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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-08-12 Info Packet of 8/8L City of Iowa City . MEMORANDUM oAT2- August 8, 1986 TO: City Council FROM: City Manager RE: Material in Fridays Packet Memoranda from the City Manager: a. Wastewater Treatment Project/Staff Project Management Committ b. Publicity about Board/Coffinission Appointments engagements c. Miscellaneous (2 memos)/ Png Copy of letter from the Assistant City Manager to the Chairperson of Resources Conservation Commission regarding RCC budget. Memorandum from the Senior Planner regarding the Fringe Area Policy Agreement. Memorandum from the Fire Chief providing a summary of response to rai concerns. Copy of letter from the Fire Chief to Mr. John Bennett regarding rail concerns. Project Green tour memo '1 I I NA City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: August 7, 1986 To: Assistant City Manager Director of Public Works Director of Finance Pollution Control Superintendent Water Superintendent From: City Manager Re: Wastewater Treatment Project/Staff Project Management Committee I have recently completed a review of the wastewater treatment facilities project and have discussed in detail with staff how the City could most effectively administer this project. In an effort to centralize the decision making, provide a forum for all involved to participate, and in general develop a mechanism to provide an overview of all management issues associated with the treatment facilities project, a staff project management committee is to be created. The Assistant City Manager will serve as the Chair of the Committee and will call meetings as he sees fit. The Committee will be free to utilize the expertise of other staff members, citizens, and representatives of Metcalf & Eddy. The committee responsibilities will be primarily in the following areas: 1. General administration of the management contract with Metcalf & Eddy. 2. In the administration of this contract, the Committee will be respon- sible for addressing issues regarding interpretation and/or implemen- tation of the provisions of the contract. 3. The Committee will monitor the progress of the entire wastewater treatment facilities project to assure that it is consistent with the terms and conditions of the contract and also provide for an informa- tion system to keep the community and City Council informed. 4. The Committee will be responsible for the following critical decision areas: a. Recommendation and analysis with respect to the site location of treatment facilities. b. Review and recommendation of any ancillary engineering design contracts. c. Review and recommendation with respect to the type of treatment processes to be included in the overall design. d. Review and recommendation with respect to any significant changes that may be proposed with respect to the design of the project. 13 94,4 Page 2 e, Review and recommendation regarding major change orders during the construction process. f. Address problems and/or issues that arise and make the appropriate recommendations, g. Develop an administrative procedures that would be appropriate to assist in providing for the most effective and efficient admini- stration of the contracts. A detailed community relations program will be necessary and thereby the Committee will be responsible for the preparation of a public information effort that would provide for a proactive role on the part of the City government in keeping the community informed on a regular basis about the progress of the construction project and in particular how the project might affect their neighborhood. Frequently, citizens' questions and/or complaints will be forwarded to the City government from a variety of sources and such requests should be referred to the Committee for their review and response. I envision the Committee operating with sufficient authority to resolve the vast majority of issues that may arise. It will be the responsibility of the Committee chair to ensure that the City Manager's office remains fully informed of all Committee activities. It is expected that the Assistant City Manager will contact you in the very near future to arrange for the initial meeting and the development of a future meeting schedule. It is my desire that the Committee nave ahead as quickly as possible, particularly with respect to the community rela- tions program, and would emphasize public information as being of the highest of priority. cc: City Council Metcalf & Eddy /sp lvq 7fe I T City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM DATE: August 4, 1986 TO: City Council FROM: City Manager RE: Publicity about Board/Commission Appointments The Iowa City Press -Citizen has agreed to print a monthly column featuring City Council appointments to boards and commissions. We hope to have a picture of each appointee to accompany the article. In this way we want to acknowledge the contribution of each person appointed to boards and commissions and hopefully also to gain the interest of other people who might apply for membership. The staff discussed this matter at a recent meeting and felt that some type of community recognition would help encourage our citizens to parti- cipate. vim 13 %s T City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM DATE: August 5, 1986 TO: City Council FROM: City Manager RE: Miscellaneous From time to time, I will inform you of various activities that are occurring with respect to my office. I have accepted speaking engage- ments at: 1) September 11 - Homebuilders' Annual Dinner 2) September 14 - First Christian Church 3) October 7 - Morning Optimist Club I have requests from three other service clubs which I will be schedul- ing in the near future. 1374 T City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM DATE: August 8, 1986 TO: City Council FROM: City Manager RE: Miscellaneous I have recently accepted speaking engagements with the Old Capitol Sertoma Club on August 14 and the Golden Corral Kiwanis at a future date. /3 7o CITY OF IOWA CITY CIVIC CENTER 410 E. WASFVGTON ST. 'aMA CTIY. !OWA ^2240 (319) 356.5CC0 August 6, 1986 Mr. Gary L. Goodwin, Chairperson Resources Conservation Commission 412 Bjaysville Lane l3 Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Gary: I have for acknowledgement a letter dated May 23, 1986, to the City Council from Acting Chairperson Ron Vogel requesting funding from Coun- cil for a speaker to address the issue of municipal buy-out of public utilities. Jim Schoenfelder and I have reviewed budget allocations for FY87 as well as final expenditure detail for FY86 and there is not sufficient money available in the budget absent approval of additional funding by the City Council. I have enclosed a copy of my April 2, 1986, letter to Mr. Vogel in which, in response to a similar request, I suggested that such requests be made as a part of your overall recommendation to Council to provide funding for community-based energy activities. I understand that the Commission is in the process of finalizing its recommendations at this time and 1 trust that such funding will be a part of those recommenda- tions. You are encouraged to submit your recommendations to Council within the next six weeks so that they may be considered as a part of the upcoming FY88 budget discussions. If you have further questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely yours, Dale E. Helli g ` Assistant City Manager cc: City Council✓ ( City Manager Jim Schoenfelder t Enc. bj3/6 /377 I T I U I Y Ur IUVV/-\ U I Y CMC CENTER 410 E. WASFNGTON Si IOWA O Y. OWA 52240 (319) 356.5000 April 2, 1986 Mr. Ron Vogel, Acting Chaiperson Iowa City Resources Conservation Commission 307 Third Avenue Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Re: April 9, 1986 Wes Birdsall Presentation I Dear Ron: The Iowa City Energy Department, on this occasion only, will be able to absorb the $160 expenses for Wes Birdsall. We anticipate submitting this as in-kind services to the Iowa Energy Policy Council grant program with a possible reimbursement of 50%. We will not be able to absorb such costs in the future since the FY87 budget is extremely tight. Since it is the intent of the RCC to request funding from Council for community focused energy activities, future commitments of this kind should not be made until a decision on such funding is made by Council. I am pleased that it is possible to accommodate your request at this time. I understand that Mr. Birdsall is a very interesting speaker. I hope this endeavor will be successful. Sincerely yours, (�Z Dale E. Hell ng Acting City Manager bj3/3 cc: City Council /377 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: August 8, 1986 To: City Council From: Karin Frankl in, Senior Planner Re: Fringe Area Policy Agreement In December, 1983, the City Council and the Board of Supervisors mutually agreed to a Fringe Area Policy for land use within the two-mile extra- territorial jurisdiction of Iowa City. The agreement has a duration of 21 years with a review option every three years. Pressures for residential development in Area 4 (Rapid Creek Road vicinity) have precipitated review of the development policy for this area. Presented below is the existing policy, a brief explanation of how the policy for Area 4 was derived, the current status of discussions on this issue, and action options for the Council. Existing Policy The existing policy for Area 4 is as follows: Residential development in this area should be discouraged, and en- couraged to take place in Area 3 and other parts of the County zoned for residential development. Agricultural use is the preferred use in Area 4. Residential uses for farm family purposes will be considered depending on soil and site conditions. Implementation was to be accomplished by the following measures: 1. All zoning requests will be reviewed for conformance with the poli- cies established for Area 4. 2. Development of existing zoning within Area 4 will be required to comply with County and City Rural Design standards. 3. No annexation of this area is anticipated in this review period. The agreement as a whole grew out of years of intermittent discussions (1979-1983) between the City and the County. These discussions stemmed from concerns on the part of the County regarding annexation and concerns on the part of the City regarding zoning decisions and the standard of development in the fringe area. In Area 4 the policy which exists is based on the City's statement in the 1983 Comprehensive Plan Update that annexation north of the Highlander Inn and the present corporate boundary is not expected to occur due to the lack of 1pcal sewer capacity and due to the presence of sufficient land within the corporate limits for future growth. This stance on annexation was taken with the understanding, through the agreement, that very little residential development would be 1371 mi permitted to take place in this area and that continued agricultural use was preferred. Since annexation was not to take place, rural design stan- dards were al 1 that would be required of any development which did take place under existing residential zoning. Fringe Agreement Goal The overall goal of the agreement was to set forth areas in the fringe which were appropriate for rural residential development (one dwelling unit/acre) and areas where development for other than farm families should not take place. The residential growth area was concentrated in Area 3 - the Iowa River North Corridor and River Heights to North Liberty. Ineffi- cient growth patterns of scattered residential development requiring dispersed and therefore expensive services were to be avoided. Recent pressures to rezone properties in Area 4 from A-1 to RS have led to reconsideration of the policy for Area 4. The Fringe Area Committee, comprised of Council and Board representatives, met May 28, 1986, to discuss the policy. Recommendations from the County Zoning Commission and the City Planning and Zoning Commission were to adopt Alternative IV of the Rapid Creek Area Study (in Council information packet of 8/1/86). Alternative IV advocates a density of approximately one dwelling/15 acres, development with performance standards, and limiting residential develop- ment to those properties with direct access to Rapid Creek Road. The resolution of the Fringe Committee was that limited residential develop- ment in Area 4 was appropriate. The question that was to be taken back to the full Council and Board was - what is the appropriate density? The densities discussed at the Committee meeting were one dwelling unit/one acre (equivalent to the City's RR1 zone), one dwelling unit/three acres ! and one dwelling unit/five acres. On July 31, 1986, the Board of Supervisors decided that the appropriate density for the Rapid Creek Area was one dwelling unit/three acres. Ac- cording to the Chairman of the Board, Dick Myers, the Board intends to amend the County Zoning Ordinance and adopt Alternative IV of the Rapid Creek Area Study with the only change being in the density figure from one dwelling unit/15 acres to one dwelling/three acres. Council Options Following are four approaches the Council may take to this issue, keeping in mind the goal of the Fringe Agreement. A. Retain the existing policy encouraging agricultural uses in this area. This option maintains the concept of Area 3 - the Iowa River North Corridor — as the growth center within the fringe. The commitment of all decision-making bodies to this option is essential to make it Work. B. Alternative IV as presented in the Rapid Creek Area Study with a density of one dwelling unit/15 acres. This option accepts to a degree the development pressures in Area 4, allows limited development on large lots, and recognizes a limit on the carrying capacity of Rapid Creek Road. Option B allows a more dispersed pattern of growth than the other development options pre- sented. C. Alternative IV as presented in the study with a density of one dwell- ing unit/three acres. Option C accepts the development pressures and moves toward encourag- ing development in the area. The smaller lot size may make develop- ment for a tract more profitable and therefore attractive. This option is the compromise reached by the Board of Supervisors. It is unclear what the basis of the three acres ratio is, as opposed to two or four acres. Recognition of a defined area along Highway 1 and Rapid Creek Road as a growth center similar to the North Corridor area with development at a density of one dwelling unit/acre, constructed under specified design standards. Option D accepts fully that a portion of Area 4 is going to be a growth center and encourages residential development there rather than scattering it to other parts of the fringe. This option has validity only if the Council and the Board are committed to restricting resi- dential growth in the fringe to these two areas. Ideally, adoption of this option should be followed by the rezoning of properties in other areas of the fringe from RS to Al to assert that Area 3 and Area 4 are the only growth centers in the fringe. Option A and D adhere most closely to the goal of the Fringe Agreement to control scattered residential development within the fringe and concen- trate growth in given areas where the demand for development is greatest and roads exist to provide access. Option A is the recommendation the staff made to the Planning and Zoning Commission based on a finding that there was no sound planning principle upon which to base a change. This option ignores, however, the political reality which precipitated the current discussions. Option D accepts further development in the fringe and requires it to be at a density which will maximize gross tax revenues generated to pay a portion of the cost of any County services provided. Any design standards adopted should consider the potential demand for annexation which may come from this area in such close proximity to Iowa City's corporate limits. The decision of the Council regarding these options should be formalized through reconvening the Fringe Committee or adopting a resolution to amend the agreement. If the Council concurs with the County's decision (option C), a resolution for both bodies to amend the agreement can be written. tp5/1 )1371 id City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: August 7, 1986 C Y I &4 U l' To: Steve Atkins, City Manager From: Larry Donner, Fire Chief. Re: Summary of Response to Railroad Concerns The Fire Department is researching the City's potential risk from railroad accidents as a result of Mr. John Bennett's comments at the July 29, 1986, Council meeting. To date I have: -Written the Cedar Rapids 8 Iowa City Railroad in reference to the types and amounts of hazardous materials transported through Iowa City as well as their recent accident, -Written the Iowa Interstate concerning the types and amounts of hazardous material transported through Iowa City, -Contacted the Iowa Department of Transportation's Rail and Water Division to obtain information on the July 19, 1986, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad derailment. -Responded to Mr. Bennett by letter informing him of my actions. I will keep you informed about any correspondence received as a result of the above-mentioned inquiries to the railroads and the state. b.74/1 T CITY'OF 1UWA CITY CIVIC CENTER 410 E. WASHNGTON ST IOWA CIN, IOWA 52240 (319) 356.5000 August 4, 1986 John Bennett 909 Webster St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Mr. Bennett: The lows City Fire Department is researching the City's potential risk frau railroad accidents as a result of your request at the July 29, 1986, Council Meeting. We have written the Crandic Railroad and the Iowa Interstate Railroad requesting to know the frequency of shipments and the quantity of shipments involving hazardous materials throuh Departmentwof Transportation provide usIn addition we vwith eQinformmatiouested n concernthe ing the recent derailment on Gilbert Street and the Crandic tracks. 1 hope to have some preliminary information back from the railroads and the state within the next 30 to 45 days. The Fire Department �bworking City departments minimize or comounitysriskfrmncidents inolygrailr ad accidents. Thank you for your input and your concern. Sincerely, Larry. Donner Fire Chief tpl/4 ✓ cc: Steve Atkins, City Manager l3V T z J 1 GROW TO REACH ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE NOW Civic Center, Iowa City, Iowa 52240 d PFOR0 JECC GREEN Project GREEN Tour for the City Council and City Manager Monday, August 18, 1986 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Transportation will be provided by Project GREEN. Tour will depart from the Civic Center Parking Lot at, 4:30 p.m. and return there. Please let Lorraine Saeger know by Wednesday, August 13, 1986 if you can attend. Purpose of the tour. Emilie Rubright and Jim Maynard, co -chainmen of Project GREEN, will review the cooperative, on-going beautification and landscape ventures between the City and Project GREEN. Special emphasis will be given to those that are located along major entrance roads to Iowa City. lb BY I 1` 4 I i I i i I i I i