HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-06-14 Transcription
June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session Page 1
June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session 6:30 PM
Council: Bailey, Champion, Elliott, Lehman, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn
Staff: Atkins, Dilkes, Dulek, Franklin, Helling, Karr, Matthews, O'Neil, Severson
TAPES: 04-41, SIDE TWO; 04-42, BOTH SIDES; 04-43, SIDE ONE
TAPE: 04-41, SIDE TWO
JOINT MEETING WITH AIRPORT COMMISSION
Commission: Randy Hartwig, Dan Clay, Carl Williams, John Staley arrived 6:45
Not present: John Krstenansky
Lehmani The Airport Commission and I think to kick it off, Randy, do you want to give us a
few, get us up to speed while you're here.
Hartwig/ I have an update on where we're at. I don't know, maybe first of all, I think I've met
the new Council members, but Randy Hartwig's my name, and the other two members
that are here tonight are Dan Clay and Carl Williams. And John Staley and John
Krstenansky--just getting better--couldn't make it tonight but, yeah, just to highlight a
few things that are. The environmental assessment we're still waiting on the FAA, and I
think we expect it any time, hopefully yet this month--isn't that? Yeah. And as soon as
that comes back, then we'll be able to get Earth Tech on board and start doing some
design work. Aviation Commerce Park at Thursday's meeting Scott Byers indicated that
they had three to four serious prospects, which is---
Lehmani Good.
Hartwig/ ...the first time we've had some positive news there. So hopefully that will show some
promise here in the near future. The strategic plan-- I'm at a bit of a loss here because
both John Staley and John Krstenansky along with Ron are working on that. I think
basically that we're at the point of forming some focus groups and hopefully we'll have
that in place so that we can proceed along with that. Just another new item-- I guess a
couple of items that you might not be aware of--the, we do have a new tenant down
there, Kim Brogan-Coleman is starting a flight instruction endeavor so hopefully that'll
be positive for her and the airport both. And what else--one other thing I was going to
mention is we are, I think, last Thursday they'd indicated that we may be able to get
some assistance on some fencing which would enable us to at least start a little park in
the north parking lot there. So that'll be positive too.
Vanderhoef/ Can you tell me on the new business down there, did she take the entire United
hanger or to rent the space, how does that all finally end up?
Hartwig/ Well, it's, she's got the office and I guess (can't hear) we're working on a lease for
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about half of that hanger which I think will make sense.
Vanderhoef/ And the other half---
Lehmani Don't sign too long a lease.
Hartwig/ What's that?
Lehmani Don't sign too long a lease.
Hartwig/ No, we didn't, and obviously made it you know apparent all along that we're, none of
us are sure of the duration of that facility and so it's, yeah, it's---
Vanderhoef/ Does the fix base operator then rent the other part of the---
Hartwig/ At this point, they chose not to. That was originally what they thought they might do.
Vanderhoef/ That's what I've been reading.
Hartwig/ Right.
Vanderhoef/ And she scaled back to allow that to happen and then it didn't happen.
Hartwig/ I don't, I think originally I think her original intention was just to rent part of it, as I
understand it, and then Jet Air was interested too, so we tried to put them together to
work something out, and I think Jet Air decided not to.
Lehmani Well, you know, as you are definitely aware and you're probably aware, last summer,
the Airport Commission requested funding for a strategic plan, which we did.
Hartwig/ Right.
Lehmani And that was presented, I think, last September or October.
Hartwig/ Right.
Lehmani And I think there has been over the years I've been on the Council and certainly I think
before that, there's a very strong commitment on the part of this City to the airport. We
feel it's a tremendous asset for the community. And I think the Council at least the ten
years I've been on the Council has been very, very supportive of the airport. And there
have been rough spots here and there. Council ultimately, whether we like it or not, we
get the credit or the blame for whatever happens down there even though the Airport
Commission by law is an autonomous body and functions under state law separately
from the Council aside from funding, which of course we do provide and I think we
partner pretty well when it came to that north airport commercial and that long-term, I
think that's going to be a really good move.
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Hartwig/ I do, too.
Lehmani But there has been discussions on the Council from time to time about the advisability
of the airport becoming a department of the City as opposed to an autonomous
operation. And that isn't to discount, I don't think for a heartbeat, the value of the
Commission and what they do for the operation of the airport and whether or not that
airport becomes a City department, obviously the Commission would be an invaluable
resource for the City. And my, although I've not discussed this with other Council folks
at any length, I think the Council needs to give some direction to the Commission as to
what our intentions are as far as the autonomy of the airport and if it' s going to continue
it as an autonomous body or whether it's going to be--we would like to see it become a
department of the City responsible to the City Manager.
Championl Ernie, that would mean that we would still probably have an Airport Commission,
it'd just---
Lehmani Well, absolutely, just like they are---
Championl .. .not be autonomous.
Lehmani Like Parks and Recreation and---
Championl Right, right.
Lehmani Those details would have to be worked out with the City Manager and Ron and the
Commission and that sort of thing, but the basic issue is whether or not we feel it should
become responsible directly to the City Manager and the Council.
Championl Well, I think it would not be a bad idea because we are using taxpayers' money and I
think we have to have a very good accounting of how that's being spent and why, and I
think people whether Steve Atkins is not running the airport but overseeing it or not, it's
he and us that gets blamed for the shortages, so I think we should, I mean, I seriously,
think it would not be a bad idea unless somebody can convince me that it should not be.
O'Donnell/ Well, how many of the members weren't here when that study was done?
Hartwig/ Well, actually, I was, I came on in March I think it was, but I think they had just
decided to go ahead with that--and I'm not trying to---
Lehmani Well, but you're the only one here---
Hartwig/ .. .get out of it. I'm the only one here.
O'Donnell/ OK, so with our new Commission we really haven't had an opportunity to
implement anything at this point.
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Lehmani Well, I think, ---
Hartwig/ Yeah, and specifically I think, you know, I would say that we're certainly more attuned
to putting out the good word about what's happening down there and witness. There was
a very positive article just recently in the Press-Citizen and so, but, yeah, specifically I
can't say we've--I guess I should amend that. I know that one of the major things that
ABS was, you know, in favor of was working out an agreement with the FBO to share,
you know, managing of the airport and Dan and I both have had, you know, discussions
with the manager and the owner down there, not only in terms of doing that, but maybe
doing other things cooperatively, and they're really very good to work with, I think right
now they're not--I don't know, Dan, you can offer your opinion here--I think right now
that they're not eager to take on those added tasks but that was a big part of their
reducing the subsidy.
Clay/ I think to back up a little bit. One thing I think is pretty clear and that is that with a new
Commission and all new members, I think you're working with a different set of people
and different dynamic than you had. In many ways, I think that's a good thing. The
group of people now, myself included, are really committed to positive growth at the
airport. I think we have many of the same values the City Council does, including much
better financial accountability for how the airport's run. For running its budget year to
year that is sound, it's not positive, and I think we've been working very hard for that
goal and understand that second only to keeping that airport open and safe, that's the
primary goal of this new group of people. And we've been working really hard and
moving in that direction, including working on a short-term and longer-term strategic
plan to make that happen with specific steps and treating it more like you would treat a
business instead of, you know, expecting to be subsidized by the City Council (can't
hear). I think what I'm hearing you say is that what's happening with the budget
shortfall there is that the City Council is being held accountable for a budget shortfall, a
budget under which they have very little control. Is that---
Championl That's exactly right.
Clay/ I wasn't clear. One of the things that wasn't clear to me before and that's really not clear to
me now is aside from that budget issue, is there, are there other issues that are related to
the way the airport's run that you think would make the airport better to be under the
City Council's control and have an Advisory Airport Commission?
Lehmani Well, when you say, first of all, I'm sorry--go ahead.
Bailey/ Go ahead, Ernie.
Lehmani I don't think we're presuming for a minute that it would be under City Council control.
I don't think any of us know enough about airports and I will also agree with you totally
that the complexion of this Commission, I think, and the effort you've had to put
forward is very, very much appreciated by the Council. I don't think Council has any
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interest in running an airport any more than we have of running a sewer plant or a water
plant or a bus system. We're not qualified for that and we know it. We have
Commissioners, Parks and Recreation Commissioners and whatever, who've become
very good at what they do. And they work with department heads within the City and
those departments work very, very smoothly. And I'm not all sure that the timing right
now isn't a great time for the City to partner with you folks. I think when the operation
of that airport, from what little I know about airports, the operation of that airport is
going to be influenced far more by the operation of it, by the Commission who
understands airports and how airports should be run. I think that when it comes to leases
and purchases and sales and rents and this sort of thing, we've got a lot of folks within
this building who could be tremendous help to you folks. I think we could make a great
team. But I also think that now is--it's a wonderful time if we feel as a Council, this
being a part of the City, it's a much better time for us to do that than for us to wait until
we get into some kind of a controversy where we've got unhappiness and whatever. It's
very smooth sailing right now. We've got a Commission working really hard; we've got
a Council that cares a great deal about that airport. This might be a great time from my
perspective, that these two form a partnership and move forward.
Elliott/ Regenia?
Bailey/ I just wanted to ask--I know that the people who are working on the strategic plan aren't
here this evening--but what's your timeline for that? Because that's, I think, one of the
points of accountability that I would be interested in seeing, and then getting a sense of
who will be involved in developing that outside of the Commission.
Clay/ I'll answer the best I can and each one is welcome to add whatever. When I first joined the
Commission, I read the report from ABS and was frankly somewhat disappointed in that
some of the recommendations seemed to be rejected outright without substantial
discussion. And I know there was discussion. I wasn't part of the Commission. That was
just my own view. I've come to learn that wasn't a real accurate view; but in some
respects, I think that notion is there. So our goal is to have this thing moving forward
quite rapidly. We've developed a timeline. We've gotten an independent professional
with some experience in managing the process of strategic development design. Our
plan is to have at least three small planning sessions with airport personnel, with the
tenants at the airport, one with business and community leaders and Chamber of
Commerce folks, maybe some of the major industry players in town here, to get a sense
for how they see the airport fitting into the strategic plans of those corporations. And I'm
forgetting who the third is, but we have a multi-step process that's going to involve input
and information and building more effective business relationships with some of the
community, which I think has been missing.
Bailey/ Mm-hmm.
Clay/ That's going to happen this summer. And the Commission is going to meet early this fall
into a series of gathering data, putting the data in the strategic plan, working with other
airport strategic plans both regionally and nationally, developing hopefully a first draft
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by sometime October, November, something like that. So, that's our goal. We've done
some research. We've got a person who's going, who is helping us plan who needs to be
at those planning meetings, what kind of business leaders, what kind of community
leaders need to be there. So we're treating it much like you would treat a business plan
for an emerging business to promote growth and development of the airport both short
term and then also long term, of course, too.
Bailey/ So I want to underline what Ernie said, the timing might be good, given this planning
process for the Council and the Commission to come together and work in a good
partnership to get the airport off the ground so to speak. I think that it's an asset that's
underutilized in the community and under-publicized. I think you look at something like
Parks and Rec and our trails system and those kinds of things; the airport could be the
same sort of thing for this community from a business perspective, and it's just not
there.
Clay/ Yeah, I agree. We unanimously have agreed that marketing's probably the most important
part of that strategic plan. The other thing I should say is that we've asked for the
College of Business's Entrepreneurial Center to assist us with the development of a
marketing plan and started the process for getting them involved, and that should start
when the fall semester starts in August or early September.
Bailey/ And so will the students be implementing that plan or will it be the Commission or the
manager or how---
Clay/ It will be a cooperative arrangement between the management and the Commission of the
airport and also with the people from the Entrepreneurial Center at the Business College,
which involves both faculty and students, I think students in the MBA program.
Bailey/ Mm-hmm.
Clay/ The other thing I wanted to add is that I can't agree with you more that I think it's critical
that the Commission and the City Council work together and I guess what I don't
understand is why we can't do that now with the government's arrangement like it is.
Why can't we do that without changing the government?
O'Donnell/ Because we had years when nothing happened, and I'm really prepared with this new
Commission to give them a tentative time to implement their business plan. It sounds
like you're headed in the right direction doing some good positive things and, you know,
I could sure see giving you an opportunity to see what you can get done.
Championl I could tell you--oh, I'm sorry.
Elliott/ From your comments just you completed a couple minutes ago, you said two words to
me that are magic words--business and marketing.
Clay/ Right.
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Elliott/ I think that the airport, as far as I can see, at least the bottom line, is it has not operated in
a businesslike manner. It has not marketed itself. Certainly there must be ways of the
airport--if it is as important as we feel it is to Iowa City--then the airport should be
earning some money. And I, unlike some people, don't think that I would care to have
the airport be totally self-sufficient. I think it would be in the City's best interest for the
airport to be having a very modest subsidy, and, but I think the marketing has not been
there. The businesslike operation has not been there. If the airport is valuable to the
community, I think we have never as far as I know, seen anything that quantifies that--
how important is it to the City?
O'Donnell/ Right.
Elliott/ We can't just say it's important and let it go at that. How important is it?
O'Donnell/ We did ask the previous Commission or many members of it to justify--to let us
know what you do, how many transplants come in and out, how many flights, how many
businesses in our community use it on a regular basis? I'd still like to see that
information.
Wilburnl I'd like to check up a little further from what Ernie was saying to you all. We're talking
about transition and a transition time with the new Commission and as Mike was saying,
for whatever reason, there was a looser relationship, you know, perhaps because of
Council, perhaps it's, you know, both relationships, when we started this conversation a
couple of years ago, a year and a half, two years ago, one of the I guess the parallel we
looked at was the relationship with the library. And I think a critical piece that we're
missing right now--I mean, that's the type of relationship we're, you're looking at--
hopefully, could have been, should have been in place before. I think a critical piece
though is time. And I think sooner rather than later we need to try and support the
Commission support the airport, to get those other pieces in place and furthering on with
the strategic plan. You know, the library has a foundation now. They have a lot more;
you know, there's a history of that type of activity going on. And I see no reason why
that can't be accelerated by it being put to the voters that, you know, should the Airport
Commission be directly under the jurisdiction of the City Manager? And I think that
would accelerate it. I think if we take an attitude that we're going to look forward to
building, again with some of those similar kinds of activities but because of the history,
because of where it's been, I don't think we can wait. As a Council member I'm not
willing to wait because as you pointed out, more and more we're being held responsible
and accountable for those dollars that are going out. So I would support what it is you're
suggesting that we do, Ernie.
Lehmani You know, the other thing, what you're, I'm sorry, Dee, you go ahead; then I'll make a
comment. Dee, you're getting boxed in here. Go ahead.
Vanderhoef/ I've been very quiet. First off, Dan, do you see a problem in changing the emphasis
of what the Commission does if we were to go over to the other kind of arrangement?
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Clay/ Right. Truthfully, I think, I think everything you want you're going to get with the
Commission. I think we've made some (can't hear) steps that way, and if its increased
accountability, you'll get it as long as I'm on the Commission, I can promise you that.
What I'm afraid is going to happen is if this goes before a vote is it's going to really
polarize the community with the airport supporters and the non-airport supporters. I
think that nothing good can come from that. I'm afraid that what's going to happen is
you're going to have a very vocal group of aviation supporters who think the City
Council is going to close the airport. Now, I know that's not going to happen. But you're
going to have that. And I think that regardless of which way the vote ends up going, the
kind of positive relationship that you're looking for with the Commission, it's not going
to happen like it can happen now, just with the Commission under the current
administrative arrangement. Now, that's not to say I think that it's a totally bad idea; I'm
not saying that. But I'm thinking that if the goal is to have a more responsible
Commission, to have a better working relationship and to bring the community, the
aviation and business community together, that putting this on a referendum is going to
take us the other direction. That's my personal view.
Vanderhoef/ OK. Well, following up on that, what, I'll tell the Commission what I've been
thinking and why I'm thinking it. Having had experience of about seven years on Parks
and Recreation before I came on Council and certainly Parks and Recreation budget is
equally a difficult one to manage. But as a Commission, the Commission reviewed that
budget knowing what dollars were there for projects, say, but we were more interested in
all the things that you spoke about early on, about the marketing and the visibility and so
forth, and being a five-person Commission and having a life besides Airport
Commission, I thought it would probably enhance your ability to move forward with the
things that you are well trained in and able to do, if we can leave the day-to-day
management and budget consideration with the City. So, my feeling when I talked to the
folks out on the campaign trail and as people have talked to me about airport over the
years, it's--while I'm not sure that they understand or look at their budget when they
want to do something and as you heard this evening, the buck falls here if the budget
doesn't match up--and I don't know that we will ever get where it's self-supporting, but
certainly in tight budget times we've got to be more on point with that. So, all the things
that we can partner with using other staff members, because, frankly, your staff is very
small. And if too much of that is being spent going over and over the budget versus
doing these other things that I think you're all very, very capable of doing--then I'm
going to go towards changing the form and turning you guys loose to really do the things
that have not been done because it's been bogged down with budget review.
Lehmani I think what you're talking about doing, you are marginally would continue to do, what
you're talking about is precisely what Parks and Recreation is asking us for. They want
to do a master plan of the entire City. And I think that has our ear and we'd like to do
that and as soon as we get the money, we're going to do that. So, you're basically doing
what like to do. And I do think you make a very, very good point. If there's a
referendum, there's going to be obviously different opinions. How the public perceives
that referendum is going to be largely determined by the position that the Commission
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takes on it. If you are vocally opposed to that, we're drawing lines that are going to be
difficult to live with whether the referendum passes or doesn't. Ifwe partner in this
thing, and this is an airport that belongs to the community, it's going to be governed, it's
going to be responsible to the City, but it's going to be run by, with the advice and
counsel of a Commission such as yourselves, which I think is a very, very good group of
folks. I think the public can be very comfortable with that. I know Council can be
comfortable with it and I would trust that the Commission could be comfortable with it.
But it's going to be, you know, if this turns into--and it's going to be a battle, there's no
question--there are some folks, for whatever reason and I don't understand this, the
Commission has consistently not trusted the City Council. In the ten years I've been on
the Council, we have never not worked with the Commission. If you want to build a new
hanger, you get the leases, we build the hanger. We decided that the terminal building
was awful and it was at our suggestion and our action to renovate the terminal building
and it cost them about $800,000. That wasn't even asked for by the Commission. So, I
think the support of the airport by this Council and the previous Councils for many years
has been very, very strongly supportive of the airport and of the Commission. The
Commission, on the other hand, has not trusted the Council, and I really don't know
why. But I do think that given the situation we have now with what I think I regard as a
group of very dedicated Commissioners who really care about that airport, a Council
who I feel feels the same way, think the opportunity is now for us to partner and put this
thing together rather than wait until we get another, you get another--and in all fairness
to a previous Commission--some of the surprises that we got, I do not believe were the
fault of the Commission. It was a fact that we were not involved. We were told about
things after the fact. We weren't there when it happened. Had we been there, the result
might have been exactly the same. But it didn't foster good relationships between the
Commission and the Council. So---
Wilburnl I could add two other points. I think Dee is right that the Parks and Rec would be the
hope, my hope that, of the relationship that I hope that you all would look for. They
don't get everything they want, but there certainly have been even through that some
positive things that have happened around the City where there have been even
controversy within that; you know, the soccer fields that are down south of town
certainly a big hit, and West High, congratulations to West High by the way, for the
state title. So I mean, you know, that was even within that they didn't get everything
they wanted because there was an attempt to have softball diamonds placed out there. So
you know hopefully that's the relationship that you could look forward to. Secondly, and
you know, you are some newer Commissioners, I thank you for the work that you've
been doing. I don't want you to take it as a negative on my part toward you for looking
for this change in relationship. This is something that I should have, probably should
have done a couple of years ago. We talked about it and I backed off, but you know, I
think this is something that needs to happen.
Championl It's only involved and important that the Airport Commission knows that the veteran
Council people up here have been very supportive of the airport. We've been very
supportive of it. And I think the frustration that we have is that the past couple of years
has not been very good. What is the timeline for putting this on a referendum? Eleanor,
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can you answer that? How much time do they have before we have to make a decision?
Dilkes/ Council can put it on the ballot on its motion. It can go at a regular City election or at a
general election. Possibly to special, although I don't know why you'd want to do that.
Lehmani That's right.
Dilkes/ And there's some ambiguity about whether you could put it on a special if it didn't come
on by petition. But on your own motion, as early as November of2004--ofthis year.
Championl Or we could probably do it at the next City Council election.
Dilkes/ That would be an option as well.
O'Donnell/ Well, I would like to see it then at the next City Council election, if we do it, is like I
said I would like to give this Commission an opportunity to see what they can do
because I think we're holding them responsible for what an old Commission has done,
and I'm hearing some really good things tonight.
Lehmani Well, we heard very good things the last time we talked about it and the results were
not good, and I would personally feel that we have a very good relationship with this
Commission. I would like to see that continue. I would like to see us partner with them,
and I would personally favor putting on the November ballot.
O'Donnell/ I would not.
Vanderhoef/ I would--I don't want to wait till a year from November. I would say put it on this
fall and we'll find out how people feel about it. But I'm willing to go out with
Commissioners and talk to people and promote us as a team, if that would be something
that you would choose to have Councilors do. I think you'd get a lot of Councilors to go
out and help.
Williams/ Part of the things is, if I could just throw this out, I know that in talking to past
Commissioners and stuff that there were lines drawn in the sand and timelines and
different things, and I understand that budgets are very important. But I simply want to
reiterate you have a brand new Commission here who want to do absolutely everything
in conjunction with the City Council. We have wanting to be a team right from the get-
go. But we also are asking your patience, since we are brand new, it's a learning curve.
We have all brought different, I think, expertises to the table. We want the opportunity
to use those and show everybody, not just the Council, that we can do things that may
have never been done before and I think we need the opportunity to do that, and I'm
simply asking that. I mean, we need to have some time to do the things we've already
started and we don't--we just need 100 percent commitment from the Council to let us
do that.
Lehmani Do you think that a change in governance would change that?
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Williams/ I don't know.
Lehmani I would hope that it would not.
Vanderhoef/ I wouldn't expect it to.
Elliott/ I'm sitting here and I don't feel strongly either way. I would rather have a referendum at
a time when the greatest number of voters is expected to poll at the general election. I
would also think it would be good if we could provide the new Commission with about
12, approximately 12 months' opportunity to show what they have. But I'm also
thinking, I'm hearing this discussion and it seems almost academic to me. What is the
difference except that if it is brought more directly under City control, you would have
greater access to people with financial expertise and budgeting for a municipal entity
and it just seems to me I'm hearing academic arguments that may not be all that
important. But whenever it appears that there may well be a referendum; whenever that
happens, I hope that the Council and the Commission come together and tell the people
that this is something we have all agreed on. We want Iowa City to have a well-run,
businesslike service-oriented, nearly self-supporting airport. And we're looking for the
best way to do that.
Clay/ I guess my question is I don't understand, our manager of our airport does not have access
to consultation with these people you're talking about without the change in
government? That's what I understand. Why does it take a change in government to get
where you're wanting to go?
Lehmani I don't know.
Vanderhoef/ There's some things that we can do at every Council meeting if something needs to
be, has to be reacted to quickly, for instance, and you have a once a month meeting and
then by the time you've decided on what you're asking for, then it comes and it has to
get put onto our schedule. It's a very cumbersome project, and meanwhile, Council may
or may not know what you've been talking about. Our first glimpse is when it shows up
in the minutes of your meetings.
Elliott/ Ron, I've, we've been sitting here and the person with more experience than any of us,
I'd be interested in hearing you reflect a bit. Unless that puts you too much on the spot.
O'Neill No, I, one thing I, the Commission does have access to the rest of the City staff. One of
the differences is now is that it's an enterprise fund, and they get, I get access-- I talk to
the rest of the City staff all the time, go to City staff meetings once a week. And if I have
a need for expertise, I don't hesitate to call someone. The, I think, being an enterprise
fund, and a lot of this all came forward with the fact that it was a budget issue. I think
that's what started this latest round of things.
Elliott/ You bet.
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O'Neill An enterprise fund there is an expectation that that department or that division or
whatever is going to make money.
Championl It's not going to make money.
O'Neill Well---
Lehmani Generate some cash.
Elliott/ Generate.
O'Neill To break even. An enterprise fund--I'm not sure if they still use that term now or not.
Vanderhoef/ To pay for the services provided by--that's the enterprise.
O'Neill So I think that expectation has skewed this somewhat over the years, but if we use the
City Attorney's office or if we use some other City services, now the airport gets
charged for that---
Championl Oh, not all the departments.
O'Neill ...interdepartmental thing. Well, that expertise--well, no, not all departments do get
charged back to each other's department. Is that correct, Steve, or not?
Atkins/ Ask the question again.
O'Neill All City departments don't get charged for work that other City departments do, is that
correct?
Atkins/ All City departments don't get charged for---
Championl They all do.
Vanderhoef/ They all do.
Atkins/ No, they do not. I'm not so sure how to answer the question.
O'Neill If the enterprise fund---
Atkins/ Can I tell you just one thought? It's currently an enterprise fund.
Lehmani Right.
Atkins/ Because it generates income.
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Lehmani Right.
Bailey/ Mm-hmm.
Atkins/ You subsidize that fund. It does not have to be an enterprise fund. That's your choice,
and personally I don't believe that has much to do with your debate. It's an operational
thing. Maybe I can help a little bit. Some of this might hurt. I think one of the things that
I heard from Council members was, for example, when the Jet Air agreement was
negotiated, we were not sufficiently part of it. We, collectively, the organization, and a
number of you expressed concerns about that. If the change in governance had been
reporting through me to you, the lease may be negotiated by this Commission but
approved by you. And I think that changes the transparency of what goes on at the
airport. They're not doing anything bad. It just makes greater public exposure. And
again, what you've indicated to me in the past, is that the level of subsidy continues to
rise, that issue of transparency and other budget issues, it seems to me that what you're
saying is that organizationally, an advisory body who can make all the recommendations
they want, propose programs, do all the things, for example, like the Commission, but
ultimately, you are going to decide what resources are going to get assigned.
Championl You know, I think it's great that we have this really well-put-together Commission
now, but what about ten years down the road? We could be back to where we were. And
I don't mean to malign the old Commissioners. They worked very, very hard, but you
know what, they're not managers. They're Commissioners. They are people with a life.
So I think it's worth bringing it under, directly under the City. I personally think it's a
very positive thing to do and I've thought so for a couple of years. I kept waiting we
wouldn't have to make this decision, that things would just get better, and we're still
subsidizing at a really high rate.
Lehmani What would be the downside of the airport being a department of the City. 1---
Clay/ Two things come to mind immediately, first of which putting this on the referendum---
Lehmani Forget that. What's the downside of the---
Clay/ Regardless of the outcome, it's going to be problematic because it's going to polarize. The
other thing is the same argument that you just used and that is, how do we know who the
City Council's going to be ten years from now and whether or not they want to close the
airport?
Lehmani You don't know that right now.
Clay/ And that's what the aviation community is telling us.
Lehmani But that is the way it is right now regardless of who has the governance of the airport.
If Council decides not to subsidize the airport, it's not, any time in the last 30, 40, 50
years, any Council that decides not to fund the airport, the airport's gone. So, the
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governance has nothing to do with whether or not the airport stays open or closed.
Clay/ I'm telling you what people are telling me, Ernie, because you asked me.
Lehmani I know because I hear ---
Clay/ People--they don't trust that the City Council is going to support the airport like you say.
Lehmani Right.
Clay/ And I'm not saying I don't, I'm saying this is what the aviation community is telling us
and so we're listening to them. And I think it's important to listen to them and convey
that message to you. I don't agree with it. I don't think that's going to happen, but you
asked me what I think and I'm telling you that's what I'm hearing. And you know many
times over the last few months there have been opportunities to say and do positive
things for the airport, both by the Commission and the City Council, and I think it's
absolutely critical regardless of who ends up being in charge of what, that the Council
and the Commission remain united in positive support. Now, every time I hear
somebody say, I've always supported the airport, I cringe because I'm afraid the second
part of that sentence is not going to be good. Like let's just cut their budget and send
them a message. Now, if you really supported the airport, that's not the way you support
it. Right? We wouldn't do that. The new Commission is committed toward a positive
working relationship with honest, direct, and more frequent communication with
Council. That's what we expect from ourselves, and that's what you can expect from us,
too.
Championl We did not cut your budget this year but we cut a lot of other departments.
Lehmani Yeah, we did.
O'Donnell/ We cut---
Bailey/ And I made that motion to cut the budget, and I did want to send a message. And my
message was there needs to be more accountability, and I'll say that to all of you right
now. You take recommendations from ABS and from my thinking there's not enough
satisfaction in how those are going to be carried out. I mean, read the responses, and yes,
we can carry that out. But if there's no timeline, that's not really an action plan. That's
an agreement that, yes, that's feasible. So what I ask you about the strategic plan is
exactly what I want to see when it's a timeline, I want to see when it's going to happen,
when it hits the deadline, and I think that's what we all want to see. I think there are
varying degrees of how long some of us are willing to wait to see that. I believe the
airport is an asset, and I believe it's an asset on the same level as our Parks and
Recreation, and I think that they serve very well under the direction of the Council. So I
don't understand fully the concerns that what would happen if we had that relationship
that was more similar to that because I think we've got a stellar system here when it
comes to Parks and Rec. I mean, you can look forward to that kind of publicity and
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public visibility if that relationship develops. And so I don't understand the reluctance.
Wilburnl The other piece to that before you respond is, I'm going to build on the example that
the City Manager gave about the Council being more intimately involved with approval
of a contract arrangement, charging fees and etcetera, a future Commission type thing
would do. If the Council is more intimately involved in final approval on that, then I
personally feel there's more internal justification as a Council member, there's more
reasoning I can go through so I don't have to say, well, am I going to fund, yes or no?
Here's your money or no, like, well, you know, I was involved, I gave approval for
those fees, those field fees so I've got to live with this request. So I believe it gets more,
it gives you greater options other than yes, or justification for a decision, you know.
Let's cut the request by 10 percent. There's no basis for that but this allows one to look
at the budget in full context and balance with other fiscal resources of the City to make, I
think, a more appropriate decision.
Bailey/ And not just have a relationship at budget time, along the way as decisions or
recommendations come forward, we have an opportunity to participate in that and be an
advocate in the community for those kinds of things that are being decided and I think
that gives us a stronger advocacy role for the airport. I think we're all advocates for the
airport. I wish we could dispel the myth that Council wants to close the airport.
Vanderhoef/ I think we did show exceptional support when we funded above and beyond the
budget to do the study and get the report, and I'm with Regenia, that the lack of action or
the seeming dismissal of some of the action steps that might have made some changes
quicker certainly didn't happen or were sort of dismissed and that's not this
Commission, so I'm not laying that on you folks.
O'Donnell/ So, we have funded a study but we're not willing to give the new Commission time
to see what they can do with it?
Vanderhoef/ Well, I think we'll have those same kinds of things happening because from what I
hear on your action plan, what you're talking about, you are targeting exactly the things
that some of us would have liked to see happen the last ten years.
O'Donnell/ Well, it sounds like there's at least four here that want to move this thing forward, so
I think we're kind of---
Clay/ Are you asking the Commission for something now or are you---
TAPE 04-42, SIDE ONE
Clay/ deciding what to do?...you were saying something about the Commission's view on this,
that, I mean, obviously, as a Commission we'll have to take the information under
discussion. But what would really help in that discussion, I think, is if we could get a
written document from you all that really articulated clearly what the rationale for this is
so that we have a better informed discussion on the Commission and we also can have a
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better informed perspective when we discuss this with people in the aviation
community, that may be very opposed to it.
Lehmani Well, let me say I'm, I don't think there's any question there's going to be a significant
number of folks who are, when you say the pilot study at the airport, the Council's going
to close the airport. Do you tell them that the Council said that they won't?
Clay/ I think we---
Lehmani Because I don't think we will but one of the things that I think that was particularly
disconcerting from my viewpoint. We got the report back from the Strategic Planning
Committee. Every single Commissioner but one resigned. Now, what does that tell us?
We're responsible for that airport. That is a huge asset to this community. We care about
that airport. Now I think we're very, very fortunate to get some good folks on the
Commission. We'd love to see you guys on the Commission and we'd like to partner
with you, but I don't want another report coming out and all of a sudden we have the
entire Commission resign because they don't like the report. That was really tough to
swallow from a Council person's perspective. These people begged us for the report.
Over the City Manager's objections, we funded it. And then when we didn't get the
answers we wanted, the whole Commission resigned.
Championl Well, we didn't get the answers they wanted.
Lehmani Right. But in any case, that's unacceptable.
Clay/ But that's the thing we're asking is, that's in the past. It's done.
Lehmani Right.
Clay/ Give us an opportunity to go forward....
Lehmani But if we're partners, we're partners, we don't have to worry about it and neither do
you.
Clay/ And we want that.
Lehmani And I think if we go into this together and we partner together and we support this,
we're going to have a much, well, I think we've got a really good airport. I was going to
say a much better airport. I don't know if we can get much better because I think we do
a great job. But I think we can do even better. But I think we'll do better as a team than
we do right now, and I will support putting it on the referendum and I think largely the
reaction of the public is going to be determined by how the Council approaches this and
how the Commission approaches it. If the Commission says this is a terrible idea, the
Council has no business getting into this, they don't know the first thing about airports,
and we polarize folks, it's going to be a difficult situation. It's going to be difficult at
best. I mean, there are going to be folks who aren't going to like this. But I think if the
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Commission and the Council support each other on this, this can be something that will
work to everybody's mutual advantage. And I don't think it's fair for us as a Council to
talk about placing this on the ballot without first just meeting with you folks, which is I
think is why we're meeting tonight.
Williams/ But I think what Dan was asking about is what does partnering folks mean? Is there
specifics or is it just a generality or---
Lehmani You know, this is something that I think from a line of command or a line of
responsibility Council needs to have, if we're going to be responsible for what happens,
we need to have at least some input. The bottom line--this is going to be between the
City Manager, the airport manager, and the Commission, just as the Parks and
Recreation Commission is between the Commission, the Parks and Rec director and the
City Manager. I mean, it's a department of the City. They seem to work extremely well
together. It's a very, very productive Commission, and we get all kinds of applications
for it; people are dying to get on it. It is a great Commission and I have--the actual
operation of how it's going to function, that's going to be set up just like any other
Commission. And I have no reason to think it wouldn't run as well as any other City
department does, and I think we do pretty well. Other comments?
Staley/ I have some comments.
Lehmani Yes, John.
Staley/ Sorry I couldn't get here at the start of the meeting.
Lehmani It's all right.
Staley/ I picked up what the nature of the discussion is. Just reflecting back, I think you know,
Ernie, and let's see you were with us in February, and we had an open discussion on this
whole issue of changing the structure of the governance for the airport. And the things
that impressed me is the new member on the Council and I think you all know that the
average tenure on the Council is probably under six months for those of us that are on
the Council. But a few of the things that impressed me was how committed to the
Commission concept are so many people that now are involved with the airport. It's a
real hot button issue. I don't know why it's such a hot button issue. I know one of the
things that was brought up that night was the experience in Chicago when Mayor Daley
closed an airport within the City and I think that stimulated some thought that that could
happen here.
Elliott/ Good-bye Meekes field.
Staley/ Yes. So, that certainly was one issue. I think we want to be very responsive to the
Council's wishes. Dan, I think, did an excellent job articulating what our planning
process will be in response to Ms. Bailey's motion that we, that our income needed to
increase by $10,000 because the subsidy would decrease by $10,000. I think we've
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almost met that with the work we've done so far. The one thing that I would ask you to
perhaps consider in looking at timing for placing for the issue of governance on a ballot
is what impact that might have on the work that we're intending to do. We, one point
that was made with us that night in February was that we were all new and how could
we take up an issue like changing the governance structure with just a few of us on the
Councilor on the Commission and with an average tenure as limited we had? When that
motion that was introduced that night failed for lack of a second, we haven't addressed
that issue since then. So I would say, at least in my case, I'm no more knowledgeable
about the whole issue than I was at that time. And I think Dan has articulated some of
the questions we have on our mind. But I would say this, if we take that issue up,
certainly that's going to have some impact on a process for getting the strategic plan
accomplished and getting our business plan executed. So that, to me, is perhaps the most
significant factor that ought to be considered in thinking about this issue of when it
would come before the voters.
Lehmani OK. Any other comments by Councilor Commissioners?
Clay/ I just wanted to restate my question. I'm not clear exactly what (can't hear) for the
Commission right now if anything.
Lehmani My sense is this is more of an informational sort of meeting so you know, I mean,
we're verbalizing what has been discussed for probably the last two or three or four
years off and on. At least you're up to speed and you know where Council has been and
I'm not sure you know where we are and I'm not sure you know where we're going. Nor
do I know that for sure. It would be well, I think, that you perhaps--when do you meet
next?
Hartwig/ July 15th, I think.
Lehmani Well, certainly it's something you might want to discuss but I--the last thing we need is
a polarization between the Council and the Commission. And, you know, I think we're
all too good a people for that, and I think we're all looking for the same thing. So--I'm
sorry.
Vanderhoef/ Do we have the date, the last possible date to put it, something on the ballot for this
fall?
Dilkes/ We don't have the exact date, but it's typically at the very end of August.
Lehmani Right.
Vanderhoef/ OK.
Dilkes/ And you have to do a formal resolution. Right now the last meeting you could do that at
would be your August 3rd.
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Vanderhoef/ All right. OK. Thank you.
Lehmani We're going to let this thing ride for a little bit. You guys discuss it. I think there will
be some more discussion at least not all the Council, staff level will get to you a memo
of some sort. But at least you know what we're thinking.
Clay/ But you'd like to hear something back from the Commission as a group in terms of our
part---
Lehmani What I really would like to know personally, I don't know about the rest of the
Council, I don't see the downside. Ifwe're all trying to do the same thing, then I really
don't see the downside. And I can see a plus side from the City's perspective in that we
would and I think Regenia verbalized it very well, if the City is involved when leases
and whatever come up, we will know what's going on and I think the commitment to the
airport, it's probably going to, the more we know about it, my guess is the more
supportive. You know, you get the, right now, we deal with the Airport Commission
basically once a year we get a budget or if something bad happens, and suddenly we
meet or you want, we want to build a new hanger. Other than that, there is no
interaction, so I don't know that you could say--the Council has been very supportive
whenever we've been approached, but we've not been approached that very--we, and to
your credit and the last Commission's credit. You guys have run on a--you approached
the Council occasionally has been when bad things happened and that's kind of what we
don't like. So, you guys talk about it; we'll talk about it some more and we'll get back.
Hartwig/ Thank you.
Bailey/ Thank you.
Lehmani Thank you very much. Yes. Well, go ahead--do you want to take five?
Vanderhoef/ Yeah.
Lehmani All right. We're going to take five minutes.
(BREAK)
MECCA-ICARE PRESENTATION
Lehmani Let's get started. The first, the next item will be a presentation from ICARE. Jean Bott
will give us the skinny.
Bott/ OK. Well, I'll tell you when I arrived at 6:30, I had nothing prepared but I have now.
Lehmani You had plenty of time, didn't you?
(Laughter)
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Bott/ Yes.
Lehmani We apologize for giving you that much time.
Bott/ Well, however, I cannot read my handwriting very well so--let me just tell you a little bit
about myself and ICARE. It will be short. I am a board member ofICARE and I have
been a board member for one year. However, I've been a volunteer for ICARE 18 years.
And ICARE, I assume, I'm assuming that you all know that it's an agency in Iowa City
that serves people with HIV or AIDS. And 18 years ago when I started volunteering for
ICARE, our, we spent our time helping people cope with the disease and face death.
Since then, with the introduction of drugs and basically drugs, people live longer.
However, that doesn't necessarily, what that has done is change what ICARE does with
its days because instead of helping people face death, we now help them face living.
And because of the symptoms of the drugs or the symptoms of the disease itself, not all
of our clients can work full-time or even part-time. Basically, right now what ICARE
does is case management. And for some people they don't know what that means--I, a
year ago didn't know much about what that means--so let me just give you an example
of one client that we've been serving for the last couple of months. We were contacted
by another human service agency that they had this person who AIDS, had no place to
live, had no resources, no money. Our case worker met with him, helped him find a
place to live, and through a federal grant, a HUD grant, that we have we're able to pay
his rent; we're able to buy him some food and so we introduced him to the food bank.
We provide transportation to help him get to his appointments at University Hospitals
and he, because he had no place to live and no resources, he had not been following, he
had not been taking his medicine and he was pretty sick. And so we helped him get his
prescriptions and just today I ran errands with him, and he is strong enough now that he
was talking today that he was talking today about trying to find part-time work. So that's
the kind of work we do with the clients. So, another example of what some of our
volunteers do, last fall we had a client who after a number of years finally his disease
came, overwhelmed him, and he died, and his only surviving, the only people close to
him left were his elderly parents. ICARE volunteers went into his home, sorted through
his belongings, gave to his parents what they thought they may want, and we took the
rest of the belongings and gave them to other human service agencies, to other people in
the community we thought that could use them. So, that's the kind of things that ICARE
does. About a year ago when I joined the board, and one would wonder why I did this,
but ICARE was faced with a major deficit, and the board at that time decided to be
proactive about it and do something about it. So we cut spending, we worked on, we
increased our fund raising, and we turned the deficit from last year, this year we've had,
we have a profit. However, it was a tough year. By cutting our funding that also means
we didn't fill at least one position and so a lot of, our one employee, we've had to work
very hard plus we relied a whole lot on volunteers to provide services that normally a
paid position would do. So, we, even though we were cutting funding, we saw our
request for services was increasing and so we knew we had to do something about it. So
the board explored a lot of options in the last nine months and in March, we entered an
agreement with MECCA to have MECCA acquire ICARE and help us meet our
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June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session Page 21
overhead and be able to increase our services as opposed to decreasing them. This was a
tough struggle because we tried real hard to look a lot of options to remain independent,
but we kind of saw the writing on the wall. Some funding had been cut. Our overhead
was increasing and I think it's a situation a lot of us are facing, a lot of agencies are
facing, a lot of us are facing personally--so we feel real good about this right now. Hope
MECCA feels real good about it. And we're entering the next fiscal year with hopes to
actually serve more people. Did 1--1 just rambled.
Lehmani No, I think you did a good job.
Bott/ Why, thank you.
Elliott/ How long has that union existed?
Bott/ Between us and MECCA?
Elliott/ And MECCA.
Bott/ Well, there's a little bit of a story here. It's short. A number of years ago when I was 30
pounds lighter, MECCA and ICARE did have a relationship where MECCA helped
ICARE out with grants and administering payroll and such, and then that was probably
late' 80s, sure, and then off and on through the years, there would be some programming
together. But we just in March started to actively pursue joining MECCA and it's
hopefully, formally it will be July 1 st.
Lehmani July 1st of this year?
Bott/ Mm-hmm, of this year.
Lehmani OK.
Elliott/ Thank you.
Lehmani Thank you.
Championl How many clients do you serve?
Bott/ So far this year we have served 240 different individuals. Some of those are family
members of people with AIDS. The other striking piece of information that is affecting
us about AIDS is that we used to be like 80 percent men and 20 percent women. We are
now almost--it's almost 50-50.
Elliott/ Johnson County, how far out do you go?
Bott/ Well, it depends upon what programming. Our federal funding for housing we can serve 21
counties, but like something like 82 percent of our clients are in Johnson County.
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Championl Thank you.
Vanderhoef/ Do you have a feel for the amount of people who migrate here because of the
excellent services, health services within the City?
Bott/ There are, I can't give you a number, but there are a great deal, a number of people who
may not necessarily come to Iowa City but they come to this part ofIowa so they're
within driving distance of University Hospitals.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm.
Bott/ That's certainly true.
Vanderhoef/ So, what do you see in other parts ofIowa, you say we're 21 counties--are there
strong programs other places in this state and---
Bott/ Similar to medical programs, is that what you're---
Vanderhoef/ Well, services like ICARE has traditionally given.
Bott/ OK. There are case management programs in the Quad Cities. There's one Rapids AIDS
project in Cedar Rapids and there's the Des Moines AIDS project. And there's also one
in Black Hawk County whose name isn't coming to me right now. And there's one in
Sioux City which is---
Vanderhoef/ Western.
Bott/ ...way over there.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm. So, it isn't like we're the only community center for treatment of AIDS
patients.
Bott/ No. Right.
Vanderhoef/ Thanks.
Bott/ Thank you.
Lehmani Thank you, Jane.
Vanderhoef/ I guess before she sits down, I would just like to commend ICARE for looking at
and recognizing how the times are changing and looking for a full-time partner rather
than slowly die a death or lose the services, so you can be commended for moving
forward in a real positive way. Thank you.
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Schut/ And MECCA is happy to have them. So, I'm Art Schut from MECCA and I think you
have a handout--you should have a couple sheets, one that has budget numbers and one
that has just a laundry list of different kinds of services. I can skip through some of those
services real quickly and add a couple items, if you'd like. Is that OK to do?
Lehmani Fine.
Schut/ We do prevention and early intervention. We have the public health contract for the State
Public Health Department for the four-county region that includes Cedar, Iowa,
Washington, and Johnson counties for public health prevention. We do that with a
variety of other community groups. Most of the United Way agencies. We do a variety
of things in the Iowa City Community School System. We actually have on-site people
in both West and City High, and we do a broad range of things with the at-risk folks at
the school system and United Action for Youth and also as well as some other folks.
Detoxification--we operate a freestanding detoxification program; it's one of three in
Iowa. There's one in Davenport and one in Fort Dodge, and we do a variety of detox
including civil committals that used to be transported by the sheriff s department,
requiring a couple deputies out of town to Mount Pleasant, although Mount Pleasant no
longer does that. So, it, basically we do that as a way to actually cut costs in terms of
something that would have to happen in a more expensive environments. We do
evaluations for a broad range of folks including folks that are picked up for drunk
driving, and then we have a continuum of care that ranges from 24 hours seven days a
week. You can't leave the building kind of inpatient stuff, to halfway to transitional
care. And a variety of different outpatient services ranging from daily groups to once a
week to once a month. Continuing care, after care, we have a women and children's
after, wraparound service that targets women with children and we also do actually men
who are single parents as well out of a little different pot. You may be aware that we've
constructed on Southgate a 12-apartment building with offices underneath specifically
designed for women and children who are having difficulty getting into housing in the
community, as a transitional housing, and we did that with the assistance of the City and
Community Development Block Grant dollars. The drug screening--we do a variety of
that for a whole bunch of different folks from school bus drivers to pre-employment
testing for a variety of employers to post-accident testing for commercial driver's license
folks to the Department of Corrections people in terms of monitoring people. Hope
House is the residential corrections facility in Coralville, and we provide the substance
abuse treatment in that facility for those people who are mandated to participate in drunk
driving treatment. Health Iowa--we have somebody that's at Student Health Services,
that's actually at Student Health Service but they're actually a MECCA person that does
the substance abuse outpatient treatment for the University there. Synchrony is a--there's
sort of a firewall between MECCA and Synchrony. Synchrony is a separate entity that
we don't pass information about clients back and forth between the two organizations.
We do a broad rush employee assistance program that actually provides some places and
services for the City of Iowa City as well as most of the other businesses in town. And
then we also have a private no-financial-aid service for substance abuse and mental
health services called Synchrony. Transitional housing I mentioned, and we do a broad
range of community coalitions. We're involved with the Youth, Drug and Violence
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June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session Page 24
grant; with, that includes Neighborhood Centers and a bunch of other organizations. We
try to do lots of things collaboratively, try to leverage what we do. We try to not
duplicate anything that we could do with other folks and have a major investment in
doing that. We also try in terms of our business enterprises to see if we can't make a
little bit of a margin that we turn around then and use as a source to subsidize those
people that don't have the ability to pay. So we serve everyone regardless of their
payment source. Weare very aggressive about determining what people can pay and
very aggressive about collecting it.
Lehmani How many clients do you serve?
Schut/ Oh, 4,000 primary patients a year and then thousands of prevention folks. We also
manage all the outpatient services for the organization out of Ottumwa that serves 10
counties that go from Wayne and Lucas over to Van Buren and Jefferson counties. But
that's a management contract and we just have someone there who manages their
outpatient services.
Elliott/ The drug screening--is that on an at-cost basis?
Schut/ Pardon me?
Elliott/ The drug screening that you do for a wide range of entities is that at cost or do you make
a profit?
Schut/ No, we make, we price that according to our, both not only the drug screening costs, but
also our staff costs, so we make a margin on that.
Elliott/ You do make a bit of a margin?
Schut/ Yup. So when we do it in conjunction with someone who doesn't have the ability to pay,
then there's a negative margin. It's subsidized.
Bailey/ What kind of trends are you seeing in substance abuse in Johnson County?
Schut/ Pardon me?
Bailey/ What kind of trends are you seeing in substance abuse trends, are you seeing, through the
work that you do in Johnson County?
Schut/ What kind of trends?
Bailey/ Yeah.
Schut/ We all know this probably, but alcohol's number one.
Bailey/ OK.
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Schut/ And has been and consistently has been so. The, if you look back ten years ago, alcohol
was the, let me back up--very few people we see just use one substance. I mean, almost
everybody uses some additional kinds of things. Twenty years ago you had people that
only used alcohol and didn't use anything else. Now, you tend to have people who use
alcohol but who may also have a prescription that they also use; or they may also use
over-the-counter, so there's a lot more sort of mixing of drugs.
O'Donnell/ What's the ages on that, on alcohol abuse?
Schut/ Oh, it's broad.
O'Donnell/ From what to what.
Schut/ Oh, from sixth grade to 80, 85, I mean. And you've got, you also have people who have
had normal consumption patterns all their lives who have some event occur in their life
that is, you know, a spouse dies or they retire or there's a huge change in their life and
they begin to drink at a problematic level. And actually those people, they're the neatest
people to work with because they have really, they do well at going back to where they
were before. So that's great. So, in terms of the trends, we've gone from 80 percent of
males who present for treatment with alcohol as a problem down to about 70 percent and
that 10 percent has been picked up by stimulant drugs, cocaine, methamphetamine. And
for women, we've gone from 80 percent of women presenting with alcohol as their
primary drug of choice to about 60 percent of women presenting with alcohol as their
primary drug of choice--and that difference has totally been absorbed by
methamphetamine and cocaine. So, that's a huge shift. The other thing that's happened
is that people have a lot more problems. They're a lot more acutely ill. They have a lot
more primary care, primary physical care issues related to their drug use than they had
before. And that's difficult as well.
Elliott/ Is there any way that you can estimate what percentage of the people with abuse
problems do seek treatment or are forced into treatment?
Schut/ Most, you know, most people don't wake up in the morning and say, gee, I'd like to go to
treatment, you know. So, most people have somebody sort of pushing them and it's their
employer or their spouse or their kids depending on their age. Or they get, they have a
life event--they get arrested for drunk driving or---
Elliott/ I was wondering though, you know, do you have a handle or even an estimate---
Schut/ Oh, in terms of the number of people we deal with compared to the number---
Elliott/ Yeah.
Schut/ You know, we deal with a fraction of the people that have significant problems.
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Elliott/ That's what I was afraid of.
Vanderhoef/ Tell me about the trends in funding. I recognize many of your sources for funding
and I can guess but I'd like to hear your report.
Schut/ The trend?
Vanderhoef/ Uh-huh.
Schut/ We are currently negotiating--well, I don't know if you're aware of this but Iowa
privatized their entire public health payment system including Medicaid. So both
Medicaid dollars and the public health, state public health and federal public health
dollars for substance abuse and mental house are privatized into a, given to a private
firm to manage (can't hear). And we're in the process of negotiating contracts that are
effective July 1 st for, with Magellan. So, you know this is the 14th and we still don't
know. That's part of how it works. This is no way to run your life. We've every reason
to believe that we'll get about a 1 percent increase over what we've had in contract
levels with them for the last five years, which has been flat-funded for the last five years.
So you, I mean, you can't keep your--the income stream is basically flat-funded for a
period of time. It is now flat-funded again basically. You get a 1 percent increase and
that represents about 40 percent of MECCA's income.
Vanderhoef/ And your other sources, are they pretty flat?
Schut/ The other sources have been pretty flat. There's basically where we have made up the
difference is being more entrepreneurial in terms of what we do. There's frankly a limit
to that. We try to figure out things that we can do for business and industry that we can
do it cheaper than somebody else can, than they can buy it in the market, but we can still
produce a margin on it, and then we use that. And then we tried to do more things
collaboratively, but we've consistently, and we're pretty collaborative in Johnson
County. So. But we're in an era now if you're flat-funded, you think it's a good thing,
you know. The biggest problem frankly in our circumstance right now is everything is
crumbling around us. So the University closed their 20 substance abuse beds. MHI,
Mount Pleasant, used to have or the MHI system used to have 156 beds. They've
reduced it to 92 in Mount Pleasant. They're down to 30 in Mount Pleasant, and they
want to close those. And what happens then is all that, you become the messenger that
everybody wants to shoot, you know. So, people want to get their family members into
treatment and there's no space and there's a waiting list and they can't get in and there's
no capacity anywhere else. So, we've been flat-funded, it looks like this next contract
period is for another five years. So that'll make 10 years of flat funding.
Bailey/ So, this merger with ICARE, how's that going to, I mean, how's that going to work?
How's that going to affect--MECCA will be the umbrella and ICARE will be
underneath? How will that---
Schut/ MECCA, yeah, ICARE will be a program.
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Bailey/ OK.
Schut/ Under MECCA. And we'll provide administrative oversight.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Schut/ There are tremendous economies of scale for ICARE. I mean, that, ICARE is not--in
terms of MECCA, ICARE is not very big so our ability to take that on in the context of
what we do is a very marginal event for us. So we can do a lot with very little and it can
save a lot of expense at the level of service delivery.
Vanderhoef/ So, hopefully you'll be able to work with more clients with the same number of
dollars, just less administrative fees and office fees and all those things.
Schut/ That's our goal. I mean that's what we've been doing. Frankly, there's a limit to that, and
I think part of the problem in terms of public health, state public health policy is there's
this flat funding that takes place, but nobody says who you're not supposed to serve.
And so the decision, you know, and the reality of it is that you can't serve it. There's just
simply are more people to serve than there are resources. But it's, it puts us in a very
difficult position because we're really the ones who decide then who doesn't get service.
And part of what we've decided is everybody gets a little bit, which may not be the best
thing in the world to do either, you know. It's like running a school and you say, OK,
you've got enough money that everybody can go through first grade but that's it; we're
not doing any more after that. And that's what we do.
Vanderhoef/ So, with that kind of philosophy, your results, do they reflect more recidivism?
Schut/ Yeah, I think our results suffer as a consequence. I mean there are also some very hopeful
things in terms of research because what's happened is the health community has looked
at diabetes and asthma and hypertension and, all of which require the behavioral
cooperation of the patient, I mean a lot like substance abuse. Substance abuse, you have
to, the person has to cooperate with the treatment and if you have diabetes you have to
and if you have severe hypertension, you have to. And actually our success rates
compared to them at this point are equivalent. We do pretty well. And that's if you
measure their relapse rate by emergency room admissions for crisis as a result of the
diabetes or the hypertension or the asthma. So, there's some good science now at this
point.
Vanderhoef/ You're a positive man.
Schut/ I'm very hopeful.
Vanderhoef/ Yes.
Schut/ Hope springs eternal.
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Vanderhoef/ There you go. And we appreciate it.
Lehmani Thank you, Art.
Schut/ Oh, I appreciate your saying thank you.
Wilburnl Great job.
Lehmani OK.
Championl Well, the problem with them decreasing the funding for their mental health or public
health in the state is that I think it's probably also going to also increase our jail
populations. Sad but true.
PLANNING AND ZONING ITEMS
Lehmani Karin?
a. CONSIDER A MOTION A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JULY 6
ON AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AMENDED PLANNED
DEVELOPMENT HOUSING PLAN (OPDH-5) FOR VILLAGE GREEN PART
XX.
Franklin/ OK, first item is considering setting a public hearing for July 6th on an ordinance
amending the planned development housing plan for Village Green part 20.
b. CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JULY 6 ON AN
ORDINANCE VACATING 3,400 SQUARE FEET OF ALLEY RIGHT-OF-WAY
EAST OF SECOND A VENUE, SOUTH OF A STREET.
Franklin/ Second item is to consider a motion setting a public hearing for July 6 on an ordinance
vacating an alley right-of-way, east of Second Avenue and south of A Street; in fact, this
is going to be a land swap, so it kind of works out good for the City and for the property
owner.
Elliott/ Is anybody except MidAmerican involved with that, the City and MidAmerican?
Franklin/ On Item b?
Elliott/ Yes.
Franklin/ We always inform them of---
Elliott/ No, I just wondered who, were there any private landowners involved or?
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June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session Page 29
Franklin/ Yeah, it's private landowners.
Elliott/ OK.
c. REZONING APPROXIMA TEL Y 3.72 ACRES FROM COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL
(CC-2) ZONE TO PUBLIC (P) ZONE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED SOUTH OF
MALL DRIVE. (REZ04-00010)
Franklin/ Item c is the public hearing on the rezoning from Community Commercial to Public for
the property that the school district has acquired where they will be constructing the
alternative high school. This is fairly perfunctory, but we do have to go through the
rezoning process when property is acquired by a public entity. So we have first
consideration on with the public hearing tomorrow night.
d. REZONING APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT
MULTIFAMILYIHISTORIC PRESERVATION OVERLAY (ID-RM/OHP)
ZONE TO INTERIM DEVELOPMENT SINGLE FAMILY/HISTORIC
PRESERVATION OVERLAY (ID-RS/OHP) ZONE FOR PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 2460 S. GILBERT STREET.
1) PUBLIC HEARING
2) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Franklin/ Item d is a little bit more complicated, and this is a rezoning of 10 acres on Gilbert
Street from essential IDRM, the interim development residential multifamily, to IDRS,
interim development residential single-family. And the primary purpose for this
rezoning is to enable the creation of blank. OK, to enable the creation of two lots out of
that piece that you see that's cross-hatched. In the IDRS zone, one may have a single-
family house on 5 acres. There is currently on the 10 acres one single-family house; it's
the old farmstead. This is a historic site. The entire acres is a historic site. That for the
moment is not really pertinent or relevant for this rezoning question. The rezoning
question is just about enabling the owners of this property to sell the house with five
acres to another individual or family that wishes to move into the house to restore the
house. Any work that is done on the exterior of that house, any development of any land
that takes place here will go through the Historic Preservation Commission because this
is a landmark site. In addition, any development of the property, should that happen, of
the remaining property that's retained by the Cochrans would likely go through either a
subdivision, well, a rezoning and a subdivision or a rezoning and a planned
development. So it will be back before the Planning and Zoning Commission and
yourselves. That also, however, would be reviewed by the Historic Preservation
Commission also to make sure that the integrity of the historic site was not damaged. In
review of this site by the state, the importance of the historic characteristics are those
which are viewed from Gilbert Street, which is essentially the 5-acre piece that will be
sold to the individuals who want to live in the house. So, that's the story.
Elliott/ Thank you. I had some concerns about that as I expressed to you and that alleviates my
concern.
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F ranklin/ OK.
Vanderhoef/ I'm good.
Bailey/ Thanks.
e. AMENDING THE ZONING CODE, SECTION 14-6J-2, TO ALLOW
CONSIDERATION OF REDUCTION OF LOCAL PUBLIC STREETS IN A
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT HOUSING OVERLAY (OPDH) ZONES.
Franklin/ Item e is a public hearing on amending the zoning ordinance to allow consideration of
the reduction of local public street widths in planned development housing overlays.
This was instigated by the circumstance that we find ourselves in in not wanting to
approve private streets as much as we have done in the past. And that comes from
concerns that when people buy property, particularly single-family developments,
single-family and duplex, on streets, whether they're public or private, because they live
in the City there's an expectation that that is going to be a publicly maintained street and
publicly serviced street. And so even though people live on private streets, they often
will contact Public Works with their particular issues relating to that street. And whether
they were informed at the time they bought the house or not believe that they have, or
they do have an expectation that the City is going to take care of it. So we're trying to
move away from in these planned developments from approving private streets. The
main reason that we did approve private streets in the past was because in the planned
developments, developers wished to put in narrower streets. It saves on cost. But the
only way we would approve those is if they were private streets. What we are asking for
the opportunity to do here is to enable those narrower streets in some instances to be
approved as public streets through the planned development process. We can do that
now because of the idiosyncrasies of the law under a Sensitive Areas ordinance. In fact,
under the Sensitive Areas ordinance we can decrease the width of a street to 25 feet.
Because the thinking was that you use up less space then and can stay out of the
environmentally sensitive areas. However, that provision is not in the planned
development code. This came up recently when we were looking at the Saddlebrook
project. And I don't remember the name of that street but it was the one that kind of, you
know, looped around. So, this would only occur, it will only occur episodically. It would
be through the planned development process. It would only be on low-volume streets,
cuI de sacs, loop streets, or instances where there were alleys that were an alternative
means of traffic circulation and parking in the development. And all it is is enabling this
to happen. Every single planned development you still see and still make that final
determination as to whether those streets would be narrowed in width or not.
Lehmani So this doesn't reduce the requirement for 28-foot streets to 26?
Franklin/ For the whole City? No, not at all.
Lehmani Why is this restricted to planned development overlay zones?
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June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session Page 31
Franklin/ Well, in terms of the street standards for the whole City, we'll be talking about those as
we go through the subdivision regulations. Twenty-six feet wide, just as an aside, is the
standard that the state is looking at for their uniform design standards. Right now, 28
foot wide streets is what is our subdivision standard.
Lehmani Right.
Franklin/ And if a subdivision, that's what it would be, it would be 28, unless we change that
through the subdivision regulations. At this point, we're asking for this to enable us to
do it during the planned developed, most specifically that Saddlebrook one that just
came through.
Lehmani Right.
Elliott/ I'll be---
Franklin/ It may be broadened in the future, Ernie, but that will be another discussion for another
day.
Lehmani Well, no, I just wanted---
Franklin/ I wanted my time to be the shortest time on your agenda tonight.
(Laughter)
Vanderhoef/ It's not going to happen.
Franklin/Oh, shoot.
(Laughter)
Elliott/ I'll be talking with you later, Karin.
F ranklin/ OK.
Elliott/ I just am not in favor of-- I think most of our streets in Iowa City are too narrow.
Franklin/ I know there's two Council members who are not in favor of narrower streets.
Championl I think they're all too wide.
Franklin/ So there we are.
Championl Too much concrete.
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June 14,2004 Special Council Work Session Page 32
Vanderhoef/ Yes.
O'Donnell/ I don't think we should pave them.
Vanderhoef/ This mayor may not be the thing to do and I'm not necessarily totally negating all
of this.
Franklin/ Mm-hmm.
Vanderhoef/ I'm going to go back to this whole philosophical conversation that Council has
planned to have for a number of years until we get to the whole code.
Franklin/ Mm-hmm.
Vanderhoef/ So I'm not interested in saying yes or no on this. I would like this delayed until we
have the whole conversation on the code about OPDHs.
Franklin/ I understand your position, Dee.
O'Donnell/ I don't feel that way at all.
Lehmani I'd take the OPDH out.
Franklin/ Well, that may be, part of what we're trying to do with the code, not take it out totally
but diminish its necessity.
Lehmani Right.
O'Donnell/ OK.
Lehmani OK. Any other questions for Karin?
Franklin/ OK. I have one more, two more items on the agenda.
f. REZONING APPROXIMA TEL Y 35.05 ACRES OF PROPERTY FROM RESEARCH
DEVELOPMENT PARK ZONE, RDP, TO OFFICE COMMERCIAL ZONE, CO-
1, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS, FOR PROPERTY ALONG THE EASTERN
PORTION OF NORTHGA TE DRIVE IN NORTHGA TE CORPORATE PARK.
(REZ04-00007)
1) PUBLIC HEARING (continued from 6/1 meeting)
2) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (Deferred from 6/1 meeting) (FIRST
CONSIDERA TION)
Franklin/ Item f. Are we ready to go to f?
O'Donnell/ Yes, we are.
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Franklin/ Item f is the Northgate Corporate Park. As of right now I don't believe we have all of
the signatures and it is within the realm of possibility that we will not have them all. It's
just a matter of people being out of town. You know, this thing is---
Lehmani I thought we had all but one that we rewrote a---
Franklin/ We rewrote the conditional (can't hear) agreement so it has---
TAPE 04-42, SIDE TWO
Franklin/ ...so we may ask you to continue this again. And the applicant has not requested this
yet but I'd just like to plant this seed. That on July 6th when you have, hopefully, the
public hearing can close it, and I don't know if they can do this or not, Eleanor, so you'll
have to just tell me no if this is not so. Can consider waiving two readings and getting it
done? And they haven't asked that yet. It's just that this thing has gone on so long and
your next meeting is not until August 3rd.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm.
Lehmani Right.
Championl I would be more than---
Lehmani I'd be more than willing to have it
Franklin/ I'm getting evil looks from the City Clerk. Never mind.
Lehmani No, we can---
Championl I would not be willing to do that but I would be willing to have a special meeting.
Bailey/ We could have a special meeting.
Lehmani Right.
Karr/ I think there's maybe some other angle we could look at.
F ranklin/ OK.
Lehmani Oh. All right?
Franklin/ I'm open to any angle.
Dilkes/ As I understand it, the Iowa City City Council has never done it. It is done in other
places.
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Franklin/ Yeah.
Championl It has been done?
Karr/ Mm-hmm.
Franklin/ Down the road.
Championl We did have three meetings in one night.
g. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE REZONING APPROXIMATELY 8.07 ACRES FROM
MEDIUM DENSITY SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (RS-8) TO PLANNED
DEVELOPMENT HOUSING OVERLAY-MEDIUM DENSITY SINGLE-
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (OPDH-8) AND APPROVING A PRELIMINARY
OPDH PLAN FOR PROPERTY LOCATED SOUTH OF WHISPERING
MEADOWS AND WEST OF SADDLEBROOK. (REZ04-00008) (SECOND
CONSIDERA TION)
Franklin/ OK. We'll move on to Item g. This is the Saddlebrook rezoning second consideration.
And I'm done.
Lehmani Thank you.
Championl Thank you.
Elliott/ I don't have any problem with that, Karin.
Franklin/ Oh, good.
MIDAMERICAN ELECTION REQUEST
Lehmani OK. The next item is the MidAmerican Election Request. I think we all received a
memo.
Atkins/ Ernie, can I make a comment before you start that discussion?
Lehmani Would you please?
4. f. CORRESPONDENCE. (11.) RITA MARCUS: SUPPORT FOR MID AMERICAN
ENERGY.
Atkins/ In your packet is a letter from the Board of Realtors.
Lehmani Yeah.
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Atkins/ And it states the City ofIowa City--I'm trying to be very respectful here--is not equipped
to effectively on the complicated aspects of risk management which MidAmerican has a
proven record. I don't think MidAmerican has anything to do with this. That's nonsense.
We have an excellent risk management program. I have no idea where that came from,
and I just want to assure you risk management shouldn't even enter your discussions or
considerations about anything you have to do with Citizens for Public Power and---
Championl (can't hear) risk.
Atkins/ You think it would? I guess we have some staff people that saw that and that's---
Elliott/ I read it as something different than a risk management position.
Atkins/ It says "aspects of risk management." That's a profession. That is something we take
very seriously as dealing with---
Elliott/ An act of God.
Atkins/OK.
Lehmani We deal with those, too.
(Laughter)
Lehmani All right. As we're all aware, MidAmerican requested a special election on a franchise
agreement. We are--it's my understanding, Eleanor, correct me if I'm wrong--they
certainly have the ability to ask for that special election, and we certainly will, I think,
are obliged to put this on an election, and that election time is to be determined by the
Council, the setting of that date.
Dilkes/ IfI can suggest--you've got two questions that have been asked. The first one is whether
the City will participate with MidAmerican in the drafting of a franchise agreement
slash ordinance. That's the first question. The second question is whether then you will
put that on a special election. If the answers are yes, then you can just proceed. If the
answers are no, then I don't know what MidAmerican' s interest is if they get nos to
those.
Lehmani All right.
Dilkes/ I mean I don't, they have not specifically asked that it go on, that a proposal that they
come up with go on the November 2005 ballot. So, we would have to go back to them
and ask them that.
Lehmani Why don't we just take these one at a time? Are we at some point--my suspicion is that
we will be placing this on a ballot. It would seem to me it would be in our best interest
to have at the time of that election a franchise agreement that has been negotiated
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between our staff and MidAmerican so at least there's something that's placed on the
ballot. It is something that has been negotiated and had input from the City. So the issue
is are we willing to---
Championl No, wait a minute. Back--I don't understand what you're saying.
Lehmani OK. If we place a franchise agreement on the ballot, which I think is what
MidAmerican's asking for---
Elliott/ I thought they weren't.
Championl I thought they were asking for a franchise.
Lehmani I think they---
Championl That was my--the ballot question is "Should we have a franchise?"
Lehmani No, that's not it.
Bailey/ Eleanor, can you repeat the two questions we have again?
Lehmani Yes.
Dilkes/ The code provides that any franchise agreement must be done by ordinance. As you
know, we have one that has expired but it is by ordinance. And that ordinance can be
passed without an election. Council can dispense with that election requirement unless
there is a proposal either by citizen petition or by MidAmerican in this case, the party
seeking the franchise, that it go to the voters.
Lehmani That the "it" part is what?
Dilkes/ That the franchise proposal.
Lehmani The agreement?
Dilkes/ The agreement. Now, you know, in one instance the ordinance or the statute is referring
to ordinance slash agreement and the other is referring to proposal. So, I think one
scenario that you could be faced with is a proposal by MidAmerican for a franchise that
would go on the ballot without City participation. So, again, the two questions as I see it
are being asked of you are number 1, "Will the City participate with MidAmerican in the
drafting of a franchise agreement that will then be placed on a ballot for approval by the
voters?"
Lehmani OK. That's the first question.
Elliott/ Yes. But are we required--my understanding was that MidAmerican told us that they
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have a petition and that they could but they weren't going to.
Dilkes/ MidAmerican has not presented us with a petition.
Elliott/ Right.
Dilkes/ I don't think that we can address issues of a petition at this juncture.
Elliott/ So we don't--the Council can decide whether or not to put that on a ballot for a
referendum? We are not required to at this time, is that correct?
Dilkes/ Are you talking about the petition?
Championl No.
Elliott/ The petition, the referendum that MidAmerican has not officially requested provide a
petition which requires the City to have a referendum. So it is at this point the Council
can either decide to or not to? Am I not correct?
Dilkes/ No. The Council's obligation to put the issue on the ballot can come either in response to
a citizen petition or a request by MidAmerican. You have a request by MidAmerican.
You do not have a petition.
Elliott/ OK.
Dilkes/ And the request by MidAmerican is, number 1, that the City participate in the negotiation
of a franchise and that the end result of that would go on a special election ballot.
Lehmani OK.
O'Donnell/ Think I know what you're voting on.
Lehmani Now the first issue or do you want to do the first one first or the second one first? Are
we interested in negotiating with MidAmerican a franchise agreement that could be
placed on a ballot?
Elliott/ No, not unless required at this point.
Championl I don't either.
Bailey/ I agree with Bob.
Championl We did--wait a minute. What I would like to say is we've been willing to negotiate a
franchise agreement all along. But I think most of us felt because of this initiator from
the Public Utility group that it should be short-term. And MidAmerican has not been
willing to do a short-term agreement. That's been my (can't hear). Am I wrong about
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that?
Wilburnl IfI can just modify what you said about---
Championl Yeah.
Wilburnl We had a work session and there were four or five Council members who said they
were, even while we hadn't been presented with the petition from the Citizens for Public
Power yet, they're in the process of doing that, and there were four or five Council
members who said let's go ahead, start negotiations, even though we knew that this was
coming. And then we were presented with a successful request and then we put it on the,
and yeah, because I remember at that work session I said that I was not interested at the
time. Knowing that this was coming forward I felt that it was not a good-faith effort on
my part knowing that a petition was coming to put it on the ballot.
Championl Mm-hmm.
Wilburnl That's my recollection ofwhat---
Elliott/ Yes.
Championl (can't hear)
Elliott/ I recall I was one of those who was in favor of it. I would like to negotiate with
MidAmerican for an agreement, but I would like it not to be put on the ballot so that the
voters would know what the agreement is with MidAmerican at the time they voted.
O'Donnell/ How would you know if it's not on the ballot?
Elliott/ We tell them.
Lehmani No, no, no--MidAmerican has asked that we have a franchise agreement on the ballot,
is that correct? Whether it's one negotiated with us or one that they prepare for
themselves?
Dilkes/ No, the formal request that came in is that the City and MidAmerican negotiate a
franchise which would then go on the ballot.
Lehmani And, of course, the results of that ballot have no legal effect whatsoever anyway.
Elliott/ Right.
Lehmani So, personally, I would not be interested in placing a franchise agreement on the ballot
any time sooner than or later than November of '05. Having them both on the same
ballot, but at the same time I can see no point whatsoever in placing a franchise
agreement on the ballot that hasn't been negotiated by the City and at least has some
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validity. If, and I think there are issues here, if there is a good franchise agreement
negotiated that is acceptable to the staff and to the Council and is placed on the ballot as
a reasonable franchise agreement, the public then has an opportunity to say, Yes, we like
the franchise agreement; no, we like public power. Quite conceivably they could vote
for both of them. But in any case there would at that point--I think there is some degree
of interest on the part of the utility company in negotiating with us a lot more seriously
prior to that vote and having an agreement on the ballot that is acceptable than there will
be the day after the election, irregardless of how the election goes. So, if we're going to
need to place a franchise agreement of some sort on the ballot, we already know we're
going to have a public power initiative vote in November of '05. To me, the appropriate
place to put the franchise agreement is exactly on the same ballot, but I think it needs to
be one that has been negotiated, not one that comes out of the air.
Wilburnl I disagree slightly with your conclusions there, Ernie, because if, I hate to do this then,
but if a successful public power, public utility occurs, the Council has the right to pursue
it, correct, Eleanor?
Lehmani Right.
Wilburnl OK. You're still in negotiating position with MidAmerican. If it fails, you still don't
have to do a franchise.
Lehmani You're correct but there's no impetus for MidAmerican to make any concessions after
that either.
Wilburnl If they want a franchise, they're going to.
Lehmani That is correct.
Elliott/ No, I agree with Ernie, that now is the time to negotiate a franchise agreement. But I
would not want it to be put it on the ballot. I think it just muddies the waters. I want the
ballot to be Are we in favor of or would we like the Council to pursue a municipal utility
or would we not? Period. And that we would have an agreement but it wouldn't be on
the ballot.
O'Donnell/ I disagree.
Lehmani I think there may be a legal issue here. Eleanor, do we have to place--if I understand
you correctly, you said if the utility company requests that a franchise agreement be
placed on the ballot that we have to do that?
Championl No.
Dilkes/ Well, but they've not made that request for it. If they would request that a franchise
proposal be put on the ballot, whether that be a special election or a November 2005,
yes, you would have to place it on the ballot.
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Lehmani They haven't done that.
Wilburnl No.
Dilkes/ But that is not the question that you have in front of you. And I think--I mean, you know,
I think we need to answer the questions that are in front of us and then we, you know,
we'll need to ask MidAmerican what their intentions are in light of those responses, if
they would--you know, but you can negotiate a franchise agreement and not put
anything on the ballot. You can enter into a franchise agreement. There is no
requirement for an election on a franchise agreement.
Championl Right.
Bailey/ Right.
Dilkes/ Unless they ask for one.
Lehmani Which they have not done. What have they done?
Dilkes/ They've asked for one to put---
Lehmani You go first.
Dilkes/ You know I think there's a lot of misinformation that's floated around about the whole
thing and I think you add to that by not dealing with these questions that are presented to
you one at a time. And those are the two questions that you have in front of you. Are
you, do you want to direct City staff to participate in a negotiation of a franchise with
the intent that it be placed on a special election ballot.
O'Donnell/ That's directs City staff?
Dilkes/ And if you do, you need to provide some significant direction to staff about what terms
you would be expecting, the main one being what the length of the franchise would be.
Because if you enter into a long-term franchise now, then if the muni power vote is
successful---
Wilburnl You couldn't proceed until after---
Dilkes/ ...you cannot proceed with muni power until the termination of the franchise agreement,
so you would have to provide that direction to staff. That would be critical.
Elliott/ We would have signed a franchise agreement? In other words, we could negotiate an
agreement but it wouldn't go into effect; therefore, it would not impact the question of
whether or not we could enter into a municipal---
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Championl No, they want it to---
Dilkes/ The franchise agreement has no effect unless it's done by ordinance.
Lehmani Well, the first question is do we want to instruct the staff to enter into a negotiations
with MidAmerican or a franchise agreement that could be placed on a ballot at a special
or regular election? Is that correct?
Dilkes/ MidAmerican has requested a special election. I don't know if they would be interested
in having it on the November 2005 ballot. They've not asked that question.
Lehmani That is their call?
Karr/ This is a request.
Dilkes/ There is no need for an election unless either citizens petitioning request it or
MidAmerican requests it. Council can pass a franchise ordinance without an election.
Lehmani I know that.
Vanderhoef/ It's almost in my mind that we should be answering question number 2, whether
we're interested in a special election or not. And I will state right now, I'm not interested
in a special election. I know you're---
Championl Nope.
Lehmani Is anybody interested in a special election?
Bailey/ No.
Lehmani All right.
Elliott/ If it goes on the ballot, which I would like for it not to, then it should go on the ballot at
the same time as November '05.
Lehmani I would concur with that.
Elliott/ But I would rather it not be on the ballot. But I sense that no one else agrees with me,
which is not an unusual position for me.
O'Donnell/ No, I do.
Lehmani There is no interest in a special election. OK. I think that's the first question. Is there
interest in negotiations with MidAmerican at some point--wait a minute.
Dilkes/ Andy tells me maybe I'm not making myself clear.
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(Laughter)
Dilkes/ But is everyone clear that although they have, MidAmerican has not asked for it to be on
the ballot in November of2005, if they presented a franchise proposal and asked that it
go either on a special or in November of2005, you must put it on one of those?
Championl That's right. Yes.
Bailey/ We all know that.
(Laughter)
Championl It wasn't clear before but it's very clear now.
O'Donnell/ Thank you, Andy.
Championl Well, why do they want us to even answer the question then? If that's what they
want, they just have to---
Wilburnl I'm sure all of us had conversation with some representatives, and if I'm remembering
correctly, part of a rationale for doing this was feelings that this should be decided
sooner rather than later. Those were some arguments I was presented with and I believe
that's why--or at least that was part of the justification for making this request for the
special election.
Elliott/ That I talked with a few proponents of the municipal utility, and I told them that wish that
we had not had, we would not have had to wait for two years for this because that's what
in effect we're doing.
Vanderhoef/ Yeah.
Elliott/ I would like to have had it happen within six to eight months of when the petition
required us to do that. But that's not the case. We're having that election November '05.
If anything else goes on the ballot, I would want it to be at that time, and I would rather
it not go on the ballot.
Vanderhoef/ Well, I'm with you, Bob. I would much rather have a special election that took care
of all of them, both of them at the same time.
Lehmani You mean special, not general?
Bailey/ Regular.
Vanderhoef/ I would rather get this settled sooner rather than later, but to have one election now
and still being held to a later one doesn't make any sense to me at all.
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Lehmani Right.
Vanderhoef/ So---
O'Donnell/ But the question is are we interested in negotiating a franchise agreement?
Lehmani That's the real issue.
Bailey/ Right. That's the first (can't hear)
Championl That would be the next---
Vanderhoef/ At some point in time, yes. I think we have to know what the alternatives are when
we are finished with the election on muni so that we will be able to sit down and make a
decision which way we're going to go, and I'm talking about Council at that point since
we know the ballot issue is not binding.
Elliott/ I take it the Council is in favor of negotiating and at some point entering into a franchise
agreement. There are some people in our community who would rather have us not do
that. Now are there, is there a majority of the Council that want us to have a franchise
agreement?
Lehmani Right.
Vanderhoef/ This is what I'm saying.
O'Donnell/ I think we need to negotiate one, Bob.
Elliott/ Mm-hmm.
Vanderhoef/ You negotiate. You listen to what you can get worked out. You listen to the citizens
of what they want in a way of a muni. And then Council ultimately makes the decision.
Elliott/ All I'm saying is there are some people who think that even if the muni doesn't go they
would rather not have the City enter into an agreement.
Vanderhoef/ And I'm not saying that we would choose a franchise even if we had negotiated one
at that point.
Elliott/ Yeah. We negotiate and see where we are.
Vanderhoef/ You negotiate, you know what's on the table---
Elliott/ Yeah, I agree.
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Vanderhoef/ .. . from both sides, and we may choose to do the third option of neither.
O'Donnell/ Well, are we in favor of negotiating the contract?
Vanderhoef/ Yes.
O'Donnell/ Franchise agreement.
Bailey/ Not necessarily at this time.
Vanderhoef/ I think it's early.
Lehmani Too early.
Bailey/ How long is it going to take to negotiate an agreement?
O'Donnell/ We don't know.
Bailey/ We don't know.
Lehmani Well, Dale, what would be an appropriate length of time from your perspective for
negotiating an agreement? That's a terrible question.
Helling/ Well, no, that's---
Lehmani That's a fair question.
Helling/ ...because we talked about that a little bit. It could be done fairly quickly, I think. I think
a lot of times the length of the negotiation process depends on the deadlines you set.
Lehmani Right.
Helling/ And that's a motivator.
Championl Times fulfill the time available.
Helling/ You know, a few months, two, you know, certainly by the November '05, before that if
that would be your desire. I think it's kind of, you know, you need to determine when
you would like the best negotiated agreement we can get in hand, whether you want to
do it before the November of '05 or after or whether you want something in your hand
prior to that. Realistically, I think probably in, you know, two to six months. You never
know quite how negotiations are going to go. Some of them take more time.
Lehmani I would personally like to see a negotiated agreement in place, not approved---
Elliott/ In place.
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O'Donnell/ In place.
Lehmani ...agreed to by the 1st of October so that the public when they vote on the muni, they
will have the option of knowing this is the muni and this is the franchise agreement that
has been negotiated that's acceptable, and they can say, yet obviously we're not bound
by either. But I think at least there is an opportunity at that point for them to have
something to compare it to.
Elliott/ I think it would be good for something to come before the Council by July or so, to see if
the Council agrees if that is what we would like to have and should, if you folks want it
to go on the ballot, that it will.
Bailey/ I'm not sure the question was muni power as muni power or this particular franchise
agreement. So I don't, I'm not sure that I need to see a franchise agreement in advance.
Elliott/ I would rather it not be on the ballot.
Bailey/ Well, no, what I'm saying is I'm not sure that we need to necessarily go into November
of ' 05, the vote, with the franchise agreement in front of people. Because I'm not sure
that is necessarily the question. Franchise agreement, this one, or muni power. The
question really is just muni power and if that's the way we go. We know that if we don't
go with muni power, the option exists for a franchise agreement and that we would
naturally negotiate the best one. But it's not this or this. It's the question of muni power.
Lehmani Mm-hmm.
Bailey/ But for me I'm not sure that I would need to see that.
Lehmani I agree with you except that the recommendation in Latham's report was based on the
utility rates that we are now paying, which are the highest rates I believe that
MidAmerican has. If the negotiated franchise had lower rating, it would change the
viability of a municipal option.
Bailey/ Certainly MidAmerican's intent is to put it up against that question.
Lehmani Right. So, I mean, I think that to make a logical choice between a municipal power
where there could be potential savings for the people of the community, they need to
have something to measure that against.
Bailey/ Although that reframes the question that the Citizens for Public Power to put on the
ballot. They just asked the question of muni power. I mean, I see what you're saying, but
I would suggest that they ask us to ask one specific question, not comparing it to
another.
Lehmani No, no, but the whole idea of muni power is savings. That's the whole idea of saving
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money for the folks who live in Iowa City.
Bailey/ Part of the idea.
Lehmani Well, that basically is the impetus. And Latham's calculations were all based on rates
as we presently know those rates to be. He did those for I think 18 communities. I'm not
totally familiar with all of his recommendations for those communities, but those with
lower rates he did not make the same recommendations he did for us.
Bailey/ Mm-hmm.
Lehmani I think there is a certain value in the public being able to, if there is not, if there is
potential savings for a municipal power, then I certainly can understand why people
would choose a municipal power. If there is no potential savings or significantly less, the
public, I think, just as the Council, needs to know that. Which is why I think it would be
well to have a franchise agreement at least sitting there so that we can compare the two.
That's my---
Bailey/ Well, I can certainly see that point of view and I certainly understand it. That gives
people some decision-making points but I'm not exactly sure that that's how Citizens for
Public Power necessarily wanted it or thought that it would be framed. But I can
certainly see.
Lehmani Well, I think the public---
Bailey/ I can certainly see why people would want to see that franchise agreement.
Lehmani I would.
Championl The other side to that is if we don't have the--ifwe're going to do an agreement, then
I would want it on the ballot because if the muni power thing fails, then we've lost our
weapon of a good contract.
Bailey/ That's possible.
Lehmani I think that's right.
Wilburnl You don't have the franchise.
Bailey/ We never have the franchise.
Championl I know but you could get lower rates, I mean, if lower rates are part of that.
Bailey/ Potentially.
Championl Yeah.
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Lehmani There is a significant advantage in my personal opinion for a utility company to have
franchise. Perhaps there is not and I don't sense that there is an advantage to us.
Championl No.
Lehmani So, I think that their persuasion to negotiate would be much better prior to the vote to a
muni than it would be afterwards.
Dilkes/ Well, I--it sounds to me like the one question that you can answer is that you're not
going to do a special election.
Lehmani Well, yeah.
Dilkes/ So maybe what we need to do at this point is I need to communicate with MidAm and
ask them if they want a proposal, whether it be a negotiated one or one of their own on
the November 2005 ballot. We can go from there.
O'Donnell/ Well, I think we are more prepared to answer that first question also.
Bailey/ Right. It seems like people in varying degrees are interested in seeing a franchise. I'm not
interested in seeing staff time committed to it at this time.
Championl I'm not.
Bailey/ I mean, it---
Wilburnl I'm not at the---
Lehmani I wouldn't even start it until after the first of next year.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm.
Elliott/ No.
Bailey/ Yeah, I would suggest that it doesn't need to be until 2005.
Vanderhoef/ I think Bob's in the right ballpark around July 1 to have it completed, around July 1
of '05 for the---
Championl I think we should wait and make that decision next January or February.
Bailey/ Yeah.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm.
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Dilkes/ OK. Here's the question. Do you, does your, do your feelings change about whether you
want to negotiate a franchise if MidAm wants that on the ballot in November 2005?
O'Donnell/ Yes.
Dilkes/ Well, we don't know the answer to that question then.
Lehmani All right. You will contact them and get back to us? All right. Thank you. I don't know
what we decided.
(Laughter)
Championl I do.
Dilkes/ I think, well, let me just---
Lehmani No, no, I--we decided that we are not in favor of a special election and we have also
decided that we're ready to take a break.
(BREAK)
AGENDA ITEMS
2.b(3) & 2.b(4). Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes
Karr/ Mr. Mayor?
Lehmani Next item is---
Karr/ I have a couple things real quickly.
Lehmani ...agenda items.
Karr/ Scattered site housing task force. The two minutes agenda that you have on the Consent
Calendar were erroneously added there. They should have been in the info packets.
We're just going to delete those. You don't officially accept task forces.
Lehmani OK.
Karr/ And that ought to be minutes. OK?
Lehmani All right.
Dilkes/ I --everybody has left the MidAmerican thing but I just want to make sure everyone
knows that we do not have ability to negotiate rates.
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Bailey/ Mm-hmm.
Dilkes/ Apparently when I was absorbed in my election stuff down here, somebody said
something that got somebody bothered about that, so we do not negotiate rates.
Lehmani Right.
Championl It's probably good.
Bailey/ Can I have--I mean can we get like a franchise 101? What goes into a franchise
agreement? I mean---
Dilkes/ I don't want to move--I don't want to go on with this discussion now that everybody's
gone.
Bailey/ Eleanor, can I just call you--are you willing to address it?
Dilkes/ OK.
Championl Yeah, we'll---
Dilkes/ You'll probably going to have another discussion about this.
Lehmani Are we on--we're on Agenda items.
5. ASSESSING A CIVIL PENALTY OF EITHER $1500.00 OR A THIRTY (30) DAY
RETAIL CIGARETTE PERMIT SUSPENSION AGAINST KUM & GO STORES
#52, PURSUANT TO lOW A CODE SECTION 453A.22(2)
a) CONDUCT HEARING
b) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
O'Donnell/ Eleanor, could you explain number 5?
Elliott/ Unauthorized grading and fill?
O'Donnell/ Yeah.
Vanderhoef/ Cigarette permit.
O'Donnell/ Number 5 is assessing civil penalties of $1500. Eleanor, what's the deal here?
Dilkes/ That's the same stuff we've been doing where there's a sale to minors of cigarettes and
these penalties. There was a conviction and, of the individual, and we're proceeding
with the civil penalties.
O'Donnell/ Yeah, but this is saying the Council can consider whether a resolution should be
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adopted addressing the civil penalty. I thought we've already done that.
Dilkes/ No, this is a different---
Karr/ It's a two-step process. First you conduct the hearing---
O'Donnell/ Mm-hmm.
Karr/ ...and then you assess the penalty. Now by tomorrow night if they decide to pay, there'll be
not hearing and we'll just have a resolution accepting the fine.
O'Donnell/ OK.
Lehmani OK. Other agenda items?
2. e. (1). CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND
THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN IOWA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTA TION FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR THE SOUTH GRAND
A VENUE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT STP-U-3715(627)--70-52.
Vanderhoef/ I may be asking some questions tomorrow. I talked with Rick today about the
resolution for the South Grand improvements, and it's not clear to me at this point
whether this project includes all of the connector work of the south end of Melrose
where it connects with Grand A venue. And I have a little question about that.
Atkins/ Did you give Rick a head's up?
Vanderhoef/ And I talked a couple times today.
Atkins/OK.
Vanderhoef/ Where it comes around, where Melrose comes down the hill to connect with---
Franklin/ No, it only is South Grand Avenue where it intersects with Melrose Avenue by the new
parking facility that the University is building. So, it's where the parking lot is right now
next to the fieldhouse. That is going to have a parking facility built on it.
Vanderhoef/ Yes.
Franklin/ And this project that this item is about is only South Grand from Grand Avenue to
Melrose. That's it.
Vanderhoef/ Up at the top.
Lehmani Right.
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Franklin/ Up at the top, yes. And then we'll be working further on the timing of when the
Byington-Grand Avenue and the Riverside Drive-Grand Avenue improvements are
done.
Vanderhoef/ OK.
Franklin/ Was that your only question about it?
Vanderhoef/ That's what I wanted to know because I wasn't clear in my own head what was
happening in that southern part of the project.
Franklin/ OK. Yes.
Vanderhoef/ No, I know the upper part. I just thought what have I missed on the southern part
and this is not including.
Franklin/ Fine.
7. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION RESCINDING RESOLUTION 98-164 AND
ESTABLISHING A NEW POLICY FOR USE OF FUNDS DERIVED FROM
HOTEL-MOTEL TAX.
Bailey/ I have a question about item 7. I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly
because it's been a long week and--item 7 is the hotel-motel. This is a response to last
year's budget adjustment, right?
Atkins/ You have to have an adopted policy on how to distribute hotel-motel tax monies. You
made a change. You need to change the distribution formula. That's what this does.
Bailey/ We're going to change last--this isn't about---
Atkins/ For budget purposes.
Bailey/ Right.
Atkins/ Yep.
Lehmani This confirms the change we made.
Atkins/ This confirms your change. Right.
Lehmani OK.
Bailey/ Made last---
INFO PACKET 9. HISTORIC PRESERVATION
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Elliott/ We have Historic Preservation on the agenda. Were we going to have something about
that tonight?
Lehmani Nn-mmm.
Bailey/ Historic Preservation?
Lehmani Where on the agenda?
Championl It's not on there.
Bailey/ You mean the info pack?
O'Donnell/ I didn't see it.
Elliott/ Monday, June 14th.
Championl Oh, it is on there.
Lehmani Not it's not.
Championl It's not on mine.
Karr/ No, that's not on the agenda this--that was moved from the final agenda.
O'Donnell/ Way to go, Bob.
Championl Wrong again.
Atkins/ The info packet is an extensive packet of information about that issue. We're assuming
you wanted to look over that. If you want to schedule a discussion let us know. Shelly
prepared the summary memo on the thing.
Vanderhoef/ OK. And I'm disappointed with the neighborhood newsletter being counted as the
first notification for that process.
Lehmani Eleanor is not going to let us talk about it.
Dilkes/ There was a decision to not put this on the agenda apparently and so---
Atkins/ Yes.
Dilkes/ ...ifyou want it on the agenda, let's put it on the agenda and we'll talk about it.
Atkins/ (can't hear) You've expressed that concern and I understand your point.
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Elliott/ Yeah.
Atkins/ Should we just put it on the next---
O'Donnell/ Could we just put it on the next agenda?
Atkins/ We'll put it on the next---
Lehmani Put it on.
Atkins/ Yeah, and you can talk about it in detail.
O'Donnell/ Rather than talk about it now.
Lehmani We can't this month.
Bailey/ We can't talk about it---
O'Donnell/ Or Eleanor will go after us.
Lehmani OK. Other agenda items?
Vanderhoef/ It was a short agenda.
COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS
Lehmani All right. Then we have Council appointments.
Championl What are we going to do first?
Lehmani Well, the first one that I see is the Charter Review Commission. We have---
Elliott/ I would like to--I have talked with Tim Brandt and Joe Pugh. Neither one is any more
interested. I would like to propose Nate Green be named to the Charter Commission.
O'Donnell/ Good. I'm with that.
Championl That's fine.
Lehmani Well, if---
Elliott/ I have talked with Nate. He understands the situation. He understands the time
commitment. I think he---
Lehmani I think he called a number of Council folks.
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Champion! Yeah.
VanderhoeD Yes.
O'DonnelU I think he'd be very good.
Lehman! Is that?
Wilburn! That's fine.
Lehman! OK. All right, the next one.
Wilburn! What about Housing and Community Development? I don't think I can--we made a
determination last time that I couldn't appoint. I have a--I'm sorry. Go ahead, announce
the item.
Lehmani OK. Housing and Community Development Commission. We have three appointments
to make.
Champion! Oh, we have three?
O'Donnell/ We have two applicants.
Lehmani Housing and Community Development we have four applicants and three---
O'Donnell/ I only saw two.
Wilburn! I cannot participate in making appointments to this Commission since it heavily
involves the distribution and allocation of (can't hear) Community Development Block
Grant funds.
O'Donnell/ I say Matthew Hayek (can't hear)
Champion! I'd like to nominate Matt Hayek and Lori Bears because they've served just one term
and I think it's good to have experience and they've done a good job.
Lehmani Everybody agree with that?
O'Donnell/ I do.
Bailey/ Yes.
Lehman! All right. We need a third one.
Bailey/ I'm interested in seeing Valire Perkins just because a person served by this Commission
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and I don't think we get that many opportunities to have that kind of diversity on our
Commission. I think that that's---
Championl Can we do that?
Vanderhoef/ Well, I kind of liked the resume on Brian Richman. You know, I look at the
makeup of the Commission right now and we are heavily into housing and housing
issues and providing housing and someone who has worked with these kinds of
activities from the private side or the partner side with cities and city administration. I
think it's pretty important to have a strong voice there with good information.
Elliott/ I admit that I have received a telephone to Brian, talked with him rather extensively, and
I would like to see him in that position.
O'Donnell/ I would also.
Championl I would too.
O'Donnell/ Four.
Lehmani All right. Brian. OK. Our next is the Library Board of Trustees.
Championl Again, I like Katherine Gloer--is that her name? I can't read my own handwriting.
Vanderhoef/ Gloer.
Championl Yeah. She's a female and it's a heavily male-dominated board. She---
Lehmani Her resume looks pretty good.
Championl Her resume looks wonderful. She's worked with the Friends of the Library and she's
a pretty powerful---
O'Donnell/ OK. I like her too.
Lehmani Are we OK with Katherine?
Vanderhoef/ (can't hear) I think would be fine also, but I'll go with---
Bailey/ Same thing for Holly.
Lehmani I think that all those folks---
Bailey/ University (can't hear)
Wilburnl In can add that--it's not noted in here but Shaner (can't hear) will be resigning soon
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because he just accepted a position in Des Moines.
Championl Oh, has he?
Bailey/ Oh.
Championl That's a loss.
Bailey (can't hear)
Lehmani Well, I think we're going to get one more of these items.
Wilburnl Yeah, so---
Lehmani Are we OK with Katherine?
O'Donnell/ Yes.
Lehmani All right. Police Citizens Review Board. We have one application for a person who is
serving, has served one term as I recall.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm. Loren Horton.
Elliott/ I would like that.
O'Donnell/ That's a good one, yes.
Lehmani I would think that would be appropriate.
O'Donnell/ This is so funky it's hard to read, isn't it?
Championl Yes.
Vanderhoef/ And we may have to re-advertise.
Lehmani Right. OK That does that.
COUNCIL TIME
Lehmani City Council information.
Championl I've got a real gripe.
Lehmani All right.
Elliott/ Uh-oh.
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(Laughter)
O'Donnell/ Why don't we adjourn?
Championl Well, I don't want anybody to take this personally but I do not like to this
arrangement for work sessions. I can't see people when they're talking. I like to look in
your faces when I'm telling my little argument.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm.
Championl I don't know if anybody else feels that way.
Bailey/ I'll even have to turn around to see Steve.
Atkins/ Yeah.
Lehmani Only Council people will be using their Internet connections with their computers at
work session.
Wilburnl I would presuppose it would be possible to---
Lehmani String a wire?
Wilburnl String a wire.
Karr/ Anything is possible. A couple things. How many are going to be using the Internet
connection period? I mean, if this is, if you get one meeting and you can't even do it in
one meeting, that's what I'm saying. I mean, do you want to give it a shot tomorrow
night?
O'Donnell/ I'd feel scolded.
Championl I don't bring it.
Lehmani Well, tomorrow night is a regular meeting. We always do it this way.
Karr/ So we're going to continue to use the hard-copy packets though?
Lehmani Pardon?
Karr/ Are we going to continue using the hard-copy packets.
Championl Well, maybe not. But even in go to the Internet, I still don't bring my computer. I
usually just make notes and second of all, I still wouldn't like this arrangement. That, I
mean--maybe I'm in the minority and I'll just back right off.
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Karr/ We can---
O'Donnell/ Well, I really don't like it up here either.
Vanderhoef/ Work sessions---
Lehmani Looks like you're stuck after the election.
(Laughter)
O'Donnell/ Not necessarily.
Lehmani Sorry, Mike.
O'Donnell/ Yeah.
Lehmani 120 people. How does the rest of the Council feel?
O'Donnell/ I don't know. I can't see Connie and (can't hear)
Wilburnl If only two of us are going to be using it (can't hear), I mean it'll take two cables to---
Vanderhoef/ (can't hear) that side of the table down there.
O'Donnell/ I use my computer too.
Lehmani But wait a minute. Marian, can you see what's involved before we make this earth-
shaking decision? My suspicion is that there is a connector that will hook onto that and
25 feet will reach the table.
O'Donnell/ Well, Ernie, we've got---
Lehmani If not, Regenia and Ross will have to sit up here and---
(Laughter)
Elliott/ I don't want Marian and the City to have to go to a lot of problems because one setting is
just a little bit more comfortable for us than another.
Championl I'm telling you this---
Elliott/ But I want to keep Connie happy.
Championl Because she's not nice when she's not happy.
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Elliott/ When Connie's unhappy, we're unhappy.
Championl I'm thinking about future Councils, too. It's not just me. This isn't just about me.
O'Donnell/ Yes, it is.
(Laughter)
Bailey/ (can't hear) future Councils use computers up here so they won't have an option.
O'Donnell/ Do you think that we should give this an opportunity and bring our computers and
try this thing here?
Championl No.
O'Donnell/ OK.
Vanderhoef/ I was uncomfortable tonight with the Airport Commission because there was one
speaker sitting in Marian's chair that was doing a lot and I had my back to these two
over here for the whole meeting.
Karr/ You would prefer at every joint meeting to be down here at a round table so we would put
up more tables?
Championl Mm-hmm.
Lehmani Well, there aren't that many joint meetings.
Vanderhoef/ Well, there aren't but that's basically what's happening.
Karr/ We'll do whatever you want. It just comes with a price tag. That's fine.
Lehmani Well, let's see what it is. I can't imagine it's that big a deal that---
Karr/ Then I'll find out.
Championl I've never spent a City dollar traveling. I want my City dollars spent at work sessions
down there. Don't give me a guilt trip about this.
Lehmani We could build a new Council chamber for you, Connie.
O'Donnell/ I'm a lot more sensitive than you are.
Lehmani All right.
Bailey/ Can you tell us one more time, Connie?
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Championl I'm not controlling this situation. There's several of us. Did you like it up here
through the work session?
Bailey/ Well, I'm---
Championl Forget the computer. Did you like it up here for the work session?
Bailey/ It's OK.
(Laughter)
Bailey/ Well, it wasn't my favorite place but I know that I also hate change so I was trying to
work with that.
Championl I don't hate change.
Bailey/ OK.
Lehmani Well, this is change.
(Several talk)
Lehmani We're going to check into this. Is there anything else for Council Time from anybody?
Championl The library opening.
Bailey/ Oh, that library is beautiful.
Lehmani Absolutely magnificent.
Championl I took my grandchildren there this morning. We (can't hear) the lending library.
Lehmani That really was magnificent.
O'Donnell/ Ernie, do you realize you caught more fish than I lost this election by?
Lehmani And had a lot more fun doing it. OK, guys, we're out of here.
IDENTIFICA TION OF PRIORITIES FOR DISCUSSION
Elliott/ Hey, hey, hey, hey--discussion. Priorities for discussion.
Lehmani OK.
O'Donnell/ I have none. Let's go.
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Elliott/ I'd like to consider two sessions, one to discuss funding priorities for the next budget
because I think we just did at least one thing last week that brought that very, very
seriously to light. I think we need to give Steve some, have a session to give Steve some
priorities for budgeting before he comes to us with a tentative budget. And I would like
to have a meeting sometime with Planning and Zoning people to talk about our
philosophies for zoning and for codes.
Vanderhoef/ That one I will definitely support. Actually, both of them I will for work sessions.
2.f(8). Correspondence
O'Donnell/ OK. I have one more thing. In our packet we have a letter from a guy, do I
understand this right, that he only got charged $25 for hot water. What was that?
Bailey/ What was that, yeah?
Lehmani Disposal fee.
Helling/ We don't know for sure what it was. My response was give me more information and
give that a little more time. But clearly we do not have any sort of a charge and I have
not heard anything back.
O'Donnell/ I knew that. I'm wondering was it a fee to haul the old one away or something?
Helling/ No. Not according to the letter. According to the letter, he bought it and it was a $25
assessment just for the purchase of the water heater. It had nothing to do with
installation.
O'Donnell/ For a City fee. We ought to check that. We ought to see what that is.
Vanderhoef/ Well, and then---
Lehmani There is none.
O'Donnell/ There is none.
Vanderhoef/ .. .to also say that it's free in Coralville and---
Atkins/ Yeah, that was kind of a---
Bailey/ Perk.
Vanderhoef/ But that was the rep who sold it.
Helling/ We don't know where this place so, where he bought it or anything, just that it was---
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Championl Maybe he bought it out of town and they have a local fee.
Atkins/ There is no fee.
O'Donnell/ (can't hear) the Iowa City fee for hot water heater $25.
Lehmani Well, there is none. All right.
Wilburnl I have an item.
O'Donnell/ We can't talk about it.
Elliott/ Just a minute, Ross?
Wilburnl I would like to, you know, I'm pretty amazed, Steve. I should have checked with you
before. I don't know where we left it or if it was even just a concept about the quarry on
Sand Road.
Atkins/OK.
Wilburnl Here's my question.
Atkins/OK.
Wilburnl Is there enough information or checking that Council could bring up to you that you
would staff some more direction-- I would be interested in seeing, you know, some type
of effort and funding. I have no idea of the time table when that's going to be all
dredged out.
Atkins/ Very soon. Well, we're checking--the issue of the sandpit---
Wilburnl Right.
Atkins/ And when it's going to be, the mining will be finished, we're---
TAPE 04-43, SIDE ONE
Atkins/ ...we've talked about extending the trail down along the river. So its agenda is bigger and
Terry and I just met on it the other day and said we need to outline--there's six or eight
issues involved--and so we're going to try to bring you more of a package of issues.
Wilburnl OK. All right.
Vanderhoef/ Mm-hmm.
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Lehmani They talked about it at the Parks and Recreation.
Atkins/ Yeah, I asked him. She asked him to do that.
Lehmani We read that.
Atkins/ As long as it doesn't cost a lot of money, they're supportive of the thing, and you know,
the Commission gets pretty rigid on their capital projects, those that they like. But it's
gotten a little more complex. So just a little bit more time and we'll have something for
you.
Wilburnl OK. All right.
Atkins/ Yeah. We haven't forgotten it by any means.
Lehmani I just, I have one question. Now, I don't have a problem with the two major concerns
you're asking about but we better have some idea what we're going to talk to Planning
and Zoning about.
Championl Yeah.
Elliott/ I do.
Dilkes/ Do you have a plan?
Championl Well, we'll talk about it. Put it on the questions that we have.
Lehmani Yeah, I mean, I don't really know. I have not---
Elliott/ I don't think now is the time to discuss it.
Lehmani No, no, I'm just (can't hear) but I think we need to be able to articulate what our issues
are if we're going to meet with them.
(Several talk)
Elliott/ Mine are rather broad issues of the direction the City has been and appears to be heading
now and in the future.
Atkins/ I will put it on a follow-up for you and I, Ernie, when we do the agenda. And you'll sort
of have to pick an evening.
Lehmani All right.
Atkins/ And we want to schedule it. And spending priorities is not a problem, just I need to
know.
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Karr/ We have a number of issues though on that pending list and as I recall your discussion was
you were going to do the list first.
Atkins/ Yep.
Karr/ Then, prioritize from the list.
Atkins/ Ifwe decide to bring the list back, we'll bring it back to you.
Lehmani All right, then we need to take the list and go through it.
Atkins/OK.
Karr/ Dee, did you want to bring up the September schedule?
Vanderhoef/ Oh, yes. Because I need to be in Omaha on Wednesday, I would like to travel on
Tuesday for State League meeting and certainly I would encourage others to go to State
League meeting too. We're having one meeting in September and so if we just moved it
one week either way--ifwe look at the date we have it on now or we move it one week
on either side it's going to be two weeks between the meeting on one side and three
weeks between the meeting on the other side.
O'Donnell/ Let's go three weeks.
Elliott/ Marian gave me an alternative and the alternative you gave to me was, is fine.
Karr/ The 13th and 14th, rather than the 20th and 21 st.
Championl Oh, the 13th and 14th of what?
Karr/ September.
Championl Oh, yeah, that's fine with me.
Karr/ So, do you want to officially move that?
Championl The only problem might be--and I'll let you know for sure is--no, it's not a problem.
I'll be in town. I'm confused about what weddings are when. No, I'm fine. That's fine.
Elliott/ You're confused, I was embarrassed.
Bailey/ OK, so tell me when we're meeting in September now.
Karr/ 13th and 14th.
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Championl That's fine. I can do that.
Karr/ That's the only meeting?
O'Donnell/ Because we've been here long enough.
Lehmani All right.
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