HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-27 Info Packet rrr®jMc City Council Information Packet
CITY OF IOWA CITY November 27, 2024
Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
Miscellaneous
IP2. Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Refuse
IP3. Civil Service Examination: Receptionist - Senior Center
Draft Minutes
IP4. Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: November 21
IP5. Airport Commission: November 14
IP6. Climate Action Commission: November 18
IP7. Historic Preservation Commission: November 14
IP8. Senior Center Commission: November 21
November 27, 2024 City of Iowa City
Item Number: IP1.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
Attachments: Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
j , City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
Subject to change
CI F IQWA CITY November 27,2024
Date Time Meeting Location
Tuesday,December 10,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,Janaury 7,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Monday,January 13,2025 8:00 AM Budget Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
410 E.Washington Street
Monday,January 13,2025 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD
Hosted by Johnson County Brd of Supervisors
Tuesday,January 21,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Wednesday,January 22,2025 2:00 PM Budget Work Session(CIP) City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,February 4,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,February 18,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,March 11,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,April 1,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,April 15,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,May 6,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,May 20,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,June 3,2025 4:00 PM Work session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,June 17,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,July 8,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,August 5,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,August 19,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,September 2,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,September 16,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,October 7,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,October 21,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Monday,November 3,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,November 18,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Tuesday,December 9,2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J.Harvat Hall
6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street
Item Number: IP2.
r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY
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� COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Refuse
Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker I - Refuse
I r I
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1 826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
www.lcgov.org
November 22, 2024
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker I — Refuse
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 Maintenance Worker
I — Refuse.
1. Rodney Kirk Jr
2. Gary Beltz
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
Rick Wy s, Chair
Item Number: IP3.
r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY
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� COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Civil Service Examination: Receptionist - Senior Center
Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Receptionist - Senior Center
�a�r'�ICI I ���'�
z'+-'&►iceLl'%ll
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1 826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
www.icgov.org
November 22, 2024
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Receptionist— Senior Center
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 Receptionist — Senior
Center.
Miranda Donnellan
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
Rick Wyss, Chair
Item Number: IP4.
r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY
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� COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: November 21
Attachments: Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: November 21
November 21, 2024
Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes
Emma Harvat Hall
Commissioners present: Lou Tassinary, Wangui Gathua, Amos Kiche, Lauren Merritt.
Commissioners on Zoom: Chastity Dillard, Lubna Mohamed.
Commissioners not present: Clif Johnson, Kayla Rossi, Chad Simmons.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers.
Recommendation to City Council: Yes, the TRC request for the City Council to allow them to
continue to work on its final report with a delivery date of June 30, 2025. Motion passed 6-0.
Meeting called to order: 7:02 PM.
Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Tassinary read the Land Acknowledgement.
Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: None.
Approval of the Minutes from November 7, 2024: Kiche moved, and Merritt seconded. Motion
passed 5-0. (Mohamed not present).
Actions for Phases Three and Four: The person who has been selected to write the commission's
final report to be presented to the City Council will require two months to write the report from the
date the agreement is signed,which would push the commission outside of its December 31, 2024,
end date.
Merritt asked staff what the earliest date to be approved for an extension from City Council would
be. Staff answered the soonest the commission would know about approval for an extension would
be December 10t'.
Dillard suggested requesting June 1st for the extension of the final due date. Dillard noted this
would allow ample time for both the individual writing the report and the commission to contribute
to the report.
Tassinary brought up the possibility of being denied an extension from City Council and the need
for a backup plan. Dillard said if they do not get an extension then they will let City Council know
they did not have enough time and they can give City Council whatever information they do have
at that time.
Tassinary encouraged commissioners to take time writing down points they would like to see in the
report and using that as information to hand over in the case that the commission is denied an
extension.
Kiche expressed his thoughts on the need for an extension and mentioned it would be up to the
City Council to help the commission understand why they would not be granted an extension
1
considering the time and work the commissioners have put in. Gathua added that if commissioners
are present then they may be a part of the discussion with City Council.
Tassinary asked staff if there were any special requirements for the commissioners to be involved
in the December 10t' Council meeting as attendees contributing to the conversations. Staff noted
there are no special requirements. Merritt asked staff if the decision would be part of the work
session or formal meeting. Staff answered that any decision would be made in the formal meeting.
Kiche shared his thoughts on the importance of including the difficulties the commission has faced
in the report to be useful for future groups and commissions to learn from. Kiche mentioned if
there is a lack of time to write the report these important aspects may be left out.
Dillard mentioned that the June 1st date would be the bare minimum amount of time for the report
to be completed. Merritt mentioned that they would not want to request an extension beyond June
30th because that would enter another fiscal year. Dillard mentioned the possibility of the report
writer needing additional time (beyond the two months) to complete the report. Merritt agreed
extra time may be needed and the June Is'date allows more than two months for the report to be
written. Tassinary spoke about the wording of the agreement between the commission and the
report writer. Tassinary would like the agreement to state the deliverables along with dates to avoid
the report not being finished on time. Dillard suggested an extension date of June 30th to allow for
the most amount of time possible with anticipation of finishing sooner. Gathua asked if the June
extension date is for the TRC or for the report writer. It was clarified that the June date would be
for the TRC, and the final report date would be discussed and decided before then to give the
report to City Council by the final extension date. Gathua asked staff when the commission should
have the report by to turn it into City Council on time. Staff answered that the decision may be
appropriate for a later meeting once the commission has an answer from City Council and more
communication with the report writer. Merritt suggested making the decision on dates and
expectations during the commissions next meeting. Motion by Tassinary to request an extension
through June 30, 2025,to allow them to continue to work on the final report. Motion seconded by
Gathua. Motion passed 6-0.
Gathua asked the commission if they would like the Catholic Workers to come do a presentation
relevant to issues being faced after the 2025 presidential elections-mass deportations. Tassinary
asked how long the presentation is likely to be. Gathua said the last presentation she attended
lasted about an hour, but there is a possibility of it taking less time. Tassinary agreed it would be a
good idea but would like to ensure the commission has enough time to focus on the contract and
the report. Dillard agreed the commission may need to prioritize more pertinent tasks, including the
report,before they take on any additional tasks. Gathua shared she intended to include the work
from the presentation in the final report as it pertains to the commission's mission. Kiche argues
the presentation is relevant to the commission's work and is important to provide the presentation
as a resource to community members.
Staff reminded commissioners that the report needs to include their recommendations. Dillard
agreed with staff and suggested postponing the Catholic Workers presentation to their December
19t'meeting to prioritize the recommendations. The commission agreed to focus on the
recommendations at their December 5th meeting.
2
Announcements of Commissioners: None.
Announcements of Staff: None.
The meeting adjourned at 7:44 PM.
The frill meeting video can be viewed at this link.
3
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Item Number: IP5.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Airport Commission: November 14
Attachments: Airport Commission: November 14
MINUTES DRAFT
IOWA CITY AIRPORT COMMISSION
November 14, 2024— 6:00 P.M.
AIRPORT TERMINAL BUILDING
Members Present: Warren Bishop, Judy Pfohl, Ryan Story, Chris Lawrence, Hellecktra
Orozco (via Zoom),
Members Absent:
Staff Present: Michael Tharp, Jennifer Schwickerath
Others Present: Carl Byers, Travis Strait, Adam Thompson, Matt Wolford
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
None
DETERMINE QUORUM
A quorum was determined at 6:00 pm and Lawrence called the meeting to order.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Pfohl stated she had forwarded an edit to Tharp and moved to approve the minutes with the edit.
Seconded by Bishop. Motion carried 5-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT - None
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION /ACTION
a. Airport Construction Projects:
i. FAA grant projects
1. Runway 12/30 Displaced Threshold/Relocation — Tharp stated
that they had notified FAA to schedule the flight check on the REILs
but they hadn't heard back from them to confirm a date. Tharp
stated the contractor had been out to the work on the intersection
markers for the runway. Tharp stated there was a little bit of cleanup
and punch list items the contractor would need to take care of year.
2. Solar Power Project— Tharp stated that they had a great turnout
for the ribbon cutting. Tharp noted they had the Mayor, members of
the City management team, City Manager's office, and other
department heads. Tharp stated that they also had staff members
from the 3 federal legislator offices and one state representative.
Tharp also stated that there had been an early preview story run by
KCRG. Tharp stated he was thankful of the help provided by
Shannon McMahon City Communications Coordinator and Sarah
Gardner, Climate Action Coordinator to put the event together.
Tharp stated that they still had a couple of steps with MidAmerican
Airport Commission
November 14,2024
Page 2of5
that would take some time to complete. Tharp stated MidAmerican
had 2 weeks to perform a witness test, which was a test where a 3rd
party comes out and examines the system and clears it as operating
as expected. Then following the test, MidAmerican has another 2
weeks to replace the current meter with a bidirectional meter which
is what is needed to get credit for the energy the array produces.
Lawrence asked questions about the timeline to which Tharp
responded.
3. Terminal Building — Tharp stated that since the last meeting the
FAA announced the awards and Iowa City wasn't on the list. Tharp
stated that this was year 4 out 5 for the program and based on how
FAA was awarding funds from the program, he didn't feel it was
worth the effort to submit a future application for an "all or nothing"
type ask. Tharp stated that now they can discuss other options like
doing fundraising or other capital campaigns but also to look at the
existing building with the expectation of having it for another 10 to
20 years and performing what things can be done to upgrade and
maintain the building. Wolford asked about plans that Tharp had
previously mentioned and Tharp responded. Tharp stated that he
currently had a placeholder in the CIP program for HVAC upgrades
but if there would be a longer list of things to do like furniture and
carpets and other interior projects.
4. 5 Year Engineering/Consultant Request for Qualifications —
Tharp stated they had 4 firms submit responses. Tharp stated that
after a review they all were firms that submitted responsive
statements and that he was planning to forward them all to the
Commission for final interviews. Tharp stated that in the past the
Commission interview process was 30 minutes per group that was
broken up to be 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for
question and answer from the Commission. Tharp stated the plan
was that would be the front end of the December meeting.
Lawrence stated that he agreed with Tharp in that it was important
to have all members of the Commission available for the meeting so
he asked everyone to confirm they could attend the December 12tn
meeting. Tharp stated that he was deliver the formal letters to the
firms tomorrow.
5. FAA FY26 AIP Pre-Application—Tharp stated that he had the pre-
application packet for the Commission. Tharp noted that the project
list consisted of the remaining runway maintenance work and then
move on the 2nd phase of solar, and finish with the apron expansion.
Tharp noted that the list also included a state project for the
replacement of the fuel cabinets because they were 30+ years old.
Bishop asked about a runway extension project. Tharp noted that if
members refreshed their memory on the Airport Master plan, there
was a project to add around 200 feet to the runway 7 so that both
ends of the runway would have the above 5000 feet of landing
distance. Tharp noted that similar to what they just did with Runway
30, this was one-way pavement so it would be a displaced threshold
for Runway 7. Tharp asked if everyone was ok with the CIP program
Airport Commission
November 14,2024
Page 3of5
he would submit the program to FAA for comment. Tharp also
stated that the project list was lower priority so it was likely they
would need to build up funds from the entitlement program to fund
these.
ii. Iowa DOT grant projects — Tharp stated they didn't have any open state
projects and they would anticipate the next grant application period in April.
b. Airport "Operations"
i. Budget—
1. FY26 Budget — Tharp stated that he had Lawrence had met with
the City Manager for their budget meeting and it was really well.
Tharp stated that there was really no comments as far as the budget
went. Tharp stated he was expecting some questions about the
fund balance but guessed with a $20,000 surplus as shown in the
budget that helped ease those concerns. Tharp stated that other
than the need for that surplus to be a reality at the end of the year
he didn't have any other comments. Pfohl asked if the increased
helicopter traffic was helping. Tharp and Wolford responded. Tharp
stated that they were seeing the increased traffic due to the
university helipad being inaccessible due to elevator repairs.
Orozco asked about the surplus, and Tharp stated that it was the
product of the recent rate increases.
ii. Management—
1. T-Hangar Lease Language — Tharp stated that he and Lawrence
had talked about this outside of the Commission meeting and that
Tharp believed they had a lease agreement draft nearly ready.
Tharp stated that with the upcoming RFQ interviews he thought it
would be good to hold this to January and Lawrence agreed. He
stated then the Commission could review the draft, and send it to
tenants for comments/awareness before it was formally adopted.
2. Grass Landing Ops — Tharp stated that he did meet with a
represented from the Flight Standards District Office and he drove
the around to give them a visual of what they were asking for. Tharp
stated it was back in the hands of the FAA and that he didn't know
when they would be giving him an answer or what requirements they
might add to any permissions.
3. Events—Tharp stated that he had been in contact with the Summer
of the Arts for the calendar of drive-in movies. Tharp said he had
also been given a list of autocross dates but hadn't reviewed them
to know if there was any conflicts yet but didn't expect there to be
any.
c. FBO / Flight Training Reports
i. Jet Air— Wolford stated that flight training was still active and that he had
just returned from a conference in Miami. Wolford stated that as far as the
industry went it seemed people were being optimistic. Wolford said the shop
had been busy and that Wolford was weighing the decision of how many
new mechanics could he hire given the new maintenance classes that were
being operated by Kirkwood. Wolford noted that they were adjusting to the
increase of helicopters using the airport due to the university work. Wolford
noted that they really didn't have a good place where they could go and be
Airport Commission
November 14,2024
Page 4 of 5
close to the terminal. Pfohl asked about getting the Ambulance building
power washed or cleaned up. Members discussed getting the building
repainted.
d. Commission Members' Reports — Lawrence mentioned that the automated
weather service was out of service. Lawrence asked Tharp if he had any other info
on it. Tharp responded that he didn't know why it wasn't operating correctly, but that
the live broadcast over radio, and the phone number were working as expected.
Tharp stated they had experienced a partial power outage that impacted a lot of
computer technology at the airport. Tharp noted that the FAA was expected to send
someone to the airport on Monday to help restore it.
e. Staff Report— Tharp stated that he was expected to take winter vacation between
December 23 and January 3rd
SET NEXT REGULAR MEETING— Next meeting December 12, 2024, 6:OOpm
ADJOURN
Bishop moved to adjourn, seconded by Lawrence. Motion carried 5-0. Meeting adjourned at 6:40
pm.
CHAIRPERSON DATE
Airport Commission
November 14,2024
Page 5 of 5
Airport Commission
ATTENDANCE RECORD
2023-2024
TERM o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
N N W -N 0 0 a) V co W O
p p N
-N co co - W N W W N a
NAME
EXP. N N N N N N N N N N N N N
Warren 06/30/26
Bishop X O/E X X O/E O/E X X X X X X X
Christopher 06/30/25
X X O/E X X X O/E O/E O/E X X O/E X
Lawrence
Hellecktra 06/30/28 X O/E X X O/E X O/E X X O/E X O/E X
Orozco
Judy Pfohl 06/30/26 X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X
Ryan Story 06/30/27 X X X X X X X X O/E X X X X
Key.
X = Present
X/E = Present for Part of Meeting
O = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
NM = Not a member at this time
X/S = Present for subcommittee meeting
O/S = Absent, not a member of the subcommittee
Item Number: IP6.
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� COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Climate Action Commission: November 18
Attachments: Climate Action Commission: November 18
MINUTES PRELIMINARY
IOWA CITY CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2024 —3:30 PM—FORMAL MEETING
EMMA J. HARVAT HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Anderson, Michal Eynon-Lynch, Ben Grimm,Zach Haralson,
Wim Murray, Brinda Shetty, Michelle Sillman, Angie Smith
MEMBERS ABSENT: John Fraser,Jamie Gade, Gabriel Sturdevant
STAFF PRESENT: Daniel Bissell,Sarah Gardner, Megan Hill, Diane Platte
OTHERS PRESENT: Kelly Schneider,Johnson County Mobility Coordinator
NOMINATION OF TEMPORARY CHAIR:
Shetty nominated and Anderson seconded Eynon-Lynch to be temporary chair; motion passed
unanimously.
CALL TO ORDER:
Eynon-Lynch called the meeting to order at 3:34.
APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 7,2024 MINUTES:
Shetty moved to approve the minutes from October 7, 2024. Grimm seconded the motion, a vote was
taken, and the motion passed 7-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Action Items from last meeting(Staff):
• Staff found a date and time for November meeting
• Staff sent entire bylaws to the commission to review
• Staff included the completed Bus Rapid Transit study in agenda packet. Gardner reached out to
Cady Gerlach to discuss any updates on the Pop Up Metro concept and find a date to present to
the Commission, but scheduling difficulties had prevented them from meeting. Kent Ralston is
presenting to City Council Work Session about Bus Rapid Transit and Pop Up Metro Tuesday,
Nov. 19. Rather than sending the recording of the Joint Entities meeting, Gardner will send a
recording of the Nov. 19 Work Session to commissioners so that the most up-to-date
information will be provided.
Zach Haralson joined the meeting at 3:37.
Climate Action Commission
November 2024
Page 2 of 5
Events:
o Airport Solar Array Ribbon Cutting(Nov. 14, 10 a.m.)
o Shetty asked the size of the array. Gardner noted it was around 300 panels, 140 kilowatt
capacity,which is enough to power the terminal,the runway lights, and the ambulatory
hangar. Phase 2 of the project would power the research facility.
• Other events in the community: none shared.
■ Strategic Plan was reviewed by City Council and there was one update: a call to renew the
Climate Action Plan and create a Climate Adaptation plan to work with in concert with it.
OLD BUSINESS:
Next steps on CRANDIC Bus Rapid Transit Study/Pop Up Metro discussion
■ Gardner outlined possible next steps with a reminder of the role of the Commission as a body is
to research, analyze, and advise,though Commission members are also free and welcome to
engage in advocacy as individuals in the public sphere. In the capacity of the Commission, next
steps could be to sift through the information and raise key questions to help Council.
Gardner offered the example of a potential need for additional engineering analysis on the
novel approach to charging the batteries of the train,which involves removing the batteries by
forklift and re-installing them, unlike other electric vehicles. Commissioners might advise the
Council on whether further analysis is warranted and also on the matrix created by Ralston for
Council to see if any outlying questions may still need to be answered.
o Anderson asked if Pop Up Metro is the only train concept under consideration.Gardner
noted there had been a previous study(from 2020) looking at train options for the
Corridor and noted the information not included in the Pop Up Metro concept such as
additional costs made them difficult to compare.
o Sillman asked about environmental benefits, and whether in the case of BRT the Crandic
line would be purchased rather than leased.
o Eynon-Lynch asked about impacts on cars off the road, carbon, road maintenance.
o Smith noted BRT seemed to have a better ability to be flexible, adaptable, and grow,
which would make it more equitable to more citizens, noting "zero-car homes
information" from the study.
o Eynon-Lynch wondered about expansion if the system proves popular and whether it's
easier to get another bus or add another car to the train.
o Smith asked about the addition of parking. Gardner noted the BRT study included a
parking lot in North Liberty while the Pop Up Metro information.Gardner suggested
trying to draw from one plan where information might be missing from another to try to
better make side-by-side comparisons.
o Haralson said that seemed like a good approach and suggested it could be done with
considerations for a bike path as well. Gardner noted because the Pop Up Metro
proposal does not include a bike line at present, one of the questions to resolve is
whether the bike lane could be added after the train was up and running or if it would
be better constructed prior.
o Eynon-Lynch asked when does the Commission get to the point of making
recommendations. Gardner estimated it would likely be a series of recommendations on
information gathering at present, and a recommendation on a preferred system would
likely be months away. Gathering these questions now to share with Cady Gerlach and
Kent Ralston ahead of their future presentations would help speed the process.
2
Climate Action Commission
November 2024
Page 3 of 5
o Eynon-Lynch noted concerns with adding more pavement(for BRT)that would then
have to be maintained. She wondered if the bike path might have been included in the
BRT proposal because it would be an easy add to the other paving work being done, but
if a train were adopted,there wouldn't be the same argument for adding a bike trail to
the project. She suggested the Commission consider trade-offs between fast
deployment and the benefits of a bike trail. She expressed concern about waiting for the
Council to request input and suggested considering a more proactive approach to
offering opinions to Council.
o Anderson offered that for this particular issue it might make sense to take a more
activist approach,given its importance to the group, but asked also if the Council is
considering taking action or had a timeline to do so. Gardner said she did not think there
was a firm timeline currently.She also offered that she had asked for guidance on the
role of the Commission in this discussion, knowing the question has come up before,
and that it was reaffirmed the Commission is meant to be a deliberative body that takes
a more analytical approach. She added this was not meant to say they could not also
make recommendations and offered the Commission's response to the methane
feasibility study as an example, but said it was important not to put the cart before the
horse, making sure they had time to gather information before a recommendation was
made. Eynon-Lynch offered that deliberation on all the information might best happen
beforehand rather than waiting to be asked by Council.
o Haralson noted that Councilman Moe's note about Pop Up Metro described two sets of
trains in existence and asked based on that how possible would it be to get more trains,
does Pop-Up Metro provide maintenance, how tested are the trains,are the trains a
product of the company they are trying to sell and how ready are they to produce more,
and how long has the company been doing battery charging and how tested is that
system?
o Smith asked about ease of procurement for buses versus trains, noting this technology is
in high demand.
o Anderson asked if a transit system to Cedar Rapids is possible as a consideration at this
point,or whether that is far into the future. Eynon-Lynch noted Kent Ralston's previous
presentation had included the possibility of extending service to Cedar Rapids. Gardner
said although it was not part of the Pop Up proposal it also was not off the table, and
the work underway on a regional climate action plan made this a good time to ask those
questions. Haralson asked if regional transit was included in the Climate Pollution
Reduction Grant plan. Gardner explained it was not included in the Priority Plan because
those projects needed to be shovel-ready, but it would be very appropriate to include it
in the Comprehensive Plan.
Discussion of proposed updates to bylaws/CAC processes (Commissioners)
• Gardner provided context for proposed changes to the bylaws, noting that the current election
of chair and vice chair coincided with the introduction of new members, and moving the date
might better allow new members to participate in nominating, electing, and/or serving as chair
or vice chair. She also noted in the past there had been difficulties with the current excused
absence policy and the new wording would ask that members notify staff in advance to help
staff ensure quorum. She further noted there was nothing requiring these changes and offered
that current commissioners could table the discussion until January to allow new members to
participate in the discussion.The commission might also vote to change the meeting time,which
3
Climate Action Commission
November 2024
Page 4 of 5
can happen without changing the bylaws.
• Commissioners discussed the bylaws changes and the change to the meeting time.
• Haralson moved to change the vote for chair and vice-chair to December,Smith seconded,
motion carried unopposed.
• Shetty moved to change the absentee wording, Sillman seconded,the motion carried
unopposed.
• Commissioners decided to table the discussion about the meeting times until January when new
members have a chance to participate. Gardner noted in the tentative schedule for 2025
meeting dates a suggestion not to meet in July due to ongoing difficulty to achieve quorum that
month.The commissioners agreed.
RECAP:
Confirmation of next meeting time and location:
• Monday, December 2, 3:30-5 p.m. Emma J. Harvat Hall
Actionable items for commission,working groups, and staff:
Staff will update the memo about bylaws and send to City Council.
• Staff will send the recording of Ralston's presentation to the City Council Work Session Nov. 19
Staff will pass along transit questions raised in today's meeting to the MPO,Greater IC, and City
Council.
ADJOURNMENT:
Haralson moved to adjourn, Grimm seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 4:45.
4
Climate Action Commission
November 2024
Page 5 of 5
CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
2023-2024
r
O \ N \ , \ \ tD
NAME TERM EXP. N N N N N N N N N N N
W N W A A A A A A A A A
Michael 12/31/2025 NM O/E X O/E O/E X O/E X X
Anderson
Michal Eynon- 12/31/2024 x X X NM X X X X X O/E X X
Lynch
John Fraser 12/31/2024 X X X NM X X X O/E X X X X
Jamie Gade 12/31/2025 O/ x X NM X X X X X X O/E X
E
Ben Grimm 10/31/2023 X X X NM X O/E X X O/E O/E X X
Zach Haralson 12/31/2025 NM X X X X O/E X O/E X
Matt Krieger 12/31/2023 0/ X O/E
E
Wim Murray MidAmerican X X X NM X X X X X X X x
Rep
Michelle Sillman 12/31/20025 X X X NM O/E X X O/E X X X O/E
Brinda Shetty UI Rep X X O/E NM X X X X X O/E X X
Angie Smith 12/31/2025 X X NM X X X X X X X O/E
Gabe Sturdevant 12/31/2024 X O/E X NM X X x x O/E X X X
Matt Walter 12/31/2023 X O/E X
KEY: X=Present
0 =Absent
0/E=Absent/ExcusedNM=
No Meeting
* No longer on Commission
5
Item Number: IP7.
r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY
a
� COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Historic Preservation Commission: November 14
Attachments: Historic Preservation Commission: November 14
MINUTES PRELIMINARY
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 14, 2024 —5:30 PM —FORMAL MEETING
E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT Margaret Beck, Carl Brown, Kevin Burford, Andrew Lewis, Ryan Russell,
Jordan Sellergren, Deanna Thomann, Nicole Villanueva, Frank Wagner,
Christina Welu-Reynolds
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow
OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Martin, Steven Bullard
CALL TO ORDER:
Sellergren called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS:
HPC24-0090: 10 Bella Vista Place- Brown Street Historic District(garage additions):
Bristow stated this house is located in the Brown Street Historic District. It is a Craftsman Bungalow
built around 1908. It has some interesting patterning of the siding and trim.There's a wider lap with
mitered corners and then a band board at the lower windowsill which is not a common place for a band
board on a house here in town. Then above that, it has corner boards and a narrower siding and then
there's another band board just below the level of the second-floor area.
Bristow said that two years ago the Commission approved a demolition of the garage that is behind the
house and adjacent to the rear alley. The owner was going to put another building above it but he
ended up pricing it out and deciding he wasn't going to do that so now he's come back with a proposal
to do an addition to the garage with a building above. Bristow shared images of the garage noting it's a
concrete structure poured with boards holding the concrete so we can see their impression in the
ceiling. There is some deterioration all around it and that's why it was approved to be demolished
before but now he is going to repair it.
Bristow also shared the site plan and noted it shows the garage aligning with the house and the
building above will align with the house but the existing garage does not align with the house so the
new garage will be in a slightly wedge shape. No one will see that because it's underground but then it
will align better with the house and then the other building will just be placed on top of the basement
garages. The new garage will have a door that matches the existing doors on the existing garage and it
will have stairs that go up along the north side. She noted the property owner will just have to verify
that he has enough room with the setback requirements but that will be figured that out through the
building permit process.
Bristow has talked with the owner about the fact that to have an outbuilding in a historic district,
especially of this age, it would be most appropriate for it to really resemble an outbuilding and it could
potentially resemble an agricultural building as well especially since the north side might have had
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 2 of 12
agriculture still going on hundred years ago. They also discussed using board and batten siding so it
looks like a barn and could be one of the ways to differentiate this extra building from an additional
house in the yard. However, given the siding pattern on the house the owner wanted to come up with
something that worked more with the house instead and be something similar to some of the catalog
houses. The owner found similar houses in the 1908 Sears catalog to the house at 10 Bella Vista.
Poultry houses were something that they were selling around the time of the construction of the house
and could be bought through Sears and assembled and that became the inspiration for this out building
in the proposal.
Bristow said the structure will have a low slope shed roof on the south half and a higher slope shed roof
on the north half, creating a band of clerestory windows between the two roof ridges. The building will
have three windows on the south wall that will be aligned with the evenly spaced clerestory windows
above. There will be three windows in the east wall facing the alley and two evenly spaced windows in
the north wall. The west wall facing the house will have one window. It is recommended that the west
facing window is centered on the wall to match the window patterning on the opposite, east wall. The
building will have two passage doors, one in the west wall facing the house, and one in the south wall
leading to the patio over the roof of the garage stall below.
The guidelines suggest that a new outbuilding incorporate smaller rectangular windows to differentiate
between a house and an outbuilding but the owner has had windows for a long time that came from the
house which was remodeled more than 20 years ago. He is proposing to reuse the casement windows
in this new building. Since that doesn't follow the guidelines for an outbuilding the Commission
recommendation will need to include an exception to the guidelines if they want to approve the use of
those windows.
Another thing Bristow wanted to note for the Commission is the balustrades and handrails, there is a
platform roof over the adjacent garage and since he has a door going out to it they assume it will be
used as a patio. Code will require that a guard rail is there and there would also need to be a handrail
along the stairs. Staff would recommend not a typical wood handrail but a metal one made of black
steel in a simple design. Staff also recommended a fiberglass door since the owner didn't want a wood
door and instead of metal doors because they dent and rust and don't resemble wood doors. The
recommended fiberglass door is a half-light two- panel door as is typically recommended on an
outbuilding. Other guidelines are met, it will still have single car doors, palette of materials similar to the
historic structure, and the outbuildings are at the rear of the house and subordinate in size to the house.
The staff recommended motion is to approve as presented in the application with the following
conditions:
• The south windows are revised so that they align with the clerestory windows above and the
west window is centered in the wall and the lower the north lower window matches the
clerestory windows.
• Trim is included as described in the staff report.
• The windows are revised as relatively small and rectangular.
■ The balustrade is constructed of black steel and complies with the guidelines.
• The passage door is a fiberglass half-light two- panel door.
If the Commission wishes to approve the proposed windows and forgo the requirement that the
windows are relatively small and rectangular, the motion could be changed to:
• The proposed windows are approved through an exception to the guidelines to in order to
bring additional light into the space and reuse historic materials.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 3 of 12
In his written statements the owner included he really wanted to include additional light as he'll use this
as a workspace, and he also really wants to reuse the windows.
Sellergren asked for more information about how the size of the proposed windows compared to what
the size in the guidelines. Bristow replied they don't have a size dimension but the drawings probably
are accurate with the size of the window in relationship to the wall so a relatively small window is
probably half of one of those.
Reynolds thinks it's a great idea he is reusing materials and totally agrees about the extra light, it will
also make the building look a better match to the house and if the owner uses storm windows that's
historically correct for old houses.
Burford stated he is very much a proponent of the reuse of salvaged architectural materials and the fact
that they're local is even better. He finds the windows to appear unique and interesting and is excited
by that proposal so would be in favor of the exception and the use of the proposed salvaged windows.
Sellergren asked if the windows match the age of this type of out building. Bristow stated they might
but she didn't look up the age of the house that was remodeled, she is assuming that house could have
been built anywhere from 1905 to 1925 so similar enough to be an argument for it if it matches.
MOTION: Reynolds moves to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 10 Bella
Vista Place as presented in the application with the following conditions:
The south windows are revised so that they align with the clerestory windows above
and the west window is centered in the wall and the lower the north lower window
matches the clerestory windows.
• Trim is included as described in the staff report.
• The proposed windows are approved through an exception to guidelines in order to
bring additional light into the space and reuse historic materials.
• The balustrade is constructed of black steel and complies with the guidelines.
• The passage door is a fiberglass half-light two- panel door.
Wagner seconded the motion.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 10-0.
HPC24-0093: 705 Oakland Avenue - Longfellow Historic District (rear Dorch conversion/ addition):
Bristow stated this house is located near the Longfellow Elementary School and is a small bungalow
with aluminum or steel siding. It is a gable front house with a brick porch and piers, battered columns
and the back has a little bump out that was historically an open porch, it now has piers and the skirting
area has been filled in with panel walls to bring it in as part of the house. This project is a kitchen
remodel and for this project they using the small porch and are keeping the roof and the porch piers
and replacing the walls. Basically they're removing the enclosed porch portion and putting an addition
on the house that reuses the piers and the roof structure so it'll be insulated. Bristow shared the
footprint of that area noting where the refrigerator will go, where they've proposed a window that faces
west and a window that faces south, the windows will match the nearby kitchen windows.
Bristow stated one of the things that did come up with this project was because of the fact that it has
metal siding and they can't approve a synthetic siding on an addition in a historic district and comply
with the guidelines, they'll need to match the historic siding. They'll uncover a little bit of that as they get
into the demo of the porch walls so they'll match the historic siding for this addition and then hopefully
someday in the future some owner will choose to remove all the synthetic siding.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 4 of 12
The guidelines recommend new windows that match the general type and size of the historic windows
and in a location consistent with the window patterning. Bristow noted she doesn't know if they plan to
use a wood or a cement board siding but generally, they can approve a cement board if it's smooth and
matches the lap. Because this is technically an addition it'll have to match the horizontal lines, the
foundation will match because they're using the existing piers, whether or not they replace the wood
infill between is up to them, the siding must match the historic sighting, and it is disallowed to leave
large expanses of wall surface uninterrupted by windows or doors. Again they're putting windows on
the west and south sides. The guidelines also state is disallowed to add space by enclosing a historic
front or side porch, this is a rear porch and technically they are demolishing most of it and making a
new addition.
Andy Martin, Martin Construction, stated that the enclosed porch is already being used as part of the
kitchen.
MOTION: Wagner moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 705
Oakland Avenue as presented in the application with the following conditions:
Historic siding and trim configuration is documented and reviewed by staff and will be
matched in the addition.
Burford seconded the motion.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 10-0.
HPC24-0097: 927 South 7th Avenue - Dearborn Street Conservation District (window sash
replacement):
Bristow stated this house is located in a group of small brick bungalows. There are six of them all built
by the same person. In fact when this neighborhood was surveyed it was determined that they were
eligible to be a historic district on their own, but when the City was forming the Dearborn Conservation
District It was included in that instead of forming a small historic district.
The subject property has a very expressive front porch with battered columns and brick piers. There is
shingle siding in the gables and on the dormers, but the rest of the house is brick. In the past, this
house has been approved for the replacement of the deteriorated shingle siding in the dormers with a
cement board product. This particular house is the only one of the six that doesn't have a garage;
instead, there's an adjacent lot that has a garage on it. The project is the replacement of the window
sashes.
Both David Powers (one of the housing inspectors) and Bristow reviewed the windows and they were in
a good to excellent condition. During conversation with the owner they found out that when they
originally bought the house in the 1990s he rehabbed all the windows. He's a carpenter so he did that
work himself and now over the years he has had condensation building up on the windows and
sometimes turning to frost so they're exhibiting some damage. The owner has done some work in the
house such as insulating the roof so his goal is to replace the window sashes so that he has insulated
glass units in an effort to reduce the possibility of frost accumulating on the windows.
When he rehabbed the windows in 1990 he did the weather stripping and all of the stuff needed to
increase the energy efficiency, he replaced the storm windows as well. Again, both David Powers and
Bristow did not consider these windows in any way deteriorated beyond repair when they viewed them.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 5 of 12
They could see there has been some moisture that has gotten in. It may also be expected that after 30
years a finish would need to be maintained or potentially redone. None of windows are in any shape
that would cause them to typically say they are deteriorated and should be replaced. Clearly there's
some finish damage and some of the joints are showing.
The staff recommendation here is not to approve the replacement of all of these sashes however if
there were any individual sashes that were deteriorated beyond repair the owner could document and
determine which ones and then those could be approved individually. Bristow noted when they review
windows they recommend to people things that they can do such as replace ropes that are fraying,
drying out any damp wood and removing excess moisture when it occurs, touching up finishes to help
prevent moisture infiltration into the wood, revising window covering options to allow better air
circulation around window openings, and then if necessary using internal storm windows.
Bristow noted currently the recommended motion is a recommendation to approve the project. She
stated even though staff does not recommend approving this all motions are made in the affirmative
and so if the Commission did not want to approve this they would vote no instead of yes. An alternative
Bristow suggested would be to approve selective window sash replacements. The applicant did submit
a window sash product and it is a product that the Commission could approve if the windows were
deteriorated beyond repair.
Steven Bullard (927 S. 7t'Avenue) stated he loves their old house, it's part of the Palmer brick houses
that were built by an old professor Palmer that used them to house visiting professors for many years.
Of all of houses theirs is probably the truest to character, one of them has been resided totally with
metal siding and others have changed other characters inside. Bullard explained his background is he
was a framing and remodel contract carpenter for about 7 years before he went back to college and he
put himself through college as a trim carpenter that subcontracted from his old framing carpenter
person. He got his degree in biochemistry and biophysics and has done research here at the
University for about 40 years. He has a shop in his garage and could remake all of these windows, and
when they first bought the house he did remake all of these windows as the person before had let them
go to the point where almost all of them had to be taken out, stripped down, and repaired. A lot of them
had rot in them which was repaired with the liquid wood stuff that solidifies rot and they were glued
back together. When the windows were put in he replaced all the glazing, all the lead paint was
removed, he put on new paint, every window in the house was done and it took him over 2 years to do
that.
He does take very good care of his windows, it's not been 30 years since they've been attended to, he
attended them every couple years, the glazing and things have been repaired as needed throughout
the whole 30 years. All of them were glued together and repaired when he did it 30 years ago, a lot of
them were already repaired for rot so taking those frames apart to repair them now would require him to
steam them apart, break that joint and try and glue them back together. He would bet that 50% of them
would break the frame before they broke the joint just because of the age of the wood.
Bullard states they did everything the National Historic Register had suggested, he cut down all the
sashes, he put in foam above and below, he put in V stripping between the windows, the condensation
and stuff is an issue that comes from the window being cold, he has nice top quality storm windows that
they put on, he took off the old aluminum ones which they had glued to the exterior of the house so
when he tore those off he had to redo a lot of repair on the structure itself and the front trim because it
would pull tons of wood with it.
Bullard noted his house is about 950 square feet, maybe 1,000 square feet, and he has 29 windows
and the cavities between the windows that aren't insulated equal about a 1 0x1 0 wall that's not
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 6 of 12
insulated, the windows themselves represent about 400 square feet of exposure if not a little bit more.
He stated they've done everything they can do, he repaired the all the cracks in the basement and
professionally filled and sealed everything down there, he insulated up as far as he could and installed
drywall down there to eliminate any leaks of air. Upstairs they've blown in insulation in the areas where
they could but due to the structure of the house they've had to use closed cell foam on the ceilings of
the dormers. All of those things have helped so he feels as though he has been a good steward to this
old house and had he not been the one that moved into it they'd be dealing with quite a much bigger
mess. Not very many people have the skills he has to restore a house like this. He's done all the trim
in the upstairs, he's done the floors, they've kept the original trim on everything, he loves their old
house but the cold from the windows and the condensation that comes is an issue. They have to keep
their blinds down at night to keep the cold out otherwise he's heating the outside. He wants to live in
the house forever. When he retires he has his shop out there, he would just like it to be a little more
comfortable as far as air infiltration and the insulation between the windows, things like that are going to
help, with a sealed double pane glass he's not going to get the heat transfer out or the cold transfer in.
Bullard says he feels he is not able to redo what's there, he can do the finish stuff every few years and
because of that it's going to help the energy efficiency of the house and it's going to help the comfort
inside, it's also going to help the noise from the train nearby and it would add a lot of value to the house
because it would be exactly the same type of sash and it would allow him to insulate everything that he
can. The windows with the double pane and the storm staying in place, which pretty much hides the
window itself, and the trim inside would make it look exactly like it is now, he is saving the whole
outside frame and the inside trim, he feels this would be a good fix that will help them be more
comfortable as they get a little bit older and also improve the efficiency of the house and reduce their
energy cost, reduce their green carbon footprint, and if they are worried about the sashes themselves,
they won't go to the landfill, there is a CSA guy down the street that does urban farming who will take
them for cold frames, which is about what they're worth now. Bullard just wanted to let the Commission
know he really does care about his house and that he's thought this through pretty seriously and has
tried all the steps and feel as though he needs to move to the next step which is going to help him
alleviate the problem and be a little bit more comfortable in his house.
Brown asked what the storm windows on the outside are. Bullard stated they are they Larson storm
windows.
Reynolds asked who's making the new windows. Bristow stated the new windows are a Sierra Pacific
double hung sash kit so it's a metal clad wood sash and the owner said it would be a dark green color
to match the house. Reynolds asked if he wants to do all the windows or just wants to do the ones that
are rotted. Bullard replied he was going to do all of them otherwise he has a mismatched house that's
not going to sell real well.
Sellergren asked if he is looking to sell. Bullard confirmed not, he is looking to stay so selling is not
really an issue at hand, he loves this house and has done so much work on this house. He has his
shop outside that he is going to build furniture out of.
Sellergren wanted to talk about her experience with her own windows. She lives in a 1924 Foursquare
and they are in bad condition so she is very envious of the condition of Bullard's windows. No she
hasn't seen them in person but really does have a lot of faith in the city staff and their expertise. She
acknowledged Bullard is an expert in hjs own home but Sellergren does think that what Bullard
currently possesses is about as good as it gets and there aren't modern alternatives that match the
quality of what they currently have. The current windows look beautiful and he is in an old an old home
that's going to have leaks no matter what, even if he was to replace all the windows it might not solve
the problem of air leakage.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 7 of 12
Bullard stated if Sellergren lives in an old house then she knows how the window weights and
everything work right and so there is that cavity in the middle between each of those windows which
there is about 8 or 9 inch wide and that's where the air infiltration comes from, if that gets filled with
close cell foam there is no longer an air issue, the issue is the windows themselves will fit much tighter.
Old windows rattle and there's no real way to get rid of that, he's tried to put in a piece that has a rubber
seal that would tighten that up. Sellergren asked if that was due to wind and Bullard replied no it's due
to the structure of the window itself. He noted there has to be enough play there this way and that way
due to the way the weights work for that sash to lift so newer types of windows use a different lift
system which has more strength to lift that sash so that side and part that touches the window can be
much tighter and seal, it holds the window in there better whereas due to the way the windows are built
there's no way to get that here with window weights.
Sellergren asked how recently he put the new storms on. Bullard replied the new storms were put on
when he redid each window so they're 20 some years old. Sellergren reiterated her windows are in
terrible condition and it's to the point where she can't even do anything because she's so overwhelmed
by the task. She stated she put on new storm windows two years ago after they painted the house and
hasn't heard a rattle since no matter how windy so she wonders if perhaps rather than removing one of
the key historic qualities of the home maybe they just need some new exterior storms which would be a
less expensive option.
Wagner stated he has installed hundreds of the newer storm windows and it does make a huge
difference. Bullard fully understands but one of their issues is the single pane window is still going to
have the same issue with a good storm window, the outside is still going to be cold to touch which is
going to radiate into the house and condensate on the window.
Sellergren noted approving this is breaking the guidelines which are quite important to maintaining the
integrity throughout town and setting a precedent for the rest of the homeowners and building owners in
town. Mr. Bullard is an example of a very responsible steward of a historic home who's been extremely
thorough and loves his home, there are a lot of folks who don't so once they set a precedent there are a
lot of property owners who will take advantage of it and use that to accomplish fixes that are using
cheaper materials and less effective materials and the Commission won't necessarily be able to
prevent that which will result in the degradation of the historic properties in this town. Therefore, that is
one reason the Commission is interested in encouraging Mr. Bullard to consider other options a while
longer before moving to this step.
Bristow wanted to add a couple things, historically in order to prevent windows from rattling in the winter
they would adjust the stops on the windows and would make the stop tighter in the winter so they don't
rattle and then adjust them looser so that they operate in warmer months. Most of the window
rehabbers actually install a stop adjuster so that they can do that easily without having to remove
everything, it's done with a screw instead. The other thing is that an insulated glass unit has a shelf life
and the seal will break on them and then those sashes will have to be replaced, there's not a fix for
that, someone may be able to have the seals redone but they will get condensation in between them so
an insulated glass unit on its own is something that must be replaced periodically where as a single
pane wood window only needs to be replaced when it's deteriorated beyond repair. She noted they
also have documentation and have provided in the packet where testing has shown that they cannot
recoup the cost of replacement windows through energy efficiency because the difference between a
new insulated glass unit and a single pane with a storm is a negligible difference. Bullard would tend to
argue that's a statistic that doesn't take into account the insulation that would be added to the empty air
spaces.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 8 of 12
Lewis said he has not heard an argument tonight that would allow the exception for using materials
other than historical materials.
Bullard appreciates everything everyone has said, he feels rehabbing these frames that are in there
now as they deteriorate further is impossible, they've been repaired once and they've been filled with a
wood hardener and will not be easily separated. Bullard noted in years to come he's going to face that
issue when he no longer has the ability nor the financial means to take care of it. There's also the fact
that he is going to be able to insulate and have increased comfort inside due to the less radiating cold
coming in which will also be better on cooling because the heat won't be coming in during the summer.
This is a way for him to stay in the house and be comfortable. He has redone the fireplace, he has
redone everything and kept everything the same, he just doesn't want to deal with rotted windows when
he's 72 because he won't be able to pull them out and repair them like he can now. Bullard pointed out
on the windows there are the separation joints and all of those windows were tight when they were
redone, he is a perfectionist when it comes to such things, they're starting to separate now and that's
just going to continue and when that continues he is not going to be able to break those joints apart to
repair them. Again, he would argue that the ability to insulate and upgrade outweighs the disadvantage
of setting a precedent for the entire town.
Thomann noted one of the things they look at too is being able to maintain and reuse rather than throw
away. Bullard stated most don't throw away the whole sash they replace the sealed glass insert.
Sellergren stated though in this case they're talking about removing the entire sash and replacing it with
a modern version.
Burford asked if Mr. Bullard had entertained the thought of the interior storms. Bullard stated once
again he is trying to insulate against air infiltration due to the single pane, if he were to have a double
pane sash that has a sealed argon or gas between panes that allows the r value so that they don't
transfer that cold or let the heat in the summer.
Sellergren thinks Mr. Bullard might be quite impressed with new storms. She stated it's not what the
applicant wants to hear but one of the main tenants here is to protect historic windows and it's very
difficult to make exceptions to that.
Wagner stated he trusts staff's recommendation that if they could determine that there are some
specific windows that they would approve replacing then they could do that, or if that would be
something would consider. Both Bristow and David Powers reviewed this and to him that strengthens
the argument the windows don't need to be replaced.
Lewis stated this motion is basically saying an alternative would be a separate project for selective
windows.
MOTION: Brown moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 927 South
7th Avenue as presented in the application. Lewis seconded the motion.
Brown still thinks that the recommendation of newer storm windows with a flush mount system is a
good alternative and can make a huge difference in thermal and acoustics and would be substantially
cheaper than replacing them which also aside from setting a precedent saves money. He stated there
are plenty of historic homes in Iowa City which have those windows.
Lewis stated to reiterate what Wagner said the Commission has the staff recommendation that says the
windows are not beyond repair.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 9 of 12
Bristow stated David Powers is the housing inspector who is the main lead person on the UniverCity
partnership houses and he works with the housing department and the people applying for funding
through the housing rehab program. He is one of the people who goes in and assesses the building
and determines what work needs to be done. He started coming along for the window reviews because
it does tend to be contentious just having one person do the reviews, two is preferred.
A vote was taken and the motion failed 0-10.
REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF:
Certificate of No Material Effect-Chair and Staff review:
HPC24-0100: 316 Church Street- Northside Historic District {laundry vent addition):
Bristow stated this home had been previously approved for some repair and redo of the front porch and
now they're just putting in a laundry vent in one of the rear roofs.
HPC24-0101: 826 E Davenport Street- Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (porch soffit
replacement):
This house was in the UniverCity program and is needing to replace the soflt.
HPC24-0109: 813 Ronalds Street- Brown Street Historic District (brick porch pier reconstruction):
This project is replacing the porch piers as they've started to settle.
HPC24-0108: 416 Reno Street-Local Historic Landmark(front porch railino and step replacement):
Bristow noted this is an interesting house that Carl Klaus lived in and then he donated it to the National
Trust when he passed. The house is both listed in the National Register and locally designated to
protect it. The Trust sold it in order to fund some of their programming but one of the interesting
requirements is that the new owner is required to make it open to the public periodically. It's currently
for sale, and staff is trying to work through the process to review a garage built without historic review
but are struggling getting drawings. This project started just as a porch step and railing replacement,
but when they got further into it they found a lot of rot in the base of the columns. Bristow stated this is
one of those situations where she did help them assess this and it was noted that the bases of the
columns would need to be replaced and it was discovered again during the project. Therefore, they
have new flooring and some new railing, they also have a contractor who is turning new bases for the
columns. Historic columns were made to drain and had a hollow center so that any water that got into
the porch roof structure could drain through the column. The column usually was set up off the porch
floor either with actual feet or with little lead squares. These column bases were replaced and blocked
all of that drainage so any moisture that got in the column just pooled on top of the new base and rotted
it out. There was also no air flow around the base of the column.
Minor Review -Staff review:
HPC24-0095: 725 East Davenport Street- Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District new front
step and balustrade):
This project is replacing the steps and handrail, the handrail needed to change since it looked like a
deck railing.
HPC24-0094: 115 East College Street-Local Landmark commercial signage):
This property got new signage but is a local Landmark downtown that used to be Graze, they will mount
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 10 of 12
the signage to the non-historic transom window and they'll also have a projecting sign from the brick.
HPC24-0106: 28 South Linn Street- Local Landmark fawning fabric/sign replacement):
Bristow noted this should have been a certificate of no material effect as it's just replacing the awning
fabric. Because a sign permit is required, they review it. This building is the local Landmark Iowa City
Post Office.
HPC24-0103: 416 Reno Street- Reno Street Nei hborhood (step and stoop replacement):
This is the house again with a front porch step and stoop replacement, but also the southside porch
with the proximity of the shrubs was really rotting out and so the owner replaced it all and used a
contractor who copied all the spindles so they are exact matches which is nice.
HPC24-0110: 1129 E College Street- East Coltege Historic District (overhead garage door
replacement):
This is considered a non-contributing house with a garage. The garage had a historic door but it was
deteriorated and replaced with a flush door with no windows. This is the simplest overhead door that
they can approve.
Intermediate Review-Chair and Staff review:
HPC24-0099: 829 Kirkwood Avenue- Local Landmark (window replacement):
The rear addition of this house is a kitchen-and it had windows with raised sills put in long ago and the
owner decided to replace those with full height windows so they'll fit the opening again.
HPC24-0074: 629 Melrose Avenue- Local Landmark roof replacement and internal gutter pan
replacement):
This is a landmark house on Melrose with shingles and they are replacing it with a metal roof made to
look like shingles, not a standing seam metal roof. The house does have all its original copper gutters
but they're damaged and are going to be removed and replaced. Because they don't regulate external
gutters, they are not required to replace them with copper ones. The carriage house has internal gutters
and those will remain.
CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 10, 2024:
MOTION: Thomann moves to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's
October 10, 2024 meeting. Wagner seconded the motion.The motion carried on a vote of 10-0.
COMMISSION INFORMATION:
Bristow noted they have been working on the awards and had planned to send the letters out next
week but may not be quite ready for that but are moving along.
Bristow went to the Past Forward conference in New Orleans which was spectacular. The National
Trust is the nation's nonprofit historic preservation organization, and they do a really great conference,
there was a lot of focus on sustainability and historic preservation. She personally did one full day
session that was formal training on historic building assessments, and it was really exciting because
they got to crawl all over a historic house in New Orleans and assessed six different areas including
interior and exterior. It was a great learning experience and after hours there were tours.
Sellergren noted she is going to need to step down as chair and Lewis as vice chair will run next
month's meeting because she will be unavailable and conduct a vote for a new chair. Sellergren will
stay on the Commission, she is just unable to continue in the chair role due to time commitments.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
November 14, 2024
Page 11 of 12
ADJOURNMENT:
Wagner moved to adjourn the meeting. seconded.The motion carried on a vote of 10-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 pm.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD
2023-2024
TERM 12/14 1/11 2/8 3/21 4/24 5/22 6/13 7/11 8/8 9/12 10/10 11/14
NAME I EXP.
BECK, 6/30/24 X X X X X X X X X X O/E X
MARGARET
BROWN, 6/30/26 X O/E O/E X X O/E X O/E O/E X X X
CARL
BURFORD, 6/30/27 --- --- --- --- --- -- --- X X X X X
1 KEVIN
LEWIS, 6/30/26 X X X X X X X X X X X X
ANDREW
RUSSELL, 6/30/27 -- --- -- -- --- --- --- X X O/E X
RYAN
SELLERGREN, 6/30/25 X X X X X X X X X X X X
JORDAN
STORK, NOAH 6/30/24 X O/E X X X X X
THOMANN, 6/30/26 X X X X X X X X X X X X
DEANNA
VILLANUEVA, 6/30/25 X X X X X X X X O/E X X X
NICOLE
WAGNER, 6/30/26 X X X X X X X X X O/E X X
FRANK
WELU- 6/30/25 X X X X O/E X O/E X X X O/E X
REYNOLDS,
CHRISTINA
KEY X = Present
O =Absent
O/E=Absent/Excused
--- = Not a member
Item Number: IP8.
r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY
a
� COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 27, 2024
Senior Center Commission: November 21
Attachments: Senior Center Commission: November 21
Preliminary Minutes
November 21, 2024
MINUTES
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
November 21, 2024
Room 311, Iowa City Senior Center
Members Present: Nancy Ostrognai, Betty Rosse, Jay Gilchrist, Warren Paris
Members Absent: Ross Taylor, Lee McKnight, Angie McConville
Staff Present: LaTasha DeLoach, Kristin Kromray
Others Present: Cynthia Dietz
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by McKnight at 4:00 PM.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 17 2024 MEETING:
Motion: To accept the minutes from the October 17, 2024. Motion carried on
a 4/0 vote. Ostrognai/Paris
PUBLIC DISCUSSION:
Cynthia Dietz, a retired GIS librarian, spoke to the commission regarding an
online map project that will explore information and resources in the Iowa City
area. Cynthia would like to partner with the Senior Center to do a program and/or
gather information from local seniors. Commissioners suggested she speak with
Senior Center programming staff regarding her ideas.
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW:
DeLoach noted the Senior Center has hired three new evening and weekend
employees. The afternoon receptionist position is still currently open, but an offer
to a potential new employee has been given.
The door and window project is still slated to occur next year. Ostrognai
requested a larger handicap button at Washington St. Paris noted an opener that
is activated by a hand wave might be an option.
1
Preliminary Minutes
November 21, 2024
DeLoach reported staff will be revising the code of conduct and locker policies.
Updated policies will likely be in next month's commission packet for review. The
Senior Center has seen an increase in the number of unhoused community
members utilizing the Senior Center. Updated policies will address some of the
items Senior Center staff have been navigating. The Senior Center is working
more closely with Shelter House and the police department as well as starting to
attend a City work group dedicated to unhoused community members. Rosse
noted that there have been some concerns on the Monday Table to Table
distribution and that people have reported to her that they appreciate a police
officer coming through on Mondays. Gilchrist asked if the police are well
resourced. DeLoach noted that Iowa City police officers do receive de-escalation
training and that when calling the Senior Center can request an officer who is
versed in mental health issues. Additionally, there is the Mobile Crisis Unit that
can be contacted for situations that do not warrant a police call.
DeLoach noted that locker pricing has not been increased in many years. It
currently costs $5/month. The recreation center has day use only lockers that are
50 cents a day. The Senior Center will be putting forward a request to increase
the cost of a locker to $15/month. This will put it more in line with the recreation
department pricing.
DeLoach noted that the Table-to-Table distribution continues to evolve and will
soon involve a registration process. She will be keeping an eye on how it is going
and make assessments as things move forward.
Rosse reported that Ecumenical Towers residents are interested in having an
ATM at the Senior Center. As of now, DeLoach understands the desire to have
one, but it is unlikely to happen soon. DeLoach noted that this could be
something that could be discussed during the interior renovation discussions.
There was discussion that there are multiple ATMS's within a block. Gilchrist also
noted that there might be a concern with older adults and scamming that could
occur.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION:
Ostrognai mentioned that a community member asked if congregate meals would
come back to the Senior Center. DeLoach gave a brief history of that meal
program and that it had always been an outside organization who had run that
program. She noted that once a kitchen renovation is complete that there might
be more opportunities for meals at the Senior Center.
The Commission discussed the one application for the at large commission seat.
Motion: To appoint Mary McCall as the at large, non-Iowa City, Johnson
County representative. Motion carried on a 4/0 vote. Paris/Ostrognai
2
Preliminary Minutes
November 21, 2024
Gilchrist noted that he would like for other Senior Center staff members to meet
at future commission meetings.
Meeting Adjourned.
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