HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-09-28 TransciptionSeptember 28, 2009 City Council Page 1
September 28, 2009 City Council Special Work Session 7:15 P.M.
Council Present: Bailey, Champion, Correia, Hayek, O'Donnell, Wilburn, Wright
Staff: Helling, Dilkes, Karr, Davidson, Yapp, Fosse, O'Brien, Bollinger
Others Present: Shipley-UISG Rep
Planning and Zoning Items:
b) AMENDING TITLE 14, ZONING, TO ALLOW COMMUNICATION
TOWERS IN THE INTERIM DEVELOPMENT RESIDENTIAL (ID-RS
AND ID-RM) ZONES BY SPECIAL EXCEPTION, SPECIFY
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS
FOR COMMUNICATION TOWERS, CLARIFY CO-LOCATION
REQUIREMENTS, AND ADD A REQUIREMENT TO REMOVE
TOWERS AFTER THE USE IS DISCONTINUED.
Davidson/ Good morning, Madame...good evening, Madame Mayor (laughter), Members of
Council. Can you hear me all right (mumbled). On your agenda this evening, under
Planning and Zoning items...is item S.b., it's an amendment to the zoning ordinance to
allow communication towers in the interim development residential single-family and
multi-family zones, by special exception. Uh, in addition, specifying documentation
requirements for special exceptions for communication towers, clarify co-location
requirements, and add a requirement to remove towers after (mumbled) and I will go
through those very briefly. Basically what is under consideration this evening, or excuse
me, will be under consideration tomorrow evening I should say...is a request by Iowa
Wireless Services, LLC, uh, for a text amendment to the zoning code to allow
communication towers in the interim development residential zones, and these include
interim, uh, development residential single-family and multi-family zones. Uh, the...the
issue is that with the demand for cell phone service growing so dramatically over the past
several years. I saw a statistic in the paper I think over the weekend that now 20% of the
population just relies solely on cell phones, have terminated their landlines, uh, because
of that, um, there have been some issues with, uh, in the City of Iowa City in particular,
but throughout the country with, um, the adequacy of...of tower coverage. LTh, and that
is what this proposed amendment addresses specifically. Um, the...the issue is that, uh,
according to the, uh, applicant who made the request, um, our ordinance here in Iowa
City is more restrictive than they say is typical in communities our size, and we did, uh,
review the zoning ordinances from Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Ames and found that
this was true. Uh, that our, uh, restrictions in residential zones is...is, uh, more restrictive
than in (noises on mic) uh, so what is under consideration is, uh, allowing by special
exception communication towers in these interim development residential zones, where
they are currently no...they are currently not permitted. LTh, the map here...and I think
it's slightly cut off on the right side, but you can see everything that's important.
This...this diagram shows where, uh, cell phone towers are currently allowed, and where
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it is proposed that they be allowed. The...the red zones are industrial zones, where they
are allowed by right, as provisionally (mumbled) meets certain provisions, you're allowed
by right to have, uh, a tower. The, uh, peach colored and green colored areas are
commercial and research zones, in the peach, and a green is the, uh, public zone, and in
these zones they are allowed by special exception. You have to go through the Board of
Adjustment's special exception process and (noise on mic) grants a request, and then they
are allowed. What is proposed is to add the blue zones, and the blue zones are a
combination of the ID-RS, which is single-family, and ID-RM, which is multi-family,
and the ID designation, um, is...is basically where the Comprehensive Plan has called for
areas to be developed for either single-family or multi-family residential. Uh, but
infrastructure is not adequate for that to occur at the present time, and so basically
hanging that ID designation indicates that there's going to have to be infrastructure
improvements, uh, done before...basically the area goes through a rezoning process, and
then the ID tag is taken off, and the area can be developed. Um, the notion here...is...is
that this, and... and we... staff, Planning and Zoning Commission and staff, uh, has, uh,
determined that we do believe this is a reasonable request, um, the...the notion is that in
these undeveloped areas, the establishment of a tower at this time isn't imposing it on
somebody's residence that's there already. Now, depending on the, uh, how close the
existing residential areas are, that maybe debated, and that's the reason for this special
exception process. The special exception process allows the Board of Adjustment to
consider, on a case-by-case basis. So, for example, if a tower is proposed, uh, 50-feet
from an existing built-up residential area, that can be handled differently than one that
may be ahalf--mile from any, uh, built-up residential area, and...and that's what the Board
is able to scrutinize in their deliberations. So, the notion here is then that when
development occurs in these area...the cell phone tower is an existing condition, and
decisions can be made, um, accordingly. Um...essentially how these would be evaluated
by the Board of Adjustment is with the same, or using the criteria that for example is
used, uh, in the, uh, neighborhood commercial area where they, uh, take a look...well,
they take a look at...at, you know, a whole host of things, but specifically they do look at,
for example, is there an existing commercial or industrial zone where the tower can go
(noise on mic). Uh...is there an existing tower where co-location, another...another
antenna could be co-located on an existing tower. These are all things that the Board of
Adjustment would scrutinize, if this was, uh, proposed. There was also...let me...you
might have noticed the second memo from Karen Howard. At the Planning and Zoning
Commission there was a discussion of how electric power will be provided in these areas,
and our residential, uh, subdivision requirements require utilities (noise on mic) electric
service to be underground, when it's possible to do so, uh, and so there was some thought
given to, well, should we require then electric service to be undergrounded to a cell
phone tower in an ID-RS or RM zone. iJh, what was determined, and what is being
recommended to you is that not be a requirement, but that rather because the Board of
Adjustment is scrutinizing these on a case-by-case basis, leave it to the Board of
Adjustment to scrutinize whether or not, uh, utilities should be undergrounded. Uh, they
would then make the determination of whether or not to require that as a condition of
(mumbled). Um...oh, one other, a couple of other things just quickly, um, we will
suggest to applicants that mono-poles be used. We have found that where these have
been erected in industrial and...and uh, commercial zones that they are much less
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intrusive, seems to be the general thought. It would not be required, but it would be
suggested. There are certainly other options, um, we...we actually (noise on mic)
successful (noise on mic) techniques, for example at Wa1...Walden Square, when they
added the clock tower, that clock tower was added to house a, uh, cell tower. Um, my
understanding is that at City High and the dome of the...the main dome of the...the old
building, there's at least a couple, uh, cell tower antennas in there. So, it is possible...we
don't want to require the mono-poles because it maybe that there's another camouflaging
technique that...that might be just as effective. We also have, uh, two...I guess before
we go on with the two additional provisions, are there any questions about what is being
proposed, uh, with this amendment?
Hayek/ Jeff, do I understand it right that...that, uh, towers are not permitted in any way within a
residential zone?
Davidson/ That's correct, and that's not being proposed to be changed.
Hayek/ Okay, okay. Um, right (both talking) okay, and, um, I've got a question about strobe
lighting and a question about removal at the end of (both talking)
Davidson/ Yeah, well, let's just go on then. Any...any other questions? Mike?
Wright/ I'm just curious if you've had any feedback from, uh, local developers?
Davidson/ Uh, not...not through the Planning and Zoning process that I'm aware of. You may
have some, uh, in your deliberations, but uh...
Wright/ Not yet!
Davidson/ ...have not so far. Uh, we have two other amendments that we would also like,
that...that basically being proposed to be added, uh, for your consideration. One is the
removal of obsolete communication towers in industrial zones. This is where they're
allowed by, uh, provisional use by right, uh, for some reason, we...we discovered that
there's a requirement to remove obsolete towers in commercial zones, but there isn't in
industrial zones. It hasn't really been an issue yet because the phenomenon is new
enough that we really don't have that many old towers. Um, but what this would do is
just make those two zones consistent in terms of removing obsolete towers. Um...we
also wanted to address...we have had some frustration, you know, again with this being a
fairly recent phenomenon we're sort of building up an inventory of issues. We have had a
phenomenon where we have attempted to have towers established that can then have
additional antennas co-located on them, thereby minimizing the number of antennas, and
what we have found is that an applicant will say, well, I can't co-locate because the
tower's not high enough, or...or it's somehow...the design is inadequate to allow
additional antennas to be added. So, what we are suggesting be required is an engineer's
certification that a tower which is being permitted is being designed such that additional
antennas of similar size could be added. Um, rather than it just be suggested or...or an
amateur's determination, this would require a professional engineer to (mumbled)
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certification. So those...those are two additional amendments that are being proposed,
along with the, uh, allowing them in the ID...ID-RS and ID-RM zones. So, this will be
on tomorrow night. Any questions?
Bailey/ Matt, you had some questions?
Hayek/ Um... yes, strobe lighting, um, glad to see that in there. That flashes, uh, so much more
visible for obvious reasons, but um, just want to make sure there's no way
to...circumvent that, I mean, I don't know if strobe is defined anywhere, but...
Davidson/ Yeah, and...and I'm certainly not an expert on those, uh, my...my understanding is
there are options that are available, at least I'm familiar with the FAA's requirements
for... for towers, that you have an option when you see the alternately painted
red/white/red/white towers that many times those do not require strobe lighting, because
of a painting scheme, uh, towers you see that are not painted that way will have the
strobe, um, again, Matt, that's about the extent of my knowledge about'em. If there's...is
there a specific question you'd like to research further?
Hayek/ No, I just...I think that...that one way to minimize potential objections from residential
areas adjacent to interim areas is...is to make sure that the lighting is not...
Davidson/ I think that's also a function of the height, and where they are in relation to the
Airport.
Champion/ Right.
Hayek/ Okay. And then my...my other thing was on...on the new provisions about removal of
obsolete equipment. Um, does that not apply to antenna...antennas...antennae? Um,
I...I see it applying to a tower, but does...do we require that, uh, of...
Davidson/ I don't believe we do. I think it's for towers. So what...are you suggesting is that a
camouflaged tower somewhere that's, well, that...
Hayek/ No, not in a camouflage situation, but just an antenna attached to a building.. .
Bailey/ ...top of a building?
Davidson/ Well, for example, Chris...Chris has antennas attached to the side of the Capitol
Street ramp. Are you suggesting that...I don't believe we have a provision if those
became obsolete. Now your lease agreement might require the removal, but I...
Hayek/ I...I raise at...I've seen in, um, actually in wind turbine situations where you get these
20-year leases and the farmer, uh, is glad to get the income, uh, to rent half an acre for a
wind turbine, and no provision is made for what happens to that turbine, and the cost of
removing a structure that big is in the tens of thousands of dollars, and can be a real
headache. So, just something to think about.
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Davidson/ Why don't you let me get some clarification on exactly what's required at this time,
Matt, and I'll let you know tomorrow night.
Bailey/ Why are we allowing...a year seems like a really long time for, um, getting everything
cleared out of the use and the land replanted and everything. Why...why allow a year?
Why not six months?
Davidson/ Um, I don't know why the year (both talking) see if I can find (mumbled)
Bailey/ Any other questions? And I don't know if this is really an issue, and Mike, you might
jump in too, I mean, given the challenges that we're had with the Communications Center
and um, antenna location and tower location, can we require that, um, that towers provide
space for public use...on our antenna?
Davidson/ It is possible...to require that. Um, there are places that do require that.
Correia/ Especially think about public emergency communication (both talking)
Bailey/ Yeah, that's...exactly!
Davidson/ I would think that that could be a, you know, because this goes to the Board of
Adjustment, and never gets to you guys, uh, but that is something that the Board of
Adjustment could hang on there, if we knew there was a public use, uh, such as the Joint
Emergency Communication Center that was looking for a tower site, that provision could
be...
Correia/ I think it makes sense!
Bailey/ I think we should require it in the code.
Davidson/ Just require for all, that if there's public (both talking)
Bailey/ That if there is a...if, and the...the challenge that I don't know is right now we're
evaluating what we need. Eleanor, you're frowning.
Dilkes/ Go...go ahead.
Bailey/ Well, we're evaluating what we need. I anticipate that we probably won't need additional
towers, but should additional towers be required or...I think it would just make sense.
Dilkes/ Well, why would the...why would the co-location not cover that? I...I don't think we
could require them to provide it for public use and no cost. Is that what you're...
Bailey/ Of course that's what I'm going for.
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Dilkes/ I mean, we do in our, um, in our, uh, in our policy about leasing of space to, um, towers
on City property, we have provisions about providing for...for City co-location, etc., and
that kind of thing. But I...I'd have to take a look at whether we could do, you know (both
talking)
Bailey/ That would be my ultimate preference, of course.
Dilkes/ Yeah.
Bailey/ I mean, because...
Dilkes/ Well, you'd have to defer this then and we'd have to wait for us to look at it, cause I...I
don't...I wouldn't be comfortable inserting such a provision without taking a look at it.
Bailey/ I mean...
Wright/ I'm just thinking of the...the towers that the JECC...
Bailey/ I mean, we're doing that now, and we think that we'll have the system set up, but
what...what is the anticipated future need, and I don't know, and...and this would be
within the city so it might...it might be really not...
Wright/ ...a question that I don't think we could answer without going back to our consultants.
Bailey/ So...right, so...
Dilkes/ That may be possible. I just don't know (mumbled)
Bailey/ Well, the question then perhaps the co-location option would...would give this opening,
should we require more towers for emergency use, and...within the city. Right?
Dilkes/ Yeah, L ..I think it would.
Davidson/ It will definitely help!
Bailey/ Okay.
Dilkes/ I mean, there's certainly...I don't think there's anything about the co-location that says it
wouldn't be available for public entities (both talking)
Bailey/ Right. Okay. Then I...I think that this is fine, given that it only covers the city and...I
think we have what we need right now. I just...
Davidson/ If we were a year and a half ago, and JECC was looking at tower sites...we might
take this a little...
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Bailey/ Right, but, I mean, having worked on this project, does this make sense to not worry...
Davidson/ We do have a radio system that's supposed to serve the community for at least 10 or
15 years, without modifications, so...
Bailey/ So...yeah, okay. Thanks.
Wright/ I think it'd be very difficult to project this out.
Bailey/ Right.
Wright/Beyond that.
Bailey/ Well, I had to ask, given the discussions that we've been going through.
Wright/ It's a good point.
Bailey/ Yeah, okay.
Davidson/ I will check on those couple other questions and report back tomorrow.
Bailey/ Thanks. Okay, um, let's move to agenda items then.
Agenda Items:
Correia/ Number, the last one, number 15. So the amending the budgeted positions.
ITEM 15. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE BUDGETED
POSITIONS IN THE ENGINEERING DIVISION OF THE PUBLIC
WORKS DEPARTMENT BY ADDING TWO SPECIAL PROJECTS
ADMINISTRATION POSITION.
Bailey/ Uh-huh, I had a question about that.
Correia/ Yeah...I guess one is just request when, again, I'm weaning out, but, um, it seems to me
when there's adding positions, it'd be nice to have some type of memo describing the
rationale and the funding, um, you can kind of tell the...in the resolution itself, but what
the resolution doesn't say is are these time-limited positions, funded with federal flood
mitigation funds, where the positions will end when those funds are (several talking)
Bailey/ That's my question.
Correia/ It says it in there, but it doesn't say it in the resolution itself, and I guess (noise on mic) I
would like to see the resolution specify...
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Helling/ The...the positions are...by definition they would be, they're created as permanent
positions, and we...we've done this with, uh, our special project inspectors, um, so
there...they will get benefits and so forth, but there...with the understanding that when
the work goes away, because it pays from the projects rather than project budgets, rather
than from the General Fund. When the work goes away then the positions go away.
Correial I guess I'd like that stated in the resolution, just so it's very clear, both for the folks that
(mumbled) I don't know if we do hire letters, I mean, (mumbled) positions funded by a
grant, it's in the hire letter that...funded by a grant, if the grant goes away the position
goes away, that sort of thing.
Champion/ I think it's understood.
Helling/ Typically we haven't put that in the resolution. We've done the resolutions with the
language to create a position, uh, or you know, whatever positions basically by, um, if the
position already exists, increasing the number, um, so yeah, I hadn't really thought about
whether or not we would want to write that in...it might be a little confusing if we have,
um, resolutions, some saying you know (both talking)
Correia/ Well cause I mean some, but some positions are permanent positions that are funded
through the General Fund, or other funding streams. I know engineering is different than
other departments, um, it just seems...in the...in the climate that we're in where, you
know, we're talking about difficulty in continuing to fund positions, to be very clear
about these are funded with specific grant funds with specific time-limited purpose, and
that when the outside funding goes away, then the positions are...will no longer be kept.
Fosse/ This is a technique that we've used since the...the 1980s on large projects, and most
recently we geared up with two similar positions for the, uh, south waste water treatment
plant project and then the water plant project. And, uh, one of the advantages of not tying
it to a specific project is that...as other projects come along, uh, they may present
opportunities there. For instance, you know, that last gear up that we did around, uh,
1998, we hired two people, uh, the workload dropped off where we let one go, uh, but
there's been projects that's kept the other one busy and saved us a lot of money in the
meantime. The fire station remodel, and..and so forth. East side recycling is another one
coming up. And the new fire station. So there's...that versatility is a good thing.
Hayek/ Amy, would your...
Correia/ I think it's more...I mean, it partly is...and maybe this is in then the budgeting process
of the information that the Council gets. It's not immediately clear in that those
budgetary materials which positions in any department really, which positions are
positions that are funded with outside funding streams, not from the General Levy
support, um, you know, and I think...as well as, how this strategy saves the City money.
Is it more expensive to contract it out, or is it...you know, more cost-effective and
efficient to (mumbled) and I think that's information...right, but that's not information
that gets elevated up.
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Bailey/ But I think what you're saying is...what we can expect to see for example in the Public
Works budget page is we will see some inter-governmental funds or whatever...however
we classify these, with the understanding and perhaps what would be helpful, at least
what I think, is some note at the bottom of the page that two positions or some note on
the...the FTEs, that two of these positions are paid from these inter-governmental funds.
Helling/ ...talking about in the budget document?
Bailey/ Yeah. I think that's what...Amy's getting at tracking some of this. These aren't General
Fund dollars. And I think that given...given some of the challenges we're going to face
with the budget, I think that that...that transparency makes sense, and that's what you're
trying to get to, right?
Correia/ I think that's important, right, is where, you know, a few months ago we're talking
about, oh, we're going to, you know, potentially we're going to need to cut staff and staff
wonders where are we going to do that, and now two months later we're (both talking)
resolution that, you know, in...in here it says funded with flood mitigation money, but in
the resolution itself...
Bailey/ And I think we should note that when we present the resolution tomorrow night, and then
perhaps note it in some way in the budget, because that...I think that's going to be an
important discussion, because we do have positions funded with grant dollars this year,
particularly. For the...
Helling/ We'll talk about how to put it in, whether we footnote it or whether we do something in
the narrative, because there aren't that many positions like this, and we might be (both
talking)
Bailey/ Right. Do you want to note that tomorrow night then?
Correia/ Sure, and I guess just...it would be...it would have been nice to have a memo,
just...versus just the resolution. (mumbled)
Champion/ Says right there.
Bailey/ Other agenda items?
ITEM 12. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN
AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, AND PUBLIC ACCESS
TELEVISION, INC. FOR FUNDING, OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT
OF THE LOCAL PUBLIC ACCESS FUNCTION.
Wright/ I just had a quick question on item 12.
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Bailey/ Now you don't have your mic on, Mike, so (mumbled). Sorry! Thank you!
Wright/ (mumbled)
Bailey/ Pretty much!
Wright/ This is allergies by the way. I'm not spreading disease all around the room! (laughter
and several talking) Pretty sure! Uh, on item 12, um, talking about the, uh, public access
television resolution. Section 2, uh, and I know we have always funded this and this
resolution indicates that we would, uh, continue to provide funding, operation and
management, um, is there any specific level of funding that we would be tied to for that?
Helling/ Where you looking at?
Wright/ I'm looking on, uh, item 12, on the resolution proper.
Helling/ Oh, in the resolution itself (mumbled)
Wright/ Sorry!
Helling/ Okay.
Wright/ Um, in item 2. I'm just curious if there's any.. .
Helling/ The funding that we provided has always been...it was an amount that was determined
when PATV first took over in 90 or...I think it was 1990, uh, an amount that is then, uh,
escalated by...there's an escalator of, equal to the CPIU.
Wright/ Okay.
Helling/ And that's...that's funds that are separately provided by our franchise, uh, or by virtue of
our franchise, provided by Mediacom to the City for these purposes, which we then turn
over to PATV. It's not apass-through; we don't have to give it to another entity, but that's
what we do. So it's this year's amount, plus or minus that dollar amount based on
inflation...for the following year, and that's...that's not specified because we're not
locked into that.
Wright/ Okay.
Helling/ But that's what it's always been.
Wright/ Thank you.
Shipley/ One more follow up. What's the difference between the community television service
and then the PATV?
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Helling/ Well, community television service operates out of the City's, uh, cable TV offices.
Public access TV is a separate entity. It's run by a separate board and uh, they
provide...started out as pure public access, which is the public comes in and uses the
equipment for producing it's own program and so forth. They do some community
programming now with their staff, but it's still open to the public, and the general public
can use it...whereas our offices are only used by our own staff.
Bailey/ Other agenda items?
Dilkes/ I...Mike, on your question too, the...the agreement specifically provides if we lose that
funding source or don't get that funding for any reason that we're not obligated to...to pay
then.
Wright/ Yeah. Thank you.
Hayek/ What's the...I can't remember, what is the duration of these contracts? Is it...year to year
or...
Helling/ Cable contract?
Hayek/ No, the PATV.
Helling/ Oh, PATV, yeah, it's three years.
Hayek/ Three years (mumbled) missed that.
Helling/ I think it...it's subject to renewal if they give the proper notice and that, but the renewed
contract is renegotiated.
Hayek/ But the escalator is calculated every year.
Helling/ Yes!
Hayek/ Okay.
ITEM 3. CONSIDERATION ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED.
f) Resolutions.
3. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATIONS
FOR FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR FEDERAL RECREATION
TRAILS PROGRAM (FRT) PROJECTS TO THE IOWA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (IDOT), FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION TRAILS.
Bailey/ Other agenda items? Quick question on 3.f.3. when we're talking about these trail
app...grant applications. What's the local match requirement?
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Davidson/ (unable to hear)
Bailey/ 3.£3., it's in the Consent Calendar. Right before'correspondence.' Authorizing
applications for funding assistance for federal recreation trail programs. IDOT. What is
our local match?
Davidson/ I assume that's 80/20. John, 80/20, I think all the federal programs under...well,
whatever the federal statute is now. It's (both talking)
Bailey/ That's what I thought. Okay, thanks. Any other agenda items?
ITEM 7. CONSIDER AN ORDINANfCE AMENDING TITLE 8, POLICE
REGULATIONS, CHAPTER 6, PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS
OF AGE, TO ADD A NEW! SECTION 2, JUVENILE CURFEW TO ADD A
NEW JUVENILE CURFE~°V ORDINANCE. (SECOND CONSIDERATION)
Correia/ I just...on the agenda item 7, the curfew. Is there, um...many discussions we talked
about, um...down the road looking at, is it working, you know, to determine whether we
would keep it or not, um, is there any interest in identifying, I mean, what would those
benchmarks be for is this...achieving the goals that we wanted to achieve. So, and the
other is, is there any interest in asking the Police Department to collect information on
curfew...I'm not going to say that we'd stop necessarily, but um, interactions related to
curfew, tickets, that sort of a thing. Just kind (several talking)
Bailey/ ...track tickets, right?
Helling/ Some of that information, the statistical information, will be...if you're talking about
more getting into the describe the circumstances of, you know, each situation, that's not
something they normally would do.
Correia/ Right. That's what I'm...is there arty interest in collect...asking the Police Department
to collect data that they might not normally collect, to try and determine is this an
effective strategy, is it doing what we're wanting it to do, and some of the research that
I've been looking at on effectiveness of curfews on juvenile crime, uh, very spotty, um, in
some cases it's effective, in some cases it's not, many times there's no statistical
significance. In many, uh, some of the cases there's a lot of curfew tickets, but not very
many actual, you know, juvenile crime that was...so there's a lot of time spent with
curfew violations versus...so I was just kind of wanting to get a sense if there's interest in
trying to track some type of information to determine is this getting at what we wanted to
get at, be able to evaluate...down the road. Six months, nine months.
Bailey/ I'd like to see asix-month report, although I mean the challenges of course, we don't
expect to see a lot of activity over a winter. So, but I'd like to get asix-nine...
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Champion/ Well, I think we ought to have a (mumbled) what's happening and just...I don't
expect them to keep track of every child they speak to, um, but I certainly want...I want
to know how it's being enforced.
Helling/ And...and that's something we certainly intend to (both talking) how it's being enforced,
the number of citations, you know, those kinds of things. Um, we also have, uh, are in
the process of assuming that the ordinance passes, to um, a gentleman from the
Department of Justice who provides services in terms of, um, bringing to...to a
community, what happens in the larger arena, you know, throughout the country, and one
of the things that...that he's offered to do is to talk with us and share some things about
curfews and how they're enforced, you know, what are some of the, you know, the
positive things and some...sort of the tricks of the trade I guess, if you will, and so what
we've said...we're working on setting up a time when we could meet, and I think that
may be very helpful and some other things like that, um, so I'm not sure if L ..I know I
can't tell you right now what are the kind of criteria that would make the most sense or
give you the best, you know, the best yardstick for measuring success, or failure, but uh,
we'll be looking at that and this is one of the things that (mumbled) try to pull that
together.
Champion/ Good!
Correia/ I guess the other...that brings up the other question. So if this passes next week, besides
all of the publicity just about the voting, what have...what sort of measures are we
planning, is the Police Department planning, to get the word out? To young people and
their parents that...before the snow ardinance went into effect, there was a lot of
marketing and publicity about this naw ordinance and what it meant and what people
needed to do and know about, what type of...outreach, publicity is the City, the Police
Department, planning so that young people and their parents...we assume because there's
been a lot of attention to the Council that everybody knows, but I don't (several talking) if
that would be the case exactly.
Helling/ Yeah, um...that's a good point and L..just off the top of my head it seems to me that if
we could work with the School District on that, that would get us a long ways in terms of
not only the kids, but their parents as well. LJh, I don't have any other...good ideas on
how to identify who are the people in the community, you know, other than, you know,
the media in general, but who are the people in the community we target who have youth
under the age of 18, except through the school.
Champion/ Schools would be the most effective way to do it.
Correia) But I mean I think that there needs to be like when the snow ordinance went into effect,
there was a City department that created the info sheet and like got it out there. I mean,
we have a communications department. We have those, so I mean, it seems like
between...hopefully maybe now and next week so it would go into effect immediately
that...I don't know if the Police Chief could work with our communications department
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to design some type of...you know, media information that would get out somehow
that...so that...
Bailey/ Can we have some more information on that next...at our work session next week?
Helling/ (mumbled)
Bailey/ Yeah, that would be good. Because I'm sure that they've thought about it...so, it'd be
good to hear the plans.
Hayek/ I, um, I would support a, you know, an examination or a look at...at any curfew
ordinance that we enact, at some appropriate interval, um, and I fully support getting the
message out through the School District or whatever medium we....we use, but I guess I
have some reluctance about data collection with respect to this ordinance. I mean,
we're...we're not doing that kind of collection with...with other ordinances, um...many
or most of which could be interpreted as...as applying to the same youths, and...and so
there's a consistency issue there, and I think it's compounded by the fact that the stated
intent of the curfew is to be used, uh, as much as possible, the informal manner, um, and
I...I'm not sure what data you would collect if it's a (several talking)
Wilburn/ Excuse me. There's...before you...there's one slight correction of what you just said.
For example, um, there has been a study in the past, uh, I don't remember if it was my
first or second term on Council, uh, we passed a...a resolution against racial profiling and
at the time we were anticipating in a study. I don't remember, the University, that
collect...analyzed the data that was collected but there was specific demographic
information that was collected. I don't know if that's still being collected, uh, but was it
Kentucky...University of Kentucky or something like that, so it's not unheard of that,
um...certain types of information would have been collected as part of the study. So I'm
just putting that out there for you to know.
Hayek/ Right, but to...but to include one ordinance when potentially fifteen should be the
subject of (several talking)
Bailey/ ...this was really brought about in response to a community request, and I think it does
make sense in view of some of the concerns and some of the discussions, and some of the
energy around it, to single this out, at least for a year, a year and a half after it.
Correia/ And I think because, I mean, and maybe other ordinances we should go back and look
at, I mean, is this an effective policy, and I think that you know the...the...it seems that
the intent of imposing juvenile curfews is to decrease juvenile crime and...and
victimization, um, and that that's why we're getting the requests, and so it would be good,
useful as...is this an effective policy, to go back and say, I mean, even...even...not even
to look at how many curfew tickets if that's not what we want to look at, but has there
been a decrease in, you know, complaints, juvenile complaints or juvenile arrests, I mean,
if that's what we're hoping to achieve with the curfew.
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Bailey/ And once again I'm sure that staff has talked about this to a certain degree. If we can just
have information about what you all expect to do to publicize and to track or to provide
information to Council, I think that would be helpful.
Wright/ Yeah, I do think some data would be appropriate in this, uh, especially given the
community discussion that's gone on with it.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Champion/ Oh, I think...I'm not sure (mumbled) because kids are standing in the middle of the
street...and the police get a phone call, and it's not a crime, so if that gets stopped by the
curfew that's not going to decrease the crime rate. (mumbled) something's that this is
meant to curtail, has not been (mumbled) crime before anyway.
Wright/ Well, I'm not particularly talking about a...crimes as such, but if...we have this curfew,
there's been no small amount of controversy, um, I'd like to see how it's being used and
where and who (both talking) well, not who...
O'Donnell/ ...something to justify how effective it is.
Champion/ Exactly! But I'm not sure what that is. (several talking)
Bailey/ Well, and...like I said, I'm sure that staff has talked about it, I mean...
Dilkes/ (several talking) it's really hard to sit around and...and, you know, figure that out right
now. For instance, with the under-19 ordinance, when we tried to put...I think we set up
criteria that we were going to look at after a year, and we...we told Council about what
that criteria was going to be and...and we used that, but you have...you have to examine
a particular situation and decide what criteria you're going to use to evaluate it...um, and
that takes some thought and time.
Correia/ Well, I mean, I do think in this...for juvenile curfew, I mean, there are hundreds of
cities around the country that have curfews, and...and they've been studying the
effectiveness of them for a number of years, at least ten, um, that's the first study that
I...in 1996 when the Department of Justice looked at the effectiveness of curfews so I
mean I do think there are some standards. We're not making up this policy from scratch,
and that we can look at other...the way other cities have...tried to assess.effectiveness,
um, and look at data that is being collected to try and assess.
Helling/ Right. I think we can get some information (mumbled) made reference to the data that
we have collected, for instance, with racial profiling. Well, we are going to new software
now, and we'll have the ability to collect and process additional data. So, but we don't
know exactly how that...what that looks like yet, but we will, so all these things that
come into play over the next weeks and months as we implement.
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Champion/ I don't want to get too hung up on that. Um...cause I...oh, never mind, I could go on
and on, because I think...if you can keep kids off the street, maybe they'll do better in
school if they're home. Maybe you won't see an increase in crimes, but you might not see
a decrease, but since crime is escalating here, if you just leveled it off. If you could keep
kids...I think the long-term effects that you can't possibly measure, um, do you keep
those kids in school because they've been asleep (mumbled) get up and go to school, and
do they stay in school longer instead of dropping out or getting into trouble by roaming
the streets, so I don't want to get hung up on the data. I do want to hear about how it's
being enforced. I definitely want to hear about that.
Bailey/ Okay.
Wright/ I just want to mention one other thing on item 7. There's a letter in our packet from
Henri Harper, the juvenile court liaison at City High School, um, and I was really
fascinated when I read this letter over what he's trying to do, and I actually called Mr.
Harper on the phone, and spoke with him, uh, for a reasonable period of time. He's
actually working pretty hard in...in lining people up to do what he's proposing in this...in
this memorandum of, uh, getting people to, uh, be out on the street and relate to the kids
and establish some relationships, and uh, I...I thought it was...after having spoken to
him, I thought it was enough that I asked him if he could possibly address Council when
this came up at our meeting tomorrow night, and I think, uh...his program really shows
an awful lot of promise, and it's actually the first and only, uh, solution coming up out of
the community that I really think has some promise, um...and you know when he comes
to speak tomorrow night, um...I think it would be a good idea to keep our ears open.
Correia/ I did hear from him that they're having a meeting on the 30th, I think Wed...I think
that's Wednesday night, and I was hoping (mumbled) see if he had invited Officer Bailey
(mumbled) Bailey to that, and then I think that that would be good...if...if...
Helling/ Who's having the meeting?
Correia/ Henri Harper, and I know he has, um, contacted me to find out the Grant Wood
Neighborhood Association president so (mumbled) information from Marcia (mumbled)
the contact person there, so...
Wright/ Yeah, cause...cause contact (mumbled)
Correia/ Mr. Harper (mumbled)
Helling/ No, how would L ..what's the meeting? I mean, I (both talking)
Correia/ I think they're having it, a..a first coalition meeting of...of interested neighborhood
residents (several talking) the Neighborhood Watch.. .
Helling/ Right, yeah. Grant Wood, is that...
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Correia/ I have no idea where...all I know is he said (several talking)
Wright/ I don't know under who's auspices this meeting is being held. I think it's a bunch of
folks in the community who are really interested in finding a better community-based
solution to some of the problems. Um...but it, uh, I was really impressed talking to him,
uh, what he's putting together, and the response that he's starting to get from the
community. He's actually getting leaders, um...people are agreeing to help organize
specific streets, uh...(several talking)
Helling/ (mumbled)
Wright/ I know I...I should have even asked about that. I didn't, um, but his...his, it says in this
memorandum that he plans to talk to the Police, and of course this is now more than a
week old.
Bailey/ Anything else on 7? Okay, any agenda...other agenda items? Should we move on to
discuss public art? Hi! Yeah, Mark, you're going to have to wear a mic. (several
talking)
Abbreviated Public Art Program (IP2 of 9/24):
Seabold/ Looks like it's backwards...(several talking, noises on mic)
Bailey/ Or you can just hold it and speak into it. There you go.
Seabold/ There. How's that? That work? (several talking) Anyway, hey, I'm Mark Seabold.
I'm current Chair of the Public Art Advisory Committee, um, boy, thanks for letting us
come in tonight and just talk to you. I think, um, you know, since the Council, um, you
know at the last budget meeting kind of had a, um, made the decision to discontinue the
funding for the program. I know we've met a couple different times and just talked about
different opportunities that maybe we could see to...to somehow continue the program in
Iowa City at some level, um, while we get through this budgetary situation that, you
know, really everybody's (mumbled) so it's...we're really coming at this from a, uh, I
guess a position of understanding, but also from a position of, boy, we have seen so much
positive, um, so many positive things come from this program, uh, that we really hate to
see it just fall by the wayside and really, uh, you know, have been just that much more of
a problem, and kicking it back in, uh, at some point in the future. You know, hopefully,
so...um, I guess what we've done is came up with a...with a recommendation to keep the
program at more of a fiscally responsible level for the next few years, um, and just...and
just kind of type that up and...and are here to present that here tonight, for discussion and
to see if that's an option, or if there's maybe a different option that we'd want to, or that
you would want to, uh, consider.
Bollinger/ Many if not most of these items posted on (mumbled) are things that maybe were
talked about in the budget discussion items as being things that, um, we thought you at
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some, um, there would be a real loss in terms of no longer (mumbled) funded, so...that's
basically where this kind of started from.
Seabold/ Yeah. Yeah, our understanding was, it wasn't an easy decision, you know, to...to
discontinue the budget and uh, you know, certainly with that in mind, we've tried to look
at the things that really had the most impact for I guess...to the least, um, amount of
money and...and of which there are quite a few that we've been doing, you know, much
recently and in the past that I think have really been effective strategies to get public art
out into the public. Um, and...and you know, even though we have a lot of I think very
successful pieces downtown, we've really been spreading out and...and gaining presence
in the neighborhoods, um, and schools, and uh, you know, and other park areas. So, um,
you know, with that we did prepare, um, I guess this proposed public art, um, abbreviated
program from a budgetary standpoint, and then um, I'd just like to go through I guess
item by item, if we have time. LTh, instead of...talk about, I guess, successes that we've
seen with some of these programs. Uh, you know, the first within the memo, uh, we're
talking about the temporary showcase pads. We have one downtown that is focused on
local Iowa artists, revolves every year around Arts Fest. Um, as well as one down on the
Peninsula that's just right off the pedestrian bridge, uh, across the Iowa River. Both of
those have been full for the most part. Um (both talking) up until now, and you know, it's
kind of a hole downtown, you know, I recognize it as I'm walking through there, I'm like,
oh, there really needs to be something on that pad there. Um, again, that was something
that was a $5.00 honorarium for each pad, and then our staffing time on that was about
$500. Um, poetry in public, Marcia, I guess you're (mumbled)
Bollinger/ Um, it would...this year would be its 8th...8th year. Uh, I've seen it grown
considerably in terms of interest and enthusiasm, not only from the adult writers
(mumbled) school children, and the new awareness on the teachers' level in terms of
(mumbled) to support the program and encourage the...the children participate. Um, that
is very little in terms of actual costs only because all we have to do is be able to produce
the poems, uh, it takes time quite frankly, um, my intern usually is put, um, is responsible
for seeing what that (coughing) outside of, excuse me (mumbled) a few hours on my part.
Correia/ I think that's a great program. I mean, I see the poetry (mumbled) bus, or at the Rec
Center, and I mean, it really...matches well with the City of Literature designation, and I
mean, it's a perfect project for an intern, it's not...
Bollinger/ Not horribly difficult, but...
Correia/ Right, but requires work and.. .
Bollinger/ ...promotional and...
Davidson/ ...specifically cited in the City of Literature application (several talking) one of the
things going (both talking)
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Correia/ ...the poems that these young people write are just amazing. It's really nice to see them
in public and (several talking) right, right!
Seabold/ Um...just I guess continuing down the list. We do have a art, public art in private
spaces, um, and really that's for individuals that have artwork on their private properties,
but are viewable by the public, and just a, um, some staff time to review and...and to
make those types of recognitions. Um, our mural projects down at, um, Wetherby Park
and Creekside Park have been, you know, I think very well received, and I think we've
really done, you know, had a positive impact on those parks again for very little cost.
Uh, the neighborhood art project is one that, um, you know, it's probably the highest
annual, or the highest capital cost, I should say, um, item on the list, but it is one and it's
one....we can certainly discuss too if...if it's appropriate at this point or not, but it...it
was one that we felt you know, it's really (mumbled) and really working with the
neighborhoods so they can establish their own identities through art and through public
art program.
Correia/ When was the last neighborhood art project?
Bollinger/ Um, the Washington Hills.
Seabold/ Yeah, just installed.
Bollinger/ The bench mosaic...
Davidson/ If you haven't seen it, go see it. It's fabulous!
Bollinger/ That is not completed as yet cause there's going to be (several talking) mosaics as
well. And those typically, I mean, this figure is $10,000, um, almost all of the
neighborhood art projects have run between $13,000 and $15,000. I think maybe one of
them was up to $16,000, so this is a little bit cut back. Obviously I think you can still do
a decent art project for less than that, but...
Seabold/ Um, the elementary school mascot program was one that...that, uh, John Bacon over at
Lemme kind of got started last year, and it was just fantastic, and so that's
something...I've actually talked to, um, the principal at Longfellow School about, cause
my kids go there, and he was excited about it too and knows John and everyone and you
know, I think it's something they...they, John did so well at getting the children involved
in it, and then for us to be involved, and then for a piece of our work to be produced with
that much focus on it, that many, you know, different levels of the public being into it. I
think it was really effective, and again, uh, you know, fairly low cost. We were just kind
of, um, helping out at that point cause so much of the funding for that project came from,
uh, the parents and the children and the school. Um, you know we do do kids' tent
annually. We've done it for the last three...two years, three years.
Bollinger/ We skipped a year but we've done it twice now.
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Seabold/ Okay. Which is great, and it's a lot of fun, and you know, we've been down there, and
we have no shortage of artists donating artwork, you know, to that program, just so you
can, you know, as a child...it's something I...I, uh, did when I was little, you know, at a
Springfield art fair I think and you know was able to go into a tent and just make my own
choices and everything's so cheap and it was great. So...um, and then, you know, we
also do have, um, just the ongoing maintenance of the existing inventory that we have to
accommodate somehow, and so that, again, is on this abbreviated program budget. Um,
oh, as I, sorry, as well as reviewing, you know, proposals from um, artwork that's gifted
to the City, of which there's been couple different pieces. So, I guess I'd just like to open
it up for discussion. I, you know, I do in this memo, I say, you know, I believe the public
art program, you know, under the leadership of the Public Art Advisory Committee's
(mumbled) Iowa City over the past 12 years. I firmly believe that. I've lived here, you
know, for that amount of time, and I've just seen so many positive things come out of it,
and being, um, on the committee for the last, uh, four or five years...it's been a while. It's
going on six. It's been great! I mean, it's a great committee. We've talked about
continuing to meet whether there's meetings or not and trying to figure out a way to
continue this, um, but we would certainly (mumbled).
Bailey/ Well, thank you, Mark, I mean, I think, well first of all, just absolutely sick that we're
going this direction with this program. It's a notable program in our state, I mean, I
remember a couple of years ago when Karin Franklin was presenting our public art
program to leaders around the state, as an example of what we should be doing with art,
and I think you've done a great job of pulling some of the...the key, the key projects that
are low-cost to keep sort of a placeholder for all of us to remind us how important it is
that Iowa City doesn't lose track, doesn't become Ottumwa, Iowa or Joliet, Illinois or
something, um, and doesn't lose track of this. So, thank you so much. I know it's been
difficult because you're also very committed to it, so...I...I think this is...I...I could have
firmed this direction for sure, but I do have some questions, and I'd like to (mumbled)
some other people, um, I mean, as these projects come to us I think there's the
expectation of the Public Art Committee that we would...we would go ahead with
projects that are within this scope, and...is this our intent or...or what are you thinking?
Shipley/ I have a question, um...in the minutes you mention having like, uh, $38,000 for
administrative costs. That's correct?
Davidson/ Not for administrative costs. No.
Shipley/ Oh, that's for...
Davidson/ Yeah, there's...there's $38,000 remaining from the FY09, uh, and previous budget
years, um, that...that would basically be for the, uh, capital expenses.
Shipley/ (mumbled) three times roughly the capital costs though.
Davidson/ Right, but I...the point we were trying to make there is that that is existing funding
that's available in the current budget (several talking)
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Correia/ ...two years no new funding (mumbled) could be allocated.
Davidson/ Yeah, Marcia and I will continue to...to provide the administrative staff support,
principally Marcia, uh, or uh, for the program, which is how it was designed. I mean, it
was designed for the Director of Planning, originally, and then we just worked out this
arrangement that's worked very satisfactorily, so...we'll continue that, and it would be for
the capital expenses, and then we do have the...the relatively minor operating expenses
that...what we would propose to do is just continue as we're doing in FY10, and then uh,
when Marcia prepares the FYl 1 budget we would make it consistent with whatever you
determine.
Bailey/ Any...
Champion/ Well, I love the poetry in the public. I think that's (mumbled)
Bailey/ I don't think we can...it's so critical to being a UNESCO designation (both talking)
Wright/ ...City of Literature needs something like that (several talking)
Champion/ And I love the mural projects with the high schools. Um, I mean, I love all of it! I'm
just trying to think of how far your money can go, um, maintenance is essential, um...
Bailey/ I have a question about that figure, because I've noticed (both talking)
Champion/ It seems like a lot!
Bailey/ Oh, I've been noticing some of...some of the literary walk and...and I've some real
concerns about, um, and...and I don't want it to go anywhere. I don't think we should be
taking it up. I...I'm concerned a little bit that we're not doing enough maintenance
around some of those plaques.
Seabold/ There was one issue with one of the plaques. We...
Bailey/ Well, I tripped on one the other day so I think it's coming up too.
Seabold/ Okay.
Bailey/ So, and I don't remember where it was (several talking) might have actually (laughter) I
don't think it was my fault! Um...
Bollinger/ I think that's what...this all goes into the fact that we really do need to probably spend
some time looking at each, um, piece of artwork that we have, develop some kind of a
maintenance schedule for them. We haven't had a chance to do that, and so this figure
just comes...kind of (both talking)
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Bailey/ ...my concern about it being low, because if we don't have a maintenance inventory or
idea.
Bollinger/ One piece or one repair can easily cost that. The Irving Weber statue I think was
about (mumbled)
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Bollinger/ Made some minor repairs (mumbled) Sycamore Trail, um, that was probably...that
was a little bit less than a thousand (noise on mic)
Champion/ No I guess not.
Correia/ So there could be a strategy of...keeping some of the...low-cost poetry, things like the
poetry in public, the mural project, and then concentrating on making sure current public
art structures (several talking) right, right, is maintained, um, so you know maybe as
funding is available to do (mumbled)
Bailey/ And I would like to, just, I mean (both talking) I know that this is the highest dollar
amount, but the neighborhood art project, when you started...when the art...well, public
art committee started moving things from downtown. Now, I love the downtown, um, art
and all that, but when you started moving things out into the neighborhood, I think that
really had an impact, and I would hate to lose track of that, as well. So, I know that this
is scaled down...
Wright/ Well, I think the fact that there's $38,000 remaining in the budget from previous years
that could really...could handle what you're talking about for the next couple of years
pretty easily, um, it...to me that's kind of a no-brainer. We might as well, uh, try to reap
some benefit from the public art.
Bailey/ (both talking)
Wright/ ...and then hopefully in a couple of years maybe our budget will be looking a little
better.
Hayek/ How does that reserve work? I mean, if...if those dollars are there, can they be used
presently for ongoing activities?
Davidson/ Well, that's part of what we're trying to clarify here tonight, Matt, is that the...we've
had the arrangement with the Finance Department because different funds are handled
differently in terms of those funds continuing to roll over in each successive year, as
opposed to being terminated at the end of the fiscal year, so that's why the funds are there
and available, but...but clearly they're under your control. I mean, you can decide (both
talking) you can decide what to do, whatever you want to do with them, and of course
any specific project will continue to come to you on aproject-by-project basis for
approval.
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Bailey/ A neighborhood art project would come to us for example.
Hayek/ So in the last budget cycle we decided to do...we decided not to allocate for FY10, but
we didn't make any decisions about the reserve...the balance, whatever you want to call
it.
Helling/ Well, and you...charged the Public Art Advisory Committee with coming up with a
scaled down program (mumbled)
Bailey/ And I think this is wonderful (several talking). I do have some questions. I've been
reading your minutes, and I was in Des Moines yesterday for the Pappajohn sculpture. I
mean...Vision Iowa's part of that. It's just...that's what we should be doing, quite
honestly. $60 million projects, but (laughter) it leveraged $750 million. Des Moines has
cranes on the skyline. No city in Iowa who does. They do, because of that project. Um,
you talked about, um, donations, and...where, you know, where did you go with that? I
mean, I think that some of the most successful programs probably go that direction of
private/public.
Seabold/ Yeah, I think, um, I think that's our next logical step, to be doing these larger pieces.
You know, I think we've found that, certainly the budget, um...was cut down from
before. You know, it used to be at a higher level, and that's what accomplished, you
know, some of the larger pieces downtown. The fountain, the literary walk, you know,
lot of those, uh, very successful pieces were done with a larger budget, um, but it was still
city-allocated money so I think if we want to start to get into those larger projects, again,
we are going to have to go out and start to do, you know, fundraising at some level.
Champion/ Is there a foundation set up for that already? I mean, this is...(several talking)
Bollinger/ ...Arts Council has some grant funds, and even private sponsorships, I mean...not
necessarily right now, but I'd like to (mumbled)
Bailey/ As we are working on projects with the University, um, with flood rebuilding, and I
mean, I know that art isn't key, you know I'd be happy to talk to John...and Mary
Pappajohn with you, um, are we thinking of partnerships in that direction, as well? With
the University.
Davidson/ Yeah, certainly keep our eyes open for partnerships when we...(mumbled) the Court
Street Transportation Center, we basically partnered with the federal government for
public art element of that project. Public Art Committee's budget paid the local match for
that, but 80% of that was paid for by the federal government, and that's a fabulous project
(several talking) as well as the art fence in (several talking) so that's a great, you know,
opportunities like that we'll continue to try and take advantage of.
Bailey/ Which leads me to my other question, and I didn't see it in the minutes, and um, you
know, when we did the Lower West Branch Road bridge, I was out walking...we have
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some art incorporated into that structure. Did you talk about a broader of how we do
public art throughout the community, incorporating that into some of our larger projects?
And I...I know (several talking and laughing) passion of yours so...I'm sure you have
some comments about that. (several talking)
Fosse/ That project on Lower West Branch Road was independent from the public art program.
Bailey/ Right! But had we talked about, that being part of how Iowa City does public art, or
aesthetic...has some, you know.
Fosse/ Yes. And it has been discussed. In the early days of the public art program, and there
was a deliberate distinction between the aesthetics of projects like a bridge and public art,
because we consider those two different things. The aesthetics have somewhat of a
broad...broad appeal, and...and um, and somewhat lower cost, and then the public art
(both talking)
Bailey/ Right, which is completely different, definitely...right.
Fosse/ So that...that line is...is been deliberate. Uh, but by the same token, you know, I think
1989 was our first year where we really started to incorporate, uh, aesthetics into
infrastructure. We've...I think we've done a very good job of that.
Bailey/ Uh-huh. So, we're going to continue...
Davidson/ ...distinction has been made between making something beautiful and having it be art.
Bailey/ Right, and...and public art is very distinct from aesthetics in public infrastructure, but I
also...I guess I'm also asking, do we intend to continue that, as well...that program?
Fosse/ That's our intent.
Bailey/ That approach, okay.
Davidson/ And that's on a case-by-case basis. There are programs, which I'm sure many of
you've heard of, the percent for art where any public works, any municipal project would
have a percent dedicated to art. That's nothing that we haven't placed currently, but could
be considered in the future.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Hayek/ Um...where in the, uh, the water park...where would the water park sculpture funds have
come from, had we proceeded with that project?
Davidson/ That would have been a combination of those carry-over funds, plus the new
allocation of $50,000, which was subsequently cut from the budget.
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Hayek/ Okay, but would have come out of the...the...the pot that now holds $38,000.
Davidson/ It wouldn't have covered the whole thing.
Hayek/ Right. But...but (several talking) okay.
Bollinger/ The goal with that program ironically, originally it was because of its visibility would
have been ideal for fundraising and sponsorship, and...as the economy deteriorated the
committee decided that its probably not likely (mumbled) or percent of the proposals.
Seabold/ Yeah, we were looking at tree-by-tree, I mean, it would have been a great opportunity
to get the public (mumbled) really, you know, almost forest out that whole thing
potentially, but...
Hayek/ Well, L ..I love just about everything that gets funded through this program. L ..I do
wonder whether we couldn't consider a, uh, taking a break on the neighborhood art
project, just for a little while. It's 70 or 80% of the...of the proposed cost. We've done
five or six neighborhoods now, and we could let up for a couple of years, and the dollars
that are presently in the fund would last much longer, and we could continue to do some
of the "lesser" but perhaps equally visible, uh, projects.
Correia/ The mural projects are incredible, I mean...
Bailey/ That's just (mumbled)
Champion/ Right.
Bailey/ (several talking)
Correia/ Right, but I mean...increasing, doing more mural projects.
Bollinger/ They can replace them to some degree, possibly.
Bailey/ But the nice thing about the neighborhood projects is they're driven by the
neighborhoods, so...I mean, they...
Correia/ But I'm saying like the mural projects are...is neighborhood art that involves, I mean, it
(mumbled) much lower cost so that you could achieve the bringing the neighborhood
together and working on a project, and involving young people, um...
Hayek/ And let's say we've got a four or five year malaise economically locally, here,
and...and...and uh, things don't turn around, and the difficult decision we made in FY10
has to be played out several more years, aren't we going to want to spread the previously
allocated dollars as far as we can? It's not a popular decision, you know, makes me feel
sick to not...to think about not having these things, but um, we could...we could stretch
those dollars farther and further by...by taking a break on that one high dollar project.
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Correia/ Especially because the maintenance here...estimate is probably lower than what...we
just talked, we just mentioned two maintenance projects that equal about $3,000 and that
(mumbled) taking care of, but I mean that...we certainly don't want our current art to
deteriorate.
Champion/ That'd be terrible.
Correia/ Yeah, so...
Bailey/ Public art is about accessibility, and the thing that the neighborhood...and Iunderstand
it's the high dollar, and I understand, you know, that it could stretch our dollars farther,
but if you...you look at the strict definition of public art, it's...it's access, and getting art
into neighborhoods is access and creates that, and our Comp Plan opens that we are a city
of neighborhoods and this...there's nothing that says our commitment to neighborhoods
like putting art there. I mean, I understand your concern, but this is such a scaled back
project, or a budget, but I think we should give it a try. I mean...
Champion/ Um, L . .
Bailey/ ...more than just streets and sewers.
Champion/ Well, L ..I agree with you, Regenia. How much do all these add up to? Like, I can't
understand (several talking)
Bailey/ I would, you know, here's the thing. '.Once we do our...maintenance inventory, that
might give us some indication of if vve can afford that particular program. That...that I
do have concern that this is a very low number. Cause I don't (several talking) oldest
piece?
Champion/ Oh, one of those things downtown with the (both talking)
Bollinger/ The fountain, um, any of the downtown artwork.
Bailey/ Right, on the (several talking)
Seabold/ (mumbled)
Bailey/ See, and I think the literary walk is probably the more...
Davidson/ I mean, part of our... administration of the budget, like administration in any budget
that you give us, that you approve, is that, you know, if we end up with...needing
additional funds for maintenance of the existing inventory, that means we do less
somewhere else.
Bailey/ Right.
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Davidson/ Unless we come back to you and ask for more money, and that's not likely in this
economic climate. So, um...you know, we will manage the program and not do things
that we can't afford to do, but clearly if there's something that just functionally you don't
want to do, then that's...
Bailey/ I'm comfortable with this program and (several talking)
Champion/ ...private art in public (mumbled) public art in private spaces.
Wright/ That's just administrative, Connie.
Champion/Oh, oh! Okay. (several talking) Right, right. Yes.
Bailey/ Remember we got that (several talking)
Wright/ And I think that's right. I think maybe it's just the ability to pick and choose between
these items and appropriate with the money that we have.
Champion/ ...the money (both talking)
Hayek/ Well, I...yeah. I guess...we just committed to a three-year, $50,000 a year support for
UNESCO, um, in a very difficult time, and I supported that, um, because of the
circumstances, but um, we...I just lost my train of thought, but...but we...we've
got...and...and Iguess the extreme position would be we could grab these $38,000 and
use them for anything, sewers or personnel or...or anything else, and so I don't think it's
an unreasonable proposition that we try to stretch...that we not take the funds from that
pot to use them for, uh, more essential services, but instead, uh, reach an accommodation
that...that lets those funds play out as long as possible, to allow us to get out of this
economic malaise.
Shipley/ L ..I think your concerns are justified and that's probably the wisest and smartest
approach we could take, um...and like you said, mentioned the extreme measure of...of
grabbing these funds and using them, I mean, that's $38,000. That's a firefighter right
there, um...(several talking)
Bailey/ Maybe a leg! (laughter)
Shipley/ Well, a police officer's $40,000, right? Roughly?
Wright/ Benefits, training...
Shipley/ Right, and...okay. (several talking) Well, we're getting there! You know, and...
Bailey/ Shop at a different store I think!
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Shipley/ Well, I mean, obviously these public art programs are...are, you know, we have very
creative citizens. I don't think that if we did reduce funding that public art would go
away. You know, I think, uh, you know, the citizens are well endowed with their own
creative and artistic endeavors, um, and I...I share the same concern.
Wright/ Yeah, and I um...I appreciate where you're coming from on that, and I know you're
particularly talking about scaling back on the...the one per year neighborhood art project,
um...$38,000 is, in our budget, is a relatively minor amount. This isn't even money that
we're talking about allocating. This is already there. It's been there. It's been carried
over. Um, and...and certainly we could grab that and we could have half a firefighter for
six months or something like that, but uh...in this particular situation...the amounts are
relatively small, and I would certainly encourage, uh, the Commission to come in less
than $10,000 a year on the neighborhood art project, uh, but I think I...I would like to see
the Commission have some latitude to work, and this is a minor...minor enough amount
of money, and the fact that it's not something we're allocating. It's already there, and it's
been there, that, uh, I'm comfortable with this, and I think the...I'd like to just let the
Commission work with that.
Bailey/ Especially once they find out (mumbled)
Wright/ Yeah.
Correia/ I mean I think the first priority is to get a sense of maintenance of our current public art,
maintenance needs of our current public art (mumbled) in terms of capital costs...I think
that's a priority. I mean, because what good is continuing to create more art if...if
you...if your old art deteriorate and then its not...you know.
Wilburn/ How soon would you begin implementing this, before we sit down with the budget or
during, after, all the above?
Davidson/ Well, we're kind of ongoing (mumbled) I mean, we're waiting to get confirmation
from you, but the...the Committee's last couple of meetings have been focused on
preparing this information.
Wilburn/ At what, and refresh my memory, um, did the neighborhood art projects, did they come
to us throughout the year, or was it one time a year like the PIN grants? I can't
remember. Or as opportunities came...as opportunities came (several talking)
Bollinger/ There was no deadline or (mumbled)
Wilburn/ Right. Is there anything on the table right now, in terms of that (several talking)
Bollinger/ The Melrose neighborhood, um, presented a proposal (mumbled) couple years ago,
and (mumbled) accomplish, and then we still have some expenses due on the Washington
(mumbled)
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Wilburn/ Right.
Bollinger/ (mumbled) expressed interest in (mumbled)
Wilburn/ Well I'm just...uh, thanks for the, I mean, you took the charge and presented a, I guess
kind of a map or a direction, so I, you know, I support that. Um...I'm just thinking since
we're a little split in terms of the...the neighborhood art project, and since this is a
Council election year, and we are coming up on budget time, I'm wondering if, uh, I
agree that the maintenance is....is a high priority in my...in my mind. I'm just wondering
if with these other things, as those happen, we're sitting here looking at, uh, not only
seeing new Council Members but also, um...not knowing what their reaction and
Council's reaction is going to be in terms of, um, any adjustments that someone may want
to use funds for, whether they want to take that and stretch it out longer approach, or
more of a smaller projects, um, I'm just wondering if that particular item might be better
served to wait until...we sit down at budget time to look back. That's just a question for
Council.
Bailey/ Well, what if we said that, you know, we know that $38,000 is allocated. We trust the
judgment of the, um, Public Art Commission. We've expressed our concerns about that
high dollar item. We can't assure that funds will be available in the future. We
encourage you to stretch your dollars as far as they can go. What if that's the message we
send, which is essentially what I'm hearing here. And, I mean, neither you know thumbs
up, thumbs down, I mean, with the neighborhood art project...what if the neighborhood
art project came in and said, we need $500. We found an artist who's willing to donate
the materials and these sorts of things. I mean, let's not scrap the line necessarily. Let's
say stretch your dollars, inventory is our priority.
Correia/ I mean, I like...
Bailey/ Unless you are interested in cutting this...
Hayek/ No, no, I'm not. I guess maybe I don't understand what the spending authority is on that
$38,000.
Correia/ I guess...(several talking)
Bailey/ ...that's what we're trying to determine. Are we giving spending authority of $38,000
with an encouragement, we don't know if you'll have any more.
Davidson/ I mean, if I could just clarify, I mean, Marcia of course has a relationship with all the
neighborhood associations, which kind of facilitates, you know, the relationship with the
public art. Um, and...and I guess things come to our attention periodically. There are
situations where, uh, neighborhood association will propose something. They will
observe something that another neighborhood association did and decide that they like it,
so you know...so things develop in that manner, and then are considered by the...the
Committee and then ultimately come to you for approval of execution of anything.
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Bollinger/ On a perfect example, Orchard-Miller neighborhood plan has neighborhood art
included (mumbled) so you'll be hearing about that here (several talking)
Wilburn/ ...you know, this is the direction I'd like to go, in thinking about that particular line
item, I mean, we're...we're...threernonths from December, um, there may...and in terms
of when a project could be constructed, uh, it's less likely that's going to happen,
perhaps...in the winter time, maybe. I don't know...I guess I wanted to look and see the
reaction from the Council...
Bailey/ Are you saying just cut it by...by the amount, or cut the line...I guess I'm not following.
See, I think I've heard a couple people say they're willing to...to give the spending
authority of $38,000. We can't guarantee additional funds coming down the pike, is what
I heard from Matt.
Wilburn/ I guess what I...I would like to just kind of put a hold on that until I can see the
conditions on...with the new Council, with the budget in front of me, with what the rest
of the Council's deciding.
Bailey/ Okay. Amy?
Correial Well, so...for fiscal year 10 we didn't put any new money in, correct? That's correct.
Davidson/ We would be following these as guidelines if you give us (both talking)
Correia/ ...so, but we have fiscal year 09 and we (mumbled) dollars of carryover, we'll just use
that terminology, and...and you presented us with sort of a one-year proposal of in a year
supporting public art in the amount of $14,750, and that with the money that we have
held back, that would support two years. I feel good with this. (laughter) For fiscal year
10 and maybe fiscal year...I mean we're in the, you know, almost halfway through fiscal
year 10, um, I mean, I feel good with the total amount, you know, with keeping the line
item, with really having a direction that the priority for Council is maintenance, and
getting a sense of kind of where that is, and that then whatever's left after maintenance,
some of these sort of low cost, the poetry in public, you know, keeping that for sure, and
the murals, and then whatever there may be...neighborhood art.
Wilburn/ So are you suggesting like maybe...at budget time then maybe saying with the other
two-thirds of this, we either reaffirm that, or...those are the amounts...or at that point,
you know, start stretching it out or whatever, is that (both talking)
Correia/ Well, I'm saying at this point, for fiscal year 10, affirm this $14,750 with sort of the,
you're presenting this as the kind of moving ahead, but that at any budgetary deliberation
you would look at everything, and anything would be either...stay the same, go up or go
down. So I guess I'm (mumbled) current year we go with what's presented, this $14,750.
Wilburn/ I...I would support that.
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Hayek/ I...I can't. With all due respect, I think it burns cash too fast at a time when we can't
afford it. But I appreciate the effort to pare it back, and...and know that a lot of work
went into that.
Wilburn/ That's what I'm saying, when that's gone it's gone. (several talking)
Helling/ Can I frame this, so I understand it (laughter) I think I do, but this...this is the budget,
this is the program and the budget for current fiscal year FY10, and it'll be funded from
that $38,000. The...FYI l proposal that you get should follow this same format. Okay at
that point you'll have the opportunity to look, rethink the whole thing again for FY11 and
beyond. As long as I understand what you want for now and what you want proposed for
FY11, that you'll have the opportunity to revisit this again in January.
Bailey/ Are a majority comfortable with what (several talking)
Champion/ Yes I am!
Bailey/ Okay.
Correia/ Especially with the priority of the maintenance.
Bailey/ Yeah, I think that (several talking) thank you so much, and thank you for your
willingness to continue to serve, even if there aren't sexy, exciting projects! (laughter)
Seabold/ ...probably my favorite project of the last year, I mean, I love the water dance that's
going on over at the Rec Center, but that Lemme Leopard, I mean, if you...it was just...it
was fantastic, I mean, all the...(several talking)
Bailey/ Well, and whoever did ties that bind, I mean, it's not exactly my favorite piece of art, but
the kids love to...there's so much interaction with that piece. It's amazing. So, it's right
by the Bread Garden...the Library. (several talking) Yeah, the time issue. (several
talking) It gets a lot of interaction. Thank you.
Seabold/ Thank you...(several talking) thank you very much!
Bailey/ Shall we go on to Miller-Orchard neighborhood plans?
Bollinger/ Sure. Did we lose anybody? No, okay (laughter)
Bailey/ Uh, why don't we take afive-minute break. I'm feeling a break is needed! (BREAK)
Miller-Orchard Neighborhood Plan:
Bailey/ Okay! Miller-Orchard. Marcia?
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Bollinger/ I'm just going to do a very brief introduction here. Um, Katherine Parker-Bryden and
Mark Cannon, both, um, are residents of the Miller-Orchard neighborhood. They're one
of the dozens of neighbors that participated in this when they (mumbled) process. It
originated at the request of, um, four graduate students who wanted to take this on as a
field problems program for their urban and regional planning master's degree, and
actually they started it about a year ago. It got pretty well wrapped up, um, in May of last
year. This summer's been busy, although they did present it to the Planning and Zoning
Commission, and it's more for your information. They just want you to be aware of the
fact that they went through this process. They really are actively working toward
achieving a lot of these goals and you're going to see these faces again, I'm sure, at some
point, so I'm going to be quiet and let them talk.
Cannon/ Um, I guess Marcia stole some of my lines there. I was...that was my little
introduction, but she did a great job. The only thing that I guess I would like to really
advocate for tonight is, um, this plan is absolutely beautiful, and this is thank you to the
urban and regional planning students. I mean, we came up with the ideas, but they made
it beautiful for us, so we really have to thank them. They're no longer with us, and we
wish they were. Um, the only thing that I would like to point out, if you'd open up to
page 42, um, if you have your document, and in there the topic is 'advocacy' and um, if
you scan that it talks about the neighborhood people writing letters, phone calls, emails,
personal visits, uh, City Hall attendance, etc., and had I been, uh, putting together this
document today, I would have really not wanted that page to be in there. I think that is
very kind of outdated thinking on the part of our neighborhood. Um, the reason I say that
is if you take a look at what's happening in schools these days there's a concept schools in
need of assistance, sign up, and I would argue that we are a neighborhood in need of
assistance, and (mumbled) and um, I just made that up. I think that's a great term, but I
think that if you drive through that neighborhood, if you take a look at our business
district down there, uh, for example and...and just assess it from the aesthetic standpoint
in Iowa City, Coralville say where does it fit, I would say that we are one of the least
attractive, um, particularly business district, but also neighborhood. I think the
neighborhood business is really something that we are dedicated and determined to make
that better. Business district area down there, I think, um, and actually on page, I think
it's 35 here, um, established partnerships with business owners is one of our strategies,
and we...we've had some recent real, uh, energy in meeting with a couple business men
down there, business persons I should say, um, I...I'm really excited and I think we have
some opportunities, but I think this is the part that we feel as neighborhood, uh,
representatives that...I guess I can speak for myself. I don't understand the process well
enough. I think you all do, and I think we need your support to really take a look at
particularly that business area and see what that could be. I mean, I think we all have
visions and...of that riverfront really being something beautiful, and I think that could be
the catalyst that then would give us the energy that we need to make our neighborhood
a...a, kind of a revived neighborhood, and I think if we don't consider those kinds of
things, I think we are headed on a trajectory in the wrong direction. I don't have statistics
to share with you tonight, um, wished I did, but I...I don't think I'd probably even need to
convince you of that, if you've driven through the neighborhood recently, that we just
need a lot of new life and energy there. So, Katherine is going to, oh, and I guess what I
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would say is instead of being reactive in terms of phone calls and things...when things
aren't going well, we're trying to be proactive. We really need your support to think
through this document and say, how can we proactively as a group of city planners, uh,
transportation, forestry, all those folks, sit down on a regular basis and...and really
implement these things. We don't have the expertise to do this, and...and I...it's just not
our job, I mean, to really have expertise at that level. We need the support of a lot of
people ongoing, so uh, Katherine's going to talk a little bit about some specific things that
she wants to bring to your attention.
Bryden/ So I don't know how much of a chance you all have had to look through this document,
but um, I particularly wanted to bring up to you all, uh, our strategy sheet three, which is
to create a safer neighborhood, and um, in particular there's a portion that discusses
unfunded capitol projects, which should be...it's number 37 and it's aten-foot wide
biking, pedestrian trail that would eventually go from Riverside Drive all the way down
to Mormon Trek, and one of the main things that we would like to do, as a long-term
goal, is to make this a sustainable neighborhood, and um, a...a big part of that I think is
really looking to the future of, um, how people move through the neighborhood and so
doing things like making the street lighting a little bit better, um, getting sidewalks on
some of the streets where there aren't any, making it so that people can use, you know,
bicycle or foot traffic to go say all the way to Wal-Mart and back, cause really, I mean,
some of those businesses along the highway are not, they're not that far away, but the
highway is just kind of this unbridgeable divide and it also, um, you know, it could be
this really fabulous artery that might actually also act to calm some of the traffic
problems in our neighborhood right now, but access is a problem, so one of the things
that we'd really like to work on is improving, you know, that trail, maybe getting a little
bit more connectivity between the Riverside, um, trail and um, expanding the trail
network from Harlocke to Benton Hill Park, um, so those, you know, again, those are
things that we...we can think about, we can advocate for, um, but we're going to need to
come back to ya'll to ask, you know, for money and...I really...I don't know. I'm a big
cyclist and walker and feel like for the long-term health of the larger city that having
better connectivity is very important and our neighborhood would actually potentially
become a really good through-way for people who live farther out towards Mormon Trek,
um, and as Mark talked to you a little bit about already, um, our strategy number 4 is to
advocate for investment in the commercial district, and um, I'm also very excited about
the discussions we've had with business owners. I think a lot of them are, um, committed
to trying to improve the aesthetics down there, um, and you know, improve, again,
improve some of the access issues, um, and as people who live there, we're also
concerned about making it an attractive place, a place where people would maybe want to
come and shop, rather than somewhere that they avoid unless they absolutely have to do
down there. Um...and I guess the other thing, I know you all don't have a ton of input on
this in a direct way, but with the school board's decision to close Roosevelt, we really
want to be proactive about, um, being (coughing) process of deciding the future of that
site. We know of course as the neighborhood we're hoping to preserve the green space
there, and keep it integrated with the community, and maintain it as a neighborhood asset,
whatever ends up becoming of that site, and um, we feel like long-term it would also be
useful for people from the neighborhood to be in dialogue with City planners, with the
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School Board, and like for the School Board to be in dialogue with the City planning
agencies also. Um, just so that there's more conversation and dialogue about the future of
that whole area. So, I think those were...those were my main (mumbled) points. I think,
I mean, this neighborhood is kind of an undiscovered gem. It's very close to downtown.
It's incredibly convenient to the University. It could be a really great neighborhood, but
we just need to work on, um, pushing it in that direction a little bit more actively.
Hayek/ Is the, um, there's a piece, and you can see it on the existing land use map, uh, I guess on
the west end, that gray RS-8. Is that in private hands? It says it's vacant.
Bryden/ My understanding is that it is...there were actually plans for making a small community
there, but...
Davidson/ That property is, uh, part of the property that was developed with the Lodge, uh, and
it's just the remaining undeveloped part of that. The commercial area adjacent to the
Lodge is, had some development to it, but that...that remains, um, undeveloped RS-8
property.
Hayek/ Okay.
Davidson/ Be predominantly single-family and duplexes.
Champion/ We've talked a lot about (several talking) commercial area in your neighborhood, um,
we talked about how it does need (mumbled) but the tornado that came (laughter and
several talking) then the flood! But, you're right, I mean, your neighborhood does need
some improvement, and um, and it is a great neighborhood. I love small neighborhoods
like that, where there's a lot of mixed housing and mixed ages, and it's really a very
valuable neighborhood.
Bryden/ It's a really nice place for families (both talking) we couldn't have bought a house in a
more expensive neighborhood, but you know.. .
Champion/ And I'm really sad about Roosevelt School. That's really sad, so you do need to
really work in your neighborhood now.
Davidson/ I did want to add, uh, Connie, in response to your comment that this will be a
neighborhood included in the University homeownership program.
Champion/ Oh, perfect, that's great!
Davidson/ So hopefully we'll be able to get some incentives for folks to, uh, improve single-
family dwellings for owner-occupied residences, and maybe even convert some rental,
cause you can...I...I guess you can kind of tell from this map, uh, you know this
is...yeah, there's the diagram I was looking for. You can see a...a relatively good
balance between rental and owner=occupied, but probably slightly tending towards the
rental side, so maybe if we can get that more to a 50/50 balance, at least as a goal.
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Champion/ That's great!
Davidson/ (several talking) sure, yeah, Marcia will get that to you.
Wright/ I actually, uh, read through this and I...I honestly learned some things. I really
appreciate the effort that you put into this, and I was stunned for example at the...the
absence of sidewalks in the neighborhood, because typically when I'm going through
there I've been in a car and if you're in a car you don't always notice whether or not
there's a sidewalk.
Correia/ Right.
Wright/ And I know there's been discussion about extending some trails down Highway 1, and
uh, that's a...that's a goal to really keep an eye on because you all are...really within easy
pedaling and walking distance of the Wal-Mart development. You're actually an easy
shot into downtown, um...I think this is actually the neighborhood that's poised to have
some really good things happen. It's nice to see some...some leadership and
some...some activity coming up to steer it in the right direction. This is...and identifying
the goals and the strategies that you have in here is a really good start.
Cannon/ And I think we're pretty much convinced that it's just a catalyst we need. We don't need
millions of dollars, um, devoted to that neighborhood. We need a catalyst that signals
there's something new and interesting and innovative happening there, and if that happens
we are convinced with the energy we have from a couple business persons and um, our
neighborhood that it...it'll be a revitalized and very exciting neighborhood. But we just
need a lot of proactive looking at that. Thank you.
Bailey/ Thank you! Thanks for your work. Appreciate it (several. talking) And, this is a great
plan, so thanks for putting it in our hands. Okay, um, next up, snow removal plan update.
(several talking) I'm hoping your plan is, uh, snow on through the holiday season and
then we're done?
Snow Removal Plan (IP4 of 9/24):
Fosse/ Yes!
Bailey/ Okay. Great! We're done! (several talking) That'll start soon enough with the odd/even
(several talking)
Fosse/ Let's go ahead and we'll dive into this, um, like most city operations, we...we take time to
debrief and look at what we can learn from the past year, uh, examine how we can do
what we do better, and... and the snow ordinances is an ordinance that's in its infancy, so
we've got less than a year under our belt since it's been originally enacted. We got one
season under our belt, and so we wanted to share that debriefing process with you, um,
we got together...right after the winter, got comments back, adjusted them over the
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summer, and then met again just a few weeks ago, uh, we've got...we've got 72
recommendations that we want to review and get your input on tonight. (laughter and
several talking) Actually boiled it down to three primary areas, and we'll go through
those, and the first one is just ways to clarify and simplify and limit confusion. You
know, what do you do when it snows? Our real objective is...
O'Donnell/ stay inside!
Fosse/ ...is to plow to the curbs rather than to the cars and trap people in there, and...and our
most prominent feedback was from the areas that...where we had the calendar parking,
and um, and we've already addressed that because of the lead time that's necessary. We
brought that to you a few weeks ago, and uh, we're changing the calendar parking to odd-
evenparking, and in fact today they went out and started swapping the signs out so when
you go home tonight, uh, those streets that are shown in yellow here have been switched
over already today, uh, tomorrow they'll finish Bloomington Street up and then they'll
start doing the north-south streets, north of Market, and we'll get that neighborhood done.
And what we're going to do is...is...issue warning tickets that first week, and then also
the first double odd day that's enforceable we'll do, uh, tickets on that one, or excuse me,
warnings on that one, and that doesn't come until April Fool's Day, which is (several
talking)
Bailey/ So if you've already gotten a warning ticket you'll still get warning tickets for messing up
the odd-even, right?
O/Brier/ Yeah, the odd-even and the expired meters, just a little bit different.
Bailey/ Different, okay.
Champion/ There's two odd days, that's right.
Bailey/ Yeah, okay.
Fosse/ And sometimes the two odd days falls in the weekend or holidays so it doesn't matter,
that's why it takes until April 1 until we actually get an enforceable double odd in there.
So, we've taken that one on. The second one is even harder and that's where you live on a
street that's got no parking any time on one side of the street, and...and that is...there's
really not a good fix there, other than improve our public education and let people know
that you...you really can't park on the side that says no parking anytime, anytime, yeah,
so you need to have a plan. LJh, so we're going to step up our public education there and
then also, uh, Planning is going to look at these streets and see if there are any good
candidates to change to odd-even type parking, and if there are, then we might consider
changing those area, with some input of the neighborhood. They may consider that
they'd rather stick with what they have and just find a different street, uh, on those days
that we have a snow emergency. We don't know for sure. Um, so that's...that's the first
area. Uh, the second area has to do with towing capacities and priorities, and what we
found, uh, especially with the second snow emergency that we declared, when all the
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students were back, is boy, there's a lot of cars out there, and...and just in south Johnson,
south Van Buren, uh, south Dodge...that was all we could get done, is to get that area,
and...and there really are no consequences in the outlying areas, and um, so what
happens is, people aren't moving their cars, and some folks are getting plowed in, and
where the real frustration comes is if these are your neighbors' cars and... and your
driveway's in between there, and...and they, you know, they wake up to the beginning of
a very bad day, and then they share that with us, and those were the types of things
that...that we hear about, and the solution that we see there is...is to, uh, make more
effective consequences in those outlying areas. We know we're not going to get out there
with towing to the...to the lower priority streets, uh, because there just aren't' enough tow
trucks in this part of the state to get that done. Um, so what we want to do is...is to
change the...the uh the amount of the fine from $15.00 to $50.00, and then also during
these snow events, dedicate some enforcement staff out there, uh, from Transportation
Services and then also PD as their time permits, although during these types of events
they're usually dealing with fender-benders and that type of thing. So that is one thing
that we want to get your input on tonight is...is uh, are...are you onboard with us moving
the fine from $15 to $50.00 and if you are then we'll bring that to you at a subsequent
Council meeting.
Champion/ Yes.
Fosse/ ... a reasonable thing. Okay.
Bailey/ Are you going to do extra public education around that, as well?
Fosse/ Yes.
Bailey/ Okay. I think that's going to be critical, because I mean our goal is compliance, right?
Fosse/ Right.
O'Brien/ Not to catch anyone in...and what we did last year that I thought was effective was, uh,
our enforcement attendants went out with the little flyers that we published and put them
on all the vehicles in those odd-even, calendar parking, no parking anytime areas...rather
than, you know, as we're going through our normal...normal areas, just placing those on
the vehicles, um, so that when people came out to their vehicles it was there ahead of
time, and those are ready. We just...couple of things we need to (several talking)
Fosse/ Yes there was, and that's one of the things we wanted to get your input on again, uh,
tonight is do we want to do that mailing to the entire city again. It's about $3,000 to do
that, uh...
Bailey/ It's not in the water bill.
Fosse/ No, it's not...cause you're not going to get it to everybody with the water bill.
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Bailey/ Right.
Champion/ I think we should do it, simply...where we have a large mobile population...
Bailey/ ...electronic water bills so...you don't necessarily get (both talking)
Fosse/ ...and curfew on the other.
Champion/ Good idea!
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Correia/ You might want to do an electronic debit you get a notice of how much it...(several
talking) you still get a bill.
Wright/ ...essentially what you paid.
Bailey/ Oh, but some of us...I get it electronically, and you have to click on something else to.. .
Correia/ Oh, I see what you're saying, getting your bill electronically.
Fosse/ Yeah, and there are a lot of people that...that the utilities are included in their rent.
Bailey/ Right, so you're not going to get renters...probably the people (several talking)
O'Brien/ ...parking on the street and (several talking)
O'Donnell/ So we should do the mailing.
Champion/ I think so too.
Fosse/ Okay. (several talking)
Bailey/ I think it's worth it.
Champion/ With all the updates we've done to it this year too.
Fosse/ ...rolled in. Uh, the third area of focus...
Correia/ ...on the envelope $50.00 fine.
Fosse/ We'll bring that to everybody's (both talking)
Wilburn/ I'm sure we'll spend, if we didn't, we'd spend $3,000 worth of staff time, uh, handling
the phone calls. (laughter and several talking)
Fosse/ Good point, yeah.
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Bailey/ Well, at some point we will.
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Fosse/ As you guys pointed out, we don't want their money. We just want to be able to plow
and...
Correia/ Like let people know in advance you don't want to (mumbled)
Bailey/ And then I assume we're working with the University's information sort of getting that
out to their population as well.
Fosse/ Yes we are.
Bailey/ I mean...in addition to the mailing.
Champion/ Did we really have that much snow?
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Fosse/ This was in the winter of 07-08.
Wright/ Year before last.
Fosse/ Yeah. The winter before the icky summer. So our third area of focus was problems
paying for tickets and getting the release to retrieve your car, and Chris is here to address
(coughing)
O'Brien/ This is one of those issues that I, you know, going into the first year of the snow
ordinance we...I guess we didn't really anticipate was what happens when you go
through to tow all those vehicles, and the process that we had in place, uh, just to describe
it briefly is Police Department handles all the impounds and all the releases of vehicles.
So in order to get your vehicle released, you would...you would go into the police station
to, um, see if your vehicle was towed. Well, at that point then they would forward you
over to Revenue to pay for your, so there was a line that went, um, and I was actually
sitting here when this happened. We had a meeting in here. It came out and ended up
almost going outside, so after you waited in line that entire time to get up to the front,
they told you you had to go over to Revenue to pay your citation before they could
release your vehicle. So then they would go over and pay it and then come have to wait
in that same line again to get your vehicle released. So, uh, one of the big things that we
thought would work well was to set up sort of a... a payment center in the lobby, or in the
lobby conference room, uh, where we had three or four different people set up, um, we
had the releases, we had our parking system up, and they could come in and just pay us,
we'd give them the release on the spot, and then they could go, um, rather than having
them go between multiple places. Um, in order...I'm kind of jumping back and forth, but
it's because that part's critical...in order to get the information to...uh, the people that are
handling the tows, um, one of the problems that we had was, we're out there towing
vehicles and we would have, I mean, I think there were 30-some per street during that
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second, uh, snow emergency we had. And you had 30 vehicles there, so you couldn't tow
your vehicle and then take your information, and you held it until you got all those tows
done, well, then somebody came to pick up their vehicle, no information, no ticket
information, we're trying to release vehicles. Um, we just had purchased new handhelds
just recently that we haven't even put them on the street yet, um, but it's real-time
downloads now, so what happens is we write the ticket. It downloads to the...the data
base so as soon as we hit send, assuming we're in a zone where there's cell services and
dead, things like that, um, you'll go ahead and that information will be in the data base
waiting when they go in. Um, we have 12 of these, three of which will be issued to PD,
so even the Police Department as they're out writing these tickets, will have real-time
downloads of their citations as they issue them, as well, um, which will eliminate the not
having the information waiting when the person comes in. So between those two...two
items we feel it'll help streamline, uh, the process of getting people in and out, and along
with that I think the biggest thing that we did was the odd-even from calendar. I think
that confusion was, um, lead to a lot of the people possibly not complying, um, at least
I'm hoping that's what it was. So...
Bailey/ So...I have a question about the, you know, being able to come in here...will you also
provide that service at...at your...your offices on Iowa Avenue?
O'Brien/ Want all the tows in one location. It comes in as one sheet, so we're going to want
everything in one location.
Bailey/ Okay. And so people know that and they come here and...okay. Other...questions or
comments?
O'Donnell/ We're making it very clear to them where they can park, aren't we? Like we're using
this parking ramp next door?
Fosse/ Yes, yes, and... and uh, the web site has got a map of where all those parking ramps are at.
O'Donnell/ Good, good.
Bailey/ And how far is the impound lot? Is that...I mean...
O'Brien/ It's clear out past, uh...(several talking) two miles past Wal-Mart.
Hayek/ Highway 1, right, just past 218?
Bailey/ Yeah. That's another, yeah, that's another...
Fosse/ The whole snow ordinance thing, and...and snow clearing is really an interdepartmental
effort, and..and Transportation Services has really stepped up to be an integral part of
this, and it's just...you hear about organizations getting trapped in silos, and I just want to
assure you that we don't have that here, and this is a good example of that. Um, in
addition to these things I wanted to share with you a little bit about our operations and
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some of the neat things going on here. This is the first year for our salt storage building,
and...and the really neat thing about this is it's got...it's got five times the capacity of our
old ones. This allows us to buy an entire year's worth of salt, during the off season,
excuse me, and take delivery during the off season, and...and having that advantage, plus
the better market conditions, saved us $243,000 over what we spent last year. So if that
continues, we're going to...this building will pay for itself in three years. It's really a nice
advantage to have, and then the outside, you see this area here where we store our
sand/salt mix and some of our other things, this is a unique product. It's like Legos for
big boys and girls. The...literally weighs about a ton apiece, and where this is a uniquely
new product is that, uh, it's manufactured locally at the Redi-Mix plant and um,
sometimes they use fresh concrete when they're making a bunch of them, but...but
normally throughout the year they keep the molds there and if a truck comes back with a
partial load, or leftover concrete, it goes in and becomes a block...a usable product,
rather than a waste product. (several talking) That's a neat thing. Um, another thing that
we're changing this year is...is the product that we pre-treat our salt with. I showed you
this slide a couple years ago and this is salt with amagnesium-chloride solution on it,
and...and the research that's coming out of Iowa State and some other colleges, uh,
indicates that the magnesium component of that attacks the cement paste in Portland
cement concrete, so in the long term this is not a good product to be putting down on our
streets, so this year we're going to try a different product, and you can see...here's the just
the plain salt here and we're adding it in this, and it comes out over here. It's a derivative
of beets, and uh, other communities have some experience with this product and...and it,
um, hopefully is going to have similar performance to the magnesium-chloride, without
the detrimental effects, and those advantages are that it lowers the effective temperature
that the salt will work at, and it also provides some tackiness, so when it hits the
pavement, especially in icy conditions, it doesn't scatter as much. It stays put and goes
right to work. And, there it is...inside the building, inside the salt storage building. You
can see the red line here is...is the maximum that you can fill it to around the borders,
and then you can pile it high in the middle. Then you get 3,000 tons in there. The only
disadvantage of this product you see is it's the same color as sand so it's going to be
harder for the people to eyeball the sand/salt mix when they're putting that together, when
that's what we need to use. Uh, one of the other green features to this site, you won't
notice until the sun goes down and then the lighting comes on and we've used all LED
lights down here, just to try'em out and see how they work for us. And...and we're
really pleased with them. We really like the light that comes out of'em. That's the moon
on the left and the uh, and the LED light on the right, so they've got very similar, uh,
color of light that comes down, except well LEDs are brighter and they're more reliable.
And, they do a very good job of...of getting the, well, during snow storms. The moon's
usually behind the clouds (several talking and laughter) Yeah! But it does a great job,
that the optics in 'em are also very good in that putting the light where you need it
and...and not allowing it to spill where you don't need it. So on your way home tonight
or any other night you're out, just go down on Sand Road and take a look at that,
and...I'm also very pleased with the way the architecture of this worked out. You know,
we...basically we had a big warehouse to build, and we had to put it between two city
parks and a neighborhood, a residential neighborhood. So we...we've kind of taken the
farm scene (several talking)
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Bailey/ I was going to comment on that it's a nice looking building and...and thank you.
Fosse/ We look to continue that theme as...as the Public Works stuff is built, eventually. So
with that...do you have any questions, overall?
Correia/ How much snow do you think we'll get? (laughter and several talking)
Fosse/ Well, the...the trick is you look at the wooly caterpillars, and they're brown and black,
and the more black that's on'em, the worse the winter's supposed to be.
Hayek/ It's going to be bad!
Fosse/ Yeah, that's what we base our salt orders on.
Hayek/ At the water park, um, on the trails, nothing but black wooly caterpillars.
Bailey/ Really black. Are you sure you're not mixing up your brown?
Hayek/ My daughter finds them all and.. .
Bailey/ Got it!
Fosse/ Okay, not a good sign.
Hayek/ Get some more salt, Rick.
Fosse/ Okay.
Bailey/ And, Chris, you have everything you need to go with this program, right? You
get...you've got all...yeah, okay. So that won't...
Champion/ Can Chris just stick around for a minute? I want to ask him...Council time.
Bailey/ Uh-oh!
Correia/ Yes, he can stay (laughter and several talking)
Shipley/ What were your plans to notify the University (mumbled)
Fosse/ I'll need to visit with Carol Sweeting. She does a lot of our...our interactions with the
University and the student groups over there, so I'll...would you like me to follow up
with you on that?
Shipley/ Yeah, I mean, cause we could send out a mass email, uh, pretty easily too so.
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Fosse/ Okay.
Shipley/ Sure.
Bailey/ Thanks. First snow date is...do we have a pool going? No. (laughter and several
talking) Okay, shall we go on with snow...no, wait, flag policy? From snow to flag.
Dale?
Flab Policy (IPS of 9/24):
Helling/ You have a, um, memorandum, a copy of the...it is the existing policy that's a, I think a
1971 policy, and then a draft of a...new policy that, uh, we're suggesting you take a close
look at. There's some options, as indicated in the memorandum, uh, in terms of...of uh,
of what other people do, and...and for the draft policy, I think items A and B basically
reflect...I think the basics, what a number of cities do, and what's largely, um, contained
in the national policy that is not really mandatory, but it's meant to be a guideline, I think.
Um, and that is the President or the Governor can...can uh, (mumbled). In addition to
that, and we...over the years we've done other things in terms of flying the flag at half-
staff locally and uh, C, D, and E generally uh reflect that in, we think, a clear fashion, is
what we've done. So we would see, um, two obvious alternatives would be the resolution
as drafted, or the resolution with C, D, and E eliminated, or some combination of those
that maybe we didn't think of but you might.
Hayek/ Yeah, although...and I don't want to underestimate the importance of a Council person
with the community over time, but uh (several talking) I guess I'm slightly uncomfortable
with lowering the flag for a former...formal...former Council person when we don't do
that for a former employee, uh, and maybe we want to think about being consistent about
that. I'm not sure that passing of a former Council person warrants flying the flag at half-
mast as much as I would like that to be done for me, many, many years from now.
Bailey/ Well, and see, there will probably be that impulse for one, you know (several talking) as
Dale pointed out to me, somebody will have that impulse, and then if it's generally in our
policy then that impulse can be acted upon. Rather than sort of breaking policy to act
upon an impulse where there's a... a big call, um, because I...I made another suggestion,
um, and I'm not sure I would necessarily suggest that it be in here, but when Hancher was
being constructed for example, two construction workers who were not...they were
contractors of the University, um, died in the construction of Hancher and I think that
there were ceremonies and things done for them, and I asked about would that cover this,
and there's nothing in there that would cover that, and I don't know if we want to, but you
know when things like that happen there are impulses that are brought forth in the
community. It's nice to have a policy that's broad enough to encompass you know
impulses, and...
Hayek/ But would there be an impulse with the passing of someone you served four years on
Council, 20 or 30 years ago? I mean, I...I can see (several talking) if it's like ahigh-
profile...
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Bailey/ We're sitting on Council and it came to one of our attentions, I'm sure one of us would
mention it, because we know what the work is, and we know what the service was to the
City. Um, and I would hope that that would be our impulse, not sort of a judgment of,
hey, it was just four years, but we all know what that entails.
Wright/ And I (unable to hear) somewhat (unable to hear) not that I'm (mumbled)
Bailey/ Well, or mayor.
Wright/ (mumbled) ...sorry.
Hayek/ It's okay. I could hear you.
Bailey/ I could hear you.
Wright/ Um...but, you know, quite honestly some Council members shape the community in
their time on the Council more than others, and I'd hate to leave that to some kind of a
subjective review, well, you know X was a much more influential Council member than
Y. It just has to be an all or a nothing.
Bailey/ Uh-huh. (mumbled)
Wilburn/ I'm supportive of the draft (mumbled)
Hayek/ I mean, I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it...but, but someone who served four
years (both talking)
Bailey/ That's exactly the point I think! (laughter)
Hayek/ But...but...
Bailey/ The subjective nature! (laughter)
Wright/ No, I see.. .
Hayek/ This wouldn't apply to Steve Atkins.
Bailey/ Yeah, and I had concerns about that as well.
Hayek/ Or any former, you know, or somebody who had a (mumbled) Dale after he retires, I
mean, so...
Helling/ I don't care! (laughter)
Bailey/ and he wrote it to reflect his...(laughter)
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Helling/ There may be dancing in the street.
Hayek/ It's 9:20. I'm not going to make a big deal of it (laughter)
O'Donnell/ I think the policy is fine. The way it is, I really do, and it's just (mumbled)
Bailey/ And no it's not decided, and this takes it out of here, and that's, I think, is a good thing
too, because then it's just done. Yeah.
O'Donnell/ yeah. Rather than (mumbled) by individuals.
Bailey/ Okay? So we'll see this on a future, next week? Okay. Thank you, Dale. Information
packet discussion, September 17th and 24th.
Information Packet Discussion (9/17 and 9/24):
Champion/ Um, I have a (mumbled). Um.. .
Bailey/ Which one?
Champion/ 24th. There...there's amemo here, uh, about public housing from Doug Boothroy
about buying another house that's next to some houses that we have for low-income
rental. Um, and I...I'm not in favor of putting any more low-income housing in that
neighborhood. So I'd like to look at this.
Wright/ Yeah, I saw that too, and I...and I had some of the same questions, Connie, and I
wondered.. .
Champion/ I mean, if we want to buy it and have it to sell it. I'm not against homeownership, to
help low-income people, but I think we've got to get a grip on where we're putting all
this, um, Section 8 housing.
Bailey/ So you're supportive of buying it and flipping it?
Champion/ Yeah. Or, but I'm not in favor of making it, uh, rental, low-income rental.
Wright/ Yeah, I'm supportive of buying it and flipping it, as well, essentially, if we can, um.. .
O'Donnell/ Fine.
Correia/ Done that before.
Bailey/ yeah, I think we've done that, I mean, it sounds like it needs some attention, so that
would make sense for the whole neighborhood.
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Helling/ It definitely does, and that's the...it's kind of a rescue of a property that otherwise will
continue to deteriorate.
Correia/ Deteriorating property, yeah.
Helling/ Uh, and.. .
Correia/ So could we target 80% of income, I mean...
Bailey/ Could we sell it through our affordable dream homes?
Wright/ That's what I was wondering about (several talking) I would...I would support doing
that. I wouldn't support using it as a rental.
Bailey/ Yeah, let's get it owner-occupied. There's some imbalance in that neighborhood and...
Correia/ the other thing in there was the, um, the...using fertilizer on (mumbled) I don't know if
we have...
Champion/ You can use chicken manure.
Wright/ Weed control and fertilizer.
Correia/ Yeah.
Champion/ I mean you can...which is a natural fertilizer.
Bailey/ Smelling natural fertilizer (several talking)
Champion/ I mean it's, that's what I use on my yard!
Correia/ Children in the neighborhood, animal, I mean...tend to use...
Wright/ Do we need to put more poison into the water system?
Correia/ We need, yeah, we'd rather not put poison. I think some of the other measures with, um,
with.. .
Bailey/ But we don't have a policy. About what we use (mumbled) and if want to look at
(several talking)
Helling/ we don't have a policy that says we don't use it. We do...we try to use chemicals
sparingly. But in some cases, we do because that's the only way we can control weeds or
whatever.
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Champion/ Well, you can control weeds different ways, I mean, you can use natural fertilizers,
and you can aerate. I don't use any weed killer on my grass (mumbled) but it's green and
soft, um, I don't think we should be promoting weed killers.
Correia/ No, not on residential lawns.
Champion/ ...residential lawns at all. But I'm not against fertilizer! Natural fertilizer. You can
get turkey manure (mumbled)
Wright/ Anybody who looked at my lawn would know that I don't use any fertilizers,
or...(several talking)
Bailey/ We have a yard, not a lawn. Any other...
Wright/ I did have one other question on this. And um, to the, just the small point of residents
who are, um, we're devising small friendly attractive enclosures for the City refuse
wheeled containers.
Bailey/ Garbage...
Wright/ The garbage wheelies. Currently most residents store these containers in front of their
garages. Is that even legal? From the front of your house? I thought it was not.
Bailey/ We're not sup...yeah, they're not supposed to be...
Helling/ The side yard and very visible, and I think that's (mumbled) trying to create a place
where they can put them where they're not visible and (mumbled)
Correia/ The garages in the front.
Bailey/ So your point is just to make sure that they're compliant with our current code and we're
not setting an example that is...
Correia/ The way some of them are is that on the side is really...
Bailey/ More visible?
Correia/ No. No, no, no. It's like on the little walk right by your front door, I mean the way
the...the way there...
Champion/ Oh I'm sure they'll look at where they put those (several talking)
Bailey/ Anything else? (several talking) I think it's important is what my point (several talking)
Anything else on this memo? Anything else on info packet items from the 17th or the
24th that we haven't already discussed? Going once...going twice...Council time.
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Council Time:
Page 48
Champion/ Okay, since I asked Chris to stay, I wanted to tell you, number one, that I think the
parking on Dubuque is working a lot better now. I haven't had.. .
Hayek/ I'm sorry. Could you repeat that (laughter) slowly into your microphone.
O'Brien/ Sorry, I wasn't up here yet. I (laughter)
Bailey/ Is there a video camera?
O'Brien/ Did you get that? (laughter)
Champion/ I said working a lot better. I didn't say it was working the best. Um.. .
O'Brien/Has anybody gotten any comments on the zero dollar citations, as far as the warnings
we've been... (several talking)
Champion/ Yes, I have (laughter)
O'Brien/ Positive? Negative?
Champion/ Actually people surprised. Surprised.
Bailey/ Some people are confused! And then surprised, and then they like it.
O'Brien/ I'm okay with the...as long as they get to the 'I like it' part. We've gotten a lot of
positive feedback. I was just wondering if you guys (both talking)
Champion/ People have been surprised, and they, wow, especially visitors. They don't expect
that at all.
O'Brien/ Right, and that's where we've gotten a lot of the comments from, of...oh wow, I was
just in town for a second. This is great! And that's one of our intentions was to...
Champion/ No, I think it was a very...I think it's working very...that's working very well.
(laughter)
O'Brien/ Okay.
Item 3g(8) Correspondence -Laura Rios: City High students and the Iowa City Transit
System
Champion/L7m, I don't know...if I should talk to you about this. I was very disturbed about this
letter, about the...
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O'Brien/ Right.
Champion/ I mean, do we have to tolerate that behavior on buses?
O'Brien/ No, and...uh, I spoke to Matt briefly about it earlier. He'd inquired about it. Um, what
we've done, and I talked to Dale about this, so we're actually in the process of when that
letter came in we had gotten complaints and actually she had stopped into our office, um,
and spoken to someone, uh, what we did, and we followed it up pretty much the day after
that was when we had it set up we had three supervisors went out to the bus, shut the bus
down right there in the middle of Court Street, with everybody on it, and explained what
the rules and regulations were on that bus. Here's the behavior we expect. We didn't
threaten. We didn't...here's what we expect for people just in case, cause it's a
different...cause of the way schools are released now, it changed the entire bus that they
ride now. Um, so we explained what the rules and regulations were on the bus. What the
consequences were if they didn't, uh, behave as adults when they're on there, and the
really that all we wanted was a safe, convenient ride for everybody to get home. Um, we
then followed that up with another visit, um, and this is something we're continuing
throughout the next few weeks to make sure everybody's complying, as well as making
sure we're getting our word out to everybody that rides. So no, um, we've also explained
to them that the driver has the authority to remove them, uh, if they're behaving in a
manner that, uh, is disruptive, abusive, threatening, and if things get out of hand we will
call the Police Department. So we explained all that to them on the bus, um, like I said,
we sent our supervisors out there, uh, we didn't make our drivers do it. We made sure
that there was a management representative out there, plus we want them to know who
we are, um, so when we hop on the buses.
Bailey/ Sounds like a great approach (several talking)
Champion/ That's great, cause (several talking)
Shipley/ The concerns about people riding the bus without a fare, that was addressed too?
O'Brien/ Yeah, I mean, L ..unless you see it, it's you know obviously we want everybody to pay
their fares and um...you know, when you get a mass of people coming on, you hope you
can catch someone coming on. 90% of them have passes anyway. Um, I guess I can't
speak to specifically that that was stated. I think we were more, trying to get hold of the
behavior that's really what was disruptive, but um...I'll make sure that we get that in the
next...I can't speak to that...I was more concerned. I didn't ask, did you...
Shipley/ No, I...
Champion/ And then I just had one more thing. Are you...you going to replace the elevators in
the...Dubuque Street...
O'Brien/ Dubuque Street and the uh, Capitol Street garage, we actually have a consultant that
we're discussing on...they're also....this doesn't, the Rec Center, they're also, we're
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looking at that as well, including it in one project, but yeah. We're looking to upgrade all
of those.
Champion/ They really need it.
O'Brien/ Yes, they do!
Champion/ But otherwise I think the ramps are basically pretty clean.
O'Brien/ yeah, with all the new equipment we've added and...and some paint, and some...some
changing of how we, I don't know if you guys have seen Capitol Street garage where we
replaced all those and the main lobbies. Ripped out all the door frames, put in brand new
doors, um, as well as some of the other stair towers over at Capitol Street. We need to
finish that one up, and then we're going to move over and do the same thing on Dubuque,
because it's, uh, you guys probably noticed the frames starting to rust out and rot, but
we'll replace all of those...the main lobbies in the Capitol Street garage, so that people
going into the Mall, into the garage from there, it's nice, new glass door, frame,
everything's brand new. So...
Champion/ Thank you for staying.
O'Brien/You're welcome.
Correia/ The one complaint, or the...in the Chauncey Swan, it's very confusing.
O'Brien/ Those pay stations will be something that'll be replaced. That company went out of
business, so we're having a little trouble.
Correia/ I understand why. (several talking) ...to understand. You put money in, you (several
talking) it's out. Do I, you know...there's a line at Farmers Market trying to put money in
and people waiting.
Bailey/ Thanks, Chris.
O'Brien/ Thank you.
Champion/ Thanks.
Bailey/ Other Council time?
Hayek/ Um...
Bailey/ You're going to read to us, Matt?
Hayek/ I'm going to read to all of you, uh, the Declaration of Independence. Um, I noticed in the
Nation's City Weekly, which more and more I, uh, read closely. It's better than I thought
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it would...there's an article about, uh, these national cooperative purchasing programs,
um, why don't I give that to you. I don't know if we do any sort of cooperative
purchasing with other...other municipalities or are part of any buying groups or anything
like that.
Helling/ (mumbled) we do, uh, contact other communities around to see if they're...and I can get
some more information about, you know, what we actually do purchase jointly. I don't
think it's, you know, it's a lot, but it's...are you in the market for the same things at the
same time and (mumbled) generally on major capitol purchases we're not, but we could
probably, uh, you know, have an opportunity to do more than that, um, it depends on
what we're purchasing, and if we're looking (mumbled)
Bailey/ Linn County, um, the county was interested in exploring that a little bit, that came up at a
leadership group, or a joint meeting or something.
Correia/ They came in and spoke to the Board of Supervisors about it.
Bailey/ Right, right. So...
Helling/ Let me get some information.
Bailey/ Cause they have somebody who's very aggressive about that sort of thing.
Correia/ Joint purchasing just amongst the departments in Linn County and it has saved (several
talking) just cooperative, interdepartmental.
Bailey/ Okay. (several talking) Council time, any other Council time? Going, going, gone.
Budget priorities? Think we talked about some of that with public art. Pending
discussion items, IP6. Any...comments? We don't have to add anything. I think we
can...okay. Um, upcoming community events, Council invitations. On Friday, um,
McCollister Bridge and Boulevard dedication. (several talking) It's the second, that's
Friday. Okay, and then Dale has another Friday...
Helling/ yeah, I was contacted by a representative from the Governor's office today just
reminding us, I think you all received an invitation to the, uh, Iowa Award to honor the
Grant Wood and that's at the (mumbled) on Friday, 4:30-6:30. They'd asked for RSVPs,
uh, by today, but they'll take them through tomorrow, uh, so if anybody's...planning to
go, if you'd let us know, we can (mumbled) RSVP for you.
Champion/ You know (mumbled) from me.
Bailey/ I'm planning to go, but I have the thing sitting (mumbled)
Karr/ You are planning to go?
Bailey/ Yeah, but I have it on my computer...
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Karr/ I was going to say I could reply for all of you tomorrow. (several talking)
Bailey/ McCollister's at 2:00. That's at...
Karr/ 4:30 to 6:30 is the...so Connie, Regenia, Mike Wright? (several talking)
Helling/ The, uh, the program at the Grant Wood (several talking) event is at 5:30. (several
talking) Three?
Bailey/ Okay. Anything else? For the good of the cause?
Hayek/ The City has (both talking)
Bailey/ Oh, yeah, I was going to ask you!
Hayek/ And they re-read the proclamation, so...
Bailey/ Good! Okay, oh, and the Sheraton is having a big, um, grand opening on the 12th. I
think you all should (several talking) just a heads up to that. (several talking)
Hotel/motel tax. Good. Very good.
Helling/ Might mention too, in mid-October coming up again is the ACT (mumbled)
Bailey/ I saw that I had gotten an email today, so they're probably sending out emails to check in.
So...okay? All right, see you tomorrow night. Thanks.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special work session meeting of September 28, 2009.