HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-05-07 AgendaSubject to change as finalized by the City Clerk. For a final official copy, contact the City Clerk's Office, 356-5040.
AGENDA
CITY OF IOWA CITY
CITY CO[JNClL REGULAR MEETIN6
May 7, 1996 ~ 7:30 p.~.
Civi~ Cen~er
CALL TO ORDER,
ROLL CALL.
ITEM NO. '1
ITEM NO. 2
MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
a. CancerSurvivors'Day-May11,1996. ~
b. School Board Recognition Week - May 12-18, 1996.
c. Historic Preservation Week- May 12-18, 1996.
d. B-BoPS Week- May 13-18, 1996.
e. Senior Center Week- May 13-19, 1996.
ITEM NO, 3
ITEM NO. 4
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS,
a. Outstanding Student Citizen Awards
(1) Irving B. Weber Elementary School
(a) Shaquaita Ejiasi
(b) Aaron Zahradnek
(c) Holly Kavalier
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED
OR AMENDED.
Approval of Official Council Actions of the regular meeting of Apd123, 1996,
and the special meeting of May 1, 1996, as published, subject to
corrections, as racommended by the City Clerk.
#2a page
ITEM NO. 2a MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
Cancer Survivors' Day - May ll, 1996.
Nov/ We do not have someone here to accept that one and that is-
Karr/ Yes, we do. We have someone for all of them but d. (as in
David). We do not have d. We have someone for everyone else.
Nov/
Oh, sorry, my mistake. Anyway-
(Reads Cancer Survivor's Day Proclamation). Do we have someone
here to accept this?
Erie
Leichty/ Cancer Survivor's Day is a day when cancer patients
and their families nationwide celebrate the gift of life. The
Iowa City/ Coralville celebration will be held this Saturday
from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Mercy Hospital Medical Plaza with
speakers and music and, of course, food and you are welcome to
Join us in that celebration. Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you.
This represents only a re~sonabI¥ accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#2b page
ITEM NO. 2b MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
School Board Recognition Week - May 12-18, 1996.
Nov/ Our next proclamation is School Board Recognition Week and we
have school board members here to accept the proclamation.
(Reads School Board Recognition Week Proclamation).
LaDonna Wicklund/ President of the Regina Elementary Education
Center. I would like to thank the city council for recognizing
the important work that school boards do in the educational
mission. We have 12 school board members at Regina. These are
volunteers as you said. They are either appointed or elected
in their parishes and these people spend many hours working on
policies for the school and in general giving support and it
is very nice that you have acknowledge the work that is done.
Thank you very much.
Nov/ You are welcome and thank you for all the work you do.
A1 Leff/ President of the Iowa City Community School District and
with me is Ernie Galer, one of the board members. We, too,
would like to thank you for taking this time to recognize us.
I must say that it was Naomi's call that first informed me
that next week is National School Board Week and I am please
to say that we will not extend your meeting any further.
Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription oftholowo Ci~ council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#2c page
ITEM N0. 2c MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
Historic Preservation Week - May 12-18, 1996.
Nov/ (Reads Historic Preservation Week Proclamation). We have Betty
Kelly from Historic Preservation Commission.
Betty Kelly/ As a member of the Iowa City HP Commission I would
like to thank the Commission for their support during the year
and also to extend to the personal invitation to the board
members as well as the citizens of Iowa City to attend our
presentation on Wednesday, May 15 on the third floor of the
Johnson County Court House. At 4:30 will be our reception and
5:15 will be our program. We hope you will come. Thank you.
'l'hls represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Clty council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#2e page 1
ITEM NO. 2e MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
Senior Center Week - May 13-19, 1996.
Nov/ (Reads Senior Center Week Proclamation). Do we have someone
here? Thank you.
Philip Zell/ On behalf of the Senior Center Commission, volunteers,
staff and all who participate in Center activities, I thank
you very much, you, the council, and the people of Iowa City
for your ongoing support and look forward to that support as
we undergo major changes at the Center this year. Thank you
very much.
Thisrepresents only areasonably eccuratetrens~lptlon ofthelowa CI~ council meeting of May7,1996.
F050796
#3 page
ITEM
NO. 3 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
Outstanding Student Citizen Awards
Irving B. Weber Elementary School
Shaquaita Ejiasis
Aaron Zahradnek
Holly Kavalief
Nov/
Now we have special presentations for outstanding student
citizens from Irving Weber Elementary School. Would three of
you please come forward. Our first student who is going to
read her contributions as a good student citizen is Shaquaita
Ejiasis. Okay.
Shaquaita Ejiasis/ I am 12 years old and in 6th grade at Weber
Elementary. I love my mom and my dad and my two sisters and my
one brother. I like to play kick ball and tether ball. Last
summer I went to the Youth Leadership Camp. We learned how to
become a good friend to others and how to become a good leader
and a good model to others. This summer, this year we have
been working to continue working on our skill and I will go to
camp again this summer. At my school I am on the safety patrol
and student council. I like to help others who need help. I
also work with the Neighborhood Center. We do recycling for
the neighborhoods and we also do fund raising to help them to
help the Neighborhood Center. I hope that some day I will be
able to work with children to help them become a good citizen
and good models for their neighborhood.
Nov/
Congratulations. I am going to read this one, the Citizenship
Award. They all say the same thing except for the student's
name. "For her outstanding qualities of leadership with Irving
B. Weber Elementary School and for her sense of responsibility
and helpfulness to others, we recognize Shaquaita Ejiasis as
an outstanding student citizen. Your community is proud of
you. This is presented by the Iowa City city council and is
signed by the mayor on May 7, 1996." Congratulations. Next we
have Aaron Zahradnek.
Aaron Zahradnek/ Hello. My name is Aaron Zahradnek and I go to
Weber Elementary. Some of the extra things I do at school is
safety patrol, conflict manager and student council. Now I am
going to tell you a little about what I do on those things. On
safety patrol I have done four different posts. Those are
5th/6th grade; 3rd/4th grade; flag and Kindergarten and lots
of them are hard. I volunteered to do 5th/6th grade because
not a lot of people wanted to. And I traded a post with
someone who didn't want to do the Kindergarten post. When I am
Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetranscrtptlon ofthelowa City coun~l meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#3 page 2
not on post I volunteer to sub for absent people. On conflict
manager I have just finished new conflict managers. The ones
that I help train are going to take the place for 6th graders
that are leaving. On student council I have helped plan some
of the fun days for our school. When I get home from school I
feed my dog and water him. In the summer I help mow my
grandpa's lawn for him.
Nov/ Very good. Congratulations, Aaron. Our next student award
winner is Holly Kavalief.
Holly KaYalier/ My name is Holly KaYalier. I am a 6th grader at
Weber Elementary. To help my school I work at the school store
that allows the students to get supplies they need (can't
hear). In my community I recycle and help with or attend
community projects.
Nov/ Congratulations, Holly.
Thlsrepresentsonl¥ a reasonably accurate ~anscrlp~onofthelowa Clty coun~lmee~ng of May 7,1996,
F050796
Page
b. Minutes of Boards and Commissions.
(1) Housing and Community Development Commission - March 13, 1996.
(2) Housing and Community Development Commission - March 14, 1996.
(3) Housing and Community Development Commission - April 4, 1996.
(.~') Recommel~dations to Council: The Commission, by a vote of 4-0-1
(Eastham abstaining) recommended approval of the reallocation of
$100,000 in FY96 HOME funds to Robert Bums and Greater
Iowa City Housing Fellowship for a 16 unit affordable rental
housing project in Walden Ridge Part 4. (See Item 8)
~.~') The Commission recommended, by a vote of 5-0, to use $22,672 of
~./unprogrammed funds to carry out additional planning and research
'activifies for the HOME and CDBG programs.
(4) Parks and Recreation Commission -Apd110, 1996.
(5) Housing and Community Development Commission - Apd116, 1996.
(6) Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission -April 18, 1996.
c. Setting Public Hearings.
(1)
CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON
MAY 21, 1996, TO DISCUSS AMENDMENTS TO THE
FY96 ACTION PLAN BUDGET THAT IS A PART OF
THE ClTY'S CONSOLIDATED PLAN (CITY STEPS)
Comment: Budget amendments to the FY96 Action Plan have been
approved by the City Council on a project-by-project basis. A final
version of the total FY96 Action Plan budget needs to be approved
and foP;~arded to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
(2)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING
FOR MAY 21, 1996, ON PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM
OF CONTRACT AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR
CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABBEY LANE SANITARY SEWER
AND KIWANIS PARK STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH NOTICE
OF SAID HEARING, DIRECTING THE CITY ENGINEER TO
PLACE SAID PLANS ON FILE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION.
Comment: This project consists of installing a sanitary trunk sewer
through the proposed Kiwanis Park and along part of Abbey Lane. It
will also include repair work at hvo adjoining stormwater detention
basins. The total estimated construction cost of $250,000 will be
funded by General Obligation and Revenue bonds·
May 7, 1996
Page 3
Resolutions.
(1)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO
SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST THE RELEASE OF A
LIEN REGARDING A RENTAL REHABILITATION LOAN FOR
PROPERTY LOCATED AT 942 IOWA AVENUE, IOWA CITY,
IOWA,
Comment: The owner of the property located at 942 Iowa Avenue
received a $26,100 ban through the City's Rental Rehabilitation
Program on October 11, 1985. Financing was in the form of a 10-
year no-interest Declining Balance Loan. The terms of this loan were
satisfied April 11, 1996; thus, the lien can now be released.
(2)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO
SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST THE RELEASE OF A
UTILITY AND DRAINAGE EASEMENT LOCATED ON LOT 7,
B.D.I. SECOND ADDITION, LOT 9 B.D.I. FIFTH ADDITION,
AND AUDITOR'S PARCEL B OF THE PLAT OF SURVEY
RECORDED IN BOOK 34, PAGE 207, AT THE JOHNSON
COUNTY RECORDER'S OFFICE, AND TO APPROVE AND
EXECUTE A SUBSTITUTED UTILITY AND DRAINAGE
EASEMENT AGREEMENT'FOR THE SAME PROPERTY.
Comment: The City currently possesses a 20' utility and drainage
easement on Lot 7, B.D.I. Second Addition Iowa, Lot 9 B.D.I. Fifth
Addition, and the Auditor's Parcel B of the Plat of Survey Recorded in
Book 34, Page 207, at the Johnson County Recorder's Office. The
owner of the subject property, Blooming Praide Warehouse, Inc.,
wishes to expand the warehouse building on the property, and the
expansion includes building over the current easement area. As the
current easement area does not contain any utilities, Pub!ic Works
has recommended the release of the existing, unused utility and
drainage easement and has recommended the execution of a
substituted util~ and drainage easement agreement to conform to
the newly expanded construction. This resolution authorizes release
of the existing, unused utility and drainage easement and authorizes
the execution of the substituted utility and drainage easement
agreement for this property.
May 7, 1996
¢ffY OF .~OW4 ~ITY
Pa~e 4
(3)
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO
SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST THE RELEASE OF A
WATER MAIN EASEMENT LOCATED ALONG ST. ,JOHN'S ALLEY
IN BLOCK 'I OF ST. MATTHIA$ SECOND ADDITION, IOWA CITY,
IOWA.
Comment: The City currently possesses a water main easement
along the vacated St. John's Alley in Block 1 of St. Matthias Second
Addition, Iowa City, Iowa. The watermain is no longer in use and
plans for further development of the Robert's Hometown Dairy site
call for a building to be placed over the easement. Public Works has
recommended releasing the existing easement as it no longer serves
public use and it will accommoriate the proposed building
modifications at Robert's Hometown Dairy. This resolution authorizes
the execution of a release of the existing water main easement on the
subject property.
(4) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE BY-LAWS
~,-~ /~.~ OF THE IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
Comment: The amendment to Article XI, Section I was approved by
the City Council Rules Committee at its April 17, 1996, meeting.
e. Correspondence.
(1) Cecile Kuenzli regarding 1002 College Street.
(2) Marva Abel regarding back-billing.
(3) Phil Phillips regarding back-billing.
(4) Sandra and Mark Mueller regarding refuse and recycling charges.
(5)
Mary Lewis, President of Grant Wood Neighborhood Assoc'ution,
regarding tree and shrub planting in Whispering Meadows Wetlands
Parks.
(6) Don Sehr, Johnson County Board of Supervisors, regarding Johnson
~/bc~.~unty/Iowa City Fringe Area Policy Agreement. /"Y/.~3 ~.4~r/~DC~).
(7) John Castle, Corp of Engineers, regarding Veteran s Trail dedication.
(8) Erin McAlpin regarding International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.
(previously distributed)
(9) Molly Stamy regard!ng Legislative Forum. (previously distributed)
May 7, 1996
Page 5
(10) Memoranda from the Civil Service Commission submitting certified
lists of applicants for the following positions:
(a) Buyer I - Equipment
(b) Human Rights Investigator
f. Appl!cations for Use of City Plaza.
(1) Anthony Weller for KCJJ Radio broadcast promoting Popcorn
Wagon - May 3, 1996. (approved)
(2) Steve Kouzouna{; for Monkey Rescue Fund - May 4, 1996.
(approved)
g. Appllcations for Use of City Streets.
Grace Tdfano for March for the Animals in Labs - April 24, 1996.
(approved)
(2) Donna Palmer for Cinco de Mayo Fiesta - April 28, 1996. (approved)
(3) Opal Kennard for American Legion Auxiliary ChopeldOtt Unit #17 -
May 17 & 18, 1996. (approved)
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR.
ITEM NO. $ PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA),
May 7, 1996
ITEM NO, 6
PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
Consider a motion setting a public headng for May 21 on an ordinance
amending the Zoning Chapter by rezoning a 1.79 acre tract from CC2,
Community Commercial to OSA/CC2, Sensitive Areas Overlay/Community
Commercial Zone and approval of a preliminary Sensitive Areas
Development Plan for property located at the intersection of Sturgis Comer
Drive and Highway 6. (REZ96-0008) L/~.,.~/j~.~.)
Comment: At its April 18 meeting, by a vote of 6-0, the Planning and
Zoning Commission racommended approval of the proposed Sensitive
Areas Development Plan and Rezoning. The
recommendation is consistent with staff recommendation.
Action: K/~.-~.//~
Commission's
b. Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter to change the use
regulations of a 3.09 acre tract from RS-5, Low Density Single-Family
Residential, to OPDH-5, Planned Development Housing Overlay, and
approval of a preliminary OPDH plan for property located on the north side
of Village Road. (REZ96-0004) (First consideration)/,.,)//~ (~/~.~/
Comment: At its March 21 meeting, by a vote of~he~PPlanning and
Zoning Commission recommended approval of the proposed rezoning and
preliminary OPDH plan. The Commission's recommendation is consistent
with the staff recommendation cited in the staff report dated February 15.
No comments were received at the April 23 public hearing on this item.
c. Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter to change the use
regulations of a 1.88 acre tract from RR-1, Rural Residential, to RS-5, Low
Density Single-Family Residential for property located at 3263 Rohret
Road. (REZ96-0003) (Second consideration) ~
Comment: At its March 7 meeting, by a vote of 6-0, the Planning and
Zoning Commission recommended approval of the requested rezoning.
The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the staff
recommendation cited in the report dated February 15. No comments
were received at the Apdl 9 public headng. Applicant previously requested
expedited consideration.
May 7, 1996
CITY OF IOW~ ~:ITY
Page 7
do
ee
Consider a resolution approving a preliminary and final plat of Broken
Arrow Estates, a 1.88 acre, 3-lot, residential subdivision located at 3263
Rohret Road. (SUB96-0004)
Comment: At its March 7 meeting by a vote of 6-0, the Planning and
Zoning Commission recommended approval of the preliminary and final
plat of Broken Arrow Estates, subject to City Affomey approval of the legal
papers prior to Council consideration of the final plat. This
recommendation is consistent with the staff recommendation cited in the
staff report dated February 15. It is anticipated that the legal papers will be
approved by May 7, and the plat will be ready for Council approval if
Council chooses to expedite consideration and approves the rezoning for
this tract, as requested by the applicant for "item c" above.
Consider a resolution approving a final plat for Newport Ridge
Subdivision, a 25.3 acre, 9-1or subdivision located on the north side of
Newport Road in Johnson County. (SUB96-0009)
Comment: The Planning and Zoning Commission will consider this item at
its May 2 meeting. The Commission's recommendation should be
available at the May 7 Council meeting. In a letter dated April 12, the
applicant requested expedited consideration of this final plat. The final plat
is in compliance with the City's requirements and the fringe area
agreement. The legal papers, construction plans, and grading plan have
been approved by the City. In a staff report dated May 2, staff
recommended approval of the final plat.
/
#6e page
ITEM NO. 6e. Consider a resolution approving a final plat for
Newport Ridge Subdivision, a 25.3 acre, 9-1or subdivision located
on the north side of Newport Road in Johnson County. (SUB96-0009)
Nov/ Moved by Norton, seconded by Thornberry. Karin, do you want to
report on the May 2 meeting of P/Z commission?
Franklin/ The commission recommended approval, 6-0.
Nov/ Thank you. Any further discussion by city council? Roll call-
(yes). Okay. This resolution has been approved.
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurate transcHptlon ofthalowe City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
May 7, _/_996
CITY OF
Page 8
ITEM NO. 7
Consider a letter of recommendation to the Johnson County Board of
Supervisors regarding an application requesting zoning of 20.3 acres from
County RMH, Manufactured Housing, to County M1, Light Industrial, for
property located on the west side of Riverside Drive south of Colonial
Bowling Lanes.
Comment: At its April 18 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission,
by a vote of 6-0, recommended that the City Council send a letter to the
County reconlmending that a proposed rezoning be denied as it is
inconsistent with the mutually-agreed upon Iowa City/Johnson County
Fringe Area Agreement and industrial zoning is incompatible with the
residential zoning previously approved by the County in this vicinity. The
Commission suggested that a planned commercial zone would be more
appropriate for this tract. The Commission's recommendation is consistent
with the staff recommendation contained in a staff memorandum dated
Apd118.
Action:
AMENDING THE FINANCES, TAXATION AND FEES CHAPTER OF THE
CITY CODE BY AMENDING TITLE 3, CHAPTER 4, SUBSECTION 6,
ENTITLED "PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION," TO INCREASE THE FARE FOR
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
Comment: The federal government has reduced the supplemental operating
assistance available to Iowa City Transit. As a result, fares must be
increased to avoid operating at a deficit. This ordinance change is
anticipated to generate an additional $186,000 annually. A memorandum
from staff is included in Council packet.
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Action:
b. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVING (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
#7b page 1
ITEM NO.7 AMENDING THE FINANCES, TAXATION AND FEES CHAPTER OF THE
CITY CODE BY AMENDING TITLE 3, CHAPTER 4, SUBSECTION 6, ENTITLED
"PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION," TO INCREASE THE FARE FOR PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.
bo CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE APPROVING (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Nov/ Moved by Lehman, seconded by Thornberry. Council discussion.
Lehman/ I just point out it says, "As a result, fares must be
increased to avoid operating at a deficit." We will still be
operating at a very definite deficit. So, the increase in
fares will perhaps reduce the deficit but there will still be
a significant deficit.
Baker/ And for the sake of the public's information, when is this
to take affect?
Kubby/ July 1.
Nov/ July 1. Okay.
Kubby/ And the other thing that wasn't specifically mentioned was
that the monthly pass will go from $18 to $25 and this council
had previously said that we would talk about a low income
discount for that pass but we haven't got back to that
conversation and I am assuming that that will be finalized
before July 1.
Nov/ We are at least considering before July 1.
Baker/ And along the same lines. I disagree with the $25 charge but
I will support this. I just want to let people know that I
think that is too high for the monthly pass. I had advocated
$22 and other people- Well, there were different ranges but I
understand the necessity of the $.75 fare for sure. But a
different question along the lines of other things that we
talked about. I mean, in that discussion at those meetings we
also talked about ramp and meter rates and that discussion
somehow disappeared. Is that still coming back to us or what
is the staff's understanding of what we had requested them to
look at and bring forward to us?
Arkins/ Transit, not ramps and meters. Now ramps and meters had
been my understanding. We pretty well set that aside.
Kubby/ I would like to re-visit that. I am not sure that that was-
Thlsrepresants only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthe Iowa CI~ council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#7b page 2
Baker/ July 1. I thought that we had discussed and there was-
Norton/ Part of the tradeoff kind of, wasn't it?
Baker/ Well, yeah, it was an additional source of potential revenue
and it was also the fact that parking rates have some
correlation to transit ridership and things like that and we
had talked about either extending the metered areas or k'aising
the rates of certain metered area and one of my favorite
before I die projects is the Dubuque Street Ramp which is
woefully undercharged. So we will talk about that and-
Arkins/ If that is your desire we will bring it back the same time
we bring back the other matter.
Norton/ As part of our consideration, yeah. Outlying places, ramps.
Baker/ That would be my wish.
Lehman/ I think that is accurate.
Nov/ I think I see four heads nodding so we will get it discussed
once more.
Baker/ Okay. Thank you.
Kubby/ But the other things that are important to note are that the
elderly fare will not change from $.25 and the low income
elderly and the non-peak- The non-peak hours, low income
elderly and non-peak fare for people with disabilities will
remain free. We want to encourage people with disabilities to
have the option of using fixed routes, to use fixed route and
the incentive is it is no cost versus $1.50 on SEATS. So if
you can get to a fixed route bus stop, that is a great thing.
It saves you money and it saves the community money, too. It
is much more expensive for us even with you paying a full
fare, the $1.50, on SEATS. It costs us much more to provide
that ride than the fixed routes at a zero cost to you. So, if
you can get to a fixed route, please do so.
Nov/ Okay, any further discussion? Roll call- (yes).
This represents only 8 reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
1=050796
May 7, 1996
Page 9
ITEM NO. 8
ITEM NO. 9
$100,000 IN FY96 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)
AND $100,000 IN FY96 HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP (HOME)
FUNDS FOR ROBERT BURNS AND GREATER IOWA CITY HOUSING
FELLOWSHIP FOR LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
Comment: These funds had previously been allocated to the Bums\GICHF
Partnership for an affordable rental housing project on Old Dubuque Road. A
new affordable rental housing proposal has been submitted for 16 lots in
Walden Ridge Part 4. At their April 4, 1996, meeting, the Housing and
Community Development Commission recommended the reallocation of FY96
CDBG and HOME funds for the proposed project. The public hearing is
continued from April 23. See staff memo.
a. PUBLIC HEARING ~__.~
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING
Action:
AMENDING THE FY96 OPERATING BUDGET
Comment: The public hearing is held to receive public comment for or against
the proposed FY96 budget amendment. The amendment includes both the
Operating and Capital Project budgets for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996.
State legislation mandates municipalities amend their annual budget by
May 31.
,,.~,,IN~
a. PUBLIC """~'
Action:
%- 175
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
#Sa page 1
ITEM NO. 8 $100,000 IN FY96 COMICUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) AND $100,000 IN FY96 HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP (HOME)
FUNDS FOR ROBERT BURNS AND GREATER IOWA CITY HOUSING FELLOWSHIP FOR
LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
ao PUBLIC HEARING
Nov/ I declare the p.h. is now open.
Charles Eastham/ President of the GICHF. Bob Burns had some
previous commitments and couldn't be present tonight. I have
some brief comments to describe the project again and some
overheads. (Sets up overhead projector). As is shown on the
overhead, this development will be owned as a 50/50
partnership between the GICHF and Bob Burns. This is a joint
venture which the Housing Fellowship and Mr. Burns agreed to
beginning in 1993. Mr. Burns will be responsible for
development of the project and the Housing Fellowship
responsibilities are to manage the project after it is
completed. We are requesting funds in the form of a loan from
the City of Iowa City. All of these funds will be repaid. No
portion of the requested funds are in the form of forgivable
loan. The funds are, as indicated in the resolution, from city
allocated federal dollars, $100,000 from the HOME program and
$100,000 from CDBG program, whose funds will be combined with
a state loan of $399,984 and a private loan from a local bank
of $422,963. The project we will build, 16 townhouses. These
are newly constructed units and the construction will be
publicly bid. We will build eight two bedrooms units of about
1,375 square feet and eight three bedroom units of 1,462
square feet. All the units ate three stories. Each floor
between 445 and 562 square feet of livable space. There will
be 1 3/4 baths in each unit with washer and dryer hookups,
high efficiency gas heating units, central air conditioning,
two parking spaces per unit. The units are located close to a
bus line as well as a grocery store and they are in the Weber
attendance area. The rents will be at the fair market level.
Two bedroom rents are $457 per month plus utilities; three
bedroom, $639 per month plus utilities. These rents, you might
note, are significantly below existing rents of comparable
units in the same location. Two bedroom rents, we are
proposing, are $163 per month less than comparable unit rents
and the three bedroom units are $96 per month less than
comparable units in the same area. Funds are requested in a-
I am sorry, the period of affordability for this project is 20
years as required by the HOME program. The terms of the loan
are the same length of time. Also the Housing Fellowship will
have the first right of refusal to refinance or to sell the
Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowo Ciw council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#8a page 2
project after 20 years. We, of course, anticipate re-financing
a project to maintain ownership and affordability after the 20
year required period allowed. The average cost per unit is
$63,934. This compares to existing comparable units in the
market now one of which is for sale at $69,900. As well, there
are three recent sales of the same kind of units in the same
location that we are above on this proposed average cost. The
annual income guidelines, shown on the next- And without going
into detail on this table, we just wanted to make the point
that these units will be eligible for rental to households who
have incomes in upwards of $30,000 and then on down. We would
urge the council to prove allocation of local funds for this
project at this time so we could proceed with finalizing our
contract with the city and with the state and letting or
bidding the construction contract and starting construction
immediately. Thank you.
K~bby/ Charlie, in the minutes from the HCD Commission, Bob had
indicated that slightly less than 50% of the units that are
already out there are owner occupied and that helped me
respond to some neighbors who said that it is mostly student
housing, students who are unrelated. That it is not really
families that are going to school that are living there but
unrelated people who are going to school and that it wasn't a
very good place to put families. So this number helped me know
that it was a very mixed area and then I got a call today
saying that when they called down there that this number that
they got today was not the same number that Bob had. Do you
have any kind of updated information of know anything about
that?
Eastham/ I talked to Bob this afternoon and he did try to contact
the relevant owners and managers in that complex and wasn't
successful in obtaining the exact numbers for the mix of owner
and rental occupied units that exist in this area now. It is
my understanding that there is a mix of rental and owner
occupied units there and when I have driven through the area,
I see both the- I see a number of small kids out which
probably from households.
Kubby/ Thank you very much.
Norton/ Charlie, where are they going to get the open space? I
noticed that there is playground equipment and sand piles and
one thing or another in the locationwhere the structures are
to go and some conm]ent was made that there would be. Where is
the open space?
Thisrepresents only ereasonsbly accurate transcription ofthelowa City coundl meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#Sa page 3
Eastham/ Dee, I am not- I don't know exactly where that playground
equipment will be relocated to. It is my understanding though
that the association manager has indicated they will relocate
it.
Kubby/ There is open space on the end of the cul de sac or if that
is what you would call it, at the end of Shady Glen. It is
just a field. I don't know if that is the space or not.
Eastham/ I am not sure. If that is important to you we can obtain-
Norton/ You know, it is pretty tight quarters in that region under
this proposal as under any alternative. That is why I am just
looking for some room for parking or for open space fairly
close there. I would just hope that that can be considered.
Eastham/ Well, we will meet the parking requirements.
Norton/ Yeah, I am sure.
Franklin/ There is just to the west of this development a high
pressure gas line easement that is something like 300 feet
wide or 150. It is a significant width that will always be
open space. That is also an area where we will connect a trail
that is going to be on the north side of Willow Creek with a
trail that goes up toward Rohret Road.
Kubby/ So it will cross the creek there.
Franklin/ That is the plan.
Kubby/ It gives you a way to get to the school as well.
Franklin/ Yes.
Nov/ Is there anyone else who would like to speak on this issue?
Karr/ Could we have a motion to accept correspondence?
Nov/
Moved by Kubby, seconded by Thornberry that we accept
correspondence. All in favor please say aye- (ayes). Motion
carries. Okay, the p.ho is closed.
Thisrepresents only a reasonably eccur~etranscHptlon ofthelowa CIw coun~l meeting ~ May 7,1996.
F050796
#Sb page 1
ITEM NO. 8 $100,000 IN FY96 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) AND $100,000 IN FY96 NOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP (NOME)
FUNDS FOR ROBERT BURNSAND GREATER IOWA CITY NOUSING FELLOWSHIP FOR
LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTNORIZING AND APPROVING
Nov/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Norton. Discussion.
Thornberry/ I am not going to vote for this project and the reason
that I am not going to vote for this project is I have
previously stated and hold this belief to be true that Iowa
City has more than our share of untaxed properties. Half of
this project will be untaxed. In other words, not property
taxes paid on the property and I firmly believe that the more
programs and funding that the government provides the more
dependent people will become on the government and this is- I
am just philosophically against this. So I will not vote for
additional welfare state money.
Steve Nasby/ Excuse me, I just want to clarify one thing. We did
make an amended resolution from what we discussed last night
and we added just a line that said you were approving the
resolution subject to IDED approval which is what we talked
about last night. We just added that in the resolution.
Kubby/ Did we hear anything? I know we don't have anything in
writing but did we hear anything about their comments?
Nasby/ IDED looked at it and they said it looks pretty good and
they are leaning towards funding it pending the resolution,
some minor issues.
Kubby/ And they weren't concerned about the bathroom, the extra
benefit?
Nasby/ They weren't. The particular reviewers that reviewed it
today were not particularly concerned about (can't hear) cost.
Kubby/ I think that's really important after thinking about it some
more that the 3/4 bath remain in the basement because all the
other units in that complex have that 3/4 bath and I don't
really want the units to be any less in terms of quality of
life for the tenants that will be part of the Fellowships
program or the resale value in the way future for the parties
that own the property. So I'm glad to here that.
Thornberry/ And I think every apartment needs at least two
Thisrepresents only a teasonebly accurate trene=iptton ofthelowe City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#Sb page 2
bathrooms.
Kubby/ But when you've got three bedrooms and lots of kids.
Thornberry/ There are a lot of houses Karen that have one bathroom
and have a whole lot more kids in them.
Baker/ I just wanted to get the two things clear in my mind. First
of all, the state has some more to say about this but it's not
coming, once they have their say, it's not coming back to us.
Right?
Nasby/ What we have discussed with them, they needed some more.
They had their preliminary review this morning. There are some
things they needed to work out on the project and what we have
discussed with them this afternoon was that were going to
recommend approval based on IDED's approved funding and then
work with IDED to make those minor adjustments.
Baker/ Get as far as location, number of units and basic
information.
Nasby/ Location, number of units, financing.
Baker/ Done deal as of tonight.
Nasby/ Yeah.
Baker/ Okay° And if the council's comfortable with the location and
no problem there.
Vanderhoef/ So what are their concerns?
Nasby/ Excuse me.
Vanderhoef/ So what are their concerns?
Nasby/ They needed to run some of the numbers through their
computer but honestly tomorrow morning, they have their
preliminary review of the project. They want to plug in the
numbers that were in the pro forma and see if it comes out the
way it should and if there's minor tinkering that needs to be
done with it, they're going to make those recommendations. And
we will have input with them as to what those are.
Thisrepresents only amasonably accuret~ ~anscrlp~on of ~elowe CI~ coundlmeetlng of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#Sb page 3
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-58 SIDE 1
Nasby/ (Can't hear)
Thornberry/ This is still a $64,000 per unit project?
Nasby/ Correct.
Kubby/ Which is much less than we see in other projects from this
partnership, this private partnership working with the public
sector to create affordable housing that is not being created
by just the private sector alone. There are rental units being
created by the private sector alone, but not with these kinds
of rents, not targeting the income level of the families that
the Fellowship will target.
Thornberry/ Well, yes there are. $515 for a two bedroom and $715
for a three bedroom unit.
Norton/ Including utilities?
Thornberry/ A- With a utility- Well, with a utility subsidy. Right?
Norton/ Yeah, it is built into that.
Kubby/ There is not a- I don't know what you mean by a utility
subsidy. The utility is included in that rent.
Thornberry/ They are giving money to them for the utilities. The
state is.
Kubby/ If tenants are part of the Section 8 Program.
Baker/ We are getting a response that that is not the case°
Charlie, would you clarify that?
Thornberry/ This is not, as I understand it, $515 and $715, all
utilities paid with no other money coming from anywhere else.
Is that correct?
Eastham/ That is correct. That is the rent. That is what the
occupants will pay.
Thornberry/ With utilities?
Eastham/ With utilities.
Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription of ~elowa City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#ab page 4
Thornberry/ Is there supplemental money given for utilities?
Eastham/ No.
Thornberry/ Who pays the utilities?
Eastham/ The occupants do or the tenant does.
Thornberry/ I thought you said it was $515 and $715 with utilities.
How do you know what the utilities are going to be?
Eastham/ That is the allowed rent with utilities. The tenants may
in fact pay more or somewhat less than the-
Thornberry/ Are these the minimums then?
Eastham/ Than the tenant utility allowance. What the tenant
actually pays will pay for two bedroom. It is $457 per month
plus the utility. So the $457 rent plus whatever the tenants
utility costs are come out of the utility tenant's pocket.
Thornberry/ So it could be more.
Eastham/ It could be less.
Baker/ Could I ask one more question and this is a question not for
staff or Charlie but for Dean. I just need some clarification
on the problem with this particular project in your mind. Is
it the tax status or is it the program per se?
Thornberry/ Both. The program is included in the tax. When you have
subsidized housing, Larry, the city and the state and the
federal government are paying for, that the city gets no
income for whether it be an apartment or whether it be a
house. I am philosophically against this program. So it is the
Drogram and the tax that I am concerned about.
Baker/ The statement that you made is the more programs the
government provides, the more people become dependent on the
programs and I was wondering if it was that philosophy that
was unique to this particular kind of project? Are there other
parts of our housing program that you feel the same way about?
Thornberry/ Yes, there are other areas of our housing program that
I oppose.
Baker/ Okay, thank you.
Thts represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#Sb page 5
Thornberry/ And that is the city owned any housing, period. I don't
think the city should be in the housing business.
Baker/ What about the Section 8 Program?
Thornberry/ That is our money. We are all paying for-
Norton/ It is hard to see how we could get anything done without
some public sector assistance, Dean. It is hard to see how we
get any response to the housing problems that are manifest. At
some point, something has got to give if you are ideologically
opposed to putting anything into that. That's the way it goes
but this looks like a pretty reasonable one to me.
Kubby/ Well, actually the Fellowship is one of two non-profit
organizations or church communities who give us a fee in lieu
of taxes purely voluntarily which is very appreciated. So
there is some payment coming back on a voluntary basis for
fire protection and other services offered by the city.
Thornberry/ And at some point that money can be stopped.
Nov/ There is also a federal payment in lieu of taxes for the
Section 8 Program.
Thornberry/ That is correct. Whose money is the federal money?
Baker/ I mean I just still want to get clear in my mind- I mean, it
seems like the logical direction that you are going in is for
the city to not have any housing programs?
Thornberry/ That is correct.
Baker/ Okay. Thank you.
Kubby/ The other thinq that we really haven't talked about that
because we haven't got a letter from someone who wrote it on
behalf of the Walden Woods Neighborhood Association, I feel it
is important for us to talk about some of the issues in that
letter at least a little bit. And I think one of them we
talked about a little bit already but the other one was that
they suggested that it is really important to have formally
some kind of policy to make sure that different kind of
housing programs are scattered throughout the community and
that we make sure that we do that. They were requesting that
we do it before we decide about this particular project which
I personally disagree with the last part but do think that we
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurata vana~lptlon ofthalowa City council meeUng of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#Sb page 6
really need to return to our housing policy discussion which
this council hasn't had yet about having some kind of
inclusionary zoning so that there are varied costs of housing
throughout the community and varied styles and types of
housing throughout the community. I think that it really will
make a difference for the future of how our community is so
that we don't have areas, more than a couple of areas of
concentration that that we have a more diverse- That every
neighborhood is more diverse. I think that creates a healthier
community. So I will be pushing on that issue.
Norton/ You are hoping you can stimulate the private sector to
provide some of that, I take it?
Kubby/ I, personally, would probably go to the mandatory form of
inclusionary zoning where every new development's plat has X
percent of houses that are within a different price range than
the rest of the houses without them being visually earmarked.
But that is for future discussion about what form that fair
share or inclusionary zoning process takes.
Thornberry/ The letter that we received from Paul and Sharon
McDonald I think is the letter you were referring to, Karen?
Kubby/ It is.
Thornberry/ All right. When they say that the private sector should
provide and I am not reading verbatim, provide apartments and
housing for 10w income housing, I agree with. That is the
private sector and that is what or how I think the programs
should work. Is through the private sector as opposed to
through the public sector.
Kubby/ But what private entity is building new units that have
affordable rents that aren't attached to the Section 8
Program?
Thornberry/ It depends upon what you call by affordable.
Kubby/ Fair market rent or below.
Thornberry/ Fair market rent in one place is not fair market rent
in another. What is fair market rent?
Kubby/ It is per bedroom, it is not per location at least in terms
of the federal government's citation of what FMR is.
Thisrepresents only are~onably accur~e ~anscfiption ofthelowa Ct~ council meeting of May 7,1996,
F050796
#Sb page 7
Thornberry/ My problem is this is if the city gets into more and
more housing programs, Karen, with federal money and the
federal money is cut which is- Whick is- May happen. I am not
saying it is likely. I am saying it may happen which both
major political parties have been talking about it. It
probably will happen. Either be seriously curtailed or
eliminated all together. Once that happens and we have
committed this money through local and state funding, we are
going to be in a bind like we are with Transit and I don't
want to get into that bind.
Kubby/ Well, challenge the private sector to get on the ball in
this area.
Norton/ If we can get them to do it, that would be beautiful.
Thornberry/ That is what I would like to see happen. That wculd be
ideal.
Norton/ Me, too.
Kubby/ I am not going to hold my breath.
Nov/ And we are being very careful with these monies because we are
not contributing to operating costs. We are contributing just
to capital costs with these funds. Hopefully the federal
government is-
Thornberry/ We are contributing to operating costs when you-
Norton/ Tax support.
Thornberry/ That is right when there are no taxes paid on it. In
this particular project half of it will be taxed. But half of
it won't be. So that is why-
Baker/ But we do that like we do and I think when these discussions
occurred before, for industrial and commercial development
when we want to see some things happen, we have tax incentive
programs for the private sector as well and it is how you want
to achieve a goal and the mechanism that you want to use to
achieve that seems like entirely compatible with the sort of
stimulus we are willing to extend towards the private sector
as well as the public sector. I don't see the distinction
there that this is more grievous than the other.
Thornberry/ My distinction would be that in the private sector it
Thisrepresents only ereesonably accur~etrsnscription ~ theiowa Ci~ council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#Sb page 8
is for a limited time and then they start paying taxes. They
don't get tax free land fora I haven't seen anything for more
than a few years.
Lehman/ I tend to share some of your concerns, Dean, but I think
this is a discussion for another day. We have talked about
this and I don't believe, at least from the last meeting we
had on housing, there are any easy solutions. I mean, they are
very very complex and with the federal government changing the
way they look at things and I think with the liability we may
have out there for housing that we have provided in the past
with federal funds, it is a really really big issue and it is
a really tough issue. And I think that has to be decided at a
future time. This particular project, although I share a lot
of your concerns, I can support this. I think the subsidy is
in line with what it probably should be. The cost of the units
are below market which is far different than what we looked at
on Dubuque Road where we were- I mean, hell, a majority of the
council is willing to subsidize $70,000 at $123,000 a piece
and I think that was ludicrous. I think this makes sense and
under the circumstances I will support until such time we can
have this larger discussion and hopefully come up with some
guidelines that we can all live with.
Nov/ Okay. Moving on. Do we have a motion to accept correspondence?
Karr/ We have done that. We have a motion on the floor to adopt the
resolution.
Nov/
Okay. We have a motion to adopt a resolution. Roll call- (yes;
no- Thornberry). Okay, The resolution has passed, 6-1,
Thornberry voting no.
Thisrepresents only sressonably accuratetranscription oftbelows Ctw coun~l meetingof Mey 7,1996.
F050796
#9a page 1
ITEM NO. 9 AMENDING THE FY96 OPERATING BUDGET
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Nov/ The p.h. is now open. We ask that you sign in and please limit
your comments to no more than five minutes.
Rodney Alber/ 400 First Avenue. I guess my concern is, I look at
the fiscal budget and I see where the bottom line it goes from
$40,000,000 in the black to $40,000,000 in the red. I've tried
to get a feel for the larger numbers that we're using but the
only way I can look back at it is the city's use of the money.
At that point, I look at the largest expenditures the city
has, which the utilities. I guess that's a capital outlay at
this point for '96, but we should look in the future if we're
looking at our budgets. I tried to present some information to
the city council previously about the residuals that will be
formed from the new water treatment facility. I've even gone
about calling up some manufacturing associations. There's some
haulers and it seems like the city's going to just move from
the temporary staging place to the city landfill. That means
you're building million dollar bermed lagoons to fill up with
million dollars worth of residuals to move across town to
build another million dollar berm to fill up with your million
dollars worth of residuals. We have the Napoleon Park pump
station that was just revamped here recently and feel free to
correct me if I'm wrong Steve but ! went to the library and
that's all I can really count on at this point. My information
is a little dated. I'll admit that, but the library's let us
general population go for it and from there we go. It seemed
in the year 2020, the population's expected to be 70,000
people in the Iowa City area and at that point we were
expecting I believe 77.4 million gallons a day of residual at
the facility. I looked at the bottom line at the facility.
It's rated at 120 million gallons a day. I question where 50
million gallons a day residual could be coming from. It seems
like too easy a course and it seemed too simple to be honest.
I took a day out of my schedule about five weeks ago and went
out to Des Moines and visited the DNR to decide what the so
called experts on the hill would say about such a plan. It's
used in several cities around the country and probably more
than several if we actually took a venued item and looked into
it. It seems that if we're going to move forward with a new
utility at a major major expenditure, I know that that the
fiscal budget has gotten very tight due to this capital
outlay. But it seems like you should feel a little more
concerned with the next couple of years down the road and
maybe do a consideration as incorporating the utilities in
This represents only e reasonably accurate t~ansc~iptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#9a page 2
this city as a city and not as separate little budgets that
you have to pump money into. This is all coming out of our
back pocket. Eventually we're going to have to pay for it
again. We can bond issue for it. We're looking at a $6.7
million. I don't know if that's been third read or not. But
then we wait a year and I think we bid another $18.7 million
and then another $24.2 million. These are just numbers off the
top of my head, but I think they're fairly close. At that
point you're looking at nearly $54.7 million for upgrade on
our utilities when we have a utility that's just upgraded and
is accessible, usable, and capable of the amounts that we're
going to pump forward through this. All I'm doing is
presenting some more facts, once again I talked to the local
citizens and people have the feel that the people in the
utilities know that this could all be feasible and could be
done fairly easily but the engineers don't like the idea.
Karen/ Which idea? I'm sorry, Rodney. Which idea?
Alber/ Moving the residuals from the new water treatment facility
from a lagoon standard to treating it at the residual plant,
and Napoleon Park which I just, according to the library.
Norton/ Moving it where?
Alber/ Excuse me?
Norton/ Moving it where? From the lagoon?
Alber/ We've got a waste treatment facility that would handle the
residuals. The residuals actually help to break down the pH
levels in the water treatment facility if you combine it with
the sewage treatment facility, they're actually easier to
treat as opposed to putting them in a lagoon and then moving
them and then putting them in another lagoon which you'll have
to put a layer of benedite down and then stay it out. You know
it's considered a low level hazard at that point but if we
treat it then we never have a residual expenditure and we
alleviate a liability as well.
Kubby/ So you're suggesting that we do take it to the waste water
treatment facility instead of using lagoons?
Alber/ Well it seems kind of senseless Karen when.
Kubby/ I'm just trying to be clear. I'm really confused sometimes.
Thls represents only a reasonably accurate trenscrlptlon ofthelowa City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#9a page 3
Alber/ Before I went to the library I was trying to get away from
lagoons. We all know we need a good plant. We need the fresh
water. We need good water with a little less chlorine in it
and what not, but at that point I looked at the other end of
it and saw where our expenditure outlays were going to be in
the future and I understand we're going to have to spend the
money now, but down the road I'm trying to avoid these $4-8
million in what nots, moving it from here to there, here to
there. The lagoons even in the report say that they're only
good for two years. So at that point every two years you're
going to have, once again you can correct me if I'm wrong here
Steve, there's 55,000 tons of residual in each lagoon and at
the going rate, $15~18 per ton, that's just shy of a million
dollars per lagoon. So every two years you've got $3,000,000
you're going to have to move. That's up in the air at this
point. There is no expenditure budget in the landfill for the
residual field basically. If you look there's none set in '98.
There is no '99, and those are the two numbers that are
missing from the fiscal budget. That's where they kind of
caught my eye and I went back and went, well, this must be
where the problem lies. So the solution would, just common
sense of the top of my head and in talking to people at the
state level DNR that I think they are pretty knowledgeable in
their field they would say, use the plant that you already
have as opposed to just- Sir?
Thornberry/ We're giving you an extra minute for the other
question. Your five minutes is up. Okay. I really hate to do
this. I hate to cut somebody off in the middle of their
argument or information.
Alber/ I've never been known for my wrap up so.
Thornberry/ Information giving or whatever. Okay. Maybe there could
be a different system involved, however I also really don't
like giving out information that is inaccurate. Are you saying
that we as a council and as a city are giving the people of
Iowa City super super inaccurate information?
Alber/ Well if you go to the library, the well field is along 1-80.
To public information unless I go to the water works and sit
down with Carol Sweeting, I don't really get to find out
what's going on. Even the folks on the DNR were unaware of the
alluvial wells that you were going to set upo They had the
permits for monitoring your wells, but the two gentlemen I
spoke to, and one said that you claimed, now this is his
claim, that the permits crossed his desk and his tag, they do
This represents only a reaaonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#9a page 4
two member staff on that, and he said he was not aware of the
alluvials. And I pointed out that they had alluvials with
radial ar~s up to 2000 feet out which was on the other side of
the river. The citizens over on Coralville are a little
concerned about their well field, so at that point I ....
Thornberry/ One of the things that I really understood you to say
was that we're going to have to replace our lagoons every
several years.
Alber/ No, you'll have to empty and fill them again every two
years. And that will just be the city's expenditure once
again, but it's a perpetual expenditure as putting into a
functional facility.
Norton/ Well, you would have to haul it down there. You got all of
those costs.
Kubby/ Or you haul it to farm fields.
Lehman/ Yes, that is where it goes.
Kubby/ That is the plan. Whether it ends up-
Alber/ Karen, what was the point of pulling the fertilizers out of
the water to put them back in the land to get them back in the
water again. That seems a redundancy once again.
Lehman/ It makes a lot better sense than to putting them in a cell,
doesn't it?
Alber/ Yes, it does.
Lehman/ So you don't have that cost.
Alber/ (Can't hear).
Kubby/ But either case, whether we use lagoons are whether we pump
the sludge from the water treatment plant to the waste water
treatment plant, the end result is that they end up in a
lagoon and our practice is that things that end up in a lagoon
end up on agricultural land. Isn't that right, Ed? And so we
cut out the- We have the expense of the lagoon but we cut out
the transportation cost and the cost of putting a different
kind or a bigger sewer pipe and, you know, there is all of
this cost benefit weighing that you have to do to say which
front end and life cycle costs are a better deal for the
This represents only e reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#9a page 5
community.
Alber/ The community being health and well being, public utility
that you are paying for.
Kubby/ Health and well being and money for rate payers.
Alber/ I would assume that you are looking for the best utility.
Nov/ And we are looking for the best environmental results as wello
So we are-
Alber/ You are circulating your fertilizers.
Thornberry/ Thank you. I would like to hear from Ed Moreno if I
could on some of these issues that you brought up.
Ed Moreno/ Yeah, maybe I can help a little bit. I guess one thing
that I want to set the background. Currently, at our existing
water facility, we are discharging our solids directly into
the Iowa River and with the new water treatment plant we will
not be doing that. The treatment process would be completely
different than what we are doing right now and yes, we will be
creating some residual solids. It will be lime sludge and that
is from the lime softening process and they will go into this
lagoon for storage and there will be X amount of years, two
years perhaps per cell initially or maybe longer than that
depending on how many residual solids that we produce each
year and the way that we looked at the lagoons, it was the
most economical way to treat it. You could do mechanical
treatments similar to what is done do%~ at the waste water
treatment plant right now with their presses or their belt
builder presses. However, we decided to go with lagoons at
this time. And yes, we will have to dredge them out
periodically and that residual solid will be beneficial to
agricultural land around the area. I think what we need to do
now is to probably do some prepatory work and start working
with some of the local farmers to see if we can get some
marketing going right now. We have got some time. Get some
contracts in place and try to minimize the cost as best as we
can if we look into our future. And I think we have time for
that right now.
Norton/ And what is the alternative the university is using to
handle their sludge, their water sludge?
Moreno/ It is comparable. What they are doing is they are settling
This r~pres~nts only a reasonably accurate t~on$crlption of tha Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#9a page 6
it on site. They have some settling vessels there and they are
hauling it also. There is a truck that they have. They haul
the whole day long to take these residual solids down to a
holding area, a lagoon, down in the Hills area and then it is
land applied from there. So it is a very similar process. They
don't have a mechanical process that de-waters it any further.
They are settling it, getting it more solid which is what the
lagoons will do because they go through like a freeze thaw
process. It goes through the seasons and it gets more and more
solid and then we can remove that.
Norton/ Did Green and anybody consider pumping it south to the
south waste water plant?
Moreno/ Yes and no. We looked at it but mixing the solids with
solid waste, they have their solids that they are pumping as
you are aware of from their north plant to their south plant
and mixing those together. It is just handling it again,
actually, down there. It is the same thing. You are going to
have to handle it again.
Kubby/ I guess in a certain way a question for Don Yucuis about- I
mean because the item at hand is the budget amendments.
Nov/ Don ¥ucuis, please.
Kubby/ Just, you know, are there major budget amendments that have
to do with the water treatment plant? I mean, I saw a little
bit of landfill stuff.
Yucuis/ We had quite a few adjustments to the capital projects area
because we budgeted, originally budgeted, the whole waste
water project and the water project in one full- all at once.
So we budgeted close to $50 million in each area and then
after the budget was approved we went through another process
to say we are Dhase it in. This amendment- There are quite a
few amendments in here that decrease the expenses and revenues
from bond issues for both the water and waste water project.
But it is just getting it into- What we are doing now is
phasing in the project. We want to get the budget down to
where we say it is suppose to be at and it is just for '96,
not dealing with '97, '98, '99 at all. We are in essence
cleaning up FY96.
Kubby/ And I understand, Rodney, that your concerns are above and
beyond these budget amendments, although that is the topic?
Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate ~8n$cfipfion ofthelowa City coun~lmeetingofMay 7,1996.
F050796
#Pa 9age 7
Alber/ When I heard capital outlay that means the whole plan,
whole (can't hear).
Kubby/ You have to be at the mic-
the
Nov/ We are just talking about amendments to last year's budget and
we have to amend last year's budget today and that is all we
are doing here.
Alber/ Capital outlays are part of the budget.
Nov/ Yes.
Alber/ Well, that is what I am speaking of.
Nov/ But you are not talking about the amendments to the budget,
you are talking about capital outlays for the future as well.
Okay, you're following this?
Alber/ At that point, aren't you being sincere with your budget
though when you know you are going to have to spend the money
on the project. It is like saying you are not going to spend
$4 million on a de-water device because you don't need it
today. It doesn't mean you don't know you need it tomorrow to
finish the project.
Nov/ It is just not in the current plan. It will be in another
year.
Norton/ We are certainly aware of the future costs.
Alber/ That is what I understand. It is not in the current plan.
Thank you.
Nov/ Okay. Is there any other discussion of current budget
amendments? P.h. is now closed.
This r~resonts only a reasonably accurate t~a~scription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#Pb page i
ITEM NO. 9 AMENDING THE F¥96 OPERATING BUDGET
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/ We need a motion. Moved by Lehman,
approve the amendments to the
Discussion.
seconded byThornberry, to
FY96 operating budget.
Kubby/ I g~ess, in a certain way, I wish Rodney wouldn't have just
left because I kind of feel like we ended up using a maneuver
to not have him talk anymore by saying you are not relevant to
the issue at hand because he continually brings up points. I
am not sure that we are communicating back to him information
when he comes. I know that this is maybe the fourth or fifth
time that he or his partner has come and expressed some real
specific concerns and I guess I want to make sure that we are
doing our best to communicate with him, to update information,
as we can when they communicate with us. I guess I am not sure
if that is happening or not and the one issue that he did
bring up that if it is so that our old plan that did have
silurian wells along 1-80 is what is in the library that a lot
of people would go to get information, we need to make sure
that we get our public library the updated plans. And the
beautiful thing about this is that we changed out plans. We
heard public input. We reduced cost. We tried to be more
efficient and our plans are consistently evolving and changing
which creates another challenge for us to make sure we
continually get public entities good information so when
people go to those places where public information is
available, that it is there and accurate. So if we could kind
of'double check on that, it would be great. Other than that I
don't have any comments about the budget amendments.
Nov/ The budget amendments looks fine. Any other council
discussion? Roll call- (yes). Motion carried.
Thisrepresents onJy areasonably ~cc~r~e ~anscdptlon ofthelowa City coun~l mee~ng ~ May 7,1996.
F050796
May 7, 1996
CITY OF IOW~ ~ITY
Page 10
ITEM NO. 10
INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR THE
AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE OF
$t20,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES t996.
Comment: The public hearing is to receive public comment on the proposed
action to enter into a $120,000 loan agreement to finance a portion of the new
Fire Pureper,
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Action: -~ ,,7"~ ~.
ITEM NO. 1t
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR THE
AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE OF
$t75,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES '1996.
Comment: The public headng is to receive public comment on the proposed
action to enter into a $175,000 loan agreement to finance the Lighting Project
at The University of Iowa softball complex.
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Action: ~,P ~'?~-~ ~
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Act,on:
#11b page
ITEM NO. ll INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR
THE AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE OF $175,000
GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES 1996.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/ I think we ought to clarify that in return for the $175,000 to
install lights, we get to use the fields.
Lehman/ Long term, I believe.
Nov/ Long term.
Thornberry/ Those are good softball fields.
Norton/ You might even get to run a concession.
Baker/ Naomi, let me ask a question about process. It may be that
the format of our agenda in front of us- I mean, the print
format has changed. Have we always had p.h.s on these
comparable items in the past right before the vote? Was it
listed differently, is that the deal?
Nov/ Yeahm
Kubby/ This is a new listing strategy.
Baker/ So we would have an item #9 p.h. and #10 to vote on that
issue. Okay.
Kubby/ We never hold p.h.s that we don't have to, it seems. Council
has to decide if there is something above and beyond what is
mandated to have a p.h., to have a public discussion on the
agenda.
Nov/ These are required p.hoS because of the amount of money.
Baker/ We were just doing it a different way the last time as far
as the agenda goes, okay.
Kubby/ It is a sneaky way to think we have fewer agenda items.
Nov/ Right. We have ten p.h.s, we call them a. & b., we delete ten
items from the agenda.
Baker/ Okay, thank you.
Lehman/ It saves paper.
Thisrepresents only a reesonably eccurme ~anscrlpfion of ~elowa CI~ coun~l meeting of May 7,1996,
F050796
#1lb page 2
Nov/ It doesn't save time. Okay, now. We are on the item #1lb., a
resolution approving this General Obligation loan note for
lighting. It has been moved and seconded (Kubby/Lehman). We
need roll call- (yes).
Thisrepresents only e reasonably aocuratetrene~lpfion ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
M~y 7, 1996
CITY OI: iOW~
Pa~e 11
ITEM NO. t2
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT AND ESTIMATE OF
COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE t996 SANITARY AND STORM
SEWER PROJECT, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO
ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR
RECEIPT OF BIDS.
Comment: This project consists of one sanitary and three storm sewer sites.
A sanitary sewer will be installed at Court Street and Fairview Avenue to
eliminate a private sewer in poor condition which serves several properties.
The storm sewer system will be repaired at College Street and Fairview
Avenue as well as at George Street and Oakcrest Street. Also, a storm sewer
will be extended through a property at the comer of Lakeside Drive and
Whispering Praide Avenue with fill material to be placed on the properbj to
solve a maintenance problem. A map of locations is enclosed in Council
packet. The total estimated cost of this work is $92,000 and will be funded by.
General Obligation bonds abated by wastewater revenues.
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Action: ~_.~ ,~-~,~ ~
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
May 7, 1996
Page 1 2
ITEM NO. t3
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORIVt OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF
COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SILURIAN WELLS NO. 3 AND 4 IN
CONNECTION WITH THE WATER SUPPLY AND TREATMENT FACILITIES
PROJECT, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY
EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR
BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
Comment: This work involves the construction of two Siludan production wells
and related test pumping. The Silurian well construction includes drilling an
estimated 365 feet to the hotlorn of the Silurian Aquifer and installing steel
casing from ground level +170 feet to the top of the aquifer. After completion of
well construction, a pump test will be conducted to determine capacity. The
estimated cost of this project is $140,503 and will be financed with General
Obligation bonds abated by water revenues.
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Action:
ITEM NO. 14
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Action: /'~a~-~cJ/~g/~
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF
COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE MELROSE AVENUE BRIDGE
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, PHASE I (PROJECT NO. BRM-37'l§(2)-
8N-52) AND DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH NOTICE.
Comment: This project involves the total reconstruction of the Melrose Avenue
Bridge, which spans over the Iowa Interstate Railroad, and the Melrose
Avenue pavement from Olive Court in University Heights to just east of
Hawkins Drive. The total estimated construction cost is $1,669,000. The
project will be funded by General Obligation bonds, Road Use Taxes, and
$850,000 reimbursement with Federal-Aid Highway Bridge Replacement and
Rehabilitation Program funding· Also, reimbursements will be made by U.S.
West Communications ($35,000) regarding telephone facility supports and
University Heights ($8,568). Correspondence included in Council packet.
PUBLIC HEARING
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Action:
#13b page I
ITEM NO. 13 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE
OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SILURIAN WELLS NO. 3 AND 4 IN
CONNECTION WITH THE WATER SUPPLY AND TREATMENT FACILITIES PROJECT,
ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID,
DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING
TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/ Moved by Norton, seconded by Kubby. Discussion.
Kubby/ I have, I think, a city engineer question but I am not sure.
So I am glad Ed is here, too. It is about what kind of
requirements are in the documentation for the well drillers to
only disturb what they need to disturb to drill the well and
to do clean up afterwards. Ed says it is you, Rick.
Fosse/ We have begun a sensitive areas analysis on this project.
What we found is one of the wells is in the wetland area. So
that will very much be an issue on that site and if I recall
they are going to need of about 40 feet by 30 feet and because
they are going to need to bring in aggregate to work from,
they are going to want to minimize that cost to keep their
footprint as small as possible and then we need to look at
mitigating efforts for that. At the other site I don't know
what language we have in there. I can check on that if you
wish°
Kubby/ Okay because I think we should restore the area as much as
possible with whatever disruption but the disruption should be
as minimal as possible on the front end.
Fosse/ Okay. I will follow up on that and get back with you.
Kubby/ Thanks.
Norton/ Are 1 and 2 already finished?
Atkins/ Yes.
Norton/ And how are they working? How are 1 and 2 working, Ed?
Atkins/ It is really two silurian and the Jordan. I know that the
Jordan was-
Norton/ I am just curious how #1 and 2 are-
Arkins/ Those are fine.
Thlsrepr~ent$ only areasonably accur~o ~anscrtptlon ofthelowe City council me~lng ~ May 7,1996.
F050796
#13b page 2
Moreno/ 1 and 2 are complete and so is the Jordan. The Jordan is
pumping, at least tested out over 1,000 gallons per minute.
Silurian well #1 was hydro-fractured. It is estimated it is at
approximately 130 gallons per minute and the other one is
somewhere around 275 gallons per minute.
Nov/ Any other discussion? Roll call- (yes). Resolution has been
approved.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#14b page
ITEM NO. 14 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE
OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE MELROSE AVENUE BRIDGE
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, PHASE I (PROJECT NO. BRM-3715(2)--8N-52)
AND DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH NOTICE.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/ Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Thornberry that we approve
the resolution on this project. Any discussion?
Norton/ Where do we stand on that shelter question? Does that have
to be resolved probably, doesn't it?
Nov/ I think that is not in this section. The bus shelter, I think,
is in the other section of the project.
Norton/ Oh, okay. That is in the next phase, yeah.
Nov/
We are just going up to Hawkins Drive. Okay and as I
understand it, this is going to IDOT and they are the ones who
are going to award the contract.
Denney Gannon/ The IDOT will hold a letting June 4 and then we will
award the contract.
Nov/ Okay. But they accept the bids and then we decide which bid?
Gannon/ Yeah. Well, they open the bids and recommend the low
bidder. Of course, we take a look at them, too.
Nov/ Okay. Now I understand.
Kubby/ I don't know, Larry, do you think we should take this bridge
welfare money? We might get dependent on it.
Vanderhoef/ In our correspondence the writer asks about how bike
lanes are being marked and I don't know. Can I get (can't
hear).
Gannon/ They will be marked with some sort of laminate and also
some signs. We haven't worked those details out yet. Jim
Brachtel will be involved with the signage on that.
Vanderhoef/ Thank you.
Nov/ Okay, roll call- (yes). The motion is carried. This resolution
was approved after how many years. We should all be jumping up
and down.
This represents only 8 reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996,
F050796
#14b page 2
Woito/ Some of us are.
Norton/ We should drink a toast.
Thlsrepresonts only areasonably accurate ~anscrlpfion of~elowa Ci~ council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
May 7, 1996
¢lY'f 0~: IowA
Page 13
ITEM NO. 15
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF
COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE '~996 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
PROJECT CAPITOL STREET PARKING RAMP, ESTABLISHING
AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING
CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING
TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
Comment: This project involves the maintenance and repair of various items
to the Capitol Street Parking Ramp: repair of spalied concrete, installation of
waterproofing membrane, repair and replacement of expansion and control
joints, re-striping of parking stalls and installation of bird control measures. The
total estimated construction cost is $268,000. Funding will' be provided by
Parking funds.
a. PUBLIC HEARING
%-/$1
ITEM NO. 16
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
/
PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF
COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST AVENUE
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, STP-U-3715(8)-70-52 AND DIRECTING
CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH NOTICE.
Comment: The First Avenue Reconstruction Project consists of widening the
First Avenue pavement to three-lanes from Muscatine Avenue to Ralston
Creek. A right turn lane will be added to the east leg of Muscatine Avenue and
a new box culvert constructed for Ralston Creek. The total estimated
construction cost is $590,000, of which up to $400,000 will be reimbursed by
Federal Surface Transportation Program funds. The remainder will be funded
by General Obligation bonds and Road Use Taxes.
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Action:
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Action: ~/~_~
#15b page 1
ITEM NO. 15 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE
OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE 1996MAINTENANCEAND REPAIR PROJECT
- CAPITOL STREET PA.RKINGRAMP, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY
TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF
BIDS.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/ Moved by Lehman, seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion.
Thornberry/ I have a question about how much of this $268,000 is in
bird control measures. And what kind of bird control measures
are we talking about?
Kubby/ I sure like birds, Dean.
Nov/ I think we need better bird control. I will go with that one.
Fowler/ What will happen is we will take the bids for the water
proofing membrane repair and the concrete spall repair and
then compare those bids against our total project bid. Money
that is left over from those will be applied to bird control.
What the bird control will be will be putting netting over the
ledges in the ramp where they can roost.
Baker/ So it is not true that we have set aside one day a year for
sort of a free fire zone in the parking ramps? I mean, that
rumor is not true?
Fowler/ Okay, thank you.
Norton/ Is there any painting? Anything to be done? The place
always seems so dark in there.
Baker/ Dee.
Fowler/ I have requested a separate proposal on that. This proposal
will address only the structural problems and what we had was
a architect from out of town come in who had never seen a
parking ramp before and had him come in, drive through the
parking ramp and then write up his impressions of the
painting, the lighting, and the signage as a total stringer to
d.t. Iowa City and then we met afterwards and discussed his
concerns, our concerns, and he is putting together a proposal
for us so we can bring back to you later this year.
Kubby/ We even talked about having some kind of murals at one point
Thisrepresents only oreesonably accurate ~anscrlptlon ofthelowe Citycouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#15b page 2
to make it more attractive to go into the ramp. I hope that is
part of his deal.
Fowler/ Right. We gave him all the ideas that council had expressed
and this person was new to the firm we were dealing with and
had been involved in shopping center programs in the past for
a large concern. And so he is looking at it from the consumer
end where the people that we have had involved in the past
have looked at it strictly from the maintenance side.
Norton/ Wonderful.
Nov/ We need to raise parking rates in order to pay for all of
this.
Thornberry/ I think people would enjoy parking at the ramp keeping
process the way they are. Don't you, Larry?
Baker/ No, I think they want higher prices in the ramps. I
sincerely believe that the public demands higher prices in the
ramp. But we had a discussion on the previous council about
painting. I thought we were told that painting was not a
feasible idea because of the cost and the maintenance problems
of the painting.
Fowler/ We had been told that the paintJ,,g wasn't a good idea. That
if we were going to do anything with the interior, they were
recommending a stain at that time. Since then we have received
information. It was a construction company here in Iowa City
that sent correspondence to the last council saying that they
thought it could be done at lower cost than what we have been
given in the previous estimates. We have talked to other
consultants who have said, you know, that they do that kind of
work. So we are going back out and looking at it again rather
than just taking what we were told the first time.
Baker/ Okay, good.
Thornberry/ Let me try to understand this bird control measure once
more. I am trying to get a picture of this. You are going to
put nets over the ledges?
Fowler/ Right.
Thornberry/ It will interfere with their feet or what?
Fowler/ No, no. The way the parking ramps are constructed is that
This represents only a reasonably eccurMetranscrlptlon ofthelowe CIW council mee~n§ of May 7,1996.
F050796
#15b page 3
they built a ledge and then they set precast Ts on top of it.
So there is a hollow spot on top of the ledge underneath the
pre-cast Ts. What we would do is put netting over the face of
it so that the birds couldn't get on those ledges and make
their roost.
Baker/ But this is not going to be something that jumps out for the
users of the- I mean, this is going to
Fowler/ It has been in both parking ramps for the last two years.
Baker/ We are not going to see these as such?
Fowler/ No.
Lehman/ Not unless you are a bird.
Thornberry/ If it has been there for the last two years, why are
the birds still there?
Fowler/ We only do what we can afford to do at a time. So we do
limited areas.
Baker/ Do those nets work on deer?
Fowler/ We haven't had one in the parking ramp since we put them
up.
Baker/ Okay. As soon as they get into d.t. is when we are going to
start shooting them. Thank you.
Nov/ Okay. Anymore questions for Joe? Roll call- (yes). Okay. This
resolution has been approved.
Thisrepresents only a ressonably accurate Vansmlptlon ofthelowe Clty coundl mee~ng of Msy 7, 1996.
F050796
#16b page 1
ITEM NO. 16 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE
OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION
PROJECT, STP-U-3715(8)--70-52 AND DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH
NOTICE.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING
Nov/ Moved by Norton, seconded by Baker.
Kubby/ Before we talk about the project, I wouldn't mind if Rob
would come up and talk a little bit about some of the aspect
of this that we haven't really talked about very much. Before
we have mostly been focusing on the intersection and the width
of the street and the r.o.WoS and part of it that we haven't
really focused on is the culvert changes and what it does to
the creek bank up and down stream from the culvert and so if
Rob would kind of outline some of the grading changes and
trail issues and the riprap and tree issues. That would be
great.
Rob Winstead/ You bet. Part of this project is to construct a new
culvert underneath First Avenue. The new culvert is designed
to carry the 50 year flows. It's a larger culvert than the
existing one. When we make a larger culvert, we have to widen
the channel in the vicinity of the new culvert, so we have
some grading work along the banks of the creek. The existing
vegetation has kind of grown up in those banks over the years,
can't be saved, so part of the things that we're going to do
with this project are reestablish the vegetational course with
grass anywhere it's been disturbed. And also work with Terry
Robinson on planning some replacement trees in that corridor
and we're going to focus on the west side of First Avenue with
our tree plantings. The proposed HyVee site plan has addressed
the tree planting issue as part of that site plan review. As
far as the trail, there's in the planning stages, there's a
trail being looked at from Scott Park to Creekside Park. And
it would travel along the south branch of Ralston Creek and
our culvert design is compatible with the trail plans on the
east side of first avenue. HyVee would be granting the city a
30 foot wide trail easement and all of that work meshes with
the plans we prepared. The problem that we have is on the west
side of First Avenue. The existing culvert that's there now,
and also the proposed culvert, do not allow enough room to
make that trail connection from First Avenue to the E Street
r. OoW. The bottleneck, if I can call it that, occurs right at
the First Avenue area where it connects. There's just not
enough room there. Part of the problem is because of the creek
crosses First Avenue at such a skew that the culvert uses up
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurate ~anscripfion ofthe Iowa City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#16b page 2
that whole r.o.w. We investigated what our options were to
accommodate a trail and the most economical option to
accommodate a trail within the existing city r.o.w. would be
to build a retaining wall along the north bank of the creek.
The price tag is estimated to be about $15,000-$20,000. At
this time we're not recommending building that retaining wall
with this project. We've got several reasons why. The first
one is if that trail is never constructed, we'd be spending
that money and we wouldn't get any use out of it. The second
reason would be that the same wall could be built with the
trail at the time the trail's constructed. However some of the
riprap we place now would need to be relocated in the future
to build that wall. And also the third reason is we would
still have the option available to possibly negotiate an
easement with the abutting property owner which would
eliminate the requirement of a retaining wall. I should point
out though that the current property owners indicate that
they're not interested in seeing a trail connection at this
point in time. Is there some other things, Karen?
Kubby/ Well, I think those are the big things. It's just that we
focused on that and I hadn't realized and I am one of the
property owners actually down another lot, but some of the
neighbors got together with the consultant from H.R. Greene
and the city to look at, because in the beginning there was no
plans to re-landscape and there's a commercial area right
across the creek and so the neighbors are very happy that
there's now going to be some buffering in between the
residential and commercial uses. And making sure that the one
property owner on the corner where the culvert ends on First
Avenue can back out of their driveway safely without these new
plantings being a sight problem for them. So we figured out I
think something there. so the project has improved. It's
always sad for me. I just hate riprap everywhere. I like this
combination of riprap where you need it because of the flow of
the water with some vegetative erosion control at the top like
we talked along the Iowa River a couple of years ago, but it
doesn't seem possible for this project.
Nov/ Any other discussion?
Vanderhoef/ I will be voting no on this one, as I stated before and
it's the reason that I'm will not support this project is that
it's a three lane and not a four lane and will not take care
of the traffic after probably 10-12 year time period. The rest
of the project looks good. I'm delighted with the trail, the
coverage, those kinds of things.
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accur~e transcription oftholowo City councll meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
~16b page 3
Nov/ Okay. Further discussion? Roll call- (yes; no-Vanderhoef).
This resolution's approved on a 6-1 vote, Vanderhoef voting
no.
Thlsrepresents only sreasonably accur~e ~snscfiptlon oftbelows City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
May 7, 1996
ClOT OF I0 n~,~ ~lrY
Page 1 4
ITEM NO. 17
ITEM NO. 18
ITEM NO. 19
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE ~4, CHAPTER 6,
ARTICLE 0 ENTITLED "SIGN REGULATIONS," TO DELETE SPECIFIC
REGULATION OF "POLITICAL SIGNS," AND TO AMEND REGULATIONS
APPLICABLE TO ALL TEMPORARY SIGNS, INCLUDING POLITICAL
SIGNS. (FIRST CONSIDERATION}
Comment: A recent Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which has
jurisdiction over the State of Iowa, including Iowa City's zoning sign
restrictions, recently found the time restrictions for how long a political sign
may stand to be unconstitutional. This ordinance amendment brings Iowa
City's political sign ordinance into compliance with constitutional law, The
City Attorney's Office recommends approval--see memoranda included in
Council packet,
OONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING DISTRIBUTION
"PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS" (PIN) GRANT FUNDS.
Comment: The City Council allocated $25,000 for Fiscal Year 1997 for the
purpose of funding grants to neighborhood associations so that they could
make improvements in their neighborhood. The Neighborhood Council has
solicited, selected, and recommends the funding of twelve applications from
neighborhood associations and seeks the City Councirs review and approval of
this recommendation. Correspondence included in Council packet.
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF AN
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND DELOITTE AND
TOUCHE L.L.P. TO PROVIDE AUDITING SERVICES.
Comment: Upon submitting a Request for Proposal to perform audit services
for the City, the City received four responses. After analysis of the proposals,
the Director of Finance and the Controller recommend the selection of Deloitte
and Touche L.L.P. as the City's financial auditore for Fiscal Years 1996-2000,
totaling $158,000. This is a savings of $20,500 over the previous five-year
audit. A summanj memo detailing the audit bid selection process is attached.
#17 page
ITEM NO. 17 C0NSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 14, CHAPTER 6,
ARTICLE 0 ENTITLED "SIGN REGULATIONS," TO DELETE SPECIFIC
REGULATION OF ~POLITICAL SIGNS," AND TO AMEND REGULATIONS
APPLICABLE TO ALL TEMPORARY SIGNS, INCLUDING POLITICAL SIGNS.
(FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Nov/ (Reads agenda).
Kubby/ Move first consideration.
Woito/ Before you do that, I talked to Karin Franklin about sending
this to P/Z. And she would like to request a deferral. The
reason that I have this on the agenda is because we have been
getting calls from Tom Slockett and people are calling city
staff and apparently what has been told to people is the
current ordinance is unconstitutional, that it's 30 days, and
somehow encouraging them to comply with an unconstitutional
ordinance which is totally inappropriate. So I was trying to
get this before you to clear it up. If you want to defer it to
P/Z and have their input, I don't know what they're going to
do with it. Change it to 60. Change it to 90. I don't know.
It's up to you whether as a curtesy you want to send it to P/Z
or you want to do concurrently.
Kubby/ Is this actually the changes you're proposing, just make
political signs undistinguishable from other temporary signs
with a maximum of 90 days.
Nov/ Right.
Woito/ Except temporary signs are very limited. Real Estate signs
will still be stand alone with their own regulations.
Construction signs still stand alone. So this is really very
narrow. It's mostly geared, toward political, but you're
right. This deals with temporary signs.
Nov/ But it couldn't be a temporary sign on a retail location for
something that we don't know about and it would've been
considered under this
Vanderhoef/ It would also be for advertising for pancake suppers.
Woito/ Yard sale.
Vanderhoef/ Yard sales. Those kind of things.
Thornberry/ Now the political signs I understand that they can also
Thlsrepmsents only o masonably eccuretetranscfipfionofffiolowe CI~ council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#17 page 2
be illuminated. Is that right? Under state law.
Woito/ As I recall, we don't ban illumination, but you're right.
That court case said we couldn't ban illumination.
Kubby/ I thought the ordinance still had that in there.
Thornberry/ But we've got to follow state law.
Kubby/ We should double check. I thought it said not illuminated,
but maybe I just read it wrong.
Nov/ I think this was actually a federal circuit court that had it.
Norton/ I had some concerns about, 90 days seems like a long time
for temporaries and that was just adopted from somebody else
ordinances. It's going to be an arbitrary number. I would have
thought sixty. I also think temporary's a little vague. They
list what is a plywood sign temporary?
Woito/ No.
Norton/ A lot of political signs are plywood.
Thornberry/ If it's on a skid or something like that.
Norton/ Or there's signboard of various kinds. I think the
definition is clear. I understand it as apparently it stood
some court test, so there's a certain validity, but it looks
to me like it needs further cleaning up. Are in a hurry to get
it in for the present season?
Kubby/ It's already 30 days until the election.
Woito/ Only to the extent that I don't want city staff giving out
information that is inaccurate°
Norton/ I see.
Woito/ And that's what I wanted to clear up.
Kubby/ If we defer this so P/Z can look at it, can we tell people,
this is what our current is. We're looking at it.
Woito/ No. We shouldn't be telling them what our current ordinance
is, because it's unconstitutional. We shouldn't be saying,
it's 30 days, so why don't you comply with that, because that
Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetrans~lptlon ofthelowe City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#17 page 3
is totally inappropriate.
Kubby/ I'm not suggesting that. I'm suggesting that we tell people
that it's unconstitutional andthat we don't have a time frame
in which to tell them how to behave.
Woito/ Correct.
Norton/ It's in limbo at the moment.
Woito/ Well, I'm trying to stop the limbo.
Thornberry/ How long would it take P/Z to handle this?
Nov/ This wouldn't be at the top of their priority list because
it's not a P/Z kind of issue.
Woito/ What are they going to do? Recommend 60. If you want to
change it to 60, we can.
Vanderhoef/ Either way we do it right now for this primary, it
wouldn't make any difference because the signs are still going
to have to come down for a while whether it's 60 days or 90
days for the general election.
Woito/ For the general?
Vanderhoef/ Yeah, correct?
Kubby/ Unless since we're telling them it's unconstitutional but it
could be six months as a temporary sign. But they might say
I'll keep it up all the time. If yours is unconstitutional,
you're not going to enforce it and you don't have anything to
replace it.
wolto/ That's why I'd rather go ahead and do something and we'll...
Lehman/ I think we should pass this.
Norton/ Shouldn't we pass it with something, 90 or 60, and then we
could always revisit it later.
Woito/ Right.
Vanderhoef/ I'd rather be (can't hear).
Norton/ Do you want to leave it 90 or try and move it to 60?
Thlsrepresen~ only a masonablysccurate ~ans=ipfionofthelowaClH councilmeeting of May7,1996.
F050796
#17 page 4
Woito/ As you said, it's somewhat arbitrary, but we do have a court
case from Illinois that found 90 days to be appropriate.
Thornberry/ 90 days to be appropriate?
Nov/ If that ordinance had had 60 days it might have been
appropriate that way also. We just don't know.
Kubby/ I think in terms of political, as a political candidate, I
would not like my signs up that long, because people would get
mad at me.
Kubby/ And that would not be good for my political aspirations.
Norton/ It might be good for someone else.
Thornberry/ ~at do you want Karen? 120 days?
Norton/ I can get 120 years and get 60.
Thornberry/ Would 60 stand muster?
Kubby/ I move first consideration.
Woito/ I don't know. My assistant did research and I'm going along
with her recommendation. And if you want to change it, that's
your judgement call.
Nov/
Moved by Kubby, seconded by Vanderhoef. Which we probably
should've done before we started all this discussion. Now, is
there any other discussion?
Norton/ I'd like to amend to make it 60 days.
Baker/ I'll second.
Nov/ Okay, moved by Norton, seconded by Baker to go to 60 days.
Vanderhoef/ Why, Dee?
Norton/ Because I just think 90 is too long. 90 full days is three
months. That seems to me to be an immense time to leave any
kind of temporary signs up whether it is political or yard
sales or whatever. I can't imagine why you would need 90 days.
Kubby/ That is true.
Thisrepresents only ereasonably accur~etranscription ofthelowe Citycouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#17 page 5
Norton/ But I have no huge rationale beyond that.
Baker/ Will you lose sleep one way or the other?
Nov/ No, I don't have strong feelings on this one way or another.
Kubby/ Do you have any legal cautions for us in going with 60?
Woito/ Not particularly. I mean I can check with Eleanor if you go
ahead and give the first reading. She is the one that
completed the research.
Kubby/ Okay because we could move to amend it back if there were
some legal problems. That is good that we have multiple
readings.
Woito/ You could still change it at the second and third reading.
Nov/ All right. So, are we then interested in changing to 60 days
or leaving it now at 90 and changing it next time?
Thornberry/ I.think Dee- I think Mr. Norton and Mr. Baker have said
60° So we are- Is that a voice vote on 60?
Nov/ It is a voice vote and that is why I am asking what people
want to do.
Council/ (Can't hear).
Nov/ Okay, it sounds as if we want to vote on the 60 days to amend
this ordinance now. All in favor, please say aye- (ayes).
Okay, the motion to amend to 60 days carries. All opposed,
same sign. All right, it was 7-0. Now we are back to the first
consideration of the ordinance as amended. Roll call- (yes).
Okay, first consideration is approved with temporary signs
allowed for 60 days.
Woito/ Do you want me to send this to P/Z?
Nov/
Ask them if they want to look at it and also ask Eleanor to
look at it once more and to be sure that we're okay with 60
days. We may have to change that. We have a request for a
short break. We'll be back in about five minutes.
This represents only 8 reasonably accurate Venscrlptton of theiowa Citycouncil meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#18 page 1
ITEM NOo 18 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING DISTRIBUTION OF THE
PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS" (PIN) GRANT FUNDS.
Nov/
We need a motion. Moved by Lehman, seconded by Thornberry. We
have had a request from the neighborhoods to give us a short
presentation on the funding grants program, the items that
have been granted funding. We're asking them to make it as
short as possible, a couple of sentences, a 60 second type
presentation. We're going to remind them that they have a
clock on the podium, so based on 12 items, let's go.
David Dawes/ Coordinator, Pepperwood Neighborhood Association. I
come before you this evening as a representative of the
Neighborhood Council of Iowa City, otherwise known as NCIC. As
Mayor Novick discussed recently, we're here before you to
approve the resolution to distribute the funds for the FY97
PIN grants. I just wanted to quickly identify that of the
grants we received, there were 13 applications received from
a total of five neighborhood associations. And the chart here,
focus it here quickly. That's not showing up too well, but at
least it gives you a sense of where the neighborhood
associations are located. Ironically the number of the
applications that we received this year were primarily on the
east side of Iowa City, specifically Pepperwood, Grantwood,
Friendship, Longfellow, and Northside. I wanted to quickly
identify that each neighborhood association was responsible
for identifying what types of PIN grants that they would like
to see in the way of improving their individual neighborhoods
and later this evening each neighborhood representative will
talk about each grant briefly as Mayor Novick discussed.
Essentially there were $32,182 in the initial grant
applications that we received from the 13 applications. And
the process that was involved is that May 1 was the deadline
for each grant to be received. At the March Neighborhood
Council meeting, each representative addressed the council. It
was over a two night period. And at that time they made their
formal presentation to the Neighborhood Council. After the
meeting or after each presentation, it was open to questions
from the neighborhood council for clarifications and/or other
items that may be not clearly identified in the formal grant
application. And each applicant had the opportunity to do
additional research and then follow up a month later. That
would be at the April meeting of the Neighborhood Council to
address those issues and concerns that were addressed by the
Neighborhood Council. So basically, that's how everything
unfolded. Then at the April meeting the amount was reduced by
about $7,000. There was one grant from the Pepperwood
Thlsrepresents only sreasonably accuratetranscription ~ ~elowe City council meeting of May 7.1996.
F050796
#18 page 2
Neighborhood Association for $4,000 that was withdrawn and
then there was also additional contributions for example in
the Grantwood Neighborhood. The Parent Teacher Organization
made a contribution for one of their or actually two of their
requests and also there was a slight revision in funding to
Longfellow and that left us with a balance of $25,184.53 and
over much haggling and actually it wasn't too arm twisting but
Friendship Neighborhood Association agreed to absorb the
$184.53 to meet the $25,000 requisition. At this time, I'd
like to have each representative of the five Neighborhood
Associations address you. And they'll talk about each
individual grant application. Next we'll have Jennifer
Williams from Peppe~ood Neighborhood Association and then
I'll follow up with concluding remarks at the final
presentation. Thank you.
Jennifer Williams/ Pepperwood Neighborhood Association. I'm here to
discuss the two PIN grants that we submitted. One was the
Welcome to Pepperwood Neighborhood sign. We decided upon this
grant basically because we wanted to somehow identify our
neighborhood to the community, give ourselves some visual
presence, and beautify the entrance to our neighborhood as
well as be able to have a lot of people to easily identify
directions and help people get around in the neighborhood. So
I'll show you briefly a couple of drawings that we have. This
is an overall view of what the sign would look like. As you
can see, we'd plant a tree and some annuals and perennials.
The neighborhood will be deciding what these annuals and
perennials are at one of our meetings. And we'd use some
landscaping bricks around the base to elevate it about 3 1/2
feet or so. Next I'll show more detail drawings. You can't
read all the writing but basically the sign would be 36 inches
by 108 inches and we would have, it would be all natural
redwood. It would have some coloring. Some green some white
lettering, a blue line under the welcome to part. And then
we'd also have some cedar posts. We plan on putting these in
with cement blocks to stabilize it and help make the sign last
longer. So basically the sign should last indefinitely. The
maintenance it will require is water sealant every three to
four years which the neighborhood will volunteer to do as well
as the maintenance of the annuals and perennials which the
neighborhood will also maintain. The location of the signs
which we will (can't hear) with the City Forester, Traffic and
Engineering, and City Planning will be preferably near the
intersection of Sandusky Drive and Keokuk Street. This is the
sign right here. It will be at an angle near the property
owners and near the storm water detention basin there is a
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council maetlng of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#18 page 3
line of evergreen trees that will be parallel to that. We
decided to put the sign there because the storage basin lends
itself for a larger sign. That's why we decided on this type
of sign. We'd originally discussed getting a sign that's
approximately the size of the neighborhood watch signs in the
area. And we also didn't want to interfere with any of the
stop signs or traffic in this location right there. So this is
our sign to welcome people to the neighborhood.
Nov/ Thank you.
Williams/ And our next PIN grant is to build some sidewalks in the
neighborhood. There are two areas right now where the property
owners now have sidewalks. One of these is this property right
here on Sandusky and this property over here on Sandusky
marked with the arrows. We decided upon this PIN grant mainly
for safety purposes. The intersection of Keokuk and Sandusky
is fairly busy. There was a traffic count of 2700 cars per day
going northbound from Sandusky to Keokuk. One can assume that
there would also be 2700 cars incoming the other way. In
addition, there's a bus stop right here where this X is
located. There's a dance school on the corner right here. And
there's in home daycare. There's also a Systems Unlimited home
right here and so we figure that in addition to beautifying
the neighborhood when you first come in and see these
unfinished sidewalks, it would also be a safety feature
because there are many people using wheelchairs. There's many
strollers. There's rollerbladers, kids on bikes, pedestrians.
Nov/ Can you wind up? We understand the reason for the sidewalks.
We really have to get moving along.
Williams/ The maintenance will be up to the property owners. We
have the experience in the neighborhood to construct the
sidewalks and that concludes this one.
Kubby/ Thank you.
Mary
Lewis/ Grant Wood Neighborhood Association. Can we have the
lights on please? We've applied for four grants for the PIN
grant projects. Three of the PIN grants, three of the projects
that we applied for involve Grant Wood school so I'll lump
those three together and talk about them all together. There's
a chart over here where you can see where you can see where
Grant Wood school is and she's going to sort of point out the
areas I'm talking about as I go. As you know the school has
many uses including meetings of the Grant Wood Neighborhood
This represents only 8 reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#18 page 4
Association, joint meetings of the Grant Wood Neighborhood
Association/Pepperwood Neighborhood Association, meetings and
events that relate to the southeast side of Iowa City. We sent
a survey to the residents of the Grant Wood Neighborhood
Association and asked them what they considered the top
concerns of the area. The first concern was safety. And as you
know that is something that our neighborhood association has
always considered a top concern. The second was park
improvement. You'll see in our fourth grant application we
address that concern~ The third major concern would be the
beautification of the neighborhood. And we've tried to address
these concerns with three grant applications totalling $3207.
The three applications include trees and shrubs for the
prairie that will be planted along the edges of the school and
along the edges of the prairie° And these new plantings are
the ones with the lines through the trees. Also for the safety
village that's located at the north end of the prairie, the
safety village is a miniature model of downtown Iowa City
complete with railroad crossings and stop signs. This area's
used as a teaching tool for kindergartners and preschoolers to
learn how to get around busy city streets safely. The village
is located at the north end of the prairie. The trees and
shrubs will help this area blend in with the natural
surroundings of the prairie. There's also a bird garden that
we were going to help with and the bird garden is a project
the students have already begun, but they ran into a problem.
They hung feeders and bird houses, but they did not have
vegetation to support the bird population. These flowers,
shrubs, and trees will provide a natural habitat for the birds
to nest. All three of the projects will have been supported by
the Grant Wood PTO with contributions totalling $1000 and
commitments of volunteer time. These projects are directed at
beautifying the neighborhood and also provide an educational
tool for the students at Grant Wood School. Students have been
involved with these projects from the very first planting and
are committed to help the growth and maintenance of these
areas. The students have already done fundraising efforts to
pay for bird seed for the feeders by selling cookies at the
school. When we called the school to ask for some visual
displays to help you envision their plans for these areas,
these talented students went right to work and cams up with
these displays for our presentation.
Nov/ Nice.
Lewis/ As you can see, these areas are highly visible to the
community and will be useful as an educational tool to the
This represents only s reasonably accurate trenscrlptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#18 page 5
school for years. And on our fourth grant application, as I
mentioned, we surveyed the neighborhood this year and park
improvement ranked number two of the neighborhood concerns.
This park is at Fairmeadows Park, is in need of expanded play
area to accommodate a wider age range and better serve the
neighborhood. Kim Hayes, a member of our neighborhood
association, took the playground equipment books to the park
an4 showed it to people who were at the park as well as a
nu~er of the people of the neighborhood. There currently is
not any handicapped accessible play equipment at the park and
more handicapped people are moving into the neighborhood. We
wanted something that would serve them as well as children,
ages 2 to 12o Kids Village is the one that we decided on. This
is also made of plastic so it would be more durable than wood.
The amount of our grant application for this project is
$5,000. The P/R Department has offered to match the funds to
enable us to purchase this type of equipment. They will also
be installing generic hardwood mulch to make it safe as well
as handicap accessible and I have a picture here I would like
to show you. (Shows picture).
Kubby/ Looks fun°
Lewis/ Thank you.
Nov/ Thank you.
Eleanor Steele/ Northside Neighborhood Association. The Northside
Neighborhood Association's PIN grant proposal is for funding
to retain a consultant to prepare National Register documents
for the at E~mma Harvat 332 East Davenport Street. The project
is intended to further awareness of the Northside Neighborhood
as an important historic resource and home of some of Iowa
City's most important citizens. And this is Emma in the dress.
In 19922 Miss Harvet became the first woman in the nation to
serve as chief executive of a municipality with a population
over 10,000. Her election as mayor of Iowa City attracted
attention of many with newspaper articles appearing in San
Francisco, Shanghai and Paris, France. Emma Harvat built this
house in 1921 just one year before she became mayor. She lived
here until shortly before her death in 1949. Existing
documentation on this property indicates that it has both
architectural and historical significance. A preliminary
inventory form completed by the City of Iowa City lists it as
a key northside historic resource. The Iowa City HP Commission
encourages neighborhoods to become involved in the
preservation process by providing assistance and supplementing
Thisrepresents onlyareesonably accurate ~ans=lptlon of~elowa City councilmeeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#18 page 6
their work. The commission has written a letter providing
unanimous support for this grant proposal. If awarded the
funds, we will hire a state approved professional consultant
to complete all necessary documentation to get this property
listed on the National Register. Thank you.
Denise Watkins/ At Friendship Neighborhood Association. Friendship
Neighborhood's application this year is part of our continuing
plan to make Scott Park as our founder, Cindy Pumpfrey put it,
an actual park where families can go for outings, children can
play safely, become physically fit and enjoy our natural
habitat. On the map, Friendship Neighborhood is marked in red.
New housing developments are highlighted in yellow, and the
green areas is where Scott Park are and will remain playing
fields. The development you are facilitating is the white area
of Scott Park. Our PIN grant last year allowed us to purchase
this playground equipment. One of the special features of this
equipment is a musical panel which I hope will be especially
appealing to those children who are physically challenged, but
who would be able to push a button on this panel and create
some music. Thanks to the efforts of Terry Trueblood of Parks
and Rec we have also acquired a shelter that was going to be
removed from Sturgis Ferry Park, and both of these will be
installed in coming weeks. This years PIN grant application is
for adult fitness equipment. In addition to the equipment
shown, we've requested a tire maze and the pushup bar in this
pictured so you can see we get one for free as the footholds
are in the sit up bench. (can't hear) rendition of the park
area.
Kubby/ That's pretty good. Very nice.
Watkins/ As you can see the playground and adult fitness equipment
and the shelter. They're not very much to scale I'm afraid.
The exact location is being approved byparks and rec now. The
nature center I have to give a plug for that. It's our PIN
grant application for next year.
Nov/ Very nice.
Pam Ehrhardt/ Longfellow Association. This is our concept drawing
of Ralston Creek Trail. It lies between Sheridan Avenue and
the railroad tracks along the west bank of Ralston Creek and
it's adjacent to development at the old ADS site and it was
deeded over to the city last year as part of public open
space. Our plan is to develop a natural areas park with a
trail running through it with all native species of grasses
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#18 page 7
and shrubs and trees. Last year's grant is using used to offer
erosion control to the west bank and this year we're asking
for two grants for this particular area. One is for the
purchasing $4000 worth of plants and then a $4000 grant the
educational kiosk here and then a number of benches near the
trail. A third grant is Heritage Tree II and last year we got
$1000 for Heritage Tree I and we planted, this is a (can't
hear) ADS site along Ralston Creek. And last year's grant,
we've just finished planting 14 Heritage trees in the
neighborhood this spring and we're asking for another $1000 to
plant next probably this fall. And our fourth grant is $1000
to match moneys from other grants to complete a survey of
historical architectural sites in the Longfellow area° We did
part of it last year and the recommendation was to finish the
grant and the $1000 is to do that.
Dawes/ Obviously you can tell that there is tremendous diversity in
the grant applications and I think in summary each of the
neighborhoods have done a survey and in short it encourages
citizen input also a lot of volunteer involvement. Two weeks
ago the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association did their wetlands
planting. They had over 125 people helping out with those
plantings just from last year's PIN grants. As you already
heard, this was not coached of course but people are already
talking about grant applications for next year and the
deadline's 10 months away but people are already planning for
next year. So basically later this fall we'd like to approach
council and bring you up to date in a little bit greater
detail to recap F¥96 PIN grants. You've already heard a couple
of them discussed this evening. Naturally as they increase
involvement from everybody in the Neighborhood Council
continues we hope that the city council will also consider
increasing the amount of PIN grants in the future because
clearly it establishes a sense of community and on a personal
note, the Pepperwood Neighborhood Association didn't really
form as a result of the PIN grants so it's almost like a bonus
feature you know like AM-FM stereo or whatever. It clearly
helped get people more excited about the process of being more
involved with their neighborhood and tending neighborhood
meetings. The more active neighborhood associations that are
present this evening have also indicated that they'd like to
encourage greater participation with the other less active
neighborhoods and associations for next year°
Nov/ I think this presentation is going to get you more
applications next year.
Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetranscription of ~elowa CIH council mee~ng of May 7,1996.
F050796
#18 page 8
Dawes/ Thank you very much.
Nov/ Thank you everybody. Any comments from city council?
Kubby/ Bravo.
Norton/ It's just a wonderful program.
Nov/ Okay, roll call- (yes).
Thlsrepresents only a reasonably accuratetranscription ofthclowa CIw council mecarig of May 7,1996.
F050796
#19 page 1
ITEM NO. 19 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF AN
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND DELOITTE AND TOUCHE
L.L.P. TO PROVIDE AUDITING SERVICES.
Nov/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Lehman. Discussion?
Kubby/ Things costing less and getting good services for it sounds
good.
Nov/ Do you want to talk a little bit about the process?
Norton/ How come you didn't go for the low bid?
Kubby/ But it was overall.
Thornberry/ It was the low bid wasn't it?
Norton/ I didn't think so.
Don Yucuis/ It's not uncommon for us to go out for bid on contract
like this or service like this and not specifically look at
the lowest cost. When we sent out the bids, we told everyone
up front that we were going to rate them a certain based on
60% of the grade was based on their experience and
qualifications of the firm and their staff. We're looking at
a five year contract we want to make sure that the firm has
enough support staff so that when someone leaves, there's
people there to just pick up where that person left off. I've
been on audits before where all of a sudden you lose everyone
from the previous year and you really go through a lot of
trying times to make sure that everything gets done properly.
We've been very pleased with the last five year contract. I
was real surprised that the prices came down a little more
than the previous five years. The range of the bids, you can
see the range of them. McGladrey, Pullen, and Hansen are good
sizable firms. Price wise they are quite a bit higher than the
Deloitte and Touche bid. Charles Bailey, in our ratings on the
audit experience and quality of firm and his staff was rated
a little lower because of the size of the firm.
Nov/ I assume you looked at other audits that they had done for
other cities and they're okay.
Yucuis/ Yes we have. That was all part of the ratings, what other
government entities have they done.
Nov/ Any further discussion?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#19 page 2
Thornberry/ This is a savings of $20,500 over the previous five
year audit and even with not taking the lowest bid, sometimes
you have to go for quality. But if you're going to do an
audit, it ought to be right.
Kubby/ Yup. I agree.
Lehman/ That's the whole idea.
Thornberry/ You bet.
Nov/ Thank you.
Thornberry/ Are these people local? Is this a local company?
Yucuis/ They're out of Cedar Rapids.
Kubby/ They're a regional company.
Yucuis/ Regional.
Thornberry/ Just north of the north corridor, right?
Nov/ Right. Any further discussion? Roll call- (yes). Okay, the
resolution has been approved.
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurate ~anscrlptlon oftbelows City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F0§079§
May 7, 1996
Page 15
ITEM NO. 20
ITEM NO.
ITEM NO, 22
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE BUDGETED POSITIONS IN
THE HOUSING AND INSPECTION SERVlCES DEPARTMENT AND THE
AFSCME PAYPLAN BY ADDING THE POSITION OF DEVELOPMENT
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
Comment: The Development Enforcement Officer will be located in the
Department of Housing and Inspection Sen/ices with the primary responsibility
of enforcing the Sensitive Areas Ordinance. This position will provide "in-
house" environmental expertise to review site, grading, and sensitive area
plans and the immediacy of inspection needed to be done at the building
permit stages.
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING TIME AND PLACE OF
MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF IOWA CITY, IOWA,
Comment: At their April 22, 1996, Work Session, the City Council directed staff
to prepare a resolution changing the start time of formal meetings to 7:00 p.m.
Action:
ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES.
a. Current Vacancies.
(1)
Design Review Committee - Two vacancies for three-year terms
ending July 1, 1999. (Terms end for William Nowysz and Laura
Hawks) (2 females and 5 males currently serve on this Commission.)
These appointments will be made at the June 11, 1996, meeting
of the City Council.
ITEM NO. 23
CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.
Historic Preservation Commission - One at-large vacancy for a three-year
term ending March 29, 1999. (Betty Kelly's term ends.)
(3 females and 4 males currently serve on this commission.)
^ction
#20 page
ITEM NO. 20 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE BUDGETED POSITIONS
IN THE HOUSING AND INSPECTION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE AFSCME
PAYPLAN BY ADDING THE POSITION OF DEVELOPMENT ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
Nov/ Moved by Norton, seconded by Kubby. Discussion.
Thornberry/ I'm not crazy about adding staff. However with the
sensitiveAreas Ordinance, having one person in house would be
a lot less expensive than going to a person at another company
outside and hiring them for anytime we need something
regarding the SensitiveAreas Ordinance. So I am going to vote
for this even though I am not real crazy about adding staff.
Kubby/ And the beauty about this particular staff person is that
they can go on site and they can make some determination and
not slow the work down. I have a problem with the title of the
position, not the position itself. Development enforcement
officer sounds so strict.
Atkins/ We didn't like it either.
Kubby/ And so, anyone interested, anyone out there have a
suggestion for a name that we can change the title at anytime.
Atkins/ Of course.
Thornberry/ Sensitive guy.
Lehman/ Sensitive engineer.
Norton/ Environmental concerns officer.
Nov/ Environmental engineer.
Atkins/ We went through everything and settled on this. It doesn't
mean we won't take another run at it.
Kubby/ Yeah, I think we should- People who are interested
brainstorm a name and send it in and-
Atkins/ Well, it is part of our Code Enforcement Division and so
when you think of the term enforcement, we are enforcing the
code.
Kubby/ It is true but we don't have to put it in everyone's face
like it does.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#20 page 2
Nov/ We don't call the housing inspectors enforcement officers and
this is very similar.
Atkins/ But we do haYe law enforcement officers. I hear you, come
up with a better name.
Nov/ You can do it. We trust you° Any other discussion? Roll call-
(yes). Okay, this resolution has been approved.
Thisrepresents only areesonably 8ccuratetransc~ptlon of ~elowa City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#21 page
ITEM NO. 21 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING TIME AND PLACE OF
MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF IOWA CITY, IOWAo
Nov/ Moved by Lehman and seconded by Thornberry. Discussion.
Baker/ What is to be gained by this change?
Thornberry/ Earlier start time.
Baker/ What is to be gained by this change?
Lehman/ Well I think, Larry, it is more than just a earlier start
time. We encourage the public to come out to our meetings. We
all know how late some of our meetings go. If by starting a
half hour earlier we encourage more folks to participate
through the whatever hour, I think it makes it easier for the
public.
Kubby/ More items get done by 10:00 if we start at 7:00 than at
7:30. That, to me, is the biggest advantage.
Lehman/ I agree.
Thornberry/ Well said.
Nov/ I don't have strong feelings about the difference between 7:00
and 7:30. So-
Kubby/ What are your concerns, Larry?
Baker/ I see- They don't make them any shorter. It is very hard to
talk about this because it is a personal reservation. It is
something that affects negatively personally as far as my
family.
Kubby/ I think that is an important thing for me to consider. I
mean at one point you had talked about that this might be good
if our informal meetings also started at 7:00. Did you re-
think that?
Baker/ I would be happy with 7:00 and 7:00 but 6:30 and then 7:00.
But honestly-
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-59 SIDE 1
Kubby/ And you are the only one on this council who has children at
home all of time.
Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription of ~slow8 C~ycouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#21 page 2
/ A dog.
Kubby/ Human children at home.
Norton/ Does anyone have any information? Is it going to do
anything to the - You know, the meeting at 7:30 for a long
time. I just wondered if it is going to shake up the public to
have it moved?
Council/ (All talking).
Nov/ There will be plenty of warning and it won't happen until
July.
Vanderhoef/ For me it is an opportunity to get our staff home at an
earlier hour because they are going to also be having to come
right back here (can't hear).
Kubby/ Does anybody have a problem with us also talking about our
informals to accommodate Larry, to have those-
Baker/ I hate to put it in those terms because I really think there
are public benefits to this meeting time. I understand. I
don't want to mislead the public. They are not going to be
shorter meetings. We are just starting earlier.
Kubby/ I don't think anyone is under that illusion.
Baker/ So, it is a personal reservation and I understand the public
benefit. So-
Kubby/ You know, I think for these kinds of things we do have to
accommodate our schedules a little bit because we put in so
much time for the community° Whether people like what we do or
not, we still are putting in time and that if there is a way
we can adjust things to accommodate people's families' lives,
that is something we all value and that we cherish because
there is not a whole lot of it sometimes.
Baker/ The difference between 7:00 and 7:30 is not as, to me, as
dramatic as the difference between 6:30 and 7:00 on Monday
night.
Kubby/ I would want to do that, too. It makes it easier to know
what time to be here if there is one time to remember.
Baker/ Changing 6:30 to 7:00 on Monday night is a much greater
Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetranscriptlon ofthelowa Cl~ council meeting of Mcy 7,1996.
FO50796
#21 page 3
benefit to me than the loss of 7:30 to 7:00 on Tuesday night.
Thornberry/ What was the hours, Larry, when you ran for re-
election? When you ran for the position?
Baker/ Wq~at is your point, Dean?
Thornberry/ My point is if you don't like the hours, don't take the
job.
Kubby/ But we are changing the hours. All of us.
Baker/ (Can't hear).
Thornberry/ Well, if you want them for 7:30, vote for 7:30.
Baker/ I am not going to discuss this any further.
Nov/
we can, as I understand it, change a work session without a
formal resolution such as this. This is required only if we
are going to change a formal meeting. So, without this kind of
thing, can we sort of informally agree that we will discuss
changing the work session at our next work session since we
don't have to do that tonight? And then we can tonight decide
whether or not we really want 7:00 instead of 7:30. So, do we
have everybody all lined up. Am I the only one who really
doesn't care?
Norton/ I don't care at all either. I could abstain.
Lehman/ It will be yes, no and I don't care.
Nov/
Something like that. No, we have to say yes or no. I will go
with the majority on this one because it doesn't make a great
deal of difference to me (can't hear). Steve, Dale, Marian,
Linda.
Woito/ The earlier time.
Baker/ And I recognize that is a legitimate concern.
Arkins/ Personal opinion, I prefer the 7:00.
Nov/ Okay. We are voting on a resolution to move the meeting time
to 7:00 PM starting in July. Roll call- (yes; no-Baker.) This
passed on a 6-1 vote, with Baker voting no and I would like us
to consider the change on the next work session so that future
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurate ~anscripfion oftbelows Citycouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F0§0796
#21 page 4
work sessions can start-
Thornberry/ It would be nice if we could have maybe an end time as
well.
Nov/ Okay.
Thornberry/ I am really serious because some of us have jobs that
start-
Kubby/ All of us work, Dean. That is really pretty insulting
actually.
Thornberry/ Sorry to insult you. What time is your store opening?
Kubby/ I still put in my 16 hours a day like most of us here.
Thornberry/ I would like an end time.
Kubby/ But there are times of the season, like preconstruction
season, where our P/Z is really heavy and there is lots of
p.h.s and there is lots of plats that developers want in.
There are other issues that-
Thornberry/ We don't have to look at everything. This would maybe
help us quit micro-managing the city. Let the staffs do their
jobs.
Baker/ I thought it was last council that did that.
Lehman/ Dean, I appreciate what you are saying but there are
sometimes that, try as we might, meetings are going to go
longer than we would like.
Thornberry/ That is true, Ernie, but 12:45 in the morning is
ridiculous.
Norton/ But only rarely.
Lehman/ Yeah, I agree. 1:45 is even worse.
Norton/ We can try to be earlier than that but we can't promise. It
is hard to stop talking. But we will try to stop early but you
know, like you said to Larry, if you didn't want the hours,
you shouldn't have run. That is the way it goes.
Thornberry/ That is true but I did not think that the city council
Thisrepresents only areasonebly accurate transcription of thelowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#21 page 5
had to talk everything to death.
Norton/ That is true.
Thornberry/ We- Some of have been.
Kubby/ And we are all part of that except for Dee Vanderhoef.
Nov/ I think I am an exception. I don't talk things to death.
Kubby/ Well, you are in charge of controlling the rest of us and we
could all improve on it.
Nov/ All right. We will improve.
Norton/ Mayor, you are talking this to death.
Nov/ Move on.
Thisrepresents only areasonsbly accurate transcription of ~alowa Ciw council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
May 7, 1996
Page
ITEM NO. 24 CITY COUNCIL INFORblATION.
ITEM NO. 25
REPORT ON ITEMS FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY.
a. City Manager.
b. CityA~orney.
ITEM NO. 26 ADJOURNMENT.
#24 page 1
ITEM NO. 24 CITY COUNCIL INFOP~MATION.
Nov/ City council information. Dee Norton, do you want to start?
Norton/ Yeah, I will limit myself to one report and that is I think
I owe it to the public to mention that the Design Review
Committee, with whom I met a week ago Monday, has- is putting
their shoulder to the wheel to try to develop an alternative
ordinance for our consideration. They have invited members of
the Chamber of Commerce, the DTA, the downtown Retail Task
Force, Northside market Place group, Homebuilders Association,
the Near Southside business and property owners and present
Historic Preservation to send representatives to the meeting
on Thursday to try to proceed with the developing an
alternative to the ordinance that we previously considered.
And I just wanted to congratulate them on their willingness to
take that on after having labored long on the one that was
brought to us.
Nov/ Thank you.
Kubby/ I wanted to let people know that we have a great new
pamphlet out that is produced by the city that is called
Owning and Riding Your Bicycle in Iowa City and it outlines
all the rules of the road for bicyclists and has a map of d.t.
parking spaces. It is a very nice pamphlet. So thanks to
whoever did all the work to out that together.
Atkins/ Bill Dollman, Parking Superintendent.
Kubby/ He did a good job. I wanted to congratulate Clara Olsen. She
received the Jean Jew award this afternoon. It is good for
someone who has put so much time into this community to
receive some recognition. And lastly I want to invite the
coramunity and especially council members to come down to the
Free Medical Clinic on May 19. That is our open house where
there will be tours of the clinic as it is now, renderings of
the drawings of what the clinic will look like after the
renovations and there will be an opportunity to buy some goods
and services that are all locally donated in a silent auction
format. And that is happening May 19 from 1:00 to 4:00 at the
Clinic which is located in the basement of the Wesley House at
120 N. Dubuque Street. There will also be food and some
limited entertainment. Come on by.
Lehman/ We have been accused sometimes of being very serious.
Sometimes of being not so serious and I want to be a little
Thisrepresents only areasonably sccuratetranscd~lon ofthelowe Cl~ council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#24
page 2
serious. There are things that happen to us in our lives that
only happen once. You know, like out first car, our first
child, our first house. In my case, my first set of twin grand
children. And a lot of these things, they only happen one
time. You know, they are very very important events in our
life. Tomorrow an employee of the City of Iowa City is going
to have something happen for the first time and the only time
it will ever happen in his entire life. His name is Joe Fowler
and he is going to be 50 years old. Zero in on that so folks
can call Joe- Happy Birthday Joe.
Norton/ Baby boomer, huh.
Nov/ Why didn't you do that when he was here?
Lehman/ It wasn't council time.
Kubby/ Did Libby make that for you?
Lehman/ Actually this is professionally done by,
on city staff.
Thornberry/ Nobody will take credit for that.
Nov/ It is a nice sign.
Lehman/ Tomorrow, 50 years old.
I think, somebody
Nov/ I have been here on occasion when it was midnight and we could
say happy birthday to Dave or somebody like that.
Lehman/ I hope it doesn't happen tonight.
Thornberry/ I have nothing.
Vanderhoef/ Nothing.
Nov/ Larry.
Baker/ I appreciated that sign. I have to say it was good taste.
Lehman/ Much better than the last one I saw.
Baker/ Ernie, you mean this one? Okay. I have three quick items.
One for Dale. Last year we had talked about keeping some sort
of record of votes of your area state legislators in relation
to issues that were relevant to the city. I mean the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#24 page 3
legislative bulletin has some issues that are relevant to the
cities and you indicted some problems with keeping track of
all of the votes. The session just ended and I am wondering if
it is possible to put together some analysis or just a listing
of key issues, relevant cities, and how our local legislators
voted on those issues. And you and I talked before the meeting
a little bit about this and there are some problems about
amendments and stuff like that and maybe this is something
that the Iowa League can keep track of us well and make it
easier for the individual cities to follow their area
legislators. Is that a feasible idea?
Helling/ As I indicated, I think we can check with the League and
Legislative Services Bureau to find out what kind of
information they have. We do have the informationbut it is in
a variety of places and it would be rather difficult to pull
it up. Also the League will be coming out in the next
legislative bulletin probably with a list of all of the bills
that they see as relevant to cities that passed and then they
also indicate the ones that didn't pass. But, as you know,
there are probably at least 100 of those and it would be
helpful if we knew which ones you are most concerned about if
we are going to be-
Baker/ I will go through that list and it may be I don't know if
legislators take a position on bills that didn't even get
voted on.
Helling/ No but some of them would have been vote don and defeated
and then the entire vote is there so you can see who supported
it even though it may have been-
Baker/ It is a good idea to sort of narrow it down. I will go
through that list. Thank you. The second thing is I would like
to get some sense of the council's perception of the d.t.
plaza area maintenance~ Last weekend the weather was fairly
good and I was down there with my family and friends and the
place was just filthy and there was no polite way to describe
it. The trash was everywhere. Cigarette butts, graffiti. I
mean it looked- It was disappointing.
Lehman/ What time of day?
Baker/ This was mid-afternoon and it was a Saturday or a Sunday. I
talked to Steve earlier about what is- Is there some way that
we can get some regular clean up going certain times of the
year and I wondered, Steve, if you could talk a little bit
Thisrepresents only areasonably accuretetranscrlp~on ofthelowa Cidcouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
#24 page 4
about that?
Arkins/ I think you can. Obviously it is how many money you choose
to invest in maintenance. I checked after we visited, Larry,
and one critical element is we don't have our seasonal
employees yet. Because when we bring the seasonal employees we
double the size of the crew. We have two full time personnel
for the plaza year around, full time employees, and we hire at
least two seasonal employees and I agree with you, it is that
time of the year that things are blooming and the town is
prettier but there is still the grunginess, the sand off the
streets, doing all sorts of things. I am not so sure how we
could speed that process up anymore. I understand what you are
saying and I happen to agree with you. It does need some work.
And it is maintenance. It is not this bigger picture about
improving it. It is just-
Norton/ Spiffing it up.
Baker/ In my prior life I did actually have a job and the first job
I had as a teenager was Six Flags Over Texas and I was grounds
maintenance and we just had a area we just toured and if we
saw something we cleaned it up right away.
Arkins/ It is just a matter of how much you want to invest and we
have a lot of money invested in it. It is not a matter of it
can't be done- It is expanding that crew.
Baker/ I know we go through in the morning and clean stuff up but
you know, by the afternoon and evening, especially in better
weather when people are out using it, it really gets-
Lehman/ Last Saturday was a very unusual day. D.t. was absolutely
packed with people. I mean, of course, it was a nice day. It
was one of the few nice days we had. So I think perhaps the
clutter w~ prohah!y worse but overall I think the city does
a very good job. I mean, they are down there every morning
cleaning up and I think a day like Saturday where you have got
tons of people who have been out for 5-6 hours, you are right,
the stuff starts to accumulate.
Baker/ I don't want to say that this is- I don't think it is just
simply that particular day that I noticed this problem. It
occurred last year and discussed last year among various
people and it just seems like some sort of regular
maintenance, continual maintenance-
Thisrepresents only ereasonably accumte ~anscrlptlon of theiowa City council meeting of May7,1996.
F050796
#24 page 5
Atkins/ Within the resources I can assure you it is not for lack of
effort. It is just do we want to expand that effort and I
think we certainly can choose to do that.
Vanderhoef/ While we are looking at that one of the things that has
been mentioned to me many times is the people who use our
light posts in various places down there and the staplers, and
put up signs to advertise their events or their happenings and
some of them are in the bars, some of them are garage sales
and whatever else and even if they are taken down, they don't
remove the staples and they don't removed the paper part that
is left on the posts and it seems to me that whatever is
advertising in that way, if we sent it back with them and-
Atkins/ Dee, we have done that. If we find something that is
illegally posted, we make the point of taking it down and if
there is a phone number, Lisa will call them and remind them
that we have a spot for you on the plaza for you to post the
thing and it is dangerous. The wooden poles, we don't have too
many of those now. We will notify people-
Vanderhoef/ But there is no fine or-
Arkins/ It is a little- I mean, it is a little difficult after we
have torn it off.
Woito/ You can cite them for littering but it would-
Arkins/ It would be a bear for us.
Woito/ It would be difficult to enforce.
Vanderhoef/ I know it is difficult to enforce but when you see
certain places being advertised regularly.
Atkins/ I think it is similar to what Larry is suggesting. If you
have the regular habit if it goes up on the wrong pole, it
comes off, it sort of discourages that effort.
Baker/ My question to council was if there was any interest at
looking at some sort of employee. We are talking about
seasonal, part time, $5.00 an hour.
Arkins/ I haven't heard better than that.
Baker/ Okay, whatever.
Thisrepresents only ~ reasonably accurate ffenscrtpfion oftbelows City council meeting of May 7,1996.
F050795
#24 page 6
Norton/ I think we definitely need- I talked with some business
owners and some of them who think other business owners
perhaps don't do their part in helping take care-watching the
papers don't blow away and things of that kind. I have done
some pick up of my own. I think the season has come when that
place is the show case and if it is grizzly it is bad. We have
got to do what we can and it may take more resources than we
have.
Baker/ It may take more than once in the morning and-
Norton/ Yeah, another sweep.
Kubby/ I am hesitant to do this until budget time, frankly. Until
budget time to put this on a list of things to talk about even
though- because I spend some time d.t. and I think it needs
some help. But I am hesitant to spend regular money unless we
have talked about it in terms of-
Baker/ Budget time is next fall and we will go through spring and
summer and fall and I would like for Steve to at least give
Atkins/ I can put something together fairly quickly. I know what
you're interested in doing. We just simply have not committed
those kind of resources.
Baker/ I think somewhere in this budget we could find the money to
take of this season and-
Arkins/ I need to run some numbers for you.
Lehman/ Or see what it costs first.
Baker/ But that would be-
Kubby/ Are there other creative ways. For example, there are a lot
of people who don't serve jail time for certain offenses that
need to do community service and sometimes they have a hard
time finding. I don't know what the situation is now of some
community service to do because it is a low skill.
Baker/ Steve may come up with an alternative.
Atkins/ Community service is something that we have used in the
past but we do have to commit a supervisor. That is usually
the difficulty there. I mean, you can do it- I will rough up
Thts rapresenm only 8reasonably accuratetranscription ofthelow8 Citycouncil meetlngofMsy 7,1996.
F050796
#24 page 7
something. I will have it to you by next meeting. I will talk
to Terry right away. Okay.
Thornberry/ Are you advocating a local chain gang here?
Kubby/ No I am not. As someone who has done community service as a
sentence more than once, if I ever do that again, I will be
happy to donate it to the city next time.
Norton/ We could have the council meet down there about 1:00 every
day and make a run.
Kubby/ We were going to do that.
Lehman/ That is right. We talked about that.
Nov/ Larry, did you have anything else?
Baker/ Yeah, I don't do praise or adopt highways. Just as a follow
Upo As a follow to discussion that we began last night under
council time about a sense that we are going to start having
problems with apartment development in some of the older
neighborhoods and I talked to Karin Franklin this afternoon
and other members of the staff and I am wondering if the
council wants to follow up with direction to either P/Z or
staff to look into how the current development seems to be.
How our current regulations aren't addressing some of the
concerns that are happening out there now as far as apartment
development goes in established neighborhoods and it would
require some review of whether you are talking about bedroom
requlation, unit regulation, roomer regulation. But there
might be a way to head off some of the problems that we are
going to be getting more and more of in the future as far as
apartment construction in established neighborhoods. So I was
wondering if the council would be willing to at least direct
the staff to talk among themselves to see if there is
something they can-
Lehman/ I think it should be not limited to just established
neighborhoods. I think the questions that we were talking
about last night really are citywide.
Baker/ Start small but I agree with you 100%.
Vanderhoef/ Let's go the other way. Let's start big and then (can't
hear).
This represents only e reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#24 page 8
Lehman/ I agree. I think that is something we should be looking at.
Baker/ Site review is one of those for all apartments versus the
larger units. There are some pros and cons to that that we can
talk about as well. And basically just to get that proverbial
ball rolling.
Norton/ There was some consensus last night in that direction,
wasn't there?
Baker/ We didn't know how to solve it but we recognize the problem.
Nov/
And I agree with Ernie that it ought to be something that
applies to all apartments of a specific size, some other than
location kind of criteria.
Baker/ I was just concerned about demolition and then
reconstruction. But you are right, it is a city wide problem.
That is all I have.
Kubby/ So, but in your wanting some direction to staff, are you
including a discussion about the suggestion that if there is
a demolition permit in the area where there is possibly a
conservation or a potential historic area, that there be some
review there or some moratorium of demolition permits until
the process has gone through because that was part of our
discussion.
Baker/ I am not sure about a moratorium but I think that is
something that they ought to look at.
Kubby/ So they might come up with a whole list of options that
might be- That they could include that. Okay.
Baker/ Thank you, that is all.
This repmsente only e reasonably accurate tTanecrlptlon of th~ iowa City council meeting of May 7, 1996.
F050796
#25a page 1
ITEM NO. 25 REPORT
A~TORNEYo
a. City Manager.
ON ITEMS FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY
Nov/ Do we have anything from the City Manager?
Atkins/ One item that I just wanted to alert you to. You will be
getting in your info packet later on this week a copy of the
League of Iowa Cities magazine, I think it is called
Cityscape, they put out. I was approached about two weeks ago
and I'mentioned it to the mayor to serve on and I don't know
how they picked the color but it is a purple ribbon committee
on property tax reform. Why purple I don't know. Mayor Larry
Curtis of Ames will chair the committee and I have been asked
to serve as the vice-chair. The Legislature has pretty much
turned to the League of Cities and said you have been
complaining about property tax law in Iowa, let's see you
draft some hew legislation.
Kubby/ Great.
Arkins/ I suspect it is going to be sort of a big job in the sense
of there is going to be a lot of work involved but I really
think it will be a worthwhile effort and I was please to be
selected to do that. So, it just means a couple of more trips
to Des Moines but I wanted you to be aware of it. That is all
I have.
Nov/ Very good.
Kubby/ I think that purple comes from blue because you are all
qualified to do it and red because of the social aspects of
taxing.
Arkins/ I thought it was more regal.
Lehman/ Royal.
Norton/ Down right papal.
Arkins/ That is it. It is a papal committee on property tax reform.
Nov/ Okay.
Thisrepresents only a reasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa Citycouncil meeting of May 7,1996.
F050796
City Council Work Session Agendas and Meeting Schedule
IMay 6, 1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
Times Are Approximate
6:30 p.m.
6:45 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
8:25 p.m.
8:40 p.m.
8:45 p.m.
Review Zoning Matters
Redevelopment of Parcel 64-1a: Request for Proposals
Program for Improving Neighborhoods (PIN) Grants
Greater Iowa City Housing/Bums Project Proposal
Cottonwood/Yewell R.O.W.: Creation of Buildable Lot
Traffic/Safety Requests - Letoroe and Regina Schools
Soccer Complex Road
Traffic Signal for Timing Speakers at Council Meetings
Council agenda, Council time
Participation in July 4 Parade
Monday
Consider Appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission
M_ay 7, 1996
7:30 p.m.
Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers
Tuesday
blvl~y 13,1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
Sales Tax
IVlonday I
LIViay 20, 1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
LMay 21, 1996
7:30 p.m.
Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers
Tuesday
Tuesday
LIVlay 28, 1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Work Session - Chamber of Commerce Small Board Room
Meeting with Iowa City Area Development Group
June 3, 1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
Monday
IJune 4, 1996
7:30 p.m.
Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers
Tuesday
L June 6, 1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Work Session - Coralville City Hall
Meeting with Coralville City Council
Thursday
~un~e 17, 1996
6:30 p.m.
City Council Special Work Session - Council Chambers
Monday
June 11, 1996
7:30 p.m.
Special City Council Meeting - Council Chambers
Tuesday