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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-08-20 Bd Comm minutes Item Number: 3.a. r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY a Qa, COUNCIL ACTION REPORT August 20, 2024 Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: July 18 Attachments: Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: July 18 July 18,2024 Approved Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma Harvat Hall, City Hall Commissioners present: Amos Kiche, Cliff Johnson, Chad Simmons, Chastity Dillard, Lauren Merritt. Commissioners on Zoom: Lubna Mohamed, Wangui Gathua, Kayla Rossi. Commissioners not present: Louis Tassinary. Staff present: Geoff Fruin. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 7:09 PM Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Merritt read the Land Acknowledgement. Approval of minutes from June 20, 2024: Dillard moved, and Johnson seconded. Motion passed 8-0. Next steps for phase three and four: Dillard led the discussion with a recap on what are areas of focus in the last meeting. Kiche shared a potential budget that would offer a new approach to the commission's goals leading to the end of the year. In Kiche's budget it was suggested to focus on groups by race/ethnicity. Dillard mentioned that in previous meetings the commission agreed as a whole to allow the focus for the remainder of the work to be put towards Africans and Black communities. Merritt and Johnson agreed the proposed budget looked realistic and doable for the commission. Dillard suggested using the budget as a loose guide that allows for some changes throughout their work. It was suggested to update the timeline of the budget due to it being late July and leading up to the commission end date of December 2024. Fruin offered a suggestion to have both a summary budget that allows for more flexibility and then a more detailed budget that allows the commission a rough guideline for planning purposes. Fruin also mentioned that the city is likely to be more interested in the bottom-line number that the commission plans to spend for the remainder of its time. Dillard suggested allocating less funds to space rentals and putting that money towards food and other necessities. Mohamed suggested the Coralville Public Library as a free meeting space. Simmons recommended making a motion for the budget in order to focus on more important issues at hand and then focusing on the smaller details in the budget for a later date. 1 It was agreed that the "miscellaneous" line of the budget would be changed to "report writing, facilitation, and shared services" with a budget of$7,500. Simmons clarified the budget by suggesting doubling the numbers in the budget for special meeting and special event promotion than keeping the amount for community marketing, and putting the remainder$7500 towards writing, facilitation, and shared services,totaling $20,000 for the overall budget. Johnson brought up the idea of using students as interns for the remainder of the commission. Fruin advised against putting out an open call for interns due to government requirements for the hiring process. It was recommended to seek help that would be considered an independent contractor. Simmons recommended Tevin Robbins and Dr. Venise Barry. Simmons suggested prioritizing an event planner within the budget. Kiche asked about the community outreach and engagement specialist that will be hired as city staff through the Office of Human Rights. Johnson asked about the status on commission merch to provide during outreach efforts. Dillard noted that it will be necessary to order more. Dillard mentioned the importance of the subcommittees coming up with a schedule that maps out each committee's responsibilities through the December 2024 end date. Gathua asked if there was an outline of what is left to do and what is expected for the final report. Dillard reported that the tasks at hand are to focus on the report(with Tassinary leading this work and a suggested date of October-early Nov. to get a report to City Council by its December meeting date) and focusing on community engagement(gathering information and showcasing the commissions potential). Gathua suggested a calendar of events with flexible dates and a general overview of what is to be expected. Dillard offered to work with Kiche on cleaning up the budget to better match the evenings discussion. Motion to approve the budget for phase three and four in the amount of$20,000. It was moved by Dillard and seconded by Johnson. Motion passed 7-0. Simmons abstained. Announcements of commissioners: Gathua asked for commissioners to keep Kenya community members in their thoughts as a way to support community members who's home of origin is Kenya as their government faces corruption. Dillard shared the upcoming event National Night Out on August 6th as an opportunity to table the event. Announcements of staff: None. The meeting adjourned at 7:54 PM. The full meeting video can be viewed at this link. 2 a N a a a N a d N 0 a d a a d N a a N O O o 00 F'' U � 00 V W N A zz � W � F x H x HW M M M M M M M M M N N N N N N N N N FBI � � L Item Number: 3.b. CITY OF IOWA CITY Q COUNCIL ACTION REPORT August 20, 2024 Charter Review Commission: June 17 Attachments: Charter Review Commission: June 17 FINAL/APPROVED MINUTES CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION June 17, 2024—5:30 p.m. EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL Members Present: John Balmer, Susan Craig, John Deeth, Gerene Denning, Makenzie DeRoo, Matt Hayek, Molly Kucera, Bijou Maliabo, Jennifer Patel Staff Present: City Attorney Goers, City Clerk Grace (Videos of the meetings are available at citychannel4.com typically within 48 hours) RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: to become effective only after separate Council action): None 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 2. MOTION TO ADOPT DRAFT MINUTES AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED Moved by Deeth, seconded by Craig to approve the May 23, 2024, draft minutes as presented. Motion carried 9-0. 3. Motion to Accept Correspondence No correspondence received. 4. Continue discussion of Review of City Charter: Preamble Chair Balmer stated the Commission would not be making any final decisions but should be coming to a consensus as they review the sections of the City Charter. Commissioner Hayek asked if there was a draft of the changes that had been discussed. City Attorney Goers had submitted a memo dated May 9 in the May 14th meeting packet. It was noted in the memo from Attorney Goers he was asked to review the Charter to search for uses of the term "Qualified Elector', to see if there was a good reason not to collapse that term into the definition of"Eligible Elector." The memo states that the term is repeatedly used not only in the Charter, but in the remainder of the City Code and recommended preserving the definition of"Qualified Elector." Commissioner Denning asked if as part of the Commission's recommendations they could say they had a discussion and agreed "Eligible Elector" is the better language and if the people that could amend it do so, the next Commission could correct the language. There was consensus among the Commission to make the recommendation. Chair Balmer asked the Commission to continue the review of the Preamble before moving on to other sections. City Clerk Grace read through her notes from the May 23 Commission meeting to confirm the agreed changes made to the language in the Preamble, number 1 as follows: "a. Each individual shall have an e opportunity to participate fully in the o^^nnmv+ - t. 4 ra ►dTr le t al in the life of the city, arad tO h@va aR n^,gal e2PGFtU^ibqq a 4i#e OdUding_econornic. cultural and intellectual. Charter Review Commission June 17,2024 Page 2 b. Discrimination prohibited by Title 2 of the City Code shall not be tolerated. is prehibz-_A k-sed ee e9ior religion national nri.-,"�e��GeX ial GFrentatinn N' ", ender,.`i cnuarvrTc-rrcvnarr Vice Chair Kucera asked staff if they could produce a document of the agreed upon changes by the Commission and have it available to review. City Attorney Goers noted that typically draft documents are not public but since the discussion is at a public meeting, he did not have concerns with the document being public if that's what the Commission wanted. Kucera noted that the Commission wants to have input from the public and having a draft document the public can review as well as the Commission makes sense. City Attorney Goers asked if the Commission was okay with staff crafting language for the document so the public would know that it is a working document. The Commission agreed to staff drafting language and also noted that the draft should only have items the Commission has had consensus on. Commissioner Patel stated she wasn't sure when to ask and noted throughout the document there were references to she and he and not everyone identifies by male or female and asked if those could be changed to the singular they. Attorney Goers asked the Commission if staff could finish reading the Preamble changes before moving on. City Clerk Grace read from the minutes of April 25 where Commissioner Denning made suggested changes to paragraph one of the Preamble which included language from the Model Charter as follows: "We, the people of Iowa City, Iowa, pursuant to the constitution and statutes of the state of Iowa and the principle of self-determination proclaim that the government of Iowa City belongs to all its residents and all share the responsibility for it. We hereby adopt this charter and confer upon it the full home rule powers of a charter city in order to provide for an honest and accountable council-manager Government. By this action, we secure the benefits of home rule and affirm the values of representative democracy. professional management, strong political leadership, public enaa ement. diversity and inclusiveness and regional cooperation. Furthermore. adoption of this Charter recognizes the following principles:" Commissioners discussed the inclusion of"council-manager government" in the language and having a clear and concise document. There was consensus leave the language as proposed. Commissioner Maliabo asked why the Commission was adding language if the current language is good as is. Vice Chair Kuchera noted that the proposed language was from the Model City Charter and is more inclusive and that is why it was suggested to be added. City Clerk Grace continued reading the suggested changes for numbers 1 — 5 of the Preamble: 1. Resident participation on an equitable and inclusive basis as part of the process of democratic self-government. More specifically: 2. The provision of city services including but not limited to those related to the health, safety, and welfare of its residents in an fa#equitable, inclusive, effective, efficient and L manner. 3. The conduct of city business in conformity with the principles and practices of due process, equal protection under the laws, and protection of individual liberties rr anted by the Constitution of the United States, !;; the State of Iowa, and by local ordinances. Charter Review Commission June 17,2024 Page 3 4. Civility and responsiveness by city employees in their interactions with the public. (Ord. 15-4621, 5-19-2015) 5. Fair and effective environmental stewardship that treasures the many wonders of our unique environment and recognizes that the power and duty to protect this region is inherent to its people. There was consensus from the Commission to accept the language as is for items 1 - 4. Commissioners discussed the proposed language in item 5. Commissioner Patel felt environmental stewardship was important and Commissioner Maliabo thought it sounded very welcoming. Commissioner Hayek asked Attorney Goers if there was an issue with using Power and duty. Goers noted the Preamble is considered aspirational, but the language could possibly be challenged if someone thought the City should be doing more or if the City approved a project that some thought was environmentally unfriendly. Goers stated his preference would be to remove words like power and duty from the language. Commissioner DeRoo asked if instead of making the language its own statement, could a portion of it could be added to the first paragraph of the Preamble as follows: "We, the people of Iowa City, Iowa, pursuant to the constitution and statutes of the state of Iowa and the principle of self-determination proclaim that the government of Iowa City belongs to all its residents and all share the responsibility for it. We hereby adopt this charter and confer upon it the full home rule powers of a charter city in order to provide for an honest and accountable council-manager government. By this action, we secure the benefits of home rule and affirm the values of representative democracy, professional management, strong political leadership, public engagement, diversity and inclusiveness, regional cooperation. and fair and effective stewardship of our unique environment. Furthermore, adoption of this Charter recognizes the following principles:" There was consensus of the revised language for paragraph one and deletion of item 5 among Commissioners. City Clerk Grace confirmed the revised language of Article I. Powers of the City, Section 1.01 Powers Of The City to read as follows: The city shall have ha-s all powers possible under the constitution and laws of this state. (Ord. 76-2792, 1-2-1976) Commissioner Denning explained that"shall have" makes the language stronger and Commissioner Hayek stated it also reads better. City Clerk Grace also noted there was a suggested addition of Section 1.04 Intergovernmental Relations which the Commission agreed not to add. There was consensus of the revised language for Section 1.01 and not to add to Section 1.04 among Commissioners. 5. Continue discussion of Review of City Charter: Article II —City Council Section 2.12 Prohibitions Chair Balmer noted the memo dated June 12 from City Attorney Goers in the June 17 Charter Review Commission meeting packet regarding adding City Attorney and City Clerk Charter Review Commission June 17,2024 Page 4 to the Prohibitions section from discussion at the May 23 meeting. Commissioner Craig added there was also discussion regarding the Library and Airport. Chair Balmer noted that the Library is under separate governance by the Library Board and asked if they should be included in the language. Commissioner Craig noted she had originally thought the language should be under Article IV. City Manager, Section 4.04. Duties Of City Manager because they are responsible for the hiring and thought it should be pointed out someplace in the Charter, noting the governance of the Airport and Library are different from the rest of the City. City Attorney Goers stated Section 2.12 is specifically trying to avoid Council interference with the management of employees. Goers also noted there are other sections of the Iowa City Code such as 11-1-2(E) in reference to the Library that gives the Library Board direct control over all activities and operations of the Library but doesn't necessarily protect Library employees. City Attorney Goers summarized the two proposed language samples from the memo dated June 12. Commissioner Hayek thought the second version of proposed language from the memo was hard to read. Chair Balmer's preference was to only reference the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk in this section. The Commission discussed the proposed language from the City Attorney and made suggestions. Commissioner Hayek asked if the City Code sections could be referenced in the Charter. Goers noted there were two issues being discussed, one being council interference and the other being who gets to do the hiring. Additional discussion continued by the Commission. The Commission directed the City Attorney to redraft the version of Charter Section 2.12 to simplify the language, move the Police and Fire Chief's to section 2.08, and to make clear that council members should not interfere with any City employees other than the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk. Staff will make a note to revisit language regarding the Library Director and the Airport Manager, particularly in 4.04, at a later date. 6. TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE Commissioners reviewed the tentative meeting schedule and agreed to cancel July 30 and moved August 27 to Wednesday, August 28 due to meeting room availability. Chair Balmer asked staff to look at meeting rooms at the Iowa City Public Library in September to hold a public hearing to gather public input. Vice Chair Kucera suggested having one of the public hearings on a Saturday to encourage more attendance. Commissioner DeRoo suggested working with partner organizations that already have an engaged base of members that could promote on behalf of the Commission. Staff will look at the room calendar for openings at the Library. Commissioner Maliabo suggested a photo of the Commission for the City webpage and asked if the public hearing could be held at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center for ample parking. Commissioner Craig suggested using Harvat Hall for a public hearing. Commissioners discussed how to disperse information to the public. Commissioner Maliabo suggested having a table for Commissioners at local events or flyers to help promote the Commission. City Clerk Grace added that a QR Code could be added to the flyers. Chair Balmer suggested they should focus on giving the Charter another general overview starting at Article III going forward at the June 271 meeting and leave the more controversial items for later. 7. COMMUNITY COMMENT: No discussion. Charter Review Commission June 17,2024 Page 5 8. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Maliabo, seconded by Patel to adjourn the meeting at 6:51 p.m. Motion carried 9-0. N O N C � y V vZ 06/17/24 X X X X X X X X X ai G 4) w 05/23/24 X X X 0 X X X X 0 a 05/14/24 X X X w X X X w X O O V 04/25/24 X 0 X X w X X X X 04/09/24 X X X X X X X X X C04/01/24 X X X X X X X X X mod/ N N N N N N N N N W o _0 CD E � U CD O C X � -0 U W ` •C G :;� N 0) v g •� �+ Y m IC ca c aa) E a N Z m U d p a a) o - (D N C �C C d Y >+ C II II m ACo CU L fA Z R O •0 = YII II L1J II Una � C9 'L 2 inXOOZ Item Number: 3.c. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT August 20, 2024 Charter Review Commission: June 27 Attachments: Charter Review Commission: June 27 FINAUAPPROVED MINUTES CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION June 27, 2024—5:30 p.m. EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL Members Present: John Balmer, Susan Craig, John Deeth, Gerene Denning, Makenzie DeRoo, Matt Hayek, Molly Kucera, Bijou Maliabo, Jennifer Patel Staff Present: City Attorney Goers, City Clerk Grace (Videos of the meetings are available at citychannel4.com typically within 48 hours) RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council action None 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 2. MOTION TO ADOPT DRAFT MINUTES AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED Commissioner Deeth noted a typo on page four. Chair Balmer Moved by Deeth, seconded by Patel to approve the June 17, 2024, draft minutes as amended. Motion carried 9-0. 3. Motion to Accept Correspondence No correspondence received. 4. Continue discussion of Review of City Charter: Article II — City Council, Section 2.08. Appointments and 2.12. Prohibitions Commissioner Denning thought additional clarification on Section 2.08 Appointments, changing the title to be Appointments and Approvals. Denning suggested adding an additional paragraph labeled F which states, "Appointment of the police chief and fire chief by the city manager shall be subject to city council approval' so that there is city council involvement but is different from the city manager, city attorney and city clerk appointment process. Commissioner DeRoo noted there was a memo from the City Attorney that had different proposed language which was drafted after the discussion at the June 17th meeting. City Attorney Goers referenced his memo which was included in the June 27th meeting packet, noting that it addressed the issues Denning was trying to clarify. Commissioners agreed to the proposed language from City Attorney Goers for Section 2.08. Commissioner Craig raised a concern with the proposed language for Section 2.12 Prohibitions, letter C. "A councilmember may not interfere with the supervision or direction of any city employee other than the city manager, city attorney, or city clerk", which was also included in the memo from City Attorney Goers. Craig stated when she read letter C it sounded as though one single council member could interfere with those three positions mentioned. City Attorney Goers pointed out the difference between the council as a whole and a councilmember, noting the council as a whole can interfere with the three appointed positions. Denning confirmed that the language protected the Library Director and Airport Charter Review Commission June 27,2024 Page 2 Manager and their employees from a single councilmember. Goers pointed out that letter C does indicate a councilmember may not interfere with any city employee which included the Library Director, Airport Manager, and their employees. Commissioners agreed to the proposed language from City Attorney Goers for Section 2.12. 5. Continue General Overview of the City Charter Preamble Chair Balmer noted the updated language in the first paragraph of the preamble which references "strong political leadership" and asked if anyone else had issues with it. Commissioner Craig stated she understood Balmer's position and suggested taking the word political out to read "strong leadership". Commissioners agreed to remove the word "political". Article III. Nomination, Primary Election and Regular Election Vice Chair Kucera noted in Section 3.01. Nomination, the first sentence where is says "his or her" should be changed to "their". Kucera stated the Commission had discussed making those changes as they reviewed the document. City Attorney Goers asked for consensus from the Commissioners if they would like the change to be made throughout the document. Commissioners agreed to the changes. Commissioner Deeth stated the timeframe between the October primary and November election was tight for the Auditor's office and wondered if the October primary could be moved to the September school board date that is not used anymore, noting he wasn't sure if that would be allowed under state law. Commission Craig said she thought the current timeframe seemed short from a voter perspective to learn about the candidates. Commissioner Deeth and City Attorney Goers would look into state law. Commissioners discussed past elections, candidates, and timing of primary elections. Goers confirmed with Commissioners that there was a consensus for him to look into whether the Commission has any control over the timing of a primary election. Commissioners agreed. Article IV. City Manager Commissioner Craig asked if the "or" in Section 4.02(B) is correct when it states "the council shall appoint an individual qualified to perform the duties of city manager to serve at the pleasure of council or until a city manager is appointed. Commissioner Patel gave an example of why "or" would be appropriate indicating the council may decide the individual appointed isn't carrying out the job requirements and they may select someone else. Craig agreed that the explanation made sense. Vice Chair Kucera noted "he or she" in Section 4.03. City Attorney Goers stated that staff would do a search and replace those references throughout the document. Goers also suggested revising the document to capitalize formal titles such as City Manager. The Commission agreed to staff making those changes. Chair Balmer asked if the changes to he/she would conflict with state law. Goers didn't think there would be any reason why those changes couldn't be made and referenced the recent change in state law removing the gender balance requirement for boards and commissions. Commissioner Hayek indicated a possible typo in Section 4.04(A)(2), asking if"Insure" should be "Ensure". Commissioner DeRoo agreed it should be corrected. Charter Review Commission June 27,2024 Page 3 Vice Chair Kucera asked City Attorney Goers if the language in Section 4.04(A)(5) was still accurate. Goers thought that the language was still accurate even after making the amendments to Article II. Commissioner Craig suggested changing "state law" to "this code" to read, "Appoint or employ persons to occupy positions for which no other method of appointment is provided by this code or this charter." Craig questioned the same language in Section 4.04(A)(6). Commissioners discussed the control of pay for the Library employees and the Airport employees with City Attorney Goers. Commissioner Denning asked if that was something that should be referenced in the Charter. Goers didn't think so but he would take a look. Chair Balmer stated he thought the language in 4.04(A)(6)was appropriate. There was no further discussion regarding changes to 4.04(A)(6). Commissioner DeRoo asked if Section 4.04(A)(9) needed to be updated with all of the technology updates and modern practices. City Attorney Goers thought the language was still acceptable since it does list specific technology and the items listed are still important and viable. Commissioner Hayek stated that unless there has been an issue mentioned from the City Manager's office or the City Attorney's office then it should be left as is. Article V. Boards, Commissions and Committees Commissioner Deeth asked if anything changed in state law regarding the Community Police Review Board. City Attorney Goers noted that there was a bill that would have eliminated the Board but it did not pass. Commissioner Craig proposed to add language in Section 5.01(A) regarding the appointments made by City Council that encourages them to have boards and commissions be representative of the community. The Commission asked City Attorney Goers to draft some language for their review. The Commission and City Attorney Goers discussed sample language they would like to see drafted. Article VI. Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Commissioner Hayek confirmed that the contribution limit is embedded in an ordinance and suggested that the section not be amended assuming there is broad interest in maintaining those limits. City Attorney Goers confirmed that the $100 is set by ordinance. Article VII. Initiative and Referendum Commissioner Denning asked if there had been previous correspondence regarding the number of signatures required. Commissioner Deeth stated there was a vote on the 2016 presidential ballot on petition requirements. Commissioner Hayek asked City Attorney Goers if there had been any changes in state law or anywhere else that would make cause for the Commission to make changes in Article VII. Goers said he would review and get back to the Commission. Commissioner DeRoo noted that Article VII is very dense and suggested everyone would benefit from taking some time to review it more comprehensively before discussing it at the next meeting. Commissioner Craig asked if the Commission had made an amendment to change from eligible elector to qualified elector. City Attorney Goers stated there had been a discussion if they should be collapsed into a single term and definition and the Commission had decided against it. Charter Review Commission June 27,2024 Page 4 Article Vill. Charter Amendments and Review Vice Chair Kucera noted that Section 8.02. Charter Review Commission states that the Commission occurs every ten years and asked Commissioners if they thought that was too long of a time for a review. City Attorney Goers reminded the Commission that the Charter can be amended in between the ten years and a more thorough review is done when the Commission meets, noting that it is not the only time the Charter can change. Commissioner Maliabo asked how the ten years was decided. Chair Balmer stated that is how it was initially set up and thought that it has worded out well. Maliabo asked if it could be changed. Commissioner Hayek pointed out that Section 8.02 states "at least once every ten years" and City Council could choose to establish a Charter Review Commission more frequently. Hayek also stated that the community, through Article VII, can initiate a process to change an existing ordinance or suggest one. Commissioner Craig noted you can not make an amendment to the Charter through that process. 6. TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE Commissioners reviewed the tentative meeting schedule and discussed tentative plans for a public input session. Chair Balmer noted that he had been working with City Clerk Grace on getting a time at the Iowa City Public Library in September for a public hearing and Came up with Saturday, September 28th, commissioners agreed to 10:30 a.m. Balmer asked about having the League of Women Voters be involved to help get the word out. Commissioner Patel stated she was on the Board and would reach out to see if they would be willing to help get the word out. Commissioner DeRoo recommended asking if they would co-brand the meeting so Charter Review could use the logo and state that the League was supporting the event and access to disburse the information to the League membership. Vice Chair Kucera also noted the Commission should be using the resources from the City to promote the meeting through social media, email groups, etc. Chair Balmer would like to have the public input sessions in September and work on a preliminary draft in October to send to the City Council. Vice Chair Kucera suggested having a second public input session on one of the regularly scheduled meeting dates in September. Commissioner Craig voiced concern as to whether the Commission would have consensus by the September 10th meeting to have public comment. Chair Balmer noted the topics the Commission has not gotten to were the ones that they wanted public input on prior to the Commission discussing them and making decisions. The Commission will revisit dates for a second public input session at their August meetings. City Attorney Goers asked the Commission if staff should wait on publicizing the public input sessions until they know they are finished with the initial review. Commissioners agreed to wait so they can see how far along they are in the review process at the August 13th meeting. Commissioner Denning suggested asking those who will be giving public comment at the input sessions to also submit a written document so it is clear what they would like to see. Chair Balmer encouraged Commissioners to reach out to people they know and ask them for input and to spread the word. 7. COMMUNITY COMMENT: The following individuals appeared: Martha Hampel and Megan Alter. 8. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Patel, seconded by Maliabo to adjourn the meeting at 6:29 p.m. Motion carried 9-0. N O N C � O � A w 06/27/24 X X X X X X X X X Ew VZ 06/17/24 X X X X X X X X X dG m w 05/23/24 X X X 0 X X X X 0 a 05/14/24 X X X w X X X w X O V 04/25/24 X X X -- X X X X 04/09/24 X X X X X X X X X 04/01/24 X X X X X X X X X d N N N N N N N N N LV K H LV C O � C L E O X o C w E c �� Wm >, m o C C) 0 U a O2 ) , XOO Z Item Number: 3.d. r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT August 20, 2024 City Council Economic Development Committee: July 1 [See Recommendation] Attachments: City Council Economic Development Committee: July 1 [See Recommendation] CITY OF IOWA CITY P'Q"�"m MEMORANDUM Date: July 8, 2024 To: Mayor and City Council From: Rachel Kilburg Varley, Economic Development Coordinator Re: Recommendation from City Council Economic Development Committee At their July 1, 2024 meeting, the City Council Economic Development Committee made the following recommendation to the City 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). Additional action (check one) No further action needed Board or Commission is requesting Council direction X Agenda item was prepared by staff for Council action Approved-p.1 Council EDC,7/1/24 Minutes City Council Economic Development Committee July 1, 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 Open Meeting Law. Since it is a three-member committee, two constitutes a quorum. Approved-p.2 Council EDC,7/1/24 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 Approved-p.3 Council EDC,7/l/24 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. Approved-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 ARPA 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) Approved-p.5 Council EDC, 7/1/24 Council Economic Development Committee ATTENDANCE RECORD 2020-24 TERM 12/09/20 10/27/21 '110/19/22 11/29/22 9/25/23 7/1124 NAME EXP. Josh Moe 01/02/24 --- -- --- --- _-- X Andrew Dunn 01/02/24 --- --- --- X Laura Bergus 01/02/24 X X X X John Thomas 01/02/24 X X X X X --- Megan Alter 01/02/24 --- --- X X X --- Susan Mims 01/02/22 X X --- --- --- _-- Mazahir Salih 01/02/22 O/E X --- -- --- --- Key: X = Present O = Absent --- = not a member O/E =Absent/Excused Item Number: 3.e. r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY a Qa, COUNCIL ACTION REPORT August 20, 2024 Climate Action Commission: June 3 Attachments: Climate Action Commission: June 3 MINUTES FINAL IOWA CITY CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION JUNE 3, 2024 —3:30 PM—FORMAL MEETING EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Anderson, Michal Eynon-Lynch, John Fraser, Jamie Gade, Wim Murray, Brinda Shetty, Michelle Sillman, Angie Smith MEMBERS ABSENT: Ben Grimm, Zach Haralson, Gabriel Sturdevant STAFF PRESENT: Daniel Bissell, Sarah Gardner, Megan Hill, Diane Platte OTHERS PRESENT: Sarah Kay, Clean Transportation Manager; Sam Pournazeri, ICF; Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Green Iowa AmeriCorps CALL TO ORDER: Gade called the meeting to order at 3:32. APPROVAL OF MAY 6, 2024 MINUTES: Fraser moved to approve the minutes from May 6, 2024. Shetty seconded the motion, a vote was taken, and the motion passed 8-0. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Action Items from last meeting(Staff): • Staff shared commissioners'thoughts on green jobs to the partners working on the regional CPRG comprehensive climate action plan. • This meeting includes a discussion of metrics reporting frequency and potential uses. Upcoming Events: • National Weather Service CoCoRaHS training (July 15, 4:30-6 p.m.) • Other events in the community (Commissioners) - none NEW BUSINESS: Fleet Transition Plan—Sarah Kay and Sam Pournazeri, ICF • Kay described the Fleet Transition Plan as summarized in the presentation slides o Infrastructure upgrades require longer lead time. Charger needs vary by department. o Charging infrastructure plan aligns with the vehicle retirement schedule. Climate Action Commission June 3, 2024 Page 2 of 4 • Pournazeri added thoughts on the need to prepare for changes in the EV landscape and opened the discussion for questions from commission members • Anderson asked if the compatibility of different chargers was a barrier for adoption of an EV fleet across the city. Kay noted that the EV models included in the plan do not have compatibility restrictions. If other models did have charger compatibility issues, adaptors would offer an inexpensive solution. • Gade asked if there are recommendations to wait and see how the market changes with new EV models. Pournazeri responded that waiting is not a recommendation, because it would be advantageous to have charging infrastructure ready to go for when (as an example) the model scarcity for medium-duty pickups—ZEVx—resolves. • Shetty asked for a conversation pathway to grow capacity at facilities for charging infrastructure. Kay said understanding the utility's plan for the next 5-10 years is an important start.The conversation is already ongoing with the utility helping the City determine what kind of infrastructure is required. Pournazeri added that utilities love to receive data and communication from their customers to guide load projections. • Gardner added that there is a need to coordinate efforts between other entities such as Cambus and Johnson County which might share the charging infrastructure • Fraser noted that "break-even" numbers seem hard to establish, but pilot programs might be key to the process, since waiting for the market to develop is time we cannot afford. Kay noted that the light-duty market is already robust and has good success stories. Meeting with each Department's fleet coordinator is an important key to the process. • Fraser expressed a desire to be convinced to go all-electric from hybrid. Pournazeri noted that pilot programs have strong success in convincing city leaders that EVs are better. • Smith asked if Iowa City has engaged with other cities that are transitioning or have transitioned to electric fleet. Gardner affirmed that the consultants work with a number of other entities and also gave additional context about the financial analysis provided by ICF. • Smith asked about how charging interacts with workflow and noted that Transit has already adjusted operations. Gardner described learning from Public Works how the City's snowplows operate, as an example. • Anderson asked for additional information about how individual departments' needs are considered, i.e. light rail system in place of EV buses. Gardner noted that the regional climate action plan is an opportunity to consider systems change and that heavy-duty vehicles are the primary targets for electrification. • Sillman expressed excitement for the City's opportunity to influence businesses and organizations, in addition to other cities. • Eynon-Lynch asked what the next step after this discussion would be. Gardner said light-duty vehicles would be continued to be replaced by EVs.The immediate next step is that Johnson County is going to embark on its own fleet electrification study, and a working group will form that includes the City, county, university, school district. For larger entities such as a city or factory, adding to a substation's increased capacity is that entity's responsibility. Coordination is key to make sure no one is inadvertently footing the bill for someone else's EV fleet adoption. • Shetty asked if Amazon's fleet electrification with their distribution center in town might be an opportunity to coordinate charging efforts. Gardner noted that Adamantine Spine is an early adopter of medium-duty EVs. • Bissell added in response to Smith's question that Madison, WI has provided a model for fleet electrification. 2 Climate Action Commission June 3, 2024 Page 3 of 4 UNFINISHED/ONGOING BUSINESS: Visioning indicators of success • Gardner invited commissioners to share thoughts on metrics recommendations • Eynon-Lynch summarized the need for metrics in addition to the ghg inventory that might indicate we are headed toward a more sustainable community.The frequency of reporting and how these reports might be used should be considered. • Eynon-Lynch suggested quarterly or yearly reporting would be a useful schedule.The reports would be used to evaluate the success of City programs and policies; to help other departments and councilors think about what policy or budgetary changes need to be made and decide on budget priorities; to align all budget and departmental priorities to the Climate Action Value in the Strategic Plan; and to evaluate priorities and make trade-offs. • Fraser asked how much data-gathering would be necessary to report a metric. Eynon-Lynch responded it would be dependent on the measurement. • Gade suggested considering a working group to hammer out details of each metric. • Gardner wondered if staff could prepare a memo to the commission and a working group could use that as a starting point. • Eynon-Lynch volunteered to be on a working group. • Gade summarized that staff will prepare a memo and a working group will form from there. Gardner affirmed that a memo could be prepared a meeting in the next few months. RECAP: • Confirmation of next meeting time and location: o Monday,July 1, 3:30-5 p.m., Emma J. Harvat Hall • Actionable items for commission,working groups, and staff: o Staff will work on metrics memo. ADJOURNMENT: Sillman moved to adjourn, Fraser seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed 8-0. Meeting adjourned at 5:01. 3 Climate Action Commission June 3, 2024 Page 4 of 4 CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2023-2024 \ \ O \ 4- \ \ O N N N A NAME TERM EXP. N N N N N N N N N N N N W W W W W W A A A A A A Michael 12/31/2025 NM O/E X O/E O/E X Anderson Michal Eynon- 12/31/2024 X X X X X X NM X X X X x Lynch Elizabeth 12/31/2025 O/E X Fitzsimmons John Fraser 12/31/2024 X O/E X X X NM X X X O/E X Jamie Gade 12/31/2025 X X X O/ X X NM X X X X x E Ben Grimm 10/31/2023 X O/E X X X X NM X O/E X X O/E Zach Haralson 12/31/2025 NM X X X X O/E Matt Krieger 12/31/2023 X O/E X O/ X O/E E Jesse Leckband MidAmerican X * Rep Wim Murray MidAmerican X X X X X NM X X X X X Rep Michelle Sillman 12/31/20025 X X X X X X NM O/E X X O/E X Brinda Shetty UI Rep X O/E X X X O/E NM X X X X X Angie Smith 12/31/2025 X X NM X X X X X Gabe Sturdevant 12/31/2024 X X X X O/E X NM X X X X O/E Matt Walter 12/31/2023 X X X X O/E X KEY: X= Present 0 =Absent 0/E =Absent/ExcusedNM= No Meeting * No longer on Commission 4 Item Number: M. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT August 20, 2024 Public Art Advisory Committee: June 6 Attachments: Public Art Advisory Committee: June 6 Approved, p.1 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 61612024 Minutes Public Art Advisory Committee June 6, 2024 Emma Harvat Hall Public Art Advisory Committee Members Present: Ron Knoche, Steve Miller, Jeremy Endsley, Rachel Kinker, Leslie Finer, Nate Sullivan, Anita Jung, Juli Seydell Johnson Members Absent: Andrea Truitt Staff present: Rachel Kilburg Varley Public Present: Ethan Wyatt, Ray Michels Call to Order Miller called the meeting to order at 3.34 p.m. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda None. Consider minutes of the April 4, 2024 PAAC meeting. Johnson moved and Sullivan seconded that the minutes from the April 4, 2024, meeting be approved. Motion passed (7-0). South District Bus Stop Bench Project Update & Contract Discussion Commission member Anita Jung joined the meeting. Artist Ethan Wyatt and Mentor Ray Michels provided an update on their completion of the 3.1 scale metal model of the sculptural bench project. The model was constructed using screws as the joining hardware which took longer than expected, however the heavier metal used in the final product will be welded. Miller asked how the bench will be attached to the sculpture. Michels described that the column base of the jib crane will be towards the front of the sculptural hand's wrist and exist out through the thumb and index figure, where it will attach to the pole from the ski lift bench. The artists are working with a structural engineer to determine securing and anchoring. Endsley asked if modifications were made to the design for accessibility. Michels shared that they have accounted for appropriate clearances around the bench and within ADA requirements for seating heights. Michels discussed the project timeline: they plan to procure the materials as quickly as possible and complete fabrication and finishing by September, then would schedule installation in September. Kilburg Varley shared that the Commission may consider approving the second amendments to each of the Artists' and Mentors' agreement. The amendments authorize the artists to proceed with finishing the project under the new timeline and Approved, p.2 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 61612024 approves the payment schedule. Knoche asked about the structural engineer amount in the revised budget and the artists clarified. Jung made a motion to approve substantially similar amendments to those proposed. Sullivan seconded. Motion passed (8-0). Sculptor's Showcase Selections for 2024-2026 Prior to the meeting, each Commission member individually scored the submissions and submitted them to staff. Kilburg Varley presented the compiled the scores and the Commission members discussed the top submissions. Miller noted Garnant's "Hydraulic Jump 3" exceeded the 44 installation pad, so the Commission members decided to disqualify it despite the design being favored. Jung suggested that since Adams had three sculptures that ranked among the top selections, that one of his be removed to provide more opportunity for other artists. Johnson suggested his "Concentric" be eliminated due to being very similar to one of the current sculptures on display. After discussion, the Commission members agreed to the following selections and locations for the 2024-2026 showcase: • Tim Adams, Poppy— Scott Park, #8 • Tim Adams, Exuberance — Mercer Park, #5 • Hilde DeBruyne, Life Leaf- Iowa River Trail near Napoleon Park, #7 • Hilde DeBruyne, GAIA — Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, #1 • Kristin Garnant, Mechanics of Grace — Riverfront Crossings Park, #4 • Johnathan Goupell, Pillar— Riverfront Crossings Park, #2 • V. Skip Willits, Flight of Butterflies— Riverfront Crossings Park, #3 • V. Skip Willits, Writing Figure — Iowa River Trail near Highway 6, #6 Finer asked if any of the artists were new submitters and Kilburg noted that Goupell was the only artist who had not submitted or showcased with the program previously. Sullivan made a motion to approve the selected sculptures and locations, Finer seconded. Motion passed (8-0) Discuss FY2025 Budget Priorities Kilburg Varley reminded the Committee that she had shared a budget analysis with the Commission a few months prior of the last few years of fiscal data. Commission members were also asked to complete a survey on budget priorities. Kilburg Varley noted the results from that survey were included in the meeting agenda packet. Kilburg Varley presented a draft of FY2025 budget priorities that were based on the survey results, strategic plan priorities, and existing projects and asked the Commission for feedback. Jung and Johnson noted appreciation for the Condition Assessment and strategic planning efforts, and that opportunity funds could be leveraged based on what Approved, p.3 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 61612024 is discovered through those processes. Truitt and Johnson volunteered to help evaluate informal quotes from firms on the Condition Assessment study. Staff Updates Kilburg Varley mentioned the upcoming Arts Fest is still in need of volunteers. She also shared she is planning to attend the Iowa Arts Summit on June 18tn Kilburg Varley provided an update that the Arts Stakeholder meeting date is still pending, dependent upon the availability of the event space and guest speaker. Finally, she noted that the next regularly scheduled PAAC meeting would fall on the July 4t" holiday and suggested the Committee determine if they would like to reschedule or cancel. The Committee decided to cancel the July meeting due to no pressing issues. Adjournment Knoche moved to adjourn at 4.26 pm. Miller seconded. Motion passed (8-0). Approved, p.4 Public Art Advisory Committee Mtg, 61612024 Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2023-2024 Name Term 4/6/23 5/4/23 6/8/23 7/6/23 8/3/23 917/23 11/2/23 1217/23 1/4/24 4/4/24 6/6/24 Expires Ron Knoche X* X X X X X* X X X* X* X Juli Seydell- X X X X X X O/E X* X O/E X Johnson Steve Miller 12/31/23 O/E X X X X X X X X X X Eddie 12/31/24 X O/E O/E O/E O/E 0 --- --- --- --- --- Boyken Andrea 12/31/25 X X X X X X X X O/E X O/E Truitt Dominic 6/30/23 X X X --- O/E --- --- --- --- --- --- Dongilli Anita Jung 6/30/23 X X X O/E X X X X X O/E X Jenny 12/31/23 O/E O/E X X X O/E 0 X --- --- --- Gringer Jeremy 12/31/25 O/E X X O/E X 0 X X X X X Endsley Nate 6/30/26 --- --- --- X X X X X O/E X X Sullivan Key: X = Present X* = Delegate attended 0 = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a member