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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-07 Info Packet� r � ®'mom CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org City Council Information Packet June 7. 2018 IPI Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Miscellaneous IP2 Information from City Manager: National League of Cities — State of the Cities 2018 IP3 Copy of News Release: Come to the Council Listening Post at the Farmers Market — June 9 IP4 Bar Check Report — May, 2018 I135 2018 Building Statistics Report IP6 Email from East Central Iowa Council of Governments: ECICOG Area Grant Opportunities IP7 Invitation: June Mental Health First Aid class — June 7 & 14 Draft Minutes IP8 Planning & Zoning Commission: May 17 I139 Public Art Advisory Committee: May 3 UO—U/-72s 1131 ? City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule ^t Subject to change 4710 CITY OF IOWA CITY CITY June 7, 2018 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, July 3, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, July 16, 2018 4:00 PM Reception North Liberty 4:30 PM Joint Meeting TBA Tuesday, July 17, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 7, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 21, 2018 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting From City Manager Fruin2 NLCNATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES CITIES STRONG TOGETHER to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. Through its membership and partnerships with state municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource and advocate for more than 19,000 cities and towns and more than 218 million Americans. NLC's Center for City Solutions provides research and analysis on key topics and trends important to cities and creative solutions to improve the quality of life in communities. is Senior Executive and Director of NLC's Center for City Solutions. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Yang You, who collected the data and analyzed the content, and Kelly Martin of Kelly Martin Art Direction + Design who designed the report. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge Jim Brooks, Director, Nick Kasza, Senior Associate and Lucy Perkins, Associate in the Center for City Solutions for their contributions to the report. Photo credits. All photos Getty Images, 2018, unless otherwise noted. © 2018 National League of Cities. All Rights Reserved. 13 15 17 19 21 23 2S 27 29 33 3S 37 Economic Development Infrastructure Budgets & Management Housing Public Safety Health & Human Services Education Energy and Environment Government Data & Technology Demographics Issues to Watch Conclusion Methodology Appendix dl�** .rl �k r ' JK1 L7 no r W. t . a.. r��' a �b '` �.�;:_.Yf C� i� �LP '�' � -.t i i ��,.s7�� 61�f� aa. I �y iL� '" iNf ��c� ,:. ! � J'3.-•13��'�"�-:. aT ' r� nl, ra9ef,r..i�rsralpl'ivpFi.iieP++S fi •�� � ' I G I�al M .w �. i! fta' _I ..SII li-;t' u'II 4 11,�,. _.,..�:� — _ — i Introduction Each year, mayors across the nation detail their vision for their city's future in a seminal address—their state of the city speech. These speeches have taken on new significance as mayors emerge as focal points in the intergovernmental context. Where many state and federal partners are mired in political gridlock or actively disinvesting in cities, mayors consistently demonstrate the capacity and willingness to solve complex problems that are shaped by local realities and have broad national implications. Given the current environment, how do mayors perceive their role? Which issues are most im- portant now, compared to the past? How are they preparing to meet their goals? Now in its fifth year, the National League of Cities' annual State of the Cities report pro- vides an in-depth analysis of mayoral speech- es. The analysis pinpoints specific tactics and policies, as well as broader major policy direc- tions, and finds that. Economic development is the most prev- alent major policy issue across mayoral speeches, and has been for the past five years. Fifty eight percent of mayors discussed eco- nomic development at length. nfrastructure, budgets and housing rise in importance this year, overtaking public safety. Mayors offered more detailed infra- structure plans this year, while presenting a narrower scope of discussion on public safety. Economic development, infrastructure, budgets, housing and public safety are consistently the top issues for the fifth year in a row. The 2018 report is based on a content analysis of 160 mayoral speeches delivered between January and April 2018 and includes cities across population sizes and geographic regions. The report presents both major topics and subtopics. Subtopics are the parts of may- ors' speeches that are intended to articulate their plans, goals and desired impacts for very specific projects, programs and city depart- ments. These parts are each coded as one of 182 detailed subtopics, such as downtown development or public transit. Mayors this year discussed between two and 43 subtopics within their speeches, with an average of 17 subtopics per speech. Each subtopic is assigned to one of 10 major topics - economic development, infrastructure, budgets and management, housing, public safety, health and human services, education, energy and environment, government data and technology, and demographics. Speech- es are coded as having covered a major topic if the word count for subtopics within that major topic constitutes at least 10 percent of the speech. For example, this year 39 percent of speeches significantly covered housing, or talked about housing -related subtopics for at least 10 percent of the speech. Overall, each mayor discussed between one and six major topics, with an average of four major topics perspeech. Given the relative consistency of major topics across cities, subtopics provide an interesting and more nuanced framework through which to understand the movement of major issues Top 10 Issues By percent of speeches that significantly* covers each topic. Economic Development 58% Infrastructure 56% Budgets 4 Managemen 49% `slg,ar = 10 percent ofspeech tlevotetl m topic Housing 39% Public Safety 36% Health & Human Services 34% Education 28% Energy & Environment 25% Government Data & Technology 14% Demographics 12% 21 over time. Subtopics also clarify distinctions between the priorities of mayors from different regions and with varying population sizes. When it comes to major topics, economic de- velopment has been the primary one for may- oral speeches over the last five years. Core issues like jobs, business attraction and reten- tion, and neighborhood vitalization continue to be prevalent in speeches. Last year, mayors discussed economic development primarily in terms of job creation and business attraction. This year, downtown development edged out all other economic development subtopics for the top spot. This year, we also uncovered that economic transformation -related subtop- ics, including innovation districts and tech en- trepreneurship, are gaining traction in mayors' annual addresses. These strategies are found not only in speeches of larger city mayors, but smaller city ones as well, like Bethlehem, Pa, which is promoting a culture of innovation to launch and grow new companies. Next, consider infrastructure, which jumped to the number two spot on the top 10 list this year. Which specific infrastructure is- sues are top of mind for mayors? For this, we turn to subtopics and find that the most popular infrastructure subtopic is a catego- ry including roads, streets and signs. Over half of the mayors in our sample (53%) discuss roads, streets and signs — a vital issue for local government. From a regional perspective, this subtopic is one of three top issues for mayors in the Midwest, South and Northeast. And from a size perspective, it is the number one issue for mayors from cities with populations under 50,000 While mayors from cities with populations greater than 300,000 are much less likely to talk about roads, they are likely to talk about infrastructure in general. They tend to dis- cuss this topic in terms of public transit and the way their residents interact with roads and rail infrastructure to improve their daily commuting patterns. The budgets and management major topic also moved up in the rankings. This includes subtopics such as intergovernmental relations, tax revenue, budget transparency and plan- ning, fiscal balance and operational excellence. Much of the movement in budgets and man- agement is due to mayors' increased focus on intergovernmental relations, that is, their relationship with the state and federal govern- ment. Nearly one in three mayors talk about intergovernmental relations, with specific com- ments about constraints imposed on them by higher levels of government that impact their ability to solve local problems. This is felt espe- cially throughout cities in the West, with inter- governmental relations being among the top five subtopics, and for large cities with popu- lations greater than 300,000 The primary way that mayors in the nation's smallest cities are talking about budgets and management is in terms of government efficiency and effective- ness, highlighting those cities' efforts to share information with their residents transparently. Health and human services jumped not one, but two places since last year. This is largely at- tributable to the parks and recreation subtop- ic, which is discussed by 57 percent of mayors. Mayors talk about enhancing their parks as a way to improve the health and well-being of their residents. For example, Iowa City, Iowa recently adopted a new parks plan to help the city build a more vibrant and walkable urban core, to foster healthy neighborhoods throughout the city. Parks and recreation is the top subtopic in the West and Northeast, and among the top five for the South and Midwest. 10 Top 10 issues over the last four years Number in parentheses indicates previous year's rank. 2015 2016 2017 Economic Development (1) Economic Development (1) Economic Development (1) Infrastructure (S) Public Safety (2) Infrastructure (4) Infrastructure (2) Data/Technology Data/Technology (7) Data/Technology (9) While public safety fell several levels this year, it is still a significant issue. In fact, police is the most mentioned subtopic amongst speeches. About 58 percent of mayors discussed some aspect of policing, such as staffing, equipment, conduct and police -community relations. The subtopic is among the top two subtopics for cities in all four regions. More than 50 percent of the mayors who spoke about guns made specific reference to gun violence in schools (10 mayors) Many detail local actions to sty- mie gun violence in the wake of recent events and the absence of action at the federal, and in some cases, the state level. Given that public safety subtopics are the most prevalent subtopics amongst speech- es, it is surprising that public safety ranks as only the fifth major topic. Its placement in the ranks reflects the fact that public safety 2018 subtopics are often discussed in a more con- cise manner than other subtopics. For exam- ple, mayors, on average, use approximately 52 words to discuss public safety subtopics, compared with approximately 68 words in economic development subtopics. Words are coded as a subtopic as long as they refer to specific plans, goals and desired impacts, but the lower word count of public safety subtop- ics means that they are contributing less to- ward the major topic threshold of 10 percent. Despite variations overtime and among may- ors from different types of cities, one thing that this analysis makes clear is that mayors are inherently problem -solvers with keen in- sights into how they can effect change within their communities. As a nation of cities, then, it is imperative that we elevate the voices of our city leaders. 10 13 41 Top subtopics by region West 3 3 Roads -Streets -Signs 1 Parks & Recreation 4 Public Transit 2 Police Department 5 Government Efficiency 3 Homelessness & Effectiveness 4 Roads -Streets -Signs 6 Downtown Development 5 Intergovernmental Relations 7 Housing Supply 6 Housing Supply & Development & Development 8 Water & SewerWaste 7 Affordable Housing Water Infrastructure 8 Government Efficiency 9 Neighborhood Vitalization & Effectiveness 10 Arena & Convention Centers 9 Downtown Development 10 Public Transit South 1 Police Department Midwest 1 Roads -Streets -signs 2 Police Department 3 Fire Department 4 Parks & Recreation 5 Water -Sewer -Waste Infrastructure 6 Downtown Development 7 Arts &Culture 8 Government Efficiency & Effectiveness 9 Housing Supply & Development 10 Intergovernmental Relations Northeast 1 Parks & Recreation 2 A Parks & Recreation 3 3 Roads -Streets -Signs 4 4 Public Transit - 5 Government Efficiency & Effectiveness 6 6 Downtown Development 7 7 Housing Supply 8 & Development 9 8 Water & SewerWaste Water Infrastructure 10 9 Neighborhood Vitalization 10 Arena & Convention Centers Midwest 1 Roads -Streets -signs 2 Police Department 3 Fire Department 4 Parks & Recreation 5 Water -Sewer -Waste Infrastructure 6 Downtown Development 7 Arts &Culture 8 Government Efficiency & Effectiveness 9 Housing Supply & Development 10 Intergovernmental Relations Northeast 1 Parks & Recreation 2 Police Department 3 Roads -Streets -Signs 4 Affordable Housing 5 Housing Supply & Development 6 Arts &Culture 7 Downtown Development 8 Intergovernmental Relations 9 Government Efficiency & Effectiveness 10 Fire Department Top subtopics by population 10 Less than .... Roads -Streets -Signs 100,000 - 299,999 50,000 - 99,999 300,000 or more _ di,..�.. aIaim .w ..r� ,r. • iM^fir +ei Ria ��F sties are enhancing the arts scene and supporting innovation, recognizing that attracting big employers is not enough to spur economic growth. ARTS & CULTURE Arts and culture is the most popular economic develop- ment topic among mayors this year. In Clarksville, Tenn , Mayor Kim McMillan championed a downtown perform- ing arts center that would enhance the entertainment scene as well as provide meeting space for confer- ences and other events. Similarly, Mayor Shawn Morse of Cohoes, NY noted the expansion of a park would both serve as a modern gathering and event space and broaden programming to spur additional visitation, rec- reation, and investment in the downtown area. But support for the arts does not just mean support for creative paintings, murals, installations and the like. It might also mean economic development in the traditional sense of job creation. In Buffalo, NY, Mayor Byron Brown noted a new development proj- ect would assist in training stagehands and theatri- cal employees who work in all forms of live theater, motion picture and television production. And what is economic development without cre- ative development of the community and a place for artists and residents alike to hang their hats? "That's why I'm proud to reveal that soon, through a partnership with ArtsNow, we will be installing four unique "Welcome to Akron" sculptures, handcrafted by local artisans, at four central gateways into our city;' says Mayor Daniel Horrigan of Akron, Ohio. BUSINESS RETENTION, EXPANSION & ATTRACTION While many cities are implementing policies to attract businesses, some mayors further recognize that there is more to be done to create equitable access to econom- ic opportunities within all of their communities. Mayor Daniel Horrigan of Akron, Ohio says, "I too often hear that if we could just hook that one big employer and get them to come to Akron and hire thousands of people that everything would be alright again. While I under- stand and respect this position, it's simply not enough" The mayor announced the creation of an innovation hub that would support innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment in Akron's start-up, corporate research, and academic communities. 58% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of economic development issues. TOP 5 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBTOPICS Subtopic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the subtopic. fifi My goal is for every neighborhood in Birmingham to become ... a place that people actively choose to live [in]. Mayor Randall Woodfin Birmingham, AL 01 Business Downtown Arts & Neighborhood Attraction Development Culture Vitalization Jobs & Retention 34% 31% 26% 22% 19% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••Osseo asses••••• asses••••• ••OOOaaoo• •o••• essessesse•••eases•• a••OO Subtopic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the subtopic. fifi My goal is for every neighborhood in Birmingham to become ... a place that people actively choose to live [in]. Mayor Randall Woodfin Birmingham, AL 01 ayors are focused on improving water infrastructure and providing equitable access to public transit and high-speed Internet access. WATERINFRASTRUCTURE One of the most important responsibilities of local gov- ernment is maintaining and improving infrastructure - transportation, water and sewer, technology and com- munications - that benefits all residents. And this year, water and sewer infrastructure ranked highly. In Beech Grove, Ind , Mayor Dennis Buckley touted upgrades to the city's sanitary sewer system, while in Bessemer, Ala, Mayor Kenneth Gulley announced upgrades to the city's water filtration plant and water lines. Stating that partnerships with other water providers would improve water delivery, Mayor Stan Ridgeway of Eagle, Idaho says, 'The city continues to be committed to providing quality water service to our residents" EQUITABLE ACCESS The work of cities requires attention to both existing transportation networks and infrastructure as well as emerging trends that will shape the future. Some cit- ies are working with their state and regional partners to identify ways to expand public transportation. "We must continue to provide transit options for our working families and build on the largest expansion of MARTA in its history;" says Atlanta's newly elected Mayor Keisha Bottoms. Recognizing the importance of community, Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit says, "We've got a whole lot of jobs coming into the city and I'm going make darn sure we're running a first- class bus system so.. we can move people into the city and... finally see that we're a region" HOTSPOTS Technology emerged as a rising topic, wireless ac- cess received multiple mentions this year, with mayors laying out plans to increase the geographic reach of wireless connectivity. Mayor Noam Bramson of New Rochelle, NY announced the impending installation of 24 digital kiosks on city streets to enhance access to free high-speed Internet. Several other cities men- tioned their efforts to deliver wireless access to resi- dents for free in public locations, including Congress Park in Saratoga Springs, NY and beachfront piers in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. him 56% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of infrastructure issues. TOP 5 INFRASTRUCTURE SUBTOPICS Infrastructure Funding 21% Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the subtopic. If Our nation's infrastructure is structurally deficient... So, nationwide, cities have turned to the federal government asking for a true partner. Mayor Mark Stodola Little Rock, AR 12 1 Water -Sewer - Roads -Streets- -Waste Public Pedestrian Signs Infrastructure Transit Infrastructure 53% 31% 28% 23% •��������• •��������• :N:Vease assess• •::::Osseo Infrastructure Funding 21% Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the subtopic. If Our nation's infrastructure is structurally deficient... So, nationwide, cities have turned to the federal government asking for a true partner. Mayor Mark Stodola Little Rock, AR 12 1 ayors empower their residents by sharing information transparently and exploring sustainable alternative revenue sources, while managing their own relationships with state and federal governments. BUDGET TRANSPARENCY Budgeting means making choices and setting priorities. More cities are bringing this process and information to the public. "..we will be transparent in showing that your money is really going to work, and I will keep that promise. So, we will be posting a comprehensive list of the roads that have been fixed, and the cost of those fixes "says Mayor Andy Schor of Lansing, Mich. Some cities are also showing added benefits to citizens. "The 2018 General Fund Operating Budget increased 1.3 percent to account for additional services to residents and rising personnel costs, while the tax rate has again remained stable;" says Mayor Meg Kelly of Saratoga Springs, NY INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Many mayors this year voiced concerns about the relationship between local and state government, particularly state overreach and fiscal constraints. In North Ridgeville, Ohio, Mayor David Gillock says new state Taws that set back estimated income tax payment due dates "interfere with the authority of Ohio municipalities to administer, collect, audit and receive critical municipal tax dollars" Despite the concerns, some cities hope for an improved relationship between state and local government. "Property taxes shouldn't have to fill the gaps. Therefore, I will continue to advocate with our state leaders to step up their 'mandated' funding to the levels needed;' says Mayor Tammy de Weerd of Meridian, Idaho. And in Port Jervis, NY, Mayor Kelly Decker is exploring the creation of sustainable alternative revenues despite restrictive policies at the state level "We have increased revenues through taxes, yes, but we are also beginning to tap into those alternative income sources with the development of vacant properties, solar energy, and the sale of city -owned properties;' he says. 49yo of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of budgets & management issues. TOP 5 BUDGETS & MANAGEMENT SUBTOPICS Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. F__1 As we work with Council on adopting the 2oz8 budget, it will be important that we seriously look at the imbalance in capital needs and available funds. Mayor Kirsten Gail Euclid, OH 141 Budget Fiscal Balance Intergovernmental Property Transparency- Leadership- & Operational Relations Tax Planning Governance Excellence 34% 20% 19% 15% 14% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••• ••• •••••••••• •• • Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. F__1 As we work with Council on adopting the 2oz8 budget, it will be important that we seriously look at the imbalance in capital needs and available funds. Mayor Kirsten Gail Euclid, OH 141 sties support the construction of affordable housing, with a focus on mixed-use development. HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING Mayors across the United States recognize that there isn't enough affordable housing to go around. "We have more to do to work our way out of the affordable housing crisis," says Mayor Miro Weinberger of Burlington, Vt City leaders and homebuyers alike wonder why builders won't build more housing available in a wider range of incomes, particularly middle- and lower-income households "Regardless of what your income level is — we all need access to good, quality housing that we can afford;' says Mayor Steve Noble of Kingston, NY Of course, sometimes city regulations make such construction expensive and not economically viable. But several mayors are finding ways to do more, despite less overall federal funding for affordable housing "Recent legislation will dramatically impact housing at the local level;' says Mayor Lily Mei of Fremont, Calif. Noting the importance of using public land downtown to leverage affordable housing, Mayor Steve Schewel of Durham, N C says, "And two months ago, the council voted to provide two free acres of land next to the Durham Station and up to $3.8 million to support the construction of 80 affordable units on this key downtown site" HOUSING SUPPLY AND DEVELOPMENT Cities are recognizing how to manage their housing supply to create more demand and to alter the overall housing dynamic for the good. And key to that discussion appears to be mixed-use development, which more or less allows retail and commercial units to be in the same building as residential units "In the future, our growth will be redevelopment — adding density and moving away from single -story buildings and expansive surface parking lots, to mid-sized and mid -rise buildings that are designed for mixed use;' says Mayor Mary Lou Pauly of Issaquah, Wash. Mayor Rick Davis of Tonawanda, NY also mentioned the possibility of adding mixed-use buildings in the city's downtown area. In Reno, Nev, Mayor Hillary Schieve says a new mixed-use community "will serve residents and visitors throughout the region creating a true urban village of the live/work lifestyle" 39% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of housing issues. TOP 5 HOUSING SUBTOPICS Housing Supply Affordable & Development Housing Homelessness 35% 30% 20% •sees����• •������• Zoning - Building Code 15% •66664666• •:::64060• Renovations - Home Improvement 12% •64646646• •0000000• Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the subtopic. Note: `Homelessness' includes subtopics Homelessness, Shelters and Transitional Housing. If Homelessness represents nothing short of a humanitarian crisis. It is unacceptable to me, �ivand I hope to you. Mayor Ted Wheeler Portland, OR 16 1 sties are working to make their communities safer, especially when it comes to gun -related violence, and are calling on federal and state lawmakers to take action. GUN VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS This year, several mayors discussed the prevalence of gun violence in schools "Millions of students, including those here in Yonkers, chose to say enough is enough when it comes to school shootings;' says Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers, NY Others mentioned this year's school shooting in Parkland, Fla "Our nation's children are providing us another lesson after yet one more school shooting;' says Mayor Adam Paul of Lakewood, Colo. Some mayors called on state and federal policymakers to act "I stand with the students from Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We need action at the federal and state level to reduce gun violence. It is beyond disturbing that those in power fail to address the need for background checks;' says Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, Wis. Despite inaction at upper levels of government, many mayors have taken proactive steps. In Bentonville, Ark, for instance, Mayor Bob McCaslin stated that in response to growing concerns, police and fire dispatchers are offering presentations based on a nationally - recognized active -shooter training program to better educate and prepare staff and community members. In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser recently introduced legislation that would ban the sale and possession of firing -speed enhancements such as bump stocks. EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Several cities are improving their community engagement efforts to ease tensions among law officers and the communities they serve. In Plainfield, N J, Mayor Adrian Mapp stated that his city's community policing concept is an essential part of its daily routine to drive down crime. One way to both promote public safety and reclaim trust is to offer vouchers for auto repairs rather than give tickets. Mayor Dan Roe of Roseville, Minn says, "The reasoning is to try to prevent vehicle equipment issues from becoming a recurring entrance into a cycle of tickets, unpaid tickets, warrants, and criminal records that can be very challenging for folks of limited means to exit" 36% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of public safety issues. TOP 5 PUBLIC SAFETY SUBTOPICS Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. Note: `Police Department' includes subtopics Police Stations, Police -Community Relations, Police -Staffing, Officer Training, Body Cameras and Police Tech - Infrastructure - Equipment 66 As your mayor, I will make damn sure that I do everything in my power to help heal that pain and strengthen police -community relations. Mayor Jacob Frey Minneapolis, MN Credit Chip Somed-11,xGetty Images; K -oh, p—eizian/Getty Images. 18 Police Tech- Police - Police Fire Police Infrastructure- Community Department Department Staffing Equipment Relations 58% 36% 19% 18% 15% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• 6696966969 9699696996 •••••••••• ••96•••96• •66•••66•• 6666666666 •••••ease• 6666•••••• 6466•••••• •06000060• 60000000 sae• •06000060• 0a0aa0a0a• •••••••••• •49649• •06000060• •••4040••• Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. Note: `Police Department' includes subtopics Police Stations, Police -Community Relations, Police -Staffing, Officer Training, Body Cameras and Police Tech - Infrastructure - Equipment 66 As your mayor, I will make damn sure that I do everything in my power to help heal that pain and strengthen police -community relations. Mayor Jacob Frey Minneapolis, MN Credit Chip Somed-11,xGetty Images; K -oh, p—eizian/Getty Images. 18 Mayors representing cities of all sizes propose to improve the health of the local citizens by offering wellness initiatives including improvements to parks systems and programs to better manage healthcare costs. PARKS AND RECREATION Last year, some of the nation's most influential mayors helped establish an ambitious objective — that all Amer- icans should live within a 10 -minute walk (or about a half -mile) of a high-quality park or green space. In keep- ing with that goal, many mayors this year highlighted the importance of improving their parks systems and how they should be a service to all neighborhoods "We will continue to nurture our parks system and recreational programs to make certain that there is something for everyage group and activity level;' says Mayor Lion eId Jordan, Fayetteville, Ark. Mayors feel strongly that parks and recreation ser- vices in cities around the country should pay partic- ular attention to enhancing services in underserved areas, connecting parks and recreation services to youth and other community programs "We will also make improvements to Audubon Park this year, in- cluding the addition of a multi-purpose area that will provide a better space for the community to come together for markets, performances and events;' says Mayor Steve Fulop, Jersey City, N J. 34% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of health & human services issues. ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE & MANAGING COSTS Wellness initiatives are becoming more prevalent as a way for cities to manage healthcare costs for residents, increase productivity and show residents the city cares. As a preventive measure, wellness programs are typically moderate -to -low cost, thereby posing little to no direct threat to cities' current fiscal conditions. In Palm Coast, Fla, Mayor Milissa Holland challenged residents to walk 30 miles in 30 days. In Bethlehem, Pa, Mayor Robert Donchez conducts "Dare to Care" community walks. However, preventative care is not always a choice for residents, particularly those in poverty. In Lynchburg, Va, Mayor Joan Foster is helping to break down cost barri- ers "The Community Action Network has led the way in creating a network of healthcare providers and organiza- tions that prioritize health and compassion over bottom lines. The new community health center on Fifth Street is a game changer for healthcare, especially for our citizens in poverty;' she says. TOP 5 HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES SUBTOPICS Parks & Healthy Living Hospitals- Substance Recreation & Wellness Opioids Clinics Abuse 57% 14% 11% 9% 7% •��������• •99696966••46666466• •66466664• 4666646466 •��������• •::6969669 6406064 •see • •66666666• 6666666666 •00000000• Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. Today, the lines have begun to blur between physical safety and public health, especially where addiction and mental health are concerned. Mayor Pete Buttigieg South Bend, IN 20 1 rtes are devoted to providing equitable educational opportunities for their youth and preparing the workforce for the future. COLLEGE PROMISE PROGRAMS Mayors across the U S lament that college education has become an unattainable goal for many due to rising tuition costs. But some cities are trying to reverse this trend "We've got to make sure every kid in Seattle public schools has the opportunity to go to college free. Because just like real education does not start at age 5 - it doesn't end in high school;' says Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle, Wash. College enrollment and completion rates vary based on demographic characteristics such as family income, race/ethnicity and parents' education, further increasing the divide. One strategy that cities are using to increase educational attainment is the "College Promise" program, which incentivizes col- lege completion. In Birmingham, Ala, Mayor Ran- dall Woodfin plans to launch a program that "will provide debt -free tuition for every graduating high school student in the Birmingham City Schools who wants to attend a community college in Jef- ferson County" Additionally, in Detroit, Mich, every child who graduates from high school is guaran- teed to have college paid for by the city. CAREER TRAINING To support those youth not destined for college, ca- reer training and readiness programs help promote success. Students' success, in turn, can help sustain a city's economy. We're "pushing hard to make sure that every young person can get their foot in the door... Especially in our city's signature industries;' says Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Calif. Many cities are com- mitting to promote skills needed to succeed in a global economy "Thanks to partnerships which bring people together across sectors to focus on common goals, our young people will find no shortage of opportunity for post -secondary education that builds a skilled workforce ready to boost local companies and local families;' says Mayor Javier Gonzales of Santa Fe, N M Anaheim, Ca- lif is introducing an entrepreneurialism curriculum and teaching students about finance and business. Cities like Evanston, III and Fort Wayne, Ind provide mentoring and training for students pursuing vocational and technical careers. These opportunities allow even the most dis- engaged youth"to advance beyondlow-wagejobs that can't cover the rent or put enough food on the table;' says Mayor Mark Stodola of Little Rock, Ark. 28% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of education issues. TOP 5 EDUCATION SUBTOPICS Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. f x I will work with stakeholders across the city to create a citywide Children's College y g Savings account ...to make sure that all of ouryoung people have an equal and fair chance. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Atlanta, GA 22 University- Career Training Education K-12 College Libraries & Development Funding 20% 18% 14% 12% 11% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• ••••••••• •••••••••• • ••••••••• •• Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. f x I will work with stakeholders across the city to create a citywide Children's College y g Savings account ...to make sure that all of ouryoung people have an equal and fair chance. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Atlanta, GA 22 ayors are promoting the use of renewable energy and infrastructure upgrades to ensure their cities are —and remain—sustainable and resilient. RENEWABLE ENERGY Cities are promoting the development and use of clean, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. In New Bedford, Mass, Mayor Jon Mitchell is preparing for the arrival of companies that will develop these re- sources "Federal regulations require that offshore wind developers engage in a dialogue with the fishing indus- try. New Bedford will be the epicenter of where the two industries will interact in the United States" The growth of renewable energy means savings for res- idents 'Through community choice aggregation and renewable energy credits, we're delivering 100 percent renewable power to residents and busi- nesses, while saving money on the average electric bill;' says Mayor Loam Bramson of New Rochelle, NY The transition to renewable energy isn't just for those who can afford to install solar panels. In San Jose, Calif, Mayor Sam Liccardo is launching a "community choice energy" program to give less at fluent residents the choice of renewable sources for electricity at competitive rates. In Las Cruces, N M , Mayor Ken Miyagishima is connecting the desire for renewal energy to job creation "Besides saving tax- payers money, we want to play a leadership role in our region's transition to renewable energy, creating high paying jobs and solid careers for local workers" FLOODING The images of devastating floods in Houston from Hur- ricane Harvey have motivated mayors throughout the nation to address their infrastructure systems " we will continue to move forward aggressively with hundreds of millions of dollars in large-scale drainage projects that are already underway or in development;' says Mayor John Tecklenburg of Charleston, SC. 25% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of energy & environment issues. Other cities prone to environmental issues are working harder than ever to prevent problems "In 2018, we will be as aggressive as possible in both the U S and Mexico to keep our beaches clean, as well as plan for ways to protect our homes and businesses from more frequent coastal flooding and long-term sea level rise;' says Mayor Serge Dedina of Imperial Beach, Calif. TOP 5 ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT SUBTOPICS Clean- Climate Change - Renewable Global Trails Energies Warming Flooding Conservation 19% 14% 13% 11% 8% •��������• •64646646• •96696966• •96960969• •69969699• •��������• •��������• •��������• •66666666• •s• Subtopic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the subtopic. F__1 As we recruit new business, we will continue to prioritize our city's clean energy goals. Mayor Jackie Biskupski Salt Lake City, UT 241 sties are upgrading their data platforms to increase transparency. DATA GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Cities are leveraging technology to update and improve transparency policies. An idea that is growing in popular- ity is the sharing of public data online to increase mu- nicipal transparency and improve efficiencies in fulfilling public information requests "I am so proud of the dash- board in place for citizens to get real time data on this work," says Mayor Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio. Having that data is making cities more efficient "When done in 2019, this system will make sharing data be- tween departments easier. This will help us interact with the public more efficiently," said Mayor Steve Chirico of Naperville, III One example of efficiency is the reduced call time city residents experience thanks to infor- mation available online "During snow events, any- one in the city can now monitor, online and in real time, what roads have been plowed, what roads are being plowed and what roads will be plowed next," says Mayor Mark Myers, Greenwood, Ind. These processes are also helping city employees become more informed "Looking to the future, a new onboarding system for a more detailed and effective onboarding process for new city employ- ees is on deck. A benchmarking study will also take place after the New Year to compare city employee health benefits with other government agencies," says North Port, Fla. City Manager Peter Lear. SMART CITIES Mayors say technology and broadband/Internet networks are central components of their infrastructures. Smart city applications, signal and sensor networks and small cell wireless infrastructure are examples of areas that can help increase efficiency and equitability in ur- ban environments. Mayor Eugene Grant of Seat Pleasant, Md touted a smart city initiative that allows "cognitive computing capabilities that collect big data" That data is used to better understand transportation infrastruc- ture. Mayor George Scholl of Sunny Isles Beach, Fla says a new technology initiative will "tie together all of our traffic and pedestrian signals along Collins Avenue into a synchronized network that will change dynamically as traffic increases and decreases" s4% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of government data & technology issues. TOP 5 GOVT. DATA & TECHNOLOGY SUBTOPICS Government Data Governance - Efficiency & Open Performance Smart GIS - Effectiveness Data Management City Mapping 35% 12% 9% 8% 4% •��������• •::::::::a ::::a asses •assesses• *assess* asessesess •assesses• •ssessses• assess Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic Today, that critical connection to the wider world isn't just physical — it's digital. Mayor Jim Gray Lexington, KY creaieJ,stinswr­n/G.xy ­g.s 26 1 ayors are building more equitable and inclusive communities by encouraging residents to embrace diversity and the collective riches of different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Across the board, mayors seem to agree that broad participation by residents in government and public life strengthens democracy and governance at the local level. This results in a more informed and collaborative community built on trust that can more effectively meet the needs of all stakeholders. In Gloucester, Mass, Mayor Sefatia Theken encourages residents to become part of local government "I urge all of our residents to continue to get involved. Whether it is by filling va- cancies on City committees, joining or forming a neighborhood group or association, attending public meetings or input sessions, or engaging in other future opportunities" DIVERSITY As the nation becomes more wrought with ten- sions over immigration policy, cities are banding together to encourage resident involvement and support cultural diversity. As the federal gov- ernment rejects the ideals to which our nation has always aspired, we'll continue to be a wel- coming city that finds beauty and strength in our diversity," says Mayor Luke Bronin of Hartford, Conn. Many mayors say cities just want to connect with their residents. In Valparaiso, Ind, Mayor Jon Costas says a new leadership position recently cre- ated "will help us connect closely with our neigh- borhoods, expand our hiring efforts to better reflect our growing diverse citizenry and enhance our commitment to be an open and welcoming city" Cities across the nation are implementing programs that foster inclusivity and acceptance, like in Eugene, Ore. where Mayor Lucy Vinis is encouraging residents to learn about different cultures. She says, " as a community, we will honor 20 different cultures in monthly themes - restaurants offering food, venues offering music, dance or theater, museums sharing history and art, schools engaging students in learning about other cultures and languages" And Mayor Ethan Strimling of Portland, Maine is helping create pathways for marginalized residents to find optimal employment through an "office of economic opportunity which serves immigrants, people of color and other underserved populations" 12% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of demographics issues. Credit Joe Raedle/Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty Images. TOP 5 DEMOGRAPHICS SUBTOPICS Economic Civic Inequality - Youth Seniors Engagement Diversity Poverty 17% 16% 14% 11% 7% Gooses**** •assesses• •assesses• sesessesse •��������• •::::goes• Nesseesse assess* • Sub topic percentages are the percent of speeches that include plans, goals and/or desired impacts related to the sub topic. A great City takes care of young and old, and those who may be dealing with challenges and hard times. Mayor Kim McMillan Clarksville, TN 28 1 State of the Citie Issues to Watch ach year in their state of the city speeches, mayors discuss their most pressing issues. Often speeches are dominated by traditional topics that cover the important mechanics of cities, such as improving residents' financial and social well-being, sustainable alternative revenue sources, and the support of safe communities. Some years, however, emerging trends overshadow these mainstay issues. The fact that new issues may dominate the conversation reflects a certain urgency in the need for cities to address them. This section details three of those critical issues that mayors are tackling with plans in the near future and over the long term: opioids, broadband access and climate change. OPIOIDS Although the drug -overdose -and -death epi- demic has been a key issue in cities and towns for several years, in 2018 mayoral addresses re vealed a more explicit focus on the responses cities are implementing to address this public health crisis. Most cities rely on harm reduction as the leading-edge strategy to combat the prob- lem. The single most significant strategy used by nearly every police officer, ambu- lance crew and firefighter is the use of the overdose -reversing drug, naloxone (often known by its brand name Narcan) The rapid introduction of this medication following an overdose saves lives every day. Cary, N C. Mayor Harold Weinbrecht says, "Today, all our patrol officers carry Narcan, which has pre- vented overdose deaths of our Cary friends and family members" This harm -reduction strategy depends upon effective coordination between first respond- ers in support of public health. The success with naloxone use has supported further ad- vancements in community paramedicine. For 1 29 instance, newly created quick -response teams or mobile -crisis intervention teams, made up of police, emergency medical technicians, and social workers or addiction counselors, en- gage with those suffering with addiction and their families in the immediate aftermath of an overdose crisis. The teams create a pathway, or a warm hand-off, to treatment specialists and facilities with the goal of recovery. Mayor Don Walters of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio says, "The team, which includes one paramedic, one police officer and a counselor meets with individuals and their families to assist with finding effective ways to move the individual into rehabilitation. This program is the first time our fire department has stepped into the realm of community paramedicine, and I could not be prouder of their efforts" Some cities are also facilitating drug take - back events and installing drop -boxes in public buildings. And other advances in- clude convening and coordinating partners across jurisdictions (city, county and state) and across sectors (public safety, hospitals, philanthropy, medical professionals and family support groups). In addition, cities are expand - ing residents' access to addiction treatment by both increasing the number of treatment beds and increasing the number of medical professionals that can deliver medication -as- sisted treatments. In South Bend, Ind, Mayor Pete Buttigieg says, "We are calling on more area physicians to become certified in the medication -assisted therapy, a gold -standard approach in patient care to help overcome opioid addiction" Finally, the opioid -related issue of legal action against pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors by cities in both state and federal courts has become significant. Fort Wayne, Ind. Mayor Tim Henry says, "We must hold accountable the companies responsible for bringing excess pharmaceuticals into our community. Our current strategy has now begun with the filing of a public nuisance law- suit against opioid distributors" BROADBAND In 2017, the debate over net neutrality, that Internet service providers should offer equal access to all content no matter the source, brought equitable Internet access to the fore of national discussion and also to hometowns across the country. In our ever -connected world, reliable Inter- net access provides not just an easy way to communicate and accomplish tasks, but also improved education and employment opportu- nities. High-speed Internet is necessary to par- ticipate in modern society and enhances qual- ity of life in such a way that citizens in general view it as a basic service. This year, high-speed Internet access emerged as an increasingly prominent topic with cities describing wide ac- cess to faster Internet as not only a mark of a modern and forward -thinking city, but also as a critical public good. Mayors in Warsaw, Ind and Virginia Beach, Va highlighted the enhanced broadband capabilities as part of improving municipal services, while many others focused on creating increased provider choice for their constituents. Mayor Richard West in Chesa- peake, Va also touted the link between new fiber lines and an ability to attract high -paying jobs to the region, saying the technology will allow "businesses to have the highest speeds at the lowest cost" and will put the city "on a technology superhighway" Multiple cities provide great examples of the success of collaborations to achieve this progress, with public-private partnerships taking center stage. Lexington, Ky announced that MetroNet had just begun to build out a fiber-optic network in the city while Palm Coast, Fla is working with Diamond Commu- nications to realize new cell towers. Others are expanding their public -sector approach "Fayetteville is committed to working with leaders of other cities, states, universities and businesses to combat climate change." —Mayor Lioneld Jordan 1 31 to high-speed Internet access by partnering with neighboring communities, pursuing state grants, and by creating new municipal task forces to pursue improvements. San Jose, Calif is working with the local school district on city broadband pilots and Fayetteville, Ark. introduced a task force to focus on planning for digital inclusion to promote universal, af- fordable broadband. CLIMATE CHANGE Local commitments to support climate change -related action is an emerging theme heard in many 2018 mayoral addresses. Last year, many cities became climate leaders in re- sponse to the federal government's withdraw- al from the Paris Agreement and continued lack of meaningful action on climate change. Across the country, a diverse coalition of cities, from Fayetteville, Ark to Buffalo, NY to Evan- ston, III made public commitments to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and its goals related to world-wide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In June of 2017 when the federal government announced the withdrawal of the U S from the Paris climate agreement, Fayetteville, Ark was one of the first 10 cities in the United States to announce their support of the Paris Agreement. Some cities, like Buffalo, NY are in the initial phases as they develop their climate action, or sustainability, plan "I'm also committed to leadership at the local level in the area of climate change, which is absent at the federal level. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and I've committed to the U S Climate Mayor's Pledge to achieve this by developing a climate action plan for Buffalo," says Mayor Byron Brown. Other communities, like Evanston, III have already achieved measurable carbon reduc- tions, but that hasn't stopped them from increasing their goals. "As a community, we've reduced emissions in this city by almost 20 percent relative to 2005 levels, and we've pledged to do even better, setting a goal of at least a 28 percent reduction by 2025 in ac- cordance with the Paris Climate Accord," says Mayor Stephen Hagerty. Through initiatives like We Are Still In and Climate Mayors, local leaders from across the country pledged to uphold the commitments of the Paris climate agreement and take signif- icant action by reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy. Many of these same communities are also keen on promoting the use of renewable energy and have joined campaigns like the Sierra Club's Ready for 100 and Mayors for 100% Clean Energy, commit- ting their cities to a 100 percent clean energy goal by a target date. The trend of cities committing to uphold the goals of the Paris Agreement and establish- ing clean energy goals is likely to continue as cities experience the direct impacts of cli- mate change. However, these commitments are only the first step. Cities now need to put processes and programs in place to track car- bon emissions, promote solar energy devel- opment, improve building energy efficiency, construct green infrastructure, and enhance electric vehicle adoption. Conclusion ties are where innovation thrives, and the best ideas rise from the ground up. Mayors across America—from cities of all sizes—are focused on getting the job done and leading with a positive agenda for growth, equity and opportunity. City leaders create partnerships between sectors and across levels of government to effectively collaborate and elevate community members' priorities. There is a growing concern in cities, however, that these partnerships with state and fed- eral government are not being reciprocated. Instead, they are increasingly working against each other rather than collaborating to uplift solutions -oriented goals in the best interest of Americans. The topic of intergovernmental relations rose to the fore in this year's State of the Cities report. As a subtopic within budgets and manage- ment—increasing to the number three issue for mayors in 2018—intergovernmental relations keyed in on broad policy conflicts between state, federal, and local government as well as specific concerns on tax and revenue tensions. On the broad policy front, state preemption has increased in recent years, impacting a swath of critical areas for cities. The concerns for local control, home rule and the best interests of community members are paramount and top of mind for many local leaders. "This year I warn of another concern and ask for your assistance. Our leaders in Tallahassee have lost their way. Members of the Florida House and Senate have chosen leadership, party, lobbyists and their own selfish interests over the constituents that elected them. Their overt attempts to preempt home rule and create one -size -fits -all legislation is beyond 1 33 dangerous, it is borderline unconstitutional, says Mayor Steve Leary of Winter Park, Fla. Climate concerns are rising as sea levels con- tinue their rapid ascent and mayors are facing the problem in real time. The nature of climate change is that it is not local—but its effects are felt in cities everywhere. It is a global prob- lem and strong partnerships are necessary for success. With the national government largely ceding this issue and at times working toward different goals, cities have been exhibiting lead- ership the best they can. 'And we are taking matters into our own hands. We understand clearly, we have to protect our own people from global warming when our national government fails to do so, and we have to aim higher than ever before. So, we're going to speed up;' says Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, NY Accessing the tax revenue to properly prepare for these shifts is another ongoing challenge cities face. This is clearly seen in Charleston, S C, where the scourge of extreme weather meets strict limitations on the city's ability to properly fund solutions. "In 2018, six million tourists are expected to visit our city, and like the 140,000 of us who are fortunate enough to call Charleston home, they too have a large stake in the future of this beau tiful and historic community. But under current state law, we simply don't have the authority or the flexibility to ask our six million visitors to contribute in a significant way to keep Charles- ton safe from flooding and extreme weather in the years ahead;" says Mayor John Tecklenburg. These tax and revenue tensions between local, state and federal governments are by no means new, but they have been growing more acutely in recent years. As cities take on an ever-in- creasing responsibility of governing—while others waste time and deal solely with politics— local taxing authority has not been modernized and updated to meet these realities. Tucson, Ariz. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild ex- plained this conundrum in his speech 'At the same time, we have a state legislature that keeps chipping away at the city's tax base. There's a bill right now—SB 1392 and its com- panion bill HB 2479—that would create new ex- emptions for digital transactions that have been taxed for decades. If it passes, it would cost Tucson $2.3 million in sales tax, with that figure increasing annually—more than wiping out any gains we've made by consolidating services" Ultimately, these challenges can be overcome, and city government is inherently solutions-on- ented. The concept of city government is a great American experiment wisely built on a federal structure. For this structure to work best, we need to all work together—cities, state governments and federal government. We must all come together to govern—economic devel- opment, public safety, infrastructure, and man- agement are key issues that drive this nation's agenda. This great country must better reflect that America is a nation of cities. Methodology For the 2018 State of the Cities analysis, we included online transcripts of state of the city speeches and inaugural addresses given between January 1 and April 18, 2018 In total, we studied 160 speeches, an increase of 33 percent from 2017 The speeches were obtained from cities in four population categories (less than 50,000, 50-99,999, 100-299,999, 300,000 or more) and four geographic regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, West). The report presents both major topics and subtopics. In prior years, we coded major topics (e g , economic development, infrastructure) and subtopics (e g , jobs, public transit) separately. A speech was considered to have significant coverage of a major topic if the mayor dedicated at least three full paragraphs (or a roughly equivalent portion of text) exclusively to that topic. A speech was considered to have coverage of a subtopic if the mayor mentioned the issue as relevant to city operations and the budget. Additionally, a review of past accomplishments was included in prior analyses as long as the mayor suggested the issue would continue to be a priority in the future. Given the subjectivity involved with assessing and coding speeches, we made an effort this year to develop more detailed guidelines and methodology. We made three key adjustments to meet this goal. First, we reviewed the list of subtopics and parsed them out with additional detail and nuance. For example, in 2017 we had "business growth" as a subtopic. In 2018 we have "business improvement district and opportunity zones;' "community development;" and "economic transformation" In 2017 we had 162 subtopics, Sample breakdown by region 160 Total Speeches MidwesWest 24% 23% Northeast 25% May not add to 100% due to rounding 35 Sample breakdown by population 160 Total Speeches 300,000 or more 50k- 16% 99,999 V 100- 26% 299,999 26% while in 2018 we have expanded to include 182 This allows us to more accurately and definitively categorize a mayor's words given the context in which they are said (go to www nlc org/SOTC for full listing of major topics and their composite subtopics). Second, we coded words in a speech only if a mayor indicated a specific plan, goal or impact for 2018 and/or the future (where a plan is indicated by a reference to money spent on, roadmap to, or timeline of, a project, a goal is indicated by reference to what a mayor hopes for the future, and an impact is indicated by a reference to a direction, suggestion or action for the future) Past accomplishments alone are no longer coded as either topics or subtopics. Lastly, we coded subtopics only, which are used to define major topics, instead of coding major topics and subtopics separately. In order to maintain our trend analysis, we took special care to ensure that the 2018 major topic results are comparable to the 2017 and prior results. To achieve this, we translated the "three -paragraph rule" (used in prior State of the Cities reports) for coding major topics to an average percentage across speeches to identify a common "major topics" threshold. In general, a speech is considered to have significant coverage of an issue if at least 10 percent of the coded words in a speech are dedicated to subtopics under that specific major topic. For example, our analysis found that Mayor Mark Stodola of Little Rock, Ark spoke about the subtopic youth for approximately 16 percent of the speech, signifying significant coverage of the topic demographics. 36 Top 25 subtopics Police Department Park and Recreation Roads -Streets -Signs Fire Department Housing Supply & Development Government Efficiency & Effectiveness Downtown Development Intergovernmental Relations Water -Sewer -Waste Infrastructure Arts & Culture Affordable Housing ® Public Transit ® Neighborhood Vitalization Pedestrian Infrastructure ® Jobs Infrastructure Funding Bicycle Infrastructure Homelessness K-12 Property Tax Budget Transparency -Planning Trails Business Attraction & Retention University -College bb„ Community Development Please visit wwwn1c.org/S0TC for an interactive dashboard capturing all 182 subtopics. Cities in 2018 sample CITY SPEECH DATE MAYOR CITY SPEECH DATE MAYOR Akron, OH 2/28/2018 Daniel Horrigan Dayton, OH 2/14/2018 Nan Whaley Alpena, MI 2/19/2018 Greg Sundin* Detroit, MI 3/6/2018 Mike Duggan Anaheim, CA 2/6/2018 Tom Tait District of Columbia, DC 3/15/2018 Muriel Bowser Atlanta, GA 1/2/2018 Keisha Lance Bottoms Duluth, MN 3/15/2018 Emily Larson Austin, TX 2/20/2018 Steve Adler Durham, NC 2/5/2018 Steve Schewel Beaverton, OR 1/11/2018 Denny Doyl Eagle, ID 3/7/2018 Stan Ridgeway Beech Grove, IN 2/8/2018 Dennis Buckley Easton, PA 3/15/2018 Salvatore J. Panto, Jr Bentonville, AR 1/23/2018 Bob McCaslin Euclid, OH 2/20/2018 Kirsten Holzheimer Gail Bessemer, AL 1/29/2018 Kenneth E. Gulley Eugene, OR 1/4/2018 Lucy Vinis Bethlehem, PA 2/22/2018 Robert Donchez Evanston, IL 3/9/2018 Stephen H. Hagerty Biloxi, MS 1/30/2018 Andrew"FoFo" Gilich Everett, WA 1/24/2018 Cassie Franklin Binghamton, NY 2/22/2018 Richard C. David Fargo, ND 1/11/2018 Dr. Tim Mahoney Birmingham, AL 1/15/2018 Randall L Woodfin Fayetteville, AR 1/16/2018 Lioneld Jordan Boston, MA 1/1/2018 Martin Walsh Fernley, NV 2/7/2018 Roy Edgington Bowie, MD 2/7/2018 G. Frederick Robinson Fitchburg, MA 2/7/2018 Stephen L Dinatale Buffalo, NY 2/22/2018 Byron W. Brown Folsom, CA 1/18/2018 Steve Miklos Burlington, VT 4/2/2018 Miro Weinberger Fort Wayne, IN 1/24/2018 Tom Henry Carson City, NV 1/31/2018 Robert L "Bob" Crowell Fort Worth, TX 3/29/2018 Betsy Price Cary, NC 2/16/2018 Harold Weinbrecht Fremont, CA 3/28/2018 Lily Mei Charleston, SC 1/23/2018 John T. Tecklenburg Fremont, NE 1/22/2018 Scott Getzschman Chesapeake, VA 2/22/2018 Richard W. "Rick" West Garden Grove, CA 2/5/2018 Steven R. Jones Clarksville, TN 1/11/2018 Kim McMillan Gloucester, MA 1/1/2018 Sefatia Romeo Theken Cohoes, NY 2/15/2018 Shawn M. Morse Grand Forks, ND 2/14/2018 Michael R. Brown Columbia, SC 1/30/2018 Stephen K. Benjamin Greenwood, IN 2/1/2018 Mark W. Myers Culver City, CA 3/22/2018 Jeffrey Cooper Gresham, OR 3/15/2018 Shane T. Bemis Cuyahoga Falls, OH 2/21/2018 Don Walters Harlingen, TX 2/2/2018 Chris Boswell *Denotes C,ty Manager 1 37 38 1 CITY SPEECH DATE MAYOR CITY SPEECH DATE MAYOR CITY SPEECH DATE MAYOR CITY SPEECH DATE MAYOR Hartford, CT 3/12/2018 Luke Bronin Los Angeles, CA 4/16/2018 Eric Garcetti Pasadena, CA 1/16/2018 Terry Tornek Scottsdale, AZ 1/31/2018 W.J. "Jim" Lane Helena West Helena, AR 3/27/2018 Jay Hollowell Louisville, KY 1/4/2018 Greg Fischer Peoria, IL 1/31/2018 Jim Ardis Seat Pleasant, MD 2/18/2018 Eugene W. Grant Honolulu, HI 4/6/2018 Kirk Caldwell Lynchburg, VA 2/26/2018 Joan F. Foster Phoenix, AZ 3/6/2018 Greg Stanton Seattle, WA 2/20/2018 Jenny A. Durkan Huntington, WV 2/15/2018 Stephen T. Williams Manchester, NH 3/21/2018 Joyce Craig Plainfield, NJ 2/12/2018 Adrian 0. Mapp Shawnee, KS 2/22/2018 Michelle Distler Idaho Falls, ID 1/11/2018 Rebecca L Noah Casper McAllen, TX 2/6/2018 Jim Darling Port Jervis, NY 1/24/2018 Kelly Decker Somerville, MA 1/1/2018 Joseph A. Curtatone Imperial Beach, CA 2/27/2018 Serge Dedina Melrose, MA 1/8/2018 Robert J. Dolan Portland, ME 1/31/2018 Ethan K. Strimling South Bend, IN 3/13/2018 Pete Buttigieg Iowa City, IA 2/20/2018 Jim Throgmorton Memphis, TN 1/17/2018 Jim Strickland Portland, OR 4/12/2018 Ted Wheeler Springdale, AR 2/27/2018 Doug Sprouse Issaquah, WA 2/20/2018 Mary Lou Pauly Meridian, ID 2/7/2017 Tammy de Weerd Poughkeepsie, NY 3/23/2018 Robert G. Rolison St. Joseph, NO 2/23/2018 Bill Falkner Jackson, OH 1/11/2018 Randy R. Heath Miami, FL 2/26/2018 Francis X. Suarez Prattville, AL 2/6/2018 Bill Gillespie, Jr St. Paul, MN 1/2/2018 Melvin Carter Jackson, TN 1/5/2018 Jerry Gist Milwaukee, WI 2/26/2018 Tom Barrett Providence, RI 2/6/2018 Jorge 0. Elorza Staunton, VA 1/25/2018 Carolyn W. Dull Jamestown, NY 1/29/2018 Sam Teresi Minneapolis, MN 1/8/2018 Jacob Frey Raleigh, NC 3/3/2018 Nancy McFarlane Summit, NJ 1/8/2018 Nora Radest Jersey City, NJ 2/23/2018 Steven M. Fulop Mishawaka, IN 3/12/2018 Dave Wood Reading, PA 1/31/2018 Wally Scott Sunny Isles Bead, FL 1/31/2018 George "Bud" Scholl Kettering, OH 1/24/2018 Don Patterson Morehead, KY 1/2/2018 Jim Tom Trent Reno, NV 1/18/2018 Hillary Schieve Syracuse, NY 1/31/2018 Ben Walsh Kingston, NY 1/9/2018 Steven T. Noble Mukilteo, WA 1/6/2018 Jennifer Gregerson Revere, MA 3/1/2018 Brian M. Arrigo Tonawanda, NY 2/6/2018 Rick Davis Kirkland, WA 2/8/2018 Amy Walen Naperville, IL 3/19/2018 Steve Chinco Richmond, VA 1/23/2018 Levar Stoney Troy, NY 2/2/2018 Patrick Madden La Crosse, WI 1/11/2018 Tim Kabat New Bedford, MA 3/8/2018 Jon Mitchell Rochester, MN 1/3/2018 Ardell F. Brede Tualatin, OR 2/1/2018 Lou Ogden La Mesa, CA 1/9/2018 Mark Arapostathis New Haven, CT 2/6/2018 Toni Harp Rock Island, IL 1/8/2018 Mike Thoms Tucson, AZ 3/9/2018 Jonathan Rothschild Lakewood, CA 2/7/2018 Diane DuBois New Rochelle, NY 3/1/2018 Noam Bramson Roseville, MN 2/28/2018 Dan Roe Valparaiso, IN 1/23/2018 Jon Costas Lakewood, CO 3/8/2018 Adam Paul New York, NY 2/14/2018 Bill de Blasio Rushville, IN 2/5/2018 Michael P. Pavey Virginia Beach, VA 3/28/2018 William D. Sessoms Lambertville, NJ 1/2/2018 David DelVecchio Newton, MA 2/20/2018 Ruthanne Fuller Saginaw, MI 2/1/2018 Dennis Browning Vista, CA 1/22/2018 Judy Ritter Lancaster, PA 1/2/2018 Danene Sorace North Port, FL 1/18/2018 Peter Lear* Salt Lake City, UT 1/31/2018 Jackie Biskupski Warsaw, IN 3/6/2018 Joseph Thallemer Lansing, MI 2/7/2018 Andy Scher North Ridgeville, OH 1/19/2018 G. David Gillock San Diego, CA 1/11/2018 Kevin L Faulconer Washington, IN 2/12/2018 Joe Wellman Las Cruces, NM 3/28/2018 Ken Miyagishima Norwich, CT 1/2/2018 Peter A. Nystrom San Jose, CA 2/8/2018 Sam Liccardo West Palm Beach, FL 1/24/2018 Jeri Muoio Lawrence, MA 1/22/2018 Daniel Rivera Ocean City, NJ 2/22/2018 Jay Gillian San Marcos, CA 3/29/2018 Jim Desmond Wilmington, DE 3/15/2018 Michael S. Purzycki Leawood, KS 1/31/2018 Peggy J. Dunn Olean, NY 1/2/2018 William J. Aiello Santa Fe, NM 2/9/2018 Javier M. Gonzales Wilmington, NC 1/29/2018 Bill Saffo Lexington, KY 1/16/2018 Jim Gray Omaha, NE 2/16/2018 Jean Stothert Saratoga Springs, NY 2/1/2018 Meg Kelly Winter Park, FL 2/23/2018 Steve Leary Little Rock, AR 3/27/2018 Mark Stodola Palm Coast, FL 4/3/2018 Milissa Holland Savannah, GA 2/12/2018 Eddie DeLoach Yonkers, NY 3/14/2018 Mike Spano *Denotes C,ty Manager *Denotes C,ty Manager 1 39 401 NLCNATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES CENTER FOR CITY SOLUTIONS Follow us Unim -06--07-1 u IP3 Kellie Fruehling From: City of Iowa City<CityotIowaCity@public.govdelivery.com> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2018 11:34 AM To: Kellie Fruehling Subject: Come to the City Council Listening Post at the Farmers Market 0 SHRRE Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web pace. City IOWA CITY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 06/04/2018 Contact: Kellie Fruehling, City Clerk Phone: 319-356-5041 Come to the Council Listening Post at the Farmers Market Farmers Market 405 E. Washington Grab your favorite fresh, local produce - then stick around for a council listening post! The community is invited to the next Council Listening Post from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at the Iowa City Farmers Market, located inside the Chauncey Swan Ramp, 405 E. Washington St. Council members will be located on the west side of the driveway entering the ramp from Washington Street. Council listening posts provide opportunities for the community to engage with City leaders on topics that are important to them in an informal setting. Two Council members attend each event and report back to the entire Council on what they have heard from the community during their discussion. All residents are encouraged to stop by to discuss any issue. No formal agenda or presentation is planned. RSVP to the Iowa City Council Listening Post event on Facebook for updates and reminders. For additional information, questions, or suggestions on future locations for listening posts, contact City Clerk Kellie Fruehling at kellie-fruehling(c iowacitv.org or 319-356-5041. ``11 I ! s^ z:M f ��:It.il�ti Questions? rua._ Contact Us CITY OF IOWA CITY L"X0tiff OTIRIWTM STAY CONNECTED: H © It ® T SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences I Unsubscribe I Help This email was sent to Kellie4mehling@iowa ity.org using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: City of Iowa City 410 E Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 06-U /-'I C IP4 Iowa City Police Department and University of Iowa DPS Bar Check Report - May, 2018 The purpose of the Bar Check Report is to track the performance of Iowa City liquor license establishments in monitoring their patrons for violations of Iowa City's ordinances on Possession of Alcohol Under the Legal Age (PAULA) and Persons Under the Legal Age in Licensed or Permitted Establishments (Under 21). Bar checks are defined by resolution as an officer -initiated check of a liquor establishment for PAULA or other alcohol related violations. This includes checks done as part of directed checks of designated liquor establishments, and checks initiated by officers as part of their routine duties. It does not include officer responses to calls for service. The bar check ratios are calculated by dividing the number of citations issued to the patrons at that establishment during the relevant period of time by the number of bar checks performed during the same period of time. The resulting PAULA ratio holds special significance to those establishments with exception certificates, entertainment venue status, or split venues, in that they risk losing their special status if at any time their PAULA ratio exceeds .25 for the trailing 12 months. Note, while the resolution requires that bar checks and citations of the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) be included in these statistics, the DPS ceased performing bar checks and issuing these citations to Patrons in May of 2014. Previous 12 Months Top 10 Under 21 Citations PAULA Citations (Business Name Visits Citations Ratio Business Name Visits Citations Ratio Summit. [The] 63 66 1.0476190 Bo -James 17 20 1.1764706 Vine Tavern, [The] 18 14 0.7777778 Airliner 38 36 0.9473684 Fieldhouse 73 45 0.6164384 Summit. [The] 63 49 0.7777778 Sports Column 54 33 0.6111111 Fieldhouse 73 44 0.6027397 Martini's 54 30 0.5555556 Sports Column 54 27 0.5000000 Eden Lounge 49 25 0.5102041 Martini's 54 18 0.3333333 Union Bar 82 36 0.4390244 Union Bar 82 26 0.3170732 DC's 41 13 0.3170732 Vine Tavern, [The] 18 5 0.2777778 Airliner 38 12 0.3157895 DC's 41 4 0.0975610 Brothers Bar & Grill, [It's] 71 1 0.0140845 I.Brothers Bar & Grill, [It's] 71 5 0.0704225 Only those establishments with at least 10 bar checks are listed in the chart above. Current Month Top 10 Under 21 Citations PAULA Citations Martini's 3 6 2. Summit. [The] 5 7 1. Union Bar 3 3 1. DC's 4 3 0. Airliner 3 1 0. Fieldhouse 6 1 0. liner 3 4 mmit. [The] 5 5 lion Bar 3 1 !Idhouse 6 2 1.3333333 —exception to 21 ordinance Page 1 of 5 Iowa City Police Department and University of Iowa DPS Bar Check Report - May, 2018 Possession of Alcohol Under the Legal Age (PAULA) Under 21 Charges Numbers are reflective of Iowa City Police activity and University of Iowa Police Activity Business Name 2 Dogs Pub Airliner American Legion Apres Wine Bar & Bistro Bardot Iowa Baroncini- Basta Big Grove Brewery Blackstone - Blue Moose - Bluebird Diner Bo -James Bread Garden Market & Bakery^' Brothers Bar & Grill, [It's] Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar - Cactus 2 Mexican Grill (314 E Burlington) Cactus Mexican Grill (245 s. Gilbert) Caliente Night Club Carl & Ernie's Pub & Grill Carlos O'Kelly's- Chipotle Mexican Grill Clarion Highlander Hotel Clinton St Social Club Club Car, [The] Coach's Corner Monthlv Totals Prev 12 Month Totals Under2l Bar Bar Ratio Checks Under2l PAULA Checks Under2l PAULA (Prev 12 Mo) 0 0 0 3 1 4 38 12 36 0.315789 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1 1 0.111111 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 17 0 20 0 0 0 0 PAULA Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) 0.947368 A 0 1.176471 2 1 0 0 71 1 1 5 0.014085 0.070423 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 7 0 14 0 0 0 0 8 0 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1.125 0 0 exception to 21 ordinance Page 2 of 5 Business Name Monthly Totals I Bar Under2l PAULA Checks Prev 12 Month Totals Bar Unde2li PAULA Checks Under 21 PAULA Ratio Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) (Prev 12 Mo) Colonial Lanes- 0 i 0 0 Dave's Foxhead Tavern 0 0 0 DC's 4 3 0 41 13 4 0.317073 0.097561 Deadwood,[The] 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Donnelly's Pub 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Dublin Underground, [The] 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Eagle's, [Fraternal Order of] 0 0 0 Eden Lounge 2 0 0 49 25 2 0.510204 0.040816 EI Banditos 0 0 0 EI Cactus Mexican Cuisine 0 0 0 EI Dorado Mexican Restaurant 0 0 0 EI Patron 0 0 0 EI Ranchero Mexican Restaurant 0 0 0 Elks #590, [BPO] 0 0 0 Englert Theatre" 0 0 0 Fieldhouse 6 1 2 73 45 44 0.616438 0.60274 FilmScene 0 0 0 First Avenue Club- 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 Formosa Asian Cuisine- 0 I 0 0 Gabes- 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 George's Buffet 0 0 0 Givanni's- 0 0 0 Graze` 0 0 0 Grizzly's South Side Pub 0 0 0 Hilltop Lounge, [The] 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Howling Dogs Bistro 0 0 0 India Cafe 0 0 0 Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack 0 0 0 Jobsite 0 0 0 Joe's Place 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 Joseph's Steak House- 0 0 0 Los Portales 0 0 0 -exception to 21 ordinance Page 3 of 5 Business Name Martini's Masala Mekong Restaurant" Micky's— Mill Restaurant, [The]" Moose, [Loyal Order of] Mosleys Motley Cow Cafe - Noodles & Company— Old Capitol Brew Works One -Twenty -Six Orchard Green Restaurant' Oyama Sushi Japanese Restaurant Pagliai's Pizza" Panchero's (Clinton St)" Panchero's Grill (Riverside Dr)— Pints Pit Smokehouse' Pizza Arcade Pizza Hut— Quinton's Bar & Deli Ridge Pub Riverside Theatre— Saloon— Sam's heatre— SaloomSam's Pizza Sanctuary Restaurant, [The] Shakespeare's Sheraton Short's Burger & Shine" Short's Burger Eastside SonnysTap Sports Column Monthlv Totals Bar Under2l PAULA Checks Prev Bar Checks 3 6 0 54 0 0 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 I 0 54 2 Month Totals 1 Under 21 PAULA Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) 0.333333 U 0 A N7 0 0.5 — exception to 21 ordinance Page 4 of 5 Ratio Under2l PAULA (Prev 12 Mo) 30 18 0.555556 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 27 0.611111 PAULA Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) 0.333333 U 0 A N7 0 0.5 — exception to 21 ordinance Page 4 of 5 Business Name Monthly Totals Bar Under2l PAULA checks Prev 12 Month Totals Bar Under2l PAULA Checks Under2l PAULA Ratio Ratio (Prey 12 Mo) (Prev 12 Mo) Studio 13 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 Summit. [The] 5 7 5 63 66 49 1.047619 0.777778 Sushi Popo 0 0 0 Szechuan House 0 0 0 Takanami Restaurant' 0 0 0 TCB 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 Thai Flavors 0 0 0 Thai Spice 0 0 0 Times Club @ Prairie Lights 0 0 0 Trumpet Blossom Cafe 0 0 0 Union Bar 3 3 1 82 36 26 0.439024 0.317073 VFW Post#3949 0 0 0 Vine Tavern, [The] 2 0 0 18 14 S 0.777778 0.277778 Wig & Pen Pizza Pub" 0 0 0 Yacht Club, [Iowa City]- 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 Yen Ching 0 0 0 , Z'Mariks Noodle House 0 0 0 Monthlv Totals Prev 12 Month Totals Under2l PAULA Bar Under2l PAULA Bar Under2l PAULA Ratio Ratio Checks Checks (Prev 12 Mo) (Prev 12 Mo) Totals 35 21 I 12 677 276 260 0.407681 0.384047 Off Premise 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Grand Totals 1 1 12 1 1 260 exception to 21 ordinance Page 5 of 5 IP5 City of Iowa City 2018 Building Statistics ValuelTYpe of Construction January I FebruaryI March I April I May I June I July I August 1 September 1 October 1 NovemDerl December TOTAL NON-TA%ABL Single Family -$ 1,940,0001 1,094,952 5,O66,123 2,439,fi90 1,903,500 12,444,265 Number of Permits 6 4 20 9 6 45 Duplex-$ 650,000 650,000 Number of Permits 1 21 2 $oroubes S Fraternities- $ 1 1 119 Kellie Fruehling V., I - . - IP6 From: ECICOG <natalie.fraehlich@ecicog.org> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2018 1:01 PM To: Council Subject: ECICOG Area Grant Opportunities ECIC4M01"GA REA If you have any questions about a grant or would like more information, please respond to this email. Feel free to forward this information! Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants Program Application Deadline: 06/12/2018 With this publication, HUD is making available up to $5,000,000 for Planning Grants, including Planning and Action Grants. Planning Grants are two-year grants that assist communities with severely distressed public or HUD -assisted housing in developing a successful neighborhood transformation plan and building the support necessary for that plan to be successfully implemented. Planning and Action Grants are three and a half year planning grants that pair planning with action. Experience shows that tangible actions taken early on help communities build momentum for further planning and the eventual transition from planning to implementation of that plan. These actions improve neighborhood confidence, which in turn sustains the community's energy, attracts more engagement and resources, and helps convince skeptical stakeholders that positive change is possible. Under these grants, the planning process activities would take place during the first 24 months of the grant period. The planning process will identify Action Activities that will be carried out during the latter portion of the grant period. Action Activities must build upon the planning for the target housing and neighborhood. APPLY HERE National Fish Passage Program Application Deadline: 06/15/2018 The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) is a voluntary program that provides direct technical assistance and financial assistance in the form of cooperative agreements to partners. The program work in partnership to provide fish (and other aquatic organisms) passage and restore aquatic connectivity for the benefit of federal trust resources. Activities which restore fish passage supports the modernization of country's infrastructure such as road culverts, bridges and water diversions. Fish friendly infrastructure provides a means for fish to be self resilient and maintain or increase population's providing for quality of fishing for many species. The NFPP is delivered through more than 65 Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation (FAC) Field Offices across all States and territories. FAC staff coordinates with project partners, stakeholders and other Service programs to identify and collaboratively implement projects within Regional priority areas. Project work plans are developed strategically, in coordination with partners, and with substantial involvement from FAC staff. Projects must advance our mission, promote biological diversity, and be based upon sound scientific biological principles. FAC and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) strategic plans inform the types of projects funded under this opportunity. Applicants seeking funding under this program should review the program strategic plan and also contact the regional NFPP Coordinator that corresponds to the location of the project for additional regional priorities prior to submitting an application for funding. APPLY HERE Communities Thrive Challenge Application Deadline: 06/19/2018 We believe in an America where all people can earn enough to support their families, achieve financial security, and provide their children with more opportunities. Every day, local leaders and organizations are working to make this dream possible in their communities. Yet all too often, these community -driven approaches are missed by those who could invest in them and help them reach more people. We're looking to fund, strengthen, and grow local solutions that expand economic opportunity for low-income and financially insecure people. APPLY HERE Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists Application Deadline: 06/21/2018 The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in cooperation with its partners announce an innovative initiative to connect youth to the outdoors by providing financial support for conservation education and employment programs. An expansion from our 2012-2017 program, this Request for Proposals (RFP) brings together public and private partners to support organizations developing innovative educational opportunities and job experiences for youth and young adults. These opportunities encourage and support young people, particularly urban, tribal and minority youth, to engage with the natural world and discover career opportunities available in conservation. APPLY HERE Community Collaborations to Strengthen & Preserve Families Application Deadline: 07/03/2018 The purpose of this FOA is to fund cooperative agreements that support the development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies for strengthening families, including those at high risk for child maltreatment, and to enhance the capacity of communities in addressing the wellbeing of families to prevent maltreatment and entry into foster care. These projects will address site specific barriers in order to reduce the number of unnecessary removals of children from their families. During the project period, grantees will address these site specific barriers and challenges through the implementation and evaluation of strategies, practices, or activities, by strengthening families and mobilizing communities in order to reduce new referrals to the public child welfare agency as well as reduce entry into foster care. The cooperative agreements aim to develop integrated family support systems by creating a continuum of services and resources that support child and family well-being and strengthen protective factors to prevent child maltreatment and entry into foster care. APPLY HERE Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program Application Deadline: 07/05/2018 The SRAE program supports the implementation of prevention education aimed to teach youth how to voluntarily refrain from non -marital sexual activity and other risky behaviors through an evidence -based approach that integrates findings with practical implementation and aligns with the needs and desired outcomes for the intended audience. APPLY HERE Art Works Application Deadline: 07/12/2018 Art Works is the National Endowment for the Arts' principal grants program. Through project -based funding, we support public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation, the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life. Projects may be large or small, existing or new, and may take place in any part of the nation's 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. APPLY HERE North American Wetlands Conservation Act U.S. Standard Grants Application Deadline: 07/13/2018 The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (Act) Grants Program application process is rigorous. Grant applications take a great deal of time and effort to prepare, but we hope you won't be discouraged. If your proposal is funded, your wetlands conservation accomplishments will add to the remarkable achievements of thousands of partners in thousands of Act -supported projects across the continent. APPLY HERE Bring Back the Natives Grant Program Application Deadline: 07/13/2018 The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is requesting proposals to restore, protect and enhance native fish species of conservation concern, especially in areas on or adjacent to federal agency lands. Approximately $1 million in funding is available through support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Bass Pro Shops and the Brunswick Public Foundation. APPLY HERE Basic Center Program Application Deadline: 07/17/2018 Pursuant to section 311(a)(2) of the RHY Act, projects will include, "(i) safe and appropriate shelter provided for not to exceed 21 days; and (ii) individual, family, and group counseling, as appropriate." Projects may include street -based services; home-based services for families with youth at risk of separation from the family; drug abuse education and prevention services; and at the request of runaway and homeless youth, testing for sexually transmitted diseases. APPLY HERE Strengthening Child Welfare Systems to Achieve Expected Child & Family Outcomes Application Deadline: 07/18/2018 The Children's Bureau's (CB) Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) are designed to assess title IV -B and IV -E funded state child and family service programs' conformity with certain federal requirements for child protection, foster care, adoption, family preservation/family support, and independent living services. The overall goal of the CFSRs is to assist states in improving child welfare services and the outcomes for families and children who receive the services by identifying the strengths and needs within state programs and those areas where technical assistance (TA) could lead to program improvements. Other purposes of the reviews include, but are not limited to: * Assisting states in becoming more self -evaluating over time; * Identifying best practices that can be emulated across the country; * Identifying state TA needs and providing access assistance needed to implement a Program Improvement Plan (PIP); and * Providing timely and specific feedback to states that is directly related to program performance and outcomes. APPLY HERE Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States Program Application Deadline: 07/21/2018 The purpose of this program expansion is to support a state health department to initiate, expand, or enhance any of the four strategies identified in the original Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States. Funds may be directed toward any opioid prevention efforts (i.e. prescription or illicit). All state health departments funded through the Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States are currently implementing prevention strategies to improve safe prescribing practices and prevent prescription drug overuse, misuse, abuse, and overdose. The funding has four priority strategies that states can advance; two of these strategies are required, two are optional. The two required strategies are: 1) Enhance and maximize a state PDMP and 2) Implement community or insurer/health system interventions aimed at preventing prescription drug overdose and abuse. The two optional strategies are: 3) Conduct policy evaluations and/or 4) Develop and implement Rapid Response Projects. The targeted outcomes of each strategy will vary and may include programmatic outcomes, as well as changes in behaviors thought to be linked to drug overdose morbidity or mortality. Awardees will be expected to implement robust evaluations of their program activities using timely data from a variety of sources. APPLY HERE This list is provided for information purposes only, and is not intended to be inclusive of all funding opportunities that may be available. If you are aware of other resources that should be added to this service, we welcome your suggestions. ECICOG, 700 16th Street, NE, Suite 301, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 SafeUnsubscribeTM council@iowa-city.ora Forward this email I Update Profile I About our service provider Sent by natalie.fraehlich(a)ecicoa.ora in collaboration with 07-1ttT O� Try it free today --B--artF- IP7 Kellie Fruehling From: Sarah Cupp <smcupp0902@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2018 6:40 PM To: Peggy Loveless Subject: 6/7 & 6/14 MHFA Class Attachments: MHFAf1yer_June7and14 2018ICSC (1).pdf; Overview MHFA Class.doc Sign up now for the 2 -day June Mental Health First Aid class at the Iowa city Senior Center on Thursday, June 71h and June 14th from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Please see attached flyer and help us spread the flyer to others who could be interested. This class is offered at no cost thanks to the Mental Health & Disability Services of the East Center Region. Please call the Iowa City Senior Center to sign up at 319-356-5220. Continuing education credits or CEUs are available upon request, please contact the class instructor, Peggy Loveless, Ph.D. if you would like to receive CEUs at mhedspecialists@gmail.com. What: Adult Mental Health First Aid Course When: Thursday, June 7th and Thursday, June 141h Time: 12:30 - 4:30 pm Where: Iowa City Senior Center - 28 S. Linn Street, Iowa City, IA How: Call the Senior Center to sign up in advance at 319-356-5220 Thank you, Peggy Loveless, Ph.D. Mental Health Education Specialists Mental Health First Aid Trainer Show your support by liking our facebook page 4 MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID CLASS You are more likely to encounter someone in an emotional or mental crisis than someone having a heart attack. Anyone can take the Mental Health First Aid course — from professionals to caring community members. Sometimes, first aid isn't a bandage, or CPR, or the Heimlich, or calling 911. Sometimes, first aid is YOU! Someone you know could be experiencing a mental illness or crisis. You can help them. Mental Health First Aid teaches a 5 -step action plan to offer initial help to people with the signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in a crisis, and conned them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self help care. Anyone can take Mental Health First Aid including primary care professionals, nurses, educators, nurse educators, social workers, state policymakers, volunteers, families, and the general public. Sometimes, the best first aid is you. Take the course, save a life, strengthen your community. SA MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING June 7 & 14, 2018; 12:30 to 4:30; Iowa City Senior Center Attendance at all classes are required to be certified and earn CEUs Instnictor: Peggy Loveless, Ph.D., Mental Health Education Specialists PRE -ENROLLMENT IS REQUIRED — Please call Iowa City Senior Center at 319-356-5220 C°TassT oration Z°tty�°enior�Z`enter - �T mn treet, owa ttv, 1A 52240 NO COST TO PARTICIPANTS — SPONSORED BY Mental Health/Disabilities Services of the East Central Region Assess for risk of suicide or harm Listen nonjudgmentaily Owe reassurance and information Encourage appropriate professional help Encourage self-help and other support strategies • • -- 0 0 CERTIFICATE OR CEUs. CEUs/CEHs: Approved for nurses 0.89 CEUs through Kirkwood Community College, IBN Provider #30. Social workers will receive a certificate of completion for 8.9 contact hours. Other allied health professionals are advised to consult the governing rules of their boards to determine if appropriate subject matter criteria will apply. A course evaluation will be available upon program completion. What is Mental Health First Aid? The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program is an interactive 8 -hour certification class that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. Specifically, participants learn: • The potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including: depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis and psychotic disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and self -injury, • An understanding of the prevalence of various mental health disorders in the U.S. and the need for reduced stigma in their communities, • A 5 -step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to assess the situation, to select and implement appropriate interventions, and to help the individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional care, • The appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help resources available to help someone with a mental health problem. Similar to CPR, you will become certified as a Mental Health First Aider Who should become a Mental Health First Aider? All of the following will probably be in church congregations — so all apply/ Rather than list all below, I would say — everyone from your church/synagogue/temple%tc. because they include (use following list) Participants for each training vary, but include hospitals and federally qualified health centers, state policymakers, employers and chambers of commerce, faith communities, school personnel, state police and corrections staff, nursing home staff, mental health authorized support staff, young people, families, and the general public. Like Us on Facebook hhtt s://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthfirstaideasterniowa/?ref=aymt homepage panel More Information on this Evidence Based Class hftps://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.or-q/cs/ MUM MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MAY 17,2018-7:00 PM— FORMAL MEETING E M MA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Ann Freerks, Mike Hensch, Phoebe Martin, Max Parsons, Mark Signs, Jodie Theobald MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: John McKinstry, Michelle Swanson, Sara Barron, Andrew Bockenstedt, Joel Kline, Don Cochran, Shannon Patrick, Alex Carrillo, Charlie Eastham RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends approval of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Annexation Policy to add a section pertaining to affordable housing as described in the Staff Report. CALL TO ORDER: Freerks called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. REZONING/DEVELOPMENT ITEM (REZ18-00013/SUB18-00006): Discussion of an application submitted by North Dubuque, LLC for a rezoning of approximately 73.15 acres of land from Interim Development - Low Density Single- Family (ID -RS) zone, Low Density Single -Family (RS -5) zone, and Planned Development Overlay/ High Density Single - Family Residential (OPD/RS-12) zone to Planned Development Overlay/ High Density Single - Family Residential (OPD/RS-12) zone for approx. 50 acres of property and Planned Development Overlay 1 Highway Commercial (OPD/CH-1) zone for approx. 23 acres of property. The applicant is also requesting approval of the preliminary plat of Forest View, a 73.15 -acre subdivision, located north of Foster Road, south of 1-80, west of N. Dubuque Street, east of Mackinaw Drive. Freerks stated the applicant has requested that this item be deferred to the June 7 meeting, and the intent of the Commission is to have no discussion, deliberation or decision making on item this evening however she will open the public hearing if someone wants to make a statement. Miklo stated Staff has received a revised plan they are reviewing, the goal is to work with the applicant to have it in order for review on the June 7 meeting. Freerks opened the public hearing. J Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 2 of 16 John McKinstry (308 Ronalds Street) announced he is only speaking for himself as a citizen of Iowa City. For many years when he was the pastor at First Christian Church the hosted a Head Start Program that served mainly the families of Forest View Mobile Home Park. McKinstry is speaking in favor of the redevelopment plan presented by North Dubuque LLC and Blackbird Investments. A few weeks ago he heard Richard Rothstein speak of his recent book The Color of Law in which he documents how explicitly federal policy for several decades intentionally segregated neighborhoods by race. The close ties between racial, ethnic and economic segregation have meant that as housing costs have risen dramatically in Iowa City, and all of Johnson County, racial segregation has recently increased, as documented in the January 2017 report of The University of Iowa Public Policy Center. A University of Toronto study ranked Iowa City at the 14th most economically segregated out of 350 metro areas in the United States. McKinstry stated racially and economically diverse neighborhoods help support strong schools, rising property values, and healthy community. McKinstry does not want to call anyone in this room this evening a racist but he does believe unless they take public policy steps such as moving away from exclusionary zoning toward inclusionary zoning and form -based neighborhood design and allowing smaller lots and smaller dwelling footprints, we will perpetuate the results of historic racism for black and Hispanic families. The proposed redevelopment plan offers a path to homeownership for many families which is not now available, home ownership stabilizes social ties, strengthens schools and supports property values. These homes would meet the same safety and quality standards that any new home in Iowa City must meet, homes that are not decent and safe are not affordable, studies continue to show again and again affordable housing is not a burden on cities or taxpayers, but rather increases property values and tax revenues. McKinstry stated the proposed redevelopment will be beneficial to the residents of Forest View, to the entire neighborhood, and to the entire City and County so he urge its approval. Michelle Swanson (727 Mission Point Road) understands the Commission is not going to discuss this item this evening but had spoken with city staff last week and shared some questions and wanted the Commission to know that several of the neighborhood associations have questions regarding this proposal and will share them at the June 7 meeting. City staff was very helpful in answering questions when they met last week. The concerns are traffic, stormwater runoff, safety, lightening, noise and when they discuss quality of life they are not just speaking of their quality of life but she has driven through Forest View and she feels for the residents as they are not currently being well taken care of. Swanson said that City staff did explain how in the current Forest View some things have been grandfathered in as this mobile home park has been in existence for so long, but Swanson finds this very sad these folks are living in this environment. She believes neighbors are concerned these will be people they welcome into their lives, their children's lives, and are hoping they will have a neighborhood worthy of being a human being in Iowa City. We, Iowa City, should not be looking to just cram as many people as we can in a very high-density area, but rather help them accumulate into the Peninsula and will blend well and fit well and not disturb the natural flow of the area. It will be extremely difficult for the neighbors to feel part of the rest of the Peninsula if they are treated like this. Swanson hopes this new rezoning plan can be win-win, she said in conversations with Ed Cole he noted their home values will decrease and that was alarming to her. She asked if their properties would be reassessed and their taxes go down if indeed the home values go down, Ed Cole told Swanson the home value would come back in 5 to 10 years. Additionally she is Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 3 of 16 curious what accountability there will be for her new neighbors to keep the new neighborhood from turning into the same situation they are living in now. Will they be financially able to upkeep yards and homes? Swanson hopes the Commission will take into consideration not only what is concerning to the existing neighborhoods, but also for the new neighbors and to not ask them to do something they are not able to do and not put them in a losing situation and give them a change to thrive. Swanson doesn't believe the current plan she has seen is fair to the people of Forest View. Swanson gave additional questions from neighbors to Miklo so they can become public record and addressed at that next meeting. Sara Barron (1903 Grantwood Street), director Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, wanted to make note on a couple issues with this rezoning project. One, there are mountains of research showing affordable housing developments do not lower property values (and she will share that with Mr. Cole) and secondly she noted the current residents of Forest View have been instrumental in helping with designing what they want for themselves in the new neighborhood and have been very active in advocating for what they need in their new neighborhood. Therefore Barron said there should be no concern that the current residents of Forest View's voices are not being heard. All they need now is for the other neighborhoods to welcome them in as part of the community. Freerks closed the public dicussion. Signs moved to defer REZ18-00013/SUB18-00006 until the June 7 meeting. Parsons seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. REZONING/DEVELOPMENT ITEM (REZ18-OOOOS/SUB18-00005): An application submitted by Bedrock, LLC for a rezoning of approximately 18.03 acres from Interim Development Multifamily Residential (ID -RM) zone to Planned Development Overlay/Low Density Single Family Residential (OPD/ RS -5) zone and Planned Development Overlay/Low Density Multifamily Residential (OPD -12) zone and a preliminary plat of Cherry Creek Subdivision, a 17 -lot, 18.03 -acre residential subdivision located east of S. Gilbert Street & south of Waterfront Drive. Miklo noted the property is on the east side of Gilbert Street, west of Cherry Avenue and is pretty heavily wooded. The proposal is to rezone most of the property to RM -12 Low Density Multifamily Residential and a portion to be rezoned to RS -5 Low Density Single Family Residential and both are proposed to have a Planned Development Overlay Zone. The plan also includes a preliminary plat and Sensitive Areas Plan, the plat would include the extension of Cherry Avenue to Gilbert Street and a new local street, Toby Circle, which would provide access to the single family lots and townhouse lots. The Planned Development includes a variety of housing types such as single family lots in the southern and eastern portions of the property, a series of 31 townhouses towards the middle and then two 36 -unit apartment buildings on Gilbert Street. Miklo stated the property does contain critical and protected slopes and woodlands, and some of those environmentally areas will, and have been, disturbed. There will be areas of the property that will be protected through the Sensitive Areas Plan even after the grading is complete for stormwater management. Miklo showed photos of the area noting Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 4 of 16 that staff as well as the City Engineers visited this property earlier this year and do feel the erosion in the area needs to be addressed and the stormwater management facilities may be a way of doing that. Miklo stated in terms of the Planned Development Overlay there are several items that must be considered. One is density, he noted the Comprehensive Plan shows this property as appropriate for 2-8 dwellings per acre. With the amount of open space left, this plan will achieve 7-8 units per acre so within the guidelines in the Comprehensive Plan. Another item to consider is if a development will burden existing streets and utilities and it is felt by the transportation planners that most of the traffic will use Gilbert Street, which is an arterial street, with more than sufficient capacity for a development of this size. Miklo acknowledged some of the traffic will likely go to the east and use Sandusky Drive, a collector street that goes to Keokuk Street and both of those have sufficient capacity for this development. One of the goals noted in the Comprehensive Plan is the extension of Cherry Avenue from Sandusky to Gilbert Street to provide some traffic relief and an alternative street access for the Pepperwood subdivisions. This street connection also will improve access for emergency and service vehicles. Miklo noted the sanitary sewer and water service are available to this property, and the proposed stormwater facilities are believed by City Engineers to correct a serious erosion issue existing in the ravine. The next item to consider is if the development will not adversely affect views, light and air, property values and privacy of neighboring properties any more than would a conventional development. Miklo stated in this particular case, the single family lots will provide a transition from the existing single-family homes within the Pepperwood Addition to the townhouse style buildings and the larger apartment buildings to the west. The buildings proposed in this plan do not exceed the height limits, will comply with the multifamily building design standards and are broken down into smaller modules with balconies and different materials in order to minimize the large scale of the buildings. Next question is if a combination of land uses and building types and any variation from the underlying zoning requirements or from City street standards will be in the public interest, in harmony with the purposes of this Title (meaning the Zoning Code), and with other building regulations of the City. Miklo stated that in this case, unlike other planned developments, the applicant is not asking for any waivers (e.g. setbacks or height), there is a proposal for reduction of the standard collector street width of 31 feet down to 28 feet on Cherry Avenue. Staff recommended this reduction to provide traffic calming for Cherry Avenue, which will carry traffic from Sandusky Drive to Gilbert Street. Traffic circles are also proposed on Cherry Avenue in two locations where it will intersect with Toby Circle. The intent is allow Cherry Avenue to provide neighborhood street connectivity, but to discourage its use a cut through and to calm speeds of vehicles using the street. Staff finds that the proposal to reduce the pavement width from 31 feet to 28 feet is reasonable given the goal of traffic calming for this street. Miklo stated for Planned Developments they must also consider pedestrian networks and facilities. He stated all the buildings will have access to public sidewalks, the sidewalk on Gilbert Street may need to be reconstructed due to erosion over the years. Also public open space must be considered, a development of this size would be required to dedicate one acre of open space or pay fees in lieu of. The Parks and Recreation Commission will review this application and make a recommendation regarding the dedication of open space or fees. However, given the steep topography of this area it is unlikely that there is land that is suitable Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 5 of 16 for a public park. Staff recommends that fees be collected in lieu of the dedication of open space. Private open space is also a consideration and Miklo noted that much of the property will be in a conservation easement with a homeowner's association being responsible for maintenance (including the stormwater facilities). Legal documents addressing these responsibilities and funding for maintenance will need to be in place at time of final plat. In terms of compliance with the Comprehensive Plan Miklo reiterated this proposal is in an area noted for 2 — 8 units per acre but there is additional text in the Plan that specifically mentions this property as being possibly appropriate for well-designed multifamily and stressing the goal of the City of having Cherry Avenue connect to Gilbert Street. Therefore, Staff does find that this proposal does comply with the Comprehensive Plan for the area. As Miklo previously mentioned, this proposal is in a sensitive area and does contain protected slopes adjacent to Gilbert Street, and the applicant is proposing those protected slopes be modified as it has been determined these are altered slopes that have been graded in the past. When Gilbert Street was reconstructed several years ago, it appears that grading was done for the street and to provide fill material. The Ordinance does allow for additional alteration of previously altered slopes. Generally, ravines containing protected slopes should not be altered, however an exception can be made for stormwater management or sanitary sewer or water lines. In this case the City Engineer feels a solution to the erosion problem would be build a series of two damns within the slopes to slow the flow of water and control erosion in this area. The City Engineer with the stormwater management plan for this application. Miklo said that the other sensitive feature on the site would be the woodlands. The applicant recently removed woodlands portions of the property prior to receiving approval of a sensitive areas plan. The applicant claims that he was unaware of the woodland retention requirements and that trees that were removed were undesirable or unhealthy. Miklo showed the Commission a series of photographs to illustrate what the property looked like before the trees were removed. The City has no way to assess the quality of the trees that were removed, they do know there are a considerable number of Locust trees in this area which are not considered desirable, but in any event the Ordinance requires that if more than 50% of a woodland in an RS -5 zone is remove, replacement trees must be planted at a ratio of 1 tree per every 200 feet of woodland disturbance. So approval of this application will require approval of a tree replacement plan and Staff is recommending that plan, as well as a tree preservation plan, be approved by the City Forrester before any more development activity on this site. The applicant has indicated a desire to plant replacement trees on the perimeter of the property as well as additional trees will be planted once the houses are built. Staff also discussed having trees planted in the street right-of-way. The Sensitive Areas section of the zoning code considers the preservation archaeological sites as well as natural features. The applicant has already initiated some development activity on the site. Meanwhile, the Office of the State Archaeologist has indicated that four archaeological sites have been reported within 100 meters of the development site. Due the density of known archaeological sites in the surrounding area, there is sufficient likelihood that other undiscovered or undocumented site may be present within the development area that the OSA recommends a field investigation by a professional archaeological consultant prior to the commencement of ground disturbing activities (e.g. grading). Staff therefore recommends that as a condition of approval the applicant hire an archaeologist approved by the State Archeologist to complete a study or excavation plan approved by the State Archeologist. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 6 of 16 Miklo noted there are a variety of townhouse designs proposed along Cherry Avenue and Toby Circle. With the two multifamily buildings along Gilbert Street there would be underground parking as well as some surface parking. The applicant is proposing two outdoor activity areas, one for each apartment building, and a playground area for the townhouses. When the Staff Report was distributed there were some deficiencies in terms of the materials required, those have been satisfied. Therefore Staff is recommending approval of REZ18-00005/SUB18-0005, an application submitted by Bedrock LLC for a rezoning from ID -RM to OPD/RS-5 and OPD/RM-12 and a Preliminary Plat and Sensitive Areas Development Plan for Cherry Creek Subdivision, a 17 -lot, 18.03 -acre residential subdivision located east of Gilbert Street subject to City Forester review and approval of the tree replacement plan prior to final plat approval and applicant contracting with an archaeologist approved by the state to complete a study or excavation plan. Theobald asked about the sidewalk on Gilbert Street and Miklo explained it is there however has been covered by erosion over the years and as part of this development the sidewalk will need to be repaired. Freerks asked about the sensitive areas that will not be disturbed and Miklo showed the areas as well as areas that will be disturbed for the needs of stormwater management. Martin questioned the fees in lieu of park space and if the woodlands could become park space. Miklo stated that based on past experiences and the direction of the Parks Director this area is not the type of space the City would want to maintain for parkland, the Ordinance is very specific in requiring neighborhood open space, usable open space for playground equipment, and playing fields. This area is also too steep and could be a liability for the City. There are two other parks in the area, Wetherby Park and Sand Hill Park so the fees collected from this development will be applied to those existing parks. Theobald asked about the two roundabouts or calming circles that will be placed on Cherry Avenue and who is responsible for maintaining them. Miklo replied it will be the responsibility of the homeowners association. Freerks asked about the process for determining if a site may be an archeological site. Miklo said the City will notify the State Archaeologist of the development and they will review their records and if desired could come and review the site prior to development. Freerks questioned how the City can prevent disturbance of areas before a study is conducted. Miklo stated the applicant must have permission from the City before any work on the site is started. Hensch noted the new extension of Cherry Avenue appears to be more than 1000 feet long and he likes that there will be two calming islands placed on the street however feels the third intersection to the west should have some intersection control as there are more units in that area with the two higher density buildings. Miklo noted he discussed this with the transportation planners and engineers and they felt due to the grade and the intersection traffic will naturally slow. Hensch is also concerned about the alley, it is also a long stretch of road without any control. Miklo stated if that is a concern the Commission can require some traffic calming devices to be placed in the alley. Parsons asked if the City will allow on street parking on collector streets such as Cherry Avenue. Miklo confirmed they do, on street parking will be allowed on one side. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 7 of 16 Signs questioned the topography of the area coming off of Gilbert Street and the slope, so he assumes there will need to be grading to put in the street and questions if there will be any retention landscaping in that area. Miklo said that has not been discussed by City Staff however the applicant's engineer may be able to address the concern. Dyer questioned the visibility at the intersection where the two large buildings will be for traffic coming off Gilbert Street. Miklo said the driveway is at a right angle and then turns sharply so should be okay. Freerks asked about the discrepancies listed in the Staff Report. Miklo confirmed all those discrepancies have been resolved. Hensch asked about the north boundary of these parcels and if the boundary was going through the ravine. Miklo confirmed it is, and a portion of the ravine is on a neighboring property and a portion of the stormwater retention work would occur on the neighboring property and will require an easement and consent of the neighboring property. Freerks opened the public hearing. Andrew Bockenstedt (3500 Dolphin Drive) is the owner of Bedrock LLC (the applicant). He stated he has done excavation work on developments in Iowa City but this is the first complete development for his company in Iowa City. Freerks noted the sensitive areas of the property and the importance of maintaining the sensitive areas in the Iowa City community, and is questioning the removal of trees and beginning work on the site and ignorance regarding a sensitive areas ordinance in the City. Bockenstedt admitted he made an error in removing the trees. He stated the first house he built was at 560 Cherry Avenue and saw the whole property as a corn field in 1992. Freerks understands that, however since 1992 new rules have been created to protect sensitive areas. She asked if Bockenstedt was working with Southgate Development or MMS Consultants. Bockenstedt said he is an excavation contractor and an ambitious fellow and his ambition got the best of him as he jumped into working the area but was not aware removing trees was in the ordinance, he did not disturb the slopes. He felt that piles of dirt from developments in Pepperwood had been dumped on the property and trees and such were growing in the piles and he felt those could be removed. He doesn't feel he disturbed any of the soil within in the possible archeological areas and the native vegetation under all the mounds of dirt and trees he moved are still intact. Bockenstedt admits he made a mistake in moving the dirt and removing the trees and apologizes. Hensch asked if they harvested any of the trees removed and Bockenstedt said they did harvest the walnut trees that were of any value, they did not destroy them. Dyer asked when the trees were removed. Bockenstedt replied it was after the first of the year, maybe February. Dyer noted there is provision regarding trees that harbor Indiana Brown Bats those trees can only be harvested between October 1 and April 1. Freerks referenced the Comprehensive Plan and the density for this area which states 2-8 units per acre and the proposal is for 7-8 units per acre so very close to the maximum. Therefore Freerks feels there should be a few more amenities in the area for residents. Bockenstedt said he will entertain ideas and be willing to incorporate them if able. Freerks said just added open green space can be attractive, so children can run, kick a soccer ball, etc. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 8 of 16 Hensch asked about the three, four and five-plex buildings and if they were all three bedroom units. Bockenstedt confirmed that is correct. Hensch noted that appears to be attractive to families and because of that there needs to be open space for children to play. Although the development is close to Wetherby Park, it is still a mile or over away depending on which end of the development one lives. Dyer observed the single family lots back up to the parking area for the bigger apartment buildings and wonder if those homes will object to having an apartment building parking lot in their backyard. Freerks agreed and said there will need to be a buffer. Miklo noted the house lots will be at a considerable higher grade than the apartment buildings so there will be a natural buffer for lights and noise from the parking lots. He stated there will also be a large retaining wall there. Freerks questioned the safety issues of having a large retaining wall and there might need to be a fence. Hensch noted the issues of soil erosion and water retention in this area and the easiest way to keep the water on the property is to minimize the amount of concrete. Bockenstedt stated the townhouses are actually drive -under, the garage tucked under the house. Hensch agreed that will be helpful but still feels there needs to be an overall look at any spaces they can minimize the use of concrete. Miklo noted on the latest plan the applicant did add a little landscaping between the driveways of each townhome. Joel Kline (2460 South Gilbert Street) owns the McCollister Historic Farm House to the south of the applicant's property. It was originally the farm house for 800 acres that would have included this property. Kline noted that last time he came before this Commission was when he wanted to build a garage and had to make sure it was built in the style that was appropriate. He added they have been good stewards of the property, they have restored the inside and kept the outside consistent with the original appearance. Kline confirmed the concerns of single family residences next to apartment buildings resonates with him quite a bit. He is not opposed to development but feels it is necessary to be sensitive to the historic neighboring property. Kline raised a number of issues, first with regards to the trees, when you look back at the 1930's it was started this area was open fields but it appears there was a border on the southern edge of mature walnut trees and those trees would have provided a buffer between his property and this development. Kline also noted he never received any invitation to a good neighbor meeting to discuss this development prior to this evening. Kline said one of the benefits is trees will absorb water and over the years Kline noted they have had significant water coming down from the north, they have put in gravel and paved the driveway in an effort to help with runoff. He is concerned with water runoff to the south with this development. The biggest concern for Kline is the 36 unit 3 -story building that will abut right up to his property, he would like to see a lower building and perhaps set back. He noted the open space those families will use will be on his property and his neighbors. Another concern is the traffic on Gilbert Street, the traffic on that street continues to increase, a stop sign has just been placed at the intersection of Gilbert and McCollister, but adding 790 additional vehicles from this development will add to the stress of roadway usage. To reiterate, his concerns are about water, trees, light and other forms of intrusion onto his property be considered, perhaps a berm could be created between his property and the development property to minimize intrusion. Freerks asked how close the 36 unit building will be to the property line. Miklo said it would be 23 feet from the property line. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 9 of 16 Parsons asked about the good neighbor meeting. Miklo said the applicant will need to address the discussion at the meeting. Don Cochran (2530 South Gilbert Street) lives on the other parcel that is just south of the proposed development. He purchased the entire 10 lot property approximately 15 years ago and has another owner that wanted the home and to renovate the historic home so they subdivided the property breaking off the house from the other outbuildings. Cochran corrected some items from the Staff Report, specifically on bullet point 3 (not adversely affecting views) and this discussion that the two McCollister Farm properties have their own built-in buffer and there wouldn't likely be any future subdividing of the property. Cochran had submitted a 7 lot subdivision to the City at one point when he first bought the property. He owns 6 acres, he is 57 years old, it is a lot to keep up, there is a lot invested in just the value of the property, and there would be intent in the future to subdivide it. Cochran is not sure he would divide it into 7 lots, maybe only 3 however the opportunity is there. If a subdivision of his property happens, the prime lots will be the ones that will border where the 36 unit building will be. Therefore Cochran would state there is an adverse effect to his property. When Cochran subdivided the property, he specifically subdivided it RS -5 because he didn't want to build a big building there and didn't want another owner to come in a build a big building there either. Cochran is concerned about how close the large 36 unit building will be to his property, however, he does think Bockenstedt has a great vision. Cochran stated he has three concerns, one is the buffer zone, which has been discussed, but would also like to see more specific examples of what plantings will be used along the property lines. He is concerned about the height of the 36 unit building and that it will be seen from all angles. Perhaps the building could be made into an L shape and therefore would be placed further away from his property line. Finally he is concerned about the traffic on Gilbert Street, and the number of people will be crossing the street as the sidewalk on the west side is not complete. Cochran has one other correction to the Staff Report, it sates the apartment building is 800 feet from any other structures, that might be true to the Sandusky area but Kline's house is actually only about 300 feet from the fence line . Miklo clarified that when the Staff Report mentions the 800 feet, it specifically is referencing the Pepperwood subdivision. Shannon Patrick (652 Sandusky Drive) is concerned with this development and not in favor. Patrick said the items wrong with this proposal are community outreach. As stated in the packet there was a good neighbor meeting however he never received notice, and he is within the 200 feet line. The second issue it the trees, he understands it is presented as a mistake, however as a neighboring homeowner you see the bulldozers going in and all the trees removed with no notice of why. Patrick added this does not help with building trust with the developer, he added there is a sense of community in his neighborhood and they should have been contacted. Patrick next discussed the concern with the density of the proposal, the surrounding neighborhood is RS -5 and this will be rows of townhomes and a 20 foot apartment building poking over the hill. This is not with keeping the character of the area, it transitions the area from a neighborhood to just housing. Having lived in Coralville next to HyVee he has seen where those areas of houses become rentals over time as no one wants to buy next to large apartment buildings. Patrick shared the concern regarding density, lack of space, does not achieve the feeling of long-term residents. He does feel housing is needed in the area, especially low-income housing, however trying to shove 400 people into a small area will create housing, not a neighborhood. This level of density does not fit the character of the area. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 10 of 16 Patrick next commented on the extension of Cherry Avenue and with the addition of the traffic circles it will not be any faster for residents on Sandusky to take that way to Gilbert Street than to go the current routes, the road extension is not needed. He feels the road extension will add to traffic concerns not alleviate them. Patrick's final point is regarding the school district and the fact is Iowa City is the 14th most economically segregated city, and on the school side of things the district has been trying to deal with this problem that effectively has all the high density, more affordable housing, is all in the same part of town. This development will be in the Twain district. In some areas of Iowa City the schools have a 5% reduced or free lunch percentage, which is upwards of 70% reduced or free lunch percentage. Alexander school is similar to Twain as well. Adding this much development will exasperate the situation and work against the School Board's work to try to spread out affordable housing amongst the schools. Patrick noted that Kingsley Botchway, on the City Council, is very aware of the school district concerns and adding several hundred units in this area will not help the situation. Patrick closed by saying he is not against development, he likes and wants more neighbors, the way to achieve it is to have a mixture of multifamily, such as four-plexes scattered within single family, and meet the character of the area. Alex Carrillo (373 Windmill Place) works with Bockenstedt as the director of operations for Bockenstedt Excavating and apologized to the gentleman who didn't receive the good neighbor notice. They did hold a neighborhood meeting and he hand -delivered notices to all the Sandusky mailboxes, mailed notices to the two parcels to the south and the Braverman property to the north. The meeting was held on November 8, 2017, at the Terry Trueblood Park Lodge. The Beardsley's attended, Kyllingstad, Vanderweeds, and Russells also attended and good conversation was shared. Freerks closed the public discussion. Hensch moved to defer REZ18-00005/SUB18-00005 until the June 7 meeting. Martin seconded the motion. Freerks noted there has been good conversation this evening regarding concerns Signs wanted to acknowledge the point regarding the large size of the single-family lots allows for the higher density in the multifamily areas. Freerks agrees and feels perhaps the multifamily 36 unit buildings could be smaller. Freerks also reiterated the concern about the open space and amenities. She feels they are trying to squeeze so much into this area and perhaps if it were left a bit more open it would be a better environment, and a better long-term neighborhood. Signs stated he normally is all for density but for some reason this proposal does not work for him and is concerned about the two very large buildings on top of a hill overlooking a valley and that exasperates the visual impact of the buildings. He also is very concerned about how close it is to the south property line. He noted the conservation easement disappears at the south edge of the building and that is where it is needed the most. He agrees with the comments that this development is out of character for this area. Martin said when looking at the larger area (Pepperwood, across the street, etc.) a better continuity needs to be explored. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 11 of 16 Freerks acknowledged it is a tough lot to develop and it likely why it has been undeveloped for so long. She discussed the buffers and possible berms and water flow, especially to the south, and wants to see a tree production plan. Martin asked for more information about the state archeological findings and the implications. Freerks noted the Comprehensive Plan states for this area to be a distinctive and innovative environment for the neighborhood and a need for facilities and amenities and she is not seeing that in this proposal. Signs added sticking pergolas on the edge of a parking lot next to a retaining wall is not particularly a user friendly alternative. He would agree there is just a lack of usable open space Hensch stated his concerns are to maintain the integrity of that area, as well as the amenities issues. He added one of the focuses is to keep the neighborhoods walkable, and therefore he feels there needs to be a six foot sidewalk the entire length of Gilbert Street along this property. Within the development there is too much concrete, they need to find ways to keep the stormwater on the property as much as possible, there is a real problem with erosion on the north side and that needs to be addressed on the site as well as remediate the erosion that has occurred. Hench echoed other's concerns that there simply is not enough open space, he is a big fan of density but also feels they need to create neighborhoods and the way to accomplish that is to give people the opportunity to be outside and meet each other. He also voiced his displeasure with the harvesting of the mature trees and that there are no walnut trees specified to be replanted, and the overall landscape plan is inadequate. All the borders to the south and east should have good landscape borders, and wherever they can, even if it's just a small tree, there needs to be trees. With regards to the three, four and five-plexes he does not have an issue with the density, the issue is there is no place for children to play and not place for people to congregate to meet neighbors. Overall there needs to be less density and more open space. Theobald added with regards to trees walnut trees aren't necessarily good for gardeners as it is hard to grow other things around them, but in looking at the plants listed, there are some issues that need addressed. With the roundabouts she suggests they look at what is planted outside City Hall. Parsons added with regards to the large buildings perhaps looking at different materials or colors, just seems like a lot of brown and grey. He said the project they recently approved on Camp Cardinal Boulevard used colors to create a good design. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: A public hearing of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan, Annexation Policy, to add a section pertaining to affordable housing. Miklo noted the proposed amendment text was distributed to the Commission in their agenda packets, the goal of the amendment is to address affordable housing. Miklo explained when the City annexes property it is when they have the most leverage, even more so than with a rezoning, so the thought is given the concerns about affordable housing in Iowa City this would Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 12 of 16 be an opportunity to include it in all annexations that are residential and hopefully in all neighborhoods eventually. The proposal states that at the time a property is annexed, without prescribing exactly what will happen, there is a goal set for 10% of the overall residential use to be affordable over a period of 20 years. The proposal lists some possible methods on how that will be done in terms of having the affordable housing controlled by the City or by a nonprofit affordable housing agency. Miklo stated there would be some locations where there may already be affordable housing, or an abundance, and the City would want to keep options open to provide affordability elsewhere which raises the possibility of a developer paying fees so that affordable housing could be located in another portion of the city. Staff is recommending the Comprehensive Plan be amended to include the affordable housing language in the annexation policy. Hensch noted one of the problems with these types of policies is staff having to manage it over time and is concerned about the added burden on staff. Miklo stated the first option is to have oversight by a nonprofit provider, for example the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship, or the City's Public Housing Program and those providers would be in control and oversee the monitoring of the units. Miklo acknowledged each annexation would need to be dealt with differently and negotiated to see what the best plan is for the developer and City. Hektoen noted that with annexations this is just a policy but the City has more discretion at the annexation stage than at the rezoning stage. Freerks stated she is not comfortable telling a developer that they must give a certain number of lots to the City if they are willing to oversee the affordable housing themselves. Hektoen stated that there will be options and the City is open to other ways of achieving the affordable housing polity, as why each annexation will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Parsons asked if this policy would cover all annexations, both voluntary and involuntary. Miklo said it would cover voluntary and noted it is not the City's practice to do involuntary annexations. Hensch asked Hektoen if she was comfortable with this policy as it would not be additional burden on City Staff. Hektoen said the policy is written in a way to allow for flexibility to avoid the problem of burden. Dyer feels if the policy started at 60% or 80% of AMI that is not really likely to be gentrified housing. Freerks asked if there are definitions of what is considered a housing unit? The policy states "If the annexation is for residential development that will result in the creation of ten (10) or more new housing units, the development will support the City's goal of creating and maintaining the supply of affordable housing." Miklo said a unit is a dwelling, it can be in the form of single family or multifamily. Parsons asked if the policy would be enforced all at once, if someone were to build eight units and then later decide they want to build four more on, would one of the four added ones need to be affordable. Miklo said with the annexation process there is also a zoning process and subdivision process and at the subdivision process the City will know how many units will be proposed. If there is an outlot held aside for future development it would then have to come back to the City at a later time for rezoning and subdivision plat approvals and the City and developer would follow whatever agreement was reached at the time of annexation. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 13 of 16 Martin is concerned that new annexations will be on the outskirts of town and often there are not bus services there so will affordable housing really be beneficial in those areas. Miklo noted this is only one of many options for affordable housing. Dyer stated in some of those remote areas a developer could pay a fee in lieu of if affordable housing doesn't make sense in their development. Freerks asked how other communities in Johnson County are dealing with affordable housing. Hektoen stated they studied national trends. Miklo is not aware what other Johnson County communities are doing but does not believe any of those communities have developed a similar policy. Freerks opened the public hearing Sara Barron (1903 Grantwood Street), director Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, began by stating they appreciate the opportunity to address this topic with the Commission. As the City grows, they need to develop in a way that creates opportunities for all the residents and stability for the neighborhoods and that is any the Coalition is really supportive of this initiative. It ensures that new development will foster housing for residents of all income levels. One thing the Coalition would urge the Commission to carefully consider is the potential impact of including the fee in lieu option for developers who want to elect out of providing the housing. Some ways they feel the fee in lieu will impact affordable housing are: (1) the fee in lieu can create greater flexibility to pursue housing solutions throughout the community and encourage development. Those funds, when passed along to something like The Housing Trust Fund are leverage for other projects and can be used to secure additional funding from nonlocal sources. (2) When developers opt for fee in lieu it can move the City farther from the goal of neighborhoods that are socially economically integrated, and also without a specific formula for predetermining fees for developers the City may find itself bargaining over developments in a way that could discourage developers from pursuing annexation. They do not want to create confusion over the purpose and intent of affordable housing requirements. When the public hears of a new annexation and a fee in lieu was paid there are questions on how that fee was determined or where it will be put to use. Barron did reaffirm the Coalitions' support for affordable housing in the land annexation policy and appreciates the City is pursuing this. She added this is 1 of 15 points of action in the Affordable Action Plan, there is not just one solution that will achieve the results for affordable housing. This will address new development, which yes is currently on the outside ring of Iowa City, but the City's footprint is growing fast and what is on the outside now will be on the inside in no time so this can be a long-term solution. Charlie Eastham (953 Canton Street) wants to address the transportation issues with affordable housing in areas not serviced by city transportation. Fifteen years ago The Housing Fellowship along with The Iowa City Housing Authority built units in (what was then the developing) Peninsula Neighborhood which was isolated from downtown Iowa City with no bus service and those units were immediately occupied and have been occupied by people with modest incomes ever since. He added The Housing Fellowship has other houses in other parts of the city that are on the peripheral as well as in North Liberty and people do have other transportation options. Freerks closed the public hearing. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 14 of 16 Hensch moved to recommend approval of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Annexation Policy to add a section pertaining to affordable housing as described in the Staff Report. Theobald seconded the motion. Signs stated this is a ground -breaking proposal, he is pretty sure it is the first of its kind in Iowa, it does come from the City's 15 -point Action Plan which addressed the desire to deal with the affordable housing crisis in the community. It has a breath of the Riverfront Crossing policy of inclusionary zoning and that policy has not slowed down development in the Riverfront Crossings area. Signs shares the concern regarding City Staff having to monitor areas but likes the idea of partnering with other organizations to achieve it. He noted the transportation issue is discussed all the time at the Affordable Housing Coalition and it is a real concern for some people, but not everyone. The other thing around this concept is it does attempt to spread affordable housing throughout the community which has been a goal for some time now, to not segregate or congregate low income housing in one area. However, speaking for himself, he is concerned about the fee in lieu issue, while it does provide flexibility, it also provides the "out" for not putting affordable housing in a neighborhood and the City needs to be cautious of that. One of the things they are seeing in the Riverfront Crossings District is a lot of people opting out of putting in the affordable units and just paying the fee in lieu. He acknowledged the fee in lieu is a good thing as those funds do help with other projects and with leveraging other funds, but it doesn't achieve the goal of spreading affordability throughout the community. The other piece of the fee in lieu issue is right now it doesn't seem like the cost balance to developer is relevant to the actual cost of developing property somewhere else, in the Riverfront Crossings area the fee in lieu is set at $83,000 per unit and the City is paying $200,000 per unit when they are buying those same units from a developer to use them as affordable housing. He feels every developer would choose that option. What Signs does like about the policy is that it is pretty generic, and the first sentence summarizes what the policy is all about "the development will support the City's goal of creating and maintaining the supply of affordable housing". The details that are really open which is good, but the policy sets the tone that affordable housing is important and tells developers that affordable housing is expected in our community. Signs declared he is thrilled City Council has directed Staff to develop this proposal and he supports it 100%. Freerks hopes this policy works really well and can be used as a model for other communities in the County and State. She is also concerned about the fee in lieu of portion of the policy and hopes it is used in the right areas. Dyer feels this is a real important step if for no other reason that it announces the expectation that affordable housing will continue to develop and that developers cannot just build one kind of housing or not share in the responsibility of making a variety of housing available in the City. A vote was taken and the motion carried 7-0. Parsons moved to approve the meeting minutes of April 5, April 16, April 19 and May 3, 2018. Planning and Zoning Commission May 17, 2018 Page 15 of 16 Theobald seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION: Miklo noted that July 1 there will be two new Commissioners and two retirees, Freerks and Theobald will be leaving the Commission. Larry Baker and Billie Townsend will be new Commissioners. Signs asked if in a future meeting the Commission can discuss Good Neighbor Meetings and the issues with those meetings. Freerks asked about The University of Iowa Clinic on North Dodge Street and the landscaping plan, the Commission requested review of the plan as it appears there is little landscaping present on the Dodge Street side of the site. Theobald also requested the landscaping plan for the development on Melrose Avenue, the development directly east of West High School. Adjournment: Signs moved to adjourn. Martin seconded. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2017-2018 KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member 10/5 10/19 11/2 12/7 12/21 1/4 1/18 2/15 3/1 (W -S) 3112 3/15 (W.S.) 4/2 4/5 (W -S) 4/16 4/19 5/3 5/17 DYER, CAROLYN X X O/E X X X X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X FREERKS, ANN X X X O/E X X O/E X X X X X X X X O/E X HENSCH, MIKE X X X X X X X X X O/E O/E X X X X X X MARTIN, PHOEBE X X X X O/E O/E X X X O/E X X X X X X X PARSONS, MAX X X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X SIGNS, MARK X X X X X X X X X XX X X X X X X THEOBALD, JODIE X X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member 0s=0r-ie— IP9 Preliminary MINUTES PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY 3, 2018 — 330 PM LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM — CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Ron Knoche, Erin Fitzgerald, Vero Rose Smith, Wendy Brown, Juli Seydell Johnson, Tam Bodkin Bryk, Steve Miller NOT PRESENT: STAFF PRESENT: Marcia Bollinger PUBLIC PRESENT: PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was no public discussion of items not on the agenda. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES OF THE APRIL 5. 2018 MEETING Knoche moved to approve the April 5th minutes. Rose Smith seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. REVIEW OF DESIGN CONCEPT FOR WALK OUR ALLEYS MATCHING FUND PROJECT The committee decided to discuss the approval of Walk our Alley's concept before the Chadek Green Placemaking discussion as Jul Sydell Johnson would be late to the meeting due to another commitment. The committee discussed approving the concept for Walk our Alleys. Knoche stated that it is not an issue of concept, it is an issue of timing because due to the construction and work that will be occurring in the alleys. Bollinger stated that the committee doesn't have to approve what Knoche approves. Brown stated that there is not much reason to go forward with the project if the timing doesn't work-out. Knoche stated that he thinks the timing will work, but there may be more maintenance that the ICDD will have to do. Brown stated that she liked the first proposal better. Rose Smith agreed that she liked the stars as well, but enjoys the idea of having a game - centered design. Bodkin Byrk agreed and stated that the games will draw people down the alleys. Fitzgerald reminded the committee that the ICDD asked for $2,000 for the project and that the committee granted them $1,000. Brown asked Knoche what his thoughts were regarding the surface. Knoche stated that typically the city cleans the alleys about three times a year, and that the ICDD is going to pay for an extra cleaning to get the alleys prepped, which he thinks will work fine. Knoche stated that there is storm sewer work that needs to happen and that the timing of that is unknown, so ICDD may need to touch up the paint after that occurs. Knoche stated that there is also a switch out that will be happening with the natural gas meters, which may require small patching work to be done by the TCDD. Juli Seydell Johnson arrived at 3:45 p.m. Rose Smith stated that she is fine with the proposal, and thinks it will be a fun and temporary installment. Fitzgerald stated that she hopes that the project goes along well with the large mural already present in the space. Rose Smith motioned to approve the project. Miller seconded. Motion passed unanimously. REVIEW OF RESPONSES FOR THE CHADEK GREEN PLACEMAKING PROJECT The committee discussed the artist's responses for the Chadek Green Placemaking project. Fitzgerald asked if these responses just came in, on April 2"d. Bollinger stated that they all came in that last week, however they did not hear back from two of the artists contacted. Fitzgerald reminded the committee that they selected five artists to contact who they thought would be capable of completing the Chadek Green Placemaking Project. Fitzgerald asked the committee to remind her the amount of funding available. Bollinger stated that there is $6,000 available. Bollinger stated that they are pushing the project to move forward quickly because the expectation is that the artist meet with Backyard Abundance to engage in the planning process which starts May 22, 2018. Seydell Johnson stated that Backyard Abundance is doing three different garden designs for local parks and with each one they are creating some kind of gathering space within the garden. Seydell Johnson stated that their design for Chadek Green will be similar. Seydell Johnson stated that it is not a redesign of the entire park, it focuses only on the garden. Bollinger stated that she felt that the artists were all good applicants and would all be able to successfully complete the job. Rose Smith stated that one concern she had while looking through the proposals was that Tim Adams did not have examples of lower budget installations, and she worries that the committee would have to spend all $6,000 on a single work by him. Rose Smith stated that she remembered the committee discussing having multiple gathering places around the garden and was wondering what the committee envisioned that would look like. Seydell Johnson stated that she had envisioned all of the funding going to one central installation with perhaps some funding going to other small pieces. Rose Smith stated that she worried Adams is not giving examples for the price point the committee is offering for the project but if they are planning to have one central installation that Adams should be fine. Fitzgerald stated, regarding Cara Briggs Farmer, she has known the artist for several years and she feels that her work is airy and natural feeling even though it is iron, she could see it being in a natural space and not feeling harsh. Fitzgerald stated that she was also the artist who did the iron work for Beadeology. Bodkin Bryk stated that Briggs Farmer has applied to the committee before and that she has done a lot of work in Marion. Rose Smith stated that Farmer has already worked with steel and materials that are meant to be based outdoors. Fitzgerald stated that she felt that Farmer could do a lot with the $6,000 budget. Seydell Johnson stated that she felt that Farmer would be a good artist for this project. Rose Smith stated that it appeared that the committee was in agreement regarding selecting Farmer as the artist for this project. Bodkin Bryk stated that she likes Adam's work as well, but feels drawn to Farmer's work and she stated that if everyone is drawn to Farmer's work that is the artist they should select. Miller stated that he liked Hannah Givler's proposal, stating that her pieces felt very natural, but that he also enjoyed Farmer's piece. Brown stated that one thing to consider is that Givler has been funded by PAAC twice already. Bollinger asked if the committee funded Givler's Prairie Box or just "blessed" the ICDD's project. Seydell Johnson stated that the committee only blessed the piece, and did not fund it. Fitzgerald stated that she did not think Farmer has had any piece in Iowa City. Miller asked if the goal of the committee was to select one of the three artists. Bodkin Bryk stated that they could also ask for a proposal from the artists, but they are running out of time. Seydell Johnson stated that the committee is supposed to select the artist and the artist will collaborate with Backyard Abundance to create a design. Bollinger stated that they could set a process for the artist get feedback from the committee on the design. Bollinger asked when the project will be completed. Seydell Johnson stated that it is open and is meant to be completed sometime in the summer or fall. Seydell Johnson stated that they have concrete dates for the public meetings they are going to hold to gather input. Brown stated that, in case those meeting times don't work out for Farmer, should they have a number two in mind. Rose Smith stated that Givler would be her number two. Brown stated that Adam's would be her number two. Fitzgerald agreed and stated that Adam's would be her number two but that she was less impressed by his proposal this time, than last time. Brown stated that Adam's was likely trying to show his skill as a landscape artist. Seydell Johnson motioned for the committee to select Cara Briggs Farmer as their first choice for artist of the Chadek Green Placemaking Project and Tim Adams as their second choice. Brown seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Fitzgerald stated that they might want to ask, in the approval, that she check in with the committee. Fitzgerald stated that due to Seydell Johnson working closely with the project, she can keep the committee in the loop and the formality may not be necessary. Bollinger stated that they could come up with a schedule and ask Farmer if it works for her, but include an ultimate project completion date in the fall. REVIEW OF CALL TO ARTISTS FOR FARMER'S MARKET PLACEMAKING PROJECT The committee reviewed the call to artists for the Farmer's Market Placemaking Project. Seydell Johnson stated that the first Farmers Market of the season was last night and it was a success, but that the fact of the matter is that it's still a dark, dreary space and they need something to make the space more inviting. Seydell Johnson stated that it provides weather protection which is important. Bollinger stated that it is also cooler than having it out in the open. Seydell Johnson stated that she noticed the call to artists included stairwells as part of the space available for the art installation and she would rather they not be included. Brown stated that she thought at one point the committee discussed the option of having the project be some kind of a light piece. Seydell Johnson stated that that could be beyond the budget. Bollinger stated that if the artist could include it within the budget, that would be fine. Miller ask if the committee wanted the art installation to be limited to inside the parking ramp. Seydell Johnson stated that the art installation could be in the east side of the ramp, in the seating area or by the bell on the City Hall side but that it would have to go along with the City Hall landscaping. Seydell Johnson stated that it would be best if the art installation was inside the parking ramp. Fitzgerald stated that they should include photos of the parking ramp for the artists. Rose Smith seconded that and stated that it would also be helpful to have dimensions if possible. Bollinger stated that Thomas Agran mentioned to her that he will be applying for this project and she stated that she asked him for his comments regarding the call to artists and he suggested that, with the timeline, they should try to make it so that the project is completed by the end of Farmer's Market season so that the visitors can see if happening. Seydell Johnson stated that they should aim for September 15th because the market goes until October but that the attendance gets sparse towards the end. Fitzgerald asked how it would be possible for the artist to install their piece during the busy market. Bollinger stated that she meant more for the pieces that progress over time, rather than pieces that have a one -day installation period. Bollinger stated that they will recommend that the artist works nights and weekends to avoid the busy times in the ramp. Fitzgerald asked what the lifespan of this project would be. Seydell Johnson stated that she was hoping for a, project that would last five years. Bollinger stated that they should mention that in the Call to Artists. Seydell Johnson asked if having a lifespan of five years was unreasonable. Fitzgerald stated that it would not be very reasonable considering their budget. Fitzgerald asked if PAAC was funding this project. Bollinger stated that Parks and Recreation is. Brown stated that she worries a five-year lifespan would limit their applications to only muralists. Rose Smith stated that it did not necessarily, but that they should include a maintenance plan for the project. Bollinger stated that what they typically do is state that the artist is responsible for the upkeep of the piece for at least a year which is only in case the artist did not prepare the surface properly or used poor products. Fitzgerald asked if the City has regulations for the parking ramp as far as hanging banners. Bollinger stated they would have to check vehicle clearance. Bollinger stated that the schedule she has on the call to artists is tentative. Bollinger stated that she was wondering who would be looking over the applications, and that she thinks it would be best to run the proposals by the City staff to make sure there are no problems later on regarding their designs. Miller asked if the market will expand into Chauncey Swan Park after it is completed. Seydell Johnson stated that there will be a flat space at the bottom of the park which would allow for a few vendors to set up in that space but the overall plan for that area is for a congregation area for people while at the market. Bollinger stated that she will not be able to make the Thursday, July 5th meeting so they will have to reschedule that meeting to the 12th of July. Bollinger stated that if they notify the artist by the 13th that only gives them two months to complete the project. Seydell Johnson stated that they should keep the completion date in September. Miller asked if the $6,000 budget was set in stone. Bollinger stated that the committee did not use all the matching funds and that she will have to figure out the amount that is left over. Miller asked if they could potentially bump up the project to $10,000. Rose Smith stated that would be helpful. Bollinger check minutes from the last matching fund application meeting and stated that the committee has $1,300 left over. Miller motioned to increase the budget for the Farmer's Market Placemaking Project to $7,000 using the leftover $1,000 from the Public Art Committee Matching Funds for 2018. Brown seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Seydell Johnson motioned to make the changes to the call to artist document that have been discussed by the committee. Rose Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. RELOCATION OF SNELSON SCULPTURE The committee discussed relocating the Snelson sculpture. Bollinger stated that the meeting regarding relocating the sculpture was successful. Seydell Johnson stated that the plan for relocating the sculpture is to move it to the new Riverfront Crossing Park and make it the focal point of the park. Seydell Johnson stated that if you enter from the north side, there is a traffic circle and the sculpture will be located in the middle of that traffic circle. Seydell Johnson stated that currently she has asked the City's project architects to create a proposal to design the area and figure out the placement of the sculpture. She also stated that they are researching the sculpture now and that the price for relocating it is not yet determined. Brown asked if Seydell Johnson was still worried about kids climbing on the sculpture. Seydell Johnson stated that they are going to elevate the piece to the point where people may be able to walk underneath it. Bollinger stated that the piece will also be well lit. Fitzgerald asked if there will be a plaque near the piece. Seydell Johnson stated that it would depend on funding. Rose Smith motioned to approve committee's recommendation to relocate the Snelson Sculpture to Riverfront Crossing Park. Fitzgerald asked if the sculpture will be restored to its original positioning. Knoche stated that the sculpture was never in its original positioning, even when it was on campus. Seydell Johnson stated that they hope to have the sculpture moved to its new location by October. RELOCATION OF DOROTHY The committee discussed relocating the Dorothy tornado sculpture. Bollinger stated that it was previously located on the pedestrian mall. Bollinger stated that Seydell Johnson reached out to her staff to ask for ideas for relocation of the piece and they suggested it move it to the east side of Chauncey Swan Park near the seating area. Seydell Johnson stated that it will be visible from the street. Knoche asked if relocating this sculpture would interfere with the placemaking project in the parking ramp. Seydell Johnson stated they would mention to the artist that Dorothy will be relocated to that location so they can keep it in mind. Bollinger stated that the committee has to run the relocation by the artist and asked if anyone on the committee had her contact information. Bollinger stated that she has attempted to contact the artist multiple times, but that she may have an old email address. Brown motioned to accept the staffs recommendation to relocate the Dorothy sculpture to the east side of the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp and to contact the artists before relocating. Rose Smith seconded. Motion passed unanimously. COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS OR REPORTS: Seydell Johnson stated that the two STEAM murals are really fulfilling their purpose and are well used. Rose Smith asked if they have held up well. Seydell Johnson stated that they had to fix the windmill a few times. :Ir_1MAZI4l•1Ak-5 Bollinger stated that she will need a few volunteers from the committee to work at Kidztent during the day of the event. Bollinger stated that the Kidztent runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and that the event is on June 3rd. Bollinger stated that committee members could volunteer to work inside the tent or to collect art from around the festival the day before the event. Rose Smith stated that she could help with Kidz Tent. Bollinger stated that the final selections have been made for Poetry in Public. Rose Smith asked Bollinger about the child with Downs Syndrome who speaks ASL and submitted a poem. Bollinger stated that they created a poster including sign language as per his mother's suggestion. ADJOURNMENT: Seydell Johnson moved to adjourn. Knoche seconded. Meeting adjourned 4:41 p.m Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2018 Key X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a member Term 4/6 7/6 8/16 9/7 11/2 1/4 2/1 4/5 5/3 Name Expires Bodkin Bryk, Tam 01/01/19 O/E x x x x O/E x x x Brown, Wend 01/01/20 x x x x O/E x x x x Erin Fitzgerald 01/01/20 x x x x x x x x x Knoche, Ron x x x x x x x x x Seydell- Johnson, Juli x x x O/E x x x x x Vero Rose Smith 01/01/21 -- -- -- -- -- x O/E x x Steve Miller 02/01/21 -- -- -- -- -- -- x x x Key X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a member