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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-10-20 TranscriptionITEM 2. OUTSTANDING STUDENT CITIZENSHIP AWARDS -Weber Elementary Bailey: Would the students from Weber Elementary please come forward. Hi, thanks for being here tonight. We're glad to have you, and we're always excited to give our student citizenship awards, and to hear what you've been doing in your schools. So, I see that you have statements, so are you going to start? Okay. I'll let you hold the mic. Smith: Hi, my name is Ryan Smith. I'm a sixth grader in Mrs. Goodheart's class at Weber Elementary School. At Weber I enjoy helping students that are new to my class, playing trumpet in the band, and being on the safety patrol. Outside of school I play tennis, chess, and piano. Thank you for the outstanding student citizen award. I will work hard, do well in school, and help others. Thank you. (applause) Tokuhisa: Hello, my name is Rebekah Tokuhisa. Thank you for giving me this award. I also want to thank my teachers and my parents. Igo to Weber School. I am in band and I play the flute. I participate in conflict managers, and I am a captain on safety patrol. I try to be kind and I like to follow the Weber School core virtues to respect, responsibility and self-discipline. I work hard in school and I try to do the best work that I can. I like to help little kids, and I'm a buddy to a team 2 student. I am learning tae kwon do outside of school. Thank you again for this special award. (applause) Bismillah: Hi, my name is Janah Bismillah. First I would like to thank team 4 teachers at Weber Elementary for letting me be here tonight. I follow the core virtues at Weber, such as honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, self-discipline, perseverance, and giving. I work to be a leader. I am a safety patrol captain, and I work at the school store. I work to be fair and kind to my classmates. I help the fifth graders complete their work. I work hard to do my best in school and I improve myself. (applause) Bailey: Thank you very much. All very nice statements from Weber students. (mumbled) I'm going to read you the award. Of course they each have your own name on them. For your outstanding qualities of leadership within Weber Elementary, as well as the community, and for your sense of responsibility and helpfulness to others, we recognize you as an outstanding student citizen. Your community is proud of you. Presented by the Iowa City City Council. Thanks for being here. (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 2 ITEM 4. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED. Champion: Move adoption. Wright: Second. Bailey: Moved by Champion, seconded by Wright. Discussion? I would note...like to note for the public that we are setting two public hearings that maybe of interest. We are setting a public hearing for, um, increasing the parking violation to a $50.00 penalty for snow emergency parking violations, and I've had some questions about that, and then we are also setting a public hearing on November 2nd for the franchise fee, which we will be discussing extensively on November 2nd, and I know we've all heard a little bit about that from citizens. So I wanted to point those things out. Any further discussion? Roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 3 ITEM 5. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA) Bailey: This is a time on our agenda when members of the public may approach the Council and speak to items that are not on tonight's agenda. If you wish to address Council please approach the podium, state your name for the record, and limit your comments to five minutes or less. Gravitt: Well my name is Mary Gravitt, and I was here last...excuse me...I was here at last Council meeting because I was not properly served on the SEATS bus matter. Now I'm being harassed by the City that I must fill out another form, and my thing is that if they...if I was not properly served with the first form that I filled out and I'm supposed to be on the bus for half price unti12010, what...why should I think that if I fill out the second form that I won't be improperly served again? Because I went through this during the 1950s and 1960s part of the civil rights, uh, movement. People must be properly served, especially when they're getting State and Federal monies. I got... a friend of mine who's in charge of Heritage, a senior citizen's fund, she got in touch with the person who's in charge of SEATS. He said he has nothing to do with SEATS, it's just that he manages SEATS, but the City makes the rules. Now, I want to be properly served, and I don't want to be harassed by phone calls from the City and letters, then I get the form, and will I fill it out again. Why should I fill it out again? Can I trust the City not to...to improperly serve me again? This is my question. Bailey: Thank you. Dale, I know you were going to follow up, so I assume (mumbled) Helling: Yes, um, we have sent three forms, um, asking to be filled out and returned, and the phone calls are basically, was just calling to ensure that she received the forms, uh, there hasn't...she's hung up so... Bailey: Okay. Gravitt: I haven't hung up. I've answered the phone calls. Bailey: Mary, I just ask you to follow up with the City Manager. He's the person that's taking...who's taking care of this and work it out with him. All right? Gravitt: Okay. Bailey: Thank you very much. Anyone else wishing to make public comment? Correia: Is there...if somebody has a...there's a, isn't there apara-transit (several talking) O'Donnell: I'm the Council's representative on the para-transit advisory committee, and have been for a number of years, um, I will talk to (mumbled) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 4 Correia: Right, if a citizen has a complaint about a process, is that a place that they might take...a complaint about... Helling: I don't know if the complaint actually goes to that committee or not. Correia: Okay. O'Donnell: It doesn't go to the committee, but we...we handle (several talking) and one of them is you have to fill out the proper paperwork, so...but I'll talk to you tomorrow (mumbled) Helling: Okay. Bailey: Thank you. Fidelis: My name is Libris Fidelis. I live downtown. Um, I'd like to make a request that the City consider having, uh, special housing, uh, provision made for single people, uh, and retirees or couples to be able to purchase a house, uh, with, uh, some kind of assistance. Um, there are a lot of people who, uh, are in the poverty level who have enough money to rent, but don't have enough money to buy, and there needs to be some kind of a provision beyond the one that's already in existence, which favors families. Now, that's a very good thing to have families, such as what, uh, Habitat for Humanity does, but there's also a need for people who are say retirees who just don't have the money to buy a house, would like a small house and there are houses all over Iowa City that are around...looks like less than a thousand square feet. It would be a bedroom a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom, which is pretty much, uh, what some of these retirees would need and I would like to have one myself - I'm retired myself - as a single person. So whether these could be condominiums or single-unit houses on special plots of land with, uh, reduced size property, um, I think that that segment of our society is pretty much neglected. Thank you. Shipley: Hi, my name is Jeff Shipley. I'm currently serving as the Student Government Liaison to the City Council. Um, I just have a couple quick comments about this franchise fee tax increase. Um, I'm looking forward to a very vibrant discussion in two weeks from now. Um, also I just want to make sure you're cognizant that I think, uh, the industrial community and those in manufacturing in Iowa City are...are very, uh, against this. I think they're already operating on very thin bottom lines, and...multi-national corporation, um, they're looking for any excuse to board up and move to Mexico or China. Um, so also last night at your work session, I know you guys are talking about raising the hotel/motel tax. Um, and I just wish there was, I guess, more critical discussion of ways of raising revenue outside of taxation. Um, that's kind of irresponsible to...to get in this mode where if the City's in a budget crunch you're just going to tax more, and as you continue This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. to raise the tax burden, uh, you raise the risk of running severe unintended consequences, so just please be cognizant of that. Thank you. Bailey: Anybody else wishing to make comments? Barnhill: My name is Candy Barnhill. I reside at 154 Friendship Street. So, is it correct that on November 2nd discussion may take place regarding the snow removal and the noise ordinance, which allows private contractors to remove snow during all hours of the day and night? I've talked twice before Council, and at the most recent time that I was here last winter, staff were instructed to take a look at the loophole in the City ordinance, and when I contacted, uh, the City in June nothing had happened at that time, and Mr. Helling sent me an email regarding that the ordinance for the refuse was being looked at and I might find that of interest. So, have staff members had the opportunity to review that? Helling: I believe, um, I'll have to go back and check and see. I thought that we brought it back to you in an ordinance on, uh, snow removal, uh, and parking lots and that sort of thing, and I think the Council's decision at that. time was to...to enact that, but not to do anything as far as the, um, you know, the other piece of it, I think, which is refuse haulers, um...I'll have to go back and check to be sure. Karr: That is correct. That is correct. Helling: Yeah... Karr: And the last time we notified Ms. Barnhill was...was for that particular discussion, and that particular ordinance. Helling: And I believe that the refuse collection can only, uh, take place before 7:00 A.M. in commercial zones, and not in residential zones, but I understand there's situations where commercial zones is maybe right across the street from residential, and uh...but I think that's...I think that's where it was left. Bailey: And specifically the public hearing that we set tonight is about, um increasing fines in relationship to violating the snow emergency notice. So if your car is parked on the wrong side in the snow emergency (mumbled) so that's what we're discussing on November 2nd. Barnhill: So to clarify, please, then it is still within the City's ordinance that snow removal on private property is considered emergency work and it maybe done 24 hours a day? Helling: That's right. Barnhill: So then...my question is, will City Council consider looking at that because the issue is I live next to some very large condominiums and private contractors out This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 6 of town come in at 11:00 P.M. and 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning and use their bobcats to clean off snow of private property, which is...is a noise disturbance, and I would like if possible a clarification. It's been explained to me by City staff that snow removal is for the public well-being, but this is done on prop...private property so the same I guess for the ordinance, which was changed for garbage. It's a loophole in the City...City that numerous people have contacted the different, uh, City departments about. Helling: Yeah, I mean, it's...generally it's snow removal from parking lots of...of the apartment buildings and condos, and uh, yeah, it is regarded as...in order to provide access for the people who park there, from the parking lot to the streets, uh, it's...that plus the fact that we don't have any control over when the snow falls and so...generally people want to get it cleared as soon as they can after a snow fall, uh, there's liability on the part of the property owners and so forth that...the apartment owners or whatever, so it is...has been, always been regarded as more of an emergency type of thing than refuse collection, which...which can be, uh, scheduled on a regular basis. Barnhill: Within the City's ordinance, there's a 24-hour window that people can have the snow removed, and it would save the property owners and give people during the evening...night, from 11:00 P.M. to 5:00 A.M. if just that small part of the ordinance can be changed to say that snow removal cannot happen on private property during those hours. How does a person request to have the Council consider, or staff, look at that? Bailey: I think you just did. Um, we would have to decide if we want to put that on a work session, and so...um, we can take that up during Council time tonight. Hayek: You know what I would suggest is...if you would formulate a letter to Council laying out exactly what you would like us to look at, in light of the...examination over the last several months of this issue, um, what has not occurred that you wish to see occur, what has been left...ignored, that you wish to have...have us pay attention to, but put a specific request into something you send to the Council and then we can view it and have a better sense of...of where you're going with this, and then decide whether to proceed. Barnhill: And I have one final question, please. Each time that I have visited with the various City staff departments the...the staff have been very helpful and courteous, but each time they also say that one of the largest considerations is that many times contractors take on so many jobs that they're not able to...to complete the job during say normal business hours with an extension, and so is that also a consideration of the City to provide an assistance to these individuals, um, I guess I see it as part of becoming involved in private commerce, if there's this window of opportunity and that is one of the considerations that City staff have given me each time I have inquired. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. Helling: I've not heard that before, um...and that's certainly not something we would take into account. Barnhill: So it should not be considered by staff? Helling: Either one way or the other, no. Barnhill: Thank you. Bailey: Thank you. Anyone else? Gravitt: ...clarify one thing. Now the City Manager says that I hung up on the person that when they called that I hung up. Helling: That's what I was told. Gravitt: I don't hang up on people, and most the time in the daytime I'm not home. Now, that's the same person who did not serve me properly that said that I hung up. I'm an adult. I don't do childish things. Bailey: Mary...I think it would be best if you would take this up with our representative on SEATS, and the City Manager, tomorrow and clarify exactly what happened. Gravitt: But I hate to...to say that I am a immature liar. Bailey: And I think you're cleared that up adequately. Gravitt: And I just have to face my opponent. This is what this person told you. That's all I wanted to clear up. Bailey: Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 8 1TEM 10. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 4, "ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES", CHAPTER 5, "PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS," SECTION 3, "CONSUMPTION OR POSSESSION IN PUBLIC PLACES AND CITY BUILDINGS TO EXCLUDE PROPERTY LEASED FROM THE CITY FOR A PERIOD OF 99 YEARS OR MORE FROM THE PROHIBITION ON THE USE AND POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL IN A CITY PARK. (PASS AND ADOPT) Correia: Move adoption. Wright: Move adoption. Bailey: Moved by Correia, seconded by Wright. Discussion? Fidelis: Libris Fidelis again. I'm really astonished by this proposal because, um, I was under the impression that the University of Iowa was against, uh, alcoholic consumption. It is a public park. It's a boathouse area, and I don't really understand why they want to promote this kind of an attitude. Um, when we have the initial discussions about the many bars in the downtown ped mall area, uh, a couple of the University of Iowa representatives said that they were against promoting public alcohol consumption, especially by students, but on the other hand here they're turning this around and saying we want to have, uh, alcohol served at these, uh, facilities in a city park at a boathouse. I just don't understand this. It doesn't make sense. I don't think it's a good, uh, message to serve to the students. I don't think it's a good provision for the public, and they have plenty of venues to get alcohol if they want to get alcohol. I think that, uh, this is an academic type of facility, and I think it should be kept academic, and I don't think that, uh, this is an appropriate use of, uh, City public, uh, land and for a City park. Bailey: Thank you. Any further discussion? Okay, roll call. Item carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 9 ITEM 11. CONSIDER RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $10,000,000 PARKING SYSTEM REVENUE REFUNDING CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2009F. Wilburn: Move adoption of the resolution. Bailey: Moved by Wilburn. O'Donnell: Second. Bailey: Seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Kevin, did you have any comments? O'Malley: Madame Mayor, esteemed Council, since last time I saw you, uh, the Iowa City Parking division has had two good things happen to them. First thing, we had a credit presentation with Moody's Investor Services last week, a week before last, and Chris O'Brien did an excellent job presenting the finances, and with that we got an increase in our rating from A3 to an A2. The second thing, which happened today, which surprised me, which...I'm kind of skeptical anyway, in any event, that...that rating helped, and we had a bid opening, or nowadays it's electronic. We had our web opening at 10:00 and we only had three bids, but the bids were good, and the first bid when we looked at it, we thought well, geez, this may only be like $600,000 in savings, and then after we ran the numbers it was $1.5 million in savings! And so percentage wise, this is the best refunding we've had. So I urge your adoption! Bailey: (laughter and several talking) I think we'll probably end up enthusiastically adopting it, but we'll see! Any further discussion? All right, roll call. (laughter) Resolution carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 10 ITEM 13. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN AND AGREEMENT FOR I-JOBS GRANT FUNDS FOR THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. Wright: Move adoption. Correia: Second. Bailey: Moved by Wright, seconded by Correia. Discussion? (noise on mic) Discussion? Wright: Commentary or (several talking) Correia: Um, is this a program that's going to be lead by the University for marketing? I was just thinking about the previous, or comment during community comment about get information out to the senior population on some of our affordable home ownership programs, and this seems like potentially for, um...older workers and... at the University or the school district. Helling: Not necessarily. It would be for anybody, yeah. Correia: That's what I mean, in terms of getting the word out, I mean, doing...marketing and... Helling: Primarily we'll...the City will be administering (both talking) in cooperation with the University. Wright: Steve Long is working on this quite a bit, isn't he? Helling: Yes. Wright: Yeah. Helling: Our Planning staff... Bailey: ...will be a lot of promotion with, um, a new hires, but we might not be seeing that for a while at the University, but I think that there will be promotion by the University to people moving into the area, as well. Helling: But it certainly would apply to current employees who are in a position to purchase a property and...partake at...in the program. Bailey: Right. Any other...discussion, questions? Okay, roll call. Res...resolution carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 11 ITEM 20. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION. Bailey: Mr. Wright? Wright: I have nothing this evening, thank you. Bailey: Okay. Connie? Mike? O'Donnell: Nothing. Bailey: Mr. Wilburn? Wilburn: I have two items. One, Saturday October 24th the...Iowa City Youth Advisory Commission is going to be continuing to gather some input on neighborhood safety from their peers, uh, they're going to do it in a more formal setting, um, and have a youth...um, a panel discussion and uh, and (mumbled) so encouraging youth to come down and to share their views, and they're going to pass summary of those views on to the Council. LTh, that will be from, uh, help me out, Marian, 2:00 ti114:00 here in, uh, in Harvat Hall. LJh, secondly, um, it was either the Human Rights Commission or the Housing Department...I think it was Human Rights, that sponsored another employment and job fair in partnership with, uh, several of our area employers and uh, it was very well attended. There's some folks that were looking for some jobs out there, and just want to thank all the participants. In addition to that, uh, you know the job service was, um, providing assistance for... showing people, demonstrating how to get online on the web pages to apply for, uh, a position, because a lot of places now won't accept a, uh, hard copy of, uh, resumes and things like that. They want the jobs are posted electronically and they want electronic submissions, and so I thought it was a good all-around effort. I was there, uh, on behalf of the School District and we didn't stop talking with folks so...yeah. Hayek: I want to note the passing of Dr. Ponseti of the University. A wonderful man, whose impact locally and globally is so significant and it's particularly poignant for my family, uh, my father was a patient of his in the early SOs after he developed polio. It inflicted his left arm and Dr. Ponseti performed a series of operations that saved his arm. He gave my father the use of his arm when he would have otherwise lost it. So, a passing for the community but for the world. Bailey: I would like to, um, note that Iowa City has been named by the League of American Bicyclists as abicycle-friendly community. We just got this designation and the announcement went out today, so we're very proud. It's something that our staff and people have been working on for a while so, we're excited to be designated as such. And last night we mentioned the Iowa City, uh, Fire Station #4 groundbreaking ceremony that's to take place on October 28th. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009. 12 The time has been changed to accommodate the Governor's schedule, and it will be at 11:15 that day. The public is invited. We encourage you to come. There'll be information, I'm assuming, on the City's web site about where to park because there's not a lot of parking out by Fire Station #4, and we encourage you to attend, but carpool and come with your friends. That will start promptly at 11:15. Champion: We should talk a little bit about Halloween, cause this is (mumbled) Bailey: We trick or treat on Halloween, don't we? Helling: Right. Traditionally that's been the date in Iowa City, um, there's a story that goes back quite a number of years where they changed it, and uh, there was havoc, so it's been the 31st of October! Champion: Okay. Bailey: Okay, is there anything else that you wanted to note about the upcoming holiday? Champion: No, it's a great holiday, if you're a kid! (both talking) I just wanted to check, because people ask and...cause it has been changed in the past. Bailey: And I know that the Parks and Rec department has some activities this weekend? Karr: Friday evening is the parade. Bailey: Friday evening is the costume parade for kids. Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of October 20, 2009.