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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-06-02 TranscriptionPage 1 Call to Order Teague: Again, welcome to everyone for joining us on this, uh, for our formal agenda tonight. I did want to take a moment, um, to talk about .... what happened on Monday, May 25°1, when Mr. George Floyd's life ended brutally at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, as video rolled and on -lookers pleaded for mercy. Other officers on scene ignored the pleas for help and were complicit in his murder. We watched in shock and horror and are devastated. As Mayor of Iowa City I condemn this act of violence against Mr. Floyd by this law enforcement officer. We are a nation in mourning. We're devastated, frustrated, and outraged, as we hopelessly watched a man's life fade before our very own eyes. It is 2020 and his death marks yet another incidence of violence towards a black man, remindin' us that we are still fully engaged in our battle to end racism. I'm a black man, and I wanna take this opportunity to let you know the grief and the frustration and anger and feelings of hopelessness that I and some ofmy...fellow black community members are also feelin'. To the many allies that are .... just as frustrated and angered by this, and grieving along with us, we thank you, because it is because of your acts now and in the past that has brought us where we are today. There's a lot to be done and we don't .... at all condone any acts of violence, of any kind. We respect the freedom of speech and the peaceful protests. Now is the time for all of us to take a look around and know that every single one of us can make a difference and be a part of the change that this country is so desperately in need of. As we remember George, remember also that we are not helpless. We can all show compassion, show mercy, and show love towards one another as fellow human beings. We can listen with an open mind, understand the frustration felt by many, and act in a way that will affect change in our daily lives. Together we will get through this! But we must have the difficult conversations about race and equality and equity within our nation, state, city, and most importantly.... in our homes. As Mayor, I am committed to buildin' on the efforts of this city and all the things that we've done over the last few years. We must push harder and ensure our community leads on this issue in a meaningful way. The conversations have to happen. We're gonna get through this. One of the things that we know is happenin' across our city and the nation are protests, opportunities for people to come and express themselves, and .... I think it's very meaningful for a lot of people to gather in a setting where they can just come and have an outlet .... to free themselves, to voice their concern, to voice their frustration. I along with other community leaders are hostin' an event throughout our neighborhoods and it's called `Speak Up, Speak Out,' and it's at three locations throughout our community. Wednesday, June 3'd, at 6:00 P.M., we're gonna be at Wetherby Park, 2400 Taylor Drive. On Friday, June 56i, we're This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 2 gonna be at Pheasant Ridge, at 6:00 P.M., and that's 2651 Roberts Road. Saturday, June Oh, at 2:00 P.M., we're gonna be at Mercer Park, 2701 Bradford Drive. We're askin' people to come and join while our.... brothers and sisters within the black community, but also our nation is grieving. Let us grieve together. Let us come out and speak up and speak out. At this time I want to talk about our Iowa City Police Department. These men and women are dedicated to our community. They have dedicated their lives by sacrificin' on the frontline in so many instances. Now don't get me wrong, there ... we ... we all have challenges, and .... and room for growth, but they really do care deeply about our city, and they care deeply about the people that live here. They care deeply about the educational opportunities we've ex .... extended to them. They've undertaken extensive de-escalation trainin' to help prevent incidents from risin' to the point of physical violence. They're committed to eliminatin' racial bias in policing and in ensurin' that their service to the public .... meet our expectations. They will continue to focus on improvin' processes and engagin' with the public in ways that build a sense of community based on trust and not fear. I am joined right now .... and I'm gonna introduce our Interim Police Chief Bill Campbell to deliver a message from the Iowa City Police Department. Campbell: Thank you, Mayor Teague and Council, uh, for inviting me to speak with, uh, you this evening and with the community this evening. Um, I've certainly received a lot of requests for additional, uh, information and comment from the Police Department on .... on where we .... where we are, where we stand, um, how we do things, um, certainly a lot of interest about that, and hopefully we can address some of that tonight, uh, certainly we won't touch on every question and every ... and every part of departmental operations and there'll be people that have more questions and we'll work to .... to answer those questions but hopefully we can at least get some dialogue started, cause as you said, Mayor, that's... that's, uh, that's one of the things that's most important and this is one of the things I believe that as a city and as a city government, we're known for. Um .... I'd also like to thank you for your leadership in this time, uh, it has not been simple for our department or for our city. Um, and would like to thank the entire Council for its support and direction, uh, as we walk through difficult and troubling times for not only the community, but as you've said — for the entire nation. Um, this last Friday I issued a public statement regarding the murder of Mr. George Floyd. I'd like to read that again for those of you who haven't .... who have not seen it or heard it. Uh, as I wrote on Friday, the death of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police office is tragic. Like many of you, I watched the video in disbelief, sadness, and frustration, as those who took an oath to protect us failed to make good on that promise. This is of great concern to our nation, community, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 3 and police department. The manner in which these officers treated Mr. Floyd is inconsistent with how we train police officers to conduct their interactions with the public. As we make it clear in our departmental mission statement, we strive to work in partnership with the community; enhance trust; protect with courage and compassion; and empower victims of crime through excellence in service. The City Council's made it, uh, clear in recent years their values and expectations of the department. For example, in 2017, uh, a 2017 resolution reaffirmed, uh, the City of Iowa City law enforcement non-discrimination policy, urging the City Manager and Police Chief to provide the department employees with the resources, training, and other support needed for them to effectively build mutual trust with all persons they serve, so that they can carry out their duties in the most efficient, productive, and safe manner. In 2016, Council passed a resolution rejecting acts of intimidation and supporting a diverse and safe community, reaffirming our community's shared value of compassion, inclusion, respect, and dignity, and our commitment to building an environment and community in which everyone is valued and has an opportunity to thrive. In 2018, the department recognized the need to shift its focus to a more community-based, victim -oriented service model. This shift prompted a new mission statement, which I .... which I just read here a minute ago and I'll read it again. To work in partnership with the community; enhance trust; protect with courage and compassion; and empower victims of crime through excellence in service. As with any mission statement, the ideals put forth are a tall order to accomplish, yet without actions to back them up, they're just words. And we have worked hard to put these words in action. Partnerships are a big part of building the relationships and enhancing the trust. The department regularly supports and works with community partners. I'll.... I'll name off a few right now, um, the list is much longer, but, uh, here's a few of `em. Um, you've seen us out with `Coffee With a Cop.' You've seen `em.... you've seen us at Martin Luther King Day events. The soul food dinner. The Sudanese Community Center. South District Neighborhood. Diversity Networking Night at the University of Iowa. LGBTQ liaison officers, which we have that engage the community in ... in different events. Refugee Immigration Association. Collaboration on events and initiatives have occurred with the NAACP regularly over the last several years. The City Manager's round table. The bulbs program, which ... if you haven't heard about it is a way that, uh, police officers can .... can help those who lack funds to fix, um, light bulbs and other minor repairs that might be a problem for them, that prompts them to be stopped by the police. Uh, again, to make it so that interaction doesn't happen. Uh, Juneteenth, Pride Festival, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. I think our faces are... are familiar at many of these events and at many events throughout the city. Um, and we've made that a priority and.... and it will continue to be a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 4 priority. COVID obviously hasn't helped us much with that, but urn ... that's... that's who we are and that's who we'll continue to be. Uh, and many of these partnerships have been in place for several years. The department has also looked for ways to provide police services through new positions, which allowed a more personalized victim -oriented services, uh, within those. Our downtown liaison officers, neighborhood response officers, and community outreach assistant have all been added in the last few years to intentionally work on building relationships in the community. Um ... those have been.... have been key and very strategic on our part. They haven't been by happenstance. It hasn't been, uh, just to fill a spot. We've really looked for officers and for, uh, members of the community who were able to, uh, build on the good work that's gone before them. Uh, the Police Department is a very diverse group, uh, has a very diverse group of officers, and we strive to reflect the community, uh, that we serve, as we recruit and hire new officers. These young men and women are the future of the department. As such, we carefully choose those who are going to wear the badge in Iowa City. We insist that they understand our community values and that, uh, we understand that not all applicants are gonna be a good fit! And if, uh, if that's not the case, um, we ... we look to .... to move on, and .... and find people who are. Once hired the department works to provide good, quality on-going training. I have received lots of questions about that this week, lots of emails from folks about the training that we do. We seek to find ways to provide consistent recurrent training that will assist officers in dealing with the many challenging aspects of the job, and there are many of them. It goes well beyond the list that I'll talk about now, but we certainly recognize that dealing with differences is one of those big challenges. Uh, some of the recent trainings and trainings that ... that come up for us frequently, um, I'll give you some.... some.... some examples here. Uh, cracking the code of social justice; engaging LGBTQ communities and advancing racial equity; unconscious bias; implicit bias; engaging immigrant and refugee communities; crisis intervention; de-escalation techniques; cultural competency — those are all a big part of what we do. Those last three, the crisis intervention, de-escalation, cultural competency, those are a regular part of the diet of what officers, um, are ... are receiving in the department, and this isn't something that came up last month or last year. This has been going on for the last several years. In 2018, the department was awarded over $800,000 in public and private grant funds to help establish `best practices' for law enforcement agencies nationwide, surrounding two relevant issues at the forefront of policing. These funds were used for implementation of the data -driven justice program in Iowa City, as well as programs that address gender bias in response to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Both programs which, uh.... from a fund standpoint, have .... have been coming to a close, have become on-going and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 5 integral parts of the Police Department operations. The... the.... the mission statement that I ... I mentioned, um, was ... was a direct, um, outcome of some of the things that went on within the domestic violence grant. The data -driven justice program has been very much a part of the partnerships that we've had with ... with the homelessness issue in Iowa City, um, and has been key to identifying where the services are needed and how they'll be provided. It also has been a part, uh, of how we are now making decisions about policing. Um, lots of changes have occurred in that way. You've heard the term `hot spot' or `micro hot spot' policing, um, we .... we try to sort out what the best way is to deploy resources and why. And what's, uh, what are ... what are we doing and why are we doing it, and how are we doing it is a constant, uh, thing that we need to evaluate, and the data - driven justice has been a part of that and continues to be how we're going to be looking at things. We're excited about what that .... what that's gonna look like in the future. It's ... it's kind of in its infancy, um, not only nationally but, um, we're at the forefront of it and have a chance to ... to do some things locally that's pretty exciting. Uh, the department also looks for ways to improve, um, through a review by outside projects and programs. Um, as you all know, we've been a part of traffic -stop studies through St. Ambrose University, um, for some time now. Um, that's nothing new. Um .... we .... we don't often .... often tout it t his way, but we are one of the few departments in the state that really.... really turns inside and out who we stop, um, what ... what the demographics are of those stops, um, that's not .... that's not common place unfortunately. My guess is it will be more so here in the future in other departments, but we've done that for a long time, and uh, and .... and that's a part of making us better, and we recognize that. Um .... we've also, uh, have on the Police Department, and have for the last couple years, had an internal committee, uh, our Disproportionate Minority Contact Committee, that looks at the data from the traffic stops, looks at the totality of the issues that we hear from whether it be from the community or internally from our own, um, review of things, and looks at how we can do things better. That committee's been in place for a couple years now. Um, that's not something new. That didn't come up yesterday. We work to look at this issue. Finally, uh, we're not a perfect organization. I think we all know that. Um, we understand the importance of holding our officers accountable for their actions. This comes in many forms. Uh, we have a very good group of experienced field supervisors who supervise our officers when they're out doing their job. That's.... that's key to this. Frontline supervisors are key to our response and key to our.....our success in the field. We also have command staff that have been here for many years. Um, that said, as you know, we're in the process right now of selecting a new Police Chief. Um, we must carefully fill that position, and look for someone who is capable of leading the department, uh, in the coming years, uh, and I don't say managing This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 6 or .... or.....or anything like that. Truly someone who ... who's capable of leading the department in the future. And that's who you, as a Council and ... and the City Manager, will be looking for. But we also need our community, to help us determine and to let us see what our strengths and weaknesses are. Uh, we have a long history of working with our Police Citizens Review Board, in reviewing policy and also in handling of complaints. Um, we have more recently, uh, collaborated with the NAACP in identifying and addressing issues, uh, before they become problems. These two organizations and ... and others that I'm not mentioning, um, are vital to the health of the department, and they're vital to the health of the community, that we're able to, um, provide that transparency that.—that the community is looking for. Um, so I appreciate the opportunity to come here and tell you about us, uh... we don't come to you with all the answers, urn.... we're.....we're a good organization, and we can be better, but we're there for you and you're gonna hear more from someone else here shortly, but uh, we're dedicated to making this community a great place, just like you are, and uh, you'll see that in the days to come. Urn .... I believe that the community and the Police Department will be better off and be stronger, um, in .... as the relationship that we have, um, builds in the days to come. Uh, with that I thank you, Mayor, and I turn it back over to you! Teague: Thank you so much for your words and just sharin' how our community is, um, really important to the Police Department and all the work that you all are doin' to ensure that you all are at your optimal in providin' service to everyone in our community. The last individual that I'm gonna invite to speak to us is Officer Andy Rich and he is with the Iowa City Police Union. Andy, please join us. Rich: Good evening (clears throat) uh, first to Mayor and City Council, the City Manager Fruin and everybody else who's watchin' tonight, um, I do wanna thank you for the opportunity to speak and for me to speak on the behalf of our Police Union, our members of the Iowa City Police Department. Um, first of all we want our community to know that we support you. Our community is our home and we have a deeply vested interest in seeing the City of Iowa City thrive and continue to be one of the best places in Iowa to live and to raise our children. What happened in Minneapolis to George Floyd is a travesty. We do not condone violence .... and we do not stand for improper police practices. The actions of one and the inactions of the three officers in Minneapolis are completely against what we believe and how we operate in Iowa City. George Floyd deserves justice and George Floyd's.... George Floyd's family deserves justice. We offer our deep condolences to the Floyd family. We also vow to the public that we will not be complicit if an act of police brutality by one of our own members, or by members This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 7 of another department, or office, is witnessed. As a union, we will not defend actions of brutality in our community, as those actions do not mirror our shared goal of having the best, most professional police department possible. We as police officers in Iowa City know that there's always work to be done and growth that can be achieved with open and healthy dialogue and a better understanding of each other through listening and being empathetic to one another, we can make our relationships stronger. Police officers cannot do their jobs on their own. We need our community to help us keep our city safe and beautiful. We need our community to let us know if we're not doin' the work that's expected of us. We also share the Iowa City PD's mission to work with our community to enhance the trust of our community and protect our community, and to empower our citizens through our excellence in service. We do wanna thank the demonstrators that have poured out their hearts peacefully and we want you to know that we do support you. We support the cause and we will work to keep you safe .... while we work through this very difficult time for our city and our state and our nation. Mr. Mayor and City Council, City Manager Fruin, I thank you for this time. We appreciate it, and Mr. Mayor, I'll turn the meeting back over to you. Thank you very much. Teague: Thanks to you both for sharing today. It is very meaningful to not only us that are attendin' here today, but to our greater community. And specifically to the black community, that's .... that is really, really hurting right now and .... uh, I think the message to all of the individuals within our community that is .... is sufferin' and grieving, again we ask that you reach out and, um, and console each other, and there's ways to express your frustrations by speakin' out and ... and sharing what that is, and I am hopeful that we will get through this. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 8 2. Proclamations 2.a. Juneteenth National Freedom Day - Teague: (reads proclamation) And here to receive this .... is Bijou Maliabo from the Human Rights Commission, acceptin' this proclamation. Maliabo: Good evening! Teague: Good evening! Maliabo: My name is Bijou Maliabo. On behalf of the Iowa City Human Right Commission, I would like to thank Mayor Teague and City Council Member for this proclamation. On June 191, 2020, we will celebrate the 15511 anniversary of Juneteenth, a hallowed day that pays tribute to the last enslaved African Americans in the United States being declared free. Juneteenth is a story of pride, resilience, and determination that will always be of historical and spiritual importance. As it serve us well to understand that together we can overcome all obstacles in our path. Thank you. Teague: Thank you for bein' a part of today and acceptin' this award (both talking) Maliabo: Thank you. Teague: ....proclamation. Thank you so much. 2.b. LGBTQ+ Pride Month Teague: (reads proclamation) And to accept this is my friend Tony .... Sivan .... and now I'm not gonna pronounce it, try to pronounce his last name, but Tony, please join us! He is the President of the Iowa City Pride. Sivanthaphanith: Uh, I was waiting for you (garbled) (laughs) um, thank you so much, uh, especially since we weren't able to have our in-person festival which so many people in Iowa City look forward to. Um, it does really mean a lot to still have, um, this month be declared Pride Month. Urn .... we do have some ritual events planned (garbled) will be taken June 201i, um, those can be seen on our Facebook page here, uh, which we posted this Friday, I believe. Urn .... I just wanna touch one quick moment on something that was said in the proclamation, which is, `People of color,' um, in the riots. With ... with the current state of things going on This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 9 right now, I think it's very important to touch on that ... that (mumbled) our black and brown siblings were there for us to (mumbled) liberation with ... um, and I think it's very important as ... while we celebrate the great accomplishments and things we have accomplished this month, um, just to remind everyone, um, where we came from and stand next to .... to what's going on (mumbled) brothers and sisters, and ... we are also affected by this, uh, with our trans women of color, where being murdered, um.....more rapidly than we ever thought would be, so um, I just wanted to say that, just that we are here and we are .... not only ready to fight but ready to celebrate Pride and all the great accomplishments we've had. Um, so just keep a check out .... a lookout on our Facebook page for all the events coming up. Teague: Thank you so much for bein' a part of today and ... happy 50th Pride to Iowa City! Sivanthaphanith: Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 10 9. Community Comment (Items not on the agenda) Teague: We are at our community comment section. This is a time when people in our community are .... can address the Council and we ask that you keep your comments three to five minutes. If you are on Zoom, then you can raise your hand, um, whatever reason .... oh, I think I see it now, urn .... raise your hand and then I will acknowledge you. I see one person so far. If you're on the phone, I believe that you can press *9 to raise your hand, and I will see, uh, your number pop up and I will then call you to speak. We have, uh, Nicholas to speak first. Theisen: Uh, thank .... thank you, Mayor and Members of City Council. Um, I wanted to, uh, address you all this evening, um, on a couple of occasions, a little bit of background. Um, my wife and I lived in Iowa City for very long time. I say lived, sort of tentatively, because we will shortly be moving back to the city, um, but the more specific occasion I wanted to address is the, um, four-year anniversary of the implementation of the (clears throat) excuse me, affordable housing action plan, back in June of 2016, although I think it was at the end of the month in 2016. I don't remember quite (laughs) off the top of my head, but it was June, and I wanted to address how the City over the past four years has ... prided itself, I think, quite unreasonably on ... I guess the "good job" it has done with regards to affordable housing, but in the process of, um, working on an essay I hope to shortly have published either this month or next month ... um, I looked very closely at basically the numbers having to deal with the numerous, um, housing issues that the City has and it's all bad. It's ... all bad (laughs) across the board! So I kinda wanted to share some of these numbers with you and just to get your reaction. Now I realize that most of the current Members of City Council were not around at the time that this plan was put into effect, although the plan itself has changed substantially over the years and it's not really even recognizable from its initial implementation, but the first thing that I want to draw your attention to is actually the City's own numbers, and when I say the City's own numbers, I actually mean the num .... the Housing and Urban Development numbers, the HUD numbers that were used in the most recent, uh, City STEPS documents. So the planning document. Um, if you compare the City STEPS plan from 2016 to 2020, the number of substandard rental units in Iowa City was 345. Um, in the most recent data used in the City STEPS planning document, it is now increased to 435. The number of severely over -crowded rental units has doubled from 50 to 105. Doubled! The number of nearly over -crowded units has gone up by 20%. The number of rental households that are rent -burdened at the 30% threshold, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income in rent per month, has gone up by 10%. The number of people who pay more than 50% of their This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 11 income per month has also gone up, actually it's just under 10%. So in these four years that the City has "taken housing seriously" in the city, things have actually gotten worse. And it's not just those numbers. Also if you look at the data from the ... the Cook Appraisal surveys from 2017 and 2019. They only do them every two years so I only have 2019 and 2017. Actually I'll give you three. So a two- bedroom apartment in the core of the city in 2015 had an average rent of $885... $889, sorry, per month. In 2017, it's 965. Do you wanna know what it is in 2019? 1,279! Just in two years average rents in the core of the city have gone up by 34%. On top of that, the vacancy rates have gone from 4% in 2015, which is a very normal vacancy rate. Usually, um, landlords expect about 5% give or take vacancy, to 8% in 2017, to 14% in 2019, which means that all those stupid, mid- level and high-rise apartment buildings that by the way, this City Council obviously (mumbled) constituency, but this Council not only approved but helped facilitate actually made the problem demonstrably worse. So not only is the affordable housing action plan and its completely scatter -brained way of doing things not helping the problem, but other things that Council and City government have done over the years have actively made the situation worse. And I'm not talking abut this just from like a pie -in -the -sky perspective. This is also affecting my family as well. Literally the house that I and my wife owned for six and a half years, two years later we cannot buy that home. Our incomes have not changed. We are in exactly the same financial circumstances, but the city has become so incredibly gentrified due in no small part to the actions of this Council... that long- term residents of the city are being pushed out, and it's interesting because this is something the data doesn't really capture very well, but it's actually something any poor person in the area knows very well. The way (both talking) Sorry! Go ahead! Teague: Yep! Your five minutes is up, but thank you so much (both talking) Theisen: That's all right! That's fine! Teague: .... addressin' us today. Thank you! Is there anyone else from the public that would like to address the Council? Leah Schmidt .... and we'll follow .... will be followed by Ruth. Leah! Schmidt: Yes, um, this question is actually still for Mr. Campbell, if he's still on the call with us. Teague: And you .... can address Council, uh, we really don't engage. We just want to hear you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 12 Schmidt: Okay. Um, my quick question, um, I first just would like to say, um, thank you so much to our Iowa City Police force and the Council for their leadership in this unprecedented time. Um, I reached out to Mr. Campbell and was glad to be able to hear him speak, and you as well, Mayor Teague, about recent events, um, involving George Floyd, and um, the rioting that is going on. Um, my question was, um, as I was looking at the use of force policy that Iowa City has very clearly outlined, um, on its website, um, I was just curious, uh... if it would be possible to have something added to that, um, that would explicitly prohibit choke holds and strangle holds on the police force. Um, I'm looking at Campaign Zero's, um, use of force policy and many of those steps are already being taken in our police force's use of policy, um, but this is one area that I did not see on there, um, and I was just curious to see what it might take to get that added. Teague: What I might suggest is, uh, if you've, uh, contacted, uh.... Chief Campbell, you can reach out to him again or if you can, um ... maybe connect with one of us Councilors with whom ... or .... or City staff, we can, um .... get you connected. Schmidt: Okay. Thank you very much. Teague: Thank you. Yes! We'll have Ruth. Welcome, Ruth! Kahssai: Hello! Can everyone hear (garbled) Teague: Yes, we can hear you! Kahssai: (mumbled) Uh, hi, my name is Ruth Kahssai. I'm an incoming fourth-year student at the University of Iowa (mumbled) social justice and social work, with a minor in psych. Uh, I also serve as the Director of Justice and Equity in undergraduate student government. So hello, everyone, hope you're having a good Tuesday. Um, and so obviously there's a lot happening in our nation's climate and, uh, as a student government, um, and I believe Ryan will touch on it later, um, really trying to figure out ways in which to, um, respond to this, respond to it compassionately, but also be more proactive in the future, um, because this is a repeated problem, um, and did not start with George Floyd, um, and will unfortunately not end with George Floyd. Um, and so my concerns come not only in my role both as a black woman that is originally from the suburbs of Chicago and so, um, from moving, uh, from .... you know, the suburbs of Chicago to Iowa City (mumbled) really large culture change in a lot of different ways and spaces, and um, I am concerned for how we have nationally, um, police officers This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 13 and law enforcement respond to protesters. Um, something that is great about Iowa City is that students and young people are really, really engaged, um, and so that has been, uh, no question in Iowa City in this time as well we have seen many, uh, people organize, uh, almost every single day it seems like, um, and that is great in a lot of different ways in order for the students to voice their concerns, um, and voices in this time, especially when we feel so unheard, though once again I am concerned as far as how law enforcement has been responding to protesters, particularly young ones I think. Um, the case in Atlanta with the two, um, well the one's (mumbled) and the Morehouse student, um, who were just driving home from curfew and then tased and arrested were a really good example of what, uh, excessive force looks like in this time, and I would be really interested in seeing, um, ICPD and other relevant offices, um, and I mean in.... particularly in the City Council meeting, ICPD, uh, addressing how they will engage with protesters, and that has also been something that has been brought up as a concern, even in the last few days, um, and I believe two days ago as well, within students, and so as a black student, as a black woman, I'm very concerned about the climate in Iowa and obviously climate in Iowa City, um, and so being more proactive in, um, not only addressing the situation, but also addressing how, um, y'all would respond to the situation, cause I think that is very important, um, for students to know as well. And that is all! Teague: Thank you so much, Ruth. Is there anyone else that would like to address Council? Seeing no more hand raises, we will move on to Item 10.a. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 14 10. Planning and Zoning Matters 10.a. Rezoning —1335 Highway 1 West — Ordinance conditionally rezoning approximately 0.53 acres of land located at 1335 Highway 1 West from Intensive Commercial (CI -1) to (CI -1). (REZ20-01) 1. Public Hearing Teague: Before we move on, I did wanna know if any Councilor was inclined not to concur with the Plannin' and Zonin' Commission recommendation. Hearin' none, I'm gonna open the public hearing. And we have staff that will present on this. Sitzman: Good evening, Mayor and Council, Danielle Sitzman, Neighborhood and Development Services. This is an application submitted by Focus Development for a rezoning from Intensive Commercial CI -1 to CI -1 for approximately 0.53 acres of land located at 1335 Highway 1 West. With this rezoning request, the CI- I zoning would continue, but a new ordinance with different conditions in the zoning agreement would be enacted for this property. Specifically the request is to modify the conditions with the property's required landscape front setback area along Highway 1 to reduce it from 30 -feet to 10 -feet. Highlighted on the screen here in yellow is the subject property at 1335 Highway 1 West. The subject property is surrounded by CI -1 zoning shown in gray here and is located within what was called the Dane Tract, which was annexed and rezoned into the city in 1993, from a County zoning district to the CI -1 Intensive Commercial. At the time of the rezoning in 93, conditions were included in that rezoning that specified infrastructure improvements and design requirements for the initial development of the shopping center, which included originally the Menard's, uh, building, which you can see to the right in this picture. The 10 -foot setback area would be landscaped and remain .... the remaining 20 -feet would be available for development. Um, the applicant in this case is consider.... considering paving, uh, around the existing building so that additional 20 -feet could become future paving in their parking lot. Um, the landscaping.... sorry! The landscaping would consist of ornamental trees and a mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs to be reviewed by the City Forester before they would be approved as part of a site plan, and no, uh, parking or paving other than sidewalks would be allowed in that remaining 10 -foot area. Just for scale, um, the 30 -foot setback is shown here as it currently exists. That is a significant distance away from the pavement, uh, of Highway 1 West, about 70 -feet, so there's a large separation between this building and the highway as it exists. Um, that 70 -feet is in the right-of-way for the State highway. Staff did review this using the criteria required for a rezoning, which includes a, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 15 uh, assessment of the comprehensive plan and the compatibility with the existing neighborhood. Um, since the zoning is not changing from its current zoning district, this remains, uh, essentially com.... uh, compliant with the comprehensive plan, which designates this as appropriate for intense or Highway Commercial development. As far as compatibility with the neighborhood, there are some adjacent, um, single-family across the highway to the north, but again not much is changing with this rezoning. (mumbled) acknowledge that the conditions have changed in the neighborhood in the last 17 years since this was originally developed, um, most importantly the anchor tenant has moved and has changed, uh, over .... over the years, several times, but also importantly the commercial development in this corridor of the city has, uh.... expanded from where, uh, as this was a gateway at one point. First kinda major development on the way in to Iowa City. Now there's more development farther west and the gateway seems to .... the feel of the gateway seems to have moved away from this property. Um, also surrounding properties nearby this property have developed with an existing 10 -foot setback as similar to what this applicant is requesting. We did have the, uh, Public Works Department review this because there is a 30 -foot wide sanitary sewer in this (mumbled) area. It's approximately down the middle of the, uh, existing easement. Public Works staff felt that the, um .... request could be approved, as long as the types of plantings that would occur in that area can be regulated through that future review of the site plan so that .... (mumbled) systems of whatever were planted were compatible with the existing sanitary sewer easement. As far as where this application falls in the process of land development is highlighted here in blue on this screen (mumbled) a rezoning. Um, as I said, simply to change one of the, uh, conditions. Um, there were conditions, I said, approved originally with the rezoning. We've maintained two of those, uh, because they are so relevant to this development. Many of the other original conditions like I said had to do with the original development and are no longer necessary because they've been accomplished. There were three new conditions proposed with this, um.....particular rezoning, highlighted here as three, four, and five, um, having to do with what can be installed in that landscaping area, the timing of. ... and how that would be reviewed. And then the provision of an access easement along the west side of the area for, uh, future, uh, sidewalk installation, if that would be possible in the future, to improve, um, some of the circulation in the future, if necessary. Um .... staff did review, as I said, this application based on the relevant criteria and recommended approval. Um, at it's May 7a' meeting, by a vote of 5-1, the Planning and Zoning Commission also recommended this, uh, application to you tonight. And the CZA has been signed by the applicant! That concludes my staff report and I'm happy to answer questions. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 16 Teague: Any questions for Danielle? Hearing none, thank you for.... presenting! Any public discussion? This is a time when the public can have input on this. And for the public, if you want to talk on this, please raise your hand. I'm seein' none. For Council, after hearing the presentation by Danielle, are .... is there anyone not inclined to vote in accordance with P&Z recommendation? Weiner: The recommendation seems completely reasonable. I know the area well and I don't believe this will be out of character at all. Taylor: This is Pauline. Uh.... I'm okay with this also, although I do have concerns about the addition of, uh, more pavement, rather than having that green space, and I would just encourage the .... whoever develops that area to consider permeable pavement. Teague: And we'll have an opportunity to go into further discussion. Um, if ..if everybody ...if there's no one inclined not to support it, then I'm gonna close the public hearing. And then can I get a, um, a motion to give first consideration? 2. Consider an Ordinance (First Consideration) Mims: (several responding) ....Mims. Salih: Second, Salih. Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Salih. Um, Council discussion? Thomas: One comment I would make, and it's, you know, I'm in support of the change, um.....but I .... I would be interested in .... in investigating as a separate issue the opportunity to landscape within that 70 -foot zone, uh, you know, between the curb and, uh, the beginning of the .... that 30 -foot, or 10 now, 10 -foot wide, uh, landscape, uh, strip. Um .... I, you know, in looking at, uh, how say Coralville has ... uh, the streetscape on the Coralville strip, uh, there are trees planted in there, about roughly 40 -feet on center. I think they're roughly 10 to 15 -feet from the curb ... the edge of the roadway, and uh, it provides a very consistent streetscape character, despite whatever may be going on in terms of the property development. And, urn .... while the edge, wherever we define the gateway here, uh.... on .... on this entry into Iowa City, I do think Coralville strip gives, for me anyway, a very nice sense of, um, streetscape character that I could.....I would certainly like to see improvements made to our .... our highway as it runs along This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 17 the.... this.... this section of Iowa City. So it's, again as I said, it's not.... specific to what we're considering tonight, um, but it's adjacent to it and it seemed like an opportunity just to raise that.....that concern. Teague: Okay! If no more discussion on this item, um, I'm not sure if Coun.... um.... Councilor Taylor wanted to say more. Taylor: Just that I'm concerned, I mean, now currently, uh, there are four very, uh, well grown trees there that kind of provide a nice buffer, between the highway and that building that's currently there, and then you see this nice green space. Uh, I do understand that, uh.... right next to it there has been that new development that has moved up closer to the .... the highway, uh, so I suppose to be consistent with that as .... and as Councilor Thomas was talking about, uh, kind of providing a consistent and, uh, pleasant entrance in ... into the city. But I'm just concerned about all that pavement and hopefully it would be permeable. Teague: All right, hearing no other comments.... roll call please. Motion passes 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 18 10.c. Community View Preliminary Plat — Resolution approving Preliminary Plat of Community View Subdivision, Iowa City, Iowa. Teague: Could I get a motion to approve? Mims: So moved, Mims. Teague: Moved by Mims. Salih: Second, by Salih. Teague: Seconded by Salih. And is there any staff that would like to address this at all? Sitzman: Mayor, I can give a brief presentation if you'd like. Teague: Sure! Sitzman: Sure, this is the, uh, preliminary plat for the rezoning that was just passed and adopted. Uh, they are calling it Community View. It's for, uh, one lot for a future fire station, three multi -family lots, and it's 57 single-family lots located east of Scott Boulevard and north of American Legion Road. Um, as you will recall from that last, uh, agenda item, it, uh, applied a rezoning to this property, uh.... uh, assigning three different zoning categories as shown on the right side of the screen for those ....corresponding with those lots that I just mentioned. Um, we did review this using the criteria for a subdivision, which includes comprehensive plan compliance, also conditions that might have been placed with that rezoning and other subdivision standards. This continues to be consistent with the comprehensive plan, providing a range of densities from west to east. Additional housing types in this sub -district, and pro... continuing to provide an inter- connected street network. As far as conditions on the, uh, rezoning, I'll walk through those, uh, here shortly. Uh, one that .... (mumbled) highlighted in blue are the ones that are shown as we go through this. Um, most importantly was conformance with the concept plan. The concept plan that was submitted at rezoning is shown on the left side of the screen. The plat that is being considered with this agenda item on the right. As you can see it's largely the same street network. There has been some minor changes to the layout of a cul-de-sac on the north side, which staff does favor. They've removed that cul-de-sac involved and sim... simply replaced it with a, uh, another single-family lot, not increasing the density, uh, very much with this .... at all. Um .... also condition on (garbled) trail This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 19 connections to the City's park. Uh, they have continued to provide those trail connections as shown on the west side of their plat, and the north side. Um, those will continue to be reviewed as part of the final platting process. Also at final plat they'll be required to make dedication of open space, uh, as well. Uh, there were storm .... storm water management conditions placed for drainage easements with this property. They have provided an outlot, uh, that has been preliminarily reviewed by the Public Works Department and will be continued to be reviewed with the final storm water designs to ensure that outlot A is sufficient for storm water detention for this development. And then finally traffic calming was a concern, uh, that was addressed at rezoning. This plat does contain several methods of providing traffic calming, including slightly narrower streets, 26 -feet in width; a traffic circle at, uh,Tottenham Avenue and Iden... Aiden Street, and also a raised crosswalk mid -block on (mumbled) East Brook Street. Um, City staff has reviewed all of these traffic calming measures and find them to be appropriate and therefore, uh, are glad to see them accommodated in the plat (mumbled) Showing where this case aligns in our land development process, here in blue they're gone through the annexation and a rezoning to Interim, at rezoning that was just completed, and now they're at the preliminary plat stage. Approval of the preliminary plat will allow them to go ahead and file the final plat, um, at... for final development. So based on the review of relevant criteria, staff does recommend approval. At its May 21" meeting, by a vote of 6-1, the Planning Commission also recommended approval of the plat with the conditions that I've just walked you through, and that concludes my staff report. Happy to answer questions! Teague: Any questions for Danielle? Hearing none, thank you so much! Is there anyone from the public that would like to address this topic? If so, please raise your hand. I see two individuals. I'm gonna start with Sara Barron, followed by John Yapp. Sara? Barron: Hi, thank you, Mayor. I apologize, I had an internet glitch and so when, um, Danielle was reviewing the ... the conditions, I missed the affordable housing piece. Can I just, um, ask one more time what information we have about how (garbled) satisfied? Teague: I think you can address Council, um ... at this time. Barron: Sure, so um .... if it was stated, I just didn't hear it. May .... maybe she didn't say anything about it. So I'm really just ... I'm not asking a question. If she covered it I was just hoping you could tell me what she said, but if not then I would just say, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 20 we would continue to ask (laughs) that, um, there be some transparency, um, for how the affordable housing condition will be implemented. Um, we know that we're still working through how to do this with annexations, but it's certainly important to the Affordable Housing Coalition, as well as to the development of the community in the long run to know how we're going to satisfy those conditions, and maybe John will talk about that (garbled) Teague: Thank you! John Yapp! Welcome! John, can you hear us? We can't hear you. Yapp: (both talking) Can you hear me now? Teague: Yes we can! Yapp: Okay, sorry about that. Uh, John Yapp with Allen Development. Uh, just here tonight if any Council Members have any questions. Thomas: John, there was that, uh, question that Sara Barron just asked regarding affordable housing. My un .... my recollection is, uh, 10% of the units will be affordable, is that correct? Yapp: That is correct. Thomas: Thank you. Teague: (mumbled) any more questions for you, John. Thank you for bein' here tonight. Yapp: Thank you! Teague: Is there anyone else from the public that would like to address this topic? Hearin' no one, uh, Council discussion? Bergus: Mayor, um, maybe we could just get a clarification on what the 10% affordable means, just for anyone who's listening, like what the criteria for that would be or how that can be met. Maybe that is a question for John, as to how they intend to meet it, but just .... so we can be a little more transparent about that, what the 10% might be. If staff or if -the developer could speak to that. Fruin: Um, Danielle, can you ... can you just clarify how that process is gonna work going forward? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 21 Sitzman: Sure! So they have committed to complying with the affordable housing, uh, requirement that is part of our comprehensive plan. They've signed the agreements of annexation that bind them to a final affordable housing agreement before they proceed to any kind of, uh, building permit stage. Uh, developer does have the option of choosing how they provide that. They need to provide 10% affordability. Um, they can either do that on site, near site, or with a fee in lieu or a combination of those things. At this time we're not aware of what the developer would choose to do, but they have indicated that they would likely build them on site. I guess I would defer to John to see if he has any additional information that he wants to provide at this point. Salih: Is this like a you mean a rented unit or this is just like sale? I don't know, I don't understand that. Sitzman: It's the .... it's, if there .... if there, it's not rental units. It's the number of units have to be affordable to the City's requirement for the, uh.... hou.... housing level, um, housing income levels that are in our standards. That would be memorialized in an affordable housing agreement. My understanding, and John can answer this, is that they're offering houses for sale. Salih: Yeah, you mean when you say 10% affordable on the housing (mumbled) you mean they will sell it affordable, 10% of them they will sell it affordable, if they choose to do it on site. Sitzman: Right. They also have to meet that requirement if they don't do it on site. Salih: And ... I really don't know how that's gonna work. I will love to know the details. Thank you. Fruin: Well I can ... I can jump in here. It's a .... it's the same process as we use for the, uh, Riverfront Crossings, um.....uh.... uh.... zoning requirement for affordable housing. Um, oftentimes the projects are underway, um ... um, and then ... I'm sorry, the projects are (mumbled) legislative approval process, and then we do an administrative affordable housing agreement, uh, that has to be approved, to ... to ensure that there's compliance with the Council policy. So, between the time, uh, that this item is approved and if they pull a building permit, we have to, uh, have an agreement, uh, that indicates how they will meet that 10% requirement and the staff checks that. They don't ... if they can't get that affordable housing agreement signed with us, then they can't get a building permit to start their .... their subdivision (mumbled) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 22 Salih: I ask that question, Geoff, because I know that the 10% affordable is for 10 year and now this is for sale. Is that means we .... we gonna sell it and that stay affordable, you know, it just kind of confusing for me that ... how it gonna work, because this is the first time. I know that the rented unit will be 10% affordable for 10 year and, uh, after that it will be normal (mumbled) but in this case, this... this homes are for sale. If they choose to do it in site, they should sell those 10% affordable (mumbled) price to the people who gonna buy it. Uh, I don't know how that gonna work. That's why I'm asking. Fruin: Yeah, sure, and I, uh, I see, uh, Tracy Hightshoe's on the call, um, and ... and, uh, maybe Tracy can jump in because she's, uh, she's probably most familiar with some of the requirements for affordable versus ... when it's rent versus, um ... uh, for sale, but we've .... we've had both and .... and there's requirements for both, in... including income, uh, requirements for (mumbled) are, um, purchasing the affordable units. So, uh, Tracy, can you .... can you jump on? Hightshoe: Sure, can you hear me? Teague: Yes! Hightshoe: Okay! Um, when you say affordable in the annexations, so 10% has to be affordable. We will get that clarification and we'll enter agreement before they enter it. Um, affordable just means if it's owner -occupied, I believe they have to be under 80% median income. They can sell....they can sell the homes to Habitat. They could sell the homes outright for a price. Um,we would look at that. They can also choose to rent. They could sell homes to an affordable housing provider or they could provide affordable rental. They basically have a lot of options, um, so .... we won't know what option they take until they get ready to pull a building permit. Then we'll finalize those options and it'll have to be based on our annexation policy. They'll enter agreement and then we'll monitor from there. Salih: And who gonna choose which ... which level of, uh, I don't know, not like which level. I don't know what to say, but I mean like you know like they use the 80% of the area median income or below, uh, who's supposed to decide this is 80%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 30%, who's supposed to decide that? Hightshoe: The builder can ... can choose any of those, up to 80%, and so .... and then that 80% is based on HUD's area median income. So the level .... 80% is set by HUD, that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 23 Salih: Teague: we get updated every year (both talking) ...allowed to choose. They can choose anything up to that level. Okay. They can choose. Okay. Thank you. All right, any other questions or thoughts or comments? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 24 Teague: Salih: Thomas: Teague: Sitzman: Teague: Sitzman: 10.d. Pleasant Valley Preserve —Preliminary Plat —Resolution approving preliminary plat of Pleasant Valley Preserve subdivision, a 7.6 acre, 7 -lot residential subdivision located in unincorporated Johnson County east of Sand Road SE and south of Lloyd Avenue SE. Could I get a motion to approve? Move by Salih. Second by Thomas. All right, and staff presentation on this by chance? Is it gonna be Danielle again? Yes, thank you, Mayor. Great! This is a seven -lot residential subdivision in unincorporated Johnson County that is under review by the City per our fringe area agreement with the County. You can see here on the exhibit, this is along the entrance to Pleasant Valley Golf Course, to the north side of their entrance, uh, just between it and the existing county development along Lloyd Avenue SE. It is located in an area that has been long zoned by the County since the 1960s for residential development and the County. Um, and it is located in area B of our fringe area agreement with the County, but outside of the City's intended growth area. So this is the, uh, plat they presented to the County for review, showing those seven approximately one - acre lots along that entrance road. Um, as I said, this is in the fringe area, which is part of our comprehensive plan and what we use to review these types of applications. Um, while this is, uh, according to our fringe area intended for agricultural uses, the fringe area agreement does acknowledge that existing zonings like these, which have been long standing, even though they may be inconsistent with that, will continue to be honored. So this is generally in conformance with our fringe area agreement. Um, traf.... there are no identified traffic impacts from such a small-scale development on an existing, um....uh, area of the county. Um, also their water and sewer, sanitary sewer, we provide in a manner, uh, commiserate with the County development in putting well water and septic systems. They have a plan for storm water, uh, management in compliance with the County's standards. Those are shown here in the slightly darker lines on the northwest comer and the northeast comer of the development. As far as the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 25 development process, like I said this is a preliminary plat. Comes before you for, uh, your review and then goes back to the County for .... to make its way through the remainder of the County's, uh, planning and zoning process, and final approval by the Board of Supervisors. Eventually a final plat would then be presented, uh, again to you. Um, staff did review this and find it in compliance with the fringe area agreement, and at their May 7°i meeting by a vote of 7-0 the Planning and Zoning Commission also recommended approval of the plat. That concludes my staff report. Teague: Great! Any questions for Danielle? Mims: Danielle, this is Susan. I just had a quick question. Do you know of any particular reason that the only area that's platted is to the north of the road? Sitzman: The question was asked of the applicant at the Planning and Zoning Commission. Uh, their answer was simply this is the part that they've chosen to develop at this time. Um, they don't have any immediate plans for more development, but ... I don't .... other than asking the applicant that question, I think they, uh, what we know is what's before us now. Mims: Okay! Thank you. Teague: Is there anyone from the public that would like to address this topic? Please raise your hand. Seein' none... Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7- 0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 26 13. Community Comment Teague: And USI ... uh, US .... UISG, Ryan, I see you're on! Longenecker: Hi, Mayor. Thank you. Uh, I just wanted to, um, I ... I have two things tonight. Um, nothing really new from the University in general, as school is out. Um, and so, uh, operations are pretty limited given COVID-19. Um, but first I just wanted to say Happy Pride. Uh, I ... we're saddened that obviously we weren't able to celebrate in person, um, all the achievements of the LGBTQ+ movement, um, but I just wanted to say that UISG is committed to supporting, uh, LGBTQ+ students, um, and working to uplift the LGBTQ movement at the University of Iowa. Um, I would also encourage anyone who does not know the history of the Stonewall riots to research it and learn about it. I was able to go to a show at UIowa this year called "Hit the Wall," um, about Stonewall and, um, it was certainly, uh, informative to me and really just showed the .... the major impact that Stonewall had, um, for the LGBTQ+ movement. Um, secondly, I wanted to, um, address Council, uh, about a, um, letter that ... or a, uh, a statement that USG and GPSG have created that we will be sending out to the student body tomorrow, um, about the current, uh, incidents surrounding George Floyd, um, and Black Lives Matter. Um, Dear City Council, Black Lives Matter. As student body leaders, we are outraged alongside our fellow Hawkeyes. The senseless and brutal murder of George Floyd is indicative of the systemic racism and pervasive injustices embedded in institutions. Police abuse and violence disproportionately affects black Americans, as they are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans. These disparities are rooted in a history of racism and oppression that unjustifiably targeted black Americans. Racial injustice leads when our society cyclically denies black, indigenous, and people of color equitable opportunities and fundamental freedoms, including the right to live. This is not just a civil rights issue. This is a human rights crisis. We stand in solidarity with our black students, faculty, staff, and community members. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive campus environment for all students free of harassment and discrimination. Still we have a long way to go to achieve this ideal. Nearly half of under -represented minority students report experiencing racial discrimination at the University of Iowa. Our institution can and must do better to recognize the inherent work and dignity of every person, and to foster tolerance, understanding, and mutual respect. Therefore we call on senior level administrators to authentically demonstrate values of cultural competence and personally reflect on their contributions to the racial injustice not only within our institution, but through their interactions with students. Both policy and institutional change to create a more equitable campus is crucial. We also call on This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 27 University leadership to engage in personal education and internal audits of biases and behavior. This issue goes beyond police violence. All individuals must actively change their perspective and begin genuinely caring about black students. As student government leaders we are dedicated to using our platform to advocate for racial and social justice in our community. USG Director of Justice and Equity, Ruth Kahssai, is collaborating with the Executive Director for Belonging and Inclusion, Dr. Maria Bruno, to create virtual healing spaces for black students, staff, and faculty. USG is also working to improve internal social justice education for our members, to emphasize the importance of diversity, equity,and inclusion on our campus. USG and GPSG leadership are committed in determining how we best move forward in addressing these urgent issues. We are continuing the conversation, updates are forthcoming. I, Ryan Longenecker, as City Liaison, and the Deputy City Liaison, Anna Van Heukelom, will pursue opportunities for better communication and collaboration between USQ GPSG, student orgs, University administration, and the City of Iowa City to uplift the voices of those who are too often oppressed and to support our minority students and the city community. To the Hawkeyes across our country stepping up and pushing for progress, thank you. You are representing the very change we hope you create on our campus, and after leaving our home here at the University of Iowa. To those on the sidelines, join the fight. Advancing racial justice cannot be solely placed on an already burdened black population and other communities of color. It is the responsibility of us all. Finally, confronting racism is not limited to this moment in history. (mumbled) continuously building the type of future we want and the type of world we need. In solidarity, the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government, and Graduate and Professional Student Government. That's all for me! Thank you. Teague: Thank you so much, Ryan, for addressin' tonight. Really appreciate the USG position on the LGBTQ+ community, as well as what you just talked about in solidarity, so thank you so much. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 28 14. City Council Information/Updates Teague: I did wanna just make mention that, uh, Councilor Mims lost connection, and uh, she won't jump back on tonight, but I just wanted.... she just lost connection. So wanted to make everybody aware! So .... City Council, any updates? Bergus: I'll jump in, Mayor. Um, first of all I just want to thank you for your leadership in this moment for our community, as everyone is grieving and trying to find the best way to move forward and come together, just to echo what you said and, um, hope that people will come to the Speak Up, Speak Out events, uh, tomorrow evening at Wetherby Park at 6:00 P.M. Uh, Friday evening, 6:00 P.M. at Pheasant Ridge, and 2:00 P.M. on Saturday at Mercer Park. I also really hope that people take an opportunity to listen to Interim Chief Bill Campbell's remarks from earlier this evening, to learn more about what our Police Department is doing, um, and efforts that have been underway for some time and the improvements that we know still need to be made, but I just wanted to say thank you and hope that all of our residents hear you and listen to your messages and understand that the City of Iowa City appreciates the right of assembly and the right of expression, and that we are going to work together to make sure that our residents have the time and the space to ... to grieve and be together. Thank you. Taylor: This is Pauline. That's hard to fal... follow. That's very well said, Laura. Uh, I appreciate those comments, and ... and, uh, people should, uh, listen to that. Um, I ... on a lighter note I just wanted to say that, urn .... long awaited completion of Willow Creek Park happened in the last few days, uh, it's been over a year since, uh, people have been able to use that park and it was great to see folks out there. They were out there immediately. Uh, children and families, uh... uh, running through the park and playing on the playground equipment. I hope they were, uh, following (laughs) some good techniques with that, but it was just great to see. It's been long awaited, and the fence is down, which, uh, was an ugly orange fence. So it's a lot better now, great for the neighborhood, and hopefully it's going to help people to get out and about and get some fresh air, and uh, feel some togetherness. So I just wanted to add that. I also wanted to encourage people, uh, to continue to order from local businesses. Uh, I've been doing a lot of that, online ordering, uh, curbside pickup is so easy. I just, uh, used, uh, one of the Dubuque Street curbside pickups today to, uh, pick up a book from Prairie Lights that I'd ordered, so it's not only just food that you can order, uh, but from the bookstores and all those unique shops downtown. It's.....it's easy, it's convenient, and .... and I would encourage community members to utilize that to help support This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 29 the businesses which we talked about earlier, uh, helping the businesses in the community. Weiner: Um, I'd like to ... I'd like to really echo what, um, Councilor Bergus said. Um, I spent an earlier career, parts of which were spent encouraging free speech, encouraging protests, following along with protests, particularly in East Berlin that led to the fall of the wall and the fall of communism, and it ... none of that could of happened without people having the courage to stand up and march, night after night, peacefully.. telling basically letting, letting their government know, uh, what they needed and what they felt. So I ... in ... in solidarity with, uh, with everyone who wants and needs to have their voice and their anger and their anguish known right now, uh, we are, we stand. Thomas: I have a couple of things to .... to, uh, report on. I .... I did listen in on the webinar on the 22"a, uh, regarding solar siting and received some links from them, uh, couple of days ago. So I'll be sending those on to Council, uh, for your information. And I .... I did attend the, um, the gathering on the Pentacrest last Saturday, uh, which was a beautiful event, and urn .... you know, it ... we're faced with these two extraordinary, uh, challenges, uh, as a community— the COVID-19 and, you know, the .... the killing of George .... Mr. (laughs) I'm forgetting his last name at the moment, excuse me, but the killing in Minneapolis and, um ... uh, both of them are, in my mind, related in that they .... they reflect the fact that we are all together on all of these things, and um. .... I was very proud of. ... of Mayor, how you and others, uh, spoke at that event. It was a very moving event, and we are all .... we are all in this together, and um .... you know, we will prevail, but it's going to be a challenge. Salih: I just also wanna echo what, um, Councilor John Thomas said. Yeah, it was a really, uh, good event and, uh, I just wanna thank the City for, uh, arranging everything, even though it last minute, you know, notice for you. Thank you, Geoff, for just doing this quick, uh, you know, arrangement for closing the street and everything. I ... I really just wanna shout out that, and also I ... I would like to invite all of you to the Center, University of Iowa Center for Human Right. They have an event (mumbled) Uh, it called like `Racial Equity and Human Rights, Activism, Healing and Dialogue.' This will be on Friday, June 5'e, from 3:00 to 4:00, only one hour. Please join us for discussion about human rights, racial equity, and strategies for ...for (mumbled) positive and lasting change, and I will be one of the panelists. Please join us! Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020. Page 30 Teague: Uh, thanks to everybody for chimin' in there. Um, I'm gonna go over to our City Manager. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of June 2, 2020.