HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-24 Info Packet1k 00 ®, Mgo
CITY OF IOWA CITY
City Council Information Packet
Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
Miscellaneous
IP2. Memo from Assistant City Manager: Utility Discount Program
IP3. Joint Entities Meeting Minutes: January 13
April 24, 2025
IP4. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Custodian - Government Buildings
IP5. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Family Self -Sufficiency Coordinator
IP6. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Maintenance Worker I -Pool Maintenance
Worker I -Pools
IP7. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Mass Transit Operator
IP8. Civil Service Entrance Examination - Landfill Operator - Heavy Equipment
Draft Minutes
IP9. Library Board of Trustees: March 27
IP10. Library Board of Trustees: April 3
IP11. Senior Center Commission: April 17
April 24, 2025 City of Iowa City
Item Number: IP1.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
Attachments: Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
r
City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule
Subject to change
CITY OF IOWA CITY
April 24, 2025
Date
Time
Meeting
Location
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
City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall
6:00 PM
Formal Meeting
410 E. Washington Street
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
4:00 PM
Work Session
City Hall, Emma J. Harvat Hall
6:00 PM
Formal Meeting
410 E. Washington Street
Item Number: IP2.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Memo from Assistant City Manager: Utility Discount Program
Attachments: Memo from Assistant City Manager Utility - Discount Program
l � i
CITY OF IOWA CITY
Date: April 24, 2025
CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kirk Lehmann, Assistant City Manager
Re: Utility Discount Program
Introduction
On April 15, 2025, the City Council adopted its budget for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2026,
which included several changes to utility rates and fees. Rate changes included a 3% increase in
water user charges to help keep pace with growing serve delivery costs. During discussion,
Council indicated an interest in reviewing the City's Utility Discount Program and learning about
utility disconnects. This memo provides applicable background to help inform future discussions.
Background
The revenue structure for City water is comprised of two fees. The baseline "service fee" (called
an availability fee by some communities) covers the cost of having the infrastructure in place to
serve a property in addition to the first 750 gallons of water usage. Residents may request their
service be shut off to avoid the service fee. The "volumetric fee" is the rate for water usage after
the first 750 gallons where residents pay for the water they use. The customer may reduce the
volumetric fee by minimizing water usage. In FY25, the residential water service fee was $8.78,
and the cost of a gallon of water at the volumetric rate was $0.0055, or just over half a penny.
Created in 1979, the City's Utility Discount Program helps reduce the water service fee but not
the volumetric fee. Council enhanced this program less than a year ago on August 20, 2024 (Ord.
24-4933) by increasing the low-income discount for water user charges from 60% to 75% of the
minimum monthly charge along with similar changes to the wastewater and stormwater utility
fees. Memos exploring the program's background and the rationale for the FY25 rate increases
are attached. The information and analysis in these memos remain highly relevant. Ordinance
24-4933 is also attached.
The City may initiate the discontinuation of an account holder's water service where delinquencies
are over $100, bills are not paid within approximately 30 days of the due date, and a payment
plan is not implemented. The process to discontinue water service consists of the following:
• 8 days after the due date, a 10% late fee is charged and is noted on the bill.
• 7 days later, a disconnection letter is mailed, and notifications go out by phone and email.
• 7 days later, cardings in 4 languages (English, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin) are posted
near the entryway of the account address.
• 7 days later, notifications go out by phone and email noting that disconnection will happen
the following Tuesday.
• The following Tuesday, water service is disconnected.
If water service is disconnected, a $45 fee is charged to reconnect the service.
Analysis
Currently, 421 water accounts are enrolled in the Utility Discount Program. Total annual discounts
provided across all impacted enterprise funds (water, wastewater, refuse and stormwater) are
approximately $108,500. By law, the City must utilize General Fund dollars to cover the subsidy
April 24, 2025
Page 2
provided by this discount program. For FY26, it is expected that voluntary utility customer
donations will cover $11,500 of the projected subsidy, while property tax dollars from the General
Fund will be needed to cover the remaining $97,000 of subsidy. Any enhancements to the Utility
Discount Program will need to consider a commensurate increase in General Fund support.
The City strives to work with utility account holders before disconnecting service. In FY24, an
average of 1,006 water accounts became delinquent each month. The City was able to resolve
most delinquencies without affecting utility service but lost approximately $80,000 in revenue. On
average, the City disconnected 70 accounts per month in FY24, or 0.25% of all accounts. From
March 2020 to September 2022, the City discontinued utility disconnects as a relief effort during
the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in a loss of $676,000 in utility revenue, but the City
was fortunately able to recoup these losses using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant
dollars.
Recommendation
At this time, staff does not recommend further changes to the Utility Discount Program.
However, staff will continue to market the program and promote the opportunity for voluntary
contributions.
Attachments
January 31, 2024, Memo from the City Manager: Utility Rate Background Information
May 2, 2024, Memo from the City Manager: Utility Discount Program
August 20, 2024, Ordinance 24-4933
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p CITY OF IOV�If CITY
14
ft
MEMORANDUM
Date: January 31, 2024
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Geoff Fruin, City Manager
Re: Utility Rate Background Information
At the January 22, 2024 operating budget review work session, the City Council requested additional
information on the proposed FY25 water rate increase. This memo provides additional information
on all utility rate increase proposals to support your February 6t' work session discussion.j
FY25 Utility Rate Recommendations
Iowa City's FY 23-28 Strategic Plan includes the following action item:
Ensure Enterprise Funds are well supported through incremental rate and fee
increases and do not become reliant on large rate spike, property taxes or unplanned
debt issuance. (Page 22)
The FY25 budget proposal includes the following utility rate increase proposals:
• Water:3%
• Wastewater:5%
• Recycling: $1{month
• Refuse: None
• Organics: None
• Stormwater: None
For comparative purposes, the average monthly consumption metric for an Iowa City utility account
is 800 cubic feet of water. This equates to just under 6,000 gallons of water consumed. Attached to
this memo are two utility bills that can provide a helpful visual. The first is based on a customer that
has used the 800 cubic feet average. The second is from a household of five that uses less than the
monthly average (516 cubic feet used).
The residential water and wastewater utility rates have two components — the service fee and the
volumetric fee. The service fee is the base amount paid by all users even if no water is consumed
during the month and covers the first 100 cubic feet of usage. The FY24 service fee is $8.52 and
$8.31 for water and wastewater respectively. The FY24 volumetric fee is $3.97 per 100 cubic feet of
use for both water and wastewater. For clarity and comparison 100 cubic feet is 748 gallons,
therefore the average utility account pays $0.0061 per gallon of drinking water delivered to their
home. A gallon of drinking water purchased from a store in a plastic jug costs $1.00 or more.
During the opening budget presentation on January 22"d staff noted that the proposed increases
would add an estimated $3.93 to the monthly bill for the average household. This calculation is based
January 31, 2024
Page 2
on the consumption of 800 cubic feet of water consumed per month. The following table details the
calculation of the increased costs per month.
Proposed
Current Increased
Water
$ 36.31
$ 37.40
Sewer
36.80
38.64
Refuse
14.00
14.00
Recycling
7.0
8.50
Organics
3.50
3.50
Stormwater
5.50
5.50
Excise Tax
2.18
2.24
Total $ 105.79 $109.78
Increase $ 3.99
*Note the $.06 difference from the budget presentation figure is the increase to the Excise Tax calculation
Iowa City maintains a Utility Discount Program for qualifying customers. This program provides a
discount of 60 percent of the service fee for water and sewer charges, 60 percent of the monthly
storm water charge, and 75 percent of the refuse, recycling and organics charges each month. For
a customer enrolled in this program, here is what the proposed increase would look like assuming
the same 800 cubic feet of water consumed per month.
Discount
Proposed
Current
Increased
Water
$ 31.20
$ 32.13
Sewer
31.81
33.40
Refuse
3.50
3.50
Recycling
1.88
2.13
Oganics
0.88
0.88
Stormwater
2.20
2.20
Excise Tax
1.87
1.93
Total $ 73.34 $ 76.17
Increase $ 2.83
The increases that are proposed are needed to support current operations and projected capital
needs. The 3% water rate increase will generate an estimate $3 0k for the Water Fund. This will
enable the Water Fund to continue status quo operations and maintain progress toward funding the
Capital Improvement Program projects without the issuance of debt. The 5% wastewater rate
increase will generate an estimate $630k for the Wastewater Fund. This increase not only supports
current operations and transfers to the Capital Fund, but it also helps establish annual income
January 31, 2024
Page 3
sufficient to support projected borrowing for the Digester Complex Rehabilitation and Digester Gas
Capture projects. Finally, the recycling rate increase of $1/month is estimated to generate $190k for
the Refuse Fund. This increase is needed to offset the rapidly increasing costs of third party recycled
materials processing.
Utility Rate Comparisons
Comparing utility rates between communities can be complex as varying levels of service, different
customer bases (i.e. heavy industrial bases), different source waters, and large debt issuances can
create differences that are not apparent when simply looking at rates. Cities may have different rate
structures or even rely on third -party utility companies to provide the service to their customers. With
these differences in mind, each year in the final budget book staff includes a utility rate comparison.
This can be found on page 688 of the approved FY24 budget and is also included below.
UtU tky Pates (F drtlall Monthly C ihng - July 1,, 2022)
CRY
W mtbr
Sewer
waste
ate
Fats!
Ran k
Dever
_93
$57-72.
$18.13
$3.06
$1135.84
1
ties Mo nes
$41.61
$54.79
$22.90
$16.87
$135.17
2
15 aM
1 SO
OR
$133.48
3
Dubuque
$33.09
$47-2
-85
00
$11.0.22
4
Ams`
i37.15
i iT.04
i1.00
"l2I
$109t39
5
Wasik Des Manes
$N 1.57
$41.77
$13.1 e3
WAO
$103.34
6
iioswrs %W
$34.93
$311.ON
$n AO
$6.At1
1L01
7
CedarRapitt
$3 .03
$3Z53.
$22.53
$7-26
$97.35
8
SKMeft
.20
$+1'1.3o
$15-55
$1.25
$BG-_30
9
Carslwriile
18 96
"$40.15
W1. 55
_00
.86
10
CAKMd Biufe s
1.73
$31.90
_00
ELF 00
$0&63
11
WSGe OO
$20_84
1.95
.75
$5-001
$i78.54
12
" J4Yarz�gQ ram is $105.51.R abrerce of $&50
At the .January 22 work session, Council expressed particular interest in the proposed 3% water rate
increase. To provide you broader perspective on how Iowa City°s water rate compares statewide,
the following table is an excerpt from a statewide rate study that the City of Ames, Iowa conducts
annually. The table shows rates at various levels of consumption. In each consumption category,
Iowa City ranks well below the median.
January 31, 2024
Page 4
0 CF
230p19
97Ia
n
F
1554
WOO
16 20
14.14
1347CoUMNHl41A
13 23
Ames
13.15
Oft"s
1R 0a
Boone
12.00
Naulen
11.1E
Ahe
11,14
For NWII
1080
idolhin
10.56
MwahaRtown
10.22
Irdianob
1000
Plesawd iM
10.00
An""
9,31
Iowa
E 19
On Wires
BAD
NvrwaN
$ 00
;NAIL One Mme%
4A7
2= WATM RATEsure U
Mina Wow Ptems Onhr
laws CIOaa (POWISOw110AW)
POipww by" t:41rd Amen, 10"
1 A00 0
[iilOM
1981
0OW&Daen
Zh 20
waukw1
12.7T
Spsnw
7132
,iON13"
89.29
Merwak
82.93
Ankony
58AI
Foil Medram
58.75
Ow
1 $751
Peon
SA
baumwn
it 3d
Lmandae
51 TI
AROMM
51M
1brilEoinaa
Was.
Rw4no4h
54,51
D44MM
a7£r9
Boom
4533
Stmm Lake
4259
Iowa C V
42.57
Cadw Ra Ids
42.23
DuDtx U!
4139
Am"
38 M
uarafiar~
3977
COU"M Bkft
3100
Knnkuk
34.54
Nawtcti
34.41
10.0m CF
r83.52
988.71k}Rry
70—
039�24
527a7
�.ox
597 7B515.2a
BQ a
541 24
11numdain
4w-zt
Irdlan07q
371.26
Walt DO$ M0i11RR
498,78
Anoanq
465 OD
OL13
FOR MMMOM
437.i4
DDet Ml d*5
526 91
CtWMwa
412.00
PARR
MO 53
36775
SAIWM 1..'lrO
M. 6
Amu%
31H.2r
RMO cay
313 17
GadRr Rapid!
295 .E 1
B
293.21
Nawmn
292.71
IFaMMROwn
292A8
COunom BEER
204. 15
50.000 CS
100.000 CF
aranee
T.M
WAwaktiw
SA49
A'O�y
6312
PIOMMA HN
R.227
a"
6.156
MMtAan
5 Ma
MOMS r
5E9q
Boom
6.430
LkbWaW1b
4 7$5
md.angla
4,fiTR
Weal Dee Mohr
4,M7
Adioona
ae13
Peft
41b
nklumwe
3:74
Storm lake
3.427
Fort MA6,5M
3 310
AMaa
3 257
w
3 121
Nawlan
2.HM
Do kkk"%
2.87a
MWOOKOwm
2.e44
krma G!X
ZA21
Ca" Ra role
2.770
1[eo"
2.078
Cdnd MAU
2012
kiadlul 11.31 "ad" Ito k 5*M MR MwOsn 447:4 IA79
Conclusion
Staff is confident that our current rates are very competitive with our peer communities. In recent
years, our Water Division operations have been hindered by inflationary pressures on critical
supplies, such as chemicals, and have experienced significant increases in capital construction
casts. To maintain current service levels and to complete projected capital needs, periodic rate
increases will be needed. Consistent with our Strategic Plan, staff believes these increases are best
considered on an annual basis in smaller increments. Forgoing these increases will only hinder
current operations, create costly deferred maintenance scenarios, increase risk of chronic system
failures, and set the community up for larger rate increases that will be more difficult to absorb into
our customers" own budgets.
Staff will be happy to respond to questions at your February 5t" work session.
UTILITY BILL BILL DATE ZONE I ACCOUNT 0 - CID R
PAY ONLINE: 01/17/2024 C
SERVICE ADDRESS
1 r
SEfiVtCeowto 5ENVICETO
1211112023 0110812024
PAST DUEAMOUNT CURRENT BILL AMOUNT
$0.00 $105.79
IOWA CITY, IA 52240 OATS CURRENT BILL DtJE TOTAL BALANCE DUE
02/01/2024 $106.79
CONSUMPTION INFORMATION
Page 1 of 1
Meter Number Present Heading Previous Readina Cubic Feet Used Read Code
213700 — 212900 800 ACTUAL REAM
USAGE INFORMATION SUMMARY OF CURRENT CHARGES
Cubic Feet Gallons
Present Usage: 800 5,984 WATER 36.31
Average Monthly Usage: 925 6,919 SEWER 36.80
Usage One Year Aga: 700 5,236 REFUSE 14.00
RECYCLING 7.50
ORGANICS (YARD WASTE & COMPOST) 3.50
STORMWATER RESIDENTIAL 5.50
WATER EXCISE TAX 2.18
TOTAL CURRENT CHARGES 105.79
CURRENT DUE AFTER 02/08/2024 (includes 10% late fee) $116.15
BATTERIES CAN CAUSE LANDFILL FIRES. DON'T PUT THEM IN THE TRASH
PROPERLY DISPOSE OF ALL BATTERIES, INCLUDING ALKALINE, LITHIUM,
AND RECHARGEABLE, AT BATTERY DROP-OFF SITES. VIEW IOWA CITY
LOCATIONS AT ICGOV.ORG/HHM.
BILLING DATE
ZONE
ACCOUNT - CID ik PAST DUE AMOUNT CURRENT BALANCE
DUE DATE
CURRENT BALANCE
DUE
T AL BALANCE DUE
AMOUNT PAIL)
01/17/2024
C
_
$0.00 02/01/2024
$105.79
$105.79
CHECK HERE FOR:
❑ Address correction and
cpmplele reverse Side.
Aj�
1011UA CITY, CA 52240
Total Balance Due will be $116.15 if not paid by OZ4M/2024.
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: CITY OF IOWA CITY
REMIT TO:
CITY OF IOWA CITY - UTILITIES
PAYMENT PROCESSING DEPARTMENT
P.O. BOX 3246
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52406-3246
UTILITY BILL
BILL. DATE
ZOt4E
ACCOUNT # - CID I
r
PAY ONLINE:
01/03/2024
A
SEWEE ADD
'
SERVICE FROM
SERWCETO
11/27/2023
12/27/2023
PAST DUE MOUNT
CURRENT BILL AMOUNT
-
$0.00
$8128
IOWA CITY, IA 52245-4104
DATE CURRENT BILL DUE
T{]TAL BALANCE DUE
Meter Number Present Reading
81264
USAGE INFORMATION
Cubic Feet
Present Usage: 516
Average Monthly Usage: 648
Usage One Year Ago: 571
01/18/2024
*SUREPAY
Total Amount due of $8128
will be deducted from ,your account on
0111812024.
CONSUMPTION INFORMATION
Page 1 of 1
Previous Reading Cubic Feet Used Read Code
80748 516 ACTUAL READ
SUMMARY OF CURRENT CHARGES
Gallons
3,860
WATER
25.04
4,848
SEWER
25.24
4,271
REFUSE
14.00
RECYCLING
7.50
ORGANICS (YARD WASTE & COMPOST)
3.50
STORMWATER RESIDENTIAL
5.50
WATER EXCISE TAX
1.50
UTILITY DONATION
1.00
TOTAL CURRENT CHARGES
83.28
'YOUR PAYMENT WILL COME OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT ON THE DUE DATE,
BATTERIES CAN CAUSE LANDFILL FIRES. DON'T PUT THEM IN THE TRASH.
PROPERLY DISPOSE OF ALL BATTERIES, INCLUDING ALKALINE, LITHIUM,
AND RECHARGEABLE, AT BATTERY DROP -OFF SITES. VIEW IOWA CITY
LOCATIONS AT ICGOV.ORG/HHM,
BILLING DATE TONE
ACCOUNT S . CID
PAST DUE AMOUNT
CURRENTI3Al ANCI CURRENT BALANCE
DUE DATE DUE
TOTAL BALANCE DUE AMOUNT PAID
01/03/2024 A
$0.00
01/18/2024 $83.28
*SUREPAY
CHECK HERE FOR:
Address cor+eeh'on and
complete reverse side.
Auft"., -
IOWA CITY, IA 52245-47C4
Total Amount due of $83.28
will be deducted from your account on 0111812024.
r
���4� CITY OF IOWA CITY
M E M 0 RA N D U M
Date: May 2, 2024
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Geoff Fruin, City Manager
Re: Utility Discount Program
The City Council reviewed the FY25 budget proposal with respect to proposed utility rate increases
at its February 6, 2024 work session. At that time, staff provided a detailed memo that explained the
need for selective rate increases, provided sample billing impacts to households both enrolled and
not enrolled in our Utility Discount Program, and shared rate comparisons with other Iowa cities.
That memo is attached for your continued reference.
The City's Utility Discount Program was created in 1979 and originally only consisted of waiving solid
waste fees for eligible participants. In 1996, the program was changed to consist of 50% discount of
the minimum service fee for water and wastewater and 75% of the monthly refuse and recycling
charges. In 1998, the program was changed to consist of 60% discount of the minimum service fee
for water and wastewater and 75% of the monthly refuse and recycling charges. In 2004, the City
created a new storm water fee and included a corresponding 60% discount on that fee for program
participants.
Over the years, staff has worked to promote the availability of this program. Records from 1996
indicate that the program had 92 enrollees. Twenty years later in 2016, staff publicly reported that
the City had 370 enrollees in the Utility Discount Program resulting in an annual discount of
approximately $60,000.
Currently, the City has 411 enrollees in the program. Total annual discounts provided across all
impacted enterprise funds (water, wastewater, refuse and stormwater) are approximately $101,500.
The City must utilize General Fund dollars to cover the subsidy provided by this discount program.
For FY25, it is expected that voluntary utility customer donations will cover $11,500 of the subsidy,
while property tax dollars from the General Fund will be needed to cover the remaining $90,000 of
the projected subsidy.
At this time, staff does not recommend changes to the program. However, we will work to supplement
marketing and promotion of the opportunity for voluntary contributions. Should that number grow
substantially over time, it may free up General Fund dollars that could be used to provide further
household relief through this program or through some other means.
Prepared by: Nicole Davies, Finance Director, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240; 319-356-5085
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Ordinance Amending Title 3, Entitled "City Finances, Taxation And Fees,"
Chapter 4, Entitled "Schedule Of Fees, Rates, Charges, Bonds, Fines, And
Penalties"
Whereas, pursuant to Chapter 384, Code of Iowa (2023), the City of Iowa City is authorized to
establish and provide for the collection of rates to pay for the City's utility systems, including the
City's water supply and treatment system, wastewater treatment system, solid waste disposal
services at the municipal landfill, and stormwater system; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase the low income discount for water user
charges from 60% to 75% of the minimum monthly charge; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase the low income discount for wastewater
.user charges from 60% to 75% of the minimum monthly charge; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to increase the low income discount for stormwater
user charges from 60% to 75% of the monthly charge; and
Whereas, the City increased the delinquency charge on current billed portion of the outstanding
amount on combined water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste account that is not paid
within 22 days of billing date from 5% to 10% on October 20, 2020; and
Whereas, the City's City Code was updated for this increase in Title 3, Chapter 4, Section 5,
entitled "Solid Waste Disposal" on October 3, 2023; and
Whereas, the City's City Code was inadvertently updated back to 5% in Title 3, Chapter 4, Section
5, entitled "Solid Waste Disposal" as set to be approved May 21, 2024; and
Whereas, the Iowa City City Council proposes to update City Code for this increase in Title 3,
Chapter 4, Section 5, entitled "Solid Waste Disposal".
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa:
Section I. Amendment.
1. Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees,
Rates, Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 3, entitled "Potable Water Use and
Service," of the Iowa City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and
replacing it as follows:
3-4-3: Potable Water Use and Service:
Description Of Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Water service charges (see section 16-3A-4 of this Code):
Meter Size
Charge
(Inches)
For first 100 cubic feet or less of water used, based on
5/8, 5/8 X 3/4
$ 8 78
meter size
3/4
9.59
1
11.29
11/2
22.51
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Page 2
2
30.27
3
55.95
4
97.57
6
196.34
There will be no minimum monthly charge for a single purpose water meter for the months of November to March if
no water is used.
User charges for water in excess of 100 cubic feet per
Monthly
Charge Per 100 Cubic Feet
month:
Usage
(Cubic Feet)
Dual purpose meters
101 - 3,000
$4.09
Over 3,000
2.94
Single purpose meters
Over 100
4.09
Other charges and discounts:
Charge
Low income discount
75 percent of minimum monthly water charge
Temporary water use (see subsection 16-3A-4 B of this
Code):
During construction for the first 90 days from the date
Charge Per Month
of the connection to the water main for a new water
service or a maximum of 90 days for reconstruction:
Single- and two-family residences
$ 20.52
Multi -family residences
20.52
Commercial structures
34.19
After 90 days for any structure, until the water meter is
136.72
installed
Charge
Direct purchase of water fee, per 100 gallons or fraction
$ 0.50
thereof (see subsection 16-3A-4 C of this Code)
Deposit and delinquency fee for combined City water
and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
accounts (see section 16-3A-5 of this Code):
Residential owner account
0.00
Residential tenant account
120.00
Commercial account
An amount equal to an average 2 month billing for
commercial service for City water and/or sanitary sewer
service, or $120.00, whichever is greater
10 percent delinquency charge on current billed portion of the outstanding amount on combined water and/or
sanitary sewer and/or solid waste account that is not paid within 22 days of billing date. Can be waived once every
12 months
Delinquency deposit fee for combined water and/or
An amount equal to an average 2 month billing for the
sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection accounts (see
delinquent account. Can be waived if the account holder
section 16-3A-5 of this Code)
enrolls in SurePay
To connect water main extensions, per acre
Charge
$539.42
Service Fees
During Normal
After Normal
Working Hours
Working Hours'
Reconnection of discontinued service
$45
$94.48
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Page 3
Posting fee for shutting off water in collection procedure
$0
Not done after normal
working hours
Frozen water meters
$40.13, plus cost of meter
$94.48, plus cost of
meter
Shut off water service at curb and check for exterior leaks
No charge
$94.48, plus hourly
overtime rate beyond 2
hours
Broken or damaged hydrant
Repair cost
$94.48, plus repair cost
Location of City owned water main for other utilities
No charge
No charge
Location of City owned water main for private enterprise
No charge
$94.48, plus hourly
overtime rate beyond 2
hours
Check water meter for accuracy at consumer's request
$90.94
Not done after normal
working hours
Annual fire hydrant fee for inspection and operation of fire
107.47
Not done after normal
hydrants which are privately owned or owned by other
working hours
government agencies
After hours callout fee for any water work done outside of
Not applicable
$94.48, plus hourly
normal working hours
overtime rate beyond 2
hours
2. Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 4, entitled "Wastewater Treatment Works User
Charges," of the Iowa City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as
follows:
3-4-4: Wastewater Treatment Works User Charges:
Sanitary Sewer Service Charges; Description Of
Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Bond,
Fine Or Penalty
City Code
Chapter, Article Or
Section Reference
Minimum monthly charge (includes the first 100 cubic
feet of water used)
$8.73
16-3A-4
Monthly charge for each additional 100 cubic feet of
water used
4.27
16-3A-4
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly minimum
charge
16-3A-4
Monthly surcharge:
BOD (per pound) 300 or less MPL'
Included in charge for 100 cubic feet
of water used
16-3A-4
BOD (per pound) from 301 MPL to 2,000 MPL'
$ 0.305
16-3A-4
BOD (per pound) greater than 2,000 MPL'
0.456
16-3A-4
Suspended solids (SS) (per pound)
0.244
16-3A-4
Monthly minimum, unmetered user
35.73
16-3A-4
Manufactured housing park, monthly minimum per lot
35.73
16-3A-4
Holding tank waste - plus landfill fees
0.035 per gallon
16-3A-4
Holding tank waste hauler - annual permit
971.40 per year
16-3A-4
Deposit and delinquency fee for combined City water
and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
16-3A-5, 16-3A-7
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Page 4
accounts:
Residential owner account, per combined residential
0.00
service for City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or
solid waste collection service
Residential tenant account, per combined residential
120.00
service for City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or
solid waste collection service
10 percent delinquency charge on current billed
10.0 percent current billed portion.
portion of the outstanding amount on combined
Can be waived once every 12
water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste
months
account that is not paid within 22 days of billing date
Delinquency deposit fee for combined City water and/or
An amount equal to an average 2-
16-3A-5
sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection accounts
month billing for the delinquent
account. Can be waived if the
account holder enrolls in SurePay
3. Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 5, entitled "Solid Waste Disposal," of the Iowa City
Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as follows:
3-4-5: Solid Waste Disposal:
Description Of Fee, Charge, Bond, Fine Or Penalty
Charge
Yard waste collection fees:
Per dwelling unit, per month
$3.50
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly charge
Untreated wood waste
Free
Additional yard waste carts over 1, per month
$3.50
Collection of large items fees:
Appliance collection, per item collected
$20.00
Bulky solid waste
$20.00 per stop and 1 item; $10.00 per
additional items
Tire collection
$3.75 per tire; $7.50 tire and rim
Residential solid waste collection fees:
Curbside household refuse:
Per dwelling unit, per month
$14.00
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly charge
Per sticker for each additional bag beyond each unit's monthly
allotment
$ 2.50 each
Additional refuse carts over 1, per month
$14.00 each
Per 2 rooming units, per month (in addition to the dwelling unit
fees)
15.90
Electronic waste
TVs or monitors $21.50 per item
Curbside recycling:
Per dwelling unit, per month
$8.50
Low income discount
75 percent of monthly charge
Iowa City community compost
$20.00 per ton, $2.00 minimum
Wood chip mulch )
No charge
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Page 5
Deposit and delinquency fee combined for City water and/or sanitary
sewer and/or solid waste collection accounts:
Residential owner account, per combined residential service for
City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
service
$ 0.00
Residential tenant account, per combined residential service for
City water and/or sanitary sewer and/or solid waste collection
service
120.00
10 percent delinquency charge on current billed portion of the
outstanding amount on combined water and/or sanitary sewer
and/or solid waste account that is not paid within 22 days of billing
date
10 percent current billed portion. Can be
waived once every 12 months
Delinquency deposit for combined water and/or sanitary sewer and/or
solid waste collection service
An amount equal to an average 2-month
billing for the delinquent account. Can be
waived if the account holder enrolls in
SurePay
Special wastes disposal fees:
Disposal of special wastes (except for asbestos containing material
and contaminated soils)
2 times the landfill use fees in this section
Minimum fee
2 times the landfill use fee for 1 ton
Asbestos containing material (ACM):
Nonfriable ACM, from Iowa City premises subject to a
Property Tax and City owned property
$100.00/ton
Nonfriable ACM, from other locations
105.00/ton
Friable ACM, from Iowa City premises subject to a Property
Tax and City owned property
100.00/cubic yard
Friable ACM, from other locations
105.00/cubic yard
Minimum fee for any regulated ACM
100.00
Contaminated soil:
50.00/ton
Minimum fee for contaminated soil
150.00
Disposal of large items fees (see also Collection of large items fees
above):
Appliance disposal fees:
Commercial per item disposed
1.00/cubic foot
Residential per item disposed
$12.50 (at landfill scale house)
Tire disposal fee:
Per pound
$ 0.15
Subject to minimum fee
3.00
Untreated wood waste and yard waste:
24.00/ton
Minimum
2.00
Landfill use fees:
Arriving at the landfill with an unsecured or uncovered load:
First instance in trailing 12 months
Warning
Second or subsequent instances in trailing 12 months
$50.00
Electronic waste
$3.00 per item; TVs or monitors $15.00 per
item
Solid waste from Iowa City premises subject to a Property Tax and
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Page 6
City owned property:
Total landfill fee per ton (includes State fee per ton)
$47.50
All other solid waste:
Total landfill fee per ton (includes State fee per ton)
$52.50
Minimum fee in lieu of tonnage fees (600 pounds or less):
Solid waste from Iowa City premises subject to a Property Tax
and City owned property
$14.00
All other solid waste
$15.00
Title 3, entitled "City Finances, Taxation, and Fees," Chapter 4, entitled "Schedule of Fees, Rates,
Charges, Bonds, Fines, and Penalties," Section 6, entitled "Stormwater Utility Fee," of the Iowa
City Code is hereby amended by deleting it in its entirety and replacing it as follows:
3-4-6: Stormwater Utility Fee:
Description Of Fee, Bond, Charge, Fine Or Penalty
Amount Of Fee, Charge, Bond,
Fine Or Penalty
Stormwater utility fee. Users include all users owning or occupying
1 equivalent residential unit (ERU) _
developed property in the City of Iowa City
$5.50
Low income discount
75 percent of the monthly charge
Section II. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this
Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section III. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to be
invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section IV. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect on October 1, 2024.
and approved this loth day of August , 2024
Mayor Pro Tem
City Clerk
Approved by
— �W_- . A
City Attor ey's Office - 05/28/2024
Ordinance No. 24-4933
Page 7
It was moved by Moe and seconded by Alter
the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS
—x
x
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
First Consideration 07/16/2024
Alter
Bergus
Dunn
Harmsen
Moe
Salih
Teague
that
Vote for passage: AYES: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih,
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
Second Consideration 08/06/2024
Vote for passage: AYES: Alter, Bergus, Dunn, Harmsen, Moe, Salih,
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
Date published August 29, 2024
Teague
Teague
Item Number: IP3.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Joint Entities Meeting Minutes: January 13
Attachments: Joint Entities Meeting Minutes - January 13
MINUTES OF THE JOINT ENTITIES MEETING
HOSTED BY JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
JANUARY 13, 2025
Chairperson Green called the Joint Entities meeting to order in the Johnson County Health and Human Services
Building Boardroom at 4:30 p.m.
Elected Officials Present Included: City of Coralville- Mayor Megan Foster, Councilors Hai Huynh* & Rich
Vogelzang*; City of Hills- Mayor Tim Kemp; City of Iowa City- Councilors Laura Bergus & Shawn Hermansen;
City of North Liberty Councilor Brian Leibold, City of University Heights Councilors Louise From & Nick
Herbold*, Clear Creek Amana School District Board Member Gabe Schaapveld*, Johnson County Supervisors V
Fixmer Oraiz*, Jon Green, Mandi Remington, Lisa Green -Douglass, & Rod Sullivan; Iowa City School District
Board members Molly Abraham* & Jayne Finch.
*Denotes electronic participation.
Public Comment- No one from the public spoke.
Livable Community for Successful Aging
Johnson County Livable Community for Successful Aging (JCLC) Policy Board Chair John Kalohn provided an
update on the program highlighting its mission, vision, structure, the policy board's roles and responsibilities,
receiving AARP Age Friendly Certification, AARP Domains of Livability, and launching a survey aimed at
understanding the experiences and perceptions of residents aged 45 and older regarding livability in Johnson
County.
CRANDIC Rail Line
Kent Ralston, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County, presented options
for reusing the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC). His overview included the railway's
background, previous studies, and proposed next steps. Eastham asked about safety measures near schools, to
which Ralston confirmed that the studies addressed necessary protocols. Green mentioned a recent non -binding
resolution indicating the Board's interest in collaborating with Pop -Up Metro, LLC.
Next Meeting Dates & Hosts
April 21, 2025 — Iowa City Community School District; July 21, 2025 — Coralville; October 20, 2025 — Iowa City;
January 12, 2026 — North Liberty; April 20, 2026 — University Heights; July 20, 2026 — Johnson County; October
19, 2026 — Iowa City Community School District.
Adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
Attest: Julie Persons, Auditor
Recorded by Auditors Office: Marly Melsh, Executive Clerk to the Board
Item Number: IP4.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Civil Service Entrance Examination - Custodian - Government Buildings
Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Custodian - Government Buildings
r
4
M.
# O
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa S2240-1826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
iwww.icgov.org
April 23, 2025
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Custodian — Government Buildings
Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby
certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Custodian —
Government Buildings.
1. Adam Badami
2. Lupita Wombacher
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
f �
Rick Wyss, Chair
Item Number: IP5.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Civil Service Entrance Examination - Family Self -Sufficiency Coordinator
Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Family Self -Sufficiency Coordinator
min �
� r�®fifal
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa S2240- 1 826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
www.icgov.org
April 23, 2025
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Family Self -Sufficiency Coordinator
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 Family Self -
Sufficiency Coordinator.
Abdellatif Idris
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
Rick Wy s, Chair
Item Number: IP6.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Civil Service Entrance Examination - Maintenance Worker I -Pool Maintenance Worker I -
Pools
Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Maintenance Worker I -Pool
Maintenance Worker I -Pools
� r
_
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
www.icgov.org
April 23, 2025
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker I — Pools
Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby
certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker
I — Pools.
Anthony Sotelo
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
Rick Wyss, Chair
Item Number: IP7.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Civil Service Entrance Examination - Mass Transit Operator
Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Mass Transit Operator
l r I
kr I'S�
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa S2240-1826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 3S6-5009 FAX
www.lcgov.org
April 23, 2025
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Mass Transit Operator
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 Mass Transit
Operator.
Jacob Allman
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
Rick W sy s, Chair
Item Number: IP8.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Civil Service Entrance Examination - Landfill Operator - Heavy Equipment
Attachments: Civil Service Entrance Examination - Landfill Operator - Heavy Equipment
� r
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
www.icgov.org
April 23, 2025
TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Landfill Operator — Heavy Equipment
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 Landfill Operator —
Heavy Equipment.
Rex Bryant
Iowa City Civil Service Commission
Ricks, ss, Chair
Item Number: IP9.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Library Board of Trustees: March 27
Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: March 27
Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
March 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.
Members Absent: Hannah Shultz, Dan Stevenson.
Staff Present: Elsworth Carman, Anne Mangano, Brent Palmer, Jason Paulios, Angie Pilkington, Katie
Roche, Jen Royer.
Guests Present: Matt Gilchrist, Luna Johnk.
Call Meeting to Order. Rocklin called the meeting to order at 5:01 pm. A quorum was present.
Approval of March 27, 2025 Board Meeting Agenda. Johnk made a motion to approve
the March 27, 2025 board meeting agenda. Matthews seconded. Motion passed 7/0.
Rocklin proposed a change to the board meeting agenda and said the director evaluation discussion
would happen at the April meeting and the agenda entry should not include board action. Johnk made a
motion to revise the March 27, 2025 agenda as Rocklin proposed. Matthews seconded. Motion passed
7/0.
Public Discussion. None.
Items to be Discussed.
Policy Review: 505 Volunteers. Carman said Roche and Helmick worked on the policy review. Roche
said there aren't a lot of substantial changes to policy. Roche said in practice, the way we work with
volunteers is an ongoing conversation, but the policy related to it stands. Boothroy noted 505.5 and said
since this is a policy that is applicable for multiple years, Boothroy wondered if the last sentence needed
the phrase "with an annual event". Boothroy noted perhaps one year wouldn't be possible and we have a
If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Jen Royer, Iowa City
Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-rover@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to
meet your access needs.
variety of ways of recognition. Boothroy suggested the last phrase could be dropped. Roche agreed.
Carman shared it was practical. Paetzold noted the proposed change to 505.1 and asked why certain
groups were eliminated and others added.
Gilchrist entered the meeting at 5:04 pm.
Roche said in practice the library is not working with as many community service clients. Roche said there
are not many personal development classes implemented in the volunteer program because there are
minimum requirements that need to be met. Roche said volunteers in classes have one or two hours of
service as opposed to the multiple hours that are needed at ICPL. Roche believed the requirement was 20
or 30 hours over a couple months at ICPL. Roche said the committee considered that special needs
populations are already part of the volunteer pool and don't need to be called out. Paetzold asked if
historically underserved and marginalized communities are part of the volunteer pool already. Roche said
yes, but other ICPL documents specifically indicate support for those populations.
Raeburn said in 505.1 D the language "suitable jobs" makes it sounds like employees. Raeburn suggested
using "appropriate activities" or something to that nature. Carman suggested tasks and Raeburn agreed.
Carman asked if Paetzold suggested the policy language should be changed. Paetzold said she was
mulling it over but did not recommend a change. Massa asked if 505.1 D was needed. Carman said a
positive challenge with volunteers is there are more requests than can be accommodated. Carman said he
wasn't part of the policy committee but thought there was merit to calling out historically underserved or
marginalized groups to help communicate saying yes to one volunteer and no to another. Carman said he
understood Massa's question and does think the policy could function without 505.1.D. Massa suggested
"provide meaningful experiences for groups and individuals who desire to volunteer as staffing permits
and suitable jobs or tasks are available". Roche said she and Helmick felt they were honoring the historic
institutional commitment to underserved and marginalized groups.
Paetzold shared she was not sure it belonged there, noting we want to provide meaningful experiences
for all volunteers. Matthews shared she agreed section D wasn't needed as C covered it. Matthews said
she loved it as a value, but it wasn't needed in the policy. Rocklin said D adds the idea that we will have
limited availability to provide the experiences as staffing permits and suitable tasks are available. Paetzold
felt it minimized instead of advocating for. Rocklin said he wasn't taking a position on whether to do that
or not and acknowledged that not every person that wants to volunteer can. Matthews asked can you tag
the language "as staffing permits..." to section A. Roche referred to line 505.32 that gives additional
information that is pertinent to the line. Paetzold asked Roche to clarify if she was proposing the
adjustment that Matthews suggested or the inclusion of D altogether. Paulios said more to Rocklin's point.
Roche said we can only meet those requests if we have availability. Paetzold asked if Roche was
suggesting no adjustment was needed or if she was supporting the removal of D. Roche said she is
comfortable with D staying because 505.32. Roche guessed that D was introduced to the policy because
of the kinds of ongoing requests the institution receives, and it is helpful to have in policy directly. Carman
noted Matthew's point was important, sharing the library's value statement and strategic plan reinforce
those ideas. Carman said if the policy doesn't feel like the right place for it, the idea wouldn't be lost.
Rocklin asked if staff should bring back the policy. Matthews asked the committee to consider if D is
necessary as it is covered in library values and the work done at the library every day. Roche said if 505.32
If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City
Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to
meet your access needs.
covers it, striking D is acceptable, and Carman feels like it is covered by value statements we could
proceed.
Boothroy noted Raeburn's point about using the word tasks instead of job. Boothroy asked the committee
to bat around the idea of position because it sounds like a job too. Boothroy said consider talking about
assigned tasks instead of a position in 505.32.
Rocklin asked the staff committee to bring the policy back at the next meeting.
Staff Reports.
Director's Report. Carman said he was hopeful to have an IMLS funding update but there wasn't much
more to share. There were many responses to the executive order arguing that IMLS is already compliant
because the funding goes to statutory functions; it's already core projects and programs. As more
information becomes available, Carman will loop the Board in. Carman said there are general legislation
updates. The 2nd funnel deadline is April 4, so by that date policy bills need to be passed by their home
committee and the assigned opposite chamber. Carman said the bills he is watching the most are HF880
(Enrich Iowa bill) and HF521 (obscenity exemption bill). Both are still functionally alive.
Pilkington exited the meeting at 5:18 pm.
Carman said SF493 (prohibits local governments from spending tax dollars on lobbyists) is still alive.
Carman had a conversation with City Attorney, Eric Goers, about impacts of SF 503 (Expands criteria for
open records eligibility for cities) on ALA and ILA work. Carman said there aren't clear answers at this
point. Carman said this point in the session is always a waiting game. Raeburn noted that news from the
house gets more publicity than news from the senate. Raeburn asked if the bills are alive in both the
house and senate. Carman said some bills that came earlier in the session are companion bills. Carman
said he thought both 880 and 521 have a senate component bill. Carman agreed it still has to process
through both groups.
Pilkington entered the meeting at 5:23 pm.
Raeburn said there was an assumption that this was a done deal and that when Trump issued legislation
in 2020 and 2016, there were two different executive orders. Raeburn shared he would like to know what
the stature is of US Code Title 20 Educational chapter 72 signed by Trump 12/31/2018. Raeburn noted
there was a second bill he would also like to know about. Carman agreed it could be included in the next
packet.
Departmental Reports: Adult Services. Raeburn noted language about the summer library program
and suggested an edit, noting library programs are not for staff. Carman clarified the trainings are for
library staff and agreed it could be more clear.
Paetzold and Boothroy appreciated the details of the report.
Community & Access Services. Helmick absent. Paetzold noted the library website showed the
Bookmobile had a few down days and asked if it was for regular maintenance or lifespan issues. Carman
shared some of the recent closures were weather related. Pilkington said one of the closures was for
regular maintenance and it was determined the back breaks needed repair. Pilkington said the
maintenance coincided with spring break and a majority of schools being closed.
If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City
Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to
meet your access needs.
Development Report. Roche said 200tickets for Bright Future had sold so far. Roche said she has seen an
extreme amount of generosity in the community and was very pleased. Roche shared she was happy with
the advocacy newsletter and the press release about IMLS. Rocklin encouraged Trustees to attend Bright
Future. Raeburn asked if there was news on the meeting of the two Finance committees. Roche said there
was a great conversation, and she was tasked with finding more information to move forward.
President's Report. Rocklin shared that Royer notified him a letter was mailed to him as Board
President from a law firm. Rocklin shared the library was mentioned in a will but there were no assets to
be distributed.
Announcements from Members. None.
Committee Reports.
Advocacy Committee. Paetzold shared the committee worked on a statement they'd like to have posted
in the library reinforcing library values. Paetzold said it was written during a period when there was more
happening with legislation and we're in a slightly different period now, but it brings up the question of
how to do this in a timely way. Paetzold asked Trustees for their response from the statement of values to
be posted in the front of the library. Paetzold noted there were two values in creating it. The first being to
share it with the community and the second to stand firm with staff.
Matthews said it stemmed from the letter the Board wrote in 2022, noting the statement was a short and
sweet version of that letter which she hoped would have graphic design. Matthews saw value in having a
bulleted list of what ICPL stands for instead of an essay, to have the same impact with more readability.
Rocklin shared he thought it was quite wonderful. Rocklin noted the board can't adopt the statement
because it was not on the agenda. Johnk suggested striking the words "we support" from every first
sentence. Matthews said in her imagination, on a poster, the words "we support" were in big letters and
underneath were the statements in smaller letters. Matthews said the committee didn't want it to state
"Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Values" at the top and shared she was open to ideas. Rocklin
noted there are library values in the strategic plan that are different. Rocklin suggested the title "At the
Iowa City Public Library we Support:" and then list the statements below. There was consensus among the
Trustees.
Boothroy supported the idea of a short statement that people would read. Boothroy said the phrase
parental choice is used regularly with school vouchers, noting it is a red flag phrase, and asked if there is
another way to convey this. Rocklin asked Carman if there is language that is more inclusive that refers to
adults that care for kids. Carman suggested caregiver in lieu of guardians, it is used in youth services
materials to be inclusive. Carman didn't have a suggestion to replace parental choice with. Rocklin
suggested family choice. Paetzold advocated for keeping parental choice because it is the argument used
against libraries. Paetzold said it supported the standing that libraries agree with parental choice too and
this is what it means to us. Matthews said that was also how the committee landed on local control as
well, it's a word that is thrown around a lot and means different things depending on who said it. Helmick
was also involved in that conversation and recommended it. Matthews shared she saw where Boothroy
was coming from, it is a private school idea.
Johnk & Johnk exited the meeting at 5:39 pm.
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Paetzold noted there were pros and cons to using parental choice. Raeburn asked if librarians are certified
in the way teachers are noting professors are not certified. Carman said yes and having certification is part
of the accreditation standards. Carman said to be a certified librarian you have to send in your transcript
and maintain continuing education credits that are reported to the state library. A library having certified
librarians impacts the library's tier status. Paetzold noted some libraries have lost accreditation over it.
Johnk & Johnk entered the meeting at 5:41 pm.
Carman said there is a new board photo in the library lobby and the committee could consider using it as
a base for a complimentary design. Carman suggested having graphics work on the design. Matthews felt
it was not yet ready, noting indecision on parental choice. Paetzold wanted to deliberate on parental
choice and asked if parental choice is advocating for the school voucher system. Mangano said context is
important and depending on who is reading it how do you know what they're coming up with. Mangano
said she thinks the second sentence explains it. Mangano said parental choice is a phrase that many
libraries are using now to explain how people should be making choices to their own communities.
Mangano compared it to going to a supermarket and where there are a variety of things and it is up to
families to decide what to get. Mangano said phrases that staff use inside the library are very different
than ones used with community members. Boothroy said that makes sense, saying her filter is through the
school and that is not what is pertinent to a library. Paetzold said it is because Boothroy was speaking to a
population in the community.
Matthews asked if guardians should be scratched and caregivers should be used instead. There was
agreement. Carman said both local choice and parental control are phrases he uses intentionally to speak
with legislators and said it felt significant to use both phrases. Carman said it is also used to talk about
policy regularly when deciding if things should be managed differently, noting the importance of parental
choice. Boothroy said she was not opposed to the phrases because she didn't think it could be
misconstrued to mean the Iowa City Public Library supports school vouchers. Matthews asked if the bullet
points were in the right order. Johnk didn't imagine it going any other way. Raeburn asked if the
statement would be the library's credo. Rocklin suggested bringing the statement back to the next
meeting.
Paetzold asked the trustees as a body how to have flexibility to respond immediately. Paetzold said we
need to be more nimble. Rocklin agreed. Paetzold asked how the foundation responded so quickly. Roche
said the library was working to interpret what was happening and that info was requested and was put
into a press release. Paetzold asked if it came about because a staff person brought this or did Roche
need to get the approval of the body. Roche said the foundation adopted an advocacy position two years
ago and it is a part of the work the foundation does, there aren't special permissions that need to be
sought. Carman asked as long as foundation members support it that are in an advocacy role it goes
through. Roche said there is not an advocacy role on the foundation board, but the foundation board
supports advocacy work. Rocklin and Paetzold asked if the foundation empowered Roche to do that.
Roche agreed. Matthews said the library board doesn't have that structure. Matthews suggested Roche
should be in the advocacy committee meeting. Paetzold said no, it's private vs public, so it is an
interesting issue. Paetzold said she would like to know if there are other city boards that can move quickly,
or if they need to vote approval before it goes out. Rocklin said it is just the library and airport in terms of
autonomy. Paetzold said we've been in this position a few times and have been more nimble in the past
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calling emergency meetings. Paetzold said a system should be in place to be active. Carman said he would
ask some director groups.
Finance Committee. Massa said Roche summarized the finance committee meeting well. Massa said he
was the trustee rep for the finance committee and the foundation's finance committee. Carman said a
member of the foundation board attended, as well as Rocklin. They met and will have some options for
the board to look at in April. Massa said they are looking specifically at the undesignated gifts account,
with more to come.
Foundation Members. None.
Communications.
News Articles. Matthews appreciated the full coverage from news sources, and shared many more books
were pulled than the Des Moines Register article indicated, far more than 3,400 books were pulled.
Matthews said as of yesterday schools can put the books back on the shelves for now. The injunction is
now back in place and high schools are putting materials back out until another unset court date.
Consent Agenda. Boothroy made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Johnk seconded.
Motion passed 7/0.
Set Agenda Order for April Meeting. The nominations committee will present a slate of
officers, appointments to the foundation board will be made, there will be a discussion on board
recognition, policies on copy right, circulation policies, and volunteers will be reviewed, 3rd quarter
financial reports and statistics, director evaluation, and advocacy statement will be reviewed.
Carman proposed moving some policies to May. There was discussion about which items to move. Rocklin
said to move policy 801 to May and keep 814 and 809 for the April meeting.
Adjournment. Rocklin adjourned the meeting at 5:57 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Jen Royer
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:`.i% IOWA CITY
rjW PUBLIC LIBRARY
Board of Commissions: ICPL Board of Trustees
Attendance Record
Name
Term
Expiration
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
3/27/2025
4/3/2025
Boothro , Bonnie
6/30/2029
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
Johnk, DJ
6/30/2025
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
OE
Massa, Joseph
6/30/2027
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
Matthews, Claire
6/30/2023
X
OE
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
O
X
X
X
X
Paetzold, Robin
6/30/2023
X
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
Raeburn, John
6/30/2027
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Rocklin, Tom
6/30/2025
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Shultz, Hannah
6/30/2025
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
OE
X
Stevenson, Daniel
6/30/2027
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
OE
X
KEY:
X Present
O Absent
OE Excused Absence
NM No Meeting Held
R Resigned
TE Term Expired
Item Number: IP10.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Library Board of Trustees: April 3
Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: April 3
Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
April 3, 2025
2nd Floor — Boardroom
Special Meeting - 5:00 PM
9 "T
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, Joseph Massa, Claire Matthews, Robin Paetzold, John
Raeburn, Tom Rocklin, Hannah Shultz (remote), Dan Stevenson.
Members Absent: DJ Johnk.
Staff Present: Elsworth Carman, Karen Corbin, Anne Mangano, Brent Palmer, Jason Paulios, Angie
Pilkington, Katie Roche, Jen Royer.
Guests Present: Eric Goers.
Call Meeting to Order. Rocklin called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. A quorum was present.
Approval of April 3, 2025 Board Meeting Agenda. Massa made a motion to approve the
April 3, 2025 board meeting agenda. Paetzold requested to move agenda item C (discussion on
employing a search firm) to the top of the agenda as it would affect items A & B (reviewing the position
description & announcement). Boothroy seconded. Motion passed 7/0, Shultz abstained.
Rocklin requested the board reconsider the order of the agenda items by moving item F (open meetings
and open records law, Eric Goers) to the top of the agenda. There were no objections.
Public Discussion. None.
Items to be Discussed.
Raeburn entered the meeting at 5:03 pm.
Open Meetings and Open Records Law, Eric Goers. Rocklin asked Goers to give an overview as the
board will operate under new Iowa open meetings and open records laws when hiring a director, noting
things have changed a bit in that domain. Goers introduced himself as city attorney for the City of Iowa
City. Goers explained historical procedures and shared for decades in Iowa the way searches for
positions directly hired by governmental bodies has gone is applicants have requested confidentiality,
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and the governing body went into closed session to consider those applicants. At some point, finalists
were revealed in a public process, but almost never early in the screening process. Goers said there are
several reasons for this. Folks who are working for another employer may not want their present
employer to know they are looking for a different position. They also may not want to expose
themselves to public consideration of their resume and qualifications if they could avoid it. Goers said
that process has been done for decades without qualms.
Goers shared that recently the Iowa Court of Appeals has come down with an opinion, and the Iowa
Supreme Court with another. The open meetings case was related to the hiring of the Cedar Rapids City
Clerk, and it was concluded that unless there were specific and articulable negative things that would
irreparably harm the applicant's reputation then they could not go into closed sessions to consider the
hiring and firing of those candidates. Goers said, to be clear, the statute has always said something to
the effect of, if there is risk of irreparable harm to the candidate or person requesting to go into closed
session, that is the basis for closing. Goers said the word necessary has always been there and the court
of appeals has decided to focus on that now. Their opinion was that you could go into closed session
initially for each candidate but only to then determine what the specific and articulable things are that
would irreparably harm their reputation, which is not the best way to open a job interview. As a result, it
doesn't seem very practicable. The court of appeals, specifically in their opinion, considered the
possibility that boards would go in and out of open and closed sessions several times during one
interview, which does not seem very practical. Every time the board goes in closed session everyone
present would know there is something out there that might irreparably harm the candidate's
reputation, which leads to speculation. Similarly with open records, the Iowa Supreme Court case
concluded that application materials were not to be considered personnel records, because they are not
employees yet of the governing body hiring. It was determined the internal applicants don't count
either and the outside applicants enjoy some protection because it is communication with the
governmental body that is not required, and they may be discouraged from doing so if their
communication were to be made public. That is a specific exemption to open records law 22.7.18 which
has been there for a long time and the court said that made sense. This led to the somewhat perverse
outcome that internal applicants had their application materials exposed, and external applicants did
not, which seemed unbalanced. Goers said those are the challenges that have come up earlier this year.
Goers said city attorneys in Iowa are struggling to figure out what to do. The court of appeals' opinion
on open records has been appealed by Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa Supreme Court has accepted it for
further review. Goers said maybe by the end of the calendar year there could be a different answer, but
we're stuck with the law as it sits for the library director search process.
Goers said the penalty for violations are serious, a regular violation for every board member that votes
to go into closed session when it turns out they should not have is $500-$1,000 dollars. If it is a known
violation, it is $1,000 to $2,500 per board member, plus the attorney fees of the person challenging the
closed session. Those fees are paid personally by the board members who voted to go into closed
session. There is a House file 706 that has been proposed by Iowa Legislature to change the penalties to
$2,500 for innocuous violations and $5,000-$12,500 per board member paid from their personal funds if
it is a knowing violation. Goers said if it is done more than once the trustee(s) are ordered to be
removed from the governmental body. Goers said it is not a law to be messed with. Goers said this leads
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to some problems, any search expert or consultant would tell you that the disclosure of candidacy in
hiring is going to discourage many applicants for the reasons Goers mentioned previously. Goers said it
is a similar problem for evaluations. Goers said city attorney's throughout the state are struggling with
what to do about that as well. Goers said there are some options:
• Option one is that there could be a fully open process with all materials publicly available, you
would want to communicate with anyone who applied up front in the application materials that
anything submitted would likely be public and any interview process, screening, or selection of
candidates would be done in an open session. Goers said this probably won't help the candidate
pool.
• Option two is to delegate the authority to winnow the field of applicants to just a few finalists
that would be public. The authority could be delegated to a single person such as the board
president or to a small group that is less than a quorum. However, it is important that the small
group is not an official subcommittee because there are arguments to be made that if you
officially appoint that body, it would be an official subcommittee, and that body would be subject
to open meeting laws which would defeat the point.
• Option three is the board could delegate the board president, who in turn could select a few
volunteers from the board (totaling less than a quorum) and folks from outside the board, if that
is valuable to the process, who would then winnow the field to deliver final candidates to the
board in an open session.
• Option four is that option 3 could be taken a step further and that group could choose the final
candidate and bring it to the board for approval.
Option five is to hire a consultant or executive search firm. They would solicit applications and
narrow them down to a chosen number of finalists. Application materials would be shared from
internal candidates and the final decision would be made in open session.
Paetzold noted the previous director's search and asked how the second and fourth options differ.
Paetzold said in the past the consultant would go through the list of candidates and break down the
pool to a manageable number and have a first round of interviews. Paetzold said the second round of
interviews was public presentations with the finalists. Paetzold said other than the first round having to
be open to the public now there wouldn't be a difference. Goers said he thought that was probably
right. Goers shared he was involved in the hiring process for Carman, noting it had been a number of
years and he couldn't recall all of the details, but he remembered a search firm was involved. Goers
wasn't able to recall on his own whether they had done an initial screening. Paetzold said the firm did an
initial screening and the committee did a second screening to ensure candidates were meeting the basic
qualifications. Paetzold said they then did a video round of interviews and brought it down to three final
candidates who then presented in public, though the discussion was not open to the public. Paetzold
said with the current options the process would be the same, but the discussion would have to be public
now. Paetzold asked Goers, does public mean public for viewing or can an attendant participate? Goers
said you wouldn't need to allow the public to participate but the meetings would need to be open to
the public. Goers noted there were no members of the public present at the current Board meeting but
there could be cameras rolling to share with news outlets. Paetzold said in the past there was a
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question -and -answer period during the finalist presentations. Goers agreed and said he would have
expected the committee to narrow the field to Carman in closed session.
Rocklin asked if that smaller group, which was called a committee last time but would not be called that
now, would be a conflict now anytime they got together. Goers said it cannot be an official committee.
Rocklin said it can be a group of volunteers. Goers said what he would want to see, if going the route of
having the president solicit volunteers, that would probably be not sitting around the board table, that
would be the president going home and getting on the phone and talking to people. Paetzold asked if
libraries follow the same category as city employers with this, noting the library is slightly more
autonomous than a city clerk would be. Paetzold asked if libraries have any additional flexibility. Goers
said the library is a governmental body, and it's because the library is semiautonomous that makes the
argument even more powerful that this should be open to the public. Goers said the library board is
entirely in control. Goes said this also applies to the city council and all 23 of the boards and
commissions. Goers said when there are two city council members on economic development or bylaws
committees, they are open and notice is posted. Goers said all these rules would apply to the library
board. Rocklin said if we had an official committee, it's not just that anyone can attend but there is a
notice required, and you've got to stick to the published agenda.
Carman asked if the board were to appoint a director in lieu of a traditional interview process how that
would change the process. Goers said he wasn't sure that it would change anything, if the board wanted
to discuss a particular candidate it would have to happen in open session. Goers said this is a tricky
thing and in the city there are only five employees to which this applies because they report to a
governmental body: the library director, airport manager, city manager, city clerk, and city attorney.
Goers said the City of Iowa City has around 1,000 employees and this only applies to 5.
Pilkington said if an outside group reviewed candidates and was not subject to open meetings laws,
could the leadership team narrow down the candidates for the library director and present it to the
board. Goers asked if it was Pilkington's vision that the board would delegate authority to the library
leadership team to do the winnowing in Pilkington's hypothetical scenario. Pilkington agreed. Goers said
he thought that could be done because the leadership team would not be part of the board, so it
wouldn't violate open meetings laws. Pilkington asked if that occurred if applications would not need to
be open to the public. Goers said he wouldn't agree with that, especially the internal candidates. Goers
said that the breakdown in the Iowa Supreme Court case was external applicants can remain private but
internal applicants is open to the public because they are not outside of government.
Boothroy asked when all of this went into effect. Goers said he believed January 2025. Goers said there
were two cases this calendar year and they are all recent. Boothroy said there wouldn't be people in the
state we could turn to and ask how they did it. Goers said he has been making those calls and there is
no silver bullet. Goers said everyone in Iowa is struggling and all are trying to choose the least bad
option. Goers said a lot of the conversations have been centered around evaluations, and the same set
of rules apply.
Paetzold clarified any conversation the board would have with a consultant would be public, and asked
but any conversation a consultant had with an applicant would not be public. Goers said he would want
the board to have buy in with the selection of the consultant. Paetzold agreed but said once a
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consultant is hired, conversations with a consultant would be had in a quorum and open, but a
conversation that a consultant would have representing the applicants would be within their own
domain. Goers said a lot of this comes down to subject matter. Goers agreed that meeting with a
consultant to share values, or candidate profiles the board would like to see that should be done in
public. Goers said a lot of it comes down to if there is quorum having the discussion. Goers said if it is
the governmental body having the discussion it would have to be public. Rocklin said if it is a smaller
group that is not a committee meeting with the consultant it can be done in private. Goers said he
believed that is correct.
Goers said there is another case, Hutchison v. Shull, that talks about agency in a serial meeting. Goers
said you can't have an agent, such as the board president, talk to board member #1 and ask what they
think, then go to board member #2 to see what they think. Goers said discussion through an agent is a
violation. Rocklin asked if there is a get out of a jail free card if the board is following city attorney's
advice. Goers said in years past, the city attorney's office has written a memo to the board stating their
belief that you can go into closed session based on Iowa Code and that is the get out of jail free card.
The board can say they relied on the opinion of counsel. Goers said they can't write that letter anymore.
Rocklin said if the board forms a group of volunteers on Goers legal advice, and someone says the
board was clearly evading the open meetings law in doing so. Goers said he understood Rocklin's point.
Goers said he thinks he could still write that memo if that would be valuable to the board. Matthews
asked if there were a small group of three in closed session to winnow the candidates down, and their
recommendation went to another small group to finalize the candidates could that be in closed
meeting. Goers said if it is not a governmental body no open meetings are required. If a governmental
body meets then open meeting laws would apply. Rocklin thanked Goers for his help.
Goers exited the meeting at 5:27 pm.
Search for Library Director: Discussion on Employing a Search Firm. Rocklin asked Paetzold to speak
to the group as the only Trustee who has been through a director hire. Paetzold said Mangano and
Paulios were also on the committee last time.
Paetzold said there are firms that specialize in library specific searches. Last time the Board put out a bid
for their services and received 8 bids with different specializations. Paetzold said they selected Bradbury,
which was not the least expensive but had excellent references and a menu of services. Paetzold said in
all honesty some mistakes were made, and the committee learned a lot. In the end the committee got a
lot of applicants. Bradbury helped to define thejob description, advertise the position, collect
applications, screen candidates, remove candidates from the pool who did not meet the minimum
requirements, and helped the committee select who to interview. The hiring committee had to be small
so as not to have a quorum. The committee discussed the initial interview and selected who to invite for
finalist interviews. The three finalist interviews were done on the same night and included a presentation
to the public. Finalists then later met with the board and library staff, and got a city tour. The consultant
helped negotiate with the final candidate and acted as their broker. The committee then brought a final
decision to the board for a vote and the entire process took 8 or 9 months. Paetzold said it was
expensive but other libraries who did not use consultants have affirmed they were at a disadvantage.
Paetzold said that former director, Susan Craig, warned the committee the public would want to be very
involved, they care, and the Iowa City community is very committed to their library. Paetzold said
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Paulios was the Union representative at the time and Mangano was the management representative.
Rocklin said there were three trustees and two staff members last time on the committee. Paetzold
shared HR and legal were there to advise and represent the city.
Carman said every director transition is complex, and that this situation is very different than when Craig
left because she was a legacy director. Carman said there was a lot of thought on how to transition from
a long-term director to a new director. Carman said that experience is an advantage this time around as
many staff are still around from the previous transition to help make it easier. Carman said ICPL is now
more nationally involved through groups like Urban Library Council, and the reach of the leadership
team has increased. Carman said Bradbury was exceptional to work with and was a positive experience
as a candidate in both Iowa City and Marion.
Carman said Craig's vacancy was planned far in advance and payment for the consultant came from the
operating budget. Carman said he did not plan for a hiring consultant in the operating budget. Carman
said there is some consultant money in the administrative budget. Carman said the library has
essentially committed, pending board approval, $45,000 of the NOBU Budget to the carpet replacement
CIP. Royer said there is roughly $20,000 from Enrich Iowa that was not spent during COVID. Carman
said there are no unallocated funds in the current fiscal year budget. There was further discussion about
travel costs and where Bradbury was based out of.
Paetzold said because of the attention on Iowa libraries, a search firm might be a good communicator
of the unique aspects of Iowa for out of state candidates. Rocklin said he was initially focusing on speed
which mitigated against a firm, but he shared he was becoming convinced of the need to accept it is
going to take time and get the help. Rocklin said it is a little different if you're embedded in an
organization that has staff to do these functions, but we don't have that. Paetzold agreed that was a
valid point, it would take a full time staff person to handle the logistics. Paulios agreed the public would
want to know and staff would as well. Paulios said he has been thinking about how tricky it was to
navigate, taking feedback and help stakeholders understand the process. Paetzold said the public
process was important because we have a lot of people who invest financially in the library and it gave
them an avenue to be involved.
Rocklin asked if the last committee brought a single name to the board to act on. Paetzold said they did
but there was an avenue for conversation. Paetzold said there were three finalists and two candidates
that were close and one candidate that fell out. Paetzold said the group came to a consensus in the end.
Paetzold said it was the process of the conversation that would be difficult now. Rocklin said he didn't
see a way around it, we're going to have to sit with the public present and say I prefer candidate A but I
could live with candidate B.
Roche said she heard about conversations with donors post interview process and came to the meeting
hoping to suggest that the Foundation have a seat on the hiring committee but asked if that made it
more complicated. Paetzold said it made it more complicated and said it is the responsibility of the
library board. There was discussion about how the staff representatives were chosen. Massa shared
there are library board members who are also on the foundation board for representation. Boothroy
said Trustees could solicit feedback from the foundation on their values.
Carman said centering the board decision from the beginning is wise and sets the tone. Carman said
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most director transitions are going to have some ups and downs and won't be super smooth. Having a
group that has ownership over the decision and working together to come to a conclusion is powerful.
Balancing an open process with the community and allowing the group to own the work is important.
Carman said the board is uniquely qualified for that and they are a diverse group united by a passion for
ICPL. Paetzold said the board has overseen strategy for last few years and they are responsible to the
staff for that strategy. Matthews asked if this is the final year of the strategic plan. Paetzold agreed.
Matthews said there will be an overlap of a new director and a new strategic plan. Matthews said that is
great but in the meantime it's an ambiguous moment, an incoming director would have ownership in
strategic process which is important, but there is a tricky gap there. There was further discussion.
Rocklin asked trustees their thoughts on using a search committee. Matthews said she felt strongly a
search firm should be used because of the open records, noting if one is not used early candidates
would be public information. Rocklin said external applications would not be open to the public, internal
applications would be available. Matthews said there was strength in getting that for the candidate pool
because a search firm would be able to maintain a level of confidentiality. Massa said a search firm
would cast a wide net and take care of organizational paperwork. Rocklin said the board's task would be
to create an RFP which would add time without a director. Matthews said if the money is reorganized to
pay for a search firm would it then fall on an interim director at the start of a new fiscal year to
determine the finances. Carman said there is time now, the leadership team could provide
recommendations. Boothroy said if using a search firm, it should include that they consult in advance
with the city attorney, so they understand the changes to Iowa law. Rocklin agreed. Paetzold asked if
Goers made a recommendation when Rocklin met with him as to whether to use a firm. Rocklin said no.
Stevenson made a motion to create a proposal for a search consultant to hire a library director. Massa
seconded. Motion passed 7/0, Shultz abstained. Rocklin said he will identify a small group of volunteers
to develop an RFP for a search firm to assist the board in the search for a library director.
Pilkington exited the meeting at 5:58 pm.
Paetzold asked Carman when his last day will be. Carman replied it is not confirmed yet but likely May
9tn or May 16tn
Search for Library Director: Review of Position Description. None.
Search for Library Director: Review of the Job Announcement Used in the Last Search. None.
Search for Library Director: Advertising Strategy. None.
Search for Library Director: Composition of the Search Committee. Rocklin asked what sort of
volunteers he should look for. Paetzold said continuity for the whole process was important. Matthews,
Rocklin, and Stevenson felt staff should be included. Matthews asked if it was valuable to have a
representative for the staff and for management last time. Pilkington said the union will want to be on it.
Mangano said last time staff selected a person to represent themselves and management did as well.
Mangano said to keep in mind, it's important to be up front with staff about what cannot be shared,
stating there is a lot of pressure on the two employees to share. Last time staff felt the two employees
on the committee were not being forthright when they both had to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Paulios noted that peers saw the public interviews and had limited information, they did not see 1/4 of
the private interviews which informed the decision. Paulios said it could feel like a no -win situation.
If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contactlen Royer, Iowa City
Public Library, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to
meet your access needs.
Rocklin said it is an unfortunate and unavoidable fact of these processes. Rocklin said for the
management representative that is a leadership function, for the non -management representative that
is hard. Roche said there are ways to build confidence in the process where you're not sharing details
but sharing how the process is advancing. Mangano said what we didn't have then but have now is a
communication committee. Mangano said if the board needs assistance in disseminating information to
staff they can help.
Rocklin said it always takes courage for an internal candidate to apply, and that will be especially true
knowing that everything submitted will be discoverable. Rocklin encouraged any internal candidates
who are considering applying to gird yourself and apply. Rocklin said it is a fantastic job and ICPL has
fantastic talent. Matthews said a lot will stay the same, but it is a very different library climate. This is the
post-covid years and we're in a whole new world. Carman said the intersection of everything being more
discoverable with the attempted nullification of library professionals in our state is complex and will
impact the candidate pool. Carman said that savvy candidates will have a lot of questions. Rocklin said
that is going to be an important conversation with the search firm.
Matthews noted the director job description does not include advocacy which has been a huge part of
the job. Pilkington said it will be interesting to see what can be done with the job description because
the city was adamant that we accept the job descriptions that they paid a firm to create. Pilkington said
the board should have a conversation with HR and the city manager before making changes. Rocklin
said there will not be a lot of latitude on changing the job description. Carman said the big pieces are
represented but the announcement is another place where more context about the position can be
shared. Rocklin said that it is a place to share great things about the Iowa City community and the
library.
Rocklin said there was no need to vote as there would not be a search committee. Rocklin said he would
be in touch with some trustees to ask them to work on this project. Rocklin will consult with Carman to
identify one staff and one management representative.
Process for Appointing an Interim Director. Rocklin said this agenda item does not need to be done
now as there is a library director through the April board meeting. Rocklin said Mangano regularly is the
acting director when Carman is out. Rocklin said Mangano is a logical person to ask to serve in that role.
Rocklin said he was open to discussion or could consult with Carman for suggestions. Paetzold and
Stevenson supported Mangano as Interim Director. Matthews said the Interim Director needs to be
someone who can support that role for a long time and can make sure operations are functional.
Paetzold said there will be savings from the director being gone. Rocklin said you can use that for
backfill. Carman said his directive from the city is that the bottom line of the budget must balance, with
an aspiration that the sections of the budget balance. Carman said he would advocate for the interim
director to have increased compensation.
Adjournment. Rocklin adjourned the meeting at 6:16 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, at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-royer@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to
meet your access needs.
:`.i% IOWA CITY
rjW PUBLIC LIBRARY
Board of Commissions: ICPL Board of Trustees
Attendance Record
Name
Term
Expiration
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
3/27/2025
4/3/2025
Boothro , Bonnie
6/30/2029
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
Johnk, DJ
6/30/2025
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
OE
Massa, Joseph
6/30/2027
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
Matthews, Claire
6/30/2023
X
OE
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
O
X
X
X
X
Paetzold, Robin
6/30/2023
X
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
Raeburn, John
6/30/2027
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Rocklin, Tom
6/30/2025
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Shultz, Hannah
6/30/2025
X
X
OE
OE
X
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
OE
X
Stevenson, Daniel
6/30/2027
X
OE
X
X
X
X
X
OE
X
X
X
X
OE
X
KEY:
X Present
O Absent
OE Excused Absence
NM No Meeting Held
R Resigned
TE Term Expired
Item Number: IP11.
a
CITY OF IOWA CITY
"QR T-4 COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
April 24, 2025
Senior Center Commission: April 17
Attachments: Senior Center Commission: April 17
Preliminary Minutes
April 17, 2025
MINUTES
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
April 17, 2025
Room 311, Iowa City Senior Center
Members Present: Nancy Ostrognai, Jay Gilchrist, Kate Milster, Lee McKnight,
Warren Paris, Mary McCall
Members Absent: Betty Rosse
Staff Present: LaTasha DeLoach, Kristin Kromray
Others Present: Skylar Hoffman, Ross Taylor
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by Gilchrist at 4.00 PM.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 20, 2025 MEETING:
Motion: To accept the minutes from the February 20, 2025 meeting. Motion
carried on a 6/0 vote. McKnight/Milner
PUBLIC DISCUSSION:
► rem
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW:
DeLoach reported the program guide for May and June is now available. A few
program highlights include a collaboration between Senior Standing Room Only
and the Tamarac school, which are doing a production of the Sound of Music,
music concerts for the New Horizons Band, Voices of Experience, and Family
Folk Machine, and Frisbee Fest at City Park on May 3. The Original Mature
Groovers are hosting a trip to the Quad Cities on June 14th with part of the
proceeds brought in by the Black History Ball. The trip will include a stop at the
Freight House farmers market, a lunch cruise on the Celebration Belle and the
afternoon at the Figge Museum. The annual member, donor, and volunteer
appreciation event will occur on April 29th at Terry Trueblood Lodge.
Preliminary Minutes
April 17, 2025
The window and door project is expected to begin this summer. Various parts of
the building will need to be closed for short periods. The largest impact will the
first floor when the large windows are being replaced.
Kromray gave a report highlighting what her role as Operations Assistant entails.
She highlighted training, supervising, assisting in hiring, scheduling and
supporting front desk staff including 2 permanent daytime receptionists as well as
evening and weekend customer service attendants. Additionally, her role
includes administering multiple software applications, overseeing membership,
parking and locker programs, working with other City departments, overseeing
day to day budget items, assisting in annual budget preparation, purchasing
items for the department, working with volunteers including the ambassador
program and tour guides, handling room reservation and rentals.
Commission Discussion
Commissioners are invited to be presented a proclamation for Older Americans
month at the May 6th City Council meeting.
Commissioners asked questions regarding what programming people are asking
for at the Senior Center. Ostrognai inquired about ASL classes.
Meeting Adjourned.
2
Preliminary Minutes
April 17, 2025
Senior Center Commission Attendance Record
Term
4/18/24
5/16/24
6/20/24
7/18/24
8/15/24
9/19/24
10/17/2
11/21/
12/19/
1/16/25
2/20/25
3/20/25
4/17/25
Name
Expires
24
24
24
Betty
12/31/26
X
X
NM
NM
O/E
X
X
X
O/E
X
X
NM
O/E
Rosse
Jay
12/31/25
X
X
NM
NM
X
X
O/E
X
X
X
X
NM
X
Gilchrist
Mary
12/31/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
X
O/E
NM
X
McCall
Angela
12/31/24
X
O/E
NM
NM
X
X
X
O/E
X
--
--
--
--
McConvill
e
Lee
12/31/27
O/E
X
NM
NM
X
X
X
O/E
O/E
O/E
X
NM
X
McKnight
Kathryn
12/31/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
X
X
NM
X
Milster
Nancy
12/31/26
X
X
NM
NM
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
NM
X
Ostrognai
Ross
12/31/24
--
--
--
--
0
X
0
0
0
--
--
--
--
Taylor
Warren
12/31/25
X
X
NM
NM
0
X
0
X
X
O/E
X
NM
X
Paris
Key: X =Present 0 =Absent O/E=Absent/Excused NM =No meeting -- = Not a member
3