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2009-09-24 Info Packet
~~~~..~ ~~~ -n..s~ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET September 24, 2009 SEPTEMBER 28 WORK SESSION IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agenda IP2 Memorandum from the Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee: Abbreviated Public Art Program Proposal IP3 Memorandum from the Neighborhood Services Coordinator: Presentation of Miller Orchard Neighborhood Plan IP4 Memorandum from the Director of Public Works: Snow Emergency Ordinance Debrief IP5 Memorandum from the Interim City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk: Flag lowering policy IP6 Summary of Pending Work Session Issues MISCELLANEOUS IP7 Memorandum from Carol Sweeting: Storm Water Volunteer and Water Division Education Update IP8 Memorandum from the City Clerk: Meeting with area Legislators [copy of electronic memorandum from Mayor Bailey enclosed] IP9 Letter from the City Engineer to Charles Jones: Greenville Proposal IP10 Memorandum from the Housing & Inspection Services Director, Housing Administrator and the Public Housing Coordinator: Public Housing in the Whispering Prairie Subdivision IP11 P.A.U.L.A. Report -August 2009 IP12 Memorandum from the Director of Public Works and the Director of Planning and Community Development: Update: Flood-related activities IP13 Invitation: McCollister Bridge and Boulevard Dedication -October 2, 2009 Agenda: Johnson/Linn County Public Leadership Group -October 1, 2009 [Distributed at 9/28 Work Session] DRAFT MINUTES IP14 Public Art Advisory Committee: September 9, 2009 IP15 Human Rights Commission: September 15, 2009 ~;--~ ~~~ ~~~~~ -~..s._ CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET September 24, 2009 I SEPTEMBER 28 WORK SESSION ~ IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agenda IP2 Memorandum fro the Iowa City Public Art A Program Proposal IP3 Memorandum from the eighborhood Services Neighborhood Plan Committee: Abbreviated Public Art ordinator: Presentation of Miller Orchard IP4 Memorandum from the Dire or of Public Wor s: Snow Emergency Ordinance Debrief IP5 Memorandum from the Interim ity Manag r, City Attorney, and City Clerk: Flag lowering policy IP6 Summary of Pending Work Sessio Is es MISC/L~LANEOUS IP7 Memorandum from Carol Sweeting~ Storm ater Volunteer and Water Division Education Update IP8 Memorandum from the City erk: Meeting ith area Legislators [copy of electronic memorandum from Mayor Bail y enclosed] IP9 Letter from the City Enginee to Charles Jones: Gre ville Proposal IP10 Memorandum from the H using & Inspection Service Director, Housing Administrator and the Public Housing Coord' ator: Public Housing in the hispering Prairie Subdivision IP11 P.A.U.L.A. Report - A ust 2009 IP12 Memorandum from th Director of Public Works and the Direc or of Planning and Community Development: Upda Flood-related activities IP13 Invitation: McColli ter Bridge and Boulevard Dedication - Octo er 2, 2009 DRAFT MINUTES IP14 Public Art Ad~fisory Committee: September 9, 2009 IP15 Human Rights Commission: September 15, 2009 September 24, 2009, Information Packet (continued) COUNCIL CANDIDATE MATERIALS (WEBSITE ONLY) Information from Flood Recovery Specialist provided to individual candidate ~ _ i 09-24-09 ®~,~ IP1 ,~ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas September 24, zoos www.icgov.org • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Special Formal (Separate Agenda Posted) ^ Executive Session Special Council Work Session ^ Planning and Zoning Items "b" ^ Agenda Items • Abbreviated Public Art Program (IP2] ^ Miller-Orchard Neighborhood Plan (IP3] ^ Snow Removal Plan Update (IP4] • Flag Policy (IP5] ^ Information Packet Discussion (September 17 & 24J ^ Council Time ^ Budget Priorities ^ Schedule of Pending Discussion Items (IP6] ^ Upcoming Community EventslCouncil Invitations • Discussion of Meeting Schedules • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE • MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Emma J. Harvat Hall TBA Regular Council Work Session 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Orientation/Joint Meeting -outgoing and incoming City Council ~~~~ "'~'®'~~ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas September 24, zoos www.icgov.org • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, NOVMEBER 30 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:OOp Regular Formal Council Meeting • MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 Emma J. Harvat Hall 5:OOp Meeting with Legislators • MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 Emma J. Harvat Hall TBA Regular Council Work Session 7:OOp Special Formal Council Meeting • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 North liberty 4:OOp Joint Meeting ^'~__--'r,®~ CITY O F IOWA CITY IP2 ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ A N D u M N[EMCJR Date: September 24, 2009 To: Iowa City City Council From: Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Re: Abbreviated Public Art Program Proposal Since the discontinuance of the Public Art Program funding for the Fiscal Year 2010 budget year (July 1, 2009) the Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee has discussed the Council's decision to remove this funding. We fully understand the City's need to reduce funding needs and that impact on the Public Art Program. We appreciated the dialogue that occurred at the City Council Work Session regarding this decision and for the continued support the program has received in the past. The PAAC would like to propose that the City Council considered a reduced Public Art program between now and the point that the program can possible re-enter the City's Annual Budget process. Members of the PAAC will be at your September 28th Work Session to discuss this proposal with you. This reduced program was developed based on many of the comments made by City Council members during these budget discussions. Only those projects/programs that were mentioned and are considered an integral part of the City's Public Art program yet remain relatively inexpensive are included. Temporary Showcase Pads - $1500 annually The Iowa Sculptors Showcase Pad and Peninsula Park Showcase pads have provided opportunities for local sculptors to display their work for a one year period. The artist is provided a $500 honorarium for the display. Currently there is no sculpture on the Iowa Sculptors Showcase pad downtown. Simple Flight was recently installed on the Peninsula Pad and is schedule to be removed in August, 2010. Poetry in Public - $850 annually This program began 7 years ago as a way to promote our City's Literary Art -created not only by the City's abundant supply of professional authors but by casual adult poets and children as well. Over the years, it has become a very well respected and popular vehicle to encourage many of those who don't regularly have the opportunity to get their poetry into the public realm but also as method to encourage our young student population to become involved in the art of poem writing. Although this program can take considerable staff time (most of it provided through the Neighborhood Services Intern) the only hard costs associated with the program involve costs to produce and mail letters as well as to print the copies of the 75 poems that are chosen to be displayed in City buses, downtown kiosks, and City Recreation faculties. A copy is also provided to the chosen poet. The UNESCO City of Literature designation was granted as a result of Poetry in Public being one of the opportunities our community provides to become involved in the literary world. September 24, 2009 Page 2 Public Art in Private Spaces - $200 annually This program solicits nominations for individuals that install artwork on their private property but available for the public to view and appreciate. It is just one small gesture that the Public Art Advisory Committee felt was important in order to encourage our community to support and nurture appreciation for the arts. Mural Project with Tate High School/others - $700 annually Within the last two years, Tate High School Art teach Dan Kinney and his students have provided the community two murals on park shelter in two different locations -Wetherby Park and Creekside Park. These murals give the students the opportunity to work with residents of the neighborhoods as well as an opportunity to share their talents and enthusiasm for art. These projects typically involve expenses only associated with paint and supplies to complete the project. Neighborhood Art Project - $10,500 annually This project has provided funding for five projects in the Northside, Goosetown, Longfellow, Wetherby and Washington Hills neighborhoods over the past 6 years and have been considered some of the most cost effective yet creative projects of the Public Art program. One recent example is the Pheasant Hill bench project which was just recently completed by Jill Harper and City High art students. Involvement of the neighborhood residents in these projects lead by experienced local artists have typically had budgets no more than $15,000. A $10,000 budget is included in this proposal. Elementary School Mascot Program - $1200 Established last fall fueled by the proposal by Lemme School Principal John Bacon, this program would provide seed money to other elementary schools in Iowa City that contract with local artists to create their school mascot as an art sculpture for display on the school property. Lemme's program included a sponsorship program funded by neighborhood residents in which Lemme families agreed to participate in a certain number of mentally and physically healthy activities Kidztent - $200 annually The PAAC sponsored a second Kidztent during Artsfest this past June with great success. The concept of the tent is to provide children (12 yrs and under) and opportunity to purchase their own authentic and original "art" at an affordable price. The PAAC solicited all participating Artsfest artists to consider donating one or more of their pieces of artwork to Kidztent and no item is priced more than $5. This year the committee was able to donate $351.00 for Summer of the Arts and produced many smiles from the children and parents alike. Ongoing maintenance - $2000 annually As most of the City's Public Art inventory is less than 10-12 years old, there has seldom been the need to maintain these pieces, although some repair work has been necessary in the last couple years. Establishing amaintenance/repair fund seems only prudent when it is unlikely other City Departments will be to absorb this responsibility in their slender budgets. September 24, 2009 Page 3 Review proposals of gift donations - $200 The PAAC has reviewed three proposals for donated artwork and although not frequent, it does need to be considered as a time commitment by both staff and the committee. (see attached for breakdown of administrative and capital costs for each project) The Public Art Program under the leadership of the Public Art Advisory Committee has transformed Iowa City over the past 12 years. Since that time, the Pedestrian Mall area changed from one the most successful in the world to one that now also encapsulates the essence of Iowa City by incorporating interactive pieces of art such as the Weather Dance Fountain and the Iowa Literary Walk; the Literary Walk being one of the reasons that UNESCO designated Iowa City Iowa as one of three cities in the world "City of Literature" status. Irving Weber statue, Solar Marker, Balance, Jazz, Ties that Bind, the mural on Dulcinea shop wall all are part of the overall fabric of Iowa City and are what distinguishes this community from others in Iowa and the nation. Neighborhood and park projects have since brought art out into the community. Wings' Return on Longfellow Trail, Just for Kicks in the Kickers Soccer Park, Love is Strange in Willowcreek Park, Birds in Flight in along the Sycamore Greenway as well as the Goosetown Geese and Northside Homes street markers, the Longfellow markers, the Wetherby Shelter and Lemme Leopard. The Nature's Way signage project at the Court Street Transportation Building, created by professional artists working with local Iowa City School's students tied the Public Art program to the community and especially to our students. The Public Art Advisory Committee asks that you consider funding these programs detailed in this memo as a budget amendment to FY10 funds in an effort to allow us to continue to reach our mission goal: "The mission of the Public Art Advisory Committee, as stewards of the City of Iowa City, is to enhance the appearance of the city through the selection and integration of art in a public environment." Staffing would continue to be absorbed by the Office of Neighborhood Services and PCD Administration. To that end, we would plan to meet regularly to provide these programs public service as well as look for alternative means of funding possibly larger projects through public or private funds. This time would also allow for facilitating donations of art, decommissioning art, and scheduling maintenance for Iowa City's collection. We look forward to discussing this proposal with you further at your September 28th Work Session Thank you in advance for your consideration. G a oc ~ 0 0 ~ ~ ~ a v ~/ f0 ~ ~ Y~ ~ Q ~ V `° t J 3 a ~° ~U Q O N W f° ~ /~ N ~/ ~ N ~ ° J a " O Q ~/ ~ 66~ Z a a H O v Q ~_ 4 a V h V ~1 Q v O ~1 Q H O O d' t!} t U ~..~ fC C1A 41 ~ O }+ O ~ Lf) 'L ~ ~ °o ° O M ~ ~. O O O O O ~ Lf) N M ih i/~ i/} Y L fC a N ~ "~ .C a v Q~ ~ N ~ fC ~ U ~ 0 ~ ~ C ~ c L ~ ~. L L 0 N Q U .~ a .~ L Q~ a L L v a +~ U N .o L Q v 0 N ~i ~ ~.. U H Q L N ~ d-+ ~+ ,~+ 3 0 ~ ~ O t U V ~ •~ N a a .~ U ~ _ L ~ ~ ~ fB a ~ F-- O O O O O O O `~ ~ ~c/} i/~ O ~ ~ O i/~ ~, N i/1~ f0 L t]A 0 L Q ++ }+ U 0 U 'o L ~~ L ~ C i~ L Q L Q ~ fC ~ L ~ ~ L 0 0 ~ U fC ~ L ~ ~ N ~ N i ~ U ~ V Q o 'o L ~ .o ~ +~ t hA 41 Q~ ~ ~` N N .~ Z ~ ~ ~ w ~ ~ ~ ~G O O O N O O N 0 +~ c N ~ N •~ C 0 C c •X GJ ~ o .~ L U ~ C y- fC N +~+ Vf c~ Q C ~ ~p _N ~ •~ ~' O O M i/1~ 0 LA M A ~ ~ 'a ev ~ N d0 N ~ ~ a=+ ~ ~ ~ •GJ F- ~+ O N O n ~/? J a 0 _~ r -~ ~..:.® ~ ~ul~ ~ A ~dO/~~ ~~ CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM IP3 Date: September 24, 2009 To: Iowa City City Council Ilin er Nei hborhood Services Coordinator """`'~ From: Marcia Bo g g Re: Presentation of Miller Orchard Neighborhood Plan At your September 28th Work Session, members of the Miller Orchard Neighborhood Association will be making a brief presentation regarding their recently completed neighborhood plan. The plan, which is attached, was the end product of a Field Problems project involving four students of the University of Iowa Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Program; Nate Kabat, Doug Ongie, Theodore J Paton and Milton Thurmond. Over 100 residents and several commercial business owners/operators of the Miller Orchard neighborhood met with these graduate students as well as various City staff to produce this five year plan for their neighborhood. The process started in October, 2008 and the plan was completed in April 2009. The plan includes a step by step outline of how the neighborhood will be approaching issues related to neighborhood beatification and identity, housing stabilization, pedestrian and personal safety, investment in the neighboring commercial districts and traffic safety. Mark Cannon and Katherine Parker Bryden will be providing an overview of the plan and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. The Miller Orchard Neighborhood Plan was also presented to the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission on September 3`d. The neighborhood association is not asking that any action be taken by the City Council. It is simply for your information. The neighborhood plan is available, along with other details related to the neighborhood planning process at www.icgov.orq/millerorchardplan. Let me know if you have questions at 356-5237 or Marcia-Bollinger@iowa-city.org. Spring 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Miller-Orchard Neighborhood Participants .................................................... 4 Executive Summary ........................................................................................ 5 Miller-Orchard, The People and Place ............................................................ 7 Figure 1: Location Map ........................................................................... 10 Figure 2: Existing Land Use Map ............................................................. 11 Figure 3: Rental and Owner-Occupied Parcel Map ......................................... 12 Plan Process ................................................................................................... 13 Neighborhood Vision ...................................................................................... 18 Neighborhood Improvement Strategies ......................................................... 19 Strategy 1: Promote Neighborhood Identity through Beautification ......................................................................................... 21 Strategy 2: Housing Rehabilitation to Encourage Homeownership and Preserve a Diverse Housing Stock ........................ 26 Strategy 3: Create a Safer Neighborhood for Residents, Pedestrians, and Visitors ........................................................................ 28 Strategy 4: Advocate for Investment in the Commercial District .................................................................................................... 35 Strategy 5: Investigate Options to Improve Traffic Safety ..................... 37 Roosevelt Elementary ..................................................................................... 40 Advocacy ......................................................................................................... 42 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 43 MILLER-ORCHARD NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPANTS Miller-Orchard Neighborhood Association Phone: 3 19-356-5 Fax: 3 19-356-5 E-mail: Marcia-Bollinger@iowa-city 410 E. Washington Iowa City, IA 52: h- - ,..~ - - - ~" ~ : ._ Iowa City, Iowa Many people who live or work in the neighborhood participated in the Miller-Orchard planning process through the task force, public meetings, or review of the planning strategies. Participants included: Neighborhood Residents & Business Owners City Staff Ruth Baker Noah Kemp Kris Ackerson Tom Bender Mary Knudson Marcia Bollinger Anne Bendixen Nancy Kohl Jeff Davidson Valerie Buns Brenda Kreis Officer Jeff Fink Anna Buss Bill Launspach Steve Long Judith Brown Donna Launspach Kent Ralston Eric Bryden Sadie S. May Katherine Parker Bryden Ken Nemers University of Iowa Ann Kohl Lindsay Park Urban and Regional Bob Dostal Becky Showalker Planning Students Joel Erenberger Fred Showalker Nate Kabat Grace Cooper Paula Swygard Doug Ongie Brian Grass Michele Williams Theodore J Patton Dennis Hanlon Nancy Zemblige Milton Thurmond Katie Kemp For more information regarding meeting minutes, maps, surveys, and other neighborhood resources, please visit: www.icgov.org/millerorchardplan 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: ~' ,~ Iowa City, Iowa Neighbors have begun to take action in Miller-Orchard in an effort to change the neighborhood for the better. You can see the hope in the faces of the concerned resi- dentsthat have banded together over the past nine months to discuss and plan neighborhood recovery. The neighborhood has struggled over the years trying to estab- lish an identity within the greater Iowa City community. This neighborhood plan in- tends to accomplish just that. Miller-Orchard is a quiet family oriented neighborhood, but housing deterioration, in- creased traffic congestion, unfriendly pedestrian routes, and crime have had an impact. The neighborhood is well suited for revival as it has a diverse housing stock, elementary school, park, multitude of commercial resources and dedicated residents. The process has included more than 100 peo- ple who have participated in surveys, plan- ning meetings, neighborhood association meetings, and larger public forums. Discus- sions have covered far more than simply ad- dressingthe built environment. Topics such as education, health, recreation, and safety have been important in producing this neighborhood plan. Residents and business owners discuss the Riverside Dr. and Highway 1 Commercial Corridor. Photo: Doug Ongie EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Through the planning process, the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood has identified five core strategies for improving their quality of life. Each strategy is listed below followed by projects the neighborhood plans to implement. This plan will develop a work pro- gram to achieve each strategy. 1. Promote neighborhood identity through beautification and community. - Develop a community garden, beautify neighborhood entrances, acquire neighbor- hood art, and hold an annual community event. 2. Encourage homeownership and preserve a diverse housing stock through housing rehabilitation. - Community development funding source analysis and create a nuisance and hous- ing rehabilitation task force. 3. Create a safer neighborhood for residents, pedestrians, and visitors. - Lighting improvements, sidewalk and pedestrian crossing improvements, infill resi- dential sidewalk network, expand the trail network, increase bike safety, and cre- ating a neighborhood watch group. 4. Advocate for investment in the commercial district. -Establish partnership with business owners and advocate for investment. ~ ~ ~,. ~ 5. Investigate options to improve traffic safety. - Conduct a comprehensive traffic study, install speed trailers, and improve traffic .~° - signal timing. _ - - '~ i,T'i.~_ Iowa City, Iowa 6 MILLER-ORCHARD, THE PEOPLE AND PLACE ~' ,~ Iowa City, Iowa The Miller-Orchard Neighborhood is located on the southwest side of the City of Iowa City. The neighbor- hood is bound by the Iowa River on the east, the Highway 1 commercial district to the south, Greenwood Street on the west, and the Iowa Interstate Railroad on the north. The neighborhood is comprised of 637 residents and 340 households (U.S. Census 2000). The neighbor- hood has always been predomi- nantly white with a growing African-American and Asian-American population. The neighborhood is home to many working class families with an average per capita in- come of $17,318 and 27.5% of the neighborhood falling below the poverty level. The neighborhood has 201 parcels: 1 parcel is a school, 3 parcels are vacant, 9 parcels are commercial, 1 parcel is day care, 1 parcel is elderly housing, 2 parcels are parks, 73 par- celsare owner occupied, and 97 are renter occupied parcels. Benton Hill Park is a neighborhood asset and source of pride. Photo: City of Iowa City MILLER-ORCHARD, THE PEOPLE AND PLACE The neighborhood is situated near the ever expanding Health Campus on the Univer- sity of Iowa, Kinnick Stadium, and Highway 1. As more students have moved into the neighborhood the atmosphere and congestion of the area have changed. This change has both positively and negatively affected existing residents. Those affected by these changes include neighborhood residents, professional students, Iowa sports fans, ele- mentary school students and staff, customers, business owners, employees of the neighborhood's businesses, and users of the neighborhood's natural amenities. The neighborhood grew up around the establishment of Roosevelt Elementary in 1931. World War II brought the war effort to the neighborhood spurring a housing boom along Douglass Street and Douglass Court. The 1950s and 1960s saw a subur- banization of the southwest district of Iowa City. Historically, the neighborhood has been comprised of modest single-family homes. During the last decade turnover of owner occupied units to rentals along with pressures to demolish and redevelop at higher densities has threatened the original character of the neighborhood. With a rever- ence for its history, the residents of Miller- Orchard wish to preserve an affordable single - family neighborhood. ~ ~' ~ . ~' The Miller-Orchard neighborhood contains - many modestly-sized, single-family homes i • - - i (405 W. Benton St. shown in photo). i`" ~ Photo: Doug Ongie Iowa City, Iowa 8 MILLER-ORCHARD, THE PEOPLE AND PLACE Miller-Orchard Neighborhood Association was formed in the early 1990s. The neighborhood association is named after Miller and Orchard Streets, which were the boundaries of the neighborhood association at that time. Miller-Orchard is the second neighborhood association established in Iowa City, behind North Side Neighborhood and before Longfellow Neighborhood. The group's first project was to create Benton Hill Park. After nearly 20 years of hard work, the park was established and now serves as a point of neighborhood pride. Neighborhood residents want to build upon the success of Benton Hill Park to make the improvements identified in this action plan a reality. %' f' ,.~ ~ "~. -~ Iowa City, Iowa Benton Hill Park provides essential recreation opportunities to the neighborhood. Photo: Milton Thurmond FIGURE 1: LOCATION MAP -STUDY AREA 10 FIGURE 2: EXISTING LAND USE MAP i ~ i ~ I~ P1 6EN ~ONS~REEi RSS CC2 `'~' y - CIS 'i I © 0.1 ~~. CC2 ~" ~ HIGHV4'AY 1 Legend - Z©ning Boundary - Lantl use Single Family Residential duplex Residential _ h9ulti-family Residential Mixed-use ®CommerciaB Gpen Space School - Public `~~ -Private Institutional ~, ~ G'acant !..- ~ Public Easement HIG,yyyAY~ ~- files 11 FIGURE 3: RENTAL AND OWNER-OCCUPIED PARCEL MAP j ~~ - - - - -- -- -- -- t ~ ~ ~~Ar ~ ------- ---- ~. _- - -- ~ ~~~ ~ ~. g~~r ~I ~ ~~ ,~9 ~ ~ ~ ~ E ~-~ _, a ~ , r urr C ~ m ~ r ~- ' ,~, m m ? I I I ~L_ ~~ ~ r ~~'+~ I I _. BENT~N STREET _ I m ~a ,~,~ ~_ -~~~~ m ~I~ II spa lei „ ill ~ I d ~ ~~ ~ ~ a ~ ,~, ~ ,I ego _ ^- ~I ~ ~® '~ ~ I i ~ I I I e~, ~ - ~ ~~ ~ ~i~ I _ ®-~ ~ I i i_ _ I I_ _ _ I ~ I _ _ ~~ _ _ ® ~, m ~J i ~ ~ ~ ~ p~. ~ L - C[]UGL1:oc CRIiE ~ ~ a~. ~ ~i "" ~ e «e m ~ g a ~: ~~~ m. m - ~ ~ m, .a, ~ m az ne aio n. ~, c ,~ i .,- . ~ QC7UGLASS C:C~URT ~, ~ ~o~, - ~---- - I I ----- -- ~ I I mm I - - _.. HI,~H,,,,ir~ . N Pa rce Is '~ Non-residental parcel Owner-occupied Rental 4 Q.04 Q.tT8 Miles 12 THE PROCESS Over an eight month span the neighborhood engaged in data collection, surveys and a series of meetings in an effort to determine a neighborhood vision for the future. The following timeline pre- cents an overview of critical steps in the process. Surveys • Survey 1 (Sept. 19, 2008) - A water bill survey to all residential addresses. General Concerns: Improving commercial area, transportation, and neighborhood appearance. • Survey 2 (Feb. 12, 2009) -Sent to all owners of commercial businesses along Riverside Dr., Highway 1 and Sturgis Corner. • Areas of Concern: Sidewalks on Highway 1, Landscaping on Riverside Dr., Overall aesthetics of the corridor. • Expressed interest in the neighborhood and in improving the conditions of the commercial area. Staff Meetings • Meeting 1(November 14, 2008) Met with Division Heads from the City's Planning and Community Development Department. • Meeting 2 (Jan. 23, 2009) Met with Steve Long, Community Development Coordinator about PIN grants and CDBG funding. • Meeting 3 (Feb. 18, 2009) - Met with Jeff Davidson, Planning Director about unfunded Capital Improvement Projects. r" ;' ,~ • Meeting 4 (Feb. 26, 2009) - Met with Kent Ralston and Kris Ackerson, JCCOG Assistant Transportation Planners about calm- ~.~ _ ing along Benton St., one way streets on Miller and Hudson Streets, Sharrows on Benton, cross- _ _ - ~~ walks on Riverside Dr. and Highway 1, Sidewalk connections and Safe Routes to School. .: { Iowa City, Iowa 13 THE PROCESS • Meeting 5 (March 12, 2009) Met with Steve Long about developing action steps for community development goals. • Meeting 6 (March 20, 2009) Met with Jeff Davidson, Kent Ralston, and Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordina- tor in order to develop action steps responding to the neighborhood residents' commercial redevelopment and transportation goals. Neighborhood Meetings • Meeting 1 (Nov. 6, 2008) -Met with neighborhood association leaders • Explain neighborhood planning and get input on key issues/process • Neighborhood needs a plan of action • Meeting 2 (Nov. 18, 2008)- Neighborhood Planning Meeting • 19 Attendees • Explained what a neighborhood planning process is • Confirmed goals highlighted in the Southwest District Plan • Brainstorming exercise to develop general planning topics • Sticker Exercise: prioritized the follow future meeting topics: ~ Neighborhood Beautification and Stabilization ~ Commercial Area Improvements and Connectivity ~ Pedestrian Safety, Lighting and Trail Network F ~, ,`~ Iowa City, Iowa 14 THE PROCESS • Meeting 3 (Jan. 29, 2009) -Neighborhood Beautification and Stabilization • 17 Attendees • Marcia Bollinger provided staff support on CDBG and housing programs • Backyard Abundance attended • Brainstormed projects to address beautification and stabilization • Four Main Project Categories: ~ Neighborhood Garden ~ Benton Street Beautification ~ Community Development ~ Public Art. • Meeting 4 (Feb. 18, 2009) -Commercial Area Improvements and Connectivity • 16 Attendees Jeff Davidson and Marcia Bollinger provided staff support on CIP implementation process Brainstormed projects to improve the commercial area Major Project Categories: ~ Unfunded Capital Improvement Projects ~ Railroad Bridge Crossing Riverside Drive ~ Landscaping Along Riverside Drive %' f' ,.~ ~ "~. -~ Iowa City, Iowa 15 THE PROCESS • Meeting 5 (March 12, 2009) -Pedestrian Safety, Lighting and Trail Network • 16 Attendees • Kent Ralston and Kris Ackerson of JCCOG, and Marcia Bollinger provided staff support • Brainstormed projects to improve traffic safety, lighting and the trail network • Major Project Categories: ~ Timing of lights ~ Pedestrian crossings ~ Speed trailers or LED speed limit signs ~ Sharrows ~ Completion of the neighborhood sidewalk network • Meeting 6 (April 8, 2009) -Neighborhood Plan Review • 17 Attendees • 2-Year Prioritization by the attendees: ~ Beautify Neighborhood Entrances ~ Establish Partnerships with Business Owners ~ Sidewalk Network and Pedestrian Crossings on Highway ~ Community Development Funding Analysis ~ Create Nuisance and Rehabilitation Taskforce ~ Improve Residential Sidewalk Network %' f' ,.~ ~ "~. -~ Iowa City, Iowa 16 THE PROCESS Res~~~~h QErI"]Q~;r~~~a tlG~ Crirrl~ C~ens~is . I f~i~lt7ry 5#rat~~y Gc~al,~Actfan step N~~~h~c~r~caad f~evelQprrient G~n~rat~~cin Apprnv~l f~lt~l VJI Cll~^ f I~If ftil6i~ ~'IL'y' ~Itlr3rl.lfl~ ~~~I~{ ~~ S1~~fF hJlrr~tiir7~ ~-Y~:~r C,n~l F~r'i~5ri t~t7ti€~r`I I~tagl-~E~ti1i li~,~,~1 Iri~r~~~. Bt~~itiFi~~titarl ~. 1Wl~el vn^1 H~r.~~irag I~ci~htac~rh~c~ti Le~dcrs :,,~ Mei~hF~a~rhocad R~evicv~~ Cit~^ Pl~ni~in~ St<a~f sand Accc~~a~a~~r:e ~f M~~tn~ ~,c~i~an Plan J rr R~si~lellti;~alar.~r~-~~+ ~ . f, I~~ci~f~taorhs~r~d In~l.lt: Gc~r~•rvterc~~l Caistrlct CC~ImmCrCi~I 5ur`vCy 111.:71"~I'1~~h~ Ci~y^ F'Itlr7n~rl~, Sl~iff Nl~:~trr~; Flrs~ N~I,~hta~~rho~7d I~ei~;htaar~ic~c~r~ Ir~~u[: Nl~~tirl~, P'e~l,rstri7n a~F+`ty 17 NEIGHBORHOOD VISION The residents of Miller-Orchard Neighborhood seek to offer a safe and secure environ- mentthat promotes an active, caring, and informed neighborhood. To accomplish these goals our neighborhood must work together to ensure that all property is well maintained, the transportation network is safe and efficient, the commercial district is easily accessible, and the neighborhood provides a healthy environment for children. Our neighborhood is a highly desirable place to call home due to its diverse housing stock, close proximity to commercial businesses, convenient school location, and at- tractive park and trail-network. Our neighborhood vision is to promote a safe and ac- cessible community where residents choose to be actively involved and remain long- term. %' f' ,.~ ~ "~. -~ Iowa City, Iowa 18 NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES %' f' ,.~ ~ "~. -~ Iowa City, Iowa A series of Miller-Orchard meetings, City of Iowa City Planning Department meetings, and public presentations in 2008-09 led to the creation of five core strategies for improving the quality of life in the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood. 1. Promote neighborhood identity through beautificationand community. 2. Encourage preservation of the housing stock by promoting housing rehabilitation programs 3. Create a safer neighborhood for residents, pedestrians, and visitors. 4. Advocate for investment in the commercial district. 5. Investigate options to improve traffic safety. These broad strategies address both the physical environment of Miller-Orchard and the long-term living environment of the neighborhood. Neighborhood residents discuss neighborhood aesthetics. Photo: Milton Thurmond 19 NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES In the following section, goals are organized by each of the five strategies listed on the previous page. The goals include projects and programs the neighborhood plans to implement along with action steps to take. In addi- tion, each goal identifies contacts best suited to provide technical assistance for implementing the projects and programs. Together these strategies, pro- jectsand programs will help meet the goals of the Miller-Orchard Neighbor- hood. %' f' ,.~ ~ "~. -~ Iowa City, Iowa zo %' ,.~ ~ _. _ - '~'~ . ._ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 1: PROMOTING NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION AND COMMUNITY ~ri+a~~~ Goal 1: Develop Community Garden ~ Short-term, 6 month project Determine Desired Location and Garden Apply for a PIN Grant • PIN grants of up to $5,000 are used by neighborhood associations for neighbor- hood improvements. • Apply for a PIN grant at: http://www.icgov.org/site/CMSv2/File/grantsLoans/ Finalizing the Process • A neighborhood representative must present the application to both the Neighborhood Council and City Council • City Council makes the final decision on fund allocation Contact • Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia-bollinger@iowa-city.org • Terry Robinson, Parks Superintendent at (319) 356-5110 or terry- robinson@iowa-city.org 21 STRATEGY 1: PROMOTING NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION AND COMMUNITY - y Neighborhood residents have identified the Iowa Interstate Railroad bridge over Riverside Drive as a prominent entrance to the neighbor- hood and a priority for neighborhood beautifi- cation. Photo: Doug Ongie h ,k "~,,~ ~i~. Iowa City, Iowa Goal 2: Beautify Neighborhood Entrances ~ Short-term, 6 month project ~. Determine Desired Signage and Project ~ • Paint railroad bridge over Riverside Drive ~,~ ti~ • A neighborhood committee works to design neighborhood entrance signs ~~,~'~~k, • Explore other funding sources to decrease the need for a PIN Grant. "~-'~ ~~ Seek Funding from the Public Art Advisory Committee /~ ~~ • The neighborhood presents their proposal to the Public Art Advisory Committee who then makes a recommendation to the City Council Apply for a PIN Grant • PIN grants of up to $5,000 are used by neighborhood associations for neighborhood _~----~ ~'~ improvements. • Apply for a PIN grant at: http://www.icgov.org/site/CMSv2/File/grantsLoans/ PIN- grantdesc.pdf • A neighborhood representative must present the application to both the Neighbor- hood Council and City Council (City Council is responsible for allocating funds) • Advocate for Capital Improvement Project #49: Riverside Drive Pedestrian Tunnel 22 %' f ,.~ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 1: PROMOTING NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION AND COMMUNITY Goal 3: Acquire Neighborhood Art ~ Short-term, 6 month project Determine Art Medium and Location • A neighborhood committee determines type of art project and location • Explore other funding sources to decrease the need for a PIN Grant. Finalizing the Process The neighborhood presents their proposal to the Public Art Advisory Committee who then makes a recommendation to the City Council (City Council is responsi- ble for allocating funds) Contact Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- bollinger@ iowa-city.org 23 STRATEGY 1: PROMOTING NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION AND COMMUNITY %' f' ,~ Iowa City, Iowa Goal 4: Beautify Benton Street ~ Short-term, 6 month project ~,., ..~I~ Determine Beautification Project • A neighborhood committee plans a beautification project. Ideas included: tree and I flower planting along Benton, and planting vines along the Benton Hill Park fence. ~_ ~"~' Apply for a PIN Grant 1l' " • PIN grants of up to $5,000 are used by neighborhood associations for neighborhood improvements. Finalizing the Process -~ • A neighborhood representative must present the application to both the Neighbor- hood Council and City Council ~. ~~~ Contact • Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- `'~ bollinger@iowa-city.org 24 %' f ~~ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 1: PROMOTING NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION AND COMMUNITY Goal 5: Hold an Annual Community Event t~ ~•YL~~14 Determine Neighborhood Event • A neighborhood committee plans an event in the park, school or other neighbor- hood location. • A community event can be held by partnering with local non-profit organizations and/or area businesses for support. Apply for a PIN Grant • PIN grants of up to $5,000 are used by neighborhood associations for neighborhood improvements. • Apply for a PIN grant at: http://www.icgov.org/site/CMSv2/File/grantsLoans/PI Ngrantdesc.pdf Finalizing the Process • A neighborhood representative must present the application to both the Neighbor- hood Council and City Council City Council is responsible for allocating funds Contact Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- bollinger@ iowa-city.org 25 STRATEGY 2: HOUSING REHABILITATION TO ENCOURAGE HOMEOWNERSHIP AND PRESERVE A DIVERSE HOUSING STOCK Goal 1: Community Development Funding Source Analysis ~ Short-term, 6 month project Funding Source Analysis • A comprehensive community development funding source analysis will allow the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood to identify funding that could be used to- wards the goal of preserving and stabilizing the neighborhood. ~ ,~rt~:a ~, ,,~ f' ,`~ Iowa City, Iowa Request Study and Participate Actively • Contact the Community Development Division to request a funding source analysis at (319) 356-5217 • Participate actively in the study and follow up after completion Contact • Steve Long, Community Development Coordinator at (319)356-5250 or Stephen-long@iowa-city.org 26 STRATEGY 2: HOUSING REHABILITATION TO ENCOURAGE HOMEOWNERSHIP AND PRESERVE A DIVERSE HOUSING STOCK Goal 2: Create Nuisance and Rehabilitation Task Force ~ Long-term, ongoing project P -m- --- /: ~ ~,. ;' ~ f ,, ,`~ Iowa City, Iowa Create Nuisance Property Task Force • The task force should be comprised of at least 5 residents • Members will be responsible for observing neighborhood parcels to ensure upkeep • Members will encourage neighbors to take advantage of the General Rehab and Im- provement Program (GRIP) • Distribute Neighborhood Calming Brochure annually- available at City Hall, Neighbor- hood Services or www.icgov.org (Neighborhood Services download center) • Distribute GRIP Brochure annually -available at City Hall by contacting Liz Osborne Report Nuisance Properties • Task force will be responsible for reporting nuisance properties • To report a nuisance call Housing & Inspection Services at (319) 356 - 5120 Contact Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- bollinger@ iowa-city.org Liz Osborne, Housing Rehabilitation Office at (319) 356-5246 or liz-osborne@iowa- c ity. o rg 27 STRATEGY 3: CREATE A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND VISITORS %' f' ,.~ Iowa City, Iowa Goal 1: Lighting Improvements ~ Short-term, 6 month project Assess Necessary Lighting Locations ..•. • Iowa City is developing a neighborhood pedestrian scale lighting program, which may be available in July 2009 • Every intersection should be equipped with an overhead street light • Blocks longer than 600 feet may be equipped with mid-block lights as well Request for Additional Lights • Neighbors must request lights from the City • Once requested, the City will inventory lighting in the neighborhood and add lights where warranted ~~4~ ~ Contact `,,tit • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher- ackerson@iowa-city.org • Note: Maintenance of existing street lights is done by MidAmerican Energy 28 STRATEGY 3: CREATE A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND VISITORS Goal 2: Sidewalk and Trail Network along Highway 1 ~' ~ Short-term and long-term projects ~~~ ~ Unfunded Capital Improvement Projects __ ~~ ~ ~-~---~''"r ~ ~ rl « • Iowa City currently has a list of 87 unfunded capital improvement projects f ~ - o - ~~ • Project 36 proposes the construction of a 10 foot wide sidewalk along Highway 1 ~ ~ ~~~'~. ~~'" ~` ~^ '" between Riverside and Mormon Trek Boulevard ° ~°~; '~ _ ~~,' • Pedestrian crossings between the residential section of Miller-Orchard and the . _ _ commercial district will not occur until a sidewalk is constructed All intersections along Highway 1 lack a side walk connection or pedestrian crosswalk, making it difficult for neighborhood residents Neighborhood Advocacy to access businesses across the highway (intersection of Highway 1 and Miller Ave. • The estimated cost of constructing a sidewalk along Highway 1 is $1.6 million shown above). • With a Super Wal-Mart being constructed along Highway 1 it will be essential for Photo: Doug Ongie the city to develop adequate pedestrian access • Residents and the Neighborhood Association may consider contacting the City Council each December/January to voice support for these projects • Advocate for Capital Improvement Project #37: Highway 1 Sidewalk/Trail ~- - Contact ~ ~ti .,.,,a~~° "- • Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5253 or kent-ralston@iowa-city.org __ ~ ~ • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher-ackerson@iowa-city.org ~~i _ , Iowa City, Iowa 29 STRATEGY 3: CREATE A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND VISITORS The columns under the Iowa Interstate Railroad bridge creates a dangerous pedestrian way along the west side of Riverside Drive. Photo: Doug Ongie °- --- ~` ~ '~. ...~ I __ _ - Iowa City, Iowa Goal 3: Improve Neighborhood Sidewalk Network Long-term, 5 year project . ~I Sidewalk Infill Program ~~ • The City of Iowa City designates money to support sidewalk infill in each budget cycle ~- • Money can be used for areas where gaps in the sidewalk network exist .._ Neighborhood Advocacy • Miller-Orchard residents should work with JCCOG to identify gaps in the sidewalk net- work • Owners of properties where sidewalk gaps exist need to approve of sidewalk placement • Residents should also work with JCCOG for the widening of the pedestrian way under the Iowa Interstate Railroad bridge along the west side of Riverside Drive in order to improve pedestrian safety • Advocate for Capital Improvement Project #49: Riverside Drive Pedestrian Tunnel • Advocate for Capital Improvement Project #29: Sidewalk-Benton Contact `,YtC~;~_ "' • Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5253 or kent-ralston@iowa-city.org • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher- a c ke rso n @iowa-c ity. o rg • Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- bollinger@iowa-city.org 30 INCOMPLETE SIDEWALK NETWORK MAP: ~~_ ~~ ~,~ ~~~;~ 1` ~ 454 4~~~''. _'~ HWY1 W Q W J .~ ~ ~ ~ i~ In 'y~ Ly .~ ~ ~ 1 C ~ ~~ ~ a ~, .~ '- - ~ ,;`~ .~ ;~ i HV4Y c ~ ~ kryy~ Corrti~nerutan Gressswaiks ~ - ~y ~ I iNissirog 5i~tewalks ~ ~ ~i _ 1 ~Resder~tial bistrict a Gortzrnercial district , IParceis _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~RhIEST 31 STRATEGY 3: CREATE A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND VISITORS Goal 4: Expand Trail Network ~ Long-term, 5 year project Planned Trail Network • A trail is planned for development from Harlocke Street to Benton Hill Park • Additional easements need to be attained by the City before the project can move forward ~ ',, • ~,~ ~ ~~.~.r.._ -~ - lowa City, Iowa Neighborhood Advocacy - • Neighbors must advocate for completion of the trail network to elected officials • Establish contact with the Transportation Division of the Johnson County Council of Governments at (319) 356-5230 Contact c4"t`'~t uV • Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5253 or kent-ralston@iowa- c ity. o rg • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher- a c ke rso n@ i owa-c ity. o rg 32 Miller-Orchard residents would like to extend the Iowa River CorridorTrail to Highway 6. Photo: Molly Fleming %' f' ,.~ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 3: CREATE A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND VISITORS Goal 5: Increasing Biking Safety ~ Short-term, 6 month project Shared Lane Arrows (Sharrows) Help Increase Visibility of Bicycles • Benton Street has been identified by the city as a street appropriate to receive Sharrows • Sharrows help bikers and automobiles share the road Neighborhood Advocacy • While Benton Street has already been identified, Miller-Orchard residents should consider if other streets will benefit from Sharrows • In order to have Sharrows on additional streets neighbors could consider advocat- ing for them ~ Contact .: ~ ~~ ~~> • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher- ackerson@iowa-city.org 33 STRATEGY 3: CREATE A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND VISITORS Goal 6: Create Neighborhood Watch ~ Short-term, 6 month project waR"'"~ Develop a Neighborhood Watch Committee • Committee should have no less than 5 members • Committee will be responsible for being on the lookout for suspicious activity and errcwecReoaa w~TC~ reporting it to the authorities Help Prevent Neighborhood Crime • Communities with active Neighborhood Watches are statistically likely to have less ~ crime • Report suspicious activity to the Iowa City Police Department at (319) 356-5275 ~a _ ~~~ . «~ --- --- ~Yx~~``" ~ " v~ ~ `~ ,~ ~ - ~ _ - - ~ ..; ~.r IOWa City, Iowa Contact • Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- bollinger@ iowa-city.org • Captain Rick Wyss, Iowa City Police Department at (319) 356-5272 34 ~, ~ - ,~ ', ..~ ~. ' "~ : „~ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 4: ADVOCATE FOR INVESTMENT IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT Goal 1: Establish Partnership with Business Owners ~ Short-term, yet ongoing project Develop a Neighborhood Partnership Committee • The committee should be comprised of no less than 3 residents • Committee members will be responsible for contacting and staying in touch with neighborhood business owners Contacting Business Owners • Each member should take responsibility for a few neighborhood businesses and make contact • Main goal of the committee is to develop a partnership with business owners to advocate for mutually beneficial investment Contact • Wendy Ford, Economic Development Coordinator at (319) 356-5248 or wendy- ford@iowa-city.org • Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator at (319) 356-5237 or marcia- bollinger@iowa-city.org 35 STRATEGY 4: ADVOCATE FOR INVESTMENT IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT 1 Goal 2: Advocate for Investment ~ Long-term, 5 year project Unfunded Capital Improvement Projects • The neighborhood believes that improvements to the commercial district along Riverside and Highway 1 would greatly improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. • Project 27 proposes streetscape improvements on Riverside Drive between Myrtle Ave. and Highway 6. Neighborhood Advocacy • The estimated cost of the Riverside streetscape project is $2.1 million and the cost of Highway 1 Sidewalk project is $1.6 million • In order far the city to fund these projects it is essential that the neighborhood advocates for these projects %' f' ,.~ Iowa City, Iowa 4~ ~ . x~`~~4 7 .~ 1 Contact • Jeff Davidson, Planning Director at (319) 356-5230 orjeff-davidson@iowa-city.org 36 P r, h ,` ;' f' - 1 ,.~ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 5: INVESTIGATE OPTIONS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY Goal 1: Comprehensive Traffic Study ~ Short-term, 1 year project Comprehensive Traffic Studies • A comprehensive traffic study will allow the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood to ad- dress several traffic related issues at the same time • Comprehensive traffic studies gather and analyze information regarding the need for improvements on interior and adjacent roadways -d ti a- Request Study and Participate Actively • Contact the Transportation Division of the Johnson County Council of Governments at (319) 356-5230 • Once a study is conducted participate actively and follow up after completion Contact • Kent Ralston Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5253 or kent-ralston@iowa- ~q\•L i c ity. o rg • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher- a c ke rso n@ i owa-c ity. o rg 37 ~, ~ - ,~ ',. ..~ ~. ' "~ : „~ Iowa City, Iowa STRATEGY 5: INVESTIGATE OPTIONS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY Goal 2: Install Speed Trailers ~ Short-term, ongoing project Utilize Speed Trailers Speed trailers visually display actual speeds of passing cars The trailers help increase awareness of speed limits Request Speed Trailers • Place request with Iowa City Police Department at (319) 356-5275 • Observe and follow up with the city on effectiveness • Sgt. Brian Krei of the Iowa City Police Department at (319) 356-5275 38 ~, ~ - ,~ ', ..~ ~. ' "~ : „~ Iowa City, Iowa ,,, ~~~""` ~ STRATEGY 5: INVESTIGATE OPTIONS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY Goal 3: Improve Traffic Signal Timing ~ Short-term, 6 month project Timing of Traffic Signals • Traffic signals in the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood may need adjustments • The efficient flow of automobiles will increase traffic safety Request Traffic Signal Study • Traffic signal study will allow the lights to be reprogrammed more efficiently Contact • Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5253 or kent-ralston@iowa-city.org • Kris Ackerson, Transportation Planner at (319) 356-5247 or kristopher- a c ke rso n @iowa-c ity. o rg 39 ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY: Roosevelt Elementary is a vital resource to the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood. The neighbor- hood has grown around Roosevelt Elementary since it opened in 1931. On January 28, 2009, the Iowa City Community School District released a strategic plan recommending the 78-year old Roosevelt Elementary School be closed. The loss of Roosevelt would be detrimental to the stability of the neighborhood. Iowa City residents responded by forming an organized coalition to save Roosevelt and the other existing historic neighborhood schools. To date, their lobbying efforts have convinced the Iowa City school board to delay voting on whether or not to close Roosevelt until further review and public input is received. Miller-Orchard Neighborhood residents have developed the following position regarding Roo- sevelt Elementary School: Miller-Orchard neighborhood residents believe that Roosevelt school is an invaluable neighborhood asset that needs to be saved. ',, .~ Iowa City, Iowa Roosevelt Elementary Photo: ICCSD 40 ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY: Roosevelt has long served multiple purposes in the neighborhood. Miller-Orchard residents use the facility as a for neighborhood meetings and children in the area use Roosevelt's play- ground as an open space resource. Losing the school as a neighborhood meeting place and open space features would be detrimental to the community. In the unfortunate event of Roosevelt Elementary School's closing, neighborhood residents understand that the Iowa City Community School District is the ultimate decider on what to do with the vacant parcel. Miller-Orchard Neighborhood residents have developed the following positions: 1) Miller-Orchard Neighborhood residents would like a say in how the Roosevelt school and grounds might be developed. 2) Neighborhood residents offered that the parcel become • public space • community center • meeting place 3) Neighborhood residents do not want more high density student housing. Miller-Orchard Neighborhood residents are seeking to establish an open, candid and steadfast '~ ~ ~ ~`~ relationship with their elected School Board members. The same simple steps offered in the - ~ community advocacy section of this action plan apply here: 1) letter writing campaigns, 2) .`,~ phone calls, 3) emails, 4) personal visits, 5) school board meeting attendance, and 6) con- _ _ - ' tacting the media (radio, newsprint, T.V. stations). '~:„- Iowa City, Iowa 41 ADVOCACY: In every single Miller-Orchard neighborhood planning meeting, residents were encouraged by city staff to contact their elected representatives (city, state, school board) to voice their con- cerns, hopes and desires. For this neighborhood plan to be the living document it is meant to be, becoming a serious advo- cate for your neighborhood is absolutely crucial! Simple actions you can take now Try all depending upon the issue and priority! • Letter writing campaigns • Phone Calls • Emails • Personal Visits • City Hall Attendance • Contact the media: radio, newspapers, T.V. stations Depending upon the issue at hand, take turns once a month or organize and let your voices be heard in mass on the same day. ~,.• ~, ~' .. \ Especially crucial will be communication with City Council members before and during Capital Improvement Project season: Discussions begin in October, Final Public Hearings are in Febru- ary .~ _ - - - -. ~ Additional resources on "how to" effectively advocate for your community can be found at: ~~:- http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook Iowa City, Iowa 42 CONCLUSION: The overall goal of this neighborhood plan is to improve the quality of the neighbor- hood in all facets. Miller-Orchard has a wide array of resources available to improve neighborhood aesthetics from developing a community garden to acquiring neighbor- hood art. Additionally, the neighborhood is able to preserve a diverse housing stock by rehabilitating dilapidated homes with low interest loans. The neighborhood is fortunate to have several commercial resources within a short walk, but it will take neighborhood advocacy to push through much needed streetscape improvements along Riverside Drive and Highway 1. While traffic continues to increase along Benton Street, several measures can be taken to improve safety and efficiency. A comprehensive traffic study will help determine appropriate solutions. Miller-Orchard has a community park with the potential of a trail network, but advocating for the trail's completion is necessary. Finally, Roosevelt Elementary has been vital to the neighborhood for decades. Neighborhood residents want the facility to be rehabilitated and if it is not, then to be used as a community center and open space. ',, .~ ~. ' '~ : „~ Iowa City, Iowa 43 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM To: Dale Helling, Interim City Manager From: Rick Fosse, Public Works Director ~-~ Date: September 23, 2009 RE: Snow Emergency Ordinance Debrief Staff from Public Works, Police, Transportation Services, Finance, and Planning recently met to debrief the first year of the Snow Emergency Ordinance to indentify areas for improvement. Feedback from each department was gathered last spring and evaluated. Three areas of focus emerged for improvement. Outlined below are our findings and action plan. 1. Ways to Clarify, Simplify and Limit Confusion • Problem: Confusion related to conflicts between calendar parking and snow emergency parking. Solution: Change areas with calendar parking to odd/even parking. Steps to Implement: The legislative change has already been approved by the City Council. Staff is manufacturing and installing the signs in coordination with the Police and Transportation Services Department. Warning tickets will be issued during the first week of enforcement and also during the first consecutive odd days for which there is no parking (March 31 -April 1, 2010). • Problem: Confusion related to streets that have "No Parking Any Time" posted on one side. Since posted parking restrictions prevail over the snow emergency ordinance, these streets have no parking at all on some days. Solution: Improve public education for what to do if you live on a street that is posed "No Parking Any Time" on one side, and possibly reduce the number of streets with "No Parking Any Time" posted on one side. Note: most of these are posted this way because of a physical constraint or because they are an arterial street on which alternate side parking would be dangerous. Steps to Implement: Public Works and Finance will step up public information for this situation. Planning will, over time, evaluate these streets to see if there are some that can logically be changed to odd/even parking. September 23, 2009 Page 2 2. Towing Capacities and Priorities • Problem: Poor compliance with snow emergency parking restrictions in outlying areas. Towing during snow emergencies is slow and labor intensive. As a result, towing operations during each 24 hour period did not extend beyond the highest priority areas. Without consequences, compliance with snow emergency parking restrictions in some outlying areas was poor. There was also frustration expressed by those who did move their cars, because plowing was less effective because neighbor's cars remained on the street and because no enforcement action was taken against those vehicles. Solution: Establish effective consequences to encourage compliance throughout the city. Steps to Implement: Change the Snow Emergency Violation fine from $15 to $50. This proposed change will be on an upcoming Council agenda. In addition, Transportation Services and Police (as available) will dedicate staff to patrol and ticket throughout the community. 3. Problems Paying Tickets and Getting a Release to Retrieve Cars • Problem: People would arrive at City Hall to pay their ticket before the paper work for their ticket arrived and was entered into the system. Solution: Implement technology to provide staff in City Hall with real-time information on tickets being written. Steps to Implement: The Transportation Services Department will acquire 12 hand held units that will transmit real-time data to City Hall as tickets are written. The Police Department will use 3 of the 12 units as well as existing technology in their squad cars to transmit data more frequently to City Hall. • Problem: The existing process to pay a fine and obtain a release to retrieve a car involves stops at two different departments and does not have the capacity for the number of people who come in during a snow emergency (long slow lines). Solution: Develop a "one stop shop" with greater capacity for people coming in to pay and retrieve their cars. Steps to Implement: The Transportation Services Department will work with Finance to set up laptop based pay stations in the lobby that can accept payment and issue releases. September 23, 2009 Page 3 We believe that the improvements outlined above represent a significant enhancement to the snow emergency operations and will better serve our community. The public education efforts that were implemented before last winter will be repeated this year, including flyers placed on cars parked near downtown. Staff will continue evaluate and improve the Snow Emergency Ordinance as we gain more experience with it. On a related note, the new salt storage building is complete and filled with over 3000 tons of salt for this winter. The new building has five times the capacity of the old building which allows us to purchase and take delivery during the off season of an entire year's supply of salt. This advantage, combined with more favorable market conditions, saved us $243,000 over what was paid for salt last year. At this rate the new building will pay for itself in 3 years. Another change for this year will be the product that we use to pre-treat the salt. In past years we have used a magnesium chloride based liquid that improves the effectiveness of salt, especially at lower temperatures. However, research is finding that over the long term the magnesium component of this solution can be detrimental to concrete. This year we will use GEOMELT to pre-treat our salt. GEOMELT is an organic product derived from beets and is comparably priced to the magnesium based product. We are hopeful that this product will perform as well or better than the magnesium based product, without the detrimental effects. Cc: Chris O'Brien Captain Johnson Melissa Miller Bud Stockman Barb Coffey John Yapp Terry Robinson -~®~ CITY OF IOWA CITY IP5 `'m'~lrl~'~~ ,~®,,~ RA ~ D ~ ~ ~~~~ Date: September 23, 2009 To: Mayor and City Council ~y Q~ From: Dale Helling, City Manager ~"' /" Eleanor M. Dilkes, City Attorney Marian K. Karr, City Clerk ./~~~ Re: Flag lowering policy The City has an outdated resolution regarding the procedure for lowering of the United States Flag (attached). The 1971 resolution is seldom used, and has been the source of various questions over the years. We believe the policy should be clear and easily understood by staff as well as citizens. ************************* Legal Issue: The United States Flag Code, 4 U.S.C. §1 et. seq. codifies existing rules and customs pertaining to the display of the American flag. Attached to this memo is Section 7 of the flag code that addresses the position and manner of display of the flag. Subsection (m) specifically addresses those instances in which the flag should be flown at half-staff and recognizes the authority of the President of the United States and the Governors of the states to proclaim that the flag be flown at half-staff. The flag code does not contain penalties for violation. Courts have rejected claims that the flag code has been violated, holding that the flag code is merely advisory and is not intended to proscribe behavior. See Dimmitt v. City of Clearwater, 985 F. 2d 1565, 1572-73 (11`" Cir. 1993); Sadlier v. Payne, 974 S. Supp. 1411, 1415 (D. Utah 1997); Holmes v. Wallace, 407 F. Supp. 493, 496 (M.D. AL 1976); Lapolla v. Dullaghan, 63 Misc. 2d 157, 159, 311 N.Y.S. 2d 435, 438 (NY 1970). It is my opinion that the Council has the authority to determine those instances in which the flag will be lowered at City facilities. The resolution should be clear as to what those instances are, should not grant unlimited discretion to any one individual and should be followed. See e. . Lapolla, 311 NYS 2d 435 (holding that a school board's decision to lower the flag in commemoration of the death of Kent State students and the 40,000 Americans who lost their lives in Vietnam, while not prohibited by the US flag code, was an expression of a political concept and would violate the School Board's own rules regarding the display of the flag. ************************ Staff contacted cities across the state and inquired as to their policies on lowering of the flag. Cities that lower only with President or Governor declarations: Ames Bettendorf Davenport Des Moines Dubuque Cedar Rapids Cedar Falls Coralville September 23, 2009 Page 2 West Des Moines allows for some discretion at City Hall but no other City buildings, while Sioux City allows some discretion of the Mayor. The City of Waterloo adopted our current resolution and has asked that we keep them informed on our discussions. We have drafted a new resolution to clarify issues that have arisen in recent years. Staff also feels it is important to have a policy that is consistent for all City buildings, not dust City Hall. Council may choose to adopt the resolution as proposed; amend to provide for President and Governor only (removing c, d, e); or suggest other provisions as you may see fit. Attachments: Res. 71-444 Draft resolution U:flagmemo.doc RESOLUTION N0. 71-444 A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A UNIFORM POLICY REGARDING THE LOWERING OF THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES TO HALF STAFF AT THE CIVIC CENTER. WHEREAS, there has been no uniform policy regarding the lower- ing of the flag of the United States to half staff, and WHEREAS, it is in the public interest that such a policy be established. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA: 1. That the flag of the United States be flown at half staff at the Civic Center, Iowa City, Iowa on the following occasions: (a) Whenever decreed by the President of the United States of America. (b) Whenever decreed by the Governor of the State of Iowa. (c) Whenever decreed by the Mayor of the City of Iowa City, Iowa or, in his absence, by the Mayor Pro Tem. (d) In observance of the death of an elected official of Iowa City, Iowa, during his term of office, or of the death of a person presently employed by the City of Iowa City, Iowa. (e) In observance of the death of any person whose death re- sulted from injuries or disease received in the course of his employment while employed by the City of Iowa City, Iowa or whose death resulted from injuries or disease received during his'term of office as an elected official of the City of Iowa City, Iowa. (f) In observance of the death of any person while on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States of America whose home of record is Iowa City, Iowa. 2. That the flag when lowered in observance of a death be flown at half-staff the entire day of the funeral of the deceased. It was moved by Brandt and seconded by onne that the Resolution as rea e a opte and upon roll ca t ere were: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: x Brandt x Butherus x Connell x Hickerson White ~- 1 {~ rUL l,c ~;/,~ Viz. ~ ~ ayor -, _..- , ATTEST: - ' n,5 3 ~-~ i ~P r pV~-~ 'c ~.. -~~u. ~b~ ~v..y b~ \v b v~xrb~v' ~ `~1 L September 23, 2009 Page 3 DRAFT Prepared by: Marian Karr, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240; 319-356-5041 RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A UNIFORM POLICY REGARDING THE LOWERING OF THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES TO HALF STAFF AT CITY BUILDINGS AND RESCIND RESOLUTION NO 71-444 WHEREAS, the City Council passed a uniform policy regarding the lowering of the flag of the United Stated to half staff by Resolution No. 71-444; and WHEREAS, it is in the public interest that such a policy be updated and clarified. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA: 1. That the flag of the United Stated be flown at half staff at City buildings in Iowa City, Iowa on the following occasions: a) Whenever decreed by the President of the United States of America. b) Whenever decreed by the Governor of the State of Iowa. c) In observance of the death of any former or current Mayor or City Council Member of Iowa City, Iowa. d) In observance of the death of any current City employee, permanent or temporary (seasonal). e) In observance of the death of any person while on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States of America whose home of record is Iowa City, Iowa. 2. That the flag when lowered in observance of a death be flown at half staff the entire day of the funeral or memorial service for the deceased, or, in the event there is no service, on another designated day. 3. That said policy be carried out by the City Manager or designee. 4. Resolution 71-444 adopted the 16th day of November, 1971, is hereby repealed. Passed and approved this day of , 2009. RES-flagpolicy.doc 09-24-09 IP6 SUMMARY OF PENDING WORK SESSION ISSUES 9/24/09 Property Taxes for Buyout Properties (OCTOBER 5) Farmers' Market (OCTOBER). Inclusionary Zoning and Scattered Site Housing (NOVEMBER) Crime Related Issues Update (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER) Meet with Historic Preservation Commission re: energy efficiency/green issues (after guideline revisions are drafted) (NOVEMBER) 2010 Legislative Priorities (NOVEMBER) Site Options for Proposed Justice Center (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER) Nuisance Enforcement Site of New Animal Shelter (after FEMA final decision) Taft Avenue -Land Use Designations for Adjacent Areas Flood Response & Mitigation Update (PERIODIC) Alley Inventory (FALL `09) Backyard Chickens (SPRING ' 10) -•~-r -j CITY CJF IC}WA C1T 1P7 .~®,~_ "Z ~ ~ September 18, 2009 , / S/ / +l ~- To: Brian Boelk, Ron Knoche, Ed, Moreno, and Rick Fosse r ~~ i ff// From: Carol Sweeting Re: Storm Water Volunteer and Water Division Education Update This report provides a view of Iowa City's dedication to clean water through the storm water education and volunteer program as well as drinking water tours and education activities. The Iowa City Storm Water Permit requires a number of activities that can utilize volunteers to accomplish the goals. These activities are outlined below. Storm Drain Labeling and Illicit Discharge During the summer of 2009 all storm water intakes were reviewed for the labels reminding the community that water going down the storm drains goes to the river. Approximately 1500 labels were replaced or applied for the first time. In addition some neighborhoods received door hangers, educating them in how they could be a part of the solution to storm water pollution. An EPA video "After the Storm" was shown on the City channel over the month of July and August to re-educate our community in storm water matters. There were two known illicit discharges to Ralston Creek in the past year. I worked directly with the IDNR Field office to explore and mitigate these occurrences. • The Memorial weekend event took place on Ralston Creek from Scott Blvd. to Bloomington St. IDNR staff best estimation is that there was a substance dumped into a storm drain that was flushed out during a rain storm, killing most aquatic life including bugs as well as fish. The third week in July we did a benthic macroinvertebrate study along this same stretch of creek and found the creek to have been restored with a fairly diverse population of macroinvertebrates as well as fish. July 29th City staff identified an unknown white milky substance coming into Ralston Creek from a storm drain. Waste Water staff determined it was coming from the Lucas Elementary parking lot where School District staff was draining cleaning products onto the pavement which eventually found it way to the stream. I worked with the Iowa City Community School District staff and IDNR to get the illicit chemical spill clean up completed and requested a review of continuing education for their cleaning staff. Neighborhood Education Programs: Staff cataloged all of the storm water retention basins in Iowa City this summer. I am partnering with the IOWATER IDNR staff this fall to provide a pond education seminar for homeowner associations. This can be used as a tool so they might have a better understanding of their local impact on the water and begin testing to determine the health of their pond. I met with a number of homeowner associations about the health of their storm water retention basins and provided educational materials and drawings of the local drain locations to assist them in understanding how storm water impacts the ponds. Volunteer Opportunities & Community Education Iowa River Corridor This past year the University of Iowa Civic Engagement Program, as well as the United Way Johnson County Volunteer Center, has provided the storm water program with over a 1000 volunteers to assist in the daunting task of removing over a million sandbags from our community after the 2008 flood. I coordinated these events with the assistance of Iowa City Streets, Solid Waste, Engineering, Parks and Water staff as well as AmeriCorps staff. After the sandbags were cleared away our water ways were choked with flood debris, as the water receded volunteers provided not only their time but also their personal equipment to help Iowa City get back to normal. On the April 19th event day 127 volunteers used shovels, rakes, chain saws, bow saws, ropes, wagons, 4-wheelers, tractors, and gators to remove 40 ton of material off of the spillway at the Peninsula dam and pedestrian walkway. ~....: ~. ~: ~_ The April 19, 2009 "Take Me to the River" event brought together 127 volunteers along with six partnering agencies to help us clean up the spillway of woody debris after the flood of 2008. Public Works Storm Water Volunteers August 2008 -August 2009 n.,~e \/nlnn4nor Prniar_+ Volunteer Group Vols. Hrs. ~.~.« 8/19/2008 Water Works Prairie Park UI Law Students 52 3 Ralston Creek Benton Street to UI Medical Students & Missouri 8/20/2008 Kirkwood Church Grou 60 3 9/22/2009 Crandic Park cleanup Ho a House residents 4 4 UI Environmental, Kirkwood, 10/12/2008 Ralston Cleanu 10,000, & Ho a House 18 3 10/13/2008 Ralston Cleanu UI REACH Pro ram 17 3 UI Environmental, Kirkwood, & 10/19/2008 Ralston Cleanu Ho a House 54 3 Iowa River Canoe cleanup and UI Environmental, Kirkwood 10/25/2008 Peninsula debris removal 10,000, & General Public 125 3 Ralston Cleanup (Kirkwood Bridge to UI Environmental, Kirkwood, Hope 11/2/2008 Hw 6 and la. River House & Silver Cord 115 3 Iowa River Cleanup (West Banks Community Service & Local 11/16/2008 from H 6 to Air ort Church 6 3 3/29/2009 Iowa River Cleanu UI Environmental & 10,000 hours, 14 3 UI Environmental, Kirkwood, 4/19/2009 Debris at Peninsula Park communit 127 3 UI Environmental, Kirkwood, UI 4/26/2009 Debris at Peninsula Park athletes 75 3 5/2/2009 Ralston Creek Cleanu Rec Center UI Sororit and Fraternit 14 3 5/11-12- 13/2009 S Riverside Dr. ad'acent Wend 's Winona State Football team 15 21 6/10- 11/2009 Iowa Cit Public Works Com lex Presb Brian, Pueblo, CO 22 14 Iowa River Boat Cleanup (Sturgis to 6/13/2009 Hills Public 35 5 Students Today, Leaders Forever, 6/19/2009 Ralston Creek Cleanup Minnesota 29 3 Whispering Meadow Wetland 8/18/2009 Cleanu UI Law Colle a 45 3 Approximately 827 Volunteers worked 3,067 hours of time in this past year. Approximately 145 ton of trash and woody debris were removed from our water ways. Sponsors & support staff for these volunteer projects included: Public Works, Engineering, Landfill, Solid Waste, Streets, Wastewater, Water, University of Iowa Civic Engagement Program, Facility Services, Touch the Earth Recreational Services, IDNR, Johnson County Conservation, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Mid American Energy, Johnson and Iowa County Watershed Coalition, Fin and Feather, Durham Student Bus Services, and Dave Long Protective Products. There were 18 storm water events in the past 12 months it may appear difficult to determine the value of volunteers. However FEMA values an hour of volunteer time at $16.25 X 3,067 volunteer hours worked, this would equal a monetary value of $49,838.00. The Iowa City, City High Tennis Team contacted me after helping with a number of the stream cleanups and asked if they might do a fundraiser tennis tournament to raise money to help the Iowa River efforts. My intern and I worked closely with them to put together "Raise a Racket for the River" a one day event at held at City High. We provided water, information and support and they worked hard raising $3000 in sponsorship's and entrance fees. This money will be used for safety or information pieces along the Iowa River. City High Tennis team raises $3000 for the Iowa River. Tributary Streams There are three streams that flow through Iowa City eventually flowing into the Iowa River. Over the past four years I have utilized volunteers to remove garbage and woody debris to reduce the possibility of overland flooding and also protect the banks and riparian zone from further erosion. This is only part of the puzzle to truly understand the health of a stream you must test the water throughout the seasons for a number of years. This helps you identify trends due to temperature, light availability and urban factors. Starting in June of 2008 we began weekly testing Willow Creek at nine locations beginning where country meets urban and ending shortly before the stream empties into the Iowa River. Ralston Creek has also been tested throughout the past two years although not as extensively. We have also participated in five Johnson County Snapshots through IOWATER testing to help us determine where other Johnson County water quality is in comparison. The Engineering Division has recently acquired a GPS unit, stream assessment software and trained staff, this tool will allow us to do a comprehensive stream assessment of Willow Creek. These results will guide us to determine what improvements might be necessary to stabilize the stream and assist us in obtaining state and federal grants to fund the project. Iowa City's Iowa River and stream cleanup programs have earned Iowa City special recognition by the IDNR Iowa Stream Keepers program for Civic-minded activism in asserting a positive influence on Iowa's waterways. Iowa City's role as a leader in water quality requires us to share our knowledge with the community as well as continually educating our staff. The Iowa City Water Division provides a very high quality drinking water to our citizens and visitors. In 2003 when the new facilities were completed the public was very interested in learning where their water came from and how it was treated before it came to their tap. During much of 2008 the facilities were closed to the public due to construction and after flood maintenance. However I took the information out and taught 360 students in their schools. In 2009 the facilities were reopened for tours and groups such as the UI Dental College, UI Urban Planning, League of Women Voters, Iowa City Shelter House, Tap Root, Upward Bound and Girl and Boy Scout Troops came to visit. City staff assists University Students learning how to test Willow Creek water quality. Teaching people how to get into the water and evaluate the stream allows them to be stakeholders in the future of the water. University students as well as Jr High and High School students have learned to enjoy the training, learning about bank erosion, and the impact of storm water runoff from both urban and agricultural runoff. Twenty-seven of the Water Division staff are licensed by the state of Iowa and must continue their educations to renew their licenses and keep up to date on new technologies and safety practices. I coordinate the trainings, proctor the classes and verify staff continuing education information with the IDNR. I am the Iowa Region 6 Chair for Water operator education. My duties include coordinating a spring education conference for water operators in the southeast part of Iowa each year as well as teaching at other conferences. I was awarded the 2008 Award for Outstanding Service to the American Water Works Association in the Iowa Section for leadership and active participation in the section programs. Providing the public with information about the needs and goals of our water utilities can take on many forms. It is also very important to know what our customers are thinking. Included are some of these activities: • Lobbied in Des Moines for watershed management and drinking water funding. • Attended a number of flood related forums. • Coordinated the Exhibit Hall at the Iowa Children's Water Festival, 2000 Iowa 5`h graders attended. • Each month utility bill inserts provide water related information. • 2008 Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report were mailed to 33,000 customers • 2008 Water Quality Report for Specialized Water Use Customers (ISO factories- P&G, Robert's Dairy) • Developed a new tool to assist staffing in better communication with the customer. "Iowa City Water Division Construction Customer Service Survey" (delivered to homes where water main replacement had taken place) The past months have been a challenge to both our community and the water that runs through it. The Storm Water utility although in infancy has taken great strides in teaching citizens about water quality and engaging them in volunteering and understanding about how their individual foot prints impact the water and land. ~~,®~ CITY OI= IC3lNA CITY ~P8 ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~ 0- RA ~ D U M ~E DATE: September 21, 2009 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk ~~ RE: Meeting with area Legislators Please mark your calendar for the joint meeting with area legislators for 5:00 PM on Monday, December 7. Council will be discussing legislative items at an upcoming work session, and an agenda prepared for the joint meeting based upon that discussion r l ~ui~' '~ wW®~~~ -•e.a~ CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240- 1 826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org (HARD COPY -SENT ELECTRONICALLY ON SEPTEMBER 21) DATE: September 21, 2009 TO: The Honorable Robert Dvorsky The Honorable Joe Bolkcom The Honorable Jim Hahn The Honorable David Jacoby The Honorable Jeff Kaufmann The Honorable Vicki Lensing The Honorable Mary Marcher FROM: Regenia D_ Bailey, Mayor RE: Meeting with Area Legislators Thank you for your response to the City Council's request to meet with you prior to the start of the legislative session to discuss the Council's legislative priorities for the upcoming session. Based on responses received the meeting will take place on Monday, December 7, at 5:00 PM in Harvat Hall at City Hall, 410 East Washington Street and should last about an hour. Council will be discussing legislative items at an upcoming work session, and an agenda prepared for our joint meeting based upon that discussion. In addition please let me know if there is a specific item you would like placed on the agenda. Please contact City Clerk Marian Karr (marian-karr@iowa-city.org or 356-5041) with specific items you would like placed on the agenda. I will forward an agenda to you before the December 7 meeting. Thank you for all your work on behalf of our community and the state. We appreciate your willingness to set aside time to meet with us and we look forward to a short productive meeting. ~~'~Cc: City Council saegislative/letterconfirm.doc Original correspondence received on September 15 IP9 ~r ~~®~,~ September 24, 2009 ,, ~~~~~ Mr. Charles Jones ~- 813 Eastmoor Drive CITY OF IOWA CITY Iowa Clty, IA 52246 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 Re: Greenville Proposal (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX Dear Mr. Jones: www.icgov.org Thank you for meeting with me on September 9th to discuss your proposal to move 30 homes the City has purchased through various buy out programs. Staff will review your proposal and make a recommendation to the Council. This recommendation will be based on the responses we receive from the various regulatory agencies. Staff will discuss this with the Council during a future work session. At this time, I recommend you meet with the Housing Inspection Services Department to discuss the requirements for moving houses within Iowa City. This will help you determine the initial feasibility of your proposal as it pertains to the City Code. look forward to discussing your proposal further with you. Sincerely, Ronald R. Knoche, PE City Engineer cc: City Council City Manager City Attorney Public Works Director Planning Director Housing Inspection Services Director IP10 Phone: (399) 356.5400 ' F~9X.• (399) 356.5459 u, S 1 ~ TDD: (319) 356.5404 U T H O R I TY 410 E. Washington Street • Io1va City • Iowa • 52240.1826 DATE: September 23, 2009 TO: City of Iowa City Council othro Director us section Services, Steven J. Rackis, FROM: Doug Bo y, g Housing Administrator a is y, P lic Housing Coordinator SUBJECT: Public Housing in the Whispering Prairie ubdivision In an effort to improve the overall appearance and well-being of the Whispering Prairie Subdivision, and in particular our properties, the Housing Authority has begun implementing a set of landscaping and safety-related initiatives. The public housing properties included in this neighborhood are located on Whispering Prairie Ave., Whispering Meadow Dr., Aster Ave., Indigo Ct. and Dr. and on the southernmost end of Nevada Ave. We are gathering quotes for the design and installation of sturdy landscaping features, e.g. boulders with raised plantings of easy care perennials and shrubs, to be installed at the two corners of Whispering Prairie Ave. and Whispering Meadow Dr., the corner of Whispering Meadow Dr. and Indigo Dr. and in the circle in the center of the cul-de-sac on Indigo Ct. Please see the attached drawings showing some proposed designs. We are investigating the installation of substantial bollard lighting in the front yards of our properties to shed light on the yard and the public sidewalk in front of the homes. Please see the attachment for an example of this type of lighting. We will be assuming additional responsibilities with regard to lawn care and grounds keeping activities on our properties. These will include trimming and pruning of shrubs, weed control in the lawns and foundation plantings and fertilizing of the lawns. We have begun the installation of motion detection lighting which has been completed on a number of single family dwellings. Our plan is to complete the installation of these lights on the rear side of the remainder of the structures. We are devising small, user-friendly and attractive enclosures to house the City-supplied wheeled refuse containers in order to keep the containers hidden from view. Currently most residents store these containers in front of their garages. Finally, we will be re-roofing a1121 of our structures in this neighborhood. One additional consideration we are exploring is the acquisition of a vacant, dilapidated single family dwelling currently for sale on Nevada Ave adjacent to one of our homes. We would purchase this property to return the dwelling to a habitable state and add it to our list of rental properties. ~ ~' ~ Q ~ ~ O ~ ~ ~T ~ ~ z~~ `jz`° O ~OO~ / ;; _-- - ---- '~' f ,~ ~ -- ~' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Z ~ o ~- o ~ ~ _ ~ I- U Q Q z~ >z ~~ z~ ~-QIL~~Q--ate z :~ -r, ,, - \-,/_ 0 ~~ 1 ~~ 0 o~ ~ ~ 1 ~ v ~ 0 O f ./~ ~' 'ti i f ~~ ~• ~' I ~i OO Q ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ z ~~ i ~ W ~ ~ J G` Q ,~ o ~ J Q N n~ Q 2 - BLACK F YL_D SUSAN _- _ -__ ~ _ 3 - WINT~ R)3F RRY i ,i LAWN I, r_ _ 3 - 6(~CK L_YF D 1 - (10Nf Y LOCUST SUSAN __ Y _ ,R . t ~. .~~~ R \~ ~ ,~~ '~ t ~..~~ + % ~ /~~ `' e~ R __. ,= -, i i ~ R r -- ' R ~~ ~~~ i ,- - 3 -KARL ,_, '~ ~ + f-OER~ST~R GRASS ,y ~~ ~ tv1AN ~-- ~ .. - SLACK r-Y~ D ~ _ _ ~- ' 11011__ ~ ~ °' SUSAN ~ R ,! ~ ;, '' t LAWN ' ~~ ~ ~~ ~ t 7 t ~.~a~ L + ~..~,., ~, ,~, ~r LAV~~N 1 f (R . . ~. '- - 5 - SIG I~LUL_STLM ~ ~ R ~ ~, R t ,.._-. ( -- ,, _1 i ~1 II 5 - 1.OW GRO SUMAC j 1 ,. -~ 4 - WINTL R~L RRY - - --~~ ~ ~ 3 - SLACK F Y~ D SUSAN SCALE i " - 4' IOWA CITY 1~10U51NG AUTNOKITY INDIGO CT~ CUL.-D~-SAC P~.ANTING PLAN Example of stainless steel bollard lighting: s" .y...- : _ _ j _~; ,, ~~ :,.: a.: ~ ~ ~ ;° e~.. ~) n, '~ l . ,.i y; _~ ` '~t : _ . ~yrs't c t FfK~'`3: "~ ; ~ , z ., t1 ~i r Y ~ ;~ ... 1.~X Nx 't, V i ~ ' ~, r ~ - .~ 1 y 43'/x" uy-z4-uy ' IP11 Iowa City Police Department e s ~ ~ ~. ~ ~¢~~~.~ P.A.U.L.A. Report -August 2009 (Possession ofAlcohol Under Legal Age) wry i ~~ c iii ~• c~ Business Name (occupancy] Monthly Totals Year-to-Da te Totals PAULA,1/isit ii.` (occupancy loads updated Oct '08) visits arrests visits arrests `. ~aC-tom= , ' 808 Restaurant& Nightclub [176] 4 5 31 35 T `129 ` ` " ~ ' Airliner [223] 5 4 26 18 0.692 American Legion [140] 3 0 0.000 Aoeshe Restaurant [156] Atlas World Grill [165] 7 0 0.000 Blackstone [297] 1 0 0.000 Bluebird Diner [82] Bob's Your Uncle [260*] Bo-James [200 3 0 21 1 0.048 Bread Garden Market & Bakery [?] [It's] Brothers Bar & Grill [556] 9 7 59 29 0.492 [The] Brown Bottle [289] Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar [189] 2 0 0.000 Cafe Z [56] Caliente Night Club [498] (opened nnaRl 25 0 0.000 Carl & Ernie's Pub & Grill [92] 8 0 0.000 Carlos O'Kelly's [299] Chipotle Mexican Grill [119] - [The] Club Car [56] 9 0 0.000 Colonial Lanes [502] Dave's Foxhead Tavern [87] 3 0 0.000 David's Place (aka Dawit's) [73] 5 0 0.000 DC's [120] 4 1 22 6 0.273 [The] Deadwood [218] 8 0 0.000 Devotay [45] Donnelly's Pub [49] 2 0 11 0 0.000 [The] Dublin Underground [57] 9 0 0.000 [Fraternal Order of] Eagle's [315] 2 0 0.000 EI Dorado Mexican Restaurant [104] [BPO] Elks #590 [205] EI Ranchero Mexican Restaurant [161] Englert Theatre [838] Etc [178] 1 0 33 47 1.424 Fiesta Mexico (aka Farras) [200] 10 0 0.000 [The] Field House (aka Third Base) [420] 5 7 59 115 1.949 Firewater [114] 3 1 0.333 Formosa Asian Cuisine [149] 3 2 6 5 0.833 George's Buffet [75J 5 0 0.000 Givanni's [158] Godfather's Pizza [170] Graze [49] 3 0 0.000 Grizzly's South Side Pub [265] 9 0 0.000 Guido's Deli [20] Hawkeye Hideaway [94] 5 0 0.000 [The] Hilltop Lounge [90] 6 0 0.000 IC Ugly's [72] 7 0 0.000 India Cafe [100] [The] Industry [436] 17 0 0.000 Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack [71] 3 0 0.000 Joe's Place [281] 3 0 16 0 0.000 Joseph's Steak House [226] Kamodo Klub [144] 7 1 0.143 Kandy Land [120] 6 0 0.000 Karaoke La Reyna [78] 1 0 1 0 0.000 La Casa [300] La Reyna [49] 1 0 0.000 Linn Street Cafe [80] Los Cocos [99] 2 0 86 0 0.000 Los Portales [161] Martini's [200] 2 0 14 0 0.000 Masala [46] Mekong Restaurant [89] Mick 's [98] 6 0 0.000 [The] Mill Restaurant [325] 1 0 3 0 0.000 [Loyal Order ofJ Moose [476] Monica's Italian Bistro & Pizzeria [160] [Sheraton] Morgan's [231] 3 0 0.000 Motley Cow Cafe [82] Okoboji Grill [222] Old Capitol Brew Works [294] 3 0 0.000 One-Eyed Jake's [299] 2 2 25 28 1.120 One-Twenty-Six [105] Oyama Sushi Japanese Restaurant [87] Pagliai's Pizza [113] Panchero's (Clinton St) [62] Panchero's Grill (Riverside Dr) [95] Piano Lounge [65] 9 1 0.111 [The] Picador [261] 8 0 0.000 Pints [180] 4 0 35 11 0.314 Pit Smokehouse [40] Pizza Hut [116] Pizza Ranch [226] Quality Inn/Highlander [971] Quinton's Bar & Deli 149] 2 0 9 0 0.000 [The] Red Avocado [47] Rick's Grille & Spirits [120] 2 0 0.000 Riverside Theatre [118] Saloon [120] 8 1 0.125 Sam's Pizza [174] 3 0 0.000 [The] Sanctuary Restaurant [132] 3 0 0.000 Shakespeare's [90] 6 0 0.000 Short's Burger & Shine [56] 8 0 0.000 Sports Column [400] 5 7 44 64 1.455 Studio 13 [206] 1 0 11 0 0.000 [The] Summit [736] 11 16 59 108 1.831 Sushi Popo [84] Takanami Restaurant [148] 2 3 1.500 TCB [250] 2 0 24 0 0.000 Thai Flavors [60] Thai Spice [91] Tropicana (aka Club Furia) [280] 4 0 40 1 0.025 T. Spoons [102] Union Bar [854] 9 8 51 54 1.059 VFW Post #3949 [197J [The] Vine Tavern [170] 4 0 0.000 Vito's [320] 6 0 29 7 0.241 Wig & Pen Pizza Pub [154] 3 0 0.000 [Iowa Cit ]Yacht Club [206] 3 0 12 0 0.000 Zio Johno's Spaghetti House [94] Z'Mariks Noodle House 47 Totals: 94 59 959 536 0.559 Other PAULA at non-business locations: 21 67 PAULA Totals: 80 603 'includes outdoor seating area current month year-toaate r ~_ CITY OF IOWA CITY ~. ®r~r~ ~m~. ~ ®~~~ E~~RANDU~ Date: September 24, 2009 To: City Council From: Director of Public Works and the Director of Planning and Community Development Re: Update: Flood-related activities Engineering and Public Works Administration • City, Coralville and University staff held a flood recovery coordination meeting. • The contractor is working on the Iowa Avenue Inverted Siphon Sewer Project. One pipe has been installed. The other two pipes are ready to be installed. • The Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan has been reviewed by FEMA Region 7. The plan has been approved but will need public comment and final approval by Council. • The Project Partnering Agreement has been sent to the Army Corps of Engineers for the Section 14 Iowa River Bank Stabilization along Dubuque Street downstream from the Park Road Bridge. The plans and specifications are being developed by the Army Corps of Engineers. DNR is requiring a mussel survey be completed. • Staff has submitted the application for TIGER Funding for the Park Road Bridge and Dubuque Street Project. • D. W. Zinser Company has removed five of the nine structures. The demolitions must occur prior to September 28th for seven of the nine properties. • MMS Consultants has completed the survey necessary for the design of the levee along Baculis and Thatcher Mobile Home Parks and Commercial Court was approved. They will also be pursuing the redelineation of the floodway by FEMA in this area. The preliminary alignment has been identified. • Senator Grassley's office has informed us that $1.5 M has been earmarked in the FY 2010 THUD for the Dubuque Street /Park Road Project. • Working with staff to develop the applications for the Community Disaster Grants. • Working with staff to develop the applications for CDBG Funding. • Working with staff to develop the application for TIGER Funding for the Park Road Bridge and Dubuque Street Project. • Working with the Iowa DOT to reallocate the FHWA emergency repairs funds for Park Road Bridge and Dubuque Street to the elevation Project. • Reviewing the University of Iowa Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan. • Discussion of a volunteer clean-up effort of the property purchased from the Park View Church. • The City technical advisory committee met to discuss the relocation of the North Waste Water Plant. IP12 September 24, 2009 Page 2 Water Division • Continued working with Engineering & Howard R. Green (HRG) for design and schedule on replacing two 12" river crossing repairs (Old Plant and Hwy 6) 1. HRG will provide design, specifications and inspection bid documents for the two projects. 1. We have received the geotech report for the river crossings from HRG. 2. The geotech report and a preliminary estimated cost for the projects have been forwarded to FEMA. 3. We're reviewing HRG's scope of services contract and fee for these projects. 2. A meeting was held with Deb Mansfield, Engineering and FEMA on 9/23/09 to discuss the progress on this project and the possibility of updating the PW to reflect permanent repairs and forgo temporary repairs. The HRG Hazard Mitigation Study is complete. 1. Projects and cost estimates from this report were used to define the scope and cost estimates for the Peninsula well field site and will be used to apply for additional mitigation funding. • The PW and Hazard Mitigation Plan for CW 3, CW 4, SW 4, JW 2 and the respective electrical systems has been `obligated' by FEMA. • We expect to receive a draft design contract for the Hazard Mitigation projects for CW 3, CW 4, SW4, JW 2 and the respective electrical systems from HRG by the end of this week. • The HRG Hazard Mitigation Study is being used for additional funding request for hazard mitigation for plant site well houses. We are currently working with Dave Purdy. 1. We have received an invitation to submit an application to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for projects at the Water Works Prairie Park well field for improvements outlined in HRG's Hazard Mitigation Study. 2. Dave Purdy and Water met with Kam Kennedy to discuss the application submittal process. The goal is to submit within the next two weeks. Planning and Community Development • Jeff Davidson met with the Idyllwild Condo Association on September 10 to update them on the City's overall flood mitigation strategy. • The first round of housing demolitions in Parkview Terrace will end next week. As of September 23, five homes have been demolished. A total of 11 homes will be demolished in the first round. • Three closings of properties participating in the HMGP acquisition program will occur on September 24, 25, and 28. September 24, 2009 Page 3 • Planning staff is working with the Water Department to write a grant proposal to FEMA for protection of 3 well water heads located near the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. The grant application will be submitted by the end of October. The total cost of the grant proposal will be approximately $560,000. • Staff continues to review Jumpstart applications for disbursing State Jumpstart 3 funding. There is $781,720 in Jumpstart 3 funds remaining for housing rehab/repair, down payment assistance, and interim mortgage assistance. Residents that have previously applied for Jumpstart funding do not need to apply again to be eligible for Jumpstart 3 funding. • Doug Ongie will attend the Case Management Subcommittee meeting on September 25. This subcommittee is made up of representatives from the Johnson County Crisis Center, United Way, Project Recovery Iowa, JCCOG and the City of Iowa City. The purpose of the subcommittee is to discuss individual flood victim cases and identify programs and agencies that could potentially assist a victim in need. • The disbursement of checks for the Business Rental Assistance Program (BRAP) continues. ~VVIA]K~E ~II~~'ai'~jR~'v I~YICCC~~~LJL~~'~'JE~: ~S~~~CG]E A~T~ )S (~I~J~L]E~A~~ ~~Ell~~C~A~'~~~T You and your colleagues are invited to join the City of Iowa City in dedicating the new McCollister Bridge and Boulevard, The bridge is located on the city's south side, joining S, Gilbert Street east of the Iowa River to Old Highway 218 South on the west, Please join us for refreshments as we commemorate Iowa City's first new river crossing since the early 19bOs, All are welcome to attend, ~'~S~~~J1~1L'i~ ~1~11J9 ~®~41~ ~~ ~a\~l~/ ~®~a Please gather at east end of McCollister Bridge Our partner in this historic bridge is the Iowa Department of Transportation with Federal funding from the SAFETEA-LU, Transportation Improvements Program, IOWA GITY~~ ~„_ For more information please contact Carol Sweeting 319-35b-5164 or carol-sweeting~iowa-city,org ~Y®~J97R~ ~I~ V~'JI'JE~ ~~ JHjE~,~' ~J Marian Karr From: Gina Peters [gina.peters@ecicog.org] Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009 11:42 AM Cc: Adam Lindenlaub (E-mail); Administrator Ryan Heiar (E-mail); Andy Johnson (E-mail); B. Pearson (E-mail); Barbara Beaumont (E-mail); Becky Shoop (E-mail); Bernita Rozinek (E- mail); Carol Spaziani (E-mail); Casie Kadlec (E-mail); Chad (E-mail); Christine Taliga (E-mail); Marian Karr; City Clerk Nancy Beuter (E-mail); City Clerk Susie Siddell (E-mail); City Clerk Tawnia Kakacek (E-mail); City of Ely (E-mail); Janelle Rettig (E-mail); John Yapp; Kelly Hayworth (E-mail) Subject: Next Meeting: October 1, 2009 Importance: High Attachments: October09 Tentative Agenda.doc October09 ~ntative Agenda.doc A reminder that the Johnson/Linn County Public Leadership Group will meet this Thursda y, October 1, 2009, at 4:30 p.m., at the community center in North Liberty. The meeting will take place in Classroom B, which is located on the main level behind the information desk. A tentative agenda is attached. TENTATIVE Agenda Johnson/Linn County Public Leadership Group North Liberty Community Center Classroom B North Liberty, Iowa Thursday, October 1, 2009 4:30 p.m. INFORMAL MEETING Work Session 1. Call to order - 4:30 p.m. 2. Welcome and Introductions Terrence Neuzil, Chairperson -Johnson County Board of Supervisors Lu Barron, Chairperson -Linn County Board of Supervisors 3. Local Foods Systems Local Foods Tour Day Followup -Gina Johnson, ECICOG 4. Presentation on Single Family New Construction Programs Kristine Chiafos, ECICOG Tracey Achenbach, HTFJC 5. Local Updates 6. Adjournment IP14 MINUTES PRELIMINARY PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM -CITY HALL Members Present: Jan Finlayson, DaLayne Williamson, Ann Kahn, Rick Fosse, Mark Seabold Members Absent: Terry Robinson, Patrick Carney Staff Present: Jeff Davidson, Marcia Bollinger, Karl Burhop Public Present: Melissa Mitchell, interested party, Alex Solsma, UI Student, Sujin Kim, UI Student RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL Recommend approval of a revised annual cost program for Public Art Program. Moved by Finlayson. Seconded by Fosse. Motion passed 5:0. CALL TO ORDER Seabold called the meeting to order at 3:37 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA None CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 4, 2009 MEETING MOTION: Fosse moved to approve the minutes; Williamson seconded. The motion passed 5:0. DISCUSSION REGARDING PROPOSAL FOR MINIMAL ART PROGRAM CONTINUATION Bollinger started by explaining the City Council's stance towards the Public Art Program; they would like to keep some components of the Public Art Program as well as the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) if at all possible. Bollinger presented the Committee with a proposal for an "abbreviated Public Art Program. cost sheet. Bollinger said that Dale Helling [Acting City Manager) would discuss the Public Art Program and costs associated with the City Council at a work session on Monday night, September 28. Bollinger commented that most of the costs reflect her and her intern's time. Williamson asked what the Public Art Program has in reserves. Davidson said around $38,000. Bollinger said that funds were needed to cover administrative costs; there are available funds for capital costs. Fosse said that the amount of money spent by PAAC is highly dependent on the type of art project. Davidson said he had talked to City finance director about the City's art assets and it seemed that there is commitment to maintain current art assets. Fosse stated that maintaining a maintenance budget was important as the streets division expenses were starting to exceed its revenue and it would make it more difficult to provide maintenance assistance to the art inventory. Public Art Advisory Committee Wednesday, September 9, 2009 Page 2 of 4 Davidson highlighted discussion he had with Dale, saying that Dale seems to want to continue the Art Program and has great appreciation for the work the PAAC does. Davidson pointed out that the Neighborhood Art Project accounts for roughly 60% of the total costs of the abbreviate Public Art Program as proposed. Davidson said that Dale suggested looking at this expense. Bollinger concurred that Neighborhood Art Project expenses could be reduced. Davidson also said that the Mayor had thought maybe funds could available for Art Program through grants or money from the Iowa Tourism Department. Bollinger reminded everyone that there was still an outstanding obligation to Dale Merrill for $5,000. Seabold commented on the cost list presented by Bollinger, saying that the list looked very good and that most of their projects are relatively low cost and have been successful. Seabold also stated he thought the Lemme Leopard project was very successful and the recent murals have been very popular. Davidson added that the Public Poetry project has been great and Iowa City has been designated a City of Literature by UNESCO; it only makes sense to continue such programs. Seabold asked if upcoming reductions would only last for a year. Davidson wasn't quite sure but speculated that the Mayor might not even bring up the topic of reducing funds to Public Art Program this year. Seabold elaborated further by reminding everyone that Iowa City is a city of culture; he doesn't want PAAC to disappear. Bollinger asked about the letter Seabold drafted to City Council. Seabold explained that the letter drafted to City Council had captured a degree of understanding PAAC has about the uncertain times and limited funds available, however the letter still insisted that some type of art program still continue, even if minimal or reduced from its current state. Williamson asked if administrative costs are an issue. Bollinger said she couldn't speculate. Davidson said that staff time devoted to the Public Art Program and PAAC is essentially shared or subsidized by the Planning Department and/or Neighborhood Services. MOTION: Finlayson moved to approve a revised annual cost program for the Public Art Program and then to recommend that to City Council. Seconded by Fosse. Motion passed 5:0. Bollinger reminded the Committee about the City Council work session on September 28. Davidson added the meeting should start at 6:30pm. Bollinger said she would keep everyone informed on the upcoming meeting/work session. Seabold said it was good to hear there was support from staff, acting city manager, and the City Council. Davidson suggested that the PAAC should consider changing meeting times from monthly to quarterly, or once every two months, or so on. Seabold asked about spending right now. Davidson said that the balance prior to June 30 should be entirely available. Davidson said the political climate makes it difficult for the Public Art funds to be spent on large projects, but the funding is there. Finlayson asked about the $38,000, if that was it and what about next year's budget? Bollinger reiterated that capital funds cannot be used on administrative costs. Williamson asked if there was a Neighborhood Art Project currently underway. Bollinger said that Melrose hadn't started yet but had something in the works. Bollinger also said there was strong interest from Creekside, Friendship, Grant Wood, and Miller Orchard. Public Art Advisory Committee Wednesday, September 9, 2009 Page 3 of 4 COMMITTEE TIME/UPDATES Bollinger informed Committee that Jason Messier's Simple Flight sculpture was installed last Friday [September 4], though unfortunately since then one of the wings had been bent and footprints had been found. There is concern about safety and care for the sculpture. The City Attorney will respond to Messier's concerns. Bollinger pointed out that the sculpture had gone up during Fry Fest and immediately before an Iowa football game so that area was particularly busy over the weekend. ADJOURNMENT Kahn motioned to adjourn; Fosse seconded. Meeting adjourned at 4:01 PM. Minutes submitted by Karl Burhop. ~o ~ N U~ ~~ > v~ a ~ ~r r~o U C ~' d ~ ~ f0 aka ... E 0 U ~'' 0 .; b r~ V ... ..r D a b 0 v a~ a~ v O C C ~ N .b C ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ M ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ O N O ~C ~C ~C ~C ~C ~C Q rn ~-+ N .~-i O N ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ O O O O O ~ ~ ~ -. ~ -~ ~ --~ ~ ~ ~ -~ W . O . O , O O , O C O ~ C C !~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ C C t/1 ~ ai ~ „ m "~ u . C a s .~ ~ ~ ~ z d A ti ~ a ~ H b N U X _ W ~+j'.~ Q ~ ~ N ~ ~ ~ a~~ II II II ~, w O O MINUTES IP15 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PRELIMINARY September 15, 2009 - 6:00 PM LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL Members Present: Dianne Day, Dell Briggs, Corey Stoglin, Kelli Shireen-Fleming, Yolanda Spears, Wangui Gathua, Martha Lubaroff. Members Absent: Eric Kusiak, Newman Abuissa. Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers. Others Present: Sarah Swisher. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council action): None. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Briggs called the meeting to order at 18:03 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE August 18, 2009 MEETING: Day moved to approve. Spears seconded. The motion passed 6-0. Gathua not present for vote. WELCOMING COMMUNITY Sarah Swisher addressed Commissioners about Sanctuary Cities. Swisher will notify Commissioners of future meetings concerning this topic. Commissioners discussed holding a community forum possibly in the future concerning the topic. BREAKFAST Spears and Briggs will serve on the subcommittee. Briggs, Stoglin and Lubaroff will greet attendees and take care of any last minute ticket matters. Day and Abuissa will present the awards. PROGRAMMING 2009 Day will attend the meeting concerning Homelessness Awareness Week on September 16. Day has also been the representative on the Civil Society Committee which will hold their program in March of 2010. Stoglin is working on a series of programs for early 2010. Briggs mentioned a program being done by area realtors that addresses foreclosure and thought it may be a good program for the Commission to co-sponsor or sponsor. REPORTS OF COMMISSION Day mentioned her Art Show entitled Regeneration Il: From Canvas to Cloth. Gathua reported on her recent trip to Kenya and the effects of global warming on Kenya. ADJOURNMENT Lubaroff moved to adjourn. Gathua seconded. The motion passed 7-0 at 19:11. Human Rights Commission August 18, 2009 Page 2 of 2 Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD 2009 Meetin Date NAME TERM EXP. 1/27 2/24 3/24 4/21 5/19 6/16 7/21 8/18 9/15 10/20 11/17 12/15 Newman Abuissa 1/1/10 X X X X X O X O O Kelli Shireen- Fleming 1/1/10 - - - - - O X X X Eric Kusiak 1/1/10 O X X X X X X X O Dell Briggs 1/1/11 X X X X O X X X X Yolanda Spears 1/1/11 X X X O X X O O X Corey Stoglin 1/1/11 O O O O O O O X X Dianne Day 1/1/12 X X X X X X X X X Wangui Gathua 1/1/12 X X X X X O P O X Martha Lubaroff 1/1/12 O X X O O X X O X Joy Kross 1/1/10 O O R R R R R R R KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting/No Quorum R =Resigned - = Not a Member 2 Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: David Purdy Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 5:21 PM To: 'jared.bazell@uiowa.edu' Cc: Marian Karr; Jeff Davidson Subject: Mitigation measures Attachments: 2009-03-19 Info Packet.pdf Jared- Thanks for talking to me this morning. I am not sure I have the correct contact regarding temporary flood barriers on property purchased by the city, but this person, if he does not know, will be able to steer you in the right direction. His name is Jim Russell, the FEMA Infrastructure Lead, on non-buy-out issues. His phone number is 515-251- 3673. I would also point out you review the city council minutes for March 23, 2009. I have attached the memo that was discussed at the meeting. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Jeff Davidson at 356-5230. Thanks- David Purdy Flood Recovery Specialist Planning and Community Development City of Iowa City David=Purd iowa-city.org 319-356-5489 9/23/2009 ^~,®,~ CITY OF IOWA CITY IP2 ~l~l~~-~~ N D U M ~ - ~~~~~ E M O RA M ~~ Date: March 19, 2009 To; City Council From: Jeff Davidson, Department of Planning & Community Development ~/~;`~ Rick Fosse, Department of Public Works ~~ Re: March 23, 2009 work session: discuss flood recovery funding opportunities In conjunction with our ongoing flood recovery efforts, we have recently become apprised of five specific funding opportunities from the State of Iowa. The five programs involve both state funds and federal funds which are administered by the State. There are differing requirements and deadlines for the five programs, but the bottom line is that we must move swiftly to take advantage of these opportunities. At your March 23 work session we would like to step through each program with you and see if we can reach consensus on how to proceed. For each program we would like to: 1. Explain what the program can be used for 2. Explain our recommendation for Iowa City's specific use of the program 3. Discuss with you options for the program so that you can give specific guidance on how you would like us to proceed. Overall Strategy The staff committee that has developed the funding proposals which you will receive on March 23 has tried to be consistent with the overall flood recovery strategy which you agreed to for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). To restate those objectives in priority order: 1. We will attempt to buy out residential property in the 100-year. floodplain of the Iowa River. This will involve purchasing some properties (approximately 40) at the present time, with the goal of buying out the remainder over the next 10 to 15 years. Those who refuse buyout funds will not be granted public funds for the rehabilitation of their homes, nor are they guaranteed that they may not be negatively impacted by future flood mitigation strategies. This strategy is the most effective flood mitigation strategy possible. It reduces risk on the highest flood-prone properties to zero. A property which is bought out cannot be used for anything except open space in perpetuity. 2. For the remainder of the flood-impacted residential neighborhoods in the 500-year floodplain of the Iowa River, we will implement realistic protection measures that can be implemented at this time. This includes elevating roads in flood-prone neighborhoods, elevating structures, elevating mechanical systems within structures, backflow prevention valves, and attempting to provide secondary access to flood-prone neighborhoods. Council Work Session -March 23, 2009 Page 2 3. Our number one priority public infrastructure project will be the elevation of Park Road Bridge and Dubuque Street. This will assist flood-prone neighborhoods upstream by allowing water to be conveyed downstream more easily and not back up into the neighborhoods. Our second priority public infrastructure project is relocation of the North Wastewater Treatment Plant. These two projects are the focus of our local option sales tax efforts, but additional funding sources will be required as well. 4. If in the future the required funding for levees and flood walls is made available, we will consider such strategies in flood-prone neighborhoods. However, we do not believe such funding opportunities are realistic at the present time and do not believe that flood- impacted residents should be making decisions based on them occurring. We have done preliminary planning to know that these structures could cost approximately $34 million. We thought it would be helpful to restate the above objectives so that you could see how they tie into the strategies for the following five funding programs. Please be prepared to discuss these project proposals and authorize staff to proceed according to your wishes at the March 23 meeting. It is necessary that we receive authorization at the March 23 meeting in order to take advantage of these funding opportunities by the deadlines for the programs. There are at least two programs which have deadlines in April or May. Flood Recovery Specialist David Purdy has time to devote to these grant applications over the next several weeks before he becomes busy with HMGP buyout grant administration. We look forward to the discussion at the March 23 meeting. Council Work Session -March 23, 2009 Page 3 Program 1: HMGP Non-Acquisition (FEMA funds) Projects funded ui ed for aIpHMGP projects, each p ojectllwe seeec~smustf have atbenefit/cost disasters. As req ratio greater than 1.0. Eligible projects include: •:• Construction of tornado safe rooms on private property. •:• Acquisition, structural relocation or elevation of buildings located in a flood hazard area. •:• Retrofitting of existing public buildings, facilities, or utilities to protect from flood hazard. •:• Stormwater management structures, such as culverts, flood gates, and retention basins. •:• Localized flood control projects such as floodwall systems that are designed to protect critical facilities and are not part of a larger flood control system. Back-up power generation and warning systems are not eligible at the present time. No local match is required and administrative costs are allowable. The funding we will apply for is discretionary. The Notice of Interest is due September 15, 2009, and the application is due November 15, 2009. Recommended Projects (not in priority order) -:• Tornado shelter combined with restrooms at Napoleon Park, Kickers Park, Hickory Hill Park, and City Park. These would be constructed in conjunction with programmed restroom improvements. $600,000 • Storm sewer backflow devices in Parkview Terrace, Idyllwild, Rocky Shore Drive, South Gilbert Street, and Thatcher neighborhoods. $650,000 • Modify arts campus storm sewer pump station. $500,000 •:• Modify Hwy. 6/Rocky Shore Drive lift station. $100,000 •:• Water well protection. $2,000,000 Total requested funding: $3.85 million Council Work Session -March 23, 2009 Page 4 Program 2: Community Disaster Grants It is anticipated that Iowa City will receive approximately $2.4 million from this State program, which was created by House File 64. This program is intended to benefit non-profit organizations, provide funding for the public purchase of land that is not FEMA eligible, repair and upgrade public infrastructure damaged by the flood, assist with the reevaluation and assessment of property due to the flood, provide small business assistance, and assistance for replacement and rehabilitation of housing. No local match is required and administrative costs are allowable. This program has a due date of April 1, 2009 and funds must be expended by July 30, 2010. Recommended Projects: (not in priority order) • Acquire vacant Parkview Church land in the 100-year floodplain between Taft Speedway and the Iowa River. This property, along with the Trimble property that is being acquired through the HMGP, would be added to Terrill Mill Park. We are currently having an appraisal done for this property. •:• Purchase any other non-HMGP eligible property in the 100-year floodplain. This could include 105 Taft Speedway, or buildings in Idyllwild for which there were four willing sellers and the property could be severed from the condo association so that fee title could be obtained. •:• Housing rehabilitation for residents up to 250% of average median income. We anticipate this would allow us to assist as many as 28 homeowners in the Parkview Terrace and Idyllwild neighborhoods. Projects will include general housing rehabilitation, elevating structures, elevating mechanical systems, and backflow prevention valves. • Assist with funding of Corps of Engineers Coralville Reservoir Operations Plan. Total requested funding: $2.4 million Council Work Session -March 23, 2009 Page 5 Program 3: Public Infrastructure Non-FEMA (CDBG) This program is for projects that FEMA cannot fund but are critical to flood recovery that benefit low/moderate income residents. Examples include damaged water and sewer systems, storm drainage systems, levees, roads and bridges. No single project may be awarded more than $5,000,000. $53,000,000 is allocated statewide. There is no requirPP ~ g l match, but local match is beneficial in the project evaluation. There is no deadline fora I in Recommended projects: (not in priority order) • Elevate Foster Road adjacent to Idyllwild neighborhood. $3,000,000 • Elevate Normandy Drive/Manor Drive intersection. $1,000,000 • Elevate Park Road Bridge. $5,000,000 • Rocky Shore Drive floodgate. $130,000 • Levee construction in vicinity of South Gilbert Street/Stevens Drive. $1,000,000 •:• Levee construction in Baculus/Thatcher/Commercial Drive area. $1,000,000 Total requested funding: $11.13 million Council Work Session -March 23, 2009 Page 6 Program 4: Housing Buyouts, Non-FEMA (CDBG) The initial guidelines for this program stated that houses needed to be condemned to qualify for a non-FEMA housing buyout. We have requested that the program be modified to make homes eligible that were significantly damaged to at least 70% of their value. The Iowa Department of EconomicoD ssuled a final auleenWel do n tahave f naIhCDBG rulers nd program guidelnesrl but but has n hope to in May. No single award can exceed $5,000,000. There is no requirement for local match and administrative costs are allowable. We believe there are homes in Parkview Terrace which would qualify based on being significantly damaged to at least 70% of their value. An example of a home meeting this damage assessment would be one that has been gutted with no repairs having been made. This goes beyond the City Council's agreed-to policy of buying out homes in the 100-year floodplain. However, it would be consistent by removing the most at-risk homes from the floodway. A negative aspect to this program is the potential removal of residences from the property tax rolls. However, we were recently apprised of a new program administered by Iowa DED called the Single Family New Construction Unit Production program. We hope this program will result in the construction of 15-17 new affordable single family residences in Iowa City. This will help offset the loss of property tax revenue from the non-FEMA Buyout Program. Recommended Project: • Purchase as many houses as we can once the program rules are known. Total requested funding: $3.5 million Council Work Session -March 23, 2009 Page 7 Program 5: The Governor's State Bonding Program The legislature is still considering Governor Culver's request for $750,000,000 in bonding authority throng mtwh~Rh would allow the State to Isell bonds o flood recov ry projects whp h forth this progra have the following characteristics: •:• Are ready to be started and completed quickly •:• Create jobs •:• Contribute to sustainability The bonds would be paid off with a percentage of state-generated gaming revenue. Examples of eligible projects are housing, trails, highways, roads and bridges, mass transit, railways, airports, water quality and wastewater treatment improvements, flood control improvements, energy infrastructure, disaster relief infrastructure, and public buildings. The Governor suggested to Mayor Bailey at the forum at the Old Capitol on March 4 that an application should be filed for Iowa City's North Wastewater Treatment Plant relocation project. Recommended Projects: (in priority order) • Relocation of the North Wastewater Treatment Plant. $40 million • Construct levees in Parkview Terrace and Idyllwild neighborhoods. $34 million Total requested funding: $74 million ppdd i rlmem/3-23-09worksession. doc