HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-27 Transcription Page 1
2. Proclamations
2.a.Americans with Disabilities Act Awareness Day
Teague: (reads proclamation) And here to accept this, uh, proclamation is Mike Hoenig
and Mary Vasey. Welcome!
Vasey: Hi! As a grateful citizen, a city disability community member, a retired educator,
a former chair and board member of combined efforts at Uptown Bill's, and one
of the (mumbled) family members who have faced disability challenges with
courage, talent, and persistence. I thank Iowa...the Iowa City Council for your
ADA proclamation, and all you've done to make the city more accessible and
welcoming to persons with disabilities. I have a college friend, who as a child
contracted polio. Thankfully she survived, but weak arms and a very weak left
leg in a high school without an elevator...was, um, meant that she would be
regularly marked down late for class. Her parents intervened and helped set up a
way she could either manage the distance in time or have excused tardies. Not a
great solution, but a few barriers removed. Now, thanks to ADA, new school
buildings are built with accessibility as an integral part of the design. Many older
schools have adapted with elevators and other accommodations. Since not all
challenges are physicals, schools have worked to address learning and behavioral
disabilities. There is, as always, more to be done. There are so many
organizations and agencies that work on providing assistance and opportunities
here. The two I know the most about are Combined Efforts and Uptown Bill's.
Combined Efforts was begun in the mid-2000s by Janet Schlapkohl of Iowa
Ci...an Iowa City special ed teacher who also had experience with theater. She
saw many students with talent and a desire to perform who were not included in
the regular theater and music productions. So she formed a new theater group,
one that welcomed anyone—with or without disability. It grew out of the high
school, City High School space, and became a 501 c3, and has grown to have a
dance, choir, and theater groups, and every year for many years all those groups
perform for the Downtown ADA Celebration. I could go on, but I think their t-
shirt says it, I'll show you. Okay, Combined Efforts, which is a good (mumbled)
on itself Celebrate artists and changing perceptions. And I think you can
celebrate artists in a lot of fields. There are artists in nursing and just anything,
and...you change...we're changing our perceptions about them. One more thing,
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Uptown Bill's, the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's, which was located in North
Hall, my old high school, by the way, Uhigh. If you don't know the Bill Sackter
story, it's worth checking out on the internet or in the Library. Uptown Bill's has
been a place where people with disabilities could start small businesses, volunteer,
show art, socialize in the coffee shop, attend support group meetings such as AA
and Brain Injury. People who spent time at Uptown Bill's often observed that one
of the best things about it was that it was a space that welcomed them and where
they felt safe. So, thanks to the ADA for being a vehicle for change and thanks to
the allies and advocates. I remember Terry Cunningham used to speak here a lot.
He definitely was a good advocate. And for the persistence of the disability
community for constantly pushing for more improvements and for keeping us all
accountable. And to you all...and all you have done, and for this recognition
today in celebrating the artists and changing perceptions.
Hoenig: Vertically challenged here! (laughs) Uh, Mayor Teague and Members of the
Iowa City City Council, I'd like to thank you so much for this proclamation. As a
person with a disability it means a great deal to me, as does the long-term
commitment of the City of Iowa City toward making, uh, itself much more
accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities, and I'm just going to cite a
couple examples. One, sadly this year we did not have the traditional ADA
celebration. Um, but we have some exciting opportunities and I'm going to share
just briefly, but in past years the City has loyally, uh, contributed funding to make
that celebration a success and make it very public. This year, despite COVID in
the past year, the City launched the Disability Services Coordinating Committee.
It's a...it's a great opportunity for those who have not participated or checked in
on it. It's the fourth Friday of the month at 10, via Zoom, and it's a great
opportunity for coordination and really bringing disability even more to the
forefront than it already is in the City of Iowa City. I just learned today, urn,
about the accessibility features that are going in to the playground on the ped
mall. That's exciting for many, many people with disabilities and it's...it shows
foresight on your part to recognize that recreation is an integral part of serving
people with disabilities and...and people with disabilities feeling included in the
community. Uh, the City sponsored a Disability Ableism and Allyship
Conference, er, uh, during this past year. Um, many people with disabilities
advocated for removing of off-peak, uh, conditional...free fares for people, and
now that has happened. Just goes to show how well you, Councilors, listen. Um,
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we're most excited to announce, um, thanks in...in large part to, uh, an effort...a
partnership between the University of Iowa, uh, and many other groups, including
the City. Rachel has been very pro-active in...in keeping us informed of a
national....uh, nationally known presenter named Judy Human, who was
involved...was the star of the recent documentary Crip Camp, coming to Iowa
City. Um, looks...appears that we don't have a final date, but it's going to be in
October. We'll include a fireside chat at Hancher, and then a smaller gathering at
FilmScene. So I just really believe that it's...that sometimes things get taken for
granted and this is a perfect time for us to really say thank you, uh, leaders of...of
Iowa City for being so welcoming and walking the talk. Thank you very much.
Teague: Great, and I have a, um, proclamation that I'll bring to you now. Thank you all
for attending. (talking in background)
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3. Special Presentations
3.a. COVID Update—Johnson County Public Health
Teague: Sam Jarvis. Welcome!
Jarvis: Good afternoon to the Iowa City Council, Mayor, uh, as always appreciate the
opportunity to provide updates. Urn, from our last meeting, I believe at the Joint
Entities meeting that was just a couple weeks ago, I'll note that not a whole lot
has changed, but I'll....I'll kind of go through our customary updates on our
disease side of what we're seeing with cases here locally and then our vaccination
rates. Um, throughout most of June, I would say things were fairly quiet, but as
of recently we've seen a small increase in cases. So we're kind of looking at
single digits some days. Other days we're looking at 10s, 12s, uh, so we are
seeing a small bump at this point in time. They are primarily unvaccinated
persons. So not much has changed in terms of case trends and so, uh, we're still
monitoring those, that situation. I will note that, uh...as of July Is`, uh, as
mentioned previously, the State Health Department no longer requires us to
investigate cases, but we'll continue to make the commitment to do so. Urn,
during June, uh, we were going to evaluate on a month-by-month basis and see
how things were going, as it was getting quieter, but now with this change, uh,
we'll certainly continue to investigate cases until we know otherwise, uh, and in
terms of our capacity, uh, to do so, uh, we still have our three full-time disease
prevention specialists who are dedicated to this, and then certainly with our
contact tracing team that we have at the County, uh, we are roughly at about 20
part-time contact tracers. So we still maintain that capacity; uh, much of their
duties are still contact tracing, uh, and disease investigations,but they're also
helping us with other vaccine(mumbled) conversations. So we've kind of dual-
hatted them, uh, in this process, where they're also helping us with investigations,
but they're also providing information about COVID-19 vaccination providing,
uh, a lot of education, whether it's rumor, misinformation, or just providing, uh,
education about vaccines as we go forward. Uh, as many are aware, all three
vaccines continue to be studied by our...our state and federal partners for safety
and efficacy. We continue to hear good news that they're safe, uh,they're
effective, and that they're really still the best preventative tool, uh, for COVID-
19. Switching over to our vaccination side of...of things. We continue to be the
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community and the county that has the highest vaccination rate in the state. We
are, per the State's numbers, 58.6% of our total population. That's everyone in
Johnson County, uh, but it's always nice to round up and say roughly about 60%.
So we're doing really well on that front. We'd love to make it to 70, 80, and so
on, uh, and so really a lot of our efforts, uh, have shifted from large mass
vaccination clinics where we're doing thousands, or our partners are doing
thousands, where we're trying to get hundreds, to those efforts where we're
finding groups of persons— 10, 20—you know at a time, special events, or off-site
clinics at either employers, uh, churches, other places. So we continue those
efforts as well. Urn, I think what's probably most important to note today, uh, at
2:00 the CDC made their statement, which I'm sure many have seen in the news
already, that their mask guidance has changed, uh, for fully vaccinated persons.
Uh, we mention that with a caveat though because it's mask guidance for indoor,
um...gatherings, but it's for areas that have, uh, high transmission rate of disease,
uh, but low vaccination rates. And so while we're not within those categories, it
is something to note, uh, because we know that people are mobile, and that they
travel, and they go from here to other counties, other states, and even abroad. So,
uh, that is one thing to note and that we're looking at that guidance and will be,
uh, making efforts to educate the communities as they make their decisions to
visit and travel other places, they can make an informed choice and know, um,
what's best to do for their health. So, uh, a few other things to note that are
probably at top of mind. We've not heard of any other new information about
booster doses. Uh, that is one thing that we're looking at and...and certainly will
wait further guidance from the CDC, and then in terms of the age eligibility for
other vaccines, uh, specifically Pfizer and Moderna at the moment, uh, for those
five to 11 years old. We've not heard any, uh, new information on that either.
Last estimates were that there would be some movement in December, uh, but
we've heard that both vaccines have, uh, extended their...their trials and added
more participants, which, urn, from what our hospital partners and others have
noted, uh, that will probably delay that time frame of opening eligibility. So we
continue to kind of wait for that and...and hope that it happens soon, as I'm sure
many parents do as well, and schools and teachers, uh, and as that progresses
forward we'll continue to share information, uh, that we receive from the CDC,
the ACIP, which also produces guidance on how to give vaccinations for that age
group and that new eligibility. So...having said all that, I'm happy to answer any
questions.
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Weiner: I...I just want to thank you and everybody who's been working so hard at Johnson
County Public Health to, uh, to both keep us informed and to get as many people
vaccinated as possible.
Jarvis: Thank you. (mumbled) it's, uh, it's, you know, this is the easy part, talking about
the work, but our staff have been so dedicated over the past 500 and some days,
and so, uh, absolutely happy to...to pass that along.
Teague: Great! Any other comments? Thank you so much for being here with us today.
Jarvis: Thank you!
Teague: Great!
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10. Community Comment(items not on the agenda) [UNTIL 7 PM[
Teague: And this is an opportunity for, urn, any item that is not on our agenda to be
addressed at this time. We would ask for people to keep their, uh, talking time to
three minutes. We do have a clock over here, uh, for people to, uh, take note of
their time, and this will only go, urn, a....a minimum of 30 minutes, but a max of
7:00 PM and this is for any item that is not on the formal agenda. Urn, and there
is also a podium where, urn, you can sign your name and your address, uh, before,
uh, coming to the podium to speak. So if; urn, you are ready to speak, then we'll
have you come to the podium. And state your first and last name. And your
address, please.
Gravitt: My name is...excuse me, my name is Mary Gravitt. I live at 2714 Wayne Avenue,
#6. I'm here with a personal problem that has to do with mental health. During
the time of the quarantine, they shut, you know, everything was shut down. So
Elder Service and HACAP kept delivering us food, so I had boxes and boxes and
boxes of...and most of the food I couldn't eat because it was beans and processed
food and all that. A person with normal health—not overweight, not high blood
pressure—they could have it. So everybody kept urging me, because my
apartment is small, only two rooms. So they kept urging me, `Put it in the trash.'
I said, `No! I can't put it in the trash. That would be a sin against god!' It's
perfectly good food. So what I would do was put it in the building. I live on the
outside of the building...excuse me...so I would put it in the inside of the building
with a sign on it that says 'Free Food,' and it would disappear, cause I kept putting
it out there, and I still got four boxes (mumbled) So last Saturday I was...I went
into the house to put another bag of free food in there, and so this man, Jerry, he
comes, 'Oh, you've been the one that's been leaving the food. Let me help you
in!' So I came in and I brought the food in, and later on that evening when I went
to...I always leave my door open so I can get air, since I live in the basement
apartment. There was two big black bags of trash in front of my apartment! So I
called Keystone, and the manager knew Jerry from all the other pranks he pulled.
Now he's no kid, he must...he's almost as old as I am. He might be older! And I
find out it was him...(noise in background) is my time up?
Teague: No (several talking in background)
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Gravitt: I found out it was him that put the trash in there, in the bag. Now here's a man
who listens for voices from outer space, who's naked in the hallway, who's
always bothering the other cli...other, uh, people who live in the apartment
building. Now I'm tired of this. I'm...I'm old and I live by myself, and I don't
want to encounter that man. I called the police. The police even knew who he
was. So I cal....not 9-1-1, the other one, the non-emergency. So the policeman
came out and saw what was in the bags, and so he wanted to put 'em in the
dumpster, and I said, 'No, you're not the trash man.' The manager was supposed
to send someone to put those bags in the trash. So I haven't been back in the
inside of the building, cause that's where he lives, and that's where the mailboxes
are. So I don't want to have to really...I really...I don't want to have to buy a gun
for self protection so I can stand my ground (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Mary. Thank you, Mary.
Gravitt: Okay. I need some help.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Theisen: Uh, good evening, Council. My name is Nicholas Theisen. I live in the east side.
Um, so I want to address something that was brought up in the work session.
First of all, I...I find myself in a very strange position of agreeing with Councilor
Bergus on something, so I just wanted to note that. Um, but when the Chief was
up here, there were several things that he omitted and a couple of things that he
just openly, well, lied about. So, the thing that you have to understand about how
the County acquired the MRAP in question are the following four things. First,
the United States invaded two foreign countries in 2003 and 2004. Those were
the countries of Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the reason why these MRAPs exist at
all is because they were produced for those wars. And when (laughs) they were,
those wars were drawn down, under the Obama administration, the Obama
administration used an existing program, the 1033 Program, to essentially sell off
or get rid of all of the excess military hardware that was created by two imperial
occupations. So the thing is, the County acquired this thing in the first place, not
to protect officers, not to do flood control, not to do disaster relief like they said at
the time. They got it because the Obama administration was desperate to get rid
of these things and were essentially giving them away for free. So, the Johnson
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County Sheriff's Office decided to pick one up, and I hasten to note, without ever
even informing the Board of Supervisors, who when they found out that the
County then had one, were irate about it. They didn't proceed to do anything
about this fact, but the thing is they acquired the military hardware first, then they
invented reasons to use it. Not the other way around (laughs) So when the Chief
comes up here and says like, 'Oh, we desperately need this,' they didn't
desperately need it in 2013. They didn't desperately need it in 2012 or 2011 or
2010. Do you see the pattern here? They didn't need it any of those times. They
didn't need it when they acquired it. So this idea that somehow like officers are
going to desperately need this to protect themselves from gunfire, it's just not
true. It actually wouldn't have done anything on Saturday. What would they
have done, driven it into the ped mall? That shooting happened in an alley. So
this whole notion that it's going to protect civilians from gunfire, that it's going to
protect police officers is just BS! It is fic...it is a complete fiction, and frankly I
don't want to actually be lectured about the nature of public safety for a man who
by the way came into this room armed. When Chief Liston was sitting in that seat
right there, and when he stood at this podium, he was carrying a deadly weapon.
So the notion that somehow he is going to lecture us on what...about what
maintaining safety is absolutely ridiculous. One final point, the little bit about
how they make these decisions very gravely. Well the thing is the previous
(laughs) County Sheriff actually admitted that one time they took the MRAP out
simply because someone had locked their keys in the car. That's all!
Teague: Thank you. Uh huh.
Norbeck: Good evening, Council.
Teague: Welcome!
Norbeck: My name is Martha Norbeck. 906 S. 7th Avenue. And I wanted to take my three
minutes to talk to you about climate change. Uh, two weeks ago in Germany a
quiet creek rose 20 feet in a matter of hours. This is not normal. My house in the
Longfellow Neighborhood is near Ralston Creek. In 97, in 2008, it did not flood.
If...if we had seen a 20-foot rise in Ralston Creek in a matter of hours, my house
would be flooded. After two historic floods, my house would have been flooded
with a rain event like what happened in Germany. This is serious stuff. Climate
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change is happening now, and our actions matter, and we saw it last year when the
skies cleared up because people altogether changed their behavior. And you are in
a particularly meaningful position because you are making decisions about the
future of our community. Planning and Zoning, you have a lot of stuff coming up,
in the upcoming months. And I want you to be very cognizant of the climate
impacts of those decisions. My house was built in 1904. That means today I am
living with the consequences of a decision someone made somewhere around
1900 to plat that neighborhood. These decisions have weight for generations.
And I've heard Council Members say, 'Oh, well low density, high density, maybe
it's a matter of opinion.' It's not opinion. It's evidence. We need to follow the
evidence. Don't...don't use your opinion! It is not about your opinion! We need
to look at the evidence, and the evidence says that when you have bigger lots, you
have bigger houses, with more stuff in them and they're using more energy and
per capita, energy consumption is greater; GHG emissions are greater. That is the
evidence. You don't need an opinion. You just follow the data. So I ask you
to...to bear in mind the gravity of your decisions. You have a lot coming up, and
every time P&Z comes up, you need to be like, 'Wow, this is like I'm making a
decision not for today, I'm making a decision for 100 years from now, 150 years
from now.' It is changing and shaping the community, and I urge you to carry that
gravity with you when you evaluate these projects, and be aware that you're
making opinion....judgments that effect not only climate, but equity and economy
and affordable housing. There's a lot at play here. This is probably the most
important category of decisions that you will make as Council Members. So
please, consider the evidence, consider the gravity. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address a topic that is not on the formal
agenda? Please state your first and last name.
Knapp: James Knapp.
Teague: And your address.
Knapp: And I live at 528 Rundell Street, and we received notice that we will be added to
the flood plain, and this has happened over the years and now I got another notice.
IJh, I checked with FEMA and other agencies in the government and the reason
that the Ralston Creek flood plain exists along Rundell Street is because the City,
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when they put a...bridge over the creek, which is Muscatine Avenue, they
impaired the amount of water that could flow out of Ralston Creek and thereby
putting people into the flood plain. And now I've got a notice that the...insurance
company or the....my mortgage holder is going to start charging me $437 a year
for being in the flood plain when the City should have done something about this.
They made the mistake in the beginning. And all the people along Ralston Creek
are going to end up having to pay flood insurance, when the City could of created
a situation where the creek would drain rapidly as it should. That's one of my
questions. When will you do something about it? The other information has
nothing to do with this. It goes back to a murder that happened in 1966, 55 years
ago, and the City has had, the police have had information. They could resolve
this issue. They could investigate it. They could go to the people that are
involved in it. I've given them all of the information they need, and...they just put
it off. And Ronald Lipsius was murdered in his grocery store on south Summit
Street...May 6, 1966, and the issue was brought up to me by a classmate, at a class
reunion, my 55th class reunion and he said, 'Have they ever solved the murder?' I
said, 'What are you talking about?' He says, 'Well that grocery store.' I says, `I
don't know anything about it.' He says...why do you ask...he says, 'Well always
thought Cathy did it,' Cathy was his girlfriend at the time, and what he was was
curious about whether or not he was out of jeopardy because he should have been
investigated, along with Cathy. Do you have any questions?
Teague: You can just address Council (both talking)
Knapp: ...turned it over to the City police department and they're not making any
advance.
Teague: Anything else you would like to state?
Knapp: Not unless you want to talk about it.
Teague: Okay. Urn, thank you, and I'm not sure if you signed in, at the table behind.
Knapp: I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time hearing.
Teague: There's a table behind for you to sign in.
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Knapp: I did, I signed in already.
Teague: Thank you.
Knapp: Thank you.
Teague: And if there's anyone else that would like to address Council on any item that's
not on the agenda, I welcome...I invite you to come and sign in, so that when
we're ready to move forward, you'll be ready. Please state your name and
address. Welcome!
Wells: Hello, my name is Riley Wells and I live at 1131 S. Gilbert Street. Uh, I am here
today to give public comment on the request by the Truth and Reconciliation
Council for approval on a budget of$337,000 (both talking)
Teague: Excuse me. Yep! That is an item on our agenda and we'll get to that!
Wells: Oh, I apologize.
Teague: But yes!
Wells: I apologize.
Teague: Yep, we'll bring you back up.
Hampel: I'll be sure to sign in when I'm done. Uh, I'm Martha Hampel. I live, uh...near
the corner of Court and Manchester in Iowa City. Um...I just wanted to strongly
encourage you to...um, consider all public comment and...and seek out public
comment when it comes to your decisions regarding the MRAP and whether or
not to, um, acquire a BearCat. Uh, we know that Lonny Pulkrabek did everything
he could to avoid public input when acquiring the MRAP. In fact he didn't even
want input from, uh, the Johnson County, uh, Board of Supervisors. Uh, he...he
basically did it single-handedly, and urn, I think we should avoid that when it
comes to...what we decide to do next and whether we acquire a BearCat I think,
urn, there should even be a public vote. I would love to see it on the ballot. Urn,
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if that's something you're able to do, um, but please...this is really important. It's
important to the entire community, um, so please don't make this, uh, decision
without seeking out input from the public. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Dieterle: Uh, hello. I am Caroline Dieterle. I live at 727 Walnut Street, and I would like to
at least mention, I listened to the whole discussion of the MRAP that you had, uh,
in the previous working session, and I think we'd be....we wouldn't be in the
situation we are now (mumbled) even talking about getting rid of it if it hadn't
been used in such an egregiously inappropriate way, uh, when the...when the
Freedom Riders and the other people interested in the, uh, Black Lives Matter and
the George Floyd murder, uh, were demonstrating, and it was brought out and we
had flash bangs and, uh, tear gas and so forth brought to bear as well, um, and it
was because of that and the poor judgment that was exercised, or lack of any
judgment, that was exercised about its deployment then that is causing this uproar
now. So, you know, it's hard to have faith in a decision making process for the
use of it when we have the example in front of us of what happened already. And
we...I....I don't believe I've ever seen anywhere, um, any mention of any kind of
a set policy that has been reviewed by the citizens for when this thing is supposed
to be deployed. I mean here it is it's a tool and you've got something there and
people who have it are going to want to use it and so forth, and there is no policy.
So there should have been a policy before the thing ever saw any action at all.
Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address a topic that's not on the agenda at
this time? Welcome!
Harris: I'll be sure to sign this paper when I'm done.
Teague: Sure!
Harris: Um, so my name is Eric Harris and I'm just going to speak personally about the
MRAP and my personal experience with seeing the MRAP. It was a regular
morning, um, had to be 8:00 to 9:00, and my kids were out in front, and they were
doing like yard work and stuff like that, and I was in the house and I was about to
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come out and help when they came in terrified, saying there's this large vehicle
that's yelling commands out, and barely fits down the street, and they were
terrified. They were scared. So the opinion of...that I heard here today of it
makes people....it makes people feel safe, it makes people feel safe. My kids
were terrified! And are still terrified by it, right now. I almost took offense to
some of...the comments about it's supposed to make people feel safe. Because
my family did not feel safe. They didn't know what that thing was, at all, and if
they're going to continue to use vehicles like that...the fire department uses a lot
of vehicles, but at different events, I've seen them let children explore the fire
trucks and look and see what it was, so they could understand it. Not just
randomly rolling down the street on a morning to have my children confused.
And with that I yield.
Teague: Great. Would anyone else like to address a topic not on the agenda? Seeing no...
no one else, we will move on to Planning and Zoning items.
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11. Planning and Zoning Items
11.a. Rezoning— 1103 & 1125 N. Dodge Street— Ordinance conditionally
rezoning approximately 7.546 acres of land located at 1103 and 1125 N.
Dodge Street from Community Commercial with a Planned Development
Overlay (OPD/CC-2) to Community Commercial with a Planned
Development Overlay (OPD/CC-2) zone. (REZ21-0004)
1. Public Hearing
Teague: And I'm going to open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) And welcome. We're
going to start with comments from staff and then we'll hear from, urn, the
applicant, followed by Council questions.
Sitzman: Good evening, Mayor and Council. Danielle Sitzman,Neighborhood and
Development Services. I'm going to present briefly on this first rezoning action
at 1103 and 1125 N. Dodge Street. As the item introduction indicated, this is not
a change in the base zoning. It's currently an OPD/CC-2 and it would remain
that. It's the location of the North Dodge Hy-Vee. Um,the purpose of the
rezoning tonight is basically to amend one of the conditions that was placed back
in 2013 when the, um, Hy-Vee store was built to replace a former dairy operation.
Um, there was a very specific condition in that agreement that said adherence
with the concept plan, which was filed in 2013 was required. At this time the Hy-
Vee stores throughout the community are adding online grocery shopping and
online grocery pickup, uh, kiosks and drive-throughs, as part of their Aisles
Online program and they would like to amend their concept plan to show, uh, a
more permanent developed structure for that operation. They have seen a
dramatic increase of online fulfillment orders during the pandemic, but it's also
been sustained, uh, and they think that as a business operation they'd like to
pursue and would make part of their normal operations. As I mentioned, we will
need to amend the CZA, which is the purpose of the rezoning tonight. This shows
a...the parking lot during the pandemic where they've had a temporary facility.
As you can see it's basically shipping containers and carts that roll in and out of
that as folks come to pick up groceries. Um, as I said, this would be amending the
plan and I'll show that in a moment. With rezonings there are general rezoning
criteria that need to be met. There's also specific ones for planned development,
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urn, we won't get into those since this is really just changing the concept plan, so
I'll get to that. This is the aerial image or a planned review of the site. The big
box, the big white box on the right-hand side of the screen is the Hy-Vee store,
and the area that it would be redeveloping or changing the parking lot design
basically is just to the left of that. It's a...a long rectangle with some drive-
through, urn...uh, canopy and covering for a grocery pickup. Urn, it would be
three lanes of, uh, pickup. These are scheduled pickups, so you make your online
order and you're given a time to show up to pickup your groceries, so the queue
would be managed through that kind of action. It's a very small building
anticipated, about 1,000 square feet, um, with a canopy over the drive up aisles.
Urn, the surrounding land uses are residential in character, and so, urn, as with the
original development, there's scrutiny of, uh, the screening and landscaping that
goes into place. Urn, there's been a requirement for landscaping that's been
fulfilled on the northwest side of the site, between the residential areas. Urn, this
building would actually be a buffer, a further buffer, between car traffic in the
parking lot and they will be adding some additional landscaping as well. This is a
color rendering showing several different views of the proposed concept for the,
uh, online structure. Uh, this wouldn't be subject to a design review, so actually
the specifics of the design, uh, would be reviewed at a future step, and that would
be the site plan review and design review step. This slide shows you where we
are in the development review process tonight. As I mentioned there was a
previous rezoning, a re-rezoning, to adjust those conditions. The drive-through
lanes will actually go through another step for a special exception that's reviewed
by the Board of Adjustment, that has yet to happen, and then as I mentioned, staff
would do design review and, uh, issuance of building permits. So based on the
review of relevant, general, and specific criteria, staff did recommend approval of
the proposed rezoning, uh, with the carrying forward of four conditions originally
in that 2013 CZA, uh, verbatim as they were at that time. The addition of a fifth
condition, uh, and the removal of two conditions that were fulfilled with
development, uh, as it occurred. So they've been accomplished already. So the
conditions that staff recommended, uh, include a buffer area. As I mentioned, the
four conditions that were already carried forward, the buffer area, uh, limitation
on signs and where they can be placed, urn, a quality design assurance through a
design review process, urn, some screening and major trees preservation, and this
fifth, urn, condition here, basically that the development of the online grocery
pickup be generally consistent with the attached planning, and go through a
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design review, as I said. Urn, this was reviewed by the Planning and Zoning
Commission, and it comes to you tonight with a recommendation of approval by
them. Um, the CZA has been signed and the applicant did not choose to go
through a good neighbor, uh, policy, uh, process for this rezoning. The applicant's
representative is here tonight, but does not have a presentation. And that
concludes my remarks.
Teague: Okay, any questions...by Council? Hearing none. Thank you. And I am going to
ask for anyone from the public that would like to address this topic to please go to
the podium at this time. And you can sign in after you're done. Please state your
first and last name.
Brumm: Sure! Uh, good evening, Mr. Mayor and Members of Council. My name is John
Brumm. I'm Director of Site Planning with Hy-Vee. Urn, I'm available to
answer any questions you have, and uh, if...if you want, uh, the background on
this, I'd be glad to go through the background on it, as well. Urn,just let me
know.
Teague: Okay. All right. We had just asked for the applicant. So, um, does Council have
any questions for the applicant representative? All right. None....no questions.
Anyone from the, uh, public want to address this topic? Seeing no one, I'm going
to close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I get a motion to give first
consideration?
2. Consider an Ordinance (First Consideration)
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Council discussion?
Weiner: Honestly I would, urn, rather see people ordering groceries online from local
stores than, um, from, uh, from out of state and so forth. This is...and I think that,
uh, that this sort of...that this sort of regularization of this will be...much less
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obtrusive than the containers and the ad hoc, uh, way that the grocery stores had
to deal with this during the height of the pandemic.
Thomas: Yeah, this...this does seem to be kind of just regularizing what's already there and,
uh, enhancing it, so....makes sense.
Teague: I would say the need really appeared during the pandemic, that this is a great
option for various people, especially for individuals that may have medical
limitations, um, or even physical disabilities or limitations. So...all right! Roll
call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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11.b. Rezoning—Hickory Trail Estates—Ordinance conditionally rezoning
approximately 48.75 acres of land located south of N. Scott Boulevard and
west of N. Is'Avenue from Interim Development Single-Family (ID-RS) to
Low Density Single-Family with a Planned Development Overlay (OPD/RS-
5) zone. (REZ20-0016) (Pass &Adopt)
Teague: And this is for a motion to pass and adopt. Could I get one please?
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Bergus: Second, Bergus.
Teague: All right, we'll start with comments from our staff and then we'll hear from, urn,
the applicant, followed by Council questions, and then I'll allow for public
discussion at that time.
Sitzman: Thank you, Mayor. Danielle Sitzman again. Uh, I don't have many remarks to
make on this one,just general introduction, uh, to refresh where this application
is, uh, located, uh, and that based on discussion in the previous City Council
meeting, the applicant has provided the following exhibits, which I'll go back to
in a second, which were included in your late handouts, to clarify the dimensions
of outlot A. We had some questions about that at the meeting and it was a little
fuzzy, hard to discern, and to provide an updated landscaping plan. Uh, Brian
Boelk with Axiom Development is in attendance tonight and he'll go through
these two slides with you. I do want to say the Parks and Forestry staff of the
City has reviewed the landscaping plan for tree species choice and placement, and
has no objections to it. Additionally, uh, should the rezoning be approved,
compliance with the landscaping plan can be addressed at the next steps in the
subdivision platting process. So I will let, uh, Mr. Boelk go through these two
slides, but I just wanted to point out again where we are in the development
process. We're at the rezoning stage here, um, there would be platting that would
follow along afterwards, uh, that you would see for the preliminary and final
plats, and then site plan reviews as necessary, and building permits. Just to
refresh again, this is coming with a recommendation from staff and the Planning
and Zoning Commission. So I'll turn it back to these two slides and step away.
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Teague: Welcome!
Boelk: Good evening, uh, Mayor and Council. Appreciate, uh, the time. We've
discussed this numerous times, but on behalf of, uh, Nelson Development and
Hickory Trail, I just wanted to briefly outline, uh, the letter that was dated 07/22
and provided to you, um, in your packet there, and really the....the main reason
for this was just to address a couple of the concerns that we still heard or saw, uh,
at the last meeting. Those being the...the land used in buffer space, as Danielle
alluded, uh, that we'll talk about here in a second, and then the other being the
cul-de-sacs. So, uh, with regards to the land use buffer, we did provide an
additional exhibit that you see on the screen right now that just describes and
shows some additional detail with regards to, uh, distances, uh, there. As most of
you know, there's about 14 acres, uh, dedicated to outlot, and uh, gifted to the
City, to create a buffer between the development and Hickory Hill Park. That's
approximately 28.8% of the development as a whole that would be gifted, again,
to the City as park space. Um, that's shown in, uh, shown in that green space
there on the land use map. Um, at the narrowest, uh, you see the buffer is roughly
90-feet wide on that south side, plus an additional 60 foot for the right-of-way.
Uh, so roughly 150 feet. That's a...directly south of lots 2 and 3. And then on the
western development, the buffer is nearly 100-foot wide, in addition to the 60-foot
right-of-way, um, and then continues to expand from there. In those areas where
it is narrower, um, as described earlier, we added additional landscaping, urn, in
plan at this time to show you what the intentions are there, uh, both with trees,
vegetation, uh, native plantings, and...and everything else that goes with that, and
as noted that was, um, worked through with the City, Parks, and Forestry. So, um,
when you add the additional setbacks for the garages and the houses, um, at
the...at the most minimum point you are no closer than 70...I'm sorry, 175 feet to
the current park boundary. Um, within that area too you'll note that is full of
ravines and wooded areas, urn, looking to preserve the natural areas was a specific
goal of the comprehensive plan and Northeast District plan and City code, which
is what we are doing here, as well as adding additional native plantings and
vegetation. Um, so if there's any questions on that, happy to answer that.
Otherwise I'll talk about the cul-de-sacs here as well and we can, uh, address any
items there at the end. Um, in the last meeting we had heard a concern with
regards to the omission of cul-de-sacs in this plan, and that was done purposely.
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Uh, we did look at that during the design and throughout the interaction with City
staff. Ur...and I'll go back to here, um...that picture, urn, shown in the Northeast
District plan was simply just a picture at that time. Urn, as we dive into it further
(mumbled) consider the topography, the existing vegetation, uh, current City code
requirement, and current policies of the City department. And so within the letter
we provided to you that noted, urn, numerous examples of City code and policy
where cul-de-sacs, urn, are not wanted and...and is not, urn, a result of the
development here at hand. So City code very clearly states the use of cul-de-sacs
is limited to specific situations and depicts as, urn, depicts those, which we do not
meet here. Um...they're just simply not warranted by the provisions outlined with
the current code. Uh, we also included some discussions and documentation back
and forth with City staff with regards to this item as well. Uh, so we, you know,
we tried to look at those different options, um, in a good faith effort, but once that
concluded, uh, we were following the direction from City staff, the text of the
comprehensive plan and the Northeast District plan, City code, and the conditions
on the property itself. Uh, happy to answer any other questions.
Teague: I don't hear any questions! Thank you!
Boelk: Thank you, appreciate it.
Teague: Great! Is there anyone else from the, urn, applicant team here? Welcome!
Tarr: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, I'm Adam Tar with Pugh Hagan Prahm on behalf of the
applicant, Nelson Development. I want to thank the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem,
and the Council for your time tonight. It's a pleasure to be before you. I'd like to
say it's the highlight of my day, but that would be a lie. In fact the highlight of
my day, in all honesty, was taking our family dog Willa through, uh, Hickory Hill
on a hike this morning, and I think I can speak for her and say it was probably the
highlight of her day as well. That's because I'm here not just as an...ad advocate
for the applicant, but I'm here as an eastsider and a long-time eastsider who lives
within walking distance of the park. I can say with all, you know, sincerity that
the park is a treasure. It's one of my favorite things about the east side and not
just the east side, but the city as a whole. It's entirely accurate to say it's a, uh, for
me, it's a meditative relaxive natural space that is tucked between our
neighborhoods and readily accessible to everybody as a result. It's one of the first
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things I point to when friends who aren't eastsiders ask me why I'm such a proud
eastsider. (mumbled) socioeconomic diversity, our blend of well maintained old
and new housing stock, and our sense of community, the park is emblematic of
our pride of place. It's also a city park surrounded by private property. Now
many of you campaigned on improving the livability of Iowa City, on good
environmental stewardship, and on doing something about the geriatric crisis
facing our aging population. Approving this application advances all of those
promises. Each of you when elected also took an oath to upload the laws of the
State of Iowa. Those laws set out the criteria by which you are to evaluate this
application. Iowa Code...or Iowa City code, title 14, chapter 3, governs approval
of OPDs, of overlay development plans. It directs you to, and I quote, review the
application for compliance with the applicable approval criteria as set forth in
chapter 3. Now Planning and Zoning staff, Park staff, Planning and Zoning
Commission itself, and City Council staff since then have repeatedly found that
the application meets those criteria and recommended. By all accounts the
applicants have in good faith addressed each request or concern on their way to
final approval tonight, as we just saw with Mr. Welch pres...Mr. Welch's
presentation. They've replaced cul-de-sacs with through streets to satisfy the
staff's objections to cul-de-sacs, and now to hear that the County...or the Council
is hesitant or is wondering whether or not the absence of cul-de-sacs might be
something to count against the application is simply misguided as a result. Now
the applicants have also reduced density, they've single-loaded the street, creating
a larger buffer with the park, such that as Mr. Welch just explained, the minimum
buffer between the houses and the boundary of the park is 175 feet. They've
provided streamside buffer zones. They've protected slopes. They have
preserved the majority of the tree cover. They've provided for lower roof on the
park side of the senior living facility to protect sight lines. And as you just heard,
they have dedicated over 14 acres in outlot A to buffer and to expand the park,
complete with trail heads that will finally extend Hickory Hill all the way to Scott
Boulevard. They are also committed to eliminating invasive species from that
addition. And to achieve all of this they have worked tirelessly and in good faith
with the City Forester, the Park staff, and the staff of the City Council and
Planning and Zoning, who have all opined that the application not only meets the
criteria,but it adds valuable eco-diversity to Hickory Hill Park. And as the staff
and reports have observed, the proposal "incorporates a variety of housing types,
it limits impacts to sensitive areas, and it provides an additional over 14 acres of
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Page 23
land to Hickory Hill Park. Now, surely some community members will be
dissatisfied with anything short of all 48 acres being turned into an expansion of
Hickory Hill Park. ACT offered this to the City and the City declined. But it may
be that the decision by the City to decline that purchase for the exclusive purpose
of the park was a good development, because the proposal that's before you
instead offers the best of all worlds. It expands and improves and protects the
diversity of the park, while also addressing a vital need for senior housing,
including memory units. It adds a quality single-family housing stock to the east
side. You as a Council have the historic opportunity to be the City Council that
expands Hickory Hill Park and simultaneously addresses the geriatric crisis and
our desperate need for compassionate senior housing. The criteria set forth in the
comp plan and in the district plan, combined under the flexible approach provided
for the overlay ordinance permit the proposal's combination of single-family, low
density homes and senior housing, while protecting sensitive areas and growing
the park. Because the plan meets the criteria for each, as set out in the
comprehensive and the district plans, your obligation is to approve the
application. Instead some Council Members have advanced a very expansive and
novel interpretation of the overlay ordinance, seizing on the use of the word
`flexibility' in City code section 14, 3.a(1) as a justification for holding the
application to an unrealistic standard in order to reject the application outright,
despite the fact that the application is, again, compliant with the comprehensive
and district plans. To follow that example would (mumbled) in the face of the
expressed language of chapter 3 of title 14. Other Council Members have stated
that they wish they had a revised comprehensive plan and district plan that was in
place that would permit the City to make other demands and apply other criteria,
and suggested immediate action to review those plans. But as the majority of this
Council has successfully and correctly concluded in prior work sessions and in
public meetings—you must apply the law you have, not the law you want. Indeed
the Iowa Supreme Court has made clear that the discretion granted to a city
council in zoning matters is not unbounded and that it is bad faith and a legality
for a council to reject a compliant application out of a motive to alter a zoning
ordinance or extract concessions unsupported by the law. In closing, the Council
does not have to flirt with illegality to protect the park or sensitive areas. You can
(garbled) compliant application with the confidence that your valid concerns and
your objectives will be met. Planning and Zoning and the Council have
enumerated several conditions for approval of this proposal, and the City will
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Page 24
retain active oversight and authority to see those conditions are met. Now the
applicants, in sum, have agreed to all the City's conditions and offered additional
accommodations on their own in good faith. It's now the Council's sworn duty to
act in good faith tonight and apply the law you have, not the law you want, to
accept the overwhelming recommendation of staff and approve the final reading
of this application. Thank you.
Teague: Great. Is there anyone else from the applicant team here? Okay. Seeing no one
else, I'm going to ask for the public that would like to address this topic, um, why
don't I get a raise of hands first of the individuals that want to address this topic.
Okay. And I'm going to ask everyone to, urn, as you come up, make sure that you
sign your name a little bit ahead of time so that we can try to have the next
speakers, uh, come up right when that one is done. And, urn, everyone will have
three minutes. There are a lot of people here, which I really probably should...I
don't know if Council want to drop it to two. Not yet, but we'll....there's quite a
few people here. Welcome! Public discussion is open.
Dieterle: I'm Caroline Dieterle. Uh, I'd like to know whether the Council actually, uh,
officially declined the chance to purchase this from ACT, this land.
Teague: And we just want you to share your thoughts with us, please.
Dieterle: Well I wanted to know first of all whether you actually, by vote of the Council,
declined to buy this land from ACT when it was offered to you, as the previous
speaker alleged.
Teague: And again, this is an opportunity for you to share with Council.
Dieterle: Well if the Council actually voted to not accept this chance to buy the land for the
park, um...I don't think that our news media, you know, did a very good job of
letting us know that. It was an outrageous decision to...to turn down this
opportunity. This land really belongs as part of Hickory Hill Park(clears throat)
and Martha Norbeck, in a previous comment, was talking about her house being
built in 1904 and that the people who made the decisions about that, you know,
now she's living with that. Well, people who, you know, assuming that our
civilization will even persist considering the idiotic things that we're doing in
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climate change and everything, uh, if it does, and we do have children and
grandchildren and so forth, great-grandchildren, I don't think they're going to
look back on this development here in this land as being a wise use of the land,
that it really belongs as part of the park, and the City should use its eminent
domain, if nothing else, to get it. Eminent domain was used fragrantly in the Iowa
City area in the 1970s to dispossess all kinds of people of valuable property, and
then they turned around and sold it to developers rather than having it be used for
a public purpose, which is what the eminent domain law was created for—
bridges, streets, parks, etc. Well, this is for a park, and if we can't go back now
and buy it from ACT under their previous offer, then we should have it
condemned and made part of the park. People in the future will really regret the
loss of this chance to put this land into this park. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. And I'll have you come to the podium first and you can sign after,
please...or...yep!
Synan: I'm Bill Synan and I live at 833 Cypress Court, and I actually have a copy of the
Northeast District plan. And in the plan it specifically states here, regarding this
property, it specifically states: No direct vehicular access to the park or through
streets, adjacent to the park, are proposed. Instead the residential development
nearest the park is shown on cul-de-sacs, plural — cul-de-sacs, and pedestrian
access to Hickory Hill Park is encouraged. That's what it says, right...right in the
plan. There's no ambiguity to that. It's clearly stated. Over the past 10 years, we
have heard on more than one occasion a Planning and Zoning staff member refer
to a past decision regarding rezoning in the Bluffwood community as 'Oh that
was a mistake.' Well we do not want that....we don't want to hear 'Well that was
a mistake' again, especially with this, um, proposal, which can have significant
ramifications on the park, and pedestrian and motorist safety. (clears throat) So
this is my understanding of how the process works. Planning and Zoning puts
forth a recommendation, and then City Council, the elected representatives of the
community, decide if the plan is acceptable or not. If it...if it's not acceptable,
then recommendations to amend it can be offered if it seems appropriate. It is not
a guaranteed rubber stamp for P&Z recommendations. Otherwise why have this
process at all? So, your vote tonight is to see that the Northeast District plan is
upheld. By doing that, your vote will help sustain the quality of life in Iowa City.
It can be amended. Thank you.
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Teague: Thank you. If you can sign your name, please, or leave your sticker. Welcome!
Routh: Good evening, Mayor, Councilors staff. I'd like to second what Caroline said
(both talking)
Teague: Please state your(both talking)
Routh: ...the City has an obligation to explain (both talking) My name is Laura Routh. I
live at 828 Dearborn Street, in the Longfellow Neighborhood. Um, I think the
City has an obligation to explain to the citizens why they took a pass on buying
this land. That's the first I've heard of that, and it's horrifying to think that we're
actually at the last vote and that's really new information that suddenly we're just
going to pretend like we didn't hear? So I challenge you all to...to take that
seriously, and we need to figure out when that happened and was that actually a
legitimate process whereby, uh, the City declined, cause I sure wasn't aware of it.
I'd like to address some of the arguments that have come up through this process
regarding this, uh, rezoning and development, and I've heard these arguments
from City staff. I've heard them be made by, uh, City Council Members, and uh,
the development group itself. Um...the one that I'm finding most troubling, cause
it keeps popping up at the podium is that the City's going to get sued if we don't
approve this development. That's a lawsuit...are pretty common, and surely you
all hear this sort of bluster all the time. In this case, based on the rumors that have
been circulating, the threat of litigation is bullying of the worst kind. It's
Trumpian, in fact. Just because someone threatens to sue doesn't mean they will
actually win. And,just because someone decides to sue doesn't mean they
actually will. Finally I would remind each of you that you do not work for the
City Attorney. The City Attorney works for you. I would encourage you to not
take instruction from staff, but have the courage of your convictions and do the
right thing. The second argument that I have heard repeatedly is that we need
more senior and memory care housing. That may very well be true, but that really
isn't the issue at hand here, and I've seen no data to support that assertion. It's
just been used as a jus...a justification for this development. If this whole
boondoggle is about senior housing, then great, let's have a future conversation
about that, about land use and senior populations, and let's make our decisions
based on objective data, not conjecture. The argument about needing senior
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Page 27
housing does not warrant an affirmative vote tonight. Third, the argument that
keeps coming up is that its private land development is inevitable. I guess my
rebuttal is pretty direct. While yes it is private land, development of green space,
and especially this specific piece of land, is neither inevitable nor desirable. And
such a defeatist attitude is entirely unacceptable, in my opinion. For our city's
elected officials, it's antithetical to leadership itself. You, the City Council, have
the power, and I would say the obligation, to change the trajectory of this
proceeding. The City has authority in matters of lan....zoning and land use. You
can and should buy this land and expand Hickory Hill Park.
Teague: Thank you. Urn, anyone else like to address this topic? Please state your first and
last name, and your address.
Kohrt: Hi, my name is Casey Kohrt. I live at 435 Rundell Street. And, urn, I am the
Chair of the Board of the Friends of Hickory Hill Park. And we are opposed to
this project still, because it does not meet...is not in compliance with the Northeast
District plan. I would like to comment also on citizen participation since we've
gone to this live format. Um, people are not able to comment on Zoom and we
still are in a pandemic, so I would encourage you to pursue that. Um...so when
Hickory Heights was getting developed, urn, the...the big houses you can see from
inside the park, urn, there was a lot of unorganized protests against this. And
(clears throat) it actually, you know, obviously it lost because, um, people didn't
follow any sort of planning process. So a lot of the original members of the
Friends of Hickory Hill Park got together and decided, well, we need to work with
the City and...and figure something out. Well, what came out of that is the
Northeast District plan. And, um, now if you're going to vote against that, I ask
myself, why bother? We were told that this is how we protest...is we have to, you
know, and then you're going to just throw the plan out the window. I'm sure the
City Manager would love for us to not bother so he could just throw the plans out
and green light projects like the two that were, urn, turned down at the
Commission. Terrible plans! You know, they didn't in any way meet the...the
Northeast District plan. So (clears throat) as you...you as elected officials can say
no. This is not what the community wanted then. This is not what the community
wants now. It's in the plan, and this...this particular proposal does not meet that.
Thank you.
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Page 28
Teague: Thank you. Welcome! Welcome. State your name and address, please.
Noah: Uh, my name's Noah and I live in Iowa City. And, um, I'm here to, uh, well first
off to second his comments on the Zoom. Uh, you should make it accessible as
we are in the middle of a pandemic and (mumbled) actually recently said to have
masks for indoors and...one, two, three, four...oh, and none of you are wearing
any. So thank you for that. Um...second of all...(mumbled) third of all, uh, do not
pass this, uh, developer's plan, like as most (mumbled) have said is...is trash and
it's destroying the environment, which I mean I know like y'all don't care about
the environment (mumbled) do anything to change it and just ruin it for my life,
and I really appreciate that, so keep that up. But actually you could try to do
something different and do that, and buy back the land and (mumbled) park
going. All right, and also a comment. Answer those questions! It's not that hard.
You can be responsive. You don't have to sit there...silently staring, like I don't
know what y'all are doing, why you can't answer people's questions. Why can't
you answer my questions?
Teague: Please stay to the topic(both talking)
Noah: Why can't you answer my questions?
Teague: Thank you. Any more comments on Hickory Trail?
Noah: Yes, why can't you answer questions (both talking)
Teague: This is an opportunity for you to speak to Council.
Noah: And when are you going to speak to us...when we ask questions, and actually
answer our questions?
Teague: Any more comment?
Noah: So that's a no.
Teague: Correct.
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Noah: Okay.
Teague: Yes.
Noah: Resign! Quit! All y'all quit, fire Geoff(both talking)
Teague: This is not...this (both talking) this topic...any....anything else about Hickory Trail
Estates?
Noah: Um...quit your jobs and fire Geoff.
Teague: Thank you. (applause in background) Welcome! And please sign the sign-in
sheet, please.
Norbeck: I already signed it.
Teague: I know you did. (laughter)
Norbeck: Martha Norbeck, 906 S. 7th. Urn, so I...I appreciate the position you're in. Urn, I
guess my first question is to the developer, um, you know when I saw this play
out I'm like, 'How are you going to make money off of a single-loaded street?'
Like I don't even understand that, and I feel like you've gotten yourselves boxed
in to like, 'Oh, we started down this road and we're just going to make small
tweaks,' and I know how that works from a design standpoint. You just wind up
you're like, `Well, we can't go back now!' Gosh darn it, I wish you'd just went
back and just said, 'Oh, we hear these comments, let's try again, let's do a
different planned development overlay,' cause this (mumbled) continually
tweaking a...an idea that was a bad idea in the first place. It's just not working
and I honestly don't know how you're going to make money. I'm actually really
legitimately concerned about your ability to make money on this project, cause
you're going to be using the senior housing to subsidize it. So I ask the developer
to consider like do we really want to proceed with this, like whether....however
this vote goes, like is this really wise? Urn, I think I also want to comment on this
P&Z process, because I...I am still, you know, t he South District plan has been
going great. I'm super excited about that. Lots of good things coming out of that,
but the climate stuff is not fully integrated in staff thinking yet. It should be
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economy, ecology, equity. Economy, ecology, equity, again and again and again,
every thought. You're really good at the economy part. The City budget works
great. You guys are really responsible about that, but gosh darn it, we have two
legs of the stool that are not getting enough attention and I feel like this process is
a great example of how that's gone wrong. You can't just take whatever the
developer brings to you and says, `We're going to work with these pieces the way
you have them set out.' We have to have a vigorous dialogue about the purpose of
our community in the long-term, and that needs to happen with staff, with the
developer, in that planned development overlay. It's a great process, and I don't
think it worked here. And the opportunity, I feel, was missed. And I want to talk
about this buffer, because I go back and I keep looking at the letters from the
Friends of Hickory Hill. I look at that Northwest, um...uh, plan and I look at that
green area that links the ridge to the waterway, and I sent a letter on this topic,
that that ridge provides a valuable ecological connection between the park and
that critical waterway that feeds the Ralston Creek waterway, and if you put a
road through that, you are bisecting that ecological buffer. You are really messing
up that ecological buffer. So yeah, the trees are nice, it helps with the visual
buffer,but putting a ribbon of concrete where water and chemicals will just wash
off and people's perfectly manicured lawns with all those chemicals running into
the...the waterway (both talking)
Teague: Thank you.
Norbeck: ...that is not an ecological (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Martha. Welcome.
Jaynes: Hello, I already signed in. I'm Allison Jaynes, 1181 Hotz Avenue. Um, I'm going
to ask you a couple questions, although we've already established you're not
going to answer them. Um, I wanted to first ask, did you all watch the P&Z
meetings, leading up to this vote? Or not? Because I was there, on Zoom, for
those P&Z meetings and I sat and listened as dozens of impassioned residents
waited up to two hours to give their comments against this development, over and
over again, meeting after meeting. Meanwhile, what I also noticed was the few
people that spoke out for this development. A quick Google search revealed that
they were not just simple residents. They were posing as residents, but they were
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actually former and current employees of ACT. Just happen to show up and say,
'Hey, this is a great idea. We love this development.' Okay, that's a huge conflict
of interest right there, according to me. But, you know, go back and watch those
videos, uh,because there's, uh, there's those kinds of things going on—this huge
outpouring from the residents against this and then the propping up by some of
the ACT associates. I also wanted to bring up a....a comment that hasn't been
discussed much, and that is that the accessibility of the park will not be improved
with this plan. Um, my next question, how many of you use the 7th Avenue
entrance to get to Hickory Hill? Do you even know it exists? Probably not,
right? You're going to go through the cemetery, you're going to go Bloomington
entrance, or l Avenue because there are parking lots, gateways to the park,
entrances to the park. The 7th Avenue entrance, on the other hand, is just a bunch
of rich people's backyards where you basically have to park on the street in front
of these upper class households to get into the park. It's not welcoming. It's not
inclusive. It doesn't even honestly feel safe for a lot of people to walk through
that neighborhood to get to that entrance, and that's exactly what you're creating
with this development here. Now, there's an opportunity to put in a gateway to
the park, so that people on like Scott Boulevard can come down and enter here,
can park, can put their bikes up, you know, can feel like they're invited into the
park, but that's not what this plan is here. This is just a bunch of very rich
people's backyards that are going to de facto consider Hickory Hill to be part of
their property. So I urge you to vote no. Um, voting no is not saying you don't
want any development. It's just saying you don't want this thing, and especially,
uh, Council Member Weiner, please vote no. Make the developers do the right
thing, cause they're not going to do it on their own. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Shields: Um, good evening. My name's Ashley Shields. I live at 30 Brookfield Drive here
in Iowa City. I am maybe like a five to seven minute walk to be in Hickory Hill.
So I use it a lot, and I have dogs and kids and, yeah, I'm just one of those citizens,
and I think that like I represent a lot of people. I definitely that...believe the same
thing I do, that, you know, there isn't anything that we want to see in this 40 acres
than the park expanded...expansion. It's...it's like Caroline said, it is part of the
park and to me the Hickory Heights Lane is an eyesore. It's an eyesore, when you
are in that park enjoying the like beautiful piece of nature, Hickory Heights Lane
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is an eyesore, and it's...it makes me kind of sad that that's even there at all.
So...so yeah, I'm, urn, I guess I just kind of don't understand how we got to this
point, and it would be my...my vote that the City of Iowa City buys that land,
makes it part of the park, and I hadn't even thought about what, um, Martha said
about the like water distribution. If you're putting a road through the...through
the park, you know, the...the dam in Hickory Hill Park made it so the creek, the
upper Ralston branch, that is in, um, my backyard, it didn't flood anymore after
the flood that happened I think around like 1977. After that dam was built, that
doesn't flood anymore. So what kind of water ramifications are we going to have
if we build a whole street and put that much concrete in the park, that is north of
where a lot of houses are. So, please vote no!
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Pawlowski: Hi. Urn, my name is Dawn Pawlowski. I live at 1201 S. Gilbert Street in Iowa
City. Um, thank you for listening to the opinions of community members on this
topic. Urn, I'm also concerned that it doesn't follow the comprehensive plan, urn,
and I'm wondering if there aren't any numbers on if the property tax value of the
proposed development would outweigh the costs that the City will have to
provide, um, to build the road, install utilities—sewer, water, urn, fire, uh, police
services, um, and to a memory care facili....facility I'm guessing that there's
going to be a lot of traffic and employees in that area. Um...and I saw another...
item on the agenda that said it was maybe 465,000 to replace a sewer, um, so I'm
just wondering...how those costs are going to add up. I would also like to address
climate change on this topic. Um...I've read the climate action plan and I don't
believe...you can correct me if I'm wrong, but that it includes land use in our
emission counts. Um, I also note the...uh, waste produced is one of the biggest
areas, and I will share my very own popular opinion. I am anti-development.
(laughter) Period! (laughs) If we're going to develop...I think we should
use...uh, materials that are being thrown away from other...projects that are sitting
in the landfill that are increasing the methane coming off the landfill. I think Iowa
is going to be a place that people are going to come to when they can't live in
their countries anymore. Urn, so I would just like you to think really hard about
who we want that land to be owned by. Do we want it to be owned by 40 single-
family homeowners, or do we want it to be owned by the community, and at least
support affordable housing.
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Teague: Thank you. Welcome! And did you sign the sheet?
Napoli: I did, yes.
Teague: Thank you.
Napoli: Uh, good evening. Uh, my name is Jason Napoli. I live at 2659 Hickory Trail
and I also serve as Vice Chair of, uh, Hickory Hill Park. Uh, I'd like to thank
Mayor and Council, uh, Geoff and your staff, thank you very much for taking the
time tonight. Um, you clearly have a very thankless job, and you know, what I
think you're doing for our city is just fine, and uh, you know, we should...even
though we oppose, many of us oppose this, we should stay on task and on topic
with our, uh, with our opposition. Urn, the opposition, the opposition of this
project has been disadvantaged, scolded, falsely accused, and threatened for the
past seven months. Um, starting with the good neighbor meeting back in
December. Um, many of us, the week of Christmas no less, uh, when that
meeting was scheduled, showed up and provided feedback to City Planning staff
that was not shared with Planning and Zoning until multiple follow-ups were
made, uh, to make sure that happened. Urn, now we go to the first Planning and
Zoning meeting. Uh, in...in February, 125 members of the public showed up...125
plus. What happened, we were scolded by a commissioner for showing up. For
showing up, and we were told that we only show up when things matter to us.
That's totally true. Couldn't be any closer to the truth. That's why we show up
when things matter to us. Um...but, uh, you know, we persevered and uh, you
know, we...we got a reasonable vote after City staff rubber stamped this through.
We've heard a lot from the developer tonight about City staff approved this, City
staff approved that. City staff has been approving this since the beginning.
Okay? Even when it didn't resemble whatsoever of the Northeast District plan,
made some tweaks, made a couple more tweaks, um, but uh, you know, it just
really seems, and this is not a personal attack on any staff member, but it just
seems that no matter what the development, the developer was going to propose,
it was going to go through. So no kidding, the City staff approved it, cause that's
been the case all along. Um, now you fast forward to the second and third
Planning and Zoning meetings. Um, we were, the public was threatened by...by
the seller of this land. And was falsely accused of vandalism and trespassing and,
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you know, all these like really important, you know, accusations. Well, I mean,
when the seller is one of the largest employers in our city, do you think those
employees are going to continue speaking up against this, when their leader is
actually condem...is falsely accusing the public? No! So we're being told that we
should show up when things matter to us, but there's many things that have been
happening in the background that are discouraging people's participation. And
that's really sad. You know, I think we live in a community where we should all
be able to freely, uh, you know, freely participate and have... and have these
voices. Um, you know, when it comes to the plan, urn, you know, follow the
Northeast District plan, but just know how much the....the, this opposition has
been so strong, and you get veiled threats from the developer's counsel on...on
planning and zoning, I mean there was (mumbled) veiled threats on you today,
um, you know, if we're not going to have your voice in this, then let's just have a
decision made between the City Manager and the developer, and leave this
process out. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. (applause in background) Welcome!
Kalnini: Hi, uh, my name is Arturs Kalnini. Uh, I live at 44 Evergreen, uh, Place in the
Bluffwood Neighborhood. That's, uh, pretty close, about a 10, 15-minute walk to,
uh, Hickory Hill Park for me. Uh, I greatly enjoy the park. I think, um, no matter
what the outcome of this decision, we will continue to enjoy the park. But, urn, I
think approving this...proposal would be detrimental to the park overall, and let
me just read a little bit. This is something I wrote in a letter. Um, in particular I
want to focus on the, uh, senior care facility, particularly memory care cause, uh,
my father recently passed away from Alzheimer's. He suffered from that for
several years, so I'm very well versed in exactly what a memory care facility is.
Um, this one probably is not going to be much different, and I...it's just not an
appropriate use of the land, and in the Zoning and Planning meetings, we were so
focused on the views, the watershed, other issues. It wasn't really until the last
meeting, and I too, I attended all three meetings from start to finish. First one ran
four-plus hours, um...so nobody really paid attention (mumbled) what is a
memory care facility? What is this going to entail? What is this going to look
like? They showed us a beautiful, uh, diagram or, you know, beautiful picture,
simulated picture of what the facility'll look like, and sure it looks fairly
attractive, but this is an institutional, commercial business. This is not residential
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housing, this is not senior housing. This is...this is a institutional care facility.
And just, you know, five points I want to make. Urn, it requires employees,
working around the clock 24/7 taking care of these memory care patients. I know
when my father was, you know, my father was in this kind of stage of care. The
care needed is 24/7. People will be coming and going, all hours of day and night,
into this residential area. There will constantly be loading dock deliveries, food
deliveries, linen. There will constantly be waste removal, trucks backing in and
out, leaving their engines running, all day long. You know, backing up noises,
beep, beep, beep, that you can hear from half a mile away. Um...ambulances will
be corning in 24/7. Um, it'll flood the area with artificial light 24/7; will be very
detrimental, I think, to the wildlife in the park. And one thing also that hasn't
been mentioned, and I speak from, you know, personal experience with my father.
When residents will go into such a facility, they're in no position to enjoy the
park. You know, for my dad a big trip was to walk out into the hallway and come
back into his room. Walk up and down the hallway maybe. That is my
experience with what a memory care facility is. It was portrayed as though these
seniors would be happily enjoying the park, maybe some of them will. I'm not...I
know there's part of the facility that may be for people in, you know, not such,
that would not require such serious care (both talking) but this is just not the
appropriate place (both talking)
Teague: Thank you. (both talking) Thank you.
Kalnini: ...for such an institutional, commercial facility. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Ross: Hi, my name is Brandon Ross. Uh, I live on 1822 Rochester Avenue, Iowa City,
Iowa. Thank you very much, City Council and members of the community. Urn,
and related, uh, I do believe that the public has had a tough time keying into this
because of the COVID restrictions. I'm an at-risk person. Uh, to come here was
a big deal for me. Uh, the, uh...I voted for the people in the Council to do this
kind of action. This was...this is really the action, which is to protect our
ecological, uh...uh, park, the park and the city and, uh, all its great things, to say
no, uh, when there is, uh, a grab by capital, a grab by development to take land.
This is a land grab. This is just a land grab. That's all it is. We have a beautiful,
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natural preserve there. Uh, and the Council is elected to be our buffer, to be our
protectors, uh, against the...the toughness of capital and the developers and
money, who will come in and they will take everything. They will take all, and
that's what they do. During this COVID crisis period, developers continue on,
capital keeps...keeps rolling as fast as it can. When the developer gentleman, the
gold watch and the suit came in, with the hair cut, you know, he looked very nice.
He started off by saying `I like to go to the park. I like to take my kids. I have
children. Everyone likes children, right? How many people like children?' I
mean what am I supposed to say to that? I own department stores and shopping
centers. I voted for Donald Trump. But, I want to keep the park! You know, is
that what I'm supposed to say? I mean I'm a horrible person but I want to keep
the park, I mean that's...regarding the, uh, a place for elderly. They need places
like Ecumenical Towers that are downtown, with amenities. People don't need to
be put out in the middle of nowhere. So that argument is ridiculous. And then the
whole thing about telling the Council, in kind of harder words, that this is the law
and you must do this. This is another strategy of the money. The money loves
this strategy. That's how they take everything that the city has. Every little
square inch, every possible thing to suck out all the wealth in the town. Well
we're here not to allow them to suck out all that wealth! We've approved of a lot
of stuff that we know now that we should not have. And in this case, this is
nothing more than a money grab. This is...you can look at all the little details and
things but when...when the day is over, the City Council can say no, and you have
other options regarding this. Protect our environment, protect our city, protect the
ecology, protect the people, thousands upon thousands of whom make use of that
area. Thank you so much.
Teague: Thank you. (applause in background) Welcome, and did you sign in? And you
can sign in when you're done.
Deforest: Yeah, I'll do that.
Teague: Great, thanks!
Deforest: Sure. Um, so my name is Matthew Deforest. I live on Hotz Avenue in Iowa
City, and I don't have a whole lot to say. Lots of speakers have said most...most
things I had in mind, but uh, I would say that, uh...yeah, that I am not from Iowa.
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I recently, three, four years ago moved to Iowa City, and Hickory Hill Park is the
gem of Iowa City. Being from places with wide open spaces, uh, I talk to friends
who can't believe that I can exist in Iowa, and the first thing is Hickory Hill Park.
And it is...it is what makes Iowa City livable to so many people. To put in this
development is going to completely change the...the aspect of the park that is so
appealing. What is so appealing is that you can get lost in nature. Already with
the encroachment, recent...more recent development, you feel like you're in
somebody else's country club and it's just going to make that 10 times worse. It's
really, uh, going to be a disaster. I also participated in all the Zoom meetings with
...with the, uh, Zoning Commission, and that was incredible to watch, from the
first, uh, iteration, with one vote yes, and then tiny, tiny changes, and tons of
bullying. The bullying is crazy! ACT clearly thinks that they can do anything
they want, and it's not just veiled threats, as were spoken about earlier. It was
very clear threats about threatening people with trespassing if they stepped over
the line, and then putting up new signs and...you know, for an essential
wilderness. Uh...yeah, there's also the fact that it doesn't comply with what has
been stated as the plan for that section of town, and once it's gone, it will never
come back. This is your only chance to stop this. It's...it's very important and I
very much hope that you will. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome! Welcome, please state your, uh, name and your address.
Parkes-Perret: Uh, hi, my name is Ariane and 1010 Fairchild. I'm just going to be very short.
Um, basically I've grown up in Iowa City. I've lived here my whole life. Um,
Hickory Hill Park has been just like this amazing space of healing for me. Like I
grew up there, I went sledding there. Urn, one of the things that I really love
about the park is I can...just like you can sit up on the hill and just there's like
almost no buildings for like...like what looks like miles around, and um, I'm just
really concerned about the further encroachment on these natural spaces, uh, you
know, it's been proven that nature heals, like it's just there's something just very
healing about going out, and Hickory Hill Park and listening to the birds, and just
it's...I mean I'm just very concerned about this development having just the
ecological impact, disrupting wildlife, urn, displacing wildlife, and urn, I just...I
just don't, uh, support this further development of this space. Um, it's just...I
mean I, yeah, once again, I grew up in Iowa City and Hickory Hill Park was just
like this (mumbled) visit and to go to and where you felt like you were in this
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oasis and where you didn't hear like city traffic and everything. It just...it just felt
like you just like out in the middle of nowhere, so...that's all I'm going to say!
Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Grady: Hi, my name is Mila Grady and I live at 125 Post Road. I've had the pleasure of
hiking, running, skiing, and sledding in Hickory Hill Park with my family and
friends since I moved here from the south side of Chicago in 1974, and it was a
very noisy existence growing up in Chicago. I am opposed to the current
proposed development for several reasons, but primarily for safety concerns, due
to the density of this development, which includes both homes and the assisted
living facility. 151 Avenue is a two-lane street, with a steep grade. I cannot
imagine added traffic turning at the corner of Hickory Trail and I'Avenue. If
you've ever driven down I'Avenue on an icy winter morning, you will
understand that it's a bit of an adventure. I'm very concerned with what could
happen during the change of shift at the assisted living facility when there is
added traffic. During the warmer months, there are many bikes and joggers using
the area, further contributing to congestion and safety issues. There should not be
a through street for safety reasons. As someone who is a nurse and who has
worked as a geriatric care manager, I am passionate about advocating for
excellent care of older adults. We do have a tsunami of aging in this country;
however, this area is not appropriate for a high-density assisted living facility. We
are also experiencing a tsunami of anxiety in our culture. Anxiety disorders affect
40 million adults in the U.S. and 25% of children between the ages of 13 and 18.
Spending time in nature reduces anger, fear, and stress, and reduces the
production of stress hormones. What we see, hear, and experience impacts our
mood and how our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems work. Nature
soothes, heals, and restores our beings. Time spent in nature connects us to each
other and to the larger world. Eliminating the through street, adding cul-de-sacs,
and not using this land for a high-density assisted living would improve this
development and be more compliant with the Northeast District plan. I encourage
you to carefully consider the impact of this application on the safety and the
health of this community. I appreciate your patient listening to the public and
hope that you will choose to preserve this very unique, quiet, and restorative area
of our beautiful city. Thank you.
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Teague: Thank you. Welcome! Welcome, please state your name and your address.
Cobb: Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Teague and Councilors. My name is Deb
Cobb and I live at 2517 Mayfield Road in Iowa City. Being Iowa City natives
and multiple decade residents of Iowa City, my husband, Stu Cobb and I would
like to express our concerns about the proposed rezoning application of Hickory
Hill Estates. As frequent hikers in Hickory Hill Park, which we love, we feel the
urgency to protect this unique natural habitat. Not just for the physical and
mental well-being of those that enjoy the park now, but as stewards of the
environment for future generations. We believe that there should not be a
continuous through street from Scott Boulevard to 1st Avenue, traversing along the
edge of Hickory Hill Park. We are convinced that a through street would
negatively impact the integrity of Hickory Hill Park, contribute to unacceptable
noise levels, and pose serious safety concerns at the intersection of Hickory Trail
and 15`Avenue to drivers, pedestrians, and wildlife. In addition, the proposed
senior living facility should have direct access to a primary street, as opposed to a
secondary street like Hickory Trail. If not, this facility with 100-plus residents
will result in a major increase of traffic on streets that aren't designed to
accommodate this. Please, I urge you to vote no; we urge you to vote no, to show
your support, and to show your support for the hundreds of Iowa City residents
who have voiced their concerns and disapproval of the rezoning proposal. And
please uphold the directives of the Northeast District plan. This is a critical vote
to ensure that any development preserves a natural habitat of Hickory Hill Park
and promotes the health and well-being of those that find a sanctuary in this very
unique natural treasure of our beloved city. Thank you for your careful
consideration of this very important issue.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Synan: Thank you (clears throat) Excuse me. My name is Ann Synan and I live at 833
Cypress Court. I'm not going to repeat things that were already said tonight and
were very, very well, um, very well said, but I would just like to just enforce the
fact that we really hope that you as Councilors, those of you who have not voted
already against this application to please seriously consider voting against it
tonight. Um, we are very much, um, the Northeast District plan, we feel, was
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very, very well thought out and particularly when it comes to this application, we
feel it should be adhered to. We do not want to have the through street, um, we do
not...we are not opposed to development. We understand this is private land, and
so it should be developed, but we think there could be a much better plan put in
place, and we ask you to please deny this and ask for an amendment in order to
have the cul-de-sacs put back in that were put in in the Northeast District plan and
are designed for safety reasons and also to preserve the character and the integrity
of the...of the park. I also...would also just like to comment that one of the
developers, Mr. Clark, has, um, Tamarack Estates development, which is an
ongoing development, and it's just a short distance from the proposed Hickory
Trail Estates and it had a cul-de-sac approved by Planning and Zoning, and also
by the City Council. So I would like to ask that you do the same and ask for cul-
de-sacs to come back into whatever development is going to be there. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Baker: Hello, my name is, uh,Alex Baker. I reside at 1010 W. Benton Street, and I come
here today, um, for two reasons. Um, number one was in support of one of my
friends who was here tonight who invited me here, and the second reason is
because, um, Hickory Hill Park holds a very special place in my heart. You know,
it was one of the first places when I came here to Iowa City that I absolutely fell
in love with. It's such a serene place where you can easily lose yourself in the
nature, and it just really dishearten...disheartens me, um, from all the things I'm
hearing in terms of everything that I hear tonight, you know, and the big question
is just we don't really know what's going on here. You know, we don't know
what impacts this is going to have on the, uh, on the ecology of the park. We
don't know what impact this is going to have in the environment, not just at the
park but the entire city. We don't know the impact of the cost that this going to
have and whether or not it's going to actually generate the revenue that it's
supposedly supposed to, or whether it's going to even cost more to upkeep this
part right here through more investment into streets and social services that are
going to be required to maintain that part of the park. So...and I just find it very
disconceming that...again, there has been so...there's been such a lack of
communication between the City Council and the...and the people here tonight,
you know, the fact that we didn't even have a, uh, information available that we
had the chance to buy back this part of the land is an absolute shame. We should
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have token that opportunity. We should have been known that we had the chance
to take that opportunity because it's clear that we should have taken that land and
made it a part of the par...park fully as a buffer zone. So I urge upon the City
Council to, urn, listen to their better angels and, you know, vote this proposal
down and do something to get that park into our hands because it's not ACT's
park. It's not, you know, the developer's park. It's not the City government's
park. It's our land and we want it back. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? If so please come to the
podium at this time. Seeing no one, Council discussion!
Taylor: I'll start! First of all I wanted to start by thanking, urn, the countless numbers of
the public that we've been hearing from. Uh, I've been struck by all of your
comments, your love for Hickory Hill Park, and as somebody mentioned, the
perseverance, uh, it's truly amazing and um...I would encourage my fellow
Council Members to feel that passion expressed by these residents. Uh, these
passionate feelings shouldn't be ignored. Urn, at the last meeting I stated my
thoughts and beliefs about this ordinance for rezoning, so I won't repeat them
now, but I will say again that what is in the comp plan and the Northeast District
plan should be followed. They were written in the best interest of the
neighborhoods and the community, and it shouldn't matter whether they are five
years old, 25 years old, or even 50 years old. It still exists in writing and should
be followed and not ignored. I continue to believe that this plan does not comply
with either of these, and should not be, uh, approved. I will again be voting no.
(applause in background)
Mims: I would echo, uh, Councilor Taylor's comments in terms of thanking the members
of the public, uh, for your passion, for your dedication to following this process
through, and to giving your input. Urn, I know it's frustrating and discouraging at
times when you come here and ask questions and we don't respond, and I will tell
you that that is a practice that has been in place for a long time, because otherwise
we end up in dialogue back and forth and we could be here all night trying to
answer questions as we go down various rabbit holes. So when you have
questions, I certainly encourage all of you to reach out to Council Members, staff,
whoever, to try and get those questions answered ahead of time. We're more than
happy to answer those or to dig up the answers and get them if we don't have
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them ourselves. Uh, one of the questions that has been asked is if the City had the
opportunity to buy this land. I can honestly tell you I don't know. Um, I don't.
So it's not something that I recall ever having come to Council, urn, in the 11 %2
years, urn, that I've been on Council. Urn, so I don't know if the offer was made.
I don't know if it was...if it was made, if it was a decision from staff that just was
like 'it's too much money and it's not, urn, the kind of park land that we want,' I
don't know. I don't know. Urn, when I look at this process and look at this land,
um, and...and we...we were talking earlier in our work session about, um, the
district plans and how those need to be updated and how they're done in a, uh,
with ideas and, um...can't think of the word I want, but...they're not all set in
stone. There are aspirational aspects to those. And certain things change over
time, and one of the things I feel like I've heard the most about is the difference
between having the cul-de-sacs in there and having the through street. And at the
time that that plan was done, cul-de-sacs were pretty common and....and used
widely throughout the city. And since that time, for many reasons, primarily
safety reasons, flow of whether it's garbage trucks, ambulances, etc., urn, the City
in general does not approve cul-de-sacs, unless it tends to be a very unique
situation. Typically the ones I remember have been geographical, where it's been
almost impossible to...to do a through street. So from my perspective, in...in
reading, urn, all of the minutes, etc., from the P&Z meetings, and the comments
both by the public, listening to staff comments, and the P&Z members
themselves, I do believe that this plan meets the district plan. It is not exactly the
same, urn, but I do believe that with the flexibility and the, uh, that can be had
there, that I think it does meet that. Some of the comments I heard in emails, or
saw in emails, were...were concerning, and I'm not sure where this information
came from and certainly I have not heard it tonight, but I do want to mention it
publicly. Some people saying that we were selling park land. The City is not
selling park land. Urn, people saying that we own this land and that we should
not be selling this land. The City does not own this land. It is privately held land,
which I believe people here tonight are completely understanding of. Um, it does
have an interim development zoning, um, and so the property owner does have a
right to develop it. So...the option of it being bought by the City is...is gone.
That's long past. They have the right to develop, so the real question for us
tonight is whether or not we believe that it meets the requirements, uh, for that
comp plan and...fits in with what should be in that Northeast District. For me, the
single-loaded...primarily single-loaded street fits in with that. Urn, the buffer
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was...we talked about earlier and I think gives us a significant, significant buffer
between the current park border and not only the street,but also certainly the
houses. Urn, I would certainly encourage Friends of Hickory Hill and the City to
try and work together, urn, on the Hickory Heights area and get some buffering,
tree buffering done in that part of the park. Urn, so I will be voting for this. I
certainly understand the concerns. Urn, and I understand that, you know, it's not
necessarily an ideal development, and different people...we've had people be
against the assisted living or the memory care unit. We've had people say they
don't see a problem with that. But I think in the overall scope of things, it does
meet those, uh, North District requirements, and it does have the interim
development status, in which case the developer has a right to have a development
approved. I'm not saying that they have the right to have this development
approved. They have the right to have a development approved. And I feel that
this one will work.
Thomas: Urn, I too would like to thank everyone for your participation. This has been a
long...challenging process and urn...all I can say is that, uh, you know, in listening
to...to the comments at the P&Z Commission and at our meetings,you know, my
own thoughts have evolved, uh, as we've gone through this process. I want to
thank everyone for their comments. (person speaking in background) Okay!
Um, I want to thank everyone for their comments, that...that my thinking has
evolved in...in hearing from you all. Urn, I wanted to start by...summarizing some
of my comments from our last meeting when we had the second reading. Uh, I
described the citizen planning process that informed the development of the
Northeast District plan as a good example of what I referred to as a win-win
strategy...that...that through a negotiated conversation among stakeholders it
generated planning principles and recommendations that were then fulfilled and
depicted in illustrative form as the design option. Urn, is it possible, Danielle, to
show the, um...the district, the, um...the illustrative from the district plan and the
first version...that was presented at P&Z?
Teague: I'm also going to ask our Communications department to turn up Councilor
Thomas' mic please.
Thomas: (several talking) Thanks, yeah. Uh, so I...I did want to try to focus on the, urn,
the...the western portion of this development (mumbled) and focus on this concept
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of the buffer, which I think seems to be one of the key issues that we're trying to
address. Uh, the drawing on the left is the illustrative plan from the Northeast
District and there's several key elements that are represented in that development
of the western side of the property. Um, and moving from north, which is at the
top where you have Scott Boulevard. Uh, the first element would be that double
loaded cul-de-sac off of Scott Boulevard, uh, which terminates where the ridge
comes in close proximity to the Hickory Hill Park boundary. It's still fairly,
where the cul-de-sac ends is...is still a fairly significant distance from the park
boundary itself. But it then just, it terminates where it comes closest to the park
boundary. Uh, you then have a....a natural area, um, what I estimated at being
approximately 450-feet wide, which joined together the natural area of Hickory
Hill Park with the natural area to the east. Unfortunately we don't really see
Hickory Hill in the image, so we don't have a...clear sense of how the...the area,
uh, on either side of this western side of the property is all natural area. Then
finally to the south is a single loaded....a single loaded cul-de-sac,uh, which
bends in a northwesterly direction as it crosses the creek, terminating where it
ends in close proximity to the park boundary again. So...as we've talked about,
this is the two cul-de-sac concept, um, but I would add that the...the other critical
element is the break between the cul-de-sacs, this natural area which runs through
where, uh, the proximity to the Hickory Hill is....is most sensitive, and how it acts
as kind of a...a continuous element connecting Hickory Hill Park with the large
natural area to the east. So I think the...the intent here, as I read it,was the...the
desire to have a continuation of that natural area, not have it broken by
development, as, uh, was noted earlier. In the text there's pretty clear reference to
not having a through street, and I think we need to remember. This was
developed by the City staff, uh, in consultation and in negotiation with the
community and the stakeholders. Urn...the second, the initial and second
proposal...so looking at the...the proposal on the right...um...differed from the
Northeast plan in two important ways. The cul-de-sacs and...and the continuous
natural area concept were eliminated. In their place is a continuous double-loaded
street that ran from Scott Boulevard to the creek. Um...is this...this is the third
proposal, Danielle, is that right? Okay. Uh, so...so there were earlier versions
where the entire...basically the entire continuous road was double loaded. This...
this is showing the single loaded concept, um, which was presented at the third
reading and is what P&Z approved, and what we're being asked to approve now.
Um...that...that change to the single load concept, uh, occurred over
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approximately 71% of it...of the total length of that...of that continuous road in the
south and west sections and was an attempt to address the interface with the park
boundary. Uh, and the remaining 21% to the north remains double loaded, and
this was, as I said, approved by P&Z, and what's before us now. So the question
in my mind was, you know, that the inconsistencies between these two concepts
were pretty dramatic. Um, why wasn't the district plan, cul-de-sac concept and
the continuous area concept considered? You know, we....we saw right away,
straight away at P&Z that, urn, no...no consideration was going to be given to the
continue, uh, to the cul-de-sac concept. I would suggest, urn, that the...the first
two Hickory Hill proposals, you know, insofar as they were not modeled after
what was in the Northeast District plan. What they were modeled after was that
recent development to the east, the Tamarack Ridge development, uh, which is
also a ridge-top development up around 60 single-family lots on a continuous
double loaded street from the existing Hickory Trail north to Scott Boulevard.
This business model, a ridge-top development, maximizes the efficiency of the
street infrastructure, providing access to the lots. The current Hickory Hill
proposal however single loads a high percentage of the Hickory Trail extension in
an attempt to improve the park interface. This change to the business model
significantly reduces the efficiency of the infrastructure. Over the long-term, the
property taxes generated by the development may not cover the City's financial
obligations associated with the infrastructure maintenance. So this...this is a, in
my view, it's compromised the concept of Tamarack Ridge. I understand that the
goal of it was to improve the interface, uh, but in attempting to improve the
interface, the...the...the, um...issues related to the maintenance costs of the
infrastructure and how that's going to be borne by a reduced, um, property tax, uh,
revenue is a...is a concern to me. In addition the public's need to protect Hickory
Hill Park's viewsheds from the current proposal would require dense, tall
evergreen screening along the property line. Thus the Northeast District principle
of creating public vistas with single loaded streets adjacent to open spaces would
be nullified. You know, one of the key goals of the single loaded street concept
was to create open public vistas, but because of the adjacency to Hickory Hill
Park, those vistas are going to be terminated by a dense vegetated screen along
the east side of the park. So that too is not consistent with...with the, uh,
Northeast District plan. So in summation, I would just simply say that the intent
of the Northeast District plan's principles, text, and bluffwood illustrative plan are
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not achieved by the current proposal, and consequently I will be voting no.
(applause in background)
Bergus: I also want to thank every member of the public who's reached out to us, both
here tonight and over the last six months, um, those who've engaged with us at
the City Council level, those who've contacted us individually, those who've
contacted Planning staff, and those who've engaged with the Planning and Zoning
Commission. Uh, I just want to lift up some of the things that I've heard,
especially tonight and in our most recent emails, that Hickory Hill Park is an
oasis. Is...it is a refuge, it is a gem. It is the people's park. Nature is healing.
And I agree 100% with every one of those sentiments. And I will also say that I
agree with the fact that our City Attorney works for us, and that we don't have to
follow his advice. I will say for myself that the threat of a lawsuit is not taken as
bullying. But sometimes...we have to consider the interests of a property owner,
and balance the law that is in front of us, what we have today against what many
or even the vast majority of people may think is best, or may be what they want.
I, like Councilor Mims, do not know if the City ever was offered the opportunity
to purchase the park. I can say with confidence that the City should not and likely
could not pursue condemnation or eminent domain to take over this park, and if
we were able to do so, if we could meet the legal threshold to do so, it would be
millions of dollars for us to acquire this land. And part of my job as an elected
official representing every resident of Iowa City is to balance a cost like that,
taking into account the preciousness of this park, taking into account the need to
preserve the ecology, taking into account the watershed, and to balance that with,
okay, if that protection costs what...what I think it could cost to acquire the
property and balance that against all of our other obligations for this community.
Every other initiative that we have promised you all will be carried out...to serve
this community, and as a user of Hickory Hill Park, I don't believe the balance
would come out in favor of purchasing that land. That would be my vote, that
would be my decision, and I know that my colleagues and others here may not
agree with me. I also took the opportunity to walk this area. On Friday evening it
was sunny, it was very hot (laughs) I took my dog, as I often do, to Hickory Hill,
entered through the 1st Avenue entrance, followed the trail along, wasn't sure how
to access this, uh, particular, um, parcel, so just headed north when I could, cause
I...I've looked at the map a million times. Understood where it was. Found a trail
that got thinner(laughs) uh, avoided, you know, the thorny bushes and poison ivy
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and popped out into a hay field. A mown field with trees around the edges. And I
knew from looking at the map and looking at the GPS that this, that I was now on
the ACT property, or the property that...I don't know if they're still the owners
right now, but that it was the property in question. I walked along the edge along
the...the wooded, uh, area and tried to locate a trail that would get me back into
the park, on the western edge. And eventually I did. And again, not a....not a big
trail, not an obvious, uh, graveled trail or anything like that, but certainly a well
worn trail to get back into the park. And there after going through pretty decent
wood line, I came to the prairie, the beautiful, wildflower prairie, the place where
a recent person who emailed us said, `I like to sit at the picnic table on top of the
hill and look out over the prairie,' and I do too, and I can tell you from that picnic
table, you will not see this development. Because of the elevation, because of the
trees that already exist, not with the additional buffer that hasn't been planted yet.
I'm very confident that this will not impact the views from the park. I
acknowledge that it will impact the park, but I don't think it will be anything like
(laughs) uh, Hickory Heights to the north, which I agree should not have occurred
that way. This project will expand the park, and I worry if we turn it down tonight
that once the litigation is complete, and honestly there may be litigation however
this vote comes out, but once all of that is done, what if it's different people sitting
up here, who have different ideas? What if it's different people at Planning and
Zoning who would be fine with something like what happened with Hickory
Heights! I see that as a risk that I'm not willing to take. So I will be supporting
the third reading of the rezoning tonight.
Teague: We do have two on the phone. We...we do have two on the phone. Anyone wants
to go? We're going to take a quick pause because we want to make sure that our
Councilors are still connected.
Weiner: Um...I'm still here. I'm...
Teague: Great!
Weiner: I...I...have no idea if Mayor Pro Tem is still there, although...cause it's getting late
where she is. Urn, I (both talking)
Teague: I just want to check in with Mayor Pro Tem. Are you there?
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Salih: Yes.
Teague: Great! You can go on, Councilor Weiner.
Weiner: I'm carefully considering what I've heard on...from all parties this evening. Urn,
and...I do not have a decision at this point.
Teague: All right! Mayor Pro Tern (both talking)
Salih: I still...yes, you know,just by reading all the emails that I receive, this is a lot
emails that we receive from the people opposing this project, and also thank you
for the people who come in person, even though is still COVID and I know a lot
people they don't want to take that risk, but they came over here to do this, and
uh, even just the fact that always when people come and opposing something, uh,
I remember also, you know, the (mumbled) and a lot people came. We oppose it!
So, uh, I thinks I still, uh...you know, as Councilor Thomas said, we can still do
the (mumbled) still we can do the buffer and no through street. I agree with all
those. I agree with the resident 100%. So just to make(mumbled) I'm not going
to be support this project.
Teague: Great (both talking)
Salih: I will vote no.
Teague: Okay. (applause in background) I do have a question about the current Northeast
District plan. Um, does staff know, or anyone know, how many single family is
kind of proposed or thought to be within that...with the district plan? No?
Fruin: No, you don't get down to that level of detail in a plan like that.
Teague: Okay.
Fruin: Again, the comp plan's not an engineered plan. It's more just a vision, so...and
you wouldn't have that level of detail.
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Teague: Sure! The...the one thing I'll say is the passion that the community has brought
has really, um...you know, again I think it has brought all of Council to this great
appreciation, which I think all of us has...has mentioned. Um...and you're not
ignored. I want you to know, you weren't ignored with my first vote, you're not
ignored with my second vote, and you won't be ignored with my third vote. You
know, there's a view things that I want to talk about. The first one is the memory
care. Now, there are, um, people in our community, and we just gave a
proclamation for the American Disabilities Act, um,American, um, With
Disabilities Act. Individuals that have disabilities or are elderly people, and
there's the Olmstead Act, they have a right to live in the community just like you
and I, whether they are in a facility or they're in a private home. So when I hear
those comments about...we, you know, they shouldn't be in that space...they can
be any...in my opinion and the Americans With Disability Act and Olmstead Act,
they really should be wherever they want to be, where there is living quarters. So
that's one thing that I want to say, that the memory care part of this I really do
support. So with my day-to-day job, we have....we have group homes in the
community(coughs) and I can tell you when we first started to buy group homes
in the community, the opposition that we would get with people calling the
agency and saying 'we don't want those people living by us,' because they saw a
wheelchair or they saw an individual out there, um, with a...that they assumed,
because of appearance, had a notable disability. So the one thing that I would like
to say is that I fully support the memory care and will...and every living
residential community within Iowa City. So that's one thing I'll say. I do respect
everyone's position on that,but the memory care, I...I mean we just gave a
proclamation. So that I have a passion about. Now when we talk about our
climate action, Councilors, I know that we have been...you know, talking about
how our commitment is, and I don't, you know, tonight I don't want to put staff
on the...on the spot, cause I don't really know much about the ecological impacts
(laughs) of, urn, you know, kind of disturbing the...the...the...with...with
disturbing and bringing in some, uh, concrete. Um, certainly I do know that, you
know, there are...the City will truly consider everything to ensure that there's not
floods within a neighborhood, so that I do, uh, believe, and I think that the
information brought today would actually cause us to look further into ensuring
that nothing of that nature would take place. I asked about the cul-de-sac, um,
and before I go there, you know, em...eminent domain and all that other stuff, I
want to just agree with, um, Councilor Bergus. Um, I don't believe that that is,
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urn, where we want to go at this point, uh, for various reasons. There was a
memo in the packet, and um, because of time I'm going to spare going into that.
We do know that there's 14 acres that will be gained by this, and the buffer, urn,
I've heard a lot about the buffer. I've heard a lot about, you know, ensuring that
the sanctuary remains, and um, I have a great respect for that, urn...so when I look
at this, there's four things that I have to consider. It's the cul-de-sac, the through
street, the memory care, which I just mentioned, the climate action, which I do
believe that there...there will be some disturbance, urn, to the park...and the buffer,
and I think there has been some considerable, urn, changes to ensure that there
will be, uh, less disturbance to the experience that people have. So it gets down to
kind of the through street, and when you look at the purpose of the Northeast
District plan, urn, how, you know, people came together, and we just had a
meeting in our work session, and a part of the issue with this is predictability.
Urn, predictability with the developers, predictability when they have a plan that
they've talked about, um, where staff comes and authentically share what they
have seen as being the value of this Council and move...and some changing
trends, with through streets throughout our community. Urn, we have the
predictability that when your Councilors look at the plan that we're going to, you
k now, that...that it's going to be a unanimous vote or understanding that that's
what, um, we should be following, although I must state that a part of what we've
seen is that our plans are outdated, and earlier today, uh, we had this discussion
about some of the changes that we may need to make. Urn, I believe it is because
of conversations like this that it really is crucial that we make those changes. We
do know that the Northeast District, urn, Northeast, a n...um, comprehensive...no,
not the(several responding) District plan (laughs) urn, is up for discussion in the
future, urn, you know, for Council to really look at. With the discussion earlier
today and predictability, when it comes down to the people of this community and
when they look at something like this and say, `Council, this does not look like
the right. Of course I pause and say, `Absolutely it doesn't," urn, and then I'll
look at what is the purp....you know, why is this being changed? Urn, and...and I
said in the first...in the first meeting, and maybe the second one, I can go either
with the cul-de-sac or through street. When I do....and I have walked the park.
Urn, when I do think about, um, this park, and it's unfortunate that we don't know
how many single family homes would be a part of this. Um, when I do look at
this park and look at the plan and the district overlay, um...I just believe...honestly
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that it is not the time for this Council to approve this project. (applause in
background) And...I will not...I will not be supporting it. Councilor Weiner?
Weiner: I don't have anything particularly...new...or eloquent to say about this. What I
found most persuasive this evening, I mean there's...there has been enormous
amount said about this. What I found most persuasive this evening were the two
diagrams that Councilor Thomas asked be projected. I understand that there...that
there are reasons to not allow cul-de-sacs, urn, at the same time I...I actually live
on a cul-de-sac, which is from a previous....a previous iteration,but it...that also
underscores what...what one of our commenters earlier this evening said, uh, that
we're making decisions for a hundred years from now. The...I believe that we
should go back and look at this from the point of view of two cul-de-sacs. I also
want to support 100% what Mayor Teague said about memory care facility. Urn,
there is nothing more healing than nature, including for people with Alzheimer's
and memory care issues, and I can say that also from personal experience because
of my father. Um, we just had the 3151 anniversary of the Americans With
Disability Act that was championed by our own Senator Tom Harkin, uh, and...
regardless, um, of what happens tonight, I...I really hope that this senior living,
assisted living, memory care facility goes forward. But because I would like to
see this reconfigured with cul-de-sacs, I will also vote no. (applause in
background)
Teague: All right. I...any other comments from Councilors? Roll call please. Motion
passes 5-2. Could I get a...(talking in background) I'm sorry! (laughter) Motion
fails 5-2 (talking in background) 2-5. We have to flip it, 2-5. (applause in
background) All right. Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Taylor: So moved.
Salih: So move.
Bergus: Second.
Salih: Second.
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Teague: I'm going to give that to, um...uh (talking in background) Moved by...moved by
Taylor, seconded by Bergus. You might have a little delay on your phone there,
Councilor, uh, there, Mayor Pro Tem. Urn, all in favor say aye. Any opposed?
Motion passes 7-0. And I do think there's a lag because they both just say
aye...later (laughs) All right!
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12. Solid Waste Fees—Ordinance amending Title 3, entitled "Finances,Taxation
& Fees,"Chapter 4, "Schedule of Fees, Rates, Charges, Bonds, Fines, and
Penalties," Section 5, "Solid Waste Disposal."
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) And welcome!
Jordan: Good evening. Good evening, Council, I'm Jen Jordan. I'm the Resource
Management Superintendent for the City. I'll just give a quick overview of this.
Um, currently curbside customers, which are single family homes up to four-
plexes pay $2.00 per month for yard waste and organics collection, which is a
weekly year round collection. Um, this fee charges an additional $2.00 for
additional carts, which are optional for residents. Right now we have about
16,250, 300 customers. Currently there's maybe 200 customers who are utilizing
a second cart, but we do see that growing in the future, since we have just as of
July 1 s`, um, limited the option or the opportunity for folks to use their own 35-
gallon container, with the move to the fully automated trucks. That's the first
portion of this for the amendment. The second portion removes the charge for
wood chips at the landfill formally. We haven't been charging for wood chips at
the landfill for a couple of years. The supply greatly, greatly outstripped the
demand, um, over the past few years, and it was really brought to a head with
derecho. So we're just trying to keep those moving, so this is just formalizing
that. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Teague: Any questions by Councilors? No? Thank you.
Jordan: Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. All right. Anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so
please come forward! Welcome!
Norbeck: This is the last one! Urn (laughs) Martha Norbeck. Um, I would like to
commend, uh, Jen Jordan and her staff for the tremendous movement they've
made on...on, uh, construction waste management, uh, well all waste
management. I'm always focused on construction, but anyway, on waste
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management in general. The...the dramatic increase in recycling, urn, the
diversion of the compostable materials is huge. I was at a meeting in Des Moines
the other day and I was like, 'Well what do you do with your waste from the
greenhouse?' They're like, 'Well we...sometimes we have to landfill it,' and I was
like, `What? Des Moines doesn't compost? What's wrong with you people?
We've been composting for a long time,' and it's such an amazing
accomplishment and...and her department, you've got a lot to be proud of, and
I'm very, very pleased with all the progress that's been made in that arena. Thank
you.
Teague: Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? Seeing no one, I'm going to
close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) And could I get a motion for first
consideration?
2. Consider an Ordinance (First Consideration)
Mims: So moved.
Weiner: Second.
Thomas: Second.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Weiner. And Council discussion? Roll call please.
Motion passes 7-0.
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13. Transit Maintenance Facility Bus Charging Stations—Resolution approving
project manual and estimate of cost for the construction of the Transit
Maintenance Facility Bus Charging Stations Project, establishing amount of
bid security to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to
bidders, and fixing time and place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Hello!
Nagle-Gamm: Good evening, Mayor, Council. Darian Nagle-Gamin,Transportation Services
department. This agenda item before you tonight will begin the bidding process
for the Transit Maintenance Bus Charging Stations Project. The project will
include new electrical utility service and associated electrical distribution
equipment at the Transit Maintenance facility for supplying power to electric bus
charging equipment for the electric buses that are slated to arrive later this fall.
Uh, if you'll recall in 2020, the City of Iowa City was very excited to be awarded
over$3 million in federal grant funding to procure four electric buses and three
dual 180-kilowatt chargers and the associ...associated infrastructure
improvements required to charge the vehicles. Each charging station will be able
to charge two buses at the same time, which leaves a little extra capacity, urn, in
case we transition and bring more electric buses on board. Uh, the bus charging
station project will include coordination with Mid American Energy to upgrade
the electrical infrastructure to the facility, um, and it will also provide the
equipment to support, um, the installation of equipment inside the facility that is
required to charge the buses. The chargers and associated equipment can be
moved to another location should a new transit facility be constructed. In terms
of timeline, the bid letting is scheduled for August 10`h, with the award date
August 17t. We anticipate construction to begin late August, and with the
construction final completion date of late October, October 29`h, which would be
just in time for our expected delivery of the four battery-electric buses. And I'd
be happy to answer any questions about this project.
Teague: Hearing none, thank you! Great! Anyone from the public like to address this
topic? Seeing no one I'm going to close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could
I get a motion to approve?
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2. Consider a Resolution
Taylor: So moved, Taylor.
Thomas: Second,Thomas.
Teague: Council discussion?
Taylor: I was pleased to see, uh, the statement that the, um, chargers and associated
equipment can be moved to another location, should a new Transit facility be
constructed, cause that was my concern. I thought spend all this money for all
this and we're planning already for the new facility, so I...I was very excited to
see that, and that...that's great!
Teague: All right, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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14. Orchard Street Reconstruction—Resolution approving project manual and
estimate of cost for the construction of the Orchard Street Reconstruction
Project, establishing amount of bid security to accompany each bid, directing
City Clerk to post notice to bidders, and Fixing time and place for receipt of
bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
Van Dyke: Good evening, everyone. I'm Math Van Dyke with the Engineering Division.
I'll talk a little bit about the Orchard Street reconstruction project. So this project
will involve reconstructing Orchard Street between Benton Street and Highway 1.
So here is a picture, if you're standing on Orchard Street facing south towards the
highway. As you can see, the pavement is in pretty rough condition and also, I
don't know...if you can kind of tell to the left there's sidewalk that comes to a
dead-end. So another part of this project will be to add five-foot wide sidewalk to
the east side of Orchard Street. For utility improvements we will be, uh, replacing
the sanitary sewer north of Douglass Street, between Benton and Douglass, and
then between Douglass Street and Highway 1 we'll be replacing storm sewer and
water main. The schedule for the project is to open bids August l lth, award the
contract August 17th, and then construction would be from this September to, uh,
next June. The estimated construction cost is $1,220,000 and I'm happy to
answer any questions.
Teague: Hearing no questions, thank you! Great! Anyone from the public like to address
this topic? Please come forward. Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public
hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I get a motion to approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Thomas: So moved,Thomas.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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15. TRC Preliminary Budget—Resolution approving the preliminary
operational budget for the Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation commission that
runs from July of 2021 through December of 2021.
Teague: And I'm going to ask for the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
um, to come, um, and give some comments! Welcome!
Traore: Thank you, Council. Um, would you like me to begin with the itemized version
of the budget or...just talk more about why I believe it should be passed?
Teague: Urn, I...I think, um, are you planning to do any presentation with a computer?
Traore: Urn, so these are all within our public documents. I can also send them to you
right now.
Teague: No, you don't have to (both talking) All right, that's fine! However you want to
proceed. You can...probably give your content and then Council will have the
items, the budget up, uh, if they have it.
Traore: Um, I'll just begin by reading the line items. So, Mohamed Traore, by the way.
Uh, commissioner stipend—so we have that for$1,000 per commissioner, per
month. We also have a line item in there for the facilitator. So total contract
value for the facilitator is higher than the 30,000 included. However, no more
than the 30,000 is expected to be paid out prior to new budget requests. Experts
and training—we have 36,000 set aside for that, as...do feel that there is a need for
experts to come in and advise us, and also for training and things such as
leadership and um, facilitating these community discussions. Next, advertising
and outreach— 17,500 for payment for promotional materials, supplies, and those
that provide the labor to distribute them. These materials may include
announcements for listening sessions, other public meetings, special meetings.
Next, videographers— 17,500; documenting the truth telling and reconciliation
process, i.e. for those that do not feel comfortable presenting directly to the
public; recording, editing, production of testimony made by or to members of the
TRC. Next, transportation for necessary participants—so I have that at 2,500 for
now, and that is for, uh, individuals who wish to tell their truths at a public
meeting, but do not have the means to attend; putting aside funds to help cover the
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associated costs. Uh, next we do have, urn, two different line items stemming
from...from the, uh, commissioner stipend as well, both back pay from pre-TRC
pause commissioners. So pay to them for, um, per meeting attended, 500 per
meeting attended. That's six meetings in total, nine members of the commission,
and then next there's also back pay for post-TRC pause commissioners. So it's
five meetings since the relaunch, 500 per meeting, per...and then that'd be five
meetings, 2,500 in total, multiplied by nine to cover all nine members. It also
includes an extra 500 for the first meeting back for former Commissioner Navara
Jackson who attended another meeting even though she has a lot to do and I am
very thankful for her, as well, for everything that she went through on this
commission. So knowing that lot of the time commitment she put in while
working multiple jobs and having a family just...yeah. I can say the same about a
lot of the members of this commission, in terms of the time they put forth for...for
everything, but let me just get on to the subcommittee aspect. Subcommittee
operational budget—so we have subcommittees for housing, policing, education,
youth, and youth eng...youth and youth engagement, healthcare, and
sustainability. So that came out to a total of 130,000 for all those subcommittees
combined. So each of those subcommittees has money set aside for researcher
pay, collaborators and consultants, materials, and miscellaneous things, such as if
there's anything else needed for materials for someone that's needing to present or
transportation for any of those individuals, and additionally, if there is anything
needed, such as supplies for actually operating their meetings. So...and we also
recommend that any funds in this budget that remain unspent should be
repurposed for our future budget needs, rather than immediately just looking to
spend each and every dime of some of the things that aren't particularly put out.
Um, next...um, I would like to just speak on how I feel about the budget, and why
I feel it's necessary in the way it was written. So thank you, Council, and the
people of Iowa City. I would like to begin reading the charges of the Ad Hoc
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as stated upon its creation. The charges of
the TRC are as follows: fact finding—the TRC shall collect evidence, including
first hand testimony of discrimination and racial injustice in multiple settings and
compile a complete record of racial injustices that will inform and support the
fundamental, institutional, and policy reforms necessary to address systemic
racism. That's a lot! Next, truth telling—the TRC shall provide multiple
(mumbled) creative opportunities for persons impacted and traumatized by racial
injustice, to share their stories of racial injustice and experience to be heard by A)
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fellow community members of color; B) a broad cross-section of the entire Iowa
City community; and C) key decision makers in City government, the business
community, and the University. Two, explore ways to provide such opportunities
through art, music, theater, workshops, rallies, and other forms of the
congregation; multi-media and listening designed to reveal truths that cannot be
fully expressed in traditional (mumbled); and three, create a repository for
community stories expressed in multi-media, written, video, audio, art, that can be
cataloged and used to educate and inform members of the community. C)The
reconciliation—the TRC shall provide opportunity for and facilitate direct
conversation among and between community members of color, white community
members, and representatives of various sectors in which people of color
experience discrimination and injustice. For example, police and protesters;
landlords and tenants; students and teachers; patients and healthcare providers;
business owners and staff. Two, create a replicable model that provides a
structure for enabling these conversations throughout the city. Three, make
available opportunities for a broad cross-section of the community to learn about
discrimination and racial injustice in our community. And four, identify and
recommend to the City Council institutional and policy reforms, new social
practices, expectations, protocols, habits, rituals, conversations, and celebrations
that will move Iowa City toward a shared experience of race and difference,
justice and inequity, and community and harmony. Now, for our mission and
purpose statements that we created. Who are we? Our commission represents a
collection of citizen activists from diverse backgrounds, calling on the Iowa City
community to account for their history of racialized oppression. We are
individuals who are committed to structural change, truth telling, healing, trauma,
and repair. We share in common a vision for an equitable and sustainable
community free of violence and systemic racism. We believe the time has come
to foster change. Our mission—The Iowa City Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation
Commission is committed to implementing and sustaining grass roots, community
centered, truth telling processes to address past and present instances of both
direct and indirect actions of violence, discrimination, and racism in Iowa City.
We will collect testimony from a variety of institutions, including but not limited
to, schools, housing providers, government officials, healthcare, banking
institutions, and law enforcement. Now, in 2018, the City of Iowa City City
Council voted to give itself a pay increase, citing this line of reasoning—most of
the Council voted in favor of the raise, saying it makes serving on Council
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economically viable for people that would otherwise need to work a job. The vote
on...came on the heels of discussion on the topic at its October 2, 2018, work
session. Council member's and the mayor's salaries will be increased to $11,960,
and $14,950 respectively. Service—economically viable, interesting choice of
words. The City of Iowa City Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a
body of BIPOC individuals from various walks of life. One thing we all have in
common is our devotion to properly representing the needs of the people and
ensuring these needs are met and acted upon. This is difficult work and work that
is needed due to failures of past legislatures within the City of Iowa City, and
derived from past failures of Johnson County, the State of Iowa, and the United
States as a whole. Three weeks ago I watched the City Council vote to provide
almost $150,000 to a consulting firm for just a comprehensive plan on the future
of recreation programs and facilities in Iowa City. Compare this to the charges of
the TRC, as written and passed by the City of Iowa City City Council. The
charges for this commission are broad, and the nature of the work requires new
processes and frame works to be created in real time. Many things that the City
Council deliberates on, such as the plan to restructure the police department,
which is actively being considered by Council will be a factor in our final
recommendations at the close of this commission. If we are going to be
researching, discushing...discussing, and ultimately consulting on the policies that
the City has implemented in both the past and the present, while undergoing the
trauma of the truth telling and reconciliation process, then we deserve a stipend
for our work. We believe the labor, expertise, patience, and care we will provide
while serving the people of Iowa City is paramount to the future success of our
great city. We are not a body of individuals to be treated as if we are on the
sidelines uncommitted or selfish. We too are active in this community, apart from
our dedication to this commission. I've heard from supporters. Additionally, I
have heard from detractors. So to detractors and to Council, respec...respectfully,
speaking for myself, I would like for you to ponder and then look to truthfully
weigh in on these questions. One, how many meetings have you attended in real
time? Two, if the answer to the previous question is one or less, why? Three,
how many meetings after the pause have you attended in real time? Four,have
you tried to provide any meaningful guidance or expertise to assist the
commission in its mission? Five, if you believe the answer to the previous
question is yes, how did you offer it and did you offer it in good faith or out of
anger and animosity? Six, do you believe that we should continue on, doing these
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things exactly as we have in the past,just because that is how it has always been?
Seven, if the answer to the previous question is yes, then I now ask you this—do
you believe in true progress or do you believe in stagnation? Before I continue,
remember this— I ask that you think about these things before you reply. As a
wise man once said: Listen to understand, before you listen to reply. Stagnation
stems from an unwillingness to divert from the norms. The norms of the past are
a large part of why we are even in this position today. Progress is something that
I believe in. Faith in a better tomorrow is something that I will continue to hold
dear. Love for my community is something that I hang on to. I believe my fellow
commissions hold many, if not all, of these very same ideals. I ask you to think of
this as an investment. This community was set up to work on a tight timeline, as
it stands, unlike other commissions. These constraints have been tightened
further, due to cir...due to circumstances surrounding the pause. While Council
put the TRC on pause, I did not pause. I attended meetings held by other
organizations, public meetings held by other government bodies, read veraciously,
sought advice, and worked hard on our preliminary budget. I know that Vice
Chair Amel Ali, Commissioner Rivera, and Commissioner Harris did not give up
on their efforts too. A special thank you to those that reached out to us during that
time, as we truly appreciate the time and guidance provided. Jesse Case, the
facilitator, whose contract proposal was unanimously approved by the Council in
March of this year, stated in one of our pre-pause public meetings that he believes
we should receive compensation for our work. The thought had not even
occurred to me until then. As time continued, the work and preparation
intensified. And I began hearing more about the daily responsibilities of my
fellow commissioners. I found myself feeling a stipend is not just something to
consider, but something to push for...inclusion in our budget. We are asked to
volunteer our time to put ourselves through continued trauma, and in many cases,
retraumatization, based on our own past experiences. Those of you that witnessed
the listening session from the Excluded Workers Coalition know that this process
will not be easy. As we hear more cases, the weight we bear will only intensify.
We are asked to volunteer our time to harm our mental states, miss quality time
with our families, and more. Why do this for free? Have our detractors
considered the possibility that little, if any, of our final recommendations may
even be implemented. Will we have created these processes, documented these
traumas, (mumbled) facilitate healing, while putting ourselves through so much
pain and diversity to only hear no...but thank you. I stand here and ask myself,
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would that potential outcome be due to the lack of support from those that fail to
contribute to something bigger than themselves, due to small interpersonal
agreements? Or would it fail for other reasons? I truly cannot say. Only time
will tell. What I can say is this—we are determined to succeed. We will succeed.
Speaking again for myself, I have no interest in the accolades or the fanfare. TRC
or not, I will continue pushing for change and a better future for those here now
and those that come after me. Again, our motivation is through progress, progress
and healing. Not money or power. I, along with my fellow commissioners,just
believe that good, honest, hard work should not be performed for free, especially
by members of the very marginalized communities that this commission was
constructed to benefit. The past year has been filled with 'we see you,' `we hear
you,' `we stand with you.' I am no longer interested in you telling me these
things. Show me! Thank you!
Teague: Thank you. All right, are there any questions by Council?
Goers: Mr. Mayor, I'm actually...we may have missed. Did we have a motion and second
to approve the resolution? I may have missed it.
Teague: (laughs) Why don't we go ahead and get a motion.
Goers: Yeah, now would be fine.
Teague: All right!
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Bergus: Second, Bergus.
Teague: All right, great. Thank you! Um, any, uh, questions for the Chair, from Council?
I don't hear any. Thank you. All right! Um, would anyone from the public like
to address this topic? If so, uh, please sign your name on the side table, and then,
um, and you can start first, since you're the first one, at the end sign your name
and give your address.
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Wells: Hello, City Council, members of the public, and the Committee of Truth and
Reconciliation. My name is Riley Wells and I am here today to give public
comment on the request by the Truth and Reconciliation Council for approval on
a budget of$337,000 for the fiscal year 2021. Urn, within the$104,000 of
stipends that they, that the commission is asking for, each board member is to be
paid $1,000 a month, or$500 for each meeting for their bi-monthly meetings.
Um, none of the meetings of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee that I have
observed have gone longer than three hours, meaning the Council is effectively
asking for over$150 for each hour that they are in a committee meeting,
excluding (technical difficulties—recording goes blank) discrimination and
financial hardship. Urn, not only is the committee asking for a pay rate almost
double that of the United States President, but the entire budget for the mayor,
councils, and city manager of Iowa is $1.465 million divided roughly between 24
committees and councils. This means the Truth and Reconciliation Committee is
asking for roughly 23% of the entire budget allocated to this sector, despite being
one of 24 committees pulling from that finding. Um, furthermore, I just have a
couple more questions. Uh, what advertising needs to be done for a committee
and how does advertising impact the effectiveness of a committee? What experts
or training are needed to help the committee function, and what constitute
(mumbled) what constitutes board operations and where specifically will that
$130,000 be spent? Um, I would like to say thank you for addressing some of my
questions that I had already. Um, and I want to say that, uh, I hope some of my
questions find their way into the discussion after this, um, as I believe they are
imperative to understanding why this money is needed and what it will go
towards. Thank you for your time. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Teague: Thank you for sharing. Um, and we'll have you write your name on the (talking
away from mic) You did that already...great! Welcome!
Townsend: Orville Townsend, 713 Whiting Avenue. Uh...concerning this topic, I guess I'll
start off just by sharing my opinion. Uh, when we talk about volunteering for
committees, we're talking about a choice. And if you want to be compensated for
being on a committee, then before you...you know, get started, you should
basically get information as to whether or not you're going to be paid! If you ask
the question and the answer is that there's no compensation, then you have a
choice! You can participate as a citizen, an interested person, to improve the
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situation or you can choose not to! Earlier I heard someone mention...mention
that the, in terms of City funding, that, uh, financial responsibility was very
important. And I guess I...I'd be very disappointed if you chose to pay somebody
to do something that everybody could do for free! Now...I'11 be very honest with
you. I've been in Iowa City a long time. This is my city. And I've been on
committees, commissions, you name it, I've been on it because I want to help to
make this a better place. I've never thought of being compensated and I tell you, I
spent a lot of time— School Board, you name it, I've done it. So...if you do
choose to pay individuals to participate on committees that people will do for free,
then number one, I'm on several committees right now. I'd like to be
compensated too! Plus the fact I like us to go back about at least five years and
give me back pay. You know, I mean it doesn't make any sense. We've had
committees, we've had people doing commissions for free, and all of a sudden
somebody wants to be paid for it. Uh, you talk about...you know, you kind of
mentioned that...look what's happening with the City Council (mumbled) City
Council in a way, or elected officials, which makes you in a way employees of the
City. And you have a high level of accountability. But I'm just saying, you know,
if you're going to pay someone to do something that's been done for free, because
people want to do the right thing and improve the city, then the...I....I don't see
that as being financially responsible.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Noah: Uh, I'm here in support of..uh (mumbled) (talking in background) Anyways,
um, and uh, the last speaker had a point that maybe you should pay people, other
people, committees, so I don't think that's a reason to not pay for this, and this,
the new...the TRC is noticeably different, in different roles, different purpose and
all that than the other committees too, so there are some (mumbled) support of
funding the committee so they can actually try to do something here. Thanks.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome!
Townsend: Billie Townsend, 713 Whiting Avenue. I've been in Iowa City now for about 30
years. Um, on several commissions. And...the reason I join commissions is
because the things that they do and the projects that they support are things that I
have a concern about. Human Rights Commission was my first, uh...job, and at
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that time we took all of the complaints and we reviewed them and we made
recommendations to, well at that time, urn, the young lady that was the head, we
gave her our recommendations on what we thought should hap...happen, and we
of course spent time sitting with the people who made the complaints. So we
spent a lot of time. Now I'm on Planning and Zoning Commission. I'm sure
you've heard plenty about that tonight. We have had meetings that have gone
four or five hours. Um...a lot of that because of Hickory Hill. But I have never
once thought that because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,
that I should be paid for it. I've had jobs. I mean I've got...I spent a lot of time at
the University, 30 years. That was my job. But commissions, to me, is something
that you plan to do because you have a passion for it, and of course as my
husband said, if you're going to pay them, pay me. I want back pay for, uh,
Human Rights Commission and Planning and Zoning, if we're just giving out
paychecks. But that's not what I'm...to me that's not what it's about. It's about
having a concern about what's going on in your community and trying to make it
better. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. You can sign that when you're done speaking. Yes! And state your
name and your address please.
Daniel: All right. So my name is Daphney Daniel and I currently reside at 1121 Carver
Street. Um, I am one of the commissioners on the TRC and I want to address
some of the concerns I've heard here tonight. First and foremost, the TRC is not
any other commissions. No offense to the Human Rights Commission, Parking
and Zoning, we're not the same. We have a deadline, unlike those
commissioners, which means we need to fit decades worth of(sighs) really
traumatic experiences, listening to these experiences over and over again, we need
to do all of that within a year or two. While other commissioners, or other
commissions, can take breaks. They have ongoing projects. They really don't
have a sunset date. We do. Uh, I've heard a number of people say, well, you're
paying people to do...you'd be paying someone to do something for free, or
something that other people would do for free. I...I wholeheartedly disagree that
you would do it for free, once you understood the magnitude of what City Council
has rightfully asked us to do. I...I joined the TRC because I believe in the work. I
believe in reconciliation. Um, I'm an attorney by trade, so reconciliation
generally means I get less money, right, but in a community...where we really are
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looking to one another to be our neighbors, to be our teachers, our post...our
postal workers, our firefighters, our police officers—if we don't reconcile this raw
scar or this raw wound in Iowa City, we'll never heal, and that's the work that
we've been tasked to do—help this community heal, and if the City Council, if
the community will not support us because, well, I didn't get paid for my work. I
mean, like we're not getting paid, we're asking for stipends, but if the City won't
support us, and the community won't support us, then I don't really see
reconciliation being a realistic goal, our goal, and so I think tonight I'm seeing a
lot of...like I think tonight the decision will tell us a lot about how the City values
us as a commission and how the community values the possibility of
reconciliation in progress. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you.
Harris: So my name's Eric Harris. I'm also on the TRC. My address is 1107 Sandusky
Drive(laughs) Um, I will just start off by, urn, saying that...I want to clear up
some things that I heard from previous people, and I just want to know...
everybody to be like just know the truths of things. Number one, I've been on
Zoom meeting for a TRC call for about four and a half hours, at some points, and
I think when I was on there for four and a half hours I was hospitalized with a
illness. Urn, that's one thing that I want to clear up. Another thing that I want to
clear up is I heard the statement that...you can get anybody to get on these
commissions and do it. You don't have to pay them any money. Well the people
that's on our commission are specialized in what we do. You know, some of us
have been through our own traumas. Some of us have stories that we can tell that
you just can't throw anybody on this commission and expect them to understand
these stories or be able to tell those...tell these stories, because I have my own
truths that when...we just started like saying our truths, I'm going to say my truth
to make other people more comfortable to come out with their truths, and as far as
us doing work and the work that we do outside of just the meetings, it is
enormous. I mean, I (mumbled) the point that how do we know that this work is
being done. Well, almost a lot of the work that you see, that happens around,
whether it's excluded workers fund or working with, um (mumbled) one of our
names comes up in it. That's work that we do outside of the regular work and try
to get these people to tell truths and things like that. So I just want to get that all
clarified and just on a personal note, um, I'm on this commission, I do a couple
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other things that I do. Urn, I work with Inside Out. I work with the South District
Neighborhood Association. But also I have a regular job, and I have six children,
with the youngest being six. So I've had meetings where I couldn't feed my
children because I stayed on these meetings for so long, so I was shut out $50, 60,
70 to get some pizzas for them, and that's what I had to do, every time we had a
meeting(mumbled) meeting for three or four hours, get off, get the meeting done
and go upstairs, my house is in chaos. I got to go solve 15 other problems after
that. And just the time that I put in and...the...the (mumbled) conversation that I
have to have, usually after the meeting. It can last four hours and I have a two-
hour conversation after that just about our goals and what we want to accomplish
and how to get stuff done, and I understand that the precedent is not that...these
commissions got paid in the past, but like, you know, other people mentioned, this
is an unprecedented time that we're living in and we need to heal these wounds
and we're still basically dealing with a pandemic. With that, thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address this topic? There is a sign-in
sheet, and Eric, did you sign the sign-in sheet earlier today? No, did you already
sign it? Great, thank you!
Brown: Good evening, thank you for serving as volunteers, uh, for the Council. Thank
you for, uh, salaries that may be below what you could earn in the private sector,
to the staff. My name is Bennett Brown, 510 Ronald Street. I brought with me,
uh, 10 copies here that I'd like to give you of a graph from a report produced
annually that shows one dot for every police officer. On average those cost the
City something like $60,000 per officer, plus all the ancillary expenses. We spend
$11 million on the police force, and that graph shows, uh...it's in, I'm sorry, I
should refer...this is the Barnes Traffic Report, summarizing 2018 traffic data, uh,
and it shows that the vast majority of Iowa City police pull over drivers who have
dark skin at two and a half times the rate you'd expect out of all the drivers in the
zones that they patrol. We've produced as a city, contracted someone from St.
Ambrose to produce that report annually and it concerns me that we continue to
pay $11 million to City employees to, uh, continue to implement the same polices
that cause black drivers, black perceived drivers, so call...I mean the human race
does not have races from the perspective of a biologist, but discrimination
necessitates that we refer to it like that. We pull over black drivers at two and a
half times a rate, and we pay people quite a bit to do that. I think... I'm not
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weighing in on whether we should pay the commission, but if we're not going to
pay the commission, you've got to ask why are we paying 80 people$60,000 a
year to go and continue doing the same thing that they've been doing year after
year, in spite of the fact that we spend a million dollars to an outside expert to
produce this report every year, saying, sure enough, all but six cops pull over
drivers more frequently when they're black. You might say, well, maybe that's
because of the drivers. They don't fix their cars as much. Maybe some bone of
racism in your body wants to say it's something other than racism, but in fact once
stopped, a black driver in this town is two and a half times more likely to get
searched, and yet only 40% is likely to have any evidence found. Now I'm a
middle school math teacher, was at Southeast for the last five years. I'll point out
to you that 1 divided by 2.5 is 40%. That's evidence that there's actually not a
driver difference. There's a difference in how police enforce the law. Nationally,
it's found city after city. The police, nationally, pull over black drivers at two and
a half times the rate that they pull over white drivers, and the effect disappears in
the 30 minutes surrounding sunset because it's hard to perceive the color of
somebody's skin in the 30 minutes around sunset. This is the most important task
that this Council has in your term, in my opinion. Don't get it wrong. I
appreciate your service very much, and I appreciate the service even of staff, who
get paid to do their job. I know you also get paid a meager sum. It's not enough.
I hope that you see to it that this task is done correctly.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address this topic? If so, please come
forth, and if you've already been up you can't come...if you've already been up
you can't come back. Okay, yep! No, that's fine (talking in background) No, I
understand. Thank you! Anyone else? All right. Welcome!
Porter: Hi, um, I'm going to read something really fast. I'm going to read fast, I'm going
to talk fast, but I need y'all to hear me out cause I have something to say. Um, the
last time I came before you guys I got cut off. This time I'm going to say what I
got to say. So no disrespect to none of you (both talking)
Teague: We do have three minutes.
Porter: I understand what you're saying! But I'm going to say what I got to say! Um, so
what is a truth commission? A truth commission is a temporary, government-
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sponsored body that investigates political violence, the affected communities, and
the individuals and institutions responsible. Commissions receive testimonies
from hundreds, if not thousands of witnesses. They gather and analyze
documents and visit sites of violence. Commissions conclude their work with the
report detailing their findings and recommendations. Recommendations by
previous commissions include changes to police and military institutions, victim
compensation, and memorials and museums. What commissions offer that other
transitional justice tools don't is a forum to hear directly from affected
communities and educate the broader public. Commissions afford victims and
their families the opportunity to paint a fuller picture. I am Royceann Porter,
Johnson County Vice Chair. I have been in this community, living here for 30
years. I have volunteered for 20. I served on the PCRB, at the time Police
Citizen Review Board, which has now been changed to the Citizens Police
Review Board. I served for five years. I didn't get a penny. Anything that I have
volunteered for, any commissions that I have been appointed to, and other people
in our community, they did it because they had a love and compassion to change
what was going on in our city. No one...no board, no commission, committee in
Johnson County has ever been paid. Nobody but one, and that is the Veterans,
and that's from the federal and state, where they receive$50. For...for somebody
to come up here and sit and tell y'all they want...$500 a meeting! Come on! I
have talked to each and every one of y'all. I had a conversation with y'all. Y'all
are elected officials. Take back your Council! Where's your power? You let
people come in here and tell you what they want, and y'all sit and think that that's
what you have to do, because you think that people's going to look at us, an
almost all white board, and they're going to call us racists. No, what you're doing
is wrong! Call it as though it is! No commission gets paid, and like Orville said,
if we're going to go back I want to...I can retire! All the work that I done put in
this community. I have went above and beyond, and in January I will be the Chair
of Johnson County. I have put in the work, and for somebody to say $500 a
meeting, making more than y'all, and y'all are the people who have to make the
decisions. You are elected officials! Take your roles back!
Teague: Thank you. Thank you. Would anyone else like to address this topic? And
you've already had your opportunity. Welcome! Please state your name and
address.
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Johnson: Good evening, Clif Johnson. I, uh, live at 1710 Flatiron Avenue. Uh,just wanted
to say I wholeheartedly support, uh, my fellow commissioners. Uh, I...I joined in
a little bit later, when...when it...oh, I'm also on the TRC myself. Uh, I joined in a
little bit later, after, uh, things kind of fell apart for a second, from what I learned.
Uh, I was keeping up with things and I really appreciated our present, uh, and our
other fellow commissioners who were still sticking by trying to push through,
because I feel like truth and reconciliation, uh, is a very important thing that is a
little bit different than...I don't want to put things on a scale because I...I just feel
like it...it needs to be understood that there are people who are giving up a lot of
time and effort that they don't have to, and I do understand that other, uh,
commissions have existed before and they might not have gotten paid, but maybe
they should of Uh, I feel as though...I don't...I don't believe in, well,just because
I had it hard, I'm going to make sure that everybody else might feel that way. I
don't feel like that's productive. I would hope that we can, uh, move forward and,
uh, kind of just make sure that not only are we taking care of the people, but
we're taking care of the people who are looking out for taking care of people. I...I
just feel like that's important, um, and maybe in the future we should start looking
into compensating and taking care of commissions. I just...I think that is
important. Whenever you have someone who's willing to step up...I personally
didn't expect to be paid at all and didn't...I still don't, it doesn't bother me at all
either way. However, I do appreciate, uh, my fellow commissioners who are
already on and going through a lot, and I...I just, I feel like compensation for that
wouldn't be a bad thing, and uh, I understand that other people have gone through
things before and they...they feel they may deserve compensation as well and I
wish that would have been brought up for them as well at the same time, but uh,
I...I want us to move forward in the best way possible, and I feel like this is one
way that can be very helpful. Uh, other than that, uh...I really hope that...if....if
there are other groups that we can join with and kind of bring...bring, uh, bring
out the best in all of us, I hope that we can push that a little bit more, and uh,
that's all I have for right now. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address this topic? Seeing no one, Council
discussion?
Taylor: I'll start. Um (clears throat) one of the responsibilities of a city council is, of
course, to appoint members to the many boards and commissions. For years,
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many years, the City has had a long history of applicants from the community
who have been willing to volunteer on those boards and commissions. They
applied because they felt it was a way that they could be a part of making
decisions that affect our community and saw it as their voluntary civic duty. Late
last summer, it was requested that Council establish a Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, which was to serve to bear witness to the truth of racial injustice in
Iowa City and to carry out restorative justice in order to effect change on the local
level. In good faith, we as Council Members unanimously proposed the new
commission, referred to as the TRC, and appointed members to serve. It was
disappointing that after only a short time a hostile environment was created in the
meetings. The meetings were not effective or productive. Some very good
members were treated with total disrespect by their fellow commission members.
And they resigned. New members were appointed to the commission, and I was
hoping to see some progress towards the original mission, with some frank
discussions and open, honest dialogue. The commission was charged with
creating a budget that would help them fulfill this mission. I appreciate the effort
that was taken towards doing that, and there are key elements of the operational
budget that do seem reasonable. However, providing payment for service on the
commission does not make any sense to me. And quite frankly, I was astonished
that they would ask for payment for their service. Other City commission
members voluntarily give a lot of their time towards doing the work of their
respective commissions. So this would not be consistent with the standard
practice. But although I'm not in favor of payment for their service, I would be
open to further discussions with this group about the budget in general for the
TRC.
Teague: I'll jump right in there! Um, so thanks to the TRC members that are here tonight.
Um, and then we do have one past TRC member. I don't know if I see any other
TRC members that are here. Um, I...I certainly can respect the budget that's
before us and, um, and...and, you know, go through and look at the ask. There's a
few things in this budget that I certainly have questions about, um, and I do
believe that it, you know, I...I just need to have more, make this, um, I have a
greater understanding. There's a few things that are overlapping in this budget,
urn, in my mind, but maybe there's something that I'm missing. Uh, for instance,
we have...I believe it's transportation twice for participants, um, and so it just
wasn't clear to me, um, unless there is a top version and a....no, there's a
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subcommittee budget as well, urn, that we have here. And then when we talk
about the, you know, the facilitator and then there's also an item in here for
researcher pay, um...you know, there's...again, what I kind of recall from the...
from original facilitator, uh, contract, the one the TRC had approved 8-1, urn, and
then it came to Council. Urn, this Council did approve it unanimous, urn,but
within that what I...what I remember was a part of the research and coordination,
urn, was within that. Um, the...the other thing, you know, with this budget that I
know that this Council addressed before we actually presented or...or approved
the Truth and Reconciliation, and that is in regards to, urn, the repository, urn, of
the media. Urn, so that was great, repository of community stories expressed in
multi...multiple media. Uh, that was a great discussion, urn, on this, that, urn, this
Council engaged in and...because there was a request for either 25,000 or
$30,000, uh, to be included in the wording, into the language of the Truth and, uh,
Reconciliation resolution, and it was said at that time by this Council that, urn,
any of the media would come through, urn, you know, our City operations, but if
there was a, uh, special, uh, encounter or need that the commission had, urn,
where someone wanted to go private to tell their story and that type stuff, that this
Council would certainly entertain that. Urn, so, you know, so...and I understand
some of the commissioners probably weren't a part of that conversation, urn, but
that was...um, you know, and that line item is here for, urn, 17,500, um, for
advertising and outreach, and then there's the videography for 17,500, and so, you
know, that's over the 30,000 that was asked, uh, previous. Urn, so there is a few
things within this budget that I have great concerns about, or questions about.
And then when it does come down to the compensation, urn, I certainly do hear
the stories that people have presented, the TRC individuals themselves. Urn, I
hear, urn, some of the challenges that is faced when you are serving. Urn, I know
the feeling of going to the grocery store and someone recognizing that you are on
a board or commission, urn, that has a very important mission, that they want to
talk about, and you find yourself there for 20, 30 minutes (laughs) talking about
something where you have other obligations to get to, and then other
opportunities where you go and, urn, you learn that the work of, uh...you're
engaged in conversation. Urn, so I do understand that. What I will say is, um,
there are truth and reconcile commissions certainly paid in various parts of the
world. So, urn, I...I do acknowledge that there are some TRCs that do give
payment. Um, and...and....and where we are within our community, I think, urn,
personally I think that...we really need to have a greater discussion (laughs) with
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the TRC, and really solidifying what movement can...can you all get, because
what I don't want is this opportunity that we have before us to get stale, to not be
achieved. Our community needs some reconciliation. When...when this came up,
we talked about, urn, what is some of the things that the TRC can do. Those
stories are important to hear, so that we can gather information as to what we need
to do as a committee. We want those stories to impact policy. We want them to
impact how we operate within our housing department because affordable
housing is something that is, you know, hugely needed. Um, we want to make
sure that everybody in our community have access to live throughout our
community, and not in these little bubbles where we have only this section, where
it's affordable, and so...I do understand the...the need, urn, you know, that we had
in the beginning for this commission. Um, the...the compensation and the hours,
what I will tell you is...the makeup of the commission, um, really needs to be
probably looked at a little bit, um, and revised as to...and we don't, you don't have
the consultant. So maybe that is the first step is that you get the consultant in and
then maybe some of these, um...tasks and some of the things that you all are
doing, urn, you'll be able to figure out. You know, the one, urn, thing that I do
believe is that there are some...that you all are passionate about the work of this
Reconciliation Commission. So I don't want, um, any of my comments to
diminish, um, your work or your passion. Urn, and I totally understand, urn,
financial (laughs) challenges, uh, that people have in their real, real life, um, and
when you're offering...your all and you still offer more, um, but I do not support
the compensation, and I think, um...you know, and I've thought about it. I...I
literally wanted to, urn, get input from people,just to see what their thoughts are
and it, you know, some of it relates to, urn, other boards and commissions, which I
have to tell you, the CPRB, urn, they deal with a lot of, urn, some of the, you
know, the racial injustice and...and stuff like that. There's other...and our HRC,
they deal with a lot of racial injustice claims that come before them and so, um,
and...and they're really doing a lot of work to, uh, to impact change. I do also
hear, urn, you know, that for some individuals this may not be feasible for them to
continue, but I will say is...my thought is that this commission work can really be
more community. Urn, the commissions are the ones that kind of have the
discussions and...and potentially will rally up the troops to do some of the work.
So...all this work does not need to fall in your hand. There is 80-plus-thousand
people in this community, and the BIPOC community, urn, we want change and
there's people out there that will go and do whatever's needed to, urn, get some
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of; uh, the work of the commission accomplished, and so I...that part of the budget
I will not support. Urn, I do think that there's other things within the budget that I
need discussion about before I can, urn...uh....support it.
Bergus: I'll jump in. Urn, when this idea of a stipend for the commissioners first carne up,
I was very against it. My reaction was, um, they knew what they were signing up
for, which was an unpaid position. Urn, you know, we don't do this with other
City commissions and we were pretty thoughtful in this being a...a City
commission and, you know, we...we haven't ever paid commissioners. So why...
why would we do it now? My mind changed after watching hours of deliberation
among the nine commissioners on this topic. They have been incredibly careful
and thoughtful and graceful and...understanding. Several of them started off not
understanding why this might be something that would be necessary for them to
carry out their work, and I just...it's hard...it's hard to summarize all of that and to
convey why, urn, that I think this is so critically important, but one of the
comments that I heard during one of those meetings that was really impactful to
me is that we...we commis...or we Councilors, um, tasked this commission, as...as
Councilor Taylor said unanimously, to carry out this work, and...if this
commission, if these members who are very passionate and very committed, um,
if we don't compensate them, who is going to do this particular work? And...I
don't see...it's just...it's so...transformational and it's so substantively different, as
far as an approach for our city government to take, in what we're asking of
community members, that I think it's really critical that we acknowledge that, that
we understand that this is different than other commissions that we've...stood up
or that have even, you know, a...a permanent purpose in our...in our city
government. So I do support the stipend and I...I've heard from a number of
people who've had questions about it or concerns about it, and I would say those
tend to fall into two categories, some of which we've heard tonight as well, and..
and that is, you know, we really don't do it for anyone else, and the fact that there
are individuals, including those who have spoken to us tonight who have done
incredible work for decades in our community for free. And I think the fact that
that has happened should not be a reason to not compensate those who are
continuing to do it now, and I think we should consider deeply the fact that if
civic engagement requires that you be able to show up and do this work for free,
for all of....all of our commissions, and it requires that you be available at the
time and the place, you know, we know we're not getting representative
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commissions. We know that. We know there are people who have hurdles that
they cannot...that they cannot participate. And I think we need to think very
critically about that and what that means for the commissions that support the
work of the City Council and of our government as a whole. And so for...for
those who've been doing the work uncompensated, thank you. I think you should
be paid, and I hope that this commission and their recommendation to Council in
acknowledging that for those commissioners who served previously and who no
longer serve, I think that's a really important component of the request from the
TRC in their budget because I think that's (laughs) that's really necessary to
acknowledge the,just how tough this work was, how tough that commitment is,
and that we value it, and it's deserving of compensation.
Teague: And we do have people on the phone, I want to remind us...so if you all want to
chime in,just feel free.
Thomas: Well I'11...I'll fill the void here, the silence (laughs) make a few comments. You
know I....on the issue of the compensation, um, you know, when I first heard
about it I thought, well that's interesting, uh, you know, that's certainly not
something that I'm aware...we offer to those who serve on our commissions and
committees. But I did, as I often do, began to look at specific to truth and
reconciliation commissions. How are they treated? Are they treated any
differently? And...and what I found was where you have TRCs, uh, the
commissioners are typically compensated. So that...that seemed to suggest that
there is something perhaps unique about a TRC. You know, the nature of the
work is difficult, um, there's...there's just a great deal a commissioner bears in...in
serving on a TRC. Uh, so that...that certainly made me feel a little bit more open
to the idea of compensation. Uh, but I...I also felt that what...what is...what is
perhaps one of the root issues here—why...why are commissioners, uh, asking for
this compensation? And I think...what I would suggest is...is at least contributing
to...to the situation is that it's not functioning as a typical commission. Um, most
typical commissions have access to support staff who do the work. You know, the
bulk of the work is done by paid staff. Um, the TRC here does not have that
support. And I...I suspect those of you who volunteered to serve on this
commission didn't quite understand the...the, um...the fact that there wouldn't be
that support staff and so not only are you serving in the conventional sense of
attending the meetings, setting agendas, and so forth, representing the commission
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in the public. You're doing the work! That...that is...that is unprecedented as well
in terms of our...the way our commissions are functioning...function. So...and that
to me is...my primary concern is that, uh...without having that support staff, uh,
this is a very, very difficult assignment. It's...you're...you're working on stressful
material. It's...there aren't many TRCs. There aren't many precedents on which
to build your....your program, so to speak. Um...there's, it's a very difficult road.
Uh, I felt that the, um, the facilitator in that regard was a really important position
for the commission, as the only really support that you have as a commission.
And you don't...you have yet to have that support person,because once Jesse
resigned, it wasn't filled. Uh, so...so to me that has...has made your job extremely
difficult. I would say for me the first priority moving forward is filling that
position. I even want to say it should be reclassified as perhaps a...a program or
project manager, because there are a lot of issues in my mind with just managing
this project that as...as you noted has a...has an end date. This is not...in that sense
it's different, uh, as well. Um...most commissions are just ongoing. Yours has an
end date. So...so it's a project in my mind, in that regard. It has a point by which
you need to complete your work. Uh, you need to...you need to come up with a
schedule, uh, of how that work is going to be conducted and completed, and...and
work from that schedule, from that work plan, in establishing your budget. Um, I
don't see, in my...the work that I did, I could not imag....which had...was...was
project-driven, I wouldn't be able to estimate the cost of doing it without having
the work plan in place first. Uh, you know, I find this budget, in that regard, a
little bit abstract. You know, when are these...when are these expenses being
paid? How does it fit into the full, you know, the entire picture? Uh, that's the
kind of work that I think a project manager would help you with, is how to give
structure in time to the work that you're being asked to do. Um, so in principle I
feel given all the circumstances you're working under,uh, the...the idea of
compensation makes sense. Um, I could see it...I could envision your need for
that compensation perhaps diminishing once you had more support, um, and
(mumbled) in that traditional sense. Um, but I...I think your request for
compensation is really being driven by the fact that you're in this unusual
situation of serving on the commission and then doing the support work that is
normally handed over to staff. Um...and until that's....that situation is addressed
and...and...and proved, and you have that support structure, um...you are going to
be overworked, you know, relative to other commissioners, in my view. Um, so
I...I think I'll just leave it at that, but I do think the budget needs more work in
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terms of, urn...attaching it to a work plan. It really needs to be clarified and
structured, in my mind, in that way.
Teague: I do have one question for you, and not to be disrespectful to the TRC, but, urn...
we, the...the charges of the TRC is fact-finding, including first hand testimony and
some more stuff Truth telling. And get to the reconciliation. I'm not exactly
sure if any of those charges have been done to date. So some of the meetings
have been...I think the structural piece that you're talking about, urn, and where
they're missing kind of that facilitator, that project manager, and I know the stress
of having those budget conversations is stressful, and I think you might be correct
that once they have that support staff, the...you know, and that plan in place, a lot
of this stuff; at least that stress of...just...I think it's a lot of mental stress (laughs)
that definitely of trying to do, uh, the work of what the Council has set them out
to do, but...I feel like there's just been some, um...road blocks as to what is the
avenue, and I...I agree that that project manager, that facilitator, might be step one,
and then a budget kind of come after that, although there are some things in the
budget, when it comes down to transportation and supporting of a daycare, and
that type stuff, that I certainly would entertain and...and look at what the request is
there.
Weiner: I would really appreciate the opportunity to sit down and meet with the TRC
about this. I'm not sure that...that having...that having this discussion for the first
time in this public forum is really the...the ideal way to go about this. I mean
obviously it will all be public meeting. Urn, traditionally the...the facilitator is, in
my view, a really key person. I know an RFP went out for it. The...that,
um...other TRCs, according to the people I've talked to, the research I've done,
urn, actually do have researchers helping and working with them too. So I have
no issues with the...with that line item. Um, the...the facil...basically I think a lot
of it...an enormous amount of extra work is...is....and incredibly hard work is
being done because in...in part because there is no facilitator. The...the...and...for
the...for nearly, you know, probably for nine months, it's been clear that...that it's
key to have a facilitator. Um, so to me that's step number one, but I would really
like to defer this and have a...have a direct conversation in a work session, and
also find out what the status is of the RFP for...for a facilitator. In addition, I
would like to, um, to thank Stefanie Bowers, the staff person who has been giving
nearly all her time to the TRC, um, and who has other responsibilities as well.
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Just so that it's clear that there is...that the need for support is great, and there has
been support, urn, to the...to, uh, a great deal of support from Stefanie.
Teague: Any other comments? Mayor Pro Tem, are you still on? Mayor Pro Tern, are you
still on?
Salih: Yeah, do you hear me?
Teague: Yes we can!
Salih: Yeah. I really agree with Janice also about, uh, you know, and uh, also I agree
with Councilor Thomas that the lack of support in staff is critical and uh, I
appreciate everything that they do. This is really, uh...an amazing commission
that we have and as I said before, they are (mumbled) they going to have a lot of
work to do. Ur...but as Council Thomas said, maybe the(mumbled) you know,
the...the director or the staff person, uh, make them work very hard. Uh, I'm not
really familiar about...I haven't like (mumbled) meeting for long time, uh, you
know, and I don't know like what currently they are working on. Uh, but...uh, I
understand that this is not easy, but as the previous person who was in, uh, a
Police Review Board before when I was a substitute teacher and going to full-
time to the school, with um...you know, five children in my hand and low-income.
I was really putting a lot time on, uh, you know, the commission, the...the Police
Review Board and I remember we spent a lot hours just watching videos, like
police cameras from many angles, uh, and after that reading the report of the
police chief and (mumbled) decision. It's a lot! And at the time that I really
needed money too, you know, I was low-income, but I...I just (mumbled) that all
the commissions, uh, that we have in the City is just (mumbled) Urn, this is really
hard decision. I understand that a lot of them, they put a lot times, but...uh, I can
feel what they say, as a Council Members who are really low-income and I'm
putting a lot hours in this Council too, and you know, I...I remember when, uh, I
joined the Council, I lost my Medicaid because of this like only...not a lot money,
but that make me like crossing the border of the Medicaid, and for one year I
was...I was without Medicaid. Until I got like my new job and I...I get insurance,
and at that time even...with the money that the City give me, I couldn't even pay
my, you know, my insurance from the City because it's expensive! You know,
I...just the fact that when I choose this position, because I knew this is like
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volunteer, and I thinks, uh, the TRC members knew the same thing. Uh, you
know, by any means, I...I...this is for me a hard decision to...to make, but I just
believe that all the commissions that we have is really just (mumbled)
Everybody's really doing a lot of work! I understand that and like as, uh, you
know, Council Bergus said, for the thing that they do, I don't know if you ever
watch the, uh (mumbled) the Police Review Board, also they do the same thing.
They really have to look carefully on all the videos to find out if the police who's
like really making the mistake, if the(mumbled) sustained complaint or not. And
coming up with also like reading all the police (mumbled) sitting down and
(mumbled) report and do all this. It take a lot time! So many I...I appreciate all
the commissions in the City. We have over 20-something commissions that...I
thinks everybody putting a lot time and...you know, on this commission, without
anything. Uh, I really going to tell you the same thing that Council maybe, uh,
you know,Thomas said. We need really to focus now on hiring, uh, you know,
somebody to help the (mumbled) We need to really think like (mumbled) hiring
somebody else, uh, for...to be the director or the manager of the project and, uh,
this is maybe going to take, uh, you know, some like burden from the
commissioners. Uh, and we go from there. At this time I not really supporting
the stipends. Sony!
Mims: I think...I've been struggling with this since...since it first came out, and my initial
reaction was like a lot of people, that I was against it. We don't pay any of our
other commissioners, etc. And have had a lot of input from, you know, people
within the community that I really respect who are working in areas that, said you
know, I started out thinking no and now this is why I'm thinking yes. Maybe not
at the level that they're requesting, but why it does make some sense. And I...you
know, me a lot of times I don't wait to go last (laughs) you know, chime in a little
bit earlier in the conversation, and tonight I've just really held back because I...I
really did want to hear everybody else's comments, to really try and help inform
my thoughts on this, and...John, for all the times you and I disagree (laughs) on
various things, I...I think you really hit it on the head tonight when you talked
about having a work plan that informs your budget, and...certainly from what we
are seeing, I...I can't say what the discussion has been cause I have not listened to
every meeting, but...we're not seeing a work plan that is informing the budget,
and the other comments from you and others about, um, getting a facilitator/
program manager type person hired, I think makes a lot of sense in taking a huge
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load off from the commissioners. Um, I think you said it well that, you know, we
sit here with a full staff and we listen to all that information. We don't have to do
all the research. We get all that information. We have to read it and digest it and
think about it, but then it's on us to make policy decisions. And right now with
not having that kind of support staff, they're trying to do it all. And they're also
trying to do it as a brand new commission with all new commissioners. I realize
some of you came in at different times, but it's not like P&Z or Parks and Rec or
anything else where we tend to have staggered positions. You know, you come on
whether it's the Council or any of our commissions, you usually come on and
there's other people who've been there for two or three years or whatever. So a
brand new commission, tough start, you know, we don't have a facilitator in
place, and you're trying to do it all. So I get why you are...I would say
overwhelmed. Maybe you...maybe you don't like that term, and I don't...I don't
mean to offend anybody with it, um...and so I think what I would recommend, I
guess I would like to maybe go along with Janice's idea is maybe let's get a
meeting set up right away, let's dig into some detail a little bit more, and let's see
where that facilitator, and maybe...if the RFP's already gone out, maybe too late,
but maybe we look at either adding another position or...or if we can tweak it in
that, a program manager. I think once we have those answers, that can help
inform our discussion on the stipend better.
Teague: So we've heard from all the, um, the Councilors. I....so, maybe an easy start is is
the Council willing to do a work session, um...yes! So I'm seeing majority say
yes. And I'm sure heads are nodding on the phone! (several respond) Great!
And then in the meantime...I think at least for me personally, I...I feel like this
discussion, um, does inform a little bit, urn...to the commissioners,to have some
type of a baseline because they're going to meet before we meet again, the third
week in August. Um, it...it'll just give them a baseline for conversation I believe.
In the meantime, I'm not sure...I know they've been operating without
transportation, um, compensation or for childcare. Um, would the Council
consider...some type of an allocated funds, I mean, or...or do we...is, there's only
one meeting between...I'm assuming there's only one meeting for the TRC
between now and when we meet. So that could be...maybe we can go into that
meeting and ask the commission, the TRC commission if we can't determine an
answer on the budget, if they can have at least that critical piece ready for us, um,
transportation and any childcare needs, so that we can...at least, you know, get the
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critical piece, that critical piece, um, of any type of barrier addressed, urn, and...so
would...so I don't know. I'm seeing some shaking of the heads because I think
the...I don't anticipate this meeting will be over and done with, potentially, when
we meet with the...them in the work session, um...would we, so we'll do the work
session. We'll check in with the commission, try to figure out if they can come
the third week in August, and the other question would be do we put this
immediately back on the work...on our formal agenda that evening? I mean we
can certainly put it back on there and...but I don't feel like the commission will
have the time to...I feel like if there are some things informed within that meeting,
then...they may want to, you know...we're going to be addressing concerns and
having discussions at that me...you know, in that meeting, and I don't feel like...it
would be changed at that time, but what are people thinking?
Mims: I mean we can always put it on as a placeholder and we can always defer it. If it's
not on we can't do it...we can't take any action even if we're ready to. So I would
suggest we put it on and...knowing there might be better than 50/50 chance that
we're going to defer it, but at least it's there if we're ready for it.
Teague: Okay. I'm seeing a majority, present, agree (laughs) so we'll put it on the agenda.
Fruin: So you just want to go ahead and defer the...um, resolution that's in front of you,
uh, until August 17th.
Teague: Correct.
Fruin: Then you can choose to defer it again at that time, if you're not quite done with
that discussion.
Teague: Correct.
Fruin: So you'd need a motion to defer then.
Teague: Absolutely! So any other discussion on this before, urn, I entertain a motion?
Bergus: I just had a, kind of a logistical question that, you know, Stefanie's been providing
a lot of staff support and I know we'd talked about different, um, places where the
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City resources can help step in, like with the videography and that kind of thing.
So any immediate needs, I just want to sort of reassure the commission that it's
not like there's no resources available, even if the budget isn't approved, but,
Geoff(both talking) kind of explain how that works.
Fruin: Yeah, I think any immediate needs we can address just through the Human Rights
budget, their...their office budget. So if there's some kind of incidental
transportation costs or if there's some advertising costs like that, urn, we're not
going to necessarily have to wait for you all to approve the...the overarching
budget to assist the commission. That's pretty typical with all of our
commissions, that, you know, we'll have, um, the...the staff liaisons, department
kind of pick up some of those expenses as needed. I think it's the bigger picture
items that are really going to need to come into focus with, uh, for your future
discussion with the...with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. So, um, I
wouldn't get, uh, I wouldn't get too worried about those...um, more minor
expenses. We can...we can definitely take care of that.
Teague: Okay. All right, any other comments? Uh, I'll entertain a motion to defer, until,
um,August 17`h.
Mims: So moved (both talking) So moved, Mims.
Taylor: Second,Taylor.
Teague: All in favor...well, we'll do a roll call please.
Goers: It's a motion, so you can do voice vote, if you wish. But we can do roll call if you
wish, too.
Teague: All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion is deferred 7-0. And could I get a
motion to accept correspondence?
Bergus: So moved, Bergus.
Salih: Move.
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Teague: Moved by Bergus, seconded by Salih. All in favor say aye. Any opposed?
Motion passes 7-0.
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17. Liquor Downtown tobacco penalty—Resolution assessing$300.00 civil
penalty against Liquor Downtown
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Salih: So move.
Weiner: Second.
Teague: So moved by Salih (talking in background) seconded by, um, Weiner. All right!
You all got one in there! (laughs) Urn, would anyone from the, uh...uh, public
like to address this topic?
Fruin: Come on up (mumbled) (several talking in background)
Batchellor: Hi, my name's Paul Batchellor. I'm with the Iowa City Police Department, a
Sergeant there, and one of my peripheral duties is to be in charge of our tobacco
compliance programs. Iowa City partners with the Alcoholic Beverages Division
under the I-Pledge program to cut down on the illegal sales of tobacco to people
under age 21, and to solicit voluntary compliance amongst the businesses. Uh,
this past year federal law, and then state law, changed to 21 and only...21 and up
to get, uh, tobacco products purchased. Uh, in the past it was 18, and we always
used an undercover person who was, uh, age 16 or 17 to go in and do these, uh,
compliance checks with us. In the spirit of that law changing and people possibly
not being aware, this year I still did a 16....I still used a 16-year-old, uh, girl who
looked 16, uh, to go in and, uh, we checked all 54 businesses, uh, three of them
failed. Um, in this instance, um, Liquor Downtown, uh, failed on July 9...I'm
sorry, June 19`h at 9:41 PM. Uh, the undercover....or the underage person went
in, uh, purchased a package of JUUL, um...vape...things (laughs) whatever they're
called, and uh, that contained nicotine. Uh, the employee never asked for I.D.,
never asked the girl her age, and uh, completed the sale, came out. Um, we
identified ourselves, uh, ultimately charged the employee with providing tobacco
to a person under age 21, and, um, that employee then appeared with their
attorney on June 23'd and pled guilty to that offense. So I'll be happy to answer
any questions on the procedures we used or anything like that or any questions
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you might have. That's it in a nutshell. I'm trying to be brief, cause I know what
time it is.
Teague: Great! Any questions? Hearing none, thank you! Anyone from the public like to
address this topic? All right! Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion
passes 7-0.
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18. Council Appointments
18.a. Historic Preservation Commission (At-Large)
Historic Preservation Commission (At-Large)—One vacancy to fill an
unexpired term, effective upon appointment—June 30, 2023.
18.b. Human Rights Commissioner
Human Rights Commission—One vacancy to fill an unexpired term, effective
upon appointment—December 31, 2021.
Teague: We have...and we'll do probably these together as we normally do. Um...and we
have 18.b., which is Human Rights Commission. (reads description of vacancy)
Um...so for the Item 18.a., which is the Historic Preservation Commission (At-
Large), there is one vacancy, and it does have a gender requirement, which is
male, and...wanted to just open up to see what Councilors are thinking. I will also
add that for 18.b. Human Rights Commission, urn, there is one vacancy and that is
a female gender requirement.
Thomas: Well with the, um, Historic Preservation Commission, uh, I'm inclined to, urn,
support Frank Wagner, in part because, uh, Questin Pitzen, who was a previous
commissioner who is a contractor is no longer on the commission. Uh, Frank is
also skilled in...construction, and so despite the fact that Frank has served before,
I do think it might be difficult finding...I think it's important that there are
commissioners who have those skills and, uh, Frank has applied and so I would
suggest that he would be a good candidate, given the fact that we don't have, to
my knowledge, anyone on the commission now with those skills.
Mims: I would agree! I mean that...that's, when I go through the occupations, that looks
(mumbled)
Taylor: I agree also.
Bergus: Me too.
Salih: I agree too.
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Teague: (talking in background) All right! Sound like we have majority, urn, support for
Frank Wagner, urn, for the Historic Preservation Commission (At-Large) and can
we go to 18.b., which is the Human Rights Commission. We have a vacancy with
a female requirement.
Bergus: I guess I would throw out Kate, uh, Klefstad.
Weiner: And I'd add I guess (mumbled) to the mix, I mean we have (mumbled) an
incredible number of...people applying, which is always this huge wealth. I'm so
impressed by the number of people who are...who really want to do this.
Teague: Uh huh. Yeah, there are a lot of applicants, and um...these two, you know, I...I
don't totally remember (laughs) all about them, so I think I'll have to just review
them. Any other, urn...uh...individuals that would be moved for consideration?
And...I'm sorry, Councilor Bergus, what is the...so Kate, last name is what?
Bergus: Uh, Klefstad, with a...I may be pronouncing it wrong.
Teague: Yes! I got it. Yes.
Mims: Could you each maybe give us a quick blurb of why you're nominating that
person?
Bergus: Yeah, so she's a recent applicant. I always look at the date of application and kind
of see, um, if it's someone who's applied a longer time ago I try and check with
them (laughs) to see if they're still interested. Hers is a recent application. Um,
so she works with the, um...Johnson County Public Health. She's the Clinical
Services Manager there, and just spoke compellingly about, um, how she..you
know, has sort of seen marginalized, worked with marginalized communities and
has a good understanding,um, of some of the challenges in our community that
would inform her work with the commission, and that she, urn, seemed to know
what they're about.
Weiner: Urn, and the...I was...um, I was struck by Siri Bruhn. She's a relatively young
teacher at City High, working with, urn, with, uh, a variety of populations there,
including English language learners, um, has applied before and again, I...as...as
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with Councilor Bergus, I look at date of application. She renewed her application.
She...she...reached out. I believe she was the one who reached out to Stefanie
Bowers to discuss it, and she's also...really wants to get involved with the
community and has been following City Council meetings and other meetings.
So I...I really want to encourage young people who are already basically making a
difference in the community to be able to extend that, including with her high
school students.
Taylor: I agree with Janice on that with Siri Bruhn.
Mims: Yeah, they both sound really good. I think Siri has my support though.
Thomas: Yeah, I like Siri as well.
Teague: We have a majority (both talking) All right, great! We have majority for Siri
Bruhn. So could I get a, um...motion to appoint.
Mims: I'll move that we appoint Frank Wagner to the Historic Preservation Commission
and Siri Bruhn to the Human Rights Commission.
Salih: Second.
Teague: Mims, uh, moved and seconded by Salih. And all in favor say aye. Any opposed?
Motion passes 7-0.
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20. Community Comment
Teague: This is where we invite the USG to make some comments, so welcome!
Miglin: Thank you. This is my first time getting to present!
Teague: Great!
Miglin: And so as the school year is coming up, you know, lot of major things are
happening. Uh, first and most importantly we have a new President at the
University, as of the 15`h. Um, as well as, urn, a series of pretty major funding, P3
funding projects, that were approved, um, including millions of funding going
towards community engaged scholarship, which I figured might interest the
Council, as well as research. Um, and then, um...uh...Anna and I have been
working with the International Students, uh, Service Center to ensure vaccines are
allowed for international students in particular, uh, and they have access to that,
and so that is a go. Urn, as well as, urn...we're encouraging, um, every...as many
people as possible to fill out our renter's guide before that closes very soon. Um,
just to help us provide more transparency with renting and, uh, making everyone
have a better experience. So...that's all of my comments.
Teague: Great! Well, welcome! Yes! All right.
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22. Report on Items from City Staff
d. City Clerk
Fruehling: The only question I have,August meeting here?
Teague: Good question!
Fruehling: (mumbled) We didn't quite get to that in the work session.
Teague: Yeah, I think for me personally with, um...potentially the Mayor Pro Tem coming
back for the first meeting...in August...
Mims: And some of the numbers are going up too. (several talking)
Teague: Yeah. Yeah (several talking) Yeah. All right!
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