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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-06 TranscriptionIowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city--council.htmi This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:00:20] [MUSIC] It is after just after 6:00 PM on May 6, 2025, and I'm going to call the City of Iowa City formal meeting to order. Roll call, please. [00:00:33] Alter (00:00:34] Here. [00:00:34) Bergus [00:00:35] Here. [00:00:35] Harmsen [00:00:36] Here. (00:00:37] Moe. [00:00:371 Here. (00:00:38] Salih. [00:00:38] Here. [00:00:39] Teague. [00:00:391 Here. 100:00:401 Weilein. Page 1 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://ciiychannel4.com/rity-cQllncil.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:00:40] Here. [00:00:41] 1 want to welcome all of you to your City Hall, and to anyone that is joining us virtual. Welcome as well We're going to move onto our proclamations Item 2A as Mental Health Awareness Month, and this is going to be read by Counselor Bergus. [00:00:58] Whereas, the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. And whereas the face of mental illness isn't some stranger. It is our coworkers, our neighbors, our friends, our families, and sometimes ourselves. And whereas mental illness does not discriminate. It affects children, adults, and people of every ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, or political background. And whereas one of five adults in the United States experiences a diagnosable mental disorder, and one in five youth age 13-18 experiences a severe mental disorder in a given year. And whereas suicide is the second leading cause of death for America's youth ages 15-24. And the vast majority of those who die by suicide have a mental illness that is often undiagnosed or untreated, and whereas half of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begins by age 24. Therefore, treating cases early could address and reduce disability before mental illnesses become more severe. And whereas NAMI Johnson County will hold its annual walk at 9:00 AM On Saturday May 10. That's this Saturday at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area in Iowa City. The walk aims to inspire and initiate a community conversation about the impact that mental illness has on every part of our collective lives from family systems to primary health care to the education system to the business community and beyond. Now, therefore, I, on behalf of Bruce Teague, Mayor of Iowa City, do hereby proclaim May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month, and urge all residents to increase the awareness and understanding of mental health and be informed of the treatment options available in our county for individuals with mental illness. And this proclamation today is being received by Mary Issa, NAMI of Johnson County's Executive Director. [APPLAUSE] [00:03:221 I'm not Mary, but I am loanisoN, I'm president of the Board of Directors at NAMI here in Johnson County. Thank you for your warm welcome and your appreciation for what we do here. And allowing us to do a little promo of our walk on Saturday. So please join us. Thank you all should have a team. At 9:00, there'll be a band. There's lots of fun going on. So please come. I did want to point something out that you may not know about NAMI of Johnson County. And that is that we are held as leaders across the state for our peer services. We have a drop in center down here on Gilbert. We have remote peer services offerings, and now we have a peer at the hospital hospitalization program. So please come on Saturday, help us raise funds, just like every nonprofit right now. Our funding is in jeopardy. And this is going to help us keep up these great services. So thanks to all of you. Page 2 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:04:231 And thank you. [APPLAUSEI Two be as National Public Works Week, whereas public works professionals of Iowa City Public Works Department focus on infrastructure, facilities, and services that are vital importance to a sustainable and resilient community and to the public health, high quality of life, and well-being of the City of Iowa City. Whereas these infrastructure facilities and services cannot be provided without the dedicated efforts of our public work professionals who are responsible for maintaining, improving and protecting our transportation, water supply, water treatment, and solid waste systems, building public buildings, and other structures and facilities essential for our community members. And whereas it is in the public interest for the community members and civic leaders to gain knowledge of and maintain an ongoing interest and understanding of the importance of public works and public works programs in Iowa City, and whereas the year of 2025 marks the 65th Annual National Public Works Week, sponsored by the American Public Works Association. The theme is People, Purpose Presence. Now, therefore, I Bruce Teague Mayor of Iowa City, do hereby proclaim the week of May 18 to May 24, 2025, to be National Public Works Week in Iowa City and urge all community members and civic organizations to recognize the substantial contributions which public work professionals make every day to protect our health, safety, comfort, and advancing quality of life for all. And receiving this proclamation is Ron Knoche, ourPublic Works Director. [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER. [00:06:26] 1 could have used the extra steps. [LAUGHTER] [00:06:31] Good evening, Mayor Teague and council members. On behalf of more than 160 dedicated professionals across the Iowa City Public Works Department. Thank you for this National Public Works Week Proclamation and for your continued support. The skilled individuals in our engineering, equipment, resource management, streets, wastewater, and water divisions embody this year's National Public Works Week theme, People, Purpose, Presence. From tackling everyday challenges such as material shortages to responding swiftly to extreme weather or water main breaks, our team remains ready and committed to serving the community. This year, we will showcase the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center during an open house on Sunday, May 18, from 1:00-3:00 PM. The address there is 3900 Heeble Avenue, Southwest. This event will feature a touch of truck display of city vehicles and equipment, educational activities, and refreshments for all. This open house will kick off National Public Works Week in Iowa City. We warmly invite you and all community members to join us as we celebrate the vital work of public works professionals. Thank you. 100:07:281 Thank you. [APPLAUSE] 2C is Odor American Proclamation Month. And this is going to be read by our very own Mayor Pro Tern Salih. [00:07:431 Thank you. Whereas Johnson County, livable community for successful aging, seeking to cooperatively celebrate the lives and the benefit of old adults in the community throughout the county. And whereas Page 3 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychanne]4.com/cit3Lcouncil.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. May is Older Americans months, a time for us to recognize and honor the older adults of Iowa City and their influence on every feast of American society. And where as older Americans improve our communities, through intergenerational relationship, community services, civic engagement, and many other activities. And whereas the older Americans 2025, theme is flip the script on aging, focusing on transforming how society perceive, talks about and approaches aging. It is encouraging individuals and communities to challenge stereotype and [inaudible 00:08:44] conceptions, and whereas the city of Iowa City must ensure that older Americans have the resources and the support needed to stay involved in their communities, reflecting our commitment in inclusivity and connectedness. Now, therefore, I Mazahir Salih on behalf of Bruce Teague, Mayor of Iowa City, do hereby proclaim the months of May 2025 to be Older Americans months in the city of Iowa City, and ask all residents to celebrate the profounding positive impact of meaningful interaction and social connection with senior for the entire community. And here to accept is Haley from Johnson County Social Services and Kathleen Besser Senior Center Commissioner. [APPLAUSE] [00:09:52] Thank you so much, Mayor Teague, our council members in the City of Iowa City for this incredibly meaningful recognition of May 2025 as Older Americans Month. I'm Haley Crab. I am a member of the Policy Board with Johnson County Livable Community for Successful Aging, which I can't believe I strung those together correctly. I usually mix them up in someway. I'm also joined by Trail of Johnson County and the Iowa City Senior Center. Um, this- this year's theme is Flip the Script on Aging, so we're really working to challenge these outdated stereotypes around aging and older adults in our community. Instead, we want to highlight the strength, the wisdom, and the vibrancy that older adults bring to our community each and every day. Whether it's through volunteering, mentoring, staying civically engaged, their contributions help shape a more inclusive, connected, and compassionate community, which we need more than ever. The policy board is working hard to finish a community -wide survey of older adults to help inform our next strategic planning, and we look forward to sharing those results with the city council. We thank you for your continued support and commitment to honoring and empowering older residents in Iowa City. I hope we can all take this opportunity to learn from Connect With and celebrate older Americans who make our community stronger. Thank you. 100:11:19] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Our last but not least proclamation is Provider Appreciation Day- Day read by Counselor Alter. [00:11:34] Whereas quality early childhood education is a valuable investment in our children's future. And whereas childcare workforce professionals play an important role in cultivating, supporting, and educating young children in warm, loving, and culturally competent environments at home and center - based set- settings to meet the needs of families. And whereas Iowa City recognizes the childcare workforce as essential for our economy that allows families access to the care they needed so they can work. And whereas, by calling attention to the importance of quality childcare services for all children and families in our community, the Iowa City Childcare Workforce is working with 4Cs Community Page 4 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httos://citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Coordinated Childcare and other organizations statewide to enhance the quality and availability of such services. And whereas, the Iowa City City Council will join families and organizations nationwide in recognizing early care teachers and educators for their efforts in caring for the children of working parents and providing them with quality early childhood experiences. And whereas, Iowa City residents are encouraged to recognize the childcare workforce throughout the state for their dedication to providing quality, early care and learning services, and for the important role that they play in our children's future. Now, therefore, I Megan Alter, on behalf of Bruce Teague, Mayor of Iowa City, do hereby proclaim May 9, 2025 to be Provider Appreciation Day in Iowa- City Iowa. And accepting is Missy Forbes with 4Cs of Johnson County She's the Executive Director, and Regina Johnson, excepting also our Claire Bardoln, Kayla, Marissa, Scout, Gidget, Lily, and Jerne. I don't know if they made the journey, but [LAUGHTER] our congratulations are to all of them. [APPLAUSE] (00:13:31] Thank you. [00:13:39] Thank you. Our crew of providers dropped like flies a little bit. But I would like to thank the City Council for recognizing May 9 as Provider Appreciation Day. And childcare is the foundation upon which all other industry rely. And the teachers that choose to work in this field are remarkable individuals. The work is hard, and the profession often goes unrecognized in meaningful ways, which is why recognizing the childcare workforce on this day is so incredibly important to me. I asked my friends from Loving Arms, and there is one here now [LAUGHTER] that remains. There's some back there, too, waving [LAUGHTER] for being- in being recognized for the work that they do. This project- program, in particular, has seen some trying situations over the past six months. They're currently in the process of transitioning their program into the reach for your Potentials Future Center. And so I wanted to be sure to recognize them as I know that they have often felt a little unforgotten in some of the processes of the transition. These teachers are representatives of a cross section of all the teachers who participate in the wage enhancement program which the city generously funds. Um, and to help- the reason why you do that is to help raise the wages of the childcare workforce, which is the lowest -paid profession in the state of Iowa. By your partici- participation in its funding, you're demonstrating the importance of this work, and I thank you for being on the side of innovative ways to support this workforce. 76%of parents in Johnson County work without the childcare workforce, they would be unable to do so. A day without childcare would have an insurmountable impact on our city's economy. Again, on behalf of 4Cs, I thank you for recognizing provider appreciation day this week, and I thank these providers, these teachers for the work that you all do for the youngest students and Iowa City residents. Thank you. [00:15:32] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] [00:15:371 And, Regina Johnson, I invite you up to give some words as well. [APPLAUSE] Page 5 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychanne[4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:15:49] So I can't top that. I didn't write anything. I didn't even plan to speak, but I do appreciate everyone for, um, recognizing childcare providers. Some days, we have hard days, some days are easy. I started my daycare back in 2017 in Dubuque, Iowa.1 moved here last year of August. It's been a little struggle to build my daycare, um, seeing that I was very known back in Dubuque and I'm new here. But providers, definitely need more recognition because sometimes we don't feel as love as, like, big daycares. So this is my passion. I love working with kids, um, something I always wanted to do, and I'm very thankful that you guys, um, have Childcare Providers Appreciation Day. It means a lot, and thank you for having me. 100:16:42) Thank you. The words were from the heart. It was perfect. Yes. All right. We're gonna move on to- I thank you all for coming for the proclamation. We're gonna move on to our consent agenda, Items 3 through 6. Could I get a motion, please? 100:17:02] So moved. [00:17:03] Move. [00:17:03] Second, Harmsen. All right. Um, and anyone from the public like to address this, any item that is on our consent agenda? If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. Seeing no one in person or online, council discussion. [00:17:20] 1 just wanted to make note of, um, Item 6H, which is the training annex project for the animal shelter, um, just to extend, um, thank you to staff, um, for working with the, uh, Friends of the Animal Shelter. Um, I know some people who volunteer there, and they're very excited about this. Um, it's gonna be really helpful all around for safety for the animals as well as the volunteers and the staff who work with them to have a common area that they can, um, use as an annex, as well as, uh, additional space for training and whatnot. And I just- this is, I- I brought it out mainly because it's one of those things where it doesn't really go commented on, but these are little yet big things that help make our community better. And, um, I know that th- the animal shelter is top notch and wonderful, and it's- its just, uh, a shout out of a pretty appreciation for the work that's going on there. 100:18:15] Great. All right. Any other comments? Roll call, please. [00:18:24] Moe. Page 6 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:18:24] Yes. [00:18:251 Salih. [00:18:26] Yes. [00:18:261 Teague. [00:18:27] Yes. [00:18:27] Weilein. [00:18:28] Yes. [00:18:281 Alter. [00:18:29] Yes. [00:18:29] Bergus. 100:18:301 Yes. [00:18:30) Harmsen. [00:18:311 Yes. Motion passes 7-0. We're onto Item Number 7, which is our community comment. This is an opportunity for anyone that wants to talk on a topic that is not on our agenda. Um, and the council won't be able to engage with you because it's not properly noticed, but we're- we welcome everyone that wants to speak on an item that is not on our agenda to come up at this time. And please state your Page 7 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://city.channel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. name and city you're from. There also is a sign in, uh, right there, or if you, uh, get a name sticker in the back, you can drop it in the basket. Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. [00:19:091 I'm Chris Lawrence. I'm from Iowa City for, at least I don't know, since 2006 [00:19:14] Right. [00:19:161 I'm Judy Fole. I've been in Iowa City about 40 years [00:19:19] Welcome. [00:19:20] So she has me beat. Uh, I'm, uh, the current chair of the airport commission. We wanted to give you an update on, uh, our annual report and what we've been up to. Uh, the airport's undertaken a number of projects in recent years that have enhanced safety, we've modernized infrastructure, um, and we've increased the utility of the airport. A lot of these projects have been funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that most people are aware of, FA grants, state DOT grants, um, and local matching funds, of course. Um, so some of the projects we've undertaken recently, uh, we did a realignment of our Runway 1230, uh, which include the installation of equipment that enhances safety during approach and landing. Uh, we've installed LED lighting on all of our runways. So aside from the rotating beacon that we have that you probably see at night, um, all the surface lighting at the airport is now LED, so that really can, uh, reduces our electricity consumption. And then most recently, we installed a solar array. It aligns really nicely with the city's climate goals. Um, it certainly helps us on our operational budget, uh, to give you an idea of how impactful that has been. Uh, between October and December of 2024, our average electricity bill was about $750 a month, um, and after the installation of the array, uh, we're now averaging $165 a month. Um, honestly, that's about my house in the winter if, you know, if I think about it. Uh, the impact of the budget has been immediate. It helps to ensure that we can continue to self -fund our operational budget. That's something that we're very proud of that we've been doing since 2018, um, and we expect the solar array to save us somewhere around 10,000 per year. So that's -that's been really impactful, and that was funded with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funds. Um, events that have been happening at the airport. We continue to partner with outside groups to bring people to the airport. That's one of our strategic goals, bring people to their airport. Uh, we have the Optimist Club Fly -In and Drive-in Pancake Breakfast every August. That draws a large crowd. EAA Young Eagles takes children up in- in airplane rides so they can experience aviation. Kids generally love airplanes, um, so it's a good way to get them involved. Uh, and then we- we also had a recent, uh, Ford tri-motor visit, plane from 1929, uh, that the EAA brought out. They did flights. Um, it helped support a great organization in the aviation community. Uh, and then we have a partnership with the Summer of the Arts Drive-in Movies that we do every year. Future stuff we're looking at doing. We're looking at an airport ramp Page 8 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. expansion for additional parking, runway maintenance and preservation so we can protect the assets that we have, and we're also looking at terminal area redevelopment and opportunities there. So that's a highlight of what's been going at the airport. And I invite all of you to come out. We can give you a tour. We can show you the airport, um, and I extend the invitation of the public as well. [00:22:10] Thank you both. Oh. We're not supposed to be clapping, and I'm sorry. We're just listening. It felt like- it felt like a proclamation. 100:22:21] Yes. They're commissioners. They were given a report. Welcome. Please, state your name and city you're from. You have up to three minutes. [00:22:29] Um, Missy Forbes with, um, Iowa City, and I'm the executive director at 4Cs. Um, if you remember earlier in January when I was here, my concern was keeping our, um, 4Cs aid to agency funding static, um, contrary to what city staff had recommended. And at that time, I felt comfortable with that number, but as we get closer to FY'26, and I've had the opportunity to look at, um, at my budget more closely, um, I know that that number won't be enough, um, and so I wanted to come back and talk about that a little bit. Um, since January, we've had a new, um, staff member join 4Cs, and, uh, exponentially, she has done a lot more in her short time at 4Cs, um, to really increase her workload, um, in Iowa City alone, and these numbers are as of, um, since January, excuse me, we've had five times as many startups that she's interacted with, and those are, um, services that we assist with helping people start their own childcare programs. Um, and we are, uh, so we've had five times as many startups. We've had three times as much engagement with starting strong providers, and those are low-income individuals that are caring for low-income children, um, that meet with us on a regular basis. Uh, three Iowa City providers were in jeopardy of losing registration, but those programs were, um, remained in standing with HHS, uh, because of Allison's hands-on intervention and triaging those situations so that those businesses could remain viable. In April alone, we've had seven providers reach out to 4Cs to ask for assistance with, uh, writing grants, writing policies, and procedures for their programs, and to help with marketing. This includes long-standing programs that we don't traditionally or that we haven't engaged with as much recently because they usually can roll on their own. Um, these numbers don't include some of these, um, are don't include examples of some of the innova- innovative program that we're getting ready to roll out. So without the funding allocation that I requested on behalf of 4Cs, we would be unable to continue this forward momentum once our contract closes for our ARPA contract, um, in the first quarter of FY'26. We're also unable to access CON funding. Once that runs out, our contract ends in May of 2026 with that. Um, $2,000 for a program that supports childcare programs, the workforce, and students from birth isn't enough. 4Cs has never been bold enough to ask for a significant funding to continue our- continue our work, but I'm here today to tell you that if we don't, then we can't. And there's no other organization in Iowa City that is doing exactly what we do. It isn't duplicative, it's supplemental and supportive, and it's needed. Without it, 4Cs can't continue to grow in Iowa City, and our work will become limited at a time when it's needed more than ever. Thank you. Page 9 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4 com city -council htmll This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: Al -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. 100:25:13] Thank you. Welcome. [00:25:38] Thank you. My name is Mary Grabbit, and I'm here to complain about my landlord, Keystone. I've been complaining to Keystone that the thermostat in my apartment does not work, and they keep telling me it does. I suffer through all- through the winter at temperatures from 90-100 degrees. Somehow I cannot dial it down. I dialed it down past 55 as far as it will go. 5o they- so when I complained, my doctor told me to complain to Keystone about it and to get in touch with the city, uh, licenses inspection, housing inspection. So I complained, and they turned the heat off. Now, I live in a basement apartment. It's always cold. It's always cool and plus the fr- fronts in the shade. And when I get up in the day- in the - in the morning, I have to depend on the sun to warm my apartment up, and the sun can only do but so much. So, I complain to Stan, who's in charge of the Towncrest area, and he seems to be in cahoots with Keystone. I told him that the thermostat doesn't work, so they- he came in, I suppose, with this plumber, and this plumber measured the party heat on the party wall at 75 degrees. Now, if I was a rat living in the wall, hey, I'll be living fine, but I'm freezing all night and I'm freezing in the morning. I know sp- summer is coming, but I need some heat, and I need a new thermostat. You just can't deny me that it doesn't work when I'm there. Oh, you know, sometimes 24 hours, you know, if I- I'll just go out for my medical appointments and so forth. But Keystone has changed. I don't know if they wanna be slumber landlords or what. But I complain to them and they send that plumber, and I'm telling that plumber is not fit to put a toilet seat on. And when I- he- every time he fix something, I have to call the maintenance, and they come and fix it. So the plumber, he doesn't know anything about heat. He just knows that he's a plumber, I suppose, and I'm nursing my sink faucet, because I don't want him to come in and- and cause leaks in the kitchen. So Keystone is- is being unfair to me. I've been there over 20 years. I always pay my rent. Only time I missed a payment is when they didn't tell me they moves, I'm sending a check to the wrong address. So this I need heat. I'm 82-years-old. I need heat. I'm not talking about anything that's, you know, that's inappropriate for a landlord to do. He's supposed to supply the heat because that's in- in- [00:28:43] Thank you. And for the record, will you state what city you're from? [00:28:47) Oh, Iowa City. I've been here. [00:28:49] Thank you. [00:28:501 1 don't know. I've been here since 1989. Page 10 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. 100:28:521 And you can just throw that entire thing in the basket. You don't have to undo it [00:28:56] Back- back here? [00:28:57] Yes. Thank you. [00:28:59] Okay. Thank you. [00:29:00) Anyone else who want to address any item that is not on our agenda at this time? Seeing no one else, I'm gonna close the community comment period. We're moving on to Items 8, which is planning and zoning matters 8A as rezoning North Governor Street, ordinance conditionally rezoning, approximately 5.49 acres of property located between North Dodge and North Governor Street from me- medium - density, single-family residential zone, high -density single-family residential zone, medium -density family multifamily residential zone, and multifamily residential zone to high -density single-family residential zone, with a planned development overlay for approximately 0.17 acres and to medium - density, multifamily residential zone, with a planned development overlay for approximately 5.32 acres. We're gonna continue the public hearing. And, um, I know that the council and P&Z met earlier today, uh, just to talk through, uh, um, some of the P&Z rationale for ho- how they voted. Wanted to just offer any opportunity for council to ask any questions to our staff, um, at this time before we move on to public comment. [00:30:291 At our last meeting, um, I had asked a question about if- if we could, as councilors add any non - substantive changes. And at that point, it was a little unclear if we could. Now that we've had our consult with P&Z and understand what they thought, and they said is- is, do we have any flexibility to add anything to the- to the- the plans before us? [00:30:56] Uh, excuse me. If you did, I think it would probably have to go back to, uh, planning and zoning, particularly if they haven't discussed it. Uh, planning and zoning, for example, one of the things that came up at the work session was a discussion about, uh, tiered retaining walls and so forth, instead of, uh, kind of large, uh, monolithic face, and they had indicated they had not talked about that. So that's the kind of thing that probably would be appropriate to go back to, um, uh, planning and zoning, but in answer to your question, could you add it? Yes, but you would probably want to go through them first. [00:31:361 Page 11 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found athttl2s://citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Hearing no other, uh, questions from council. I did want to see if the applicant is here and if they wanted to, um, make any comments at this time. Welcome. (00:31:53] Good evening. John Martin with MIMS Consultants. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you again. I appreciated all the conversations and discussion at the work session earlier. I don't have anything else to add. I'm available to answer some of the questions that came up. If there are any from council, I'd be happy to answer- speak to some of those if you would like me to. [00:32:11] Great. Thank you. (00:32:15] One thing. So not necessarily putting into the- the- um, the rezoning and the PUD, not necessarily putting something in there that is, uh, a requirement, but separately asking staff to look into other things. That's a different story, right? 100:32:38] Well, um, I mean, if council is to approve a rezoning, then you need to allow what's allowed in that zone Um, you know, oftentimes there have been, um, concerns about, uh, a pretty picture being shown to council, and they envisioned that this and this exactly is what's going to, um, be built, and that isn't always the case. Um, so unless it's a, you know, um, major site plan- I mean, don't get me wrong. There's, uh, staff review that goes on to make sure everything is compliant, but unless it's a major site plan that goes back to P&Z or something, then probably not. [00:33:18] Uh, I'm thinking more of considering things, um, like if the council were to decide that we wanted to ask staff to look into say, a trail that connects Happy- Happy Hollow Park to the- to the, um, to the development or, uh, talking about staff look into, uh, traffic control or wha- what's our authority there it being a state highway and everything, and sidewalk talk, you know, just- and getting some solid numbers other than, like, it'll be hard and it'll be expensive or something like that. So we can actually put down, like, it will cost this to put the trail, and here's different proposals, here's how you could do it, here's what we could do with the sidewalk. You know, it's- I feel like these are small things that are- are not, you know, un- unreasonable to, you know, ask. You know what I mean? [00:34:111 I do. [00:34:12) Yeah. [00:34:12] Page 12 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. In answer to your question, can you ask staff to look that? I think the answer is yes, but there's a significant but, and- and that's that, um, you know, it's not a requirement that it'll be imposed unless it's part of the CZA. And as I mentioned with Councilor Moe, if you want to have a requirement in the CZA, then you would probably need to send it back to P&Z and have them weigh in on it. [00:34:381 You mean even as a small as the sidewalk, have to go back to the-? [00:34:42] Well, when you say as small as a sidewalk, if you're talking about a sidewalk that connects Happy Hollow Park with that- if it's along, uh, North Governor, even that is a little challenging because of the topography, but it would be especially challenging, um, to do it straight, so to speak. Um, and, you know, obviously, we've got a lot of the engineers here, they could speak in greater detail than I could about that. Um, so my point is, I'm not sure how big or large of a thing that would be, that might be a significant engineering challenge. (00:35:12] [inaudible 00:35:12]. [00:35:20] Oh- oh maybe I misunderstood your question, Mayor Pro Tem. Your question was, uh, whether you can just ask staff to look into those things? [00:35:28] To on look on adding, for example, sidewalk or do this. Uh, yeah. (00:35:33] Yes. Staff can look into that, but, again, I just want to make sure I don't want to set you folks up for disappointment that if it doesn't end up coming to fruition. It might be that they look into it, they ask for it, and they find that it's an engineering impossibility or practicality or something. So I just don't want to- [00:35:48] Sure. [00:35:491 Yeah. [00:35:501 Fair enough. [00:35:50] Page 13 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httos: //ciWchanne]4.com/city-council.htmI This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. So you think that, um, adding a stipulation of a trail connecting the park to the development constitute a substantial change? [00:36:021 I- I think in this case it would. It wouldn't always, but given the topography that's present, I- I think it probably would. [00:36:09] Okay. [00:36:101 It- it- there may be- I may be misunderstanding a little bit or- or conflating different conversations in the past. Um, it- it makes a big difference on whether the council is indicating you want that to be the responsibility of the applicant, then it needs to go through the- the- the P&Z channels. If, outside of this rezoning, you want to direct staff to look at a sidewalk infill project through our capital improvement program, you can do that. That's what we've historically done in the past. Um, uh, we've used the example, I think the fir- in one of the first meetings on this topic of Calder Park in which, uh, the- the city is now constructing a trail, uh, to connect a park to a new subdivision. That was not the applicant's responsibility in that case. So, um, it makes a difference in whether you are- whether you're asking whether you can impose that requirement upon the applicant, or if you're just asking staff to- to look at that and return to you at some point in the future with, um, our evaluation of the- the feasibility and cost of that sidewalk. [00:37:21] Uh-huh. Yeah, so- [LAUGHTER]. [00:37:24] Oh, it's just- [00:37:24] Um, yeah, so thank you very much. And it's hard for me to know, with something that possibly might cross the line into the private property of the development. If something at all touches the development, would that have to be part of the existing rezoning plan or could the city still engage in building that infrastructure? [00:37:49) We could still engage in building that infrastructure. We do that kind of thing with some frequency if- if we, you know, we -you authorize us to engage in property acquisition. Engineers let us know what we need in order for the project to go, and then we secure it. (00:38:021 Page 14 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/cU-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Mm-hmm. I guess what I'm getting at is, I think people, uh, you know, if this is going to move forward, I- I think that people fear that when they bring things up and then we say, yeah, we'll look into it, um, and then nothing comes to fruition, and they don't have any updates. So what I'm asking is, is there a concrete way that we can make ourselves, uh, accountable, um, and have some type of recheck in at some point for the people who have brought up these concerns? Uh, and just putting something written down in concrete so they know that it's not something we're just going to forget about or ignore. [00:38:41] Mm-hmm. [00:38:421 If that makes sense. [00:38:431 Yeah. But I think so- normally if, correct me if I'm wrong, normally, like, sidewalks when new developing is happening is responsibility of the developer. [00:38:52] That's right. Under Greenfield development, that's right. [00:38:54] Yes. And- and I would love to- for the city to do things for the developer if the developer are doing something for the resident, so like, some kind of [inaudible 00:39:04]. But not- since we did not- we don't do that with many- another developer, why should we do it for this? (00:39:12] I- for what is worth, I believe that the developer, I'm going to look at our planning staff, I- I think that they're installing sidewalk on North Governor, uh, as part of the project. That's kind of akin, I think, Mayor Pro Tern to what you're describing. [00:39:231 1 mean- uh-huh. There is- there is one in Governor already? [00:39:26] Uh, there is not. They're installing. [00:39:28] It will be on the propo- proposed project, that's what I'm asking? [00:39:311 Yes, it will -there will be a sidewalk installed for the length of the property as part of this project. Page 15 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:39:36] And then it- [00:39:371 But there is no one for the work? [00:39:39] Right. [00:39:391 That terminates at a park at a [inaudible 00:39:40] thing. [OVERLAPPING] I think what we're all getting at is we would just love a design that somehow connects the park to the newly designed sidewalk. We would just like to say that that's a thing we expect. [00:39:49) Yeah. [00:39:49] And that perhaps you instead of doing a flared edge, exit, entrance, you separate entrance and exit on a north [inaudible 00:39:56] so it becomes less difficult to go the wrong direction. [00:39:59] Mm-hmm. [00:39:59] So very simple things that I would hope. I- I don't know we're- again, I'm pushing up against the limits of our ability to just get this done. [00:40:09] Mm-hmm. [00:40:11] Outside of the rezoning context here, if you'd like staff to come back to you with those options, we can do so. It will take a little time. This is something that, uh, we would hire externally to do. Uh, so we would hire an external professional to come in and help us design- evaluate design options and cost out that sidewalk. We can do that. Um, and certainly you all can hold us accountable by placing that on a pending work session list or, uh, something like that, so you know that we will return to you with those options. Uh, and then you can decide if, you know, if the cost or the sacrifice of trees or whatever the - the issue may be is worth building that sidewalk. That can be your de -your call. 100:40:58] Page 16 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. And you're saying like any major thing like retaining wall or like, uh, you know, reducing maybe the number of the apartment and everything that's not something we can just say here, I'd have to go back to the planning and zoning? [00:41:13] I'm sorry, I missed the first part of your question, whether we can reduce the number of units, is that what you said? [00:41:17] Or doing like a building a retaining wall or doing like reducing the number of the apartment building - apartment on the unit, I mean, is this- all these changes, is not something like we can just say now and vote for it, it'd have to go back to the planning and zoning? [00:41:35] 1 agree with you to the extent that we could not just say it now. The number of units, in particular, was a- a highly negotiated, uh, number. Um, and so I- I don't think we have a lot of flexibility to alter that. Um, and I'm sorry, I've forgotten the second part of your question. [00:41:52) Retaining wall. Yeah [OVERLAPPING]. [00:41:531 Oh, the retaining wall. Now, they have a retaining wall. Are you thinking of a different one? Maybe. [00:41:58] They talked about layered. 100:41:59] Yeah. The fact that [OVERLAPPING] it's very total and- and they asked for R3 screening, and we suggested maybe there's multiple mechanisms to improve that or potentially make it an amenity for the park. It just feels like there's an interface between a public property and a development that hasn't been made yet. [00:42:15] Sure. Right. I understand. [00:42:16] Exactly. [00:42:16] Well, I would suggest one of two things: One, I see Mr. Martin is here, and I suspect he could perhaps, in part, at least answer the question as to why that other alternative may or may not work. And if you Page 17 Iowa City City Council Forma[ meeting of May 6, 2025 [audio and video recordings can be found at https://ci channel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. folks, after hearing that answer, feel like that's something you would want to insist on, then I think we'd be sending it back to P&Z. [00:42:38] Mm-hmm. [00:42:391 I'd be happy to speak to that. So, uh, I do think there is an opportunity to provide tiered walls. We had a concept similar to that early on in the revision- or in the submittal and review process. Uh, there's a - there's some issues with the existing sanitary sewer easement that go through there, so we changed it to the single wall that you see on the current application. I do think there's an opportunity to revisit that, uh, in- in light of the discussion, and I think that's something we would be happy to do. I can't guarantee that it's 100%feasible. I can say that we would be happy to do that. And I- I actually mentioned that to, uh, the applicant prior to this, and he said, we'll try to figure something out with the retaining walls to address some of those concerns. (00:43:231 Which retaining wall are we talking about just on the South Boundary? [00:43:261 Correct. The one on the South Boundary, where the- the recommendation and the current CZA requires the S3 screening. [00:43:31] Mm-hmm. [00:43:34] So if I'm understanding this correctly, uh, if the staff- if city council wants to put some type of, uh, requirement on the zoning, um, it would almost 100%of the time have to go on- back to P&Z. [00:43:52] Mm-hmm [00:43:53] Yeah. Because, if, you know, the conditional zoning agreement has been signed. And so if you're talking about something that's enforceable, they would need to be included in the CZA, and that means they would need to go back. [00:44:03] So- but if the- if the developer comes to you all and says just, on their own volition, and just says, we are- want to do this stepped tiered thing and we do not think it's a substantial change. Then would it be up to city staff to decide if that is a substantial change and if that needs to go back to rezoning? Page 18 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. (00:44:22] 1 missed- in your hypothetical, was the developer agreeing to do the terraced [OVERLAPPING]? [00:44:261 The- the developer is proposing it. [00:44:27] He is proposing it? Oh. [00:44:28) Yeah. [00:44:311 Well, I'd have to go back and look at the CZA again to remind myself as to- I- I remember there was the component of the screening, which was addressed in our work session, but I can't remember if there was anything about the structure of that. So, uh, I'm not sure I can answer that of the play. [00:44:451 Okay. [00:44:45] Sorry. [00:44:461 V I guess I just want to- to tried to give an indication about, you know, where a lot of the- a lot of the power resides, a lot of the power to make some type of changes, if they are within the scope of feasibility, it seems like that is heavily geared towards the private developer or whoever owns the land eventually. Like they- [00:45:10] Well- [00:45:101 Yeah. [00:45:111 Mm-hmm. Well, certainly we can't impose anything that the developers aren't willing to agree to. That said, you don't have to rezone it. [00:45:20] Mm-hmm. Page 19 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//ciMhannel4.com/city-council.htmi This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:45:21] And so that's why there's typically, especially with an OPD like this, there's usually, um, a little more flexibility and, you know, a negotiation with staff to, uh, address neighbors concerns, uh, especially like the view from the park, that kind of thing. This is the result of a pretty long process in which planning staff, uh, have worked with the developers for quite some time. [00:45:47] Okay. Now, if- if we decide on something that- you said it have to go back to the planning and zoning. How that's going to happen, like, guess we say, okay, now we're going to take it to the planning and zoning or we have to vote, or what- how we do that? (00:46:03] If you wanted to add a condition to the conditional zoning agreement, you would probably want to make an oral motion tonight to a council meeting in the future that gives enough time for staff to review council's proposal, and for planning and zoning to weigh in at one of their meetings, they meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, typically. Um, and so you'd want to kind of allow for all that time. But yes, I mean, this would be the time for you folks to let us know what it is that you would want to achieve. (00:46:401 Yeah, get you. I just want to know the timeline. Thank you. [00:46:441 Okay. [00:46:47] Any other questions by council to either staff or to the applicant representative? All right. We're going to open it up to anyone from the public that would like to speak at this time. If you are online, please raise your virtual hand, and I will acknowledge you. Welcome, please state your name and city you're from. And you have up to three minutes. [00:47:13] Thank you. Hello. My name is Megan [inaudible 00:47:14]. I'm a resident of Iowa City, but I'm not a resident of the North Side. So weigh my feedback accordingly. Um, so watching this process play out has been actually really frustrating. Um, there are a lot of, like, details that still need to be worked out, and there are a lot of valid concerns, um, about the sidewalk ending, um, in the middle of nowhere, well, not really in the middle of nowhere, but at a place where it can't really be connected to other infrastructure like that. Um, but I feel like there is- I couldn't help but think of a potential future, especially regarding the traffic, where this development actually reduces the number of cars traveling on Dodge Street or Governor because I'm guessing if people are perceiving those streets as being very busy, when, in fact, their capacity is less than half of what its, you know, max is, a lot of those people are probably traveling Page 20 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://ciiychannel4.com/city-coungil.htmI This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. to their homes in other communities. And if they could live in Iowa City where they work, they might not bed riving- they might not be leaving town or coming into town in the morning. Um, also, it's in a place where someone could walk to work, conceivably, if they worked downtown, very, very close. Um, they might bike whereas before they had to drive. Um, so that was just something that really stuck out tome. Um, also, I live in an HOA that's sort of several multiplex buildings, um, with 94 units of two bedrooms, mostly, sometimes three, um, and the traffic is really not what you would think. Um, it's pretty rare that I actually encounter another car coming into or out of the garage, um, in our little, you know, driveway area. Um, I00:49:14] And I think that's probably not going to be as much of a concern, at least. And I live on, like, the ragged edge of the east side. It's not walking distance to anywhere. So lots of drivers. Another thing that did stand out was that the pedestrians don't have a cross- because there's a sidewalk on one side, but not on the side that the building is actually going to be on. Um, that actually might be wise to look at putting one of those pedestrian crossings with the, like, yellow flashing lights where you press the button. Um, I could totally see that being a concern. But, um, I am- I'm fearful that we're going to let perfect be the enemy of good here. Um, we could really use 84 units of any size, um, of any price range, uh, in the city, and I hope that this is approved in some form, with some degree of density. Thank you. [00:50:18] Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? If so, please raise your virtual hand- virtual hand online. If you're present, please raise your hand at this time. Please come up. Please state your name and city you're from. [00:50:37] Hi. Sharon De Gras, Iowa City. I have handouts again [00:50:441 Okay. [00:50:451 Can I get a motion to accept correspondence? [00:50:471 So moved, Moe. 100:50:49) Second, Bergus. [00:50:50] Move by Moe, seconded by Bergus. All in favor, say aye. Page 21 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https�//citychannel4.com/city-council.htm] This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [00:50:53] Aye. [00:50:53] Aye. [00:50:531 Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0. And we'll start her time at thisjuncture 100:51:03] So the- the handout that I've passed out is one showing car crashes during 2014-2024 on the 900 block of Governor Street. And you can see where the building, 911 North Governor Street is, is where the majority of the- the accidents have taken place. So in- in my mind, when I think about this area, I agree with everyone that there's a perfect area to develop, and it should be redeveloped. But it's an island within Highway 1 traveling south and Highway 1 traveling north, um, where the entrance exit to the development will be is at the very bottom of the hill. And people travel in excess- excessive speeds, typically. Like, when I'm crossing to go over to Hickory Hill, it's usually 35-40, that people are- oh, you got an extra one [LAUGHTER]. So that- my concern is about safety. And- and when I say that the number of apartments and cars going in and out is too much, these- the dots there are one way in which I can show you that while it looks great on paper, the context of actually living in the neighborhood and experiencing the car speeds, the crashes, noticing the lack of sidewalks, the lack of crosswalks, like the last person said, those are big deals that you shouldn't just pass this today and hope that those things fall into place. Um, maybe I'll pivot and also say that I saw the letter that was from Mr. Barkolo offering the properties for $9 million. That seems too high. But, um, doing a tally of the assessed value of all those parcels, it comes to 4,640,000. So if the city were to entertain that, that seems reasonable, if you were to consider taking possession of the properties, and if you were willing to sell for that price. I think that's probably about it. Thanks. And I hope that you don't vote in favor of it today because I think there's more negotiation that you could do. And also, I viewed the part about a lawsuit as a threat. Um, I think that you've got a lot on your side to vote it down. Thank you. [00:53:331 Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. [00:53:41] Thank you. Good evening, councilors. I'm Audrey Barrick, um, from Iowa City. Um, having attended the P&Z consultation, um, just earlier this afternoon, I just want to make one reflection about that, um, in case you were left with the impression that just a few neighbors had, um, objected. Um, as P&Z stated, I want to clarify that we had a- an absolutely resounding, overwhelming majority of eligible land owners petition against this rezoning. Um, by my own calculation, it neared 40%, uh, of the adjacent land owners. And, um, that's a very high tally, almost unheard of. And when you think about the fact that most of the land to the south was excluded from petitioning because that is Happy Hollow Park, and the Page 22 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,///citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. north area is owned by developers, we achieved 40%of the land owners on both North Dodge Street and Governor Street, um, within 200 feet of this proposed development. And so I just want to say that we're not just a few neighbors, but we are the city, uh, those of us who objected. Um, and then earlier this afternoon, but too late, I think, to make it into your packets, I sent another letter signed by five; myself and four other neighbors. And this has to do with, um, the critical slopes, uh, that are impacted by this development. And I just want to go over a little- a few parts of it because it's really too technical, um, to digest on the spot. So I want to encourage you all to take a look at that letter, um, because it has to do with zoning law, and we do need to be following the law. Um, staff has stated they support this rezoning because it allows application of the modern zoning ordinance, including parts of the ordinance that apply to environmentally sensitive features, um, in this case, the critical steep slopes in the grove of trees. Yet when you compare this proposal, um, to the language of the zoning code, this plan clearly does not protect and minimize the disturbance of the environmentally sensitive features of the R3B zone property, or the additional land at 905 and 909 North Governor, which is not subject to the court ruling. Um, the intent of the zoning law is to permit and define the reasonable use of properties that contain environmentally sensitive features. Um, I encourage you to take a look at the ways in which this development is not consistent with zoning law, and that's detailed in the letter you would have just received. Thank you so much for your attention. [00:56:46) Thank you. And will you place your sticker in that basket, please? Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? Seeing no one in person or online, I'm going to close the public hearing. Can I get a motion to give first consideration, please? [00:57:07] So moved, Bergus. [00:57:09] Second, Harmsen. [00:57:10] All right. Council discussion. [00:57:15] I'm just going to reiterate what, um, P&Z had laid out, as well as a comment by Meghan Volmer, that, um, we have a need for housing stock of all kinds. We also got the, um, presentation by, um, our consultants about doing the comprehensive plan and that we're going to need 384 units per year to- and- to be able to ke- keep up with our anticipated growth. And this has, as far as location, location, location, we had a conversation about it being prime. I fear very much that, um, if we don't rezone this, we are going to let this continue to be a vacant lot or vacant building that has been here since I moved here in 1995, um, and this fits with our strategic plan for infill, density. We have the opportunity perhaps for affordable housing, and we also need all kinds of housing. This is near a grocery store. It's on the bus line. It's near downtown. It's near an elementary school. It's near medical facilities. It's right next to a Page 23 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.htmll This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. park. Um, I do- I think that it makes sense as a compliment to find out about the feasibility of what the city could do in terms of connectivity, um, you know, engineering wise and what have you. But that's not something that we need to hold up this rezoning, um, in order to do that other. And I think absolutely, transparency, accountability, let's look into it and find out the feasibility of it, so that we can try and make this connection and to make this an even better thing. So anyway, I will be voting yes for the rezoning. Um, I just- I don't see that this is something that, um, we can pass up in- in that regard. [00:59:42] I think that what I heard from zoning and what I hear from you is the density is really not the primary concern of P&Z, and maybe not this council, but I'm curious to hear from everybody else. It's some of the very specifics of this proposal. And, um, I think that the- the key for me is the fact that we have these R3B zones that we have little or no control over, that we could end up with really, really bad things with absolutely no control, no sidewalks, no storm sewers, no real restrictions on setbacks and, uh, screening. And I think that this is an opportunity to make that really bad zoning go away. Um, and so I'm supportive of moving something forward. I just- right now, listening to P&Z and my own notes, is I have three issues that I wish we could just subtly tweak, and I want to hear from the rest of you how important those are. And to me, that's that retaining wall, it's the sidewalk, and it's the, uh, uh, it's the sort of inflow outflow traffic. Like, they seem to be simple things to me where you can, you know, when you turn out, you must go the correct direction, and when you turn in, you must be coming from the - the correct direction. And I- I also hear the, uh, statement of let's not let perfect be the- the enemy of the good. And so I'm interested to hear what my fellow councilors have to say about those, what I think are the three snags. [01:01:131 1 can go ahead and jump in. I think the, uh, the traffic flow, you know, that's kind of in terms of, like, you know, people live in apartments one ways, so that doesn't, you know, mean they have to deal with that anyway. That's not a- that's not a new thing. In terms of, I think, you know, the- the amount of traffic and the fact that there's a lot of capacity, I think sometimes, and I'm trying to remember now. I feel like we've talked about this right after I got on council. Um, and our- our traffic expert isn't in the room, but the idea that one of the things that slows people down is greater volume. Like, if there's- when there's fewer cars, people have a tendency to hit the gas because it's more wide open. And that is a problem, like, you know, I've driven down North Dodge and stuff, too. I know there's that one spot there where there's that permanent, this is how fast you're going, and I think that does help. I see brake lights in front of me, and that reminds me to tap mine because you're coming down that hill. And so, um, definitely, you know, getting people to slow down through there is- is, you know, it's a well taken point. Um, in terms of the sidewalks and stuff, I- before our last meeting, I hadn't been out to Happy Hollow Park since my kids have got a little bit older, so I hadn't been out there in a few years. So I went back and kind of walked through that property and- and kind of walked kind of up to the- the property in question. And one of the things I noticed was, um, and I can hear- I hear what some staff had said about the sidewalk there that would be on Governor heading south there along that one edge of Happy Hollow Park. There is a very small piece of- I mean, I was I was surprised. I'd forgotten how narrow that was and how steep it was and then the woods that are there, so I could definitely, uh, you know, I think - Page 24 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-co!lncil.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. I- I wouldn't want to require a sidewalk there. Uh, I would be happy to be proven wrong that that's a bad place and that, you know, if we were to do something after that as a city with our infill program. Um, but I think what intrigues me is the idea of a sidewalk that doesn't initially follow along the street right there, but sort of connects through sort of mid property. So like, when I was- if you're familiar with, like, where the- was it a pavilion little shelter and stuff is, the grade there is much smaller. Like the- the distance and the height there. There's still some there, there's a grade there, but it's not as extreme as it is along the, uh, the roadway. And so, again, I- I like the idea that city staff put forward about working with a developer to say, hey, can we connect something up through there kind of like we've done. I was thinking of actually the project up on Rochester. I don't know if that's the same park tha- that you were talking about earlier. But I'm- I'm ha- happy to do that and direct city staff to sort of look for options there and see which one really does look the best from an engineering standpoint, um, and solve that outside of this - of this zoning process. Um, so those are kind of my thoughts o- on those issues. And then I agree with- with the other things that you and Counselor Alter had said about the advantages o- of this project that's before us. Noting, some of the concerns are- are going to have some validity as well. [01:04:111 I'll get to your question, Josh, but I just want to kind of address the overall, um, project in the rezoning, first. Thank you to those residents who showed up not just tonight, but to all the planning and zoning, and thank you, Megan, for noting how frustrating this is, because that is very true. This process is incredibly cumbersome and awkward and difficult. And as, Oliver, you said, you know, a lot of the power and decision making is sort of, you know, loaded in different places. And we're in a moment here where we're- so much effort and so many conversations and so much negotiation has already occurred. And while we do have the authority to pause and send it back to planning and zoning, I think that getting this property used, to me, is the really primary concern. And, um, before it was even said at the podium, I wrote down the phrase, perfect enemy of the good question mark, um, because I have seen, in my time, both on council and as a resident in Iowa City, projects that die by 1,000 cuts, you know, that by the time they get here, we have seven opinions with a lot of, you know, things that often are representing the hopes of the neighborhood or, you know, specific impacted property owners nearby, and those things are taken into account throughout the process. And so I- I'm also in favor of the rezoning now. I don't want to send it back for those three things to be conditions that you mentioned, Josh. I think, um, I also have walked the site, and I agree that there appears to maybe be opportunities to connect with the park that would be not right on that sidewalk that ends, but- but somewhere more- more in the middle. And I really do think, um -you know, a thing that's really difficult in this process is, uh, those who will have the chance to some day live there, can't be in this room. They can't tell us what they would want, they can't tell us where they would work. They can't tell us how they would prefer to get from their home to their work, their school, their grocery store. And so I think it's really incumbent on us to listen to, um, what we know to be true about the growth of our community that is continuing, and all the benefits of this infill development. [01:06:46] Page 25 Iowa City City Council Forma] meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/cil vLgguncil.htmll This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Um, I would- like to just say that this- reflecting the words of [inaudible 01:06:53] and Laura. This has been, for me, an extraordinarily frustrating procedure because I feel like every- and this is through nobody's fault. I'm not placing any blame anywhere or to any particular person in the city. [LAUGHTER] Um, every step of the way, trying to get some type of add ressment of not only the concerns, but other community concerns, not just by the neighbors, but things that would be the overall benefit of the community coming from a great location like this. Every step of the way, the answer has been, no, no, no, no, no. You can't do any of that. You can't- well, maybe try it this way, but no guarantees or anything. Things as simple as, um, I would just like to see a connecting trail to Happy Hollow Park. Well, we're going to have to do this and the other thing. And again, that's no one's fault in particular with the city. It's just how the laws are made. It's how the society that we live in, uh, clearly puts the, uh, the interest of private property developers and landlords over the interests of people. And it just sucks to be caught in this, um, in this- in this process, where no matter how much time I and all the other counselors have put into it, I feel like it's just been roadblock after roadblock after roadblock of trying to get some type of concession. I don't know if concession is the right word. Um, when we look at these types of things for rezoning, we are technically not counselors anymore. We're like, little judges. I don't know if you would characterize it that way. [01:08:27] It judicial [inaudible 01:08:271. [01:08:28) Yeah, I don't know. Um, and so I remember first, you know, so we are not allowed to, uh, you know, being able to compartmentalize these things in my mind. Um, and this has nothing to do with my, uh, what my decision will end up being, but we're not allowed to consider things like affordable housing. We're not allowed to consider other type of quality of life things. We just need to decide if this, uh, fits within the rules of the code. And it's been very frustrating for me. So what I would like to do, um, is to try to come up with some type of way not connected to the rezoning for this first consideration to, um, maybe make some type of formal direction to staff to look into, uh, some type of trail connection that leads through Happy Hollow Park, like what we've been discussing in the lower grade. I'm not sure procedurally what the best way to do that is. But for this first consideration, I would be willing to vote yes to go through that while, you know, there's still two other considerations. Um, to just go through that and we what that process looks like. 101:09:39] So I think this would be more of a work session that, uh, I- that we would come back to, and it sounds like the- that- maybe the two considerations, not the- the retainer wall. 1 don't think that that would be a counsel thing. That would be more of a developer thing and them getting back to us. But sidewalk as well as the in and out of cars, that would be something we can discuss at a work session. [01:10:11] Since this is a formal item, uh, Mayor, I think it would probably be at a formal- be it the second reading, like Councilor Weilein suggested. Now, perhaps when we were talking about sidewalk, we're talking Page 26 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/ciiy-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. about two different parts of the sidewalk. Um, I'm aware that staff spent a good deal of time trying to figure out if there's a way to connect the sidewalk in the middle to the park. Again, because of topography, again, because of all the trees, again, because of ADA requirements, they found it not to be practical, but staff can come back and give a more full outline of that, if you would like. Also addressing the traffic concerns so that you folks have a better understanding about what's possible and what's not. [01:10:58] And my assumption is at that point, I mean, the- the representative for the developer has already said they will have conversations about the retainer wall. Not that we can require that before the - [LAUGHTER] the end, but we would be very interested in hearing about that. [01:11:17] But I think you said that if we even if the developer the one who come and said, I'm going to do that. Is this means it have to go back to the Planning and Zoning again or no? [01:11:271 If you're looking for something that's enforceable, uh, then it would need to be part of the CCA. And so that would need to go back. If you're looking for, you know, [NOISE] excuse me, explanation for why some of these things were not done differently, then that's something that staff can offer you, and so can the developers. But yes, if you want a change that's enforceable, it would need to be contained in a CCA. [01:11:54] And what consider enforceable and what's not from everything that we said now that we would like to see? [01:12:02) Well, because there's a difference between what you would like to see as a council and what the developer is contractually obligated to do. That's what the Conditional Zoning Agreement imposes requirements. It says, essentially, we will rezone this property to what you're requesting, but only if you satisfy these four or five conditions. And so if we want it to be enforceable, then it needs to be contained there. Otherwise, we're just saying, please, essentially. [01:12:30] If the developer came forward and said, yeah, we looked at this retaining wall, we'd like to do a little bit differently. Given the OPD, what would need to happen in order for the city to allow that change? Or the flare of the driveway? Like those -those changes. I'm looking at our findings. [01:12:491 Yeah. I am, too. [01:12:521 Page 27 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httos://citychannel4 comma-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. If they can come, I think some things have changed. Outside of something that's been at council before [01:13:01] Greetings. [01:13:02] Greetings. [01:13:03] Hello, you know, I've ruined your microphone. [LAUGHTER] Danielle says Neighborhood Development Services. So the question is a bit of a double edged sword. Once a rezoning is approved with an OPD plan, what can happen and what can't happen to that plan? It's a substantial change consideration that staff makes as well. So, we, depending on the issue, could decide the thing that's being proposed isn't substantial and let them- them continue and have slight changes. Or we could decide whatever they're proposing is substantial, and then they have to go back through rezoning. So I think the example maybe we shared last time was Oaknoll, east of the city, had a site with an OPD. They had two buildings on it. They were under the maximum density on that site. They proposed another building. So on the one hand, the OPD said, the zoning district, that density is fine, but the plan showed two buildings. And so we said, no, adding a third building is a substantial change, even though it's generally meeting the zoning, you need to go back and have this rezoned. So in the case of a retaining wall, shifting from, uh, one tier to several tiers, I don't know how many tiers at this point. It's kind of an engineering question. [01:14:10] Like the sidewalk work. [01:14:111 Right, or the sidewalk through the site or something like that. Generally, except for the fact that you all have discussed a great length. Those would be probably minor changes, and we wouldn't require rezoning. So it's a little bit of reading the room, reading how substantial it feels to the community, whether staff says it needs to go back for rezoning or not. I mean, we could want all the things in the world about a retaining wall, but they're built to retain something, and they have to physically hold up to the stresses of what they're retaining and be built that way. So that's kind of some physical limits on how a retaining wall can get designed and constructed. So I don't know those answers. I don't know, in this case. I don't think the engineer knows this at that today, whether they can tell you with certainty whether tiered walls feasible or not. The right in or I guess it would be left in left out, traffic driveway flares. That's a pretty simple pouring of concrete. That's not something that we would say and needs to come back for rezoning to simply be traffic engineered appropriately for that turning maneuver. That'll be something that at site plan, engineering staff in the city would definitely look at and make sure it's functionally correct. And the sidewalk. [01:15:191 [inaudible 01:15:191 the sidewalk. Page 28 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.btml) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:15:20] The sidewalk. There's two parts of that sidewalk. You're talking about a sidewalk, either you're in the public right of way off site, not on this developer's property or a public sidewalk on the developer's site, some way to connect to the park. [NOISE] We did just as staff kind of discuss that as part of the review of this project. Knowing that preservation of those trees in and around the park was probably of greater value than pedestrian connection. I mean, you're talking about changing and retaining wall, so you don't have to see it from the park. Putting in a sidewalk through the site would probably remove a lot of those trees that are not protected trees. They're not part of a woodland sensitive area. So we thought minimizing the impact of the trees was more important than a sidewalk, a walkway through the site at this point. So, 1 mean, there's always the option for a public sidewalk in our right of way in the future, if the city wants to take that on through a council directed action, but, you know, the sidewalk was a complicated, as well. [01:16:19] So in- [01:16:22] 1 don't know if that's-. [01:16:231 In your professional opinion, can we, uh, without affecting the zoning, um, or without having to go back to P&Z, can we get like a 10 foot trail that connects this property with Happy Hollow Park? 101:16:46] 1 would say no. At this point, what- what you're seeing in the plans and what the CCA says are what you will get. If you want something else and you want it to be binding, you have to be explicit about that and send it back to P&Z and have it explicitly returned to you with that design or that condition. [01:17:04] But if we as a city decide, we want to make that happen ourselves, not as a requirement- [01:17:08] After it's approved, the city has no leverage to tell a developer what to do with their property once they start developing it. 101:17:14) Okay, I guess I'm just a little bit confused on the property line, and [inaudible 01:17:16]. [01:17:20] So I think what you're asking is on the side of publicly owned property, if we can create a sidewalk. Page 29 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through VerbiC AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. (01:17:301 That's the city's right of way. You can do any infrastructure project you want [01:17:341 So I think is that your question? So the question-. [01:17:37] On the public ad -way, yeah. [01:17:38] Right. So the answer to the question is, yes. At any point, we can do that [01:17:42] 1 mean at any point, I'm sorry, Oliver. Yeah, I mean, like in any point, the city after this being approved, and the developers start developing, is still if we want the city to connect the sidewalk to the park, the city can do that. [01:17:59] Right. On- in the right of way, presuming as Geoff explained that we have a engineering firm hired to scope that out and give you a cost estimate, and you're willing to pay for and have the impact of, whatever that means. Yes. Like any infrastructure project. [01:18:161 And let me ask another question. If the- if this passes, and- because I- my understanding the developer is putting it for sale. And somebody else bought it. Are they required to do everything as the Planning and Zoning said? [01:18:371 They're required to do two things. One, they need to comply with all the rules of RM 20 zone. And this well, OPD RM 20 zone. Also, they would need to follow all the conditions in the conditional zoning agreement. Those are conditions that travel with the land, so to speak. They run with the land, I should say. So, yes, any subsequent buyer of the property would have to meet all the same requirements that the current owner would. [01:19:041 And if I can add, there's a time limit. So if this owner doesn't act on this OPD plan, eventually, the OPD plan times out, and a new developer, if they bought it after that time elapsed, would need to come back with a new OPD rezoning [inaudible 01:19:19). They'd have the base zone, so the RM 20 would still be where it is, but the building design would not. The layout that you're seeing as a site plan would not be still in effect. [01:19:31] Page 30 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https•//citychannel4.com/ci-council.html] This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. And what's that time? [01:19:331 Eighteen. Sorry. [01:19:35] [inaudible 01:19:35] Neighborhood Development Services. This- the timeline that Danielle is talking about is for the preliminary OPD plan, which is part of this rezoning. Um, that preliminary plan expires in 18 months. If the applicant moves forward with the final plat, which we've talked about, they'll probably be submitting a final OPD plan, and that kind of locks it in place at the time of approving the final. The final does not expire. [01:20:04] Does the final come back to us? [01:20:07] No. That's just a administrative review. [01:20:09] Thank you. [01:20:151 1 guess- I don't know. Is the counsel here interesting of doing the sidewalk in the future, you know? [01:20:251 Sorry. yeah. The public right of way? [01:20:28] The one that it to the-. [01:20:291 We can do it without it being a part of the rezoning. yeah. Absolutely. I'm totally interested in that. [01:20:37] And also, this is one of my concerns. I- I did not talk at all about this. So my concern also is the safety. I go there all the time. I saw one of the accidents. 1, you know, like, know, like, how certain time everything will be like- it will be traffic, really between, you know, the- the people are yielding to make a ride on Dodge Street and the people who are standing governors, because that's street, it doesn't have any like light- traffic light or anything. So it being- it being, like, really traffic jam there sometime. And - and also like, thinking about just 80 like 85, right, 84 unit- 84 unit, and how many people will be getting out, like, during that time. And I just can't imagine if those- all those people have cars. So, it will be really Page 31 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. tough. And, um, yeah, the retaining wall is big piece for me. And I really just think like if we can reduce the amount of the apartment unit there will be ideal. No what I think. (01:22:00] Um, what- this is something that I've struggled to get, not through anybody's fault, but maybe it's my - my fault that I'm not understanding correctly, but our authority when it comes to Governor Street. When it comes to, let's say that it was the Council's, um-uh, if it was the councils, uh, want to put a crosswalk right there that goes across the street with, like, a flashing yellow light. Are we allowed to do that because it is a state highway technically, um, or what would the process be? [01:22:351 Any modifications would have to be run through the Department of Transportation- the State Department of Transportation. But there are universal standards for where- where crosswalks and different types of signage and alerts are appropriate and where they're not appropriate. Uh, and, uh, I- I would have a very hard time believing a mid block crosswalk in this exact location whatever be - whatever meet that criteria would ever be approved by our transportation planners or the state transportation planners. Generally, particularly on this type of roadway, you're going to be- they're going to want to funnel you to a intersection and do the crosswalk at the intersection. [01:23:22] 1 do want to remind- I just want to mention that this was a very, um, used building [LAUGHTER] back in the day. So I was there when that building was highly utilized, and, um, you know, people entered and exited all the time. I do hear the concern, um. And I- I- maybe I'll just make my comments now. So the sidewalk, uh, when it pertains to the park, uh, that's something that the -you know, the council certainly can do in the future, or at any point, we want to, um, kind of entertain that conversation. So the sidewalk, um, at least from the- the public right away is laid to rest for me. Ah, the retainer wall, uh, as we've just heard from staff, certainly, I- you know, design, um, you know, the way things look is very important, but also the functionality of it is also very critical. And so the retainer wall for me is something that I think will be inquired about, but at the end of the day, uh, it sounds like it's going to be more of a structural, um, requirement that the developers will have to, you know, move forward on. Although they heard from counsel, they heard from the public. And I-1 think that they'll, you know, take that seriously and- and, um, you know, see what they can do. When it comes down to the cars leaving, you know, certainly there is safety concerns, um, and that's with any- anything. Yes, this is turning onto a one-way. We would- we would hope that the people that move there would realize it's a one-way. And, you know, again, a sign of some type could go there to say, you know, one way to the left. Um, so, that in itself, for me, is- um, is a- is not as great of a concern. And I would tell you that there are a lot of buildings, um, as we heard earlier, um, the- where there's a lot of, um, folks gathered, where the- the traffic is not, um, as great as it- it might sound when you have 90 units or 80 units. Um, the traffic isn't, uh, that great. Um, so F F I'll be supporting this. I do hear the concerns of the neighbors. I appreciate the concerns. Um, I- but I do feel that, um, council is hearing it. The developers are hearing it. And they are being, um, looked into. And I do think that there are some, uh, real solutions, uh, that can happen as well as some things that, uh, if we had to live with them, they would be, I- I think, acceptable to live Page 32 Iowa City City Council Forma] meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httl2s://citychannel4.com/city-council.htmI This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. through. Um, everything won't be perfect, as we know, um, but I feel comfortable with this. We do need all types of housing, and this is a great spot, as we've heard from various people, that this is a great spot for higher density, and so I'll be supporting this. [01:26:48] I guess I would just say that my- um, my main concern when it comes to traffic is more of a pedestrian concern rather than a car. [OVERLAPPING] Yeah. That's why I, um, was, you know, thinking about that. So I- I mean, the only- the only thing that I am curious about is if there's anything that we can do right now to put some type of rather than just kind of say, like, yeah, we'll look into it next week we promise, some type of, like, moving forward, some type of, uh, w- we will be looking into, um, either hi- either, you know, getting an estimate on a consultant or something like that when it comes to like the public right away sidewalk. Is there anything we can do right now at this moment? (01:27:32] A majority of you- four of you can direct staff to do that and give us the time frame that you expect it. Um, now, I tell you if you- if you tell us to come back in two weeks, we won't be able to give you much, right? [LAUGHTER] Our procurement process would take, uh, several weeks just to -just to get somebody on board. Typically, what would happen, and this is what happened with the Calder Park example I give you. If this rezoning passes, we would, uh, hit place this in the budget next fall. So we would do a CIP plan. We would try to frontload this project in 2027-ish. You know, we're going to be about a year behind, but also, no- no guarantee that this development's going to start the day after you, you know, propose the rezoning. Obviously, it's listed for sale right now. So that's typically how it would work. If you feel like you need it faster than that, you've just got to communicate that you want this done as quickly as- as- as you do. And we- we will do our best to keep you apprised along the way. We can do that through information packet updates. We can schedule a work session. However, you want to hold us accountable, we're happy to, uh, kind of fall in line. [01:28:381 Personally, I don't think it matters that the sidewalk gets built on the city right of way immediately. I think that the sidewalk that's being proposed needs to match up with something. It's not the sidewalk that goes to nowhere. 101:28:501 Correct. [01:28:50] And that whatever gets constructed is prepped for the city to add that sidewalk. And I would propose that we have some kind of proposal by the June 3rd meeting, which would be the potential third reading for this. [01:29:01] Yeah. Page 33 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 [audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:29:02] Is that- [01:29:031 Well, I think we can- [01:29:04] -to study the sidewalk, like, just to say, how does the city sidewalk actually interface with this thing? 'Cause I do not believe it probably connects at the point where the current sidewalk that's designed ends. So you're seeing more of, like, kind of I don't feasibility, not an actual plan. [01:29:18] I- really all we need is, like, some schematic design of, like, how does this work, or does it work? Because I don't see that current sidewalk, where it stops at a cliff connecting to anything ever. [01:29:31] Yeah, I'm going to look at her engineering staff and we if you -you guys want to offer any input since this would be falling to you. [01:29:451 Good evening, Jason Novel City engineer. I think the challenging part is going to be getting some survey and trying to get an idea of exactly what those slopes look like. Um, you have that survey data, though, don't you, from this current proposal? Well, it wouldn't be the full area. So, I mean, it's- we could take a look at it. I mean, you know, just about anything can be done. I think, as Danielle mentioned, a lot of it's going to be what are the impacts? You know, you're likely looking at losing a- a significant amount of trees along Governor. You know, you're looking at, if not that, to try and minimize that, you're likely pushing it next to the road, which is less than ideal. So it's- you know, could you get something in there? You could. It's just I- I don't know that it's going to be something that we're going to be really excited about. So I think that's going to be the trade-off we're looking at. [01:30:31] And the- the grading for the sidewalk on this site that the city doesn't own. When- and like, when is the sidewalk there installed, and when does that, like, where it would connect actually need to be determined? (01:30:451 So- and somebody can correct me if I'm wrong here, but I believe that the sidewalk for the- the site would be done as part of the site work. Now, what that would connect to, that would have to be our project whenever that would be. Otherwise, it would basically be set up for a future connection, but it wouldn't connect to anything since there's nothing there - Page 34 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//`citychannel4.com/ci -council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:31:02] Right. [01:31:02] -existing to tie into. (01:31:03) And what I'm hearing from Josh is, we know there's challenges with the slopes and the trees, is there a way to mitigate the likelihood that there never is a connection when this land is developed, which may not be for a few years. [01:31:22] I- again, I mean, there's- there's the potential. You know, I mean, we could do a project to do that. I just- I- I don't know that it would be something that we would push just due to the- the impacts and the trade-offs there, that that would be something that we would naturally push to the top. If it's, you know, your direction, then we could do that. But I- I think it's going to be a challenging one, and it's gonna be a tough one to- just to fit in there, let alone not considering the impacts. But when you look at the impacts, it's- I'm guessing that's also not going to be super popular- [01:31:51] Sure. [01:31:511 -to some people. [01:31:52] So I- I think just to kind of bring us to where we might be? You know, I- I think the reality is when there's people living on that property, after it's developed, however many years from now that is, when things are complete, and people are living there. They're going to make their own pedestrian access to the park, through the park, through the trees, however that works. How does the city typically address that when we see, oh, there's a significant footpath through these woods [LAUGHTER] that has- that is now impacting our park, does that make any difference? [01:32:291 Yeah, I- I mean, a lot of that would probably be the sidewalk infill- [01:32:33] Okay. 101:32:33] -program is where we would normally do that. Um, you know, we do tend to do the ones that either have high demand, high requests or, um, you know, are- are fairly easy. Page 35 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:32:44] Mm-hmm [01:32:45] You know, the more difficult ones tend to not be as done as often, um, a lot of times because that's- they- they're the ones that face pushback. [01:32:54] Mm-hmm. And then would we have an opportunity with the land that is undeveloped to this, uh, immediate west of the park, south of this little bit further west. So not- not just this portion, but the portion that would like connect to Dodge Street, can- I mean, [LAUGHTER] hypothetical, but the city could consider the access north -south to the park if that develops? [01:33:23] So if I'm understanding correctly, basically connect- making some sort of connection to Dodge Street and having that be the connection? [01:33:291 Correct. (01:33:31) I- I don't recall what's there on Dodge Street. I- I think there's a sidewalk along there, if not, we're- we have a Dodge Street project that would, uh, install facilities there that, uh, if there's a gap. I- I believe they're there, but if there is a gap, we have an upcoming project that would get the sidewalk along Dodge Street. Um, so that would probably be easier, um, and I- I say that without, you know, having it in front of me. Um, but I think that would probably be an easier route, although, again, it would be that connection from the private property to Dodge Street would be the challenge. [01:34:011 Yeah. Okay. [01:34:03] Mm. [01:34:041 I'm sorry. [01:34:051 So hypothetically, if we want to- if we love the idea of, um, south of the development to make a trail that does not have to go along the highway. Does not- or governor does not have to go around Dodge, Page 36 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.htmlJ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. but we just want- uh, it is technically on the development. Um, could we, as a city, ask the developer, can we build a sidewalk thereon your property to connect it with Happy Hollow Park? [01:34:421 Well, normally- [NOISE] normally, when we deal with infrastructure, we're dealing with, you know, connecting publicly owned infrastructure to publicly owned infrastructure. Now, that said, um, and so you can see my concern that here, as I understand your hypothetical, you would be connecting a city park with a city sidewalk on city property to a private development, um, which would have sidewalk on the private developments property. Am I understanding your hypothetical correctly? [01:35:14] Yes. Maybe. [01:35:16] The issue there is it's like a 30-foot or more drop, right? The current -John, the current retaining wall in that southern is how tall. [01:35:24] 5-11 feet. [01:35:29] Oh, okay. [01:35:30] Will you repeat that, please? [01:35:31] Yeah. Yeah. John, can you speak in the microphone, please? [01:35:371 It ranges anywhere from five feet to 11 feet. If I may just add a couple of things relative to the- related to the sidewalk discussion. Obviously, we need to work with the City of- Iowa City Engineering, Public Works Department, the Engineering Department. I do think there's an opportunity, uh, to there's already on the final plat. There's a proposed, uh, uh, I believe it's a public pedestrian easement along that side. Uh, so there might be an opportunity to work with engineering to- on the design of that sidewalk to better facilitate whether it meanders a little bit further to the west as it approaches that South property line, just a little bit enough to start to drop it down. That requires some different things from a- from a normal urban cross section that slopes up a little bit to the sidewalk. It's obviously something we would have to- to discuss, whether maybe it slopes down at 2%to pick up some elevation and push it away. So I think there's some things that can be done to try to, as we go into that final design process, the construction plans to facilitate as best as possible, council's desire, the public's Page 37 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,/Jcitychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. desire, everybody's, you know, apparent desire to have that sidewalk connection along Governor to- to improve pedestrian safety, access all the things that we've discussed. [01:36:53] Mm-hmm. Thank you. [01:36:561 I'm not sure of this question before, but with side- a sidewalk bend, essentially instead of sticking close to the street, bending it, you know, around the- the southern- the southeast building. Ah, would that be something that would require, uh, an amendment at some point in the future? Like, does that have to be- if it's not part of this, the- the thing that we're passing tonight or that we're being asked to pass tonight, rather. Um, if we want to do something different with that sidewalk layout in the future, is that just an amendment that would have to process that would get us there? Are- are we locking in something that would keep us from doing that or? 101:37:31] We- well, we can't amend the CCA after you approve it, if that's what you're asking? [01:37:36] Yeah. I just mean like request for like a zoning variance or something, like when they- am I completely- [01:37:42] Ah, well- [01:37:43) -in the wrong? [01:37:44] -maybe I'm not following, but I don't- I mean, once it's rezoned, council's work is done in terms of far zoning. [01:37:50] 1 guess my question is, would we be accidentally preventing the sidewalk bend in the future with what's before us right now? (01:37:581 Oh, by ensuring that it's built in the way it's designed presently? [01:38:02] Yes. Thank you. That's what I- and if so, is there- because we don't even know we want to do that, right? It's just an idea that's been tossed around. Page 38 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. (01:38:111 Yeah. (01:38:11] So, uh, you know, I don't want to accidentally shut the door on something that might be a- a workable idea. Um, but so that's why I'm asking. Is there a process normally through this zoning? Cause this doesn't usually come to us, something that just kind of like, hey, we're gonna move this sidewalk over or change the shape by a few feet. (01:38:30] Again, I don't know if Danielle answered that for us as far as, um, the wiggle room that they have. [01:38:38] That's kind of what I'm getting at, thank you. Yeah. [01:38:40] Yeah, I think- [01:38:41] Is that- was that part of that answer? I guess I wasn't. [01:38:44) But typically in the wiggle room that they have, typically, that's an applicant coming and saying, the applicant would like to change things a little bit. [01:38:511 Yeah. [01:38:51] What I'm hearing from you folks is that the city would like to change things [01:38:551 1 think what I'm getting at is if the city says, hey, we could meet you this way and the applicant says, hey, we'd have to change our thing. 101:39:001 Yeah. [01:39:00] Can we do that city? I mean, we- we would probably want to agree with that. I just want to- [01:39:03] Page 39 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httl2s://ciiychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Yeah (01:39:031 -make sure that we have the ability to do that in the future [01:39:051 Oh, yes. [01:39:06] That's I guess what I'm saying. We're not boxing ourselves in accidentally [01:39:081 Yeah, I mean, I- I- I've got the wrong credentials for the engineering component of your question. 101:39:13] Yeah, and I- I don't expect the engineering. I just mean sort of like if we decide cooperatively in the future that we want to change that, and the city says, we'll meet you then wherever that joins up at the property line. We're not preventing that from happening in the future. (01:39:261 No, if both parties agree, then you are not preventing that. Right. Cool. [01:39:301 But that was my- my- my only concern. Thank you. (01:39:33] All right. So Council, any other [NOISE] final comments? [01:39:41] So are we going to be, uh, trying to have the city get back to us by June 3, like Josh was suggesting about, um, was that your-. [01:39:531 That was what I had suggested. I'd like to know what the -the public works department thinks would take to get schematic design to just-. [01:40:03] Will you please use your mic? [01:40:04] Oh, I just think we need to know what the staff can do in that time between right now and June 3 to look at it. Page 40 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4,com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:40:13] I'd be agreeable to that [01:40:141 So, let me just play that out. So if there is a, um, the information comes to us by that meeting that says, yes, you can put a sidewalk there, but in order to for the grades to match, you're going to have to take down 45 mature trees and have a retaining wall that's this big, and it could cost $900,000, we would just vote down the rezoning on the third reading? Like, that's the ultimate, like, option, right? 101:40:44] That's not where my mind went with that. I think if we have the conclusion that I guess I don't. [01:40:511 I'm just wondering what the tying it to the rezoning is. [01:40:53] Uh-huh. [01:40:55] Well, because for me, timing of that analysis is not urgent because that -that the sidewalk on this piece of property, if it's rezoned, isn't going to happen right away and any connector sidewalk The city does isn't go to happen right away. So that's -that's the only push back. Is like I have is like, well, yes, if it lines up, but then what do we do with that information when we receive it? I think my understanding from what Jeff was saying is, like, we need to be able to plan to put it in a CIP. [01:41:27] Mm. (01:41:27] 1 don't think it's as urgent as tying it to the third reading of this. [01:41:32] Okay. (01:41:33] Yeah. Make sense. [01:41:34) 1-1 guess my only my -sorry. I'll talk in the mic. My only thing was, uh, just as, uh, away of holding ourselves accountable to the residents who live there that we were actually addressing this thing in a Page 41 Iowa City City Council Forma[ meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. concrete manner. And not like, for me, it's not tying it to the rezoning. It's just, um, saying that, yes, we are going to do the work to see what we can do here. That's all I had in mind. [01:42:01] Then my question would just be, what's a reasonable time frame for staff so that they're not trading this out for other things. [01:42:13] Was that a question to them? [01:42:14] Yeah, that is a question for staff? [01:42:151 Well, you know, everything's priorities, right? The team here, the engineering team is probably managing close to 100 projects right now. So this is the busy season for them, right? Everything's getting started. They're out in the field. If this becomes a priority, something else doesn't. I'm not prepared to tell you what those impacts are. They're not drastic, but normally what would happen is we would, um, budget for design dollars and the CIP. We would talk you through that. Um, when we review the budget again in January, again, we wouldn't necessarily put that in year five, knowing that this project could move forward with development, we would try to front load that and years 2 or 3 of that CIP. Along the way, we could check in with you about what those costs are. Now, that may not be acceptable to the neighborhood, right? They may want to say, You know what? I don't believe you a city, you're not going to come back in a year. And -and if you all want to prioritize this, then whatever time frame you give us, we'll give you the best information we can gather at the time. On June 3, we will not be able to give you a whole lot of information, um, other than maybe, you know, what it's going to cost to get the survey work done and the consultant contract procured. Um, we could probably do some tree counting estimates. And, you know, what I don't want to happen is for us to just be guessing here in the public on what those impacts are and either accused of overstating the impacts or understating the impacts when we come to build this thing. I'd rather have the precise information. So it's -it's all a balancing act. How responsive do you want to be and how much concrete information do you want to have to be able to continue this discussion? [01:44:011 For my part, before it goes to getting included into CIP is a proposed, you know, here's a piece of- here's another project that we want. 1-1 would like to know kind of impact and the lift of it. Like, what does it - how big is this? What are we talking about in terms of mature trees? Um, so that in between -1 would love to get that information in advance of it ending up being like, Well, this is a proposed part line of the budget, right? So that's- that's my-. (01:44:351 So it does sound like - Page 42 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychanne]4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: Al -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:44:37] 1 don't want to just go for it, sorry. [01:44:39] So it does sound like Well, this discussion really doesn't res. It won't be tied to this rezoning. Um, and so if council is amendable, um, it sounds like, you know, we can give staff some direction on yes, we want you to look into this and, you know, bring it back, um, you know, added to the work session agenda. And then, again, we can bring it back when we feel like we are ready for it. But it doesn't sound like we need to continue the conversation because it's not attached to the rezoning, if people are amenable to that? [01:45:19] Yes. [01:45:191 Yes. [01:45:191 Okay. [01:45:201 Yeah. And I think the accountability is us. [01:45:22] The accountability is us. This is not on the developer. Yes. Okay. [01:45:29] Yeah. [01:45:301 Any other discussion on this topic? Roll call, please? [01:45:361 Just reminder because of the protest petition, six votes are required to, uh, advance. Salih? [01:45:47] I'm sorry, I didn't hear your answer. [01:45:48] You call my- you call my name? [01:45:49) Page 43 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httl2s,//citychannel4.com/city-council.htinI) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. I did call your name [01:45:511 No. [01:45:521 Teague? [01:45:53] Yes. 101:45:53] Weilein? [01:45:541 Yes. [01:45:55] Alter? [01:45:551 Yes. [01:45:56) Bergus? [01:45:56] Yes. [01:45:57] Harmsen? 101:45:57] Yes. [01:45:58] Moe. (01:45:581 Yes. [01:46:00] Page 44 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Motion passes 6-1. Can I get a motion to acc-accept correspondence? [01:46:05] It's so moved. [01:46:06] Second. [01:46:061 Move by Bergus. Seconded by Alter all in favor, say aye [01:46:091 Aye. [01:46:10] Aye. [01:46:101 Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0.88 is a rezoned and portion of 691 East Foster Road. Ordinance conditionally rezoned in approximately 0.06 acres for a portion of the property located at 691 East Foster Road, from high density, single family residential zone with a planned development overlay to low density, single family residential zone. This is the second consideration, and staff has requested If someone can bring out material to read, staff has requested expedited action on this. [01:46:501 You want me to-. I can. So which one? This one? [01:46:56] Motion to waive second. 101:46:58] All right. I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for passage at two council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally passed be suspended, that the second consideration and vote be waived, and that the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time. 101:47:17] Move by Alter. (01:47:18] Second. Page 45 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 202S (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:47:19] Second by Bergus. Any discussion? And actually, I guess we go to the public for this. Anyone from the public like to address this topic. If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. Send no one in public. Send no one in person or online. Council discussion. Roll call, please? [01:47:43) Teague? [01:47:43] Yes. [01:47:44] Weilein? [01:47:44] Yes. [01:47:451 Alter? [01:47:46] Yes. 101:47:46] Bergus? [01:47:461 Yes. [01:47:47] Harmsen? [01:47:471 Yes. [01:47:48) Moe? [01:47:48] Yes. [01:47:49] Page 46 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/ciiy-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Salih? [01:47:49] Yes. [01:47:50] Motion passes 7-0. Could I get a motion to pass and adopt? [01:47:54] So moved. [01:47:551 Second. [01:47:56] Moved by Alter seconded by Salih. Roll call, please. [01:48:00) Weilein? [01:48:00] Yes. [01:48:01] Alter? [01:48:02] Yes. 101:48:02] Bergus? [01:48:02] Yes. [01:48:03] Harmsen? [01:48:04) Yes. [01:48:04] Page 47 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httos://citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Moe? [01:48:04) Yes. (01:48:05] Salih? [01:48:05] Yes. 101:48:06] Teague? [01:48:071 Yes. [01:48:07] Motion passes 7-0. 8C, Rezoning Zoning Code amendment related to the form based code zones and standards. Ordinance amending Title 14 Zoning Code and Title 15 land subdivision to adjust standards, increase flexibility, and clarify language related to form based zones and standards. This is the second consideration, and staff is requesting expedited action. [01:48:33] So back to that. Alright. I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for passage at two council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally passed, be suspended, that the second consideration and vote be waived and that the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time. [01:48:50) Move by Alter. [01:48:52] Second, Salih. [01:48:531 Second by Salih. And anyone from the public like to address this topic. If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. If you're present, please step forward. See no one in person or online. We'll call council discussion. Roll call, please? [01:49:091 Alter? Page 48 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/ci-council.htmi This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:49:10] Yes. [01:49:11] Bergus? [01:49:111 Yes. [01:49:121 Harmsen? [01:49:12] Yes. 101:49:13] Moe? 101:49:13] Yes. [01:49:131 Salih? [01:49:14] Yes. [01:49:14] Teague? [01:49:15] Yes. [01:49:15] Weilein? [01:49:16] Yes. [01:49:171 Motion passes 7-0. Could I get a motion to pass and adopt? Page 49 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at hUps,//citychannel4.com/city-cQuncil.htmI This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:49:21] So moved, Bergus. [01:49:23] Second. [01:49:25] Seconded Weilein? 101:49:261 Yeah. [01:49:27] Alright. Great. And roll call, please. [01:49:291 Bergus? [01:49:301 Yes. [01:49:31) Harmsen? [01:49:31] Yes. [01:49:32] Moe? [01:49:32] Yes. [01:49:32] Salih. [01:49:33] Yes. [01:49:33] Teague? Page 50 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/Cit3Lcouncil.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: Al -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:49:34] Yes. (01:49:34] Weilein? [01:49:351 Yes. [01:49:361 Alter. [01:49:361 Yes. [01:49:37] Motion passes 7-0. We're on to item 9. Regular Formal Agenda 9 A is Rundell Street Pump Station Vault Modifications Project. Resolution Approve and Project Manual, and estimate of cost for the construction of the Rundell Street Pump Station Vault Modification Project. Establishing amount of bid, security to accompany each bid. Directing city clerk to post notice to bidders and fixing time/ plays for receipt of bids. I'm going to open the public hearing and welcome. [01:50:071 Hi. I'm Ben from Engineering. I'm here to talk about the Rundell Street Pump Station Vault Modifications Project. [01:50:14] I'm not sure if you can pull that mic up closer or if it needs to be turned up the volume. [01:50:19] How about that? Is that better? [01:50:20] Yes. Thank you. [01:50:22] So this project is located at the intersection of Rundell and Center Street kind of in the Longfellow neighborhood. It's one of about five stormwater pump stations that the city has. The, um, the other four actually located sort of behind flood protection down along the Iowa River. But this- this pump station is actually located in a neighborhood, and it works all of the time. So whenever there's a rain event, this - this um, pump station turns on, and it keeps that intersection from flooding. Um, we don't really -I don't Page 51 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.cQm/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. really know exactly why -why this was needed. I have a -a strong suspicion that they rerouted Ralston Creek back around 1910 when they installed a rail line in that area. I be interesting to hear if anybody would know more about that. But, uh [01:51:18] Can we do that? I'm so sorry [01:51:20) Yeah. [01:51:24] So, yeah, the existing pump station was built in'84. 1 don't know what was there before. It's got two vaults. Uh, the first vault handles most of the volume. It's got 25 horsepower, um, pumps. Then the second vault has a larger- two larger pumps. They handle about 10,000 gallons per minute. Kind of a quick overview of the pump- existing pump station. So the -the red square on the right are the two small submersible pumps, and there's a trash rack in there. Middle square is, uh, the larger pumps, and then way over in the left are the control panels and electrical work. This is kind of what it looks like from street view. You can see on the left is the vault with the submersible pumps. You can see it's causing an issue with the ADA ramps, hard to get the grades right. And then also, um, the hatches cause problems for snow removal for the property owner. And then the larger vault has the wood fence around it. It's my understanding that that property owner actually likes the fence there, it hides the electric motors that pop up out of the station. So that will remain. Um, what we're proposing to do in this, um, project is to rebuild the top of that vault so that we can get, uh, ADA compliant curb ramps installed. We're going to redo those two pumps. And then we're going to put in new control panels and do a little bit of flood proofing, and then rebuild of all of the -all of the curb ramps at the entire intersection. So the cost is a little over 400,000. We'll bid it here this month and hopefully have it done this construction season, maybe with a little bit of cleanup next spring. So it's all like it. [01:53:171 How often do those run? [01:53:191 Every time it rains? [01:53:20] Every time it rains. [01:53:211 Yeah. 101:53:21] Even the smallest amount of rain and those are needed? Page 52 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//ciI3Lchannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:53:231 Yeah. The smaller- the two smaller, submersible pumps will kick on, larger events, that the larger pumps will kick on. [01:53:31] What will that do for folks in the neighborhood walking around and whatnot? I mean, they'd be able to- [01:53:37] There will be detours [OVERLAPPING] yeah, when they have to redo the su- the curb ramps, but it shouldn't be too impactful. [01:53:46] How far would you have to zoom out to make this be a passive system instead of a pump system? I mean, is there pretty epically large infrastructure project? [01:53:561 Yes. I think so. [LAUGHTER] [01:53:59] Okay. [01:53:59] Good. [01:53:591 Thank you for your honesty [01:54:001 Yes.Yeah. [01:54:04] Any other questions for Ben? Hearing none. Thank you. Anyone from the public like to address this topic? If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. If you're present, please step forward. Seeing no one. I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get a motion to approve, please? [01:54:27] So move Moe. (01:54:281 Second, Bergus. Page 53 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-i:Qunc:il.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:54:29] Council, discussion. Roll call, please? [01:54:35] Harmsen? [01:54:361 Yes. [01:54:36] Moe. [01:54:361 Yes. [01:54:37) Salih. [01:54:371 Yes. [01:54:38] Teague? [01:54:38] Yes. [01:54:39] Weilein? [01:54:391 Yes. [01:54:40) Alter? [01:54:40) Yes. [01:54:411 Bergus? Page 54 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/`city-colincil.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:54:41] Yes. [01:54:42] Motion passes 7-0. Item Number 9B, Fiscal year 26, utility rates, public hearing, ordinance amending Title 3 entitled Finances, taxation, and fees, Chapter 4 entitled schedule of fees, rates, changes, charges, bonds, fines, and penalties. This is the second consideration, Can I get a motion, please? [01:55:051 Move to approve, Bergus. [01:55:07] Second, Moe. [01:55:08] All right. And anyone from the public like to address this topic? Seeing no one in person or online, council discussion. [01:55:221 1 don't know if this is something that should be brought up right now. Um, [NOISE] I've been trying to rack my brain around a way to, you know, the state really doesn't like to give us progressive ways to, um, get revenue every single, uh, most of the avenues we have are pretty regressive in nature. Um, and that includes the state not allowing for discrimination when it comes to increasing utility costs. And by them, discrimination means we can't make a law that says, um, if your house is worth this much money, you have to pay more or something like that. So it has to be like an across the board. Everybody pays the same percentage. Um, something that it seems like we can do, though, and I would just like to get this out in the open is, um, and what other cities around the country have done is surcharge for exorbitant use of water. So and I don't know if this would fall under the discrimi- discrimination exempt or prohibit - then prohibiting discrimination, um, but in other localities, they do stuff like for non residential, um, water users. So it's usually like industrial, like mass water usage, and the reasoning they give is to encourage- to encourage them to reduce water usage for climate purposes. Um, and so if they exceed a certain amount of water, you add a surcharge onto however many X gallons. So I just wanted to put that out there as a potential option. Uh, yeah, I'm not sure if this was a correct time to bring that up, but I just wanted to get it out there because we're talking about increasing utility rates for everybody in Iowa City. That's a path we could research. [01:57:30] Any other comments about, uh, this from Council? [01:57:35] 1 still would like to talk about the discount water for low-income people if we can. Page 55 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//ciWchannel4.com/cit3Lcouncil.htm] This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [01:57:42] 1 think we have it on our pending work session [01:57:44] Yeah. [01:57:451 Yeah. [01:57:45] 1 just warm remind you guys [01:57:48] Okay. (01:57:48] I- I don't believe it's on a pending work session right now. There was a memo in your IP two weeks ago that gave some background in history. If you'd like it on a pending work session, we certainty can put it on there, but it's not currently on there. Okay. 101:58:011 1 think that's what we said last time. We're going to talk about it in a work session. Please, if you can, put it on the work so. Would be great. [01:58:091 Are people amenable to a work session? [01:58:141 Yeah, I think maybe Mayor Pro Tem, would you be interested in if the council is okay with this? Like, maybe we can try to pinpoint what improvements you're looking for before we come to a full council discussion, like, as far as the 400 some families and what the shortfall is and that kind of thing, would - would that work for you for us to kind of, like, shape up the-. [01:58:39] 1 always say, go ahead. Somebody talking? Oh, sorry. Uh, I thought I cut off someone. Anyway, I think, uh, I when I was talking about it- I talked about it from like equity perspective. What we're doing just like we're giving the same amount for everyone right now. What the- what the 65%of the basic use means because the basic use for every single ion, whether they are like family or one single person is the same. And I- I see that. This is- this is not equitable. If we're really talking about equity, we need to modify that kind of discount. And I'm looking for guess a percentage across the usage. It could be even smaller percent, not like the big percent that we have 65. It seemed like, okay, for the public just to see, Oh, they give out 65%, but nobody know the fine details. And that what I want to talk about, the fine details, Page 56 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httl2s,//citychannel4.com/city-cguncil.htmI This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. how many people, how much is going to cause us to do that, and- and to we if there's something we can do, we can do. [01:59:54] Well, and I think, um, because I want to tie it into what Oliver was just saying about, like, not encour- I don't want to say encouraging. Like, if there is a family that is using a large amount of water, I would like for part of this to be conversations about conservation, right? And that we- because if we apply the full discount to more use, that's not meeting that goal, right? Like, that's- it's not taking into account that there might be opportunities for education or, you know, just general ideas about conservation and how do we get people to use less water overall? Because I think that's part of our- that should be part of our goals, right, to conserve water. [02:00:39] How is your 300%? But the thing is, we can do both. [02:00:43] [inaudible 02:00:43] just coming back and having the same conversation we had last May, because if the memo that was in the IP just most recently, I- I think is framing up the same conversation we had last May. And so I just want to maybe move it a little further before we come back to a work session. [02:01:03] Yeah, but I- I really meant to do both because educating the people, it's okay to educate the people, and after that, the discount will be less. For example, if we educate them on their bill now instead of 200 is 100, the discount will be less because 15%from 200, not like the 15%of 100. At the end of the day, we can do both, but the discount has nothing to do with the education because if we oblige this, not because I have a discount, I will start using the water more. That's not really the idea. You know, people are not even know that, the people who need this discount, they are now watching us right now. [02:01:44] No, exactly. [02:01:44) They're not the one who are going to know what we are doing. I'm advocating for those people because I first and see how many people come and their water has been shut off. And I give you an example where I contacted the city for people who are being shut off for four days because they have $900. And, you know, and even I found out just recently because I was looking for housing. And I- and those people, they said, This is there is a leaking. This is not us. And the city say, we give you discount for a leaks once, and the landlord saying, no. All this kind of thing come to contribute to that, like, special family because it was, like, a lot. But I recently visited that house because it's for sale. And in the disclosure, I found out I was leaking and they fixed it. So those people was right when they being coming and say, there is a leaking. The landlord is not fixing it, and it being for them hard, and, you know, just, you know, this is not maybe going to be the greatest example, but there is many other example where the water has Page 57 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at hUgs•//ciiychannel4.com/city-council.htmI) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. been shut off. Maybe we can ask the city to bring, uh, like data about how many people the water are being shut up because they couldn't buy. That's that you can reach out to the Community Crisis Center and ask how many people will know more or money come and ask for that. If you don't believe B, they come to my organization, too. So I really want to advocate for those people because I feel like if the city agreeing to give discount, that discount is not working. It doesn't have any equity on this. So I want to see, like an equity and the discount that we're going to provide. So it's not going to be a lot. We subsidized a lot thing. And, you know, if I start, like, looking at the City subsidized for business for anything, it will be a lot. Thinks we can subsidize water for the 400 family that they are enroll. I don't know how many now, but I last time, if I remember correctly, it was 400. [02:03:58] Okay. So we'll put it on a future work session. All right. Any other comments? [02:04:091 Roll call, please. [02:04:11] Moe. [02:04:12] Yes. [02:04:12] Salih. [02:04:13) Yes. [02:04:13] Teague. [02:04:14] Yes. [02:04:14] Weilein. [02:04:151 Yes. [02:04:15] Alter. Page 58 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at htti2s,//citychannel4.com/city-council.htmIl This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:04:16] Yes. [02:04:16] Bergus. [02:04:17] Yes. [02:04:17] Harmsen. [02:04:18] Yes. [02:04:18] Motion passes 7-0. 9C, parking enforcement in the pedestrian mall. Ordinance amending Title 9 entitled Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Chapter 4 entitled Parking Regulations, Section 1 entitled Parking Prohibited in Specified Places to Prohibit Parking in City Plaza, and Chapter 9, entitled Towing and Empowerment Procedures. Section 2 entitled Towing and Empowerment of Certain Illegally Parked Vehicles to Allow Towing of Vehicles Parked in City Plaza. This is the second consideration and staff is requesting expedited action. [LAUGHTER] [02:04:56] All righty. I move that the rule requiring the ordinance that- I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for passage at two council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally passed be suspended, that the second consideration and vote be waived, and that the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time. [02:05:171 Moved by Alter. [02:05:181 Second, Moe. [02:05:19] Second by Moe. Anyone from the public like to discuss this topic? Say no one in person or online council discussion. Roll call, please. [02:05:32] Salih? Page 59 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https•//citychanne]4.cQm/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:05:32] Yes. [02:05:33] Teague? [02:05:33] Yes. [02:05:34] Weilein? [02:05:35] Yes. [02:05:35] Alter? 102:05:36] Yes. 102:05:361 Bergus? 102:05:36] Yes. (02:05:37) Harmsen? [02:05:38] Yes. [02:05:381 Moe. [02:05:38] Yes. [02:05:391 Motion pass 7-0. Could I get a motion to pass and adopt? Page 60 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https•//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:05:42] So move, Moe. [02:05:44] Second Weilein. [02:05:46] Roll call, please. [02:05:47] Teague? [02:05:48] Yes. [02:05:481 Weilein? [02:05:49] Yes. [02:05:49] Alter? [02:05:50] Yes. [02:05:50] Burgess? [02:05:51) Yes. [02:05:521 Harmsen? [02:05:52] Yes. [02:05:53] Moe. Page 61 Iowa City City Council Forma] meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:05:53] Yes. [02:05:53] Salih. (02:05:541 Yes. [02:05:54] Motion passes 7-0. Onto Item Number 9D, 2025 GO Bond Resolution, Resolution directing sale of 14,535,000. General Bond Obligation Series 2025 A. Could I get a motion to approve, please. [02:06:111 So moved Moe. [02:06:12] Second, Alter. [02:06:13] All right. And welcome up, staff at this time. Hello, Jack. [02:06:19] Hello. Um, good evening, all. Jacqueline Feigel, Assistant Finance Director. We had our bond sale earlier today for our 2025 GO bonds. Maggie Burger from Sphere Financial, who is our municipal advisor. It is online to kind of walk you through the results there. [02:06:36] Great. Welcome, Maggie. [02:06:38] Great. Welcome. Thank you very much. I'm Maggie Burger with Sphere Financial. Um, we did have bids received today on the- on the $14,535,000. As you can see, we had a great sale from that letter. Um, we are recommending the low bid from Jeffries U-C out of New York- New York, at a true interest rate of 3.3936%. This is a fantastic rate in today's market. As part of this, we did go ahead and do your Moody's rating as we've done in the past. Moody's has reassigned and reaffirmed the AAA rating, which is the best rating that is available for the City of Iowa City. They talk about your strong economic base that the University of Iowa sits here, plus the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic, which also have very strong ratings. We always talk about the one thing. Too many drawdowns on fund balance. You know, if you start getting rid of cash for, let's say, operational purposes, instead of capital purchases or capital improvements, that's always something that can change the rating. They talk about how you have a very Page 62 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-&Quncil.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. healthy and strong fund balance. They talk about your governance being exceptional, where you, you know, have good sound budgeting practices, and you're usually coming in better than anticipated in your budgets, which is very, very important to them. That report goes on for a couple of three pages. We also, again- I spoke a little bit, but you get a very high score on the governance portion. They pay real close attention to environmental social and govern -governance. That G3 rating is as high as you can get. So again, they feel very confident in what the city is doing from a government standpoint. Uh, we did have multiple bids. A lot of these bidders. We had ten bids today. A lot of these bidders are bidders that we see on a regular basis for the city of Iowa City. Again, we are asking you to award to Jeffries LLC out of New York, New York. We've given the final debt service schedule at the end. And on June 1st, 2032, and any date after that, these bonds would be callable, meaning you could refinance them to a lower interest rate if rates were lower at the time. Otherwise, you would be able to pay them off, but the call is at your option only. And that just means that if you do nothing and you just continue to pay, you would just pay them until maturity. I would answer any questions that you have. [02:09:11] This is a really fundamental question, but when we bond for $14,535,000, how much does that end up being in cash for the city? Or in other words, is that number that we're publishing actually the amount of money that the city has to spend or the total amount of expenditure at the end of the rate as it matures? [02:09:311 Okay. Correct. So you're gonna have, um, just shy of the 14,535. So, uh, cost of issuance on this, and that is- includes Speer, that includes your bonding attorney, your rating agency, disclosure counsel who works on the actual disclosure account. Document is about $84,000. So again, you're gonna be sitting somewhere in the probably the 14,300,000 or probably $14,450,000 range is what you're gonna have, um, for actual, uh, proceeds to be spent on the multiple projects and purchases included in your capital improvements plan. 102:10:10) And then when our professional staff budgets, do we- you know, we pass a budget. Is do we- at what rate do we assume? [02:10:18] We were assuming a 5% rate. That's what we've really been seeing, and that's what we saw today. We've been assuming a 5% rate, Nicole, and I always have a conversation. She's pretty savvy in the market, so she completely understands we assumed a 5% rate through all of your budgeting. That's what we saw today. Some of the rates were 5% with four in the end, but overall the 5% all the way down, with the amount of premium that they were going to pay the city is what was the winning bid today. [02:10:48] 1 see that I got it. Page 63 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:10:51) Um, I just wanted some clarification on some numbers here. Excuse me. So I lost it. Let me go back to that other thing I was looking at. My apologies, everybody. [02:11:07] This one? (02:11:08] Yeah. So for the $14,000,000 $535,000 $14,535,000 that we bonded for? We- at the end of the day, will be paying $18,3-18,000,340, is that correct? Because of the 300 principal or interest? [02:11:32] Correct. That will be principal and interest. That would be the principal and interest. If you maintained and held the bonds till maturity. (02:11:39] Okay. Is there- I was looking through and I couldn't find- is this including certain fees that are involved with these transactions? [02:11:511 Yes, so there's cost of issuance. So, again, that would be about 94, 85,000. And that is things like your bonding attorney, the fee that you pay for Sphere Financial, all the professional fees that go along with getting the bonds in the market. They do all the legal paperwork. We do the financial. We have to have we pay Moody's rating agency. We pay Moody's Investor services a fee for preparing the rating for the city. [02:12:17] Okay. And I think that's- the interest rate that we were paying. You said it was around 5%? [02:12:29] It is a 5%coupon all the way down, so every maturity has a 5% interest rate, yes. [02:12:34) Okay. This is- when I look at these things, it's where I'm confused. It says coupon, not necessarily interest rate. So I'm just trying to get some clarification and not assume anything. What was the interest rate that we were paying last year, if you remember? [02:12:48] You do have is a 5%as well. [02:12:51] Page 64 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//cotychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Okay. Thank you. Those are all the questions I had [02:12:55] Maggie, this is Geoff. It might be helpful if you can just educate us a little bit on the premium and what the premium is and how- how that premium is used to calculate the true interest rate that the low bids are based off of. [02:13:12] That sounds good. So we've got the winning bidder and all of the bidders actually gave you premiums, meaning what they're doing is saying, we can resell the bonds in the market easily at a 5% interest rate. So that's a 5% coupon. But we know that the market based on the true interest costs, which is what you are, uh, - what you're approving and what you're basing the low bid upon, that is what the industry standard is. The true interest cost probably needs to be somewhere in that 3.35 to maybe 3.5% range. So to buy you down to that interest rate of 3.39 from the 5% coupons per maturity they're giving you, they're giving you $1,082,566 in a premium. That is not principle that you repay. You are still borrowing the 14,000,535, but you will get the 1,082,000. You did receive a premium last year as well. You actually got a little bit more of a premium last year. You- you received just around 800,000 or a little bit more than that last year as well. That's really where the market has been recently with these 4-5% coupons with some sort of a premium to buy down that interest rate. [02:14:301 Thank you. I remember we talked about you were trying to educate me, someone who hasn't been doing this about the- the premiums and what that means. So that was very clarifying. Thank you. [02:14:43] So the true interest that we are paying is 2,000,722 around there, correct? [02:14:51] Correct. That's- that's the gross interest that's being paid. The true interest is the 3.8 million, which includes the $1,000,000 of premium. [02:14:59] Okay. I was just wondering, um, where does that money end up? The 2,700,000. [02:15:07] That- that goes to the investors who are buying these bonds. So the people that you- that are lending you the money, that is interest that you pay to them. Bonds are sold in a secondary market, so it could be sold to financial institutions, mutual fund companies, it could be individuals that are buying these. Bonds are sold in $5,000 increments. So out of 14,000,535, there could be quite a lot of bondholders. Um, and on each interest date, which are June 1 and December 1 dates, that's when they would receive their portion of the interest that you owe them. Page 65 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https-//citychannel4.com/city-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:15:39] All right, thank you. [02:15:431 Any other questions for Maggie? Hearing none. All right. We're going to go to, uh, the public. Anyone want to address this topic? If you're online, please raise your virtual hand, Seeing no one in person or online. Council discussion. [02:16:02] I'd like to say thanks to the professional city staff for setting us up to borrow money as efficiently as we possibly can. Thank you, guys. [02:16:101 Thank you. [02:16:13] Roll call please. [02:16:15] Weilein [02:16:161 Yes. [02:16:161 Alter. [02:16:171 Yes. [02:16:17) Bergus. (02:16:18) Yes. [02:16:18] Harmsen? [02:16:191 Yes. Page 66 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:16:19] Moe? [02:16:20] Yes. [02:16:20] Salih. [02:16:21] Yes. [02:16:21] Teague [02:16:22] Yes. 102:16:22] Motion passes 7/0. Item number 9E. All are welcome in Iowa City. Resolution declaring All are welcome in Iowa City. Could I get a motion to approve, please? (02:16:331 So moved Moe. [02:16:34] Second, Salih. [02:16:361 Move by Moe, Second Salih. And, um, this is a item that the Human Rights Commission recommended to the Council, um, recommended that we adopt during their February 2025. Meeting, and it is before us today for consideration. We do have Commissioner Price who'll speak here in a second. Um, but I did want to just, um, remind us that the county did also pass a resolution all are welcome. And then this is before us today for consideration, and I'll leave it at that for now, and we'll be able to come back and have some discussion. I'm going to open this up for public comment, and you'll be given three minutes. Welcome. [02:17:301 My name is Mark Preece. I'm grateful to leave serving a second term on the Human Rights Commission. Thank you for your confidence in me. The last time I was here with you, I talked about, um, how Jeff and Eric were helpful to me in this resolution. And I say that because what I started with, you would never have approved. The county wouldn't have touched it. It was putting a target on your back. It was scary. Page 67 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httl2s,//citychannel4.com/city-council.htmI This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. So that's when I went to Rachel Zimmerman, and she helped me figure out how we could get this to the county supervisors, and it was approved. So, Jeff and Eric, thank you for sending up the red flag, and you have a resolution, I think that's before you that you can approve. Um, last time I talked to you about, um, I was not a Jew. I said nothing. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak. Um, that's really, very powerful in my life. My father in law's Bronze Star Purple Heart, um, veteran now deceased from World War II. Um, what happened in World War II is devastating in my family. Um, so it's just years after that that I was born, and it's in that legacy that I come to you, um, eager for this passage of this resolution. I also want you to know that we are living in a Destonian- Destonian Orwellian time where we do double speak. Orwell noted war is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength in his book 1984. Now, before you, us has been approved by the state of Iowa is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as if religious freedom had ever been taken away. It simply hasn't been taken away. It's been here all a while. But now we have to deal with freedom is discrimination. So that's why we want to be firm about all our welcome. And that's what the resolution does. Two days after the Human Rights Commission advanced this to you, the legislature and the governor removed gender identity from the Civil Rights Act, Iowa Civil Rights Act. That's in the resolution, whereas Number 4, you'll have to decide if you want to leave it in there or not. I'd like you to leave it there, even though it's no longer part of the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The Human Rights Commission has a statement against removing it, but I'm running out of time. Please approve this resolution, um, defer to you as to what you want to do with the language. Thanks very much again for allowing me to serve. [02:20:22] Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? And, Mark is from Iowa City. [LAUGHTER] Welcome. [02:20:42] I'd like to address the topic. My name is Mary Grabban I'm from Iowa City. And I see the sign when I first came in the sign, um, racial. [02:20:55] 1 got it. [LAUGHTER] That's right. [02:21:03] Thank you. Um, it says, racial equality and social justice. I think the word racial should be removed because with Elon Musk and his Musk rats running all through our government, redesigning it. And Trump who does nothing but take advice from people who never know what they're talking about. So, in other words, they can use this word racial against the City of Iowa City, because they're picking at to destroying things. Equality, social justice, and human rights is enough because you know what it means equality, social justice and human rights. So you have to be careful with words, because this one word racial, this is what shocked me and I saw this sign and came racial. That's dangerous because DEI means racial and white women. Because people don't realize they're just reversing the- the- I'm getting tongue tied. Equal rights amendments and so on and so forth. So they want to put white women out of the body politic, they're back in the kitchen. And racial, the Blacks and the Browns have already been taken out of the body politic. You know, when they go to after DEI, you know what they're talking about, Page 68 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at httl2s://ciWchannel4.com/city-councjl,htmIl This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. unless you just totally I don't know. Just brain dead. So why let them get you with that one little word racial equality? You know what equality means? You know what racial means. So I'm just recommending that word be removed from your sign. I like the sign. You know, it's nice. But why set yourself up for what you know it's coming. Elon Musk and those Musk rats, have shown us something. I've never seen the United States government like this. And I don't even know if we still in the United States. He might have moved us to Mars. He's so interested in going to Mars. Maybe we all been moved. You know? So that one word is dangerous. Thank you. [02:23:33] Thank you. Seeing no one else. Council discussion? [02:23:42] 1 just want to thank the Human Rights Commission for getting this in front of us, and, um, as to the question of what the Iowa Civil Rights Act says, as of now, when we would be passing this resolution, it does protect gender identity, and I think it's appropriate to leave it in. [02:23:58] Because it doesn't go. [OVERLAPPING] [02:24:00] Into effect until July. [02:24:01] 1 agree. [02:24:02] Agree. Yeah. I'm very comfortable as it stands. And thank you, also. [02:24:08) Thanks. (02:24:09] 1 did just want to read now the, um, bottom of this resolution, because I think it really does speak to the heart of this community. Um, and it says, Now, therefore, be a resolved by the city council of Iowa City, Iowa, that one, the City of Iowa City is committed to promoting a united vision where all are welcome in Iowa City and further commits Iowa City to being a discrimination free community. We recognize our responsibility to foster a community that actively works towards inclusivity, equity, and the protection of rights for all, even as we acknowledge the ongoing nature of this work. And Item Number 2 is be it further resolved, the City of Iowa City encourages businesses, housing developments, and landlords, non profit organizations, houses of worship, educational institutions, and neighborhood Associations to unite and the message. All are welcome in Iowa City, Iowa, and declare themselves as a none- as a discrimination free partner. And if this is approved, this will be passed and approved on this day of May Page 69 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. 6th, 2025. So, this, to me, really does speak to the heart of this community, which I'm so happy, as many of I know all of us are happy to be a part of. [02:25:40] Roll call, please. [02:25:41] Alter? [02:25:42] Yes. [02:25:42] Bergus? [02:25:431 Yes. [02:25:43] Harmsen? [02:25:44) Yes. [02:25:44] Moe. (02:25:45) Yes. (02:25:45] Salih. [02:25:46] Yes. [02:25:461 Teague? [02:25:47] Yes. Page 70 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https�//citychannel4.com/cit3L-council.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. [02:25:47] Weilein. [02:25:48] Yes. (02:25:48] Motion passes 7/0. All right, thanks. We are on to Item Number 10, which is announcements of vacancies new. 10. A is Public Art Advisory Committee, Art or Design Professional. One vacancy to fill an unexpired term upon appointment through December 30, 2025. Applications must be received by 5:00 P.M. Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Could I get a motion to accept correspondence? [02:26:16) So moved Salih. [02:26:18) Second. Alter. [02:26:19] All in favor, say Aye. [02:26:201 Aye. [02:26:21] Any oppose? Motion passes 7/0. Item Number 11 is announcements of vacancies previous, 11. A. Airport Commission one vacancy to fill a four-year term. Community Police Review Board, two vacancies to fill a four year term. Historic Preservation Commission at large, one vacancy to fill a three-year- term. Historic Preservation Commission Brown Street, one vacancy to fill a three-year term. Historic Preservation Commission Jefferson Street one vacancy to fill a three-year term. Historic Preservation Commission Summit Street, one vacancy to fill a three-year term. Housing and Community Development Commission, two vacancies to fill three-year terms. Library Board of Trustees, three vacancies to fill six - year terms. Planning and Zoning Commission, two vacancies to fill five-year terms. Applications must be received by 5:00 PM Tuesday, May 13th, 2025. Airport Zoning Board of Adjustment, one vacancy to fill a five-year term, Airport Zoning Commission one vacancy to fill a six -year term. Board of Appeals, HVAC Professional, one vacancy to fill an unexpired term. Historic Preservation Commission Jefferson Street, one vacancy to fill a three-year term. Historic Preservation Commission Woodlawn Avenue, one vacancy of fill a three-year term. Vacancies will remain open until filled. Now we are at Item Number 12, which is City Council Information. [02:27:43] Page 71 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-council.htm] This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Just I want to say that, uh, I got to join the mayor recently for a recognition for the staff volunteers and donors for the Senior Center, uh, was held out at True Blood, uh, and was a- was an amazing event, uh, and highlighted some of the real accomplishments that that facility has made and the people that work in volunteer in that facility have made. Um, I got the chance to talk with several people, and one of the recurring themes was people that had lived lots of different places around notjust the state, but around the country. And said with unprompted, that this was the best senior center that they had ever had the pleasure of- of interacting with, and they were just so happy to have that as something that was helping them, um, you know, in their- in their 55 plus years or age 50 plus year, or whatever it is so. [02:28:35] Counselor Harmsen and I will be present at the Public Works Open House on Sunday May 18th form 1:00-3:00 for our listing post. So come visit us up at the Dump. [LAUGHTER] [02:28:48] All right. That's a great bumper sticker. [02:28:531 Yeah. [02:28:53] Kelly, please update the, uh, ad for them. (02:28:591 All right. Hearing no one else. [02:29:01] Sorry. My bad. I'll let you all go in just a second. Um, so I- on Monday, I was able to get my shift covered and go to Des Moines because there was, um, I-1 know we're all unfortunately familiar with the four, uh, students at the university who not only just ran just without provocation, had their visas revoked. These are immigrant students. Um, they also had their student, um, status terminated, and were told amongst other things that one of their options was to leave the country. And I don't know who- if everybody's been following this directly, but they filed, um, they- they were approved a restraining order in federal court in Des Moines, and they just got another extension on that restraining order. So it was a very good thing. Um, the staff or the attorneys who argued for our students did an extremely good job. It was no contest. 1 mean, DHS could not. They were doing a bad job because their arguments were terrible. So, I just wanted to say that that happened, um, and I was very happy that that happened. Um, I also want to sayjust a really big thank you to city staff, um, for working with us and getting, uh, regular trash can service out to one of the larger homeless encampments in town. They were requesting, um, trash can services for quite a while, and we were able to just kind of, like, get it together and get some stuff out there, and I went and talked with a lot of those residents, and they were extremely happy for those trash cans out there. They're able to clean up after themselves without having to walk across- by the Page 72 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 202S (audio and video recordings can be found at https,//citychannel4.com/city-council.html) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. highway along ways to get their trash. Um, and, uh, so they're all very happy about that. Thank you so much staff. It means a lot to them. [02:31:05] And it will be also added to the regular route for picking up trash. [02:31:101 Yeah. It's on a regular route, as far as I know. yeah. [02:31:16] Awesome. Okay. We're going to move on to Item Number 13. A report on item from City staff, City Manager's Office. [02:31:26] No update tonight. Thank you. [02:31:281 City Attorney. [02:31:29] No, thank you. [02:31:301 City clerk. [02:31:32) No. [02:31:32] All right. We're at Item Number 14. Could I get a motion to adjourn, please. [02:31:36] So move Moe. [02:31:37] Second Salih. [02:31:391 Alright. Move by Moe. Second by Mayor Pro Tern, because she's right here to my left over here. [LAUGHTER] All in favor. Say aye. [02:31:461 Page 73 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of May 6, 2025 (audio and video recordings can be found at https://citychannel4.com/city-coLincil.html This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription through Verbit: AI -Based Transcription & Captioning Services. For greater detail please refer to the meeting recordings. Aye. [02:31:47] Any opposed, we are adjourned for the night. Goodnight. [02:31:57] [MUSIC] Page 74