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Home My WebLink About1996-09-04 TranscriptionSeptember 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 1 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session 3:05 PM Council: Nov, Baker, Kubby, Lehman, Norton, Thomberry, Vanderhoef. Staff: Arkins, Helling, Woito, Karr, Franklin, Craig, Schoon. Others: John Beckord. Facilitator: Arkins. Tapes: 96-95, Side 2; 96-97, all; 96-98, all; 96-99, all. Arkins/I am very nervous.... We are scheduled to do a goal session and t am to serve as your facilitator and facilitators have ground rules. The ground rules are that everybody at the table is equal, everybody will get a chance to talk. If there is more than one conversation going on at a time and I can't hear you, that doesn't do us any good .... Lehman/I understand why you are nervous. Atkinsd Paper, pencils, if you need some to scribble on ...... As I was saying ..... I don't mind if you want to stand up... stretch your legs.... munching ..... Nov/If you stand up and walk around, you won't be heard .... Atkins/I think to do an effective goal session... we have to agree on a vision.... what we want to be.... The vision directs the City staWs work activity ..... I believe the vision should also direct your activity ..... We are here to crone up with a collective vision and collective goals. It also sends a message to our community and tells them what you want it to be ...... When we are finished today I would like to be able to say the goals, the things we agree on would mirror your vision for the comnmnity.... It is also important that out of today, we can gel more as a group. That we can community.... understand each other.... Virginia ... being told to guide and direct tile community, I have no training. Whether that is good or bad, I don't know but I think that is the importance of communication... The most important constituent for a city council member is tile city council. You can't get anything done unless you get three other folks to go along with you ..... I also understood you want to minimize the lists ..... I am going to try to get you through and I sent out to you somewhat of an idea of the exercises that I like to perform ..... 1 would like to begin right away ..... Igor (Dale) .... The first question... What are the key elements that make up a successful community... These are things that 1 think are of grander importance .....This is an This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 2 expression of what we want to be.... as a community. I need you to tell me those elements of a successful community. It may or it may not involve the government.... What are the characteristics of a successful community? What would you tell me? Vanderhoef/Safety .....not only safety to walk our streets... safety of our buildings... Nov/Lively, vibrant Kubby/Diversity... jobs, activities, opportunities .... Safety .....not only safety to walk our streets... safety of our buildings... Nov/Lively, vibrant Kubby/Diversity... jobs, activities, opportunities .... Arkins/Social, economic. political ..... Norton/Attractive physical appearance .....cleanliness, entrances, streetscapes, public spaces., public buildings .... Arkins/ Lehman/City government would be user friendly .... Arkins/User friendly governments ...... Baker/Fistally sound community .....I don't want to bring up Waterloo .... Arkins/ Norton/High quality of public services and amenities... responsiveness of the government. Vanderhoef/Invites people to come in and keeps people here that are already here. Arkins/ Norton/...public works, security, human services, traffic control... Vanderhoef/Amenities are what I see are the things that invite people to come in and the things that keep people here .... Kubby/All the services ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4~ 1996, WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 3 Atkins/Some services are for purchase .....have to have adequate number of restaurants .... both public and private Norton/I have vital and varied activities Atkins/Call it community activities .... Nov/ ....you don't want a community that looks dull ..... Norton/....quality of education .... Arkins/A successful community has an attractive educational environment ..... Vanderhoeff A broad tax base that doesn't overburden any one sector to the advantage of another. Arkins/Broad tax base.... balanced tax base .... Kubby/...Add under economic part of diversity to include a diverse housing market ..... Norton/Neighborhoods... attractiveness .... Atkins/Neighborhood is as much a physical as is a lifestyle .....I will put neighborhoods under quality of neighborhoods ...... Kubby/Managed growth ..... If you grow too fast ..... includes environmental protection... balance... how and where it takes place ..... Vanderhoef/ Atkins/...get a feel from all of you.... have to measure the things we do against these types of activities ..... These are the things that you want for us .... Kubby/....broad topics in our Vision 2000 document ..... all of these things can be fit in ..... Transportation is important ..... how you move people around. Atkins/Tell me about people .....Is there something about community attitude .... Norton/People participate actively in their government .....in their own community .... Kubby/Opportunities to contribute.... that they fell they have an opportunity to contribute. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of I0wa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 4 Arkins/Active participation. Nov/Not necessarily in government. Nov/Active participation in the community ..... VanderhoelY Perception of the people ofwhat is happening in their community... whether it is safe on the streets... town being governed well... perception of being riscally responsible ..... Arkins/ Nov/...successful community... not sure it changes the success of the community .... VanderhoetY Lehman/People should feel good about the community. Vanderhoeff And when their perception is not good, it changes ......the community ..... Norton/Reflection of the other things ......I guess I see that as a result. Atkins/...I think perception is a result.... the things we came up with are measurable and the perception is the result ofthe evaluation ofthose things ..... Your point on community mood can have a telling impact upon all of these things ..... Norton/Participation .... I think that some participation or awareness of the governing processes of that community is a special form of that participation ..... Arkins/Other aspects of the community: churches, governments, schools, cultural activities, service clubs, private agencies .... Nov/The kind of people... aware they can participate in government if they want to .....A large awareness in this city of volunteer opportunities. Atkins/We always keep coming back to government... You are the government .... Lehman/Probably is not a stronger influence on the community anywhere than city govermnent ..... Have more to do with those things than any other agencies .... Arkins/ ..... Kubby/Transportation.....great impact on private and public dollars ..... This represenls only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meetlug of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 5 Arkins/ Baker/Question about g4 and #8 .....Is there a separate category called a natural environment ..... Kubby/Part of managed growth category ..... Vanderhoef/Different than P/P, opportunities? ..... Atklns/There must be a sense of environment .....to make for a successful community .... Norton/ Baker/I have never been comfortable with the word natural... doesn't seem to fit ..... Lehman/Folks have to have a sense ofownersl~p. Tl~s is their cormnunity. Atkins/What does ownership mean. Lehman/They like the community.... proud ..... Arkins/Ownership. Kubby/Active participation.... perceive that they can have some impact .....atmosphere... Lehman/Some folks participate and do so in a manner that they do not feel they are affectire ..... There is a difference there .... Arkins/ .....What about the word leadership? Norton/They need confidence on the leadership. Vanderhoef/Leadership is not only what happens in the immediate.... visionaries .... Atkind So vision is important. Vanderhoel~ Vision is very important. Atkind It has to be self renewing. We will all be gone some day. Atkind Anything else for a successful community? Kubby/Democracy.... making a lot of these things happen .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 6 Thornbemj/... What would draw people to a city ..... Norton/Economic opportunities ..... CHART # 1 Successful Community: 1. Safety - safe streets, buildings 2. Lively, vibrant 3. Diversity- social, econ, political, housing, neighborhoods 4. Attractive appearance 5. User friendly 6. Fiscally sound community 7. High quality services 8. Attractive amenities 9. Attractive education environment 10. Balanced tax base 11. Managed growth 12. Active participation in community 13. Transportation 14. Natural enviromnent 15. Community pride-ownership 16. Vision 17. Economic opportunity Alkins/All and all, no matter how you define, each ofthose mean a little something different to each one of you.... bottom line.. unanimity... important things for a successful community ..... Silence is acquiescence ..... Thomberry/ ..... Just because each of us through out one or two or more, it does not necessarily mean there is unanimity ..... Atkins/Is there anything that you would draw a line through and say for a successful community, that is not important? ..... Thomberry/I have seen successful communities that did not have public transportation. Lehman/Doesn't say public. Just says transportation ..... Arkins/Are these the elements of our successful community, Iowa City, Iowa, 1996? ..... Kubby/... possible... becoming more successful. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 7 Arkins/Nobody has defined balanced for me. There are those of us that take pride in the fact we don't use a sales tax, we have no gambling revenue, and we are riscally healthy. There are not many cities in the state that do that ..... Balance .... Thomberry/With a balanced tax base, the less balanced it is, the more onerous it is to one area or aspect or other .... Kubby/ Atkins/Is there anybody who doesn't want their tax base reasonably balanced? Thank you, we will move on. Of course we do. Norton/1 am unhappy without having economic opportunity as a second category .....1 think it is something you really have to be concerned about ..... Arkins/We are willing to write down economic opportunity.... That can go down. The question was is there anything on here that you would strike? ...... Norton/Somebody might choke on managed growth ..... Atkins/I can give you what my definition of managed growth is and I am sure you would have one also. Managed growth to me is health. It is healthy when you grow in a managed responsible way. It is unhealthy to grow otherwise ..... Are we okay... Move onto the next point.... This is deafly a government question. What is the proper role? Proper is your definition.... What is the role of government? This is your opportunity to tell me.... philosophical expressions. It may vary from issue to issue ..... Baker/Funding and regulation. Arkins/A role for government is that we have to provide financing and regulate. They should be two separate ..... pay for things and regulate things. Norton/ .....assuring quality of public services .....responsible to assure the quality ..... Arkins/A critical word is assure and quality .....assure.. that is guarantee. Kubby/...private sector function .....if it is not happening, one of the roles of government is to step in ..... Arkins/Private sector can't, public should ..... Norton/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Selting Session Page 8 Kubby/ Atkins/ Kubby/For example, housing. The public sector is not doing affordable rental housing ..... Thronberry/... I totally disagree ..... Kubby/ Atkins/Can I use housing.... housing public fulfilling where private, by choice, leaves off..... We all know what it means .... Lehman/ ..... Role of government is to provide the kinds of services that we cannot provide ourselves individually ...... Arkins/Provides services the private market doesn't. Lehman/We determine as government which of these services are desirable or not ..... Atkins/ .... Thomberry/To stimulate private activity. I do not think it is the role ofthe government... to do what private does not do. It can stimulate private growth. Norton/I had encourage creation of employment opportunities and housing choices ..... Kubby/I am thinking of a whole spectrum of providing servmes, stimulating private sectors ..... Atkins/Very subtle but different: private and encourage. She just qualified hers to lean more to encourage. Kubby/As long as provide is an option .....having a spectrum of relationships when the private sector falls short ..... Norton/Example... Jackson, Wyoming ..... pricey town... city had to go into the housing deal ..... Wasn't any place for people who worked there to live ..... They actually built some houses that they leased to them ..... Arkins/So the character of the community... legitimate role for the community to cause some of those things to occur ..... extent to which is subject to philosophical differences of opinion. No one has said don't do that... It is none of our business .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 9 Kubby/Maybe the word is participation .....how directly or indirectly we participate. Thomberry/Provide really troubles me. Kubby/Participation. Thomberry/Encourage, stimulate .... Vanderhoef/ Kubby/The whole spectrum of provision through incentive. Thomberry/1 like part of the spectrum ...... Kubb¥/ Thomberry/Not have to... Lehman/There are many services that we are unable to provide for ourselves as private citizens: roads, bridges, fire protection ...... Thomberry/It is not mandatory that the city have a public police department, public fire department,... transportation... garbage... It could be all private .... Arkins/We are all trying to contribute to a successful community. How we get at it is subject to some debate.... I want on the table today an understanding that one of the very clear issues for this... You have a tremendous divergence of opinion with respect to the role of government. We agree on what we want to be but we are not agreeing on how to get there ..... Basic elements where we can have some understanding of the role of this government... Affects the visions .... Baker/Government in relationship to the private sector .....Those have two different goals .... Arkins/There is a very clear difference ..... Baker/Role of government is to promote public interest.... not to make money but to use resources efficiently to promote public interest. That is a role for government that veil] not be filled by private sector. Norton/ Atkins/We agreed on these. No~v we are tB4ng to figure out how to get there. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 10 Norton/...Government has some responsibilities through land use regulations... ordinances... incentives... all kinds of ways to try to create that kind of environment. Arkins/Can I change regulation and add ..... regulation and law .....regulate requires law. Lehman/Regulation/stimulation. A lot oft}tings can be done in a positive fashion .... Arkins/Stimulate the private sector. I think we have said that. CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-97 SlOE 1 Arkins/...How does the government act? It acts by way of law. Baker/Ernie, you see a role of that of stimulation. To me government only has two ways to stimulate: pay for it or tighten or relax a regulation. Lehman/For example... affordable housing... incentive to stimulate growth in lower cost housing ..... Kubby/ Nov/It would come in the form of a regulation. We will change the land use and allow }figher density in this area .... Norton/It could also be an incentive ..... Vanderhoeff I see a wide range here or spectrum... Difference on this council on how much law is good ..... line that goes between over regulation... safety and health versus free enterprise .... Thomberry/Is the amount of funding or the amount of regulation and accommodation of those two things could stimulate ..... Norton/...role of government ...stimulate ..... festivals... Kubby/ Atkind Iowa Arts Festival... very small appropriation of money, immense amount of activity that you provide public space for ..... Norton/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 11 Arkins/Another important word in hem is balance.... between when we stimulate and when we regulate... facilitate.... One of the things I tell the Plmmers.... what they do is out there promoting, facilitating an causing development to occur.... Now I am going to regulate that particular activity... very very.... difficult process ..... Facilitate and regulate simultaneous.... We want good jobs for our citizens ..... Nos'/You could put balance under #1 &//2. Nov/You could put balance under #1 & #2. Arkins/Them is no one right answer .....understanding of how you view that role of government ..... Lehman/Govermnent should be a facilitator. Through regulation, stimulation... we can facilitate certain things to happen.... real critical thing ..... Bakeff Lehman/Example.. project 1 like to do... help me do it, show me how I can do it.... Be a facilitator.... Can we what I can do to make this a viable idea. Kubby/So it is almost like an attitude about how you fund or regulate or assure a quality of services.... sometimes that is a very important role .... Lehman/ ......say this is a great idea... one is very positive Kubby/At some point them is a time when we need to say... you are breaking the law. There is that balance is well. Atkins/Notice the word enforcement has not found it ways on this list ..... Baker/...someone will come to us with a project and we will say no ..... Lehman/You are right, at some point you draw the line and say no, this isn't going to happen. Baker/ .... Atkins/Facilitators is an attitudinal thing. This repre.~ents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 12 Baker/ .... Arkins/Facilitators is an attitudinal thing. Lehman/I think, yeah .... Atkins/ Lehman/ Norton/I think one ofthe important roles of government is to provide a context for things to proceed.... people need to know the general parameters of growth ....Some kind oflong range planning is essential. Lehman/It is vision again. Norton/ Kubby/Add accountability.... individual accountability as well as over the long term ..... very important part of democracy. Thomberry/The proper role of government should be accountable. Atkins/Accountability. Nov/I still think you need planning. Baker/Go to #7where it says promote public interest.... do we have to define the public interest. Atkins/Yeah. Baker/Define and then we will promote it. Atkins/...Defining the context of the public interest is one thing... then actually promoting it .... Baker/ .....Public assumes that we are in sync with their roles and values as well .... Atkins/Define ..... Norton/Long range planning about land use .... Arkins/Finish up on planning. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Seplemb~r 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting $e~ion Page 13 Nov/I thought we jumped over what Dee Norton was saying. He said we need a comp plan .... Arkins/So comprehensive planning... the role of government... By definition, the comp plan could be subject... map... colored map.... we have chosen as a community not to do that... adopted ext. ensive vision statements and goals with that. To me that is a comprehensive plan which we interpret in the form of land use and other decisions that you make ..... Thomberry/Discuss a word... flexibility. Norton/These are attributes. I don't see those functioning the same .... Thomberry/ Arkins/You did put a attribute to the government.. attitude of the government is an attribute.... Dean's is flexibility .... Nov/The word plan implies flexibility. Sometimes plans are changed .... Norton/ Thomberry/To have a flexible user friendly government. Norton/Those are characteristics of government ..... Nov/ Thomberry/...Just because it is not in that Vision 2000 .... Lehman/P/Z... we would pass ordinances.. correct problems... So many times... pass an ordinance.... It would be to the detriment of maybe 90% of the folks and 10% we were trying to control ..... If we could just somehow find a manner in which we could enforce ordinances by the intent ...... Nov/ Lehman/ Kubby/This discussion is too general for me .... Atkins/Back to the original statement of flexibility. Is that an acceptable word? ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 14 Thomberry/Example.... speed limit .....Dodge Street.... What I am saying is you have got to tlexible in a lot of things .....Human nature .... Baker/You want to be fair and consistent. Atkins/Is not fairness and consistency an appropriate role for government? .... Norton/Those are characteristics .... Arkins/You are spending your time debating the characteristics ofthe attributes. I will repeat again, enforcement hasn't found its way on this list. Vanderhoef/Flexible comes through when we have the appeals process that allows people to ask for flexible. Arkins/ Nov/I want to add in protection ..... Kubby/ .....brainstom .... Nov/It is an issue that hasn't shown up as a role of city government. Atkins/We have an obligation to protect our citizens .....do it by way of enforcement of certain rules and regulations ..... Baker/Implicit in this was the rules right out of the Charter: health safety and welfare. Arkins/It is .....you can rely on health, safety and welfare for pretty much anything you do .... Lehman/Word enforcement has got to be up there. Kubby/Incorporate it into protection ..... Arkins/Protecting your interests .....enforcing the law.... Anything else on the role of government .... Kubby/Can we take t/4 off of there? Arkins/Anything on there that you would draw a line through? ..... Anything you want to add. Is there anything on there that should go? That you can't agree on. Kubby/t/4 was just an example.. of#5. I don't think it should be on ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 15 Arkins/Is eve]Tone generally on board? ...... Is it a role government, through your actions to cause economic stimulus for things to occur? Baker/ Thornberry/I agree with taking it out,//4 .....participate in services ..... Atkins/Participate in services the private sector does not provide ..... Baker/Maybe you needed a qualifter ..... Norton/Suppose there were no events... would it be the role of government to try to stimulate that? Thornberry/Stimulate yes, provide no. Norton/ Thornberry/ Kubby/Oakdale, the incubator, is a public private partnership. So the government is participating... heavy subsidy ..... Sometimes your role changes mid-stream ..... Sometimes you have to provide the service and engage people ... Maybe you provide it at the beginning. Thomberry/I am saying instead of actively participating and starling it, they can take people like yourself` ....and stimulate you to participate in through funding and change of, regulation .... Kubby/I believe the proper role for government is the whole spectrum of'participation ..... Norton/ Thornberry. My spectrum is different than yours. Nov/There are a lot of overlaps between//5 & #6. Arkins/My point is is there anything you would strike from there? ...... Norton/...degrees of stimulation .... Arkins/We can always come back. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 16 Lehman/#2 & #11 are pretty much the same thing. Nov/There are quite a few overlaps ..... Arkins/The regulation is intended to protect ..... CHART #2 Proper Role of Government 1. Funding 2. Regulation 3. Assure quality of public services 4. Housing - Public/Private relationship 5. Participaie in services private sector does not 6. Stimulate private sector 7. Define and promote public interest 8. Facilitator - attitude 9. Accountability 10. Comprehensive planning 11. Protection/enforcement Atkins/I will move onto the third exercise. This one... write it down ..... You get three things the next 24 months... things.... goals.... only get three things.. What you want us to do as a government ..... Three things you would like to see your local government achieve in the next 24 months ..... These are goals, things... not fantasies.... For city government.... Three things ..... Things I want to see happen, this government. As we are talking, you may want to add more ..... (Council creates following list): CHART//3 24 Month Goals Long term financial security/project out stability, flexibility (Project trends in federal funding, trends in local tax revenues, identi~, alternate sources of revenue and how they would be used.)(LB) D.t. revitalization Comprehensive Plan update (LB) Revisit and implement housing policy discussion (KK) Establish long term housing policy (EL) Determine minimum level of service above which are user fees (EL) Establish long term housing policy (EL) Reestablish stronger sense of community (DN) Stimulate cooperation with other local government (NN) Industrial property (NN) * Complete water and wastewater plants on time and budget (DT) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 17 RE-educate city department user friendly (DT) Street grid- developing areas (DT) Dispose or build 64-1A (DV) (SEE CHART #3 CON'T) Atkins/Take a quick gander on what we have got. Anything thing in here where there is basic disagreement? Norton/I don't understand the first one. Baker/Within the next two years project out as clearly as possible... trends in federal funding, trends in local tax revenues, identify alternate sources of revenue and how they would be used. Arkins/Okay ..... We will get that offof the tape ..... Is there anybody opposed to d.t. revitalization? ..... Thomberry/ Kubby/If revitalization means total redoing, I would disagree ..... Arkins/Comp plan update .....Revisit the housing discussion. Kubby/...ask staff to look at certain things... we have not gotten back to that discussion .... About what we should do in the area of housing ..... Arkins/ .....This is a very generalized discussion... we want to get them on the table .... Kubby/Stuff we gave Karin's department to explore ..... Norton/I would have trouble.. if just discussion... has to culminate in some kind of coherent housing policy .... Kubby/...implement .... Atkins/Ernie, I interpret long term housing policy... is that we have 900 families on vouchers ..... what are we going to do .... Nov/ Kubby/ Thornberry/I don't see how you can implement a policy on housing without knowing the long term- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 18 CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-97 SIDE 2 Arkins/Is there consensus about tying these together? (Circles Revisit & implements housing discussion/Establish long term housing policy) Council/Yes. Lehman/ .... Senior Center... they are very successful... activities... they ask us for more personnel... library... P/R... do try to recover 45%... Certain levels of service that we owe the community ..... I think services beyond that level need to be fees .... Kubby/I have a problem with that in terms of saying that every department should be like that.... I believe the library should be free.... information comes in many forms .... Thornberry/How can you say just the library ..... Arkins/This is Ernie's to explain to you all ..... Lehman/When we offer services for free that other folks in town charge for, I am not sure.... Example... movie.... you can go to the library ..... Arkins/Is there any misunderstanding on what Ernie wants?.... Let's move on.... I want to make sure everybody understands on what you told us to do. Norton/If I understand you to mean review the level of service .... Arkins/Ern/e said establish, you said review ..... Establish means we set something. Review means let me take a look at it ...... Establish stronger sense of community. Norton/... It is one that I feel very strongly about.... We need to focus on that as a collective.... work with staff... work with citizens... They have to have confidence in the leadership provided by council and staff. .... Nov/The more you explain, the less I understand .... Norton/I think we can do it by our behavior on the council.... within our relations with staff.. relations with various elements within the community ..... vague ..... Baker/Dee, is this a problem with the council or with the community and the staff?. Norton/It may be more our problem.... goals for yourself... goals for the community .... Kubby/Do a little better job within this group .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City couocil meeting of September 4, 1996. WS09049§ September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 19 Atkins/If we brought this issue back to you, it would come back in a rather general term for you to define for me what you mean by a stronger sense of community ..... Norton/ Thomberry/ Norton/ Arkins/Stimulate cooperation with other local governments. What does it mean? Nov/I think we have started.... We are trying.... It is going to take somebody to really focus on this and to really push it on every issue.... Should be our role within the next couple ofyears. Baker/In Seattle.... non-profit sector.... cooperation between city government and private sector.... I said what about more cooperation between school boards and city governments and ..... 40 hands shot up.....40 horror stories about lack of cooperation between those two essential local governing bodies.... It should be a high priority. Arkins/Industrial property. Nov/That is self explanatory. Baker/I disagree ..... I want us to discuss whether that is a reasonable goal. Whether more industrial land and zoning in Iowa City... is a reasonable goal for this city government ..... Norton/Somebody needs to figure out whether it is. Nov/I am moving to amend....I would consider research offices... commercial development that is non-retail, non-restaurant, non-bar. Arkins/All right .....Wastewater and water projects on time, within the budget ..... Thornberry/I want to make sure that it is proceeding on time, on budget, without any surprises. Look at it again...I don't want to see another pipeline... I don't want to see expensive surprises ..... Arkins/Okay .....1 hear what you are saying ..... Kubby/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Pagc 20 Thomberry/ Arkins/City departments more user friendly. I think I know what you are telling me .... down to city operations .... Thomberry/That is all departments .... Arkins/Street grid developing areas. I am pretty sure I understand what that means... details of which have to be decided. Okay. Baker/By street grid, do you mean not only location but the timing? Vanderhoef/ .... I want a plan... corridors reserved.... this may be 40-50 years out in our fringe areas. Arkins/This is a complex type of decision ..... Vanderhoef/ Baker/I am wondering if that is a realistic goal for two years.... long term location .... Arkins/I cam come back to you and say it will cost you $200,000 for a consultant contract to have that done.... I don't know .... Baker/....Is it something that is going to be helpful to us 10 years from now because of external conditions .... Arkins/64-1A, it's get going, get it done. Okay. Looking at all of those. You get one more, brand new one. Baker/We do a CIP budget... Is it possible to prioritize staffing additions? Arkins/As long as it is in a reasonable time frame .... Baker/ Arkins/ Baker/Tied to minimal levels of service ..... Atkins/....understand the implications .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 21 Thomberry/Question on prioritizing staffing additions. When money is available, you want to add sta~. Baker/We are also told... additional staff... when the funds are available, is the position justified, which positions are justified in what order. Atkind Lehman/ .... business of process... we have asked staff to do things... committees... they come back with their reports and then we ..... public hearing to second guess what these folks have done. I really think we are elected to make decisions. We make some of those decisions when we form these committees and we ask staff to do things ..... guilty of second guessing .... Baker/...depending on the issue... we love the committee until we disagree with them. Lehman/I think we need to accept .... Atkins/erreat acceptance of committee recommendations ..... Kubby/I want to form a citizens committee on all transportation issues. Atkins/... okay ..... Norton/I want... accomplish or complete... review of each city department.... Can't really do priorities on staffing is we can't understand some of the departments very well. Atkins/Departmental review... Baker/Do you mean staff and council review all the departments or out side review .... Norton/l need to have a little better understanding Vanderhoef/How about inviting the difference departments to come and give us some information about their department ..... Thomberry/1 don't want a presentation on their department. Atkins/ Nov/I would like us to work on approving the physical appearance all over the city. We have talked about... other areas that could use some physical improvements. Atkins/I hear you. This relaresents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 22 Thomberry/Along with- My goal is in two years it will cost no more to live in Iowa City than it does fight now .....moratorium on increases... reducing staffing.... riscally conservative... user fees ..... Baker/Cost of government, not cost of living ..... Thomberry/I would like to reduce the cost of government proportionately... leaner and nicer.... I want to reduce the cost of government ..... Arkins/Reduce the cost of local government ..... Kubby/Do you want our budget to be the same in two years number-wise or less? Thomberry/Per capita, yes. Atkinrd Nov/... change that to city government per capita as a measurement ..... Vanderhoef/ ....I think we just about covered them .... Atkins/5:00 PM... take a break... get to visions statements.... bathroom break... food .... eat and work at the same time ..... CHART #3 CON'T Pfiodtize staffing additions (LB) Greater acceptance of committee recommendations (EL) Citizen committee on transportation (KK) Departmental review (I)b0 Approving physical appearance all over town (NN) Reduce cost of City government per capita (DT) (Council break at 5:10-5:20 P1Vo Atkinsd We are going to shift gears again.... What I want to go to now is I am going to be working on our vision statements ..... I have got this document ..... Bold copy.... I am going to put up these vision statements ..... nine task forces by topic ..... Task forces involved 81 people ..... facilitated by various staff members... went to the council and adopted by resolution. That is our visions statement. Norton/ Arkins/Boards and commissions... also reviewed that. This represents only a reasonably accuratc transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 23 Kubby/Spent a long time discussing how to get a range of people on each task force. Council had diverse opinions... reflected a diverse community .... Arkins/Had 13 5 applicants... most instances we were able to give them their first or second choice.... trying to strike a balance... divergence of opinion... Used as sort of the basis for the Comp Plan which is being written by the Planning Department fight now.... I need from you a review of these items. If you feel compelled to offer changes- CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-98 SIDE 1 Atkins/I am also going to give you another document that I want you to keep off to the side. What I ask the staff to do for me was to take the vision statement and we listed the things we did in the last couple of years. These are not routine matters. These are things that I believe were different enough ....deserved to be mentioned .... Looking at the cover page (Cooperative Efforts, page 1)... These items, in our judgment, meet those goals and that vision ..... Have that handy.... This year we had a HIS Quality Con~nittee... they prepared a report.... Capital projects .....not included... routine matters are not included in this list .... The first vision is called Cooperative Efforts. Is there anything in that language that is worthy of change.. direction or substance.... You are looking at the visions statement ..... If you see something different .... VanderhoetY... one of the things... more emphasis on intergovernmental bodies ..... Kubby/...says coordination among the governments that serve the region. Atkins/I am really looking for substantive change. Kubby/ Norton/1 know I made a bunch of notes... great many other issues....transportation, transit, landfill, recycling.. Whole range of issues that we need to coordinate with those other agencies. Atkins/You wm~t some type of goal that speaks to those issues ..... Norton/....look at some issues about regional ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Pag~ 24 Arkins/We say cooperate with University, Johnson County, neighboring communities for best land use issues of mutual concern. You added to that- Norton/Other matters such as landfill, recycling, solid waste. Thomberry/That is more of a for instance. I don't think they are excluding those in this statement. Norton/I am just trying to call them out so we just don't focus on land use. Also other matters of mutual concern. Arkins/Do I hear the need to add some sort of goal that discusses recycling and solid waste. Lehman/I think we are much better off... broad statement...services... Norton/Land use and other issues of mutual concern. ¥anderhoeff On bullet #3 when we are talking about transporlation. Is this saying that you want to put together another transportation commission or committee? Arkins/It is a goal ..... Vanderhoeff It just was a little vague.. I would not be supportive of that kind of thing .... Arkins/... you will have a crack at setting a priority on that. Vanderhoef/ Atkin~ (Arts, Culture & Human Development, page 3). Anything in the language. Vanderhoeff The last two .....I would like to know how people read the fifth bullet.... #4 Recognize as critical .... Kubby/Many communities have a way of quantifying the economic impact of cultural activities... resource.... economic resource and to see that from an economic perspective as well as a cultural perspective and to try to quantify that .....nice tool .... Vanderhoef/ Arkins/These are the words of your citizen task force .... Kubby/_. things that are on edge that can put you over ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Selfing Session Page 25 Atkins/How about this... let's go to the goals. That is the goals to accomplish that particular vision. (Goals, page 2). Norton/...I don't see anything about funding for this visions... makes me kind of nervous.... systematic funding .... Kubby/Kind of our task... our job to prioritize and create leadership. Atldns/Throughout the document,,, funding and financing... you will have to set priorities....You also have in this one.. some of your own political, philosophical differences of opinion .... You have a difference of opinion how to do that ..... Vanderhoef/The way the goals are listed is that the council has no choice that they will be done... will be offered... that is where I- Thomberry/I have a problem with//4, (page 4) Programs and services that meets the needs of all citizens will be offered ..... Lehman/ Atkins/It is a goal or when you get there will decide if you get there ..... Council/(All talking). Kubby/...Policy question with the "will be"... is that culture, human development and arts will be considered essential city services. That is a strong statement that I happen to agree with. Norton/ Atkins/You told me you wanted it vibrant and lively... active participation .... Norton/ Atkins/Move on- Thornben's! That is not a goal of mine It is not obtainable. Programs and services... will be offered. That means if someone comes to the city... cultural program.. I want to see- Will be offered is a pretty strong statement. Kubby! It is a goal. That i£we can provide that service .... Thombel~! ....I don't think to set a goal that is completely unobtainable should be a goal. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 26 Arkins/We don't have consensus on this .... Kubby/Is there another wording that you would find acceptable that has the essence of... provide wide.. basis of cultural services of the community.. as possible. Thomberry/As possible sounds better than will be offered ..... Atkins/The goals fulfill the visions. Thomberry/The goal should be obtainable or it will be nice to have .... Norton/ ....I think all can be liberally interpreted. Kubby/ Thomberry/Should be offered .... Nov/Take out the word "all"..... We will offer variety.... All right, that meets the needs of our citizens without saying the word all. Arkins/Economic Well-Being (page 5). This one is loaded with creates, encourages, fosters and whatever. Facilitator did a fine job on this one. What do you think? ... I am assuming that you read these ahead of time ..... Kubby/Ifwe are talking about words like all, I want to read them again ..... Vanderhoef7 Philosophical conflict... bullet t/4, sustaining, enhancing fiscal responsibility ..... It just really doesn't have any meaning for me .... Atkins/Local government service.... fiscal responsible... socially relevant... The people, that is what social relevant ..... We don't want to provide services that aren't relevant to the needs ofour community. That is what that meant. Norton/What was supportive services ..... Arkins/Job training, things of that nature. Kubby/...to make sure there is housing available for people working at that wage ..... Norton/That would be another goal ..... assure a wide range of appropriately located housing options available for employees. I think the city should promote that kind of policy that insure that .....decent housing, affordable housing for the~n... worthwhile goal .... This represents ooly a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 27 Thomberry/This is not Jackson Hole, Wyoming Norton/I have heard that is one of the concerns about industry... and commercial enterprises... availability of housing ..... Nov/If they have to drive a few miles, is that a hardship? Arkins/Is anyone putting on the table an amendment to this vision? Goals (page 6). Kubby/Looks great. Arkins/Do I hear anything else? Norton/What about industrial land... one of the things we would like to see accomplished. Should that be in here? Kubby/Under the fifth bullet? Focus economic development efforts? Atkins/And I think also job opportunities ..... Vanderhoef/ Atkins/ Norton/Specific goal would be to provide some additional areas suitable for that ..... Arkins/Implied but it is a different emphasis ..... Vanderhoef/That was one of the new ones I wanted to add to this one. Thomberry/ Nov/ Kubby/It is how you accomplish the goal. Nov/... one way is to have the zoning available. I think this should not be quite as specific. Vanderhoeff Give me some clarification on bullet #1, Promote awareness of the city's economic development projects through public forums? Just the policy part of it? Arkins/Yes. The idea in the public forum.... make sure your community is satisfactorily informed about it ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 28 Norton/... report from Economic Development .... Atkins/That was an outgrowth ..... Norton/ Vanderhoef/Is everyone comfortable with #2, Develop criteria to use ..... I have been looking at more and more of this... may well get too focused... doesn't give the opportunity for some visions kinds of activities coming in... too much criteria is going to stifle anyone even proposing a project to us... example of what happened in Cedar Rapids.... focused criteria.... I am concerned that we would be falling into pits like that. Kubby/We might have different criteria for smaller businesses than bigger businesses... We maybe need to do it in a different way .... Nov/I was pleased with the document saying these are guidelines, these are flexible.... I think that is the way we would have to look at it ..... Kubby/I think the point is do you want to have criteria of some sort of not? ..... Vanderhoef/I am questioning whether that is an appropriate thing to say we are going to do.... Looking at more .....create entire city as a TIF district... so we can judge the merits as they come in ..... Kubby/You need to have some criteria.... that we need to talk about to make those individual judgments .... Arkins/You did create a committee and they did give you criteria.... They did do what you instructed them to do. Vanderhoef/And that is the max of the criteria? Atkins/Yes, that is what they gave you ..... Baker/That is coming to us when? Atkins/Next meeting. Kubby/1 thought you said there was some public discussion.... not making a decision on Monday. Atkins/Monday is informal, going over them Tuesday for discussion. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 29 Nov/These goals are in addition to the document with the turquoise color .... Atkins/Environmental protection (page 7). Kubby/Can we have 30 seconds to read this again? ..... Thomberry/There is "all citizens" again. Norton/You are taking "all" too literally. Atkins/Goals (page 8). Vanderhoef/#2. Nov/I want odor, color free water. Arkins/Sooner than later. Vanderhoef/#2 Encourage and support acquisition... most concerned about ..... recognizing there are times that certain lands of sensitive nature are offered to the city and they are not necessarily in a place where we can take care of them or that they can be a public use. And so to... receive those I don't think is in our best interest. I don't know how to say that. Atldns/Say no. Vanderhoef/But this goal says encourage and support the acquisition.... I am saying we have developers ... that can jolly well take care of those things. Norton/ Vanderhoe0' Atkins/I think the intent of that language is to encourage the management of and then support acquisition ..... two specific cases ..... Norton/Say encourage and support ecological management of water sheds, flood plains and wetlands... including acquisition where appropriate. Thomberry/ .... Arkins/... we bought it because it was flood plain.... one of the reasons This represents only a J~easonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 30 Kubby/There were goals on previous councils on acquiring the peninsula because of its ecological nature. Nov/...flood plains should be public property. Council/(All talking). Lehman/Federal government would like those properties not to be built on .... Thornberry/ Arkins/Do I hear a change in the language? Thomberry/I would like to see encourage and support the ecological management of water sheds... flood plains.... I don't think it should be a goal to acquire more. Norton/It would be a method once in a while ..... Nov/I think acquisition should be there ..... Norton/I don't want acquire in there. Kubby/It doesn't mean always. Nov/ Atkins/Sycamore Farms.. Vanderhoef/What is not clear to me is whose responsibility it is for the acquisition and that is what is missing for me Kubby/... we also do things that encourage things for the private sector to do .... Norton/I don't understand why it has to say encourage and support .. Kubby/1 think we are getting bogged down with this language thing. Arkins/It is in now.... I haven't heard enough people to tell me to change it. Lehman/I have not problem with it... subject to interpretation of council .... Kubby/Something that is not on the environmental thing... soil erosion. I think that is a major concern when the Iowa River is going through our community... Not really This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 31 mentioned anywhere.. added to bullet #3 where it list stormwater runoff.... I think it is a real important thing. Arkins/...You want to flag it separately. Kubby/Yes .....I would like to have it outlined in that listing. It could be included. Atkins/Soil erosion, folks? Council/(Yes). Kubby/Bullet 3 in that listing of things, soil erosion control- Nov/Soil erosion prevention- Kubby/And control. Atkins/Housing (page 9). Goals for housing (page 10). Vanderhoef/I am not sure how #2, Maintain and improve the safety of all housing ..... if you take that very literally it is like we are going to go out and inspect every house in the city ..... Arkins/There is housing inspection... and building inspection ....follow up does not occur on s.f. houses ..... Baker/Could read this... improve the safety of all housing.. take into account fire and police protection .... Vanderhoef/Under housing, I don't see it there .... Kubby/I like the broader thing... neighborhoods.... safe their housing feels...I like the broader interpretation. Norton/I don't understand the second bullet .....Does it have to do with reasonable/-IIS procedures and policies? Lehman/ Nov/... and building codes.. very inclusive. Vanderhoe~ Ifthere Js enough of this is sitting around this table that don't get that... what does that send out to our community? ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Septemir 4. 1996 Council C~oal Setting Session Page 32 Kubby/There were two people that questioned the meaning of this. Norton/Written by a series of different communities.... without butchering the actual intent... hard to get consistent... clarity. I just thought it would call out something about building codes and inspections... I can handle it .... Arkins/Any interest in changing it? Norton/It takes considerable re-wording .....If it is not too confusing then I will go with it. Atkins/If the substantive change, we can flag some of these.... If it is a substantive change, I want to decide that this evening .....polishing standpoint, we can take another crack at it some other time .... Thomberry/tt3 Take an active role to insure diversity of housing types... What does that mean? Arkins/I think that is a direction to you when you go through the P/Z and development process.... multi-housing, s.f. .... Norton/Possibly a range of prices, too, Dean. Thomberry/ Arkins/Mormon Trek and Rohret was an example. Thomberry/I can't say the city should be actively involved in saying this is what a house should cost .... Arkins/We have regulatory power over this thing... You have to bless these projects. Baker/At the mirdmum, once you determine the density you allow on a piece ofland, you determine cost. Thomberry/Provide opportunities for interaction among neighbors .... Council/(All talking). Atkins/Neighborhood associations .....parks .... Kubby/This last one.. problems.. depending on where the land is to be annexed and what our CIP is in terms ofroads .....Times I agree with it and times I don't agree with it. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 33 Thomben'y/What does the first one mean? ..... Arkins/That means health, safety and welfare.... obligation as local government ......all of those things are you obligation ..... Lehman/This is another goal that I don't think is probably obtainable but it is a goal, something to shoot at .... Atkins/The federal has a goal of safe and sanitary housing for all citizens. A goal from Kubby/And it doesn't mean that it is public housing ..... Thomberry/I didn't say that ..... Norton/..one of the goals was maybe to try to restrain the housing costs ..... nothing is said about an effort to reduce the cost of housing by careful review of standards. Arkins/Affordable housing ..... Vanderhoef/I think you and I took these down to finer goals than what they were doing in here. Arkins/You had nine people with very divergent opinions ......My group argued over sustain or encourage and that was fine. Kubby/...we kmow that we can always go back to these... disagree about the tools used to get to here but it makes us have more ownership by our actions by agreeing to these .... Vanderhoeff I am having a problem with.... I don't see these as clear enough for me to say I want somebody to go back to it unless I am there to give my interpretation of what I read. That is the problem with this whole document. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/The interpretation... put our own goals down there with it .... Norton/There will never be consistency. Vanderhoef/I am real hesitant to use this document .... Kubby/Then we are paralyzed basically. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 34 Vanderhoef/.. As it keeps coming down to using it as a document to make these more finer distinctions, it is very difficult. Kubby/We may need... to go back to these and talk about more finer grades of goals .... Arkins/Have staff go through these things.... I think it is our obligation... to say... run that vision statement by me again.... You have to ask the question and I think there has got to be ways that we can present this to you in a fashion ..... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98 SIDE 2 Thomberry/Some of the goals are at odds with each other .... Norton/ Atkins/Are we going to settle on the housing goals7 Any change? Lehman/Steve... only value of a statement like this is if it can be broad enough that it can be subject to a broad interpretation. Once you become so specific that it has to fit within certain guidelines, I think it looses a tremendous amount of value ..... flexible. I don't think we can look at this as a finite sort of thing. These are guidelines.... goals... How we achieve these goals is up to this council, the next council or whatever. To me that is the value of the way it is written ..... Norton/Ernie, if it is infinitely interpretable, then it isn't much use to anybody. Seem to me there is a delicate line here... Arkins/We have got to move on. Nov/We have all agreed that the vision statement is very general. The Comp Plan will be more specific, so let's move on. Atkins/Land use and urban pattern (page 11). Thornbeny/Let's make it as general as possible, then we can do whatever we want. Arkins/Practically speaking, you do that anyway .....It is true .... Council/(All talking). Atkins/Goals (page 12). Kubby/The first one, you will know when you are in the country and you will know when you are in the city. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 35 Arkins/Yeah. Norton/The general idea, to know when you are out of town .... Thornberry/I don't understand. How do you know when you are in the country? Norton/...definable, visible edge of town. Kubby/You know when you have left the urban area. Norton/ Thornberry/ Atkins/Okay, I am going to move along Parks, Recreation and Open Space (page 13). Kubby/ Vanderhoei7 They only let one person from each commission sit on that committee and I moved over the land use and Deb Liddell did parks. She did a great job. Atkins/Any thoughts there?.... Looking at the goals (page 14). Baker/Next to the last one, create and maintain attractive entrances to Iowa City. One of those open ended statements....Dubuque Street near d.t. is an entrance. Would that qualify as an entrance to Iowa City? Norton/ Baker/ Norton/...Remember, we bought a park along there to keep it nice.... Terrell Mill and the strip of land beyond that .....to try to keep that entrance handsome .....South is not so good yet ..... Thomberry/The airport is an entrance to Iowa City. Norton/Sturgis Ferry on the other side was suppose to compliment that and it didn't work. Vanderhoef/...We have some work .... Arkins/Public Safety (page 15). Fire Department (page 16). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4~ 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 36 Kubby/... I don't see... a lot of communities have ....community boards, review boards, that help create policy .... Atkins/We don't have for Public Works either. We choose not to do that. Norton/ .... New York often sets one up... in response to scandal.... I think citizen review boards exist in other places. Atkins/I am familiar with them .... Vanderhoef/Thing that was maybe ~nissing for me... has to do with code and what is required and I think we saw a little bit of that with housing... Atkins/ Vanderhoef/....aware that these things available ..... Kubby/ Vanderhoef/ Arkins/Both Police and Fire and both very generalized .... Nov/I expected to see more about medical emergencies in here .....Do we want to add something like that ...... Arkins/Check under Fire .....I think you are okay on that one .... Norton/Got to keep all types .... Atkins/Anything else I hear on that one? Nov/No, that is fine. Arkins/Social Services (page 18). Kubby/Were there no examples of public safety in the goals, action thing. There was some rehab and training. Arkins/... I am missing Transportation and Public Safety....bike patrol, citizens police academy... Kubby/That is under cooperative efforts. Thi~ represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Selting Session Page37 Arkins/I will take care of that. Transportation also had a number of them. Norton/.... In the goals, increase financial support for human service agencies .... Arkins/That is fight. That was mentioned specifically that they did ask for additional financial support. Norton/....I just don't know what to say. Everyone of these categories could probably use something about increase financial support as necessary .... Atkins/Anything under the Goals (page 19). Vanderhoef/Just define for me the internal support for human services. Are we talking more staff or how is this- Atkins/I don't know. Vanderhoef/I don't know what that means. Arkins/I can't answer that for you. Vanderhoef/It is so vague it has no meaning. Kubby/Because in our community people are so cooperative versus competitive for funding and not duplicating services, that that is part of the internal support. To make sure that the case management stuff still goes on .....Agency directors meeting every month .... Thomberry/ Kubby/I think there is very little. Thornberry/I think they are very competitive for their funds .... Kubby/The way we do it... most communities do not have the UW, county and city all in one funding hearing. This is highly unusual .... Atkins/They are competing under some structure. Norton/ Kubby/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Pag¢38 Nov/There is a planner... she is doing more and more attending of other meetings.... She spends a lot of her time coordinating humans service planning ..... I think internal support for human service planning is definitely something we do and we should continue to do. Thomben3,/I would really like to see a goal for social services to consolidate both physically and in their services. Arkins/Wherever practical. Thomberry/It is not fair to have 20 places in Iowa City giving social services that could be in 15 or 10 places .....location and combining of services.... services and also physical plant, too. Atkins/Are we willing to add a consolidation statement of some kind .... Council/(All talking). Lehman/Where practical I think is the right term. Norton/They are not under our control precisely. That is another thing. I think the same statement could be said about most... Police and Fire .....We have got to worry about that in every area... other kinds of consolidation .... Thomberry/To build a building, to put more than one social service in that building, would be admirable ..... Norton/I am for saving money wherever we can. Arkins/Can we agree on consolidation language or not? Vanderhoef/Let's do consolidation and also coordination combination. New and innovative ways to coordinate action and consolidate services .... Arkins/ls that acceptable language to everyone? Coordinate and consolidate wherever practical. I get nods of heads, okay. Transportation (page 20). Kubby/Do you know what I love about this. It says the transportation of people. That is such an important point ..... Atkins/Goals (page 21). This represent~ only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Septembcr 4, 1996 Council Goal Selling Session Page 39 Norton/I like maintaining modest traffic congestion ..... Lehman/There is a goal... Maintain our high level of transit and paratransit service... already adjusted the level of service. Norton/They have down below to improve it to be frequent enough, extensive enough and late enough ..... Nov/I would love to eliminate the annual fiscal vulnerability but it is just not going to happen. Atkins/Anything else under goals. Vanderhoef/On the improved... wonderful... efficiency part of it. That they put in both #1 & 2 and we as a council ought to keep looking at that. Thornberry/ Atkins/Okay, that wraps it up folks.... Allow you a potty break.... come back. We are going to do some priorities on that .... Then the Downtown thing.... don't have to have it quite as structured .....I want to be done by 8:00.... Do priorities on this and then we do d.t. (Council break: 6:35 - 6:45 PM) Arkins/This is an assigmnent. On this sheet of paper are all of these things: 1. Long term financial security/stability/flexibility. 2. Downtown revitalization. 3. Comprehensive Plan update 4. Revisit and implement housing policy discussion 5. Long term housing plan 6. Estabhsh nurumum level of service above which are user fees 7. Establish stronger sense of community 8~S~imulate cooperation with other local government 9. Industrial property 10. Complete water and wastewater plants on time and budge~ 11. City department more user friendly 12. Street grid- developing areas 13. Dispose or develop 64-1A 14. Prioritize staffing additions 44:43veat~ acceptance of conunittec recommcndations 16. Citizens committee on transportation 17. Departmental review This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Septcrater 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 40 18. Impose physical appearances over all city 19. Reduce cost of city government per capita measure Atkinat What I would like to do is that several of these items involve lots of work .... policy, general direction, attitude. 1 would like to go through here and call out those that involve some sort of expression of policy or obvious of a long term consequence. For example, I can't solve that one for you (,points to chart). That is something that you set as a goal for yourself. If there is general acceptance of that, draw a line through it on that piece of paper. If you don't buy this.... no work product for me that I can think of right now.... very very much up to you because you each have varying attitudes about this thing.... I want you to say if you are generally accepting of this, it is going to have to become a policy on your part and I will write these down as an expression of policy. But for priority purposes, draw a line through it, you don't have to rank it. Are you okay with me on that? Norton/What is the implication of a line? Atkins/The implication of a line means that there is no direct work product in the next two years. It is really up to you all ..... Thomberry/It is not something that the city manager can do. Atkinat You have to decide that. Kubby/But does a line through it mean we accept it and it is not a work product or just- Arkins/A line through it means it is not a work product now. It is not a job. Now, I am going to ask the same question of this one (t/8) Stimulate cooperation of other local governments. There is more work involved in that .... Nov/I would think of ourselves rather than the staff. Arkins/...matter of policy not unlike this .... Baker/Are you saying you really don't want to rank those things that require- Arkins/Work. Things you want done in the next two years. Nov/ Atkins/Next one, establish a stronger sense of comrnunity. Okay. I am not saying we on t do ~t.... what is it you want to get done in the next two years. Norton/It is not a work product but it is a message. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 41 Atkins/So are these (refers to chart) ..... Thomberry/Can staff do ~,4 and #5 or do we need to do//4 and #5? Arkins/Are we okay on this one (refers to chart)?.... Okay. Going to move on. Comp Plan. It is being done now. Don't waste a priority on the thing... When will the Comp Plan be drafted? November it goes to P/Z. I think we are fulfilling that. Let's not waste a priority on it. Agreed, okay. Norton/What about city departments more user friendly? Arkins/I think I owe you something on that. Let me go to improved physical appearance. We have the capital plan drafted ..... That also involves maintenance ..... That is a priority and I need to spell that out for you. I am not so sure how to rank that one. I need your help on that one. Thomberry/It needs toe on there. Kubby/I think we should rank it. It might take investment. Nov/It will take investment .... Thomberry/.... Not just d.t but all over the city. Atkins/I am not arguing with you on it. I just wanted ~o make sure we understood each other. Baker/Water and wastewater projects. Arkins/That was my next one up, Larry. We have a schedule of activities that was approved. The projects are proceeding according to the schedule of activities. Our earlier bids have been very favorable. Our bonds have been very favorable. Our investment income ..... As far as on time, there is nothing to tell me we won't be .... I have no idea what kind of regulatory impact .... Nov/Can we cross this out the same way the Comp Plan was crossed out, just saying it is in the process. We don't have to prioritize it. Atkins/ Thornberry/ ....I don't want it to be lost .... Atkins/The contracts for the archeological are being done now. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Cottaell Goal Setting Session Page 42 Norton/We need a pretty careful update on how that stands, time and budgetwise before we reconsider the rate issues for another year. Arkins/If you just choose to reconsider rate issues... bring that back to you in that fashion .... Norton/I think we absolutely need to keep careful track of where things stand .... Atkins/ ......So what we have scratched is #3, 7, 8, 10, 15. Norton/What about 16? Arkins/That is a proposal... straight forward proposal... I would assume you would want some options.... With that in mind, assuming 114 & 5 to be one of the same. Put a box around it.... What I would like for you to do .... I though 10.... low score wins ..... and I will add them up. Kubby/Will there be discussion about that? Sometimes the numbers don't- Atkins/I think this is a very simple, straight forward way ..... Norton/64-1A (#13) go in with tt2 or is it to be regarded as a separate item? Atkin~/I think that is a separate issue. Vanderhoef/It actually ties in with library. Norton/So the highest priority is #17 Atkins/Yes, #1 is your high priority, # 10 is your low. And there will be some you won't give a priority. You only get 10 ..... (Council numbers priorities. Arkins reviews and adds scores for priority rankings) 1.32 #2 2.26 #1 4.32 #2 6. 63 9.48 #6 11.35 114 12. 13.35 //4 14. 61 #7 16. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Septemi~r 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 43 17.60 #8 18.44 #5 19.3 Atkins/You are right, my low score policy won't work. However.... I think the important thing that we find .... Helling/Do you want an average? Council/(All talking). Karr/Steve, why can't you just drop the zeros if you have a majority of them with zeros? Norton/The zeros carry weight. Atkins/Clearly, citizens committee on transportation doesn't have much support ..... Let's see what else ..... (Refers to chart with scores) ..... I count... nine circles... son of major work activities... Is there anything on there that is of more importance than other ..... Norton/See the numbers of these and that will help guide us. Kubby/We could compm'e a few of these ..... Thomberry/I would like to repfiofitize the ones that are left ...... We have got... nine. Let's re-rank those ..... Some didn't rank all their ten numbers .... Kubby/It flushed out the higher priorities. We have got nine things. So what is the next step of those nine? .... Atkins/ Thomberry/If we did this same project again on these items and you have to rank each one of them.... better consensus ..... Baker/I also see on that list of nine... difference between ....is substantial. Karr/1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18 is what Steve has circled. Helling/I took every zero and called it 11.... very low priority...//2 D.t. revitalization is #1 .... (score) 26. There was a tie for #2:#1 & g4. Tie for//4:#11 & #13 ..... #6: #18. #7: #9. #8:#17 ..... #9 was #14 ..... #10 was #6 ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 44 Arkins/D.t. revitalization, long term financial and housing together. g4 is Departments user friendly, Parcel 64-1A. #6 is physical appearance. #7 Industrial. #8 Reviews. 09 Staffing. Nov/Do we want to combine 64-1A with the general d.t. revitalization.'?... Atkins/I would think so ..... Nov/ Kubby/No discussion about the priorities ......You might persuade me to score something differently and I want that opportunity ..... Atkins/We have got 50 minutes ..... Kubby/ Baker/I am comfortable with the top three ..... Arkins/I am comfortable with it as far as preparing information for you. Nov/One thing... say 64-1A belongs under d.t. revitalization ..... Arkins/ Nov/ CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 96-99 SIDE 1 Kubby/Some of those he can do parallel .... Thomberry/I think he could get start with his department heads.... emphasizing more user friendly city departments ..... Atkins/ Council/(All talking). Arkins/You can't send a mandate happiness memo out. Lehman/This is important to us, you know that .....that is your call now. Kubby/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4+ 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 45 Thomberry/ Kubby/It is not the first thing we should be talking about. Thomberry/It is not something that we need to talk about .... Arkins/How do you want to attack this ..... Thomberry/ Atkins/We have a good bit of this together ..... Nov/We are akeady projecting three years out. Thomberry/We are already going to be talking about d.t. revitalization ..... We need to do #2 Housing, etc ..... Perception we have of the physical appearance.... not just d.t ..... separate issue ..... Lehman/I feel the same way about #1 as I do about g4 .....You will do automatically anyway ..... Atkins/I do this routinely internally... need to put it in something that you understand ..... You have asked for it ..... That is not a problem .... Kubby/All ofthese things are high priorities for the group ......They are all something that, as a group, we want to see happen ..... Baker/One of the things that separates the #I issue out from the other issues is it is more than just council and staff It is much more complicated and far reaching .... Kubby/I say the same thing about housing issues ..... Baker/But I see work being done on housing issues... staff and council... I don't see them being ..... as difficult as an issue to resolve ..... Housing .... toughest one for us .... Council/(All talking). Arkins/We have 8-9 goals. Do I take them back... write a cover memo outlining how I intend to take on each one of these. Give you something to react to... work program that you want to see done in the nest couple of years ..... general ideas .... Norton/Financials.. something more than a revisit of the three year plan. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 46 Arkins/We have a ten year financial trend.... We will update that.... Now what I am being asked is translate that as best we can and run that number out for say ten years. Norton/In light of some looming commitments. Baker/ Council/(All talking). Kubby/If you put all this out in some sort of work plan at an informal meeting, ifwe had 20 minutes where people were prepared to say... shif~ these things around... persuasion... big issues. Atkins/I will prepare it in that fashion ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of Septeml~er 4, 1996. WS090496 Seplcmbcr 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 47 Downtown Atkins/...sit back and relax. I have our department directors in our staff meetings, we made a list and the list was these are not solutions, these are issues. That list was intended to give us some idea ..... ask each department to go back to their respective staffs and make up a list. The only rule.... was these are the issues, not the solutions.....These were not questions of process... did not identify who should be involved in addressing the issue. Here is what some of the folks said to us: needs a face list, how can the University assist police in dr. security, need more and better locatiohal signs.... better d.t. regulatory signing, skateboards.... promote sidewalk cafes .....alleys smell .....Iowa Avenue needs work .....what is the business theme for d.t .....we need a business license.. regulate the types of business d.t .... too many bars.... clean up in front of stores... get rid &fountain, keep the fountain.... cracks in sidewalks ..... close Dubuque Street between Washington and Iowa ..... street lighting.... continuous canopies along storefronts ..... Iowa Avenue between Dubuque and Linn, sidewalks far too narrow .....We will take all of this. Is that something you want to do... these are ours... Nov/Iowa Avenue, add in improvements between Clinton and Dubuque. Norton/....picture... little green machine .....clean sidewalks on it. Arkins/No solutions, just issues .... (Council creates d.t. list): Iowa Ave. Improvements (Clinton to Dubuque) Cleaning sidewalks Bike parking, especially covered Paint and light alleys and dean Trim and thin trees Allow perpendicular projecting signs Underground shopping and parking Security (visible constantly) Ashtrays on Ped Mall and Iowa Avenue Newspaper vending machines Library expansion Clean up kiosks with map 64-1A do it Parking issues Parking ramp - spruce up Signage directional Regulatory signs Increase arts/cultural Liquor license This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Seplcmber 4, 1996 Cooncil Goal Selting Session Page 48 Brick repair Holiday lights (before Thanksgiving/Christmas down) Graffiti Near Southside coordination Zoning CB-5 CB-10 Outside care regulations Close Washington from Linn to Dubuque Integrate Old Capitol Mall into downtown Delivery policy Use chess board Like neon signs Near Southside tax abatement review Baker/Can we stop on the list and decide a little bit more on the process. Arkins/Like for you to do.... write them down...compile all of this... Here is the list of what folks are saying about d.t ..... Baker/I sat d.t. today... if you had the money and power.... in d.t.....what would you do Arkins/Process, this is how to attack the issue and who. How or who. Process Group - Other than Council Merchants Users What can we do · What do we need help (with) · Losing energy/regain Nov/How is- I keep thinking in terms of collaborative entities and comnfittees.... who should be on the committee ..... Should be some kind of group other than city council members, Chamber... DTA... whoever... bar association Kubby/People who hang out d.t. Users ofd.t. Norton/Some kind of committee should be in place. Baker/Some kind of committee has got to be in place. Norton/ ....needs to be coordinated. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page49 Baked ... other categories of issues. I am not sure one committee can work all the issues... Need some large committee split... I don't have a solution ..... Lehman/...Throgmorton... find a qualified group of folks. Give them absolutely no guidelines... get the hell out of the way and let them do it. Norton/I don't know who selected them ..... A lot of the impetus has got to come from the d.t. itself with reasonable representation... process is complicated. Baker/Ernie, one of your suggestions.... get this group organized.... what can we do and what do we need help on ...... We also need to set a deadline here .... Norton/.... some of them can be move don more promptly. Nov/We need to do something whether or not we establish a committee. Cleaning up the alleys we can do ..... ought to be on the short list. Arkins/Clean up the alley. Who? They are not our dumpsters ..... Nov/We can enforce the cleaning of dumpsters ... fine .....In terms of installing lights, this is our job. Atkins/I have no trouble with that. Lehman/....housekeeping... could be so much nicer ..... put some money... hire some folks... trimming trees regularly ..... We need really strict intensive maintenance program that we follow all of the time.. We could do better. Baker/ We need that regardless ..... Whole perception that other communities are doing things and we are not... d.t. needs to be revitalized ..... d.t. vision ought to come up with... creating a sense that things are going to be different and better... library is an essential part of that .....What do we want the committee to do?.... We have got to do it in less than a year. Kubby/ ... get this big list of things... eliminate .... categorize things that the city can do short term without a committee ..... What are the things we want the committee to help us decide... code all ofthese things once we see the whole list. Baked Committee or subcommittee from the library to go along with the 64-1A committee or subcommittee.... ped mall renovation .... Norton/Process here is pretty tricky... got to work in parallel.... short term problems... work on the vision that directs the longer term. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4. 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 50 Baker/We have talked about outside facilitator... We do need some person to being charge of the project ofd.t. revitalization. There is a logical choice in my mind .... Kubby/....library board... bigger vision... 64-1A and library.... Who and how are those decisions being made.... complicated things .....Who would be making those decisions .... Baker/Eventually everything has to come back to council .....We have an obligation to tell the library ..... Thomberry/If they could get a plan off of dead center. Council/(All talking). Arkins/You are talking about process and now you are heading off on specifics. Nov/You need this group to include not just merchants and users... Chamber, libtmoN board, DR Committee.... long list of people who have some kind of vested interest in d.t. Baker/Committee large enough to split up... Kubby/Cornerstone... 64-1A and library. Where does that fit in? ..... Are we going to be talking about what uses are going to happen in which locations?... Nov/I am talking about improving the physical appearance.... How are we going to develop 64-1A, that is a council decision. Lehman/ Thomberry/I thougilt we said earlier let's market it ..... I don't know whatever happened to the discussion on 64-1A when we all said, by golly, we ought to market the thing. Kubby/ ....library .....our decision as a group put a stop to the marketing of 64-1A. Thomberry/ Kubby/Karin did all of the work .... Nov/That was a feasibility study .... Kubby/...changing horses. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 51 Nov/We are going to be told yes, this is feasible depending on how much public funding you want to put in to it. I don't think we need a consultant to tell us that. Nov/... get somebody to do it.... somebody professionally should look at that possibility... public and private functions ..... that has to start instantly .... Thomberry/I am not at all convinced that 64-1A should be part of the library ..... Does not get to my main problem of accessibility.... What is the library for and where does it belong ..... We have got to free up 64-1A or not free it up. 64-1A is part ofd.t. Arkins/We are not getting anywhere... same cycle of 64-1A and the library. Thornebrry/64-1A is in the d.t.... in that discussion... Arkins/We have got to have some framework for this debate .... Kubby/The question is what process do we use to discuss these issues. Arkins/can I draft for you an outline of somewhat ofa d.t. strategy. David has already done some preliminary work on that. I will outline the thing. Go through point by point ..... decisions made as we step through the thing. Vanderhoef/l would like.. things that would be real specific that are council things to do. Arkins/We will give you short term, long term, council needs to decide this. Vanderheof/ Atkins/I have got to write something up. ¥anderhoef/Just ballpark estimate on dollars ..... Atkinrd We will do our best ..... Nov/Ballpark numbers and ballpark time frame ..... Atkins/I want to do this project. Baker/ Le~unan/Steve, this is pretty high on your list of personal priorities, too. Atkins/We want to take it on .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 Seplember 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Kubby/Opportunity to start building a sense of community ..... Page 52 This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription oflowaCity councilmeeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 53 Scheduling Nov/We need to talk about scheduling. Arkins/Two scheduling items that I need to have answers from you. 17th September- We will be prepared to do the CIP that day if you say go today ..... Nov/Save that date on chance Library Board can meet with us. They cannot meet with us on 21st because Karen is not going to be here. Karr/The Library Board can meet on the 21st. It is Karen that cannot. Nov/We wanted to have all the council members here ..... I would like to give them first priority. If they can meet 17th, I would like to push CIP to one of the other days we have on our list... Arkins/We need to do CIP... we are prepared.... I just need a schedule. Karr/Chuck Traw and Mark Martin cannot be here on 17th for sure. Arkins/I assuming you want me to facilitate that. Kubby/I would rather be here than have a full Library Board. Nov/ Kubby/17th, what time? Karr/....better with the Library Board after 4:00 on 17th ..... Norton/ Karr/On 17th after 4:00 I can get more. Nov/We can start at 4:00 and i£we cannot get a strong majority of Library Board on 17th, we will meet anyway and we will put Library Board on one of the other dates. Kubby/ Thornberry/...meet at 3:00 and do CIP from 3:00 to 4:00. Council/(No). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Selting Session Page 54 Arkins/ Thornberry/I will get you the document in the next couple of days.... I just need to know what night you want to do what. Karr/It is your desire to meet on the 17th at 4:00 with Library Board ifa majority of them can come. If not, if the majority of them cannot come, you will do the CIPs? Council/(Yes). Nov/Leave the time at 4:00. Arkins/4:00 on the ! 7th we are going to face the library or CIPs. Karr/September 2 ! st off for sure? Council/(Yes). Karr/September 21 is done for sure. Arkins/That Saturday is done. Kan-/Then we have a hold on other dates.... September 30, October 1, October 2, October 23, October 29 and October 30. There are other issues that may be wished to be discussed, too. Atkins/You also wanted to give me some direction on budget. We might be able to fit that in on the 17th, too ..... Kubby/Block all of those times off on our calendar for council? Nov/We did ask- Kubby/We have lives. Nov/We are going to try to firm something up by 9th of September. Kubby/....means I need to block all of those dates o~.. Nov/A couple of months ago we all had this list of dates.. asked if any of these dates are not possible, let Marian know. All of us agreed that these dates were possible .... We are probably not going to use all of them. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496 September 4, 1996 Council Goal Setting Session Page 55 Thomberry/I cannot believe that we are giving the library... 7 dates and they can't make any of them. Nov/ Karr/... There isn't one of those dates that eleven of them can attend. There are some of' them that some can attend .... Thomberry/ Kubby/...We are asking them about the 1 ?th ..... Nov/If'we can do it on the 17th, we will. Norton/! assume that we will try to get the CIP as soon as possible .... Karr/ CHANGE TAPE TO PEEL 96-99 SIDE 2 Karr/I will report back to you on the 9th as far as availability of Library Board on the 17th. Nov/That is what we are saying, yeah. Norton/And CIP possibly the 30th? Nov/Yes. Kubby/Are we adjourned, Naomi? Nov/Yes ..... Adjourned: 8:05 PM This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of Iowa City council meeting of September 4, 1996. WS090496