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Home My WebLink About2009-05-28 Info Packet~ = 1 .~" ~i~~~ --ti...~ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET May 28, 2009 JUNE 1 COUNCIL WORK SESSION IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agenda IP2 Memorandum from JCCOG Executive Director: JCCOG Affordable Housing Taskforce Summary IP3 Memorandum from the Director of Housing & Inspection Services and the Housing Administrator: Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Tenant Termination Criteria IP4 Summary of Pending Work Session Items [submitted by the Interim City Manager] MISCELLANEOUS IP5 Memorandum from the Assistant City Attorney: Bradley S. Arvidson Letter/Dog named T-Bear [Letter from Bradley Arvidson distributed to Council 5/25] IP6 Memorandum from the Director of Planning & Community Development to the Interim City Manager: Letter of request regarding Communication Center tower site on 420tH Street IP7 Memorandum from the Associate Planner: Historic Preservation and Energy Efficiency IP8 Memorandum from the Director of Public Works and the Director of Planning and Community Development: Update: Flood-related activities IP9 Media Release: Downpayment Assistance Program for New Homes IP10 Police Department P.A.U.L.A. Report -April 2009 IP11 Letter from Lee Grassley to the City Clerk: Channel changes IP12 Invitation: Ribbon Cutting at Creekside Park Pavilion Saturday, May 30, 2009 IP13 Invitation: Iowa City Shelter House Groundbreaking July 1, 2009 DRAFT MINUTES IP14 Housing and Community Development Commission: May 4, 2009 IP15 Telecommunications Commission: April 27, 2009 IP16 Police Citizens Review Board: May 26, 2009 IP17 Historic Preservation Commission: May 14, 2009 1 ~~i~®i~ ~'~~~+~~~~~ CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET -.~•ti..:_._ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org May 28, 2009 ~ JUNE 1 COUNCIL WORK SESSION / ~ IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agenda IP2 Memorandum from CCOG Executive Director: JCCOG Affordable ousing Taskforce Summary IP3 Memorandum from the Director of Housing & Inspection Se ices and the Housing Administrator: Housing Ch ice Voucher (HCV) Tenant Termina on Criteria IP4 Summary of Pending Work ssion Items [submitted by the I terim City Manager] CELLANEOUS IP5 Memorandum from the Assistant Cit~Attorney: Bradley S. Arvidson Letter/Dog named T-Bear \ , IP6 Memorandum from the Director of Planni & C mmunity Development to the Interim City Manager: Letter of request regarding Co munication Center tower site on 420tH Street IP7 Memorandum from the Associate Planner: ~stdric Preservation and Energy Efficiency IP8 Memorandum from the Director of Publ' Development: Update: Flood-related IP9 Media Release: Downpayment Ass IP10 Police Department P.A.U.L.A. R IP11 Letter from Lee Grassley to IP12 Invitation: Ribbon Cutting orks arltd the Director of Planning and Community ance Progra -April 2009 Clerk: Channel chan Creekside Park Pavilion IP13 Invitation: Iowa City Sh~.~lter House Groundbreaking Juty 1, DRAFT MINUTES ,May 30, 2009 IP14 Housing and ~ommunity Development Commission: May 4, 2009 IP15 Telecomm~~iications Commission: April 27, 2009 IP16 Police Citizens Review Board: May 26, 2009 New Homes IP17 Historic Preservation Commission: May 14, 2009 ~ _ 1 OS-28-09 i `m p ' "'~'®'~~ City Council Meeting Schedule and -.~.~._ CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas May 28, zoos www.icgov.org • THURSDAY, MAY 28 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Council Work Session- Priority-setting • MONDAY, JUNE 1 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session ^ Planning and Zoning Items "a,c,d" ^ JCCOG Affordable Housing Task Force Recommendations (ref /P#2] • Housing Authority Termination Policies (ref IP#3] • Council Appointments ^ Agenda Items ^ Information Packet Discussion (5/21 & 5/28] • Council Time ^ Process for evaluating City Attorney & City Clerk ^ Schedule of Pending Discussion Items (ref IP#4] ^ Upcoming Community Events/Council Invitations • Discussion of Meeting Schedules • TUESDAY, JUNE 2 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE • MONDAY, JUNE 15 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session • TUESDAY, JUNE 16 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, JUNE 29 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Council Work Session • TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, JULY 6 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:OOp Regular Council Work Session 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Continue Council Work Session if necessary • MONDAY, JULY 27 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Council Work Session • TUESDAY, JULY 28 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7.OOp Special Formal Council Meeting 1 ~_~~ ~~~ ~_ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas May 28, Zoos www.icgov.org • MONDAY, AUGUST 17 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session • TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Johnson County Health and 4:OOp Joint Meeting Human Services Bldg • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Council Work Session • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting r r~~ Date: May 27, 2009 To: Iowa City City Council From: John Yapp, Executive Director ~`/•rY~ Re: JCCOG Affordable Housing Taskforce Summary JCCO '"Z m e m o At its May 20 meeting, the JCCOG Urbanized Area Policy Board formally approved the formation of the JCCOG Affordable Housing Committee. This standing committee was the main recommendation of the initial JCCOG Affordable Housing discussion group, which was made up largely of elected officials. It was felt that a standing committee including representatives of local governments, the school districts, the University, and local agencies involved in the management, construction, and sale of property would help lay the groundwork for more consistent and frequent discussions of affordable housing policies. The mission of the standing committee will be to: 1. Share information and work toward promoting consistency in affordable housing policies and procedures; 2. Be a forum for exchanging best practices and other relevant information between communities and housing organizations; and 3. Build the regional knowledge base with respect to affordable housing programs and opportunities. There have also been some specific topics which the standing committee will be discussing. These include Enterprise Zone designations, redevelopment opportunities, definitions to barriers of affordable housing, promotion of consistency in the interpretation of building codes and inclusionary zoning/inclusionary housing policies. As the committee is being formed under the JCCOG, it will be a discussion group and advisory only. This committee will not have the authority to legislate or create any policy. One of the conclusions of the JCCOG Affordable Housing discussion group is that individual local governments have the authority to implement affordable housing policies and programs; if there is an interest in Iowa City moving forward with the creation of new affordable housing programs or policies, I recommend that be done through your Community Development and/or Housing Authority departments. For reference, I have attached the summary from the initial Affordable Housing Taskforce meetings. I will be available at your June 1 meeting to address any questions. jccogadmlmem/AHTsummary.doc Report from Johnson County Affordable Housing Task Force February 24, 2009 Facilitated bv: Jeff Schott Institute of Public Affairs University of Iowa REPORT FROM JOHNSON COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE FEBRUARY 24, 2UU9 Introduction The Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County requested the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) of The University of Iowa to assist the Johnson County Affordable Housing Task Force to discuss the findings and recommendations of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Market Analysis conducted in December 2007 by Mullin and Lonergan Associates and to determine whether there may be consensus among Johnson County local governments and other organizations regarding regional cooperation for implementation of the report's recommendations. Process Representatives of IPA and the Housing Trust Fund met in late May/early June 2008 with officials of the following agencies: City of Iowa City, City of Coralville, Johnson County, Iowa City Community School District, City of North Liberty and The University of Iowa. Based on those meetings, it was determined that there was general interest in exploring the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Market Analysis and identifying which of these recommendations should be undertaken on a regional basis. Due to the June 2008 floods, this project was suspended for several months. In late Fall 2008, the organizations agreed to resume the initiative. The Task Force held meetings on December 18, 2008 and February 24, 2009. Meeting notes from these sessions are attached to this report. 2 Recommendations The Task Force reached consensus to send the following recommendations to the JCCOG Board: A. It is acknowledged that for affordable housing programs and policies, decision-making rests at the local government level and there are different demographics and issues in each of our entities. However, Johnson County communities should work together to improve and clarify public understanding of the benefits of quality, high density, multi- familyhousing. B. While some of the recommendations can only be addressed by each respective jurisdiction (such as potential for enterprise zones and possible redevelopment areas) it would be helpful to build regional capacity to implement these opportunities and to strive for consistency in how they are handled across the jurisdictions. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the task force that JCCOG investigate and provide information about best practices regarding: ^ Inclusionary housing policies. ^ Enterprise zone designations. ^ Redevelopment opportunities. C. JCCOG should continue to work to create an environment for collaboration and cooperation. The participation and involvement of the University of Iowa is important, as well as input from other stakeholders such as the school district, major employers, nonprofits and housing related businesses (realtors, homebuilders, etc.). In order to encourage collaboration and cooperation, the task force specifically recommends that the JCCOG Board: ^ Create a standing committee that includes local government staff, officials and other stakeholders. The charge of this standing committee would be to 1) share information and work toward promoting consistency in affordable housing development policies and procedures; 2) be a forum for exchanging `best practices' and other relevant information; and 3) build the regional knowledge base with respect to affordable housing programs and opportunities. ^ In five years, conduct another affordable housing market analysis to re-evaluate affordable housing needs and determine status of progress of achieving affordable housing goals and implementation of recommended action steps. D. It is the task force's understanding that it is has completed its work by considering the Market Analysis and making recommendations to the JCCOG Board. 3 Final Comments It was a pleasure to assist the Johnson County Affordable Housing Task Force with this process. I was extremely impressed with the level of cooperation and positive attitudes of the organizations involved in this important effort. Jeff Schott Institute of Public Affairs University of Iowa March 9, 2009 4 JCCOG Affordable Housing Task Force Notes from meeting of December 18, 2008 Members Present: Amy Correia (Iowa City), Louise From (University Heights), Cathy Fountain (University of Iowa), Tim Krumm (ICCSD), Gerry Kuhl (North Liberty), John Weihe (Coralville), Royce Phillips (Tiffin) Staff Members Present: John Yapp, Kent Ralston (JCCOG); Steve Long, Steve Rackis (Iowa City); Ellen Habel (Coralville); Lane Plugge (ICCSD) Others Present: Maryann Dennis (The Housing Fellowship), Karen Kubby (FAIR); Rebecca Reiter (League of Women's Voters); Dan Smith (Homebuilders Association); Andy Johnson (Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County), Jeff Schott (UI Institute of Public Affairs) I. John Yapp and Andy Johnson provided a brief summary of the process that has resulted in the formation of the task force. Members, staff and others present introduced themselves. II. Jeff Schott of the University of Iowa's Institute of Public Affairs summarized the process that will be used for the meeting. The task force will consider each of the nine recommendations given in the Affordable Housing Mazket Analysis. For each recommendation, the following questions will be addressed: 1. Has anything changed since December, 2007 that affects this recommendation? 2. What additional information is needed in order to consider implementation of this recommendation? 3. Does implementation of this recommendation require regional action? Must it be local? Is there some aspect that can be addressed regionally? III. 1. Work to change public perception of higher density, multi-family affordable housing. (Specific recommendations include public education about benefits of housing, putting a human face on workforce housing, encourage quality design by affordable housing developers and publicizing the report.) Are there anv changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ A major change is the economy. People are more likely to know someone who is affected. It also means that it is even more important to address. ^ Members felt that the perception hasn't changed or has even gotten worse. ^ Coralville has adopted some regulations to make sure that higher density is viewed as safe. This helps the public perception. ^ There is more diversity in the community, including a greater diversity of housing options. Do the changes affect the recommendation? It was the consensus of the group that this recommendation is still valid. (Additional comment: Good property managers have good property and good tenants. Poor managers have poor property. This is seen by some as the main factor that affects public perception.) Is there additional information that would be helpful to have in implementing this recommendation? An interest was expressed in learning more about what other communities have done and finding out if these efforts have had an impact. (Additional comment: The language used is important. Who is being targeted and who is being described.) Should implementation be regional or local? It was the consensus that this can and should be done regionally. Having a consistent message across jurisdictions is important and helpful. How should local governments be involved?_ Pros and cons of government spearheading this effort were discussed. Greater support for a community collaboration was expressed. Clear consensus reached that it would be helpful to know what types of information have been disseminated in other communities and whether it's been helpful. 2. Revise public policies to create an environment in which affordable housing opportunities can be created without obstacles. (Specific recommendations include increasing the amount of land available for multi-family housing and zoning concurrently with all annexation actions.) Are there any changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ Development in the North Corridor has been controversial and issues are still in court. Significant opposition was raised to development of $200,000 homes. Public opposition to even higher density would be significant. ^ Discussion regarding requirements of state law. In general, annexed land is automatically zoned and the lowest residential zone. ^ Communities are reluctant to specify zoning until a developer asks for it. • Fringe area agreements were also mentioned. Do the changes affect the recommendation? Is there additional information that would be helpful to have in implementing this recommendation? Communities shared their perspectives: ^ Coralville is trying to do more with existing land and urban renewal. Cardinal Ridge includes some higher density and that was accomplished by working with the developer. Multifamily is a zoning issue, not part of the comprehensive plan. ^ For Iowa City the issue is whether the zoning goal is included in the comprehensive plan. Otherwise, preemptively "spot zoning" would be opposed if not part of the plan. Also, a question was posed whether or not there is an accepted "standard" percent of multi- family zoning based on population. 6 Should implementation be regional or local? The school district in interested in seeing this addressed regionally as a lack of suitable housing options results in concentrations of poverty which puts a strain on certain schools. Zoning is specific to each community but ari interest was expressed in having increased dialogue from all communities. A corollary to transportation planning was cited. The planning is done regionally, but each jurisdiction adopts its own plan. How should local governments be involved? 3. Adopt a mandatory inclusionary housing ordinance to meet the significant unmet need for affordable housing. (Specific recommendations include having specific incentives offered in exchange for specific measures to be undertaken by a developer.) Are there any changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ The change in the economy was again sited as a change. With greater unemployment, the need for affordable housing options is even greater. ^ Loss of homes as a result of the flood have also impacted this need. ^ On the other hand, the downturn in the economy has also affected the amount of development. There have not been any new subdivisions planned recently. Some developments have been delayed, stopped altogether, or gone into bankruptcy. Do the chances affect the recommendation? Is there additional information that would be helpful to have in implementing this recommendation? ^ Has it worked in other areas similar to Johnson County? Has it been done regionally? Should implementation be regional or local? Inclusionary zoning would probably be more effective if implemented on a regional basis, but several communities indicated that they would be unlikely to pursue a mandatory zoning ordinance. One option suggested is that communities look at a voluntary plan which would have the effect of elevating the interest of the communities and providing a message to the development community that these efforts are supported. How should local ¢overnments be involved? Although some communities were not interested in a mandatory ordinance, there was some interested expressed in exploring what incentives might be provided and to identify points of commonality among communities. 4. Potential redevelopment areas in Iowa City present opportunities for new affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization. Are there anv changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ Redevelopment opportunities are present in other communities. 7 ^ The flooding has provided opportunity for redevelopment. ^ There is now more potential for diverse housing options, including some affordable in the mix. Do the changes affect the recommendation? Is there additional information that would be helpful to have in implementing this recommendation? Should implementation be regional or local? It was the consensus that this can and should be done regionally. Because the infrastructure is in place, there may also be the easiest to accomplish. How should local governments be involved? 5. Prioritize the preservation of existing affordable housing units. Work to change public perception of higher density, multi-family affordable housing. (Specific recommendations include working to ensure that housing stock with expiring subsidies are not converted to market rate units and preserving and rehabilitating the existing supply of mobile home parks.) Are there any changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ Flooding damaged a large number of affordable units. ^ A number of changes on the federal level that may affect the amount of funding available for rehabilitation efforts. ^ Communities have rehabilitation programs when funding is available. Do the changes affect the recommendation? Is there additional information that would be helpful to have in implementing this recommendation? Information about additional avenues of funding would be useful. Should implementation be regional or local? Implementation of rehabilitation programs is generally on a local level but communication among communities about existing efforts and potential funding sources is important. How should local governments be involved? 6. Treat affordable housing developers as a special class of developer. (Specific recommendations include a streamlined permitting process, participating in the cost of financing infrastructure improvements and waive local fees for affordable housing.) Are there any changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ The potential availability of industrial development revenue bonds as a source of financing was cited. Do the changes affect the recommendation? Is there additional information that would be helpful to have in implementing this recommendation? There was an interest in having information about what is being done now in the area (for example, some communities waive certain fees for project by certain nonprofits) as well as information about what a streamlined permitting process would look like. Public input is important. Also discussed were the benefits and risks of using TIF for funding infrastructure for housing. Some communities feel they have done all they can to streamline the process. Concern was also expressed about adopting this as a goal without more clarification. Should implementation be regional or local? Permitting is done locally. Consensus was reached that a goal would be to strive for regional consistency among rules, fees and other requirements that are adopted and enforced on a local basis. Communication between planning departments and developers about what could be done and education of developers could be pursued on a regional basis. How should local governments be involved? N. As agreed, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 PM. Three recommendations are left to address as well as determining whether consensus exists for future action items. The next meeting was set for Monday, January 12th from 2 to 5 PM, again in the Coralville City Council Chambers. The task force indicated an interest in coming up with some recommendations that the communities can go forward with. 9 JCCOG Affordable Housing Task Force Notes from meeting of February 24, 2009 Members Present: Amy Correia (Iowa City), Louise From (University Heights), George Hollins (University of Iowa), Tim Krumm (ICCSD), Gent' Kuhl (North Liberty), Henry Herwig (Coralville), Royce Phillips (Tiffin) Rod Sullivan (Johnson County) Staff Members Present: John Yapp, (JCCOG); Steve Rackis (Iowa City); Lane Plugge (ICCSD) Others Present: Brad Houser (,Rebecca Reiter (League of Women's Voters); Dan Smith (Homebuilders Association); Andy Johnson (Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County), Jeff Schott (UI Institute of Public Affairs) I. Andy Johnson welcomed the task force. Individual members of the task force and audience introduced themselves. Jeff Schott of the University of Iowa's Institute of Public Affairs summarized the process so far and reviewed the recommendations that have been discussed. The next step was to discuss the remaining three recommendations. II. 7. Seek State Housing Enterprise Zone designation. Are there any changes since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ Flooding has impacted this. There are more areas that fit the designation and the rules have changed so that larger areas can be used. The group was not sure if there were any limits on the size. Enterprise zones areaway to use rehabilitation and revitalization to attract new development and economic activity. 8. Dedicate specific sources of revenue to finance affordable housing development over the long term. Are there any changes since the report that affect this recommendation? Johnson provided a summary of progress made last year on securing dedicated funding for the State Housing Trust Fund, which provides funding to local housing trust funds such as the one in Johnson County. General funds have also been committed by Johnson County, Coralville, North Liberty and Iowa City. Discussion of other local funding sources. Many, such as an increase in the recorders fee, would require action by the state legislature before it could be done locally. 9. Create an environment for collaboration and cooperation. Are there an~chan~es since the report that affect this recommendation? ^ The task force felt that its work was a reflection of this recommendation. However, MUCH has changed since the study that impacts what can be done. As a result of the flooding, cities are stretched financially and staff is stretched in terms of time and energy. In addition, the housing industry has been hurt by the economy and builders are finding it harder to participate in community efforts. Builders are, however, also interested in new 10 models, due to a slowdown in the market which presents cities with an opportunities as well if incentives can be found. The economy has impacted financial institutions and lending requirements. The flooding has impacted the University in many ways, including the ability to attract new students (particularly art and music). The assumption that our economy is immune from the factors that affect others may not hold true in the future. There is currently a hiring freeze. The impact of budget cuts may not be felt for 6 to 12 months. III. Where do we go from here? As a framework for discussion, Jeff Schott suggested that the task force consider the following steps: 1. Identify which recommendations should be implemented on a regional basis. 2. Prioritize them. 3. Forward these recommendations to the JCCOG Board for consideration/amendment/approval. The JCCOG Board can then decide how to formulate an action plan. 4. Remainder of the recommendations can go to the communities for individual action. The task force then considered each recommendation in turn and decided whether or not it could be addressed regionally. The result of this discussion was to reach consensus to send the following recommendations to the JCCOG Board (The task force determined there was no need for prioritizing their recommendations to the JCCOG Board): D. It is acknowledged that for affordable housing programs and policies, decision- making rests at the local government level and there are different demographics and issues in each of our entities. However, Johnson County communities should work together to improve and clarify public understanding of the benefits of quality, high density, multi-family housing. E. While some of the recommendations can only be addressed by each respective jurisdiction (such as potential for enterprise zones and possible redevelopment areas) it would be helpful to build regional capacity to implement these opportunities and to strive for consistency in how they are handled across the jurisdictions. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the task force that JCCOG investigate and provide information about best practices regarding: ^ Inclusionary housing policies. ^ Enterprise zone designations. ^ Redevelopment opportunities. F. JCCOG should continue to work to create an environment for collaboration and cooperation. The participation and involvement of the University of Iowa is important as well as input from other stakeholders such as the school district, major employers, nonprofits and housing related businesses (realtors, homebuilders, etc.). In order to encourage collaboration and cooperation, the task force specifically recommends that the JCCOG Board: 11 Create a standing committee that includes local government staff, officials and other stakeholders. The charge of this standing committee would be to 1) share information and work toward promoting consistency in affordable housing development policies and procedures; 2) be a forum for exchanging best practices' and other relevant information; and 3) build the regional knowledge base with respect to affordable housing programs and opportunities. In five years, conduct another affordable housing market analysis to re- evaluate affordable housing needs and determine status of progress of achieving affordable housing goals and implementation of recommended action steps. rv. Conclusion It is the task force's understanding that it is has completed its work by considering the Market Analysis and making recommendations to the JCCOG Board 12 IP3 P1~one: X319) 3.SG-.5400 1 ~ .~i ~ ~ r ~.~.~ ~~ ~ ~~ 35G •5459 "1 Z71~. (319) 3.56.5401=~ u ~• t-~ o F2 ~ TY -~ 101 E. t~'asl~zn~tan .S'trec t • 1 o1:j~1 C;it}, . 1 ou;u • 522401.1826 DATE: May 28, 2009 TO: City of Iowa City Council FROM: Doug Boothroy, Director, Housing & Inspection Services and Steven J. Raclas, Housing Administrator SUBJECT: Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Tenant Termination Criteria The Iowa City Housing Authority maintains credibility with applicant and participant families, owners, landlords, neighborhoods, the larger community, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by enforcing program requirements. Most participating families abide by their family obligations and successfully meet program expectations and requirements. Housing Authority staff is always available to help these families succeed. However, when families fail, the Housing Authority must take appropriate action. The action that is appropriate depends on the particular case of circumstances. Under federal regulations found at 24 CFR 982.552, the Housing Authority must terminate the HCV assistance of certain families and it has the discretion to terminate others based on certain actions or inactions by family members. The Housing Authority's policies regarding actions or inactions that may lead to the termination of assistance is described our HCV Administrative Plan (See Attached). If as a result of our assessment we determine program violation has occurred, the Housing Authority takes immediate actions to remedy the situation. The Housing Authority's actions vary, depending upon the extent and nature of the violation. If we pursue termination of assistance, we follow due process, and allow the family a hearing. In order to carry out the termination, we must demonstrate by a preponderance of evidence to a Hearing Officer that the family violated a federal regulation. Distinguishing and recognizing the differences between "errors" and "omissions", "unintentional" and "intentional" acts is a daily activity. Our goal is to act and react in a fair and consistent manner by evaluating the special circumstances and seriousness of each case involving a program violation. Our written policy clearly defines circumstances under which a family or owner would be terminated from the program, and allows for the consideration of mitigating circumstances before termination. When minors residing in the household commit acts that are violations of family obligations, the Housing Authority meets with the family to work together to ensure these types of behavior are not repeated. While our internal mediation efforts were successful, in the Fall 2008 -Spring of 2009, the Housing Authority started a new initiative with Mediation Services of Eastern Iowa to initiate Family Group Conferences for kids who are arrested and whose families receive housing assistance. The goal of these conferences is to look at what caused the incident and/or the events surrounding the incident and how the Housing Authority and family can work together to keep it from happening in the future. From January 2009 -present, on a monthly average, 1,176 families received HCV assistance. In this same time frame, the Housing Authority issued letters of termination of HCV assistance to twenty (20) families; however, only sixteen (16) families actually lost their HCV assistance. In all cases the termination was based on the action or inaction of the Head-of-Household. Of the 20 families issued letters of termination, fourteen (14) hearings were held: Twelve (12) decisions were upheld by the Hearing Officer; • One (1) family did not appear at the Scheduled Hearing; • One (1) decision was overturned by the Hearing Officer. Of the remaining 6 terminations that did not result in a hearing: • Three (3) cases were informally resolved by the Housing Authority prior to a hearing; • Three (3) families did not appeal the decision. Of the 16 families who lost their HCV assistance, 3 were non-discretionary (HUD required, must terminate assistance): Two (2) families were terminated due to a court ordered eviction from a HCV assisted unit; One (1) family terminated for committing a sexual assault and placed on life-time sex offender registry. Of the 16 families who lost their HCV assistance, 13 were based on Housing Authority discretionary policies (may terminate assistance) and lost their housing: • Five (5) families for drug related activity; • Three (3) families for violent criminal activity (includes 2 Domestic Abuse Assaults -the Head-of-Household was the abuser); • Two (2) families for allowing unauthorized persons to reside in the assisted unit; • Two (2) families for not providing true and complete information (e.g., non-reporting income, non-reporting of changes in family composition, providing false documentation); • One (1) family did not reside in the assisted unit and moved without proper notice. Of the 16 families who lost their HCV assistance: • Nine (9) families did not have elementary school aged children; • Five (5) families had elementary school aged children and their terminations were based on discretionary policies (may terminate); • Two (2) families had elementary school aged children and their terminations were based. on non-discretionary policies (must terminate -court ordered eviction); • Total # of elementary school age children affected by terminations = 12; • Total # of families known to have moved = 3 • One (1) family moved to Chicago prior to eviction and termination; • One (1) families moved to Chicago and did not provide proper notice and/or true and complete information which lead to the termination of assistance; • One (1) family was terminated in January 2009 and moved in April 2009 after being evicted by the landlord. Agencies the Housing Authority and client families have partnered with to negotiate continued occupancy and maintain HCV assistance: • Iowa Legal Aid; • Iowa Department of Human Services; • Iowa Department of Vocational Rehabilitation; • The Housing Fellowship and other landlords; • Elder Services; • Community Mental Health; • MECCA; • Successful Living; • Reach for Your Potential; • STAR Program; • ResCare; • Systems Unlimited; • REM; • Iowa City Police Department; • 6`" Judicial District; • Iowa City Community School District (Family Resource Centers); • DVIP; • Goodwill of the Heartland. To preserve the integrity of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, it is important that families abide by their family obligations and lease agreements. Participation in the HCV program is not an entitlement. Program integrity promotes accountability and personal responsibility. Policies are applied fairly, firmly, and uniformly to all program participants. Without program integrity, the HCV program becomes "housing of last resort". If the HCV program becomes "housing of last resort", the myths surrounding the HCV program becomes reality and will impose greater burdens to the development of needed affordable housing in Johnson County. We do not recommend making changes to the HCV Tenant Termination Policies and Procedures. Copies to: Dale Helling Marian Karr 14.0 SECTION 8 TENANT TERMINATION CRITERIA (24CFR 982ss2 & 982.553) Under federal regulations found at 24 CFR 982.552, the Housing Authority must terminate the Section 8 assistance of certain families and it has the discretion to terminate others based on certain actions or inactions by family members. Termination of assistance for a participant may include any or all of the following: refusing to enter into a HAP contract or approve a lease, terminating housing assistance payments, and refusing to process or provide assistance under portability procedures. MUST TERMINATE -LIFE TIME BAN The Housing Authority must terminate assistance if any household member is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a State sex offender registration program. MUST TERMINATE - 3 YEAR PERIOD OF INELIGIBILITY The HA must terminate assistance: 1) For a family evicted from housing assisted under the program for serious violation of the lease. 2) If the family fails to sign and submit consent forms for obtaining information in accordance with 24 CFR, part 5, subparts B and F. 3) If a family member does not establish citizenship or eligible immigration status. 4) If any family member fails to meet the eligibility requirements concerning individuals enrolled at an institution of higher education as specified in 24 CFR 5.612. 5) For three years from the date of eviction, if a household member has been evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity. However, the Housing Authority may admit the household if the Housing Authority determines: a) That the evicted household member who engaged in drug-related criminal activity has successfully completed a supervised drug rehabilitation program approved by the Housing Authority; or b) That the circumstances leading to eviction no longer exist (for example, the criminal household member has died or is imprisoned). 6) The Housing Authority determines that any household member is currently engaging in illegal use of a drug. 7) The Housing Authority determines that it has reasonable cause to believe that a household member's illegal drug use or a pattern of illegal drug use may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents. 8) If any household member has ever been convicted of drug-related criminal activity for manufacture or production of methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing. If a person is terminated for any reason listed above, the person will be ineligible for assistance for three years from the last day housing assistance is paid; if no assistance is currently being paid, the 3 year period of ineligibility begins with the date of the termination notice. MAY DENY-LIFE TIME BAN The Housing Authority may deny assistance if any household member is subject to a registration requirement under a State sex offender registration program. MAY TERMINATE A. Criminal Activity (3-year period of ineligibility) If any household member is currently engaged in, or has engaged in within five years the following criminal activity, the Housing Authority may terminate assistance, based on a preponderance of evidence, regardless of whether the household member has been arrested or convicted for such activity: 1. Drug-related criminal activity (defined at 24 CFR 5.100) 2. Violent criminal activity (defined at 24 CFR 5.100) [Note the exception for victims of domestic violence provided for below in section E.] 3. Other criminal activity which may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents or persons residing in the immediate vicinity; 4. Other criminal activity which may threaten the health or safety of the owner, property management staff, or persons performing a contract administration function or responsibility on behalf of the Housing Authority (including a Housing Authority employee or a Housing Authority contractor, subcontractor or agent) If a person is terminated for any reason listed above, the person will be ineligible for assistance for three years after the date of the termination notice. B. Family Obligations (1-year period of ineligibility) The Housing Authority may terminate assistance for the violation of any obligation of a participant family under the program, which is: 1) Supplying required information ("Information" includes any requested certification, release or other documentation): a) The family must supply any information that the Housing Authority or HUD determines is necessary in the administration of the program, including submission of required evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status (as provided by 24 CFR part 5). b) The family must supply any information requested by the Housing Authority or HUD for use in a regularly scheduled reexamination or interim reexamination of family income and composition in accordance with HUD requirements. c) The family must disclose and verify social security numbers (as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B, of this title) and must sign and submit consent forms for obtaining information in accordance with 24 CFR part 5, subpart B, of this title. d) Any information supplied by the family must be true and complete. 2) The family must not breach Housing Quality Standards as described in 24 CFR 982.404(b). 3) The family must allow the Housing Authority to inspect the unit at reasonable times and after reasonable notice. 4) The family may not commit any serious or repeated violation of the lease. 5) The family must notify the Housing Authority in writing and the owner 30 days before the family moves out of the unit, or terminates the lease on notice to the owner. 6) The family must promptly give the Housing Authority a copy of any owner eviction notice. 7) Use and occupancy of unit. a) The family must use the assisted unit for residence by the family. The unit must be the family's only residence. b) The composition of the assisted family residing in the unit must be approved by the Housing Authority. The family must promptly inform the Housing Authority of the birth, adoption or court-awarded custody of a child. The family must request in writing Housing Authority approval to add any other family member as an occupant of the unit. No other person [i.e., nobody but members of the assisted family] may reside in the unit (except for a foster child or live-in aide as provided in paragraph (h) (4) of this section). c) The family must promptly notify the Housing Authority in writing if any family member no longer resides in the unit. d) If the Housing Authority has given approval, a foster child or a live-in-aide may reside in the unit. The Housing Authority has the discretion to adopt reasonable policies concerning residence by a foster child or a live-in-aide, and defining when Housing Authority consent may be given or denied. e) Members of the household may engage in legal profit making activities in the unit, but only if such activities are incidental to primary use of the unit for residence by members of the family. f) The family must not sublease or let the unit. g) The family must not assign the lease or transfer the unit. 8) Absence from unit. The family must supply any information or certification requested by the Housing Authority to verify that the family is living in the unit, or relating to family absence from the unit, including any Housing Authority requested information or certification on the purposes of family absences. The family must cooperate with the Housing Authority for this purpose. The family must promptly notify the Housing Authority of absence from the unit of more than 30 days. 9) Interest in unit. The family must not own or have any interest in the unit. 10) Fraud and other program violation. The members of the family must not commit fraud, bribery or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with the programs. 11) Crime by household members. The members of the household may not engage in drug-related criminal activity or violent criminal activity or other criminal activity that threatens the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents and persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises. 12) Alcohol abuse by household members. The members of the household must not abuse alcohol in away that threatens the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents and persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises. 13) Other housing assistance. An assisted family, or members of the family, may not receive Section 8 tenant-based assistance while receiving another housing subsidy, for the same unit or for a different unit, under any duplicative (as determined by HUD or in accordance with HUD requirements) federal, State or local housing assistance program. 14) Any increases in household income must be reported to the HA in writing within 30 days of the change (Examples: employment start date; receipt of government benefits such as FIP, Social Security, SSI, or unemployment benefits) 15) The family may not allow any person to use the address of the assisted unit to receive mail. If a person is terminated for any reason listed above, the person will be ineligible for assistance for one (1) year from the last day housing assistance is paid; if no assistance is currently being paid, the 1-year period of ineligibility begins with the date of the termination notice. C. Miscellaneous Reasons (1-year period of ineligibility) The HA may terminate assistance for any of the following reasons: 1. If any member of the family has been evicted from federally assisted housing in the last five years. 2. If a Housing Authority has ever terminated assistance under the program for any member of the family. 3. If any member of the family has committed fraud, bribery, or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with any Federal housing program. 4. If the family currently owes rent or other amounts to the Housing Authority or to another Housing Authority in connection with Section 8 or public housing assistance under the 1937 Act. 5. If the family has not reimbursed any Housing Authority for amounts paid to an owner under a HAP contract for rent, damages to the unit, or other amounts owed by the family under the lease. 6. If the family breaches an agreement with the Housing Authority to pay amounts owed to a Housing Authority, or amounts paid to an owner by a Housing Authority. (The Housing Authority, at its discretion, may offer a family the opportunity to enter an agreement to pay amounts owed to a Housing Authority or amounts paid to an owner by a Housing Authority. The Housing Authority may prescribe the terms of the agreement.) 7. If a family participating in the FSS program fails to comply, without good cause, with the family's FSS contract of participation. 8. If the family has engaged in or threatened abusive or violent behavior toward Housing Authority personnel. 9. If a welfare-to-work (WTV~ family fails, willfully and persistently, to fulfill its obligations under the welfare-to-work voucher program. 10. If the Housing Authority determines that a household member's abuse or pattern of abuse of alcohol may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents. If a person is terminated for any reason listed above, the person will be ineligible for assistance for one (1) year from the last day housing assistance is paid; if no assistance is currently being paid, the 1-year period of ineligibility begins with the date of the termination notice. D. Additional Considerations In determining whether to terminate assistance because of action or failure to act by members of the family: 1. The Housing Authority may consider all relevant circumstances such as the seriousness of the case, the extent of participation or culpability of individual family members, mitigating circumstances related to the disability of a family member, and the effects of denial or termination of assistance on other family members who were not involved in the action or failure. Such consideration also includes the effect the termination will have on family members not involved in the criminal activity and the extent to which the offending family member and participant have taken personal responsibility and have taken all reasonable steps to prevent or mitigate the offending behavior. 2. The Housing Authority may impose, as a condition of continued assistance for other family members, a requirement that other family members who participated in or were culpable for the action or failure will not reside in the unit. The Housing Authority may permit the other members of a participant family to continue receiving assistance. 3. In determining whether to terminate assistance for illegal use of drugs or alcohol abuse by a household member who is no longer engaged in such behavior, the Housing Authority consider whether such household member is participating in or has successfully completed a supervised drug or alcohol rehabilitation program, or has otherwise been rehabilitated successfully (42 U.S.C. 13661). For this purpose, the Housing Authority may require the applicant or tenant to submit evidence of the household member's current participation in, or successful completion of, a supervised drug or alcohol rehabilitation program or evidence of otherwise having been rehabilitated successfully. 4. If the family includes a person with disabilities, the Housing Authority decision concerning such action is subject to consideration of reasonable accommodation in accordance with part 8 of this title. E. Exception for Victims of Domestic Violence Although the Housing Authority may terminate Section 8 assistance if a member of the tenant family has engaged in violent criminal activity, there is an exception for victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence includes threatened domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking as those terms are defined in 42 U.S.C. 1437f. The Housing Authority may terminate the voucher assistance to the member of the household who committed the domestic violence but not to the victim. The HA may, however, terminate the assistance to the victim for other reasons not premised on the act of domestic violence. Termination Procedure -Simple Flow Chart IP4 SUMMARY OF PENDING WORK SESSION ISSUES 5/28/09 City Plaza - S. Dubuque St. Exterior Walkway Renovation (JUNE 15) Energy Efficiency Block Grant (JUNE 15) Meet w/ Airport Commission re: Aviation Commerce Park South Study (JUNE 29) Downtown Building Sprinkling Policy Meet with Historic Preservation Commission re: energy efficiency/green issues Farmers' Market (AUGUST/SEPTEMBER) Snow Removal Plan Update (AUGUST/SEPTEMBER) Flood Response & Mitigation Update (PERIODIC) Alley Inventory (FALL 09) IP5 r ~~_._,®~,~ CITY OF IOWA CITY RAC D U 1VIE~CJ DATE: 5/28/2009 TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: SUSAN DULEK, ASST. CITY ATTORNEY RE: BRADLEY S. ARVIDSON LETTER/DOG NAMED T-BEAR This is to provide you with information with respect to a letter from Bradley S. Arvidson to Mayor Bailey dated May 25, 2009 which was copied to all Council members. Mr. Arvidson is the owner of T-Bear, a neutered male Rottweiler mix breed dog. T-Bear is presently impounded at the Animal Control and Adoption Center pending further hearing. In October 2008, the Animal Control Supervisor accused T-Bear of being a "viscous dog" under section 8-4-7 of the City Code following two separate incidents in which T-Bear was unconfined and bit two people. As provided by City Code, a hearing was held before the City Manager on October 17, 2008, and the City Manager ruled that T-Bear was a viscous animal. His decision provided that if Mr. Arvidson agreed to a set of terms and conditions (e.g., always having the dog on a leash or inside a fence), that the dog could be returned to him. Mr. Arvidson agreed to the terms and conditions, and T- Bearwas returned to Mr. Arvidson. A second hearing was held on April 15, 2009 because the Animal Services Supervisor claimed that Mr. Arvidson had violated the terms and conditions by allowing T-Bear to be loose, not having a lock on the fence gate, and not posting a "beware of dog" sign on the fence. Doug Boothroy, as the City Manager's designee, was the hearing officer, and he issued a decision on April 24, 2009 finding that Mr. Arvidson violated the terms and conditions and ordered the dog to be placed in the custody of the Animal Services Division. Mr. Arvidson has appealed this decision to the district court, and a hearing is set for June 4, 2009 on the limited issue of whether the hearing officer's April 15 decision was illegal. It is not an evidentiary hearing. Since the April 15 hearing, T-Bear has bit two Animal Services Division employees and a volunteer. As a result, the Animal Services Supervisor is now recommending that T-Bear be euthanized as allowed in Section 8-4-7D of the City Code. A hearing on that issue has been set for June 2, 2009 before Doug Boothroy. Copy to: Dale E. Helling, Interim City Manager Eleanor M. Dilkes, City Attorney Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Misha Goodman, Animal Services Supervisor Rick Wyss, Captain Iowa City Police Department __- _ --- PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY: ' I EUTHANASIA OF PET DOG TO BRAD ARVIDSON OCCUR 5126 OR 5127 - ~ 500 Terrace Road Filing appeal 8 stay on 5/26; if dog euthanized prior to filing appeal 8 judge's Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 321-1234 order, lawsuit will be filed against Cfty May 25, 2009 The Honorable Regenia Bailey .° Mayor, City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street j'~? Iowa City, lA 52240 ri..~ ~= ,~,~ Dear Mayor Bailey, ' ~~ This letter is to inform you of my distress and frustration concerning the recent decision to rem~ive;;ny dog, T- ~~J- Bear, from my custody and the subsequent decision, which was never communicated to me bX~fi~a ~fv ded City or Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center staff, to euthanize T-Bear. Per the thirty (3~ y ~ to me by the City Code, I'm appealing the outcome of the hearing. Please be advised that in the event my dog, T-Bear, is euthanized prior to the outcome of my appeal and request for a new hearing, a lawsuit will be filed against the City of Iowa City charging lack of due process in this situation. I've secured the services of a Board Certified Behaviorist (American College of Veterinary Behaviorists) to examine and assess my dog, T-Bear. This Behaviorist is also a Veterinarian. At this time, no licensed professional has had the opportunity to examine or assess T-Bear's behavior. The hearing that took place in April 2009 was overseen by the City's Housing Inspector and attended by the Animal Services Supervisor, Misha Goodman. The Housing Inspector did not provide any references or proof of any experience or formal education in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Behavior or even Dog Training. The Animal Services Supervisor stated she had 27 years of experience as an animal control officer, but has no formal education in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Behavior or Dog Training. I was appalled to learn that the fate of my dog was in the hands of two City employees, neither of whom was licensed to judge and appropriately label the behavior of any dog. Due process extends to life, liberty or property, and animals are still considered property in all legal jurisdictions. In Rabon v. City of Seattle (Rabon II), 107 Wash.App 734, 743 (2001), (citing Matthews, 424 U.S. at 333), when individuals can show they will suffer irreparable harm from apost-deprivation hearing, courts have recognized that apre-deprivation hearing is necessary. In the case of orders to euthanize pets, many courts have considered the loss to the pet owner as irreparable. The case of Wilson v. City of St. Louis (1990), involved a ,~ n Pit Bull named Max who was impounded and classified as dangerous because he allegedly killed the neighbors' dog. The Circuit Court found that the Plaintiff would suffer irreparable harm if the preliminary injunction was not granted and enjoined the City from killing or otherwise harming Max. The Court ordered the City to release Max and change his "dangerous" designation to "potentially dangerous". Another reason it has taken so long to file my appeal (aside from not having been notified by the City), was in securing an attorney. The attorney I finally found wanted to contact the Animal Services Supervisor, Misha Goodman, to discuss the case and I approved. In a very underhanded and perhaps even illegal move on her part, Ms. Goodman immediately contacted other people in this community and they began calling my attorney in an attempt to dissuade him from taking the case. The attorney learned that the home he'd recently purchased was in close proximity to where I live, and because he didn't want any problems with his new neighbors, he withdrew as counsel. The manner in which this situation has been handled is suspect and fraught with error. As Mayor of the City of Iowa City, I respectfully request your immediate assistance to secure a stay of execution for T-Bear, until such time as a hearing can be set and T-Bear can be evaluated by a professional Behaviorist. Sincerely, adiey S. Arvidson cc: Sue Dulek, City Attorney City Council Members (Champion, Hayek, Wright, O'Donnell, Correia, Wilburn) _~ r i ~ ~~~~~ ~ ,~®,~~ Date: May 27, 2009 05-28-09 CITY OF IOWA CITY GPs MEMORANDUM To: Dale Helling, Interim City Manager From: Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning & Community Development ~~ ~~ I Re: Letter of request regarding Communication Center tower site on 420th Street We have received a letter from the Joint Emergency Communication Center requesting consideration of a location for an emergency communication center tower at the new Iowa City industrial park located off of 420th Street. It was originally intended to have a tower site at Fire Station #3 and a lease agreement had been prepared for this location. This location was later prohibited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) because of airport runway approach concerns. We then considered a location at the South Wastewater Treatment Plant which was also eliminated from consideration by the FAA. It has been intended to have a tower site located on City of Iowa City property which will be made available to JECC for one dollar per year. There is a similar communication tower site being provided by Johnson County at Chatham Oaks. The remainder of the tower site locations - I believe there are five or six -are either being purchased or leased by JECC. We have examined the new industrial park site and believe there is a remnant parcel which meets JECC's requirements fora 40 x 40 parcel. The 40 x 40 parcel includes area for the tower and a small building which includes generator equipment. The remnant parcel on the industrial park property is formed by the anticipated configuration of the internal roadway system and is too small to be used for industrial uses. The proposed tower will be a monopole which requires a smaller footprint than aguy-wire system. The proposed tower is allowed by right in the Industrial zoning category. Would you please notify the City Council that we will be preparing a lease agreement with JECC for their consideration. Feel free to contact me if there are any questions. ppdd irlmem/CommTowerSite-5-09 City of Iowa City ~P~ MEMORANDUM -~ Date: May 26, 2009 To: City Council From: Christina Kuecker, Associate Planner RE: Historic Preservation and Energy Efficiency One of the common misconceptions of Historic Preservation is that it is counter to the growing desire for increased energy efficiency and green building practices. It is true that there are some modern materials and techniques that are not appropriate for historic buildings, but there are many green practices that are appropriate or that are inherent in historic buildings. Historic preservation places an emphasis on the use of natural, durable, renewable materials; rather than synthetic materials. Preservation also places an emphasis on repair and reuse rather than replacement, which puts an emphasis on local labor, supporting our local economy. These are all inherently green practices. The greenest buildings are ones that are already standing. The energy and resources that went into building that building are already spent. To build a new building or to change out portions of a new building requires new energy and resources to be spent to create the new materials. One important aspect of Historic Preservation is that the historic structures will continue to last for future generations. As buildings change over time, it is important for these changes to withstand the test of time. The materials used to construct the historic structures have already lasted for a long time, thus the emphasis on similar materials - natural, durable, renewable materials. These materials have proven to withstand the wear and tear of many, many years of use, where some newer technologies and synthetic materials have not. Also by reusing and repairing materials rather than using new materials, less is sent to the landfill and fewer resources are consumed. One resource available in Iowa City is the Salvage Barn, operated by the Friends of Historic Preservation. The Salvage Barn collects historic materials from houses that are either being demolished or renovated. These materials are then recycled and sold to property owners to use in their projects. Things like windows, doors, light fixtures, flooring, trim, and siding, just to name a few, are available at the Salvage Barn. There are some simple things that can be done to historic buildings to improve energy efficiency. These include insulating attic and basement spaces, using spray-in insulation for wall cavities, upgrading mechanical systems, caulking cracks in walls and around windows, repairing or regtazing windows, and installing storm windows. These projects can dramatically increase the energy efficiency of homes and decrease energy costs. Two aspects of historic preservation that have been questioned locally as being "anti- green" are windows and the use of solar panels. The Historic Preservation guidelines do not prohibit a property owner from replacing decaying windows. In fact, the Commission has approved replacement windows in 37 properties since 2007. When May 27, 2009 Page 2 the commission does approve replacement windows, it is with metal clad or solid wood windows that retain the appearance of the historic windows. However, this is not just an issue of historic appearance. Vinyl windows are advertized as being an energy efficient choice, but research has proven that vinyl windows loose their energy efficiency much quicker than wood equivalents. In fact new vinyl windows can be just as drafty and deteriorated as the original windows within a matter of a few years. Unlike wood windows, once deteriorated or damaged vinyl windows cannot be repaired, but must be completely replaced, sending more materials to the landfill. In addition, one way to improve the energy efficiency of historic windows is to install good quality storm windows. This gives nearly the same benefit of installing new double pane windows, at substantially less cost. It is true that the Historic Preservation Guidelines do not recommend the installation of solar panels on the prominent street elevation. However, the Commission has never received an application to install solar panels. This is likely due to the fact that solar panels in residential settings generally do not collect enough energy to offset the cost of installation. This is true in both historic neighborhoods and new developments. If someone wanted to install solar panels, whether on a street elevation or not, the Commission would work with the property owner to find the position that is both functional for the solar panels and appropriate for the building. The "not recommended" sections of the guidelines are intended to provide some flexibility for projects that either can vary between properties and styles or have not yet been proposed. The Historic Preservation Commission is currently in the process of updating the Historic Preservation Guidelines and will be placing an emphasis on the energy efficient and green building practices that are appropriate for historic buildings. In addition, the Historic Preservation Commission is trying to create more opportunities for education. One such opportunity is to host a joint event with Iowa City's Friends of Historic Preservation on energy saving tips with hands on demonstrations on how to restore historic elements, such as windows. There are also opportunities to run educational programming about energy efficient projects for older homes on City Channel 4. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Cc: Dale Helling Jeff Davidson Bob Miklo Historic Preservation Commission ~~®~r CITY O F ICJ 1N A CITY ~P8 ~~~~-~ ~ R1~ N D U ~ ~E ~ Date: May 28, 2009 To: City Council From: Rick Fosse, Director of Public Works Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning and Community Development Re: Update: Flood-related activities Engineering and Public Works Administration • Work with staff to develop the applications for the Community Disaster Grants. • Iowa Avenue Sewer Crossing bids received. Low bidder is Judds Brothers Construction from Lincoln, NE. • Drafting letter to request the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a reconnaissance study for multiple projects along the Iowa River. • Developing plans for the repair of flood damaged infrastructure. • Met with FEMA regarding the status of the Iowa River water main crossings. • The electrical repair at Boys Baseball Electrical Repair is out to bid. • The electrical repair at Riverside Festival Stage is being complete. • Met with EDA in regards to the Park Road /Dubuque Street and Wastewater Applications. Water Division • Continued replacing meters in flooded areas (Idyllwild & Parkview Terrace) - in-house project - Qust a few left) • Continue to work with Engineering for design and schedule on the 12" river crossing repairs (Old Plant and Hwy 6) 1. HRG will provide design, specifications and inspection bid documents for the two projects (temporary and permanent repair). A preliminary estimated cost for the projects has been forwarded to FEMA. 2. FEMA has completed the PW for the temporary repair 3. FEMA is working on the PW and Hazard Mitigation to replace both river crossings • Information clarifying the PW and Hazard Mitigation funding for the Peninsula well houses and respective electrical equipment has been accepted by FEMA. 1. An updated PW and Hazard Mitigation Plan is being created with FEMA for CW 3, CW 4, & SW 4 - a meeting with FEMA is scheduled for Thursday (5-28-09) for final review • Hazard Mitigation report from Howard R. Green is expected to be complete by early June. • Continuing to work with Steve Long to identify funding for additional Hazard Mitigation Projects. Streets Division Pavement repair/replacement on Commercial Drive (PW# 6753). Pavement repair/replacement on Normandy Drive (PW# 6576). May 28, 2009 Page 2 Planning and Community Development: • Staff distributed an additional $35,000 to two households this week from State Jumpstart 2 funds and anticipates having funds distributed to all eligible households within the next few weeks. • Staff is working with the Long Term Recovery Committee to assess households at various levels of recovery. • Staff continues to coordinate with University and neighborhood representatives to observe the one-year anniversary of the floods • The city has made offers to 14 homeowners in the HMGP acquisition program. The receipts for repairs will be sent to FEMA for review. Once FEMA supplies the city with the unduplicated repair amounts, the city can schedule closing on these properties. The remaining offers will be sent to homeowners next week. • On May 22"d Iowa City received their Community Disaster Funds check for $2.5 million. The city will be acquiring their first non- HMGP eligible property in the 100 year flood plain on May 29`h • Applications became available for the State funded Single Family New Construction Unit Production Program on Tuesday, May 26`h. The City was awarded $2,282,393 to provide acquisition assistance to 40 homebuyers who will then work with one of six approved builders of newly constructed homes that will be energy efficient and accessible. The $2,282,393 will leverage an additional $4,917,607 for a total project cost of $7,200,000. The intent of the program is to replace homes lost during the flood and priority is given to those affected by the flood. The Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County is administering the program for the City. More information can be found at www.icgov.orq/newhomes • There are 34 applications requesting approximately $500,000 for the Business Rental Assistance Program. The State is still waiting on HUD's approval of the program. When that happens, we will get a contract with the State for this program and be able to begin awarding funds. • For the Jumpstart Small Business Disaster Recovery program, which closed on April 15, we had 56 total applications. 51 were funded for a total of $1,241,288. • Immediately after the flood, we partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and Coralville to award businesses up to $5,000 for flood clean up expenses. We awarded 18 businesses a total of $74,432. The latest allocation from the Community Foundation of Johnson County (managed by City staff) has assisted 11 families with slightly over $29,000 in mortgage/rental assistance. Dale Helling From: City of Iowa City [web@iowa-city.org] Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 4:24 PM To: Dale Helling ~,~Q-~ Applications Now Being Contact: Tracey Achenbach,_ Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County Accepted for Contact Phone: (319) 358-0212 Downpayment Assistance Program for New Homes Posted by: Community Dev. Mailing List(s): Flood Recovery Updates -General City News Originally Posted 5/26/2009 4:23:30 PM The City of Iowa City was recently awarded $2,282,393 for a new state funded program that will help replace housing that was lost during last summer's flood. The "Single Family New Construction Unit Production Program" will provide acquisition assistance (downpayment) funds for 40 homebuyers to help with the purchase of newly constructed homes. The City is working with six builders/developers that are proposing 40 new homes that will sell for $180,000 or less, be energy efficient and have accessibility features. There will be a mix of single family detached homes, duplexes, zero-lot lines, row houses and condominiums in six subdivisions in Iowa City. Homebuyers, including people affected by the flood, who earn the area's median income or less and who qualify for the program, are eligible to receive up to 30% of the purchase price of the home to apply as acquisition assistance. The income guidelines are: for cone-person household, the median income (the maximum amount that applicants can earn per year) is $53,200; for two, $60,800; for three, $68,400; for four, $76,000; for five, $82,100; and for a household of six, $88,200. The City has set priorities for those assisted and the first through third priority are those who were impacted by the 2008 flood. The first priority will be given to those on the City's proposed buyout list, second priority will be given to those who were Iowa City residents and whose primary residence was more than 50% damaged by the 2008 flood waters, and the third priority will be given to Iowa City residents whose primary residence was less than 50% damaged by the 2008 flood waters. Fourth priority will be given to first time homebuyers and the fifth priority will be given to those who are Johnson County residents. Applications will be ranked by priority and the City reserves the right to determine ties within priorities by lottery or drawing. The acquisition assistance will be set up as a 5-year forgivable loan. Homeowners who live in the home for 5 years or more will not need to repay the loan, but if they move before the 5-year term has expired, they will be required to pay back a prorated amount. The Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County will be administering the program. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 pm on June 15, 2009 at the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County office at 322 East Second Street, Iowa City. For more information about the program, a list of the identified building sites, the approved lenders (applicants must obtain their mortgage from a lender that is approved by the City of Iowa City) or for a copy of the application, please visit www,cgov.org/newhomes .You may also IP9 5/27/2009 Subject: Applications Now Being Accepted for Downpayment Assistance Program for New Homes Page 2 of 2 contact Tracey Achenbach at the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County at 358-0212 or at ta_c__hen_bach_@_htflc__org . Do not reply directly to this a-mail! It is produced from an automated system, and is not monitored for replies. If you have a question or comment about this information, please contact the originating department of this message, or by using our feedback. form. For technical questions regarding the website, please contact. our web. team.. • Unsubscrbe or edit your subscription details. • Visit our jobs page for employment opportunities • View more news from the City of Iowa City. 5/27/2009 Iowa City Police Department P.A.U.L.A. Report -April 2009 (Possession of Alcohol Under Legal Age) Business Name (occupancy] !~ Monthly Totals Year-to-Date Totals (occupancy loads updated Oct 'os) visits arrests visits arrests 808 Restaurant & Nightclub [176] 4 3 17 18 Airliner [223] I 3 0 18 10 American Legion [140] _ _~ _ 3 0 Aoeshe Restaurant [156] T Atlas World Grill [165] 5 0 Blackstone [297] I Bluebird Diner [82] Bob's Your Uncle [260'] Bo-James [200] I _ 2 ~ 0 14 _ 0 Bread Garden Market & Bakery [?] [It's] Brothers Bar & Grill (556] 5 0 35 II 9 The Brown Bottle 289 ~ _ _ ] - [- 1_-- - --- _~ _ - -- --- - Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar [189] ', 2 0 Cafe Z [56] Caliente Night Club [498] ~oPe~ed MaR> I 9 0 13 _ 0 __ _ - - - -- Carl & Ernie's Pub & Grill [92] 2 0 6 0 Carlos O'Kelly's [299] • I Chipotle Mexcan Grill (119]_ __ _ -_ [The] Club Car [56] 3 0 Club Furia [280] 6 0 17 0 Colonial Lanes [502] j - - - - - -_ --- _ - -- Dave's Foxhead Tavern [87] 2 0 David's Place (aka Dawit's) [73] 3 0 DC's [120] 1 0 _ 15 3 __~ _ 6 __i_ - 0 -- - - - -- [The] Deadwood [218] Devotay [45] Donnelly's Pub [49] 1 0 7 0 - - - - - - - [The] Dublin Underground [57] 1 0 6 0 [Fraternal Order of] Eagle's [315] 2 0 EI Dorado Mexican Restaurant [104] ~ _~ __ [BPO] Elks #590 [205] EI Ranchero Mexican Restaurant [161] Englert Theatre [838]__ _ Etc [178] ~ 6 - - 5 - 28 i 44 Fiesta Mexico (aka Farras) [200] 3 0 8 i 0 The Fiel [ Hoj se aka Third Base 420 4 _16 _ 31 54 _ Firewater 114 ~ Formosa Asian Cuisine [149] 1 1 George's_Buffet [75] ~ 3 0 -- - - - -- __ Givanni's [158] Godfather's Pizza [170] i Graze [49] 3 0 Grizzly's South Side Pub [265] 6 0 Guido's Deli [20] Hawkeye Hideaway [94] 3 0 _- - -- ___ 5 0 [The] Hilltop Lounge [90] 5 0 IC Ugly's [72] I I India Cafe [100] ~ _ _ -_ _ - -_ __ -_ 3 -- [The] Industry [436] I 7 I 0 Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack [71J 0 Joe's Place [281 ] 1 ~ 0 8 0 -_ _ _ _ - Joseph's Steak House [226] Kamodo Klub [144] 1 0 6 1 Kandy Land [120] 4 0 IP10 ,~~ . ,`` `~7 Pi ?_~ ?_2 PAULA Visit year-fo-~~~) ~. ; : ( 1.59 _ ;,~ J 7 d"`+ r~ 0.556 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.257 - _ 0.000 0.000 - - - _ - 0.000 -- 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.200 0.000 0.000 -_ - 0.000 0.000 -_ 1.571 0.000 1.742 - _ __ 0.500 1.000 0.000 0.000_ 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.167 0.000 Karaoke La Reyna [78] La Casa [300] La Reyna [49) _ __ Linn Street Cafe [80] Los Cocos [99] 21 0 Los Portales [161] _ _----- -- - 1 '~ 0 Martini's [200] Masala [46) Mekong Restaurant [89] - - ___ __ _ _ __ Micky's [98] [The] Mill Restaurant [325] I [Loyal Order of] Moose [476]_ _ - _ _~I _ _ _.__- __ _ _ Monica's Italian Bistro & Pizzeria [160] I [Sheraton] Morgan's [231] ~I Motley Cow Cafe [82] ~- Okoboji Grill [222] Old Capitol Brew Works [294] One-Eyed Jake's [299] _ 2~_ 3 One-Twenty-Six [105] Oyama Sushi Japanese Restaurant [87] Pagliai's Pizza [113] __ -- _ Panchero's (Clinton St) [62] Panchero's Grill (Riverside Dr) [95] Piano Lounge [65] }- -- [The] Picador [261 ] i ~I Pints [180] 5 1 Pit Smokehouse [40] -- _ - - Pizza Hut [116] Pizza Ranch [226] Quality Inn/Highlander [97_1] _ Quinton's Bar & Deli [149] [The] Red Avocado [47] Rick's Grille & Spirits [120] Riverside Theatre [118] Saloon [120] 1 0 Sam's Pizza [174]_ _ _ -- - ~ - - [The] Sanctuary Restaurant [132] Shakespeare's [90] 1 0 Short's Burger & Shine [56] 1 0 Sports Column [400] i 7 ~ 3 Studio 13 (206] [The] Summit [736] 4 12 Sushi Popo [84] Takanami Restaurant [148] 2 3 TCB [250] _ 3 ; 0 __ _ __ _ _ _ Thai Flavors [60] Thai Spice [91] T. Spoons [102] _ ~ ] _ ___ _ _. 7 - ~ 3 Union Bar 854 I VFW Post #3949 [197] [The] Vine Tavern [170] Vito's [320] 4 2 Wig & Pen Pizza Pub [154] 1 0 [Iowa City] Yacht Club [206]_ _ ~ _ Zio Johno's Spaghetti House [94] Z'Mariks Noodle House [47] I Tota/s: 109 51 Other PAULA at non-business locations: 8 PAULA Totals: 59 `includes outdoor seating area current month - 5 0 - - _ 0.000 _ __ 2 0 0.000 3 ~ 1 0 _ 0.000 - _ _- __ - -__ 2 I - 0 0.000 16 21 1.313 7 0 - -_ 0.000 - - __ 5 ~ - 0 0.000 22 ~ 6 _ _ 0.273 _- - - - 4 --- 0 _ _ 0.000 _ 2 0 0.000 7 I 1 0.143 2 - 0 _ _ - 0.000 _ - - 2 0 0.000 5 0 0.000 7 ~! 0 0.000 29 53 1.828 6 0 0.000 30 59 1.967 2 3 1.500 20 0 0.000 28 I 25 0.893 3 ~ 0 - 0.000 _ - .. _ 13 4 0.308 3 0 0.000 6 ' 0 0.000 596 313 0.525 32 345 -- ; year-to-date ..~ .~._:~ ~~ i ~x~ ~ `~ U 6 Y 't^~'t _~ ~,:~ ~ ~ u~-2~-iiy ~P11 Mediacom May 19, 2009 Ms. Marian Karr City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 Dear Ms. Karr, This letter is to notify your city of upcoming channel changes. On or about June 23, 2009 the following changes will be made: Channel Current Channel Location New Channel Location Cartoon Network 53 67 SCI FI 52 70 Et 55 74 TCM 54 75 tru TV 56 77 Oxygen 51 78 CSpan 2 77 87* TBN 70 92* EWTN 67 94* ShopNBC 78 97* The reposition of these channels gives Mediacom more efficient use of current bandwidth so the below listed HD channels can be launched on the Family HD tier at no extra charge to current HD customers: Channel New Channel Location ~ 3 _ BTN HD 834 ~ :~ Discovery HD 842 ~'" `-' ~ -~ c= TLC HD 843 ~ " _, ,'`' .'~---a. `~~ Animal Planet HD 844 ~' Fox News HD 856 - i ~"' :-~~~ FX HD 860 ~ %'~ ":~' SPEED HD 861 ~ Lifetime HD 863 Mediacom Communications Corporation 6300 Council St. NE • Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 • 319-395-7801 • Fax 319-393-7017 As the digital transition progresses towards its conclusion in June 2012, Mediacom will be moving many channels from the current basic tier and Family Basic tier to digital broadcast basic. Digital Broadcast Basic channels are included with Broadcast Basic and Family Cable service. However, a TV with a digital QAM tuner or a Mediacom Digital Converter is needed on each TV to receive these channels. Digital Tuners are now available from Mediacom to receive Digital Broadcast Basic Channels. Mediacom will provide one Digital Tuner free for one year.** Additional Digital Tuners are available for only $1.99 per month. The following channels will be added to the Digital Broadcast Basic tier: Channel CSpan3 BYU 3 Angels Network (3ABN) The Church Channel Inspiration Network New Channel Location 88 89 90 91 92 If there are any questions please call me at 319-395-9699 ext 323. Sincerely, V mot. l~ Lee Grassley Senior Manager, Government Relations *Digital Broadcast Basic tier ** Offer expires July 21, 2009 G; ~ '. ~` 11.c.. ~;- ,~-. ~; t- ~ ~ ~,_~ tj~i Q rd ~.. .~ ~, ~; ~~ ;~- .` is to cr~ a~ ~r~ Y:: IP12 Marian Karr From: katie Roche Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 1:32 PM To: Council; Dale Helling; rochekat@gmail.com Cc: Marcia Bollinger Subject: Ribbon Cutting this Saturday at Creekside Park Pavilion, RSVP? Hello! By now you should have all received your invitation to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Creekside Park Pavilion this Saturday, May 30th at 11:30 AM. Our new mural is complete and really gorgeous! The mural was the combined effort of neighborhood people, under the direction of teacher Daniel Kinney and his art students at Tate High School. Funded by the Art Advisory Committee, this affordable project truly was a community effort. Visible from Muscatine Ave. the mural gives the park a much needed central focal point and has brought life to our drab little pavilion. we are hoping that it also draws people to the new Court Hill Trail. I'm wondering if any of you might be able to join us for the ribbon cutting at 11:30 AM on Saturday. A community potluck will follow! Please let me know if you can make it and I will include your attendance in the press release we will be sending out Thursday afternoon. Looking forward to hearing from you! Best Regards, Katie Roche Creekside Neighborhood Association Member 1 IP13 Marian Karr From: Regenia Bailey [bailey@avalon.net] Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:11 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: FW: July 1st -Iowa City Shelter House Groundbreaking From: Katherine Burford [mailto:burford@shelterhouseiowa.org] Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 1:20 PM To: Amy Correia; Bob Dvorsky; David Jacoby; David Leshtz; Henry Herwig; Jim Fausett; Joe Bolkom; John Lundell; Larry Meyers; Matt Hayek; Mike Wright; Mitch Gross; Pat Harney; Regenia Bailey; Ross Wilburn; rsullivan@co.johnson.ia.us; Sally Stutsman; Terrence Neuzil; Tom Gill; Tom Weihe; Vicki Lensing Cc: Crissy Canganelli; Dottie Persson; Connie Champion; Constance Champion Subject: July 1st -Iowa City Shelter House Groundbreaking 'I~he Shelter I--louse's Capital Campaign. Corn.mittee and Board. of Directors cordially invite you to attend the July 1st Groundbreaking. This event will launch the public phase of the "C)pening Doors" capital campaign. Shelter House has exceeded the $2 million financial goal originally set for the quiet phase of the capital campaign. The schedule of events follows. Shelter House -July 1st Groundbreaking: 429 Southgate Avenue (Across the street from HACAP) 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. 4:45 Welcome and announcements 5:00 Aclalowledgements a~ld recognitions 5:15 Ecumenical land blessing 5:30 Grol~lulbreaking [.'lease PSVP to me if you plan to help us celebrate this first of many milestones. Katherine Burford Capital. Campaign Manager, Shelter I-louse 31.9-338-54:1.6 Ixt 109 31.9-358-7132 Fax 319-430-(I790 (cell) w~~~~~~~.shelterhouseiow~a.c~rg 5/28/2009 IP14 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION May 4, 2009 - 12:00 PM LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL Members Present: Marcy DeFrance, Charlie Drum, Michael McKay, Rebecca McMurray, Brian Richman Teleconference: Steve Crane, Andy Douglas, Holly Hart, Michael Shaw Members Absent: None Staff Present: Tracy Hightshoe, Stephen Long Others Present• RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action): The Commission voted 9-0 to allocate the Shelter House -New Construction the additional CDBG funds and to allocate the additional HOME funds to Dolphin Lake Point and TBRA with $30,000 to be allocated to Dolphin Lake Point and the remainder to go to TBRA. The Commission voted 9-0 to allocate the $95,000 in CDBG Economic Development funds to the projects recommended by staff in the 4/27/09 Council memo by the Community Development Coordinator. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 12:00 p.m. Brian Richman chaired the meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. STAFF/COMMISSION COMMENT: Long reminded the Commission of the agenda for the City Council work session that evening and the formal meeting May 5, 2009. He said the Council will discuss the approval of the Commission's budget along with the stimulus funding. He said that he and Hightshoe will give a short presentation to the Council regarding the Commission's recommendation, including recommendations to come from this meeting. Long said the official approval will take place at the formal meeting on May 5, 2009 and said he hopes some of the Commission members will be present. Long said at the same meeting the Council will discuss the Aniston Village general revenue bond funding, $282,000 for the Housing Fellowship project which the Commission voted to approve last year and which are 22 units oftax-credit funded affordable housing. Long thanked the Commission members for attending this meeting. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION May 4, 2009 Planning Conference Room, City Hall Page 2 of 6 Richman asked for additional comments. As there were none he moved to discussion of the FY10 annual action plan and budget. DISCUSSION OF THE FY10 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND BUDGET: Hightshoe presented to the Commission information related to the budget. She said they had received word from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that they will be receiving $16,268 more for CBDG than budgeted, a 2.5% increase from last year. Hightshoe said for HOME an additional $68,632 will be received than budgeted, an 11% increase from last year. Hightshoe noted the additional $84,900 available for HOME and CDBG funds is good news because there have been cuts for the past eight years. Hightshoe said the motion from March 26 read "Shaw amended his motion to state that if there is additional funding of less than 5% of the FY10 allocation (and 2009 ARRA funds) additional CDBG funds will be allocated to Shelter House -New Construction and additional HOME funds will be allocated pro rata between TBRA and Dolphin. If the City receives more than 5% of the FY 10 allocation (and 2009 ARRA funds), the commission will meet again to discuss." Hightshoe noted that the additional funds represent a 5.89% increase. Richman said that is why we're all here. He asked if it was the intention of the Commission to carry out the same plan approved at the previous meeting - a plan budgeted fora 5% increase in funds and which would allocate money on a pro rata basis - or if the additional funds warrants consideration of an alternative plan. A member of the Commission asked if the proposal covered CDBG funds for the Shelter House, TBRA, and Dolphin House. Richman confirmed this was correct. Richman said the additional $16,268 for the CBDG fund would be used for the Shelter House and the additional $68,632 in HOME funds would be split on a pro rata basis between the Housing Authority TBRA program and the Dolphin home ownership program. Richman asked if any member of the Commission felt they should be doing something other than that which he just outlined. A member of the Commission asked if it is a 5.89% difference in what was approved additionally and what is available. Richman said it's a 5.89% increase. He said the Commission stated in its motion that if funds increased 5% or less the plan outlined earlier would be pursued but since the additional funds are somewhat more than a 5% increase the Commission had to meet again to discuss. Long added that the motion required another meeting if funds increased above 5% and that the motion combined both the CBDG funds and the HOME funds. He said HOME funds increased 1 1 %. Long asked if the Commission could answer questions about why the Commission didn't allocate the top ranked projects under housing, in case questions were directed to the Commission members. He HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION May 4, 2009 Planning Conference Room, City Hall Page 3 of 6 said the top ranked project under housing was Isis, the second was the Housing Fellowship and then Dolphin and TBRA were fourth and fifth, respectively. Richman responded that one of the last things done at the last meeting was to move money from TBRA into the Housing Fellowship project with the idea that if there were additional funds that they would go toward TBRA. Hart said she thought the Commission was trying to avoid adhering strictly to rankings because it can force a particular position from the Commission. She said while the rankings are helpful to see the potential projects there are problems with the rankings, too. She pointed out the reason TBRA comes in low on the rankings is because it doesn't produce anything; they're not paying property taxes, for instance. She wondered if there were other factors that could be used to evaluate the merits of potential projects, and ranked accordingly. Richman said Hart is right, that there are limitations in the rankings and there is no need to be constrained by them. Richman said it is also true that with Isis, if additional funds are awarded, it must come in $50,000 amounts to do an entire unit which is nearly the entire allocation. Douglas said one possibility would be to give another $20,000 to the Housing Fellowship. Long said it's $20,000 a unit. Hightshoe said there is $34,316 to be divided equally. She said Dolphin's per unit cost of $10,000 equals $30,000. She asked what would be done with the rest of the money. She asked if it would go to TBRA. Hightshoe said TBRA can use any denomination. She said $30,000 would be required for three additional units leaving $38,000 to TBRA. Richman said the last thing they did was increase the Housing Fellowship's allocation. He said he would rather that money be directed toward the TBRA than for another unit. Douglas said he'd be fine with the current plan, pro-rating it for the two home projects. Shaw asked what is the rational to the Council for giving a portion to the Dolphin project. He said the Commission has the rational for TBRA because they took away funds toward the end. Richman said the Dolphin project was only funded at $90,000, a relatively small fraction of the requested $558,000. He said he thought those who had seen the project felt good about what had been accomplished. A Commission member asked if there was a rational for splitting funds between rental and home- ownership projects. Crane said he agreed to do as presented because it was less than a 1 % increase. Richman said if everyone is comfortable with that a motion would be needed to say additional CDBG funds would go to Shelter House -New Construction, that $30,000 of the additional HOME funds would go to the Dolphin project, and that the balance of the additional HOME funds would go to the TBRA project. Long said administration money is not being taken out of the additional funds. He said the City could take another $7,000 in administration, but staff elected not to allocate the funds to administrative/planning costs. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION May 4, 2009 Planning Conference Room, City Hall Page 4 of 6 Shaw motioned to allocate the Shelter House -New Construction the additional CDBG funds and to allocate the additional HOME funds to Dolphin Lake Point and TBRA. $30,000 is to be allocated to Dolphin Lake Point with the remainder going to TBRA. McMurray seconded. The motion passed 9-0. Douglas asked if the Commission needed to discuss economic development money. Hightshoe said staff made a recommendation to Council. She said $120,000 exists in the economic development fund. She said if another $95,000 in FY10 is allocated that brings the fund to $210,000. She said the City is evaluated on the timeliness of expenditures ratio in which the City receives approximately $600,000 in CDBG funds annually. She said due to Community Development's workload including all flood related grants and housing rehabilitation projects, Single-Family New Construction Program, drafting of the next 5-year Consolidated Plan (CITY-STEPS), and the regular workload, staff time is limited to find desirable applicants or to market to lenders to get the type of projects the City wants to pursue. Staff recommended to Council that the $95,000 be directed to CDBG eligible projects that can proceed in a more timely fashion. She said FYl 1 would return to normal. Douglas asked if that is something the Commission needs to approve. Hightshoe said the Commission could make a recommendation, to discuss it in the agenda item, or to leave it to Council to decide. Drum motioned to allocate the $95,000 in CDBG Economic Development funds to the projects recommended by staff in the 4/27/09 Council memo by the Community Development Coordinator. Hightshoe said the money could go to any CDBG eligible project, including Shelter House -New Construction or the Housing Fellowship. Long said the two highest ranked CDBG eligible facility projects were Shelter House and MECCA and the two highest housing were ISIS and Housing Fellowship -Rental. Both housing projects are eligible for CDBG money as well. Typically staff does not like to mix CDBG and HOME funds due to administrative issues; however it has been done in the past. McKay seconded. The motion passed 9-0. Discussion occurred about who was attending the Council work session. Long said it would be helpful to have members present during the work session in case questions needed to be asked of the Commission. Long said decisions will have already been made by the formal meeting. Hightshoe said she spoke with HUD when the figures were made available but that they haven't received an official award letter regarding the dollar amounts at this time. She said the final number HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION May 4, 2009 Planning Conference Room, City Hall Page 5 of 6 may not reflect exactly the numbers available currently but that it should be very close, to within one or two thousand dollars ADJOURNMENT: Mckay moved to adjourn. Defrance seconded. The motion passed 9-0. c O .y N .~ 0 v c E~ a. o a~i as ~ > ~ a~ o = ~~ '~ C 7 ~ ~a 0 v otf .N 3 O rn 0 0 N ~ X X X X X x x x X ° X O O X X X X O o N X X X X X X O X X M M X ~ X X X X X X X N X X O X X x X x X N Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z N X O X X O X O X X \ \ 1 \ \ ~( W \ \ \ \ \ ~ ~ U ~ c _ N ~ -C •~ ~ ~ L ~ '~ flS N Q ~ U ' m ~ U +~ ~ U c vS ~ () _ o ~ _ ~ ~ ~ ~~ x ~ E W a= N c ~~ a~i~ yNa~i~cu ~ Q ~ Z ~ Q Z u u n n n T W_ Y X O O Z IP15 IOWA CITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION DRAFT MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2009--5:30 P.M. CITY CABLE TV OFFICE, 10 S. LINK ST.-TOWER PLACE PARKING FACILITY MEMBERS PRESENT: Laura Bergus, Hans Hoerschelman, Gary Hagen, Robert Kemp, Brett Gordon MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Mike Brau, Bob Hardy OTHERS PRESENT: Josh Goding, Saul Mekies, Beth Fisher, Craig O'Brien, Lee Grassley, Jonathon Rattner, Holly Berkowitz, Phil Meany, Susan Rogusky, Michael McBride, Phil Phillips RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL None at this time. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Grassley reported that Mediacom has acquired digital-to-analog converter boxes so they can again offer free basic cable to non-subscribers for a six month period after the June 12 transition to digital transmission by all broadcasters is complete. Discussions with the City on moving the access channels to digital transmission have been on hold for a while but will resume shortly. The TV Guide channel has been removed from the channel lineup. Hardy said Lowe informed him that her position with the Iowa City Community School District will likely be eliminated as part of the budget cuts. Hoerschelman said the Commission needs to monitor the situation and may need to encourage the school board to not let the school channel regress. Hardy said that a draft of PATV's new contract has been developed and there are some substantial changes in the language regarding community programming and what would happen if PATV were to dissolve. It is now in PATV's hands for review. The draft will come to Commission for review after the City and PATV have worked out the language. Gordon said the contract should contain some benchmarks for evaluating performance. Hoerschelman said Commissioners should provide him a list of any concerns they have regarding what the contract should address. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Hagen nominated Hoerschelman for chair. Kemp seconded the nomination. Hoerschelman was unanimously elected chair. Hoerschelman nominated Bergus for vice-chair. Hagen seconded the nomination. Bergus was unanimously elected vice-chair. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Hagen moved and Bergus seconded a motion to approve the amended February2009 minutes. The motion passed unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS Hagen thanked Mekies for his years if service on the Commission and said that Mekies had been a very constructive voice on the Commission. SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Mekies said it was a privilege to serve on the Commission. Over the past years there has been a huge improvement in the programming on the local access channels partly as a result of the work of the Commission. Mekies encouraged the Commission to continue to ask probing questions so the improvements are maintained and continue. SENIOR CENTER REPORT Rattner showed excerpts from the video he has been using at presentations he has been giving, including at the at the National Council on Aging conference in Las Vegas. The video presents the activities of Senior Center Television, including the intergenerational project featuring seniors and English as a second language students. SCTV has a new website, www.icsctv.net, which supports streaming SCTV programs. MEDIACOM REPORT Grassley reported that Mediacom has acquired digital-to-analog converter boxes so they can again offer free basic cable to non-subscribers for a six month period after the June 12 transition to digital transmission by all broadcasters is complete. Discussions with the City on moving the access channels to digital transmission have been on hold for a while but will resume shortly. The TV Guide channel has been removed from the channel lineup. The channel originally dedicated the entire screen to a scrolling program listing but over the years more of the screen was devoted to advertising. Only three channels listings are shown on the screen at a time and it takes about four minutes to scroll through the entire channel lineup. The channel may return on the digital tier. Grassley said that there will be a migration of channels from analog transmission to digital transmission to make space for the DOCSIS 3.0 high speed data and high definition channels. Satellite dish providers typically have 70-80 high definition channels. Mediacom averages 26. Additional discussions are needed with City officials to discuss Mediacom's proposal to move the local access channels to the digital tier. Bergus asked what the benefit would be for subscribers under Mediacom's proposal. Grassley said DOCSIS 3.0 high-speed Internet service could be implemented and high definition channels could be added. Bergus asked if the move to all digital transmission wasn't going to occur anyway. Grassley said that it will but is scheduled for February 2012. Mediacom would like to make the transition sooner and is willing to make some concessions to do so. Grassley said Mediacom is initiating a program in which they will donate money to the Arbor Day Foundation to purchase one tree for every subscriber who changes to online billing. ACESS CHANNELS AND THE DIGITAL TRANSITION Hardy reviewed the discussions and information presented at previous meetings. In exchange for some or all of the local access channels moving to the digital basic tier Mediacom would offer the channels streaming video and video-on-demand capability. Mediacom would implement DOCSIS 3.0 high speed internet and offer more high definition channels. The ability to view the access channels would be lost for about 35% of all subscribers. In determining which access channels might move the access channel representatives determined that public access, the ability to cablecast government meetings, and live community events at the library were priorities. Hardy noted there was a document in the meeting packet prepared by Brau that explains the methodology he used to determine an estimate of the range of viewers capable of viewing the local access channels if they were transmitted in a digital format. Grassley said that the video-on-demand service would be able to accommodate as many viewers at one time as wish to use the service. The streaming video service would have a theoretical limit to the number of viewers who could access the programs, but that is something that needs to be investigated and a reasonable capacity established. McBride said that one reason the University channel supports the Mediacom proposal is that even if they do lose some potential viewers in the short run, they will be return once Mediacom is all digital in 2012. Once a viewer switches to a satellite provider, presumably for more high definition channels, they are likely lost forever. Hardy said any recommendation from him would come before the Commission for their consideration and recommendation to the City Council. CONSUMER ISSUES Hardy referred to the complaint report in the meeting packet. Hardy said there have been some problems with artifacting on the channels in the 30s. The loss of the TV Guide has generated a number of complaints. Grassley said that community specific information about channel lineups will be coming soon to Mediacom's website. Hoerschelman asked if Mediacom has a cap on Internet speeds or has plans to initiate one. Grassley said they do not have a cap and have no plans for one. Mediacom does monitor usage. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA REPORT McBride reported that the University channel will cablecast three graduation ceremonies live and tape seven for playback. Previous graduation ceremonies had been in Hancher Auditorium, which enabled live coverage. The number of productions is expected to decline in May and June. KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE O'Brien introduced Phil Meany who will eventually be assuming all responsibilities for Kirkwood's cable TV activities. Kirkwood's quarterly report was included in the meeting packet. Student productions are winding down with the end of the semester. Volleyball games are planned to be cablecast live in the fall. Upcoming shows include the spring jazz concert, the fashion merchandising department's fashion show, and a flower show presented by the horticulture students. Kirkwood is exploring offering their programming to local broadcasters for airing on their digital multiplexed channels. PATV REPORT Goding said PATV continues to shoot talks at Prairie Lights once a month. Live and Local recently featured the recently re-named Everett Conner Center, now Access to Independence, and will tape representatives from the Amana Renaissance Fair for the next episode. Recent staff-assisted programs include the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Piece by Piece, Tom's Guitar Show, the College of Self Knowledge, the Weekly Open Contact Improvisational Dance Jam, and Quest for Meaning. The next board meeting will be the May 14 at 7 p.m. PATV will be closed for spring cleaning before 5 p.m. on Apri130. A pilot run of one of the segments of PATV's media literacy workshop will be offered May 16 at the public library form 2-5 p.m. The next guidelines class will be May 3 at 10 a.m. Upgrades to the studio and playback system are planned. LIBRARY REPORT Fisher reported that on May 30 the library channel's programming will be related to Irving Webber all day as part of Irving Webber Days. The Irving Webber Days history lecture will be Thursday May 7th on the history of broadcasting in Iowa and will be carried live on the library channel. The reception for Ellen Buchanan honoring her years of doing interviews with notable Iowa City citizens will by May 15. IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT Lowe provided a written report. Hardy said Lowe informed him that her position will likely be eliminated as part of the budget cuts. Hoerschelman said the Commission needs to monitor the situation and may need to encourage the school board to not let the school channel regress. CITY CHANNEL REPORT Hardy reported that the Community Television Service has been working with Elderly Services on a series of programs. Other programs planned are with the Johnson County Historical Society, the Foreign Relations Council and the Iowa City Junior Service League. The Community Voice program has been developing an idea for a series of biographies of local artists. Four pieces on the Women's Resource and Action Center are ready for cablecast for the Mayor's monthly notable nonprofit program. The Media Unit has been busy covering the special City Council meetings. Other programs include the Southeast District Planning Forum, a sales tax forum, and a program on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Work continues on a program about universal house design. PATV CONTRACT Hardy said that a draft has been developed and there are some substantial changes in the language regarding community programming and what would happen if PATV were to dissolve. It is now in PATV's hands for review. The draft will come to Commission for review after the City and PATV have worked out the language. Gordon said the contract should contain some benchmarks for evaluating performance. Hoerschelman said Commissioners should provide him a list of any concerns they have regarding what the contract should address. Goding said they have reviewed the draft and will request another meeting with the City. Goding said the draft contract contains many benchmarks. Gordon asked if PATV could provide data on the use of cameras bt people other than the board and staff. Bergus said PATV should be required to make the equipment available to the public, but who chooses to use is outside of PATV's control. Goding suggested that programming data submitted to the Commission might need to be reviewed. At one time data was provided on all the access channels in a similar way. That is no longer done. Brau said at one point the Commission asked for very specific types of programming data from each channel. The categories of data were the number of programs and programming hours of new channel-produced programs, replayed channel-produced programs, new imported programs, replayed imported programs, and in the case of PATV only, new and replayed community programming. At one point the local access channels requested that these monthly reports be submitted only quarterly as the record keeping was burdensome and that each channel should determine what information they provided. The Commission consented to that request. PATV continued to provide programming data as they always had. Hardy said the access channels felt reporting should reflect their channel's mission rather than a standardized format. TRIENNIAL REVIEW Hardy said he received some question from Hagen. Brau said the financial section had been completed for some time but now is being updated with data from the first quarter of 2009. ADJOURNMENT Bergus moved and Hagen seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Adjournment was at 7:32 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Michael Brau Cable TV Administrative Aide TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 12 MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD 01/01/03 to CURRENT Meeting Date Kimberly Thrower Saul Meikes Brett Castillo Terry Smith Jim Pusack 6/2/03 x x x x x 7/28/03 x x x x x 8/25/03 x x x x o/c 9/22/03 x x x x o/c 10/27/03 x x x x o/c 11 /24/03 x x o/c x x 12/15/03 o/c o/c x x x 1/2/04 x o/c x x x 1 /26/04 x x x x x 2/23/04 x o/c x o/c x 3/22/04 x x x x x 4/ 26/04 x x x x O/C 5/24/04 x x O/C x x 6/28/04 x x x o/c x 7/26/04 o/c x x x x 8/26/04 did not meet did not meet did not meet did not meet did not meet 9/27/04 X X X X X 10/25/04 X X 11/04 Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet 12/20/04 X X X X X 1 /24/05 X X X X X 2/28/05 X X X X Ga Ha en 3/8/05 X X X X X 3/25/05 X O X X X 4/25/05 x o/c X X X 5/23/05 X o x vacant X James Ehrmann X x Bebe Balant ne x 6/27/05 X x X X X x Michael Chritians 7/25/05 O X X X X 9/26/05 0 X X 0 X 10/31 /05 X X o/c X X 11 /28/05 X X X X X 1 /23/06 o/c X X O X 2.27/06 X X X 0 X 3/27/06 o/c X X John Weaterson X X 4/24/06 X X X X X 5/22/06 0 x x/o 0 X 6/26/06 0 X Vacant 0 X Nick Parker 7/24/06 x x x X 8/24/06 X x M. Wietin o/c X 9/25/06 x x x 0/c X 10/23/06 x X x olc X 10/30/06 x _ x x vacant X 11 /27/09 x x x X 12.18/06 X X X X Brett Gordon 1 /22/07 X X X X X 2/26/07 X X X X X 3/26/07 Vacant x o/c x X 4/23/07 Vacant X X X X Hoerschelma n 521 /07 X X o/c X x 6/26/07 x x x x X 7/23/07 x x x x X 9/24/07 X X o/c o/c X 10/22/07 x x o/c olc x 11 /26/07 x x x x X 12/18/07 X X o/c X X 1 /28/08 X x olc x X 3/3/08 X X X X X 3/24/08 Bob Kem x x o/c X X 4/28/08 X X X X X 6/3/08 X X X X X 6/23/08 X X X X 0/C 7/28/08 X X X X X 8/25/08 X X X o/c X 9/23/08 x x x x X 10.27/08 X X X o/c X 11 /24/08 Did not meet 12/15/08 X X X X X 1 /26/09 X X X X o/c 2/243/09 X' x o/c o/c X Laura Ber us 4/27/09 X X X X X (X)=Present (O) =Absent (O/C) = Absent/Called (Excused) POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES -May 26, 2009 CALL TO ORDER: MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: OTHERS PRESENT: DRAFT Chair Michael Larson called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Janie Braverman, Donald King, Greg Roth, Abbie Yoder None Legal Counsel Catherine Pugh (5:36) and Staff Kellie Tuttle 05-28-09 IP16 Captain Richard Wyss, and Officer David Schwindt of the ICPD; public, Caroline Dieterle and Dean Able RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL None CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by King and seconded by Braverman to adopt the consent calendar as presented or amended. • Minutes of the meeting on 03/10/09 • ICPD General Order 98-01 (Written Directive System) • ICPD General Order 99-03 (Prisoner Transport) • ICPD General Order 99-04 (Canine Operations) • ICPD General Order 00-03 (Less Lethal Impact Munitions) • ICPD General Order 01-01 (Search and Seizure) • ICPD SOG#09-01 (Vehicle Crash Review) • ICPD Quarterly /Summary Report (Quarter 1) - IAIR/PCRB, 2009 • ICPD P.A.U.L.A. Report -March 2009 Motion carried, 5/0. Braverman noted that she was unable to review the consent calendar items and may have questions at the next meeting. OLD BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS None. PUBLIC DISCUSSION None. BOARD INFORMATION None. STAFF INFORMATION Tuttle passed out a late memorandum regarding proposed budget reductions for the PCRB. The Board was informed that the proposed reductions were taken from Attorney Services and asked if they wanted to be more informed of the actual figures throughout the year. It was agreed that Tuttle would keep them informed. PCRB May 26, 2009 Page 2 EXECUTIVE SESSION REGULAR SESSION Motion by Yoder and seconded by King to adjourn into Executive Session based on Section 21.5(1)(a) of the Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds, and 22.7(11) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts, and 22-7(5) police officer investigative reports, except where disclosure is authorized elsewhere in the Code; and 22.7(18) Communications not required by law, rule or procedure that are made to a government body or to any of its employees by identified persons outside of government, to the extent that the government body receiving those communications from such persons outside of government could reasonably believe that those persons would be discouraged from making them to that government body if they were available for general public examination. Motion carried, 5/0. Open session adjourned at 5:37 P.M. Returned to open session at 6:36 P.M. Motion by King, seconded by Roth to set the level of review for PCRB Complaint #09-01 to 8-8-7 (B)(1)(a), On the record with no additional investigation. Motion carried, 5/0. Motion by King, seconded by Roth to reschedule the June 9th meeting to June 8th due to timelines and scheduling. Motion carried, 5/0. TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE and FUTURE AGENDAS (subject to change) • June 8, 2009, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm • June 9, 2009, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm (Rescheduled to June 8) • July 14, 2009, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm • August 11, 2009, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm • September 8, 2009, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by Braverman and seconded by King. Motion carried, 5/0. Meeting adjourned at 6:44 P.M. E~ ~~OyC u ii u u u zz~~b oo~~~ ~~~~~ ,~~ ~~ (9 V1 ~ ~ a -C~ G~ o ~ t"~ ~ ~, d a ~ oa td~ ~, ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ o ~ .r ~ ~ .-. ~ ~ ~ x~ ro ~ ~ x x ~ W ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ X ~ ~ w c ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ yC ~C ~C yC ~C y y -, ~ ~ Kd y~ z ~~ d o~ ~~ o b r n r~ n c 0 IP17 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2009 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Esther Baker, Thomas Baldridge, Lindsay Bunting Eubanks, William Downing, Carl Hirschman, Pam Michaud, Jim Ponto, Alicia Trimble, Frank Wagner MEMBERS ABSENT: Ginalie Swaim STAFF PRESENT: Christina Kuecker OTHERS PRESENT: Scott Kading CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Bunting Eubanks called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS: 430 N. Van Buren Street. Kuecker stated that the owner of the property has withdrawn this application. 13 S. Linn Street. Kuecker stated that the intent of this project is to make the property ADA accessible. She showed a photograph of the house and stated that it is a local landmark currently serving as a commercial building. Kuecker said the applicant would like to add a ramp and would raise grade about one foot. She said it would be a fairly small ramp. Kuecker said it would start farther back and would be fairly difficult to see from the street. She said the applicant would also like to add a door for access. Kuecker said the ramp would be constructed of wood. She said the door would be a simple, steel, fire- rated door used for comnmercial structures. Kuecker said that staff feels this is an appropriate way to address the ADA accessibility of the property without being detrimental to the most visible facades of the property. She said that in general, the guidelines recommend not adding new openings to a building. Kuecker said that in this case, since it won't be seen from the street, staff feels it is fine. Kuecker said staff recommends approval of the application as proposed, with the condition that any handrail, if needed, is just a simple, black handrail. Kading, the owner of the property, said that there are two buildings right next to each other. He said that the way the grade is set up, this will ramp up less than a foot with a somewhat even continuance to the back, so both these buildings will be handicapped accessible. He said that he is working with the neighboring property owner on some issues. He said that this should allow him to make the space a lot more usable and will not affect much externally. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 13 South Linn Street as proposed, with the staff recommendation that if there needs to be a handrail that it be a simple black metal handrail. Trimble seconded the motion. Ponto said that this is a really good way to make something handicapped accessible while not changing anything noticeable in the front. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Swaim absentl. Historic Preservation Commission May 14, 2009 Page 2 CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR APRIL 13, 2009. MOTION: Downing moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's April 13, 2009 meeting, as written. Trimble seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Swaim absent . OTHER: Bunting Eubanks said that one of the City Council members asked about how to reconcile the movement of energy efficiency with historic preservation. Bunting Eubanks suggested the Commission come up with a list of ideas to include on the website and possibly in the handbook. Bunting Eubanks said that one concern was that solar panels are only allowed on the side of a building not facing the street within the guidelines. She said the City Council member was also concerned with adding a bump out area to add insulation to the exterior of a house. Bunting Eubanks suggested this could cause water damage. Kuecker said that it would also cover trim and potentially historic features. Kuecker said one council member stated that adding insulation could bump the exterior of a house out a couple of inches and asked how that is detrimental to the historic character of the building. She said there are things that can be done to a house in the name of energy efficiency that are permitted under the guidelines. Kuecker said that the Commission could brainstorm ideas to come up with a list. She said there might be things that are currently not allowed in the guidelines that the Commission might want to consider allowing, since the guidelines are in the process of being rewritten. Bunting Eubanks said that new types of energy efficient materials are being developed, including materials like photo-voltaic paint that captures solar energy. Downing mentioned insulating attics. Bunting Eubanks asked if that ever caused water damage. Downing said that that isn't usually an issue. Baldridge said that Jim Throgmorton with the University is interested in green issues and might be willing to share his expertise. Downing said that one important factor is upgrading the mechanical systems of a house. He said that a lot of the older houses have boilers that are ancient and run at 40% efficiency. Bunting Eubanks said that an article in a preservation magazine discussed how when one removes a porch and there are cracks in the wall, the cracks could be filled with spray in foam insulation before the porch is rebuilt. She said the Commission could make those suggestions part of its recommendations when it issues certificates. Bunting Eubanks said that when an owner fixes up his house gradually, he deals with a lot of those problems. Hirschman said that he did his entire house by blowing in insulation from the interior. He added that it greatly reduced his utility bill. Hirschman said that it cost him around $8,000. He said that there was a tax rebate and a State of Iowa property rehabilitation tax credit available. Bunting Eubanks said there was a great article on windows also. Hirschman asked if storm windows had to come before the Commission. Kuecker confirmed that storm windows did not need to come before the Commission He said that at this point one can get a storm window that is essentially like putting on a double pane for much less cost. Bunting Eubanks said that a historic preservation commission in Colorado came out with a pamphlet describing different things that could be done. She said she was thinking more along the lines of just adding bullet points to the website. Michaud said that those bullet points could then refer people to technical websites. Bunting Eubanks said that a second idea is what the Commission should amend the guidelines to include. The Commission discussed the use of recycled materials and the new tax benefits available. Bunting Historic Preservation Commission May 14, 2009 Page 3 Eubanks suggested having a section entitled "The Green Side of Historic Preservation," with a link to the window page. She asked people to a-mail further ideas to Kuecker. Trimble said that when people come to the Commission and complain about energy efficiency, it almost always involves windows. Bunting Eubanks said that the statement on windows says that windows might not actually be the problem, but it could be all the cracks in the building. Trimble said that people seem to think that vinyl windows work better than they do, but that has not been her experience. Ponto said that Tim Toomey had a good idea in that especially the old double hung windows with the weights have a space that cannot be insulated. Ponto stated that Toomey had a way of using a PVC pipe that the weight would be inside and then putting insulation around that. Ponto said there are ways to insulate an old double hung window. Baker said that Downing's point might be the best one to make, in that greenest thing for one to do is to fix what he's got. Bunting Eubanks said that is also the least expensive. She said there is a lot of debate about how much it costs to do historic preservation. Bunting Eubanks said that if an owner is able to fix what he has, then he doesn't have to buy anything new. Kuecker asked if there are green products or technologies that the Commission would like to have in the guidelines. Specifically, she asked if the Commission wanted to allow solar panels on prominent street elevations. Kuecker said the guidelines currently state that it is not recommended to install atennas, vents, solar collectors, skylights, or other mechanical devices on a prominent street elevation. Downing said that not recommended is soft language to begin with. Ponto said the Commission might want to make some sort of blanket concession that as technology changes, the Commission will review new materials. He said the Commission could ask that anyone planning something for the exterior of a house should come before the Commission to discuss it, and the Commission will make every effort to accommodate the homeowner within the guidelines. Bunting Eubanks said she thinks that solar panels will probably be outdated in 20 years, to be replaced by the paint that uses solar energy. Downing said that solar panels are not very efficient, because such a large amount is needed to generate sufficient energy. Kuecker said that in Dubuque, the City plans to put photo-voltaic shingles on the City Hall. She said the Commission might want to discuss something like that before it is included in an application. Downing said that the shingles look like ordinary black shingles but slightly shiny. Downing said that he feels that in the next 20 years the ideas of individuals collecting solar energy in their own home will give way to larger utility companies collecting solar energy on a larger scale. Bunting Eubanks said the idea is whether the Commission wants to give individuals the option to choose that if they want to. Michaud asked how often the guidelines are rewritten. Kuecker said they were written in 2000 and are being rewritten in 2009. Michaud said that including a statement, that says as new materials and technologies become available the Commission will review them. Bunting Eubanks said the Commission members should think about the subject and realize that this is a criticism of the Commission. Ponto stated that besides windows, what people most criticize the Commission for is its stance on vinyl siding and the insulation underneath. Regarding the use of green products, Downing said that the LEED rating system discourages vinyl in almost every way. Kuecker agreed that vinyl is one of the least green products available, partly because of the production process and the contaminants released in the process. Downing added that vinyl is very hard to recycle. Bunting Eubanks said the Commission could come up with a more concise list. She asked Commission members to a-mail them to staff and the other Commission members. Historic Preservation Commission May 14, 2009 Page 4 Baldridge asked about providing some sort of open-ended invitation in that building materials and technology are constantly changing, and if a homeowner has an idea of what they want to do on their house, they should feel free to bring that idea to the Commission, which will try to work with them on it. He said that sounds more user-friendly. Bunting Eubanks said that one of the big problems is that there are salesmen out there who want to bring up new products and promise things about them that haven't been tested. She said that she has seen that before with roofing materials in particular. Michaud said that rather than suggest that the Commission will amend its guidelines, the Commission could state that it will be happy to do a product review. Ponto said that another green thing about historic neighborhoods is that there are a lot of mature trees that provide shade and therefore energy savings. He said that is one benefit over a new subdivision. Kuecker said that Helen Burford wanted her to remind everyone of the Parade of Historic Homes on Sunday. Kuecker said there are four historic homes and one new home with the entire interior made of historic materials. Michaud said that on Tuesday there was an article about a proposed historic district in New York that has been under review for two years. She said there are thousands of buildings there, and it has become a very protracted process. Michaud said that in preface, many of the buildings were altered or demolished. Michaud asked if, when there is a proposed district, there is a way to freeze demolition permits until the district is voted on. Kuecker said that it is already in the zoning code that when City Council sets its public hearing, it puts a freeze on the area so that anything that is going to happen needs to meet the new regulations, even if it is just being reviewed. She said she believes the period is 90 days from the point at which the City Council sets the public hearing. Kuecker said that is happening now on the Northside in that she is getting applications for projects there. She said people want to do work now, but because City Council has not completed all of its votes, a homeowner still has to go through the review process until the district is approved or denied. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte c O .y Hl .~ U c 0 ca d N L a L 0 i~ N '~ L V m m °~ ~o ~o ~ N C ++ i~ a x x x x x x x o x x x o x x X x x o x x M x x x x o o x x x x N o x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x ~, ~~, ~ a LLI ~ ~ rn N M rn o rn N M o rn N M ~ ~ rn N M ~ <- rn N M rn o rn N M o ~ rn N M rn o rn N M o ~ rn N M rn o rn N M a~ ~ z ~ ~ ~ m ~ ~ m C •~ 3 o° Y c ~ w' C ~ t ~ = j ~ ~ ~ o c a° E ~~ v3i d ~ ~ ~ 47 c ~ 3 U X W c ~ ~ N ~ N .Q N ~a~ u u w YXOO