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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-16 TranscriptionIowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:00:21] It is now 6:00 PM and I want to welcome you to the City of Iowa City formal meeting on September 16, 2025. And I'm going to start with item number 1, which is roll call, please. [00:00:34] Alter. [00:00:35] Here. [00:00:35] Bergus. [00:00:36] Here. [00:00:36] Harmsen. [00:00:37] Here. [00:00:37] Moe. [00:00:37] Here. [00:00:38] Salih. [00:00:38] Here. [00:00:39] Teague. [00:00:39] Here. [00:00:40] Page 1 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Weilein. [00:00:40] Here. [00:00:42] All right. Again, welcome to your City Hall to those of you that are present here and those that are joining us virtually welcome, as well. Item number 2 is proclamations 2A as Constitution Week. Whereas, September 17, 2025 marks the 238th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. And, whereas, it is fitting and proper to officially recognize this magnificent document and the anniversary of its creation. Whereas, public law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the president of the United States of America designated September 17-23rd as Constitution Week. And whereas the Constitution has been amended from time to time to divine basic rights, to extend those rights to all persons, and to modify other specific aspects in light of contemporary concerns. Whereas it is fitting and proper to officially recognize the patriotic celebrations which will commemorate the occasion. Now, therefore, I, Bruce Teague, Mayor of Iowa City, do hereby proclaim the week of September 17-23rd, 2025 to be Constitution Week in Iowa City and reaffirm the ideas of the framers of the Constitution in 1787 by protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of Liberties. And accepting this is Sharon- Sherlyn Evans on behalf of the Daughters of the American Revolution. [APPLAUSE] And Sherlyn, correct? [00:02:32] Yes. [00:02:33] Yes. [00:02:34] Thank you. [00:02:35] Welcome. [00:02:37] The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890. Our pilgrim chapter here in Iowa City has celebrated more than 110 years of service to this community. The DAR works to honor the memory of the Patriots who fought for American independence. It also seeks to maintain and protect historical sites and artifacts related to the Revolutionary War era. The organization is involved in various community service projects, educational programs, scholarships, and initiatives to support veterans. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed our US Constitution. The Daughters of the American Revolution instituted the celebration of Constitution Week in 1955. And in 1956, President Dwight D Eisenhower officially declared September 17-23rd as Constitution Week. We Page 2 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. encourage all citizens everywhere to take the time during this week to appreciate the principles of freedom, equality and justice for which our forefathers strived. The DA are very appreciative of this Constitution week proclamation. Thank you for your recognition, Mayor Teague. [00:04:01] Thank you, and I have a proclamation for you. [APPLAUSE] We're going to move on to the next Proclamation 2B Welcoming Week, and this will be read by our very own Mayor Pro Tern Mazahir Salih. [00:04:31] Where this September Iowa City- Where this September, Iowa City, Iowa, and the broader Johnson County community will come together to find common ground with our neighbors, seek similarity within our different cultures and perspective, and deepen our commitment to building stronger and more resilient Iowa City and Johnson County. And whereas we are much stronger when we impart our similarities and difference, and the members of the community will do just that by sharing food, music, art, conversations and more throughout the week. And whereas, while this week provide an opportunity to both reflect, plan for the next phase of welcoming work in Iowa City and Johnson County, our commitment- our communities prioritize and spite our welcoming years around. Welcoming is a core part of who we are and who we have always been. And Iowa City and Johnson County will continue to use connections, courage, and love over division, fear, and hate. Now, therefore Mazahir Salih on behalf of Bruce Teague Mayor of Iowa City, hereby proclaiming September 12 to September 21, 2025 as Welcoming Week and call upon the people of Iowa City and Johnson County to join together to build stronger communities across Iowa City and Johnson County. Here to accept is [LAUGHTER] [inaudible 00:06:23] Evan, Nicole, Yvonne from Better Together, 2030, Nicole, Theresa from IC Compassion, Katie, the Public Library, and Sarah from IRC. And even they put myself here so. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] [00:07:02] Thank you, counsel. This year marks the third consecutive year of Johnson County Community's collective efforts in celebrating Welcoming Week. Greater Iowa City and Better Together, 2030 are proud to continually support our immigrant populations, organizations, and businesses in this important recognition each year. Welcoming Week is an over week long celebration of immigrants all across the country. This year, Welcoming Week started last Friday and goes until Sunday September 21st. Through Welcoming Week, organizations and communities bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. Locally, our cities and organizations are leaning into Welcoming Week more than ever in the past. Each additional year of celebration attracts more people and community groups that want to get involved and show their support, too. The growing local support for Welcoming Week exemplifies a powerful collaboration to embrace that shared prosperity for everyone. This year, there's over 15 Welcoming Week events scheduled through last Friday till next Sunday and all put on by local organizations ready to embrace Johnson County's welcoming status. Many of those 15 events are from local Iowa City organizations. Multiple Iowa City organizations have put on multiple events themselves, which really does show the dedication to Welcoming Week. These events are all free and open to the public, and we do encourage everyone to attend one of these events to see what Welcoming Week in Page 3 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Johnson County is all about. This week- this Welcoming Week, let's declare that belonging begins with us, that each and every one of us has the power to help others, regardless of background so that everyone is seen, embraced, welcomed and included in our communities. To learn more about Welcoming Week, you guys can go to welcomeicarea.org, on that website, we have a list of all 15 events that will be taking place throughout the week. And there's also a lot of community resources for new residents to the community and existing residents who don't know how to navigate our community. Lastly, we encourage everyone to display our Welcoming Week signs. This is the second year in a row we've had these signs. We are keeping the same signs intentionally, so this is an ongoing annual effort, not a separate year by year effort. And with that, I know we have multiple other organizations and groups that would like to make comments about Welcoming Week. Thank you. [00:09:27] Great. [00:09:28] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] [00:09:35] Welcome. [00:09:36] Hello. My name's Katie Roche and I'm at Iowa City Public Library. And on behalf of Iowa City Public Library and Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation, I want to share how deeply we value Welcoming Week and the spirit behind it. The library is at its heart, a community space where everyone belongs, no matter where they come from or what language they speak. In this recent year at Iowa City Public Library, we've worked to expand our world languages collection. Now offering books in Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese. You can find that collection right behind the help desk. The collection is shaped not only by what's most useful to our community, but also by partnerships with immigrant families and writers from the University of Iowa's International writing program who have generously donated their own works and those of their peers while they're visiting our community. Through their support of the ICPL Friends Foundation, our donors and support of every municipality, we're able to keep growing these collections and programs so that the library continues to reflect the people we serve. It's one way that we live out the message of Welcoming Week every day, not just this week, but year round. We're proud to stand alongside our community partners in celebrating Welcoming Week, and we invite everyone to come to the library, explore our world languages, and discover the many ways libraries help people feel at home. Thank you. [00:10:52] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] [00:10:59] Welcome. Page 4 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:11:00] Hey there. [00:11:01] I am Roger Godkin with IC Compassion. And I want to thank everybody, Iowa City, Greater Iowa City, Eastside Neighborhood Association, and many others for participating in your various ways and supporting either financially or in person or communicating. Welcome weekend for us for IC Compassion started three years ago, and has been a growing endeavor and a much rewarding one, as well, and connecting um, all of our neighbors, regardless of background and history. And every year, it brings us closer together and in new ways. And we have every year, new stories that we have to share that connect people who didn't believe that either they belonged or did not know they had friends in the neighborhood. So I just want to thank everybody present here and everybody who has helped in the Welcoming Weekend and welcome week. So thank you. [00:11:58] And thanks to all of you that came. All right, we're going to move on to the next one, proclamation, which is 2C, African -American- African Festival of Arts and Cultural Days, whereas the African Festival of Arts and Cultural celebrates the richness, vibrancy, and diversity of the African continent, honoring the histories, traditions, and contributions of African and African diaspora communities in Iowa City and beyond. Whereas the festival provides an extraordinary opportunity for residents and visitors to experience African music, dance, art, food, storytelling, and fashion, fostering cross cultural understanding, dialogue, and appreciation. And whereas the festival serves as a platform to uplift the achievements, resilience, and creativity of African immigrants and African Americans while strengthening bonds among neighbors and building a more inclusive, welcoming and united community. Whereas the Iowa City values diversity, equity, and cultural exchange, recognizing that celebrations such as this enrich the social, cultural and economic fabric of our city and reflect our shared commitment to justice, belonging, and mutual respect. And whereas the second annual African Festival of Arts and Culture made possible through community partnerships and collective vision, highlights the dedication of Iowa City residents, organizations, and leaders to amplify voices, traditions, and perspectives from across the African continent. Now, therefore, I Bruce Teague Mayor of Iowa City, do hereby proclaim October 4, 2025 as African Festival of Arts and Culture days in Iowa City and encourage all residents and visitors to join in celebrating the heritage, cultures, and contributions of Africa, which continue to strengthen, inspire, and enrich our community. And there is a few people to receive this. But we have Sunday Goshit, as well as Brady and others that are here. So if we can give them a round of applause and have them come on. [APPLAUSE] [00:14:25] Thank you. [00:14:36] Page 5 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. The first annual festival- African Festival of Arts and Culture took place last year on September 28. It was a dream come true for the African community to be able to come together and put together a festival that will showcase who we are as a people. If we go down history, we realize that the number of African born immigrants in Iowa increased from over 3,000 in the year 2000 to over 30,000 as we are today. So there's need for us to come together. We realized that need, and we came together, and we are celebrating our culture. The goal of this is to be able to expose who we are as a people, our contributions to the economy and to the social life in Iowa, generally, but also be able to engage other people who are non Africans, to be able to experience the joy that we have when we dance, when we eat, when we play our music, and when we come together as a people. I sincerely want to appreciate the council for taking this day today to proclaim October 4 as the African Festival of Arts and Culture Day. But also, I want to sincerely say that beside the Africans themselves coming, we have received tremendous support from the city council. But also, Jeff has actually believed in us when he was the first person we met. To discuss this festival and somehow they believe that we could pull it out and we did. And we hope that it's going to be even better this year. We hope that the African Festival of Arts and Culture will be a landmark where people from all over the country will be able to come to Iowa City to experience the beauty of Iowa City, the diversity of Iowa City, and the joy that we have as community members in this beautiful city. Thank you so much. [00:16:55] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] [00:17:01] [APPLAUSE] Thanks to everyone that came from the proclamations. We're going to move on to our consent agenda, which is items three through seven. Could I get a motion to approve, but we will remove Item 6B for separate consideration. [00:17:20] So moved. Alter. [00:17:21] Second. Moe. [00:17:23] All right. Anyone from the public like to discuss a topic that is on our consent agenda? If you're virtual, please raise your virtual hand. If you're present, please come forth. Seeing no one in person or online, council discussion. Roll call, please. [00:17:45] Harmsen. [00:17:46] Yes. Page 6 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:17:46] Moe. [00:17:46] Yes. [00:17:47] Salih. [00:17:48] Yes. [00:17:48] Teague. [00:17:49] Yes. [00:17:49] Weilein. [00:17:49] Yes. [00:17:50] Alter. [00:17:51] Yes. [00:17:51] Bergus. [00:17:52] Yes. [00:17:52] Motion passes 7-0. Mayor Pro Tern is recusing herself from 6B. Can I get a motion to approve consent to calendar item 613? [00:18:09] Page 7 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. So moved. Moe. [00:18:11] Second. [00:18:11] Bergus. [00:18:12] All right. And anyone from the public like to discuss this topic? If you're virtual, please raise your virtual hand; in person, please step forward. Seeing no one, council discussion. Roll call, please. [00:18:27] Moe. [00:18:28] Yes. [00:18:28] Teague. [00:18:29] Yes. [00:18:29] Weilein. [00:18:30] Yes. [00:18:31] Alter. [00:18:31] Yes. [00:18:32] Bergus. [00:18:32] Yes. Page 8 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:18:33] Harmsen. [00:18:33] Yes. [00:18:34] Motion passes 6-0. Item number 8 is community comment. This is an opportunity for the public to give comment that is not on our formal agenda. Only in -person comments will be allowed for community comment, and also, council cannot engage in discussion or debate due to open meeting laws. I want to see the hands of anyone that would like to speak during this portion. All right. And if you're online, please raise your virtual hand. All right. We invite you to come up. There is a sign -in at this podium. There are also some cards in the back that you can prefill out, which would be just drop it in the bucket. All right. Welcome. Please state your name and the city you're from. You'll be allowed up to 3 minutes. [00:19:34] My name is Morgan Sass. I live in Iowa City. I apologize for my composure right now. Um, so as of September 15th, the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative reports one in 40 Iowans are actively infectious with COVID-19. Iowa, as has been reported, is the second -highest in the nation for cancer rates. And July 30th, the University of Colorado Cancer Center released a study showing that COVID infections actively- COVID and flu infections replicate dormant cancer cells in the tested breast cancer cells in mice. And the researchers concluded that this was likely applicable to all cancers that have gone into remission. I myself, as a cancer survivor, every public gathering such as this one, after the pandemic, leaves me terrified to my core that I will face, again, the toughest years I've ever had to face in my life. And we don't- nobody knows anything because nobody wants to take any action to help prevent this sickness in our communities. Lung COVID is the most common chronic illness in children, surpassing asthma now, because we have failed to mitigate this in our schools, and we have failed to protect our communities from this disease. And, you know, we can talk about community belonging all we want, but what happens with disabled people like myself when we are excluded from public life because we are not being accounted for during the pandemic, which is ongoing as I've mentioned. A good starting point that the city can take is mandatory heap of filters in every public building owned by the city, along with 95 masks or better available to all members of the public in these facilities. Thank you. [00:21:58] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Welcome, please state your name and the city you're from. [00:22:07] John Clayton, 1030 William Street, Iowa City, Unit 304. So I live- I'm a resident of Diamond Senior Apartments. It's a low-income residential, which public money helped build. And I'm very grateful that the taxpayers went ahead and helped provide that because it's quality of life, which is just a really nice facility to live in. So I'm grateful for that. And, so I want to address the concern about social justice and quality of life is not just having a nice physical place to live, but also an atmosphere where you are safe Page 9 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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 have dignity. And there are not- the management is missing enforcement of rules on behavior because we have residents not paying rent for one month, two months, three months, still not paying rent, no electricity, running cords out into the hallway to take electricity from the hallway. So there's a lot of visitors coming and going from there, which have not been screened. There's yelling and cursing in the hallway. Um, there's also some residents who are enablers that allow others to come in and stay with them. The maximum allowed is supposed to be 14 days. And I think you should go through management even to get that cleared, but they aren't. And they've been there one, two, over two months, still living there. We don't know that they've been screened. Again, their behavior has been belligerent towards residents, management. You know, there's cameras in the hallways. There's just no enforcement. So when you provide facilities for low-income housing, and there are conditions put on behavior of those who are living there. It's in our contract that we're supposed to behave. There also needs to be conditions placed on the owners that they are held accountable for enforcing behavior in those facilities, because that's also quality of life, you know. And so thank you for hearing me. Thank you for your service to the community. Iowa City is a wonderful place. Thank you. [00:24:55] Thank you. And there's the basket for you to drop. Yes, thank you. Welcome. [00:25:15] Oh, thank you. My name is Mary Gravitt, and I live in Iowa City. And I want to talk about the school shooting in Minnesota. I automatically surmised the profile of the shooter. He or she attended the school and was a member of the church, was bullied and had not been taught anger management skills, was full of hatred for the institution. I listened to the interviews on NPR with various officials of the Catholic diocese who spoke about hardening the school church building. This is well and good, but nothing about school bullying and anger management, which are the ticking time bomb for future violence and the murder of school children and their instructors. Deep in the profile of all the shooters are childhood bullying and the lack of anger management, proven from Columbine, to Sandy Hook, to Nashville, Tennessee, to Perry, Iowa, to Minnesota, and the availability of long guns, AR-15, military rifles, and ammunition or shotguns in the case of Columbine and the recent shooting in Iowa. However, we have three school systems in Iowa City, counting the private school and numerous buildings housing students. What are we going to do? Wait. Wait until it happens here? And my second thing I like to talk about- my continuing talk about is bus shelters. Bus shelters are surely needed in Iowa City because of the ADA and the large disabled population. Wooden benches at bus stops are not enough. There are bus shelters, warehouse, and some still standing at canceled bus routes, and the funds- which were funded years ago by a previous administration, maybe it's a previous previous administration of $100,000 that was provided by that administration for shelters. Only one bus shelter was replaced, not added, located at the Autumn Park Bus stop. I want to know what happened to the lot of funds and the bus shelters. Winter is coming, and the majority of the people standing out there they're working people. They're going to work. They need bus shelters. I have a memo that someone was kind enough to give me that work is going to start on, but work started on them years ago. That's where $100,000 came in because of the protests before Moen built all his giant buildings. So something has to be done before Winter gets here. And thank you very much. Page 10 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:28:16] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Welcome. [00:28:29] Hi, everyone. My name is Clara Reinan, and I live in Iowa City. I just wanted to talk really briefly, just about some stuff that was happening in town last week. I know that some folks who were in an encampment outside of shelter house were made to leave with very little notice. I think it was to maximum three days, but I believe it was closer to two days. Um, and I've heard a lot of different things about why folks had to move. So first of all, I think it'd be great if the community could get some clarity on why that decision had to be made so quickly. I've been- it seems like it was maybe because of an upcoming city inspection or something that folks had to be moved for. And if that is the case, I just want to say I find it really disappointing that I didn't see any of you out there helping folks move their things. There were a lot of community members who have already put a lot of time and energy from their personal lives each week to making sure that folks who are living at the encampments are getting what they need and getting the help they need. And I have liked seeing some of the, like, trash cans that are out there, for example, I know that's something Iowa City has done in the last six months. I know it was after Oliver was elected. And so I just wanted to say that I hear a lot of people on council talk a big game about housing and how much it means to them. And there are already so many community members who are sacrificing their personal time because they know that keeping people safe and keeping people fed and housed to the best of our ability is important. And so I really would like to challenge you all to kind of take up that mantle, too. If you say that housing is important to you, what I hope that that means is getting people what they need is important to you. And that can happen whether they're housed or not. And so I just want to encourage you all to think about that. I haven't had the opportunity to get involved in some of those efforts too much, but my friends have really been encouraging me to go out more. I helped deliver food the other week, and it was, I think, really important to see because I've heard so many negative perceptions of unhoused folks in our community. But what I saw when I was at those encampments with other people dropping off food was that people are doing the best they can. For so many people being in one spot, they're helping each other put up tarps. They're helping make adjustments to tents. Somebody is fixing other people's bikes. It's really a community that I think we could learn a lot from. And so I just want you all to be aware of that. And I'm really- I'm going to call you and challenge you to get more involved in that effort, especially when there is so much confusion and uncertainty already surrounding it. Thanks. [00:31:26] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Please state your name and city you're from? [00:31:35] My name is Raymond Nepple from Iowa City. As a Navy Vietnam veteran, I request that you turn the timer off. It gives me jitters when I'm trying to get my presentation, if you could respect that. Good evening. My name is Ray Nepple. I'm a former term mayor of Templeton, Iowa. Marlene and I reside at 2438 Walden Court. I'm here this evening because our 30-foot sidewalk has settled 2.5 ", nosediving to Page 11 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. the foundation. The street is sinking as in need of a French drain. I, as well as Pauline Taylor, two -term city council addressed this issue at the January public comment section. I also returned in March and in August, on behalf of the condo owners and the nine property owners surrounding Walden Court, we want to say thank you for the efforts you made in cleaning up the mess. We now can travel Rohort to Weber, and the north side of the street looks a lot like the south side of the street, and that only happens when people work together for a common goal. Thank you. The Walden Court held its annual meeting yesterday. The residents are 79 - 90 years old. We have many residents with dementia, cognitive issues. No idea about erosion control, settling sidewalks, or what a French drain would curtail. I emailed all the residents the recommended proposal from the engineering and surveying people to start a topographic survey. This became part of the agenda. The residents at the meeting, along with the board, refused to take any action. It appears that philosophy is out of sight, out of mind, not my problem. It appears their daily health concerns is all they are about to comprehend. [00:33:24] 1 requested that the Iowa nuisance law be enforced in the August meeting and I heard back from nobody. That's why I'm here again this evening taking time out of my life to see if we can't get the issue resolved. And nothing for the city. A retired district court emailed me the 2025 Iowa nuisance law. It's been around forever. We used it in Templeton, Iowa, and yet we refuse to use it here. Received an email dated May 28 from the general city manager it states. Unfortunately, we are at a point of disconnect, where you are seeking this city to act in a manner that we do not feel is consistent with our code and state practice across the entire community. I'm not asking you to enforce your code. I'm asking you to enforce the Iowa code. Nearly all cities must manage nuisanse properties in their community at some point in time. Such properties that are unappealing can cause surrounding property values to decline and create a poor image of the community. The notice of violations needs to be sent out to all the condo owners. We're not asking you to fix it. All we're asking you to do is send notice so it happens. I'm very afraid of falling at 79 years of age. The CDC says one in four seniors aged 65 or older. Experience falls each year, requiring nursing home care three assets. Then comes Medicare, and you, the taxpayers get to pick up the bill because the city government failed to utilize the Iowa Judicial Nuisance Code, Chapter 659. The code reads as following. Very specific, very upright in point. Whatever is injurious to health and decent or unreasonably offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the pre use of property, so as essentially to interfere unreasonably with the comfort, enjoyment of life or property is a nuisance. This sidewalk has been settling for six years. I took it to the annual meetings. We've had emails and no response and no correction. Don't need to be a genius to see what's going on. And now the street is selling. The street involves four duplexes, so we're talking eight people. Street is selling, the water is running off the driveways, down the driveways, at the end, getting underneath the street and setting the street. This all as the snow flies and the rains come, the water's going to sit right at the end of that race, and 13 people go to that mailbox every day to get their mail. We've seen people fall yet, we can't get anybody here. So I'd personally like to invite Oliver to come to our condo, and I'll show you what's going on. But it appears not everybody wants to see what's going on. We say, we have no part of it cooks. We didn't build it. I understand that but this is an aging population, and you have it throughout the whole state. You initiated charters and allowed building to go on and not enough guidelines to Page 12 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. foresee what happens. The people today at 90 years of age have no concerns about this leak or that leak, and yet there's nothing in the code that says how to take care of it. Thank you for your time. [00:36:38] Thank you. Next speaker, please. Anyone else wish to okay? Welcome, please state your name and city you're from. [00:36:52] My name is Mike O'Donnell. I'm from Iowa City. I have a problem with a vacant lot next to my house. I've been trying to get through to the city department that overlooks that. There's a complaint line that I've been using up quite a bit, and I don't seem to be getting any results. This lot has been cut eight times this winter or this summer. I cut mine 22 times. The code, statute, ordinance, whatever is for when the grass weeds get up to 10 inches tall, you're allowed to call in or go online, make a report. I've done this numerous times. I don't seem to be getting anywhere. I'm kind of at a wit's end about why nothing is being done about the enforcement. There's an online set of guidelines to follow, and the city department in charge of it doesn't enforce anything. I'd like to see some investigation as to why there is nothing being done with this particular lot that I complain a lot about. I hope you can find an answer, and, the property owner of this lot has agreed to go onto a two week cutting schedule. Well, he's missed that three times this summer. Uh it's three weeks. I don't know if you know how tall grass gets within three weeks grass and weeds. I've got some video that I can show you of the mower going through there. You can see that the grass is up to the rear wheel, the top of the rear wheel on the mower. So it's 18 to 20, 22 inches tall. I don't know why something is not being done with this property. And there's nine other lots in our new division. Everybody's pretty particular about how their lawns look. I'd like to see something done. I've been upstairs to talk to public works. The guy in charge just doesn't seem to be too concerned about it. So anything you can do to help me alleviate the situation, I sure would appreciate. [00:39:26] Thank you. [00:39:27] Thank you. [00:39:29] Alright. Anyone else? Seeing no one else. We're gonna move on to nine, planning and zoning matters. Nine A Resona Maiden Lane, East Benton Street, or Resona approximately 1.4 acres. Acres of land at 804,810, and 824 Maiden Lane, 410, 416, and 418 East Minton Street and 815 Gilbert Court from intensive commercial zone and medium density single family residential zone to community commercial zone. This is the second consideration, and the applicant is requesting expedited action. [00:40:09] Page 13 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for final passage at two meetings prior to the meeting, which 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. [00:40:24] Move by Moe. [00:40:26] Second. [00:40:27] Line up. Second by why line? Okay. All right. Anyone from the public would like to discuss this topic? If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. [00:40:42] Yeah. Hello. Again, my name is Clara Reinan. I'm from Iowa City. I just wanted to say that based off of the comment on this rezoning about the maiden Laden Benton Street, I'm really excited to see what's going to happen here when the zoning is approved. Great Plains Action Society does really great work. And so I think it's really exciting that they'll be able to reuse those existing buildings instead of having to potentially build something new or repurpose the space. So I just wanted to say I think this sounds like a great idea, and I'm glad we can potentially expedite it. [00:41:18] Great. Anyone else? See, no one else in person or online. Counsel, discussion. Roll call, please. [00:41:27] Salih? [00:41:28] Yes. [00:41:28] Teague? [00:41:29] Yes. [00:41:29] Weilein? [00:41:30] Yes. Page 14 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:41:30] Alter? [00:41:31] Yes. [00:41:31] Fergus? [00:41:32] Yes. [00:41:32] Harmsen? [00:41:33] Yes. [00:41:33] Moe. [00:41:34] Yes. [00:41:34] Motion passes a seven to zero. Can I get a motion to pass and adopt? [00:41:38] So move Moe. [00:41:39] Second, Harmsen. [00:41:40] Roll call, please. [00:41:41] Teague? [00:41:42] Yes. Page 1 S Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:41:42] Weilein? [00:41:43 ] Yes. [00:41:43 ] Alter? [00:41:44] Yes. [00:41:44] Fergus? [00:41:45] Yes. [00:41:45] Harmsen? [00:41:46] Yes. [00:41:47] M oe? [00:41:47] Yes. [00:41:47] Salih? [00:41:48] Yes. [00:41:48] Motion passes to seven to zero. Can I get a motion to accept correspondence? [00:41:52] So moved Moe. Page 16 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:41:53] Second, Weilein. [00:41:55] All in favor say Aye. [00:41:56] Aye. [00:41:57] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. Nine B, rezone in 611 Greenwood Drive. Ordinance conditionally rezone in approximately 9.9 acres of land located at 6:11 Greenwood Drive from neighborhood public zone to medium density multifamily residential zone where the planned development overlay. This is the second consideration, and the applicant is requesting expedited action. [00:42:22] 1 move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for passage at two council meetings prior to the meeting, which 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. [00:42:36] Move by Moe. [00:42:37] Second. [00:42:39] Anyone from the public like to address this topic. If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. Seeing no one in person, or online. Counsel, discussion. Roll call, please. [00:42:51] Teague? [00:42:51] Yes. [00:42:52] Weilein? [00:42:53] Yes. Page 17 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:42:53] Alter? [00:42:54] Yes. [00:42:54] Fergus? [00:42:55] Yes. [00:42:55] Harmsen? [00:42:56] Yes. [00:42:56] Moe? [00:42:57] Yes. [00:42:57] Salih? [00:42:58] Yes. [00:42:58] Motion passes seven to zero. Can I get a motion to pass and adopt? [00:43:03] So move Moe. [00:43:04] Second, Weilein. [00:43:05] Roll call, please. Page 18 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:43:07] Weilein? [00:43:08] Yes. [00:43:08] Alter? [00:43:09] Yes. [00:43:09] Fergus? [00:43:10] Yes. [00:43:10] Harmsen? [00:43:11] Yes. [00:43:11] M oe? [00:43:12] Yes. [00:43:12] Salih? [00:43:12] Yes. [00:43:13] Teague? [00:43:13] Yes. Page 19 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:43:14] Motion passes seven to zero. Can I get a motion to accept correspondence? [00:43:17] Move Salih. [00:43:18] Second Alter. [00:43:21] All in favor say Aye. [00:43:22] Aye. [00:43:23] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. Ten Item number ten as our regular formal agenda. Ten A as fiscal year budget amendment, public hearing, a resolution amending the current budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. I'm going to open up the public hearing. And welcome, Angie. [00:43:45] We just did it. [00:43:48] It's my full available. [00:43:49] 1 was going to comment on remar. [00:43:51] 1 just I mis. [00:43:56] Can I please get an opportunity. [00:43:59] I'd recommend, no, Your Honor. We already had a vote on that item. [00:44:04] Well, I can't get it to bid. Anyway, Angie Ogden, budget management analyst. And I have the FY26 amendment budget number one for us tonight. The FY26 original budget was approved April 15 and Page 20 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. runs July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The city policy allows for amendments for the following situations, and those are all listed below. We can amend anytime other than the last 30 days of the fiscal year. And Iowa City averages two amendments per year, typically one now, and again, in the spring with the next year's budget. The carry -forward requests from 2025 budgets are submitted by departments and reviewed by the city manager's office and finance department. The budget policies that carry forwards must be $5,000 or 1% of the division budget or has already been on order. Capital improvement projects, budget carry -forwards, and CIP usually aligns more with the calendar year versus the fiscal year and our multi year projects. And then, lastly, our miscellaneous amendment items. For the revenues, we have intergovernmental revenues at 18 oops, 18.869 million or 18,000,869, and that is state and federal grants on CIP carry -forwards. For other financing resources, we have 33,000,472, and that covers the Woyce Water CIP revenue bonds. And transfer ins, we have 22,000,770, and that's reimbursements for the CIP for the wreck and transit. For the expenditure sides, we have the governmental capital projects at 51,000,002 18. The CIP projects there are going to be your Court Street and North Gilbert Reconstruction, your city park pool, and this skate park. The business type enterprises is at 69,000,722. The CIPs there are going to be wastewater digester gas improvement projects, the Landfill compost facility, and the transit facility. And then, lastly, the Community and Economic Development is 11.070, and that is the carry -forwards and CDBG Home ARPA funds. Again, this is the first budget amendment for 2026. The overall impact to the fund balance is a decrease of just over 81 million. This is covered through excess fund balances and bonds and will not affect the property taxes or levies. Any questions? [00:46:35] No- no thanks. [00:46:36] That's it. [00:46:36] All right. [00:46:37] Thank you. [00:46:38] Um, anyone from the public like to address this topic? If you're online, please raise your virtual hand. See no one in person or online. I'm gonna enclose the public hearing. Can I get a motion to approve, please? [00:46:52] Don't move, Salih. [00:46:54] Page 21 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Second, Alter. [00:46:55] Counsel, discussion. Roll call, please? [00:47:00] Alter? [00:47:01] Yes. [00:47:01] Bergus? [00:47:02] Yes. [00:47:02] Harmsen? [00:47:03 ] Yes. [00:47:03 ] Moe? [00:47:04] Yes. [00:47:04] Salih? [00:47:05] Yes. [00:47:05] Teague? [00:47:06] Yes. [00:47:06] Page 22 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Weilein. [00:47:07] Yes. [00:47:08] Motion passes seven to zero. Item number 10b is Tobacco's civil penalty. Almost Paradise Mini. Resolution finding an employee. So tobacco to a minor and assessing a $300 civil penalty against Almost Paradise Mini because the city attorney office will be presenting the case, Assistant Johnson County Attorney Lynn Rose is here to advise the counsel. [00:47:37] Evening. [00:47:37] Good evening. [00:47:38] Evening. Yes. All right. And we'll start with our staff comments. Assistant City Attorney Jennifer, welcome. [00:47:48] Thank you. Good evening. This is the time set for hearing before counsel to determine if an almost Paradise mini employee sold a tobacco product to a minor. The criminal citation against the store clerk in this matter was dismissed, not because the sale didn't happen, but because a witness was not available for the criminal trial. Therefore, there's no criminal conviction for the rely on for the violation. This is an administrative hearing and is different from a court proceeding. For example, witnesses will not be put under oath. Witnesses can give information in a narrative format, and hearsay is allowed. The burden of proof is also different in this administrative matter than in a criminal proceeding. The burden of proof in this matter is a preponderance of the evidence, which means it more likely occurred than not. This is lower than the criminal burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. First, counsel will review the evidence which will be provided by Sergeant Matt Ties and Riley Nuno to determine if there is a violation of Iowa Code Section 453a.2. [00:49:04] You'll find- if you find there's a- you'll find a violation if the employee of the retailer sold tobacco, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, vapor products, or cigarettes to a minor. If counsel determines that the violation has occurred, then counsel shall impose a civil penalty. Even though the criminal citation against the employee was dismissed, the civil penalty is still imposed against the retailer, because Iowa Code Section 453A.22_2 uses the term violated as the trigger for proceeding with civil penalties as opposed to the term convicted. If counsel determines that the violation has occurred, this would be a first violation for Almost Paradise Mini located at 1:25 South Dubuque Street, and Iowa Page 23 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Code Section 453.22_2 requires the counsel to assess a $300 civil penalty. Sergeant Matt Ties will provide general background on tobacco enforcement by the Iowa City Police Department, as well as information regarding the illegal sale at Almost Paradise Mini on January 31, 2025. After Sergeant Ties' presentation, I will question Riley Nuno, who is the underage individual that- that was sold a tobacco product by an Almost Paradise Mini employee on January 31, 2025. [00:50:39] Welcome. [00:50:41] Good evening. I'm Matt Ties, I'm a sergeant Iowa City Police Department. So the city has a 28 E agreement with the Iowa Department of Revenue to perform tobacco compliance checks and enforcement. We do one compliance check per year at each business that has a tobacco permit. And then if that business fails, we'll do an additional compliance check on that business. How the compliance check works is that an underage person works with the police department to conduct the compliance checks. That person is checked. They have to have their state issued ID. They're only allowed to have that ID and whatever money we give them to go into the store. It's explained to the helper that there's no deceit. So this isn't a trick. We're not trying to trick businesses. If they go into a business and they ask for the ID, the helper will give the clerk their state issued ID if they ask if they're under 21, they have to answer that truthfully. Same with their birth date. They have to give their actual birth date. When doing the compliance checks, the helper will go into the business, and they will purchase tobacco, nicotine or vapor product or attempt to purchase one with officers monitoring them. The interaction between the underage person and the clerk is video and audio recorded, and officers such as myself, we can view this in real time. In this case, the video recording was recorded over due to technical difficulties. If the person the clerk sells to the underage person, that clerk will be given a citation under Iowa Code Chapter 453A for an employee providing tobacco products, vapor or cigarettes to anyone under 21 years of age. Criminal citation is prosecuted in magistrate court under the Iowa State Code by the Johnson County's Attorneys Court- or the Johnson County Attorney's Office. So on this particular incident at Almost Paradise Mini, the check was conducted on January 31 of 2025. You do have to be 21 to purchase tobacco products, and our helper was 20 at the time. Um, the helper purchased a Swisher Sweet two pack of grape cigalos to the employee. I was able to watch and listen to the check in real time, and the employee did not ask for an ID or age before selling that product to them. The employee was cited for an employee providing tobacco, vapor or cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21 first offense. And like it was stated before, that citation was dismissed later on, not because it didn't happen, but because the witness was unavailable for court. That's all I have. [00:53:40] Great. Thank you. [00:53:48] I'll now ask some questions of Riley Nuno, the underage person that purchased the tobacco on January 31, 2025. Could you please state your name and occupation? Page 24 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:54:01] Uh, my name is Riley Nuno with the- I'm an officer with the Fairfield Police Department. [00:54:09] And could you state your birthday and your age on January 31, 2025? [00:54:16] June 24, 2004, 1 was 20-years-old. [00:54:21] And did you assist the Iowa City Police Department with tobacco compliance checks on January 31, 2025? [00:54:28] Yes. [00:54:32] And what were you advised to do if a retailer asked for your age or date of birth? [00:54:38] 1 was told to give my date of birth. And then if they asked for my ID or age, I would give them my ID, and then I would give them my accurate age. [00:54:51] And do you recall making a purchase at a retailer called Almost Paradise Mini, located at 125 South Dubuque Street in Iowa City? [00:55:00] Yes. [00:55:03] And what did you purchase at Almost Paradise Mini? [00:55:07] Swishers Grape. [00:55:11] And was that a tobacco product? [00:55:14] Yes. Page 25 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:55:15] Did the employee that sold you that tobacco product ask for your age, birth date or ID? [00:55:22] He did not ask for anything. [00:55:27] Thank you. I don't have any further questions. At this time, I don't have any further information. I am not sure if there's a representative from Almost Paradise Mini here, but if so, um, I think it would be their opportunity. [00:55:43] Okay. Is there a representative from Almost Paradise Mini? If you're online, please raise your virtual hand and we'll allow you to speak. Seeing no one online or in person. We're gonna close that part of the hearing, and we're gonna move on to item number two, which is consider a resolution. Can I get a motion to approve, please? [00:56:10] So moved, Harmsen. [00:56:12] Second, Salih. [00:56:13] All right. Um, at this time, I guess, it's council discussion. [00:56:21] 1 just have one question. Like, how and when was um the alleged violator notified that this council meeting was happening. [00:56:33] There was a notice sent by the city on July 31, 2025. Um, Miss Schwikrath, was this included in the packet for the council? [00:56:47] It was not. [00:56:48] Okay. I have a copy of it here that I'd be happy to share with you, but it was a letter titled Notice of Hearing on civil penalty. It laid out the factual scenario, and then it indicates that the hearing will be Page 26 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM at Emma Harvot Hall, right herewith the address. And it also lays out what the civil penalty is should the counsel find that the violation occurred. [00:57:19] Thanks. Any other discussion by council? [00:57:27] We went through this last June, I think, where a similar thing came up. [00:57:31] No, that's another one, right? [00:57:33] Is this one. [00:57:35] That was a different location. And the facts were different, and that was a different set of violations, so that the penalty was much different. This is a first violation, and this is counsel's job is to adjudicate, ie, decide whether or not it happened. And then the code says, If you decide it happened, counsel shall impose a civil penalty. [00:58:05] 1 wasn't saying about, like, the same place or same owners. I was just saying the same situation where I did not run for city council to or I don't want to be on city council to assist in police investigations, and I don't want to vote on or enact any civil charge or criminal penalty or whatever on anybody, especially when it's a case of trust me bro from individuals, and there's no video and nothing else. So, I mean, everybody can do what they want, but I'm gonna vote no. Just saying. [00:58:42] Any other discussion? Roll call, please. [00:58:48] Bergus? [00:58:48] Yes. [00:58:49] Harmsen? [00:58:50] Yes. Page 27 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [00:58:50] Moe? [00:58:51] Yes. [00:58:51] Salih? [00:58:52] Yes. [00:58:53] Teague? [00:58:53] Yes. [00:58:54] Weilein? [00:58:54] No. [00:58:55] Alter. [00:58:56] Yes. [00:58:56] Motion passes 6-1. We're on to item number 10C, which is partnership with Johnson County on a joint law enforcement facility. Resolution supporting further pursuit of a partnership with Johnson County to meet long term public safety needs of the community through a joint law enforcement facility aimed at maximizing cost and operational efficiencies for both the city of Iowa City and county of Johnson County. All right. Ca I get a motion to approve, please? [00:59:28] Moe Move. [00:59:29] Page 28 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Salih. [00:59:30] Moved by Salih, seconded by Moe. [00:59:34] Yes. [00:59:34] All right great. And I'm going to turn it over to our city manager Geoff Ruin. [00:59:39] Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to go through a lot of the same information I presented at the joint work session just for the public that is here or listening that may not have been a part of that work session. So I want to give you a little bit of a history on how we got to this here tonight. Back in 2002, the city council adopted a strategic plan that called for a city hall and public safety headquarters space needs study and accompanying plan for implementation. Shortly there after in 2003, opium architects were engaged for this specific purpose. That space needs plan was presented to the city council in July of'24, and the council agreed with the overarching path forward, which was to relocate both police and fire from this campus and ultimately build a new city hall in the space currently occupied by police and fire. At that work session, specific direction was provided to staff to start work by doing three different things. One was exploring land acquisition for a new fire station, considering temporary office space needs to meet immediate overcrowding issues at City Hall and to explore with Johnson County a joint public safety facility. Since we're just focusing on that item, I'll just focus on the police space needs analysis, and that was included in your packet there. The police and fire Building was prominently located in downtown, and in its current location in 1959, at that time, we had a population of 33,000, 30 years later, in 1989, an expansion was created- was constructed and is largely what we have here, 40 years later, we are now looking at the next investment in those two operations as our community continues to grow. The police department occupies 14,000 square feet of space to put this in context with some recent police stations that have been built in the nearby area, Marian, which is a community of about half our size, built a 42,000 square foot police department about ten years ago in North Liberty, which is about a third of our size, built a 16,000 square foot police department in 2020. In addition to being very undersized in the PD, we don't meet any workplace- healthy workplace standard. It's not acceptable, and it's generally seen the core components of the- of the building reach useful life threshold, which means we will undoubtedly have some significant investments in that building, both the police and fire side, uh, in the next decade. The space needs analysis for the police department determined that for current and future growth, about 40,000 square feet was needed. And again, that's roughly it's a little bit less than that Marian example I provided earlier. The estimated cost was at 32 million for the core replacement. There was an additional 22.7 million of add ons, should we decide to pursue that, and that included both conditioned parking for vehicle longevity and security and centralized evidence storage. So a baseline $32 million project, um, you'll recall from our work session, we talked a little bit about the county. The study we did with Shi was using 36.5. That's because it Page 29 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. brought in the conditioned parking, which was 4.5. So 32 million for the core building and another um, 4.5 for the conditioned parking. Um, without, again, without pursuing these relocations of both police and fire, uh, we're going to need to reinvest in those substandard facilities and probably look to, um, buy or at least temporary space to accommodate growth unless an alternative, um, new police station is pursued outside of this partnership that's envisioned with Johnson County. So at the joint meeting, there was a lot of discussion about the loss of power with the establishment of a joint facility, and I just want to circle back to that because I think that's a critical question that you're asking. [01:04:14] 1 really don't see that being an issue going forward. Anytime that joint as that joint authority conducts its business, it ultimately will have to um uh, create a lease agreement that is acceptable to this city council. So there will be a high degree of cooperation between that joint authority and the city and county staff to ensure that those expectations are aligned, and we would certainly expect it to be frequent touch points with the city council throughout the planning phases that are yet to come. Both Chief List and I are very supportive of this partnership and believe it will save our community and taxpayers dollars not only in the construction, which was estimated by Shive-Hattery to be over $10 million. We also believe there's long term operational savings and benefits from the co location with Johnson County Sheriff's office. I'm happy to answer more questions if you have it if you have questions about the resolution or the space needs study that we finished up last July. [01:05:28] Um, I want to start just by saying for counsel and the community that I did once upon a time work for OPN, I no longer work there. I have no financial interest in OPN and no longer have any conflicts of interests, so I just want to get that out there right away. Um, I question, I guess, would be the I know the lease agreement is something that if we enter into this agreement is a long time off. I'm just curious about the financial impact of the city. You know, at when you talked about the cost of constructing a police department, that was a capital investment of the city. This seems like a different kind of thing where we'd be paying lease. Do you have any ranges of what that looks like for the budget and your comfort level with assuming that lease? [01:06:15] Well, a lot- lot's going to depend on the now and then but the way that the state code envisions that those payments would be made would be through the debt service levy, and that's an uncapped levy, so that's not going to be competing with those operational dollars for your operating departments like police and fire, Parks and Rec general government. It's going to be out of the debt service levy. And so much is going to depend on, you know, how we financially structure that deal. You know, there's a big difference between what we would normally issue, which is a ten year bond for most of our projects. A facility like this, much like the wastewater project that you recently approved would likely be a 20 or 30 year lease, but that's going to greatly impact what the annual payment would be. So it's safe to say that it would be probably a multi -million dollar lease per year, assuming that we're looking at a 20 or 30, um a year lease agreement, but it'd be really hard to get a precise number number without going through all of the planning and then all the different financing options that would be present. Page 30 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [01:07:33] But you answered my question at the beginning. The impact on the general fund is not a thing to be considered in this. [01:07:44] Correct. We don't anticipate there being staffing changes because we're moving in operational because we're moving into a new facility. The lease would be paid out of the debt service levy. [01:07:56] If I may, Counsel, add one other thing about Councilor Moe's question about capital improvement and so forth for the structure. The state code provision, which is 346.27, contains language that allows for the possibility that once the bonds issued by the authority to pay for the construction of the facility are paid off, the authority can convey the title to the property owned by the authority to the incorporating units, Le, the city and the county in accordance with the provisions contained in the Article of Incorporation. So that's something that we would want to talk about upfront. If that's something that is of interest to the council, I would assume it would be. That's something that we could, you know, ultimately take title to what would presumably be a condo out portion of the facility that would be our portion, and we would own it. Again, a lot of things would have to happen between now and then for that to take place, but I just want to make sure you're aware that that is one possible outcome. [01:08:59] Relating to that, Eric, I'm trying to pull up the code now, but I had in my notes from the joint meeting that conveying the property at the end of the payment of the revenue bonds would actually go back on the ballot. I have subsection 20- 25b within 346 27. [01:09:22] I'll just read that section here. The question of whether a conveyance shall be made shall be submitted to the registered owners of the county, an affirmative vote equal to at least a majority of the total votes cast on the question shall be required to authorize the conveyance. If the question does not carry, the authority shall continue to operate, maintain, and manage the building under a lease arrangement with the incorporating units. [01:09:43] So that it does have to go back to the voters in order to return the real estate to the county or the city, correct? [01:09:51] That's my reading. [01:09:52] Okay. Page 31 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [01:09:55] Question of clarification related to the joint authority with three persons being identified, right? At one point, there was a discussion thinking that, you know, the city potentially would appoint someone, and the council would really have no authority over how they vote. But I think we've since learned that the individual that at least the city chooses, it can be a city council member or of course, it's going to be someone that we've appointed. It could also be a staff should we choose that route, is that correct? [01:10:34] Yes. [01:10:35] All right, thanks. [01:10:37] Am I wrong in remembering that one of the three individuals need to be jointly decided by the county and the city? [01:10:45] You're correct. [01:10:45] So that means we will not. What's that? Sorry. Go ahead. Sorry. So that means out of the three, the city council only has full control over one. [01:10:59] Yeah, full control. That's right. 1.5, so to speak. [01:11:03] Yeah, and there's three of them. So that's one of three votes. [01:11:08] Yeah. The one that you, just for the benefit of the public. So there are three people appointed. The county representative is appointed for an initial term of two years. The city representative is appointed for a term of four years, and the third individual jointly appointed serves for an initial term of six years. All the terms then are six years moving forward. In the absence of agreement between, in this case, city and the county, the governor, if that appointment is not made within 60 days, the governor gets to make that appointment. [01:11:49] And you mean when you say it could be staff, you mean the first person, the full one? Page 32 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [01:11:54] Not the-. [01:11:55] Not the appointed. [01:11:58] Not the jointly appointed. [01:12:00] O kay. [01:12:01] Yes. [01:12:02] Well, I'm not sure there's any- I'm not sure if there's any restrictions on the third person other than, of course, you would need county agreement on who that third person is. Yeah. Okay. [01:12:15] Do you recall the residency requirements? I know at the I think it was not until the CJCC meeting, which was after our joint work session, that it was indicated that if a county supervisor was appointed, only two of them would be eligible because they have to live outside of the corporate limits of Iowa City. [01:12:36] That's right. The city appointee needs to be from within the city. The county appointee has to be outside the city. And I don't recall. [01:12:45] 1 believe it's supervisor Green Douglas or supervisor Green. [01:12:52] Sorry. But the third person. [01:12:54] Right, I'm just looking at the statute again real quickly. Uh, I don't I don't see any restrictions on the residency of the third person. [01:13:10] Any other questions by counsel? We'll wait. We'll have deliberations after the public comment. Any other questions by counsel? Hearing none. Anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so, please raise your hand. Alright and if you're online, please raise your virtual hand. I'm going to allow 3 Page 33 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. minutes for everyone to speak. In the back, I'm going to ask folks that will sign the card and drop it in the basket upfront when you come. We'll invite people up at this time. I'll start online. Welcome, David. You'll be allowed up to 3 minutes to speak. David online? Switching to you. [01:14:07] 1 might need an assist from communications. [01:14:10] Well- we'll start in person, and then, there you go. Welcome. [01:14:15] There we go. [01:14:16] Please state your name and city you're from? [01:14:19] Yes, hi. My name's David Sterling, and I'm from Iowa City and I live in Iowa City. So I watched the meeting between counsel and the supervisors the other day, and it's pretty clear that the discussions between the two bodies on this topic are really fresh. Just from the conversations that you counselors were just having a moment ago, it seems like you're still wrapping your heads around the idea. It feels like the county has a desperate need to resolve this as soon as possible while a collaboration like this inherently should be done with as much caution and patience as possible. As well, I think that creating a joint body Number one, it's going to take up time from counsel to manage the selection process and the advising. And like, that's time away from the affairs that counsel's working on now. In addition, I don't think that we should be having a 1.5 vote say on a jail that also imprisons people from other cities in Iowa. I feel like that really merges local government with higher levels of government and disproportionately disadvantages us when we should be really spending public dollars on trying to improve our relationships with other cities rather than having superiority over them in this context. Um, I have faith in both council and the County Board of soups that it wasn't their intent for these to be the outcomes of this project. But to me, $10 million in savings is not appealing enough to demand an immediate vote where all parties are still kind of scratching their heads as to what this really entails. Um Uh, yeah, thank you so much for your time. Please vote no on this and let Iowa City work on its own problems while the county works on its. [01:16:24] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Welcome, please state your name as city you're from. I'm gonna have to let you all get away with clapping because I didn't do it earlier, which I should have. And I didn't. Welcome, please state your name as city you're. [01:16:40] Page 34 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Hi, I'm Keelen. I'm from Iowa City. Forgive me, I don't have anything eloquent prepared last week was kind of a shit show. I've been helping a lot with the eviction that happened at Shelter House, as well as supporting a friend of mine who is currently in prison. So this is kind of an important topic to me. Just a couple of things I want to flag. Number one, this $10 million in savings number feels a little bit misleading to me. That's kind of like when I go to Menards and they say that my rebate is savings. To be clear, you're spending taxpayer money to build this facility. The savings is not uh yeah, you're still spending a lot of money. Number two, maybe I'm wrong about this, but my reading, having been to the CJCC meeting and the Board of Supervisors meeting about this, is that once the city agrees to go in on this joint entity facility, the only power you have to stop something you don't like from happening is to say no to the lease agreement at the very end. I don't know, it just seems like the city is forfeiting a lot of power on something incredibly important to the community. And the third thing is, I know that the strategic plan reasoning was cited a why we should be doing this. I would also like to highlight that the strategic plan says that we should be diverting resources away from the police and doing more community intervention. And I frankly, have not seen nearly enough of that from this council. I think constituents have showed up and told you time and time again that we want fewer police, and I can't point to a single thing that you have done that has any material impact on police. Actually, all you've done is give the police more money. So I think aside from the fact that you should vote no on the joint facility, I don't think we should be building a new police department. But since the joint facility is what's on the docket tonight, I think you should vote no for the joint facility. Thank you. [01:18:51] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Please, we're going to go online to Finch. Please state your name and city you're from. [01:19:05] Lily, can you help out here? [01:19:10] Alright, if you can unmute. [01:19:18] There we go. I was on the wrong tab. Counselors, I come to you today to urge you to vote no on this proposal. And it's because I ask you to keep us, the community in mind as you vote. Counselors, is a jail not a community commodity, a community service? The officers, the governing body, the staff, they're employed with our money to serve the public of Iowa City. These beds, the admin staff, the paperwork, who are they for? It's Iowa City. I know, counselors, that you care about building a strong and healthy and thriving Iowa city. You wouldn't be here if you didn't thriving city asks the hard questions. It asks, what are other ways we can approach this besides imprisoning members of our communities? It asks what are the fiscal and logistical gains, but what are the things that lift our community into a better future? I beg the council to consider these questions as they vote. Thank you. [01:20:21] Page 35 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. For the record, will you please state your name and city you're from? [01:20:26] My name is Finch Van Dyke, and I'm from Iowa City. [01:20:28] Thank you. Welcome. Please state your name the city you're from. [01:20:31] Hello, I'm Zoe from- I'm from Iowa City. I'm opposed to a joint jail proposal, and I'm, in fact, opposed to a new jail entirely, and I'd like to be here to tell you why. Um, I've been following this for over a year when it came to the county, and I've heard, uh, a few reasons why we supposedly need a new jail facility in the county. Um, and, uh, the reality is that it's not necessary. Um, uh, the people have done and the sheriff's office claims that, um, they don't have enough beds that they are- that the $10 million in savings is going to be savings based off of the amount of money that we spend on sending people to other counties. Um, and the reality is that we already send people to other counties because the county and the city have not invested enough in its diversion, um uh, sorry, diversion practices, um, a significant- like a very significant portion of the people incarcerated at the Johnson County Jail are there for non violent offenses such as drug use, mental health episodes, and homelessness. Um, and the county- the sheriff's office is currently the Shive Hay report, which I've read, um, uh, cites Johnson County's rate of growth as one of the reasons that we would need more beds. But the reality is that the incarceration rates in Johnson County and, um, the city have been falling, uh, due to these diversion practices, the county has already invested and implemented, um, uh, and on the topic of not having enough room for your staff, this council has repeatedly and uncritically voted to increase the budget of the state or the police rather than diverting that funding into jobs that could do- be part of those diversion practices. Um, and then I think one of a really important thing to point out is that the city recently voted on a boycott resolution as a move in opposition to the genocide happening in Palestine, and I commend you for that. But this new jail proposal includes a training facility that would use the training programs developed by the Israeli military to train its soldiers. That is what most similar police facilities across the US that have been built in the last 10 years have been, um, using to train their officers, and I do not have to remind you of the violence and the atrocities committed by the IN in the name of their country. This county council has repeatedly promised over the past year that it will protect the marginalized and vulnerable people of this city. And as we see more vitriol being thrown at these people, it is your job not to endanger your constituents. I urge you to vote no. [01:23:30] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. [01:23:35] My name is Daniel Crawford. I'm from Iowa City. Uh, most of the colleagues and city members that have spoken here today already have said things very eloquently. I will repeat that I also wish to say that the city would be better served by helping its most vulnerable members, which are people who end up in Page 36 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. jail. Helping them, as opposed to incarcerating them, is the ethical thing to do. Spending money on the police, um, it's a bureaucratic boondoggle. I know you have done a lot of study on this, but it feels like you're doing a technical solution to a human problem, and that is not exactly what Iowa City stands for. Um, that's mostly it. Um, also, comparing yourself to- comparing the Iowa City Police Department to Marion or North Liberty is not something we should be proud of. Thank you very much. [01:24:31] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Please state your name and city you're from. [01:24:35] Hi, everyone. My name is Clara Reinan. I'm from Iowa City. Um, you've heard me talk a lot about this joint entities proposal lately. I've had many conversations with members of city council to voice my concerns, um, for the planned bond measure on the 2026 ballot regarding this new jail. Um, and I've engaged a lot of community members on conversations about this, too, and something that has been new for me as I've been trying to get more involved in local government is just that I've interfaced with a lot of people lately who have very different views about policing from myself. And that's been really good for me. It's really forced me to challenge my own views on what policing is, how it should work, what its role should be in both our community and in the county. Um, and I've really been trying to emulate my dad. My dad always says when you really disagree with something, you have to try to remove your personal reasons for why. And so I think even logically, entering a joint entities agreement is not a good idea for a few different reasons. Um, first and foremost, even though I've talked to a lot of people who disagree with me about the police, I've been trying to remind myself that it's because we care about the same thing. We care about keeping our community safe. We care about how we're going to get there, and we're deeply concerned about what's going on. And I want to note that for myself, if there was any police department I had to deal with in the county, it would not be the sheriff's department. I already am scared of police. I think most people are. That's conjecture, but anecdotally in my own circles, at least, if there was any police department I had to deal with, I would pick the Iowa City Police Department. I think that from what I've seen, it's the police department that has at least voiced the most interest in community diversions, community interventions. Um, and as I've talked to people, I've heard good things about Chief Liston, and I'm looking forward to meeting him based on what folks have said in one-on-one meetings. And I think when we think about the harms that the county has done, particularly when the county attorney prosecuted seven trans protesters, I think we need to consider what going into a joint entities agreement would mean for public trust in Iowa City Police Department. I understand that by joining together, we wouldn't be combining operations. But I've been saying it's a lot like when you have a messy roommate or when you have a roommate that has a different accent. Over time, as you're together, you pick up on each other's habits, and it's really easy to pick up on bad habits. And I have been surprised and honestly heartened, like, I've been kind of lifted up by the things I've heard about the Iowa City Police Department in a way that I was not expecting to, and I'm okay admitting that. And I want you to really consider if I'm saying that, what this joint entity's proposal could do for eroding public trust in Iowa City Police Department. Thank you. [01:27:38] Page 37 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Thank you. [01:27:40] Welcome, please state your name and city you're from. [01:27:44] Hello. I am Michael Roberts, born and raised in Iowa City. I am here to encourage the council to vote no on the proposed joint detention facility with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. I want to start by acknowledging that the condition of the current jail needs to be addressed to ensure the safety of both the people that are housed there and the staff who work in the facility. I just don't believe that the proposed joint facility prioritizes our community's needs correctly. Such a drastic increase in the bed capacity of our detention facility does not make sense. The community would be better served by funding alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, exploring concepts like elimination of cash bail. And directing funding directly to services that aid and assist communities and people facing mental health crisis or homelessness. Creating a facility with increased capacity also creates the perverse incentive to find people to detain to fill the beds and justify the exorbitant cost of the new facility. Additionally, I believe it isn't prudent to increase capacity so drastically in a political climate where the federal and state government are attempting to ramp up incarceration of undocumented residents with no criminal history. Committing to a newjoint facility in conjunction with the Iowa State Patrol also cedes local authority over our justice system to the state at a time when the state is threatening actively the safety of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities. Let's seize this moment to assert local control over our justice system and law enforcement. Supporters of the facility like to emphasize what a good deal it is and how it's a wise use of taxpayer dollars. I would contend that a major capital investment that does not prioritize the needs of the community is never a good use of tax dollars, even if the price tag on the initial proposal seems attractive. Much like the MRAP vehicle acquired by the Johnson County Sheriff's Department, this facility would continue to require extensive maintenance and operating costs and send the wrong message to our community about how we want to ensure community safety and justice for the residents of our city. There was a lot of talk during the proclamations about our values, and talk is good, but action is better. Now is the time to act on our values. Again, I urge you to vote no on the proposed new jail facility without major revisions. Thank you. [01:30:28] Thank you. Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. [01:30:33] Hi. My name is Daniel Mills. I'm a resident of North Liberty, and as long as you promise not to tell them if I could afford to live in Iowa City, I would. I'm a double alum of the University of Iowa. I urge the council to reject this joint law enforcement facility and jail expansion. I'm a social worker, and many of the people that I work with have been incarcerated or are facing incarceration at Johnson County Jail. I've heard plenty of horror stories from people most directly impacted by the deplorable conditions of our current jail. It is clear that something must be done to protect the dignity and safety of our neighbors, our loved ones, and our community. First and foremost, we must approach this issue in a way that Page 38 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. addresses safety for the entire community. Police and jails do not make us safer. The public policy research is clear: criminalizing our most vulnerable and separating people from their families, jobs, access to healthcare, including mental healthcare, and support networks increases harm. It makes us less safe, not more. The logic of punishment compounds one harm on another. Don't sign on to this $100 million punishment bureaucracy expansion. Reject the county's half-baked plan and address the root causes of safety in our community. Doing those things that you have already said in your strategic plan matter the most to you. Things like housing, childcare, transit, access to healthcare, good jobs, and food security. Thank you. [01:32:17] Thank you. We're gonna move online to Dr. Emma. [APPLAUSE] Please state your name and city you're from. [01:32:24] Hi, Dr. Emma Deni, Iowa City. I'm here to urge you to vote no on this proposal and to take the opportunity before you to take brave and meaningful action. We have seen in the last months an- a dramatic expansion in the violence of the state and the police powers that are deployed against people across this country, which has included a call for expanded National Guard action in Iowa. I know from talking to many members of this board in the past that this is something that you are all opposed to. I have seen many members of this council walk alongside immigrants who are being targeted by violence and seen how police respond to communities simply trying to protect each other and doing what's right. What's before you instead is an opportunity to really look at what our values in Iowa City are and to take the money that would be invested in this joint facility and invest it, as our plan says we should in meaningful diversions. You've heard countless people this evening talk about how criminalization damages our communities, how police and carceral practices keep us vulnerable and marginalized. And I have faith and trust in my community and in the people that I've talked to to do the right thing and to really push for a better community and a safer community. And that means not wasting all of our money on one boondoggle and to another further expansion of a violent carceral system. Uh, I urge you to vote no, and I urge you instead to one look at reinvestment to make sure that the people who are subjected to this carceral system have clean beds, clean places to live, have access to healthcare, have access to mental health services. I urge you to take this moment to reinvest in those services to make sure that people do not end up in this violent system in the first place. You have an opportunity with another joint program with the county that was proposed by Mandy Remington and other members of this council to really try something that has not been tried in Iowa, and really expand the options that our community has before turning to the police. And I urge you to take that opportunity instead and vote no today. [01:35:25] Thank you. Welcome. [APPLAUSE] [01:35:28] [APPLAUSE] Welcome, please state your name and city you're from. Page 39 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [01:35:32] Hi, my name is Vivian Olson. I'm from Iowa City, uh, and I think that a lot of great points have already been made, uh, but I'd like to just go ahead and reiterate some of my own thoughts on similar themes. Uh, specifically, pulling from the Shive-Hattery report on the Johnson County Sheriff's Office and jail needs assessment. Uh, there were several references to how the first step is that diversion, uh, a quote from page six. Uh, thus, it is important to note and recognize that to a large degree, a community's jail is largely a downstream recipient of upstream decisions made by criminal justice policies agency- and agencies, beyond the control of a jails administration. Uh, and then additionally, from page 14, uh, Johnson County has implemented positive changes in the county's criminal justice system that allow for a dramatic reduction in the proposed facility needs. Uh, we've seen these, uh, changes over the course of the past decade and more. Uh, Johnson County has a notably low incarceration rate. It's roughly half of that of the state of Iowa and less than a third, uh, of the national rate. And that's because of important policies like this. So beyond just theoretically, in our own community, we've seen these practices applied to great effect. Uh, and I think that. Uh, moving towards a joint venture, uh, as expressed by many other members of the community, there's a concern that, we lose a certain amount of insulation in our own policy decision making to maintain those policies. Maintaining those policies is the number 1 reco- recommendation from the consultant, Shive-Hattery. Uh, and in the dynamic political environment that we're in, I think that it's critical that we maintain that autonomy, uh, to enforce our own policies whenever possible. Um, I'd also like to thank all of the people who are here tonight to voice these concerns. Uh, I'd like to thank the council for what is obviously a very deliberate decision, uh, and as well as the, uh, community organizations that are putting in the work, uh, to facilitate these alternative, uh, means of addressing, uh, what our community, uh, is in need of. I'd also just like to say that, um, I feel like Iowa City, uh, as a society, as a culture, uh, is stepping up to that plate on a more individual level, as well, and that we take care of our own, uh, whether that's through an organization or just peer to peer. Uh, and I would encourage everyone here to take that ethos, uh, back to whatever situation seems to throw itself at you next. Thank you, everyone. [01:38:24] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] I wanted to see the hands of those that still want to speak in person. Okay. Um, these last four- wait, how many, please raise your hand again. All right. And we have one online. Um, I'm going to allow you all to come forth if, um- we certainly want to hear your voice, um, but we are getting towards the end of our time for, uh, this portion. Uh, I'm going to invite miss, uh, Cravis up now to speak. Welcome. [01:39:00] My name is Mary Gravitt. I'm from Iowa City. First thing we have to consider is the university. Universities is the reason for Iowa City existing. Now, I have nothing against the police. Every time I fall down, I call 911, two guys or to a guy and a girl come and pick me up. You know, ask me, "Do I want to go to the hospital?" I don't want to go to the hospital, but there- there- there's service. And I- you know, because maybe I'm from- from Philadelphia. I like the Iowa City Police. We need the Iowa City Police. If you live where I live, you definitely know you need the Iowa City police. I see that, you know, little wagons go up and down. And, uh, because I got some- some very- some neighbors that need to be to Page 40 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. see the police. But we have to consider Iowa City is its own thing, and uniting with other cities and little rural things in the Johnson County is not good for Iowa City. If you want a jail, build a Iowa City Jail. We've been fighting over this jail, oh, I mean, for 20 years. It's- all folks that died or ever since that policeman killed that person in his father's shop, everybody's been mad with the police. But as far, you know, it's not the- the- the police. We're in a situation down from the top from that orange man who thinks he represents all of us. This is the problem. People are depressed and everything. And because I'm older, I hear these young people they're very wonderful. This is what you need. But- but they don't understand why you need the police. You don't realize you- you- you- when you- I mean, Iowa City population has changed. And you understand even when this population hasn't changed, you need the police. But you don't need to get abused by the police. I'm not talking about being abused. But the first thing Iowa City has to think about is a university. And then we go on combining with other people. Saving a little bit of money now will cost us much more money in the future. You know, a lawsuit can cost you more than $10 million. So we just got to be aware. And- and- the younger generation know - has their ideas, old people like me have my ideas. But, you need the police, and all policemen aren't the same, except that one that came to the senior citizen center and tried to talk to us, and I thought all the old people was going to jump on. [LAUGHTER] But, uh, but, uh, he- he- he was in charge of homicide, and he had a gun. That's why they didn't jump. He had a gun in the badge. [LAUGHTER] [01:42:00] Thank you. We're going to move online to Maria. Welcome, please state your name and city you're from. [01:42:11] Hi, my name is Maria Jose Plato Flores. I live in Iowa city. I- I wanted to talk about to compel you all to please vote no on this project because I just want you to think about all the- I feel like everyone is talking about the stuff and the incarcerated people themselves, but I also want you to think about the toll that this puts in local fam- in local families. Approximately, it costs $4,500 a year to sustain someone in jail- like a loved one in jail. Those are 4,500. 1 understand that for some people, $4,000 is- basically $5,000 is not much, especially over a year, but that money, especially for those of us who have an income below 30,000 a year, that is a huge chunk of money, and that is money that could go towards school supplies towards local commercial efforts that support our community, but that is not where they are going to go. They are going to go towards commissary, and they are going to go towards a very lucrative business that is the communication services in the- in the prison. And we know that that money doesn't go to the city. Though that money that people put towards commissary our- and especially the money that is put towards communication services, those communication services, most cases, they are private entities that benefit very much from the- er, from the deal that they have because they are the only way of contact for incarcerated people, er, and their families to keep some kind of communication. And I understand that there is an idea that this is going to save money, but it's just that I feel like the city is saving money so that the citizens, not only of Iowa City, but of all the other towns that would have incarcerated people, er, it's taking the money of those people to go towards private businesses. And I really don't think that that is the objective of our leadership right now. So please vote no. Thank you. Page 41 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [01:44:50] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Please welcome, state your name and city you're from. [01:44:57] Newman Abu Isa. Iowa City. This issue is not new. It's- it's a decade old issue. It's been, er, to the voting, er, ballot a few times, and it seems like there is an issue with the public discussing this issue. At this time, I think the city of Iowa City has been asked to participate in this process. And the city of Iowa City has a huge leverage, the way I see it now before we vote to move forward if we are going to move forward. However, I don't think the city of Iowa City has allowed enough time for full public participation. Er, Mayor Pro Tern mentioned last time we met with the- with the county that the material has not been translated to- to other languages, for example. We were sitting at the, er, at the chamber in- in Johnson County, and I'm requested that we have a screen for the, er, for the, er, for the public sitting in the back to be able to see the presentation, and that screen was alive at the end of the presentation. It just tells you that the public has not been invo- involved. And there are many participants interested in this process. And most of those participants are minorities. Look at the jail population and compare it to the population of- of this city and this county. So we- we need to have a proactive approach to reach out to- to- to- to those people and see what their inpu- input is. It's that simple. Get input from people impacted by this process. We have a huge leverage, there is a need, there is an opportunity, we need to take advantage of those opportunities. I mean, this is our time to- to maximize, to- to bargain for the land the city owns. And- and- and the timeline should be yours, no - nobody else's. Nobody should be forcing the city to- to live to another timeline because of, er, their schedules. It's our- it's our timeline, and I know that the University of Iowa Police is a participant, and I haven't seen them discussing this issue with you. The- the- the- the legal system is also a participant, and I have not seen their input. So I think there is a chance to include many people in this process and improve- improve the process- improve the- the- the- the end results. And that's what I look for. I look for the city council to leverage our- our- our- our resources to the maximum for the benefit of Iowa City and Johnson County. Thank you very much. [01:47:42] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Please state your name and city you're from? [01:47:48] Yeah. [inaudible 01:47:48] Iowa City. I just want to voice my opposition to the Joint Commission to build a new jail. Um, I took a class in undergrad in sociology. Uh, one thing we learned was, like, how to manipulate the results of a poll through the questions you asked on a poll. And I don't know if you guys have read the questions on this poll that went out, that was polling like, public support of the new jail, which was, like, overwhelmingly supportive. But not once in those questions did they ask the- or inform the responders the price tag of the new jail, which is $110 million. I think that would have impacted the results. We don't know how much it impacted the results. I imagine that it'd be like a lot less support for it, given that. Um, yeah, I definitely encourage you guys to read those questions. It's very informative to me. Um, but $110 million, where else can that money go? I might break from my abolitist friends a bit Page 42 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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 say that I love the wire. I love True Detective. I love Twin Peaks. I love Disco Elysium. I think, [LAUGHTER] in theory, detectives are bad ass. [LAUGHTER] Now, what do our cops do, though, in our city? I had a friend that was in jail on Saturday night, Sunday morning. I bailed her out. I noticed looking around that most of the people that they were booking at that time were just like drunk college kids being put in the drunk tank. That seems more like a medical issue to me than, like, a carceral issue. I think those kids should be, you know, taken to, like, a hospital or some university run drunk tank or something, not like the jail. [LAUGHTER] And something like, like, I mean, like, $110 million. I mean, like, that could be, you know, a couple hundred thousand. You could have a little facility that would, like, like, manage kids that are sobering up, that were having incidents downtown or something. I think we should use $110 million for community response instead of criminal responses so that our police can be busting, like, murder colts and tipping tanner mafias instead of drunk college kids. Thank you. [01:49:28] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Please state your name and city you're from? [01:49:35] Hello. Hello. My name is Bren Garner Prouty. I'm a resident of Iowa City. Um, I'd like to echo the sentiments of a lot of my fellow speakers that any additional funds put towards mass incarceration represent a lost opportunity to divert those funds towards social programs that could actually reduce, uh, crime, reduce arrests and actually improve the- the city we live in. I know, um, so many people right now that are struggling to find jobs, but who are also constantly showing up to help out their friends, volunteer or do mutual aid work. And I think social programs, uh, like alternatives to police, um, would just be so great to fund that sort of meaningful work. I don't want Iowa City to be a place where the best job you can get is working as a prison guard. [01:50:32] Thank you. [APPLAUSE] [01:50:35] [APPLAUSE] Welcome. Please state your name and city you're from. [01:50:39] Hi, my name is Vero Hernandez. I'm a resident of Iowa City. I think you should vote no on this. It sounds like the county is trying to pressure you into saying yes because they need it more than we need it. Our crime rates are pretty low. We don't really need this. A majority of people that go into jail are drunk kids, or people that are having a bad day, bad time and get picked up. I don't think this will ultimately benefit us with a $10 million savings. That means nothing compared to how much we'll be spending on it and how much we'll be spending to put people into it and keep them in there. We feel a pressure to fill spaces when we see that they're empty. I feel like that's just gonna happen with these beds. I don't think we should be doing this. I think you should vote no. [01:51:17] Page 43 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] And this is the last speaker. Please state your name and city you're from. [01:51:27] Yeah, I'm Nick from Iowa City. I don't really have much to say. I think that first and foremost, our needs assessment is a little bit BS. I think we could just decrease our police force. We would be fine in that space if we just decrease the police force. So I think the space needs assessment could be done a little bit differently. Um, and second of all, I just want to be really clear here that what we're talking about when we build a joint entity facility is space for law enforcement, training facilities for officers, as well as a multitude of other things for staff that they mentioned like locker rooms. They don't really mention much about the actual incarcerated people, and people love to kind of sugarcoat it, but when it comes down to it, you would be involved in putting people in cages. Jails are cages for human beings, right? And when we put money towards that, you then are helping facilitate caging people. And I just think that you should sit with that and think about what it would be like to be in a cage. Yeah, it's really upsetting. And I think lastly, if you find yourself this body voting yes to this, you'll find a very intense stop cop city campaign on your hands in your city. [APPLAUSE] [01:52:52] Thank you. Alright. Thanks to everybody that came forth. We're going to switch over to council discussion. [01:53:15] Alright, I'll dive in. Knowing that this was going to be a big issue a long time ago, more than a year ago, I started attending doing my homework, started attending these meetings. So these public meetings that the county has been holding for over a year. I know some of my fellow counselors, including Councilor Bergus, has been at many of those meetings as well over the past year. In addition to that, to sort of do some background on this, I spent time going through different jail facilities. The one here in Johnson County, I'd heard a lot about how bad it was, so I wanted to see with my own eyes. So I went in and took a look, but also heard that different designs can be handled things in ways that are safer for both inmates and people who work, the staff of the jail. And so also went and looked at the jail in Clinton, Iowa, which is built just a few years ago to kind of get a feel. So here are lots of claims. So sitting through a lot of that, and so that's definitely kind of a part of this, but kind of a side part to what the city's being asked to do. Also, one thing I do want to point out just as I would not be doing my job as somebody who, you know, used to be a journalist and loves to make sure that we double check every claim that's made. You can actually check online. There's an updated list of, uh, the jail roster and what people are currently waiting for the charges they're waiting for. And it's an interesting thing because, well, I completely agree with diversion on non violent crimes, crimes that don't harm people, that aren't a threat to public. As I went through just like before this meeting today, um you know, just to kind of keep in mind, if we are not doing this because we think we're not doing efforts of diversion, which there are many efforts of diversion. I'll just read through a few of these. There's 86 total, but I'll- I'll just take this just a couple. And I'm not picking and choosing. I'm just going in order. Criminal mischief, third degree with assault to intent to inflict serious injury. Third offense OWI with willful injury causing bodily injury and multiple charges, including the same person assault use display of weapon, violation of probation. Page 44 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. So violations of probations or parole sort of tell me this is somebody who could be outside of the jail and has violated those terms. So they have been given a chance and went against those terms. You know, third degree theft and violation of probation, another violation of probation, domestic abuse assault, escape, um harassment, first degree, false report of indictable crime, malicious prosecution, false report of indictable crime to law enforcement, operating a vehicle OWI child endangerment, domestic assault. You know, so I'm seeing a lot of another domestic abuse, assault, third, or subsequent offense. So I think we have to keep that in mind that this is a necessary facility. And that's actually some of that is up to the county to make their case. When it comes before the city, what I see this as we have two parallel processes that happened independently. On the one hand, we had a process where the county said, We need a new jail for all of these reasons, and they have to make that case for themselves because that's the county government. We independently of that, had the city come and do this analysis, said, we have a space needs study here that we have outgrown City Hall and probably need to relocate the police department as a way to solve that. Indeed, not just that space study, but I've talked to city workers who have confirmed that, yes, the conditions- work conditions, especially in some places in this city hall, are not in line with health and safety standards, not just in the police department, but for other members of our city staff. So we have these two things that are happening sort of simultaneous, where we could see potentially a need for a new jail and a need for a new police department. And so the question is, does it make sense to do those things separately and put those to the voters separately or to do them together? And the argument for doing them together is a savings of $10 million plus maybe some other savings. So the question that's before us is whether or not we move forward to take this to the voters because we actually aren't deciding on building anything. This body doesn't have that authority. What we can say is we can go to the voters and say, do you think this is worthwhile? And if voters say it's worthwhile or they say it's not worthwhile, that's the direction we have to go. So we could decide to move this forward, and a year from now, voters could say, no, we're not going to do this, or they could say, you know what? We're convinced that it is necessary. The people that we're advocating for these things are correct. So why look at it through the city? I think $10 million is a significant amount. I think that maybe whether or not it's worth building or not, I'm comfortable giving that question to the voters and keeping to ourselves whether or not we decide, whether or not it should go to the voters. I think that that's enough of a reason to send it to the voters and have them decide. And all of these arguments that people have been making, including all the statements here tonight, and thank you for those are certainly things that belong in that public campaign. And the public can hear those and make a decision accordingly. So I will be voting to move forward with this for those reasons. [01:58:46] Thank you for kicking- excuse me, thank you for kicking that off. I think in- I just kept writing notes and notes and notes from the people who are speaking from both online and in person, as well as from the meeting with the joint entities, with the sorry, with the county the other day. And then also as a reminder with the needs study. And so one of the things actually that Shawn didn't mention that I would just bring up, I mean, he sugarcoated it in saying that the needs study came short. If any one of you went through any portion of City Hall, you'd be horrified. These are awful working conditions. This is the best part of City Hall, right here. I tax any one of you to want to work in here. 8 hours, 10 hours a day. And so what is before us as part of what is for the city is, are we in a position to alleviate pressures, not Page 45 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. just in terms of saying, well, it would make sense given the space needs assessment to say, Well, we could move the police offsite to a different one, but really to alleviate the pressures of a growing city staff to be able to help other people. I'm not talking about the jail right now. I'm talking simply about what the needs for the city to consider are. And so what I'm talking about here is the fact that we need to consider as well. Is this council the next council or councils, I don't know, for the foreseeable future, going to also feel in a position to bond out and then have voters actually vote to say, we will vote to spend money for city facilities. Don't see that happening. So it is not a question- it is not a situation where any one of us wants to necessarily spend money on public improvements, per se. But given the state of what the facilities are like, it is a question worth asking. As was laid out about whether the timing of this. And I absolutely take people's point about we shouldn't feel pressured, and yet, this isn't simply about the county. This is also about state legislature and when the timing of votes need to go through. So I just want to put that forward, as well. I think it holds to say, put it to voters to say, what would you like to do? We don't have that authority. And there have been conversations about this. And from my understanding, as well, many of you have been in these conversations for a while. So this is something that I think voters can actually make a decision on. As far as the jail goes, this is actually I want to be very clear. This is not something that we actually have any purview on. [02:02:13] Exactly. [02:02:14] And I understand that that is, in fact, what concerns among counselors are, but it's never been. Like, that's not our purview, nor would it be? So. And I understand that you're saying exactly. It's like it's two halves of the coin so- [02:02:35] I'm going to just respectfully ask people to remain silent while the council deliberates. Thank you. [02:02:41] Colleagues, I thought tonight we would be talking about the question of creating a joint authority under Iowa law in which we would be appointing a person and agreeing with the county to appoint a second person, or Kim Reynolds might be appointing that person if we couldn't agree. I thought that's what we were going to be speaking about tonight. And I am just really okay- what I'm hearing so far from my colleagues and from staff is that there is an opportunity here to save money, possibly $10 million in the construction of a facility. We will be giving up significant authority and have to do a tremendous amount of public and political work if we go forward with that. But the thing that has not yet been said in this meeting is the reason we're being asked to do this is to lower the threshold by which such a facility would be approved by the voters to 50% plus 1 instead of 60% plus 1, because our community historically does not support at the 60% plus 1 threshold, the construction of a jail. [APPLAUSE] That's the savings that we're actually like, I think that's why we're being asked to do this and to do this now, $110 million price tag for a facility like this, I do not- like, long before people with my ideology were anywhere near an elected position in this county, this county has rejected the idea of significant public Page 46 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. spending on jail facilities. I do not understand why the city of Iowa City would want to hitch its wagon to something of a scope that is just not in accordance with what we've been talking about. This council, if we go forward with a new police station, had a price tag of $32 million. Of the proposed $10 million savings, which, again, it is saving what, right? It's still spending public dollars. Of the proposed $10 million in savings, 4.5 million of that was presuming that we, Iowa City, would be building an air conditioned parking facility for the police department. That may not be something that we would want to do. So reduce that $10 million by 4.5 and then also acknowledge that the consultants who were paid to provide this analysis to us of who needs what did not allocate the savings as between the two different departments. So we cannot say that we are actually saving money for our constituents. [02:05:41] 1 think we should vote against this purely on why would we sign up for so much time and energy to make sure this process could go forward in a way that aligns with our values. As I sit here, I do not know how this council of seven individuals could select a person to represent us in this process. I'm pretty sure a majority of counsel does not agree on a site for this proposed joint facility. The county has been clear they do not have a plan B if we are not going to give them or sell them, uh, at some very reduced cost, the site that they've been talking about. So if we already know we're probably not going to be in favor of that, why would we be signing up to go through a process to try to appoint someone that I have a hard time believing we would even be able to agree on. On our pending work session topic list is the idea of, you know, appointing people to boards and commissions kind of sucks, right? It's hard. It's fraught. We've run into some issues going through that. I think this would be the most politicized commissioner we could possibly select. I've also been on this council when we appointed a member of council. That was really fraught and really difficult. We can avoid all of that and stay in charge and not have to create complicated mechanisms for the person who we do appoint to come back and check with us and have us vote and direct them and maybe have split votes, maybe have a split vote on who even we would be appointing. I do not think that is a responsible way to represent our community when the question of a police station and how that might be replaced can and should be separated from this tremendously controversial and historically unpopular idea of a jail. [APPLAUSE] [02:07:46] A couple of things to respond to real quickly. Um, in our meeting last week, I'm pretty sure that- and I hopefully don't get this- I'm not mistaken here, but chair- County Board Chair, Green didn't say that they didn't have a plan B. He said they wouldn't want to talk about a plan B because that would involve real estate sales and could affect the price of any property they were looking at. At least that's what I got from that comment or what he talked about, um, just as a little point of fact. The actual- so it's interesting. Thank you for bringing up the 50% versus 60% thing. And that's actually something I've had - I've had a problem with, uh, 60% requirements for bond votes for 30 years when I started covering school bond issues, uh, as- as a young reporter, because inherently, that, um, is a minority rule situation. Um, I believe with maybe the possible exception, uh, my personal values here, uh, possible exception of a constitutional amendment, um, that democr- a democratic process is a majority rule. So 50% plus one is exactly a democratic process. Um, whether or not, you know, 60- the 60%, 1 mean, like, I don't lose any sleep over it becoming 50% because that is the majority. Um, and I've often thought that requiring Page 47 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. 60% is anti -Democratic because then you can have 41% of the voters making a decision. And when I used to see that, it- it was, you know, um, coming from usually the other side of the political spectrum because just people didn't want to spend money on something, um, whether or not it was- whatever the values, merits of a particular project are. So, you know, I think that from that perspective, um, you know, I- I don't have a problem with, uh, you know, that I don't think that's relevant. And I think it's one of those things too, that any position- the whole thing of majority rule is whoever makes the strongest case, um, that's who wins that election. And so if- if you are correct, and I think it's possible you could be that this county would reject something like that, then the county can reject something like that. And like I said, I think it's- there's enough possible benefits that it's worth sending to the voters, um, and - and, you know, kind of letting that take its course, and what the voters decide is what we do. [02:10:04] So, um, I heard a lot of things from the public speakers, and one- there's a couple themes that I was writing out. And- and one theme is that it's, uh, there's not enough information about the facility or we don't know enough about it yet. And- and I think you're- you're right. It's not fully designed, but we- we aren't tonight voting on a police station, we aren't even voting on a lease, we're just talking about next steps, and there are a ton of off -ramps. And for that reason, I think we should move forward with next steps and understanding that there are a lot of opportunities for us to say this isn't working. Councilor Steve Burgess, I think you're right. It could be really hard, and it could actually not work out for us to find somebody to appoint to this, but I do think that we should make that effort. I think it's going to be hard, but I think that we should do things that are hard because that's what the community demands of us. And the reason we should do hard things is because ultimately this goes to the voters. Like, I really think we should not be denying the voters the right to make this choice. So I- I am comfortable moving forward, understanding that there are multiple off -ramps. There are multiple opportunities for us and the county to say this isn't working. And also the big big off ramp, which is this- this community, we should let our community speak. It's very rare that we have an opportunity to actually have a vote where everyone gets to speak and we get to hear from people who can't make it here tonight. I think that, you know, there was also, you know, don't let this be all about dollar and cents, or don't let it all be about money, but the cost savings is important to me. And in my mind, that cost savings could easily be plowed into increasing more street- more street outreach, increasing more mental health liaison time, increase-increasing- [02:12:07] What the actual thought that's so stupid. [02:12:09] And doing more community violence intervention. Like, I think we could- I'm always looking for ways to save money. And I'm very supportive of lots of programs that we currently we're doing well, and I think we could do more of. I want to do more of those. I'm sincere when I say that. And when I can see an opportunity to save, then I think it- it makes sense. Um, I don't even want to talk about the jail because I know that the county is having- they are very focused on this and have been talking about it a lot. And I look at this as a city's opportunity to have a space for the police department, which we desperately Page 48 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. need. Again, I am not committed to saying yes to the very end. I'm just saying, let's keep moving forward, let's see what happens, and maybe give our voters a chance to weigh in. [02:12:57] Just a quick clarifying question for our staff. Uh, who decides the bond language for when it goes to the voters if we approve the joint authority? [02:13:07] The commission. [02:13:08] The three -person commission. [02:13:09] Right. [02:13:10] Thank you. [02:13:12] Further clarification. Some of those decisions, and I forget which ones now because in a presentation, some of the decisions the commission comes up with a proposal, but then it has to be voted on again by the respective bodies. It was that one of them- the bond language, one of them, do you remember? [02:13:25] I- I don't believe bond language is one of them. There are two that are delineated in the statute. One is the lease. The lease needs to be approved by each body, that is the city and the county- city council, county board of supervisors. Uh, the second is the site selection needs to be approved by both incorporating bodies; the city and the county. [02:13:45] Thank you. I think for a point of clarification on that same line, um, when is the joint authority? When do they come in into this picture? [02:14:01] Uh, I'm not sure how to answer that question. I'm sorry. Can you say more? [02:14:04] So the question before us tonight is really responding to the resolution that was submitted to us by the Johnson County. If we want to essentially continue conversation, is how I can simplify it. [02:14:16] Page 49 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Sure. [02:14:17] So that's what the vote is on the agenda tonight. The joint authority- three people authority, when does that come into play? Like, how far along does this council and the county have, um, front- frontline input to location, to articles in corporation, to, uh, the designs? When does- or is that something that is given to the joint authority? [02:14:55] Well, so the articles of incorporation are what create the joint, uh, authority. And that would be followed by each of the member bodies appointing their respective representative, and then the- the third as we've been discussing. Um, from that point forward, it is the joint authority that works with the designers and bond counsel and- and so forth, uh, to make those decisions. But let me be clear about the, uh, articles of incorporation. That would not move forward until council approves of- of the, uh, articles of incorporation. It would be hard for me to imagine that that would just, I mean, because this council needs to approve, they need to decide who you're going to appoint, there are a lot of things like that. But I- as I read the resolution that's before you tonight, um, it's- it's just asking counsel to direct the city attorney and city manager to engage in further research of the joint law enforcement authority legal framework and collaboratively develop draft articles of incorporation with Johnson County officials in such a manner that preserves city council decision -making authority throughout the joint facility planning and execution process. So this is not, by any stretch, a final vote, as Councilor Moe suggested there are a number of off -ramps that would remain. [02:16:11] One last, uh, question. So because we heard about the governor having the third, um, if we can't agree on the third person, that the governor could come in if it's not agreed upon within 90 days, I guess. [02:16:24] Sixty days, yeah. [02:16:25] Sixty days. I guess the question is, when do we become required, um, for that third person? Is that when we appoint our person? Is that when we, uh, have agreed upon with the articles of- of incorporation? [02:16:46] Yeah. I'm just- I mean, the articles of incorporation would need to be done first. And then I'm just looking to see when it is. [02:16:54] So- so once the articles of incorporation are done and they're voted on, let's assume they're voted on and passed, at that point, we're required to do the joint authority. Page 50 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:17:05] That's when the clock starts ticking, is that right? [02:17:07] If we'll hear, I'll just read it a- a little bit here, and this describes after the one elected, um, by the county and one by the city. If the governing bodies are unable to agree upon a choice for the third member within 60 days of the election of the first member, then the third member shall be appointed by the governor. [02:17:26] Okay. So the time clock essentially starts when the first person, um, makes their selection. [02:17:33] That's my reading. [02:17:34] Yeah. Um, and we assume that that would have to be after- or not assume, but it would have to be after the vote on the articles of incorporation. [02:17:43] 1 would assume that. [02:17:45] O kay. [02:17:47] All right. Um, since I'm asking questions, I'll just continue. [02:17:51] Yeah. No noise. [02:17:51] Um, so I just wanted to, you know, just have some of that information. I think it is not a simple question that we're being asked to vote on tonight, um, it has a lot of elements to it. Thanks to all the people that came and spoke tonight. Um, thanks to everyone that has been involved so far at creating and presenting this plan. Um, certainly, there are, um, pros and cons to anything that come before this council. I think, given the fact that our city does have a need, um, a facilities need, and we've discussed at length of, um, keeping City Hall here and removing the police department as well as the fire department. Um, so that is a need that we've talked about. We heard that, um, $32 million was the price tag that, uh, was given, um, on what we assumed would be the cost for- for our- our police department. That was in 2024. God knows, things have probably inflated over the- over the past couple of months since November. But nevertheless, um, we are at a place where the- the question is, what do Page 51 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. we do? Uh, do we continue to engage in this conversation, um, which could lead up to the voters making the ultimate decision, um, as to what this is? There's been- um, I respect my fellow counselors. And there's been, uh, points made that certainly does give, um, calls for- calls to pause, um, especially when we were talking about how politicized this po- position would be for whoever, um, should be in it, should it move forward. Um, there are a lot of positions I would want to be in, but that wouldn't be one of them. Um, but I think this, uh, you know, should it move forward, the- you know, council will have to make that decision. Um, I- I think at this point, because the articles of incorporation, um, could have max amount of city's cost. Um, and Chairman, if I'm wrong, it could have, um, excluded locations. It could have a number of things that this council, um, should choose, um, before the vote, um, you know, happens, um, to make sure that both the county and the city agree to it. So I think there are some stop gaps that we can rely on that will, um, halt the conversation should we have concerns, uh, on the absolute things that we don't want. So with that opportunity that we will have, I am comfortable, um, approving this resolution tonight, um, to continue to pursue conversations, uh, about this joint opportunity. [02:20:56] Uh, just clarification. I mean, just how I understood it. This is more than just app- approving conversations. This is giving direction to staff to write articles of incorporation. [02:21:10] Right. To draft- again, reading in the language to collaboratively develop draft articles of incorporation with Johnson County officials in such a manner that preserves city council decision making authority throughout the joint- excuse me, joint facility planning and execution process. So next steps for- for staff, um, should this resolution be approved would be, uh, to begin those discussions. And- and we would want, you know, this would not be the last time staff talks with counsel about what counsel would like to see. Um, and ultimately, that, uh, set of articles of incorporation would have to come back for your approval. [02:21:48] Given the county's request that I- I believe the request was that the authority be formed by October 1st, which we're not going to be doing. [02:21:56] I- I think they just said they- they wanted this resolution. [02:22:00] Well- so at the various meetings, right, it kind of moved. [02:22:04] It's- it's shifted, I agree. [02:22:05] Page 52 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Yes, it has shifted. And so at what point would those who are in favor of moving this forward, how- what does the process look like from here? [02:22:18] So we need to have at least a meeting on negotiating what we want in the articles of incorporation, according to the mayor. We need to have some kind of process to presumably advertise for and then figure out the mechanism for selection of a person. And then- I guess, then we're out, right, other than the joint selected person, because the commission, those three people will be the ones deciding their bylaws, right? [02:22:54] Yes, that's right. [02:22:55] And they'll be making all the other decisions about design and bonding and those things that you said, right? [02:23:02] Yes, it would ultimately be up to that three -person body to make those decisions. Yes. [02:23:09] If I could add to that, I- I don't want to paint a picture to where this three -person authority operates in a- in a vacuum. The only way that they're successful in moving something forward is for both partners to be pleased with the- the- the progress that they're making in their meeting. So when it comes to design and cost estimates and things like that, they're going to have to work really closely with city staff, with the police department, with my office, with- with the, uh, consultants that, um- uh, that are brought on board to guide it. They're not going to be just their own entity doing what they think is best. They're going to have to reflect the expectations of this Council, of- of the staff and the police department. [02:23:55] 1 mean, the way I see it, ultimately, it doesn't- for two of the, uh, facilitators, it- it is not our decision. It potentially partially could be half of one of their decisions. So I mean, especially like, what Councilor Bergus was saying about, I mean, do we really want to go into a type of process that has so many moving parts that we don't know exactly how it's going to play out yet for something that's so important to community- to the community and historically has been extremely trivial or not trivial, controversial to the community, where I mean, there were so many- I went to the joint entities meeting with- I left it with more questions than answers and am already at the point where I- I- even through this meeting, questions brought up than answers. And I think if we- if we were appointing a commission to build a rec center, I'd be fine with this arrangement, you know, but we're talking about incarcerating people. We're talking about a jail. We're not talking about, uh, a facility, like I said, like a rec center or something like that, that we're doing a joint operations with the county. And one thing that, uh, someone brought up that I was going to bring up and I brought up with- I brought up with staff earlier about concerns that I Page 53 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. had when it comes to there's six- six law enforcement agencies in the area in Johnson County or in our Metro area plus the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. And interact- having been someone who's interacted with all of them, I think Iowa City Police Department has because of work from Councils in past, there's just so much, uh- there's kind of like a night and day difference, I think, when it comes to everyday interactions with the Iowa City Police Department versus the Sheriff's Department versus UIPD versus Coralville Police Department. And I think that is a direct result of getting it to, as good as it can be, a direct result from so much work from past counsels and staff, you know, trying to do the right thing. And, you know, I can mend all that work for, you know, decades leading to this point. Uh, a concern that I have is moving forward with a joint facility, where a lot of the areas saved are social areas, and policy is different from culture. Uh, I would rather Iowa City have more direct impact over the culture that we have already made here in Iowa City for our police department, and not necessarily giving the power to a Sheriff's Department, which is an elected official, so just kind of has more intrinsic power. And let's face it, I mean, we- we currently have a sheriff who is actively hostile to diversion of any meaningful degree. And I will say that with 100% certainty. We're looking for free money for a mediation program, $250,000, which could divert as much as 10% of calls in the county. And he got up right next to me and said, I don't want this, you know? [LAUGHTER] So when it comes to handing over keys of power for a jail to someone who, uh, the diversion that the county attorney and the Sheriff's Department does is woefully inadequate. We think we're so progressive in Iowa City in Johnson County, when it comes to diversion, we're light years behind. And I really want people to understand that. Not only that, but the Sheriff's Department also poached from Community Crisis Center, uh, in what I would call dubious terms, specifically to consolidate that power and to put it under his wing. So why are we trying to give so much power to another law enforcement agency to potentially influence ours? That's one of the main concerns that I have with this, um, and, you know, it just there's so many things that, uh, could give someone pause, and it's, I don't know, kind of disappointing to me how we're just like- I think as elected officials, especially when it comes to the amount of, you know, beds we're looking at a facility for, I mean, the county attorney and the Sheriff's Department want what is effectively double the amount of beds and could be more, depending on how you look at it. And I think if we do our jobs correctly as public officials, uh, we shouldn't be putting ourselves in a position where that could be the end result and we don't have the control over it. And also just assuming that that's what we need in the first place. If we do our jobs and continue with the trend and the trajectory that we're on because of good work, which is a lowering incarceration rate, then, you know, why are we- why are we giving that as a foregone conclusion? Uh, and I think that's- I think these conversations about an end goal are definitely germane, even though we're just talking about future processes, because if we go forward with this, the likelihood of this being established and built is- is astronomically greater, in my opinion, because of the 10% threshold that- that the county is saving. So I feel like I would be doing such a disservice to people who elected me and who elected us if we give over power to somebody else when we are the elected officials who are supposed to represent them. And that's how I see it. [APPLAUSE] [02:29:44] An important thing to have- you have to have, I'm sorry. Mazahir, you go first. I just have a couple of factual points to clear up, at least. Page 54 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:29:50] Yes. Thank you. [02:29:51] 1 say about the procedure, can the public ask questions? [02:29:54] No [02:29:54] No. [02:29:55] No. [02:29:56] No. No. [02:29:57] No. [02:30:00] Yeah, can I ask a question about the 60% and the 50%? [02:30:03] About the what? [02:30:04] The 60% and the 50%. [02:30:06] Sure. What's your question? [02:30:07] Yeah, I- I know that if we voted no for this, it will be 60%. [02:30:12] If- I'm sorry, if you voted no? [02:30:13] If we voted today, if we vote this down. Page SS Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:30:15] Oh, awesome. Yeah. [02:30:16] It have to be 60%. [02:30:18] Uh, yeah. [02:30:19] Right? [02:30:20] Right. Unless it's using this statutory procedure, it would be like the pass bond issues or referendums that have required 60% and 50 something percent each time. [02:30:34] Yeah, I just have a hard time to know. Just tell me because I really don't know who decided on the 60% to begin with. Like, is this a policy? Is this state law. [02:30:45] It's state law. [02:30:45] Is this a state law? [02:30:46] Yeah. [02:30:46] Okay. [02:30:47] State law. [02:30:48] See, Council members here, the- the state law decides 60%. And we are here trying to lower that. I just believe that, you know, if we really want to make it up to the voter, let them, like, fulfill using the state law. And we- like some of us here said, like, yeah, this is- we wanted to put it on the ballot so the people can decide. Then for us to vote no, we'll give the full power for the voter to use state law to decide about this. And if not, I don't think we are helping the voter because maybe the voter are- like, they feel this is a protection for them for 60%. And we are just, like, thinnering that protection. That's what I Page 56 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. think. And spending $110 million, I don't think this is reasonable investment of public fund. Building a new jail does not address the root cause of incarceration. Poverty, housing, stability, mental health, mental health crisis, and systemic inequality. We are not addressing those. Instead of we are expanding a yield capacity, we should be investing in diversion programs, mental health- mental health, and subsistence use treatment, as well as housing for this initiative and community -based safety strategy that have been proven it work. Instead of expanding jail capacity, we should be investing in diversion programs, again, and all these- all kinds of diversion programs because every dollar we put toward incarceration is a dollar we are not putting toward prevention and support. Let me be clear. We do not need a bigger jail. We need fewer people entering the system in the first place. If we want to build a safer, more just community, we must invest in people, not prison. [APPLAUSE] Let us fund care, not cages. [APPLAUSE] I will be really voting no for this. And because I just feel like if we want to talk about our police department, I agree. Maybe we need like- first, I went there and I visit- you know, I toured the facility. Yes, maybe there's something different. But tonight, I think we're talking about the jail really, because, you know, as a city, we still can improve our buildings. There is no problem. We can do that. But let's give the- the voter, you know, the right to, like, use the state law of 60% and let's vote no for this. And after that, the voter would decide. This has been coming many times. I- I hear that it has been put in the ballot many, many times, and it fall. And I think now the county is just asking us to lower the bar from 60% to 50%.I'm going to be voting no for this. [APPLAUSE] [02:34:38] Just -just one clarification. They're both state law. Each of the provisions is just a different- [02:34:43] Yes, I know. [02:34:44] Different state law. Yeah. [02:34:45] Yeah. [02:34:45] Yeah. Thank you for that. Like I said, I have- I have a different feeling. I just fundamentally believe that, uh, in a democratic process, you as a 50% plus one is the most Democratic of processes. And when you have a 60% requirement, that means a minority of voters can actually make a decision. So- so- but I appreciate that there are different viewpoints on that. Uh, as I mentioned, I started to say, uh, um, that it's important that we have solid factual information we make these decisions. And so I just want to correct the record a little bit. Um, I think Councilor Weilein may have been mistaken when he said that the Sheriff's Department and the county don't do any diversion programs, and that's- that's just not true. [02:35:22] Page 57 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. I didn't say that. I said they're hostile to more diversion- diversionary programs. [02:35:26] 1 could have- I'm sorry. Maybe I misheard you. [02:35:27] Yeah. [02:35:28] But- but also, but what you actually said is they were hostile to the proposal that you took them, which may or may not have been right for them to be, but that's not the same thing as being hostile to all diversion programs. [02:35:38] Yeah. I mean, that was one example of what I view as a pattern of behavior. [02:35:45] Right, but that's with an end of one. That's just one example. [02:35:49] What I was saying is it was one of a pattern of behavior. [02:35:51] What are the other pattern? [02:35:53] 1 mean, I mentioned the, uh- what I would consider taking the, uh, through what seemed like dubious means, putting the community crisis, uh, mental health liaison from an independent source under the wing of the Sheriff's Department, um, which- what budget season was that? [02:36:15] 1 grant you that that is a different approach than the city takes, but he's that's still, you know, the very fact of having somebody in that mental health crisis thing, which, um, you know, I've been following this closely enough to know that the communities where that's- that has been active engaged, I mean, that is doing it. It is just doing it in a different way than we do. Now, I like the way we do it, but I'm not opposed to other people taking different paths. And I certainly wouldn't say if they take a different path that they're not, you know, automatically doing something wrong, it's just a different choice. I'm actually kind of curious to see if there is a difference between the two, and, you know, that's- to me, that's really important because we're looking at whether or not we expand and I'd like to expand those programs, uh, but also in the way that's most efficient. So again, just sort of correcting the record that if we were to make a decision based on that, it's important to know kind of the full scope of, uh, you know, Page 58 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. everything from, like, the drug diversion programs, the programs that we cooperate with, such as GuideLink, you know, for intoxication. So these things do exist. [02:37:16] Yeah, there was another thing I was going to bring up was when it comes to utilizing the GuideLink Center, the Sheriff's Department utilizes the GuideLink Center at a completely disproportional rate as compared to the Iowa City Police Department. So that is one cultural thing. I mean, just looking at the data that, I think, is kind of-. [02:37:33] Is disproportional in what way. [02:37:35] Whoa. [02:37:35] Very low. They engage the guideline program very, very, very lowly. It's mostly the Iowa City Police Department, which is, again, you know, like, the efforts that have been made by the Iowa City- by the City of Iowa City to do whatever they can, and I think that they've done as good of a job as they can, you know. Um, and I also know that in- in- so like I was saying, one thing I fear is just about potentially losing a lot of that culture, which, you know, I- I- I just- we're sharing weight rooms, we're sharing locker rooms, we're sharing lots of- you know, just lots of- that is something that gives me pause, um, in all of this, as well. It's just I- I- I like the idea of us as a Council and having our city staff just making sure that, uh, the policies that we make, uh, have the best and most desired effect. [02:38:32] On that, we agree. [02:38:33] Yeah. [02:38:34] 1 don't want to go down a rabbit hole on this, but, um, I- I do hear the culture as being a concern, and I think, absolutely, that is something to, you know, take in consideration. Um, when it comes down to the GuideLink Center, I just want to give one piece of information that was- that I found because Karen Handsome Moore, the business that I own, we were the first, um, agency in this- uh, in this county that had crisis stabilization bids. So we had three bids, I believe, in 2016, um, through really until almost the time that the GuideLink Center opened because we knew that was coming on board. Um, what we found was, um, University of Iowa, ER department, uh- [02:39:27] Page 59 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Staff were going. We worked with Community Crisis Center. They were going, and they would educate all the folks there, um, and get them excited about this opportunity to divert people from being hospitalized for, you know, appropriate, um, care in the community. And the beds will fill up. Then time would go by and the conversation didn't happen, um, and they would go back in, and we would go back in with them, make those conversations, and the bed would fill up again. So I do think that when it comes down to the Giling Center, not just the sheriff department, should that be true about how they're doing the referrals, but other places in our community, we need to continue to make that effort to educate everyone that this is an opportunity. I did want to just maybe make some final thoughts, and typically, we don't go around Robin up here. I do- I mean, if- if I say yes to this tonight, I have huge concerns about location because my expectation was from the beginning that we would be given options on locations from a direct conversation that was brought up at the meeting when we approved this. I was the person that just brought up that the location that was selected in our, um, and our city needs assessment, as well as in this joint, um, law enforcement facility. I'm not interested in the location that was, um, picked at all- at all. And for me, that is very important. And to get this back without having what was clarified to my understanding, because Councilor Bergus, chimed in after I made my statement of I'm not interested in this location, that one, you know, if we- you know, if they research this location, would all the information be lost on the cost of if this location is even usable for any type of um, inhabitants, you know, to really be there long term. It was answered yes. The information would be usable. But beyond that, there would be more locations given to us to consider. If we're talking about the timeline and saying that the articles of incorporation kind of need to be done within October. I'm not exactly sure if Counsel County would be able to determine a location, um, and agree upon that and, you know, our executive sessions. So that does cause an issue, um, on my end because I'm not going to agree to that location. And so I don't want to give any false hope. I will vote to pass this through, to give opportunity for the joint entities to find a location, um, the timeline is tight. But that's where I am on this when we're talking about Iowa City Police Department needs versus the needs of the Jones County Sheriff's Department. While I do hear all the arguments being made, um, I don't know what securities we could, you know, do to ensure, um, I don't even know if I want to go there. I think, um, we do have a need. We've been talking about the need. I think going this next step to see what we come up with, um, is an opportunity that we should consider, um, the 60% threshold, that is if the county and the city went separate in facility- getting their facilities, is that correct? [02:44:03] No, if we said no to the yell. No today. [02:44:06] 60%, if any entity goes at it alone. So if Iowa City wants to build a standalone police department, there would be a 60% voter threshold. [02:44:14] Correct. So that's what I was referring to. [02:44:16] Page 60 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. For us as well as for the county. [02:44:17] Yes. So that's what I was referring to. That if we- the 60% is if we do- go independently on our facilities. So certainly- [02:44:33] Can I ask a question, Mayor? [02:44:34] Yes. [02:44:35] You are saying that you don't like the location. [02:44:39] Correct. [02:44:40] Do you have enough people will also support not liking the location? [02:44:46] Well, I mean, at the end of the day, if the articles of incorporation, um, and other discussions is not just location, there will be a lot of things that I think we have to consider in the articles of incorporation. But if the- if that is one thing that I won't change on. And so if that is not there, then when we get to the article of incorporation vote, it'll be a no for me. [02:45:16] But, like, voting no tonight is 100%. It's not going to be but there. [02:45:22] Right, but I still believe that there is opportunity to give that opportunity to see what are the- So yes, you're exactly correct. But I still believe, at least for me, I want to just allow this opportunity to go forth and see what executive sessions be called between now and when the articles of incorporation come before us. [02:45:49] 1 have a question for the city attorney after you. [02:45:51] Well, yeah just - Page 61 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:45:52] And I will also state that if in the Articles of Incorporation, if I understand it correctly, we can have specifics in there as far as this location, is that not correct? [02:46:10] Well, I guess I would say two things. One, the articles of incorporation need to cover a number of things outlined by 346.27. They can also include other things, potentially the site location. I don't think that was the plan, and remember that the site location needs to be adopted by counsel separately in any event. Now, I think I take your point about maybe it's a question of chronology for you, and that's your prerogative. But I just want to make it clear that even if the articles of a corporation did not include a location, that would still need to be passed by this council, the ultimate site location. [02:46:55] So the location- so the location is a separate vote that this council has? [02:47:02] Yes, here I can read the- [OVERLAPPING] [02:47:03] The cost- the cost of the facility or city's cost is also a vote that this council has. [02:47:12] As part of the lease, yes. [02:47:14] As a part of the lease. So if the lease isn't signed off by this council, it doesn't happen? [02:47:19] That's correct. [02:47:20] That's one stop gap. If the location isn't signed off by this council, it doesn't happen. [02:47:25] Also correct. [02:47:26] Okay. All right. Thank you. [02:47:28] Can I ask one question of you, Mayor, Teague? Page 62 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:47:30] Yes. [02:47:31] How do you plan on communicating what you want in a site? [02:47:35] Oh, so actually was my question, too. [02:47:37] 1 mean, it just seems like something that needs to happen quickly and probably. [02:47:40] May I jump in because I think that might be a legal question, if that's okay? I don't want to say the specific site. I'm just saying parameters. Keeping in mind, again, what Chairman Green said in our meeting last week about not wanting to talk about specific sites because at what point- this is my question. At what point can we have an executive session to talk about if they have other sites in mind, where they can share those with us or that we can start examining that because I don't actually have a Like to me, site is where it works best and where it makes the most sense, financial. And so I know others can have different values on that, but doing, if there were a couple of other sites being looked at, I'd be very open to looking at the pros and cons. And if there's one that's better, I mean, you know, I don't know why I wouldn't consider that. But I don't know legally what that process is, which I think gets to Councilor Moe's question. [02:48:31] Right. So as counsel is aware, there is a provision for going into executive session to consider a real estate, either sale or purchase. My hesitation is I'm trying to think of what governmental body would be making that purchase. If it's a purchase that is ultimately to be made by the commission or authority, that would be their decision. If it's something that the county wanted to buy ahead of time, and then as part of the deal or the city would buy ahead of time. And then, again, as part of the deal, then I think that would be fine. But I would have to give more thought as to whether the council could go into executive session. At minimum, I imagine I could send a confidential memo outlining these are some examples of possible sites that have been put forth. [02:49:16] 1 have a question for you, too. Like, for example, if we went met with the county about location, and we said, you know, we just have to vote with them at that moment if we like the location as a city or not. [02:49:30] Well, I want to make sure I follow your question. [02:49:33] Page 63 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Like, now, say this is fast, and now the question about location, the Mayor question about location. The current location is not, you know, is not ideally, for example. And we went there to the county and we told them, Yeah, we just need the location to be changed. Is that, like, a vote at that time, if we're going to go with this location or not, or how we decide about location? [02:50:00] Well, the- obviously the- you know, that's up it's up to you folks. That is, you can communicate in whatever fashion you wish, you know, after engaging in a public meeting. And again, taking it away a little bit from the, you know, potential purchase of real estate, which, again, for the reasons that Chair Green laid out, you would want to have in executive session so as to not run up the price. But if I understood your question, you were envisioning a joint meeting with the county. And what would be the question before you at that point? I want to make sure I'm answering your question. [02:50:38] Yes, I'm just like I don't know. Maybe I didn't phrase it right, but I feel like, Okay, let me ask you a different way. Can this put on the ballot without assigning a location? [02:50:52] 1 haven't thought about it. [02:50:53] From here until next, like, the time to put it on the ballot we did not agree to location and there is no location. Can it still be put on the ballot? [02:51:03] Well, I have not thought much about that, but as I'm reading the statute and the order in which this is laid out, they're talking about what the authority is going to do, and they say to select, locate and designate an area lying wholly within the territorial limits of the county seat. That's Iowa City. Of the county in which the authority is incorporated as a site to be acquired for the construction, alteration, enlargement or improvement of a building. And then's the next sentence about the site selected as subject to approval by a majority of the members of each governing body the incorporating units. So certainly I would say that I was envisioning that city council and, of course, the board of supervisors as well, would be voting on the site well before the bond issue, because one would assume that members of the public would want to have that detail. [02:51:51] Because this will be for the commission to decide and after that, bring it to the two entity, right? [02:51:58] I'm sorry. I'm not sure. [02:51:59] Page 64 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Up to the commission that we are going to create the three people? [02:52:03] Oh, sure. The membership- [02:52:05] The three people are the one who are going to look for, like, places and bring recommendation. And that recommendation have to be agreed by the two entity. [02:52:15] Right. Each separate body needs to approve the site. [02:52:18] Separate votes it come to us here, and we approve it. [02:52:23] That's right. [02:52:23] Okay. You would need to approve it in order for it to move forward. Same with the county. [02:52:29] O kay. [02:52:33] Any other comment? [02:52:34] Just a clarifying question because we're talking a lot about process. And I understand if this goes through tonight, then staff will be working with the county attorney's office and county staff, maybe, or the supervisors themselves on drafting articles of incorporation. Are we committing to extra meetings? Like, what's our timeline? Because I think based on this conversation, we're going to have some very specific things that we want to weigh in on. Like, can you lay out how you would expect to proceed from here and what that timeline looks like? [02:53:09] Sure. In conversations that I think came from that joint meeting last Wednesday, if memory serves, I think that the assistant county attorney Ryan Moss had indicated that the presumption is that they would start with the articles of incorporation of Woodbury County. That was the most recent example and the one that would be most similar to this project, so it would make sense to start there. Of course, any number of changes could be made, but one would assume that that would be done in short order. So I think in response to your question, Council Bergus, if you're looking for, when will be counsel's Page 65 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. opportunity to tell us what it is that you want, one would assume that we'd want to have that conversation shortly. [02:53:57] Okay. [02:53:58] 1 think that this timeline is kind of absurd because when we're talking about so many, like, I'm a fan of doing hard work, but I'm also a fan of putting our hard work in places where I think that we're doing the most good. Um, I don't see a way that we go about this without excessive- or not excessive, many, uh, extra meetings that will be very time consuming and contentious and be 4-3 votes. And so we're having a 4-3 vote for a representative of the city of Iowa City to negotiate and vote on conditions for a jail, you know, and, um, that doesn't feel right to me. Um, and we're talking about because I agree with the mayor wholeheartedly about the location. I think that's a nonstarter for me, as well, even if I were into any location. And that one is, you know, it's in our strategic plan to revitalize the river, I don't think that counts. [LAUGHTER] But like I said, there's no and Josh, you might be able to, um, shine some light on this. But for me, it takes so much time and work to develop one of these plans, kind of like what we've been seeing. Like, if we just say no to this, and then they're like, Okay, well, what about this location? And then we say no to that, and, like, how much work goes in between each location and all of these plans? [02:55:41] 1 have to say, it depends on how close to the parameters of the existing site the newly discovered site would be, I guess, if it's a wildly different configuration with different sets of problems. But yeah, it could take a long time to figure out exactly what's going on with the soils, with the infrastructure, with the roadways. Again, I'm going to repeat what I said. There are a lot of off ramps here that this could fall apart. I'm only saying, Let's move forward, and, like, this could be a thing that's a long ways off. I believe the county should have approached us earlier to make this decision. And I feel like we should have been more clear earlier about the site not being the site that was a no go site. But we're at where we're at. Let's move forward. [02:56:29] Can you guys imagine if we put this amount of collaboration and political energy into spending $110 million on housing for our county instead of a jail? [LAUGHTER] [02:56:50] County could do it themselves. That's all I'm saying. [02:56:53] Can- can I offer, ah, a couple of things that I think are important to mention? One, I wanna be clear that the agreement that we signed to fund the joint study never anticipated additional sites. What we said is we would get site parameters. We're gonna study this one particular site, which staff recommended. Page 66 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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 we felt obviously we did that in the space needs study, too, which we felt was appropriate for reuse as a- as a public facility. And then we said, we're going to study that site and get site parameters so that we could do site selection down the road if that was needed. But I- I want to be clear, we- we never committed to looking at additional sites. The information that we have from the Shive study will absolutely be helpful in determining what other sites will work, but that was never part of it. I don't want people to walk away thinking that. And the other thing is, I want counsel to know that I'm not gonna put a price on culture, right? $10 million, $15 million, 20 million, whatever that construction savings is. If I think it's gonna negatively impact the culture of any staff unit here, in a way that strays from whatever values this board sets, I'm not gonna bring it to you. I appreciate that culture question. It's really important. At the end of the day, you hold me accountable for the culture of the staff, and I hold the staff, including Chief Liston, accountable for the culture of the police department. And I- I want you to know that we would not be here before you talking about this joint facility if we felt, the two of us, that culture would be negatively impacted. [02:58:31] 1 do wanna make one final comment. I thought I understood that we were getting additional locations. Take you at your word. I am sorry. That's what I assumed or my walkaway. Your worries about furthering locations based on what was, um, you know, determined and learned from the the one site, I fully accept because I- I so at this moment, I think it's very clear that- that is not a site of my preference. But yeah, so I do wanna at least state that and sorry that I made this statement that I mean, that's what I understood, though. Not to say that, uh, that was what was said. [02:59:21] 1 thought you changed your mind, but yeah. [LAUGHTER] [02:59:25] Any other comments at this time? [02:59:30] Yeah. [02:59:31] Hearing none. Roll call, please. [02:59:34] Harmsen? [02:59:34] Yes. [02:59:35] Moe? Page 67 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:59:35] Yes. [02:59:36] Salih? [02:59:36] No. [02:59:37] Teague? [02:59:38] Yes. [02:59:38] Weilein? [02:59:39] No. [02:59:39] Alter? [02:59:40] Yes. [02:59:41] Bergus? [02:59:41] No. [02:59:42] Motion passes four to three. Could I get a Motion to accept correspondence? [02:59:47] So move Moe. [02:59:48] Second, Harmsen. Page 68 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [02:59:49] All in favor say Aye. [02:59:50] Aye. [02:59:51] Aye. [02:59:51] Aye. [02:59:51] Any opposed? [02:59:52] [NOISE] No. [02:59:55] Motion passes seven to zero. All right. We are going to move on to item number 11, counsel appointments. 11A is Civil Service Commission. Civil Service Commission, one vaccy to fill a new member, upon appointment through April 4, 2027. And then there's a second. Civil Service Commission, one vaccy to fill a new member upon appointment through April 1, 2029. So there is correspondence in our late handout. Um, and that is that Brandon Banza is redacting his application. [03:00:43] Ye p. [03:00:44] To be clear, he made it clear he would like to leave his application on file for at a time if his employment changes. So I want to be clear for the record, he's not withdrawing it fully. He just wants to be not considered for either of these two appointments. [03:01:00] Got it. Thank you for that clarification. [03:01:02] Yeah, and thank you for the Moe. I was very confusing, but you made it clear. So thank you. [03:01:07] Sure. Page 69 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [03:01:07] Yeah. [03:01:08] So are you ready to- we have a single person that I think would be good for this position, and so I'd like to, um, suggest that we appoint Melissa Jensen to the- I guess we should probably appoint her to the longer appointment to 2029; is that logical? [03:01:26] 1 think so. [03:01:28] So move by Moe. [03:01:29] I second. [03:01:31] Second by Alter. Any discussion? All in favor, say aye to appointing Melissa Jensen to the Civil Service Commission, ending April 1, 2029. [03:01:46] Aye. [03:01:47] Say aye. [03:01:47] Aye. [03:01:47] Aye. [03:01:48] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. We're gonna move on to item number 1113. Oh, I should probably do a deferral. [03:01:57] Yeah. [03:01:58] Page 70 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Do we need to do a- [03:01:59] 1 was gonna ask for a motion for correspondence. But then- [03:02:02] Should we do or we should do a deferment. [03:02:04] We continue. [03:02:06] Continuous? [03:02:07] Oh, yeah. Because the next question is, will wanna reopen the applications for the Civil Service position because we've exhausted. [03:02:14] Yeah. [03:02:16] To be open until filled. [03:02:17] Yeah. Okay. All right. [03:02:18] Okay. [03:02:19] So could I get a motion to have the Civil Service Commission one vacate a new member upon appointment through April 4, 2027, open until filled? [03:02:31] So moved Moe. [03:02:32] Second, Harmsen? [03:02:34] All in favor say Aye. Page 71 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [03:02:36] Aye. [03:02:36] Aye. [03:02:36] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. Can I get a motion to accept correspondence? [03:02:42] So move, Bergus. [03:02:43] Second Weilein. [03:02:44] All in favor say Aye. [03:02:46] Aye. [03:02:46] Aye. [03:02:46] Aye. [03:02:46] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. 1113, Housing and Community Development Commission. Um, how there's one vacancy to fill unexpired term. Appoint appointment through June 30, 2027. Council discussion. [03:03:02] Uh, I would like to, um, mention Marcello Arani as a possible candidate. [03:03:13] Anyone else? Wanna nominate someone? [03:03:20] She was on- she was on my list. That's fine as well. Page 72 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [03:03:23] I'm sorry. That's okay. [03:03:24] Okay. [03:03:26] So I hear three. I don't hear any other names. Could I get a- Could someone propose a motion form? [03:03:34] I'd like to move that Marcello Arani be appointed to the Housing and Community Development Commission. [03:03:41] Moe by Moe? [03:03:43] Second. [03:03:44] Second by Salih. All in favor say Aye. [03:03:48] Aye. [03:03:48] Aye. [03:03:49] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. 11C Library Board of Trustees. One vacancy to fill an unexpired term upon appointment through June 30, 2027. Council discussion. [03:04:00] Can I just say how much I love that our community. When it's something like a library board, we get this wonderful list of a lot of long list. So I think there's probably a few that we should consider. I'm just gonna toss one name out that this is not the only person I thought would be qualified, but I thought Ellen Fox was an interesting choice because of their time with working at the library. [03:04:24] 1 had Isaac Medina on my list. [03:04:29] Page 73 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Any other names, even if they're the same one? I remind myself. [03:04:34] 1 know I can do the same thing. [03:04:35] 1 had, ah, Santana Rodriguez. Um, but I don't know. This is clearly very difficult for one. One position to fill, and you know, I didn't find any, um, anything objectionable. Uh, I had a good time reading all the applications. [03:04:57] That's a fair way to say. [03:05:01] Yeah. And I didn't speak to anybody on this list for this one, so. [03:05:08] So how would we like to do this? There's three proposed with one each of support so far. [03:05:21] 1 mean, I could- I could say that I really liked the Santana Rodriguez application. And if anybody has any objections to that, or would like to put another name up for, you know, I would be willing to put Santana Rodriguez up unless there's any objections. [03:05:43] 1 don't have an objection. I just think one- the one thing about that, just the applications a little short. There's not as much to go off of. Nothing there is objectionable, but I appreciate, like, with the other two that they had explained a little bit more and gave me more to work with. [03:05:58] Yeah. That's fair. [03:06:03] All right. So, there are two others for consideration of names that's been submitted? No, Ellen Fox and Isaac. [03:06:18] Yeah, I'm sorry. They're all- There's lots of good ones. [03:06:21] Sure. Page 74 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [03:06:22] And as I look through Ellen Fox's, I also, like, kind of love the volunteers' experience there. Like, she's gonna serve the library, no matter whether she's on this commission or not, and I kind of like that about her. I think that's probably true of many of people on here. [03:06:38] City of literature. [03:06:39] Yeah. Sorry, I don't. [03:06:42] Yeah, this is always a hard- a hard thing to do. [03:06:45] I'm good with Ellen Fox. I liked her youth also. [03:06:49] Yeah. [03:06:51] Good point. [03:06:52] Okay. [03:06:53] So I'm hearing majority for Ellen Fox. Can I get a motion, please. [03:06:57] Move Ellen Fox. [03:06:59] Second. [03:07:00] Move by Salih, seconded by Alter. All in favor say Aye. [03:07:04] Aye. [03:07:04] Page 75 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. Aye. [03:07:04] Any opposed? Motion passes seven to zero. We are on to item number 12, Announcement of vacancies new. 12A is Airport Zoning Board of Adjustment. One vacancy to fill a five-year term. January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030, 2030. Board of Adjustment, one vacancy to fill a five-year term, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030. Board of Appeals, one vacancy to fill a five-year term, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030. And this is for an licensed electrician. Climate Action Commission, three vacancies to fill a three-year term, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. Human Rights Commission, three vacancies to fill three-year terms, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, Parks and Recreation Commission, three vacancies to fill four-year terms, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2029. Public Art Advisory Committee at large, one vacancy to fill a three-year term, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. Public Art Advisory Committee, Art and- Art or design professional. One vacancy to fill a three year term, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. Senior Center Commission, two vacancies to fill three-year terms, January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, applications must be received by 5:00 PM Tuesday, October 28, 2025. And then item number 13 is announcements of vacancies previous. 13A, Housing and Community Development Commission one vacant to fill a unexpired term. Applications must be received by 5:00 PM Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Airport Zoning Board of Adjustment, one vaccy fill a five-year term, Airport Zoning Commission one Vaccy to fill a six -year term, Board of Appeals vaccy Professional, one Vaccy to fill a unexpired term, Historic Preservation Commission Brown Street, one Vaccy fill a three-year term, Historic Preservation Commission Jefferson Street, one vaccy to fill a three-year term, Historic Preservation Commission Woolw Avenue. One vacancy to fill a three-year term. Vacancies will remain open until filled. Item number 14, the city council information. [03:09:35] Just point out that there is a Burlington Street Bridge community input meeting on Thursday, September 25, and the city also has a website where you can go and share your preferences for what you'd like to see, all kinds of interesting ideas for accessing the river and using the roadway better, maybe for bikes and pedestrians. So good graphics to help you understand maybe what these bike lanes could look like, and what access to the river could look like in that location. So encourage people to participate. [03:10:09] Next week is Climate Action Week. So events every day, and I think is it Monday? It's out at the airport? Is that correct? I believe. [03:10:20] Sounds right. [03:10:21] Um, yeah. From like four. Oh, I should have this stuff written down. It's on my whiteboard on my fridge. It's on icy gov.org. Page 76 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [03:10:29] That icgov.org. Yeah, I was gonna say it is on the city website. So but yeah, Climate Action week all next week. And I know Dream City is showing a movie on Tuesday. [03:10:39] So yeah. [03:10:41] 1 wanted to highlight from counsel the cool work that was put together by staff independently. I forget exactly what it's called. I mean, the cleanup program. Jeff, what exactly is that called? [03:10:56] Very creatively called Project Cleanup. [LAUGHTER] [03:11:01] So correct me if I'm wrong in any of this information, but various public places- [03:11:05] It's to do with cleaning up? [03:11:05] Yes. There's various public places around town, like the library here at City Hall, like Robert A Lee, you can pick up these kits. It's a garbage or like an orange bag that you can put trash into. You have gloves, and it's basically just for people to independently and without cost, people to go around their communities and their neighborhoods and clean stuff up on their own time, and you can put the trash next to your trash, and it will be taken without any extra cost. So I thought that was a really cool program that they put together. So thank you, staff who put that together. [03:11:45] Yeah. [03:11:46] Yeah, love it. [03:11:49] All right. I will mention that we will go into work session to make a decision on if we're gonna continue or adjourn. All right. We're gonna go to item number 15, reports on items from city staff. City manager's office? [03:12:04] Nothing tonight. Thank you. Page 77 Iowa City City Council Formal meeting of September 16, 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. [03:12:06] City Attorney? [03:12:07] Nothing for me, either. Thank you. [03:12:08] City Clerk? [03:12:09] No. Thank you. [03:12:10] All right. Item number 16. Can I get a motion to adjourn, please? So move, Moe. [03:12:16] Second. [03:12:17] All right. Move by Moe. Second Alter. All in favor say Aye. [03:12:19] Aye. [03:12:20] Aye. [03:12:20] Any opposed? Motion passes seven is zero. [MUSIC] Page 78