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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-02-14 TranscriptionFebruary 14, 1996 Council Work Session 9:30 AM Council: Nov, Baker, Kubby, Lehman, Norton, Thornberry, Vanderhoef. Staff: Atkins, Helling, Karr, Dollman, Fowler, Logsdon, Davidson, Severson, Yucuis. Tapes: 96-27, all; 96-28, Side 1. Aid to Agencies 96-27 S1 Linda Severson/ First of all I would like to thank Dean and Karen. They came and Naomi and several other people came to a number of the joint funding hearings and we appreciate that. I also want to thank Dean and Karen for spending a considerable amount of time looking at what agencies had requested and what we have available and that is always a challenge every year. We would like to fund people... be able to consider funding people at what they request but that is not the reality. So, Dean and Karen had to make some decisions and I believe they both compromised and reached a middle ground that hopefully will work for everybody. If you look at your form, you see the agencies on the left hand side listed and those are the agencies in the first section that the city has currently and historically been funding and as you look down towards the bottom, we have two new requests from agencies that have not historically received funding from the city. If we go over to allocated FY96 that is what the city funded the agencies in this FY. The next column if we go over to the division line we have what the agencies requested in their budget requests. We have what that meant in terms of dollar increase and then percentage increase. Then our last two columns on our form are what Karen and Dean recommend that the city fund the agencies at and then we have a percentage increase. HACAP...did not request any increase. They were the only agency that didn't. Biggest increase we had was with the Emergency Housing Project and that was a 25% increase which may seem big .... dollar amount... just $1,500. Important to look at dollar increase as well as percentage .... Our recommendation is to go to $7,500 ..... as really increased programming .... early bird program. People who come in have to make a commitment to develop a plan to improve their lives and I think that is really changing the make up of the EHP and is putting some expectations on the people who use that service and I think that is a real plus .... County...across the board 3% but with EHP they funded them at a higher level .... Are there any questions or comments? Baker/ I just have a question .... Why the proposed percentage increases vary with each particular agency instead of just Thisrepresents only ereasonablyeccuretetranscriptton ofthelowe City councilmeetlng of Februe~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 council Work Session Page 2 across the board? .... Kubby/ Because agencies are doing different things at different levels .... But we wanted to look at each agency... Coralville did do something funding of things .... Look at each agency individually and the services they provide. Severson/ .... purpose of the joint funding process is to hear what agencies are doing and what their needs are and address those individually .... Thornberry/..... The county did 3% across the board and so did Coralvzlle with zero increase across the board. Severson/ Coralville .... did recommend funding for two agencies and they recommended some money for Free Medical Clinic and Red Cross .... recognition of the importance of those services .... Thornberry/ I was a little upset that they didn't bother to show up at the meeting. Severson/ They both had had previous commitments .... met with them on Tuesday. Norton/ Are we getting any data on Coralville's actual participation in these programs? .... I am always curious do we have data on usage of any of these services? Kubby/ Norton/ Does Coralville respond to that? Severson/ .... It is always in the budget book in terms of the number of people they serve from Iowa City, Johnson County, Coralville and others ..... Red Cross, in terms of their response to emergency situations. They broke out the last 2-3 years of what percentage was Coralville and what percentage was Iowa City .... Kubby/ I think the pressure is on Coralville... saying Coralville you are growing, a greater percentage of people each year are using these services... you need to respond by helping to fund ..... Kubby/ Severson/ It was just a few years ago where Coralville never sent This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 3 anybody .... taking a little more responsibility ..... Norton/ What is the rationale for Youth Homes routinely falling through the cracks here? Severson/ In terms of their request, Dee? Norton/ They don't seem to get funded ..... Severson/ They are funded but they have never been funded by this city .... One rationale might be they get state and federal dollars. So they do have another source of funding as opposed to the Crisis Center which is all donations of city county funding .... Youth Homes... programs are fee for service They have other sources of funding .... Nov/ Also they did get a lot of city money for capital... buildings .... Norton/ ..... different varieties .... What is the rationale behind county, city, Coralville funding? .... Severson/ .... may be individual public officials interest in particular agencies .... I think it is a combination of a number of variables and what may be a hot spot this year .... history and preferences or interests on the particular body that is funding and community needs... hot issue. Thornberry/ I really would like to thank Susan Horowitz for having me on this committee. It has been some time but I learned a lot about a lot of agencies that I didn't know about... working with Karen on this budget, Ernie, do you want to try next time? I did the best I could. Nov/ This is a very tough and very involved process .... time for new people to get involved .... Thornberry/ .... I had to do some soul searching .... I didn't get down to budget .... but it's not that far off budget... $723... Kubby/ It is .05% off budget .... Thornberry/ I know but I don't like to be off budget... Council/ (All talking). Severson/ I did notice one mistake while I was sitting here waiting This represents only 8 reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14. 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 4 to present. $383,352 .... 25% cut .... The final figure on that bottom line should be Also .... we had the word from HUD .... looking at initially the picture was more bleaker .... Nov/ I have just one question. We had a letter from Pat Jordan because she said nobody from the city was at the hearing for her presentation ..... I assumed that both of you did listen to the tapes on that meeting. Kubby/ I did not listen to the tapes. I read the packet and called Pat with questions. Severson/ Nov/ The book that has been presented is always thorough but I just wanted to know. Norton/ Severson/ You have to have a plan... identifying resources. I think that is a real positive move on EHP's part. Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 council Work Session Page 5 Transit 96-27 S1 Atkins/ The next item... have Joe come to the microphone and kind of step you through ...transit alternatives. Kubby/ Did you bring a map? Atkins/ We have maps. Give us about two minutes to get set up .... Nov/ I think it is easier to have a live piece of paper rather than an overhead .... Fowler/ We tried to put the options together based on what we heard as the directive from council at the last meeting. The factors we were taking into consideration were eliminating the scheduled o.t. time, reduction in Saturday service and maintain the additional budgeting framework between $80,000- $100,000. That is what we heard .... On Saturday service there were two different options for Saturday service. One would be the elimination of one hour service which would be starting at 7:00 instead of starting at 6:00. Currently there are about 50 passengers riding at this hour. All routes would stay the same under this scenario and projected savings would be $12,000. Second option that we looked at would be to combine several of the Saturday routes .... The combinations were to combine Westwinds and Plaenview routes ..... Part of the service area that is lost is (refers to map) .... This is what we did to the night service was we dropped going into the neighborhoods .... There has been any complaints about reducing that level at night. The other one was to combine the Broadway and the Mall routes and this would be a very busy trip (refers to map) .... Mall Drive and Eastdale would be the ones that would be affected there. The other route would be to drop the day time Seventh Avenue and combine it with the current Towncrest (refers to map) .... It would be similar to the current night service on the Towncrest route. Logsden/ It would normally run more down Muscatine Avenue (refers to map) .... instead we have it drop down and come across .... Kubby/ Fowler/ The inbound lsn t on this map (refers to map). It would be the regular Saturday schedule. Kubby/ In terms of that Broadway Mall combination, can that really be run in half an hour? .... There is a lift on there .... Th~srepres~nts~n~yareas~n~b~yaccuratetranscript~n~fthei~w~Cityc~unci~mee~ng~fFebmmy14~1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 council Work Session Page 6 Fowler/ That one would be 45 minutes the driver would have on that route. But it would be a very crowded bus .... Logsden/ Norton/ Lakeside would still be operating? Fowler/ Yes. Norton/ . That Mall route, couldn't of ~%' be traded off to Lakeside? points. some of the Broadway parts They actually overlap at Fowler/ (Refers to map) They overlap in this area and serve the same neighborhood. Norton/ But you are not figuring to change Lakeside? Fowler/ No. Kubby/ Wouldn't it even out the routes to do that? Norton/ Just thinking of trying to balance that route .... Fowler/ Lakeside has to go all the way out to Bon Aire. The Broadway, that is the current night service now (refers to map) is the Broadway and Lakeside overlap. Nov/ There were quite a few people who came to the hearing who lived in trailer parks. I think we really have to serve those. Norton/ I was just thinking of cutting the Broadway section south of Highway 6 because Lakeside goes right through that section. You guys know more about it than I do .... just looks to me visually that Broadway and Lakeside are pretty close together through that Grantwood section .... it is going to be tough. Fowler/ This is the combination that works at night now is the reason .... Nov/ Does Saturday have more riders than night service? Fowler/ Yeah, Saturday afternoons are very busy... higher ridership than mid-day during the week. Kubby/ Which gets to the questions of should we be doing this if ridership is more because we hadn't originally been talking This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 7 about changing Saturday service. we wanted to look at it. Nov/ One of our original thoughts... was mid-day Saturday was as low as night service but I am not hearing that. Vanderhoef/ It is early morning that is low on Saturdays .... Nov/ There is still people that have to work on Saturday. Norton/ I went back and looked at Iowa 2000 statement and what we are doing here is almost antithetical to everything that was said in the transportation section .... Kubby/ It would be good to review that .... Thornberry/ I don't think we can be all things to all people. Norton/ I think we have to recognize that a lot of good people participated in this exercise and put together these things... The transit service, frequent enough and late enough in the evening that transit is perceived as a reasonable alternative. And they said financing arrangements will eliminate annual fiscal ~lnerability of public transit and paratransit. Here we go. Nov/ ...that is a tough one. Fowler/ If you look at the numbers .... the afternoon ridership on Saturday service is very good. Kubby/ What do you think the effects will be on those busy routes by using our current night service on Saturday? Fowler/ The Broadway Mall bus will be standing room only bus .... Kubby/ Is there a way to have most of the routes be like night time service... but some of those busier routes have the regular mid-day service? Fowler/ The problem that we ran into was following the blanket approach to service and so to continue service Manville/North Dodge, places that don't have as much ridership at the same level as the rest of the community, we had to combine the routes that were close together .... areas with the highest ridership. Kubby/ Is it possible to have everything else combined and have the Thlsrepresentsonlyareasonablyaccuratetranscription ofthelowaCity council meetingofFebruary 14.1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 council Work Session Page 8 Mall and Broadway Street be separate? ..... Fowler/ One of the responses or inputs from drivers that we have received would be the more we can keep the service similar to what it is now, the less confusing it will become to the public .... I will jump to the end .... We have made these signs up through a trade agreement with the Press Citizen. We have purchased the frames and they are doing the printing of the schedules. So whatever alterations we do, we would like to expand this program... where it is going to go on several routes .... throughout the community so people will be able to walk up to a sign and know what time of day and what day a week service will be. Nov/ Great. Fowler/ We have worked on this for about six months with the Press Citizen and so we are- $90 a sign. Funds that have previously been used on other advertising and use it to advertise ourselves on signs. Our advertising budget would be going towards spreading these signs throughout the community. Kubby/ You can see where the bus stop is a little better ..... Lehman/ Especially if you start changing routes it is all right there. ' Thornberry/ And you have the route on the thing .... Council/ (All talking). Vanderhoef/ You could put a red X on the spot. Nov/ Signs will have individual times .... Thornberry/ Then you will know where the bus is going .... Council/ (All talking). Thornberry/ Where are the frames coming from? Logsden/ They are made by , a company out of New York. They have rubber gaskets and it seals out the moisture ..... Nov/ So this is something that substitutes for the kind of sign that is there now? Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14.1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Logsden/ No, that will be there .... Nov/ In addition to what is already there, Vanderhoef/ It all goes on one post. Page 9 okay. Fowler/ We think any changes that are made, that doing that signing would be appropriate and beneficial to the public. Kubby/ So, how are people feeling about combining? Doing night time service on Saturdays? Fowler/ The only difference between the current night time service and the proposal would be the Oakcrest route would remain instead of being combined with the Westport .... And there is no service out to the Thatcher Baculis area. Under this proposal they would remain separate and that area would still get service. Kubby/ We do have some separate routes. So if we wanted to separate out Broadway that is possible since we are already doing. Fowler/ Then the Hawkeye was added onto this because at night there is no service out there. Vanderhoef/ What would be the additional cost to separate out Broadway? Fowler/ It is $33 an hour roughly. Vanderhoef/ Instead of combining the two which is what Karen is is crowded? So we are going to do it asking about .... Thornberry/ Saturday afternoon all day? Fowler/ It would be $21,000. Council/ (All talking). Norton/ Has the Cambus been Fowler/ Lehman/ Fowler/ looked at thoroughly in this process? Cambus doesn't start running on Saturday until noon. Do they know something we don't? They are serving a different community that maybe sleeps Thisrepresents only oreasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 10 later. Norton/ I keep worrying about any bus of ours going out Melrose .... Fowler/ Currently Cambus doesn't go out on Melrose during the day and through the agreement between the city and Cambus they aren't to pick anyone up between Hawkeye and University again .... Leb_man/ I personally have no problem with the bus being crowded. Norton/ Some virtue to that. Lehman/ If they are so full that we can't carry everybody, that concerns me .... Norton/ They haven't been in Rome lately .... Lehman/ ...going to have to be as lean and trim as we can be .... Nov/ My guess is a lot of these will be crowded in the winter and not in the summer. People are going to ride their bikes more often. Which are the two crowded ones that you are combining? Broadway and which other? Fowler/ Mall. Norton/ Is Lakeside also a crowded one? .... Refinements out of there may still be possible because of the overlap. Kubby/ The important part is not make this decision and six months later change routes again .... When we put information out to people it is not a different ball game every year or something. Nov/ We should think about this a bit before we actually make a decision. Thornberry/ Those guys are in the transit business. We are really not .... council/ (All talking). Kubby/ Is it possible to reconfigure the routes so there isn't duplication between the Broadway Mall and the Lakeside? Fowler/ The only duplication right now is this little stretch right Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 11 here (refers to map) .... Kubby/ What is the longest anyone has to walk on that? (Refers to map) .... six blocks or something? Fowler/ Hard to tell on this. Could be six blocks from over by the current grade school .... Baker/ Joe, can I ask you a question about your figure sheet? If you take both options on Saturday service, you talk about saving $56,000. Look at page 3 and you talking about Saturday savings and it never gets above $48-.... Seem like you should be using the $56- figure. So the net cost, for example on #5, would be $56- Norton/ We are not talking about cutting out that early morning hour, are we? Fowler/ If you cut out the morning hour you could add $12,000 to each of those. Our feelings on the morning hour are that there are about 50 people riding, about 50% on those are on two routes, Westwinds and the Hawkeye and we felt... those are transit dependent people going to work at that time of day on a Saturday .... So when we went to the other projections, we didn't include that $12,000. It could be either or and both. Norton/ When do we have to decide? Kubby/ We have the budget figure in. Thornberry/ I would like to save money as soon as possible .... It needs to be looked at for sure. Nov/ The effective date should be July 1 because that is when the effective date of the price of the ride changes .... My preference that we make this decision at least six weeks ahead of time and do six weeks worth of good publicity and education for those who are riding. Norton/ But in terms of putting this budget we got to get a number in there if some kind. Nov/ We put in the $100,000 last week and the specifics of how to allocate it among routes is just something that we have to decide. Norton/ .... just want to soak a little bit on this. Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetranscription oftholowa Citycouncil meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 12 Nov/ I prefer to not make any decisions tonight. Atkins/ I want to step through the financing with you .... Let me do a little summary for you. Rubby/ What would happen if we said get a committee of Steve, transit management, transit maintenance people and transit riders and see if there is a way to save $50,000 without any noticeable changes of services to people? What would that be or how close could you get to that? ..... put your heads together and figure out a feasible way to save X amount of money .... Maybe they would come up with $25,000 worth of savings. Norton/ Tough if personnel decisions are implied though .... Kubby/ Norton/ But you are asking people in some ways to cut their own throats. Kubby/ My suggestion was finding a way to save X amount of money without any noticeable change to the customer. Is it possible? Norton/ Kubby/ Then what I am suggesting then is things that aren't personnel related. Nov/ They did ask the drivers for opinions on this .... Atkins/ Let me step you through. Take this handout (Handout: City of Iowa City Transit Fund FY97-FY99 Schedule YY 2/14/96). Some old information. You can see the bottom line where it says total expenditures ..... Here is what we did .... We adjusted the SEATS contract, the $550,000 from the $448- that we had in the budget. That number is in this. That is not fixed yet .... Remember it was $600 and something. Secondly we assumed that the rate increase would go into affect on July 1. The original budget you had on January 1. That is a net increase in revenue. Thirdly, we added $80,000 in services added back .... Now, you will see under ending balance FY97, $196,891. As you read across the ending balance declines in '98 and in '99 we are in the hole. With no changes, making those adjustments, that will be the financial position of this fund in '99 .... to do what you want to do we can fund for two years. It is the third year that sneaks up on us. Thlsrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthelowe Citycouncll meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 13 Kubby/ That is assuming that we are not successful in our lobbying to Congress to restore federal operating funds. Atkins/ But there is another element, you will see our revised General Fund cash balance numbers, $6.1 million, $5.4 million, $4.3 million. Those are less than, because you have to come up with the $80,000 somewhere, than in the budget proposal. My concern is not so much for '97 and '98. But making the F¥99 decision of $4.395- plus the sale of the peninsula put you at $5.5- We do dip below that 20% number that I like to maintain. So, there are risks involved... Any reductions you make anywhere else in the budget .... improves that financial position .... Kubby/ Isn't it in FY99 or 2000 where we are going to have six officers that are being paid for by the federal government...? Atkins/ That is correct and what I would be proposing to do .... since we don't know what the state is going to do. We do have available to us that Tort Liability Levy .... our cost of insurance is a separate tax levy... that is sitting out there. Norton/ Conceivable that we weren't going to totally add six .... attrition .... Atkins/ The original grant called for eight. We chose to hire six. We have built on that we have attrition planned on or around year 2000 ..... fourth year of assumptions .... know where you are going. Norton/ Don't want to make it look like transit if carrying this whole burden .... Atkins/ .... You are always going to have constituent interest groups .... Loads of conflicts. I wanted you to have some idea of the numbers. That that is where you are. Vanderhoef/ ..... Atkins/ That $90,000 is extended and thought to be part of this financing. Now, we have not dealt with the issue of parking .... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-27 SIDE 2 Vanderhoef/ Transfer that $90,000 in the year '99 .... Thisrepresents only areesonably accurate transcription ofthelowa City council meeting of Februa~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 14 Thornberry/ I think we should be talking to Coralville... as far as seeing- I am sure they are looking at the same thing .... Atkins/ Their problem is a little different. Use it or lose it. Rate structure, they don't have city wide. They have different policies ..... Jeff gave it to me the other day. They did a consolidation study back in '90 and I will give you a copy of that .... (Handout: Transit Consolidation Study for the Iowa City Urbanized Area May 1990). Kubby/ ...figure out .... with different purposes still work together well. Atkins/ My reading of it is the issues are very relevant in today's circumstances even though it is five years old. Vanderhoef/ Do we have any figures to tell us the salary line in total with their benefit package of bus drivers and so fourth? Atkins/ We just approved a three year contract. Our salary projects are going to be right on .... Vanderhoef/ Both cities are going to be paying the same? Atkins/ I would suspect that Coralville is generally not going to be way way off from us .... Biggest concern would be a huge aberration in health insurance or something .... Vanderhoef/ Atkins/ Hour per hour is higher than theirs, our wage .... AFSCME .... I am more comfortable with these numbers than I have been in a long time because of... three year contract. The thing I think you need to know is that we use up-If you read across to the Reserve position, we have kept it in the $200,000 range. You get yourself through two FYs .... 99 is the one that I am nervous about. Norton/ It really isn't prudent to let ourselves let that reserve drop down that far. We have got to cover our fannies. Atkins/ The overall cash reserve for the General Fund .... other decisions have a direct relevance on what you do with this service .... I think you have to consider the whole fund as well as the Transit operations .... If you do make service reductions, then we change those numbers .... Thisrepresents only areasonobly accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 15 Kubby/ .... we configure the routes to still have that philosophy of blanket coverage .... Davidson/ If council wants to keep the policy as you put it blanket coverage .... If council chooses to change that and go to more of identify where the potential ridership is the highest and focus the service in those areas, possibly have some low ridership areas that don't have service, then we need to go back to the drawing board. Kubby/ There is not a more efficient way than what we have already got of where the buses go? Baker/ With a blanket policy. Norton/ What you are saying is Coralville doesn't have a blanket policy? Davidson/ Coralville focuses their services on the areas where there are apartments ..... Thornberry/ Higher ridership areas. Davidson/ North of 1-80 which is the higher income area, Coralville has very little service .... Norton/ I do think we have to look at it .... Thornberry/ If we went down and just made arterials .... Kubby/ You would find a lot more people, for example in my neighborhood, riding SEATS .... Thornberry/ First Avenue is an arterial .... Kubby/ Thornberry/ I am just thinking of looking at all new routes and maybe looking at something other than a blanket. Surely go to the trailer parks, go to the Broadways where ridership is highest. Arkins/ There are always ways of looking at it .... bottom line is you are in the midst of a budget review. You have to decide if this $80,000 of services you want back in the budget .... That you want this rate increase to go into affect .... you can approve the budget .... Thlsrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 16 Nov/ We don't need to design the routes today. Atkins/ We will be back at you real quickly on this .... We need a lot of publicity to make this thing work .... Kubby/ Is it possible .... peak time is important... Is it possible to have a future system where you end of with peak time blanket, day time-...? Davidson/ ...All areas of Coralville have peak hour service. The off peak night and Saturday service is just to high ridership areas .... . Kubby/ .... The overtime is a small percentage of the budget and one of the effects of not having the planned overtime ..... having part time positions .... Norton/ Thornberry/ When you start paying people .... then talk to me about scheduling overtime... If you start scheduling overtime you are asking for trouble. Kubby/ We cannot do overtime and not make what are currently full time positions part time positions. I don't want them to take people who are currently full time positions .... and to make it part time position. I think it is important to have full time positions. Thornberry/ If you can pay for it that is fine. Fowler/ Part of the problem on the full time positions is the length of service that we currently have because we are running like just an hour longer than two full time positions. To eliminate the overtime, you would have to either cut the service back of cut those into two part time positions so that each one was getting paid straight time for that extra hour. It also have to do.. using interchange as transfer points... drivers at the end of their shift .... Several factors that come into play .... Kubby/ Logsden/ As a rule it is about 15 minutes and 45 minutes. It is about four routes that has 45 minutes at the most scheduled overtime per day ..... Usually on Saturday that is broken down... Monday through Friday you have four routes with about Thisrepresents only ereasonablyaccuratetrenscriptlon ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of Februa~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 17 45 minutes ...... For the contract we have to pay them for driving time from the Transit facility d.t ..... Thornberry/ I see a problem with scheduling overtime, period. If you can't schedule your bus drivers to work within an eight hour work day you need a new scheduler. You can do that. Kubby/ I don't want to change what are currently full time positions into part time positions ..... Thornberry/ Karen, it is not either part time or overtime. I am not saying that. I am saying full time but no overtime .... Full time isn't exactly 40 hours .... Maybe they are wrong. Maybe they could schedule differently and have them full time without overtime. Kubby/ Is that possible? Thornberry/ That is possible. Nov/ Thornberry/ I am not saying it is simple. Baker/ I agree with you in theory .... consequences are minuscule. Thornberry/ Are they? .... Norton/ 1.4% of the budget .... Thornberry/ Baker/ I have always said the function of city government is not to provide employment. It is to provide service .... We are doing a service .... Thornberry/ If we are going to be changing routes, if we are going to be changing the amount that we charge our customers .... let's change the policy where we don't pay any overtime. Baker/ Vanderhoef/ We have a lot of scheduling that goes on with people working four day weeks and working longer hours and still only doing a 40 hour week .... Over a two week pay period you still are only putting in your 80 hours .... may not look like a traditional 8 hour day .... We could schedule a 40 hour week Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthelowa City council meeting of Fabruary 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 18 without overtime and still accomplish the same thing. Thornberry/ Do you pay every two weeks? Can you work someone 45 hours one week, 35 hours the next week and not pay overtime? Helling/ No, that is not union contract. That is federal Fair Labor law .... Vanderhoef/ As long as we go 40/40, we are okay. Thornberry/ You can't go 45 and 35 .... Fowler/ Our current contract is anything over 8 hours in a day is overtime unless there is a side letter of agreement that everybody would agree to. The other thing that we put in the memo is that after you establish the hours that you want us to operate the system, then we can go back and look at the schedules of the employees .... Kubby/ Fowler/ If you give us the guideline and then you tell us what you want and we will put together the best package what we can and come back and show you. Thornberry/ Nov/ Let's get to the point where each of us will go home and study this and try to come back with a decision and we will meet again. I can't make a decision today. Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 19 SEATS 96-27 $2 Kubby/ There are two other things that we didn't really get to last time .... SEATS ..... explicit decisions about fare, tax, hours of operation, eligibility requirements .... haven't made decisions about those. Nov/ .... I think we have done as much as we can for today. SEATS Atkins/ I wanted to have some idea of what you wanted us to do with the county ...general direction .... We just need to find how hard you want me to push .... Kubby/ I think we should bargain as hard as we can .... I know that the figure of $550- with a increase up to our fair share .... It is our obligation to negotiate as hard as possible. Atkins/ If you tell me to negotiate as hard as possible I am assuming you are saying I can pull out as many stops as I want. Kubby/ What does that mean? .... Arkins/ We need to suggest to them it may be better .... everything is open. Vanderhoef/ There has to be a consequence or you are not bargaining for power. I am sorry. Arkins/ If we bargain we have to accept certain consequences .... Kubby/ One of the things that may change my mind about wanting the county to run the service .... these fiscal changes .... As far as we have information and that if Iowa City would run the paratransit service for the metropolitan area, the possibilities of using the smaller vehicles for the night service might change these numbers for FY99 .... could help us evolve into a different kind of program. Arkins/ ...for us to schedule as we see fit .... type of vans we have. Kubby/ ..... you could still have blanket service but have different kind of vehicles doing it. Arkins/... as long as the service is available. Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription oftholowa City council meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 20 Kubby/ That could change what we decided. It may have an affect on how I look at the policy decisions .... Atkins/ We have $550- in this budget, inflation adjusted at 3.5% a year. Do it is $550-, $580-, $600- in this budget .... Norton/ Nov/ What we are dealing with in SEATS is a cost that at far greater than any other cost that we have budget. The rate is just terrible. is going up in our city Lehman/ .... I really don't think anybody knows exactly what the costs are. We are basically negotiating from a position of ignorance. We gave them some criteria that we would like for this year. We got information back .... We are going to have some very very credible information. I agree totally with you... I would like to see us have a contract with SEATS that is fair .... And I think we need to work our fannies off... to see if we can't put together a combined system of Coralville and SEATS and run our own. Norton/ Lehman/ If we can possibly combine Iowa City Transit and Coralville Transit and SEATS, I think that there would be a substantial savings. Norton/ We are pretty well committed to that .... where is our focus right now? Lehman/ Kubby/ Set a goal at try to be at $500,000 to $550,000 .... Lehman/ I don't think that we have the information to say that .... You will be able to tell us more about what we could reasonable expect to get from SEATS .... We have not information .... We don't know how accurate it is .... Fowler/ I think the major thing is when they go to their computerized system, we can then say go back to our original idea of dedicating vehicles to the urban areas and say okay, instead of funding a percent of 11, we want to fund 100% of five and they show us what kind of service with this computer... do a day's service and see what kind of service we are going to get and then go with six. I think maybe we can Thlsrepresents onlyareasonably accur~etranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of Februaryl4.19961 WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 21 look at can the number of vehicles be number, done through the computer .... actual facts .... level of service that reduced... realistic Be able to have some can be achieved. Nov/ Do we have a person, a programmer that knows how to do that kind of program? .... Fowler/ The system the county just bought with the funds that were left over several years ago will do that, yeah. Kubby/ .... Fowler/ Balance where we can get the best deal for us .... best deal overall. Baker/ Atkins/ My understanding, Larry, is the $600,000 plus that originally went in. They came back...okay, we will do it for $550- Norton/ Why did that drop? Lehman/ I have no idea .... Kubby/ I think they saw what a huge increase that was and that we were bulking at it. Norton/ $636- or something was the original numbers. $670- counting the cab .... Vanderhoef/ Are we planning as a council to look at policies on the ridership for some of these? ..... Baker/ Lehman/ They are based on last year's policies .... No changes. Fowler/ If we would go to the county and say we are only going to pay $500,000 instead of $550-, I would assume they would reduce the number of vehicles doing the service .... They will make the adjustment in service to you. Thornberry/ But you wouldn't go in with that attitude, right? .... I will go with you. Norton/ Why don't we consider the policy issues... because, for Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthelowa City council meeting of Februa~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 22 example, if we say we are going to charge $1.50 per ride, period, that changes the game somewhat doesn't it? And then say... we would hope that you could come up with a contract below $550- I ~hink we ought to make those changes first .... We have to decide on those, don't we? Kubby/ Naomi is saying maybe not today. Nov/ I would be happy to make that decision today. I think the price per ride ought to be $1.50 and I think if the price per ride were $1.50 there would be some people who have the choice of riding on fixed route bus who would make that choice. Kubby/ Also talked about a sliding scale waiver versus a flat zero waiver because 50% of the riders are using the 100% waiver and I think we all kind of agree that that wasn't appropriate anymore° Nov/ I would say a waiver might be available only for those who bought a pass or a strip ticket and the cost per ride is the cost per ride, period. I think we have to get to the point when we are talking about a low income waiver, we justify it based on income and we do it similarly to what we have talked about on the fixed route... low income waiver on a monthly pass. Not on a single ride. Vanderhoef/ I go with that. Thornberry/ Nov/ Kubby/ It is especially difficult sometimes for people with disabilities even though they might have a job that pays a lot of money. They might have a lot of medical expenses that aren't covered by insurance or they have a lot of extra expenses because of assistance that they need .... Thornberry/ Karen, I think you can always find exceptions to everything .... we can't cover everything. Kubby/ I think we should have a sliding scale waiver for rides, too, because the amount of twice as much. Norton/ Is this the day to make those decisions and what is the list because it does include the age thing? .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. W$021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 23 Nov/ ...He obviously feels that anybody who has lived 55 years is entitled to a free ride and we don't agree with that. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/ Nov/ Let's start. Steve, do you want to begin. Vanderhoef/ I am definitely supporting $1.50 for all riders. I like the strip ticket with the savings that you can get from having this. I would like to see age not be a criteria for a ride on the bus unless there is a disability documented then I choose to ask them to ride the regular transit. Kubby/ How do you feel about grandparenting in the folks .... four people who currently ride who are older who do not have a disability? Vanderhoef/ Kubby/ We know who those four people are. There are only four people who ride SEATS who qualify only on the age eligibility. Baker/ One of them is my aunt, She is 85 .... she would never be certifiably disabled. Vanderhoef/ When I say disabled... there are certain maladies with congestive failure and such like that are not apparent when you see someone walk a short distance. And it can be documented easily by a physician. Kubby/ That is what the SEATS folks are telling me there are four people who don't have any of that who are currently getting it. I am suggesting we grandparent those four people .... They know who they are. So it is not a nightmare. Vanderhoef/...straight out, go and get it documented that I physically cannot do it. Thornberry/ The SEATS bus isn't picking them up to take them over to the tennis courts. Kubby/ We don't judge where people are going. Thornberry/ If those follr people were going to the tennis courts everyday, I would have a problem .... Thlsrepresents onlysreasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City councilmeetingofFebrua~ 14.1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 24 Baker/ Ernie says it may not be legal. Norton/ I don't see any reason to have a particular category .... Kubby/ I am talking about providing them rides, SEATS rides with a discount. I think maybe about two different things. not giving them we are talking Lehman/ I still think it may not be legal. That is discriminatory against everybody else who is over 60 that we don't give rides to ..... Kubby/ .... We could ask our attorney if we wanted to do it .... Nov/ We could say if someone is over 75 they don't have to document a disability ..... But it would apply to everyone over 75 .... Norton/ Baker/ Raise the age and let it go .... Thornberry/ I think we should eliminate age. I don't think age should get you in. Nov/ I know people at 80 and 85 who walk a few blocks .... other people... they don't walk a few blocks. council/ Nov/ Do you have anything to add to what she said? Thornberry/ No age requirement. Nov/ Dee Norton, do you have anything to add to what she said? Norton/ I don't know what the strip ticket cost is. $1.50 ride is fine to me. Age out and some kind of process for defining inability to use the bus. I don't know what we are doing on the low income side of this. Are people going to qualify somehow? Thornberry/ Just because they don't make very much money they can ride he SEATS? Norton/ Not disabled or- Thornberry/ Yeah. Thisrepresents only areasonablyaccuratetranscription ofthelowa City councilmeetlngofFebruew 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 25 Norton/ Low income policy like we have in other areas is all I am wondering about. Nov/ So we are saying if you are eligible for SEATS and are low enough income, you can have a discount on a strip ticket. What do people think about a discount on a monthly pass? Kubby/ Of course ..... Logsden/ Right now we have a monthly pass. They are twice what our regular monthly pass are for fixed route. They are $36 and we have a ten punch card that is right now is only $10 .... would go to $15. If you discount the punch card, you could discount the monthly passes. We don't presently have strip tickets for paratransit. Nov/ We will take out the word strip and we will put in punch. Kubby/ I think we should also have a sliding scale. We are going from zero to $1.50 for every ride .... makes it more expensive .... Thornberry/ This isn't going to go in affect until ..... Nov/ July 1st. Thornberry/ Let them know right away and they can save $.50 a week and they will have enough for two strip tickets by July. Kubby/ I think we should have a sliding scale waiver for the- Atkins/ The fixed route system is about a $1.50 per ride. SEATS is about $9.00. So keep in mind proportionately what you are spending to subsidize the operation to begin with .... Baker/ I have no problem charging the people who are qualified the $1.50 .... low income policy .... I feel comfortable saying .... 75 ..... I know some people who are over 75 who are not disabled but they are not functioning in such a way that they could take advantage of a fixed route system ..... anybody over 75 ..... eliminate a lot of people. Lehman/ Baker/ Thornberry/ I know two ladies who go to bridge every week riding Thls represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Clty council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 26 SEATS and I can go on and on and on ..... Kubby/ By looking at them you can't say they don't have a disability that would prevent them from using the fixed route. Nov/ ...Are you assuming that they could walk to a bus? Council/ Kubby/ Is there anyone else who is interested in having a sliding scale waiver for the $1.50 fare? Lehman/ Yeah, keep it simple. Baker/ Very simple. Kubby/ Right now, 50% of the people who ride pay nothing because of the zero waiver. You go from that to $1.50 per ride for everybody. Lehman/ Coralville charges every single rider and they get along pretty darn well .... obviously we have been missing the boat. Nov/ Also Coralville does not have monthly pass...does not have a punch card. They just collect the money each time somebody gets on. Norton/ Kubby/ It would be based on income and there might be two scales .... Vanderhoef/ At this point I would be more interested instead of a sliding scale just have just a half price .... doing with Parks and Rec..~ to be real consistent. So that if they show their card, they know exactly what it is ..... Thornberry/ I will stay with the punch card and the $1.50 a ride .... Lehman/ There are some people who can't afford that. Thornberry/ You are right. Where are they going? .... Are they going down to the doctor or are they going down shopping?... I understand you can't ask them .... You are still looking at $9.00 a ride. Thlsrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14.1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Norton/ Might as well be consistent. Nov/ They have to spend at least $1.00. policy any less than that. council Work Session Page 27 I cannot go for a discount Kubby/ We got four people to do a $.75 half price fare. Norton/ If that is consistent with our other discount policy. Nov/ Okay and they are going to have to show that they are on food stamps or some other... listed programs. Kubby/ What is our current policy that gives them 100% waiver? Logsdon/ It is the same as a utility. If they have a Medicaid or Title 19 card, if they are in the Assisted Housing Program and have an annual income of less than $10,000 .... Council/ Nov/ Go for consistency. The list that we had for utilities was not exactly what he said because we didn't ask them what income they had .... food stamps or social security or something like that. Kubby/ I would suggest that we make it the same qualifications that it is currently ..... For every city service .... Norton/ I thought we agreed on five categories for water and for some other. Atkins/ We are trying to make it all under one- Norton/ ...Would that not be appropriate for the SEATS customers? Atkins/ I think you have financially well off people who may be disabled. Norton/ I mean in terms of the five qualifications ..... Atkins/ Norton/ If not, we ought to expand that other list to make it consistent. Arkins/ I don't have a hard and fast answer .... Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 council Work Session Page 28 Kubby/ The qualification will be the thing that we come up that makes it consistent throughout the city .... Lehman/ I really disagree with 24 hour cab service. Cab service should run the same hours as SEATS bus. Kubby/ .... it is only to work. Lehman/ We don't do it for anybody else that can't ride a public bus... but we let them ride taxicabs and I think that is wrong. Baker/ If we use this criteria for SEATS and they have employment at odd hours, I don't have any problem with us helping. Lehman/ Baker/ Talking about disabled here. What about any service to disabled, period? Lehman/ I don't know. I think it needs to be consistent. I really don't see us paying for a cab ride at 2:00 AM ..... Norton/ We spent $38,000 on cab fare last year. Kubby/ That has gone up incredibly .... Fowler/ Currently the cab rides after the SEATS hours are $2.00. You can set any fee that you want to because that is not during our transit. That is a supplementary service. So if you would like... you may want to look at $3.00 or $5.00 ..... or any kind of scale that you want to ..... outside of regular hours. So you can do whatever you want to with it. Lehman/ I would like to know how many rides occur during that period of time that SEATS does not run. council/ (All talking). Nov/ If we are doing this according to what we absolutely have to do, we would not have anything running later than 10:00 PM and we would not have anything running on Sunday. We are offering far more wide service than we need to offer on a paratransit system. So do we want to go back to no service when fixed route is not operating? Kubby/ No. I would keep Sunday service. Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transc;Iption ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14.1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Nov/ Okay. Why do you want to keep Sunday service? Lehman/ ... church .... that Norton/ Socialization. Page 29 is the only way they have .... Nov/ Do you think that if there were not a SEATS bus... the folks who belong to the church might pick up the elderly? You probably have a good point .... Lehman/ Kubby/ .... That was not my sole reason .... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-28 SIDE 1 Arkins/ Sundays, participate I want to make sure people have the opportunity to in living independently ..... increase... more people are riding it because more people with disabilities are getting more involved in the community economically through jobs and shopping, recreation, social groups... hanging out. Thornberry/ I don't think we need to have SEATS for people just hanging out. Vanderhoef/ .... I don't know anyone who belong to Iowa City groups who would say no to giving a ride to someone. Kubby/ If you have a big electric wheelchair, I can't pick that physically up .... It is not as easy to say .... Nov/ Even another kind of wheelchair is difficult to get in and out of an automobile. Baker/ Can we do a different rate structure? .... than our regular fixed route schedule? Nov/ We could...for nights as well. Norton/ I think we ought to keep something for Sunday .... Baker/ Let's keep it for Sunday but I would like us to talk about the rate structure. Thornberry/ If the ride $10.00 .... I am saying be more .... is $9.00. What, charge them $8.00? it should be more not less. It should This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 30 Norton/ It ain't going to be .... Nov/ I am h-arlng higher rate for both Sunday and nights. Thornberry/ ...and cabs? Lehman/ Thornberry/ Why is the amount that we are paying for cabs so much higher than it use to be? Kubby/ Because we are trying to funnel people away from SEATS .... Thornberry/ ..... they sure as heck found the taxis. Fowler/ The current policy of saying no ride is what is increasing the cab because when they call and want to schedule and SEATS has every vehicle full at that time, they automatically put them in a cab if they are an Iowa City resident. Lehman/ Nov/ It happens regularly and we can change that policy. Vanderhoef/ How many do you suspect a day? Fowler/ Over 20 a day° Nov/ There is no reason that we have to supply 20 cab rides a day. This is a policy that we can change. Norton/ Where are we? I guess I am lost. I think we are getting lost here. Where are we? Have we decided on cab service or not? Have we decided on Sunday or not? Kubby/ We said we are going to keep Sunday service. We are going to talk later about maybe a higher fare and what that should be. We are going to keep after hour cab service for work purposes but maybe a higher amount. But we haven't decided what those amounts are. Norton/ Nov/ We have decided something higher than the $1.50 but we did not say anything more specific than that. Vanderhoef/ For cab and Sunday I can look at right away and say This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 31 double, meaning at least to $3.00. Norton/ Me, too. Vanderhoef/ That would be a minimum place to start and I would talk about higher than that. Lehman/ What would you estimate the impact on our contract with SEATS if we did in fact charge for every ride except for those folks who qualify for half price ride? .... Fowler/ We figured out-What about? $50,000 more, Ron? We are currently getting about $25,000 in credit. Logsdon/ They are figuring under this proposal (can't hear) .... If you went to $1.50 .... increase the amount of money .... costs are going to go down because of your cab service or you are going to get more money in your fare box (can't hear). Thornberry/ council/ (All talking). Norton/ Not trivial what we are talking about .... Thornberry/ What I would like to see them do is funnel the people from SEATS and the cab into the buses if at all possible. Nov/ That is why I think we ought to charge them regular fare because that will encourage them to get on the bus .... Kubby/ How to provide incentives... educating people about what your options are .... do you know that you can catch such and such a bus at this corner at this time that will cost you $.75 .... [ON BOARD: SEATS $1.50 sliding scale fare/waiver $.75 fare strip ticket age not criteria disability documentation monthly pass-discounted volume purchase low income policy consistent with city policy Sunday service - different rate structure] Thornberry/ Thisrepresents only areesonably accur~e transcription ofthelowa Ci~ councilmeeting of Februa~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 32 Baker/ What else do we have on the agenda today? Nov/ Let's at least get something else done. Arkins/ Can I say something in summary fashion? In all my years here... frustrating.. this issue.. sense it in you all. We have five separate systems if you want to think about it: Cambus, county SEATS, Coralville Transit, Iowa City Transit and a cab company. Kubby/ And Bionic Bus. Atkins/ Make it six. Nov/ We got school buses. Atkins/ We got at least three political bodies: Coralville city council, Iowa City city council and the Board of Supervisors and Regents are in there... plus impact of variety of private contracts. Have we reached the point where we are just simply going to have to tell ourselves ..... we may have to become very very political aggressive about this issue and just simply say this is crazy ..... There has got to be some overriding policy statement and sometimes you may have to create a different target .... Got to be a better way to do this .... You are wearing me out because we spent so much time on that one issue .... Kubby/ Conversations have to start now... I got appointment with Cambus people so I can better understand their funding system .... What I am trying to do is we should be initiating informal and formal discussions now ..... so that we can start pushing to say .... come to some community decisions... we are going to have a metropolitan service. We can start doing incremental changes .... so that when physically we come together it is not so difficult. Nov/ .°.There is going to be a different city council here... and in Coralville... We cannot say what is going to happen in five years .... Atkins/ We haven't done anything for 6-8 years .... The federal government has caused the crisis .... Folks, I personally believe we have reached the point where there has to be two Iowa City council members and two Coralville and so fourth... put them in a room and say what can we agree on .... what is the agenda that we can agree on. Then put up the list of the Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetranscription ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of February 14,1996, WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 33 things that we are going to fight about and fight about them until we can sort it out .... What really did it to me was when you came back from the county and said by the way, it is not $600,00, it is $550- .... There is something terribly wrong is those numbers can be thrown around ..... tells me that that was a political decision on their part and that we have got to make difficult political decisions .... Norton/ ...We all at various times expressed interest in a metropolitan transit authority of some kind .... we have also got to deal with this short term issue .... Atkins/ ...next year or two has to be very productive years .... Norton/ Those cuts are going to hit them. It is going to hit Cambus and it is going to hit Coralville. Atkins/ I just encourage you to find someway of having a discussion or debate amongst yourselves ..... we have to change the way we are doing business .... Kubby/ It is a big change in policy saying you can't ride for free. That is a huge difference .... Atkins/ Coralville .... says we are not going to do that. Coralville charges them to come into our town. We ship them back for free. There is something wrong with the system .... Kubby/ But why should we all do the least common denominator? Atkins/ I don't know what the least common denominator is. What can we agree on? Lehman/ ..... they need to know to expect. The more consistent we are the better off we all are .... Thornberry/ If there was a metro-system .... all the rules would be the same. Atkins/ Certain public system .... that lend themselves to some other way of doing business .... We always agree on Halloween .... We agreed on an animal shelter. This one we have millions and millions of dollars at stake. I think we have to be very aggressive politically. Vanderhoef/ I agree and I think when we put out any new figures .... have to be real clear that we will be in deficit in '99 unless This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowe City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 34 we change something .... of some description .... at this price. looking for providing a metro-system, these services are going to disappear Atkins/ Kubby/ Then your numbers go so low that you can't justify the tax base to subsidize them .... Thornberry/ Naomi, I think it was a good idea that Steve had to set up this meeting with Coralville and Iowa City and the county to start with. I would like to see that set up. Nov/ I think we can do that and I think it is the kind of thing that we ought to first read the 1990 study and then think about that. Atkins/ Read this before hand .... Nov/ Thornberry/ Atkins/ It says it won't work. However, you you have to be politically aggressive. make it work. can make it work but Operationally we can Nov/ We have at least started to talk to Coralville .... so that we can discuss this rationally. Coralville has already said that they want $1.00 fare by July 1, 1997 .... still have our bus pass accepted on the Coralville bus the way it is today. Are Coralville people going to come to Iowa City d.t. and buy a bus pass and use it in Coralville? ..... Is this the way to operate? Kubby/ .... sometimes the conclusion we draw is that we should go that high ..... that we should not let Coralville's highness dictate what we do for our system .... Thornberry/ What we would like to do and what we can do may be two different things. Norton/ Nov/ Do you want to start something else? Kubby/ .... Why don't we go to Larry's memo? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 35 Atkins/ I wanted to thank all of you that did give me memos ..... makes it easier to come into these things. Thank you .... Gives Us a better agenda to work with. We did not discuss parking today. There has been some interest in seeing those fees go up .... the way I left it there was one issue left on the Boards and Commission and that was Housing and Community Development Commission wanted $50,000 Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa Ci~ council meeting of Februa~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 36 General Budget Discussion 96-28 S1 1. Atkins/ The way I left it there was one issue left on the Boards and Commission and that was Housing and Community Development Commission wanted $50,000 for services .... Life Skills, etc. Kubby/ For supported housing, you mean? Atkins/ Yeah... they wanted $50,000. Kubby/ Would this be to Life Skills to work with our Housing Section 8? Atkins/ My impression is they want to see an appropriation to the Commission hopefully administered by staff on your behalf ..... They wanted money to do that .... Thornberry/ There was some problem with that agency .... Atkins/ They want to be able to help these folks put together a package of services ..... We were aware of some of the concerns and complaints. Deal more with the services. Do we as a city want to provide these services? Nov/ I don't see where the money will come from. Kubby/ I think the Public Housing Authority gets a lot of certificates back in because people are having trouble finding property .... I think it would save people coming back through the system again and again in providing some of those skills. Nov/ Can HUD money be used to contract for those skills? Atkins/ ...says family self sufficiency .... no money on a part of it as I recall. Norton/ I thought there were other grant sources... Atkins/ I think .... The Commission .... they wish the city to be more aggressive about it. These agencies exist .... Kubby/ dabl h ing ' ...other affor e ous issues .... Nov/ I like the Housing Fellowship because they do this as a group .... for people they house. And HACAP does this for the people that they house. So I am not sure how else to handle this. This represents only a reasonably accurate trsnscriptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14. 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Kubby/ So there aren't people who are interested would like to do Norton/ ... but where going to do with Atkins/ I was the verbal Norton/ Arkins/ It does become Agencies budget .... some amount. is the document... it. presentation ..... Page 37 in any amount? I that says what they were Linda Murray. indirectly an expansion of your Aid to Nov/ ...CDBG proposal .... the Commission could grant that money to them, could they not? Atkins/ The Commission cannot grant money. Your commissions are advisory. Only you can grant the money. Nov/ Could a grant proposal for this service go to that commission and then they could fund that agency or not? Atkins/ Yeah, if you made that decision. Kubby/ But it most likely would come from the public services category which is a maximum of 15% and we use a bunch of that for Aid to Agencies .... Nov/ This would have to come out of that 15% rather than the general- Kubby/ Arkins/ Nov/ Kubby/ So it sounds like we are saying no at this point. 2. Norton/ Take $10,000 out of ICAD. Atkins/ .... ICAD, you wanted is separate discussion on that. The appropriation is $50,000 .... Baker/ This may be the last year .... Atkins/ You did indicate a separate discussion .... Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 council Work Session Page 38 Kubby/ ...If we are going to have that policy for any group .... Nov/ They are in the process of re-evaluating their structure. I think even before we got there they were in that process .... I have not gone through the details ..... I have not gone through the ICAD stuff yet. Kubby/ I would feel fine about doing $40,000 for ICAD this year. Lehman/ I think I would certainly support the $50-.... looking for economic development. I don't know how effective they are. it is very very difficult to evaluate .... Baker/ One of the things I would like to talk about is taking a comparable funding amount for Iowa City development .... Iowa City area development .... Their obligation is for Iowa City development .... Nov/ This is going to take a large chunk of time on another day. Atkins/ The money is in the budget at $50-.... I think we owe them some lead time to tell them that we are going to change that .... Kubby/ We give them 25% of their budget... I think we should have a regional thing .... Doesn't mean we have to pay 25% of their budget to do good stuff. Nov/ We are certainly more than 25% of the county population .... Kubby/ .... lots of ways we can look at it. Baker/ Baker/ This is going to be an easy one .... When we had the Conference Board meeting when we had a meeting about the salary study. I went to talk to Sylvia after the meeting, if you look at the hours worked, your statement that they were already at the top of the salary range of comparable city positions .... They exceed the salary range for comparable city positions. I do want us to have serious discussions about all this talk about consolidation and this is an area that we have a lot more control over than transit .... I think a salary freeze for the office is appropriate .... serious about reviewing that office. Thornberry/ ... where they are in the salary range, I agree with Thisrepresents only areasonablyaccuretetranscrlpfion ofthslowa City council meeting of February 14.1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 39 you. Baker/ Then we can talk about the other issues. Start with that. But we have to agree to it .... then county and school board .... Atkins/ (Can't hear). Nov/ What was that? I didn't hear. Arkins/ They are not represented by a bargaining unit ..... Nov/ I think we also have to remember that if we go for a GIS system it will affect the operation in this office .... We have to keep this in mind .... Baker/ Also I know we have talked about a low income policy change a couple of weeks ago to allow us some flexibility in the future. A freeze here would also (can't hear). I think upon work done and salary range of comparable jobs, a salary freeze is appropriate. Lehman/ That is two. Vanderhoef/ I will look at it. Norton/ I would go with that. It will send a fairly heavy message. Arkins/ The next Conference Board meeting is- Karr/ 26th and it is the p.h. on the- Baker/ Nov/ This is a difficult issue. They may have an option to say we will work 40 hours and we will keep our office open an extra hour a day or whatever it takes because they do have some autonomy in that respect. Baker/ .... offer to keep the office open for a pay increase, that was then and this is now .... negotiate very hard for the whole structure of the office. Nov/ I don't feel that strongly. Baker/ I see three hands. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 40 Norton/ One, two, three. Kubby/ I would be another vote in that direction although I am not firm in it .... Baker/ That I should go ahead and talk to them? But we don't have a majority yet. Lehman/ I would like to know a little more about it. Norton/ What is the discussion tomorrow...? getting together? Baker/ Dan wants to sit down with at least three council members. And I have a series of questions for him that go into his memo .... regardless of that I have no problem with the freeze based upon the current salaries .... Thornberry/ Still got to be coordinated with the county and school board .... Baker/ Nov/ Council's position is not all that clear. Norton/ What are the implications for us taking on a freeze? Lehman/ If you were the city assessor and all of a sudden out of the blue you get your salary ..... needs to be some dialogue .... I really think, if you are going to freeze my salary, let's talk about it .... Baker/ Do you want to have or? Lehman/ I think the guy has from. another meeting with Dan as a council to have some idea where we are coming Baker/ Do you want to have a council meeting or an informal meeting with a minority of council? Atkins/ Just an observation. ..... You are still one You are only one of three supervisors vote out of three. Council/ Nov/ Dan might be quite able to persuade the county and the school board to vote on his side .... Thisrepresents only areasonsbly accuratetranscription ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of Februa~ 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 41 Vanderhoef/ I would like to hear some more. Norton/ Why can't a little council subcommittee meet with Dan and see where we are at? Nov/ Or we can invite him to come here on the 20th .... Baker/ All right, can I go ahead and set up a small group meeting? Nov/ Steve, what do you think? Atkins/ I am fine on that if you want to do that. I do think the actions of freezing are dramatic and it sends a message which is-I think you have to be very very careful about the moral of the operation ..... Because I don't have direct supervisory responsibility of his-Dan.. we need to come aside, we need to talk. I don't have that authority to do that .... Council/ (All talking). Norton/ Who is the little committee? Nov/ Let's set a committee. Larry, Ernie, somebody volunteer. Who? Vanderhoef/ I am okay with it, too. Thornberry/ I will do it if .... I will be an alternate. Atkins/ You make those arrangements. If you need something from me you will tell me. Larry is leaving. [Baker leaves 11:50 AM] 4. Atkins/ I would like your permission to prepare some sort of a memo about the transportation .... just a think piece. Nov/ I was about to say if you don't, I will. Atkins/ I would like to do something .... I don't like to be stuck. Council/ (All talking) .... Atkins/ This is so much an issue of policy as it is finance .... I will prepare something. 5. Kubby/ There were just a few small things on my memo that I would like a chance to go through. One of them is the another Th~srepresents~niyareas~nab~yaccurat~transcr~pt~~n~fthe~~wacityc~unci~meeting~fFebruary 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 42 Police Department thing. Common sense tells me where we need more help is in the records .... versus administration .... Atkins/ I did not ask him a priority... ask him to get that back to me very quickly. Nov/ Kind of thing we should know is what priorities. 6o Kubby/ The other thing was #9 on page 2 about Solid Waste. Atkins/ That is out, forget it. It is not going to happen. Floyd and I talked about it .... we wanted to prepare something for you separately. We will bring it back to you separately ..... o Kubby/ #5 The labor management council thing. I asked Steve to give us some kind of written update because last year at this time we directed management to initiate the discussion about healthcare cost containment measures. Atkins/ Kubby/ I assume we are going to get kind of an update report on what happened at that meeting. Then there was a side agreement last year to talk about childcare and that could have big budget implications. I would like us to direct staff... to initiate discussions about that. We have a side letter of agreement .... Why don't we initiate that discussion? Atkins/ We do have a new bargaining agent, too. Jan gone, we have a new person .... 8. Norton/ Did we defer discussion on ICAD? Kubby/ I think there was at least four people who wanted to stay at $50,000 in the budget. Arkins/ I will prepare a little summary memo .... so you will kind of have an idea of what is hanging out there .... Kubby/ There was two other things about transit we didn't get to. We talked about having a child fare .... idea about a family package. Atkins/ We have, we haven't prepared something for you... bottom line concern was if a person buys a pass and I give it to another member of my family .... haven't got an answer for you. Thlsrepresentsonlyareasonablyaccu[atetranscription ofthelowaCitycouncil meetlngofFebruary 14,1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session Page 43 10. Kubby/ Other thing... having a citizens committee about transportation .... such a big percentage of our budget. Atkins/ Proposed it with SEATS and never got anywhere with the county .... Kubby/ ...that maybe we have one .... Atkins/ Kubby/ Council/ (All talking). 11. Nov/ Marian, did Karin Franklin give you the Fringe Area information last night. Karr/ Yes, she did and I just sent it up to her this morning because you didn't ask for it last night. Yes, I can get it. Nov/ I was hoping you would bring it .... Karr/ I can run up and see. Nov/ We are going to talk about the Fringe Area next week and there is a little stack of information. We could read it between now and the 20th .... Get it now. It gives us a little more time to think about it ..... 12. Kubby/ ...figure out a time frame about deciding about First Avenue and Muscatine. Atkins/ We are in up to here. I need to have some confirmation .... I would like to know sooner than later .... Kubby/ I know Larry said three lane for sure. I am three. Dee, you are for three? Nov/ I am inclined to stay with three. Kubby/ Norton/ You caused me to think very hard... Thornberry/ I went back and drove it. Vanderhoef/ The cost of doing it now and in ten years to redo it This represents only a reasonably 8ccurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496 February 14, 1996 Council Work Session 13. is, well, inefficient. Atkins/ Just to let you know, Bette Meisel has Page 44 resigned .... Marty has taken a job in Washington D.C ..... June .... Nov/ We will start advertising and get somebody in by the July 17 Atkins/ We will do all the things that have to be done .... Kubby/ That will be a very sought after position. 14. Vanderhoef/ Who wants to go see the Citizen Building besides me? ... Three. 15. Vanderhoef/ We had this other invitation that we were going to (Water Festival) Norton/ Is this until the end of March? Kubby/ It is, the Water Festival. Council/ (All talking). Thornberry/ Let them Kubby/ We will cover Nov/ I have only one tell her I will Adjourned: 12:00 PM. know that we will have it covered. it but details later. time that is open. So I will call Genelle and be there at that time. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 14, 1996. WS021496