HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-04-08 AgendaSubject to change as finalized by the City Clerk. For a final official copy, contact the City Clerk's Office, 356-5040.
AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
April 8, 1'997 - 7'00 p.m.
Civic Center
ITEM NO. 1.
CALL TO ORDER.
ROLL CALL.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
ITEM NO. 2.
a. Outstanding Student Citizen Awards - Shimek Elementary.
(1) Amanda Beard
(2) Kaj Johnson-O'Mara
(3) Rebecca McCray
ITEM NO. 3.
b. Tree City USA
MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
a. Always Buc_kle Children in the Backseat Month - April 199/7 .....
b. Fair Housing M6nth - April 19~7.
c. D~R,E D)a.y~- ,April 1~, 1997.
d. VSfunteer Week - April 18-19, 1997.
e. Week of the Young Child: April13:19,1997. , ~~/~.~
f. Infant ImEn' unization Wgek - April 20:26, 1997,~
Crisis Center Week - April 21-27, 1997. ~
#2 page 1
ITEM NO. 2 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
a. Outstanding Student Citizen Awards - Shimek Elementary.
Nov/Special Presentation. We have Outstanding Citizen Awards for Shimek Elementary
School. Would Amanda Beard, Kaj Johnson-O'Mara, and Rebecca McCray come
forward and stand up on the platform please7 1 see that you all came ready to read
what you have been doing. Right? Can we start with you? I will hold the
microphone and you read.
Amanda Beard/I think I am a responsible student citizen because I follow all national,
state and city laws that I am old enough or young enough to follow. I help people
at school, at home and at other social activities outside of school. When needed I
am not afraid to state my opinion. But while stating it, I do not hurt anyone or put
anyone down. I volunteer often. I am an independent thinker and can think for
myself. I think I am a hard worker and I always try my hardest. I work well with
my peers and teachers. I am responsible outside of school by doing such things as
my paper route and helping my family. In school I aln a safety patrol and help
younger children get to where they have to go and all of these reasons I have
mentioned is the reasons why I think I am a responsible student citizen.
Nov/Thank you. Do you want to be next?
Rebecca McCray/I am 11 years old. To me, being a responsible citizen means a lot. It is
more than just voting or just doing what you have to do. It means going out of
your way to help others and sticking up for what you believe is right. When I am
concerned about something, I will do what I can to change it. I have written two
letters to two companies about their ads. I believe these ads were sexist, so I spoke
my opinion. I am involved in many activities in and out of school. I am a safety
patrol lieutenant at Shimek School. I help children safely across the street. I also
work in the school store. In our school musical I play the Orff instrument and
dance. I do many other activities out of school also. I am an accolade at my church
and my family also takes food donated from the church to the Crisis Center. I take
piano and trombone lessons and I go to band. I take tennis lessons and I baby-sit.
At home I do chores and make dinner once a week. I would like to thank my
teachers for choosing me for this award. Thank you.
Nov/Thank you.
Kaj Johnson-O'Mara/I am from Shimek School in Iowa City. I would like to thank my
teachers for nominating me for this award. I have been pretty responsible with my
homework and thematic requirements. When I work with a group, I am usually
cooperative with other people. I keep patient and wait my turn. I am involved in
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#2 page 2
the Youth Leadership program in Iowa City and I am also going to the State
Invention Convention in Des Moines. My invention is the Fooler Cooler. I am the
first one to go to the state competition at Shimek. I am a bus lieutenant for the
Shimek safety patrol. I play trombone in the elementary band and I have sat in the
first chair.
Nov/Thank you. We have exactly the same award for all three of these students and I am
going to read one of them out loud. It is called a Citizenship Award. For her
outstanding qualities of leadership within Shimek Elementary School and for her
sense of responsibility and helpfulness to others, we recognize Amanda Beard as
an outstanding Student citizen. Your community is proud of you. And it is signed
by the mayor and it has the city seal. Now you hold this in front of you. you hold it
and you hold it and anyone who wants to take pictures will take pictures and we
will send a copy of the video to your school.
Kubby/Congratulations.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#2b page 1
ITEM NO. 2 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
b. Tree City USA
Nov/We now have Mayor's Proclamations.
Karr/You have another special proclamation.
Nov/I missed that one, the Tree City, okay (Reads award). We have Terry Robinson, who
is our City Forester.
Terry Robinson/Rather than unfurling the flag, Madam Mayor, I thought I could give you
the Growth Award plaque, if that is okay for you?
Nov/That sounds nice. We will put the flag up on the flag pole.
Robinson/Yes, we will put the flag up on the flagpole out in front of the Civic Center and
we will have one at City Park also.
Nov/Okay, very good.
Kubby/Thank you.
Nov/And this says growth award, 1996, Tree City U.S.A., presented to Iowa City, Iowa
for achievement in education and public relations, continuing education for tree
workers, partnerships with utility partnerships and planning and management
disaster plan. Very nice.
Kubby/One kind of growth and development we could all agree on.
Nov/Okay, sorry Terry that I missed that one.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#3a page 1
ITEM NO. 3 MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
a. Always Buckle Children in the Backseat Month - April 1997.
Nov/All right. We are on proclamations. The first one is Always Buckle Children in the
back Seat Month.
Lehman/(Reads Proclamation).
Karr/Here to accept the proclamation is Troy McCarthy, Coordinator of the Iowa
City/Coralville Optimists.
Lehman/I see to it my twins are always buckled up.
Nov/And always in the back seat.
Lehman/That is right.
Troy McCarthy/Thank you for allowing me to speak here this evening about a very
exciting and new prograin that we have started in our communities. Optimists
International Child Safety Prograin Always Buckle Children in the back seat is a
public education campaign focused on keeping children safe. Let me take a few
minutes to explain the program and why Optimists are getting involved. The new
program starts with a simple premise and one that I think we all can agree on. Kids
need to be kept safe. Our program focuses on keeping kids safe while riding in
vehicles. Unfortunately, in cars or vans equipped with passenger side airbags, kids
can be seriously injured if they are not properly restrained. Airbags are life saving
devices but special precautions must be taken to keep kids safe in cars with
airbags. That is why Optimists International has partnered with Morton
International, a leading manufacturer of auto airbag components on the Always
Buckle Children in the Back seat Campaign to spread the word to people in
communities like ours across the United States to buckle children safely in the
back seat. The Iowa City/Coralville Optimists are working to educate parents and
caregivers throughout our community about the programs key messages. They are
1- Always buckle children in your vehicle properly and buckle yourself up, too. 2-
Whenever possible, put children in the back seat of the vehicle and 3- Always
secure rear facing child infant seats in the back seat. Optimists members are
working hard to reach all parents and care givers around our communities but we
cannot do it alone. That is why we are talking to business leaders, healthcare
professionals, hospital administrators, reporters and teachers, school officials and
other places. We need your help to educate parents and caregivers to always
buckle children in the back seat. You can get the word out by reminding friends,
relatives and co-workers about the proper placement of children in vehicles with
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#3a page 2
airbags. Program flyers are available for you to distribute at community meetings
or to people you know who have or care for children. These flyers provide safety
tips that will help keep kids safe. You can contact myself, coordinator for the Iowa
City/Coralville Optimists Clubs for more information on how you can help make
this program a success. As more and more cars become equipped with airbags, it is
critical that all parents and caregivers understand how to keep children safe while
riding. Please help your local Optimist spread the word to always buckle children
in the back seat. Thank you very much.
Nov/You are welcome. I think if you were to bring some of your flyers over to the public
library, they might allow you to put them in their display cabinets. It would be a
good way to get the word out.
McCarthey/I have some here that I will leave with somebody. (Can't hear). Thank you
very much.
Nov/Thanks for coming.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04597
#3d page 1
ITEM NO. 3 MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
d. Volunteer Week - April 13-19, 1997.
Nov/(Reads Volunteer Week Proclamation) We have a couple of announcements of what
is going on in Volunteer Week and since no one came to say this- There will be a
Fifth Annual Community Wide Volunteer Recognition Breakfast, a hearty
breakfast, Monday, April 14, 7:30 to 9:30 AM at Montgomery Hall in the Johnson
County Fairgrounds. Also on Wednesday, April 16, 1997, 11:00 AM, there will be
a tree planting in honor of all Johnson County Volunteers. This will be in North
Ridge Park in Holiday Road in Coralville in their main shelter by the pond. This
will happen rain or shine and refreshments will be served. On Friday, April 18,
there will be a Volunteer Recognition Reception for the Volunteers of our Iowa
City Public Library. This will be from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the Library. I think I
have covered all the volunteer announcement since no one else did. Moving on.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#3e page 1
ITEM NO. 3 MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
e. Week of the Young Child - April 13-19, 1997.
Nov/Who is reading that one?
Baker/I am reading that one, Madam Mayor. Speaking for the Mayor. (Reads Week of
Young Child Proclamation.)
Karr/Here to accept are Mary Anne Dalton, Aileen Halverson, Kathy Robinson-Kramer,
Shalar Brown and Deb Green.
Nov/I assume that these multi-colored ribbons have something to do with the Week of
the Young Child.
Mary Anne Dalton/Yeah, they do. As chairperson of the Week of the Young Child, I am
very honored to receive this proclamation. This means a lot to us and to the work
that we are doing. Deb Green and I and Aileen Halverson are handing out a sheet
of 50 ways to celebrate the Week of the Young Child with your children and with
other families. You can pass the information on and we have chosen rainbow
ribbons this year to signify that we are all in this together, going along with
inclusion, and the large diversity of children, not only in Iowa City but in the
United States. And our chairperson for the Week of the Young Child, Kathy
Robinson-Kramer, is here to say a couple of words also.
Kathy Robinson-Kramer/Thank you. I would just like to say thank you to the community,
both private and public sector. This is a wonderful community in which to raise
children and to watch the children grow and we certainly appreciate the
opportunities that the city makes in terms of improving playgrounds and offering
special events and the public sector and private sector with organizations and
science centers in the future and the multitude of places that kids can go with their
family and with their daycare providers. Thank you very much.
Nov/And thank you all for helping young children.
Dalton/And we also ask that you wear these throughout the Week of the Young Child
and even at the end of this weekend to let people know why we are glad that you
guys are so supportive of our organization. Thank you.
Vanderhoeff And Ernie, it is okay for us to hug our grand-kids. We will take care of that
all 50 ways.
Nov/I think I will send this to my kindergarten grandson.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#3e page 2
Thornberry/For those of you who are old enough to have them.
Vanderhoef/That is right.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#3f page 1
ITEM NO. 3 MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
f. Infant Immunization Week - April 20-26, 1997.
Nov/We have Infant Immunization Week.
Norton/(Reads Infant Immunization Week Proclamation).
Karr/Graham Dameron, Director of the Johnson County Health Department is here to
accept.
Nov/Thank you, Graham.
Graham Dameron/I would like to make a few comments on behalf of the Department of
Public Health and the Board of Health. I think you the Mayor and the council for
proclaiming April 20-26 as our National Immunization Week. We are doing a very
good job, I think, in Iowa City. Our immunization rate is nearly 99% as the
children in our schools and I believe somewhere above 90% by the year age 2. But
we still need to improve those efforts. I think it is fitting that you made this
proclamation during this week for us in that this is a National Public Health Week
and most of the immunizations that are not provided by private physicians are
provided by the Public Health Department which, though County run, is also a city
health department. And these children can get their immunizations there. So I
thank you for giving me this time.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#3g page 1
ITEM NO. 3 MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
g. Crisis Center Week - April 21-27, 1997.
Nov/And at the end of our proclamation list, we have Crisis Center Week.
Thornberry/(Reads Crisis Center Week Proclamation).
Karr/Ellen McCabe, Director of the Crisis Center is here to accept.
Nov/And also thank you to all the council members who are helping to read the
proclamations so my voice will last until the end of the agenda.
Ellen McCabe/On behalf of everyone at the Crisis Center, I extend our appreciation for
this proclamation. We invite the community to take part in Crisis Center Week.
During this week we ask everyone to focus on the services that the Crisis Center
offers and the volunteers that provide them. We invite the community to contact
the Center if they ever need information about our services and our phone numbers
are located in the white pages and the yellow pages. We want to let everyone
know that we will have our 9th Annual Benefit Breakfast on Sunday, April 27,
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Wenceslaus Church, located at the corner of
Davenport and Dodge. Our sponsors have made it possible for 100% of the
income from this event to support Crisis Center services again this year. We also
like to acknowledge the Crisis Center volunteers who are available to everyone in
the community at any time. The volunteers are truly the backbone of the Crisis
Center. Thank you again, for recognizing Crisis Center Week.
Nov/Thank you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 4.
ITEM NO. 5.
City of Iowa City
Page 2
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION NAMING THE NEW PUBLIC SOCCER
COMPLEX "IOWA CITY KICKERS' SOCCER PARK."
Comment: The Iowa City Kickers' Board of Directors sent a letter seeking
the Parks and Recreation Commission's support in naming the new soccer
complex "Iowa City Kickers' Soccer Park."
At its meeting on March 12, 1997, the Commission voted unanimously to
recommend to the City Council that this request be approved. To date,
the Iowa City Kickers have contributed ~140,000 toward the
development of these fields and have pledged another t~60,000. While
the Commission recognizes the fact that the new complex will be a
totally public facility, the Kickers' support has been instrumental and
played a vital role in getting this project off the ground. The Parks and
Recreation Commission and staff feel it is most appropriate to name the
new complex in recognition of the Kickers' efforts and contributions.
Action: ~/~~z~2/,~'~-~-¢ J~j
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED
OR AMENDED.
Approval of Official Council Actions of the special meeting of
March 18, 1997, as published, subject to corrections, as
recommended by the City Clerk.
Minutes of Boards and Commissions.
(1) Iowa City Airport Commission - February 13, 1997
(2) Iowa City
(3) Iowa City
(4) Iowa City
(5) Iowa City
(6) Iowa City
(7)
(8)
Board of Adjustment - March 12, 1997.
Historic Preservation Commission - March 11, 1997.
Planning and Zoning Commission - March 6, 1997.
Planning and Zoning Commission - March 20, 1997.
Public Library Board of Trustees - February 27, 1997.
Parks and Recreation Commission - March 12, 1997.
Senior Center Commission - February 19, 1997.
c. Permit Motions and Resolutions as Recommended by the City Clerk
(1)
Consider a motion approving a Class A Liquor License for Loyal
Order of Moose Lodge #1096 dba Loyal Order of Moose Lodge
#1096, 950 Dover St. (Renewal)
(2)
Consider a motion approving a Class C Liquor License for First
Avenue Club, Inc., dba First Avenue Club, 1550 S. First Avenue.
(Renewal)
#4 page 1
ITEM NO. 4 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION NAMING THE NEW PUBLIC SOCCER
COMPLEX "IOWA CITY KICKERS' SOCCER PARK."
Nov/Moved by Lehman, seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion.
Norton/I just might say that Dee Vanderhoef and I were down there Saturday morning in
the mist and the rain and the cold and along with the North Liberty Band and a
very nice program and kids all over the pace. It is quite an impressive layout. We
were informed that 2,600 and some children are in the soccer and some 170 teams.
That is 10% of'all the soccer players in the state and so it is a very very impressive
effort and the Kickers and others are to be- Everybody that supported that
enterprise and particularly the Kickers are to be congratulated.
Nov/Any other discussion? Roll call- (yes).
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, 1997 City of Iowa City Page 3
(3)
Consider a motion approving a Class C Liquor License for Ranger
Enterprises, Inc., dba The Deadwood, 6 S. Dubuque St.
(Renewal)
(4) Consider a motion approving a Class C Liquor License for Kitty
Hawk Co., Inc., dba Kitty Hawk, 1012 Gilbert Ct. (Renewal)
(5)
Consider a motion approving a Class B Beer Permit for M&T
Investments, Inc., dba Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor,
225 S. Gilbert St. (Renewal)
(6)
Consider a motion approving a Class C Liquor License for Care
Pacifico of Iowa City, Inc., dba Mondo's Sports Cafe, 212 S.
Clinton St. (Renewal)
(7) Consider a resolution to issue Dancing Permits to Loyal Order of
Moose Lodge #1096, 950 Dover St.; and First Avenue Club,
d.~tSett 1550 ~. Firs, t Avenue. i ngPu b~-~li c~H ear i ng~s.
(1)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR
APRIL 22 ON PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT,
AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAW
WATER MAIN PROJECT - CONTRACT 1, IN CONNECTION WITH
THE WATER SUPPLY AND TREATMENT FACILITIES
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO
PUBLISH NOTICE OF SAID HEARING, AND DIRECTING THE
CITY ENGINEER TO PLACE SAID PLANS ON FILE FOR PUBLIC
INSPECTION.
Comment: This project includes installation of a raw water
pipeline from the existing plant to Foster Road and construction
of the Iowa River Trail from Park Road to Taft Speedway. The
raw water pipeline, when extended to the peninsula from the
new plant site, will provide additional well water to the existing
water plant prior to the start-up of the new water plant. After
the new plant is constructed this line will transport raw water
from the existing Jordan well and the Burge wells to the new
plant. The estimated construction cost is 9995,221 and will be
funded from water revenues.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
DATE: April 7, 1997
TO: Mayor, City Council, General Public
SUBJECT: Additions to Consent Calendar
5.c.(7)
· -Gonside-r-a-re,solut-ion-t~-issue Dancing Permit to Golden Oldies, 1910 S. Gilbert
Street,
5.c.(8)
Consider a motion approving a Class C Liquor License for Robert D. Finley dba
Golden Oldies, 1910 S. Gilbert Street. (New)
5~
April 8, 1997 City of Iowa City Page 4
(2)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO CONVEY A TWELVE-
AND-A-HALF-FOOT WIDE, SEVENTY-FIVE FOOT LONG (937.5
SQ. FT.) PARCEL OF VACATED F STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY
LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTHERN PROPERTY LINE OF 839 S.
FIRST AVENUE TO CHESTER AND RETTA PELSANG, AND
SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONVEYANCE ON APRIL 22.
Comment: In January 1997, the City Council considered and
passed an ordinance vacating a twelve-and-a-half-foot (12.5')
wide, seventy-five foot long (937.5 sq. ft.) parcel of right-of-way
along F Street located immediately adjacent to the southern
property line of 839 S. First Avenue. The Pelsangs have
redeveloped the adjacent property and, after City approval,
constructed a handicapped parking space within the vacated F
street right-of-way. The Pelsangs now wish to purchase the
vacated right-of-way so that their entire parking facility is
located on their property. The Pelsangs have offered to
purchase the 937.5 sq. ft. parcel of vacated right-of-way for the
sum total of $2,559.38, which mirrors the assessed value per
square foot (92.73 sq. ft.) of their adjacent property. All utility
easements over the parcel will be retained. This Resolution
declares the City Council's intent to convey the property to
Chester and Retta Pelsang and sets a public hearing on the
proposed conveyance for April 22.
(3)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DETERMINING THE
NECESSITY AND SETTING DATES OF A CONSULTATION
AND A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED SCOTT-SIX
URBAN RENEWAL PLAN FOR A PROPOSED URBAN
RENEWAL AREA IN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY.
Comment: The proposed resolution states that the Council has
reasonable cause to believe that the proposed urban renewal
area satisfies the eligibility criteria for designation as an urban
renewal area under Iowa law. The resolution sets the date for
the public hearing on the proposed plan for May 6.
e. Motions.
(1)
CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS IN THE
AMOUNT OF 913,055,891.66 FOR THE PERIOD OF
FEBRUARY 1 THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, 1997, AS
RECOMMENDED BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR SUBJECT TO
AUDIT. DISBURSEMENTS ARE PUBLISHED AND PERMANENTLY
RETAINED IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IN ACCORDANCE
WITH STATE CODE.
April 8, 1997 City of Iowa City Page 5
q '7-
f. Resolutions.
(1)
(2)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR
TO EXECUTE AND THE CITY CLERK TO
ATTEST A SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND PERPETUAL SAVINGS
BANK, FSB, IOWA CITY, IOWA FOR PROPERTY LOCATED
AT 1807 G STREET, IOWA CITY, IOWA.
Comment: Perpetual Savings Bank, FSB has requested that the
City approve a Subordination Agreement for the owners at
1807 G Street. On January 10, 1992, the owners of the
property received a loan in the form of a Rehabilitation
Agreement and a Life Lien for a total of 95,966.52 through the
City's Housing Rehabilitation Program. Perpetual Savings Bank,
FSB is about to refinance the second mortgage. The appraised
value is 970,070 which provides enough equity to cover the
City's third lien position, of which the City's original position
was second.
(3)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO
SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST THE RELEASE OF A
RENTAL REHABILITATION LIEN FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED
AT 712 EAST FAIRCHILD STREET, IOWA CITY, IOWA.
Comment: The owner of the property located at 712 East
Fairchild Street, received a 95,000 loan through the City's
Rental Rehabilitation Program on June 13, 1986. The financing
was in the form of a 1C-year, no-interest Declining Balance Loan.
The terms of this loan were satisfied December 13, 1996; thus,
the lien can now be released.
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ABANDONED
BICYCLE SALE TO BE HELD MAY 10, 1997.
Comment: This resolution authorizes the Police Department to
auction recovered bicycles which the department has not been
able to return to the rightful owners. The Police Department
generally has one or two auctions per year. This is an ongoing
process.
(4) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION NAMING DEPOSITORIES,
Comment: This resolution will increase the deposit limit for one
bank, correct the names of three depositories, and the home
office location for two depositories. Iowa State Bank's limit is
being increased from 915,000,000 to 918,000,000. On
March 1, 1997, Homeland Savings Bank changed its corporate
title to Magna Bank, F.S.B. This is due to a merger of Homeland
Bankshares and Magna Group, Inc. On March 15, 1997, First
National Bank, Iowa City, Iowa changed its name to First
National Bank Iowa. Norwest Bank is changed to Norwest Bank,
Iowa, N.A.
April 8, 1997 City of Iowa City Page 6
(5)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
FOR THE HIGHLANDER
LIFT STATION, AND
Comment:
Correspondence.
(1)
ACCEPTING THE WORK
AREA SANITARY SEWER,
FORCE MAIN PROJECT.
See Engineer's Report.
Dale & Lynette Arens - Shamrock Drive/Friendship Avenue storm
sewer project.
(2) Stephen Vlastos - Animal Control Ordinance.
(3) Bruce Glasgow - Old Scott Boulevard.
(4) Mildred Flynn - Gabe's.
(5) Douglas Russell (Historic Preservation Commission) - designation
of East College Street and College Green Historic Districts,
(6) Casey Cook (Friends of the Iowa River Scenic Trail) - Peninsula.
(7) Civil Service Commission submitting certified lists of applicants for
the following position(s);
(a) Custodian
(b) Maintenance Worker II - Senior Center
(8) Memoranda from JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner:
(a) Prohibition of On-Street Parking on South Capitol Street
(b) Erection of Stop Signs in Conjunction with Opening of Iowa
City Kickers' Soccer Park
Applications for Use of Streets and Public Grounds. (all approved)
(1) Kirk Stephan (Shaman Project to sell handcrafted items) - various
dates throughout summer.
(2) James Vrba (St. Patrick's Church services) - March 23 and 29.
(3) Kathy Ryerson (Crisis Center Food Bank 5K Walk/Stroll) - April 19.
(4) Christie Munson (Rape Victim' Advocacy Program Clothesline
Display) - April 26.
(5) David Grady (U of I Campus Programs and Student Activities,
Riverlest RiverRun) - April 27.
/
(6) Ka'ren Kubby (American Federation of Teachers' Local 716 May
Day Celebration) - May 1.
(7) Diane Denneny (Ronald McDonald House Race) - May 4,
,April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 6.
City of Iowa City Page 7
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR.
ITEM NO. 7. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
Consider a motion setting a public hearing for April 22 on an
ordinance amending Title 14, Chapter 6, entitled "Zoning," to provide
elderly housing alternatives. ~
Comment: It is anticipated that the Planning..a.~d-Zoni[~g Commission
will consider this item at its A~61-3 mecting. Staff recommended
approval~..~__f~t.h~l-der housing amendments in a memorandum dated
~5 20.
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by
changing the use regulations on a 3.74 acre tract located on Mall
Drive from Community Commercial (CC-2) to General Industrial (I-1).
(REZ97-0001) ~_~ z~
Comment: At its March 6 meeting, by a vote of 7-0, the Planning and
Zoning Commission recommended approval of the proposed rezoning.
Staff recommended approval in its staff report dated February 20.
Action: ,,~.~ .~
#5 page 1
ITEM NO. 5 CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED.
Lehman/Moved by Kubby, seconded by Thornberry. Any discussion?
Kubby/I just had a comment on page 3, under one of the p.h.s that we are setting. It is a
project that includes two items. One is a raw water pipe line as well as
construction of the Iowa River Trail along some of the land that we bought for our
water project and in the bottom it says that they will- That construction costs of
the project, which has those two parts on it, will be funded from water revenues.
we need to clarify that the construction of the trail will not be paid for from water
revenues. I just wanted that in the public record for that clarification.
Vanderhoef/This is true and this is another one of those good opportune times to combine
a public project from two different departments and achieve a successful project
for both.
Nov/Any other discussion?
Norton/I just wondered, is that relevant to Casey Cook's letter to us about where the trail
across the dam goes?
Nov/It isn't included in this particular p.h.
Norton/No but I mean that trail as a part of that whole parcel, is it not? Ultimately will be.
Vanderhoef/Ultimately, yes.
Norton/He was wondering if the trail across the Iowa River Dam was going anywhere
and I said well, we hope so and this will be part of it.
Vanderhoeff This is the one that is from City park along Dubuque Street up to the Water
Plant.
Norton/So it won't be directly germane?
Vanderhoef/No.
Nov/Well, it may connect there someday.
Norton/Someday.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#5 page 2
Nov/Roll call- (yes). We have approved the Consent Calendar. I would like to announce
the p.h.s that were included in the Consent Calendar. There will be a p.h, on April
22 to consider cohstruction of the raw water main project. This is the one that
Karen just referred to. There will be another on the vacation or rather the
conveyance of a vacated parcel off Street and there will be another on the
proposed Scott-Six Urban Renewal Plan. The last one is on May 6. The other two
are on April 22. Also on May 10, 1997 we have authorized a sale of abandoned
bicycles. So if anyone needs a second hand bicycle. That is the time to come.
Kubby/They have been getting incredibly high quality bikes there. I got a bike there that I
take out on road trips that is an excellent bike that I could never have afforded.
Vanderhoef/I believe that is at 1:00 and it is held at Chauncey Swan.
Nov/And we will give it another announcement the next time we meet and it is worth
mentioning more than once.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
~ ~c,. Consider a motion setting a public hearing for April 22 on an ordinance amending Title 14,
Chapter 6, entitled "Zoning," to provide elderly housing alternatives.
_~-~ Comment: At its April 3 meeting, by a vote of 6-0, the Planning and Zoning Commission
~, '~ recommended approval of the proposed amendment. Staff recommended approval of the elder
'~..~.._.__~using amendments in a memorandum dated March 20.
Action:
ppdadmin/eldrhsg.itm
#7b page 1
ITEM NO. 7b. Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by changing
the use regulations on a 3.74 acre tract located on Mall Drive from Community
Commercial (CC-2) to General Industrial (I-1). (REZ97-0001)
Nov/The p.h. is now open. Anyone who would like to talk about the rezoning of this
tract, please come forward, sign your name, let us hear our comments.
Thornberry/For those of you who are not familiar with this area, it was the Oral B area
that was formally Owens Brush and it was previously a commercial area and they,
in turn, requested that it be industrial and now they would like it to go back to
being commercial.
Nov/No, the other way around. It was commercial, it became industrial-
Council/(All talking).
Thornberry/Now back to industrial.
Nov/Okay, very good.
Rick Berndt/I am here with Shive Hattery and I am here representing Oral B and Dean,
you put it very well. The land until 1985 was zoned industrial and Owens Brush
owned the land or owned the property at that time and thought they would not
ever use that land and wanted to split it off and sell it for commercial use. And
since then, of course, Oral B has taken over the property, owned by the Gillette
Companies and they now want to expand their operations in Iowa City which I
think we all support and would like to revert that land back to industrial use.
Initially they just want to expand their parking on it to add parking to replace the
parking that is being used for their building expansion.
Nov/Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to discuss this topic? Okay, p.h. is
closed.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, 1997 City of Iowa City Page 8
Public hearing on an ordinance amending Title 14, Chapter 6, entitled
"Zoning," Article N, entitled "Off-Street Parking and Loading,"
Section 1, entitled "Off-Street Parking Requirements," to allow
existing fraternity/sorority houses 'to be converted to rooming houses
without having to provide additional parking.
Comment: At its March 20 meeting, by a vote of 6-0, the Planning
and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the proposed
amendment. Staff recommended approval in a staff report dated
March 20. Correspondence regarding this item included in Council
packet. ~ ~
Consider an ordinance vacating the portion of the alley located south
of Lot 2 of the A.E. Strohm Addition, generally located south of
Bowery Street between Governor and Lucas Streets. (VAC97-0001)l
(First consideration)
Comment: At its February 6 meeting, by a vote of 6-0, the Planning
and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the vacation of this
alley. The staff recommended approval of this item in a staff report
dated February 6.
Action: ~.~)/~ /~'~t~ ,~-~~ ~
Consider an ordinance amending Title 14, Chapter 6, entitled
"Zoning," City Code, by revising Article N, entitled Off-Street Parking
and Loading," to change the required number of off-street parking
spaces for commercial uses in the CB-5 zone. (First consideration)
Comment: At its February
Jakobsen voting no and
recommended approval of the proposed amendment.
recommended approval in a memorandum dated January 30.
Action:
6 meeting, by a vote of 4-1-1 with
Chait abstaining, the Commission
Staff
#7c page 1
ITEM NO. 7c. Public hearing on an ordinance amending Title 14, Chapter 6, emitled
"Zoning," Article N, entitled "Off-Street Parking and Loading," Section 1, entitled "Off-
Street Parking Requirements," to allow existing fraternity/sorority houses to be converted
to rooming houses without having to provide additional parking.
Nov/Before we open the p.h. I would like to give a couple of sentences worth of
explanation. What we have here is a neighborhood with two rather serious
concerns. There is a very crowded parking situation and there is a strong concern
for historic preservation. What this change in zoning would allow is an old building
old enough to be built in 1940 or before to remain without providing additional
parking and be converted from a sorority or fraternity use to a rooming house use.
The other alternative if we do not do something like this would be to have a
building such as this removed and then a new building constructed which could be
used as a rooming house or apartments or whatever and could provide parking on
site which would help the parking problem but not the historic Preservation
problem. We're dealing in situation where it's very difficult to solve both problems
with a solution so if anyone in the neighborhood has a solution that will work for
both problems, we would love to hear it. P.h. is now open.
John Fitzpatrick/I own residential property at 721 N. Linn Street. I am here on behalf of
myself as well as Nancy Hauserman, Ann McGrory, Joan and Duane Leefringzug
Booray who live in my neighborhood and were unable to be here tonight.
Members of City Council, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you here
tonight. We are opposed to the proposed ordinance exempting boardinghouse use
of fraternity houses from parking requirements presently required by city code. I
voiced this opposition in my letter to council March 17. I am here to let you know
that we have already a major parking problem in the 700 block ofN. Linn. This
problem results from at least three factors. One, not all of the fraternities presently
located along the 700 block of N. Dubuque Street have sufficient parking to meet
present code for fraternity houses. Two reasons for this are that the City of Iowa
City itself eliminated parking in the widening and re-grading of Dubuque Street in
1986 and in 1991 the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at 702 N. Dubuque which has
ample parking chose to convert space that had been rented to other fraternities for
parking into a sports arena forcing the other fraternities to park on the street. The
fraternity parking problem exists during the fall and spring semesters when the
University is in session. Fraternity parking in the 700 block ofN. Linn is less of a
problem during the summer and holidays because fraternities are not active at
those times. A second factor is the location of the Cambus stop in the 700 block of
N. Dubuque Street. Both the red and blue routes stop at the base of the alley that
runs from Linn Street to Dubuque Street. Consequently, the 700 block ofN. Linn
has become a parking lot for university employees who choose to take advantage
of free street parking convenient to a Cambus stop. University employee parking in
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of Aprill 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 2
the 700 block ofN. Linn is a problem on week days year around. The third factor I
bring to your attention is that many residents of the 700 block ofN. Linn do not
have off.street parking and must park on the streets. In our block, there are
presently two four-plexes, a duplex, and a private hole without any off' street
parking. These residents must park on the street. This is a daily problem. The
residents ofN. Linn Street value the uniqueness of our neighborhood with its
diversity of housing which includes fraternity houses, multi-family units and private
homes. This diversity makes our neighborhood and exciting place to live. Many
older structures contribute significantly to the character of our neighborhood and
ought to be preserved. Alternative uses for historic fraternity and sorority houses
that would comply with city codes and would keep the properties on the tax roles
should be explored. Not all the fraternities and sororities build prior to December
30, 1940, are of particular significance. A study needs to determine which of the
pre-1941 fraternities and sororities should be preserved because of architectural
cultural or historical significance. Identified structures need to be addressed on an
individual basis to determine possible alternative uses, ways to facilitate those uses
and the impact of those uses on the immediate neighborhood. Some such
structures may not meet present code requirements for fraternity and sorority
houses. The proposed ordinance would negatively affect our neighborhood. A
fraternity house at 716 N. Dubuque Street rented parking from the Sigma Phi
Epsilon house next door. That parking was lost in the development of the Sig Eps
sports arena. The fraternity house at 716 N. Dubuque stood empty for a couple of
years and is now occupied by very few residents. To allow a structure like this to
become a boarding house based on the number of residents it previously housed
without some provision to provide parking to replace the parking that had been
rented from the Sig Eps would impose considerable hardship on our neighborhood
where we already have a significant parking problem that needs to be addressed.
The proposed ordinance provides for immediate maximum financial exploitation of
properties that may or may not be of cultural importance while ignoring the
potential for considerable negative impact on the neighborhoods where such
properties are located. We urge you to reject the proposed ordinance and to direct
city staff'to, one, detemaine which fraternity and sorority houses built prior to
December 30, 1940, ought to be preserved because of cultural or historical
significance. Two, examine alternative uses that would preserve the structures,
retain them on the tax roles, and benefit our community. Three, draft an ordinance
for consideration by council that would provide for the preservation of identified
structures on an individual basis through alternative uses that would not negatively
impact the neighborhoods in which the structures are located. Thank you for your
consideration of these concerns.
Nov/Thank you. Do you have a copy of that that we can have for city records?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 3
Fitzpatrick/Certainly.
Nov/Thank you. You can give it to our City Clerk we'd appreciate it.
Kubby/Don, is one example of where a current fraternity house is being occupied with
lower than the maximum allowed by law, that at any time could become a
fraternity house with more people and maybe more cars without coming to the city
or anything, couldn't it?
Bob Miklo/You question is regarding a fraternity that's has more rooms than are being
occupied.
Kubby/Like the example at 716. It doesn't have very many people in it right now.
Miklo/I believe there is a provision, that is a fraternity is a permitted use in that zone and
it could be fully occupied even though it has less than- it's less than full occupancy
right now.
Nov/Have you or the P/Z Commission discussed any alternative use that would require
less parking?
Miklo/
We did look at what possibilities exist now under the current zoning. It is possible
that some of these buildings could be converted to apartment buildings, however
the structures aren't necessarily conducive to that. They're more conducive to
rooming houses given their configuration. I would like to point something out that
at the time of the P/Z Commission meeting, questions were raised about the
comparison of fraternities and sororities and rooming houses and how the parking
demands compare. So we did conduct a survey since the P/Z Commission meeting
and have some numbers that we believe show that rooming houses-
CHANGE TAPE TO 97-61 SIDE 1
Miklo/
And they reported that generally less than 25% of the rooming house occupants
had automobiles. In many cases, none of the occupants had automobiles. The
comparisons the fraternities and sororities that we surveyed, at least 50% and
sometimes as many as 100% of their occupants had automobiles. So we do believe
converting a fraternity or sorority to a rooming house will actually result in less of
a demand for parking in those neighborhoods.
Kubby/Maybe we need to flip the parking requirement for- I mean, in the Code rooming
houses have to provide more parking than fraternities and maybe that needs to be
updated.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 4
Miklo/Apparently what occurred in 1983 or '85 when the last ordinance was being
adopted, fraternities and sororities lobbied the council and had the parking reduced
for fraternities and sororities when in reality, there wasn't a study to show that
they required less.
Nov/Bob, when we talk about the possibility of converting a building to apartments,
doesn't that require that they provide off-street parking?
Miklo/Yes, they would and it depends on how many units were being provided in the
building and that is going to change on a case by case basis.
Nov/I should also say I suggested an amendment to the proposed ordinance that would
say they could not remodel in order to create more bedrooms.
Miklo/Right, that is in the ordinance.
Nov/There could be no more bedrooms than what a structure has in it today.
Norton/There would be no way to go back to the existing rooming house requirement,
one per 300 square foot. That would just preclude their use all together if you
went back to or maintained the present requirement?
Miklo/Under the current Zoning Ordinance, you could not convert a fraternity or sorority
to rooming house because fraternity- Unless the fraternity and sorority had
provided parking at the level required for a rooming house.
Norton/What if the rooming house could add that six that is required?
Miklo/Then they could convert legally under the Zoning Ordinance. We are finding
though that many of the fraternities and sororities do not have sufficient parking
for comparison and some of them have no parking at all. They were built at a time
when fraternities and sororities didn't have cars.
Kubby/We have to remember it is not just the Northside we are talking about. There are
quite a few, at least two other neighborhoods that have some concentration of
sororities and fraternities.
Nov/I
had a question today from a person who lives in that neighborhood, expressed
some concerns that this could happen somewhere else without the neighbors being
notified. Is there any way that we can say the neighbors will be notified on those
conversions?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 5
Miklo/Generally we do not notify neighbors of change in uses as long as it adheres to the
Zoning Ordinance. We could investigate but I think that would be a very difficult
procedure to implement. We did notify the neighborhood associations of this
amendment and pointed it out to them. I think the Longfellow Neighborhood
Association does have fraternities and sororities in that area. The other are where
there is a concentration of fraternities and sororities, Manville Heights area, does
not have an organized neighborhood. So there is not a way of contacting an
organization.
Nov/What about the College Street area?
Miklo/The Longfellow Neighborhood has been including that area.
Nov/Thank you.
Norton/Is the sports complex at Sig Ep, is that sports arena conforming?
Miklo/I do not know. We can ask the Inspection Department to look at that. I suspect
that a sports facility may be an accessory use for a fraternity house, like a
basketball hoop or something of that sort. This one apparently is fairly large.
Norton/And lighted.
Miklo/We can certainly ask HIS Department to investigate to see if it does conform with
the Zoning Ordinance.
Vanderhoef/Has there been any communication with the Panhellenic or student services at
the Union to notify fraternity and sororities of what is being proposed here?
Miklo/The only contact has been those fraternities and sororities that we surveyed in
terms of their occupancy and number of cars. So no, we have not contacted their
official organization. We can certainly advise them of this.
Vanderhoef/I suspect that they might have some more information for us about parking
and so forth in other neighborhoods which might be useful to us.
Thornberry/Bob, you mentioned that it was difficult to notify the neighbors when there
was a change of buildings from one use to another but not impossible. If it were
being rezoned, you would contact the neighbors. I think perhaps a use so different
from a fraternity or sorority to a rooming house, I think the neighbors should
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 6
probably know about it and I would like to see them notified somehow, some way.
If'it meant sending out a letter to every house in that area, they should be notified.
Miklo/We can look at a procedure. I don't know if legally that is something-
Thornberry/I don't care if it is legal or not as far as being illegal. It couldn't be illegal to
notify the neighbors of a change of a house. But I think it should be done for the
neighborhood integrity.
Nov/If he says they have a neighborhood association, it would be easy to do. Other wise
it might be a little more complex.
Thornberry/I don't care. The neighbors should be notified.
Woito/You mean just for this ordinance or all-
Thornberry/I mean for a house, like a change of use of the magnitude that we are talking
about is quite important to the neighborhood.
Norton/Dean, what is the magnitude that you are talking about?
Kubby/There is no difference in density in terms of maximum density. Is that correct?
Miklo/That is correct.
Kubby/It is a different population.
Thornberry/A completely different population.
Nov/It may not be. It may be students. We just don't know.
Thornberry/You don't want to notify the neighbors then? Is that what you are saying?
Kubby/I am asking your point about magnitude.
Nov/In order to-
Thornberry/For example, it goes from a fraternity or sorority to low income housing, I
think the neighbors in the neighborhood would like to know that information or
vice-versa. It is a different use.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 7
Norton/That would be a principle we would need to look at for a lot of changes that has
broader implications than that, doesn't it. I mean, we have other conversions of
that sort. I kind of think it ought to be explored, too.
Thornberry/How many bedrooms are in that unit?
Miklo/The particular property that brought this to question, I believe, has 21 to 24
bedrooms.
Thornberry/That is quite a few people when you are changing the demographics of the
neighborhood perhaps.
Kubby/You mean because of the income of the people who might live there, you need to
notify the neighbors that you are going to have lower income people?
Thornberry/Perhaps. I think the neighbors should probably know or be aware that it is
changing from a fraternity to a rooming house. I think if I lived in that
neighborhood, I kind of like to know that.
Norton/Gee, what if high income people are going to be moved in next to me?
Thornberry/God, you had better be notified. How could they be any higher than you Dee?
Norton/I'll have to be notified.
Thornberry/It may be offensive, but ifI were in the neighborhood, I would want to know
it. It is not offensive to me.
Miklo/There may be some Fair Housing questions here.
Nov/Yeah, I really do think there are Fair Housing Discrimination questions in there.
Thornberry/I am just saying that if you are changing from a fraternity house to a rooming
house, don't notify the neighbors, they might get upset. Is that what you are-
Kubby/I think it is the way you are explaining it. That if on the basis of income, not on the
change of the use.
Thornberry/All right, how about this? Because of the change of use. Anything. I think the
neighbors ought to- I said. I just said on a- Something of that magnitude, you
wanted me to say what magnitude. All right, anything over four bedrooms or eight
bedrooms, ten bedrooms or give me a figure. But 20 some odd bedrooms.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 8
Norton/Couldn't we ask P/Z?
Nov/Well, I am having a little trouble because if there are 24 bedrooms and you are not
adding anymore or removing anymore, isn't it the same number of people?
Norton/Or even less.
Nov/I suppose it is possible to be less because fraternities are more likely to have two
people in a room.
Kubby/It is certainly something that we can add on. We can continue the p.h. and in our
deliberations bring this item up.
Thornberry/Don't tell the neighbors a thing.
Nov/Let's go back to the p.h. I am sorry that we digressed so far but we did.
Gillian Fox/I am owner and manager of 715 North Linn Street and we support the
proposal. We believe that it is important to convert available buildings and
structures into housing that might be available to all populations of Iowa City. So
we own the building that is right in front of this fraternity and we support this
proposed changed.
Nov/You own the building that is on the Linn Street side of this?
Fox/Yes.
Nov/Okay. Tell me exactly which building is it on Dubuque Street.
Fox/It would be- I believe it is at the end of the alley on the south side.
Nov/It is the whitish looking?
Fox/I don't know. We own the green building directly behind the recreation area or
volleyball area and in discussion with our family, it seems that it will probably be a
quieter neighborhood without the fraternity playing volleyball until all hours of the
morning. I have complaints from tenants in the building because of the noise from
the fraternity and being a rooming house, it seems like it would be much quieter.
Nov/I am trying to figure out if it is the fraternity that has this athletic facility or is it a
different one. So, maybe Mr. Miklo can answer my question.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 9
Miklo/The building that we are speaking of is at the 716 Dubuque Street. It is on the
south side of the alley on the east side of Dubuque Street. There is a sports facility,
volleyball facility behind it but it is actually on another property, an L-shaped
property that wraps around this particular one.
Nov/Okay, it isn't the whitish building. It is a kind of stone.
Miklo/It is a masonry building.
Nov/A masonry building and the facility behind it does not belong to this building. This
building-
Miklo/This building belongs to the building on the corner of Church and Dubuque Street.
Nov/Okay, thank you.
Miklo/Again, I would like to point out this ordinance would affect many fraternity and
sorority buildings, not just this particular one.
Nov/I was still not able to visualize.
Vanderhoef/It is Ronalds and Dubuque, I believe.
Nov/This is between Ronalds and Brown.
Kubby/Theresa can clarify I am sure.
Theresa Kopatich/I am here because I am interested in purchasing the particular property
that they are talking about, 716 N. Dubuque and converting this into a rooming
house. I have a paper full of parking statistics but it is kind of not worth repeating
because they have already been brought up here by your representative from P/Z.
But one thing I want you to know is that we currently own two other properties
that are rooming house. One of those properties is located at 121 N. Van Buren
Street. This is a 13 room unit and we have had that property for two years and in
dealing with the parking issue, in that two years of time I have rented the rooms to
over 40 people and not one person has come in with a car. Over time people have
acquired automobiles and the average is two cars for 13 rooms. I also have another
property at 416 S. Dodge. That is nine units. I have had that property for about 1
1/2 years rented to about 17 people. In that time, again, not one person has come
in with an automobile when they have come in and signed the leases. Over time the
average there is one vehicle. And I have a list that goes on and one of other
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 10
properties and other rooming house owners that I have talked to over the last
couple of weeks about how their statistics are running for parking and rooming
houses and I will be happy to show them if you want them. But basically they are
the same thing. That the amount of parking which I believe is the issue here tonight
is very, is a lot less. It is very minimal when you are talking about a rooming house
versus what you are talking about when you have a sorority or a fraternity and my
opinion is I know that there are parking problems that already exist. But I also
think that this type of conversion would not make the problem worse. I think if
anything, it would improve the situation.
Nov/Would you give us an estimate, based on your statistics, for a structure like this that
has 20 bedrooms, how many cars would you expect?
Kopatich/I would expect, offhand, my opinion would be two. In this particular property,
I know what the parking is. So with this particular property, our opinion is that
when people come into the program, when they can afford a car, they are going to
know right off the bat that there isn't parking. When they get to a point when they
can afford a car, then maybe it is time to look for a different place. We are talking
about one property here.
Nov/How many parking spaces are available at that particular property?
Kopatich/There are six parking spaces but there are like two, two and two. So legally, I
think two.
Kubby/Because they are stacked. There is possibility for six but two legal parking spaces.
When you park behind someone, you can't count that as a legal space. They can
use them that way but you can't count them that way.
Nov/I
spoke to someone who said it looks like a good place for bed and breakfast but
when he started counting parking spaces, he said never mind, it is not going to
work. So, anyone else who would like to talk to the city council about this topic
on rezoning fraternity and sorority houses?
Bennet Brown/I am a resident of 802 E. Washington Street which is a boarding house
and was previously a five-flat, not a fraternity or sorority. But a five-flat house that
I believe held five families. That property is, neighbors on both sides and across the
street, all three of those properties are sororities and parking is very difficult on
our street. In answer, it is something that concerns me and I would very much like
to see the parking problem alleviated. I think it not only makes it difficult for
people that want to visit say, to the home, but also makes it difficult as a
pedestrian and as a biker which is the way in which it bothers me. I do own a car
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcriptiou of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 11
which I share with one other resident of the rooming house, which I own with one
other resident of the rooming house, my wife, and which I share with several of the
other residents of the house. Earlier, I believe it was Councilor Vanderhoefthat
asked if anyone had an idea for satisfying both the desire to maintain historic
homes and the desire to alleviate parking problems in historic neighborhoods, both
because there is not much on-street parking and because it detracts from the
neighborhood. I don't want to say that this would be a solution because I think
that would be presumptuous but something that occurs to me is that if parking
were to somehow- If car ownership were to somehow be discouraged in
neighborhoods where it were very tight. For example, if- Not car ownership but
parking on the street. For example, if each home were to get a parking permits
based on the number of rooms that it had, whether it was based on the occupancy,
whether it was a fraternity or sorority or rooming house,. I am not familiar enough
with the zoning to know what you call a family property but- And then in addition
could purchase this additional parking permits for the street or for visitors for
some cost, then that might not only provide revenue for the city but would also
discourage people from stock piling automobiles at their home. It might encourage
people to rent parking spaces in a parking ramp closer to downtown or closer to
wherever they use their car. Thank you very much for your time.
Nov/Thank you.
Thornberry/Naomi brought that up at our work session last night and when you sell a
permit for a car, you are kind of guaranteeing a parking place and if we can't
guarantee a parking place, why buy a permit. So if it is not in a ramp, parking
garage or whatever you call them, then you can't really yellow out part of a curb
and say this is for permit holder number such and such and if somebody else parks
there, then you are buying a permit without a guarantee of a parking place anyway.
So it is a little difficult.
Nov/If we could somehow do this, it might work and the Northside Neighborhood is the
one that had been talked about with not long ago, five or six years ago maybe. But
it could be that there is enough turnover now that the neighbors would want to
reconsider that. It would certainly help during the day. The people who work
downtown and park there all day because it is free and take the Cambus because it
is free, it would certainly help that kind of thing. but when you come home at night
and you have to walk a block and a half to find a place to put your car because
there are other people parked, I don't know.
Kubby/I mean either the city or the neighborhood would have to come up with the money
to do enforcement because I think that is the biggest stumbling block for
implementing a permit system, a residential permit system. That we need to make
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7c page 12
sure that- I don't know that we have to guarantee a place to park, it gives you a
license to hunt for a parking space. But we have to make sure that only permit
with permits are indeed parking. And that is, you know, we are deciding between
police officers and other kinds of recreation and library service for long term
operational costs. Is this high enough priority to want to bump those.
Nov/That was the reason for the permit costs. We were going to give permit based on a
small fee and there would have been enough cars in the neighborhood to support
an enforcement person.
Kubby/Maybe.
Nov/Well, only if people are willing to do it. I don't know that we are going to force
people to purchase permits to park on the street. Anyone else who would like to
address council on this rezoning topic?
Karr/Could we have a motion to accept correspondence?
Nov/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Kubby that we accept correspondence. Any
discussion? All in favor, please say aye- (ayes). Motion carried. P.h. is now closed.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7e page 1
ITEM NO. 7e. Consider an ordinance amending Title 14, Chapter 6, entitled "Zoning,"
City Code, by revising Article N, entitled Off-Street Parking and Loading," to change the
required number of' off-street parking spaces for commercial uses in the CB-5 zone. (First
consideration)
Nov/Moved by Lehman, seconded by Norton. Discussion.
Kubby/I have a question that is a symptom of being here too long because we have
bounced back and forth so much over 1990 on this issue, if this passes, what will
be the new commercial parking requirement in the CB-5 zone?
Miklo/There will be no requirement for commercial uses.
Nov/There will still be requirement for residential use?
Miklo/That is correct.
Kubby/And if someone voluntarily wants to provide parking, it would be one space per
500?
Miklo/A maximum of one space per 500 square feet of floor area.
Norton/And there is some review of where that would be sited?
Miklo/That is correct.
Norton/If someone voluntarily wanted to put some in.
Kubby/I am going to be voting no on this ordinance. I am not- I think that commercial
area should provide some amount of parking because if the individual property
owners don't provide at least some parking, that means the city is going to have to
provide that parking and if we pass these next two ordinances, it just makes our
burden greater and it makes our costs greater. I know that what we are trying to
do is to facilitate commercial development and I would be willing to amend it but
not down to zero.
Norton/Well, I will be supporting it because what we are doing is applying the same logic
here that we have in the CBD, extending it, that area south of Dubuque Street and
along Gilbert which we hope will become commercial. So it seems to me to be a
consistent policy.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7e page 2
Nov/It is not quite that consistent because we would allow a commercial entity to put in
parking without special exception which would not be allowed in CB-10.
Norton/Okay but it is close.
Nov/Close, right.
Vanderhoef/But your idea is correct in that we are extending the business district and I
would like us to start thinking in terms of that. That our business district really is
going to be south to Court Street. It is not going to be stopping at Burlington.
Nov/Okay, any other discussion? Roll call- (yes, Kubby-no). We have approved first
consideration on a vote of 6-1, with Kubby voting no.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, ~997 City of Iowa City Page 9
Consider an ordinance amending Title 14, "Unified Development
Code" of the City Code by amending Chapter 9, Article A, entitled
"Parking Facility Impact Fee" to exclude commercial development.
(First consideration)
Comment: At the City Council's direction, this ordinance eliminates
the parking impact fee for all commercial development in the Near
Southside parking facility impact fee district.
Action:
Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by conditionally
changing the use regulations of approximately 140.5 acres of property
located on the east side of Scott Boulevard, north of Highway 6, from
County M1, Light Industrial, to C1-1, Intensive Commercial (38.93
acres), and I-1, General Industrial (101.57 acres). (REZ96-0021)
(Second consideration)
Comment: At its February 6 meeting, by a vote of 5-1 with Ehrhardt
voting no, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended
approval of the proposed rezoning, subject to conditions, consistent
with the staff recommendation contained in its January 16 staff
report.
Action:
Consider a resolution approving the extraterritorial preliminary plat of
Williams Woods Subdivision, a 23.00 acre, 4-lot residential
subdivision located in Johnson County on the north side of Highway 1
West, approximately one mile west of Sharon Center Road. (SUB97-
0004)
Comment: At its March 20 meeting, by a vote of 6-0, the Planning &
Zoning Commission recommended approval of the preliminary plat,
subject to the approval of a Grading Plan prior to Council
consideration. Staff recommended approval in its March 20 staff
report. It is anticipated that the Grading Plan will be approved prior to
the April 8 Council meeting.
Action:
#7f page 1
ITEM NO. 7fi Consider an ordinance amending Title 14, "Unified Development Code" of
the City Code by amending Chapter 9, Article A, entitled "Parking Facility Impact Fee" to
exclude commercial development. (First consideration)
Nov/Moved by Thornberry, seconded by Lehman. Discussion.
Kubby/I will be voting yes on this because the last motion passed. It would be silly to
support not rescinding an impact fee that doesn't impact anything.
Baker/
I am going to be silly then because I am going to vote no on this. We talked last
night. All along we were rescinding this parking impact fee. We were going to
schedule some sort of a discussion on an increase in the residential parking impact
fee which never somehow kept up pace with this ordinance. We are going to do
three considerations of this and by the third consideration if we resolve that
residential parking impact fee, I will feel free to change my vote. I think we should
have kept these things closer together. So I will be voting no on this but if we can
raise the residential parking impact fee, I will probably change my-
Kubby/So the goal here is so that in this area between Burlington and Court Street,
instead of having first floor commercial with a to of the apartment buildings, kind
of bogus commercial, it has taken a long time to develop. It is not what we
envisioned. You wanted higher impact commercial with a little bit of residential.
We are trying to use these impact fees as a way of creating a market that will bear
what we want to have happen. I don't know that this is going to do it.
Baker/
This by itself will certainly not do it. One of the reasons we are thinking about
changing residential, as you know, is because when we first talked about impact
fees three years ago, we had a different kind of apartment construction in Iowa
City. Since then we have seen a lot more 4-5 bedroom apartments, especially
downtown creating an impact that is not accounted for in the impact fee structure.
And that is what we need to address.
Norton/I agree we ought to address that but I still think this has possibility as encouraging
commercial development in the area where we want to see it. That is why I am for
it. We will deal with residential shortly, hopefully in time to get your vote.
Nov/Any other discussion? Roll call- (yes, Baker-no). Okay we have approved first
consideration on 6-1 vote with Baker voting no.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7h page 1
ITEM NO. 7h. Consider a resolution approving the extraterritorial preliminary plat of
Williams Woods Subdivision, a 23.00 acre, 4-lot residential subdivision located in Johnson
County on the north side of Highway 1 West, approximately one mile west of Sharon
Center Road. (SUB97-0004)
Nov/Do we have a grading plan approved?
Miklo/Yes, we do.
Nov/Okay.
Vanderhoef/And do we have a map with the alignment of 9657
Miklo/I don't have it with me but this property is approximately 1/4 mile west of the
alignment of 965. The map that is in your packet has an area on it.
Vanderhoef/1/4 mile west?
Nov/This is west of the 965 alignment?
Miklo That is correct.
Norton/Do we have a motion?
Vanderhoef/This is west of?.
Miklo/Yes, it is.
Vanderhoef/Okay.
Nov/Okay. Moved by Lehman, seconded by Vanderhoef. Any discussion?
Norton/I would like to- You know, we recently approved one side of the junction of
Highway 1 and Landon Road, just to the east of this, didn't we? So that means
now we are bracketed 965 on both sides? Is that right, Bob?
Miklo/The one to the east was a rezoning. We actually-
Norton/Oh, the plat isn't there but it is rezoned. It is on the way in other words.
Miklo/Right.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#7h page 2
Norton/And is that true that 965 route will then come in between the two?
Miklo/That is correct but I believe that there is an intervening property between 965 and
each of these.
Norton/How many curb cuts are permitted on this one?
Miklo/There is one entrance to the highway.
Norton/That is that PV Road or whatever? Didn't we approve four on the one to the east
of that?
Miklo/
They had submitted a concept plan showing four. The plat is now before the P/Z
Commission and they are reviewing it and that is an issue is how many curb cuts
and they are probably going to recommend on that plat at their next meeting, they
deferred it because they did not like the plan before them currently which had, I
believe, two curb cuts.
Kubby/Will we make agreements to preserve corridors? Does it include curb cuts that are
near the major entrance or main intersection where two large roads meet?
Miklo/I don't believe the agreement is that specific but that is certainly something that we
can look at to preserve the ability for the future streets to carry traffic.
Kubby/Let's remember that when that plat comes through.
Norton/It is going to be-
Vanderhoef/Is this curb cut then as far west as possible?
Miklo/Not necessarily as far west as possible. But in our review, it was in an appropriate
location and they had a good sit distance. Our traffic planners did not have any
concerns that this would interfere with 965.
Kubby/Thank you.
Norton/Getting cozy out there. There is a commercial one out on the road on the other
side, isn't there?
Nov/Any other discussion? Roll call- (yes).
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 8.
ITEM NO. 9.
ITEM NO. 10.
City of Iowa City
Page l 0
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FY98 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN BUDGET FOR
THE USE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND
HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (HOME) FUNDS.
Comment: On March 6, 1997, the Housing and Community Development
Commission approved a FY98 CDBG\HOME budget. This
recommendation to the City Council will be part of the FY98 Annual
Action Plan submitted to Council in May. The FY98 budget
recommendation and staff memorandum are included in Council packet.
Correspondence regarding this item included in Council packet.
Action: /~~.~.~/~'~/~/~,~.,~7~ ~)-/.~?..~Z}~d~(~z'/f~,~ ~
PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE REGULATING NON-MOTORIZED
VEHICLES.
Comment: This public hearing is to receive comments on a proposed
ordinance which will amend the City Code by repealing the regulations
regarding "toy vehicles" and setting forth new regulations regarding "non-
motorized vehicles."
This proposed ordinance will amend the City Code by repealing the
regulations regarding "toy vehicles" and set forth new regulations
regarding "non-motorized vehicles." In addition to defining "non-
motorized Vehicles", regulations include prohibiting non-motorized
vehicles in the following locations: on streets and alleys (except in RS-5
and RS-8 zones), on sidewalks in the Central Downtown Business
District, within Chauncey Swan Park, within the City Plaza, and in parking
lots and ramps. Correspg)~dence regarding this item included in Council
packet.
~/,,
CODE, THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY,
IOWA, TO MAKE IT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO THE FEDERAL
FAIR HOUSING AMENDMENTS ACT OF 1989,
Comment: The Iowa City Human Rights Commission has recommended
enactment of amendments to the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance that
will make the ordinance substantially equivalent to the federal Fair
Housing Amendments Act of 1989. A certificate of substantial
equivalency from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will
allow the Iowa City Human Rights Commission to investigate complaints
of housing discrimination in Iowa City and will provide federal funds to
the Commission to facilitate such investigation.
Action:
#8 page 1
ITEM NO. 8 PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FY98 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
BUDGET FOR THE USE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (HOME)
FUNDS.
Nov/Could we have a motion accepting correspondence so I don't forget? Thank you.
Moved by Thornberry, seconded by Kubby that we accept correspondence. All in
favor, please say aye- (ayes). Motion carried. The p.h. is open. There are a lot of
people here. I am going to try very hard to limit everybody to no longer than five
minutes.
Ann Donohue/I have been a part of the Crisis Center, a volunteer for many years, and
with the director we addressed the Commission a couple of months ago on the
CDBG and it looks at though the Crisis Center is sitting pretty well to receive
some funds and I would just like to thank you for your support, the Commission
and the council. It is a great organization. I believe in it. We need the room and I
want to thank you very much for your consideration. Thank you.
Nancy
Stensvaag/A year and a half ago I volunteered to work as Executive Director for
the Iowa Valley Habitat. One of the great satisfactions of working with this
organization is that no one associated with the Iowa Valley Habitat is paid a salary.
This means that all of our resources go to ending poverty housing. This is also
means, however, that the only people that can answer your questions tonight on
your behalf are volunteers. We are not experts in the separation of church and
state. We are not attorneys trained in Con Law. We are just ordinary people from
the community dedicated to a single goal, providing decent affordable housing for
our neighbors. we are not alone in this struggle. Habitat for Humanity affiliates
throughout the world have been completing 30 houses each and everyday. If the
City of Iowa City would like to join us in this effort, we enthusiastically welcome
your help. Last night at the working session of this council, the Mayor expressed a
view that the federal CDBG and HOME funds could not be provided to Habitat to
Humanity without violating federal constitutional principles concerning the
separation of church and state. I didn't know this at the time but this question has
already been asked and answered at the highest of levels at the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development. On July 9, 1993, the Associate General
Counsel of HUD's Office of Assisted Housing and Community Development
published a formal opinion analyzing all relevant Supreme Court Opinions. He
concluded that federal funds may be provided for Habitat for Humanity and its
local affiliates without violating the Constitution. I have provided you with copies
of this ruling as well as the August '93 letter to Habitat confirming this ruling. The
Associate General Counsel's legal ruling is complicated and refers to several
Supreme Court decisions. The copy that you have received is a fax of a fax of a
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 2
fax. So I am sorry it is not very good. It is important for you to understand that
this ruling was based on a thorough understanding of Habitat for Humanity and it
principles. The third paragraph of page 1 of the memo states in part, this would be
your page 3, "Membership in Habitat is not based on religious affiliation and the
organization states that Christians, non-Christians and atheists are all brought
together in an effort to build housing for those in need of decent shelter. Habitat
does however consider itself to be overtly a Christian organization with religious
motivations for what it does." Starting in the last paragraph on page 2 of the
Associate General Consul's memo the ruling states the following, "While Habitat
undoubtedly has professed religious purposes, our functional analysis paints a
general picture of exclusive secular activities. Specifically there is no religious test
of participation, no inquiry as to the religious preference of affiliation either to be a
board member or to help in building houses, no proselytise conducted by the
organization and provision of totally secular activities by the organization. As for
the stated religious purposes expressed in the organizational documents and
acknowledged by Habitat, we have concluded that such purposes nearly reflect the
motive of the organization in carrying out the purely secular activity." Finally the
Associate General Counsel's memo concludes at the bottom of page 3, "We are of
the opinion that it is constitutionally permissible to provide assistance to Habitat
for eligible CDBG activities. This determination applies equally to Habitat affiliates
that first the above described profile of the parent organization." But what about
the idea that Iowa City can impose certain conditions on Habitat for Humanity to
make sure that our home-building activities are not improperly infected with
religion. The Associate General Counsel carefully considered this idea near the
middle of page 3 of his memo and concluded that the Supreme Court has already
rejected such conditions in connection to federal aid to church related colleges.
The Associate General Counsel memo states in its next to last paragraph, "We are
convinced that Habitat conducts essentially secular housing activities and is
sufficiently free from religious influence so that the close governmental
surveillance is unnecessarily." After last night's session of the council on the front
page story on tonight's Press Citizen, I tried to find out what is happening in other
parts of the country. Basically our Assistance Regional Director contacted a
couple of other regional offices. She discovered that all 80 Habitat for Humanity
affiliates in the State of Michigan are receiving and using CDBG funds to build
simple decent Habitat houses. None of the Michigan affiliates have had a problem
with the church state issue. I have been unable to discover a single local Habitat
organization in 11 midwestern states that have been denied CDBG funds on the
basis of religion. Instead, city after city have said to the local Habitat for Humanity
organizations, take this money and do with it what you do best, no strings
attached, build houses. i hope that my remarks and the Associate General
Counsel's memo have answered your questions. In closing, let me point out once
more the extraordinary bargain represented by the grant that we seek tonight. Our
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 3
organization is ready and willing to turn $30,000 into two completed homes. We
can turn this small amount into two homes because volunteers from our
community give their time to build the houses, supplementing this grant with other
donations and generous gift in-kind donations by local and national merchants. The
end result is new home owners paying taxes and breaking out of the cycle of
poverty. That is the habitat story and it has been repeated thousands of times
around the world. We will continue to do this work with or without the assistance
of Iowa City. But in the spirit of the Habitat for Humanity Day that this city
council declared before our first groundbreaking, it would. give us great pleasure if
you would join us in our efforts to provide decent housing for each member of our
community. Thank you.
Thornberry/I want to say one thing before the next speaker. As far as my one vote on the
council goes, I would wholeheartedly support this money going to Habitat for
Humanity houses and wish it could be more. And I, at this time, will pledge to you
25 hours of my time to help on your next house.
Norton/All right.
Jodi-beth McCain/I am here on behalf of the River City Housing Collective. Here with me
tonight are several other members of the collective and I would like to ask them to
raise their hands or to stand. Thank you. (Reads statement). Again, we thank the
HCDC for being supportive of our proposal and thank you for your attention.
Nov/Thank you.
McCain/I have a copy of the statistics.
Baker/Jodi, before you sit down, can I ask you some questions? How long have you all
been in operation?
McCain/We were incorporated in 1977 as a non-profit, '79 as a non-profit organization.
Baker/At any time in that last 20 years have you received public assistance?
McCain/CDBG or HOME Funds? No.
Baker/You have about 65% student population? Is that right?
McCain/That is correct.
Baker/Have you been asked to supply any kind of verification?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 4
McCain/We conducted a survey of our membership and asked them to state how much
they earned and our statistics as to the 74% are less than 30% of area median are
based on our survey that we conducted in preparation for the HOME proposal.
Baker/Would you have any problem with getting a more formal verification of income?
McCain/I would have to ask our Board of Directors. I would certainly be willing to do
that.
Baker/How are residents chosen for your-
McCain/Resident prospects we say are invited to come to dinner. We have dinner as a
community every evening. And after wards they are interviewed by a group of
residents, mostly asked questions about whether they like to cook for a large
number of people, what their-how they would deal with conflict situations. That is
important when you live with so many people. How they learned about the
collective, if they would be willing to do the volunteer labor that is part of living in
the collective.
Baker/(Can't hear)
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 97-61 SIDE 2
Baker/(Can't hear).
McCain/There are- We have a married couple, a single mother and a child, and another
single father who has a son on the weekends. But the rest are either single or
engaged.
Baker/Okay, but what are the rest? What are the numbers?
[Tape problems-switch to new tape]
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 97-62 SIDE 1
McCain/Total number currently is 46.
Baker/Out of the 46 approximately. I am trying to get some profile of the people.
McCain/Right. We are mostly single people.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 5
Baker/Turnover rate. People come live, would you have a sense of a turnover rate?
McCain/We sign year long leases and I would say probably 30 to 40%. That is a real
rough guess.
Baker/Do you have a sense of the percent that have been there longer than 2-3 years?
McCain/Probably 10% -15%. Sorry, I don't have those figures.
Baker/What about parking accommodations? How many, on the sites that you have now,
what sort of parking regulation do you have to comply to?
McCain/With the boarding house.
Baker/Do you have a sense of how many cars are used by residents? I wouldn't expect
you to just off the top of your head-
McCain/My gut reaction would be one out of two or one out of three.
Nov/It is okay to say I don't know.
McCain/Okay. I really do not know that. That is another guess.
Baker/All of your facilities are handicap accessible?
McCain/One of our facilities is handicap accessible.
Baker/Whatever is required.
McCain/We are currently in three different properties and one of those properties is in the
process of becoming handicap accessible. We are actually applying for a grant to
improve the accessibility. We did not realize when we bought the property that it
wasn't up to Code.
Baker/When you choose a resident- I mean, the Board of Directors chooses a resident.
McCain/The membership chooses a resident.
Baker/Membership is based upon compatibility with the sort of lifestyle that everybody-
McCain/Yeah.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 p~e6
Baker/It is a non-profit corporation. Who actually owns the building?
McCain/The corporation.
Baker/Okay, but the residents are the corporation?
McCain/The Board of Directors is made of residents and then the Board then rents units
to - We call ourselves resident members.
Baker/If property is sold, how would that money be restricted?
McCain/If the property is sold, it will remain with the corporation. There is no- It is
written within the Articles of Incorporation that no individual member of the
collective will benefit financially.
Baker/And normal deposit procedures for one months rent deposit.
McCain/We have a $200 deposit and a $23 membership fee that is not refundable.
Kubby/That gives you life time membership.
McCain/Life time membership.
Nov/Even if you move out?
McCain/Even if you move out.
Baker/Other than the lifestyle accommodation, is there anything different about your
population compared to most other student populations?
McCain/Well, 1/3 of us are not students. 2/3's are. 1/3 are graduate students. Many of the
undergraduates are in their 3 O's and are doing student teaching. There are certainly
the 22% that are still claimed as dependents on their parents tax returns, would be
more typical of undergraduates. I would say that we are more involved in the
community and in volunteering than probably the average students. I haven't seen
census data of what percentage of the population is of single people who are not
students. But I would assume that we are pretty representative of the single
population.
Baker/Because, as you know, one of the concerns raised about the grant or the loan was
the fact the population tended to be students. There have been concerned
expressed to the council, this one and previous council, about the application of
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 p~e7
CDBG funds for student populations and what is the highest need. I just thought I
would try to get a sense of the profile.
McCain/And we have a mixed population and we are aware of the income requirements
of the HOME funds and that is why our Board has said that that in that property
purchase with HOME funds, there will be no one that is claimed as a dependent on
their parent's tax returns because they would be income ineligible. We've been
looking at income and if whether you are an undergraduate or graduate or you are
employed. If you have allow income, then we have a service to offer in providing
affordable housing.
Baker/Can you explain, I think it is page 6 of the big book, the CDBG book. One of the
concerns raised by the Commission was the project does not have site control.
Could you explain that to me what that means?
McCain/Site control means that we have not yet put a bid down on a specific property.
We have been talking with a number of Realtors. We are currently looking at a
property at 932 E. College. It is one of the fraternity houses that does not have any
parking and we are waiting to hear what happens with the ordinance.
Baker/If you don't get this, what are the consequences to X number of residences?
McCain/As it states in the application, a year from now the lease on one of the properties
that we rent from a fraternity will expire and that has 22 units. So a year from June
we would lose 22 units out of the 48 that we have if we are not able to receive
funding.
Baker/I guess my question is the residents that are in those units, would they
automatically be excluded from the other housing that you got?
McCain/They would not be excluded but we would only have 26 units left and we would
not be able to acco~muodate that many people into existing vacancies. We are
interested in expanding. We feel that we offer a unique service in the community,
being a member run organization that is affordable and our hope is to continue
growing and offer more affordable units as long as there is need. So we would
prefer not to shrink but to grow.
Baker/
I was wonder if there was some sort of criteria process where if you had- I don't
know who you have in the other units that you might lose, you mentioned some
families, people with disabilities. Are they over there or- Would they not be
affected or would they?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 8
McCain/Actually in the fraternity house, there is no one with a disability and there is only
an engaged couple.
Baker/Thank you very much.
Thornberry/One follow up question to Larry's questions. Since this is the first time you
have come before us to apply for CDBG funds, where did you get your rnoney
prior to this?
McCain/Prior to this from originally the University lent us houses at $75 a month and we
charged regular rents and the surplus was put into a development funds. That was
back 15-20 years ago, 10 years ago. In the last 4-5 years we have been renting the
fraternity house on N. Dubuque Street and once again have had a surplus we have
invested in our development fund and it was those funds that we used to purchase
the property on the corner of Summit and College Street that won us the award
last year. So we have been able to acquire property through finding leases that
were advantageous to us. We have not been able to find another such lease. We
are also interested in owning our buildings because it gives us more control.
Thornberry/You have how many locations now?
McCain/We own two and we rent one.
Thornberry/And you want to do more?
McCain/And we would like to own a third one.
Thornberry/That is what you are wanting the money for?
McCain/Correct.
Thornberry/Not to maintain, it is to increase.
McCain/At this point it is to maintain because the property that we are leasing, the lease
will run out in a year from June. That is not a stable situation.
Nov/Are you relatively certain the lease is not renewable?
McCain/We have been told the fraternity plans to move back in, yes.
Nov/Thank you. Anything else? Okay, thank you. Moving on.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 9
Suzanne Middaugh/I was wondering if you would mind? I am part of the Coop. I was
wondering if you would mind ifI just said a couple of minutes?
Nov/Certainly. Sign your name and tell us who you are, take your couple of minutes.,
Kubby/I see someone with you who has won a citizenship award.
Suzanne Middaugh/He is a coop member, too. Okay. I live at 200 S. Summit and I am a
single mother and my son Gabriel and he is in 6th grade at Longfellow and he did
win a citizenship award at the beginning of the school year and it really did a lot
for his self esteem for you to recognize him. We also have a dog named Charlie
that lives there also and I really feel that coops help the integrity of a neighborhood
together and I felt like the coops here in Iowa City have really done that. I know
you know the history about us buying Summit House and then selling the smaller
house behind it to Tom who's a real hard worker and is going to resell the house.
If anyone drives by, it's really looking great. And I don't mean to be so shaky but
it's such an emotional thing, being a single mother in this town. Moving here,
hearing there was a coop, I was like thank God. I don't have to be isolated. So our
goals include our community here. We want more people. I'm 41. We want more
older people in the communities. Being an older person, I'm wanting more older
people to talk to at the dinner table. I don't go out drinking or anything you know,
so I'm excited about the thought of another house and being low income as well. I
work in this community and I'm putting my energy back into the community with
our youth. I work for these leadership program and at United Action for Youth so
thanks for your time and I hope you will consider just loaning us the money.
Nov/Thank you.
Thornberry/And I'd just ask, how long have you been here?
Middaugh/We've been here since June. I worked at Scattergood High School in West
Branch.
Thornberry/Where did you move? You moved from West Branch?
Middaugh/Yes. Thank you.
Steven Kanner/I'm also a member of the River City Housing Collective. And I also live at
200 S. Summit at Summit and College. And I just wanted to say that one thing
that's nice about the collective is the price for housing. Next year the average price
will be $224 per unit and that includes all utilities except for telephone, so that's a
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
page 10
pretty good deal that you can get here in Iowa City for some clean and safe
housing. And it also includes laundry and detergent. And in addition to that, we
pay $80 per month for food. Everyone contributes that and by pooling our money
like that, we're able to buy food at a lower cost. So it's a really good deal and
that's one of the reasons that we want to expand and maintain what we have with
the River City Housing Collective, to be able to offer the lower cost housing as an
option. I work full time at APAC downtown and it's really nice to able to afford
decent housing like this and be part of something like the River City Housing
Collective. It's a clean environment. It's a safe environment. People feel safe. And
it's empowering environment also. It's not perfect. It's got problems, but it works
on it and as a member of the River City Housing Collective, I can help chart the
course of the house that I'm a part of in the community that I'm a part of in a
direct fashion, so that's really nice to do. And it also preserves historic housing
stock which I also think is really important too. And it's nice that we were able to
preserve the house at 200 S. Summit. You should come around and take a look.
You're invited to come by and take a look. You're invited to come by at anytime
you like. So I want to thank you for your considerable consideration.
Nov/Some of us did go to the opening last year.
Kanner/That is right. I did see your name and Councilperson Kubby name on a flyer. I
just moved in a couple of months ago.
Kubby/If you tell Larry what time you eat, that is when he will come.
Kanner/6:00, Larry.
Baker/A.M or P.M. If it is P.M., I will be there.
Thornberry/You take turns cooking for the group, is that correct?
Kanner/Yes.
Thornberry/What is your specialty?
Kanner/Stir-fry. You are invited also. Everyone is invited. Come on by.
Kubby/Dean even eats a little tofu.
Kanner/You don't have tofu prejudice, do you?
Thornberry/I do whoppers.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 11
Ed Cole/I represent Bill Arn and Geri Arn. They have a 32 acre tract west of Forest View
Mobile Home Park.
Nov/I am sorry. I was busy whispering over here. We should tell people that there are
labels at the little table near the door. So if anyone who plans to speak would like
to pick up a label and sign it, you don't have to then sign it when you get up here.
Now, please start again.
Cole/Thank you for telling me that. I represent the Arn family and they have a 32 acre
tract that was annexed into the city limits in the early '60s. And when they annexed
the property in, they had an arrangement that they could burn the fallen limbs.
Over a 33 acre timber, there can be quite a few limbs that fall and the burning
orders that the City of Iowa City has, we were wondering if we were
grandfathered from that because of the prior arrangement of annexation?
Nov/No and also you are speaking in a p.h. on funding projects with community
development-
Cole/Well, I am in on the wrong time. Okay.
Kubby/But the answer is they are not exempt.
Nov/You are no exempt from the Burning Ordinance and there was a time at the
beginning to talk about something that was not on the agenda.
Cole/Okay, we came in late. I apologize.
Nov/You came in after that. Okay.
Cole/Thanks.
Nov/Do you have anything else? Okay. Would anyone else like to talk about CDBG and
HOME funding? Complete with labels. Okay.
Linda Miller/Don't worry, I am not going to go through this whole folder. I will be brief.
I am here representing the Community Corrections Improvement Association and
on behalf of the Community Corrections Improvement Association I would like to
extend appreciation of the Association. Maurice Head, Steve Nasby, Steve Long,
Linda Severson, and the HCDC for their many hours of hard work and dedication
in the process of the CDBG allocations. The Community Corrections Improvement
Association is a 501c.3 that functions to provide proactive programming in
communities. The Youth Leadership Program is one of them. Our commitment to
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#8 page 12
this program in Iowa City is strong and recently we have hired a full time program
coordinator to show that commitment and that was also used in the portion of our
grant for the CDBG funding. I would like to introduce to you this evening John
Boyne. He has moved here from Minnesota. He has started his employment with
the Youth Leadership Program. He brings with him extensive experience in
program development, supervision, community collaboration, and of course youth
work experience. John.
John Boyne/Hello again. My name is John Boyne and I want to speak briefly about the
local Youth Leadership Program. The Iowa City Youth Leadership Program
focuses on prevention of youth problems through healthy youth development.
They focus on life skills, improving academics, leadership, creating constructive
use of free time, and encouraging parental involvement. They do this through an
experiential summer program. It's an intensive six week program that uses student
athletes from the University of Iowa to deliver the program and during the school
year they have an after school program. Students meet one day a week to do
various community service things and recreational opportunities. I recently came,
just before this meeting, I came from a parents' meeting, the Iowa City chapter of
the YOP. The parents' meeting was about- I met parents of seven YOP students
and they were all very excited about the program and planning various functions
for the summer time and there's a, we're going to see a Kernals baseball game and
throw a dance for the students. And they seem very pleased with the program. I'm
just learning. I'm at the end of my second day today and so I'm very excited about
it. I came from Minneapolis and I'm impressed with the level of collaboration the
program has and the colmnitment from the community, so I'm very appreciative.
Kubby/What is YLP?
Boyne/Youth Leadership Program.
Kubby/Oh.
Boyne/So thanks very much.
Nov/Is there anyone else who would like to speak at the p.h.? Okay. Seeing no one else,
I'm going to close the p.h. And City Council will take a break before we go on to
our further p.h.'s.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 1
ITEM NO. 9 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE REGULATING NON-
MOTORIZED VEHICLES.
Nov/All right, Marian, your tape on? We're on item #9 which is a p.h. on an ordinance
(Reads agenda #9). The p.h. is now open.
Thornberry/Before anyone talks about this, Naomi, how are they going to know what an
RS-5 and an RS-8 zone is?
Nov/Are you going to explain it?
Lehman/Residential.
Nov/Low density residential zones.
Woito/They go to the Housing Inspection Services and look at the map.
Nov/Well, it means low density residential zones. Single family and duplex type housing.
Please.
Heath Klahs/Thank you. I think to thank you for taking time to listen.
Nov/I'm having a little trouble hearing you. Could you come closer to the microphone?
Say your name once more.
Klahs/My name is Heath Klahs. Good enough?
Nov/Thank you.
Klahs/
I understand that this council is designed to set up solutions for problems that
would arise in a city and skateboarding was definitely an issue. In the past couple
of years it has become more and more prevalent in pedestrian type situations such
as our own ped mall, whereas urban areas such as Chicago don't really have to
deal with it because it's so busy that we're not exactly there. Iowa City is a very
wonderful city. It is a very beautifully designed architecturally and that definitely
includes scape-orders because that is our vice for our art. And I agree totally with
the current ordinances as far as the downtown areas are concerned. I don't really
think that we should be cruising around between the stores and such because that
could cause not only an accident with a customer but it could result in injury
ourselves because cars can't exactly see us. But with this new part in here making
the Chauncey Swan Park and the City Plaza as well as the parking lot across the
way illegal, that would definitely put us skateboarders in a bind. At this time we
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 2
don't skateboard uptown as much as we use to in the past due to it is more
enforced now by the local police, giving tickets and such like that. As well as a lot
of verbal warnings, you know. And taking in good consideration, being
respectable, it usually doesn't result into anything more than a property owner of
the police asking us to leave and 9 out of 10 we end up coming to Chauncey Swan
Park and into the city parking lot there because it is the one place in town that we
are allowed to skate with literally no complaints at night time. Granted, during the
day when the business traffic is there, we are not recommended to be there and I
understand the logic behind this decision as well. I am sure there are many motor
vehicle owners in the past, especially when it was nicer. Now that it is spring we
are a lot more prevalent down there causing, you know- It is kind of scary to drive
through there when you have, you know, 5-10 kids on skateboards hurdling
through. I can respect that but we have nowhere else to go. We are not allowed on
campus. We are not allowed in the warehouse districts out by Hwy 6 because that
is all private property. I mean that is up to the owner and this is basically our last
refuge. Everywhere else such as residential districts, they don't provide the cover,
they don't provide a designated area we can be in. We have to travel through the
streets, such, over by- probably by the high school, down by Eagle Foods because
those are going to be restricted areas and that would put us right in the path of
traffic. Luckily enough we can stay here and skate for 4-5 hours a night and not
have to worry about getting hit or having a drunk driver late at night coming out
of nowhere because I have had that happens to friends who do live here.
Sometimes we are resorted to going out very late at night just to skate downtown
so that we aren't arrested. And we usually don't because it is so late no one cares.
And it is coming to the point now we are not very well represented. It is a very
small group tonight. There is over- I can name at least 90-100 skaters that live in
this town. It is not that there is a group of people just doing at random little bands,
this is definitely a very large issue. We do not have anywhere to go. It is not going
to matter if you change the ordinance because we will still be there. It is just then
we will be willfully breaking the law and I don't want to be a criminal. I am sure
most of my friends are exactly up to that either. But we don't have anywhere else
to go. I am not proposing that you decide to build a skate park for us or I am not
even insinuating that. All I am saying is if we are going to be allowed over there
for the most part, why make it illegal now or ask us-
Nov/Okay, we understand. I am not sure that I heard you correct. Are you on a
skateboard or on skates?
Klahs/Skateboard.
Nov/Okay.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 3
Klahs/I am not addressing a the rollerblade or bicycle issue myself. My only concern is the
skateboarding issue.
Norton/What part of Chauncey Swan would you need, both sides? On the lower level.
Klahs/On the lower part, yeah.
Norton/If you are on the side towards the park, would that be sufficient?
Klahs/It is kind of a small area to accommodate 100 people.
Nov/At a time?
Klahs/It can be done. I guarantee you it can be done.
Norton/You could take turns.
Klahs/It is going to be kind of crowded though. I mean it is a matter of all we are asking
for- We are just athletes. A lot of these guys are just younger kinds in high school.
I am a sophomore in college. I hope to become a high school teacher. This isn't
just a passing phase. It is something that people do. There is an entire industry
based on it. There is an entire sports network devoted to it. In Iowa City, there are
skaters. We have nowhere to go. If we have these ordinances, please, you know,
offer us a solution. We don't want to out causing trouble. We don't want to be
scaring pedestrians. We are not out to do that.
Nov/How about City Park.
Klahs/
Again, I think that is- What we are trying to gain is kind of a big miscommunication
between the general public. Sidewalks and flat parking lots and just random like
the street are viable for skating. It serves a purpose for putting a board down on
the ground. But skateboarding is a lot more than just riding. There is a lot of
technical aspects involved with manipulating it. There is a lot of determination
involved, very large stunts and there is a lot of different variables that go into it.
There is different kinds of skating. There are so many things and they have to be
done on an obstacle. With no obstacles, that is why we are downtown. That is why
we are on campus because the architecture provides the obstacle.
Nov/And that is why the furniture in the park is being mined.
Klahs/And that is a logical way to deal with it.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 4
Klahs/We don't intentionally go out to damage anything.
Nov/I didn't say you are damaging it intentionally but it is not designed to be skated on or
to be skateboarded on. It just wasn't designed for that purpose.
Klahs/I understand. I can agree with that.
Thornberry/What if we, in City Park for example or another park in town, we were to put
some money together and build a big dish bowl. I have seen these in other places.
They sign a waiver and I have seen the national things on TV. I don't know what
they get when they win but there are some pretty awesome things that happen on
skateboards when they got this dish where they go up and over and down and up
on things and down. I don't know, it is kind of interesting but I don't want to be
walking along or have my car sideswiped. You know, the parking ramps are not
built for this but a dish or a bowl in the winter time, when they are not
skateboarding, maybe we could flood it and use it for a skating rink or something.
Summertime, you drain it and they can use it for a-
Norton/The water would run off if, the one I have in mind.
Kubby/Well, you know, since we have been talking about this, there have been multiple
times when it has been suggested that we talk about providing an alternative and
there has not been near four votes to provide an alternative. If that has shifted, I
would be glad to hear that.
Vanderhoeff This is one of the issues that has been talked about at different times at P/R
because that is where it belongs before it comes to us and they are solution kinds
of people that bring it to them. But the last that I was aware of, it just was not as
high a priority for the expenditure of recreational funds as we would appreciate.
Nov/Really what it came down to every time we talked about it, what would we not do if
we out our money here and we talked about 2600 children playing soccer versus
the 100 who are skateboarding. These kinds of things mean that you really have to
weigh carefully where you are going to put your money.
Kubby/Maybe part of the solution is to not restrict everywhere where they are currently
skateboarding.
Norton/If we could figure a way to use Chauncey Swan multibly, it seems to me that
would be an option on that ground floor. But I don't know how you keep them off
the furniture in the park.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 5
Klahs/What if we as an organized group of skateboarders came to you, the city council,
with a set amount of possible propositions, what we would do in turn, what the
city could do. I would be willing to do that and I know a half dozen other skaters
who would be willing to sit down and come up with logical reasonable proposals
to present to you that would explain our situation a bit better to show you what we
are asking for so you could better understand what we need.
Nov/I
don't believe that the city council is having a problem understanding what you need
and what you would like us to do. We are having trouble finding the money to do
this kind of thing and I think the way to do it is to find somebody who is willing to
cooperate with you on the funding. Somebody was saying maybe it could be in
cooperation with a shaking rink. There is a group that is very seriously interested
in ice skating. There is somebody else who has come on skating occasion and said
they were interested in roller skating and then there is this group who is interested
in skateboarding. If we could get some of these groups with relatively small
numbers of participants to get together and to do some fundraising together,
maybe this kind of thing could happen.
Norton/Isn't is possible to use existing facilities? That is what I am talking about. Since it
seems so unlikely we are going to put funds together to build a proper facility
somewhere else, is there anyway we can make sue of a part of Chauncey Swan. I
still ask that. Have we given that up? Chauncey Swan Ramp, the bottom layer.
Nov/You say not the park.
Kubby/You say no to the ordinance.
Norton/I guess we ought to try that.
Thornberry/I don't know if the two are really compatible.
Nov/I don't know either. My feeling is that the section near the Rec Center, the parking
near the Rec center is probably less used at night then the Chauncey Swan area, all
the way over the Burlington Street. But I don't know. I haven't really looked at it.
Has anybody done any surveys of how many cars?
Kubby/But Chauncey Swan has walls.
Norton/We are not talking about upstairs. We are talking about downstairs now for
skateboarders.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 p~e6
Kubby/I am talking about downstairs. There are walls to bounce off of downstairs. The
Rec Center is fairly flat with a few curbs.
Norton/I am not talking about playing hockey, are you?
Klahs/I was just going to make one comment concerning the parking lot in ~ont of the
Rec Center. Do to our wheels and how they are designed out of polyurethane, the
riding surface there is absolute- We cannot move on it. I mean it is almost- It is
literally work not even worth your time.
Nov/What is the difference in surface? What kind of surface is good and what kind is
bad?
Klahs/The parking garage itself contains a high grade concrete which is very smooth and
there is not a lot of ridges in there, surface ridges, like street concrete would.
Whereas the parking lot for the Rec Center contained either a gravel type cement
or else it would be a asphalt.
Nov/Asphalt doesn't work?
Klahs/Not when it is broke down that bad (can't hear).
Nov/Okay because I was also thinking broke Park and their lots are mostly asphalt.
Klahs/
Again, I think that has- That would be part of my point on miscommunication as to
what you guys see us needing or what we are asking for. You guys keep bringing
up Chauncey Swan Park. Chauncey Swan Park is not an area that we utilize very
much. It is more of a pass through. The parking lot itself would be our destination.
It is just somewhere we pass through. It is not- I mean, I am not saying take that
out of the ordinance or anything. I am not suggesting that. Things that we are
looking for we can only find on campus and up town which would be larger
ledges, larger obstacles and such that is half the reason that we end up in those
restricted areas is because we need the obstacles and I am not asking the city for
funding for it. I am just saying that we don't have any obstacles here so we are
force to break the law there and when we don't want to, we have to come back
here and now it is going to be gone and this is all we have. We are just asking you
to not take this away.
Nov/Okay, thank you.
Kubby/So we will be voting on this in two weeks, correct?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 7
Nov/Yes, we are not voting tonight. We will think about it for a couple of weeks. Is there
someone else who would like to talk about this item?
Eric Neubauer/I agree with everything he was saying. We are not asking for anything that
you don't have already and that is just really the flat ground in the parking lot and I
am looking at this clock right here and right now it is 9:30 and I guarantee that the
whole back part of that parking lot, if it wasn't for this meeting, would be
completely empty. So there wouldn't be any worries of cars being hit on that one
spot where the curbs are waxed up and where there is the flat pavement that rises
above, that separates the two parking lots. We utilize that. There is not really a risk
of cars being hurt or hit right now and I don't know anybody that really skates
about this time. Usually it is much later than this where there are even less cars
there. But as you were talking about the miscommunication, like what obstacles
we need or like what we prefer. But the benches in Chauncey Swan Park,
something about that height. If there was even just one in there. Because of the
benches and the way they are made. I mean we can't even use. That is not even an
issue if we can skate there or not anymore because the benches are pushed too far
back that we can't get on them without coming off the bench and running into the
garbage can because you have bolted them down because if they were, we would
move them out and then- Well, I myself and some friends would try and put them
back when we were done. But a lot of people didn't. And then the one edge is
what does get like worn down. But I, myself, I kind of agree probably- Most
skateboarders think that that is not really that big of an issue with like the
destruction of it because it is being utilized in more ways than one. I mean if you
just had even one of those benches or even something similar to that inside the
parking ramp, we would be more than pleased. Then we would have flat land,
open space, and a couple of obstacles to work with. It is not anything that would
require any vast amount of money. And then I don't know if insurance is an issue
with you guys still. Well, as it is- I don't know how you guys cover basketball
playing in a public park or say if people are playing football in the grass or soccer.
This is no different. This is an assumed risk with everyone. I mean I am sure you
have insurance to cover that, right?
Nov/The team has insurance.
Neubauer/The team does but a public basketball like in a city park where anybody can just
come up and play basketball on the gravel.
Nov/I don't know.
Atkins/A pick-up game.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 8
Neubauer/Yeah, just like you are walking down the street and you see some friends and
go play.
Atkins/We self insure. We would self insure against any injuries (can't hear).
Norton/They are not going as fast as you guys go.
Neubauer/Yeah, exactly, but the injuries are still the same. I mean, I have read many
series and more people get hurt per year playing football or wrestling or basketball
than for skateboarding. Our injuries are just usually scrapes and bruises, not
broken bones. I mean, yeah, we can get those if we try hard enough. But-
Thornberry/You know, at the ramp we are looking at the height of the walls on the
outside walls and if you are going that fast-
Neubauer/Your board can't even hit it and fly over.
Thornberry/There is a possibility of going over that where as the basketball player
wouldn't be falling down two stories like-
Norton/You are talking about the upper level. They are only talking about the lower level.
Neubauer/This is the lower level-
Thornberry/If there is a car, they would have to go through skateboarders in order to get
to the upper level to park.
Norton/We are talking right over here on the ground.
Lehman/The lower level does not have an access to the second.
Nov/If there are 100 kinds on skateboards and you were trying to get through with your
car, you would be a little nervous. There is no question.
Neubauer/We are very polite about it when we are there. We try and stay out of your
way. I mean we are much more at risk of getting hurt with a car, us on a
skateboard against a car any day no matter how many of us there are. I mean, but
that is not even an issue between- You were taught that when you were young.
You move out of the way. That is just common sense and that would be
understood. But I don't know. That is pretty much all I have to say. I know
insurance-wise you could get it covered. There is something in California right
now being attempted. It is called a hazardous material or a hazardous sport, risk,
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 9
something like that and just declaring it, the people doing it know and then the city
knows and by that, they are covered. If you get hurt then it is our responsibility
because it is assumed risk. We know what is going on. I mean, we don't do this,
like fall and expect to have you guys pay for it.
Nov/Thank you.
Neubauer/Thanks.
Ivan Johnson Murphy/I skateboarded for about a year now and I have seen a very big-
Nov/Excuse me, would you say your name for the microphone.
Murphy/Ivan Johnson Murphy. I skateboarded for about a year now and I like to
skateboard to play around and for transportation and it is a lot easier to ride a bike
but it is a lot easier to carry around a skateboard and I would rather ride my
skateboard personally but I can't because I can't ride anywhere in town to work or
anywhere without like breaking the law. And I see bikes as a threat also. I am not
downing bikes or anything but having bikes riding on sidewalks, I have gotten hit
by bikes and it is not more a threat on a skateboard then on a bike except that you
are smaller and you aren't going as fast. I am not fighting for a skateboard park. I
do want one but there is a big controversy over that. I just want some way to get
from point A to point B on my skateboard because it is a lot faster and it is a lot
easier and I haven't been able to do that. I have had to carry it around whenever I
want to take it somewhere.
Thornberry/This does not prohibit in the RS-5 and RS-8 zones. Do you know what those
are?
Nov/He can go on the sidewalk anyplace except the CBD.
Norton/You can't get through town, that is right.
Murphy/I have been stopped by police officers riding by bike just around town sidewalks
or close to outside of town.
Nov/In the CBD you may not ride on a sidewalk on a bicycle or a skateboard. But in the
residential districts you can.
Norton/You just have to walk through town. You come to the center of town, you pick
up your skateboard and walk on the sidewalk.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 10
Murphy/How far out of bounds would be town though because I have been out riding by
the river, that far away from town and I have been stopped also.
Nov/It depends on how far north you are. I am trying to think.
Council/(All talking).
Vanderhoeff University, I am not real clear what their rule is on skateboarding on their
sidewalks.
Nov/It would really depend on which part of the river you were near.
Murphy/It is just that I have been restricted in many ways of riding my skateboard of any
place that I want to other than outside of town. There aren't many sidewalks and
out by my house which is out by the airport there is- I am not going to be able to
ride. So outside of the city area, there is no area, there is very little area to ride and
you are lucky if you can find that many. Thank you. I guess that is all I have to say.
Kevin Shannon/Good evening, I have lived here in Iowa City all of my life. I am 45 3/4
years and I enjoy the city and I have to say first of all a lot of times I do not fully
understand or fully agree with the policies that are set or rules or regulations but
we all have to kind of take it together in stride and my voice is a little crackley, I
am not use to this. First of all ifI could ask for a raise of hands how many of the
council members here are life long residents. I was always curious at home.
Norton/55 years, it that enough.
Shannon/That would be fine. Okay. You know the town from the past and how it has
carried on. Anyway, my main concern-
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 97-62 SIDE 2
Shannon/Skateboards or not so much in-line skates or roller skates of any kind, bicycles
included. I was not aware of this ordinance that was being read tonight until I
arrived here for the skateboard issue. For one of my sons, I have two of them that
likes to nag around over here at the parking ramp. I am concerned about the
banning them on the streets for bicycles. My main concern is how do you get them
from here. I ride a bike quite often.
Nov/Bikes are not banned.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 11
Shannon/According to this it says streets and alleys in the downtown business district.
Maybe I am reading it wrong. I have looked at 2-3 times.
Kubby/It says yes they are allowed in those areas because bicycles are considered a legal
vehicle in the State of Iowa and within the City of Iowa City, you can ride on any
street. And we are not going to mess with it.
Shannon/Good, I am glad I mentioned it because I was catching something wrong and
without my glasses I can't see. Anyway, ifI can address first the skateboard issue.
I think a lot of us are misled a little bit by some of the programs on television. I
always think California do this and that and the barrels where they are doing tricks
and things like a circus. I have witnessed the kids over here being very polite to the
general public and I have sat back in the back and I have kind of surveyed a few
times to see where my kids are at, to see how they are treating other people and I
was impressed and I am proud of all of them. I haven't seen 100 kids over there
but I have seen 12-15. When cars attempt to go through, they all scatter, let the
people through. They don't harass people. So if that is a concern of being
harassing over there, I know some people were intimidated by 1-2 people as a
crowd but that is not the issue on this particular one. As far as vandalism or nasty
deeds over here, ripping the tiles out of the elevator areas or whatever. I have
heard about that before, I do not believe that these guys and gals have done that. I
think there are some rowdy people, intoxicated people, people who are just bent
on going out and destructing things and I can't say that they are doing it. I can't
fully 100% say they are not. But what I have witnessed and when I have talked to
them before, they have not. So as far as that part goes, I say they are A-OK. I
can't see what was wrong with having kids on the skateboards over in that little
area over there. If we could just set aside an area. I mean they have to have some
place to go, City Park is a bit out of the way by the time you go down there. They
are not going to ride a bike and then carry a skateboard with them and then go
down there and play. The downtown area is a magnet to pull people together,
there are shops, some of these kids work in businesses downtown one or two
nights a week. It seems like you are chasing out a select group of people. Who are
we trying to attract. We are all together. Color is no barrier, their hair doesn't look
like mine. I don't insist that my kids look like me. I said you can if you want to.
Nobody wants to look like me. But anyway, I don't have a chain drive billfold. but
they are okay. It keeps them from losing it. But I like to take people for what they
are and the good people they are and I don't stereotype them/. I use to and I quit
that. The other thing is with in-line skates, there are some business people. I have
witnessed them, skate from home to downtown. What do they do now? They have
to take them off and tiptoes across the sidewalk. They should carry shoes with
them. So I can see both sides of this. No skateboards and no bicycles and no skates
of any kind on the sidewalk or in the ped mall because you have people walking. I
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 12
understand that and I do believe they do too. But we are getting back to the issues
of the skateboards here. They need a place to go and I can't see what is wrong
with over here. They are not asking for a large sum of money or any sum of
money. They just want to be kind of just over there. What better place than 1/2
block, right across the street from the Police Station. IfI was going to get in
trouble, I would go someplace else. So that is really all I have to say tonight. I am
really ill-prepared. I will try to get over my public fright. But anyway-
Nov/You are doing very well.
Shannon/Thank you for hearing me tonight and I didn't know this was coming up. You
will probably hear from a few more people, maybe a lot more in the next couple of
weeks. Thank you very much and good evening.
Nov/We will be happy to hear from people in the next couple of weeks. So just write us a
little note and I have to put in my disclaimer. We are not saying anything about the
way people look. We are just saying the pedestrians have to be safe and having
been almost hit by somebody on a bicycle and almost hit by somebody on a
skateboard as pedestrian, that is all I care about. Just safety, I don't care about
what they wear.
Shannon/I kind of worded that poorly. Please forgive me. Everybody, they do look
different. Everybody has their own way. I, myself, was injured by a car a few years
ago, laid up for a couple of months. So I am on both sides of the fence. I am a tax
payer, I have a license, I pay fuel tax and I enjoy bicycle riding. years ago in the
early 60's I did have one of the first skateboards, a homemade job offa piece of
garage siding and old skates. I don't do the tricks they do but I wasn't that agile.
Thank you very much.
Nov/Thank you for coming. Is there someone else who would like to talk to us about this
issue? Okay.
Kubby/Thank you for coming down and staying until the p.h.
Nov/Is there anyone on the council that is thinking about changing this ordinance,
amending it in anyway, in which case we should continue the p.h. Other wise we
are going to close it.
Norton/I am trying to figure a way to accommodate them.
Nov/I thought that is what I heard.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 13
Vanderhoef/I would like to accommodate them somehow.
Karr/Could we have a motion to accept correspondence first?
Nov/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Kubby to accept correspondence on this issue.
Any discussion? All in favor, please say aye- (ayes). Motion carried.
Kubby/So if you look at the sidewalks in the CBD, that is one place where the proposed
ordinance for non-motorized vehicles is more restrictive than the current
ordinance. There is really four places to look at differences..
Nov/I
am really in favor of the sidewalks in the CBD being restricted from a pedestrian
point of view, having come very close to falling down. I firmly believe in those
restrictions. However, I hear a couple of people saying they want to reconsider
parking structures and if we want to reconsider parking structures, we will
continue the p.h.
Lehman/I think we heard parking structure.
Nov/Okay, one parking structure. Okay.
Vanderhoef/That would be my intent. I guess we can do something in the way of
providing a space even if it is announced to after a certain time zone in the evening
or very early morning or something like that and if we have a real concern with
safety, somehow of posting that or a barricade situation. But separate the cars
from the skateboarders. It may not be necessary to do that.
Nov/An area or something like that. This part is okay and that part isn't.
Vanderhoef/Or restrict to a floor.
Norton/We will have to exempt Farmer's Market Night.
Vanderhoef/I am thinking later than that.
Lehman/I would like to see us get an opinion from Parking Department. I really would
like to hear your counter. Not necessarily right now but I would like to hear your
comments as to how you feel about it, how it impacts the ramp. I would like to
have Dennis Mitchell give us some idea of what it does to the city as far as liability
goes. I think we need a little bit more information before we say yeah, this is a
good idea or no it isn't. And then I suppose some sort of recommendation that
should we decide to allow that at Chauncey Swan, at what hours it would be
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 14
allowed. You know, I think it would be restricted to certain times of the day and
certain areas of the ramp. I think recommendation from parking would be rally
essential before we can make a decision at least based on some of the facts that are
involved in it.
Vanderhoef/And while we are checking that out with insurance, I would like information
of what it would amount of if we had a piece of mobile apparatus.
Norton/A hazard of some kind.
Vanderhoeff Right. For them to jump on that was theirs to jump on and then move it out
of the way. I don't know that it can be done but I am willing to ask and see what is
available.
Norton/A 20 foot fence for them to go over, right.
Kubby/The other issue still for me is the in-line skate, hockey on the top floor.
Lehman/Address that at the same time.
Norton/Me, too. The wall height there.
Vanderhoef/The wall height is a problem and the only thing that had occurred to me was
the fact that they already had a Plexiglass area in the ramp and could we design
something that would additional height up there that would not be astronomical in
price but create the safety that we need from someone going over the edge.
Thornberry/All it takes is money.
Vanderhoeff I have no idea what it would be.
Nov/We will continue the p.h. two weeks from today. Moved by Kubby, seconded by
Norton, to continue the hearing to April 22.
Kubby/By continuing it, what it means is that we are open to changing the ordinance that
is before us to accommodate some of the concerns brought up tonight and in two
weeks there will be a p.h. where people can come and talk to us again. If we make
changes, we will outline what those changes are and then we will close the p.h.
mostly likely and possibly a vote.
Nov/And we don't want to fill up too many high hopes because sometimes we continue
the p.h., we consider changes, and we don't do it.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#9 page 15
Vanderhoef/I am just speaking from my own experience over in the Chauncey Swan
Ramp. I will say I have always had courteous skateboarders there and I do
appreciate that.
Lehman/If you talk to folks who shop downtown, you won't get the same response.
Vanderhoef/I am talking just in terms of Chauncey Swan.
Lehman/They have not endeared themselves to shoppers downtown or people who use
the downtown.
Vanderhoef/I agree.
Nov/We didn't vote on the motion to continue. We need- All in favor, please say aye-
(ayes). Motion carried.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04597
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 11.
.
City of Iowa City Page It
INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR THE
ISSUANCE OF NOT TO EXCEED $11,000,000 SEWER REVENUE BONDS.
Comment: The public hearing is being held to receive public comment on
the proposed issuance of $11,000,000 Sewer Revenue Bonds. The
resolution authorizes staff to proceed on behalf of the City with the sale
of the bonds, to select a date for the sale thereof, and to take all action
necessary to permit the sale of said bonds on a basis favorable to the
City and acceptable to the City Council. A memorandum highlighting the
projects is included in Council packet.
PUBLIC HEARING
Action:
ITEM NO. 12.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Action: ///~//~_~.f. ~ ~ ~./z ~.~..~.~_~
INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR THE
ISSUANCE OF NOT TO EXCEED $8,500,000 WATER REVENUE BONDS.
Comment: The public hearing is being held to receive public comment on
the proposed issuance of 98,500,000 Water Revenue Bonds. The
resolution authorizes staff to proceed on behalf of the City with the sale
of the bonds, to select a date for the sale thereof, and to take all action
necessary to permit the sale of said bonds on a basis favorable to the
City and acceptable to the City Council. A memorandum highlighting the
projects is included in Council packet (same memorandum as that listed in
above item). ~~.~ ~.~'
PUBLIC HEARING
Action:
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Action: ~'~//~~-z~-~(~
#12b page 1
ITEM NO. 12 INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION
FOR THE ISSUANCE OF NOT TO EXCEED $8,500,000 WATER REVENUE
BONDS.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/Moved by Lehman, seconded by Thornberry, that we approve this resolution.
Discussion.
Norton/I have one question and I don't know what to do with this precisely because
Chuck isn't hear, I guess, tonight. On the pond stabilization work item which is
now showing at $4.9 million. That stared at in our plan at $445,000, that same
item. Then it grew the next life $2,983,000. Now it is up to $4,900,000. And I am
just kind of curious what is happening to the pond stabilization issue. It seems to
me it is getting a little out of hand. I don't know, Steve. I should have brought this
up earlier. I didn't notice it until I started reviewing it again.
Atkins/I am not prepared to give you the details of it. I would suspect that that is a broad
definition for a number of other projects that are supported by pond stabilization.
If for some reason you choose not to proceed with this, I can get you the details of
that. Those are general descriptions.
Kubby/Yeah, we should confirm those numbers.
Atkins/Some project costs have gone up. There were estimated in '95 and this is '97.
Norton/Yeah, but we got a revised six-phase plan and they showed for '97 $2.983- for
pond stabilization. Now I don't know what is in that.
Atkins/That is my point-
Norton/I can't get me up here about whether to bless this or not.
Atkins/Open and close the hearing is you would like but don't vote the resolution.
Don Yucuis/Dee, this is an authorization not to exceed a dollar amount. We are not going
to proceed on a bond issue for water until we have had with a meeting with the
city council and have gone over the projects in detail. That is coming up in a
meeting in the next 2-4 weeks. So, I wanted to combine the two resolutions rather
than have one tonight and then a couple of months later have another one. It was a
little more efficient, I think, in my mind to bring them both together. I understand
your questions on it.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#12b page 2
Kubby/(Can't hear).
Atkins/Also I wouldn't say the next 2-4 weeks. We have had, as a work session item, it is
really a matter of you making it a priority. It is going to take some time to step
through all of these assuming that you are going to have a lot of detailed questions.
It is really your call when you want to talk about it.
Norton/I am just concerned. It is a huge project. I know there are going to be slippage
and changes and so forth. But that is a biggie from day 1 at less than $500,000 to
know $5 million. I can't even multiply that.
Nov/We can get some more information. I suggest that we can call and check with Public
Works.
Norton/If we bless the resolution tonight, is it causing any trouble?
Nov/No.
Kubby/It is setting a path that we can change directly.
Atkins/It is an authorization for indebtedness. You will only authorize the amount of debt
that you have to incur. This just simply sets the wheels in motion. You have 3-4
other times where you are going to approve or disapprove this issue while well
into the project.
Yucuis/Dee, maybe a good example was on the last GO bond issue we sought
authorization for approximately $8 million plus. And we ended up selling only $5.2
million. So we did have the authorization to go up that high. We only had projects
totally $5.2-. So we brought it back down after we reviewed everything and we
will do the something with the water project. We are not going to see bonds most
likely until the fall.
Norton/I understand. I guess I am concerned about the pond.
Atkins/That particular project, we owe you an answer for that and I just simple don't-
Nov/I don't see any reason we have to hold up this resolution. We can hold it up on the
third vote or whenever.
Atkins/You always have sufficient time to hold it up and there is never any doubt that you
can hold something up.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#12b page 3
Norton/This is a single resolution. We don't vote in this-
Kubby/But there is a different process-
Atkins/We don't go out to sell bonds until you-
Norton/(Can't hear).
Nov/Okay, are we ready to vote? Roll call- (yes). Okay, we have approved the resolution.
This represents only a reasonably accurate trauscription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 13.
City of Iowa City
Page 12
CONVEYANCE OF A FIFTY-FOOT WIDE, ONE-HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE
FOOT LONG PARCEL OF VACATED GABLE STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY
LOCATED SOUTH OF LAKESIDE DRIVE TO FRANTZ CONSTRUCTION
CO,, INC.
Comment: On March 18, 1997, the City Council considered and passed
an ordinance vacating a fifty-foot (50') wide, one-hundred and twenty-
five foot long parcel of right-of-way known as Gable Street located south
of Lakeside Drive. Frantz Construction Co., Inc. owns the property at the
south end of the vacated parcel and is currently platting the southern area
as a large lot to accommodate a religious institution. The vacated Gable
Street parcel will be incorporated into the final plat for Mount Prospect
Addition, Part VIII, and will serve as a private drive for the religious
institution to the south. Frantz Construction has offered to purchase the
vacated right-of-way for the sum total of $280.31. All utility easements
over the parcel will be retained. After the public hearing and due Council
consideration, this resolution authorizes conveyance of the vacated
property to Frantz Construction Co., Inc.
PUBLIC HEARING
Action: _ '~_~
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 14.
City of Iowa City
Paget3
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF
COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE CORALVILLE-IOWA CITY ANIMAL
SHELTER RENOVATION OF WEST WING PROJECT. ESTABLISHING
AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING
CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING
TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
Comment: This project includes the complete interior renovation of the
Animal Shelter (1967 structure) west wing. Sixty-eight square feet of
floor space will be added, as well as air conditioning, and a new roof, hot
water radiant floor heat, glazed block kennels, employee locker & lounge,
high efficiency boiler and water heater, and high efficiency lighting. The
contracted construction cost estimate is approximately 8171,000.
Landscaping, signage, kennel equipment, storage & grooming equipment
will be contracted or purchased independent from this project. Funding
will be through General Obligation Bonds.
PUBLIC HEARING
Action:
ITEM NO. 15.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Action:
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE A'PPP~i-V~N~AAMENDING TITLE 3 (CITY
FINANCES, TAXATION AND FEES), CHAPTER 4 (SCHEDULE OF FEES,
RATES, CHARGES, BONDS, FINES AND PENALTIES) OF THE CITY
CODE, TO INCREASE THE HOURLY PARKING RATE FOR SIXTY (60)
MINUTE METERS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS (CB-10) ZONE.
(FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Comment: This action will increase the current parking rate from 8.60
per hour to 81.00 per hour on some sixty (60) minute meters located in
the CB-10 Zone. The streets affected will be: 10 block of S. Dubuque;
200 block of S. Dubuque; 10 block of S. Clinton; 10, 100, and 200
blocks of S. Linn Street; and the 100 and 200 blocks of E. Washington
Street. First consideration of this ordinance was deferred from the March
18 Council meeting,
Action: '~/~_.~2/~~/
/!
#14b page 1
ITEM NO. 14 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND
ESTIMATE OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE CORALVILLE-IOWA
CITY ANIMAL SHELTER RENOVATION OF WEST WING PROJECT,
ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID,
DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND
FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/Moved by Thornberry, seconded by Norton that we approve the resolution. Any
discussion?
Lehman/This is a terrible time to have a question about it. There is nobody here to answer
it. But I know of several buildings that have put in radiant heat in the floors and
found it was impossible to live in the building. Now I know it is very
uncomfortable for humans to have to walk on a heated floor. It really really
bothers their feet. I don't know what it does for animals. I would assume that, you
know, that we know what we are doing here.
Kubby/Part of the shelter that was renovated has radiated heat in the floor. The most
recently renovated part.
Lehman/Okay.
Norton/Why would they do it wrong?
Lehman/I don't think they would intentionally.
Norton/But unintentionally.
Vanderhoef/Mish~ mentioned that even in her-
Kubby/Right, that is was an advantage to have the warmth of the concrete floor.
Vanderhoef/That it was an advantage that it was going to help keep the animals warm.
Helling/We can pose the question just to make sure that they know what they are doing.
Nov/In those houses it may not have been concrete.
Lehman/In office buildings where it didn't work.
Nov/In concrete?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#14b page 2
Lehman/Yeah. Of course, dogs don't wear shoes. Maybe that is it.
Nov/I don't know. There are people there, too.
Thornberry/The Japanese take their shoes off when they come in.
Nov/Dal~ rt~'~ you takin~ not~ and find out about radiant h~ating problems? Thank you.
HdllngJ I will make sum they know what they are doing.
Nov/Thank you. Any other discussion? Roll call- (yes). We have approved the resolution.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#15 page 1
ITEM NO. 15 CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AMENDING TITLE 3
(CITY FINANCES, TAXATION AND FEES), CHAPTER 4 (SCHEDULE OF FEES,
RATES, CHARGES, BONDS, FINES AND PENALTIES) OF THE CITY CODE,
TO INCREASE THE HOURLY PARKING RATE FOR SIXTY (60) MINUTE
METERS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS (CB-10) ZONE. (FIRST
CONSIDERATION)
Nov/Moved by Baker, seconded by Kubby. Now, discussion.
Norton/I was moved to support it when we first discussed it on Ernie's suggestion that it
didn't make a lot of difference. I have heard a lot of static to the contrary. It
doesn't seem to me to be worth the candle the number of meters we are talking
about. The important thing to me is the change from 30 to 60 and if this raises
substantial concerns, I don't see any reason to risk it. It doesn't seem to me to be
worth that much.
Kubby/Is it possible or legal in our bookkeeping to target the money from these meters at
$1.00 for security and clean up in this area?
Atkins/I would assume, when we collect the money from the meter, we could collect it
somewhat separately and record it coming in. It would just sort of be an extra task
for the person who collects the money.
Joe Fowler/Most of this area is collected in one collection right now. We would just have
to divide out that little bit of Iowa Avenue that is included in it. The only problem
that we would have is we would have to make sure that all of our bonding
obligations were met prior to transferring this money to another obligation because
our first obligation would be our bonds.
Atkins/It can be done.
Kubby/I guess part of my thinking is that two of the biggest concerns from many of the
different groups who have talked to us about downtown issues have been security
issues and cleanliness issues and that that would be one way I would support.
Baker/Yeah, but the total amount or just the increased amount that would be collected?
Kubby/I don't know.
Norton/They didn't suggest that at all.
Kubby/No, this is not a suggestion. This is me talking. This is not a group.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#15 page 2
Norton/I think they would think that was kind of a left handed way to tax them. I don't
know. What do you think, Ernie?
Nov/I don't think the parkers are responsible for the cleanliness or for the lack of
cleanliness,
Lehman/Well, what I think I heard Joe say was whether or not we would like to use this
increase revenue for security and cleanliness, we can't do that until we get rid of
our bond obligations. Is that correct?
Kubby/No, as long as we can fulfill our bond obligations. All the money elsewhere
coming in.
Lehman/Joe, had you had any feedback on this rate?
Fowler/I have had several conversations with people that weren't in favor of it.
Lehman/Has anybody else?
Thornberry/I have had conversations with businesses that were in favor of it so that they
figured that their shoppers would pay that. You don't have to put in $1.00. You
can put in $.25. So that people might have a tendency to not park there for
extended lengths of time so that their shoppers could come and go quicker and be
able to find a parking place. You can still put in $.25 and get minutes as opposed
to putting in a whole $1.00.
Norton/What do you feel about Iowa Avenue though? Should that be included?
Thornberry/If you put in $.25 and you get a partial hour and they are an hour meter, can
you come back and put in another $.25 and get like your 1/2 hour?
Norton/It is tricky in that sense.
Thornberry/You know, you are not there for a whole hour but you are feeding the meter.
You know, I don't know. Anyway. I have had conversations both ways.
Lehman/The biggest impetus for this really came from merchants who complained about
the 1/2 hour time. They really felt that they needed- some folks needed the hour.
Norton/That I agree with.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#15 page 3
Lehman/They just couldn't get back in 1/2 hour and they got a ticket. I don't know that
the rate is nearly as important as the time.
Norton/We are not raising this rate for revenue particularly, are we? I mean that is not a
big factor, is it. It is not going to be all that different.
Kubby/No, but one of the things that we are trying to do which is partially fulfilled by our
current rate is to say to people parking is a privilege. Parking on the street is a hot
commodity and to get people to choose to go into the ramps when they are going
to be there for a longer term, it will be cheaper for them. It will really keep these
on-street parking places for-
Vanderhoef/My experience with parking that presently probably one of the greater needs
is on Iowa Avenue and on the north side of downtown which is the furthest away
from any of the parking garages and to do this ordinance and make it $1.00 an
hour in other areas and not on Iowa Avenue is not going to help our parking
problem.
Kubby/In the past people migrated to Iowa Avenue.
Vanderhoef/Even more so. Unless it is equal all over town, I do not see this as an
advantage to any of the businesses downtown.
Nov/That is my concern about this. It is just not going to work. I think we are going to
send people to the street parking on Iowa Avenue.
Norton/Let's drop it. It was an idea. We tried.
Kubby/I think people should have to pay for the privilege of driving a car. But I am
willing to buy into this argument about perception about investing in downtown
and not doing things to impede people coming downtown and the perception that
this might create of creating a barrier for people to come downtown. I am willing
to, in some senses, cave in to that argument even though I think people should
have to pay for the privilege of driving a private vehicle.
Norton/There will be a time when we have to go up probably all over. Maybe it is not
here.
Nov/We went to an hour increase I would think it would be far easier for the public to
accept than this kind of a thing. It is a $1.00 and $.50 there is just very difficult.
Kubby/You see that all over though.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#15 page 4
Nov/I don't agree with the concept.
Baker/I can't imagine this opening up spots on Iowa Avenue the people are going to
suddenly rush to.
Vanderhoeff There aren't any spots there to begin with.
Baker/This is going to force them into a different location.
Norton/I didn't think it was that big of a deal, you understand.
Baker/I remember our original discussion. We all thought it was like (can't hear).
Norton/I know but that wasn't what I heard.
Vanderhoef/There is a perception though that at $1.00 per hour, the customers on
Washington Street and Clinton Street and so forth will come in and now pay their
$.25 and run in and do an errand. And this doesn't follow with Iowa Avenue at all.
If the parking is lesser there it will definitely stay full and it isn't going to create the
turnover that we would need on Iowa Avenue to promote shopper parking on the
north side of downtown.
Baker/I thought it was to create turnover on these affected blocks.
Vanderhoef/Then we need to address the turnover all over downtown, not just in a
couple of areas.
Nov/If you had an errand on Dubuque Street between Iowa Avenue and Washington and
you could save money by parking on Iowa Avenue instead of on Dubuque Street
or Washington, I can't believe you wouldn't do it.
Vanderhoef/I agree.
Thornberry/If you could find a space.
Kubby/I think that argument really doesn't-
Council/(All talking).
Baker/You would pay the $.25 for every 15 minutes.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#15 page 5
Kubby/I am just caving into the perception argument and I am willing to say that.
Baker/(Can't hear).
Norton/Would you do it everywhere, Larry?
Vanderhoeff Would you do it on Linn Street or on Iowa Avenue, excuse me.
Baker/I don't want to think about it right now. It is just that Dee is in front of me right
now.
Norton/Maybe we ought to take it up in a larger context if we are going to think about
raising those rates.
Nov/Next year.
Norton/Another year.
Nov/I think we have done it for this year.
Lehman/The only thing is this is I really think that you need to have those meters changed
to one hour.
Kubby/We have already directed that that be done. They are just waiting for the price to
convert the meters.
Lehman/Because they can do two jobs at the same time.
Kubby/Right but we have already directed them the move to 60 minute meters. We don't
need to do anything for that to go through.
Norton/Well, let's go for the question here.
Nov/Roll call- (no, Baker-yes). We have defeated this ordinance.
Kubby/Change them meters to 60 minutes.
Nov/We had a 6-1 vote, correct? A 1-6. That is what I am trying to write correctly.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 16.
ITEM NO. 17.
97-//!
City of Iowa City
Page 14
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 9 OF THE CITY CODE OF
IOWA CITY ENTITLED "MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC," BY
AMENDING CHAPTER 3, SECTION 6C THEREIN TO EXTEND THE
SCHOOL ZONE ON BENTON STREET FROM BENTON DRIVE TO HUDSON
AVENUE. (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Comment: A request has been received from the Miller/Orchard
Neighborhood Association. The pedestrian crosswalk across Benton
Street for Roosevelt School is mid-block between Miller Avenue and
Hudson Avenue. This is outside of the designated 20 mph school zone,
and traffic is not required to slow down to 20 mph until after passing the
crosswalk. The request is to extend the school zone to Hudson Avenue
to incorporate the pedestrian crosswalk into the zone. The length of the
extended school zone is consistent with other school zones in the area.
Staff has evaluated this matter and concurs with the request.
Action:
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZING
MAYOR TO SIGN AND CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT
FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE PARK ROAD STORM SEWER PROJECT,
PHASE II.
Comment: The bid opening for this project was held April 1, 1997. The
following bids were received:
Bockenstedt Excavating, Iowa City, IA
Gee Grading, Cedar Rapids, IA
Dave Schmitt Construction, Cedar Rapids, IA
Maxwell Construction, Iowa City, IA
Tschiggfrie, Dubuque, IA
· Engineer's Estimate
963,196.00
965,774.54
968,382.85
970,905.05
977,421.00
975,000.00
Public Works and Engineering recommend award of the contract to
Bockenstedt Excavating of Iowa City, IA. Funding for this project will be
from General Obligation bonds.
Action: ~~/~~J.~d(//
April 8, 1997
ITEM NO. 18.
ITEM NO. 19.
City of Iowa City
Page15
RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY FOR PAYROLL
DEDUCTIONS BY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
Comment: The City Council considered this resolution at their March 18
meeting. The policy was amended to delete the words "health and
welfare" from item 2 and to add item 6 noting changes be made on a
yearly basis. However, the resolution failed to get the required four votes
for passage. The resolution is being placed back on the agenda at the
request of a majority of Council. Staff memorandum included in Council
packet.
Action:
ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES.
Current Vacancies.
(1)
(2)
(3)
Board of Library Trustees - Three vacancies to fill six-year terms
ending July 1, 2003. (Terms expire for Stephen Greenleaf, Philip
Hubbard, and Margaret Cox.) (3 males and 3 females currently
serve on this Board.)
Design Review Committee - One vacancy to fill a three-year term
ending July 1,2000. (Term expires for Randy Rohovit.) (4 males
and 2 females currently serve on this Commission.)
Note: Philip Reisetter's term also ends July 1, 1997, but will not
be filled. The number of members of the Design Review
Committee were to be decreased according to Resolution 96-264.
Historic Preservation Commission - Two vacancies to fill three-
year terms ending March 29, 2000; one representing the East
College Street District and one representing the College Green
District. (These are new positions on the Commission.) (3 males
and 2 females currently serve on this Commission.)
These appointments will be made at the May 20 meeting of the City
Council.
Previously-Announced Vacancies.
(1)
Animal Control Advisory Board - One vacancy to fill a three-year
term ending May 4, 2000. (Term expires for Dennis Cowles.)
(1 male and 3 females currently serve on this Board.)
(2)
Civil Service Commission - One vacancy to fill an unexpired term
ending April 1, 2000. (Susan Dulek resigned) (1 male and
1 female currently serve on this Commission.)
(3)
Historic Preservation Commission One vacancy to fill an
unexpired term ending March 29, 1999. (Sue Licht resigned)
(3 males and 2 females currently serve on this Commission.)
#18 page 1
ITEM NO. 18 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY FOR
PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS BY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
Nov/Moved by Norton, seconded by Lehman.
Baker/Just a parliamentary point. Doesn't somebody on the winning side have to move?
Norton/I was winning.
Baker/I thought you lost.
Norton/We lost only because there wasn't enough people here.
Baker/You lost.
Norton/No, 3-2.
Kubby/The City Attorney said that ifa majority want to put it on the agenda again, it
could.
Nov/This moving, Larry, that you are referring to is only on motion to reconsider. We've
have done that. The motion now is to approve.
Kubby/I will be voting against this resolution. I think that if we are going to offer our
employees the convenience of payroll deductions, which I think we should do, that
we should not discriminate. It should be an all or nothing thing and this limits the
groups to whom an employee can make that convenient decision.
Baker/
I will also be voting against this resolution. The two main objections voiced about
a proposal that would have allowed employees to use the payroll deduction system
to dedicate money to any charity were that we should keep the money in the local
hands which seems to me to be not the city's decision and second, that it would be
an administrative headache. But looking at the figures provided to us by the
Personnel Director or the Finance Director about the current deduction system, I
just can't imagine having a system whereby somebody can have a payroll
deduction for any charity they want ever being an administrative headache. So I
just think this is the wrong approach and I will vote against it.
Norton/I will be voting for it on the basis that we have been told that it is a rational policy
to restrict giving to agencies that do most of their good work in the locality or near
by and that have a reasonable handle on their administrative costs, assuming that
that is legal and provides a level playing field for everybody that meets those
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#18 page 2
conditions. Seems to me a perfectly reasonable policy. So I am certainly strongly in
favor of it.
Thornberry/I voted against this resolution last time and have since seen the error in my
ways. And I am willing to change for the betterment of the community.
Council/(All talking).
Nov/I would like to propose small change in the administrative policies which- And item
6 says employees may change their option on a yearly basis. I think the options
that the employees are presented with are not changeable but they may change at
their discretion the payroll deductions once a year.
Kubby/Their options are any organization who fulfills the other five requirements.
Nov/No, they cannot change their options. The options are the ones that we have listed as
ours. These are the options that we presented them. They may change their payroll
deductions.
Woito/Yes, okay.
Baker/Do you mean the amount?
Nov/They may change the organization or the amount of money or whatever else.
Karr/An employee may opt in and out on a yearly basis. Is that what you wish to say?
Nov/But they don't change their option, they change the procedure or whatever they are
deducting.
Woito/They fill out a new card.
Nov/That is true.
Lehman/Why couldn't we have said a new card?
Nov/Marian, you can handle that.
Karr/Got it.
Nov/Okay, are we ready?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#18 page 3
Karr/Do you want to consider that a friendly amendment?
Nov/I didn't change the focus at all. I just did a semantics kind of thing. You understand
that happens occasionally.
Karr/Just occasionally, yes. Got it.
Nov/Okay, any other discussion? Roll call- (No-Baker, Kubby; Yes.) Okay, we have
approved this resolution on a 5-2 vote, Baker and Kubby voted no.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
April 8, ~1997 City of Iowa City Page
(4)
Planning and Zoning Commission - One vacancy to fill a five-year
term ending May 1, 2002. (Term expires for Jane Jakobsen.) (3
males and 3 females currently serve on this Commission.)
These appointments will be made at the April 22 meeting of the City
Council.
ITEM NO. 20. CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.
Consider two appointments to the Housing and Community
Development Commission: One to fill an unexpired term ending
September 1, 1998 (Tim Ruxton resigned) and one to fill an unexpired
term ending September 1, 1999 (Cynthia Larson resigned). (3 males
and 4 females currently serve on this Commission.)
Consider two appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission
to fill three-year terms ending March 29, 2000 (one vacancy is for a
representative of the Woodlawn District). (Terms expire for Douglas
Russell and Ginalie Swaim.) (3 males and 2 females currently serve
on this Commission.)
ITEM NO. 21. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION.
ITEM NO. 22.
REPORT ON ITEMS FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY.
a. City Manager.
b. City Attorney.
ITEM NO. 23,
ADJOURNMENT.
~20 page 1
ITEM NO. 20 CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.
Nov/Last night we had appointments considered for the Housing and Community
Development Commission. There was only one appointment for a term ending in
1998. We have a new applicant. Do we want to add that one?
Kubby/I do. I would like to nominate Dan Cilek. I did talk with him today on the phone
and Denita Gadson for the HCDC.
Norton/Would that be for the term ending in '98?
Kubby/Dan for the short one and Denita for the long one.
Nov/Can you give me the name of the other one because I can't find it?
Kubby/It is A. Denita Gadson.
Nov/And we will appoint Denita for the term that ends in 1999. Okay.
Lehman/Second.
Nov/We also have considered two appointments to the Historic preservation Commission
at our work session. We had only one applicant, Ann Cairns, who lives in the
Woodlawn District and we would like to appoint her. Could we have a motion for
all three? Moved by Norton, seconded by Kubby, that we make these three
appointments. Is there any other discussion? All in favor, please ~ay aye- (ayes).
Appointments are approved. Also, I forgot to say last night we need a volunteer or
so for a SEATS contract committee. I will ask everybody to think about it and we
will get back to it at the end of council time.
Kubby/I want to encourage Dee Norton to seriously think of that because he is a good
number cruncher and I think that would be very useful and your attention to detail
and I appreciate that a lot. I would really love it if you did.
Baker/Is that what I hear down there, number crunching?
Nov/I was asking that everybody think about it.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 97-63 SIDE 1
Nov/Whatever you can handle with a phone call tomorrow.
Norton/I wanted to remind some of you who didn't have a chance. If you look at the
letter that Jeff' handed out last night to Lon Drake about the Friendship Shamrock
thing. I was satisfied to see that his suggestions were almost entirely constant with
the decisions that we struggled to reach and knowing his expertise, I felt better
reinforced by that.
I wanted to ask if there is any sentiment to think about moving the West Benton
Street up in our plans. It is such a disaster and I see it is scheduled for '99 and I
don't know whether we need to do that tonight but I would like to give some
attention to it. I don't know whether we can move everything up but it is really
getting-
Nov/We have moved quite a few things. Which-
Kubby/That is a huge design issue.
Norton/It is a huge project and I did not know how long it might take. I mean just talking
with neighbors would take-
Kubby/There are multiple neighborhood organizations involved pre-designing that.
Norton/I don't know when we should consider it but I just wanted to throw that out. It is
in our packet. Some attention that has been-
Atkins/I think we responded to a request for that information and I would suspect that
probably this time next year we would be starting to crank that one up because it
takes at least a year lead time.
Norton/So we ought to get it moved into '98, you mean, just to get started.
Atkins/Well, we would probably do that anyway just so we could build in '99. We need at
least a year lead time on something of that-
Norton/As long as it is getting attention pretty promptly.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 2
I wanted to know is there anything we need to do about where did that piece of
Scott Blvd. go?
Kubby/From Glasgow's letter?
Atkins/I have asked for answers on that. I recall very very vaguely that back in the late
80's that we made that decision.
Kubby/Can we get a copy of your response to him?
Atkin~/Sum
Norton/I don't know. The other one I want to mention just for the public that we have
gotten a note back from Steve regarding the status of railroad crossings and I will
send people who have been calling me, I will send them a note about a copy of that
so they can see what we are trying to do about Gilbert Street and S. Capitol in
particular.
Nov/When people tell me about railroad crossings, I tell them we are working on it. We
are trying to get it on the list for the funding.
Norton/Some of them are closer than that. There is some good news. All right, I will
forebear the other items.
Kubby/And I cut my list down, too. I don't know if it is as knubby as your or not. I have
a couple of congratulatory things. The first one is to our Fire Department who
received the Governor's Volunteer Recognition Award for their work in helping
the State Historical Society Building on Iowa Avenue when we had that big rain
last May. They saved a lot of invaluable materials and helped prevent some further
damage because of their quick actions/I wanted to congratulate them on their
recognition.
Also Environmental Advocates learned this week that they received a grant. I can't
remember where the grant is from. It is a consortium of environmental groups and
the grant was to get funding for GIS equipment and training and some software
and their intention is to look at environmentally sensitive areas and put them on the
computer map. It will be compatible with what is going on with the county and the
city and that is just going to be their focus for the GIS. It is great that a private
non-profit group is helping us with this in an area that we may not get to for
awhile because we are doing more fundamental things with our GIS, mostly likely,
at the beginning of our adventure into that system. So it is a wonderful partnership
that the public sector can benefit from.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 3
We were talking about meter feeding earlier. Since we have made a decision not to
enforce the meter feeding law, I think we should repeal it. I think we shouldn't
have a law on the books that we have said out loud we are not going to enforce
this.
Nov/I
was thinking the other way. That we really ought to enforce it because it would
seem that our $1.00 increase was to make the turn-over more rapid and it would
seem to be more logical to enforce it which would really make the turn-over more
rapid.
Baker (Can't hear).
Nov/No, I am saying instead of. I think our motive to create more turn-over was not the
right way to do it, not the right way to solve the problem. I think enforcement is a
better way to solve the problem.
Kubby/I don't think enforcing meter feeding is a positive way to get people to come
downtown. We have already agreed not to do it. I think we should repeal the law.
I would like to see if there are three other people who would like to have that.
Norton/The problem is the next thing you do is have me repeal the beer in the park.
Kubby/I am not talking about that. I am talking about this specific one so that it is really
clear to the community what are laws are.
Lehman/Well, I think with the meters for 1/2 hour, there was probably some rationale for
allowing meter feeding because it was so difficult for people to get to a store and
get their shopping done and get back within 1/2 hour. You might have to plug it
for another 1/2. Raising those meters for an hour, I guess it wouldn't bother me to
enforce meter feeding at all.
Kubby/We can pay for it. We can't with our personnel enforce meter feeding.
Lehman/We aren't going to, I am sure, do it every single hour. We don't do that in
loading zones, we don't do it in commercial loading zone, we don't do it in alleys.
We use our people as efficiently as we can and I think that a ticket now and then
for meter feeding might accomplish what we are trying to do.
Kubby/I don't think that is helpful for the heath of downtown at this point in our history.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 4
Norton/If somebody were egregious and we caught them feeding for all day long, maybe
you want to take it and have that option.
Thornberry/You say they don't enforce parking in the loading zones?
Nov/Regularly.
Lehman/I am just saying we don't have the people to enforce- Those are 15 minute
zones. You can't have somebody going by every 15 minutes chalking tires or
writing tickets. We don't have the personnel to do that. We do it, I think, we do a
pretty good job.
Thornberry/You have a loading zone out in front of your store.
Lehman/It is commercial. Did you get a ticket out there?
Thornberry/Three.
Kubby/And they are more expensive.
Thornberry/I am going to quit coming to you. You are going to have to start coming to
me.
Norton/Karen, I understand your interest in consistency. It just seems to me it might be
desirable if there is somebody that is really abusing it and you happen to get a line
on it, you would want to have that option.
Lehman/If it is somebody who works downtown, they are plugging the meter all day.
Nov/Yeah, there are those people. That is why I am really leaning towards enforcement.
Baker/Maybe we should have just never discussed it and just left it alone.
Kubby/Okay, I will be quiet at this point. It does not seem that there is- There is not
interest in repealing a law we have said we are not going to enforce and only do it
in a discriminatory manner.
Norton/We are inconsistent a lot of times.
Lehman/No, we are consistently inconsistent.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 5
Kubby/Okay, two more items. One is about correspondence about the Iowa City Care
Center and their septic tank and lagoon problem and somehow the tone of the
letter or the correspondence is that somehow we innately had an obligation to fix
septic tanks waste water problem that is not within the city limits. I don't know
that I am interested in having the rate payers move up a project and expand a
project for the amount of money that we are talking about in order to deal with
this issue. I think we need to talk about it before we-
Atkins/Just so you know, I have dealt with this issue at least for three years and you hear
from them and you don't, you hear from them and you don't. And lately we had
what you saw in the packet and I made it very clear all along that 1- They were
talking about a substantial amount of money. 2- There are intervening property
owners with respect to any kind of annexation. And 3- We were not about to
recommend it at this point. Simply there is not sufficient enough customers to
warrant that kind of expenditure. They know that. I have not heard back from
them. It has been a couple of weeks.
Kubby/So the project is beyond our CIP Seven Year Plan.
Atkins/Please don't hold me to it but I don't even recall it being on the list. It is an un-
funded list. It has to come back to you.
Nov/It is beyond our limits. We aren't even putting it on the list.
Kubby/Well, they would be talking about annexation.
Norton/It is a classic example of the concerns we have for that kind of development in the
vicinity and then they dump back on you at some point. Almost an implication that
we have responsibility to take care of it.
Kubby/Well, they have been there a long time and I do hope that the problem gets taken
care of'because it becomes a ground water quality issue and a public heath issue. It
doesn't mean that it is our responsibility to fix it. Okay. I won't worry about that
any more.
And the last thing is I want to remind everybody and invite everyone to the Pow
Wow which is happening at the UI Rec Building this Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
April 11-13. You can buy a weekend pass. It is a wonderful event. It is very
inspiring. The beadwork is incredible. The dancing is wonderful. It is a wonderful
ceremony. A recreational event. That is all I have.
Lehman/I pass.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 6
Thornberry/Let's see. The people who have called me about sidewalks on Bowery Street.
It is being addressed.
And the other questions that I have had regarding the Animal Control Ordinance,
that has been extended to later on on the 5th of May and we will be discussing
that. Will that be an open meeting?
Atkins/It is a work session and you are going to have a p.h., I understand, later on on the
20th.
Lehman/We will set the p.h.
Kubby/On the 6th for two weeks from then on the 20th.
Norton/We set the hearing on the 6th for the 22nd, wasn't it?
Thornberry/P.h. on the 20th of May for the Animal Control.
Atkins/I think at the soonest.
Karr/At the soonest. I think we want to be careful because I think you want to allow- If
there were any changes, you wanted to allow for sufficient time to have those
changes made prior to the holding of the p.h.
Thornberry/I got a feeling there will be some changes discussed.
Nov/The idea was to discuss them and approve changes on the 5th so that it could be set
for the 20th on the 6th.
Norton/I would hope that somebody if some suggestions, you would circulate your
thoughts a little early so we can kind of share them.
Thornberry/I have been getting my share of phone calls. I will start writing them down, all
of the information that people give me so that I can share it with you. Okay, that is
all I have.
Baker/Mr. Norton reduced his list down to a knuh and Karen had a smaller knub. I am
knubbless tonight. Just too tired.
Norton/Madam Mayor, I have got to come back with one. Where are we going to get a
cleaning machine?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 7
Kubby/Oh, God.
Norton/I promised to asked. Have we got anything happening?
Thornberry/We are letting the people who will be utilizing or using the equipment make
the decision.
Norton/I understand that. Are they making one?
Thornberry/Yeah, they sent it to a committee.
Atkins/No, it didn't go to the committee and I think I feel confident in saying we had a
vendor dispute that had to be dealt with and vendor disputes take a little time.
Where there were some accusations made about one vendor by another vendor.
Those had to be checked out. I think, to the best of my recollection the other day,
I think if it is not on order this week, then it will be bid next week.
Norton/Spring is coming.
Nov/We all did like the same one that Norton liked.
Arkins/Yes.
Norton/For the people that do it, I am perfectly willing to leave it to them. I just want to
be sure that something is happening.
Atkins/The vendor dispute had to be resolved or addressed.
Nov/I
watched one of our old machines one day when the workers were trying to pick up
things and I said okay, the would machine works, it picks up this and this and this.
It made a terrible noise and when I had the machine and the voice and the workers
and I are trying to talk to each other, it was impossible. We were shouting. So we
need a quieter one.
Thornberry/They are not suppose to be talking. They are suppose to be sweeping.
Nov/They were sweeping and talking at the same time. That is why we had all of this
noise. I wasn't going to tell them to stop sweeping while I talk to them. And they
were picking up a lot of bottles and things like that. Okay, back to the agenda.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 8
I had a phone call from Victoria Gilpin asking if we would like the City of Iowa
City as a major contributor in larger black print rather than in the little print at the
bottom which we had until now. This is the Friday Night Concert Series ad from
last year and I was asked about putting the City of Iowa City near the top this
year. There are extras if anybody else wants it, come and look at it.
Kubby/Why not?
Lehman/Absolutely.
Nov/It doesn't cost us anything but the same $5,000 and her comment was that $5,000 is
a major contributor. It is probably a larger contribution than the DTA and the
Press Citizen and everybody on the list.
Baker/I think we ought to get our pictures on it.
Nov/I
think we ought to at least get the name and I told her I would bring it to the city
council and see if anybody else cared. Obviously we all think it is fine to put the
name at the top. Okay.
Kubby/Is this this years?
Nov/This is from last year. This is last year and she is proposing to change it to this year
and I can give you the one with her notes on it. This is last year. I don't know who
the bands are for this year.
Our city is going to show an interesting old movie, presented by the Human Rights
Commission. It is called "Gentlemen's Agreement." It is starring Gregory Peck
and Dorothy McQuire and John Garfield. It is a 1950's story and Gregory Peck
portrays a journalist who was assigned to write a series of articles on anti-
Semitism. In order to acquire a greater understanding of the topic he decides to
pose as a Jew and it is an interesting movie about discrimination and intolerance.
Kubby/It is a great movie.
Nov/Good old movie. So, everybody is invited. The 26th, Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM
at the ICPL, Meeting Room A. There is a fi'ee movie and free popcorn and free
kosher treats in honor of Passover. No prayers.
Lehman/Pray before you come.
Nov/Okay, how about instead of praying, volunteering for the SEATS negotiations.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 9
Thornberry/I think Dee Vanderhoef has expressed her interest in doing that and I have
also.
Nov/You have, okay, and Dee has. Dee is not here but how about you, what do you
think?
Norton/I have no vested interest in SEATS. All I have been is nominated. I am inclined to
run.
Nov/We are not running. I am just saying who wants to volunteer. So far we have Steve
Atkins and Joe Fowler from the City. The County has Joe Bolcum and Steve
Lacina and I have forgotten the name of the man who is currently the Interim
SEATS Director.
Atkins/They will probably have four. We could have two council members.
Nov/We could have two council members? Okay. I think I heard Thornberry volunteer
and you are pretty sure that Vanderhoef?
Thornberry/She told me she would enjoy doing it.
Nov/Okay, should we have three? No. Okay, two?
Kubby/I really like Dee Norton, so think about it.
Nov/Well, it is the kind of thing where I really have given you thinking time. So, it is
make a decision time because I would like to report to Sally Stutsman that we
have a committee because they are really interested in getting started. They would
have started earlier but we didn't have a council meeting for three weeks and so
therefore-
Norton/I have no vested interest.
Thornberry/I don't either. If you want to do it-
Norton/I have plenty to do.
Kubby/I feel comfortable with Dee Vanderhoef and Dee Norton.
Nov/That sounds fine. We have two volunteers and we will put two council members
along with two staff members. Does that sound okay with you, Steve?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April $, 1997
F04897
#21 page 10
Atkins/I am fine. Did you pick the two?
Kubby/Dean did the Human Service thing, spread it around a little.
Atkins/Are you still thinking about it?
Nov/I thought I heard Thornberry and Vanderhoef wanted to do it.
Atkins/Fine. I just need to know because I need to arrange for a meeting with them to get
them briefed.
Thornberry/We had talked about it the last week or two.
Atkins/So it is Dean and Dee Vanderhoef and I need to arrange a briefing for you. I want
to get you briefed ahead of time, so.
Nov/You will have to worry about it.
Thornberry/I have been contacted.
Nov/I am going to stop this discussion, okay.
Thornberry/I have been contacted by the SEATS people and have been invited to ride the
SEATS bus to see what they do with them.
Atkins/I need to get you briefed on financing.
Norton/You are going to write a good hard contract, right?
Kubby/We want to make sure that we provide a quality quantity service that is needed by
our community.
Norton/And make sure I can ride.
Nov/Well, we need to re-check on that.
Kubby/The thing that happens when we do this is we really need to have council direction
to both staff and to our representatives and I want to make sure that happens so
they have direction on how to negotiate and the past that hasn't always been very
fair. So I request that we have better process in directing our negotiators.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
#21 page 11
Nov/I have somebody I thought was an interesting and eligible person to ride seats and
she is 81 years old and she had given up her car and she didn't want to walk too
far because her knees were bothering her. She had knee replacement or something
like that and she said I can take a cab. I have given up my car, I don't have to pay
insurance, I don't have to pay for gasoline. I am going to take a cab. She didn't
want to think about SEATS. Yeah, I thought it was an interesting view point.
Kubby/Anything else?
Nov/Okay.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 8, 1997
F04897
CITY OF ~OFFd CITY
City Council Meeting Schedule
and Tentative Work Session Agendas
March 21, 1997
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SPECIAL COUNCIL WORK SESSION Council Chambers
Police Policies and Procedures
Review Draft PCRB
· .'...;:' ~o'I~'.~I~2,...'.". .....· ....'..,'. .......~...: "'. ;','-*,'... '~ ....'.~-".'-","-' ....."':
...... :
.";, :J'.-', ~ l,.,~ ,,; :...~.' L.' .",'.-, ,.~.. -'L~ '..%, '., ,..:"',[:~-:..:.,: .....'-. '.... ;,'..'.'N:S: .;: ..:,....s.. ,~'; .:,',;~ ,:, ....;..' ........'., J ... '., .;' .; ",.'L ~ ,'.....;,..',:;, .,.. ~..:~'-..,..'.~ · :... [~'-Z~,~ :, :.,:,,:,. ::..
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Plum Grove Room,
AND IOWA CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION Westfield Inn
'~, J".,i; Jr~t· . " ' ' :. r , . · · · ," ' . : '~,.1'$s
7:00 p.m. REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION Council Chambers
Review Zoning Matters
FY98 Community Development Block Grant & HOME Budget Proposal
Multi-Family Residential Parking Requirements and Impact Fees
Extension of Oakdale Boulevard beteween First Avenue (Coralville) and County Road
W66 (Dubuque Street) (20)
Human Rights Ordinance Amendments (20)
Public Usb of Parking Facilities for Events (10)
Shamrock/Friendship Creek Channel Improvement Project (15)
Water Project/Telephonic Meter Reading
Iowa River Power Dam Renovation
Iowa River Corridor Trail Project (15)
Waste Pickup - 4-Plexes
Animal Control Ordinance
Graffiti Ordinance
DARE Program Review
Funding for Montgomery/Butler House
Cemetery
Consider Appointments to: Housing & Community Development Commission (2) and
Historic Preservation (2)
Council Agenda/Council Time
7:00 p.m. REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
· .J,... ,., .,, ............. .I.-_'.: . ~.' ..... ' '.. '- -. - . . ..: '--"--"., . '...'.' ¥.. ' "-'
7:00 p.m. REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION Council Chambers
Home Builder Codes
Landfill Master Plan
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Council Chambers
~;,,,..:/~ ,t:.L,, ~,. ' · · .''"' ' '" ' ' · · "' ..... ' :.-.a. ,..,.i .~ .... ...-' ..:'. k~ !,.~
':~:i~:L;~,~.,a:~:~,.~,F" ;,4,~',. ·.~. · ,~ :.·, '. ......'........' .....:;i, ..,, ...., . .'%. ......~... ,..,..-.'.,f ........',.,i ............................~ .......
7:00 p.m. REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
CITY OF IOW, J CITY
City Council Meeting Schedule
and Tentative Work Session Agendas
March 28, 1997
.." ...~...;q;,'t ,!~:!~ t =:.I. ! ,' i': !.:,~...;: ..
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SPECIAL COUNCIL WORK SESSION Counci/Chambers
Review Draft of PCRB
Discussion of Police Policies and Procedures
Discussion of Previously-Submitted Questions
Council Time
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Plum Grove Room,
AND IOWA CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION Westfield Inn
Separate Agenda Posted
b:." : ,,., ,,,'.~ .i ~,,'.!'2, ;,{.,,;. ~'.,..:]..: :.::.;:~,,,,;':. '..." .: '.'.. ::.,: [ii~. :L' .", ." .;:.;.'.L .:.'..';...;, Z,~,:.,..;" ..' 7.' d.'..' :1..;L::";,!L.:.:.; ;.~.!, :M:,:,:.'. :;,, :: ;.:,,,;,. i;:.:..; :....': :;::,,, i:::,:, :.~,!.i:b;L':": :...~.L.i:.~:;Z =i;, ;: ,~i Z :.; '..~?.[iL~f J ;::.'::~;J.i.;L::i'.?~Z: ,,: ~Z;~2V?.;'~
7:00 p.m, REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION Council Chambers
Review Zoning Matters
FY98 Community Development Block Grant & HOME Budget Proposal
Human Rights Ordinance Amendments (20)
Consider Appointments to: Housing & Community Development Commission (2) and
Historic Preservation (2)
Council Agenda/Council Time
7:00 p.m. REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 p.m.
REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Council Chambers
7:00 p.m.
REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
PENDING ITEMS
Multi-Family Residential Parking Requirements and Impact Fees
Extension of Oakdale Boulevard between First Avenue (Coralville) and County Road W66 (Dubuque Street)
Shamrock/Friendship Creek Channel Improvement Project (15)
Iowa River Power Dam Renovation/iowa River Corridor Trail Project (Burlington to Sturgis/Napoleon) (15)
Water Project Costs
Animal Control Ordinance
DARE Program Review
Home Builder Codes
Stepping-Up Project
Waste Pickup - 4-Plexes
Graffiti Ordinance
Cemetery
Sand Point Wells
Elks
(20)
City Council Meeting Schedule
and Tentative Work Session Agendas
April 4, 1997
7:00 p.m.
REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION
7:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:35 p.m.
7:50 p.m.
8:10 p.m,
8:40 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
9:20 p.m.
9:50 p.m.
10:05 p.m.
10:15 p.m.
Council Chambers
Review Zoning Matters
First Avenue Extension - ACT/Press Citizen
Shamrock/Friendship Creek Channel Improvement Project
Extension of Oakdale Boulevard between First Avenue Coralville and County
Road W66 (Dubuque Street)
FY98 Community Development Block Grant & HOME Budget Proposal
Urban Renewal Plan & TIF: Scott-Six Industrial Park
Human Rights Ordinance Amendments
Animal Control Ordinance
Charitable Contributions
Consider Appointments to: Housing & Community Development
Commission (2) and Historic Preservation (2)
Council Agenda/Council Time
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
SPECIAL COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Review Draft PCRB
Discussion of Police Policies and Procedures
Discussion of Previously-Submitted Questions
REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
Council Chambers
7:00 p.m.
REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Council Chambers
7:00 p,m. REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING Counc//Chambers
!":~' '~'";;'~i':~; ':~':~."i:'~i,'..i"' "; ....: ~":!~"'.",'"'.' '" ',:i '~i",'.'!'"~i" ':':.'.."'.':~:'i':;;~:.:;":~i';.',;.'/i:'; '~;~:!'~"'11:~," "~,",':~ i:; .'.,~";.'"""~:',':";: ~/~. .' ~"~: '. '.',.: .:,.'r'.~'=:.~?:
~:: "~ ' , '": ',:~ ~ 'i'~,. ': "":",.'" .~!' ' "' :,., ,:'i ! .:".. ' .'..:',.. ".~j' .:,,.,, ''"'.' . :'. "...'.1' ':.:.. ':. ".!i..:'":' .., '.';,/ '* ~r.,", 'i' ,~ .: "~'.'"'"~",:':'
,'..:.' '':.'~,/' ~.:'. ": '..~'',' .:':'.:~.' '' '.'." ~ i".~' ' '' '~' ., ' ': :"!' .~' .'..: '.'.'. '"';' ':.'"'. ,;~ ',.~.'.'..',i , .'' ',,'.'' ;,,~....".: ..'..! .~
7:00 p.m. REGULAR COUNCIL WORK SESSION Council Chambers
7:00 p.m.
REGULAR FORMAL COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
PENDING ITEMS
Multi-Family Residential Parking Requirements and
Impact Fees
Iowa River Power Dam Renovation/Iowa River Corridor
Trail Project (Burlington to Sturgis/Napoleon)
Water Project Costs
DARE Program Review
Home Builder Codes
Stepping-Up Project
Waste Pickup - 4-Plexes
Graffiti Ordinance
Cemetery
Sand Point Wells
Elks
Peninsula Development- Field Trip
Cultural Center/Library Project: Ballot Issue and
Operating Costs
PIN Grants
Hickory Hill West
_J