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Home My WebLink About2008-10-04 Council Minutesr '_ ~ CITY OF I01NA CITY ~ui,~~' ~~ ~~~~-~~ ~ I~ R1-~ ~ ~- ~E Date: October 13, 2008 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Re: Special Council Work Session /Retreat, October 4, 2008, 9:00 AM, Highlander Conference Center, Quality Inns & Suites Council: Bailey, Champion, Correia, Hayek, O'Donnell, Wilburn, Wright UISG Rep: Gunn Staff: Lombardo, Helling, Dilkes, Karr, Fosse, O'Brien, Trueblood, Hargadine, Boothroy, Johansen, Rocca, O'Malley, Craig, Davidson, Kopping, Craig (A complete transcription is available in the City Clerk's Office) Opening remarks were made by City Manager Lombardo and Mayor Bailey. Lynn Montei, Lynn Montei Associates, facilitated discussion (and provided aread-out summary attached. Flip Chart # 1 LISTEN FOR What's new and surprising What's different Rather than what's in common LSITEN TO See the world thorough the eyes of the other person And So the speaker will feel heard Retreat Minutes October 4, 2008 Page 2 Flip Chart # 2 *First Group Excel Small town with great - community services hospitals arts - Welcome diverse opinions - Listening to community /public input Miss Mark - Riverfront development - Downtown retail and entertainment - Activities for young people Nobody Wants - CRIME - Alcohol Abuse - after l OPM downtown *Second group Excel 1. Quality of life e.g. Arts 2. Provision of Services Responsiveness Missing the Mark 1. Lack of basic retail in Iowa City 2. Inadequate attention to vulnerable populations e.g. transportation to children declining neighborhoods 3. Municipal revenue sources 4. Underutilization of university presence and local government cooperation Nobody wants 1. Alcohol culture 2. Declining neighborhoods 3. Acknowledgement of limited resources (Government) 4. Homeless persons Retreat Minutes October 4, 2008 Page 3 *Third Group Excel - Community involvement - When we celebrate - When we accommodate all life styles - Community offers many avenues for fulfillment - Greta neighborhoods - Growth without creative isolation -still feel part of the community Miss Mark - When we play the blame game -about community ills - As a community -not planned well for future - As a community, we've not tapped into what our growing diversity offers Nobod Ly ikes - Drunkenness issues - Homelessness Dynamics - Taxes - (increased) violence *Fourth Group Excel ~ Quality of life and availability of services ~ Citizen involvement /engagement -~ Education Miss the Mark -~ Decision making vs. info gathering (trying to please all) What Nobody Wants - Crime /violence - Too many bars (imbalance) (availability of retail) not just downtown - Uncontrolled /unmanageable /under utilitized River - Isolated neighborhood /the "problem area" Flip Chart # 3 At what crossroads does I. C. stand? What is just waiting to happen? Retreat Minutes October 4, 2008 Page 4 Flip Chart # 4 ^ An opportunity to work on relationship with University. ^ Also applies to others o Coralville, etc. ^ Continuation of DT evolution -what exactly do ~t can it to be? ^ In the conclusion, should we look at others and learn from them? ^ Are we "tipping point" re alcohol issue -has impact on everything, ramifications. ^ Not tapping into University diversity (in broader sense) -great potential there -what are our opportunities? ^ What's the City's role in the corridor? Look at it from regional perspective. ^ Are we going to purposeful about how we are going to engage the future, or let it organically evolve? ^ Be explicit about the City's role and contribution. ^ Challenge the community to assume a proactive role in creating what it wants. ^ Economic conditions must be faced, acknowledged. ^ Define the City's role to be active and remain so in policy arena (State). ^ Retail is what the DT lacks, to give people a reason to come into the City. ^ Think of the issues that give rise to "problems". ^ Is there a perception that Coralville is leaving I.C. in the dust? ^ University is an economic buffer, but $ aren't being spent in I.C. ^ Sales tax was defeated once, it's be(en) awhile ... just waiting to happen. Insufficient substitute revenues. ^ How we handle flooding losses /neighborhoods -ramification of this. Rebuild, decline? ^ Shape what we want to do about affordable housing. Retreat Minutes October 4, 2008 Page 5 ^ City will have to define its role relative to alcohol issues -how can the City be prepared? ^ Growing pains, more competition with antiquated funding mechanisms - on the context of (increased) costs. Existing templates need to be replaced. ^ How does I.C. identify itself our population needs different things. ^ How do we distinguish ourself? ^ Where do we need to take our government? And how do we do that? ^ How do we engage the community? Flip Chart # S Problems Obstacle or threat ~,I I/ j', Result C)utc4me or 4llsion Result j Actlvlty Action Fear (_°._.---'"'' Desire Commlttment Moving Away From Moving Toward Retreat Minutes October 4, 2008 Page 6 Flip Chart # 6 Difference between Comp(rehensive) Plan and Strat(etic) Plan Comte Plan o Legislatively required o Broadest construct 0 10-20 year timeframe o Amended regularly Timin Flip Chart # 7 Princ~les of Enga eg ment • Widen the circle of involvement • Connect to each other, and around purpose • Embrace democratic principles •'• Create communities of action Flip Chart # 8 Our community is a steward of the natural environment with a robust framework G(oals)1. O(objectives) a) b) c) G 2. G. 3 Retreat Minutes October 4, 2008 Page 7 Flip Chart # 9 Systems Thinking A discipline for seeing The whole And how the parts Are related to each other And to the whole Evaluation forms were distributed and returned. Meeting adjourned 1:40 PM. Attachment: Read-Out provided by Lynn Montei Read-out of the City Council and Management Team Retreat City of Iowa City, Iowa October 4, 2008 Submitted by Lynn Montei Overview The purpose of this document is to provide a record of workshop output, so that it may be used for minutes of the meeting or for reference. This record was transcribed from content generated and self-recorded by the four table groupings or generated in whole group dialogue. Current Reality These current conditions were generated from table team dialogue in the categories of 1) where we Excel, 2) where we Miss the Mark, and 3) what exists that Nobody Wants. This is simply a representation of the data generated by the participants in dialogue with each other, without synthesis or tabulation: Excel • Quality of life and the availability of services • Citizen involvement/engagement • Education • Community involvement • When we celebrate • When we accommodate all life styles • Community offers many avenues for fulfillment • Great neighborhoods • Growth without creating isolation -still feel part of community Quality of life, e.g. arts • Provision of services -responsiveness • Small town with great --community services --hospital --arts • Welcome diverse opinions • Listening to community/public input Montei Read-Out October 4, 2008 Page 2 Miss the Mark • Common identity beyond "University" • Working together for the common good --University/City --Among other interests in groups • Being economically strong minus the University...complacency? • Decision-making versus information gathering (trying to please all) • Riverfront development • Downtown retail and entertainment • Activities for young people • Lack of basic retail in Iowa City • Inadequate attention to vulnerable population, e.g. transportation for children, declining neighborhoods • Municipal revenue sources • Underutilization of university presence and local government cooperation • When we play the blame game -about community ills • As a community -not planned well for future • As a community, we've not tapped into what our growing diversity offers What Nobody Wants • Alcohol culture • Declining neighborhoods • Acknowledgment of limited government resources • Homeless persons • Crime!! • Alcohol abuse -after 10 p.m. downtown • Crime/violence • Too many bars (in balance) (availability of retail) not just downtown • Uncontrolled/unmanageable, underutilized River • Isolated neighborhood/the "problem areas" • Drunkenness issues • Homelessness dynamics • Taxes • Increased violence Montei Read-Out October 4, 2008 Page 3 Crossroads At what crossroads do we stand? What is just waiting to happen? • An opportunity to work on relationship with the University • An opportunity to work on relationship with Coralville, others • Continuation of the downtown evolution -what exactly can it be? • In the continuum, should we look at others and learn from them? • Are we at a "tipping point" regarding alcohol issue -has impact on everything, ramifications • Not tapping into increasing diversity (in broadest sense) -great potential there -what are our opportunities? • What's the city's role in the corridor? Look at it from a regional perspective. • Are we going to be purposeful about how were going to engage the future, or let it organically evolve? • Be explicit about the city's role and contribution. • Challenge the community to assume a proactive role in creating what it wants. • Economic conditions must be faced, acknowledged. • Define the city's role to be active and remain so in policy arena (state). • Retail is what the downtown lacks, to give people a reason to come into the city. • Think of the issues that give rise to "problems." • Is there a perception that Coralville is leaving Iowa City in the dust? • University is an economic buffer, but dollars aren't being spent in Iowa City • Sales tax was defeated once; it's been a while...just waiting to happen. Insufficient substitute revenues. • How we handle flooding losses/neighborhoods -ramifications of this... rebuild? decline? • Shape what we want to do about affordable housing. • City will have to define its role relative to alcohol issues -how can the city be prepared? • Growing pains, more competition, with antiquated funding mechanism - in the context of increasing costs. Existing templates need to be replaced. • How does Iowa City identify itself -our population needs different things. • How do we distinguish ourselves? Where do we want to take our government? How do we do that? • How do we engage the community?