HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-01 Bd Comm minutesItem Number: 4.a.
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QF T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 1, 2025
Community Police Review Board: February 11 [See Recommendation]
Attachments: Community Police Review Board: February 11 [See Recommendation]
CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: March 12, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Connie McCurdy, Community Police Review Board Staff
Re: Recommendation from Community Police Review Board
At their February 11, 2025 meeting the Community Police Review Board made the following
recommendation(s) to the City Council:
(1) Accept CPRB Complaint #24-07 Public Report
Additional action (check one)
® No further action needed
❑ Board or Commission is requesting direction from City Council
❑ Agenda item will be prepared by staff for City Council action
CPRB — Final Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 1
Community Police Review Board
Minutes — February 11, 2025
Call to Order: Chair Mekies called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Members Present: Colette Atkins, Melissa Jensen, Saul Mekies, Jessica Hobart -Collis,
Jerri MacConnell
Members Absent: David Schwindt
Staff Present: Staff Connie McCurdy, Legal Counsel Patrick Ford
Others Present: Police Chief Dustin Liston
Recommendations to City Council:
■ Accept CPRB Complaint #24-07 Public Report
Consent Calendar:
■ Draft minutes from the January 14, 2025 meeting
Motion by Mekies, seconded by Jensen to adopt the consent calendar as presented.
Motion carried 510. Schwindt was absent.
New Business:
• None.
Old Business:
• None.
Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda:
• Mary McCann appeared and mentioned concerns with members of the public thinking police officers are part
of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Board Information:
• None.
Staff Information:
• None.
Tentative Meeting Schedule and Future Agendas (subiect to chance):
• March 11, 2025, 5:30 p.m. — Helling Conference Room
■ April 08, 2025, 5:30 p.m. —Helling Conference Room
■ May 13, 2025, 5:30 p.m. —Helling Conference Room
June 10, 2025, 5:30 p.m. — Helling Conference Room
CPRB — Final Minutes
February 11, 2025
Page 2
Executive Session:
Motion by MacConnell, seconded by Jensen, to adjourn to Executive Session based on Section 21.5(1)(a) of the
Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept
confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt
of federal funds, and 22.7(11) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including
but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts, and 22-7(5) police officer investigative reports,
except where disclosure is authorized elsewhere in the Code; and 22.7(18) Communications not required by law,
rule or procedure that are made to a government body or to any of its employees by identified persons outside of
government, to the extent that the government body receiving those communications from such persons outside of
government could reasonably believe that those persons would be discouraged from making them to that
government body if they were available for general public examination.
Motion carried 510. Schwindt was absent.
Open session adjourned: 5:35 p.m.
Return to Open Session:
Returned to open session: 6:57 p.m.
Motion by Jensen, seconded by Atkins to accept the CPRB Public Report for Complaint 24-07 as amended and
forward to City Council.
Motion carried 510. Schwindt was absent.
Motion by Mekies, seconded by Hobart -Collis to set the level of review for CPRB Complaint 24-08 at
8-8-7 (13)(1)(a), on the record with no additional investigation.
Motion carried 510. Schwindt was absent.
Mournment•
Motion by Atkins, seconded by Hobart -Collis to adjourn.
Motion carried 510. Schwindt was absent.
Meeting adjourned: 7:00 p.m.
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COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARD
A Board of the City of Iowa City
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240-1826
(319) 356-5041
Date: February 11, 2025 _ I _
To. City Council
LED
Complainant FEB 11 2025
City Manager
Chief of Police City Clerk
Officer(s) involved in complaint Iowa City, Iowa
From: Community Police Review Board
Re: Investigation of CPRB Complaint # 24-07
This is the Report of the Community Police Review Board's (the "Board") review of the
investigation of Complaint CPRB # 24-07 (the "Complaint").
BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY:
Under the City Code of the City of Iowa City, the Board's responsibilities are as follows:
1. The Board forwards all complaints to the Police Chief, who completes an investigation
(Iowa City Code Section 8-8-7(A).)
2. When the Board receives the Police Chiefs report, the Board must select one or more of
the following levels of review, in accordance with Iowa City Code Section 8-8-7(B)(1):
a. On the record with no additional investigation.
b. Interview /meet with complainant.
c. Interview /meet with named officer(s) and other officers.
d. Request additional investigation by the police chief, or request police assistance
in the board's own investigation.
e. Perform its own investigation with the authority to subpoena witnesses.
f. Hire independent investigators.
3. In reviewing the Police Chiefs report, the Board must apply a "reasonable basis"
standard of review. This means that the Board must give deference to the Police Chiefs
report, because of the Police Chiefs professional expertise. (Iowa City Code Section 8-
8-7(13)(2)).)
4. According to Iowa City Code Section 8-8-7(B)(2), the Board may issue a report that
disagrees with the decision set forth in the Police Chiefs or City Manager's report only if:
a. The findings are not supported by substantial evidence; or
b. The findings are unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious; or
c. The findings are contrary to a police department policy or practice, or any federal,
state or local law.
5. When the Board has completed its review of the Police Chiefs report, the Board issues a
public report to the city council. The public report must include: (1) detailed findings of
fact; and (2) a clearly articulated conclusion explaining why and the extent to which the
complaint is either "sustained" or "not sustained ". (Iowa City Code Section 8-8-7(B)(6)).
6. Even if the Board finds that the complaint is sustained, the Board has no authority to
discipline the officer involved.
BOARD'S PROCEDURE:
The Complaint was initiated by the Complainant on 10/7/2024. As required by Section
8-8-5(B) of the City Code, the Complaint was referred to the Chief of Police for investigation.
The Complainant did not respond to numerous attempts by the Chief to reach the Complainant.
The Chiefs Report was filed with the City Clerk on 12/10/2024. As per Section 8-8-6(D) of the
City Code, the Complainant was given the opportunity to respond to the Chiefs report but failed
to do so.
The Board voted on 12/10/2024 to apply the following Level of Review to the Chiefs Report: on the
record with no additional investigation, pursuant to Iowa City Code Section 8-8-7(B)(1)(a).
The Board reviewed the following: the officer's body camera, the dashboard's camera footage,
and the findings by the Chief of Police which included an interview with the officer.
The Board met to consider the Report on 12/10/2024, 01/14/2025, and 02/11/2025.
FINDINGS OF FACT:
The officer stopped the complainant near the intersection of Clinton Street and Prentiss Street.
The complainant was walking west on Prentiss Street, crossing the street, while allegedly
speaking on a cell phone. The complainant claimed that she was only holding the phone in her
hand and not using it. The complainant alleges that the officer sped toward her and braked right
in front of her. Moreover, the complainant alleges that the officer was discourteous, threatening,
and used an obscenity when addressing her. The complainant also stated that she did not
violate the law by crossing the street in an unmarked crosswalk.
FI LFD
FEB 1 1 2025
City Clerk
Iowa City, Iowa
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:
The officer's car camera showed that he did not speed toward the complainant as alleged, and
that his speed did not exceed 26 m.p.h. Because of the brevity of the encounter, the initial
interaction between the complainant and the officer was not recorded on the body camera. The
body camera was activated once the squad car's emergency lights were activated. The officer
reported that he stopped the complainant in the crosswalk to block the complainant from
crossing the street. He calmly explained that she needed to stop looking at her phone while
crossing to avoid an accident.
Camera footage shows that the complainant was looking down at her phone as she was
crossing the street, and only looked up once the vehicle was near her. She abruptly stopped
and allowed the police vehicle to pass her. The complainant was correct in asserting that
according to Iowa law (Iowa Code Section 321.327) that a vehicle must yield the right of way
when signals are not in place whether in marked or unmarked crosswalks. The officer was
incorrect in making the claim to the contrary. However, the officer did not issue a citation to the
complainant nor take any action based on that claim.
COMPLAINANT'S ALLEGATION #1 — Violation of 320.5.9. Conduct. Jsee pertinent
portions of the policy below)
(f) Discourteous, disrespectful or discriminatory treatment of any member of the public or any
member of this department or the City.
(g) Use of obscene, indecent, or derogatory language while on -duty or in uniform.
Chief's conclusion: Not sustained
Board's conclusion: Not sustained
Basis for the Board's conclusion:
The complainant alleges that the officer was threatening and screaming at her. The officer's
body camera video shows that the officer called to the complainant prompting her to stop. As he
attempted to explain his intervention, the complainant immediately turned around and continued
to walk. At that point the officer raised his voice telling the complainant that she was not free to
go and risked being jailed should she not stop. The complainant eventually walked back. In
addition to explaining that there was no painted crosswalk as she crossed, the officer warned of
the danger of using a phone while crossing a street. The officer released the complainant with a
verbal warning. The camera shows that the officer was calm during his interaction with the
complainant, and at no time was he threatening or screaming at her.
FILLD
EB 112025
City Clerk
Iowa City, Iowa
Item Number: 4.b.
I, CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 1, 2025
Historic Preservation Commission: February 13
Attachments: Historic Preservation Commission: February 13
MINUTES APPROVED
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
FEBRUARY 13, 2025 —5:30 PM —FORMAL MEETING
E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Margaret Beck, Carl Brown, Andrew Lewis, Ryan Russell, Jordan
Sellergren, Deanna Thomann, Christina Welu-Reynolds,
MEMBERS ABSENT: Kevin Burford, Frank Wagner, Nicole Villanueva,
STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow
OTHERS PRESENT: Daniel Lopatka, Brenda Barger
CALL TO ORDER:
Sellergren called the meeting to order at 5:50 p m.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:
HPC24-0119: 420-422 North Linn Street- Northside Historic District (front deck reconstruction):
Bristow stated this house is in the Northside Historic District, on the agenda she had accidentally
written Brown Street Historic District. She noted it's an interesting house and is very old, it's shown for
the first time in the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps in 1899, it is a brick house and was built as a duplex
with an open front porch on each of the halves and a one-story section on each of the rear portions with
an open porch. Long ago, prior to 1912, the brick was clad with wood siding and it showed that way
until the 1933 Sanborn map. Also in the 1933 Sanborn it shows a full width front porch but Bristow
thought that might be an error as it's clearly two separate front porches through all of the other Sanborn
maps. Bristow stated they also know in the 1950s or 1960s the columns and railing were replaced with
wrought iron and in 1977 asbestos siding was installed over the wood siding. In 1998 the porch roof
and columns were removed and at least one version of the deck was built in 1999.
Bristow stated this project is a reconstruction of the structure for the deck, and it is enough of a
reconstruction that it does require a building permit. She noted often what happens in this situation is
they would consider it no longer grandfathered in, however with this particular project there's enough of
the materials being reused that the staff recommendation is to go ahead and approve the current
configuration. They're replacing much of the structure that can be seen using new wood but they're
leaving some of the structure and reusing the railing. In January it was floored over, reusing the same
flooring that was there.
Bristow noted there are two guidelines that correspond to this project. One is about the handrails, and
she included that because if it was a new deck that was being reviewed it would have to follow the
handrail guidelines, which this one does not. The deck guidelines recommend the decks and ramp are
located on the back of the building and attached in a manner that won't damage the historic wall. Then
it recommends following the guidelines for handrails and balustrades. It then states it is disallowed to
construct a deck between the street and the street facing facade if it detracts from the neighborhood or
is not compatible with the architectural style of the building. However, as she mentioned because many
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
February 13, 2025
Page 2 of 6
of the materials are being reused, staff does recommend to approve this deck to be reconstructed with
an exception for an uncommon situation and that situation is that while it does require a permit for a
new deck, they are reusing a lot of the structure and this house has been heavily modified over time.
Daniel Lopatka (420-422 North Linn Street) appreciates the work Bristow has done on this. He has
lived in the home since 2010 or 2011 and that deck has been there since he's been there. It also
sounds like the deck has been there for at least 50 years, and maybe since 1933 in some form.
Bristow did note there is a distinction between a deck and a porch, because a porch has a roof. This
deck has always been very sturdy and very functional, there were just a few boards that needed to be
replaced. Lopatka stated they completed a tuck pointing job on the interior basement last year and
along with the tuck pointing they wanted to do a little exterior tuck pointing so some of these pictures
with the deck exposed was to look at the exterior tuck pointing along the front underneath the house.
So incidental to the tuck pointing they removed some of the boards and that's why in some of the
pictures shown boards are missing. Lopatka stated this deck is functional and it's going to be painted
and look really nice when they're done with it. He noted the owner spent $9,000 or $10,000 already a
couple years ago just on the central staircase so it's just a matter of finishing the exterior tuck pointing
and then connecting it with bolts through the ledger board, and then repainting the railings so they look
not as weather beaten as they do at the moment. Lopatka noted he really cares about the
neighborhood and wants it to look nice so they'll do a good job on this.
Lopatka noted the staff report states they will install a new support post next to the building to be used
to support the deck instead of attaching to the masonry wall but they intend to keep it as is and just
repair it by using new ledger bolts that aren't as rusted as the ones that are there so just repairing it and
still keeping it attached to the house.
Thomann noted she would love to see the siding taken off of the house and the brick returned
sometime down the road.
MOTION: Sellergren moves to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 424-422
North Linn Street as presented in the staff report with an exception to the guidelines for
uncommon situations. Beck seconded the motion, a vote was taken and it passed 7-0.
Certified Local Government Annual Report
Bristow stated this is the Certified Local Government (CLG) Annual Report and she will go through the
questions on the report. First questions asks did they do any survey or identification projects last year,
and the City did not. However, it is a CLG requirement so they need to explain how they plan to do that
in the future and she responded with it being part of the Commission's work plan to have a landmark
and district committee and that committee will look into potential districts or landmarks.
Next asks did they do any registration or nomination projects in 2024 and while they did not a member
of the public had nominated the Iowa City Rec Center for the National Register and as a CLG they had
to review that. Bristow noted they used to ask about all changes made to National Register properties,
but they no longer do that and just ask if any of them that are listed were moved or demolished and
that's a no for last year.
The report then starts talking about the local program and did they designate any local landmarks or
local districts. Yes, last year 302 East Bloomington was landmarked. The next question is who is
qualified, according to the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications, for the CLG and
Bristow is in historic architecture and architecture history, and Commissioner Beck is also qualified in
prehistoric archeology.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
February 13, 2025
Page 3 of 6
Did they pass any other ordinances that directly or indirectly impact the preservation of historic
resources? Bristow talked with the other planners about this, and they did not pass anything last year
that would impact historic properties. The next question is about planning and every year this
Commission does create a work plan and the year the focus was on three action items. Next, they
report any assistance they've provided with preservation projects, and last year they had the highest
number of inquiries that they've ever had, more than 80 over the previous highest year. Bristow noted
the highest year was that first year of COVID because everybody was home looking at their house. But
this last year they had 312 inquiries and 119 applications. She did note a few of them were duplicates
or voided, but that happens every year.
Next item discussed is the preservation fund, it started at $40,000 a year and was raised to $42,000 for
this current fiscal year and then it will go back to $40,000 for the fiscal year that starts in July. The City
has approved 63 projects on 49 properties and paid out $222,000 and those projects total costs were
about $559,000. Bristow stated that currently there are a few projects under contract, and a couple that
are about ready to be under contract. They have will have allocated all the funds for this year. Since
this question is talking about any assistance with preservation issues she listed a few larger projects.
They helped with the second student build house on Ronald Street for The Housing Fellowship, they
approved and helped Deluxe Bakery through the process for the permanent accessibility ramp at the
bakery on Summit Street and they worked with facility management to approve a new metal roof that
could be appropriate for the Ned Ashton House. Finally, they got through all of the stages of the review
to landmark 410-412, Clinton Street and construct an adjacent development, which was a long,
multiyear process.
Next they are to describe community public education programs. Bristow stated they usually do the
awards in September but postponed until February, so they didn't have anything specific that happened
last year. The issues and challenges that they had this year was working through quite a few work
without permits and that whole process of trying to get the word out to people in advance, she noted
they aren't just skipping the historic review but also skipping getting building permits so the whole
department has worked together to get the word out on that. Bristow also stated because staff has
been trying to clarify for the public when exactly historic review is needed, and since the language in
the code is that it's needed when a regulated permit is required and it's a material change staff is
working through the process to determine what that means and not have to require historic review for
the simplest of trade permits.
Bristow reviewed some other projects from the year in the report, the property in the 800 block of
College Street that had appealed their HVAC piping, nothing has happened with that. One of the good
things was 302 to 316 East Bloomington Street was landmarked, that's where the Friends of Historic
Preservation had hired Jennifer Price to write an assessment of the building that was then submitted to
the state for their opinion on whether or not it was eligible for the National Register. They also then
used that document as the backup document for the reason for landmarking the building. Other good
news for the year was it was great to fill the seat in the East College Street District with Ryan Russell
because that had been an empty seat for a while, they did the study for the Summit Street monument
and got funding, unfortunately it is a complex project and the new location is undetermined so they will
lose that funding, it was just not something that could happen on that tight of a schedule. The house at
1011 Woodlawn, which burned and sat empty, had sold at the end of last year by a couple who will
rehab it. Bristow noted they did have many legal challenges in 2023 that carried over into 2024 and
therefore amended the annual report last year to include them. They had open records request and
needed to submit that addendum to the annual report. Those cases are included this year.
The next section is about what partnerships did the Commission form or continue, Bristow stated back
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
February 13, 2025
Page 4 of 6
in 2020 she had given a presentation on the work of Richard Carlson, who had written the National
Register nominations for the Tate Arms and the Iowa Federation Home but no one thought to record
that presentation and they had a lot of people asking about it so she worked with the Channel 4 to
make a recording of that. Bristow also worked with Parks and Rec to have them give the Commission
updates on the City Park pool and also the long standing interest in the coming up with an appropriate
name for Oak Park when it gets rehabbed.
Other questions in the report, did they receive any grants, no, do they have a website, yes and then a
self -assessment of the programs for which Bristow stated the Commission channeled most of their
energy towards landmarking which also allowed them to work on public outreach and education to
make up for the lack of the awards. The Commission also still has both the awards subcommittee and
that district and landmarking subcommittee so even if they didn't necessarily tick off things on the work
plan, they still made progress. Bristow reported they have an annual budget of $750 for training and
expenses and $2,000 for the annual mailing. She reported they still have two long term vacancies, one
in Woodlawn and one in the Jefferson Street District, where they've only once ever had a commissioner
because it's mostly a student population. The report then includes all the current Commissioner's
information. She reported that she went to the Preservation Summit and Sellergren came for the CLG
roundtable day, Bristow also did some other training through the National Alliance of Preservation
Commissions and the National Trust Substitute Materials on Historic Building Exteriors had a climate
symposium, and she went to the Pass Forward Conference in New Orleans which was an interesting
one, and then another one From the NAPC on navigating ADU development in in historic districts.
The report then asks two questions, what training topic would be most helpful for the Commission, and
she reported the fact that they've had a shortage of properly trained contractors, but if someone else
has topic ideas please let Bristow know. Then they request suggestions for improvement and Bristow
suggested that they might make a more active presence because a lot of commissioners don't know
anything about them or that they exist, especially someone in a small town.
The final part of the report is to submit a portfolio of images and Bristow said she would make a PDF of
the awards presentation and submit that as it shows a lot of the people who have done good work in
the City but again if anyone has any suggestions, photos or drawings of specific projects let her know.
Brenda Barger asked about where are the official CLG files located. Bristow replied they are housed in
the Neighborhood Development Services Department in City Hall.
Thomann noted an error in the terms of each member of the Commissioners on the table so Bristow will
update that.
MOTION: Brown moved to approve the Certified Local Government Annual Report. Thomann
seconded the motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF:
Certificate of No Material Effect -Chair and Staff review:
HPC24-0118: 629 North Gilbert Street- Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (replacement
of one porch pier):
Bristow stated this house is located in the Goosetown/Horace Mann_ Conservation District, on the
corner of Gilbert and Ronald. They are replacing a porch pier. She noted this is a rental property and
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
February 13, 2025
Page 5 of 6
even though it was a terra cotta tile construction with stucco over it all they need is the stucco coating
so the property management company can make it a wood one just so long as it has a stucco coating
so it'll match the other ones.
HPC25-0004: 629 Brown Street - Brown Street Historic District (porch roof reconstruction and roof
shingle replacement):
Bristow stated they've been working on this one for a while and the porch roof will be replaced
completely from the frieze board up, and the house will also get new roof shingles as well.
CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR JANUARY 9, 2025:
MOTION: Thomann moves to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's
January 9, 2025 meeting. Beck seconded the motion The motion carried on a vote of 7-0.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION:
Annual Awards Presentation Update:
Bristow stated their priority is to get the certificates made so that they can get signed by Lewis as the
chair and then the mayor. After that the next priority is to invite the contractors and then go over the
scripts. Bristow stated as she is compiling information for the certificates, she is depositing that
information in the folders to help with writing the scripts. Sellergren is putting the submitted photos
there as well. She is also ready to do the programs so whenever those are ready she can get those
done.
Work Plan Update:
Bristow just wants to keep Work Plan Update on the agenda for a Commission discussion item for the
future and as the committees do things they can present it. She didn't have anything in particular to
discuss today but wanted everyone to remember to keep working on the plan.
COMMISSION INFORMATION:
Lewis noted the memo from the City Manager that was in the agenda packets. Bristow stated she
doesn't have much to add, it's pretty self-explanatory and is something new that they're trying, and
they'll see how it goes.
ADJOURNMENT
Brown moved to adjourn the meeting. Reynolds seconded The motion carried on a vote of 7-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 pm.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD
2024-2025
TERM
3/21
4/24
5/22
6/13
7/11
8/8
9/12
10/10
11/14
12/12
1/9
2/13
NAM E
EXP.
BECK,
6/30/27
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
MARGARET
BROWN,
6/30/26
X
X
O/E
X
O/E
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
X
CARL
BURFORD,
6/30/27
---
---
---
---
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
KEVI N
LEWIS,
6/30/26
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
ANDREW
RUSSELL,
6/30/27
---
---
---
---
O/E
X
X
O/E
X
O/E
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
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
O/E
X
X
X
X
O/E
O/E
NICOLE
WAGNER,
6/30/26
X
X
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
O/E
FRANK
WELU-
6/30/25
X
O/E
X
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
REYNOLDS,
CHRISTINA
KEY: X = Present
O = Absent
O/E= Absent/Excused
--- = Not a member
Item Number: 4.c.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QF T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 1, 2025
Housing & Community Development Commission: October 21 [See Recommendation]
Attachments: Housing & Community Development Commission: October 21 [See
Recommendation]
r
��_..® CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: March 25, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Brianna Thul, Community Development Planner
Re: Recommendations from Housing and Community Development Commission
At their October 21, 2024 meeting, the Housing and Community Development Commission
made the following recommendation to the City Council:
Dennis moved to recommend that City Council approve Substantial Amendment #1 to the FY24
Annual Action Plan. Seconded by Patel. A vote was taken and the motion passed 5-1 (Vogel
opposed).
Additional action (check one)
No further action needed
Board or Commission is requesting Council direction
X Agenda item will be prepared by staff for Council action
(Approved by Council at the November 4, 2024 meeting)
MINUTES
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
OCTOBER 21, 2024 — 6:30 PM
FORMAL MEETING
E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
FINAL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Daouda Balde, Maryann Dennis, Karol Krotz, Kiran Patel, Denise
Szecsei, Kyle Vogel
MEMBERS ABSENT: Horacio Borgen, George Kivarkis, James Pierce
STAFF PRESENT: Erika Kubly, Brianna Thul, Sam Turnbull
OTHERS PRESENT: Simon Andrew (The Housing Fellowship)
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL:
By a vote of 5-1 (Vogel opposed) the Commission voted to recommend that City Council approve
Substantial Amendment #1.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER:
Vogel called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:
Balde introduced himself noting he is from West Africa moved to Iowa in April 2016. He used to work with
Johnson County Food and Grow at Melrose and likes to help others in the community so volunteered for
this commission.
CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: SEPTEMBER 16, 2024:
Krotz moved to approve the minutes of September 16, 2024 with changes. Dennis seconded the motion.
A vote was taken and the minutes were approved 6-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TOPICS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
REVIEW AND CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON APPROVAL OF
SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT #1 TO THE CITY'S FY24 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN:
Vogel noted they have some federal monies that weren't spent, and staff is proposing using those funds
towards the City's GreenState and Hills Down Payment program to fund up to 12 additional households.
There are also some other monies that weren't used by a couple other organizations that staff
recommend allocating to The Housing Fellowship to buy two affordable rental units. Thul explained there
were two projects from the FY24 Annual Action Plan that were not completed. One was United Action for
Youth. UAY was awarded HOME funded to acquire and rehab transitional housing units, however, with
federal funding there are a lot of restrictions and regulations attached. United Action for Youth canceled
their project because it was able to proceed without federal funding and through a partnership with The
Housing Fellowship. The second project was the Ronald Street student -built home, which was awarded
$200,000 HOME funds. This project had to go through a historic preservation review which took longer
than anticipated and therefore that project ultimately proceeded without federal funding. Staff would like to
Housing and Community Development Commission
October 21, 2024
Page 2 of 6
reallocate the money from those two canceled HOME projects towards rental acquisition to honor the
intent of the original projects.
Dennis asked when the funds need to be spent. Thul explained typically it needs to be committed within
two years and spent within four, however, with the way the appropriations have been structured, there are
some waivers for the deadlines, but staff try to stick the standards in case anything changes. Since these
are FY24 funds they need to commit those soon.
Patel stated she recalls the Down Payment Assistance program changed its requirements and the homes
no longer have to be in certain census blocks but now it's open citywide. Thul confirmed that was correct.
Krotz asked regarding The Housing Fellowship and the two additional rental units, would those be for
people under 80% or 60%? Thul replied that HOME requires under 60% for rentals. Krotz asked if it is
possible for the Commission to place a suggestion to attempt to fund those for people under 40%? Kubly
stated they can suggest, however, staff typically leaves it at the maximum when they fund projects like
this. They also might be serving someone with a Housing Choice Voucher and so being able to get the
maximum rents would be helpful, but the Commission can suggest what they wish.
Dennis stated she thinks it's a good suggestion, however for the folks that are administering the program
and trying to do all the compliance it might be more work, and she also believes the majority of the folks
that rent from The Housing Fellowship fall far below 60%. It's also difficult to have only two rental homes
that have to be under a certain amount because if somebody comes in and they're a couple dollars over
they won't quality.
Vogel stated he feels like they're doing the shell game, they all voted and gave money to United Action for
Youth. They also awarded money to The Housing Fellowship. Now without going through that process
again, they are just deciding to take that money and just give it to The Housing Fellowship. Why can't
these funds go back into the next award cycle? Thul replied that the Commission could wait and put the
funds into the next competitive round, but they would be asking staff to wait until July of next year to start
any projects. Dennis agreed that waiting that long doesn't leave the agency awarded with enough time.
Simon Andrew (Director, The Housing Fellowship) wanted to address both of the questions raised by the
Commission. First, regarding the income levels, the vast majority of the households The Housing
Fellowship serves fall well below 60%, and in most cases even below 40%. The average household
income for their tenants is $27,000 a year and they have large households to serve, sometimes up to 10
person households. Andrew stated they do like to have the limit set at 60% to serve the households that
do have a voucher. Otherwise, they are basically turning down free federal money if it's restricted at the
lower rate, because the voucher picks up that 60% rent.
Krotz asked if somebody has an income of under $25,000 and they also have a voucher that would pay
50% of a person's rent. Andrew replied no, the voucher in that case would likely pay all of their rent. The
voucher is structured that households shouldn't be paying more than their income so if their income is low
enough, the voucher will pay all of their rent, up to a set cap of what a rent can be (which is based on
average rents). If the voucher holder starts making more money, the voucher will pay less. The Housing
Fellowship has many households that don't pay anything out of pocket.
Krotz finds that really interesting because she falls in that category of having income below that amount
but has never had all of her rent paid, she usually pays between 40% and 50%, sometimes up to 55%
and she has a Housing Choice Voucher. Andrew noted that would be a question for City staff but The
Housing Fellowship does have households with vouchers that pay $5 of the rent and the tenant is
responsible for the rest up to the tenant not paying anything, the latter are usually families with children.
Krotz asked if they ever have one -bedroom units on vouchers. Andrew replied yes, they have 17 one -
bedrooms but those are limited to find, they are seeing right now the biggest demand is at the extremes,
very large families and single person households. They do have quite a bit of two- and three- bedroom
units, but not enough one -bedroom or larger than three -bedroom units.
Housing and Community Development Commission
October 21, 2024
Page 3 of 6
Andrew next addressed the question about the United Action for Youth (UAY) project and the student
build project. The Housing Fellowship was really proud to partner with UAY to help that project go
forward. He stated in both cases The Housing Fellowship is borrowing that money and taking on that debt
with the hope and understanding that they would be able to access those unused HOME funds. He
explained that UAY was in a position where they had eight homeless clients that they were serving
between the ages of 16 and 22 that were already renting private apartments but weren't going to be able
to continue in those apartments. UAY was afraid those individuals would be homeless again come July,
when the lease was up, and when it the funding did not come through in a way that would allow them to
purchase the house and they needed help. UAY first went to the Community Foundation and then they
asked City staff and United Way if there was any way they could get bailed out and still be able to close
on the house for these individuals. Effectively, they just needed a landlord with a borrowing capacity to
be able to borrow the gap in the home purchase. The Housing Fellowship took over the purchase
agreement as a way to help out one of their partner agencies to help them complete their mission, which
in this case is the same mission, preventing more homeless individuals on the street. In this case, it was
16- to 22-year-olds that really had nowhere else to go. Andrew explained The Housing Fellowship would
like to use the HOME funds from UAY to purchase a home they would have otherwise had to borrow
money for. They are basically using the debt on the UAY purchase instead of the new acquisition and
hoping to use the HOME funds for that new acquisition. The student build home on Ronalds Street, was
a timing issue due to the school district calendar. Students are back in school in August, and they needed
to start building in August. Due to the archeological review they weren't going to have the answers
needed in time to get the students rolling. Again, The Housing Fellowship doesn't have other funds for
that project and had to incur a private debt at 7% interest to finish that construction. The Housing
Fellowship is hoping to use the $200,000 for other acquisitions that will cash flow such that it will pay the
debt on Ronalds Street. Because it is a student build project, they believe in the project so much they are
willing to take a loss on that second house. So again, they are just hoping for that remaining $200,000 to
be allocated to The Housing Fellowship so they can acquire additional properties that will help that cash
flow picture.
Dennis acknowledged it is sort of a shell game but one that has really good results for the community
Krotz asked if staff anticipates if any other agencies will raise concerns with this reallocation. Thul cannot
speak for other applicants, but they are approaching the next CDBG and HOME funding round again in
December so there's that funding available. Also, for affordable housing projects like this, the City
contributes to the local Affordable Housing Fund, which is administered by the Housing Trust Fund of
Johnson County, so this isn't the only opportunity for affordable housing funds at the moment.
Vogel noted he just intrinsically has a hard time with moving money from the other projects to a new
project without a discussion about the merits of everybody's proposals. Perhaps that $310,000 could be
used by an organization that plans to assist more than two households. Maybe someone wants to buy a
$1.2 million 24-plex of one -bedrooms and just needs $310,000 for the down payment, and suddenly there
are 24 households in Iowa City that can be assisted with the same $310,000 versus two. They are not
getting the opportunity to have that discussion. He did acknowledge the pressure and extra work it puts
on staff to do that work but those are simply his concerns with it.
Krotz asked if this would go to City Council for final approval. Thul replied yes, this is currently in a 30-day
public comment period and then it will go to City Council on November 4.
Kubly also wanted to note, this is the standard process for a substantial amendment like this. This is the
public process and they are following normal procedures to accommodate for changes that have
happened since the initial Action Plan was approved.
Dennis noted if they were to put the money back for the next round it again lowers the amount of time that
somebody has to finish the project and if that project isn't finished within the guidelines that money goes
back to Washington, DC, and everyone loses the money. Kubly noted they do substantial amendments all
Housing and Community Development Commission
October 21, 2024
Page 4 of 6
the time. Thul agreed it is common for staff to bring this Commission substantial amendments to the
Consolidated Plan.
Krotz asked if The Housing Fellowship will be using the funding for rental housing, specifically a duplex.
Andrew replied not necessarily, they own 211 rental housing units and they range from single family
homes, duplexes, town homes, and they look at zero lots basically the same as single family homes.
There are a couple that they have their eye on now to acquire and will probably acquire three more in the
next nine months, in addition to, hopefully, these two. Krotz wondered if they had a specific property in
mind to acquire if they were awarded these funds. Andrew replied they are always looking and currently
there is a duplex for sale on Muscatine that's real close to a few other units that they own and that's
always very attractive, just for efficiency of maintenance.
Andrew wanted to state as well, effectively this is a mechanism to get done projects that the Commission
has approved, but the projects wouldn't have happened without this mechanism, so it really is a way to
get them done the projects that this Commission initially considered and approved. If The Housing
Fellowship had not stepped in and that UAY money had just gone back into the pot and those kids would
be homeless. He also stated they will probably see more of these in the future, collaborations between
the nonprofits, the clients UAY are serving, The Housing Fellowship doesn't have the skill set to serve.
They have daily case management services that's beyond what The Housing Fellowship does and
likewise, The Housing Fellowship is much more experienced a a property manager and dealing with
acquisition. They have more debt capacity with the ability to move things between properties in a way that
UAY isn't capable to do. The Housing Fellowship has had a lot of success recently with master leases
with the Salvation Army and their homeless vet program. They worked with DVIP and Shelter House early
on in the pandemic. Overall it's a good thing to have the local nonprofits collaborate and play to their
strengths, for case managers to be doing the best case management services, property managers,
likewise. Therefore, part of the logic and taking that risk on the UAY project, not knowing whether those
funds would be reallocated, was to show that those master lease projects are very fruitful.
Szecsei asked if there have there been any public comments. Thul replied no, but public comment will go
through November 4. Szecsei asked if they expect any public comments. Thul stated they don't usually
get many comments and the bulk of the feedback typically comes from this Commission. Kubly added
that the agencies that staff regularly works with are pretty comfortable coming to staff. They know they
would have the opportunity to speak at the Council meeting or anytime between now and then as well.
Sometimes they also get favorable public comments, so if The Housing Fellowship wanted to come and
make a public comment like that at the Council meeting they could as well.
Krotz asked if the other agencies generally watch things like this. Kubly is unable to know if they watch
the meetings but when agencies have projects that they need funding for they typically would come to
staff and talk through them.
Dennis moved to recommend that City Council approve Substantial Amendment #1. Seconded by
Patel.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 5-1 (Vogel opposed).
OVERVIEW OF NEXT STEPS FOR FY26 LEGACY AID TO AGENCIES:
Staff wanted to give an overview of next steps for FY26 Legacy Aid to Agencies process. The joint
application was due October 15 and staff has all of the submissions. The submissions are available
online as well as printed hard copies for those that wanted it. However, with the hard copies that is only
the application and there's supporting materials posted online. United Way did three training sessions and
staff received some good feedback on that. Staff will supply the Commission with summary sheets of
each application by November 7 but encouraged all to start reading the applications. The Commission
has until January 6 to score the grant proposals, that sounds like a lot of time but time tends to fly. Staff is
also going to be offering one on one sessions and will meet with members individually to help work
4
Housing and Community Development Commission
October 21, 2024
Page 5 of 6
through any questions. There will also be the Q&A session with the applicants so if anyone has clarifying
questions for the applicants, they can submit those to staff, and staff will work with the agency to get
answers. Questions for the agencies will be due to staff by November 21 so the agency has time to
respond. Once scores are submitted by January 6, staff will tally those and supply averages to the
Commission that will be included in the information in the packet for the January 20 HCDC meeting. At
that January 20 HCDC meeting is where they will make the group funding recommendations to City
Council.
Patel noted January 20 is Martin Luther King Day, so will HCDC still meet that day. Thul noted that on
MILK Day, City offices will be closed and they'll have to shift. The meeting was shifted to the 27tn
Dennis reminded everybody that the Legacy Aid to Agencies funds generally go for operating costs for
the applicants. Thul noted the funding source is part CDBG and part local funding. She acknowledged
this is a challenging grant that HCDC has to work through. There's a lot nonprofits in Iowa City doing
good work and its always a tough decision.
Krotz asked how much money is available for agencies this round. Thul stated it's on the website but
believes it is around $754,000. Also, typically there's about 5% of the total budget that's set aside for
Emerging Aid to Agencies - now called Non -Legacy Aid to Agencies. She also reminded them that the
awards have a minimum of $15,000. The Legacy Aid to Agencies is limited to the applicants identified in
the Consolidated Plan and in the packet staff provided is some information just for reference, like historic
funding for the last 10 years, best practices, and the calendar, which will need updated due to that new
January meeting date.
STAFF & COMMISSION UPDATES:
Dennis noted an article in the Gazette or Register Sunday about a new homeless liaison in Cedar Rapids
and the work they are doing with landlords to lower rents. It was interesting because some of the things
mentioned here are actually happening in Linn County, so it might be worth looking at.
Szecsei started thinking about things like vacancy taxes, or things like that to encourage landlords or
property managers to fill vacancies. There are a bunch of other communities, more so probably in
California, that are toying with an idea of a vacancy tax and she thought would be interesting here in Iowa
City and provide some incentive for landlords. That money could then go towards being able to cover
deposits or things like that for higher risk tenants to address the concerns that landlords have.
Vogel noted it would be a nightmare logistically in know how to prove or get any kind of real number on
whether units are vacant or not. Additionally, what about complexes like The Hive or The Lodge, if one of
those four- or five -bedroom suites have only two of the rooms are rented is that counted as occupied.
There are a lot of minor caveats.
Szecsei suggests maybe it's time to have another conversation about strategies to address vacancy rates
and housing shortages and needs as a part of the landlord incentive discussion because they haven't
resolved anything or moved forward with anything from that previous meeting.
Vogel suggested perhaps staff could put that back on an agenda after all the funding rounds end as the
next several months will be busy with Legacy Aid to Agencies funding, and then CDBG/HOME funding
rounds.
ADJOURNMENT:
Dennis moved to adjourn, Krotz seconded the motion and a vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0.
Housing and Community Development Commission
October 21, 2024
Page 6 of 6
Housing and Community
Development Commission
Attendance Record 2023-2024
Name
Terms
9/21
10/19
11/16
3/21
4/18
5/16
6/13
8/19
9/16
10/21
Exp.
Balde, Daouda
6/30/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
O/E
O/E
X
Dennis,
6/30/25
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Maryann
Kivarkis,
6/30/27
--
--
--
--
--
X
X
O/E
George
Krotz, Karol
6/30/27
X
X
X
O/E
O/E
X
X
O/E
X
X
Vogel, Kyle
6/30/26
X
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
O/E
X
X
X
Patel, Kiran
6/30/26
X
O/E
X
O/E
O/E
X
X
X
X
X
Pierce, James
6/30/26
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
X
O/E
Szecsei, Denise
6/30/25
--
X
X
X
X
O/E
X
O/E
X
Borgen, Horacio
6/30/25
--
--
O/E
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
O/E
Resigned from Commission
Key:
X
= Present
O
= Absent
O/E
= Absent/Excused
---
= Vacant
Item Number: 4.d.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 1, 2025
Parks & Recreation Commission: January 8
Attachments: Parks & Recreation Commission: January 8
IOWA CITY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED
MINUTES OF JANUARY 8, 2025
MEETING ROOM B — ROBERT A. LEE RECREATION CENTER
Members Present: Connie Moore, Brian Morelli, Missie Forbes, Virginia Hayes, Michael
Gaunt, Jeff Mallory, Caleb Recker
Members Absent: Rachel McPherson, Alex Stanton
Staff Present: Juli Seydell Johnson, Tyler Baird, Brad Barker, Gabe Gotera
Others Present: Jill Fishbaugh, Justin Fishbaugh, Mitzi Read
CALL TO ORDER: Director Seydell Johnson called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council
action):
None
OTHER FORMAL ACTION:
Moved by Recker, seconded by Gaunt, to approve the November 13, 2024, minutes. Motion
passed 6-0 (McPherson, Morelli, and Stanton absent).
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Mallory to elect Connie Moore as Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Haves to elect Brian Morelli as Vice -Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
Commissioner Morelli arrives.
Jill Fishbaugh shares that on December 5, the National Park Service approved the community -
led application to place the Iowa City Community Recreation Center on the National Register of
Historic Places. As co-author of the application, Fishbaugh details the key reasons for the
nomination. The Iowa City Community Recreation Center is an architecturally significant
building located in an area of the city, first designated as a public space in 1839 and is an
example of a community recreation facility designed in the midcentury modern style. It is a rare
example of municipal planning in Iowa, where its central location supports the city goals of a
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 2 of 12
walkable livable vibrant downtown. Fishbaugh says that saving a structurally sound building that
has proven to be versatile and adaptable rather than demolishing it favors sustainability goals and
honors the visions of Recreation Superintendent Robert A. Lee and Architect Roland Wehner.
Fishbaugh explains that being listed on the National Register provides access to federal and state
funding streams specific to preservation and restoration. Fishbaugh hopes that the designation
encourages city leaders and decision makers to continue investing in the maintenance of the
facility.
Dir. Seydell Johnson notes that the National Register plaque has been installed at the recreation
center.
COMMISSION BUSINESS — Parks and Recreation Dir. Seydell Johnson
Introduction of New Commission Members
Dir. Seydell Johnson welcomes new Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Michael Gaunt and
Jeff Mallory.
Commissioner Gaunt introduces himself as having been raised in Iowa City before leaving for 35
years and returning in 2022. Gaunt has been a professionally licensed landscape architect since
1999 with a background in park design and maintenance. Gaunt's family still lives in the local
area and his favorite park is Hickory Hill Park.
Commissioner Mallory introduces himself as being originally from California but has lived in
Iowa City for five and a half years alongside his husband and cat. Mallory says one of the most
exquisite parts of living in Iowa City are the birds, animals, and trees of Hickory Hill Park and
Pappy Dickens Preserve.
Election of Officers
Commissioner Forbes nominates Connie Moore as Chairman and Brian Morelli as Vice -
Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission for 2025.
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Mallory to elect Connie Moore as Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Haves to elect Brian Morelli as Vice -Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
CITY PARK UPDATE — Parks and Recreation Dir. Sevdell Johnson
Dir. Seydell Johnson presents the attached PowerPoint over the City Park Pool Update.
Commissioner Recker, regarding lawn maintenance, asks if it is being considered to use artificial
turf within the fence line as opposed to grass lawns. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that using turf
is still an option on the table and may be bid as an alternative
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 3 of 12
Commissioner Hayes asks if the current fence line on the western side of the pool matches up
with the rendered fence line. Dir. Seydell Johnsons confirms that the current western fence line
does match the rendered fence line. Seydell Johnson notes that the rendered eastern fence line
will extend a bit past the current fence line towards the parking lot.
Commissioner Mallory asks if the children's wading pool will be entirely removed. Dir. Seydell
Johnson confirms this, clarifying that the entire current pool and pool deck will be demolished
and replaced.
Commissioner Hayes asks if there will be enough room for lounger chairs between the fence line
and the lap -lane pool. Dir. Seydell Johnson confirms that there will be enough space for lounger
chairs between the fence line and the lap -lane pool.
Commissioner Recker asks how many parking spots are lost when making the service lot for the
mechanical/filter building. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that two parking spots will be lost for
the construction of the service lot. Seydell Johnson explains that the new separate filter house
will be a great improvement to both safety and efficiency. Currently, the filter house is in the
basement of the building and is accessible via confined space entry. This makes for a difficult
space for maintenance staff to work around and means that the chemicals are stored not too far
from where patrons shower. Having the filter house in its own separate space makes the delivery
process for chemicals such as chlorine and CO2 much easier. Delivery trucks would be able to
connect their hose to outside of the building to fill the tanks on the inside. This also keeps the
chemical storage further away from rest of the pool.
Commissioner Mallory asks where the children play feature will be located amongst the three
pools. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains that children's play feature will be in the middle of the zero -
depth -entry. Mallory asks if this would put the feature in the center of the leisure pool. Seydell
Johnson clarifies that it would not be in the center of the pool, but closer to the shore of the zero -
depth -entry. The feature will be located at the depth of 1 ft while the deeper part of the pool
extending to a depth of 3-1/2 — 4 ft will be used for open swim.
Commissioner Recker asks if the new park restrooms that are attached to the bathhouse will be
open year-round. Dir. Seydell Johnson confirms that both park restrooms and the community
meeting room will be open year-round and will be accessible from the larger park, without
admission through the bath house.
Vice -Chair Morelli asks if the pool -water water -heaters listed as bid alternates would extend the
season that the pool is open for. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that it could have the potential to
do so, but that a larger factor for determining the start and end dates of the season is the
availability of lifeguards.
Commissioner Mallory asks how the entrance of the pool will operate and if it will be a single or
multiple entry points. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains that there will be only one entrance to the
bath house. Behind the cashier there will be a hallway where patrons can choose to use either the
men's changing area, the women's changing area, or a single -use change area before making
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 4 of 12
their way to the pool deck. Mallory says that this structure should make it easier to keep track of
who is entering the pool.
Vice -Chair Morelli, regarding bids, asks if it has been considered to separate the project into
multiple phases. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that the option to phase the project was considered
but that it was not found to be feasible.
Commissioner Hayes says that she likes the plan and thinks that it looks great. Dir. Seydell
Johnson agrees with this, saying that the project is in a good place and is moving in the right
direction. Seydell Johnson says that that it can be difficult to predict the bidding climate and
iterates that, if necessary, the pool can be reopened for one more year but clarifies that would not
be the desired outcome.
Recreation Pro2rammin2 Update — Recreation Supt. Barker
Supt. Barker gives an overview of what the Recreation Division does and where it currently
stands. The main thing that Recreation does is provide leisure and recreational opportunities to
the community and ensure that needs of the community are met. Barker says that Recreation staff
are typically the public face of the department and when people have experiences with the Parks
and Recreation department, it is usually with a Recreation staff member in one of their facilities.
Barker takes pride in his staff providing great experiences through the programs offered to the
community. These programs are curated, meaning that there are people doing the planning,
procuring the supplies, instructing the course, and implementing the program.
Supt. Barker details the different facilities used and managed by the Recreation Division.
• There are two indoor recreation centers, the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center (RALRC)
and the Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Scanlon Gymnasium (MPAC), each with an
indoor pool.
• City Park Pool, an outdoor pool typically open during the summer season.
• The Ned Ashton House, which was formally used as an event rental facility, was recently
modified in the last year to act as a central hub for Adaptive Recreation,
• There are two dog parks, Rita's Ranch Dog Park and Thornberry Dog Park.
• The Terry Trueblood Lodge, located at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, is an event
rental facility.
• Community Garden Plots located, at four different parks, are managed by Recreation
staff.
• Park Shelter rentals are managed by Recreation staff.
• The Iowa City Farmers Market in the Chauncey Parking Garage on E Washington St.
Supt. Barker explains that both recreation centers are open 361 days of the year. Out of an entire
week, both facilities are open for 97 hours. At RALRC, the indoor pool is available for open
swim for 49 of those 97 hours. At MPAC, the indoor pool is available for 92 of those 97 hours.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 5 of 12
Supt. Barker states that in 2024, the Recreation Division offered 1,300+ programs and events to
the public. These numbers are consistent with the numbers recorded in 2019. Barker defines a
program as something that has a code and can be registered for in the ActiveNet recreation
software used by the division. Barker explains that when the 2022 Recreation Masterplan was
put together, 58% of those programs were in Aquatics and were mostly made up of swim lessons.
For each different level of swim lessons, there are different instances of lessons offered on
different days of the week. Each of those individual weekly lessons would be defined as a
separate program. Within each different program area, there are roughly 200 different programs
offered.
Supt. Barker says that from a staffing perspective, the Recreation division has 8 full-time staff,
including himself, and approximately 170 hourly staff through the year. This number inflates to
around 220 people during the summer, due to the large amount of summer programming, such as
Summer Camp and City Park Pool. Except for seasonal employees, hourly staff are generally
limited to no more than 25 hours per week or 1300 hours out of the year. In 2024, hourly staff
logged 85,759 hours, which is the full-time equivalent of 41 people. This highlights that the
division relies heavily on the hourly staff, supervised by the 8 full-time employees, to provide
the experiences offered in Parks and Recreation.
Supt. Barker details the eight full-time employees and what their position entails.
• Brad Barker, the Recreation Superintendent, oversees the entire operation side of
Recreation and its supervisors.
• Matt Eidahl, the Assistant Recreation Superintendent, has worked for the division for 25
years. He has been in that role for five years and was formally the Youth Sports Program
Supervisor. Eidahl assists with the oversight of the full-time employees and handles the
facility operations at MPAC, where his office is located. Eidahl also oversees the —30
Customer Service staff at both recreation centers and organizes the rental and
management of the Community Garden Plots. Eidahl develops the seasonal activities
guides by coordinating with Program Supervisors to include all programs descriptions
and dates into the three guides released per year. In short, he helps to keep the
administrative operations running smoothly.
• Malory Smysor is the Adaptive, Inclusion, and Outreach Program Supervisor and has
been with the division for over two years. Smysor has done well to change the game with
the adaptive programming offered. Barker recalls that five years prior, Adaptive
programing was primarily Special Olympics. While Special Olympics is great, it focused
heavily only on the competitive sports element. Now, alongside sports programming,
there are courses on life skills, cooking classes, and arts and crafts activities. Smysor has
started offering youth programming in the adaptive world which has been well received.
Smysor also oversees the inclusion programming, where if someone is needing
accommodations or assistance to participate in other programs, she has staff that can
provide that assistance on a one-on-one experience, helping the patron have the
accommodations to enjoy any programs offered by the division. Smysor also does
Community Outreach. Barker refers to the upcoming MLK Day of Service, which
Smysor is responsible for programming and implementing. Smysor also introduced the
Indigenous Peoples Day, which has been well received. Smysor is the contact person for
any ADA program accommodation requests.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 6 of 12
• Jeff Sears is the Sports and Wellness Program Supervisor and has been with the
department for 16 years. For many years, Sears only oversaw Adult Sports, but recently
took over Youth Sports from Asst. Supt. Eidahl. Sears is an expert on the recreation
programming software, ActiveNet, and can assist other staff members with any problems
that arise. In addition to Sports and Wellness, Sears oversees contract administration for
Terry Trueblood Lodge reservations, staffing both dog parks, and managing ball field
reservations. As such, Sears has connections with a lot of different sports organizations in
the community and can communicate their needs with Parks staff regarding the ball
fields.
• Bill Lane, a newer employee from Sioux City Parks and Recreation, is the
Communications and Special Events Program Supervisor and has worked for the Iowa
City Recreation Division for just under a year. Lane oversees the communications for
Recreation, including social media posts, website editing, and press releases. Lane has an
hourly Content Creation staff member that assists him with planning, making, and
scheduling his social media posts. Lane also oversees and the Farmers Market and its
operation. Lane is currently preparing to open registration for the 2025 season of the
Farmers Market. Lane also works on bigger special events.
• Caylea Housh, Aquatics Program Supervisor, has been with the division for five years.
Housh initially worked as a lifeguard, before being hired as Recreation Assistant for a
few years, then in the last year earned her way to Aquatics Program Supervisor. Over the
years, Housh has developed a lot of institutional background knowledge on the Iowa City
Pools. Housh oversees all three swimming pools, including their staffing, operations, and
programming. Housh coordinates swim lessons, water fitness programming, and
certification for lifeguards and water safety instructors. Housh organizes special events
such as Hydrant Parties, located in different neighborhoods during the Summer. Housh
acts as liaison with the Iowa City Community School District swim teams and the Iowa
City Eels swim club.
• Nolan Butkowski worked for several years in Recreation Customer Service before being
hired as Recreation Assistant. Recreation Assistant is a non -supervisory position that
assists primarily Aquatics and Customer Service. Butkowski oversees scheduling and
provides general leadership to both areas of staff. Butkowski acts as a point of contact
should any trouble occur and aids with training and certification.
• Joyce Carroll, recently retired, was the STEAM, Arts, and Nature Program Supervisor
and had worked for the division for 45 years. Over the years, Carroll had garnered a list
of a lot of different responsibilities. Carroll oversaw the Potters Studio including the
staffing, programming, and general passes. A big responsibility for Carroll was
organizing Arts and Crafts programs and Nature Education for both youth and adults.
Nature Education was something that Carroll has pushed for more of over the last five
years and was one of the focuses for the Recreation Masterplan. Carroll oversaw
gardening in both the Discovery Garden and the Edible Garden. The Edible Garden and
other edible forests were a creation of Carroll working with Backyard Abundance. Carroll
also introduced a lot of STEAM programming such as robotics/drones, engineering,
music, and more. Carroll organized the Free Roller -Skating on Saturdays, an event that
brings in a lot of people to use the facility. This program starts with a beginner program
in the beginning of the afternoon followed by an Open -Skating event in the evening. This
event is held on most Saturdays except for Winter Break and the summer. Patrons can
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 7 of 12
rent out roller skates from staff at no fee. Carroll oversaw staffing for the maintenance
and rental of the skates and contracted music entertainment for the program. For the
entire 45 years that she worked, Carroll oversaw the Summer Camp, a program that has
gone through different iterations and locations over the years. The Summer Camp
program kept Carroll busy between organizing the required number of certified staff and
appropriately managing any communication with the parents of participants to resolve
issues and address behavioral issues at the camp. Recently the summer camp was held at
the Ned Ashton House. Now that AIR programming is hosted at the Ashton House, a
different location will need to be found for the Summer Camp. Carroll introduced and
oversaw the Play Daze program and its predecessor the Playground program. The
Playground program had staff scheduled during the summer on most days of the week at
several different park locations around the community, providing games and arts and
crafts in a drop -in setting. When numbers for the Playground program diminished over
the years, Play Daze was introduced. The Play Daze program has more consistent
scheduling and is centralized at a different park location each week. With its condensed
format, more resources could be committed towards providing musical entertainment.
Barker compares Play Daze to a miniature Party in the Park that is dedicated to getting
kids out to a variety of parks.
Supt. Barker states that Program Supervisor Carroll had retired the previous Friday. Barker says
that the department had recently learned that the position is not going to be hired right away, that
there is some uncertainty regarding it, and that this stems from larger things regarding the City
budget. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that one of her upcoming items would be to update the
Commission on the operating budget. Seydell Johnson explains that while nothing is new or
different about the Parks and Recreation budget, the City budget overall will be lean and will
depend on what the State of Iowa Legislature may or may not do with property tax. Currently,
there are five or six positions across the city that are open, and while not eliminated they are
frozen, meaning that the hiring process cannot begin.
Seydell Johnson states that these positions vacancies will be handled on a case -by -case basis,
referring to maintenance and public works positions that were deemed necessary to fill to keep
services operating. Seydell Johnson says that while the STEAM, Arts and Crafts, and Nature
Program Supervisor position is put on hold, a level of programming will be continuing through
the Summer. Carroll had left behind part-time staff that are trained and ready to continue
operating the programs that were scheduled and planned for the Winter/Spring. Staff are
planning for Summer Camp to be offered during the Summer. After the summer, if the position is
eliminated or not filled, the Recreation division will have to be refocused among the remaining
supervisors and prioritize what programs will stay. If there is one less supervisor, the total
supervisors are reduced by 20% and there will have to be programs cut as a result. Seydell
Johnson says that the department has been told that the decision to rehire or restructure will come
after the IA Legislature session closes and will be dependent on the results of said session.
Commissioner Mallory asks if the relationship between the Iowa City Community School
District and Iowa City Parks and Recreation is more recent or longstanding. Dir. Seydell Johnson
explains that the school district and the department have been longtime partners on several
programs and facilities. Mallory asks about the relationship between the Iowa City Public
Library and Parks and Recreation. Supt. Barker responds that there are partnership programs that
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PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 9 of 12
and safe before clearing the trail networks, including the eight miles of trails that have been
added since 2020.
Supt. Baird announces that the Ice -Skating Pond in Lower City Park has officially opened for the
season. Baird explains that it took until earlier that day for the ice layer to reach the desired
thickness. Baird says that in his 10 years of working for the city, he can recall only 3 years
during which there was decent ice for a prolonged period. Typically, there is either a lot of snow
before the ice is think enough, resulting in a non -workable surface, or there is not a sustained
enough period of cold temperatures. Baird says that staff will keep it open for as long as it can
but makes no guarantee on if it will last. Baird recalls the previous winter where temperatures
rose right after the Ice -Skating Pond opened.
Parks & Forestry Maintenance: Supt. Baird says that staff have been busy working on the trail
network, clearing away undergrowth with a focus on honeysuckle. The Forestry crews have been
busy with lots of pruning and mulching along the trails. Baird adds that there are some Parks
staff that had previously worked in Forestry who have been doing the same thing through the
park system. Baird explains that staff try to get through 1/4 of the city's street trees per year. At the
current rate of work and snowfall, Baird says that this goal should within reach. This goal helps
for the trees to be healthier and for longer, while keeping the summer workload manageable.
Supt. Baird says that there is a lot planning for the next year of tree planting. Baird explains that
for the Spring tree planting, staff have applied for a grant worth $40,000 and another for
$10,000. If the grants aren't received, then the tree planting will have to be scaled back. Baird
says that staff are looking to have a tree planting in the neighborhood around Fairmeadows Park,
then if funds allow for it, a tree planting in a new section of neighborhood on the North-East side
of town without much tree canopy.
Supt. Baird says that the division is in the planning stages for prescribed burns during the
upcoming spring. One of the locations to receive a burn will be Sand Prairie Park, which had a
prescribed burn in Spring 2024. Regarding Sand Prairie Park, Baird explains that staff have been
collaborating with many different partners, of which includes the Fish and Wildlife Service
Nature Conservancy, Johnson County Conservation, and an expert in Iowa plant biology, Dr.
Rosberg from Drake University. Dr. Rosberg has conducted an inventory and is finalizing a
report that should help staff with the burn and additional work in the park. The Fish and Wildlife
Service has provided funding and will have a team building work day with Parks staff to remove
woody material in the park. Baird says that while Sand Prairie may not be the most developed
park, it is a gem within the community.
Staffing: Supt. Baird announces that the Parks seasonal positions will go out for hiring within the
next few weeks. Baird expects to hire 50-60 seasonal employees. During the previous year,
seasonal staff had 25,000 hours of work, greatly supplementing the 23 full-time staff. Dir.
Seydell Johnson adds that there is no hold on the part-time positions and encourages the
commission to spread the word for the summer -time seasonal positions. Baird says that there will
be a focus on recruiting Iowa City youth to have their first job in Parks.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 10 of 12
Commissioner Mallory asks Supt. Baird to reiterate about the underdeveloped gem. Baird
explains that he was referring to Sand Prairie Park, which is located across South Gilbert St from
the new Public Works Facility. The park has some remnant Prairie on it, which makes it special.
CHAIRS REPORT:
None
COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
Chair Moore thanks the Commission for entrusting her with the Chair position and states that she
will do her very best job.
Commissioner Forbes suggest for a meeting to be a Parks field trip. Dir. Seydell Johnson
responds that this could happen during the June or July meeting when there are longer sunlight
hours in the day.
Commissioner Mallory appreciates the welcome he has received and thanks staff for the
overview that they have presented.
Commissioner Gaunt thanks Chair Moore and Vice -Chair Morelli for serving as officers for the
year.
Vice -Chair Morelli says that it is amazing that Joyce Carroll had worked for the city for so long
and asks if there are any considerations for a kind of thanks for all that she has done. Dir. Seydell
Johnson says that there can only be as much done as the employee will allow, explaining that
Joyce was very specific to not have much fanfare as she left. Seydell Johnson confirms that there
was a small staff gathering on Joyce's last day.
Vice -Chair Morelli passes on appreciation from several members of the public, regarding how
quickly the trails were cleared of snow.
Vice -Chair Morelli refers to Sand Lake at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, asking if the
water is low due to silting or if it just dry. Supt. Baird responds the lake is not substantially
silting in and that there is very little watershed, which is partly by design as a former sand quarry.
Baird explains that this reason along with the sand bottom of the lake make it a challenge for the
lake to hold water and is very reliant on the water table rainfall. Bair notes that while there is a
some gain from the river, even when the river rose last year the lake did not raise back up. Baird
says that by looking at aerial photos one can see it is normal for the lake to go back and forth in
elevation but acknowledges that is it at the dryest point since the park opened.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 11 of 12
ADJOURNMENT:
Moved by Gaunt, second by Forbes, to adiourn the meeting at 6:13 p.m. Motion passed 7-0
(McPherson and Stanton absent).
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 12 of 12
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
NAME
N
o
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
�
N
0
N
0
�
N
0
kn
N
0
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
TERM
EXPIRES
Aaron
12/31/24
O/E
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
O/E
NM
X
NM
Broe e
Missie
12/31/25
X
NM
O/E
NM
NM
X
O/E
X
NM
O/E
NM
X
Forbes
Michael
12/31/28
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
X
Gaunt
Alex
12/31/24
X
NM
X
NM
NM
O/E
X
X
NM
X
NM
Hachtman
Virginia
12/31/27
X
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
O/E
NM
O/E
NM
X
Hayes
Jeff
12/31/28
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
X
Mallory
Rachel
12/31/26
X
NM
X
NM
NM
X
O/E
O/E
NM
X
NM
O/E
McPherson
Connie
12/31/25
O/E
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
X
NM
X
NM
X
Moore
Brian
12/31/25
O/E
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
X
NM
X
NM
X
Morelli
Caleb
12/31/26
X
NM
O/E
NM
NM
X
O/E
X
NM
X
NM
X
Recker
Alex
12/31/27
X
NM
O/E
NM
NM
O/E
X
X
NM
X
NM
O/E
Stanton
KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting
LQ = No meeting due to lack of quorum * = Not a member during this meeting