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1997-03-04 Info Packet(1)
CITY OF IOWA CITY CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET February 28, 1997 MARCH 13 ~::::~WORK'SESSiON i'[EMS:iii~i::~ii!~!~:~:::i~/?::: 'i" IP1 Memorandum from Parks & Recreation Director and Parks Mercer Park Gymnasium Project IP2 Memorandum from Assistant City Attorney Mitchell: Motorized Vehicles" & Recreation Commission Chair: Revisions to City Code Regarding "Non- IP3 Memorandum from IP4 Memorandum from IP5 Memorandum from IP6 Memorandum from IP7 Memorandum from IP8 Memorandum from IP9 Memorandum from IP10 Memorandum from · MISCELLANEOUSilITEMS: '~ .. City Manager: Pending Development Issues City Manager: Update on Case File Research City Manager: Council Work Session - February 10, 1997 City Manager: Contract for Delinquent Parking Ticket Processing Assistant City Manager: Graffiti Policy and Ordinance Mayor and City Clerk: Special Meetings - Bring Your Calendars City Clerk: February 5 Council Work Session City Clerk: February 18 Council Work Session T IPll IP12 IP13 IP14 IP15 Memorandum from City Clerk: February 20 Joint Meeting with Library Groups 64-1A Memorandum from City Clerk: Joint Meeting with Board of Supervisors Memorandum from City Clerk: Meeting Schedule for March (Revision #6) Memorandum from City Clerk: Light for Speakers Memorandum from Planning & Community Holecek: Scoff-Six Industrial Park Board and Foc~p~_7 Development Director and Asgistant City Attomey~rT/ IP16 IP17 IP18 Memorandum from Assistant Planning Director and Parking and Transit Director: City Council Actions Regarding Downtown Iowa City Parking Study Memorandum from Parks and Recreation Director: Sweeper Demonstrations Memorandum from Parks and Recreation Director: Oakland Cemetery Summary o~& February 28, 1997 Information Packet (continued) 2 IP19 IP20 IP21 IP22 IP23 IP24 IP25 IP26 IP27 IP28 IP29 Letter from Robert Hegeman (President, Iowa City Kickers) to Parks and Recreation Director: ~r7.-~ Name of New Soccer Fields Letter from Assistant City Attorney Mitchell to Kirsten Fray: Stabilization of the Slopes Behind ~7~- . the Cliffs Letter from City Attorney to Osha Gray Davidson: Freedom of Information Request Concerning ~-7~7 Settlement with Profiles, Inc.; Summary Letter from Mayor to George Matheson (President, Board of Education, Iowa City School District): ~ 7~ Joint Iowa City City Council/Johnson County Board of Supervisors Meeting Letter from Glenn Siders (Chairperson, Legislative Committee, Home Builders Association of Iowa ~) (7 ? City) to Mayor: Code Issues [Mayor response included in Council packet.] Letter from Joy Corning (Lieutenant Governor) to Mayor: 1997 Regional Conferences A~icle: Silence, Please (Baker) ICAD Budget - 1996-1997 Agenda: March 4, 1997, Council on Disability Rights and Education Meeting Newsletter: Free Lunch Program - February 1997 Article: Bowhunters, Farmers at Odds (Novick) [Council packets only] Memo from City Mgr. regarding proposed Large Scale Hog Lot. Copy of Booklet: Local Option Sales Tax "Most Frequently Asked Questions and Answers" Agenda for the 3/4/97 meeting of the Board of Supervisors. Articles: "Newspaper Box Ban Upheld on Appeal" and "Utility Deregulation will change Local Role, Challenge Cities" Memo from Public Works Director regarding Water Treatment Facilities Construction Progress. Copy of Police Supplemental Report regarding Nowotny traffic complaint (Nila Letter from City Mgr. regarding storage of vehicles on streets/spring break. (press release & media release attached) Iowa City Area Science Center regarding locating a Summer Butterfly Garden in Downtown Iowa City. Recommendations for Deer Management Task Force & supporting information. Memo from Director of Parking & Transit regarding Iowa Ave. parking mmeters. FY98 Human Service Agency Funding Requests. PAP ',S FO·UNDATION TO: FROM: DATE: RE: City Council Matt Pacha, Chair' Parks and Recreation Foundation and Parks and Recreation Commission Terry Trueblood Parks and Recreation Director February 27, 1997 Mercer Park Gymnasium Project You may recall that we visited with you on June 27, 1996 and received permission to proceed with hiring a consultant to assist us in conducting a fund raising feasibility study. This study has been completed and the consultant has determined that it is feasible to raise $350,000 through private sector contributions for the Mercer Park gymnasium project. (See "Attachment A" for a summary of the consultant's report). '. Please note that when we discussed this project at your June 27th meeting,~ -the financing proposal included $300,000 from private sector contributions for the $1o5 million project. When we began the feasibility study we decided to set our sights higher, and established $500,000 as our fund raising goal. While the study shows that. $500,000 is~ mot 'attainable,' we have modified our financing proposal to reflect '$350,000 from private sector contributions, an increase from the $300,~000 originally proposed '(see "Attachment B" for the complete .financing proposal). The Parks and 'Recreation Commission once again discussed this project and the proposed financing package at their meeting of .February 12, 1997. 'They voted unanimously to reaffirm their support .for the projecb, and to borrow funds from the Parkland Acquisition Fund to help finance it. This discussion is reflected in the minutes of the February 12th meeting. 'We will be attending your March 3rd work.session to request Council approval to proceed with project plans, pending .successful fund raising efforts° Should any of you have any questions~ please feel free to contact either one of us. Attach. 220 Soulh Gilbert · Iowa City, I MERCER PARK GYMNASIUM PROJECT FEASIBILITY STUDY Summary of Consultant's Report ATTACHMENT A A Community Planning Task Force was formed consisting of 15 community leaders, chaired by Bob Sierk. Their general task was to provide counsel and direction. Specifically, they assisted with the preparation of a case book... "For The Kids"; they assisted in identifying potential hosts for a series of awareness meetings; and provided advice for implementing these meetings. A series of five awareness meetings were conducted by staff and volunteer hosts, with 36 individuals attending. At these meetings, the case book was presented, followed by question/answer sessions. Following the awareness meetings, 33 confidential interviews were conducted (by the consultant) with individuals who attended the meetings or were identified as key leaders. These interviews provided greater insight into the individual's willingness to support the proposed project. ATTITUDE REGARDING THE NEED: Of those interviewed, 91% feel strongly that there is a compelling need for the proposed addition to the Mercer Park Aquatic Center; 9% were undecided. "As a general consensus, people do believe that the new facility is greatly needed. This represents a strong foundation which can be built upon in a major campaign." ATTITUDE TOWARD THE PROPOSED CAMPAIGN: Of those interviewed, 85% approve of the Foundation~s proposal to conduct a capital campaign to help finance the new addition; 15% do not approve of this method, feeling that the facility should be funded entirely by City Government through a referendum. "Overall, the attitudes regarding a major private campaign are largely favorable.', ATTITUDE TOWARD THE PLANS: Of those interviewed, 94% approve of the plans for the new addition as outlined. One individual is critical, and one has no opinion. ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GOAL: Of those interviewed, 52% view the goal of $500,000 in contributions over a three-year period as realistic and attainable; a5% feel the challenge is not attainable; 33% are undecided. "The high percentage of undecideds correlates very closely to the beliefs of many that the proposed $150,000 lead gift is unrealistic." ATTACHMENT A Page 2 ATTITUDE TOWARD GIVING: Of those interviewed, 85% indicated a willingness to consider a pledge to support the project; 6% are not prepared to support a campaign; and 9% are undecided° "This is a positive indication of the potential breadth of financial support for the project from the community." PROFESSIONAL OPINION/RECOMMENDATION: "Based on the results of the pre-campaign process and the input received through the series of confidential assessment interviews, I recommend that the Parks and Recreation Foundation proceed with a $350,000 campaign. I make this recommendation recognizing that the foundation does not have any history in major gift development activity in the local community, and contingent upon securing a $50,000 lead gift which is necessary to challenge the rest of the community." "It is my professional opinion that the $500,000 goal tested in the awareness meetings for a new building is not possible based on the feasibility study. The interviews indicate broad support, however, no individuals currently see themselves considering $50,000 plus gifts. These gifts are critical to the success of a $500,000 campaign°" "Lastly, every effort should be made to capture the momentum developed through this process. There is a sense of anticipation in the minds of the community leadership which should be capitalized upon immediately." Scale of Giving Necessary to Raise $350,000 Number of Gifts Gift Range Total Gifts I $50,000 $ 50,000 2 25,000 50,000 3 15,000 45,000 4 10,000 40,000 10 5,000 50,000 20 3,000 60,000 35 1,000 35,000 Many Below 1,000 20,000 $350,000 ATTACHMENT B 2-27-97 MERCER PARK AQUATIC CENTER PROPOSED EXPANSION FINANCING PROPOSAL: G.O. BONDS $ 700,000 PRIVATE SECTOR CONTRIBUTI'ONS 350,000 INTERNAL LOAN-WORKING CAPITAL 250,000 INTERNAL LOAN-PARKLAND ACQUISITION 200,000 $1,500,000 City of iowa City MEMORANDUM To: From: Date: Re: The Honorable Mayor Naomi J. Novick and Members of the City Council Dennis J. Mitchell, Assistant City Attorney ~ February 27, 1997 Revisions to City Code Regarding "Non-Motorized Vehicles" Based upon the discussion at the work session last week, it is my understanding that the City Council would like to see the following changes to City ordinances regarding "toy vehicles" (see also attached summary grid): A. Definition of "Non-Motorized Vehicles." Substitute the term "non-motorized vehicles" for "toy vehicles." Define "non-motorized vehicles" as roller skates, in-line skates, skateboards, coasters, and other similar wheeled or coasting devices, including unicycles. Exclude bicycles from the definition of "non-motorized vehicles," which already have their own chapter (Title 9, Chapter 8) in the City Code. Bo Regulation of Non-Motorized Vehicles in the Central Downtown Business District. Prohibit non-motorized vehicles on the public right-of-way, including sidewalks, in the Central Downtown Business District. Define the Central Downtown Business District as the area bounded by Capitol Street to the west, Burlington Street to the south, Van Buren Street to the east, and Iowa Avenue to the north. Amend Section 9-8-1E so that bicycles will only be prohibited on sidewalks in the Central Downtown Business District, rather than on sidewalks in all commercial districts. Regulation of Non-Motorized Vehicles on Other Public Right-of-Ways and Public Places. Prohibit non-motorized vehicles on all roadways, alleys, and streets except in RS-5 (low density residential) and RS-8 (medium density residential) zones. Require operators of non- motorized vehicles who use roadways, alleys and streets in RS-5 and RS-8 zones to follow the rules of the road. Permit non-motorized vehicles on sidewalks in residential areas, but require non-motorized vehicles to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Prohibit the Use of Non-Motorized Vehicles and Bicycles Within the City Plaza. Section 10-5-4, currently entitled "Bicycle and Skating Restrictions," prohibits the use of bicycles, roller skates, roller blades, skateboards, and other such coasting or wheeled devices .. within the City Plaza. Amend this Section to prohibit "non-motorized vehicles," as well as bicycles. 2 E. Regulation of Non-Motorized Vehicles in Parks and Playgrounds. Prohibit the use of non-motorized vehicles in Chauncey Swan Park due to the continuing problem of destruction of private property. However, allow the use of non-motorized vehicles in all other parks and playgrounds except where posted as prohibited, as long as the non- motorized vehicles are used in a safe manner so as not to injure other persons or property. F. Repeal Code § 9-3-9, Entitled "Play Streets." Repeal this Section of the City Code because it is outdated. Other City Code sections currently provide for parades, block parties, etc. Attachment CC: Linda Newman Woito, City Attorney Sarah Holecek, Assistant City Attorney Stephen Arkins, City Manager Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager Bill Dollman, Parking & Transit Captain Patrick Harney, Police Terry Trueblood, Parks & Recreation Jeff Davidson, Planning & Community Development Rick Fosse, Public Works m N City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: 'ro: From: Re: February 25, 1997 City Council City Manager Pending Development Issues An application submitted by Eby Development and Management Company for a rezoning from RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential, to OPDH-12, Overlay Planned Development Housing, for a 2.38 acre property located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Scott Boulevard and Lower West Branch Road to permit a 37 unit multi-family building for elderly housing. An application submitted by James P. Glasgow for a rezoning from RM-20, Medium Density Multi-Family Residential and RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential, to OSA-20 and OSA-5, Overlay Sensitive Areas Zone, for 1.9 acres located at 1122-1136 N. Dubuque Street. jw/update,sa City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 27, 1997 City Council City Manager Update on Case File Research The police department has assigned one full-time person to review the case files in order to determine the information concerning drawn weapons, use of force, etc. This individual is also updating our community/business contact information. There are 11,111 case files in 1995. Reseamh through Case File No. 2554 has been concluded. With this review they have identified eight animal disposals, two calls to police of persons with weapons, and one building search, with respect to the possibility of weapons drawn. We will continue our review and provide you a report as soon as this information is completed. The 1994 case files are on microfilm and we have not undertaken a search of these records at this time. It will follow our 1995 review° cc: Chief of Police mgr/caseflle.mmo City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 27, 1997 City Council City Manager Council Work Session -- February 10, 1997 At your work session, Council Member Baker requested information concerning claims and lawsuits filed against the police during the tenure of City Manager Neal Berlin. I have spoken with Kevin O'Malley, our Assistant Finance Director/Risk Manager and he indicated the information would be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. In 1984/1985 we computerized this information and therefore it was readily available and easy to provide. Prior to that time it was not kept in a fashion to allow easy retrieval. Kevin also pointed out the claims information is purged from the files when it reaches ten years of age. I spoke with Larry and he indicated he understood the difficulty in obtaining the information and he did not believe it necessary to pursue further. Unless I hear differently, we do not intend to pursue further this information request. cc: Kevin O'Malley jw/oldclalm,sa City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 28, 1997 City Council City Manager Contract for Delinquent Parking Ticket Processing Proposals were solicited in December 1996 for a collection service to enhance the revenue recovery from delinquent parking ticket violations. Additional revenue as a result of this contract is estimated at $72,000 per year. Additional annual cost to the City will be zero. The Committee is recommending a contract with Data Ticket, Inc., a firm that is an investigative citation collection service, not an aggressive collection agency. The Committee feels comfortable with this philosophy of revenue collection and courteous violator treatment. The contract will provide for a flat 50% of revenue collected rather than some methods where the City would pay a fee per ticket at the time turned over to the agency. The City is estimating a 60% recovery of tickets turned over to Data Ticket, Inc. The review committee consisted of the following staff: Don Yucuis, Finance Director; Dianna Furman, Customer Service Manager; Kathleen Cahill, Information Services Senior Program- mer/Analyst; Dennis Mitchell, Assistant City Attorney; and Cathy Eisenhofer, Purchasing Agent. Initial staff time to implement is estimated at 250 hours. We will continue to provide the current level of billing and collection; two billing notices mailed following escalation. Generally, at the end of 45 days of ticket issue, the City will transmit, via modem, violator information to Data Ticket, Inc. and the City will provide ongoing revenue updates. Data Ticket will provide: · Two additional notices mailed to violators; language for the notices is approved by the City. Access to several national address verification lists and access to DMVs (Department of Motor Vehicle) in 50 states. o The use of credit card payment convenience will be added to the notices. · An 800 phone number and operators to answer violator questions. Initially we will turn over a prior year of non-collectable fines totaling approximately $100,000; anticipated recovery is estimated at $24,000. The City will continue to turn over approximately $20,000 monthly; anticipated recovery is estimated at $6,000 per month or $72,000 per year. The targeted implementation date is April 2, 1997. jw/delinqnt.sa City of iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 25, 1997 To: City Council From: Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager Re: Graffiti Policy and Ordinance Attached please find copies of memos from The Monday Forum and from Karin Franklin (on behalf of the Downtown Strategies Committee), both in response to the City's request for input on the proposed graffiti removal policy. In addition, the Downtown Association Board discussed this matter briefly at their January meeting and were in favor of the City proceeding. I have yet to receive a response from the North Side Marketplace organization. Since there seems to be a clear consensus toward endorsement of the concept presented in the draft policy, we will proceed to draft an ordinance, polish up the policy, and send these to Council and to the above mentioned organizations for further review and more specific input. I intend to have these documents to you in the near future and to schedule this matter for discussion at your work session on March 17, 1997. Please let me know in the interim if you have any questions or concerns you would like addressed. CC: Karin Franklin David Schoon tp3-3 City of iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: Janua~j 9, 1997 Karin Franklin, Director, Graffiti Policy The Downtown Strategy Committee discussed the proposed graffiti policy at their meeting on December 18, 1996. The Committee encourages the City to take an assertive role in the removal and prevention of graffiti in the downtown. They endorsed the concept of an ordinance. It was also suggested that some area be designated as a place for taggers -- those who do graffiti that is not gang related -- to display their work. cc: Dale Helling bC4-3KF To: Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager January 30, 1997 From: The Monday Forum Subject: Graffiti Ordinance Dear Dale; Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the proposed graffiti ordinance. We so not find any faults in the ordinance itself but we are as usual, concerned with the "who and how" of enforcement. It seems that we are again creating an ordinance that places the burden of enforcement on the citizen rather than the police. Many of the ordinances now in place require that the citizen report the infraction and then follow up with the city until the situation is corrected. Will this ordinance fall into the same category as our sign ordinances, or snow shoveling or others that are basically ignored by the city unless there is a citizen complaint? We need to pursue a strong policy against graffiti defacing our community but we must be sure that consistent enforcement is integral in any ordinance passed. We are also concerned that there is no mention in the ordinance about penalties or restitution on the part of the "artist", should we be fortunate enough to apprehend them. Perhaps this is in another section of the city code but we wanted to be sure that it is addressed at some point° Sincerely, The Monday Forum Nancy Burhans, Gringo's, DTA, CofC Val Chittick, Domby Tara Cronbaugh, Java House Jim Clayton, Soap Opera, DTA Victoria Gilpin, Preferred Stock, DTA, CofC Mark Ginsberg, M. C. Ginsberg Jewelers, DTA CofC John Murphy, Bremer's, DTA, CofC Dave Parsons, Frohwein, DTA, CofC Mark Weaver, Active Endeavors, DTA, CofC City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 28, 1997 City Council Members Naomi J. Novick, Mayor Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Special Meetings-Bring your calendars It is necessary to schedule some special meetings in the upcoming months. Please review the following proposal and come prepared to discuss specific dates and times at Monday's work session. POLICE PROCEDURES and/or PCRB: Saturday, March 15 Monday, March 24 Tuesday, April 1 Reserve two dates. The second meeting will be canceled if not needed. Evaluations of City Attorney, City Clerk, City Manager: Monday, May 12 Tuesday, May 13 Monday, June 9 Tuesday, June 10 Reserve two dates. The second meeting will be canceled if not needed. Summer Schedule: The current schedule has two formal meetings in June (3 & 17); three in July (1, 15,& 29); and two in August (12 &26). We are suggesting the cancellation of one meeting in July and one in August. Please review your calendars and pick one date in July (either the 1 or 15) and one date in August (either 12 or 26) cclerldsch.doc Date: To: From: Re: City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM February 28, 1997 Mayor and City Council City Clerk Council Work Session: February 5, 1997 - Joint meeting with Johnson County officials concerning local option sales tax Iowa City: Novick, Baker, Lehman, Norton, Thornberry. Staff: Atkins, Woito, Karr, Yucuis Cedar Rapids: Bob McMahan Coralville: Fausett, Herwig, Schnake Johnson County Board of Supervisors: Jordahl, Stutsman North Liberty: Doermann Solon: Croy, Studt University Heights: Swanson. Others: Susan Horowitz, Jim Jacobson (CR Gazette), Brain Sharp (IC Press Citizen). Tapes: 97-24, all. Local Option Sales Tax Presentation 97~24 S1 Don Burr, Iowa Department of Revenue, presented information. Burr stated his role is to present the rules and regulations of local option sales tax. Burr noted that the Secretary of State administers the Local Option election procedures. Burr explained the majority of voters in an election must approve the local option sales tax, it .is the majority rules. There are two ways the local option sales tax is placed on a ballot: 1. A petition is presented to the county board of supervisors. - It must be signed by the eligible voters of the whole county - the number of signatures must be equal to 5% of the people in the county who voted in the last preceding state election. 2. A motion that is adopted by the board of supervisors for the unincorporated area or by the city council. - The governing body must represent at least half of the population of that county. 2 Burr said the local option sales tax can be voted on in two different elections: the general election or a special election. The vote cannot be held any sooner than 60 days after the notice of the ballot proposition is published in the newspaper. Burr explained to repeal the tax, an election may be called in the same manner (a general or special election) and under the same conditions as the election which approved the tax. Burr noted that in all of the cities that have passed the local option sales tax, it has been at the maximum 1% rate. Burr reviewed the regulations regarding cities contiguous to each other. Burr said that all cities contiguous to each other are treated as one large incorporated area; it is possible that one of those cities do not have to vote the local option sales tax in, it can be separate, or if the local option sales tax is voted in, the city could come back later and request that they not be in it. Burr explained what must be placed on the local option sales tax ballot. The ballot must specify the following: type of tax, local option sales tax - the rate cannot be more than 1% - the date it will be imposed the approximate amount of local option tax revenue that will be used for property tax relief. That doesn't mean there has to be any property tax relief - the specific purpose of which the local option sales tax is going to be used - A sunset clause may be placed on the ballot. Burr stated the local option sales tax is imposed in the same manner as sales tax. The exceptions to that are motor fuel and special fuels, room rental subject to the local option Hotel Motel Tax, sales of equipment by the State Department of Transportation, sales of natural gas or electric energy subject to city or. county imposed franchise fee or users fee, sale of lottery tickets and receipts of other games of chance conducted by the State Lottery, and the sale of direct to homes satellite service. Burr explained the distribution formula is based on two items: population and the property tax base. -75% of it is based on the population of that city, 25% is based on property tax relief. -Property tax is figured from July 1, 1982 through June, 1985. -The population is based on the last federal census that was taken. Burr said after the local option sales tax has been passed, it is up to the city or county to make sure the Iowa Department of Revenue is notified within ten days and the Department of Revenue will mail out all of the mailings and administer the tax. A question and answer period followed. County Attachment: Local Option Sales Tax "The Most Frequently Asked Questions and Answers" wpdata~clerk~-Stax.mln City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 28, 1997 Mayor and City Council City Clerk Council Work Session, February 18, 1997 - 7 p.m. at the second floor Ballroom, Iowa Memorial Union Mayor Naomi J. Novick and UI Student Senate President Mark Beltrame presiding. City Council present: Novick, Baker, Kubby, Lehman, Norton, Thornberry, Vanderhoef. City staff present: Atkins, Karr, Logsden, Dollman, Yapp, Davidson. University of Iowa staff present: Larry Wilson, Brian McClatchey, Dave Ricketts, Jean Kendall, David Grady, and Julie Phye. Tapes: Reel 97- 33, Side 1. INTRODUCTIONS Reel 97-33, Side 1 University of Iowa Student Senate President Mark Beltrame introduced Student Facilitators: Allison Miller, Megan Henry, John Calvin Jones, Heather Kramer, Susie Steffan, and John Kramer. University of Iowa staff introductions: Larry Wilson, UI Campus Planner; Dave Ricketts, UI Parking and Transportation Director; Brian McClatchey, Campus Director; Jean Kendall, IMU; David Grady, Campus Programs; and Julie Phye, UI Stepping Up Program Coordinator. City of Iowa City staff introductions: Ron Logsden, Transit Manager; Bill Dollman, Parking Superinten- dent; John Yapp, Transportation Planner; Jeff Davidson, Assistant PCD Director, Steve Atkins, City Manager; and Marian Karr, City Clerk. Mayor Novick introduced City Council Members: Ernie Lehman, Karen Kubby, Dee Norton, Dean Thornberry, Larry Baker, and Dee Vanderhoef. UImCITY COUNCIL GROUP REPORTS Reel 97-33, Side 1 Student facilitators and City Council Members held group focus discussions and presented the following: Focus Group #1 (Kubby) · Transit: Schedule of availability; snow removal. Parking: Change parking on one side of street rule to Fridays only; reconsider 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. downtown parking prohibition; allow parking in City ramps until 10 a.m. the next day; window sticker program. · Meters and Parking Ramps: Allow parking overnight; use prepaid debit cards; charge ramp costs on U-bill; prohibit freshmen and sophomores from parking on campus. · Bicycles: Universal bike racks. Acknowledge roller bladers. Council Work Session February 18, 1997 Page 2 Focus Group #2 (Thornberry) · Transit: Route schedule information; purchase bus pass with U-bills; transit information on computer screen savers and mouse pads; informational signs at bus stops; make buses look cool. Parking: Increase time limits on meters; more University ramps; little interest for parking in Chauncey Swan, top floor for semester; need for student car storage. · Bicycles: More bike racks and bike lanes. Focus Group #3 (Baker) · Parking issues: Snow removal; change of bus routes. Downtown: Make it more convenient to eliminate parking by having more apartments downtown; increase services downtown such as grocery store. · Limit Downtown Liquor License: o Transit: Arrange transit schedule to take into account late night activities; midnight run. · Safety Issues: Establish blue light safety telephone in close-in residential areas. Focus Group #4 (Norton) · Parking: Extend 30 minute to 60 minute meters on iowa Avenue; drop parking ban on 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.; look at alternatives to getting to downtown; look at status of University Safe Ride. · Transit: Late night bus service; 75¢ fee too expensive; time it takes to use; free fare zone close in; some kind of system that goes around. o Drinking Problem Issues noted o Parking Problems: Consider no-tow on Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights. · Bicycles: Not practical in most months. Need additional bike racks and bike lanes. Focus Group #5 (Vanderhoef/John Jones) · Alternative Means of Transportation: Make it more difficult to park; increase biking culture in Iowa City. · Bicycles: Bike lanes; covered parking; secure storage; bike racks. Focus Group #6 (Novick) · Better Education: Better publicity. · Transit: Web page; schedules at each bus stop. o Meters: Meter availability; location of long-term meters; color coded meters; color coded maps offered during University registration. Council Work Session February 18, 1997 Page 3 · Ramp Lighting: o Campus Lighting: Focus Group #7 (Lehman) o Parking: Encourage more than one person per car, commuter parking. · Iowa City/University of Iowa Relationship noted · Transit: More information; combine CAMBUS with Iowa City and Coralville bus systems. o Bicycles: More bike racks; better signage regarding bike regulations in downtown area. UI Student Senate President Beltrame urged student senate and City Council members to work together and build coalitions to find solutions to issues raised. Kevin LaMontagne, College of Business graduate student, announced he is working on a research project with the Iowa City Transit Department measuring customer satisfaction and future changes. Beltrame stated there will be a focus group meeting on Thursday, 7 p.mo at the Pappajohn Building and those in attendance will receive monthly bus passes. Meeting adjourned at 9 p.m. , clerk\cc2-18.1nf City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 25, 1997 Mayor and City Council City Clerk February 20 Joint Meeting with Library Board and Focus Groups/64-1A Council Work Session, January 29, 1997, 4:00 - 6:10 p.m., Iowa City Public Library, Room A. Council Members present: Kubby, Thornberry, Novick, Norton, Vanderhoef. Absent: Baker, Lehman. Library Board present: Spencer, McMurray, Hubbard, Swaim, Cox. Staffmembers present: Craig, Franklin, Clark, Nichols, Lubaroff, Quinn-Carey, and various library staff. Tapes 97-37, Both Sides; 97-38, Side 1. INTRODUCTIONS: Kevin Monson, introduced the architectural team members from Neuman Monson and Engberg Associates who have been selected to complete the conceptual work for the multi-purpose building on Parcel 64-1A. Team members present were: Kevin Mortson, Charles Engberg, Mark Ernst. PRESENTATION: Team members presented their ideas on the direction of the project and general concepts. Staff, council and focus group members discussed the project. clerl',/ccl-29,inf City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 28, 1997 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Re: Joint Meeting with Board of Supervisors After receiving input regarding the scheduling of a joint City Council/Board of Supervisors meeting, Wednesday, April 2, from 4:00-6:00 has been set aside. Please jot this date and time in your calendars. Please let me know of any agenda items for that meeting no later than March 19. I will inform you of a meeting location in the near future. CC: City Manager City Attorney City of iowa City MEMORANDUM DATE: February 25, 1997 TO: FROM: RE: Mayor and City Council Marian K, Karr, City Clerk'~ Meeting Schedule for March REVISION #6 The joint meeting of the City Council/Library Board/Focus Groups scheduled for March 5 regarding 64-1A has been cancelled. The meeting schedule for March is as follows: Monday, March 3 - Special Work Session - 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 4 - Special Formal - 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 17 - Special Work Session- 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 18 - Special Formal - 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 19' - Joint Meeting with Library Board ~ 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. * Meeting tentatively set for Room A of the Public Library The Mayor and I will be discussing a summer schedule of meetings and would appreciate your input. Please let me know if you have summer plans that will take you out of town. CC: City Manager City Attorney Department Directors cclerk/schedule.doc City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 28, 1997 Mayor and City Council Marian Ko Karr, City Clerk Light for Speakers Council Member Thornberry requested I retrieve the attached information for possible Council consideration. City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM DATE TO= FROM RE= April 26, 1996 Council Members Marian K. Karr, city Clerk~~ Traffic Light for speakers At your work session on April 22 you mentioned the possibility of installing a device to better inform speakers of the time limitations at Council meetings. The Chamber of Commerce has offered to loan us their device if we are interested in giving it a try. There are a number of devices out there and think it would be a good idea to test one prior to further research. The Mayor asks this matter be discussed prior to proceeding any further. If we decide to proceed I will work with Cable to ensure permanent placement of the light will not be distracting to the speakers or the viewing audience° City of iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 27, 1997 // ~ . · Karin Franklin, Director, P DC_._~_~/ ~" Sarah Holecek, Assistant City Attqtney Scott-Six Industrial Park We are continuing to work through details of the Conditional Zoning Agreement prior to the applicant executing the agreement. Since the applicant's attorney is unavailable until March 5, the public hearings on this items should be continued to March 18. Therefore, we do not anticipate extensive discussion at your meetings on Mamh 3 or March 4. Jw/scott6-2.kf own Iowa C:fg, Summary of City Council Actions' CITY OF IOWA CITY February 1997 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Re: February 27, 1997 City Council Jeff Davidson, Assistant Planning Director"=~'~-Y~ Joe Fowler, Director of Parking and Transit ~ Downtown Iowa City Parking Study Final Report; summary of City Council decision making At your January 27, February 10, and February 24 work sessions we discussed several downtown parking issues included in the Downtown Iowa City Parking Study. Following is a summary of the decisions which were reached during our discussions. Planning for major facilities. The next major facility constructed will be a multi-use parking facility in the Near Southside redevelopment area. Property acquisition efforts are continuing with St. Patrick's parish; a portion of Block 102 may be pursued if an agreement cannot be reached St. Pat's. Design of this facility will occur in 1997, with construction in 1998. The next major parking facility is planned for 2003. This may not be accelerated with the existing rate structure of the parking system. Council's preference is to begin negotiations with the University of Iowa and Ecumenical Towers for a site located on the south side of Iowa Avenue between Linn and Gilbert streets. Council's second choice is the half block along Gilbert Street between Iowa Avenue and Jefferson Street, currently owned by the University. Monthly permit parking. Staff is to immediately increase the availability of downtown parking permits. Capacity of the system will be expanded by 50 permits in Dubuque Street Ramp and 100 permits in Chauncey Swan Ramp. The 50 permits in the Dubuque Street Ramp will be dedicated for new business or retail development downtown. In Chauncey Swan Ramp, 25 permits will be dedicated for business and retail expansions; the remaining 75 will be available to the general public. Council acknowledges that a decision is needed immediately on a site for the 1998 Near Southside parking facility, as this will provide for adequate overall expansion of the parking system, and a future permit facility. There should be no subsidy of monthly permit rates. The existing permit pricing differential which reflects the convenience of the respective facilities should remain in effect. 3. Meter feeding. There should be no increased enforcement of meter feeding. 4. On-street parking. Increasing the amount of downtown on-street angle parking on Linn Street and College Street should be investigated. 5. Car pool parking permits. A car pool parking permit program should not be pursued at this time. Parking Study Final Report-Summary February 27, 1997 Page 2 6. Financial status. The current parking system rate structure is adequate for the time being. Additional financing options should not be pursued at this time. 7. Residential permit parking system. A residential permit parking system should not be pursued at this time. Perceptions/marketing/publicity. There was overall support for the items listed in the parking study report. Staff efforts should include the ongoing aesthetic enhancement project in the parking ramps, better parking location signs to direct people to parking facilities, better signage on the facades of the parking ramps, development of a downtown parking system brochure, customer service training for parking system and transit system employees, and overall promotional activities. Thirty. minute meters. All 30-minute meters within the CB-10 zone (a total of 50) will be converted to 60-minute meters. An ordinance changing the parking rate at all CB-10 60-minute meters (a total of 87) from 60¢ an hour to $1.00 per hour will be developed for Council's consideration. Consideration was given to installing parking meters in downtown loading zones, but a majority of Council was not in favor, due to the negative effect of these areas no longer being available for commercial vehicle use. 10. City employee transportation allowance program. A proposal will be researched for the City Council's consideration. Let us know if any modification is needed to this summary. cc: Steve Atkins Karin Franklin Bill Dollman David Schoon Don Yucuis jccogtp/pkgstudy.mmo CITY OF IOWA CITY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: City Manager FROM: Parks & Recreation Director DATE: February 26, 1997 RE: Sweeper demonstrations Our revised schedule of sweeper demonstrations (for City Plaza) is as follows: Tuesday, March 3, 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 7,9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 12 (time??) Tennant Corporation Altorfer Machinery Applied Sweepers (Green Machine) All demonstrations will be conducted in City Plaza, weather permitting. When I have a time firmed up for Applied Sweepers I will let you know° CITY OF IOWA CITY PARKS AND R~.CR~-ATION DEPARTMENT MEMORANDU~ TO: FROM: DATE: RE: City Manager Parks and Recreation Director February 26, 1997 Oakland Cemetery Jim Wonick and I met yesterday with a cemetery design consultant based in Chicago~ He traveled to Iowa City to personally visit the cemetery and discuss the issues with us. I expect to receive a proposal from him within the next two weeks° I WACITY KICKERS PO BOX 226 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52244-0.226 February I1, 1997 ~001 Mr. Terry G. Trueblood Director Department of Parks and Recreation City of Iowa City 220 South Gilbert Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 FAX Transmitted (356-5487) Dear Mr. Trueblood: On behalf of the Kickers' board of directors and the many families that have supported the development of youth soccer in Iowa City, I share with you our deep appreciation for affording the Kickers the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Iowa City in the development of the new soccer fields in south Iowa City. These fields, most assuredly, r~present a dream come true. In r~cognition of the generous contributions made .by the many patrons ,of the Iowa City Kickers' Soccer Club toward the development of these fields, I am writing to seek your support and assurance in giving these fields the official name of nlowa City Kitleers~ Soccer Park". Given the Club's active role in introducing soccer to thousands of Iowa City youth over the past fifteen years, it seems fitting that the Kickers' families would enjoy this permanent recognition. In advance, thank you for considering this request and for your department's able and continuing support of recreational youth soccer programs. ~. Hegelart, MD i~f Directors CITY OF I0 WA CITY February 21, 1997 Kirsten H. Frey Attorney-at-Law 920 S. Dubuque Street P.O. Box 2000 Iowa City, Iowa 52244 Re: Stabilization of the Slopes Behind the Cliffs Dear Kirsten: Please accept this letter as acknowledgement that the City Building Official has received an application for a grading permit along with two (2) sets of plans prepared and signed by a civil engineer for the purpose of performing grading work to stabilize the slopes at 1122 and 1136 North Dubuque Street. Thus, the Cliffs Owners Association has complied with paragraph 3(a) of the Plea Agreement, which required that the application for a grading permit, including the plans, be filed prior to March 1, 1997. Our engineering department is in the process of reviewing the application. Once the plans are determined to be compliance with the City's grading ordinance and all other applicable ordinances, a grading permit will be issued. We hope to have a response for you within the next two weeks. Please also accept this letter as acknowledgment that the Iowa City Planning Department has received a Sensitive Overlays Rezoning application, which includes a Sensitive Areas Development Plan. Thus, the Cliffs Owners Association has complied with paragraph 3(c) of the Plea Agreement, which required that the Sensitive Overlays Rezoning application and development plan be filed prior to March 1, 1997. Although the application and accompanying materials were not received pdor to the deadline for the Planning and Zoning Commission's March 6, 1997 meeting, the Planning Department will try to have the matter placed on the agenda. Otherwise, the application will be placed on the Commission's agenda for their meeting on March 20, 1997. 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · {319) 356-$(}00 · FAX (319) 356-5009 Kirsten H. Frey February 21, 1997 Page 2 If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at 356-5030. Very truly yours, Dennis Mitchell Assistant City Attorney Linda Newman Woito, City Attorney Stephen Atkins, City Manager Ron Boose, Building Official Rick Fosse, City Engineer Bob Miklo, City Planner The Honorable Mayor Naomi J. Novick and Members of the City Council February 26, 1997 CITY OF I0 WA CITY Osha Gray Davidson 14 S. Governor Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: Freedom of Information Request Concerning Settlement with Profiles, Inc.; Summary Dear Osha: In response to your request pursuant to the Iowa Freedom of Information Act, namely Chapter 22, Code of Iowa (1995), I provide the following with respect to the discrimination claim involving Profiles, Inc.: Resolution ratifying settlement of pending litigation claims, Resolution No. 95-1, passed by the City Council January 3, 1995. A written summary of the terms of the settlement, including amounts of payment made by the City, as required by Section 22.13, Code of Iowa. I should also point out that the attomeys for both the City and Profiles, Inc. agreed that, in the event any third party made inquiry regarding this matter, that we would cooperate in responding jointly to the inquiry. Thus, if you have specific questions, please forward them to me -- so that the attorneys for both sides can cooperate in responding to your further inquiries -- if any. Respectfully submitted, Linda Newman Woito City Attorney Enclosures: CC: Mark Hamer, Attorney for Claimants City Clerk City Council, FYI City Manager, FYI Assistant City Manager, FYI File Inw\odavidsn.ttr RESOLUTION NO. 95-1 RESOLUTION RATIFYING SETTLEMENT OF PENDING LITIGATION CLAIMS WHEREAS, in April 1994, Doug Paul and Profiles Corporation filed claims against the City of Iowa City, seeking damages from the City of Iowa City for claimed injuries to person and reputation by reason of a Human Rights complaint; and WHEREAS, the City Council, in Executive Session, authorized the City Attorney to enter into negotiations with attorneys for the claimants to explore settlement possibilities, and the City Attorney has now recommended and settled the pending litigation claims as in the best interest of the City of Iowa City and all parties involved; and WHEREAS, it is appropriate to ratify said settlement as provided by Iowa law, with payment to Douglas D. Paul, Linda Paul and Profiles Corporation in the total amount of $160,000, in full satisfaction of any and all claims against the City of Iowa City including its employees, agents and officials, and in consideration for the full release and settlement of said claims. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, that the above-named claims should be and are hereby settled for the total sum of $160,000, payable to Douglas D. and Linda Paul and Profiles Corporation as directed by the City Attorney, and in full satisfaction of any and all claims asserted by said parties and in consideration for the full release of said claims. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF IOWA CITY HEREBY specifically approves said settlement as being in the best interest of the City of iowa City, and hereby ratifies said settlement, as provided by law. Passed and approved this 3rd day of January ,1995. ATTEST: CITY CLERK It was moved by Nov±ck and seconded by adopted, and upon roll call there were: 14'.hhy Attorney's Office the Resolution be AYES: x x x NAYS: ABSENT: Baker Horowitz Kubby Lehman Novick Pigott Throgmorton Inw\dpaul.res Complaints alleging discrimination and violation of human rights by Profiles Corporation and its President, Douglas J. Paul, were filed with the Iowa City Civil Rights Commission. The complaints were eventually determined to be without merit and the City concluded that there was no discrimination or violation of human rights by either Profiles Corporation or its president. Based on the City staff's delay, conduct and handling of the investigation, claims were filed by the corporation and its president against the City and, after negotiation, were settled with payments to the corporation, its president and his wife for damages sustained by them during the four-year investigation and administrative process° These payments were for $10,000; $100,000; and $50,000, respectively. OSHA GRAY DAVIDSON 14 SOUTH GOVERNOR STREET TO: Linda Woito, City Attorney 10 February 1997 Dear Linda, IOWA CITY IOWA 52240 USA Tel: (319) 338-4778 Fax: (319) 338-8606 osha@pobox.com Could you please send me as much information as is allowable on the Profiles, Inc. ease (starting with the materials we talked about on the phone). Thank you; I appreciate your cooperation in this matter. Since-ely, February 27, 1997 CITY OF I0 WA CITY George Matheson, President Board of Education Iowa City School District 509 S. Dubuque St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear George and Board Members: The Johnson County Supervisors and the Iowa City Council Members are planning to meet on April 2, 1997, at 4 p.m. to become better-acquainted with each other and with issues of mutual concern. We would be pleased if the School Board Members would be able to join us. We have not chosen a meeting pJace or set an agenda as yet. In the past we have had each group send in 2 or 3 items to be discussed at the meeting. Though it is an "official" meeting -- open to the media, tape recorded, etc. -- it is not a decision meeting. No votes are taken. An optional early dinner is planned after the meeting, and we are likely to be on the way home by 6 p.m. or soon after. Please let me know soon if you can or cannot attend. Then we can decide on a meeting room that will be the right size. Think about a couple of issues for the agenda if you plan to attend. We need those before March 19. Sincerely, Naomi J. Novick Mayor CC: Sally Stutsman City Council Im\nn2-26.doc 410 EAST WASNINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA $2240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 HOME EBUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF IOWA. CITY P.O. B o x :3 3 El 6 Iowa City, Iowa [52244 Phone:(.':11E)) -'~51 ~533.~ F a x: (31 9) 33'7-9823 February 21, 1997 Mayor Naomi Novick City of Iowa City 410 E Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 FEB & 1997 RE: Code Issues Dear Mayor Novick: In response to your request to identify various code issues that may be costly our association has identified three building code items, three policy items and one engineering standard. With the enclosed attachment we will attempt to provide costs and suggested code language to alter these provisions. The Home Builders Association of Iowa City (HBA of IC) has dealt with a few engineering standards that seem to consistently be identified as problems for our membership. HBA of IC has not attempted to study the entire engineering standard package in detail. Our association has not addressed any zoning code issues or other Iowa City code issues such as land development, subdivision standards, etc. It is important to understand that we do not necessarily agree with many sections of the Uniform Building Code and feel several items in these codes add significant cost to a structure. However, because national codes have been developed by professionals in the construction industry, it is difficult to justify or ask that various sections of code be amended on the local level. HBA of IC compared the Iowa City codes or amendments thereto, with not only surrounding communities but larger communities such as Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. HBA of IC did make comparisons to the State Building Code. Attached to this letter, is a summary of items our association identified as problematic. For your convenience, we have also included a summary of all items addressed by our membership. Our association would be willing to present this information to you at an informal council meeting to provide additional detail. We strongly request that you consider the informal council work session so that our association will have the opportunity to address these issues, answer questions and discuss this information in detail. affiliated with NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS & HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF IOWA Page 2. Mayor Naomi Novick February 21, 1997 HBA of IC appreciates the opportunity to look into these issues and we hope to be of some assistance in pursuing potential solutions. Sincerely, Glenn Siders Chairperson Legislative Committee cc: Ron Boose Rick Fosse Summary of Code and Policy Items - City of Iowa City Attachment to letter dated February 21, 1997 ITEM 1) Required sprinklers for nine or more units 2) Distance between exits in multiple family dwelling 3) Concrete wall reinforcement requirements 4) 3" roll curb vs. 6" curb. 5) Allow PVC underground plumbing 6) Erosion control escrow 7) Inspection stickers 8) Time to issue a building permit 9) Omit basement insulation 10) Energy audit by engineer 11) Water service stub on new lots 12) Romex in multiple family 13) Allow trench footings 14) Omit additional neutral on 220 outlet 15) Omit fresh air in utility room 16) Omit 8% light requirements for basements 17) Require gas line test by plumber or mechanical contractor 18) Omit fire damper requirement on supply registers 19) Increase 4" balusters spacing 20) Allow egress and greater than 65% light under screen porch roofs 21) Omit exhaust fan requirement for laundry rooms 22) Omit outlet requirement for kitchen islands & peninsula _ACTION *Challenged Not Challenged *Challenged *Challenged Not Challenged *Challenged Not Challenged *Challenged Not Challenged *Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged Not Challenged *Challenged Not challenged RATIONAL Exceeds code requirement Interpretation Exceeds code requirements Cost advantage City amending We have better suggestion Would add cost Time is money State guideline Challenged at State Level Duplication of effort No savings Code change allows Justification National Code requirement Necessary National code Statewide practice Life safety code Justification Justification Cost and necessity National Code * Iss.ues that are being challenged by HBA of IC ITEM 1: Amendment to the Uniform Building Code is Section 904.2.8 reads as follows: an automatic sprinkler system shall be installed throughout: 1. Every apartment house with three (3) floors of residential occupancy, three(3) or more stories in height or containing nine (9) or more dwelling units: Z Every congregate. residence of three floors, .three (3) or more stories in height or having an occupant load of twenty (20) or more; and 3. Every hotel three (3) or more stories in height or containing twenty (20) or more guest rooms. Residential or quick response standard sprinklers shall be used in the dwelling units and guest room portions of the building. For the purpose of this section, area separation walls used to define separate buildings shall have no openings. EXCEPTION: Sprinklers may be omitted in a townhouse style building containing less than nine (9) dwelling units and three (3) floors of residential occupancy. This amendment substantially increased the required use of residential spr/nkler systems in apartment and condominium complexes. Prior to the amendment, the requirement in the code was to provide a sprinkler system in buildings more than three (3) stories in height or containing sixteen (16) or more dwelling units. This amendment has essentially reduced the allowed number of units by 50% going from fifteen (15) units to eight (8) units, and has reduced the requirement from essentially three (3) stories to two (2) stories. HBA of IC recommends that this amendment be omitted and the original language remain in the building code. This recommendation is supported by research provided by the State Fire Marshal who indicates that there are no statistics to justify that there is a greater hazard in a fifteen-unit apartment than there is in an eight-unit apartment. A quotation from Blackhawk Sprinkler Systems indicates that the cost to provide sprinklers for a commonly built 12-unit condominium would be $18,800.00. This would increase the cost per unit by more than $1,500.06. There are many fire fighting officials that are instrumental in developing the Uniform Building Code. HBA of IC agrees that systems are preferred and we support installation of such sprinkler systems on a voluntary basis. Our association also investigated insurance rates if sprinklers we provided in residential construction and found that there is only approximately a 20% reduction in the base rate of residential insurance. This would amount to a savings of $200.00 per year in insurance premiums for a 12-unit complex. ITEM 2. Section 1907.6.5 EXCEPTION #2 Upgrades the reinforcing and design criteria for concrete walls on residential single family construction. · This amendment increases the size of concrete walls and reforcing methods that are now required for certain distances of a wall that have a lateral force applied to it. This amendment was approved by the Iowa City Building Code Board of Appeals based on a recommendation of one local engineer who has indicated that the reason needed for this amendment was because of failures found in the Iowa City area. What was not documented by this engineer, is the criteria that showed whether or not the reason of the failure was because of poor craftsmanship or because the wall was not constructed in compliance with the Uniform Building Code standards. It was not evident or documented that the failures found were the result of an inadequate code. The Home Builders believe that many of the failures are not caused by installing walls properly as the building code currently reads but because of poor construction practices. The lack of quality control such as backfilling or applying lateral pressures to the wall before the concrete has had adequate time to properly cure out would be a good example. Because this code section is an engineering design, and many factors dictate the type of construction needed, it is difficult to associate a cost to this project. In talking with many of our general contracting firms and concrete subcontractors, we have estimated the additional cost with this engineering practice to be $1,200 to $1,500 per home. It is the association's recommendation that we omit this amendment and leave the building code requirement as established nationally. Again, it is necessary to understand that numerous engineers are involved in this research before the Uniform Building Code is codified and implemented. ITEM 3. Seaion 1203.3 of the Uniform Building Code which requires exhaust air in laundry room facilities. This section of the code requires that laundry rooms in a residential structure provide an exhaust fan regardless of the size of the facility. We are estimating the cost of providing this exhaust system at $75.00 to $100.00 per every laundry room situation. It would be HBA of IC's recommendation to omit this requirement or at the very least provide a minimum and maximum square footage where this code requirement would apply. HBA of IC's particular concerns came from mechanical contractors that felt if you had a laundry facility in a large area (washer or dryer in an unoccupied basement) the benefits for the requirement are non-existent. On the other end of the spectrum, contractors voiced serious concern in an area that is too small such as in a commonly built 3' x 5' closet off a corridor where you have a washer and dryer. The contractors said the .. exhausting of the air in that area could interfere with the required fresh air provisions for gas fired appliances and could suffocate the combustion air. The code requires that all gas appliances provide fresh air or combustion air to burn properly. In a small room of this type, the exhaust fan could suck the air out and would create inadequate combustion. This statement is supported by Bernie Osvald, Mechanical Inspector, for the City of Iowa City. ITEM #4: An item that was commonly mentioned by our association as a cost factor was one found in your engineering design standards. That item is the inability to provide a 3" roll curb as opposed to the commonly found 6" vertical curb. It was found that the engineering department at this time is resistant in allowing roll curbs. Although there are justified arguments with the disadvantages of roll curbs, HBA of IC believes the arguments for the advantages of using roll curbs are greater. A cost with a roll curb is difficult to establish because it is unknown at this time what the savings to a developer might be if they had the opportunity to provide roll curbs on the entire street as opposed to a 6" vertical curb. Our association has estimated a price per driveway access to a street. Currently, the average cost to cut out an existing curb and replace it with concrete is $510.00. HBA of IC has received prices on grinding a curb. $200.00 was an average figure to grind a curb which would be an added cost of $310.00 by not allowing roll curbs. ITEM 5. Currently the City requires per year, a $1,000 cash escrow or $500 per project escrow for any buildihg permit issued for new construction. This escrow is required primarily to assure that streets are maintained and proper deanup occurs. The savings for this project is simply whether you pay $500.00 per project or provide an annual $1,000 cash escrow. The Home Builders Association agrees that a method needs to be in place to assure maintenance and deanup. HBA of IC would ask the City to consider using an occupancy permit or possibly the delay of a sidewalk release until the property is cleaned. HBA of IC has found that many lending institutions will not close a house until these two documents are in place and we feel that this would insure that the city would reach its goal. ITEM 6. The most common policy item that was problematic for the Home Builders and the general public was the amount of time it takes to receive a building permit. The current code does not indicate a time frame in which building permits are processed. The time frame for simple projects in Iowa City such as a deck, simple addition, screened-in porch, etc. can take as long as one week to ten days to process. In a community where the construction season is short, this causes significant problems for builders and homeowners. It would be very difficult to put a dollar amount on time delays--but time is money. Our association did some research on other communities and found that counter reviews are common. This type of review is done in local communities and even larger communities such as Cedar Rapids. In a personal conversation with the plan review examiner, for the City of Cedar Rapids, it was found for simple projects, which if plans contained complete construction detail, a permit would be issued within less than one hour and issued over the counter. The plans examiner indicated that if the plans were complete where they could perform necessary calculations, plans for a new single family home could be administered over the counter as well. The examiner also indicated that if review was needed by other departments certain days (in Cedar Rapids situation, every Tuesday and Thursday) were set aside for this plan review and permits would be issued in approximately three days. The plans examiner also indicated that there were no problems when it was time to inspect the project. It was indicated to HBA of IC for simple projects, even in the busiest season, permits were issued in no less than one week. In all communities that we talked with, they have one plans examiner to review plans and issue permits. HBA of IC strongly urges the City to develop a policy that would expedite the plan review process to allow for a timely review and issuing building permits. In Iowa City, we have three people that review plans and can issue permits. ITEM 7. The City imposes pre energy code compliance on single family dwellings by a certified professional architect or engineer. The cost for this service is $75.00 per permit. In a recent study completed by Jim Schoenfelder, energy coordinator, for the City of Iowa City, eight out of ten homes were not in compliance with the Model Energy Code. Jim held a seminar for our builders and indicated that minor modifications could be made to bring these homes into compliance. HBA of IC would offer two recommendations. One recommendation would be to have the City do the plan review for the energy code compliance on a computer program designed to calculate energy efficiency. The time frame to perform this calculation is minimal. The Home Builders Association would be willing to provide the City with this software because of the benefit and the money we think the builders would save. A second recommendation, would be to allow people other than professional architects or engineers such as HVAC contractors to review the calculation and provide the City with documentation that a home was in compliance with Iowa State Energy Code. In closing, although we are not in agreement with many of the current code requirements. It is very difficult to justify reducing or eliminating these codes because they are a national standard and must be addressed at that level. If we can be of assistance in helping the city researching these items, or other codes and standards such as zoning or engineering, please let us know. February 27, 1997 CITY OF I0 WA CITY Glenn Siders, Chairperson Legislative Committee Home Builders Association of Iowa City P.O. Box 3396 Iowa City, IA 52244 Dear Glenni Thank you for your letter and thanks to all your members who spent time in reviewing Iowa City's building code. We will ask our staff to read your suggestions and advise the City Council on acceptable changes. We can probably be ready for this discussion at the April 7 work session. Please let me know if you are able to attend the April 7 meeting. (We can change the date if necessary.) Call the City Manager's office and leave a message for me. Thanks again. Sincerely, Naomi J. Novick Mayor jwlsiders.nn/doc 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 ~T~TE OF OFFICE OF T~E I~EUTEN~i~T C~O~ERi~OR STATE CAPITOl DES MOINES. IOWA 50319 5 ! 5 2.81-342 ! JOY CORNING IT. GOVERNOR February 4, 1997 FEB g ¢ t997 Dear Mayor/City Administrator: AYOR'S OFFIGE I'm sure we share a deep love of Iowa, its people and communities both past and present, and a vision for Iowa which includes building and strengthening its communities. It is my privilege to invite you to participate in the upcoming 1997 Regional Conferences focusing on the role of the arts and culture as community development parmers. The focus for this year's conferences evolved as a result of a study conducted last year by the Iowa Arts Council. This Arts in the Iowa Econon~y economic impact study revealed that Iowa communities consider arts and culture a.serious industry--generating a total of $79.9 million in arts and cultural activity income within the state. Because you are a community leader, this is your opportunity to join in the discussion as we seek to identify ways in which the arts and culture can effect social and economic changes and strengthen Iowa communities. The key to strengthening Iowa's communities lies with its leaders and their ability to explore new ways of looking at community issues. Your willingness to share ideas and dialogue with other community leaders will impact all Iowans and the communities in which they live. The 1997 series of regional conferences, which will take place in April in six sites across Iowa, and also the state arts caucus, are being held by the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Iowa Arts Council and coordinated by the Iowa Assembly of Local Arts Agencies. Representatives from local, county, and state groups and associations are being invited to come together to explore ways in which the arts might offer an innovative approach to community issues. Enclosed with this letter of invitation is a brochure outlining the purpose and goals of the regional conferences, site details, and regional boundaries.. I look forward to hearing your ideas on expanding the role of arts and culture in our communities. Sincerely, JOY CORNING Lieutenant Governor Chair, The Governor's Cultural Coalition M I S C E L L A N Y SILENCE, PLEASE The public library as entertainment center By Sallie Tisdale ~hen I entered the li- brary as a child, I walked up several imposing steps to a door of respectful size, through a small foyer--and through the looking glass. The librari- an's large desk stood guard over the sinai{ building, braced by books on three sides. The rooms were close, filled with big, heavy tables that had dictionaries open on reading stands; tall, sweet- smelling, precarious shelves; leather armchairs; rubber- coated wheeled stepstools; and other readers, silent and ab- sorbed. They formed an open maze through which I thread- ed myself, hour after hour. This was a place set outside the or- dinary day. Its silence--outrageous, magic, unlike any other sound in my tile--was a counterpoint to the inte- rior noise in my crowded mind. It Sallie Tisdale is a contributing editor of Harper's Magazine and the author of Talk Dirty to Me: An Intimate Philos- ophy of Sex (1994). Her last article for the magazine, "Never Let the Locals See Your Map," appeared in the September 1995 issue. was the only sacred space I knew, in- timate and formal at once, hushed, potent. I didn't need to be told this~l felt it. In the library I could bunker down in an aisle, seeing only the words in my lap, and a stranger would simply step over me and bend d,)wn for his own book with what I now think of as a rare and touching courtesy. That place was then, and r=mains, the Library.; what Jorge Luis Borges knew all along was more than that: it was "the Universe (which others call the Library)." Only outside the door, on the steps, did one take a deep breath, blink at the sudden light, pause to shift the weight of new books in one's arms, and go out again into. the world. I am disabled by this memory. I still show up at ten in the morning at the central branch of the Mult- nomah County Library, in Portland, Oregon, where I now live, impatient for the doors to open. I always find people ahead of me, waiting on the wide stone steps, and I wait with them, knowing better. The library I knew, the one I remember, is almost extinct. In the last few years I have gone to the library to study or browse or look something up, and instead have found myself listening to radios, cry- ing babies, a cappella love songs, puppet shows, juggling demonstra- tions, CD-ROM games, and cellular telephone calls. ("It's okay, I'm just at the library," I heard a man say re- cently.) Children run through the few stacks still open to patrons, spin- Photo illustration hy Jeremy Wolff MISCELLANY 65 ning carts and pulling books off shelves, ignored by parents deep in conversation with one another. A teenager Rollerblades through, play- ing crack-the-whip by swinging him- self around the ends of the shelves. I browse (with considerably less fre- quency than a few years ago) to the sound of librarians on the telephone, arguing, calling to one another across the room. Patrons hum along with their earphones, stand in line for the Internet screens, clackety- clack on keyboards. Silence, even a mild sense of repose, is long gone. Today's library is trendy,. up-to-date, plugged in, and most definitely not set outside the ordinary day. It's a hip, fun place, the library. You can get movies there and Nintendo games, drink cappuccino and surf cy- berspace, go to a gift shop or a cafe- teria, rent a sewing machine or a camera. There is a library in a Wi- chita supermarket and a Cleveland shopping mall. But the way things are going, in a few years it's going to be hard to tell the difference be- tween the library and any- ~/_..~ thing, everything, else. ~gain and again, for more than 150 years, the public library has en- dr, red a cycle of crisis and change, a continual confusion over purpose. Every few decades the cry has gone up: too few people use libraries, too many people are reluctant to read, intimidated by books, ignorant of all that the library offers. And then a new campaign begins to draw more people into the library, to do more things for larger numbers--to be, in many of these campaigns, all things to all. We're in the midst of one of these campaigns today. The public li- brary of the last decade has been pushed and pulled by professional li- brarians and by policy makers re- sponsive to the trend of the times. Changing and oftentimes shrinking tax bases, growing populations of im- migrants as well as rootless Ameri- cans, the Internet and rapidly evolv- ing CD-ROM technology all have · had their effects on the public li- brary. Bonds pass; new buildings are built, and old ones are renovated; computer systems are bought and up- graded; collections are sorted, dis- carded, and replaced; directors are fired and hired--all out of sight of the patrons hurrying in on their lunch hour. There are almost 9,000 public li- braries in the United States, used each year by about two-thirds of the adult population. Both as a physical place in a community and as a sym- bol of the American cultural aspira- tion, the library is familiar, mundane, taken largely for granted, perhaps be- cause it is, as government institutions go, remarkably efficient. Public li- braries cost about $19.16 per person annually, and although this expense has increased by more than 90 per- cent since 1982, it nonetheless ac- counts for !ess than one percent of all tax monies. Library money is in a volatile state, up in one region and down in another, new buildings going up and old buildings being remodeled even as branches are being closed, staff reduced, and hours curtailed. Major libraries are being built or re- modeled in Cincinnati; Cleveland; Portland, Oregon; Chicago; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Little Rock; Rochester, New York; Charleston, South Carolina; and Oklahoma City. New York City just opened a new Science, Industry, and Business Li- brary. The famously popular Balti- more libraries have had big budget cuts. Last year, the Los Angeles City library system had a policy that would have allowed, with some re- strictions, anyone donating a million dollars to have a library named after him or her. There were no takers. The central branch here in Mult- nomah County is being remodeled at a cost of about $25 million. Mean- while, half of the branches are going to be closed for lack of funds. The argument about what a library is formwhat a library is--began its lengthy cultural play with Ben Franklin, more than 200 years ago. When Franklin donated a collection of 116 books to the eponymous town of Franklin, Massachusetts, in 1790, thereby founding the first public li- brary of any sort in the United States, he said that his purpose was to serve % Society of intelligent respectable Farmers, such as our Country People generally consist of." The moneyed class, after all, already had private subscription libraries. Franklin's no- tion of moderately equal opportunity offended some of the townspeople, and it was more than two acrimo- nious years before the town meeting voted to accept the proposition. It was another forty-three years before the first tax-supported library was founded in New Hampshire, and not until the Boston Public Library opened in 1852 did the library as we know it today begin. Public libraries didn't really multiply until the early twentieth century, when Andrew Carnegie donated $56 million for the construction of 2,509 library build- ings throughout the country. Franklin hoped reading would im- prove people's "conversation." Carnegie saw libraries partly as a means of social improvement for "the best and most aspiring poor." Chicago librarian William F. Poole, in a massive government report is- sued in 1876, saw libraries as "the adjunct and supplement of the com- mon school system" and a source of "moral and intellectual improve- ment" for adults. Michael Harris, then a professor of library science at the University of Kentucky, claimed in 1973 that libraries were conscious- ly intended by the upper classes as tools for the assimilation and Ameri- cani:ation of immigrants, for "disci- plining the masses," who often seemed intent on recreation rather than social uplift. At various times libraries have been said to exist for the active reader, the amateur schol- ar, the educated citi:en, the unedu- cated citizen, the illiterate poor, the elderly, the schoolchild, and the dime-store-novel lover--all alike, and sometimes all at once. The current trend in libraries is to do away with all that refinement in favor of a more familiar atmosphere. Libraries, I was told recently, used to be "discouraging--discouraging places to work, and discouraging to learn in." (The woman who said this has retired from library service to act as a technology consultant.) That I never felt this way--that I am deeply discouraged by the library todaymis simply proof, I suppose, that I am out of touch. She meant that libraries were discouraging because they were quiet, because you were expected to 66 HARPER'S MAGAZINE/MARCH 1997 behave respectfully toward other readers, because they were, as she put it, about books. have written to my library ad- ministration with various suggestions and complaints over the years. Last year I complained about the CD- ROM dinosaur game in my small branch. Two children argued over the game while it played at full vol- ume; my browsing that afternoon was done to the shrieks of both T. rex and the siblings. The deputy director responded to my letter by saying that CD-ROM games are "attractive to children that [s/c] are reluctant read- ers, reluctant library users, and reluc- tant students .... We are pleased that they are enjoying this new way of presenting information." This is a surprisingly quaint emphasis, often tried, often abandoned. Campaigns to increase the number of patrons by offering recreation have failed as surely as attempts to direct them away from popular fiction and toward the classics. "The progressive library is a fisher of men," wrote a librarian in 1909. "And it will catch them whether it baits its hook with books, music, pictures or lectures." Or, later in the century, with social work, con- certs, handicraft classes, dances, par- ties, and athletic meets. Or, as is be- ing tried now, with dinosaur games and the Internet. Perhaps the Intemet is the big se- cret, the one seduction librarians have sought for centuries. Certainly it's the one form of recreation that seems to draw nonreaders to the li- braw again and again. Wherever In- ternet connections are offered--and almost half of American public li- braries provide them now--they are enormously popular. t In a sense the library is made more popular by the addition of Intemet stations and CD- I The Internet throws all librarians and pa. trons back to the arguments made in Franklin, Massachusetts. What does equal access mean on the Internet? Librarians have alwa'~s exerted control over which books to b*~"~. where to shelve them. how to catalog the~, what to keep off open stacks. Should librarians exert an'~ control over which sites are reached on t~e Internet, and by whom, and for how long? Will libraries "bu~" ever'~ Internet address when they've never bought every. book? ROM games. A free showing of Inde- pendence Day would bring a big surge in attendance, too. But it wouldn't mean that a whole bunch of people had suddenly become library patrons, unless (and this is what I fear) the word "library" has ceased to mean much at all. The Intemet/CD-ROM trend becomes essential to libraries only when we want libraries to be changed in an essential way. In 1978 a committee of the Ameri- can Library Association released a stirring statement about what the li- brary owed the nation: "All informa. t/on must be available to all people in all formats purveyed through all com- munication channels and delivered at all levels of comprehension .... All in- formation means all information." This amazing concept didn't simply disappear in a rush of laughter, as one might expect. Its progeny are every- where: disappearing shelf space re- placed by computer terminals, entire book collections thrown out for being archaic, an embrace of every myth about the Internet ever told. A recent story in Time describing Microsoft's $3 million grant to the Brooklyn Pub- lic Library for Internet connections makes the insupportable claim that "more knowledge comes down a wire than anyone could ever acquire from books." More data, perhaps, but knowledge? That a journalist could mistake one for the other is telling. I find today's library literature strangely infatuated, unquestioning, reflecting a kind of data panic, and filled with dire fantasies of patrons left behind--woebegone hitchhikers on the information superhighway. A press release from the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Infor- mation Science says that communi- ties without library Internet connec- tions will become "information have-nots." The emblematic image, continually evoked as reason enough, is the "schoolchild doing research," who shouldn't be stuck with stodgy print encyclopedias or forced to browse through the stacks and read books--not when screens and CD- ROMs abound, not when search en- gines and keywords can do the brows- ing for her. Says an ALA press release touting the virtues of the electronic resource, "Instead of tracking down volumes on the shelves, students can press a computer key and read the in- formation they need on the screen, in some cases, complete with sound and moving images." Much of the praise for the library as an electronic-infor- mation center presumes that we are headed toward an accelerated, satu- rated vanishing point--and that it is the library's duty to make this as fun as possible, and to make sure every- one is on board. To criticize such an outlook is to be labeled a Luddite, a spoilsport, a stick-in-the-mud. The reality of the electronic li- braw is painfully obvious to anyone who has noted the national destruc- tion of card catalogs.2 Almost 90 percent of urban libraries now use electronic catalogs, and many have destroyed their cards, which repre- sent decades of human labor and in- genuity. My library system switched to an electronic catalog in the late 1980s; even now it's not complete. Almost all the cards are gone, and I now have to pay ten cents a page for a computer printout. A few months ago I went to the li- braw to help my daughter get a book about cheetahs. The computers'were down. I wasn't surprised--annoyed, but not surprised. Repeated "up~ad- inks" have locked patrons out of the catalog for as long as a week, and slowdowns and free:es are common. This time, I asked a librarian to point me toward the section for animals. "Don't know," he said, and turned to go. 2 Nicholson Baker, whose persuasive article in the October t4, 1996, issue of The New Yorker delineated his deep-seated dislike of the new San Francisco Public Librar~ build. ink, its administrators, and all it a~d they represent, is now suing the SFPL for access to records documenting the destruction of more than 200,000 books. The librar~ ad- ministration claims to have discarded half that number of books, all for legitimate rea- sons. They also took 50,000 catalog cards with notes written by patrons and made them wall decorations. Ian Shoales wrote /oat spr/ng that the advent of electronic cata- logs seems "as though some overenthusiastic bunch of bureaucratic technophiles came striding purposefully out of a focus ~oup, and decided to dump baby, bathwater, tow- els, and soap out the window. What did they replace them with? Ico,,ns of baby, bath- water, towels, ,and soap. (A good line, though he doesnt mention the fact that he wrote this for Salon, an online magazine.) "Can you tell me the classification number for animals?" I asked. "Don't know," he said, more stonily this time. "Do you have a list of Dewey deci- mal numbers I can look at?" There were none posted that I could see. "I'1l ring for the reference l'i- brarian," .he said, and I walked away. attended all five days of the most recent biannual Public Library Asso- ciation convention, held in March of 1996 in Portland, Oregon, along with almost 6,000 other people. The PLA is part of the American Library Association, which claims 57,000 members and an annual budget of about $30 million. This larger body wanted Bill Gates to deliver the keynote address at its own conven- tion this year, but it ended up with Harvard law professor Charles Ogle- tree. The PLA keynote was given by Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. The theme was "Access for All." Wandering through the echoing exhibit hall and dozens of panel dis- cussions and lectures broken up by private parties and confabs, I was struck first of all by the amount of time and space devoted to the Inter- net and its various permutations. There were panels on "Community Information on the Internet," "CD- ROM to Go," "Virtual Communi- ties," "Electronic Document Deliv- ery," "Taking Control of the Internet," and "lntemet Job Search," to name but a few.3 The central theme of the exhibit hall was "The 3 I was especially curious about the big splashy exhibit put on by IAC. the lnforma. tion Access Company. IAC sells lnfoTrac and SearchBank, systems that allow pareres to print out fidl-text magazine articles. lAG sells a fair portion of my own work without my permission--in fact, in spite of my "cease.and-desist" kuers. M~ o~ local li. brary offers patrons copies of dozens of dif- ferent stories I've u~'itten, at ten cents per page; it bought the rights to sell m,~ work from IAC, not from me. When I ~ked a salesman at the IAC booth about copy- rights, he leaned over conspiratorially and said, "Don't worry. we take care of all that." Later, when I attended several panel discussions on electronic document delivery, problems with copyright and piracy went un- mentioned. Future," and that future is not only electronic but expensive. There were larger boothsmand many of them-- for Internet-server systems costing several thousand dollars each, CD- ROM games and reference sources, a program called Dewey for Windows, periodical-access systems, electronic research programs, and cataloging systems. Just about everyone at every booth handed out business cards list- ing his or her Web site. Even in the few discussions fo- cused on books and reading, the in- terest was largely on genre fiction, and "read-alikes." A "read-alike" is a book "like" another--for the patron who says, "I love Judith Krantz and want to read something like that." In 1922, a few large libraries started readers' adviser services, in which patrons would check in with the ad- viser for direction and follow pre- scribed reading lists. It wasn't a very pbpular program. Today's readers' advisers are staffers familiar with the work of certain popular authors and ready to recommend read-alikes. At one convention booth, I played with a computer program called NoveList, which contains 11,000 plot summaries and "subject access" to 36,000 novels divided by title, genre, and plot. Type in Carrie by Stephen King, and NoveList tells you which books have matching "el- ements"ghorror, female adoles- cents, high school proms, telekinetic murder. Choose a subjectmsay, "hor- ror, high school seniors"gand a list of titles appears. Describe a plot-- "high school senior murders entire class at prom"mand the program tells you if any such book has been written. Duncan Smith, NoveList's creator and salesman, watched me play. Smith is himself a librarian, soft-spo- ken and, like almost ever3' salesman at the PLA, carefully and conserva- tively dressed. "NoveList assumes that frequently people can tell you they've read a book and liked it, but they can't tell you why," he told me. "We don't want the reader to have to do the hard work of figuring that out." The many disadvantages of elec. tronic reading and learning have been dealt with in detail elsewhere; so have the myriad pragmatic and fi- nancial problems of a wholesale shift to electronic documentation. One of the most interesting aspects of to- day's library is how completely those disadvantages are being ignored. Shiny exhibits and chirping screens feed the erroneous belief that elec- tronic delivery is the best form for both information and ideas, and fur- ther seduce people into believing that the technology needed to build a truly electronic library is even available now--let alone reliable, af- fordable, and tested. Books are expensive objects, but their cost is small when compared with the real costs of electronic "delivery" of the same ki'nd of ma- terial. Beyond the original costs of hardware, software, installation, and training--and the ongoing costs of replacing all this equip- ment, given the rapid obsolescence of electronic technology--there are the much higher losses possible with vandalism and theft and the costs of significant staffing changes to be considered. And no one seems to mention the enormous ex- pensevin money, technical ser- vice, and natural resources--of printing out the information people want to take home. There are other hidden costs as well, such as the need to train staff to teach patrons how to use these tools, even while staff budgets are being trimmed to pay for the tools in the first place. Even something that seems at first glance to be cost-effective, such as a CD-ROM encyclopedia, has hid- den costs. Only one person can use such a source at a time, because all the "volumes" are bound together, and an entire computer station must therefore be dedicated to that one person's research. Once you buy the premise that in- formationmand entertaining informa- tion-is the point, you have to buy the equipment, even if it is a Faust- ian deal. The ALA has accepted an- other offer from Microsoft: $10.5 million to forty-one library systems for Internet access and "multimedia personal computers." An executive with the ALA, in praise of Bill Gates's altruism, says, "Today, access to electronic information is not a luxury~it's a necessity." I have seen 70 HARPER'S MAGAZINE/MARCH 1997 my own future as a library patron: the expensive new central branch being built here will have hundreds of Internet stations, partly thanks to Microsoft, but it won't have a single quiet reading room. In their book Future Libraries: Dreams, Madness & Reality, Walt Crawford and Michael Gorman call the American library the "museum of failed technology." A recent sur- vey showed that patron use of on- line services was dropping, even as more and more libraries added sta- tions. The result of change for change's sake is obvious in every dusty microfiche reader and discard- ed box of eight-track tape. There are, of course, voices of moderation, among them Arthur CurIcy, director emeritus of the Boston Public Library. He sees a lot of potential in electronic media but remains cautious. "The more limited your budget, the more important it is to acquire materials of lasting value," he told me recently. "I don't think we should be pioneers." Curley thinks the library building itself is an impor- tant symbol of the intellectual life. "I know it's a corny term, but it really is a beacon of hope. We want it to be beautiful and inviting; we Whwant it to be a refuge." e new library is not only elec- tronic; a number of people hope it will be virtual, a "no walls" library, accessible by (and limited to) indi- vidual computers scattered through- out a community. We've seen this begin to happen, in workplaces and in a few schools, with entertain- ment: an isolating intrusion of false' connectivity. But .it is most alarming in the library, which I have always found one of the most tangible sanc- tuaries in society. Now it seems more and more something to be used from a distance, a place you don't have to go to--physical contact being, in the words of Kenneth Dowlin, the direc- tor of the San Francisco Public Li- brary, a notion "less viable in a net- worked instant access world." Like a lot of librarians, Dowlin is playing both sides of the issue; he's a leading proponent of the virtual library, but he's also ensconced in a brand-new $140 million building. Designed by James Ingo Freed and Cathy Simon, the new San Francis- co Public Library building, with its soaring empty spaces, limited book shelving, and computer terminals to spare, has been cited by Newsweek and other publications as state-of- the-art, the library of the' future. I've only seen photographs, but a friend who visited recently said, in a stunned monotone, "That building was designed by someone who hates books. Who hates books." Perhaps books are an archaic concept in mainstream American culture. Certainly a lower percent- age of library budgets is spent on materials now than in 1950, and 40 percent of that is spent on technol- ogy, not books. One of the first bud- get items cut when money gets tight in a library is new acquisitions, and the first books done without are those labeled "assumed or potential use"--books by unknown authors, archaic popular novels and reference materials, obscure historical works, and so on. Dollars are finite, and every library must make choices. Certain libraries, such as the New York and Boston public libraries, because they are relatively well funded, have always been "libraries of last resort," source libraries with the broadest and deepest possible collections. By contrast, a small branch outside Iowa City may large- ly provide interlibrary loans, com- munity information, and introduc- tory materials. But in both cases, the question of what a library is for must be asked. Should libraries be market-driven? Or do they have an intrinsic value that can be held up to the community at large, regard- less of profitability and popularity? When such values prevail, books rarely read are seen as books with- out value. Then libraries must be above all good businesses, anticipat- ing the trends and dumping last year's fashions. Critical acclaim, es- oteric detail, revisionism, experi- mental styles, controversial and un- conventional points of view, and, in the end, literary depth itself are re- garded as matters of no importance. Library development is meant to happen "just in time, not just in case"--that is, materials are bought "on demand." The quality of market demand, of course, adheres largely to mainstream tastes, and what the mainstream demands these days is the World Wide Web and Michael Crichton. Midway through the PLA conven- tion, I had lunch with Charles Robinson, director emeritus of the Baltimore County system, past presi- dent of the Public Library Associa- tion, and now editor of the Library Administrator's Digest. We ate and talked in a noisy, crowded downtown Portland hotel lounge. Robinson is amusing in a self-consciously acerbic way, and he is well rehearsed; he has said the things he said to me many times before. "My vision of a public library and what it should be doing is based on what the taxpayers want," he said when I asked him what a library is for. "You have to be careful watch- ing what people use libraries for-- which can be very different from what people say they use libraries for. The value of a library doesn't depend on how many books it has. It depends on how many books it has that people actually want to use." Robinson castigates librarians who want libraries to be education- al. "Most of our use is people get- ting entertained. While they're be- ing entertained, they are also getting educated. Against their will, maybe." I told Robinson that I was in the midst of reading through old cook- books for a project I was working on and that I was having trouble finding the ones I wanted. If he were my li- brarian, would he have such things around ? "I'm not interested in serving you," he said. "I don't give a damn. Go someplace else. We'll help you find it on interlibrary loan, if we can. But what I want to do is serve 90 percent of the people 90 percent of the time. If I want to serve 95 per- cent of the people, it'll double my budget." My own local librarians have told me to seek elsewhere for quiet read- ing rooms, archaic material, special- ized journals, even old cookbooks. In Umberto Eco's essay "How to Orga- nize a Public Library," his Rule 72 HARPER'S MAGAZINE / MARCH 1997 Number 8 is that "The librarian must consider the reader an enemy, a waster of time (otherwise he or she would be at work)." I feel, if not like the enemy, then more and more like an unwelcome foreigner. One of the several ways I seem to be out of touch. with the new library is that I consider "potential use" to be one of the most important aspects of any libraryBbecause the things subsumed under that term are often found nowhere else. When I am searching for the odd fact, the little- known detail, the forgotten idea, I am a pilgrim, searching alone. When I am looking without knowing what 1 am looking for, 1 am a voyager across my own extraordinary landscape. This is what the library does best: it provides a place where the culture is kept, without judgment or censor, a record of life as it was, is, and may be. And the most important part of that record is what cannot be found any- where else and will be lost forever if the library doesn't keep it. 1 see cul- tural exchanges becoming ever more transitional, frail, unenduring. The public library could, in the face of such change, claim its place as the community's holder of what stays, as an exacting delineation of a thinker's world. Instead, it is close to becom- ing as frail as what it sells. The wide- ly read novel, the mainstream idea, the ephemeral data of the day are available in lots of places; that's what makes them mainstream. There will be no shortage of Judith Krantz and John Grisham novels in the world, no shortage of screens inviting dis- traction in a worldwide web of im- pulsively offered words. But there is, more and more, a threat to unique, anomalous, unconventional knowledge. I've been reading Library Journal and Public Libraries and American Li- braries and other such literature, and talking to librarians off and on for months now, and no one mentions something else I miss very much: si- lence. That is, no one mentions it in a positive way; public.relations sto- ries these days often cite the lack of silence as a good thing. Some librari- ans now post ,'40 SIL£NCE PLEASE signs as part of their marketing cam- paigns. Number 11 on the ALA list of "12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country" is that they "Offer Sanctuary"--"a physical reaction, a feeling of peace, respect, humility, and honor." This, of course, is some- thing no virtual, modem-connected information system can possibly do. Cyberspace hopping may be a soli- tary activity, but it's a crowded isola- tion-noisy separation rather than communal quiet. Toward the end of the PLA con- vention, 1 spoke with Jo Ann Pinder, a suburban librarian from Gwinnett County, outside Atlanta. "We don't have a community," she said. "We don't have sidewalks, we have subdi. visions. Instead of front porches, we have decks in the backyard. All that brings us together is our churches, our schools, our libraries. What hap- pens when we provide remote access to the library?" The silence I remember from my childhood library, and still find on occasion in a few big-city reading rooms, is the thick, busy silence one sometimes finds in an operat- ing room. It is profoundly pleasing, profoundly full. There used to be such silences in many places, in open desert and in forests, in mead- ows and on riverbanks, and some- thing of this kind of silence was common, a century or so ago, even in small towns, broken only by the unhurried sounds of unhurried peo- ple. There is no such silence in the world now; in every comer we live smothered by the shrill, growling, strident, piercing racket of crowd- ed, hurried lives. The street is noisy, stores and banks and malls are noisy, classrooms are noisy, vir- tually every workplace is noisy. Na- tional parks and ocean shores and snowy mountains are noisy. And now the library is noisy, which is supposed to be a good thing. It is less "intimidating." The boundaries that have kept the library a refuge from the street and the marketplace are being delib- erately tom down in the name of ac- cess and popularity. No one seems to believe that there is a public need for refuge; no one seems to under- stand that people who can't afford computers and video games can hardly afford silence. In a world of noise and disordered information, a place of measured thought is the province once again of the wealthy, because it is invaluable. Call me a curmudgeon. Or a ro- mantic. Certainly my discomfort with the new library resides in that messy, hard-to-measure world of the aesthetic, the subtle, and the private. These are internal pas- sions, as a reader's passions often are. I like a roomful of books, with its promise, its slow breath of mys- tery, the physical presence of histo- ry large and small. I have great faith in reading and in the im- mense possibilities of stories. And I believe that there is something vi- tal about a community institution devoted to the pursuit of these things. Books and stories connect readers; their use by readers is ki- netic and tactile, and readers leave evidence of their passing. But in the electronic world of marching data bits, the trail is purely local, and one's passing leaves no trace. As we slide from one transitory Web site to another, wondering what to believe--or believing everything, not knowing any bet- terBno one bends near, in quiet courtesy. The public library represents--at least in theory~a truly radical vi- sion of democracy. At .its .best, it is an amalgam of anarchy and meritoc- racy. Franklin knew this, 200 years ago. It is, or could be, a huge, com- monly held trust, not only of ideas but in one another~a kind of de- mand we've made on ourselves, a challenge, an expectation that the privilege of ideas, and the silence in which to consider them, will be cared for and exercised, and that its exercise will make us strong. A few weeks ago I found myself in a large, carpeted, book-filled room. People of various colors and ages sat in armchairs, reading; soft classical music played over hidden loudspeak- ers; a dozen people browsed the near- by shelves. A few children read on the floor. No One spoke; each was lost in a world of carefully chosen words. It was a marvelous place, this Universe, this Library. But I was at a Barnes & Noble. [] ICAD BUDGET 1996-1997 Actual 95-96 FY 95-96 FY 96-97 INCOME: Current Cash Balance** Private Funds Verbal Commitments Expired pledges Gov't Funds New Investors Total Gov't & Private Funds Other Income: Interest Fax Machine Misc. Revenue Amagasaki Banquet Rev. Total Other Income: TOTAL INCOME: TOTAL EXPENSES: 88,650.00 80,634.00 4,650.00 173,934.00 5,5O3.84 0.00 211.00 0.00 90.00 5,804.84 179,738.84 176,023.32 3,715.52 98,995.00 4,000.00 5,950.00 93,963.00 20,000.00 222,908.00 3,500.00 0.00 50.00 0.00 2,000.00 5,550.00 228,458.00 212,782.62 15,675.38 $102,585.00 $3,000.00 $20,450.00 $93,135.00 $15,000.00 $234,170.00 $7,000.00 $0.00 $400.00 $0.00 $2,000.00 $9,400.00 $243,570.00 $242,984.60 $585.40 EXPENSES: Personnel Exp. Salary Exp. Employee Health/Disability In~ Employee BenefilJAnnuity Employee Taxes Total Personnel Exp.: Prof. Development Exp. Dues Staff Training Conf./Registration Fees Business Meetings Total Prof. Dev. Exp: Building Exp. Insurance Maintenance Total Bldg. Exp.: Office Exp. Equip.-Purchase Computer Network Equip.-Maintenance Chamber Remodeling Copies-Inside 101,365.66 1,436.31 14,542.75 7.209.25 124,553.97 1,870.00 0.00 3,925.00 1,103.77 6,898.77 2,486.00 0.00 2,486.00 4,847.24 1149.17 234.14 4000 1,012.70 121,700.00 3,100.00 14,884.00 7,569.71 147,253.71 1,900.00 0.00 4,042.75 1,136.88 7,079.63 2,560.58 0.00 2,560.58 5,000.00 3,000.00 241.16 4,000.00 1,043.08 $114,000.00 $3,7O8.OO $21,655.68 $9,000.00 $148,363.68 $1,900.00 $500.00 $4,000.00 $1,700.00 $8,100.00 $2,500.00 $o.oo $2,500.00 $3,000.00 $0.00 $800.00 $0.00 $1,500.00 Printing Supplies Stationary Auto Phone Phone Postage Shipping/Express Furn./Cap. Exp. Total Office Exp.: Travel Expense ICAD Van Exp. Mileage Reimbursement Travel Exp.- Domestic Travel Exp.- International Total Travel Exp.: Promotional Exp. Advertising Dom. Promo/PR Domestic Promo/PR International PmmoNideo Tape Newsletter/Annual Report Marketing/Corridor Eastern IA Regional Rural/Regional Entertainment Special Events Labor Survey Total Promotional Exp.: Other Exp. Subscdptions Annual Banquet Contingency ICAD Contrib. Events Fund Ddve Board Exp. Professional Fees Misc. Total Other Expenses: 252.09 264.69 $2,000.00 1,057.73 1,089.46 $2,400.00 0.00 0.00 $300.00 390.07 409.57 $910.92 1,934.82 1,992.86 $2,400.00 1,418.33 1,460.88 $1,800.00 394.50 406.34 $400.00 0.00 0.00 $0.00 16,690.79 18,908.05 $15,510.92 6,727.86 7,064.25 $7,500.00 -79.61 -83.59 $0.00 7,130.99 7,487.54 $15,000.00 2,081.03 2,185.08 $5,000.00 15,860.27 16,653.28 $27,500.00 '344.00 0.00 $0.00 478.92 5,000.00 $7,000.00 118.13 100.00 $200.00 75.00 0.00 $3,000.00 2,718.25 2,854.16 $3,500.00 0.00 2,000.00 $12,200.00 2,000.00 4,000.00 $2,000.00 0.00 110.00 $300.00 0.00 150.00 $200.00 0.00 200.00 $250.00 $6,000.00 5,734.30 14,414.16 $34,650.00 432.15 445.11 $660.00 0.00 2,000.00 $2,000.00 0.00 0.00 $0.00 0.00 0.00 $0.00 285.00 293.55 $300.00 91.1'0 93.83 $300.00 2,875.00 2,961.25 $3,000.00 115.97 119.45 $100.00 3,799.22 5,913.20 $6,360.00 TOTAL EXPENSES: 176,023.32 212,782.62 $242,984.60 Council on Disability Rights and Education 5. 6. 7. 8. MEETING AGENDA MARCH 4, 1997 - 10:00 A.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CIVIC CENTER - 410 E. WASHINGTON ST. IOWA CITY, IA 52240 Introductions Approval of Minutes Committee Reports a. Housing & Public Relations b. Transportation c. Public Accommodations Report of Board of Directors Other Reports Other Business Next Meeting Agenda - April 1, 1997 Adjourn CC: Iowa City City Council Johnson County Board of Supervisors CDRE MISSION STATEMENT The Council on Disability Rights and Education (CDRE) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to accessibility, full participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Our mission is to act as a comprehensive, community-wide educational resource for promoting disability awareness, to provide technical assistance and to encourage compliance with disability civil rights legislation. Our goal is the attainment of community-wide accessibility and the full participation of persons with disabilities to all facilities and services within our community. mgr\asst\cdre3-4.agd Council on Disability Rights and Education MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 4, 1997-- 10:00 a.m. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CIVIC CENTER - 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET Present: Orville Townsend, Tim Clancy, John McKinstry, Ethel Madison, Dale Helling, Richard Craig, Jane Monserud, Harriet Gooding, Chris O'Hanlon, Keith Ruff. Clancy volunteered to chair the meeting in the absence of Chairperson Ruff. Those present introduced themselves. Minutes of the meeting of January 7, 1997, were approved as presented.. COMMITTEE REPORTS Housing/Public Relations: The Committee has not met since the last CDRE meeting. Transportation: This Committee has not met due to the weather. Clancy did send a letter to Iowa City Transit regarding what happens to people with respect to their paratransit eligibility if they participate in the Project Action training. The letter specifically requested a statement that a person's eligibility will not be affected if they choose to participate. Clancy also requested that this be included with the application for participation. The next meeting of the Project Action Committee will be at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12th in Room G-8 at the Senior Center. Public accommodations: The Committee has not met since the last CDRE meeting. REPORT ON PENDING ACCESSIBLE PARKING LEGISLATION O'Hanlon advised that there will be a forum on February 7th at 1:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. He requested that the CDRE formally cosponsor this forum. A letter was sent out in the meeting packet summing up the troubling issues with the current law. It was pointed out that a key issue is one of individual privacy. Requiring the signature of a physician on the placard is one prime example. Various ways of opposing this law have been discussed, including one possible tactic of non-participation. Another would be to approach the legislature as soon as possible with individual examples of problems. The four year renewal requirement may be a federal mandate but the remainder of this new law came out of the Iowa legislature. It was agreed that there are various alternatives that could be offered to legislators. Acknowledging that the system has been abused, this law is an attempt to fix it but it does not take into account personal interests, especially those of people with lifelong disabilities. There's definitely a need for the legislature to revisit this law. Another forum will be held at the Capital House Apartments on Thursday, February 6th at 8:00 p.m. This forum will focus more specifically on personal assistant services that it is hoped that the discussion will also include the accessible parking law. Madison pointed out that the use of the word "handicapped" is inappropriate. O'Hanlon indicated that he would address this at the IDOT hearing on February 5th and will encourage them to use other terminology. He suggested that we also encourage legislators to use other terms and it was agreed not to use the word "handicapped" in flyers and other informational materials. Council on Disability Rights and Education January 7, 1997 Page 2 A motion for the CDRE to cosponsor the February 7th legislative forum was passed unanimously. REPORT OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS No report. OTHER BUSINESS McKinstry reported that he had taken a woman to the Iowa City Airport and not only found that the accessible parking space was taken but that there was no sign, no curb cut, and no ramp in the rear of the building. Helling advised that the airport had been surveyed last fall and that a number of things are in the works to make the airport more accessible. A major renovation of that facility is planned. Madison observed that the Housing committee in the City Department of Planning and Community Development has projects in the works for which they are required to utilize the advice of persons with disabilities. She questioned whether the CDRE should be used. Helling advised that the CDRE is not the "official" body designated but that certainly the group or members could be involved, particularly persons with disabilities. Ruff advised that the letter to the Chamber of Commerce had been sent. Townsend observed that he had received several positive responses to the Accessibility Guide to Bars and Restaurants. Madison indicated that she would get a copy of the Housing Information Guide to the City. McKinstry advised that the conference at St. Mark's sponsored by the Ecumenical Consultation had yielded a decision to conduct a self survey of the 25' members of the Consultation as well as other local religious congregations. The purpose is to not only gain information but also serve as an awareness raising campaign. He advised that they could use assistance in putting the survey together and anyone who wishes to volunteer may contact him. It was noted that the Bionic Bus has been chartered to provide transportation to the February 6th forum on Personal Assistant Services. Reservations can be made, Madison advised that the Evert Connor Center wrote a small grant regarding career development and training programs for persons with disabilities. They need a small task force to work with them. She suggested that the CDRE could work with them, offer assistance and expertise of its members, and help put together subcommittees. NEXT MEETING AGENDA A more up-to-date report on the Project Action efforts will be presented. A final copy of the Housing Guide will also be provided. The meeting will be on March 4, 1997. Meeting adjourned. mgr/asst/cdre2-4.min FREE LUNCH PROGRAM NEWSLETTER February 1997 ANNUAL VOLUNTEER MEETINGI Please note on your calendars that on March 16, from 2 to 3:30 PM we will be having the annual volunteers meeting. It will be held in the Fireside room at the Wesley Foundation. We will have a 30 minute program on safe food handling, a time for sharing with the other teams and a short board meeting. Please plan to send at least one representative from your team. All volunteers are welcome. The more the merrier. BOARD MINUTES The Free Lunch Board met on January 21 at 7 PM. Richard Jensen chaired the meeting with 9 in attendance. ,,The budget was reviewed and will remain about the same as the 1996 budget. It will be $9,720. A letter containing the budget and breakdown of expenses for the year was approved and sent to each team. Half of the budget is covered by donations from the serving groups and the remainder is made up by contributions through United Way, Hospice Road Races as well as grant money. -Meg Str0hmer set a termination date of June 1. Please continue'to look for a new coordinator. · The volunteer meeting was set for March 16. Betty Dickinson is working on a program about safe food handling. · A Free Lunch Brochure was reviewed and approved. A copy- ready sheet will be sent to each team. There are blanks to fill in team leader or contact person. FEE 3 A 1997 CITY MAIAGER,S OFFICE Printing can be done by each team in desired amounts and colors. A small stock will be kept on hand for easy access. This should keep costs to a minimum. If requested, brochures can be printed and sent to those needing them. ©Exciting news is that soon renovations will be made at the Free Medical Clinic. These will involve clinic office areas and the dining area but not the kitchen. The work is out for bids now and should be starting soon so be prepared for a little dustl As soon as the renovation is completed, Wesley plans to put in the elevator and do some bathroom improvements. All should be done by the end of the year. Day to Day We have sent in a new order for DHS soup kitchen commodities. We will be getting orange juice, canned fruits and vegetables, and canned salmon. As you have probably noticed, our shelves are getting pretty empty so hopefully you are finding the things you need. Table to Table is continuing to grow. They are now regularly getting fresh produce from Econo Foods and Waterfront HyVee. Robert's Dairy will be donating close-dated dairy products as well. Bakery is dropped off on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday thanks to Audley and George. It is still difficult to know when there will be surpluses so you can plan around them. Perhaps it would be good to discuss ideas at the March meeting about the best way to handle plan around donations. January counts averaged 95 KITCHEN PATROL The kitchen is as lively as ever. We now have a new 55 cup coffee pot and the old one has been. repaired and is on reserve on our shelves. We have purchased a new stainless steel chili kettle and have repaired the refrigerator shelving. Thank you all for the coffee cup donations! We now have a good stock again. We will also be getting some more of the large chili bowls that the St Thomas More chili group likes to use. We recently purchased a stack of them but they have disappeared. We hope the bowls are not going to be a popular item like the silverware. VOLUNTEERS' We have are getting some wonderful volunteers helping out and replacing teams. I will list a few of those that I can remember. Please help by writing down names and addresses in the book of those that help your team or better yet send them thank you notes. We have special thank you cards and will get them to you upon request. Special thanks to: 1. The Horace Mann elementary students in Mrs. Kerr Benns' class. 2. The students of Lance Powell at Home Elementary. 3. The Ad Hoc group of diners who filled on the 2nd Tuesday. 4. The wonderful team headed by Kathy Linhardt and LizAnn Miller who served Christmas dinner. Special thanks to St. Anthony's Bread. 5. Regina Elementary students 6. Deb Seemuth and the Lemme Elementary students. 7. Phi Beta Sigma 8. The University Golf team 9. Anne West and the Rowing team. 10. John Springer, Matt Delta Tau Delta. 11. Nate Hanes and Council. 12. United Campus Students 13. Scattergood Students 14. High school students from Victor, IA. 15. Nancy Langguth's Classes from Cornell College. University Bell and Freshman Ministry A very special thanks and farewell to team leaders Susan Whitsitt, Barbara Hanson, Karen Parroff, Helene Soper, Susan Malecki and two of our teams who are stepping aside: Ronnye Wieland and Les Amis, Joyce Left and friends. We will miss you. A grateful welcome to Kathe Mathes, Bianca Lehnertz, Betty Dickinson, Bonnie McFarland,Cynthia Quast, Carol Christensen, Wanda Osborn and Carol Horton, the SAI group with Vanaja Chandran, and New Life Reformed Church with Dia Rozendaal. UNITED WAY We are now a regular United Way agency. This means that besides funds we receive through specific Free Lunch designations, we are eligible to apply for money from the non-designated funds. Another topic for discussion at the March meeting-What would we like to do with additional funding? In Closing, I would like to see all teams represented on the Free Lunch Board. The meetings are only 4 time a year and are quite short. I think all of you teams would greatly benefit from getting to know all the other wonderful people working on the Free Lunch Program and sharing ideas. Fondly, Meg StrOhmer 351-5587 FREE LUNCH SERVING SCHEDULE FLP 337-6283 Wesley 338-1179 MONDAY 1. Trinity Episcopal, Carol Christensen, 338-3837; Cynthia Quast 339-9479 2. Zion Lutheran, Jana Schnoor, 338-1882 3. St. Mark United Methodist, Don and Dolores Tvedte, 351-7574 4. St. Wenceslans, Margaret Ping, 643-5788 5. First Congregational, Kathi Matthes, 3544836 TUESDAY I. Coralville United Methodist, Carol Fansett, 351-6338 2. Wesley Foundation, Julie Burger, Jen Hill, 338-3285, AbbyFyten, 337-6926 3. St. Thomas More Women's Bible Study, Blanea Lehnertz, 358-8056 4. Systems Unlimited, Regina Wolfe, 338-9212 5. Salvation Amly, Envoy David Sears, 337-3725 WEDNESDAY 1. St. Andrew Presbyterian, Anita Spenler, 3384250; Judy Walker, 351-2897 2. St. Thomas More, Carol Stroyan, 645-2481; Marita McGurk Eicher, 338-9056 3. First Mennonite, Patty Miller, 354-2371; Faith UCC, TmdyRosazza, 351-7477 4. Agudas Achim, Jeanne Cadoret, 644-2746; Iowa Socialist Party, KarenKubby, 338-1321, Rebecca Rosenbaum, 337-5187; Friends, Selma Connor, 338-2914 5. First United Methodist, Carol Lach, 338-0659 THURSDAY 1. Plum Grove, Bev Johlin, 354-0017 2. Latter Day Saints, Verna Johnson, 3514)028 3. First Presbyterian, DordanaMason, 338-1026; Pare Ehrhardt, 351-6531 4. (Odd Months) AMP, F, Steph Leonard 3354432(0); Mary Lewis, 3354222(0) (Even Months) St. Patrick's, Dorothy McCabe, 354-5393; Jim Werner, 3514354 5. New Life Community, Dia Rozendaal, 626-2360 FRIDAY i. New Horizons United Methodist, 351-2491 2. Unitarian Universalist, Steve Beaumont, 626-2018 3. St. Mary's, Betty Dickinson, 354-3012; Bonnie McFarland 338-0296 4. Gloria Doi Lutheran, Jen Madsen 338-3707 5. Twenties and Thirties, Mike Carstens, 626-2732 SATURDAY 1. (Odd Months) SAI, Vanaja Chandran, 337-7278 (Even Months) Newman Center, Mary Canttell, 338-7806 2. (1,3,4,6,7,9,10,11) Sharon Center United Methodist, Jackie Gibbs, 6834000 (2,5,8,12) Christ the King Lutheran, Joan Owen, 338-5236 or 351-9132 3. Parkviexv Evangelical Free, Jean Schultz, 354-3202 4. There is only One Cross, Kathy Henry, 358-8297; Amy Griffin, 351-6411 5. Pilot's Club, Angie Bywater, 3384714 2-97 Meg 351-5587 · 0 ~-~ (D ;-~ ' ~ ~'~ ~-~B) :~ ~ ~o o m o ~ ~o m · ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ · ~ · ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.m ~ ~ ~ e u~ ~ ~ ~~o~o oo o ' ~ o ~ ~ o ~o ~ ~ ~ ~ , 0 ~ 0 0 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ , ~ ~ 0 ~'~ o ~ ,'~ ~ 0 ~ ~ ~_ -- ~ ~ 'U ~. 0 ~' ~o City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 26, 1997 To: City Council From: City Manager Re: Proposed Large Scale Hog Lot I received a telephone call from a farmer who lives southeast of Iowa City expressing concern over a proposed (and I understand rather large - 12,000 head) hog lot facility. While nothing official appears to be in the works, that is, no construction permits, DNR approvals we know of, etc. there is a concern by this farmer over the detrimental consequences of such a proposed hog lot. We dis- cussed the issues that would be of importance to the City, primarily the smell as well as potential for any ground water contamination and in general the desirability of this type of land use so close to the corporate limits. it is just beyond our growth area. The general site as indicated to me was just beyond our two mile zoning review and therefore does appear to be outside our jurisdiction. I spoke with Sally Stutsman to provide her with a "heads up" concerning this issue and she was' unaware of the proposal but wanted to check further. Evidently County zoning does not prohibit such a use and while there may be expressions of concern by the County government it does not appear to be prohibited. At our last conversation she had not informed the full Board of these discussions and possible development project, but I suspect she will be doing so shortly. I wanted you to be aware of this issue. Recent press comments indicated that the hog business in iowa is not doing well (not sure what that means). I am unaware of the statewide implications of a project of this nature. You may recall, at one time, we initiated an effort to secure a water supply south of town. We were highly criticized. One of the arguments was they did not want such a project (water source) in their area. A water project brought stringent regulations to protect the source, as I understand the law/the hog lot may not be as stringently regulated. All of this does confirm some of our suspicions at the time. I do not have much more detailed information. As I find out more I will let you know. All of this information is not confidential but is highly speculative so I would urge some caution in our open discussions about this matter. cc: Sally Stutsman Karin Franklin Im~sa2-26.wp5 Local ODti0n Sales Tax "The Most Frequently Asked Questions a Answers" County Code Rate o o o 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taxable o o o 0 o 0 0 0 0 o Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance CONTENTS VOTING: IMPOSITION, REPEAL AND RATE CHANGE ............................................1 REVENUE ESTIMATES.. ..............................3 DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL OPTION TAX FUNDS ..................................................3 PUBLIC RELATIONS ....................................5 RELATED COSTS ..........................................5 NONCOMPLIANCE ........................................5 APPLYING THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX .....................................................5 CONTACTING THE DEPARTMENT ...............9 VOTING: IMPOSITION, REPEAL AND RATE CHANGE The Secretary of State administers local option election procedures. Questions should be addressed to the Secretary of State for confirmation; you may telephone (515) 281- 5823, How is a local option sales tax imposed? A majority of votes at an election must approve the local option sales tax. How does the issue of local option sales tax get on the ballot? There are two ways: o A petition is presented to the county board of supervisors. It must be signed by eligible voters of the whole county. The number of signatures must be equal to 5 percent of the persons in the county who voted in the last preceding state general election. · A motion is adopted by a county board of supervisors for an unincorporated area or by a city council. The governing body must represent at least half of the population of the county. When can a vote on local option tax be held? The local option tax can be voted on at either a general election or at a special election. The special election can be held at any time other than at a city regular election. The vote cannot be held sooner than 60 days after the notice of the ballot proposition is published in the newspaper. The question of repeal of the tax or of a rate change can also be voted upon at a general or special election. Is the election countywide? The election is countywide, but the tax only applies in the incorporated areas (city) and the unincorporated area of the county where a majority vote in favor of the local option tax. What happens when cities are contiguous to each other? All cities contiguous to each other are treated as one large incorporated area. The tax can only be imposed if the majority of those voting in the total contiguous area approve the tax. When axe two geographical areas contiguous? They are contiguous when their boundaries are in actual contact or touching. Burd v. Board of Education of Audubon County, 167 N.W. 2nd 174 (IA 1969); City of Walker, et al v. Oxley, et al. If there is a question whether two geographic areas axe contiguous, will resolve the issue? The issue must be resolved by the county board of supervisors. What must the ballot proposition specify? The ballot must specify: , the type of tax · the tax rate (not more than 1 percent) · the date it will be imposed , the approximate amount of local option tax revenue that will be used for property tax relief, if any · the specific purpose(s) for which local option tax revenues will be spent if for purposes other than property tax relief - a sunset clause for termination of the tax (optional) Sample ballots are available from the Iowa Secretary of State. A copy can also be found in Chapter 721 of the Iowa Administrative Code § 21.3. Who needs to be notified of election results? Rate change: Within 10 days after the election, the county must give written notice to the Department of Revenue and Finance of the results. Imposition or repeal: A separate notice · must be sent to the Department of Revenue and Finance by certified mail at least 40 days prior to the imposition or repeal date. Imposition: The county board of supervisors must pass an ordinance and file a certified copy with the Department of Revenue and Finance. If local option is approved by the voters, but a county does not pass the local ordinance as required by law, what happens? The tax will still be imposed. Passing the ordinance is mandatory. The Linn County District Court in City of Walker, et al vs. Oxley, et al, EQ 9310, June 4, 1986. How long does a local option sales tax remain in effect once it is imposed? The tax remains in effect for an unlimited period or until it is repealed unless a sunset clause is part of the ordinance. It must remain in effect for at least one year. Can a local option sales tax be repealed? Yes. To repeal the tax, an election may be called and held in the same manner and under the same conditions as the election which approved the tax. This election is countywide. The county board of supervisors can, upon its own motion, repeal the local option tax in any unincorporated area of the county where the tax is imposed. For any municipality, the county board of supervisors must, upon receipt of a motion of the governing body of the municipality, repeal the local option tax within that municipality. The tax can be repealed within a municipality which is contiguous to other municipalities. Note, however, that this is currently being reviewed by the Attorney General's Office. Local option sales and service tax cannot be repealed by election before the tax has been in effect for one year. Can the rate of tax be increased or decreased? Yes. The criteria for placing the proposition on the ballot are the same as previously explained. However, only qualified voters of the area of the county where the tax has been imposed can vote. Rate cannot exceed 1 percent. What are the dates that the tax can be imposed, changed, or repealed? A local option sales tax can only be imposed beginning January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1, after notifying the Department of Revenue and Finance 40 days in advance. Repeal of a local option sales tax can only occur on March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31, after notifying the Department of Revenue and Finance 40 days in advance. What if a tax has been imposed in a portion of a county and now another incorporated or unincorporated area of the county wants to vote on the tax? The criteria for placing the proposition on the ballot are the same as previously explained. However, only qualified voters of the area of the county where the tax has not been imposed can vote. 2 REVENUE ESTIMATES How can a locality estimate what amount of local option sales tax it might receive? The Department of Revenue and Finance is able to provide an estimate based on general state sales tax data. Since the local option sales tax and the state sales tax are different in several areas, the data should be adjusted. For example, the local option sales tax is imposed on goods delivered into a locality. State sales tax statistics are kept on the basis of sales made by merchants within a locality. Local option sales tax is not imposed on room rental subject to local option hotel and motel tax or on the sale of natural gas or electric energy in a city where these receipts are subject to a users fee or a franchise fee, to mention just a few differences. If a locality has made its own estimates, will the Department of Revenue and Finance review them? Yes. Oftentimes local officials are better economic predictors, because they are familiar with the occupation, purchasing and spending patterns in a locality. The Department will review the logic and the variables considered in compiling the estimate. Can a locality obtain information about sales tax payments made by specific retail establishments? Yes. The Department may enter into a written agreement for tax administration purposes with a city or county entitled to receive local hotel and motel tax or a local sales and services tax funds. The agreement allows no more than two paid city or county employees to have access to actual return information. This information cannot be shared with anyone else. DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL OPTION TAX FUNDS How soon after a local option sales tax is imposed will a locality get its money? Within 15 days of the beginning of each fiscal year, a written estimate of the amount of tax money that the city or county will receive for that year and for each quarter of the year will be sent to localities. Estimates may be revised at the end of each quarter of the year. Ninety percent of estimated tax receipts will be paid to a city or county after the end of the quarter. These will be sent no later than the 10th day of the second month following the quarter; that is, no later than 11/10, 2/10, 5/10, and 8/10 of any fiscal year. A final payment of any remaining tax due to a city or county for the fiscal year will be made before the due date for the first payment o£ the next fiscal year. If an overpayment to a city or county exists for a previous fiscal year, the first payment of the subsequent fiscal year will be adjusted to deduct the overpayment. Will a jurisdiction receive the actual amount of tax collected by merchants in the locality? No. The local option tax collected within a county is placed in a special distribution fund. The fund is distributed on the basis of population and property tax levies. Who will receive the distribution check? The check will be made out to the city or county that imposed the tax. Is it possible for a jurisdiction without the tax to receive a distribution of local option tax money? No. Only the jurisdictions in which the tax is imposed can participate in the distribution. 3 How does the distribution formula work? Each county's account is distributed on the basis of population (75 percent) and property tax levies (25 percent). The population factor is based on the most recent certified Federal census. The property tax factor is the sum of property tax dollars levied by boards of supervisors or city councils for the three years from July 1, 1982, through June 30, 1985. The property tax data is compiled from city and county tax reports available in the State Department of Management. Only population and property tax levies of the jurisdiction imposing the tax are used in figuring percentages. The actual distribution is computed as follows: D = (.75 xPxZ) + (.25 xVx Z) D = distribution for the taxing jurisdiction P = jurisdiction percentage of the population V = jurisdiction percentage of the property tax levied Z = the total collections for the county in which the jurisdiction is located. Are any adjustments made to the quarterly remittance of local option tax prior to distribution? Adjustments are possible. For example, local option taxes can be refunded to governmental units if imposed on materials associated with construction projects. Erroneous collections can occur which are also subject to refund. Amended sales tax returns will also be filed. Refunds will most likely be identified after distributions for a given tax period have been made; therefore, account adjustments will be necessary. When a local option tax is repealed, the local option tax monies, penalties, or interest received or refunded 180 days after the repeal date is deposited into or withdrawn from the state general fund. What happens to local option taxes which are collected, but it cannot be determined which county is the origin of the money? The funds will be allocated to the counties which might possibly be entitled to them on a basis of special rules filed by the Department. The rules specify distribution to be made based on population of each county. Examples of an actual distribution are in 701 Iowa Administrative Code § 107.10. 4 PUBLIC RELATIONS Once local option sales tax is imposed, how are businesses informed? The Department will mail a special notice to all merchants located in a taxing jurisdiction. This mailing will also include a new sales tax table which incorporates the state tax rate and the local option tax rate. In addition, the Department regularly mails newsletters to all retailers holding a sales tax permit, and the newsletter will contain local option tax notification. Newsletters are distributed to subscribing accounting practitioners, certified public accountants and attorneys, plus many businesses. In addition, the Department issues press releases and responds to media questions. RELATED COSTS Who pays for reprogramming computers and cash registers for businesses in a jurisdiction imposing a local option tax? Businesses are responsible for all programming changes and costs. NONCOMPLIANCE What happens if a business fails to collect or refuses to collect local option tax? Anyone aware of a problem may call our Taxpayer Services Section. We will call the merchant or otherwise investigate any complaints. In most cases, the problems are the result of misunderstandings and not intentional noncompliance. Whenever the Department audits for state sales tax, it will also audit for local option taxes. The penalties associated with the nonpayment of local option sales tax are the same as those for state sales tax. APPLYING THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX Is the local option sales tax imposed on the same items as state sales tax? Yes, except on: sales of motor fuel and special fuel as defined in Chapter 324 of the Iowa Code. room rentals subject to local option hotel/motel tax. sales of equipment by the State Department of Transportation. sales of natural gas or electric energy subject to a city- or county-imposed franchise fee or users fee. the sale of Lottery tickets and receipts from other games of chance conducted by the state Lottery. the sale of direct-to-home satellite service Are local option sales taxes imposed on cars and trucks? No. Vehicles subject to registration are subject to a use tax under Chapter 423 of the Iowa Code rather than a state sales tax. However, the receipts from the rental of cars and trucks can be subject to local option tax. Also, sales of parts and services by auto dealers are subject to tax. Can a county with a local option sales tax impose the tax on items and services not subject to state sales tax? No. A local option sales tax cannot be imposed on any property or service not subject to state sales tax. When local option sales tax is figured, is it imposed "on top" of the state sales tax? No. The amount of the sale for purposes of determining amount of local sales tax does not include any amount of state sales tax. 5 Do retailers have to obtain a special sales tax permit in order to collect local option sales taxes? No tax permit other than the state sales tax permit is required or available. When are local option sales tax receipts reported? Local option taxes are reported on the quarterly sales tax report which contains special local option tax reporting information. When does a retailer remit the tax to the Department? As with the state sales tax, the local option sales tax is due when the tangible personal property is delivered to the customer. Even if the customer has not paid for the merchandise, the tax is due in the quarter when delivery occurred. For taxable services, the retailer remits the local option tax in the quarter ,when the service is rendered, furnished, or performed. If a resident in a local option tax jurisdiction buys something in a city that does not have a local option sales tax, does that mean that they avoid paying the local option tax? Maybe. If a resident of a taxing jurisdiction takes physical possession of the item in a non-taxing jurisdiction, no local option tax can be imposed. However, if the seller delivers it to the purchaser who lives in a local option tax jurisdiction, then the seller must collect local option tax. What if the seller (previous question) sends the item through the mail or by common carrier to the purchaser? No local option tax would be collected unless the seller is otherwise doing business in the taxing jurisdiction. What does "otherwise doing business in the taxing jurisdiction" mean? The seller has a store in the taxing jurisdiction, maintains property, maintains some sort of office, utilizes a solicitor or sales person in the taxing jurisdiction, or transports property in his or her own vehicles into the taxing jurisdiction with some regularity. If any minimum connection exists between the taxing jurisdiction and the seller, the seller can be required to collect local options sales taxes even if the delivery is made into the taxing jurisdiction by common carrier or by mail. What happens if the seller is located in a taxing jurisdiction and delivery of an item is made into a jurisdiction where no local option tax has been imposed? Local option tax cannot be charged on a transaction where delivery is made into a non-taxing jurisdiction. What happens when an item is purchased outside Iowa and brought into Iowa by the purchaser. Would local option sales tax be due? No. These transactions are subject to the state consumer's use tax. Local option sales tax can only be imposed when state sales tax is applicable. What about vending machines? The location of each individual vending machine determines whether or not the local option sales tax applies. If it is in a local option jurisdiction, the tax applies. 6 What happens when a business uses its own inventory? If a retailer in a taxing jurisdiction purchases items for resale or processing and later withdraws them from inventory for other purposes, the local option tax is imposed. It does not matter where or when the items were first purchased. Owners, contractors, subcontractors, or builders purchasing building materials, supplies, and equipment for use in a construction project within a taxing iurisdiction must pay local option sales tax on these items if they take delivery in the taxing iurisdiction. Contractors, subcontractors, or builders who are also retailers in a taxing jurisdiction must pay local option tax when they withdraw building materials, supplies and equipment from inventory for construction purposes even if the construction project is outside the taxing jurisdiction. Manufacturers of building materials located in a taxing jurisdiction who are principally engaged in manufacturing and selling building materials and who withdraw them from inventory for use in a construction contract must pay local option tax if the construction contract is within Iowa. The tax is computed on fabricated cost. They must pay local option tax when they withdraw building materials, supplies and equipment from inventory for construction purposes even if the construction project is outside the taxing iurisdiction. What if a contract to construct a building or to purchase tangible personal property is entered into prior to the imposition of local option tax, but actual erection occurs after the local option tax is imposed? It makes no difference when the contract is signed or where it is signed. Delivery is the taxing event. If tangible personal property subject to state sales tax is delivered into a jurisdiction after the date local option sales tax has been imposed, local option sales tax is due. If a taxable service is rendered, furnished, or performed after the date local option sales tax has been imposed, local options sales tax is due. Construction contractors may apply for refund of additional local option sales tax paid as a result of the imposition of or an increase in the rate of local option sales tax if the following circumstances exist: (1) The additional tax was paid upon tangible personal property incorporated into an improvement to real estate in fulfillment of a written construction contract fully executed prior to the date local option sales tax is imposed or its rate increased, and (2) The contractor has paid the full amount of both state and local option sales tax due to the Department or to a retailer, and (3) The claim is filed on forms provided by the Department within six months of the date on which the contractor has paid the tax. This local option tax right of refund is not applicable to equipment transferred under a mixed construction contract. 7 SERVICES How is local option sales tax imposed on services? Local option sales tax is imposed on any service subject to state sales tax which is rendered, furnished, or performed within a taxing jurisdiction. Does it matter when a contract for services is signed? No. Sometimes services are contracted before the local option sales tax becomes effective. The tax still applies when the service is performed. Does it make any difference if the service contract is signed outside the taxing jurisdiction? No. Local option tax is due on all taxable services performed in the taxing jurisdiction regardless of where the contract was entered. What if there is a single contract and services are performed both within and outside a taxing jurisdiction? The local option tax is imposed if the contract is substantially performed in the taxing jurisdiction. However, if service charges are separately stated, separately billed, and reasonable in amount and can be distinguished between those performed in the taxing jurisdiction and those performed outside the taxing jurisdiction, tax is only imposed on services performed in the taxing jurisdiction. LEASE AND RENTAL How is local option sales tax computed on rented or leased property? The general rule is that payments associated with periods when the property is used within a taxing jurisdiction are subject to local option tax. Motor vehicle, recreational vehicle and recreational boat rentals where state sales tax is imposed are subject to local option sales tax only if pursuant to the rental contract, possession of the vehicle or boat is transferred to the customer within the taxing jurisdiction and payment is made within the same taxing jurisdiction. UTILITIES Which utility payments are taxed? Delivery of gas and water, electricity, heat, communication and pay television to an address in a local option taxing jurisdiction is subject to tax. However, if the jurisdiction imposes a franchise fee or users fee on the sale of natural gas or electric energy, no local option tax can be imposed on the sale of natural gas or electric energy. Under recently-enacted Federal law, if a pay TV company provides its subscribers with a "direct-to-home" satellite service, Iowa local option sales tax cannot be imposed on the gross receipts. How are charges taxed when there are different billing dates and billing cycles? Since the billings may occur before or after rendering of the service is actually made, local option taxes and state sales tax are imposed on a "billing date" instead of a delivery date. What about telephone credit card calls made outside a taxing jurisdiction and billed to an address within a taxing jurisdiction? Assuming that it is an intrastate call (within Iowa) local option tax applies if the call is billed to an address within a taxing jurisdiction. Do pay television franchise fees imposed by a local jurisdiction exempt cable television charges from local option taxes? No. Only franchise fees and users fees for natural gas and electric energy trigger the exemption. 8 FOR MORE INFORMATION... Taxpayer Services Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance PO Box 10457 Des Moines, Iowa 50306-0457 515/281-3114 (out of state, Des Moines) OR 1-800-367-3388 (iowa, Omaha and Rock Island/Moline) To receive forms and publications by mail: 515/281-7239 or 800-532-1531 (Iowa only) To receive forms and publications by fax: 515/281-4139 or 800-572-3943 (Iowa, Omaha, and Rock Island/Moline only) To access ERIN (computer bulletin board): 515/281-3248 or 1-800-972-2028 (Iowa only) To access TDD for hearing impaired: 515/242-5942 To listen to pre-recorded tax messages: 515/281-4170 or 800-351-4658 To check on the status of your Iowa income tax refund: 515/281-4966 or 800-572-3944 (Iowa, Omaha, and Rock Island/Moline only) To leave a comment at our e-mail address: IADR F@IADRF. E-MAIL.COM To~ I0WA CITY CLERK From: Jo Hooarty 3-03-97 8:35am p. 2 of 3 t.~Johnso~t Count' $a11¥ $tutsman, Chairperson Joe Bolkcom Charles D. Duffy Jonalhan Jordahl Stephen P. Lacina BOARD OF SUPERVISORS March 4, 1997 INFORMAL MEETING Agenda 1. Call to order 9:00 a.m. 2. Review of the formal minutes of February 20th. 3. Business from the Cornty Engineer. a) Discussion re: purchase of rubber tire backhoe/loader. b) Discussion re: right-of-way acquisition of Kinney Construction Project Number STP S-52(31)--5E-52. c) Other Parcel on IWV Business from Mike l~oster, Director and Bey Boer Clearman, Chair for Nutrition Advisory Board (Title V) Heritage Agency on Aging re: county funding for Seiior Dining Program/discussion. Business from the Bo,lrd of Supervisors. a) Discussion re: notice of public hearing on request for Voluntary Annexation of 140.5 acres located on the East side of Scott Boulevard, North of Highway 6. b) Meeting with City of Iowa City on April 2rid at 4:00 p.m. (FYI) c) Meeting with Muscatine and Washington Counties on April 10th at 11:30 p.m. (FYI) d) Discussion re: installation price of cable feed for the Administration Building to enable live broadcasts. e) Discussion re: meetings for the week of March 16th, due to ISAC Spring School of 5nstmction for March 19th thru March 21 st. f) Reports g) Other 913 SOUTH DUBUQUE ST. P.O. BOX 1350 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52244-1350 TEL: (319) 356-6000 FAX: (319) 356-6086 ~~ To, I0~ CITY CLERK From, Jo HoHart~ 3-03-~? 8:35am p. 3 of 3 Agenda 3-4-97 Page 2 6. Discussion from the public. 7. Recess. by Juon 0~ro aesthetics 'o~ B'~fin's ,Beacon ban: ;.~treet. rupture . · .... mn'historica~ 'district. The . incluaed.~ "~'hd ', New "York 'H~es;'.?The~'.Wall :B0~S Anueals 'for 'ilia' i~r~' ~]i~a]iif ....men~ protectton.of ~he press.,papers: message.,, ,,-~,.~::.:;:t,~, 'ities c'~ '; . .' :". .......," In a 2:1 deemram the'(,our~ ~te Courts decision stud c ,. ~ t cons~ttutmnally ao . .. ........... , , so without vmlatin~ tba man- · of Appealg,.dedated, the .ban . tha~,.fite five-~eat~old ban m dates · of tim 3~rsf Amend .... :~nsfi.~o~.a!,,~.~B~;:overmrnr . mined at .nestherin'con, ms, ~dhte.: ]afitude"in'~'0nl'~l'!it{'& '-':;:n~tt~re)~:the"~om'l;~',b~:App~als' ,'Oommtsston'i-was not"banmng their sith,walks and th6 {it.s-.'"r~o~ized i:he nced.ibr dlius ." the ' newspaifdr..s. iust the thetic' design of".'theiff'mdgh-. · ~'l~{h~b}e.'to'. ah~htriJ:qti.?fly.. yk~dding mai:bineg housing !'tarhoods..;.'Furthermon~, tMs :.detdqtine wbat"~ff ac.t~ptable'.. ~lte ndwspapey~.".' ru{inff ltllty ,emllower 6itit~s "' on it.~ Didqwallss. , · '.'. '.' : The ban, tt~dording to fi'm Gunfit v ofliib'to ed'&,~'reffi:' "A~m){~khne]'d. umfi~'si~/, Hmn~o,'e fium ~h inckli',nt&l sonable. guidtflines ~]o airhiev~ '- ]-(~Y~q~.~;91 Appunls concluded mof (th~ Commission's}' goal ri[cks in ordur lo preserh, o 1.h~ ' alOnY~'.~ declsum 1o ta.nph}telyin mtpporl; 6 liencoil ,Hill. N Utility Deregulation Will Change Local Role, Challenge Cities In the 105th Congress, dereg- ulation or restructuring of the electric utility industry will be a major focus. For local elected offi- cials, the changes in the industry could result in similar problems that occurred with telecommuni- cations deregulation. For exam- ple, legislation could preempt traditional municipal responsi- bilities such as zoning or fran- chising. Other problems for cities could include the loss of revenues from decreasing taxes or fran- chise fees, as well as the loss of a pension fund that is heavily invested in investor-owned utili- ties. However, electric utility deregulation could bring new roles and opportunities for local governments. New Roles One new role for local govern- ments could be aggregation, which is Where a local govern- ment or a coalition of local gov- ernments come together to pro'- chase electricity at a lower price. A local government could aggre- gate to purchase electricity for all of its residents or for economical- ly disadvantaged residents. Local governments in a region could come together to buy elec- tricity, which could be supphed to municipal functions. There are many other possible opportuni- ties. However, it is important that federal legislation allow local governments to aggregate. Without the ability to aggregate, local governments will only have 'the ability to purchase their dec- New Opporlunilles has electric rates that are higher than the national average, they Hot Issues could go down with deregulation. The results could be increased profits for businesses located within your municipality. With increased profits, the businesses could expand and create jobs. Before attending .CCC in March, meet with your local Chamber of Commerce and your financial, management, environ- ment, and pension directors to understand your city's situation reg .arding electricity. Then, attend the plenary ses- sion on Sunday, March 9 at 10:00 to learn about the opportunities and shortcomings of electric deregulation. [] City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 25, 1997 To: Steve Atkins From: Chuck Schmadeke Re: Water Treatment Facilities Construction Progress To date, three projects have been completed by the various contractors. The construction of Jordan Well 1 was finished in June of 1996, Silurian Wells 1 & 2 in July of 1996, and Silurian Wells 3 & 4 in December of 1996. In addition, Williams Pipeline has recently completed the relocation of a gas pipeline to the south side of 1-80 reducing contamination risks to the water plant site. Site restoration in connection with the relocation will be completed by Williams Pipeline when weather permits. At present, there are two projects which are in progress. The contractor for the Ground Storage Reservoir Project, Wendler Engineering, has completed nearly 75% of the project. The renovation of the Rochester Avenue GSR and Emerald Street GSR is nearing completion and the overall condition of the reservoirs and pumphouses appear to be in excellent condition. Work is continuing on the Sycamore Street GSR. This GSR has been drained and cleaned and the contractor will be removing the pumps for replacement. It is expected that this project will be completed by April 30, 1997. The other project in progress is the Well House Improvements Project. Four of the completed wells will require a building and the fifth (Silurian Well 1) will be housed in a manhole not requiring additional building protection. At present, the contractor for this project, Mid-America Construction, has completed approximately 6% of the project as a percentage of the contracted amount. Construction of the well house structure for Silurian Well 2 has commenced and is expected to be completed by mid April. Substantial completion date for the entire project is November 1, 1997. Archeological work on the plant site and peninsula, including Phase I and Phase !1 studies, has been completed by Bear Creek Archeology. This information is being forwarded to the appropriate regulating agencies. IOWA CITY POLICE SUPPLR24ENT2%L REPORT REPOI{TING OFFICER: SGT. J. F. LINN {93 CASE~ INCIDENT{ Nowotn¥ traffic complaint DATE OF REPORT: JANUARY 29, 1997 Mr. Nowotny came to the police department to complain that a Iowa City Police car had narrowly missed striking his vehicle in traffic. The initial complaint was taken by Sgt. Campbell and I was in the office doing other paperwork and was able to hear the conversation. Mr. Nowotny initially stated that the police car had come from between the Gilbert Street Pawn and the Quick Trip, failing to stop for the stop sign and turning north on Gilbert Street. Sgt. Campbell confirmed the location Nowotny was giving then pointed out that the area was a parking lot, not an alley and that there was no stop sign in place at that location. Mr. Nowotny was insistent that that was the location and that he had lived in the area for many years and there was a stop sign at that point. At that time I suggested we look at the city map on the office wall to confirm we were talking about the same spot. Mr. Nowotny subsequently changed the location of the incident to Gilbert and Court Streets but in following up on his direction of travel and businesses in the area it became apparent that that could not be the intersection. The third location he gave was Linn and Court Streets. He stated that had to be it because he was on the street which led to the library which would place him northbound on Linn Street. It was apparent that there was more than a little confusion on Mr. Nowotny's part but the inclusion of the library reference by him and his statement that he observed the officer "coming down the hill at him", convinced both Sgt. Campbell and me that he was at the Linn and Court intersection. In addition, during construction this summer, there was a four way stop situation at that intersection but at the end of construction, the standard stop signs on Linn street for north and southbound traffic stayed in place and the signs for Court street were removed. Mr. Nowotny was adamant there were stop signs in place so he was asked to return to the spot, if it was not Court and Linn, to return to the police department the following day to speak with either Sgt. Campbell or Me. Page 1 REPORTING OFFICER: SGT. J. F. LINN {93 CASE# Mr. Nowotny returned the next day and presented the enclosed map which now shows the intersection to be Dubuque and Court Streets. Mr. Nowotny again stated at least twice in his description of the incident to me that he saw the squad car coming "down the hill". When it was pointed out to him that there was no hill for eastbound traffic on Court at Dubuque, he continued to insist that was the location. Officer Hart had overheard our conversation the night before and told us that he had been in the area during the time of the incident but that he didn't remember a pickup or any close call in traffic of the type described. I subsequently spoke with the other on duty officers and did not locate any other officer in.the area. I asked Mr. Nowotny what he felt would be an appropriate action for me to take as the watch supervisor and he stated he was not interested in getting anybody in trouble. I told him that any number of things could cause inappropriate driving on the part of an officer but that those things would not be accepted as an "excuse" for the officer any more than they would for a citizen doing the same th~ng. I told him that while I couldn't be sure that the individual officer had been involved, I would speak to him directly about appropriate traffic conduct and that additionally that I ~uld speak to all the officers on the watch to remind them they needed to follow both the traffic laws and Police Department Regulations. Mr. Nowotny seemed pleased with that as a disposition of the incident and left with no further comment. Page 2 nOaaN Un TO: FROM: RE: DATE: Stephen Atkins, City Manager R. J. Winkelhake, Chief of Police NILA HAUG LETTER January 13, 1997 Mike Novotny, the young man who was driving the vehicle came into the department and spoke with Sergeant Campbell and Sergeant Linn about the incident. There was some confusion about where the incident occurred. The young man did not know the streets where the incident occurred. But during the conversation with the Sergeants it was believed the intersection was Court and Linn Streets. He stated he was northbound on the street and the police vehicle was eastbound on the other street. He also stated that the police vehicle was coming down the hill rather than up the hill as the letter writer states. Mike Novotny did bring a drawing in which the location is identified as Dubuque Street and Court Street. One officer overheard some of the conversation and did state that he had driven on Court Street on his way to the station from the county jail near the end of his tour of duty. The officer said he did not see any other vehicle along Court Street. The words "late to get off work" were mentioned during the conversation with and by Sergeant Linn, but not in the terms suggested by the writer. All officers are expected to obey all traffic laws at all times other than in emergencies, and then only under certain conditions. This topic is frequently discussed at roll call by the watch supervisor. The department is very much aware of the need to set an example of courteous and lawful driving habits for the public. Sergeant Linn is doing additional follow-up on this matter. January 7, 1997 Letter to the Editor PRESS CITIZEN 1725 N. Dodge Iowa city,IA 52245 On January 6, 1997 late in the evening, a member of my family was involved in a very serious near accident near the Post Office. He was driving his truck, had stopped at.a 4-way stop and proceeded into the intersection after not seeing any other vehicle in the area. After he was in the intersection, he noticed headlights coming up the hill at a fast pace. This other vehicle ran the stop sign, swerved to avoid nearly hitti~g..my family member's vehicle broadside, and continued to speed away. The vehicle was a police car without flashers on. My family member reported this incident to the police station immediately and was told to return today. After narrowing down the possible persons to have been in the area at the time, the police persons were told of the incident. One of the police persons "confessed" that he was "late to get off work" but did not see anyone else in the area. My questions are: 1. If he saw no one in the area, why did he swerve to avoid "no one"? 2. When you are "late to get off work" does that entitle you to speed and break the law by avoiding stopping at stop signs? 3. When it is late at night and we see no one around, can we also ignore the law and not stop at stop signs? I think not!! If my family member had not stopped at the stop sign almost hitting a car that had stopped and was proceeding into the intersection, AND that car had been a police car, you can be sure my family member would have been at least stopped and probably ticketed for failure to ~top. Can someone explain to me why the police in Iowa city are not held accountable for their inappropriate actions while on duty? Nila Haug Iowa City ~'- ._ 338-6452 March 3, 1997 CITY OF I0 WA CITY Mr. Bill Casey, Publisher Daily lowan 111 Communication Center The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 Dear Bill: I am again writing to you and other organizations to ask your assistance in getting information to students before the beginning of Spring Break regarding the prohibition of street storage of vehicles beyond a 48-hour period. Usually, this prohibition is enforced in response to complaints. However, during Spring Break, the City's Streets Diyision will begin spring street sweeping. "No Parking Due to Maintenance" signs will be posted in neighborhoods at least 48 hours in advance of the work. Therefore, vehicles left on the street are more likely to be towed during Spring Break than any other period. The City wishes to avoid having hefty charges awaiting students upon their return from vacation. Therefore, any assistance you can provide to inform the students will be appreciated. A schedule of the sweeping operations is enclosed with this letter. Sincerely, Stephen J. Atkins City Manager Enclosure Also sent to: KKRQ WSUI/KSUI KRNA Director of U of I Resident Services Panhellenic Association Council Interfraternity Council Campus Programs 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 PRESS RELEASE Spdng Sweeping Schedule Contact Person: Bud Stockman, Supt. Streets Phone: 356-5181 Febmaw 20, 1997 The following schedule will be used by the City of Iowa City Street Division for sweeping certain streets with continuous parking dudng the University of Iowa's 1997 spdng break. Posting Thursday, March 20, 1997 for sweeping operations beginning Tuesday, March 25, 1997 at 8:00 a.m.: On Clinton, from Market St. to Church St. (east side only); On Iowa Ave., from Van Buren to Muscatine Ave. (south side only); On Washington St., from Van Buren to Muscatine Ave. (north side only); On College St., from Van Buren to Summit St. (south side only); On Bloomington St., 100 block between Clinton & Dubuque St. (north side only); Posting Fdday, March 21, 1997 for sweeping operations beginning Wednesday, March 26, 1997 at 8:00 a.m.: On Clinton, from Market St. to Church St. (west side only); On Jefferson St., from Gilbert St. to Evans (south side only); On iowa Ave., from Van Buren to Muscatine Ave. (north side only); On Washington St., from Van Buren to Pead St. (south side only); On College St., from Van Buren to Summit St. (north side only); On Dodge St., from Burlington to Bowery (west side only); On Lucas St., from Burlington south to dead end at railroad (west side only); On Pearl St., north of College St. (east side only); This schedule is used to take advantage of there being less vehicles in these areas during spdng break and thus attempt to alleviate any additional inconvenience. The Iowa City Street Division uses this program for the public's best interest and will continue to do so on an annual basis. Parking will be prohibited and enforced as posted on these dates in the respective areas. Violators will be towed with no exceptions. "No Parking" signs "Due To Maintenance" are posted at least 48 hours in advance of any necessary work to be done and are checked and rechecked as necessary to alert vehicle owners. This coincides with the City of Iowa City 48 hour vehicle storage ordinance continually in effect. Vehicles parked on City of Iowa City streets should be checked eady every other day at a minimum. This sweeping operation project is scheduled to be completed by Thursday, March 21, 1996, weather permitting. MSWord: sprsweep.doc MEDIA RELEASE CITY OF I0 WA CITY S p ring Brea k/Street Storage Contact: City Manager's Office (356-5010) March 17, 1997 Iowa City residents are reminded of the City ordinance which prohibits the storage of vehicles on the streets for longer than a 48-hour period. This is especially important during Spring Break when many residents leave the City and City crews will be sweeping the streets in the near downtown area. The street storage prohibition is enforced routinely when complaints are received. However, when sweeping is planned, the streets are posted for "no parking." If vehicles are left on the street while residents are out of town, they run the risk of being towed. The City wishes to avoid residents returning from vacation to face a hefty towing and storage fine. 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 a (319) 356-5000 · FAX (.119) 356-$009 IOWA CITY AREA SCIENCE CENTER, INC. 504 E, Bloomington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245 PHONE: 319-337-2007 FAX: 319-337-7082 HAND DELIVERED February 28, 1997 Mayor Naomi Novick Iowa City City Council City Hall Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Re: Summer Butterfly Garden / Downtown Iowa City Dear Madam Mayor: I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Iowa City Area Science Center, Inc., to request permission to locate a temporary enclosed butterfly garden in the parking lot directly south of the Iowa City Public Library, for the period of May through September, 1997. The structure will be 30' x 80' and will consist of a metal frame covered by a canvas shading material. Inside the structure we will have many hundreds of colorful native plants feeding several hundred North American butterflies. Both the butterfly and plant species will evolve in the course of the exhibit's life. Copies of photographs of similar structures used at other venues are enclosed with this letter for your information and review. The purpose of the project is to provide an educational setting for the study of butterflies and their natural habitats. We expect to offer courses throughout the exhibition, to people of all ages, on topics ranging from establishing backyard butterfly gardens, to studying migration patterns of butterflies, to tagging and releasing butterflies. We expect that the exhibit will be a popular spot for all kinds of gatherings, including occasional private parties and receptions. To present this educational opportunity we are working closely with a Minneapolis-based corporation, humorously named Spineless Wonders, which has a proven history of successful similar projects, primarily located at zoos and science centers. Last summer, for example, the company constructed an identical structure to the one we are proposing and enjoyed more than 10,000 visitors per day. Although, clearly, we do not intend to match that daily attendance IOWA ~TY AREA SCONCE CENTER, INC. February 28, 1997 Page 2 record, we do believe that this project will prove to be a very important focal point for visitors to the downtown area° We anticipate that voluntary contributions of time and material from a wide range of people will allow us to reduce the out-of-pocket costs normally associated with this type of project. However, we will still be faced with 'significant capital and operational expenses. To re-coup our expenses we must necessarily charge an admission fee to patrons. Yesterday, a representative from Spineless Wonders, Mr. Kraig Anderson, met with us in Iowa City and reviewed a number of locations in the downtown area, including the parking lot south of the public library. We discussed the project on-site with Mr. Joe Fowler, on behalf of the City of Iowa City, as well as members of the downtown business community. It is our firm belief that there is strong and broadly-based enthusiasm for this proposal. Mr. Fowler has determined that, if the City Council approves our proposal, there are 2 or 3 potential viable sites on the parking lot. It would be our preference to be located in the northeasterly corner of the lot, but we are certainly willing to be flexible on this issue. It would appear that the project would require a space equivalent to approximately 8 existing parking spots on that lot. While we are cognizant that allowing us to use that space may create a temporary inconvenience for a small number of people who park there, we also believe that the entire community will benefit from the accessibility that the location confers. It is our view that this butterfly garden will prove to be a very positive community-building experience for all--an experience unlike any comparable one in our community, state or region. If we are to proceed, we need at once to obtain approvals from the appropriate federal and state agencies that monitor these types of projects. We therefore respectfully ask for your immediate consideration and approval of this proposal° Thank you in advance for your anticipated prompt action on this request. Sinc~ly,` /~ Ja es c. zar w Pr sO~~, Board of Directors encl: copies of color Photos cc: Mr. John Beckord, Chamber of Commerce Mr. Tom Gelman, Esq. Ms. Victoria Gilpin Mr o Joe Fowler, Iowa City ParkinD Department Mr. Terry Trueblood,' Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department Mr. David Schoen, Iowa City Planning Department Ms. Lisa Barnes, Downtown Association Ms. Susan Gurnett Streitz, Downtown Association Mr. Steven Hurd, U of I Ms. Mary Harris, U of I Ms. John Gross, Technigraphics MS o Susan Craig, Iowa City Public Library c: wp51\icasc\corr\JL*. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IOWA CITY/CORALVILLE DEER MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE Develop a dictionary of proper terms with definitions: carrying capacity, deer population area of influence, etc. These terms should be discussed and explained to the Task Force--this way everyone will have a complete understanding of the terms used. Each meeting should have a specific agenda. The agenda must be followed. Someone must either volunteer or be assigned to be the Task Force Leader-- the one responsible for the agenda being followed. They may also be the one to address the news media. Each meeting should be open to the general public; however, discussions are limited to members of the Task Force or Committee. At the end of each meeting, 10-15 minutes should be allowed for the public to ask questions as long as the questions pertain to the agenda that has been addressed that evening. The news media should' be invited to attend. Regular press releases should be provided--this should help prevent second-guessing and help stem any undue controversy. Before each meeting, if warranted, the rules for the meeting should be announced so that the general public understands this is not the time or place for their personal agendas or forum. If they disrupt the meeting, they will be asked to leave. Someone should be assigned to be secretary. Minutes should be prepared and distributed at least one week prior to the next meeting. Secretary would also compile the Deer Management Plan. Experts should be invited to educate the Task Force on such areas as: contraception, archery hunting, trap and kill, deer/car collisions, aerial counts, vegetation destruction, etc. Set a timeline when recommendations will be made to the Iowa DNR and other appropriate governing bodies. If needed, arrange a field trip so that the Task Force can witness first-hand the damage caused by deer. An expert should lead the field trip to assure all questio.n..s.c. an be answered accurately. Deer Management Task Force It would be advisable to invite people who are affected by the current deer population to be a member of the Task Force. All methods of control should be discussed, provided they are available at the present time. Items to be considered: effectiveness, cost, and feasibility of implementing. Provide the Kent Park and Black Hawk County Deer Management Programs to the Task Force. Bear in mind each community is unique but they do posses similarities that can be drawn upon. The final plan should have an annual monitoring effectiveness of the deer management program. flexible enough to make adjustments, if necessary. system to monitor the The program must be All participants of the Task Force should have a clear understanding of the objective of the deer management program. Iowa DNR should be contacted to gain input on different reduction programs that have been successful in demographics similar to Johnson County (Iowa City/Coralville area) and ask them to provide any data they have on the deer population. Keep in mind the Task Force can study the deer population for years, but for each year. that goes by, the herd size will increase by approximately 40% which, in turn, may reduce the options available in reducing and maintaining an acceptable herd population. Deer Management Task Force 2 Progress Report II Special Deer Management Zone Cedar Falls/Waterloo~ Iowa Black Hawk County Deer Task Force April 25, 1995 Editedby Veto Fish, Nature Center Director Hartman Reserve Nature Center History Black Hawk County Deer Task Force In the summer and fall of 1991 neighbors of Hartman Reserve Nature Center wrote a letter to the mayor of Cedar Falls complaining about the impact of urban deer. Park officials were also noticing an increase in the number of deer within the urban parks. The Black Hawk County Deer Task Force was formed in the fall of 1991 to review the status of the urban deer herd within Hartman Reserve Nature~. Center, George Wyth State Park and the Black Hawk Creek Greenbelt and make recommendations as to their management. This report is an update and continuation of the Deer Task Force's 1st. Progress Report - Fall 1991 - Winter 1994. Studies The task force consisted of individuals from over twenty different organizations and included citizens and public officials. The task force initiated three studies: 1. An annual aerial population count using a helicopter. 2. A browse impact study using a three exclosures. 3. A movement study using radio telemetry. A summary of these studies is provided in the first progress report prepared by the task force. The task determined that the ecological balance of the parks would be impacted if the deer population was allowed to exceed 30 per square mile. Alternatives The task force reviewed over 60 different non-lethal and lethal options to manage the urban deer herd. The following are the options given the most attention: Birth Control Rejected, it is very labor intensive, expensive and it has never been proven to be effective on a free ranging deer herd. Capture & Relocate Rejected, it is very labor intensive, expensive and up to 90% of the deer die within the first year. Relocating deer could spread disease. Capture & Kill Rejected, it is very labor intensive and expensive and would require approval of the Iowa DNR. Controlled Hunt Private Property Required approval of the Iowa DNR, and the city councils of both Cedar Falls and Waterloo. Controlled Hunt Public Lands Uses volunteers and is inexpensive. Required approval of the Iowa DNR and the City Council of Waterloo. Special Deer Management Zone - Progress Report 94-95 1 Population Problem On February 9, 1994 our aerial survey counted 95 deer in a 2.5 square mile zone which includes Hartman Reserve Nature Center, George Wyth State Park and adjacent private property. The zone includes the open space area along the Cedar River from San Souci Island to Roosevelt Street in Cedar Falls and is bounded by Highway 57 on the North and the bluff line along the River on the South. 95 deer in 2.5 square miles is 38 deer per square mile. On April 4, 1994 the Black Hawk County Deer Task Force declared there was a deer popula- tion problem in the urban area. Management Plan The task ~orce originally recommended that a controlled bowhunt on private lands be used to reduce the popula- tion. The first step required the creation of a Special Deer Management Zone by the Iowa DNR. The DNR approved this request on September 1, 1994. This Special Deer Management Zone included most of Cedar Falls, Waterloo West of Highway 63 and Black Hawk Park North to County Road C-57. The task force requested that the City of Cedar Falls approve a special permit to allow a controlled hunt within the city limits of Cedar Falls on private lands. The Cedar Falls ordinance allowed bowhunting under specified conditions and provided for special use permits to be issued. The Cedar Falls City Council rejected this proposal. Initial discussion with the City of Waterloo produced concerns for allowing bowhunting on private property throughout the Management Zone. After a long public debate the city council approved a modified request to allow bowhunting within Hartman Reserve Nature Center, George Wyth State Park and adjacent private lands included within the 2.5 square mile study area under a strict set of safety requirements. A temporary exemption from their ordinance restricting the firing of"missiles" within the city limits was passed after 3 readings. The initial proposal had been for the season to run from November 1 to December 2 and open again on December 19 to January 10. Waterloo City Council approval and publication of the ordinance change was completed on December 1 and there- fore the hunt was delayed. The hunters were required to take the International Bowhunter Education Course and pass a profi- ciency test. They also were required to stay 600 feet away from an inhabited building or have permis- sion and be at least 25 feet away from a trail or road. An informational brochure was produced stressing the safety, legal and humane aspects of the bowhunt. Cedar Falls reconsidered the request for a Special Permit which was rejected a second time. Special Deer Management Zone - Progress Report 94-95 2 The Hunt Hartman Reserve Nature Center and George Wyth State Park were divided into 7 zones and the remaining time divided into two periods to allow as many hunters as possible to participate. Two hunters were assigned to each zone during one of two seasons by a lottery. The hunt took place on December 2 and December 19 to January 10. Hunters were also assigned to private lands if they had written permission from the landowners and passed all of the other requirements. Two bowhunters were issued licenses to hunt on private prop- erty in Cedar Falls and another two hunted on private property in Waterloo. A request from the Biological Preserves Committee from the University of Northern Iowa to conduct a bowhunt in the Matala Preserve in Cedar Falls was received and two bowhunters were assigned to this area. Bowhunters were required to purchase a deer hunting license for $25.00. A limit of 100 licenses had been authorized by the DNR. Bowhunters were allowed to purchase additional licenses after they had harvested a deer. The licenses were valid for "antlerless" deer only. Hunter Survey Each hunter who qualified to hunt within the Special Deer Management Zone was sent a question- naire. Every hunter surveyed, 100%, returned a questionnaire. Number of Hunters Number of licenses sold Number of Days spent hunting per hunter(average) Number of hours per day spent hunting per hunter (Average) Number of deer taken: Total 15 does + 4 antlerless bucks = 19 deer 33 47 7 4.8 Number deer hit but not recovered: One Only one hunter reported hitting, but not recovering a deer. The arrow was recovered at the scene. The deer was a radio collared deer and it was later seen running with other deer without any apparent injuries. Unlawful activities as witnessed by the hunters 27 no, 6 yes TWo hunters reported seeing firearm hunters in the City limits of Cedar Falls, a violation of the city ordinance. Three hunters reported seeing people moving or driving deer out of the area. At least one hunter had trouble with dogs chasing deer, a violation of park rules. Number of hunters who would be willing to participate again: All Situations where public safety might have been compromised as witnessed by the hunters. 30 no, 1 yes One hunter witnessed people walking off the trail. A second hunter, who was hunting on private ground, had three cases where he had to ask trespassers to leave. Special Deer Management Zone - Progress Report 94-95 3 Comments from Hunters "I thought it was good we had to have safety class and proficiency test. This should be a requirement everywhere" "I feel the Black Hawk County Deer Task Force did a great job of keeping inference to a minimum" "Allow hunters to stalk deer on the ground." (two responses) "Great hunt. Let's do it again next year before the deer herd is up and before it gets so cold." "Issue two licenses at once." (two responses) "Season should have stayed open during shotgun season. This is the best time for a bowhunter to participate in something like this." "Be able to take two deer per license, as $25 each gets expensive." "I would like to see the season open in October when the state deer season opens." Impact on Population The 15 does taken represent a potential population reduction of 49 deer. An average doe will give birth to two fawns. Thus, 15 X 2= 30 fawns that will not be born. The 30 unborn fawns plus the removal of the 19 adults equals 49. That means there will be 49 less deer to browse and impact the vegetation of the parks. Wounding Rate A total of twenty deer were hit by hunters. One deer was hit and not recovered. Thus, the wounding rate was a very low 5%. None of the deer harvested left the parks and entered private property. The single wounded deer was radio collared. Park officials were able to trace its movements and determine that it is alive and moving fieely. Park User Conflicts Both Hartman Reserve Nature Center and George Wyth State Park were open for normal winter recre- ational use during the 24 days of the controlled hunt. This use included skiing, ice fishing, hiking, and running. NO COMPLAINTS were registered with park officials at either park in regards to hunters, hunting or wounded deer. Special Deer Management Zone - Progress Report 94-95 4 Aerial Survey, 1995 An aerial survey by helicopter was conducted March 8, 1995 under the following conditions: Temperature W'md Sky Snow cover Conditions were considered excellent. 4 degrees F Northwest at 10 mph Clear & sunny 5 inches Park Black Hawk Creek G-reenbelt(6 Sq. Mile) Wyth/Hartman Complex (2.5 Sq. Mile) George Wyth State Park Hartman Reserve Nature Center Subtotal Total Deer Count 58 deer 55 deer 24 deer 79 152 deer Deer/Sq/Mlle 1995 1994 9.6 8 31.5 38 The 1995 aerial survey found 31.5 deer per square mile in the Wyth/Hartman Complex after the controlled hunt. The population had been reduced from a high of 38 deer per square mile in 1994. Road Kill Data The Iowa Department of Natural Resources collects deer road kill data. This information is collected from salvage tags issued to the public and includes the following information: date, sex, and location. Although the Conservation Officer is responsible for collecting this data in Black Hawk County other law enforcement agencies assist in this process/These include the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Department, the Iowa State Patrol and individual city police depar'uaents. Car-deer Kills in 1994 70 26 105 Total 201 Area Within Waterloo Within Cedar Falls Rural Black Hawk County These numbers reflect only those deer reported and/or salvaged by the public. Many car deer kills are not reported and therefore these numbers are conservative. Summary of the Urban Deer Research Project Black Hawk County 1993-1995 A total of 57 does have been radio-collared from 1993 to 1995 in George Wyth State Park and Hartman Reserve Nature Center. An additional 54 bucks were ear-tagged during the same period. All radioed collared deer were located about once every 2 weeks. Visual reports were also recorded for both collared does and tagged bucks. Special Deer Management Zone - Progress Report 94-95 5 Despite the urban environment, the collared deer have exhibited movement and dispersal patterns similar to other studies. About 30% of the juvenile does and 5% of the adult deer leave the park during the summer. Roughly half of these only travel to the edge of the city. Several of these deer have returned to the Wyth/ Hartman Complex during the winter months. Deer that stay within the Wyth/Hartman Complex appear to have a high level of fidelity to specific areas. Deer can often be located in the same general area within each park. No radio-collared does have been killed by hunters outside of the special deer management zone. However, several of ear- tagged bucks have been killed by hunters outside of the zone. Population Modal Simulations of deer numbers in the Wyth/I-Iartman Complex were done using the same computer model used for the statewide deer herd. It starts with an initial June 1 population, adds fawns for reproduction, subtracts deer first for natural mortality (summer & fall), then for hunting losses and then more natural mortality ( winter & spring). Based upon these simulations a reasonable target for the fall of 1995 would be to harvest 30 to 40 deer within the Wyth/Hartman Complex. This should be enough to stabilize the population and bring the population down closer to 20 c~eer/sq. mile. Plans for 1995 The Black Hawk County Deer Task Force recommends that the Iowa Department of Natural Re- sources reestablish the special deer management zone within the city limits of Cedar Falls and Water- loo. The management zone will be the same as 1994-1995 with the dates changed to November 1 to December 22, 1995. Based upon aerial surveys and population models the task force recommends that at least 25 does be removed from within the Wyth/Hartman Complex in 1995. The task force will seek approval from the Waterloo City Council to conduct another controlled hunt with in the two parks and on surrounding private property within the Waterloo City limits. The existing Cedar Falls ordinance allows bowhunting for deer within the city limits. The task force will not seek a special use permit from the City of Cedar Falls. For More Information Black Hawk County Deer Task Force Hartman Reserve Nature Center 657 Reserve Drive Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 319-277-2187 Special Deer Management Zone - Progress Report 94-95 #4 c:\ progre~2.1~M$ A Review of Recent Deer Research in Iowa. Over the last 15 years tilere llave been 3 population studies in which deer were captured and outfitted witll radio transmitters. Tilere were also 2 studies where road-killed does were examined to determine the number of fawns they carried. I will briefly review the background of each project and then present the results in more detail. The first telemetry study was in Lucas county in southern Iowa from 1979-1983. A total of 53 adult does and 56 fawns were collared. The primary purpose of the SSF study was to determine the mortality rates of fawn deer. This study was conducted on public and private land near Stephens State Forest (SSF) (8,600 acres) which is open to hunting. The next telemetry study was the most extensive and was conducted at Springbrook State Park (SSP) in Gu,thrie county in west-central Iowa fi'om 1985-1991.. A total of 338 deer (186 bucks, 152 does) were e~uipped with radios. SSP is a 800 acre state owlled park and hunting is not permitted within the park. The park is bordered by agricultural land on 3 sides that is prilnarily planted to row crops. The Raccoon river runs through the southern end of the park. The primary pro,pose of the study was to determine the level of' damage the deer actually do to agricultural crops in a "refuge" situation. Extensive ir~forrnation on movements, horne range size and mortality were also collected. Tile third study is currently being conducteel in the urban greenbelt areas of'Black Hawk county. A total of 46 does have been collared since last year. The study is centered around George Wyth State Park and the Hartman Nature preserve (GWH). These parks cornprise about 750 acres along the Cedar river and are bordered on the south by Cedar Falls. A new llighway equipped with a deer-proof Fence surrounds the area on the north. The prinlary purpose of this project is to determine movement and mortality patterns oftleer in this urban setting. GWSP has the second highest use of any state park in Iowa. Hunting has not been allowed in the parks in the past. Productivity Tile 2 studies on road-killed deer utilize deer recovered across the entire state. Dead does were examined arm the number of fetuses the doe was carrying was recorded. The age of the doe was deterrnined by tooth weal'. Haugen (1975) examined 1,367 collected between 1957 and 1965. Gladfelter (1981) examined 230 deer collected in 1978-1979. Table 1. Natality rates of deer in Iowa. ~_P reg~n_a_at F e LU.s/D_o~ Haugen,1975 74% 0.76 Gladrelier, 1979 68'i'o 0.95 Y_e__a. dj .n.g.s ~ A_duEs !/o.Pr_e_g_n_a_n_.[ .F._e_t.u_s_~D_o_e ?_/o_P_r¢_g~_~_n_t Fetus/Doe 85% 1.66 100% 2.1 96% 1.82 90% 1.63 These nataliCy rates can probably be projected to live births with little In ittero loss. These rates are some o£the highest reported in the midwest and reflect tile highly nutritional diets available through most of' tile year. Mortality Rates Mortality rates for fawns in Iowa are similar to those four~d in other studies in the raidwest. Non-hunting mortality rates for the first 6 months of'life were 27% in the SSF study and 11% in the SSP study. Poorly designed collars during the first year may have increased tile SSF mortality estimates. Coyotes and clogs were the major source of loss (75%) with disease, flooding and mowing accounting for tile rest at SSF. At SSP non-predation sources of mortality accounted for 67% of the losses. Sources of mortality included roadkills, disease, poaching and abandonment. Predation was apparently due to dogs. Most mortality occurred in the first 90 days. Non-hunting mortality rates for deer older than 6 months of age is very low in Iowa. Annual mortality rates were about 9% during the SSP study and 7% for tile SSF study. Juvenile (0.5-1.5 yrs) mortality rates were slightly higher (10%) than adult rates (8%) and bucks (12%) had slightly higher mortality than did does (7%). Roadkills, clogs and poaching accounted for most losses. Movement' and Dispersal One surprising aspect of Iowa's deer herd is the amount of movement that collared deer have exhibited (Table 2). In all oftlie telemetry studies, long distance movements of 30 to 80 miles have been documented. Table 2. Straight-line movement distance (miles) for deer that dispersed fi'om SSP. Average ~" Distance Minimum Maximum Males Adults 7.6 1,6 26.6 Juv 12,9 1 61,9 Females Adults 5,3 4 6.4 Juv 20.5 3,6 87,8 Most movements occur cturing 2 periods (Fig 1). The first coincides with fawn drop (May-June) and the second is just prior to tile breeding season (Oct). About 30% of the deer collared during the winter at SSP established home ranges rnore than I mile from the park. Most of the dispersal was by juvenile bucks (70%) and does (19%)just prior to the fawning period. A small number of adult does made regular movements (migration) frorn winter areas to fawning areas and back in the SSF and GWH studies but not at SSP. 30- Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr, May June July Aug. Sepl. Oct. Nov. Dec. -e- Bucks '-'*- Does Fig 1. Timing of dispersal of deer at SSP, Annual home range size of deer ranged from 200 to 400 acres in all studies. At SSP about a third of the annual use area was outside of the park boundary. Home ranges appeared to become smaller as more CR.P (long term grass cover) was established adjacent to tile park. SoLlrces Glad£elter,'H.L. 1980. Annual perf'ormance report. Iowa DNR. ttaugen, A.O. 1975. Reproductive performance of white-tailed deer in Iowa. J. of Mammal. 56:151-9. I-Iuegel, C.N. 1984. Ph.D. thesis. Iowa State Univesity. Jackson, D.H. 1986-1992. Annual performance reports. Project No. W-115-P,.. Iowa DNR. Iowa City / Coralville 1997 Deer Survey Information An aerial survey by helicopter was conducted 31 January 1997 under the following conditions: Temperature 45 degrees F Wind 15 to 30 mph SW Sky Clear & sunny Snow cover 5 inches and melting Conditions were good to start but high temperatures lead to melting snow. ;AREA il-380 to H965 (N) H965 to 1st (N) iH965 to 1st (S) So. Peninsula Finkbine Clear Ck West Clear Ck East Willow Ck !Iowa River (S) iHickory Hill/AC~- - Dubuque to Dodge ~Dubuque to Hwy 1 (N of 1-80) Manville East IC SE IC Acreage Deer:97' Deer/sq. mi. 207O 35 11 1980 97 31 1485, 590, 37O 1510 890, 0 :TOTAL 12515 39 17 69 75 6 11 49 21 49 36 280 3 7 720 11 10 1280 65 33 780, 78 64 56O 37 43 o ......... b-7 .............o-' 0 0 0 0 : 538 28 Counts represent the minimum number of deer seen on that day. Acreage listed is approximate. Deer/sq. mi. is rounded to the nearest whole number. Willow Creek, Manville, East IC, and SE IC do not have much vegetative cover, so only a quick fly through was conducted on these sites. City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM March 4, 1997 To: Steve Atkins, City Manager From: Joe Fowler, Director Parking & Transit Reference: Iowa Avenue In August of 1996 the time limits on the parking meters in the 300 block of Iowa Avenue were increased from one hour to five hours. This change has changed the parking pattern in the three block area of the CBD. Parking usage has increased 34% in the 300 block. The 100 and 200 show a slight increase, 5%, in availability of space in the morning. The majority of this increase was in the 200 block. Afternoon demand in the 100 and 200 blocks does not appear to be affected by the change. The availability of parking during this time is almost exclusively in the 300 block. The effects of this change have had the desired result. There was some increase in the availability of parking in the 100 and 200 block and there was increased utilization of the 300 block. cc Bill Dollman, Parking Manager Jeff Davidson, JCCOG