HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-21 TranscriptionPage I City Council Regular Formal
ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS
ITEM 2a Cities' Immigration Day of Action — March 21
Throgmorton: We have one proclamation to read tonight. (reads proclamation) I'd like to say
also that as of earlier this afternoon, there were 66 cities in addition to the U.S.
Conference of Mayors itself. Mayors of 66 cities, both large and small, who have
signed on to this proclamation and the idea of joining in the Cities Immigration
Day of Action. So, is there anyone who could accept this proclamation on behalf
of immigrants, um.....maybe you, Kingsley.
Botchway: Yes, I'll accept.
Throgmorton: Here you go!
Botchway: Thank you.
Throgmorton: Yeah. So, could you say something for us, please?
Botchway: Yeah, I'll say a brief couple of words. Um, you know, I've said this before and I
don't necessarily want to, uh, repeat myself but, um, too much, but this is an
important step. Um, as a son of an immigrant, my dad moved here, um, I would
say about .... 40 to 45 years ago. He's gettin' old now I guess! Um, and moved
here to play soccer, and uh, just one of those sports that, you know, he taught me
growing up. One of the sports that, uh, I played well outside of basketball, but,
um, I'm proud of my heritage. I'm proud to be a .... a Guinean American and, um,
just recently I came back last week from the, um, National League of Cities
conference where there was a lot of discussion around, um, immigration and...
just hugely supportive of being a part of a network that is thinking about, um,
immigration, um, immigrants in the communities within the cities, and wanting to
step up and show support. I also want to make a quick shout -out to our, um,
Police Department, um, because even now as I was listening to some of the, um,
the meetings and discussion around, um, what's going on from a national and
even state level, it just felt like our department has done a good job as far as
developing that trust with our immigrant population, and that's drastically
different I would say, um, irregardless of the climate currently, um, than five to
six years ago, and so, um, this is an important step. Again, I'm appreciative to all
the cities that were named and all the cities that are supportive of this as well, and
so I'm really thankful for this and I hope we can continue to do the work, um,
behind this proclamation.
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Throgmorton: Great! Thank you, Kingsley.
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ITEM 4. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA). [UNTIL 8
PM]
Throgmorton: This is for items not on the formal meeting agenda. If anybody would like to
address us on any topic that's not on the formal meeting agen.... meeting agenda,
please feel free to do so. When you come up, please just write your name on
that .... there you go! And, uh, tell us your name and ... welcome! Good evening!
Clamon: Thank you! Um, my name is Cheryll Clamon. I'm a member of the Senior
Center Commission, and the Commission felt that we should periodically attend
these meetings and sort of tell you what's happening at the Center, very briefly.
Um... the, probably the most important thing we've done in the last couple of
weeks was last week we had an age -friendly community conversation day that
featured a gentleman named Zachary Benedict. Mr. Benedict met with City
employees and officials, lectured at the School of Urban Planning, and then did an
evening keynote speak... speaking at the Senior Center, where there were over 100
community members present. His visit to Iowa City was supported by the Friends
of the Center, the Hills Bank, and the UI School of Urban and Regional Planning.
While Mr. Benedict thought there was room for improvement — doesn't
everybody — um, he felt that Iowa City was light years ahead of most cities of this
size with our emphasis on such things as bikeability, walkability, and mixed
housing. Uh, some other things that the Center's involved in — the annual free
skin cancer screening event, which is open to anyone in the community. We
partner with the Dermatology Department at the U of I for free, uh, cancer
screening on Saturday, April 29a`, from 10:00 to 1:00 at the Center. Uh, our tax
aid program, we are short of counselors and our services have been limited to
appointments only. All the appointments for this year are already full. If
someone does call, however, and ask for assistance, we try and refer them to other
community resources. So we would very much like to see more volunteers who
could .... could help us in this endeavor, tax prepared ... tax aid program prepared
people. Uh, the SHIP program continues. We have four new volunteers. SHIP is
the insurance, uh.... um, advising program that we have, and uh, we expect by
next fall when open enrollment in whatever form that will be, uh, we should be
able to meet the demands of the community. Honoring your wishes, we continue
to do workshops, as well as individual, uh, meetings with, uh, patrons to talk
about, uh, healthcare planning and advance care. Uh, the first quarter of this
calendar year we did more than the same period last year. So it's a growing
program as well. We are pleased to announce that we have a new development
half .... a half-time development specialist. She will begin work next week and we
are very excited to have that person on board. Uh, finally, in keeping with our
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long-standing practice to support non -profits, we are partnering with a, um ... a
group named Trail, which you may or may not be ... I figured you were, um, knew
about them. They're going to use the half-time office space at our, uh, Center.
And we're really very excited about that, and as you all know, Trail is an
organization to assist older adults to successfully remain in their own homes. So,
thank you. Appreciate it!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Che ... Cheryll, and thanks so much for serving on the Commission.
Voparil: Could you sign in, Cheryll?
Clamon: Yeah, I did.
Voparil: Okay!
Clamon: (mumbled)
Throgmorton: Good evening, Brandon! Long time no see.
Ross: Good evening, Mayor! Uh, I want to say that I had the honor St. Patrick's Day of
singing The Auld Triangle. It's a classic Irish song about imprisonment that was
written by Brendan Behan. Mayor Throgmorton knew all the words. Now I'm
from Boston. I'm Irish. We didn't have any Tbrogmortons in the Irish
community (both talking) so I just want all the people out there in, uh, Iowa City
to know that your Mayor has pre ... pretty good voice! Thank you, uh, for joining
me the other day. I'm gonna swing wide a little bit here, so for the Council and
uh, the Chamber's here and, uh, people, uh, watching at home to consider, uh,
something that I think is very important and to be said, not only in our country,
uh, also our state, and in our communities, which is that, uh, healthcare is part of
national security. Uh.... is there any reason why we shouldn't think this? Right
now the United States spends most of its tax funds on the military, which is larger
than, uh... the next seven to eight countries, soon to be the next eight to 10 or 12
countries. And, urn.... yet.... urn.... national defense is .... is considered the first
business of government, yet it is not, uh, attended to in the sense of healthcare.
Uh, in a recent evaluation of 11 rich countries by the Commonwealth Fund, the
U.S. came in, uh, overall health outcomes, the U.S. came in last ... in health access.
We're the richest country in the world. Of the 34 countries in the OECD, only
Chile relies more on private insurance and out-of-pocket spending to pay for
healthcare than does the United States. In every other country government
spending, including social insurance systems, plays a larger role. These countries
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enjoy health outcomes comparable or better than those of the United States. Of
these countries, the United States ranks 25a' out of 34 in health status, and is in the
bottom third for access to coverage and has among the fewest doctors and hospital
beds per capita and we earn these dismal results despite spending by far the most
money on healthcare, twice as much as the average developed country. Right
now, uh, the Affordable Care Act is being talked about, and people like, uh, Paul
Ryan are talking about things like vouchers, tax breaks, and I would say that a
voucher program, giving a voucher, uh, to people instead of health... healthcare is
like, uh, basically sending people blindfolded out into the malls of America and
tell them not to get taken, uh, by stores or other people that are on the block. It's
like removing Social Security and giving seniors poker chips and telling `em to
head over to the gambling tables. And I would like to know one thing. I would
like to know this much — why is it that we entrust our healthcare, the only nation
to do, you know, practically to do it this way, to a group of people who are
looking to make profit, who .... who basically are the middle man, the insurance
companies, who are inefficient, who are... basically a self-serving, uh, group, who
make profit, who trade on the stock market, why do we have insurance companies
allow us to get healthcare? Why should we have them in the middle? I'm trying
to figure this out. So I hear all this language. I hear it in our state. I hear it by,
uh, Governor Branstad. Jodie Ernst. I hear it from Chuck Grassley. How can we
possibly get good healthcare when in order to get healthcare they have to make a
profit? Do we have a military that's for profit? Does our military trade on the
stock market? Does our military pay their generals 50, $100 million a year?
That's national security. Okay? But I would like to think that people would feel
a lot more secure if they didn't have to trade out things like their rents, their
utilities, or other such things, just in order to be able to afford healthcare. I
believe that, uh, healthcare is national security, and if national security is the first
important thing of government, and that's said on both sides of the aisle. Whether
it's Republican or Democrat, whether you're Bernie Sanders or Tea Party, people
agree with that. Nod heads everybody! I mean it's true, right? I mean we want
to be secure! How can .... why can we spend enough money to more than seven or
eight countries put together, enough to blow up perhaps the whole universe worth
of planets. Can't we just take one planet, say Mercury, and save that planet and
move our money into.... national security with ... which is healthcare? I think it
affects every other.....every other situation in our government — food stamps,
housing costs, things like that. People can't afford to get.... get healthcare. They
can't afford other stuff. I thank the, uh, City Council for allowing me to speak on
this, and I encourage you .... I encourage the Council, and I encourage people in
these chambers and at home to be involved and to ask this question — why do we
need insurance companies when it comes to our healthcare? Thank you.
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Throgmorton: Thank you, Brandon. Would anyone else like to address us? Seeing no one, we
will move on!
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ITEM 5. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS
ITEM 5a REZONING SCOTT BOULEVARD NORTHWEST OF FIRST
AVENUE — AN ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY REZONING 10.26
ACRES OF PROPERTY LOCATED AT NORTH OF SCOTT
BOULEVARD BETWEEN HICKORY HEIGHTS LANE AND FIRST
AVENUE FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT (ID -RS) ZONE TO LOW
DENSITY MULTI -FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (RM -12) ZONE. (REZ16-
00008) (SECOND CONSIDERATION)
Throgmorton: This is second consideration but staff has requested expedited actions, but before
we proceed, has any ... does anybody need to disclose any ex parte .... ex parte
discussions? Okay! We can proceed.
Mims: I move the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for
passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally
passed be suspended, that the second consideration and vote be waived, and that
the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion?
Dickens: Great project!
Throgmorton: We're just talkin' about the second motion (both talking) waiver I mean. Okay,
uh, well hearing no further discussion, roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
Mims: Move final adoption at this time.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion?
Dickens: (both talking) Great project! (laughter) I did discuss with Geoff just the, uh,
roundabout being moved up, and he said that it'll be after I'm off the Council, but
it'll be somethin' that you guys will have to take a look at and possibly move up,
just because of the traffic in that area will be a little heavier but.... other than that I
think it's a great project for that area. Great in -fill. Close, uh, close to
everything, schools and things, so .... good project!
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Taylor: (several talking) ....is great and the saving of the green space is, uh, is another
excellent part of it.
Cole: Love the natural landscaping.
Throgmorton: Okay, hearing no more discussion, roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 5. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS
ITEM 5b THE CROSSINGS — RESOLUTION APPROVING THE
PRELIMINARY PLAT OF THE CROSSINGS, IOWA CITY, IOWA.
(SUB16-00013)
Throgmorton: John Yapp! Good evening.
Yapp: Uh, good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh, The Crossings is a .... a preliminary
plat for the properties on the west side of Gilbert Street, north of Highway 6. Uh,
several months ago, uh, this, uh, Council approved a rezoning of these properties
to, uh, Riverfront Crossings, South Gilbert District, uh, and then several weeks
ago, uh, you reviewed and approved a workforce housing tax credit, uh,
application, uh, and saw images of the proposed buildings, uh, at that time. Uh,
the action tonight is for a preliminary plat. Uh, what the preliminary plat, uh,
does is set the property up for an eventual final plat, uh, which would come to the
Council. Uh, but the plat does divide the property, and I have a better image here,
uh, divide the property into seven, uh, development lots. Uh, it establishes new
streets and alleys, including a north -south pedestrian street. Uh, and what that
pedestrian street does is allow, uh, buildings to have frontage on a street, uh,
without that being a vehicular street.
Throgmorton: John, you said north -south. I think you meant east -west. For that pedestrian
street, right?
Yapp: I did. The orientation of the map confused me. (laughter) Good catch! Uh, so
the pedestrian street, there will also be a new alley, uh, established to provide a
rear vehicular access, uh, to these properties, uh, keeping, uh, traffic that just...
just traveling between the properties, off of Gilbert Street. Uh, as a landmark, uh,
I've shown the, uh, Big Grove, uh.... business that just opened last week. Uh,
the ... building where my mouse is in the very, uh, for lot 1, uh, that is proposed to
be developed as a mixed-use, uh, building with commercial, uh.... spaces on the
first floor and apartments above. Uh, the remainder of these buildings are
currently planned to be all residential buildings. Uh, the plan also includes
establishment of a pedestrian street along Ralston Creek, uh, that would include a
trail that, uh, will be installed by the developer, uh, but would be open for public
access, uh, and would provide access to the trail system being planned in the
Riverfront Crossings Park. Uh, that access, public access, continues through the
pedestrian street, back down to Gilbert Street, uh, really improving, uh, pedestrian
and bicycle circulation to be able to cross the creek into Riverfront Crossings Park
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and vice versa, uh, for this development. Uh, as part of the, uh, rezoning, the
applicants, uh, did agree to dedicate, uh, land along Gilbert Street, uh, to the City
as right-of-way. Uh, and what that does, it .... Gilbert Street currently is a very
constrained right-of-way. Uh, we have future plans to improve the sidewalk and
the streetscape along Gilbert Street, and by dedication of that right-of-way, it
allows the City the room, uh, to be able to continue with those plans, uh, and...
developing a more firm concept plan is on our work program, uh, for this year.
Uh, regarding traffic implications. Many of the curb cuts along this area currently
do not meet, uh, current standards. There are ... there are numerous, uh, curb cuts,
as well as a .... a very long, undesignated curb cut, uh, in front of the former
Pleasant Valley property. Uh, with this plan, the number of curb cuts are reduced.
Uh, they're made more orderly in that they would be opposite First Street and
Second Street, uh, across Gilbert Street. Uh, the curb cuts would only be
necessary for access into this property and also loading and unloading, uh,
maneuvers for the brewery. Uh, there is one right -in, right -out curb cut proposed,
uh, at the former Pleasant Valley site. Uh, and the exact design of that would be
done with the final site plan, uh, for that property. Regarding stone water
management, uh, the applicant has provided stone water management
calculations that indicate there will be no net increase in stone water run-off. Uh,
they have also included green infrastructure, uh, in the proposed plan, including
bioswales along the pedestrian street, uh, an additional green infrastructure along
Highway 6, uh, and a .... at the rear of the, uh.... parking lot north of the brewery to
capture and help filter, uh, stone water before it enters into the creek. Uh, we see
this as a ... as a big improvement over the current situation, and also part of the
evolution of how stone water is being handled and treated on private properties.
Uh, Planning and Zoning Commission did recommend approval by a vote of 7-0,
and staff recommends approval. Be glad to take any questions.
Throgmorton: Thanks, John. What ... what were the main concerns expressed by the Commission
and how did they .... how were they dealt with?
Yapp: Uh, one of the main concerns was with the right -in, right -out access, uh, and how
close it is to the intersection. Uh, it is an improvement over the current situation.
Uh, so in staff s mind that's one factor. Uh, that it is a right -in, right -out and not a
full access is a factor. Uh, and I ... I think just staff explaining that, that's how that
was, uh, dealt with. Uh, other concerns, and I have the minutes .... uh, in front of
me. Uh, concern about the existing temporary sidewalk along Gilbert Street, uh,
in front of the brewery. If some of you have been there, there's a temporary
sidewalk in between the parking lane and the .... uh, parking or the grass area. Uh,
the permanent sidewalk would be installed when Gilbert Street is improved. So
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that is a .... a temporary sidewalk, but could be there for some years, uh, until final
plans for Gilbert Street are developed. Uh, that was a concern. I think the. ...the
other factor that will help with that is once the trail system is established, uh, at
the rear of the property and connected to the trails in the Riverfront Crossings
Park, there will be, uh, much improved access, uh, to this property for pedestrians
and bicycles, without having to use Gilbert Street.
Throgmorton: When .... when do we plan to build that, uh, bike -pedestrian bridge across the
creek? I don't remember what the CIP calls for.
Yapp: Refer to Juli Johnson on that.
Seydel-Johnson: So there'll be likely two crossings with phase one — the crossing down along
Highway 6 will be part of the first... first thing that's done in the project, so you
can expect that mid -summer to early -fall, and then by the end of the project we'll
have the second bridge that lines up with Second Street.
Throgmorton: Okay. Thanks! Any questions for John?
Botchway: Yeah, John, help me walk .... or walk me through, um .... that access, vehicular
access for the buildings to the.....north? (several talking) North (several talking)
Yapp: These two buildings here.... Kingsley?
Botchway: Yes.
Yapp: Uh, vehicular access would .... would enter at Second Street .... and then enter
underground parking, uh, for both buildings. Then from that point on it would be
just a pedestrian street.
Botchway: Okay. What is that connection there then in between Big Grove and the, um, and
the two buildings?
Yapp: Oh, that's... that's another.... that's what we call a cross access easement, uh,
which allows vehicles to travel, uh... in between adjacent properties, uh, without
having to get back on to the main street. So that's another vehicular access. So a
vehicle could travel through.... through this development, uh, without having to
get back out onto, uh, Gilbert Street. Uh, this is really, uh .... transformation of
this part of Gilbert Street from what was a .... a quasi -industrial, commercial, auto
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oriented, uh, area into a much more urban area with residential living, residential
entertainment options, uh, and it's quite significant.... in that respect.
Thomas: John, what ... what is ... what is proposed ... in that fairly large area behind Big Grove
and also behind the building to the south that's kind of the white area? I know
Big Grove's gonna have an outdoor dining (both talking)
Yapp: Yeah, behind... behind Big Grove will be outdoor seating, uh, and then they also
intend to plant a grove.
Thomas: Oh!
Yapp: Uh....
Thomas: Okay.
Yapp: .....further behind.... behind the building. Uh, this area here currently is at....at
the corner of the property is undetermined....
Thomas: Okay.
Yapp: ....at this time.
Throgmorton: Okay! Any other questions for John? Seeing none, thank you, John. Would
anybody else like to address this topic? Okay, if not I think what I need is a
motion. We have a motion? (several talking) All right, so, uh, further
discussion? No. Any .... any discussion? Yeah.
Botchway: I did have a question ... I mean I asked John the question but I guess I'm throwing
out to Council Members as well. I got an issue with that through access! It just
doesn't .... you know, driving through there now, um .... it's anissue. So I'm just
tryin' to figure out how it won't be an issue .... when you have .... more vehicles
that are going from a residential standpoint. Am I making sense? I mean it's just,
I mean (several talking) I mean there's tons of cars around there now. I mean and
obviously they're.... they're getting rid of that parking there and so Big Grove's
gonna have to figure that out on their own. I'm okay with that, but .... I just see
that as a potential mess. I mean .... a mess that we know of ahead of time.
Mims: Well to me your .... your residents.... the people who are residents of those two
buildings that face east -west that are set back from Gilbert Street, I mean they're
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probably just going to pull in and go into those underground garages or pull out
from the underground garages and go onto the street. So I don't see those as
adding to anything or being an issue. I mean .... yeah, they could potentially go
south through the property and not out onto Gilbert Street, but I don't know why
they would, um, and if they're gonna go north on Gilbert Street, they're gonna
probably go out from right there across from Second Street. So I think, I mean I
think the biggest issue is the .... the amount of parking that's available for, um, any
non-residential, in other words, Big Grove or any other non-residential uses of
those facilities, and ... um, I mean we all I think saw the email that came in that
questioned parking and staff responded to that and .... I think that was very helpful.
Um, I happened to drive down past there last Wednesday, first afternoon that they
opened up, and .... it was jam packed and there was, I mean, there were vehicles all
over the place, um, and I think that's part of just, you know, a new, exciting place
opening up and part of it is that the weather isn't warm enough ... well, actually it
has been off and on, but people aren't out consistently walking and riding bikes,
and I think as we get the park behind it and those trails, um, you know, as John
and Juli were saying, this is going to be much more accessible, um, by manner
other than vehicle, or even if the parking is so congested down here, people
finding places further away to park and walking to it via the trails, um, etc. So,
I .... I don't have a huge concern with the traffic flow, I mean I think.....
Dickens: I don't think it'll be used that much. I .... I think it's a convenience. I do wont'
about a little bit cutting across there when somebody's pulling out from
underneath an apartment, but .... but I think it's gonna be such a rarity that I think
it's just a.....a way to get out farther down away from that corner if you need to
get back out on Gilbert Street.
Throgmorton: Maybe we could direct this question to John Yapp, and anybody from Big Grove
who happens to be here. I don't know if anybody is. Yeah, okay, so John, you
know, you're a transportation guy, as well as being, you know, in your current
role. Ha .... has staff assessed the ... the traffic impacts of, uh, this particular
alignment, given the number of residents who will be living in the .... what's four
buildings, uh, on the north part of it.
Yapp: Not ... not specifically with a detailed traffic study. No. Uh... but the....the cross
access easement is a fairly common technique in modern transportation planning,
and is considered a safer way to move vehicles from one property to another. For
example, uh, if someone in .... in one of the northern apartment buildings, uh,
wanted to take their vehicle, drive over to Big Grove. Maybe....
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Throgmorton: Walk! (laughter)
Yapp: I know! I know! Uh, because they were going to get a meal and then they
wanted to get right back in their car and they had another errand to run. Uh, it
keeps those turning movements of traffic off of the main street, keeps them on the
site where they're..... where they're moving slower. Uh, again, without having to
create another conflict onto the main street. It's also a convenience, uh, for .... in
the other way, someone at Big Grove.... there.... might try to make a left-hand tum
out onto Gilbert, um, maybe they can't because it's so close to the intersection.
The traffic is queued up. They're able to maneuver on site to Second Street,
which is much further away from the Highway 6 intersection, much easier to turn
left out of. Another safety factor. So by providing those circulation options, uh,
it does tend to create a safer situation.
Throgmorton: So I don't know how many residences are planned to be, um, located in these four
buildings on the northern part. Uh, I imagine you do, but .... and so, uh, let's
imagine a hypothetical .... well, a situation where somebody, a resident, is driving
south on Gilbert Street and lives in say the, um .... the ... the building that, uh, is
where the word `street' appears on pedestrian street. So what's the route that
person would follow to park her or his car?
Yapp: Uh, they would tum right onto Second Street into the project and then into the
underground parking.
Throgmorton: Okay. So how bout, uh, if they're comin' from the south?
Yapp: I think it would be the same. They would tum left (both talking) onto Second
Street and (both talking)
Throgmorton: I'm tryin' to get to a point where I'm .... I can get a sense of the amount of traffic
that might be involved in terns of turning into Second Street, is that (both talking)
Yapp: Second Street.
Throgmorton:... uh, into the new Second Street and whether that's problematic in any way for...
traffic on Gilbert Street, which... hopefully we're gonna be reconfiguring in one
way or another anyhow (both talking)
Yapp: Right.
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Throgmorton:... but, you know .... I .... I just sense some concern about that, as well as the internal
movement of traffic. You .... y'all have thought about that a little bit, haven't ya?
Yapp: We have and .... number one I'd say you .... we would compare it to the amount of
traffic coming in and out of those businesses when they were in their heyday. I
think it is comparable. Uh, number two, it is a more urban setting, and we do
expect a higher percentage of residents walking, biking, using public transit, uh,
compared to a more suburban development. But we've not done a specific ... I
mean Gilbert Street does have capacity for the amount of traffic proposed for
these buildings.
Throgmorton: Okay.
Thomas: In the future we'll have a left turn lane from Gilbert (both talking)
Yapp: ....hope, yes.
Thomas: Yeah.
Yapp: That's correct.
Thomas: So that would take care of the .... that is .... that is, I think, the .... the critical issue in
the interim is you would be in a traffic lane, wanting to turn left, you know, that...
that's what the road diet helps with is creating that dedicated left turn lane.
Yapp: And we did .... we did look at this property with Jeff Speck when he was here.
Staff met with him at some point and talked about the Gilbert Street corridor. Uh,
and.... that.... that was his conclusion also, whether it's a three -lane or a five -
lane....
Thomas: Right.
Yapp: ....that left turn lane is very important.
Thomas: And Gilbert will also have street parking when it's completed, which I think will
help provide additional parking, uh, in addition to the parking that's provided off
street.
Throgmorton: Well it might, John. We haven't made the ... haven't gotten to that point, haven't
made that decision (several talking)
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Thomas: That's true. I'm ... I think it's in the current plan to have street parking, if I'm not
mistaken.
Taylor: I think the left, having the designated left tum is going to make a big difference
cause historically those businesses that were there had like two drives into their
parking lot, uh, the lumber company and Pleasant Valley, and it was .... it was
difficult sometimes getting.... maneuvering in and out of there or ... or having the
cars waiting to turn into those businesses, so I think that's going to alleviate that
and it isn't going to be such a concern even with the Second Street intersection.
Cole: And I think with the infrastructure changes that we're seeing in terms of the
bridges. Lot of people aren't even going to have cars. So I think if we had no
changes to the infrastructure I think this would be a more viable concern, but I
think there's going to be less and less people, and I think John brings up a good
point, is it's not going to be a suburban type of infrastructure. Um, so I guess I
don't have those concerns.
Throgmorton: Okie doke. So we have a motion on the floor. Any further discussion?
Thomas: Well I would just .... in addition to the transformational aspects in terms of
the ... the layout and use of this area, I think what we're also hearing tonight is the
green infrastructure. So that's yet another component....
Throgmorton: Yep!
Thomas: ...um, which I think will have a .... I .... I, an educational value for lack of a better
word. I think making ... uh, aside from the aesthetic improvement of it, you know,
making it something that's actually part of the amenity quality of a .... of a .... of
our public right-of-ways, rather than the ... that conventional approach, which I'm
not so keen on, which is the detention basin, and I guess we do have some small
ones it looks like but .... you know, treating them with the green infrastructure as
opposed to the detention basins I think is another advancement that we're seeing
with this project.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Okie doke.
Guidry: Mr. Mayor, could.... could, just .... just for clarification purposes for the record,
um, who .... who made the motion?
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Voparil: Botchway (mumbled)
Guidry: Was it Botchway? (several talking)
Mims: I'm not sure if we did or if we jumped right to John. (several talking)
Throgmorton: I thought we did and then we went back to John.
Dickens: So moved (several talking and laughing)
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: So moved by Dickens, seconded by Botchway. I apologize. So, uh (several
talking) got ahead of things. And I'm assuming there's no further discussion? Is
that right? Okay, roll call, please. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 6. WETHERBY PARK SPORT COURT — RESOLUTION APPROVING
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF AGREEMENT, AND ESTIMATE
OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WETHERBY PARK
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID
SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK
TO POST NOTICE TO BIDDERS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR
RECEIPT OF BIDS
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Throgmorton: Let me open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Juli Seydel-Johnson, good
evening, Juli!
Seydel-Johnson: Hi! Very quick project hopefully here this surmner, uh, a double -sport court up
at Wetherby Park. Um, made possible from a Wellmark grant and some CDBG
funding. We had a community meeting at the park last summer and we had gone
into it thinking it would be a basketball sport court. Then we had a large group of
people come out and ask for futsol, f -u -t -s -o-1, to play, which is actually it's a
form of soccer played on a hard surface. So it was an adult league looking for a
place to play and we found that they're very, very active in their play. So this
court will have two basketball courts, or you could play the long way, this new
game of futsol.
Botchway: Are the rims going to be, uh, like double rims or regular rims?
Seydel-Johnson: I don't know that detail actually.
Botchway: It matters! (laughter)
Throgmorton: For people who do slam dunks you mean or what?
Botchway: Well, just for shooting purposes.
Seydel-Johnson: It's recreational! (laughter)
Thomas: Is there a pathway to this new....
Seydel-Johnson: There will be. It's not shown on this plan, uh, and that's part of the
requirements of using the federal CDBG funding. There'll be a pathway and
actually benches on one side for people to....
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Throgmorton: Okay, any further questions for Juli? Thank you, Juli. Would anybody else like
to address this topic?
Botchway: Olt, Juli, last question! Will there be anything around, um, well, because you said
there seems to be the huge section of the community was interested in the futsol
as well. Is this going to be something connected to the Parks and Recreation,
where there'll be some, you know, sign up or is it just (both talking)
Seydel-Johnson: At this point they're.... they're pretty much running their own leagues and we'll
probably just let it continue to go that way, unless we get more requests to do it
through an adult sport league, but at this point the .... the players are doing it
themselves. So....
Botchway/ Gotcha!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Juli. No one else cares to address this topic? I'm going to close the
public hearing. (bangs gave])
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
Botchway: Move resolution.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Looks like a good
project to me! Anybody else?
Cole: Wetherby's one of my favorite parks. It keeps on getting better and better!
Throgmorton: Yep! Okay, no further discussion? Roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 7. UNIVERCITY SALE —1025 EAST BURLINGTON. RESOLUTION
AUTHORIZING CONVEYANCE OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOME
LOCATED AT 1025 EAST BURLINGTON STREET
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Throgmorton: I'll open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Dale, you're not going to address us?
(laughs) Uh, seeing no one I'm going to close the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
Botchway: Move resolution.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Glad to see it!
Anybody else? Roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 8. SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL RATE CHANGES - ORDINANCE
AMENDING TITLE 3, FINANCES, TAXATION AND FEES, CHAPTER 4,
SCHEDULE OF FEES, RATES, CHARGES, BONDS, FINES AND
PENALTIES, SECTION 5, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, TO AMEND
SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL FEES. (FIRST
CONSIDERATION)
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Throgmorton: This is first consideration. I will open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Good
evening.
Winberg: Name's Howard Winberg, long-time resident of Iowa City. Uh, I just had one
question — why do we, uh, have to charge the $2.00 monthly charge, cause in
some cases where I compost everything, there'll be a charge that I'll never benefit
from, other than throwing out my Christmas tree at the end of the season, and I
know there's other people in the neighborhood who have these quality care places
take care of their yards and stuff, so that stuff's all hauled away. I take it it's just
for the brush, because you still charge for the bags and they have the stickers on
the .... on the cans that the people put out. Uh, why don't they just go with a
sticker that you can buy to put on the brush bundles? Rather than a monthly
charge that a lot of people won't even benefit from. Uh, that's the only question
I've got is .... uh, why .... why does it have to be a $2.00 monthly char ... that just
seems like a lot of money for something I won't benefit from.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Thank you, Howard. You know we did dis... uh, because you and I had
talked about this on the phone, I ... we did discuss it during our work session, but I
think this is an opportunity for other people to respond. So, would anybody like
to address this point?
Fruin: Would it be helpful to have staff come up and just give an overview of (several
responding) what we're lookin' at here? Mark Rummel's with our Transportation
and Resource Management, uh, Department.
Throgmorton: Hi, Mark!
Rummel: Hi there, good evening. Uh, as far as the ... the organic, the $2.00 charge, we're
really looking at that as, um, a means to encourage the composting, and what it's
going to do, and maybe I misunderstood, but, um ... it's gonna replace the sticker
and the pay, kind of the pay as you throw method. So it's gonna be a flat $2.00
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fee, um, monthly, that's uh.... that will just allow for the composting and the ... the,
um, the, um ... yard waste to be processed every.... every, uh, collection time, as far
as that one is concerned. (unable to hear person speaking from audience)
Throgmorton: Howard, if you're .... if you're gonna speak, please come back up to the
microphone.
Winberg: What he refers to as composting and yard waste and what... where does brush
come in, I mean....
Rummel: The, uh, as far as the guidelines on what's collected, we'll continue to be the
same. It's just the .... there's food waste and .... and, um, a compost program that
we're really pushing some marketing on, as far as things that can get compost at
the .... at the, uh, Landfill, um....
Winberg: So that's separate from the leaf bags and stuff like that then?
Rummel: That .... you would be able to include that in with the bags, but we will not sell the
bags any .... any longer, at this ... with this current, uh, with this proposed, um,
$2.00 (both talking)
Winberg: ....put anything out on the curb and (both talking)
Rummel: You can put it in ... in, right, a compo ... compostable bag or, uh, same as what we
have right now, a 35 -gallon container. You just won't need that sticker.
Winberg: (several talking) ...I compost everything so the only thing I've got, like I say, a
Christmas tree at Christmas time and maybe a bundle .... a small bundle of brush
durin' the year (both talking)
Rummel: Sure.
Winberg: ....sticks out of the yard. So it seems kind of expensive to me to .... (laughs)
Rummel: The .... the program in general is really, um, kind of been unfunded for quite a
while now, so this'll really help us, uh.... um, fund the yard waste program, and
like I said, uh, increase, uh, the composting side of it that's new, uh, with this
addition.
Throgmorton: Thank you. Thank you. So, any discussion?
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Mims: We're still in the public hearing.
Throgmorton: Oh, we're still in the public hearing. Thank you. Any further questions for
Mark? Thank you, Mark. Anybody else want to address this topic? Seeing no
one I'll close the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
b. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE
Mims: Move first consideration.
Botchway: Second!
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion?
Mims: I just think it's important ... the City started, you know, a number of years ago
really trying to look at all of our fee structures every year or two years. We had, I
know at one point ... I can't remember if it was Transportation, if it was bus fees
hadn't been looked at for like 10 years or something, and then we had to (several
talking) Yeah, it was over 10 years and so we had to do a huge jump in .... in
those fees and that's really hard for people, you know, to adjust to when we
haven't kept up on it. So we really started a number of years ago of making sure
through that budgeting process that fees are looked at at least every couple of
years and adjustments are then made, which can be much smaller and more
incremental, which makes it easier for people to handle and adjust to. Also what
we see here, I think, with this particular one with the composting and the yard
waste is, as we talked about in the work session, is a real fundamental shift in the
way we're doing some programming and service, um, so that... basically anything
organic, whether it's leaves or grass clippings or twigs or branches or food waste
can all go, at least for right now, in that 35 -pound .... or 35 -gallon container, um,
and will be part of the new com.... more (mumbled) say new, but more significant
composting, um, program that we're going to have, um, out at the Landfill. And
as I mentioned earlier, you know, in the work session, I think while for some
people they say, well, you know, I do all my own composting, I don't .... I've got a
place to dump my leaves or whatever. It's like so many things that, you know,
that the City offers or the State or whatever. We don't all use everything that we
pay for, but I think for residents as a whole and for the City as a whole and for the
more efficient use of staff time and the Landfill, um, this makes a lot of sense, and
so, uh, they're out of compost right now, so (laughs) heard Jen Jordan on the radio
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this morning and though it'd be the end of April maybe before they have more.
So, um, that'll be good. We'll hopefully be getting more out there. So....
Throgmorton: Any further discussion?
Fruin: I'd just like to clarify one item for .... for the public. The $2.00 fee does not take
effect until January 1, so while we are starting the curbside, we have started the
curbside compost pickup, um, already, that is through the existing, uh.... uh, yard
waste program so you do need a .... a, uh, sticker in order to participate in that
program. Come next year, um, you will not need a, um, a City sticker to
participate in that program.
Mims: Thank you, Geoff. I forgot to do that.
Throgmorton: Okie doke. No further discussion? Roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 10. PUBLIC WAYS AND PROPERTY CITY CEMETERY - ORDINANCE
AMENDING TITLE 10, ENTITLED "PUBLIC WAYS AND PROPERTY,"
CHAPTER 7, ENTITLED "CITY CEMETERY," TO ALLOW DOGS IN
THE CITY CEMETERY IF THEY ARE ON A LEASH. (SECOND
CONSIDERATION
Throgmorton: This is second consideration, but again the staff requests expedited action.
Mims: I move the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for
passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally
passed be suspended, that the second consideration and vote be waived, and that
the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Hearing none, roll call.
Motion carries 7-0.
Mims: Move final adoption at this time.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Hearing none, roll call.
Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 11. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY - RESOLUTION ADOPTING
THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY GRANT ALLOCATIONS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
Botchway: Move resolution.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway.
Dickens: Second!
Throgmorton: Seconded by Dickens. Uh, Geoff, is anybody gonna kinda briefly surmnarize, uh,
this for us? Oh, hi, Stefanie! I didn't see ya sittin' out there. Good evening!
Bowers: Sothis was a, um, a grant that was established in FY17. It had a total arnount of
$25,000 that would be available to Iowa City based organizations, businesses or
community groups, to advance and to imple... implement, uh, social justice and
racial equity in our community, and this year we had eight applicants and the
recommendation from the Commission is to fund five of the applicants at the full
amount of funding that they requested.
Throgmorton: Thanks. So I .... I'm just lookin' at my notes. I understand that one of `em is for
Inside -Out Re-entry? Uh, another's for Iowa Legal Aid. A third is for the
Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition. Uh, fourth to the City of Iowa
City, World of Bikes, and the Iowa City Bike Library, and the last is for Sankofa
Outreach Connection. I think that's right. So .... yeah, they look like good
programs to me. I'm, uh, very .... very happy that the Human Rights Commission
was able to go through that material with your help, Stefanie, and .... and that they,
uh, made these recommendations to us. So, any ... thank you .... are there any
questions for Stefanie? I guess I should ask that. No. Thanks. So, discussion?
Botchway: I'm excited about this. Um, really excited about the program, really excited about
the opportunities. Um, you know, having that City funding there, I think they're
great organizations that participated. Urn .... kind of a thought of caution, not
necessarily incorporated in this, but as we move forward just in staffing costs, I
didn't see that obviously within this, and so I'm hopeful that the Human Rights
Commission, obviously Stefanie's aware of that as well, um, but just to make sure
that whenever we are given funding it's not thinking of staffing costs just because,
you know, they .... we'll be funding staff one year but may not be there for
(mumbled) other years, but I didn't see that. It was just something that I think
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about when we talk about funding. Um, but just really excited. I mean I'm .... just
exciting!
Throgmorton: Anyone else? Hearing none, roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 12. COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS. Applicants MUST reside in Iowa City and be
18 years of age unless specific qualifications are stated
ITEM 12a Civil Service Commission
Throgmorton: All right, so this will be a challenge, uh, for us. We're gonna do the Civil Service
Commission first, which is Item 12a. If I understand correctly, there are two
applicants for one position. Uh, the two applicants are Emily Bushman and
Melissa Jensen. Does anyone have a recommendation about .... who to appoint?
Mims: Yeah, I would recommend Melissa.
Botchway: Oh! I would agree.
Mims: I think .... I think that's a .... it's a small commission, it's incredibly important, and
she has experience in that area. So.....
Botchway: Yeah, normally I would, um .... you know, want to see, you know, somebody new
and I know that Melissa's previously been on the CPRB or I think it was the
PCRB at the time, um, she was on it, but ... I would agree. I mean I think that the
application even spoke for itself, where I felt like there wasn't a lot of information
there as far as, um, the actual commission, the work that needed to be done.
Throgmorton: Eleanor, do you want us to make motions and votes on each of these? I ask only
because it might get pretty complicated with regard to the Climate Action
Steering Committee.
Dilkes: If you want to take `em off the table and move on to the next one you certainly
can.
Throgmorton: Yeah, I think I'd like to do that. So, uh, the motion .... can somebody make a
motion to appoint, uh (several talking) Melissa Jensen?
Mims: So moved.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Dickens. All in favor say aye. Opposed. Motion
carries.
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ITEM 12b Climate Action Steering Committee
Throgmorton: Okay, now Item 12b, Climate Action Committee. I'd like to say a few words
about this and, urn .... uh, before we begin. So, uh, I'm really thrilled to see that
we have received forty-one applications. Forty-one! For up to five positions on
this committee. It ... and it's a really impressive mix of applicants. We are so
lucky ... to live in this community and get this .... this kind of, uh, mix of
applications. Uh, we're ... we're gonna have to choose not to appoint like 36 or so
people, right, so I think we should make sure that whoever is not appointed.... is
informed about the new Climate Action Grant Program that we decided to
proceed with, uh, during our last meeting. Uh, Geoff, I also understand that the
staff has identified individuals who will serve for the ... I'm gonna call `em
stakeholder positions. The other seven positions on the, uh, on the, uh, the
Steering Committee. Can you tell us who they are, uh....
Fruin: Yes, uh, certainly! From the University of Iowa, Ingrid Anderson from the
Facilities Management, um, Division. The Home Builder's Association will be
Carol Bonesack or another representative of that organization. Ulr, from the
industrial properties, we have Katie Sarsfield, who is with Oral-B, Procter &
Gamble. Mid American Energy is Brian Gibbs. Uh, Kirkwood is Melissa Jensen.
Uh, the Chamber appointment, uh, Chamber of Commerce appointment, um, is,
uh, yet to come but that will .... we will have a business representative. And, uh,
to represent, uh.... uh, an architectural firm, Kevin Munson.
Throgmorton: Great! Thanks. Uh, I'd like to say a couple other things I guess. I think ... we
have so many applications, right? I think before we sort through them, try to sort
through them, I think it'd be helpful to be clear about the criteria that will guide
our choice. The published announcement contained, I think it contained two basic
criteria. One is the applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and the second is
that, uh, Iowa City residency is preferred, but not required. Beyond that it's pretty
open ended, right? So, in addition to those basic requirements, for me .... four
other criteria stand out. I just want to state them. You might have other views
and that'd be fine. So one would be a strong commitment to the importance of
taking effective climate action. And I can tell ya, I think all the applicants do that.
The second is to have substantive knowledge or experience about effective ways
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A third is .... to have the kind of
interpersonal skill required to work with diverse committee members and engage
with a broad public. And the last is ... have to be able to reflect the diversity, on
the whole, to be able to reflect the diversity of the Iowa City community. So
those are the things I think about, at least, and that .... I did think about when going
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Botchway:
City Council Regular Formal
through the applicants. So .... it's gonna be very difficult to go through these 41,
but .... Simon, you're gonna help us with this, right? So what I thought we could
do is .... each Council Member could identify, I don't know, five or so
people .... that they believe would be really good appointees, and we'll end up with
more than five, and eventually we'll have to sort through them, but you know, we
could get ... get each of the names out and then know how many Council Members
name those individuals. So that's what I was thinking anyhow. And one last
point before we, uh, proceed. Uh, we received, uh.... where is it, um .... I think
nine student applications. And students are I think important. I think we should
have a student on this committee, uh.... but they couldn't possibly have the range
of experience and probably not the knowledge that many of the other committee
members would have. So we might need to think about them differently. That's
what comes to my mind anyhow. So .... who wants to start?
I'll start (both talking) All right (both talking)
Throgmorton: ..just getting names out there, right? We're not gonna be judging here at the
moment.
Botchway: Are you going to do color coding or you gonna do numbers?
Andrew: Yeah, I was thinking maybe start with yellow and then if you land on a name,
switch that to green. (several talking)
Botchway: Do green for me then! (laughter)
Andrew: Or do we want color coding for each individual Council Members?
Botchway: Yeah. (several talking)
Throgmorton: Hold on! (several talking)
Mims: ....just add an X. I mean (both talking)
Botchway: Can you do a color coded X for me? (several talking and laughing)
Throgmorton: Yeah I .... like Susan, I think it'd be helpful to have X's next to a person's name
(several talking) if say four Council Members identify that person (several
talking)
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Botchway: ...the top E box. And then....
Mims: No! Cause (both talking)
Botchway: I'm agreein' with you! Put KB at the top E box and then put my X's next to the
names.
Mims: No, we don't need to put your (several talking) because whoever ... if you .... if I
name somebody that you didn't name, we're gonna put the X in that same
column. So they all line up so you can easily see how many (several talking)
Botchway: (laughter) I was tryin' to make it clean! (laughter)
Throgmorton: I like the screen, Simon! (several talking and laughing)
Botchway: All right, so .... Charles, um ... Stanier.
Throgmorton: It's actually Stanier. There's an i between the n and the e. (both talking)
Botchway: Oh, that's what I thought. Okay. Um... Erin Hazen. Oh, see I have a lot!
Martha Norbeck. Sorry, I skipped her.
Andrew: I should have, uh .... alphabetized these, huh?
Cole: She's at the top. (several talking)
Throgmorton: She was at the top, Simon.
Cole: Yep! There she is!
Andrew: Ah, gotcha! Sorry!
Botchway: Oh, you got it? Okay! Urn.... Sheila .... Ongie. So I have like .... I'm gonna say
my seven, sorry (mumbled) Ferman Milster. And I agree with Jim, I thought
there was a lot of different student representation, but I chose Clarity Guerra.
And, sorry, this might be more than seven! Um, Kaveh Mostafavi. Oh
(mumbled) Mostafavi, sorry. I spelled it wrong.
Frain: Um, Kaveh is a vendor with the City and, um .... I think, uh, after discussing with
Eleanor, we think there'd probably be a conflict with ... with Kaveh.
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Throgmorton: There's at least one other person there's a conflict with, isn't there, Geoff? Or
not.
Dilkes: I think it's the, uh, woman Amanda, or .... um. (both talking) Parks and Rec
(several talking) and we should just say at this point, the typical conflict page that
is ... is usually on our applications was not included on this one ... for some reason,
and um, so .... what we are ... intend to do is when we notify people of their
appointment, we're gonna have to have them fill out that in case we've missed
something and then if there's an issue we'll come back to you, but these are ones
that we could tell from the application itself would pose a problem.
Throgmorton: So I want to pose a difficulty here... which I didn't anticipate. But ... you've just
named what, eight people?
Botchway: Sony! I'm done.
Throgmorton: Yeah, but I mean, that's right. I think you did, so it could be John would identify
five, Rockne would identify 12 .... I.....I, and then we'd end up with a really
imbalance of X's. So....
Mims: I don't think that matters! I mean I think if people have near to five, fine. If
somebody else has eight, I mean....
Botchway: Yeah, I think it's okay.
Mims: I think it's still gonna shake out (both talking)
Cole: ...reach the magic four then we'd stop or....
Throgmorton: Okay.
Dickens: I've got seven.
Throgmorton: Okay.
Botchway: The only thing I will say, just to add on, is that Becky So ... Soglin I think is her
name (several talking) I just didn't know if she was going to be a part of the other
side of it, because I felt like it would be good to have the .... the staffing side, the
other seven. (several talking) Well my point is is that I just thought it would be
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good to have that representation. I didn't necessarily want her in this mix, but...
I'll ... I'll save that for later.
Throgmorton: Well she's not a City staff member, so she would be eligible to be on this
committee.
Dilkes: Soglin? Yeah, she's a County (both talking)
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Botchway: I guess I'm trying to say that we had .... we had here groups that were identified,
and I guess my point was I ... I, she wasn't on here and so I would ... I thought that
we'd had like an identifiable group for kind of that collaboration between, um,
governments, and so .... but it's not a big deal. I mean she's in my group, but I'm
not going to add her right now.
Throgmorton: Okay. Who's next?
Dickens: I'll give my seven. I've got Jim Coleman, Charles Stanier...
Throgmorton: Don't go too fast (both talking)
Dilkes: Hold on!
Andrew: Jim who? Sony!
Dickens: Coleman.
Andrew: Coleman ... there we go. Sorry!
Dickens: Charles Stiner. Sheila Ongie. Ferman Milster. Todd Edwards. Becky Soglin.
And then Clarity Guerra.
Throgmorton: Okay. Who's next?
Cole: I'll go. Um, Martha Norbeck. Karen Kubby. Charles Stiner. Clarity Guerra.
Eric Tate. And Joel Donham. Oh, and I guess I also had I think Todd Edwards.
Throgmorton: Well that's the right side of the table.
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Mims: Uh, I had Charles Stiner. Uh, Chan Eicke, e -i -c -k -e. Ferman Milster. Anne
Russett. Erin Hazen.
Throgmorton: Simon, you .... I thought, uh, I was just looking at Milster and I thought (both
talking) four checks, uh, and.... but.... it's only three right now (several talking)
Never mind! (several talking)
Mims: Sheila Ongie.
Thomas: Okay, I have, uh, Charlie Stanier. He's my neighbor, he goes by Charlie.
(several talking and laughing)
Botchway: ....said the first time, instead of sayin' the name wrong every time! (laughter)
Thomas: Uh, Martha Norbeck. Karen Kubby.
Mims: Hold on!
Thomas: Sorry. (laughter) Eric Tate. And John Fraser.
Botchway: This is like..... (mumbled)
Cole: Pressure time now! (laughter)
Taylor: My tum! Oh boy! Okay, I also have Charles Stanier. Martha Norbeck. (several
talking) Karen Kubby.
Throgmorton: Hold on!
Taylor: Sorry! Anne Russett. And John Fraser.
Throgmorton: Okay, so .... uh, I'm gonna, you know, name my individuals here, but I was
thinking also, once we get the names down, we can focus on the ... you know,
whatever 12 people or whatever we've winnowed this down to. Okay, so Charlie
Stanier. Martha Norbeck.
Andrew: (mumbled) I guess I got ahead of ya!
Botchway: How'd you do that? We got some precognition goin' on?
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Andrew: I guess so! (laughs)
Throgmorton: Did you get Martha?
Andrew: Yes!
Throgmorton: Okay. Uh....
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Andrew: I did her by accident first. So....
Throgmorton: Joel Donham. Cheryl Miller. Eric Tate. John Fraser. And then, you know,
here's where things get more complicated. I have another seven names. Is that
okay? (several talking) All right. Uh, Erin Hazen. Uh, Clarity Guerra. Ferman
Milster. Oop, sorry, I got ahead of ya!
Andrew: No, it's, uh (mumbled) that's how it ended up like that. Sorry, what was the next
one?
Throgmorton: Clarity Guerra. Oh, we just did that one? Urn .... Ferman Milster. Todd Edwards.
Becky Soglin. Uh, Anne Russett. Stacey Sherlock. And Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz.
Botchway: All right, Jim, before you move forward.
Throgmorton: Yep.
Botchway: Can I add my other set then?
Throgmorton: Your other set? You already did eight!
Botchway: I know. I had some more people there.
Throgmorton: Well I don't know. How .... how many (both talking)
Botchway: It's only like seven. Six.
Mims: Do they have any votes already?
Botchway: Yes! They do have votes already! Yeah. I'm not gonna get .... I'm not gonna
choose the people who don't have votes already. Real quick. So I had Anne
Russett too. I had .... I had Vanessa....
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Throgmorton: Fixmer.
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Botchway: Fixmer. I had Becky as well. Soglin. I had Cheryl Miller. (mumbled) Oh.
Chant... Chance... Chant Eicke?
Mims: Some of these aren't right.
Andrew: Yeah, the uh.... I think Martha had, uh....
Mims: She's got way too many.
Andrew: It auto -filled from ... when I was (several talking)
Throgmorton: How many people said Martha? So that's two ... five?
Botchway: And then my last one is, um.....Karen Kubby. And those are the only ones that
have X's already.
Mims: Number one, I hope ... we never have to have this many applicants (laughter)
again.
Botchway: I like it!
Mims: Number two (several talking) I .... I'm just gonna throw this out while we're on
this. I don't know if there's any way .... Chris, you're new, new technology. With
these new online applications, the way they show up in our packets, are .... are
really difficult to read. I don't know if there's any way to format this stuff so that
you can just kind of see, you know, the name, the address, the number of years,
kind of the .... just much more consolidated and use columns and stuff. I mean
this .... we don't need to see all the, um .... verbiage that's part of these forms, like
on the .... I can't (mumbled) shows up in different places. Anyways, if they can be
looked at and can be condensed so that it shows up in our packet more concisely,
that would be really nice.
Botchway: So can you sort (mumbled)
Throgmorton: (both talking) What are you trying .... what do you want to do? Oh, I see (both
talking)
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Botchway: ....sorted by how many X's. If possible. (several talking in background) But the
opposite way.
Tbrogmorton: All right, so .... I'm .... I wanted to be conscious of students, right? Cause I ... I think
you all were agreeing when I was saying we ... it'd be good to have one student on
this committee. So I ... do we see any students names up there?
Botchway: Clarity. Isn't she a (several talking)
Throgmorton: Yeah, she's not in school -at the moment, is she?
Botchway: I could have sworn she was!
Throgmorton: (mumbled) Yeah, she's a Communication Specialist at the University. She has a
BA in environmental science. So she's just out of school. I don't know if that
counts, guys! (several talking and laughing) I don't know what to do about that,
um....so.... setting that aside for a moment, maybe we should go through these
individuals from the top down, uh.....sssss.....you know, making sure that .... why
we think these are good people. Anybody can say whatever it is they want to
about ... make their, make a case for any of these individuals. Uh, Charlie Stanier
for example, it seems as though he's got, what, is that seven? Seven people
named him?
Cole: Unanimous!
Throgmorton: Yes, so Charlie's a great guy. He knows one heck of a lot about climate change
kinda stuff. Uh, and he's a real community.... engaged (several talking) yeah, he
does. Uh, Clarity Guerra, uh, maybe.....who.... who's a really strong advocate for
Clarity? Go ahead.
Botchway: I thought she was very good. I think what I wrote down here, um .... I liked the
environmental sciences piece but also I think communication piece. That (several
talking) I think is (several talking) almost every applicant, about how we're gonna
communicate this message out that I would appreciate. Or knowledge about.
Cole: And it seemed like she had a lot of experience in like digital media productions,
so I'm not saying she would necessarily fill that role, but .... I think (several
talking) it sounds like she would at least be able to do that or connect people with
that, plus the environmental (mumbled) I was very impressed with her.
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Botchway: Yeah, that's that digital media chair and (both talking)
Cole: Yeah.
Botchway: Yeah.
Throgmorton: All right, so.....let's.....what I'm inclined to say is maybe she's in, maybe she's
not, but it seems like there's substantial support, okay? So .... if we go through
everybody then we'll be able to focus more. So Martha Norbeck. Who wants to
make a strong pitch for Martha?
Botchway: I think Martha's come up in numerous Council meetings and talked about
sustainability. I know that I've called her, I wouldn't say numerous times, but a
couple of times, either via.....or contacted either via email or phone about
different sustainability initiatives. I think she'd be a great candidate!
Throgmorton: I have only one question with regard to Martha. I personally think she'd be a
very, uh, strong, um, participant in this, but I also know she's been a member, is a
member of some of the.... applicants for the, uh, consultant thing. Is she still
active on one of the teams?
Fruin: I think all teams are still active technically at this point until we actually get a
recommendation and a decision, so, um .... what I would suggest, if. ... if. ... you can
appoint Martha and then, um, if she happens to be a part of a team that's selected
as a consultant, she would have to, uh, step down from the role on the committee
and you'd be asked to relook at the existing, or who's ever left over, appoint
someone new.
Throgmorton: That sounds (both talking)
Mims: ...suggest we select some alternates tonight so that we don't have to come back
and do this again. (several talking)
Throgmorton: Okay, so we know we're going to do that, right? We're gonna identify, I don't
know, two or three alternates? Okay. Yeah, I think Martha's terrific. She's been
engaged in this .... (both talking)
Cole: ....knows where we're at inside out too.
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Throgmorton: (both talking) ...and is very, um, committed to it. Knows a lot! Okay, Karen
Kubby.
Taylor: Think Karen's very well known in the community and .... as an activist and, uh,
able to get things done that she attempts and accomplishes, um, I think she'd be a
very strong member. .
Dickens: She's very well spoken, and I .... and she comes prepared.
Thomas: I think she's a .... I think of. ... one....one thing I think she would bring too is she's
a general, I would consider a generalist, uh.... so I think she would approach this
from a very holistic standpoint, including issues such as, you know, how our
action plan addresses questions of equity, things of that sort. I think she'd be very
sensitive to that.
Cole: Jim, you talked about factor three, a facilitator. And I think in terms of meetings,
facilitating meetings, she's very process -oriented, um, so I think that .... we really
need to have that role on the .... on the committee, uh, so I think she'd be a great
facilitator.
Botchway: And she's a prior Council Member, I mean, she kinda knows along the lines of
what we'd be thinking of or questions that we'll be asking. So, I think it was just
a good pick from that standpoint too.
Throgmorton: All right. So (clears throat) keepin' her in play. (clears throat) Ferman Milster.
He's done a tremendous amount of work for the University over the years,
especially with regard to the power plant. There's no question about that. And
has played a significant role at the Office of Sustainability at the University as
well. He seems to be pretty comfortable, as he says, in making presentations to
the Rotary, the Lions Club, etc., a whole bunch of organizations. Uh, so Ferman
has a lot going for him.
Botchway: I would agree. I think I ... one of the pieces that I put in my notes was just the ... the
regulatory compliance piece that he's done some work in. Think that as we talk
about that, it's going to be an important part of this kind of committee's work.
Dickens: Guess I look at the top six as being your .... we're gonna appoint five, is that
correct? And then have one alt.... alternate. I think you just go with your top six
with the number of votes that they got. I think they ... they all bring something
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different. I know you're looking for a student.... that .... I mean, that could fill in
one of the spots.
Throgmorton: I .... I guess I want to make a pitch for, um, not makin' that final decision yet, uh,
and I'll explain why. There are some people farther down the list I personally
think very, very highly of and think would make terrific, um, members of this
committee and bring attributes that nobody else can bring. And, you know, I'd
like at least to be able to make that pitch, and I'd like everybody else to have that
opportunity with regard to the other individuals.
Mims: And I ... and I agree with you, Jim, from the standpoint that just because these
people got the most votes, I'm not ... and a lot of us mentioned more than five
names. We're talking about putting together a committee, and I think we have to
look at how these different people....
Throgmorton: Right.
Mims: ...fit together in terms of, um, I think .... I think gender, at least some kind of a
gender balance. We talked about age, you know, uh, variation in age, etc., and
like you're talking about, while these may all be great and maybe caught our
attention, are there other people who have a certain set of experiences or attributes
that these don't. So just because they got the most, I'm not ready to say that
that... those are the ones that make up the committee.
Throgmorton: Yeah, so....
Mims: I'd like to be done!
Throgmorton: Yeah. (both talking) If y'all agree, if we can get this list down, cut in half,
then... then we'll be in a much... after talkin' about each one of `em then we'll be
in a good position to say .... A, B, C, and D.
Taylor: I'd like all these folks to know how difficult it was to make a decision, cause the
resumes were just like truly impressive and the passion for environmental, uh,
protection and advocacy was just amazing.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Yeah, so, uh, I guess next person is Anne Russett and I .... I want to say a
word or two about Anne. Uh, partly because, uh, when I was a teacher at the
University, she was a student in a couple courses I taught, and I thought she was
really terrific. More importantly, far more importantly, she's currently employed
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as a city planner for Cedar Rapids and she works on ... uh, inter....
interdepartmental, uh, sustainability. She's, uh, when she was in Oregon she
worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation, focused on efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from transportation stuff.
Mims: I thought highly of her application as well, and again, when I was looking at age
ranges in here too, she would be a young professional who's got that technical
skill, scientific background, but also, uh, a younger person to bring on to the
committee, so I thought highly of her application.
Taylor: I felt she had, uh, great experience. Has worked in a number of greenhouse gas
reduction, uh, plans already, and uh, also the urban and regional planning
background, I think, will be helpful and again, her age. I thought she would just
fit very well.
Throgmorton: Two of the things that attracted me to Anne, and Joel Donham, were their
experience with regard to transportation stuff, and that's a key part of this carbon
emission reduction work, and I .... I was thinkin' it'd be good to have one person
(laughs) on the committee who's, you know, pretty knowledgeable about that
kind of, uh, that kind of stuff. So anyhow there's Anne and, uh, I guess we could
tum to Todd Edwards next. You know.....he's got a doctorate in political
science, global climate change governance (laughs)
Dickens: That's what....
Throgmorton: Worked for the Stanley Foundation for a couple years as a programming officer.
Um...
Dickens: That's what (both talking)
Throgmorton: Pretty impressive (both talking)
Dickens: That's why....
Throgmorton:.... record.
Dickens: ...that's why I picked him was just his .... his resume and his background.
Urn ... lived here three years.
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Throgmorton: Yeah. I mean I .... I've talked with Todd a little bit. I have some sense of what
he's all about, but if I were forced (laughs) to choose between Anne Russett and
Todd Edwards, or that kind of.....either or kind of choice, I'd .... I'd prefer Anne.
I think she'd be stronger. John Fraser, I .... I definitely want to say something
about John. Uh, John is the President of the Iowa United Nations Association.
He went to the Paris Accord Conference. I met him while talking with .... he
invited me to go to Des Moines to meet with, uh, Mayor Cownie, to talk about
what our two cities are doing with regard to the Mayors Covenant on, uh, Mayors
Compact on Climate Change kinda stuff. Uh, he has this business background
and he came in and spoke to us, uh, I thought really persuasively about why it's so
important to take effective action, uh, with regard to reducing carbon emissions,
greenhouse gas emissions. He's a .... and he's a business guy. So I thought.... it'd
really be helpful to have a strong business voice advocating, uh, for effective
change. That said, he's an older man, right, and .... and .... and that's not a bad
thing. (laughter) It's just a fact. I'm an older guy too (laughter)
Dickens: Be careful (laughter)
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Thomas: I thought John, um ... in terms of. ... being on the committee, representing, you
know, as Jim just mentioned, kind of the .... the importance from a pragmatic
standpoint of initiating this action plan, um, but also the moral stance, I think,
he ... he brings to this effort. Um, frankly it was a little hard for me to ... given his
passion for this and... and his involvement, to not see him on the committee. And
I don't know if we need to expand the number of people (laughs) on the
committee, um .... or not, but, urn .... there ... it seems like we have more people who
are qualified and bring something to this than we have, um, members who we can
appoint.
Taylor: I wondered about that, cause I thought we originally set it as five, but did we have
any idea that we would have 41 applicants and have to narrow it down to five? Is
there any possibility of increasing the number?
Botchway: Well we talked about a committee being 12, and so I mean .... (both talking)
Taylor: That's with the other stakeholder (both talking)
Botchway: Yeah, we'd have to decrease the other number.
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Throgmorton: Well, yeah, and we're not gonna do that. So....
Fruin: And we expect, although a consultant hasn't been selected and help ... helped
frame this, but there's likely to be subcommittees and technical, um, advisors
and ... and certainly we will pull from the list of folks that applied that weren't
selected and try to recruit them to participate in, uh, some other fashion.
Taylor: On John and his resume it said that with the .... with the Mayors Initiative he ... he
had volunteered to assist in any way possible, so .... that might be an option,
although he seems like a strong person for the committee itself too.
Throgmorton: I had been wondering.... we hadn't had a chance to talk about this, but I ... when I
saw this array of people I was thinking maybe it would be good to have a non-
voting chair. (several responding)
Cole: ...stay with what we have.
Mims: Yeah I think .... let's not try and (several talking) with what we've laid out.
They'll pick their chair and....
Dickens: Yeah I know what you're talking about, if they came ... trying to break a tie.
Throgmorton: Well that can happen, but if ya get to that point then that's not good (both talking)
Dickens: ...not a good consensus (both talking)
Throgmorton: .... maybe not 100% strong (both talking)
Dickens: ....you're not worried about breaking a tie.
Throgmorton: Okay, we'll set that possibility aside. Uh, why don't we turn to Erin Hazen. So I
want to make a point here. She looks great, I mean she's the Renewable Energy
Development Manager for the University of Iowa, focus on the power plant and
so on. But we already have a University of Iowa member, representative, on the
committee. So ... I .... you know, I'm thinkin' it would be inappropriate to have two
people come from the .... be staff people at the University come, uh, onto this
committee. (several talking)
Taylor: ...lives in Solon. She doesn't have an Iowa City address. She....
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Throgmorton: They don't have to have (both talking)
Taylor: I know they don't have to but (several talking)
Throgmorton: So .... would you agree, uh, we ... we should take Erin off for that reason? (several
responding)
Botchway: I wouldn't agree with that reason. I'm okay with taking her off for.....if we don't
feel like she's.....
Dickens: Just narrowing it (several talking)
Botchway: I mean because.... yeah. I mean the University's a big university, so there's a
variety of different opinions. But I would agree, I mean, as far as narrowing it
down, that's fine.
Cole: I'm thinking of Becky and Anne. I may have an assumption that's not accurate,
but for people that are already working for other entities, won't those entities in
some respects already .... be connected or involved anyway? I mean I'm thinking
of the County, City.... City of Cedar Rapids, or .... does that not come into play at
all?
Throgmorton: Definitely not Cedar Rapids and....
Mims: Definitely not Cedar Rapids.
Throgmorton:... County just for coordination kind of purposes I guess.
Cole: Okay.
Botchway: So on to Sheila.
Throgmorton: Yeah, Sheila Sam.... Samuelson.
Botchway: So I thought... where is she at? Oh, I mean she's sustainability manager.
Throgmorton: Yeah, for the National Co -Op Groceries. Was the first sustainability coordinator
for Dubuque. Did that for about a year. Yeah, I know Sheila pretty well. She's
definitely a good person .... and has good background. I don't know that it's really
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strong with regard to .... greenhouse gas emission stuff. It's definitely strong with
regard to sustainability in general.
Botchway: I feel comfortable taking her out then.
Cole: Yep, so do I.
Throgmorton: So we're okay with, uh (several talking) taking Sheila off. Great person though, I
want to be clear about that. Uh.... Becky.
Botchway: Take Becky off for the same reason.
Cole: Isn't her uncle mayor of Madison?
Thomas: Yeah.
Throgmorton: Well, that's a reason to keep her on (laughter)
Cole: Doesn't that count for somethin'? (laughter)
Throgmorton: Yeah it does count for somethin'! (laughter)
Botchway: I just think it'd be good to have her kind of. ... in the mix somewhere, just (both
talking)
Throgmorton: Well, she's in the mix in the sense that she coordinates with Brenda....
Botchway: Right.
Taylor: Right.
Throgmorton: ... all the time, so (several talking) Yeah, so .... without objection I guess we'll
remove Becky from the list (several talking) Okay, Eric Tate. I want to make a
pitch for Eric. Um, he's a .... a fairly young associate professor in the Geography
and Sustainability Sciences Program. He's .... he is also African American,
focusing on environmental justice and I can tell you he's terrific. Absolutely
terrific! Very clear, very smart, uh, very focused, and very knowledgeable. Uh,
so .... I think very, very highly of Eric.
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Cole: He seemed to have a great resume. It just popped off the page for me too. So, I
think we should move him up.
Botchway: I'd be supportive. Take away my vote from .... Kaveh.
Taylor: What's your argument about the greenhouse gases? There wasn't much about the
greenhouse gases. It was kind of more .... water and environmental engineering....
Throgmorton: That's true.
Mims: That's what I was thinking too (several talking)
Throgmorton: ... but the environmental justice part of it is what I really picked... picked up on and
(several talking)
Taylor: ....greenhouse gas.
Throgmorton: You're shifting an X?
Botchway: Yeah, I can shift my Kaveh X so remove him.
Mims: I mean here's where I start getting .... you talk about diversifying this committee in
different ... in many different ways, Charlie Stanier had like seven votes. Okay?
Now we've got two engineering professors on here.
Throgmorton: No he's not .... no, Charlie's engineering and uh.... um, if, uh, if Eric Tate gets on
it, he's geography and sustainability sciences. Really the old geography
department.
Mims: Okay.
Throgmorton: I mean....
Mims: Out of five people we're picking we're picking two University professors.
Throgmorton: If we do, yeah.
Mims: I don't .... I don't think that.....
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Cole: But isn't that sort of the nature of this committee though in some respects? I
mean it is going to be geared more towards technical expertise, I mean...
Taylor: But we have the University (both talking)
Throgmorton: I see it as a bit of a, you know, a .... they need to be mediators between the .... the
consultants and the staff who are really expert in particular ways, and the broader
public. So they have to kind of be able to fill that role, but they have to be
knowledgeable enough to be able to do it!
Andrew: If I can just clarify, that was for Eric Tate, right?
Throgmorton: Well, let's see if we can, uh, deal with some of the other folks here. So, uh, Joel
Donham is next and, man, he comes with a terrific, uh.... background also, if I can
find Joel. Where is he? He's the other transportation, uh, person, uh, but I'm
confused by somethin'. His ... his application says he will begin work later this
month for a .... a Center for Transportation in St. Paul? So I don't know if that
means he's gonna be in St. Paul.
Botchway: Take `em off!
Throgmorton: Or .... or being... working, you know, virtually. (several talking in background)
Botchway: By the way as I'm making like `take `em off' comments, I appreciate all the
applicants! (laughs) Make sure that's publicly stated! (laughter and several
talking)
Mims: But it's 8:35 and you don't want to be here till midnight making the decision!
(laughter)
Throgmorton: Yeah! He has a very strong record and we should be clear about this,
um .... but ....
Dickens: (mumbled) ...applicant was stronger.
Cole: Yeah. (mumbled)
Throgmorton: Okay. Take him off. (laughs) That sounds so rude! (laughter and several
talking) Off with his head! Only kidding! (laughter) Okay, Chant Eicke. Is .... is
Chant a student? I guess I don't really know. Unt ... where is she?
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Taylor: (several talking) ...scientist and environmental consultant. He has a BA in
environmental studies. What I liked about him, although I didn't pick him, was,
uh, he had a minor in Spanish and I thought one it'd .... if they're going out into
the community and having community meetings, that might be helpful.
Throgmorton: Right.
Taylor: Have a lot of Hispanic folks in the community. But I didn't think he had a lot of
strong background in projects that he had....
Throgmorton: His background seems to be really wetlands, right? (both talking)
Taylor: Wetlands, right.
Botchway: Take `em off!
Throgmorton: Does anybody know how to pronounce, uh, Vanessa's last name? Fixmer-Oraiz?
Orase? I should know, cause I know Vanessa, but ... don't know how to pronounce
the last part of her hyphenated name. Uh, she works for HBK and she's just
really terrific as a person and as a .... an employee for HBK. Where's Vanessa?
Vanessa, Vanessa .... (mumbled) Uh, she's Filipino. Filipino American.
Thomas: Yeah, I .... I, she was a .... I had a second tier and she was in my second tier.
Throgmorton: My second tier also. Uh.... take her (several talking) take her off?
Cole: Yeah.
Mims: I was going to say, unless somebody has something super -strong on these next
(several talking)
Throgmorton: I want to say as much as I can for Cheryl Miller, but uh.... the other three can
come off as far as I'm concerned. So Cheryl Miller is deeply involved in Iowa
City Climate Advocates, which is, I don't know, the major local group promoting,
uh... um, effective action with regard to climate stuff, and I'm trying to find her
now, but uh, Cheryl is .... uh, has a substantial background. Uh, she's a retired
project manager, uh, she's very knowledgeable about greenhouse gas stuff, um...
worked, uh, for the Minnesota State Office of the National Audubon Society, uh,
later worked as an independent consultant for various outfits on greenhouse
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emission reduction strategies, especially having to do with agriculture kind of
stuff. And.... yeah.... well that... that's probably enough to say. I .... she has a good
background in the ways I just described. And I think highly of her, but .... we
can't appoint everybody, so.....
Cole: I think that's the point, they all have great resumes.
Throgmorton: Okay, um, I'm hearing that Cheryl will come off.
Botchway: W..w..wait!
Throgmorton: No? Sony!
Botchway: No, she can come off. Sorry! Just want to make sure we're not ... we're thinking
about how we're going to .... um .... actually, be thinking about how we're going
to, urn .... have alternates as well. As we kind of narrow down the list.
Throgmorton: Yeah, so .... let me think. All these people, as best I can tell, are pretty darn
familiar with climate change stuff. They're all very committed to doing effective
action. Uh, I think.... everyone of `em that I know, there's only one I don't know,
are very good at working on committees with other people. So maybe we could
think about who they have to connect with out in the community. And whether,
you know, that effects our judgment about who to appoint.
Cole: So Ferman used to work for the University of Iowa, is that....
Throgmorton: Yeah, for a long time, in the power plant.
Cole: Okay. So I mean I guess I think we should, I mean I think Eric Tate should be up
to the final five. I .... I think we're already going to have a lot of connections with
the University of Iowa, and I think that that's pretty much covered. So, urn .... are
we at that stage, where we're trying to get down to the final I guess six, five plus
an alternate?
Throgmorton: Yeah (several talking) (laughing) Yeah, we definitely want to get down (several
talking)
Mims: Yes, I agree (several talking)
Cole: Yeah. So I ... I think Eric (several talking) I think Eric should replace Ferman.
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Botchway: See, I don't know about that because I .... for me, Ferman came off as one of the
stronger candidates as far as how we're discussing the reduction of greenhouse
gases. I mean having that particular experience, I feel like is .... I mean I think the,
one of the strongest candidates for me.
Taylor: And I think we've talked about how the University, and particularly the power
plant, is .... is a big culprit, uh, in ... in emissions and he has, uh, experience with
`em.
Throgmorton: It is, but they've already made a commitment to phase coal out (both talking)
Taylor: ...that's true!
Throgmorton:...by 2025.
Taylor: That's true!
Botchway: I mean I'll give you my .... wait a minute. No, never mind. (several talking in
background)
Mims: I'll give you my five. I know .... it's not gonna match necessarily with what other
people have, but I'm .... I'm trying to look at it in terms of. ... different people
bringing different things to this community.
Botchway: Is it based on this though?
Mims: Yeah, it's from this .... it's from this group, but I would have Charles Stanier, John
Fraser, Anne Russett, Ferman Milster, and Clarity Guerr... Guerra. I'm not sure
that's how you say your name. I apologize. As my five, and .... and I mean I think
we all had Charlie Stanier. I think he had an incredibly strong, you know,
presentation in his ... in his materials. Um, I thought Anne Russett, with her work
in .... uh.... carbon emissions and stuff, greenhouse gas emissions. Um, and ... and a
younger professional. Um, this gets a couple of females, two out of the five. Um,
Clarity being another, uh, probably even younger. She's only been here five
years. Um, Martha's done a lot of work and .... and I know she's incredibly, um...
enthusiastic, etc., but I think if she's not on here, one — she might be as part of
the .... the consultant and/or she could be certainly, like Geoff said, we've got a lot
of people here who have expertise that'll probably be brought in in different ways.
Um, and when we look at balancing all .... the expertise, I think a lot of people, a
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lot of these people probably still have good communication skills. I didn't see
Karen Kubby having the kind of technical.... scientific stuff to bring to the table,
that I felt that strongly, um, about her and so when I'm looking at the other ones
that got the top votes from across the Council. So, those were kind of my five
top. Again, Stanier, Fraser, Russett, Milster, and Guerra, and then I'm kinda open
on who the ... I think we should do a number one and a number two alternate, just
(both talking)
Throgmorton: So let me make a suggestion. Tell me if you like this idea. We have another
column, and the other column will be our votes, based on these folks, where we
each only have five votes.
Botchway: Okay, that's good. Yeah! So, Susan, can you repeat yours?
Mims: Yes....
Throgmorton: Oh I didn't mean to get rid of the previous column (laughs) but .... just have
another column. I don't know if it matters really (several talking) Oh, I see ... I
see what you did. Okay. So why don't you say your five again.
Mims: I had Starrier .... Fraser .... Russett .... Milster..... and Guerra. Am I saying her
name right? I have no idea. (several talking) Guerra. Okay.
Botchway: So....
Throgmorton: Okay, who's next?
Botchway: I would say .... based on this five, I would say Charles, Clarity....
Mims: Slow up! Let him (laughs)
Botchway: I wasn't done thinking about it. My bad! Um.....Ferman.....that's three, right?
(several responding) Martha ... and Eric.
Throgmorton: Yeah, that's your five.
Botchway: That's three males, two females? I'm .... Anne's a .... I'm not done with that, but
keep going. Somebody else.
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Throgmorton: All right (several talking and laughing) So ... I'm .... I'm gonna toss my five out.
All right. So, uh, Charlie Stanier, Martha Norbeck, Anne Russett, John Fraser,
Eric Tate.
Thomas: Okay I .... I, my five are still in there, um....
Botchway: Why'd you have to say that, John? (laughter)
Thomas: ....makes it easier (laughter) Um, if I'm headstrong I guess, uh.... Charles
Stanier, uh, Martha Norbeck, Karen Kubby (several talking) Sorry! (several
talking)
Andrew: Sorry, what was your third one?
Botchway: Karen Kubby.
Thomas: Karen Kubby. Eric Tate ..... and John Fraser.
Dickens: All right, I'll go! Charles Stanier, Clarity.... Ferman... Anne Russett, and then
John Fraser.
Cole: I'll go then. Um, Charles Stanier .... Clarity Guerra.....Martha Norbeck ..... Karen
Kubby.....and Eric Tate.
Throgmorton: (mumbled) ....Pauline!
Taylor: Okay. Uh, Charles Stanier.....John Fraser.....Martha Norbeck....
Throgmorton: Ooh, you got one too many, Simon.
Andrew: (mumbled) How many people have Fraser so far?
Throgmorton: Hold a hand up.
Andrew: So that's four?
Botchway: Five!
Throgmorton: Five.
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Andrew:
Guidry:
Taylor:
City Council Regular Formal
Sorry about that!
Can we get a clarification on Kubby? How many people had, uh, voted for
Kubby?
I haven't given mine yet.
Botchway: Right now .... as of right now.
Throgmorton: We can confirm these in a .... in a second.
Taylor: So you've got Stanier, Fraser.... and... and you got Norbeck from me and, uh,
Karen Kubby, and Anne Russett.
Throgmorton: Okay, so Todd Edwards drops.
Botchway: Who that's.... John, you're next? No, you already went. Jim, you're next.
Throgmorton: No, we're.... everybody's spoken.
Botchway: You haven't.
Throgmorton: Can we .... can we confirm these votes here? So everybody voted for, uh, Charlie
Stanier, right? (several responding) Okay, so Clarity Guerra, who ... raise your
hand if you voted for Clarity. I count four. Okay. Raise your hand if you voted
for Martha Norbeck. I count four. (several talking) Five? Ooh, I'm sorry!
Where was the other one? One, two, three, four, five .... oh, I see, five. Uh, Karen
Kubby? One, two, three. Uh, Ferman Milster. One, two, three. Anne Russett.
One, two, three, four. John Fraser. One, two, three, four.
Botchway: Five.
Throgmorton: Five? Five, sorry, right, and Eric Tate.
Botchway: That's six in there though.
Throgmorton: Oop. Now it's .... yeah, you've got one .... there you go! Eric Tate. One, two...
one, two, three, four. All right. So if we just rank order them. Charlie Stanier,
Martha Norbeck, John Fraser, and Clarity Guerra, and Anne Russett. No, Anne
Russett and Eric Tate are tied. And so is Clarity Guerra! (laughs) All right, so,
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um .... uh.... what's that, three, six, eight. Do we want to drop Karen and Ferman?
Given the votes?
Botchway: (several talking) Yeah.
Throgmorton: All right, so that's, uh, looks like (several talking) five plus an ... an alternate.
Botchway: (several talking) I'm actually okay with the top five. I mean I ... my vote was for
Eric Tate. I have him as an alternate, based on Stu .... Susan's comments.
Mims: I think we should have a couple alternates. A first and a second, I mean....
Throgmorton: Yeah, be good to have a couple alternates (several talking) Yeah, do we know
who we just dropped? (laughs)
Botchway: You can just hit the backspace.
Taylor: Oh, Karen and Milster.
Botchway: So just leave those three. That's fine!
Throgmorton: Leave all three of `em as alternates?
Botchway: (several talking) Yeah.
Dilkes: Is that the order you want?
Mims: Yeah, I was going to say what order.
Dilkes: That's the order of Kubby and Milster.
Botchway: I actually was (both talking)
Mims: ...Milster first.
Botchway: I .... well no, I wouldn't .... I wouldn't do that based on the vote. I'd actually move
Milster above Kubby.
Throgmorton: Right.
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Mims: Right. That's what I just said.
Botchway: Oh, I thought you meant over Tate.
Mims: No!
Botchway: Okay.
Mims: No, that's okay.
Cole: That's fine.
Dickens: Looks good!
Throgmorton: All right, so ... it sounds to me as though we've identified Charlie Stanier, Martha
Norbeck, John Fraser, Clarity Guerra, and Anne Russett as, uh, the five members
of the .... five at -large members with Eric Tate, Karen Kubby, and Ferman Milster
being alternates.
Botchway: Is everybody okay with Anne Russett above Eric Tate? The only question I ... the
only issue I have with it is that, kind of going back to the City planning piece. I
mean.....we have, we're gonna have staff working with folks, and I mean I
appreciate Anne's expertise, but .... we also have expertise on our end. I mean...
Mims: But she has actual carbon emission....
Botchway: Well I don't know what our staff has! I mean that ... I mean I guess that's my....
Taylor: That's her background. She's (both talking)
Botchway: She has done it (both talking)
Taylor: ...Eric Tate...
Botchway: ....as far as staff has that background as well. I mean that's my....
Mims: Well but I mean one of the things we talked about was having .... a combination of
people on here who have some, uh... technical expertise, and so I .... I think in this
particular area, her technical expertise is more directly relevant than Eric's is ... at
least kinda the way I would see it. I mean .... I wish we could have more on here,
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but we decided five and I think we don't want too big a committee, so .... I think
this (both talking)
Thomas: Well, Jim, are you .... cause you know both of `em. Do you ... have a preference?
Throgmorton: (laughter and several talking) Uhhhhh....
Dickens: How bout just say, `Yes, this looks good!' (laughter)
Throgmorton: Yeah, well I ... I think tremendously highly of Eric Tate. Uh, I think he would
bring somethin' to the committee that it won't have if he's not on the committee,
and in part it's his expertise, but he is so skilled at talking about complicated
technical topics to other people, and he's so good at working with people. I ... I
think he'd just be really terrific. So (laughs) you know .... you know, if it were up
to me, I'd, uh, probably keep Anne and move Clarity, but I don't want to ... (both
talking)
Thomas: ...be my .... I didn't..... yeah, I don't want to, nothing is ever meant here to be
critical, but it seemed to me Eric and Anne were stronger than Clarity, from
my....
Botchway: Well switch her out! Um, I will say then that we still haven't figured out the
student component, but I would be okay with switchin' her out. I had actually
thought she was a student and so that's why I was....I mean (both talking)
Dickens: ...graduate (both talking)
Botchway: ...resume regardless, but I also thought it was the student piece and so I'd be okay
with switching Eric and Clarity out, but Clarity still being, um....
Mims: Well we've got five there without a `student.'
Botchway: Well that was my point, I mean, we still need to figure out that component.
Mims: Then that means we gotta still move somebody out.
Botchway: Oh, not move somebody out (both talking)
Mims: If we're gonna .... (both talking) if you're going to dedicate one of these five to a
student position....
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Botchway: No I'm not talking about that. I'm actually .... I just mentioned the fact that ... sol
would switch that out, if everybody's in agreement.
Mims: No. Switch what out?
Botchway: Eric and Clarity.
Throgmorton: Eric Tate and Clarity Guerra. Switch them. They have the same numbers, but
he's sayin..... (several talking in background) I personally would favor that.
Mims: That's fine!
Botchway: Okay.
Mims: I don't....
Throgmorton: Is there any objection?
Cole: Well I ... I just think in terms of...and maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the
communication piece of it, but I think in order for this process to be really
successful, we need to have a digital presence and that it's communicated
succinctly and well, and that's a pretty unique skill set, and that's really
what ... and you mix that with the environmental jobs, um....
Mims: But keep in mind we still have our staff (both talking) I mean (both talking)
Cole: Well yeah, I know but it seemed like she was particularly good at that, so I ... I
don't know.
Mims: I don't see a committee member in the work they're doing as part of the
committee doing digital communication and developing pieces. I see our staff
doing that as ... the aftermath of the committee's work.
Throgmorton: She is a communication specialist at the University, and I take that to mean she
thinks a lot about how to communicate ideas to the public, and communicate with
the public.
Taylor: Well we have to keep in mind that we'll be .... we'll be hiring....the company too,
that that's going to be part of their task also to assist this committee, to do these
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things. I mean that's what we're going to be paying them for. To .... to come with
ideas and also .... and to do the statistics and data and things like that.
Mims: And how to communicate (both talking)
Taylor: Exactly!
Mims: I think that's a very good point, Pauline.
Taylor: Exactly. Well, coming from the committee I know that! (laughs)
Throgmorton: So (several talking)
Mims: ...put Eric in place of Clarity.
Throgmorton: All in favor of moving Eric Tate up and Clarity Car... Guerra down, just in that
order, please raise your hand. All right. We should do that. Now we need to
consider the student part of this (clears throat) which of course will complicate
everything.
Andrew: Would that make Clarity the top alternate? (several responding)
Throgmorton: If I understand correctly, there were nine applicants, nine student applicants.
Botchway: Correct.
Throgmorton: Uhhhh, yeah, I'm gonna read their names just for the heck of it. Michelle Lutz,
Kara Hoving, Nathaniel Weger, Solomon Worlds, Eden Dewald, Ryan Hall,
Grace Ehlinger, Riley Samuelson, and Ranan Fattal. And my own notes tell me
that Kara Hoving looks really strong to me, but so do Weger, Worlds, Dewald,
and Samuelson. They all have (laughter) really good backgrounds for students
comin' in to this kind of process.
Botchway: Hoving was my top as well.
Dickens: Where do ya put `em? (several talking)
Cole: Well I .... I guess I feel really strongly that .... I hope students are actively involved
in the process. I hope that they're actively engaged and they participate, and they
run with a lot of the initiatives, but ... I'm not absolutely requiring that we have one
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on there. I mean I think that this is just a good problem to have, that we have so
many fantastic applicants, um, but I think the five that we have, um, I think are
really going to work well together and um .... and I think like with Profess...
Professor Tate, um, he'll have the connections with the University and so we'll
get that hopeful student involvement but I .... I don't wanna kick someone off just
so we can have a student.
Botchway: Well I apologize (both talking)
Mims: I agree with you, Rockne.
Botchway: I apologize. I'm not kicking anybody off of this group. I'm actually adding a
student liaison and nominating that person to be Kara Hoving.
Cole: Do we have a student liaison? Is that one of the positions?
Throgmorton: Well (several talking) I mean a non-voting student liaison, is that what you're
saying?
Botchway: Yes.
Thomas: I'm .... I'm willing to add one ... I mean I was very impressed with the student
response and it...it frustrates me to just ... because of the quality of the applicant
pool that I think we've .... are acknowledging the fact that from a technical
standpoint they're.... they're unable to really compete. Um .... but I do want ... I
would ... I'd be willing to consider adding a student representative as a, to the ... to
the committee.
Cole: Okay!
Taylor: If we did that (several talking) I was rather impressed with Ranan Fattal.... with
the background (mumbled) ministry of environmental sciences and, uh, is on the
sustainability committee and, uh, has some short and long-term strategies in mind.
I thought, uh, she was very strong person.
Mims: I just want to ask a procedural question of...Geoff and Eleanor maybe, I mean
given ... how we form this committee .... on a resolution or whatever, what are our
limitations at this point? I mean when we put out a thing for applications and...
kind of at the 11 a, hour....
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Dickens: Eleanor, just wing it! (laughter)
Mims: Kinda changin' the rules. I'm just a little concerned (several talking)
Dilkes: Well the resolution creating the committee says `up to five at -large members.'
Based on an application process similar to other City boards and commissions,
and selected according to the expertise and knowledge the applicant brings to the
committee.
Mims: Then I'm not in favor of adding anybody beyond the five we just (both talking)
Botchway: So, Eleanor, I would just make a quick comment. I mean I agree with what you
just read there obviously cause it's in the resolution, but we do also have seven
additional members that are a part of the committee....
Dilkes: Well those are .... those are identified separately (several talking) Those
are ... there's seven of those specific ones and then there are the five at -large,
which you're appointing now.
Throgmorton: So I .... I would agree, Eleanor, that, uh, given the wording of the resolution that
we cannot, should not, appoint, um, you know, explicitly student representative as
such. Could we, given the wording, appoint a non-voting... student liaison to the
committee?
Dilkes: I think you could. Yes.
Throgmorton: I .... I would suggest we do that (both talking)
Dilkes: ...process, no.
Fruin: Can I .... may ... maybe this is not a good idea, but one other option, um ... uh,
you ... you, according to the resolution you also have to appoint a chair, and that's,
uh, that's to be done after the members are selected is how it reads, urn ... because
typically you want to engage whoever you think would be a good chair and make
sure that he or she is up to that task. It requires a little bit of more, urn .... we're
not gonna be ready for the consultant recommendation for at least a couple of
meetings. You can figure out who you want to, um, be chair from the five that
you're selecting, and then we could simultaneously amend the resolution to add
a ... a student member to the committee. So by the time it's all said and done and
this committee starts, we'll amend the resolution to up to six at -large members, or
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add a student designation for one of the stakeholder groups. It's up to you. I'm
just saying, there's more steps in this process before we actually get this
committee together and meet, and this plan gets kicked off.
Botchway: I mean, and I guess I'll say this, and so I'm either .... I'm okay with either what
Jim proposed or what Geoff proposed. We can't consistently say that we want
input from a younger population and obviously what you said, John, and really,
you know, tugs at kind of the maj.... I mean the point, is that there's not .... there at
times is not much a student can bring, but ... there's a .... there's not much a student
can bring from a technical aspect, just based on .... ability to work (several talking)
life experiences, but having them a part of the conversation, in the same way of
having diverse members of the conversation adds to the conversation in a depth in
a way that we can't necessarily think about or even talk about at this particular
point in time. So....
Mims: Then I think we go with Geoff's su ... suggestion and when we appoint the chair,
amend the resolution to designate one spot for a student representative.
Botchway: Yep!
Throgmorton: We can do that! Any objection?
Mims: Then.....do we .... want to make that decision of who that person's gonna be now?
Pending that change?
Fruin: I think .... I think where I'm at is I would ... when we amend the resolution, I'd ... I'd
just create a eighth stakeholder as student, and then you'd give me direction
tonight on who that student, who we should be contacting for that student.
Throgmorton: All right. So .... yeah, so, all right, so (laughs) There ... there were nine students
who applied.
Mims: Kara Hoving was high on my list. (several talking)
Throgmorton: Hoving was high on my list. (several talking)
Mims: How many votes for Hoving? (several talking)
Throgmorton: Sounds like we've got it. Kara Hoving. (laughter)
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Cole: She's impressive! (laughter)
Throgmorton: All right. Excellent! Thanks for your help, Simon. I mean it .... probably feels
pretty awkward out there, kind of (both talking)
Andrew: Little bit! (laughs)
Throgmorton:... by the seat of your pants, but, uh....
Frain: Mayor, before you mo ... move on, urn .... I think you'll wanna discuss how you
want to appoint the chair, whether the Council wants to discuss that or if they
want to give that duty to you, um....
Cole: Can the committee do it?
Botchway: Are you going to the first meeting?
Throgmorton: Didn't plan to but I could. You know .... in ... in principle I think it's better for the
members of the committee to choose their chair.
Cole: That's what I was thinkin'.
Dickens: Works for me.
Throgmorton: (several talking) ...introduce themselves to one another (several talking) judge on
their own.
Frain: When we amend the resolution we'll amend that in there as well. (several
responding) Committee can (both talking)
Throgmorton: Okay! All right, good deal.
Mims: So should we, since we did the other one, get a motion to ... approve these then?
Throgmorton: Yeah, uh, so I should name names, right? Uh.... do you have .... you don't have
those names in front of you. Maybe you can help me remember them. Okay, so
is there a motion to appoint, uh, let's see, uh, Charles Stanier.... yeah, thank you,
uh, Martha Norbeck, John Fraser, Anne Russett, and Eric Tate as, uh, members of
the, uh, Steering Committee with.... Clarity Guerra, Karen Kubby, and Ferman
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Milster being alternates, and Kara Hoving being a student designee, and that'll be
resolved at a future point.
Taylor: So moved.
Botchway: Second.
Mims: And I would just want to clarify as part of the discussion, Clarity is the first
alternate, Ferman Milster is the second alternate....
Throgmorton: Yes!
Mims: ....and Karen Kubby's the third alternate. (several responding)
Throgmorton: Yes.
Dilkes: And the student designee is a voting member?
Mims: Yes.
Throgmorton: That's what I understand, yes. So ... so moved by, uh, Taylor, seconded by....
Botchway: Botchway!
Throgmorton: .... by Botchway. All in favor say aye. Opposed. Motion carries. Thank you,
everybody, that was .... not easy! (laughter) So luckily we only have 30
applicants for, uh.... (several talking) Whatever it is! (several talking and
laughing)
ITEM 12c Human Rights Commission
Throgmorton:... male position on the Human Rights Commission. And .... how many are men?
Uh... um, I 1 of them are men. Ali Amed, Nidal Besher, Dave Germann, Matt
Drabek, Peter Gerlach, Tahuanty Pena, Nolan Petersen, Paul Retish, Jeremy
Vogel, Ezra Warren, Solomon Worlds. Anybody have any preference?
Dickens: Hasn't Paul served on it before?
Mims: Paul Retish has been on it for a long time (both talking)
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Throgmorton: Yes .... yeah I think we should not appoint Paul (several talking)
Dickens: So that's....
Mims: I was kind of looking at Gerlach or ... Pen ... Pena.
Thomas: I had Gerlach and Germann.
Dickens: Yep, those were the two I (both talking)
Botchway: Germann and.... Pen... Pena. Pena.
Throgmorton: (several talking) Pena. Yeah, in .... interesting, uh, we don't know much detail,
right, but he's, um .... Hispanic physician from the Dominican Republic. Has
lived in Iowa City for a couple years.
Botchway: I thought he'd add a health piece that's been talked about. Actually there's an
upcoming, uh, conference next week that talks about education and health
and ... from a Future of Black Iowa standpoint that I think would be interesting to
have on the commission.
Mims: Uh huh.
Dickens: Sounds (both talking)
Cole: Sounds good to me!
Throgmorton: Yeah, okay. So, Tahuanty... sorry, I don't know how to pronounce his name.
Tahuanty Pena.
Mims: So moved.
Throgmorton: Is there ... a motion from Mims.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Seconded by Dickens. All in favor say aye. Opposed. Motion carries. Which
leads us to the Senior Center Commission.
ITEM 12d Senior Center Commission
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Throgmorton: There are three applicants to fill two positions. Jay Honohan, Thomas Schulein,
and Hiram Webber.
Mims: I thought Thomas Schulein... looked to me, um .... the stronger of the two
candidates that have not served.
Thomas: We have two vacancies.
Botchway: So moved.
Mims: Oh, do we have two vacancies? (several talking) I overlooked that! (several
talking)
Dickens: Yeah, Jack Hobbs and Jay Honohan's terms have expired.
Mims: You're right! I overlooked `em!
Throgmorton: Yeah, so .... I'm lookin' for a motion to appoint Thomas Schulein and Hiram
Webber.
Mims: So moved!
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. All in favor say aye. Opposed.
Motion carries.
ITEM 12e Telecommunications Commission
Throgmorton: Oh my gosh! So, there's still a meeting to go through here, right, so uh.... uh, we
also have one vacancy to fill an unexpired term upon appointment to the
Telecommunications Commission. We have to readvertise that position cause
there have been no applications. I'll announce some other vacancies. There's one
vacancy to fill an unexpired term upon appointment to the Airport Zoning
Commission; two vacancies to fill unexpired terms upon appointment to the
Airport Zoning Board of Adjustment; one vo... vacancy for a Jefferson Street
representative for a three-year term to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Applications for those positions must be received by 5:00 P.M. Tuesday, April 11.
There are some new vacancies. One vacancy to fill a four-year term on the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
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Page 66 City Council Regular Formal
Airport Commission; two vacancies to fill four-year terms on the Community
Police Review Board; one vacancy for a Longfellow representative on the
Historic Preservation Commission; and one vacancy for a Northside
representative; and two vacancies for at -large representatives on the Historic
Preservation Commission; three vacancies to fill three .... to fill, um, three-year
terms on the Housing and Community Development Commission; two vacancies
to fill six-year terms on the Library Board of Trustees; one vacancy to fill a five-
year term on the Planning and Zoning Commission; two vacancies to fill three-
year terms on the Telecommunications Commission; and applications for those
positions must be received by 5:00 P.M. Tuesday, May the 9`b. All right! Well
that was easy!
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Page 67 City Council Regular Formal
ITEM 15. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION
Throgmorton: Tick, tick, tick, tick! (laughter) You know what, I'm not hearing anything,
uh .... (several talking)
Thomas: Well I'll mention (several talking)
Throgmorton: Sorry! (laughter and several talking) Thought maybe y'all wanted to get out of
here, ya know! So, uh, Rockne, why don't we start with you.
Cole: Yeah, sure! Um, I just wanted to say that I went to Big Grove for the very first
time ... this past weekend.
Throgmorton: You run into Terry? (laughter)
Cole: I did not. I did run into other unnamed Councilors, um, one at a time though.
(laughter) Um, and I encourage the members of the public to go there and ... and
check it out. I ... I think just in particular, setting aside the business itself, um, that
whole district just continues to amaze me in terms of the way that it's developing,
the way it's transforming, and that just didn't happen out of, you know, nowhere,
um, in terms of the biking and the walking, and I'm really excited once we do get
that biking piece in, it's still hard to access via bike. So that's gonna take a while
for us to get that access behind, but .... it was really, uh, really awesome
experience and I encourage people to check it out. Um, also food truck pilot,
March 31st. Don't forget that! Starts at 10:00 at the Robert A. Lee Center!
Dickens: I was gonna mention that too. Anyway, urn .... Cheryl from the Senior Center, uh,
spoke earlier about Trail and the new executive director for Trail, uh, I believe her
name's Amanda Ramaker. Uh, they're havin' a little open house for her
tomorrow night at, uh, Midwest One's new building. It's 5:30 and I .... I plan on
attending that, uh, my wife and I are.... becoming involved in that because we feel
very strongly about keeping people as they get older, keeping them in their homes
if they don't have family in town. So it's, I think it's a very important (mumbled)
new group that's.... that's starting in Iowa City.
Throgmorton: Excellent.
Botchway: Um ... if you haven't been in Geoff s office, there's a really young picture of him
(laughter) um, shaking hands with President Clinton, at the time .... former
President Clinton. So check it out! (several talking) Yeah, check it out! I
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thought I was amazed by it! (laughs) Um, on other notes, um, I participated in
the National League of Cities, um, was just, uh, really excited about being there
and I'll have a memo for the packet coming up, cause I wasn't able to get it done
for this packet. Um, participated in the opening of the CIT, the training, um, for
Johnson County on, um (both talking)
Throgmorton: Good coverage (both talking)
Botchway: ....yesterday. Um, really proud of, um, not only the group that was there, but
obviously, you know, folks that work for the City of Iowa City and stepping up. I
know Susan and Jim have spent a lot of time, um, kind of in that work and just a
powerful thing. I spoke about my, um, my auntie who's going through, um, just
recently got diagnosed with schizophrenia, has been going through some
schizophrenic episodes and how impactful it...it would be to know that (mumbled)
from South Carolina, would have that training, um, because we had an episode
actually this past Christmas that, you know, if it happened anywhere else could
have been problematic if they didn't .... if officers didn't have that training, or um,
professionals, other medical professionals didn't have that training, so just ... really
excited that that's going on. There are three different, um, conferences happening
in the next three weeks, and so I'm .... incredibly excited but really busy. One'll
be Jane Elliott this Friday, um, which is phenomenal, so if you're able to attend,
please do. The next week, um, this upcoming Friday the 31" and the I" will be,
uh, the Future of Black Iowa conference, um, which will, um, be .... like I just kind
of mentioned before, be around health and education. And then the next week, I
think Stefanie's gone, um, but is, um, I can't remember the name of it right now.
Mims: GAR training.
Botchway: GAR training, role of government, um, is another training that if you're able to
participate in, am ... just a lot of trainings and I'm really excited that it's all
happening. So....
Throgmorton: Yeah! Fabulous! Susan?
Mims: Well Kingsley just stole my two (laughter) No, because I'm going to the ... the one
on Friday, you didn't mention the name of. It's `Accomplices in Eliminating
Racial Bias,' uh, which is all day Friday, uh, so looking forward to that and just...
actually saw a post today about the Future of Black Iowa, and the education
and ... and healthcare, um, next Friday and Saturday, and then ... I'm signed up on
the 7g' to do the GAR training as well, so .... lot of good stuff coming up.
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Botchway: Yeah!
Thomas: The, urn .... on April 0, which is when we have our next Council session, uh,
Matthew Desmond, who is the author of Evicted: Pof...Poverty and Profit in the
American City, will be speaking at 7:30 at the Callaghan Auditorium, which is in
the College of Public (both talking).
Throgmorton: So we should cancel our meeting?
Thomas: Yeah! We should reschedule our meeting. (several talking) Um, this ... this book,
uh, has been on many best books of 2016. Uh, I think it should be a really
worthwhile event for those who can make it (laughs) uh, so .... April 4`h
Taylor: I, uh, attended the presentation by Zach Benedict at the Senior Center and it was
really good to hear him say a lot of the positive things that ... that we as a
community are doing for the older members of our community, uh, which was
good, although of course on the flip side he did have, uh, a lot of suggestions, uh,
that there's still much to be done for awareness in the community about what we
can offer for our .... our older citizens, but it was great to hear the positive things.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Good deal! Well I'll mention three things. Uh, Susan, Rockne, and I and
the Economic Development Committee are gonna meet at noon on Thursday.
Yep, so that's movin' on. On March 29"i I'm gonna be makin' a speech to the
Optimist Club. And on March 31" we have the employee potluck and service
award ceremony, which is ... I know has been mentioned in previous meetings,
but .... it's worth repeating.
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c) City Clerk
Throgmorton: Chris?
Guidry: Nothing!
Dickens: (several talking) Yes, welcome aboard, Chris! (several talking) Now only 36
years, 11 months, and (laughter) you can retire!
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of March 21, 2017.