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Home My WebLink About2008-05-13 Correspondence2f 1 Marian Karr From: Holland Hotchkiss [hotchkiss@facf.org] Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 12:32 PM To: Council Subject: May 13 council meeting Attachments: City_Council.pdf This correspondence will become a public record. I plan to visit the 5/13 meeting and deliver a very brief overview of the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation. An outline of the overview is attached. Holly Holly Hotchkiss Friends of the Animal Center Foundation P.O. Box 1345 Iowa City, Iowa 52244-1345 Phone: 319-887-6083 Fax: 866-224-4738 5/5/2008 The Friends of the Animal Center Foundation Iowa City, Iowa Overview The Friends of the Animal Center Foundation (FACF) is a 501(c)3 corporation that was started in 1999. Our purpose is to raise funds to support the animal care services of the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center. Since 1999 we have raised $400,000 and spent $88,000 on Center programs, including the following: • $3,800 on adoption promotion; • $14,000 on supplies & equipment; • $4,300 on education; • $16,000 on facility improvements; • $33,000 on medical treatments, and • $12,000 to train staff, volunteers and dogs. The foundation is well supported by the community: • Our last fundraising appeal went to 3600 households in Johnson County, and has raised $30,000 to date. • People in our community responded to the Solon rescue by donating $18,000 along with countless pounds of supplies and food. • The box sitting on the Center's front counter brings in about $20,000 per year. FACF recently hired a volunteer coordinator and a foster coordinator, who both work under the direct supervision of Misha Goodman. We are currently measuring the merits of a capital campaign for Center expansion, and are prepared to produce grants once projects are identified. 05- - STATE 2f(2) HISTORICAL SOCITE~TYof F~ f ~ ~;_ O~VYA A Division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs ~ `~ ~ ~~~ -2 l~t~ ~ i ~ ~ 2 C~T~;~ `! ~_~K Apri130,2008 ;p~~~, ~;iT`:~ ~~~A The Honorable Regenia Bailey Mayor 410 E Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240-1826 RE: Wetherby, Isaac A., House, 611 North Governor, Iowa City, Johnson County Dear Mayor Bailey: VVe are pleased to inform you tl-at the above named property will be considered by the State National Register Nominations Review Committee for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 2008. The National Register is the Federal Government's official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Listing in the National Register provides recognition and assists in preserving our Nation's heritage. Listing of the property provides recognition of the community's historic importance and assures protective review of Federal projects that might adversely affect the character of the historic property. Listing in the National Register does not mean that limitations will be placed on the properties by the Federal government. Public visitation rights are not required of owners. The Federal government will not attach restrictive covenants to the properties or seek to acquire them. Listing in the National Register results in: Consideration in the planning for Federal, federally licensed, and federally assisted projects. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires Federal agencies allow the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on projects affecting historic properties listed in the National Register. For further information please refer to 36 CFR 800. Eligibility for Federal tax provisions. If a property is listed in the National Register, certain Federal tax provisions may apply. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 revised the historic preservation tax incentives authorized by Congress in the Tax Reform Act of 1976, the Revenue Act of 1978, the Tax Treatment Extension Act of 1980, the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, and Tax Reform Act of 1984, and as of January 1, 1987, provides fora 20 percent investment tax credit with a full adjustment to basis for rehabilitating historic commercial, industrial, and rental residential buildings. The former 15 percent and 20 percent Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for rehabilitation of older commercial buildings are combined into a single 10 percent ITC for commercial or industrial buildings built before 1936. The Tax Treatment Extension Act of 1980 provided Federal tax deductions for charitable contributions for conservation purposes of partial interests in historically important land areas or structures. Whether these provisions are advantageous to a property owner is dependent upon the particular circumstances of the property and the owner. Because tax aspects outlined above are complex, individuals should consult legal counsel or the appropriate local Internal Revenue Service office for assistance in determining the tax consequences of the above provisions. For further information please refer to 36 CFR 67 and Treasury Regulation Sections 1.48-12 (ITCs) and 1.170A-14 (charitable contributions). Consideration of historic values in the decision to issue a surface coal mining permit where coal is located, in accord with the Surface Mining and Control Act of 1977. For further information please refer to 30 CFR 700 et seq. Qualification for Federal and State grants for historic preservation when funds are available. Eligibility for State Tax Credits for rehabilitation. Properties listed on the National Register, eligible for listing on the National Register or Barns constructed before 1937 are eligible to apply fora 25 percent state tax credit for rehabilitation. The cost of a 24-month qualified rehabilitation project would exceed either $25,000 or 25 percent of the fair market value for a residential property or barn less the land before rehabilitation. For commercial properties, the rehabilitation project would exceed 50 percent of the assessed value of the property less the land before rehabilitation -whichever is less. The State Historic Preservation office must approve the rehabilitation work before 600 EAST LOCUST STREET, DES MOINES, IA 50319-0290 P: (515) 281-511 I an amount of tax credits will be reserved for your project. There are limited credits available each year, so let us know if you want the application information. Owners of private properties nominated to the National Register of Historic Places have an opportunity to concur in or object to listing in accord with the National Historic Preservation Act and 36 CFR 60. Any owner or partial owner of private property who chooses to object to listing is required to submit to the State Historic Preservation Officer a notarized statement certifying that the party is the sole or partial owner of the private property and objects to the listing. Each owner or partial owner of private property has one vote regardless of what part of the property that party owns. If a majority of private property owners object, a property will not be listed; however, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall submit the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register for a determination of the eligibility of the property for listing in the National Register. If the property is then determined eligible for listing, although not formally listed, Federal agencies will be required to allow the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment before the agency may fund, license, or assist a project which will affect the property. If you choose to object to the listing of your property, the notarized objection must be submitted to the State Historical Society of Iowa, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines, IA 50313 not more than 75 days from the date .of this notice. If you wish to comment on the nomination of the property to the National Register, please send your comments to the State Historical Society of Iowa before the State Nomination Review Committee meets on June 13, 2008. A copy of the nomination and information on the National Register and the Federal tax provisions are available from the above address upon request. You are invited to attend the State Nomination Review Committee meeting at which the nomination will be considered. The meeting will take place in Lawrence Community Center, 600 E. Main, Anamosa, Iowa. A meeting agenda is enclosed. Unfortunately, due to state budget cuts, our grants have been temporarily frozen for at least one year. Should you have any questions about the National Register of Historic Places, Tax Incentives or about this nomination in particular, please feel free to contact me by telephone at 515-281-4137 or by a-mail at beth.foster(c~owa.gov. You may enjoy visiting the National Register website at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/index.htm. Sincerely, ~~ .. _.~`~ for Barbara Mitchell Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer _ a h~ ~ C> _ ~ ~ ~ ~ `_s, ~~~ N ~ --~. ~ _.. t° " ' " x~ ~ ~ 4.,.J e~' .. ~ ~' _..,. STATE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION REVIEW COMMITTEE June 13, 2008 -- AGENDA The June meeting of the State Nomination Review Committee (SNRC) will be held at the Lawrence Community Center, 600 E. Main, Anamosa, Iowa If you are representing a particular nominated property, please amve one half-hour before the nomination is scheduled on the agenda. Each individual nomination is allocated 15 minutes on the agenda, 5 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion by the Committee. Each historic district or multiple property documentation nomination is allocated 20 minutes on the agenda, 10 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion. When preparing your presentation please bear in mind the Committee members have read and are familiar with the information provided within your nomination and are prepared with questions and comments, reiteration of the nomination's contents is not necessary. A brief summary will suffice. Refreshments will be available for all that attend Committee meetings. PowerPoint presentations are used to better aid the public and committee. The Committee can determine to nominate, to defer judgment or to reject any particular nomination. Accepted nominations are forwarded for National Park Service for review and probable listing on the National Register of Historic Places. 8:15a Refreshments OLD BUSINESS 8:45a Minutes/Announcements NEW BUSINESS 9:OOa Anamosa Main Street Historic District 9:20a Stone City Historic District 9:40 Dubuque Milling Historic District t~ 10:00 Burlington Depot ...-- ~ 10:15 Hobson Block ~ ~ -~ ~ --'~ 3> ---! -~ ......- r 10:30 The Avery Theater n ~~ t lV ... 1 1 i 10:45 Break ~ C.,:. .~, ' 11:00 Herring Hotel ~ ~ .j'` . ~ " 11:15 Wetherby House y" ~" (`J 11:30 Beers and St. John Company Coach Inn 11:45 Citizens Savings Bank 12:00 Folkert Mound Group 12:20 Lunch (catered lasagna, salad and bread -for committee members and consultants) 1:00 Big Stone Mill 1:15 Seerley, William and Mary (Messersmith) Barn and Milk House/Smokehouse 1:30 Iowan's Hotel 1:45 Hawarden City Hall, Fire Station and Auditorium 2:00 Boyt Company Building 2:15 Methodist Deaconess Institute-Esther Hall 2:30 Adel Public Square Historic District 2:45 SNRC Discussion Time 3:15 Adjourn -Tour of Anamosa Historic District for those who would like to participate. 5-13-08 2f 3 Marian Karr From: Jane Balvanz [Balvanz.Jane@iccsd.k12.ia.us] Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 2:29 PM To: Bryon Helt; Keeli Irwin; Meleah Droll; Ross Wilburn; Lane Plugger Susie Poulton; John Cooper; Linda Nelson; Barb Fleckenstein; debraanne-Johnson@uiowa.edu; tarrell-portman@uiowa.edu; Council; jfausett@coralville.ia.us; tasalme@terracon.com Subject: Mental Health Task Force Hi Everyone, For several years, I have been thinking about the possibility of the creation of a connecting agent to help better integrate student mental health services. I spoke to Keeli Irwin, ICCSD school nurse, and she brought up the idea of creating a Mental Health Tnsk Force. It's been my experience that school and community services are enhanced when the domains involved understand the workings of each other. My thoughts are to include representatives from schools, community services, private practices, hospitals, governmental organizations, and higher education. Let me know your thoughts or interest level in this possibility. If you are not interested but know of someone who might be, please feel free to forward this message to him or her. I would like to start a dialog of possibilities. Thanks, Jane Jane Balvanz Wickham School Counselor I am amulti-faceted, strong, resilient, peaceful and honest counselor honored to serve children who, in turn, fill me with awe, wonder, and joy. 4/25/2008 2f 4 Marian Karr From: NC Steele [ncshome@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 8:06 PM To: Council Subject: Sheraton Improvements Dear Council, Regarding the Sheraton's TIF request, I trust City Council will use their best judgment in deciding the best methods to increase the viability of downtown Iowa City. One point that I have an issue with is the idea to close off the Sheraton vestibule. When the Sheraton building was constructed it defined the south edge of downtown, creating an obstacle for any possible downtown expansion further south. Now, that the City desires to develop south of Burlington Street, access through the pedmall needs to be increased, not closed off. My advice would be to have the Sheraton vacate the vestibule, then open it up to create an open-air walkway (with benches and landscaping), which would draw pedestrian traffic past the hotel towards Burlington Street. Thank you for considering my suggestion. Sincerely, Nate Steele West Branch (former 20 year Iowa City resident) Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/; ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ 5- 2f(5) Marian Karr From: Leigh, Rachel A [rachel-leigh@uiowa.edu] Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 4:42 PM To: Council Subject: Panhandling Dear Iowa City Council, I read Councilor Mike Wright's comments legitimate form of creating income" and see it, selling a service or a product ways of earning an income. Panhandlers businesses in the nearby area. Instead people who panhandle to state and local citizens. in the Daily I'm writing t or working for are eyesores of defending services that Iowan on April 24, "Panhandling is a o say that I don't agree. The way I someone else who does are legitimate and deters people from visiting this behavior, I recommend referring can help them become productive Rachel Leigh Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: peggy schneider [pegmegcal@hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 7:36 PM To: Council Cc: pegmegcal@hotmail.com Subject: Panhandling Dear City Council Members, I have become increasingly concerned over the last year about the number of people begging on the boulevards in town. The corner of Hwy 6 and .Riverside had men on all 4 corners tonight on the way home. They have become more bold, crossing lanes of traffic to get money and stopping the flow of traffic when people stop or slow down to give them food or money. As a healthcare provider I am concerned about the safety of the people begging. It would be a simple misstep on the curb and they would be in the way of a car. If there was an accident, a car could easily hit one of them. I am also very concerned for the drivers. I am sure that if one of the beggars where hit by a car, it would be the driver's fault, adding more to the already high car insurance rates of Iowa City. We teach our children at a very young age that they should not talk to strangers and not to go near the street. Why then, are we allowing people to stand in the middle of the street with cars buzzing by at 35-40 mph and going up to strangers when the traffic is stopped? I have seen some organization with orange vests on collecting money, eager to go out in traffic to get money. I have also seen the same man at the corner of Hwy 6 and Riverside drive for about a year now- smoking cigarettes at $5 a pack, eating McDonald's, and collecting money with his 'anything helps' sign. My 17 year old daughter does not feel safe pulling up to the intersection when these people, almost exclusively men, are present. I think it also gives Iowa City an unsavory appearance to the many visitors we encourage to come to town. I have discussed this with Ross Wilburn when he was doing a walking tour of my neighborhood. He said that he would not address the situation because there was some issue with the homeless shelter that he wanted taken care of first. I certainly appreciate Ross' efforts in getting adequate shelter and resources for the homeless or needy, but the panhandling needs to stop before somebody gets hurt. I believe he said they were to stay off the boulevards, but numerous times I have seen the police drive right by and not say a thing. I believe it is the entire community's responsibility to care of the less fortunate. The answer to the problem of poverty is not to allow them to beg, putting themselves and others in harms way. It is to help them find a job, safe shelter, healthy food, and become a constructive member of society. Iowa City is falling short. Let's keep everybody safe and put a stop to this. Peggy Schneider 1531 Dickenson Lane Iowa City 621-9058 Back to work after baby- how do....y._o_.u_kn_.ow._when_youu'_re.rea...dk? 4/29/2008 2f(6) Marian Karr From: Kathryn Johansen Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:35 PM To: 'tracy.fitch@mchsi.com' Cc: *City Council Subject: FW: dissatisfaction with city services Dear Tracy: Thank you for your recent email to City Council. Council members do not receive their emails directly. Your message will be forwarded to them and accepted as official correspondence at the May 13 Council meeting. If you wish to speak with a Council member directly, please visit our website at www.icgov.org. Here you will find the names, addresses, and phone numbers of our seven Council members. We are sorry for the problems you experienced with the collection of your yard waste. Our Solid Waste Division makes every effort to collect all items left at the curb by 7 a.m. If yard waste is not picked up on your regular collection day, please call the Solid Waste Division at (319 356-5180) and a truck will be sent back the next day to collect it. Customer service is our business and our goal is to provide excellent service to our citizens. In reference to your transit concern, operating procedures vary by the bus route and the time of day. On routes that have a history of being "tight" another bus will be sent to help if they get six minutes down. Longer routes of 45 minutes will be monitored over several trips to determine if they are making up time before the decision is made to send out another bus. The time of day is also an important factor; if it is mid-day or evening we know the passenger count is down and stops will not be made as often which allows them to make up time. I hope you find this information helpful, Tracy. Thanks again for writing. Sincerely, Kathi Johansen Administrative Assistant to the City Manager 319 356-5010 -----Original Message----- From: tracy.fitchc~mchsi.com Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 To: Council [mailto:tracy.fitchc~mchsi.com] 1:24 AM Subject: dissatifaction with city services Dear City Council: I write to address concerns about two city services: trash collection and bus service. Regarding the first, my yard waste has been overlooked on several occaisions. Most recently, when I left a message, I was rudely informed that one bundle of limbs would be easy to overlook because city trucks sit high off the ground. My opinion: open your eyes! Lame excuses denied. I pay for this service. Period. My second concern, invloving Iowa City Transit, is most important. When drivers are relentlessly told to catch up how are they supposed to do so without violating law and/or Iowa City Transit protocal? I hope that someone on the city council will contact me about my concerns. Tracy Fitch 1 2f 7 Marian Karr From: Julie Neese [julieandboys@mchsi.com] Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 9:15 PM To: Council Subject: Shelter House Dear Council Members, As part of our service learning projects at North Central Junior High, we needed to choose an area of interest to serve. We chose the subject of "homelessness". I just wanted to tell you about my visit to the Shelter House. We stopped by during dinner hours to drop off some food items. We were greeted by a porch full of people who were kind to us. When we went inside, it was difficult to get through due to the number of people that were crowded in the area. It appears that they eat throughout the house and outside (fortunately it was nice). They eat on couches that serve for beds at night also. There were families there. I think it might be scary if I were younger in a crowded place like that with so many strangers. There is only 1 bathroom accessible to disabled people. There is only 1 bathroom upstairs for families. It can have as many as 16 people for 1 bathroom. They all need to be out by 8 o'clock in the morning. How hard to get cleaned up and even just use the bathroom in the morning. It was good for me to get even just a little look at the Shelter House. My main purpose for writing is to say that I think that the homeless are a very overlooked group of people. We served the Ronald McDonald house too. What a huge difference! I know that there are a lot of people donating there. I believe people support a crisis that they can see themselves in. Homelessness isn't something a lot of people think they will experience. I know that The Shelter House is a talked about project and that you are probably very aware of the need. I just want to say that I support and hope you will support efforts to get it moving as fast as possible. Thanks for your time and your hard work. Sincerely, Michael Neese 4/28/2008 2f 9 Iowa City, City Council 410 East Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear City Council, A recent event by the city of Iowa City has me and others in my neighborhood feeling rather apprehensive. We feel unsure as to what future the city planners may have in store for us. The council has approved the buying of the sand pit on South Gilbert St. which lies adjacent to Napoleon Lane and our neighborhood more commonly known as the Showers Addition. We wait with foreboding as to what the city has in store for us. We feel it is only a matter of time before we will be displaced and forced to move to a different location. But to where will we find such economic dwellings surrounded by the wonders of nature? Living in the Showers addition is extremely economical as well as a beautiful place to live. With the woods on one side and the river on the other, one does not have to walk too far to enjoy wildlife and fauna of all kinds. And yet we feel little or no consideration will be taken by a city whose only plans are for fast and glutinous growth. Knowing right from wrong seems to be not in the nature of developers as they court the city planners who are of the same manner. It is simply wrong for any one person to even think of displacing another person for any reason. It is especially wrong when it is done by those who suffer from a lust and greed in obtaining power and wealth. They wrongfully buy up land and force people out so that they might line their pockets or as in this case, make a public park. This is of course covered by the blanket statement "Good for the whole community". We fear that our neighborhood will be purchased by the city and rendered into a city park so that all may come and enjoy the wonders of nature. This is not right. We elected to live here and not in the city. It is not our fault that city dwellers elected to live in the city. It is wrong that our neighborhood should be disturbed under the guise of "Good for the whole community" as we are pushed out to find dwellings that we can ill afford and forced to watch the growth of manufactured housing, instead of trees. The City has been courting the land owners to buy this land. To add insult to injury the City is taking a nonchalant attitude of "We don't really need your land but we will consider buying it if you don't have tenants on it." This means the City will not pay the home owners a penny for their buildings or homes. This is very painful for us all. Imagine being forced to move AND not being paid for your dwellings. Sincerely ~.` c ~ ~ n D.J. Beard k~~ ,~~ 3936 Napoleon L . Iow City, Iowa 52240 r ~= 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY 2f 10 ~~.®~~ ~ul~ ~ N[E~~ Date: May 7, 2008 To: City Council From: Ron Knoche, City Engineer Re: Competitive Quotation Results College Street Streetscape Project 2008 Water Main Directional Boring Project Competitive quotations for the College Street Streetscape Project were opened on Friday, April 11th and the following quotes were received: Ultimate Edge Concrete, LLC North Liberty, IA $ 45,651.50 All American Concrete, Inc. West Liberty, IA $ 67,232.00 Vieth Construction Corp. Cedar Falls, IA $ 78,721.75 Grunders Poured Foundations, Inc. Wilton, IA $ 135,014.20 Engineer's Estimate $ 88,000.00 Public Works and Engineering recommended and the Interim City Manager awarded the contract to Ultimate Edge Concrete, LLC of North Liberty, Iowa. The project will be funded with General Obligation Bonds. Competitive quotations for the 2008 Water Main Directional Boring Project were opened on Tuesday, April 22"d and Monday, April 28th. The second opening was held due to internal issues with two FedEx delivered quotes. The following quotes were received: AAA Trenching and Specialized Boring Norwalk, IA $ 64,900.00 Gaylord Construction Inc. Fort Madison, IA $ 79,430.00 Maxwell Construction, Inc. Iowa City, IA $ 89,000.00 Terrell Construction, Inc. Swisher, IA $ 118,500.00 Engineer's Estimate $ 94,600.00 Public Works and Engineering recommends the Interim City Manager award the contract to AAA Trenching and Specialized Boring of Norwalk, Iowa. Public .Works and Engineering will have the contract signed by the Interim City Manager after the paperwork is submitted and approved. The project will be funded with Water Revenue. 2f 11 TO THE IO~i~TA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THE FOLLOW=NG TENANTS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PARKING RE-ESTABLISHED ONCE AGAIN ON THE 13 0 BLOCK OF OAKCREST. nAT ~ 1308 OAKCRES _ ~j ~~ ~ ~ ~, 1301 OAKCREST 1225 OAKCRES 1309 OAKCREST L • I.~ 1314 OAKCREST ~9~.e.P I~P~L,~~~ -~2Li^-- iS21 OA={CREST~; -- 1214 OAKCREST ~.~~~ ~~., o 1320 ~~ OAKCREST -~~ - m -~ O~ 3 ~~ D ~ 00 622 SUNSET 620 SUNSB 121 S OA~CREST ~a-~o 12-24 OAKCREST~~~O ~ ~ -~ ~~- 13,5 OAKCR~ST 131? s2s suNS~T 630 SUNSET.~~~' ~~-' ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t _" Z O i GE`O~RGE ~- _+~ ~ r m ~m ~ 0 ~ N D -~ cx3 (.~02. o4Kcr~s.f ~ a ii C9aKcr~sr ~ ~ !q pgKcres T- ~~ Na No ~ a.a 0 0~.1~Cer es 7" .-- ~S/O av~ ~aKcr~si i~'o l3 ~ ~N !~ 30 0-8 , ~~'da w,rg~v9' o~ S~x~r ~.t~iv -~ ~J ~~ Gv~ ~~y Q N ~~ ~° ~ W ~ ~ -~ } ~' ..., >- U ~.. ~ U ~ 8 N __t ~s ye 5 ~/o Page 1 of 2 ~-~~~~` Marian Karr From: Marian Karr Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 10:09 AM To: Marian Karr Subject: FW: Daily Iowan Article __ . _ _ From: Kathryn Johansen Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 9:45 AM To: 'Daily Iowan Newsroom' Cc: *City Council Subject: RE: Daily Iowan Article Dear Danny: Thank you for your email to the City Council. Council members do not receive their emails directly; your message will be provided to them at the Council Work Session this evening, May 12, 2008. To make an appointment with Council members, or to speak with them individually, please visit our City website at www.icgov.org. Here you will find the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all seven Council members. Thanks again for writing. Sincerely, Kathi Johansen Administrative Assistant to the City Manager 319 356-5010 From: Daily Iowan Newsroom [mailto:daily-iowan@uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 8:52 AM To: Council Subject: Greetings, My name is Danny Valentine and I am a editor with The Daily Iowan. The DI is currently working on an article investigating the question: Is violence increasing in Iowa City. We wanted your opinion. Following the article we recently wrote about Brian LaGro, who was allegedly beat up by a large group during the early hours of May 3, we received an enormous number of e-mails from people reporting late night, alcohol-related attacks. The comments on the Daily Iowan's website also overwhelmingly indicated that people thought violence in Iowa City had increased. I was hoping to set up a brief (one to two questions brief) videotaped interview about a half hour before Tuesday's city council meeting getting each councilors take on the issue. Please let me know if this is or isn't possible; we would really love to hear your opinions on this issue. If you have any more questions, feel free to e-mail me back or call. I can be reached on my cell phone (330-4051) or at the DI (335-6063). Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely, Danny Valentine