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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-04-10 Bd Comm minutes1. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting a. March 7, 1973 2. Coordinator's Report 3. Old Business a. Sub -committee -Format for Public Meeting March, 28, 1973 4. New Business 5. Public Discussion of Items not on the Agenda 6. Next Regular Meeting a. April 4, 1973 7., Adjournment IOWA CITY HOUSING COMMISSION MINUTES March 21, 1973 MEMBERS PRESENT: Stier Fr' imml, Hamer, Litton, .Walker White MEMBERS ABSENT:Duncan STAFF PRESENT: Seydel, Schierbrock Chariman Stier called the meeting to order. 1. The minutes of the previous meeting, March 7, were ap- proved with a motion from Frimml and a second from Litton. Motion passed 6/0. 2. Coordinator's Report a. At the present time, there are 208 units, under lease.. One more unit will be added within the next week. Five app lications were received, found eligible "and put on the waiting lists. b. Oneproposalreceived from Progressive Housing, San Diego, for the housing ,for the elderly project. 3. Old Business a. Sub -committee report for the public meeting was pre- sented by Litton. In essence the format for the meeting_,would include a brief explanation of the role and purpose of the Housing Commission, an explanation of what is being proposed by the T -L ordinance, and then the meeting would be open to the public to make statements and ask questions. b. Seydel suggested that the committee extend a written invitation to the City Staff, Council, etc. c. Litton questioned the meaning of the 4th paragraph under the Coordinator's report of the last meeting's minutes. For clarification, the City Manager re- ceived a letter from PAT. The letter,alledged that Seydel had 'refused to provide a roster of tenants and owners involved with the Leased Housing Program. The City Manager asked for comments from Seydel naso nalultly anu raL ounmxuxe, were also interested in obtaining a list of tenants and owners for their own "organizational purposes". After much discussion, the Housing Commission requested WRO submit in writing, ,the goals of the organization, planned use of information; and their tenant -owner questionnaire. This to be submitted at the April 4, meeting. It is possible the Commission may wish to add additional questions.This may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. d. In response to_Stier's request, Johnson County _Re- gional Planning Commission's publication, Regional Housing : Report, has been received. It is now avail- able for:reading.and study. 4. New Business a. Litton expressed a thought of extending the leasing program that would possibly enable the Housing Authority to provide more immediate elderly housing. This thought was brought about due to 'reports of in- creased apartment vacancies in the Iowa City area. Seydel commented that if the present program were expanded the City could possibly be jepordizing re- ceipt of funding for an elderly project. The mora- torium is expected to last 16 months. If we expand our;,present program,; certainly our need and priority would be lessened and the risk of not getting a project increased. Chariman Stier, appointed a sub -committee to study ;the feasibility of expanding the program. Members are White,,Frimml, and Hamer. b. Seydel displayed the plans submitted by Progressive Housing, Inc. This plan will be reviewed by the City Staff in detail. A meeting with the Staff and Progres- sive Housing representatives, to review questions and make revisions will probably be required, with the Com- mission in attendance to the meeting. 5. Chariman Stier reminded that the next meeting will be held on April 4, 1973. 6. Frimml made the motion to adjourn the meeting. It was seconded by White and carried 6/0. MEMBERS ABSENT: NONE Meeting was called to order. Minutes of March 12 were approved as amended. Minutes of March 19 were also approved as amended. Mr. Blum shared with the Committee that he had heard on the afternoon newscast that Mr. Art Small had proposed the establish- ment of a regulatory commission. The.Chairman will secure a ' copy of the legislation that was introduced by Mr. Small on March 26. There was no public discussion. The draft of the progress report Iowa City CATV Committee to the Iowa City City Council, Iowa City, Iowa, was reviewed and changes made. (See Addendum I) The Committee reviewed the report of the subcommittee and the procedures as suggested in.addendum•in a:report to the CATV Committee. Addendum II was, generally; approved with the exception that the meeting time would.beginat 7:00 P.M. The hope was'expressed.that if the room was":available that the meetings be shifted to Tuesday evening. -The Chairman is to check on this and give proper notification to the members .and news media. Although there was further discussion con- cerning proposal II, no specific motion was made to alter the procedure as outlined. Persons having reports to be presented or material that they desire to have duplicated , to be shared with the Committee were requested to.give to Rev. Welsh by Thursday noon. The Committee will meet briefly at 4:00 P.M. March 28atthe First'' Christian Church to review the questionnaire from the Cable Television Information Center, if such is available by that date. The following schedule was adopted, following the listing of, topics,names of the Committee members who will submit material to be duplicated for the Committee's consideration: April 2 -Access, Programming, and Facilities--Kril April 9 -Public Service Installations, Point to Point Service-- Cordier, Russell -Interconnection-Underground or Overground wiring --Welsh April 16 -Channel uses, Channel capacity, Two-way provision --Blum Subscriber Privacy--Prediger April 23 -Patterns of Ownership--Eskin, Ehninger The meeting adjourned at 9:25 P.M. Article II, The City Council This article contains provisions for the size of the City Council, the length of term of the Council, and the method of electing the City Council. Furthermore, this article specifies the powers and duties of the City Council, and of the Mayor, if he or she is a member of the City Council. This article can also include a provision on the compensation of the Council. Article III, The Administrative Head This article specifies the powers and duties of the Admini- strative Head of City Government. �I PUBLIC MEETING • IOWA CITY CHARTER COMMITTEE MARCH 21, 1973, 8.00 P. M., CIVIC CENTER AGENDA. I. Introductory Comments William.Meardon, Chairman II. Open Discussion The Charter Committee encourages anyone who has anything to say 'about a city charter to please do so. This period will last as long as there is ,anyone who wishes to address the Committee. III. Conclusion Future activities of the Charter Committee MEMBERSHIP Tele pphone Number William Meardon, Chairman 33W-;359 - Patricia Cain',.Vice Chairman- 337-9908 David Baldus 351-8927 Robert Corrigan338-4633 Penny:Davidsen- 338-4740 Brad DeCounter 338-1795 James Knight 338-4662 Clayton Ringgenberg 351-3103 Dale Welt 337-4610 Brief Summary of What a City Charter Could Contain Preamble This section specifies the intent of the Charter. Article I, Powers of the City This article provides that a City should have the broad home rule powers granted it by Constitutional Home Rule and by the City Code of Iowa. Article II, The City Council This article contains provisions for the size of the City Council, the length of term of the Council, and the method of electing the City Council. Furthermore, this article specifies the powers and duties of the City Council, and of the Mayor, if he or she is a member of the City Council. This article can also include a provision on the compensation of the Council. Article III, The Administrative Head This article specifies the powers and duties of the Admini- strative Head of City Government. uepartments This article could give the, basic, framework of the departmental structure specifying who has the power to change departmentalstructure. Article V, Election Procedures While most of the election procedures are detailed in state law, it seems possible to add additional regulations to these procedures. Article VI, Initiative, Referendum, and Recall Included in this article can be provisions for these pro- cedures and the mechanisms that these will follow. Article VII, Boards and Commissions Included in this'article can be provisions for the appoint- ment of and the operation of Boards and Commissions. Article VIII, Additional Provisions In this article „there Could_be'-any provision that the C't win es to include that is not inconsistent with state law. CHARTER AMENDMENTS While this will not be a part of the Charter Committee's recommended Charter, amendments can be 'added to the.Charter at any time once the Charter is adopted. SOME ISSUES BEING CONSIDERED BY THE CHARTER COMMITTEE Article II, The City Council A. -'Council Size. With a home rule charter, cities in Iowa can specify the size of their Council as long as _there is an odd, number of members, but at least five. Presently, the Charter Committee has been centering its debate around either a seven or nine member Council. 'Several issues involved in this question are representation, rbsponsiveness, use of the committee structure, and the ability of the Council to work together in promptly solving problems. B. Length of Term. The City Code of Iowa restricts cities to having either two-year or four-year staggered terms. The Charter Committee is considering each of these, and the possibility of combining the two so that there would be.a majority of the Council up, for re-election every two years. Several of the issues involved are the cost of running for the Council, responsiveness, 'pro- viding continuity, and increasing the diversity of Council candidates. PAGE'' 3 PUBLIC MEETING March 21, 1973 • C. The Method of Selecting the City Council. Presently the Charter Committee is considering numerous alterna- tive methods of electing the City Council. These are: 1. Election at -large. Each candidate would run for the Council and the candidates receiving the most votes would be elected, up to the number of seats on the Council to be filled. This is the method presently being used in Iowa City. 2. The place system, which has Council candidates running fora specific seat on the Council and being elected by the voters of the City at -large. 3. The ward system, in which Council members are elected from designated geographical areas of the City. 4. Nomination by district and election at -large, iniwhich Council members are nominated from°.desig- _nated geographical areas of the City and, elected by the voters of the City at -large. 5. A combination of any of the above procedures. D. Council Compensation. While state law provides that the.City Council shall set its:own salary, it may be possible to add additional procedures to this. At this time, the Charter.Committee is considering what. effects increasing Council compensation from its $75 a month level would have on the number and diversity. of candidates for Council, and upon relieving some of the burden,,placed on individuals who serve on the Council: Ini'addition,,the. Charter Committee is con- sidering the possibility of settinga procedure where a citizen's advisory commission would periodically review and make recommendations concerning Council compensation. Article III, The 'Administrative Head. This article designates who selects and directs the City administration and what the powers and duties of the head of the administration should be. There are three alternatives as to who could be the Administrative Head of the City. A. There could be a City,Manager, appointed by the City Council, who would direct and supervise the City de- partments. B. The Mayor could be the Administrative Head of the. City. Under this procedure, it is also possible for the Mayor to appoint a professional administrator to assist in the administration of the City. PAGE4 PUBLIC MEETING March 21,-1973 • C. The City Council could be the Administrative.Head of the City. These could be done in three ways: 1. The Council as a whole could administer every department. 2. The Council could divide into committees .and each committee would administer a department. 3. Each individual Council member could have a depart- ment that he or she would administer. Also included-in'this article are the powers and duties of the Chief Administrator of the City. These powers include the power to appoint personnel, ,the power to; direct this personnel, and the power to prepare and submit the annual operating budget and capital program to Council, and to administerthem. Article IV, Administrative Departments. This article relates closely to Article SII and may be unnecessary. It can specify who has the power to change ,departmental structure. Possible alternatives could be: 1. the Council having this power. 2. The Council and the Administrative Head sharing this power. 3. The Administrative Head having this power. Article V, Election,Procedures. The Charter Committee is presently considering the possibility, of placing an enforceable limit on campaign expenditures. Article.VI, Initiative, Referendum, and Recall The Charter Committee is presently considering these three provisions. A. Initiative is a process in which the citizens of a city could propose legilsation by means of a petition, and that this legislation, if not approved by the City Council,:would be, submitted to the voters for approval or rejection. B. Referendum is the process by which the citizens, of a city could by petition require that Council approved legislation be submitted to the voters for approval or rejection. C. Recall is the process by which citizens of a city could petition for an election which would force the removal from office of a Council member, or the Mayor. • Involved in this issue is whether there should be any of these provisions in the Charter, and if so how should this procedure work. This includes what size petition should be necessary, when these questions should come in front of PAGE5 `PUBLIC MEETING March 21, 1973 • the voters, and the possible cost of these procedures.` Article VII, Boards and Commissions The Charter Committee -is considering ways of improving communication between the City Council and the City's Boards and Commissions, ways of improving the method of selecting' members for Boards and Commissions, and other methods of increasing citizen input through Boards and Commissions. Article VIII, Additional Provisions Presently the Charter Committee is considering one addi- tional provision. This is whether there should.be.an ombudsman for Iowa City. The ombudsman, or a similar position, would handle citizen grievances against City Government:' As long as the Charter conforms with state law, this article is open to innovation. If you have Any suggestions as'to what should be provided for in this article, please bring them to the attention of the Charter,Committee. Charter Amendments This is perhaps the biggest advantage- of having a Home Rule Charter. Since the Charter can be amended at anytime it can change as the City changes.' With this, the citizens of Iowa City can gain more control over 'how ,they are governed. The Charter.Committee, by majority vote, has tentatively'' ,• agreed upon the following elements of a Home Rule Charter for Iowa City: 1. That the Charter should embody the council-manager form of government. 2. That the City Council should consist of seven members, one of whom is the Mayor. 3. That the Mayor should be elected by the voters of the City, at -large, and should serve a four-year term. The Mayor should be the chief policy leader. 9. That the City Council should be elected at -large by the voters of the City. 5. That the winning candidate who has received the lowest vote total of all the winning candidates in the general election should receive a two-year term. The other winning candidates, in the candidate for the mayoral position, should receive a four-year term. These terms, should be staggered in a_manner that would require that four Council' members be up for re-election every two years. 6. That there should be an initiative provision in the Charter which would allow the voters of Iowa City to proposelegislationby;means _of,a petition and that„this legislation would be submitted to the voters at thee' next general election or at an earlier time if so -pre- scribed by the City 'I Council. 7. That 'there should be a referendum provision in which the voters of Iowa City'can`by the means of a'petition require that Council -approved legislation be submitted to the voters at the next general election or at an earlier time if so prescribed by the City Council. B. That there should not be a, recall provision. 9. That ,the City 'Council should prescribe the 'method of appointing the City Attorney. `� 5a MINUTES • IOWA CITY CHARTER. COMMITTEE PUBLIC MEETING:MARCH 21, 1973 MEMBERS PRESENT: Meardon, Cain, DeCounter, Davidsen, Baldus, Corrigan, Knight, Welt, Ringgenberg MEMBERS ABSENT: NONE Staff Present: Rosenstein Guests Present: Approximately fifty people were present The meeting was called to order at 8:00 P.M. by Chairman Meardon. Mr. Meardon stated that this meeting was the last public meeting before the Committee began drafting the Charter. He 'further stated that anybody 'wish ing to appear at any Charter Committee work session and to comment on anything should do so. Mr. Meardon announced that the next Charter' Committee meetings would be Wednesday, March 28, 1973, at 4:00 P.M. and Thursday, March 29, 1973, at 8:00 P.M. Mr. Meardon next announced the tentative votes taken by the Charter Committee stating that there was the understanding that anyone could change their vote prior to to the Citythe time the Charter was submitted .Council.,, Mr. Meardon stated that the majority of the Charter Committee was in favor of the following elements for a city charter: " 1. A seven -member Council 2; Election of'the Mayor at -large with the Mayor not having "strong" Mayor powers but only those incident to that office. 3. A four-year term for the Mayor. 4. Staggered terms. with one two-year term so that every two years a majority of the'Council would be up for re-election. 5• A provision for initiative and referendum. 6. No provision for 'recall. 7. City Council discretion over who', hires the City Attorney. The meeting was next open to public discussion. Leslie G. Moeller, 623 E. C lowng points: olle a Street. Mr. Moeller made the foli 1. That the Charter Committee should attempt to get the best Possible form of government, making changes only for the betterment of Iowa City and not just for the sake of change. 2. That the Committee should not allow itself to be pushed into being completed at a certain date but instead it should take whatever time necessary to arrive at the best form. Tom Eilers, 37 C Meadow Brook Ct, next spoke stating that he is a member 01. the btudent Senate, but did nct speak for the Student Senate. He further stated that he did feel he was speaking for a id IOWA CITY CHARTER MMITTEE • PAGE 2 . PUBLIC MEETING • majority of the students. Mr. Eilers made the following points: 1. He took exception with the Charter Committee's suggested method of electing the City Council. He stated that there should be some way of having wards, preferably not the one listed in the City Code of Iowa. He stated that this would accomplish the following', things: a. 'It would bring government closer to the people. b. It .would give the students someone they could pin down. - c. It would give people someone they could express their views to. d. It would be more representative. e. It would reduce the area and the number of people Council members have to be in contact with. f. It would better represent different,parts.of the City, which have 'different problems. g. It would be more responsive to what the people of Iowa City want. 2. He took exception to there not being a recall provision. He stated there has to be some provision where when:a person stops being,representative, that -person could be removed. Mr. Eilers stated that the City should be run by the people, not_by five or seven peoplewho serve on the Council or by business or special interests. 3. In response to a question from Mr. Meardon, Mr.1. Eilers stated that there were advantages and disadvantages of having recall, but that - it is better to have :a :recall member. provision so that there'is'a way to remove a Council :;. .. Donald Bryant, 903 Highwood, Professor, University of Iowa Mr Bryant made the following points: 1. He has lived here since 1958 and the government seems satisfactory. 2. .He likes the Charter Committee's proposal and he likes the present form of government. 3. He likes' increasing the size of the Council. 4. He was puzzled as to why the Mayor 'should be elected at -large. He'stated that with.this the City Manager might tend to be a colleague of the Mayor, rather than the agent of the entire City Council. Mr. Bryant asked the Committee for clarification. Mr. Corrigan stated that this grows out of the Charter Committee's interaction with the community ,and that this change is one of form more than of function. He stated that an elected Mayor would be a focal point for people to go to and could be a person who identified issues and ran with a slate of issues. This Mayor would have no additional powers. Mr. Ringgenberg added that under' the normal strong Mayor government, the Mayor has power to appoint, and to submit the budget to the City Council. He stated that under the form suggested by the Charter Committee, the Mayor would not have any appointment powers, other than boards and commissions, and that the Mayor would not submit the budget. Instead the City IOWA CHARTERMbMMITTEE • PAGE .3: PUBLIC: MEETING • Manager would have these powers. Mr. Rin ggenberg further stated that since the Mayor would have a four-year term and would be elected as Mayor, that person would be in a much stronger position for policy leadership and that this position would be more accessible. Dee Norton, 920 Ginter Avenue. Mr. Norton stated that he was also nervous about the provision or election of the Mayor at -large because it would subtract from the attention paid to other Council candidates. Elliott Full, 1820 Rochester Court. Mr. Full stated that he was a long time member of the City Manager's Association and is a member of the Political Action League. He stated that he is pleased with the Charter Committee's proposal but that he is concerned with having an ,elected Mayor because if the person elected is a°strong person and the City Manager doesn't agree, then the City Manager would have to go. Mr. Full further stated that he was happy the Committee didn't suggest wards. Cheryl Anderson, 1025 E.-Washin ton. Ms. Anderson representing the New American Movement rea ­astatement. to the Charter Committee. :(Attached) In response to, questions, Ms. Anderson stated she personally believed there should be recall, and that she would furnish the Committee with thestudy showing that cities the size of Iowa City were abandoning the Council - Manager plan., Skip Laitner, 422 Brown St Mr. Laitner made the following points 1:I He has been an opponent of Home Rule and therefore the form of government isnot the only subject that should be studied. 2. That the Charter Committee 'is only considering alterna- tives that have been used in the past, and that the Committee should be more creative. 3. That there is a need to force people to participate and have a sense.of initiative. 4. That students are not apathetic but instead they are frustrated and don't know how to deal with the problems. 5• By providing a form for people to work in, people will come out and participate. 6. That there is a myth of the vote in which people believe that voting for elected offices will take care of every- thing. 7. That the Charter Committee should recommend to the Council that a committee be formed to study the City Code of Iowa and to make suggestions to Council on changes that should' be made. The City Council should then vote on these changes • and conduct a lobbying effort to get these changes made. 8. That the City Code of Iowa is a thrust toward professional- ism and that it is removing some methods of administrative appeal. 9. That there should be set up administrative methods of, appealing City Council decisions so that people would not IOWA CITY CHARTER',COMMITTEE.' PAGE 4 PUBLIC MEETING have to take the City to court when it disagrees with the decisions made. 10.That there should befourcouncil committee of two members each, set up on certain areas, and these committees would direct the staff and would be appointed by the Mayor. 11. Since the Mayor has a veto, he or she should not vote on every issue but only in cases of a tie. 12. That the Mayor should be elected every two.years. 13. That the Council should have staggered terms. 14. That he is torn on whether there should be recall. At this time, Mr. Corrigan asked the people in attendance how strongly they felt, that they Charter had to be on the ballot this fall. He stated that it was impossible to do a deep study by May and if the public could wait, the Charter Committee could come up with a much better Charter. Robert Welsh, 2526 Mayfield Road. `Rev. Welsh stated that the Charter Committee s responsibi ity was to come up with the best _Charter. for Iowa City, Mr. Eiders stated that since the Charter would be in.effect at. least six it'should be the best. ` Mr. Norton stated that there is no way of telling, when you have the best. Mr. Norton stated that the _Charter 'Committee should get at those issues that demand change and leave room for amendments. He stated that boards and 'commissions area very crucial issue and that these should be.independent from the staff so that the Council would get an .independent voice. Ms. Anderson stated that there should be a temporary commission set up that takes care of the urgent needs while the Charter' Committee works on the technical details. Dr. McDonald (no address itven). Dr. McDonald stated that this was the best me;to maktie e decisions'and present the Charter. He also asked if the Mayor, being the chief policy leader, would represent him or herself or carry policies to the Council. He stated if it was the first, he was opposedto it. Rebecca Ryan, 440 Wales, stated that the City could not tolerate the present form for two more years.' She further stated that things can be studied to death. Mr. Corrigan replied that if 'people believed that "getting the rascals out" was the Charter Committee's only function, then he had wasted a lot of time. He stated that the Charter Committee was not likely to recommend a form much different than the present form, arid he'asked with that in mind, do people still want the Charter Committee to go fast. ''IOWA CITY CHART ER"COMMITTEE • PAGE 5 PUBLIC MEETING • John Doyle, 306 Haywood Drive stated that he had lived in New Rochelle which had a Council -Manager government, with partisan elections and an elected Mayor and he did not wish what he saw there for Iowa City, He stated that the Mayor's powers.were weak but since he was a, spokesman for the party, he upstaged the City Manager and the Manager's position became a non -entity, Jim Ryan, 440 Wales Mr. Ryan stated that he was coordinator or the Protective Association for Tenants, but that he did not represent that organization. He further stated that he had lived in Kansas City, Missouri, for thirty years and that he disliked the`Council-Manager form there. Mr. Ryan read the attached letter to the Charter Committee. In response to questions, Mr. Ryan stated that the object of dividing the City into eight wards was not to e the City should special seat and that give the students 'uld be divided into eight equal districts, regardless of how that population is distributed. Janet Shipton, 820 Riverside Drive points Ms. Shipton made the, following 1. That the place system was an alternative which would allow at -large elections and would remove negative voting. She.stated that,the place system would cure many of the ills people now feel about the present system. 2• That wards would not be any more representative because the City is not ghettoized. 3• By having at -large elections, groups can ccmbine to get people: elected. 4. The only advantages of wards would be smaller consti- tuencies and less cost to get elected, 5. That there could be a, plan where there are both wards and at -large elections. She cited Des Moines's system, stating that it 'is working well. 6. That recall would undermine the electoral process and produce the wrong type of Council member. She stated that there are two types of Council members, one who changes view points at the people's whims, and one who is a representative saying what he or she is for and then getting elected on that basis. She further stated she did not see how a Council member could judge public opinion during the non -election year. Rev, -Welsh next spoke, this time representing Citizens for a Better Iowa City, especially the steering Committee of that group. Rev. Welsh made the following points: 1. That he disliked the decision to have the Mayor elected • at -large because it was important to have a harmonious relationship between the Mayor and City Council. 2. That presently the Mayor was elected by Council for a two-year term and thus if you have a strong person as Mayor, this person can provide policy leadership. 3. That is is not necessary to have a Mayor to identify the IOWA CITY CHARTER, ITTEE • PAGE 6, PUBLIC MEETING • issues `because a strong Council can do that. 4. That CBIC favors the Council -Manager form. 5. That CBIC had favored enlarging the Council to seven. 6. That CBIC favors at -large election of the Council, with the next best alternative being elected at -large by the place system. :7. That the Mayor should be elected by the Council because if elected by the voters, this could erode the Council - Manager form, 1, K] Ann Erickson, (No address), asked how the Charter could be amended. Mr. Ringgenberg stated there were three procedures in amending the Charter: (1) The City Council could amend subject to a petition for a referendum on the subject. (2) The City Council could sub- mit amendments to the voters. (3) The people can initiate -amend- ments. Ms. Erickson stated that there are advantages for both wards and at -la— rgee ections and she doesn't see how the present precincts could be used unless there were five wards. Mr. Meardon stated that the Charter Committee is also considering nomination by district and election at -large. Mr. Norton asked the Committee what its objections were to the Y em of electing the City,Council. Mr. Corrigan replied. that the 'Committe I is concerned by what the possible effects of the place system could be and is giving this subject further study. He stated that only 10% oftheCouncil-Manager cities use this method and most of these are in the South. 'Mr. Corrigan further stated that studies showed the original reason behind this might have been to keep blacks off the Council. He cited other studies which show that there have been informalagreements made where certain places are "reserved" for certain groups. He stated that this system could easily be abused. Jeo Zaiicek, Route 5. Mr. Zajicek stated thathewas responsible for launching the previous 'drive to change from the Council - Manager form to the ward-alterman form. _He stated that although he was inexperienced and made a lot of mistakes, this drive did have a lot of support. He further stated that since the Charter Committee proposals have come out paralleling the present form of government, he has gotten quite a few calls objecting to the Council -Manager form of government. He stated that this is the key issue. Mr. Zajicek stated that he objected to what the Charter Committee had come up with and that if it was going to be so close to what exists, then it is a waste of time. He stated that the Charter Committee should take its time and by the time it reaches its decision, it will see that the people don't want the Council -Manager 1 �,i:'; W . ...IOWA', CITY CHARTER COMMITTEE PAGE 7 PUBLIC MEETING • Mr. Zajicek further stated that the terms "efficient government" and the "best form" are worn out phrases. ,Instead the form of government should be what the most people want Mr. Zajicek further stated that he favored recall because so many other built-in protections had been removed. He concluded that there would be stiff opposition in the special election if the Charter committee presented a Council -Manager form. Rev. Welsh stated that many people are frustrated with the operations of city government but this may not be related to the form of government. He stated that the citizens have not fulfilled their responsibility as citizens and that the use of boards and commissions are a key to responsible government. Mr. Full stated that he hoped that Iowa City would continue with eeffici nt government because 'he'would hate to see what taxes would be like with an inefficient government. Jack Esbin 3117 Al ine Ct. Mr. Esbin made the following points: 1. That t ere are a of of widely varying opinions and, that there is a compromise that could be made by creating' a new.form,that tries to balance the view; points expressed and which could still function. He.cited,the Action for a Better Community proposal. 2. That recall, could be useful as a'threat rather than an action, but since it is usually in response to a single issue, this could better be handled by the referendum. 3. That the Charter provision for initiative and referendum should allow the Council to adopt the petitions proposal without having to go to the election. 4. That it is hard to get 10% of the voters to sign a petition on an issue. 5. That there is some agitation for wards so the Committee should follow one of the two following alternatives: a. Submit a form that has combination of wards and at - large election. b. Submit two different proposals to the voters, one having ward elections, and one having election at - large.. He stated that there needs to be a way for the voters to express themselves. Dorothy Douglass, 1030 E. Burlington. Ms. Douglass stated that the Council breaking into committees was a viable alternative and a way to get boards and commissions input to the Council. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 P.M. 1 MEMBERS ABSENT : None Staff Present Rosenstein Guests Present : Gary Jones, 507 Bowery; Kay Lynn Doderer, 2008. Dunlap Ct.; Richard Hurstein, 1110 N. Dubuque; Ray Wells, City Manager; Sill Sueppel, 100 S. Linn. Patt Cain called the meeting to order. .The minutes of March 6 were unanimously approved as submitted, moved by Welt, seconded by Davidsen. The minutes of March 7 were unanimously approved as amended, moved by"Davidsen, seconded by Corrigan. The minutes of March 8 were unanimously approved as submitted, moved by, Corrigan, seconded by Davidsen. The minutes of March 14 were unanimously approved as amended, moved by Corrigan, seconded by Welt.' The minutes of March 20 were unanimously approved as submitted, moved by Welt, seconded by DeCounteri The minutes of March 21 were deferred until the Committee has a chance to study them. There were no comments, from the public attending the meeting. Penny Davidsen then gave a report on campaign expenditures in the last election. She 'stated that the cost per candidate was in the neighborhood of $3,000'and this was for at least, four of the candidates. This did not include the primary, where she stated very little was spent. She thought that the size of donations ran between $5 to $25 but this was just a conjecture. Mr. Baldus reported that Mr. Martineau agreed to act as counsel to the Committee. He stated that after the Committee drafts the Charter, Mr. Martineau will revise the language in accordance with State Law, evaluate, etc. A law student is being sought to help with the draft- ing of the Charter. In response to questions from the Committee, Ray Wells, City Manager, stated the following: 1. Duties of the City Manager would fall into two facets: (a) What is required by State Law or City Ordinance. (b) Informal Iowa City, Charter Committee Minutes Page 2 2. 'Authority is meaningless without responsibility. He sees the City Manager in the role of 'coordinator with the knowledge of how to get access to expertise. 3. A strong mayor to him is one who has appointive and budgetary powers. 4. He has no strong opinions either way on an elected mayor, depending on the powers given. 5. He feels that the Better Communities Act is going to bring power back to the Community. The Act is legislation which was considered by Congress last year and in all probability will be passed this year. This Act will take most of the programs that we know today (HUD, scattered programs) and combine them into one act, sending the money back to the municipality and telling them to form their own goals, programs and operations.The result of this should be automatic public participation. 6. He is puzzled as to why the Charter Committee asked the question of Council using staff if provided because the staff at the Civic Center is there to work as the Council's staff for any type of research or input Council desires. 7. He doesn't see any policy that Council doesn't initiate and that from a -staff standpoint, they only do what the Council tells them to do. 8. As far as work load for the City Attorney is concerned, he feels.three>attorneys could be used. He stated that it's very seldom that Council decisions are made without legal input. He also stated that the City has "a broad range of activities for one attorney .to 'address himself to. In closing, Mr. Wells stated that if there was anything further that he could do to aid the Committee, he welcomed the opportunity. A Charter Committee meeting was announced for Thursday, March 29. A meeting was planned for Tuesday, April 3, at 8:00 P.M. Tuesday evening meetings were agreed upon in lieu of the Thursday evening sessions because of Committee members' expected absenses on Thursdays. The meeting was then adjourned. 0 Staff Present : 500 W hin ton? Keith Kafer, Rosenstein Guests Present: Richard Burger, 1 as g 5 Norwood Circle; Charles Gay, 1421, S. Linn; Linda Dole; Bill Ambrisco; Tom Eilers, 37 C Meadowbrook-Ct.; David Graybill, 1906 Broadway. vice Chairperson Patt Cain called the meeting to order.at 8:00 P.M. Richard Burger, President of the Chamber of Commerce, read a letter addressed*to the Charter Committee giving suggestions as to the form of government for Iowa City. (Letter attached) He then stated that the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce is composed of twenty members and represent a membership of 650 to 700. He also stated the following: 1. He is an ex -mayor of Iowa City and feels that the present form of government is the best form. 2. He feels that there is no"reason for a -full-time Mayor. 3. The Board sees no advantage in a policy making leader such as Mayor because the Council as a whole is the policy making body. 4. He has no objections to initiative and referendum. 5. The Chamber doesn't actually support wards and sees no advantages in them. 6. He feels that fifty percent of the Council election is a popularity contest. 7. He feels that an at -large Mayor might tend to try to take over some of the administrative duties. 6. He reminded the Committee that they were formed to recommend the best form of government for Iowa City, not necessarily a change of government just for the sake of change. 9. Compensation for Mayor and Council was set up for compensating for pocket money, and the Mayor should be paid more than the Council members. He stated that compensation started in 1964 with reasoning • for reimbursement. 10. He stated that he spent on his campaign in 1963 $400-$500 and it would be at least $3,000 now. He doesn't feel that much should have to be spent. Iowa. City Charter Committee Minutes Page 2 ' e11. He doesn't favor the idea of the City paying p campaigns.' He feels that the person who can t affordd to rof Council n,t person afford to serve. He doesn't think that a well-qualified p would have any problem getting the backing to run. He feels that having seven on the-Council.just makes 12. it t two more qualified candidates to run. necessary to find at leas 13. He feels that the Council is responsive to the people and it takes two years that a two-year term is too short, and that to learn. Tom Eilers 37C Meadowbrook Ct. Mr. Eilers submitted a proposal to the Charter Committee. He stated that there is no name for it, he doesn't know if it's been used before, and doesnd base, 't know if it's legal. ons This proposal comities a warar e nominated lfrom their arge lwards nand he place syste then the top two primary vote -getters run in a ward primary, run in a final at -large election. The result is a ward system with Council elected at -large. This system use place seats, voting for one of two or three people for one. place. ..This proposal cuts campaign costs'a little. He feels that this brings the goverment closer to the people. tst election Patt Cain calledtthis iisusedpinaother lstates, I nation bandlthat cthe Committee at -large, tha , fl discussed it. has brie y Ma. Lir a en stated that this type may not be beneficial to the proper student student, but Mr. Eilers stated that he felt that the p p il. could win a seat on the Counc Mr. Eilers stated that this was not his idea alone, but that he had talked with Brad DeCounter. osals. The visitors were thanked for their comments and Pro P accepted, Minutes of the public meeting of March 21 were unanimously moved by Mr. Welt, seconded by Mr. DeCounter. wanted draft of the Charter. It was suggested that the Mr. Rosenstein asked the Committee's feelings on what they in the working draft. It was then suggested that the draft part of the working ed on should be the basic main text of what the Committee had agre be prepared by Mr. Rosenstein before so the meTeeds could study those articles upon which the Committee has agreed. Mr. Baldus referred to the e fo m of the Oakland C aing usingarter suoh anmethodrtotive propositions. The Comma Iowa City Charter Committee Minutes ' • Page 3 present alternatives to the voters. Discussion then followed on the article on limitation of campaign expenditures prepared by Mr. Baldus. The remedy in event of a violation would be denial of office. The intent of this section would be of money an individual spends and the money spent in.his or herbehalfby committees and friends. Comments were made con- cerning clarification of this article. Discussion then followed on an ombudsman or Community Service Officer, who would make recommendations but not countermand decisions: Dis- cussion on this concerned who would appoint such a person and whether such a provision should be in a charter. Further discussion was de- ferred until the, Tuesday meeting. Discussion was held on nomination by wards and election at -large. Mr. Rosenstein called the Committee's attention to the fact that there are two different procedures, one being nomination by districts and election at -large, and the other being nomination by districts, a primary election by districts, and final election at -large. Dis- cussion followed,on both of these procedures. The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 P.M. A :#X1117: :1 1.4 9,50 )ii VP IV 4' I i •,,I - -I , 1 7. 17 i •,,I - -I , 1 7. STAFF COMMENT: The Chairman of the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission has scheduled an Informal Meeting for Tuesday, April 10, 1973, to be held at 4:30 p.m..in the Depart- mental Conference Room. The ur4m tlStheCouncilChambers dfor Y, April 12, 1973, to beheldat00p.m.in B. Roll Call C. Approval of Minutes of PrAnpaing Meeting I. Minutes of March 29, 1973 D. Zoning Items 1. Z-7302. Request for rezoning, RIB to R3B, by Fanny S. Duffy, for a parcel north and west of the intersection Of West Benton Street and Orchard Street. Date filed: 3/7/73. .45 -day -Limitation: 4/21/73. 2. Z-7303. Request for rezoning, RIB to R3B, by Everett and Edna Snider for a parcel,on the west side of the north end of Orchard Street. Date filed: 3/14/73. 45 -day Limitation: 4/28/73. 3. Z-7304. Request for rezoning, RIB to R2, for parcel on southeast corner of the intersection of Sixth Avenue and H Street. Date filed: 3/21/73. 45 -day Limitation: 5/5/73. 4. Z-7306. Request for rezoning, RIB to R2, by Bethany Baptist Church for the:prope'rty at 1839 B Street. Date filed: 3/29/73. 45 -day Limitation: 5/13/73. E. Other Business 1. Conditionally Permitted Uses F. Council Referral I. Public Works Design Standards G. ALRUEnMftnt • STAFF REPORTT- Planning & Zoning Commission • April 12, 1973 SUBJECT: Z-7302. Rezoning request of Fanny S Duffy for a parcel north and west of the intersection of West Benton Street and Orchard Street from RlB to R3B. Date filed: 3/7/73. 45 -day Limitation: 4/21/73. and Z-7303. Rezoning request of Everett and Edna Snider for a parcel north and west of the parcel'identified in Z-7302 from RlB to R3B. Date filed: 3/14/73. 45 -day Limitation: 4/28/73. BACKGROUND OF ,This is a review of a resubmission THIS REQUEST: of the -zone change request deferred at the 3/22/73 Planning and Zoning Commi4sion meeting.All of the particulars of the previous request remain unchanged with the exception of the district change requested, which now is R3B and was C2. For details of site size location and dimensions, please see the Staff Report submitted at that meeting. STAFF The requested zone change, if ANALYSIS: approved, would result in the� potential development of 75 apartment'units on the combined 1.1 acres of.the ,two requests. This density is eight times that presently permitted on the parcels in question or any of the contiguous residential uses to the south and west. The parcels north of the site of the request abut a railroad right-of-way, but are also RlB and are currently undeveloped with the exception of a lone single family residence. %7hile it is understandable that a higher density of residential development may be desired for the subject parcel, inview of its proximity to the Hartwig Motors site, the proposed zone change would result in a potential density of up to 187 people in occupancy where formerly two dwellings with probably no more than 8 occupants previously resided. This is an increase of over 23 fold in the number of people possible on the site, and 112 fold in terms of dwellings. Were only 1 accessory off-street parking space provided per dwelling unit, it would require about 1/2 of the total site to accommodate the area needed for parking. At the present time, there is no demonstrated need for additional multiplefamily zoned land as there is presently an abundant amount of undeveloped land in these zones. This parcel also is not presently served by a City bus route, and the development of apartments in this area would increase the demand for a bus route to serve this area and result in an appreciable increase in the deficit of the City's transit operation. I P 0;0 ZONING Z-7304. This is a rezoning request REQUEST: by Mr. Robert Richardson for a lot located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Sixth Avenue.and H Street. The rezoning would be from R1B to " R2: SITE The subject parcel is located DESCRIPTION: approximately 60 feet from the right-of-way and 'tracks of the C.R.I.&P. Railroad, with no interposing land uses, visual barriers or similar potential buffering devices. The site is relatively flat, and situated... immediately east of three duplex dwellings., The streets upon which the subject parcelabuts, are approximately' 25 feet curb -to- -curb, and are not through streets, dead ending at the railway right-of-way. STAFF The development of duplexes on ANALYSIS: the subject parcel would be consistent with the past policies of the Commission toward buffer zoning in general, and the development of housing along'the railroad in particular. This policy has several aspects which deserve consideration. The location of more dwelling units near what must be considered a negative environmental influence appears dubious, however, it would be unreasonable, to expect single family units to be located in such an area. The buffering.policy does serve indirectly to limit the potential number of'chilren near the railroad tracks, as the higher density dwelling units tend to have fewer children not only proportionately, but absolutely. Also, the creation of units which have a high probability of being rental in nature is sensible considering many people may well choose to rent in a location in which they would not buy. STAFF It is the recommendation of the RECOMMENDATION: Staff that this request be approved for the reasons given above. 0 SUBJECT: Z-7306. Rezoning request from R1B'to R2 by Bethany Baptist Church for the property at 1639 B Street. SITE The subject parcel is composed DESCRIPTION: of two pieces of property separated by the alley between B Street and Friendship Street. They constitute a total site size of approximately .6 acres, with the tract fronting on B Street and upon which the church is presently located having about .37 acres and the remaining tract having .23 acres.- The site south of the alley is currently used for off-street parking, and isgravel surfaced, as are all other parking areas on the subject, parcel. The parcel upon which the.church building is located slopes toward B Street at a gradient which has a'maximum of approximately 8%. The existing structure has a total.floor area oflabout 10,500 square feet, of which approximately,2100 square feet are chapel area. B Street is 25 feet wide, curb to curb, and presently functions as a local ,street, providing access to the abutting lots,,but not conducting large volumes of traffic through the area in that B Street ends 1/2 block to the east. ZONING. The applicant requests the REQUEST: rezoning, of the subject property .from R1B to R2 to permit the usage of the property by a club (The Odd Fellows) STAFF This zone change request, as ANALYSIS: with all such requests under the existing ordinance, does not bind the petitioner to the use proposed but permits, if granted, all of thoseusespermitted in the district requested. In the R2 District this would mean not only clubs, but duplex dwellings providing 3000 square feet per dwelling unit. The existence of a duplex dwelling across the street from the church site does not justify the extension of this type usage, especially as the;Commission has apparently seen fit to leave this usage in the category of a nonconforming use, rather than change the zoning district it is in to accommodate the usage. With the sole exception of this neighboring usage, all adjacent land uses are single family residential dwellings. The subject parcel possesses its sole frontage on B Street, which, as observed under the Site Description, is',a local st:root. 'Pho location of a usage certain togenerate larger volumes of traffic • than its neighbors along a local street is,a dubious proposition in terms of the effect upon the neighboring houses in front of which these increased volumes of traffic will be drawn. s! -z- • The provision of adequate on-site parking would not pose a problem for the applicant, as a total of 35 car stalls will be required for any club occupying the existing structure. .This would mean a total of 12,250 to 14,000 square feet of site would be required for parking based upon an estimate of 350-400 square feet of area needed per auto, including the requisite maneuvering areas. This area ,could be.provided on the subject parcels'; however, a relatively small amount of land would remain for landscaping or planting purposes. In addition to the above considerations of traffic, neighboring land uses, and the provision of adequate parking, the hours of operation and character thereof must be considered in evaluating this request. Any club, regardless of its composition, may reasonably be expected to function in the "after work" hours, and may well operate.until-late at night. That this may be stated about the present usage of the ,property does not remove it as a proper element of consideration, for this request for a zone change should have all of its aspects considered, whether pre- existing or otherwise. To; grant this request would mean that this aspect of the current usage of the site would be extended and surely be continued for some time into the future. STAFFIt .is the recommendation of RECOMMENDATION: the Staff that this request be denied for the following reasons 1. The nature of the proposed usage and the uses permitted in the proposed zone is incompatible with the existing neighboring land uses. 2. The existing street system is inadequate for the demands which the proposed use would place upon it. 3. The hours of operation are inappropriate for the character of the area, and would perpetuate an existing undesirable condition. Note: The Staff is preparing conditional use standards which would treat the location of clubs, as well as many other uses, based upon criteria set forth within the regulations. If and when these regulations are adopted and the zoning regulations appropriately amended, this zone change request would be subject to re-evaluation under these criteria, if the usage requested is listed as a conditionally permitted use-Tn the R1B,district. 1• T7 0 a Ile 0 HOOVER ru ©. � �OURT A % . L REQUEST AREA c 1170 _-L-1 PiE3 L_JLj "P,4H PIE 1: 317 E w H MH NJ ® W yP-4-11 ---I r FTn I ,Cfs�� 9 690 12020 1800 ULE NUMBER: Man GRAPHIC 'SCALE 1"=660' Z-%306 A. Ivi _jk -Ii- + T1 M R, I B -4 I TR All( �;.� `� �, �_: . ,.. �` :s. �' ��' � 1; °=1. 4,:: LI �I I �� T t t.5 u ryr I, f: �. i � q.., ,( � 11 � r � ;yi. �, i I� �� I�� F t,,. �,.,! �J. .r y,� i JI �.�. t .. , y. .� _, t .. ��� 1. ..: �4 ' � >�� -. • r �� � / �. .;.' . � �.9.;C Referred '7D Phone ❑ after Personal Visit ❑ By It Personal DEPARTMENT HEAD I Ignitor on life) j .:-.SERVICE REQUEST CITT OF IOWA CITY NO. A 116 IOWA CITY, IOWA rch 20 1973 Time 1.30 -pm. AM PM Received: Phone Letter E] In Person Z( Received b Dear Resident: Thank you for calling this matter to our attention. Please all 354.1800 If you --reply to he Manager NoML May or Phone have any questions. We welcome your Inquiries Address and are. always it your. service. Requist_QQncern is being expressed by properZ 0! the alley. betwe,en Governor and Lucas (centered betweEnT:eTErs`f2e ier ;ining son and MarRet) that jJLVFWJty OWI gravel in—the past ineffective by the regradLn g the alley by the which hnrl hpan �Pntllpyptj City. The specific question seems to involve wie?Ffle r no tne City,should sinee reptace the aft preperAt—ewne-r-s appnrently fee! the rity wng Refgaogjppthe rock off the alley. Suggest AM& we rPqpnnqjb1P for check the condition of the 0 alley and reply as to the teasib lity of pr fiding some roc P IC W9RK11A I V �17 '�J;x et oie =g a P of sitionsor Phone. ❑L Her ersoma Visit 1p Date By (bignature and t a) DEPARTMENT HEAD :SERVICE REQUEST CITY OF IOWA CITY No. A 398 IOWA CITY. IOWA Time --t /S^ How Received: Phone IZ2C, Letter El in Person E] Dear Resident: Thank for Received by you calling this matte, to our attention. Please call 354.1800 it you Nam -Phone have any Questions. We welcome your Inquiries Address and are Always at Your service. Referred '7D Phone ❑ after Personal Visit ❑ By It Personal DEPARTMENT HEAD I Ignitor on life) P R O C L A M A T I O N WHEREAS, Iowa City, Iowa is vitally concerned with the quality of the environment now and in the future; and WHEREAS litter is a deteriorating factor adversely affecting health, safety, and the "natural "beauty of the surround- ing area; and WHEREAS, a large segment of the Iowa 'City population, led by the Iowa City Jaycees, McDonald's,.and other interested organizations and individuals, intend to demonstrate through a city-wide litter cleanup project that all persons in the.community,can do something to aid in the prevention of litter;`, and WHEREAS, Saturday, April 28, 1973, will be kick-off day for this year's Anti -Litter _ Campaign. NOW THEREFORE, as Mayon o6 Iowa City, Iowa, 1, C. L. Mand.t, do hereby proclaim .the week o6 Aph.it 28 to May 5, 1973, as IOWA CITY CLEAN-UP, PAINT -UP WEEK and urge all citizens of this community to participate and support this effort to make litter prevention truly effective. Dated at Iowa C.i.ty, Iowa this 10th day o6 ApIUZ, .0973. 4tu� t4 CITY rOFi. IOWA CITY r. PROPOSED FISCAL POLICY', A p RIL,A973 71 i t . . . . . . . . . . l 'VI �-,ii IL