HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-03-11 TranscriptionMarch 11, 2008 Special City Council Work Session Page 1
March 11, 2008 Special City Council Work Session 5:40 •P.M.
Council Present/ Bailey, Correia, Champion, Hayek, O'Donnell, Wilburn, Wright
Staff/ Helling, Dilkes, Karr, Morris, Trueblood, Davidson, Long, Hightshoe, Severson, Kopping
Other/ Volland, UISG Rep
Council Appointments:
Bailey/ Starting with the Airport Commission.
O'DonnelU (unable to hear)
Bailey/ The Airport Commission, yes.
Correia/ I've met Eric Bochner (several talking) um, local business owner. I thought he
had some strengths.
Bailey/ Do we have others interested in Eric?
Hayek/ I've not met Eric. I kind of know Howard (unable to hear) he's got one term
under his belt already.
Champion/ He's actually serving an unexpired term.
Hayek/ Okay (several talking) partial term under his belt. I think he's got a perfect
attendance record (unable to hear)
O'Donnell/ I agree totally. (several talking)
Bailey/ So we have four for Howard? Okay. Thank you. (unable to hear) um, Board of
Adjustment I think is the next one we have, for which we have applicants.
Wright/ I don't know the applicant. She certainly looks like she's (unable to hear, several
talking)
Champion/ She's good!
Bailey/ Seems to have a background too (several talking)
Wright/ ...do quite well on it.
Bailey/ Okay, are there others interested in Caroline? (several responding) Okay. Civil
Service Commission - we had one applicant, Dorothy Maher.
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O'Donnell/ Dorothy Maher is great on that also.
Champion/ She's just serving her first term so...
Bailey/ Eleanor?
Dilkes/ Um, I...I want to alert you to a potential conflict of interest with Dorothy Maher.
She volunteers at the Police Department, and has for some time now. Um, in
addition to that, I believe she's on the Board of Crime Stoppers. Um, I think this
is, it concerns...I think that's a potential conflict of interest that could be raised
by, uh, an officer who was appearing in front of the Civil Service Commission.
Um, and it's particularly troubling because, um, it's athree-member Commission,
and so if you have one who's out, you've only got two left, um, I...we have
talked, um, to Ms. Maher about this. We talked to her about it, um, when we
learned that she was volunteering, uh, and then we've talked again when she's
reapplied, and...and I don't...she has chosen not to withdraw her application, but
I did...we did tell her that I would be telling you that I thought it was problematic.
Correia/ A conflict under the Code, or...(unable to hear) explain?
Dilkes/ I think it's a potential conflict of interest because she has, um, dealings as part of
her volunteering work with, um, the command staff at the Police Department, and
I think, um, an officer who was, for instance, appearing in front of the Civil
Service Commission was appealing, uh, disciplinary action by the Police Chief,
for instance, um, could have a problem with her because she's been, um, involved
with the Police Department, and I'm not saying that there would be even
legitimacy to that complaint. The problem is, is we have been finding that
conflict of interest challenges are becoming a very popular way to challenge a
decision of one of our boards, and I just think when it's not necessary, I think it's
a good thing to avoid. Um...
Bailey/ Well, particularly in light of athree-member board, as well.
Dilkes/ Particularly in light of the three-member board.
O'Donnell/ How often does she volunteer at the Police Station?
Dilkes/ Oh, it's been over a period of time now. I don't know how often. Every month.
O'Donnell/ Would she be interested in not doing that anymore, would be my question,
because I think she's done a great job on the Civil Service Commission.
Dilkes/ I actually had a call from the Police Chief today, who had been contacted by her
and was interested in this, um, and uh, I understood from him that she wishes to
continue to volunteer, so I...but I...
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Wilburn/ Can we defer this, and someone have a conversation...if it's a concern, uh, and
I think I agree (unable to hear) have a conversation with her, uh, to give her
the...the understanding that she would not get the appointment, unless she, um
(several talking) and the Crime Stoppers (several talking)
Dilkes/ Yeah, I don't think...because the Crime Stopper's is an independent board, I'm
not...if that was all it was, but the Crime Stopper's Board, along with the
volunteering at the Police Department, I just...you know, it's not...there are a
number of other boards that she can serve on. There are a number of eligible
people that can serve on the Civil Service Commission, and I just don't think it's
worth the risk. (several talking) And I've had, we've had several conversations
with her. If you all need to talk to her independently...
Wilburn/ Here's what I'm getting at, is if we, I mean, she doesn't know, I mean, I know
you've had the conversation, but she doesn't know that we would say, uh, we
would potentially be saying, we would appoint you, but you cannot volunteer in
that capacity, to give her the choice, well, either know that I'm not going to get
appointed, or I'm going to choose to...do you have any problem with that?
Bailey/ So, defer this is what (several talking)
Champion/ One of us will talk to her.
O'Donnell/ Would you like to, Regenia? Or Ross?
Bailey/ I can.
O'Donnell/ Would you like to?
Karr/ Just for the schedule, by deferring it means we accept no more applications until the
decision is made. Her appointment is up April 7t". Your next meeting is...you
would be deferring this to April 1St, and making the appointment, if it's Ms.
Maher at that time, or then it would start in the re-advertising process and it would
be then well beyond the appointment date. I just wanted to confirm that.
Champion/ Couldn't we advertise now?
Bailey/ But then we're basically sending a message that we would be interested in
appointing her, regardless of other applicants that came in, and that also seems
unfair (several talking) from my perspective.
O'Donnell/ Then let's defer it.
Bailey/ ...comfortable with deferring also?
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Wilburn/ Um, I was thinking, would it be possible to, if you could have it...is it too late
to...if she's willing, and understands...ifshe wants to be...continue on the
Commission enough that she's willing to give up the other volunteers, is there
enough time to post that, as a...I mean, we're getting together Thursday anyway.
Is there enough time to post that as a agenda item on Thursday's meeting or not?
Does that muck things up too much?
Karr/ You mean defer the appointment until your meeting time on Thursday?
Correia/ What if we appoint her, with the, um, understanding that she would not
volunteer for the Police Department.. .
Champion/ But if we knew one way or the other, then on Thursday we could chose to re-
advertise.
Correia/ But I mean...
Karr/ Yes, you could. There is an issue...later on when we discuss scheduling, there are
some issues about Thursday's meeting that I'm a little reluctant to discuss at this
time.
Wilburn/ I just think it would be cleaner to have the conversation first, rather than
appointing her and by the way, you've gotta quit this. (several talking)
Bailey/ So we'll defer...
Karr/ Till?
Bailey/ Till April...
Karr/ First?
Bailey/ April ls`. All right. Planning and Zoning Commission. We have two openings,
and two applicants.
Wright/ Two top-notch applicants.
O'Donnell/ And Ann, is Ann in her first term? Because she's done really a good job, and
it's our custom to reappoint them, and I'd recommend Ann.
Bailey/ Okay, so we're (unable to hear; several talking) Senior Center Commission,
we've got one opening and three applicants.
O'Donnell/ We've got a great opportunity here from Michael Lensing.
Champion/ I agree!
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O'Donnell/ What a great person for the...
Bailey/ Others in support of Michael? (several responding) Okay, great. All right, I
think that's all...ones we have applications for. Next item is "agenda items."
Agenda Items:
ITEM 2 CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR
AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED.
d) Public Hearings
2. CONSIDER A RESQLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC
HEARING FOR APRIL 1, 2008 TO ADOPT THE IOWA
CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY PUBLIC HOUSING
ADMISSIONS AND CONTINUED OCCUPANCY
POLICY (ACOP).
3. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC
HEARING FOR APRIL 1, 2008 TO ADOPT THE IOWA
CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY HOUSING CHOICE
VOUCHER (HCV) ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN.
Bailey/ ...short agenda, and we have multiple agenda items on the work session agenda,
so...
Correia/ So, um, we're setting public hearing for the Housing Authority admissions and
occupancy and that...are we having a presentation on those at that...can we have
a presentation (several talking)...we're setting public hearing for April ls` on the
Housing Authority admissions and continued occupancy policy, and the
administrative plan. Will we have a presentation from staff at the formal
meeting? (several responding)
Bailey/ Okay. Other questions about the agenda, or comments?
ITEM 4 APPROVING PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF
CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SENIOR CENTER BOILER
AND CHILLER REPLACEMENT PROJECT,
ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO
ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO
PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING
TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
Helling/ Um, you have the item regarding, uh, and I don't know what number it is, but
the, uh, boiler project, boiler and chiller project for the Senior Center (several
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responding), uh, Kumi and Linda are here. I know Kumi has another commitment
this evening, so if there's any questions, um, about that, that you have that you
could ask him at this time...
Bailey/ Item 4, page 3. This is expensive!
Champion/ It's a lot of money.
Correia/ Could we just briefly, um, have you explain. It jumped up about $100,0000,
from the last...
Bailey/ There was an increase. Can you walk us through what that was? Except that
we're dealing with an (unable to hear; several talking)
Morris/ Hello. The increase comes from a number of things. One, the major part of the
increase is from the, is the, um, the controls number, which is, um, electrical and
the computer controls that handle the majority of the system, and the existing
system, we thought that we could use portions of that system within, with the new
equipment, and what we're finding is that we're having a lot of conflicts and also
we were not able to update the existing equipment, um, through...through new
software, and so that was the major price increase.
Bailey/ Other questions for Kumi? Thanks for being here.
Helling/ Can we send them home then, and they don't have to be here?
Champion/ Reluctantly! (laughter)
Helling/ Thank you.
Bailey/ Other agenda items?
Solicitation Downtown Ordinance
ITEM 6 CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 8,
ENTITLED "POLICE REGULATIONS," CHAPTER 5,
ENTITLED "MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES," SECTION 2,
ENTITLED "BEGGING," TO PROHIBIT SOLICITING
FOR MONEY IN LIMITED AREAS, AT CERTAIN TIMES,
AND IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER (FIRST
CONSIDERATION)
ITEM 7 CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 8,
ENTITLED "POLICE REGULATIONS," CHAPTER 5,
ENTITLED "MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES," BY ADDING
A NEW SECTION 10, ENTITLED "SITTING AND LYING
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ON SIDEWALKS" TO PROHIBIT SITTING AND LYING
ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS IN THE DOWNTOWN AND IN
ZONE 1 OF CITY PLAZA (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Correia/ Um, we have solicitation downtown ordinance on our...on our...
Bailey/ So are we moving on then?
Correia/ But, no, no, my question is, does that...does that discussion item include talking
about item 7? Which is not...(several responding) Okay, sorry, I'm not
reading.. .
Bailey/ That's okay. So, are we ready to move on? Let's do that. Um, agenda items 6
and 7, solicitation, and I know that you'll want to make your remarks about this
ordinance at the formal meeting, but are there specific questions that you have for
Eleanor? I think you did a great job of balancing this. Thank you. I thought it
reflected our discussions well.
Wright/ I actually did have a specific question, if I can find the page that it's on.
Bailey/ Okay.
Wright/ Okay, yeah, on, uh, on page 2 of the ordinance, Section B, um, right (several
talking) I'm sorry, does it need to be clarified at all that it's, um, illegal at any
time to, uh, solicit in the manner specified in 1 through 6, and in addition. It's all
prohibited from dawn to dusk? Because you can almost read it that I can, if it's
after those times that I can be aggressive.
Champion/ Always looking for loopholes. (laughter)
Wright/ It's illegal to...solicit in aggressive manner within, etc., from dusk to dawn.
Dilkes/ No, I think because it's a list of items, and there's no indication that it's an "and"
between those list of items. You would have to be saying, if that was the
interpretation, then you'd also have to say you can't solicit within ten feet of a
sidewalk cafe, in an aggressive manner. I mean, I don't see the issue, but if you
do, we can certainly...
Wright/ If nobody else reads it that way, that's...
Correia/ I guess I also would just have a question that from dusk to dawn...
Dilkes/ Uh-huh?
Wright/ It's prohibited at night, essentially.
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Correia/ So it's only prohibited at night? To do any of these things?
Dilkes/ No.
Correia/ That's how I read it.
Wright/ That's the way I think you can read it. (several talking)
Bailey/ In the downtown, it is illegal to solicit from dusk to dawn.
Correia/ Right, so what...from dawn to dusk it's legal?
Bailey/ Yeah, if you don't do it in these other ways.
Dilkes/ There's a number of times that soliciting is, or a number of ways that soliciting is
illegal. It's illegal to solicit in an aggressive manner, whether that's at...whatever
time of the day. It's illegal to solicit in those particular places, ten feet of
sidewalk cafe, ten feet of entrance, and I'm going to add exit to "from any
building," ten feet of the concrete border, etc., at any time of the day, even if it's
not in an aggressive manner, and then it's also illegal to solicit from dusk to
dawn.
Correia/ So...I didn't read it that way either.
Wright/ I think you read it the same way I did.
Correia/ Yeah.
Bailey/ I just read that the numbers complete the sentence. It's illegal to solicit, in this
way (unable to hear)
Dilkes/ You know, I can take a look at that and see if there's something we can do to
make it (several talking)
Correia/ ...I mean, I had a conversation with somebody who read the article in the
newspaper, which said "illegal from dusk to dawn," and so their question was, `So
you can't do these, you know, these things from dusk to dawn, but the rest of the
time...'
Dilkes/ You can't solicit from dusk to dawn.
Correial No, I understand what it means now, after we...but I'm just talking about
interpretation.
Wright/ I think maybe that could be sharpened just a little bit, to say it's illegal to solicit,
um, at any time in an aggressive manner, to within ten feet.
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Dilkes/ Let me just take a look at it, and I'll see what I can do.
Wilburn/ I was just going to ask if in any of these situations, in any of these (several
talking)
Dilkes/ I don't like to draft on the spot, so let me just (laughter and several talking).
Correia/ My question has to do with, um, why $65.00. Was there a reason for the amount
for the fine?
Dilkes/ Minimum fine that we can impose for a simple Misdemeanor.
Wright/ Is there any way we can lower that? $65.00 seems pretty (unable to hear)
Champion/ ...anyway.
Dilkes/ It's the minimum fine for a Civil Misdemeanor that the State allows us to charge.
Wright/ Is there another way you could classify that, other than simple misdemeanor?
Dilkes/ You could classify it as a Municipal Infraction, um...and then you could probably
set it at a lower fine. There's a lot more enforcement issues with that, because we
have to actually file, we have to pay a $30.00 filing fee when we file that, and it's
a whole different process that the Police are not, do not typically use. Um...
Correia/ So, when you get a ticket for riding on the sidewalk, what's that? Riding your
bike on the sidewalk. Is that a...
Dilkes/ It's a Simple Misdemeanor. I don't know what the fine...I'd have to check what
the fine is.
Correia/ I mean, I've gotten a ticket for that before, and I don't remember it being $65.00.
I thought it was like $35.00.
Dilkes/ It used to be $50.00 was the minimum. It's now $65.00.
Correia/ Okay.
Hayek/ If it were under a municipal infraction scenario, would those filing fees and other
costs be passed on anyway to the person who violated the ordinance?
Dilkes/ Uh, they can...they can be, in the, I mean...
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Hayek/ Well, my question is if we're switching it from a simple misdemeanor to a
municipal infraction, is the result in the end monetarily comparable, because of
these filing fees and other costs of prosecution?
Dilkes/ I'd have to actually compare the, with a simple misdemeanor there's a surcharge
and there's court costs, and I'd have to compare that to the filing fee costs for a
municipal infraction...to see exactly how those numbers compared, but yes, if
you get a, um, there's a determination that there was a violation of the ordinance
with the municipal infraction, then often the defendant is required to pay costs.
Um, remember too...remember, we're not...except for aggressive panhandling,
there can't be a charge unless...until there's a warning, and so that warning is
going to have to be documented too.
Bailey/ Other questions?
O'Donnell/ Aggressive is really a broad term. I...if an officer is called, they determine if
it's aggressive...who determines?
Bailey/ It's outlined here.
Dilkes/ It's defined in the ordinance...
O'Donnell/ I read that.
Dilkes/ ...to include a number of things, such as touching or causing physical contact
with the person solicited, blocking the passage of the person solicited, continuing
to solicit after refusal, etc.
Champion/ Chasing after them.
O'Donnell/ (several talking) ...many more in there....okay, all right.
Dilkes/ We did...I came across some ordinances where aggressive, you know, there was
kind of a catch-all with the intent to, I just...I really tried to stay away from the
(unable to hear)
Correia/ I had a question from somebody who, um, in the past has had a table downtown,
like during Friday concerts to raise money for an organization, um, and so I know
that that type of activity is included in here, soliciting, but there would be then
the, you know, ten feet away. There would be that...they would have their table
in a certain area of the Pedestrian Mall, not.. .
O'Donnell/ Well, they'd have a permit too, wouldn't they?
Bailey/ Did they get a permit?
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Helling/ You know, everybody who does that is supposed to get a permit. There's no
charge for it, but we do issue (several talking)
Correia/ But in terms of the, so then that, the dusk to dawn wouldn't apply? I'm thinking
of Friday Night Concerts, people are generally there after it's, you know, when
it's dark. So if they have a permit to be at the table, and raising money for their
group, then this...that piece of the ordinance wouldn't apply?
Dilkes/ I'm not sure I understand the...sitting at the table. What exactly...are they
soliciting immediate donations?
Correia/ Yes.
Dilkes/ Okay. For a...for some organization? Um, and...and where are they permitted to
be?
Helling/ Typically, they're on, uh, they're in a...card table or something, uh, they're not
permitted within Zone 1, which would clearly be the ten feet from the entrance to
a business. Usually they're either in the main park area or just along the center of
the Ped Mall, often times just south of Washington Street.
Dilkes/ So it sounds like they're unlikely to be in the...within the place restrictions.
Correia/ Yeah, I'm just wondering about the time, I mean, the dusk to dawn, so...I'm just
thinking about the situation where somebody's...a permit, they're soliciting
donations on the spot during Friday Night Concerts. They usually spill over after
dusk into, you know, when it's dark. So would this...ordinance...
Dilkes/ There's no permitting exception to the solicitation ordinance. So that could be a
problem.
Correia/ So I guess I'm wondering maybe about the time...conflict on this (several
talking)
Champion/ ...dusk in the summer is pretty late.
Correia/ But still, I think that...
Wright/ By the time you get to Labor Day weekend though, it's.. .
Bailey/ Or a permitting exception, if it's permitted activity by the.. .
Dilkes/ I'll have to look at that.
Bailey/ Okay.
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Champion/ I don't know if this is the right time.. .
Dilkes/ I think we're going to have to be careful with the permitting exception, because I
don't want this to slop over into, you know, anybody gets a permit and they can
solicit for their charitable organization. That's...in the places where...that's not
going to work, so...have to take a look at...
Correia/ Well, that's what I'm wondering about, you know, having the time be 10:00
P.M., I mean, it's always dark by 10:00, even in the summer.
Champion/ Time limit instead.
Dilkes/ (unable to hear)...permitting exception to the solicitation ordinance, because I
don't, I really don't (unable to hear)
Hayek/ Seems like a slippery slope to me!
Dilkes/ Yeah. So, maybe just make it late enough, maybe change it from dusk to dawn,
just do a late enough that we're into...10:00 P.M.? (several talking)
Bailey/ Is that a substantive change that we have to...can we do that as an amendment?
Dilkes/ You could make that amendment on the floor tonight.
Bailey/ Okay. All right, other questions?
Champion/ Well, the other thing, is there anyone else in discussing some of these other
things that were in Linda's memo, like the meters in Colorado, to give people an
alternative to giving panhandlers cash?
Wright/ I thought that was a terrific idea.
Bailey/ Do we want to discuss those ideas at a work session?
Champion/ ...more interest in it.
Bailey/ I think there's interest.
Champion/ ...other alternatives that we can give people an option, instead of giving
money to panhandlers.
Bailey/ So let's discuss that at a work session.
O'Donnell/ But I wonder how...would that stop what we're trying to stop?
Champion/ I don't know.
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O'Donnell/ I don't think it would (several talking) No, but it's a step, I think, in the right
direction.
Correia/ I think this just regulates where it happens. I don't think the ordinance will stop
(several talking)
Bailey/ ...trying to balance interests.
O'Donnell/ Well, we are trying to stop people from being aggressively pursued is what
we're trying to do.
Bailey/But we've always had an ordinance...
Correia/ I think we're trying to, well, and regulate where it can happen.
Champion/ Right.
Correia/ Not that it won't happen.
Bailey/ So we'll talk about some of those other ideas at a work session. That would be...
Correia/ At the formal meeting.
Bailey/ No, at a work session.
Correia/ Oh, the other items, yes.
Bailey/ Yes. More thoroughly explore...okay. Other questions about ordinances, um,
Item 6 or Item 7?
Correia/ Well, I just, the....um, we hadn't discussed items that...the issues in the
ordinance, the sitting and lying down, um, I guess I wanted to have a sense
of...the impetus behind bringing that with this ordinance tonight. Come from the
Police Department...anybody?
Bailey/ (several talking) well, Eleanor has talked about it a little bit. Eleanor talked a
little bit about it in her memo.
Correial In the memo, yeah, but I mean before when we had talked in the work session
about the panhandling ordinance, we didn't talk about the no sitting or lying
down.
Dilkes/ The way I came to that is that, um, it seems to me that when you're talking about
your interest in pedestrian movement, um, as opposed to your interest in
preventing intimidation or harassment, um, the obstruction of any person who is
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sitting or lying in an area where it's meant for pedestrian traffic is an issue. Not
just, um, solicitors. And so I thought that that ordinance was better framed, um,
as a; the interest being to keep the pedestrian, the places where pedestrians are
supposed to be moving, um, open and clear, and that that should apply to anybody
who is sitting or lying, because those places are not meant for sitting or lying for
any purpose. Um, and the way that I came to, um, the zone, the ten feet in the
Plaza is that if you look at our Plaza Ordinance, um, Zone 1 has, is defined as that
ten-foot area from the building faces, and you don't have any planters or benches
or anything in there. It's supposed...it's meant to be a place where people walk...
Champion/ Oh, sure...
Dilkes/ ...and so I used that ten foot area, because once you get beyond that ten-foot area,
you start getting into the benches and planters and places where people sit, etc.
So that's how I...that's how I ended up with two different ordinances.
Champion/ Yeah, that makes sense now.
O'Donnell/ It's a good idea.
Correia/ So it's only, sitting and lying is only prohibited in the ten-foot zone 1?
Dilkes/ In the Plaza, and on the sidewalks in the rest of the downtown.
Champion/ There's obviously places you could sit and lie down, like on the benches. Or
on the...
Correia/ Nowhere in the Pedestrian Plaza could you sit on the ground (several talking)
Dilkes/ ...no, the Zone 1, which is the...
Correia/ Okay (several talking)
Bailey/ You can sit down, or lay down, where there are benches.
Correia/ Right. You can't, okay.
Dilkes/ In the Plaza.
Hayek/ Outside of Zone 1...
Correia/ Outside of Zone 1. Okay. It wasn't clear in here.
Bailey/ There are numerous exceptions for those festival times when everybody sits on
the sidewalk. Okay, other questions about this? All right. We're going to move
on to the Sand Lake CAT Grant application, Item...agenda item 9. Terry?
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Sand Lake CAT Grant Application:
ITEM 9 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE SAND
LAKE RECREATION AREA PROJECT AND
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN A GRANT
APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE IOWA
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
Trueblood/ Okay, well on your formal agenda tonight, you'll be considering a, uh,
resolution supporting the Sand Lake, uh, recreation area project, and authorizing
the submission of a CAT grant, Community Attraction and Tourism grant through
the VISION Iowa program, in the amount of $2 million, and included in your
packet was an Executive Summary, of a draft of the Executive Summary, uh,
that'll be a part of the grant submission. Uh, I also have copies of, uh, the actual
application form, and a financial breakdown, if you'd like to have those for your
files. I can leave them here with you, uh, but what I don't have for you...copies
of this.
Champion/ Oh, that's too bad!
Trueblood/ It's about a hundred pages long. We'd be happy to provide you copies, but
I'd prefer to do that when it's 100% complete, which it isn't quite done yet. Um,
the short version of what the grant application will show is that we have a $7.6
million project, which includes the acquisition, the two acquisitions actually, and
that will show the funding sources to be, uh, GO Bonds in the amount of $4.2
million, which you have approved over a period of years; $550,000 in General
Funds, which you've approved; road use tax funds, $100,000, which was
approved last year as part of the acquisition; uh, City operating funds, and this is
the big one, of about $5,000. That was something that we have to include to
make figures come out right. That was a grant application fee out of the
Operating, or not the application fee, but the...what we paid the consultant to
write the grant application. Then beyond that, we're showing, uh, $545,000 in
contributions, which includes $160,000 of "in kind," and uh, $200,000 from
congressionally designated funds. That brings you up to $5.6 million, and then
the CAT grant application of $2 million would bring us up to the total of $7.6
million. Uh, with that, I'd be happy to entertain any questions. I don't know if I
would answer them, but I'll certainly entertain `em!
Bailey/ The jokes or a tap dance? Okay, questions? Are you going to be at the formal
meeting to speak to this? Do you want to stay.. .
Trueblood/ I'll be at the formal meeting, if you want me to.
Bailey/ That'd be good. Thanks! Housing Fellowship HOME projects. Okay, go ahead,
Tracy.
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The Housing Fellowship FY08 HOME Protect -Site Location Review (IP2 of 3/6
Info Pkt
Hightshoe/ Hi, I'm Tracy Hightshoe with the City's Planning Department. Um, we're
here today to discuss a request from the Housing Fellowship. There's two
components of the request -one was a site location request, the second was a
funding request. We have a Power Point presentation to discuss the actual
location request, um, we'll talk about the funding request after the presentation,
and then Steve Long, um, myself, and the applicant, Maryann Dennis from the
Housing Fellowship, are available to answer any of your questions. The Housing
Fellowship has made a request. They want to apply for aloes-income housing tax
credit application for 22 units of affordable rental housing. Under the low-income
housing tax credit, um, program the applicant must have site control. They must
actually acquire the site, before the application, which is coming up this
November. Under the proposal, they have, um, signed purchase agreements for
22 of the lots. There are 16 homes in Mt. Prospect Addition, Part 9; two homes
on Chamberlain Drive, which is in the Village Green subdivision, and four homes
on Westbury Court, which is the Old Towne Village. They have the potential to
purchase eight units in Mackinaw Village, which is in the northern part of town
off of Foster Road. The reason why the site location has to come back to the
Council is based on the Fiscal Year 08 application guidelines, which state that
homes that are, or projects or units that are not in areas encouraged, are not
identified, um, to...as areas, to encourage affordable housing, um, must come
back to the Council for review and approval. The Mt. Prospect Addition, Part 9,
is in census tract 18, block group 1, u m, which is not in an area that is currently
shaded as, um, encouraged for affordable rental housing. The location of Mt.
Prospect Addition, as you can see here, lies directly south of Grant Wood School.
It's bounded by two bike trails and the Sycamore Greenway trail, directly
adjacent, or south of the project. The Mt. Prospect Addition, Parts 1 through 8,
have approximately 305 homes. It is zoned predominantly low-density, single-
family. Staff went through the Mt. Prospect Addition, um, to determine how
many units we've assisted with CDBG and HOME funds, or the Housing
Authority has acquired for public housing or for, um, affordable rental. We found
that we have subsidized four of the approximate 305, which means we've
subsidized 1% of the current subdivision. When looking at the Iowa City rental
permits for the Mt. Prospect Addition, 87% of the homes are owner-occupied.
You look at the Census Tract data from 2000 census, and in census tract 18, 63%
of the homes are owner-occupied, compared to the city, um, wide average of
47%. Under this project, the Housing Fellowship will buy all lots in the Part 9
Addition. It'll be under common property management, with the Housing
Fellowship doing the landscaping maintenance. Here you can see the red line is
where Census Tract 18, Census Tract 18 is a very large census tract. It goes from
the river, Highway 6, all the way down basically to Napoleon, or um, Kickers, if
you follow the southern edge right there. The Mt. Prospect Addition, Parts 1
through 9, um, are basically the peach colored addition, and then if you can see on
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March 11, 2008 Special City Council Work Session Page 17
the blue spots, the blue lots, are what we've assisted previously. There's two...I
believe two HACAP units and two Housing Fellowship units in this area. Um,
affordable rental housing is a huge demand in Iowa City. We just completed the
Affordable Housing Market Analysis. It was done in December 2007. As you
can see, the total affordable housing needs for 2007 to 2012 in our metro area is
estimated to be...approximately 2,700 units, and Iowa City, 75% of our housing
demand is for affordable rental housing. And one of the last slides is the Housing
Fellowship project, at the Longfellow Manor. This project was off of Sheridan.
It was 20 units of affordable housing. There's 14 owner-occupied, and six rental.
These are two duplexes that the rental housing built, um, in the subdivision, or in
this project, um, utilizing an architect, um, landscaping, and under their property
management. Um, the last part of their funding...well, the last part of the request
was funding. Um, they requested that $180,000 out, in our home line of credit
that's sitting there now be applied to this project, um, in my memo, um, staff was
recommending that since we are currently in the process of reviewing our fiscal
year 09 application. It's the formal process where the Housing Community
Development Commission reviews the applications. They review the performa,
the budget ,of each project, and then they send that forward to the Council to
recommend. We are currently in that process. We received ten applications for
housing projects. We would request that the Housing Fellowship, now that they
know more about the site location and based on, um, your recommendations for
site, that they submit a new performa and budget to go through the regular process
of HCDC review and then Council review, um, and those funds that are in our
line of credit will be applied to that fiscal year 09 funding round. Um, we also
suggest that the 16 units, maybe there's a possibility that we do something like in
the Longfellow Manor, where there's a mix ofowner-occupied and rental within
that 16-unit, um, subdivision. Um, I guess we can open it up for questions. And
like I said, Steve Long and Mary Ann Dennis are here to answer any questions
that you might have.
Correia/ Do you have a sense of how much the low-income housing tax credits would be,
what the investment would be? How much are you applying for to receive in the
tax credits?
Hightshoe/ $1.7 million.
Correia/ Okay.
Bailey/ Other questions?
Champion/ Well, I have a few questions, although I think the project sounds great, I'm
very, um, interested in the effect this is going to have on the schools. Um, this is
all in the Grant Wood...
Hightshoe/ The 16 units would feed into the Grant Wood Elementary.
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Champion/ ...Grant Wood Elementary, and I would like to get some idea of what the
School District feels about any more low income housing in that area.
Hightshoe/ Spoke to Joan Vandenberg from the School District today about the proposal,
um, since Grant Wood does have a high percentage -they're the third largest free
and reduced lunch, um, school in the district. It goes, I think, Twain, Hills, and
then Grant Wood. She has concerns about putting 16 more affordable rental units
that all feed to Grant Wood Elementary, but at the same time, she recognizes the
need for affordable rental, and she has a lot of respect for the Housing Fellowship
property management. She was thinking maybe some compromise could be made
between, out of the 16 units, some owner-occupied, some rental. That was her.. .
Champion/ Well, I have great respect for the Housing Fellowship too, but I also have a
great respect for the predicament we're putting our public schools in in this city,
namely Grant Wood, Mark Twain, and Lucas. I mean, we're getting to the point
where these neighborhoods are becoming undesirable, uh, for moderate income
families to move into and send their kids to school. I think it's self-destructive,
not only for the kids but for the neighborhoods. So I'm not interested in
approving this like it stands. We put a lot of money into, um, housing study a
couple years ago. What'd we call that?
O'Donnell/ Scattered site.
Champion/ Scattered site housing, and then we're not going to pay any attention to it?
Wilburn/ Just a little bit of, more information. I had a conversation after your
conversation with Joan Vandenberg, and uh, I think she wanted to make it clear,
and again, she's not speaking on behalf of the School District. Just, you know,
her component what some of the issues might be. The issues that the school
would be concerned about, one is just, um, it's related to where the next school is
going to go, um, if...and I don't believe there's been a decision as to where the
next school would go that would handle not just this particular development but
other pieces of development that would be in the Grant Wood neighborhood, or
any other that have the concerns about the demand and strains of the free and
reduced lunch and supportive services, that's another component, but another
concern that impacts the school, and again, there's no official policy statement on
this from the school related to the City's policies, is, uh, you know, uh, that, uh,
about supports for, um, you know, any families that are in a, um, and studies have
shown people that are not in such high transition, if they, if they can get some
type of housing where things are stable, then that helps out the situations and
concerns that you're...that you're discussing, uh, so I think Joan wanted to make
sure she's not speaking on behalf of, and not taking a position for or against this
particular development, but that they're, those are just kind of broad things, if, uh,
if that, uh, would, you know, where's the next location of a school, and again,
she's not, um, that's not something (several talking)
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Correia/ The issues as I've been, um, in the work that I do, I mean, I work with programs
that are serving kids in different areas of the district and different schools, and the
issue that I hear teachers, um, and schools talking about that create difficulty is
the mobility, is they have, you know, kids moving in and out and many times
that's because they're searching for safe, affordable, decent housing, and research
has shown it's not so much whether a student is on free or reduced lunch, whether
they are able to learn. It's whether they are in the same school all year and for
multiple years, and I think that, um, there has been loss of, um, affordable homes,
whether we necessarily think they were safe and adequate in this area, so I think
some of the data that we have, um, is old in terms of what...what it looks like in
this area of town for affordable, um, housing, and we know that the Housing
Fellowship runs a really good program. Um, they screen all of their tenants.
They manage the properties themselves. They, you know, create assets in the
community, um, where they operate. So, I mean, I feel, um, I think just the data
that you shared of number of homes in this whole, um, development is a small
percentage. The types of supports that are available. The ability to create
stability for families, um, it's a growing area of town, and so we're going to
continue to have, um, more development, so it's going to be that flavor of the
scattered housing that we've been talking about, and have the potential to bring in
a million dollars of low-income housing tax credits. That's an incredible
investment, um, that we would hate to pass up, I think. So, I will support their,
um, request for...
Hayek/ Sorry, don't mean to interrupt. L ..I would echo Connie's concern. I have the
greatest respect for the Housing Fellowship. I think it's one of our best local
organizations, and they're a very responsible landlord and developer, um, but I
went through the scattered site process. There's no secret about that. Um, and I
saw a lot of the issues and I...I absolutely respect and understand, uh, the issue of
stability in housing, uh, for people, but at the same time, uh, Wood was identified
as...as a school that faced a lot of challenges, and um, I think it's a fair question
to ask whether, uh, this project...what...what inquiry, if any, has been made with
the School District, in terms of the impact of this project on that school. I think
Wood has the highest number of free and reduced students in the district -not the
percentage, but in terms of sheer numbers, it has the highest number in the
district. Um, and I guess I would like some information about, you know, was the
School District involved in this? What are their thoughts about it? And what
kind of information is there from that perspective? Um...
Correia/ There's a couple of other things too. One, I think, is not all the homes that the
Housing Fellowship rents have children in the elementary schools. I mean,
so...and not all of, um, they go up to 60%, not all might even be eligible or even
on free/reduced lunch. I mean, I think we're making a lot of assumptions about
who the tenants are and what their needs are, um, and...and just assumptions that
I don't think are useful in making a decision about citing safe, affordable housing
that can create stability and opportunity for families. Stability and opportunity
that I believe, you know, as a parent of children who attended Grant Wood, that
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that's what the teachers and the administration wants, stability and opportunity for
their kids, um, and that they can see that in a Housing Fellowship program.
Bailey/ Mike, you had a comment.
Wright/ Well, I think developable tracts of this size that are within reach of the Housing
Fellowship are few and far between, and I think that's going to weigh in to this
for me a lot. Um, in addition, we just got our market analysis of affordable
housing in the Iowa City area, and one of the crying needs is affordable rental
housing, and this would not just be affordable. It would be quality rental housing,
uh, and it would provide the stability that Amy's talking about, and I just keep
coming back to tracts of land that are available to the Housing Fellowship of this
size are few. I...I think that makes it kind of any easy thing for me to support.
Long/ Can I just add one...just, with the tax credit process, and I'm not an expert by any
means, um, 100% of the units have to be at or below 60% of median income, and
to give you an idea of what that means, um, for one person that's $30,480. For a
family of four it's $43,560, um, so just to give you some idea of who the target
population, if you want to use that word, would be, and these are 16 two-bedroom
homes.
Wright/ I do have one question...
Long/ I'm sorry, three-bedroom.
Wright/ In 2005, that census tract was shown as being, um, underserved and basically not
doing its fair share for affordable housing opportunities. How did that change, uh,
over two years?
Long/ Uh, are you looking at the Scattered Site report?
Wright/ Yeah.
Long/ I don't think it has changed. I mean, there's been, there have been some units that
have gone to owner-occupied, some Housing Authority units, but in the scattered
site report you're correct, um, census tract 18, block group 1 was considered
under their fair share, and block group 2, which is to the west, is over.
Wright/ So this particular tract is, when identified by the scattered site task force as being
a good opportunity for more affordable housing.
Long/ The first map that was presented to City Council, I believe it was in October of
2005, showed this as an area that was appropriate for affordable housing, and then
City Council decided to...I wasn't at that meeting, but uh, from what I hear, City
Council decided to include the entire census tracts.
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Wright/ Against the recommendation of the Task Force.
Long/ Yes.
Correia/ I have another question for the Housing Fellowship. When you get the low-
income housing tax credits, you'll be creating an LLC, limited liability
corporation, so those, which is a form of afor-profit corporation, so all of these
homes that you'll be developing will be paying property taxes?
Dilkes/ That was a yes. (laughing)
Bailey/ Other further discussion?
Champion/ Well, I am concerned, and if they...I think lower income, owner-occupied
house have...are also a very stabilizing effect for families, probably more so than
rental, uh, I think 16 houses in a development is a lot, and especially in this
particular school, uh, school district, or not...it's not a district, but (several
talking) attendance area, and I think we're hurting ourselves in the end by
supporting this. I could support it in some way, shape or form, but not like it is
now.
Bailey/ So you need some direction from this group...today about...so, are there people
interested in, um, the Housing Fellowship moving forward in this area, with these
16 units?
Wilburn/ I would be.
Bailey/ I would be.
Correia/ Yes.
Wilburn/ I think they've also, um, made a, um, significant effort at identifying other
locations and other, they're trying a scattered approach, but you know, certain
opportunities come up and...
Champion/ Well, then we could say that all the time, that unless we make some zones or
we do something about it as a Council, that's going to come to us that way all the
time! That there isn't any land available. I mean, can't build Housing Fellowship
houses in Hickory Heights, for instance, or Windsor Ridge, but we've got to do
something if we really want to scatter low-income housing, then that's up to us.
We can't just blame land availability.
Bailey/ We'll have that opportunity when we have our housing discussion, but a majority
is interested in moving forward on this. Do you need additional.. .
Champion/ It won't make any difference.. .
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Hightshoe/ Are there any stipulations regarding the 16 (unable to hear)?
Champion/ Well, I could support half and half.
Correia/ I mean, I think there's support for them to move forward, um, in...as requested,
I think we have information from the affordable housing market analysis that
that's where the need is. I think we also have information from...from the School
District and from research that affordable rental, you know, quality creates
stability for children and makes, helps them do better in school, and helps schools
do better. So I'm comfortable. You know the market. You know this is the
market, um, you know we listen to other market experts, um, so I'm comfortable.
Bailey/ I think that the four of us who are interested in moving ahead do not have
stipulations and would defer to the expertise of the Housing Fellowship.
Long/ What about the second issue, we recommended going back to the, or just continue
with our FY09 process. Would you be okay with that recommendation?
Bailey/ I concur with the way. Do others concur with the...
Long/ There are other funding opportunities that the City could do to help them with the
financing that would be eligible for tax credit, to help with infrastructure costs,
that could be out of one of the enterprise funds or GO Bond funds, um, so that
maybe coming back to you in the next...soon, just to let you know.
Bailey/ Right. Okay, thank you (several talking). All right, um, I just asked Eleanor to
do a brief review of the Shelter House decision. There's a memo that was passed
out tonight, but I thought given the timeliness of it, you might want to (unable to
hear)
Review of Shelter House Decision:
Dilkes/ The memo you have is in large part what you already got confidentially, so um, I
mean, the reports in the paper have been fairly accurate. Um, the Iowa Supreme
Court reversed the District Court's, um, decision and upheld the decision of the
Board of Adjustment to grant Shelter House a special exception. Um, the Court
went into a lengthy analysis of what, how a District Court is to review a decision
of a Board of Adjustment and what evidence a Board of Adjustment can consider.
Um, that was the City's primary interest in proceeding with this appeal, and we
were very happy with that outcome. I think the District Court imposed a standard
on the Board of Adjustment that was far too great a risk for alay-quasi judicial
body, and so we were very happy with that result. And of course with the result
that Shelter House can (several talking and laughter).
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Champion/ It was clear in the memo that, um, legally you didn't think this would be
appealed, that they didn't have much to appeal.
Dilkes/ Well, I should...no, I do need to note that they have 14 days, the plaintiffs have
14 days to seek reconsideration from the Supreme Court, and that could...could
happen.
Bailey/ Any questions?
Wilburn/ It was a unanimous...
Dilkes/ It was a unanimous decision.
Wilburn/ ...and so, are we to presume what this would do in the case of an appeal, but
that seems to be a pretty strong message.
Dilkes/ We'll see.
Wilburn/ We'll see. Yeah, I don't want to jinx anything! (laughter)
Bailey/ Okay, thanks, Eleanor.
O'Donnell/ Thank you.
Bailey/ Um, legislative update. You want to talk about the Metro Coalition, Ross?
Legislative Update:
Wilburn/ Yeah, briefly, I forgot my computer that has, uh, some of the stuff on it, but uh,
I mean, a lot of the stuff you probably read in the papers about some of the issues
that we, through our support along with the Coalition, the lobbyists have been
working very diligently on...on some of the issues. They've been approached
about, uh, certain issues, um, you've seen in the paper about the smoking ban
made it through first formal. First formal was Friday, and we didn't...I thought
we were going to have a...a conference call on Friday, but we did not. They were
still kind of hashing out stuff, but there will be one coming up and I guess we'll
have more of a, uh, of a report there. There was also, um, not much was said, uh,
they were, Friday they were trying to get an answer related to some of the revenue
alternative, uh, but they weren't really getting an answer, um, I made a call about
3:30 to try and get an update on that, but they...our lobbyists were still, um, not
getting an answer, so at our next meeting, or next conference call, we'll get an
update on whether there was any movement. There were conversations, there
were, but, and our lobbyists were asked from some Legislative leaders, would you
support, um, a piece of legislation that was not written, and there was no, nothing
put in to react to. They wanted to get reaction from, but they were not being
given something, um, to react to, and the line was we'd be glad to react if we had
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March 11, 2008 Special City Council Work Session Page 24
something to react to. Um, but, uh, they will continue to try and flush out, uh, if
anything, if there's going to be any movement. There may not be, because there
is, uh, there maybe some effort at some type of comprehensive property tax
reform, um, but no...no messages came out about that. Dale, did you have
anything that I can...okay.
Helling/ ...hopefully we'll have a conference call this week and...so we can get updated,
because it's been two weeks...plus.
Wilburn/ Yeah.
Bailey/ Another item for this?
Helling/ Yeah, I did, uh, just briefly. Um, our recycling coordinator had put together a,
uh, draft of an op-ed piece to send to the newspapers about recycling, and
specifically about the recycling bill. We are very careful not to, um, publicly
write letters or whatever to the newspapers in support of any particular legislation,
unless we're clear the City Council supports it, and this is one which I don't think
you've talked about specifically. The, uh, the piece talks about recycling and that
it's good for the environment and the cost of, uh, producing certain containers, uh,
the problems with those winding up in the waste stream and so forth, and uh,
basically indicating that...that uh, recycling, either individually through out
curbside program, or, uh, through returning those bottles to, uh, making a deposit
and then returning those bottles to the, to the, uh, store where they're bought or so
forth, is a good practice. So it really is in direct support of that bill, and I asked
them not to, not to do anything with it until, uh, find out if Council has any
indication in talking about that, um, and in taking a position in support of the, of
the bottle bill. As you know, there are several versions. One of them is an 8-cent,
I mean a 10-cent deposit, with an 8-cent return. I've seen some other versions
that are less than that, but it is rather controversial in the state, and probably in the
city as well, so if that's something the Council's interested in taking up and
looking at that specifically, and taking aposition -and you want to do that - we
can hold off. If not, we can make the, we can make it more generic and not, and
not refer specifically to the bill, which, uh, is just...
Bailey/ Do we want to discuss taking a position, and I assume this would be at a future
work session, on the bottle bill?
Helling/ Right.
O'Donnell/ I would be interested, as long as the answer was no. (laughter)
Bailey/ So you're really open for discussion is what you're saying (several talking and
laughter) Not really! I just think it's ludicrous that...
Bailey/ Um, are we interested in adding this to our, sort of our legislative priorities?
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March 11, 2008 Special City Council Work Session Page 25
Champion/ I'd be interested if it's yes!
Wright/ So would I.
Bailey/ Okay, so I'm asking if you're interested in discussing it!
O'Donnell/ Another tax! Just what we need!
Bailey/ We're talking about discussing it.
O'Donnell/ I'm not discussing, I'm venting!
Wright/ Let's discuss it at our...at our next work session.
Wilburn/ I would be interested.
Bailey/ Okay. So we'll put it on a work session, and then you can vent, and...
O'Donnell/ Thank you! (several talking and laughing) Okay, I probably will be, Mike.
Bailey/ Okay. Anything else? Okay, let's move on. Council time?
Council Time:
Volland/ I actually have Council Time, um, I have...do you want me to do it now or
later?
Bailey/ Wait.
Volland/ Wait?
Bailey/ For public comment. Do you want to do that?
Volland/ Yep. Yep, sounds good (several talking)
Schedule of Pending Discussion Items:
Bailey/ Um, we've added a couple already. Thank you very much.
Upcoming Community Events/Council Invitations:
Bailey/ Are there upcoming community events or Council invitations that you want
others to know about? That we should have a presence at? Okay.
Discussion of Meeting Schedule:
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March 11, 2008 Special City Council Work Session Page 26
Bailey/ Marian, let's discuss the meeting schedule.
Karr/ You did have in your packets last time the revised schedule as far as your formal
and work session meeting schedule. What we were trying to do is, um, by
contacting you, is offer some suggestions that we could work with your schedule
and include then some dates we could set aside for interviews with City Manager
candidates. So the goal...in the process today was to try and get some dates,
simply to set aside and what I have is, um...
Bailey/ One busy Council.
Karr/ ...a, uh, a lot of, there were quite frankly there was only two days in the entire
month that all of you, and those two days, you all weren't available at the same
time. So, given that scenario, what I'd like to do is suggest a possible, um,
schedule, and have you respond to that, and this does have an impact potentially
in your Thursday meeting as well, and let me just go through that. Uh, first of all,
um, Thursday night, April 10`'', in the evening, we would meet to, um, go through
the general conversation that we would not have on Thursday night. We would
move March 13`h to April 10`"
Correia/ Oh, really?
Karr/ And, yeah?
Bailey/ Let's explain the reason for that. If we are looking at the end of April to bring
people in, that would mean that there would be a public announcement...
Karr/ In six weeks.
Bailey/ In six weeks, between bringing them in. That seems like a lot of time, and a
potential of, as Sylvia says, and Bob has said, of losing people, of...of, you know,
of a lot of, I don't want to say scrutiny, but it creates a challenge, I think, for
people. So, keeping those closer together, as we did last time.
Karr/ The interviews, the interviews would be the evenings of Apri124`h and 25`". Again,
we're setting aside both of those late afternoons, say 4:00, 4:30. It would depend,
again, on how many you were interviewing, and the schedule, but it would be
Thursday and Friday. The meet and greet would be Apri125`", that Friday.
Correia/ Can we...so you're just saying all day Friday, and...
Karr/ No, I'm not. There is no way we can do Friday. I'm saying the evenings. The
evenings of April 24`" and 25`"
Correia/ Okay.
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Karr/ Probably starting 4:00, 4:30 in the afternoon, into the evening.
Hayek/ The meeting on the 10th would be proposed for.. .
Karr/ Evening.
Hayek/ Evening.
Karr/ The meet and greet would be potentially the evening of the 25th
Bailey/ And it potentially would be later? Depending on.. .
Karr/ Potentially depends on how many people you bring in, and how many people we
can schedule Thursday.
Bailey/ So you might want to block off later into the evening than last time.
Karr/ Well, Thursday and Friday, again, you could, you would literally be booking off
4:30 to 9:30 both days. 4:30 to 9:30 on the 24th and the 25th
Bailey/ Okay.
Karr/ Then, uh, the proposal for, um, possibly starting your work session on Apri128th a
little earlier, because we would need to discuss, um, when you'd need to do
second interviews.
Correial Start that at 5:30?
Karr/ Potentially.
Champion/ If we're going to do second interviews, I think we'd better set the date now.
Karr/ I'm getting to that.
Champion/ Oh!
Karr/ Second interviews...
Bailey/ This group, you have to schedule way far ahead.
Karr/ Second interviews, I'm suggesting, again, we're working with assumptions on
numbers, um, the afternoon of Friday, May 1St, or Sunday, May 3ra
Correia/ Friday's the 2"a?
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Wilburn/ That is correct. Friday, May 2na
Karr/ Friday the 2na, I'm sorry. Friday the 2na, afternoon, or Sunday, May 3ra. It's an
"or." And the sooner...
Correia/ Sunday, May 4c"
Karr/ I'm a day off on both.
Bailey/ Yeah, Sunday, May 4c", and you know, we usually try to avoid Sundays, but
there's just no way to get...
Karr/ There is if we can do Friday, and that's what we need to do. We need to figure out
the Friday and Sunday scenario.
Bailey/ So should we start with April lOc"? And just confirm what we have available?
Karr/ I have on my calendar April l Oc" in the evening; I have Mike out of town during the
day.
Bailey/ So we're good with April lOt", is that yes?
Karr/ Mike Wright, but is that going to, if we do it in the evening, 6:30 or 7:00.
Wright/ Um, just to be safe let's say 7:00.
Bailey/ Okay. So 7:00 on the lOc"
Hayek/ It's good.
Karr/ Apri124c" and 25c", say 4:30 to 9:30.
Bailey/ Um, those of you who are coming from work, will that work?
Correia/ That's fine.
Bailey/ Mike, does that....
Karr/ And it may not be that long. We just...but, okay? Uh, the meet and greet, some
time Friday the 25c". Again, would depend on when we would wrap it up, but it
would be in that block of time.
Bailey/ Okay.
Karr/ Second interviews starting the work session Apri128c" at 5:30.
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Bailey/ We good with that? Okay.
Karr/ Okay. Second interviews then, Friday or Sunday, May 2na or 4`"?
Bailey/ The afternoon of the Friday, is that what you said?
Karr/ The afternoon of the Friday, well, actually that whole Friday, it doesn't make any
difference. We need about a block of four hours.
Correial I'm fine on Friday the 2na
Hayek/ I can do Friday the 2na
Bailey/ Ross?
O'Donnell/ What's that now?
Bailey/ Friday the 2„a
O'Donnell/ Friday in the afternoon?
Correia/ Any time I'm free.
Bailey/ Let's just go down the line. I don't want to have a discussion, because this has
just been a nightmare. I've heard two okays. What about your schedule?
Karr/ Two okays to what?
Correia/ All day.
Hayek/ The 2„a
Wilburn/ Yes, if we decide now, so I can put in vacation...
Bailey/ I'm okay all day. Connie?
Champion/ I could be okay all day.
Bailey/ Mike?
O'Donnell/ Not all day. I couldn't...
Bailey/ Mike Wright.
O'Donnell/ Mike Wright.
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Wright/ Could say Mike O and Mike W. Um, I think the 2°a should be okay.
Bailey/ Okay, and you have constraints?
O'Donnell/ I have, I've got to check my calendar, but I'm pretty sure that I'm in, um, Des
Moines.
Karr/ That's what you had indicated to me in the...
Bailey/ So, are you available in the afternoon or are we looking at Sunday?
O'Donnell/ I'm going in the morning. I could be back like 2:30, 3:00. If we're only
going to do four hours...
Karr/ Well, what we'd, what we need to do is minimally four hours. This is the Saturday
that you had blocked originally 9:00 to 4:00.
O'Donnell/ I remember that well.
Hayek/ That was more than four hours.
Karr/ So, but again, if some of the questions...again, if some of the questions remain the
same, and we're looking at an hour.. .
Bailey/ But are we looking at discussion during that time, I mean, decision making
process during that time.
Champion/ We're on May 2"d now, right?
Bailey/ We are on Friday May 2"d (several talking)
Karr/ Saturday Ross is gone.
Champion/ Oh, okay.
Bailey/ Um...
Karr/ But you are here on Sunday, Ross, according to my notes.
Wilburn/ Yes, that's correct.
Bailey/ Okay, so if we started at 2:30, could we get a longer block of time if we
potentially wanted to have a discussion. I mean, if we had a couple of candidates
and wanted to, you know, have a discussion.. .
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Karr/ If we're going to start at 2:30, I would suggest you book also some of Sunday.
Well, but your deliberation as well (several talking)
Champion/ I would like to have our discussion after, right after the interviews. I think
that's.. .
Bailey/ I do too. I agree with that, but...but blocking off Sunday in case it goes like...
Champion/ Or maybe just move it all to Sunday, so we know we have enough time.
Bailey/ Okay. What's the...
O'Donnell/ I could live with that.
Correia/ I would rather go 2:30 to 8:30 and get it over with.
Wright/ I think I'd prefer to do that on Friday. We still have Sunday if we need any.
Last time we did need another session, if you'll recall.
Bailey/ Right, and I'm concerned...I'm going to ask you for a little bit on Sunday
afternoon, just in case, and will Council if we don't need it.
Karr/ So, do you want to do 2:30 to, am I hearing 2:30 to 8:30 on Friday?
Bailey/ Yes.
Karr/ And some of Sunday?
Bailey/ Yes, can we do Sunday afternoon, just...and I swear...
Karr/ Afternoon? Evening? Something we can cancel...
O'Donnell/ Afternoon.
Bailey/ If we don't need it, we will cancel.
Karr/ What's that, Sunday afternoon, 2? 3?
O'Donnell/ 2:00's good.
Karr/ Okay. I' 11 do a, um, I' 11 put this, I' 11 confirm this and put this in the packet then.
April 10`" 7:00 P.M. April 24`" and 25`" 4:30 to 9:30. Um, work session on the
28`", 5:30. May 2"d, 2:30 to 8:30. May 4`", 2:00.
Bailey/ 2:00 to when?
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Karr/ 4:00?
Bailey/ Let's say 5:00.
O'Donnell/ Is that Sunday?
Bailey/ That's three hours. Okay?
O'Donnell/ I'll put a big question mark by that.
Bailey/ No question marks! (laughter and several talking)
Karr/ And then...we're in agreement we're going to cancel then the 13th? Thursday?
Bailey/ Is everybody okay with that approach? Because I think given six weeks of public
out there and calls and those kinds of things.. .
Champion/ I know, but the thing that I'm wondering about is the 24th and the 25th, those
are going to be actual interviews, is that correct?
Bailey/ Yes.
Champion/ And then the meet and greet is going to be after that?
Karr/ Like the last time.
Bailey/ We interviewed everybody, and then the meet and greet was after we had seen
everybody individually. It still seems the most fair.
Champion/ Oh, right, I agree.
Bailey/ I mean, I think ideally it would be great if it could be after work, but if we have
more candidates, it'll probably be later in the evening.
Karr/ But we're going to schedule as much as we possibly can Thursday, and there's a
possibility you could get four or five done Thursday.
Wright/ Thursday starting at 4:30?
Karr/ 4:30.
Bailey/ Okay. We can worry about the details, but we've go the dates, hold them, yeah.
Karr/ And I'll firm that up with a memo tomorrow.
O'Donnell/ See, now that wasn't so hard, was it?
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Bailey/ Marian has worked very hard on that schedule. I'm glad you all have...all right.
We'll take a little break before the formal meeting. Thank you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City
Council special work session meeting of March 11, 2008.