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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-24 Info Packet� � 1 I iL &� Na� 40M, *W 4 4�� CITY O IOWA CITY www.icgov.org City Council Information Packet June 24, 2021 IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Miscellaneous IP2. Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Eviction Diversion Program IP3. Civil Service Examination: Communication Aide IP4. Civil Service Examination: Customer Service Representative - Transportation Services & Resource Management IP5. Civil Service Examination: Database Administrator IP6. Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Streets IP7. Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I I - Transportation Draft Minutes IP8. Library Board of Trustees: May 27 IP9. Historic Preservation Commission: June 10 June 24, 2021 City of Iowa City Page 1 Item Number: 1. CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule ATTACHMENTS: Description Council Tentative Meeting Schedule r 1 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Subject to change O~+N wMr®•� CITY OF IOWA CITY June 24, 2021 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, July 6, 2021 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Monday, July 19, 2021 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting Zoom Meeting Platform Hosted by ICCSD Tuesday, July 27, 2021 4:00 PM Special Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Special Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, August 17, 2021 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Item Number: 2. ►r -4 "m ot r4" N CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Eviction Diversion Program /_1Al_Ta:ILTA 14IL III IRI Description Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Eviction Diversion Program �I_r ,:.® CITY OF IOWA CITY ��,M 4 � T4 MEMORANDUM Date: June 21, 2021 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Tracy Hightshoe, Neighborhood & Development Services Director Re: Eviction Diversion Program To address the potential increase in evictions due to the expiration of the CDC eviction moratorium at the end of the month, the Johnson County Eviction Prevention Committee was formed. The committee includes representatives from Iowa Legal Aid, Shelter House, the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition and Johnson County Social Services. Iowa Legal Aid reports that women, people with disabilities and people of color will be disproportionately impacted by the evictions. Out of the 22,835 eviction intakes by Iowa Legal Aid opened from 2015 and 2020, 71 % involved women as the primary clients, 37% were people with disabilities and 33% were people of color. To reduce the number of evictions, the committee sought and was given permission to host an on-site Eviction Diversion Help Desk at the Johnson County courthouse beginning July 12, 2021. Like those already available in Polk, Linn and Black Hawk counties, Iowa Legal Aid attorneys, as well as representatives from Shelter House, will be available to provide resources with the goal of preventing evictions and connecting landlords with rent assistance funds. Prior to launching the Eviction Diversion Help Desk, the committee proposed a pre -filing eviction diversion pilot. While federal funds are becoming increasingly available through the Iowa Finance Authority, the processing time is lengthy, and as the moratorium ends the time involved to obtain the funds may be longer than many landlords are willing or able to wait. The City signed an agreement with Shelter House on June 21, 2021 to provide $41,000 from our Affordable Housing - Emergent Situations Fund, to provide immediate rental assistance. The rent assistance will be used as rapid payment for one month's rent to landlords willing to abstain from filing an eviction for at least 45 days in order to allow IFA (and/or other available rent assistance) to process tenant applications for rent arrears and prospective rent. Shelter House and the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition will continue to offer technical assistance for both landlords and tenants to complete the IFA assistance application, and where appropriate other assistance. Combined with funding being made available from Johnson County, the committee hopes to engage landlords and tenants before the anticipated increase of eviction filings in July. Even if a tenant is not evicted, having an eviction filing on their record can have negative consequences long in the future. Based on current applications, Iowa Legal Aid estimates most tenants need at least three months' rent from federal funds to stay in their home. By using local dollars tenants will have enough time to access up to twelve times the local investment amount from federal assistance. The committee estimates that this use of local funds could prevent eviction and provide needed stability for about 45 Iowa City families. The agreement with Shelter House is attached for your reference. If you have any questions, please contact me at 319.356.5244 or trace-hightshoe(a)iowa-city.org. Prepared by_ Susan Wek, Asst, City Attorney, 410 E, Washington SI., Iowa City, IA 5224(1 {319} 356-6030 AGREEMENT This Agreement, made and entered into or this .,)_ day of J ��tiU`y,,,2021, by and between the City of Iowa City, Iowa, a municipal corporation ("City'), and Shelte- House Community Shelter and Transition Services ('Shelter House") in Iowa City, Iowa. Whereas, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ordered a temporary eviction moratorium that is set to end on June 30, 2021; Whereas, while federal funds are becoming increasingly available to tenants Facing eviction through the to%gra Finance Authority (iFA), the processing time is still lengthy, and as the moratorium ends, it may be longer than many landlords are willing or able to wait; Whereas, Shelter House along with other local agencies have formed the Johnson County Eviction Prevention Committee ("committee") and intends to host an on-site Eviction Diversion Help Desk at the Johnson Courty courthouse beginning July 12, 2021; Whereas, Iowa Legal Aid attorneys as well as representatives from Shefter House will be available at the Johnson County Courthouse to provide resources with the goal of preventing evictions and connecting landlords with rent assistance funds; Whereas, prior to launching the Eviction Diversion Help Desk, the committee proposes a pre -filing eviction diversion pilot program with funding from bath the City and Johnson County to be administered by Shelter House for immediate rental assistance: and Whereas, use of the eviction diversion pilot program funds as set forth below are a public purpose. THEREFORE, the City and Shelter House agree as follows. I, SCOPE OF SERVICES During the term of this Agreement, Shelter house agrees to administer eviction diversion pilot program funds as set forth herein. • The household must be financially impacted by COVID-19, which may be self -certified. • The maximum assistance is one month's rent. • Shelter House shall determine household eligibility based on the following requirements: The maximum income of assisted households shall be at or below 50% of area median income based on household size, as determined annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Post -secondary students are not eligible unless they meet the income standards set forth in 24 CFR Part 5 (specifically, the "section 8 regulations" on annual income in 24 CFR 5.809). The household may self -certify their Income, • The rental unit must be located within the corporate limits of Iowa City, Iowa. Before payment is made, the Landlord/Property Owner shall submit a signed statement they will not evict tenant for non-payment of rent for 45 days, and the statement shall read as follows: In consideration of receiving eviction diversion pilot program funds from the City of Iowa City (administered by Shelter House) for (name(s) of tenani(s)) at (address), landlord agrees not to take any action to terminate the tenant's lease for 45 days from the date below. Signature of Landlord Date • Upon depleting all funds, Shelter House will provide to the City a final report that summarizes total beneficiaries that includes: (1) total amount paid; (2) street address of the rental unit; and (3) household demographics including household income, racelethnicity, and number of members. II. FUNDING As Its sole obligation under this Agreement, the City shall pay to Shelter House the sum of $41,000 to reimburse landlords for one month rent as set forth herein. Payment shall be made promptly upon execution of this Agreement. III. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION A. Duly authorized representatives of the City shall at all reasonable times, have access to and the right to inspect, copy, audit, and examine all financial books, records, and other documents of Shelter House, and to make site visits and survey participants in order to evaluate and monitor the program. B. The City's sole responsibility hereunder shall be to provide the funds to Shelter House in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Nothing contained in this Agreement, nor any act or omission of the Shelter House or the City, shall be construed to create any special duty, relationship, third -party beneficiary, respondent superior, limited or general partnership, Joint venture, or any association by reason of the Shelter House's involvement with the City, nor shall the City have authority to direct the manner or means by which Shelter House conducts activities. C. This Agreement may be terminated upon 30 days written notice by either party. IV, TERM This Agreement shall commence upon execution by the parties and shall terminate upon grant close out, unless terminated as provided herein. V. ASSIGNMENT This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without prior written agreement of the other party. VIII. NON DISCRIMINATION Shelter House shall not permit any of the following terms and practices: A. To discharge from employment or refuse to hire any individual or to discriminate against any individual in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of their race, creed, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or handicap status. B. Recipient shall not deny to any person its services an the basis of race, creed, color, national original, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or handicap status. City of Lowa Cj.ty, Iowa: Shelter Hous J e9 Fruin Date riss n anelli Date Cil"y Manager Executive Director - Approved 6-'}! City Attorney's Office Date Item Number: 3. CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Civil Service Examination: Communication Aide ATTACHMENTS: Description Civil Service Examination: Communication Aide CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washinglon .Street Iowa City, Iowa S2240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www,lcgov.org June 9, 2021 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Communications Aide Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named persons) as eligible for the position of Communications Aide. Sevannah Thomas Iowa City Civil Service Commission M eris� Melis a Jensen, Ghal Item Number: 4. >< _ 4 CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Civil Service Examination: Customer Service Representative - Transportation Services & Resource Management /_1Al_Ta:ILTA 14ILIII I&I Description Civil Service Examination: Customer Service Representative - Transportation Services & Resource Management CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240.1826 (3 19) 356.5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgov.org May 20, 2021 T0: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Customer Service Representative — Transportation Services & Resource Management Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Customer Service Representative — Transportation Services & Resource Management. Kathleen Brown Iowa City Civil Service Commission _ _ Jae,(�IdE�Ir�J Meliss > Jensen, Chjr Item Number: 5. CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Civil Service Examination: Database Administrator ATTACHMENTS: Description Civil Service Examination: Database Administrator Mid CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 Gast Washington Street Iowa city, Iowa 52240.1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 TAX www,Jcgov,org May 19, 2021 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the, City Council EE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Database Administrator Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Database Administrator, Adison Cobb Iowa City Civil Service Commission Melis a Jensen, Chair F T Item Number: 6. CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Streets ATTACHMENTS: Description Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Streets CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washinglon Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240.1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (3 0) 356-5009 FAX www.1cgov.org May 11, 2021 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination -- Maintenance Worker I — Streets Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker I — Streets. Joseph Gardner Iowa City Civil Service Commission J,0,4.' Meliss Jensen, Chair 4� Item Number: 7. CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker II - Transportation ATTACHMENTS: Description Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I I - Transportation - � CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (3 19) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgov.org May 19, 2021 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker II — Transportation Services Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker 11 —Transportation Services. Damien Roth Iowa City Civil Service Commission Melissa Jensen, Chair Item Number: 8. CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Library Board of Trustees: May 27 ATTACHMENTS: Description Library Board of Trustees: May 27 IOWA CITY PUBI.I(' I RRARY 123 S. Linn St. • Iowa City, IA 52240 319-356-5200 • icpl.org BOARD OF TRUSTEES Minutes of the Electronic Regular Meeting May 27 2021 Electronic Meeting DRAFT (Pursuant to Iowa Code Section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of board members, staff, and the public presented by COVID-19. Members Present: Wesley Beary, John Beasley, Kellee Forkenbrock, Carol Kirsch, Robin Paetzold, Hannah Shultz, Derek Johnk, Monique Washington Members Absent: None Staff/Others Present: Noa Kim, Dan Stevenson, Melody Dworak, Terri Byers, Elsworth Carman, Mara Cole, Karen Corbin, Melody Dworak, Alyssa Hanson, Sam Helmick, Kellie Kerns, Anne Mangano, Patty McCarthy, Jason Paulios, Brent Palmer, Angie Pilkington, Alyssa Hanson, Becky Dannenberg, Stacey McKim, Shawna Riggins Call Meeting to Order: President Beary called the meeting to order at 5:10 p.m. A quorum was present. Public Discussion: Welcome to new Board members. Noa Kim spoke to being recently appointed and comes with 10 years of library experience; currently, information technology being the focus. Noa is looking forward to serving the community. Dan Stevenson spoke to being recently appointed and comes with previous board experience. Dan is an eighth grade U.S. History teacher. Items to be discussed: AFSCME Agreement Overview and Changes - AFSCM E Agreement for July 12021 TO June 30 2026 was presented to the Board for approval and recorded vote. Anne Mangano and Terri Byers advised the Board of context, changes made, and the process which lead to Board presentation. Derek Johnk made the motion to approve the agreement as presented. Robin Paetzold seconded. Motion carried on a recorded vote: 8 AYES 0 NAYS 0 Abstain 0 Absent; Beasley, Forkenbrock, Kirsch, Paetzold, Rocklin, Shultz, Washington, Johnk (AYES). Policy Review: 806: Meeting Room & Lobby Use - This is a regularly scheduled policy for review and Board approval. Specific sections of the policy were advised by Sam Hemlick. The Library mission, definition of private and party, and access to space as a community center were discussed and addressed. Director Carman advised he supports the recommendation by staff committee. President Beary recommended the Board approve the policy, with review in one year. Derek Johnk made the motion to approve the policy as amended. Hannah Shultz seconded. Motion carried on a recorded vote: 8 AYEs 0 NAYS 0 Abstain 0 Absent; Beasley, Forkenbrock, Kirsch, Paetzold, Rocklin, Shultz, Washington, Johnk (AYES). Policy Review: 809: Library Use - A Memo was presented by Jason Paulios to the Board for review. Item will be added as old business to the June 24 2021 board meeting agenda for Board approval. Breakout sessions have been held and discussion of what could be done differently communicated. The staff committee is continuing to unpack the data and review former language, as well as, research back to 2001. The benefits of the staff in-service were discussed. Tom Rocklin exited the meeting at 5:45 p.m. Fines and Fees Report - Director Carman provided an update to fines and fees data for Board review and discussion. Carman advised that COVID-related changes have impacted the long term plans for exploring extending fine free throughout all collections. The current, though temporary fine -free model is working well and the community is responding to it. The Library could move forward to continue to gather data with a scripted plan as was done for Children's. There are early successes with a six-month analysis; however, lack full data due to COVID-19 variables. President Beasley recommended the Board revisit after more data is collected; continue fine free through the end of the fiscal year, children's stays, but reinstitute others - can extend the timeframe to try to gather data. Robin Paetzold recommended revisiting once summer has commenced. Discussion about positive community response, pragmatic thoughts, and clear valuable data collection took place. Carman recognizes the value and has no regret suspending fines. Discussion ensued about the benefits and detriment of continuing to suspend or re-establish fines. President Beary recommended to the Board sorting through the specifics of extending for however many months and setting a time frame, with a concrete proposal for Board approval: Option 1- Extend through August Option 2 - Extend to end of year Option 3 - Reinstate as provisioned Option 4 - Abolish entirely This item will be added as old business, and voting item, on the June 24, 2021, meeting agenda. Phase Transitions and Mask Mandate Changes - Director Carman provided an update to COVID-19 positivity rates, Phase 4 to 5 transitions, and mask mandate changes regarding ICPL Reopening Guidelines. Carman asked members how involved they would like to be in operations concerning Phase 5, with lifting capacity and time limits. Vaccine availability and learning more has helped. Carman advised will be ready for the transition once staff is fully prepared. The Library would like to combine an express model, yet, reestablish some seating. On or around July 1, the Library would bring back evening hours, study rooms, and have limited furniture placed on public floors. Transitions in capacity, time limits, mask mandates, and furniture positively moves into phase 5 and fulfills the benchmarks. The Library has autonomy and grounds to continue to enforce as Administration sees fit. Carman was asked to address masking phasing and feels is the right time for all areas of the Library. Carman thinks the Library is ready to take a deep dive and make some changes. With a paced time with most of these items, Carman moved into addressing masking requirements. The City Manager advised until July 1, Iowa City would like to continue to have staff and facilities masking; ultimately, it is at the discretion of each department. Most libraries have relaxed the mask mandate due to Library Director and Municipal direction. Carman received many community complaints last week, with none in the current week. Carman worries about staff having to experience this on the public floor. Carman sent a mask mandate survey to staff to gather information. 34% chose to stick with the current mandate and 36% chose should be a recommend or by request only. Carman read a few staff comments. Carman would like the July 1 mandate; however, understands staff stress in having to police the issue. The Board continued to discuss the options, pros and cons of this conflicting issue. Staff burden and protection is a concern either way. Carman advise the City Manager's justification for the July 1 date was to allow adequate time to have a full vaccination cycle for staff and public. The recommendation from County Health is to continue to masks if possible. John Beasley advised observed Parks is not requiring patrons to wear, but staff is. Carman advised City Hall continues to be closed, and staff wear masks. Parks, for example, saw positive compliance at the recent Farmers' Market. It can be a confusing to know what the right answer is. Board members would like to follow the City Manager's direction, and have a special meeting, if necessary, to address. This item will continue as old business item for the June 24, 2021, meeting. In -Person Meetings - Old business item to discuss resuming in-person Board meetings. Staff recommendation with visual diagrams were provided. Truly hybrid meetings present challenges, but are an option. President Beary recommended a step and analysis approach. This item will continue as an old business item. Carman will bring and update of what other City boards are doing to the June 24, 2021, meeting. Staff Reports: Director's Report - Carman invited questions and comments. Departmental Reports: Adult Services - Paulios also provided updates regarding the New York Times. Community and Access Services - Helmick invited questions and comments and advised is proud of the team embracing Phase 5. Development Office Report - McCarthy invited questions and spoke of the most recent fundraiser at Pagliai's Pizza. Miscellaneous - Nothing to Report President's Report - Beary again welcomed new board member and invited questions. Announcements from Members: None to Report. Committee Reports: None to Report. Communications: A Thank you to the Children's Department Staff was presented to the Board. Consent Agenda: Derek Johnk made the motion to approve the consent agenda as amended. Hannah Shultz, seconded. Motion carried on a recorded vote: 8 AYES 0 NAYS 0 Abstain 0 Absent Beasley, Forkenbrock, Kirsch, Paetzold, Rocklin, Shultz, Washington, Johnk (AYES). Set Agenda Order for June Meeting — President Beary communicated items for the June agenda: Develop ideas for the Annual Report CS, COL, IT reports Policy 809 - in progress Fine free - updates Update on city and board commission meetings Budget discussion — NOBU budget MOU between the Foundation and ICPL will be in the July packet Adjournment. Beary closed the meeting at 7:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kellie Kerns Administrative Services Coordinator Board of Commissions: ICPL Board of Trustees ATTENDANCE RECORD 12 Month: May 2021 Name Term Expiration 1/28/2021 2/25/2021 3/25/2021 4/1/2021 4/22/2021 4/29/2021 5/27/2021 Wesley Beary 6/30/2021 X X X X X X X John Beasley 6/30/2021 X X X X X X X Kellee Forkenbrock 6/30/2023 X X X O X X X DerekJohnk 6/30/2025 X X X X O O X Carol Kirsch 6/30/2023 X X X X X X X Robin Paetzold 6/30/2023 X X X X X X X Tom Rocklin 6/30/2025 X X X X X O X Hannah Shultz 6/30/2025 X X X X X X X Monique Washinqton 6/30/2021 X X O X X O X KEY: X PRESENT O ABSENT OE EXCUSED ABSENT NM NO MEETING HELD Item Number: 9. INCITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org June 24, 2021 Historic Preservation Commission: June 10 ATTACHMENTS: Description Historic Preservation Commission: June 10 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION EMMA J. HARVAT HALL June 10, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT: Kevin Boyd, Helen Burford, Sharon DeGraw, Cecile Kuenzli, Lyndi Kiple, Quentin Pitzen, Austin Wu MEMBERS ABSENT: Carl Brown, Jordan Sellergren STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow, Anne Russett OTHERS PRESENT: Olga Badovinac, Horacio Bustos, Karen Eldridge Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff, and the public presented by COVID-19. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Boyd called the electronic meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. utilizing Zoom. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: None, CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: 120 North Dodge Street — Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District screened porch addition Bristow said that this house is a contributing property, with both Gothic Revival and Greek Revival detailing, built in the 1850's (with an addition built in the 1870's) located in the alley of the district. The proposed screen porch will be attached to the flat brick one-story addition, extending a bit past the brick in order to make the space more usable. She said it will be a continuation of the roofline minus the detailing, and it will stop short of the north edge of the house so that the roofline can terminate. She said that one of the windows in the new addition will be replaced with a door to the house. Bristow said, due to the age and particular importance of the property, Staff would not recommend using Azek material for the construction of the addition but would recommend any tongue -and -groove flooring (using either wood materials or an Azek product) for the porch floor. Pitzen said that he was concerned if they were to use tongue -and -groove wood flooring because he didn't see any detail on how rainwater and blowing snow would get out. He said the Azek would be more forgiving if it got wet but using the wood could cause potential rot problems. Bristow said that they would recommend sloping the floor away from the long side and provide some way to set the framing for the screen so that water could get out. Boyd opened the public hearing. Olga Badovinac, the architect for the project, said that they are going to slope the floor and use Douglas Fir (to match the front porch) and use a clear stain with possible pigment to seal it. She said the floor will be sloped the shorter way due to the way the boards will be installed, and they will either create small openings in the screen at the end or finish the boards away from the wall as potential ways to allow water to escape. Badovinac said that those are just options right now, but if the Commission needs the details she will work on that. She said they were planning on using wood for the trim but asked if the Commission would allow them to have Azek as an option due to the market and availability. Bristow said when she was talking about sloping the floor she was referring to the wood being perpendicular to the brick kitchen addition. Badovinac said that is what her plan was as well. Pitzen said he would recommend getting vertical -grain Douglas Fir because it wears a lot better and holds paint and finish a lot better. Karen Eldridge, the property owner, said that she would like whatever is written by the Commission to provide them with some flexibility due to availability and cost of materials. She said she is not sure if she would not like to go forward with the project if she cannot afford wood for the trim. Boyd closed the public hearing. DeGraw said she thinks the project looks fine and they should just prepare the wording to allow for flexibility on the materials. Boyd, Burford, and Pitzen agreed. MOTION: Kiple moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 120 North Dodge Street as presented in the Staff report with the following conditions: the drawings are updated with tongue -and -groove floor and wood trim, and the option to use wood or Azek is approved. DeGraw seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 7-0 815 Bloomington Street.— Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (internal gutter removal Bristow said this house is a bungalow with Neo -Classical details, clad in aluminum siding with a standing seam metal roof in very poor condition. She said the roof would need to be replaced as it cannot be repaired and normally the owners would not need approval to do this because it is in a Conservation District, but since there is the internal roof gutter that needs removed they need the Commission's approval to remove that. She said this is an issue that will most likely come up in the future with other projects as well. With the current metal roof construction, Bristow said it is not possible to reconstruct the internal gutter with the new materials. She said the metal roof will be replaced with an asphalt architectural shingle, which is similar to the original wood roof underneath the shingle. She said the house already has external gutters, and said Staff recommends the Commission allow the internal gutter to be removed permanently and not be reconstructed. Boyd asked if there were different kinds of internal gutter situations that the Commission would potentially want to look at differently based on their construction. Bristow said that the internal gutters on this project would be considered as kind of a retrofit because the house would have originally had the normal slope of the roof for water drain off. She said the other kind of internal gutters is typically with Italianate or Greek Revival homes which have a wide pan at the eave of the roof slope and can be repaired or rebuilt. Boyd opened the public hearing Horacio Bustos, the owner of the house, said that they are extremely happy with the property. He said that they are doing restorations, but they want to keep the house and its details as original as possible. He said that they also want to talk about removing the metal siding, but that will most likely be a project for the future. Bustos said he really appreciates all the work the Commission is doing to try and keep the neighborhood as original as possible. Boyd closed the public hearing. MOTION: Kuenzli moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 815 Bloomington Street as presented in the Staff report. Kiple seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 7-0. 638 South Governor Street — Governor -Lucas Street Conservation District (window and door changes) Bristow said this house is a two-story property with a one-story kitchen addition. She said the house is fairly intact with its original windows, siding, and trim. She said the owner is an architect and has proposed adding a pair of French doors to the rear of the one-story addition and replacing the double -hung window on the side with a new double -hung window with a raised sill. She said Staff would work with the owners to find an appropriate window for that replacement. Boyd opened the public hearing. Boyd closed the public hearing. MOTION: Burford moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 638 South Governor Street as presented in the Staff report with the following condition: the window product information is approved by Staff. Pitzen seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 7.0. Bristow said the owner of this house inquired about using their Historic Preservation Fund for painting and other repairs, and it was determined that the house is considered non -historic which makes it ineligible for the funds. She said the house a one-story Minimal Traditional house with a wood frame built between 1948-1950. She said because it is older than 50 years the Commission would consider it to be historic, and Staff recommends changing it to a "non- contributing" structure at this point in time. Kuenzli asked if the house had siding on it. Bristow said it has its original wood siding along with original windows and the original entry canopy. DeGraw asked if there were other similar houses that were also seeking declassification. Bristow said that it is always possible and when they go to review this district they might consider changing the period of significance, but for now this house is the only one that has come to their attention. Burford asked if they re-classify this property if the Commission will be reviewing their request for funding. Bristow said that she believes they will submit an application for funding for painting. Boyd said that updating their city maps was previously recommended by the city attorney and it is also in their work plan, and that it makes sense for the Commission to review and clean up 3 or 4 districts over the next few years and then get on a regular schedule of doing so. MOTION: Wu moved to approve the re-classification of the house at 721 Dearborn Street as "non-contributing" to the Dearborn Street Conservation District. DeGraw seconded. The motion carried on.a vote of 7-0. REVIEW OF DRAFT EXCEPTION FOR SIDING GUIDELINES PER CITY COUNCIL REQUEST Russett said she wanted to go through Staff's revised draft amendment, as recommended by the Commission per their last meeting. She said that Staff added notes about modern siding potentially causing moisture issues within historic buildings, the exception including information on energy efficiency in historic homes and a reference to the existing section on energy efficiency, and additional language on what is meant by technical and economic challenges. She said the technical challenges really speak to situations where property owners have both synthetic siding over original wood siding and there is evidence of modern insulation within the exterior wall of the historic home, which could lead to moisture problems. She said the economic challenges talk about the most sustainable and affordable way to make an improvement on a home with synthetic siding, which is to repair the original wood siding. Russett said that they also added proposed language around submitting a case to the Commission stating that there is a reasonable and more affordable solution than complying with the guidelines. She said there is also a statement that says the Commission and Staff could evaluate other technical and economic challenges on a case-by-case basis. Boyd said he liked the changes that were made, and the usage of the word "could" under the technical and economic challenges section implies that the examples given are just that, and that the Commission could evaluate each situation further if needed. Kuenzli said she really appreciated the efforts of the Staff to clarify what is meant by economic and technical challenges, but she is concerned that the technical explanation pertaining to insulation gives enough of a reason to remove and replace a house's original wood siding in the absence of moisture problems. She said that this definition weakens their guidelines and leads to an inability of the Commission to rely on their preservation guidelines. Kuenzli said that the Commission bends over backwards to satisfy homeowners and approves more projects than they deny, so she is cautious to weigh every case that comes up against different standards instead of just following the guidelines. DeGraw said she hopes this issue won't come up frequently, but she is still in favor of reviewing the issue again in five years to see how many people actually take advantage of prematurely removing their home's original wood siding. Kiple said the draft is definitely an improvement, a great middle ground, that gives more specificity to the Commission and homeowners of what is and is not allowed. Burford said she doesn't understand why the community doesn't want to encourage people to make this kind of choice. Although removing and replacing the siding is expensive, she said that the work that is done will be reflected on the homeowner's tax assessment, which could serve as a progressive encouragement. Burford said that Russett did a fantastic job on the draft. Wu said he doesn't have a lot of experience with this kind of issue, which is why he declined to comment. Boyd said that the technical challenges could be more specific about including moisture damage, which could help narrow the scope and address some of the concern voiced about the section. Pitzen said he doesn't quite understand the cause of moisture problems and isn't sure how removing or not removing original wood siding helps with that. Kuenzli said, in terms of flexibility, they also offer a grant program to help those encountering economic challenges with their project. Russett said that evaluating for the presence of moisture damage is already part of the process they undergo when receiving an application. Pitzen asked if "moisture damage" included peeling paint and mold in the wall. Russett said that a recent property had peeling paint, but it didn't seem to be due to moisture damage based on Staff's evaluation. Boyd asked how they could reword the paragraph about technical challenges to include something that does exist instead of something that could exist. Russett said that one option could be to require the applicant to provide detail about the modern insulation and concerns related to moisture. Kuenzli asked how replacing one form of siding with another solves the moisture problem. Pitzen said that one solution could be to install a vapor barrier, but that wouldn't be guaranteed to solve the problem. 0 Boyd said that, since technical challenges often feed into economic challenges, they could eliminate the technical challenge portion and just include the economic for non-contributing properties with synthetic siding. Kuenzli said that that might make it more objective, but there would be a significant amount of justification on paper for the homeowner to take, which could be unpleasant. Kiple said incorporating the technical challenges into the economic challenges would be sufficient because of previous wording about negative impact on building performance/health. Burford asked why they have to specifically define technical challenges instead of listing possible examples and thus putting the burden of proof on the applicant. Boyd said he was proposing to remove the paragraph about technical challenges entirely and instead have the Commission evaluate based solely on economic challenges. MOTION: Boyd moved to approve the proposed draft amendment with the paragraph beginning with "technical challenges" and ends with "synthetic siding installation" be removed. Kiple seconded. Motion carried on a vote of 6-0 with 1 abstention REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: Minor Review — Staff Review 203 North Linn Street..— Local Historic Landmark (Commercial Signage Installation) Bristow said this property, the historic Union Bakery, is getting a new sign for the restaurant there now. 614 Oakland Avenue — Longfellow Historic District (Radon System Installation) Bristow said that this property is installing a radon mitigation system on the back of the house, facing the garage and the alley. 810 Roosevelt Street —.Clark Street Conservation District (aluminum siding removal and original siding repair) Bristow said the metal siding on this property was damaged in the derecho, so the owner is going to remove the aluminum siding and repair the original. She said they originally thought this house was from the 1930's, but they found out that it is actually from the 1890's. She said they have consulted with a historian, and Staff thinks that they can date the house earlier than that. Intermediate Review — Chair and Staff Review Bristow said that the original porch was removed and replaced with inappropriate structures in August of 2019, and they have been speaking with the owner about this. She said that the standing seam metal roof was damaged in the derecho, so that will be replaced with a new standing seam and the porch and internal gutters will be reconstructed properly. Since this building is an income property (it serves as the office for John's Grocery), Bristow said that she has been talking to the owners about doing this project for tax credits, which they are considering. 727 Rundell Street — Longfellow Historic District (non -historic door removal deck reconstruction front stoop reconstruction site stair reconstruction) Bristow said that this property has had multiple pieces of work done. She said that they approved removing the awkward door on the addition, the reconstruction of a slightly larger deck, the reconstruction of the front stoop, as well as the reconstruction of the site stairs. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR MAY 13,2021: COMMISSION DISCUSSION Lead Paint letter from Mike Oliveira Bristow said the letter was emailed to Staff and they wanted to send it to the Commission for any questions, concerns, or discussion. Kuenzli asked if the infrared heater developed in Sweden for lead paint removal produces less toxicity in the environment than an electric hot plate, a propane tank, or an electric paint remover. Bristow said that it doesn't turn the lead paint into a gas or create dust like some of the heat guns do, but rather it heats the paint to the point where it is almost melted and can be scraped off. Kuenzli suggested the Commission make some sort of a statement endorsing the use of that product to satisfy people's concerns about safety. Bristow said that Staff just always assumes that all of their historic properties have lead paint, which is why they point people in that direction. Wu asked how frequently the documents about lead paint given to the Commissioners are shared with the homeowners. Bristow said she will look at those documents and find out, but that they don't tend to share that with the public in a specific way. Outgoing Commissioner Thank You Boyd said, from his time on the Commission, that he has been most surprised by how much he has learned from his other Commissioners. He said that Pitzen knows more about historic houses inside and out more so than anyone Boyd knows, and that Pitzen has worked on his personal house, so he can attest to Pitzen's incredible craftsmanship up close. He said Pitzen's expertise has been invaluable to the Commission during his time as a Commissioner. Boyd said that Burford has been a part of the preservation community for a long time, and he knew her name even before she joined the Commission. He said Burford has been someone he has sought out to make sure he's on the right track, and he has always appreciated her honesty and candor. Boyd said he did not know Wu in person before he joined the Commission, but had already followed Wu on Instagram and was really enjoyed the content he was posting. Boyd said he has really appreciated Wu's voice pushing the Commission to make progress on solar and making things easy for the historic houses to work in conjunction with sustainability. He also said that he has appreciated Wu's perspective and his dedication to making sure that the Commission gives a full account of history. Boyd said he appreciated Pitzen, Burford, and Wu, and thanked them for their work and time on the Commission. Pitzen said thanks and that it has been and honor to be a part of the Commission. Burford said that it has also been a privilege and she wanted to thank each member for being thoughtful, proactive, and open to new ideas, as well as for encouraging historic preservation in Iowa City. Wu said he has enjoyed his time serving and he would love to see the Commission continue to look at preservation as part of a wider system, whether that be sustainability, equity, how neighborhoods function with each other, etc. He also said that he would love to see the Commission be more accessible to the community and to see more younger people brought into preservation because the energy and interest is there. He wished the best to the incoming Commissioners. COMMISSION INFORMATION• Bristow said that the Iowa City Downtown is now officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Bristow said that she will be sharing bits about what she learned at the Preserve Iowa Summit in future meetings. She said the survey questionnaire will go out to the owners and contractors, and that the awards letters for the Awards Committee are also being sent out now. Russett said that a fellow from the University of Iowa Planning Program will be working with them this summer and helping with investigation and research into the area around Kirkwood that they hope will be helpful with a future reconnaissance survey. Boyd said that they neighborhood association there would be a great resource. ADJOURNMENT: Pitzen moved to adjourn the meeting. DeGraw seconded. Meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2020-2021 NAME TERM EXP. 8/13 9/10 10/08 11/12 12/10 01/14 01/28 02/11 03/11 04/08 05/13 06/10 BOYD, KEVIN 6/30/23 X X X X X X X X X X X X BROWN, 6/30/23 O/E X X X O/E X X X X X X O/E CARL BURFORD, 6/30/21 X X X X O/E X X X X X X X HELEN DEGRAW, 6/30/22 X X O/E X X X X X X X X X SHARON KUENZLI, 6/30/22 O/E X X X X X X X X X X X CECILE KIPLE, LYNDI 6/30/22 X O/E X X O/E X X X X X X X PITZEN, 6/30/21 O/E X X X X X X X X O/E X X QUENTIN SEEN, 6/30/22 X X X X X X X X X X X O/E JORDAN JORDAN WU, AUSTIN 6/30/23 X X X X X X X O/E O/E O/E X X