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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-05-16 Info Packet "Ikodi um'Gerr City Council Information Packet CITY OE IOWA CITY May16,2019 www.icgov.org IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule May 21 Work Session IP2. Agenda IP3. Pending Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IP4. Email from Mayor with report: Route Fifty: Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair IP5. Email from Mayor: Public Information Meeting, June 5- 1-80 update 1P6. Email from Council member Cole: City of Iowa City Climate Emergency Resolution draft IP7. Memo from City Manager: Policy on Vendor Wages [Previously distributed in 5/2 Info Packet, IP41 IP8. Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Strategic Plan Action Rem- Review of Private Housing Investment Programs IP9. Memo from Neighborhood Services Coordinator: South District Home Investment Program- Program Update IP10. Memo from Director of Transportation Services: Zipcar Car-Sharing Service IP11. Copy of Press Release: Iowa City Council to host Listening Post- May 29 1P12. CMI Service Entrance Examination: Maintenance Worker II-Water Distribution IP13. CMI Service Entrance Examination: Accounting Clerk-Accounting Email from Mayor: Agenda Live for the Summer 2019 Meeting [Distributed on 5/20/19 as Late Handout] Email from Council member Teague,with attachments: Alcohol in Parks [Distributed on 5/20/19 as Late Handout] Draft Minutes IP14. Human Rights Commission, April 16 IP15. Telecommunications Commission: April 22 r .®dr, 4.114.1171010.r�lllp 12111 '�� City Council Information Packet CITY OlE IOWA CITY May 16, 2019 www.Icgov.org IPI. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule May 21 Work Session 1P2. Agenda 1P3. Pending Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IP4. Email from Mayor with report: Route Fifty: Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair IP5. Email from Mayor: Public Information Meeting, June 5 - 1-80 update IP6. Email from Council member Cole: City of Iowa City Climate Emergency Resolution draft IP7. Memo from City Manager: Policy on Vendor Wages [Previously distributed in 5/2 Info Packet, I P4] IPB. Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Strategic Plan Action Item - Review of Private Housing Investment Programs IP9. Memo from Neighborhood Services Coordinator: South District Home Investment Program - Program Update IP10. Memo from Director of Transportation Services: Zipcar Car-Sharing Service IP11. Copy of Press Release: Iowa City Council to host Listening Post-May 29 IP12. Civil Service Entrance Examination: Maintenance Worker II -Water Distribution IP13. Civil Service Entrance Examination: Accounting Clerk -Accounting Draft Minutes 1P14. Human Rights Commission,April 16 IP15. Telecommunications Commission: April 22 Item Number: 1. jr ;;rw®J� CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule ATTACHMENTS: Description Council Tentative Meeting Schedule I b 1 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule r Subject to change CITY OF IOWA CITY May 16, 2019 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, May 21, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, June 4, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, June 18, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, July 2, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, July 15, 2019 4:00 PM Reception City of Coralville 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBA Tuesday, July 16, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Wednesday, July 24, 2019 5:00 PM Joint meeting with Planning & Zoning Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, August 6, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 20, 2019 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting May 16, 2019 Agenda ATTACHMENTS: Description Agenda Item Number: 2. N. RMAks CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-51000 (319) 356-5009 FAX wwwJcgow.org City Council Work Session Agenda Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 5:00 PM • Status of Iowa City Police Department Substation [IP2 - 5/9 information packet] • Finalize roadway design for the McCollister Boulevard extension to Sycamore Street • Clarification of Agenda Items • Information Packet Discussion [May 9, May 16] Council Direction needed on the following items: 1. (5/2) IP4: Memo from City Manager Policy on Vendor Wages 2. (5/16) IP8: Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director. Strategic Plan Action Item - Review of Private Housing Investment Programs 3. (5/16) IP9: Memo from Neighborhood Services CoordinatorSouth District Home Investment Program - Program Update • Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees jr ;;rw®J� CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Pending Work Session Topics ATTACHMENTS: Description Pending Work Session Topics Item Number: 3. " al; CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS May 16, 2019 June 4, 2019 1. 2019-20 Public Works and Parks and Recreation capital project update June 18, 2019 1. Review 2018 Police Department traffic stop data with Dr. Chris Barnum Strategic Plan Actions Requiring Initial City Council Direction: 1. Through cooperation with the Iowa City School District, Iowa Workforce Development, Kirkwood Community College, Iowa Works, and others, increase opportunities for marginalized populations and low- income individuals to obtain access to skills training and good jobs 2. Improve collaborative problem -solving with governmental entities in the region on topics of shared interest 3. Explore expanded use of a racial equity toolkit within City government, embedding it within city department and Council levels Other Tonics: 1. Joint meeting with the Telecommunications Commission 2. Review alternative revenue sources 3. Consider a plan for rubberized surfacing at park playgrounds and develop strategies to address equity gaps noted in the Parks Master Plan and plan for the equitable distribution of destination parks within an easy and safe distance of all residents. (Parks Commission to discuss first) 4. Review of RFC Form Based Code, including density bonus provisions and height allowances 5. Review of staff s growth boundary analysis (Johnson County Fringe Area Agreement Update) 6. Discuss the Development Review Process (Special Work Session on July 24th) 7. Discuss amending City Code to require staff and rezoning applicants of large-scale developments to consider the effects of the proposed projects on future carbon emissions and absorption capacity, and to take actions that will help achieve the City's carbon emission reduction goals Item Number: 4. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Email from Mayor with report: Route Fifty: Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair ATTACHMENTS: Description Email from Mayor with report: Route Fifty: Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair Kellie Fruehling From: James Throgmorton <jthrogmo@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 8:58 AM To: Kellie Fruehling Cr Geoff Fruin Subject: Route Fifty: Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says Kellie, Please place this email (and the report discussed in the link) in our next Info Packet along with the email I just sent you regarding the widening of I-80. Jim If federal leaders do work out a deal on a $2 trillion infrastructure spending package, advocacy groups say a lot of the money should go toward road repairs, rather than new highway construction. https: //protect-us.mimecast.com/s/hu2LCLgGymSVKLGIBUhBQ?domain=routefifty.com Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Roads Suffer When States Focus On Expansion Over Repair Report Says "MIIiIC' States Can't Be Sued In Other States' Courts, Supreme Court Rules The Best—And Worst—States To Live In Pensions Have Shifted Too State And Local To Riskier Investments. Priorities In 2019 Ratinas Agency Finds Connecting state and local government leaders Page 1 of 17 _- sPom Helping Non -Custodial Parents Move From Intent To Action SEARCH Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says Many states are overspending on expansion and underspending on repairs, a new report claims. ND7001SHUTTERSTOCK By Emma Coleman I MAY 14, 2019 04:59 PM ET ..................................... If federal leaders do work out a deal on a $2 trillion infrastructure spending package, advocacy groups say a lot of the money should go toward road repairs, rather than new highway construction. INFRASTRUCTURE STATE AND FEDERAL RELATIONS i Most Popular 1 Proposal in Oregon Would Allow Farmers to Sue GMO Patent Holders for Contamination 2 As Conaress Mulls Retirement Savings Shortfalls New State Programs Get Attention The shameful condition of roads across the country took center stage this3 Vermont Lawmakers Move to Establish 'Fundamental Riaht'to year during many state legislative debates. But a new report charges that Abortion state policymakers too often contributed to the ailing infrastructure, with 23 states in recent years spending more on road expansion than on needed repairs. Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for... X SIGN UP https://www.routefifty. comlinfrastructurel2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 2 of 17 "Lawmakers and officials like a good ribbon cutting at a new road, but repair is too often treated like flossing teeth: A tedious, sometimes painful extra step that's all too easily skipped. Except that it's critical and saves taxpayers cash and pain down the road," said Steve Ellis, executive vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, in a statement. The report, written by Ellis' group and Transportation for America, highlights the growing number of roads classified as in "poor condition," which increased from 14% of roads in 2009 to 20% in 2017, as a common policy challenge for states. The percentage of roads labeled "poor" grew in 37 states from 2009 to 2017. The report estimates that it would cost around $231 billion per year to keep existing roads in good condition while repairing all the "poor" roads. But that type of investment has an uncertain future, said Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America. "It's a lot of money and it's significantly more than we spend now. One of the additional challenges to getting that money is the reasonable public lack of confidence that it would be spent for that purpose," said Osborne. Sign up for Route Fifty Today Your daily read on state and local government 0 Enter your email Federal government policies also contribute to the focus on building over fixing. In 2015, government highway expenditure hovered around $105 billion, with only a portion of that money allocated to repairs. Osborne says that low spending on repairs is partially blamed on the structure of the federal highway program, which was designed to build new roads. "We've inherited a lot of policies that push us to build. We give DOTS a fraction of the money they need, and then say `do it all!' But in establishing everything as a priority, we have established nothing is a priority," she said. President Trump recently reached a tentative agreement with Democratic congressional leaders on a $2 trillion federal infrastructure package. He is expected to reconvene soon with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss funding options for the measure. Osborne says she'd like to see any new infrastructure package structure the highway program more like the transit program, which has flexible spending for basic maintenance. That way, if a state wants an investment from the federal government to build new roads, they have to prove that €liwyugrfenatflaitgmiagletiaer regpeihsibilities, like maintel.AinQdcfor... SIGN UP X https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty "As it stands, states can go into debt on projects that aren't particularly needed. And then we wonder why we have a backlog of poor roads that need to be fixed," she said. The report also makes note of a gap between urban and rural roads. Rural infrastructure has been a Trump administration priority, as a means to better connect rural residents to employment opportunities and vital services. But the report notes that many states spend comparably on road repairs in urban and rural areas, despite the fact that just 18% of rural roads are in poor condition while 37% percent of urban roads are. "Urban roads impact more people and see more wear and tear and therefore require more investment in upkeep—yet our spending priorities ignore this reality," the report states. i Don't Miss States Press Congress on Banking Access For Marijuana Businesses Finding History Alona the Highway Head Iniuries Common in Scooter Crashes Study Finds Helmets Not So Much A'Resilience' Plan That's About Much More Than Climate Change Interestingly, states that are largely rural are leading the country in the amount of their highway budget that they dedicate to repairs. South Dakota comes first, with 69% of its budget, followed by North Dakota with 68%. Steve Salwei, the director of transportation programs with the North Dakota Department of Transportation, said that maintaining current infrastructure is the department's top priority. "With limited resources available we need to make sure we are making the most economical improvements to our roadways in order to meet the long term needs of the Page 3 of 17 G Recommended For You As Congress Mulls Retirement Savings Shortfalls New State Programs Get Attention Proposal in Oregon Would Allow Farmers o Sue GMO Patent Holders for Contamination state. We have found that if you maintain your roadways on a regular States Can't Be Sued in Other States Co ris basis, it costs you a lot less money than having to reconstruct them," he Supreme Court Rules said. The outlook for those hoping more states will follow the Dakotas' lead is mixed. The gap between spending on expansion and spending on repair has improved in recent years, but many states are still vastly overspending on expansions that they will not be able to maintain over time, the report says. For example, states overall spent $21.3 billion on .road expansion annually between 2009 and 2014, while spending about $21.4 billion on repairs. And even states that did allocate more money to maintenance often didn't spend enough, the report says. Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for... As the Opioid Crisis Peaks Meth and Cocaine Deaths Explode X SIGN UP https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty The emphasis on growth means that in future years states will have even more roads to maintain, and likely not enough money. Every new mile of road costs about $24,000 per year to maintain, the report estimates. The two advocacy groups suggest a four -pronged course of action moving forward. The authors argue that the next transportation bill should set "measurable outcomes" and prioritize repairing roads in poor condition. Congress should also require that states spend highway funding on repairs before expanding their road systems, and create requirements around new roadway projects to ensure sponsors prove their ability to maintain them during long-term upkeep. Finally, they suggest that the Federal Highway Administration should have stronger public reporting standards for road performance targets. i Emma Coleman is the assistant editor for Route Fifty. Share This: 00000 NEXT STORY: 'Build More Housing' Is No Match for Inequality U Composting, Clean - Ups And Comprehensive Planninq To Combat Litter These States Are More Prepared For Public Health Emeroencies Page 4 of 17 �—�PpOTJS� R cowr -rte - rxv"r nlurlaalox r.aeu Group Reveals Planned The Sounds Of State Low -Income Improving Program Route For Coast -Tom Parks—On Spotify Communities In This Integrity By Optimizing Coast Bicycle And City Are More At Risk The Benefit Pedestrian Trail For Disasters Verification Process 'Build More Housing' Is No Match for Inequality AM Ili i �i Building more may not be the right answer for hGDsiry equaiit'y. PAVEL L Pii T G AND VIDEW Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email work for . VX SIGN UP https://www.routefifty. comlinfrastructurel2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 5 of 17 By Richard Florida, CityLab I MAY 10, 2019 A new analysis finds that liberalizing zoning rules and building more won't solve the urban affordability crisis, and could exacerbate it. HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE Build more. That's what a growing number of urbanists hail as the solution to the surging home prices and stark inequality of America's superstar cities and tech hubs. They want to relax regulations that limit the supply of housing in already expensive cities, and start building taller and denser. It's supply and demand at work, they argue. Prices—in this case, housing prices—rise when supply is limited. Add more supply, and housing prices fall, making housing more affordable for more people, spurring more and better economic growth in the process. A new paper by two leading economic geographers suggests this argument is simply too good to be true. Titled "Housing, Urban Growth and Inequalities" and forthcoming in the journal Urban Studies, it's written by Andres Rodriguez -Pose of the London School of Economics (LSE) and Michael Storper, who divides his time among the LSE, UCLA, and Sciences Po in Paris. According to Storper and Rodriguez -Pose, the notion that an insufficient supply of housing is a main cause of urban economic problems is based on a number of faulty premises. They say the effect of supply has been blown far out of proportion. Sign up for Route Fifty Today Your daily read on state and local government 10 Enter your email They agree that housing is part of the problem: "Housing market failures can imperil local economic growth and generate problems such as segregation, long commute times, deteriorating quality of life, homelessness, and barriers to social mobility for certain populations," they write. But housing policy, and zoning restrictions in particular, are certainly not the be-all and end-all of urban problems. Upzoning expensive cities is no match for the deep divides within—and especially between—cities, and is wholly insufficient to remedy them. "Housing is an area where the law of unintended consequences is most powerful," Storper recently told Planning Report. "The idea that upzoning will cause housing affordability to trickle down within our metropolis, while also setting up Los Angeles and San Francisco as the ne�nr vnlrlen land F ffJP1&yftCM!y,"VWous "ibns, is just a lot to promliWk h -d it's based 6 Most Popular 1 The Best—and Worst—States to Live In 2 States Can't Be Sued in Other States' Courts Supreme Court Rules 3 Vermont Lawmakers Move to Establish 'Fundamental Riaht'to Abortion SIGN UP X https://www.routefifty. comlinfrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 6 of 17 on a narrative of housing as opportunity'that is deeply flawed." And as Rodriguez -Pose told me via email: "Upzoning is far from the progressive policy tool it has been sold to be. It mainly leads to building high-end housing in desirable locations." Rodriguez -Pose and Storper question several pieces of evidence that stand at the heart of this market -urbanist view, a perspective they dub "housing as opportunity." Whereas some urban economists suggest a close relationship between housing supply and prices (with places that add supply having lower prices), Rodriguez -Pose and Storper find the relationship to be weak. Likewise, some market urbanists point to an association between city population size and/or density and economic growth. But Rodriguez -Pose and Storper argue that this too falls away under close scrutiny—the link between city population in 2000 and subsequent economic growth from 2000 to 2016 is weak to "non-existent," on their analysis. For Storper and Rodriguez -Pose, the rising spatial inequality between cities and metro areas stems from different kinds of economies that distinguish different kinds of cities, not from differences in housing costs. Or as they put it, "the basic motors of all these features of the economy are the current geography of employment, wages and skills." The economies and talent bases of cities have diverged over time. Expensive cities have much larger clusters of leading-edge tech and knowledge industries and of highly educated, skilled talent. It's this, rather than differences in housing prices, that is behind growing spatial inequality. "The affordability crisis within major urban areas is real," they write, "but it is due less to over -regulation of housing markets than to the underlying wage and income inequalities, and a sharp increase in the value of central locations within metro areas, as employment and amenities concentrate in these places." A key factor here is the growing divide between highly -paid techies and knowledge workers and much lower -paid people who work in routine service jobs. These service workers end up getting the short end of the stick, spending much more of their income on housing in expensive cities. "Under these circumstances moving to big cities provides no immediate benefits for workers without college education," Rodriguez -Pose and Storper write. Upzoning does little to change this fundamental imbalance. Because land in superstar cities and tech hubs is so expensive to begin with, upzoning tends to create even more expensive condominium towers. "While building more affordable housing in core agglomerations would accommodate more Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email i work for V SIGN UP https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 7 of 17 people," the authors note, "the collapse of the urban wage premium for less -educated workers means that the extra housing would mostly attract additional skilled workers." Solving the economic and geographic divisions of America and other advanced countries is a task that goes far beyond local housing policy. Opportunities for improved wages in core areas have stagnated, and the "ladder has shrunk." Therefore, the decline in interregional migration can be attributed to many factors, including the new geography of skills and wages. But housing restrictions in prosperous areas wouldn't top the list. And upzoning ends up fueling, not relieving, economic and spatial inequality. As Rodriguez -Pose told me: "Income inequality is greater within our cities than across our regions. Upzoning will only exacerbate this." Solving the economic and geographic divisions of America and other advanced countries is a task that goes far beyond local housing policy. "Planning deregulation and housing costs are neither going to solve the problem of areas lagging behind, nor are they likely to have an impact on the economic development of dynamic cities," Rodriguez -Pose and Storper write. Worse, they caution, "an excessive focus on these issues at the expense of serious and sustainable development strategies, can fuel economic, social and political distress and anger in declining and lagging areas that can threaten the very foundations on which economic activity, both in less developed and more prosperous areas, has been erected in recent decades." * Don't Miss States Press Congress on Banking Access For Marijuana Businesses Finding History Al no the Highway Head Iniuries Common in Scooter Crashes Study Finds. Helmets Not So Much A'Resilience' Plan That's About Much More Than Climate Change The two are not the only scholars to raise such concerns. Economist Tyler Cowen agrees that the ultimate beneficiaries from zoning and building deregulation are landlords and developers. As he puts it, "the gains from removing taxes/restrictions on building largely will be captured by landowners... More stuff will be built, urban output will expand, land still will be the scarce factor, and by the end of the process rents still will be high."And a recent study by Yonah Freemark found that upzoning in Chicago led to higher, not lower, housing prices, while having no discernible impact on local housing supply. When I tweeted Storper's comments in Planning Report, I found myself on the other end of a seemingly endless barrage of dismissive and derogatory responses. That makes little sense: The paper is an important cautionary tale. The authors are not sayinb that we 0—, rl not build •`b more hous�nrt Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for... v SIGN UP x https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 8 of 17 They are simply saying that doing so won't magically solve economic and spatial inequality, because both are deeply rooted in the very nature of the geographically clustered and concentrated knowledge economy. Richard Florida is a co-founder and editor at large of CityLab and a senior editor at The Atlantic. CityLab editorial fellow Nicole Javorsky contributed research and editorial assistance to this article. Share This: 00000 NEXT STORY: A Very Important Climate Fact That No One Knows U Av% SOAR SCC �T�NT ll All �r �-•,.ems, The Sounds Of State Low Income Risk Assessments Making City States Move To Crack Improving Parks—On Spotify Communities In This Used In Criminal Bureaucrac,�L Less Down On Fertility Fraud Integrity By Optimizing City Are More At Risk Justice Systems Too Bureaucratic With The Benefit For Disasters Often Clouded By Bias, Better Forms Verification Process Report Says A Very Important Climate Fact That No One Knows The blades of wind turbines catch the breeze at the Saddleback Ridge wind farm in Carthage, Maine. AP PHOTO/ROBERT F BUKATv By Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic I MAY 9, 2019 The U.S. actually has a very popular climate policy—it's on the books in 29 states. But what does it cost? CLIMATE CHANGE ENERGY in f Yooes ttl,e cour�trl�'s mQs �opalar climate policy actually vyork? X I n u or our al news et Ar: mal workfor... SIGN UP https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty A controversial new study suggests that a type of state policy—usually called a "renewable portfolio standard," or RPS—may impose large hidden costs on Americans. But a wide range of experts, including engineers, political theorists, and economists, aren't sure the paper can actually make its case. As Congress and the White House have failed to do much of anything about climate change, state standards have come to define U.S. climate law. Since 1991, 29 states and the District of Columbia have required that a portion of their electricity come from renewable sources. These RPS policies usually mandate that the state's power grid use a certain amount of wind and solar energy by a certain year. RPS standards look like climate policy that can actually win. Just look at Washington State. Last November, voters there overwhelmingly nixed a carbon -tax ballot proposal. But Governor Jay Inslee signed a 100 percent clean -power RPS into state law this Tuesday. "Among our carbon policies, probably the biggest one we have in the country are RPSes," Michael Greenstone, an economics professor and the director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, told me. Today, renewable standards already cover about half of the national power grid and about 18 percent of all U.S. emissions. Carbon pricing, meanwhile, only applies to about 9 percent of national emissions, he said. Sign up for Route Fifty Today Your daily read on state and local government 0 Enter your email Yet RPS policies have flourished without much sense of their cost. That's the question that the new study seeks to answer. The study, still in draft form and not yet peer-reviewed, finds that renewable standards tend to make electricity more expensive. Seven years after a state passes an RPS, the price of electricity rises by about 11 percent, and a standard unit of power—a kilowatt-hour—becomes about one cent more costly. Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for... Q Most Popular Page 9 of 17 1 The Best—and Worst—States to Live In 2 L.A.'s Future May Involve More Congestion Pricing and Free Transit Service 3 Pr000sal in Oregon Would Allow Farmers to Sue GMO Patent Holders for Contamination X SIGN UP https:/lwww.routefifty. comlinfrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 10 of 17 "There is a clear upward turn in prices once a state adopts an RPS, and it just kind of marches upwards as the standards get more stringent," said Greenstone, who co -wrote the paper with Ishan Nath, another economics researcher at the university. An RPS does lead to a moderate decline in carbon pollution, the study finds. But Greenstone and Nath argue that this reduction comes at a steep price. They say that, under an RPS, it costs at least $130 to prevent a ton of carbon pollution from entering the atmosphere. That's far more expensive than the $50 -per -ton carbon tax that Barack Obama's administration once calculated. The paper's title is, "Do Renewable Portfolio Standards Deliver?" Its answer seems to be no—or at least, no, when compared with a carbon tax. The study was first covered by Axios last month, and lawmakers have already cited it in debates about a state RPS. But the paper has become a flash point. In the days after its release, several experts have raised questions about the scope of its argument. I spoke with five outside researchers for this story, including two economists. All of them took some issue with the paper's purported scope: While the research was impressive, they said, it should not be taken as the last word about RPSes. Several of them also argued that the study confused too many different state laws, that it left out important benefits of an RPS, and that—above all—it couldn't actually answer the most relevant question about RPS policies. i Don't Miss States Press Congress on Banking Access For Marijuana Businesses Finding History Along the Highway Head Injuries Common in Scooter Crashes Study Finds Helmets Not So Much A'Resilience' Plan That's About Much More Than Climate Chance The authors freely admit to some of these difficulties in the paper. But some of the experts held that, even with those admissions, the paper could still be misused by enemies of all climate policy. The controversy points to some of the larger questions haunting the academic study of global warming: What do we really have to know to fight climate change? What can economics tell us about some of the toughest questions raised by the climate crisis? When the fate of the planet is at stake, should we care about saving every marginal dollar? i Recommended For You Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for... v SIGN UP https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 11 of 17 The big critiques of the new Chicago paper fall along three lines. First, some As Congress Mulls Retirement Savings Shortfalls, New State Programs Get Attention experts took issue with the aspects of RPS policies that the authors tried to measure. Second, some experts take issue with what the Proposal in Oregon would Allow Farmers to Sue GMO Patent Holders for Contamination paper didn't measure. Finally, most of the experts worried about what the States Can't Be Sued in Other States' Courts paper can't measure. Supreme Court Rules Leah Stokes, a political -science professor at UC Santa Barbara, is very much As the Opioid Crisis Peaks. Meth and Cocaine Deaths Explode in the first camp. She is writing a book about state standards, and the most important thing to know about them, she told me, is that it's very rare that state lawmakers actually passed an RPS by itself. Instead, states tended to adopt RPS policies as part of a package of bills about the power grid. Starting in the 1990s, as the wave of Reaganite deregulation overtook the electricity sector, environmentalists often succeeded in slipping a small RPS into an omnibus power bill. After passage, multiple provisions in the new law would all take effect at the same time. "These things were negotiated agreements," Stokes said. "They're not these beautiful stand-alone RPS bills." That negotiated history makes it harder to tease out the effect of any one RPS by itself. Plus, no two states passed exactly the same standard. The differences can be significant: By 2021, North Carolina needs its grid to be 12.5 percent renewables, while South Carolina only needs 2 percent renewables. States also defined "renewable power" in very different ways. Massachusetts and Ohio have long allowed nuclear power to count against their RPS mandates; other states generally have not. The Chicago study tries to control for some of these variables, accounting for national changes to electricity pricing and for other state power policies. "[The authors] do, to my mind, as solid an analysis as you can do," Ken Gillingham, a Yale energy economist who did not work on the paper, told me. "'They have the caveats that I would demand to feel comfortable." But ultimately, the answer that the paper finds—that RPS policies increase electricity prices while somewhat reducing carbon emissions—describes only the average effect of the 30 different statewide policies. "These things are extremely messy laws," Stokes told me. "If you go and talk to people in certain places about what was happening on the ground [when RPSes passed], you would discover that there's a lot of heterogeneity and complexity and politics happening. The model is not going to account for that very easily." Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email i work for... V SIGN UP X https://www.routefifty. comlinfrastructurel2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 12 of 17 "Yes, each of the RPS policies is like a snowflake," Greenstone said. "But when you wake up in the morning after a bunch of snowflakes have fallen, there's snow on the ground." RPS policies, he reminded me, are the most substantive U.S, climate policy on the books. "To the extent that we want to understand how we're doing with carbon, knowing the average effects across the 30 seems self-evidently informative," he said. But in addition, experts raised questions about what the paper didn't measure. Many RPS laws had several intended benefits. They may have aimed to help local solar or wind companies. They might also have reduced toxic air pollution, which can carry enormous public-health costs. "The title of the paper is, `Do Renewable Portfolio Standards DeliverT That's a pretty provocative title," Gillingham, the Yale economist, said. "They do a lot of work to answer that ... [but] I'm not sure they fully answer the question." Instead, the paper focuses on only one benefit: prevented carbon pollution. Yet even some of those methods can be controversial. The paper estimates the cost of carbon pollution by using a figure called the "social cost of carbon," which attempts to compute the damage wrought by greenhouse gases between now and 2100. The paper estimates that every ton of carbon deals $50 in cost to society. But some economists doubt the utility of that figure. "The empirical work on the social cost of carbon is better than nothing. It helps us to do things like say that the social cost of carbon is bigger than zero," Noah Kaufman, an energy economist at Columbia University, told me. But he doubted that the social cost of carbon represented a precise, meaningful, per -ton estimate of all the damage wrought by climate change. Without a social cost of carbon, it's impossible to say that an RPS costs more than its benefits. (That said, not every economist is as skeptical of the social cost of carbon as Kaufman.) For these reasons, the two economists said that the paper could not render a final judgment about the overall value of RPS policies. Yet it seems to do so, at one point saying directly: "It appears that the current costs of RPS programs exceed their benefits." "You can't really say that," Gillingham said. "It is not a cost -benefit analysis. It is a cost-effectiveness analysis." Such a sentence would probably be removed during the peer -review process, he said. Greenstone agreed. "That sounds like it needs to be edited," he said. Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email work for... v SIGN UP X https://www.routefifty. com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 13 of 17 And that points to a quirk of economics as a discipline. In the physical sciences, researchers do not discuss their work in public in any way until after a paper has been peer-reviewed and published. Scientists are free to share drafts with colleagues, or present early results at a conference, but they are essentially barred from talking about them on the record with journalists. But in economics, researchers discuss working papers with the press all the time. Blockbuster results regularly receive major coverage before they are peer-reviewed. This makes sense: Many economists study real-life policies, and they wish to get their conclusions in front of policy makers as quickly as possible. Economists have also told me that the peer -review process in their field is slower and more arduous than it is in other disciplines. Sometimes this working -paper approach can backfire: In 2010, two Harvard economists published anon -peer-reviewed paper that suggested high levels of public debt could depress a country's economy. The paper was immediately cited to help justify widespread and painful budget cuts in the European Union. But three years later, a 28 -year-old graduate student discovered that a coding error in an Excel spreadsheet had distorted the paper's results. The data did not justify the same policies. No one suspects the RPS paper of brimming with similar issues. And it's not like the peer -review process keeps mistakes in other fields from making it to print: A high-profile, peer-reviewed Nature paper was corrected after publication last year. "People's opinions about using working papers are like opinions about process crimes—if you're likely to dislike the paper's findings, you're likely to distort what the working paper means," said Kaufman, the Columbia economist. "I like the economics approach," he added. "It's like a societal peer review. Everyone digs into them, and within a few days we have a sense of what a lot of well-qualified experts think." With the new paper, a bunch of well-qualified experts agree on a final criticism—that the most important benefit of an RPS may be totally unmeasurable. Even the paper itself repeatedly mentions this shortfall. Here is the problem: Economics has no way of knowing whether RPS policies reduced the global price of renewable energy. But depending on who you ask, that was the entire point of RPS policies in the first place. Take Oregon, where Jesse Jenkins, an energy -systems engineer and a researcher at Harvard Kennedy School, helped pass an RPS law early in his career. State lawmakers never designed that policy solely to cut carbon pollution, he told me. Instead, they hoped to prompt cost -reducing innovation in the solar and wind industries. The standards "were designed X Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email i work for... v SIGN UP https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 14 of 17 to incubate and kick-start the nascent renewable energy industry—to take what was then called alternative energy and make it mainstream," Jenkins said. Even the most advanced statistical methods have a notoriously hard time of capturing this type of innovation, known as "learning by doing." They struggle to tease out the effects of any one policy on the global marketplace. As such, the paper doesn't measure them. It admits this flaw several times, even printing it in the abstract. "We say eight ways to Sunday in the paper that we do not, and are unable to, make progress on RPS's ability to drive down costs," Greenstone said. What we know is that—in the years that many RPS policies have been active—solar and wind costs have fallen. Over the past decade, both solar and wind energy have plunged in cost. Solar energy is now 38 times cheaper than it was in 2010; renewable energy is now cheaper than coal across much of the United States. Economists know that American state -level RPS laws, Germany's national solar policy, and cheap Chinese manufacturing all played a role in these incredible declines—but they have not distilled the exact relationship between all three of these. "I don't think we really have the tools right now to isolate the impact that one RPS in particular has had on the decline in costs of solar and wind in the last few decades," Kaufman said. "It's fair to say it matters, and it's certainly not the only thing that matters." Greenstone took a more agnostic approach to the question: "Just because you can name that that might happen doesn't mean that it is so. I don't know if [RPSes] do [reduce costs] or if they don't. I don't think you can run around and assert that those benefits are large." The question is what this lack of evidence means for the paper's overall approach. Can an RPS, which aims to spur innovation, be fairly compared to a carbon tax, which aims to cut carbon? "In a way, it's asking the wrong question if it's trying to compare a carbon tax directly to an RPS," Kaufman said. He believes that the policies work best together. "My sense is what you want is deployment policies like RPSes to help technologies along in their early stage of development, and then you want a policy like a carbon tax to more cost-effectively incentivize the low-cost mature technologies." Gillingham, the Yale economist, echoed that critique. "If the policy maker's goal is purely to reduce CO2 emissions at the short -run lowest cost—and I personally don't see why that should be the policy maker's goal—then this way of making the comparison makes sense," he said. "Otherwise, if it's a long -run problem that has innovation involved, you have to be careful making this comparison." Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for.., v SIGN UP X https://www.routefifty. com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 15 of 17 He added that he does trust the fundamental results. Greenstone and Nath's findings closely match those in a 2017 study from Louisiana State University. It too found that power costs rise after the passage of an RPS.`But that doesn't mean [RPSes] are a bad policy," Gillingham added. It means that they are not cost-free and have some hard -to -measure benefits. This distinction may be lost on some of the study's consumers. Days after the Chicago study was posted online, a Republican state lawmaker in Ohio cited it approvingly during a hearing on the local RPS policy. Republicans there are currently pushing to repeal the state renewable standard, replacing it with a bailout for two local nuclear plants. The lawmaker, State Representative Dick Stein, directed special attention to the RPS paper's title. The paper "talks about whether renewable portfolio standards deliver—do they deliver a value to the customers?" he said. "When I see the metric cost of a ton of carbon at $130, and we've been told in the past that was something in the neighborhood of $50 ... it seems like those two don't get together." "Many of the folks ... today testified to the fact these standards work, but at what cost?" he asked. "The question is, are these really ideal policies?" The paper would reply that no, RPSes are not ideal policies when compared to a carbon tax. But Stein was not advocating for a carbon tax; he was advocating for junking the RPS altogether. With or without the paper, it seems likely that GOP lawmakers in his state will soon ditch Ohio's renewable standards. That repeal could snap renewable standards' winning streak. Since 2016, four states have adopted 100 percent clean -energy standards. This success has pushed some observers and activists to change their mind about the policy. "I used to favor starting with a carbon tax or cap -and -trade program, because they seem to be the most efficient way to attack climate change. But they're not efficient if they never pass," wrote David Leonhardt of The New York Times this week. He now favors sector -by -sector standards, like those used in an RPS. Greenstone believes that this new approach is gravely mistaken. "I don't want to lose sight of the fact ... that the enemy is carbon," he told me. "Society should be trying to identify, ruthlessly and relentlessly, what are the least expensive ways to get rid of carbon?" Before the paper, he said, we didn't know the effects of the average RPS. Now we do. "Why is it that -28 years after the first RPS passed—we didn't have plausibly credible evidence Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email I work for... v SIGN UP X https://www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Page 16 of 17 on the effects of RPS policies on electricity prices and carbon emissions? How is that possible? And how were we better off not having answers to those questions?" "I just think the climate problem is so important that we should have the facts in front of us on the least expensive ways to do something," he said. "It's an iron law of economics—when things cost more, people buy less. So if we really want to make progress on the climate challenge, I'm confident we're going to do much more if we find cheaper ways to address it." None of the paper's critics would, I think, disagree with this assessment. "There are a lot of people out there who say, Forget about carbon taxes, and let'sfocus on policies that can pass, like RPSes. And they're just not substitutes," Kaufman said. Stokes called for open-mindedness: "I think we should all be open to the fact that these things are expensive," she said. And like every other expert I talked with, she was effusive in her praise of Greenstone, calling him one of the top energy economists on the planet. "He's a good guy, working in really good faith," she said. "I don't think he's trying to game a certain answer." So the dispute over the paper seems to raise a more philosophical question. In recent U.S. history, the political capital for climate policy has been a far scarcer resource than monetary capital. Once a new climate -friendly program passes, it tends to get funding, even from a GOP -controlled Congress. The passing, it seems, is the hard part, because massive political force will always be arrayed on the side of doing nothing about climate change at all. Given that situation, how should researchers talk in public about second- best policies, like an RPS? How should they discuss results when a field's best methods can't answer one of the most urgent questions about a given policy? There is no guidebook here, and no all-purpose answers. Almost a decade ago, Greenstone was an economist in the Obama administration. He watched as the Senate voted down the Waxman -Markey climate bill, the last credible attempt to put a price on carbon in the United States. "What I took away from that is that the politics are hard, period," he said. And the politics will be hard no matter the strategy: Three years before the Obama bill fell, Congress voted down a national RPS. "In the face of politics being hard in all of its forms ... I don't get the case for focusing on more costly approaches to carbon," he said. "I'm clear-eyed about my role here in all of this. Policy makers make policy. Economists do not make policy. What would be nice is if facts had a seat at the table with policy makers." i B'4�I(1S19pMANe61alsdty((y'`Y1ILl4&fantio, fpqgjhe covers climate change and technojoeMjrk for... v SIGN UP X https: //www.routefifty.com/infrastructure/2419/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Roads Suffer When States Focus on Expansion Over Repair, Report Says - Route Fifty Share This: 00009 NEXT STORY: The Technology That Could Transform Congestion Pricing U Page 17 of 17 - �� f `rte ��" Ws. COMNa EENT- �wmrnnrrluwxrroes The Sounds Of State Low -Income Parks—On S oo tifv Communities In This City Are More At Risk For Disasters Sign up for our daily newsletter: Email Risk Assessments Makina City States Move To Crack Imoro- Program Used In Criminal Bureaucracy Less Down On Fertility Fraud Integrity By Optimizing Justice Systems Too Bureaucratic With The Benefit Often Clouded By Bias Better Forms Verification Process Report Says I work for... X V SIGN UP https://www.routef fty.comlinfrastructure%2019/05/roads-suffer-when-states-focus-expansi... 5/15/2019 Item Number: 5. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Email from Mayor: Public Information Meeting, June 5 -1-80 update ATTACHMENTS: Description Email from Mayor: Public Information Meeting, June 5 -1-80 update Kellie Fruehlin From: Jim Throgmorton Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 8:54 AM To: Kellie Fruehling Cc: Geoff Fruin Subject: FW: Public Notice- IM -NHS -080-7(114)248--03-52 Public Information Meeting Kellie, Please place this notice in our next Info Packet. Mayor Jim Throgmorton Iowa City City Council, At -Large From: Iowa DOT [do-not-reply@mail.iowadotpi.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 7:58 AM Subject: Public Notice- IM -NHS -080-7(114)248--03-52 Public Information Meeting Ref: Johnson/Cedar Project: IM-NHS-o8o-7(114) 258--03-52 You are invited to attend a public information meeting on June 5, 2019, between 5 and 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, 113 N. 1st Street, in West Branch. The proposed improvements and right of way needs for Interstate 80 from east of Iowa City in Johnson County, approximately 1.5 miles west of Herbert Hoover Highway, to east of West Branch at Charles Avenue in Cedar County will be displayed and discussed. The proposed improvements include widening Interstate 8o from four to six lanes and reconstructing the interchange at Herbert Hoover Highway. Local road overpasses will be rebuilt to accommodate the additional lanes on I-80. The bridges will be closed to traffic during construction. This public information meeting will be conducted utilizing an open forum format. Iowa DOT staff will be present to discuss the project informally. Interested individuals are encouraged to attend to express their views and ask questions about the proposed project. More information is available on the Iowa DOT's website, which is periodically updated as new information becomes available: www.iowadot.gov/pim<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/4Xg1CyPzgWHKZ6RuZY6pR?domain=iowadot.gov>. Comments and questions concerning the proposed project should be received by June 19, 2019 and can be submitted online at www.bit.ly/iowadot8212622 <https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/zXOoCzpAjgtE68ATX8TYV?domain=bit.ly> or sent to: Catherine Cutler, Transportation Planner Iowa DOT District 6 Office 5455 Kirkwood Blvd. SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 Phone: 319-364-0235 Or 800-866-4368 Email: catherine.cutler@iowadot.us The meeting room is accessible for persons with disabilities. However, if you require special accommodations at the meeting, please notify me upon receipt of this letter. Item Number: 6. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Email from Council member Cole: City of Iowa City Climate Emergency Resolution draft ATTACHMENTS: Description Email from Council member Cole: City of Iowa City Climate Emergency Resolution draft Kellie Fruehlin From: Rockne Cole <rocknecole@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2019 9:01 AM To: Kellie Fruehling; Mazahir Salih Attachments: City of Iowa City Climate Emergency .docx; Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen fo... ans for climate change — and humanity.pdf Kellie, Please place in Councilor Salih and I would like to discuss this for work session topic. Rockne Rockne Cole Attorney at Law Cole Law Firm, PC 209 E. Washington St., Suite 304 Iowa City, IA 52240 (319)519-2540 (319)359-4009 FAX E-mail is not a secure mode of communication and may be accessed by unauthorized persons. This communication originates from the law firm of Rockne Cole, Attorney at Law, and is protected under the Electronic Communication Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §2510-2521. Such communication may be confidential and/or privileged and is intended only for the party to whom addressed. It is prohibited for anyone else to disclose, copy, distribute or use the contents of this communication. Personal messages express views solely of the sender and shall not be attributed to the law firm. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or by telephone at (319)519- 2540. City of Iowa City Climate Emergency Resolution draft Whereas the City of Iowa City, founded in 1839 as a laboratory of democracy on the banks of the Iowa River, has endured extreme weather, and record flooding in recent years; Whereas humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world, as global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre -industrial levels, and atmospheric CO2 levels are above 410 parts per million (ppm), far exceeding 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity; Whereas all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown, and local governments that recognize this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies; Whereas the IPCC's Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, published in October 2018, describes the enormous harm that a 2 degrees Celsius rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5 degrees Celsius, and calls for a cut in CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050 as an imperative to reduce the chance of runaway climate breakdown; Whereas our current Climate Action Plans of cutting CO2 emissions by 26% by 2025 and 80% by 2050 are not enough, require stronger accountability, mandates and ordinances, and local councils around the world are responding by declaring a `Climate Emergency' and committing resources to address this emergency; The City Council of Iowa City agrees to: 1) Declare a climate emergency; 2) Pledge to revamp and update our 2018 Climate Action Plan and do whatever is within our powers to reach IPCC standards for reductions in CO2 levels by 2030; 3) Hire a new Climate Plan Action coordinator empowered with the adequate staff time, resources and binding measures to undertake the necessary actions and to promote community, public, business and other partnerships in building design, renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, zero waste, local food and farming, biodiversity and soil carbon sequestration, and green enterprise initiatives mandated in an updated Climate Action Plan to achieve the target of zero carbon emissions by 2050. 5/16/2019 Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen for 3 million years. Here's what that means for climate change — and humanity. ENVIRONMENT Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen for 3 million years. Here's what that means for climate change — and humanity. Scientists are sounding the alarm over the potential for catastrophic changes to our environment Smoke billows from smokestacks and a coal fired generator at a steel factory in the industrial province of Hebei, China on Nov. 19, 2015. Kevin Frayer / Getty Images file May 14, 2019, 3:39 AM CDT By Denise Chow In the latest bit of bad news for a planet beset by climate change, the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has climbed to a level last seen more than 3 million years ago before humans even appeared on the rocky ball we call home. On Saturday, sensors at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii indicated that concentrations of the greenhouse gas — a byproduct of the burning of fossil fuels — had reached 415 parts per million https:l www.nbcnews.comlmachlscience/carbon-dioxide-hits-level-not-seen-3-million-years-here-ncna1005231 114 5/16/2019 Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen for 3 million years. Here's what that means for climate change — and humanity. (ppm), meaning that for every 1 million molecules of gas in the atmosphere, 415 were of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide traps heat from the sun, and higher levels are associated with higher global temperatures and other effects of climate change, such as rising seas and unusual weather patterns. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen an average of 2.5 ppm per year over the past decade, Leaching 400 Rpm in 2013 — and the level appears likely to go higher from here. Download the NBC News app for breaking news "We're racing toward a state very different from the kind humans evolved in and that civilization developed in," said Ralph Keeling, a geochemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. The last time levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide were this high came during the Pliocene Epoch, which extended from about 5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago. During that period, average sea levels were about 50 feet higher than they are today and forests grew as far north as the Arctic, said Rob Jackson, a professor of earth system science at Stanford University. "Earth was a very different place;' he said. "You would hardly recognize the land surface, and my gosh, we don't want to go there:' But there is evidence to suggest the planet is headed in that direction. If the current trajectory continues, levels of CO2 could hit 500 ppm within 30 years, a number that could mean an increase in global temperatures of at least 2 degrees Celsius (about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). "At the present pace, we could reach that well within a lot of people's lifetimes," Keeling said of the grim milestone ahead. https://www.nbcnews.com/machlscience/carbon-dioxide-hits-level-not-seen-3-million-years-here-nenal005231 2/4 5116/2019 Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen for 3 million years. Here's what that means for climate change — and humanity. QUICK VOTE • 21 624 VOTES Do you think we'll be able stop global warming before it's too late? 0 Drag the icon to vote! M?% Yes, there's still plenty of time to make the necessary changes. No, I'm afraid we lack the will to do what's needed to protect the planet. MACH Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are commonly represented on a graph known as the Keeling Curve, named for Keeling's father, Charles David Keeling, who began taking daily measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide in 1958 from atop the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The curve shows a steep climb, owing to human -caused climate change. As the planet inches toward 500 ppm, scientists are sounding the alarm over the potential for catastrophic changes to our environment. "None of these specific numbers are really thresholds in the sense that anything particular happens when we cross them," Gavin Schmidt, a climatologist who directs NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, told NBC News MACH in an email. "But as we go through them, we are putting our foot on the accelerator of climate change, and impacts and damage will continue to rise:' But it's hard to say exactly what these changes will bring, or when. Some things, like the loss of vegetation and sea -ice coverage, will grow increasingly visible in the short term. Other things, like the melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, occur more slowly. `But these impacts are going to persist for a very long time," said Dana Royer, a professor of earth and environmental sciences at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. "Once that happens, we can't really reverse it." https:llwww.nbcnews.com/machlscience/carbon-dioxide-hits-level-not-seen-3-million-years-here-ncna1005231 3/4 5/16/2019 Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen for 3 million years. Here's what that means for climate change — and humanity. Even if moving to renewable energy and other measures help stanch the steady flow of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, our descendants will likely be saddled with the negative consequences of our artificially elevated levels of CO2. "We're not going to see the full consequences of 415 parts per million of carbon dioxide today," Jackson said. "It'll take a thousand years of people — 30 generations of people — to pay the price of what we're doing today." Want more stories about the environment? • 1 million species under threat of extinction because of humans, new report finds • Your clothes are secretly _1po luting the environment. Here's why_ynu should be concerned. • This floating city concept is one way to cope with climate change SIGN UP FOR THE MACH NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW NBC NEWS MACH ON TWITTER. FACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM. Denise Chow Denise Chow is a reporter and editor at NBC News MACH. ABOUT CONTACT CAREERS PRIVACY POLICY 0 2019 NBC UNIVERSAL TERMS OF SERVICE NBCNEWS.COM SITE MAP ADVERTISE ADCHOICES https:ltwww.nbonews.com/mach/science/carbon-dioxide-hits-level-not-seen-3-million-years-here-ncnal005231 4/4 Item Number: 7. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Memo from City Manager: Policy on Vendor Wages [Previously distributed in 5/2 Info Packet, I P4] ATTACHMENTS: Description Memo from City Manager: Policy on Vendor Wages [Previously distributed in 5/2 1 nfo Packet, I P4] I r 1 ­a-W,.�. -4 CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: May 2, 2019 To: Mayor and City Council From: Geoff Fruin, City Manager Re: Policy on Vendor Wages The City's Strategic Plan calls for the City Council to "consider a policy to limit city business to vendors that pay all employees a wage of $10.10 or higher". This memo intends to provide basic information that will help the Council with your initial policy deliberation. Johnson County Minimum Wage In September of 2015, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance establishing a local minimum wage. The initial wage was set at $10.10 and took effect November 1, 2015. In March of 2017, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed into law HF 295, which pre- empted the ability of local governments to pass or enforce minimum wage laws. Thus, the Johnson County minimum wage became void and unenforceable. Johnson County continues to annually update and publish an advisory minimum wage. By doing so they hope local businesses will voluntarily increase wages of their employees. The Board of Supervisors uses the Consumer Price Index (Midwest Region) to annually adjust the advisory minimum wage. The advisory wage is currently $10.27 per hour and will increase to $10.40 per hour on July 1, 2019. City of Iowa City Vendor Statistics In the 2018 calendar year, the City of Iowa City paid over 44,000 invoices to over 3,000 unique vendors. Of the over 3,000 vendors, slightly more than 1,800 have an address in the State of Iowa. Approximately 800 of the 1,800 Iowa vendors have an Iowa City address. It is important to note that many vendors have regular payment activity, such as those vendors we use for processing health insurance claims or financial institutions that receive our debt service payments. Other vendors may receive infrequent or one-time payments based on irregular city needs or one-time issuances of payments. Policy Considerations Here are several considerations for the City Council as you discuss this issue: There is currently no publicly available business registry that includes wage information of private employees. The City would presumably have to require this information from all current and prospective vendors. This would typically be done through a sworn statement during a bidding or proposal process. If such verification was extended to lower levels of the purchasing spectrum it could be quite time consuming and slow down what are typically viewed as routine purchases. May 2, 2019 Page 2 • If a policy is pursued, the City will need to determine if we want to track the Johnson County advisory minimum wage or establish a different hourly rate and update procedure. • It is important to note that the City has a significant number of out-of-state vendors. Those vendors are subject to different minimum wage laws in their home cities or state. This may create a challenge when it comes to educating potential vendors of Iowa City's higher wage standards or may give out-of-state vendors already meeting higher wage laws a preference over local vendors that may not meet such wage requirements. The City will need to consider how to address such situations. • Once the rate is established and upon each update, it should be expected that the City's vendor pool will shrink. This will likely lead to some instances of fewer bidders and potentially a higher overall cost of goods and services. Exceptions may need to be created for cases when no vendors that meet the policy respond to the City or when a smaller vendor pool is creating significantly inflated prices for the public. • The Council may determine it is best to limit which types of expenses would fall under such a policy. The City cannot make this a requirement for public improvement projects, as defined by state law. Other types of expenditures may need to be analyzed to ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Options Here are few options that the City Council can consider for this initial discussion: • Do not pursue any vendor policies, rather join Johnson County in promoting the advisory minimum wage and encouraging local businesses to comply voluntarily. • Survey existing vendors about their existing wages for employees. Use the information to better determine whether a policy would be appropriate and if so, the appropriate parameters. • Instead of pursuing a requirement for vendors to comply, direct staff to investigate a preference policy that gives a competitive advantage for vendors that meet the desired wage levels. This would be similar to our existing local preference policy that attempts to give Johnson County businesses a competitive advantage over non -local vendors with some categories of purchases. • Pursue a limited vendor wage requirement based on the type of expenditure (e.g. food services for public events). This would require staff to create some type of local vendor registry or verification process prior to purchase. • Direct staff to pursue a comprehensive policy, which will require more in-depth research and analysis to fully understand all of the implications. In recent years, the State of Iowa has taken steps to restrict cities' abilities to set minimum wages and require them on public improvement projects. The City Council will need to consider the likelihood that the State will take similar action to restrict our ability to enact wage requirements for vendors wishing to do business with the City. Staff is happy to gather more information as needed for future discussions. Otherwise, we will wait your direction prior to moving forward on this topic. Item Number: 8. CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Strategic Plan Action Item - Review of Private Housing Investment Programs ATTACHMENTS: Description Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Strategic Plan Action Item - Review of Private Housing Investment Programs Ib -.®4� #! gym; CITY OF IOWA CITY Date: May 9, 2019 CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Tracy Hightshoe, Neighborhood and Development Services Director Re: Strategic Plan Action Item: Review of Private Housing Investment Programs Introduction: The 2018-19 City of Iowa City Strategic Plan includes goals of encouraging a vibrant and walkable urban core, fostering healthy neighborhoods throughout the community, promoting environmental sustainability and advancing social justice and racial equity. A common thread between these distinct goals is the need for safe, decent and affordable housing opportunities that are accessible to all. Recognizing the importance of housing in the community, the Strategic Plan specifically spells out the following two related action items: 1. Evaluate existing strategies and consider additional actions to address the need for reinvestment in the city's existing private housing stock. 2. Modify the existing Affordable Housing Action Plan to include new strategies to improve the availability and affordability of housing in Iowa City This memo covers the first of the two action items, which focuses on existing programs that invest in the private housing stock of Iowa City. Iowa City has several existing programs that invests in privately owned residential properties. Each of these programs have slightly different objectives and/or funding sources. For example, some programs are primarily aimed at preserving our existing affordable housing stock while others focus on neighborhood stabilization or encouraging reinvestment in properties with historic value. In analyzing these existing programs, we first looked at a wide -variety of neighborhood level data. This information helped us assess where housing assistance may be needed the most. We then reviewed each individual program to ensure the investments were properly targeted and that the programs were properly tailored to meet as many of the City Council's existing strategic plan goals as possible. The second strategic plan action item related to our Affordable Action Housing Plan will be presented in a separate memo later this spring. Neighborhood Analysis: The City's housing programs are primarily restricted to those households who qualify based on income. In the early 2000s the City completed an intensive "windshield survey" of over 8,000 homes to ascertain the general housing conditions in neighborhoods that have a higher number of low to moderate income (LMI) households based on census tract data. The City developed rehabilitation programs targeted to neighborhoods based on a compilation of various factors such as a higher number of LMI households, the number of homes built before 1940, level of homeownership and the condition of homes. As implemented today, many of the City's rehabilitation programs are eligible to any household in the City who are income qualified. For homes located in our "targeted neighborhoods" the income qualified homeowner is also eligible for a 50% grant on total project expenses under the CDBG and HOME program. The purpose of the targeted neighborhoods it to maintain and reinvest in older housing stock in neighborhoods with a higher number of LMI households. May 9, 2019 Page 2 The City will reevaluate our targeted neighborhoods when completing the 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan for Housing, Jobs and Services (a.k.a. CITY STEPS) this fall. Our rehabilitation programs will remain focused primarily on single-family dwellings due to the expense of lead requirements in common areas of multi -family buildings. The targeted rehabilitation map is included under the CDBG/HOME Owner -Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Programs reference page. Program Overview: The City currently offers six distinct programs that invest in private housing. Below is a brief description of each of those programs: 1. CDBG/HOME Owner -Occupied Housing: This program uses federal dollars to provide zero -interest loans and/or grants to homeowners to aid in making repairs to their homes. Eligible homeowners must have incomes below 80% AMI and must also have enough equity in the home to secure the loan. Half of the project cost is forgiven in targeted neighborhoods. The program's primary objective is to maintain our older housing stock so that it can remain, safe, decent and affordable for current and future owners. The repayments are affordable to the homeowner. If the homeowner is paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs, the City provides a deferred payment loan and the loan is repaid when the home is either sold or is no longer the homeowner's primary residence. 2. General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (GRIP): The program provides 20 -year low interest loans to homeowners with incomes up to 110% of area median income for repairs or improvements. Projects can range from $10,000 to $40,000. 3. UniverCity Program: The program creates homeownership opportunities in neighborhoods near the downtown and University of Iowa campus to ensure these neighborhoods remain vital, safe, attractive places to live and work for both renters and homeowners. The City partners with local lenders to acquire the homes and then uses general fund dollars to complete renovations. Renovations have ranged from $30,000 to $60,000. The City sells the home to a homebuyer under 140% of median income at the original purchase price, plus all carrying costs. The renovations costs, up to $60,000, are forgiven. A deed restriction is placed on all homes to ensure they remain owner -occupied for 30 years. 4. South District Homeownership Program: The purpose of the program is to reinvest in older neighborhoods in the South District and create affordable homeownership opportunities. The City plans to purchase two duplexes to renovate and sell as affordable homeownership to four income qualified homebuyers. Buyers must be under 80% of median income to qualify for these homes. The City will provide up to $60,000 per home in rehabilitation or downpayment assistance. 5. Healthy Homes Program: The program provides up to $7,500 in rehabilitation assistance for those improvements that improve indoor air quality for income qualified households with a child with asthma. The City partners with the College of Nursing and the Free Medical Clinic to provide in May 9, 2019 Page 3 home asthma education and to make appropriate referrals to services, such as smoking cessation programs, or products such as mattress encasements, as needed. 6. Historic Preservation Grant Program: The Historic Preservation Fund Program is designed to provide owners of historic properties with financial assistance for the rehabilitation and preservation of the exterior architectural features of their property. The program assists with up to $5,000 in grants or loans for eligible projects. A more detailed overview of each program along with map showing investment locations over the last three years is included as an attachment to this memo. Summary of Recommended Program Changes: It should be noted that staff regularly assesses and modifies programs as the need to do so becomes apparent. With each budget year, we also recommend changes in funding amounts for individual programs based on staff workloads, City Council priorities, numbers of pending program applications or acquisition opportunities, and the perceived needs in the neighborhoods that we aim to serve. A recent example of staff modifying programs occurred shortly after the Council adopted its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Beginning this January, staff partnered with Green Iowa AmeriCorps (GIA) to complete home energy audits on all owner -occupied rehabilitation projects funded under the CDBG/HOME, GRIP and South District programs. The goal of this partnership is to improve the energy efficiency of these homes as well as decreasing recurring utility costs for low-income program beneficiaries. The cost of the audit and any improvements completed by GIA are done at no cost to the household. Following staffs recent comprehensive review of neighborhood level data and program information, the following changes are being recommended for the City Council's consideration: 1. CDBG/HOME Owner -Occupied Housing: • Expand eligible properties to include those single-family properties that are owned as rentals and located in targeted neighborhoods (HOME Funds only). Owners of these single-family properties would have to already be renting to a household that is 60% or below AMI and would have to agree to forgo or limit future rent increases in accordance with HOME regulations in exchange for the zero -interest loan or grant if within a targeted neighborhood. The focus of the program will be on single family housing due to the expense of lead requirements on common areas in multi- family properties. Maintaining our stock of naturally affordable rental units in a safe and decent condition will help us reach a part of our market that existing programs do not cover. • For the CDBG owner -occupied funds, staff recommends a more aggressive marketing campaign aimed at accessibility and safety improvements that will allow occupants to age in place. As our population ages, the City should be taking steps to ensure that people can age in place as long as possible. This program can help low-income residents maintain affordable housing longer through simple, yet necessary accessibility and safety improvements. • The City will allow tree planting and storm water improvements in landscaping as allowed under the CDBG and HOME programs as they relate to our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. May 9, 2019 Page 4 2. General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (GRIP): GRIP provides rehabilitation loans at below market interest rates that facilitate reinvestments by households that fall just outside federal income standards or who wish to do projects that are not federally eligible. While no significant changes are being recommended, staff recommends expanding eligible projects to emphasize solar, tree planting and landscape improvements that address storm water quality and/or quantity as they relate to our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. 3. UniverCity Program: The program was recently changed by increasing the rehabilitation funds per home to $60,000 and expanding eligible properties to duplex units. Staff does not recommend further changes, but recommends that for the foreseeable future the City only aim for one project per year. The availability of homes in our desired price range is becoming limited and the regulatory environment around rental units has been in flux for the last several years. Keeping one home will allow us to be opportunistic if a key property becomes available but allow our staff to focus more time in other targeted neighborhoods. 4. South District Homeownership Program: The program was created this year with a very limited geographic scope and narrow project parameters (e.g. duplexes, tenant ownership opportunities). If the first year is successful, staff would like to expand the geographic reach of the program to include all targeted neighborhoods. Further conversations with the City Council are needed to refine the program regulations governing existing tenants. 5. Healthy Homes Program: This program was started in FY18 as part of the City's Invest Health initiative. It brings together partners from the medical community and aims to enhance housing for low-income residents in ways that also improve health outcomes. Currently, staff is relying on funds from the Johnson County Housing Trust Fund (which in large part originate from the City). Instead of requiring staff to apply externally for funds, we recommend that the funds are set aside through the City's Affordable Housing Fund. This would save time for both the City and Trust Fund, provide additional program flexibility, and not result in fewer funds going to the Trust Fund. 6. Historic Preservation Grant Program: Due to the newness of this program and the high level of initial interest it has garnered, staff is not recommending any changes. We will continue to monitor this program and work with the Historic Preservation Commission on any future changes that may be needed. Additional information on each program, along with a table summary of the recommend changes follows this memo. We look forward to discussing these changes with the City Council at a future work session. CDBG/HOME OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAMS Current Program Description CDBG and HOME rehabilitation programs provide zero -interest loans and/or grants to homeowners to aid in making repairs to their homes. Eligible homeowners must have incomes below 80% of median income. Projects can range from $1,000 to $24,999. The home must be single-family, duplex or a mobile home and there must be enough equity in the home to secure the loan. Effective 6/1/2018 HH Size 80% AMI 1 $48,750 2 $55,700 3 $62,650 4 1 $69,600 The program was developed to be affordable to low -moderate income (LMI) homeowners. If the homeowner is already paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs, the City provides a deferred payment loan for the eligible project costs and the loan is repaid when the home is either sold or is no longer the homeowner's primary residence. For households within our Targeted Neighborhoods identified below, half the total project costs are forgiven after five years. Targeted Neighborhoods Map CD Q I IP».h Rd z si i 8 kbine Golf Course 91 The University T of Iowa Iowa J AvQ FSS' @ruse-, E� University Heights knnv, T-0 R;vd Terry -11 ruebl od Recreation Area ;n Hickory Hill Park �y a` HIm GeraH iMxP The targeted areas were developed to maintain the local base of affordable housing and to reinvest in our older neighborhoods. The City targeted these neighborhoods based on a variety of factors including: age of housing stock (pre 1940 homes), number of LMI households, condition of homes, and d Gpp _ '.f Y el 4W,� iw d citye Municipal Airport Y. knnv, T-0 R;vd Terry -11 ruebl od Recreation Area ;n Hickory Hill Park �y a` HIm GeraH iMxP The targeted areas were developed to maintain the local base of affordable housing and to reinvest in our older neighborhoods. The City targeted these neighborhoods based on a variety of factors including: age of housing stock (pre 1940 homes), number of LMI households, condition of homes, and level of homeownership. The City will be reevaluating these neighborhoods when the City completes the Consolidated Plan (a.k.a CITY STEPS Plan 2021-2025) this fall. As of January 2019, all applicants approved for a project must complete an energy audit through the Iowa Green AmeriCorps program. The audit is free to the homeowner and includes weatherization if needed. This effort supports our sustainability efforts to maintain the City's older housing stock as efficiently as possible. Through the CDBG and HOME Owner -Occupied Housing Programs the City offers the following: Comprehensive rehabilitation - Allows for the rehabilitation of a structure in order to meet housing quality standards of the Iowa City Housing Code. Eligible costs can include all those associated with major interior and exterior systems including furnaces, water, heater, fixed electrical equipment, sanitary fixtures, flooring, roofs, siding, windows, etc. The maximum available per project is $24,999. Emergency repair assistance - Provides assistance for the correction of major violations of housing code standards which make the structure uninhabitable or unsafe. Maximum available funds per project is $10,000. Exterior repair - Covers the cost of any exterior repair to the main structure including roof and gutter repair, siding, paint, foundation repair, windows, etc. Maximum available funds per project is $15,000. Residential accessibility - Includes improvements to make a property accessible for homeowners with a disability to enable them to live independently in the home. Eligible costs may include ramps, doorway widening, grab bars, raised toilets, etc. Maximum available funds per project is $16,000. Manufactured home repair - Applies only to repairs of items affecting home safety, such as doors, furnaces, water heaters, plumbing, electrical and steps. Maximum available funds per project is $5,000. Energy efficiency - The Energy Efficiency Program runs Sept. 1 to March 1 each year based on funding availability. Eligible costs are limited to costs associated with the purchase of a high -efficiency furnace, the conversion or modification of heating or furnace systems, as well as costs for insulation. Maximum available funds per project is $6,000. Program Goals CDBG and HOME funds provide needed funds to maintain the City's existing affordable housing stock. Rehabilitation of existing homes is a relatively low-cost way to keep people in safe, decent homes and is an important component in maintaining healthy, vibrant neighborhoods. Many of the City's neighborhood district plans cite preservation and reinvestment in older neighborhoods to assure their stability and livability. Many of these neighborhoods have higher concentrations of low -to -moderate income homeowners who benefit from programs that assist with maintaining and improving their homes. The program contributes to the Council's Strategic Plan goals of fostering healthy neighborhoods and advancing racial and social equity. Staff Administration Staff administration includes application intake, income verification, home inspection, written work plans, obtaining contractor bids, monitoring construction projects and loan administration for approximately 20-30 projects per year. This program is staff intensive due to the various federal requirements such as lead mitigation, procurement and relocation. Proposed Changes Staff proposes expanding the $90,000 Council set-aside for the HOME owner -occupied rehabilitation program to also include rental properties in our targeted rehabilitation areas. Single family, duplexes and mobiles homes rented in these neighborhoods would also be eligible for the same grant/loan terms as owner -occupants. By expanding the number of properties eligible to receive program benefits, it will encourage more investment in our older neighborhoods and contributes to our neighborhood stabilization efforts. In exchange for rehabilitation assistance, the landlord must commit to renting to households under 60% of median income and limiting rent increases during the period of affordability. Under no circumstance can rent exceed the HOME Fair Market Rent minus the tenant paid utility allowance. The period of affordability is based on the amount of assistance provided. For project costs up to $15,000 per unit, the period of affordability is five years. For projects costs up to $24,999 the period of affordability is 10 years. In our CDBG owner -occupied housing program, we provide residential accessibility assistance to income eligible households. Staff plans to increase marketing efforts to income eligible seniors and persons needing accessibility improvements to support those who wish to age in place. In 2010, 14.9% of Iowa's population was age 65 or older. It is predicted that by 2030, 22.5% of the State's population will be age 65 or older (US Census Bureau, Population Projections, 2005). Improvements in our housing stock that help people age in place is important due to our changing demographic. Aging in place costs less than nursing home or assisting living facilities, it is often more comfortable to the resident, and it allows people to live independently longer within their existing social networks. Staff recommends expanding eligible projects to include tree planting and landscape improvements that address storm water quality and/or quantity as they relate to our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, as eligible under the CDBG program. GENERAL REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (GRIP) Program Description GRIP provides low-interest loans to homeowners with incomes up to 110% AMI for home repairs or improvements. Projects can range from $10,000 to $40,000. Loans are secured through the City at a competitive interest rate of 2.75%, payable over 20 years. The home must be owner -occupied and there must be enough equity in the home to secure the loan. The City places a mortgage on the property until the loan is repaid. As these funds are entirely loans, there is no period affordability. Effective 6/1/2018 HH Size 110% AMI 1 $66,990 2 $76,560 3 $86,130 4 $95,700 GRIP is a useful source of funds for homeowners who want to make improvements but are not eligible for federal funds such as finishing basements, adding additions, or building garages. Examples of recent projects include exterior repairs, kitchen and bathroom remodels, and solar installations. Under GRIP, homeowners who are slightly above the federal income limitations (80% median income) are eligible thereby expanding the number of households who can utilize our programs. Program Goals Supported by the General Fund, GRIP is an integral part to the City's efforts to maintain and rehabilitate our owner -occupied housing stock. As with the City's CDBG/HOME rehabilitation programs, the rehabilitation of existing homes is a relatively low-cost way to keep people in safe, decent homes and is an important component in maintaining healthy, vibrant neighborhoods. By providing an affordable option for owners to improve their homes, the program supports the City's goal of fostering healthy neighborhoods. The use of local funds for housing rehabilitation allows us to complete a wider range of projects and assist households that may be ineligible for federal funds. Staff Administration Staff administration includes application intake, income verification, and loan administration for approximately 8-12 projects per year. This program is less staff intensive than the federal rehabilitation programs due to fewer administrative requirements. The City annually budgets $200,000 for this program. Proposed Changes No significant changes are being recommended, but staff recommends expanding eligible projects to include tree planting and landscape improvements addressing storm water quality and/or quantity as they relate to our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. UNIVERCITY NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM Program Description The UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership Program creates homeownership opportunities in neighborhoods near downtown Iowa City and the University of Iowa campus. The program focuses on areas that retain a single-family character and a demand for single family housing, but that also have a large renter population. In the UniverCity program, the City purchases homes in select areas around campus and downtown using low-interest loans provided by several local lenders. The homes are renovated by Neighborhood Services staff and sold to eligible homebuyers. Homebuyers must obtain a private mortgage to acquire the home. Renovations are typically around $50,000-$60,000 per home, which is not included in the sale price. The sales price of the home is the original purchase price plus carrying costs, which includes interest on the city's mortgage while owning the home, any utilities or fees, charges for general upkeep such as shoveling or mowing, and any renovation cost overages. Upon sale of the property, the City repays the local lender for the acquisition cost of the home. A deed restriction is placed on all homes ensuring they remain owner -occupied for 30 Effective 6/1/2018 HH Size 140% AMI 1 $85,260 2 $97,440 3 $109,620 4 $121,800 years. To participate in the program, applicants must have a household income less than 140% AMI and be pre -qualified for a mortgage. Program Goals The UniverCity program was developed to preserve the unique character of the downtown neighborhoods, re-establish a healthy balance of rental and owner -occupied homes and encourage reinvestment in these older neighborhoods. The City is committed to ensuring that the neighborhoods surrounding downtown and the University of Iowa campus remain vital, safe, and attractive places to live and work for all residents. Staff Administration The UniverCity program requires significant staff time from the rehab specialist/project manager who creates the scope of work, does the bidding, works with the contractors, and completes invoices. Staff also completes income verifications, works with potential buyers, holds open houses, and manages the UniverCity website and Facebook page. The City Attorney's Office assists with the closings and any legal questions that arise. On occasion, the City has hired realtors to sell UniverCity homes. Since 2011, the City has rehabilitated and sold 66 homes. Proposed Changes In recent years, it has been more challenging to find homes that can be renovated for the budgeted amount and affordable to our applicant pool. The program was recently changed by increasing the rehabilitation funds per home to $60,000 and expanding eligible properties to duplex units. Staff does not recommend further changes but recommends that for the foreseeable future the City only aim for one project per year. The availability of homes in our desired price range is becoming limited and the regulatory environment around rental units has been in flux for the last several years. Keeping one home will allow us to be opportunistic if a key property becomes available but allows our staff to focus more time in other targeted neighborhoods. SOUTH DISTRICT HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM Program Description The City of Iowa City was awarded FY19 HOME funding to rehabilitate two rental duplexes (4 units) in the South District, specifically on Taylor Drive and Davis Street, and sell the improved homes to income eligible homebuyers at a price point comparable to the cost of renting the home. Federal HOME funds, combined with additional City funds provide a budget of $60,000 per unit for renovations and down payment assistance. Buyers must be at or below 80% AMI and the property must remain owner -occupied for 30 years. Effective 6/1/2018 HH Size 80% AMI 1 $48,750 2 $55,700 3 $62,650 4 $69,600 Homes to be considered for acquisition will include duplexes on Taylor and Davis streets that have a willing seller, be in a condition that can be rehabilitated within the program budget, have a layout that can be converted to a condo for the sale, and are priced appropriately. Ideally, the City would purchase vacant units or units where the current tenants are interested in purchasing their home. If this is not an option, homeownership priorities would be given first to Taylor or Davis street residents followed by residents of the broader South District and ICHA Family Self - Sufficiency participants. Program Goals Similar to the UniverCity program, the program goals are to preserve the unique character of the neighborhood, establish a balance of rental and owner -occupied homes and encourage reinvestment in the Wetherby neighborhood (specifically duplex homes on Taylor and Davis streets). The program will allow greater homeownership opportunities to those with lower incomes as the selling prices are estimated to be around $90,000 to $125,000 per home. Financial counseling will be provided for those interested in the program. The neighborhood is near parks, a commercial district and elementary schools. The program is dedicated to ensuring that the neighborhood is a safe, affordable and attractive place to live and work for both renters and homeowners. Staff Administration The administration of federal funds as well as the development of a brand-new program requires a substantial amount of staff time.- Current tasks include working with property owners to find available units, communicating with tenants to discuss program opportunities, and working with partner organizations to offer homebuyer education. Staff time for acquisition and rehabilitation of properties will be similar to the UniverCity program, with the addition of ensuring federal requirements are met (environmental review, underwriting, income certification, lead-based paint, relocation assistance, etc.). Staff anticipates assisting four homes in the upcoming year. Proposed changes This program is still getting off the ground as staff works to identify properties and communicate with current tenants of those properties. The program was created with a very limited geographic scope and narrow project parameters (e.g. duplexes, tenant ownership opportunities). If the first year is successful, staff would like to expand the geographic reach of the program to include all targeted neighborhoods. Further conversations with the City Council may be needed to refine the program regulations governing existing tenants. IOWA CITY HEALTHY HOMES Program Description The City was awarded funds through the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County to provide rehabilitation assistance to those households with a child with recurrent asthma. Households are eligible for up to $7,500 in rehabilitation to assist with repairs improving indoor air quality. Examples include replacing carpeting with hard surface flooring, air duct cleaning, HVAC improvements, addressing moisture problems such as fixing the source of the water leak and resultant damages, addressing pest infestations, and adding bathroom fans. The City partners with the University of Iowa College of Nursing and the Free Medical Clinic. The College of Nursing provides in home asthma education and the Free Medical Clinic provides referrals to services, such as smoking cessation programs, and products, as available. Effective 6/1/2018 HH Size 80% AMI 1 $48,750 2 $55,700 3 $62,650 4 d $69,600 The program is a grant available to both homeowners and renters under 80% of median income. If renting, the landlord must enter an agreement to consent to the improvements, to not increase rent for up to two years and to continue renting to the household in good faith. In manufactured housing, the owner must have title of the home. Homeowners must live in the unit for two years after rehabilitation. No repayment is necessary if the landlord or owner complies with the agreement. Program Goals This program was started in FY18 as part of the City's Invest Health initiative. It brings together partners from the medical community with the aim to enhance housing for low-income residents in ways that also improve health outcomes. The specific goals of the program are to improve the safety of the home, improve the health of the residents who live in the home and reduce the frequency of asthma flareups requiring medical attention. Staff Administration Staff administration includes application intake, income and medical verification, home inspection, written work plans, obtaining contractor bids, monitoring construction projects and loan administration for approximately 5-10 projects per year. This program is less staff intensive than the federal rehabilitation programs due to fewer administrative requirements. Proposed changes Currently, staff is relying on funds from the Johnson County Housing Trust Fund (which in large part originate from the City). The City was awarded an initial grant of $75,000 through the Trust Fund. Instead of requiring staff to apply externally for funds, we recommend funds are set aside through the City's Affordable Housing Fund. This would save time for both the City and Trust Fund, provide additional program flexibility, and not result in fewer funds going to the Trust Fund. HISTORIC PRESERVATION Program Description The Historic Preservation Fund Program is designed to provide owners of historic properties with financial assistance for the rehabilitation and preservation of the exterior architectural features of their property. Grants are available for homeowners with incomes below 140% of median income. Grants provide 50% of the total cost of the qualified exterior rehabilitation with a maximum grant of $5,000 per project. No interest loans are available for landlords and homeowners with household income over 140% of median income. Loans provide 50% of the total cost of the qualified exterior rehabilitation with a maximum loan of $5,000 per project. Effective 6/1/2018 HH Size 140% AMI 1 $85,260 2 $97,440 3 $109,620 4 $121,800 Program Goal The goal of the program is to provide another tool to assist the City preserve important parts of Iowa City's history. As stated in the 1992 Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan, "to conserve old buildings makes a good community better." The program provides financial incentives to preserve the exterior architectural features of homes and properties in Iowa City's historic and conservation districts as well as properties that are local landmarks. Properties in districts must be key contributing or contributing properties. Non-contributing properties in districts may be eligible if the improvements completed will be such that the property can be reclassified as contributing to its Historic or Conservation District. Staff Administration Staff administration includes fund application intake, income verification, reviewing proposed improvements and project estimates, approval of projects (HP Commission Chair consultation as necessary), verifying project completion and loan administration for approximately 8-10 projects per yea r. Proposed changes Due to the newness of this program and the high level of initial interest it has garnered, staff is not recommending any changes. Staff will continue to monitor this program and work with the Historic Preservation Commission on any future changes that may be needed. City Investments in Private Housing (Dow not Include K grems u,d,,th, Iowa City Housing Authdrlty- Public Housh, H(W, fy20 FundingFunding Inane Future Funding FurMln{ Income Pw.. Deecrlptbn (antklpatad) Source Own/Rant Unlit EIIgIble Area level Source Own/Rent Lank EI''gible Ana Energy AudR Othau ' Market accessibility Citywide, 50% grant Citywide, 50% grant in •Increase eligibles Rias to CDBG Owner-O—pied 0% Loans and gents to homeowner making in targeted targeted Jan 2019 and include tree planting/storm water Housing Rehab, repairs to homes $235,000 HUD Own 80% MI neighborhoods $235,000 HUD Own SWAM! neighborhoods subsequent improvements C 50% Cft 50%grams HOME Owner -Occupied 0% Loans and gents to homeowners making aide, gra ntargeted Own -80%, jIde, n targeted Jan 2019 and 'Expand to rentersl�le family Housing Rehab. repairs to homas $90,000 HUD Own Bow MI neighborhoods $90,000 HUD Own/Rent Rent -60% neighborhoods subsequent Properties 'Increase eligible aRivRiuto Low interest loans to homeowners not eligible for Jan 2019 and include tree planting/storm water GRIP federal programs $200,000 1 City Own 1 110% MI Citywide I $200,000 City I Own 110% MI Citywide subsequent 11 mprovements Acquiskionandmhab.ofreMal homwin Universilyimpatednaighbarhoodsfar Unhmrshy imp—dUni,ani"imp-o All subsequent Un NerCity homeownership $60,000 Cky Own 140% MI neighborhoods $60,000 C' Own 19096 M1 neighborhoods homes No changes proposed South Distdo, - Tana ad South District Home Acquisition and rehab. of rental duplexes for Wetherby neighborhoods- All su bsequent Increase geogra phlc areaw Ownership affordable homeownership $240,000 City/HUD Own 80% MI Neighborhood $240,000 City/HUD Own am MI unn. as Rehab, homw targeted neighborhoods Invest Heakh Invest Heakh Complete rehab to address indoor air quality for Housing Trust Neighborhoods Neighborhoods Referralwhen Omeenewset-asideunderthe Heahhy Homes households wkhachild with recurzentuthma $]5,000 Funtl oflC OwMPeM 80%MI targeted, Citywide $]5,000 CRY Own/Rent 8l]36 MI targeted, '"Id,eligible Affordable Housing Fund Financial assistance far historic properties to Citywide, property Citywide, property Referralwhen Historic P—a—tion praserve erten., erch....I featuru $90,000 City Own/Rent 140°,6 MI mus[be historic $90,000 City Own/Rent 140%MI must be historic eligible No changes proposed Item Number: 9. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Memo from Neighborhood Services Coordinator: South District Home Investment Program - Program Update ATTACHMENTS: Description Memo from Neighborhood Services Coordinator: South District Home Investment Program - Program Update � r ftmnot jz � ;wl� Date: May 10, 2019 CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Erika Kubly, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Re: South District Home Investment Program — Program Update Background The City was awarded $100,000 in federal HOME funds to purchase, rehabilitate, and sell two duplex properties on Taylor Drive or Davis Street as affordable, owner -occupied homes in the South District. Much like the UniverCity program, the South District Home Investment Program was established to preserve the unique character of the neighborhood, establish a balance of rental and owner -occupied homes, and to encourage reinvestment in the neighborhood. The South District Program will also focus on the affordability of the home to increase the number of households who can qualify and purchase a home in our housing market. It is anticipated that the monthly mortgage, taxes and insurance costs for these homes will be near or below the HOME Fair Market rents when they are sold. The City contributed an additional $140,000 to the program in FY20 to provide additional rehabilitation or down payment assistance for homebuyers. At the City Council's request, City staff completed an equity analysis and identified policies to help prevent displacement and enable neighborhood residents to purchase homes. At the December 18, 2018 work session, City Council provided staff with additional program modifications. The preference for purchasing units shall be (1) existing tenants, (2) current residents of Taylor Drive and Davis Street, and (3) residents of the larger neighborhood. Council also directed staff to communicate with tenants of potential units prior to acquisition to determine if they were interested in homeownership, relocation (with funding assistance), or neither. If a tenant indicates they are not interested in purchasing or relocating from their unit, the City would not proceed with acquisition of that property. Property Selection Process City staff mailed letters to owners of twenty-three duplex properties along Taylor Drive and Davis Streets on October 25, 2018. Properties that did not have a rental permit or properties in which the owners had already indicated to staff they were not interested in selling were excluded. Duplexes that have an up -down unit layout (as opposed to side-by-side) were also excluded due to costs and difficulty in separating the two units for fire and utilities, as well as concerns about noise and desirability for homeownership. Staff received responses from owners of five duplex properties (10 total units). Three indicated they were interested in selling, and two said they were not currently interested but may be in the future. Of the three potential properties, one was subsequently eliminated because it had an up - down layout that was not apparent from the street view. For the remaining two duplex properties, all four units were occupied by tenants. Staff prepared an informational flyer for the tenants explaining the program and discussing three participation options: 1. Interested in Homeownership: Qualifying participants would receive free homebuyer education, financial counseling, down payment assistance, and the home would be rehabilitated. May 15, 2019 Page 2 2. Interested in Moving: Tenants choosing to move would receive moving expense payments, financial assistance to relocate (up to 42 months of assistance, not exceeding $7,200 for a comparable unit), and advisory services to help minimize the impact of the move (assistance finding a unit, inspection of the new unit, and help preparing claims for relocation). 3. Not Interested: Because the program is voluntary, tenants can choose not to participate. Staff made initial visits to the potential properties on February 19, 2019 to discuss the program and participation options with tenants. There were no responses from any of the four units, so staff left their business cards with the informational flyer. On March 5, staff conducted follow-up visits and similarly had no response. On March 12, a resident from one of the units responded by email and indicated she was interested in homeownership but planned to move out of state. On March 14, staff met with residents at two additional units. Both indicated they were not interested in purchasing or moving. Because we could not get into contact with the fourth tenant, a certified letter was sent, and the tenant was given until March 291h to contact staff regarding their interest in the program. No response has been received to -date. The requirement for tenants to agree to purchase their unit or accept relocation prior to proceeding with acquisition has effectively eliminated any potential properties in the first attempt of the South District program. Staff feels it is unlikely that we will be able to locate a side-by-side duplex rental unit in which the owner wants to sell and both tenants are open to homeownership or relocation. Federal requirements also encourage the timely expenditure of HOME funds, making identifying and acquiring properties with the current restrictions more difficult. The tenant requirements in the current South District Home Investment Program are not standard for our non-profit housing providers utilizing CDBG/HOME funds or for the UniverCity program. The City and our non -profits aim to minimize displacement as much as possible. When federal assistance is utilized, the City's Legal and Neighborhood Services staff work with the housing provider to relocate impacted tenants and ensure the household receives all federally required relocation benefits including moving expenses, financial assistance (if needed for a comparable unit), and advisory services to assist the household find a comparable unit. Due to the difficulty in finding properties to acquire under Council's guidelines, staff suggests the following options: 1) The City considers duplex properties with a rental permit listed for sale in the larger neighborhood as identified in the equity analysis as seen below. The City would not consider listed properties that have long term tenants (those in the unit for five or more years). If tenants %A1;11 bt d t Id 'd f ' I a impac a w U s ff ou prove a inancia counseling to either or both tenants interested in purchasing their unit or provide the federally required relocation benefits to ease their transition to a comparable unit. 2) The City expands the program to include single-family homes with rental permits that are listed for sale under $165,000 within the larger neighborhood as identified in the equity analysis. This option will increase the number of homes available, but has the disadvantage that the home's selling price, compared to a duplex unit, will be higher and we may not be able to offer homeownership opportunities to May 15, 2019 Page 3 those at much lower incomes. The rehabilitation costs for single family homes will likely be higher as well. 3) Discontinue the program and re -allocate the funds to other eligible housing projects. The City would need to conduct a mid -year funding round to solicit applications for eligible housing projects that could proceed quickly. Staff recommends proceeding with Option #1. An ongoing concern with the UniverCity program has been the affordability of the units. By allowing the City to purchase duplexes, we will be able to market to households with lower incomes. The homes will be rehabilitated, and the selling price is anticipated to be approximately $90,0004125,000. With the addition of the City's general funds for downpayment assistance, these homes could be offered at significantly lower costs than what exists in our current housing market for comparable homes. The City plans to market these homes to the local neighborhood as well as Iowa City Housing Authority Family Self -Sufficiency participants. The South District Home Investment Program had several project elements including home maintenance and financial counseling classes available to any resident interested in the program and desiring to purchase a home in this neighborhood. Staff plans to partner with Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity and Horizons to provide these important components of the of the South District program. Habitat offers a series of classes entitled "Home on the Horizon" with topics such as budgeting, credit, insurance, home maintenance, and being a good neighbor. Classes are offered in the mornings and in the evenings at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa City. They are free of charge and open to the public. Horizons will be expanding their services to Johnson County with the addition of a full-time staff member in Iowa City. Horizons provides HUD -approved comprehensive housing counseling and education services. In addition to the "Home on the Horizons" classes, this includes one-on-one counseling as well as online educational options. NDS staff looks forward to discussing these possible options with the City Council at a future work session. Item Number: 10. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Memo from Director of Transportation Services: Zipcar Car -Sharing Service ATTACHMENTS: Description Memo from Director of Transportation Services: Zipcar Car -Sharing Service CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: May 16th, 2019 To: Geoff Fruin; City Administrator From: Darian Nagle-Gamm; Director of Transportation Services Re: Zipcar Car -Sharing Service During the 2019 budget deliberations, the City Council requested an update on the Zipcar program. To provide some background, in July of 2012 the City entered into a contract with Zipcar to provide car sharing services in Iowa City. Users reserve and check-out a Zipcar by becoming a member, paying a monthly or annual fee, and then paying an hourly rate based on usage. The vehicles are returned to a designated on -street parking space when the trip is completed. Historically there have been four spaces available within the City right-of-way for Zipcar - two metered parking spaces on Clinton Street near Burge Residence Hall and two metered parking spaces on Linn Street near the library. Zipcar pays the City $65 / month to occupy the spaces 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The current contract is set to expire on June 30t1, 2019. We reached out to Zipcar this spring to discuss utilization of the designated parking spaces. Zipcar confirmed they have recently downsized the number of vehicles available due to decreasing demand. In April, Zipcar formally requested a reduction in the number of designated parking spaces on Linn Street from two to one. Staff concurs with the request for parking reduction, considering the reduction in demand. The space could be either reverted to short-term vehicle parking or converted to bicycle parking. Upon review of the surrounding area, staff recommends converting the space to bicycle parking which will provide the space necessary to support the upcoming bike share and allow for improved private bicycle parking in the high -demand area adjacent to the library and ped mall entrance. If the space proves not to be suitable for the bike share, it will be reverted to a metered vehicle parking space. Staff would convert the space after July 1st upon commencement of a new one- year contract extension with Zipcar. Staff recommends that the City reevaluate Zipcar utilization/demand in 2020 year when contract renewal is considered. Item Number: 11. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Copy of Press Release: Iowa City Council to host Listening Post - May 29 ATTACHMENTS: Description Copy of Press Release: Iowa City Council to host Listening Post - May 29 Kellie Fruehling From: City of Iowa City <CityofIowaCity@public.govdelivery.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 2:05 PM To: Kellie Fruehling Subject: Iowa City Council to host Listening Post SHARE Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. ��ty°,IOWA CITY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 05/15/2019 Contact: Kellie Fruehling, City Clerk Phone: 319-356-5041 Iowa City Council to host Listening Post Join Iowa City Council members at their next community listening post. The Council Listening Post will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at the Lemme Elementary School Library, 3100 E. Washington St. 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 are in attendance at each event and report back to the entire Council on what they have heard from the community during their discussion. All community members are encouraged to stop by and meet with Council representatives to discuss any community issue. No formal agenda or presentation is planned. For additional information, questions, or suggestions on future locations for listening posts, contact City Clerk Kellie Fruehling at kellie-fruehling(cDiowa-citv.org or 319-356-5041. r,��►� M Questions? Contact Us CITY OF IOWA CITY uM!+W0 01Y OF M E Rdk# lF#tf STAY CONNECTED: B U M IM P Item Number: 12. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Civil Service Entrance Examination: Maintenance Worker II - Water Distribution ATTACHMENTS: Description Civil Service Entrance Examination: Maintenance Worker I I - Water Distribution � � 1 Wak; CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www, €cgov. org May 3, 2019 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker Il -- Water Distribution Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker II —Water Distribution. James Holland IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Meliss t Jensen Item Number: 13. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Civil Service Entrance Examination: Accounting Clerk -Accounting ATTACHMENTS: Description Civil Service Entrance Examination: Accounting Clerk -Accounting CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa city, lova 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (3 19) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgov.org May 10, 2019 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Accounting Clerk — Accounting Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Accounting Clerk - Accounting. Lois Dodson IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Rick W ss, Chair Kellie Fruehling From: Jim Throgmorton Sent: Monday, May 20, 2019 1:30 PM Late Handouts Distributed To: Council Subject: FW: Agenda Live for the Summer 2019 Meeting! � SVO\`\ y (Date) Fellow Council members, It would be good for one or two of you to attend the August meeting of the Mayors Innovation Project. See below. Mayor Jim Throgmorton Iowa City City Council,At-Large From: Mayors Innovation Project, Katya Spear[Mayors_Innovation_Project_Katya_@mail.vresp.com] Sent: Friday,May 17,201910:09 AM To:Jim Throgmorton Subject:Agenda Live for the Summer 2019 Meeting! [http://img- ak.verticalresponse.com/social_sharing/social_sharing.placeholder.facebook.png]<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/9ATVCBBvoGiom6JSv4JQt?domain=cts.vresp.com> [http://img- ak.verticalresponse.com/social_sharing/social_sharing.placeholder.twitter.png] <https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/8K5ACDkxnKFwmvrFBGotq?domain=cts.vresp.com> [http://img- ak.verticalresponse.com/social_sharing/social_sharing.placeholder.linkedin.png] <https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/7uXlCERyoLtOG9oIyDI3h?domain=cts.vresp.com> [Mayors Innovation Project]<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/7vyLCG6AgNiElYZsW3gfw?domain=cts.vresp.com> Agenda <https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pNTxCJ61wkilzrLFnt79n?domain=cts.vresp.com> Register<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/8yhSCKrGx1SPwExhr7deT?domain=cts.vresp.com> Travel/Hotel<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/B93kCL9GymSVOjMckTmHv?domain=cts.vresp.com> Agenda Live! Summer 2019 Annual Meeting August 1-3 in Columbia, SC Now is the time to mark your calendars for the Summer 2019 Meeting<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/QgHcCM8XzntD8OVi3zPxq?domain=cts.vresp.com>,hosted by Mayor Benjamin.The Summer Meeting offers mayors the opportunity to learn from and with peers about some of the most urgent issues affecting your city.View agenda<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/48zvCNkGAoFJxl5spg8GV?domain=cts.vresp.com>,then reserve your spot here<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/jmgrCOYGBpu1XRrFNnWkY?domain=cts.vresp.com>. We're excited to announce the following speakers,with many more to come: Mayor Jake Spano,St. Louis Park,MN [Mayor Jake Spano]In St. Louis Park,Mayor Spano views developing leadership capacity for youth as central to the city's success. He has worked closely with local youth to promote actionable steps to address climate change,including establishing permanent youth representation on boards and commissions.And he has helped empowered local youth in their advocacy around gun violence,from protests following the Parkland 1 shooting, to engaging in deeper discussions of specific local policies. Mayor Spano will share more as part of the'Youth Leadership in Local Civics&Policy'panel. Joanna Smith- Ramani,Aspen Institute [Joanna Smith-Ramani]The lack of financial security for US households is one of the most intractable problems we face as a society,but how can mayors address this issue in their cities?Joanna will discuss the critical importance of actions to promote economic stability and how this work promotes local economies, as well as model program innovations mayors have undertaken to lead on this issue. Brett Theodos, Urban Institute [Brett Theodos]With so much buzz around opportunity zones,what promises can they deliver on for your city, and where do they fall flat? Brett will share the latest news on how you can implement them well,but also how you can use them as a vehicle for pushing a number of value-based agendas. Laura Furr,National League of Cities [Laura Furr]As the Program Manager for the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families at the National League of Cities, Laura will share about the many opportunities that mayors have to promote youth civic participation,leadership skill development and engagement in governance. About Us The Mayors Innovation Project is a learning network for mayors representing US cities committed to shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government.Through our meetings, policy briefs, publications, and technical assistance,we bring you the most useful and relevant information in helping you address your city's needs. Click to view this email in a browser<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/x7U2CyPzgWHKWXmIRPEyn?domain=hosted.verticalresponse.com> If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with"Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe<https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/SntzCzpAjgtEBgNsoIv1R?domain=cts.vresp.com> Mayors Innovation Project u8o Observatory Dr. Madison,Wisconsin 53706 US Read<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/w5-GCADrkEfBo6JfMpYZg?domain=verticalresponse.com>the VerticalResponse marketing policy. [Non-Profits Email Free with VerticalResponse!] <https://protect- us.mimecast.com/s/Q687CPNGDgf9mGAc85L_9?domain=verticalresponse.com> [http://cts.vresp.com/o.gif?8f451tob3e/4da496cbda/mlpftw] 2 Julie Voparil From: Bruce Teague Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2019 12:11 PM To: Julie Voparil Cc: Kellie Fruehling;Ashley Monroe Subject: Fw: Alcohol in Parks Attachments: 2017-09-05 Ordinance.pdf Late Handouts Distributed Julie please include these with late handout for Tuesday meeting. --I- 1 Thanks in advance! (Date) Bruce Teague Iowa City City Council Member -At Large 1-319-536-1200 410 E.Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 WWW.ICGOV.ORG ®IOWA CITY • UntiCO City Of lltttAfi *t Notice: Please be advised this email communication may be public information. From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Friday, May 17, 2019 2:52 PM To: Bruce Teague Subject:Alcohol in Parks Here is the history of the item we discussed. It looks like we deferred the third vote indefinitely—I recall the writing was on the wall that it was going to be voted down. Let me know if you have questions. Geoff CITY OF IOWA CITY Geoff Fruin UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE City Manager WWW.I000V.ORG p: 319 356-5013 © 0 ® 0 410 E Washington St Iowa City,IA 52240 1 From Council member Teague 1.1 . Late Handouts Distributed Defer Indefinitely (Date) Prepared by:Susan Dulek,Asst.City Attorney,410 E.Washington St., Iowa City,IA 52240(319)356-5030 Ordinance No. Ordinance amendjpg Title 4, entitled "Alcoholic Beverages" aid Title 10, entitled "Public Ways and Property, to allow alcohol in park shelters. Whereas, the City Code allows possession and consumption of alcohol in parks only with a permit or by a written agreement; Whereas, the Parks and Recreation Commission has recommended that the restrictions on alcohol in park shelters be relaxed; and Whereas, it is in the City's interest to allow possession and consumption of beer and wine in park shelters with a shelter reservation except for the shelters in Napoleon Park and I.C. Kickers Park. Now,therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa: Section I. Amendments. 1. Title 4, entitled "Alcoholic Beverages," Chapter 5, entitled Prohibitions and Restrictions,' Section 3, entitled °Consumption or Possession in Public Places and City Buildings," is amended by adding the following two sentences to Subparagraph B: Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, a person may possess and consume beer or wine inside any park shelter, with the exception of those in Napoleon Park and I.C. Kickers Park, during the time period the shelter has been reserved. All persons reserving a shelter and all persons possessing and consuming beer or wine in the shelter shall abide by the administrative rules approved by the City Manager. 2. Title 10, entitled "Public Ways and Property," Chapter 9, entitled "Parks and Recreation Regulations," Section 2, entitled "Prohibited Actions in Parks," is hereby amended by deleting Subparagraph F and substituting in lieu thereof the following new Subparagraph F: Alcoholic Beverages. Possess or consume alcohol except as provided in Section 4-5-3 of the Code. Section II. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provision of this Ordinance are hereby repealed. Section W. Penalties for Violation. The violation of any provision of this ordinance is a municipal infraction or a simple misdemeanor. Section IV. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional. Section V. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval and publication, as provided by law. Passed and approved this day of , 2017. Mayor Attest: City Clerk Approved by do -tt- City Attorney's Office Ordinance No. Page It was moved by and seconded by that the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call therewere: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Botchway Cole Dickens Mims Taylor Thomas Throgmorton First Consideration 08/01/2017 Voteforpassage: AYES: Dickens, Mims, Taylor, Thomas, Throgmorton, Botchway. NAYS: Cole. ABSENT: None. Second Consideration 08/15/2017 Voteforpassage: AYES: Throgmorton,Botchway, Mita, Taylor, Thomas. NAYS: Cole ABSENT: Dickens Date published �_.-�, CITY OF IOWA CIT Y • "'=� � MEMORANDUM Date: August 31, 2017 To: City Council From: Simon Andrew,Assistant to the City Manager Re: Park Shelter Beer and Wine Consumption Introduction: At Council's request, the Code amendment currently under consideration regarding the consumption of beer and wine in park shelters was presented at the August 23, 2017 meeting of the Partnership for Alcohol Safety in order to solicit feedback from that organization.While there was not a unanimous opinion from the group, there were considerable reservations expressed by several members. Given the lack of time sensitivity on this issue,staff recommends indefinite deferral of the third reading of the ordinance amendment. History/Background: The Partnership for Alcohol Safety is a joint project of The University of Iowa and the City of Iowa City. Its mission is to identify and advocate for strategies that reduce high-risk drinking and promote a vibrant downtown. Mayor Throgmorton serves as co-chair of the group, and the City was also represented by Simon Andrew, Assistant to the City Manager, and Iowa City Police Lieutenant Denise Brotherton at the August 23 meeting. The ordinance amendment, which would allow for the consumption of beer and wine in limited quantities in park shelters in conjunction with shelter rentals, was outlined at the meeting in order to learn from the perspective of PAS members, many of whom have worked on alcohol safety and public health issues for many years. Several members of the group voiced their opinions, which ranged from strong concerns to support for the amendment. The majority of members who contributed to the discussion indicated, they did not support the change. Generally, the concerns raised at the meeting pertained to the mixed message relaxing the prohibition against alcohol consumption during park shelter rentals may send to the student population and University community. Though Parks and Recreation staff receive requests for allowing alcohol consumption through the shelter reservation process, the Code amendment under consideration was generated by a request to Council from a resident. After evaluating other communities' regulations regarding shelter rentals, staff did not have significant reservations moving in this direction. However, staff sees no urgency in changing Code in this manner, especially in light of the concerns expressed by such an Important and experienced stakeholder group. Recommendation: Staff recommends deferring third consideration of the ordinance amendment indefinitely. 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY � COUNCIL ACTION REPOT 08-15-17 August 1, 2017 8 Ordinance amending Title 4, entitled "Alcoholic Beverages" and Title 10, entitled "Public Ways and Property," to allow alcohol in park shelters Prepared By: Juli Seydell Johnson, Director of Parks & Recreation Reviewed By: Sue Dulek,Assistant City Attorney Geoff Fruin, City Manager Fiscal Impact None Recommendations: Staff: Approval Commission: Approval Attachments: Ordinance, 5-10-17 Park Commission Minutes Executive Summary: This action amends City Code to allow for the consumption of beer and wine during park shelter reservations. Background/Analysis: A resident recently sent a request to City Council asking the City to reconsider policies relating to alcohol consumption during park shelter rentals. The City Council briefly discussed this at the May 2, 2017 work session. Council directed staff to research similar policies from other cities, discuss it with Parks and Recreation Commission, and return to Council for further discussion. Other Cities' Policies: Alcohol in parks policies were reviewed from the communities listed below. Iowa City is the only one of the group that currently prohibits alcohol In parks. None of the cities below reported concerns or issues with consumption of alcohol in their parks. • Coralville—Beer and wine are allowed in the park with the purchase of a$15.00 alcohol permit obtained at the time of shelter reservation. • Dubuque — Wine, alcohol and canned beer are allowed. Wine and alcohol must be served in plastic containers. Keg beer Is not allowed except by approval of the Leisure Services Manager. • Ames— Keg beer is not allowed in any park. Beer and wine are allowed in Brookside, Inis Grove, McCarthy Lee, North & South River Valley and Moore Memorial Parks. Alcohol beverages of any kind are not allowed in any other park areas. • Cedar Rapids — Canned and bottled beer is allowed in the parks; anything larger than one quart size requires a $12 permit purchased in person at least 5 business days prior to the event. Police verify compliance with all permitted events. t r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY „k COUNCIL ACTION REPORT • Davenport—Authorization for serving alcohol in park facilities requires the user to secure host liability insurance for event. • Cedar Falls — Keg beer is not allowed. Alcohol in parks is confined to shelters during permitted reservations. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed policies from other Iowa cities, heard public comment, and discussed a change in policies to allow alcohol use In park shelters. The Commission made a recommendation that the alcohol policy be amended to allow for the consumption of wine and beer shelters. Additionally, the Commission expressed concerns that additional fees for either permits or insurance would likely deter renters from complying with a policy change and asked staff to consider the benefits and cost of all additional fees. Department representatives from Parks & Recreation, the City Attorney's Office, the City Manager's Office and Police met to determine how best to implement the change. The consensus of this group is to recommend a change to the City Code to allow alcohol at all shelter rentals by right except those at Napoleon Softball and Iowa City Kicker's Soccer complexes since these two venues primarily cater to youth sports. No change is recommended to the alcohol policies for Terry Trueblood Lodge and the Ned Ashton House. The City will continue to require host liability insurance at these facilities. These policies are more comprehensive due to the size, type of facility and complexity of events held in these buildings. Insurance: The Commission expressed concern about the additional cost to shelter renters by requiring host liability when alcohol is present. A policy for a one-time event costs approximately$100. The shelters covered by this proposed change are largely open air shelters. Staff felt that the amount of potential damage during a shelter use would be covered by the damage deposit collected for all shelter rentals. Additional Permit with Additional Fee: Requiring an alcohol permit with an additional fee of$15-20 was considered. The benefit of a permit would be to serve as a check to ensure that the person renting the shelter is at least 21 years old. The extra permit would also provide a list of shelter rentals that plan to have alcohol available to police and park staff. However, requiring an ID check would mean that shelter reservations could only be done in person at the Recreation Center Customer Service counters rather than on-line as they are currently available. Police did not feel that the list of alcohol permits would be appreciably different from the current list of shelter rentals. Enforcing the age requirement, open container issues outside the shelters or behavior issues related to alcohol use could be enforced without the need of an alcohol permit.The City Attorney cautioned that an administrative fee must reflect the additional service I ®¢r CITY OF IOWA CITY g" t COUNCIL ACTION REPORT received for the fee. Staff felt that there was not sufficient additional staff time to require the additional fee. As a result, issuing a separate permit for alcohol consumption or requiring additional insurance was determined to not add an appreciable amount of oversight from either police or park staff and would likely deter park users from following the new regulations. Restrictions on Type of Alcohol: The recommendation is to allow only wine and beer Inside the shelters. Containers up to the size of pony keg (the equivalent of 82 - 12 ounce cans) would be allowed. The allowance of small kegs of beer was based on a previous appeal by residents wishing to bring in growlers or smaller kegs of home brewed and locally brewed beer not available in individual containers. If Council approves this ordinance, staff will change the Administrative Policies for parks to prohibit glass containers.This is in response to clean up and safety issues in the park areas. Restriction on Consumption at Youth Athletic Facilities: Staff recommends that alcohol not be allowed in the shelters at the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Complex or Napoleon Softball Fields as these two areas are primarily used for youth athletic events. Administrative Policy vs Ordinance Change: The City Code currently requires a permit for alcohol in the parks, and in order to allow beer and wine by right with a shelter reservation, the Code needs to be amended. By placing restrictions in an ordinance, rather than an administrative policy, staff can issue a municipal infraction for a violation if necessary. Item Number: 14. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Human Rights Commission, April 16 ATTACHMENTS: Description Human Rights Commission, April 16 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission April 16, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Members Present: Jeff Falk, Cathy McGinnis, Bijou Maliabo, Jessica Ferdig, Barbara Kutzko, Tahuanty Pena, Adil Adams, Noemi Ford, Jonathon Munoz. Others Present: Ellsworth Carman, Denise Brotherton, Jody Matherly. Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to Council: No. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM Approval of March 19, 2019 Meeting Minutes: Kutzko moved to approve the minutes; the motion was seconded by McGinnis. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 6-0. (Maliabo, Adams, Munoz not present). Funding Request for An Evening of Chinese Performing Arts: This is a funding request to offset the costs for the performing arts professionals and amateurs from the local Chinese community who will showcase their talents in performing arts, while providing the opportunity to share their culture with the diverse and inclusive Iowa City community. Munoz moved to approve $150.00, the cost of the food and drinks, McGinnis seconded. The motion passed 8-0 (Maliabo not present). To date, the Commission has supported community funding in the amount of $1,106.00 for fiscal year 2019. Library update by Director Elsworth Carman: the library is now translating its brochures into Arabic, Swahili, Spanish, French, and Simplified Chinese. The new waiver of fines for children and teen materials begins in June. Borrowers will receive notice after the item is two weeks past the due that states if the item is not returned it will be replaced at their cost. So even though fines are waived, a replacement fee will still be required if the item is not returned within a certain realm of time. Police Department update by Chief Matherly and Captain Brotherton: Over the last year crime is down in Iowa City; violent crime saw a slight rise. There is now parity on citations and on traffic stops in terms of minority contact. The department has over two hundred and twenty hours of training that was conducted in 2018, that is up from 1100 hours of trainings in past years. The Wetherby and Grant Wood Neighborhoods are where the police receive the most calls for youth related offenses, within the last year the number of calls have gone Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission April 16, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall down. The number of referrals the police make to juvenile court services has also gone down. Community outreach has included afterschool programs and activities going on during the day and safety village. There are also two community officers. Outreach materials includes handbills on how to contact the police in Spanish, Swahili, Arabic, Chinese, and French. The handbill includes emergency and non -emergency contacts. The handbills will be distributed throughout the community. All officers are trained on crisis intervention some are even trainers. Strategic Plan and Committee Updates: There are four committees that assist in advancing the strategic plan. The four committees are Housing (*Falk, Adams, Pena); Public Safety (*McGinnis, Maliabo, Munoz); Education (Ferdig, Falk, Pena, Kutzko); and Community Outreach (*Adams, Falk, Munoz). Asterisks designates chairs of the committees. Housing committee: no report. Public Safety: the brochure on bias based incidents is still being worked on. The committee will be meeting with representatives from the Iowa City Police Department, and the Sheriffs Office to discuss bias -based incidents. The Associate Dean of the University of Iowa will also be invited to this meeting. Education Committee: has established a charter, meeting date/time, and also set up a list of priorities primarily focusing on elementary aged youth. Community/Outreach Committee: no report. Social Justice and Racial Eguity Grant: Commissioners received the scheduled reports from the Iowa City Community School District, Center for Worker Justice, and the Shelter House updating their use on the grant funding from fiscal year 2018. Commissioners expressed concern about the District's small use of the funding provided to them. Staff will reach out to District representative and set up a future meeting to discuss why more of the funding has not been spent to date. On May 15 the Commission will hold a work session that allows feedback from the public on the grant process. All the groups who submitted applications for fiscal year 2019 will be invited to come and provide feedback as well as the general public. A news release will be sent to spread the word. If more time is needed for the Commission to discuss the grants May 23 at 5:30 will be held for that purpose. OA Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission April 16, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Youth Awards: The event will be May 8 at The Englert. The Mayor will deliver brief remarks. Pena will deliver the welcome, Munoz the presentation, Ferdig will distribute the awards, and Kutzko will deliver the closing. Commissioners should plan on being at The Englert by 6. There are 45 recipients this year. The number includes the Youth Ally recipient. Reports of Commissioners: Kutzko attended the Black Voices meeting and they will be sponsoring a reception to support Black administrators recently hired by the School District on April 30. Adams celebrated the Sudan Revolution with other Sundanese in the community. Falk attended the School District's Equity Committee meeting. He also participated in an advocacy training sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility. The training taught participants how to advocate in a productive manner. Ferdig attended the Health Equity Summit sponsored by University of Iowa Public Health and every year it gets bigger and better. She and her husband also led a roofing seminar at Build Our Future (her and her husband own a roofing business together). The event was sponsored by ACE. There were 160 students in attendance. She also plans to attend the panel discussion on Restorative Justice being hosted by the School District at the Coralville Library. Ford is speaking at a June 9 fundraiser and panel discussion on the psychological trauma of immigrant children and families. It is sponsored by RAICES and being held at the North Liberty Recreation Center. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn at 7:15 PM. 3 Member Attendance Sheet Member Term Exp. 1/8 1/24 2/19 3/19 4/16 5/21 6/18 7/16 8/20 9/17 10/15 11/19 12/10 Maliabo 1/2021 Present Present Present Present Present McGinnis 1/2021 Present Present Present Present Present Munoz 1/2021 Excused Present Present Present Present Kutzko 1/2020 Present Present Present Present Present Falk 1/2020 Present Present Present Present Present Pena 1/2020 Present Present Excused Present Present Adams 1/2022 Excused Present Present Present Present Ferdi 1/2022 Present Present Present Present Present Ford 1/2022 Present Excused Present Excused Present KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting -- = Nota Member Item Number: 15. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 16, 2019 Telecommunications Commission: April 22 ATTACHMENTS: Description Telecommunications Commission: April 22 PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04/22/2099 Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 4 Minutes Iowa City Telecommunications Commission April 22, 2019 — 5:30 P.M. City of Iowa City Cable TV Office, 10 S. Linn St. - Tower Place, Level 3A Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 5:34 P.M. Members Present: Matthew Brenton, Gina Reyes, Adam Stockman Members Absent: James Pierce Staff Present: Ty Coleman Others Present: Recommendations to Council: None Approval of Minutes: Stockman moved and Reyes seconded a motion to approve the March 25, 2019 minutes as presented. The motion passed unanimously. Announcements of Commissioners: Commission members exchanged introductions with newly -appointed member Gina Reyes. Short Public Announcements: None. Post -franchise role of the Telecommunications Commission: Brenton summarized that due to the expiration of the local cable TV franchise agreement last year, the Commission was reconsidering its role moving forward. Brenton said that a draft document was being developed that would propose to the City Council that it formally consider the feasibility of municipal broadband. He said the group had concluded that if Council did not have interest in looking into the topic, that the group would not serve a purpose. Brenton said there had been other groups that had gone through a similar process, such as the Climate Action Committee. He said members of the Commission seem to agree that ensuring access and affordability of broadband Internet service is important and that investigating municipal broadband by way of a committee could be the best way to act on that mission. Reyes expressed agreement with the direction of the proposal. Brenton said that since the Commission began having discussions about its future role, ImOn has indicated its intention to expand its Internet service into the neighborhoods of Iowa City. Brenton said that a draft of the proposal would be available for discussion at the next meeting. Mediacom's Connect2Compete program: Brenton said he had researched the program and found that Connect2Compete is not a PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04122/2019 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 Mediacom-specific program, but rather is operated by a non-profit called Everyone On. He said information can be found at www.califoraction.org/Connect2Comr)ete. Brenton discovered that all of the terms found in Mediacom's promotion of the program are the same as those found in the non -profit's nationwide program. Brenton said he felt it was unlikely that the Commission would be able to influence a change in the terms. Stockman agreed that it no longer makes sense to discuss the topic. He noted that he had thought it was strange to have a requirement that an applicant to the program not already be a Mediacom customer, but that now knowing it is a national program provides more clarity. He said the requirement would likely make the program more appealing to Internet providers, given that the program would not reduce a company's full -price customer base by offering lower-cost service to some of its existing customers. Stockman agreed that it would be likely the City would have little influence over a national program, as opposed to a local one. Brenton proposed that the group drop the topic from consideration. Stockman and Reyes agreed. Consumer Issues: Brenton asked Coleman if there had been any further communication with the customer in the March 2019 complaint report who had complained of having to wait several days for an appointment to investigate his Internet service outage. Coleman said he still had not received a response after having provided the customer with information and an offer to connect with Mediacom. Coleman said it wasn't uncommon for a customer to encounter an issue and for them to contact his office in a moment of frustration, but not respond after he has reached out to assist them. Reyes asked if residents would know to contact the City's Cable TV Office if they had DSL service with CenturyLink rather than cable Internet through Mediacom. Coleman said he does receive some complaints from CenturyLink customers. Brenton asked if Cable TV Office contact information was still printed on Mediacom bills. Coleman said the City had recently asked Mediacom to remove the City's information from bills since the City was no longer the franchising authority. Brenton noted that the City's Cable TV Office has been able to assist residents, in many cases, by simply getting them connected someone local, who can understand the issues more clearly. Coleman said that many complaints seem to result from customers having spoken only with someone from a call center. Coleman referred to an issue in the February 2019 complaint report and said that he was notified by local Mediacom staff that cable service was now available to the residents at Cross Park Place. Mediacom Report: Coleman said he hadn't received anything from Mediacom over the last month. Local Access Reports: Brenton asked if Public Access Television (PATV) would continue to send a representative to the meetings of the Commission, noting that the Library had recently decided it would no longer have someone attend. Coleman said a PAN report had been submitted and was included in the meeting packet. He said if the City Council agrees that the group should focus on looking PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 0412212019 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 into the feasibility of municipal broadband, it may not make sense for the access channels to have a representative present. City Cable TV Office Report: Coleman referred to the report the Cable TV Office had submitted in the meeting packet. He noted that the Cable TV Office had recently acquired some new camera equipment that will help to improve the quality of long -format productions and require fewer resources. Coleman said that two of his staff are now certified to fly the City Cable TV Office's aerial imaging drone, which will be used for acquiring video and pictures to be used in video projects as well as to meet the needs of City departments. He said the Parks and Recreation Department had recently requested aerial images of the newly -developed Riverfront Crossings Park. Adjournment: Stockman moved and Reyes seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.. Adjournment was at 5:58 p.m. PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04/2212019 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 12 -MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD (x) = Present (o) = Absent (o/c) = Absent/Called (Excused) Gowder Bergus Brenton Johnk Pierce 05/21/2018 x o/c x x x 06/25/2018 x x x o/c x 07/23/2018 Meeting not held due to lack of quorum. vacant vacant 08/27/2018 Meeting not held due to lack of quorum. vacant vacant 9/24/2018 x vacant x vacant x Paterson 10/22/2018 x o x vacant x 11/26/2018 Meeting not held due to lack of quorum. vacant 12/17/2018 x o x vacant x 01/22/2019 Meeting not held due to inclement weather and lack of quorum. vacant . Stockman 02/25/2019 x vacant x x o/c Reyes 03/25/2019 resignation o/c x x x vacant x x x o/c (x) = Present (o) = Absent (o/c) = Absent/Called (Excused)