Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-27 Info Packet1k 00 ®, Mgo CITY OF IOWA CITY City Council Information Packet Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule April 1 Work Session IP2. Work Session Agenda Miscellaneous IP3. Memo from City Manager: 21 S Linn Update IP4. 2024-2025 IC Deer Management Annual Report March 27, 2025 IP5. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Maintenance Worker II - Transportation IP6. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Parking Enforcement Attendant Draft Minutes IP7. Library Board of Trustees: February 27 March 27, 2025 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP1. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Attachments: Council Tentative Meeting Schedule r City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Subject to change CITY OF IOWA CITY March 27, 2025 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, April 1, 2025 4:00 PM Special Formal Meeting City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session 410 E. Washington Street 6:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, April 15, 2025 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E. Washington Street Monday, April 21, 2025 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting Iowa City CommSchool District TBD 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 Monday, July 21, 2025 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting City of Coralville TBD 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 Monday, October 20, 2025 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 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 6:00 PM Formal Meeting City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall 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. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 Work Session Agenda Attachments: Work Session Agenda Subject to change as finalized by the City Clerk. For a final official copy, contact the City Clerk's Office 356-5041 If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this program/event, please contact Kellie Grace at 319-356-5041, kgrace@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Iowa City City Council - Work Session r 1 Agenda., Work Session -MOWN - April 1, 2025 - 4:00 PM CITY OF IOWA CITY Emma J. Harvat Hall 410 E. Washington Street www.icgov.org City of Iowa City Land Acknowledgment can be found at: icgov.org/landacknowledgement Meeting Rules can be found at: icgov.org/meetingrules You can watch the meeting on cable channel 4 (118.2 QAM) in Iowa City, University Heights and Coralville, or you can watch it online at any of the following websites: • https://citychannel4.com/live • https://www.youtube.com/user/citychannel4/live • https://facebook.com/CityoflowaciLty Following the 4:00 PM Special Formal Meeting 1. Clarification of Agenda Items 2. Information Packet Discussion [March 13, March 20, March 27] 3. University of Iowa Student Government (USG) Updates 4. Update from Think Iowa City 5. Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees 1 Item Number: IP3. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 Memo from City Manager: 21 S Linn Update Attachments: Memo from City Manager: 21 S Linn Update r l CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: March 27, 2025 To: City Council From: Geoff Fruin, City Manager Re: 21 S Linn Update At your March 11 work session, you received twenty -minute presentations from Grand Rail Development and the newly merged Iceberg / Salida project team. After the meeting, staff requested an updated written proposal from the Iceberg / Salida team as well as a formal notification of withdraw from either Iceberg or Salida. Upon receiving the updated written proposal, staff reviewed the document and identified several components needing additional clarification for us to complete an accurate analysis. While some clarifications were obtained, there are still components of the proposal that require a deeper understanding to better inform your decision -making. While our goal was to have that analysis complete in time for your April 1 work session, more time is needed, and we will now aim to have the topic ready for the April 15 work session. The City continues to maintain the project website at www.icgov.org/21slinn. That site includes the March 11 presentations from both teams as well as the original proposals, staff analysis, and a host of other project resources. The updated Iceberg / Salida proposal and staff analysis will be posted to the site prior to the planned April 15 work session. We will also include any other formal updates from either team or staff on that site. The City Council is working toward the selection of a preferred development team and concept. As final decision -makers on this selection as well as the future sale of the property, Council Members are urged to rely on project proposal information being received through formal communication channels, which involves submittals coming to staff and published for both your collective review as well as for public transparency. Item Number: IP4. a CITY OF IOWA CITY "QF T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 2024-2025 IC Deer Management Annual Report Attachments: 2024-2025 IC Deer Management Annual Report 2024 - 2025 DEER MANAGEMENT ANNUAL REPORT The Iowa City City Council adopted its second 5-year Deer Management Plan in 2024. This plan was developed based on local public input in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and was approved through the Iowa Natural Resource Commission (NRC). The Plan includes ongoing non -lethal management efforts, five years of urban bow hunts, and a single sharpshooting event subject to NRC approval between 2026 and 2029. To learn more, visit www.icqov.org/dee . CONTENTS • Background • Deer -Related Calls and Complaints • Collisions & City Interactions with Deer • Non -Lethal Deer Management • Deer Depredation • Aerial Deer Surveys • Analysis & Next Steps BACKGROUND Iowa City's Deer Management Plan was formed in response to resident concerns about deer in urban and suburban areas. A deer count survey conducted in 2018 revealed the urban deer population had tripled since the City ceased its deer management program in 2010. The City reestablished its deer management program in 2019 with the adoption of a Deer Management Plan after coordinating with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and soliciting public input. This plan was approved by the Iowa Natural Resource Commission (NRC) and included one year of professional sharpshooting, four years of urban bow hunts, and ongoing public education. City Council adopted an updated 5-year Deer Management Plan in July 2024 after approval by the NRC. The new plan allows the City to continue its non -lethal deer management activities and annual urban bow hunt over the next five years, in addition to one possible professional sharpshoot subject to NRC approval between 2026 and 2029. A full timeline, the City's Deer Management Plan, and annual reports are available at www.icgov.org/deer. Public Input The City's deer management program is based on several years of public conversations and feedback. The process began with the formation of a deer committee consisting of City staff and local stakeholders in 2018 and a public meeting on deer management attended by 60 community members. The input provided by the public, in addition to the DNR and NRC, formed the basis for the 5-year deer management plan approved by City Council in 2019. This was followed by a regular process of working with stakeholders and soliciting feedback from the public to refine the City's deer management program. Highlights included: • 2020: Collaborating with the Iowa City Deer Friends on the rules for the urban bow hunt and receiving feedback over the course of 4 Council meetings about the urban bow hunt rules and deer feeding ordinance. • 2022: Holding a Deer Management Listening Session for the public (a summary of comments is available in the 2022-2023 Deer Management Annual Report). • 2023: Soliciting public input through a Virtual Listening Post (a summary of comments is available in the 2023-2024 Deer Management Annual Report). Members of the public are invited to provide ongoing input on the City's deer management activities by contacting deermanagement(a)iowa-city.org. Typically, feedback is received after a property owner experiences a deer -related issue and wishes to share suggestions for managing the deer population. The City provides annual reports to Council on deer management efforts and makes the reports publicly available online. In addition, residents may directly address councilors during the public comment period at any regular Council meeting. State Collaboration In 2024, the City developed and adopted a new 5-year Deer Management Plan based on feedback from the NRC and DNR staff. This plan will allow the City to continue its non -lethal deer management activities and annual urban bow hunt over the next five years but also allows for the possibility of a professional sharpshoot subject to NRC approval between 2026 and 2029. This approach is intended to provide long-term population control through consistent hunting efforts, while recognizing that a professional sharpshoot may be needed. The City continues to believe data suggests that sharpshooting in targeted areas is necessary to help manage growing deer levels in the short-term while the Urban Bow Hunt program continues to gain traction as a sustainable deer management tool. The City also maintains close collaboration with DNR staff as it continues refining and expanding its Urban Bow Hunt. The City solicits input from DNR staff before and after its urban bow hunt seasons to enhance programmatic success. In preparation for this bow hunt season, the City identified and opened additional public lands for bow hunting, modified rules to maintain safety while broadening eligible areas for hunting, and worked closely with interested hunters and landowners to increase participation and engagement. More detail is available in the Deer Depredation section below. However, both City and DNR staff recognize that shifting social and political comfort levels with the program in Iowa City is a work in progress. The City looks forward to continue collaborating with the DNR and NRC to improve the bow hunt program. In addition, the City has been working with DNR staff to identify additional data sources that can help ensure more accurate tracking of deer populations and community impacts and help assess the success of management efforts over time. To that end, this report includes enhanced data collection efforts, including the results of an aerial drone survey and additional statistics regarding interactions with deer. DEER -RELATED CALLS AND COMPLAINTS The City received 23 emailed comments and complaints related to deer in 2024. In addition, the City received 1 request for a meeting, 8 phone calls and 6'0o a° deer -related complaints submitted ° through ICgovXpress, a digital E Mara, sx platform allowing residents to °„ Iowa City report general concerns to the ° "'9h e auding,an St ° ° ° ° v City. This is the highest number Hpiven=,Y a Heights - yCaun HII PaA of complaints received since the City began tracking them in 2020. K„kw a M° a,.°•^ Nearly all resident interactions kupp=rt Rif expressed frustration that deer] a` population levels were too high, concerns about traffic hazards and disease, complaints about W—tL.— + landscaping and property damage, and views that the City - a needs to enhance its lethal deer , management activities. Notably, multiple complaints mentioned Deer -Related Comments & Complaints that deer are no longer scared of humans, which increases fears ■Emails Cans ■ICGovXpress of physical harm to residents and pets. In addition, many noted that 40 deer -related issues are steadily 30 _ getting worse with groups of deer . 8 as large as 25 witnessed in 20 4 neighborhoods. 4 10 3 0 9 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 In addition to concerns from the public, City staff in the Parks and Recreation Department report that deer have become a significant threat to public landscaping and urban .; tree health in general. Staff reports frequently observing damage to public trees and landscaping caused by deer. COLLISIONS & CITY INTERACTIONS WITH DEER In 2024, the Iowa City 2024 Map. Vehicle -Deer Police Department received 36 calls for 13lh 5t PrA. Pak s '' • •. service involving vehicular collisions with deer. thst Q • z Associated damage estimates totaled Coralvilla x° P.enin¢ule Pa* • r • HUIPar1 " $121,400. A full list of °�;a ��,a` � • �°°' i reported accidents is Glty Campus � included in Appendix 1. An Iowa City s85wd , interactive map showing Me,•e Ova*,f,!erslty ECo tSt Scott Perk y� 'I le4ghts locations of vehicle -deer collisions over the years is Rd • m available at Rohe :•�. `7�r' www.icqov.org/dee . L 13 Almon West Lucas a W r • s The chart to the bottom right shows the number of reported deer -vehicle collisions by year. aroo � However, many deer- ay o,age5,5W o,eges=5w • o=a9a5t5E 'sF vehicle accidents do not AL_ tea. result in calls -for -service to the police. Minor collisions Reported Deer -Vehicle Collisions in Iowa City are often addressed 70 without police involvement. 60 58 57 To better understand the 54 City's interactions with 51 deer, the Department of 50 Public Works began tracking the number of 40 36 36 deer carcasses picked up 28 by the Streets and Refuse 30 27 divisions in June 2024. From June through 20 14 December 2024, Streets and Refuse picked up at 10 least 48 deer carcasses. While there is no data 0 before June 2024, staff will 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 continue tracking this metric in the future. Q deer bodies picked up by Public V Works, June through December NON -LETHAL DEER MANAGEMENT Iowa City's 5-Year Deer Management Plan includes a series of activities that the City continues to implement to help manage interactions with deer. These include: • Publishing of a comprehensive set of deer management related content at www.icgov.org/deer, which includes background information, FAQs, non -lethal management tips, links to resources, a map of deer -vehicle collisions, and other content referenced in the 5- Year Deer Management Plan. • Passing an ordinance which prohibits the feeding of deer and issuing periodic communications notifying residents. • Issuing utility -bill inserts, news releases, and social media posts that advise residents how to minimize deer damage using non -lethal methods. There are also several Deer Crossing signs that advise motorists to take extra caution. The City owns one on Dubuque Street, south of the 1-80 bridge; two on Rochester Avenue between First Avenue and Scott Boulevard; and four on Scott Boulevard, between Hickory Heights Lane and just east of Tamarack Trail. In addition, the State owns a Deer Crossing on Dodge Street, west of ACT Circle, and the County owns one on Dubuque Street, north of Linder Road. Finally, the City has adopted a practice of planting allium species in place of more deer -friendly vegetation, such as hostas, to deter deer from browsing on City -maintained plantings. Protect your yard and garden from deer Plant a diversity of plants. Ensure any plants that deer find appealing won't be available in high numbers. Deer don't like to search long for their favorite plants and may be deterred if they don't find something tasty right away. Consult with nursery and garden center professionals. They can point out options that are less appealing to deer. Consider deer These are mos when applied frequently. Use fencing. Deer rarelyjump fences that are at least 2' high or into spaces they perceive to be enclosed. If you are considering installing a fence, reviewthe Fences, Walls, and Hedges standards in the City Code (14-4C-2, part Q first. To see if you need a permit, call Neighborhood and Development Services at 319-356-5120. Remember: Feeding deer is prohibited in Iowa City. This includes putting out grain, fodder, salt licks, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay or other edible materials (including bird feed), which may be reasonably expected to result in deer feeding. ® For more information, indudirig the 2022-2023 Deer Management Annual report, visit lcgov.org/DeerProgram DEER DEPREDATION The 2019-2024 Deer Management Plan included one year of professional sharpshooting and a bow hunt in years 2020 through 2024. The new 5-Year Deer Management Plan approved by the NRC and adopted by City Council in July 2024 includes annual urban bow hunts over the next five years, in addition to one possible professional sharpshoot subject to NRC approval between 2026 and 2029. A summary of recent deer depredation efforts can be seen below. Deer Harvest Summary Year Hunters Approved by Year Tags Purchased Buck Incentive Earned Deer '-iarvested 2019 — 2020 Sharpshooting n/a n/a n/a 500 2020 — 2021 Urban Bow Hunt 5 14 0 3 2021 — 2022 Urban Bow Hunt 5 15 1 4 2022 — 2023 Urban Bow Hunt 12 46 6 29 2023 — 2024 Urban Bow Hunt 16 51 7 32 2024 — 2025 Urban Bow Hunt 20 67 10 44 2019 — 2024 Deer Management Plan The City contracted with White Buffalo Inc., a wildlife management organization, to conduct the 2019-2020 professional sharpshooting deer cull. Approximately 500 deer were harvested through the sharpshoot. The meat was tested for safety by the DNR and then processed and donated to local food banks. The sharpshoot was followed by four years of urban bow hunts. The City worked to increase the number of deer harvested each year. Below is a brief overview of the hunt by season: • 2020-2021: The hunt struggled to gain traction in its first year with only 3 deer harvested. All hunting occurring on private property per the hunt rules. • 2021-2022: The City implemented several rule changes to promote participation based on recommendations by DNR staff, including: lengthening the application period, opening the season earlier, and increasing the quota from 75 to 200 deer. However, the second year also experienced limited traction with only 4 deer harvested. • 2022-2023: To increase the success of the hunt, the City improved outreach based on DNR feedback and best practices. Efforts included inviting interested private property owners to participate and connecting them with approved hunters; contacting key property owners in areas with high deer densities; and collaborating with a local outfitter to promote the hunt. As a result, hunter participation improved, and the number of deer harvested significantly increased to 29. • 2023-2024: The City continued expanding access by developing a process to allow hunting on specified public lands. Each year, Council will consider which City -owned properties will be eligible as part of the hunt. This season, Council allowed hunting at Sand Prairie Park (1150 Covered Wagon Drive). While 4 additional hunters participated, the number of deer harvested only increased modestly to 32. 2024 — 2025 Urban Bow Hunt Prior to the season, City Council again expanded hunting opportunities on public property. The use of Sand Prairie Park was renewed for hunting, and Council added properties at 2510 N. Dodge Street, 2099 Bristol Drive, 101 McCollister Boulevard, and along Sycamore Greenway. Council also approved hunting on City -owned properties near Manville Heights which experience a high number of deer -related issues, including City Park, the Ned Ashton house, and land maintained for flood mitigation. However, Council placed additional restrictions in these areas due to heavy public usage. In total, hunters harvested 4 deer on public property. Council also implemented the following efforts to enhance the success of the hunt: 1. Targeted Outreach. Potentially eligible private property owners in the Manville Heights neighborhood were mailed letters inviting them to provide land for hunters. 2. Revised Rules. The hunt rules were modified to expand eligibility for properties that could allow hunting by removing a limit on the number of property line waivers allowed for a single property. This means that hunting on smaller lots is allowed if all property owners within 150 feet of the proposed stand provide a signed waiver. Iowa City's bow hunt season began on September 21, 2024, and ended January 10, 2025. The City accepted applications from bow hunters until November 1, 2024. In total, 20 hunters applied, and all were accepted for the hunt. All approved hunters held a valid DNR hunting license, completed the required qualifications at Fin & Feather, and appropriately registered their qualifications and hunt locations with the City. A total of 67 tags were purchased, 60 of which were for antlerless deer. In total, 44 deer were harvested during the hunt. 12 hunters successfully harvested deer, 10 of whom earned buck incentive tags which means they will be eligible for a buck tag for the 2025-2026 urban bow hunt season. The report of harvested deer by hunter is available in Appendix 2. The City received one complaint from a resident about a hunter requesting to enter their property to look for a wounded deer. The resident complimented the hunter's politeness but wanted to advocate for professional sharpshooting. No reporting violations occurred. The voluntary participation of large private property owners, enhanced outreach, and continued policy evolution resulted in a higher number of deer harvested. However, it is important not to depend too heavily on private property owners as their participation could change from year to year. As such, staff anticipates expanding the use of public lands for the 2025-2026 bow hunt following the process set by City Council. Iowa City Police Department Use -of -Force on Deer In addition to deer depredation through the bow hunt, L 35 the Iowa City Police Department (ICPD) are also 0 30 called out to respond to incidents involving 25 incapacitated or injured deer. When a response ; 20 results in the humane dispatch of deer, this is o 15 considered a use of force and is captured in the ICPD 10 statistics. This report marks the first time these 5 numbers are included, but ICPD was able to gather 0 use of force incidents related to deer back to 2021. ICPD Use of Force 27 29 23 27 2021 2022 2023 2024 AERIAL DEER SURVEYS When conditions allow, the City conducts an aerial survey each year in conjunction with the DNR to determine deer population and density. Because weather conditions in 2024 did not allow for an aerial deer survey, the City also began exploring alternative methods of survey to prevent reliance on a single source of data and provide another methodology to identify deer trends. For this year, the City contracted with White Buffalo, Inc. to conduct a drone survey of areas with a high number of deer -related complaints to better understand the concentration of deer. Aerial DNR Survey On February 20, 2025, the DNR completed a helicopter deer survey in Iowa City and observed 338 deer in all zones. Deer density estimates are provided by zone on the next page, with several zones exceeding the City's targeted deer population density of 25 deer per square mile. The areas with the highest deer densities tend to be on the north side of Iowa City. However, DNR staff cautions that the trend in observed deer numbers over a long period time is the best datapoint while deer concentration numbers are a less reliable measure. This is because aerial surveys provide a snapshot of population levels, but a variety of factors influence the day-to-day movement of deer throughout the area. Variance in numbers from aerial surveys year to year can be due to variables such as weather, food availability, days of snow cover, or other factors. As a result, this survey is most valuable for studying population trends over time, but it is not a perfect measure as achieving comparable conditions while flying from year to year can be difficult. Aerial DNR Survey: Deer Observed in Iowa City by Year 800 698 700 604 1 615 Q' 600 556 563 L 500 0 415 0 400 318 351 i 382 302 338 . 0 300 239 201 200 100 0 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2007 2008 2021 2022 2023 2025 Note: Professional sharpshooting to manage deer occurred in 2000 — 2009 and ceased in 2010. One year of professional sharpshooting was again completed in 2020 and culled approximately 500 deer. Sq Zone Acres Miles 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2007 2008 2021 2022 2023 rig 3,:L_ : ;,�. ' "; '• � � '� � a` `^� �� � � i`?� � �lJff' `"..�' `. �r�. � °" � ram.' • ` - �� � ��, `� :.�5 A. .Fib.-n� � — �,,.Y • r.. � Y -14 ��'• r^ ' is I `1C Targeted Aerial Drone Survey From February 18 through February 21, the City contracted with White Buffalo, Inc. to conduct an aerial drone survey for northern Iowa City, which experiences the most deer -related issues. The survey used infrared and visual confirmation to identify 480 deer across the 4.8 square mile survey area. The study area and cluster map of all deer count locations are shown in the following map. 48o deer in 4.8 mile area per Targeted Aerial Drone Survey While the density of deer across the study area varied, the overall density was approximately 100 deer per square mile, which is four times higher than the 25 deer per square mile target set by the City's Deer Management Plan. The full drone survey report is available on the City's website at www.icgov.org/deer. The 480 deer identified during the drone survey in northern Iowa City is significantly more than the 338 deer counted City-wide during the helicopter survey. This discrepancy may be due to the advantages drones can have over helicopters, such as the ability to fly lower and slower which can allow for more precise observations. For example, drones can pause when deer are spotted and thoroughly scan areas beneath trees from various heights and angles, reducing the likelihood of missing animals. However, to accurately track population trends over time, conducting surveys using the same methodology across multiple years is recommended as a single year's data only provides a snapshot of the population. Based on both surveys, the portion of the City that experiences the highest rate of deer -related complaints, i.e. northern Iowa City, has a deer population above the City's target deer population. This corroborates what the City hears from its residents and can help the City focus additional hunting efforts where it will be most effective. The City will also continue exploring multiple methods of tracking deer populations in collaboration with DNR staff. ANALYSIS & NEXT STEPS Following adoption of the City's new 5-Year Deer Management Plan in 2024, the City has a good strategy to help manage its deer population. Over the past five years, the City successfully expanded its urban bow hunt program and looks forward to continuing supporting the growth of the hunt into the future. Staff already identified several additional public properties as potentially suitable for participation in the bow hunt next year, including a large piece of property recently dedicated to the City near the area where deer population levels are estimated to be the highest. This will help mitigate reliance on large private property owners in northeast Iowa City who voluntarily allow hunters on their property. In addition, recent rule changes and targeted outreach have yielded several property owner inquiries that may help identify other private properties interested in hosting hunters. However, the City remains concerned that the urban bow hunt will not be able to reduce the present deer population to a manageable level. This is especially true in north and northeast Iowa City which experiences the most impacts related to the high concentration of deer. Specific concerns are related to the belt stretching from Manville Heights east through Morningside- Glendale and Washington Hills and north around Hickory Hill Park and the Bluffwood/Shimek neighborhoods, as documented in the drone and helicopter surveys and by the increasing number of complaints and additional datasets being explored by the City. Consequently, the City believes it remains critical to obtain permission from the NRC for a professional sharpshoot in 2026 to reduce the population to a level that can be managed through the urban bow hunt. In the meantime, the City will continue to collect its new datasets to improve understanding of City interactions with deer and implement the urban bow hunt to ensure future success. APPENDIX 1: VEHICLE DEER COLLISIONS Date Vehicle-Deer2024 Department) Location of Deer Collision Total Estimated Damage IA 1 N $5,000 MELROSE AVE $1,500 EAST FOSTER RD AND DUBUQUE ST $2,000 POST RD AND ROCHESTER AVE $3,000 1/4/2024 1/5/2024 1/29/2024 1/30/2024 1/30/2024 US 218 N $1,500 2/4/2024 180 W $10,000 4/9/2024 RAMP US 218 N TO IA 1 N $5,000 4/14/2024 US 6 W $500 4/18/2024 EMERALD ST AND MELROSE AVE $1,000 4/20/2024 ROHRET RD $5,000 4/22/2024 RAMP 180 E TO DUBUQUE ST, N $5,000 5/2/2024 MORMON TREK BLVD/EAGLE VIEW DR $2,000 5/10/2024 US 6 E $3,000 6/10/2024 IA 1 N $20,000 6/24/2024 IA 1 N $1,700 7/l/2024 IA 1 S $1,500 7/10/2024 SAND RD $3,000 7/20/2024 US 218 N $2,000 7/27/2024 180 E $2,000 8/12/2024 180 E/ 244 $10,000 9/30/2024 MORMON TREK BLVD/ HAWKEYE PARK RD $1,500 10/26/2024 IA 1 N $1,000 10/28/2024 US 6 E $7,000 11/12/2024 180 246.9 E $1,500 11/18/2024 US 6 W E.B./ ROCKY SHORE DR. $1,500 11/18/2024 US 218 N $2,500 11/18/2024 US 218 N $2,000 11/22/2024 SCOTT BLVD $1,500 11/25/2024 US 6 W/ FAIRMEADOWS BLVD $2,000 11/25/2024 ROCHESTER AVE/ WINDMILL PL $200 11 /30/2024 180 E $1,500 12/16/2024 US 218 S $4,000 12/17/2024 US 6 W $2,000 12/18/2024 PARK RD $3,000 12/21/2024 MUSCATINE AVE $5,000 12/23/2024 SCOTT BLVD $500 APPENDIX 2: 2024-2025 BOW HUNT RESULTS DNR # Urban2024-2025 Bow Doe _ 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 Hunt Harvest Results Button Buck by Hunter Buck 1 Total Harvest 866190879 4 712186386 3 4465621 4 1738095 3 2672145-455268 3 586414070 2 2617694 3 1000277157 1 1 2 1000406124 5 2 7 1000333634 3 1 4 1000389712 3 3 61654539 5 1 6 Total harvested: 38 3 3 44 Item Number: IP5. a CITY OF IOWA CITY "QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 Civil Service Entrance Examination - Maintenance Worker II - Transportation Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Maintenance Worker II - Transportation � r CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 3S6-5000 (319) 356-SO09 FAX www.icgov.org March 19, 2025 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker II — Transportation Services 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 II — Transportation Services. Joseph Wilson Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick ss, Chair Item Number: IP6. a CITY OF IOWA CITY "QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 Civil Service Entrance Examination - Parking Enforcement Attendant Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Parking Enforcement Attendant r ��1 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa S2240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgov.org March 19, 2025 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Parking Enforcement Attendant 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 Parking Enforcement Attendant. Jason McCall Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wy s, Chair Item Number: IP7. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 27, 2025 Library Board of Trustees: February 27 Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: February 27 Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 27, 2025 2nd Floor —Boardroom Regular Meeting - 5:00 PM DRAFT Tom Rocklin - President Bonnie Boothroy Robin Paetzold DJ Johnk — Vice President Joseph Massa John Raeburn Hannah Shultz -Secretary Claire Matthews Dan Stevenson Members Present: Bonnie Boothroy, DJ Johnk, Joseph Massa, Claire Matthews, Robin Paetzold, John Raeburn, Tom Rocklin, Hannah Shultz, Dan Stevenson. Members Absent: None. Staff Present: Elsworth Carman, Sam Helmick, Anne Mangano, Brent Palmer, Jason Paulios, Angie Pilkington, Katie Roche, Jen Royer. Guests Present: None. Call Meeting to Order. Rocklin called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. A quorum was present. Approval of February 27, 2025 Board Meeting Agenda. Boothroy made a motion to approve the February 27, 2025 Board Meeting Agenda. Johnk seconded. Motion passed 9/0. Public Discussion. None. Items to be Discussed. Director Evaluation Process Proposal. Rocklin shared there was a preliminary conversation about the director's evaluation process last month. Rocklin drafted a proposal for the process based on conversations with the city attorney and with the Library Board. Rocklin said the Trustee conversation last month noted it was important to involve more people, so he thought of two options for doing that. Paetzold asked if option b would violate open meetings laws with four trustees in the room. Rocklin said If it stays under 5 trustees they can meet without a quorum. Shultz liked option b because it included the evaluation committee that gathers information. Matthews agreed it seemed to make the most sense. Massa liked it too and said often from year to year the board officers don't change; having volunteers one year means the next year could be an entirely different group of people which would eliminate the potential for duplication. Paetzold asked Carman for his perspective. Carman shared he is comfortable with either option, and said option b makes sense for the reasons discussed. Carman said it I f you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. is a complex process; in years with good interpersonal connections, it feels fair but the process should also be prepared for potential future contention. Carman said with option b you widen the net a bit. Shultz said option b is also the closest to what has previously occurred. Shultz made a motion to adopt the new evaluation process using option b in number 4 of the proposal process. Johnk seconded. Rocklin said he discussed if the Board decision should be made into a policy or if it should be a decision trustees make in a meeting with City Attorney, Eric Goers. Goers preferred the latter for its flexibility in the event the Supreme Court changes its ruling next year. Motion passed 9/0. Set Calendar for Next Fiscal Year. Johnk asked if there were any changes. Carman said this is a process the library does every year. Carman said we usually choose when Inservice Day is and what the designated holidays are and FY26 was straight forward. Shultz appreciated the explanation of the staffing levels. Matthews noted the remote drop day and asked if there was always one Facilities person in the building. Matthews asked if there was a reason the remote drops are checked every day and asked if it would be possible to skip Christmas Day. Carman agreed and said he feels similar, and shared feedback from the Library Facilities Coordinator that the possible work of an overflowing remote bin or being called in an emergency feels more problematic than spending an hour and a half doing a pickup. Carman said on closed days someone needs to do a building walk through as well to ensure all the building systems are functioning. Carman said having someone come in to check the building is easier in long run than coming back and finding an issue. Paetzold asked if there would be any city festivals that would extend library hours into the evening. Paulios said the library no longer keeps the building open for the Block Party, but the lobby is open and staffed by members of the Leadership Team. Boothroy asked why December works best for Inservice Day. Carman said it has been historic practice. Mangano said the original justification was to celebrate staff work anniversaries at the end of the year while avoiding the holidays at the very end. Mangano said the Leadership Team has discussed changing the date but hasn't done so yet. Carman said there are pros and cons to changing the time of year. Mangano said the practice of meeting in December goes back to the 1970's. Massa made a motion to approve the FY26 Holiday Calendar. Shultz seconded. Motion passed 9/0. Staff Reports. Director's Report. Rocklin thanked Carman for a thorough report on legislation updates. Carman said there have been many committee meetings and events reshuffled. Carman said the Leadership Team has been strategically trying to be present at the capitol building, and several have attended committee meetings. The Leadership Team has tried to crowd source their talking points to fill in the blanks of what other speakers are leaving out. Carman said the obscenity exemption bills would have a drastic impact on service delivery and a big impact on the library collection. Carman said there are many ancillary questions around the bills. Carman posed the question, where would the gate keeping be if they passed, at the point of registering for a library card, checking out library materials, or walking in the building. Carman said it can be a challenge not to get into the logistical weeds. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Carman said another set of bills libraries have been watching are the professional organization bills. Carman shared there has been some great unpacking of what that impact could look like. In the beginning libraries didn't necessarily understand what the impact would be and now we understand better. Carman noted Mangano's updated report about obscenity and let Trustees know if there are any questions about the differences between offensive and obscene materials, or if anyone is wondering why a library would be arguing against the obscenity bills, there are many experts on the Leadership Team in the room to help discuss that. Carman said Mangano's report does an exceptional job of laying it out. No questions were asked. Carman said there has been some opportunity to speak one-on-one with bill sponsors. Carman and Mangano spoke with representative Salmon. Carman said there wasn't eagerness to learn from public libraries but staff will continue trying. Paetzold asked Carman to explain what the timeline would be like if the bills pass, noting it would be very costly and a huge restructuring would be required. Paetzold wondered how marry months libraries would have to change operations. Carman said he doesn't think the current bills have a date sooner than the fiscal year. Helmick said they are under the impression Governor Reynold's office would review and give a timeline before signing. Pilkington said it would be similar to a year ago with SF496. Matthews said that was a six-month timeline. Carman said within Paetzold's question is also would there be definitive direction beforehand or would it be a date of implementation. Carman said some library systems would try to make their own decision about how far you'd need to go and others might wait for explicit direction. Carman said if the current draft went through, he doesn't see a path forward without closing the library while evaluating impacts. Paetzold asked if the City of Iowa City is concerned about liability. Carman said he sent all the library bills being watched and their summaries to the City Manager's Office and to City Legal. Carman had not received feedback yet at the time of the Board meeting. Carman and Royer also met with some of the legal team to touch base and let them know we are watching the bills. Carman shared with legal he would love to see these bills rise to a legislative priority for the City of Iowa City as they will have a significant financial impact if passed and would happen quickly. Paetzold asked if the League of Cities across the state is expressing any stand on the bills. Carman said he did not believe so. Paetzold said this puts libraries in a very vulnerable position financially. Carman said he assumes cities are watching these bills and thinks most library directors will pass this on to their city management to make sure it's on their radar. Carman acknowledged the City of Iowa City has broad legislative concerns. He noted these bills are oppressive and would have a significant financial impact, including possible criminal charges against staff. Staff would need to know their own protections and where the liability would lie, which has a chilling effect. Carman questioned what would happen if, because of his job, he was placed on an offender registry and became ineligible to work for the city. Carman wondered how that cycle would work and said he felt a lot of attorneys are reluctant to answer theoretical questions without actual information, but it's something that a lot of librarians are wondering. Carman said library directors from the largest libraries in the state get together regularly and had a meeting last week to discuss strategies for communicating with their cities, staff, and community. Carman said there is a lot of concern, and the biggest question is how fast libraries would need to comply and the requirements. Carman said if everything with reference to a sex act needed to be removed from the library collection that's a significant percentage of the collection. Carman said think about the best sellers that have sexual references. Rocklin asked Carman if there is any way to do that efficiently or is it book by book. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Carman said there is no way to do it efficiently. There would be some subject headings staff could easily review, however without knowing parameters, Carman said a picture book that has two adults hugging might be included. Carman said it is culturally acceptable for romance in adult books and because of that, the topic might not show up in the cataloging or the reviews. Carman said it could literally mean handling every item individually. Massa asked how to do that. Matthews said when the schools did it they started with a list of materials that were most challenged, then moved on to titles they already knew of. Matthews said everything was documented to be 100% certain it was compliant, and pdfs of the pages were saved. Matthews said it took more than 30 people six months perpetually reading to complete. Matthews said many books were pulled and many were questionable. Boothroy said one school district used Al which didn't help matters. Matthews agreed and said another took broad sweeps and just got rid of everything. Paetzold said the library would have to lock the doors for months while we go through this. Matthews noted the use of the word "knowingly" in the bill and said you can't assume a professional knows every word of every book in their library. Matthews said this bill would close a small library and gave an example of a small library she was formerly director of. Matthews said at ICPL it would be a substantial undertaking, but it would close small town libraries. Boothroy said she is concerned that what happened to school districts might happen to public libraries, where laws went into effect long before the guidance came out so people were guessing about what they were supposed to do. Matthews said that is why Iowa City Schools were very careful about documentation, but small towns don't have the luxury, resources, or time to do that. Matthews said it means different things in each community, if you're talking about local control this is the opposite. Paetzold asked what does the library's professional insurance cover for liability and defense and noted the possibility of Iowa City Public Library being a test case. Carman said he will investigate it. Mangano said SF347, which would eliminate the ability to purchase materials with a sex act, may not get any legs, but the obscenity exemption will. Mangano said she would argue that nothing in our collection is obscene and would pass the Miller test. Mangano said we have to figure out how much we want to test that in court. Mangano thinks we would win but said we would have to decide how often we want to do it and how much money it would cost. Paetzold said it's going to be costly and would be interested to see what insurance would cover versus what the library would cover. Carman said we have small scale experience in completing a diversity audit by hand. Carman said the scale of this project would be devastating and patrons wouldn't be able to be in the library. Carman said vendors may have tools to help. Mangano confirmed they do already. Carman said that means you're trusting they're going to apply the right level of grading. Carman said the majority of our circulation is done through self -checks and right now that is fine because library policy states that if you have the card in your hand you have the rights and privileges to use it. Carman said if we had to have minor library cards and adult library cards we may lose that opportunity, it would change our staffing model and the physical check out desks because they are not big enough to handle busy times. Carman said the impacts are deep and we would probably be a test case. Carman said the comments at some of the committee meetings have been shockingly uninformed about what libraries do and include dramatic statements like "at this point public libraries are the only place explicit material can be found." Carman thinks there is a good chance the obscenity bills will pass. Carman noted we're doing the most we can to be involved and advocate for libraries, but that it doesn't If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. seem to be having an effect. Matthews asked if this is just physical items or if it includes digital items as well. Mangano said both. Rocklin said if approved the library will have a difficult policy discussion. Rocklin said we can argue we have a collection policy and we don't collect obscene materials; we would have to determine the risks associated with that and we probably would get sued, that's a discussion to have with the City of Iowa City. Paetzold asked if we have other allies such as the ALA in terms of resources. Paetzold noted we would be put in a difficult situation and be a national test case. Helmick said the ALA would like to give legal and lobbyist support; ILA is slowing that down. Helmick said if a specific library was interested, Helmick could connect them with people. Paetzold agreed ILA seems to be functioning differently this legislative session. Matthews asked would this also mean revoking the AIM card for students. Carman agreed and said this would have dramatic changes for the Bookmobile, outreach, and everything else we do. Carman said with some of our electronic resources we can select titles, others are packages, and there may be services that would have to be cut. Carman said publishers may get more interested as the legislation moves along. Matthews said Penguin Random House and Harper Collins are involved in the 496 lawsuit. Matthews said since publishers got involved in school library legislation, she imagines they would get involved in a statewide all ages bill. Helmick said Skip Dye was on their Presidential Advisory Committee as the Penguin House representative. Matthews said they're involved in legal issues regarding past legislation and imagines they would likely continue. Paetzold asked if there is a sense that larger libraries in Iowa could unite or is there enough diversity in libraries that it wouldn't work. Carman said this was discussed at a meeting and suggested involving multiple boards as they can do things libraries can't. Carman said there was diversity in individual library responses but thinks if it was revisited with a concrete proposal there is potential. Paetzold asked if that would give strength or complicate things. Carman said it's hard; the relationships in that group are very strong but all of the directors come from different areas of the state. Carman said what works in Council Bluffs may not work for us. Carman isn't aware of IUPLA ever releasing a joint statement and doesn't know that it would be damaging for a subset of that group to release a statement from similar communities. Carman said there is also potential to request city attorneys meet with the Directors and Boards to get an idea of how different places are approaching it. Carman said he is open to facilitating and thinks there is a possibility for joint work. Carman said there is also the Johnson County Public Library directors meeting, and Corridor libraries, there are a number of options for joint statements. Paetzold said it is a good idea to identify our allies. Boothroy said it is a really good idea and we need to be proactive and not wait to see what happens. Paetzold identified there are two conversations to discuss operational costs and societal values. Paetzold said an ally may be the ACLU. Rocklin said if the goal was to make a statement to influence legislation it would be extremely important to come from libraries across the state of Iowa. Rocklin said there is nothing Iowa City can say that will make a difference. Rocklin said our statement would only have the value of reminding the community where we stand, which is a value but would not influence legislation. Matthews said people only see the words obscenities and minors and naturally think of course we want to protect children. Rocklin said the challenge to this for legislators is voting against this opens them up to a challenge in the next election. Boothroy said even if we can't do a joint statement, we can at least feel out the group to see if there are any libraries that want to approach it from the same action. Paetzold said in the past we've put out these statements and have fought, and legislators would listen and say that it is interesting but would If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa pity Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. still vote the way they want. Paetzold said there is something else going on that we can't fight this with facts, and we've got to be prepared to defend ourselves. Carman clarified that when he said the IUPLA directors are coming from different directions there is no rift in philosophy, the differences are how different cities are structured, how much autonomy libraries have, what the current temperature of the Boards feels like. Carman said he would check in with IUPLA and see if there is interest in talking through details of approach and come up with joint talking points for cities and city attorneys, so the messaging is consistent. Paetzold asked if there is anything staff would like the Board to do that hasn't been identified. Mangano said the senate file on public library exemptions only went to subcommittee and hasn't gone to the broader education committee. Mangano said there are a lot of members on that committee and ILA put out a message on how to email everyone but Mangano doesn't know that everyone's mind is made up or if everyone understands the broader implications of the file. Mangano said they are faced with many bills at one time, and they want to run with them as fast as they can. Mangano said if you talk to them about taxpayer money and court system being filled with unnecessary lawsuits, Mangano thinks that is good message for them to hear in addition to removing access. Helmick said it worked well to talk about keeping libraries local last year. It's a good reminder that this file circumvents the procedures, and the state is overstepping local control. Mangano said the house version of the public library exemption did pass but not totally on party lines. Carman said he thinks staff are feeling very affected by this legislation. Carman said he tries to offer factual information without making it seem hopeless in his weekly staff messages. Many staff are tuned in and watching what is happening and it is impacting staff morale. Carman said there is concern for job security, and concerns around work becoming disconnected from values. Carman said patron behavior has also escalated. Carman said this legislative cycle patrons haven't commented as much on the bills, as compared to last year. Carman said some people weaponize the bills and use it as a platform to abuse staff. Carman said we've been talking at the Leadership level about what we can do to make staff feel supported and informed. Carman said many staff are watching other pieces of legislation and having deep concern about what is happening in the State of Iowa, and that is a tough intersection. Carman said he believes staff appreciated the advocacy letters the Board created last year around legislation. Knowing the Library Board is watching legislation and thinking about impacts matters to staff. Carman said he always shares a summary of Board meetings for all staff after each meeting to keep them informed. Carman said we are getting close to the end of the funnel which ends on the 7th, every day that goes by is a little more optimistic. Carman said the Library Levy legislation has not advanced very far and is likely too late for it to move on. Carman said it was promising to see bipartisan support for that idea but it has not progressed. Palmer exited the meeting at 5:41 PM. Matthews asked about Enrich Iowa eligibility. Helmick said the goal posts continue to move on this. Essentially Enrich Iowa would be withdrawn from libraries that have an institutional or (whose staff have) individual professional memberships. Helmick said on the streets it is known as the anti -ALA and ILA bill but you can't say that because it would be illegal. Helmick said it was ourjob to impress upon legislators that over 98 libraries and 15 institutions in the State of Iowa also belong to these institutions. Helmick said Mangano made a great point that the Urban Library Council helped us save $55,000 because of our membership last year alone. Mangano said the changes we made with Hoopla were If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. based on what we learned from Urban Library Council. Helmick said there was concern about Marxist leanings and Helmick reminded legislators that an Iowan would be leading ALA for the next year. Helmick said the Library Bill of Rights talks about not discriminating by age, and instead of accepting that is an Iowan value we've held since 1938, as Iowan's wrote it before the ALA adopted it, Helmick said it clear it is no longer an Iowan value in 2025. Matthews said at some point it is a violation of freedom of speech, to be unable to advocate for yourself. Helmick said the Georgia Library Association shot this bill down last year and were prepared to sue the state of Georgia. Helmick said it was not received by the education committee though it was supposed to meet at 11:00 today. Helmick said the running theory is they are either rewriting the bill or running out the clock because they will be sued. Palmer entered the meeting at 5:43 PM. Matthews said thinking back to her small-town library days she wouldn't even have been able to keep the lights on without ILA. Without ILA telling her what paperwork to fill out it wouldn't have been a library in the first place. Helmick said the state library is not equipped to support libraries in the same way as ILA. Pilkington said some hope that the State Library could take on the duties of ILA but there have been cuts and the State Library is no longer able to support the 544 libraries in Iowa. Paetzold asked do you think they're most likely to attack a library that is going to defend itself or one that won't. Helmick said Iowa City seems to be a target. Pilkington said people think we have money. Carman said we also run the risk of someone who opposes the legislation litigating to make a point, there is a lot to think about. Royer and Carman met with staff at City Legal to see how the City views staff involvement in political process. Carman said it was a good conversation, and legal gave thoughtful answers, and that we're going to keep talking about that at the leadership level. Carman feels strongly that everything we're doing right now fits well with expectations. Carman said we're sticking to facts, what is shared with legislators is educational and not lobbying. Carman said we're going to a subcommittee meeting to give context and factual information, which is different than standing up and sharing opinions. Boothroy asked about Board input and asked what the best approach is; is it better for trustees to communicate as a group or is it okay to communicate as individuals. Carman said it depends on the vehicle, comments in the bill book would need to be individual, letters to the editor coming from the Board could be powerful. Paetzold said there are different audiences noting legislators, staff, and the community. Carman said it could be a great opportunity for staff and trustees to work together in solidarity and with collaboration, it would allow trustees to say things library staff may feel constricted in while still being able to share factual information with authority on things like day to day library operations with authority. Carman said sometimes the questions that come up around this legislation are around minute details about how libraries work, such as how materials get checked out. Shultz said you could also encourage them to go to their library. Paetzold said she doesn't think this is about a rational strategy. Rocklin said it is quite rational; it's about being re-elected. Carman said there has been language this year that he didn't hear last year from library supporters emphasizing that using the library is "voluntary inquiry," and the messaging includes if you don't like it don't go. Carman said that it is not messaging that he is ready to adopt but thinks it's a valid point. Carman said ICPL says that in different ways, such as we collect broadly and invite patrons to access what you like and leave what you don't. Carman said he is a little nervous to see where that phrase will go; it's exclusionary and the library has worked hard to lower barriers for access and be here for everyone. Paetzold said it sets the stage for If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. someone to say yes but those are taxpayer dollars. Shultz said looking ahead, are we seeing in Iowa or other states changes in enrollment in MLIS programs. Carman said not that he is aware of. Helmick said they are under the impression they haven't been able to track it quite yet. Helmick said the University of Iowa MLIS program has the largest student body in history. Carman said with the IMLS programs every year there is a narrative that we're coming up on a wave of retirement. Carman said sometimes we make assumptions about librarians' political beliefs and where they align on issues and that is not always true, there are a range of beliefs. Carman wondered if political shifts in different states will result in more people coming into the librarian field that didn't feel like they could be part of it before. Paetzold said some of them are muzzled, we've heard that through people who work at the university scene that theirjobs would be on the line if they speak up. Paetzold said also when you look at allies, we have Lucy Green and while she must respect her position, she's a wonderful ally. Shultz said we're seeing, especially in rural areas, shortages of every profession right now in Iowa so she doesn't think that's going to be an issue here in Iowa City. Shultz questioned in 10 or 15 years if there will be any libraries in Iowa to work at. Carman said some of the impacts of these bills will de -professionalize positions. Carman noted that if we don't curate collections but instead need someone to check a list to see if a title is allowed to be purchased, a library degree would not be needed to do that. Matthews said that it already happened in school libraries. Carman included the DAS changes to state library reporting as a piece of legislation of interest because we must pay attention to where those changes are leading, noting the possibility of no longer having accreditation systems in our state. Carman said those also drive the types of positions that require certain types of education or experience, and those standards are regularly shared with the city when explaining staffing level changes. In Iowa City we are not at risk of a swift and simple change if accreditation went away but other communities might be. Paulios exited the meeting at 5:53 PM. Carman said we know there have been some retirements in the state library that haven't been filled right away. There has been talk of restructuring and it's something to watch carefully. Paetzold asked if there is a system for updating the board between now and our next meeting because it is a hot season. Rocklin said a lot is going to happen between now and the next meeting. Paetzold said we can't wait a month and just watch. Shultz said information could be emailed. Rocklin agreed, particularly around funnel week. Matthews asked if it would have to come from Carman or could the Advocacy Committee share information. Paetzold agreed the committee should work on that. Paetzold said she hesitates to ask one more task of staff when the Advocacy Committee can work on it as a group. Palmer exited the meeting at 5:55 PM. Paetzold asked should the committee meet with staff, noting the importance of becoming proactive. Carman said it wouldn't be a burden to have staff create a basic report, it could be as simple as documenting the progress of legislation and sharing links to the bill book. Carman said staff could also set up a meeting to talk about pertinent information. Paetzold said the community education aspect of combining Trustees and staff is something we should be thinking about. Paetzold said she doesn't think people are getting it. Matthews said 20 miles out of Iowa City it's a different story, different interest in If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. educating, and different choices in advocacy and interest in legislation at all. Massa said community standards are different too. Massa said you go to West Liberty or Solon it is different than Iowa City. Carman asked what the preference for updates is, noting realistically between now and the funnel he can only imagine one meeting happening. Paetzold said staff are most knowledgeable. Shultz asked if that is information that would be put together anyway. Carman agreed. Helmick said so many libraries are going to look to us at Iowa City Public Library, we are the standard. Helmick said they don't talk about Des Moines, and wanted to make sure folks understood the gravity of it. Matthews asked if it would be more meaningful if it camejointly from staff and the Board. Rocklin noted the advocacy committee and said he thinks it is a good opportunity to use it. Rocklin said he would look to the advocacy committee to recommend an action, reassure staff Trustees are paying attention, and educate the community. Rocklin asked the Advocacy Committee to meet with a few staff and email the board, noting we can always have an emergency Board meeting. Paetzold said there is a third part of that too and noted the advocacy potential. Rocklin said the advocacy committee can come up with ideas of what we should do, the Board can respond. Carman asked if anyone remembered if they heard from Trustees at subcommittee meetings. Pilkington said she only remembered one. Paetzold noted the minors at drag show bill and asked if that effects story time. Helmick agreed. Paetzold said it wasn't a priority in the discussion, but does it affect library programming. Carman agreed. Pilkington said no drag story times are planned at this time. Carman said House Bill 158 was a recommended passage. Rocklin said it is clear at the funnel. Carman said it hasn't reached a priority, even in this conversation, but noted in other sessions this would be getting a lot of attention in our community. Departmental Reports: Collection Services. Rocklin said the report was fascinating. Johnk thanked Mangano and many Trustees agreed. Matthews said the screen shot was interesting. Carman said this report and the IT report were good examples of how communication with the Board is also helpful to staff. Carman said it takes a lot of time to put together and thanked Mangano. Matthews asked if the bulk of this is completed. Mangano said yes, and every quarter staff will be updating and maintaining. Children's Services. Carman said the report included information about the All Abilities Club. Rocklin thanked Pilkington. IT. Matthews asked if the public would have awareness of the ILS shifting to a new model. Mangano said if in any way there might be new features in the catalog. Matthews asked if this was the public facing catalog. Mangano agreed. Shultz noted it closes soon, next week. Rocklin noted open -source products, and asked would it get into the process because a vendor supports it. Mangano said there are different companies that offer the ability to code for us or we can code more, which may be a benefit. Rocklin asked that they are not purely community supported products and Mangano agreed. Development Report. Shultz said it is brilliant to have fundraising outside of fundraising season. Roche handed out flyers to Trustees for the fundraising event to share with friends. Roche said there are 50 paid tickets so far and they are hoping to have 200 at the event. Roche said there are 35-45 community tickets for nonprofit leaders that are partners of the library, so they can attend. Roche is excited about how the event is coming together. Carman shared he is pleased with ticket sales. Rocklin hopes to see trustees there. If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. President's Report. Appoint a Nominating Committee. Rocklin noted three trustees will be leaving the Board at the end of the fiscal year: Shultz, Johnk, and Rocklin. They will meet to prepare a slate of candidates for the three positions. Rocklin said there will be an election at the April meeting. Paetzold asked if any of them plan to reapply. Rocklin said none of them are planning to reapply. Shultz said they are the only group since she has been there that have all made it the entire term. Paetzold said we know we're going to have three openings, and we might encourage friends to apply for the Board. Paetzold said if anyone knows an attorney, encourage them to apply. Paetzold said in the past we've always had an attorney on the Board and it's the first time we don't, the City Attorney's responsibility is different and having legal guidance on the Board would be beneficial. Paetzold noted we don't select Board members; however, this could be a challenging moment. Rocklin said more generally it is time to start talking with people who would make good trustees. Rocklin knows someone he would like to recruit. Rocklin noted there are always many applications. Paetzold said we should think about our skillset. Carman said if Johnk, Rocklin, or Shultz were to change their mind we are in an unusual environment; normally Council wants to give a lot of people a chance to serve on boards and commissions, but looking at the budget and legislation right now, it would be more logical than in some years to go to that body and say having six years of experience would be beneficial. Carman said that is not to imply pressure for more service and he does not speak for City Council in any way. Rocklin said it is pretty interesting because city policy states that Council will not consider incumbency for reappointment, but every time he has heard them talk about it, they've talked about spreading it around. Announcements from Members. None. Committee Reports. Advocacy Committee. Rocklin said the Advocacy Committee has work to do. Finance Committee. Massa said they are still trying to meet with the Foundation Board's Finance Committee. Foundation Members. None. Communications. News Articles. None. Paetzold noted the comment Carman made about some behavior challenges and change in culture in the library, and asked Carman to elaborate. Paetzold said in the past we have tried to look at our reaction to things to be proactive, Paetzold asked to hear more about it before it becomes more significant. Carman said it is good timing, there is a policy committee working on the Library Use policy in preparation for Board review. Carman said the last several weeks to couple months, library behavior has been on the outside edge of normal, some of which we attribute to substance abuse, mental health, lack of resources, and more recent instances around political stress and fear. Carman said it is manifesting as abnormal behavior. Carman said there was a ten-year suspension last week, noting ICPL makes every attempt to avoid, as it is the longest suspension time we suspend people for. Carman said there have been mid -length suspensions, and lots of "leave for the day" suspensions, too. Carman said If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. the Leadership Team talks about significant suspensions at our weekly meeting to revisit the conduct report, impacts, and follow up with staff as appropriate. Carman said behavior is at an apex moment, there are a lot of problematic behaviors happening now. Carman said there have been good responses when calling the police and community outreach folks. Carman thinks some of our true social services agencies are struggling to keep up. Carman said there were adult behavior issues in the children's room that resulted in suspension. Mangano said it was also a week that was very cold. Pilkington said winter shelters are not open during the day. Carman said staff are great about handling things with compassion, being trauma informed, and doing the very best they can, but when you get to the end of a three-hour desk shift and had 13 behavior issues, a complex genealogy question, and somebody with a broken kindle, it takes a toll. Carman worries about loss of support from library users who come to do more traditional work at the library and are required to navigate the complexities of all different types of needs or behaviors. Carman said one of the things we're looking at, specifically with behavior in the Library Use policy, is sleeping in the library. Carman feels strongly about the work done so far to keep the library inclusive and create community. Carman wants to tread carefully as we look at how to right size these behavior expectations. Carman said Mangano's point about the weather is strong and it's not unusual to see behavior issues when the weather is extreme. Paetzold said that's rational, people are trying to survive. Mangano said especially when you're telling them to leave. Carman says it feels like a peak right now and he's working to support staff. Carman said there have been a couple more dramatic incidents than usual with a broader group of people involved, and it might be louder or more disruptive. Carman said even then staff rally quickly. Carman said we take care after those events to reach out to staff quickly and offer EAP services or other support. The Leadership Team models a balance of resiliency and sharing honestly when events are scary to them, too. Carman appreciates that as not all libraries do that. Carman said having the Library Use policy in recent memory is helpful, noting it can be reviewed any time. Carman shared Paulios and Helmick have staff working on revising the policy. Carman said there is a new cat cafe in town, and we talked about speaking with them to get a group rate. Carman said it is hard to balance sincere but small actions with staff. Matthews suggested bringing therapy dogs back. Matthews said the Board should consider what else they can do to be supportive such as use NOBU to pay for a zoom training outside of the staff day in December. Consent Agenda. Paetzold made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Shultz seconded. Motion passed 9/0. Palmer entered the meeting at 6:21 PM. Set Agenda Order for March Meeting. Rocklin shared the director's evaluation will be completed before the next meeting. The Library Use policy and departmental reports will be reviewed. Carman acknowledged the loss of former Library Board Member, Janet Freeman. Paetzold said the painting in the Boardroom was from Janet Freeman's collection. Adjournment. Rocklin adjourned the meeting at 6:22 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jen Royer If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City Public Library, of 379-887-6003 orJennifer-ro ey r@icpl.or. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. a`r%t IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY Board of Commissions: ICPL Board of Trustees Attendance Record Name Term Expiration 2/29/2024 3/28/2024 4/25/2024 5/23/2024 6/27/2024 7/25/2024 8/22/2024 9/26/2024 10/24/2024 11/21/2024 12/19/2024 1/23/2025 2/27/2025 Boothro , Bonnie 6/30/2029 X X OE OE X X X X OE X Johnk, DJ 6/30/2025 X X X X X X X X X X OE OE X Massa, Jose h 6/30/2027 OE X X X X X X X X OE X X X Matthews, Claire 6/30/2023 X X OE X X X OE X X X O X X Paetzold, Robin 6/30/2023 X X X X OE OE X X X X OE X X Raeburn, John 6/30/2027 X X X X X X X OE X X X X X Rocklin, Tom 6/30/2025 X X X X X X X OE X X X X X Shultz, Hannah 6/30/2025 X X X OE OE X X X X X X OE X Stevenson, Daniel 6/30/2027 X X OE X X X X X OE X X X X KEY: X Present O Absent OE Excused Absence NM No Meeting Held R Resigned TE Term Expired � r City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY April 1, 2025 Infromation submitted between distribution of the meeting packet on Thursday and 4:00 pm on Monday. Late Addition(s): IP. Pending Work Session Topics Late Handout(s): 9.b . Rezoning - N. Governor St.: See Council Correspondence and Protest Petitions April 1, 2025 City of Iowa City � r kit CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE zn Late Handouts Distributed 3- 31- 2S (Date) PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS March 315 2025 Currently Scheduled • April 15, 2025: HeartSafe Community Campaign Update (ICFD, Johnson County Ambulance and Rotary) • May 6, 2025: Comprehensive Plan Update (Joint meeting with the Planning & Zoning Commission) FY23-25 Strategic Plan Action Item Topics Requiring Council Discussion: • Explore legal steps to discourage or prevent bad faith and predatory property investors • Advance prioritized recommendations in the 2022 Affordable Housing Action Plan. Work with partners to undertake significant -scale affordable housing efforts • Develop a vision statement for a singular regional transit system with metro Johnson County entities and obtain initial commitments to study a regional system from each entity's elected officials Other Topics: • Discussion of board and commission appointment process • License plate reader technology discussion • Air quality discussion • Alternative crisis response discussion • Historic preservation incentive discussion • University of Iowa update • Conference Board (Sept. 16, 2025) Note: Some items on the Pending List may require staff research and information gatheringprior to scheduling.