HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-02-06 Agenda AGENDA
IOWA CITY CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING - FEBRUARY 6, 1996
6:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Subject to change as finalized by the City Clerk. For a final official copy, contact the City
Clerk's Office, 356-5040.
ITEM NO. I - CALL TO ORDER.
ROLL CALL.
ITEM NO. 2 - PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED REDUCTION IN TRANSIT SERVICE.
Comment: The FY97 proposed budget contains a fare increase of $.75 per ride,
925 monthly passes, and elimination of night time transit routes. At their
January 22 work session City Council considered various options as possible
funding alternatives. Included in Council packet is a draft ordinance based on
the proposed budget fare increase. No action is scheduled at this time but an
ordinance would be required after Council direction. Elimination of night time
service does not require an ordinance and would be handled through budget
adoption process. Federal Transit Administration r. equires a public hearing prior
to any transit reductions. ~ ~
ITEM NO. 3 -
CONSIDER A MOTION APPROVING ATENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
CITY OF IOWA CITY AND THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY,
AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, LOCAL 183, AFL-CIO, FOR A COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING AGREEMENT TO BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1996 THROUGH JUNE
30, 1999.
Comment: This tentative agreement provides for a three-year agreement with
wage increases of 3.25% the first year, 3% the second year, 2% at the
beginning and 2% at the middle of the third year. It also provides for a
reimbursement to employees for the purchase of prescription safety glasses
when safety glasses are required, a new longevity pay step after 25 years of
service, and various language modifications affecting operations. A copy of the
tentative agreement is attached to this agenda.
ITEM NO~- CONSIDER A MOTION TO ADJOURN SPECIAL MEETING.
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· TEM NO. 2 - PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED REDUCTION IN TRANSIT
SERVICE.
Nov/ P.h. on the proposed reduction in Transit service. The
proposed reduction is an increase in fees to $.75 per ride,
$25 monthly pass and to stop the-
Audience/ Can't hear.
Nov/
Okay. You can't hear. Is the microphone on? Okay. Let's try it
up a little higher and I am going to see if I can switch. Is
this any better. Okay. I am going to try to keep it up. Wave
at me if you don't hear. Okay. The proposed changes in our
fixed route transit are to increase a per ride fee to $.75 and
a monthly pass to $25. We are also proposing a decrease in our
service and we have a proposal on the agenda to decrease
service after 7:00 PM. We may not do that. We may have some
routes that are operated after 7:00 PM and some that are no.
We may have- So nothing here is set in stone. We want to hear
your reactions to this. And we have to ask people to not stand
in the aisle because we have fire laws and we have people in
wheel chairs. So, please be careful about where you are
standing. There are chairs in the lobby and there is a
television screen in the lobby which will give you a view of
what is going on in here. Also, if there are people here who
would like to be on record as having been here but really
don't want to speak, there is a sign-in sheet and you may
register the fact that you were here whether or not you intend
to speak. Also, if you have submitted comments in writing you
may want to sign in there even though you are not planning to
speak. So we are asking people to be as concise as they
possibly can and whoever wants to be first, start.
Larry Molnar/ I have one comment on SEATS, five comments on buses
but I will try to be very quick.
Nov/ Okay and you have signed in? We do need a list. Yes.
Molnar/ With regards to SEATS, I want to point out that as the
proposed change is written it fails to take into account that
we really have two issues before us. One is $140,000 increase
in SEATS and the second is which is going to happen in the
next year and the second is the decrease in the federal
funding for buses which is going to be in the next year will
be $250,000. I see SEATS as being a priority for the entire
community, to have accessible-To have for disabled people the
community accessible and that is something that we don't
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expect to pay for itself at all. We, therefore, should have
all Iowa Citians paying for it. The way the proposal is
written, the burden for the increase in SEATS goes entirely to
the minority of Iowa City, those that ride the bus. I think
bus people and others should all pay for the increase in
SEATS.
Nov/ We do agree with you. A lot of that budget does come out of
the General Fund.
Molnar/ Okay but as we consider the increase in the budget, we
should consider that as also coming in various places. With
regard to the buses, the $.50 to $.75 I want to say does not
seem to be unreasonable. We need more money. It is clear we
are going to need to have a lot clever suggestions and I only
have a few in order to make it all balance and since it has
been a long time since it went up to $.50, I just wanted to
say that that is not unreasonable to me. With regard to the
bus passes going from $18 to $25, it seems to me to be a big
mistake. The way bus passes can be particularly helpful for
the city is not only a convenience but to really increase
ridership. Magazines, for example, will offer their magazines
for half price if you subscribe. They don't do this to
subsidize their favorite readers. They do this because they
think they will make more money and sell more magazines if
they do it at half price and get your commitment and your
money up front. At $25 you have to have 17 rides to make that
pay for itself. It is really not a financial incentive. If it
were say $20, that would be more of an incentive and you would
find that bus passes for $20 instead of $25 you might receive
more revenue rather than less because you would attract more
people into the bus pass system. I noticed in the handout that
the city staff made regarding the comparison with other bus
systems that we have the highest number of rides needed to pay
for a bus pass in Iowa city in the entire state of Iowa. An
extension on that is the idea of perhaps of a strip pass. Not
everybody rides every day of the month. Students that have
classes Monday, Wednesday, Friday or people who have part time
jobs or people who are married to people with part time jobs,
I am an example of that, find that they need the bus several
days, They don't need it other days. So bus pass is not
attractive but you might have something with less of a
discount than for the bus pass but maybe 11 rides for the
price of ten you get a strip like that and that would increase
the ridership by giving just a marginal decrease in the price
not to mention the convenience. Fourthly, the idea of cutting
evening service seems to me a very bad idea in the sense of
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that is really beginning to restrict the services. You want to
avoid the idea of a downward spiral if you have less service,
you have less ridership, you have less ridership, you have
less revenue, etc. I looked at the numbers. I mean, just
because it seems to be a bad idea doesn't make it a bad idea.
I looked at the numbers but I was surprised to see that the
number of-the percentage of rides that are taken in the
evening is about 6% of all rides. The savings that is claimed
that we will get by cutting evening service is 5% of the total
cost. So, we are not even getting a 1 to 1 return of cutting
out some riders in order to save some money. If we were saving
a lot of money for cutting a few riders, you would have to
take that seriously. But at 1 to 1 we may as well do away with
the whole system. I am not against perhaps clever ideas on
evening service. We might, on some routes, make it every two
hours instead of every one hour or combine some services in
the evening. Those are plausible. But I am really think that
we begin to go down the downward spiral if we cut out evening
service all together and we don't get much for out money in
that regard. The final comment, I am an employee of the
University and it is striking to me that the University is the
largest employer in the city, heavily subsidizes parking
spaces. They pay a lot of money for their own parking lot
which they give cheaply to their employees, those that want
them. But they don't subsidize bus passes at all. Seems to me
the University would save money if they had some discount on
bus passes that they offered as well as if they did that by
increasing the ridership and they would do a great service to
the City of Iowa City. And so, I encourage you to aggressively
go to the University to see if there isn't some common ground
there that they could maybe help out the city's cause by
increasing ridership and maybe help their own cause at the
same time. Thank you.
Nov/
Excuse me but we have a lot of people who want to talk. I
would hope that we are not going to applaud and take their
time by wasting it on claps. Please.
Leanne Mayhew/ There is a bunch of us that work nights. I don't
think you guys should cut the bus service off. How are people
who work nights suppose to get home? And there is a bunch of
people on Special Olympics. How are we suppose to get home?
Thank you.
Nov/ Please, I will have to enforce this. We cannot spend time
clapping when we have so many people who want to speak.
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Geoffrey Hacker/ And I have a petition against the proposal that I
have been getting of over 300 signatures to prove your
proposal is wrong. The people think- I would like to read it
to you guys. It says: Dear City Council. We the following Iowa
City citizens think Iowa City Transit buses should save the
night routes and not raise fares to $.75 a ride and $25 a bus
pass because it will cost people a lot, like elderly, poor,
disabled, etc. Also people pay a lot for water, rent,
electricity, parking, Iowa City Schools, income taxes,
property taxes, , etc. Also some people use night
routes to go to work and home, make sure kids get home safely
from activities, shopping, recreation, sporting events, etc.
Also, some people don't have cars and need buses to run day
and night. Also Coralville gets some of their riders from our
buses right after 7:00 and give us riders, too. We think you
should find a way to keep the night rates not so high and keep
the service. Please support our cause and make our city be
best that it can be. Our city benefits from buses. Thank you,
Iowa City citizens.
Nov/ Thank you. Do you want to turn all those papers in?
Hacker/ Oh, I am going to turn them in.
Nov/ Okay. Marian will be happy to take them from you and we will
add it to the record of the p.h.
Kubby/ Geoff, I know you spent a lot of energy doing that in the
cold. Thanks for your time.
Hacker/ (Can't hear).
Melanie Justice/ I want Iowa City Transit to go places that I can't
walk (can't understand) basketball, and stuff like that. To go
d.t. and visit my friends and stuff like that. So we have
(can't understand).
Nov/ Thank you.
David Weldon/ I am a motorist. I have not objections to paying a
higher parking rates at the meters d.t. if that would go to
help keeping my fellow motorist off the roads and perhaps
myself. I also I no objection of paying an axle tax if that
would go into helping support the bus service which I think is
vital to this town.
Nov/ I checked into that. And one it was available, wasn't it?
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Lehman/ Wheel tax?
Nov/ Wheel tax.
Karr/ Excuse me, Madam Mayor. May we also ask the people,
are stating their name, to also state their address
record also?
as they
for the
Nov/ Oh, yes, please.
Deborah Michelfelder/I currently live in Coralville. I live on
disability and I can no longer drive and I am totally
dependent on the public transit system. I am fortunate enough
to be a student at Kirkwood and transferring to the University
this fall. I need safe transportation home in the evenings
from either school or the library or whatever and currently
the Iowa City public transportation system provides me with
that opportunity and by cutting the service at 7:00 it is not
only going to create a safety issue for me but it really is
going to be inconvenient. Also I attend meetings in the
evenings several times a week that are usually scheduled from
around 8:00- That start at 8:00 and usually are over around
9:00. There are a lot of people that are actively involved in
AAA, Narcotics Anonymous, A1-Tot, A1-Teen and these people are
totally dependent upon getting to these recovery meetings by
using public transportation. And this would be a real hardship
for them. There are also several people in the community that
are involved in emotional and mental disorder recovery groups
that meet in the evening and they also depend totally on the
public transportation system to get to and from. I believe
that this proposal for cutting the bus schedule in the evening
is very unrealistic and I think that there would be a better
solution coming up for your FY. I am not opposed to a rate
increase. I understand that the rates haven't been increased
since the 70's but it has either got to be more dollars or cut
the evening schedules, I would be willing to pay more to ride
the bus. In fact, if there were a rate increase, I would
suggest providing Sunday service because that is a real
hardship for those of us who can't drive as well. I believe
that this current proposal regarding the public transit system
is discriminatory and extremely insensitive to the people that
are utilizing the bus system and after all the public
transportation by using it is suppose to be a responsible
choice for society and the environment and I don't think that
they should be penalized for it. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you. Next.
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Intesar Duncan/ I live at 1229 Burns and I am into increasing the
rates but not cutting the evening service because I think us
who is on a fixed income we don't really-we cannot afford
taking a cab in the evening. To get into places, to get back
and fourth from work, just everything. Recreation, our
children, we have families and we don't drive and if you cut
the service that means our next resource, what is it? SEATS.
And I am sure you don't want to invest in SEATS because that
is more expensive than itself, the buses. So you are talking
about us to use the buses more often but if you cut the
service the other thing is we cannot get into places and that
would mean we would have to take a cab and I don't think we
can afford-We cannot afford taking cabs from places. What I
wanted to say is I don't mind increasing. I mean I am willing
to pay $.75, $1.00, get more for my para-transit, pay whatever
but not completely cutting it because we have not way. I mean
this is like just terrible. I don't know what else to say. I
think we need to take into consideration Iowa City is a big
community for the disabled people, the handicapped people. It
is not like any town. It is a big community of the University
and attracts with the University and all of the other
services. There is quite a bit of us who is on a fixed income
and cannot afford cabs in the evening and I really wish you
reconsider it.
Nov/ Thank you.
Lori
Bears/ Hello. I spoke in 1986 when they wanted to change the
money or the transit fees up to $.50. I am against reducing
night service. As a disabled person I would like to- My mother
wants me to become more independent and be more included into
the community and I am a little nervous right now but what I
would like to tell you is please reconsider this and I don't
want the rates to go up to $.75. Thank you.
Doug
Tauchen/ I work for Systems Unlimited here in town and Bill
Gorman would have liked to have been here but he was unable so
he asked me to speak for him. All services dependent on
government funding will be pressured to deliver the same
services with less funding. With the decrease in federal
funding available for transportation it is inevitable that
some changes will be made. However, as you carefully review
your alternatives, on behalf of Systems Unlimited, I ask that
you make every effort to avoid elimination of night time
services. Many Iowa City residences are dependent on buses to
get to and from their places of employment. This certainly
includes many of our employees as well as people with
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disabilities who we serve. I am quite certain that most
residents who ride the bus would be willing to do their part
by paying for some increases in the transit fee. However, the
elimination of night time routes will have far reaching
impacts. We ask that you view the elimination of night time
service as your lowest priority.
Nov/ Would you like to give this to the City Clerk? Have it entered
into record?
Lyone Fein/ I live 605 E. Burlington Street. I have a couple of
comments. One is that as several are aware, I have been coming
to city council meetings for eight months or so and in that
time I recall a number of occasions in which there was
discussion about traffic problems in different parts of the
city, discussions concerning rezoning residential areas so
that they could accommodate greater density of population and
on so many of those occasions members of the public came to
the council to speak out against these kinds of things
mentioning traffic congestion as a major safety concern as
well as just environmental concern. And I also recall
especially when we were talking about the Mormon Trek/Rohret
Road area that I had a conversation with Councilor Kubby
regarding the lack of public use of that particular bus route
and the vociferousness of the complaints that the residents of
that area raised regarding traffic congestion. It struck both
of us as highly ironic. And I just think that as we head into
the envisioning the next two or three decades of development
in Iowa City. You know, we recently have written up this
Vision 2000 statement or whatever that is at which actually in
it suggests provisions for improving infrastructures like
public transit in order to make Iowa City a more attractive
place for industry and large scale employers to come. That is
reflected in some of the comments that have already been
received tonight regarding peoples ability to get to and from
work. There are places on the outskirts of town, NCS, ACT,
these kinds of places that have third shifts and I think that
one has to have a long-a far reaching vision of how to make
improvements in a system like this. It is clear people are
always complaining about parking d.t. All of these complaints
about traffic congestion in these other places° Not enough bus
revenue. All of those things are linked. I don't use the bus
because it is not a system that is good. When I am in outlying
areas there is no way for me to tell when I am at a bus stop
whether a bus is going to come or when it is going to come.
There is not listing of that route there. I have to, if I am
going to go some place, I have to make sure I am back at a
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certain time because the buses don't run until midnight. And
as somebody else mentioned, there is no Sunday service which
seems strange since so many Iowa City retail businesses are
open on Sundays. And it would certainly benefit those
businesses to, instead of thinking in terms of reducing
service. Think of it in terms of expanding it so that it
becomes something which is convenient and more attractive for
people to use, you know, and that was it. Thanks.
Nov/ Thank you, Lyone.
Ed Clopton/ If I had signed at the door, do I need to sign here as
well?
Nov/ I don't think so. Is once enough?
Karr/ The ones at the door may not be speaking and we aren't able
to match them up if we don't know that.
Nov/ Okay, please sign in.
Clopton/ I live at 519 N. Governor Street here in Iowa City. To
begin with, I think that the fare increase that is proposed is
reasonable. I would of course be please to continue paying
$.50 forever but it is not going to happen and the way that I
look at it is that I can't drive five miles each way to work
for $1.00. I can't drive d.t. and run errands all afternoon
and park and drive back home again for $1.00. Probably can't
do it for $1.50 either. So, it is an-raising the fare is a
necessary evil. I do not favor any reduction in frequency of
service or extended of routes. That the frequency-the greater
frequency of service, the more ridership you will have because
the more convenient it will be to take the bus, especially the
evening routes that have a frequency of just one bus per hour
require a considerable amount of advance planning and
discipline which a lot of would be transit riders are not
willing or accustom to employ and so in order to be
successful, a transit system must be convenient and easy to
use and that cannot be done by reducing frequency of service.
The transit is a public service akin to the public library,
the Street Department, the Fire Department, the Police
Department and so on. Something that costs money to do. If
someone could be making a profit by running a public bus
service, they probably already would be. So it is something
that the public needs to be prepared to put money into without
looking as closely at the bottom line as they would in some
other situations. It has to be paid for somehow. Another
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speaker happens to be a co-worker of mine mentioned a
possibility of a city vehicle tax. I think that would be a
fine idea. And I think finally we have also talked a lot about
traffic congestion. I have thought for many years that half of
the traffic in d.t. streets in Iowa City is simply vehicles
circulating looking for a parking place. I think, I would
suggest that every city bus carry a placard on the rear that
says during rush hour this bus represents up to 50 vehicles
you are not sharing the road with at the moment and I think
that point ought to be driven home to even people who prefer
to or insist upon driving their own vehicles. Transit works to
everyone's benefit even if they are not regular riders. Thank
you.
Nov/ Thank you.
Delores Capp/ Good evening everybody. I am a long long hard rider
and it is going to be hard for me to talk tonight but I will
tell you a long time ago somebody mentioned a few minutes ago-
My name is Delores Capp but I now go by Dee. I am sorry. And
I live at Bon Aire and I work at the University Hospitals. I
have got 22 years in and hopefully four years and eight months
to go. Anyway, I was going to tell you when they started the
passes here with the new system and when I started working
over at the University they did have an IDOT pass that came
out the first of every month which we paid $6.00 for and that
came out from the state and every system that had big systems
going came-And this little card come to us and it was a race
at the place and our sign in sheets to get that letter and get
it back in in a certain amount of time to get our pass for
$6.00. So it did go through at one time and I think from there
on it just expanded. As for the bus system. I live on it. I
have to. On weekends it gets pretty steep unless I find a ride
or unless I get a cab. On Sundays it is a $15.00 round trip
for me from Bon Aire which I don't mind because I work every
fifth weekend. My team and my system and my area does. But
there are housekeepers that work every other weekend that have
to take cabs if they don't find somebody to buddy up with. It
is pretty steep if they come in from Bon Aire. There are a lot
of dietary people that live out there also. And I have also
worked with some nurses who also tell me they work 10:00 to
7:00, they work 1:00 to 10:00 and these would affect them very
deeply if that bus was cut off at 7:00 at night. I could see
this going like Marian and like Karen both said, going every
two hours. For some people it would be getting home pretty
late. Those of us that volunteer for the Children's Miracle
Network during the month of May is call phone-a-thon month and
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a lot of times I don't get out of that place until about 8:30
at night which means I don't get home until 10:00 because of
how my bus route runs and this is something that is very dear
to me is Children's Miracle Network and last year we did a
really big job here in Iowa and for the town and for the size
of the state we got a lot of compliments on it. I would hate
to see people go down in the dumps because we can't get a ride
home anymore. It is hard for us to find, you know. I have got
disabilities now which I did have before but to get to work on
SEATS-they don't start until 7:00 in the morning and a lot of
times on weekends we have to get there early because they have
been transplanting all night or something and we have piles of
instruments waiting to be down, to be processed so they can
work on the next patient for them and that means for us to
start off as quick as we get there at work. On weekends it is
at half of a system, from 55 people down to 9 people and it is
pretty rough when you really got to run and get those
instruments ready to go again and you don't get there until
8:00 because of the system. So I really would hate to see this
go down in the dumps. I wouldn't mind seeing it go every two
hours in the evening but there is a lot of times people just
don't have a way to go home and last weekend we have give
these guys a great big boost because they made it home and
they made an effort for everyone of us to get home if we
weren't trapped by snow and that is more than I have seen out
of a lot of them and they got compliments on KCRG, Channel 9,
Channel 2 and WMT because I made the effort to call everyone
of them.
Nov/ Thank you.
Elyse Miller/ I live at 1215 2nd Avenue. I think have either spoken
with or e-mailed a majority of the council members. I just
want to echo most of the sentiments that we have heard here to
night. It would be a real hardship for me to schlep 45 minutes
down Muscatine at 9:30 at night, more than three days a week.
I would appreciate it. I don't want to pay cab fare. I moved
from New York so I don't have to do that and I don't think it
is unreasonable to raise the rates. If you leave them and
wanted to have a sliding fee structure so that folks who
wanted to ride later at night had to pay more. I personally
would be willing to do something like that. But primarily I
just wanted to let you know that I think eliminating a night
time service would be a great disservice to Iowa City and I
hope-sincerely hope that you do not do this. Thank you.
Dennis Kietel/ 1696 Ridge Road, on the north end of town. Since we
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are in a real political year here I would like to do a little
poll. I would like to ask each and every council member if you
have ever used the Iowa City Transit system. How many of you
have ever used it? Very good. That is a very good showing. One
of the comments that I would like to make is that it seems
like the city council here, the previous speakers have
mentioned about how transit system should be subsidized and I
do agree with those kinds of comments. We know that we have a
congestion problem in d.t. central business district in Iowa
City. I think that some consideration should be given to
raising the parking meter rates to coincide, you know, with
the 50% increase in the bus fares. If you raise the parking
meters, you know, by 50% what affect would that have on the
amount of vehicle traffic that is in the d.t. area. I guess I
really haven't done my homework very well on this issue
because I don't know if there has been any kind of rider
utilization studies done.
Nov/ Yes.
Kietel/ You know, is there a possibility of having smaller, more
fuel efficient vehicles for off peak hours? I don't know if
that is a possibility but, you know, if you are looking at
ways of saving this $200,000 shortfall, that is something that
you might consider. And on other comment that I would like to
make is that it seems like, you know, the SEATS is thrown into
this as being a part of the transit problem. I think that, you
know, you could-The way I understand it right now SEATS is
available for any senior citizen over the age of 60 regardless
of whether they have disabilities and I think, you know, the
able bodied senior citizens should be encouraged to use your
public bus systems more and you should maybe place more
restrictions on the SEATS system. I would like to finally say
that I am a bus rider. I do like to use it. I don't like to
see a 50% increase in the fares but I think that if you keep
in raising the fares it is going to make me revert back to
driving my own personal vehicle which is just going to add to
the increase in the traffic congestion. Thank you.
Feather Lacey/ I live at 307 3rd Avenue. I just want to say I just
this weekend went to the Presidential Lecture at the
University and they had Gerald Schnoor there speak. He is a
distinguished professor. He said that the two major problems
we have with the environment into the next century are
increased population in third world countries and increased
consumption in developed countries. He specifically
highlighted under that gasoline. He said we have got to get
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gasoline usage down in this country. Proposing that you
eliminate night service just does the opposite. It encourages
everybody to get into their cars. That is the wrong thing to
do for the environment. It encourages more gasoline
consumption. I have not problem with the $.75 or raising of
the fee but I think instead of the decreasing night service as
other people have said, you should think about increasing
night service. The other point that I would like to make is,
it is a question but, why do you always call these meetings i
the middle of the winter? Someone mentioned the last one in
1986 and I think it was 20 below zero or zero degrees out and
I know myself I issued the last night bus which then was, as
it still is now, 9:45 at night and I had to walk home. So have
these meetings when people can come to them and increase night
service and possibly add Sunday service as someone else
mentioned. Thank you.
Thornberry/ We delayed it from last week.
Laura Carstensen/ 808 Oakcrest Street, Apartment #1, Iowa City. And
I am a student here and I depend on the public transit system
and so I would like to reemphasize the importance of night
service to so many of us here. I don't stay d.t. every night
but I like to be able to, to have that flexibility to do it
sometimes. And in a time when everybody-people are decrying
the lack of public participation and politics and I think this
is a pretty good turnout tonight, especially for a winter
evening and how many of us would be here if we didn't have the
night service. Thanks.
Maureen Patterson/ 273 Haywood Drive. My husband and I live in an
apartment right now but we are future homeowners and I think
I support what these great people have come here tonight have
said and I have given great opinions. But I like to add a
different perspective. I work in Cedar Rapids and my husband
lives in Iowa City. He is legally blind. So for us the
decision of whether to live in Cedar Rapids or Iowa City comes
down to it is great that there is University and there is
great cultural events but I think the most important reason
why we live in Iowa City is because of this transit system. It
is because my husband gets the independence to have- to make
a decent living here in Iowa City and as a future homeowner,
transit is always going to be at the very top of our list and
whatever town we choose. We don't live in one of these smaller
communities because we can't-my husband couldn't get a bus to
come into Iowa City but we can feel confident right now
knowing that wherever we live in Iowa City he is going to be
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able to get to his place of employment. So I just would ask
the council to consider when you talk about future planning of
the city. I know you talk a lot about water and sewage and
these are all very important things but also when you are
talking about the future of Iowa City, I think transit is a
very vital part of that and instead of, you know, considering
taking away night service, for instance- I almost think you
should be considering adding more service. I think it is
vitally important part of this community. Thank you.
Susie Nehring/ 1209 Highland Avenue. I own a car and I also like to
take the bus and I just wanted to point out that my decision
to take the bus versus taking my car depends greatly on the
issue of having night service. If i knew that I wasn't going
to be able to get home in the evening, I teach and go to
classes, and a lot of those activities happen at night and if
I didn't have night service available, I wouldn't take that
ride in the morning. I would take my car instead and I think
that a lot of people-You count the numbers just in the
evening. A lot of people are riding in the morning that
wouldn't ride in the morning if they didn't know that they had
opportunity to get home at night. So I wanted you to take that
into consideration.
Nov/ Thank you.
Norton/ Where do you live?
LeRoy Huey/ I have a little physical handicap and I ride the bus a
lot. I live in Forestview Trailer Court, up in the north end
of town. The Manville Heights bus. And I think we have a great
system here, I really do. We have, like I said, I have never
paid $.50 a ride for a long time because I sue my bus pass
every day of the week getting around town and stuff like this.
So every time I use it it just goes down hill anyway. If you
consider it that way it won't be so expensive as $.75 a ride
if you use your bus pass right. And I think we have good
service here but I just do not think we should cut down night
service to because of all the- I work at the hospital,
University Hospital. I get off at 7:00 at night and it is kind
of hard to get home all the way back out that way, especially
on these cold nights. So just take that into consideration.
Thank you.
Kubby/ LeRoy, will you grab that piece of paper that fell on the
ground and put it underneath that pad? Thanks. Put it
underneath that pad that is on there. Thanks.
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Marsha Hucke/ 418 Hawaii Court. And I have lived in Iowa City for
18 years or the Iowa City Coralville area for 18 years and I
have taken the bus to work from the day I started and I rely
on it heavily. I take it 3-4 nights a week and I think I read
in the paper the other day that you did a survey last Tuesday
night of the bus riders at night and I think one survey is not
a total reflection of everybody who rides at night. Last week
was a terribly cold week. I came straight home. Most nights I
am d.t. 3-4 nights week. Last week I didn't want to go
anywhere but go home. It was too cold. I think if you do these
surveys you need to do them during the day because as other
people have said, you may ride during the day and then come
home later at night. Just to have somebody coming on the bus
at night is a poor reflection. The other thing that I would
like to comment on is I am not opposed to the rate increase.
$.75 is very reasonable. Nobody can drive their car for $1.50
a day in today's gas prices. Plus pay parking on top of that
or whatever else you need to do. The other thing that I would
like to say is with the new Coralville Mall is opening up, I
think if you cut night service, you are going to do a great
disservice to anybody to your DTA business owners. I can't
believe that that mall will not impact the Old Capitol Mall
and all the business district d.t. and if you don't have night
service, you are not going to have anybody shopping d.t.
because everybody I know now, does not want to shop d.t. Iowa
City because they can't find a place to park. Thank you.
Susan Lower/ I live on Highway 1 West over by Jacks and I am
against raising the bus pass because if you raise up $7.00
that means the people with disabilities would have less time
to spend d.t. with their friends at night after they get off
work. If you cut the bus service at 7:00 that means the people
with disabilities do not have ways to get to and from d.t.
Thank you.
Nov/
Thank you. For people who are standing at the back, there are
some seats over here. If there is an empty seat next to you
wave at this person so that we can clear the isles. Okay, do
you just want to come up and say something? we don't want to
get the Fire Marshall after us.
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-21 SIDE 2
Mike Hajdu/ 324 North Lucas Street and I saw this on t.v. and I
just had to come down and say something because sometimes I
wonder what you all are thinking. I mean you try to encourage
people not to drive in town because for those of us who work
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Nov/
Tony
page 15
here the biggest problem is driving and parking. There is no
doubt about it. I don't drive. I have never been on the bus.
But I ride my bicycle and there is nobody encouraging me to
ride my bicycle. The bike lanes is the only street in this
whole town that hasn't been plowed. The only thing that you
can steal in this town and not even get the police to show up
for is a bicycle. You know, and now the only other thing you
can do other than ride your bicycle is take the bus and now
you want to charge extra for that. And if you wanted to leave
your car parked and just walk, the police put tickets on them
and tow them away. You know, so you can't leave your car
parked. You got to drive it. you can't get a on a bus because
it cost too much and you can't ride your bicycle because they
don't plow the lanes. So the only think you can do in this
town is drive so that is what I did. I drive here. You know,
and if that is what you want me to do, I will. But I think
what you got her is a committee of people that individually,
you know, are a pretty smart bunch. but as a unit, you know,
you all just aren't making any sense at all. None of this.
This is ridicules. You know, I mean, triple park it. Put a gas
tax on, you know. You know, at least plow the bike lanes or
cut the rates on buses. I mean, what you are doing here
doesn't make any sense at all, you know. It will be
interesting to see what you all come up with this. Thanks.
Thank you.
Birnbaum/ 427 South First Avenue. I lived in Iowa City since
1988. And one of the first things that impressed me about this
community was the ability to get anywhere from my home to d.t.
or to other parts of town via transfers or whatever. Not a lot
of cities can make that claim and I think by cutting service
you do a big disservice to people who like to ride the bus,
who prefer to ride the bus as opposed to driving. And so I
would hope that you would reconsider not cutting night service
or cutting any service. I am also akin to many of the
suggestions made here already about expanding service. Now I
am sympathetic to the bind that you are in with less support
coming from the feds. Quite frankly I can't understand the
mentality in Washington, why they want to cut mass transit. It
seems to me they should be doing more to encourage mass
transit and if that is putting a $5.00 a gallon tax on
gasoline. It use to be you could get from any point in this
country pretty much, from point A to point B, via bus or train
or whatever. That is just eroding and I don't know what. I am
sure there are several factors to that. Now if I wanted to go
back to my hometown I would have to catch a bus and maybe have
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somebody pick me up from 50 miles away and so, again, I
realize that with less money to work with from Washington, you
have to deal with some difficult issues. I personally am not
opposed to paying $.75 per ride or $25 per bus pass. However,
I am sympathetic for those people for whom that would be a
pretty great hardship. So that is my thoughts on that. And oh,
I just remembered. People had mentioned parking ramps and this
sort of thing. Over the past years since I have lived here, it
seems to me the city council, this is not the current council,
this is past councils, have done more to encourage people to
drive as opposed to discourage them and have discouraged
people using the transit by building more parking ramps and by
increasing the density. Building more apartment buildings d.t.
I think we really need to get away from that mind set. I think
if anything, if you are going to build another parking ramp as
people have already mentioned, you know, make them pay. I
think using parking fees to subsidize the transit system is
not unfair whatsoever. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you.
Majorie Hayden Strait/ Hello. I live at 1314 Pine Street. I have
lived in this community since 1976 and I would like to say to
the folks back here thank you for coming. You warm my heart.
Nov/ Marjorie, you have to face the m~crophone.
Strait/ Some of us were here in 1985 when the system was whacked to
death because some planners and city manager, the other one,
and people who were in the d.t. business. Thornberry came to
meetings and he bashed the transit system and I won't name the
man who said the most awful because I have heard he has cancer
and he may be dead or alive. I don't know. But he stood there
and had the gall to say that people who use the buses don't
spend money d.t. And I was really ready to whack that guy. he
doesn't know how much you can carry home. If you buy a
raincoat. What is a raincoat for a female person today? If you
want a nice one you are talking $150 anyway, if you want a-
what is it? London Fog. You want quality stuff. The guy is
weird. But anyway. The tragedy is that we are doing this and
this is fun. This is social life. Isn't this nice to break the
doldrums of winter? It gives the peasants something to do.
Right? The tragedy of this is that right here in Iowa City we
have the human beings who can really help all of us. When you
pay employees and let employees make decision and there is no
input from the human beings who live in this community that is
not smart folks. I have been on planet earth for 68 years and
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I am not the shy bashful type. I learned early in life to
speak up. When you are under five feet you learn, Naomi, you
learn. Some of us didn't fall backwards into money, okay. The
practical matters are we have at the University of Iowa
Professor David Forkenbrock. Most of you probably know him,
know him well. You may even party with the man. He is a PhD.
He has been teaching for several years in Urban and Regional
Planning. He is used as a consultant by lot so city council
members in all over. He is also used as a consultant by the
Governor of Iowa, irregardless of politics, folks. And the
point that you have to know, David Forkenbrock told some of us
when we went through mish-mash in '85-86. You were in on it,
too. Said then our problem is we do not have an authorized, a
fully authorized legitimate functioning commission on
transportation. A comprehensive term, folks. There were people
in '85 who tired to tell you that. Nicholas Johnson-or tell
the old crowd, who did listen. Nicholas Johnson brought it up.
Dr. Vogel who taught at the University who is a consultant.
Many people knew what we were needing. Larry Baker, we have
talked about it. You have been there, too. We need an
authorized functioning transportation commission that covers
everything, Naomi. Transit, parking, taxis, roller blades,
bikes, trials, rails. You can merge the para-transit. You can
get everything under this umbrella. Speaking of para-transit,
this is the only one point I think I will every agree with you
on Steve Atkins. Let the city take over SEATS quickly. Cut out
the county. But I told Fowler, you boys are going to have
study the Older Americans Act. You are going to have to learn
the politics of how you serve and granted we know the
Newtarians, the bunch in D.C., are going to blow up every damn
thing. But irregardless of that, we have to survive. So how to
deal with the county. Those people on the county board need
help like everybody else. Get it clear and clean and Jeff
Davidson, you have been collecting a pay check for how many
years? You came to my house 15 years ago to do a survey about
SEATS. I will never forget you and you know why because the
little smart ass asked me questions and whatever and then I
asked him well, okay, how can I help on the citizen input
committee? See, I don't look impressive and as short as I am
these little jokers forget I have a working brain. I was
employed for many years as a psychiatric social worker. I know
about the Older Americans Act. I know about para-transit.
Those systems were always to have a citizen advisory
committee, an input mechanism. Now under the ADA there is
suppose to be a citizens input mechanism but the language is
not as strong as the Older Americans Act because the modern
day people didn't think well. But the thing is is what we are
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F020696
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dealing with, folks, since we have to survive. Money is not
the issue. It is using what God has given you and if you don't
believe in God that is your choice. But the point is there is
a brain power. Let's use it. Creative thinking is possible°
And I would say to Jeff Davidson, where have you been? I mean
there could be creative carpooling. You get those same
magazines that I have read down at the bus barn and that I
have read over in the library of Urban and Regional Planning.
Come on, Jeff. I have been to some of those transit workshops.
You know, it doesn't take a planner salary. I mean, it is a
good salary. But the point is let's say we want to survive. I
love what these people have said. Look, some of those young
ones have caught on real fast. They are going to be passive
pussies, so get ready please. Absolutely not cut evening. No,
Naomi, or we will all ride in your car.
Thornberry/ How is Lois, Marjorie?
Strait/ She is going to start talking and then we come get you.
Thornberry/ Fantastic, fantastic.
Strait/ Thank you for asking.
Gross/ Since Majorie has introduced me already, I live at 820
Kirkwood. Majorie, what side of the fence was I on or was
there a fence back then. I am not sure of what you speak of.
Strait/ (Can't hear).
Gross/ Really, wow, I don't recall that. I am representing the DTA
Transit and Parking Committee tonight as well as I myself. I
have a business d.t. and a growing business in Coralville. I
would like to digress just a moment and make a statement on a
letter that I saw in the Press Citizen tonight which stated in
some ways that the council, city manager, and city staff were
uncaring and unfeeling about the citizens needs. I have never
found that to be the case.
Strait/ (Can't hear).
Nov/ Majorie, you have had your turn. You can have another turn
after everybody else has spoken.
Gross/ I am not talking about cars. I am talking about respect for
each other. I found that when I approach the council with
respect they listen to me. They listen to my views and they
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page 19
are eager to hear what I have to say. I don't want to suggest
that the writer of the letter of the Press Citizen had a
different approach but I find that if somebody gets in my face
and screams at me, I am much less likely to say tell me more.
I think the people in this audience have displayed for the
most part of the city council and the staff and I think that
is an example of how council and staff will respond when
treated appropriately. In replying to a few people who have
indicated that parking is a problem in d.t, they have not
tried to park in one of our fine parking garages. There is no
need to drive around d.t. unless you have to be in front of a
particular store. You can pull into any garage almost anytime,
park in a covered parking space. You don't have to feed a
meter. You come and go as you please. Works just fine. There
is-the only parking problem d.t. is those people who haven't
gotten accustomed to parking in one of our fine parking
garages. The transit system is very important to the d.t.
merchants. Most of the people who ride the buses are people
who work d.t. The people who work d.t. are also shoppers and
they are also very important shoppers. They buy raincoats.
They buy London Fog raincoats. They buy many services offered
by d.t people. But it is important to remember that many of
these people are employed d.t. and they require the transit
service to get back and forth. Many employers subsidize bus
passes for their employees. Our company does and i know many
others that do. So, the continuation of the transit service is
very important. A healthy transit service is very important to
the d.t. merchants. I would like to express my concern that
you have a real dilemma, a real difficult time ahead of you in
funding this service. I would like to say that increasing the
parking rates in the parking ramps is not the best way to do
this. Everyone who was running, I believe every one who was
running for city council this year had among their top
priorities the health and well being of d.t. Iowa City. We
need a healthy d.t. Iowa city. It is a fact that in just the
CBD alone the property valuation is in the area of $10
million. These properties pay property taxes of about $1
million a year. It doesn't cost a $1 million to service the
d.t. area. This million dollars goes into the General Fund and
it funds many of the fine things that make Iowa City a special
place to live that we have. If we are to raise parking a
nickel in Dubuque Street because we can, I am concerned that
people will go elsewhere because they can. If we raise the
prices of parking to try to force people to ride the bus, that
is like legislating morality. It can't be done. If we raise
the prices of parking because we can, people will drive to the
new Coralville mall very soon. Because they can, they will
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drive to Cedar Rapids. They will drive west on the interstate
because they can. Please try and maintain the vitality of Iowa
City by making it as easy for the shoppers who drive as well
as the shoppers who ride the bus to take advantage of the
businesses d.t. If that doesn't happen, if that doesn't
happen, we will soon have a dog town. We have a lot of vacant
stores in Iowa City. We have a lot of prime retail property
that is vacant in d.t. Iowa City. If we want to change all of
those places to bars and pizza places that is going to happen
and as that happens, as the shoppers traffic decreases the
property values will decrease and the property taxes, that $1
million a year that is contributed now, is going to shrink to
$900,000 to $800,000. And we will lose the ability to fund
many of the fine services that make Iowa City special.
Nov/ John, we understand. Can you wind up?
Gross/ I am wound up. I am no longer wound up. I am finished.
Norton/ Thank you.
Nov/ We are going to try to enforce five minutes. We are not going
to cut people off in the middle of a sentence but we do have
a lot of people to speak. We are going to try to enforce this.
Victoria Gilpin/ I love at 1807 East Court and I also have a
business at 114 S. Clinton Street in d.t. Iowa City. I would
like to say as a member of the DTA and a business owner for 19
years that I absolutely support the bus system in this system.
I think it is essential, as John said. It is essential to me
as a community member and it is essential to me as a business
owner. I also subsidize my employees for parking or for bus
passes and encourage bus passes as well as spend roughly
between $50-100 a month in bus passes that I give to shoppers
in my store. So I think it is a very very important service.
I would like to make a point that the increasing costs that we
have to pay for this service due to decrease in other sources
of funding, etc., and just increases in the cost of the bus
service needs to be shared and specifically I would like to
address conversations that have not gone on tonight but other
times about increasing parking rates in d.t. lowa City to
subsidize the transit system. Right now there is about $90,000
a year being taken out of the parking systems to subsidize the
bus system. About 20% of the money that goes to pay for the
bus system comes for the users of the bus system and while I
am all for subsidizing the system because I believe in it very
strongly I do not believe that it is just or fair to tax in
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F020696
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essence d.t parking whether they are customers or employee of
d.t. Iowa City to fund a city wide service that is used by all
the residents of the city. So I do feel very strongly that
this is not fair or just or correct. Already it is being done
and it is something that I think most d.to business persons
are mostly in support of. But to raise parking rates to help
fund the additional cost the bus service I am very much
against. I am not sure if John is going to mention this but I
will say one last sentence. An idea has been put forth that
perhaps a look at raising the per hour costs of d.t. parking
meters to something like- Okay, John doesn't mind if I say
this, $.25 per 20 minutes. I think one of the last surveys
that was done suggested that most of the parkers in- most of
the people that use parking meters in d.t. Iowa City are using
them in a very short length of time which we do want to
encourage so that we have some opportunity of using a parking
space. And that is all I have tonight, thank you very much.
Nov/
While he is signing in, would some people who are in the aisle
in the back like to come and sit down. The Fire Marshall would
like us to keep the aisles clear.
Phil
Shive/ I live at 1134 Denbeigh Drive and I am an owner of
Sweets and Treats in Old Capitol Mall. As a d.t. merchant it
is a tough call. I am in favor of having the transit go up to
$.75 but I am not in support of taking away the night service.
During the Christmas season the mall worked really hard in
bringing entertainment down. We bring it in the evening so
people can come d.t. and shop. And if we eliminate night
service we eliminate a lot of those activities that go on d.t.
We have got Talbots coming d.t. which is exciting. They didn't
choose to go to Coralville where there will be free parking.
I am not in favor of raising parking rates. There has got to
be some other ways to do this but it isn't d.t.'s sole
responsibility to come up with the revenue for the bus system.
We have got a library expansion that we are talking about. I
sit on the Library Board and we are looking at doing a major
expansion and if we are going to eliminate night service we
are going to have a library that is going to be open in the
evening and no one is going to be able to come d.t. for those
who don't drive. Thank you.
Robyn Wheeler/ I live at 1244 Sunset. I just wanted to say that I
am really grateful to the bus service for getting us all
around the last few weeks. It has been really horrible weather
and I think it maybe a lot of people who normally don't take
the bus maybe have come to appreciate the drivers and all the
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efforts that they have made in trying to get people to where
they need to go. I am also a student and I work here at the
University Hospitals and I talked to numerous students who
have voiced the opinion that if the bus service were increased
on weekends and perhaps if a package were offered to students
who come to the University which is our main drawing feature
here that perhaps they might take the bus system rather than
the Cambus system if, you know, they had maybe a cheaper
package offered to them when they come to the University.
There are many of them who like to go d.t. Saturday nights who
prefer not driving. They like to be able to take a bus home
late Saturday nights. I know many many people who would like
to be able to use a bus service on Sundays and I think we are
a growing very wonderful city and I just hate to see such a
vital service cut off and I just want to thank you for this
service and that is all I have to say.
Nov/ Thank you.
Nancy Overstreet/ I am with Goodwill Industries and I like to thank
all of the people in the audience tonight for their point of
view and their opinions. I came thinking that there may be one
point of view but there really isn't. Everyone is sharing some
very unique perspectives. One of the things from Goodwill we
would like to share with the council is that increasing the
rates for the bus is something that we would support. It has
been a while since those have been raised and it seems like a
very efficient way to deal with some of the cash shortfalls.
The concern that we have is that we work with a lot of
individuals in obtaining entry level positions in the
community. It is something that we are all very concerned
about and worried about and full employment for as many people
as possible. Entry level positions quite often are not
traditional hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 5:00. Many
are evening jobs, weekend jobs. And there are many barriers to
successful employment and we work in minimizing those
barriers. The transportation barrier to employment is very
very difficult. If a person cannot get there then there is no
employment and we would hope that council takes a look at that
particular issue from our perspective. Thank you.
Ben Bonte/ I live at 1100 Oakcrest Street, Apartment E. Iowa City
a somewhat unique problem in that from the hospital complex to
d.t. we have a comparatively small area where a huge
percentage of the population works or goes to school. There is
simply not enough room d.t. for all of those cars and I
understand that a lot of people need to drive to work for
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various reasons. I think though that by increasing the bus
fares without also increasing parking rates, you are just
going to be encouraging more and more people to rive rather
than to take the buses. The bus service does not just benefit
those of us who ride the bus. The bus system benefits everyone
who lives in Iowa City. Increasing the parking fares I don't
think is any legislating of morality. It is simply saying that
this 8 foot by 12 foot piece of concrete we think is worth
more than $.30 an hour or $.50 an hour to rent depending on
where it is located. I also think that if you took the buses
away for one day, everyone who parks d.t. would gladly pay
their share of the $90,000 from the parking fund.
Thornberry/ Nice jacket. Did you buy that d.t.?
John Murphy/ Thank you. I got that d.t. at a store called Bremers.
I would like to- It is not a London Fog.
Nov/ And John owns Bremers and that is why his jacket came from
Bremers.
Murphy/ We sell raincoats. But- I live in Coralville and I have
Coralville pride but I have much more Iowa City pride. This is
where I am from and this is where I have our business. So- A
couple of things that I just want to mention, not to reiterate
anything else, but- First I would like to welcome Dee, Dean
and Dee° I haven't had a chance to speak with you yet but
welcome to the city council° A couple of things that weren't
mentioned. I know there has been some conversation regarding
them and I don't know how feasible they are but just possibly
looking into we got a great bus service in this town and we
have got Cambus and Coralville Transit and Iowa City Transit
and maybe further looks in some of the repetitive routes and
maybe some cost saving measures that can be done by looking
into those bus services, I think is a wise idea. Again,
think what Victoria mentioned about not just, you know, taxing
or raising the rates in d.t. to fund a city wide service.
think that is a great point. It is a great service. It is
something that we want to continue but I don't think- The
buses got to Towncrest, they go to Walmart I would assume and
they go everywhere. You know, are you going to put a surtax on
the doctors at Towncrest. If you work that out, fine and we
will deal with you then. But it is a city wide service. Also
an idea and I was just talking- I just had the idea today but
we are willing to work with Joe on some different ideas
regarding the meters because it is true you can park in the
meter in front of our store for $.50 an hour and there is
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convenience there. I think people like those spots and what
you can do is if you raise it to $.25 every 20 minutes-I don't
want to be raising rates in d.t. now with the new Coralville
mall and things like that. But it would be $.75 an hour and
you could put stickers on the meters that say the ramp is
cheaper or something. That way you get people going more to
the ramps and it can alleviate some of the people from just
going to the- Why not go to the meters if they are more
convenient. People like them more. So, anyway, that is a
thought too. That is all. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you.
Joe
Daringer/ I live at 2419 Lakeside Manor. I am in support of
increase in the rates but I am not in favor of night service.
I belong to a support group that meets very night from 8:00 to
10:00 and I am wondering is there has been anything thought
about making a metropolitan transit instead of Iowa City
Transit and Coralville Transit? I feel that there is a lot of
tax dollars spent on the Iowa Street over here. If anybody has
ever walked over there they see a Cambus, a Coralville buss
and an Iowa City bus. the Coralville bus brings people into
Iowa City to shop. The Iowa City bus- The Coralville bus takes
Iowa City people out to Coralville. I feel that if in the year
2000 there will no longer be any funding from the government
so Coralville is going to be hurting just as bad as Iowa City
and I feel that if the time has come when maybe Iowa city
wants to be so proud to think that they would have to go in
with Coralville but I feel that we are all neighbors and we
are all under the same God, you know, and so I thank you for
the opportunity- Oh, also, I appreciate Karen for having the
workshop Saturday, too, because I really understood more about
what is going on tonight. So, thank you.
Nov/ Thank you.
Marta Heffner/ And I live at 1030 Bowery in Iowa City. I ride the
bus and I have ridden the bus since I moved here from
Portland, Oregon 15 years ago. At that time, although Iowa
City is much smaller than Portland, Portland had a ride and
shop; it had a park and ride system. I moved to Iowa City and
we had the same kind of thing on a smaller scale in terms of
a centralized system. That has been my life saver in the sense
that I have been able to use the bus wherever I go and at
whatever time I decide to go. I have gone to college here and
received extra degrees that I wouldn't have done if I hadn't
been able to use the bus to get home. I have a car but I just
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choose not to use it. And I really feel that the bus is a
social event for me. It is a place to meet people. To meet my
fellow Iowa Citians, my fellow Coralville people and it is
just a super system that I would hate to see deteriorate and
I do think that we have increased parking as opposed to
increasing the buses. We have diminished bus routes over the
15 years that I have lived here and I find that that is very
troublesome and I hope we can continue to think ahead. As we
say the year 2000 is upon us. As a generation that is getting
older, I think we need to plan now for our transportation when
we are no longer able to drive and another concern I have is
as a nurse, I take care of patients who are unable to drive
and I find how important the buses are to those people and I
would hate to eliminate that service for them. So in support
of continuing to look at alternatives, I would hope that you
can do that. I would hope that you would consider ride and
shop. I would hope that maybe some of the empty buildings d.t.
could be utilized for maybe a grocery store d.t. besides new
Pioneer Coop. We need to be able to make people- I mean,
people will come to town. I do. I do more of my shopping d.t.
because I take the bus and if I drive I would go to Cedar
Rapids. It is as simple as that and I am a consummate shopper.
So, please consider that there are all of us that use the bus.
We love the bus. We don't want to lose any more routes. In
fact, I would be all in favor of more money. I will pay it,
whatever it takes, but I also do want to share the
responsibility with those that drive. Thank you.
Dee Capps/ I have a couple of comments that I forgot to make. I
just signed in.
Nov/ Can you wait a little bit longer?
Capps/ Sure. I just thought I would throw in the two comments. I
will wait if you want me to. But I just wanted to say
something that happened.
Nov/ Keep hold of the comments because we do have a policy that
people don't speak twice until everyone else has had a chance.
Dave
Couchman/ I live at 2709 Wayne Avenue here in Iowa City. I am
a city employee. My perspective is a little bit different and
I am employed by transit. I am a bus driver. I will start by
saying that the transit service to Iowa City is very good. It
could be better but none the less, a very good service.
However, since being employed by transit for nearly six years,
I have seen a lot of waste and mismanagement. We can continue
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to be wasteful and actually have increased-We continue to be
wasteful and actually have increased the waste in the past
year. I hope that you will tread cautiously with making cuts
to this fine service. I hope that somehow we can regain our
integrity of a cost efficient operation. But we need to look
at ourselves internally before we make cuts to service. I have
several good ideas, sensible ideas, that most people would
find are common sense ideas. I encourage you, the city council
of this great city, to look further at the internal operations
of this division. I would be glad to talk with you or any or
all of you about my ideas. I have shared some with Dean and he
has some of them. But they are only the tip of the iceberg and
I trust that you will do the right thing. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you. Dave, would you be willing to write up your ideas
and hand them in?
Couchman/ Dean has a copy of them. They are all typed up and
everything. I have more at home if you need them.
Nov/ No. We will just ask the City Clerk to make copies from what
he has and we will read it. Thank you.
Kubby/ And actually David, if you have others that you would be
willing to put on paper and-
Couch_man/ There is a lot. We are-I mean we waste a lot of money and
it is not, you know, it is not our money to waste and I
thought- I said something to John Lundell when he was in
charge and I just feel more strongly about it now that we are
having cuts. We are going to have more cuts and, you know, it
is not our money to waste. And so that is the reason I am
here.
Kubby/ Put those additional ideas on paper so we could have access
to them.
Couchman/ Sure. It will be quite a few.
Kubby/ Go for it.
Nov/ Good. Good. We will read all of them.
Couchman/ Thank you.
Kubby/ I guess I want to say I think it is very brave of a transit
employee to come out and say that he has some ideas on how to
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do things differently. Not necessarily
there is any problem with that but I just
act to say that. Thank you.
that it means that
think it is a brave
Cheryl Bailey/ I live at 1131 Howell Street. I just wanted to
mention three things about the night service that just because
they haven't been mentioned as far as students. There is
discussion sections, exams, and classes at night. I don't know
if other people have mentioned that and I know that when the
service was cut after I moved here in '85 or '86 that it
definitely changed the way that I approached work at night. I
work in a laboratory so sometimes I have to stay late and I
definitely did start driving. I have to go home on the bus at
5:00, get the car, drive it in because if you miss that one
hour then you have to wait e whole hour for the other thing.
The schedule that was in '85-'86 really worked well and
changed my actions when that was changed.
Holly Berkowitz/ 612 Grenada Court. I take the Manville Heights
bus. And I did take it. Once in a while and often my car is in
the shop and I don't know anyone here who can say it is not.
I feel very lucky that I live in town. We moved to Iowa city
because of the accessibility to many things and the
accessibility with the bus. I come here representing the
people who can not come. I come represent myself, the poor,
the sick, the next generation and the generation after that
who are going to face the expensive and hazardous consequences
that are pivotal tonight if you decide on making a major
decision about land use. About how our land is going to be
used. The least efficient form of transportation according to
the, I forget what agency it is, is the helicopter, the
airplane and the automobile. The most efficient is the
passenger train or the monorail, the passenger train and the
bus. The rapid transit bus. I applaud Iowa City for the fine
services you developed over the years and I don't think it is
any time to be cutting a service that is going to maintain a
quality of life. The quality of life is not the same as
standard of life. And if you have a fortune you can easily
lose it over night. We are not immune to-none of us are immune
to misfortune. We can't protect our children from misfortune.
We can't protect them from the community. The only thing we
can do for our children and their children's children is to
build a safe healthy and happy environment with opportunity
and the rights to achieve self determination.
Nov/ Holly, that is a very important point but we really have to
restrict this hearing to the transit issues. So tell us what
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you really would like us to do about the transit system.
Berkowitz/ Well, to possibly augment the concept I would like to
see a carpool system incorporated to augment the mass transit
system. Encourage pedestrian travel. To encourage a trolley
around the mall. To encourage through the mall even. Anything
to encourage wiser use of land, expensive land, land that we
need to grow crops with 40 years from now. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you, Holly. Is there someone else who would like to
discuss the transit issue?
Michael Orthel/ I live at 522 Hawkeye Court. Because of Cambus
service you would think the evening routes would not be a
concern for me but sometimes I do like to catch the Lakeside
to go out and visit my daughter who lives with her mother in
Lakeside Apartments. So, I have on occasion caught to night
bus, the night Lakeside bus. I would like to be able to
continue that. So- And also concerning the increase in fair,
I would be willing to pay an extra $.25 per ride to keep the
night buses.
Jim
Patterson/ Good evening. I live at 273 Haywood Drive and I
debated whether to speak or not simply because my wife had
spoken so eloquently earlier this evening but I felt that it
was important that I do say something. As a person who has
lived in Iowa City for several years now I depend on two
sources for transportation. One is the Iowa City Transit
system and the other is my wife. Obviously my wife isn't
around all the time and so the Iowa City Transit is very
essential to me. I don't consider the transit system to be a
luxury or convenience. I am legally blind and I consider it to
be a utility as any other utility, gas, electric, water and so
I think it is vital that we work on methods to continue to
upgrade and augment the service and at least maintain it at
its present level. I would be in favor- Excuse me. I would be
in favor continuing to pay or increasing to pay $.75 a ride.
But I would be in factor also of continuing the night service.
I have used that-
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-22 SIDE 1
Patterson/ Going up. That there would be other opportunities and
other alternatives considered as well to help fund the system
from drivers and other sources around Iowa City. I initially
came here tonight thinking that the d.t. parking meter rates
might be one important solution and it still could be. But I
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also have to consider and my mind has been changed slightly by
realizing that it is a city wide service and not just a d.t.
service. So those are the issues that I would like the council
to consider in that it is important not just as a luxury or a
convenience but it is essential service for a good number of
Iowa City residents and I thank you for your time.
Nov/ Thank you.
Barbara Vinagrade/ I live on Grant Street here in Iowa City. And I
just wanted to add a couple of things to the many good things
that have been this evening. I work at the Iowa city Free
Medical Clinic and I would like to thank all of you for your
support of the Clinic. Our clinics run on Monday and Thursday
evenings and if services were cut many of our clients who do
use the bus services would be unable to take advantage of the
Clinic services which I think would be really unfortunate. The
other thing I just wanted to mention was that I think not only
do I believe that health care is a basic human right I also
think that safety is a basic human right for all people living
in our community and having bus systems run both day and night
offers everyone here a safe way to get home or fairly near
their home. So I hope that we do not make cuts in services.
Thank you.
Nov/
Is there anyone else who would like to discuss transit? Okay.
Is there anyone in the hall who would like to discuss transit?
No, before we get to the second round there is two people who
have already expressed an interest. Have you spoken once? No,
okay, that is what I thought. Go right ahead. Sign in, give us
your name and address and go ahead.
Erin
Silander/ I live on Grant Street in Iowa City and I have lived
here since 1971. As a resident I am interested in maintaining
and improving living conditions in Iowa City and I believe
that affordable, convenient bus service helps to decrease
traffic, preserve the environment, supports business by
increasing access and promotes safety. A long with others who
have spoken tonight, I would be glad to help share in the cost
through taxes or by some other fees. I think decent and
affordable bus service is important to the public interest and
that evening service is essential to provide access to jobs
and particularly to women for safety reasons. It is
unacceptable to raise rates in decrease service. I would urge
you not to decrease nighttime service and many others have
spoken very well about the advantages, both to the system and
to the riders of evening service. Thank you.
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Nov/ Thankyou. Is there someone else who would like to speak up on
this issue?
Salander/ Also lots of good ideas here tonight.
Richard West/-802 E. Washington. I came in late so I don't want to,
I can try not to repeat anything that's probably been said
before, but I use the buses a lot and I really hope that you
can keep the nighttime service, not having a car, and wanting
to be able to move around Iowa City, but I understand people's
cohcerns that the buses often run and there's two people on a
big bus. Wishing to use resources more efficiently, is it
possible to reduce the cost of maintaining bus routes by
moving to smaller vehicles? I just want to bring that up as
discussion. And anyway, I think that it would be better to
look at long term because we can't- if you're going to change
bus routes you have to know, as a bus rider you can't have bus
routes changing all the time. They have to be stable,
otherwise people will not depend on them at all. So that's
all.
Kubby/ Since this idea of smaller vehicles has come up twice, it
might be good to have staff respond as to how we've we arrived
in the past at the decision not to have smaller vehicles for
non-peak time. Is that okay, Naomi? A very brief explanation?
Nov/ Well, we have discussed this and the staff has said they would
prefer to respond in writing to all of the ideas. So can we
leave it that way?
Baker/ Who are they going to respond to in writing?
Nov/ Us.
Baker/ To us.
Nov/ Um-huh. And whatever response of course will go to the
newspapers as well the way it always does.
Kubby/ Well the short response is that when you have smaller
vehicles for off peak time, the big cost is your driver, so
that's not going to change and in terms of maintenance, you're
going to have to have maintenance folks who know how to work
on different kinds of vehicles and have inventory for two
different kind of vehicles. And it actually ends up if smaller
vehicles are the only reason- if night service is the only
reason you have them, it's not economical. If we had some
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smaller vehicles possibly to do para-transit, that we could
use them for nighttime service when it's not peak time for
SEATS or for the big buses, that might work. We've talked
about that recently.
Doris Jean Sheriff/ 915 Oakcrest Street. At the outset, I'd like to
say that I would like to compliment the city of Iowa City on
its transit system. I moved here five years ago from the
metropolitan D.C. area. For a jurisdiction of this size you
have a very impressive transit system.
Nov/ Marian, are you hearing this?
Thornberry/ She's got the other microphone.
Nov/ I know. But I just wanted to be sure that she's being heard.
She's okay. Thank you, Doris. Go ahead.
Sheriff/ I'm also a student at the University, so when I came here,
I immediately got bus passes. And I have quite a string I've
saved these bus passes. I love the varied colors that they
were. Then disability visited my doorstep and I could no
longer ride the fixed route buses. University, as many of you
may be aware of, has very limited quote handicapped unquote
parking. There is of course the bionic bus. I wish to echo
sentiments raised by an earlier speaker about the need for a
metropolitan area coordinated transit plan. Specifically that
which include Coralville, Iowa City, and the University.
understand your needs to look for additional revenue sources
with cuts that are friends in federal land are making. I
suspect that a 75 cent increase or a 75 cent per ride is not
unreasonable for a transit system. That also however has
ramifications for SEATS. Another point that I would like to
make is people with the University just recently you had your
public hearing on your ADA para-transit plan. University is
going from zero buses, lift equipped buses, to seven. At this
public hearing, I specifically asked University official who
was there, what routes are going to be involved. There was no
answer. I asked what kind of training is going to be provided
to the student bus drivers much in the way the fixed route
buses and SEATS provide sensitivity training and the
ramifications for sites, drop sites. Are there curb cuts,
etc.? None of these issues were addresses by the University.
Minutes that Mr. Doyle prepared to go to the feds indicate
these issues were raised. I, again, wish to stress that under
37.137 of the federal regulations that public comments must be
reacted to. I do not find the University to be as of yet
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responsive in responding to that. My point here is where I
currently live I cannot easily get to the University, even
riding the 0akcrest bus because then ! must go d.t., change to
another bus. That is four operations of using a lift. And I
would like to see how the University is going to be a feeder
system into this. Have they looked at who are using the bionic
bus? How does that coordinate with SEATS? It seems to me that
if there were a much deeper look or a concentrated look at a
metropolitan plan, that these three different jurisdictions
could do a better job at a cheaper cost. You recall that it
cost you much more to transport a person with a disability on
SEATS than on your fixed route bus and again, that carries
over to the University. So, I just raise these concerns to the
council and ask that you might give thought to a coordinated
plan that involves and requires the University to be a partner
in the transportation business in this town. Thank you.
Kubby/ I will do some follow up with Mike Finnegan from the
University to make-he did commit to get back to you with
answers via David Gibson. That hasn't happened so far.
Lorry Schroeder/ 1615 Abet Avenue. A couple of concerns of mine is
I do feel like again, several good points have been brought up
tonight. I don't mine paying another quarter. I ride the bus
nearly daily, always to my work at the University Hospital.
The point that hadn't been brought up that affects me
personally is the incoming Plaenview bus that has been taken
away. That affects my daily life and I just wanted to bring
that up and to see if there could be some, you know, that
service to be brought up again. And also it is 8:25 at night,
I am riding the bus home. If, you know, we don't have a night
time service, how am I going to get there. I can't walk. So,
you know, again, we are talking about cost. We are talking
about common sense. We are talking about people, people's
lives, the common citizen and all that is precious to us and
the other gentleman had brought up a good point that several
of you have written the bus. My question is just how often? I
ride the bus almost every day. I don't see you riding the bus
but that is- I mean, do you ride it every day? Do you ride it,
you know, as often as we do, you know. I don't want to have to
drive my car d.t. at a drop of a hat. You know, so- That
incoming Plaenview route is really important. A lot of people
did take that.
Kubby/ Will you explain? Are you talking about a certain time of
day for the Plaenview route?
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Schroeder/ Now, an outgoing Plaenview route and that is the only
bus system that that Plaenview route has. The incoming is no
longer existing.
Nov/ It must come in on a different street because it doesn't-
Schroeder/ It no longer goes up sunset or something like this.
Nov/ It goes on a different street.
Schroeder/ So it has changed to Hawkeye. I really miss that route,
I guess. It was a daily route for me and I think it is, you
know, something just at least to be considered and I just
wanted to just bring it up and let you know that there is a
need here. So, thank you very much.
Thornberry/ How far do you have to walk to get to the Plaenview
bus?
Schroeder/ Um, three blocks now. I usually take the Westwinds which
is like six and-for what I do.
Thornberry/ Thank you.
Schroeder/ Thank you.
Nov/ Is there someone else that would like to discuss transit with
us? If there isn't someone else, we have two people who have
asked to speak again, both Dee and Marjorie. So, now is your
chance.
Majorie Hayden Strait/ I am putting it in the hands of the above.
Nov/ Okay.
capps/ I just have a couple of short comments that I forgot to
mention earlier and they are simply thank yous for the firemen
that got served by the city buses when they had to fight a
real hot fire this summer out on the southwest edge of Iowa
City. There were a couple of buses that were sent out to keep
them cool because they were working a real hard fire. They've
also been sent to a couple of winter fires that kept the boys
warm when they really needed it. #2-Has anybody spoke for the
people that don't have-that live in retirement centers that
don't have their own private little buses. I do know the place
where my aunt lives, Autumn Park. They have their own cars but
a lot of them like to use the transit system. The thing I am
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mentioning is the fact that if you have a 10:00 appointment
and the buses don't get d.t. in a half hour, it means you have
to take a whole hour ahead, practically, because of between
9:00 an 3:00 when the buses are running for them and that does
make an inconvenience for those people. I am approaching that
spot, not yet. If I can do it I will fight my way through it.
But those are just a couple of things I meant to mention
earlier because these guys do give their efforts for
everybody.
Nov/ Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to speak?
Ed Clopton/ She hasn't spoken yet.
Nov/ She has, she has. Okay, go ahead.
Ed Clopton/ My name again is Ed Clopton from Governor Street. One-
the speakers who have mentioned the need for metropolitan
coordinated transit authority, something that I have also
thought about for a long time. One indication of need for that
is that there is no public bus service between Coralville and
West High School where most Coralville High School students
attend. So, that, in itself is a major oversight and is
something that really ought not-There ought not to be
organizational political barriers in the way of providing
service the need for which is as obvious as that.
Nov/ Holly, do you want to say something else?
Holly Berkowitz/ Thanks for this opportunity for open government.
I really appreciate it. If you could send a message back to
the feds that they need to send you more money because this is
poor planning to cut these kinds of service. This is
shortsighted. This is private oriented. It is selfish. I have
this theory that the Republican agenda is shortsighted for the
private gain. The Democratic agenda is for long term economic
sufficiency, self sufficiency, of community go the public for
long term sustainability and I challenge the Republican-
Thornberry/ Let's not start that (can't hear).
Berkowitz/ To address this issue of mass transit because it affects
the livelihood of those people who cannot speak for themselves
who are under privileged. Perhaps there are many gifted people
who cannot drive. There are many people with lots of potential
who cannot drive and need this chance, this opportunity to
achieve their potential to be self determined.
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Nov/ Thank you, Holly.
Berkowitz/ The second point is that when you are calculating costs,
look at the costs of building a new parking ramp. If you cut
this service, what is going to be the increase in traffic and
how many more parking ramps are you going to need to build. I
am looking at this economically. I am talking economics and
anybody that is concerned about the economic health of this
community is going to look at mass transit as a facilitator of
economic health. Thank you.
Nov/
Thank you. I think since Holly mentioned lobbying, we could
mention the state legislature. We have a limit now of $.95 per
$1,000 in property tax which can be levied for transit. If
this state limits were increased we could then have more money
for transit. So those of you who feel like lobbying may do so.
Kubby/ There are other opportunities, too. I don't think we should
sit still to say that federal operating costs will go down to
zero because that is a three year plan. That we could also ask
the community to engage in conversation at the federal level
to not reduce the federal operating budget for the transit
system.
Nov/ Is there anyone else who would like to speak to us on this
issue?
/ I spoke earlier but I can of got caught off guard and I
wanted to say that I work for System Unlimited and I am also
myself is disabled and I whenever we encourage all the clients
to take the buses when they can and when I am with them we
always take the buses and I know a lot of the clients work in
the evenings and I mean, myself, I take the buses and I take
SEATS and comes right now maybe winter and it gets dark early
and cold but comes to summer, I mean I live on taking the
buses to d.t. and going to like to listen to the band. You
know, all of the- I think this is cutting some much of our
freedom for us to do anything. You know, I mean, how are we
going to be able, like recreation, all go d.t. I mean, it is
just- I don't know how. I mean in one way we cannot afford
taking the taxis and the other thing is like we were
encouraging all the clients to take if they can, if they are
able, to take buses but then instead of depending on SEATS. If
you cut the buses in the evening and you have to go to work,
doe that mean they all have to be taken- They all, I am very
sure they qualify to take SEATS because they are disabled
bodies. But it is also able to take the buses. I mean they
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will be taking SEATS and you were talking about that you are
hurting the budget of SEATS and it is so much more expensive
cost for an individual taking SEATS than taking the city
buses. $o we were trying to do it the other way around. And I
could really-there are many issues that are brought today. I
don't know too much about the driving situation. I am a single
parent and I have two children and you know, like I said, I
was sometime when I am with my children I take the buses.
Sometimes when I'm alone I take SEATS. But anyhow talking
about parking, I could really see where it's good idea to
increase just to then you won't like it's okay with me to
increase the buses rates but not cutting the service. And then
I think if you're going to increase bus rates, you should
increase the parking, because then you will have the- you will
not discourage people from taking the buses instead of
driving. They will keep driving. I mean, so this increased so
they don't think this is cheaper. And a gentleman said
something about if we increase night, I mean, increase the
parking that will mean people not going to be shopping in Iowa
City, they'll be going to Cedar Rapids and Davenport. I don't
see that true because that mean they have to drive long ways
and they going to be spending quite a bit of money on gas, so
I don't think this is going to happen. I think that do make
sense, increasing like you said, a dime or 25 cents or
whatever the parking meters if you do increase also the rates
for the buses, but definitely not to cut the evening services
or even reducing it because like somebody else says it is once
an hour. That's quite a for example I'm taking the bus
tonight. My 8:30 bus is gone. I'm going to have to wait until
9:30. I mean I can't see it when you guys going to make it to
twice, I mean once every two hours. That's going to be very
difficult for us. So I hope you'll reconsider it and thank
yOU.
Kubby/ Thank you.
Geoffrey Hacker/ I think you should increase the parking fees,
because a lot of people forget to pay their parking fees. I
once worked in a transit place. If you forget to pay them,
you're going to lose revenue if you don't raise the fees. Make
higher, people'11 want to pay them faster. A lot of people
that get tired of paying parking tickets (can't hear) the
community, then people have to pay $10 parking tickets because
they forgot to pay them. If you raise the fees people will be
more likely to pay them and they'll think more about riding
the bus which is more important because parking is so bad
because I rode in a car and had to drive around in circles
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#2 page 37
just to get into the parking ramp you had to drive to the top
of the parking ramp to get a decent spot. Because the parking
ramp was full and they claimed over there that these people
who can't even parking space great for parking at but I have
to drive all the way to the top. Senior citizens can't take
the stairs. Sometimes the elevator might break down. Just
can't take it. I want people who don't pay their parking
tickets to have to pay them. People go ten years sometimes.
That wipes out the computer and you lose money that way. So
you're not getting enough money from your parking tickets. So
you have catch the people who are actually not paying their
tickets.
Nov/ We're doing our best to get those people to pay their tickets.
We are really working on it.
Hacker/ If you raise the fees, then they'd be more likely to pay
them. It'd make them want to ride the bus. Save our town from
being overcrowded. Don't want people to ride all the way to
the top of the building and then an elevator breaks and they
climb the stairs, so parking should be increased and the
transit should be more reasonable. Because it's terribly bad
parking in this town.
Nov/ Thank you.
Hacker/ You're welcome.
Joe Daringer/ When is the final decision made on?
Nov/ Do you want to stand up and ask your question into the
microphone?
Daringer/ Lakeside Manor. When will be the
tonight be the last that we will be
input?
final decision and will
able to give any more
Nov/ We have to make a decision according to state las before the
15th of march. And I believe our final decision is around the
5th of March, is that our meeting?
Atkins/ That is budgeted option. There is another public hearing on
all the budget issues on the 27th of February which you're
free to speak to this issue or really any others you wish.
Daringer/ Thank you.
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F020696
#2 page 38
Holly Berkowitz/ I'd like to know what kind of data you have in
front of you at this time about use of transportation
facilities in this metropolitan area. I'm talking not just
about Iowa City, but the entire Johnson County, because that's
what impacting the maintenance in Iowa City, the use of the
buses. Perhaps a car pool, perhaps parking stations might help
people who aren't commuting now to use this system so you can
bring in more revenue. Maybe people do it. Find out why the
public is not using the system. What would help them to use it
and what would help them to encourage it, to bring business to
downtown area. And what kind of statistics do you have on how
may cars per hour at hours you have in what areas. Which roads
are the busiest at what hours? Maybe adjusting working hours
so that you have staggered hours so that the roads are not so
congested at certain times. These kind of factors play into
this discussion, play into these economics because they affect
people's irritability when they're stuck in traffic. They
affect how many parking garages you have to build. They affect
how after you have to blacktop your streets.
Nov/ Holly, we do keep those kind of records and we are talking
only about transit for this public hearing. Okay?
Berkowitz/ It impacts it.
Nov/ We know and we do keep those kind of statistics.
Berkowitz/ Is there any way for us to talk with you about that?
Nov/ Yes, at another time.
/ Hello. The people with disabilities have-live on annual
social security income plus the minimum wage (can't hear). If
you guys increase the bus pass that would increase the people
with social security (can't hear) with the minimum job
payment. The people with disability does not have much
spending money to go out with their friends and you go out and
have a soda pop with a friend and go to a movie. So I am in
favor of decreasing the bus pass. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you.
Lori
Bears/ I won't take five minutes since I have already spoken
and I would like to reiterate what I said. But I also forgot
to ask I would like to have a transit commission. We have a
low rent commission or we did and I can't remember all of the
commissions but we have no functioning transit commission that
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#2 page 39
can be from the community. I would be willing to sit on it. A
lot of disabled would like to and I would like Steven Atkins
to re-consider that. I know I am not pressuring you but I told
you that at Christmas time. So-
Kubby/ It is really a council decision and that has been brought up
recently without a majority interest but it certainly could be
a topic to bring up again.
Bears/ Okay.
Nov/
Moved by Kubby, seconded by Lehman that we accept
correspondence on this issue/ All in favor please say aye
(ayes). Okay. I am going to close the p.h. unless there is
anyone else who hasn't spoken.
Kubby/ One last call out to the hallway.
Nov/ One last call. Anyone who hasn't spoken, we are closing the
p.ho, The p.h. is closed.
Kubby/ Thank you all for coming.
Nov/ We are going to have two more items.
Lehman/ Naomi, before we do that, I am very appreciative of the
folks who spoke tonight. I think they were very kind, very
considerate, very nice to us. While we have sat at p.h.s where
things have not been this pleasant and I am very very thankful
for that.
Nov/
Okay. Now it is our intention to think about these things and
to meet again tomorrow to discuss them among the council
members. So, we are going to close this meeting after two
short items.
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F020696
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date: February 2, 1996
To: City Council
From: Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager
Re: Addition to Special Council Meeting Agenda of February 6, 1996
Item No. 4 - CONSIDER A MOTION APPROVING A TENATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
CITY OF IOWA CITY AND THE IOWA CITY ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL
FIREFIGHTERS, LOCAL 610, IAFF, AFL-CIO, FOR A COLLECTIVE BARGAIN-
ING AGREEMENT TO BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1996, TH ROUGH JUNE 30, 1997.
Comment: This tentative agreement provides for a one year agreement with a
wage increase of 2.8%. It also includes several language modifications affecting
operations and provides for a side letter of agreement regarding assignments of
duties on designated City holidays. A copy of the tentative agreement is attached.
#5 page 1
ITEM NO. 5 - COUNCIL TIME
Nov/ We don't have council time on the agenda. Is it okay to have
council time?
Karr/ If council wishes to have council time, certainly, as long as
we don't take any action, yes.
Nov/ As long as we don't take any action. Council information time,
does anyone want to bring up anything?
Norton/ I just like to mention that I went to the Board of
Supervisors meeting this morning to discuss the GIS-to hear a
briefing on the GIS, geographic information system, and there
are a lot of implications. I don't know to decide at this
point where the city stands but there is certainly a lot of
information that we need to probably consider very promptly to
work with the county and the Coralville on this matter would
be my guess. But how to do it and where we stand now I don't
know. It was an impressive performance.
Nov/
Yes, I was there also and it was an impressive performance and
I picked up on your idea to see if JCCOG can be involved. So
I referred the man on the Technical Advisory Committee to Jeff
Davidson. He will make a contact and Jeff will try to see if
JCCOG can be involved. Karen, did you have anything?
Kubby/ Yeah. The Johnson County Water Festival sent us letters and
it would be good if we could coordinate scheduling. Maybe even
tomorrow so that we could have an Iowa City council person at
the Water Festival, at least so that we are not all there at
once. So that we spread ourselves out it would be good. So
maybe if you could bring your schedules tomorrow. And I am
assuming that our budget meeting is not just about transit but
about the memos that we have all received and given each other
since-
Nov/ Yeah. Whatever budget issues that have been discussed.
Kubby/ There seems to be a lot of issues. I may have been foolish
but I scheduled a noon meeting for tomorrow. we are beginning
at 9:30. I don't-I may-
Baker/ I have to leave by noon also.
Thornberry/ So do I.
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F020696
#5 page 2
Nov/ And Dean has a plane to catch. So we will just wind up before
noon.
Norton/ I was going to suggest putting it off until afternoon. I
have a very dear friend, a funeral, at 9:00. But I will come
to the council. Do my duty.
Thornberry/ I have got all your notes, Dee.
Norton/ I will be here.
Nov/ I have an invitation for the Hospice Road Race reception. Did
everybody get that? Okay, I hope everybody will attend.
Thornberry/ I spent the morning at the bus barn. I am trying to
find answer, too, folks. They are not easy. I have ridden the
bus, not recently. But I have spent my time at the bus barn
and I have some questions and I am sure that we will get some
answers and but they are not easy.
Kubby/ David Couchman had said he had given you some ideas in
writing and the rest of us would appreciate copies. Did you
bring them?
Thornberry/ You might want to check with Mr. Atkins.
Atkins/ He gave it to me. I will get you one.
Nov/ As long as we get some copies.
Kubby/ He said he had more.
Nov/ Anybody else? Okay. That is it.
Thlsrepmsents only areasonably accuratetranscription ~ theIowa CIw council meetingof February 6,1996.
F020696