HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-02 Council minutes r
•- ®, CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: April 4, 2024
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kellie Grace, City Clerk
Re: Council Work Session, April 2, 2024 —4:03 p.m. at City Hall in Emma J Harvat Hall
Council: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih, Teague
Staff: Jones, Goers, Grace, Platz, Hightshoe, Davies, Ogden, Knoche, Havel, Sovers,
Sitzman, Nagle-Gamm
USG: Le Fevre, Monsivais
(A transcription is available in the City Clerk's Office and the City website.)
1. Discussion related to Sister City programs
Deputy City Manager Jones provided Council with a brief introduction and a PowerPoint
presentation on Sister Cities program and discussed the following:
➢ What is Sister Cities International?
➢ What is Citizen Diplomacy
➢ What is a Sister City?
How do Sister Cities Begin?
Who can be part of a Sister City program?
How do partnerships begin?
➢ What do Sister Cities do?
➢ Questions?
Jones answered Council questions and provided additional information. Council discussed what
would be the goal, what would the group make up be, what are the parameters, and will it be
community lead. Individual Council members express their views.
Action: Staff will work with interested community members on potential bylaws for a proposed
volunteer-driven sister city program concept. This should include a draft Sister City member
agreement. The process should involve feedback from other citizen/non-profit diplomacy
organizations: Global Ties, CGLU, and UNESCO.
2. Clarification of Agenda Items
Mayor Pro Tem Salih noted she will recuse herself from item 10.h, FY24 Racial Equity and
Social Justice Grant Allocations. Councilor Dunn asked to pull item 5.b, Cigarette Permit— New,
from the consent agenda for separate consideration.
3. Information Packet Discussion rMarch 21, March 281
March 21 —
1. (IP2 —2023 Iowa City Residential Development Report) Councilor Moe highlighted
the shortage on housing. Individual Council members expressed their views.
April 2, 2024
Page 2
➢ March 28 —
1. (I P6 —Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Affordable
Housing Fund — Proposed Changes to the Distribution Formula) Councilor Dunn
asked for more information. Neighborhood & Development Services Director
Hightshoe shared the distribution formula her memo included in the March 28
Information packet (IP6) and the proposed changes. Hightshoe answered Council
questions. Individual Council members expressed their views.
Action: Staff will find an additional $50,000 to enhance the FY 2025 Proposed
Affordable Housing Fund for a total allotment of $1,080,000.
2. (IP5 —Memo from City Clerk: Joint Entities Meeting Agenda Items for April 15) Mayor
Teague if there were any agenda items councilors wanted to add to the agenda. No
suggestions were made.
4. University of Iowa Student Government (USG) Updates.
Noah LeFevre, USG Liaison and Matthew Monsivais, USG Alternate presented updates.
5. Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees
Council members reported on various assigned boards, commissions, and committees.
Adjourn 5:40 p.m.