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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-08-21 Info Packet~ - i ~"~'.wr ®~'a~ -•~.a~ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET August 21, 2008 AUGUST 25 SPECIAL WORK SESSION IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agenda IP2 Memorandum from the City Manager: Facilities Master Plan IP3 Memorandum from the Assistant City Manager: FY2008 Legislative Priorities MISCELLANEOUS IP4 Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center: Executive Summary 2008 Member and Non- Member Community Surveys IP5 Iowa City at a Glance IP6 Invitation: Northside Neighborhood Association Alley Walk and Garage Sale August 23, 2008 Invitation: Hamburg Inn 60th Anniversary Lunch on 8/25 [Distributed at 8/25 Work Session] DRAFT MINUTES IP7 Planning and Zoning Commission: August 7, 2008 IP8 Police Citizens Review Board: August 19, 2008 ''~®~~~ -•e.ai_ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET August 21, 2008 AUGUST 25 SPECIAL WORK SESSION IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agenda IP2 Memorandum froit- the City Manager: Facilities Master Plan / IP3 Memorandum from th~.Assistant City Manager: FY2008 Legi lative Priorities `~ MISCELLANEOUS IP4 Iowa City/Johnson County Senior'~enter: Execuf a Summary 2008 Member and Non- Member Community Surveys IP5 Iowa City at a Glance '~ IP6 Invitation: Northside Neighborhood Assoc ion Alley Walk and Garage Sale August 23, 2008 DRAFIC MINUTES IP7 Planning and Zoning Commission;/August 7, 2008 IP8 Police Citizens Review Board: A~igust 19, 2008 ~~ ®~~ 08-21-08 ~~`"'~,~,~ IP1 ~_ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas A~9usc z,, zoos www.icgov.org • MONDAY, AUGUST 25 6:30p Executive Session • Separate Agenda Posted Emma J. Harvat Hall Special Work Session • Planning and Zoning Items "b,c,d" • Council Appointments • Agenda Items • Facilities Master Plan (reference IP#2] ^ Year End Financial Report • Metropolitan Coalition/Legislative Priorities (reference IP#3] ^ City Designated No Smoking Areas (reference agenda item #16) • Information Packet Discussion ^ Council Time • Schedule of Pending Discussion Items • Upcoming Community Events/Council Invitations ^ Discussion of Meeting Schedules • TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Labor Day -City Offices Closed TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Work Session • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Work Session • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 Quality Inn and Suites TBD Council Retreat • MONDAY, OCTOBER 6 Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:30p Special Council Work Session 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting Continue Special Work Session if necessary 1 i _ ~~ V~;~ ~ ""`®'~~ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas August z,, zoos www.icgov.org • MONDAY, OCTOBER 20 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:30p Special Council Work Session 7:OOp Special Formaf Council Meeting Continue Special Work Session if necessary • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Veterans' Day -City Offices Closed • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Formal Council Meeting • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Thanksgiving -City Offices Closed • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Holiday -City Offices Closed • MONDAY, DECEMBER 1 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Formal Council Meeting • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 North Liberty 4:30p Joint Meeting • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:30p Special Work Session 7:OOp Formal Council Meeting Continue Special Work Session if necessary ~~~.®r~ ~! :rm~~ ,~~.,~~ CITY OF IOWA CITY ~PZ MEMORANDUM Date: August 20, 2008 To: City Council From: Michael Lombardo, City Manager Re: Facilities Master Plan In conjunction with Council's recent discussion of the Old Bus Depot site at the corner of College and Gilbert Streets, it was agreed that I bring to you a concept for creating a Facilities Master Plan for the City. I would anticipate such a plan addressing our needs through the year 2020 and serving as a critical guiding instrument in the consideration of any future facilities construction, expansion, or remodeling as well as for determining the best short term and long term use of real estate owned or controlled by the City. We do not have the expertise in-house to perform a facilities analysis and I propose that we employ the services of a planning consultant, for this purpose. A facilities analysis would include: A "net" evaluation which would address space needs reductions as well as needs for additional space. These would be addressed for each function within a facility, and would match potential space reductions with anticipated needs for additional space. 2. Identification of current and developing facilities' needs with a defined future needs assessment period of 10 - 12 years, projecting out to about 2020. 3. Presentation of a range of solutions from doing nothing to new construction for each included facility. The general scope of the analysis would include: A current facilities inventory a. Total square feet of interior and exterior spaces b. Age and condition of existing facilities c. Structural evaluation of facilities, including structure and facade d. Condition of mechanicals and HVAC systems, electrical systems, communications systems, data systems, and any other equipment, as well as interior finish e. Security and safety considerations f. Environmental and energy use considerations g. Emergency power capabilities and needs 2. Identification of needs a. Facilities' deficiencies b. Identify space needs for departments and for divisions within departments c. Identify short term and long term solutions for space needs d. Projected maintenance investment e. Review useful life of roofing and of systems listed in 1.d. above August 20, 2008 Page 2 f. Code compliance issues which would require mitigation even without a general remodeling effort in place g. Parking needs (for fleet vehicles, employees and customers) for each facility. 3. Consideration of "green" design issues to include requirements for LEED certification. 4. An audit to determine ADA compliance and recommendations for future ADA compliance measures. Facilities likely to be included in the analysis are: City Hall -All offices and facilities including central Police and Fire operations, as well as storage for which the Wilson and U Smash `Em buildings are now utilized. Recreation Center, Scanlon Gym, Mercer Park Pool, Cemetery Office, Parks Maintenance Senior Center Public Works Facilities (except for Water, Wastewater, and Landfill facilities) For possible inclusion are: Animal Control Fire Training Facility Library (focus on possible long term need for a branch facility) Parking 8~ Transit Cable TV Likely to not be included are: Airport, Water, Wastewater, Landfill, Outlying Fire Stations, and Parks amenities. tt is anticipated that we would ultimately work with the consultant to finally determine what facilities will and will not be part of the analysis. We would look nationally to identify a consultant for this project. mgr/assUmem/facilitiesplan8-11. doc ^~®~ CITY OF IOWA. CITY ~m~'~,S ~E~Q Date: August 19, 2008 To: City Council From: Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager Re: Old Bus Depot Site Council raised several questions during your last discussion regarding the old bus depot site. I will address these based on the latest information I have received. Historic Preservation The building may have some architectural significance as a 1950s era filling station. The use of enamel exterior panels reflected streamline design characteristic of auto related architecture of the era. Because of alterations over the years its historic significance may have been compromised. It currently is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building may be demolished but it should be documented for historic purposes. Much of this has been done. There is the possibility of preserving the enamel exterior panels. They appear to be in good condition and should be able to be removed and later reattached to a similar structure. Brownfield Site There is not enough information available regarding the possibility of contamination to determine if this might qualify as a brownfield site. Additionally, there are other sites, particularly the Public Works yard off South Riverside Drive, that would likely be afforded a higher priority for use of brownfield funds if they became available. Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor available grant opportunities in case this site should become eligible. Cost of Demolition We now have more detailed cost projections for demolition and clearing of the site for future redevelopment. The range is from $31,000 to demolish the building and any above-grade structures, to $100,000 for removing and disposing of all structures including the concrete slab, existing footings, underground tanks, pipes, etc. Given existing "unknowns" regarding underground contamination, existence of underground utilities, presence of asbestos, etc., the cost could conceivably fall anywhere within that range. Surface restoration is included in the $100,000 figure, but the construction of any public amenities on this site would require additional funds. mgr/asst/mem/b usdepot8-18. doc ^~®~ CITY OF lCJV~IA C[TY IP3 ~1 .:III,~~~ ~~~o Date: August 20, 2008 To: City Council From: Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager Re: FY2008 Legislative Priorities Council recently requested that prior to your deliberations to establish 2009 legislative priorities staff provide a recap of your 2008 legislative priorities. As outlined in your resolution 07-340 establishing those priorities, those priorities are: Iowa State Housing Trust Fund Appropriation a. It was noted that allocations are determined in each legislative session, historically in the amount of approximately $2,000,000 annually. Council expressed a desire to see a dedicated source of revenue rather than having these decisions made on an annual basis. It was noted that approximately $6,000,000 annually would be needed to fully fund the trust funds throughout the state, and it was suggested that State revenue from the real estate transfer tax be dedicated for this funding. 2. Utility programs that promote energy efficient appliances and other "preen" initiatives a. It was suggested that a more consistent system of rebates from power companies to their customers for the use of energy efficient appliances be initiated. Such rebates now vary significantly from one location to another. It was further suggested that a third party administrator oversee the program. Presumably, this could be an existing entity or one created by the State. 3. Property tax credits/condos a. This involves the issue of condominiums being taxed as residential rather than commercial properties, particularly those that are rented out rather than owner- occupied. Such units enjoy the tax advantage of the residential rollback even though they are essentially commercial properties, as are rental units in apartment buildings that are not classified as condominiums. Tax revenue losses are significant. 4. Increase the funding for micro-enterprise development a. Council would like to see increased state funding for small business development, similar to the smaller loans/grants that the City awards from our CDBG economic development fund. Some State funding for smaller businesses would mirror funding now provided to larger businesses from other State funded program sources. 5. Expand Iowa Earned Income Tax Credit a. Council expressed an interest in the State not only continuing to fund the Iowa Earned Income Tax Credit, but to perhaps expand funding for that program. Additionally, it was noted that it is very important that all entities promote awareness of this opportunity for lower income tax payers in the state. August 20, 2008 Page 2 6. Change in the Iowa Code 562A 12 (Wrongful Retention of Landlord Deposits) a. This item was raised by the University of Iowa Student Body liaison and advocates for modifying State code language that would allow students to get their rental deposits returned from landlords with less difficulty. No specific language was indicated. 7. Maintain local control over cable franchising a. The 2007 Legislature enacted a bill that created a State cable franchise and allowed cable companies to substitute a state franchise for their local franchise in the event that effective competition exists in a community they serve. It was suggested that there be a reexamination of that legislation and perhaps some modification. The matter was not addressed during the 2008 legislative session. 8. Tax restructuring (rollback, etc.) a. This position involves advocating for a floor to be placed on the rollback as well as looking at a variety of taxing alternatives in order to create a more diverse revenue base for local government. In addition, Council expressed a desire that the legislature look at restoring some of the State revenues to cities that were discontinued in 2004. 9. Enable local government to regulate smoking in public places a. A Smoking Bill was passed in 2008 which restricted smoking in many public areas and affords further such restriction alternatives to local government. 10. Support passenger rail transportation initiatives a. This involves state funding for local commuter rail projects as well as support for funding for track improvements to the Iowa segment of the Iowa Interstate Railroad between the Quad Cities and Iowa City for future Amtrak service. A feasibility study for the segment from Iowa City to Des Moines is underway and presumably would also be supported. Positions shared with the Iowa League of Cities 11. Alternative revenues a. Relating to #8 above regarding a more diverse revenue base, including but not limited to an increase in the hotel/motel tax to allow up to 9%; allowing use of Sales Tax Increment Financing funded from sales tax rather than property tax (a pilot project for the Newton Race Track utilized this concept); and restoration to cities of the real estate transfer tax revenue that was previously discontinued. 12. TIME-21 Initiatives a. Advocates for increased revenue to be generated by the State for the Road Use Tax fund with increased allocations to governmental entities for transportation related capital projects and operational expenses. Examples could include an increase in the registration fees for non-farm use pickup trucks (this was included in a 2008 bill that was passed) and additionally an increase in the statewide gas tax or possibly an additional allocation from the state sales tax revenue. 13. State funding for water/wastewater infrastructure a. The legislature is encouraged to allocate more funds to assist local government in clean water related capital infrastructure needs. August 20, 2008 Page 3 14. Economic Development Initiatives a. Initiatives suggested by way of example for expanded funding include Vision Iowa, Great Places and Community Attractions. In addition, it is emphasized that the legislature not approve changes that would reduce or eliminate the use of Tax Increment Financing options as a local economic development tool. 15. Limit costs imposed on local government for police/fire pensions Historically cities have been required to pay the increased costs for keeping the fund solvent. Council's position is that the State assume more of these costs, along with each individual member, particularly for those costs directly related to increases in plan benefits. mgr/assUmem/FY08recap. doc Nl i-~ - 4e 3 Prepared by: Marian Karr, Ciry Clerk, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa Clty, IA 52240 (319) 356-5041 RESOLUTION N0. Q7-340 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING CITY OF IOWA CITY 2008 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES WHEREAS, the Iowa City City Council supports property tax reform initiatives that eliminate inequities in the current system; and WHEREAS, the Iowa Ci n oiwa Ciunas well as the State of owa!santd n that enhances economic development opportunity tY WHEREAS, the City of Iowa City and other cities play a critical role in the future of the State. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Iowa City City Council hereby outlines our legislative proposals to the Iowa City area legislative delegation for the 2008 Iowa State legislative session as follows: Iowa State Housing Trust Fund appropriation Utility Programs that promote energy efficient appliances and other "green" initiatives Property tax credits/condos Increase the funding for microenterprise development Expand Iowa Earned Income Tax credit Change in the Iowa Code 562A.12 (wrongful retention of landlord deposits) Maintain local control over cable franchising Tax Restructuring (rollback, etc.) Enable local government to regulate smoking in public places Support Passenger Rail Transportation Initiatives A. Development of local commuter rail B. Extension of Amtrak service into/through Iowa Iowa City City Council and Iowa League of Cities Shared Priorities A. Alternative Revenues 1) Increasing the hotel/motel tax up to 9% 2) Implementing a sales tax rebate for specifically defined economic development B. Infrastructure Funding 1) TIME-21 Committee a) Pickup truck registration fees b) Statewide sales tax and/or gas tax increase 2) State funding for water/wastewater infrastructure C. Economic Development Initiatives 1) Preserve or expand initiatives such as Vision Iowa, Great Places and Community Attractions 2) Prevent changes that would impair use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) as an economic development tool D. Limit Costs imposed on local government for police/fire pensions: 1) State support of MFPRSI System IP4 Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center Executive Summary 2008 Member and Non-Member Community Surveys Developed and Prepared by: Wally Johnson, Participant Advisory Committee Jean Reese, Participant Advisory Committee Dawn Rogers, Participant Advisory Committee Linda Kopping, staff advisor Reviewed and Approved by: Participant Advisory Committee Members Rae Blanchard Irene Bowers Jonathan Cryer Ken Fearing Janet Hoffey Sally Jablonski Gerald Nordquist Gail Stika Margy Winkler Curriculum C ommittee Members Norlan Boyd Loren Horton Dianne Day Cari Malone Louis De Grazia Jean Martin Diana Durham 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 In March of 2008, the Participant Advisory Committee conducted member and community surveys intended to identify operational strengths and weaknesses, unmet needs and interests of participants and non-participants, outcomes associated with participation in Center sponsored programming, participation disincentives, and demographic information related to both participants and non-participants. The overarching goal of this effort is to improve services to current members and expand the Center's participant base. In the remaining paragraphs, background information about the survey and survey process will be described and highlights from the survey responses provided. The report concludes with recommendations for future action. Survey Development and Distribution Early in 2008, three members of the Participant Advisory Committee, Dawn Rogers, Jean Reese, and Wally Johnson, volunteered to serve on the survey subcommittee. This committee developed member and community surveys (attached) and a distribution plan for the surveys. The surveys and distribution plan were reviewed and approved by the entire Participant Advisory Committee. In March of 2008, Center members were mailed two different surveys and two postage paid return envelopes. Members were asked to complete the longer membership survey that was printed on white paper and return it to the Center in one of the envelopes provided. They were asked to deliver the other postage paid envelope and shorter survey printed on blue paper to an acquaintance 50+ years of age who did not use the Center. The member would ask the non-participating community member to complete and return the survey in the envelope provided. One thousand and thirty-three (1,033) members were mailed copies of the two surveys and return envelopes. In total, 443 member and 193 community surveys were returned. This represents a return rate of 42.9% and 18.7% respectively. All surveys were anonymous. Results from both surveys were tabulated on a software program called SurveyPro 3.0. Membership Survey-Findings Respondents validated the notion that the best form of advertising is word-of-mouth by identifying a friend as the most common way they learned about the Center. Newspaper articles or advertisements and the Center's quarterly Program Guide also were mentioned frequently. Just knowing the Center exists typically does not bring people into the door. Survey results indicate that the most common reasons a decision is made to come to the Center are personal interest in a program, class, activity, or event; a desire to keep active or meet new people; or the recommendations of a friend. 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 Center members appear to be satisfied with the program offerings. Over half of the respondents visit the center a minimum of one time each week and 74% of them said that the Center was either "very important" or "important" to them. Further, most believe that their participation at the Center has resulted in improvements in their social, mental, and physical health or found it to be a valuable information resource. In written comments respondents noted that the Center "gives me a purpose," "makes me happy to be there," and "has become a new comfort zone for me." When asked to rank their level of satisfaction with a variety of clubs, classes, performance groups, volunteer activities, special events, and the availability of information that they had used or were involved with, a majority of respondents indicated that they were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" and that they liked everything in which they are involved. Results were similar when respondents were asked to rank their level of satisfaction with the equipment and arrangement of specialized areas of the building that they used (e.g. computer lab, pool room, assembly room, library, ceramics studio, art studio, exercise rooms, classrooms). Survey results show that each of the specialized areas appears to successfully meet the needs of participants with matching specialized interests. However, responses also suggest that some of these areas are used by a limited number of people. Recommendations for improving programs and activities in which the respondents were involved fell into five areas. 1. The most frequently mentioned request was for expanded hours of operations to include evening and weekend programming. 2. More variety in class offerings and improvements in current offerings (e.g. computer classes that addressed varied skill levels). 3. Fee reductions to make classes more affordable. 4. A variety of facility improvements such as an enlarged art room, new pool tables, more comfortable classroom chairs, more aggressive cleaning in fitness areas, and improvements in lighting and acoustics. 5. Improved promotional efforts to increase community awareness and participation. Among members the primary disincentives to participation are a lack of free time and a lack of programming that is of personal interest. Interestingly, transportation was identified as a disincentive for participation by many of the respondents. Nearly 10% of them indicated that they would visit the Center more if they had better transportation options. Written comments related to transportation as a disincentive noted such things as not being able to drive, complications using SEATS, and living a far distance from the Center. Many participants identified parking in the ramp as a problem. 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 When asked what they liked least about the Center, a majority of respondents did not identify anything they disliked. Other responses to this question cited the timing of programs, location, an unwelcoming atmosphere, and transportation. Written responses were inconsistent and focused on such things as parking, an unwelcoming atmosphere, the quality of programming, and a lack of socialization opportunities. Survey results highlight the Center's failure to effectively utilize the Internet as a promotional tool among members. While a large majority of respondents have access to a personal computer, only a small proportion of them have ever visited either of the Center's websites! A majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the Center provides a variety of high quality programs, abundant opportunities for continued learning, a welcoming environment, and reasonably priced program fees. Despite the fact that they represented a minority, some thought provoking suggestions were offered by some survey respondents; including: 1. Available exercise equipment should be improved with the addition of "more and newer exercise equipment." 2. The Center's atmosphere needs to be improved in terms of the environment, staff, and other participants. A couple of respondents suggested a name change (eliminate the word senior) would be a good idea. 3. Class participation fees are too high and need to be evaluated. Respondents commented that "not all classes are reasonably priced," particularly the fitness classes, and that they are aware of participants "that have problems with fees." One respondent said, "Some exercise fees seem steep, if classes are viewed as a regular way to get exercised. Some are unaffordable." Among respondents to this survey, respondents with a bachelor's degree or higher (73.1 %) are disproportionately represented when compared to Johnson County as a whole (47.6 %). (Community Profile, City of Iowa City Economic Development Division, Revised 2007) Slightly over one half of the respondents are married or in a committed relationship, and 7.6% of them live in rural areas. Respondents living in rural areas are under-represented in this survey. A large majority of the respondents (95.4%) live independently. This is not surprising given the Center's focus on providing programs and services that have been proven to improve the mental and physical health and support independent living among participants. Individuals with high incomes also are over-represented with 45.7% of respondents reporting an annual household income of $50,000 or more. Nonetheless, not all respondents reported high retirement incomes. Incomes of less than $19,999 a year were reported by 16.1 % of the respondents and 26.8% reported annual incomes of less than $29,999 a year. The majority of the survey respondents are between the ages of 60 and 79 years of age. People over eighty and those between the ages 50 - 59 represent 27.1 % and 4 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 6.4% of the respondents respectively. There was very little racial diversity among respondents. Non-Member Community Survey-Findings Respondents to the community survey echoed respondents to the membership survey when they indicated that friends, the local newspaper, and direct mailings were the primary ways they learned about activities in which they are involved. Respondents were asked to identify activities in which they have or currently are participating and then indicate whether or not they thought they would be participating in them in the future. Changes in the selection frequency of activities were noted when current or past activities were compared with future activities. These changes are illustrated in the following table. Activity Past or Present Participation Rank Future Participation Rank Change in Rank Sing, play or listen to music 1 1 0 Eating Out 2 8 (tie) _g Travel 3 3 0 Theater or museum 4 (tie) 4 (tie) 0 Volunteer Activities 4 (tie) 9 -~ Liberal arts adult education classes 5 2 +3 Sports or fitness programs 6 4 (tie) +2 Outdoor or gardening 7 10 -3 Movies 7 7 0 Medical, legal, caregiver, or financial education 8 8 (tie) 0 Health or wellness classes 9 (tie) 5 +4 Cards or other games 9 (tie) 12 -3 Reading or discussion groups 10 6 +4 Computer classes 11 11 0 Retirement planning 12 13 -1 It appears that some type of musical program, liberal arts classes, travel, sports and fitness programs, theater or museum visits, and health and wellness classes are likely 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 to be of interest to community members who are retired or nearing retirement. However, these are broad categories and therefore rather vague. When asked what factors kept them from participating in Center programming, competing time demands (including work), perceived parking problems, and a lack of familiarity with what the Center offers were the primary disincentives. Additional respondent comments included disincentives such as nothing of interest offered at the Center, personal health issues, transportation problems, an unwelcoming atmosphere, and inadequate promotion of programming. Several people talked about the image of a senior center as a disincentive. One person said, "I see the Senior Center as a place where very old people gather where there are so-so facilities with terrible parking." Nearly 80% of the community respondents have access to a personal computer and a majority of them have never visited either of the Center's websites. Ninety percent (90%) of community respondents indicated that they are willing to pay a fee to participate in a program of interest to them. When asked what factors would make them consider participating in Center programming, the responses reflected several of the disincentives for participation noted earlier. The most frequently selected responses were: 1. If I had more free time. 2. If something I was interested in was offered. 3. If programs of interest were offered at times I could attend. 4. If I knew more about what goes on there. 5. If I were not working. As in the membership survey, female respondents were over-represented. This may be related to the method of distribution for this survey. In addition, racial diversity among respondents was minimal, and residents of unincorporated areas of Johnson County were underrepresented. Community respondents tended to be slightly younger than the member respondents. There were more community respondents in the 60-69 year age group and fewer in the 80-89 year age group. Recommendations The recommendations that follow are based upon the results of the Member and Non- Member Community Surveys. All of them are very general and do not offer specific action steps to accomplish the recommendation. Occasionally more specific recommendations appear in the presentation of survey results. It is the intent of the Survey Committee to forward this information to the self- assessment accreditation teams that will be doing a comprehensive evaluation of the Center and the programs and services offered here in the fall of 2008. It is the responsibility of the assessment teams to discuss the recommendations and develop action plans when deemed necessary. For example, the team looking at programming may develop an action plan that includes partnering with the Therapeutic Recreation 6 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 department at the University of Iowa to provide training for volunteers who will offer free or low cost fitness classes on an ongoing basis. Programming 1. Because people have many choices about how to spend their time, it is imperative that the Center's programming be high quality, diverse, and reflective of community interests. 2. Continue existing methods and initiate new ones for participant involvement in all aspects of program research, planning, and implementation. 3. Continue to draw on and expand community resources and partnerships to maintain and increase quality programming. 4. Continue efforts to offer evening and weekend programming and to provide appropriate levels of staff coverage for the same. 5. Develop or implement evidence based programming that will further document the self reported mental, social, and physical health benefits reported by respondents to the membership survey. Share documented outcome benefits with participants, community members, and funders. 6. Develop and implement affordable fitness classes that are available on a regular basis. 7. Conduct more in-depth investigations into the needs and interests of non- participating community members and use the findings to guide program development. Ideally, members of the target audience should be involved in all phases of this approach. Membership and Diversity 1. Evaluate the effect and efficacy of class fee structures, methods of program delivery, the use of independent contractors, and the low-income scholarship program. Implement measures to ensure that Center programs are accessible to all members of the community. 2. Continue work on the creation of a county-wide transportation network for seniors. Transportation provided should be available for all destinations. 3. Develop and implement a plan to expand the participant base so that it is more inclusive and representative of the community as a whole. Facilit 1. Evaluate options for expanding the computer lab and art room. 2. Evaluate facility usage, including areas that cater to specialized interest, and establish priorities for decisions related to space and funding. 3. Evaluate the Center's exercise equipment and take corrective action if necessary. 7 2008 Membership and Community Surveys Executive Summary Prepared by Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Approved August 11, 2008 Environment 1. Expand opportunities for socialization among participants and visitors. 2. Create an environment that supports a sense of welcome and promotes socialization. This includes such things as high levels of customer service, environmental modifications, staff visibility, and participant interaction. Community 1. Promote member and community awareness of the Center's programs and services. 2. Develop a marketing strategy that will promote a positive image of aging and of the Center among members and within the community. 3. Promote awareness of the Center's groups, clubs, and performance groups among members and the community. Promotion 1. Develop and implement strategies that will encourage the exchange of positive information about the Center between members and non-members. 2. Continue to use and evaluate the effectiveness of the quarterly Program Guide and weekly advertisement in the local press. 3. Increase circulation of the Program Guide within the community. 4. Develop and implement a plan for effective use of web-based promotional efforts and information sharing. Investigate on-line registration and payment options and promote the Center's website as a viable information resource. IP5 ~r ~t a ~~ From the Office of the City Manager Michael Lombardo 319-356-5010 michael-lombardo@iowa-city.org August 20, 2008 Dear Council members: Here's some need-to-know information for the week... in case you have, or are asked, questions... • Fire Department Receives Accreditation Congratulations are in order as the Iowa City Fire Department has received national accreditation. It is a remarkable achievement as the ICFD is the first professional fire department in Iowa to receive such an honor, The Chief and Deputy Chief have just returned from Colorado where the announcement was made -more details will be forthcoming from the Fire Department. • Flood Damage Discovered at North River Corridor Sanitary Sewer River Crossing The North River Corridor Sanitary Sewer is a three-pipe system with 8", 14" and 18" pipes that were buried in the riverbed to transport sewage from the west side of the river to the east side. During a recent underwater diving inspection, staff has determined that the riverbed has been washed away, exposing approximately 80' of these pipes 6' to 10' above the new river bottom. The diver found that the 14" pipe is broken and the 8" and 18" pipes appear to be intact. To protect the sewer and the river water quality, the upstream end of the 14" pipe was sealed. The 8" pipe appears to be completely blocked and the 18" pipe partially blocked. City crews have constructed a temporary above-ground sewer pipe that uses the railroad bridge to cross the river, allowing sewage to be pumped until these problems are resolved. The repair or replacement of this system is potentially an expensive project. Updates will be provided as additional information is obtained. • National Recruitment Begins for Executive Director of Joint Emergency Communication Center (JECC) Advertisement for the first director of the JECC has begun. Notice has been given to applicable professional organizations for publication in journals and websites. Deadline for applications is September 22, 2008. Construction is scheduled to begin in October. • Iowa City Small Business Flood Assistance Program Update To date, eighteen small Iowa City businesses have applied for and received up to $5,000 each to help them get back into operation. Almost the entire $75,000 allocated by the City Council has been disbursed. The program is continuing with matching funds under the coordination of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce • IC Police Officer Huber Receives Life Saving Commendation We salute Iowa City Police Officer Matt Huber, who was presented the Life Saving Commendation medal by ICPD Chief Sam Hargadine this week. Officer Huber was credited with saving a person who most likely would have drowned in Ralston Creek on June 13. Officer Huber's actions are a credit to him and strongly reflect the best traditions of the Iowa City Police Department. He is the first officer to receive the award, which was initiated by Chief Hargadine. Upcoming Events FARMERS MARKET KIDS DAY -SATURDAY, AUGUST 23; 9-11 A.M., CHAUNCEY SWAN PARK First annual KIDS DAY at the Farmers Market. Live music, Kids Cooking and many activities. NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLEY WALK TO SHOWCASE ALLEY GARDENS, BACKYARDS- SATURDAY, AUGUST 23; 9 AM-NOON This self-guided walk, sponsored by the Northside Neighborhood Association, will offer a leisurely stroll through alley gardens, a glimpse at backyards, garages and workshops in the historic neighborhood. Refreshment stands will be located along the route. The event is free and open to the public. 08-21-08 IP6 f=~Y~ ~~~ Y ~~ \i-.~ C=am ~:zw~ C~: C:~~P,E: ~C~~~,a ~'d~`i~, !EJV~IR %f // NORTHSIDE \\ \\\ NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCtATiON 15 August 2008 Regenia Bailey, Mayor City Council City Hall 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor Bailey, The Northside Neighborhood Association invites you to attend the Alley Walk and Garage Sale Day, which will take place on Saturday, August 23rd, from 9 to 12 a.m. Participants will have a chance to explore the Northside's historic alleys and to shop at garage sales organized along the route. The Preucil School of Music will have students performing at their book sale in North Market Square, and there will be refreshment stations interspersed along the walk, which begins on Linn Street between Fairchild and Davenport Streets. The Alley Walk and the Alley Beautification Project have been enabled by a P.I.N. grant. We are very grateful for the City's support of our neighborhood, and we hope to see you on the 23rd. Yours sincerely, t~- udith Pascoe, Coordinator Northside Neighborhood Association Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: Gary Sanders [garyiclabor@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 3:54 PM To: Council Subject: Burg Inn 60th Free Lunch---outside (if good weather) Attachments: 60thFreeLunch.doc --- On Fri, 8/22/08, DaveP <davep@avalon.net> wrote: From: DaveP <davep@avalon.net> Subject: 60th Free Lunch To: "Gary Sanders" <garyiclabor@yahoo.com> Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 10:52 AM Gary Hope you can ope this Dave 8/22/2008 For Immediate Release For Further Information Call: Dave Panther, Liz Sanders or Chris Borders 319-335-5512 Bus. 319-321-7623 Cell 319-337-2987 Home/Dave FREE LUNCH? WHAT? THAT'S RIGHT! Hamburg Inn No. 2 Inc. in Iowa City, is celebrating It's 60t''. Anniversary be giving It's Loyal Customers and Friends a Free Lunch. All invited Monday the 25t" of August from llam to lpm. Hamburg Inn is celebrating 60 years of Great Food and Service by giving a Free Lunch on Monday the 25th of August from llam to lpm. All are invited to share a meal and sign up for our drawings for a Samsung 22" Flat Screen TV and other prizes. There will be specials on T-Shirts, Gift Certificates and plenty of Great Food and Drink. "My parents Fritz and Fran Panther always said treat your guests and staff right and don't compromise on your food or service and Hamburg Inn will always be successful and I am proud to continue their legacy with the help of my wife Roma and my Staff' states Dave Panther, owner of Hamburg Inn. Hamburg Inn an Iowa City landmark since 1948. For further information about Hamburg Inn and the Free Lunch contact Dave Panther, Liz Sanders or Chris Borders at 319-337-5512 Bus. 321-7623 Cell _ O or 337-2987 Home/Dave ~ n ~- ~~ 4 ..a (~') N ~. # # # # ~~ ~ v vt IP7 MINUTES Preliminary PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AUGUST 7, 2008 - 7:30 PM -FORMAL CITY HALL, EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Charlie Eastham, Ann Freerks, Elizabeth Koppes, Wally Plahutnik, Tim Weitzel, MEMBERS EXCUSED: Josh Busard STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Christina Kuecker, Sarah Greenwood-Hektoen OTHERS PRESENT: Ike Akabogu, Uju Akabogu, Lambert White, Mary Knudson-Dion, Anne Bendixen, Josh Newman, Ruth Baker, Ann Kohl, Anna Buss, Sadie May, Paula Swygard RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: Recommend denial by a vote of 3-2 of item REZ08-00005/SUB08-00005, an application submitted by Ike Akabogu for a rezoning from Medium Density Single Family (RS-8) zone to High Density Single Family (RS-12) zone and an 11-lot residential subdivision for approximately 0.88-acres of property at 442, 446, and 452 Benton Street and 719 and 723 Michael Street. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:33 p.m. by Chairperson Ann Freerks. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. REZONING ITEMS: REZ08-00005/SUB08-00005: Discussion of an application submitted by Ike Akabogu for a rezoning from Medium Density Single Family (RS-8) zone to High Density Single Family (RS-12) zone and an 11-lot residential subdivision for approximately .88 acres of property at 442, 446, & 452 Benton Street and 719 & 723 Michael Street. The 45-day limitation period is August 7, 2008. Kuecker noted that this item had been deferred from the last meeting. The applicant has submitted a new site plan which would change the development to a 10-lot subdivision by changing the original six units on Michael Street to five units. This change provides a new 30-foot wide green space that was not originally there. In addition, three parallel parking spaces have been added to the site plan. Kuecker handed out elevation drawings of what the buildings would look like. Kuecker stated that Staff's concerns with the new plan are similar to their previously stated concerns. Staff is concerned with the amount of open space and with the scale and design of the buildings. Although Staff was given a set of preliminary plans to look over earlier in the week, the plans before the Commission on this evening had not been extensively reviewed. Kuecker attached information to the staff-packet that the Commission had requested at the last meeting. One Commissioner had asked for data on the amount of building permits and what sort of redevelopment had been happening in the neighborhood in question; a table was included in the packet which outlined this information. Commissioners also requested information on the amount of dollars in General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (GRIP) funding that had been given out in the neighborhood. Kuecker included a summary of the funding, and stated that the total amount spent in the last 20 years Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 2 was approximately $200,000 for this neighborhood. Kuecker stated that a copy of the minutes from the Planning and Zoning meeting in which this property had requested an up-zone to RM-20 was also included in the packet. Freerks asked if there were any questions for Staff. Eastham asked if Staff knew what the allowable number of units would have been for these five properties under the RS-8 zoning that was in place prior to recent revisions to the zoning code. Miklo said that was something which Staff would have to study. Kuecker noted that under the current RS-8 zoning there could be six lots, possibly seven if the corner met the size requirements for a duplex. Eastham asked if it would be reasonable to suggest that more units would have been allowed under the previous version of the RS-8 zoning code. Miklo would not risk a guess without sitting down to further research the question. Freerks opened the public hearing and invited the applicant to speak first Ike Akabogu, 1555 Otter Lane, North Liberty, thanked the Commission for the opportunity to speak with them regarding this application for rezoning. Akabogu stated that when the application was submitted, the plans were fora 6-plex. He said that a 6-plex had been planned because his bank required at least that many units to finance him. Akabogu stated that in order to make the project work for the Planning and Zoning Commission, he had gone back and reduced the number of units on Michael Street to five, created more green space, and added an eight-foot porch in the front of each unit to provide additional outdoor space. Akabogu said that he had also twice met with the neighborhood since the last Planning and Zoning meeting and has shown the new plans to them. Akabogu stated that this was not an issue of him against the neighborhood; rather the neighborhood and he are endeavoring to work together. He said that in the last conversation he had with the neighborhood they actually liked the revised drawings; however, their concerns remained regarding the rezoning. Akabogu stated that he wished to remind the neighborhood and the Commission that the properties in question are surrounded by RM-20 zoning and apartment buildings. These lots, Akabogu contended, are totally different from the other side of Benton Street in that there are apartment buildings and multiple-family units all around his units, whereas the other side of Benton consists of small single-family units. Akabogu said the neighbors need not fear a "slippery slope" argument in which property owners in the area would rush to get rezoning for their properties and would be approved based on his precedent. Akabogu said that the other properties in the area would not be so justifiable for a rezoning based on the fact that they are not surrounded by multi- family units. The condition of the units in question, Akabogu said, is terrible; everyone agrees. He asked the Commission if it was better to leave these units in terrible condition, or better to try to improve the area by implementing his building plan. He said the community would gain solid buildings, a wider street on Michael Street, and new sidewalks. This rezoning, he said, applies only to his small corner, not to the whole neighborhood; he is not looking to change the whole neighborhood. He said that he wished it was possible for him to simply build fewer units to ease everyone's concerns, but financially he has done all he can do to show good faith. Akabogu said that trying to fix the current units is simply not worth it financially because the units were not built to last for as long as they have. Akabogu encouraged the Commission to consider the positives of this project and to look at the whole picture. Koppes asked how long Akabogu had owned 723 Michael Street. Akabogu replied that he had owned it since 2006. Koppes asked if he had done a basement remodel on the property. Akabogu said he tried to refinish the basement but that as he worked one thing after another was found to be in need of repair or replacement. Koppes asked if he then did not actual-y refinish the basement. Akabogu said that he did, but that it did not really cure the problem. Akabogu said that the problem is that you cannot really remodel something that was not intended to last that long in the first place. He said that he keeps pouring in money, but is not able to raise the rents to cover the expenses. Akabogu stated that it must also be kept in mind that most of the units in the neighborhood are not owner-occupied, and that replacing his current units with newer units will not change that fact. He said nicer units may bring in people of more decent character to the neighborhood. There were no further questions from the Commission for Akabogu. Uju Akabogu, 1555 Otter Lane, North Liberty, stated that she is Ike Akabogu's wife. She said that she was very impressed with the crowd that came out to support and show concern for their neighborhood, and she thanked them for doing so. Akabogu said that she also is concerned for the neighborhood and expressed a deep love and appreciation for Iowa City. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 3 Akabogu expressed concern with the idea that changing this one little corner of Benton Street would change the entire city and be a visual blight on the neighborhood. Akabogu wished to reassure anyone who had these kinds of concerns that the corner in question was very much separate from the rest of the neighborhood and that the designs of the buildings are actually quite cute and provides a nice transition between the small homes of the neighborhood and the large apartment buildings surrounding the property. Akabogu said she hopes that people understand that she and Akabogu want what is best for the city and for Iowa because she is an Iowan and her family is Iowan; they are not just disinterested foreigners who do not care about the area. She said they want only to improve the area, and to conduct their business like everyone else is able to do. Lambert White, 329 Douglass Court, said he had concerns for how this new construction project would relate in aesthetically with the current neighborhood. White asked who the target clientele for the units was intended to be: families, students, low-income individuals? White noted that any talks that took place with the neighborhood must have been very isolated in their nature, as he was never consulted. White asked what Ike Akabogu had meant when he said that Michael Street would become a "normal" street after the completion of the project. Mary Knudson-Dion, 725 W. Benton Street, said she wished to clarify the issue of the neighborhood having been met with Akabogu. Knudson-Dion said that she and Mark Cannon had been called by Akabogu a couple of times to meet with him concerning the project. Knudson-Dion said that while the conversations were collegial, Knudson-Dion and Cannon were not in any way presenting themselves as representatives of the neighborhood. Knudson-Dion said that the meetings were simply to keep her and Cannon apprised of changes to the plans. Knudson-Dion said that she had expressed to Akabogu that she liked the fact that he had increased the green space with these new plans, and that she felt the building design was attractive. However, she also informed him that she would not support the project because she is concerned of the "slippery-slope" effect the change in zoning might have on the neighborhood. Knudson-Dion noted that 61 % of the properties in the neighborhood are rented. She noted that land there is cheap and that values would go up considerably for owners of that land if the zoning became RS-12. Knudson-Dion said that Callaway Acres, the 8 acres of vacant land behind her house, could easily be rezoned to RS-12 if that zoning is granted to Akabogu. Knudson-Dion said her concern extends to other neighborhoods, not just hers, because she is afraid that if this passes, it will also be easier for other developers to go from RS-8 to RS-12. Knudson-Dion said that a lot of hard work was done with the Southwest District Plan to integrate the two sides of Benton Street and emphasize that they are in fact one neighborhood. One of the reasons residents wanted Benton Hill Park was so that they could have one, unified, diverse neighborhood that joined together in spite of the arterial dividing the two sides of the street. Knudson-Dion said that her understanding of the staff report was that Staff had requested the building be reduced to four units, not five. She asked for clarification on that. Weitzel asked Knudson-Dion if her neighborhood had a Neighborhood Association. Knudson-Dion said that it did, that she was its representative, and that it was with the Neighborhood Association that Ike Akabogu had initially met with in May. Anne Bendixen, 902 Hudson, stated that she owns her own home, six homes away from the property in question. She stated that she is aloes-income, single parent of two children who attend Roosevelt Elementary. She noted that the property is on the route she and her children take to school each day. Bendixen said that when she moved into her house 11 years ago it was in a neighborhood that was diverse in terms of economic-standing, race and age; a quality which her family liked about the neighborhood. Bendixen stated that she has been troubled by the deterioration of the neighborhood. She described the neighborhood as one on the brink of collapse. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 4 Bendixen said that increasing the population density of this neighborhood could only make the situation worse. Increasing the density will mean: less green space and fewer mature trees in an area where shady pedestrian areas are already limited; more transitory student renters with no investment in the neighborhood; more student parties and the nuisances that come with them in terms of trash and noise; more parking problems in an area with very limited parking; more risk for children walking on streets with no sidewalks, more risky student drivers, more incidents of near-misses for children walking to and from school; more requests for zoning changes from other rental properties, which will only exacerbate existing problems; and a continued decline of families in the neighborhood. Bendixen stated that the end result would be a faltering elementary school surrounded by college-student apartments, leaving the vast majority of Roosevelt students to be bused in from other neighborhoods. Bendixen stated that this rezoning could result in another ghetto for Iowa City. Josh Newman, 1715 G ST, former owner resident of 442 W. Benton Street said that he has an interest in these meetings as a longtime Iowa City resident. He said he wished to respond to a letter opposing the project by saying that while the writer was concerned with keeping the neighborhood affordable for first- time homebuyers and families, what the homes in question really are is cheap, not affordable. Ruth Baker, 515 W. Benton Street, said that she lives directly across the street from the proposed townhouses. Baker said she had attended the May 15th Neighborhood Association meeting with Akabogu, and said she has given the matter a lot of thought. She said that while the homes are in terrible shape, the solution is not to change the zoning. She said an increase in density would be the last straw and would absolutely demolish the neighborhood. Baker said that while Akabogu is asking only to rezone a few properties, she believes it is true that other requests will come in immediately and that they will be difficult to deny if they meet the same criteria. The neighborhood already has its share of high density multi-family units, Baker said. Baker noted that Akabogu purchased the properties knowing they were zoned RS-8. Baker said that the City is always expressing the need for affordable housing in Iowa City, and yet, here is a neighborhood full of affordable housing that may be destroyed. Baker said that it is a shame that the properties have not been kept up better, and that she believes there should be some City assistance available for first-time buyers in the neighborhood. She said the neighborhood would welcome subsidized housing and that as a diverse neighborhood close to downtown, it was made for that kind of thing. Ann Kohl, 709 Giblin Drive, said that she had lived in her home for nearly 35 years. She said that she hopes the Commission will not change the zoning to RS-12 because she feels the neighborhood already has too many apartments, and does not need the increased population, or the extra traffic. Kohl said that while she gets along alright with the students who live next door to her, they do have way more parties than she would like. She said that she believes Akabogu means well, but that she does not believe he really knows what he is doing with this project. She said she believes that the buildings are way too much for the area, and that the plan would be detrimental to the neighborhood. Kohl said she worries what a change in zoning might do to property values as well as property taxes. Kohl said the focus should be on what can be done within the confines of the present zoning. She stated that Akabogu knew what he was getting when he bought the properties and he should now deal with what he has. Anna Buss, 525 W. Benton Street, stated that if Akabogu bought these properties in 2006, then he knew what he was getting. One of the things that he has clearly said, Buss stated, is that these buildings are in bad shape and are falling apart. Buss said that this was not possible in Iowa City because the Housing Inspection Services (HIS) department would not issue a rental permit to any property that was unfit to live in. If the house is somehow unfit to live in, Buss said, then shame on the City for letting that happen and shame on Akabogu for not fixing them up. Buss said that every one of her properties in the area is older than Akabogu's, and each was in as bad or worse shape when she bought them. She said she has sunk thousands of dollars into her properties, and as a result, she now has higher property taxes. Buss said that if Akabogu does not wish to keep his properties up then he should sell them to someone who will. Buss said she invited everyone to go by and look at the rental properties up the hill in the RM-20 zone. Two of them, she said, are in such horrible condition that they ought to be torn down. Buss contended that because Akabogu knew what he was buying when he purchased the properties, he had to have had a plan for the neighborhood that included rezoning. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 5 Buss said that a number of years ago she owned almost every house on Miller Avenue. When the Southwest District Plan was developed and the zoning was changed, Buss said, she lost a lot of money. The rezoning prevented her from being able to put duplexes all down Miller, as she had hoped. As a result of that rezoning, she began selling her properties on Miller. She said that she had spoken to everyone that she had sold to and they are all waiting to see what the Commission does with this issue. Buss said that the owners of the nine acres south of Benton Hill Park are also waiting to see what comes of this rezoning. She said that there are realtors that are salivating at the idea of a rezoning in the area. Buss stated that five of the eight houses on Miller Avenue are rental properties; on Benton Street between Hudson and Miller, two of the three houses are rentals; on the west side of Hudson, six of 15 houses are rentals; on the east side of Hudson 11 of 18 houses are rentals. Buss said that by her count, the percentage of rentals in the neighborhood is more like 75% than 61 %. Buss said that affordable housing does not exist in Iowa City. She said affordable housing is a myth and that this is because of the land costs and the expense of City requirements. Buss said that she has been unable to find a builder for her proposed development that is willing to build for less than $210 per square foot. Buss said that she will be satisfied whether the Commission votes to rezone or not. With a rezoning, she stands to make money and see her property values double. She does not, however, wish to see what will happen to the neighborhood if the rezoning goes through. As no one else came forward to speak, Freerks allowed Ike Akabogu a chance for rebuttal. Akabogu stated that the issue was one in which everyone needed to take their emotions out of it and examine the real deal. Akabogu said that something needs to happen with the houses, and that this plan is one which will draw families to the community. Akabogu said that his heart's plan is to house families, not students. He said that he is working together with a Johnson County assistance program to make these homes affordable for families. Akabogu said that the median income for asingle-person household in Iowa City is $50,800; Iowa City is not a cheap place to live. Right now, Akabogu said, no family with children will rent these homes. This project, Akabogu said, will provide units with room for families and a widened, improved Michael Street. Akabogu said that low-income housing is not going to fall from the sky, and that he is trying to do something for this population. Akabogu stated that he is giving the Commission a say in what happens to this neighborhood; that he is presenting plans that he will have to follow, and not just asking for a blank check. He said that he has helped one of his former renters, a single mother; actually buy the house she had rented from him. This, he said, is his real mission and what is in his heart. Each unit is on its own lot so that the family can actually buy it, Akabogu said, and he is connecting with resources and organizations in the community to make that possible. Freerks interjected that the Commission cannot rezone based on potential buyers. Freerks said that who may purchase or live in the property and whether or not it is owner-occupied never comes into play with a rezoning. Akabogu said that he understood this, but that he was addressing concerns of the community. Akabogu said that he was replying to the concern that 61 % of the neighborhood was already a rental, and that he was trying to show he would be taking away from that problem, not adding to it. If the rezoning is approved, Akabogu said, then five rental units will be replaced by ten very nice units that could be purchased by their occupants. If nothing is done, Akabogu said, the community will further deteriorate. He wants to be a part of the community, he said; he wants to work together with the community to make it a better place. Akabogu reminded the Commission that the last time he came for a rezoning he wished to connect the two lots on Michael Street with the rest of the RM-20 zone in the area. If that had been done, he said, they would not have had a problem rebuilding single families on the Benton Street side. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 6 Freerks asked why Akabogu was now asking for a rezoning on Benton Street if he once thought that the appropriate thing to do was to cut off the rezoning at Michael Street. Akabogu said that at the time he requested the first rezoning, he did not own all of the units on Benton Street that he does now. Freerks then asked if the original rezoning application was based then on what he owned, not on what he thought was best for the area as a whole. He said that this was true. Akabogu said that it only makes financial sense to build buildings the size he is proposing. No bank will sponsor a plan that does not make money from them. Akabogu contended that there will be no increase in density as a result of this plan. Freerks responded that an increase in density and a rezoning is required to implement the plan. This plan does not mean that the children will not have a place to play, Akabogu said, or that the neighborhood will be ruined and the community destroyed. This plan will actually create a better place for children and the community. He is the one who will be paying to make these improvements. Freerks noted that Staff had recommended a reduction in the number of units on Michael Street from six to four, and that Akabogu had only reduced the number to five. She asked why he had settled on five. Akabogu said that even at six units the plans showed an $114,000 deficit. With five units, Akabogu is endeavoring to show the Commission that he is willing to make the project work. He said that he is open to suggestions from the Commission and the community to make this work. Weitzel asked Akabogu to speak to the neighbor's point that he should at least try to work within the framework of the existing code, if not within the framework of the existing buildings. Akabogu said that he has searched for ways to get this done without changing the zoning. Most available funding requires an owner-occupant to qualify, and were fairly small amounts. Freerks stated that some of these properties were owner-occupied before Akabogu bought them. He said that only Josh Newman's unit was owner-occupied and that Newman had tried to fix the place up but that it was not feasible. Akabogu said that he was told by one contractor who looked into remodeling the place that it looked as though the home was from Mexico or something. Akabogu said that with all of the repairs needed, one might as well tear the place down and build new. The reason they are proposing the building they are, Akabogu said, is that it makes good financial sense. If the City would give him $300,000 for the project, he would cut the number of units down to whatever the City wanted. Uju Akabogu said that she felt there was intimidation going on. She said that she felt that some people in the audience were making threats such that if this is rezoned then they and others will do the same. Uju said she was concerned that this was intimidating to the Commission and to the other members of the neighborhood. She said that the implication is that if Akabogu tears down five houses, the whole world for the neighbors will be rocked, and that simply is not true. Freerks said that this proposal may very well feel very threatening to some people. Uju said she finds it unfair for someone to say that they are, on the one hand, against someone being able to rezone, and then on the other hand, going to do the exact same thing if the rezoning goes through. She said she finds some of the tones threatening, inappropriate, and intimidating. Miklo said that he wished to address the question of wholesale rezoning of the neighborhood. From a professional planner's perspective, he said, each rezoning should be considered on a case by case basis, and based on the Comprehensive Plan, the character of the neighborhood, and the adjacent zoning. Freerks said that she felt she must add that the Commission does consider how rezoning an area affects the rest of the community, and, in fact, the Commission should not do anything without taking this into account. Miklo agreed that this was true. He noted, however, that one of the things to consider in this case is the adjacent zone. There is, he acknowledged, RM-20 zoning adjacent and because of this, transitional zoning such as RS-12 is not necessarily inappropriate. In terms of the larger neighborhood, most of the area south of Benton Street is zoned RS-8, although there is some multi-family and commercial zoning. Freerks asked about Miller Avenue, stating that there is RM-20 and commercial behind Miller. Miklo said that if somebody submitted a proposal to rezone the area north of Benton Street then that would be a consideration. Miklo said that there seems to be an implication that if this is rezoned the entire neighborhood must be rezoned, and that is false. Sadie P. May, 612 W. Benton Street, stated that she has lived in her home for 50 years. The neighborhood has been described as a residential area, she said, and she would like to keep it that way. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 7 May said that there were still a few people in the neighborhood that owned their homes and that they would like for that to continue. She said that they do their best to keep their places up. May said she would not like to see any more townhouses than are already there. Living next to the school, she said, she sees how dangerous it is for the children to walk to school and try to cross the street, especially during the winter. May said that she is surprised that in all the years she has lived there no child has actually been killed trying to cross the street. She said that she looked forward to a better Iowa City, and that she is asking the Commission not to approve this plan. Weitzel asked Miklo if Benton Street was an arterial street. Miklo replied that it is. Lambert White said that he drives Benton Street every day in his automobile and twice a day as a school bus driver. White said that Benton Street has issues of speeding traffic, poor road conditions and children trying to cross a dangerous road. Adding to the density of the neighborhood .just puts more pressure on that road, White said. During the flood, White said, Benton Street turned out to be the only access road between one side of town and the other, which further demonstrated its vulnerability. White said the size of Benton Street should be increased, and that added consideration should be given to the density of the population in that area. Koppes remarked that while Benton Street is an arterial, it does not meet the current standards for an arterial. Miklo said this was correct. Benton Street has insufficient width for an arterial and has more driveways coming off of it than would be allowed for a new arterial. Then again, Miklo said, when moving traffic in an area that is already built, you are not going to have a modern street. Getting a modern street into an already built neighborhood such as those off of Benton would probably destroy the neighborhood. The City Council did consider a proposal a couple of years ago to add improvements such as turning lanes on Benton Street and encountered quite a bit of neighborhood opposition. As a result, Miklo said, that proposal was basically tabled and there are no current plans to widen the street. Anna Buss stated that there had been court cases in the past in which property-owners sued the City to get a rezoning because of issues just like the one before the Commission currently. Those cases, Buss said, will not be the first or the last to go to court. Buss said that she is trying to be intimidating because she owns two-and-a-half times as much property as the Akabogu's do and she would love to build on it, as would some of the other property owners down the street and the owners of the vacant lot on Miller. Plahutnik asked if these discussions about other properties could be brought up at the beginning when the Commission invites discussion of other issues, as that would seem more appropriate. Buss said when Miklo said that RS-12 might be a good fit for Michael Street due to being surrounded by RM-20 she realized what a good fit her property on Miller Avenue would be with the commercial zoning on the other ends of Miller and Hudson. Buss said that if the Commission would look at the map drawn up by a neighborhood resident that shows all of the rental property in the area, the picture would become clearer to them. Ike Akabogu said that the way the houses are right now, the driveways are right on Benton Street. This, Akabogu said is much more dangerous to little kids than the configuration he is proposing. What he proposes has no driveway on Benton and has the cars coming in to the back of the building. Further, the houses are 40 feet from the street. Freerks asked how far the current houses were from the street. Kuecker said she was not sure, but that it was less than 40, perhaps 20-25 feet. Paula Swygard, 426 Douglass Street, said that she has been a homeowner in the area for about 11 years. Swygard shared the map that had been discussed by Buss with the Commissioners. She said that when the rentals surrounding them are all laid out on a map like that it feels pretty overwhelming. Miklo also supplied the Commissioners with a map containing the same information that had been drawn up by Staff. Swygard said she would like to address the idea of emotion playing into this situation. She said that her feeling is that the emotions have been on both ends. She noted that Akabogu talks about what is in his heart and the way he wants to help families. When it comes right down to it though, Swygard said, this is a business he is talking about. He is in this for financial reasons, and that should be considered, she said. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 8 Freerks invited new commentary from the public. As no one came forward, the public hearing was closed. Freerks said that she believed there were two options for going forward. The 45-limitation period is up, so the Commission could vote either to approve or deny this application. If the Commission voted to approve, then they would need to discuss limitations or conditions they would require of the developer. If conditions and limitations are required, then the Commission may want to ask the applicant if he would like a deferral so that the Commission had time to review exactly what conditions they would like placed on the property. Freerks said that before the matter was discussed further she would like to ask for a motion. Eastham moved to defer this item to the item until the next meeting if the applicant approves a deferral. Freerks said the request has to come from the applicant. Miklo said the applicant could be asked now. The applicant indicated his agreement to a deferral. Weitzel seconded the motion. Freerks opened the floor for discussion. Eastham said that he felt this proposal had a number of fairly complicated issues associated with it, and he would like to have some additional time, including an informal session, to ask some questions of Staff. Eastham said that he personally thinks this is a rather challenging neighborhood, and that it makes it difficult to discern the best way to proceed with this application and to foresee how the proposed development will affect the overall area. He did not feel ready to vote one way or the other, and thus, motioned to defer. Eastham said he would also like to defer to give Staff time to make some additional recommendations. Freerks asked what those recommendations would be. Eastham said he did not think that Staff had yet had time to evaluate the most recent set of plans. Miklo asked Eastham if he wanted Staff comment on that, and Eastham said he would. Miklo said that from the beginning Staff had seen some merit in this potential rezoning, but that Staff also felt that this was a sensitive neighborhood and that there were conflicting issues that need to be weighed against one another. From Staff's perspective, the current housing stock on these five lots is not in good shape. There is a desire on the part of the neighborhood, which is encouraged by the Comprehensive Plan, for a mix of single-family, owner-occupied and rental units in this area. When Staff reviewed this application, Staff's consensus was that given the size, design and quality of the units, the likelihood that they would become owner-occupied again is small. It is possible that the units could be fixed up as rentals, but the size, configuration, and lack of basements in the homes are a challenge to their desirability as owner-occupied units. Freerks said that this is not something that is usually talked about in the Commission's approach to a rezoning: the quality of the property. Miklo said that he believed it was relevant in this case because of the sensitivity of the neighborhood and the attempt to balance density with the long-term stability of the neighborhood. Some would argue, Miklo said, that increasing density is going to destabilize the neighborhood; but Staff is not sure that is the case here. The reason he is addressing the size and quality of construction of these houses is that Staff must ask itself if it is possible to achieve the goal of stabilizing this neighborhood with the existing housing stock only. Miklo reminded the Commission that Staff did not recommend approval of this application, although they did see some merit in it. Staff had recommended deferral to allow for time to address the concerns regarding the design of the units, the lack of open spaces and the parking issues. While there has been some movement on the applicant's part to address those things, the issues have not been completely resolved. Miklo noted that Staff had recommended four units on Michael Street, and while five units does help to address the steep slope issue, it probably is not as good of a fit in the neighborhood as four would be. Staff just received the revised plans today, and while Staff feels the level of detail could have some merit, there are still some things Staff would suggest changes to. Miklo said that he is not ready to recommend the plan as it is. Miklo said that he believed the question before Staff, the Commission, and the neighborhood is: is it better to leave the current housing units there in the way that they are now? Miklo said that it was possible that if the units were left as is someone would buy them or the applicant would fix them up. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 9 Freerks commented that she felt it was a sad state of affairs if Iowa City had come to the point where they had to up-zone in order to get someone to do something with their property. Freerks said she felt it was rewarding negligence. Miklo said that that point of view was certainly something for consideration. Miklo said the reason Staff was looking at the question so hard was because there is a real commitment to preserving this neighborhood on the part of both the City and the neighborhood. Koppes noted that the mass of these buildings is so much different from the rest of the neighborhood, and that this really concerned her. Freerks agreed with this concern. Koppes said the buildings are quite large compared to the small single-family homes in the area. Freerks said she had looked through the minutes from the 2007 rezoning; she had looked through the Comprehensive Plan; she looked through the code; she looked at the Southwest District Plan. Her conclusion is that she is not convinced that an up-zone is what is required to improve this neighborhood. She said she does have concern with the precedent rezoning could set. She noted that she is in no way intimidated by anyone's statements in those regards, but that in looking at the history of how things have been done in the past she can see where someone can easily make a similar request on the same grounds in various places in the neighborhood. While she understands that each rezoning is considered on its own merits, Freerks feels that this could result in a "slippery slope" effect. Freerks said that ultimately, she has a lot of concerns based on the Comprehensive Plan. Weitzel said that he did not want to stop discussion while the Commission was getting on a roll, but he felt that the question of deferral should be called. Freerks said that first the Commission would need to be formally directed by Akabogu on whether or not he would like to defer until the August 215' meeting. Akabogu stated that he would be willing to waive the 45-day limitation period if that would help the Commission. Freerks stated that the Commission now knew it would be possible to defer, but that now the Commission must vote on whether or not they wished to actually defer the matter. The motion to defer the application until the August 215' meeting failed on a 3-2 vote. Plahutnik, Freerks and Koppes voted against the deferral. Weitzel and Eastham voted for the deferral. Busard was not present. Freerks asked fora new motion Weitzel moved to approve REZ08-00005/SUB/00005: an application submitted by Ike Akabogu for a rezoning from Medium Density Single Family (RS-8) zone to High Density Single Family (RS-12) zone and an 11-lot residential subdivision for approximately .88 acres of property at 442, 446, & 452 Benton Street and 719 & 723 Michael Street. Plahutnik seconded Freerks opened the floor for discussion. Freerks noted that the agenda item called for an 11-lot subdivision, and the current plan was fora 10-lot subdivision. Weitzel stated that he wished to amend his motion to include the current configuration of the plans and elevation drawings subject to potential Staff approval. Eastham asked how many units were being,discussed. Weitzel said ten units, and added that he wanted Staff to have the chance to modify the designs to allow them to fit better with the neighborhood. Miklo stated that the way to approach this if the Commission wished to put conditions on the plans that they have seen is to do a Conditional Zoning Agreement (CZA) that would have language to the effect that the RS-12 rezoning is approved subject to the adherence to aStaff-approved concept plan and elevation drawings. Plahutnik asked for clarification on whether this CZA would be an agreement with the owner, or if it was something that would attach to the property. Miklo replied that it would be attached to the property; it would be like a covenant where if it was purchased by someone else, that owner would also be required Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 10 to adhere to the plan unless they had the City lift it. Miklo clarified that the conditions are a permanent requirement for the rezoning and do not have an expiration date. Weitzel said he would like to amend his motion to reflect that. Greenwood-Hektoen asked Weitzel to be more specific. Weitzel said he would like to amend his motion to include a CZA that basically specifies Staff approval of the configuration of the lot-lines, the setbacks, the elevations and all of the other similar details involved in the current 10-unit plan before the Commission. Freerks stated that there was a motion and a second on the floor, and invited discussion Plahutnik stated that what was ultimately being discussed was the rezoning of this property. Plahutnik said that the thing that was foremost in his mind was the down-zoning of the S. Governor area that was done a year or two ago. Plahutnik said this was an Iowa City zoning success story. The plan currently before the Commission, Plahutnik said, was the antithesis of that. The first step that the residents of S. Governor successfully fought against was a rezoning five years prior. Plahutnik said that stabilization was reached in a very dicey neighborhood that was much like this area: huge apartment buildings abutting single family-dwellings, abutting duplexes, triplexes, etc. Plahutnik said he wants to at least give the Miller-Orchard neighborhood a shot. This project, he said, could be the tipping point that sends the neighborhood in the other direction. Plahutnik acknowledged that the current buildings were sub- standard, but he said that he did not buy them so that is not his sole focus. Plahutnik said that it appeared that the Planning and Zoning Commission was written in as a part of the business plan when these properties were purchased, and he said it was unfortunate that no one had consulted him at the time. Someone, somewhere, has a plan for these properties that he can agree to, Plahutnik said, and he is perfectly willing to be patient and wait for it. Eastham said he had spent quite a bit of time walking this neighborhood, and that he has also looked carefully at the Comprehensive Plan. Eastham said he has tried to consider how effective the current zoning has been, and has asked himself what the condition of the neighborhood is under the current zoning and where it seems to be headed. Eastham said he asked himself if this specific proposal offers something that is not available under the current zoning in terms of the long-term residential viability and development of the neighborhood. The Comprehensive Plan, Eastham said, indicates that this neighborhood should remain zoned primarily for single-family occupancy: this includes owner-occupied and rentals attached and detached units. Eastham said this neighborhood had been zoned RS-8 since 1983. And while the zoning has not changed, the use of duplexes in zoning and in the city's development has changed considerably in that time. Eastham said that he suspected the balance between rental occupancy and owner occupancy has changed toward rental-occupancy over the course of the years. Eastham suspected that the housing conditions had correlatively deteriorated as that balance shifted. The City's housing surveys tend to support this belief, he said. Eastham said that what he was thinking about was the fact that under RS-8 zoning the neighborhood has moved in an undesirable direction. Eastham said that he understood that a number of individuals had worked very hard and spent a great deal of time and money on their properties, and he stated that this was with great results. Most of the reinvestment in this neighborhood, however, has been in the form of duplexes. Eastham said he was having a hard time convincing himself that maintaining RS-8 zoning everywhere in this neighborhood is going to get the City and the neighborhood where they want to be in terms of neighborhood stabilization and improvement. Freerks asked if Eastham was suggesting a Comprehensive Plan change. Eastham replied that he was not. Eastham said that the RS-8 zoning on Governor Street to which Plahutnik had referred may not have the long-term stabilizing effect that the Commission had hoped for. Over time, Eastham said, he is not sure that RS-8 zoning quite cuts it. Eastham said that he does believe the Comprehensive Plan does allow RS-12 zoning in this neighborhood, although it is not clear-cut. Eastham said that carefully selected RS-12 zoning in infill development is probably going to be called for in the future as the City tries to stabilize and reverse the trend of non-maintenance in older neighborhoods. Eastham said he did not think that RS-8 zoning would permit the necessary flexibility to do so. He said that such neighborhoods would require a slightly higher development density in order to make development financially justifiable. Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 11 In this particular case, Eastham said, he would prefer to look at nine total units as part of a CZA, and would also like to include a provision that limits the number of bedrooms to three in any given unit, and possibly requires a mix of two and three bedroom units. Eastham said that the allowable unrelated occupancy on the five units in question is currently 20 people. With nine units in the proposed plan, the unrelated occupancy would be 27 people. Eastham said that nine units would not unduly increase the overall density of the neighborhood, and would make the property more manageable while keeping it financially feasible. Eastham said that he intended to vote in favor of the motion. He added that when the Chair was ready he would like to offer an amendment to the motion to reduce the number of units to nine, and to limit the number of bedrooms in any one unit to three bedrooms with a maximum total of 33 bedrooms for the entire development. Freerks asked for a vote on the amendment The amendment failed on a vote of 3-2. Plahutnik, Koppes, and Freerks voted against the amendment. Eastham and Weitzel voted for the amendment. Busard was not present. Koppes said that she too had read the 2007 minutes requesting a rezoning for this property and she said she was struck by something Plahutnik had said. At that time, Plahutnik had said that he did not think a past intrusion into the RS-8 zoning merited a continued intrusion. Another Commissioner of that time had expressed concern for the "slippery slope effect" on zoning if that request had been granted. Koppes stated that the concerns had not really changed since the 2007 application. Koppes said she felt if the Commission wanted to do this, then they would need to go back and open up the Comprehensive Plan and really look at this neighborhood. She said that just saying RS-12 fits into the current Comprehensive Plan is not good enough. She thinks the Commission needs to go back and determine what their vision is for the neighborhood. Koppes said that she is not at all for putting a massive structure with ten townhomes in this neighborhood. She said that she would not be supporting this motion. Weitzel said he was discovering that all rezoning issues are contentious. He said that he really does feel for the neighborhood and stated that he had gone through similar things in his own neighborhood. Weitzel said that what it comes down to for him, is that the Comprehensive Plan does say single-family housing is appropriate for this area and RS-12 is, by definition, single-family housing. Weitzel said that he does not see how this is tied to the Governor Street down-zoning because that area had much larger housing overall, bigger lot sizes, and a preservation overlay present in the area. Those things, Weitzel said, make a big difference. This is a different kind of neighborhood in a different area of town and the same kind of revival would not necessarily take place as a result of adown-zoning. The proposed development may offer a different kind of revival in the neighborhood. Weitzel said he also sees value in the idea of a transitional RS-12 zoning between the RM-20 and the RS-8 zoning. There is no way to control for who will rent a given unit when considering a rezoning, Weitzel acknowledged; however, the design and the detail make these units more attractive to the less rambunctious sort of renter. Weitzel.said he wished to point out that there are very aggressive nuisance laws in this town, which are quite effective, although they do require diligence on the part of the neighbors. Weitzel said that as he looks at the Comprehensive Plan he sees this fits into it and he thinks this development does have the potential to be very good for the neighborhood. He stated that he would be voting in favor of the motion. Freerks said that she agrees that additional investment in this neighborhood would be beneficial, just as it is beneficial to any neighborhood that wishes to have well-maintained properties. She said that she felt it was sad to have to dangle a rezoning carrot in order to get people to maintain their properties. She said she also does not see properties with this kind of bulk and mass and scale and lack of green space fitting into what she sees in the Southwest District Plan. That plan, Freerks noted, calls for buildings "designed to be sensitive to the environment, topography and surrounding development," and the proposed plan simply does not do that. Freerks said that more units does not necessarily equal affordable units, and because there is no guarantee despite the owner's assurances that the units will actually be affordable, she cannot take that into her consideration of the application. No one knows who is going to live there, Freerks said. She said she would like to see reinvestment in these properties within the framework of the Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 12 current zoning, and she believes that that can be done. She said that the time since the neighborhood was rezoned in 1983 until now is just a blip on the screen, and that the Commission owes it to the neighborhood to give them some more time to maintain and improve their neighborhood. Freerks said she sees people in the crowd who have invested in the neighborhood, and live there, and wish to stay there, and what she is hearing from them is that the last thing they want is these townhouses plopped down in their neighborhood. The bottom line for her, Freerks said, is that this project is not in line with the Comprehensive Plan. Freerks said she happens to live on Governor Street and that she saw first-hand the positive results of the down-zoning there. Freerks said there are implications for all of the adjacent single-family homes in the area. The environment around them would change with this project, the green space, the trees, and the feel of the neighborhood. Although she is not afraid to talk about additional requests, she thinks it would be silly not to expect a flood of requests from other areas that are adjacent to RM-20. She said she thought Eastham touched on this when he indicated that the whole area may need to be rezoned. This is something Freerks disagrees with. Freerks said she intends to vote against this. Eastham said he wished to make clear that he does not wish to rezone the entire Miller-Orchard neighborhood to RS-12; he does not think that is at all necessary or appropriate. His thinking is that a certain targeted rezoning could accomplish a great deal. . Freerks called for a vote. The motion failed 3-2, with Plahutnik, Koppes and Freerks voting against the measure and Eastham and Weitzel voting for the motion. Busard was absent. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: JULY 14 and July 17, 2008: Weitzel moved to approve the minutes. Eastham seconded. The motion carried on a 5-0 vote (Busard absent). OTHER: Miklo said he wanted to bring the Commissioners' attentions to their work program. Miklo noted that the subdivision regulations, the number one item, had just been finished. At the next meeting, Miklo said, the public hearing will be set on the Central District Plan for September 4th. This will be sent out to Commissioners prior to the meeting and will be one of the Commission's most dense plans, so it may take some time to review. Staff will be gearing up for the Southeast Planning District after that, followed by a review of the sign ordinance, an investigation into methods for protecting landmark trees, and updating the open-space plan ordinance (which goes with the subdivision regulations). Finally, Miklo said, a couple of years ago the CB-10 zone was added based on Hieronymus Square and some other developments, the Commission may want to start working on that relatively soon. Freerks asked if that had been given a temporary fix in the past. Miklo said that it had not, and that it was a concern because right now the housing market may be slow and downtown may be less vulnerable than it was a couple of years ago. The issues are parking, height limits, and similar sorts of things, Miklo said. Greenwood-Hektoen shared that she had attended a meeting in Des Moines for the Long-Term Recovery Planning: Rebuild Iowa Task Force. She said the State had people there talking about disaster mitigation, and it was interesting and reassuring to go there and find that Iowa City is already doing most of the things that were recommended. She said that if the Commissioners had anything they wished for her to communicate to the task force, they could let her know. Weitzel noted that he is on the Cultural Resource Task Force. Eastham noted that he was not selected Planning and Zoning Commission August 7, 2008 Page 13 for the Housing Task Force. Eastham asked Greenwood-Hektoen if she had heard anything about changes to the state code that would allow communities to more carefully regulate development within floodplains orflood-zones. Greenwood-Hektoen said that she had not, and that the focus had been on more basic code changes, such as requiring comprehensive plans, and giving cities greater bonding authority. Miklo noted that he had passed along an article to Commissioners regarding trees and how important they are to the infrastructure of a city. Freerks asked what had come to pass with the subdivision code. Miklo said that it had received first consideration by the City Council and was set to receive second consideration the following week. Freerks asked if any changes had been made to it. Miklo responded that it had been pretty much approved as recommended. ADJOURNMENT: Freerks asked if there was a motion to adjourn. Weitzel moved to adjourn. Koppes seconded. The motion carried 5-0 (Busard absent). The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m. 0 .y N .~ O U 'a C v •~ d O ~ N ~o ~ ~ N C ,= d ~{ Q a ~_ U O ~ ; o x x x x x ' x x x x x x ! o x x x x x x x x x x x o x x x o x `' X X X X X ~ X ,n X ~ X X X ~ ~ ~ X r- x ~ ~ x x x x x w o ; ~ i x x x x x x x N X ~ X X X X X O M X X X X X O N r X ~ ~ X X X X ~ X ~ ` •~- O r r r r r M r N r 0 r 00 O r r M r I-w 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Y = c ~ ~ ° m ~ eNa w m ~ w O Y ,~ ea a ~ r v~ ._ ~ v~ ._ as 3 z oO m ~ tU Q ui ~ ~ 1- H ~ ~ x x x w o w o ; x M X X X X X X ~ ~ ~• X X X X ~ ~ X X X X X X ~ O ~ ~ ~ X X X X X X X N ~ X X X O O x N X ~ X X X 0 0 0 ~ i- O r r r r r M r N r O r OO O r r M r ` , 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~ w 0 0 0 Y C O s ` ~ ~ C _ ~ ~ O IC Vl r .+ V! d ~ ~ ,+ + ._ .~ E m pp w ~i Y a ai ~ 3 Z m ~ U Q LL1 ~ G 1- F- a~ U x w ~- .., c a~i~~ ~N~ ~~Q a ¢ u ~, ~~ ~~ w YXOO DRAFT POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES -August 19, 2008 " IP8 CALL TO ORDER: Chair Michael Larson called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Elizabeth Engel, Loren Horton, and Donald King MEMBERS ABSENT: Greg Roth STAFF PRESENT: Legal Counsel Catherine Pugh and Staff Kellie Tuttle OTHERS PRESENT: Captain Richard Wyss and Officer David Schwindt of the ICPD; and public, Dean Abel RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL None. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by Horton and seconded by King to adopt the consent calendar as presented or amended. • Minutes of the meeting on 07/01/08 • ICPD General Order 91-04 (Report Form Development and Control) • ICPD General Order 00-05 (Off-Duty Conduct: Powers of Arrest) • ICPD General Order 08-01 (Conducted Energy Devices) • ICPD SOG 08-01 (Taser Issuance) • ICPD Memorandum (Quarterly/Summary Report (2"d quarter)- IAIR/PCRB, 2008) Motion carried, 4/0, Roth absent. OLD BUSINESS Future Forums -The Board reviewed the final draft of the Forum notice, agenda, and sign in sheet. They also agreed to have the Forum taped by the cable department so it could be run later on the City Channel. NEW BUSINESS None. PUBLIC DISCUSSION Abel inquired how the Board would be publicizing the Forum. Tuttle responded that the information would be posted on the City website's home page, news releases would be done, the information was forwarded to the neighborhood associations to be included in their newsletter if they had one going out, postings in City buildings, and if the paper does not contact the Board after the news releases and postings, the Board would contact them. Abel also asked if the new Board members had been appointed by Council. Tuttle informed him that the appointments would possibly be made at the August 26`h Council meeting and that the deadline to file an application was Wednesday, August 20tH BOARD INFORMATION None. STAFF INFORMATION None. PCRB August 19, 2008 Page 2 EXECUTIVE SESSION REGULAR SESSION Motion by King and seconded by Engel to adjourn into Executive Session based on Section 21.5(1)(a) of the Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds, and 22.7(11) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts, and 22-7(5) police officer investigative reports, except where disclosure is authorized elsewhere in the Code; and 22.7(18) Communications not required by law, rule or procedure that are made to a government body or to any of its employees by identified persons outside of government, to the extent that the government body receiving those communications from such persons outside of government could reasonably believe that those persons would be discouraged from making them to that government body if they were available for general public examination. Motion carried, 4/0, Roth absent. Open session adjourned at 5:42 P.M. Returned to open session at 6:15 P.M. Motion by King, seconded by Horton to set the level of review for PCRB Complaint #08-04 and #08-05 to 8-8-7 (B)(1)(a), On the record with no additional investigation. Motion carried, 4/0, Roth absent. Motion by Horton, seconded by Engel to request 30 day extension for PCRB Complaint #08-04 due to timelines and scheduling. Motion carried, 4/0, Roth absent. TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE and FUTURE AGENDAS (subject to change) • September 9, 2008, 5:30 P.M., Lobby Conference Room • September 16, 2008, 7:30 P.M., Emma J. Harvat Hall -Community Forum • October 14, 2008, 5:30 P.M., Lobby Conference Room • November 11, 2008, 5:30 P.M., Lobby Conference Room ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by King and seconded by Engel. Motion carried, 4/0, Roth absent. Meeting adjourned at 6:17 P.M. d O W W N U W U .a O a O U ,- W ~ a ~ A U N a A W °' z ~' ~ w H Ei d C X DC O ~C >C ~~ c ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ k ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ M N Z z z z z ~ O O ~ ~ ~ o 0 0 0 w w a a ~ a a ~, w .~ ~, ~ ~ ~ a ~~ b z N ~ ~ o ~ o o ~ ww ax c7 ~a A '~ G~ Sr v, y "~ ~ ,~~,8 w ~~ +, ~ ~ a ~ ~ ~ ~ e~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ w~~zz u u u u u ~coOZ ; W~ x