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2024-03-14 Info Packet
� r rrr®��� City Council Information Packet CITY OF 10"IA CITY March 14, 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule March 19 - Iowa City Conference Board IP2. Iowa City Conference Board Meeting Agenda Packet: March 19 March 19 - Work Session IP3. Work Session Agenda IP4. Pending City Council Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IPS. Email from David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa: Escucha Mi Voz Report [Submitted by Mayor Teague] IP6. Civil Service Examination: Associate Planner - Transportation Planning IP7. Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Streets Draft Minutes IP8. Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 7 IP9. Historic Preservation Commission: February 8 IP10. Human Rights Commission: March 4 March 14, 2024 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP1. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Attachments: Council Tentative Meeting Schedule City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule nil Subject to change CITY OF IOWA CITY March 14,2024 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, March 19,2024 4:00 PM City Conference Board Meeting City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session 410 E.Washington Street 6:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday,April 2,2024 4:00 PM Special Formal Meeting City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session 410 E.Washington Street 6:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday,April 15,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall Hosted by the City of Iowa City 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,April 16,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, May 7,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, May 21,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,June 4,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,June 18,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Monday,July 15,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD Hosted by the City of North Liberty Tuesday,July 16,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,August 6,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,August 20,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,September 3,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,September 17,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,October 1,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,October 15,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Monday,October 21,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD Hosted by the City of University Heights Monday, November 4,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, November 19,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, December 10,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Item Number: IP2. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Iowa City Conference Board Meeting Agenda Packet: March 19 Attachments: Iowa City Conference Board Meeting Agenda Packet: March 19 OFFICE OF THE IOWA CITY ASSESSOR JOHNSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING BRAD COMER ASSESSOR MARTIN BURKLE CHIEF DEPUTY TONY STAMMLER DEPUTY March 13, 2024 Dear Conference Board Member: The meeting of the Iowa City Conference Board for the public hearing on the Iowa City Assessor's FY 2025 budget is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 4:00 P.M. at City Hall—Emma J. Harvat Hall. Enclosed for your review before the meeting are: 1. The agenda. 2. A copy of the February 20, 2024, minutes. 3. A copy of the FY25 Itemized Budget. Please contact me if you have questions about individual items or wish to see any of the supporting documents for this budget. Sincerely, Brad Comer Iowa City Assessor bcomer@iohnsoncountviowa.gov (319) 356-6066 913 SOUTH DUBUQUE STREET •IOWA CITY IOWA 52240 TELEPHONE 319-356-6066 JOHNSON COUNTY IOWA CITY IOWA CITY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD The Iowa City Conference Board Agenda Tuesday, March 19, 2024 4:00 P.M A. Call meeting to order by the Chairperson (Mayor). B. Roll call by taxing body. C. Motion to approve minutes of February 20, 2024, Conference Board meeting. Action: D. FY25 Budget Comment —The purpose of this meeting is to hold a public hearing on the Iowa City Assessor's proposed budget for FY 2025. 1. Public Hearing on proposed FY25 Budget. 2. Discuss proposed budget (Possible closed session, pursuant to Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(i), to evaluate the professional competency of individuals whose appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered. A motion must be made to adjourn to executive session.) 3. Motion to adopt the FY25 budget. Action: E. Discuss Examining Board opening. 1. Appoint Examining Board member. Action: F. Board comments G. Adjournment. Action: The Conference Board votes as three voting units,with a majority of the members present for each unit determining the unit's vote.At least two members of a voting unit must be present in order to vote.A quorum is reached when at least two members from two units are present. IOWA CITY CONFERENCE BOARD MINUTES February 20, 2024 Iowa City Conference Board: February 20, 2024, at 4:00 P.M. in Emma J. Harvat Hall at City Hall, Mayor Bruce Teague presiding. Iowa City Council Members Present: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih, and Teague. Johnson County Supervisors Present: Fixmer-Oraiz, Green, and Sullivan. Iowa City School Board Members Present: None. Others Present: Comer, Fruin, Goers, Kilburg, Burkle, Stammler, and Grace. Digital Recording: February 20, 2024. Chair Bruce Teague called the meeting to order and Clerk Brad Comer called roll and stated that a quorum was present. The County (Sullivan) moved to accept the minutes of the last conference board meeting, February 21, 2023, the City(Alter) seconded and the motion carried unanimously 2/0. The Iowa City School Board, having no members present, did not have a vote recorded. Iowa City Assessor Brad Comer presented his FY '25 Assessment Expense Fund budget. The salaries/wages are increasing 2.5% for cost of living, as well as additional increases for merit. Postage and printing are up because 2025 will be a reassessment year and assessment notices will be mailed to all property owners. Workers' compensation premiums increased from $1,215 to $7,963. This increase is mainly due to the reclassification of our staff from all office workers to 6 field workers and 1 office. Classifying all of our staff previously as office was not accurate. The proposed budget shows a total increase of$43,419 or 3.56%. There will also be an increase of 10.58% or $99,476 in the amount to be raised by taxation. This follows decreases in the amount to be raised the past two fiscal years. Comer mentioned that the Assessor Evaluation Committee consisting of Charlie Eastham, Bruce Teague and Rod Sullivan met on January 25, 2024, to discuss the budget and review a self-evaluation completed by the assessor. The City (Dunn) moved to accept the proposed budget for publication. The motion was seconded by the County(Green) and passed unanimously 2/0. The City (Salib)moved to set the public hearing for March 19,2024, at 4:00 P.M. the County (Fixmer-Oraiz) seconded and the motion carried unanimously 2/0. The City (Moe) moved to appoint Scott McDonough to a six-year term on the Iowa City Assessor's Board of Review ending December 31, 2029. The County (Sullivan) seconded and the motion carried unanimously 2/0. The City (Harmsen)moved to defer the appointment of an Examining Board member to the next meeting, as there were not any applicants yet. The County (Green) seconded and the motion carried unanimously 2/0. Comer discussed the possibility of organizing an informal meeting,where the Assessor can provide background on the assessment process and role of the Conference Board, as well as share assessment statistics. This may be a good opportunity for the Conference Board to become more familiar with assessments and ask questions in an informal setting. Comer will send out a poll with a few dates and determine the best time to meet if there is interest. There being no other business, it was moved by the County (Sullivan) and seconded by the City (Moe) to adjourn at 4:10 P.M. Motion carried unanimously 2/0. Brad Comer Clerk, Iowa City Conference Board IOWA CITY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE ITEMIZED BUDGET -ASSESSMENT EXPENSE FUND EMPLOYEE EXPENDITURES FY2024 FY 2025 INCREASE SALARIES Current Proposed CITY ASSESSOR 139,160 146,118 5.00% CHIEF DEPUTY ASSESSOR 122,487 126,611 5.00% DEPUTYASSESSOR 107,241 112,603 5.00% OTHER PERSONNEL 297,718 298,335 0.21% MERIT INCREASES(have been added to salaries above) (13,491) (15,042) SUBTOTAL $666,606 $685,667 2.86% Proposed salaries include merit increases and cost of living adjustments. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS EMPLOYER SHARE:FICA 54,146 55,605 2.69% EMPLOYER SHARE:IPERS 66,798 68.597 2.69% HEALTH INSURANCE 205,072 205,072 0.00% SUBTOTAL 326,016 329,274 1.00% TOTAL EMPLOYEE COST $992,622 $1,014,941 2.259'6 OTHER EXPENDITURES LEAVE CONTINGENCY $20,000 $20,000 0.00% BOARDS BOARD OF REVIEW 21,000 21,000 0.00% BOARD OF REVIEW EXPENSES 200 200 0.00% CONFERENCE BOARD 0 0 EXAMINING BOARD 30 30 0.00% SUBTOTAL $21,230 $21,230 0.00% OFFICE EXPENSES MILEAGE&AUTO 5,000 5,000 0.00% OFFICE SUPPLIES 31500 3,500 0.00% POSTAGE 2,500 9,000 260.GD% TELEPHONE 1,300 1,300 0.00% PUBLICATIONS&SUBSCRIPTIONS 1,100 1,100 0.00% PRINTING 1,600 3,800 137.50% INSURANCE 5,200 5,200 0.00% EQUIPMENT PURCHASE 3,400 3,400 0.00% DEFERRED COMPENSATION MATCH 7,280 7,280 0.00% UNEMPLOYMENT 2,000 2,000 0.00% DATA PROCESSING SERVICES 20,000 20,000 0.00% HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES 2,100 2,100 0.00% SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 18,000 18,000 0.00% BONDS&WORKER'S COMPENSATION 1,900 8,300 336.84% COMPUTER REPLACEMENT 2,500 2,500 0-00% SUBTOTAL $77,380 $92,480 19.51% PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES SCHOOLS&CONFERENCES 13,500 13,500 0.00% DUES 2,200 2,200 0.00% SUBTOTAL $15,700 $15,700 0.00% TECHNICAL SERVICES LEGAL FEES&EXPERT WITNESSES 75,000 75,000 0.00% AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 10,000 10,000 0.00% APPRAISAL SERVICE 1,000 1,000 0.00% SUBTOTAL $86,000 $86,000 0.00% TOTAL OTHER EXPENDITURES $220,310 $235,410 (I SUBTOTAL EXPENDITURES $1,212,932 $1,250,351 RESERVES AUTO REPLACEMENT 8.000 14,000 TOTAL RESERVES $ 81000 $ 14,000 TOTAL ASSMT EXPENSE FUND BUDGET $1,220,932 $1,264,351 3.56% UNASSIGNED BALANCE $280,458 $224,401 TO BE RAISED BY TAXATION $940,474 $1,039,950 10.58% IOWA CITY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE MAXIMUM LEVY ALLOWED MAXIMUM ASSESSMENT EXPENSE FUND 4,338,369,100X.000675 $2,928,399 IPERS&FICA FUNDS $124,562 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION&TORT LIABILITY $4,000 MAXIMUM ALLOWED WITHOUT STATE APPROVAL $3,056,961 MAXIMUM EMERGENCY FUND 4,338,369,100X.00027 $1,171,360 (requires State Appeal Board approval) MAXIMUM THAT COULD BE RAISED BY TAXATION FOR FY 2025 $4,228,321 PRIOR YEARS LEVIES AND RATES ASSESSMENT EXPENSE FUND SPECIAL APPRAISERS FUND TOTAL LEVY FY AMOUNT LEVIED LEVY RATE AMOUNT LEVIED LEVY RATE 1996-97 319,513 020450 17,000 0.01088 0.21538 1997-98 318,270 0.19946 52,834 0.03311 0.23257 1998-99 318,699 0.19269 184,357 0.11146 0.30415 1999-00 341,910 0.19784 352,508 0.20398 0.40182 2000-01 359,341 0.19823 180,293 0.09946 0.29769 2001-02 396,629 0.20636 6,442 0.00335 0.20971 2002-03 403,136 0.20694 4,426 0.00227 0.20921 2003-04 412,379 020818 10,051 0.00507 0.21325 2004-05 470,398 0.22926 15,728 0.00767 0.23693 2005-06 472,050 0.22525 25,995 0.01240 0.23765 2006-07 529,702 023164 0 0 0.23164 2007-08 603,916 025868 4,792 0.00205 0.26073 2008-09 611,955 0.24917 1,540 0.00063 0.24980 2009-10 600,013 0.23848 0 0 0.23648 2010-11 621,785 0.23147 8,730 0.00325 0.23472 2011-12 680,786 0.24538 2,608 0.00094 0.24632 2012-13 700,997 0.24164 8,384 0.00289 0.24453 2013-14 769,744 0-25873 NIA NIA 0.25873 2014-15 732,073 0.23866 NIA NIA 0.23866 2015-16 754,689 0.24325 NIA NIA 0.24325 2016-17 804,099 024339 NIA NIA 0.24339 2017-18 859,971 025141 NIA NIA 0.25141 2018-19 838,975 0.23187 NIA NIA 0.23187 2019-20 743,518 0.19747 NIA NIA 0.19747 2020-21 1,073,957 0.25979 NIA NIA 0.25979 2021-22 1,083,586 0.25664 N/A NIA 0.25664 2022-23 989,616 023571 NIA NIA 0.23571 2023-24 940,474 022479 NIA NIA 0.22479 2024-25 11039,950 0.23971 N(A NIA 0.23971 Item Number: IP3. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Work Session Agenda Attachments: Work Session Agenda Subject to change as finalized by the City Clerk. For a final official copy, contact the City Clerk's Office 356-5041 If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this program/event, please contact Kellie Grace at 319-356-5041, kgrace@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Iowa City City Council - Work Session Agendat.+� Work Session "OMITS March 19, 2024 - 4:00 PM CITY of IOWA CITY Emma J. Harvat Hall 410 E. Washington Street www.icgov.org City of Iowa City Land Acknowledgment can be found at: icgov.org/landacknowledgement Meeting Rules can be found at: icgov.org/meeting rules You can watch the meeting on cable channel 4 (118.2 QAM) in Iowa City, University Heights and Coralville, or you can watch it online at any of the following websites: • https://citychannel4.com/live • https://www.youtube.com/user/citychannel4/live • httos://face book.com/CityofIowaCity Following the 4:00 PM City Conference Board Meeting 1 . Public Safety Calls for Service Discussion 2. Clarification of Agenda Items 3. Information Packet Discussion [February 22, February 29, March 7, March 14] 4. University of Iowa Student Government (USG) Updates 5. Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees Item Number: IP4. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Pending City Council Work Session Topics Attachments: Pending City Council Work Session Topics it �fw®� • MUM CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS February 22, 2024 Aprii 2, 2024 • Special Formal Meeting on the Proposed Property Tax Levy FY23-25 Strategic Plan Action Item Topics Requiring Council Discussion: • Explore legal steps to discourage or prevent bad faith and predatory property investors • Advance prioritized recommendations in the 2022 Affordable Housing Action Plan. Work with partners to undertake significant-scale affordable housing efforts • Develop a vision statement for a singular regional transit system with metro Johnson County entities and obtain initial commitments to study a regional system from each entity's elected officials • Evaluate with the State of Iowa reverting Dodge and Governor to 2-way streets Other Topics: • Quarterly American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA-SLRF)update • Consider a strategic plan decision-making framework • Develop strategies to address equity gaps noted in the Parks Master Plan and plan for the equitable distribution of destination parks within an easy and safe distance of all residents. • Discussion on the impact of land use decisions on long-term City financial health • Discussion on City Charter • Discussion of board and commission appointment process • UNESCO City of Literature update • Review of the City's utility discount program • License plate reader technology discussion • Local Option Sales Tax and other alternative revenue streams discussion • Affordable Housing discussion • Update on efforts of the Childcare Coalition • Funding for immigrant led or served community organizations • Joint meeting with Parks Commission to review public input on City Park Pool conceptual designs (April or May) • TRC phase 2 presentation(April 16) Note: Some items on the Pending List may require staff research and information gatheringprior to scheduling. Item Number: IP5. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Email from David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa: Escucha Mi Voz Report [Submitted by Mayor Teague] Attachments: Email from David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa: Escucha Mi Voz Report [Submitted by Mayor Teague] Email from David Goodner - Additional Appendix B (African & Hispanic/Latino) Appendix B - Black African Appendix B - Hispanic/Latino Kellie Grace From: Bruce Teague Sent: Friday, March 8, 2024 4:46 PM To: Kellie Grace Subject: Fwd: 3/19 presentation to council? Attachments: Ojpg;We sent you safe versions of your files; SaludTechoYTrabajo.HealthEquityReport.3.8.24.pdf,Appendix B_ Hispanic_Latino_Only.pdf;Appendix B_Survey Aggregate Data Tables - aggregate data.pdf;Appendix A_Survey Census Summary.pdf;Appendix B_Black African_Only.pdf Kellie, please include this email,attachments and Geoff s email response in the email packet. Thank you! In Unity, Mayor Bruce Teague Begin forwarded message: From: "David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa" <david@escuchamivozia.org> Date: March 8, 2024 at 12:48:24 PM CST To: Bruce Teague<bteague@iowa-city.org> Subject: 3/19 presentation to council? **This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or attachments. ** Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files. Mayor Teague, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa and Johnson County Public Health request 15-20 minutes on an upcoming council agenda,for example,Tue, March 19,to present to you the findings of a comprehensive whole worker health survey and needs assessment of 481 immigrant and refugee workers. Attached is the EMV report, and Appendixes, including census tract data. We would prepare and present some slides summarizing this information and answer questions. Could you grant us 15-20 minutes on March 19 or another upcoming date to update and inform the council about this issue? Thanks and let me know, David Goodner Escucha Mi Voz Iowa 113 S Johnson St Iowa City, IA 52240 319-499-8929 1 Kellie Grace From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Friday, March 8, 2024 4:24 PM To: david@escuchamivozia.org Cc: Bruce Teague; Redmond Jones; Kirk Lehmann;Ashley Platz; Kellie Grace Subject: RE: EMV/1CPH presentation March 19? Mr.Good ner, We are happy to place the report and appendices in the next City Council Information Packet(public release date 3/14/24). The appropriate forum to speak to the report will be during the public comment period at a regular meeting of the City Council (3/19 is the next scheduled meeting). While individual comments are limited to 3 minutes(additional if translation is needed), multiple speakers can speak to the same topic in succession. Thank you, Geoff Fruin City Manager From: Kellie Grace<KG race@ iowa-city.org> Sent: Friday, March 8, 2024 9:11 AM To: david@escuchamivozia.org Cc: Geoff Fruin<GFruin@iowa-city.org> Subject: FW: EMV/JCPH presentation March 19? Good morning, I am forwarding your request to City Manager Fruin who discusses and sets upcoming work session topics with the Mayor. Thank you ® 1 SWA CITY A UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE XL'F{JC yrace, CVC City Clerk office:319-356-5041 410 E Washington St, Iowa City, IA 52240 WWW 7CGOV.ORG 4Q ®o jft FARE FREE Iowa Learn City T rat it is now FARE RE FREE! IOWA CITY 1 From: David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa<davidCJg escuchamivozia-ora> Sent: Friday, March 8, 2024 9:05 AM To: Kellie Grace<KGrace(&fowa-citv.ore> Subject: EMVJJCPH presentation March 19? A **This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or attachments. ** Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe,but always exercise caution when opening files. City Clerk Kellie Grace: Escucha Mi Voz Iowa members,Johnson County Public Health, and Ul College of Nursing conducted a wide-ranging Whole Worker Health survey of 481 French and Spanish speaking Iowa City and Johnson county residents.The results found a widespread demand for Covid-19 information,tests, and vaccines, and identified several structural barriers to health equity for immigrant and refugee workers. I am writing to ask you if we could have 15-20 minutes on the March 19 city council agenda to present our survey, report,findings,and recommendations to the Iowa City City Council. Attached are a copy of the final report, raw data, and census mapping of survey respondents. Thanks and let me know, David Goodner Co-Director, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa 113 S Johnson St Iowa City, IA 52240 2 SALUD, TECHO, Y TRABAJO A HEALTH EQUITY REPORT FOR POLICYMAKERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, WORKERS, AND EVERYDAY PEOPLE V - i f r SUMMARY Working with the UI College of Nursing and]ohnson County Public Health, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa members conducted a needs assessment and whole worker health survey of 481 immigrant and refugee residents of Johnson County. This report analyzes the results of the October/November 2023 survey, identifies the structural barriers to vaccine access and health equity, and offers recommendations to policymakers and the public. Salud, Techo, y Trabajo:A Health Equity Guide for Policymakers, Community Organizations, Workers, and Everyday People Emily M. Sinnwell, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, University of Iowa College of Nursing Clinton Dimambu, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa Author Note Dr. Sinnwell is an assistant clinical professor at the UI College of Nursing. Mr. Dimambu is a Representative Organizer with Escucha Mi Voz Iowa. Additional Contributions by Johnson County Public Health and Hegemony Strategies. Funding provided by United Way of Iowa and Johnson County Public Health. Escucha Mi Voz Iowa is a grassroots community organization with members in five counties. The mission of Escucha Mi Voz Iowa is to advance whole worker health equity and address the structural determinants of health by building the power of working-class immigrant and refugee communities to fight and win justice and dignity in society. Contact Escucha Mi Voz Iowa at 113 S Johnson St, Iowa City, IA 52240. Email: info@escuchamivozia.or� 2 Introduction The Whole Worker Health Survey was conducted in Spanish and French by trained Community Health Organizers over seven weeks in October and November 2023. The survey was conducted by phone and in-person with 481 respondent-residents of Johnson County. Of the 481 responses, 240 were conducted in-person, either at the Escucha Mi Voz Iowa office in Iowa City, or in the private mobile homes and apartments of the respondents. The other 241 responses were completed over the phone. All data was recorded, stored, and secured in Escucha Mi Voz's EveryAction database. The findings reveal that the working-class, immigrant and refugee communities who were hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic continue to face entrenched structural barriers to vaccine access and health equity. The structural determinants to health identified include: 1) Low-wage working conditions in essential industries without the benefits of a strong union contract like livable wages, health insurance, and paid sick leave. 2) Expensive, overcrowded, and substandard housing. 3) Immigration status and primary language other than English. 4) The limited planning of policymakers and service providers to effectively implement a proactive and coordinated outreach program and education campaign. 5) The lack of power directly impacted communities currently have to change the economic and social conditions affecting their pay, working conditions, housing, and education. Based on these findings, the report recommends: 1. For city and county policymakers, fully fund innovative community health partnerships and new permanent supportive housing developments for immigrant and refugee workers. 2. For stateop_licymakers, pass legislation guaranteeing paid sick leave, drivers licenses, and Medicaid for all workers, regardless of immigration status. 3. For foundations and fundersfocus grantmaking on dynamic, base-building organizations with a real strategy to scale up through grassroots leadership training and 1on1 relational organizing. 3 Literature Review A dangerous new variant of the Covid-19 virus- known as the JNA variant- emerged in September 2023 and quickly spread across the country, becoming the dominant strain in the United States by January 6, 20241. At the same time, less than 10 percent of U.S. adults report being inoculated with the new Covid-19 vaccine Z. While the rate of Covid-19 infections and mortalities in immigrant and refugee communities has declined since 2020, public health data from Iowa and across the country continues to highlight the racial disparity and disproportionate impact of the pandemic on immigrant and refugee workers. According to an August 20, 2022 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development3: Immigrants are disproportionately affected by COVID-19[and are]much more likely than their native-born peers to catch the disease, to develop severe symptoms, and to face higher mortality risks. This is due to a range of factors such as poorer housing conditions with higher incidences of overcrowding;a higher dependency on public transport; overconcentration in areas with higher population density; fewer possibilities for teleworking and a higher incidence of frontline jobs;as well as language barriers and other structural obstacles to access health services and communications regarding prevention measures. Immigrants are also underrepresented among those who get vaccinated. "We consider immigration as a social determinant that has an impact on health and overall well-being and that puts immigrant communities at greater risk for COVID-19 infection while they are also less likely to access health care or have greater delays in entry into health care,"a team of researchers wrote in a peer-reviewed article published by the American Journal of Public Health'. 'A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms.Today, Jan 9, 2023.Accessed Jan 10, 2024. https://n ews.va hoo.com/covi d-va ria nt-spread i na-fast-us-014701360.htm I z COVID-19 booster is`abysmal',only 7 percent of U.S.adults with shot.PBS News,Oct 27,2023.Accessed Jan to, 2024. httns://www,pbs.org/newshour/healt vaccine-data-shows-rates-for-latest-covid-to-booster-is-abysmal-on).v-v-perc ent-of-u-s-adults-with-shot 3 What has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrants?An update on recent evidence.OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus.Aug 20,2022.Accessed Jan 10,2024. httt)s://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/i)ol icy-responses/what-has-been-the-i mi)act-of-the-covid-1 9-pandemic-on-i mmigrants-an-update-on-recent-evidence-65cfc31 c/ 4 Immigrant Communities and COVID-19: Strengthening the Public Health Response.Am J Public Health. 2021 October; 111(Suppl 3):S224-5231. 4 Hispanic, Latino and Black African Respondent Profile Mspenic 0 LaSno ■ Black African 250 Fifty-five percent of the 481 survey 200 respondents self-identified as 150. Hispanic or Latino, and 45 percent 100 identified as Black African. Fifty-three percent of 481 survey 50 respondents self-identified as 0 Etnddty female, 47 percent identified as male. Female, 53 percent; Male,47 percent Fifty-seven respondents stated they 63%Female(256 respondents) 0 47 percent Male(226 respondl 100% are naturalized citizens, 94 presented at the border and are in 75% asylum proceedings, 143 are 50% undocumented, and 187 are permanent residents. 25% 0% Gender Naturalized citizens and Immigration status permanent residents are overwhelmingly Black African Natuallmd d6zen t+9% refugees. In proceedings or Permanent meident undocumented respondents are 389% Presentetl al�ortler 95% primarily Hispanic/Latino. Only three respondents identified Undocumented English as their preferred 29.7% language. Sixteen stated French was their preferred language, 237 stated Spanish was their preferred language, and 217 stated that multiple languages (such as French and Lingala)were their preferred language. 5 Findings Summary: Jobs and Wages Below AMI Not working, Under $15, $15-20 and More than $20 0 Not currently working 0 Under$15/hr 0 $15-20/hr E More than$20 300 200 100 0 Hourly wage 86% of 481 immigrant workers do not have paid sick leave E 414 Yes(86%) 0 67 No(14%) 500 400 300 200 100 0 Do you have paid sick leave? 6 Findings Summary: Distribution of Occupations other 16.6% meatpacking plant 25.6% unemployed worker 9.8% warehouse worker 0.8% walmart worker - 2.5% estaurant worker domestic worker 4.4% 9.6% hospital worker 4.6% hotel worker temp worker 7.7% 5.4% factory worker construction worker 6.9% 6.2% Survey respondents include: 123 meatpacking plant workers. ➢ 46 restaurant workers. ➢ 37 hotel workers. ➢ 33 factory workers. ➢ 30 construction workers. ➢ 26 temp workers. ➢ 22 hospital workers. ➢ 21 domestic workers. ➢ 12 Wal-mart workers. ➢ 4 warehouse workers. ➢ 36 unemployed workers (including self-identified housewives, or'ama de casa'). ➢ 80 other(including farmworkers, public school employees, maintenance, landscapers, etc). 7 Findings Summary: Affordable Housing Crisis More Severe for Immigrant and Refugee Workers According to survey results, 53 percent of respondents pay over $800 a month in housing, with more than 1/3rd living in double, triple, or quadruple occupancy households (including more than half of Hispanic respondents).' When controlled for hourly wages and the total number of people in each household, virtually all survey respondents qualify as low-to-moderate income, under 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), with the majority under 50 percent AMI'. People in household 125 100 0 0 � 75 0 L C 50 a O N a 25 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ s"in 2022, 19.1%of the population was living with severe housing problems in Johnson County, IA."according to https 7Hd ata usa.io/D rofi le/aeo/loh nson-co u n tv-ia 6 For 2023 estimates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,see httos://www.huduser.gov/Donal/datasets/home-datasets/files/HOME Incomel-mts State IA 2023.pddf 8 Other families in house 4+ 102% 3 1.9% 2 5.8% 1 16.6% 0 65.5% Other families in house Hispanic only 4+ 18.6 3 3A% 0 44.3% 2 8.0% 1 25.8% 9 Findings Summary: Health and Food Security Lacking Nearly one in five respondents report having at least one serious medical condition such as asthma or diabetes, including 22 percent of Hispanic respondents and 7 percent of Black African respondents (see Appendix B: Data Tables). This variance between ethnic groups is also reflected in health insurance coverage. While 53 percent of all respondents stated they do not have health insurance, 83 percent of Hispanic/Latino respondents do not have health insurance compared to just 11 percent of Black African respondents. This is likely because a majority of Black African respondents have an immigration status that allows them to work legally in industries that offer health insurance to their workers, such as meatpacking and food production. One in five respondents reported they are not able to afford groceries every week, including 27 percent of Hispanic/Latino respondents and 11 percent of Black African respondents.Twenty percent of respondents stated they do not know where they can access free food in the Johnson County community, including 28 percent of Hispanic/Latino respondents and 8 percent of Black African respondents. Twenty percent of respondents said they were food insecure M 96 No (20%) 0 385 Yes (80%) 500 — 400 300 200 100 0 Can you afford to buy groceries every week? 10 Findings Summary: Vaccine Demand High Despite Structural Barriers Contributing to Vaccine Hesitancy Survey results show that a majority of respondents have been previously vaccinated for both influenza and Covid-19, with sixty-three percent stating they plan to get the new Covid-19 vaccine. However, structural barriers to access continue to contribute to persistent vaccine hesitancy for 37 percent of survey-takers, barriers including: 1) Cost. 2) Work. 3) Transportation, and 4) lack of information, education, and training. Survey results show a clear demand for Covid tests & vaccines Yes No Have you ever been vaccinated for COVID 19? Were you vaccinated for influenza last season? Have you heard about the new once a year COVID vaccine? Do you plan on getting the new once a year COVID 19 vaccine? Do you know where you can get a COVID 19 or flu vaccine? Did you arrive in the U.S. within the last 12 months? Do you want to get signed up for free COVID 19 test kits? 0 100 200 300 400 500 11 0 Cost Knowledge/Information 0 Other(fear, apathy, etc) Transportation Work 100 75 50 - 25 0 milh Was it difficult for What's stopping Was it difficult for What stopped What is stopping you to get a you from having you to get an you from getting you from getting COVID been vaccinated influenza an influenza the new 19/influenza forCOVID? vaccine? vaccine? COVID-19 vaccine? vaccine? Findings Summary: Top Issues Include Immigration Reform, Affordable Housing, Health Insurance, and Higher Wages When asked, survey respondents identified immigration reform, health insurance, raising wages, and affordable housing as the top issues impacting their lives. While only four percent of respondents stated they had been the victims of wage theft in the last 12 months, 90 percent reported they have never attended a workers' rights training. The nine percent of respondents who chose Other Issue were Black African refugees who stated they were not timely notified about the 2022 Johnson County Direct Assistance Program', and did not have an equal opportunity to apply for the $1,400 household stabilization program. ' For more information see Tyson Foods employees demand additional relief funds from Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Daily Iowan, November 28, 2022,accessed 1/22/24. httos://dailyiowan.com/2022/11/28/tyson-foods-employees-demand-additional-relief-funds-from-Johnson-coun tv-board-of-supervisors/ 12 What issues are most important to you? Raising wages Affordable housing 22.0% 21.9% Other 9.1% Health insurance 22.3% Immigration reform 74.8% Conclusion and Call to Action: Immigrant and Refugee Workers Need Jobs, Housing, and Services The Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing, and while demand for new vaccines is high, structural determinants such as housing, work, transportation, insurance, and education all contribute to persistent vaccine hesitancy. Bold public policy is needed to improve health access and address the root causes of the social problems negatively impacting essential immigrant workers in Iowa. Promoting whole worker health equity is not only the right thing to do, it is also good economics. Immigrant workers fueled the U.S. economy through the pandemic and helped grow both the labor market' and Iowa's population'. ' Immigration is taking pressure off thejob market, experts say.CNBC, March 2,2024 httos://www.cn bc.com/2024/03/02/imm i2ration-taking-pressure-off-the-iob-market-us-econo mv-exoert.htm I 9 New report finds immigrants are a major factor in Iowa's future growth,July 13,2023, KWWL httos://www.kwwl.com/news/dubuoue/new-report-finds-immigrants-are-a-major-factor-in-iowas-future- rp owth/ article f53a4c68-21 a0-11ee-ae62-07393e32102e.html 13 Recommendations for Policymakers and the Public: 1) Fully fund innovative community health partnerships to communicate the latest pandemic and public health information to immigrant and refugee workers through trusted organizations with a mass base of support in the impacted communities. 2) Rezone city neighborhoods for multi-family development and allocate remaining American Rescue Plan dollars to affordable housing and permanent supportive housing initiatives. Housing is one of the most important structural determinants to whole worker health equity, and the acute scarcity of affordable housing in Johnson County can be addressed with multi-family zoning and more public investment in projects to scale. 3) Pass state legislation guaranteeingl2aid sick leave, drivers licenses. and Medicaid for all workers, regardless of immigration status. Immigrant workers are vital to the state's economy and Iowa businesses. Paid sick leave, drivers licenses, and Medicaid for all strengthen the frontline workers Iowa depends on for essential goods and services. 4) Focus government and foundation grantmaking on dynamic. base-building projects that address the core issues of jobs, housing, education, and services to scale. The whole worker health equity survey is one of the most comprehensive datasets available to policymakers, funders, and the public clearly articulating the expressed needs and priorities of hundreds of directly impacted immigrant and refugee workers. If You Build It, They Will Come Vaccine clinics in December,January, and February co-sponsored by Johnson County Public Health and Escucha Mi Voz Iowa succeeded in vaccinating dozens of immigrant workers, including many who received a Covid-19 vaccine for the veryfirst time. 14 Organizations with a proven track record of success a) delivering accurate and culturally competent information; b) providing transportation, interpretation, and education; and c) pre-screening for social service eligibility; can move the needle to create vaccine demand, reduce vaccine hesitancy, and connect residents with the jobs, housing, and services they need to survive. Appendix A: Census Tract Summary Maps Sixty-three point six percent (63.6%) of geocoded respondents live in just five census tract neighborhoods, including four contiguous, racially diverse, and low-income census tracts on the southside and far east sides of Iowa City, and a fifth low-income and racially diverse neighborhood in Coralville. For more information, see Appendix A: Census Tract Summary Maps. Appendix B: Data Tables from Johnson County Survey For a detailed breakdown of the entire survey dataset analyzed in this report, see the three data tables attached as Appendix A. These data tables include 1) aggregate results, and for comparison, data tables by ethnicity, 2) Hispanic/Latino, and 3) Black African. 15 Appendix A Appendix A Sixty-three point six percent(63.6%) of geocoded respondents live in just five census tract neighborhoods, including four contiguous, racially diverse, and low-income census tracts on the southside and far east sides of Iowa City and a fifth low-income and racially diverse neighborhood in inner-city Coralville. 1. Census tract 18.02, which includes the mixed-density, multifamily Broadway St, Taylor Dr, and Southgate Ave neighborhoods south of Hwy 6 E and east of the river. 2. Census tract 18.01, which includes the high-density, multifamily Lakeside Dr neighborhood south of Hwy 6 E and southwest of Industrial Park Rd. 3. Census tract 104.01, which includes mobile home parks south of Hwy 6 E on both sides of Riverside Dr. 4. Census tract 105.01, which includes mobile home parks east of Scott Boulevard. 5. Census tract 3.07, Coralville north of 2nd St between 10th and 22nd Ave. Census tract 18.02 98 respondents (24.9% of geocoded respondents) unrer Ave v: � N y ° Co Hightand Ave u� v eo Hy-Vee Southgate Acre -- Tracy Ln ici pal o gtjfcrr 0 Burns Ave a � 3 Univereutyof Iowa Dickien on i r Census tract 18.01 42 respondents (10.7% of geocoded respondents) + low- ity Mu n ici,pat 4 i rport Y Census tract 104.01 42 respondents (10.7% of geocoded respondents) low Hills Census tract 105.01 39 respondents (9.9% of geocoded respondents) -s Ll g Census tract 3.07 29 respondents (7.4% of geocoded respondents) 4, Johnson, IA Coralville 1 2 2 2 2 Q N Q O A w A A O e 3 A N m N N t O N Q a N m e N y N a d O eE N y O d q d n A N R pq F a u Q >Id f m y o a W R q m c c 3 Y LL O J LL Y N w w w F f0 O W M W W N W IO H N M M N Q N N N N N L M N a _ U C y q W m F m d F Y C 0 F m C_ O L A O d V d d 7 V C a 7 C q C F C O V o U U m F b W 'O^ m L O qqq 1 4 U a m G m m C mm pwp A ffi x `0 9 c m ffi c � U c c 9m s m w i n i0 q '0 c m F O1 O J O J 0 2 w m ; cA rc L u a c ; o m a H c i. c d L n E d A `m u `m o m 'w w m d m 3 m > c a > > o > b ® T >`m m m T i. >' T a C W n V N b N q g O O W O O O O 9 O m E L 6 d L A L A L L xoon000S. xAix0000 c� E w n a o 33333 C m d m m O C_ L q u n N C N N M N U q N 6 O `L '2 A E > N `o m o Lo w n ' r S E w S r n m m m L U A E n C Ec w V S J p O 2 yN q ND M Y V L O T L E W d L C 6 L Y O O 0 O q 7 Od q U Q Z Z O N L V A C O (� r C p ti pC Q O A T q � L _O d C u n E T d O C V V c E x w m W m m 3 O L O N O 0 Kellie Grace From: David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa <david@escuchamivozia.org> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2024 3:58 PM To: Geoff Fruin Cc: Bruce Teague; Redmond Jones; Kirk Lehmann;Ashley Platz; Kellie Grace Subject: Re: EMV/JCPH presentation March 19? Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files;Appendix B_Black African.pdf;Appendix B_Hispanic_Latino.pdf RISK *•This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or attachments. ** Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe,but always exercise caution when opening files. That sounds great,thank you. Johnson County Public Health is finishing their slides for the packet and will send it by COB tomorrow. For Escucha, in addition to previous attachments, please also add to the Information Packet the enclosed Appendix B survey breakdowns by each demographic group-Hispanic/Latino (264 respondents)and Black African(217 respondents). 1 previously only sent the total dataset of all 481 surveyed immigrant workers as part of our Appendix B. Thank you, David Goodner Co-Director Escucha Mi Voz Iowa 113 S Johnson St Iowa City, IA 52240 319-499-8929 On Fri, Mar 8, 2024 at 4:24 PM Geoff Fruin <GFruin,@Iowa-ciy.org>wrote: Mr.Goodner, We are happy to place the report and appendices in the next City Council Information Packet(public release date 3/14/24). The appropriate forum to speak to the report will be during the public comment period at a regular meeting of the City Council (3/19 is the next scheduled meeting). While individual comments are limited to 3 minutes (additional if translation is needed), multiple speakers can speak to the same topic in succession. Thank you, t Geoff Fruin City Manager From: Kellie Grace<KGracegbiowa-city.ora> Sent: Friday, March 8, 2024 9:11 AM To: david0)escuchamivozia.ore Cc: Geoff Fruin<GFruin(@iowa-city.org> Subject: FW: EMVfJCPH presentation March 19? Good morning, I am forwarding your request to City Manager Fruin who discusses and sets upcoming work session topics with the Mayor. Thank you mm I SMA CITY A UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE rKeffieCome, Cilyfti City Clerk office:314-356-5041 410 E Washington St, Iowa City,IA 52240 WWWICGOV.ORG o © ® o 2 ,4ft FARE FREE Iowa City Transit is now FARE FREE! IOWA CITY Learn more at ICGOV.ORG/FAREFREF From: David Goodner, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa<david@escuchamivozia.orp> Sent: Friday, March 8,2024 9:05 AM To: Kellie Grace<KG race@ iowa-city.o rg> Subject: EMV/JCPH presentation March 19? 1 RISK **This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or attachments. ** Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files. City Clerk Kellie Grace: Escucha Mi Voz Iowa members,Johnson County Public Health, and UI College of Nursing conducted a wide-ranging Whole Worker Health survey of 481 French and Spanish speaking Iowa City and Johnson county residents.The results found a widespread demand for Covid-19 information,tests, and vaccines,and identified several structural barriers to health equity for immigrant and refugee workers. I am writing to ask you if we could have 15-20 minutes on the March 19 city council agenda to present our survey, report,findings, and recommendations to the Iowa City City Council. Attached are a copy of the final report, raw data, and census mapping of survey respondents. Thanks and let me know, David Goodner Co-Director, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa 113 S Johnson St Iowa City, IA 52240 Disclaimer 3 The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive It, if you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. 4 N N O M LL Z Z Z Z Y N Y N O O O 3 m a c d_ C r T m L O O N a t i0 OI N I� tTt1 d' a d' a ee e N N NY N O) (7 O u cm a w i w D m O � L V m 9 'OJ m w v 3 E c Z LL 6 LL x U N W M O W Y O M N M M < F M M C W O C N 'u m N_ v m 'w O1 o t F g V C D j C q L F CO V U 0 7 60 OI C R C m e m c m F O1 o E N DrO! m o nw as LL Oo 00 0 oO 00 oW Tali 3tl L mW Ll x d m N Ot C n N K a m N � m W W r r d � i O O m � � f ro _ m O m O C p O � L W O � N y E in `o E w � O O a0 M W N M s � w �n � � w a £ m n o v c m � o 2 J J O Z O (Nii N N N C � O T L pi q q y C L 6 N E ; � n O UI n Q Z Z D u c c' `a �. 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CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Associate Planner - Transportation Planning Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Associate Planner - Transportation Planning NPM Ei . "-SAL- CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319) 3S6-5009 FAX www.icgov.org March 7, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Associate Planner — Transportation Planning Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Associate Planner — Transportation Planning. Madelyn Stoen Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wyss, Chair Item Number: IP7. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Streets Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Streets -W%L-AL_ CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Wash!ngton Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org March 7, 2424 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker I — Streets Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, 1 do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker I — Streets. Mario Medellin Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wyss, Chair Item Number: IP8. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 7 Attachments: Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 7 March 7, 2024 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma J.Harvat Hall, City Hall Commissioners present: Louis Tassinary, Chad Simmons, Amos Kiche, Cliff Johnson, Chastity Dillard. Commissioners on Zoom: Lauren Merritt. Commissioners not present: Wangui Gathua, Sikowis Nobiss. Staff present: Redmond Jones. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 7:15 PM. Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Tassinary read the Land Acknowledgement. Public comment of items not on the agenda: None. Approval of meeting minutes from February 15, 2024: Dillard moved; Johnson seconded. Motion passed 6-0. Correspondence: Commissioners will defer the letter from U.E. Local 896 to their next regular scheduled meeting. Production team for upcoming events: The commission wants to document their history through past and current events. The video/documentary would be used to tell an overall story of everything the TRC is doing. Commissioner Simmons suggested the TRC hire Terrance Thames. Dates and budgets for a production team were discussed and it was agreed that information will be relayed to Terrance to consider availability for upcoming truth-telling events. Before the motion was passed, public comments/questions were accepted. Melinda Salazar asked who will shape the story and to what degree will the commissioners be involved in the editing process? It was stated that the intent is for the commissioners to be significantly involved in the editing process and the entire commission would approve before the video is released. Redmond Jones stated that the production being self-contracted by the commission allows them to have control over when and what is released. It is also stated the video will not become public record until it is released to the public by the commission. The commission closed the conversation by discussing general ideas of script, content, and scheduling. The project will be under the leadership of Commissioner Simmons. Simmons moves for $4000-$5000 of the TRC budget go towards a videographer to capture the work of the TRC. Johnson seconds the vote. Motion passed 6-0. 1 Translations for upcoming events: Annie Tucker was unable to provide a direct solution for translation tools to be used during upcoming events, however she will continue to research possible solutions and accommodations to provide translation during the events. Update on fact-finding: Dr. Larry Schooler updated the commission on fact-finding and that there will be written materials to review ahead of the March 10 meeting. Schooler reiterated the purpose of each event and how they will aid the commission in their report and relate to their overall mandate. Updates on truth-telling: Eduardo Gonzalez went over the documents provided to the commission in their packet related to truth-telling. Gonzalez suggested the event be simple and intimate for participants, and went over what could be expected of the event including turnout, participation, and length. It was also recommended that the commission and those participating in the event take time to reflect and react in a constructive and compassionate manner. Commissioner Kiche brought up a question considering safety. It was expressed that the presence of law enforcement may cause discomfort to participants. Gonzalez stressed the importance of the commission's part in providing elements of security to participants and that discomfort may be inevitable due to the nature of the events. Possibilities of private testimonies were discussed with consideration of bylaws and legal regulations. Updates for Phase 2: Commissioner Simmons revisited a previous conversation of reconciliation events that would occur after the events currently scheduled, confirming this would be a focus in future meetings. Gonzalez and Salazar agreed with the need for reconciliation opportunities following the events. Announcement of Staff:None. Announcement of Commissioners: Dillard encouraged other commissioners and the public to attend the Neighborhood Centers for Johnson County's 50a' Anniversary Gala in April. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM. To view the recording or listen to the audio of this meeting, visit this link. 2 ( ` « § ~ / § � QE — / § - / § / \ � � � \ \ ) e « e ; « e � � m k � � q 2 e e e e . e « e e § [ - 0 _ $ e « � , < � k § § } \ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ � � � � � � � � � � f � § ; / / N - _ � ■ � �� �� �� � / \ ) \ \ \ ) k j $ a N Item Number: IP9. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Historic Preservation Commission: February 8 Attachments: Historic Preservation Commission: February 8 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FEBRUARY 8, 2024 —5:30 PM — FORMAL MEETING E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Deanna Thomann, Andrew Lewis, Margaret Beck, Jordan Sellergren, Nicole Villanueva, Frank Wagner, Christina Welu-Reynolds, Noah Stork MEMBERS ABSENT: Carl Brown STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow OTHERS PRESENT: Gary Skarda, Ginalie Swaim, Bob Wise, Phil Beck, Susan Futrell, Nancy Carlson, Tom Curtis, Marybeth Slonneger, Lou Tassinary, Lisa Buckminster CALL TO ORDER: Sellergren called the meeting to order at 5:30 p m PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. Public Hearing- Discuss Landmark designation for 302-316 East Bloomington Street (Slezak- Holub-Skarda Building): Bristow first noted the report that was included in the agenda packet had a map that has since been switched out, originally included was the one that states it is the local Northside Historic District but since the whole report is from the perspective of the National Register it was switched out with the Gilbert/Linn Street Historic District that's listed in the National Register. The packet that goes on to Planning &Zoning and City Council will have the corrected map. Bristow also want to point out that she has received numerous emails about this agenda item and has emailed them to the Commission. Those emails will be added to the packet that goes on to City Council. Anything that came in after noon today or after this meeting will just move on to the Planning & Zoning meetings. Bristow began by showing a map of all the historic districts and conservation districts in Iowa City as well as the local landmarks. She pointed out the location of the subject building in the North Marketplace, the north part of downtown Iowa City. Bristow stated she would talk very briefly about the building and not cover the whole history as it's all in the report. The property is a group of connected buildings that were begun in or about 1875 and built out by about 1880. They include the large Slezak Hall, it had a dance hall on the upper floor and two grocery stores on the lower floor, the uses in the back portion changed over time, sometimes it was a saloon and sometimes a dining hall. The building is an Italianate structure with brackets and a wide eave overhang. She noted a lot of the details on the building as well as the tall windows with the brick hood molds. With Italianate architecture there are tall arched windows, but the top part was filled in when Joseph Holub remodeled that portion of the building around 1930 and made the hall into apartments. On the Linn Street fa(;ade there have been very few changes since the 1930s, the entrance area that might have been to the saloon and dining hall has been filled, with the cornice and brackets remaining and another window was filled in too. The apartment entrance behind the three-story Italianate structure has more elaborate hood molds and an elaborate cornice that includes not only the brackets but triglyphs and metopes. In the back is a lower HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 2 of 12 two-story building that was a carriage house and laundry and had sleeping quarters over time. It was remodeled into apartments with mid-century windows and doors, The Laundromat and the main hall building both have an ornate baroque pediment that reflects the Eastern European origins of this family as immigrants. The laundry building was a stable and a feed barn at one point in time and also a garage. Bristow showed a picture of the back of this building where there was a sliding stable door and an upper door to potentially a hay mound or something like one would see with a stable or a barn. Bristow next reviewed the history of the process being discussed this evening. The Commission has long considered this building to be a potential local landmark. In 1996 when they designated the first landmarks, they were already thinking about what the next group of landmarks would be and this building was on that list. Nothing really happened with that list over time and in 2015 the Commission reviewed potential landmarks in Iowa City and again this building was prominently on that list. At that time they did not proceed with landmarks because of a major City Council change over that was happening at the same time. Now after years of being owned by the same family the building went up for sale and there were former commissioners, former staff members and members of the public who addressed the Commission to proceed with a local landmark designation. The Commission is charged with determining whether or not the property meets conditions for local landmark eligibility. In order to be a local landmark in Iowa City a property must be significant to the community architecturally or through its use, it must then also have integrity which always means that its original or historic materials are still intact. In addition, aligning with National Register criteria, it must meet one of the following four criteria. 1. That it's associated with events that are important to Iowa City's history(C). 2. It could be associated with a significant person in the past (D). 3. It could also be significant because of a specific architectural style or a specific architect or engineer(E). 4. It could be significant because of archaeology and what it tells about the history and prehistory (F). Once the Commission determined that they would proceed with local landmark designation the Friends of Historic Preservation hired historian Jennifer Price to write the report, and she determined that the property is eligible both in the category of events and for its architecture. The report summarizes the cultural importance of the building to the Iowa City community because it is associated with both the ethnic and commercial history of Iowa City's Northside Neighborhood. Price continues that the complex of brick Italianate style commercial buildings at the corner of East Bloomington and North Linn Streets was a one-stop shopping, dining, lodging, entertainment and cultural center for the ever-growing Bohemian American community in Iowa City and northern Johnson County. The National Hall on the second floor was home to Iowa City's many Bohemian fraternal and community organizations that used the hall for their meetings and housed a comprehensive cultural library. Even by 1900 the building was considered one of the landmarks of the City. Additionally, Price details in the report a very complex history, all owned by one family. For instance, Joseph Slezak ran it for 25 years and then passed it on to his son Joseph Holub. Joseph remodeled it again and as the National Hall wasn't being used anymore, it became apartments and he was running the boarding house in the back, the three-story building, as a hotel by 1920. The former stable garage became the Laundromat in 1958 and Pagliai's, originally called Pizza Palace, moved in in 1969. In addition to being significant as an event, the fact that this was used by the Bohemian immigrants and brought in others throughout the County to all of the uses within the building it is also significant for its architecture because it is such a pristine example of commercial Italianate architecture. One of the last remodels was 55 years ago when Pagliai's came in. Bristow and Sellergren were able to visit the inside of this building and even though the interior is not part of how they evaluate local landmarks, it has enormous integrity on the interior as well and has HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 3 of 12 been very well cared for over time. So based on the architecture and the fact that it's significant for events, staff finds that it not only meets that criterion, A and B, but also C and E. Staffs recommended motion is to move forward with the local landmark based on the fact that it meets criteria A B, C and E. Gary Skarda (owner of the building and apartments) is the fifth-generation owner and his daughter, Victoria, is the sixth generation. Skarda grew up in the business, he worked for his father helping with all the maintenance that had to be done at the building. He has no siblings, so it was really upon him to take over the business. He has worked for the government and has a degree in economics, but he was meant to come back to manage the building. He grew up getting apartments ready and cleaning out the furnace, he was a small boy and would crawl into the small furnace door and sweep out the debris. Obviously, this building has been a big part of his life and he pointed out to the council that the apartment building is privately owned, it's not owned by the City, it's a private business and one of the reasons why he had not put the building on the historic registry is because it would reduce the marketability of the building. Skarda figured that one day when he obviously would be unable to do the things he used to do he would need to sell. His father had opportunities to sell the building early on but Skarda said he would operate it. He has people now helping, he has a maintenance man on the premise and another man who collects the rent and so on. Skarda stated he doesn't even make a dime off of the building anymore since the pandemic, he had a squatter in one of the apartments who was a drug addict and almost destroyed that apartment, so Skarda had to refurbish that apartment. Skarda noted since the building is private owned, again it's been in his family for five generations, he doesn't think it's fair since he had not registered the building himself, that the City does. His offer to the City is if they'd like to keep it the way it is they can buy it from him and then have their landmark here in Iowa City. Skarda agrees it is a landmark certainly, but it does take a lot of maintenance. The University could purchase the building because they have a need for one-bedroom apartments. Skarda acknowledged he'd like to see whoever buys the building to keep it the way it is but for the City to tell him he is unable to develop that area is wrong. Obviously, Skarda has talked to a couple of developers, and they said it's doable in terms of developing in that area, as it's half a square block, so certainly that would be an alternative. He would rather have somebody take it over and keep it the way it is but it's a building and it takes a terrific amount of maintenance and unfortunately, he is unable to do what he once was able to do. It is certainly a landmark of Iowa City, but it's still private property and he should make the ultimate decision in terms of what would happen to the building. Again, if the City would like to buy it that would be perfectly fine with him and then they can keep it as a landmark. He has not registered the building because he knew that would reduce the marketability of the building. Sellergren acknowledged Skarda for being such a wonderful steward of the building noting it's truly one of the most beautiful buildings in town and everybody is quite appreciative of the work he has done. Bristow stated she should explain what a landmark designation means. The local landmark designation is a zoning overlay that makes it subject to review of exterior changes, not interior changes, to the property by the Commission or staff. It also makes it eligible for repair funding through the Historic Preservation Fund and eligible for state tax credits for repair work. It would prevent the demolition of the building and prevent changes that are not be approved by the Commission. Bristow noted that Sellergren had asked the planning staff to come up with a development proposal as to what's possible on the site and the site is limited because of parking. In fact, right now, it's grandfathered in as it doesn't have enough parking for the apartments that it has currently, so adding more building to the lot wouldn't be possible because of lack of parking. If the whole thing was taken down, of course it could be redeveloped, but not likely as large as the building that's a block to the south because there would not be enough room on the site. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 4 of 12 Ginalie Swaim (Friends of Historic Preservation) began by thanking the Commission for doing the important work that they do all the way from doors and porches to things like districts and landmarks. She also thanked Mr. Skarda for the incredible stewardship of this building, they have all admired this building so much and for so long because of the work that his family and he has done in the last many years. Swaim would like to venture tonight to say that this building represents more aspects of Iowa City's local history than any other single building in Iowa City. Swain addressed criteria, the events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. That broad pattern being immigration, ethnicity and assimilation. One could substitute any ethnic group that has come to the US and see these steps. In this case, they're talking about the Bohemian immigrants who left Austria and Habsburg Empire in the 1850s and by the 1870s many had put down roots between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids and by 1912 Bohemians were one fifth of Iowa City's population, the other two larger ethnic groups being Irish and German. A major part of that broad pattern is ethnic identity, the identity in Joseph Slezak's Hotel quickly became "the recognized headquarters for his nationality. Bohemian and social aid societies met there in the upstairs hall."These kinds of societies were a national phenomenon, they were meant to aid and assist immigrants coming to Iowa City as one of our Iowa City favorite Bohemian's, Shimek said, "the dangers that confronted a stranger in a strange land". So even if they are coming to a place where other people of their ethnic group were already living, there still were so many unknowns and having a social aid society being there to welcome them and help them was very helpful. It could teach them about the new customs and the new laws and offer aid during illnesses and death and certainly celebrate their ethnic roots. One example of that kind of celebration is when in the social hall there was a play-and a dance held to benefit the Herzegovina rebels, a Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire, so already it's very clear that this is a part of the Bohemian culture and history and they're proud of it. Now they're part of that broad pattern language to huge part of ethnic culture and everyday life and persisted in Iowa City for a long time. East of Slezak Hall was Goosetown, a Bohemian enclave, that Goosetown historian Marybeth Slonneger calls "a neighborhood of close ties held together by their native language". She writes that it took about three generations to lose the Bohemian language. By the 1880s Iowa City had four newspapers and one was Bohemian which gives a sense of how important that language was to the identity of Bohemian immigrants. Even into the 20th century Bohemian language resonated, when Joseph Slezak's grave marker was put up in 1912 in Old St. Joseph's Catholic cemetery the carving was all done in Bohemian. The top of the sign outside the Bloomington building still said into 1912 narodni sin which translates National Hall and affection for the language persisted for decades, especially the phrase narodni sin. When Irving Weber wrote in 1981 about the building, readers contacted him because he had misspelled narodni sin so this identity with this custom and language persisted. Even today you still see dozens and dozens of the same surnames in Iowa City. Another part of this broad pattern is becoming part of the social fabric, the social hall upstairs was used for entertainment and for music. In 1878 the City directory called it a place to trip the light fantastic toe. There was stage, stage scenery lights, chairs, occasionally decorations, fireman's balls were held in the social hall. This was the era of community bands and there are actually laws allowing towns to have community bands and the union band in Iowa City, all eight members were Bohemian. Well into the 20th century, the Jolly Club met there which was comprised of "German and Bohemian families having weekly dances, costume parties, private parties". So even though there are changes coming, they're still hanging on to this identity and that is characteristic of the patterns of immigration. Another part is becoming part of the local commerce. Iowa City was a market town and drew farmers from outlying villages, Mr. Slezak knew what Bohemian farmers needed and if they were coming from Swisher or Shueyville they probably needed a place to stay overnight, a place to park their buggies and their horses, and a place to do their shopping. There was a reason he called it a farmers hotel and advertised it early as the popular farmers stopping place. One could buy foodstuffs there certainly but HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 5 of 12 also crockery, tin, machine oils, nails. Grocery stores held far more than what is today, so it was a place to stock up. His son-in-law, Joseph Holub followed this pattern to commercial success. In 1901 when he became the proprietor, he'd become a local clerk at a store that apparently had made lots of friends according to the paper, and then became the proprietor of"The National Hall, the Farmers Home, the grocery store and all the other business ventures entered in the Slezak Hall". Holub had "a fine outlook for prosperity and fortune". So this happy trajectory of the immigrant coming, making a stake and making great success is seen in this story. Then the final part of immigration is often, not always, assimilation and transition. In the history of this building we see that in even simple things like the residential transitions, it's no longer hotel rooms now it's apartments for university students, meaning when it became no longer needed as a hotel there was a need for workers who wanted to walk to their jobs downtown because perhaps they didn't own a car, then a transition in transportation caused the livery stables to become a garage, which was a very common change from places that help service needs of the horse rider. Like many blacksmith shops turned in to car mechanics shops so seeing this livery stable become a heated garage is also another typical trait. The social transitions in the building were fun to watch. They're no longer having local ethnic events but were having a 1925 basketball and dance between Williamsburg and the National Guard at the hall. In 1930s they have seen the great hallmarks of American mainstream society, that being a self-service grocery store that sold Jello in 1950s and a coin operated laundromat that by the 1960s is the mother lode of American mainstream culture, a pizza place that also sold T shirts. This was not unique in Iowa City. In 1879 there were at least 11 other hotels, there were dozens of saloons, dozens of grocery stores, other social halls, even other ethnic social halls. There were other livery stables, other commercial successes, but what's unique in that this building served all of these purposes. This one building follows the broad sweep of immigration and ethnic history in the US. This building holds so many stories and so much meaning as a major part of American history and of local Iowa City history. Bob Wise stated he investigated the property and certainly respects Mr. Skarda's position in where he's at and what has taken place in his life. Wise was born in Iowa City in 1950 and stayed here until 1972 when he moved to Minnesota. He moved back in 2008 and has watched a lot of changes downtown. He's watched Iowa City lose a lot of buildings. He went to school here and high school here. He doesn't know how many people on the Commission were around in 1965 when this City Hall building was built and as he will call it, destroyed the Town Hall and the original fire station which sat on Washington and Linn. In looking at this property in question tonight, and certainly with everything that Swaim mentioned he didn't know growing up in Iowa City Washington and College and Iowa Avenue wasn't the original plot. The original plot sets the north end being where this building is at. Although looking at it on the map it didn't really come into that area until the Linn/Dubuque corridor was added. Taking the architecture of that building, and the area that's around it, and look at what's now vacant, the parking lot between George's and the Bluebird Cafe, the large structure which has been built where the Pearson drugstore was when he was growing up, it really kind of looks like a sore thumb. So historically, if they can keep some of those buildings landmarked as historical buildings connected to not only the culture of the area, but the history of the area that's something that he thinks that they have to consider. If they lose this building, they can put up a plaque and he's seen it done throughout Minnesota towns where he lived and left but then they'll have the Union Brewery, have John's Grocery and in all possibility with the University having purchased Mercy that may get expanded and take over a larger area and what was known as the original City plot will be lost to commercialization and the history will be forgotten, the nationality will go away. Wise acknowledged the Commission has a hard decision to make but he hopes it will be to consider this as a landmark property of historical value to the City. Phil Beck has lived in Iowa City since 1975 and wants to thank the Commission for bringing this proposal up for consideration. He is in great support of the idea of giving this property local historic HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 6 of 12 landmark status. It is a beautiful building and it's already been a landmark in the Northside Neighborhood for a century and a half. It anchors that whole neighborhood on its northern side and to tear it down would diminish the beauty and historic character of the entire block. Its architectural style very well matches the strip of buildings on the east side of Linn Street. In addition, its past use as a gathering place for the Bohemian and Czech community in Iowa City makes it a very important monument to the diverse ethnic history of the City. As someone with Czech heritage in his own family that is very meaningful to him. Finally, the fact that for the past 60 some years it's housed one of Iowa's City's most popular and iconic restaurants, Pagliai's ensures that this building, Slezak Hall, is important not simply for its age, or its architectural character, but because it continues to serve as a vital part of the business and cultural life of Iowa City. Wise thinks it must be preserved and enthusiastically supports designating it a local historic landmark. Susan Futrell lives in the Northside Neighborhood in Iowa City is a member of the Friends of Historic Preservation and agrees with the arguments on behalf of this property on a historical basis and this Commission's charge of stewarding those resources seems pretty clear. She just wanted to add some perspective about how she has been thinking about this building in terms of the future rather than the past. A couple of other people have spoken in reference to the fact that having a building with this beautiful architecture and the scale as well as the history is part of what makes all of the surrounding parts of our town desirable and valuable and have character and Futrell thinks the City always has a tough job to balance the places where development in the sense of tearing something down and putting something new is appropriate. But there there's another path to building economic value in a piece of property and developing it in a creative way that doesn't have to mean tearing down what was there before. She can point to lots of places in Iowa City and other towns like the Englert Theater and the brewery building where the James Theatre went, that was some creative thinking about how to develop that property for the future and doing so here could really add value to all of the residential and business properties in the surrounding area, including the downtown and really do justice to the stewardship of the Skarda family and how beautifully they've taken care of that building. It would be an opportunity to leave that legacy for future use and she just wants to encourage some future thinking as well. Nancy Carlson lives on Jefferson Street and came here in 1965 to go to school and never left. The people who built this building and helped build Iowa City are gone. This building is an acknowledgement of their existence and their contribution to Iowa City and by preserving this building the City is acknowledging and honoring their contribution. Tom Curtis wanted to just say this building should be saved. He has been in and out of Iowa City for 80 years and his wife and he just moved back to Iowa City from San Diego. People ask why they ever would want to leave San Diego, it's paradise out there, but there's a charm in Iowa City. He was born here and loves this community but what he's seen is a creeping ugliness of buildings being torn down. The thing that got him upset is the development aspect, Curtis really admires the stewardship of this building and acknowledged it's a real difficult decision to make, but once the building is gone developers are just looking at how much money they can make from a property. Curtis hopes there's some resolution that this gentleman can be awarded the financial settlement that he deserves. Ma beth Slonne er stated every time she goes by this building she has to recall the 1990s when she started interviewing elders from the Goosetown community that eventually led into a book she wrote called Small, But Ours. She interviewed Marge Hayek and they had some wonderful visits together and one of the things that she just brought up was her remembrance of all the wonderful evenings, the dances, and social events that took part in this building. Hayek even brought out her collection of dance programs and she was just delightfully reminiscent about the evenings in this building, So Slonneger always thinks of Hayek and these people that were part of that community and how much they enjoyed HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 7 of 12 it. Slonneger also noted that at one time the Holubs were offering meals for 25 cents in this building, and those 25 cent meals would have been cooked by Bohemian women that were known to be good cooks. They also got a beer with each meal. They've lost that opportunity but hopefully they can save this beautiful, beautiful building. Lou Tassinary stated he wanted to offer a slightly different perspective. Looking at that building, he doesn't see just a historic structure, he sees an incredible amount of embodied energy and an icon of adaptive reuse. To him that's almost enough. Regardless of what the criteria are they have to just be thinking about that. The way that building over this stretch of time it's been around has served multiple different functions sort of demonstrates that it can continue to serve multiple different functions and should continue to serve multiple different functions. A challenge to the Commission is that with every benefit, there's a cost and the current owner said he didn't designate it because it was going to reduce the value. Tassinary personally doesn't agree with that but does agree that it is incumbent upon them if they're going to designate something as a landmark, that part of their charge is to help the owner find the right buyer who values what that building is and doesn't just see it as a potential blank slate, but sees it is more than that, and is therefore willing to pay the fair and appropriate price for the structure. Lisa Buckminster has been a resident of Iowa City since she was born and is of Czech heritage. Her mother would tell her stories about things that would go on at that building and when they would visit Pagliai's it was just such a great memorable experience to do that with her family. Buckminster feels like they have lost a lot already, originally the plan was to try to keep buildings under a certain limit to not affect the skyline and that sort of thing, but lately the builders are just out of control with the vision of what was really originally wanted as a community. This building is so important, and she wishes that they would try to take into consideration the historical aspect and try to save more of Iowa City rather than just flattening it and building more sterile looking buildings. Sellergren closed the public hearing. MOTION: Wagner moves to approve the designation of 302-316 East Bloomington Street (Slezak-Holub-Skarda Building) as a local historic landmark based on the following criteria for local designation criteria, A, B, C, and E. Villanueva seconds the motion. Thomann stated she lives a block from this beautiful building and it is an important landmark already within the Northside community. She appreciates having a community that has opinions about historic preservation and appreciates everyone coming out and sharing those thoughts. She again thanked Mr. Skarda for his stewardship of the beautiful building. They have criteria here and it's very clear that this building fits those criteria. It makes sense to say yes and to have this progress. As noted, this will have to then go through Planning &Zoning and City Council so the ability to have open discussion will continue and hopefully maybe find some arrangement that works for Mr. Skarda and his family. But just thinking about the criteria, it fits and for this Commission it's very clear what they need to do. She does like this idea of thinking about the future, particularly with the Northside. They are seeing so many changes within the downtown, they're seeing tall buildings and perhaps the community's beginning to realize that tall buildings maybe don't belong everywhere within the City. There is a quaintness to the Northside and this is giving a message as a community about how to move forward with that bit of space. Maybe it isn't a space for the modern buildings and as also noted they need to think about keeping these materials from the landfill and thinking about how to repurpose a building so that it makes sense. Sellergren noted she was born in Burlington, Iowa, which she thinks is one of the most beautiful cities in the state. It is fairly well preserved but there's also a lot of beautiful old buildings that are neglected and falling apart and may never be rebuilt again. She moved to Cedar Rapids when she was an elementary HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 8 of 12 school and witnessed St. Luke's just clear out a lot of the neighborhoods that are north of downtown, and then saw the derecho destroy properties and trees which are as precious as buildings, a 150-year- old tree can take a while to regrow. Then in Iowa City, she sees hungry developers scooping up what they can and opportunistically taking down what they can and putting up spaces that do not embody the same kind of historic spirit and don't serve the community in the same way, and they remain empty. To some degree they provide housing but the spaces on the ground floor are empty and if they're not empty now they might be empty in a year and stay that way for a year. She works at Little Village and the building that went across the street from there where the Civil War era cottages were has never had the ground floor level inhabited and that went up in 2018. She joined the commission because she wanted to do one thing and that is to prevent developers from removing the history as it's very important. Designating this space as a landmark will not reduce its value, it increases its value and it increases the value of the City and the community. A vote was taken and the motion passed 8-0. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: HPC23-0083: 709 Oakland Avenue—Longfellow Historic District(front stoop and step replacement and expansion)' Bristow began the staff report noting this house is in the Longfellow Historic District located on the corner of Seymour and Oakland Avenues. It is a little cottage that might be a catalog home. The project is to remove the existing stoop and step and to replace it with a new one. Bristow showed a historic photo noting it shows that originally this house had a masonry brick and concrete stoop that was removed by the current owner at some point in time. She noted some history in this property in the fact that a few years ago the owner wanted to look into potentially putting a ramp because he is sometimes in a wheelchair and sometimes with a walker and unfortunately the property lines are close enough to the house that he does not actually have property to put a ramp in, partly because the house is really high out of the ground. It is also not possible to put a ramp in the back as the kitchen steps down to a landing to the door and then that has steps to go out. The proposal is to build a 7'x10' entry stoop. Bristow shared the drawings submitted and noted a few things, for instance it talks about the decking being synthetic woodgrain and paintable, it talks about the new balustrade and handrails also being a synthetic material with woodgrain. Normally staff would review a front stoop and step replacement, but it must have a landing restricted to approximately 5'x5'. Staff would have always recommended that it aligned with the brackets if it was replaced with wood but if it was replaced with brick and concrete it would be configured similar to the original, but with wood it would align with the brackets and that means that it was always going to be about 10 Yz' wide. They have proposed to make it 7' deep. The canopies are probably about 3' or so which is typical, staff review can go with five feet but the owner wanted seven because while it won't provide the owner with accessibility to grade because it's not a ramp, it will provide him with an area that he can get to by himself and be outside. There are other things that are in the front stoop and steps guidelines such as the stoop will be supported on posts and piers that align with the corner posts in the railing. There would be porch skirting for any exposed area underneath because it's on the front. All wood elements are painted on the balustrades and handrails. In section 4.14 it talks about handrails and how they can substitute materials for wood, and it is disallowed to substitute material in place of wood that does not retain the appearance, function and paint ability of original wood. It has been the practice to not approve synthetic materials with fake woodgrain because historic wood on a house would be highly finished and smooth. The joints are smooth so they're not as apparent and they have only approved smooth products. The drawings talked HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 9 of 12 about having a fake woodgrain as one thing that staff would recommend not approving. They do propose to use a synthetic material for the floor like Trex and Trex mostly comes with a fake woodgrain however it is also horizontal to the ground surface and only those who step on it would notice. Staff has approved Trex-type material on some of those locations. Also in talking about porches, it talks about leaving the support piers exposed below the columns and adding skirting so that those piers are exposed. So the staff recommendation is to approve this project at the 10'x7' dimension with the following conditions: any composite material other than the floor has a smooth finish, the balustrade skirting skirt board and risers are constructed of wood and the outer piers are revised to align with the balustrade posts above and are exposed. Bristow noted the applicant has stated they accept all the conditions. Motion: Beck moves to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 709 Oakland Avenue as presented in the application with the following conditions: • Any composite material other than the floor has a smooth finish. • The balustrade, skirting, skirt board, and risers are constructed of wood. • The outer piers are revised to align with the balustrade posts above and are exposed. Welu-Reynolds seconds. A vote was taken and the motion carried on a vote of 8-0. DISCUSSION OF COMMISSION ANNUAL WORK PLAN Bristow and Sellergren drafted the revised Annual Work Plan and the goals that are supposed to guide their work. Bristow highlighted the three priorities discussed at the last meeting, the first was even though the planning for Oak Grove Park is a few years out, the Commission wanted to get started on working on that type of project and what it might mean. This would be something where presumably a subcommittee would be involved. The second one was having a landmark district subcommittee and that not only has to do with finding any potential individual landmarks such as what was discussed earlier today, but also working towards whether or not there is ever going to be a local downtown district to protect the downtown buildings. The third one was engaging with the public and City Council and learning more about what the other City Commissions are doing. Maybe that's attending meetings or it might just be that someone decides that they are assigning themselves to check up on the agendas for a certain commission or something like that. Next Bristow took the things that are ongoing and listed them separately. There are the Historic Preservation Committee awards which will be in seven months so they need to start working on those and identifying projects and properties. Other goals are the Historic Preservation Fund and the Summit Street monument. Motion: Wagner moves to approve the 2024 Historic Preservation Work Plan. Beck seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 8-0. REVIEW OF THE CLG ANNUAL REPORT: Bristow reviewed the annual report noting it's a requirement to present it to City Council which she did on Tuesday. The report is an online form and they've already added a category that they hadn't had in the past so she will need to make revisions to the annual report. The recommendation is to basically allow the final report to be approved by Commission Chair or staff. Bristow will distribute a copy of the final report to everyone, the mayor signs it and it goes into the City Council information packet. Bristow HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 10 of 12 stated it's Important to note that the annual report comes from the State and the State's biggest purview is the National Register of Historic Places so they ask about National Register properties. Those are the historic districts and some landmarks, They do ask about local designations and also some of the local landmarks and then the conservation districts. The general information required is the Commission consists of 12 seats, they had 12 meetings last year, the budget mostly comes out of the City's Neighborhood Development Services Department, the budget is $450 for the annual mailing that is sent out every spring and then about$750 for training and other expenses. Then there is the Historic Preservation Fund which is in a different part of the budget and that had increased by$2,000 this year. The report asked about all of the National Register listed properties that were altered, which is taken from what the Commission has reviewed. They do not include certificates of no material effect or non-contributing garages, and that kind of stuff. There were 34 properties that were altered during this year. Of the locally designated properties, those in conservation districts, there were 23 that were not just a certificate of no material effect. Then they asked about any new local designations, and the City had one this past year when they locally designated the Emma Goldman Clinic. They asked about assistance provided on preservation projects and the staff work which Bristow provides technical and design assistance to anybody who applies. Bristow also keeps track of how many individual inquiries each year, they've had 241 inquiries this calendar year, that's on individual different properties that resulted in 85 applications. Bristow also works with other areas of the City and preserving their buildings, such as working with the Senior Center staff on figuring out how to do the extensive exterior rehabilitation. The other assistance is the Preservation Fund, the City provides $5,000 matching grants or no interest loans and to date they have funded 54 projects on 43 properties, $165,000 worth of mostly grants, a few loans, and the total project costs were $404,000. Then it talks about public education and outreach, this year it was mostly the awards and interviews every once in a while. Issues, challenges and successes, are reported, as this Commission knows the rash of work without a permit has been horrible. It has been not only without a building permit and historic review, but sometimes just without historic review, but most often without both. Staff has done things with internal processes to help make it not happen as much. Sellergren noted regarding community outreach, getting education for contractors in the trades is a big thing that they need to do because of the shortage of contractors. Bristow stated other issues, challenges are the open positions on the commission occasionally make it hard to meet quorum and if they had more positions filled, it would be better. The lack of available contractors or even drafters for applicants, it also an issue. One good success is the fact that the barn that used to be owned by the Wagner family at 1025 Woodlawn is getting a new foundation which it's needed it for many years. One challenge is the fact that no work has proceeded yet on the house at 1011 Woodlawn. Next are partnerships formed or continued. Bristow stated staff worked with The Housing Fellowship and their architect to came up with a design that was then approved by the Commission. The Commission had both the Climate Outreach Coordinator and Parks and Rec Director come to the Commission to talk about their different areas, and as mentioned earlier working with the Senior Center staff. Bristow stated if anyone has any suggestions or edits to the report to email her in the next week or so. Motion: Thomann moves to approve the 2023 CLG Annual Report for revisions to be approved by staff and chair. Villanueva seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 8- 0. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 8, 2024 Page 11 of 12 REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: Certificate of No Material Effect-Chair and Staff review HPC24-0001: 722 Oakland Avenue— Longfellow Historic District ran ehood vent installation): Bristow stated this one is installing a new rangehood that was going into a wall in the back of the house on an addition. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR JANUARY 11, 2024: MOTION: Wagner moves to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's January 11, 2024, meeting. Villanueva seconded the motion.The motion carried on a vote of 8-0. COMMISSION INFORMATION. Bristow noted the Preserve Iowa's Summit is June 6 through June 8 and it'll be in Mount Pleasant this year. The City won't necessarily be able to afford to send Commissioners but if interested let her know and she'll find out. Otherwise, she encourages anyone who can do it on their own to attend. Typically, they have what they call a CLG round table at some point during the summit and it's where they can learn from other commissioners in other communities, and the State can talk directly about things that they want. Lastly, Bristow reminded everyone they rescheduled the March meeting to March 21, the third* Thursday. ADJOURNMENT: Wagner moved to adjourn the meeting. Welu-Reynolds seconded. The motion carried on a vote Of 8-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:21 pm. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2023-2024 X ERM 3/22 4113 5111 6/8 7/13 8110 9114 10112 11/9 12/14 1111 218 E EXP., 6130124 X X X O/E X X X O/E X X X X ETEVIN 6/30/23 X O/E X XN, 6/30/26 X X O/E X X O/E X X O/E X O/E O/E LS, 6130/26EW -" _ — X X X X X X X X EN, 6/30/25 O/E X X O/E X X X X X X X X ANOAH 6/30/24 X O/E X X X X X X X X O/E X NN1 6/30126 X X X X X X X X X X X X NA VILLANUEVA, 6130/25 X X X X X X X O/E X X X X NICOLE WAGNER, 6/30/26 X X X X O/E X X X X X X X FRANK WELU- REYNOLDS, 6/30/25 X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X X CHRISTINA KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E= Absent/Excused = Not a member Item Number: IP10. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 14, 2024 Human Rights Commission: March 4 Attachments: Human Rights Commission: March 4 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission March 4, 2024(Special Meeting) Emma J. Harvat Hall Commissioners present:Jahnavi Pandya, Doug Kollasch, Kelsey Paul Shantz,Viana Qaduora, Roger Lusala, Mark Pries, Elizabeth Mendez Shannon. Commissioners on Zoom: None. Commissioners absent:Sylvia Jons. Staff present:Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to City Council:Yes,two recommendations. 1. To fund the following 11 organizations at the requested amount for the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) grant for fiscal year 2024. 2. Increase the RESJ grant by$50,000.00 in this grant cycle or the next Meeting called to order:5:36 PM. Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant: Eastern Iowa Chapter of Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs(APAPA)-$3,000.00 Seen as important activities for the community, making an immediate impact.This organizations covers important focal points like racial equity and social justice. It is suggested to discuss sustainability of future activities that extend beyond the Human Rights Commission and the grant process. It is agreed to grant the full amount of$3,000.00. Inside out Reentry Community-$2,300.00 This organization allows the commission to reach a community that doesn't often receive funding or support. It is suggested to keep in touch about the long-term vision of success for this organization.The operational costs including staffing are discussed.Afinal decision is agreed on the full amount granted at $2,300.00. Open Heartland -$13,738.25 The applications ability to highlight the need in the community and organizing support to address those needs is recognized. The project addresses foundational educational skills training identified by women's leadership teams.The network in partnerships and how that impacts the community is brought up in support of funding. Due to their success in pervious work and their thorough report on future efforts it is suggested they receive full funding. It is agreed they will receive the full amount of$13,738.25 1 Better Together Community Development Cooperation -$8,650.00 This organization addresses the migrant communities and those facing injustices in the community. It also addresses the challenge of not knowing about or having access to available resources and programs.Their efforts lead to community building and providing access.There is a collaborative spirit that allows community members to represent their culture through this organization and to have a cross-cultural collaboration. It is agreed to grant full funding of$8,650.00 Houses Into Homes -$7,698.00 Recognize new projects. Partial funding is suggested.The groups this organization represents align with the outreach goals of the HRC. Previous funding granted by the HRC to this organization is considered as partial funding is addressed again.The deliberate and direct impact this organization makes is highlighted as a reason for continued support and funding to the group. Partial funding of half the requested amount is agreed on at$7,500.00. This organization is revisited with remaining funds and receives the remainder with a total grant of $7,698.00. United Action for Youth -$10,500.00 It is recognized that this organization targets a community that is not otherwise served.This organizations existing budget and additional outside funding is addressed in relation to granting the full amount. With a reduced grant suggested it is addressed that a minimum of$8,000.50 would be appropriate to allow for the organization to purchase basic needs packs addressed in their application. Operational costs are considered with a suggestion of$10,000+$2000 for peer mentor. Final comments of the organizations direct impact of services and assisting homeless leads to a general consensus in funding at$10,500.00. Domestic Violence Intervention Program -$7,619.99 The organization's ability to present the opportunity to make connection with a vulnerable demographic is highlighted.The organization has the ability to make impacts across the community. It is agreed to provide full funding of$7,619.99. Indigenous Art Alliance-$20.340.00 Concern about funding technology and community involvement due to location is addressed. It is suggested that funding the technology will allow for more community involvement due to the possibility of live stream.This organization addresses a target population that is very underserved and is the only organization of this demographic on the application. It is noted that this is an opportunity to commit to a new project however it may come with taking risks due to the unpredictability of the success of the organization.This organization is unable to complete their project with a lesser amount than what they are asking for. In order to allow funding for other organizations a slightly lesser amount than requested is agreed on at$20,340.00. 2 Escucha Mi Voz Iowa -$12,000.00 This organization has a significant, direct impact on immigrants connecting them to a network of local partners.A budget of$7,500 is suggested for operational costs.This organization is known to serve a community the desperately needs it in thoughtful and evidence-based ways, leaving opportunity to advance racial equity and social justice.The concern of political risk is brought up however the funds would still be applicable to current refugees in the community and their needs. Typically, refugees aren't allowed federal funding due to the nature of their background,so this is an opportunity to supplement that. It is suggested to connect the organization to additional opportunities and/or funding that arise in the future, and it is agreed to grant$12,000.00 to the organization. CommUnity Crisis Center-$7,000.00 This organization is known to have a significant, direct impact on community members that need it. Additional funding this year along with the funding they received last year would allow for greater reach and impact in the community.Their work with immigrant communities and local food banks is recognized and supported with varying amounts suggested for funding.A final agreement of$7000.00 is agreed upon as a way to match the organization own funds and unrestricted food bank dollars. Wright House of Fashion -$7,153.60 Organizations partnered with this group are highlighted to recognize the intersectional identities of BIPOC youth and LGBTQ communities that would be impacted by the funding received.Cost saving options are discussed as a way to consider remaining funds available to the organization. $4,500 is suggested. It is brought up that as important as the business development programs are this grant program may not be the best fit in terms of impact and outreach. It is also suggested the demographic it reaches, being BIPOC entrepreneurs, does fit the grant criteria/goals. It is agreed that the organization will receive$4,500.00 This organization is revisited with the remaining budget. It is agreed to increase the funding for the graduation ceremony provided by this organization. Bringing their total funding to$7,153.60. To increase the Racial Equity and Social Justice grant allocation from $100,000.00 to$150,000.00 in this grant cycle or the next. A larger budget would allow for full funding to certain organizations without having to take away from other organizations'fundings. For example, Indigenous Art Alliance would have been able to get full funding this year while still allowing for other organizations to get an agreed upon amount. It is suggested to petition for an additional $50,000 in funding for this grant program as a way to address the several other organizations of interest to the commission that are unable to be considered due to the current resources available to them. Motion to recommend the following organizations for funding at the noted amount. Motion by Lusala, seconded by Pries. Motion passed 7-0. 3 Organization Requested Amount Discussed Amount Average Eastern Iowa Chapter of APAPA 3000.00 3000.00 32.86 Inside Out Reentry Community 2300.00 2300.00 31.71 Open Heartland 13738.25 13738.25 31.57 Better Together Community Development Corporation 8650.00 8650.00 30.43 Houses into Homes 15000.00 7698.16 30.29 United Action for Youth 20000.00 10500.00 30.00 Domestic Violence Intervention Program 7619.99 7619.99 30.00 Indigenous Art Alliance 25000.00 20340.00 29.57 Escucha Mi Voz Iowa 25000.00 12000.00 29.43 CommUnity Crisis Center 20000.00 7000.00 29.14 Wright House of Fashion 25000.00 7153.60 29.00 Motion to recommend the RESJ be increased by$50,000.00 in this grant cycle or the next. Motion by Paul Shantz seconded by Mendez Shannon. Motion passed 7-0. Adjourned:8:05 PM. 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