprehensive Plan Alcohol Ordinance Review CiTY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER Stephen J. Atkins City Manager steve-atkins~iowa-¢iW.org September 25, 2002 Dale E. Helling Assistant City Manager dale-helling~iowa-city.org Mr. Mark Paterno 224 W. Benton Street Iowa City, IA 52246 Dear Mark: It is my understanding you made a verbal request to my office to be permitted to sell tobacco products after 10:00 p.m. from the Grilled Cheese mobile vending cart. As you may be aware, the City Council recently enacted legislation that regulates the use of tobacco products. Because of their decision, I am not inclined to administratively approve the sale of tobacco from mobile vending carts. If you chose to pursue the authorization, you would need to submit a request in writing to the City Council. Council Members would decide whether or not to include the issue on their Formal Agenda for consideration. Please contact Lisa if you have any questions. Sincerely, City Manager cc: City Council 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 356-5010 Fax: (319) 356-5009 IP3 J®HNSON C®UNTY 2000 James Street, Suite 111 Coralville, IA 52241 -'.'~ ~, (319) 339-6128 September 23, 2002 Joe Fowler, Director Department of Parking & Transit .z> _ City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Joe, We had hoped to be able to negotiate items such as Sunday service, since we feel we could work together to our mutual advantage. Since the City has not sat down with us since July 22, 2002 to discuss items that are open to negotiation, the best offer we can make is $812,000. We have proposed taking on the first 25% of the cost of administration staff and rent. We proposed maintenance by the City because it was discussed at our preliminary meeting. We are very willing to continue to provide maintenance in the contract, with the understanding that the vehicle replacement schedule is maintained. The figure we cited above includes maintenance costs based on the fiscal year 2003 budget. We would have been willing to negotiate lower because we expect to have newer vehicles requiring less maintenance during this contract period. We are willing to continue to provide Sunday service only if the City pays the actual cost. We are amenable to a 5-year contract with fixed payments each year. However, it is our intent that the payments more closely match our actual costs to provide the service. The county cannot continue to subsidize at the same rate as fiscal year 2002. We feel that we offer a reliable, efficient and cost effective service, which we are willing to continue. We are willing to negotiate further to achieve mutually agreeable terms. We are also committed to an early resolution, since discontinuing services will require additional planning and transition activities on our part. We would like to invite each of you and the Iowa City Council members to visit the SEATS office in Coralville to give them a better understanding of how the program works and the service provided. Regards, Tom Brase, Director Johnson County SEATS cc: Iowa City Council Members Johnson County Board Members Steve Atkins Ron Logsden Tuinit , Episcopo[ Chuucb 320 East College Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1628 319/337-3333 e-mail trinityi¢~/aol.com fax 319/337-8816 September 10, 2002 Karen Franklin City of Iowa City :-~ ¥ ~o ,--- 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Re: Futura Use of 404 E. College St., Iowa City, Iowa ~"~< " Dear Ms. Franklin, I am writing to express the interest of Tdnity Episcopal Church in the City's property located at 404 E. College St. which is currently the site of the Greyhound bus station and former site of the John Wilson building. When the bus station vacates the property for the new transit location, Tdnity would like the opportunity to lease or purchase the site for a parish parking area. Furthermore, Trinity would like the opportunity to apply for lease of the parking ama to the north of the bus station presently used by the Commerce Center. When would the last-mentioned be open for renewal or bidding? Tdnity has been located in downtown Iowa City since 1852 and our plans are to remain in the downtown area. Critical to our growth and vitality is parking availability, particularly during weekday working hours. We have hardly any such parking now. Being a downtown church means contributing to the community in a different way than churches in outlying areas. Trinity offers several religious services dudng the week as well as provides support services for various community needs. We believe that for Iowa City's downtown to remain vibrant and alive, it needs the diversity that Tdnity offers. We would appreciate the City considering our interest when evaluating the disposition of 404 E. College Street. Sincerely, Cynthia L. Quast Senior Warden Cc Rev. Mel Schlachter Mr. Ross Wilbum ~' Mayor Emie Lehman Fr. Tom Hulme September 20, 2002 Ms. Cynthia Quast, Senior Warden Trinity Episcopal Church 320 E. College Street Iowa City, IA 52240-1626 Re: Future Use of 404 E. College Street Dear Ms. Quast: Thank you for your letter of September 10. With vacation of the property in question by the bus station, the City will be proceeding with plans to develop this corner as part of the City government complex. We do not intend to sell this property. At this time the City owns the Wilson Building, the bus station, and the building upon which the Chamber of Commerce parking lot exists. Our plans are indefinite at this time, however, as noted, we do not intend to dispose of the property. In talking with Joe Fowler of the Department of Parking and Transit, there are some options open to the Church to attempt to meet your parking needs. You will need to judge whether these will be responsive to your needs. There is a waiting list available for permits for either the Chauncey Swan ramp or the Recreation Center lot; permits are $40/month. More informally, there are spaces available for hourly parking in the Chauncey Swan ramp on the level which is accessed from College Street. Lastly there may be an opportunity to change the time limits on the meters in front of the Church. Currently those are two-hour meters which could be changed to a shorter time period. The timing on the meters could be changed to respond to your needs; it is unclear from your letter whether it is long-term or short-term parking that is required. I must point out that changing the time on those meters will have an impact on other users whose needs do not correspond those of the Church. If you wish to discuss any of these parking options please contact Chris O'Brien at 356-5094; Chris is our Parking Systems Manager. If you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter further please feel free to contact me at 356-5232. Sincere/ ~ /-~ · Ka/'in Franklin, Director Pranning and Community Development J cc: City Manager "'""' Mayor Ernie Lehman Ross Wilburn ppddir/Itrs/kf-quast doc 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 Enclosed is a letter signed by my neighbors concerning the water rete~iO~ area on Sandusky Drive. At one time there was money earmarked for this project. Several neigfibors were against it because they were trying to sell their homes. The project was voted down. The remaining property owners were stuck with the water problems. It is time to move on with this project and eliminate needless flooding in this area. The new homeowners in the neighborhood are disgusted with the water problems. There is at least one pending lawsuit because of this. There is talk ora class action lawsuit against one particular realtor because of possible misrepresentation of the flooding problems. The problem has not only been costly and time consuming for my neighbors and I, but it also poses a safety threat for the children and drivers in this neighborhood. At this point 100% of the neighbors contacted are interested in getting this problem fixed. The majority would not mind if the whole sewer system has to be replaced with larger pipe. All the engineering work was done years ago. Rick Fosse (city engineering) is familiar with the project. Please contact him for further information. Please set aside money for this project so it can be fixed this coming year. I am writing this letter requesting that something be done about the storm water problem on Sandusky Drive. There has been significant flooding during heavy rainfalls here since at least 1980. The city had the funding to do a sewer replacement project approximately 10 years ago. There was a lot of opposition at that time for two reasons. The primary reason this project was unpopular was that a lot of the homeowners were trying to sell their homes at this time. The seeend reason was the plan called for extensive damage to the yards. On August 22nd we received over 3 inches of rain.This caused water problems in several houses and up to 18 inches of water in the street in front of 110t Sandusky. The street flooding happens too o~en and creates a dangerous situation for motorists. Several houses in the area sustain water damage time and time again through the years. Most of the affected homes have different owners than thy did at the time the project was turned down. We would like the problem corrected at this time. The water problem can only get worse. According to city engineers, the city can no longer enforce the covenants protecting other homeowners. Every homeowner would be able to raise the grade of their yard or build privacy fences thus restricting the water flow. This would cause worse flooding resulting in more extensive property damage. T~he ponding on Sandusky Drive would be more dangerous to motorists. What 1 am suggesting is a three prong approach to this problem: 1 .Upgrade the size of the sewer tile that crosses Sandusky Drive (one lot east of Pepper Drive). This would increase the water flow from south of Sandusky flowing to the north where there is a large, unused water retention area. 2. Remove the earthen dam on the west edge of 1039 Sandusky Drive. This would keep the street clear in front of this property. 3.Reinstate the power to enforce the covenants so homeowners can protect their property from their neighbors. This proposal is the most cost effective and least intrusive of all the alternatives. Let us use tax money effectively and fix this water problem instead of wasting this money in court or patching up single properties temporarily. I have worked with Rick Fosse and Ross Spitz in the past. They are both famatiar with this project. Feel free to call me at my home phone if you have any questions. 338-0415 Sincerely, David W. Robertson 1101 SandusJ~y D~'ive Other neighbors supporting this proposal; /Ol5' I am writing this letter requesting that something be done about the storm water problem on Sandusky Drive. There has been significant flooding during heavy rainfalls here since at least 1980. The city had the funding to do a sewer replacement project approximately 10 years ago. There was a lot of opposition at that time for two reasons. The primary reason this project was unpopular was that a lot of the homeowners were trying to sell their homes at this time. The second reason was the plan called for extensive damage to the yards. On August 22"a we received over 3 inches of rain.This caused water problems in several houses and up to 18 inches of water in the street in front of 1101 Sandusky. The street flooding happens too often and creates a dangerous situation for motorists. Several houses in the area sustain water damage time and time again through the years. Most of the affected homes have different owners than thy did at the time the project was turned down. We would like the problem corrected at this time. The water problem can only get worse. According to city engineers, the city can no longer enforce the covenants protecting other homeowners. Every homeowner would be able to raise the grade of their yard or build privacy fences thus restricting the water flow. This would cause worse flooding resulting in more extensive property damage. The ponding on Sandusky Drive would be more dangerous to motorists. What I am suggesting is a three prong approach to this problem: 1.Upgrade the size of the sewer tile that crosses Sandusky Drive (one lot east of Pepper Drive). This would increase the water flow from south of Sandusky flowing to the north where there is a large, unused water retention area. 2. Remove the earthen dam on the west edge of 1039 Sandusky Drive. This would keep the street clear in front of this property. 3.Reinstate the power to enforce the covenants so homeowners can protect their property from their neighbors. This proposal is the most cost effective and least intrusive of all the alternatives. Let us use tax money effectively and fix this water problem instead of wasting this money in court or patching up single properties temporarily. I have worked with Rick Fosse and Ross Spitz in the past. They are both famaliar with this project. Feel free to call me at my home phone if you have any questions. 338-0415 Sincerely, David W. Robertson 1101 Sandusky Drive Other neighbors supporting this proposal; I am writing this letter requesting that something be done about the storm water problem on Sandusky Drive. There has been significant flooding during heavy rainfalls here since at least 1980. The city had the funding to do a sewer replacement project approximately 10 years ago. There was a lot of opposition at that time for two reasons. The primary reason this project was unpopular was that a lot of the homeowners were trying to sell their homes at this time. The second reason was the plan called for extensive damage to the yards. On August 22nd we received over 3 inches of rain. This caused water problems in several houses and up to 18 inches of water in the street in fi-ont of 1101 Sandusky. The street flooding happens too often and creates a dangerous situation for motorists. Several houses in the area sustain water damage time and time again through the years. Most of the affected homes have different owners than thy did at the time the project was turned down. We would like the problem corrected at this time. The water problem can only get worse. According to city engineers, the city can no longer enforce the covenants protecting other homeowners. Every homeowner would be able to raise the grade of their yard or build privacy fences thus restricting the water flow. This would cause worse flooding resulting in more extensive property damage. The pending on Sandusky Drive would be more dangerous to motorists. What I am suggesting is a three prong approach to this problem: 1.Upgrade the size of the sewer tile that crosses Sandusky Drive (one lot east of Pepper Drive). This would increase the water flow fi.om south of Sandusky flowing to the north where there is a large, unused water retention area. 2. Remove the earthen dam on the west edge of 1039 Sandusky Drive. This would keep the street clear in front of this property. 3.Reinstate the power to enforce the covenants so homeowners can protect their property fi.om their neighbors. This proposal is the most cost effective and least intrusive of all the alternatives. Let us use tax money effectively and fix this water problem instead of wasting this money in court or patching up single properties temporarily. I have worked with Rick Fosse and Ross Spitz in the past. They are both famaliar with this project. Feel free to call me at my home phone if you have any questions. 338-0415 Sincerely, David W. Robertson 110l Sandusky Drive ~ .~3~be~' neighbors supporting this proposal; /~ ~ ,.., From Council Member Vanderhoef (adopted 9/20 by the Iowa League of Cities Iowa League of Cities 2003 Legislative Priorities As the League prepares for the 2003 legislative session, there is recognition that events over the past year have changed the landscape. The terrorist attack of September 11 has increased public safety concerns nationally. Changing demographics in Iowa indicate that migration from rural areas to urban areas is occurring at a relatively fast pace. Economic pressures are impacting both the public and private sectors, requiring innovative ways to provide services and encourage future growth opportunities. The legislative initiatives identified by League members can help equip cities with the practical tools essential to continued prosperity. The League's legislative priorities for 2003 support the commitment of cities to increase economic vitality and improve the quality of life for Iowans. Future opportunities will be enhanced if state and local governments work together in setting policies that value local vitality. The following three issues are designated as having high priority for the 2003 session: 1) Local Government Revenues 2) Economic Development Tools for Cities 3) Road Use Tax Fund and Transportation Funding Four additional priorities are recognized as being very important: 4) Public Bid Threshold 5) Impact Fees 6) Cooperative Planning and Land Management 7) Homeland Security The following are the Legislative Priorities for 2003 as proposed by the Legislative Policy Committee and approved by the Executive Board. Immediately after the priority statements is background information on each of the priority statements for additional information only. DRAFT 8~22~02 IOWA LEAGUE OF CITIES 2003 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Members vote on the language on this page only. LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES Priority: Call for a review of Iowa's state and local tax structure and pursue legislation equitably distributing property tax burdens and sales tax revenues. A)Call for a compre_hensive review of Iowa's state and local tax structure and freeze the residential rollback at no lower than 50% during the study. B)Ensure full funding of state property tax exemptions. C)Update the sales tax distribution formula. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS FOR CITIES Priority: Support economic development initiatives that provide necessary tools for cities to serve as economic engines for the state of Iowa. A) Protect tax increment financing (TIF) as an economic development tool. B) Support continued or renewed funding of state development incentives including the Brownfield Redevelopment fund, Resource Enhancement and Protection fund (REAP), historic preservation tax credits, Vision Iowa and the CAT program, and others. ROAD USE AND TRANSPORTATION FUNDING Priority: Pursue legislation that provides for a more equitable distribution of the road use tax fund and other transportation funding. PUBLIC BID THRESHOLD Priority: Support legislation to increase the public improvement bid threshold to a figure that reasonably reflects current project costs. IMPACT FEES Priority: Support legislation authorizing the use of impact fees for improvements related to developments. COOPERATIVE PLANNING AND LAND MANAGEMENT Priority: Suppod legislation enabling cooperative planning and effective land management practices A) Support incentives for cooperative planning between governments, inC~ ding planning for effective land management practices. ~: ~ B) Support legislation enabling cities to plan for and develop open spaces - including parks and trails. ::':ii ~ C) Support local input on siting of animal confinement facilities. HOMELAND SECURITY.-- .... l, Priority: Pursue legislation enabling funding of fire and emergency medical servic~ and _ other homeland security protections. A)Support reasonable allocation of state and federal funding for homeland security. B)Support expansion of training opportunities related to homeland security. DRAFT 8~22~02 Background information. SUbject to revision. LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES Priority: Call for a review of Iowa's state and local tax structure and pursue legislation equitably distributing property tax burdens and sales tax revenues. A)Call for a comprehensive review of Iowa's state and local tax structure and freeze the residential rollback at no lower than 50% during the study. B)Ensure full funding of state property tax exemptions. C)Update the sales tax distribution formula. BACKGROUND: Iowa's tax system is very complex. Recant efforts to study or make changes to the system have met with little success. Current and projected economic constraints indicate this effort needs to be underlaken now. The future of Iowa and its economic progress will hinge on the willingness of state leaders to work toward a state and local tax structure that promotes economic growth and prosperity for the state and its businesses and residents. A) Support a comprehensive review of Iowa's state and local tax structure with a commitment to enact recommended changes and freeze the residential rollback during the study. Previous studies of Iowa's state and local finances have been dominated by political objectives. In order to effectively address all relevant issues, policy oversight must be balanced by both technical objectivity and adequate time and resources. The process should involve establishment of a commission to follow a proposal from the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance that recommends consideration of many issues, including: · Stability, dependability and adequacy of revenue sources, considering variance in local capacity; ....... · Equity in the d~stnbubon of respons~bd~ty for financing government progr ~a~ .s--~nd · Effect of government fiscal policy upon economic decision-making by ind~i~alsr, o '-i-] and businesses; · Costs imposed on individuals, businesses and levels of government associated with administering and complying with tax laws and regulations; and LJ · Enhancement of government accountability. Attempts to further limit city resourcas while reviewing the state and local tax system will be resisted by the League. During the study, a floor should be set on the residential rollback at Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 levels or no lower than 50 percent. The residential rollback is the percentage of the assessed value of a home subject to taxation and is currently 51.6676 percent. This number has consistently dropped, resulting in a shift in the property tax burden to commercial and industrial property owners. Because the residential rollback has declined, more communities have needed to increase levy rates to simply maintain the same level of services. This has created a disparity in the property tax burden recognized by commercial and industrial property owners who must pay almost 100 percent of their property's assessed value on the increased levy rates. DRAFT 8~22~02 Bringing more balance between classes of property and sharing the property tax burden proportionately is essential to a property tax system that works. Establishing a floor on the rollback provides a stopgap measure against further erosion of the property tax base, which is hampering local governments from providing necessary services, and will freeze the shift in the property tax burden to commercial and industrial property owners at its current level. B) Require full state funding o_f all mandated property tax exemptions and credits. Because other states provide higher levels of state funding and shared sales tax revenue to cities, their municipalities are far less reliant on property taxes than are cities in Iowa. This fact was demonstrated in a recent study commissioned by the League comparing Iowa's municipal tax structure to other states. At the very least, cities should be able to rely on the state to fully fund all state-mandated property tax exemptionS and credits. In FY 2003, the following were funded at less than 100 percent: · Homestead Tax Credit funded at 90 percent; · Military Service Tax Exemption funded at 97 percent; and · Elderly & Disabled Tax Credit funded at 80 percent. C) Update the sales tax distribution formula and establish a mechanism for a rolling average of property tax levied to more accurately distribute local option sales tax (LOST). Legislation passed in 1985 allowing cities and counties to collect LOST provided the following distribution formula: Each county's account is distributed on the basis of population (75 percent) and property tax levies (25 percent). The population factor is based on the most recent certified federal census. The property tax factor is the sum of property tax dollars levied by boards of supervisors or city councils for the three years from July 1, 1982, through June 30, 1985. The property tax data is compiled from city and county tax reports available from the Iowa Department of Management. Only population and property tax levies of the jurisdiction imposing the tax are used in figuring percentages. The computation is as follows: D = (.75 x P x Z) + (.25 x V x Z) where --~' :- '' D = distribution for the taxing jurisdiction .;-~- r~ _-_-: P = jurisdiction's population percentage V = jurisdiction's percentage of property tax levied Z = total collections for county in which jurisdiction is located Today, the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance is still using the property ta~- levies from the three-year period of 1982-1985 to calculate "V" in the above formula. This period no longer reflects current taxing capacity throughout the county. DRAFT 8/22/02 Background information.. Subject to revision. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS FOR CITIES Priority: Support economic development initiatives that provide necessary tools for cities to serve as economic engines for the state of Iowa. C) Protect tax increment financing (TIF) as an economic development tool. D) Support continued or renewed funding of state development incentives including the Brownfield Redevelopment fund, Resource Enhancement and Protection fund (REAP), historic preservation tax credits, Vision Iowa and the CAT program, and others. BACKGROUND: A) Protect TIF as an economic development tool. Tax increment financing (TIF) is an indispensable tool in community economic development. As Iowa competes nationally and internationally for businesses and other ~velopment, it is vital TIF be preserved to aid city officials in their efforts. Increasingly, les are called upon to provide economic development to the state. Without the necessary tools such as TIF, the entire state loses out on the opportunities provided by city government. Often confused with another economic development incentive, tax abatement, the two operate very differently. Tax abatement allows for an exemption from property taxes for a limited period of time as defined in Chapter 404 of the Code of Iowa. With TIF, the full taxes assessed on the property are collected, but the increased value of the property (or increment) is earmarked for use within an urban renewal district established by a city or county. The increment is determined by the property value increase from the base year (as of January 1 prior to establishment of a TIF) and current value. Taxes received on the base value continue to be disbursed among all taxing jurisdictions, while taxes on the increment remain with the city or county for use within the urban renewal district. TIF revenues are often used to supply infrastructure to a development. For example, water and sewer lines and roads may be paid by TIF funds as an incentive for a developer to build in the district. Sometimes they are used as an incentive for a new or expanding business. A recent League survey indicates the average length of a TIF district is 13 years. This is significant considering urban renewal districts used for residential development are limited to 10 years, districts founded under an economic development purpose are limited in duration to 20 years, and urban renewal districts classified as a slum or blight have no time limit for existence. B) Support continued or renewed funding of state development incentives. State funding was reduced or eliminated for several important economic incenti~ .. programs for FY 2003, including the Brownfield Redevelopment Program ($1,000,0~00 elimination) Resource Enhancement and Protection ($8,000,000 reduction) AviatCOP~ ~ Assistance ($600,000 reduction) and Local Housing Assistance Program ($800,' ~.0" reduction.) Cuts to libraries and other cultural development initiatives impede programs that add to the quality of life for Iowa residents. Impodant progress gained through the Vision Iowa DRAFT 8122/02 and Communi~/Attraction and Tourism (CAT) programs will come to an end if these programs are not continued. Less than $10 million remains for the large projects supported by Vision Iowa. The CAT program is slated to end by FY 2004. These programs are critical in enabling cities to help reach the state's goal of improving the view that Iowa is a great place to visit and live by the year 2010. DRAFT 8/22/02 Background informa~on. SubjeCt to revision. ROAD USE AND TRANSPORTATION FUNDING Priority: Pursue legislation that provides for a more equitable distribution of the road use tax fund and other transportation funding. BACKGROUND: The tragic events that faced this nation have presented legitimate concerns regarding the safety of our nation's infrastructure. Today, maintaining and protecting the roads and airports not only means economic vitality for Iowa, but providing the security citizens expect and deserve. The Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF) is the master road fund where net revenues from the taxes and fees paid by highway users are held until distributed to the subsidiary fund that finances state, county and city road projects. The last change to the formula was in 1990. Subsidiary Funds Current % Primary Road Fund (IDOT) 47.5 Counties 24.5 -~. Farm-to-Market 8 Cities 20 , As state revenue has decreased over the past few years, the attempts to transfer '.r~rfies -.~. from the RUTF to supplement the state general fund have become a matter of con~mtion. Any transfer from the fund for non-transportation programs detracts from the purpose for which the fund was created - investment in Iowa's infrastructure. Although over the years there has been a tremendous effort to return non-construction diversions that result in an increased per capita share for cities, the current formula is inadequate for maintaining, upgrading and constructing city streets. Although 77 percent of Iowa's population lives within incorporated boundaries of a city, the formula provides the least amount of revenue to cities. Citizens expect their city to maintain and upgrade residential and commercial streets. Cities are often forced to subsidize road funds with tax dollars to meet citizens' demands. But, simply changing the formula will not solve the problem. Iowa's roads are interconnected, and cities recognize that safe highways outside incorporated boundaries are just as important as the streets their citizens use every day. Because a change to the current allocation will result in one or more entities losing funding, the League supports an increase in overall funding to keep those entities at existing levels. Equally important to funding the state's road infrastructure is funding for airports. Many economic development projects depend on available air transportation within close vicinity, making a state investment in airports important for the future development of Iowa. State budget shortfalls have significantly impacted programs on which municipal airports depend for safety and improvement projects. In the 21st century, both air and land transportation play a crucial role in keeping communities competitive and vital. The League believes in the protection of monies in the RUTF, encourages an increase in the formula allocation to cities, and also supports sufficient funding for other transportation programs. DRAFT 8/22102 Backg oun. d ;nforma.on. sUbject to revision. PUBLIC BID THRESHOLD Priority: Support legislation to increase the public improvement bid threshold to a figure that reasonably reflects current project costs. BACKGROUND: For over 20 years, the state bidding law has required that if a public improvement's estimated cost is over $25,000 the governing body must advertise for sealed bids by publishing notice to bidders. Like any other construction project, the cost of city projects has increased greatly over the past 20 years. Based only on the consumer price index, inflation would have increased the $25,000 public bidding threshold requirement set in 1980 to $54,400 in 2002. Publication costs have also increased during that time. DRAFT 8~22~02 Background information. Subject to revision. IMPACT FEES Priority: Support legislation authorizing the use of impact fees for improvements related to developments. BACKGROUND: In Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines v. City of West Des Moines, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that charging developers for park development is illegal since it is not currently authorized by the Code of Iowa. The Court found no legislative authority in Iowa for cities to impose an excise tax on developers or builders. Both the Home Rule amendment to the Iowa Constitution and Code Chapter 364 require express authorization by the general assembly for cities to levy a tax. Since the service provided by the park was not dedicated to the property being charged -- but to the public at large, the court found West Des Moines was levying a tax, not a fee. The court, however, found "practical and sound reasons for allowing a city to require a monetary exaction from a developer in lieu of a dedication of parkland." But the court determined, "the decision to extend that power to local government is for the legislature, not this court." The American Planning Association defines impact fees as "payments required by local governments of new development for the purpose of providing new or expanded public capital facilities required to serve that development. The fees typically require cash payments in advance of the completion of development, are based on a methodology and calculation derived from the cost of the facility and the nature and size of the development, and are used to finance improvements offsite of, but to the benefit of the development." The APA states impact fees are being increasingly used by local governments throughout the country to finance a wide variety of public facilities including sewer and water facilities, parks, roads, schools and libraries. Approximately half of the states have enacted enabling legislation for impact fees. Iowa should join that group, enacting legislation that authorizes impact fees to be used for street, traffic control and infrastructure, improvements needed to support developments and for other public facilities including parks and other recreation, convention, cultural or entertainment facilities. DRAFT 8~22~02 BaCkgrOund information, Subject t° revision. COOPERATIVE PLANNING AND LAND MANAGEMENT Priority: Support legislation enabling cooperative planning and effective land management practices. D) Support incentives for cooperative planning between governments, including planning for effective land management practices. E) Support legislation enabling cities to plan for and develop open spaces including parks and trails. F) Support local input on siting of animal confinement facilities. BACKGROUND: A) Support incentives for cooperative planning between governments. Regional strategic planning has emerged since the 1990s as a major decision making tool according to the Local Officials Guide: Shaping a Region's Future, a Guide to Strategic Decision Making for Regions, published in 1995 by the National League of Cities. An interest in providing services demanded by citizens efficiently and economically encourages local governments to cooperate in a myriad of ways, evidenced by the many 28E agreements on file with the Iowa Secretary of State. Land management is one decision requiring significant planning that affects residents of multiple jurisdictions. Legislation should provide incentives for governments to voluntarily plan together, and identify recommended land use impacts to be considered during the planning process. B) Support legislation enabling cities to plan for and develop open spaces including parks and trails The Governor's Strategic Planning Council recommended in the Iowa 2010 report that by the year 2010, Iowa be known as "a recreational destination, featuring the country's best network of trails...and a healthy lifestyle focusing on exercise and sports participation as a central part of community life." Trails and parks add significantly to the quality of life in Iowa for residents and are an attraction for visitors and future residents. Legislation passed in 1999 changing sections of Code of Iowa Chapter 6A regarding condemnation of agricultural land has hindered trail development and should be changed. The League supports continuation and expansion of funding sources for trail and open space development. C) Support local input on siting of animal confinement facilities During the 2002 session, the 10wa legislature passed SF 2293 regulating animal agriculture. The criteria for a decision matrix regarding construction of confinement units will be developed before the end of 2002. Final siting decision authority rests with the Department of Natural Resources. The League supports local participation in the decision process. ~, DRAFT 8122102 BaCkgroUn~ information. SUbje~t t~ revision. HOMELAND SECURITY Priority: Pursue legislation enabling funding of fire and emergency medical services and other homeland security protections. D) Support reasonable allocation of state and federal funding for homeland security. E) Support expansion of training opportunities related to homeland security. BACKGROUND: A) Support reasonable allocation of state and federal funding for homeland security. The federal government is allocating funds to states for use at the state and local levels to implement stronger homeland security measures. Financial constraints at the local level will inhibit preparedness without a reasonable allocation of state and federal funding. B) Citizens have increasing service expectations of local fire departments, but fewer volunteers are available to serve (especially during the day) and funding and training are perennial concerns. Fire departments report state training can be inaccessible and inconvenient; state officials say the demand for training exceeds their supply capability, Legislation should expand opportunities and funding for homeland security-related training. DRAFT 8122/02 FINAL/APPROVED Minutes City Council Economic Development Committee Thursday, June 20, 2002- 9:30 AM Civic Center Lobby Conference Room Members Present: Emie Lehman, Dee Vanderhoef and Ross Wllburn Members Absent: None Staff Present: Steve Atkins and Steve Nasby Others Present: Dan Smith, Irvin Pfab, Steven Kanner, and Amy Correia Call to Order Mayor Lehman called the meeting to order at 9:30 AM Approval of Minutes of May 16,2002 Amended minutes to read: whenever there is a direct meeting with company members that a staff AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE MEMBER be there. Previous it read as OR COUNCIL MEMBER. Minutes approved Discussion of Alternative High School Vanderhoef stated two problems with the project at the Coralville location. One was that the library might not remain in the same location, which would be a detriment to the school district. The second concern was the frequency of bus service to the area and the need for these students to move around to different work- study locations during the day. Lehman stated the need to be available to the school board if they were interested in locating somewhere in Iowa City. Lehman felt the location of the alternative high school should be left up to the School Board because they would locate it in an area that best served the students. Wilburn felt the larger issue was that this type of program be available to serve Iowa City students, not the location of the school. Wilbum is comfortable with the position Coralville is in right now to enter into discussions with the school board, and didn't feel that the City of Iowa City needed to present a counter- proposal. Wilburn agrees with Lehman that the school board will make a good decision on the placement of the school. Lehman instructed staffto send a letter to the School Board stating committee support for the Alternative High School, the willingness to help if there was any interest in an Iowa City location, and that the committee was sure the school would be placed where it made economic sense and best served the needs of the students. Vanderhoef and Wilburn agreed with this action. Discussion of Economic Development Funding for United Action for Youth Vanderhoef feels the change from building tax base in that particular building to allowing them to purchase that property, and make it a non-taxable location is a measure of support from the community and that there isn't a need to look at another funding source for this particular space. Wilburn agreed with Vanderhoef and also pointed out that United Action for Youths primary focus in using the space would not be economic development in nature and because of this would not support the use of Economic Development Funds for this project. Lehman felt that it would be very difficult to justify the use of Economic Development Funds to purchase a property that will be taken off the property tax rolls. Atkins questioned why this was even an issue for the Council Economic Development Committee. Lehman clarified the issue by stating that the property had been sold to UAY for $50,000 less than it was listed and it have been brought up that the Economic Development Fund should make up that difference. Lehman does not agree with this. Outreach and Survey of Interest - Displaced Businesses Lehman liked the letter and survey that was sent out to businesses in the Coralville Business Park. Steve Nasby reported that Karin Franklin had notified Kelly Hayworth that this was being done. Comlville has very little industrial property for these businesses to relocate to and it was a good opportunity for the cities to work together to keep the businesses in the area. The letter and survey has been sent to the property owners first, and it will be sent to the business owners in the near future. Lehman stated that it is important that it get to the tenants so they know the City of Iowa City is willing to help. Nasby reported several positive responses had been received from property owners. Discussion of HCDC Representation for CDBG Economic Development Applications The Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC) had expressed interest in working with the Council Economic Development Committee due to CDBG funds being used in the Economic Development Loan Pool. Amy Correia, vice chair of HCDC, was present for the discussion. Wilbum has no problem with a liaison from HCDC that attended Council Economic Development Committee meetings. Lehman has no problem ifHCDC wants input but the final decision of ~vhere funds will go should remain with the Council Economic Development Committee. Vanderhoef feels that there is no problem with keeping HCDC in the loop, but that the time for public imput is at City Council Meetings when the funding would be approved. HCDC is looking to expand the lines of communication between the Council Economic Development Committee and its own body. HCDC did not recommend CDBG funds to be used for the Economic Development Loan Pool and wants to make sure that their viewpoints are represented when applications for the use of those funds arc reviewed. Steve Nasby asked Amy Correia to clarify ifHCDC was looking for representation when CDBG applications were received, Correia stated that was not the case. Staff was instructed to make sure HCDC was on the mailing list and information was made available to them as to when applications where going to be reviewed. Lehman stated that while the Economic Development Funds had been removed from HCDC and put under the control of the Council Economic Development Committee that no one would have a problem ifHCDC wanted to make comments, but that the formal process that HCDC used to carry out would now be carried out by the Council Economic Development Committee. Wilbum stated that the Council Economic Development Committee makes a recommendation to the City Council and City Councilors have the option of accepting or rejecting that recommendation. Lehman stated that no matter who made the recommendation, the City Council makes the final decision on the matter. Amy Correia wanted to make sure HCDC had enough time to review the applications so that if they had comments they could get them to the Council Economic Development Committee. Marketing of Economic Development Financial Assistance Programs - Update Paul Heath of the Small Business Development Center was going to give Steve Nasby some marketing ideas on how to reach some of his clients. Nasby also sent him applications for all of the City's programs and Heath was going to make sure it was available to all his "fast track" classes. Nasby also contacted the Institute of Social and Economic Development. ISED has several classes that are targeted for low to moderate-income cliems and they are going to market the City's program as well. Dan Smith from the Chamber of Commerce has been contacted and he is going to make sure it is in he Chamber bulletin, Reflections. This will make the local chamber member aware of the programs available. Nasby has also been doing research on what is available from the State of Iowa so that when people call he can give them accurate information as to what is available. Wilbum was interested in the amount of people who take classes from ISED in a year. Nasby stated that there are usually 30 people in a class and that there are 2-3 classes a year. ISED gives classes on basic business skills and also has some funding available for people starting their own business. Business Outreach Program - Major Employer Visit Schedules Nasby and Vanderhoef visited with Bill Robertson, manager of the North Dodge Hy-Vee store Tuesday, Jtme 18th. It was a positive meeting. Concerns for that store were the reconstruction of North Dodge Street, further development in the North East area, and traffic. St Lehman stated that the completion of Scott Blvd. and the opening of 1 Avenue would help with infilling the commercial areas around Hy-Vee. Vanderhoef would like to take a look at the comprehensive plan and see what is developable in the area near Hy-Vee. There is some typography in the are that does not lend itself to development and it would be a good idea to see what is possible in the area. Staff was directed to take a look at the area and report back to the committee. Postal Service visit will take place in late June and the Veterans Administration in early July. Committee members felt this was a good program and staff was instructed to look at the next tier of businesses to target for visits. Other Business Lehman brought up the South side transportation center and the childcare component. Lehman was interested in knowing ifCDBG funding would be available for the childcare component. Vanderhoef reminded to the committee the sale of 64-1 a would bring in $250,000 and it might be possible to use that money to help build the childcare component. Lehman agreed that it might be a good use for those funds. Staff was instructed to look into those issues. Staff was instructed to keep sending hard copies of meeting packets to committee members and to put the information into the council packets. Adiournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 FINAL/APPROVED Minutes City Council Economic Development Committee Thursday, August 1, 2002- 1:00 p.m. Civic Center Lobby Conference Room Members Present: Emie Lehman, and Dee Vanderhoef Me~nbers Absent: Ross Wilburn Staff Present: Dale Helling, Steve Nasby, Tracy Hightshoe, and Emily Pierce Others Present: lrvin Pfab, Steven Kanner, Justine Zimmer, Brian Tibbats, Judy Houghton Call to Order Mayor Lehman called the meeting to order Mr. Lehman received an e-mail from Ross Wilbum saying he would not be attending the meeting due to a conflict of interest. Mr. Wilburn is the head of the Crisis Center, an organization partially funded by CDBG funds. Discussion of CDBG Funding Request for the Englert Civic Theatre, Inc. Mr. Lehman was in Des Moines three weeks ago and visited with Vision Iowa Board Members. Vision Iowa roles are that unless a project is supported by the city, county, and private sector it will not receive Vision Iowa funding. Because the Englert is being completed in phases, according to Vision Iowa rules, The City of Iowa City has not given financial support to phase two. Even though substantial support was given in phase one, it does not count according to Vision Iowa rules. Justine Zimmer confirmed that the County met informally this morning and agreed to give the Englert Theatre $20,000 over 5 years. Mr. Lehman asked Mr. Nasby if this project met the criteria for CDBG funding. Mr. Nasby said it did. It meets the CDBG program criteria through job creation. It also meets financial assistance guidelines created by the City Council. In addition, the project is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan because of a positive economic impact it will have on the community. Nasby added that the Downtown strategy adopted by the Council the first item listed is to provide a critical mass of destination points for the downtown. The Englert meets those criteria. Nasby said that the a~vard of the CDBG financing would be contingent on the Englert receiving a viable Vision Iowa Grant. The Englert has request a $75,000 CDBG Grant. Ms. Vanderhoef asked for clarification ofjobs created. Mr. Nasby explained that the CDBG regulations allow for Full Time Equlivents not full time jobs. The jobs created should pay a living wage as outlined by local standards, whereas CDBG regulations would only require the jobs to pay minimum wage. Ms. Vanderhoe£would reconmnend to the Council to grant money to the Englert Theatre, because it is exactly the type of project she envisioned this type of funding to be used for. Mr. Lehman supports this project and recommends to the Council they approve funding of this project. Mr. Lehman would like to leave it up to the council to decide the funding level. Ms. Vanderhoef agreed. Ms. Vanderhoef made a motion, with Mr. Lehman seconding, to recommend CDBG funding, in an amount to be decided by the Council, to the Englert Theatre, contingent upon the receipt of Vision Iowa funds. Meeting was adjourned. IP9 You!ve p~obabty heard that the ~Oeral'Aviation Administration (FAA)has aler'~e~ bdndrs ~f private plaa~s a~d' m~ o~erators k s~aller' airpprts to ~efi°ntinUo~iy.on)th~ io~kofit for suspicious per~ons, ~Cti~¢ies. and operat~bns around ai~or~s." Thi find it to as fixed-base Hawthorne and fuel to for business and other trips. The Cedar Rapids are has a number of aviation pilots.'in faCtl accdrding to the statd s Office of Aviation, The MEMORANDUM DATE: September 17, 2002 TO: ECICOG Board of Directors FROM: Doug Ellio~utive Directo~ ' SUBJECT: Next Meeting - ThursdaY, September'26, 20.02 The ECICOG Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, september 26, 2002, 1:00 p.m:, at the ECICOG offices in Cedar Rapids. An agenda roi' the meeting and minutes of the ,August 29m meeting are enclosed. Other item~ are highlighted below:, Item 2.0 Routine Matters: Financial statements for the n~onth of August are enclosed. Iter~ 3.4, ?5, & 3.6 Community Development, Housing, & Circuit Rider Reports: Staff reports ore enclosed: Item 3.7 Solid Waste Report: On behalf of.ECICOG, the executive director made an offer of $27,000 ~n a home in Monticello for the GRO program, pending the approval of the Board of · Directors. The owner has accepted the offer. We have also requested assistance in a.varie, ty of forms from the City of Monticello. Information on the house is enclosed, and staff will provide additional information at the meeting. Item 3.8 Solid Waste Report: S[aff has pursued alternative proposals foi' the veMcle signage project, and will pmsbnt the results for the bo0rd's congiderafion. Please review the remainder of the enclosed materials, at~,d contact us'if you have questions before the.meeting on the 26~. Enclosures 108 Third street SE, Suite 300 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 319~365:99~41 FAX 319-365 - 9981 Www. ia~net/- ecicog MINUTES East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board Meeting 1:00 p.m. - August 29, 2002 East Central Iowa Council of Governments 108 Third Street SE, Suite 300 - Cedar Rapids, IA MEMBERS PRESENT Ed Brown-Mayor of Washington Gary Edwards-Iowa County Citizen Rod Straub-lowa County Supervisor Bob Stout-Washington County Supervisor Ross Wilburn-lowa City City Council Pat Harney-Johnson County Supervisor Lu Barron-Linn County Supervisor Ann Hearn-Linn County Citizen James Houser-Linn County Supervisor Henry Herwig-Coralville City Council Ed Raber-FFashington County Citizen David Vermedahl-Benton County Supervisor Charlie Montross-lowa County Supervisor Larry ~Zilson-Johnson County Citizen Dawn Pettengill-Mayor of Mt. Auburn MEMBERS ABSENT Leo Cook-Jones County Supervisor F?ade F?agner-Cedar Rapids Commissioner Tom Tjelmeland-Mayor of Ely Don Magdefrau-Benton County Citizen Dennis Hansen-Jones County Citizen Jones County elected o~cial-vacancy ALTERNATES PRESENT - None OTHER'S PRESENT Alison WahlI-CVAD Aaron Chittenden-Jones County Economic Development Coordinator STAFF PRESENT Doug Elliott-Executive Director Gina Peters-Administrative Assistant Chad Sands - Planner Tracey Mulcahey - Grants Administrator Mary Rump-lT/TranspertationPlanner Robyn Jacobson-Transit Administrator Lisa Carlson - Planner Catherine Hankey-Circuit Rider Lisa-Marie Garlich-Planner Jennifer Ryan-Planner 1.0 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairperson, Ed Brown at 1:04 p.m. .1 Recognition of Alternates Brown welcomed new board member Dawn Pettengill, the Mayor of Mt. Auburn, to the meeting. He also welcomed Aaron Chlttende~ Jones County Economic Development Coordinator. (Herwigjoined the meeting at this time.) .2 Public Discussion - None .3 Approval of Agenda M/S/C (Barron/Harney) to approve the agenda. All ayes. East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board Meeting Notice East Cen~a~[ ; TE£ 365-9941 FAX 365-9981 1.0 CALL TO ORDER .! Recognition of Alternates .2 Public Discussion .3 Approval of Agenda 2.0 ROUTINE MATTERS 1-3 .1 Approval of Minutes (August 29, 2002) 4-6 .2 Preceding Month's Budget Reports/Balance Sheets 3.0 AGENCY REPORTS · 1 Chairperson's Report .2 Board Members' Reports .3 Director's Report 7-9 .4 Community Development Report 10-12 .5 Housing Report 13 .6 Circuit Rider Report 14-17 .7 Solid Waste Report · Offer on property for GRO 18-25 .8 Transportation Report · Vehicle signageproject 4.0 COMMITTEE REPORTS · 1 Executive Committee .2 Personnel Committee .3 Budget Committee .4 Transit Operators Group .5 Solid Waste Technical Advisory Committee .6 Ad Hoc Committee Reports 26-31 5.0 IOWA INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW SYSTEM 6.0 OLD BUSINESS · 1 Approval of Expenditures 7.0 NEW BUSINESS 8.0 NEXT MEETING: October 31, 2002 (at the Washington Public Library) ECICOG is the Region 10 planning agency serving local governments in the counties of Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington. 2.0 ROUTINE MATTERS .1 Approval of Minutes (June 27, 2002) M/S/C (Raber/Henvig) to approve the minutes as written. All ayes. .2 Preceding Month's Budget Reports/Balance Sheets Elliot~ gave an overview of the July financial statements. (Fermedahl joined the meeting at this time.) M/S/C (Heam/Stout) to receive and file the July financial statements for audit. All ayes. 3.0 AGENCY REPORTS .1 Chairperson's Report - None .2 Board Members' Reports Alison Wahll from the Crime Victim Assistance Division gave a presentation to the board regarding the Iowa Crisis Response Team. (handout) (Montross joined the meeting at this time.) .3 Director's Report Elliott told the board he was contacted by ISAC and the League of Cities about holding a joint legislature open house this year. Discussion followed. It is the consensus of the board to hold a joint meeting with the League of Cities and to contact ISAC to see if they'd like to participate. He gave an update on Northem Great Plains Regional Development. Elliott referred to page 9 of the board packet, an overview of Governor Vilsack's "Iowa Works" Plan. Discussion followed. .4 Community Development Report Sands gave an overview of the Planning Livable Communities: A Status Report and Best Praedces Manual that was inehided with the board packet. He handed out a resolution of adoption for the manual (attached). Discussion followed. M/S/C (Wilbmn/Barron) to allow the Chair to sign the Resolution of Adoption for the Planning Livable Communities: A Status Report and Best Practices Manual. All ayes. .5 Housing Report Mulcahey told the board two FHLB applications were submitted earlier in the week. She submitted applications on behalf of Washington and Johnson Counties for housing rehabilitation. Muleahey reminded board members that housing fund applications are due on December 13. .6 Circuit Rider Report Hankey gave an update on current regional activities. .7 Solid Waste Report Ryan told the board the solid waste department has been sorting garbage and holding focus groups for the recycling evaluation project. The final ~port is due in November. She told the board the Benton County Supervisors hay6 notified communities that in January 2004, recyclables will be banned fi-om the Benton County Landfill. Ryan referred to page 19 of the board packet, two travel requests. She gave an overview of each conference and handed out an article on electronics (attached). M/S/C (Edwanis/Vermedahl) to approve the two travel requests as presented. All ayes. .8 Transportation Report Rump told the board that she is currently working on the regional transit plan. She is working on a request from Washington County Mini Bus to demonstrate how Jones County JETS transferred from a non-profit to a county deparmaent. More information to be included in the September board packet. She also noted a vehicle siguage update will be included in the September packet. Rump told the board that the Report on Transit Operations included in the board packet was submitted to the IDOT. The FY03 STA Distribution Formula (estimates) was also included in the board packet. 4.0 COMMITTEE REPORTS .1 Executive Committee M/S/C (Barron/Vermedahl) to approve the minutes of the July 31, 2002 meeting. All ayes. 2 .2 Personnel Committee - None .3 Budget Committee - None .4 Transit Operator's Group - None .5 Solid Waste Technical Advisory Committee - None .6 Ad Hoc Committee Reports - None 5.0 IOWA INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW SYSTEM - None 6.0 OLD BUSINESS .1 Approval of Expenditures M/S/C (Houser/Wilson) to approve payment of expenditures. Ail ayes. 7.0 NEW BUSINESS - None 0.0 NEXT MEETING: September 26, 2002 Elliott announced that the October 31 board meeting would be held at the Washington Public Library. David Vermedahl, Secretaryfrreasurer September 26, 2002 . Date 3 ECICOG Transportation Report I Date: September 13, 2002 From: Mary Rump, IT/Transp. Planner Robyn Jacobson, Planner TRANSIT Vehicle Siqnaqe The staff has edited the original specifications, and requested quotes from three area vendors. Ouotes are due back to ECICOG by September 23. Results will be discussed at the board meeting. Transit Compliance Review The staff is still awaiting a written response from the IDOT's Office of Public Transit regarding the compliance review. Report on JETS Transition from Non-Profit to Jones County Department As discussed at the August meeting, the staff has prepared a report on the JETS service as requested by the Transit Operators Group. A copy of the report is attached. Update on Mini Bus Financial Situation Attached is a recent Washington Evening Journal article that discusses the financial condition of Washington County Mini Bus. The City of Washington will vote September 24 to consider a local option sales tax. If approved, Mini Bus will receive 25% of the proceeds. The outcome of the vote will be provided for the board on the 26th. TRANSPORTATION FY 2004-2006 Transportation Improvement Pro.qram Preparation - Applications to be Distributed The applications for regional transportation funding for fiscal years 2004-2006 will be distributed to affiliated cities and counties on October 1. The applications will be due back to ECICOG by November 15. This year, the application will also be available online. Color Infrared Digital Orthophoto.qraphy Project As discussed by Todd Bishop at the June meeting, ECICOG is participating in the statewide orthophotography project. In late August we received the first four sample files in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) format. The sample files are for the Creston area, but additional files (300) will be released in September, and all files will be received by April 2003. ].8 may c ose ouur ligeSt Revenue from ~ League C( . rs to sales tax would ,g keep doors open tingofthelzunk ByLinda Wenger I include a pro- As Washington County Mini Bus Ca~'g Diseaze director Joanne Miller tries to predict By De ude a video nn there~ultsof~theSept.~241ocaloption Soc ~deer and elkin sales and scrvicus tax special electiou laws i~ :er~ States, The in the city of Washington, she is not view this ~id~o .optimistic. to pay Bci on of what the "It doosn't sound like the local convk .)f Natural Re- op~iop sales tax ia going to pass," daily f mnitor ttfisdi~. Miller said. "If it doesn't then we are cost o looking at closing the doors." Th, 4 to Colorado, MiniBusbeganexperiencingbud- sots h tans need to be get problems nearly two years when cs~ablJ vher~ ,~ey,,.m~ust,the funding for~aula changed, Since But, a they kill differ- then~ Mini. Bus has raised it fares at those urn the mentor least twice, crime ~e program ,wi. IlIn 3anuary, voters in the city of Ch es pi. Usa_any dis- WashingtOn turned down a local op- law tion sales and services tax referen- . the beheld atBlair darn, while voters in the re~t of the this m s '.hing~o, aSlreet, ' ' - . county approvedthetax. In]une, Mim Th ~rsday~SepL-19~ Bus board president ]ira Frier pre- DeLo t. The business santed a petition to the Washington favor · the- p~ .~ty ~cguncil requesting a new sales Bob ~lcome ~: ~ie~i .taX;:~l~cJal~¢lectiou, with the stpula- Di ~caqua Chapter tion that 25 percent of the tax revenue aLeagu~Ine. % g66ato~'ansitscrvices. JoumalfilephotobyLinaaWenoe~ ingc( did n( ~ .. · !fvoters say yes to the tax ques- WashingtunCountyMiniBusprovidesridestopassengersofall beem Chamber'tibn;Mihil~U~'wouldreceiveapproxi- ages. ThisphotowastakeninJanuary2001atStewartEiementary hotel mately $80~000 a year from tax rev- School. Students and other Mini Bus passengers may have to find Th ;e p]al3$ - 'enuos. In ~!dition, sinc~ a port(on of other forms of transportation if voters in the city of Washington cific t~ - th~ fundii~b ~Ormula is derived f'~omtarn down a local option ~1 and services tax next Tuesday tP~ee )n Ch,,,~ber of locally gtnerated income. Mini Bus "~'"' ' ' '~a ,~/i~ wC,qld li~kely see an a'dditi0~al .$~O~00~$1..2.~0 a year i~,state and grant funds to augment the Mini Bus andle~afMiiler, contin~rd,.~:l'm cut- charg e~Yl~rs6n~T~ ~' ,ede~,~ng. , · budget buthasfoundthatgrantfunds ting down on drivers, and'therefore, other: o.m.~t ~ ~* .~ ~d k~ the ~oo~ o~ni'~enot~v~lahlcfornou-go~mcn- ~o~le h~ve to wait longer. There's ~r~.F~hasl~ft- steafter28years Miller said. talagencies, no other choice. Alotofpeopledon't day./ a new route la If Mini Bus would have to shut In addition to the funding woe.~, like it, but that's as good as we can count dowmtheEast Central Iowa Council Mini Bus has also experienced a de- do." the c~ ! beverages will of Governments (EC~COG) would crease in ridership. Miller'said that The Mini Bus director is feeling board ionsforthepar~y likelyprovidesomekindoftranspor- ridership has deercased by approx,- battle-weary. lng accepted ~t ration in Washington County. matel~ 2,000 riders a month. "This subject seems to be old," V -al Savings Bank ECICOG overs6e~ Mrriilar transit or- "We've just lost so much service Miller said. "I've been fighting it for ion Chamber of ganizationsina 10-cBI]ll~ ~t. How- with the people who have used us for two ycar~ now and I just watch it get tna~vi~aal gag cver, WaahingtonC0u~tyMiniBusis many yea~," Miller said. wors~andworseandwor~.The0aiv' t'd. ' the'only non-profit and non-govern- Pewerridersandlesssexvice"adds er~keepwaifingforthenextbitofbad ,' mental group agency in ECICOG'$ up to about $50,000 in lost revenue," information. I feellike I've exhausted :h~n~to~ area. she added, everywhere I can go to try to find h~lp Miller said she has tried to find "Service will continue to get less for us. It's just heartbreaking." Ass~ ~rants ~shington will be- ~vm take approxi- ~ ~J~c~-~ ~.~C-~ to the city's water ce a ru~ty disrnl- water. Questions to the Water De- 19 ECICG"':G 2O In July 2000, the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) discontinued its longstanding contract with Jones County JETS. Alternatively, JETS has been assumed by the Jones County Board of Supervisors as a department of the county, and ECICOG now contracts with the county department to provide public transit service in Jones County. This report outlines the purpose for the transition, the process, and conclusions. History of JETS in Jones County In 1975, ECICOG began to contract with Jones County JETS, a non-profit organization, to provide public transit service to residents throughout Jones County. Governed by a board of directors, JETS relied primarily upon state and federal operating revenues available fi.om ECICOG, local contributions and passenger revenues to fund the service. A majority of the initial ridership was elderly residents. During this time, the staff was comprised primarily of part-time employees, including a transit manager who worked weekday mornings. Employee benefits were limited to vacation and sick leave. Over the next twenty-five years, JETS maintained its non-profit status. Ridership expanded to also include many disabled residents of the county, including contracted service for clients of Have Incorporated (now Advancement Services), a sheltered workshop program in Monticello. The Purpose for the Transition As services expanded, additional staff was required. In 1993, two drivers were promoted to full-time status, and their leave was adjusted accordingly. In addition, a full-time transit manager was hired in 1994. To met federally-mandated accounting requirements and maintain coordination with the regional and state transit network, out-of-house assistance was necessary. Third-party service contracts were required for interact/computer service, bookkeeping, auditing, and vehicle repairs and maintenance. JETS' expansion and the necessary third-party assistance resulted in cash flow problems for the small organization. Sufficient annual revenues were available, but cash flowing expenses between quarterly ECICOG assistance payments grew difficult. As JETS' cashflow problems mounted in the late 1990's, they relied heavily upon the county for assistance, and eventually asked the County to consider taking over the service. The County agreed to do so at the end of the 2000 fiscal year (June 2000). The Process To dissolve the JETS non-profit organization and establish the county department, the following steps were necessary: · The JETS Board of Directors formally agreed, by motion, to dissolve the organization. · The Board of Supervisors adopted one or more resolutions explaining and approving the transfer. · A final audit of the organization was required at the close of fiscal year 2000. 21 · Any remaining proceeds from the organization were turned over to the County for the new department. · The county established a fiscal year 2001 budget for the new department. · The county took necessary steps to re-employ the former JETS staff. · ECICOG holds title to the transit vehicles, so title transfers were not required. · The county, however, added the vehicles to their insurance pool at the start of the fiscal year. Conclusions The new county department was established with minimal administrative disruption, and no service interruption, in July 2000. Based on input from county officials and the JETS staff, the transfer has been successful. As noted in Appendix A, from fiscal year 2000 to 2001, JETS incurred a small loss in services provided. This was partially the result of a lost service contract (one of two) with Advancement Services. By fiscal year 2002, the loss of the contract was nearly erased by additional public service. In fiscal year 2003, ridership is expected to exceed fiscal year 2000 levels. An analysis of JETS' costs and services (Appendix B) indicates that while operating costs continue to increase, the service is becoming more efficient. Additional costs can be attributed, in part, to the additional expense of employee benefits offered by the county. Some of the expenses were offset, however, by the reduction in vehicle insurance and auditing expenses. Following an initial decline, JETS' service efficiencies are at or in excess of fiscal year 2000 levels. JETS' is now grouping approximately 0.24 rides per revenue mile travel, 4.46 rides per hour, compared to fiscal year 2000 levels of 0.24 rides and 4. I0 rides, respectively. JETS no longer incurs the cashfiow difficulties they experienced as a non-profit agency. Additional expenses were necessary, however, in olZler for the county to match the benefits to JETS employees as are provided to like county employees. In fact, wage and benefit expenses increased nearly 25% between fiscal year 2000 and 2001 (see Appendix C). ECICOG transit assistance remains the greatest single source of JETS' resources, however, while payroll expense increased, ECICOG transit assistance has not kept pace. As a result, additional financial assistance fi'om the county will be necessary to allow the JETS department to meet expenses. Despite the increased cost to the county, and initial frustrations, the county continues to support its decision to make JETS a Jones County department. Sufficient funds are now available to meet JETS financial obligations, employees are provided a more stable working environment, and customers continue to enjoy the valuable transit service. 22 Appendix A JETS Operating Statistics Non- ~rofit County Department 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 proposed Rides 43,205 44,416 31,200 44,298 45,000 Revenue 164,764 185,086 171,380 187,871 180,000 Miles Revenue 9,754 10,814 9,182 9,925 9,900 Hours Operating 127,453 202,456 217,170 212,316 224,271 Cost Note: Increases in operating cost for FY 2003 include a large increase in wages, benefits, etc. as a result of increased insurance rates. Decline in operating cost from FY 2001 to FY 2002 is partially the result of decreased vehicle insurance and auditing expenses. Decrease in service statistics from FY 2000 to FY 2001 is partially the result ora loss of one service con~'act. Increase in service statistics from FY 2001 to FY 2002 is partially the result of additional contract services for clients to Goodwill in Cedar Rapids. Proposed reduction in service miles and hours in proposed FY 2003 is the result of the transfer of Advancement Services adult daycare clients from Cedar Rapids to Monticello. 23 Appendix B JETS Cost and Service Analysis Cost Non- ~rofit County Department 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 proposed Cost/Ride $Z95 $4.56 $6.96 $4.79 $4.98 Cost/Revenue $ 0.77 $1.09 $1.27 $1.13 $1.24 Miles Cost/Revenue $13.07 $18.72 $23.65 $21.40 $22.65 Hours Service Non- >rofit County Department 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 proposed Rides/Mile 0.26 0.24 0.18 0.24 0.25 Rides/Hour 4.43 4.10 3.40 4.46 4.55 Miles/Hour 16.89 17.12 18.66 18.93 18.18 24 Appendix C Summary of JETS Expenses and Revenues Revenues Non- ~rofit County Department 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 proposed Fares $28,007 $36,999 $23,965 $31,062 $32,000 Contracts, $41,151 $45,746 $74,897 $52,819 $53,000 other Local Taxes $5,857 $38,065 $45,000 $44,076 $54,771 ECICOG $52,438 $81,646 $83,862 $82,357 $84,500 Assistance Total $127,453 $202,456 $227,724 $212,316 $224,271 Revenues Expenses Non- ~rofit County Department 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 proposed Fuel, repairs na $34,074 $52,549 $40,358 $43,921 Building exp. na $5,850 $1,872 $2,540 $3,000 Vehicle na $7,805 $0 $0 $0 Insurance Vehicle User na $7,908 $5,685 $6,257 $7,000 Fee Wages, na $110,177 $145,688 $160,906 169,350 benefit, etc. Office, misc. na $36,642 $11,376 $253 $1,000 Total 127,453 $202,456 $217,171 $212,316 $224,271 Expenses 25 From Council Member Wilburn ~ SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2002 FCI Planning livable communitics Al its August meeting, Ihe ECiCOG Board of Directors reviewed and approved the document, Plan- ning Livable Communities: A Status Report and Best ^ Practices Manual. Prepared by the ECICOG commu- nity development department, the manual is intended to bca planning tool for local governments and to en- couragc rcgional coordination of planlfing efforts. The project was fundcd in part by a grant fi'om the Iowa Dcpanmcnt of Economic Development. Thc manual consists of two sections. Thc first section identifies best practiccs in land usc regulation; innovative approaches to zoning and subdivision con ...... trois; methods to crcatc public/private partnerships in support of land use policy directions; and ways to establish multi-jurisdiclional co- operation to coordinate regional planning efforts. In many instances, case studies present actual implementation of the tools discussed. A listing and analysis of land usc plans throughout the ECICOG region is prcscntcd in thc second scction of thc manual. Information presented in this section was bascd on thc results ora survcy sent to cities and counties in the region asking if they had an adopted plan or zoning ordinance. Sixty-three (88%) responded, indi- cating that 47 of the 72 local governmcnts have an adopted plan. ECICOG staff was able to review 38 of thc availablc local plans. Tlfis rcvicw was conductcd to invcntory thc cxtcnt to which land use planning is administcrcd in thc region, and not to independently evaluate plans or critique their worth. In addition, it provides an opportunity to increase awareness of issues that play a largc role in how local communities grow and serves as a basis for regional coopcration in land use planning. Copies of Planning Livable Communities: A Status Report and Best Practices Manual are $15, and can be ordered by contacting Chad Sands (ext. 27) Tea-21 applications available October 1 The application cycle For programming regional TEA-21 l'ederal doIlars ~vill begin October 1 when applications are distributed to affiliated cities and counties. The applications forms, which are used for the submittal of both Enhancement and Sur- fimc Transportation Program funds, will be due at ECICOG November 15, 2002. Application forlns arc also availablc onlinc at thc ECICOG wcbsitc, www.ia.nct/~ccicog. For additional infom~ation, contact Mary Rump (ext. 28) at ECICOG. Recent funding awards Thc Bluestem Solid Waste Agency received $13,900 from thc Iowa Depart- ment of Natural Resources (IDNR) Solid Waste Alternatives Program to enhance and expand the Linn County Business Recycling Challenge (BRC). ECICOG prepared thc grant application. Thc BRC is an annual event begun in 2001 to recognize and show- casc waste reduction and recycling clTorts of selected Linn County busi- nesses while encouraging other businesses to reduce waste. Bluestem hopes to expand participation to businesses in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridor. In addition, a ua-ittcn guide will be prepared so other organizations can repli- cate this successfid event in their area. For more information, contact Marie DeVries (ext. 26) at ECICOG. Bluestem Soli~ Business Recycling SI3,900 IDNR Waste Agency Challenge Housing fund has December deadline The Iowa Department of Econo~nic Development will accept applications to thc Housing Fund on December 10, 2002. Communities interested in sup- porting housing rehabilitation, homeowncrship, rental housing, and tenant- based rental assistance should consider this resource. ECiCOG staffis available to assist communities in preparing grant applications. Currently, thc agency is administering thirteen local programs in communities throughout the region that are supported by thc Housing }:Lind. }:or additional information, contact Trace3, Mulcahey (ext. 21) at ECICOG. IDED invites ECICOG cities & counties Scveral cities and counties in thc ECICOG region wcre recently invited by the Iowa Department of Economic Development (iDED) to submit full grant applications to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. iDED selected projects based on pre-applications submitted earlier this sum- ruer. ECICOG will submit full applications on behalf of Benton and Jones Counties for wastewatcr collection and treatment projects. Thc Cities of Lone Tree and Van Home and iowa County wcre also invited to submit full applications. Applications are due December 6. Calendar Sept. 26 ECICOG Board of Directors meeting, ECICOG offices, 108 Third Strcct SE, Cedar Rapids, 1:00 p.m. Sept. 26 Region 10 RPA Policy Board Meeting, ECICOG ~ ~,,,r~,s~ is a bimonthly electronic publication of the offices, 108 Third Street SE, Cedar Rapids, 3:00 p.m. East Central Iowa Council of Governments. (approximate start lime) ECICOG 108 Third Street SE, Suite 300 Oct. 10-11 Iowa Association of Regional Councils Sta0'Retrcat CedarRapids, lowa52401 and Board of Directors meeting, ECICOG offices, 319 365 9941 108 Third Street SE Fax: 319 365-998 e-mail: ecicog~ia.net www.ia.nelY~ecicog Oct. 31 ECICOG Board of Dlrec ors meeting, Washington Public Library, 120 E. Main Street, Washington, 1:00 p.m.