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2019-05-30 Info Packet
t 1 4thi an; iis °oPuT; City Council Information Packet CITY OE IOWA CITY May 30, 2019 www.icgov.org IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule June 4 Work Session IP2. Agenda IP3. Pending Council Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IP4. Letter to Mayor from Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs: Albert and Alice E. Borts House, 416 Reno Street, National List of Historic Places IP5. Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Action Plan -Tax Exemption Recommendation IP6. Memo from Economic Development Coordinator: Economic Development financial assistance and incentives IP7. Copy of report from City Manager: National League of Cities -State of the Cities 2019 IP8. Email from Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition: Help for Golfview residents (+ no May community meeting) Email from Council member Thomas: EAB Management Guidelines and Community Outreach [Distributed as Late Handout on 6/3/19] Memo from City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show [Distributed as Late Handout on 6/4/19] Draft Minutes IP9. Human Rights Commission: May 15 i r 1 41.44271rilift. „I -.71•47110goori City Council Information Packet CITY OE IOWA CITY May 30, 2019 www.icgov.org IP1. ouncil Tentative Meeting Schedule June 4 Work Session IP2. Agend� C , IP3. Pending unci) Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IP4. Letter to Mayor fro owa Department of Cultur. Affairs: Albert and Alice E. Boils House, 416 Re o Street, National LisX of Historic Places IPS. Memo from Neighborhoo and DevelopmenrServices Director: Affordable Housing Action Plan -Tax,Exemption Recommendation IP6. Memo from Economic Develonent Coordinator: Economic Development financial assistance and incentives IP7. Copy of report from City Manager: P.tional League of Cities -State of the Cities 2019 IP8. Email from Johnson County Alf. dable H sing Coalition: Help for Golfview residents (+ no May comm ity meeting a raft Minutes IP9. Human Rights Comm.-sion: May 15 Item Number: 1. jr ;;rw®J� CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 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 30, 2019 Date Time Meeting Location 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 jr ;;rw®J� CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Agenda ATTACHMENTS: Description Agenda Item Number: 2. CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, lova 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX w ww:lcgov:org City Council Work Session Agenda Tuesday, June 4, 2019 Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall X11 ' ► i • 2019-20 Public Works and Parks and Recreation capital project update • Clarification of Agenda Items • Information Packet Discussion [May 23, May 30] Council Direction needed on the following items: 1. (5/30) IPS: Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Action Plan - Tax Exemption Recommendation • Council updates on assigned board, commissions, and committees Item Number: 3. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Pending Council Work Session Topics ATTACHMENTS: Description Pending Council Work Session Topics r .:T CITY CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS May 28, 2019 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 Topics: 1. Joint meeting with the Telecommunications Commission 2. Evaluate need for a Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) 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 8. Discuss alcohol usage policies in City parks 9. Update on climate action activities, including a review of emission data post Mid American and UI investments and state law limitations on certain actions Item Number: 4. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Letter to Mayor from Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs: Albert and Alice E. Borts House, 416 Reno Street, National List of Historic Places ATTACHMENTS: Description Letter to Mayor from I owa Department of Cultural Affairs: Albert and Alice E. Borts House, 416 Reno Street, National List of Historic Places IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS 10WAARIS PRODUCE STATE:1� ,,- as,.:=. COUNCIL IOWA +i. I Of IOWA CHRIS KRAMER, DIRECTOR May 17, 2019 The Honorable Jim Throgmorton Mayor of Iowa City 410 E Washington St Iowa City, IA 52240 RE: Albert J. and Alice E. Borts House, 416 Reno Street Dear Mayor Throgmorton_ KINI REYN01 DS, GOVERNOR AF)AM GREGG, LT. GOVERNOR We are pleased to inform you that the above named property, which is located within your community, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places effective May 8, 2019. Listing in the National Register provides the following benefits: Consideration in the planning for Federal, federally licensed, and federally assisted projects. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires Federal agencies allow the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on projects affecting historic properties listed in the National Register. For further information please refer to 36 CFR 800. Eligibility for Federal tax benefits. If a property is listed in the National Register, certain Federal tax provisions may apply. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 revises the historic preservation tax incentives authorized by Congress in the Tax Reform Act of 1976, the Revenue Act of 1978, the Tax Treatment Extension Act of 1980, the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, and Tax Reform Act of 1984, and as of January 1, 1987, provides for a 20 percent investment tax credit with a full adjustment to basis for rehabilitating historic commercial, industrial, and rental residential buildings. The former 15 percent and 20 percent investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for rehabilitations of older commercial buildings are combined into a single 10 percent ITC for commercial or industrial buildings built before 1936. The Tax Treatment Extension Act of 1980 provides Federal tax deductions for charitable contributions for conservation purposes of partial interests in historically important land areas or structures. For further information please refer to 36 CFR 67 and Treasury Regulation Sections 1.48-12 (ITCs) and 1.170A-14 (charitable contributions). Consideration of historic values in the decision to issue a surface coal mining permit where coal is located, in accord with the Surface Mining and Control Act of 1977. For further information, please refer to 30 CFR 700 et seq. Qualification for Federal and State grants for historic preservation when funds are available. Eligibility for State Tax Credits for rehabilitation. Properties listed on the National Register, eligible for listing on the National Register or Barns constructed before 1934 are eligible to apply for a 25 percent state tax credit for rehabilitation. The cost of a 24 -month qualified rehabilitation project would exceed either $25,000 or 25 percent of the fair market value for a residential property or barn less the land before rehabilitation - whichever is less. For commercial properties, the rehabilitation project would exceed 50 percent of the assessed value of the property less the land before rehabilitation whichever is less. The State Historic Preservation office must approve the rehabilitation work before an amount of tax credits will be reserved for your project. There are limited credits available each year. Please see the Iowa SPHO website for further information at https://iowaculture.govlhistorylpreservationitax- incentives. Sincerely, aura Sadowsky rf State Historian and -National Register Cooed; ator State Historical Society of Iowa Item Number: 5. CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Action Plan - Tax Exemption Recommendation ATTACHMENTS: Description Memo from Neighborhood and Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Action Plan - Tax Exemption Recommendation I r 1 -P-z -4 Date: May 24, 2019 CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Tracy Hightshoe, Neighborhood and Development Services Director Re: Affordable Housing Action Plan — Tax Exemption Recommendation Introduction: The City Council adopted the Affordable Housing Action Plan in June of 2016 to address ways the City could retain our existing affordable housing stock as well as create and support additional affordable housing in our community. The 2018-19 City of Iowa City Strategic Plan supports this plan as the need for safe, decent and affordable housing that is accessible to all is critical in fostering healthy neighborhoods, promoting environmental sustainability and advancing social justice and racial equity. The Affordable Housing Action Plan identified 15 action steps to support affordable housing. To date, 13 of the 15 steps have been completed. One of the remaining action steps was to set up a committee of staff, developers and other interested stakeholders to determine the viability and potential parameters of a tax exemption program that would support affordable housing. Property tax exemption is a tool provided by state law to encourage the construction or rehabilitation of residential, commercial, and industrial properties by temporarily reducing property taxes. For affordable residential housing, state law sets the maximum exemption at 100% for ten years for new construction. Affordable housing is for families who are low and moderate income defined by state law as those households earning no more than 80% of area median income. The City can design its plan with less benefits, but it cannot exceed the state maximum benefits. A committee of six community members and City staff was formed in January of 2017. The committee was tasked with the question if tax exemption was a viable option for incenting affordable housing, and if so, how. After much discussion and analysis, the committee met on May 17, 2019 to formulate their recommendation to City Council. Committee Recommendation: The committee determined tax exemption is a viable tool for new construction of multi -family housing for developments with six or more rental units. To provide the developer with a level of predictability, the committee recommended that the City Council support a 40% tax exemption on all units in the development for a period of 10 years based on the following: • At least 15%, but not more than 20% of the total units are leased to households under 60% of median income. • The maximum rent is limited to what a household at 40% of median income could afford minus the estimated utility allowance for tenant paid utilities. Based on HUD's income limits effective 6/1/2018 and estimated utility allowances, this would be $805 for a three- bedroom, $683 for a two-bedroom and $578 for a one -bedroom. • The development must be located outside the Riverfront Crossings district and the developer may not use this incentive in combination with tax increment financing (TIF) as exempted taxes do not generate a TIF increment. • Due to a concern about placing additional affordable housing units in areas the City's Affordable Housing Location Model (AHLM) discourages, tax exemption will not be May 28, 2019 Page 2 approved if any additional local, state or federal incentives are provided for affordable housing in areas the AHLM discourages. Similar to the Riverfront Crossings requirements, full time college students may qualify for an affordable unit if they are income eligible and financially independent of their family/parents (i.e., not claimed as a dependent on another's tax form and they have sufficient income to rent the unit). The developer/owner must annually recertify tenant income for the affordable housing units to the City. If the total household income goes above 80% median income, rent for that unit can be raised to the private market rent and the next available unit must be rented to an income eligible household at the restricted rent. A developer may request different terms than the ones outlined above, however before granting a tax exemption, the City would consider the capacity of the developer/project manager to administer the program, including income certification of households and annual reporting requirements, the number of affordable units proposed in the development, the household income level targeted and the proposed rents for the affordable units as compared to the market rate units. The committee did also consider tax exemption for the rehabilitation of existing units and the construction of new homes for homebuyers. The committee determined that there is not enough incentive to induce developers to rehabilitate existing structures. While tax exemption has worked in other Iowa communities to encourage new construction, the committee determined that without further subsidy, tax exemption alone would not produce homes in Iowa City affordable to those under 80% of median income. If the City Council wishes to proceed, staff will market the incentive to the development community. If a request is received based on the provisions outlined, staff would create an Urban Revitalization District for that property. If a developer requests different terms, a development agreement would be submitted to the City Council for consideration. Staff can provide additional information, if needed, and is available for questions. Copy to: Committee Members Iter-, CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Memo from Economic Development Coordinator: Economic Development financial assistance and incentives ATTACHMENTS: Description Memo from Economic Development Coordinator: Economic Development financial assistance and incentives � r � 61AII���';�'� CITY OF IOWA CITY CITY OF IOWA LITERATURE MEMORANDUM UNESC❑ CITY C}F LITERATURE Date: May 16, 2019 To: Simon Andrew, Assistant to the City Manager From: Wendy Ford, Economic Development Coordinator Re: Iowa City Economic Development financial assistance and incentives Introduction The purpose of this memo is to provide some history on the distribution of the City's Economic Development financial assistance and incentives. Council requested this information earlier this year when the Building Change program was reintroduced. Background This report includes Economic Development funding for ten years from FY2010 to FY2019. Economic Development funding comes from several resources: • the annually budgeted Economic Development Assistance line • the annually budgeted Community Development Assistance line • CDBG Economic Development funds • the City's MicroLoan program • Tax Increment Financing derived from new property value created and resulting new taxes paid by economic development projects • Workforce Housing Tax Credits • Low Income Housing Tax Credits To illustrate the distribution of funds, we've noted the totals on the first map following using a combination of Urban Renewal Area (URA) boundaries. We've divided the core area including downtown into three sections to delineate between the Northside Marketplace, downtown proper and the area south of Burlington known as Riverfront Crossings and we've combined the industrial park URAs into one. Along with the geographic areas shown on the first map, we also created a community -wide category which is not shown on the map. In that category, we counted funding awarded to Arts and Cultural organizations and one infrastructure project, with the idea that the benefit of these investments flows outward to the entire community, regardless of the organization's mailing address (e.g., Englert Theater, Riverside Theatre and Film Scene) or project location (Ped Mall). Ten-year totals in the community -wide category are $5.5 Million. Among the many results of economic development funding, one of the simplest to measure is the growth of the tax base. Tax base growth generates new property taxes to pay for services the community expects. On the first map following this memo, each geographic area is shaded with a tone indicating the percent change in assessed value over the 10 -year period. Though an outlier in a couple of respects, the Northgate Corporate Park has seen the greatest growth at 435%, May 30, 2019 Page 2 while downtown proper has had the second greatest increase at 147% of taxable value over ten years. The second map following illustrates areas that either do or will cover two financial assistance programs on the horizon — Opportunity Zones (established) and Tax Abatement Areas (to be proposed), described in more detail on page 5. Goals of Economic Development funding by AREA Economic Development investments in each of the areas are made to accomplish certain goals. The goals for each area differ and originate from respective District Comprehensive and/or Urban Renewal Plans adopted for the specific area. Citywide — Ensuring that the entire the community is attractive for residents, visitors and business is a key economic development activity. For this reason, the City invests economic development funds in the kinds of organizations that further that appeal. Employers "sell" the community to their recruits and having a healthy arts and cultural scene is a key element in their ability to do that especially when competing with other cities' higher wages or perceived better locations. For residents, a healthy arts and cultural scene is an anchor to the community and helps keep families here in the local workforce. Downtown — also known as the City -University Project 1 Urban Renewal Area (URA) and created in 1969, goals have included enlarging and strengthening the function of the central business district core area as a shopping, business and entertainment center, increase density of commercial spaces, and availability of open spaces, pedestrian ways and plazas, allow for one or two hotel -conference centers, provide for public art, improve access to businesses and the area for persons with disabilities. Northside Marketplace— is not a part of an urban renewal area, however, it is part of the SSMID (self -supported municipal improvement district) and is an important commercial neighborhood with great commercial, historic, residential and cultural assets. Riverfront Crossings — added to the City -University Project 1 URA in 2012 to remediate blight, improve the built environment, relocate flood prone business and activity, restore Ralston Creek, and construct public park and trails as an economic development catalyst for area. The map for this report includes the Riverfront Crossings portion of the City -University Project 1 URA and the Riverside Drive URA. Sycamore and First Avenue — an urban renewal area to encourage revitalization of commercial activity, particularly retail, theaters, restaurants and services in the area and make public improvements such as those along Lower Muscatine Ave. It was created in 2000 and amended in 2003 to include possible support of industrial users P&G Oral B. May 30, 2019 Page 3 Northgate Corporate Park— an urban renewal area established to promote employment growth of office park businesses. The area was created in 1999 and was used to assist the company now known as Mercer to expand and increase employment. Pepperwood — also known as the Highway 6 Commercial Urban Renewal Area, this area was created in the early 2000s to enable city financial assistance in the renovation of the Pepperwood Place shopping center and to help stem the tide of vacant storefronts. Towncrest — formed in 2010 to encourage revitalization of medical -related offices, office, retail, restaurants, housing and business and personal services, and to make public improvements to support commercial and residential activity. Industrial Urban Renewal Areas — The first map in this report also combines all four of the industrial urban renewal areas. The goals for these urban renewal areas are centered around job creation and capital investment. The city has assisted two industrial employers over the past 10 years, United Natural Foods and Alpla. Below is a table detailing Economic Development spending by area. If the TIF totals appear inflated, it is because totals include TIF projects committed during the 10 -year span even though not all TIF rebates for those projects may have been made yet. The TIF totals also include TIF rebates for projects that began prior to this 10 -year window, but ended within the 10 -year window. Area 10 years of City Investment Totals including TIF 10 years of City Investment not including TIF Change in district value through 112016 % change in value through 1/2016 Downtown $22,350,486 $706,113 $175,414,871 147% Towncrest $1,555,000 $5,000 $ 6,175,368 19% Sycamore $3,908,264 $90,000 $16,675,996 51% Pepperwood $763,810 $0 $10,646,422 18% Northside Marketplace $ 51,300 $51,300 $105,404,370 74% Riverfront Crossings $20,564,560 $45,408 $45,552,008 65% Industrial Areas combined $2,025,075 $0 $75,659,615 66% Arts/Culture/Infrastructure (community wide impact) *change in value is city wide $5,533,415 $2,166,415 *$694,634,004 32% Northgate corporate park $781,200 $0 $30,916,291 442% West side residential (outside a URA) $518,000 $0 N/A N/A East Side Residential (outside a URA) $200,000 $0 N/A N/A May 30, 2019 Page 4 Goals of Economic Development funding by FUNDING SOURCE Each source of funding also has a unique purpose and when filtered through the different geographic locations, guides spending in those areas. The purpose of the sources are as follows. Economic Development Opportunity fund is a lump sum budgeted each year to ensure the City's ability to provide timely support for economic development projects. This could be in the form of matching funds, or to assist in the production of an event having a positive economic impact, or to provide smaller scale incentives. The budget line has typically been funded with $100,000 - $150,000 each year without detail, thus allowing for flexibility to participate when economic development opportunities arise. Requests for these funds typically go through the City Council Economic Development Committee (EDC), but the City Manager also has authority to disburse funds (up to $50,000) and report the expense at the next EDC meeting. Opportunities are plentiful in some years and scarce in others. In 2013 — 2015, the fund was used for was used for the first rounds of Building Change grants for fagade renovations at the GrossSix Building, Panchero's, Quinton's, Chait Galleries, and the Yacht Club. Other, perhaps more typical examples of expenditures from the Economic Development Opportunity funds include: • Press Citizen partial parking subsidy to entice keeping the office downtown (2011-13) • Entrefest sponsorship, three conferences drawing hundreds of entrepreneurs statewide to town (2014, 2015, 2017) • Little Village, assistance for renovation costs for new location (2016) • Iowa City Downtown District's CoSign program enabling City's participation in the development of artistic new "blade" signs downtown Community Development funds are budgeted with line by line detail and among other things, help to fund certain arts and cultural organizations that draw audiences from outside the immediate area and new dollars to the community. Typical recipients include the Englert Theater, Riverside Theatre, Mission Creek Festival, the City of Literature, and Film Scene. The Entrepreneurial Development Center in Cedar Rapids has also been a recipient of these funds. They assist established small businesses with growth and expansion plans. Some of their Iowa City clients include Meta Communications, Pear Deck, Lionne Designs, Oasis Falafel, and LENT Wireless. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Economic Development funds represent a portion of the larger CDBG federal funding allotment Iowa City receives every year. CDBG Economic Development funds have been used to provide business loans to income eligible business owners such as Baroncini, The Trumpet Blossom Cafe, (Blitz Boxing and Fitness, Iconics Salon, and 4Cs Child Care. CDBG funds were also used in 2013-2015 for certain other fagade renovation projects in the Building Change program and in 2016 to improve curb cuts downtown. The MicroLoan Program is designed to assist owners of small businesses with funding to start or grow a business. Loans can be made up to $10,000 for qualified business owners at below May 30, 2019 Page 5 market rate interest rates for up to 5 years. The funds are provided by area lenders, but administered and guaranteed by the City. Only in the event of a loan default would City funding be required. Some of the recipients of MicroLoans include The Garden Room, Alfi's Beauty Supply, and CSC Daycare. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is the most significant resource cities have for economic development. Iowa City's TIF policies require a project align with the City's Strategic Plan objectives and several other goals including sustainability, building heights and character, historic preservation, affordable housing, economic justice, quality jobs and other public interests. TIF funding is made possible by the new property taxes paid by the developer of the project. A portion of those property taxes is then either rebated back to the developer or used to repay the city for upfront financing on a project. Examples of TIF projects from the last ten years include The Chauncey, Riverside West apartments, and Iowa City Marketplace. Workforce Housing Tax Credits (WHTCs) were introduced by the Iowa Finance Authority several years ago with a goal to promote the construction of affordable housing. These state credits require a local match of $1000 per qualifying housing unit. Low Income Housing Tax Credits — The Low -Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) provides a financial incentive for project owners to invest in the development of rental housing for individuals and families with fixed or limited incomes. LIHTC gives investors a dollar for dollar reduction (or credit) in their federal tax liability, paid out in annual allotments over 10 years. In return, the developers must keep rent restricted and available to low-income tenants for a minimum of 30 years. The table below is a summary of investment in Economic Development by source of funding, 2010 — 2019. Programs that have not been in existence for the full ten-year period are noted with an asterisk. Economic Development Fund ............. Community Development Fund........... CDBG Economic Development Funds MicroLoan Program* ........................... Workforce Housing Tax Credits*......... Low Income Housing Tax Credits ....... TIF..................................................... ............................... $955,013 ..............................1,540,000 ................................. 536,723 ................................... 32,500 ................................. 791,000 ..............................1,500,000 .......................... $52,895,874 New funding opportunities on the horizon — the second map illustrates areas covered by Opportunity Zones (a program yet to be utilized) and one that will come before Council in August — Tax Abatement areas. Tax abatement Areas to be proposed— in August 2019, staff will be presenting proposed areas for tax abatement outlined in yellow on the map. These will focus on commercial areas along May 30, 2019 Page 6 Highways 1 and 6 in Iowa City with a goal to spur financial investment in existing commercial properties. While some areas may overlap with existing urban renewal areas, property owners would be eligible for tax abatement on the value of improvements made by right, and would not be eligible for TIF for the same project. To be eligible, property owners must increase the value of the commercial portions of their property by at least 15% (and neither the land nor any residentially classified portions of the property would be eligible in the abatement calculation). Opportunity Zones — The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act established by Congress in 2017 invited cities and towns across the nation to submit up to four qualifying low-income census tracts to be considered to become Opportunity Zones. Governors in each state selected their own state's zones, and two were selected in Iowa City, outlined in green on the map. An Opportunity Zone allows investors to pool funds that can be used within these zones while gaining a tax advantage on wealth that would otherwise be subject to capital gains. Please contact me if you have any questions about this report. �D m 1/ North Ridge Park 7"7IIIIlil11, 1 Coralville Bike Trail 13th St �'' �IIIIIII �Uid111U�� 1011, U b rl S//�/r� _ � Economic Development Investments and Incentives 2010-2019 holiday -R&:— E 3 \ Water Plant/Waterworks Prairie Park 1 D N 91fi ' Q' Iowa River VERNON� `r r Landing a� \ st 7th St m \ c a a� CORALVILU 5th St v University, o\ Iowa Outdoor \ IJ Research Area �F Peninsula K,nnedy Pkwy CD atalnal Creek a University of ' Iowa Finkbine Golf n Course 3 Hunter's,Ri r Park 0 Cnv m Phoe oP � RohCetRd O, 0 Low Income Tax Credit 0 Work Force Housing Credit Tax Value Change (%) 0 0-20 0 21-81 M 81-147 M 147-150 M 150-442 UNIVERSITY Y ,5 4,5 2/4 o Frienc H 1 F S Sycamore Kirkwood -Ave $3,908,264 � O St Ave Pepperwood $763, 810 Iowa City Airport i W 1 o Sand Prairie o' MQCo//ister 6\'j6 ----- (Mesquakie Park L2i§" Terry Trueblood Q' Johnson County Recreation Area 0 (D ickory Tri 0 A Q Northgate Corporate Park $781,200 N Dubuque -p_,\ ENlashingto *) St I-- "71 Park Towncrest $1,555,000 Muscatine.A D Scott Park 340th St NE Hi Point Golf Course Herbert Hoover Hwy SE -I Lower West Branch Rd SE D co M Windsor Ridge Park 6 St SE \ 1 2�C 6 Elks Lodge 9 ° Golf Course Kle W Park_Rd -__ E Brown CS-trcemettery(lowaa z Northside - River Sr a $51,300 1 , Q mus<s;ll, Z Downtown = 1 $22,350,486 z University of in Stl I � Herbert Hoov Iowa Hospital ti ,n g P Elementary Riverfront �\ School Crossings ` —E_Court $20 6 60 UNIVERSITY Y ,5 4,5 2/4 o Frienc H 1 F S Sycamore Kirkwood -Ave $3,908,264 � O St Ave Pepperwood $763, 810 Iowa City Airport i W 1 o Sand Prairie o' MQCo//ister 6\'j6 ----- (Mesquakie Park L2i§" Terry Trueblood Q' Johnson County Recreation Area 0 (D ickory Tri 0 A Q Northgate Corporate Park $781,200 N Dubuque -p_,\ ENlashingto *) St I-- "71 Park Towncrest $1,555,000 Muscatine.A D Scott Park 340th St NE Hi Point Golf Course Herbert Hoover Hwy SE -I Lower West Branch Rd SE D co M Windsor Ridge Park 6 St SE Course Rd �%ofi d ay=R=d� 13th St 10th &t 3 VERNON Q� 7th St �CORIALVILIL I stn St r m p D 0 < CD < Cn Q Tax Abatement Q Opportunity Zone New and Proposed Incentive Areas r U a d Water c� Plant/Waterworks 4 Prairie Park f� Rd a m Lodge 6 c6 ��, Elks !V_S,o'otE: `N° GolfID� Z Course , 1 o 'fr Hickory Hill Park R� Peninsula Park'�� z R:o_ches' University of D O O� Iowa Finkbine Golf E Washington St, Course �L6 aEI IB_ur-lingto:nli t _.E -Cour Melrose -Ave IOWA CITY��� UNIVERSITY 4100 HEIGHTS cdfo �o N 6 \\\ O 1 � \ Iowa City Airport N � v = m N O Cn o MC Colli'ter Bl\j C a) C Terry Trueblood, > Recreation Area u U) O' a Z � Sycamore Greenway -t-H_onve:r_ v E Court St y CD a U) c m ai �n>ejycan <e Bion Rd SF v D (D U) M Lower West 4a Iter-, CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Copy of report from City Manager: National League of Cities - State of the Cities 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Copy of report from City Manager: National League of Cities - State of the Cities 2019 State of the Cities 2019 raot����ii���f f'��I��9�i■ ����I 1 1! 1 1 1 About the National League of Cities The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America's cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. NLC's Center for City Solutions provides research and analysis on key topics and trends important to cities, creative solutions to improve the quality of life in communities, inspiration and ideas for local officials to use in tackling tough issues, and opportunities for city leaders to connect with peers, share experiences and learn about innovative approaches in cities. r 2019 About the Authors Anita Yadavalli is Program Director of City Fiscal Policy, Rose Kim is Research Associate, Christiana K. McFarland is Research Director and Brooks Rainwater is Senior Executive and Director of NLC's Center for City Solutions. Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge Mia Huang, who helped collect the data, NLC content experts, who provided context and insights into the data, and Paris Williams, who designed the report. Lastly, and most importantly, the authors thank mayors across the country who work everyday to build strong communities. Table of Contents 1 Introduction 3 What Are Mayors Talking About 11 Economic Development 13 Infrastructure 15 Health & Human Services 17 Budgets & Management 19 Energy & Environment 21 Housing 23 Public Safety 25 Demographics 27 Education 29 Government Data & Technology 31 Conclusion 33 Methodology 34 Appendix 2019 Introduction rom public health crises to affordable and fair housing, mayors have demon- strated their capacity to lead on critical issues that extend beyond city limits. In 2019, it's becoming increasingly apparent that cities, towns and villages have a greater role to play in the national dialogue. Much like the president's State of the Union address, each year, mayors across the nation detail the state of America's cities, towns and villages. The state of the city speech is a mayor's most visible and direct way to communicate significant achievements, as well as goals and major policy directions for the future. Now in its sixth year, the National League of Cit- ies' annual State of the Cities report provides an in-depth analysis of these speeches. This con- tent analysis of 153 speeches delivered between January and April 2019 is based on parts of mayors' speeches that articulate specific plans, goals and impacts related to projects, programs and city departments. Speeches are coded as having significantly covered a major topic if the word count for that topic constitutes at least 10 percent of the speech. The analysis reveals that: 1 Economic development is the most -covered major policy issue. The issue has garnered the top spot for the past six years, with an even more substantial percent of mayors dedicating a significant portion of their speeches to the issue in 2019 (74 percent) compared with 2018 (58 percent). 2 Health and human services climbed three spots this year, overtaking budgets, hous- ing and public safety. This year 46 percent of mayors discussed the issue at length, compared to only 34 percent last year. Much of this move- ment is due to an increased focus on expand- ing parks and recreation -related facilities and activities. 3 Energy and environment also rose in importance this year, with 41 percent of mayors discussing the issue compared to only 25 percent last year. Mayors introduced con- crete plans for enhancing neighborhood vitality through expanded tree coverage and improved city landscapes. 4 Although housing dropped in the rankings, a similar percent of mayors provided sig- nificant coverage of housing in their speeches in 2019 (38 percent) compared with 2018 (39 percent). In particular, mayors provided a new focus on land and housing trusts, eviction assis- tance and fair housing ordinances. The remainder of the report details trends, emerging issues and priorities of mayors in cities across the nation. While bread and butter issues like economic development, infrastructure and budgets remain top priorities for mayors, we are also seeing major movement and emerging local leadership on larger -scale issues related to health and human services and energy and environment. In these contexts, mayors are using their local authority to make lasting impacts on national and global issues. fil The core function of City government is to pro- vide quality of life, basic services, public safety, police and fire; Recreational opportunities for our citizens, young and old, water and sewer, streets and drainage. To be SUCCESSFUL it takes on-going, smart planning, 5-,10-, 20- year plans that will yield development that creates jobs and be a credit to our city. Mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich Biloxi, Miss. Top 10 Issues ............................................................................................................................................................. - By percent of speeches that significantly covers each topic.* Economic Development 74% Infrastructure 57% Health & Human Services 46% i 'Significant = 10 percent ofspeech devoted to topic Energy & Environment 41% Budgets & Management 41% Housing 38% Public Safety 37% Demographics 32% Education 20% Government Data & Technology 11% 11 21 2019 What Are Mayors Talking About? .................................................................................................................................................................. The most interesting trend of 2019 is that the health and human services topic jumped three places. While this jump was primarily due to an increased focus on parks and recreation services for residents (over 63 percent in 2019 compared to only 28 percent in 2017), a few other subtopics have become more preva- lent. For example, references to mental health increased significantly, with approximately 20 percent of mayors discussing the issue in 2019, compared with only four percent in 2018. More and more cities are experiencing a large call volume for mental health-related issues, and as a result, are developing crisis intervention pro- grams across the nation. While opioids dropped a few places in relation to other health and human services subtopics, approximately 11 percent of mayors are still focused on highlighting its devastating social impacts and uplifting harm reduction as the leading strategy to combat the problem. While this figure is the same as in 2018, it is significant- ly lower than in 2017, when over 18 percent of mayors discussed the issue. This drop is encour- aging, as mayors are increasingly focusing on solutions to reduce drug overdose and death. fifi I want a community that does more to provide holistic, integrated mental health services to address the mental health crisis in this commu- nity, particularly among ouryoung people. Mayor Steve H. Hagerty Evanston. III. 13 As in prior years, economic development was the most -covered topic for mayors, and down- town development remains at the top. Down- town development even overtook police and roads, streets and signs for the number two most -covered subtopic. It also ranked as one of the top three subtopics in the Midwest, North- east and West regions and is ranked number one among cities with a population size of 100,000-299,999. It appeared in 56 percent of mayoral speeches, up from 18 percent in 2016. In recent years, cities, towns and villages are overwhelmingly turning to strategies focused on creating public spaces that promote quality of life as core parts of their economic develop- ment plans, and this often includes downtown development. f-1 In 2019, New Rochelle is a growing city — grow- ing faster than almost any other in New York State — with the most ambitious downtown development plan in the entire Hudson Valley, a plan that is attracting unprecedented invest- ment, bringing life and energy to our city's cen- ter, from the street front to the skyline. Mayor Noah Bramson New Rochelle, N.Y. This year, arts and culture also continued to be a popular theme within economic development, with three in 10 mayors discussing it. While this figure is the same as in 2018, we have noticed a growing trend over time. In fact, in 2016, only 21 percent of mayors mentioned arts and culture in their speeches. Top 10 issues over the last four years 2019 Number in parentheses indicates topic ranking in 2015, not pictured here. P 11 10 Infrastructure was the second most -covered topic again this year. Like last year, nearly 60 percent of mayors discussed infrastructure issues at length, up from 48 percent in 2017 and 31 percent in 2016. Like last year, roads, streets and signs, as well as water, sewer and waste were the most talked about infrastructure sub- topics. Similar to last year, across regions and population categories, roads, streets and signs held steady as a top five subtopic. These fundamental programs come with a price, and mayors are keenly aware of their fiscal limitations. Concerns about infrastruc- ture funding rose in importance this year, with approximately 33 percent of mayors discussing the need to work with federal partners to re- build and reimagine our nation's streets, bridges and tunnels (about a 10 percent increase from both 2018 and 2017). Mayors in the Midwest and South, as well as those in cities with fewer than 50,000 residents prioritized infrastructure funding, in particular. We are increasingly seeing more cities looking to state and federal partners for aid, and while mayors are hopeful, they ad- mit it has been a long and difficult road. if Having a complete streets plan recognizes that our streets belong to everyone—pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists—and so [it] enhances safety and improves the aesthetic appeal and quality of life in our neighborhoods. Mayor Paul Dyster Niagara Falls, N.Y. 15 2019 While budgets and management fell one place this year (41 percent of mayors discussed the is- sue in 2019 compared to 49 percent in 2018), it was still a popular topic. As global issues rang- ing from environmental regulation to firearm use and minimum wage continue to be of vital concern to residents at the local level, intergov- ernmental relations has cemented its place as the top subtopic among budget and manage- ment issues. Additionally, property tax, budget transparen- cy, and leadership and governance all held their places in 2019. Interestingly, mayors have fo- cused less and less on pensions over the last four years. In fact, 2017 was the most popular year for the subtopic, as approximately 18 percent of mayors discussed it. In 2019, only six percent of mayors discussed it, very similar to 2016. While this appears to be a drop-off, we are seeing the emergence of more state -specific trends. For ex- ample, mayors in Illinois and California continue to shed light on the challenges their cities face with the pension funding gap, rising long-term pension costs and growing tensions between the states and the municipalities. These fiscal challenges are perhaps why only one percent of mayors discussed a budget surplus in 2019, whereas 11 percent discussed it in 2016. However, within budgets, mentions for local government workforces gained in popularity. This year, over 10 percent of mayors discussed how their communities will take more proac- tive roles in hiring talented workers, as well as retaining current government employees by improving onboarding processes for new hires and offering professional development oppor- tunities such as workforce agreements, lead- ership development programs and on-the-job trainings. Like budgets and management, energy and environment issues also appeared in 41 percent of mayoral speeches. Once in the bottom five, the topic jumped three places this year. Much of that movement is due to more mayors provid- ing concrete plans and goals to expand tree coverage and improve city landscapes in their neighborhoods. Environmental sustainability is a major concern, and mayors have been in- creasingly focusing their speeches on clean and solar energy. In 2019, approximately 12 percent of speeches discussed solar power, compared to only five percent in 2016. More mayors are promoting environmental health by reducing air pollution in their cities, with 10 percent of may- ors discussing the issue in 2019 compared with only three percent in 2016. it If Reaching these goals is critical, not only to our region's air quality, but to help stave off the effects of climate change which put at risk our water, forests, outdoor tourism, and the brave members of the Salt Lake City Fire Department. Mayor Jackie Biskupski Salt Lake City, Utah 0, 3 2019 ............................................................................................................................................................. _ Top subtopics by region West Midwest Owl 1. Parks and Recreation *1 2. DowntownLrN jm7Development J &� & 3. Housing Supply and Development :rw 4. Roads, Streets and Signs Mfg■ S. Affordable Housing 6. Homelessness 7. Intergovernmental Relations 8. Civic Engagement 9. Police Department 10. Community Development South 1. Parks and Recreation Northeast 2. Roads, Streets and Signs 090` 3. 4. Police Department Water, Sewer and Waste vqplwInfrastructure 5. Downtown Development 6. Pedestrian Infrastructure 7. Intergovernmental Relations 8. Fire Department 9. Civic Engagement 10. Infrastructure Funding 1. Parks and Recreation 2. Downtown Development 3. Roads, Streets and Signs 4. Police Department S. Housing Supply and Development 6. Fire Department 7. Community Development 8. Arts and Culture 9. Infrastructure Funding 10. New Business and Business Expansion 1. Parks and Recreation 2. Roads, Streets and Signs 3. Downtown Development 4. Fire Department S. Police Department 6. Water, Sewer and Waste Infrastructure 7. Blight and Demolitions S. Housing Supply and Development 9. Zoning and Building Codes 10. Jobs ................................................................................................................................................................. Top subtopics by population I Less than 50,000 50,000 - 99,999 100,000 - 299,999 300,000 or more Affordable 17 81 7T f 1 *I s le • = t O, J ■ 3F'Fities are investing in the creation of jobs and vibrant downtowns not only to encourage economic development and growth, but also to address community needs. DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT This year, cities focused on downtown development with spe- cific plans to revitalize vacant properties, utilize development initiatives through private investments and implement mixed-use developments to promote tourism and local business growth. In Poughkeepsie, New York, Mayor Rob Rolison highlighted the successful transformation of the city's long -vacant "40 Cannon Street" in the heart of downtown to an "anchor on the block, with apartments, a brewery and wine -bar, a coffee shop and an art gallery." The city of Kingston, New York, plans to continue invest- ing in the Kingstonian, a significant mixed-use project that will provide retail stores, restaurants, living space, a hotel and public parking spaces. Larger cities such as Anaheim, California; Colum- bus, Ohio; and Scottsdale, Arizona have plans to expand or build stadiums and arenas for their sports teams, while Memphis, Ten- nessee has utilized its funds to invest in the city's neighborhoods. JOBS Several cities also highlighted their investment in creating per- manent jobs for local residents not only as a way to improve the economic outlook, but also to increase opportunities for youth and communities of color. In Chesapeake, Virginia, Mayor Rich- ard "Rick" West helped secure investment from ForKids, a ser- vice provider for families experiencing homelessness. A leader in helping families in crisis, ForKids is expected to bring jobs to support homeless and unemployed families and provide over $12 million in capital investment to the city. "This project, more than any other in recent memory, shows the power of partnership as the community, the citv, and the organization came together to 74% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of economic development issues. JOBS R TOP 5 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBTOPICS Downtown Development •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Community Development 35 •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Jobs 32 •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Arts and Culture Tourism 31% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• 27% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. We know that one of the immediate ways to address poverty, our economy, to stabilize families and even reduce crime is to make sure people have access to good paying jobs. Mayor Ras Baraka Newark, N.J. 12 1 ayors shared technology -driven solutions for calming traffic and bolstering pedestrian infrastructure so that residents will have better access to amenities and enjoy improved safety among drivers and walkers. This year, mayors shared new strategies to keep residents moving safely and efficiently in their cities. Strategies like traffic calming, or the slowing of traffic by building speed bumps or other ob- structions, as well as flow improvements stood out. In Kettering, Ohio, Mayor Don Patterson supported a project to analyze traffic patterns in preparation for significant improvements to a county road. "The project will add a lane of traffic in each direction in order to ease daily vehicle flow," said the mayor. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome is supporting upgraded and better synchronized traffic signals across the parish to im- prove traffic movement, save time and money and improve safety. And in Clarksville, Tennessee, new Mayor Joe Pitts has been work- ing with the street department to design a major intersection improvement that will tackle severe traffic backups by widening roads and improving traffic signals and sidewalks. Cities are improving their pedestrian bridges, walkways and boardwalks for accessibility and safety. In Everett, Washington, Mayor Cassie Franklin is beginning a project to transform the city's downtown into a pedestrian -friendly corridor with shelters and benches. Additionally, the city is expected to open a new pedestrian bridge that will not only carry stormwater off the bluff, but "will give us a new way to access our incredible waterfront," said the mayor. Many cities are focused on using technology to create safer streets for all users. Mayor Lily Mei from Fremont, California will be installing more traffic safety devices and enhancing crosswalks to help pedestrians cross busy streets. Similarly, the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan has focused on safety as it sets new pedestrian crosswalk standards as part of an effort to lower the city's high- er -than -state -average rate of pedestrian -involved crashes with motor vehicles. =o= TOP 5 Subtopic percentages are representative of all 153 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 185 subtopics, see the Appendix. Infrastructure improvements are often not all that visible to the general public. They don't typically garner a great deal of attention — though their failure certainly does. Nonetheless, they are essential to preserve our assets and ensure the continued reliability of services and quality of life to our residents. Mayor Patrick Madden Troy, N.Y. 141 INFRASTRUCTURE SUBTOPICS Water, Sewer Roads, Streets and Waste Pedestrian Infrastructure and Signs Infrastructure Infrastructure Funding Public Transit 55% 370 34% 32% 24% 57% 0000•••••• 0000•••••• 0000•••••• 0000•••••• 0000•••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• 0000•••••• 0000•••••• 0000••• 0000000000 0000000000 0000000000 000000000 0000000000 0000000 00 of state of the city speeches ;;;;000000 included significant coverage of 0000 infrastructure issues. Subtopic percentages are representative of all 153 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 185 subtopics, see the Appendix. Infrastructure improvements are often not all that visible to the general public. They don't typically garner a great deal of attention — though their failure certainly does. Nonetheless, they are essential to preserve our assets and ensure the continued reliability of services and quality of life to our residents. Mayor Patrick Madden Troy, N.Y. 141 growing number of calls to emergency service providers involve a mental health component, and cities are meeting the need by developing crisis intervention and diversion programs to prevent vulnerable individuals from falling into the criminal justice system. With the untimely deaths of several high-profile television person- alities, as well as military veterans, cities are focused on improving mental health outcomes for at -risk citizens. In Glendale, Arizona, Mayor Jerry Weiers highlighted an opportunity for the local rose garden to serve as a healing place for veterans, allowing them to learn a new skill while providing a therapeutic outlet for those with post-traumatic stress disorder, in particular. In Henderson, Nevada, Mayor Debra March is working with the media to allow the city to have billboards, radio and TV spots to "present words that rescue people from themselves." The city is also developing crisis intervention training to better prepare officers for dealing with citizens who might be suffering from mental illness. Cities are focused not only on improving mental health but also on diverting individuals experiencing mental health conditions from the criminal justice system toward community mental health treatment. In Iowa City, Iowa, Mayor Jim Throgmorton is facilitat- ing the development of a new behavioral health access center for "people in crisis rather than have them treated roughly and then taken to a hospital emergency ward or the county jail." Although the epidemic has been a key issue in cities and towns for several decades, 2018 mayoral addresses revealed a more explicit focus on the responses cities are implementing to address this public health crisis, and 2019 was no different. For example, the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania added the overdose-rever kng dr aloxone, to its fire department's engines, resulting i jls Wj& ved by our f 'ng for the arrival o , cene," said _ And isling UZZE, Mayor Mir` ial vv `fo° e depar -a, • s �. 4 46% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of health and human services issues. TOP 5 HEALTH &HUMAN SERVICES SUBTOPICS Parks and Recreation 63% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• 0000••• Hospitals and Clinics r • , 000.000000 •••••••••• •••••••••• • Mental Health 20% •0000••••• 0000•••••• 0000•••••• Healthy Living 13% 0000•••••• 0000•••••• Opioids 11% 0000•••••• 0900••• Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. #1 I want to start with the battle against opioid addiction. It is literally a matter of life and death, and it affects everyone ... all demographics. It touches our businesses, schools, churches, families... everyone. It's detrimental to our labor force, diverts funding from much needed initiatives, and has stolen the future from many talented Lexingtonians. Mayor Linda Gorton Lexington, Ky. 16 1 ities are engaging with the public on budgetary practices, continuing to manage their relationships with state and local governments and rebuilding their reserves to become more fiscally responsible. When it comes to budgeting for expenses, infrastructure improvements were at the fore of mayoral addresses this year, and some cities are hopeful they can push state and federal governments to action. "We are working together closely because we believe OKC and Tulsa face many of the same challenges and we will be more successful if we work together and support one another, rather than compete as rivals," said Mayor David Holt, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In Ithaca, New York, Mayor Svante Myrick is working with associations such as the New York Conference of Mayors to increase state aid for municipalities, increase highway funding to fill potholes so that "cities like ours that are disproportionately impacted by tax-exempt non -profits would get a [fairer] deal," said the mayor. Cities are not only balancing their budgets but also setting monies aside to fund future capital investments and rebuild their reserves. In Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mayor Dan Rivera boasted reserves of $15.3 million, the largest in the city's history. And in Long Beach, California, Mayor Robert Garcia is calling on his city council to increase reserves to $75 million, acknowledging that it "will take a few years, but is an important new goal for us ... to ensure we are prepared to meet the challenges of the future." Cities want the community involved in their budgetary decision- making to ensure equitable outcomes for all. In Durham, North ®rvinel Mayor Steve Schewel is working with the city coun olunteer budget delegates to vet projects — incl ters, crosswalks, tiny homes and park improvementdirectly by the residents and put them before the vo, California, Mayor Don Wagner wants tQ,*�iform his itize , � Qut a,Re,\&, aet cvcley ._get i of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of budgets and management issues. ll TOP 5 Budget Intergovernmental Property Transparency Leadership and Intergovernmental Relations Tax and Planning Governance Aid 36- yo Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. fifi In my first year as Mayor, one of my top priorities was the completion and passage of the City of Tacoma's 2019-202o biennial budget — A budget that guides the way the City aligns its resources to support Council priorities and best meets our community's needs. Mayor Victoria Woodards Tacoma, Wash. in ° ities are continuing to promote sustainability by planting trees to improve air quality and upgrading waste management systems to reduce waste and decrease contamination among recyclables. Cities are supporting urban forest programs focused on equity, environmental justice and public safety, and making the entire community more livable. In Milwaukie, Oregon, Mayor Mark Gam - ba is working with the tree board to amend the city's tree code to help protect trees from being clear cut for development. In Florida, the cities of West Palm Beach and Winter Park are focus- ing their efforts on increasing tree canopy coverage, which can provide shade for residents and help mitigate increased urban temperatures. In West Palm Beach, the city is balancing two sus- tainable practices that are sometimes in conflict with one another - solar energy and trees. The city was awarded "SolSmart Gold" by the Department of Energy's SolSmart program for advancing solar energy growth, particularly for residential rooftop solar, and it is now making a considerable investment on shade trees to make the city more walkable. While recycling has blossomed into a global industry, residents continue to be confused by inconsistent recycling standards, and as a result, continue to generate more and more waste. Carson City, Nevada aims to reduce costs to both commercial and res- idential customers with curbside single -stream recycling and green waste pickup. Similarly, the city of Opelika, Alabama is updating its recycling convenience centers in order to decrease contamination caused by either incorrect items being put into the system or correct items being prepared the wrong way. In Mukilteo, Washington, Mayor Jennifer Gregerson is implementing one -bin recycling and easier composting, as well as a drop site WNLgarbage in case servi ncr' e to bad weather. 1411 •' t basic service ke • ' lean cts EL_b alth " said the_ ,,� -1 .� : T a TOP 5 FNFRGiY & FIST\/IPONMFISIT SUINTOPIC Trees and Clean Energy Water Reuse City Landscapes Trail Economy and Storm Water Flooding 41% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of energy and environment issues. D Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. fiFt We are laying the foundation to transform the way we power municipal operations through renewable energy. Our Division of Power has committed to purchase at least 50% renewable energy to power city facilities by 2020. Mayor Andrew Ginther Columbus, Ohio 20 ity leaders are recognizing the simple truth that housing is extremely costly for an increasingly large number of working families, and are working to reduce the gap between what residents are being asked to pay for a home and what they can actually afford. Building a variety of affordable housing types that serve the changing needs of residents across a lifetime and do not cost in excess of 30 percent of household income continues to be a priority for many cities. In St. Paul, Minnesota, Mayor Melvin Carter is helping design a supplemental housing assistance pilot to provide a modest monthly supplement to help low income, cost -burdened families with children maintain stable housing. And in Tacoma, Washington, Mayor Victoria Woodards is seeking regional partnerships to support the city's work with the state legislature on policy solutions aimed at reducing the number of residents burdened by the cost of housing. It is important to consider both housing demand and supply, and how residents and developers interact within a city's overall housing market in order to provide a mix of affordable, quality housing to its varied residents. In Columbia, South Carolina, Mayor Steve Benjamin is working with the county council to implement affordable housing investments to developers. "As a city, we've historically been creative with incentivizing investment, and this year will be no different. Working with partners like Habitat for Humanity, we want to be seen as leaders, not just in our state but across the nation," he said. Cities across the nation are working to eliminate blight by demolishing dilapidated and abandoned buildings to combat potential economic decline. The cities of Birmingham Alabam k3uffalo, New York; Bingham York; and D Piave all committed a significa mount of funding _ dilapidated and unsafe structures from the cities' neighit Some cities are also working with the state to redevelop bandoned homes to give more residents opportunities f homeownership. "Through the support of the Relmagin Partnership, this recently created Corporation will serve as anew incentive for the city to improve neighborhood life, and will serve as a model for system changesth, onwealth,", TOP 5 HOUSING SUBTOPICS Housing Supply Affordable and Development Housing Homelessness 45% 32% 24% 38% •eeeeeeee••eeeeeeee• eeeeeeeee• 9000000009 0000000090 0000000000 of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of housing issues. Blight and Demolitions 24% Zoning and Building Codes 21% Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. Note: `Homelessness' includes the subtopics Homelessness, Shelters and Transitional Housing. fifi Affordable housing isn't just a problem for our most vulnerable residents, though — it affects our entire community. Mayor Muriel Bowser Washington, D.C. 22 1 ocal leaders are moving toward using pre -arrest diversion as an effective public safety strategy, while also continuing to bolster their law enforcement workforces and strengthen police and community relations. A recent trend among cities is to divert people from the criminal system toward community-based services to increase public safety more effectively than through older approaches focused on punishment. "A skilled professional with a background that can partner with law enforcement to provide the type of diversion and support that many need, more than a trip to the jail, is a huge benefit to those individuals impacted and to those communities," said Mayor Jennifer Gregerson, Mukilteo, Washington. Several medium and large cities that we studied this year discussed diversion. For example, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the city attorney's office launched the Neighborhood Justice Program "as an alternative to criminal prosecution for non-violent, first-time offenders." And in Everett, Washington, Mayor Cassie Franklin highlighted a new diversion center that provides support for individuals struggling with homelessness, addiction and mental illness. In more traditional "tough on crime" approaches, cities have been bolstering their police departments since the 1990s. However, there has been an increased focus on diversity among new law enforcement officers. In Elk Grove, California, Mayor Steve Ly is supporting the hiring of not just new officers but also those who reflect the community. "The Elk Grove Police Department is hiring more officers to preserve and protect our community and we are doing more than ever before to recruit new and lateral officers who reflect the diversity of Elk Grove," said the mayor. Similarly, the city of Hartford, Connecticut hired over 100 police officers half of whom are black or Hispanic. n their Dl9VMVW,e communit - cross the nation are inuinz _ armonious relationship. In Buffa",, ave the opportunity to graduate nd Community Toge- hich is int elation*eb, betwee ,�a o groups. �Q�sidhe com re char comgbest practic ensurE "thst trai "` o ourire ent off , opera ti fforts to mak w York, residents wi a program called "Pc en, to build lasting Columbus, Ofd viewing ands rcement otect 3'7% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of public safety issues. D TOP 5 PUBLIC SAFETY SUBTOPICS Police Department S2% 0000•••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Fire Department 41% •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Public Safety Education and Initiatives 13% 0000•••••• 0000•••••• EMS poi •••••0000• 0000• Incarceration and Recidivism ••••0000•• 0000 Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix Note: Police Department includes Officer Training, Conduct, Station, Transparency and Efficiency, Technology and Equipment, Community Relations, Data, and Staffing; and Fire Department includes Station, Technology and Equipment, Training, and Staffing Providing for public safety is perhaps the most important function of any city government. Looking forward, we need to focus on retaining our current police department staff and we have a clear need to put more police officers on the streets. Mayor Bruce Fraley Berea, Ky. 241 ities are advancing racial and economic equity by making concerted efforts to include the stories of, and create accessible amenities for, all their people. In addition, cities are preparing for Census 2020 to ensure every resident is counted for. In an effort to reduce racial inequities, Iowa City, Iowa, has created a $75,000 Social Justice and Racial Equity Grants Program and has developed "Racial Equity Toolkits to assess the racial equity of various City programs." In St. Paul, the city has created new programs to promote a safer and more welcoming city for all. "Our traditional public safety toolbox isn't designed to make us ALL feel safe, but to draw a circle and protect those inside from the others, at all costs. That explains why some of us want fewer police while others demand more — where you live in relation to that circle defines your reality and shapes your perspective." In an effort to encourage equity, Tacoma, Washington has been devel- oping new relationships with the leaders of the Puyallup Nation "in honor of the fact that [the] city is on their ancestral lands," including displaying the Puyallup Nation's flag in council cham- bers, hosting the first-ever joint meeting between the two gov- ernments and building joint long-range planning efforts for the Tacoma Tideflats. Cities are preparing for the 2020 Census by engaging with the public about its importance and utilizing resources to ensure ev- ery resident in the community will be counted. Of the cities that addressed the 2020 Census, many, such as Buffalo, New York; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Jamestown, New York; and Springdale, Arkansas have plans to establish a Complete Count Committee to provide further outreach and to increase accurate representa- tion of the city. In Boston, Massachusetts, Mayor Marty Walsh has appointed a Census Liaison to not only "make sure every resident of Boston is counted," but to also work with different levels of government to guarantee the city's representation and federal funding. Both Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Seattle, Washington are collaborating with grassroots -level community-based organiza- tions in an effort to count every resident. of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of demographics issues. TOP 5 II ) t— N V I ( ) (-1 K-� ", W " I 1 % i V If Civic Engagement s� Youth 21% Seniors 16% .......... .......... Community Spirit 1� 0 :::::::• 90 E Diversity Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. Eliminating economic and racial inequities leads to positive outcomes including better educational achievement, improved public health, and reduced violence. Mayor Tom Barrett Milwaukee, Wis. 26 ities are not only committed to providing youth with access to a high-quality education, but also to supporting other residents by utilizing their educational institutions to develop community initiatives. Many large cities are focused on promoting opportunities for the nation's youngest student. For example, Columbus, Ohio is collab- orating with Columbus City Schools and the Boys and Girls Club to build a new facility that "will provide a high-quality early learn- ing education to more than 200 children and crucial programs and services for their families," said Mayor Andrew Ginther. And Long Beach, California, recently opened the new Educare Center, which is now the largest pre -K and early childhood center in the city. Plainfield, New Jersey has partnered with regional colleges to offer local classes that "can teach our youth programming and app -building skills that can be used as a vehicle to create self-em- ployment opportunities. Ultimately, this will open up more options for our youth and all residents," said Mayor Adrian Mapp. Cities are also continuing to develop their universities as econom- ic engines of the future through private investment opportunities, new jobs and career training programs. In Jamestown, New York, Mayor Sam Teresi is specifically interested in expanding the city's business and community colleges. "We, as a city government, must help advance efforts ... to provide on-site, higher education- al degree opportunities ... not only for residents of our immediate area, but also for the hundreds or even thousands of bright minds that are willing to journey here and become new, contributing members of our great community." As the world becomes more digital, libraries remain essential, and cities are continuing their efforts to renovate and rebuild in order to serve the public. "Knowing that libraries cultivate the genius lyoung minds, we are going to equip every Virginia Beach ublic Schools student with a Virginia Beach Public Library ount, via their school I.D. cards," said Mayor Bobby Dyer Iipportunities nia Beach, Virginia. The city of Wylie, Texas is utilizing liserve as community hubs and to provide equi ec for its residents. The city's mayor; 091. specially focused on families, with a new initiative transfor ;he city's public lib into a "development -ap• - riate ea. arning environm r very youngilclre4W, it parents q 7 120% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of education issues. TOP 5 EDUCATION SUBTOPICS K-12 20% Career Training and Development 18% Libraries 18% University and College 16% u Education Funding 10% •:::::000• Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. Note: K-12 includes K-12, New Schools and Facilities, and Teacher Training and Professional Development And as an educator, I know the best economic development and anti -poverty tool is access to a quality education. Mayor Robert Garcia Long Beach, Calif. ow ities are streamlining processes and communications in city hall and making data -driven solutions a priority for residents. Cities are improving communications between departments, with the ultimate goal of residents getting information more quickly. For Elizabeth, New Jersey, that starts with the city website. "Our new website is under development and will streamline operations and expand services [such as] increased communication tools, supporting electronic access to public services and enhancing e -government transactions," said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. For Greenwood, Indiana, that means digitizing employee time reporting to improve efficiency for the city's finance department and using new technologies to minimize project expenses for its stormwater department. Cities are also using technology to fix the ever -problematic pothole. Memphis, Tennessee is partnering with a technology company to pilot machine learning that would allow the city to scan streets for potholes and fill them more quickly. "This would involve a camera on a city vehicle, probably a garbage truck, that would detect potholes and future potholes, then automatically generate a report for us to fill it," said Mayor Jim Strickland. Addi- tionally, cities are using new applications to improve their mobility systems. Cities are using technology not just to improve interdepartmen- tal communications but also their community at large — in other words, cities are becoming "smarter" by using electronic sensors to collect data. In Palm Coast, Florida, Mayor Milissa Holland is using technology to "improve people's lives and to attract more high-tech businesses to our city." And in Plainfield, New Jersey, Mayor Adrian Mapp is working to make the city a smart city that promotes a greener lifestyle, "doing things more efficiently to reduce our carbon footprint and working with developers to offer incentives to residents to reduce the number of vehicles in a household." 6 11% of state of the city speeches included significant coverage of government data and technology issues. TOP 5 GOVT. DATA &TECHNOLOGY SUBTOPICS Government Efficiency and Effectiveness 21% 0000•••••• •••••••••• •••••••••• Data Governance and Performance Management 12% •••••••••• ••••••••• Smart Social Open City Media Data 7% 5% 3% •0.0.0.0•• • 00000000 00000 Subtopic percentages are representative of all 753 speeches in the sample. For a ranking of all 785 subtopics, see the Appendix. fifi I want the city — council and staff — to make effective use of online survey tools to inform the choices before council. More agile, timely, and accessible digital outreach will help the community be directly engaged in our decisions. Mayor Lucy Vinis Eugene, Ore. 30 1 2019 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 0 ur cities, towns and villages are where the big issues of our time are being debated and resolved. Local leaders create partnerships between sectors and across levels of government to effectively collaborate and elevate community members' priorities. And cities are leading the country with innovative ideas that rise from the ground up. This leadership is being exhibited in the 2020 presidential race, as multiple current and former mayors throw their hats into the national ring. And these mayors are uplifting economic development and infrastructure in particular, which continue to be top priorities for cities. Regardless of the varied issues that our com- munities are facing, America's mayors are providing leadership. From Mayor Jacob Frey in Minneapolis who is reshaping the local housing landscape by ending single-family zoning, to Mayors Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles and Mi- chael Hancock in Denver who are championing greater investment in public transit, our local leaders are focused on getting the job done. This year we saw housing, public safety, energy and environment, and demographics take on new significance. Specifically, more mayors are talking about fair housing protection, pre -arrest diversion, waste management and the Census. America's ongoing affordable housing crisis has led mayors across the country to seek innova- tive solutions. The cost of housing in many cities is leading to high levels of displacement, and leaders are laser -focused on equity consider- ations to help redress the historical inequities of redlining and other housing policies that have disadvantaged people of color. Within the state of the city speeches that covered housing, there was significantly more talk of fair housing pro- tections for tenants. Additionally, local leaders are using pre -arrest diversion as an effective public safety strategy, which challenges the more traditional "tough on crime" approaches of yesteryear. This is a growing trend that is being observed in leading cities across the U.S., with most medium and large cities discussing diversion, or the deterrence of individuals away from the criminal system and toward communi- ty-based services. T Fortunately, our police department has worked hard and worked smart to redirect residents of our city who commit petty crimes into a diver- sion program rather than send them to jail. We are big proponents of Pinellas County's Adult Pre -Arrest Diversion Program. We are deter- mined to keep families together, people at work, and records clean. Mayor Rick Kriseman St. Petersburg, Fla. Mayors are even making sure their trash is disposed of properly, as references to trash collection and waste management increased significantly. Critical changes in China have caused uncertainty in the global and local recycling markets. Meanwhile, individuals continue to be confused by inconsistent re- cycling standards, and as a result, continue to generate more and more waste. if We continue to do improvements in our commu- nity designed to not only benefit today's gen- eration but the generations of tomorrow. This past December, the City awarded a 15 year Solid Waste and Recycle Franchise Agreement that will bring reduced costs to both commercial and residential customers together with additional services, including, curbside single -stream recy- cling and green waste pickup. Mayor Bob Crowell Carson City, Nev. Lastly, mayors are talking about the Census. We have all heard about the citizenship question on the 2020 Census, and our mayors are navigat- ing the issue carefully, collaborating on behalf of the American public at the federal level. The 2020 Census is so critical for Americans, and the funding that flows to cities large and small. City leaders are engaging with the public about the importance of the upcoming Census and making sure that every resident in our commu- nities nationwide will be counted. If Being fully counted will help our neighborhoods, streets, schools, and make our city stronger - be- cause the census is what more than 300 federal and state programs use to determine funding -funding that comes back to our city to support critical community services. Mayor Rosalynn Bliss Grand Rapids, Mich. Mayors across America are focused on leading their cities, towns and villages with a positive agenda for growth, equity and opportunity. It is the people in America's communities that are creating new economic growth, develop- ing far-reaching ideas and leading the country forward. 131 321 2019 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................................. The 2019 report is based on a content analysis of 153 mayoral speeches delivered between January and April 2019 and includes cities across population sizes and geographic regions. In particular, the speeches were obtained from cities in four population categories (less than 50,000; 50-99,999; 100-299,999; 300,000 or more) and four geographic regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, West). The report presents both major topics and more nuanced subtopics. This year we coded 185 detailed subtopics, such as Census 2020 or fair housing (see the Appendix for the full list of sub- topics), which provide additional detail and nuance. In comparison, last year we coded 182 detailed subtopics. Each subtopic is assigned to one of 10 major topics - economic development, infrastructure, bud- gets and management, housing, public safety, health and human services, education, energy and environment, government data and technology, and demographics. Speeches are coded as having covered a major topic if the word count for subtopics within that major topic constitutes at least 10 percent of the speech (this minimum threshold measures the extent to which a mayor gave signif- icant coverage of a topic and is calculated based on the average portion of the speech dedicated to a given topic). We code words in a speech only if a mayor indicated a specific plan, goal or impact for 2019 and/ or the future (where a plan is indicated by a reference to money spent on, roadmap to, or timeline of, a project; a goal is indicated by reference to what a mayor hopes for the future; and an impact is indicated by a reference to a direction, suggestion or action for the future). Past accomplishments alone are no longer coded as either topics or subtopics. Mayors this year discussed between one and 55 subtopics within their speeches, with an average of 21 subtopics per speech. In comparison, mayors last year discussed between two and 43 sub- topics within their speeches, with an average of 17 subtopics per speech. Sample breakdown by region 153 Total Speeches South 25% Midwest 22 % Northeast 25% May not add to 100% due to rounding 33 Sample breakdown by population 153 Total Speeches 300,000 or more 13% 100,000- 299,999 25% 50,0( 99,9 24 -ro t.. WL aw p ager a �r�qr ni pi Percentage +i61 61A .;y Parks and Recreation 10 8 63% Downtown Development Coverage by Subtopics Subtopic Number of Speeches Percentage Major Topic Parks and Recreation 97 63% Downtown Development 85 56% • Roads, Streets and Signs 84 55% Police Department 80 52% Housing Supply and Development 69 45% Fire Department 62 41% Water, Sewer and Waste Infrastructure 57 37% Intergovernmental Relations 55 36% Community Development Civic Engagement 53 52 35% 34% • • Pedestrian Infrastructure 52 34% Affordable Housing 49 32% Infrastructure Funding 49 32% Jobs 49 32% • Arts and Culture 48 31% • Youth 42 27% Tourism 42 27% • Brick and Mortar and Physical Retail 38 25% • Public Transit 37 24% Arena and Convention Center 37 24% • Neighborhood Vitalization 36 24% • Homelessness 36 24°% Blight and Demolitions 36 24% Trees and City Landscapes 34 22% Trail 33 22% Government Efficiency and Effectiveness 32 21% INW• • . Zoning and Building Codes 32 21% Hospitals and Clinics 31 20% K-12 30 20% Mental Health 30 20% New Business and Business Expansion 30 20% • Property Tax 28 18% Parking 28 18% Note: Top 25 subtopics overall are bolded. 36 Sub Topic Number of Speeches Percentage Major Topic Career Training and Development 27 18% 1 Education Airport, 27 18% Infrastructure Libraries 27 18% Education Budget Transparency and Planning 27 18% Budgets & Management Clean Energy Economy 25 16% Energy & Environment University and College 25 16% Education Local Government Property 25 16% Infrastructure Water Reuse and Storm Water 25 16% Energy & Environment Bicycle Infrastructure 25 16% Infrastructure Seniors 24 16% Demographics Workforce Development 23 15% Economic Development Ridesharing, TNCs and E -scooters 23 15% Infrastructure Flooding 22 14% Energy & Environment Water and Wastewater Utilities Bridges and Tunnels 22 22 14% Energy & Environment 14% Infrastructure Leadership and Governance 21 14% Budgets & Management Highways Public Safety Education and Initiatives 21 20 14% Infrastructure 13% Public Safety Business Improvement District and Opportunity Zones 20 13% Economic Development Healthy Living and Wellness 20 13% Health & Human Services Trash Service and Waste Management 20 13% Energy & Environment Intergovernmental Aid 20 13% Budgets & Management Data Governance and Performance Management 19 vernment Data 12% Go & Technology Personnel Costs and Wages Community Spirit 19 18 12% Budgets & Management 12% Rail 18 12% Infrastructure Public Works 18 12% Infrastructure Opioids 17 11% Health & Human Services Fiscal Balance and Operational Excellence 17 11% Budgets & Management Solar Power 17 11% Energy & Environment Environmental Health 17 11% Energy & Environment Electric Vehicle 17 11% Energy & Environment Sub Topic Number of Speeches Percentage Major Topic Internet and Broadband 16 10% Infrastructure Education Funding 16 10% Education Local Government Workforce 16 10% Budgets & Management Land Use 16 10% Energy & Environment Research and Development 16 10% Economic Development Diversity 15 10% Demographics Climate Change and Global Warming 15 10% Energy & Environment Out -of -School Time 15 10% Business Attraction and Retention 15 10% Economic Development EMS 15 10% Public Safety Incarceration and Recidivism 14 9% 9% Public Safety Housing Homeownership Assistance Bonds 14 14 9% Budgets & Management Racial Inequity 13 8% Demographics Sales Tax 13 8% Budgets & Management Access to Nutrition and Food Deserts 13 8% Health & Human Services Small Business 13 8% Economic Development Crime 13 8% Public Safety Public Safety Funding 13 8% Public Safety Incubators and Coworking 13 8% 8% Economic Development Figemographics Veterans 13 Immigration 12 8% Demographics Census 2020 12 8% 1 Demographics Rental Housing and Rent Control 12 8% Housing Gender Inequality 12 8% Demographics Cable and Power 12 8% Energy & Environment Senior Housing and Assisted Living Facility 12 8% Disability Services 12 8% Health & Human Services Evictions and Fair Housing 11 7% Housing Traffic Control 11 7% Public Safety Smart City 11 7% vernment Data Go & Technology Family Services 11 7% Demographics 1 37 38 1 Subtopic Number of Speeches Percentage Major Topic Credit Rating 11 7% Energy & Environment Manufacturing 11 7% Public Safety Health & Human Services LED Lighting 11 7% Budgets & Management Disaster Preparedness 11 7% Demographics Electric Utilities 11 7% Demographics �Eq Business Support 10 7% Health & Human Services Sustainability 10 7% Housing School Safety 10 7% Health & Human Services Conservation 10 7% Energy & Environment Entrepreneurship and Startups 10 7% Government Data & Technology Pensions and Pension Reform 9 6% Healthy Homes 9 6% Energy & Environment Minority and Women Owned Business 9 6% 6% Energy & Environment Reserve and Rainy Day Funds 9 Legal System 8 5% Animal Care Center 8 5% Social Media 8 5% 5% . Tech Company Attraction and Tech 8 Entrepreneurship Renovations and Home Improvement 8 5% Recycling 8 5% 5% Pre -K 7 Recreational Marijuana 7 5% Participatory Budgeting 7 5% Innovation Districts 7 5% Tax Expenditure and TIF 7 5% Talent Attraction and Retention 7 5% Substance Abuse and Drug Addiction 7 55:1, 5% Public Safety Drug Offences 7 Access to Education and Inequality 6 4% Economic Development School Outcomes 6 4% 4% Public Safety Land and Housing Trust 6 . ..Number of Speeches Major Topic Energy Efficiency Energy & Environment Children's Health Public Safety Health & Human Services Commercial Tax Budgets & Management Population G. Demographics EVC11-111411 Demographics �Eq Sick and Family Leave Health & Human Services Accessory Dwelling Units Housing Access to Healthcare Health & Human Services Energy & Environment •.- �.. Government Data & Technology Economic InequityDemographics Environmental Education Energy & Environment Energy & Environment Education Government Data & Technology Budgets & Management MappingGIS and Government Data & Technology Wages and Minimum Wage Economic Development Financial Literacy and Empowerment Education ... Housing Energy & Environment HIV, AIDS and STIs Health & Human Services Public Safety Government Data & Technology ChildcareHealth & Human Services Economic . . Economic Development Public Safety Gentrification and DisplacementHousing Demographics Budgets & Management 1 39 40 1 Subtopic Number of Speeches Percentage Major Topic Student Housing 3 2% Housing Short-term Rentals Medical Marijuana 3 2 2% 1% Health & Human Services Community Schools 2 1% Education Cybersecurity 2 - - 1% Government Data & Technology Gas Gas Infrastructure Education and Classroom Technologies 2 2 1% Infrastructure 1% Education Veterans Homelessness 2 1% Housing Ports Sexual Harassment 2 1 1% Infrastructure 1% Foreclosures 1 1% Housing Children's Saving Account 1 1% Education Gas Utilities 1 1% Energy & Environment College Readiness 1 1% Education Achievement Gap 1 1% Education Driverless Vehicle 1 1% Government Data & Technology Tuition and Free College Program 1 1% Education Refugees 1 1% Surplus 1 1% Budgets & Management Gerrymandering 1 1% Demographics Charter Schools 0 0% Education Delinquencies O 0% Deregulation 0 0% Economic Development Health Insurance O 0% Health & Human Services Public Work Funding 0 0% Infrastructure Trade and FDI 0 0% Economic Development 1 41 City Date of Speech Mayor City Date of Speech Mayor City Date of Speech Mayor City Date of Speech Mayor Akron, OH 2/20/2019 Daniel Horrigan Escondido, CA 2/27/2019 Paul McNamara Lexington, SC 2/4/2019 Steve MacDougall Riverbank, CA 3/13/2019 Richard D. O'Brien Albany, NY 1/14/2019 Kathy M. Sheehan Eugene, OR 1/3/2019 Lucy Vinis Lexington, KY 1/22/2019 Linda Gorton Rock Island, IL 1/14/2019 Mike Thorns Allentown, PA 1/18/2019 Ray O'Connell Evanston, IL 3/8/2019 Stephen H. "Steve" Hagerty Little Rock, AR 3/28/2019 Frank Scott Jr. Roseville, MN 2/27/2019 Dan Roe Alpena, MI 3/4/2019 Greg E. Sundin* Everett, WA 1/31/2019 Cassie Franklin Long Beach, CA 1/15/2019 Robert Garcia Rye, NY 1/10/2019 Josh Cohn Amsterdam, NY 1/16/2019 Michael J. Villa Fayetteville, AR 1/15/2019 Lioneld Jordan Lubbock, TX 1/8/2019 Dan Pope Sacramento, CA 2/19/2019 Darrell Steinberg Anaheim, CA 3/5/2019 Harry Sidhu Fernley, NV 2/7/2019 Roy Edgington Jr. Manchester, NH 2/13/2019 Joyce Craig Salt Lake City, UT 1/17/2019 Jackie Biskupski Atlanta, GA 3/14/2019 Keisha Lance Bottoms Fitchburg, MA 2/13/2019 Stephen L. Dinatale Melrose, MA 1/15/2019 Gail Infurna San Diego, CA 1/15/2019 Kevin L. Faulconer Baltimore, MD 3/11/2019 Catherine E. Pugh Fort Wayne, IN 2/13/2019 Tom Henry Memphis, TN 1/28/2019 Jim Strickland San Francisco, CA 1/30/2019 London Breed Baton Rouge, LA 1/17/2019 Sharon Weston Broome Fremont, NE 1/15/2019 Scott Getzschman Merced, CA 2/8/2019 Mike Murphy San Marcos, CA 2/26/2019 Rebecca Jones Beaverton, OR 1/10/2019 Denny Doyle Fremont, CA 3/22/2019 Lily Mei Meridian, ID 2/6/2019 Tammy de Weerd Saratoga Springs, NY 1/29/2019 Meg Kelly Beech Grove, IN 3/14/2019 Dennis Buckley Glendale, AZ 3/7/2019 Jerry Weiers Milwaukee, WI 3/11/2019 Tom Barrett Scottsdale, AZ 2/21/2019 W.J. "Jim" Lane Bentonville, AR 2/12/2019 Stephanie Orman Grand Forks, ND 2/13/2019 Michael R. Brown Milwaukie, OR 2/7/2019 Mark Gamba Seattle, WA 2/19/2019 Jenny Durkan Berea, KY 1/31/2019 Bruce Fraley Grand Rapids, MI 2/25/2019 Rosalynn Bliss Mishawaka, IN 3/25/2019 David A. Wood Shawnee, KS 2/28/2019 Michelle Distler Bessemer, AL 1/28/2019 Kenneth E. Gulley Grandview, MO 1/24/2019 Leonard D. Jones Jr. Mukilteo, WA 3/18/2019 Jennifer Gregerson South Bend, IN 3/12/2019 Pete Buttigieg Bethlehem, PA 3/7/2019 Robert Donchez Greenwood, IN 2/7/2019 Mark W. Myers Naperville, IL 3/18/2019 Steve Chirico Springdale, AR 2/26/2019 Doug Sprouse Biloxi, MS 1/22/2019 Andrew "FoFo" Gilich Hartford, CT 3/11/2019 Luke Bronin Nappanee, IN 1/24/2019 Phil Jenkins St. Paul, MN 3/14/2019 Melvin Carter Binghamton, NY 2/27/2019 Richard C. David Havre de Grace, MD 2/19/2019 William T. Martin New Brunswick, NJ 1/1/2019 James M. "Jim" Cahill St. Petersburg, FL 2/23/2019 Rick Kriseman Birmingham, AL 1/14/2019 Randall L. Woodfin Helena, MT 1/28/2019 Wilmot J. Collins New Rochelle, NY 3/20/2019 Noam Bramson Staunton, VA 2/14/2019 Carolyn W. Dull Bloomington, IN 2/21/2019 John Hamilton Henderson, NV 1/22/2019 Debra March New York, NY 1/10/2019 Bill De Blasio Summit, NJ 1/3/2019 Nora G. Radest Boston, MA 1/15/2019 Marty Walsh Hoboken, NJ 1/29/2019 Ravinder S. "Ravi" Bhalla Newark, NJ 3/12/2019 Ras Baraka Sunny Isles Beach, FL 1/25/2019 George "Bud" Scholl Bowie, MD 2/22/2019 G. Frederick Robinson Huntington, WV 2/15/2019 Stephen T. "Steve" Williams Newton, MA 2/19/2019 Ruthanne Fuller Syracuse, NY 1/17/2019 Ben Walsh Buffalo, NY 2/15/2019 Byron W. Brown Idaho Falls, ID 1/10/2019 Rebecca L. Noah Casper Niagara Falls, NY 3/4/2019 Paul Dyster Tacoma, WA 3/6/2019 Victoria R. Woodards Burlington, VT 4/1/2019 Miro Weinberger Independence, OR 2/21/2019 John McArdle North Port, FL 1/17/2019 Peter D. Lear* Troy, NY 2/5/2019 Patrick Madden Carson City, NV 1/30/2019 Robert "Bob" Crowell Iowa City, IA 2/19/2019 Jim Throgmorton North Ridgeville, OH 1/18/2019 G. David Gillock Tucson, AZ 3/1/2019 Jonathan Rothschild Cary, NC 3/12/2019 Harold Weinbrecht Irvine, CA 2/26/2019 Donald P. "Don" Wagner Norwich, CT 1/7/2019 Peter A. Nystrom Virginia Beach, VA 3/20/2019 Robert M. "Bobby' Dyer Chesapeake, VA 2/22/2019 Richard W. "Rick" West Issaquah, WA 2/7/2019 Mary Lou Pauly Ocean City, NJ 2/28/2019 Jay A. Gillian Vista, CA 1/28/2019 Judy Ritter Clarksville, TN 1/15/2019 Joe Pitts Ithaca, NY 1/2/2019 Svante Myrick Oklahoma City, OK 1/17/2019 David Holt Warsaw, IN 3/12/2019 Joseph M. "Joe' Tallemer Coburg, OR 1/8/2019 Ray Smith Jackson, OH 1/26/2019 Randy Heath Olean, NY 1/2/2019 William J. "Bill" Aiello Warwick, RI 2/27/2019 Joseph J. Solomon Columbia, SC 1/29/2019 Stephen "Steve" Benjamin Jamestown, NY 1/28/2019 Samuel "Sam" Teresi Omaha, NE 3/1/2019 Jean Stothert Washington, IN 2/25/2019 Joe Wellman Columbus, OH 1/31/2019 Andrew J. Ginther Kettering, OH 1/22/2019 Don Patterson Opelika, AL 2/1/2019 Gary Fuller Washington, DC 3/18/2019 Muriel Bowser Cuyahoga Falls, OH 2/21/2019 Don Walters Kingston, NY 1/8/2019 Steven T. "Steve" Noble Palm Coast, FL 4/5/2019 Milissa Holland West Palm Beach, FL 1/24/2019 Jeri Muoio Dayton, OH 2/13/2019 Nan Whaley Kirkland, WA 2/14/2019 Penny Sweet Plainfield, NJ 3/21/2019 Adrian O. Mapp Wheeling, WV 2/26/2019 Glenn Elliot Decatur, GA 2/05/2019 Patti Garrett La Crosse, WI 1/10/2019 Tim Kabat Port Jervis, NY 1/29/2019 Kelly B. Decker Wilmington, DE 3/15/2019 Michael S. Purzycki Detroit Lakes, MN 1/8/2019 Matt Brenk Lakewood, CA 2/6/2019 Steve Croft Portland, ME 1/14/2019 Ethan K. Strimling Winter Park, FL 2/22/2019 Steve Leary Durham, NC 2/18/2019 Steve Schewel Lansing, MI 2/6/2019 Andy Schor Poughkeepsie, NY 3/28/2019 Robert G. "Rob" Rolison Wylie, TX 2/26/2019 Eric Hogue Eagle, ID 2/7/2019 Stan Ridgeway Las Cruces, NM 2/28/2019 Ken Miyagishima Reno, NV 2/5/2019 Hillary Schieve Yountville, CA 2/5/2019 John F. Dunbar Elizabeth, NJ 1/15/2019 J. Christian Bollwage Lawrence, MA 2/5/2019 Daniel "Dan" Rivera Renton, WA 2/28/2019 Denis Law Elk Grove, CA 3/28/2019 Steve Ly Leawood, KS 1/31/2019 Peggy Dunn Revere, MA 2/7/2019 Brian M. Arrigo Emporia, KS 1/16/2019 Danny Giefer Lenexa, KS 2/20/2019 Michael Boehm Richmond, VA 1/31/2019 Levar M. Stoney *Denotes City Manager 143 441 Item Number: 8. jr ;;rw®J� CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Email from Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition: Help for Golfview residents (+ no May community meeting) ATTACHMENTS: Description Email from Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition: Help for Golfview residents (+ no May community meeting) Kellie Fruehling From: Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition <jcaffordablehousing@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 24, 2019 10:31 AM To: Council Subject: Help for Golfview residents (+ no May community meeting) News and Updates from the Johnson County Affordable Is this email not displaying correctly? Housing Coalition! View it in your browser. JOHNSON COUNTY REMINDER: No community meeting this month. See you in June! ACTION OPPORTUNITIES 3 ways you can support affordable housing this month 1) Join with Habitat for Humanity to relocate some residents from Golfview Mobile Home Park. More info at https://www.facebook.com/iowavaIIeyhabitat/, or email their volunteer coordinator at leda(cD_iowavalleyhabitat.org. 2) Register or donate for Shelter House's "Brake the Cycle of Homelessness" bicycle ride. More info at https:Hshelterhouseiowa.org/events/brake- the-cycle-of-homelessness/ 3) Head to Hudson's restaurant on May 29 for a community night benefiting Houses into Homes Event detals at https://www.facebook.com/events/399939610852487/ Copyright © 2019 Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, All rights reserved. mailchimp You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event or meeting. Our mailing address is: Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition 308 E. Burlington St. PMB 121 Iowa City, IA 52240 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list I update subscription preferences I view email in browser 'p Kellie Fruehling Late naudouts Llsulbutetl From: John Thomas Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2019 8:33 AM To: Kellie Fruehling Cc: Geoff Fruin; Jim Throgmorton; Pauline Taylor; Mazaj1ir Salih; Bruce Teague; Susan Mims; Rockne Cole (llate) Subject: EAB Management Guidelines and Community Outreach Hi Kellie, Please provide Council with a late handout of our Urban Forest Management Plan's Appendix H., EAB Management Guidelines and Community Outreach Guidelines. I would like to discuss the status of our EAB response at our next Work Session. Here's the link to the document: https://www8.iowa- city.org/WebLink/0/edoc/1835179/Iowa%20City%20Urban%20Forest%20Management%20PIan%2011-28- 18.pdf Thanks, John John Thomas City Council - District C 1 Appendix H. EAB Management Guidelines & Community Outreach SUMMARIES OF ASH TREES ALONG STREETS Summary of the condition of street ash trees Summary of the size distribution of street ash trees 60% 50% 30% 50% 40% 25/0° 24% 24% 21% 40% 30% 20% 14% 20% 8% 15% 10% 10% . 1% 1% 0% — — 10% 6% a c 5% foo Qoo 0% 0-3in 3-6in 6-12in 12-18in 18-24in 24-30in >30in EAB GUIDELINES & OUTREACH APPROACH The City's approach to emerald ash borer(EAB)management and a summary of ash tree distribution is described in the Vulnerability to Emerald Ash Borer of City-Managed Trees section on page 22. This appendix provides more detail on the guidelines for EAB management and community outreach. As feasible,the City will seek to save trees that are mature but not past '75% of their expected life expectancy as determined by qualified City staff. Among the treatable trees, the City will prioritize trees that contribute the most to streetscapes,for example,at intersections and highly visible areas.The City will seek to avoid extensive eradication of ash trees along any one city block at a given time to minimize the visual,economic,and ecosystem impacts.The City will use these infestations as opportunities to increase tree diversity during replanting. The citizens of Iowa City can be informed about EAB and the management procedures,plans,options,and status on the City's website (www.icgov.org/emeraldashborer) and through outreach materials that are in development. Citizens will be given the opportunity to treat or cost-share on the treatment of public trees that they want to save.These guidelines and approaches may be applied to future tree pest and disease issues. The City provided a presentation on the Emerald Ash Borer Response Plan in March of 2016.In the presentation, information regarding homeowner treatment options was provided. The table below summarizes the options available for homeowners to treat ash trees on their private property. Tree Size Type of Application Active Ingredient Trunk circumference Time of Application (diam. @ 4.5ft-dhb) Imidacloprid Up to 60" Mid-April to mid-May or Soil drench (1.47%) (20" dbh) Early Aug to mid-Sept Imidacloprid Up to 60" Soil drench (21,4%) (20" dbh) Early Aug to mid-Sept Soil drench Imidacloprid, Up to 60" Mid-April to mid-May or Clothianidin (20" dbh) Early Aug to mid-Sept Granular Dinotefuran Up to 36" (2%) (12 dbh) Mid-April to mid-May Imidacloprid, Up to 36" Granular Mid April to mid-May Clothianidin (12"dbh) Granular Imidacloprid Up to 36" Mid-April to mid-May Iowa City Urban Forest Management Plan I xxv � 1_,;,p CITY OF IOWA CITY hER alle mini MEMORANDUM Late Handouts Distributed Date: June 4, 2019 To: Mayor and City Council ( — q — lc) From: Kellie K. Fruehling, City Clerk (Date) Re: KXIC Radio Show KXIC offers a City show at 8:20 AM every Wednesday morning. In the past Council has volunteered for dates, and staff filled in as necessary. Please take a look at your calendars and come prepared to help fill in the schedule at your work session on June 4. Wednesday June 5 — LaTasha DeLoach, Senior Center Coordinator (Senior Center Events) June 12 —Throgmorton June 19 — June 26 — July 3 — July 10 — July 17 — July 24— July 31 - ** Please remember that KXIC is very flexible with taping the sessions ahead of the show. S:CIk/Council KXIC Radio Schedule/radioshowasking.doc Item Number: 9. jr ;;rw®J� CITY OC IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 30, 2019 Human Rights Commission: May 15 ATTACHMENTS: Description Human Rights Commission: May 15 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Members Present: Jeff Falk, Cathy McGinnis, Bijou Maliabo, Jessica Ferdig, Barbara Kutzko, Adil Adams, Noemi Ford, Jonathon Munoz. Members Absent: Tahuanty Pena. Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers. Others Present: Andre' Wright, Wangui Gathua, RaQuishia Harrington, Charlie Eastham, Royceann Porter, Angelica Vannatta. Recommendation to Council: No. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:42 PM. Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant: Chair Pena could not make the meeting due to a work conflict. Falk began the meeting with a reading of an email sent by Pena. 1) Our goal is to continuously improve a process which is fair and inclusive. 2) The current process reflects a ranking based on aggregate information from all commissioners. 3) We would greatly appreciate that if you think a part of the process didn't work well, please tell us about different approaches that would improve it. Falk then opened the floor to any comments from the public. Andre' Wright asked for the Commission to clearly state what the process is for the grants. Falk provided an overview of the process that including, how each Commissioner reads through the grants individually and does their own scoring and then at the end all rankings are put together and averaged. That ranking is provisional and then Commissioners are asked if anyone wants to make any comments on the rankings so the rankings at that meeting are not written in stone the meeting is the purpose to discuss as a group the applicants. Falk noted that usually the rankings are accepted, and no one has any comment that changes any one's consideration of the rankings except for this year there was a change. Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Munoz added that the process is at some level like a communal process, City Council gives guidelines and a matrix to score, the Commission just recommends, the Council ultimately makes the final decision. Organizations that are not recommended by the Commission to be funded can always go to Council to voice their concern. Kutzko mentioned the first year was really trial and error but this evening she wants to hear from those in attendance to hear their comments and suggestions. Commissioners want to do the right thing in their decisions and reach out to those in most need. Wangui Gathua asked: How much is the grant? What is the turn around? Munoz mentioned that in the last funding year the Commission did allow for organizations to receive consecutive funding which concerned him. Staff mentioned that the Commission should distinguish between consecutive funding for the same organization in the same project versus consecutive funding of an organization with a new project and that the total amount of the grant is $75,000. Ferdig noted that an organization can ask for the full amount. There are no rules and regulations on how much an organization can ask for. RaQuishia Harrington representing Sankofa Outreach Connection mentioned that they were one of the first grant recipients. Sankofa has since applied in the last two grant cycles but through the process they have thought about what they were doing and how to make improvements. Unlike a lot of other applicants, they did not have established funds and it did help them to receive the grant. She then inquired as to whether there are guidelines that all Commissioners follow. And asked why Commissioners chose to continue to give funding to the same organizations because it discourages other organizations from applying. Her suggestion is to look at those new up and coming organization that don't have a lot of funds to begin with. She would like to see more consistency in the scoring process. Munoz asked her if she believes Sankofa should get funded over an organization that has not received funding, should the Commission take that into consideration? Harrington said the Commission should take that into account. But added that organizations should be looking for additional funding too. Ferdig would like to see improvements to the rubric. There is a lot in there that would allow a Commissioner to apply their own criteria and not create consistency amongst them. 2 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Falk believes the rubric plays off the application. Each Commissioner has their own set of values that they bring to scoring an application. Falk mentioned in the last funding period the rubric had three additional boxes after each section for other items Commissioners might have considered in evaluating an application. Falk said the budget is taken as legitimate. The Commission in the past has not questioned a budget and so amounts that are funded are not halved or split. Charlie Eastham serves on the Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC). He noted that some organizations that are applying for the social justice and racial equity grant are new. HCDC makes the recommendations to Council on who should be funded through aid to agencies which has significantly larger funds than the social justice and racial equity funding. He would like to see a process where just starting out agencies could receive funding through the social justice and racial equity grant and then, if they become established, could then go apply for funding through aid to agencies for more long-term funding support. Staff asked for clarification. Eastham reported that ideally there would be a process set up whereby the Commission would allocate their funding for new organizations but not exclusively with the goal being they would have some path to the aid to agency funding. Royceann Porter serves as a Supervisor but is here today in her capacity as a member of Black Voices Project. She started by asking the Commission to individually tell her what social justice and racial equity means to them. She added when we talk about the grass roots organization in the community, they are all doing great work. Johnson County through JJYD gives out $200,000 and every year it is the same agencies and organizations. Because of this new organizations do not even stand a chance. She is aware of organizations doing great work that have not received the social justice and racial equity grant. For example, The Dream Center, Jones Academy of Performing Arts. Humanize my Hoodie, and the Fifth Ward Saints. If you would ask these organizations why they do not apply for grants they will tell you there is no point. It is always the same people who receive all the money, even though they are the organizations doing the work. She would suggest when the Commission receives these applications they should go out and into the community to see what work they do. We all know what Crisis Center does, what DVIP does, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, Shelter House. Johnson County just gave Shelter House $630,000. She added we have to do better. The people doing the work are the people getting screwed. They are the ones who aren't eligible for the funding. Did anyone consider the 3 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall question that is asked on your application, have you received grants before and if so, how long and for how much. She further noted that the budget is the most important thing for Commissioners to look at. Just because they ask for X amount doesn't mean they need X amount to do it. When you look at these bigger organizations, for example Big Brother Big Sister, Johnson County Neighborhood Centers they close at 5. Who are the people out doing the work after these places close There has got to be a way for the Commission to come together and figure this out. The pot should be set for everybody. It would be good if the Commission, after you give the money, to go out and do site visits with the organizations you funded. Look at what you are doing because you are hurting the people that are doing the work. Maliabo replied that she did reach out to Jones Academy of Performing Arts and asked them to apply and she does not know why they did not apply. Porter responded that organizations are tired of the system and how it is set up. Why apply if we know we are not going to get the funding. She furthered encouraged Commissioners to go out and see what the Center for Worker Justice does, G World, and The Dream Center. Munoz added that he does pay attention to the budget. For his own rankings he does look at who has received funding in the past and that he did oppose funding Shelter House because they had received funding in the last grant cycle. Social Justice for him is correcting the natural distributions and inequities. Porter then invited Andre' Wright back up to the podium. She then spoke on how Humanize My Hoodie, which had applied for grant funding in the last grant cycle meets the criteria of the grant, for example, builds community, education, and criminal justice. She could not understand not giving them the money but giving another organization money to take people to the movies. When Wright is out there educating on implicit bias. Angelica Vannatta served on the Marion Human Rights Commission and works at the Shelter House. The Marion Human Rights Commission has a similar grant that uses motel tax revenue to support the fund. She feels that the current application used by the Commission is very straight forward. It appears the biggest learning curve for the Commission has been the scoring process. So, what Marion did was use a scoring rubric that had weighted questions. They also had a smaller group of commissioners evaluate all the applications and give a recommendation to the entire commission. After which they all discuss the recommendation at a regular commission meeting. 4 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Vannatta believes that the Commission should continue the informational sessions but should add a part that provides some perspective for organizations who have not applied for grant funding in the past. Because she works for Shelter House, she did point out that the funding they have received from the Commission for two different projects were not funded by any other grants the Shelter House has received. She also reported that it may appear that Shelter House gets everything, but they do not. She ended her comments by asking Commissioners to consider whether for profit organization should be allowed to apply and to think about how the Commission can encourage collaborations between organizations. For example, Shelter House can do a joint application with The Dream Center. Eastman spoke again to support the comments made by Porter. He agrees that there are a number of predominantly Black and Hispanic organizations that are doing great work and at a level and effectiveness of other organizations. He hopes that this Commission and HCDC can work with the Council to establish a system of priorities and preferences so that those groups can, if not recruited, at least apply and receive support from this City in an easier and more effective manner. Falk touched on his experience of serving on three rounds of the social justice and racial equity grant process and how he still struggles with the difference between social justice and social service. He was hoping that eventually the Commission would have a discussion with each other and with the persons in attendance on trying to get a better handle on what that is supposed to mean. He looks upon social justice as not being about whether an organization is for profit or not but as fighting against the injustices that exist. Social service is supposed to ameliorate those injustices by finding somebody who is somehow not being treated the way they should and trying to figure out a way to fit them in the system so that they can get more advantages from the system. In his mind that is not combating a system that is trying to fit somebody into it. But he thinks there is a lot of injustice inherent in the system and that those things have to be combated but he does not see any of the organizations who applied for the grant as fitting that definition of social justice I see them as trying to ameliorate things. And he doesn't know if an organization that is militant would be the kind to get a grant or think of applying for a grant from the City because the City is something that keeps the process going, keeps the system going. There are inequities in and throughout the City and so he was hoping the Commission would have some kind of discussion about that. Falk noted that staff prepared a memorandum which recommended for the Commission to define social justice and racial equity and gave some examples and he cannot think of any application that would fit into that definition because it was really changing 5 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall policies, institutions, and structures and not really fitting people into existing institutions and structures. Falk responded to Porter's comments about knowing what groups are doing and how do you get to know what groups are doing. Well you go out and find out, that is one way. You also have a space on the application where the group fills out what they are doing, and you can try to get information that way. Being on the Commission doesn't give insight into hardly anything because in order to get the insight you have to be out in the community seeing, feeling and hearing what is being done. Porter then commented on a dance troupe she had in the past and that she had applied for a $7500 grant from the AM Rotary and they (AM Rotary) asked her to bring the kids to their 7AM meeting. So, she took 64 kids and their parents to the meeting. So it is not just a matter of going to them but asking for groups to come to you. Falk taking off on that said that a question could be added to the application for organizations to provide a time or place where a few Commissioners can go and get a sense of what work they do. Kutzko mentioned it is disheartening that there are things being done, very important things, in this community and that people are afraid to apply or reluctant to apply because they have not been funded and that they really need the funding to be successful. Is there someway to encourage persons from those organizations to come to a Commission meeting at some point or can the Commission send someone there to talk to or encourage them to apply. She thinks it is important for those organizations to get involved and apply and for the Commission to reconsider its selection criteria because she thinks there are a lot of wonderful organizations that are being overlooked. There are a lot of things being done that are not being properly funded and therefore cannot move forward. Adams noted that at past meetings he has mentioned more funding from the Council so the Commission can support more organizations. Because all these organizations are doing good work and if there is more money, he thinks the Commission can distribute it to a lot of organizations and right now the Commission only has $75,000 and had 28 applications if the Commission had $150,000 maybe they could give to more organizations. Vannatta then asked the Commission to consider a grant limit so that if you have $75,000 you say up to $5000 that way you could award more organizations. Gathua then responded with the definition of social justice. Those of us in that field have played around with many words to address it even social justice is blanket it is not 50 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall addressing it and so I will go with racism and discrimination. But she will leave it there and not go into that. She thanked Kutzko for the opening. Gathua wonders if the application can allow for an additional question to set a date to come visit to see what groups are doing. Munoz believes that as a practical matter he feels the problem is it will be hard to coordinate because of quorums but every Commissioner in their individual capacity or in a subcommittee could go visit. Gathua mentioned when you talk about people being discouraged from applying how do you ensure that the historic social justice is not routine. Maliabo said to invite us to your events so we know about events and organizations Munoz said organizations can also arrange to come and speak with the Commission at their monthly meetings by contacting staff, but this shouldn't dissuade Commissioners from going out to visit groups still. Ferdig on a personal level wants a process that is unbiased and fair and a systematic process for evaluation. She does not want the Commission to spend time at an organization and give it money and then hear the "oh you favored them for X, Y, and Z She feels the commission needs to come up with a system, a process that captures what things are occurring and what is being done in all organizations but that can also be evaluated fairly and justified by this Commission. She believes that is the most difficult thing. How to create a perfect process. She does not have an answer for how to create a perfect process. Ford mentioned that she is in her first year on the Commission and did not participate in the process this funding cycle (due to a conflict). One thought that has been emerging in her brain is that it is an extremely painful place to be to be exercising justice and our community needs a lot of it. She also knows that $75,000 per year will not solve all the pain the City is suffering from but that it shouldn't mean we don't try. But she also thinks there is not a perfect system, we are fighting national, international, systemic, structural injustices. She agrees with Ferdig that the Commission does need to figure out on their meaning of what this grant is and how to define fairness and justice both are culturally bound. We need to look at our own local culture to see what is fair in our community and that is not an easy task, but she appreciated, I appreciate all the points that is what we are here for to hear what it is like for those applying. I think more of these community exchanges will help us find maybe not the perfect way but the best we can. 7 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission May 15, 2019 Helling Conference Room, City Hall Falk, I want to thank all of you for participating this evening. I appreciate and I regret that it doesn't often happen. In terms of people who are working for your community and many of you are and that is what prompted you to say something it gives me a lot more things to think about and how to do things. Kutzko I want to say thank you too because your input here tonight has given us a lot. Thank you for taking the time. Maliabo don't be discouraged from applying again. Commissioners will make suggestions for change in the rubric, the mission statement, and the application, item by item. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn at 7:13 PM. Member Attendance Sheet Member Term Exp. 118 1/24 2/19 3/19 4/16 5/15 5/21 6118 7/16 8/20 9/17 10/15 11/19 12/10 Maliabo 1/2021 Present Present Present Present Present Present McGinnis 1/2021 Present Present Present Present Present Present Munoz 1/2021 Excused Present Present Present Present Present Kutzko 1/2020 Present Present Present Present Present Present Falk 1/2020 Present Present Present Present Present Present Pena 1/2020 Present Present Excused Present Present Excused Adams 1/2D22 Excused Present Present Present Present Present Ferdi 1/2022 Present Present Present Present Present Present Ford 1/2022 Present Excused Present Excused Present Present KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting --- = Not a Member