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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-11-18 Correspondence~~ r i ~_,:.® -~~ ~m~. ~ ~a..r__ CITY OF IOWA CITY 3e 1 410 Fast Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240- 1 826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Date: November 6, 2008 To: City Clerk and City Council From: Darian Nagle-Gamm, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for November 18th, 2008 City Council meeting; Installation of (2) NO PARKING BETWEEN SIGNS signs on the north side of Ruppert Road and the installation of (1) NO PARKING DRIVEWAY TO HERE sign on the south side of Ruppert Road. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 36 of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10), Installation of (2) NO PARKING BETWEEN SIGNS signs on the north side of Ruppert Road and the installation of (1) NO PARKING DRIVEWAY TO HERE sign on the south side of Ruppert Road. Comment: This action is being taken to accommodate the turning movements of vehicles with large trailers exiting from ITC Midwest located at 635 Ruppert Road. ; -, _~~ ~ b e ~~, _ - 1 ~ car - . ~,,~,~ i I °- -~ `.` ~: w W:\wpdata\jccogadm\AGENDA\Agditm - CA_Ruppert Rd-11-08.doc 11-18-08 3e 2 ~~ r ~ ,~w.•~ CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240- 1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Date: October 29, 2008 To: City Clerk and City Council From: Darian Nagle-Gamm, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for Monday, November 18th City Council meeting; Installation of NO PARKING ANYTIME signs on the east side of Swisher Lane between Foster Road and White Oak Place As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 36 of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(12), Install (2) NO PARKING ANYTIME signs on the east side of Swisher Lane between Foster Road and White Oak Place. Comment: This action is being taken as width of the roadway does not exceed 20 feet, therefore two vehicles parked across from each other would effectively block traffic. The east side of the roadway was selected for the parking prohibition to maximize the remaining on-street parking availability and improve sight distance for those exiting driveways or alleys on the east side of Swisher Lane. Jccogadm/agd/agditm-NoPa rking-swisher.doc -.,._z ~.~ _ `^ -'~'~ --~.: ~ ° . ~ a _ _ _Iti ~ ' ~~ 1 ~:J / T '~\ .. ,Y -~ W 3e 3 y _, ,~_. _~! ~~ i1'1 ~' !~.3 _~ -;_;4_b ~~~; 1354 Curtis Bridge Rd. NE Ir.~'~1`; ~:'~-~`, IC~i~ Swisher, IA 52338 October 30, 2008 Mayor Regenia Bailey & City Council 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor Bailey & Council Members, We would like to express our grateful appreciation for the Community Event Funding $400.00 grant from the City of Iowa City. The Iowa City Community String Orchestra is using the award for the sponsorship of soloists in our fall concert. The ICCSO is a community orchestra made up of 35 or so musicians of all ages and occupations from Iowa City and eastern Iowa. The first of our two concerts of our 29th season will take place Nov. 16, 3:00 p.m., at the Englert Theatre. This will be our fourth season at the Englert Civic Theatre, and we are very excited to be a part of the community performing arts scene there! We cordially invite you to attend the concert. The soloists are Jane Walker and David Hempel performing Nightrising by Philip Wharton. Also on the program are works by Corelli, Janacek, Beethoven, and Jerry Owen. On behalf of the orchestra members and the ICC50 Board, please accept our appreciation for the grant award. Sincerely, ~~,,4',~-~- ~~~~~ Janice Horak Treasurer IOWA CITY COMMUNITY STRING ORCHESTRA WWW.ICSTRINGORCHESTRA.COM 3e 4 Marian Karr From: Amy Charles [amycharles1 @gmail.com] Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 12:05 AM To: Council Subject: Would you care to start the public conversation about violent crime now? Hello, everybody -- My apologies for emailing instead of coming to a meeting. I've been watching the police blotter for the last several months, and it's apparent that we have now got a serious violent crime problem involving guns, knives, gangs, regular downtown assaults, and increasingly frequent break-ins in many parts of town. I have yet to hear City Council address the problem directly except by establishing the CrimeStoppers program a year or so ago. By my reckoning, crime ain't stopped. I read the P-C daily, sometimes read council meeting minutes, and sometimes watch you guys on Channel 4. So far, nothing. Crickets chirping. I am increasingly disturbed by this silence. I came here 15 years ago from a town that was on this road, and can tell you the crime does not go away by itself. What happens instead is that it gets worse relatively quickly, and the well-educated, well-paid people go away. All my friends, and all my friends' families are gone from my old town. Last year it had one of the highest murder rates in the country, and the mayor was reduced to defending the town's reputation by comparing it with New Orleans. My high school now has two armed cops on every floor of its several multistory buildings, and still the kids knife each other on the way home. The fancy public library, built at great expense in the 1980s, is now full of bums and yelling kids, none of whom have much interest in the books. Businesses come in for the tax breaks, but take a loss to get out within weeks of settling in. Armed robbery is normal in all of the city's neighborhoods now. The downtown, which was bigger and richer than Iowa City's 30 years ago, is now a long street of empty storefronts, social-service agencies, pawnshops, salons, and abandoned department stores -- one of which moved in in'93, only to move out again a month later after a kid shot a security guard. I see Iowa City going down this road, and picking up speed. Actually, the crimes I'm reading about here are more brutal and more serious than the crime I used to see in my old town. It doesn't help that our housing has all been built with a presumption of reasonable safety: whole subdivisions with doors with "break me and enter" sidelights, sliding patio doors, insecure old first-floor windows, easy-entrance apartment buildings with lots of places for people to wait comfortably for victims to come by. I can't think of a single place I've had in Iowa City that would've been up to snuff securitywise in a city with serious crime -- and yet now we are a city with serious crime. We have got genuine thugs here now, more every day by the looks of it, and I'm not hearing a word out of you guys addressing that fact. (I did wonder if maybe my fears were a function of age. So I started asking my college-aged babysitters how safe they thought Iowa City was -- after all, I'd thought Iowa City was unbelievably safe when I got here in '93. Iremember aparking-garage purse-snatching made big radio news in '95. But my babysitters all looked at me like I was out of my mind, and told me that no, Iowa City was not safe. One girl told me that she and her roommates don't go out at night unless here are three of them going out together.) 11/2/2008 Page 2 of 2 I think it's time to start talking, publicly, on TV, about what the plan is, and what the timeline is for implementation. I'd also recommend you have a look at a blog I'm starting to regard as a public service: http~///broadwaycrimereport wordpress.com/ .This guy, at least, is talking about the problem. Thanks for your attention. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Amy Charles Iowa City 11 /2/2008 35 Glendale Road we are in disagreement on the speed humps and the weed-like traffic circles that you are planning on put on Glendale Road. we weren't contacted to sign any petition. Traffic circles are a eye-sore; they look like a weed patch. The people who live on Glendale Road for the most part take pride in their yards., No one would want a asphalt weed patch in front of their home. Thank you sally Whittaker 1825 Glendale Road Iowa City "`~J ~"~ r,.~ `c :: ; ~p ,,,,a, `~ ~'yN w o `~ t ~+_~ '~J =~ ~, ti, .. `~ ~..Jl Page 1 r 3e(6 Marian Karr From: WALLING,CAROLYN HOBART [hwwalling@msn.com] Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 7:55 PM To: Council Subject: FW: Flood Questions for the Mayor Bailey Dear Mayor Regenia Bailey, We are doing a regional Lego robot contest. We have to do research on the changes on climate and we hope that you could answer some questions about the flood. If you prefer, we could call you or have aone-on-one interview! Thank you very much! 1.) Why did the flood happen in Iowa City? Z.) How can we protect objects from floods in a way that doesn't use too many resources? 3.) What will happen to everyone who has lost a home? 4.) How can we prevent the river from getting too high? 5.) How can we keep the river waters cleaner? 6.) Can we somehow transport any extra water to places that don't have as much? 7.) How can an average person help to prevent floods? 8.) Would digging channels prevent future flooding? 9.) How many people in Iowa City were affected by the flood? Sincerely, The Horn Elementary 6th Grade Girls' Lego Robot Team Abby, Mariah, Julia, Riley, Aileen, and Katheryne 319-351-2768 Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. Siqn up today. Windows Live Hotmail now works up to 70% faster. Sign up today. 11/12/2008 3e 7 Marian Karr From: Tracy Hightshoe Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 11:46 AM To: 'jill-fishbaugh@uiowa.edu'; R Bailey; 'council@iowa-city.org.' Cc: Stephen Long; Nasseem Moradi; Michael Lombardo; Jeff Davidson Subject: RE: Jumpstart Fund Dispersement Attachments: weightingmemo0001.pdf Thank you for your concerns. The City is administering two programs, Jumpstart State and Supplemental CDBG Disaster Recovery (what the State is now calling Jumpstart Federal), for households impacted by the 2008 floods. There are two major differences between the programs: income eligibility and total amount of assistance available in the program. The Jumpstart Federal funds have an income limitation, while the Jumpstart State funds do not have an income limitation. For both programs, most of the program requirements were set at the state and federal level and do not allow the City flexibility to change program rules. At the local level, the City was provided some flexibility to determine how to prioritize Jumpstart State funds; however the types of assistance that can be provided were set by the State. The City received over 120 applications for approximately $686,197 in Jumpstart State funds. The City had to determine a method to prioritize how to distribute funds without income being the main determinant for Jumpstart State funds. This method was determined by City Council at an October 6, 2008 work session. City staff made the recommendation after consulting with the State, and the Council approved, to prioritize Jumpstart State funds based on the same method the City prioritizes rehabilitation assistance under our Community Development Block Grant rehabilitation program. Please see the attached memo from the City Attorney's office. The City has used this prioritization method for years and it is consistent with prior city policy. Applications were available for Jumpstart State assistance from October 7 through October 14. I apologize if there were any misunderstandings when discussing how the funds might be distributed before the October 6 Council decision. Realistically, any prioritization method that provides a meaningful amount of assistance to as many households as possible will result in some households not being assisted. The City does not have enough funds under the Jumpstart State program to return all residents to their pre-flood status; however there is a concerted effort to stretch the funds to as many homeowners as possible with a meaningful amount of assistance. The State would not allow the City to set a lower maximum amount of assistance per household than the program maximum amounts of $60,000 for rehabilitation and downpayment assistance and $12,000 for interim mortgage assistance. If every household was eligible to receive the full amount of assistance for rehab. or downpayment assistance, approximately 11 households could be assisted with Jumpstart State funds. The City has limited repairs under the Jumpstart State rehabilitation program to basic mechanic systems (heating, plumping and electrical) and winterization (outer shell of the home) in order to get homes ready for winter. By limiting the scope of work, which is allowable under the State program, the City will be able to assist more than 11 households. The State program allows downpayment assistance to those homeowners who will be bought out with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds. As a result, the City is not able to deny downpayment assistance to those persons on the buy-out list. That being said, there can be no duplication of benefits under the State program. Thus, if a homeowner receives downpayment assistance now to buy a different 11/12/2008 Page 2 of 2 home, the homeowner must agree that any disaster compensation received subsequent to the closing of the forgivable loan, if not applied toward repayment of the mortgage on the disaster affected home, shall be repaid at the time the resident receives such disaster compensation. Thus, when the disaster-affected home is purchased by the City, the homeowner must repay that portion of downpayment assistance not used to repay the mortgage on the disaster-affected home. These funds get returned directly to the Iowa Finance Authority. They do not get returned to the City for reallocation. Once again, thank you for submitting your concerns. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Long or me at 356.5230. Tracy Hig~ts!#v¢ City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 319.356.5244 Fax 319.356.5217 www. cgov.org From: Fishbaugh, Jill A [mailto:jill-fshbaugh@uiowa.edu] Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 12:47 PM To: Regenia Bailey; Matt Hayek; Amy Correia; Ross Wilburn; Mike Wright; Mike O'Donnell; connie- champion@iowa-city.org Cc: Stephen Long; Nasseem Moradi; Michael Lombardo; Jeff Davidson; Fishbaugh, Justin Subject: Jumpstart Fund Dispersement November 9, 2008 To: Mayor Regenia Bailey and members of the Iowa City City Council Re: Jumpstart fund dispersement We have a house at 729 Manor Drive that was flooded in June. We were encouraged to apply for Jumpstart funds because we were told that they would not be distributed on a needs basis. At the time of application, we were told by at least three people working in the Flood Recovery Office that the funds would be distributed evenly based on the number of people that applied. As we are now aware, that is not how the Council decided to distribute the funds. Upon review of the initial Jumpstart funds priority list, we notice that over half of the tentative recipients in the Parkview Terrace neighborhood are also on the City's buyout list (7 out of 12). Our questions to you are: How is this equitable to the others in the neighborhood who applied for Jumpstart funds and are not being bought out? And why weren't the funds distributed evenly to those who applied, as was initially communicated? Thank you for all you have done and are continuing to do for the people affected by the Flood of 2008. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Justin and Jill Fishbaugh 11/12/2008 r ~~~,®~~ CITY OF IQWA CITY N[ EMS Date: November 5, 2008 To: Steve Long, Community Development Coordinator From: Eleanor M. Dilkes, City Attorney CWT' ~j Susan Dulek, Assistant City Attorney y' Re: Jumpstart and CDBG Assistance--Weighting Criteria and Disability Determination This Memorandum is to confirm the criteria used to rank applicants for Jumpstart Iowa and CDBG assistance and to explain the City's policy with respect to a specific criterion, disability. At its October 6, 2008, work session, the City Council discussed how to rank the applicants for Jumpstart and CDBG assistance. This was especially needed for the Jumpstart funds because the City received only $686,196.58, and recipients are eligible for up to $60,000 in assistance. City Council directed staff to use the system based on weighting criteria that has been employed for many years in making decisions about who will receive CDBG assistance for rehabilitation and home repair, with one exception. Because the Iowa Jumpstart program rules (unlike the CDBG regulations) do not base eligibility on household income, the City used the income criterion only to break a tie. Excluding income, the City's CDBG weighting criteria are: elderly, disabled, large family, medium family, and single parent household. If an applicant for Jumpstart met any of those criteria, the applicant received a certain number of points. The points are as follows: If any member of the household is elderly (age 62 or over) 30 points If any member of the household is disabled 30 points If the household is a large family (5 or more people) 25 points If the household is a medium family (3 or 4 people) 10 points If the household is headed by a single parent 25 points If, after adding up those points, there was a tie, then income was used. For example, if three households all had 55 points, then the household with the lowest median income would be ranked first and the household with the highest income would be ranked last. The median income for a household of 1 is $50,800, a household of 2 is $58,000, a household of 3 is $65,300, a household of 4 is $72,600, and so on. For Jumpstart funds, the key date for determining income, age, and disability is October 14, 2008, which was the deadline to apply for Jumpstart Iowa funds. In other words, a household whose oldest member turned 62 on October 16, 2008, would not receive 30 points for having an elderly household member. City staff will not accept changes to the weighting criteria provided on the application. However, for Jumpstart funds, verification of the weighting criteria provided on the application will take place after the application deadline, or in the case of the state form, upon inquiry from staff made a statement that a household member is disabled. For example, the applicant did not have to submit verification of disability before October 14, but had to have checked the box on the City form indicating a household member was disabled. Because the CDBG program does not have a deadline, applicants can continue to provide additional information and amend their applications. November 5, 2008 Page 2 One matter that staff verifies is whether a household member is disabled. If the applicant checks the box indicating that a household member is disabled, staff will send the applicant a release that authorizes the City to contact the person's physician. The person will need to return the signed release to the City within five (5) working days. City staff will then request the physician to complete a form and return it to the City within five (5) working days. The deadlines are necessary because the ranking, and hence award of funds to those lower in the ranking, is dependent on verification of the disability. If the forms are not returned in this time frame, the City will proceed to the next person on the list. That particular household will then "lose" its 30 points and will move down in the ranking accordingly. We know that there have been requests for the list that ranks all applicants, and it is our understanding that that is available from your office in hard copy and pdf. Copies to: City Manager Assistant City Manager Director of Planning and Community Development Page 1 of 5 3~~?~ Marian Karr From: Piyush Patel [piyush_udct@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 6:28 PM To: Nasseem Moradi Cc: Council Subject: RE: Jumpstart enquiry - 16 Idyllwild Ct. Dear Nasseem, Thanks for your mail. I went through the memo of city attorney. I am still not clear where I will stand as far as CDBG funds go. The way I am looking at it we will never get money because city has already paid $4,29,000 to just 8 household. With limited funding another 10 household will get all the money. Where we stand in this. I think city is forcing us to sell our property at throw away prices to speculators in Idyllwild (units are sold at USD10,000 after mold mitigation cost) or file bankruptcy. City is indirectly asissting speculators, developers and builders. This is a total disappointment. Have a nice day. Best regards Piyush Patel --- On Thu, 11/13/08, Nasseem Moradi <Nasseem-Moradi@iowa-city.org> wrote: From: Nasseem Moradi <Nasseem-Moradi@iowa-city.org> Subject: RE: Jumpstart enquiry - 16 Idyllwild Ct. To: piyush_udct@yahoo.com Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 4:49 PM Dear Piyush - a memo is going out today on the email list serve that will explain the current process with CDBG funds. If you have additional questions after reading the memo, please feel free to contact me to discuss them. Thank you, Nasseem Nasseem Moradi Flood Recovery City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240-1826 (319) 356-5479 direct 11 / 14/2008 Page 2 of 5 (31... fax From: Piyush Patel [mailto:piyush_udct@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 8:12 AM To: Nasseem Moradi Subject: RE: Jumpstart enquiry - 16 Idyllwild Ct. Dear Nasseem, Good morning. I would appreciate if you can let me know what is the status of CDBG funds. How soon a decision will be made and what are the chances of us getting any money from it. Have a nice day. Best regards Piyush Patel 16 Idyllwild Ct. Iowa City --- On Mon, 11/3/08, Nasseem Moradi <Nasseem-Moradi iowa-city.org> wrote: From: Nasseem Moradi <Nasseem-Moradi@iowa-city.org> Subject: RE: Jumpstart enquiry - 16 Idyllwild Ct. To: piyush_udct@yahoo.com Cc: "Stephen Long" <Stephen-Long@iowa-city.org> Date: Monday, November 3, 2008, 5:49 PM Dear Piyush, You are eligible to receive CDBG funds based on the income guidelines. There are currently $1.2 million in available CDBG funds and we expect more to come. I understand how frustrating this must be for you. Please know that we are working hard to ensure that as many applicants as possible receive assistance. I am looking into your question about other applicants and will get back to you this week. Thank you, Nasseem 11/14/2008 Page 3 of 5 iVasseem Moradi Flood Recovery City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. [owa City, IA 52240-1826 (31... direct (31... fax From: Piyush Patel [mailto:piyush_udct@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 12:48 PM To: Nasseem Moradi Subject: RE: ]umpstart enquiry - 16 Idyllwild Ct. Dear Nasseem. On this criteria I will never ever receive jump start funds even if City receives more fund. When the program was announced nobody was given any criteria. CDBG funds are limited. We will again be eliminated on some reason or other. Where can I get details about how many people have received funds and what is the amount. I would like to have detailed list of people who will be receiving jumpstart funds. [n future if more funds are allocated, we will never receive any funds because most of this home owners will max out with USD 60,000 and city will not have sufficient funds for us. [s there any hope for us to look forward to funds or we should just abandon our property. Funds should be distributed on pro-rata basis to all the homeowners depending on the losses. 11/14/2008 Page 4 of 5 Here at every stage we are denied any kind of assistance and we are singled out for paying all the charges from waste removal to dumping, which is provided free of cost to all other homeowners, except Idyllwild. I am disappointed at every stage from city. Have a nice day. Piyush Patel 16 Idyllwild Ct. --- On Mon, 11/3/08, Nasseem Moradi <Nasseem-Moradi iowa-city.org> wrote: From: Nasseem Moradi <Nasseem-Moradi@iowa-city.org> Subject: RE: Jumpstart enquiry - 16 Idyllwild Ct. To: piyush_udct@yahoo.com Cc: "Stephen Long" <Stephen-Long@iowa-city.org> Date: Monday, November 3, 2008, 11:34 AM ear Piyush, We have processed all of the Jumpstart Iowa applications and have ranked the applicants based on disability, age (over 62), household size and single-headed household. Based on these rankings, you are unlikely to receive Jumpstart Iowa funds, however, your income allows you to be eligible for CDBG funds. We hope to be able to distribute funds from all of our available sources over the next few months. Please contact me at (3... if you have any questions. Thank you, Nasseem Nasseem Moradi Flood Recovery City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240-1826 (31... direct 11/14/2008 Page 1 of 1 3~~~ Marian Karr From: cliff pirnat [cpirnat@mchsi.com] Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 2:17 PM To: Council Subject: jump start This correspondence will become a public record. I am not interested in the jump start money as i feel their are some whom really need the funds.. (that does not include persons who spend their money on wants not needs.) BUT are facts like how much these people have already received from other sources.. and using age and disability is wrong. Those with disability some time just have a knee injury or some other small problem The women down the street ,only know her first name as Marge Rahe at 605 Manor Dr. is in a powered wheel chair disabled below the waist. Yet there are others with disability and they worked on their house, or still have mobility. The rules are there but is time to change them. I do not feel i deserved any federal funds, some us are the fools after surviving 1993. But do believe the DNR and the Federal Government running of the Reservoir owes everyone for their foolishness in operating the dam, especially after 52 inches of snow. Cedar Rapids had no choice but the Government could have prevented or minimized the Iowa River flooding Hope the state and city is ready for the next one. cliff pirnat 705 manor dr Iowa city,ia 11/13/2008 3e 8 Marian Karr From: Raaz, Jerry [jerry.raaz@pearson.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 12:14 PM To: Council Subject: Web page This correspondence will become a public record. I have visited the new IC.gov webpage and it's a 1,000% improvement of previous version. Kudos and thank you for getting IC into 21st Century. Now step up digital link to give citizens full transparency- budgets- fees- source of revenues. Nicely done 2008 webpage- thanks Jerry Raaz 11/12/2008 3eC9) November 10, 2008 To Mayor Bailey and the Iowa City City Council• CALL 319.688.2653 CLICK www.englert.org VISIT 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 .:,S ;,-=~ ~'~i s~ c_ The Englert Theatre is an integral part of Iowa City's cultural landscape and a proven dr~vtfg force for economic development in the City and the entire Corridor. :. _;' =, ~~. _ I am writing on behalf of The Englert Theatre's staff and Board of Directors to thank you for ~rbur pasin support of the Englert and to ask for your help as we begin the next chapter in our history. We are -- asking the City of Iowa City to provide $50,000 in annual funding to support the Englert. These funds will be used to develop quality arts programming, provide the community with an affordable performance space and preserve Iowa City's historic landmark. Due to the Englert's year-round utilization and diversity of programming, we are requesting that you consider our request independently of the "Application for Community Event and Program Funding," which appears to be better suited for single and/or seasonal events. Nearly 10 years after its doors closed as a deteriorating movie theater, the Englert stands today as a true non-profit success story in the heart of downtown Iowa City. The Englert has welcomed more than 100,000 people through its doors since re-opening in December 2004 after a massive renovation and a $5.3 million grassroots fundraising effort. The Englert Theatre presents diverse programming and is used consistently by a wide range of organizations, providing a valuable service to the community. The Englert is used more than 150 days each year, presenting a wide variety of local and nationally- known live music (Randy Newman, Robert Cray, Lucinda Williams, Mike & Amy Finders), comedy (The Second City, Capitol Steps), theater (Oliver, Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, Seussica~, dance (The Nutcracker), movies (Rocky Horror Picture Show), readings (Sarah Powell, Chuck Klosterman) and community events (free US and the World lecture series, Human Rights Youth Awards, Landlocked Film Festival). Collaborations with Iowa City Community Theatre, Young Footliters, City Circle Acting Company, Nolte Academy of Dance, The Iowa Children's Museum, The University of Iowa Division of Performing Arts, United Action For Youth and many others have given each of these organizations an opportunity to expand their reach in the community. In addition to ticketed events, the Englert offers several free events each year, including the five Community Spotlight Series performances that highlight diverse local talent from bluegrass musicians to modern dancers. School buses line Washington Street several times a year, dropping off hundreds of children for discounted matinee performances. Our space has also been used for weddings, memorial services, film & television shoots, company meetings, religious services and special receptions. In addition, the art gallery on our second floor showcases the work of local artists and serves as a meeting space for community groups. The Englert is a financially responsible non-profit that continues to grow. Over the past three years, The Englert Theatre has focused on maximizing use of the building by increasing the amount of programming we offer. The number of events -- both self-produced and CALL 319.688.2653 CLICK www.englert.org VISIT 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 rentals by other organizations -- has increased more than 54%, from 104 in 2006 to more than 160 this year. Through September, we are exceeding 2008 budgeted programming/rental revenue by 32% while keeping gross margins and overhead costs steady. Like all non-profit theaters, earned income covers only a portion of what it costs the Englert to produce quality programming, offer subsidized rental rates of up to 75°~ to community groups, pay a professional staff and maintain the national historic landmark. Our Friends of fhe Englert annual fundraising campaign has grown impressively, having been launched fewer than three years ago. So far this year, nearly 500 donors have contributed rnQre than-' $65,000. Businesses such as Toyota-Scion of Iowa City, University of Iowa Healthcare and Tak~et. have- invested thousands of dollars in event sponsorships. The Englert received a prestigious Cultura[..~ =~-~ ° g~ Leadership Partner grant from the State of Iowa, promising $16,000 in annual funding, and Aso; ~- earned support from the Community Foundation of Johnson County. ~ ;~ a~ Over the next three years, we expect that earned income will generate approximately 68% ofswt' -~.' $800,000 budget. This calculation is based on modest programming growth and a projected ~~[ease in rental revenues after the opening of the Coralville Performing Arts Center. Continued deve~opment,~n efforts via Friends of the Englert, new fundraising events, grants and sponsorships are expecte~to -- contribute 25%. Despite solid financial performance, the Englert is missing a critical piece needed to ensure continued high levels of diverse programming and community service: annual financial support from the City. Annual financial support from the City can close the 7% gap in our operating budget and help us achieve our goal of break-even operations in 2011 and beyond. The City stands to benefit by making this investment. When considering the cultural and economic impact of The Englert Theatre, investing in the Englert is simply good business. National and regional studies have demonstrated that the arts are as critical to economic development as roads and utilities infrastructure. Economists such as Richard Florida have garnered international acclaim for their views on the "creative economy theory": the notion that jobs and workers will flock to those cities that have a vibrant cultural environment. As cities compete for talented workers and new business endeavors, those with a high level of cultural opportunities have a distinct advantage. The Englert draws an average of 30,000 people each year. When the marquee lights are lit, people flock downtown to patronize neighboring businesses. Restaurants like One Twenty Six and Devotay credit the Englert with filling tables that would otherwise sit empty. Theater patrons and performers line up at coffee shops like )ava House and Capanna. Travelers from out of town book hotel rooms at the Sheraton and hotelVetro and shop at Iowa Artisans Gallery and Prairie Lights. The indirect spending that flows from all of these patrons is significant, according to the league of Historic American Theatres. Using a conservative estimate of $20 per patron in spending related to their theater visit beyond ticket price (dining, parking, shopping, gas, babysitting, hotel, etc.), the economic impact of The Englert Theatre is at least $600,000 annually. CALL 319.688.2653 CLICK www.englert.org VISIT 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 The Englert increases its economic impact by employing five full-time and up to 30 part-time employees, paying sales tax and property tax for our third floor offices, and purchasing supplies from local businesses whenever possible as part of the Chamber of Commerce's "Buy Here" initiative. We are also taking a leadership role in supporting City efforts to provide late night non-alcoholic alternatives downtown. This fall, the Englert partnered with the University of Iowa Division of ,,, Performing Arts to launch a new midnight alcohol-free series of events: Alley Cabaret. On sect Fridays and Saturdays, audience members enter through the back alley and sit onstage with,the . v ~ ~ performers, enjoying everything from live music to one-act plays. This innovative program wall be „~,.,, expanded in 2009. - -- ~"° ^ ~~ y~ Iowa City will join other municipalities providing financial support for their local theater: -; ~? The Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, IL, receives up to $100,000 a year through an allocation p~i'% of "`J a 7% hotel/motel tax. The City of Knoxville, TN, supplies $48,000 of annual operating support:to the ''-n Tennessee Theatre. In other instances, cities pay for utility costs or provide sales and property tax rebates. Our neighbor city of Coralville will invest millions of dollars to build and then operate their own theater. Iowa City already has a strong track record of supporting the arts and downtown development, providing annual assistance to Summer of the Arts, upgrading the pedestrian mall and partnering on an enhancement to the walkway next to the Sheraton hotel. The City also played a key role in the Englert's early stages by purchasing the building and holding it in trust until funds could be raised to purchase it. We recognize that this is a difficult time for Iowa City as we rebuild from the devastating summer floods. In crisis situations it can be difficult to look past the immediate source of pain. However, in times like these it is more important than ever to invest in areas that will ensure a vibrant community for years to come. Iowa City has a reputation as the cultural center of Iowa. It has earned "best place to live" honors in national magazines such as Forbes and Money. The Englert Theatre is an important part of that. With City support, the Englert can continue its positive impact on Iowa City's culture and economy. Without that support, the future of the Englert is less certain. When the community came together to save the Englert a few short years ago we did so with the vision that it would forever be at the center of our downtown, an historic home for the arts in Iowa City. Please help us continue that vision by providing $50,000 of annual support. Please take a moment to review the enclosed supporting documents, including statements of support from community leaders. We welcome the opportunity to make a formal presentation to the City Council at a future work session or meeting. Sincerely, ~ ~,.~ Brenda Pearson President, Englert Board of Directors Excerpts from Letters of Support from Community Leaders (Complete letters ottached at the back of this packet) "The Englert Theatre is so much more than a tourist attraction. It's an absolutely integral part of our local quality of life ... Your annual investment will not only be directly returned by future direct spending, but indirectly continue to make this place, Iowa City, unique:' -Joshua Schamberger, President, Iowa City/Coralville Convention 6z Visitors Bureau ,..., "As an historical venue, the Englert provides an authentic experience with the amalgam -M of offerings important to the creative workers for which our community competes. -~. ~~' W~.ojl Economic development funding in support of the Englert is a sound investment yny-our ~ '~"° community." - i~N ~..~ - Nancy Quellhorst, President dr CEO, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce _ _, ~ =~ ' "MidWestOn.e is proud to be the Englert's longtime financial partner. I urge the Cry to •.n follow our example and the example of other municipalities around the country - and even in Johnson County -who value the impact of a theatrical venue such as the Englert enough to take a leadership role in securing its future." - W.R. Summerwill, Chairman, MidWestOne Bank "I have seen firsthand the impact that the Englert Theatre has had on retail establishments such as the Java House, Iowa Artisans Gallery and Chait Galleries downtown. I also know that the Englert is a big draw for Iowa City tourism. Events have brought people and dollars to our community from all over the Midwest." -Joe Jennison, Executive Director, Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance "The Englert is a recognizable beacon of what our community is capable of and a large attractor for young professionals, families and retirees to the city. Our area is fortunate that we do not need to spend millions on creating a niche, we need only make small continued investments in preserving and protecting those entities which give so much back to our area." - Mark and Leslie Nolte, Owners, Nolte Academy of Dance "There is hardly a viable example to emulate when looking for a vital, interactive and thriving downtown business and cultural district in this State. It is for this reason that the need to continue focusing on projects such as the Englert...that distinguishes us, not homogenizes us, is critical." - Mark Ginsberg, Owner, M.C. Ginsberg Objects of Art "(The Englert) contributes to our local economy; it brings in tens of thousands of dollars...to our hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments. Inshort, the Englert Theatre is a driving force to our downtown's vitality." - Craig Gustaveson, President, Downtown Association "Non-profit theatres, especially in relatively small metropolitan areas like ours, have an extremely difficult time raising sufficient funds to operate. Those that do survive do so because of ongoing municipal support ... I hope you will offer support for such an outstanding organization." -Alan MacVey, Director, University of Iowa Division of Performing Arts "Things like the great entertainment at the Englert Theatre significantly add to the quality of life of our community. As one of the area's largest employers, we know how important those quality of fife issues are to recruiting and attracting ... employees and their families to the area. Those same factors play a key role in helping keep people here long term." -Tom Walljasper, Interim Director Community Relations, University of Iowa Health Care "In a college town, it would be easy for downtown Iowa City to be completely dominated by the bar scene, but the Englert provides a refreshing center for the arts to bring families from Iowa City and beyond to the downtown area. The Englert is exactly the type of facility that is needed to keep Iowa City awell-rounded, family-friendly community and keep businesses like us thriving in the downtown area." - Mike McCain, Owner, Capanna Coffee and Gelato "(The Englert) brightens the night life and cultural scene in Iowa City, which otherwise is sadly monolithic. I know for a fact that it draws a lot of people downtown in the evenings vvho otherwise would be reluctant to venture out. As a restaurant owner, I also know first hand how the Englert impacts numerous businesses in the region, including One Twenty Six." - Mathew Chackalackal, Owner, One Twenty Six "The Englert Theatre is a vital. part of the downtown district. The Sheraton Iowa City Hotel, Hotel Vetro and many other businesses benefit greatly as a result of the historic theater." - Matthew Traetow, Director of Stiles dr Marketing, Sheraton Iowa .City Hotel c~ =- ~ ~_ ; .,._ ~' ~. ('; '~ r - C r'~ . . .4' , St.3teliient of Profit ~ Loss 2408 Ye~jr-to-U{ite {throu~li SelrtenilterE Actual Vs. Buil~eteil Ilticollie J~~n-Selrt Actual J~31i-Sept BUCI~et "o -t111~Ie1:~+oVer Fundraising/Grants $ 101,585 $ 177,960 -43°fo Englert Events $ 375,616 $ 310,596 21 °fo Rental Events $ 133,234 $ 75,752 76°fo Other $ 17,773 $ 10,231 74°fo TotallnCOnie $ 628,208 $ 574,539 9% Expenses Administration $ 120,655 $ 138,933 -13°fo Building $ 67,881 $ 66,380 2°fo Personnel $ 221,982 $ 220,350 1 °fo Englert Events $ 236,403 $ 177,634 33°fo Rental Events $ 1,624 $ 3,902 -58°fo Non-Operating $ 35,143 $ 36,477 -4°fo Total Expense $ 683,689 $ 643,676 6°fo Profit`{Loss) $ (55,481) $ (69,137} 20°fo n, ..~a -~ v '` _~. y, ~_~ State)}}elit of Profit & Lass 2409-11 Brl<I~et Prajectialrs Income Eallietl lllCalire Englert Events Rental Events Other Income %alrtril}rrtetil hrcolne Friends of the Englert Fundraising Events Sponsorships Grants Gity of Iowa City Total Incalitie Exl}eases Administration Building Personnel Englert Events Rental Events Non-Operating Tagil Exl}elises Proflt~ ~Lassl 200 2010 2011 $ 450,000 $ 472,500 $ 496,125 $ 85 ,000 $ 60 ,000 $ 60 ,000 $ 8 ,500 $ 9 ,500 $ 10 ,500 $ 90,000 $ 100,000 $ 110,000 $ za,ooo $ 3a,o0o $ 45,0 $ 40,000 $ 5o,aoo $ 50,000 $ 21,000 $ 26 ,000 $ 33 ,000 $ 50 ,000 $ 50 ,000 $ 50 ,000 $ 764.500 ~ 79$,000 ~ 854,625 $ 75 ,000 $ 75 ,D00 $ 75 ,000 $ 89 ,000 $ 90 ,D00 $ 90 ,000 $ 286,000 $ 297,440 $ 309,338 $ 308,790 $ 325,215 $ 342,461 $ 3 ,500 $ 3 ,500 $ 3 ,500 $ 41,500 $ 42 ,500 $ 17 ,991 803,70 ~ 833.655 ~ 838,290 ~~ ~3~s.~ftOt '~ ~3~.+.~ a5~ ~ 16,335 * NOTE: Non-Operating Expenses include a $24,000 annual payment to our limited partner, as part of the process to receive federal and state tax credits to pay far renovation costs. The agreement with our limited partner dissolves in 2011. -~.~> r'~ _;,- ~ .wsa~va } .r ~` - ^^. '1 -j ~ µ ~ ~°-;xasy t...~ r,'~ .~ ~..n Community Organizations Who Have Used or Partnered With the Englert 10,000 Hours Show AgudasAchim Cedar Rapids Brass Chamber Ensemble City Circle Acting Company of Coralville Emma Goldman Clinic Family Concert Series Friends of Historic Preservation Friends of Old Time Music Hills Bank ICDOCs Documentary Film Festival Iowa Children's Museum Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Iowa City Community Band Iowa City Community String Orchestra Iowa City Community Theatre Iowa City Hospice Iowa City Human Rights Youth Awards Iowa City Rotary Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance Johnson County Soil Conservation Board KCCK Landlocked f=ilm Festival Liars Theatre New Horizons Band Nolte Academy of Dance Old Capitol Chorus Oid Gold Singers Parkview Church Prairie Lights Preucil School of Music Regina High School Releve Dance Company Riff Raff Theater River Community Church School For. Performing Arts SCOPE Summer of the Arts The Quire United Action for Youth University of Iowa Chamber Music University of Iowa College of Education University of Iowa College of Medicine University of Iowa Dental Hygiene Alumni University of Iowa Division of Performing Arts University of Iowa Lecture Committee University of Iowa Opera University of Iowa Orchestra University of Iowa School of Engineering US and the World Lecture Series Vets Helping Vets Wal-Mart West Music Women in Science and Engineering WSUI / KSUI Young Footliters ., u _: `? 5 9 ~~ ~ :, ' ~ ., -~ ~ v 1` .^:' PY '~ .~ to Growth in Englert and Rental Events 2006-2008 2006 2007 2008 a Englert ®Rentals ~~ ..~ ~~ _ J rb ~~-.,. ~Y~ i r r~~~ ,~ __ ~ ~ c°°n O ~ ~'~ ~ .. '-~' nn Englert Board of Directors 2008 Brenda Pearson, President brenda-Pearson@uiowa.edu Entrepreneur Paul D. Burns, VP/President-Elect ~burnsCbradleyriley.com Bradley ~ Riley, PC Ron Neems, Co-Vice President rnsneemsCa~mchsi.com Executive Vice President - American Bank and Trust Alan Swanson, Secretary alan-swansonCmc_hsi.com Broker /Associate Blank Sz McCune Real Estate Company Brad McNulty, Treasurer bmcnultyCdeloitte.com Senior Manager, Deloitte Tax LLP Bill Thomasson, Co-Treasurer Bill.Thomasson~~?frontiercoop.com Frontier Natural Produc#s Co-op Barbara Buddin ICCT Representative barbybuddin(a~yahoo.com Free Lance Singer and Conductor John Chadima Vice President ~ Trust Officer, ISBbzT Brenda Christner ICCT Representative b.christnerCmchsi.com Wendy Ford Wendy-ford(a?iowa-city.org City of Iowa City Kurt Griebel Store Manager, Target kurt.griebelc~targetcom Colin Hennessy Associate Director of Annual Giving, UI Foundation colin.hennessyCgmail.com Myrene Hoover hd-hoover@mchsi.com Dr. Rick Hopson hopsonjr@,aol.com Anna Moyers Stone Attorney, Phelan-Tucker stone~ptmlaw.com Leslie Nolte nolteacademyLmsn.com CEO, The Nolte Academy of Dance Christopher Okiishi cokiishi~a hotmail.co_m Meadowlark Psychiatric Services Jennifer Richman TE 2010 (1) C _. . _ ~ .;~ . + ~ ~~ - <., ~ 'i .~°` ,: ~; r' . . ;~ ~.n C .. ~, - ., _ .., ` Monday, October 20, 2008 City Council, City of Iowa City Michael Lombardo, City Manager City of Iowa City 410 E Washington St Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Michael & Council Members, I am writing to express our full support for the Englert Theatre's request for annual funding. As you well know, tourism is big business in Iowa City. In fact, the Iowa City/Coralville Area ranks 4th in total tourism expenditures in the state. Last year visitors to our community spent more than $294 million dollars...an 11.4% increase over the previous year. Tourism directly employs more than 3,400 local residents and tourists to our community also spent more than $18 million in state & local taxes providing a substantial tax relief to every local household. It's no secret the Englert Theatre plays a significant role in attracting this annual economic impact. This past year alone the Englert welcomed more than 30,000 visitors to Downtown Iowa City, placing it as one of the top Iowa City attractors. Those visitors were ably served by their top-notch staff, board of directors, and volunteers. BUT...the Englert Theatre is so much more than a tourist attraction. It's an absolutely integral part of our local quality of life. I know you all know this as I have seen several of you and your neighbors at their events. Like the City of Iowa City's Summer of the Arts, the Englert is really one of our core community betterment venues...offering many affordable entertainment options for people of all ages. Your annual investment will not only be directly returned by future direct spending, but indirectly continue to make this place, Iowa City, unique. We are very clearly recognized as the cultural capital of our great state and your continued support of the Englert & SOTA will ensure that we keep it that way. I thank you for your consideration and if I could speak further to the Englert's impact on this community, I would be delighted to do so. ,..., i': »7. Warm regards, `~ ,.~ ''~ _ =~. ~ : .-, ° ~' . Jos ua chamberger ~ F " -` ~'~~ `~ B esident ~ ,~._, ~, ,, ..~ ~ ~ Cc: Englert Theatre 900 First Avenue Coralville, Iowa 52241 / TELEPHONE -- C 319 337 6592 ]C 800 283 6592 ] FACSIMILE -- [ 319 337 9953 ] www.iowacitycoralville.org October 28, 2008 Council Members City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: Support for the Englert Dear Iowa City Council members, // I AREA CHAMBER ~~ OF COMMERCE ~~ On behalf of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, I encourage you to honor the Englert's request for an annual $50,000 allocation from the City's economic development fund. A 2007 Americans for the Arts study reported over $63 million in economic impact generated by regional arts and cultural organizations. Quality of place is increasingly recognized as significant to recruiting and retaining creative knowledge workers. As an historical venue, the Englert provides an authentic experience with the amalgam of offerings important to the creative workers for which our community competes. Ingenious marketing and innovative partnerships devised by clever Englert staff will leverage dollars invested. Economic development funding in support of the Englert is a sound investment in our community. Very/ sincerely, .~.~ ~ -_a ,~ ~:~ '~ =_,i-1 !"F ` e.....~ `r, / ~ .~ X45 E. Washington r~ Suite 100 Iowa City, IA 52240 Telephone:~319)337-9637 Fax:~3191338-9958 www.iowacityarea.com Nancy Quellh st President & EO ACTIVELY FOSTERING A BETTER BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. MidWestOne Bank° October 31, 2008 Dear Iowa City Councilors, I am writing in strong support of the Englert's request for annual funding from the City of Iowa City. As someone who has been involved with the Englert project from the very beginning, I have had the pleasure of watching what was once just an idea grow into a treasured arts institution that is a point of pride not just for downtown Iowa City, but for the entire community. Iowa City is without a doubt a better place to live, work and play because of the Englert. The diversity of events they produce is astounding for a community our size, and their commitment to presenting both local and national artists makes it a one-of-a-kind venue in our area. You are all familiar with Richard Florida's book The Creative Economy, which speaks to the importance of providing appealing venues to the type of citizens we desire to attract to and keep in Iowa City. The Englert has proved to be one of those venues. In additions, it is clearly a destination point for downtown Iowa City and as such, is a boon to the economy, drawing visitors to the area who in turn patronize restaurants, hotels and retail stores. Additionally, the Englert provides employment opportunities for both arts management professionals and artists. As Chairman of the Board of MidWestOne Bank, formerly Iowa State Bank & Trust, I am no stranger to the difficulties faced by young businesses of any kind -especially non-profit organizations. Without consistent financial support, even the best-run non-profits would not survive. The Englert is such anon-profit: its professional staff and diligent Board of Directors have led the theater with confidence through trying times, and have persevered. They currently hold only $70,000 in debt leftover from the re-construction, as well as a $200,000 line of credit. They have maintained positive cashflow for the past six months - an accomplishment that signals their ability to be a sustainable business. MidWestOne is currently working with the Englert to expand their line of credit to increase their ability to book nationally-known performers that require substantial upfront deposits. We are also exploring long- term financing options that would go into effect in 2011 when the Englert buys out of the limited partnership agreement that allowed it to secure millions of dollars in federal and state tax credits. MidWestOne is proud to be the Englert's longtime financial partner. Our investment in this community asset has been considerable, and worth every penny. I urge the City to follow our example and the example of other municipalities around the country -and even in Johnson County -who value the impact of a theatrical venue such as the Englert enough to take a leadership role in securing its future. MidWestOne, dozens of local businesses and hundreds of individual donors would all like to consider the City of Iowa City a partner in he ing ensure that the Englert thrives as a community treasure for years to come. V ~.. .,~ ~~ > "~ i~a ~.,.; ~. ~~' _. =-~ -.. ;~ :.~, v u www midwestone.com (800) 247-4418 LENDER Member FDIC ~~ Oct. 30, 2008 Mayor Regenia Bailey City of Iowa City --.> 410 E. Washington St. `~ _ Iowa City, Iowa 52240 .,.;, Re: Support for the Englert Theatre :. ~, Dear Mayor Bailey: , ;., -~- ~.. ~.~ .. As Executive Director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, I have had occasion to s~~; many professional and community events at the Englert Theatre and I know that the staff, board and volunteers of this theater are all very dedicated to offering diverse programming that touches all members of our community. However, I also know that the Englert helps to bring people into the area and spur additional investment. I have seen firsthand the impact that the Englert Theatre has had on retail establishments such as the Java House, Iowa. Artisans Gallery and the Chait Galleries downtown. I also know that the Englert is a big draw for Iowa City tourism. Events such as Second City, Paula Poundstone, Mark Schultz and Randy Newman have brought people and dollars to our community from all over the Midwest. In 2006, the Englert was one of 100 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the Corridor that participated in an Economic Impact Study through Americans for the Arts that concluded that nonprofit arts and culture organizations such as the Englert are responsible for bringing $63.08 million to the Corridor's economy each and every year. And it is the programming that this theater offers that. is partly responsible for recruiting and retaining qualified professionals and their families to this city. Certainly, we could not continue to keep attracting professionals to our community without this theater. I know that this City Council gets thousands of requests for support and that sometimes choosing between many different needs is very hard, but please know that the Englert is a strong leader in the arts and culture community and the Cultural Corridor, and keeping it strong and vital is essential to the continued success of the Cultural Corridor.. Thanks and Sincerely, Joe J. Joe Jennison Executive Director Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance 2121 Arthur Collins Parkway Suite 5 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 (800) 650-ARTS 10/29/08 Beth Bewley-Randall Englert Civic Theatre 225 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Beth, Leslie and I would like to offer our support for your request to the City of Iowa City for additional financial assistance. From the artistic standpoint, The Englert is one of the few venues in the Corridor available and accessible for local artists. We could not have produced our annual `Nutcracker' and other ballet and dance performances anywhere else. The Englert offers the unique combination of professional lighting, design and stage help with the rigging capacity to fly in backdrops which give productions the full theatrical quality one would only expect to find in larger metros. The Englert has been a wonderful partner for our shows and a host of other local groups. The upcoming production of `Beauty and the Beast' is but another example of what can be accomplished to realize the rich talents of our area citizens in a venue worthy of all the time and effort these productions muster. It is this capacity that from an economic development standpoint we need to consider. The conventional wisdom now is "Economic Gardening" wherein communities work to build their infrastructure and culture to attract workforce and businesses. We are fortunate in our area that we already possess the assets so many communities can only dream of. With its perfect location in the heart of downtown, The Englert is a recognizable beacon of what our community is capable of and a large attractor for young professionals, families and retirees to the city. People yearn to be involved and take their turn sharing talents; your theatre is the physical space in which this can be accomplished. Our area is fortunate that we do not need to spend millions on creating a niche, we need only make small continued investments in preserving and protecting those entities which give so much back to our area. Your theatre, you and your team are a tremendous part of what we can be proud of. We wish you all the best and hope the City is able to help you realize your goals through their continued financial support. Mark and Leslie Nolte , Nolte Academy of Dance .:~ _• . ue~ ,:: E jai ~„ ~~y ~~ %~~ .. ;..~ ~..n _a ginsberg~" auu O B J E C T S O F A R T ~ -~ . ~. `.w '.. As a proactive business the challenges to educate, engage, attract, entertain and provoke our shrinking world has never been greater. There is hardly a viable example to emulate when looking for a vital, interactive and thriving downtown business and cultural district in this State. It is for this reason that the need to continue focusing on projects, such as the Englert Theater, (the Gallery Walk, Live from Prairie Lights, The Friday Night Concert Series, Iowa City Jazz Festival, Iowa City Arts Festival, The Saturday Night Free Movie Series, Landlocked Film Festival, M. C. Ginsberg Friday Afternoon Music Series, Java House Music, The Mission Creek Festival, Riverside Theater and Shakespeare in the Park to name a few), that distinguishes us, not homogenizes us, is critical. Downtown Iowa City is the "alter ego' and the "personality' of this community and this State. As a businessman with small businesses in both Iowa City and Des Moines, I have come to understand that my business' success or failure is directly proportional to how much our communities stimulate us. The programming mentioned above and more have all proven themselves to be positive decisions on several planes. It is just good business. It has shown that public/private partnerships do work and encourage community participation regardless of gender, age or ethnicity. Anytime a business has the opportunity to show itself off culturally to attract more business, population base and pride to itself and community proves #o create an economic boon. The real question should be why not support programs like this? Operating budgets are vital to the sustained growth of any program both non-profit and for profit. Volunteerism and grass roots efforts breathe life, but it is a professional staff and the quality of art that maintains and grows an event. Budgeting growth through private contributions as well as grants will continue to supports these efforts. It is not my intention to wait on the sidelines for this type of programming to arrive but rather to inspire others to get involved and stay involved. I have learned that culture is great for business. I know this community, its' people and business have the vision to create positive change and direction. My desire is to facilitate your understanding of the tremendous impact the arts has had and will continue to have on Iowa City and our entire State. The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. The most important thing is that it must be something you cannot possibly do! With that thought in mind I want you to turn your attention to our quality of life. We have the chance to embrace our environment and affect its outcome. Alone our chore is daunting but together the passion and intensity is with us and our collective communities will benefit from this energy. We have to ask, "What is it that attracts us, our families and our businesses to an area?" It is many things, there is not just one answer. But one powerful attractant is our culture, those things that distinguish us from other areas. That is, our people, customs, recreation, in a word our ART. What defines us and makes us unique is what make our lives exciting and creative. Not surprisingly this also has the ability to attract visibility and humans wanting and willing to engage. ginsberg O B J E C T S O F A R T I believe that ART makes the community. The beauty of life is in discovering things for one's self. One must find their place, even if like Christopher Columbus it is not what we sought. We must love the things that speak to us alone. We have a tremendous opportunity to pronounce our corridor, not just for its business opportunities, or its ingenuity but its CULTURE! We ought to have the courage to let our lives find beauty in the most unlikely things and places: An internationally recognized jazz festival, a working commune, some of the planet's best writers or a rare Grant Wood. In this lies the wonder of accidental discoveries. They are the best of all. They are the true loves, the true marriages of sensibility. But liking what we ought to like for cultural, tribal or class reasons is a sort of tyranny, a slavery of the intellect. A kind of marriage of convenience, an arranged marriage, things liked before encountered. So for me, the wise person doesn't know the value of anything until after the encounter, when the love effect has begun to take hold. Value is sort of an enchantment. Lilies have cast spells on millions. Tulips enraptured a continent. Compositions no one liked at the time became the adoration of the future. Novels that meant little to contemporaries meant everything one hundred years later. The wise know that it is better to love what you truly love, rather than to like what everyone professes to be important. A mall, a superstore, industrial warehousing, a convenience store, everyone would say are important. But it is the restored theaters}, the Shakespearean sonnet, an original film, a festival in the streets pronouncing the local flavor that give us our humanity our differences and ultimately our attraction as a destination. Desire defies reason. It is an impassioned compulsion for which logic, prudence, or pragmatism offer but little solstice. Desire renders the unreasonable, reasonable, the unthinkable worthy of serious thought. What attracts us to a place is the unreasonable and coincidentally (or perhaps not) makes us want to stay. Sincerely, Mark C. Ginsberg M. C. Ginsberg Jewelers - "`~' ~ 110 East Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 r k r. ~" .~: -~ --- -'~"' ; ~~ ~~~ .c;. .. =~ .,.~s S_,r,.J October 28, 2008 Partnering for a better tomorrow • Downtown Association of Iowa City Iowa City is known as a cultural mecca with strong ties to arts and entertainment. It's this commitment that has made our downtown a destination not only for our local population, but also to the larger regional area. The Engiert Theatre has given us a venue where we can see our children perform, witness local musicians and theater groups apply their trades, and see national acts that cater to smaller theaters. All of this contributes to our local economy; it brings in tens of thousands of dollars not only to the Englert Theatre, but also to our hotels, restaurants and retail establishments. In short, the Englert Theatre is a driving force to our downtown's vitality. 1 believe the Englert's staff and board have done a remarkable job in managing the theaters finances and keeping ticket prices affordable so anyone can attend. It's because of this policy that 1 feel it is imperative the city continues to financially support the Englert, so it will continue to be Iowa City's community theater. Craig Gustaveson President, Board of Directors 1)~#yvptow~ Associati,~~l of Iowa ~it~ ~~ `,_: . `; . r,.~ ~~ _, ;-~~ `_~ ~L<.- ~.., .~ ~., '~m n ~~ ~r ~... ~: :w ,~, w 32S E. WASHINGTON STREET • SUITE lOO • IOWA CITY, IA • S2Z4O. 319-354-0863 dtaiowacity@gmail.com • www.downtowniowacity.com 1 THE uNIVERSIIY OF IOWA October 21, 2008 City Council Iowa City, IA 52242 Dear Councilors, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES Division of Performing Arts 1006 Voxman Music Building Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1795 319-335-1603 Fax 319-335-2637 . I'm writing in strong support of the Englert Theatre. It is my hope that you will be able to provide an annual financial commitment so the theatre can continue to offer outstanding programming to the residents of Iowa City. I've been involved with the Englert since planning began several years ago. Beth Bewley- Randall is a graduate of the Theatre Arts Department and since she took responsibility for the Theatre I've been proud to watch her, and the theatre, thrive. Beginning last spring I took a more active role by working with Beth to develop the new late night cabaret. Sponsored by the Englert and the Division of Performing Arts, it is proving to be a great success. I attend events at the Englert and support the theatre financially. In short, I believe in it personally and professionally. As you know, non-profit theatres, especially in relatively small metropolitan areas like ours, have an extremely difficult time raising sufficient funds to operate. Those that survive do so because of ongoing municipal support. Such support provides a financial floor that allows the theatre to offer outstanding events that might or might not sell well; it allows community organizations to present their work at a cost they can afford; and it gives the theatre administrators confidence that rocky times will not mean the end of operations. Such support also encourages private donors to give generously, knowing the City has confidence and admiration for the theatre. The Englert has proven itself to be a great help to community organizations. This in itself would be worthy of financial assistance from the City. Beyond this, though, the Englert presents outstanding artists from around the country, artists who otherwise would have no venue in Iowa City. This commitment to local and national artists is very unusual and is a special resource for our city. I hope you will offer support for such an outstanding organization. Sin e , V Alan MacVey Director Division of P rforming Arts ,; ~, _.. ,. , y ., ~=~:. _. ,,-,~, _~. _~ J i ..~ ~~1 ,~;, '~~ A ~V I t ~M u~r~xs'~owA xosr &ccuncs Office of Community Relations University of Iowa Health Care October 17, 2008 To Whom It May Concern: 200 Hawkins Dr., 8023 JCP Iowa City, Iowa 52242 319-384-7353 Tel 319-384-8141 Fax tom-wal[iasperta7piowa. edu www. uihealthcare. com I am writing this letter in support of the Englert Theatre's request for economic development funds from the City of Iowa City. University of Iowa Health Care is a proud supporter of the Englert Theatre. Earlier this year, the Englert recognized our support by awarding us with an Englert Impact Award in the business category for our sponsorship of the theatre and its exceptional programming. Several of our employees also routinely volunteer their time and talents in support of the theatre. We are proud to support the Englert Theatre for many reasons. First and foremost, it is venues such as the Englert that help to make this area's arts and culture scene what it is. We know that having a strong arts and culture environment is important for many reasons. It is important because things like the great entertainment at Englert Theatre significantly add to the quality of life of our community. It is this quality of life that makes the Iowa City area a truly exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family. It is the venues like the Englert Theatre, the Summer of the Arts Festival, and numerous other arts and cultural events that greatly help to make the Iowa City area the "cool" place that it is. As one of the area's largest employers, we also know how important those quality of life issues are to recruiting and attracting top-notch health care providers, faculty, students, researchers and other employees and their families to the area. Those same quality of life factors also play a key role in helping keep people here long-term. It's those plays, those concerts, those festivals, that help to make a community so vibrant. They also attract many visitors to our community. The Englert Theatre is truly one of the Iowa City area's gems. University of Iowa Health Care is a proud supporter of this fine theatre and its great programming. We hope you will be, too. Thank you! _~ Sincerely, ~-- ~~ ~ ~.;a, l Ern ~, d Y , Tom Walljasper Interim Director, Community Relations ~t• ~' .. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics -~' October 16, 2008 To the members of the Iowa City Council: We at Capanna Coffee and Gelato heartily encourage you to consider providing financial support to The Englert Theatre. One of the most important considerations for us in opening our shop was location. We knew that downtown Iowa City was the perfect spot to support a new store like us. The Englert plays an essential role in making downtown Iowa City such a vibrant, growing area. In fact, we have worked to develop a special coffee blend, The Englert blend, for which a percentage of sales is donated to support the theatre. We have done this because we know that more success for The Englert means growth for us. In a college town, it would be easy for downtown Iowa City to be completely dominated by the bar scene, but The Englert provides a refreshing center for the arts to bring families from Iowa City and beyond to the downtown area. The Englert is exactly the type of facility that is needed to keep Iowa City awell-rounded, family- friendly community and keep businesses like us thriving in the downtown area. Please strongly consider helping them in their mission to provide a wonderful center for the arts in downtown Iowa City. Sincerely, Mike McCain, Owner Capanna Coffee and Gelato ~a .. ,- .. r , . ~, ~ +_.~ ~_ .i ~ 3' ` . i '"' .'~' 'J'1 ~ .J One Twenty Six 126 E Washington St Iowa City IA 52241 info,~onet~wenh~si~.net 319-887-1909 Subject: Englert Theatre To City Of Iowa City: In the few years since its inception, Englert theatre has flourished into an Iowa City Cultural icon. Englert remains and should continue to be an essential piece of the puzzle that will enhance the vibrancy of Iowa City. It brightens the night life and cultural scene in Iowa City, which otherwise is sadly monolithic. I know for a fact that it draws a lot of people in the evenings to Iowa City, who other wise would be reluctant to venture out to our downtown. As a restaurant owner, I also know first hand how Englert theatre positively impacts numerous businesses in the region, including One Twenty Six. We as Iowa City residents should be proud of the achievements of Englert Theatre, and should continue to support and nurture this great organization. Thank You and Regards, Mathew Chackalackal Owner ., ~~' :'u ~,`, ~~ ;- ~'C ~~,~ ~ rte,, M M '" ,~ ~ . . ::~ ;,r'i L+~1 y``~~ ,aaJ ~IJ~ k~ Sheraton [ovva City -- ____ _. fdOiE:l To Whom It May Concern; I am honored to provide you with a testimonial towards the Englert's commitment to our community. As the Director of Sales and Marketing for both the Sheraton and Hotel Vetro, I have witnessed first hand the many great things the Englert Theater does for not only the community but what a great impact the facility has on the downtown district in particular. Being the only two hotels in the downtown area, we use the cultural and artistic diversity of the area to help attract groups to the area. The Englert and the Sheraton have partnered on many occasions to bring in lazge multi-day events that create a great deal of economic impact to many other local businesses in addition to our own. Also, with the great shows and events the Englert Theater regulazly hosts, the downtown area also sees a great deal of local families driving to the downtown area that typically would not be in the area otherwise. The families often time shop and eat at local businesses either before or after the main event as well. The Englert Theater is a vital part of the downtown district. The Sheraton Iowa City Hotel, Hotel Vetro and many other businesses benefit greatly as a result of the historic theater. If at anytime someone would be interested in learning more about my experiences and observations, please don't hesitate to have them contact me directly. Sincerely, Matthew Traetow Director of Sales & Marketing Sheraton Iowa City & Hotel Vetro ~~ ~ o ~ Marian Karr From: K Brown [brownkaty@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 5:42 PM To: Council Subject: Inquiry Hello, I am curious how I go about bringing up a suggested modification to city code? This is regarding Code 8-4-6: PROHIBITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS: Animal Control. Our home is located at 3222 Shamrock Drive and our house is surrounded by an Invisible Fence. Today an Animal Control Officer informed me that my dog needs to be "leashed or tethered" within my yard. According to City Code: D. Animals At Large Prohibited: 1. No animal shall be found at large within the city at any time. A properly licensed animal shall not be deemed at large if: (Ord. 97-3793, 7-15-1997) a. It is tethered or on the enclosed fenced premises of the owner; or (Ord. 99-3902, 9-28-1999)...Continued. As a nearly life long resident of Iowa City, I am baffled that the Invisible Fence that has protected my dog for her entire life, is now being trivialized as a possible danger to my animal. I was told by the officer that large dogs running at large may enter my yard and hurt my dog. My response was "Large dogs jump fences as well." I am concerned about this and would like to bring it before the council. Can you advise me on how to go about this? Thank you for your time. Respectfully, Katy M. Brown Katy Brown brownkatyCgmail.com 1 Iowa City Council Meeting Tuesday November 18, 2008 Katy Brown Background Information: On Friday November 14, 2008 an Animal Control officer knocked on my front door and informed me that our dog needed to be "leashed or tethered" according to Iowa City Code. When I informed her that we have Invisible Fence installed and our dog has never escaped our yard, she told me that invisible fencing does not serve as an acceptable form of animal containment under city code. I asked if there had been a complaint against my dog to which she replied no, she was just driving by and noticed my dog sitting in the side yard. She had just apprehended two dogs nearby who are repeat offenders when it comes to escaping their invisible fencing. In a follow up phone call that evening, placed by me, she went on to tell me that I should do everything I can to protect my animal from other dogs who are "at large" and that our fencing option doesn't contain all dogs. I explained that with proper training and maintenance, it does work and often times it works better than a physical fence. There is no chance of a dog jumping the fence, a gate being left open or our dog digging her way out. My dog is a 15 lb. schnauzer poodle that was properly trained, by me, upon the installation of our system in October 2007. Due to the irregularity of our yard, we had to come up with an option to keep her contained but unrestrained within our property line. I consider myself a very responsible pet owner and am concerned that a lack of judgment on behalf of a few citizens is causing a blanket generalization of the ineffectiveness of invisible fencing overall. As you can see in the photos of our back yard, the city made easement to prevent ~ rUV ~2o~S flooding in our neighborhood. Under the grass, four feet beyond the edge of the ~~~,~ le ~,. easement, is wire fencing under our grass. /n KK This makes the installation of a standard fence difficult, if not impossible. Request: I ask that the Council consider re-wording City Code 8-4-1 regarding the definition of a fence and City Code 8-4-6 regarding containment of dogs on private property. , . _ _~ .._. _ w ~ _~ .' ~~'. , ~ E ~? ~:L .a ~~1 ~ Iowa City Council Meeting Tuesday November 18, 2008 Katy Brown Code 8-4-1: FENCE: A physical barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion, entry or exit, made of posts and wire, boards, stone, brick, or similar material. Invisible fencing systems using underground wire or electronic collar devices are not considered fencing for the purposes of this chapter. Code 8-4-6.• D. Animals At Large Prohibited: 1. No animal shall be found at large within the city at any time. A properly licensed animal shall not be deemed at large if (Ord. 97-3793, 7-IS-1997) a. It is tethered or on the enclosed fenced premises of the owner; or (Ord. 99-3902, 9-28-1999) I also request that the responsibilities of dog owners with invisible fencing are spelled out clearly. This would allow Iowa City Animal Control to properly deal with irresponsible pet owners. Suggestion: Owners, caretakers, guardians or handlers of dogs may attempt to prevent said dogs from leaving the premises by installing an invisible fence. Owners, caretakers, guardians or handlers of dogs are responsible for the maintenance of the invisible fences and shall exercise diligence to keep the fence in proper working order. A dog shall be deemed under restraint if.• It is securely enclosed, confined or restrained on premises where it lawfully may be so as to be unable to enter upon the public way or to have access to persons lawfully using the public way. For purposes of this definition, an electric or radio fence, also known as "invisible fence" shall be deemed an enclosure, confinement or restraint. Thank you all for your time. Katy Brown 1 -- 3222 Shamrock Drive Iowa City, IA 52245 -~ -- ~ `~~ 319.358.6945 brownkaty@gmail.com ~ ;Y .,^' N' \ E,.~ ....~®~ ~~e ;~ ~.. Katy ~~~~~n ~~ .L~i~OG[J ~ ~ l -,;' .. Ka~~ ~~ j~cJ2.'IL