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Home My WebLink About2022-02-17 Info Packet City Council I nformation Packet February 17, 2022 IP1.Council Tentative Meeting S chedule Miscellaneous IP2.J ohnson County Master Gardeners: 2021 Seed Share Report IP3.J ohnson County Master Gardener Downtown City Gardens: 2021 Report Draft Minutes IP4.Planning & Z oning Commission: February 2 February 17, 2022 City of Iowa City Page 1 Item Number: 1. February 17, 2022 Council Ten tative Meeting Sched u l e AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Council Tentative Meeting S chedule City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Subject to change February 17, 2022 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:00 PM Iowa City Conference Board Mtg The Center, Assembly Room Work Session 28 S. Linn Street 6:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, March 22, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, April 5, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Monday, April 18, 2022 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD Hosted by Iowa City Community School District Board Tuesday, April 19, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, May 3, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, May 17, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Monday, June 6, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, June 21, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, July 12, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Monday, July 18, 2022 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD Hosted by City of Coralville Tuesday, August 2, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, August 16, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, September 6, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, September 20, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Monday, October 3, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Monday, October 17, 2022 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting The Center, Assembly Room Hosted by City of Iowa City 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, October 18, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, November 1, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, November 15, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Tuesday, December 6, 2022 4:00 PM Work Session The Center, Assembly Room 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 28 S. Linn Street Item Number: 2. February 17, 2022 Joh n son County Master G ard eners: 2021 Seed Sh are Rep ort AT TAC HM E NT S : Description J ohnson County Master Gardeners: 2021 Seed Share Report 2021 Seed Share Preliminary Report to partner organizations and sponsor seed companies 1 Johnson County (Iowa) Master Gardeners 3109 Old Hwy 218 S, Iowa City, IA 52246 Johnson County Master Gardeners 2021 Seed Share Report November 15, 2021 Global coronavirus pandemic forces changes to our distribution For a second year, the 2021 Seed Share pivoted from an in-person offering to an online event due to the continuing coronavirus global pandemic. JCMG partnered with Johnson County Conservation. Six national proprietary seed companies generously donated nearly 1,600 seed packets for our fifth program offering. • Annie’s Heirloom • Harris Seeds – Garden Trends • Osborne Seeds • Renee’s Garden – Cornucopia • Seed Savers – Herman’s Garden • Southern Exposure Master Gardeners harvested a variety of flower seeds to share for the 2021 Seed Share. Guidelines were developed for 2021 to allow gardeners to select 10 vegetable seed packets. Flower seeds were not counted toward the requesters' total allocation. Gardeners were invited to “Plant-A-Row” and share excess produce with Johnson County’s food pantries and Table to Table. In 2021, Master Gardeners donated 1,753 pounds of produce to Johnson County food pantries, Table to Table and Catholic Worker House. Attention from Iowa City Press-Citizen garden columnist Judy Terry in a March 20 column launched the program in 2021. Information was posted to JCMG social media. From March to May, nearly 100 gardeners requested seeds. The remaining 640 seed packets were divided among Johnson County’s three food pantries – CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank, Coralville Community Food Pantry and North Liberty Community Pantry. Distribution followed the same routine as last year. Orders were filled throughout the week and taken to the Extension Office and taped to the door on Monday mornings for gardeners to pick up. Below are a few comments received from area gardeners about our Seed Share program. Linda Schreiber JCMG 2013 Comments from local gardeners participating in 2021 Seed Share “Johnson County Master Gardeners made it very easy for me to begin planting some new vegetables because, In March, they offered a wide array of seeds for free. All I had to do was write an email requesting a few packages, drive to the Johnson County Fairgrounds, and voila, there they were, seed packages wrapped in newspaper , with my name neatly written across the top, taped to the glass door, at the extension building. It couldn’t have been easier. The community connections they provided with 2021 Seed Share Preliminary Report to partner organizations and sponsor seed companies 2 Johnson County (Iowa) Master Gardeners 3109 Old Hwy 218 S, Iowa City, IA 52246 seeds, as work with our gorgeous Mother Earth, was a much needed restorative and nourishing activity at a very scary and complex time. Thank you JCMG” Karen, Iowa City “Thank you so much! What an awesome program. We are all looking forward to tasty summer produce and planting a row to help others.” Jenn, Linda and Dave, Johnson County “Thank you for this wonderful community feeling and project!” Maxwell, Iowa City “Thank you so much for the Seed Share. I saw this in the paper and am grateful for having seeds to grow. This is a great service for the community.” Courtney, Iowa City “Plant-a-row is a fantastic idea! I hope to be a successful gardener and donate a lot this year!” Amelia, Iowa City "… home gardens are not just a little, but vastly more efficient than the industrial system, with far superior health, social, economic, and environmental outcomes." David Fisher, author of October 2022 The Source article “Garden Super Size Me: The Bounty & Benefits of Homegrown Food” Item Number: 3. February 17, 2022 Joh n son County Master G ard ener Downtown City G arden s: 2021 Rep ort AT TAC HM E NT S : Description J ohnson County Master Gardener Downtown City Gardens: 2021 Report December 2021 – Downtown City Gardens ANNUAL REPORT to Iowa City 1 Johnson County Master Gardener Downtown City Gardens - 2021 Report Gardening activities provide respite from the continuing pandemic in 2021 Fortunately, coronavirus vaccines brought new hope and helped establish a new routine for most. Knowing a rush for gardening supplies would exist, like the previous year, early arrangements to purchase supplies were made. Plantings along the historic Highway 6 by the Capital Street Parking Garage continue to greet residents and visitors to the city. Five to 14 dedicated MG volunteers assisted with caring for the gardens while wearing face masks throughout most of the 2021 growing season. Volunteers recorded 371.5 hours for the calendar year. Garden cleanup concluded Nov. 25 with the removal of canna bulbs along Burlington Street and hyacinth bean vines from the Secret Garden in the Dubuque Street Parking Garage. 2021 Successful Partnering Activities: • Updated Dottie Ray Garden on Melrose Avenue near the Emerald Street Fire Station. The garden was filled in with donated annuals: Penta, Russian statice and alyssum. Sunflowers were added to Melrose Avenue west gardens. West gardens continue to evolve and garden editing will continue in 2022. • On April 25, South District representatives and residents organized a Team Up to Clean Up activity to clean, prepare and plant gardens. Multiple DCG Master Gardeners assisted with garden preparation activities along Broadway Street. The gardens were planted with Mexican sunflowers, cannas, zinnia and cosmos seeds during the Earth Day activity. Master Gardeners weeded and maintained the gardens throughout the summer urging South District representatives/residents to participate. • Continued maintenance in the Northside gardens along Market and Linn streets. Gardens were filled in with donated annual begonias and coleus, bee balm, catmint, rudbeckia and hyssop. Efforts to continue planting perennial rudbeckia continued. • Planted and provided ongoing care and maintenance throughout the gardening season to numerous DCG. Annual flowers donated to DCG were added to most major gardens. Efforts to plant sunflowers in the Old Capitol Street Parking Garage west entrance failed twice. The area was replanted with Heliopsis and Echinacea purpurea PowWow (coneflowers). • Provided Mercy Iowa City assistance and needed maintenance in its Memorial Rose Garden and the rose gardens along Market Street. • Last fall, DCG volunteers gathered numerous flower seeds to share with the public for the 2022 JCMG Seed Share and other activities. • Our volunteers planted a new garden on the west side of Old Capitol Mall entrance to the UI Police Station and partnered with Mall owners to mulch the new space. • Thirty-five MGs assisted Iowa City Park crews to plant 39 deciduous trees in Wetherby Park. Grant funds provided trees and supplies to replace those destroyed by the derecho. The project launched JCMG’s 40th year of service to Johnson County that will be celebrated throughout 2022. • Assisted JCMG fundraising activities including selling dahlias ($150) and the Flower Fundraiser ($550) and $100 in private donations. Seed Share: Although not a specific project to DCG, Seed Share celebrated its fifth Seed Share activity with its second virtual program due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in 2021. The program had six sponsors, Annie’s Heirloom, Harris Seeds (Garden Trends), Osborne Seeds, Renee’s Garden, Seeds Savers (Herman’s Garden), and Southern Exposure and a partnership with Johnson County Conservation and three area food pantries – CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank, Coralville Community Food Pantry and North Liberty Community Pantry. Nearly 1,600 seed packets were distributed contact-free to nearly 100 residents in the Johnson County area by taping orders to the JC Extension Office door. The remaining seed packets were December 2021 – Downtown City Gardens ANNUAL REPORT to Iowa City 2 donated to the Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty Community Pantries. (See 2021 Seed Share Summary attached report.) REMINDER TO IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS: The number of pets and pet owners in apartments and condos in the central business district continues to grow. To protect public investments, the council should consider requiring all future development and remodeled construction projects to include rooftop gardens and indoor pet facilities to accommodate animals and their owners. State & Local Results: ISU Master Gardener county program standings for 2021 have not been issued as of February 2022. The information will be distributed as it becomes available. History: Downtown City Gardens (DCG) celebrated 14 gardening seasons in 2021. DCG became a JCMG approved project in 2016, after undergoing a three-year review period (2013, 2014, 2015) for Master Gardner Steering Committee approval. The project, working with Iowa City officials and staff, debuted in 2008 before eastern Iowa flooding occurred. Planting that started in the Pedestrian Mall evolved to include Burlington Street and Clinton Street and the Northside, as well as pockets of gardening treasures elsewhere throughout the city. Park Superintendent Tyler Baird and Horticulturist Steve Erickson are vital contributors to DCG success. This report is in appreciation of past and present Iowa City staff, Master Gardener volunteers, interns, Extension staff and public volunteers for their continued interest and support to make Downtown City Gardens and the UNESCO City of Literature an inviting, beautiful environment for all to enjoy! Linda Schreiber, JCMG 2013 Johnson County Master Gardeners assisted South District Neighborhood with Team Up to Clean Up. JCMG cleaned and planted gardens along Broadway Street. JCMG weeded the Broadway gardens throughout the summer. December 2021 – Downtown City Gardens ANNUAL REPORT to Iowa City 3 Above: Johnson County Master Gardener volunteers remove plant debris at Capitol Street Parking Garage. Center: Volunteers plant sunflower seeds on the west entrance of the parking garage. JCMG volunteers attach string for purple hyacinth beans in the Secret Garden on the lower level of the Dubuque Street Parking Garage. (Left) JCMG volunteers assist City crews with weeding and caring for gardens along Clinton Street. (Right) Hyacinth beans in the Secret Garden on the lower level of the Dubuque Street Parking Garage are beginning to follow guide strings. Left: The Northside continues to grow and thrive with a combination of new plants. Center: Larkspur perennials self-seed to expand plantings on the west side of Capital Street Parking Garage. Right: New plantings of Heliopsis and Echinacea purpurea PowWow were installed in 2021. December 2021 – Downtown City Gardens ANNUAL REPORT to Iowa City 4 Top row, west and east views: Cannas and day lilies put on a summer show on the south side of the Capital Street Parking Garage. Bottom row: Capital Street Parking Garage west side entrance to the Uiversity of Iowa Campus Police station was enhanced with new rudbeckia plantings and annual zinnias. The building owners funded mulch to hold weeds at bay. Melrose Avenue was planted in the 1970s by Project GREEN volunteers. In 2013, the gardens between Emerald and Westgate Street were revamped with perennials. (Above left) The garden across from Fire Station includes Artic fire dogwood, allysm, rudbeckia, sunflowers. (Center and right) The Melrose gardens at Westgate include peonies, iris, sunflowers, bee balm and others. Item Number: 4. February 17, 2022 Plan n ing & Z on ing Commission : F ebruary 2 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Planning & Z oning Commission: February 2