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Home My WebLink About1983-03-22 Info PacketCity of Iowa City MEMORANDUM DATE: March 18, 1983 TO: City Council FROM: City Manager RE: Informal Agendas and Meeting Schedule March 21, 1983 Mondav 4:30 - 6:30 P.M. Conference Room 4:30 P.M. - Convention Bureau Task Force Recommendations 4:45 P.M. - Street Lighting, Highway 1 West and Sunset Street 5:00 P.M. - Executive Session 5:15 P.M. - Discuss future direction of City Clerk's Office 5:30 P.M. - Council time, Council committee reports March 22, 1983 Tuesda 7:00 P.M. - Special Council Meeting, Separate agenda posted 7:05 P.M. - . Informal Council Meeting Joint meeting with Design Review Committee and Block 64 Hotel -Department Store Steering Committee, Separate Agenda posted PENDING LIST Priority A: Shamrock/Friendship/Arbor Drainage Problem Iowa -Illinois Utilities Franchise Revenue from Public Housing Sites Highway 1 North Reconstruction - IDOT, April 4 Off -Street Parking Standards Melrose Court Improvements Priority B: Discuss City Council Majority Voting Requirements Discuss Affirmative Action Task Force Report City Council Salaries Housing Inspection Funding Policy Housing Market Analysis Recommendations Community Energy Study Proposal Priority C: Meet with Design Review Committee regarding recommendations Traffic Signals - Flashing Mode Mandatory Parkland Dedication (Fall 1983) Appointments to Historic Preservation Commission - March 29, 1983 Appointments to Committee on Community Needs and Board of Electrical Examiners and Appeals - April 26, 1983 I141CROEILMED BY 1. -1 .""JORM-MIC R�ICAEI" CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES J - City of Iowa Citi MEMORANDUM - Date: March 16, 1983 To: City Council i�/%� From: City Manager ps✓� Re: Priorities The "deck needs to be cleared" in the Manager's office to provide sufficient time for major City projects for the next six to eight months. It appears that the City Manager will have to concentrate his efforts in the following project areas: j 1. UDAG application and the Hotel project. 2. Economic Development. 3. Parking Study. 4. Transit garage. 5. Sewer plant. The day-to-day issues and other department projects increasingly will be coordinated by Dale Helling and Lorraine Saeger. In addition, for the immediate future, the Redevelopment Planner, Andrea Hauer, will work out of the Manager's office to ensure that she will have sufficient time to concentrate on the hotel project and to provide the necessary level of coordination with this office. I will schedule a few minutes to discuss this memorandum at an informal session to ensure these priorities are consistent with the City Council's wishes. In the interim, if you have any questions or comments, please contact me. cc: Dale Helling Andrea Hauer Department Heads tpl/6 1 �..,` 141CROFIL14ED BY -_� JB-_ ORM-MICR0L_A- !!! f CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOMS ' .. ......... .... . City of Iowa Citj MEMORANDUM Date: March 18, 1983 To: City Council From: City Manager Re: Library Service Contract As a result of discussions with the Library Director and Chairman of the Library Board concerning the contract for library service with Johnson County, it has become apparent that it may be desirable in future years for the library contract to be negotiated directly between the City and the Board of Supervisors. Because the City. Council establishes a lump sum appropriation for the library and determines the amount of revenue received from contracts, it seems as if direct negotiations between both governmental agencies would be more appropriate. The Library Board is not directly involved in the decisions which affect budgetary revenues. The Library Board has developed a contract draft which it believes will be acceptable to both the Library Board and the Supervisors. If the contract meets with the preliminary approval of both bodies, it will be submitted to the City Council for consideration. At that time we will discuss the proposal. In the interim, if you have any questions or comments, please contact me. bdw/sp cc: Library Director Ed Zastrow i MICROFILMED BY ; DORM--MICRbLA9- CEDAR RAPIDS DES Id0INE5 'r 7 J AGENDA INFORMAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY - MARCH 22, 1983 - 7:00 P.M. CITY MANAGER'S CONFERENCE ROOM Joint Meeting with Design Review Committe and Hotel -Department Store Steering Committee A. Review of Design Plans for the Hotel on Urban Renewal Parcel 64-1b B. Review and Discussion of Urban Development Action Grant for Parcel 64-1b i C. Other Business and Public Discussion i MICROFILMED BY fI 'JORIVI--"MICR�LAEf- CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES l�9S If AGENDA INFORMAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY - MARCH 22, 1983 - 7:00 P.M. CITY MANAGER'S CONFERENCE ROOM Joint Meeting with Design Review Committee and Hotel -Department Store Steering Committee (Donald Zuchelli and Tom Flynn, Zuchelli, Hunter & Associates) (Vernon Beck, Vernon Beck and Associates) A. MEETING PURPOSE 1. Provide information on current status of plans for hotel project. 2. Outline nature of financial arrangements for hotel project, including both UDAG application and City's obligations. 3. Ensure that City Council currently has no problem with plans and negotiations. B. MEETING TOPICS 1. Review of plans. 2. Parking ramp connection. 3. Alley.service connection for hotel. 4. Public space and public access through hotel. 5. Financing - UDAG application. 6. Parking: a. Payment to City. b. Agreement concerning expansion. 7. Design considerations for adjacent parcel. i MROFILMED BY '- JORM-MICR46CA9- l CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES ff 11fr ,J MALL UVEL JORM"-MICR46CAEi- CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOINES C II� WWA j 4ir Ul OW 0 01 IIJ - bk,10 LEL -(iJo MICROFILMED BY -JOFIM--MICR6L:AI3-- CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES i --- Air IBJ. — -- hall -%&Iow i v 141CROFILMED BY - J) JORM-MICR46L-A6 ! �� CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES J� goon " (0) ------------------ - - ------ - ------- I-JORM- -MICROLAD I I CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES SWAN n Ito( 77 ..�j .7 City of Iowa Citi MEMORANDUM Date: March 18, 1983 To: City Manager and City Council From: (''John Lundell, Transportation Planner Re: Iowa City Transit Facility Project Bids Attached is a tabulation of bids received by the City on March 16 for construction of the new Iowa City Transit Facility. A total of 11 bids were received from general contractors from Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The apparent low bidder was Miami Constructors, Inc. of Dubuque, Iowa, with a quote of $2,015,000. This price is well below the architect's estimate of $2,500,0Oo. The staff is now in the process of reviewing the submittals, checking references, and varifying the Minority and Women's Business Enterprise Participation. We anticipate presenting a recommendation to the City Council regarding award of the contract in time for the Council's March 29 formal meeting. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. rte• n,.., c..�,__a___ ,.__ PROJECT Transit Maintenance Facility, City of Iowa City LOCATION Iowa city, Iowa BID TABULATION Bq OPENING DATE March 16, 1983 TIME 2:00 P.M. CST ITEM CONTRACTOR Kleiman Const., Inc. Knudson, Inc. Knutson Const. Co ND SUBMITTED BY: 6205 Locust Rd. S.W. 1228 South Main Box 2538 Box 8266 Council Bluffs, IA Iowa City, IA Cedar Rapids, IA DN S AITY RECEIVED ADDENDA X X BASE BID X x Omit Body 8 Paint Ec Fuel Card Reader Omit Poly Pipe Pro. Alter. Radiant Heat Omit Heat in Bus Sto HVAC Micro -Processor Emergency Generator Omit Soffit Lights Omit Burglar Ala SUBSTITUTIONS 2 42,000 3,800 5,900 30,000 35,000 19,000 32,800 i cnn 42,000 5,500 5;000 34,000 40,000 30,000 26,500 Nage 3 of 5 R. NEUMANN ASSOCIATES 1036 V2 WILLIAM STREET IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 PHONE 319-336.7576 Kraemer Bros., Inc 925 Park Ave. Plain, WI X X 2__ 41,000 4,000 6,000 35,600 19,000 32.200 / ! I r / IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY SECOND QUARTER REPORT - FY83 WITH STATISTICAL SUMMARIES Fiscal Year Objectives: I. Continue library services to 65 percent of Iowa City residents by reducing in -building user/staff ratios to 12,000 users per one FTE staff member, limiting circulation to an average 160 items checked out per hour open, and holding the ratio of information staff to questions handled to 17,000. 2. Maintain the library's collections by acquiring at least one new or replacement item for every 40 circulated. 3. Sustain the current level of volunteer hours, gift materials added and private funds received to augment basic tax support. 4. Complete the first cycle of a systematic planning process to assess community priorities as the basis for annual budget proposal for FY84. Work Completed: 1. With over 43,000 registered borrowers, about 65% of Iowa City residents now - have library cards. The number of items checked out is up 6% over first six month of FY82. Information questions are up 10.1% (24% in the second quarter). This is an annual rate of 18,280 per staff member. 2. 6300 items were added to the collection during the first six months. This is one item for each 40.7 circulated during' this period. Using a computer - produced re-evaluation list, we will remove nearly 10,000 old and unused items during FY1983. 3. Total volunteer hours are down slightly from a year ago, but there are more volunteers placed in ongoing assignments as opposed to short term projects. Gift books and records accounted for 14% of all items added during the first half of FY83. $20,000 in gift money was added to the materials budget for FY83 and another $2,600 of gift funds has been spent on special collection projects during the last six months. 4. The Planning Committee submitted its preliminary report during the first quarter. During the second quarter a smaller group began work on detailed' goals and objectives. Performance Measures: FY81 FY82 FY83 FY83 I (goal) (6 mos.) I.A. % IC residents who are 46.2 65.0 65 63.0 (est.) registered borrowers B. k people entering the building: 278,840 414,000 225,476 per hour open 93.9 135.4 142.6 per FTE staff 9,142 12,950 12,000 13,071 C. Circulation (Avg. N 146.4 162.0 160.0 164.5 items per hour) D. Questions per FTE staff 14,849 18,982 17,000 18,280 assigned to Info. Desk E. Meetings by non -library groups 69 798 800 440 2. Circulation per item added to 42.0 43.0 40.0 40.7 collection � 97 L i 141CROFILMED BY ( � —DORM --MICR46LAB- _l -1 i CEDAR RAPIDS DES Id01NE5 i r I tT. 3.A. % of acquisitions which are gifts 13.7% 13.6% 15.0% 13.7% B. % total acquisition budget from 19.2 23.7 20.0 21.0 (est.) grants and gift funds C. Volunteer hours 2,130* 5,138 4,240 2,246 B volunteer hours per FTE staff 69.8 199 160 169 4. Have planning results available to apply to FY84 budget process. *Does not include 4300 hours for move to new building. Division Analysis: Use of the library continues to expand with several measures lip 15-20% in the second quarter. Sunday has been popular but the additional volume plus the i relatively light Sunday staffing creates backlogs which require additional mid- week staffing to clear up. The planning process has been productive but the public is demanding new/expanded services faster than the committee can evaluate ; present ones. Expenditures Budget Year -to -Date % I 6000 $655,107 $329,109 50.2 % 7000 19,165 14,311 74.7 f 8000 161,035 66,383 41.2 I 9000 98,400 53,178 54.0 Total $933,707 $462,975 49.6 I i i j 4197 MICROFILMED BY 1. JOR M" --MIC R46CAB- � 1 CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES i , i • City of Iowa Cir" .MEMORANDUM Date: March 11, 1983 To: Bob Keating, Fire Chief From: Richard Webb, Energy Coordinator. �w , Re: Southeast Fire Station Energy Audit Follow-up A short energy audit monitoring visit was conducted on March 8, 1983, to J (1) determine the level of implementation success with the energy conser- vation measures identified in August, 1981, and (2) to examine the feasibility for replacing the existing REZNOR gas space heater in the ......... .. apparatus room with a gas radiant heating system. This feasibility analysis is not yet complete, but when finished will be forwarded for your review. Congratulations are in order for your level of implementation success in l *the identified conservation measures. Of the original 18 recommendations, eight have been (or are being) implemented at an original cost of less than $25.00 for an accumulated savings of over $1,000.00. i This action has resulted in a more efficient use of the actual energy being purchased. In FY81 the station used an average of 24.5 BTUs of i energy per square foot per degree day. Through conservation and i management practices the average improved to 20.4 BTUs in FY82. Thus far, the -average for FY83 is slightly higher (22.9). I continue to encourage you to implement the remaining conservation measures, as possible. Less than $75.00, for example, to address caulking and weather-stripping needs (#10 and 11) could provide a significant savings of over $275.00. If I can be of any assistance in these matters, please contact me. Again, congratulations and thank you, Lieutenant Stagg, for your time on the 8th. bdw5/3 cc: Dale Helling I, Energy Audit file i MICROFILMID DY -JORM--M1CRbLAB-L 7"!, I % CEDAR NAI'105 •DES tA014E5 I � l Convention Bureau Task Force January 11, 1983, 3 p.m. Coralville City Hall Members present: Balmer, Boyd, Greenwoo , Haney, Holcomb, Rubright, Trott, Winter and Jedlicka Balmer motioned that Holcomb chair the force, Greenwood seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Holcomb appointed Jedlicka to be secretary. Holcomb stressed thatthis group will be making recommendations only to city councils. Discussion ensued over the budget. Balmer suggested we follow a fiscal year budget, v and make presentations once a year to the councils concerning this budget. He noted that because the 25% commitment holds for three years, a notification one year in advance should be allowed if the council intends to terminate this funding. Greenwood motioned that the organization be incorporated. Haney seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Greenwood recognized the need for legal assistance on this task force. Discussion ensued over the items for consideration. Limitations on functions and responsiblities was added, as well as care and maintenance of the two travel boards. The name of the organization was tabled until next month. Discussion ensued over the dues structure. Jedlicka was inquire concerning other convention bureau's structures. i Location.of the office was discussed. Holcomb asked Haney to determine the cost, j of rent at the Chamber office. The finanical situation of the present Iowa City/Coralville Convention Bureau was discussed. Balmer recommended the bureau present a budget for the'next couple months and present it to both councils. Holcomb suggested that the present board of directors of the bureau make recommendations concerning goals, staff, budget, and committees. These should be presented to the task force for consideration. June 1 will be the deadline for the task force recommendations, as July 1 will be the starting date of the new corporation. The next task force meeting will be February 1, 3 p.m., in Meeting Room B of the Iowa City Public Library. Meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m. Renee Jedlicka Secretary 0 Of i MICROFILMED BY ' --JORM---A[3'-AB'- j CEDAR RAPIDS DES 4101 YC5 I � Convention Bureau Task Force March 15, 1983 CoralviTle City Hall Members present: Balmer, Greenwood, Rubright, Boyd, Jedlicka, Haney, Holcomb, Trott, Mitchell. Haney moved to approve the minutes from the February 22 meeting. Rubright seconded. Motion carried. Discussion ensued over the visit to the Cedar Raoids Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was noted that this visit was very informative and provided the Bureau with some excellent examples and ideas. Membership in the International Assoc. of Convention and Visitor Bureauswill be explored: The budget for December 1983 through June 1984, and fiscal year 1985 was discussed. Greenwood moved to approve the budget, Haney seconded. Motion carried. Discussion ensued over the bylaws. It was noted that a section on the election of directors was omitted. In additinn, undar Artirle VI, Sec.5, the Bureau should present a budget to the councils by December 1 prior to the fiscal year. Rubright motioned to approve the Bylaws with these additions, Greenwood seconded. Motion carried. Incorporation was.discussed. It was noted by Haney that. Bob Downer will complete the incorporation proceedings for a suggested fee of $500. Haney motioned to contact this firm for incorporation proceedings. Greenwood seconded. Motion carried. Jedlicka presented a job description. Discussion ensued. Balmer remarked on the bowlers tournament, and indicated a complaint he had heard. Discussion ensued. Jedlicka will contact this person. The next meeting of the task force has not been set. Jedlicka will prepare a packet'for the councils. Balmer motioned to adjourn. Greenwood seconded. Motion carried. Renee Jedlicka Secretary r MICROFIL14ED BY 1. JORM--MICR#L:AI3-- CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MDIAES II1 ... .. .._ ..l Of JI Convention Bureau Task Force Meeting Minutes Feb. 22, 1983 Iowa City Public Library Members present: Balmer, Holcomb, Rubright, Trott, Winter, Mitchell, Jedlicka, Boyd, Haney Balmer approved the minutes from the February 1 meeting. Haney seconded, motion carried. Discussion ensued over the proposed bylaws. Minor adjustments were made. Jedlicka will make the necessary adjustments' and have a the recommended set of bylaws ready for task force approval by March 15. Discussion ensued over the pr000sed budget. Jedlicka will draft a budget for two years and when possible indicate the monthly expense for each item. Rubriqht and Jedlicka presented a job description for the Director. Balmer recommended it be simplified to one page. Jedlicka will have this readv for the next meeting. Limitations on responsibility were discussed. It was indicated that the bylaws cover these limitations. The task force will visit the Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau on March 3. Winter, Rubright, Mitchell, and Holcomb indicated they would be interested. The next task force meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 15, at the Coralville City Hall. Meeting time will be 3 p.m. Meeting adjourned.at 5:10 p.m. Renee Jedlicka Secretary i � f Convention Bureau Task Force February 1. 1983 Iowa City Public Library Members Present: Balmer, Greenwood, Holcomb, Rubright, Trott, Winter, Jed l. Balmer moved that the January 11. 1983 minutes be approved. Winter seconded. Motion carried. Jedlicka reported that the Chamber of CommeW;;ldoutlmneed a whatsth�s00ncludes. fee per month for services rendered. They Greenwood reported that he will continue to explore non-profit tax status. Balmer proposed a recommendation that the name of the corporation be termed, Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Trott seconded. Motion carried. Rubright presented budget. Discussion ensued. The budget was tabled. on bureau dues structures. Trott moved Jedlicka reported an other conventi ues. Winter seconded. Motion carried. we recommend 550.00/year/business d Trott moved that the present task force become the Board of Directors for fiscal year 1983. Winter seconded. Motion carried. Holcomb recommended that Jedlicka present both councils with an interim budget as to the bureau's needs through November. The next meeting will be February 22, 1983, at Fleeting Room B of the Public f Library at 3 p.m. I Renee Jedlicka Secretary t�99 1 L i MICROFILMED BY r 1 -JO RV�"MIC R�LA[3-- CEDAR RAPIDS DESMDINES 1 MdML i -- - Ir Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau 1983-1984-1985 GOALS 1. To develop and supervise Plans to Dromote Iowa City/Coralville as a visitor site for state, regional, national individuals, ornanizations, and buslines. (A) Develop sales calls and attend state and regional travel shows. B) Design and supervise promotional devices for visitors. C) Organize and assist with community events promoting our community (D) Create tour Packages for buslines. 2. To assist the visitor in making his/her community stay educational, relaxing, and worthwhile. Extend a helping hand as the community representative to the visiting public. (A) Provide hospital visitors, as well as tourists, with informational materials. (B) Urge community businesses and citizens to greet, welcome, and be aware of community visitors. 3. To develop and supervise plans to promote Iowa City/Coralville as a convention site to local, state, regional, national site selectinn cnmmittPes, organi7ationcz, and individuals. (A) Develop suitable marketing plan for promoting our area for conventions (B) Develop sales calls, submit bids, and design promotional devices to lure conventions to Iowa City/Coralville. (C) Coordinate renair and nayment for I-80 billboards. (D) Attend meetings that provide contact into convention leads. (E) Promote our area for conventions through advertising. 4. To assist the convention olanner and attendee by Providing him/her with suggestions. information. and contacts to make the convention a success. Extends a helping hand as the community representative to the convention. (A) Provide pre -conventional suggestions and advice. B) Assist with the coordination of registration. C) Provide welcomino address. D) Inform media of convention. 5. Serve as a visible force in the promoting of Iowa City/Coralville, by being a liaison to area civic, business, university, county, and charitable organizations. (A) Attend meetings when possible for exposure, and community events. RB) Make presentations on the bureau to local organizations. C) Serve to keep the media uodated on events and activities. 6. To create an effective and informed corporation with a competent staff. (A) Provide community information calendar. (8) Develoo newsletter 7. To urge increased and renewed memberships in the Convention and Visitors Bureau. I i MICRUILMED BY 1. JORM "MICROCAB'- CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOI ES f 'f99 J Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau Budget MONTH DEC. B3 -JUNE 84 REVENUES Motel tax estimation $8333.33 $58333.31 Dues (80 @ $75.00) 500.00 3500.00 TOTAL.g833 33 $Algal 11 EXPENDITURES 800.00 5600.00 Salaries Director 1833.33 12833.31 Asst. Director 1333.33 9333.31 Taxes (11%) 348.33 2437.61 Benefits (10%) 316.67 2216.69 TOTAL I $3831.66 $26820.92 ODeratinq Expenses 833.33 5833.31 Rent 950.00 1750.00 Postage 186.67 1306.69 Telephone 186.67 1306.69 Office Supplies 208.33 1458.31 Bookkeeping 120.00 840.00 Equioment 250.00 1750.00 Billboards/kiosks 1250.00 8750.00 TOTAL $2451.67 S1'7I61.69 * Travel 800.00 5600.00 (Transportation, Meals, Lodging) * Trade Shows 333.33 2333.31 (Booth rental Equipment) * Promotion Brochures,9ive-aways 833.33 5833.31 Hospitality rooms 83.33 583.31 Hospital Info. Center 166.67 1166,69 Group Memberships, staff training 208.33 1458,31 Bondinq and Audit 83.33 583.31 Liability Insurance 41.67 291.69 TOTAL $2549.99 $17849.93 TOTAL EXPENDITURES 3= 31 3�a4 * Any additional funding will be spent in these areas, (see priority list). 141CRor ILMED BY I l_ J0RM"-MICR6LAB-- CEDAR RAPIDS • DES NDINES F/Y 1985 22000.00 16000.00 4180.00 3800.00 $45980.00 3000.00 2240.00 2240.00 2500.00 1440.00 3nn0.00 15000.00 $29427.00 4000.00 10000.00 1000.00 2000.00 2500.00 1000.00 500.00 $30600.00 FIM -00. 00 4199 J� /rMW Priority List Any additional funding will be spend in these areas: 1. Promotion A. Visitor Guide (hospitals, kiosks, etc.) B. Convention packet 1. area attractions 2. maps 3. motel/restaurant list 4. convention services '5. cities brochure/magazine 6. shopper guide C. Free give-aways 1. Coffee Cupp, etc. 2. Herkie stickers I 2. Trade Shows A. Booth kit/display B. Slide presentation/a.v. equipment 3. Travel A. Extendedsales calls �I I - i 4199 i i i MICROFILMED BY 1.1 / L JOHM--MIC RdIL'Ei B- (/ I CEDAR RAPIDS • DES'MO l � 1 Bylaws of the Iowa Cit /Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau ARTICLE I General SECTION 1. NAME. The name of this organization shall be known as the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Burea, an independent,.non-9r6fit organization, hereafter referred to as the Bureau. SECTION 2. PURPOSE. This Bureau is organized for the purpose of advancing the economic welfare of the Iowa City/Coralville communities through the promoting of the communities as a tourist attraction, convention site, and location for special events. ARTICLE II Membership SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY, Any reputable business firm, individual, corporation, association, partner- ship, or estate having an interest in the above objective shall be eligible to apply for membership. SECTION L. ELECTION. Application for membership shall be in writing on the forms specified. by thea Board will begin uTtted10 the on payment ofard of the prescribedsfor membershipvdues Memberships.; approved SECTION 3. DUES.. Membership dues shall be at such rate or, rates, schedules or formulas as may be from time to time prescribed by the Board of Directors, payable annually, or as decided by the Board of Directors. SECTION L. TERMINATION. (a) Any members may resign from the Bureau upon written request to the Board of Directors. (b) Any member shall be removeddays from Board of Directdate unless otherwise -thirds a two vote for nonpayment of dues after ninety (90) extended, for qood cause. (c) Any member may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors at a regularly -scheduled meeting_ thereof for conduct unbecoming a member or prejudicial to the aims or repute of the Bureau, after notice and opportunity for a hearing are afforded the member complained against. SECTION 5. EXERCISE OF PRIVILEGES. Any firm, association, corporation, partnership, or estate holding membership may nominate individuals whom. the holder desire to exercise the privileges of membership covered by its dues subject to approval. SECTION 6. VOTING RESTRICTION OF MEMBERS. Every member of the Bureau in good standing is entitled to one vote in any electionreferendum, or eshallhip be onevote per paid membe Ballots rshiPdressed to the business addressofmembers. There _ I i 141CROEILMED BY l I -JOR MI DCS �LA B'- -� % CEDAR R4PID5 DES 140 RIES j i -2 - ARTICLE III. Meetings. SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Bureau shall be held in September each year at such time and place as determined by the Board of Directors and notice thereof mailed at least (10) days before said meeting. SECTION 2. ADDITIONAL MEETINGS. (a) General Meetings of the Bureau may be called by the President at any time. Notice of special meeting shall be mailed to each member at least ten (10) days prior to such meetings. Notice of an emergency meeting may be called by the President or by the Director, provided twenty-four hours notice is given to Board members. SECTION 3. QUORUMS. (a) At any duly called General Meeting of the Bureau, a simple majority shall constitute a quorum. (b) Five (5) directors present shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors. ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors. SECTION 1. COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD. The Board of Directors shall be composed of a maximum of nine (9) members. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, President -Elect, and Sec- retary -Treasurer. These officers shall be members of the Board of Directors. There shall be five (5) elected directors, three (3) shall be elected annually to serve (2) two years and two (2) shall be elected annually to serve two (2) year terms. In the first year, two (2) shall be elected to serve one-year terms. The Director and the Past -President shall be ex -officio members. Each city will have one (1) representative on the Board, and each Chamber shall have one (1) representative on the Board. Three of the five at large members shall be innkeepers. SECTION 2. SELECTION OF DIRECTORS. During the first week in May, the President shall designate three •(3) members in good standing as members of the Nominating Committee. No more than two (2) members may be directors. The President shall designate the Committee Chairperson. SECTION 3. MEETINGS. (a) The Board will meet, qualify, and elect the following officers: President, President -Elect, Secretary -Treasurer. (b) A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held at least once a month. Additional meetings may be called by the President or by the Director. SECTION 4. CANDIDATES. Prior to May 15 of each year, the Nominating Committee shall present a slate of three (3) candidates to reolace the. directors whose regular two (2) year terms are expiring, confirming the fact by personal contact with the candidates, by the committee, that they were willino to accent directorshio responsibility. i f 141CROEILMED BY 11' -JORM 'MICRbL"A6 - .) CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOINES I 199 r J SECTION 5. PUBLICITY. Upon receipt of the report by the Nominating Committee, the Director shall be instructed to immediately nuhli.ciza the.ndmes of the persons nominated d5 candi.dates for directors, and the right of -petition as provided in'Article IV, Sec.'6, of these bylaws. A list of the candidates shall be kept on file in the Bureau office. SECTION 6. ELECTION OF DIRECTnRS. . ' Ballots shall be mailed to all paid members of the Bureau. Deadline for mailing of the ballots will be June 1. Results will be tabulated by the Election Committee in time for the July Board of Directors meeting. SECTION 7. PETITION. Additional names of candidates for directors can bedotheBureau. bearing the genuine signatures of at least twenty (20) qu Such oetition shall be filed with the Nominating Committee within ten (10) days after publication has been given of the names of those nominated. The determination of the Nominating Committee as to the legality of the petition shall be final. SECTION 8. ELECTION COMMITTEE. The President shall appoint an Election Committee composed of three (3) members, none of whom shall be directors or current candidates,. whose duty it shall be to see that the election of members of the Board of Directors at the forthcoming election of directors is carried out according to the terms and conditions of these I Bylaws. SECTION 9. VACANCIES. Vacancies of the Board of Directors or among the officers may be filled by iectos the Board of Directors by a majority vote. If tidentfshalltheBinrwriitiad ofnngrcallrsuch shall fail to attend three successive meeting, he Pres failures to his attention and if an excuse satisfactory to the Board is not received within thirty (30) days, that individual shall cease to be a members of the Board, and shall be duly notified by the President, and the vacancy thus created shall be filled as provided above. I SECTION -1O . POLIM All policies of the Board will be formalized and recorded in a manual of procedures for easy.reference by the Officers, Directors, and Administrative Staff. The Board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be required to conduct the affairs of the organization. The government and policy-making responsibilities of the Bureau shall be vested in the Board of Directors, which shall control its property, be responsible forori itsafinances, oand direct cthits affairs. ws regA simnle uire otherwise�ty of those present shall dec de ny ss ese ARTICLE V. Officers SECTION 1. DETERMINATION OF OFFICERS. The Board of Directors shall elect from its own directors, President, President-Elect, clionshall erbe helduatrtheThse firstpersons meetingsinlJuly. one year termsand theeect i 141CROFILIIED BY f l' -DORM--MICR6LA13 1 CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES I'M J -4- SECTION 2. DUTIES OF OFFICERS. (a) President: Head of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and Board of Directors. He shall, with the counsel and advice of the President -Elect, determine the need for ad hoc committees subject to approval of the Board of Directors. With the approval of the Board of Directors, he shall sign all deeds, contracts, and other instruments affecting the operation of the Bureau or its properties. (b) President -Elect: He shall serve to perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. (c) Director: Shall serve as an ex -officio Board of Directors member and shall be the administrative and executive officer charged with the general management and supervision of the office and business affairs of the corporation and serve as treasurer of the Bureau. He shall preserve the records, documents, and communications, and keep books of account, maintain an accurate record of proceeding of the Bureau and Board of Directors meetings. He shall engage, discharge, and have supervision over all employees including fixing their duties and compensation with approval of the Bureau when required. He shall serve as secretary of the Bureau when required. He shall prepare and maintain a statement of all Bureau policies as determined by the Board of Directors, and shall recommend a plan whereby such policies may be re-examined, re -affirmed, or rescinded by the Board of Directors. (d) Past -President: He shall serve as an ex -officio member of the Board of Directors and an advisor to the President and Board of Directors. (e) Secretary -Treasurer: Shall oversee the minutes and financial statement and be responsible for finanical affairs of the Bureau. He shall sign checks. ARTICLE VI. Finances. SECTION 1. FUNDS. All money paid to the Bureau shall be placed in a general operating fund. Funds unused from the current year's budget will be placed in a reserve account. SECTION 2. DISBURSEMENTS. No obligation or expense shall be incurred and money shall not be appropriated without prior approval of the Board of Directors. Upon approval of the budget, the Director is authorized to make disbursements on accounts and expenses provided for in the budge without additional approval of the Board of Directors. Checks shall normally be signed by the following two (2) persons: President or Secretary -Treasurer, and the Director. SECTION 3. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the Bureau shall be from July i to June 30 of the following yea r.. SECTION 4. ANNUAL AUDIT. The accounts of the Bureau shall be audited annually by a certified public accountant at the close of the fiscal year. The audit shall at all times be available to members of the organization within the offices of the Bureau. r micRorILMED BY " 11" 'DORM"-MICR4LA9 CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOME5 1 I X99 J �L- -5 - SECTION 5. COMPENSATION. 11 The cities of Iowa City and Coralville will each allocate to the Bureau an amount equal to at least 25% of the hotel/motel tax collected by the Iowa Department of Revenue from within the city limits of Iowa City and Coralville, Iowa. The Bureau shall present a fiscal year budget to these cities Prior to Dec. 1 of each fiscal year. ARTICLE VII. Committees. SECTION 1. APPOINTMENT AND AUTHORITY. The President shall appoint all committees subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors. The Board shall authorize and define the powers and duties of all standing and special committees except those committees whose functions are set forth in these Bylaws. Committee appointments shall be at the will and pleasure of the Pres- ident and in on event shall exceed the term of the appointing President. It shall be the function of the committee to make investigations on conduct studies and hearings, make recommendations to the Board of Directors and to carry on such activities as may delegated to them by the Board. The President and Director shall be ex -officio members of all committees unless otherwise provided. Committee meetings may be called at any time by the President, President -Elect, or the committee chairoerson. SECTION 2. LIMITATION OF AUTHORITY. No committee shall take or make public any formal action, or make public any resolution, or in any way commit the Bureau on a question of policy without first receiving approval of the Board of Directors. Only the President or Director may speak to the public on matters concerning the Bureau. ARTICLE VIII. Dissolution. The Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau shall use its funds only to accomplish the object and ourposes specified in these Bylaws, and no oart of said funds shall inure or be distributed to the members of the Bureau. On dissolution of the Bureau, any funds remaining shall be distributed to one or more organized and qualified charitable, educational, scientific, or philanthropic organizations to be selected by the Board of Directors, except that any accumulated cities funds would be distributed back to the cities on a ratio of contributions. ARTICLE IX. Amendment Procedures. SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. These bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors. Proposed amendments must be sent in written form to each director at least ten (10) days before the said meeting. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the directors present is required for approval of any proposed amendment. i MICROFILMED BY I1 -"DORM-'MICROLAB CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES C Xf J i 1 I \ 1 J r -- CONSTRUCTION GRANTS FUNDING SUMMARY The attached funding summary is condensed from the Fiscal Year 1983 State Pro- ject Priority List. Projects certified for funding from the Fiscal Year 1982 State Project Priority List which were not awarded a grant prior to October 1, 1982, and those projects expected to be fundable from the Fiscal Year (FY) 1983 grant allotment are shown in the first column. In addition, a funding projec- tion is included which shows those projects where grant.funding may be available through FY 1985. It should be emphasized that these projections are based on an assumed allotment of approximately $33 million for fiscal years 1983, 1984 and 1985. Many factors will affect this projection, including inflation and actual federal appropriations. i The projects on this summary list are shown in priority order. The relative priority for projects which are not included on this listing can be determined from the FY 1983 State Project Priority List. Projects in the first column comprise the FY 1983 Fundable List, providing a federal appropriation is made. The remaining columns are for planning purposes only and are subject to the availability of federal appropriations and any revi- sion to the rules and regulations governing the administration of the program during those years. mac/Disk #39 - CG.FY83-68 .. -- ...... 5� MICROFILMED BY •� I, JORM-'MICRbL_AE!- CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES �. �� `• j 'DORM"" MICR6 ......FILMED DY IIES CEDAR RAPIDS DES 140 ' � J F� FY 1983 CONSTRUCTION GRANTS STATE FROJECT PRIORITY LIST - i CONSTRUCTION GRANTS FUNDING SUMMARY PROJECT ESTIMATED EP GRANT ASSISTANCE STEP APR ICAHT 4 West Union 1,751,250 - 4 Waukon 926,250 3 Charlton 4,352,250 4 Monona 1,078,270 4 Postville 1,627,500 .. 4 Elkader 525,820 4 Fayette 332,100 . _ .............. _..... -. . ! 4 I Clermont 337,270 I 3 Storm Lake (T) 6,428,250 3 Newton 10,875,000 3,000,000 i3 Reymond 555,000 L � 3• Des Moines (STP) 14,625,000 13,500,000 56,840,250 3 Des Wines (Int) 10,125,000 36,260,250 3 Ankeny (T) - 6,3B4,900 3 Ankeny (Int) 4,669,340 ! 3 Altoona 3,512,170 3 Remsen 434,220 3 Oyens 114,950 I 3 Rock"[ I City 606,920 3 i Albert City I 563,750 3 Nevada 837,600 .... I 3 Huxley 1,368,750 3 i Sabala•• 646,420 4 Hartley 825,000 3 Charles Clty 857,720 3 Red Oak 2,258,570 3 Mt. Pleasant 2,887,950 3 i Nora Springs 483,120 3 lows City 36,757,500 . 3 Boyden 346,500 4 Carlisle 202,670 4 Polk City 195,250 4 Granger" 516,370 4 I Waukee 549,450 1/14/83 . ' riz/Disk /16 - CG.FY83-2 �. �� `• j 'DORM"" MICR6 ......FILMED DY IIES CEDAR RAPIDS DES 140 ' � J FY 1983 CONSTRUCTION GRANTS STATE PROJECT PRIORITY LIST CONSTRUCTION GUMS FUNDING SUMMARY PROJECT ESTIMATED EP GRANT AS! STEP APPLICANT FY 1984 FY 4 Elkhart 4 Ruthven-Lost 1,560,220 Island S D•/•• 4 Thompson' 1,172,700 4 Marathon•/•• 799,800 FISCAL YEAR FUNDING ESTIMATES $28,577,220 522,532,250 $23,1 PROJECT STEP TO=Y 3 Construction 4 Combination grant for design and construction. Available only when the gl sill lion, the project has not been segmented, and the population Is under • Unsevered community •• Small community -alternative technology 1/14/83 riz/Olsk /16 - CG.FY83-3 1 NICROFILNED DY r 1 J0RM--MICR6L:AI3-- CEDAR RAPIDS DES MDINES 1 Page 2 of 3 9H5- 274,670 I 1/14/83 riz/Olsk /16 — CG.FY83-4 _ 500 MICROFILMED BY —JO RM ---- MICR46CAI3- r% CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES J� Page FY 1983 SL14WY OF FONDS - I• Estimated EPA Assistance Required A. Estimated assistance for projects ' $28,577,220 B. Designated reserve for grant Increases 5,413,527 C. Reserve for grant Increases for alternative technology FY 1982 f 954,083' ' FY 1983 1,158,850 2,115,9331 0. Reserve for grant Increases for innovative technology � o9Y FY I982 S � 55, 556 FY 1983 165,550 221 106 E. Reserve for state management assistance FY 1983 $1,324,400 1,324,400 F. Reserve for rater quality management planning FY 1982 f 305,950 FY 1983 331,100 637;050 ! .. _........ .... - - ' , G. Reserve for advances of allowances (no need projected FY 1983) I Total grant needs I $36,289,236 . i11. Non-addltive Set-aside Reserve Funds . A. Reserve for. alternative systems for small communities FY 1982 f 157,918 ! 'Quota FY 1983 1,324,400 B. for unsevered communities FY 1982 f 749,830 FY 1983 1,655,500 ' I III. ,Available Funds - A. FY 1982 Allotment Balance (12/31/82) ! i S 3,573,911 B. FY 1983 Allotment Balance (12/31/82) 32,715,325 I I i i $36,289,236 I - t 1/14/83 riz/Olsk /16 — CG.FY83-4 _ 500 MICROFILMED BY —JO RM ---- MICR46CAI3- r% CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES J� 7-' Rating Fire Departments: The Policy Issues Charlet K. Coe, University of Georgia Fire protection represents one of the largest categories of local government expenditures. A major factor con. sidered in making expenditure allocation decisions in this area is the fire insurance rating assigned to local jurisdictions by the industrv-controlled Insurance Ser- vices Organization (ISO). Thus, local government ex- penditure policy in the area of fire protection is in. fluenced largely by criteria beyond the control of public officials. The purpose of this article is to explain how such a situation developed and to discuss alternatives which could transfer the fire rate setting process to public policy makers. Costs associated with fires are high. Fire insurance Premiums covering fire loss are sizable because fire losses are very costly. One study of fire losses estimated that in 1977 direct property losses from fire were $4.2 billion, and indirect losses from lives lost were an added $9.4 billion:' Another major fire -related expense is the cost of fire departments. In 1977, S4.4 billion were ex. Penciled on fire service by local jurisdictions,' A com- munity's fire rating classification is a key factor that directly affects both the cost of insurance and the cost of fire departments. Since 1916, fire departments have been periodically evaluated with respect to water sup. Ply, staffing, and equipment. This evaluation and the classification assigned to a local government is a factor affecting the amount of fire insurance paid. Because of this effect on insurance, local governments spend huge amounts trying to improve or maintain their classifica. tions. Despite the obvious importance of fire rates, the fire rating process has been little understood by local gov. ernment officials. Beginning in the 1960s, weaknesses in the rating process became more apparent to local government interest groups, and criticism mounted about the way fire defense systems are evaluated. This article explains why fire rating classifications are widely misunderstood and misused. Also discussed are various criticisms of the criteria and procedures used to evaluate fire defense systems, and whether local governments would be better served by having the state governments —rather than the private sector—rate fire departments. Why Fire Ratings Are Misunderstood and Criticized To understand why the fire rating process is so mis. understood, it is necessary to review briefly the his. torical evolution of fire rating classifications. in 1904, �ryf..�ee. �d„a..s` turGJt�., QUA there was a disastrous fire in Baltimore. More than 80 blocks of the city burned despite the efforts of 1,700 firemen. Damage from this fire dramatically showed how vulnerable cities then were to large fires. Because such fires resulted in huge financial losses to insurance companies, it was obvious to insurance company execu- tives there was an urgent need for advance information on the potential for fire loss in each specific city. Equal. iy apparent were other needs. Cities were then experi. encing rapid growth, but this expansion was little. controlled by building or zoning laws. Moreover, municipal fire departments and water systems were in their infancy and needed significant improvement to be capable of preventing and fighting fires, particularly in the highly congested central business districts (CBDs). City managers and mayors asked whether substantial Investments in Are fighting equipment and fadlitiles actually had any effect on fire losses. Because of these literally flammable conditions, the insurance companies assembled an engineering staff, under the auspices of the National Board of Fire Under. writers (NBFU), to survey the fire conditions in the na. tion's largest cities., In a written report, the NBFU detailed the probability of fire losses in the CBDs of the cities surveyed. The report also encouraged municipal officials to improve their fire defense systems. As a follow-up measure, in 1905 NBFU developed a model building code for adoption by cities. In 1916, the NBFU published the first Grading Schedule (hereafter referred to as Schedule), which was a progeny of NBFU's report of 1904. The Schedule established uniform national standards for water sup. Ply, fire department staffing and equipment, structural conditions of buildings, fire alarm notification, and building laws. Fire departments nationwide were oval. uated by one state (New York) and four regional rating organizations that had been established in 1877 to set uniform insurance premium rates and uniform rates of :ompensation to insurance agents and brokers. Based )n periodic inspections, fire departments were evaluated Charles K, Coe is a public service associate with the Institute or Government and the Institute of Community and Area Development at the University of Georgia. lie holds a DPA degree from the Univer. sity of Georgia and has authored numerous publications, particularly in the area of public financial management. JANUARY/I1:IIRUARY 1987 i 141CROFILRED BY "JORM MIC R�sLAB -� CEDAR Rqf IDS •DES '4014ES _ sa/ J PUBLII' xLWAGF:AIFNT FORUM according to the criteria of the Schedule, and were placed in one of 10 classes. A class 1 rating was—and still is—the best possible and class 10 is worst possible. The Schedule was used as a carrot both by NBFU in- spectors and by fire chiefs to encourage municipal elected officials to improve their defense capabilities so their citizens would receive lower fire and homeowners insurance premium rates. The 1916 Schedule was developed exclusively by NBFU engineers with no input from public sector of- ficials. It was both highly technical and extensive, re- quiring an evaluation of 236 different items.' Between 1922 and 1964 the Schedule was modified five times— never with public sector input—to require more sophis- ticated fire -fighting equipment and water -supply systems. For example, an early change was to require motorized trucks rather than horse drawn equipment. Also, the Schedule editions in 1942 and afterward began to evaluate somewhat the fire defense capabilities out- side the CBD. This change reflected the increased use of cars and trucks, causing light manufacturing and com- mercial businesses to spread beyond the CBD into other parts of cities and beyond into suburbia. Because many local jurisdAcdons sdil look at the Schedule as a guide, they some- times permit Are Bghting equipment and water systems to deteriorate greatly be- tween Inspections. In the 1960s, criticism of the Schedule by public of- ficials mounted. Chief executives in cities began to ques- tion many of the Schedule's evaluation criteria. In another vein, city managers and mayors asked whether substantial investments in fire fighting equipment and facilities actually had any effect on fire losses. Further questioning centered on whether significant budgetary increases to reduce a city's fire rating actually would lower insurance premiums, and if there were a reduc- tion, how the amount compared to the size of the budgetary increase in the fire department. In 1971, the fire rating bureaus were abolished and all rating was centralized in the Insurance Services Office (ISO), which serves 1,200 affiliated insurance com- panies. In 1973, ISO issued a new version of the Schedule. This version was vigorously attacked by the International City Management Association (ICMA) and by Public Technology Incorporated (PTI), a non- profit research and development corporation organized by ICMA in 1970 to develop innovative technological methods for state and local governments. On PTI's staff were specialists in fire prevention and suppression who were technically competent to critique the 1973 Schedule. Their critique summarized for the first time in writing many of the past spoken criticisms of the Schedule. PTI presented its arguments to the National Association of Insurance Commissions (NAIC), whose members are required under their state laws to adopt modifications of the Schedule. In response, the NAIC formed a sub -committee to examine the 1973 Schedule. JASUARYrFFURUARY 19H3 73 PTI and the NAIC sub -committee prepared a position paper specifying 20 specific changes in the 1973 Schedule. These modifications ranged from relatively minor in effect to highly significant ones such as requir- ing less manpower and water fire now. The requested changes were grouped under four main categories of criticism. I. Too Subjective. Many of the Schedule's provisions allowed subjective judgments by ISO's evaluators. Thus, gradings were not uniform either among local governments or from inspection -to -inspection in the same jurisdiction. 2. Too Arbitrary. There were no data to support such requirements as: the maximum geographic area any fire station can serve; each engine and ladder com- pany being manned by at least six persons; and each pumper being to be able to pump at least 500 gallons per minute (gpm). 3. Too Much Emphasis on Suppression. Compared to prior years' Schedules, the weight given to fire sup- pression increased significantly vis -A -vis prevention. 4. Improved Performance Nor Recognized. Cities that reduced fire losses through improved management did not necessarily receive improved fire ratings' While under no obligation to make any changes, ISO completely accepted seven, and four were partially ac- cepted. Nine changes including those which would have reduced local governments' costs the most—were re- jected by ISO because it did not agree with the argu- ments made by PTI and the NAIC sub -committee.' The resulting 1974 Schedule reflected one important change in thinking about the Schedule's purpose. ISO finally recognized what many local public officials had long been arguing, namely, that a fire department's fire rating should be used neither as a measure of how capable the department is nor as a fire protection plan- ning guide. ISO formally acknowledged what many pro- gressive fire chiefs had long known: The Schedule is only a device for the insurance industry to establish loss relativities between different cities. In 1980, again without any input from the public sec- tor, ISO modified the Schedule. The most controversial change was the elimination of fire prevention as a grading factor. This action has been the cause of great consternation among fire administrators.' Despite the pronouncements of ISO and some public administra- tors, many fire chiefs still use the Schedule as a standard to measure overall departmental effectiveness. Budget- ary requests for human and capital resources are often made strictly in terms of the potential effect on a local unit's fire rating. Elected officials in such communities may well look unfavorably on requests for fire preven- tion measures because they no longer are credited by ISO. Moreover, there may even be pressure to relax ex- isting prevention efforts. Fire service professionals are particularly upset with the removal of fire prevention because in recent years such prevention measures as smoke alarms and sprinklers have significantly reduced fire losses. As one fire chief puts it: MICROrILM[D BY li "-JORM MICROLAS ' CEDAR R*lDS • DES 401NES ✓ 0/ T f V1 I� - L.. 74 Many elected officials and chief administrative officers will be tempted to weaken the code making and enforcement process under Pressure from the architecture, development, and building corto- munitics. Political pressure and the quest to attract new business will push life and property into the backseat! Why the change? ISO cited three reasons for this step: (1) Since most communities have adopted a model fire code, differences among local units cannot be measured; (2) Evaluation of how well codes are en- forced is subjective and difficult to measure; and (3) The enforcement of building, electrical, and fire preven- tion laws has the greatest effect on buildings requiring fire flow more than 3,500 gallons per minute (gpm), and these buildings will be rated individually' The ISO position on fire prevention has been rebutted by a fire expert writing for PTI who points out that about two-thirds of all lives lost in fire occur in homes with less than 3,500 gpm fire flow requirement. More. over, while code enforcement is subjective, so are many other aspects of the rating process." Another possible reason for the change, not publicly stated by PTI, but perhaps of paramount importance, centers on the question of liability. In 1977, 165 lives were lost in the Beverly Hills Supperclub fire in South- gate, Kentucky. ISO was among those sued, and ISO paid a settlement. Looking at the history of fire ratings, there seem to be two principal reasons why there generally is so little understanding of the fire rating process. The foremost reason is that fire ratings are the exclusive responsibility of representatives of the insurance industry. Highly technical evaluative criteria are set by ,ISO engineers with no input by specialists who can present the public sector position. Moreover, fire chiefs and other local government officials do not have access to training pro- grams that explain how the Schedule was developed and how it is applied by ISO rates. A second source of confusion stems from a misunder. standing of the Schedule's purpose. For more than 50 years, the Schedule indeed was used by the insurance industry and local governments alike as a measure of fire service effectiveness. Now there is recognition by many that fire ratings are not an accurate measure of performance, nor will an improved rating necessarily result in lower insurance premiums. However, many fire chiefs and public officials still take the traditional views of the Schedule as a standard for evaluation. Policy Alternatives If the way ISO evaluates fire defense systems is so widely misunderstood and criticized, how can this situa. tion be improved? One alternative is to work within the existing system. State and national level associations of local governments can petition ISO for reform of the Schedule as was done in 1973. Past events do not offer much hope for this strategy. ISO has no legal obligation to respond to the wishes of public officials. ISO's mis. sion is to serve insurance companies. Quite under- standably, private and not public interests will be served when there is a conflict. This was the case with the PUULIC AnSIINISI RAIION RP VIPw elimination or fire prevention and will doubtless continue. With this gloomy prognosis, two far more radical proposals may be suggested. One option would be for the federal government to assume responsibility for fire ratings. This would have the advantage of creating a na- tional, uniform inspection program. The federal gov- ernment could require the reporting of fire loss informa- tion so that ratings could be based on fire loss. A consis- tent relationship between fire ratings and insurance premiums could be established. With a federal program, most, if not all, of the defi- ciencies of today's ISO -operated program could be eliminated, but such a major policy shift does not seem politically feasible. Historically, federal support for fire programs has been very slight. In part this has been because the insurance industry and the non-profit Na- tional Fire Protection Association have opposed any federal support. Opposition stemmed out of a fear of "federalizing" the fire service." Over this opposition, the U.S. Fire Administration was founded in 1974. The 1983 Reagan budget proposed to eliminate this pro- gram, however, and only the vigorous efforts of the In- ternational Association of Fire Chicfs permitted restor- ing about $5 million. This amount, coupled with the $8 million allocated for the National Fire Academy, are the extent of federal funding for fire programs. Overall, such a meager commitment would seem to obviate the possibility of a federal assumption of the fire rating function. Even if such a move were proposed under a different administrator, local governments might resist. Federal and state grants in recent years have spawned a host of mandates, many of which are bitterly resented by recipients. Although the fire service has escaped mandates because funding levels have been so low, a new federal responsibility affecting local units might be feared as a harbinger of new requirements without money to implement them. A second, and more politically feasible alternative, would be for states to inspect and rate fire defense systems, as is currently done in Texas. In 1951, Texas established a state agency to rate all fire departments and to establish insurance premium rates for commer- cial and industrial buildings. Inspectors work out of 26 offices throughout the state. One very positive aspect of Texas' method of evaluation is that ratings are partially based on the actual fire loss experience of the past five years. Looking at the Texas experience and the short- comings of the way ratings are now made, there appear to be both advantages and disadvantages of having state-run programs, Possible Advantages of a State -Run Program One possible advantage is that states could require more frequent inspections of local fire departments than now required by ISO. Before ISO was formed in 1971 inspections occurred in southeastern states every five years," and probably at similar intervals throughout the country. After the elimination of the regional bureaus, staff was reduced and the frequency of inspections j r IIICROFIL14ED BY 'DORM MICROLAB CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOINES fANfARY ITBRUARY I983 50/ 1 J VVIIIACMANAGY.IIHN'r I OR UNI became less, In Georgia, for example, the objective is to rate communities every 10 years, but there are only two engineers to rate the 489 classified fire departments in the state. With such a workload, many departments are not rated for more than 10 years. Because many local jurisdictions still look at the Schedule as a guide, they sometimes permit fire fighting equipment and water systems to deteriorate greatly between inspections. In contrast, a state-run inspection program would permit more frequent inspections if desired. Such a deci- sion would, of course, depend on the amount of funds appropriated for such a purpose. In Texas, for example, because of the tremendous population growth being ex• perienced, inspections are made only at 10 -year intervals. A second advantage of state-run programs would be that evaluations could be based either partially or totally on fire losses experienced by local governments. Evi- dence suggests for some fire protection classes there is an inverse relationship between certain ISO fire protec- tion classes and fire losses. ISO studied losses by protec- tion class during the 1970-74 period. ISO found that losses were higher as the classification improved from Class 4 to Class 1." Incredibly, fire losses in the best rated Class I and Class 2 rated communities were i greater than in Class 9 rated local units. Class 3 locali- ties had losses about the same as Class 8 rated jurisdic- tions. Class 4 localities did have the lowest losses, and from Class 4 to Class 10, losses increased as the rating of a local unit got worse, A principal reason for the inverse relationship in Classes I to 3 is that these are often large central cities which grade well based on ISO criteria, that is, they have adequate starring, equipment, and water supply. However, these same cities are often physically old, densely populated, and are more subject to fires. Guided by this realization, ISO announced in 1976 a radical shift in how it would rate major cities. Rather than use the Schedule, many large cities were to be rated based on their five-year history of losses. Presently, 42 cities are rated statistically." Essentially, these cities arc treated as a separate state. In deciding whether a city should be rated statistically, ISO considers the effect on insurance premiums throughout the state. When a large city is rated statistically, premium rates go up for the property owners in that city and the rates go corre- spondingly down for property owners throughout the rest of the state. In deciding whether to rate statistically a highly populated city, ISO considers whether this mutual adjustment will have a too upsetting effect on the equilibrium of insurance premiums paid. ISO has been criticized for not making public how it actually rates cities statistically." No data have been issued by ISO to indicate the predictive techniques or the reliability of data that are used here. On a number of occasions, local officials have asked why only highly populated cities are rated statistically." ISO's response has been that it is very difficult to ensure reliable report- ing of loss data by insurance companies in smaller local jurisdictions. If this is Ilse case, it is curious how Texas has been able to standardize reporting of losses so that 1.N\t ARV, 1 T r losses are used as a factor in rating local,jurisdictions. Investigation might reveal that a second advantage of fire classification by states would be to rate more local units by fire loss history. A third advantage of a state -operated program would be that the whole fire rating process could be under. stood better by local officials. The existing rating system is highly complex and is understandable to only a few public officials. A quick perusal of the Schedule in- dicates its highly technical nature. The Schedule is replete with various math analytical formulae that are foreign to all but professionally trained fire engineers. Moreover, neither ISO nor any public agency trains fire chiefs and other public officials in how to interpret the Schedule. Local units are usually ignorant of the impact various changes in their fire service level will have on their protection classification. There is also little aware- ness of the effect the 10 possible classifications has on insurance rates." With a state -managed evaluation program much of the mystique shrouding fire rating could be removed. State inspectors could work closely with local officials to explain how their fire departments are evaluated and show what effect fire ratings have on insurance premiums. Possible Disadvantages of State -Run Programs Offsetting these advantages would be certain dis- advantages, the most obvious of which is the cost to state governments of managing fire inspection pro- grams. Under the existing system, the public pays for the cost of ISO services through its insurance premiums. In a state -managed program, the cost would have to be financed through public taxes or fees. The tenuous and distressed economy of many states today and the burdens being borne by states as a result of federal aid cutbacks, make this an inopportune time for them to add a new program. This disadvantage would be mini- mized if states could assure citizens that their insurance premiums would be lowered by the reduced amount in- surance companies' would have to pay to support ISO. Given the varying and complex nature of how insurance premium rates are set from state to state, however, there is little likelihood such guarantees could be made. A second possible disadvantage of a state-run pro- gram is that there might be low training standards for inspectors in some states. Training qualifications would vary among the states. Financially pinched slates in par- ticular might set minimal training criteria and pay rates. Low standards could result in less professional inspec- tions. Even if local government ratings were based on fire losses, there would be a need to set insurance rales for individual commercial and industrial buildings. Ideally, ISO would continue with this service and states could inspect only local governments, but such ar- rangements in all probability would have to be negotiated. A final disadvantage of a state -managed program could be the possible lack of uniformity among states that might evolve. As described above, before ISO was formed in 1971, fire rating bureaus used varying criteria 1 75 losses are used as a factor in rating local,jurisdictions. Investigation might reveal that a second advantage of fire classification by states would be to rate more local units by fire loss history. A third advantage of a state -operated program would be that the whole fire rating process could be under. stood better by local officials. The existing rating system is highly complex and is understandable to only a few public officials. A quick perusal of the Schedule in- dicates its highly technical nature. The Schedule is replete with various math analytical formulae that are foreign to all but professionally trained fire engineers. Moreover, neither ISO nor any public agency trains fire chiefs and other public officials in how to interpret the Schedule. Local units are usually ignorant of the impact various changes in their fire service level will have on their protection classification. There is also little aware- ness of the effect the 10 possible classifications has on insurance rates." With a state -managed evaluation program much of the mystique shrouding fire rating could be removed. State inspectors could work closely with local officials to explain how their fire departments are evaluated and show what effect fire ratings have on insurance premiums. Possible Disadvantages of State -Run Programs Offsetting these advantages would be certain dis- advantages, the most obvious of which is the cost to state governments of managing fire inspection pro- grams. Under the existing system, the public pays for the cost of ISO services through its insurance premiums. In a state -managed program, the cost would have to be financed through public taxes or fees. The tenuous and distressed economy of many states today and the burdens being borne by states as a result of federal aid cutbacks, make this an inopportune time for them to add a new program. This disadvantage would be mini- mized if states could assure citizens that their insurance premiums would be lowered by the reduced amount in- surance companies' would have to pay to support ISO. Given the varying and complex nature of how insurance premium rates are set from state to state, however, there is little likelihood such guarantees could be made. A second possible disadvantage of a state-run pro- gram is that there might be low training standards for inspectors in some states. Training qualifications would vary among the states. Financially pinched slates in par- ticular might set minimal training criteria and pay rates. Low standards could result in less professional inspec- tions. Even if local government ratings were based on fire losses, there would be a need to set insurance rales for individual commercial and industrial buildings. Ideally, ISO would continue with this service and states could inspect only local governments, but such ar- rangements in all probability would have to be negotiated. A final disadvantage of a state -managed program could be the possible lack of uniformity among states that might evolve. As described above, before ISO was formed in 1971, fire rating bureaus used varying criteria 1 I 76 to rate commercial and industrial buildings. There was also considerable variance in how volunteer fire depart- ments in rural areas were rated. Requirements for volunteer departments varied widely as to minimum pumping capacity, minimum capacity of tanks on the truck, and the maximum distance from the fire station. ISO has standardized most of these requirements but some still vary, such as the maximum distance that residential properties can be from a fire station ranging from three miles in eight states to 10 miles in eight other states." If states were to conduct evaluations of fire depart- ments, there is a possibility that the rating methods and criteria might again return to the unstandardized ap- proach taken before ISO was formed. As a private agen- cy, ISO is independent of many of the political pressures to which a state -managed program could be subjected. Pressure from a variety of interest groups might spur unslandardized procedures of various kinds. Conclusion When first issued in 1916, and continuing until well into the 1960s, the Schedule was an accepted way of evaluating a fire department's effectiveness. It was believed that the lower a department's fire rating, the lower the fire insurance premium and the higher quality the fire department. Since the 1960s, and notably with the issuance of the 1974 Schedule, many public ad- ministratgrs and ISO rating engineers alike recognized that a department's fire rating is not a true measure of overall performance. Yet many fire administrators still use the fire rating to justify requests for increases in per- sonnel, supplies, and equipment. One reason for this practice is the difficulty of measuring the performance I,- 76 ,- PUBLIC AD511NISTRA (ION RI'VIFW of fire departments. A fire rating is a concrete, if totally unreliable, measure to which elected officials can easilv relate. Clearly, the existing rating process is seriously flawed, but local officials perceive they are helpless to change ISO's methods. ISO serves the insurance industry. It has never sought the opinion or expertise of local govern- ments in determining how to rate fire departments, nor can ISO be expected to seek such input in the future. Given this impasse, the most effective remedy would be for the federal government to perform the fire rating function. In today's political climate, a more feasible option might be state control, but this possibility too may not be feasible. In the absence of a state -managed effort, state and national associations of local governments should con- certedly try to influence ISO. Al the slate level, associa- tions of cities, counties, and fire officials should push for reasonable interpretations of rating criteria. While considerably less subjective than previous Schedules, the 1980 Schedule still allows rating discretion. To en- courage favorable discretion, state associations would be well -served to communicate how the Schedule is be- ing interpreted in their states so that a "best case" scenario can be constructed. in dealing with ISO. At the national level, it is extremely important that local government interests be represented the next time the Schedule is modified. Based on the experience with the 1980 Schedule, a local government position paper stating desired changes to the Schedule should be devel- oped. Many criticisms of past Schedules still apply. When ISO formulates modifications, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which must accept the changes, should again be petitioned, as they were in 1973, to present the local government position to ISO. Notes I. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, Highlights of Fire in the U.S. (Wash. ington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978), p. 2. 2. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, ComlMn- dium of Government Finances, Val. 4, 1977, pp. 32.33. 3. Insurance Services Office, "Evolution or the Grading Sched. ule," unpublished company paper, New York, p. 1. 4. Md., p. 3. S. This is a summary of the position taken by ISO and the sub. committee. See New Piovislons of the ISO Grading Schedule (Washington: Public Technology, Inc., 1974), pp. 21.31. 6. For a complete explanation of the charges proposed and ac. cepted see New Provisions ofthe ISO Grading Schedule, op. cit., pp. 37.79. 7. See for example Paul Anderson, "... And the Fire Service Responds," The International Fire Chief (July 1980), p. 22; and Charles Rule, "Life Safety ... On Property Safety," The International Fire Chief (July 1980), P. 25. 8. Rule, op, cit., p. 25. 9. Jerry Foster, "ISO's New Rating Schedule," Fire Chief (Janu. ary 1981), p. 43. 10. John W. Lawton, Changes In the ISO Fire Rating Svstem: A New Measurement for an Old Concept (Washington: Public Technology, Inc., 1981), pp. 4.5. 11. For an account of history of federal funding of fire protection, see Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, The Federal Role in the Federal System: The Drnomics of Growth— The Federal Role in Local Fire Protection, Report A-85 (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1980). 12. Telephone conversation with Coway htizclle, former Chief in. spector of Southeastern Underwriters, March 3, 1982. 13. Costis Toregas. "Fire Insurance Grading Standards•" Paper prepared for the Workshop on Fire Safety and Disaster Pre. parcdncss (Washington: March 14-I6, 1979), p. 182. 14. Telephone conversation with Jerry Fatter, Insurance Services Office, December 8, 1981. 15. Toregas, "ISO Commercial Fire Rating Schedule," p. 183. 16. See for example Lawton, Changes in she ISO Fire Raring Sea tem, p. S. and Porter W. Homer, John W. Lawton, and Costis Toregas, "Challenging the ISO Fire Rating System," Puhlir ,sfanagement (July, 1977), p. 5. 17. One exception is a study of the average paid by classification for homeowners insurance from the six largest insurance companies in Georgia. Sea Charles K. Coe, David Pinson, and Greg Von Lehman, Changing Gnvernments—Thr Costs and Benefit (Athens: Institute of Government, University of Georgia, 1979). 18. Telephone conversation with Gordon Anderson, Insurance Ser. vices Office, August 13, 1979. 1 I41CRof ILNED BY ; 1. -" JORM-MICROLA9 CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOVIES JANUARY11.1 BRUARY 1983 .50/ J FA -09 Rai, . nwAll dda5ao�yy1. ,( a -)-6F-'mr zzaid. /a B i Se6msL-ikel . YinlowaCit I yApril 15 Byjtw:: F4W ,u . . busted dream and f "0 Soff new Mr. I_ faked e'lobe t, There's r. Leshtz traces his P O'U'dook albureaicrat 7n =Ijno; with to an early attachment to the hapless Chl• such bad lock that even 16 Iowa he.couldn't cago Cubs. "I grew UP In the shadow of Vow vegetables. "The potatoes were eaten Wrigley Fleld on the North Side," he says by bugs, the earn got cutworm, the perenni. "I was a happy child Until I was five yea; als were.deVoured byweeds;' he says. old." I In fact, this man expected Last year the Pessimist title went to Wil• a' much when liam Conklin of Chicago. --He Isn't fooled by he Planted Me seeds. He expected it the way h he, expected the little' League team he aPPY appearances," says1-0shtL Mr. COIChN to post a Wing record. (The Angels Conklin sells artificial hip and knee joints. IahM in the cellar with a 4-12 record.) A 'ThlngS'G()t Worse'. ' lifelong Pessimist, he wouldn't even let UsToni Pounds_a Planner for,the state's use his name for fear his employers would: commission on aging, won the award five Md Out about his attitude and fire him- years ago. But that victory didn't change thought he assumes he will be fired eventu• her outlook. "Things got worse after I woo ally anyway. It". the 35,Year-old Iowan says, ,I lost my The man Is Working Job. ,Then I got divorced." to cultivate his 91 Or ng especially, hard now the Off chance that View of the world on MISS Pounds says the low Point came this t he'll win the title of pes. summer. First, the water pipes In her neigh• slMho of the Year when the Benevolent, and b0rhDDd.bUrst. Then, when she moved her Loyal Order of Pessimists convenes in Iowa car so the road crew could repair the pipes, LItY. Iowa, an Aprll.15. Of course, he doesn't the car was towed from the Place she had expect to win. P. parked IL When she went home for dinner, A Cbjcggo Cubs. Flo her electricity had been turned off. It was O� The groupi that day, too, that iheefound.mlce In her Of IZD meets every year at tax apartment. fir" to Pick the Year's saddest sa,k.W can't think of a more appropriate d.... e 1!1 Wouldn't want 10 win it says David L*shtz,,,,ajl statue of the rear end of a horse, "I want to Income tai day,' ay than Pounds Says of the award, which is a'pIajqc Iowa. City social .worker.. qt's symbol Of live a little longer.", MICROFILIIED BY "-DORM MICR46LA13- CEDAR RAPIDS DES'1101,NES II 15-4pz 9 �s I ss �a Iowa Book and Supply Company <m t, serving Iowa City and the University of Iowa 8 SOUTH CLINTON BOX 2030 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52244 PHONE 337-0188 March 18, 1983 Mayor Neuhauser, Members Iowa City Council Civic Center Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor, I am advised by counsel that Chapter 362, Code Of Iowa prevents any city officer who is elected or appointed from entering into a contract with the City of Iowa City. Because of my application for Industrial Revenue Bonds, I submit my resignation from the Board of Adjustment effective immediately. Sincerely, Peter C. Vanderhoef C/ F I L F DD MAR 18 1983 CITY CLERK i MICROFILMED BY _` I—JORM -"-MICR46L`AB-_ - 111 CEDAR RAPIDS • DES MOIKS ,;V.3 -J