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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-01-04 TranscriptionPage 1 Council Present: Alter, Bergus, Harmsen, Taylor, Teague, Thomas, Weiner Staff Present: Fruehling, Fruin, Goers, Jones, Kilburg Fruehling: Well, it's 8:00 AM and I get this special, once every two years opportunity to start the meeting. This is the January 4th, special formal, uh, organizational meeting. And we'll do a roll call... Item No 2. Consider a motion to appoint City Clerk as temporary Chairperson Fruehling: And can we consider a motion to appoint the City Clerk as the temporary chairperson? Taylor: So moved, Taylor. Weiner: Second, Weiner. Fruehling: Moved by Taylor, seconded by Weiner [voice vote] Okay. Item No 3. Nominations of office of Mayor of the City of Iowa City Fruehling: Um, and item three is nominations for office of Mayor of the City of Iowa City. Bergus: I would nominate Bruce Teague as mayor. Weiner: Do we need a second for nominations? Goers: We do not. Fruehling: Okay. Any other nominations? Okay. And then I need a motion to close the nominations. Weiner: Move to close nominations. Bergus: Second. Fruehling: [voice vote] Motion 7 - 0. Um, I guess we do need, need to do a formal vote, uh, for our one and only nominee, uh, Bruce Teague for mayor. And we'll do...would you like to say anything first, Bruce? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 2 Teague: Well, absolutely. (Laughter) This is actually a great honor. I don't, um, take it for granted. I really appreciate all of the councilors and welcome to the new councilors. Um, when I started in 2020, I didn't realize what the role of the rare -- mayor really entailed, and thanks to the support of the continued councilors, um, and the past previous two councilors that really helped me along this path. And I really appreciate that. And as we move forward in the next two years, I realize that there is a lot of learning to be continued in this role as the leader of the City. Um, and also in working with my colleagues, I want to make sure that you all feel that you have an open door anytime to come and have discussions with me, because I really believe that, um, as a Council, in order for us to work, being authentic and transparent is going to be the best way that we can work together. And I really appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the next two years. Fruehling: Okay. With that, I'll ask for a roll call. [roll call] Motion passes, 7 - 0. Item No 4. Nominations for office of Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Iowa City Fruehling: Uh, item number four is nominations for office of Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Iowa City. Harmsen: I would like to nominate Megan Alter, please. Fruehling: Any other nominations? Okay. Could I get a motion to close nominations? Thomas: So moved, Thomas. Teague: Seconded, Teague. Fruehling: [voice vote] Motion passes, 7 - 0. Uh, Megan, would you like to say anything? Alter: Yes, please. Um, I want to say thank you. And, uh, how very much I am grateful and see the leadership and the role models that are already present. And, um, the work that has been done in the past two years by all of you, um, has been forged in fire, to use a cliche, uh, but it is absolutely true. You have been tested and tried and have brought -- each one of you has brought a unique skillset and, um, you had a common approach in terms of trying to find the best answers for the city. And it is something that I have greatly appreciated over the past several years, um, before, uh, the work of, uh COVID and, um, social justice protests and the ways in which Council can work with these, um, extreme and urgent situations. Um, I just, I applaud each and every one of you. And I'm grateful for the leadership that you have all shown. I am, um, new to the role, new to Council, but I'm not new to the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 3 work. I just want to say that. Um, and that I have forged relationships myself over the past several years that I hope to continue leveraging. Um, I hope to deepen them with you on Council, um, with staff as well as in the community. Um, and that I will bring my best, and obviously I will need help. I will ask for help. That's how we're going to be all stronger together. And, um, I also ask for accountability, um, you know, I will, I will do the work. I will be open and communicative. I will listen. Um, there's going to be a learning curve. I do recognize that, but I think that also what's happened in the past two years, is that no matter what kind of onboarding or orientation there is, the work is going to be there, and is going to call upon each and every one of us as well as myself, um, and that there isn't necessarily training for that. So I will work with each and every one of you, and I appreciate this honor. Um, and, um, I look forward to the next couple of years and I greatly appreciate this show of confidence. Thank you. Fruehling: Okay. And with that, could I get a roll call for Megan Alter as Mayor Pro Tem? [roll call vote] Motion passes 7 - 0. Item No 5. Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem sworn in Fruehling: Item five is, uh, the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem being sworn in. (Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem sworn in ) Teague: All right. Well, we are -- am I on? Okay. I just can't hear. All right. Well, thanks to the Council and to everyone present today and to the City of Iowa City for, um, again, allowing me to be mayor. Item No 6. Consider a motion making two-year City Council appointments. Teague: And we're going to continue with item number six, which is consider a motion making two-year City Council appointments. Um, so we have quite a few to go through and I do want to say welcome to our newest, um, Council members and now Mayor Pro Tem. And this is your first meeting, eight o'clock in the morning, always fun. So what we're going to do is we're going to go through and just, um, talk about each, uh, committee or uh commission that each one of us will be assigned to. So I'll go by, I'll go through one by one, and then we'll kind of see how it all pans out. So for the Rules Committee, which is, um, number A, we need two individuals, anyone, uh, want to be on that, Taylor was on there before. Taylor: I'm, I'm interested in staying on that. Teague: Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 4 Harmsen: I would be interested in that committee. Teague: Okay. Anyone else has interests? So we have Taylor and Harmsen, all right. Emergency Management Commission. Uh, Thomas was on there before, anyone have interest? Thomas: Well I've served on that commission for six years now, it seems at this point I'll just, um, continue to do so for the next two years. Teague: Okay. Any other inter, interested parties? All right. So we have Thomas, and then the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County. Taylor: That's all of us except you. Teague: So, yep. Everyone except for the mayor is -- always sits on that. Okay. And then Iowa City Coralville Visitors and Convention Bureau. So the mayor always sits on that one, unless there's something different, um, or the law requires that the mayor sits on that one. All right. Um, E is the Economic Development Committee, um, so only Thomas remains of the original three. Alter: I'd be interested in serving on that one. Bergus: I would as well. Thomas: And I too, I think, you know, we often on, on these assignments, like to have some continuity and we did lose Susan and Mazahir, so I'm happy to try to maintain that sense of continuity over issues. Teague: Okay. We have three that have, um, that are interested, anyone else? All right. So it'd be Thomas, Bergus, and Alter. Um, F is Metro Coalition of Cities. And then we have our City Manager, Geoff Fruin, with me as an alternate. The mayor is an alternate. Are you all fine with that? Okay. G is Joint Emergency Communication Center policy board. So we had two, Mims is no longer here. So Weiner? Weiner: Yeah, I would like, I would like to stay on. And just for your information it now meets at 8:00 AM. Teague: All right. (Laughter) Who wants an early morning one? Taylor: I'd be interested in that. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 5 Teague: Okay. All right. And then H is going to be the East Central Iowa Council of Governments. And then it's, uh, Weiner was on there before, and we need an alternate. Weiner: It's a, it's an, uh, it's an interesting assignment. I'm not interested in doing it again, but it's -- Teague: Okay. Weiner: You get, when you do it for your year rotation and you get to know people from all around the County, from not just this county, but neighboring counties that make up the East Central Iowa Council of Governments. Teague: Okay. Any interested, anyone interested? Bergus: I'd be interested in that one. Weiner: And they, we haven't, they, they have not, I don't think they'd been meeting in person for, I'm not sure if they will start meeting in person, but I've been sort of working on their other visioning project, which is completely separate from that. And all, but one of those meetings have been virtual. Teague: Okay. Did I hear Bergus? Bergus: Yes, Mayor. Teague: Okay. And then we need an alternate. Harmsen: I would be happy to step up as alternate. Teague: Okay, great. Anyone else interested? Sounds like Bergus will be our representative appointee, and Harmsen will be alternate. We're on I, which is SEATS Paratransit Advisory Committee. That was Bergus before. Bergus: And this committee hasn't met since maybe February of 2020. So I'm not sure what the current status is, but.... Teague: We'll go ahead and get someone appointed and then maybe we should follow up just to see the status of it. Are you interested in remaining? Bergus: I'm willing to, yeah. Teague: Okay. And then we'll get a update. Anyone else interested? We'll go with Bergus for SEATS. And then J is UNESCO Board of Directors, currently Bergus is there, are you...anyone interested? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 6 Bergus: I'd be glad to continue or let someone else, if they have interest. I would note we meet at, uh, 10:00 AM on that fourth Tuesday, not 4:00 PM, at least for the last couple years. Teague Okay. Alter: I would be interested. However, I don't, if this is a role that you want to continue in, I would, I'm fine with that. Teague: Okay. Bergus: Flip a coin? Teague: Yeah. I, I, I do know that, um, at least for the, for that board, my assumption is that they're meeting once a, every, once a month. Bergus: Geoff, do we have another City, um, representative, there's three City reps and Ashley was, but I can't remember. Fruin: I think, uh, LaTasha DeLoach -- Bergus: Oh, that's right. Fruin: -- is on the Board now. And, uh, uh, we have a Library representative as well. I'm not sure who, if that's Ellsworth or another representative. Bergus: Okay. Yep. Alter: I'll take myself out. Teague: Okay. So Bergus, Alter is taking herself out, Bergus. Is anyone else interested? All right. Bergus is appointed. K is self-support non-voting representative from Iowa City for the SSMID and we, um, just at this last, um, month appointed the City Manager as the designee, are we comfortable continuing that? I'm seeing yes. All right. And then I is Johnson County E9-1-1 Service Board, and that is, um, Grier and Liston, but we're going to have to do something with Grier, right? It'd be the Fire Chief. Fruin: Yeah. And I - I'd just recommend that we have another, uh, person from our Fire Command fill that role. Eventually the new chief would probably assume that, but in the gap period, I could fill that in-house if that's okay with Council. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 7 Teague: So are we okay with our City Manager filling that in the interim? And then my assumption is we would have to revote once we have the Fire Chief, to appoint the Fire Chief. Goers: Well, if the Council decides that it will be a City Manager designee, then the Council would not need to vote again. Presumably the City Manager would just appoint the new Fire Chief once that person is hired. Teague: All right. Goers: If that's okay with Council. Teague: City Manager designee, and then Chief Liston. We are on to, we just, we have just about six more. So M is the Iowa City Area Development Board, ICAD. So currently we have Fruin and Bergus. Weiner: Um, I'd like to continue my early morning meetings schedule with it. Teague: So you're interested in this one? Weiner: Yes. Teague: Okay. Anyone else? Now we do have our City Manager and then Weiner. Fm assuming, Geoff, you're still interested in being on this one. Fruin: Yeah. I think it's important that you have a staff person as well on that committee. Teague: Okay. Anyone else interested? So we'll go with City Manager for one and Councilor Weiner. N is Iowa City Assessor Evaluation Committee, um, I have been on this and I assume, um, we only meet once -- well, I won't say once a year, but we meet typically the early part of the year. I am fine continuing to be on this committee. I'll ask, there is someone else that wants to do it. Okay. So Teague will continue. Partnership for Alcohol Safety, and this is, um, the mayor, co-chairs this committee with the University of Iowa Vice -President um, Sarah Hansen. So I will continue this committee. And then P is the Graduate and Professional Student Government Organization. Mims was on it before. Anyone interested? Weiner: I'm interested. I don't know how much, Susan's not here. I don't know how much, obviously I don't know how much work is entailed, but it'd be interested. Teague: New councilors, any anyone interested? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 8 Alter: It was something that looked interesting to me as well, but again, if you don't want to. Teague: Okay. All right. So it sounds like Weiner. And then Q, Community Police Review Board liaison. Currently we have Weiner. Weiner: And I would appreciate handing that one off to someone. Teague: Okay. Weiner: They are, just for your information, they're meeting only in person right now. I don't know if they will shift to anything, but they, they meet in person at 5:30 in, right now, in, in Harvat Hall, on generally, on a Tuesday. Alter: Is it monthly or biweekly? Weiner: Monthly. I believe monthly. Teague: It's monthly. Weiner: Second Tuesday. Typically. There've been a couple of odd ones that they scheduled in the, it's not particularly long because generally, um, the, you sit through the first part of the meeting and then leave when they go into executive session. Teague: So at least the information that I have when we first voted on this, um, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the, the appoint, the Council appointee was not expected to be in attendance. It was more so a person that can be reached out to, should there be a need for, um, some thoughts for Council. Weiner: Right, but I mean, I found it useful to be there, so they knew who I was and I knew what they were talking about -- Teague: Okay. Weiner: -- and got to know the personalities on the Board. And I think that'll be all the more so if we look at this evening's agenda and we're proposing, expanding the Board, um, by, by two additional people, I mean, I just think it's useful if -- I didn't make it every meeting. Um, but it's useful to, to get a sense for the group and, and how they function and who they are. Teague: Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022. Page 9 Weiner: But you have no actual role, unless there's a question that arises. Teague: All right. Bergus: I'd be glad to serve in that role. Um, but I'm feeling like I'm maybe accumulating too many committees. (Laughter) Uh, I don't know, Megan, you had voiced interest in the, um, City of Literature. Do you want to maybe take that one? Alter: And if this one appeals to you more, Bergus: Unless there are others who want CPRB. Alter: I was feeling like I wasn't stepping up. So whichever one you would prefer to be on, I'll take the other, how about that? Bergus: I'll take CPRB unless anyone else is interested. Alter: Okay. And then I'll take UNESCO. Teague: All right. So we're going to do a switch, UNESCO Board of Directors, which is J, will be Alter. And then we will have Bergus for Q, the Community Police Review Board liaison. All right. Any other thoughts or adjustments before we kind of move to make a vote on the committee assignments? All right. Could I get a motion to approve committee assignments? Weiner: So moved. Taylor: Second. Teague: Moved by Weiner, seconded by Taylor. [voice vote] Motion passes, 7 - 0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal session of January 4, 2022.