The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2004-04-05 TranscriptionApril 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 1 April 5, 2004 Council Work Session 6:30 PM Council: Bailey, Champion, Elliott, Lehman, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn Staff: Atkins, Davidson, Dilkes, Franklin, Helling, Kart, Rocca TAPES: 04-27, BOTH SIDES; 04-28, BOTH SIDES TAPE: 04-27, SIDE ONE PLANNING AND ZONING ITEMS Lehman/Work session. Karr/Mr. Mayor.'? Lehman/Yes. Karr/Before you go on, we have an addition to make to the agenda for tomorrow evening. Lehman/OK. Karr/We have a resolution setting a public hearing on the plans and specs of the Brooklyn Park sewer separation project, and you'll be getting that resolution tomorrow night if you agree to add it late to the agenda. Lehman/OK. That's OK. Do it. OK. P and Z. Franklin/Good evening. Lehman/Good evening. a. CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MAY 4, 2004, ON AN ORDINANCE CREATING A SELF-SUPPORTING MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (SSMID) ACCORDING TO IOWA CODE CHAPTER 386 FOR DOWNTOWN 1OWA CITY. Franklin/The first item is setting a public hearing for May 4th on an ordinance creating a self- supporting municipal improvement district for the downtown, the CB-10 area. You've got the report from the Planning and Zoning Commission in your packets. You'll have more material just prior to the public hearing. And after the public hearing, you have a 30-day wait period before you can take any action on this. So it won't be until June in which you act. Lehman/Now, does three of us have to leave when the public hearing is set? I mean, do--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 2 Dilkes/I don't think you need to leave. I think you can just set it unless there's going to be discussion about it. And we're not planning to have discussion about it. There's no discretion whether you set it or not. I think you should abstain due to conflict of interest, if that's what you intend to do on the S SMID ordinance. If there is discussion about it, you should leave the room. But we--- Lehman/ All right. Champion/We can attend the public hearing. Dilkes/No. If you're going to abstain it due to a conflict of interest, then that was my advice. You might as well start from the get-go and do it. Champion/OK. Vanderhoef/OK. Lehman/OK, but my--should we then not vote on setting the hearing. Dilkes/Right. Lehman/Now, you understand three of us are unable to vote. Elliott/No,v, when three people abstain, what does it take to pass or disprove? O'Dormell/Three. Lehman/Three. Dilkes/Three. Elliott/Are you taking majority of the Council or the majority of those remaining? Dilkes/No, the only time you take the majority of those remaining is when there is an abstention due to a conflict; otherwise, it's the majority of Council. In this case it'll be three. Champion/So, Eleanor, can Ernie just state--we'd all have to state that we're abstaining. And one of--couldn't Ernie just say that the three of us will be abstaining due to a conflict of interest? Lehman/I think when we vote--- Dilkes/I actually think that you should state it yourself because the Code provides that if you state it yourself, that's it. There's no, you know--- Champion/OK. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 3 Lehman/But we will--shall I call for the motion and then abstain when it comes to vote? Dilkes/Sure. Lehman/Thank you. Dilkes/That's fine. Lehman/OK. Just procedurally, I wanted to do it right. Atkins/Welcome to my world. (Laughter) Lehman/OK. Now, if, all right, and the three of us understand if there's any discussion, we will have to get up and leave? Dilkes/It is very administerial at this point. The Code says you "shall" set the public hearing. So you have to set the--you know, whatever your views on SSMID might be or will be--- b. REZONING APPROXIMATELY 32,000 SQUARE FEET FROM CENTRAL BUSINESS SERVICE ZONE (CB-2) TO HIGH DENSITY MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONE (RM-44) FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 302 AND 308 SOUTH GILBERT STREET. (REZ04-00003) a. PUBLIC HEARING b. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Franklin/Is a public hearing on a rezoning of approximately 32,000 square feet from Central Business Service zone (CB-2) to high density multi-family (RM-44) for property at 302 and 308 South Gilbert Street. This is actually property at the comer of Gilbert and Burlington. It is property that is already developed and is part of Ralston Creek Village Apartments. This is a remnant of some rezonings over time, and the request is to rezone it to the RM-44 which would be consistent with the properties around it and with the current use of the property. If we were starting from the get-go today, that is, if it was a blank piece of ground, we probably would not recommend this rezoning because the Comprehensive Plan shows mixed use for this property. But because this building is one that has a Iikelihood of being there for many years to come, it seems to be flying in the face of reality to debate this. Male Voice/OK. Franklin/So the owners requested it changed to RM-44. There will probably be some changes in the units as a consequence of this change, which he cannot do now because it's a nonconforming situation. OK? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 4 Vanderhoef/So this will not be commercial on the first floor? Franklin/No, it will not. Vanderhoef/Outside of Burlington? Franklin/Right. Vanderhoef/So, what about the one other piece of CB-2 adjacent to it? Franklin/Hansen's. At some time we will need to confront that question. Now, at this point, we did not take on rezoning that. What we're looking at is rezoning the cross-hatched area. It still is conceivable, I think, to do a CB-2 or possibly a CB-5 kind of zoning there, which would be a commemial on the ground floor, residential above. When we get through the Development Code and know our plans already eliminate the CB-2 Zone, at this point in time--that may change of course as we go through the process--but we'll have to be looking at rezoning this property at some time in the future. CB-5 or RM-44 would then be the two zones, I think, one would look at. Vanderhoef/Has that property ever been checked for the cold tar? Franklin/Not that I'm aware of. I don't know whether as part of the examination of Iowa-Illinois Manor and the creek, the EPA looked into that property or not. But given its use that it's been over the years, there may be some other things there. Lehman/OK. O'Donnell/About, you said there's going to be some changes in some of the units, too. Do you know what--- Franklin/I don't know precisely what they're going to be. It's likely that there would be conversions to an additional bedroom or changes put in additional bathrooms. That has been what the owner of this property has done on some of his other properties. O'Donnell/OK. Wilburn/It's still residential? Franklin/Yes. Lehman/Right. Franklin/Yes. It'd still be residential use but it would be a modification within units. Bailey/And not changes on the first floor that will change parking requirements or anything, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 5 right? Franklin/Well, if it changed the parking requirements, they would have to meet the parking requirements. Bailey/OK. Franklin/And whether they've got any latitude within what they have or room to do that is another question, but they would have to meet whatever the parking requirements are for it. Vanderhoef/Would that mean that they would have to pay into parking impact fee? Franklin/No, this is not in it. This is on the east side of Gilbert. Vanderhoef/Oh, that's right. Franklin/The parking impact fee is just west. Bailey/Oh. Franklin/OK? OK, that's on for public hearing and first consideration. The first consideration is at your discretion, of course. c. REZONING APPROXIMATELY 24.1 ACRES FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT RESIDENTIAL ZONE (ID-RS) TO LOW DENSITY SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONE (RS-5), SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS, FOR PROPERTY LOCATED ON SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET, EAST OF SOUTHPOINT SUBDIVISION. (REZ04-00002) a. PUBLIC HEARING b. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Franklin/The next item, Item c, is a public hearing on the rezoning o£ approximately 24.1 acres ~com ID-RS, interim development residentia! to Iow density singl¢-£amily residential (RS-5). This is property that is on the Sycamore Street south o£Lakeside Drive and east o£ Southpoint Subdivision. Southpoint is what you see there on the RS-8 with Hemingway and Dickinson. This project is a rezoning with conditions, and those conditions relate to Sycamore Street primarily, or that is, access to Sycamore. The first condition is that this development would make a contribution to the improvement of Sycamore Street whenever the property is final-platted. This is very similar to what we have done with developments along Lower West Branch Road. We did not do that with Southpoint. At the time that Southpoint was platted, Sycamore was in the Capital Improvement Program. It was then subsequently changed, which is, you know, another story, but the staff proposed and Planning and Zoning Commission concurred that we start this process of having the development participate in the cost of Sycamore with This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 6 this one. Now, up to 29 lots can be developed before access would have to come from Sycamore. However, no direct access would go to Sycamore until Sycamore is in the CIP funded year. So, it's conceivable that with the project that is going to be done most immediately, there are 29 lots which are being proposed in the first phase in the northern part of this project here. This is a plat that shows the entire development. But what would happen most immediately is this portion of it. These 29 lots would access off of Gable which goes into Stanwyck and then, whoops, I lost my arrow, and then it ~vould come in here and then Lombard to Lakeside Drive. We have done counts on Gable and Stanwyck and the existing vehicle trips per day, plus the projected vehicle trips per day with the 29 lots do not exceed our local street standard, which is 500 vehicle trips per day. The total with those two existing and projected is 483, so we're under that standard. However, with further development of this property, access will need to come from Sycamore. But that cannot come according to this conditional zoning agreement until the improvement of Sycamore to City standards is in the Capital Improvements Program. Now, that may still be the fifth year of the Capital Improvement Program, but it needs to be in the Capital Improvements Program. Lehman/If it's listed as in the program, even five years out--- Franklin/Yes. Lehman/...we can then start--- Franklin/Yes. Lehman/OK. Franklin/Yes. Vanderhoef/Karin? The transportation system to the east of this development--- Franklin/OK. We looked at that whether we were going to require access to the east, because access is required to the north, to the west and to the south, in terms of streets being stubbed out to connect. To the east is the Sycamore greenway. Lehman/Right. Vanderhoef/Oh. Franklin/And so because of that and because of the nature of the property--whoop--sorry, went the wrong way--the nature of the property over here, there's a wooded wetland in this area that we did not think it was prudent to have that access go to the east but that general circulation for the neighborhood could be served to the south of there. So, to the south, we will at one point have something which crosses the Sycamore greenway and that was anticipated when that was constructed. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 7 Vanderhoef/So at the time being, if this were all built out, we would only have the two access. Franklin/We would have two beings of access, yes. But that would be sufficient for this number of lots. Elliott/I have two rather quick questions. Franklin/OK. Elliott/The trail that exists in that area will remain unchanged? Franklin/That's correct. Elliott/OK. Franklin/In fact, ~ve are requiring that there be access to that trail through this outlot. This outlot is going to be dedicated to the City and there will be a connection to the trail system there that becomes part of the greenway. Elliott/OK, and then the other, the extensive discussion about this, apparently doesn't have as much to do, that is going on now with P and Z, doesn't have as much to do with the development itself as to simply the access of construction vehicles--is that correct? Franklin/Well, as far as the residents of Gable are concerned, they ~vould prefer that there was no increase in traffic on Gable or Stan~vyck, and I mean, that's perfectly understandable. The restrictions that have been placed through the conditional zoning agreement, and I would refer you to that agreement because the language was amended from what the staff recommended to meet the desires of the Planning and Zoning Commission. And what it says is to the extent possible construction vehicle access shall be from South Sycamore Street except during times when heavy vehicles are embargoed on South Sycamore Street--because that happens sometimes. The developer subdivider shall make every effort to communicate this to individual builders accessing the property. It's, it is one thing to control that construction traffic for the infrastructure, and that can with some ease be done. However, when it gets to each individual lot's construction over a period of two to five or six years, that's when it gets tougher to make that promise. And so as it was discussed in the Planning and Zoning Commission, it was made clear that efforts would be made but there was not a promise or obligation that no construction traffic would ever go on Gable just because the reality of it is such that it would be very difficult to enforce. Elliott/Efforts will be made to keep the construction traffic off the side streets on Sycamore, but there can't be guarantees? Yeah. Franklin/Precisely. Elliott/OK. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 8 Lehman/Karin, when they start that subdivision where they're putting in infrastructure or whatever, will there be any point in that construction where they do access offof Sycamore? Franklin/Yes. Lehman/I would think that would be--- Franklin/ Yeah, that's the point. All the construction, when the construction's going on, it's going to come off of Sycamore. It'll be right in here. Lehman/Right. Elliott/Mm-hmm. Lehman/Right. Franklin/And that will happen when ali of this infrastructure is being put in. And then efforts will be made to have this left open--- Lehman/Thank you. Good. Franklin/...and available when each individual lot's being developed, but it's not an absolute. And it was just made clear to residents that that's probably the best situation we can promise. There was also--there is also a requirement in the conditional zoning agreement that there would be 300 feet of public frontage to the greenway and that will happen through this single loaded road right here. And then as I mentioned, the sidewalk connection to the greenway. So any questions on that? d. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT OF J JR DAVIS ADDITION, IOWA CITY, IOWA (SUB04-00001) Franklin/All right. And the last item which is to consider a resolution approving the final plat of J JR Davis addition. There's a request to table that indefinitely. There's some issues with the mortgage lien holders which have to be resolved. Lehman/OK. Franklin/OK. Lehman/Thank you. Franklin/You're welcome. COUNCIL LAPTOP USE AND UPGRADE This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 9 Lehman/OK. O'Donnell/Be firm. (Laughter) Franklin/Did you want to--- O'Doimell/I just really don't. Franklin/I could let you do that. Do you want to be out of PowerPoint? Champion/It takes you this long to set it up and you want us to use it? Karr/You'll be all set up. You received in your packets the last couple of times the recommendation from staff regarding improvements and upgrades to the system which included your laptops and electronic package distribution. And just a little bit about where we were when a number of you started on Council, we started with the hard copy packets which ~ve've been doing for many years. And there was an interest by a majority of Council at that time to take a look at paperless or electronic packets. Based on that, we did a request of proposals and came back to you and that's how we initiated the laptops and the CD weekly packets that you now have. I believe each step along the way that Council has made excellent choices and they have worked for us at the time and now it's time that we take a look again at the system and the technology we have and what the best use of staff and the packets are. And what I wanted tonight just to show you very quickly and then Gary is here and Steve and Eleanor and I who ail coauthored the memo to talk to you about our recommendation on using the Internet in the future. I don't know how many of you--I hope many of you--are familiar with the City website, but I'm not quite sure how many of you are familiar with how the packets are found on the website. This is the front page of the Council, of the City web page, and offon the right-hand side under "Features," you'll see the sidebar has "City Council" under it. And just for--this is not just for demonstration purposes--it always is there. Well, if we can scroll down. Lehman/That's for demonstration purposes. Karr/There you go. Now, for the City Council, agendas, minutes, voting results and transcriptions is always there by double-clicking on that. And this is something that, again, is available for ail the citizens. It opens up into the City Council agenda, voting results, minutes and transcriptions page. And there's meeting date chart. This is something that is prepared each week. We do it in conjunction currently with your weekly packets on Thursdays. You'll see it at tonight's--or tomorrow night's formal agenda is there for 6th, by clicking on that, it opens up into the agenda just as you are familiar with it. And what we do with this is we hyperlink so what appears--every item that has a supportive document is in blue and has a hyperlink on it. So at any point while you're looking, if you did not want to read--like your current CD right now, you have to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council ~vork session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 10 page through it to find anything, OK, which I know that you all dearly love--but in this particular case each document is hyperlinked, so if you were only interested, for instance, in looking at--and I've got to go down a little bit here--if you were to receive a phone call or--OK, Gary, why won't it scroll? O'Donnell/It's too late. I can't do this. Kart/It won't scroll. Lehman/That's just exactly the way I do it. Atkins/Call Gary? Karr/Oh, good, the mouse is for me. I like that better. Thank you. So if you received a phone call at home, perhaps from a constituent who is only interested in the resolution setting the public hearing dealing with water service charges, you could locate it on the agenda; it is in blue which tells you it is hyperlinked; click on it, a little finger comes up, (can't hear), yeah, the little finger. And the resolution pops up to where you want to be. So you don't have to go page by page to find it. Vanderhoeff That was on the agenda? Karr/That was on the Consent Calendar. Mm-hmm. It works the same, Dee, regardless of where you are on the agenda. If you go back to the agenda itself, and we can go farther down and look at Plarming and Zoning items, but again, this is just like you packet. It's in the same order. And it works--again the hyperlinks are created only if there are hard copy documents there. If, for instance, in the, if there is not, if there is any motion setting a public hearing but there is no memo--this particular one, of course, you have the SSMID memo, I think from Steve Nasby, so we did have some, a hard copy with it. You just double-click on it, load it, and the memo's there. So for each step along the way you can go back and forth without finding it or remembering the page number which I know some of you had to do previously. The entire agenda packet is set up that way, as is the information packets. Vanderhoeff But you can't just read straight through it, you have to keep going back to the agenda, the hyperlink? Karr/You can--no, you can download it. Lehman/You can read it the same as you would read a hard copy, right? Karr/Well, I think what Dee's talking about is this: you could download this, Dee, by selecting this; download it, and you can go through the whole pages all at once if that's what you wanted to do. Bailey/(can't hear) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 1 l Karr/And you wouldn't have to be. Wilburn/I think the other thing Dee might have been talking about is once you get to that, going back. Is that fair? Is that what you were saying? Champion/You mean going back to the--- Wilburn/Going back to the agenda? Vanderhoef/Yes, because I wanted, I don't want to have to keep flipping back and forth when I'm doing my reading. Kart/You wanted to keep going, so the downloading and going through it is what you were thinking--just like your packet right now, once you're in. Vanderhoef/So, then ifI download it--- Kart/ You don't have to page through it. It scrolls. Vanderhoef/...and I can download it onto my laptop. Karr/Well, the memo recommends that the laptops be returned. Vanderhoef/Then I don't want it. Kart/Gary? Lehman/If you download it, do you still have the highlighted--for example, ifI downloaded that and I wanted to go back and read one of the agenda items, ifI highlight that, will it go to the correct page that I've downloaded? Week of the Young Child, OK? Karr/If you download it, does it keep the hyperlinks? Cohn/No. Karr/No. Cohn/I don't believe so. Karr/You'd be creating--- Lehman/It's only, once you download it you have the same thing we have right no~v. Karr/That's correct. Once you download it, you have basically the same thing you have in your CD packet right now. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 12 Lehman/How come it doesn't download the highlight? Cohn/It would, it's--- Karr/It's to the system; it's not to that, yeah. Cohn/Right. This is a--it's called a PDF file that has these links. Once you go into the Laserfiche system and then download, you just have one file. Karr/It doesn't keep the folder breaks to hyperlink. Lehman/So, if you wanted to read the highlighting, you have to do that on your computer. Karr/You have to do it on the, through the website. Lehman/Oh, and then you have to be online while you're doing it? Karr/Through the website, yes. Elliott/What is, I'm not sure what you mean by the highlighted area. Champion/Green purple, blue. Kart/If you wantedjust to have the availability--- Elliott/Oh, the blue. See my printer won't print blue. Kart/You don't want to print this. This is not a printing feature. It would print all black. Lehman/But you would not be--- Kart/ This is a feature. Lehman/If you're doing it and you want to download it, you would not be able to click on Fair Housing Month and it would not go to that proclamation. You would have to page through just like you do now. Karr/That's correct. It would be set up the same way. Lehman/Only while you're on line can you do that. Elliot//All I'm saying is anything that appears on my monitor in blue, my printer doesn't print. Champion/No. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 13 Vanderhoef/Doesn't print at all or--- Elliott/If it's in blue, I don't get it. Karr/It prints black. Elliott/It doesn't print. Lehman/Something's wrong with your printer. Champion/Well, mine--- Elliott/No, it's in blue and my printer doesn't print it. Karr/Well, you don't have a City computer, right? Elliott/No. No, I have a Dell. Karr/Well, that's not something we can address then. That's a personal computer problem. Elliott/No, just, all I care is so I can keep getting my hard copy. Karr/Well, what we're recommending is that you, we would continue to do the hard copy and/or offer a stipend for all those interested in continuing with their e-mail addresses. Champion/Did you know you're just making our life very difficult because we want to keep it just the way it is. Karff Well, that's certainly an option you have, and we can do that. But it would be--again as I said to you at the beginning--that it is a matter of resources available. Right now we do it two ways: we have the hard copy and we do do the website as well. When we initiated this program with the CDs, this was the only way Council could get electronic packets. We did not have the website available. Now we have it available, and quite frankly, we can continue doing it but it's three different methods of doing the same packet. It's a matter of resources and it's also a matter then of equipment and then with technology changing and also some e-mail concerns that were outlined in the memo, we--- O'Donnell/Then why don't we just avoid all this and all of us go to laptops since the majority have laptops? Kan-/Well, that would certainly be another--I mean, well, you could go to laptops but again we still would not be--- O'DonnelI/You know, we all don't have laptops. That's why we're doing it different ways. Karr/No. That's how come we're addressing the e-mail issue in your current policy. So that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 14 would not change the recommendation to decrease from CDs. Lehman/All right. O'Dormell/You know, many times though if we go out to a--can we talk on this, Emie? Vanderhoef/Yeah. O'Donnell/Oh, I thought we were getting bad--- (Laughter) Kart/The evil eye is I? Champion/We just think we're stupid. Elliott/That's just exasperation not negativity. O'Donnell/But many times if you have a meeting, I've taken my laptop out and I can refer to it there. And I wouldn't have that option. Karr/No, you would not. O'Donnell/And that's--- Kart/We felt it was important to give you this option and make our recommendation. It's entirely a Council decision how you want to do it. Vanderhoef/I can download it onto my laptop. Bailey/Yeah, and that's what I would, so tell me how--- Vanderhoef/...and then be able to be mobile with my laptop with the information. And then I don't have to have a paper packet. Cohn/Correct. You can, once you've gotten into one of the linked items, there we go. This section right here, we could select--wake up, there we go--to download the entire packet. Vanderhoef/Yeah. Cohn/Now this takes a second because this system is actually generating one PDF file of everything so it takes a little bit for that to come down. Wilburn/And then you could scroll down through it as if you, as if it were one document. Champion/I don't even know what "downloading" means. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 15 Lehman/It takes something out of that wire and puts it in there. Champion/OK and then, does it have any of those little pictures up here? Cohn/We're in it right now. This is the result of that download of that new file. The blue links are gone so there is no more hyperlinking to get to that specific section. Champion/But how did you get to it? You downloaded it? Vanderhoef/Punched that button. Cohn/It actually popped right up in here. Lehman/The phone lines. Kart/See, this is the stipend and the dedicated phone line we talked about earlier, so--- Lehman/ All right. Now this is not--this isn't laser fiche? Cohn/Laseriche created this PDF file kind of on the fly as soon as I clicked that download button. Lehman/OK. But, I could even--anybody can copy that, any citizen can copy that? Karr/Yes. Lehman/You don't have to have laser fiche to have it. Cohn/No. Wilburn/And that exists now? Karr/Correct. Wilburn/Yeah. Lehman/Right. Bailey/The challenge with just downloading the PDF, of course, is that we can't do any markup. Right? Cohn/Correct. Bailey/But it is searched, right? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 16 Cohn/It is searchable. Bailey/Is there a way that we can (can't hear) more complete, Adobe Acrobat program, so we could highlight and insert notes. Could that--- Cohn/That would be a possibility. Karr/That might be a possibility. But if we're going to do that, we'd probably take a look at the notebook version which is what we have right now, which you'd be back to where we, I don't know that it's worth adding that onto this feature any differently than it would be just to keep the same notebook version that has it. Bailey/Well, and like scroll-- Karr/You can---yeah--- Bailey/ Laser--- Karr/And Laserfiche does not, yes. Laserfiche does not allo~v you to scroll. You'd have to go page by page. That's correct. Cohn/There is one small caveat to this. You saw the size of this file was supposed to be 118 pages. There's a limit right now at 100. Kart/So you would have to, to make 300 pages, you'd have to create three folders of it. Cohn/Three files. Bailey/Because I (can't hear) Vanderhoef/I'm not hearing you. Bailey/Well, I want portability like you do. Vanderhoef/Yeah. Bailey/Because I would tend to download the PDF and use it that way probably most of the time, which is fine. I could make some files. Lehman/But you couldn't load a packet that has more than 100 pages--you couldn't download on your laptop. In one file. Bailey/You'd have to do 1 to 100-~- Lehman/ And for the rest of us who don't know what "folders" are. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 17 Champion/Oh, Marian, we're too old. Wilburn/What I like about it, the entire package and proposal that was put forward, which included, you know, the web access in here, as it is right now when we get a Council packet, the agenda's at the beginning and the rest of the packet's below. And I have to go through and either post a note in the agenda up here and get flipping back and forth or write down all the page numbers for item 6 is on page 241. With this the agenda comes up and I point to the blue part and say I want to see that, and it pops up on the screen. I understand wanting to have the notebook with you when you go to meetings and there's been times when I've done that. But usually when I go to a meeting with someone, it's about a specific agenda item, and so I end up just printing out a copy of the ordinance and taking it with me. So, for me, that part ~vould be just an adjustment to making sure that I print out what I want. The other part that I like about it is, well, again related to not having to jot down all the page numbers or lean over to Regenia and say what page was that on, if it's, if the computers are up there that have web access and we're at a Council meeting and someone has a question about the letter, the e-mail that they sent, I can look at my agenda and pop it up and it will pop up on the screen. So those are some of the things that I like about it. I'm actually--I told Marian I was 99 percent comfortable with this. The other part that I had some question was related to the public access to private computer thingee that we'd had the discussion about with the old policy before. And I guess there's a recommendation that--so really, this is setting up the dedicated line, you use your home computer to get on this from home, is that there would be, you would keep the Council e-mail account and the recommendation is to, if you're going to save something, save it either in a folder on the computer, so a virtual folder, or copy it down on a CD, so that if there's a request for information about an e-mail that I got, that I would say, here, Eleanor, here it is. Is that essentially what you're--- Dilkes/Well, if you're accessing, if you're using, if you're accessing web mail at home, you're still using the City system--- Wilburn/Right. Dilkes/...so that's all going to be segregated on the City system. Wilburn/Right. Dilkes/That issue really only arises if you're putting your, you're doing City business somewhere else other than on the City system. THE FOLLOWiNG TRANSCRIPTION is at the end of tape 04-27 after some of the presentation by the League of Women Voters. Bailey/So, all day Thursday is--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 18 Karr/It's shot. There's at least two to three employees on it all day Thursday. Bailey/So if we access it via the web, tell me how that would look. Karr/If you access via the web, we would actually probably cut our time in half in my office. Now, secondly is--the other component of the staff resources, not necessarily to the weekly packets, but certainly overall throughout the year is the laptops, the volume conversion that we do twice a year, the CD equipment, just the general maintenance on the laptops and the printers, the troubleshooting that ITS staff may do for you. Bailey/And they would totally no longer be available, right? Karr/If it is not City equipment, that's correct. Lehman/How long would it take to download? Wait a minute though--when you download you got to, because you can only download 100 pages at a time--- Karr/That's correct. That's a restriction of the system. Lehman/How long would it take to download a 300-page packet? Cohn/How would you connect to that? Lehman/Well, you connect it here. Corn/If you use something like a cable modem or DSL, some of the higher speed internet access things, it's very fast. Wilburn/You just did 100. Kart/We just did 100 while we were standing here. Cohn/35 seconds. Lehman/Well, I'm just thinking there are folks--is it possible--we come in to pick up our packet. What are you talking about, a couple minutes, three or four minutes? Cohn/The higher speed ones, correct. Letunan/What would happen if you brought your laptop in and downloaded the laptop right here instead of doing a disk. Karr/i'm not sure that for us for the time savings to load to seven laptops on a Thursday°-- Lehman/No, no, no, we'd do that. You got some place we can plug it in? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 19 Karr/OK. So you all would come in on a Thursday afternoon? (Laughter) Champion/No. Lehman/That'd be a public meeting so forget it. But ifI wanted to do that I could do that. O'Donnell/But that's a good idea, Ernie. Lehman/Then you wouldn't have to bring the disk in. Bailey/Well, some of us, some might want to do it that way. Lehman/Well, no, you would do it at home. Bailey/Right. Lehman/And you would--I mean, but if didn't want to do it at home, you could come down here and do it. O'Donnell/But the whole idea, Emie, is you're not going to have your laptop anymore. It's going to be on your home computer. Vanderhoef/I want to keep my laptop. Elliott/I want to keep--- Vanderhoef/I'll do it. I'll learn to do the file and download it and skip the disk part of it. Karr/Skip the CD component but keep the laptops? Vanderhoef/Uh-huh. And then use it for my e-mail and still just dial in like normal? Karr/You can. Bailey/Well, I'm real comfortable w/th this but I'm on the web probably, I mean, I'm on the web all the time, and that's how I get most of my City information so I'm really comfortable moving in this direction. But I can understand--but I would also be willing to coach people. Champion/I have never been on the web. Elliott/I just don't want to have to download, print copies--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 20 Karr/What we're recommending is that Council Members choose one or both options. One of them is hard copy. You could have both. You could request the hard copy and request the stipend to keep your e-mail addresses. So you could still have the availability of a hard copy and access it on the intemet and still get the hyperlinking when it's convenient for you. When it's not convenient, you take the laptop and you--- Elliott/I already have a dedicated line at home for my computer. Karr/Again, we're not forcing that on you--- Elliott/Yeah. Karr/We're leaving that as an option. O'DonneI1/You know, when ~ve ail got hard copy the first couple years I was on the Council, it seemed like I had to build on a new room to store 300 pages a week and I really don't want to go back to that. Lehman/Which is why you can download it on your computer, that's what we're talking about. O'Dormell/But you're talking about downloading it to the laptop, Ernie. Lehman/Well, you could do that or you could--- O'Donnell/And we're not going to have the laptop anymore. Lehman/But Marian (can't hear) about doing it at home on your computer. Karr/Are there four of you who would like to give us some direction? This is a recommendation staff felt we wanted to bring forward to you because it is the best use of the staff resources and it's the most effective way of doing it given the current technology. If you would like to continue on, we just simply need to know because it does impact how we proceed with electronic packets. Champion/Well, were you--- Lehman/I'd use the hard copy if--~ Champion/Me too. Elliott/Hard copy. Champion/Yeah, I'm not getting all that. O'Dormell/I'm not going to do that either. This represents only a reasonably accurate O'anscription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 21 Elliott/And if you say you could print off the hard copy in just a couple minutes, then why can't you just print the hard copy here? Vanderhoef/We're not printing--- Karr/We're not printing the hard copy--- Lehman/Downloading it, the copy. Vanderhoeff Downloading it. Kart/We're not printing it. Wilbum/You would still get your hard copy by requesting. Elliott/Yeah, that's ali I care about. Lehman/Well, we can still--~ Vanderhoef/What's the cost of hard copies as compared to the Laserfiche? Karr/Well, the cost of hard copies is substantially less than continuing--how do I say this--- Lehman/It's cheaper to print hard copy than to go the way we're going. Karr/With the long-term for the upgrades, yes. But if you're going to continue using the laptops and the printers, then you won't be able to access for electronic packets. They're of no use to you unless you use the internet because we'll discontinue CDs unless you direct us to do otherwise. Lehman/Right. Karr/So one of the reasons you had your Iaptops was the CDs. Those will cease to be. So, you won't read your packets on there unless you connect to the internet anyway. Lehman/Right. Vanderhoef/But you can connect just long enough to download them and--- Lehman/ I'm going to do the hard copy. Kart/We can--again, we brought the recommendations forward, it's entirely up to you. Those are all options. Dilkes/Why don't you separate the decisions--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 22 Karr/Exactly. Dilkes/Make your CD--do you want your CDs or are you OK with getting it off the web? And then you can move on to whether you want to keep your laptops. And then, it seems to me those are two different--- Karr/They are two different. But I don't want them to think that if they're keeping the laptops they're going to get the CDs, unless they so direct either. Dilkes/No, I know. Karr/Yeah. Dilkes/They're two separate decisions. Lehman/Well, you can download everything that's on the CD from the web. Karr/Everything that's on the CD is on the ~veb. Lehman/So there's no reason to have a CD anymore as long as you're getting hooked up to the web. Karr/Correct. Dilkes/Yeah. Lehman/All right. So there's no more CDs. Karr/OK. O'Donnell/We can download onto the laptop. Karr/That's your next--- O4-27 SIDE TWO Lehman/All right, no more CDs. Hey--- Vanderhoeff With the caveat that I need to have some instruction on doing the file so that I can--- Lehman/ Download it. Vanderhoef/...download and make the multiple files because I don't know how to do it now hut I'll learn that one. O'Donnell/And we're still going to have to come in on Thursdays to pick up the rest of the stuff This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 23 ~ve get. Karr/Not necessarily. But it's entirely--- O'Donnell/Well, all of our regular mail--or we'll just get those on the work session nights then. Karr/Just like right now. If anyone doesn't come in, I include your mail in your next packet and it would still be--you can come in any time, it wouldn't have to be Thursdays to get it. O'Donnell/Well, I'm not comfortable with any of this but I'll certainly go along with the majority. (Laughter) Karr/If there were one. Champion/This is going to be an absolute disaster. O'Donnell/Why? Bailey/Change is good. Champion/Change is always good--- Bailey/ It's scary. Champion/...but not rapid change. Bailey/The internet is (can't hear) Champion/I know it. Kart/What is your pleasure? Lehman/That's only four people like you and me. We get the hard copy and as we get tired of reading then we can investigate the possibility of turning on the intemet. Champion/Yeah. Lehman/And maybe someday, somebody will tell us how. Champion/Well, I know how, I think. Elliott/Marian really needs an answer. O'Donnell/Oh, I know. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 24 Champion/OK. I've got a plan. Kan'/OK. Champion/Can we for awhile get paper copies, keep our laptops so we can access ~vhat you're telling us we can access and see how that works for us before we move to step number 2? We can't go from A to Z. We have to go A, B, C. Karr/We can do that because we haven't--we were waiting for direction from you to do any scheduling of upgrades anyway. So this won't happen overnight. Champion/I certainly don't want to tell you I'm not going to do something that's going to save staff time. That would be ridiculous. Lehman/No, but you know why I think it's a good idea and the reason I say that is those of us that are computer illiterate--- Champion/Mm-lmlm. Lehman/...if we get the hard copy, we can play around with trying to download it. If we don't get it downloaded, it's no big deal, we've got the hard copy we can work from. Champion/Right. Lehman/When we become familiar enough with and like downloading on the Internet, fine, then we don't have to take the hard copy any more. Champion/Right. Lehman/For a period of time it would seem that that might work. Karr/OK. Why don't we do it, let's do it that way. We've got a volume change coming up July 1, give or take. We have to schedule in the upgrades to the system anyway. If we're going to go ahead as outlined, we can start with the paper copy, keep your laptops for the time being, get some directions for accessing the internet--- Lehman/Right. Karr/...you could play with it and at the same time, then we could have our goal perhaps of July 1 when we would have the new volume change anyway at the time of conversion and we'd know a little bit more information. How's that? Champion/Yeah. I mean I'm willing to try to learn. I don't know ifI can--I don't know ifI want to, OK. I mean, I'm not one to sit in front ora screen of any kind so I don't know ifI want to be--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 25 Karr/But it's the same screen you read your CDs from now. Elliott/Mm-hmm. Champion/That's true. Bailey/It's OK. Wilburn/You'll pull out your hard copy. Lehman/All right. So if I understand correctly, you were, some folks are going to go directly to the intemet, some will do hard copy and play with this little guy and learn how to use it or choose not to and stay with hard copy. Karr/And then by July 1 when the laptops need to be updated--- Lehman/They'll be obsolete then. Karr/They'll be obsolete one way or the other, and we'll need some direction. Lehman/Well, now there are not going to be disks between now and then? Karr/That's up to you. Lehman/If hard copy's available--- Karr/I would just as soon not. Lehman/Why would we bum them from now on if we can do the hard copy or do the intemet? Karr/We can do that if you want to try it. We can do that. We just won't bum CDs effective and try it, and go back to the hard copies. You see, you keep your laptops and still access it on the web. Bailey/So what about the designated phone line? Because that's going to be--- Kart/ The dedicated phone line? If there's an agreement by Council to proceed with that, we can certainly go ahead with that. Lehman/I think we have to do that for Council members who want to do that. Champion/I already have three phone lines. They don't need to give me another one. Karr/I'll do a questionnaire type of thing and have each of you sign up--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 26 O'Donneli/I had some. Karr/...because they'll have to figure out a stipend type of configuration too. Bailey/Right. Wilburn/Right. Bailey/Well, and I'm really eager to get down to one computer and one printer again, so is that possible--- O'Donnell/So am I. Bailey/...if I don't any longer want the--- Kart/Absolutely, I mean I think if we're going to go to a hard copy and the intemet, it's the same packet that's entirely right now. Bailey/Right. Karr/So, if you wanted to return it, the only thing we'd want to be sure of is that we were set up for your web--- Bailey/ Right. I would be set up to download. Kart/Yeah, we could do that. OK. Effective, I'll, we'll discontinue the CDs, we'll try the hard copy, keep the laptops, July 1 will be sort of our punch list. Now were there any questions on e-mail? Bailey/So, no CDs? Karr/No CDs. Vanderhoef/One more thing. If we're stopping--- Karr/CDs? Vanderhoef/...the CDs right away, then right away I need a lesson on how to download. Karr/But you'll also be getting a hard copy. Vanderhoef/Yeah. Karr/Yes. Vanderhoef/But I'm not going to start playing with it until I know how to do that. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 27 Karr/We'll have something in your packet. I'll see if ! can get something in your packet Thursday which will be a small info packet as well so it'd be a good thing to learn on a small one. Champion/She might only be here six months. Bailey/OK. Elliott/And we can use our e-mail with other Council persons if we keep copies, is that correct? Kart/I don't, that's sort of a loaded question. Use your e-mail with other Council persons? Elliott/Yes. Because earlier you said--- Dilkes/No. Elliott/...but a few minutes ago you said, if you use the e-mail be sure to keep them either electronically or in hard copy. Dilkes/No, no. You're getting the meetings issues and the records issues confused. Elliott/Uh-huh. Dilkes/The records issue--you don't have any obligation to keep copies of anything. What I'm concerned about is if somebody asked for all Bob Elliott's e-mails regarding Sand Prairie Estates, I can, you will be able to tell me where you keep those things if you kept them at ail, and I won't have to go through your personal computer to find them. Elliott/Mm-btam. Dilkes/OK, that's the records issue. Elliott/That's what I said, either then I have the option of destroying them or keeping them. Dilkes/Right, but that doesn't relate to communicating with other Council Members. The issue about communicating with other Council Members is a meetings issue. If you communicate by e-mail with other Council Members, that's OK but you have to avoid any simultaneous communication between four of you. Elliott/Yeah. Dilkes/Yes. Karr/...do not have a copy. If you want to include it in the packet, please in your response This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 28 indicate "council~iowacity.org, and we'll put it in the next packet. Bailey/So we're expected to access those, our Council e-mail through web mail--- Karr/If you're not--- Bailey/ ...because ifI have personal Outlook on my personal computer and try to do Outlook with Council now, it won't work. Cohn/No. Bailey/So--- Cobh/ The web mail piece is the only piece that would work. Bailey/And I've never been very, I've never been successful at all using web mail with Council address. I've had so many problems. Cohn/We'll get it fixed. Kan'/So, again, if you're going to, if you're not going to be using it, I would encourage you not to be listed on it because there will be a lot of expectations that if you are listed, that you'll be using it. Lehman/OK. Karr/OK. Elliott/You've been extremely patient. Karr/We'll get something--- Lehman/I suggest an unlisted e-mail. (Laughter) Karr/Well, in the past, as we first started to use it, Ernie, we didn't distribute it as much because everybody wasn't comfortable. Now we're to the point we're going to be as we branch out more, and if it's going to be listed, I think it's like an answering device at your homes. There's an expectation that if a person leaves a message. O'Dormell/So, we're going back to hard copy (can't hear) Bailey/Could you summarize what we just decided? O'Donnell/...download it to our computers, and then we're going to chuck those then after July. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 29 Lehman/Not necessarily. Karr/Regenia has asked for a summary and I'll give it a shot. Vanderhoef/Of what we decided. Lehman/OK. Karr/My understanding that effective immediately we're not going to be using, burning the CDs anymore. We'll provide a hard copy to everyone in this transition period if you all are interested; if you're not, please let me know. If you're not interested in it and want to access it off the internet, let me know. This transition period will run from now until roughly July 1 when we have to change anyway the volumes on the laptop. Our goal would be by July 1 then to have some indication from you as a whole on whether we're going to upgrade the CDs or whether we're going to stay hard copy or are you going to get it off the internet. We'll be including in your packet on Thursday some direction on accessing it on the internet for those who may not be familiar with it. So in the interim, you'll be playing with the internet and using the hard copy, still have the accessibility to your laptops in the interim. Champion/I've got to do my income tax this week. Kan'/It's better than income tax. Lehman/If |'m not, it seems, if we have the ability, which we do have, of downloading the packet on the internet, and the City is willing to offer a stipend for a designated line--- Karr/Yes. Lehman/...why would we ever consider burning any more disks? Karr/We wouldn't. It's just we're not going to--the laptops you're going to be using until July 1 will be equipped. Lehman/Right. Karr/It won't be an issue. We will no longer be doing it. Lehman/(can't hear) no more disks. Karr/Not unless you change your mind by July 1. Lehman/Thank you. O'Donnell/You know, it doesn't sound like we're a bunch of techno marvels here. This July I st This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 30 may be a good test to see if we can do this as a group and still keep well informed. Vanderhoef/Our dedication--- Lehman/Let's keep the hard copy. Elliott/I don't think we sound like much period. Lehman/All right. Thank you. O'Dormell/We ought to take a break? Elliott/Thanks. Bailey/Yeah, I think we need a break. Lehman/Oh, I think that we have earned it. Champion/I'm just exhausted. Vanderhoef/Yeah, we've earned a break. O'Donnell/But see, that's the problem, if you want to use computers, get a fourth grader. They know how to use them. Bailey/Yeah, get your granddaughter. Lehman/Get my granddaughter. O'Donnell/Yeah. (BREAK) NOTE: Some of the following transcription is from TAPE 04-27 SIDE ONE, incorrectly located during the discussion on laptops due to an error in the tape. Later part of the discussion on League of Women Voters appears on TAPE 04-28, SIDE ONE. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PRESENTATION Lehman/There's been some informal discussion--informal, you got that Marian--about asking, is it OK if we go to the League of Women Voters at this point? Good. OK, the League is up. Have they been waiting patiently? (Laughter) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council ~vork session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 31 Elliott/Are they here yet? Lehman/Are they here yet? (Laughter) Champion/We're actually smarter than we appear. Vanderhoef/But we're low-tech. Bailey/We're low-tech. Burford/Good evening. My name is Helen Burford. This is Pat Cancilla. And thank you for giving the League of Women Voters Regional Government Committee time in your busy schedule to bring you up to date on our recent research on regional government for Johnson County. Other members of our committee who are here today are Carol Spaziani and Rebecca Wright. We've asked for time this evening to discuss with you what we have learned since 2001 when our committee began its study. Each of you have received a packet of materials containing summaries of our work as well as a written copy of our presentation. Because of your schedule though, our visit with you tonight is the last in the series of information sharing conversations. Since January we have met with the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the City Councils of North Liberty, Solon and Coralville. In addition, we have met with the local goverament committee of the Chamber of Commeme. We are aware that a lot has happened since we began making these presentations two months ago but we wanted to be sure that all bodies received the same material. The purpose of these presentations has been to urge local government leaders, like yourself, to take leadership in working toward the integration of some local government services. We commend you and the City Manager for recently initiating steps toward a central emergency communications system. Rather than deliver the complete presentation in your packets, we would like to summarize some key points. Opinions expressed by 25 local community leaders last year showed the following: that there is a lack of interest in merging local governments, but there is support for incremental change for delivering services regionally. Also, these 25 believe that cooperation between local governments exists but can improve. Finally, they said that JCCOG could achieve greater effectiveness through addressing more local govermnent issues and redesigning the makeup of the Council. Furthermore, these leaders suggest that selecting one service to regionalize and from among those suggested, we chose fire protection and emergency dispatch. Both of these services are with widespread impact and have well-developed existing systems of cooperation. Due to recent progress toward a centralized dispatch function, we will present only that section of our report. However, we continue to have an interest in a merged fire protection system and will continue gathering information as we go along. And Pat will present our findings. Cancilla/I'll be talking about emergency dispatch. There are two primary service answering points in Johnson County: the Johnson County Sheriff's Office and the Iowa City Police This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 32 Department. And one secondary, that's the University of Iowa. There are two 911 areas: Iowa City and the rest of the county. The University of Iowa is served by both. There are some problems with the system as it is presently configured. 1. Iowa City and Johnson County use different frequencies to dispatch their units. In a countywide emergency, Iowa City could dispatch Johnson units but not vice-versa. Sheriff's cars and Iowa City Police cars cannot communicate directly with one another. 3. Iowa City dispatchers provide emergency medical help over the phone while units are traveling to the site. Johnson County dispatchers are not trained for this. But only Johnson County can dispatch an ambulance. 4. There's not uniform access to criminal records. Iowa City can access the world's records through Interpol but do not have access to Johnson County's records. TAPE 04-28 SIDE ONE CancillaJ The two dispatch services nevertheless have developed a degree of cooperation. I. There is a designated phone line connecting the two primary answering points. Second, Iowa City Fire, Police, and Johnson County Ambulance Service have an 800-mega hertz frequency to talk to one another. 3. A countywide 911 board with representatives of all political and service units in the county coordinates the 911 system using funds from telephone rate payers. These benefits would accrue to the community from a merged countywide system. First, a standard communication network and protocol could better interface with systems outside the County. 2. Elimination of duplicated governmental agencies. 3. Economies for the community through sharing of costs or better quality services at the same cost. 4. Efficiencies gained through information sharing and technically compatible record keeping systems. 5. Emergency Medical Dispatch services by telephone could become available to the whole county instead of just within Iowa City. It has been shown that this service often prevents more expensive dispatching of mobile units. 6. Standardized training and compensation could be developed for dispatch personnel. The climate for service consolidation is ripe. In your packet are quotes advocating for this from newspapers and others throughout Iowa. Them is editorial support from both the Iowa City Press Citizen and The Gazette. There is support from the Iowa City Fire Department. In the year 2005 budget, recently presented to the Iowa City Council, the City Manager urges them to "consider a joint dispatch center which could have a profound effect on the long term on the provision of public safety services in both costs and better service coordination." Legislative and business leaders have considered a suggestion from the Public Strategies Group for "Freedom Communities," which, if enacted, ~vould offer incentives to two areas merging at least 50 percent of their services. The financial picture at the state level is so tight, that political leaders may no longer be willing to subsidize the bill for duplicated local services. We have no illusion that establishing merged countywide fire protection and emergency dispatch services will be easy. But the benefits to residents in our rapidly growing county would be great. Politics and turf battles cannot be allowed to sand in the way. Local governments must figure a way to get it done. A successful merger of these two services could show the way to other cooperative measures. We urge you to continue to advocate with other local governments for concrete This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 33 intergovernmental action with a defined timeline. In order to give the incremental approach recommended by community leaders time to work, the League has suspended our interest in local government consolidation. We are continuing to monitor meetings of JCCOG and are glad to see that this body has agreed to investigate a centralized communication system. As an indication of the intense statewide interest in regionalizing local governments, we have complied press citations on this subject which have appeared in the last three months, and there are copies that will be distributed to you for your information. There will also be a copy of this handout for you. We would be happy to have updates from you and your staff tonight on any recent developments in this area. For instance, were any funds included in your fiscal year "05 budget for consultant work? 2. Are federal funds currently available to support establishment of a joint communications center? What is the status of JCCOG staff work on this? Now, as part of our educational endeavors, on April the 21st, at 7:00 o'clock in the Iowa City Public Library there will be a public forum and on that panel will be the Mayor of Iowa City, the mayors of Coralville, North Liberty and Solon, the head of the Johnson County Council of Governments, and the moderator will be Bill Sueppel, who is with the Iowa League of Cities and is the consultant to the merger of Polk County and Des Moines. We really thank you for the opportunity to present this. We're willing to try and answer any questions, and we'd like to hear from you now. Thank you very much. O'Donnell/What was the date on that meeting, Pat? Elliott/April 21. Lehman/April 21 st. CancillaJ April 21st at 7:00 o'clock in the Iowa City Public Library. O'Donnell/And did I hear you say a member of the Board of Supervisors? CancillaJ Yes, I'm sorry, the head of the Board of Supervisors. O'Donnell/OK. Thank you. Cancilla/Were any funds included in your fiscal year '05 budget? Atkins/Yes. To answer it, I'm sorry. The answer to that is yes. Cancilla/And are federal funds currently available? I understand some from here as well as the county went to Washington recently to find out about that. Atkins/I think answering the question, availability, I do believe that it was an earmark, which is a nice ~vord for pork barrel, is being considered. I don't know, Andy, under the Fire Safety Act whether dispatch centers are considered. Rocca/If they qualify. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 34 Atkins/Andy, for the record, Andy indicated that it could qualify. We owe the City Council, we the staff owe the City Council an outline of how we'd like to approach this issue, and that means involving the JCCOG's folks with it. Lehman/I understand that the Homeland Security--there was a pretty good chunk of money that went to the state of Iowa. Atkins/Yes. Lehman/But the state of Iowa chose to keep the money. Atkins/We understand the same thing. Lehman/No, I think that's right because part of that money was earmarked for projects like this. But the state kept the money for whatever purposes, is that right? Atkins/Andy? I understand it that way too, that they--it didn't find its way back to local govermnent. Rocca/Yes. Champion/But we're all interested in doing that. Spaziani/So it's not available then or is it? Lehman/That money isn't. Kan'/Carol, we're not picking up the questions at all. Atkins/Carol asked if there was other money available and there is--and I believe it's called the Fire Safety Act whereby there are monies made available under that federal legislation. Dispatch centers apparently are eligible. That is, separate from Homeland Security as I understand it. It's a different source of money. Elliott/I don't see how anyone can be opposed to the concept. I think if ever there were a case where the devil is in the details, it would be in this situation, politically and technologically. It's, but it is a concept that I think, certainly I think needs to be looked after. O'Donnell/I brought this up at the Emergency Management Commission a short time back, and we're moving in the direction of possibly forming that study group there, too, so it's--and I agree with you, Bob. Elliott/OK. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 35 Atkins/And we need to know those things, Mike, because we don't want to start running into each other when we are forming those study groups. Yeah. Lehman/Well, didn't we--- Champion/ We directed the--- Lehman/We directed the staff to work with the County on our issues--- Elliott/We did. Lehman/...and I mean I think that part of it already is getting started. Atkins/I think the City Council, my understanding from you all was that, that I haven't sensed any departure from that policy, that this is something that you want us to pursue and put a package together in order for you to react to. Wilburn/Yes, we have. Atkins/Yeah. Elliott/I believe that as a result, JCCOG is meeting earlier than planned as a result of this--is that not right? CancillaJ I understand it--sorry--I understand it's May 5th. Is that correct? Champion/Mm-hmrn. Davidson/Yeah, JCCOG meeting has been rescheduled to May 5th. Steve and Supervisor Pat Harney and Chief Rocca requested that that be moved up just so--and we can get to addressing the issue sooner than later. Unfortunately, we had to, we can't move it up any further than that because I have a couple of other things that Steve's supposed to do that requires going past May 1st, so--but we will be meeting early those three gentlemen; I think, Mike Sullivan from the County also will be present. Vanderhoef/What is the difference between the emergency Management group that might be looking into this and the JCCOG effort? O'Donnell/The JCCOG is elected officials. Vanderhoef/Yeah, I know. O'Donnell/Emergency Management is groups of volunteer firemen and--- Vanderhoef/I see. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 36 O'Donnell/...it's a different body entirely. Vanderhoef/But will they be coordinating their efforts or--- O'Donnell/I will do that. VanderhoefJ You will do that. O'Donnell/As a member of the Council, yeah. Then I'll keep in contact with Jeff and Steve. Bailey/All right. OK. Lehman/You know, we say that, I think I heard that money is available. I hate that word. There may be money out there but that doesn't mean that we have much of a shot at it. I think it's a long shot. Atkins/Well, Ernie, the way--I think your suinmary of the current dispatch activity in the County is very clear. Now remember each of those jurisdictions are investing their local resources into that dispatch function. If we can make it work technically, it would seem to me that there would be some duplication of efforts, and those are the things that we would be able to eliminate. I mean, for example, this is going to come across critical of Johnson County, not training their folks to provide EMS information yet they're responsible for ambulance dispatch, and yet our people do. I mean, to me, that was one of the more glaring examples of the kind of thing that you'd like to get resolved and that the people who would be trained to dispatch for everybody would have a full body of training. Elliott/Is it not possible that the financial incentive for this could also be negative, meaning it might come down from state that if you don't start doing something you will suffer financially? I don't see that on the horizon. Atkins/Well, remember--- Elliott/Because they're funding, they're assisting in funding duplicating--- Atkins/Yeah, and I think that as a statewide policy, that's pretty clear. But the state government has traditionally said we'll provide you monies and then take it away. Now, remember last year we lost all of those operational resources. It's a little difficult for the state to point at us and say now we want you to do it this way; oh, by the way, we're going to deny you resources to do it. Spaziani/I have one more question. Is the merging of these two services or providing a central communication center dependent on outside federal funding or is it--- Atkins/i don't believe so, Carol. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 37 Lehman/I don't think so. Atkins/I'm of the opinion that it would not, that Johnson County has a dispatch function of which they spend monies on. We have a dispatch function that we spend monies on. It's a matter of putting the technology together and having one dispatch function. No, I don't believe that's the issue. I think we have sufficient local resources unless there's something technologically handy that's out there that would be a huge surprise, that we should be able to pull this off, if we have the political will to do it. That's the biggest question. Spaziani/That's what everybody said during our interviews is that all these things can be done if the political exists and the leadership exists. And this is why we've been going to all the policymaking bodies to see--you guys are the political leadership area. If it's ever going to happen, it has to come from you. Wilburn/I think Bob's point is not just a matter of saying--in some ways it should be just a matter of saying, OK, we're going to do this. But it is in the details; you know, we have contractual arrangements with different bodies, and sometimes those are honored and sometimes they're not. That's, you know, it's a matter of making the commitment and sticking to that commitment once it's done. Spaziani/Yeah, the hardest thing is always to work out how it's going to get done. But if you don't begin--- Atkins/It's been successful in too many other communities. I just cannot comprehend why it can't be successful here. Elliott/I really appreciate the League taking the impetus to give us a little kick to get us going. I think that's very much appreciated. Spaziani/Thank you. Champion/It's also a good time because everybody's having some economic difficulties, and in the long run this would probably save money and provide better service. I don't know how much--it might not save anything, but it would provide better service. But there is the feeling out there that it would save money after the initial investment. And as long as I've been involved in local government, we've talked about consolidating services and it never, ever happens. Spaziani/That's right. Champion/And it seems amazing to me that we support all these different services like fire and police and dispatch and even transit. It just to me is logical that it all be done in an area. Spaziani/It's like everybody said--pick one and do it. That would show that it's going to be done. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 38 Elliott/Yes. Lehman/I think that our instructions to the work with the consultant along with the County is probably the first big step in that direction and we've already done that. Atkins/And you also took, recently, remember you took a small step. The City of University Heights is now one of our customers. Lehman/Right. Champion/Yeah. Atkins/And remember, while they're small, they're a full-standing municipality with all the same powers and authorities that we have as a much larger city. And they chose to allow us to do their dispatch for them and pay us a fee. Champion/I also think with the new County elections coming up it would be an important issue, especially with the sheriff; well, we're going to have a new sheriff and so I think people need to pay attention to what that candidate is saying. Cancilla/You mentioned, Mayor Lehman, that you're working with the County, and we've been talking about JCCOG. Are we talking about he same thing? And has there been a formal request to the Johnson County Council of Governments to do this or is this something that they've taken on of their own initiative? Lehman/Steve, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is an issue that the City--we are in need of replacing and upgrading our communications equipment for the Police Department and we need a consultant to look at the bigger picture. We instructed the City staff to approach the County because their communication systems, I think the life of them are about six or eight years, so I mean it's not like we're investing in--- Cancilla/Right. Lehman/...a system that's going to last 100 years. It's a short-lived system because of technology. And so ~ve have approached the County about working with them, not through JCCOG, but through the County at this point. But Johnson County and Iowa City being by far the two largest organizations. I mean, if we can put together something that in my opinion would be compatible for the two of us, it would certainly be compatible for the rest of the organizations. I assume we're talking to them now. Wilburn/If I could add just one thing. At the last JCCOG meeting, we all told Jeff to talk to them. Lehman/OK. All right. So, I mean it's in progress. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 39 Atkins/And, Ernie, we have had communications with the County. Now, remember, this, and the use of JCCOG on this service is--we're breaking some new ground on that because traditionally, you know, it's been very much transportation-related human service issues. And I'm--quite frankly believe that JCCOG would be an excellent tool for us to cause this discussion to occur and continue at a fairly high level. Spaziani/And that's what the people we interviewed said, too. Why do you need to merge governments? We've got JCCOG; just make it work and make it broader, you know. Atkins/Yeah. Spaziani/And they can, can't they? Isn't that right, Jeff?. They can select topics other than the three they've been traditionally working on. Davidson/Yeah, that's right, Carol. I mean, JCCOG is what the board, the two boards decide that they want it to be. I mean, yeah, we didn't have solid waste management planning originally. And now we have that. Just to make sure everybody's clear though, right now JCCOG is just providing a forum for the discussion. That's all we're doing and that's because as Mike's pointed out, you have all the decision makers at that table. I think it's a very valuable thing that we can provide. Ultimately, I think that the other group that Mike's working with will be able to solve more of the nuts and bolts type problems. That won't happen at JCCOG, but when it comes to some decision making when all the entities decide they want to enter into an agreement for the joint center, that's something that JCCOG will facilitate but ultimately it will be done, yeah, through a 20-80 agreement and become whatever the board, the two boards want it to be. Vanderhoef/Tell me, what has been done in keeping our smaller municipalities in Johnson County apprized of what is happening? I know it falls under the purview of the County. Spaziani/Yeah. In terms of what we've done, we chose to present the same thing we have given you in your packets, to Solon, North Liberty and Coralville. And simply because it was too hard to count everybody, and they seemed to be people who either were in the metro area or who had administrative personnel on their staff and who'd expressed some kind of interest in this. Castilla/And the Sheriff's Department. Spaziani/And the Sheriff's Department. And actually, what mostly their reaction was--they're interested but, and you know, they said the County takes care of us. Whatever the County wants to do is fine with us. Vanderhoef/Tiffin is the other municipality within JCCOG, and that was a change over about, what, three years ago, that they asked to join JCCOG and move out of the Rural Policy Board. Spaziani/Who has asked to do it? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 40 Elliott/Tiffin. Vanderhoef/Tiffin. Spaziani/Tiffin. OK. Vanderhoef/So they sit at the table at JCCOG, so whether any information has been sent out to them--- Spaziani/No. Vanderhoef/I would request that you send something out to them before we get into this May meeting because I think they might feel a little left out. Spaziani/Well, what do you think about the other small towns in the County? Do you think it's worth approaching them on this issue or don't they care because the Sheriff takes care of them? Vanderhoef/Well, with the, they use the Sheriff as far as emergency management and I am presuming the ambulance service but I'm not positive about that. When we get into fire districts, which is another one that's coming up, I think there will be a whole lot more need for enrolling all of those into discussions. Spaziani/Yeah. They actually provide fire service whereas they don't actually provide emergency dispatch. Vanderhoef/That's my understanding. Spaziani/I think that's a little different. Vanderhoef/Mm-hmm. O'Donnell/Well, it just seems to make a great deal of sense if we're in the process of upgrading radios. And I don't really know what the procedure is. It seems a bit odd that our squad cars can't have communication with Johnson County Sheriff's cars. Elliott/It's more than odd. O'Donnell/But I understand there is a way you patch them through--- Elliott/Yeah. O'Donnell/...but that seems kind of--- Vanderhoef/Yeah. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 41 Spaziani/They can be patched through and the example when we interviewed the dispatching people was the Gang Lu shooting episode when all available units were out on the street during that emergency and patching through would have been a delay, and they couldn't actually communicate with each other to know which units were going where. And they didn't know what shootings were going on. Elliott/! think while we're talking about this, it's important to point out that there has been, I think, as far as I know, excellent cooperation among these units. And what this would do is to make that cooperation much more effective and productive. And the other point I wanted to make was I think this would be just an excellent exercise to see if governments can't work together cooperatively and productively. Spaziani/Well said. Elliott/I think it's, it will be to me a black mark against us if we don't get it done. CancillaJ And I'd just like to add that you may want to even consider a broader coverage as you investigate this because the Sheriff's Department, for example, does a lot of communicating with adjacent counties, and that's very important. And a lot of the backup for the Sheriff's Department is from the state troopers. And it's important that they can also communicate with state troopers. And I've just read in the paper that the number of state troopers on the road are decreasing. We're told that the Sheriff's deputies are very thin in some shifts. So there are some really urgent things that go more than just City and County. I'm not trying to expand it but it's something that may come up in your discussions. Lehman/Well, yeah, these discussions are probably going to be between the Police Chief, the Sheriff--they're not going to be just if, the political will starts here, but the decisions as to what's included, whether it, you know, how they talk back and forth to each other and what, that's all technical stuff that's going to be done by those folks. Believe me, we can't even run computers. (Laughter) Lehman/So, I mean, as far as the ability to talk to the Highway Patrol and other counties, that is absolutely out of our bailiwick. That is something they're going to have to come up with, and I can't imagine they wouldn't. Spaziani/Well, the issue, a couple of issues here are one, a civil disaster isn't limited to the city limit, the county limits of Johnson County. Lehman/And I'm sure they're well aware of that. Spaziani/Right. And then the second issue is that--and Becky correct me if I'm ~vrong--Becky did all of the interviewing on dispatcher with the County--and one of their issues is that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 42 they're 400 megahertz equipment is compatible with surrounding counties and other counties and that's why they're wedded to it rather than going to upgrade to what Iowa City has. So that's a big issue that's going to have to be dealt with. Lehman/That's something they're going to have to work out. The devil's in the details and they're going to have to figure it out. O'Donnell/Has it ever been done? Have we got the Chief and the Sheriff and the Fire Chief and maybe some chiefs of our small-town fire departments that we have planned aid agreements together to sit around and talk? Lehman/Well, it looks to me like we're in the process. O'Donnell/That's probably a great thing to do. Elliott/Steve Allen wrote a song once called "This Could Be the Start of Something Big." O'Donnell/You're a marvel. Elliott/Aren't I though? Lehman/But you don't have to sing it. Spaziani/You're going to sing it. Elliott/No, oh god, no. (Laughter) Lehman/All right. Thank you very much. Cancilla/Thank you very much. AGENDA ITEMS Lehman/OK, Council, do we have any Agenda items? 4. e. (4) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE WORK FOR THE RECREATION AND CIVIC CENTER (CITY HALL) HVAC AND PLUMBING REPLACEMENT PROJECT. Kart/Mr. Mayor, I'd just like to note that Item 4 e. (4), the resolution accepting work for the Civic Center HVAC plumbing replacement project is going to be deferred indefinitely from the Consent Calendar. So we'll just remove that by motion as an amendment tomorrow night. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 43 Lehman/4. e. (4) would be--- Karr/It's page 4, number 4, the resolution accepting the work, deferred indefinitely. We'll just remove it from the Consent Calendar. Lehman/OK. Any other agenda items? 16. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 10 OF THE CITY CODE, ENTITLED "USE OF PUBLIC WAYS AND PROPERTY," TO CREATE A UNIFORM PERMITTING PROCESS, TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FARMERS MARKET, TO PROVIDE FOR THE NONCOMMERCIAL PLACEMENT OF OBJECTS IN CITY PLAZA ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, TO MODIFY THE PROVISION ON RESIDENTIAL PICKETING, TO CLARIFY THE CURRENT PROVISIONS REGULATING MOBILE VENDORS AND AMBULATORY VENDORS, TO CODIFY SPECIFIC ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AFFECTING SAID VENDORS, AND TO MAKE ADDITIONAL NONSUBSTANTIVE CHANGES. (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Dilkes/On the Title 10 amendments, you got a memo from me with some changes, one of which was substantive, item 16. Lehman/16? Dilkes/After meeting with the ICLU folks. And then you got an e-mail from me today in response to a memo that I got this morning from Eric Fisher, who is a local attorney, a board member of the ICLU was also present at that meeting with some additional concerns he had about the insurance requirement, my response to that, and one additional change that I told him I would recommend to you. So, all those are acceptable to me and if you want to make them, you need to move them by amendment tomorrow and go back to first consideration. Now, maybe, maybe next time we can collapse. Lehman/All right, this we got tonight, item 16--- Karr/That's everything but the kitchen sink. Lehman/Does this include what we're going Dilkes/And that's got everything. Karr/Everything. Dilkes/Including the latest that I said I would make in the e-mail. Lehman/This has the bells and whistles and the amendments that Regenia's going to propose tomorrow night? All right. This represents only a reasonably accurate ~'anscription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 44 Vanderhoef/And then you said there's one more? Karr/It's in there. Dilkes/It's them. Vanderhoef/Oh, it's in this one, too. You amended it already. Dilkes/Yeah. Vanderhoef/OK. Lehman/OK. 22. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 79-462 AND ADOPTING IN LIEU THEREOF A NEW RESOLUTION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SENIOR CENTER FUND FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF GIFTS~ MEMORIALS~ AND FUNDRAISING REVENUE TO THE IOWA CITY/JOHNSON COUNTY SENIOR CENTER. Elliott/Any discussion needed on number 22? Bailey/I just was trying to find it. I have a question about item 22, about two of they bylaws I have lots of questions and was wondering if there was interest to have the City Attorney's office look at this on behalf of the Council? Vanderhoef/Well, either that or send it through our Council committee for review before ~ve vote on them. Lehman/I think these are legal issues you'd like to have--- Bailey/ Right. Elliott/Mm-hmm. Lehman/...not philosophic issues. Vanderhoef/Well, there's a couple--- Bailey/ Do you have philosophic? Vanderhoef/There's a couple things in there that, the wording, number 1, is sort of ambiguous. Bailey/I agree with you. And that's why I wanted to have some legal opinion on it. And because this is a relationship, I understand with the Johnson County Community Foundation, and that's not even referred to. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 45 Dilkes/Regenia, I'm having a hard time hearing you. Bailey/Oh. Well, they'l! have a relationship with the Johnson County Community Foundation or the Community Foundation of Johnson County, and that's not referred to in these byla~vs whatsoever and that also concerns me that it's not clear, that nobody off the street ~vould really understand what is going to be accomplished by this body that's being formed, so. Vanderhoef/Well, in the memo it tells us what's happening there but--- Bailey/ Right. Vanderhoef/...there's nothing that's being stated in the body of the Senior Foundation that they can transfer funds into the Johnson County Community Foundation and that needs to be real clear that this is a way to move back and forth. And then I had some questions about how often, who makes the decision and so forth of the funds that go over to Johnson County Foundation and whether that is to be a set amount that stays in there and only work off of the interest rather than off of the principal. Bailey/Right. And I agree with you. I think that perhaps we would like with Mike Sofragen because my initial question was why is this simply not a designated fund within in the Community Foundation of Johnson County? But perhaps they're not set up to have governing bodies within the Community Foundation of certain funds. I don't know, but I think it would be worth our time to look at that. Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm. Bailey/Because if that could happen, I think it's an easier way to make this happen rather than setting up a separate not-for-profit. Vanderhoef/Jay has tried to give us some of that and it has been about as clear as mud because I didn't get enough questions about it. Bailey/Yeah. And I think maybe it would be helpful after we have this looked at to have Jay and Elliott/My understanding, Regenia, is this has to be the step because we could not take City money to the Foundation so they have to create this nonprofit organization as a vehicle to move the funds from the Senior Center to the Community Foundation. Bailey/So, a designated fund would not even qualify. Elliott/That's my understanding. Atkins/Bob, your assessment's correct, Bob; that's what I understood. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 46 Bailey/OK. Dilkes/As I understand it, it's, the Community Fund is an investment vehicle and there's not, it's not a way that we can invest City money so you've got to get it to this nonprofit and that the nonprofit--- Elliott/Mm-hmm. Dilkes/But I would really urge you, the kind of concerns that I'm hearing, while they may be legal in terms of how we reflect her concerns in the written document, I don't, I need to kno~v what those concerns are because the nonprofit can really be set up however they want to set it up. So, if you can have a discussion with Jay tomorrow night or whoever's here for the Senior Center, it would be helpful to kind of flush those things out so that when I'm reviewing them I know what your concerns are. Bailey/Well, I have a list of questions. Vanderhoef/Well, I would just appreciate having it on a work session. Atkins/I think that's probably easier. Dilkes/Yeah. Vanderhoef/I would urge you tomorrow night, just defer this tomorrow night. Bailey/Yeah, can we just defer this? Atkins/That's fine. Lehman/Can we defer it to the 19th on the work session, then come up with the questions that we would like to pose and then have it reviewed by legal? Dilkes/Sure. O'Donnell/Good idea. Elliott/Fine. Bailey/Great. That sounds great. Karr/So do you want to defer the resolution until the 20th then? Lehman/Right. Karr/Or defer it indefinitely and schedule the work session for the 19th? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 47 Lehman/Defer indefinitely and then we'll put it on the 19th work session. Atkins/I gave the Senior folks the bead's up that you may defer it so. Lehman/All right. That works. Elliott/And, Eleanor, are we done with that? 23. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TERMS ON WHICH THE CITY WILL PURCHASE A 4-ACRE PARCEL OF LAND EAST OF IOWA CITY ADJACENT TO LOWER WEST BRANCH ROAD, AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST DOCUMENTATION OF THE SAME. Elliott/The next item, St. Mark's Church, I'll have to recuse myself on that. I'm a member of the church. Do I need to let you know ahead of time? Dilkes/No, you can just say so on the record. Elliott/OK. Bailey/Can we get a little bit more information about that item, Steve? Atkins/Which number? Lehman/23. Vanderhoef/Which one are we on? Lehman/Purchasing 4 acres for the water waste facility. Atkins/Sure, I'll be prepared for tomorrow evening. It's pretty straightforward. Several years ago, we identified the need for a water tank on the east side of town. We've looked over the years trying to find a spot. Public works department found a spot, recommends the purchase of the site. We would hold the site until the time that the City grows to that point. Lehman/Is that an appraised value? Dilkes/It's less than the appraised value. Lehman/Less than the appraised value. Bailey/I think that would be good to point out because somebody called me today about that dollar figure. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 48 Atkins/I'll see that that's confirmed for you. Vanderhoef/Will we then annex this property after we purchase it? Atkins/When we can get to it. Right now, we saw a good location, it was a good price, we would just buy the land and sit on it until such time. It would ultimately have to be annexed, particularly when we extend the water lines out to it. Vanderhoef/Because it is contiguous. Atkins/Yes. So I will get that, those other numbers, yeah. Vanderhoef/Well, that was the question that I had had also. OK. Lehman/Any other Agenda items? 19. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TItE CITY CODE, TITLE 14, "UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE," CHAPTER 1, "STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC RIGItT-OF-WAY," "ARTICLE A. STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY GENERALLY," SECTION 14-1A-6, "MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY," TO IMPOSE LIABILITY ON ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALL PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY LOCATED BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE STREET OR CURB LINE AND TItE PROPERTY LINE. (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Bailey/I have a quick question. Lehman/Yes. Bailey/It's about item 19. Lehman/Yes. Bailey/Because I'm one of those people who plant in the parking and that's allowed currently on our web site, that you can do that unless it's trees, and then you need permission from the City forester. But could plantings on the parking be construed as an obstruction as this ordinance is read? O'Donnell/Depends on how tall they are. Bailey/Well, they can't be more than two feet according to the website. But none of those kinds of limitations are in this ordinance, are they? Vanderhoeff They would refer back to it I would think. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 49 Lehman/I think that if you tried to plant something more than two or three feet high, you would be prevented because of other ordinances. We've had that before. Atkins/We had about six or eight years ago a huge flap--- Vanderhoef/Oh, yeah. Atkins/...over the--- Bailey/ On the north side we plant in the parking because we have people playing in the yards. Atkins/And it was blocking the view of people pulling out from an alley. Lehman/Right, I remember that. Atkins/We had the property owner reduce it. Lehman/Right. Atkins/And they were not very happy about all of that. Dilkes/Let me get the ordinance in front of me, just a second. Bailey/Because I'm ready to (can't hear) another bed. Vanderhoef/Well, my question--well, I'll wait until she's done because I've got another legal question and Eleanor's looking something up there. Dilkes/I don't think that--can you get me the Code, the second volume? I don't think the obstruction language is new language. The new language is the liability. Bailey/OK. Dilkes/But let me double-check. Bailey/Just when you read something like this and then you go to the web pages that sort of puts it in sort of common language, there seems to be different. The website is more friendly than the ordinance. 4. f. (2) CORRESPONDENCE. JCCOG TRAFFIC ENGINEERING PLANNER: MODIFY ALL COMMERCIAL VEHICLE LOADING ZONES OR LOADING ZONES IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO COMMERCIAL VEHICLE/LOADING ZONE 30 MIN LIMIT 8 AM - 5 PM~ NO PARKING 2 AM - 6 AM TOW AWAY ZONE. Elliott/While Eleanor's looking that up, I wanted to bring up something in a couple of the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 50 memos that we got. Atkins/OK. Elliott/One was from Vanessa Williams regarding the loading zone parking downtown. One of these days we need to address the problem of trucks parking in the middle of the street downtown. I think that's something that--- Lehman/There's a loading zone. The center of the street is a loading zone. Elliott/Yeah, but they park there much longer than loading. Champion/It's hours. Elliott/Yes. Champion/That's been a complaint of mine. 4. f. (3) CORRESPONDENCE. JCCOG TRAFFIC ENGINEERING PLANNER: LEXINGTON AVENUE TRAFFIC CALMING BARRICADE Elliott/And another one is the memo that the barricade is coming down from Lexington Avenue post-winter and I think we might want to address sometime do we really want barricades on City streets? Vanderhoef/No, we don't. Champion/A very sensitive subject. Elliott/There's some, I know some people who live out there who are very strongly opposed to it and there are some people who are very strongly in favor of it. Vanderhoef/Mm-hmm. Champion/We already had that discussion. Atkins/That was, we in fact (can't hear) Vanderhoef/The Council has changed since then. Bailey/But the neighbors not--- Vanderhoef/It's still half and half. Davidson/We hear from those folks with some regularity, and what we've indicated to them, Bob, is that you know the traffic calming program is designed by you folks to come from This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Io~va City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 5I the neighborhood. Elliott/Mm-hmm. Davidson/So that if enough people, it does require those people, for example, who want to see it taken out forever, we indicate to them that is possible. You guys are willing to act on that but we need a petition or something from the neighborhood indicating that there's some support for doing that. We would conduct a survey. But the initial request isn't something that you all wiI1 act on unless you have something from the neighborhood indicating that there's a groundswell of opinion. Bailey/I don't think the attitude of the neighborhood has changed. I talked to them, the people, a couple of months ago and it seems pretty, it still seems pretty strongly split. Wilburn/The people who like it, like it, and the people who don't, don't. Bailey/Well, there's some people who have cars that end up in their yard. Davidson/There are people on both sides definitely. Elliott/I just have a concern of blocking a City street. Bailey/So do some of the neighbors over there. Elliott/Yeah. Lehman/But I think that the issue, the letter just indicated that the barricade is going back up. Bailey/Right. Davidson/We always let people know ahead of time. Lebanan/This is in accordance with our policy. Davidson/Exactly. Elliott/It's an annual rite of spring. Lehman/OK. Vanderhoef/Well, while you're talking about the loading zones, I wasn't clear from the memo the different loading zones have had different times and you're trying to--- Davidson/Yeah. With the, what's happened, Dee, is this came from the Parking Division, they're the ones who requested this action--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 52 Vanderhoef/Yeah. Davidson/...because the phenomena that they have is that somebody is cited for illegal parking, typically it being past 5:00 o'clock. And there may be two adjacent ones where it's only enforced until 5:00 o'clock. And then the one in the middle where it's enforced to 9:00 o'clock. And the people say, oh, I always park in this one--and so it's to bring some continuity to all of the zones downtown. Lehman/Yeah. Davidson/What we found in looking at the specific cases of why they were different, 90 percent of them were established so long ago; for example, the one that I'm familiar with is the ATM machine in front of, well, I still call it the National Bank, whatever it's called now Elliott/Yes. Vanderhoef/(can't hear) Star. Davidson/That was the first ATM machine in Iowa City, and so the thought was extend it until 9:00 o'clock because it's going to be used by so many people. Well, as we all know, you can't swing a cat and not hit an ATM machine downtown any more. So there's probably no need for that one to be until 9:00 o'clock. (Laughter) Champion/Should we go get a cat? (Several talk) Davidson/Figure of speech. Vanderhoef/My question then in establishing these hours is--- Davidson/We read them the same as the meters. Vanderhoef/I understand that. And I understand that there are certain loading zones that need that protection earlier than 8:00 o'clock. And I wondered if 7:00 o'clock is a more reasonable--for large delivery, Fed Ex trucks and so forth. Davidson/Well, you still certainly have the ability if you want to pick out one particular one that has a special case and we can subsequently take action to make that 7:00 o'clock. Vanderhoeff What typically happens is students park in them for 7:30 class. Davidson/Yeah, I'm not sure, Dee, that the enforcement personnel are out there before 8:00 This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 53 o'clock, that's the only thing. That would be a change in the policy of how the division is operating. Vanderhoef/Well, gambling on a 30-minute versus gambling on an hour and a half does--- Bailey/ Mm-hmm. Elliott/There also are cities where they say deliveries must be made before a certain time of day, before 8:00 o'clock or 10:00 o'clock. Davidson/That could be established by ordinance, and in fact, for Dubuque Street last time we discussed the, in the middle of Dubuque Street, we specifically discussed doing that and Council decided not to at that time. Elliott/Well. Champion/I don't want to be down there at 8:00 o'clock in the morning and being--- Elliott/Never one to shy away. Sometime we'll talk about that. Lehman/So, where are we on this? I mean, I, it seems making it consistent with the meters is a good idea. It seems that making them all consistent is a good idea. Is there a problem with that? Bailey/No. Elliott/My concern was talking about the problem in general of parking in the middle of the street all times of day and for extended periods and just to say sometime I'd like for us to take that up among other things. Champion/We've done that. Vanderhoef/Well, it's sort of like meter feeding. If you want to chalk tires and--of those that are double-parked in the middle of the street--- Davidson/Yeah, they occasionally step up the enforcement occasionally but as the Mayor has alluded to, it is legal at the present time to do that. Elliott/I'd like to see us have them say you do it before 10:00 o'clock or you get ticketed. And I may be in the minority. Vanderhoeff I guess my other question was whether you had talked with any of the businesses downtown about the time. Davidson/Well, Joe and Chris had talked to--I can't say that they've talked to every single one of them--but they did indicate that they'd talked to enough that they felt taking the action This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 54 to make it Central Business Districtwide, and they know, Dee, just like I'm telling you if subsequently you want to modify one because it's a special case, we can always do that. You can always do that. But they felt that they talked to enough people that at least establishing it initially as everything being the same was the reasonable thing to do. Vanderhoef/OK. Elliott/Thank you. Bailey/Eleanor has--- Dilkes/On the trees and whether they're obstructions, they did add some language here about keeping it free of obstructions. I don't think there was probably a change of meaning intended. But I don't know where the tree thing comes from, so I'll check it. Bailey/Well, I'm talking about plantings--- Dilkes/Right. Bailey/...being viewed as obstructions. I mean there could be a complaint. I suppose technically if it obstructs somebody who parks on my street and walks to class--- Dilkes/Yeah, I just, ! don't know where the tree--you said it was on the website says you can plant those things in the right-of-way? Bailey/You can have plantings, but you know, if they need to dig it up, they dig it up. Dilkes/OK. Bailey/(can't hear) and they can't be taller than two feet. Dilkes/OK. That's, see, I can't, I don't know where that statement comes from in the Code so I'm going to have to figure that out before I can answer the question. Bailey/OK. Dilkes/I'll get back to you tomorrow. Bailey/OK. Vanderhoef/Continuing on with this then, a second question on the liability. Are we saying then that broken sidewalks or sidewalk trips and so forth will all go to the homeowner, not to the City? Lehman/They do now. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 55 Elliott/But they do already. Dilkes/No, they don't. Champion/Oh, they don't. Dilkes/We get sued on trips and falls on sidewalks a lot. The intent here is to transfer that liability to the abutting property owner. And the reason for that is because the abutting property owner has the maintenance responsibility. And so we want to make it clear that if those, if they've been negligent with respect to those maintenance responsibilities, the liability should be on them and not on the City. Lehman/Isn't the City ultimately liable anyway? Dilkes/That's not necessarily so. Lehman/But we do get named as additional--- Dilkes/Yes, because we don't have this provision now. Lehman/If we have this provision, this is going to indemnify the City for being sued for a bad--- Dilkes/It should help. Lehman/Help. Dilkes/The case law isn't completely clear but it should help. Lehman/Well, good. Vanderhoef/Mm-hmm. That's what I thought when I was reading it but--- Lehman/Help is help. 4. L (12) CORRESPONDENCE. MATTHEW THATCHER: IOWA CITY ALCOHOL AND BAR COMMITTEE. Wilburn/In item--are you done with that, Dee? Vanderhoef/I'm done with that. Go ahead. Wilbum/In item 4 f (12) in correspondence, the Assistant City Manager had responded to a doctoral candidate about questions about Alcohol and Bar Committee and I followed up a telephone call with that individual just to reiterate what Dale had said, that that's not a Council committee, it's a group that meets on its own, and also I directed him to individuals on the Student Senate as well as the Stepping Up Coalition folks to follow up This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 56 with because there's some special study that he's doing, that he ~vants to do. But I also told him and for your information, too, Council, that throughout its meeting the group has done things like review information about detox centers, started gathering information about bar and restaurant practices related to that big list of suggestions that the students and the bars had come up with, even a couple of tangible things that have happened--a couple of the bar owners that had been attending had requested that Officer Kelsey in his reports about PAULAs include things about occupancy to allow people to be able to--- TAPE 04-28, SIDE TWO Wilburn/...they also stay fair with the small bars, the big bars, and also I'd spoken with, like the Daily Iowan about including disclaimers or working with some of the bars to include disclaimers about getting 21 to consume alcohol but 19 to get in for those that do. And the group has continued to listen to bar and restaurant owners about their business climate. Mike was good enough to go to one of the meetings that I couldn't make but, so that's, I just kind of updated him, I guess a little, snuck in some Council time to update you. Elliott/Good. Wilburn/Yup. 4. f (5) CORRESPONDENCE. MARK PATTON: FUNDING UNDER THE CDBG/HOME INVESTMENTS PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM. Vanderhoef/OK. We also had a letter from Mark Patton under the correspondence on the Habitat for Humanity homes and the interest that they cannot support interest on grants through CDBG and asking for that exemption. We talked about this a year ago--- Lehman/Yeah, we did. Vanderhoef/...and I thought it was taken care of. Lehman/I did too. I thought we took care of it. Atkins/It's not coming back to me. Vanderhoeff I can't recall all of--- Atkins/I thought we took care of this. Lehman/Can we check it? Atkins/Oh, no, we will. Vanderhoef/Didn't we already--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 57 Bailey/(can't hear) new with Habitat? Vanderhoef/Pardon me. Bailey/(can't hear) been here a year? Vanderhoef/What? Bailey/Isn't Mark fairly new with Habitat? Vanderhoef/He's brand new. Elliott/Yeah. Bailey/OK, so maybe--- Lehman/He may not know. Atkins/(can't hear) made a good point. Vanderhoef/I think we took care of that last year. Champion/We did. Vanderhoef/So, we need to have a follow-up letter or a phone call at least with him to update. Atkins/I'll take care of that. 4. f. (9) CORRESPONDENCE. KORTNY WILLIAMSON: COLLEGE STUDENT RESEARCHING CHAIN BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN. Vanderhoef/Was there a page missing in the correspondence? Champion/Regarding? Vanderhoef/Student researching chain businesses, number 9 under f. Kortny Williamson. Bailey/206? Karr/I've got two pages here. You thought something was missing? Vanderhoef/Yeah. Bailey/The original e-mail is below the response. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 58 Vanderhoef/Well, is that what I missed.'? Karr/We always put on when there's a response included, we'll put on the most recent. Vanderhoef/OK. Atkins/Yeah. Vanderhoef/There it is. Bailey/It's hard to see. Vanderhoef/OK. Somehow or another, I jumped through it. OK. I'll go back and read it. Thank you. Atkins/OK. APPOINTMENTS Lehman/OK, guys. We don't have any appointments that I know of, do we? COUNCIL TIME Lehman/Council time. Champion/I just have one little thing and it's probably my own problem but--- (Laughter) Lehman/Let's hear it again. Atkins/Beer trucks in the street? Champion/When you go to To~ver Place to park, you know, those are direct, you pull in square, so when you back out you can go either way. And several times now I've almost hit somebody--- Atkins/Do you back out or do you drive back out, you mean? Champion/When you back out of your parking space. Atkins/Oh, gotcha. Champion/You can go either way. And there's arrows on the ground that are mostly faded now and several times I've almost run into somebody who's going the wrong way. It's very easy to do; I've done that myself. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 59 Atkins/Mm-hmm. Vanderhoef/You can. Champion/And when you, it says one way on the signs up above but when you're going the wrong way, there's nothing to tell you you're going the wrong way. Bailey/Oh. Champion/It just needs some simple--- Atkins/You're-going-the-wrong-way signs. Champion/Yeah, because the arrows are worn out. Bailey/If you can read this, you're going the ~vrong way. (Laughter) Champion/But I've noticed it a couple of times. Just the other day I was leaving and somebody was pulling around the comer. Atkins/That would be a little disconcerting, wouldn't it? Champion/Yeah. Atkins/OK. I'I1 see what we can do. (Laughter) Atkins/You're going the wrong way. Champion/And I park there every day but because I just usually park where I usually park, so I just started going out the same way I usually go out. Atkins/OK. Champion/And I had no way of knowing I was going the wrong way. Lehman/We'll turn out a sign for you, Connie. Vanderhoef/Connie? Champion/No. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 60 Bailey/Turn around, Connie. Lehman/All right. Anything else for Council time? Vanderhoef/Yes, I have a request. As you all know, I work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for National League of Cities. And we've been working on the T-21 Reauthorization for the last three years and getting policy and so forth put together. At this year's Congress of Cities, we put together an advocacy policy and now we have a model resolution that we would either like to put forth. Typically, I know our Council has not done resolutions on national policies like that but I would like to encourage Council to do a letter to our Congressional delegation about (can't hear) through with a six-year reauthorization of the T-21. We are definitely looking at the program that was passed by the Senate which is different. It's still in committee, but if you'd like these numbers, it's like $384 billion or something like that. I've got all the information here that I could give to staff if you would like to authorize a letter just to put forth to our delegation, I would appreciate it, and I thought I would also work on doing a letter to the editor on the reauthorization. Atkins/Supporting T-21 is a smart thing, folks. We do real well on that program. Vanderhoef/It most definitely is. Champion/We have to do it (can't hear) O'Donnell/(can't hear) the letter. Atkins/Send me that, if I can have that, I'll draft something; I'll prepare it. Vanderhoef/I'll give you the model resolution and we can work off of those figures. Then the other piece that I wanted to update you--- Karr/Excuse me, do you want--isn't there a timeline with that? Vanderhoef/As soon as we can get it done--- Kart/Well, since it's not on the agenda tonight and since we can't take direction, I was just wondering if there's a motion for the next meeting, if it could wait two weeks or whether Vanderhoef/I'd rather it didn't. This is one of those nods of the head, rather, not to do a resolution but just to do a letter. Atkins/I'm assuming a letter from Ernie? Lehman/There we go. We can do that. You prepare the information and we'll get a letter off: This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 61 Elliott/Yes. Vanderhoef/OK. Thank you. The other thing that I thought you might be interested in and certainly our two Councilors who are involved with thc Airport Committee, the three policy issues that the national committee will be studying this next summer will be hazardous materials transportation, general aviation security, and security of air cargo, which falls back into our City activities. So anything that you have in the way of questions or ideas about how our own airport works on those issues, I would appreciate input. Lehman/I would hope that our Airport Commission (can't hear). They should be present. Vanderhoef/Well, this is to gather information and put together a policy for these groups. So we'll be getting a lot of information. But anything I can get, I'll call Ron and talk to him too and see if he has anything he'd like to put on the table when we go to our meeting. We'll be going to Chicago June 10th for our first information and work meeting for the summer. Elliott/Steve, I have a question. As I recall watching the Council meeting a year or two ago, you were talking about you used a more environmentally friendly paint for the streets, for lanes and arrows and things like that, are you still doing that? Atkins/It wasn't as environmentally friendly; it was sturdier and much more expensive because of the EPA regulations. We were having trouble keeping paint on the street. Elliott/I just thought, you know, that having come through some other cities in the last week, driving through, when you drive at night in the rain. In Iowa City, we know kind of where to go and when there are lanes, but it certainly can be a problem not having those lanes show up and not having the arrows show. Atkins/We use super-duper paint on Burlington and those streets and you'll see that it'll last a little longer but it's about five times as expensive. Elliott/Yeah. Atkins/It's not, it's an epoxy paint, you know, it's put down with heat. And then we use the regular, it's EPA-approved paint for crosswalks. And you're going to see a lot of crosswalks that are in very bad shape. Champion/Yeah, they barely last a year. Bailey/Oh, yeah. Atkins/They barely last a year. We paint them twice a year. Elliott/And you can only do what you can do, but I know I've driven and there are times when at This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 62 night and there's rain and if you didn't know that it was there, you wouldn't know. Atkins/I would suspect we're, we will be starting painting as soon as we have some guaranteed good weather. Bailey/What about street sweeping? Lehman/We're sweeping. Bailey/Are we sweeping? Lehman/Yes. Atkins/Oh, yeah, we're out sweeping; we've started. Elliott/I've seen it. Lehman/Bob, I think all the cities use the same paint. And it lasts about six weeks tops. Elliott/The cities I went through, they're all in about the same--- Lehman/Right. Elliott/...but this time of year it's just difficult. Any city you drive in, it's difficult to know where you're going sometimes. Lehman/And then you paint it and six weeks later you've got the same thing. Atkins/If you do get called, I mean, we lost a week in the street sweeping so there's going to be a few more complaints. If you pick up on them, let me know and I can probably give you a good idea when they're going to be by. Lehman/Any other Council time? Wilburn/I've got one. Lehman/Yes. Wilburn/Real quick. The County received a multiyear youth development grant some of you may have heard about. And it's a group that includes the school district, neighborhood centers, United Action for Youth, Department of Corrections to start some youth development, or continue some ongoing youth development work that they've been doing. There's a cross training, a cross-site training next week on Tuesday and Wednesday for the cities that were funding or the counties that were funded, and I know that Supervisor Neuzil, representatives from the school district and youth (can't hear) in juvenile court are going to be going. I have to go with one of my other hats on, but unless This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 63 anybody has any objection, I'11, when we're there, I'll mention to them the City of Iowa City. Champion/They wear two hats. Lehman/That's right. Wilbum/Yeah. Bailey/And when is the training? Wilbum/It's April 13th and 14th. It's more about making sure that all the sites are doing what they need to do to implement the grants. Johnson County was one, I think one of two sites in the state, that will receive multiyear funding as opposed to one-year funding. And part of that is in recognition that the County has been funding youth development stuff for the past (can't year) or so. Bailey/OK. Lehman/OK. Mr. Elliott? Elliott/Yes. Scheduling of Special Work Sessions Lehman/You have a memo that you gave us listing possible discussion topics. Elliott/I think the memo and the list says it all. If the other Council Members are interested in such discussion sessions, I'm just encouraging us to do that. And not all of those identified and the only clarification I'll make is that some people have said, Bob, you need to be more definitive, more specific, and no, these are just general areas. If we have those meetings and if those items are selected, then someone or some several people will need to set down a specific agenda. Lehman/Well, I think some of these, but you know, the north side fire station and staffing, I think that's probably work in progress. Atkins/Yes. Lehman/The alcohol issues are going to be coming up in September-October. Elliott/Yep. Lehman/The philosophy and process for zoning review, I think is a matter of law. It has to go through Planning and Zoning, it has to go through the public hearing process, it has to go through the City Council. I don't know what you were, I mean, I don't know--- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Io~va City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 64 Elliott/That and the next one to me are, and I've talked with Steve about this, has to do with use of consultants and administrative responsibilities. I'd like to see the key administrators have more responsibility for long-range planning and the City needing to use far fewer consultants. And then with the zoning, I would at least like to see the people in charge of that have this as an ongoing responsibility that as items come up, one came up in downtown, that it was indicated I think for one of the new businesses that was starting up, my thought was, you know, why wasn't that earmarked as we go along and say this is kind of outdated? This needs to be revised. Why do we need to do this every decade or so? This should be an ongoing regular occurrence and maybe we don't need to discuss it. Maybe unless--no, but it does get into administrative responsibilities and those are Steve's bailiwick and we shouldn't dip into those unless we talk about that and perhaps I'm a little misguided on that. Lehman/I would hold those thoughts though because we're going to be doing, the next thing we're going to be doing tonight, is we're going to be doing evaluation of our staff, and I'm not so sure that that sort of discussion might very well take place when we do visit with Steve, that'll be coming up in the next couple of months. Vanderhoef/Can we do that, Eleanor? Lehman/Part of it is administration. Dilkes/Well, it depends on how it comes up. But if you want to talk about use of consultants, then you'd probably better do that here. I, you know, unless you--- Atkins/And I'm not uncomfortable with sharing with you why we recommend consultants and why we don't. I mean, there are those that are very supportive and those that may not be (can't hear). Dilkes/It doesn't--unless you see it as an aspect of Steve's evaluation of his past performance or something like that, but if you want a change in policy in the way we use consultants, I don't see that as part of his evaluation. Elliott/None of this should be taken in any way as any form of criticism and it might be because I'm brand new at this that I might be shown the error of my ways and say, yeah, that's fine. I understand that. Or it might be that we can change something for a little more economical viability. Vanderhoef/One thing that wasn't on Bob's list that I know Council has talked about in the past and I would like to get started on it earlier rather than later because it might take us a little while and this is what we've talked about in terms of benefits and salaries and schedules and all of that. And it might take a little while for staff to prepare some things for us if we wanted to schedule a work session on that. I certainly would appreciate that topic. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 65 Atkins/Is it worthwhile scheduling a work session on the concept, on the idea, of developing a list of major sort of like policy discussion issues? Champion/Well, I think--- Atkins/Well, I mean, particularly since there are two new Council members. You've already tonight suggested a couple of things--that well, that's the way we used to do it. Vanderhoef/Well, I know the traffic calming is one of the things that the two new people have not talked about. So, at least a review of some of those kinds of policies. Would it be helpful to you, Regenia and Bob? Bailey/Learning more about what I'm doing, yes (can't hear) (Laughter) Vanderhoef/Well, and certainly policies do change, depending on the members that are sitting on Council. So, if we need to reaffirm or change depending on the political view of the Council at this point, I think that would be worthwhile to have that list and thumb through them. Lehman/It's a pleasure, guys. Elliott/I think we're talking about policies on what? Lehman/Well, no, no, I think and Dee is saying, I think, you know, basically a work session, a special work session where we discuss numbers of policy things, whatever. Atkins/Mm-hmm. And possibly even add to the list. Lehman/Well, no, and I think the (can't hear) ongoing conversation is definitely something that we're going to want to take up. Elliott/I would be very supportive of that. Lehman/But how do we want to do this? Vanderhoef/I'd be happy to have a half-day kind of session to look at it and if we need another one, fine. Lehman/Well, what do we need to do from a public notice standpoint as to what we're going to- -we have a work session for a half day. Are we going to be limited in what we're going to discuss? I mean, I think we have to tell folks what we're going to talk about. Dilkes/Well, you do have to tell folks what you're going to talk about. If the topic is discussion about setting future work session priorities, then I think that's notice that you're going to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 66 be talking about--- Lehman/Anything. Dilkes/...what, no, well, that you're going to be talking about which of the topics you want to talk about in more depth down the road. Lehman/How much depth can you talk about them before you decide that you don't want to put them on a work session or you do? O'Donnell/Not very deep. Dilkes/Well, I think--- Vanderhoef/How about listed as policy review? Dilkes/It sounds to me like we're talking about two different things here. Steve mentioned maybe you need to have a work session to talk about which of these items on Bob's list and which of the ones that others of you might add, that all of you or at least three or four of you want to talk about in greater depth. That's one thing. And then, Dee, your policy review sounds different than that, so--- Vanderhoef/Well, I think what Steve is talking about we can start it with what we're talking about right now because it's on the agenda. We've got some things on Bob's list. I just wanted to add the compensation package--- Elliott/Right. Dilkes/Mm-hmm. Vanderhoef/...as something on the list and the keep that list and then if we want to choose off of that list to put together. But the other meeting that I was talking about was would it be helpful to have a policy review for our new people and run through several of those so that if we need more in-depth conversation about them that then they get added to the list. Dilkes/I think if your intention is to talk about specific policies, those specific policies should be on the agenda. Champion/I have an idea. Why doesn't everybody take Bob's list, add to it what you want, so we can pass it out at the next work session, and everybody can rank them. And then if something has four votes, we can do--we don't need a work session to discuss what we're going to discuss. I mean, for crying out loud. (Laughter) Lehman/That's a good point. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 67 Champion/Then we can do a work session. If you have something to add to this list, add it. Give it to Marian and she'll get all of us a copy and if you guys want to add something, you can add something. Atkins/I was going to say would you mind if we do because I, you know, sometimes I sense some differences of opinion. OK. No, I say that's fine with me. O'Donnell/We're not going to talk about computers. Champion/And then we can rank them and those that have four votes, we'll discuss. Karr/We'll put them in a priority list. Champion/I'm not coming to a work session to discuss what we're going to discuss. Bailey/Well, and for me, I think I have to, I mean I can see a list and, but ! kind of have to know what are the decision points, or what are the concurrence points that we should be approaching on an issue. We're not just getting together to brainstorm. So, I think that that would help me sort of give some direction about what it is that we're deciding or meeting about. I mean--- Wilburn/Ifl can follow up on that, too, I mean, a specific example of more need, you've got law enforcement priorities and police staffing. What is it about which priority? What is it about staffing? I mean, are you talking about, you have been talking about trying to figure out how to increase staff but I don't know if that's what it says here, and put it in context. Bailey/Right. Wilburn/Again, this is me. My impression of Bob saying sooner rather than later in terms of staffing, but you know--- Elliott/That's what I, I just, Ross, I was, if four or five or six or seven people wanted to talk about that, then that would indicate that either Ernie or Emie and some other people or Steve and--- Wilbunf I understand but--- Elliott/...need to sit down and put together an agenda, what do we want to address, what do we want to accomplish, who do we want to be there, what questions will be, that sort of thing. Wilburn/But kind of what Regenia was saying, I'm making an assumption that we're, that there may be some, there's not enough detail in here just to say what is it about these--in other words, ifI want to have a conversation with, rather than putting down Parks and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 68 Recreation policies, it would be more helpful to decide whether or not I put down Master Funding Master Plan. Or increasing recreation alternatives. Or limiting the--I mean, there's just--- Elliott/No, as I said, you'd want to put together before you do it. Lehman/No, but I think the issue is you need to be a little more explicit--- Elliott/Mm-hmm. Lehman/...in (can't hear) issues. Wilburn/Not an agenda but just what are the--- Bailey/ What are we going to be talking about in regard to, I mean, sure, I'd be more than happy to talk about this, but what is it that we'll be talking about? Elliott/My question was does the question draw interest to you and if so, then let's decide what part of it you want to talk about. If you say, I'm not interested in sitting down and talking about police--- Bailey/ No. Champion/No. Lehman/Tell you what part of--- Bailey/ But this is your list. That's why I want to hear what you want to talk about it. Elliott/If you want me to, I'll be happy to but-~- Bailey/Right. Elliott/But I thought you might say, I'm not interested in that subject. Let's go on to the next one. Wilburn/There's not enough to say whether I'm interested or not. Bailey/Right. Vanderhoef/Yeah. O'Donnell/You know, one thing I am interested in is we've got the question on zoning downtown, and you know, I believe that was Starbuck's, you know, like the zoning that was sent in was made for a drive-thru and a vestibule in there and you know that stuff that can be cleaned up and make it easier for the next person coming. If we can take that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 69 as an example and go in and make some change--- Lehman/We do that. Champion/We do. O'Donnell/Have we done that? Lehman/Yes. Champion/Mm-hmm. O'Donnell/We have done that? Well, then forget what I said. (Laughter) Bailey/We've constantly changed the zoning--- O'Donnell/But see prior to that we had a couple other people that were turned down for the Lehman/They got a special exception or something. O'Donnell/But they had to go through more. That's what I'm saying. Lehman/We're pretty accommodating. We did that for the street restaurant on the east side of town. We did that for Mercy Hospital. O'Donnell/Don't get defensive. I'm sorry. (Laughter) Lehman/I think we're trying to be accommodating as much as we can. Champion/And ~vhen the problem reappears and reappears, then it's time to do something. Bailey/Then we catch on. Lehman/So, Connie's suggestion--- Elliott/Yes, let's do it. Lehman/...that we get specifics by next work session, pass them out, and then we'll look at them and decide which ones we would like to address at a special work session. O'Donnell/Great. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 70 Lehman/And anything is on the table but I think it needs to be--the more specific it is the better the chance of getting some sort of meaningful discussions. Broad topics are going to be tough. Bailey/I value my time and I want to know how we're going to spend the discussion time. So, that's--- Lehman/ We need to set evaluations of our three employees. Now that in the last three or four years, we have done in a half day starting at 8:30 in the morning, and we've been able to Champion/No, 8:00. Lehman/You didn't wake up until 9:00, but we were here. So we need to pick a date that all of us can be here and I--well, no we can be looking at--I think it would be nice to schedule it before the 20th of May but I think it should be at some point close to that timeframe. Champion/I can come any Wednesday or Thursday morning. I can probably come any Tuesday morning. Lehman/Are there days that absolutely are not good for some people? Vanderhoef/What week are you talking about? Bailey/Throw out a ~veek. Lehman/Pardon? Bailey/Throw out a week. Lehman/Oh, well--- Karr/How about the 1 lth or 12th? That's an offweek. Lehman/The week of May the 10th. Champion/Perfect. Elliott/Any day. Wilburn/I will be in Chicago on the 1 lth and 12th. Champion/What about the 10th? What day of the week is that? Bailey/That is a Monday. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 71 Vanderhoef/I am out 10, 11, 12, but I can come 13 or 14. Lehman/How about the 13th? That's a Thursday. O'Dormell/Good. Wilburn/I'll be in Chicago. Lehman/Oh, you said you're gone the 13th, too? Wilburn/Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Elliott/How about the I4th? Lehman/14th. Champion/What day of the week is that? Bailey/Friday. Wilburn/I have an ICAD meeting at 7:30 until 9:00. I could after that. Lehman/You could get out at 8:30. I'll talk to Ray Zoe. We'll get you a written excuse. Bailey/Can you on Friday? Champion/Yeah, I think so. What was the date Friday? Lelunan/14th of May. Champion/Yeah. Morning we're talking about? Lehman/8:30. Champion/Yeah. O'Donnell/OK. Lehman/Will it be 8:30? Vanderhoef/You can make it, Ross? Wilburn/As long as Emie gives me the note from the teacher. (Laughter) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004. April 5, 2004 Council Work Session Page 72 Atkins/So May the 14th, that morning, for evaluations? Lehman/Yes. Champion/8:30, Michael. Lehman/8:30. O'Donnell/I don't have any trouble with 8:30. I don't like this 7:30 nonsense. Champion/I love it. Lehman/We'll make it at 8:00 o'clock, we'd all love it. Elliott/Is that here? Wilburn/I can't make it at 8:00. Lehman/Actually, we--do we start out as a special meeting, and then it recesses to executive session. Those are private in the (can't hear). Anything else? We're out of hem. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session April 5, 2004.