HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-01-06 Bd Comm minutes MINUTES FINAL/APPROVED
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
OCTOBER 16, 2003 - 6:30 PM
LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM
Members Present: Jerry Anthony, Lori Bears, John Deeth, Mark Edwards, Bill Greazel
Members Absent: Matthew Hayek, Jayne Sandier
Staff Present: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long
Others Present: Brendan O'Hara, Mary Milder, Tammy Spies, Jean Maties, Marybeth
Fort, Darresa Thomas, Kristie Doser, Ron Berg, Dayna Ballantyne,
Crissy Canganelli, Stephanie VanHousen, Patti Santangelo
CALL TO ORDER
Anthony carled the meeting to order at 6:45 PM.
The agenda was reordered to accommodate the individuals present to discuss item 4, review of the 2001-
2006 Consoridated Plan (CITY STEPS).
PUBLIC INPUT - REVIEW OF THE 2001-2006 CONSOLIDATED PLAN (a.k.a. CITY STEPS)
The summary of comments received can be found following the meeting minutes.
APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 18, 2003 MINUTE,C;
MOTION: Bears moved to accept the minutes as submitted. Greazel seconded the motion. All in
favor, motion passed 5-0.
PUBLIC/MEMBER DrscussION OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Bears questioned if they wiJJ receive an update on Parcel 64-1a. Hightshoe said there has been an
extension on the project due to financing issues, and they will receive an update at the next meeting.
Anthony announced the Johnson County Housing Trust Fund has been approved by the Johnson County
Board of Supervisors and is now up and running. He asked if HCDC could endorse the project. Hightshoe
said the topic could be placed on the November meeting agenda.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE 2001 - 2006 CONSOLIDATED PLAH
The commission reviewed and discussed the summaries from the CITY STEPS public meetings. Edwards
said in response to many comments, the need for neighborhood and recreational facilitJes should be
made a higher priority. Anthony agreed and suggested that the Strategic Plan, that begins on page 87,
shourd change the rating of needs for Neighborhood Facilities from medium to high. Anthony said the
needs level help to guide the commission in the ranking process when allocating funding.
MOTION: Greazel moved to recommend a change in the Consolidated Plan (CITY STEPS) in the
ranking of needs for Neighborhood Facilities from medium to high. Deeth seconded the motion.
All in favor, motion passed 5-0.
MONITORING REPORTS
· HACAP Head Start- Playground Equipment
Edwards reported the playground equipment has been purchased, but all of it has not yet been
delivered. The installation has been delayed because of the manufacturer. As installation can not bb
performed with a hard ground cover, they are hoping to receive all remaining items and have it
installed by the end of the month before it gets colder. They purchased a pool shade that was
recommended by the Department of Public Health to add shade to the play area. There are no trees
providing shade for the children in the play area. Also, a local Boy Scout Troop volunteered and
helped rearrange the play area to accommodate the new equipment.
NEW BUSINESS
· Emma Goldman Clinic- Project Request
Anthony noted the letters included in the Commission member's information packets from Karen
Kubby, Executive Director of the Emma Goldman Clinic. The first letter is in regard to the public
hearings concerning the Consolidated Plan. The letter states concerns over the rising cost of health
care insurance and how this effects residents living on lower incomes and also non-profit health care
facilities. The second letter is a request to add up to $3,000.00 for security cameras to the Emma
Goldman Clinic as part of their Accessibility, Energy Efficiency and Safety Improvements Project. The
commission reviewed and discussed the request.
MOTION: Greazel moved to approve the request for $3,000.00 to the Emma Goldman Clinic for
security cameras for their facility. Deeth seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 5-0.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Deeth moved to adjourn the meeting. Beam seconded the motion. All in favor, motion
passed 5-0.
CITY STEPS Public Meeting
Housing and Community Development Commission
Lobby Conference Room
October 16, 2003
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
In attendance: See attached sign up sheet
City staff.in attendance: Steve Long, Tracy Hightshoe
Summary of Comments Received:
Employment
· There are successful programs available for small business startups and financial literacy training that
have experienced successful outcomes. There is always a need for additional funds.
Education
· Reading literacy rates in past decade have decreased dramatically in a few local elementary schools.
Suggested school and city coordination to address barriers to education and discuss concentration
issues.
· Grantwood and Lucas will be undergoing additions in the near future. Suggest possible coordination
between the schools and City to provide a neighborhood recreational center, increased playground,
basketball courts, etc. at the schools to open up the schools to the neighborhoods - adults and
children.
Health/Mental Health Issues
· MECCA currently provides a .5 FTE at each of the high schools. The schools and the community
need increased services - prevention, counseling, programs, etc. for substance abuse issues.
· Need increased programming/counseling regarding dating violence. Suggested an integrated service
project between domestic violence and substance abuse providers. Safety and sobriety are
intertwined.
Housing
· Waiting list for Section 8 vouchers is over 15 mos. This puts pressure on many of the agencies
providing transitional and emergency shelter.
· Problem with finding landlords who accept Section 8.
· Many residents prefer to live in areas that are not saturated with subsidized housing.
· Need to build affordable housing, regardless if it is subsidized or not. Need modest homes in all areas
of town.
· Distribute subsidized housing throughout the city/metro area. Need to confront NIMBYism (not in
my backyard attitudes).
· Suggestion to use HOME funds for tenant based rental assistance.
· Shelters experiencing safety issues around shelters. Need additional security.
· 370 documented homeless children in our district. Services not available to families that are
"doubled up" as many HUD programs consider them to have permanent housing.
· Consultation of Religious Committees is working on how to provide emergency shelter for the
Shelter's overflow during the cold, winter months. DVIP turns away approx. 650 persons annually.
Of the estimated 650 persons, approximately 400 need shelter, approximately 250 need shelter who
are trying to flee domestic violence situations. Shelter House tums away approx. 3 to 25 persons each
evening. There is a concern that homeless individuals do not go to the shelters as they assume the
shelter is full. Suggestion that the City provide space for shelter between 9:30 PM to 7:30 AM
during the winter months that is staffed through volunteers from the religious community. If not
possible, maybe City could provide free bus transportation to these individuals from the Shelter to the
location providing overnight shelter.
Public Facilities/Recreation Facilities
· Need activities for older children.
· Need recreational opportunities for children in lower income neighborhoods that are nearby and do
not require h'ansportation.
Transportation
· Bus services need to be integrated with the shifts of major employers, especially for those employers
hiring youth.
· Suggest coordination between the Iowa City and Coralville bus schedules.
· A current survey of riders is necessary to improve bus schedules and services.
CITY STEPS Public Meeting
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County
Broadway Center
October 1, 2003
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
In attendance: See attached sign up sheet
City staff in attendance: Steve Long, Tracy Hightshoe
Summary of Comments Received:
Commercial
· Many residents wanted to see local businesses that were community oriented. There is a need for a
laundromat and grocery store. Many residents would utilize child friendly restaurants or
entertainment in the Broadway neighborhood.
· Suggested a petition or contacting businesses they would like to see regarding possibilities for
development in the area.
· Suggestion to provide city incentives to businesses receptive to local area concerns, businesses that
meet with neighbors to discuss neighborhood development and businesses that will hire local
employees from the neighborhoods near the business.
Education
· Transportation to after school activities offered through the school district (sports, drama, band, etc.).
· Assistance or waiver from fees for activities or events sponsored by the schools or university for
those families unable to pay.
· Welcome Center at the schools for new students. Assist with the transition and proper placement of
student in classes to help the child succeed.
· Homework assistance for children unable to pay for private tutors.
Health/Mental Health Issues
· Resource for parents with children who have behavioral or mental health problems. Where can they
go for preventative services or assistance? Recommend access to service in the area.
· Suggested a mental health counselor at the Department of Human Services for new intakes for
possible screening and assistance if needed. Many residents in assisted housing or those who face
unemployment and have difficulty finding new employment, may suffer from depression or other
mental health problems.
Housing
· Many residents expressed a difficulty in finding affordable housing or housing that will accept
Section 8 vouchers. Many residents would like to see an incentive program developed for landlords to
develop additional Section 8 units or increase the number of units available for Section 8 vouchers.
· A few residents stated they would like homeownership opportunities and/or the choice to rent a
single-family house instead of residing in a large apartment complex.
· Residents would like to encourage landlords to include child play centers with new developments or
develop housing close to parks or other safe play areas. Parents need play areas in close proximity to
their homes for younger children.
· Residents agreed that shelters are full. There is a need for increased shelter space for emergency
needs.
· Welcome center within the Housing Authority for families. A center where applicants can go for
assistance with housing, employment, etc. Possibly a brochure of services available, such as help
with resume, where the Work Force Development office is, etc.
Public Facilities/Recreation Facilities
· Many residents wanted to see increased Parks/Recreation programs or other activities for youth in the
area, especially during the hours of 5-9 PM. Many would like to see basketball courts in the
immediate area for older children and activities that included adult supervision. Residents requested
additional scholarships/passes for the Iowa City Kickers, and other youth activities such as tae kwon
do classes.
· A recurrent theme was a need for a playground area in the Broadway neighborhood.
· A few residents suggested neighborhood activities such as block parties, family nights, parades, and a
neighborhood clean up day.
· Suggestion to continue the neighborhood's partnership with Parks/Rec. but include whole family
activities such as family nights and activities for toddlers (2-5 yrs old).
· A resident requested a local person appointed to represent the neighborhood and speak on behalf of
the neighborhood. This person would take complaints, resolve problems, advocate on behalf of the
neighborhood, etc.
Public Safety
· Residents requested increased night patrols, including foot and bike patrols. Some residents believed
the police were only concerned about drug traffic and didn't take minor complaints seriously such as
enforcement of the noise ordinance.
· A few residents expressed frustration at the response time after calling the police for loud noises or
disturbances. Many believed the neighborhood would be a better place to live, especially at night if
the City enforced the noise ordinance for loud music, fireworks (not related to July 4th), etc.
· One resident indicated increased notification of sexual offenders/pedophiles, such as publication at
the local neighborhood center.
· Residents requested additional lighting, especially around Cedarwood. Residents also were
concerned about the shrubs/landscaping along Cross Park Avenue and Broadway adjacent to
Pepperwood, as many did not feel safe walking on these streets at night due to the inability to see
around or through the shrubs.
· Some residents expressed a need for increased City housing inspection in the area.
Accessibiliw
· Take into consideration access and usability for playgrounds and playground structures.
· Priority system for projects that remove barriers or take into account accessibility issues.
CITY STEPS Public Meeting
United Action for Youth
October 9, 2003
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
In attendance: See attached sign up sheet
City staff in attendance: Steve Long, Tracy Hightshoe
Summary of Comments Received:
Education
· Need additional guidance counselors, frustrated at wait time to change classes, speak to a counselor,
etc.
· No school transportation available for kids that live a distance away from school. City bus passes are
expensive for many low-income families.
· Encourage kids to participate in school sponsored after school activities. Waive fees, assist with
transportation, for families that can't afford the extra costs involved. Many believed this would
prevent problems later on or during the after school hours.
Employment
· Need job skills. Many young people do not have the skills required for many higher paying jobs.
Need job mentors, coaches, job shadowing opportunities. There are some programs, but need more.
· Suggested incentives to businesses to hire students.
· Need affordable childcare, especially childcare after 6:00 PM. Many teen moms find it cheaper to
stay at home if making $6.00 per hour, but have to pay $5.00 per hour for daycare. Title XX provides
no benefits once a person starts making a certain wage rate; no incentive to work if you go above this
limit due to a promotion or raise since you will now have to pay the full price of daycare.
Health/Mental Health Issues
· Need more counselors at the high school level -- UAY in junior highs, but not the high schools for
substance abuse, peer counseling, family problems, etc.
· Requested trained staff in building to educate, prevent, and work with students on violence, teen
dating violence, conflict resolution, etc.
· Need mental health counseling at schools other than Twain, including psychiatrists.
Housing
· Long waiting list for Section 8 - increase the PHA staff; increase number of vouchers.
· Large need for transitional housing for teens with children. Requested stable homes instead of
moving from one place to another. Homeless shelter not an appropriate place.
Recreation
· City Park Skateboard Park. Large need for restrooms. A need for a drinking fountain or vending
machines so young people do not have to cross Dubuque St. to enter Mayflower for water, pop, etc.
Concession stand operated by a non-profit like UAY to build teen employment skills, etc. a
possibility. There is also no phone for emergencies in the immediate area. Suggested lights for night
skating, since the park is busy during the day.
· Requested a basketball court in the Broadway neighborhood.
· Need fun activities for Thursday, early release day.
· Suggested speaking with the City and school district regarding possible coordination for planned
improvements at Grantwood and Lucas elementary schools. Both schools have improvements
scheduled due to the approved bond issue. Ideas included extended library/multi-media services,
family center, evening student or family programming, office to access various services offered
outside the school district, etc.
Transportation
· Recurrent theme throughout the evening. Transportation needed for school activities, access to social
services and recreation.
· To use bus service, frequently must transfer downtown. Coralville and Iowa City do not recognize
each other's passes. Connection to Coralville and North Liberty difficult, if at all. All the schedules
do not connect with each other. Some students report not gerting transfers, while others are granted
the transfer. Possibly due to discriminatory practices.
· Bus schedules do not correspond to major employer's shifts, such as MCI. Many have to walk from
downtown after 9:00 p.m. as no service available to their local neighborhood after a certain time.
· Wheels to Work great program, but huge waiting list.
FINAL/APPROVED
IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM
MINUTES
410 E. Washington St.
October 28, 2003
MEMBERS PRESENT: Paul Retish, Rick Spooner, David Short, Keri Neblett, Billie Toxvnsend, James
McCue
MEMBERS ABSENT: Lisa Beckmann, Cat Fibley
STAFF MEMBERS: Heather Shank
1. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 7:05. Retish introduced thc nexv Comm2ssioner, James
McCue. McCue moved to Io~va City in 1965. He taught in the Department of Religious Studies for 35
years and he chaired the Global Studies Program for I5 of those years. McCue retired in 2000. Although he
retired, McCue continues to teach one course a year. He has had a long standing interest in human rights.
He raised eight children in Iowa City, five of whom were adopted African American kids. Retish xvelcomed
McCue to the Commission.
2 MINUTES: Spooner moved to accept the minutes. Shorr seconded the motion. Motion: Passed
unanimously. Shorr mentioned that at the last meeting the Comn'nssion suggested Shank call the Director
of the Muslim Camp to invite him to a Commission meeting. Shank apologized and said she xvould contact
the Director in the next month.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: Shank said the Council has not yet received the revised
nzinutes and she clarified that the Council xvas not considering the ordinance at the meeting tonight. She
also stated that the current Council would consider the revisions.
4. REVISIONS: Retish reviewed the changes in the Ordinance for McCue. Retish said that the Commission
was trying to say that it was mainly interested in educating the Community about human rights and xvorking
on projects out in the community. Retish indicated that the revisions ~vould take away the comrmssion's
current responsibility of reading cases and essentially agreeing ~vith the lawyers' probable cause decisions.
Periodically a Commissioner ~vould not agree with the probable cause decision but Retish indicated that the
Comanissioner's poxvers were limited because of their lack of legal knowledge. In addition, the
Connmssioners occasionally looked at different criteria than the lawyers. Retish said that this frustrated him
a great deal so the revisions have changed the Comrmssion's role. Shank added that if the revised
Ordinance is approved the Commission's quasi-judicial role xvill move to the public hearing phase.
5. NEW BUSINESS: None
6. OLD BUSINESS:
Diabetic Banquet & Health Fair- Shank is attending this event. The Commission voted to co sponsor
the Diabetic Banquet & Health Fair at the last meeting. Eagle's Flight is sponsoring the event. Eagle's
Flight is an organization that is interested in health care issues that affect African Americans.
Night o£1000 Dinners - Spooner is attending this event which is also on November 7 at 7:00 p.m. Short
will attend if his schedule allows. This annual event raises money to remove landmines and educate people
as to the devastation caused by landmmes. Shank ordered the Commission's food contribution. It is being
dehvered by John's grocery.
Youth Awards - Shank said that she had not yet received any nominations. She took a number of
nomination forms over to Marian Coleman, the Equity Director at the ICCSD so she could send them out
to the teachers. Shank did get one call from a woman who asked whether she could nominate her own son.
Shank said that was f'me. Shank handed out some nomination forms. Short said that his daughter's school
would not accept any documents that are not approved by the district and he had not yet seen or heard
about the nomination form from his daughter. Retish, whose wife is a teacher, indicated that to his
knowledge the form had not yet been distributed to the teachers. Shank said she would follow up with
Coleman. Shank suggested that one of the Commissioners might want ro do a public service announcement
regarding the Awards. Neblett suggested getting a youth to do the pubhc service announcement.
Human Rights Breakfast - Next year's breakfast is scheduled for September 23, 2004. Retish said that it
is time to start thinking about the next keynote speaker. Retish also commended Townsend for her
suggestion of David Skorton as the key note speaker. Retish thought Skorton did a wonderful job and the
response was very positive. Retish suggested, however, that the representatives from the Pohce Department
not wear their guns to the breakfast. Shank said that she would pass Retish's suggestion on and get back to
him. Retish said that he found it "incongruous to come to a human rights breakfast wearing a weapon"
although Redsh also understands that it is legitimate but he still beheves it is out of place. Retish and
Townsend commented on how well Beckmann did at the breakfast. Retish said the committee that selected
the xvinner suggested that changes be made in the nomination form. Retish also explained that the selection
conmfittee talked about changing the nomination form so it would be clear what the Comrmssion was
looking for in the nominee. Qnite a few people were nominated simply because they did their job well. The
Commission selection commattee wanted to read nominations that set forth inforn~ation about a person that
went above and beyond their job. There is only one axvard that recognizes a person for their work xvith a
service organization but the other awards do not focus on ability to do a job well. Spooner and Townsend
who were on the selection committee agreed with Retish's explanation of what the Commission xvill look for
in nominees in the future. Shank indicated that she would send the nommation form to the selection
committee.
Building Blocks to Employment:
Redsh explained the origins of the Education Comm2ttee. The Committee works ~vith the Human Rights
Comm2ssion. There have been several joint programs. The Committee and the CornnUssion are now in the
process of teaching people certain skills in "Building Blocks to Employment." Volunteers assist people with
drafting resmnes and cover letters. In addition the volunteers engage in mock intervie~vs and help people to
fill out applications. This program has been done at Eastdale Plaza and Pheasant Ridge. Retish explained
that the Committee has been collecting information regarding whether the residents at Broadway and the
surrounding area xvant this program. It appears that the residents are very eager to participate in the
program. The program will take place in Apr/1. Another suggested idea was to have a musical program in
the parking lot of Pepperwood Square and call it "Music on Broadwqy." The contact person from Southgate
has agreed to permit the event.
McCue interjected that the Fore~gn Relations Council is going to have a program featuring the local
Sudanese Community. A Sudanese attorney will be addressing the Fore~gn Relations Council. The attorney
is Asma Taha. She is on the Education Comrmttee. McCue asked whether everyone is familiar with the
Shelter House. Shank indicated that Rita Offutt and another employee of the Shelter House are also on the
Education Committee. McCue volunteers at Shelter House two mornings a week. He sees a lot of the
families coming through. The population is now made up of low-income, African American famihes from
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Chicago. McCue said that the fatuities are moving m Broadway and Crosspark. Retish said an Education
Committee meeting was held at noon. Everyone present was trying to figure out what xvas going on in Iowa
City with regard to Broadway. There is a predommately African American presence in the area but conflicts
stem not from racism so much as the low economic status of the residents. There are quite a few people
and agencies that are concerned about the area but the perception of many is that very little happens to
address the problems. Retish said that there was a great deal of frustration in the Education Committee
participants. Refish said that we have a habit of studying a problem as opposed to xvorking on it. Retish
added that a woman who works for a specific agency indicated that the emphasis is no longer to get
consumers on the Board of Directors. Now the Board is made up of people with "poxver" and there is very
little consideration of the wishes of the consumer. People that really need to talk about their needs are
being pushed off the Boards that are there to help them.
Shank asked McCue ~vhether Cross Park accepted vouchers. He said that he hasn't heard anyttm~g about
Cross Park, but it is his understanding that vouchers are no longer going to be accepted at Cedarxvood.
Spooner indicated that being on Section 8 affects the opportUmties of people in terms of employment.
Section 8 keeps people alive but it perpetuates poverty. If a person is ~vorking, even the smallest amount of
money has to be repaid so essentially people are working for their rent. A person cannot save money to get
off of the program. There has to be an increase in the amount of money a person can make so that they can
work to be independent. Spooner stated that he did research and found that 30% to 50% of persons xvith
disabilities are unemployed. People with disabilities want to earn their own money and if hired they xvork
very hard.
Latino Institute/Latino Conference
The Latmo Institute is a daylong educational program scheduled for October 31, 2003. The Latino
Conference on Saturday is similar to the one last year. An Awards Brunch and various xvorkshops are
offered. Lazara Pittman is giving a speech on immigration.
Budget
Retish wondered ~vhether Shank's budget would be affected by any of the cuts that are required. Shank said
that she was not sure. She has requested a budget carryover so that the Commission can continue to
provide human rights education to the community but the requests have not been considered yet so she
cannot ansxver the question.
Shank also mentioned that the League of Cities has recommended the legislature vote to eliminate all of the
unfunded mandates from the Iowa Code. One of those mandates is the staffing and funding of the
Human/Civil Rights agencies. Some actions have already been taken to limit enforcement by local agencies
in Sioux City, Des Moines and Cedar Falls. Retish mentioned that one of the City Council candidates ~vas in
favor of removing all of the comXmssions. Short wondered about the Iowa Civil Rights Commassion.
According to Corlis Moody, Director of the Civil Rights Commission, she spoke ~vith some of the
legislators and they thought there ~vas duplication of efforts between the Ioxva Civil Rights Commission and
the local Comrmssions. She explained that the cases are cross filed but only one agency conducts the
investigation. Short asked about the individual state comnnssioners, especially the one that is local. Shank
said that she would contact Dave Leshtz and ask him if he would come and speak to the Comrmssion.
McCue said that people might ask ~vhether people ~vould prefer a new pohceman or a human rights
commission. Retish indicated that this might be a powerful argument for some people. Short said that even
if the Comn'Ussion xvas safe in Iowa City, the destruction of the human rights structure is a crisis. Shank
said there is another Iowa Civil Rights meeting to discuss this on November 6. Short volunteered to
participate in the conference call on that day.
7. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS:
Keri Neblett: As a part of listening posts Neblett went to the UAY GLBT Questioning & Allies program.
Neb]ett said there was a xvonderful response from the ten youth that were present. There were also two
adult volunteers and one adult staff. For the first 10 minutes Neblett told the kids about the Human Rights
Cornmassion. After that the kids told Neblett of their experiences in the ICCSD and in Iowa City generally.
The kids talked non-stop and she had to cut them off at the end of the session. The two issues mentioned
the most xvere sexual orientation and race discrimination. The kids spoke of being offended by the
statement, "that's so gay." One student said that at the beginrfing of the year the principal said that he
would not allow the "that's so gay" statement to be used. In the student's classroom, however, the phrase is
being used and the teacher doesn't do anything. Response to bullying varies significanfly between the
teachers. Some teachers take action and other teachers do not respond at all. Monday when Neblett went
to UAY there was an incident at one of the high schools xvhere someone in the classroom said, "oh you arc
such a faggot." In response, the teacher said, "Oh there is something going on there" and then proceeded
~vith the lesson. At a junior high a kid had to switch her locker because of all of the derogatory and-lesbian
graffiti. Another girl stated that she had the Midas touch. She is one of the only "out" students in the
school and she has been subjected to derogatory comments regarding her sexual orientation. Students that
dared to become her friend were similarly harassed. The anti gay and lesbian graffiti on the bathroom walls
remains on the walls longer than other graffiti. One student received a call from the mother of one of her
friends. The mother asked the student not to be friends with her daughter. Also, it has been very difficult
for the student Gay Student Alliance group started at one of the high schools. They were told that they
could not hang posters that advertised their group or the function they were planning. Other students took
their efforts as a joke. They finally got it the group started through. Other groups were able to develop
much more quickly. There xvas a male student who described being assaulted on school property.
Allegedly somebody said, "Move out of the way faggot." The student turned around and was punched in
the stomach. The next day he was scared to go to school but did anyway. That day the student xvas hit in
the face from behind. He ended up switching to the Alternative School. A lesbian student reported that her
friends do not knoxv that she is a lesbian. One time she was in the car with her male friends and one of
them said, "There's a fag, let's go jump him." Another said, "Let's go hit fags with baseball bats for fun."
This devastated her.
In the last ten minutes of the meeting, Neblett asked how the Commission could help. Many of the teens
said that they believe that some of the teachers do not intervene because they do not know xvhat to say.
The teens suggested engaging in some instruction on what to say when this behavior occurs. The teens
suggested role playing. They would like to see "same sex relationships" discussed in the curriculum. The
topic is rarely touched on and it is only when a student brings it up
In terms of the race, there was an African American student sitting in the library and someone came up to
her and told her to take her Black ass back to Chicago or where ever she came from. The librarian xvas
sitting there and didn't do anything about it. This happened at City High. The same gift was complaining
because she is on the drill team that is segregated by race. The Caucasian girls are the cheerleaders and porn
porn girls and they are generally and from a higher socio-economic background. The drill team is composed
of students from a lower socio-economic background. The school's administration is allegedly trying to
shut down the drill team. The drill team is not funded. They do not get to participate in the football games.
The drill team is pretty much shut out of things. The participants have to buy their own uniforms where as
the ICCSD pays for the uniforms for the cheerleaders and the porn porn girls. The dr/II team has been told
that the ICCSD is going to shut down the drill team because people feel uncomfortable trying out xvith their
team. The Caucasion students say they feel threatened by the drill team but no one says anything about it
being intimidating for the Black girls to tryout for the other groups. The Black students reported bcing
followed around by the admimstrafion at one of the kigh schools. The Black kids are having their lockers
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searched for drugs when in fact it is the Caucasian students that are the b~ggest offenders. No one looks at
the Caucasian kids as students that might have a drag problem. The gay students would like to have an
assembly to address some of these issues. An assembly usually occurs easily if it is related to sports but they
do not occur for these issues. They also suggest an environmental survey so the administration will know
what they are going through.
Retish wants the Commission to consider showing and sponsoring the video, "Bang, Bang, You're Dca&"
It is about school violence and the pressure on kids to engage in violence instead of other means of conflict
resolutions. Retish said he ~vould love educators to see the video and he added that the students in his class
thought the video was good. He thinks children and adults that work with children should see the video.
Retish has talked to the Riverside theatre about kids putting on the play. The script is available on the
Intemet.
Spooner said that it is hard for teachers to support anything that is not curriculum related. The teachers are
very over-worked and they cannot discipline students without the parents getting all upset. Shank said that
this is not discipline so much as catching the behavior and having a conversation regarding how destructive
the behavior is. Short said that the ICCSD has an obhgation to provide a safe environment for ail of the
students. Short said that students should go into the schools and feel like they are O.K. notwithstanding
race or sexual orientation. Neblitt said that the student that switched schools is very happy now. McCue
said that the Cornn'nssion has an educational responsibility. The ICCD is legally obligated, as is the
Commission to provide education. McCue said that a student was sent to the hospital last xveek as a result
of being attacked at one of the junior highs by another student. The student had complained to several
teachers about the way he was being treated prior to being seriously injured.
Shank indicated that she gave a speech to persons at the College of Education and her topic ~vas bullying.
Shank urged the students to protect the kids. Retish said that these are strange times. The teachers are
overwhelmed by the "No Child Left Behind" program. Retish said that he has been working ~vith the Iowa
State Extension program and the Director of that program wants to work with the Commission to set up
programs to educate the teachers or other folks that need education in this area.
Townsend: Townsend reported an event that she found on Human Rights web site. The article that
Toxvnsend shared with the Comrmssioners was about a woman presenting a program on "Making Iowa City
A Human Rights Com2~unity." Shank said that it is occurring on November 6 and the xvoman is Shulanfith
Koenig who is from Israel and the keynote speaker at this year's International Day. Dorothy Paul ~vho is a
member of the Education Comrmttee put this program together. Shank scheduled the room.
Townsend said that she was watching Ex-President Clinton and Ex-Senator Dole last evening. They xvere at
the Kennedy Center talking about a program they xvere putting together while Clinton was still in office.
They are going to give money to children in underprivileged countries. The only contingency to receiving
this message is that the money can only be used if the children are sent to school. The kids get one good
meal a day at school. Short interjected that George McGovern has been involved ~vith this program.
Schools that feed children really draw kids into the schools. According to Townsend, the statistics are
amazing and there are actually two McGoverns involved. Shorr said the food helps the kids to maintain
energy and helps them learn. To~vnsend said that she saw the program on television last night at 10:00 p.m.
Townsend asked Shank to ask Leshtz for information on the program for new parents that Dean started in
Vermont. The program includes parenting classes and mentoring for new parents.
8. STATUS OF CASES: Things are going smoothly-.
9. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Townsend and seconded by Spooner at 8:42 p.m.
MINUTES APPROVED
IOWA CITY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
NOVEMBER 12, 2003- 5:00 PM
EMMA J. HARVAT HALL - IOWA CITY CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mike Paul, Vince Maurer, Eric Gidal, Dennis Keitel
MEMBERS ABSENT: Carol Alexander
STAFF PRESENT: Robert Miklo, Sarah Holecek
OTHERS PRESENT: Dave Brost, Lynn Bailey, Andrew Hall
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Mike Paul called the meeting to order at 5:03 PM.
ROLL CALL.
Paul, Gidal, Maurer and Keitel present.
CONSIDERATION OF THE OCTOBER 8, 2003 BOARD MINUTES
MOTION: Maurer moved to approve the October 8, 2003 minutes as submitted. Gidal seconded the
motion. Motion carried 4-0.
Chairperson Paul read the Opening Statement of the Board of Adjustment.
SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS
EXC03 - 00014 Public Hearing regarding an application submitted by Dwight Dobberstein for a special
exception to reduce the side yard from 5 feet to 2 feet for property located in the Neighborhood
Conservation (RNC-12) zone located at 318 N. Linn.
Miklo reported the applicant wishes to build an addition to a single-family residence. The addition would
square off the rear of the house. A portion of the existing house already extends into the south side yard,
reducing it from five feet to two feet as a legal nonconformity. The reduced side yard abuts an alley.
Miklo stated that staff believes that the specific standards for a yard modification have been met. He said
this exception qualifies as a unique situation as the lot size is extremely small, 2,800 square feet, and is
located in a zone where the minimum lot size is 5,000 square feet. A lot of this size does not leave the
applicant with many options for additions to the house.
Miklo said if the applicant were to set the proposed addition back another 3 feet from the south (rear)
property line, it would require a break in the roofline and would be out of character with the original design
of the house. Because this home is located within an area being studied by the Historic Preservation
Commission for designation as a National Historic District, it is important for any addition be compatible
with the original design of the house. Therefore, in order to maintain the roofline and keep the character
of the historic architecture of the house, the exception would be preferable to strict compliance with the
code.
Miklo stated that staff feels the interest of justice would be served by granting the side yard reduction. The
reduction is minor. Because the side yard in question abuts an alley, there will no negative effect on the
adjacent building. Additionally, the proposed addition requiring the side yard reduction is the best
alternative in maintaining the historical characteristics of the existing house.
Miklo reported that in staff's opinion the general standards, which should be considered by the Board,
have been met. He said the proposed special exception would net be detrimental to or endanger public
health, safety, comfort or welfare. In addition, he said it would not be injurious to the use and enjoyment
of other property in the immediate vicinity and would not substantially diminish or impair property values
Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes
November 12, 2003
Page 2
in the neighborhood. Miklo also said the proposed exception would be consistent with the Comprehensive
Plan.
Miklo stated that staff recommends EXC03-00014, an application for a special exception to reduce the
required side yard setback from 5 feet to 2 feet for an addition to a single-family home located at 318
North Linn Street, be approved subject to historical preservation staff approval of any addition to the
home.
In response to a question from Gidal, Miklo said the historical preservation staff approval is due to the fact
that one of the justifications for the reduction is to allow the house to be added onto in a manner
consistent with its current architecture. The applicant has submitted a plan showing this is his intent.
However, the property could be sold in the future and the new owner could use the special exception and
not be sympathetic to the character of the house. This condition would prevent this from happening.
In response to a clarification from Holecek, Miklo confirmed that the house is not currently in a zone that
requires review from the Historical Preservation Commission.
Public Hearing Opened
There was none.
Public Hearing Closed
MOTION: Keitel moved to approve EXC03-00014, an application for a special exception to reduce
the required side setback from five feet to two feet for an addition to a single-family home located
at 318 North Linn Street, approved subject to historical preservation staff approval of any addition
to the home. Gidal seconded the motion.
Keitel said he was voting in favor of the application because all requirements have been met; it would not
impede access to the alley because the addition will not extend beyond the existing house which is
already 2 feet from the property line, and it is a unique situation given the narrow width of the lot.
Gidal said he was in favor because of the unique situation, the proximity to the alley, and the interest of
historical preservation all seem to warrant granting this exception.
Maurer stated he would also vote to approve.
Paul said he would vote to approve for the reasons previously stated. The home abuts an alley and it
would not be detrimental to any neighbors. Also, because of the district in which the home is located and
the owner is trying to comply with potential future historical preservation, and it is consistent with the City
Comprehensive plan.
The motion was approved on a vote of 4-0.
Paul stated that any person desiring to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days
after this decision is filed with the City Clerk's office.
EXC03-00015 Public Hearing regarding an application submitted by University View Partners for a
special exception to reduce the required front setback from 15 feet to 5 feet for an apartment building in
the Central Business District (CB-2) Zone at 512 S. Dubuque Street.
Miklo reported the applicant wishes to construct a 12-unit apartment building on this property. They wish
to construct the building within 5 feet of the Dubuque Street property line, allowing the building to cover
more of the lot and leave more space for a parking area at the back of the lot. It will also make the
building placement consistent with the three existing buildings on this block. The property is currently
zoned Central business Service (CB-2). A rezoning to Planned High Density Residential Multi-Family
(PRM) and a sensitive Areas Overlay rezoning are currently pending before the City Council.
Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes
November 12, 2003
Page 3
Miklo stated that staff believes that the specific standards for a yard reduction have been met because it
is a unique situation in that it is the only building on this block face which will be required to have a
setback greater than 5 feet.
Miklo stated the applicant could build a smaller building and have a 15-foot setback from the property line
but this would result in a building placement inconsistent with the other properties on the block. Also, a
smaller building would result in fewer units being built in an area close to downtown and the University
Campus where the Comprehensive Plan encourages high-density development.
Miklo reported that in Staff's opinion the general standards, which should be considered by the Board,
have been met. He said the proposed special exception would not be injurious to the use and enjoyment
of other property in the immediate vicinity and would not substantially diminish or impair property values
in the neighborhood. Also, the proposed use will be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
Miklo said one intention of the front yard requirements is to create a consistent building pattern along a
street. Although the reduction is substantial, it would allow the construction of a building consistent with
the character of the neighborhood and street. Also, the building would be consistent with the goals of the
Comprehensive Plan of encouraging high-density residential development in this zone.
Miklo stated that staff recommends EXC03- 00015, an application for a special exception to reduce the
required front setback from 15 feet to 5 feet for an apartment building at 512 S. Dubuque Street, be
approved.
In response to a question from Keitel, Miklo said the 15-foot setback requirement is based on a PRM
Zone. The CB-2 Zone setback is zero. The applicant is seeking to build under the PRM Zone
requirements. The current status of the rezoning is pending but all indications are that it will be approved.
Public Hearinq Opened
There was none.
Public Hearinq Closed
MOTION: Maurer moved that EXC03-00015, an application for a special exception to reduce the
required setback from 15 feet to 5 feet for an apartment at 512 S. Dubuque Street, be approved,
Keitel seconded the motion,
Maurer said he was in favor because it would not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property
as it would fit in with the pattern on the street. The exception would not diminish property values in the
neighborhood, and might even enhance the values. The proposed use would also be consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan.
Gidal stated he would vote in favor because of the consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. He also
said that if we are encouraging high-density residential developing in the neighborhood, this goes along
with that goal.
Paul said was in favor due to fact of the change in zoning and the consistency with the Comprehensive
Plan. Also, the appearance of conformity that we try to maintain along a streetscape applies to the unique
situation, practical difficulty and set back review standards. It is a substantial setback reduction but the
consistency factor will help the neighborhood, and it will not cause a great increase in population or use of
municipal utilities.
Keitel said he would also vote in favor.
The motion was approved on a vote of 4-0.
Paul stated that any person desiring to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days
after this decision is filed with the City Clerk's office.
Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes
November 12, 2003
Page 4
EXC03-00016 Public Hearing regarding an application submitted by Davis Brost for a special exception
to allow construction of a religious institution, a Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a reduction of
the front yard from 65 feet to 50 feet in the Low Density Single-Family (RS-5) Zone at 570 Dublin Drive.
Miklo reported the applicant is requesting a special exception to allow the construction of a religious
institution, associated parking lots, and a reduction of the required front yard from 64 feet to 50 feet to
allow the church to be built closer to the street. The request for the yard reduction was suggested by staff
as a means of making the proposed church building more prominent on the site and thereby toning down
the appearance of the parking areas. The applicant has also requested that the special exception be
granted for a period of two years rather than six months.
Miklo stated the property is zoned Low Density Single-Family (RS-5) and the zoning ordinance does
contain a provision allowing religious institutions in this area to be approved by special exception if certain
conditions are met as well the general special exception conditions.
Miklo said that the staff's believes that the specific standards have been met as the property is located on
Dublin Drive, which is a collector street. Melrose Avenue, which is an arterial street, is located about 1000
feet to the north. In addition, religious institutions in the RS-5 Zone are required to have a minimum lot
acre of 40,000 square feet, or just under one acre. This property is 4.47 acres.
Miklo also said the applicant, on staffs advice, is requesting that the front yard set back be reduced from
64 feet required for a 32-foot high building to 50 feet. This proposed reduction in the front yard set back
would bring the church building to the front of the beginning of the parking areas and help conceal them
from the street and future homes in the area. If a special exception is granted for the front yard reduction,
the spe. cific requirements for a religious institution in the RS-5 Zone will be met. If the special exception
for the yard reduction is not granted, the special exception for the church may be granted provided that
the building is set back 64 feet from the Dublin Drive property line.
Miklo reported that in staff's opinion the general standards, which should be considered by the Board,
have been met. The specific proposed exception would not be detrimental to or endanger the public
health, safety, comfort, or general welfare. The specific proposed exception will not be injurious to the use
and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair
proper~y values in the neighborhood. The establishment of the specific proposed exception will not
impede the normal and ordedy development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses
permitted in the zone in which such property is located. Adequate measures have been or will be taken to
provide egress or ingress designed so as to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. Except for the
specific regulations and standards applicable to the exception being considered, the proposed exception,
in all other aspects, conforms to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is to be
located. The proposed use will be consistent with the short-range Comprehensive Plan.
Miklo stated there are currently not any homes on the west side of Dublin Drive but there will eventually
be up to nine single-family homes between where the traffic will enter and exit the church and Melrose
Avenue. Miklo said the proposed church would be adjacent to West High School and Melrose Meadows,
an elderly housing development.
Miklo said that in staff's opinion, a church in this location would not alter the character of the
neighborhood provided that the effects of the large parking lots are minimized. The zoning ordinance
requires 128 parking spaces for a religious institution of this size. The applicant is proposing 244 spaces.
The applicant has indicated that many of the proposed parking spaces will only be needed a few times
per year when large meetings will be held at the church. The applicant has proposed to use "Geolink" turf
stone for the additional 71 parking spaces. This would allow the extra parking area to have the
appearance of a lawn rather than a paved area. The staff has recommended that the 71 spaces be
landbanked and only installed if the church is able to demonstrate that they are needed on a regular
basis.
Miklo stated the Zoning ordinance requires additional landscape screening, such as a hedge 3 to 4 feet in
height, along the west parking spaces to screen them from residential lots west of Dublin Drive. The plan
shows landscaping along the north and south sides of the parking areas. Staff also recommends the
landscape peninsulas located in the parking areas contain more ornamental tees to further enhance the
parking areas and make them more compatible with a residential neighborhood.
Iowa City Board of A~ustment Minutes
November12,2003
Page 5
Miklo also noted the subdivision legal papers for Galway Hills require that the developer install a sidewalk
between Dublin Drive and West High School. This walkway will need to be built before a building permit is
issued for the church.
Miklo stated that the staff recommends that EXC03-00016, an application for a special exception to allow
construction of a religious institution, a Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a reduction of the front
yard from 65 feet to 50 feet in the Low-Density Single-Family Zone at 570 Dublin Drive be approved
subject to the 71 spaces in the northern parking area being landbanked and installed only upon evidence
to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning that the spaces are necessary to provide for the needs of
the church, general compliance with the site plan, provision of a landscape hedge to screen the parking
areas from adjacent residential uses and trees being added to the landscape peninsulas within the
parking areas. Staff also recommends that the term of the special exception be for a period of 2 yea?s.
In response to a question from Gidal, Miklo stated the church property would abut the West High School
property. There will be a sidewalk on the northern part of the church property that would provide direct
pedestrian access to West High School.
In response to a question from Keitel, Miklo said the 1.03-acre parcel where the sidewalk will be
constructed is currently in sales discussion with Melrose Meadows Retirement Community and they may
be purchasing this property. This parcel is a part of the storm water detention area and the City Engineers
have reviewed and determined the existing storm water facilities are adequate to serve the proposed
church building and parking lot.
Miklo said in response to a question from Paul that the areas around the landbanked area could be
maintained as a grassy lawn. The evidence required for the Director of Planning to approve additional
parking would come from the church in that they could prove the current parking is full during Sunday
services and they could be determined through photos and site visits.
Gidal questioned if the Church anticipates any problems with West High students parking in the church
lot. Miklo said he was unsure, but Paul said West High has recently added more parking, and parking
does not seem to be an issue right now.
Public Hearinq Open
Dave Brost from Brost Architects was present to address the Board.
Keitel asked Brost if the 159.8 feet area behind the rear of the building is being reserved for future
expansion. Brost said that it is his understanding that this is a full building and would not be expanded.
Brost explained the site plan as presented to the Board. He said the plan shows 244 parking spaces, with
71 of the spaces being on the Geolink block. The use of the Geolink block was suggested to the applicant
and is viewed as somewhat of a compromise for the Church. The Church would prefer this area be
paved, as they believe the parking spaces will be needed. Brost also said they are in agreement with all
of the City's recommendations except for the issue of additional parking.
Brost noted the occupancy and exiting plan for the church. The proposed church would be approximately
25,000 square feet and would become a "Stake Center" for the Eastern Iowa area. Brost explained that a
"Stake Center" encompasses several churches throughout Eastern Iowa and it was originally stated that
there would be meetings held there twice a year. He said this use was understated. The parking as
figured was based on the occupancy load for the largest room in the building, which is like a gym, but
would actually be used for additional seating as it adjoins the chapel area. Because all of these areas
could be used simultaneously, there could be over 1200 people occupying this space at one time and
more than twice a year. This would require that at least 203 parking spaces based on the city requirement
of one space per 6 occupants.
Lynn Bailey, the Area Real Estate Manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was
present to address the Board. Mr. Bailey is from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes
November 12, 2003
Page 6
Bailey stated his intent in being present at the meeting was to convey to the Board the purpose of the
proposed building. He said the church would have two Stake Conferences per year, two General
Conferences per year, education week programs, and special training programs several times per year.
They also have Fireside Meetings at the church as well as sports and drama events, and an agreement
with the Red Cross for the church to be used as an emergency disaster shelter. Any of these uses would
require the need for the proposed additional parking. In addition, Bailey said in order to get full use of the
building, they structure their Sunday services for three separate congregations. The services for the
congregation's overlap a bit and each congregation can have as many as 600 people attending, which
would also trigger the need for the additional parking.
Bailey addressed the idea of using on street parking as a possible solution for the parking issue. He said
this idea greatly concerns him as safety is an issue and it is a concern for the neighborhood, as they want
to be good neighbors and not congest the area. Also, in the winter it could be illegal to park on street due
to snow removal needs.
Bailey said the use of the Geolink in the additional church parking area could pose a safety issue as the
grass that grow between the blocks can be wet and slippery. Also, snow removal in the Geolink area
would be difficult. He said the proposed compromise of using the Geolink was not their suggestion and
would prefer not to use it, they would like to pave the parking area. In addition, Bailey said they probably
would not use all of the parking initially but in a few years they can see where they would need the
additional parking on a regular basis. From an economics standpoint, it would be more advantageous to
put in the parking now rather than wait and have to redesign the area.
Bailey stated the idea of sharing parking with a High School, a reciprocal easement agreement, has
proven to be problematic for the church in the past. They are difficult to manage, difficult to maintain, and
it is difficult to determine who will carry the liability.
Bailey referred to a handout, North American Meeting House Core Feature Requirements, which is a
template used by the Church for information in constructing their churches. Bailey said they construct
these buildings in a cookie cutter fashion, and they have learned how to build them in the most efficient
way. This building can house approximately 1480 people at one time if all areas are utilized, and they
have determined that the parking required for a building such as this is 230 spaces minimum and 280
maximum.
Bailey concluded by saying they are concerned about safety and liability issues. They want to be good
neighbors, making sure they don't create problems for the neighborhood. They are willing to do
landscaping, fencing and what ever is needed to maintain the integrity of the property. Also, the rendering
of the building shows that it is attractive and fits well into the neighborhood. Bailey thanked the Board for
their time and asked if they had any questions.
Keitel asked Bailey to confirm that what he wants is to have the entire parking area paved and to not use
the proposed Geolink product. Bailey said he would like to have the 244 spaces paved as indicated on
the site plan.
Andrew Hall introduced himself to the Board. He is an Iowa City resident and the local Stake President.
He said all clergy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are volunteers. In the five years that
Hall has lived in Iowa City, he said they have added 2 congregations and they anticipate a fifth
congregation being added within the next two years. Their current building on Bradford Drive will not
accommodate this many congregations and they will need the new building. The parking at the Bradford
location is currently a problem with overflow parking on the street. Given this growth, Hall said they
anticipate having 3 large congregations in the proposed new building. This equates to approximately 150
cars parking at the building on any given Sunday. Also, the new building will be very convenient for the
church youth population that go to West High School, as they attend an early morning religious education
program at the church. Hall concluded by saying he believes the Church will continue to have growth and
the paving of all the parking spots would serve the best interest of the Church members. He also said that
he appreciated the opportunity to address the Board on this issue.
Paul asked if anyone had information about the Geolink product. Brost explained that the system is
similar to a block retaining wall in that the blocks are locked together on the ground, the voids are filled
with dirt and grass seed is then planted.
Iowa ¢i~ Board of A~ustment Minutes
November12,2003
Page 7
Chris Stephan from MMS Consultants addressed the Board. He said that they proposed the Geolink in
the parking spaces and not the drives because of the steeper grades of the driveways. He said they were
afraid that the wet or frozen grass would not be conducive for driving and were afraid it would create
problems if the Geolink were used in the aisles or drives.
Maurer questioned the set back issue. He said there seems to be plenty of space to have the whole site
plan and keep the required 65-foot set back. Miklo responded that this was a staff recommendation. He
said they reasoned that if the building was closer to the street, the parking lot would seem less obtrusive
and the intent was to tone down the whole parking area. Brost agreed with the Miklo and said the 50-foot
set back would be adequate.
Paul questioned the parking and landbanking issue. He said the representatives from the church seem
confident that they will need all 244 parking spaces but asked if the area were to be landbanked, would
this deter them from going forward with the project. Bailey responded that it would not totally deter them
but would but a crimp in their plan because they are concerned with not having to go back and redesign
the area.
Miklo added that they had asked the church to consider installing landscaping peninsulas to help soften
the appearance a large parking lot in a residentiar area. If the Board were inclined to approve the area as
paved parking, they would recommend at least two additional peninsulas for trees in this area.
Public Hearinq Closed
MOTION: Keitel moved to approve EC03-00016 an application for a special exception to allow
construction of a religious institution, a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and a
reduction of the front yard from 65 feet to 50 feet in the Low-Density Single-Family Zone at 570
Dublin Drive including the proposed 244 paved parking spaces; general compliance of the site
plan; a provision of a landscape hedge to screen the parking areas from adjacent residential uses;
subject to staff approval of the placement of 2 or more additional landscape peninsulas within the
parking areas with trees being added to the landscape peninsulas; subject to the installation of a
sidewalk between Dublin Drive and West High School; and the term of the special exception be for
a period of 2 years. Gidal seconded the motion.
Keitel said he would vote in favor of the motion. He said the representatives from the chumh have
adequately demonstrated that they will need the additional parking and the site supports the additional
parking.
Paul said he would vote in favor. He said they met the specific standards regarding special exceptions for
religious institutions in that it is located on a collector street with access to an arterial street, and minimum
lot requirements are met. General Standards for this item are met in that it will not be detrimental or
endanger the public health, safety and comfort as stated in the staff report. It will not be injurious to the
use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair
property values in the neighborhood. It will also not impede the normal and orderly development and
improvement of the surrounding property. It will not significantly alter the character of the neighborhood
provided that the effects as laid out will minimize the parking. The ingress or egress issues are addressed
with the two driveways on Dublin Drive. It conforms to the applicable standards or regulations of the zone
and additional landscaping is being provided to screen the parking areas. It complies with the dimensional
and parking requirements for religious institutions in the RS-5 Zone, and is consistent with the short-range
Comprehensive Plan.
Gidal said he would vote in favor for all the previous mentioned reasons and given the nature of the
surrounding properties and their use. In addition, there has not been any opposition from anyone who
lives near the area and this additional parking does not seem to be a problem. They have met the
General and Specific requirements and also the ambitions of the Comprehensive Plan.
Maurer said he would vote in favor for the previously mentioned reasons.
'The motion was approved on a vote of 4-0.
Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes
November 12, 2003
Page 8
Paul stated that any person desiring to appeal this decision to a court of record may do so within 30 days
after this decision is filed with the City Clerk's office.
OTHER
Miklo said they need to schedule a farewell luncheon for departing Board members and a luncheon to
welcome new Board members. The Board agreed to wait until December to schedule a date.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Maurer moved to adjourn the meeting. Keitel seconded the motion. All in favor, the
motion was approved 4-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:12 PM.
Board Chairperson
Board Secretary
Minutes respectfully submitted by Jennifer Sherlock
data on citynt/pcdlminuteslboalboal 1-12-03.doc
APPROVED
MINUTES(PRIVATE }
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 12, 2003
MEMBERS PRESENT: Kevin Boyd, Craig Gustaveson, Judith Klink, Matt Pacha, Al Stroh,
Sarah Walz, John Westefeld
MEMBERS ABSENT: Margaret Loomer, Nancy Ostrognai
STAFF PRESENT: Mike Moran, Terry Robinson, Terry Trueblood
GUESTS: John Nolan; Julie Shebek and Kevin Hanes, U.S. Cellular; Laura
and Rick Walton, Barb Goff
FORMAL ACTION TAKEN
Moved by Westefeld, seconded by Boyd, to approve the October 8, 2003 minutes as
written. Unanimous.
Moved by Stroh, seconded by Westefeld, to not endorse the proposal submitted by U.S.
Cellular to install a telecommunication tower in City Park. AYES: Boyd, Klink, Stroh, Walz,
Westefeld. NAYS: Gustaveson, Pacha. The motion passed, with a vote of 5-2.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION
John Nolan addressed the Commission concerning what he considered the "wanton cutting down
and destruction of City trees", in particular a sugar maple tree that was taken down on the
southeast corner of Summit and Burlington. He planted the tree approximately three years ago in
the public right-of-way. He stated when he discovered that the tree had been removed, he
contacted the City's Forestry Division to ascertain why. He stated he received a letter setting out
the reasons, which he took issue with. One reason given was that "the future of the tree was in
doubt due to the fact that it was not in good condition, and would have to be extensively pruned by
MidAmerican Energy to keep it a safe distance from the overhead wires." Nolan stated the tree
was in good condition and felt the pruning issue was bogus, referring to trees planted under high
power lines along College Street Park. He noted in this case there is one wire that runs to one
streetlight. Another reason was "the tree was planted in the public right-of-way without a permit."
He felt 90 percent of the trees in the City were planted without a permit because they are much
older than the City's ordinance. Nolan stated if this is a good reason for cutting down a good
hardwood tree, then the ordinance should be changed.
Nolan stated he would like to see something done to protect the trees and the people who live in
the area. He provided a proposal to amend the current ordinance to prevent a similar situation
occurring. He proposed that before the destruction of any tree the City should post a notice for 30
days at the site, giving people an opportunity to object and come before some board. The notice
should also include the specific reasons for the destruction and removal. Nolan stated the
ordinance as written gives the City authority to destroy a tree if it adversely affects public safety
and property. He felt the tree destroyed did neither, and this was an illegal act. He stated the only
valid reason he could reflect on that would justify the tree's destruction is that the City is getting a
Parks and Recreation Commission
November 12, 2003
Page 2 of 7
"kickback". He asked the Commission to seriously consider changing the current ordinance.
Pacha stated the Commission would take it under advisement. He stated that as a long-time
member and chair of the Commission he took offense at the totally unwarranted mention of
impropriety and kickbacks. Nolan stated it was an extreme statement, but it was the only reason
he could think of to cut down the tree. Pacha felt the correspondence (which included several
letters to Mr. Nolan) explained in detail why the tree was cut down. He noted Nolan probably
should have been notified before the tree's removal, but the result would have been the same,
with the exception that Mr. Nolan would have had to pay the costs. Trueblood noted the trees
along College Green Park were planted prior to the ordinance. There are huge trees that were
planted before the ordinance, which are breaking up sidewalks and having to be pruned severely
so as not to interfere with power lines, street lights, etc. The ordinance was adopted to help
prevent these situations.
U.S. CELLULAR REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT TOWER
Julie Shebek and Kevin Hains representing U.S. Cellular addressed the Commission with respect
to locating a slim pole telecommunication tower in City Park. An information packet was
provided, which included examples of different slim pole tower designs in different Jocations of the
park. They were seeking the Commission's approval and recommendation to City Council.
Shebek indicated the tower could be 80 to 100 feet in height, depending on its location, and the
accompanying building would be camouflaged to blend in with its surroundings. She indicated
they have a real problem with coverage and trying to meet the customers' demand in the Iowa
City area. In terms of revenue, the City would receive $10,200 per year, typically under a 25-year
lease. Pacha asked if the lease would include a 5-year review option; Shebek indicated it would.
Pacha asked if they had conducted an official site survey; Shebek indicated they did not want to
take on the cost of a survey until they determined if there was support.
Klink asked how many towers they currently have in Iowa City; Shebek indicated the FCC licenses
7 different providers and she did not know the total number. Westefeld asked why this location;
Shebek indicated they are trying to take care of the needs in this area, noting there is poor
coverage due to the amount of students on campus. Klink asked if they had any towers on
University property; Shebek indicated they did not, but have been working with them. Stroh stated
he could speak for the University, noting the only way he felt the University would get involved is if
they would own the system and phones. He stated in this case, this is not the Commission's
business; its business is the natural world and protection of it. He felt the City could find other
ways to make money off City resources. He noted the Iowa State Bank building looks like NASA
incarnate because it has been degraded by the equipment on top of it. Shebek stated that more
and more studies indicate people are getting away from landlines, and she was not approaching
the Commission with a moneymaking business. Stroh noted his concern that the Parks and
Recreation Department might not realize the revenue.
Pacha asked about the building and the need for fencing. Shebek noted the fencing would
depend if there is a City ordinance requiring it or if somebody could climb the pole. They are
proposing a wooden slim pole that would blend in with the trees, and they would make the building
aesthetically pleasing. Shebek noted the importance of citizens having reliable emergency
service, such as a 911 call, if they are relying on a cell phone. Approximately 80 percent of
Parks and Recreation Commission
November 12, 2003
Page 3 of 7
University students have cell phones. Gustaveson asked the size of the building; Hains noted it
would most likely be a concrete aggregate 12' x 20' building. Gustaveson asked how much input
the Commission would have on the appearance of the building; Hains noted 100 percent.
Boyd stated if it was possible to make money from this venture that he wouId be interested in
pursuing it. He stated his concern was that this was one specific proposal and once one request
is approved more are likely to follow. He felt the proposal was acceptable if the City strictly
controls the appearance of the equipment/building and sets forth a general policy. Gustaveson
agreed, noting it was a great opportunity to obtain income. He also noted his fear and one
objection would be that this would be opening up a door and setting a precedent. Stroh stated it
would be difficult to stop others once you sell out. Boyd stated this is why there is a need to set
up a larger policy, which would give the City control. Stroh asked if the City has looked into such
a policy; Trueblood noted the City has determined cell phone towers on City property is a
legitimate business use, but he was unsure as to whether or not a specific policy has been
adopted.
Westefeld stated there were some reasons to do it, but more not. He agreed money is an issue,
but the concept of a cell tower in City Park, not only for seeing the structure even if camouflaged,
sends a message to the community about parks. He indicated he had trouble reconciling putting
a tower in City Park, and felt there would be a number of people in the community who would be
opposed to it. Walz felt the department would never see the money, and was opposed to putting
a cell tower in this type of park where a portion of it is very natural. She also agreed there would
be a lot of citizen objections. Stroh felt it aesthetically and philosophically wrong to put a cell tower
in a natural area and could not endorse the proposal. Pacha indicated he would vote in favor of it,
whether or not in this economic climate. Various things could be done such as sharing the
building for storage or as an electrical source. He also felt there would be a tremendous public
outcry, noting he was involved when Regina was approached with a similar request. He stated he
still would vote in favor of the proposal, and would put stipulations on it as to how the money
would be funneled. Gustaveson agreed this would be a great opportunity to obtain additional
revenue for park improvements. He also felt there would be a public outcry to putting a cell tower
in a City park. Klink stated she was against the proposal, noting it is the Commission's
responsibility to protect natural areas as much as they are capable of doing. Gustaveson stated
he would feel differently if there were no light poles currently in City Park (i.e., tennis courts and
ball fields). He asked if it would be possible to attach the cell tower to an existing utility pole in the
park. Hains stated it might be possible if the pole is high enough and structurally sound. Klink
noted the utility poles are not above the tree line. Hains added the cell tower would blend in and
be aesthetically pleasing. Hains stated the real issue goes back to reliable emergency service to
the residents of Iowa City who rely on cell phones. Boyd indicated he would vote with the majority
on this issue, feeling it important to have a unified position and sending a unified message to the
City Council. Westefeld stated he would still vote against it, noting the majority vote would not
determine how he would vote. Walz noted approval of this request would open a can of worms,
with the possibility of other cell phone providers approaching the Commission every other month.
Stroh stated the need for a citywide policy, noting there are locations where a cell tower would be
acceptable if done in an orderly fashion. Trueblood stated he would determine if such a City
policy exists. Moved by Stroh, seconded by Westefeld, to not endorse the proposal
Parks and Recreation Commission
November 12, 2003
Page 4 of 7
submitted by U.S. Cellular to locate a telecommunication tower in City Park. AYES: Boyd,
Klink, Stroh, Walz, Westefeld. NAYS: Gustaveson, Pacha. The motion passed, with a vote
of 5-2.
Trueblood asked if the Commission wants to convey to the City Council that they do not support
cell phone towers in any City park. He noted this is the second proposal received, and asked if
future ones are received if he should convey that the Commission has established a
policy/philosophy that they do not want telecommunication towers in City parks. Walz expressed
concern that some will respond to money and will not be thinking about the land issue. She stated
the issue is just as much how to deal with this as an issue, noting this is not just one pole in one
park. Various Commission members noted there might be park sites that would be acceptable.
Pacha indicated he would like the Commission to be involved if a proposal affects a park. Stroh
noted a citywide policy would make a difference
TRAIL CONNECTION BETVVEEN WATERWORKS PRAIRIE PARK AND PENINSULA AREA
Richard Walton addressed the Commission on behalf of the Bicyclists of Iowa City requesting that
a trail link-up be funded and completed between Foster Road and the trails in Waterworks Prairie
Park. He noted he has seen a proposal for a connector trail from the park via under passing the
Interstate next to the river. They would like to have access to Waterworks Prairie Park by a new
trail along North Dubuque, connecting to Oakdale and to North Liberty. This trail would give
access to miles and miles of trails on the north side. The area of North Dubuque between the
Butler Bridge and Taft Speedway is extremely dangerous, particularly dose to the overpass.
There are frequently non-resident bicyclists that ride into Iowa City on this route not knowing the
read situation. He noted the project is listed as one of the Commission's top 10 CIP priorities.
Trueblood noted with the Waterworks Prairie Park open there have been discussions at the City's
CIP meetings about moving this trail project forward. Boyd noted that the Iowa City/Coralville joint
project to improve the Iowa River Power Dam Bridge would also increase the demand for the last
portion of this trail. Stroh agreed this is a significant link. Trueblood stated the City would like to
put the trail as dose as possible to the river, but it might be advisable to locate it on higher ground.
The City has a waterline easement in this area, but it does not own the land. Gustaveson stated
in light of the development and increased usage, the Commission should reprioritize the
department's cip projects. He agreed north Dubuque has been a hazard for years for bicyclists
and pedestrians, but the problem is the estimated project cost of $1,200,000 and budget
constraints. Boyd stated City Council is pushing to fund other projects, noting bonds would be
involved with this project. He noted his frustration at the 25% level the City Council adheres to
when it could go up to 75%. Walton asked if the project cost was due to extending the trail onto
the peninsula area or the shortest route to Foster Road. Trueblood stated that he thought the
estimate was for the longer distance to the peninsula, but going under 1-80 will also be a costly
component. He stated he would take this information back to the CIP committee. Trueblood
indicated when organizations such as the Bicyclists of Iowa City back a project, it lends credibility
to moving it up on the list. Walz stated it should be a higher priority, that the more people the City
gets out to the Waterworks Prairie Park the more likely it will bring additional money to develop
the park itself.
FY05 OPERATING BUDGET AND FEES
Parks and Recreation Commission
November 12, 2003
Page 5 of 7
Trueblood reported the budget has been submitted to the City Manager, and the review session is
scheduled for Friday. He stated the Recreation Division's fee proposal would be submitted to the
Commission next month. He noted it might be more difficult to reach the 40% self-supporting goal
due to FY03 revenues being substantially down. The jury is still out on the affects of not mailing
brochure. Also, Coralville and North Liberty will both be opening new pools. Gustaveson asked
why revenues are down; Trueblood indicated he would have a report next month. He noted
expenses are also down, but not enough to cover the "40% rule." Trueblood asked if the
Commission wanted to reprioritize the CIP projects or choose 1 or 2 top projects to focus on.
Gustaveson felt the Commission's top 10 priorities should be reviewed. Stroh felt the timing of the
master plan would be a big help; Pacha agreed that until the master plan is completed it is difficult
to effectively prioritize the projects. Boyd felt it would be helpful to determine the top three
projects. Walz stated all are great projects, but when an organization is backing a project it would
be nice to bump it up on the list. Klink noted the Waterworks Prairie Park to Peninsula Park
Connector Trail project and asked if it was possible to get funding from another source due to the
safety problems involved. Trueblood stated it might be eligible for STP funding; there might also
be Federal Trails grant funds available. Stroh stated the safety issue is a product of previous City
actions - they create desirable entities and they have an obligation to correct them. Pacha asked
the Commission to be prepared next month to discuss their top 3 CIP projects. Trueblood stated
he would update the costs and mail it to members prior to next month's meeting. Walz stated the
Waterworks Prairie Park's prairie can be done in parts. Stroh agreed the Commission should also
identify projects that can be phased.
COMMISSION TIME
Klink referred to the Clear Creek Greenspace Plan that Coralville's Parks and Recreation
Department developed. She will make it available for members to review.
Westefeld expressed appreciation to staff and those involved in planning this year's park tour. He
found it very worthwhile event, which also afforded an opportunity to get to know Commission and
Council members better.
Stroh asked the next step with regard to John Nolan's request for an ordinance change.
Trueblood indicated he would furnish it to the City Attorney's office for their input. Stroh stated he
walked through Hickory Hill Park and commended City staff for its efforts and work with the trail
system.
Walz indicated she also enjoyed the park tour. She noted that she and Klink have been working
with staff and Russ Bennett on a volunteer event to seed approximately 2.33 acres at the
Waterworks Prairie Park on Saturday, December 6. An announcement was sent, a lot of people
are interested in participating, and Commission members are welcome to join the group. She
reported Pheasants Forever contributed $2,000 towards the prairie seeding, and two other groups
have expressed interest in contributing also. Trueblood noted the Four Seasons Garden Club
also donated $1,000.
CHAIR'S REPORT
Pacha reported Margaret Loomer has been reappointed to the Commission and the other opening
Parks and Recreation Commission
November 12, 2003
Page 6 of 7
will be readvertised. The deadline to apply is December 17.
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Trueblood repoded on the following:
Sand Prairie Area. Several lots have been relocated to create more green space, and the
developer has agreed to include a trail connection to Wetherby Park.
Parks & Recreation Master Plan. This will be discussed at the budget review session on Friday,
November 14.
Homeless Shelter Proposal. There is nothing new to report at this time; Commission will be
actively involved if this proposal moves forward.
Iowa City School District. They will be applying for community development block grants to
construct a larger gym at Grant Wood School. They are looking for partnerships, such as the City
and neighborhood centers. Staff informed them they did not feel the City ceuld look at
programming the facility on a self-suppoding basis. The capital expense would not be a big
problem, but the operating expense would.
Parks and Recreation Commission
November 12, 2003
Page 7 of 7
Doq Park Update. The group is excited about the site at the landfill, and staff will be meeting with
them again. The site is currently leased to a farmer for another two years, and the group may
have to consider buying out the lease. Staff anticipates they will approach the City for funding at
some point in the future.
Recreation Division Reqistrations. Some of the program supervisors are noticing a decline in
enrollments this fall, and on-line fall registration figures are disappointing. The decline may be
attributable to the fact that the division's activity brochure is no longer mailed to all Iowa City
residents. On-line registration represented 8.1% of the total fall registration as compared to 6.5%
of the total summer registration. Staff will continue to monitor
Aouatics Supervisor. Staff will be interviewing three candidates for the position and hope to
have the person on board by the first of the year.
Budqet Cutbacks. The department owes one more position to budget cutbacks, which may be
met by attrition. A park maintenance worker is likely retiring the end of March. Staff feels it may
not be able to afford losing a park maintenance worker, and will look at the possibilities of moving
staff around.
Miller/Orchard Park. Marcia Klingaman, Neighborhood Services Coordinator, has been
contacting residents to set up an initial planning session for hopefully early December. Boyd
indicated he would like the Commission to be notified of this date.
Next Month's Meetinq. The annual holiday meeting will be held at next month. This will also be
the last meeting for Al Stroh.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.
Approved
MINUTES
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 13, 2003- 7:00 P.M.
EMMA HARVAT HALL - CIVIC CENTER
MEMBERS PRESENT: Richard Car[son, James Enloe, Michael Gunn, Michael Maharry, Mark McCallum,
Jim Ponto, Amy Smothers, Paul Sueppel, Tim Weitzel
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Shelley McCafferty
OTHERS PRESENT: Maggie Elliott
CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Maharry called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA:
Enloe asked what the end result was of the Commission's denial of a certificate of appropriateness for the
project at 1129 East College Street. McCaffer[y said the vinyl will be removed and will be replaced with an
appropriate substitute.
SCHEDULE ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING:
The Commission's annual planning meeting was scheduled for Saturday, December 13, at noon.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:
1316 Center Street.
McCafferty said this is an application for sash replacements with Pella replacement windows. She said
the window is a wood window that is metal clad on the exterior. McCafferty said the muntin/grills with the
divided lights will look the same. She said this meets the qualifications of the guidelines.
Carlson asked Elliott why she is replacing the sashes. Elliott said she is replacing all of them except one.
She said she is replacing them because the windows are old and drafty and can't be cleaned. Carlson
asked if they could be repaired in any way. EIliott said she did not look into having them repaired.
McCafferty said this involves replacing the sashes, not the entire windows. She said it is a retrofit so that
the jamb remains in place and the trim is not disturbed; only the sash is removed.
MOTION: Sueppel moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the sash replacements at
1316 Center Street. McCallum seconded the motion.
Carlson stated that the guidelines recommend preserving an existing window by repairing sashes and
frames. He said that unless there is a compelling reason for replacing the original sashes, he would vote
against this.
McCallum said he would vote in favor of this motion but suggested that the owner look at Marvin
combination screen and storm windows as a possibility, because they are energy efficient and also
maintain the old look.
McCafferty said she also has a lot of information on storm windows. She said the literature suggests that
replacement windows have a better initial performance. McCaffer[y stated, however, that eventually the
thermal value of new windows decreases over time as the argon leaks out. By the time windows have
paid for themselves through reduced energy costs, they no longer perform better than the old windows.
Therefore, replacement windows are not necessarily more cost effective then window rehabilitation and
new wood storm windows.
Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
November 13, 2003
Page 2
Elliott added that the storm windows currently on the house are not original to the house. She said the
storm windows are cheap metal. EIliott said she was interested in the Pella windows, because they are
clad on the outside.
Weitzel said that since the replacement sashes will result in the same look as before, he would vote in
favor of this motion. He agreed with Carlson, however, that whenever possible, sashes should be
retained. Weitzel said that since there is nothing in the guidelines to prohibit this, he would vote in favor.
Enloe agreed with Weitzel that while it would be preferable not to change the sashes, the guidelines don't
prohibit it, so he would also vote in favor.
Carlson said that prohibited items are things the Commission absolutely cannot approve, whereas
recommended things are items the Commission has leeway on. He said he would therefore vote against
this.
Gunn stated that the Commission used to try to get windows repaired and replaced more in keeping with
the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. He said that has constantly been under attack for years. Gunn
said the Commission often times voted to allow replacement, even though the Secretary of the Interior
Standards would discourage it, if the replacements were paintable and looked like the original. He said he
would vote in favor of the motion to keep up with the pressure of the times. Gunn said if the Commission
denies replacement windows of good quality that look like the originals, the Commission may be fighting
battles constantly for not much gain.
The motion carried on a vote of 8-1~ with Carlson votin.q no.
IOWA CITY HISTORIC PRESERVATION HANDBOOK REVISIONS:
McCafferty said the Legal Department is currently determining whether the Handbook should be adopted
by ordinance or whether it can be adopted by resolution. She said that if it can be adopted by resolution, it
would only take one meeting of the City Council, as opposed to the four or five meetings required to adopt
it by ordinance.
McCafferty said the guidelines were originally adopted by resolution. She said that there is a clause in the
ordinance adopting conservation districts that also adopts the district guidelines for that particular district.
McCafferty said there is some question of whether the Handbook should then be adopted by ordinance or
resolution. She said that Karin Franklin's opinion is that the Handbook should be adopted by resolution,
since the Handbook is intended to be administrative guidelines and not strict law.
Enloe asked if the difference between passing a resolution versus an ordinance is to leave the
Commission some flexibility on a case by case basis or if it merely makes the Commission vulnerable to
appeals and challenges. McCafferty said that as long as the Commission continues to use the guidelines
in its decision-making and is conscious of not being arbitrary and capricious, the resolution works fine.
She said that still, according to ordinance, the Commission has the authority to approve or disapprove.
McCafferty said the original intention, by not having this be ordinance, is to give the Commission some
flexibility for those unique cases that don't fit the guidelines.
McCafferty said one of the concerns of City Council is dealing with economic hardship and establishing
economic incentives to deal with those issues. Maharry said it is good that the City Council is interested in
these issues, especially in a time of decreasing budgets.
Sueppel asked if there is money available at the current time. McCafferty said there are some potential
sources and said she would be doing more research into those sources.
Gunn said the Commission has also talked for years about having a demolition by neglect ordinance, in
conjunction with economic hardship. McCafferty said that, in terms of the Code rewrite, the Commission
can add a demolition by neglect ordinance, and HiS is very supportive of that. She said the issue of
economic hardship is much more subjective, but the City Council would like to have the Commission look
at the issue. McCafferty said that economic hardship standards would be difficult to meet in Iowa City
because of the high property values. She said she would get more information on this for the
Commission.
Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
November 13, 2003
Page 3
Gunn said that if an economic hardship and demolition by neglect ordinance would allow the Commission
to, in essence, say what has to be done to the property because an owner is not doing it, it could be
rather expensive, and an owner might not have the means to do it. He said if there is not an economic
hardship clause, the Commission could be left with having to enforce something that is impossible for the
owner to afford.
Enloe asked if that is ever the Commission's purview: to make someone repair a house he is living in.
Gunn said it is not currently, but if there is a demolition by neglect ordinance, it would almost have to
become that. Enloe asked if that would be the Commission that would mandate rehabilitation or repairs.
Gunn said he did not know and asked how the proposed ordinance is written.
McCafferty said that if a certificate of appropriateness is denied, then the economic hardship clause
comes into play. She said the applicant can apply for a certificate of economic hardship, where there is
essentially negotiation with the Historic Preservation Commission to either: 1) come up with economic
incentives to make up the difference for what the owner cannot afford, or 2) come up with a compromise
that is a less expensive alternative to what is actually required by the guidelines.
Sueppel said this will affect the second part of the area the Commission is planning to do on the north
side. He said there are a lot of elderly people there who would not have the money to fix their properties
according to the guidelines, although they might be able to do some less expensive things.
McCafferty said one program to look at is the Targeted Area Rehabilitation Program (TARP). She said
that currently 40% of the historic and conservation districts fall within the TARP areas, although
Goosetown does not. McCafferty said the areas selected for the TARP were based upon financial need
and the condition of the buildings, and Goosetown fell lower on the list in terms of those criteria. She said
the TARP is a City-funded program and does not involve federal funds; therefore there are not issues with
lead abatement and HUD.
McCafferty said HIS would be the enforcement body for demolition by neglect. She said that an HiS
investigation could be requested by the Commission or anyone else.
Maharry said many people are under the mistaken impression that historic preservation costs
substantially more money, but it does not. He said the houses in Goosetown are not large, so the projects
in Goosetown would not be large.
Sueppel said there are some people in Goosetown living on limited incomes who he would have a
problem forcing into these issues. Weitzel said it is important to discuss, if there is an issue of building
maintenance versus letting the building fall down, having it maintained in a way that is appropriate to
historic preservation, and the owner can get his economic hardship. Weitzel said the idea of demolition by
neglect is another issue. He said there are buildings that have essentially gotten to the point where they
had to be condemned because they were not maintained, and they were not even historic buildings.
McCafferty said the Commission needs more research on this issue, e.g. how to take advantage of TARP
or other funding. She said the City Council did not expect this to be done before the Handbook is sent on,
but City Council would like to see it be a Commission priority.
Enloe said he feels the Commission really needs to include both options: the economic hardship
consideration and providing economic incentives. He said the Commission can never count on the
availability of funds for the future, so there has to be another option of negotiating with flexibility.
MOTION: Sueppel moved to approve recommendation of the Iowa City Historic Preservation
Handbook, as amended, to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Enloe seconded the motion.
Regarding the Handbook, Carlson asked if establishing a process of appeal on the classification of a
property is appropriate for a Handbook. He said he is concerned about how the process would work and
who would do the re-evaluation. The consensus of the Commission was to change the first sentence on
page seven to read, "If a property owner feels that a property has been incorrectly classified, the owner
may submit a letter to the Preservation Planner requesting that the property be re-evaluated, and the
Commission will further investigate the classification of the property."
Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
November 13, 2003
Page 4
Gunn asked if the Commission claims the right anywhere else to change the status of a property. He said
there are currently 1,194 properties in the districts, and there may be a few mistakes. Gunn asked if the
Commission can revisit the properties as needed.
McCafferty said she has discussed this with the Legal Department. She said that in the future when a
district is adopted, the ordinance map should not show property classifications. McCafferty said once the
Handbook is adopted, in the future all of the property classifications will be done by resolution and added
to the Handbook. She said perhaps the current district ordinance should be repealed and then re-
adopted, but she said she would get more information about the best course of action from the Legal
Department.
Enloe asked how the owner will know the status of his property if it is not noted on the maps. McCafferty
said it would be listed on the maps distributed to owners but not on the actual ordinance document. Gunn
said it would be part of the Handbook but not part of the ordinance.
Gunn said the Commission would like to avoid going through a resolution every time it believes that the
status of a property should be amended. Enloe said that would knock it down two steps from having to go
through an ordinance to having to go through a resolution to just giving the Commission the power to
change a status by its own internal vote. McCafferty said she has communicated to the legal staff that the
Commission needs the flexibility to do that without going through a long, drawn-out process, and these
are some of the issues the Legal Department is working on.
The consensus of the Commission was to add a second sentence to the paragraph under "Contributing
and Noncontributing Properties" on page six to read, "Over time, the Historic Preservation Commission
may review and modify the status of any given property in a district as appropriate."
AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION: Sueppel moved to amend the motion to include the
sentences, "If a property owner feels that a property has been incorrectly classified, the owner
may submit a letter to the Preservation Planner requesting that the property be re-evaluated, and
the Commission will further investigate the classification of the property" and "Over time, the
Historic Preservation Commission may review and modify the status of any given property in a
district as appropriate" on pages seven and six respectively, as discussed. Enloe seconded the
amendment. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0.
GOOSETOWN CONSERVATION DISTRICT:
Maharry noted that the map will be corrected, as will the address list. McCafferty asked for assistance in
going through the lists, verifying addresses, classifying properties, and correcting the map. Maharry said
he did walk through the district at one point. McCafferty said she would go through Maharry's notes and
get them up to date. She said the Commission will want to make certain the data is thoroughly reviewed.
McCafferty added that at the time of Maharry's review, the Commission was not classifying any properties
as non-historic.
Gunn said he has looked at putting together guidelines for Goosetown. He stated that it gets simpler to
write guidelines with each additional district.
Gunn said the only things really necessary to spell out to be consistent with other district guidelines are to
specify the styles, the building facades, the size, and the height and mass. He said he did not find
Colonial Revival, Prairie School, Period Revival cottages, or Eclectic in the Goosetown Area. Gunn said
he did find Italianate, Queen Anne, Craftsman, Craftsman Bungalow, American Foursquare, and
Vernacular. He said he is fairly comfortable with these styles as predominant styles, although he would be
fine with someone else reviewing the information.
McCafferty recommended setting January as a goal to hold the first neighborhood meeting.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: OCTOBER 23, 2003.
Carlson stated that on page ten, the results of the vote on the motion to approve recommendation of the
Handbook should be 8-0 and should indicate that he abstained from voting. Carlson said he also had
typographical corrections to submit.
Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
November 13, 2003
Page 5
MOTION: Weitzel moved to approve the minutes of the October 23, 2003 Historic Preservation
Commission meeting, as amended. Sueppel seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0.
ADJQURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte
data on cit yntJpcd/minut e s~h pc/h pc11-13-03.doc
MINUTES Approved/Final
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2003
MEMBERS PRESENT: Lori Benz, Jay Honohan, Betty Kelly, Allan
Monsanto, Charity Rowley, and Deb Schoenfelder
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Michelle Buhman, Linda Kopping, Julie Seal and
Assistant City Attorney Sue Dulek
GUESTS: Jo Hensch and Nancy Wombacher
CALL TO ORDER
MINUTES
Motion: To approve the September minutes as distributed, Rowley/Monsanto.
Motion carried on a vote of 6-0
PUBLIC DISCUSSION
None
APPOINTMENT OF THE AT-LARGE POSITION ON THE COMMISSION- Honohan
~ ExecutiveSessiononConfidentialComponentsofApplicationforAt-largePosition
Motion to have Commission enter into executive session. Motion carried on
a vote of 6-0. Rowley/Benz.
Commission discussed the confidential components of the Commission
applications.
Motion to end the executive session, Motion carried on a vote of 6-0,
Rowley/Benz.
> Open discussion and Appointment of At-Large Position
Candidates for the at-large position are Eve Casserly, Irene Bowers and Sarah
Maiers. Commissioners discussed the applications for the at-large position on
the commission at length.
Motion to vote by secret ballot, Rowley/Kelly Motion carried on a vote of 4-2
with Monsanto and Honohan opposed.
Sarah Maier was appointed to the At-Large Commission position by a majority
vote done by secret ballot.
Motion to destroy the ballots. Rowley-Monsanto, Motion carried on a vote
of 6-0.
REPORT ON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF JOHNSON COUNTY- Honohan
Dulek briefed Commissioners on the history of the Gift Fund and indicated that t~ne City
of Iowa City Finance Department controls it. State law limits investment options for the
MINUTES Approved/Final
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2003
City and the Community Foundation being considered by the Commission is not an
allowable investment.
Honohan outlined an alternative plan that would allow the Commission to invest Gift
Fund money in the Community Foundation of Johnson County. He recommended that
the Commission establish a charitable foundation that would be managed for the
exclusive support of the Senior Center. A charitable foundation of this sort would be
independent of the City and a legal recipient of City funds.
The charitable foundation's articles of incorporation and by-laws would stipulate that all
funds received would immediately be invested in a fund designated for the Senior Center
within the Community Foundation of Johnson County. It was suggested that the
members of the Senior Center Commission serve as the Board of Directors of the
charitable foundation.
With this arrangement, the Commission could donate Gift Fund money to the charitable
foundation. The foundation would then turn around and invest the money (for the Senior
Center) in the Community Foundation of Johnson County. Proceeds from the investment
would be distributed to the charitable trust. The charitable trust would then donate the
proceeds to the Center.
Concerned was expressed pertaining to the potential loss control of the gifted money in
the future because the charitable foundation would be an independent organization,
separate from the Senior Center and the City. In theory the board of the charitable
foundation could decide to invest the money elsewhere or use it to support something
other than the Senior Center.
Honohan asked to have this put this on the agenda for further discussion at the
December meeting. He indicated that he would draw up examples of articles of
incorporation and by-laws for review and discussion at that meeting. The articles and
by-laws would address the concerns expressed.
FISCAL YEAR 2005 BUDGET PROCESS- Kopping
Kopping reported that the proposed budget for 2005 was submitted a few months ago.
The only major change in the FY04 budget was reallocating a portion of the money
budgeted for temporary part-time employees to fund the new permanent part-time
Clerical Assistant (0.5 FTE) position. Funding was also requested to cover the cost of a
HACAP position at the reception desk. The HACAP contract has been reviewed by legal
and the recommended changes now need to be discussed with the HACAP director.
In total, the requested budget is approximately $200 more than last year. Revenue
projections from memberships and donations are the same as they were in FY04.
Kopping is in the process of preparing a list of capitol improvement projects that may be
necessary in the next few years.
SENIOR CENTER UPDATE
Operations- Kopping
MINUTES Approved/Final
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2003
The half-time Clerical Assistant position has been announced. Applications will be
accepted in Personnel until Thursday, Nov. 19 at 5:00 PM.
Due to a scheduling conflict, it was necessary to change the December meeting date.
The December meeting will be held on Monday December 15 from 10AM to12PM.
Kopping reported that several unanticipated, and therefore unbudgeted, repairs have
been made to equipment in the kitchen recently. She noted that the repair and
maintenance costs are escalating.
Honohan recommended that the lease agreement with Elder Services Inc. be revisited.
It is possible that the decision not to charge Elder Services for utilities or the use of
space may need to be reconsidered. Kopping indicated that she would collect some
information related to expenses, utilities, and meal services for the next Commission
meeting.
Kopping informed the Commission that the original part of the Post Office building that
eventually became the Senior Center will be 100 years old in 2004. She has organized
a committee of participants, community members, and staff to develop a year-long
series of programs centered on this theme.
Programs- Seal
Seal distributed information on programs scheduled to be offered this winter and spring.
Many programs will be offered in the evening and many will be free and open to the
public. See the Post Spring Course catalog for a complete listing of programs. The
program guide will be made available in early January.
Volunteers- Rogusky
Rogusky distributed copies of the volunteer hours for September. Rogusky updated
Commissioners on activity groups and special events from September and October.
Information on the activity groups and special events are included in the Post.
Membership and Fundraising-Buhman
Buhman reported that as of November 17, 2003, 686 people have registered as Senior
Center members. Sixty-eight (68) memberships have been sold at the discounted rate.
Seventy-two (72) people have contributed to the Operational Budget for a total of
$3,591.00. A copy of this report can be picked up at the Secretary's desk in the main
lobby of the Center.
REPORTS COMMISSION VISITS
City Council - Honohan
Honohan visited with the City Council and reported on the lease with Elder Services, Inc.
A number of counselors questioned the terms of the lease, specifically the payment of
the utilities.
Board of Supervisors-
A copy of the Senior Center Commission minutes was sent to the Board.
MINUTES Approved/Final
SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION
TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2003
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Post article report from this meeting-Charity Rowley
City Council -Lori?
Jay Honohan will go to the Board of Supervisors meeting.
Kelly will be writing the Post article for the December meeting.
Motion to adjourn, Motion carried on a vote of 6-0, Monsanto/Rowley
MINUTES FINAL/APPROVED
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 20, 2003 - 6:30 PM
LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM
MEMBERS PRESENT: Jerry Anthony, Erin Barnes, Lori Bears, John Deeth, Mark Edwards,
Bill Graezel, Matthew Hayek, Shellie Mackel, Jayne Sandier
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long
OTHERS PRESENT: Al Axeen, Alaina Welsh, Mick Bowers
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Hayek called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 16, 2003 MINUTES
MOTION: Deeth moved to approve the minutes as submitted. Anthony seconded the motion. All in
favor, motion passed 9-0.
PUBLrC/MEMBER DISCUSSION OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Hayek introduced and welcomed the two new members of the Commission, Erin Barnes and Shellie
Mackel. The Commission members each introduced themselves and welcomed Barnes and Mackel.
Mackel is a non-practicing attorney and is employed by the Iowa Women's Foundation as the
Development Director. Barnes is a first year graduate student in Rehabilitation Counseling. Prior to
becoming a full-time graduate student she worked for Goodwill Industries.
Long distributed a letter to the Commission members from Steve Kanner, City Council Member. The letter
inquired if the Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC) would have any interest in
helping to evaluate City Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) economic development
applications. Long noted that the Commission can discuss the letter but they can not make a motion or
vote on any item that is not on the agenda. Hayek gave a bit of background information about the City's
CDBG allocations that Kanner referred to in his letter. Hayek said that pursuant to CITY STEPS, the
City's Consolidated Plan, the City Council earmarked 9% of the HUD entitlement funds for economic
development activities. The Council Economic Development Committee, comprised of three City Council
members, is the committee responsible for reviewing CDBG economic development applications. Once
the Economic Development Committee makes a decision to recommend the allocation of funds, this
recommendation is reviewed by the City Council. Hightshoe noted that in the past, a couple HCDC
members went to the meetings to provide input and to update the rest of the Commission. These
individuals either lost interest or were unable to attend the meetings. Hightshoe said if sufficient interest
exists, HCDC could send a member to the Economic Development Committee meetings. Staff could also
provide a summary of the applications coming before the Economic Development Committee. The
Commission decided to put this topic on the December meeting agenda for further discussion.
REQUEST BY HACAP - ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Allan Axeen, the Housing Operations Supervisor for HACAP, was present to discuss the request.
Hightshoe reported that HACAP received $128,000 in FY04 to acquire two units of transitional housing.
The original application requested $384,000 to purchase six units. HACAP acquired the two units and is
now requesting additional funding to acquire one additional unit. Other funds for the purchase of this unit
are contingent on approval from the Iowa Finance Authority.
Axeen reported that with the combined funding from HOME and the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA),
HACAP has purchased a total of four units. They have approximately $7,000 remaining from the IFA
grant. HACAP requested that IFA amend the existing contract to allow the purchase of a fifth unit. HACAP
is asking HCDC for $20,000, out of the contingency fund, to purchase the fifth unit. This request is
contingent on IFA allowing HACAP to amend their original request. HACAP will provide the remaining
cash needed for the $77,000 purchase. Axeen said the target area for the acquisition would be the
Benton/Seville or the Westwinds area in southwest Iowa City.
Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes
November 20, 2003
Page 2
Hayek asked if it would be possible for HACAP to wait until the FY05 application round in January. Axeen
said they would be applying for other projects in the FY05 application process.
Hightshoe said the Commission would have to decide if the request qualifies for the use of contingency
funds, per our policy. A request falls under the Contingency Fund Policy under two circumstances. The
first is for project cost over-runs, and the second is for funding new projects that are considered an
emergency or urgent need. If the request does not fall under either criterion, the request would be
considered a request for uncommitted CDBG or HOME funds. The Policy for Uncommitted Funds
requires the public be given an opportunity to comment on the proposed use of funds at a HCDC or
Council meeting.
Hightshoe said in response to a question from Anthony that there is approximately $50,000 in
contingency funds. If not utilized, these funds become a part of the FY05 funding pool.
Sandier said based on the Contingency Funds Use Policy, the HACAP request does not appear to qualify
for the conditional use of the funds.
Hayek clarified, and Hightshoe agreed, that historically the contingency funds that have been used were
for health and safety related issues.
MOTION: Sandier moved that the HACAP request be submitted as a special project to be reviewed
at the December HCDC meeting. Anthony seconded the motion.
DISCUSSION: Deeth questioned how much money is being leveraged. Axeen said the amount is
$57,000. Hayek expressed concern that if by approving this request outside of the application
round, it would set a precedent with other applicants. Sandier said that if the Commission thinks
there is no way the request would be approved as an urgent need, emergency or special project, it
would be a waste of the applicant's time to apply for the contingency funds. Axeen stated he
would have to inquire, but they may be able to carry the IFA funding over to the next year. This
would allow them to go through the FY05 application process, and allow more flexibility.
VOTE: All in favor, motion passed 9-0.
REQUEST BY PRAIRIE GARDEN IHA LP - PROJECT CHANGF
Alana Welsh was present representing the Prairie Garden IHA limited Partnership. Welsh said she is
requesting permission to use the funding awarded to the Whispering Garden housing project in
combination with the funding for the Garden Prairie housing project. The combination of the two funds
would allow the Prairie Garden project to acquire a building that would house three, one bedroom, second
floor units and use the first floor space for laundry facilities, a rental management office, and a support
services office.
Hayek clarified that Garden Prairie was the FY03 HOME funded project to purchase 7 duplex lots for 14
units of affordable rental housing. The applicant acquired land for 14 housing units. Whispering Garden
was a FY04 funded project ($144,303), for the purchase of 4-5, three or four bedroom units. Hayek
questioned if this reduction of units/bedrooms would trigger a "substantial" change in CITY STEPS.
Hightshoe said per the CITY STEPS Citizen Participation Plan, this request is considered a "substantial
change" due to a change in beneficiaries and change in the scope of the project. Therefore, it has to go
through the formal amendment process of having a public comment period and be approved by the City
Council.
in response to a question from Edwards, Welsh said the number of units would be decreased from 4 to 3
and the number of individuals served would decrease from 12 to possibly 6. She also said they would be
adding a laundry facility, support services and site management.
Anthony questioned if the units would require lead based paint stabilization and if they have cost
estimates. Welsh said they have budgeted for lead requirements but did not have figures currently.
Anthony also asked of the existing Garden Prairie project, how many of the units would be kept
Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes
November 20, 2003
Page 3
affordable. Welsh replied that 20% of the units would be restricted to those households earning less than
40% of the area median income. Per HOME regulations, 90% of all HOME assisted units must be rented
to households whose annual income does not exceed 60% of the area median income.
Hayek clarified that the applicant is requesting that the Whispering Garden project go from a 12-15
bedroom project down to a 3 bedroom project. Also, they are asking to combine the Whispering Garden
and Prairie Garden projects for purposes of applying for tax credits and to purchase the building at 912-
914 2nd Avenue (Hoover Elementary attendance area). Welsh said that is correct, by grouping the two
projects together it would be large enough to attract an investor to utilize Federal Tax Credits or other
funding sources.
Greazel stated Whispering Garden IHA Limited Partnership received funding for a particular project and
to change the scope and focus of that project now seems unfair to the others that also applied for FY04
funding. Alaina mentioned that all FY04 housing applications were funded at some level. Whispering
Garden received the remainder of what was left to allocate. Staff confirmed that all HOME eligible
projects were funded, however not at the applicant's full request. Greazel also questioned how truly
useful the proposed first floor space would be to anyone. Welsh replied that because they are partnering
with Successful Living, a nonprofit organization, the support services would be very useful.
Hayek said his biggest concern is the fact they are reducing the number of bedrooms from 12-15 down to
3.
Hightshoe said in response to a question from Anthony that if the request were denied, the Whispering
Garden project would proceed as is and the $144,000 awarded for land acquisition would wait until lots
became available for purchase.
Edwards said this proposal does address the need for scattered site housing.
Sandier said the proposed increase in services is good and something they did not have before. The
provision of free office space for Successful Living will help their agency provide services and increase
their capacity.
Commission members requested certain conditions if they are to approve the request. Applicant must
provide laundry facilities at the 2nd Ave. location, provide 500 bus tickets for Garden Prairie tenants,
provide office space at no charge to Successful Living as project managers, submit a supportive services
agreement for Garden Prairie residents, provide access for other non-profit use on the first floor of the
building, first floor handicap accessibility at the 2nd Ave. location, and sign a formal agreement with
Successful Living for property management.
MOTION: Anthony moved to approve the request to count the funds previously awarded for the
Whispering Garden project as part of the Prairie Garden project for the purpose of applying for tax
credits and use the $144,303 to acquire a property located at 912-914 2nd Avenue with the
aforementioned requirements. Sandier seconded the motion. Motion passed 8-1 (Hayek
opposed).
Hightshoe stated she would provide a letter to Welsh indicating the Commissions tentative approval.
The Commission agreed to adjust the agenda for the convenience of others present, and moved to Item
9.
NEW BUSINESS
Update on FY04 projects - CDBG/HOME projects that have not entered a formal agreement with the City
of Iowa City.
The Commission discussed the issue of not allowing any flexibility for delayed projects. The policy states
that if a subrecipient has not entered into an agreement with the City within 90 days, the City would
recapture the CDBG/HOME funds.
Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes
November 20, 2003
Page 4
Successful Living: At issue is D&K Properties, a for-profit entity that was awarded HOME funds to
purchase a 21-unit single room occupancy unit located on Dubuque Street. Successful Living, a non-profit
organization desires to purchase the building. Successful Living provides property management for the
21 units. They have experienced difficulties applying for grants, as the owner is a for-profit entity. D&K
bought the property with HOME funds. The period of affordability, as required by HUD, has been
interpreted by the City attorney's office as the length of financing per the contract. The HUD minimum
period of affordability for this project is 5 years, which has elapsed. To avoid "double dipping" with HOME
funds an amendment must be completed to clarify the 5-year period of affordability. This amendment
must be signed before Successful Living may enter an agreement to purchase the facility with HOME
funds. A complication arose because a partner in D&K Properties died unexpectedly, and the estate has
been in probate. This complication is the reason for the delay in not entering into a formal agreement with
the City of Iowa City.
MOTION: Greazel moved to extend the deadline for Successful Living to enter into a formal
agreement with the City to January 1, 2004. Sandier seconded the motion. All in favor, motion
passed 9-0.
Hightshoe said that Burns & Burns needs a similar motion for the Whispering Gardens project that was
previously discussed.
MOTION: Edwards moved to extend until February 1, 2004, the deadline for Whispering Gardens
to enter into a formal agreement with the City, not withstanding the Unsuccessful or Delayed
Projects Policy. Anthony seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 9-0.
Hightshoe said that the Shelter House project also needs a similar motion because the 2 proposed
location sites where not approved.
Sandier expressed concern because the Commission awarded what they did, and when they did,
because Shelter House had a purchase agreement for a site location. She questioned the likelihood that
the 2 new possible City owned sites might be also be deemed unacceptable.
Hayek noted that limited amendments to the deadline are okay, on a case by case basis. The previous
two amendments had specific dates to work with, but this project doesn't seem to have a specific timeline.
Deeth asked if they must take action on this now or will there be more information available within the
next month. Long responded that there should be more information concerning the project and site
location within the next 30 days.
MOTION: Deeth moved to defer any action on an amendment to extend the deadline for Shelter
House to enter into a formal agreement with the City until the HCDC December 18, 2003 meeting.
Anthony seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 9-0.
MONITORING REPORTS
· ICCSD - Operation Expenses
Hayek reported that the After School Program at Mark Twain Elementary School is operational but the
$4,400 awarded to them has not yet been spent. They have hired staff, are working with many service
pmvidem in Iowa City, and they are just completing the first 8-week session. They serve approximately 50
students. The money awarded to them was for staff time, however they are finding that they need more
money for transportation costs. Hayek said the program is going very well and they would like to provide
for more students.
· Eagles Flight - Facility Rehabilitation
Gmazel asked the report be deferred until the December meeting. Long said he was recently at the
location and they were installing fire alarms.
· 4 C's Child Care- Facility Rehabilitation
Edwards reported he had visited the site and they have replaced windows, installed a ramp and are
working on the lift for the stairs. He stated the director was unavailable and he would provide more
information at the December meeting.
Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes
November 20, 2003
Page 5
· PATV/Evert Connor Center- Facility Rehabilitation
Bears reported that nothing has happened with the rehabilitation project yet.
The remaining FY04 monitoring projects/reports were divided between the new members, Mackel and
Barnes. Mackel will monitor Community Mental Health Center Rehabilitation project and Elder Services
Small Repair Program. Barnes will monitor the Shelter House Deposit Assistance Program and the City of
Iowa City Housing Rehabilitation project.
DISCUSS AND REVIEW FY05 FUNDING PROCESS TIMELINF
Hightshoe reviewed the FY05 funding process and timeline.
· The second week of December public notice will be given and advertised that CDBG/HOME
applications are available. The applications are due January 23, 2004 at 12:00 noon.
· A question and answer period for the applicants is scheduled for February 19, 2004.
· The Staff will do an analysis of each application and also provide ranking forms for the commission
members. Staff will ask the HCDC members to rank the projects based on set criteria.
· March 11, 2004, there will be a meeting to review how each commission member scored each
application and determine if there are any large differences of opinion.
· March 18, 2004, HCDC members will make a recommendation on what projects to fund and at what
level. After the recommendations are made, a few HCDC members will be appointed to write
justification memos to be included in the City Council's packet to inform them of the thought process
that went into each funding recommendation.
· There will be a 30-day public comment period ending May 1, 2004.
· The City Council will hold a public hearing on April 20, 2004.
Long asked the HCDC members to please look at these dates and to try to have the majority of members
present at the meetings.
APPROVE FY05 CDBG/HOME APPLICATION MATERIALS
Hightshoe reviewed what is new for FY05. She reported that the Council wants to put area housing
providers on notice that housing projects identified in-school attendance areas that have a high
percentage of iow income students, such as Twain, Roosevelt and Wood Elementary schools, may be
denied. She stated the City Council will be looking into a scattered site housing policy and will discourage
locating additional subsidized housing in areas with higher concentrations of subsidized housing.
The commission reviewed and discussed the application materials.
Anthony suggested they add the words "housing projects" when identi~ing projects that may be denied
funding if they are proposed in an area within elementary school districts that are over the ICCSD
average of 20% Iow-moderate income students. He said he completely supports scattered site housing
but the commission sees applications for both housing and service projects, and the areas mentioned
might be good sites for service projects, but not housing projects. The Commission members agreed with
Anthony's suggestion. Hightshoe and Long said that the paragraph needs to be rewritten.
Anthony also stated that he thought the term "may be denied" was too ambiguous. He suggested they
include a way to address this in the ranking criteria. For instance, give an applicant fewer points if they
are proposing a housing project in this area identified by council. Hightshoe said she was unsure if a
formal policy would be in place by the time the applications are reviewed, but thought a formal policy may
be in place by July 2004 when the monies become available.
Sandier said she was interested in knowing what properties are available for acquisition or development
in the areas that have less than the stated ICCSD average of 20% Iow-moderate income students. She
said it would help in judging funding applications to know what is available in order to understand if the
proposal is viable. The commission members agreed.
Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes
November 20, 2003
Page 6
Hayek summarized the proposed changes to the FY05 CDBG/HOME application materials. He said the
paragraph encouraging the distribution of housing or residential facilities needs to be reworded. The
Commission members suggested the following:
· Omit the wording "where there may be families present".
· To add the word residential, before the word projects.
· To check the numbers in Exhibit B, to make sure they have the most current information.
MOTION: Anthony moved to approve the recommended changes to the FY0$ CDBG/HOME
Applicant Guide as discussed. Deeth seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 9-0.
MOTION: Deeth moved to approve the remainder of the FY05 CDBG/HOME Applicant Guide.
Anthony seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 9-0.
MOTION: Greazel moved to amend the previous motion and add to the FY05 CDBG/HOME
Application two (2) applicant questions; if they are a first time applicant have they met with City
staff to review their application; and how much in property taxes will be generated from this
project. Sandier seconded the motion. All in favor, motion passed 9-0.
Hayek suggested the Commission send a letter to the City Council concerning scattered site housing and
encouraging them to include the HCDC in the process. There was a consensus and approval for Hayek's
suggestion.
MOTION: Deeth moved to adjourn the meeting. Greazel seconded the motion. All in favor, motion
passed 9-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.
FINAL APPROVED
Iowa City.
Public Library
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MINUTES Agenda item 3A
Regular Meeting - 5:00 pm - MEETING ROOM C
November 20, 2003
Shaner Magalh~es, President
Thomas Dean
Linzee McCray
Linda Prybil
Pat Schnaclq Secretary
Jesse Singerman
Tom Suter
Jim Swaim
David VanDusseldorp, Vice President
Members Present: Thomas Dean, Shaner Magalh~es, Pat Sclmack, Jim Swaim, Tom Suter, Linda
Prybil, Dave VanDusseldorp
Members Absent: Jesse Singerman, Linzee McCray
Staff Present: Barb Black, Maeve Clark, Susan Craig, Heidi Laurilzen, Kara Logsden, Martha
Lubaroff
Call Meeting to Order
Magalh~es called the meeting to order at 5:04 pm.
Public Discussion
There was no public discussion.
Approval of minutes
The minutes of the regular meeting of October 23 were approved after a motion made by Schnack and
seconded by Swaim. All were in favor. Motion passed 7-0.
Unfinished Business
A. Building Proiect:
In Joel Miller's absence, Craig gave an update. She described a minor setback due to an error in panels that
were fabricated off-site, to be hung on clips, which were already in place. Due to an incorrect fit, the clips
were re-done causing a delay. However, we do not absorb the cost for error and it does not, overall, affect
the project schedule. The cost adjustments remain under $200,000, with 77% of the project done. Craig
conducted a tour.
Swaim had a question about Moen assuming ownership of 64 lA and the use of that lot for parking. Moen
may place barricades up or start towing cars at any time. Swaim asked about the library being in the
shadow of the proposed building. Our architects do not believe it will be a problem for om building and
Agenda item 3A
Page 2
feel that the tall towers are set back enough that we might benefit from shade on our windows in the
summer time.
B. Award Contract for Furniture
This was a complicated bid since vendors could bid on all or parts. The four components are modular
office systems, general furniture, stack end panels and library equipment that includes wastebaskets, coat
racks, bulletin boards, etc. Henrickson and Company came in with the lowest bid for all parts except the
end panels. There was only one bid for the end panels: Jones Library Services, our shelving vendor. Craig
and Nicole Woods, our interior designer, recommend that bids one, two and four be awarded to Hem:icksen
and Company, and bid three awarded to Jones. There may have to be another bid to complete the process
because some specified furniture was removed at vendors' request. The bids are within what we budgeted
for furniture and art.
Swaim moved we accept the recommendation by staff. Seconded by Suter. All in favor voted Aye.
Motion carried 7 to 0.
C. Update on Realtor search
Craig reported that there were three responses to the letter that was sent out. Magalhaes and Craig
interviewed Harry Wolf from Buyers Realty, Kevin Hanick of Caldwell Banker and Gerry Ambrose and
Associate from Prudential Ambrose & Jacobsen Realtors. Ail were favorable. The recommendation was to
work with Kevin Hanick, pending a written proposal of his fees and what he would provide. In response to
a question, Craig explained that she and Magalh~es felt that Hanick answered questions competently and
offered many ideas for the space and what businesses would be approachable, as well as sharing his vision
for something vital downtown. All three realtors said that we might need to consider more than one tenant
for each floor.
Swaim moved that we accept Craig's and Magalhles' recommendation. He stated for the minutes that the
Board appreciated the responses from three competent realtors and expressed thanks for their interest.
Motion was seconded by Prybil. Dave VanDusseldorp stated that in his business experience with realtors,
he believed that this was a good choice. All in favor voted Aye. Motion carried 7 to 0.
D. Johnson County Library Task Force
Prybil and Craig attended the meeting. Craig said that after working through the process it looks like we
will have a contract which is very similar to the current one with some new language that gives the
supervisors an option out if funding changes and places an overall cap on annual increases. If they exercise
the option to not renew the contract, it would be a major problem but seems only fair to offer the choice
since it would be as a result of state funding cuts. When the contract is written it will come back for formal
approval. Magalhaes had a question about what would happen in 2005 or 2006. Craig said we would
continue to operate under the current contract for Fy 05 and the new contract will be in place by FY06.
Swaim questioned a reference to our budget procedure. Craig explained that the City Council approves our
operating budget. She agreed with Swaim about the independence the Board has, but funding still was
approved by Council. Board is authorized to spend money that is allocated to the library. Trustees have
the final say on the distribution of the money, with the exception of permanent positions. Magalhies asked
for any other comments. Prybil observed that from her point of view, supervisors sensed that there is a
strong movement to keep the status quo. Craig asked for a motion saying, in principle, Trustees accepted
this language and agreed to proceed with the proposed changes. Suter moved that we accept the language
and stated for the minutes that the Board is appreciative of the Board of Supervisors' attention to the
matter, and continued support. The Board also appreciates the cooperation of other libraries. The motion
was seconded by Swainr. All in favor voted Aye. Motion carried 7 to 0.
New Business
A. Policy Review: Media Use
Agenda item 3A
Page 3
This is a regular policy review with only small changes recommended by staff. Logsden answered a
question regarding what is considered public performance. She said that if more than two people were
watching any piece of media, it was considered public performance. In some cases, viewing by more than
two patrons could be a copyright violation. There are new provisions of copyright laws. It was suggested
that a session for the Board might be helpful, particularly on electronic access issues.
A motion to approve the policy as revised was made by Suter and seconded by Schnack. All in favor voted
Aye. Motion carried 7 to 0.
Staff Reports
A. Departmental Reports:
Adult Services, Circulation, Information
Logsden included a memo on the Cable Refranchise process.
Lauritzen was asked about materials used upstairs. Her report referred to public use of materials that are
not checked out but need to be replaced on shelves. "Recently returned" notification on the catalog is an
alert that an item has been checked in and allows the public to find it more easily. Lauritzen was asked
about shelf reading and how often it is done. Certain sections are done more often depending on use.
Bound periodicals are not done as frequently as they used to be since we have access to information on
line. Any shelf in the Children's Room would have to be done frequently. Biographies don't have to be
done as often.
Clark noted the beginning work on a redesign of the web resources section of the library's web site in her
report.
B. Development Office.
Curtin could not attend meeting. VanDusseldorp gave a report from the Foundation. A fundraising event
is being planned for May. After examining a series of proposals, the Foundation finance committee
selected an investment firm. They will change at the beginning of year from Hills to Iowa State Bank
&Trust. Curtin will leave the position of development director towards the end of 2004 as previously
planned. A committee has been working with her and Craig on a revised job description and timeline.
They would hope that a new Development Director could start in November of 04 in order to have
continuity through opening and then move on with new leadership. In response to a question about the
Book Gala, our profit was about $1600.
C. Annual Reception for State Legislators.
This annual event is being held on December 3. at Coralville Public Library from 5-6 pm. Library
Directors and Board members, State legislators, and members of the County Board of Supervisors will be
there. It is a good opportunity to meet and talk about library issues. School librarians are also being
invited. This year the IEMA has voted to join Iowa Library Association and one issue for libraries is to
require a school librarian in every building.
D. 1UPLA statistics.
Overall comparisons haven't changed too much. We continue to rank at the top for both use and per capita
support.
E. Status of FY05 Budget.
Agenda item 3A
Page 4
Craig had her budget meeting at City Hall. The City Manager seemed supportive of requests except the
large amount for computer replacement. Our proposed budget showed projections for increased £mes, loss
of a management position, and less increase in collection. Difficult choices with continued reduction of
funding are either to lose more collection growth or reduce hours. This needs to be talked about on
December 3 so Johnson County legislators can share with other legislators.
G. Hancher Grant.
ICPL will be one ofHancher's parmers in a major grant. This is a very exciting opportunity. Craig and
Green will attend a press conference along with Iowa Children's Museum staffand Hancher people. This
grant for the L.E.A.P. project calls for planning this spring and summer and then four years of innovative
family programming, community networking, and outreach to Gen-X generation parents and their children.
Reminder about Staff Recognition on December 12. Annual service awards will be given and trustees are
invited. Refreshments at 8:30, staff awards will begin at 9:00 am.
President's report:
Impending lack of parking is expected by early December. We need to go back to the drawing board and
put parking on the agenda for next month.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM MEMBERS
For the Foundation, VanDusseldorp reminded trustees that the BookEnd is always looking for donations.
Virtually everything is needed except magazines.
Swaim announced that the Executive Director &United Way is leaving. He said that the search committee
is looking for her repIacement.
Craig was part o£a panel on the Patriot Act. It was sponsored by the League o£Women Voters and will be
telecast on The Library Cham~el.
Disbursements
Visa Expenditures for October were reviewed.
Disbursements for October were approved after a motion by Suter/Prybil. All voted Aye. Motion passed
7to0.
Adjournment
Trustees were reminded that we meet next month on the 18t~. Prybil moved adjournment. VanDusseldorp
seconded. Motion passed unanimously 7-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.
Minutes taken and transcribed by
Martha Lubaroff
M1NUTES FINAL
IOWA CITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2003 - 5:30 P.M.
CITY CABLE TV OFFICE, 10 S. L1NN ST.-TOWER PLACE PARKING FACILITY
MEMBERS PRESENT: Saul Mekies, Kimberly Thrower, Terry Smith, Jim Pusack
MEMBERS ABSENT: Brett Castillo
STAFF PRESENT: Drew Shaffer, Mike Bran, Bob Hardy, Andy Matthews, Dale Helling
OTHERS PRESENT: Jon Koebrick, Randy Brown, Jason Nebergall, Phil Phillips, Rene Paine, Beth
Fisher, Susan Rogusky
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL
None at this time.
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
Paine reported that it was decided at the annual meeting that membership fees would begin to be collected in
January 2004. Jon Van Allen was elected to the PATV board of directors. Hardy reported that InfoVision
is developing the capability to offer video on demand of short segments of various programs such as the City
Council meetings. If equipment can be purchased and installed in time it is anticipated that it will be
available by the first of the year. Shaffer distributed a copy of a letter to Mediacom that responds to their
letter of June 2003 regarding the initiation of the franchise renewal process. This letter informs Mediacom
that the City is opening the informal renewal process and is holding open the formal renewal process. Smith
said that there was a meeting regarding the rate settlement agreement in which Mediacom suggested
extension of the franchise for 5-7 years as one element of an agreement. Pusack referred to the phone
response data provided by Mediacom and included in the meeting packet. Smith noted that 97% of the calls
are now being handled in a timely manner at this point. There had been a dip in response time during the
installation of Mediacom's new virtual phone center technology. Brown said that phone response time for
cable modem technical assistance would not be as fast. Average response time for a tier one cable modem
inquiry runs 60-90 seconds. Brown said the new system allows subscribers to access much of their account
information and request for services from the company with an automated system. Mekies asked if the City
could get phone response data on an annual basis as this would provide data that might not be skewed by
seasonal variations. Koebrick said that Mediacom would provide it if requested.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mekies moved and Thrower seconded a motion to approve the amended October 2003 meeting minutes. The
motion passed unanimously.
ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS
Smith said that the next Commission meeting is scheduled for December 22, which may conflict with the
holiday season and suggested meeting on December 15. The Commission agreed to meet December 15,
2003.
SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
None.
CONSUMER ISSUES
Shaffer referred to the complaint log included in the packet. Koebrick noted that the one complaint that was
listed as unresolved has now been resolved. Among the complaints were 3 about phone response, 4 about a
cable TV technical problem, 2 about poor customer service, 1 about the cable modem service losing email,
and 1 about crediting an overpayment to a subscriber's account rather than returning the money.
MEDIACOM REPORT
Koebrick reported that Mediacom and City officials met recently regarding a negotiated rate settlement and
the cable drop audit data. These issues will be addressed later in the meeting. Brown reported that
Mediacom is now purchasing the next generation of HDTV converter boxes as the previous versions had
some unresolved technical problems. Pusack said that HDTV channels are not indicated as such on the
digital program guide and no programming is supplied if those channels are chosen. Brown said that
Mediacom is working with TV Guide to make changes to correct that problem. Mediacom has been
negotiating with other channels for HDTV programming. Video on demand (VOD) will be introduced in
Iowa City soon. Brown said that HDTVs with a HDTV tuner built in will hit the market in December, but
those tuners do not allow for two-way communication that is needed for VOD or pay-per-view
programming.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA REPORT
Nebergall reported that University has an ever-increasing number of programs playing. Pusack asked about
alternatives to SCOLA for foreign language programming and suggested that there might be better choices if
foreign language programming is to continue. Nebergall said he will inform his supervisors and report back.
PATV REPORT
Paine reported she made a presentation to Lucas Elementary School students and later the students came to
PATV facilities for a tour and demonstration. The fall newsletter is now out. Paine distributed the series
program schedule. It was decided at the annual meeting that membership fees would begin to be collected in
January 2004. Jon Van Allen was elected to the PATV board of directors.
SENIOR CENTER REPORT
Rogusky distributed the November Senior Center TV program guide and said that the programming is quite
diverse.
IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT
No representative was present.
LEGAL REPORT
Matthews said he had nothing new to report.
LIBRARY REPORT
Fisher reported that Tom Walz, the founder of Uptown Bill's, will be Ellen Buchanan's guest in December.
The library has been producing a monthly program series documenting the progress made in the construction
of the new section of the library called "Opening the Door in 2004". The program plays Tuesdays at 12:00
and 12:15, Wednesdays 6:30 and 6:45, and Sundays at 4 and 4:15.
K1RKWOOD REPORT
No representative was present.
MEDIA UNIT.
Hardy reported that the Media Unit is backed up with productions but will be able to make progress on those
productions over the holiday season as other production activities typically slows down during that period.
The Community Television Service is making a group of short videos for the Iowa City Neighborhood
Council on how to encourage respect among neighbors. Topics may include noise levels, maintaining the
cleanliness of the neighborhood, and how to resolve conflicts. The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council will
be hosting several presidential candidates and the CTS will cover those. InfoVision is developing the
capability to offer video on demand of short segments of various programs such as the City Council
meetings. If equipment can be purchased and installed in time, it is anticipated that it will be available by the
first of the year. The Avatar Project recently held a practice shoot for the December 8 program. The topic
for that program is "Why Vote?" Hardy distributed a proposal for the Community Television Group to use
some of the pass-through funds to assist Senior Center TV whose funding is at risk.
CABLE TV ADMiNISTRATOR REPORT
Shaffer said that the City Cable TV Office is working on a 3 year report and it should be available for the
next Commission meeting. Letters will be sent out in January for a February focus group to discuss the
future content design of InfoVision. The date has been moved back so Kevin Crawley can develop an
alternative template for the service and have a chance to develop and exhibit the video on demand capability.
DROP AUDIT
Smith reminded of the history of the drop audit and said a response to Mediacom is being drafted based on
the data provided by Mediacom, which may include a request for additional information, if needed.
FRANCHISE REMEWAL UPDATE
Shaffer distributed a copy of a letter to Mediacom that responds to their letter of June 2003 regarding the
initiation of the franchise renewal process. This letter informs Mediacom that the City is opening the
informal renewal process and is holding open the formal renewal process. Smith said that during the
meeting regarding the rate settlement agreement Mediacom suggested an extension of the franchise for 5-7
years as one element ora settlement. Pusack asked Shaffer to sketch out the renewal process. Shaffer said
that the cable company can initiate the process 36 months prior to the end of the current franchise.
Mediacom did this in June 2003 with a letter to the City. The City has now commenced proceedings. The
informal process may involve a number of items such as a community needs assessment. The formal process
is more involved. Pusack said there appears to be three possibilities, the informal process, the formal
process, and an extension of the current franchise. Shaffer said there is no immediate deadline on a franchise
extension. Pusack said it appears that a franchise extension has the advantage of involving less time and
money. Its disadvantage is that there could be less public input unless that was part of the extension process.
Pusack asked if there are enough issues that might be addressed in extension discussions to need the
assistance of a consultant. Helling said that the extension discussions can be a part of an informal renewal
discussion. The City would likely use a consultant during any discussions and write their contract as such.
Thrower asked if the consultant contract was based on a retainer or on a fee for services. Shaffer said that it
is based on the amount of time spent on particular projects and based on estimates provided by the consultant
on how much time each of those projects might take.
PHONE DATA RESPONSE
Pusack referred to the phone response data provided by Mediacom and included in the meeting packet.
Smith noted that 97% of the calls are now being handled in a timely manner. There had been a dip in
response time during the installation of Mediacom's new phone technology. Brown said that response time
for cable modem technical assistance would not be as fast. Average response time for a tier one cable
modem inquiry nms 60-90 seconds. Brown said the new system allows subscribers to access much of their
account information and request for services from the company with an automated system. Mekies asked if
the City could get phone response data on an annual basis as this would provide data that might not be
skewed by seasonal variations. Koebrick said that Mediacom would provide it if requested.
RATE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
Smith said the City met with Mediacom today to discuss a proposed rate settlement agreement. The City and
Mediacom disagreed on the maximum permitted rate for both 2002 (which was appealed to the FCC) and
2003. Mediacom presented a second proposal at today's meeting and that offer is under consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
Smith moved and Mekies seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanamously. Adjournment
was at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Drew Shaffer
Cable TV Administrator
MINUTES APPROVED
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
DECEMBER 4, 2003
EMMA J. HARVAT HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Jerry Hansen, Ann Freerks, Ann Bovbjerg, Don Anciaux, Beth Koppes, Dean
Shannon
MEMBERS ABSENT: Benjamin Chair
STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Mitch Behr
OTHERS PRESENT: Liz Maas, Robert Nelson, Jeff Edberg
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
Recommended approval, by a vote of 6-0, REZ03-00027, a rezoning from Highway Commercial, CH-l,
to Sensitive Areas Overlay, SAO/CH-1 and the Sensitive Areas Development Plan for the Davis Addition,
an approximate 25.07-acre property located west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and south of Highway 1,
subject to Army Corps of Engineers permit approval for the proposed Compensatory Mitigation Plan and
recording of the Sensitive Areas Development Plan.
Recommended approval, by a vote of 6-0, SUB03-00027, an eight-lot commercial subdivision for a
25.07-acre property located west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and south of Highway 1.
CALL TO ORDER:
Bovbjerg called the meeting to order at 7:34 pm.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA:
There was none.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES ON CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS:
Bovbjerg said listing of current vacancies on the various City Boards and Commissions was posted in the
outer lobby.
REZONING / DEVELOPMENT ITEMS:
REZ03-00027/SUB03-00027 discussion of an application submitted by James Davis for a rezoning from
Highway Commercial (CH-l) to Sensitive Areas Overlay (SAO/CH-1) and an eight-lot commercial
subdivision for a 25.07-acre property located west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and south of Highway 1.
Miklo said the property was recently annexed into the City. The zoning of this particular area was mostly
CH-1 or Highway Commercial. A portion in the south-west region was zoned ID-RS because it was
located south of a drainage way and was more related to the residential property to the south than to the
proposed commercial area. Miklo said there were two elements that the Commission was looking at: 1) a
rezoning which required a sensitive areas overlay rezoning because there were wetlands in the southern
portion of the property and the applicant had proposed to modify the wetlands and 2) a commercial
subdivision to create commercial lots, one out-lot for the wetlands and one out-lot for the future residential
development in the far south west portion of the property.
Miklo said with the subdivision there would be a new street which had been revised to be named City
View Drive. The name was acceptable according to the City's Street Naming policy. One issue that Staff
was looking at very closely was access to Mormon Trek Blvd, a new arterial street. Currently there was
one existing access point granted onto Mormon Trek Blvd. The new street would provide access to the
interior lots, a shared drive would be provided for Lots 7 and 8. Staff felt the proposal was a good way to
provide access onto the property but not create too many curb cuts onto Mormon Trek Bird, which was
intended to carry arterial street traffic.
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes
December 4, 2003
Page 2
Miklo said in general Staff found the subdivision design satisfactory, however there were some related
issues associated with the wetlands and the overlay rezoning which needed to be addressed. Stormwater
management for most of the subdivision was to be in the lower part of the property where the wetlands
were also located. The Sensitive Areas Ordinance (SAC) required that before modifying a wetland an
attempt must be made to find other solutions to development of the property. The wetlands needed to be
modified because of the need to provide stormwater management for the property. The consulting
engineer for the applicant had performed a study and found that because of the topography of the land
and the way it drained, it would be very difficult to provide stormwater management in the upper parts of
the property. City engineers concurred with that conclusion. The wetland was a jurisdictional wetland, but
it was not of high quality because it had a very limited variety of plant species. The mitigation plan
proposed to modify the wetland by removing some it and replacing some of it with stormwater
management facilities. In compensation, as required by the SAC and the Army Core of Engineers, the
proposal was to enhance existing wetlands located on the other side of Highway 218, west of Kitty Lee
Road, in the same watershed.
In order to enhance the wetlands, some of the non-native invasive species would be removed and
additional wetland species would be planted. Julie Tallman, the City's staff person who dealt with
environmental issues, had reviewed the proposed plan. Her general statement had been, "The existing
wetland was not a postcard wetland, it didn't have a variety of plant species. By allowing the modification
of the wetland, it would actually enhance it." Tallman had recommended approval of the sensitive areas
overlay, Staff concurred.
Miklo said the other aspect of the wetlands was that it required a 100-foot buffer. The SAC allowed the
City to reduce the buffer if certain conditions were met, which were outlined in detail in the Staff report.
Staff recommended the reduction of the buffer. The SAC allowed 'buffer averaging', the buffer to be
narrower in some places provided it was wider in other places and that the overall average of the wetland
buffer was the same. Staff had reviewed and concurred with the plan to modify the buffer by buffer
averaging.
Miklo said the Core of Engineers was in the process of reviewing the proposals for the wetland and their
approval would be required for any activity to occur. As a condition of approval, part of the wetland plan
would require monitoring for five years the work to be done to assure the new wetlands created both on
this site and on the site off Kitty Lee Road and to assure that the wetland mitigation was successful.
Miklo said in general Staff felt the subdivision was a good design, it controlled access to Mormon Trek
Boulevard and the proposed mitigation plan for the wetlands would actually result in a better wetlands
than existed on the property today. All the deficiencies noted on the Staff report had been corrected so
Staff recommended approval of both the Sensitive Areas Overlay and the associated wetland mitigation
plan REZ03-00020 and the preliminary plat to allow the commercial subdivision, SUB03-00028.
Freerks said under item fl4 on the Compensatory Mitigation Plan, it stated that "transplanting as much of
the native vegetation from the original wetland as possible as well as the upper 6-12 inches of soil was
encouraged." Was that suggestive language or would the Commission wish to establish a minimum goal?
Miklo said it was "encouraged" because in not all cases was it practical and/or in some cases the plant
species were not suitable. Miklo said he would prefer the consulting engineer to further address that
question.
In response to a question by Hansen, Miklo said it was correct that the created wetland was being placed
on land owned by the applicant. Hansen asked if there were any stipulations in the SAC or in the Core's
regulations that a created wetland could not be disturbed. Miklo said if it was being done as part of a Core
permit that would control the future of the created wetland. Behr said there was a contract with the Core
that prohibited disturbing the newly created wetlands. The contract was placed as a covenant of record
and was also recorded.
Freerks asked why 25-feet had been selected as the minimum buffer zone. Miklo said it had been written
into the Ordinance after a considerable amount of study had been done by the Committee who'd drafted
the SAC that 25-feet was the minimum requirement to create a healthy wetland environment. Hansen
said the buffer was only a City requirement. Bovbjerg said it was possible that some contributing logic had
also come from the Riverfront Commission and might have been related to the steepness of a slope.
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes
December 4, 2003
Page 3
Public discussion was opened.
Liz Maas, 620 Ronalds Street, representative of MMS Consultants. She said with respect to the previous
questions. Regarding soils - the area was invaded by reed canary grass, an invasive species, which
typically was good for soil erosion but did not designate a good, healthy, normal wetland. Part of the plan
was to try to reproduce a more native species mix that would rehabilitate the area rather than just let it lie
with the reed canary grass that didn't provide much of anything interesting.
Core 'permitting' would be required no matter where the other wetlands were to be located/created. If for
whatever reason the area created off Kitty Lee Road would need to be impacted, the same exact process
would be followed again - the Core alerted, there would have to be a wetland delineation of the existing
wetlands, the Core would issue a permit and those wetland would have to be located someplace else
again.
Maas said she was not exactly sure why 25 feet was required for the minimum buffer width. Originally
there appeared to be an area that was only 20-feet, but they had measured the site and it was exactly at
25-feet.
In response to a question from Bovbjerg, Mass said she had authored the wetland reports that were
included in the Commissioner's information package. Bovbjerg said she was concerned about the speed
of water and the pollution of water coming off parking lots, building roofs and from the street. She asked if
holding basins were proposed and also something to slowdown the rush of water. It was one thing for a
hillside to seep into a waterway but something totally different for water to come sloshing down and
gouging as it flowed. Maas said where the storm sewers entered the wetlands they would have rip-wrap
or rock placed so there would not be erosion in the basin area itself. A smaller basin had been designed
on the western side of the property to catch the water as it came off Hwy 218 and the western side of the
property. A two-cell design had been proposed to slow water. Initially it would stop at the smaller basin
then slowly transmit into the next cell. Water from the north from the subdivision itself would flow down
into the main cell. The eastern berm had been designed so the outlet itself would actually be above the
bottom of the wetland basin. She had explained to Julie Tallman that for the birds, having open water was
probably expected but was not the preference of the birds. However in a high rain event water would be
expected to come sloshing in and would sit temporarily for one day as it flowed in, then evacuate and be
gone. The basin had been designed to accommodate all the water that came off the site so there should
be no problem with the water flowing over. The whole point of having a wetland was to slow flood water.
Bovbjerg asked Maas to talk about the route of water. Maas said In 1995/96 a pond had been created
with draws to direct the drainage of the water to the pond, then on to Willow Creek which was in the
Willow Creek watershed. It had been Core permitted. For the Core's purposes, taking the mitigation
someplace else was not practical. Attempting to find a wetland mitigation site that was also within the
same watershed was the best next case scenario. In this case, Davis' own property provided space to
also have mitigation within the same watershed.
Bovbjerg asked if there were any soils in the current wetland that would be suitable for saving and
transplanting? Maas said in 1987 the Core had designed a way to determine what areas were and were
not a wetland. To do a wetland delineation as required by the Core, required looking at hydric soils,
hydrology and wetland vegetation. This area had been a wet area and an agricultural field for a long time.
It was a fairly sloping area that had had pesticides and herbicides placed on it, there had been a lot of
natural erosion of the soils down into the lower part of the wetland area. Water rushing in off Hwy 218 as
well had allowed for reed canary grass to infiltrate the wetland area and obliterate other types of species.
Excavating and removing the soils from this particular site would actually be improving the site. The
banks would be re-seeded with a wide variety of species that hopefully would take hold.
Bovbjerg asked if the acreage in CRP must be kept? Maas said the pieces of CRP would not be
impacted, changed or altered, Davis would be allowed to keep his CRP contracts. The plantings Davis
had in the upper region would not be impacted by the proposed plan.
Public discussion was closed.
Motion: Shannon made a motion to approve, REZ03-00027, a rezoning from Highway Commercial, CH-
1, to Sensitive Areas Overlay, SAO/CH-1 and the Sensitive Areas Development Plan for the Davis
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes
December 4, 2003
Page 4
Addition, an approximate 25.07-acre property located west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and south of
Highway 1, subject to Army Corps of Engineers permit approval for the proposed Compensatory
Mitigation Plan and recording of the Sensitive Areas Development Plan. Hansen seconded the motion.
Shannon said on the surface, it seemed like a good plan for the property.
Nansen said he seconded for the same reason.
Koppes said she supported the motion because she thought the wetlands would actually be better after
they had been replanted with wetland plants. Anciaux reaffirmed prior comments.
Bovbjerg said the proposal would provide some commercial property and relief from drainage. She liked
the idea of monitoring the wetlands for 5-years and if problems occurred they would be corrected and the
5-year clocks would begin again. She felt this would be good not only for the subdivision but could be a
great demonstration project for those who said it could not be done or it didn't make any difference. She
thought it was also one of the first proposals that the Commission had reviewed that included mitigation,
substituting one area for another as long as it was in the same watershed.
The motion passed on a vote of 6-0.
Motion: Koppes made a motion to approve SUB03-00027, an eight-lot commercial subdivision for a
25.07 acre property located west of Mormon Trek Boulevard and south of Highway 1. Freerks seconded
the motion.
Koppes said she thought this was a good commercial area close to the interstate. She would be
interested to see how quickly the area filled up.
Hansen said he was glad to see the commercial space. Anciaux said he felt this fit the plans for the area.
Shannon said he felt this was a good plan for the area but he was disappointed that Mormon Trek
Boulevlard would not be ready to go clear through to Riverside Drive for quite some time.
The motion passed on a vote of 6-0.
Hansen requested that the Commission receive the Annual Wetland Reports at the first formal meeting of
each calendar year so the Commission could also monitor the progress of this wetland. Behr and Miklo
said the Housing Department automatically received the Plans for their monitoring. Miklo would make a
notation to forward the Plans to the Commissioners.
OTHER:
Discussion of a request submitted by 'The Church in Iowa City' to amend the zoning code to remove the
minimum lot area requirements for religious institutions in the Commercial Office (CO-1) zone.
Miklo said Staff had received a letter requesting an amendment to the Code that was also being
contemplated as part of the Code rewrite. Currently the Commercial Office Zone allowed religious
institutions as provisional uses. The provision that were required to be met were:
· be at least 40,000-square feet in size or approximately one acre
· be located on a collector or arterial street
· the building has to be setback 2 feet for every foot in height.
Miklo said for all other commercial zones, religious institutions were either a permitted use or a special
exception, meaning that they were reviewed by the Board of Adjustment and approved or denied on a
case-by-case basis. On a case-by-case basis, the Board would then set the parameters for use such as
minimum lot size, set-back, etc. The current provisions in the CO-1 zone were similar to the provisions
that applied in residential zones. Miklo said in the re-write of the Code, Staff were contemplating making
this change which would allow religious institutions to be allowed in CO-1 zones either by special
exceptions or a list of special conditions, none of which would stipulate a minimum lot size of 40,000-
square feet. Staff felt that might be excessive in either a commercial or residential zone, it should be done
on a case-by-case basis.
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes
December 4, 2003
Page 5
Miklo said the question before the Commission was,
· did they wish to take the time to amend the Code at this time
· did they wish to direct Staff to study the request in more detail and provide a Staff recommendation at
the January meeting
· did they wish to wait until they had completed the entire Code rewrite process which would be several
months from now?
Miklo said at Monday evening's informal meeting, possible alternatives to amending the Code, such as a
rezoning to Community Commercial, CC-2 had been discussed. This particular CO-1 zone provided a
buffer between a CC-2 zone (retail commercial area) and a multi-family apartment residential area. After
looking at the zoning map, Staff would not advise or recommend a rezoning to CC-2 which would have
implications for the residential area located across the street. It could result in more intensive uses, more
signage or more lighting that would not necessarily be ideal directly across the street from a residential
zone. Miklo said in other parts of the City there were CC-2 zones located directly across from residential
zones, but it was not an ideal situation and Staff would not recommend that it be expanded. Miklo said
Staff would see amending the Code or a rezoning to be of similar seriousness or levels of concern.
Hansen said he had inquired about a rezoning instead of amending the Code, but after looking at the
building and its location, he would not be open to a rezoning but would consider amending the Code. He
felt it would be good for that area not to have another empty building.
Bovbjerg asked if changing the zone of this particular lot would be spot zoning. Miklo said it would not
necessarily be spot zoning as it would be contiguous with CC-2 to the east, but Staff felt it would not be a
good zoning pattern.
Bovbjerg asked if 40,000 square foot meant the entire lot and was that only in the CO-1 zones. Miklo said
it was for the entire lot and it was also required in residential zones. It could not be smaller under other
any other cimumstances. Staff had a concern that that requirement might prohibit smaller chumhes from
locating in neighborhoods where it would be favorable to have small churches versus the large churches
which drew large amounts of traffic. Freerks asked what was the reason for 400,000 square feet in the
first place and why are there several churches that are on smaller parcels.
Miklo said most of the churches on smaller lots were grandfathered in. The 40,000 square foot
requirement went into effect in 1983. He'd heard two explanations. One was that with an acre there was
plenty of room to buffer a building or parking lot from surrounding neighborhoods. The other reason,
perhaps simply hearsay, was that at one time a City Counselor had a concern that churches might try to
locate on Church Street older neighborhood, by buying up several houses and disturbing the residential
neighborhood area. As a discouragement, the minimum was set at 40,000-sq. feet.
Public discussion was opened.
Robert Nelson, 924 Sunset Street, said he was a member of the congregation. They were a small church
with a total of approximately 45 members, generally 35 who attended regularly.
Koppes asked if the petitioners were aware that even if the Commission requested Staff to change the
Code, it would be quite awhile before it made it through City Council. Nelson said he was not exactly
aware of the time frame. In his letter, he had requested the process to be expedited. Miklo said at
minimum, it generally took three months, even if the Council collapsed certain readings of the Ordinance
to speed up the process.
Hansen asked Nelson if that fit his time frame. Nelson said he would say yes, if it had to be, it had to be.
Bovbjerg asked where they were currently meeting. Nelson said right now they had a number of homes
that they met in during the week in Iowa City, Coralville and rural locations. They scheduled meetings so
12-15 persons could meet in a home during various times of the week.
Freerks asked if Nelson saw the property being used as just a church or would there be commercial uses
at all. Nelson said there would be no commercial uses that he was aware of, no bingo or grocery stores. It
would be purely for religious purposes.
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes
December 4, 2003
Page 6
Nelson said he was aware of the statement regarding the required setback from the curb to the front of
the building. He thought the building met the standard in its present condition. They did not plan on
placing any steeples or anything on top of the building. They planned no structural changes to the exterior
of the building at all.
Hansen asked if any members of the congregation lived in that neighborhood? Nelson said they had one
family that lived just east of there, but that had had no bearing on selecting that properly. They had been
looking for a property for well over one and one-half years to try to find someplace to meet. Property was
very expensive in the City. When this place had come on the market, it had seemed like a proper place
for them. The Congregation had told them to make an offer on the property and they had. The current
owner had agreed to their offer providing that zoning be approved, that was a contingency in their
contract.
Freerks asked if there were adequate parking spaces. Miklo said they would have to comply with that
regulation based on the size of the building. Staff had not looked at that in detail. They would need to
consult with the Building Department. Nelson said he had visited the property, there were 28 marked
spaces with additional room for more marked spaces on the lot.
Miklo said for religious institutions, parking was calculated by taking the occupancy load of the main or
largest meeting room and calculating 1/6 of the occupancy load. Most churches provided far more parking
than was required.
Hansen asked if the 28 spaces were all on that particular piece of property. Nelson said they were all on
the building's lot. Freerks and Bovbjerg said often times churches made agreements with adjacent
commercial properties to meet their parking demands on Sundays. Nelson said 28 spaces would be
adequate for the congregation's needs at present. Both the complexes to the north and to the south were
larger commercial complexes and if the need arose they would approach them about using their spaces
for parking overflow on Sundays.
Jeff Edber,q, real estate broker who has this property listed for sale. Edberg said in looking at the zoning,
this building was consistent with the CO-1 zone. CO-1 was typified by the properties that surrounded
Mercy Hospital, it was a buffer between a more intensive use and surrounding residential area. On this
site, the surrounding residential areas were high density so in his opinion it didn't quite fit the zoning of
CO-1, but it still fit the intent. Edberg said he was delighted to have a church try to locate south of Hwy 6,
it would be a real community use of the building. He said the next higher zoning designation was the CN-
1 zone where Eagle Supermarket and Eicher Florist had been located but did not have the 40,000 square
foot restriction. They would support the removal of that restriction from the Code, it was a hindrance in
this particular case. He had been approached by a lot of other potential users but liked the Church's
intended use and would like to see it supported.
Public discussion was closed.
Bovbjerg asked if a special exception could be granted. Miklo said no. There were only two ways the
church could locate on this property, change the zoning to a zone that does not require the 400,000
square foot lot area or amend the zoning code. Staff would not recommend changing the zoning district
designation. Staff felt it was appropriate to buffer apartments from the retail commercial zone because of
the greater potential for signage, bright lights and the amount of traffic generated in a retail zone.
Hansen said he would be willing to amend the Code. He felt it would be a welcome addition to that
neighborhood.
Behr suggested before providing commentary, it would be appropriate to direct Staff to further investigate,
provide a Staff Report and a recommendation. A public hearing would be held at which time members of
the public could voice their opinions regarding changing the zoning code. It would effect not only this
particular property but all Commercial Offices zones throughout the City.
Shannon suggested that Staff be asked to investigate and provide their recommendation in a timely
manner. Hansen said he was strongly in favor of Staff taking a look at this and reporting back to the
Commission about amending the Code.
Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes
December 4, 2003
Page 7
Anciaux said he would like to look at the options that Staff would prepare. Freerks said since they were in
the process of re-writing the Code anyway, if they could help someone out, it might not hurt to look into it.
Koppes asked if Staff received a lot of requests for amendments to the zoning code. Miklo said he would
estimate approximately six per year. In comparison, this particular request was pretty minor compared to
others that Staff had received.
Koppes said she had originally requested a consideration to rezone the area at Monday evening's
meeting to avoid the ordinance change, but she would favor directing Staff to look into the ordinance
change. She would not support rezoning the property.
Hansen said he would not be as open to this if the Commission were not already looking at this as part of
the Code rewrite. Koppes said she would agree with Hansen's statement.
Miklo said Staff would take the Commission's directive to look into the issue and have a memo with Staff
recommendation for either the December 18th or January 15th meeting.
CONSIDERATION OF 11/6/03 and 11/20/03 MEETING MINUTES:
Hansen made a motion to approve the 11/6/03 and 11/20/03 meeting minutes. Shannon seconded the
motion.
The motion passed on a vote of 6-0.
ADJQURNMENT:
Hansen made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:33 pm. Freerks seconded the motion.
The motion passed on a vote of 6-0.
Jerry Hansen, Secretary
Minutes submitted by Candy Barnhill
MINUTES
IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
CIVIC CENTER, LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM
December 17, 2003
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mike Kennedy, Lyra Dickerson, James Anderlik
STAFF PRESENT: Sylvia Mejia, Karen Jennings, Andy Rocca
OTHERS PRESENT: None
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY MANAGER AND STAFF: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: Commissioners recommend that Council
accept the promotional lists for the positions of Fire Lieutenant, Fire Captain, and Fire
Battalion Chief.
SUMMARY OF RELEVANT DISCUSSION:
Chairperson Kennedy called the meeting to order at 8:15AM. First order of business
was certification of the promotional lists for the positions of Fire Lieutenant, Fire
Captain, and Fire Battalion Chief. Mejia provided a brief overview of the testing
process. There were twenty applicants for the position of Fire Lieutenant, fourteen
participated in the assessment center and a list of ten is presented for certification.
Chapter 400 of the Iowa Code limits promotional lists to ten names. There were eight
candidates for the position of Fire Captain and a list of eight names is presented for
certification. Finally, there were nine applicants for the position of Battalion Chief, two
candidates withdrew and a list of five is presented for certification.
Chief Rocca indicated that he had heard nothing but positive comments from
employees who participated in the process. Candidates indicated they were put at
ease by the facilitator and felt good about the process. Mejia noted that the assessors
communicated that they were very impressed with the quality of Iowa City Fire
personnel and that the assessment centers appeared to be a positive experience for all
involved.
Mejia explained the additional request to the Commission that the list be approved as a
three-year list. The Code states that promotional lists are effective for two years,
however, Fire certified promotional lists can be effective for three years if so approved
by the Civil Service Commission. Due to the expense involved in the promotional
testing process, Iow anticipated turnover in the Fire Department, and administrative
difficulties in filling acting duty assignments that resulted from not having a current
effective list over the past year, the City requested that the Commission approve the
lists presented as three-year lists.
Dickerson asked about the potential for diversifying the list if testing were conducted in
two years rather than three and Mejia and Rocca explained that there was not a high
likelihood that the applicant pool would be significantly more diversified if promotional
testing were conducted in two years rather than three. Dickerson moved that the
Commission accept each of the certified lists as proposed and that those lists remain in
effect for three years. Kennedy seconded and all were in favor.
Old business: None
New business: None
Dickerson moved and Kennedy seconded a motion to adjourn. All were in favor.
Meeting adjourned at 8:33AM.
Kennedy moved and Dickerson seconded a motion to adjourn. All in favor, meeting
adjourned at 8:20AM.
December 17, 2003 CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826
(319) 356-5000
TO: The Honorable Mayer and the City Council (]19) ]s6-soo9 FAX
www.icgov.org
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination - FIRE LIEUTENANT
We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission if Iowa City,
Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position
of Fire Lieutenant for a period of three years.
Marc Reyhons
Eric Nurnberg
Troy Roth
Zach Hickman
Axel Swanson
Adam Riss
Dennis Hansen
Greg -I'innes
Dan Buser
Brandon Smith
IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Michael W. Kennedy, C~r
Lyra ~. Dickerson
]ar~ L. Anderlik
Marian Karr, City Clerk
December 17, 2003 CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Was]~ington Street
Iowa City, Iowa $2240-]826
(319) 356-5000
TO: The Honorable Mayer and the City Council (3~9) ]s6-soo9 tAX
www.icgov.org
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination - FIRE C.~PTAIN
We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission if Iowa City,
Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position
of Fire Captain for a period of three years.
Ken Brown
Brian Platz
Bob Henry
Chris Bok
Brian Greer - tie
Steve Stimmel - tie
Scott Goolsby
Brian Rohr
IOWA CI'TY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Michael W. Ken~edy~/~air
· Dickerson
Jarr~ L. ^nderlik
Marian Kart, Ci~ Clerk
December 17, 2003 CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 £ast Washington Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826
1319) 356-5000
TO: The Honorable Mayer and the City Council
RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination - FIRE BA'rI'ALION CHIEF
We, the undersigned members of the Civil Service Commission if Iowa City,
Iowa, do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position
of Fire BaU~lion Chief for a period of three years.
Larry Kahler
Bob Henry
.lohn Grier
Chris Bok
Steve Stimmel
IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Michael W. Kennedy, Chair
LyralW. Dickerson
.lame ~derlik
Mar~n Karr, City Clerk