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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-10-06 Transcription# Page 1 ITEM 2. OUTSTANDING STUDENT CITIZENSHIP AWARDS. Roosevelt Elementary Bailey: It must be fall, so would the students from Roosevelt Elementary please come forward. Well, welcome. Thanks for being here. We're really glad to have you, and you are the first group of our 2000...fa11 2009 season, so welcome very much, and um, I gotta say, I attended Roosevelt for two years. Do you still have ravine in the back of your school? Yeah. That was one of my favorite parts of Roosevelt School. Okay. Who's going to read their statement first? Makky: Hello. My name is Zainab Makky. I am a sixth grader at Roosevelt School. I am here tonight to represent all of the students at Roosevelt School for participating in a program which started last year. It is called PBS, Positive Behavior Supports. The program recognizes the importance of positive relationships at Roosevelt. PBS emphasizes prevention and instruction. Each student and staff member knows the expectations for the common areas of the school, such as the hallways, lunch room, playground, and restrooms. Students (mumbled) respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors in these areas, as well as the individual classrooms. The Road Runner is our school mascot. Thank you. (applause) Harder: Hello. My name is Jessie Harder. I am also a sixth grader at Roosevelt School. The goals of PBS teach and support appropriate behaviors so that all students feel competent and successful at Roosevelt. Students know what the expectations are and have been taught the expectations and are acknowledged for the use of appropriate behaviors. Road Runner tickets are used to reach classroom and school-wide goals. Each homeroom collects Road Runner tickets in their own classroom container. These tickets are counted by students on Fridays and the total for the school is announced on Monday morning during announcements. Individual student tickets are drawn each week. Students are rewarded for being responsible, respectful, and safe. Many different rewards are earned for these ticket drawings. We are also working on school-wide goals. Last year we reached many school-wide goals. Some rewards that we earned were an all- school picnic during our lunch time. We went on aall-school Roosevelt ravine walk and had popcorn when we finished. We had a karaoke assembly, and the big one at the end of the year was a pie throw at the principal. Those are just a few. Thank you. (applause) Davis: Hi, my name is Mariah Davis. I am a sixth grader at Roosevelt School. PBS is a school-wide approach used to help all students achieve important skills and learn goals. It is a fun way to practice being respectful, responsible, and safe at school. I was on the Student Council. We brainstormed ideas to use (mumbled) and share our ideas with our teachers. This is our Roosevelt model. I am (mumbled) at the Roosevelt School. I spent my (mumbled) responsible choices. I am (mumbled) at school. I'm proud to be a Roo...I'm proud to be a Roosevelt Road Runner. Beep, beep! Thanks. (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. Page 2 Bailey: Well, thank you. Thank you very much. You all did a great job, and you helped us really understand what PBS is at your school, so we really appreciate it, Roosevelt Road Runners! And we have our certificates for you. And I'm going to read, um, one of them. They all say essentially the same thing, but of course your name is on them. For her outstanding qualities of leadership within Roosevelt Elementary, as well as the community, and for her sense of responsibility and helpfulness to others, we recognize you as an outstanding student citizen. Your community is proud of you and this is presented by the Iowa City City Council. (applause) O'Donnell: Mariah, you did a great job! Bailey: Thank you very much! (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 3 ITEM 3. PROCLAMATIONS. a) White Cane Safety Day -October 15, 2009 Bailey: (reads proclamation) Karr: Here to accept the proclamation is Patti Westphal and Trish Moore representing the Old Capitol Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. (applause) Westphal: I would just like to thank the Council and the Mayor, um, for recognizing our proclamation, and helping us to achieve our inclusion in Johnson County. Thank you. Bailey: Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 4 ITEM 5. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA). Bailey: This is an opportunity for citizens to approach the Council and comment on items that are not on tonight agenda. If you wish to make a comment, ple...please approach the podium, state your name for the record, and limit your comments to five minutes or less. Gravitt: My name is Mary Gravitt. And I've been riding the Johnson County SEATS, uh, for about five or six years. I was up for recertification in 06 and I was recertified until 2010. I was...I got a letter from the City and the letter said that I was supposed to get half fare. Friday I got on the bus and I found out I have to pay full fare, and I thought it only happened to me. I started talking to people. One woman told me, I've been certified since 1980 and I get...then they told me I had to pay full fare. So, Friday when I found out that I had to pay full fare, I called the City Manager's office, because I knew...I wasn't notified. I called the City Manager's office and the person at the office connected me with someone from the Transit office. And then, Johnson SEATS called me back, and he told me to get in touch with the person that was in charge of it here. So I called her number, and I got a answering machine that told me to call these other two numbers. I had a choice of two numbers. So I called the two numbers and got a answering machine; 8:00 Monday morning this person called me back and said that I wasn't eligible for half-price fare and I told her 1 got a letter from the City and I got a orange card. Somehow I'm supposed to have this white card. Now, I don't...I don't mind, but L ..I know that I am supposed to be properly notified, least ten days, when any action is going to be taken by a municipal, uh, entity. And then, I see this and I think it's only happening to me, and it's happening to a whole class of people. So I was so excited Friday I called the law service. Person called me back Monday. He said, well, if I don't get my services restored to get in touch and make a case with the Attorney General. Now, I don't think I have to go this far, but I know everybody has a right to be properly notified of any change in their status of anything they're receiving. So, I was not properly notified. I didn't know anything, until I was publicly embarrassed on the SEATS bus. So, and then I'm told I have to re...get reevaluated. Well, I'm supposed to be up for reevaluation in 2010, and since I've been paying half price from 06 down to 09, there's something wrong! And further more, this is just like everything comes crashing in. The senior citizens, uh, they're having problems. The Library has not been finished yet and have...a nerve to have a sixth birthday party when a handicap person can't even get in or out of the bathrooms. Now, I don't know. George Bush and his regime change. Maybe he had an idea. I mean, you gotta be able to have somebody who can follow the law, working for the City. So that's all I got to say. Bailey: Dale, where's the best place for her to follow up? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. Page 5 Helling: I will follow up. If I can get contact information for you, either after the meeting or you can contact my office tomorrow, and we'll follow up and try to sort this out and get back to you. Bailey: Thank you, Dale. Others wishing to make public comment? Hayslett: Hi, I'm Ros Hayslett. If Mariah could do it, I could do it too. Um...I live at 1902 Grantwood Street. The City Council's been aware of the problems plaguing the southeast side for quite some time. Michael Lombardo knew about them prior to him being relieved of his duties in April. After the Mother's Day football game or brawl you organized a meeting with two members from the Council present. You could have reassured the residents of the neighborhood, but you didn't. You chose to silence them, who voice their frustrations and concerns with accusations of racism. You found it worked! There were suggestions to organize a committee to create additional activities for the children who are bored (mumbled) after the meeting. But you chose to do nothing. You chose to leave the southeast neighborhood to...alone, to endure the...this. So the violence continued to progress in...and intensify. We've had fights, robberies of pizza delivery drivers, taxicab drivers, roaming groups of kids causing disturbances. Complaints to the Council and to the Police were on the rise, and yet you again chose to do nothing. Still no follow up through what the talks of organizing committees to address the issues. Then summer was in full swing and the violence escalated to shootings, fightings, and gang activity. Again we were told that kids were bored, but you still continue to choose to do nothing. The neighborhood finally realized that we were alone to figure out what to do. There was a meeting for all residents of Iowa City to participate in an open discussion on the rise of violence. Everyone was welcome! All you had to do was show up! Many homeowners, renters were present, as well as many of you. I heard frustrated families who had seen lawlessness and total lack of respect for others increase to a boiling point. A curfew was brought up as one tool, one tool towards a solution. No one ever felt it would fix everything. Members of the neighborhood came to the Council, supporting the curfew, citing that we would...what we had been living through. Finally it appeared that maybe we wouldn't have to deal with this alone. We felt that the City was finally listening to us and going to help the neighborhood. But it appears that that wasn't true. You told us there were tools we already have that our Police Department has and our juvenile court services have, the State's department have, to respond to youth who are engaging in these behaviors. Why haven't these tools worked before August 5th? Why are they now all of a sudden going to start working? Why did you wait until August Sth...the August 5th incident to first start talking about responses and meet with the Police Chief. Yes, our city's violence is not as bad as Detroit or Chicago, but some day it could be. Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a nationally syndicated columnist, and a regular contributor to CNN.com. He stated in a commentary on the murder of Darien Albert. And I quote: "We've raised a generation of predators. One that is willing to kill for a good time. Too many parents have dropped the ball. Too many communities are overly permissive, and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. Page 6 too many young people don't think about how random acts of brutality can destroy people's lives. Darien's mom will never see Darien again." Iowa City's a great place to live. We don't dispute that. But think about it: what made those who moved here chose Iowa City over all of the over cities in the nation. Was it a sense of the safety of the city...that the city displayed? Was it the peacefulness of this city? Well guess what? What brings people here is at risk of being lost. If the violence continues to escalate, how are you going to recruit new residents to Iowa City? How are you going to deter Iowa Citians from fleeing to safer communities? I used to work two to three jobs, working 70 to 80 hours a week, in order to provide for my kids. The last thing I needed was to have my sleep disturbed at 1:30 A.M. I'd hoped that a curfew would give me a few extra hours of sleep. Now you've deferred to vote on the curfew until December. We all knew that once the snow fell and the temperatures dropped that the problems with the violence, the disrespectful disturbances in the middle of the night would cease, until the spring thaw and summer vacation. Quite frankly, we were all just holding on until winter. Then we'd get a break. Next summer if there's no curfew in effect, the same will start all over again. Those of you with children and/or grandchildren around the ages of 11 to 16, why don't you drop them off at the corner of Miami and Lakeside, like say maybe 10:30 P.M. and let them walk home alone. Don't want to do it? Why? You scared of our neighborhood? Now a coalition is being formed. September 29th, six months after the Mother's Day football game, and the first coalition meeting was during a time that everybody could have been together, supporting the local high school, showing your pride and participation of the community. There was a mention of neighbors being invited, some homeowners were to be invited, but no one...no one I've talked to has been contacted yet! I hope this coalition is going to serve all kids of the southeast side, not only those who are causing problems. There are a lot of kids in the southeast side who are respectful, who make good choices, work hard at school, and deserve some kudos and rewards. Rewards should be for the kids who make good choices. I hope this coalition will be held to the same standards that the Iowa City Police Department are expected to uphold, reporting to the City and the City Council on activities, the numbers of participants, the numbers of successes, and unfortunately the numbers of failures. All children get bored. That doesn't mean Iowa City doesn't have things to do. There's a vast number of opportunities out there waiting for the youth. Public Library has events, the Recreation Center has classes that youth can participate in, there are camps galore - summer, sports, church camps; activities for the UAY. UAY was there when I was in high school. Sports...youth sports' teams. We've got baseball, softball, football, soccer, bowling. Plenty of volunteer opportunities -plenty! Resources at the Broadway Center. Resources...the new resource center and the new gymnasium at Grant Wood Elementary, as well as dance studios, martial arts, gymnastics, just to name a few, that are not within the school. Bailey: Ros, would you please (mumbled) thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 7 Hayslett: Sure. I just want you to think about this. You've dropped the ball more than once. You've had enough opportunity to do something, and you've left us alone! Thank you. Bailey: Thank you. Others wishing to comment? You'll have five minutes at the microphone, but you need to approach the mic. Gravitt: What we're having here... Bailey: Would you please restate your name. Gravitt: Oh, my name's Mary Gravitt. Bailey: Thank you. Gravitt: What we're having here is a problem of class. Now you cited all these... Bailey: Excuse me, Mary, you need to address your comments to Council. This is not a dialogue between people in the audience. Gravitt: Okay. Uh, the previous speaker spoke about these things that are available. Some parents don't know they're available, and some parents are little more than children themselves. These things must be publicly...theyrnust be made publicly aware of these things. And if you're having problems in a neighborhood, you need a strong police protection. It's only about three or four people in the neighborhood making the trouble, but this is what happens in the city, these people make the trouble, and then they suck the other children in, because they're afraid of these bullies. So you need a strong police protection, uh, presence. You need a curfew. You need to be in the house studying after a certain time, not all night long making noise. Cause I have observed things that are going on in the city, uh, a friend of mine in a wheelchair, she says down at the, um, the Center, down here, downtown here, she says people put their hands out for money for pushing the button to help her out, you know, let her in and out of the building. She says she doesn't like that. And I don't blame her for not liking that. But you must see what's wrong with the neighborhood. You can't let the neighborhood just float and...and it'll take care of itself. It won't! It'll get worse because people feel they have the right to act this way. You lay down the law, and you lay it down stiff, and you let the law be the law. Bailey: Thank you. Anybody else wishing to, um, comment to Council...tonight? Okay. I think we'll move along then. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. Page 8 ITEM 6. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. a) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE 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. (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Bailey: This is second consideration, and the applicant has requested expedited consideration. Wilburn: I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings, prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally passed, be suspended; that second consideration and vote be waived; and that the ordinance be voted for final passage at this time. Bailey: Moved by Wilburn to expedite. O'Donnell: Second. Bailey: Seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Hayek: What's the, uh, request...what's behind the request to expedite? Bailey: Eleanor, do you know what's behind the request to expedite? Dilkes: I don't. Helling: I can't tell you either. Bailey: Okay. Hayek: I won't support the motion to expedite, simply because I think all things equal, it's best to have the three, uh, public readings, um, (mumbled) purpose behind this (mumbled) haven't been made aware of the reason to expedite. Wright: Yeah, I'd like to have a reason before we do it. Bailey: And we didn't get any correspondence, regarding, um, how...how did they notify us that they were interested in expediting? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 9 Karr: I received an email from a staff member. Bailey: Okay. Karr: But I don't know how they were notified. Helling: I think it's just they want to move ahead with the construction. O'Donnell: The weather... Helling: Well, the lateness of the season (mumbled) Bailey: Well, I'm comfortable expediting this, simply because, um, this seemed pretty clear cut and pretty administrative, and we've had not a lot of concerns or discussions about it, so I feel comfortable in this...in this regard. I know that we're very cautious about expediting, and I appreciate your caution. Any further discussion? O'Donnell: I don't have any problem with it either. Bailey: Okay. Roll call. Karr: We can't expedite. It takes an extraordinary majority vote. Bailey: Okay. Wilburn: Move second consideration. Bailey: Moved by Wilburn. O'Donnell: Second. Champion: Second. Bailey: Seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Roll call on second consideration. Okay, second consideration carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. Page 10 ITEM 7. INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR THE AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE OF NOT TO EXCEED $10,000,000 PARKING SYSTEM REVENUE REFUNDING CAPITOL LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2009F. a) PUBLIC HEARING Bailey: This is a public hearing. (bangs gavel) Public hearing is open. Anybody wishing to comment on this? I see our Finance Director, Kevin, did you have any comments? O'Malley: Mayor, esteemed Council, I spoke today...Chris O'Brien and I spoke with Moody's and our financial advisor, and uh, they believe, well, our financial advisor believes that our savings is probably twice as good, and even three times as good. I said I'm going to hold you to that. But the market, the bond market is, the interest rates are down so I'm thinking we'll see probably double at these savings (mumbled) Bailey: So, what's that ballpark dollar amount? O'Malley: Uh, current is 410. Double would be 820. And he thinks 1.2. Bailey: Really? O'Malley: And I was, uh, when I first looked at this...issue, 3% savings didn't seem like enough for me to be bothered with, but the market is kind of low so...it's kind of...it's sunk since then, since we started talking about this three months ago. So... Bailey: I just wanted to really check the three times...three times (both talking) O'Malley: yeah, and I told him, I'm going to hold him to it! (laughter) Wright: (mumbled) $400,000 is terrific! Bailey: I was excited about $400,000, yeah! O'Malley: That's all the comments I had, and I do wish you would adopt this. Bailey: Okay, thank you, and thanks for keeping an eye on these kinds of things. Anybody else wishing to comment at this public hearing? Public hearing is closed. (bangs gavel) b) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 11 Wilburn: Move adoption of the resolution. Bailey: Moved by Wilburn. Hayek: Second. Bailey: Seconded by Hayek. Any further discussion? Roll call. Resolution carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 12 ITEM 16. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION. Bailey: And let's start with Amy tonight. Correia: I mentioned last night that I'll be going with a group of folks, um, to Davenport to meet with the Davenport, uh, member of the Davenport Police Department, talk about some of the neighborhood crime prevention strategies that they've employed over the past three years, I believe, so...I'm attending, um, somebody from the Chamber, Coralville Police Department, Iowa City Police Department, so I will report back on what we learn at our next meeting. Bailey: Great, thank you. Matt? Hayek: Uh, today is a primary election, uh, for the City Council. If you're watching this live, you have about 25 minutes to hustle down and vote, and I encourage you to do so. Wilburn: Nothing. Bailey: Mike? O'Donnell: Nothing. Bailey: Connie? Mike? Wright: Nothing tonight, thank you. Bailey: I would like to announce...you probably already heard, and it seems a little obvious that Iowa City was, um, designated a "great place" by the Department of Cultural Affairs of Iowa. We're really excited about the designation. Of course we've known it all along, and the celebration...there will be a celebration, award ceremony, on October 16th. I know many people from the area will be attending that, so we're delighted at the designation. It came much due to our UNESCO designation that we received last fall. So, it's a really exciting honor, um, that the State recognizes, finally, that we're a great place! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009. # Page 13 ITEM 17. REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF. a) City Manager Bailey: City Manager? Helling: Just one thing, Madame Mayor, um, question was asked last night about when our leaf pickup would begin, and there's a news release today. It will begin on Tuesday, October 20th, um, I think starting primarilyon the west side, but um, for anybody who wants to look at the map, it's on line at our web site, icgov.org, and not only is the map on there and the dates and the zones that...that the leaf pickup should occur in those areas, but also instructions on how to place the leaves so they won't get into the gutters and into the sewers, and can be vacuumed up at the same time, so I...encourage people to go to the web site, look it up, and plan ahead for raking leaves. Bailey: Okay, that's good news. Thank you. City Attorney? City Clerk? All right. A motion to adjourn. Wilburn: So moved. O'Donnell: So moved. Bailey: Moved by Wilburn, seconded by O'Donnell. All those in favor? We are adjourned. Thank you very much! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 6, 2009.