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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-07-11 Info Packet � r City Council Information Packet CITY OF 10"IA CITY July 11 , 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule July 15 Joint Entities Meeting IP2. Joint Entities Meeting Agenda: July 15 July 16 Work Session IP3. Work Session Agenda IP4. Memo from City Attorney: Tobacco Permits IP5. Pending City Council Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IP6. Memo from City Clerk: Taxicab Regulations - Color Scheme IP7. Civil Service Examination: Custodian - Government Buildings IP8. Civil Service Examination: Building Inspector - Plumbing Draft Minutes IP9. Economic Development Committee: July 1 IP. Email from Yaneli Canales: $5.7 million PRO Housing for Immigrants Families [Submitted by Mayor Teague] July 11, 2024 City of Iowa City City Council Information Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY July 1 , 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1. ouncil Tentative Meeting Schedule July 15 Joint Entities Meeting IP2. Joint tities Meeting Agenda: July 15 July 16 Work Session IP3. Work Session genda IP4. Memo from City A orney: Tobacco P its IPS. Pending City Council ork Sessio Topics isce aneous IP6. Memo from City Clerk: Taxi Regulations - Color Scheme IP7. Civil Service Exami7tion: Buiiding : Custo ian - Government Buildings IP8. Civil Service Exami spector- Plumbing Draft Minutes IP9. Economic ❑ elopment Committee: July 1 July 11, 2024 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP1. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Attachments: Council Tentative Meeting Schedule City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule nil Subject to change CITY OF IOWA CITY July 11,2024 Date Time Meeting Location Monday,July 15,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting 360 N. Main Street Hosted by the City of North Liberty North Liberty,IA 52317 Tuesday,July 16,2024 3:30 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 July 11, 2024 Joint Entities Meeting Agenda: July 15 Attachments: Joint Entities Meeting Agenda: July 15 North Liberty AGENDA + IOWA Joint Entities Meeting Meeting between the Cities of Coralville, Hills, Iowa City, Lone Tree, North Liberty, Oxford, Shueyville, Solon, Swisher, Tiffin and University Heights; Clear Creek Amana Community School District Board of Directors; Iowa City Community School District Board; University of Iowa; and Johnson County Board of Supervisors North Liberty City Hall 360 North Main Street Monday,July 15,2024 Meeting 4:30 p.m. AGENDA 1. Call to order 2. Welcome and Introductions 3. CRANDIC Rail Line and Pop Up Metro Update(Iowa City,North Liberty,& Johnson County) 4. General entity updates S. Other Business 6. Adjournment Upcoming Hosts October 21,2024- University Heights January 13,2025-Johnson County April 21,2025- Iowa City Community School District July 21,2025 - Coralville October 20, 2025- Iowa City January 12, 2026- North Liberty April 20, 2026- University Heights July 20,2026 -Johnson County October 17, 2026 - Iowa City Community School District Updated July 11,2024,8:57 AM Item Number: IP3. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 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 r —rte Agenda -�`�,,, y,MT Work Session July 16, 2024 - 3:30 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://citychanne14.com/live • https://www.youtube.com/useric[tychannel4/live • https://facebook.com/CitvoflowaCit\/ 1. City Hall and Public Safety headquarters space need study update 2. Review preliminary study and recommendation on Dodge and Governor 2-way street conversion 3. Update related to the new tobacco permit moratorium 4. Clarification of Agenda Items 5. Information Packet Discussion [June 20, June, 27, July 3, July 11] 6. University of Iowa Student Government (USG) Updates 7. Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees Item Number: IP4. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Memo from City Attorney: Tobacco Permits Attachments: Memo from City Attorney: Tobacco Permits I 1 �I�� CITY OF IOWA CiTY ' 7 MEMORANDUM Date: July 11, 2024 To: City Council From: Eric R. Goers, City Attorney Re: Tobacco permits In anticipation of your July 161h work session regarding tobacco regulation, I'm writing to lay out both a basic summary of the regulatory framework for tobacco permits and a few of the potential avenues to address the public health risks flowing from greater access to tobacco and alternative tobacco products. Regulatory framework. Retailers in Iowa may not sell tobacco or related products without a permit. 1. Permits required, A person shall not engage in the business of a retailer of tobacco, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products at any place of business, or through delivery sales, without first having received a permit as a retailer' "Tobacco products"means cigars, little cigars as defined herein; cheroots; stogies; periques; granulated, plug cut, crimp cut, ready rubbed, and other smoking tobacco; snuff- cavendish;plug and twist tobacco; fine-cut and other chewing tobaccos; shorts; refuse scraps, clippings, cuttings and sweepings of tobacco, and other kinds and forms of tobacco, prepared in such manner as to be suitable for chewing or smoking in a pipe or otherwise, or both for chewing and smoking; but shall not include cigarettes as defined in section 453A.1, subsection 4.2 "Cigarette"means any roll for smoking made wholly or in part of tobacco, or any substitute for tobacco, irrespective of size or shape and irrespective of tobacco or any substitute for tobacco being flavored, adulterated, or mixed with any other ingredient, where such roll has a wrapper or cover made of paper or any other material. However, "cigarette"shall not be construed to include cigars.3 Alternative nicotine product"means a product, not consisting of or containing tobacco, that provides for the ingestion into the body of nicotine, whether by chewing, absorbing, dissolving, inhaling, snorting, or sniffing, or by any other means. "Alternative nicotine Iowa Code§453A.47A. 2 Iowa Code§453A.42. 3 Iowa Code§453A.1. July 11, 2024 Page 2 product"does not include cigarettes, tobacco products, or vapor products, or a product that is regulated as a drug or device by the United States food and drug administration under chapter V of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.4 "Vapor product"means any noncombustible product, which may or may not contain nicotine, that employs a heating element, power source, electronic circuit, or other electronic, chemical, or mechanical means, regardless of shape or size, that can be used to produce vapor from a solution or other substance. "Vapor product"includes an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe, or similar product or device, and any cartridge or other container of a solution or other substance, which may or may not contain nicotine, that is intended to be used with or in an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe, or similar product or device. "Vapor product"does not include a product regulated as a drug or device by the United States food and drug administration under chapter V of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.5 Because of the range of products governed by the permit, I will simply address businesses that sell any of those products as "retailers." When I must refer to products sold subject to the tobacco permit, I will simply refer to them as "tobacco products", even though many of said items do not contain tobacco. The issuance of permits to retailers is discretionary on the part of cities. "Cities may issue retail permits to retailers located within their respective limits."6 The relevant state administrative rule reads, "The power to grant the retail permit is discretionary with the city council or board of supervisors, and uniform, nondiscriminatory limits may be placed on its issuance.'I The Iowa Supreme Court has issued at least two holdings in cases regarding the right of municipalities to deny permits, both dated in 1933. If the community, under the police power sustained by this court and the Supreme Court of the United States, desires to protect its minors from the use of cigarettes, the city council thereof may legally fix the maximum number of permits that will be issued under the statute.8 The power given to a municipality to license and regulate an occupation or privilege imposes no obligation on it to grant any licenses; but includes the power to refuse a 4 Iowa Code§453A.1. 5 Iowa Code§453A.1. 6 453A.47A(6)(emphasis added.) 7 Iowa Administrative Rule 701-255.1(7) (emphasis added.) 8 Ford Hopkins Co. v. Iowa City, 216 Iowa 1286, 248 N.W. 668, 672 (1933). July 11, 2024 Page 3 license in a particular case, even where the statutory or preliminary requirements are complied with? Of course, the City must issue or deny applications in a nondiscriminatory manner. The guiding principles in so doing are in advancing public health and reducing or preventing negative externalities associated with tobacco retailers. Vapor products were the subject of recent legislation signed into law this past legislative session.10 Chapter 453A has been amended to restrict sales of vapor products to those that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, beginning on the later of October 1 st or the date the Iowa Director of Revenue makes available an approved vapor products directory. I see no evidence of express preemption from this bill preventing the City from regulating vapor products, but would have to consider implied preemption, depending on the nature of the regulation. Public Health Harm. The detrimental effects of tobacco products on health are well documented. The federal Center for Disease Control summarizes some of the numerous health problems as follows": • Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease, death, and disability in the United States.12 • Cigarettes smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.13 • Diseases caused by smoking include cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).11 s Bernstein v. City of Marshalltown, 215 Iowa 1168, 248 N.W. 26, 28 (1933). 10 See House File 2677. https:ilwww legis iowa.QovllegislationiBillBook?qa=90&ba=HF2677 11 https:i/www.ccir-gov/lobaccoiabouVindex.html 12 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking-50 Years of Progress:A R&Egft of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. Accessed: April 24, 2024. https:liwww.ncbi.n[m.nih.gov/books/NBK179276/pdf/Bookshelf NBK179276. df 13 See above. See also, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease The BrofogV and Behavioral Basis for Smoking- Attributable Disease. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010. Accessed:April 24, 2024, htt 87//WWW.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/books/NBK530171 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. QuickStats:Number of Deaths from 10 Leading Causes` National Vital Statistics SVstem. United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2013:62(08);155.Accessed: April 24, 2024. https:llwvw,cdc.gov/mrnwr/proview/mmwrhtmilmm6208a8.htm?s cid=mm6208a8 w 14 https4iwww.cdc.govitobacco/about/index.htmi July 11, 2024 Page 4 • Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.15 Exposure of youth to tobacco products can be particularly harmful due to incomplete brain development and the addictive nature of nicotine. Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily first try smoking by age 18.16 One of the tools municipalities have in preventing youth tobacco use is making tobacco products less easily available.17 When considering the availability of tobacco products generally, one must consider the present location of tobacco retailers. Johnson County Public Health has developed an interactive map of current retailers to assist in visualizing the locations and spacing of retailers selling alcohol alone (A), tobacco products alone (T), and both alcohol and tobacco products (AT.) I have not confirmed that it is fully up-to-date or accurate, but it provides a good, general sense of the number, location, and concentration of tobacco retailers." A screen shot of the map appears on the following page. If Council wishes, staff could add other youth-sensitive locations to the map. At present the City has 63 tobacco retailers. Those retailers vary between gas stations and grocery stores for whom tobacco products constitute a smaller portion of gross sales, and tobacco or vape shops for whom tobacco products, and tobacco accessories, constitute at or near 100% of gross sales. There has been growth in the number of physical locations for tobacco permittees. Between January ill, 2023 and June 30", 2024, tobacco permits have been issued to seven new locations in Iowa City. This number excludes changes in ownership or other new permits not resulting in an additional tobacco retailer location. t5 https://www.ede.gov/lobaccolabout/index.html 16 httos,.iiwww.edc.gov/tobacco/data statisticslfact sheets/youth daWtobacco use!#associated-factors 11 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2012 [accessed 2019 Feb 28]. See also Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Pro rams-2014.Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2019 Feb 28]. 18 htt s:!! is.mohnsoncoun iowa. ovlhwc(? age=Page&views=Alcohoi%26-Tobacco-Licenses Each setting may be toggled in the "Apply a Filter"function in the upper right corner. School locations can be added in through the map layer function immediately to the left of the "Alcohol &Tobacco"filter. July 11, 2024 Page 5 or L11)Camoa City •Wes(La I 17. East Lu<as Brecke Est: Orange dots— retailers selling tobacco but no alcohol. Green dots— retailers selling both alcohol and tobacco products. Blue on white dots—schools. Possible tools. Means by which the City might address the public health threats and negative externalities can primarily be broken into two groups: zoning measures and non-zoning measures. Each requires a different procedure for approval, and carries different applications, enforcement burdens, and grandfather rights. Zoning options must go through Planning and Zoning before proceeding to Council for approval. Depending on the nature of the zoning restriction, there may be administrative burdens on enforcement, particularly if the solution speaks to percentages of sales of retailers or other measurables that must be investigated and/or reported. Zoning restrictions also typically allow for grandfather rights for those already engaging in a use that will become nonconforming following the passage of the new zoning restriction. These grandfather rights can be made to July 11, 2024 Page 6 expire upon abandonment of the use in many cases.19 Non-zoning solutions are not as flexible, but are less complicated to apply and enforce. As described earlier, the issuance or denial of permits is up to the City Council. However, the variables affecting the issuance of permits is best contained in a policy or ordinance so as to be transparent with the applicants, and members of the public. Those regulations, via zoning or non-zoning, could come in any number of forms. I will address a non-exhaustive list of four possible tools. Non-Zoning tools: 1. Capping the number of retailers. This mechanism can work in at least a couple of ways. One would be to impose a City-wide cap on permits. The other would be to impose caps on certain geographic areas within the City, though we would need to articulate a rational basis focused on public health to do so. 2. Imposing a floating cap on retailers. This solution is similar to the one above, but includes an automatic adjustment for increases in the City's population. For example, there may be no more than 1 permit issued per"X" residents. As the City's population grew, so too could the number of permittees, at the same ratio. Zoning tools 3. Requiring a minimum distance between retailers. This is similar to the limits we already impose on "drinking establishments" (500') and liquor stores (1,000'.) This would be fairly easy to implement through use of an interactive map. It could become more complicated if retailers were broken into different groups based on percentage of tobacco sales, or other criteria. 4. Keeping retailers away from sensitive populations. This is typically done by imposing separation requirements (e.g., 1,000)from schools, child-care facilities, parks, pools, libraries, and/or other locations likely to draw youth. Hybrid solutions could be crafted utilizing any number of these tools. For example, the Council may determine that the City will not issue more than one permit per 1,200 residents20, and no new permits will be issued for locations within 1,000' of another retailer, or within 1,000' of a school or other sensitive location. Council might also choose to treat retailers differently based on their percentage of permitted sales. Cedar Rapids utilizes such a regulatory scheme, differentiating outlets based on whether their sales of tobacco and/or alcohol fall over or under 19 For example, under our present zoning code, grandfather rights for nonconforming drinking establishments are lost when the establishment ceases operation for a period of one year. 14-4E- 5(G)(1). 20 With around 75,000 residents and 63 current permits, Iowa City has about 1,190 residents per permit at present. July 11, 2024 Page 7 50% of gross sales, and whether the alcohol or tobacco products can be taken for off-premises consumption. Other Substances. Council also asked me to investigate the Council's legal authority to regulate kratom and/or nitrous oxide. Kratom is listed as a "drug of concern" by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.21 Various states have addressed the issue through a number of approaches, varying from a complete lack of regulation, to imposing age, marketing, strength, and labeling restrictions, to outright bans. The Congressional Research Service offered a Legal Sidebar memo on November 28, 2023 laying out the state of play at that time.22 I could find no evidence of regulation in Iowa. Nitrous oxide is often used as a propellant, aerating agent, and in dairy product analogs. I could find no limitations on these legitimate uses. However, Iowa Code section 126.22 prohibits both the improper use and unlawful distribution of nitrous oxide. The latter reads, "Any person who distributes nitrous oxide, or possesses nitrous oxide with intent to distribute to any other person, if such distribution is with the intent to induce unlawful inhaling of the substance or is with the knowledge that the other person will unlawfully inhale the substance, is guilty of a serious misdemeanor." One would suspect that proving knowledge of the user's intent makes prosecution of retailers difficult. In the absence of regulation, or State preemption, municipalities may exercise their home rule police powers to protect public health. If Council concludes that kratom constitutes a risk to public health, you are free to regulate it in a manner rationally related to reducing that public health risk. Those regulations could run the full spectrum referenced above, up to and including an outright ban. Because of its common and legitimate uses, regulating nitrous oxide would be more difficult. For example, it is used as a preservative and propellant in many whipped cream dispensers sold in grocery stores. Recommendation: I would recommend implementing a hybrid solution similar to the one described above, with a cap on permits—either floating or fixed, imposition of separation distances both between retailers and from sensitive locations, and a provision that would set a timeframe for expiration of grandfather rights upon changes in use. Council could choose whether to treat low-tobacco- sales retailers differently from high-tobacco-sales retailers, as long as there is a rational basis articulated for doing so. I would also suggest a prohibition on kratom sales, but not nitrous oxide, because of the respective legitimacy of their uses. 11 htti)s://www.dea-qc)v/factsheets/kratom 22 https:/Icrsrepofts.congress.gov/producUpdf/LSB/LSBI1082 July 11, 2024 Page 8 Of course, Council is free to craft their own solution focused on reducing harm to public health. I look forward to discussing those tools with you on Tuesday. As always, should you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Copy to: Geoff Fruin, City Manager Kellie Grace, City Clerk Redmond Jones, Deputy City Manager Kirk Lehman, Assistant City Manager Sue Dulek, First Assistant City Attorney Tracy Hightshoe, NDS Director Danielle Sitzman, Development Services Coordinator Anne Russett, Senior Planner Item Number: IP5. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Pending City Council Work Session Topics Attachments: Pending City Council Work Session Topics CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS July 10, 2024 Currently Scheduled August 6: • Staff presentation on the$3.75 million PRO Housing federal grant award • Presentation on repositioning public housing project from Bloomberg Harvard Leadership initiative fellow Naomi Mehta • Review draft Request for Proposal (RFP) document for 21 S. Linn Street August 20: • Evaluate one-year progress of fare free transit Pending Special Work Session: Strategic Plan review and update 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 Other Topics- • Discussion of board and commission appointment process • UNESCO City of Literature update • License plate reader technology discussion • Local Option Sales Tax and other alternative revenue streams discussion • Air quality discussion • Review of City grant programs (Social Justice Racial Equity,Climate Action,Public Art, and Aid to Agencies) • Alternative crisis response discussion • Historic preservation incentive discussion Note:Some items on the Pending List may require staff research and information gatheringprior to scheduling. Item Number: IP6. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Memo from City Clerk: Taxicab Regulations - Color Scheme Attachments: Memo from City Clerk: Taxicab Regulations - Color Scheme r -�_--.® CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM DATE: July 10, 2024 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Kellie Grace, City Clerk RE: Taxicab Regulations—Calor Scheme Introduction: City Council received correspondence requesting the color scheme requirement for metered taxicabs be eliminated. The following memo provides a history on color schemes as required in City Code Section 5-2-5(C)(4), Color Scheme: Beginning June 1, 2015, all metered taxicabs must have a unique and distinctive color scheme and design, which must be approved by the City. History/Background: In the spring of 2014, the Police Department investigated allegations of sexual assaults involving taxicab drivers. During their investigations the Police Department expended many hours in attempting to locate drivers and vehicles. In order to address the police Department's needs in investigating crimes, staff recommended certain amendments to meet health, safety and welfare requirements which included the following: The Police Department's need for consumers and crime victims to be able to identify vehicles and drivers. In order to address that need the following amendment was requested: metered taxicabs businesses should have a unique color scheme. In February of 2015, the City Council passed a taxi ordinance which included the language requiring the unique color scheme. This ordinance included regulations pertaining to Ridesharing Transportation Services/Network Taxicab Business such as Uber and Lyft. In January of 2017, the State legislature prohibited the City (and all Iowa local governments) from regulating Uber and Lyft (referred to as Transportation Network Companies). See Chapter 321 N of the Iowa Code. There is currently one taxicab company in Iowa City which has two vehicles and four licensed drivers. Conclusion: Staff does not see a real need for the uniform color scheme anymore given ride-share companies, the fact that there is only one cab company, and the changes in technologies used to locate vehicles. Attachments: 2014 Memo re: Proposed Taxi Ordinance CITY OF IOWA CITY �P4 MEMORAN D U M DATE: NOVEMBER 25, 2014 TO: TOM MARKUS, CITY MANAGER FROM: SIMON ANDREW,ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST ALEC BRAMEL, INTERN CITY MGR.'S OFFICE SUSAN DULEK,ASS'T. CITY ATTORNEY DEREK FRANK, POLICE SGT. DOUG HART, POLICE CAPTAIN MARIAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK RE: PROPOSED TAXI ORDINANCE Introduction The proposed ordinance is the result of two somewhat simultaneous events, the police investigations into sexual assaults this past spring and the expected arrival of ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft. After Council discussed the Police Department's taxicab recommendations at the August 19 work session, staff invited all the taxicab businesses to a public forum on September 9, 2014 as directed by Council. At about this same time, Uber, a ride-sharing business headquartered in San Francisco, contacted staff, and an Uber consultant met with staff. Staff has also reviewed recent state and local laws regulating ridesharing services, including those of Minneapolis, Seattle, and Colorado. The approaches other municipalities have taken to regulating ridesharing services are varied, ranging from attempts to shut down ridesharing operations to near deregulation of taxi operations. The recommendations presented by staff fall somewhere in between; staff focused on the degree to which each recommendation met the goals outlined below. Last, although most of the current taxicab provisions have not been substantively changed,they have been reorganized. Goals and Principle In drafting this proposal, staff was guided by five goals and one principle. The goals are: 1. The police need timely and accurate information on vehicles and drivers. This goal is described more fully in Paragraph 1 of a Memo from the Police Chief to the City Manger dated July 18, 2014 and as Public Safety Issue#1 in the handout developed by the police department for the public forum.We have attached both the memo and the handout for your reference. 2. Consumers need to be able to identify vehicles and drivers_ This goal is described more fully in Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of the Chiefs memo and Public Safety Issue#2 in the public forum handout. 3. The taxicab needs to be safe vehicle. 4. The driver needs to be a"good driver." 5. The fare charged needs to be a"fair price." By fair, staff is not recommending that the City begin to regulate the amount of fares, but rather that the passenger needs to know how the fare will be determined before agreeing to get into the taxicab. The principle is that the regulations for"traditional"taxicab businesses and their vehicles and drivers need to be the same as those of the ridesharing businesses and their vehicles and drivers with limited exception_ Definitions The term "metered"is used to identify a traditional taxicab business. In this business model,the business"dispatches"a driver to a passenger, and a passenger may hail a taxicab. The term "network" is used to identify a ridesharing business. In this business model,the business "connects" a driver to a passenger via a web-based application("app"), and it cannot be hailed. Notable Changes to the Current Code In addition to the changes needed to regulate the ridesharing services (i.e., network taxicab businesses), the following are the notable changes to the current Code: 1. Airport shuttles. Staff did not believe that continuing to regulate airport shuttles furthered any of the five Goals. Additionally,staff could not find a reason why it was necessary to regulate them but not limousine services or charter transportation services. 2. Business issued identification cards. Based on Goals 1 and 2,the proposal requires the City rather than the business to issue the cards. This will insure good quality identification cards as well as a digital file containing photographs of all drivers. Staff realizes that it will take time to administer, this but it is an important step in fulfilling Goals 1 and 2. 3. The exception that allows dispatching not to be done from the office from midnight to 6:00 am has been eliminated based on Goals 1 and 2. The police department needs to be able to contact the business in the middle of the night when investigating a crime. 4. Destination rate has been redefined to be a rate between any location within the corporate limits to any place outside the corporate limes to further Goal 5. The current definition allows passengers to be gouged, so to speak. For example, a business has a destination rate to Kinnick Stadium, but may drop off a passenger blocks away due to traffic. Also, drivers will choose to charge the person a destination rate or the rate shown on the meter whichever is greater. Staff believes these problems will be eliminated if a flat rate can only be charged to a location outside the City and not from one location within the City to another location within the City. 5. A requirement for a unique color scheme is added to meet Goals 1 and 2. Staff realizes that this too will require staff time to implement, but it is crucial to meeting Goals 1 and 2. Staff also realizes that will be a cost to businesses, but again it is needed to meet Goals 1 and 2. Notable Differences between Network Taxis and Metered Taxis As stated earlier,we believe that a network taxicab business should be treated the same as a network metered taxicab business to the extent possible. Below are the notable instances in each chapter in which they are treated differently and the reason why: 1. Business Licenses: a. A network taxicab business is not required to have a local office. A metered taxi business is 'required to maintain a local office in order to provide information to the City during an investigation of a driver. This addresses Goals 1 and 2 as explained above. Network businesses provide important driver information via an application. This application provides the passenger with the license plate number, the driver's name, and the photo of the driver at the time the passenger accepts the ride. This information is stored electronically by the network business and on the passenger's individual account. The police will be able to obtain this information from the passenger or network business, eliminating the need for a local office. Additionally, a network business does not need space to dispatch drivers. 2. Decals: None. 3. Vehicle Requirements: a. Metered taxis must have meters, lettering and a lighted dome. This is because metered taxis can be hailed and network taxis cannot be. b. Metered taxis must have a unique color scheme. As stated above,the color scheme will assist a crime victim or witness in identifying a particular taxicab business and driver. A network passenger, on the other hand, will have certain information provided prior to the ride including the license plate, driver photo, and driver name, and this information is immediately available to the passenger either using the app or accessing an online account. c. Metered taxi businesses must operate a minimum of 4 cars. 4. Driver Requirements: a. Network drivers cannot respond to a street hail. As a result,they cannot,for example, pull up to the curb at bar closing and pick up passengers unless the ride was previously arranged via the app. 5. Rates. a. Network businesses are not required to file rate cards or use meters. When using a network business,the passenger is given a price range for the ride, and the passenger must accept this price using the app before the driver agrees to the ride. This assures the passenger of fair pricing. With a metered business, the rate card serves this same purpose, namely the passenger is apprised of the price to be charged before entering into the taxicab. 6. Liability Insurance: None. Backqround on Uber Uber is a`ride sharing'application based service founded in 2009. The service operates on mobile smart phones as well as on a web application. Uber as a business has no employee drivers: rather they contract with drivers through their Uber application. An Uber driver acts independently and utilizes the Uber application to locate passengers that have requested a ride. This is similar to a traditional taxi service yet different as Uber cars cannot be hailed, no money is exchanged, and Uber provides more driver and vehicle information to the passenger before a ride takes place. The driver's picture and first name,their vehicle model, license plate number, and contact information is provided to the passenger on the Uber application prior to being picked up. Payment is handled completely through the Uber application, no money is exchanged and no tips are necessary. Once the trip is complete both the driver and the rider will both be emailed a receipt which is retained on the Uber application for future access. After a ride, both driver and passenger have an opportunity to rate one another through a five star system. This system is designed to keep bad drivers and inappropriate passengers out of the system; a driver with a low rating could potentially be restricted from driving for Uber. A driver must have a car newer than 2044 that is a mid-size four door or larger that is in good to excellent condition. A driver must also have personal auto insurance for themselves and the vehicle prior to operating for Uber. Uber performs a background check for their drivers, conducts video conference interviews, and a test of driving knowledge. Once this is complete a waiting period ensues. Uber then contacts drivers that meet their standards and allow them to begin operating and responding to rider requests via the application. Conclusion Staff is providing a copy of this memo and the proposed ordinance to all currently licensed taxicab businesses,to Uber, and to the cities of Cedar Rapids, Coralville, and North Liberty. We look forward to discussing this proposal at the work session on December 2. Enc. Copy to: Eleanor M. Dilkes,City Attorney-w/enc. Thomas M. Markus, City Manager-w/enc. Geoff Fruin,Asst City Manager-wlenc. Marian K. Karr, City Clerk-wlenc. Sam Hargadine, Police Chief-w/enc. Currently Licensed Taxicab Businesses-w/enc. Michael Triplett, Uber Representative-w/enc. Jasmine Almoayed, City of Cedar Rapids-wtenc. Thor Johnson, City of Coralville-w/enc. City of North Liberty-w/enc. G^ -r� CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: July 18, 2014 To: Tom Markus, City Manager From: Sam Hargadine, Chief of Police C(a Pr.. Re: Taxicab Ordinance Recommendations The use of taxicabs during or surrounding the commission of crimes is not uncommon. Police investigations often involve the need to contact cab drivers and companies to locate suspects, witnesses,and victims. The types of investigations are widespread and can include any type of crime where a taxi was used as a mode of transportation;such as robbery,burglary,assault,theft,etc. Timely resolution to these investigations is of the utmost importance to the Iowa City Police Department and has a direct impact on the community's safety when a violent offender remains free. This was the case during a recent sexual assault investigation. As a result,City personnel have discussed areas of concern and have constructed five recommendations,which are included below. 1. During a recent sexual assault investigation the owner of a taxicab company was unable to provide accurate or timely information about the company's current vehicles or drivers. The owner simply did not know who was driving for the company or which company or independent vehicles were being driven. At the time of the crime this information was not required to be kept by taxi businesses. Investigators spent in excess of 200 hours within a week tracking down possible drivers/cabs and compiling a spreadsheet that contained information that a company should reasonably be able to produce upon request. This greatly slowed the time that it took to Identify and arrest a suspect in the case,thus allowing more time for the suspect to elude police and potentially continue to commit such crimes. Crimes such as burglaries,thefts,robberies,etc.frequently involve the use of taxi cabs somewhere in the course of the events. Investigations into these types of crimes have also been hindered by the lack of information. Often times a report is not made until a later date. When the investigating officer contacts a company it can be extremely difficult,if at all possible,to determine who had been working at the time the incident occurred and/or what vehicle was involved. As a result,we recommend that companies be required to hire drivers as employees of the business and for the vehicles to be owned by the business. This would undoubtedly result in investigating officers being able to access pertinent information with regards to vehicles and drivers because owners would have an expressed interest beyond simply collecting fees from drivers. Currently,numerous drivers operate as independent contractors and simply pay fees to the business for the right to use the company name on privately owned vehicles. The exact number of drivers and vehicles is unknown due to the lack of information on the owners'parts. When asked in a recent informal poll,most owners were only able to give estimates or guesses as to the number of drivers under their company name. only two companies were able to provide an accurate count by checking their records. It is also not uncommon for some owners to contact the City Clerk to inquire about the number of vehicles they currently have operating. As an indirect impact,employing drivers will also provide benefits to those drivers that they do not currently have,such as workers'compensation,unemployment benefits,and minimum July 16, 2014 CDP Page 2 }(J/ wage or greater earnings. Additionally,the business would contribute to Social Security and Medicare. 2. Require companies to dispatch from an accessible office 24 hrs/day. This would provide for an easier contact to the company and quicker access when trying to get in touch with a driver. All information about trips could be kept by the dispatcher and would be easily retrievable upon request. This would provide real-time manifest information by the companies in addition to the current requirement of manifests being maintained by drivers,thus establishing a system of checks and balances. This would be of great benefit when conducting criminal investigations to corroborate information that is provided to investigators. Again,in the recent sexual assault investigation,investigators spent several days and hundreds of hours attempting to locate and contact possible drivers and vehicles for a particular company. There was no oversight by the company and the owner had no information about who was working on a particular night. An accessible business office with a dispatcher,who has immediate contact with drivers,would eliminate this issue and allow officers to gather useful information in a timely manner,thus reducing the time required to investigate an Incident and reducing the time that an offender would be able to remain free. 3. City issued IDs for drivers that include photos. This would allow forthe City to maintain a more comprehensive database of driver information. Inthe example of the sexual assault investigation,investigators could have quickly and easily had access to all drivers'information rather than relying on the owner to provide it,and ultimately spending hundreds of hours creating a list themselves. This information would also be useful in other investigations that may involve taxis,such as thefts,assaults,burglaries,welfare checks,etc. When combined with accurate lists of vehicles and drivers from the company,a comprehensive database would greatly reduce the time to identify individuals and bring an investigation to timely conclusion. Standardized City issued IDs would also provide safety/security to customers of taxicabs. The information could be in a standardized format across all companies,thus being more easily read by customers,and including a photo would allow the customer to compare to the driver of the taxi in which they are riding. 4. Require unique color schemes for each company. One of the most common problems that the Police encounter when investigating taxicab related issues is that customers can not identify the company of the taxi that they used. often times they are only able to provide a color and type of vehicle. This was the case during the recent sexual assault investigation. This contributed to the length of time that it took to identify and make an arrest In the case as well as the time that R took to clear a company that was initially identified by the victim. Unique color schemes would allow for identification,even if a customer was not certain of the company name. 5. Require a signature receipt for an informational packet regarding Iowa City taxi ordinances before drivers are able to he licensed by the City. One of the common responses that officers hear when addressing violations with drivers is that they are not aware of the current laws/requirements. Being educated on the laws could reduce the number of violations by drivers. July 18,2014 Page C The ability to gather accurate information in an efficient manner is important in bringing criminal investigations to a timely conclusion. In addition to identifying suspects and determining applicable charges,suspects and companies can also be cleared of involvement much sooner when useful information is available. This is not currently the case with regards to several of the taxicab companies In Iowa City. The lack of information and accurate recordkeeping by some has hindered investigations and monopolized investigators'time on tasks that should have been able to be completed in a matter of minutes,certainly not days. The above recommendations would address these issues and enable investigating officers to reach a quicker resolution to cases,thus providing greater safety to all who live in,work In,or visit the Iowa City community,just as similar regulations have been used in many other cities to protect their community members. Realizing that these recommendations are significant changes to the current requirements of companies and drivers,a phase-in period would be welcomed to assist in the transition. The intention is not to create hardships for owners and drivers,but rather to provide the greatest level of safety that can be offered to our community. r i _ sii— c. CITY OF IOWA CITY MOu%�.M MEMORANDUM November 20, 2014 Attached is a draft ordinance to be presented to the City Council at their Work Session on Tuesday, December 2. No action is planned for that meeting. Further action will not occur until Council provides direction to staff. Please contact Adm.Analyst Simon Andrew at 356-5010 with questions. TAXI ORDINANCE 11/20/14 working draft Goals: 1. PD Safety Issue#1. The PD needs timely and accurate information on vehicles and drivers. 2. PD Safety Issue#2. Consumers need to be able to identify vehicles and drivers. 3. The car needs to be safe. 4. The driver needs to be a"good driver." 5. "Fair pricing." DEFINITIONS AIRPORT SHUTTLE:A vehicle furnished with a driver that carries passengers for hire exclusively on a route that either starts at or ends at a commercial airport, and operates without a taximeter. APPLICANT:A person or entity wishing to operate as a taxicab business within the corporate city limits or a person wishing to drive a taxicab. CERTIFIED CALIBRATOR: Individual who possesses a certificate showing completion of a taximeter calibration course. Said certificate must state the individual qualifications to program, calibrate, repair and maintain a taximeter. Said certificate must also include the name of the meter manufacturer(s), and models for which the individual is qualified to calibrate. CHARTER TRANSPORTATION: A vehicle furnished with a driver that carries passengers for hire either on a fixed route in the city or pursuant to a written contract with reservations at least twenty four(24)hours in advance of the service.The vehicle shall operate without a meter installed and charge for services on an hourly basis or longer periods of time. CONNECT: The network communication process by which a driver accepts a requested ride via a web-based application system. DECAL:A sticker issued by the city clerk for each taxicab operated by a taxicab business. DESTINATION RATE: A flat fee charged by a metered taxicab business to carry a passenger from anywhere within the corporates limit of Iowa City to a specified geographic location outside the corporate limits of Iowa City that is applicable at all times and on all days. A destination rate cannot be charged for a ride that originates and terminates within the corporate limits of Iowa City. Examples of a destination rate are: Iowa City to Riverside Casino$_and Iowa City to Eastern Iowa Airport$_. DISPATCH: The communication process,such as by means of telephone,radio,or mobile device, by which a metered taxicab business assigns a particular metered taxicab driver to a location to pick up a passenger. 1 DRIVER:A person who is authorized by the city to drive a taxicab. ENTRY FEE: The fee charged when the taximeter is turned on regardless of the distance traveled. HORSEDRAWN VEHICLE:Any vehicle operated or pulled by a horse,furnished with a driver and carrying passengers for hire within the city,and operates without a taximeter. LICENSE:Written permission by the city to operate a taxicab business. MANIFEST LOG:A daily record prepared by a taxicab driver of all trips made by said driver showing time and place of origin,destination,number of passengers, and the amount of fare of each trip. A manifest log may be stored electronically. METERED TAXICAB. A taxicab in which the taxicab business dispatches a driver to a passenger or the driver responds to a passenger via traditional street hail, including hand gestures and verbal statements. A metered taxicab does not include a pedicab or horsedrawn vehicle. METERED TAXICAB BUSINESS: A taxicab business that operates at least one taxi by means of dispatching drivers and/or by means of traditional street hail, including hand gestures and verbal statements. A metered taxicab business does not include taxicab services provided by pedicabs and horse drawn vehicles. NETWORK REPRESENTATIVE: The person that a network taxicab business has authorized to file an application for a taxi cab business license and receive and accept all correspondence and notices from the City pertaining to the network taxicab business and its affiliated drivers. NETWORK TAXICAB. A taxicab in which the driver connects with passengers via a web-based application. . NETWORK TAXICAB BUSINESS: A taxicab business that operates its business entirely via a web- based application system to connect drivers with passengers for taxicab services. PASSENGER: An individual being transported by a taxi cab business. PEDICAB:A vehicle propelled primarily by human power through a belt,chain or gears, having two (2)or more wheels,furnished with a driver and carrying passengers for hire.A motor may assist or supplement the human power,but the pedicab cannot be propelled exclusively by the motor. It shall be equipped with properly functioning front and rear lights for nighttime operation, right and left rearview mirrors and right and left tum signals, and operates without a taximeter. PREARRANGED RIDE: A period of time that originates when a driver accepts a requested ride through a web-based application, continues while the driver transports the passenger, and terminates when the passenger departs from the network taxicab. RATE CARD:A card containing the maximum fare rates and complaint procedure.A rate card must include the information shown on the city clerk's rate card template,and it must be filed with the city clerk. STREET:Any street, alley, court, lane, bridge or public place within the city. TAXICAB:All vehicles furnished with a driver that carry passengers for hire within the city, including, but not limited to, metered taxicabs, network taxicabs, pedicabs,and horsedrawn vehicles. "Charter transportation"and"airport shuttle,"as defined in this section,and a vehicle owned or operated by 2 any governmental entity that provides public transportation are not taxicabs. TAXICAB BUSINESS:A person or entity that provides taxicab services originating within the corporate limits of the city of Iowa City. TAXICAB SERVICES:All activities conducted as part of or in furtherance of a taxicab business. TAXIMETER:A device attached to a taxicab that automatically calculates at a predetermined rate or rates and indicates the charge for hire of a metered taxicab. WEB-BASED APPLICATION: A program that is accessed over a network or internet connection that connects passengers and drivers and provides passengers with driver,vehicle,and rate information prior to engaging in a prearranged ride. BUSINESS LICENSES A. Taxicab business licenses shall be valid for one year.All business licenses shall commence on June 1 of each year, and shall expire on May 31. No business licenses will be issued unless an application is filed by May 1,except for pedicabs and horsedrawn vehicles. B. Each applicant for a taxicab business license shall file an application with the city clerk by May 1 on forms provided by the city. C. If the city clerk finds that the applicant has fully complied with the requirements of this chapter, the applicant has no outstanding judgments arising from municipal infraction citations, and the police chief or chiefs designee has determined that there is no information which would indicate that the Issuance of the license would be detrimental to the safety, health or welfare of residents of the city,the city clerk shall issue a license to conduct a taxicab business. D. If the city clerk subsequently finds that the taxicab business is not in full compliance with the requirements of this chapter or if the police chief or chiefs designee finds that continued operation of the taxicab business would be detrimental to the safety,health or welfare of residents of the city,the city clerk may revoke or suspend the license to conduct a taxicab business as provided in section 5-1-5 of this title. E. No taxicab business shall allow a person to drive a taxicab unless the driver has the authorization of the city clerk. F. The license cannot be sold,assigned,or transferred to another taxicab business. G. Taxicab businesses shall maintain manifest logs,stored electronically or otherwise,must be maintained and accessible to the city of Iowa City for a minimum of sixty(60)days. H. Each taxicab business shall provide taxicab service to the public twenty-four(24)hours a day, seven(7)days a week. I. Notwithstanding the provisions herein, network taxicab business licenses may be issued for the time period between February 1,2015 and June 1,2015. ACCESSIBILITY OF RECORDS 3 A. Taxicab businesses shall maintain manifest logs,stored electronically or otherwise, must be maintained and accessible to the city of Iowa City for a minimum of sixty(60)days. B. Taxicab businesses shall provide the following vehicle information and driver information on demand to the city of Iowa City and this information must be accessible to the City in at least one of the following ways: 1. A taxicab business shall have an accessible business office located within Iowa City or Coralviile city limits. An accessible business office means that the office must be staffed twenty-four(24)hours a day,seven(7)days a week and is subject to inspection by the City without notice. Manifest logs must be maintained at the accessible business office. The telephone number listed on the application must be answered twenty four(24)hours a day, seven(7)days a week. 2. A web-based application used to connect passengers and drivers shall display for the passenger prior to engaging in a pre-arranged ride,at a minimum: a. the driver's first name and a photograph of the driver; b. the license plate number of the vehicle;and c. the vehicle's make and model. DRIVER REQUIREMENTS A. No person shall operate a taxicab without authorization of the city clerk. B. 1. Each person desiring to drive a taxicab shall file an application with the city clerk. 2. If the city clerk finds that the applicant has fully complied with the requirements of this chapter and the police chief or chiefs designee has determined that there is no information which would indicate that authorization to drive a taxicab would be detrimental to the safety, health or welfare of residents of the city,the city clerk shall authorize the individual to drive a taxicab. Names of authorized drivers will be made available in the office of the city clerk during regular business hours and on the city website. 3. Driver authorization shall be valid for a period of one year from date of issuance. C. 1. Beginning February 1,2015,each driver while operating a taxicab,which includes a prearranged ride, shall prominently display in locations in both the front and rear compartments a picture identification card that is visible to all passengers. The City shall provide the picture identification card and shall approve the locations where it is displayed. 2. Prior to February 1,2015,each driver while operating a taxicab in the City,shall prominently display in locations in both the front and rear compartments an identification card that is visible to all passengers which is issued by the taxicab business showing the full name of the driver and the taxicab business. The card must be at least eight and one- half inches(8't2')in width and five and one-half inches (5't2")in height. The City-issued identification card satisfies this provision. 4 D. No driver shall smoke while transporting a passenger. No driver shall allow a passenger to smoke. E. No driver shall take a circuitous route to a destination,or any route other than the most direct route,without the express consent of the passenger. F. No driver operating a network taxicab, unless it is also a metered taxicab,may solicit potential passengers. Solicit means an appeal by words or gestures for immediate patronage of a taxi.A network taxicab driver shall not direct people to a network taxicab that is parked,stopped, standing or moving upon the street. G. No driver operating a network taxicab, unless it also is a metered taxicab,may accept or respond to passengers'or potential passengers'request for service via traditional street hail, including hand gestures and verbal statements. H. A network taxicab is not a'commercial vehicle"for purposes of the parking restrictions in Section 9-4 of the Code. I. The following provision applies to motorized taxicabs: 1. No person shall operate a motorized taxicab, including a pedicab that is assisted or supplemented with a motor, on the streets of the city, no person who owns or controls a motorized taxicab shall permit it to be so driven, and no motorized taxicab licensed by the city shall be so driven for hire unless the driver of such motorized vehicle shall have first obtained and shall have then in force a chauffeur's license issued under the provisions of the code of Iowa, as amended. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS 1. Each taxicab shall be subject to an annual inspection, and no taxicab shall pass inspection unless it complies with this chapter,the vehicle equipment requirements of the code of Iowa, and administrative rules. 2. The City may require reinspection of a taxicab on belief that it is not mechanically fit. 1. In the event any taxicab is determined by the city equipment superintendent or designee not to be mechanically fit,the decal shall be confiscated and returned to the city clerk.After reinspection and determination that the taxicab meets the standards of mechanical fitness, a new decal will be issued and charged as established by council resolution. 2. The police chief or designee may require reinspection of a taxicab on belief that it is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person. In the event any taxicab is determined by the police chief or designee to be in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person,the decal shall be confiscated and returned to the city clerk.After reinspection and determination that the taxicab meets the standards of mechanical fitness, a new decal will be issued and charged as established by council resolution. 3. In the event any network taxicab is determined by the city equipment superintendent or designee not to be mechanically fit,the City shall notify the network representative,and the network representative must immediately deny the driver access to the network's system. 5 After reinspection and determination that the taxicab meets the standards of mechanical fitness,the City shall notify the network representative and the driver may be allowed access to the network's system C. In order to solicit passengers, be hailed,or be dispatched to a passenger,a taxicab business and driver must meet the following requirements: 1.Taximeter:All taxicabs must be equipped with a taximeter that is in good operating order, and has been calibrated and sealed by a certified calibrator. Dated documentation must be provided to the city equipment superintendent,on a form provided by the city,with each inspection and filed with the city clerk when the inspection is completed.Calibration date must be within thirty(30)days prior to the annual inspection. Signage must be conspicuously displayed on the inside of a taxicab that states"If the meter is not working,this vehicle cannot operate as a taxi. Receipt for fare available upon request" Verification Of Calibration For Taximeters:The city may require verification of a certified calibration for taximeters without prior notice for the purpose of ensuring compliance with this chapter. 2. Lettering Required: Each taxicab shall have the name of the taxicab business on each side of the vehicle in letters at least six inches(6")in height. Pedicabs and horsedrawn vehicles may use lettering smaller than four inches(W).Removable signs and peel-off letters shall not be allowed. If a phone number is provided the number shall be the same number that appears on the taxicab business application and rate card. All letters and numbers,except for the name of the taxicab business,shall not be greater than four inches (4"). Lettering may be allowed on a window,if approved by the city equipment superintendent or designee. 3. Lighted Dome: Every motorized taxicab shall have a lighted dome attached permanently to the exterior roof of the taxicab with lettering that identifies the vehicle as a taxicab visible from the front and back of the taxicab.The lighted dome shall be a minimum size of twelve inches by one inch by three inches(12"x 1"x 3"). In the event the city equipment superintendent or designee determines that the permanent attachment of a dome to the exterior roof is not possible, the city equipment superintendent or designee may approve an alternative placement. If a phone number is provided the number shall be the same number that appears on the taxicab business application and rate card. 4. Beginning_, 2015, all taxicabs must have a unique and distinctive color scheme and design,which must be approved by the City. 5. Except for pedicabs and horsedrawn vehicles,each taxicab business shall provide a minimum of four(4)taxicabs, and one taxicab shall be in operation at all times. At least four (4)taxicabs shall be insured and shall have a decal at all times. DECALS A. Each taxicab business shall file an application for a decal for each taxicab with the city clerk on forms provided by the city. B. No person shall operate a taxicab on any street unless a decal has been issued by the city clerk, and no taxicab business shall allow a taxicab to be operated on any street unless a decal has been issued by the city clerk.The decal shall be attached to the lower corner of the front windshield on the passenger side. Pedicabs or horsedrawn vehicles shall display the decal on the left rear of the taxicab. 6 C. If the city clerk finds that the taxicab business has fully complied with the requirements of this chapter and the city equipment superintendent or designee determines that there is no information which would indicate that issuance of the decal would be detrimental to the safety, health or welfare of residents of the city,the city clerk shall issue a decal for the taxicab. D. The decal shall be nontransferable as between taxicabs and taxicab businesses. E. Decals will be issued by the city clerk on the next business day at least twenty-four(24)hours after the filing of a completed application for such decal with the city clerk. F. The taxicab business shall return the decal within two(2)business days of when the vehicle is no longer operating as a taxicab. Additionally,metered taxicab businesses shall remove the bubble light and lettering within two(2)business days of when the vehicle is no longer operating as a taxicab. Failure to comply with this provision is grounds to suspend and revoke the taxicab business license. G. If, after the issuance of a decal,the license plate for the taxicab is changed,the taxicab business shall inform the city clerk in writing of the new license plate number and have the city equipment supervisor or designee verify that the VIN, license plate number, and decal match. No driver shall operate a taxicab until the city equipment supervisor or designee has verified that the VIN and decal match the new license plate number. No taxicab business shall allow a taxicab to be operated until the city equipment supervisor or designee has verified that the VIN and decal match the new license plate number. H. The taxicab business shall return the decal within two(2) business days of when the vehicle is no longer operating as a taxicab. I. No person shall operate a motorized vehicle,a horsedrawn vehicle,or a pedicab that has a decal attached to it if the decal is not valid. A decal that is not valid includes,but is not limited to the following situations: 1)the decal is outdated; 2)the insurance for the taxicab as required in this chapter has been cancelled or otherwise terminated; or 3)the taxicab business has notified the City Clerk that the vehicle is no longer part of its fleet. LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: A. The taxicab business shall insure each driver consistent with the requirements of this chapter. B. The minimum limits of the insurance policy shall be determined by the City's Risk Manager. C. The taxicab business shall file with the city clerk evidence of liability insurance coverage in the form of one certificate of insurance that lists all taxicabs insured. The certificate of insurance must be acceptable to the City. D. The insurance company must be authorized to do insurance business in the state of Iowa and be acceptable to the city. E. Insurance coverage for the driver of a network taxicab shall,at a minimum, be for incidents involving the driver during a prearranged ride and shall provide coverage at all times the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride. Insurance coverage of a metered taxicab,which is not titled in the name of the business,shall be for incidents involving the driver when the vehicle is operated as a taxicab and shall provide coverage at all times a driver is operating 7 the taxicab. Insurance coverage of a metered taxicab,which is titled in the name of the business,and pedicabs and horsedrawn vehicles,shall be for all incidents. F. Notwithstanding Section 5-1-5,the cancellation or other termination of an insurance policy required by this chapter shall automatically suspend the business license. The City Clerk shall immediately issue written notification to the taxicab business of the suspension of the license. The City Clerk will schedule a suspension hearing before the City Manager or designee in the same manner as in Section 5-1-5. If the taxicab business obtains insurance coverage that complies with this chapter prior to the hearing on the suspension,the City Clerk may withdraw the suspension and cancel the hearing. Upon the City Clerk suspending the license,the taxicab business shall return all decals to the city clerk. If the suspension of the business license is subsequently withdrawn,the taxicab business must apply for new decals in accordance with the terms of this chapter and at its expense. RATES A. Rates must be based on time, distance,or a combination thereof B. Taxicab businesses and drivers shall provide rate information to all passengers in at least one of the following ways: 1. A web-based application system that minimally provides: a. The total fare or fare range is clearly displayed on the application and the passenger positively acknowledges he or she agrees to the rate structure being charged for the ride requested before the ride is confirmed. All other rates, charges, or fees are prohibited. b. Upon completion of the prearranged ride,the driver or taxicab business shall transmit to the passenger an electronic receipt, either by electronic mail or text message.The receipt shall document the point of origin and destination of the ride,the total distance and duration of the ride,the total fare paid, and the driver's first name. c. No taxicab business or driver shall charge a fare that exceeds the amount communicated through a web-based application. 2. A rate card that is prominently displayed to all passenger seats and each driver shall provide a copy of said card to a passenger,when requested.A copy of the rate card shall be filed with the city clerk. a.A rate based on distance includes destination rates. Except for destination rates, all rates based on time and/or distance must utilize a taximeter.All other rates, charges,or fees,except for extra rider stipulations and cleanup rates, are prohibited. Only one rate may be certified by the calibrator at one time,and said rate must match the rate card filed in the city clerk's office and verified by the city equipment superintendent or designee. 8 b.No driver of a metered taxicab shall operate a taxicab without utilizing a taximeter that has been calibrated by a certified calibrator and inspected. c.Whenever the taxicab business desires to change the rate charged,the taxicab business shall file a rate card with the city clerk setting forth the new rates.The business must have all taximeters recalibrated by a certified calibrator on a form provided by the city and returned to the city clerk no later than ten(10)business days after filing the new rates with the city clerk. The business must have the taximeter recalibrated by a certified calibrator no sooner than the filing date of a rate card change and no later than ten(10)business days after said filing date, The business must have all taximeters recalibrated by a certified calibrator before the business may again change the rate charged. 3. No taxicab business or driver shall charge a fare exceeding the amount communicated to passengers through a web-based application, rate card,or taximeter. REVOCATION/SUSPENSION OF LICENSES AND AUTHORIZATIONS: Licenses and authorizations issued under this chapter may be revoked or suspended as provided in section 5-1-5 of this title. FEES Fees for licenses, decals, inspections, and authorizations shall be set by Council resolution. ADMINSTRATIVE RULES The City Manager and City Clerk, and their designees, are authorized to establish administrative rules not inconsistent with any ordinance adopted by the City Council. A copy of the rules shall be on file with the City Clerk and available of the City website. VIOLATIONS: Any violation of this chapter shall be considered a simple misdemeanor or municipal infraction. The fine for a simple misdemeanor shall be$_, and the civil penalty for a simple misdemeanor shall be HORSEDRAWN VEHICLES: 9 Item Number: IP7. CITY OF OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Custodian - Government Buildings Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Custodian - Government Buildings ` r CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (3 19) 356-5009 FAX wWW.ICgov Arg July 1, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Custodian — Government Buildings 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 Custodian — Government Buildings. Brian Pogue Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wyss, Chair Item Number: IP8. CITY OF OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Building Inspector - Plumbing Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Building Inspector - Plumbing ....rte_ CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.Tcgov.org July 1, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Building Inspector— Plumbing 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 Building Inspector — Plumbing. Brian Jensen Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Vitlyss, Chair Item Number: IP9. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 11, 2024 Economic Development Committee: July 1 Attachments: Economic Development Committee: July 1 DRAFT-p.l Council EDC,1(1(24 Minutes City Council Economic Development Committee July 01, 2024 City Manager's Conference Room City Council Economic Development Committee Members Present: Laura Bergus, Josh Moe, Andrew Dunn Members Absent: None Staff Present: Rachel Kilburg Varley, Geoff Fruin, Eric Goers, Others Present: Mackenzie DeRoo, Greater Iowa City, Inc. Recommendations to council: Dunn moved, Bergus seconded a motion to approve a recommendation to the full council for approval of the revised Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Policy. Motion passed (3-0). Call to Order Rachel Kilburg Varley called the meeting to order at 3:31 P.M. Elect Chairperson Bergus moved, Dunn seconded to elect Moe as chair. Motion passed (3-0). Consider approval of minutes from the September 25, 2023 Economic Development Committee meeting Bergus moved, Dunn seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the September 25, 2023 meeting. Motion passed (3-0). Review Committee purpose & Iowa Open Meeting Law Kilburg Varley shared the Committee was formed by City Council in 2000 and was charged with assuming leadership over the City's economic development policy. Historically, it has met on an as-needed basis. Kilburg Varley discussed types of issues that may be brought before the Committee and explained that due to the pandemic and economy's impacts on development, the Committee has not met frequently in the past few years. Goers explained that Committee is considered a legislative body under Iowa Code Chapter 21 and thus is subject to abide by Iowa ©pen Meeting Law. Since it is a three-member committee, two constitutes a quorum. DRAFT-p.2 Council EDC,7!1124 Consider recommendation to full City Council for approval of updated Economic De- velopment Policy Kilburg Varley noted staff's recommended Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Policy was included in the Committee's agenda packet along with a redlined version. She reviewed the recommended policy changes and the Committee discussed: • Staff goals with the updated TIF Policy are to maintain high expectations for TIF- supported projects, while maintaining flexibility to meet the City's established goals; align with the City Council's updated Strategic Plan and clarify types of projects TIF may support. • The recommended policy clarifies that TIF may be an appropriate tool for public infrastructure, arts and culture projects, and catalyst projects and shared examples where the City has used to TIF to support these types of projects in the past. Moe asked about the emphasis on the Strategic Plan. Kilburg Varley noted the other planning documents also listed and Fruin explained the Strategic Plan acts as an umbrella plan which communicates the City's overarching vision and values. Bergus asked for an example of catalyst projects; Fruin explained the Chauncey, Hilton Garden Inn, and the Edge developments might be considered catalyst projects as they have spurred additional development and new uses downtown. • Climate Action & Resilience: The recommended policy adds references to the City's adopted Climate Action Plan and emission reduction goals and adds other sustainable development practices and building or energy rating systems may be considered appropriate beyond just LEED. Moe asked whether the City should continue to list LEED Silver as a standard. Fruin explained the recommended policy is intended to provide a possible menu of approaches that the City may consider for the developer to demonstrate leadership in climate action, but the City would retain discretion for requiring one or more of those options within each unique project. Bergus suggested promoting alternative transportation options in general, rather than just EV-readiness. Staff agreed to revise for the final version. Moe asked about specific resilience standards we would expect for infrastructure projects; Fruin explained the Foster Road TIF project is one example where it had flood resilience baked into the project and that the design also incorporated sustainable elements such as bike lanes, pedestrian accommodations, and tree canopy. • Historic Preservation: The recommended policy references and relies upon the Downtown Historic District designation and generally encourages contextual development which contributes to historic districts and landmarks. Bergus pointed out the language which asserts TIF will not be considered for any projects that demolish historic structures and asked about the College St. redevelopment project where a portion of a historic structure was demolished. Fruin confirmed that with that project, staff worked through the appropriate channels to ensure the project maintained the historic portions of the property while permitting demolition of a portion of the newer, non-historic additions. Moe suggested the "test" should be whether the project diminishes or threatens the historic designation. The Committee discussed and DRAFT-p.3 Council EDC, 711124 decided to strike the language related to demolition and lean on the recommended policy's current language requiring contextual development which contributes to and enhances historic designations. • Affordable Housing: The recommended policy clarifies the minimum compliance period for affordable housing units is 20 years. Moe asked whether the compliance period is waived when the City owns public housing units within a TIF-supported project. Fruin explained that, in the past, the City has used a mix of approaches such as negotiate off-site affordable housing or purchasing units as public housing units, which have the advantage of being permanent. Moe asked whether the TIF Policy should align with LIHTC affordability periods of 30-years, and Fruin stated he believed there was flexibility within the policy for longer term or permanent affordability. Bergus suggested clarifying the policy to state the Council strongly prefers permanent or longer-term compliance. Staff agreed to incorporate that change. • Economic Justice: The recommended policy adds workplace safety, child labor laws, and other labor laws to the existing language on wage laws. Additionally, it removes specific provisions, which would be addressed in the development agreement instead of the TIF Policy. Bergus asked whether those reading the TIF Policy fully grasp and understand the breadth of federal, state, and local laws they are agreeing to abide by. Kilburg Varley clarified that the TIF Policy is not requiring anything above and beyond existing federal, state, and local labor laws that a contractor would already be required to follow for any work they perform. Fruin clarified that by stating this in the TIF Policy, it communicates that failure to comply would put their TIF package at risk. • Underwriting and Application: The recommended policy clarifies that a third-party financial review may be used to perform the analysis for gap financing requests. Moe asked if it would be possible to assign the costs of the third-party review to the developer. Fruin stated the City has paid for it in the past, but it may be an eligible expense to use increment for. Staff agreed to look into the possibility. • Exhibits: The recommended policy includes an updated map which removes expired Urban Renewal Areas and TIF districts, a map of the City-University Area, and a list of the City Council's updated Strategic Plan priorities.Additionally, it removes the two excerpts of the Downtown & Riverfront Crossings Master Plan, which are no longer specifically referenced in the TIF Policy. Moe noted the removal of those two pages is helpful since they are contradictory and open to interpretation. Kilburg Varley invited the Committee members to discuss further and consider making a recommendation to the full City Council for approval of the TIF Policy. She reviewed the following changes requested by the Committee, which staff will make to the policy before submitting for City Council approval: (1) edit the Climate Action section to encourage sustainable transportation and mobility; (2) remove the sentence referencing demolition from the Historic Preservation section; and (3) add a strong preference for permanent affordability or longer-term compliance periods to the Affordable Housing section. DRAFT-p.4 Council EDC,7/1/24 Dunn moved, Bergus seconded a motion to approve a recommendation to the full council for approval of the revised Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Policy. Motion passed (3-0). Update from Greater Iowa City, Inc. Kilburg Varley explained that the City provides funding to Greater Iowa City, Inc. annually to carry out economic development services for the community and welcomed Mackenzie DeRoo to provide an update on behalf of the organization. DeRoo shared the following updates: • Greater IC recently led a regional trip to D.C. to meet with the State's federal legislators to discuss workforce and immigration reform, Pell Grants and their support of the trades, and infrastructure projects including the Burlington Street Bridge Project. • Renovations to MERGE are nearing completion and Greater IC intends to begin offering business support services (accounting, IT, HR, legal) on a regularly scheduled basis. • Greater IC recently secured a $500,000 ABPA grant from Johnson County to carry out a grant program for underestimated businesses. • Greater IC is also leading advocacy on the Pop-Up Metro opportunity, which would function as a live-study passenger transit option along the CRANDIC route. Greater IC staff will be traveling to view the rail demo and a cost estimate is expected soon. • Greater IC is working on identifying Strategic Investment Districts in North Liberty, Coralville, and Iowa City. Old or New Business Bergus asked about the possibility of more frequent EDC meetings which would focus on educating Committee members on relevant economic development topics. Moe suggested quarterly meetings and Dunn agreed. Some possible topics and guest speakers were discussed and staff agreed to follow-up and schedule quarterly meetings. Fruin also mentioned that the Committee's process for annual funding to the business support and arts and culture organizations may be a topic to consider at the next meeting. Adiournment Bergus moved, Dunn seconded that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried (3-0) DRAFT-p.5 Council EDC,711124 Council Economic Development Committee ATTENDANCE RECORD 2020-24 TERM 12/09/20 10/27121 10/19122 11129/22 /25/23 7/1/24 NAME EXP. Josh Moe 01/02124 — — — --- X Andrew Dunn 01/02124 --- --- --- --- --- X Laura Bergus 01/02/24 --- X X X X John Thomas 01/02124 X X X X X -- Megan Alter 01/02/24 – X X X Susan Mims 01/02/22 X X -- — — Mazahir Salih 01/02122 O/E X — -- Key: X = Present O = Absent --- = not a member O/E =Absent/Excused _ 1 r , AIN City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY July 16, 2024 Information submitted between distribution of the packet on Thursday and 3:00pm on Tuesday. Late Handout(s): GA Adopting Tax Increment Financing Policy- See correspondence from Del Holland, Tom Carsner IP. Email from Yaneli Canales: $5.7 million PRO Housing for Immigrants Families [Submitted by Mayor Teague] July 16,2024 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP. CITY OF OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT July 16, 2024 Email from Yaneli Canales: $5.7 million PRO Housing for Immigrants Families [Submitted by Mayor Teague] Attachments: Email from Yaneli Canales: $5.7 million PRO Housing for Immigrants Families [Submitted by Mayor Teague] T`P Kellie Grace From: Bruce Teague Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 2:33 PM To: Kellie Grace Subject: Fw: $5.7 million PRO Housing for Immigrant Families Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files; EMVItrToCityReProHousing.7.15.24.pdf Hi Kellie, Late Handouts Distributed Please add to council late handouts. �-its-a�4 Thankyou! (Date) In Unity, Mayor Bruce Teague (He/Him/His) Iowa City City Council Member -At Large 1-319-536-1200 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 WWW.ICGOV.ORG ® IOWACITY A UNESCO CtTY Of i1Tf'ATURE Notice: Please be advised this email communication may be public information. From:Yaneli Canales<yaneli@escuchamivozia.org> Sent: Monday,July 15, 202412:45 PM To: Bruce Teague<bteague@iowa-city.org>; Geoff Fruin<GFruin@iowa-city.org>; *City Council<CityCouncil@iowa- city.org> Cc: Laura Bergus<LBergus@iowa-city.org>; Shawn Harmsen<SHarmsen@iowa-city.org>; Mazahir Salih<MSalih@iowa- city.org>; Megan Alter<MAlter@iowa-city.org>;Andrew Dunn<ADunn@iowa-city.org>; klehman@iowa-city.org <klehman@iowa-city.org>;Tracy Hightshoe<THightshoe@iowa-city.org>;Joshua Moe<J Moe @iowa-city.org>; Escucha Mi Voz Iowa <info@escuchamivozia.org> Subject:$5.7 million PRO Housing for Immigrant Families 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. Dear Mayor Teague and Iowa City City Council Members, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing on behalf of Escucha Mi Voz Iowa and the Iowa City Catholic Workers to provide a letter from our members, regarding the recently awarded $5.7 million PRO Housing grant. 1 We'd like to request a meeting with you to discuss how the$5.7 million PRO Housing grant can be most effectively used to address historical racial inequities in housing and create deeply affordable and permanent supportive housing for working-class immigrant families. We appreciate your attention to this critical issue and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate on solutions that will benefit our community. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Yaneli Canales Escucha Mi Voz Iowa Iowa City Catholic Workers Yaneli Canales Community Organizer Escucha Mi Voz Iowa 113 S Johnson St Iowa City, IA 52240 yaneli a escuchamivozia.ora 319.432.4733 PLEASE NOTE:THIS EMAIL IS SENTTO PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH TIME-SENSITIVE INFORMATION.TO AVOID AN UNINTENDED "MEETING" IN VIOLATION OF THE IOWA OPEN MEETINGS ACT, PLEASE DO NOT"REPLY TO ALL." IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE CALL THE CITY MANAGERS OFFICE AT(319) 356-5010. z CASA DEL CATHOLIC WORKER ESCUCHA MI VOZ IOWA IOWA cm Fighting for Worker justice and Immigration Reform OBRERO CATOLICO July 14, 2024 City of Iowa City The Honorable Bruce Teague, Iowa City Mayor Mr.Geoff Fruin, City Manager $5.7 million PRO Housing grant should be invested in fair and just housing for immigrant workers, not$1,4001month townhouses that arenY truly affordable Mayor Teague and the Iowa City City Council; Congratulations on winning a$3.75 million PRO Housing grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. With the city's committed matching leverage,the total affordable housing investment from this award should be nearly $6 million. We request a meeting with you to negotiate how your PRO Housing plan will be implemented. Last year, Escucha Mi Uoz Iowa members and Catholic Workers stood up and spoke out for an end to the exclusionary zoning that has pushed low-wage immigrant workers into expensive, overcrowded, and dilapidated housing on the outskirts of the city, far from the schools, grocery stores,and jobs in the metro center. The two-family zoning code change we worked together with you to make was one of the main reasons the city's PRO Housing application to HUD was competitive enough to be selected. In your application,you committed to city-initiated higher density rezoning and an inclusive engagement framework.At the time,we raised a concern with you that a$400,000 parking and housing study was unnecessary and could be better spent on deeply affordable and permanent supportive housing for immigrant workers. We also cautioned the city not to define target populations only as low and mid-income residents. When making decisions about how affordable housing dollars are invested,the city should include a civil rights and racial equity analysis that prioritizes the excluded ethnic minorities who have long been denied equal access to deeply affordable and-permanent supportive housing in Iowa City. As our recent Salud, Techo,y Trabajo survey and report showed,more than half of Latino residents in Iowa City report they are technically homeless,doubling up or tripling up occupancy to survive. Yet they are the least likely to benefit from rent and utility assistance or new housing developments. We are most concerned about the city's apparent plan to funnel the PRO Housing grant through the Iowa City Housing Authority. Your recent decision to invest nearly $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding in"publicly-owned housing" did not create any new truly affordable housing units. Renting out three-bedroom townhouses to working families for$1,4001month is market-rate rent extraction, not fair and just housing. We request a meeting with you to negotiate how the $5.7 million PRO Housing grant will be invested to best address historic racial inequities in housing and create deeply affordable and permanent supportive housing for the working-class immigrant families who need it most. Thank you and we look forward to your reply, Escucha Mi Voz members and Iowa City Catholic Workers 41ex &rwr aeg,au Vagi 1 ,Sie.Q r-o CEJ � hdhe y ti1e [ 1 �� C, 11 Ma�> Q►� Z 0% Ckc� L' ►rtlo f�, u�Yr�. C'�fi«Lr��S rtq-et .