HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-01-17 AgendaIOWA CITY CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 17, 1995
7:30 P.IVi.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CIVIC CENTER
410 EAST WASHINGTON
ITEM NO. 1 -
ITEM NO. 2 -
ITEM NO. 3 -
ITEM NO. 4 -
AGENDA
IOWA CITY CiTY COUNCIL
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING - JANUARY 17, 1995
7:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CALL TO ORDER.
ROLL CALL.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.
a. Presentation of Citizenship Awards to the following Lucas Elementary
School students:
(1) Tim Grady
(2) Graeme McAlister
(3) Matthew Piere
Devin Smith
MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS.
a. Captain Miriam Miller Day - January 18, 1995.
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR
AMENDED.
a. Approval of Official Actions of the regular meeting of January 3, 1995,
as published, subject to corrections, as recommended by the City Clerk.
b. Minutes of Boards and Commissions.
(1) City Council Rules Committee meeting of January 3, 1995.
(2) Airport Commission meeting of December 13, 1994.
(3) Parks and Recreation Commission meeting of January 11, 1995.
Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission meeting of November 9,
1994.
Board of Library Trustees meeting of December 15, 1995.
Board of Library Trustees meeting of December 27, 1994.
(7)Board of Adjustment meeting of December 14, 1994.
(8)Housing Commission meeting of October 11, 1994.
c. Permit Motions and Resolutions as Recommended by the City Clerk.
Con;ider a motion approving a Class "C" Liquor License for Iowa
City Entertainment dba Union, 121 E. College St. (Renewal)
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ITEl( NO. ~ - SPECI~%L PRESENTATIONS.
Presentation of Citizenship Awards to the following Lucas
Elementary School students:
(1) Tim Grady
(2) Graeme McAlister
(3) Matthew Piere
(4) Devin Smith
Horow/ This evening we have Lucas Elementary School Citizen Awards.
As you know we ask the teachers to nominate their candidates.
The awardees this evening are Tim Grady, Graeme McAlister,
Matthew Piere, and Devin Smith. If I mispronounce something,
you tell me. Tim Grady serves as president of the Lucas
Student Council. He is a member of the Lucas Chess Club, first
chair percussionist in East Side Elementary Band and is a
SMILE tutor at Lucas. Tim, would you like to tell me what that
is.
Tim Grady/ It is Students Modeling Integration In A Schooling
Environment. It is SMILE tutoring.
Horow/ He participates in the Extended Learning Program, has
complete4 several independent projects through this program
and his school work is always done on time. He also plays on
a soccer team and has a paper route. Congratulations.
Graeme McAlister does most things without being asked. He
keeps track of his assignments and has learned not to wait
until the last minute to do his homework. When projects are
done in small groups he is a willing helper to all groups. He
is very thoughtful of others, he plays tuba in the East Side
Band and he likes to play soccer.
Matthew. Matthew is already to lend a hand around the
classroom. He is very dependable when assigned a job and is
extremely conscientious about getting his classroom
assignments aompleted. In school he is a Lucas Student Council
member and has volunteered his time to be a tutor in the Lucas
SMILE Program. He plays percussion in the East Side Elementary
Band, likes to play football and he collects Ertle farm toys,
football and baseball cards.
Devin. Devin is a responsible student. Schedules his school
assignments in a daily planner and always has work down on
time. He is in our Extended Learning Program, has completed
several independent projects through this program. He has been
on the Lucas Student Council, served as co-president, partici-
pated in their project to help serve food at the Free Lunch
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Program at Wesley House. Represented Iowa City School District
at a Press Conference for School Net, plays trumpet in the
East Side Elementary Band a~d is a section leader in his
church and professional choir, participates in ~restling,
indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball, baseball, and he has
helped tag Monarch butterflies for Kent Park and also train
adults to do this. He also takes care of all the winter
shoveling and year around trash for an elderly neighbor.
Thank you very much. Thanks to the parents and the principal
who brought you here.
Thls represents only D reasonably occurate tr~nsctiptZon of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
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ITEM NO. 3 - I~.AYOR'S PROCL~TIONS.
a. Captain Miriam Miller Day - January 18, 1995.
Horow/ I am also going to stay up here for a very special
presentation. As a matter of fact, I am going to ask you to
come up. Captain Miller. (Reads Proclamation).
Miriam Miller/ She is sending me down here to say my words but I
can't look this way. The mayor was at something the other
night and I mentioned it was the preacher in me. I have to
tell Iowa City just exactly how wonderful you are and I would
express that to each of you and to everyone who is in the room
here because you are all apart of Iowa city. Iowa City has
been one oft he most wonderful communities I have ever had the
privilege to serve in. I have never had people respond as you
do here in Iowa city. All I have to do is say what the need is
and immediately somebody Jumps to to take care of it. And to
help me to fulfill that. So, anything that I have done and any
of the gracious things that are said in this proclamation is
only because you have helped me and without the residents of
Iowa City my work would have been impossible and would not
have been done.
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Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 2
(2) Consider a motion approving a Class "C" Liquor License for Inn Ho
Shinn dba Aoeshe Restaurant, 624 S, Gilbert St, (Renewal)
(3)
Consider a motion approving a Class "C" Beer Permit for Clyde R.
Seaton dba Seaton's Cash & Carry Market, 1331 Muscatine Ave.
(Renewal)
(4) Consider a motion approving a Class "E" Beer Permit for QuikTrip
Corporation dba QuikTrip #552, 25 W, Burlington St, (Renewal)
Consider a resolution to issue a dancing permit to the Union, 121
E. College.
d. Resolutions.
(1) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE BY-LAWS OF THE
IOWA CITY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION.
Comment: At their meeting of November 9, 1994, the Parks and
Recreation Commission voted to approve a new set of by-laws.
These by-laws were referred to the Council Rules Committee,
which met on January 3, 1995, and is recommending approval.
The minutes of that meeting are included in this agenda. Staff
recommends adoption at this time.
e. Correspondence.
(1) Letter from the State Historical Society of Iowa regarding St.
Mary's Rectory, 610 E. Jefferson.
Letter from Nila Haug regarding handicapped parking at 521 E.
Washington St.
(3) Letter from James Harris
contracted services.
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR
regarding request for funding for
ITEM NO, 5 - PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA).
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
From:
Date:
Re:
Mayor, City Council and General Public
City Cierk
January 17, 1994
Addition~to the Consent Calendar
Item No.4e(4) Letter from David Naso regarding items in the proposed budget regarding a
tract of land known as the pennisula.
Item No.4e(5) Letter from Edwin Barker regarding monthly water meter readings.
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ZTEM NO. 5 - PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEF, S NOT ON THE AGEB'DA).
Horow/ This is where items not on the agenda. I would ask you to
come to the podium, state your name, sign in, and make your
comments no more than five minutes° Anything that is not on
the agenda.
Rene Paine/ Hi. I live at 4347 Riverbend Road here in Iowa City. I
am speaking to you tonight as Director of PATV in Iowa City.
We have public assess, are anticipating the signing of cable
franchise agreement between the City of Iowa City and TCI. I
am sure that you are aware the PATV's three party contract
with the City and TCI and public access expired in March of
last year, March 18. So we have been operating on a month to
month basis and in that time we have been working with BTC on
the issue of community programming. We have started up a very
active live call in capability which I think is making public
access more interactive and vital in the community. And we
have many other plans in the works for access but this new
contract would be very necessary for any long term planning
strategies. So we are really looking forward to that. Also we
are keeping an eye on the telecommunications legislation. We
do our best in our recent newsletter that we sent out to
describe the telecommunications bills and how access might fit
into that new environment. We include letters to our
representatives in Washington and we are encouraging everybody
who received a newsletter to sign those letters and send them
in and if you didn't receive a newsletter, we would be happy
to send you one. We also get current telecommunications
legislation almost daily by the e-mail. So, we are really on
top of that kind of thing and if people would like to know
more information about this, they should call us at 338-7035
and we can send that information to them by regular mail or by
e-mail. But we are encouraging our membership and the
community at large to be aware of the situation and to contact
those representatives and to talk to you also. Urging you and
them to recognize and respond to the community's needs to be
involved with negotiating with cable and telephone companies
in order to preserve the integrity of local communications
systems and that is such things as being able to watch the
city council meetings or the Board of Supervisor meetings or
to have live call in programs or to interact on a very
immediate way with the local community. So, again, if anybody
is interested in that, please contact us at 338-7035 and we
will get you the information. Thank you.
Rufine Anciaux/ The Johnson County Iowa City Senior Center
Commission and we report to you as often as we can and we have
something very very pleasant-have something very very proud of
to report to you tonight. We have received recognition-The
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best practiced programs in leisure and aging by the National
Parks and Recreation Association. They are written up in the
book and I have given each of you an excerpt that has the part
that pertains to the Senior Center and Iowa City which is
written up in here also. We are very proud of that we do have
with our Senior Center t.v. with limited funds. We think we
have done a tremendous job. We would like to do even more and
we would like to have your support in increasing staffing for
this particular area. We have provided the materials for the
cameras, the equipment that we have from our Senior Center
gift fund which is gifts from any and every individual who
would like to give and money making activities that we have
had at the Center. I won't go into names, invariably I leave
one out. It is very important. But we have a very dedicated
group of about 10 people who spend a tremendous amount of time
at the Senior Center doing these programs. They are aired on
cable t.v. and I think some of you have probably caught some
of them. They are excellently done, they are quality programs
and we like to do even more programs. I don't think we can
make them much better. We can make them so it covers a lot of
territory and anything to do that is pertaining to the senior
citizens to get a message to all of those who cannot go to the
senior center and participate that they know what we are doing
and how we are performing there. I do thank you.
Jim Swaim/ I live at 1024 woodlawn and I am also the Director of
UAY. And I wanted to just speak real briefly to you tonight
about the lack of support for the Crime Prevention moneys that
are currently funding a project here in Johnson County in Iowa
City and at least alert you to that, perhaps you to suggest
some strategies that we might work on together to help
convince the legislature the need for this. As you know, UAY
and several agencies participate right now in a grant that is
funded out of funds from the legislature, $1.8 million in
Crime Prevention funds that are provided to our community and
for the record that is the first time the state legislature
approved anything to address crime on the front end of things
rather than on the tail end of things. And ironically it is
not in the Governor's budget this year and nor is it being
talked about in community circles yet in Des Moines and I
think it is important given the potential importance of that
program here in Iowa City. That we alert you to that and
invite you to help us figure out a strategy to work with the
legislature and perhaps re-educate them on the importance of
trying to prevent crime at a very low cost compared to dealing
with criminals after they have already reached the end of the
system. So I want to invite you that and answer anyquestions
you might have at some future time. Thank you.
This mpresen~ onW a masonabiyaccumte ~an$crfp6on~ ~elowa ClHcouncll mee~ng ~ January17,1995.
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Throg/ Sounds like a fine idea to me. I wonder if there is some way
we can work with staff to try to-
Horow/ There is but also on the 28th the League of Women Voters
Forum will be held at the Library and those of us who are on
the Board of Chamber of Commerce having breakfast with
legislators. So if you can kind of keep me up to date and then
keep all of us to date for that forum.
Swaim/ Right now we are preparing a report, our first quarterly
report, and we will try to make that available to you. I will
be, unfortunately, in Washington D.C. in a different arena but
dealing with crime prevention and I will try and get that to
you before I leave out of town. Thank you.
Jane
Klitzka/ Vice President of Grant WoodNeighborhood Association
and I would like to thank the city council along with Joe
Fowler and Ron Logsden for getting the east side bus loop. I
have had nothing but good comments on it, thank you from
everybody in the city. My son rides it to and from City High.
he said many ties the bus has standing room only going to and
from. Not only that but there are factory workers that ride
the bus as well to and from work. So it is not just for
students. There are other people riding it. Today-this morning
I talked to Joe and he told me he gets calls daily on wanting
to know locations and routes and how to transfer and where
they can transfer and stuff and he is also very impressed that
he thinks that it is improving daily. They are getting more
ridership constantly on it. So, he is also, Joe and Ron and
the bus drivers, have worked with the public on certain areas
in town that were not being picked up and have got the bus to
go a block out of the way and started a new route and
everything. So is working out really well. Everybody has just
been real cooperative on all of this so it has been a real
positive thing and I Just wanted to say thank you again for
helping us getting it started.
John
Rummelhart/ I guess I beat somebodyto the podium. Sorry about
that. I will make it quick. First of all I would like to wish
everybody a belated Happy New Year and additionally, kind of
starting off the New Year, I would like to say if I have ever
offended anybody at this forum up on the council, I do
apologize. I want everybody to know that from way back when
and forever in the future I certainly want to play above board
on whatever issues are coming up to the counter here. That
that is very important to me. First subject, I still have some
deep reservations on the cost of the water plant as do I
believe many many others and I am Just wondering if somebody
could give me an answer to this question. If, down the road,
the condem/~ation board amount for the land has been appealed
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and nobody how long a time frame that will take that that gets
settled and what happens or where does the money come from in
the next year or two if the City of Iowa City say loses that
appeal for the amount of that award ends up what it is or even
higher than what it is. Where does that money come from?
Woito/ The money for the property that has already been condemned
to date is with the Sheriff's Office and it has already been
submitted. As to the additional amounts for any appeals we
might lose, you would have to ask Steve Atkins.
Rummelhart/ I am just curious where those funds would come from if
that happened.
Atkins/ I am making the assumption, John, that, depending upon the
magnitude, it would either come from a water reserve which we
maintain for construction purposes or require additional
borrowing. Both of which will have to be decided by the
council at that time and we would recommend-
Rummelhart/ Okay. I also want everybody to realize that it might be
lower. And I am well aware of that. Okay. A bit of concern
there is I don't think, at least the best of my knowledge, as
far as we talked here, in the private sector if I was going
out and needing to build a water plant and I was going to run
into a court case and there was a question mark. It could be
lower, it could be-there is a range there. I don't really
feel-I am not satisfied here that the possible range of risk
has ever been really totally addressed. We have kind of picked
this $50 million figure. It could be better than that and we
all hope that it is. But it could be worse than that and
costing us a lot more and I am just dissatisfied that the
worse case scenarios are not discussed very openly here and I
wish they would be as far as what the water rates would be if
the entire project, forget the ground, the entire project for
the entire water plant was 10% over budget of even 15%. Where
would we be under that scenario? I have never seen that
addressed here. That would be a help, I think, to myself and
a lot of other people. Last thing, on the new fiscal 96 budget
that you guys are working on, I want to say that I hope the
citizens of Iowa City come out to some of your meetings that
you have for the public because we are talking more bucks than
this water plant. It is year in and year out and when we start
throwing around $50 million for water plants, I start getting
concerned how the smaller amounts are getting spent and where
they are getting spent. I just hope everybody will come to
some of those meetings. One additional item, I would like to-
I guess I will thank Jim Throg. I am so glad to see that as
far as the additional-the chance of putting on additional
meter readers so we can bill the higher billings on a monthly
Thls represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of Januap/17, 1996.
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basis. I hope and pray you guys will look at the possibility
of somehow administratively to keep the costs down, work it
out even if it is a monthly billing. Pursue that avenue,
saving again an additional $100,000 or $96,000 a year for the
additional people to try to remedy a problem that goes back to
the cost of the water plant . We are losing ground every time.
There is another $100,000 year in and year out.
Kubby/ John, I do want to say it is not a full $100,000 because
there are a few temporary part time people that won't be there
anymore. The positions will become, if we did it, one full
time person. So you have to subtract $100,000 minus the cost
to the two temporary positions. Your point is still there.
Rummelhart/ It is not as much of an impact. Okay. That is
encouraging, too. Thanks for the time.
Throg/ Sue, in the spirit of one of John's comments, I would like
to mention that we are having a work session on the budget,
the city's budget, next Monday night at 6:00 PM in this room
and people can certainly come and listen as we deliberate
those components of the budget. We have another meeting, at
least one other, scheduled. The 7th of February, 6:00 PM,
here. Again, a work session. So you are certainly invited to
come.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council on an item that is not
on the agenda?
Ed Barker/ I visited with Mayor Horow. earlier today in regard to
how to or when to talk to you about this topic very very
briefly. She suggested at this time although it is on the
agenda, item #12. I hops you have all had the chance to read
the letter I submitted yesterday to Steve and since that time
I did that rather hurriedly, there are a couple of three other
things that came up in my thoughts in regard to this and in
discussions with other people that I would like to distribute
an addendum to that letter to you now and of the benefit of
the audience this does address the issue of employing water
meter readers. As a matter of fact, it is suggesting ways of
doing it with no more people and perhaps even less.
Horow/ Thank you, Ed.
Kubby/ Does someone have their copy of the letter we got yesterday?
Barker/ I hope at some other later date, before the decision is
made, I will have the opportunity to discuss it with you.
This repre~ent~ only s resson~ly accurate trm~$crlptlon of the lows City ~ouncll meethtg of January 17, 1996.
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Horow/ Anyone else care to address council on any issue that is not
on the agenda this evening? If not I declare the 9ublic
discussion closed.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011796
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January17,1995
Page 3
ITEM NO. 6 - PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
Public hearing on an amendment of the Comprehensive Plan to change
the land use map designation of property located on the north side of
Highway 1 West from 8-16 dwelling units per acre and 16-24 dwelling
units per acre to 2-8 dwelling units per acre and general commercial.
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-0-1, with Dierks abstaining, recommended
approval of an amendment of the Comprehensive Plan to change the
land use map designation of property located on the north side of
Highway 1 West from 8-16 dwelling units per acre to 2-8 dwelling units
per acre and general commercial. The Commission's recommendation
is consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the staff
memorandljm d~ted December 9, 1994. _ . ,-~ _ ~,~,
Public hearing Oon an/ ordinance changing//the use regag~ulation~s of an
approximate four acre tract of land, known as the Jensen tract, located
east of Harlocke Street from RM-44, High Density Multi-Family
Residential, to RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential. (REZ93-
0007)
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 4-1-1, with Jakobsen voting no and Dierks
abstaining, recommended approval of an ordinance changing the use
regulations of an approximate four acre tract of land, known as the
Jensen tract, located east of Harlocke Street from RM-44, High Density
Multi-Family Residential, to RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential.
The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the staff
recommendation contained in the staff memorandum dated December
9, 1994. A protest petition has been submitted and thus a three-fourths
(six of seven members) vote of the Council is required to approve this
rezoning.
Action:
#6a-f page i
ITEM NO.
Public hearing on an amendment of the Comprehensive
Plan to change the land use map designation of
property located on the north side of Highway 1
West from 8-16 dwelling units per acre and 16-24
dwelling units per acre to 2-8 dwelling units pe~
acre and general commercial.
Horow/ I would ask you to address council, sign in , state your
name and I will be limiting-ask you to limit your comments to
five minutes. I declare the p.h. open.
Woito/ Susan, I was under the understanding that you were going to
do all the p.h.s-
Horow/ I was. I need a motion- a. through f., all combined.
Moved byKubby, seconded by Pigott to combine items a. through
f. for p.h. Any discussion. All those in favor signify by
saying aye (ayes). We now declare the p.h.s open on items a.
through f.
Judith Knabe/ I would like to relinqllish my time to my husband,
Bill Knabe.
Doug Hempel/ I live at 923 Weebet and I would also like to
relinquish my five minutes to Bill Knabe.
Horow/ Let's keep this within the
minutes isn't bad plus yours,
dow~ o
bounds of reasonableness. Ten
fifteen. See if we can keep it
William Funabe/ I assure you if all of our neighbors would come up
here, you would be up here on this one issue for a long time.
I live at 1101 Weebet Circle and I am speaking tonight as a
spokesperson for the Weebet Hatlocke Neighborhood Association.
The process which is about to culminate with your vote has
been a long and onerous journey for many of us. At 1:30 AM
this morning, after putting the final touches to remarks I had
intended to make this evening but will not. I found myself
reflecting on the many hours of time and effort that has been
expended by all parties on this issue. The P/Z staff,
Commission members, the city council and other city staff, the
owners, the potential developers and the neighborhood. We have
all put forth a great deal of effort to resolve this issue.
For some of us it has been longer than others. It started 12
years ago. A few of us no doubt feel like we are in a time
warp. When this issue first came before the city council the
mayor was a member of the P/ Z Commission along with Tom Scott
and Jean Jacobson who are still members of that Commission.
The first time around LarryBaker was on the council, that was
before, of course, his second coming. Charlie Ruppert has
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always been with us and as have most of the neighbors. When I
hear people say they don't understand why the issue is all
about traffic sometimes it is difficult for me to control
myself to keep from breaking out and out in laughter. For I
cannot help to think about the times when nearly everyone in
the neighborhood, including the children, were called upon to
draw proposed street plans and submit them to the P/Z staff in
an effort to find a solution to the impending traffic problem.
I checked my file this afternoon, I have at least 46 drawings
but none of them, not one, could adequately address the
problem. We tried all kinds of things to find solutions to
keep our psychic in check, the Planning staff even devised a
rating scheme so that all of the issues could be prioritized
by the neighbors, the owners and the developers. It was a neat
system but it yielded no usable results. Of the activities
that we engaged in, perhaps the most productive was this, we
were able to produce a neighborhood position statement. Even
though I had shared this with you on two separate occasions in
the past, I want to go back to that statement now to make some
points. In the statement that we made to you, the two points
that I want to make first of all has to do first with #3. We
have since day one tried to address four basic recommendations
to you. That Harlocke Street be made into a cul de sac, that
the lowest density possible, RS-5, be assigned to all the
property under review, that as much land as possible in the
area be assigned open or green space, and that the Commission
consider this property in relation to other property on West
Benton Street hill and fezone the entire north side of Highway
1 from Miller Street to Sunset Street to residential
development. Those were our four recommendations. They
continue to this day to be our recommendations but things
change. The most important point that I want to make to you
right at this stage is the last statement. Basically what we
have done for the past lZ years in everything we could
possibly have done to help you understand the affect this
decision will have upon the future of our neighborhood. We
have and we continue to do everything that you have asked us
to do or expect us to do short of kissing the Pope. And I'm
not certain but I assume since several of our neighbors aren't
here tonight, they may well be on their way to the Vatican to
deliver that particular obligation.
/ He might be on his way here.
Knabe/ The second point I want to make has to do with item 4. Item
4 states, indicated willingness to work with land owners and
developers to find mutually acceptable solutions to problems
inherent in this area due to limited access and the need to
preserve neighborhood integrity. We have tried to work with
land owners and potential developers to find a solution for a
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F011795 .
#6a-f page 3
long, long time. In these past, in the past these efforts have
failed. But you have before you tonight imbedded in the zoning
resolutions the results of a very fragile but meaningful
agreement. Let's talk about this agreement. Not a single
person is totally happy with this agreement. Because no one
got everything they wanted. The neighborhood is not happy
because they wanted all the property to be zoned RS-5. The
Ruppert family is not happy because they wanted all the
property to be zoned higher than RS-5. Mr. Braverman is not
happy because as the potential developer he wanted a higher
rate of return. Mr. Jansen is not happy because he wanted RS-8
instead of RS-5 without negotiating. You see no one is
completely happy, but perhaps with the exception of Mr.
Jansen, we are willing to lay our unhappiness aside and accept
that which has been negotiated and make it work. We all
realize that we had to give something in order to get what
each of us felt was the most important thing to accomplish for
the neighborhood. That was to preserve the neighborhood around
Hatlock Street at the lowest density possible so that
potential traffic problems that would arise could be held to
a minimal level. Hatlock is already a developed street even
though it is only 24 feet wide. The Jansen property is not
adjacent to our neighborhood. It is part of our neighborhood.
In fact one of the resolutions before you this evening
actually calls for the rezoning of property on which our
neighbors reside. It is an unfortunate circumstance that not
all parties chose to participate in these negotiations. But
there are some things that are beyond our individual controls.
I assure you, efforts were made bythe neighborhood and by the
developer to establish some grounds for discussion for all.
But this was met with negative response. Hence what you have
before you is not a perfect agreement, but is the best we
could come up with and it is the best that has been produced
in the past 12 years. Will the neighborhood support it? The
answer is obviously a resounding yes. You will recall that I
made to you in a letter several weeks ago a copy of this
particular ballot results. We surveyed our neighborhood. We
gave each an opportunity to stand on their own soap box and to
state their case. When it was all over, we took a vote and. the
neighborhood voted 88-0, with one person we couldn't find, in
favor and support of these resolutions. I wish to make one
final point. At the present time this matter lies within you
hands. In case you have not been keeping a score card, let me
provide one for you. As you can see, the P/Z staff has
recommended the approval of these resolutions. The P/Z
commission has recommended the approval of these resolutions.
The owners of the Ruppert tract has recommended the approval
of these resolutions. The developer of the Ruppert tract has
recommended the approval of these resolutions and the
neighborhood likewise has recommended the approval of these
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 1 7, 1995.
F011795
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resolutions. On the other side, is Mr. Jansen. The real
question is, where is the council going to line up on this
issue? Obviously if you decide that it is more expedient for
you to change the RS-5 to RS-8 on the Jensen Tract, the
negotiated agreement between the developers, the owners, and
the neighborhood has been voided. All the resolutions before
you together constitute a single workable agreement. Not only
would the RS-8 zoning be unacceptable to the neighborhood, but
the CC-2 zoning would no longer be acceptable as well.
Therefore we urge you to support the negotiated agreement by
voting in favor of all of the resolutions as they have been
recommended to you by the P/Z commission. Thank you.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council on this issue?
Mary Hitchcock/ I own the property at 1507 N. Dubuque Road. I just
have one comment and I would address it to the whole Harlocke
Association. And I would say that nothing will ever be
attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome,
Samuel Johnson.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council?
RichardRhodes/ 2014 Rochester. You might want to leave that there.
I have some comments directed toward all these items 6a
through 6f. The Harlocke-Weber-Miller-Benton Streets
development plan and rezoning. I neither support nor strongly
oppose these issues. However I'm concerned that the
consequences of this development be clearly brought forth. And
I'm disturbed by five specific points in these plans. The Iowa
City Comp Plan states that environmentally sensitive areas
should be protected. This includes such areas as steep slopes,
woodlands, and archeological sites. I've prepared a sketch map
that overlays the sensitive shown on your sensitive areas
inventory map phase one onto the development plan for this
area. And since there just happens to be an overhead here,
I'll use it.
Baker/ He's got a color overhead too. Watch out.
Rhodes/ Briefly the yellow and red crosshatch indicates areas of
steep and very steep elopes. The green outline is forested
areas. And the circles C's and F's and ?'s indicate where the
concept plan shows cutting, filling, or some unknown
combination I couldn't figure out from the concept plan. As
you can see, this area includes steep and very steep slopes,
woodlands, and the quarter section in known to have at least
one archeological site that's not shown on the map. Note that
major reconfiguration of the hillside is planned throughout
the entire development area from Harlocke to Miller and from
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F011795
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Highway 1 to Benton Street at the east end. Suffice to say
that this will have significant impact on the environmentally
sensitive areas on these tracts. I think that should be
clearly brought forth. My five specific points that disturb me
on this issue are: first was the city appointed environmental
advisory technical committee consulted about these proposals.
The record seems to be silent on these point and if they
weren't consulted, I'd like to know why. Secondly the
conditional zoning- let me start over there. The conditional
zoning agreements did not adequately protect the major ravine
at the western side of the tract. This is because a
significant portion of its northwest side is in the RS-5 tract
that is at the west end of the Ruppert Property. And the
conditional zoning agreement only addresses that in the CC
area. Furthermore the conditional zoning agreements do not
contain any language to ensure the protection archeological
resources. Both bluff top and bluff base locations are
favorable for prehistoric occupation and should be
investigated to prevent further loss of our cultural heritage.
The conditional zoning agreements also make no provision for
pedestrian access from the heavily built up areas on the bluff
top down to the new and existing commercial areas on the plain
below.
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-11 SIDE 2
A couple struggling up and down a hill with a load of
groceries. This is something that I think will continue to be
a problem and will only increase when more commercial
development and residential development goes in. Finally
fi~th, neither the concept plan nor the conditional zoning
agreement provide for usable open space. If, as we heard at
the informal meeting last night, there is a small interior
open space being contemplated for the hilltop north of and
opposite Ruppert Road, then it is essential that pedestrian
access be provided to it from the heavily populated areas to
the west and north, that is the Benton Manor and Seville
Apartments area. Thank you very much for your time.
Baker/ Sandy, do you have a copy of that statements or those five
points that you could give the Clerk?
Rhodes/ No, just a hand scribbled-
Pigott/ I have got it.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council?
William Buss/ My wife Barbara and I live at 747 West Benton Street
and I Just wanted to leave the map up here so we could point
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F011796
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out where that is. If you see the yellow area in the middle
that is partly circled in green, the right side of that, that
east side of that is our property. It is three acres and it
goes from the top of the West Benton Street hill most of the
way to Route 1. Obviously it stops at the area that is now
zoned CC-2 directly behind us. And while we are just there, so
that everyone is together, one of the things that I am going
to say and indicate as I go by is the-one of the areas that
are proposed to be zoned to CC-2 to is immediately adjacent to
us and to the southeast of us. The other is not adjacent to us
but is to the southwest of us and closer to us than it is to
Weeber/Harlocke. We have filed a written statement with the
council and I want to try to avoid much repetition here. First
of 'all I want to acknowledge that the Weeber/Harlocke
neighborhood can account for more votes than I can. I do have
the support of my neighbors, Esther Otto and Judith
Sutherland, and while there are only three of us we have lived
in our respective houses for a combined total of 99 years. In
any event we are talking about a decision of the city council
for the public good of the community, not a referendum. I also
acknowledge that the deal worked out between the
Weeber/Harlocke residents and the property owners and
developers is relevant. I admire what the Weeber/Harlocke
neighborhood has been able to do and I hope they will get what
they most want, reduced zoning to RS-5, which of course in
turn means the control of the traffic that would otherwise
move through their neighborhood and a little bit more directly
concerning me out onto West Benton Street. That a deal has
been struck is relevant but not dispositive. It is also
relevant, I think, that we are talking about the change of the
comp plan from residential to commercial and zoning changes
that look like piece mill and spot zoning. That the public
interest to be served by the change was not explained by the
P/Z Com~ission. Indeed, the justification for the change
wasn't explained at all except implicitedly as an approval of
a done deal. That my wife are affected as I have indicated
more directly by the proposed change to commercial and in some
ways much more directly than the Weeber/Harlocke residence
are. That we were not involved in the discussion that led to
the proposed commercial zoning though we were earlier told
that we .would be. It may even be relevant the we have
expressed an interest in giving some of our land to the city
for open space use if that could be done as part of a
comprehensive open space plan in which others also contribute
something. And while we certainly don't assume that the city
would find this offer beneficial, we are talking about land
appraised for development at a high value and we are talking
about an area in the city for which there has been a publicly
determined need for open space. Those are the reasons that
lead us to be here and to oppose the rezoning to commercial
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcflpdon of the Iowa City council rheating of January 17, 1995.
F011795
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page 7
part of this plan that entails commercial zoning. And it is
this last reason which brings us to the fundamental basis for
our opposition. As our written statement says, with respect to
the entire area east of the ravine, that is of course near
where the Xs with the red lines are drawn. Where if says F at
the bottom and is circled blue. The entire area west of that
ravine includes nothing concerning sensitive areas that are
affected which we just heard about. It includes nothing about
open space needs. Iowa City has a policy of preserving or
protecting sensitive areas and there is an existing Open Space
Plan calling for more than 7 acres of open space, including
two parks in this whole general area that we are talking
about. As our written statement points out, under Iowa City's
Open Space ordinance, the zoning change is now before the
council which substantially reduces the developers obligation
to contribute to open space needs. My estimate is that the
reduction will cut the obligation in half, that is by about 3
acres. I have asked variousknowledgeable people and officials
and no one knows exactly what the reduction would be. I am
quite confident that when the property is sold for
development, the buyer and seller will know. I think the
amount of that reduction should be known now before and not
after the zoning change. And that that information should be
part of the decision. Plainly, if the same open space is to be
made available, the reduction of the developers obligation
will mean that someone else, perhaps the city and tax payers,
will have to pay for the difference. I understand that a
change in zoning may result in the decision that less open
space will be needed for the area. I have been assured by some
interested people that that is not the case. But once again
that is something to be thought through now. It is clear at
any rate that the existing Open Space Plan holds out the
promise of a pocket park for the residents who now live
between Miller Street and Riverside Drive. There is nothing in
the zoning change that can take that away. But a decision to
make certain area commercial will affect directly the Planning
for such a park. With commercial development, certain areas
will not be developable and other areas may be inappropriate
for open space and parks. Of course it is just possible ~hat
all of these things will be worked out in Just a right way at
a later stage of the process. But there is no reason to assume
that. And there is no good reason to make a decision now that
leaves the optimum development to chance. It is clear that
approval of the proposed commercial zoning changes will
directly restrict these options and it seems to me to be
imprudent, to say the least, to make such a decision without
having a better idea of what the broader affects will be and
how those affects bear upon what is in the public interest of
the entire commtlnity. Thank you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of danuar/17, 1995.
F011795
#6a-f page 8
Throg/ Bill, could I ask you a question?
Buss/ Yes.
Throg/ Is there any particular positive recommendation you would
like to make to us with regard to rezoning? In other words, is
there any particular zoning classification that you think
would be better than the current zoning but differing from CC-
2 or is your preference to see the land remained zoned as it
is?
Buss/ I don't know what the optimum plan is. In other words, I have
made it clear I think that what I am most concerned about is
that the moment that is at hand. We are talking about a very
large area which is largely open now. Once that starts being
built on, obviously it is not going to be open. Choices are
going to be eliminated. Once zoning decisions are made,
particularly zoning decisions to make some of that commercial,
choices are going to be taken away. What I am interested in is
making an-let me be a little bit more responsive to your
question. I don't know that the proposal is not the best
proposal even from my point of view. I understand that this
area is going to be developed. I don't think that-I have no
illusion at all that it is not going to be. But what I am
saying is that what we might do with two acres is going to be
~estricted when these decisions start getting made. What could
be done bysome overall planning and my understanding is from
people who have been committed and interested in development
of open space for a long time, is that they imagine a sort of
continuous kind of linking of the open space throughout this
entire area and of course, our notion is that maybe we could
make a contribution that would make it better. But I am saying
that we ought to know more about what that would look like and
then make a decision as drastic as, in my Judgement, this is
rather'than doing it in advance. I don't have a plan. I would
be very glad to talk to people about what seems to be the best
thing and how our land might fit into it.
Throg/ I hear you drawing attention to a really crucial factor and
that is the difficulty of trying to ~repa~e a plan in the
public interest for an area this size an a context of
fragmented property ownership.
BUSS/ I agree with that.
Throg/ It is very difficult because the only way you can do it is
get a large nu/~ber of property owners to agree to do something
that is in the common interest and that doesn't happen very
often.
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F011795
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Buss/ I understand that and I hope that it is clear that I don't,
in any way, complain about the fact that there has been an
attempt made to do this. What I complain about is that it went
ve=y far but not far enough. You know, among other things, it
didn't include me. And I think that I have some interest in
this. Yes, it is hard. Very hard.
Horow/ Thank you. Anyone else care to address council on this
issue?
Esther Otto/ I live at 733 West Benton, right next to the Buss's
and I have attended the-been there 49 years and attended a
million of these meetings but I missed the one or something
because Bill showed me the diagram today and I have a property
that is directly above where you see the cul de sac on the
Ruppert Property bordering on Miller in the yellow zone. And
my back fence is right where you see that C there and I can't
fig]/re out-I have supported the people west of us that were
wanting RS-5 and gone to a million of those meetings but I
never saw this. But I can't figure out how I got more
commercial behind me on those six blocks down below which
will, you know, and how that will affect my property I am not
sure. But I am like Bill, somehow I missed the meeting where
they discussed that if there was such a meeting and I guess
there was a p.h. on that one side.
Nov/ This is the first time.
Throg/ Well, there was P/Z Commission-
Otto/ I have gone to the P/Z Commission, too, over the years and at
one point they said that perhaps if the Hatlocke people got
what they wanted that the Rupperts would get a little higher
designation on their property to the east and I listened very
carefully to that because I am RS-8 and the property back of
me is RS-8 but I won't get a notice because I am farther than
the 200 feet than this commercial. So I get no notice about
that and so when Bill showed me the map today, I thought well,
I g~ess if I am ever going to speak I ought to say that I am
not objecting particularly except that it seems that there is
only three of us up there. We don't have a big neighborhood
group. We don't have a lot of people. But we are Just the last
of the first people who lived on that hill. So thank you very
much.
Kubby/ I have a question for Karin Franklin. Because we now have
the Open Space Ordinance, we don't have to have that decided
during the zoning process because it is an automatic part of
the platting for residential subdiv-
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F011795
#6a-f page
Franklin/ Yes, right.
Kubby/ Was there any discussion about coordinating open space at
this point with those properties that are being proposed to be
changed to commercial?
Franklin/ Not that I am aware of. There wasn't any discussion of
that at the P/Z Commission. That was a conversation that Bill
Buss and I had the other day but it was not something that was
discussed at the Commission level.
Kubby/ When we figure our open space for residential zones on
platting, if the Busses gave some land does that negate any
obligation to their neighbors in terms of-
Franklin/ No. The way it will be calculated, if you look at the
concept plan above the dotted area for the proposed commercial
and there is nothing sacred about that cul de sac or what you
see on that drawing at this point. It is just an idea. And in
and.of itself it cannot work because it does not provide any
open space. But the calculation would be based on that new
residential development, the projected population and then the
ratio of three acres per 1,000 and that would be the
obligation of that particular development. I think what we try
to do is if the Busses and the neighbors to the west indicate
that they want to make some contribution of open space, we
will try to work it so it all works together and has access
out to Miller. In terms of access to the properties to the
west, we have got the Benton Manor properties right there. So
we probably would want to have some access out to the Benton
Manor parking area because this would be a public park. But
beyond that I haven't looked at it too closely.
Kubby/ We are not really talking vehicular access.
Franklin/ Oh no. We are talking-No, we are talking about pedestrian
access here.
Kubby/ Okay.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council on this issue?
Kubby/ We had talked a little bit last night about adding a
condition to the Jensen Tract because that ravine does go into
it. If we wanted to add that, would that make it so we needed
to continue that p.h.?
Woito/ Yes. And I think a representative for the Jensens are here.
If the Jensens won't agree to it that is rather a moot point.
Thls represents only a reasonably accurate t~anscflptlon of the Iowa City oouncil meeting of January 17. 1996.
F011795
#6a-f page
Kubby/ Maybe someone could indicate- I am sorry, I kind of
interrupted this person who was here.
Horow/ Mr. Jansen, would you care to address the council.
Robert Jensen/ (Can't here). I am not sure what you are referring
to?
Kubby/ Maybe we need to turn the overhead back on one more.
Throg/ Karen, did you mean the Jensen Tract or that little northern
part of the.ravine or did you also mean the residential part
of the Ruppert Tract because-
Kubby/ Anywhere that we want to protect that ravine. In one of the
proposals of the conditional zoning agreement there is some
protection Of that ravine in the commercial area of the
Ruppert Tract that says you need to leave it in its natural
state, correct?
Franklin/ Can I Just clarify that the conditional zoning agreement
is only on the one tract for rezoning to commercial that is
owned by the Rupperts. So right now the conditional zoning
agreement is between the city and the Rupperts on that one
tract. So if we are going to have another agreement with Mr.
Jansen's clients, then that is a separate agreement.
Kubby/ I understand that. My point is we are talking about the same
ravine and the value of protecting the ravine-I mean it
matters in a bureaucratic and legal way. But in teL-ms of a
community value of protecting a ravine, it would seem
reasonable that we would have wherever that ravine is, there
should be a conditional zoning agreement with each property
that has part of the ravine in it. I guess my question to you
is would you be amenable to saying that portion of the
property that has the ravine in it that you couldn't fill or
grade that property. That you would leave the ravine in its-
Robert Jansen/ Well, I had-first of all, I can't bind my clients to
this. I would have to discuss it with them but I certainly
would be glad to recommend it. I think maybe I need to clarify
a point that has been made earlier by Mr. Knabe which is not
really quite accurate. With regard to this agreement neither
I nor my clients have ever been contacted by either the
Ruppert Family or the developer or the neighborhood concerning
this agreement or invited to participate in it or discuss it.
We first became aware of it when it was presented at the
December P/Z meeting. So, I don't think it is quite correct to
say'that we are dissatisfied or the obstructionists here. We
didn't know about it.
Thls represents onl~f a reasonably accurate ~'en$crlptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#6a-f page 12
Lehman/ Are you dissatisfied by it?
Jansen/ To some extent yes.
Lehman/ We need to know that.
Jansen/ Our position is still basically is we want to work with the
RS-8.
Horow/ Mr. Jansen, I think part of certainly my confusion, is this
I am almost positive the council directed staff to send a
letter to each of the parties involved in this.
Jansen/ You have made extraordinary efforts to do that, Madam
Mayor. In fact there was a letter from youurging all parties
to get together and try to work something out. I am simply
telling you that there were some disoussions early last summer
with the neighborhood representative and the Rupperts at the
Rupperts attorney,s office which did not go anywhere. This
latest round we have not been contacted. We have had no
discussions. No one has brought this to us.
Horow/ But when you received the letter did you contact anyone?
Jansen/ After the abortive meeting last summer, no. We made it very
clear that we were-
Lehman/ I think in all fairness there have been two attempts. The
first. one that we are talking about now and a later attempt
which resulted in a present agreement. And you are saying that
the present agreement you were not privy.
Jansen/ No. The first we knew about was when it was presented, what
was called the planned concept of Ruppert Property, was
presented at the December P/Z meeting. I just want the record
to be clear about that. I don't want the council to have some
impression that we have not cooperated except we haven't been
asked for it.
Horow/ Okay.
Kubby/ Although did you participate in the talks
agreement. I don't believe you participated.
Jansen/ No. We weren't asked to.
about the first
Kubby/ That is the one where you got the letter.
Jansen/ Yeah. After that letter there was a meeting.
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F011796
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Pigott/ And you were involved with that.
Jansen/ Yes. But there was a change of attorneys and that was the
last we heard about that.
Lehman/ Do you think that there is a reasonable chance that if you
are involved in these discussions that you can come to an
agreement with these folks? We have come a long long way from
where we were ten years ago and six months ago. It appears to
me that we have almost put something together.
Jansen/ It looks very close and I would like to think that we
could. But-you must understand that my clients are a
partnership of three retired persons, one of whom is wintering
in Arizona and will not be back until probablyApril ~nd it is
difficult. to discuss these things unless all three of our
clients are present. That is a constraint I have.
Pigott/ That is difficult.
Baker/ Sue, I would like to ask the city attorney a question about
what the council can and cannot do. Other than changing a
zone, a ciassification and all the attendant regulations that
go with the next zoning, can the council impose a condition on
the zoning to which the property owner objects to to begin
with?
Wotto/ No. Not under our current ordinances.
Baker/ So that extra condition would have to be voluntary?
woito/ You would have to agree-I mean that is why it is suggested
that maybe we need to ask-
Baker/ I just want to get clear because-
Kubby/ And t~e same would be true of the Rupperts in terms of the
residential part of the Ruppert Tract, west of the commercial
tract?
Woito/ Correct.
Kubby/ I mean it makes sense. That is we are trying to protect the
ravine, you protect the whole ravine and don't discriminate
about which part of it.
Nov/ I would also like to giveMr. Jansen a chance to correspond or
telephone his client who is out of town and get everybody in
on the discussion. I don't want to wait until April but I
would like to at least defer for a couple of weeks and give
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F011795
#6a-f page
him a chance to get some information to his clients and find
out what they think about it.
Jansen/ Do whatever I can.
Horow/ Staff could certainly get you the information that we have
right now.
Throg/ I guess I have a different point of view about that. Let me
state it. It might sound a bit argumentative, I don't mean it
to sound that way but is may just come out that way. The
l&tter that Sue mailed out went to you and to the other
parties as well and there was some discussion. You have been
aware that there were discussions going on just had they had
a responsibility or an opportunity to initiate negotiations to
try to produce a compromise agreement. So, too, you had the
opportunity to initiate trying to produce a compromise. So, it
puzzles me and this is where I don't want .to sound
argumentative, it puzzles me that you are making it sound as
it they didn't contact you when you had every bit as much
right and so on to contact them.
Jansen/ Let me tell you how lawyers work if you don't know. And I
don't mean to be flippant about this. My contacts on the
original go around were with Attorney Houghton as you are
aware. Subsequently Hr. Houghton was apparently discharged and
no. longer a representative of the Rupperts. I-Normally one
attorney will work with another attorney where the clients are
represented. I did not know if the Rupperts had another
attorney. I don't know. I did not know the contacts for that
case.
Kubby/ Contact Charlie.
Pigott/ That doesn't change Jim's point.
Woito/ That is not true.
Pigott/ It does?
Woito/ It does. I mean Bob has a code of ethics that if he knows
that another party is represented by another attorney he
cannot contact that person. He has to-
Pigott/ But if he doesn't know that they are represented by another
attorney in which case he just mentioned he didn't know
whether they were represented. Then what do you do?
Horow/ Couldn't he call you.
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F011795
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Pigott/ Couldn't he find out?
Woito/ He could have called Jim Houghton.
Pigott/ Or Karin Franklin.
Jansen/ Well, pardon me.
Horow/ The problem is what to do right now.
Woito/ Seems to me you have another problem with the Busses who is
also a lawyer. I mean if you are going to open up more
discussion it seems to me you need to include everybody.
Lehman/ But it seems to me that we are so close to having
accomplished something that we have had problems with for ten
years or more. That I agree with Naomi. I wouldn't mind
continuing this for two weeks to see if you can a hold of your
clients and we can get this resolved. Because it appears we
are the closest we have ever been and I think this, I hate to
tell you this because I don't know for sure, I think this i~
largely through the efforts of Mace Bravermen who got together
with the property owners. I talked to Mace probably 5-6 weeks
ago or two months ago. hey look, we got to get some help. Why
can't we do something out there. Obviously the private sector
has been able to do what the public sector hasn't been able to
do. I would like to see it completed. If we can do that with
a two week continuation I would love to see it done.
Throg/ You know, I don't thi~k it would be wise to do that and if
it comes to a vote I would oppose that unless somebody changes
my mind. This has been going on for quite some time. I can't
believe that any of this is a surprise to anybody and so I
think it is very unlikely that the kind of new settlement that
you are.talking about could be produced within the next two
weeks.
Franklin/ We have to continue the one item that has a conditional
zoning agreement because we don't have all the signatures on
the conditional zoning from the various Ruppert siblings and
because this has been all kind of together, I think what we
agreed last night was to continue the whole thing.
Kubby/ Before we talk more about it, it was basically my
interruption of the woman who was waiting to speak of which I
apologize for. To make sure we complete the public's discourse
before we talk about continuing.
Jansen/ I will gladly relinq~/ish the podinm.
Thlsrepresen~ on~ a masonably accur~e ~an$cdp~on of ~elowa City council mee~ng of January17,1995.
F011795
#6a-f page 16
Ginny Rew/ Live at 302 West Benton Street and I was watching this
on t.v. and I zoomed down here to talk to you. so I missed a
few words after Mr. Buss spoke and you were asking him about
some things. So I hope I am not speaking to something that has
already been said. But, I would like to think that I represent
many low to middle income home owners on Benton Street and in
the surrounding areas, the side streets like Giblin and
Douglas and Douglas Court. Many of us are so busy with family
and Job that we don't really have time to come down or even
know what the issues are. And I guess I would just like to
urge you to.not to switch it to commercial zoning because the
traffic there, for one thing, is absolutely horrendous and if
you are'talking about neighborhood integrity I feel like low
and middle income neighborhoods often get taken because they
don't have the political clout that for instance if this were
-an area in the middle of Manville Heights I think it would be
going in a different direction. And I have been involved in
thinking about this property for a long time. 10-12 years ago
some of the people in the neighborhood got together and we
were hoping to turn it into a park because there is no park in
our area and obviously that is not even remotely possible at
this point. But I am just asking for your consideration of
many of the people who live in the area and don't have the
time or'for some reason aren't here to voice there opinions.
Thanks.
Horow/ Is there anyone else who would care to address council on
this issue? If not, I would entertain a option to continue
these combined items a. through f. for two weeks.
Moved by Pigott, seconded byNov. Any further discussion. For
technical reasons.
Kubby/ I guess I do have a guestion about especially in terms of
steep slopes, we have a grading and erosion control ordinance
which controls how this slopes are filled or graded. That it
doesn't necessarily say you have to have an OPDH. There is no
council or city imposed clustering of development. So I'm a
little concerned about that because of the steepness of the
slopes. The wooded areas I'm not as concerned about right now
because of who owns them. And maybe that's not the most wise
way to deal with it but that's the way I feel right now. So I
am concerned about how we deal with these other
environmentally sensitive areas besides the one ravine while
we're in discussion about an OPDH prooess for any area that's
on our natural areas inventory. So would I guess like us to be
open to those kinds of conditions.
Nov/ Well point. And particularly when you have different property
owners on the same ravine. If we tell one property owner you
Thlsreprosen~ only ereasonablyoccurate ~nscdpdon ~ ~elowa Clty coun~l meeting ~ Januaw 17,1995.
F011795
~6a-f page 17
may not grade within "X" feet of the edge of the ravine, we
should really have that kind of condition on other properties
as well.
Kubby/ I guess. I'd like us to direct staff specifically on that
ravine to discuss on the Jensens and the Rupperts on the
residential part of that property about having the same
condition and the conditions.
Pigott/ Sure I'd agree.
Horow/ Okay. All right, any other discussion? All those in favor,
signify by saying aye. Opposed. Motion passes (ayes).
Karr/ Madam Mayor, can we have a motion to accept correspondence?
Horow/ Oh, right. Moved by Kubby, seconded by Throg to adcept
correspondence. Any discussion. All those in favor signify by
saying aye. Opposed same sign. (motion passes)
Thl. represents only a reeson~iy accurats b'anscdptJon of the Iowa City council meeting of Jmmary 17, 1995.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 4
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance by
changing the use regulations of approximately two acres located
generally on the west side of Harlocke Street from RM-44, High Density
Multi-Family Residential, to RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential.
(REZ93-0007)
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 4-1-1, with Jakobsen voting no and Dierks
abstaining, recommended approval of changing the use regulations of
approximately two acres located generally on the west side of Herlocke
Street from RM-44, High Density Multi-Family Residential to RS-5, Low
Density Single Family Residential. The Commission's recommendation
is consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the staff
memorandum dated December 9, 1994.
Action:
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the use regulations of an
approximate 4.57 acre tract of land, known as the western portion of
the Ruppert tract, located generally north of Highway 1 West from RM-
44, High Density Multi-Family Residential, to RS-5, Low Density Single-
Family Residential. {REZ93-0007)
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-0-1, with Dierks abstaining, recommended
approval of an ordinance changing the use regulations of an approximate
4.57 acre tract of land, known as the western portion of the Ruppert
tract, located generally north of Highway 1 West from RM-440 High
Density Multi-Family Residential, to RS-5, Low Density Single-Family
Residential. The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the
staff recommendation contained in the staff memorandum dated
December 9, 1994.
Action:
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 5
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance by
conditionally changing the use regulations of an approximate 4.09 acre
tract, known as the eastern portion of the Ruppert Tract, located
generally north of Highway 1 West from RM-44, High Density Multi-
Family Residential, to CC-2, Community Commemial. (REZ93-0007)
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-0-1, with Dierks abstaining, recommended
approval of changing the use regulations of an approximate 4.09 acre
tract, known as the eastern portion of the Ruppert Tract, located
generally north of Highway 1 West from RM44, High Density Multi-
Family Residential, to CC-2, Community Commercial, subject to a
Conditional Zoning Agreement requiring the retention of the existing
natural buffer within the western 200 feet of the tract. The
Commission's recommendation is consistent with the staff recommenda-
tion contained in the staff memorandum dated December 9, 1994.
Action: ~ /~ ~
Public hearing on an application to rezone an approximate 1.5 acre tract
of land located north of Highway 1 West and west of Miller Street from
RS-8, Medium Density Single-Family Residential, to CC-2, Community
Commercial. (REZ94-0019)
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 4-1-1, with Jakobsen voting no and Dierks
abstaining, recommended approval of a City-initiated application to
rezone an approximate 1.5 acre tract of land located north of Highway
1 West and west of Miller Street from RS-8, Medium Density Single-
Family Residential, to CC-2, Community Commercial. The Commission's
recommendation is consistent with the staff recommendation contained
in the staff memorandum dated December 9, 1994.
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 6
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance by
changing the use regulations of a 0.32 acre parcel located at 719 S.
Capitol Street from C1-1, Intensive Commercial, to P, Public. {REZ94-
0017)
Comment: At its December 15, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-1, with Dierks voting no, recommended
approval of an application submitted by Johnson County to rezone a
0.32 acre parcel located at 719 S. Capitol Street from C1-1, Intensive
Commercial, to P, Public. The Commission's recommendation is
consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the Staff Report
dated December 15, 1994.
Action:
Public hearing on a resolution to annex an 80 acre tract of land, for a
project known as the Green View Manufactured Housing Park, located
southeast of Sycamore Street and east of the Pleasant Valley Golf
Course. (ANN94-0007)
Comment: At its December 1, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-1, with Dierks voting no, recommended
approval of the City of Iowa City and Robert and Erma Wolf request to
annex an approximate 80 acre parcel, to be known as Green View
Manufactured Housing Park, located southeast of Sycamore Street and
east of the Pleasant Valley Golf Course. The Commission's recommen-
dation is consistent with the staff recommendation as set forth in the
staff report dated September 1, 1994. The public hearing is continued
from the January 3, 1995, City Council meeting. Public comments were
received at the Januar f 3, 1995, meetinn. .
..
known as the Green View Manufactured Housino Park, located
southeast of Sycamore Street and e~st of the Pleasant Valley Golf
Course. (ANN94-0007)
Comment: See item h. above.
Action: '~t.~_)/7~
#6h-j page I
ITEM NO.
Public hearing on a resolution to annex an 80 acre
tract of land, for a project known as the Green
View Manufactured Housing Park, located southeast
of Sycamore Street and east of the Pleasant Valley
Golf Course. (ANN94-0007)
Horow/ I would ask those people who are speaking this evening if
you spoke before, only if you have something extra to add.
Please let other people speak if they have not. If you did
speak before keep your comments at a minimum and try to say
something.
Woito/ Susan.
Horow/ Yes'.
Woito/ You might combine both the annexation and the zoning-and the
public hearing.
Horow/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Pigott to combine items h. and
J. having to do with amending the zoning chapter changing the
use regulations of the 80 acre tract from county RS to RFBH.
Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying aye
(aye). Declare the p.h. open.
Robert Downer/ Madam Mayor and members of the city council. I am
the attorney for Bob and Erma Wolf. I have not had occasion
prior to last evening to be involved these particular
proceedings on behalf of the Wolfs. We have spent some time
today reviewing comments that were made at the meeting last
night and attempting to ascertain where in changes might he
made in the plans that had been submitted previously to
hopefully render this a more acceptable to members of the city
council. There are a couple of changes that I think are
responsive to concerns that were expressed last evening. The
Wolfs carefully reviewed the phasing that they have in mind
for the mobile home park in question and the location of
rental units within the park. Just as was mentioned last night
in the discussions about the importance of not having certain
types of housing too heavily concentrated in particular
geographical areas in the city, it is the Wolfs feeling that
the rental units should not be in high concentrations in
particular areas throughout the park. However they have
indicated that they will over the course of the park
development and not ~mmediately but by the time has been
developed in its entirety, they would provide 20 rental units
within'the park and those would be located in a representative
manner throughout the park. So that there would be roughly an
equal number in the various spaces that are being planned for
this at this time. They would intend to disburse these widely
Thls represents only a reesonably occurate transr.,lptlon of the Iowa City council mesdng of January 17, 1995.
FO 11795
#6h-j page 2
throughout each developed area. Secondly, with respect to the
income level which they would regard as being appropriate in
connection with the park, they have indicated a willingness to
go 65% in that regard. There was also consideration expressed
last night with regard to the possibility of an exchange of
this property with Johnson County for certain property that
the county owns and the period to time in which this would be
done and it was my understanding from that meeting that the
intention wo~ld be to complete that within the next two weeks.
I wanted to make certain and the Wolfs did that it was clear
that the existing agreement with the Langenberg family does
has to be performed by March i and it would not be the Wolfs
intention to seek an extension of that date. It is their
feeling that in all probably this would involve some
additional financial consideration that in all probability
would be forfeited if they didn't go ahead and purchase the
property and therefore they would not seek an extension on the
time for performance of that contract. If there are other
matters with which the council is concerned we would be happy
to .respond to any of those q~estions at this time or
otherwise. The Wolfs have continued to work with staff and
will continue to do so to express those concerns as they
arise.
Kubby/ I have a question. In the City Steps which is a consolidated
plan there is also a p.h. about later today outlining
different income levels and priorities for rental units versus
owner occupied units and I don't know if the numbers are
different for you on the rental units versus the owner. But
within the two weeks sometime I would like to hear if you
would be willing to have a lower median income percentage for
those 20 rental units or if you would need them also to be at
65% of median?
Downer/ We would be happy to study the report. I don't think that
we have made the distinction that your question indicates and
we will look at that and respond to it.
Kubby/ Marianne Milkman, can you make sure that Bob Wolf gets a
copy of City Steps as drafted. The proposal.
Horow/ Any other questions? Thank you. Anyone else care to address
council on this issue.
Jane
Moore/ I live at 4322 Daniel Place. I would just like to
restate for council members that the fair market rent figure
for mobile homes in $153.60 and that is only a savings of
$37.40 a month for those pads for up to $47.40. I also want to
talk about the handout that Steve Nasby prepared for the
council members last night. I don't feel Steve was comparing
This represents only e reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 3
apples and apples when he compared the mortgage amount of the
$35~000 with a mortgage amount of $106,000 house. There are
numerous homes in Iowa City that sell below that figure and I
had a local Realtor point out those. In fact last year in IoWa
city 200 homes sold below the $110 figure and in Coralville
163 sold at below that and I will turn those into council. I
believe everyone involved needs to stand back to look at this
proposal. I am sure one year ago staff was addressing concerns
at that time. But things can change a lot in one year and in
this case they have. Then we possibly had people in the flood
plain that wanted to relocate. But there was never a specific
waiting list for relocation. Council and staff wanted to
address the affordable housing issue. It was believed a mobile
home court was the solution. As of August 4, 1994 we had 84
acres of land that you allowed to be zoned for residential
factory built housing. Even though it is yet to be developed,
I believe from listening to the gentleman from Sycamore Farms
for the past 4 1/2 months that they are moving forward and
will develop that land in 1995. So now, one year later, we
have no idea of anyone wants to move from the flood plain. The
segment of affordable housing this proposal addresses is being
addressed by Sycamore Farms. Much has changed in the past
year. Maybe council and staff needs to step back and redirect
their focus. Plus, one year ago Robert Wolf was interested in
the city's partnership. Now he indicates he is willing to
develop independent of the city. Therefore we do need to
redirect the use and focus of these moneys. Thank you.
Kubby/ Could we get some clarification about fair market rent from
staff? We have been talking about $120. Now we are talking
$154 and I thought fair market rents were only changed once a
year?
Marianne Milkman/ Jane gave you the correct figure. It has changed.
Kubby/ Does that include utilities?
Milkman/ No.
Horow/ Is there anyone else that would wish to address council.
Deanna Miller/ I live at 4297 Maureen Terrace. I am one of the
property owners that filed a formal protest because I live
within 200 feet. This is in my backyard and I don't believe
that I should feel bad because I don't want this in my
backyard. I believe that if this was happening to many of you
and you had homes similar to mine, you would feel the same
way. When I moved into this new home less than three months
ago, I had hoped that the area would continue to grow with
moderate to high level housing near the golf course to enrich
This represen~on~ a reasonably accurate ~anscrlp~onofthelowa Clty coun~l mee~ng of January17,1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 4
thi~ area. I am very angry that someone on the council said
that the southeast part of Iowa City has historically been low
income and she believed that it should continue in this way
and that the CHAS and HUD policy of scattered affordable
housing is no longer of great concern. Presently the vast
majority of low income housing projects have been placed in
the southeast sector of Iowa City. In actuality I am not a
NIMB¥. I am a NAMB¥, not all in my backyard.
David Bloesh/ I would like to begin by expressing appreciation to
the city council for their hard work on the many difficult
issues that obviously face council. 57 Amber Lane.
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-12 SIDE i
For the council will have on the integrity of this area of the
town and I am concerned about the negative affects that would
be shared by all the residents of this area on regardless of
what income bracket they would happen to fall into. And I
would simply urge the council to be very careful in rushing
forward with approval for so many additional manufactured
housing or mobile home units when, in fact, there already are
a number of and many additional approved lots that have not
yet been developed. And I guess I would just say in addition
to the women that just spoke before me concerning the issue of
not in my backyard. I guess I would say that it is an issue
that affects me personally to some extent because it is close
to the area that I live in. But I think that developers of
these proposed manufactured housing units also stand to have
to gain financially from this arrangement. So I think that it
is not a matter of one groups interests versus another. I
thinkwe have to look at the overall picture and what is good
for the city. So I don't thinkwe can dismiss the issue with
a simplistic charge that it is just a not in my backyard
issue. I think that it is an issue that has many substantive
arguments on both sides. And we have to look at the substance
of those arguments rather than attaching tags to one
particular group and I would also just say as a side comment
that since I.do appreciate the council's efforts to work on
issues relating to low income housing and I would hope that
they would continue in this effort and I would encourage
anybody here or anybody listening to support that private
organizations that are helping to this end also such as
Habitat For H~anity. If anyone is interested, they can
contact the Public Library for the name of the contact person
with Habitat for Humanity and they successfully completed
their first home last year and it was a very proud moment for
these new owners. I believe that it was a family of four or
five that moved in. So, there are things that can help you to
This ~presen~ on~ a ~asonab~ accurate ~anscripfion of t'nelowa Clty coun~l meeting of Janue~ 17, 1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 5
help remedy the community wide problems that we see. Thank
yOU ·
Jeff
Shander/ 4295 sycamore Street. There were two comments that
were brought up last night that I would like to Just bring
some clarification or some thoughts to on my part. Both of
these involve the present location and the selection of that
location and Mr. Lehman, I believe you brought up both of
them. One of them involved the cost of the land and attempting
to obtain land at a fairly reasonable price and the second one
was topography for trailer parks. The topography being stated
as meaning flat topography to put a trailer park on or a
mobile home park on. In terms of the procurement cost, it
appears that the initial cost being discussed as in excess of
$600,000 as I understand it. Upon further looking at the issue
though, the additional development of infrastructure that
would be needed to use that lan~ adds an additional $1 million
as far as I can tell roughly to that cost. If we take into
account the combined cost of the procurement of the land as
well as the infrastructure needed to develop that land that
will be subsidized by the city if we go ahead with this. We
are talking a price per acre that raises to approximately
$21,000 to $22,000 per acre. With that being a sum, I thinkwe
might be able to take a look elsewhere in the city and find
land that might fall within the bracket of $8,000 to $20,000.
That is my first point and comment. Secondly, as far as
topography of building trailer parks on hills, I have probably
traveled 48 of the 50 states by car in the last ten years. I
have seen a number of trailer parks in Missouri, out West,
last two weeks ago between Madison and Iowa City, the Dubuque
area, that have been locate don hills. It appeared to me as I
drove through those parks two weeks ago, two of them on my way
home, that it didn't look like they had all that difficult of
a time placing the trailers on hills. I don't know a lot about
building but it seems to me that it miqht be easier to place
thetrailer park on a hill than it woul~ be to place a home on
a hill. The issue of topography and placing trailer parks on
hills also might raise the costs slightly and at the same time
I don't see where that is an issue that should negate looking
at property else where in the city in light of the
concentration that we have on the southeast side. That is all.
Thank you.
Horow/ I would like to ask a q~/estion of staff in terms of the
actual costs given the infrastructure. I thought we started at
$8,000 an acre? How did we get up to $22,000?
Franklin/ I think what Mr. Shahder is doing is he is taking the
cost associated with the improvements that are necessary for
This represents only a reasonably occurate transcription of the Iowa City councll meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 6
this project and then just adding that on to the land costs
and saying that the overall costs then.
Horow/ That is more than just the $1.3 million for the road.
Franklin/ He will have to explain where he got his numbers.
Horow/ I would be really interested in where-
Throg/ Land costs, too.
Pigott/ Land costs in addition to the sewer and the road costs,
Jeff?
Shander/ Where I took that figure is I understand that the present
figure of federal money and city money is around $1.5 million.
Is that correct. A~d that $1.5 million includes $420,000 for
federal money and about $1.1 million for city money. And the
only point that I was making is that combined outlay, if a
different site were selected, where the infrastructure is not
needed. That is to say you were closer to already developed
infrastructure, the city would not be incurring that $1.1
million. They might be incurring some portion of it but I
highly doubt it would be anywhere near that sum. That is what
point I am trying to make.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council?
Randy Moore/ 4322 Daniel Place. I have a couple of over heads and
I would like the projector.
Horow/ Is this something other than what was presented last night?
Moore/ Yes, it is Mam. The opposition in this proposal is not just
about a trailer park or where to put it. We are not against
creating opportunities that are-housing opportunities that are
truly affordable nor are we against helping victims in the '93
flood. We are not selfish NIMBYS as the city and the Press
Citizen has continuously tried to label us and it is wrong to
believe that that is the motivation behind the questions and
concerns that were raised regarding this proposal. I urge you
to listen to each concern with an open mind, trust in its
sincerity and demand complete facts from both sides. Don't
accept generalities or incomplete misleading statements. And
after careful consideration have the courage to maintain your
beliefs and come to you ow~well thought out conclusion. There
are many important issues involved in this proposal that
deserve your careful consideration. In its conception, major
components of this proposal or since its conception, major
components of this proposal have changed and continue to
This represents only a raasonably accurate t~ansodptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 7
change and it is critical that we nail it down and make it
stop being a moving target. I would like to focus the
attention just to two specific items that I feel especially
their attention or your attention. Let me make that three
things. One is the use of the flood moneys for this project°
Two is the cost and timing of the road improvements. And the
third thing that I would like to address is the process itself
because I think it has had some faltering steps.
Kubby/'Randy, when you speak, just make sure you speak in the mic.
Moore/ Regarding the purpose and the use of the flood moneys, I
would like to ask the council to review the packet titled
Supplemental CDBG Program Statement, 2nd Edition, dated July
of 1994. It addresses a number of things that I think is worth
going back to and kind of refocusing on. One is ~he stated
purposes of the grant, one of which is the acquisition of
property and it has three parts. To buy out developed land
that is in the flood plain, purchase land for a mobile home
park in order to provide an opportunity for people who are in
the flood plain to move out of the flood plain, and the third
objective was to buy vacant land that was still in the flood
plain to get it out of the development cycle so that it would
avoid future damage potential due to flooding that will occur
in the future. No where does it state or imply that one of the
u~es was to expand the city's affordable housing although that
is an admiral goal this money was not requested or conveyed as
that was one of the uses for it. The national objective states
and that is at the bottom-the city wants to minimize the
damage from future floods by moving people out of the flood
plain and I think there is some obligation to use that money
in the way that it was asked for and in the spirit of how it
was obtained. In the work session on January 2 Karen Franklin
actually reminded me of that. She said, remember, the focus of
the flood moneys is to get people out of the flood plain by
incentive or providing them an opportunity. This is providing
them an opportunity. The thing that I think has to be kept in
mind-is since that time Sycamore Farms has essentially come
into the picture with 84 acres which I think significantly
addresses the opportunity sidewhich minimizes whether this is
really still a valid reason to spend this money in this way.
Another one point I wanted to bring out of here, out of the
packet itself under the topic of coordination of activities.
It states the activities outlined in this program statement
are designed to mitigate future flood hazards in Iowa City.
That seems to be the scope and the spirit of how the money was
received and as a tax payer whether it is local or federal
level, I would like to see it spent in a way that is more
consistent with those stated objectives. The second point-
Th~represents on~ a ~asonably accurate ~anscrlpfion of thelowa Clty coun~lmeetlng of January17,1995,
F011795
#6h-j page S
Horow/ Randy, your time is up. Five minutes is up.
Moore/ This will be brief. I also feel that it is important. The
second.thing is the cost and timing of the road improvements.
One thing I noticed, obviously, is the magnitude of the costs.
They total almost $3.3 million excluding the portion that is
already slated for F¥97 for improvement from Burns Avenue down
the existing city limits. The significant thing to note though
is the section in red. That section as of now and in the
foreseeable future is county and will probably remain so. And
the city has stated that it is unlikely that they wou~d
improve that section of road prior it becoming part of the
city. My question is, it is tentatively scheduled I think for
the year 2002 in the CIP. The required construction completion
for Green View Park is for the year 2005. 2002 is seven years
from now and it would seem logical that a significant amount
of development will have to have already occurred within that
time period. without that section of road being improved you
create a major obstacle for this flow of the ease and safety
of people moving to and from the park area. So I think that if
the park is approved, the improvement of that section of road
has to come with it and the funding for that section of road
has to be considered now and not in the year 2002. And just a
brief summary, regarding the process. You know, this has been
going on for quite a while. There has been a lot of effort
expended by everybody, both in time, effort and money. And
20/20 hindsight, you know we have kind of come down to the
11th hour and there is still a lot of issues that are just now
coming to light and some of them I think are fairly
significant and I guess I have a request more than a question
and that is let's try to turn this into a learning experience
regardless of the outcome of the vote on this particular
project and see what-kind of look at it and review and see
what can be done differently in the future to either involve
public input sooner, be more open to it, or I am not sure what
else might need to be done. But I think it is on everyone's
best interest to try and refine the process so that we can
address the issues in a more timely manner before a lot of
effort and time has gone by. Thank you.
Throg/ Randy, could I ask you a question please? I noticed two of
the numbers in particular that you have on the overhead slide
differs significantly from the numbers that appear in our
council packet and I know you and I had a conversation at your
house about that map. The one that appears in the council
packet. Can you tell me where you obtained the numbers that
differ so significantly?
Moore/ I can tell you as well as show you. What I have is a copy of
the preliminary budget approval submitted by Karin Franklin in
Thl;re~esen~ only areasonably accurate tran$cr¥~onof~elowa C;tycoun~l meeUngofJanuary17,1995.
F011795
$6h-j page 9
the fiTst part of November for each one of those sections. The
one that differed significantly was the lower one that is in
the sewer treatment plants site itself and the number that is
in the preliminary budget was $878,000 and if I recall it
correctly on the information you received, that was stated as
$80,000. So it is off by a factor of ten.
Kubby/ It may be the proposed road has changed.
Franklin/ The $80,000 reflects park road. The $878,000 was an
estimate the engineers put together based on construction of
a collector grade street which we will not need within the
soccer site. So $80,000 is more accurate.
Throg/ There is the other segment, the east west arterial that-
Franklin/-That $810,000 takes it from the intersection of the L
there all the way to that RS-8 boundary line. What you have in
your packet shows it just along the north side of Green View
which is half.
Throg/ Does that mean that the other $400,000 is not a city project
or what does it mean?
Franklin/ Not at this point. The city project that we have at this
point is along the top of Green View.
Kubby/ But as that RS-8 project develops to the south, who ends up
being responsible later for that arterial?
Franklin/ Well, we haven't totally discussed that yet. Mr. Bright
and I have had a n~mber of discussions about it and I have
indicated to him that I felt that I could make the argument
that this would be a city project. However, if the development
that is going to occur there comes before we are ready to
build it, then the project developer would have to pay.
Kubby/ So planning is everything.
Franklin/ Timing is everything.
Throg/ I thought location was everything.
Horow/ Thank you. Anyone else care to address council on this
issue?
Carol Marlow/ 50 Amber Lane. And I appreciate the fact that a
number of council members gave times either at homes or at
other places to answer specific questions. I appreciate
earlier than this the thoughtful comments that Sally Dierks
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 10
offered in the P/Z meeting when she expressed some things that
I felt in terms of what it is like to live in a neighborhood.
None of you live south of Highway 6 and our neighbors are very
fine people. We may not live, any of us, in the $300,000
category house and we may not live in the $3,000 trailer type
of place that we bought many many long years ago put on a
rural place for us to build a stick house and then of course
just got rid of that trailer. Somewhere between $3,000 and
$300,000. I think hearts beat the same. We all want a place to
live of whichwe are proud, to which we can invite friends and
we want to be a part of our community in keeping up that
property of whatever level it is. As I said once before, this
is all somewhat new to me since I am fairly newcomer to Iowa
City. ~ am certainly new in our little area. Because of this
I went to the library and read most every word but not all of
the comp plan, the '89 amendments and so forth. And this was
good for me because I recognized that there really is an
interest in providing what is being termed affordable housing.
But I think whether it is $3,000 or $30,000 or $300,000 what
we really mean is housing that we can-that is responsive to
the market whatever that levels market is. And I appreciate
the fact that the council is interested in that. I noticed in
the policies, in the housing policies, that it says the needs
of low moderate income households shall be accommodated. That
that was the goal. But there were some land use policies that
were of concern to me as to how these policies that I
appreciated ~re going to be able to be worked out in the
current proposition. For instance, the zone-the intent is to
zone undeveloped land to existing uses in order to maximize
compatibility. I wasn't certain how much compatibility we
r. eally felt when we needed to require buffers between
incompatible land uses which is also one of the policy
requirements and we seem to think that it is necessary to
require buffers. I noticed that also under the land use
policies the idea was to designate land for large lot s.f.
residential development to permit the more efficient
provisions of services. I realize what we are really meahing
fro~ that and it would seem to me that incorporating some of
that type of land in this area south of (Highway) 6 would
indeed help provide more efficient provision of services
through taxes and so forth. I noticed that another provision
of another policy under the land use policies was to zone so
as to achieve gradual land use change and to discourage the
intense development that cannot be adequately served by
existing or proposed city services and facilities and I was
thinking in terms of bus lines and so forth. In short, there
are four areas that I think are of importance. This is farm
land. That is a precious treasure. I come from a farming
background long years ago. The other, the second, is a
concentration of manufactured housing which appears to thwart
Thisrepresents on~ areasonably accur~e ~anscrlp~on of ~elowa Citycouncil meeting of Janua~ 17,1995.
F011795
#6h-j page ~1-
"a mix of housing types", that is from housing policy B. It
seems to me that this also even when you take the esthetics
besides plantings in residential areas. These call for a
diversity of housing heights and so forth and no matter how
lovely a trailer court is laid out or mobile home park or
manufactured housing is laid out, i~ still has a re%atively
same look to those houses and it is n~ce to have a variety. It
seems to me that services are not cost effective and there are
some alternatives° We could develop more non-agriculture land
for residences. We could distribute manufactured housing
equitably through the areas. We could diversify the housing
types that were allowed and use public moneys more
efficiently. Thanks.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council on this issue? Chair
would entertain a motion first of all to accept some
correspondence received from the General Manager of Oral B and
also the Chairman of Colorgraphics. Pigott and Throgmorton.
Any discussion?
Pigott/ I think we have another speaker, Sue.
Horow/ All those in favor signify by saying aye (ayes).
Mark Edwards/ I live at 1754 Lakeside drive. The only one point
that I want to make tonight. I think I have talked to a
majority of you on a one to one basis about some of my
concerns along with some of our neighbors. The point that I
would like to make is Karen Kubby's presentation last night at
the works session showing the map of Iowa City and the
concentration of affordable housing or subsidized housing in
Iowa City and how that concentration in the southeast part of
Iowa City. I don't think anyone can argue the point that
physically that is the way things are laid out in the city. I
have heard a lot of arguments about the cost of land and
things such as that. I think what we need to do it make a
decision to make a project similar to this based on values
that are set forth in the CHAS and for one time forget about
the money issue. Maybe we will spend more money but maybe we
will have a segment of our community integrated that wouldn't
otherwise be. I thinkwhat we are doing is-concentration issue
is a concern with me. It is one of our primary issues and
along with others and I just wanted to put out a challenge to
city council that if this is a value and something that you
have said publicly and set forth in documents, let's give it
a try and let's make the next project or perhaps this one in
another part of the city, possibly in another quadrant. Thank
you.
This represents only o rea~on~ly a¢curata ~,ans=lptlon of the Iowa City council mssting of Jenua~y 17, 1995.
F011795
$6h-j page 12
Horow/ Thank you. Anyone else care to address council on this
issue, on these two items? Chair would entertain a motion to
defer for two weeks-to continue the p.h.
Nov/ Items h. and J.
Horow/ Moved by Pigott, seconded by Kubby. Discussion.
Kubby/ I had asked that we have an agreement before we vote and we
have an agreement but it doesn't have some of the details like
the n-mher of rental units and the change in the median
income. I want to make sure is in some agreed upon form before
we vote. So before it comes back to us I would like to have
something in writing about the 20 units. I don't know if'we
want to have further discussions about the issues deciding X,
etc.
Horow/ We also discussed last night that we had come to agreement
on major issues rather than smaller ones.
Pigott~ I think those issues are important but I think that also-
We talked about last night investigating the land swap with
the county and I would like to look at that as well. And to
continue those conversations either private or along the
meetings we currently have.
Kubby/ So in the next two weeks we are going to meeting with the
county. We will see about the possibility of a land swap as
well as getting some of these other things decided, especially
about the-
Baker/ I would say that I think Bruno has said this before and
other people that that agreement that you are talking about
needs to be finalized before we vote but I don't thinkwe need
to discuss it in great detail until we get these larger issues
settled. And I don't want to wasteMr. Wolf's time if we can't
agree on bigger issues.
Horow/ I thinkwe also ought to be thinking of if we cannot make it
across the land swap, Just exactly what is we plan to do.
continue this particular-return the money or think of some
other. But I would also like to really-whether or not we
still are in agreement in terms of using this money for the
housing stock of Iowa City, affordable housing, rather than
just giving them out as service money°
Pigott/ You mean the connection with the flood moneys you are
talking about?
Horow/ The flood money, the two sottrces from CDBG.
This represent. ord¥ a reasonably accurate tren$crlptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
$6h-j page 13
Kubby/ You mean for creating units versus services?
Pigott/ Oh, I see.
Horow/ Yes, rather than services. This is what we charged the staff
with. I think we need to be either consistent or-
Throg/ Spe, I thought about it today after our conversations last
night and last night I said I was strongly inclined to oppose
Green View on three grounds. 1-Having to do with the fairly
weak connection to the flood plain relocation. Secondly, the
distance of Green View from available public services.
Thirdly, the relatively large public requirement with regard
to building new infrastructure to provide access. So I thought
about that in the context of using flood moneys to help buy
land. I don't have a problem with that. It is fine to use money
to help buy land that would then go to provide increasing
stick in affordable housing. But if I supported this
particular project and its location given the distance from
available public services and given the infrastructure subsidy
involved. I would be acting totally contrary to everything I
ran on when I was campaigning for office a year ago. It would
be radically inconsistent of me and in order for me to do that
I would have to feel that the benefits somehow would
significantly outweigh going against everything I campaigned
in terms of- I don't see that to be the case in this
particular instance. But to do want to say that if we can find
away to use that flood plain money to buy land to help
increase the stock of affordable housing in a location that is
adjacent to or immediately serviceable by existing public
services. So that there is no significant public subsidy
involved in terms of new infrastructure. If we can do that, I
am very happy.
Horow/ One of the issues that we did raise last night for public
discussion is the location of such land and the need for it to
be near their Jobs. We had a letter this evening from the Oral
B Laboratories which stated that many employees are already
living in the existing trailer court within Iowa City and have
a good quality of life. I think that proximity to potential
for employment is very very real in terms of the overall
aspect of our thrust towards supporting different (can't
hear).
Throg/ There is one sentence in that letter from Oral B that I
found very interesting. It said that many people that work in
lower paying Jobs in manufacturing and the service industry
simply cannot afford to pay for traditional housing in Iowa
City. Okay, obviously true. What that does is point or direct
attention to the fat the affordability of housing is a
This ~presen~ only areasonab~ accurate ~anscrlp~on of thelowa City council meeting of Janua~ 17,1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 14
function of two things. It is a function of wages or income
and a function of the cost of housing. So if wages and income
are too low, you know, if people are being paid good wages in
the first place then surely there is going to be a affordable
housing problem for a significant n-mher of people. So there
are two aspects that need to be worked on. One is getting the
wage up to a livable level. And the other is-
Horow/ Okay, in the mean time however-
Pigott/ And there is one thing we control and that is maybe helping
to-While I agree with you, Jim, I also believe that we can't
control all aspects of the wage thing. And I think you can
argue that there are all sorts of ways that you can address
the wage factor in policy positions for there council but we
certainly can move on affordable housing issues and that is
why I support the general terms of looking at increasing the
number of units. Sue, that was a question that you asked
initially. But, as you said Jim, too, the infrastructure costs
are really seem to be pretty high and that is the sticky
point.
Horow/ I hope we can look for compromises in these two weeks.
Baker/ I want to talk about at the next meeting those
infrastructure costs and talk about the in terms of relativity
to Other projects and benefits to the community. Can I get a
clarificati6n. I don't know who to direct this to on the
council but I am wondering if there is a sense that one of the
concerns, consistent concerns, that we hear over and over
again from the neighborhood is too much of this in this area.
That indeed- I forget the women's name, I apologize, she used
the term NAMBY instead of NIMBY, not all in my neighborhood.
I know Karen has raised questions about density of this kind
of housing in this area. I just wonder if indeed it is the
sense of the council that all things being equal there is too
much'of this kin4 of housing in this area.
Kubby/ I think you can't look at that in isolation because, as Jim
says, there are other things that just outweigh that so
tremendously that I could be moved in one direction or another
on that. To me that is a big concern.
Horow/ I certainly have a concern about this but I also look at
those parcels in the area, south of Highway 6, that are
certainly selling at very marketable prices, $179,000 at the
Pepperwood Addition. I think it is not affordable low income.
And I look at the whole area, Holl~;ood Blvd, Grantwood area,
and how it began over 25-30 years ago and how it has improved
This represents only a reasonably accurate t~anscrlptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of Janus/17, 1995.
F011795
#6h-j ' page 1§
and it 'has become- And I think from my point you have to start
somewhere.
Baker/ And we all agreed at the beginning that we did want to
diversify this and spread out that kind of project and staff
has worked on that. And I think what we are heading for,
however, is a conclusion that says under the timetable that we
have got and constraints that we have, the options are very
limited if you want any additional housing of this type. And
then we have to go back and say well, what are those factors
that would mitigate the fact that there is a concentration in
this area. But I want to get a sense that we are not ruling
out this area as inappropriate for this kind of housing simply
because of the concentration.
Throg/ My response would be at the present time no, I don' think
there is an over concentration of subsidized housing couple
with manufactured housing. Not at the present time. But we
just recently fezcried 80 some odd acres at Sycamore Farms for
manufactured housing and we have two proposals before us
tonight about rezoning another 140 acres. So one has to be
thinking in terms of trends or at least wondering whether that
is establishing a trend of over concentration.
Baker/ I am not disagreeing with the perception and conclusion that
it is a worrisome trend. What I am concerned about is us just
arbitrarily saying it is a trend that we are going to stop in
t~is area and we will just rule out this area in the future
and if we can't get it somewhere else, we just can't get it.
I Just want to say that. I just want to get a sense that
indeed we are-
Kubby/ He is not saying he thinks that.
Baker/ I am saying that if the council
ought to pass a moratorium on
southeast Iowa City.
thinks that the council
manufactured housing in
Kubby/ The difference, Larry, is that we are promoting this and
using public funds. And it is different-it may or may not be
slightly different because of that. In this instance it may be
the same thing for me because we have control over it because
we are annexing it and rezoning.
Throg/ I have no interest in supporting a moratori~m on
manufactured housing in the southeast part of Iowa City. It
may there are good locations for particular kinds of
development Just as there might be good locations in other
parts of the city that we ought to pursue.
This ~presentsonly a masonab~ accurate ~n$c~Ip~onoft~elowa City council mee~ng of Januew 17,1995.
F011795
#6h-j page 16
Kubby/ Of timing issues.
Baker/ Okay.
Horow/ However, there is also money issue and it seems to me we do
have the fortune to use both federal and local money at the
same time.
Kubby/ Before we go on, there was one of the things we did ask
staff to look at and I want to make sure it is not forgotten
and that is getting in contact with the Greater Iowa City
Housing Fellowship and Bob Burns about any alternative plans
they have for their additional unit sights and possibly using
some of the acql/isition money for their project. To check in
where they are at on their project. We did talk about last-
And I would like to hear back by next-
Horow/ All right, any other discussion council. We have a motion on
the floor to continue items h.and J. in two weeks. All those
in favor signify by saying aye (aye).
Thlsrepfasanto only a reasonab~ accumte ~anscrlp~onoftholowa Clty coun~lmeetingofJanumy17, 1996.
F011795
#6i page 1
ITEM NO. $i.
Consider a resolution to annex an 80 acre tract of
land, for a project known as the Green View Manu-
factured Housing Park, located southeast of Syca-
more Street and east of the Pleasant Valley Golf
Course. (ANN94-0007)
Horow/ Moved by Nov, seconded by Throg. January). Any discussion.
Kubby/ I am confused where we are at.
Horow/ We did h. & j., Karen. We are looking at i. now.
Throg/ We could have combined i. & k. The resolution-
Nov/ No, you can't do that.
Kubby/ Sorry, I am together now.
Horow/ Okay/ All those in favor signify by saying aye
( to defer this vote to 31
(ayes).
This represents .only a reasonably accurate ~an$crlptlon of the Iowa City council meeting o~-January 17, 1995.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 7
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by
changing the use regulations of an 80 acre tract of land, for a project
known as the Green View Manufactured Housing Park, located
- southeast of Sycamore Street and east of the Pleasant Valley Golf
Course from County RS, Suburban Residential, to RFBH, Factory Built
Housing Residential. (REZ94-0012)
Comment: At its December 1, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-1, with Dierks voting no, recommended
approval of an application submitted by the City of Iowa City and Robert
and Erma Wolf to rezone an approximate 80 acre parcel, to be known
as Green View Manufactured Housing Park, located southeast of
Sycamore Street and east of Pleasant Valley Golf Course from County
RSto RFBH, subject toten conditions. The Commission's recommenda-
tion is consistent with the staff recommendation in the staff repor~
dated September 1, 1994, and the list of conditions dated December 1,
1994. The public hearing is continued from the January 3, 1995, City
Council meeting. Public comments were received at the January 3,
1995, meeting. Protest petitions representing owners of 20% of the
property within 200 feet have been submitted, and thus a three-fourths
(six of seven members) vote of the Council is required to approve this
rezoning. ~ ~ h ~'
/
Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by changing the use
regulations of an 80 acre tract of land, for a project known as the Green
View Manufactured Housing Park, located southeast of Sycamore Street
and east of the Pleasant Valley Golf Course from County RS, Suburban
Residential, to RFBH, Factory Built Housing Residential. (REZ94-0012)
(First Consideration)
Comment: See item j. above.
Action:
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 8
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by
changing the use regulations of 61.96 acres of land located south of
Whispering Prairie Drive from RS-8, Medium Density Single-Family
Residential, to RFBH, Factory Built Housing Residential. {REZ94-0014)
Comment: At its December 1, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 5-1, with Starr voting in the negative, recom-
mended denial of an application submitted by Lake Calvin Properties for
a rezoning from RS-8 to RFBH, subject to four conditions. The
Commission's recommendation is inconsistent with the staff recommen-
dation as set forth in the staff reported dated November 3, 1994. In a
letter dated December 2, 1994, the applicant requested Council
consideration of this item recommended for denial by the Planning and
Zoning Commission. The public hearing is continued from the January
3, 1995, City Council meeting. Public comments were received at the
January 3, 1995, meeting. A protest petition representing the owners
of 20% of the property within 200 feet has been submitted and thus a
three-fourths (six of seven members) vote of the Council is required to
approve this rezoning. ~.~~
Action= ,'-.. ! t, ~/~ ~. ~4~~
Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by e"nanging the use
regulations of 61.96 acres of land located south of Whispering Prairie
Drive from RS-8, Medium Density Single-Family Residential, to RFBH,
Factory Built Housing Residential. (REZ94-0014) (First Consideration)
Comment: See item I. above.
Action:
#61 page 1
ITK~ NO. ~1.
Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Zoning
Chapter by changing the use regulations of 61.96
acres of land located south of Whispering Prairie
Drive from RS-8, Meditt~ Density Single-Family
Residential, to RFBH, Factory Built Housing Resi-
dential. (REZ94-0014)
Horow/ I would ask you to approach council, state your name, sign
in and limit your comments to five minutes. Declare the p.h.
open.
Steve Bright/ Good evening. Speaking on behalf of Sycamore Farms
Company and Lake Calvin Properties. I would like to make a few
comments in support of our application of rezoning. Last night
and tonight have been a great many discussions by members of
the council as to the critical need of affordable housing. I
understand you will consider your City Steps tonight which I
think further verifies that this need is real and it is
diverse. The need is for rental, for home ownership, it is for
site built, it is for manufactured housing, it is for single
and multi family housing. So we have a great need, a great
challenge in this community. The Sycamore Farm Annexation
which was approved by this body on August 4, 1994 was designed
to in part help meet that affordable housing need. Our first
brochure that we submitted to the P/Z Commission in 1992
stated one of our goals was affordable housing. On the RFBH
potion of our tract which is 80 acres we will build a rental
park this year. If we are as successful as the Wolfs were in
1994, we will build and rent 65 pads. If we are more
successful, we will build and rent 100 pads and we will
continue to meet the market demand for rental pads in Iowa
City until we run out of room which is somewhere around 500
pads. At Mr. Wolf's absorption rate, that is somewhere in 8-10
years. So I think in Sycamore Farms we have addressed that
need for the community and I hope that what we can focus on
tonight is the need of other types of housing and that is on
the RS-8 tract. W-nat we want to provide there is a home
ownership opportunity and the price that we have targeted is
under the $100,000 and the price is what we are here to talk
about tonight because that is really what this rezoning
application is about. We intend to develop a subdivision which
will meet .all of your subdivision reguirement.s we are not
asking you to waive anything. So it will be compatible to
Whispering Meadow Subdivision to the north and if Gatens ever
comes intb the city, it will be a subdivision and I think in
that sense we are compatible. I think that was the reason the
staff reguired subdivision in the CZA requirement. So what we
want to build is modular and manufactured homes on lots. This
is a lot owner community. The modulars we hope to be under
$100,000. The double wides to be in the $70,000 price range.
This represents only a reasonably accurate trenscxlpdon of the iowa CW/council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#61 page 2
This is the unit and the lot. The request tonight is to enable
us to reach another price range which is to offer a single
wide with the lot in the $50,000 price range. That is the sole
purpose of the rezoning request. We cannot sell a lot with a
single wide on a RS-8 tract. We have to have-
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-12 SIDE 2
That'type of housing in the $50,000 range in Iowa City. Last
night we heard comments about concerns of the number and the
location' of those single wides. We are receptive to working
with you in any way you want to on that. If you want to limit
the number of single wides by percentage we are happy to do
that. If you want to put them on the interior, in other words,
next to the RFBH, we are willing to do that. What I would like
to do it engage a dialogue with the council to see what you
would like to do. I have said to different people today that
I think we are 15 minutes away. I don't think we have a big
disagreement with what you are saying. It just hasn't been an
item of discussion yet. I would like not to go back to P/Z and
try that discussion there. I would like to stay here with you
to raise these issues to see if we could resolve them. So,
again, we are willing to discuss the number and we are willing
to discuss the location. If you want to buffer of a double
wide street, a street lot before you put single wides along
the north and the west, that is fine. If you want to put them
inside that is fine. Whatever your thoughts are I am here to
respond to them and see if we can't accomplish something and
then direct the staff to come back to you in two weeks with a
modified CZA that incorporates those discussion and those
goals and see if we all agree to them. Again, I would repeat
to you, I think the goals of the council are the same as the
goals of Sycamore Farms. Day one we have said affordable
housing. We are not trying to replicate $250,000 houses. We
are at the lower range. I think our goals are consistent and
what I would like is a dialogue and see if we can't get going.
You know time is precious to us. We don't have to worry about
construction now but we need to start going. We have made
arrangements by way of introductory discussions with the
Barker family to get a road into this area. We don't have to
impose on the council to get the road. We don't have to impose
on your checkbook to do this. We are willing to do this on our
checkbook. What we would like is to reach a level of the
market that is not otherwise available and that is our sole
request tonight and I would like to engage in dialogue here or
any other time frame.
Pigott/ Mr. Bright, there was one other additional thing we talked
about last night and maybe you could elaborate on it. It was
just at the end of the discussion about what would happen if
This represents on~ areasonabl¥ accurate ~ansctip~onofthelowa City council mee~ngofJanuary17,1995.
F011795
#61 page 3
the lots don't sell and then there was some discussion about
rental. I wonder if you could elaborate on it.
Bright/ This is a subdivision under your code and I think any other
subdivision in any other area of Iowa City the property can be
rented. I don't think anybody has asked us to be any different
than that. Our intent is not to build another rental park. Our
intent is not to build another rental park but let's build a
unit and sell it to somebody and they work at Oral B and they
get transferred to Cinci~ati. I don't know if Oral B is in
Cincinnati but whatever, theyget transferred. They can't sell
their house. Are we going to have a restriction on this
singular subdivision in Iowa City that those people can't rent
their house. They have to leave their house vacant until the
market catches up with them and they sell their house~ I don't
have any problem restricting us. If you are afraid of us, I
don't have any problem restricting us from renting lots in
this area. That is not our intent. So if that is the concern,
we will enter into that. But I am not going to burden the
subdivision, this unique subdivision of affordable housing
with a very uneconomioal term. That I have to tell people wait
a minute, don't buy here because you can't rent this house if
you have trouble.
Kubby/ So Linda, under the current zoning under RS-8 they can do
what they want to do except for the single wides and if the
lots don't sell they can rent the lots with double wides?
Woito/ Well, I think steve just agreed to change the conditional
zoning agreement to prevent him from renting.
Bright/ That is not our plan. We have a rental park and we are
going to build that. There is no reason for us to build
subdivision lots that are going to cost us maybe $2,000 more
per lot to rent and compete with our other park.
Woito/ So we need to change the conditional zoning agreement.
Bright/ And that is fine.
Kubby/ I mean I hear the point that we don't do that in other
subdivisions and I think a reason we want to do it is to
protect the neighborhood.
Bright/ The irony is a little great to me that the cow is looking
east from Gatens and can't look on rental but they can look
south to where it is the Langenberg on rental. But we are
willing to agree.
Pigott/ What a vision.
This represen~ on~ aressonably accurate ~an$crlp~on of ~elowa Clty coundl mee~ngofJanua~ 17,1995.
F011795
#61 page 4
Kubby/ But in terms of what is now under RS-8, you can have a
subdivision that has manufactured homes, double wides, and if
they are not lot owned, they can be rented?
Bright/ Throughout the city. We are not trying to change what you
have done for everybody else and arguably will do for
everybody else in the future. You know, if you are concerned
about us sneaking a park in on you, you know, then put a
restriction that we, as developers, cannot rent those lots.
But don't burden it with the land-you know, the person we sell
a lot to who puts the unit on there. Don't burden them with
that restriction. I think that is-
Horow/ Steve, I would like to continue to get the other part of the
public comment on this.
Lehman/ Steve, one question. Is there any restriction of the width
of the single wides?
Bright/ On what we would do. They would be newer homes.
Lehman/ Is there a restriction as to the actual width?
Bright/ No.
Horow/ I would like to get other people's opinion on this. Any more
input to the council from the public?
Mary
Lewis/ I am President of the Grant Wood Neighborhood
Association. We got together last night and wrote a statement
that we would like to read to you. The Grantwood Neighborhood
Association supports the decision that the Iowa City P/Z
Commission in their denial of rezoning for Lake Calvin from
RS-8 to RFBH. We feel that this site is less compatible,
consistent and desirable than the area south of Bon Aire
already approved for RFBH. We appreciate that our neighbors in
Bon Aire are maintaining a handsome and orderly manufactured
housing subdivision. If there is a desire to see more
manufactured housing in this area, we urge the city council to
consider the development in the area south of Bon Aire. We
recognize the logic on contiguous continuation to the south as
approved byP/Z and the city council. We are apprehensive that
Lake Calvin, with the original rezoning revised will lack
continuity with the existing s. f. and duplexed home adjacent°
We are concerned a manufactured housing division added to this
area that is already served will materially and detrimentally
alter the character of our neighborhood.
Throg/ I wonder if I could ask a question that staff might have to
try to respond to. It goes to a point that you just made,
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F011795
#61 page 5
Mary. And what I am wondering is and perhaps Karin Franklin
could answer this, is how would a subdivided RFBH differ from
a mobile home park? You raise questions about the design of
it.
Franklin/ Well, essentially it differs in terms of the street
network. The street within a manufactured housing park are
privately owned, the park is insular to itself in most cases.
with a subdivision, it is a subdivision l~ke any other
subdivision except that it specifically allows manufactured
housing of all sizes and typically requires a smaller lot size
than a standard subdivision.
Throg/ So it would be probably laid out very much like the
Whispering Meadows Subdivision in terms of the street layout?
Franklin/ It definitely could be. I think that would be the effort.
Throg/ Okay. In any mobile home parks the trailers are
kind of a V-shape relative to the streets so that
to get the trailers in and pull them back out.
aligned in
it is easy
Franklin/ Well, it is also a visibility issue in terms of the
alignments of the units on the pads so that you can sit on the
deck that is outside of a manufactured housing unit and you
are not just looking at another unit. That there is a line of
sight that is clear. So, that is one of the other reasons why
they are slanted.
Throg/ Is that kind of alignment, that kind of V-shaped alignment,
appropriate for a subdivided facility like Lake Calvin?
Franklin/ It is going to depend upon the street layout, how big the
lots are. I mean it is something that we would look at at the
time of subdivision.
Nov/ If we wanted to put in a minimum lot size as a condition, we
could do that?
Kubby/ If the developer will agree.
Franklin/ Yes.
Nov/ Have you thought about in terms of how this would look in
comparison to other RS-8 development?
Franklin/ I believe on this one there is a RS-8 cap. There is a
density.cap on it which could speak to the same issue in terms
of lot size. You just get more precise if you are requiring a
minimum lot size.
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F011796
#61 page 6
Throg/ So it is at least conceivable that this proposed RFBH
subdivision could be designed in a manner that is very
consistent with the existingWhispering Meadows neighborhood.
It is conceivable that that could happen. The only major
difference that I can see that would (can't hear) would be
some of them would be single wide units.
Franklin/ Right and in terms of the layout it could be very much
like Whispering Meadows. The biggest distinction is in the
single wides.
Lewis/ What you are still talking about adding is manufactured
housing to this area and that is another point that you need
to consider. You have already got 84 acres at Sycamore Farms
for manufactured housing and if it may endup rental property
if-that is what you already said you would do with it with
Sycamore Farms.
Throg/ But there is a significant difference between the land that
is currently zoned RFBH because that would be rented land,
owned units on rented land where as this proposal would have
people being able to buy nits and buy the land, too, so that
they would own the whole thing.
Lewis/ Depending on what the market requires.
Throg/ Of course some of the units would be rented as well but they
could own the land if they wanted to.
Horow/ Thanks, Mary. Anyone else care to address council?
Jane
Moore/ I just have one question on this rezoning and I guess
I would say that I am in favor of the lot ownership concept.
I think it is a good idea and I can see the market in Iowa
City supporting that. The question I do have in a typical
mobile home court is the owner of that court will dictate I
would think the upkeep of the lot and the upkeep of the mobile
home unit. What happens in a neighborhood? I mean once these
units are you know 20-25 years old, how are they going to look
and who dictates that? Would it just be the same as if it were
a stick built house?
Dan Black/ I represent Gatens Farm which is the property directly
to the east and I guess I have to somewhat speak for the cows
that are looking to the east here so nobody else is going to
defend them. In all seriousness, the owners really that I
represent in this situation have some concerns because we
don't think that really necessarily the downzoning from the
double wide concept to the single wide really is necessarily
compatible with Gatens Farms. Still being in the county and
Thlsrepresen~ only erea,onabW eccur~e ~an$crlp~on ~thelowa Cttycouncll meeting of January17,1995.
F011795
#61 page 7
not being part of the city at this time, we don't know how
that development will eventually go in that area. But I think
it has always been their wish and their desire that it be
basically a s.f. resident s~rt of development and I think that
you really do need to consider that I thank there is quite a
bit of difference between a double wide concept in your
subdivision as opposed to the 14 or 12 wide, whatever the
single may be. The other point that I would like to make is I
think what Jane just mentioned is really quite true. That a
subdivision like this is very very dependent on covenants and
I assume that covenants are a part of the proposal or will be
part of the proposal. Is that fair to say?
Woito/ Not presently but they certainly could be.
Kubby/ They are not part of the zoning agreement at all?
Black/ They are not.
Woito/ correct. At this point they are not.
Black/ I guess I would make the suggestion that covenants are a
pretty critical part of subdivisions in order to control
undesirable situations and put some control on the lots.
Lastly, I guess I would speak on behalf of my owners and they
feel somewhat left out of this whole process and I'think in
part maybe it is because the fact that we are still county and
not a part of city limits at this point. But they are the
parties that have really triggered the formal protest in
regards to the super majority on the vote and in part I think
that they have done this in part because they feel a little
bit left out of this. Steve has indicated a desire to try to
talk to you folks with regard to location of single wides and
all that sort of stuff and I guess I would say the Gatens
would also be interested in some input and dialogue with
regards to location and I know vegetation barriers have been
mentioned and different things and we really haven't been a
part of that process and we would sure be willing to if the
opportunity is available. I appreciate the opportunity to
speak.
Horow/ Thank you. Anyone else care to address council?
Jeff Cholewa/ I live at 2204 Arizona. What I would like to report
tonight is that first of all I am also a member of the Grant
Wood Neighborhood Association and we strongly support
affordable housing in Iowa City and if that takes it to the
point where affordable housing is located in southeast Iowa
City, all the more better. What we would rather support is
stick built homes similar to the tract style homes in the
This represents only a reasonably accurate trmmcdption of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#61 page 8
Franz Addition which I live in and I would like to thank Madam
Mayor on this for her comments about the Grantwood
Neighborhood area. Those are all stick built homes, tract
style, where they were built all a like and numerous homes are
built at one time and we feel that this is one option that
hasn't been discussed as far as affordable homes. One thing
that does differ about these homes compared to manufactured
homes is the usual increase in property value for these homes.
And this is even a possibility when the homes deteriorate to
a strong degree. A home just to the east of mine deteriorated
to the point where the Johnson County Board of Health actually
declared it unfit for human habitation. However within months
that home was converted and now is being lived in by a family
and the value of the home I would estimate it to be
approximately $70,000 and I don't believe that this would be
possible in manufactured homes. And on these types of homes
you can go in and dry wall. You can remodel and put additions
on and things like that and increase that property value and
that is one of the things that we are concerned about with
manufactured homes. Thank you.
Horow/ Thank you. Anyone else care to address council? Declare the
p.h. closed.
Woito/ You don't want to close it.
Horow/ Right. Sorry about that.
Pigott/ When do we continue it to. Two weeks.
Horow/ Someone would like to entertain a motion to continue it for
two weeks. Moved by Pigott, seconded by Nov. Discussion.
Pigott/ For a conditional zoning agreement.
Horow/ What are the reasons that you are putting forth?
Kubby/ (Can't hear)
Pigott/ Right CZA.
Kubby/ In order to consider this. The other thing is we have been
requested to have some kind of dialogue, so I am not sure when
and where that should happen. If that should happen tonight.
Otherwise we don't meet for two weeks.
Horow/ Wait a minute. I have a question. Wouldn't this continuation
rather take place for item n? My point being that item m.
would set in motion the conditions if there is going to be
any.
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F011795
#61 page 9
Woito/ But we don't have a signed agreement. And even if they had
signed it we wouldn't want it because we want additional
conditions in this.
Kubby/ If you want other conditions you have to continue the
hearing so people have a chance to speak to them.
Woito/ State law requires that the conditional zoning agreement be
signed prior to closing of the hearing. I do not have that
conditional fulfilled.
Horow/ All right. Any other discussion.
Kubby/ Well, I haven't had my question answered. We don't meet for
another two weeks. We need to have some discussion now to give
staff some direction as to what we want as different
conditions on this CZA, conditional zoning agreement for
people who don't know zoning lingo. We need to give some
direction tonight and possibly have small group discussion or
one on one discussions with developers so we can persuade them
to persuade us or do tt tonight.
Throg/ This is one of those situations where we need a super
majority also.
Pigott/ That is right.
Throg/ So, we need six votes.
Pigott/ Well, I think one of the conditions that they were talking
about was regarding the rental part of this subdivision and
restricting the current owners right to rent it and I would
like to see that as part of the agreement.
Baker/ Before we get into this discussion of specifics on the
conditional zoning, tell me again what the sense of urgency
here is on this particular item that we have to discuss this
in.two weeks. I know obviously Mr. Bright would like it done
soon as possible but I Just don't perceive the necessity for
even talking about this in any detail now.
Pigott/ I say right now if it is close to ....
Throg/ I had a conversation with Steve, Mr. Bright, earlier today
on telephone and then I imagine some of you have talked with
him as well. My sense is that it is not so much that there is
a sense of urgency to get this thing adopted, enacted or
whatever and. rezoned or whatever. But the need that he sees is
to have some sense from us as to what kind of conditions we
might want to attach to any rezoning we might be inclined to
This represents only a reasonably accurate O'enscrfptfon of the Iowa City council mestJng of Janum¥ 17, 1995.
F011795
#61 page 10
agree to so that his proposal won't get trapped in some kind
of empty space between us and staff. So that it just kinds of
waffles out there all by itself. In other words, he sets his
and I think rightly so-We need to be proving some guidance to
staff about what kind of conditions to attach.
Baker/ I don't disagree with that except at this time I am just not
prepared to talk about conditions on this. I might have some
ideas in the near future but and I don't want to do it
tonight, send direction and more directions later. That is why
I have questions about the sense of urgency.
Nov/ There is no urgency. I plan on thinking about this in the next
few da~s and letting staff know what kinds of things are my
concerns.
Kubby/ What do you need to know what conditions we would want? You
just need time.
Baker/ Yeah, I Just want more time. I don't see any sense for us to
be rushed in to coming up with conditions now when we have
another major issue right adjacent to it.
Pigott/ We have major issues adjacent to all-
Baker/ I think there is a difference here, Bruno.
Franklin/ There are two items now that I see out there. One
percentage of single wides and the other one is the
restriction on Sycamore Farms.
is the
rental
Kubby/ The third one is location of those single wides and the
fourth one brought up tonight was covenant.
Franklin/ Okay. You also need to meet with the P/Z Commission.
Throg/ Another one-
Kubby/ Right, which should be on parallel track and not wait until
the very end of it if we should disagree with them to help the
discussion. Maybe holding a discussion in the mean time would
help us make a decision and not wait until we do make a
decision.
Nov/ I lost you Karen.
Kubby/ I think the majority of people-The reason we are thinking
about conditions is because we are prone to do this and we are
trying to find an acceptable way to do it. If that is true,
that with these kind of conditions we could approve it, that
This represents only o reesonably occurate transcription of the Iowa City council meetlng of January 17, 1996.
F011795
#61 page
would be against the recommendations of P/Z which triggers a
meeting. So let's do the meeting in a parallel process to
negotiating the cognitional zoning agreement. Not waiting
until we want to make a different decision on P/Z and then
have to wait more time to meet with them.
Horow/ Why wouldn't we find out whether or not there is an
extraordinary majority who wish to go along with it?
Kubby{ I think it matters to what the conditions are as to whether
ther~ is that condition.
Pigott/ I am not so sure that is the case.
Kubby/ Let's check in on it.
Horow/ That is why, frankly, it is for consideration right now. It
seems to me that one would take the consideration of first
consideration and if that passes on a positive motion, then we
go to the conditions and a meeting.
Kubby/ No, we can't do that. That is not how the process works. You
have to have the conditions before the need of the p.h. So you
have to continue the p.h.
Baker/ Do yOU have to have six votes to defer this thing?
Woito/ No.
Kubby/ Let's defer it for a month instead of two weeks and in the
meantime meet with P/Z.
Pigott/ I don't have a problem with that.
Kubby/ Or discuss it at our next meeting at our next informal to
see if there are at least six people with certain conditions
that could tend to want to support it and then in the next two
weeks meet with P/Z.
Horow/ I think that is just delaying the whole process. If that is
what the will of the council is.
Kubby/ Larry can't say whether he would support it or not with the
conditions because he wants more time to think about it. So
let's have that conversation in two weeks.
Pigott/ Let's give him the time to think about it.
Baker/ sure, I think that is what I said.
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F011795
~61 page 12
Throg/ I was going to say whether I support this or not depends on
the conditions of the remoning agreement. In other words I
don't feel strongly inclined to support it or oppose it. I
need to know what the conditions are. And Karen, you did not
mention a topic that could be a condition that I would think
is important. I think Mary Lewis was alluding to. And that is
at least the northern end of this rezoned land would, I think,
need to be designed in a manner that is compatible with the
existingWhispering Meadows neighborhood. so that when you are
there, at the southern end of the Whispering Meadows
neighborhood you don't feel some radical transition from one
place to another. And I know you know what I am talking about.
Horow/ Okay. There is a motion on the floor to defer this for,
what, two weeks.
Nov/ Karen just suggested four weeks.
Horow/ Okay.
Kubby/ If the majority don't want to talk about conditions tonight,
it is silly to do it for two weeks.
Horow/ We don't have the ability to talk about conditions right
now. I think that is work session are for. So, why don't we do
this for two weeks.
Baker/ Quite honestly my views on the conditions on this depend on
what happens to the adjacent property.
Horow/ Right.
Nov/ Do we want to say February 147
Horow/ That is reasonable.
Kubby/ Is that okay with motion makers and seconder?
Pigott/ That is fine with me.
Karr/ So it is a friendly amendment to the 14th of February?
Horow/ Yes. Any further discussion. All those in favor signify by
saying aye (ayes).
Kubby/ So we will talk about this at our informal in two weeks?
Horow/ Right.
Kubby/ And it will be on in two weeks after that.
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F011796
#61 page 13
Pigoft/ Right.
Thlsmpresen~ only are~sonablyaccur~te ~an$cdptlon of thelow, Citycouncil mee~ng of danu,ry17.1995.
F011796
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council'Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 9
Consider an ordinance amending Zoning Chapter Article N., Off-Street
Parking Requirements, Section 14-6N-lB1 specifying construction
materials for required hard-surface parking areas. {First Consideration)
Comment: At its December 1, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission by a vote of 4-2, with Scott and Jakobsen voting no,
recommended approval of a text amendment to Zoning Chapter Article
N., Off-Street parking Requirements, Section 14-6N-1 B1 requiring hard-
surfaced parking areas to be constructed of asphaltic cement concrete,
Portland cement concrete, or manufactured paving materials, such as
brick, unless otherwise exempted, or authorized by the City Building
Official to use other materials. The Commission's recommendation is
generally consistent with the staff recommendation as set forth in the
staff report dated December 1, 1994. No public comments were
received at the January 3, 1995 public hearing on this item.
Consider an ordinance amending Zoning Chapter Section 14-§E-6C1 to
clarify the density requirement for dwelling units in the CB-2, Central
Business zone. (First Consideration)
Comment: At its December 1, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 6-0, recommended .approval of a text
amendment to Zoning Chapter Section 14-6E-6Cl to specify the
requirement of a minimum lot area of 875 square feet per dwelling unit
inthe CB-2 zone. The Commission's recommendation is consistent with
the staff recommendation as set forth in the staff report dated Decem-
ber 1, 1994. No public comments were received on this item at the
January 3, 1995 public hearing on this item.
Agenda
iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 10
Consider an ordinance to vacate a portion of Waterfront Drive located
south of Highway 6 and west of the CRANDIC Railroad right-of-way.
(VAC94-0007) (Second Consideration)
ITEM NO. 7 -
Comment: At its November 17, 1994, meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission, by a vote of 6-0, recommended approval of VAC94-0007,
a City-initiated proposal to vacate a portion of Waterfront Drive located
south of Highway 6 and west of the CRANDIC Railroad right-of-way,
subject to retention of utility easements over the entire vacated right-of-
way, and the said vacation taking effect at such time as Stevens Drive
and Waterfront Drive are reconstructed. The Commission's recommen-
dation is consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the staff
report dated November 17, 1994. Comments were received from the
public at the December 20, 1994, public hearing on this item.
PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS A PORTION OF IOWA CITY'S CONSOLIDAT-
ED PLAN FOR FY1995-FY2000 (A.K.A. CITY STEPS).
ITEM NO. 8 -
Comment: The public hearing is being held to receive comments on the
Citizen Participation Plan and the Needs, Priorities and Strategies sections of
the Consolidated Plan. After consideration of comments received, Council
will vote on approval of thi,~__~,o~_~plan on January 31, 1995.
Action=
a. Previously Announced Vacancies.
(1)
Committee on Community Needs - Two vacancies for three-year
terms ending April 1, 1998. (Terms of Gretchen Schmuch and
Rusty Martin end.)
(2)
Historic Preservation Commission - Two vacancies for three-year
terms ending March 29, 1998 - one for a Summit Street represen-
tative and one for an at-large representative, {Terms of Jay Semel
and Kevin Hanick end,)
These appointments will be made at the January 31, 1995, meeting of
the City Council.
(3)
Board of Review - One vacancy for a representative of the public
for a six-year term ending December 31, 2000. (Norman Bailey's
term ends.) This appointment will be made at the January 30,
1995, meeting of the City Conference Board.
#7 page
ITEI~ NO. ? -
PUBLIC HEARING TO DIBCUSS A PORTION OF IOWA CITY'S
CONSOLIDATED PLAN FOR FY~995-F¥2000 (A.X.A. CITY
~TEPB).
Horow/ I will ask that you sign in, state your name and keep your
comments to five minutes. Start p.h. with Marianne Milkman.
Marianne Milkman/ Thank you. I just want to make a few comments to
explain what City Steps is. I think a lot of what is being
discussed this evening at the other p.h.s is very relevant to
City Steps. I also want to say that there are a few more
copies in the back of the room if people would like to pick
the~ .up if they don't have one. Just as a matter of
def~nltion, we have talked about affordable housing this
evening. When we talk about affordable housing in City Steps
we ar9 talking about affordable housing that is affordable to
low income residents. Low income residents are persons or
households making below 80% of median income. Just to clarify
those definitions. City Steps is also known as the
consolidated plan and that is exactly what it is. It is
expansion of comprehensive housing affordability strategy to
include not just housing but also jobs and services and we
heard this evening how important the connection of those are
to housing. The city steps identify the needs, sets priorities
and' strategies to meet the needs and each year will have an
action plan which will list the activities to be undertaken to
meet some of those needs. And I just want to stress that this
plan identifies a very large number of needs and there is no
way of meeting all those needs in five years. The needs that
are identified are identified for this five year plan. The
plan requires citizen participation at all levels and we held
a series of public meetings. Tonight's p.h. is part of that
citizen participation and other elements of the citizen
participation are laid out in the plan. Included in this is
the requirement that citizen groups also have a great deal of
input in preparing the priorities and strategies for the plan
and we have had a committee made up of eight members, most of
whom are here tonight, representing the Committee on Community
Needs, the Housing Commission, the Local Homeless Coordinating
Board and the business community. And two members of this
committee will make just very short presentations on what this
committee did in order to put together what you have in front
of you. We want to also add that what we are having comments
on tonight is a draft plan of strategies and priorities all
comments will be taken into consideration and included in the
plan in the future. Chris Randall and Charles Eastham- Chris
Randall for the Committee on Community Needs, Charles Eastham
for the Housing Commission, will now speak.
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F011795
#7 page 2
Kubby/ Thanks for everybody who's still here for this p.h. for
waiting.
Chris Randall/ CCN. Marianne has given you a nice feeling for what
this city staff's plan is and some of the process that we went
through. We had like 5-6 p.h. or meeting that people from the
committee came to. The minute these were televised and people
stood. up and told us what they see as their priorities and the
areas we were addressing- housing, services, and jobs. Two
meetings were held at neighborhood centers and this made it
easy for residents to attend. And most of the meetings that we
did have were in general very well attended. The second thing
that happened was that the city staff went out to the
community and they met and talked with low income residents.
So they got- they to for example the Free Lunch programs and
the Salvation Army. Also current programs were assessed, so we
considered several aspects of those. We were talking about how
well are they working. Are they meeting assessed needs of
these residents. And are there gaps or inadequacies in the
programs that are already in existence. Finally census data
and other existing data were also looked at. Once the data
were gathered, the committee commenced on the very difficult
task of prioritizing needs and I want to stress that.. This
task is very difficult. Needs were ranked in the following
fashion: High, Medium, Low, or No Such Need. Now on the front
of the document that people have been given we talk about how
these needs- these rankings could be changed if someone would
come up and demonstrate a need, we would reassess that. Also
it's important to remember that these needs are not the needs
of the city as a whole, but of low income residents of Iowa
City. So for example we rated water improvements as low. That
means low for lower income residents, not for the city as a
whole. Following prioritizing the needs, we went on to develop
objectives and strategies to meet the needs. The priorities
and strategies committee wishes to thank all of the members of
the public who've changed and told us what their needs were.
And we recognized that this is not always an easy thing to. In
fact many low income persons spoke with us quite frankly about
their needs. So the committee did take into account, their
input, when we put this together. Also we want to thank the
city staff, Marianne and her staff, for all of their hard
work. Without their help, this document would have been very
difficult to generate. And finally thanks to you, the council,
for listening to us and taking into consideration our input.
Now Charlie will make a few comments.
Charlie Eastham/ I just want to very briefly summarize the high
priority strategies which the committee has identified in the
four areas of identified need in the planning process. In the
area of providing decent housing that is affordable, the two
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F011795
#7 page 3
subareas: for rental housing we have said that expanding
rental assistance programs, increasing the stock of affordable
rental housing, providing assistance to households in locating
and retaining housing. All have highpriorities for households
having less than 30% median income including the elderly
households. For owner occupied housing, the highest priority
in the document is given for programs providing rehabilitation
and accessibility, improvements for home owners with below 50%
median income including the elderly home owners. The
continuation of programs which assist elderly persons to stay
in their homes as well as the development of plans for mixed
use. Congregate housing is also given a high priority. In the
area of.homeless persons in need of housing, a high priority
is given to the expansion of emergency shelter and day shelter
for homeless families. A high priority is given to
transitional housing activities for families, individual
persons with special needs, and also to continue the
development of supportive living environments and supportive
group living facilities for persons with special needs. Third
in the area of public facilities and services, health service,
dependent care including child care, respite and adult
daycare, improving access to transportation, training and
living skills, tenant landlord mediation, fair housing
activities, housing related services for senior citizens, and
human services coordination are all activities that are given
high priority, and fourth and finally this plan calls for
directing resources toward economic development activities
which result in employment paying at least a living wage which
the planning and strategies committee has conditionally
defined as been $17,000 and $20,000 a year for a house load of
three. Strategies which are a high priority in the area of
economic development include training and educational programs
for employees concentrating on training and educational for
identifiable jobs, providing encouragement including public
recognition to employers to increase their job offerings to
living wage levels. Offering employment support service such
as childcare and improving public transportation to jobless.
And finally promotion of the expansion and retention of
businesses that pay at least a living wage. I'd like to repeat
Chris's thanks to the city staff that helps in this process
and also to add I found that my co-committee. People were most
collegial and intense in developing this plan. I personally
enjoyed the participation.
Kubby/ Charlie what percent median income would a family of a three
be at that between 17,000- $20,000? Is it at 80%?
Eastham/ No. it's not at 80%.
Kubby/ I didn't bring my chart I had last time.
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F011795
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Eastham/ I Just had the-
Milkman/ I think.it,s around 60.
Kubby/ Sometime tonight if someone could just throw that number
back at me.
Eastham/ It would be between 30-50%, the median income.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council?
Jeremy Richardson/ I currently rent at 408 Bjaysville Lane. I've
been a resident of Iowa City for almost two years and I've
been to several city council meetings and I've always sat
quiet and listened to other people talk. Now tonight I have
the opportunity to speak on something. I feel like I'm the
only individual who didn't bring an overhead.
Baker/ Do you want to borrow one?
Richardson/ It was the color one. In regards to the CDBG funds that
were there, I would like to request that the city council
consider or whoever is in charge of allocating the funds or
whoever eventually works on it, to consider a down payment,
investment or assistance program for people such as myself.
I'm sort of like in financial puberty, not mature to buy a
house in the existing market in Iowa City, and yet I'm not
small enough to merit the cuddling of these other housing
programs. There doesn't exist a lot of housing between
$60,000-$80,000 a year which would be the area where I would
fall. I talked to Marianne tonight I didn't realize she had
anything to do with this. This is the only lady I did know and
she knew more than maybe all the other information I'd
collected from Steve. I don't know like I realize you had a
plan before and I don't know the details of that plan and I
know that it wasn't really highly regarded because it sort of
narrowed down the scope of.the people it actually helps and so
I would like to for the proposed as far as ways that this
could be accomplished. Maybe three routes in the form of some
type of a deferable loan that would pick up a gift amount of
it. A 2-3 loan from like one of the local banks or some type
of funding to offset the actual original cost of housing,
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-13 SIDE
Jeremy Richardson/ I understand there are currently some projects,
like I said, that are under a lot of turmoil like in the
~ycamore Farms area and so forth that have dealt with this
issue of the $60,000-80,000 range. And I realize a lot of
people are dealing with this issue now and- But right now, as
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F011795
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a renter, my monthly rent is a poor investment for me and it
keeps the housing in this housing in this area just out of
reach because of the high cost of rent. I believe the fair
market, according to HUb right now, is $512 at its lowest. So
this makes it extremely difficult for us. I don't want to rent
anymore. I don't want to own what they call a mobile home or
any kind of manufactured housing. I want to become an intrical
part of this community. I have come here to learn at the
University of Iowa and one of the things that I have learned
that is I do want to be a part of this community. I think it
would be better for you. I make a stronger tax base and so
when you are considering affordable housing at this time, keep
in mind the benefits this program would offer in making
housing affordable. Thank you very much.
Patricia Jordan/ I am Director of the Emergency Housing Project
Homeless Shelter. So I am going to obviously address that
issue here and one of the things that I would like to address
is the priority given in the are of emergency shelter in terms
of persons with special needs. And the priority given in that
area, I would like very much to appeal as a medium priority
and I appreciate and understand very much what they are saying
about prioritizing and what a gruesome task that must be. But
I wanted to give some additional input on that and to draw
some attention to the way that the data that are gathered in
this case, not that the data are incorrect but they are
misleading in my view. We did, as a lot of people here know,
we did a point in time count on October 20 where we looked at
how many homeless persons were in Iowa City.
Baker/ Are you looking at-is there a particular page?
Jordan/ ~rnat I was looking at was a chart on January 5 memo that
Marianne sent out. She said at the bottom we also have
attached a summary table of priorities and these will appear
in the final document as well as Table 1-Homeless Populations
in the Point In Time Count.
Kubby/ This particular item is on page 11 of our packet.
Jordan/ (can't hear) Table I here. Okay. Now, when we did that
point in time count there were 114 people that were determined
to be homeless at that time. In determining the people with
severe mental illness, alcohol and/or drug abuse and severe
mental illness and alcohol or other drug abuse. The way that
the people compiling these data figured it was to include the
children from DVIP and the women for the DVIP and the kids for
Youth Homes and in mind view that does really distort the
picture. We are talking about two different populations here.
I am talking about a group of people that is in large,
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F011795
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page 6
chronically homeless and is a different population than the
one Chris is dealing with and obviously to put the kids in
when you are calculating severe mental illness is rather
misleading. Indeed I had done, some of you were there when I
did my UW/Johnson County/City of Iowa city presentation. That
night, in preparation for that presentation, I had compiled a
one night only figure of people at that shelter. It was 38
people that were there at that night. And of those people, 34%
had either alcohol, alcohol and depression, or alcohol and
drug abuse issues. 18% were diagnosed with mental illness that
didntt include alcohol abuse. And 8% of the people had
schizophrenia. Okay. That was a one night thing and it is
quite representative of the type of people that we see. So,
the reason that I feel this is a high priority is that in the
Emergency Shelter arena is that we have enough money to have
one staff person there at a time. ~hen you have 40 people
there and you have one staff person and you have people with
schizophrenia who are hearing voices. You know, who are
hearing voices and are very sick at that point, you are
dealing with something that is really untenable and you know,
we had in the past month alone, three persons who had been
released from a mental health institute right to that shelter,
two of whom had schizophrenia. We had no idea that the one
person was coming. We had no idea that any of them were
coming. But the one person in particular we found later
through an investigation on my part was suppose to he taking
Thorazin and if he didn't take Thorazin he would become very
violent. The psychiatrist told me and this is like two weeks
after he had no medication. So my staff is one is relegated at
this point in time to making sure that the Thorazin is taken
and checking at theebest of the psychiatrist, checking under
the tongue to make sure. this is really absurd. I think, as I
said, given the staffing that we have and given the fact that
this is not an anomaly, you know, this is a regular situation
at that shelter, I would ask that that meeting priority be
teasmessed. And then very guickly, I was going to do
something novel and speak for five minutes but I want to
address one other thing here very guickly and that is the Day
Shelter concept which receives a high priority. I have talked
to Captain Miller about this tonight and actually quite a few
times in the past. I don't consider it a high priority and
neither does she. I have a lot of people here tonight who make
use of that day shelter. If indeed as that one chart points
out, there were 114 homeless people in Iowa City at the
evening they did that co~t, it seems to me there is a
significant number of people are in fact utilizing that
shelter, that day shelter. Because according to this man here
and according to Captain Miller and Marge Hoppin whom I am
speaking tonight, a good 30 people utilize that shelter
everyday and utilize their facilities which are quite
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FO 11795
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excellent and the services she provides are quite excellent.
Additionally, we provide quite a lot in the day shelter arena
in te.r~s of laundry facilities and phone calls and phone
facilities and crisis intervention. So I would like to avoid,
if we could, some duplication. So that is why I am pointing
that out to you.
Kubby/ Do you know what the capacity at the Salvation Army is?
Jordan/ It is a lot greater than 30. The place is huge. I would say
probably, you know, it could be three times any. Certainly the
capacity is- To give you an example, they feed between 80-100
people a night. So, I would say, it could be up to 90 people.
Pigott/ Pat, I wondered if you could tell me the capacity of EHP
building?
Jordan/ The capacity of EHP?
Pigott/ I mean in terms of the number of beds that you have, not
sleeping on the floor.
Jordan/ 21 beds.
Pigott/ 21 beds and you said you had 38 people at this particular
night. I would g~ess that during the winter months that number
is probably higher than the summer months. But I just wonder,
and you said it is representative and I am just trying to
really get a grasp of if you walk in there everyday of the
week are you likely to see people sleeping on the floors. Are
you likely to see people in the hall. Could you expand on that
a little bit?
Jordan/ I can tell you that in the 17 or so months that I have been
there, I have never been there when there were not people
sleeping on the floor. I have never seen a night when -
Pigott/ Not a single night?
Jordan/ Not one night. I have never seen a night when we were below
21. So, we have been really at almost double capacity since
about August. It started really badly in August which is quite
typical because the rental patterns in Iowa City, you know
with people with leases ending July 31. But it stayed which is
quite different than what we had seen before. From August to
the present we have been at almost double capacity. Thanks.
Horow/ Okay, anyone else care to-...?
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F011795
#7 page 8
Larry Craens/ For about six weeks I was a resident at the EHP,
hopefully I am in the 10% that she didn't describe. There are
quite a few different types of people that are in there. I
would say that it is not family oriented or set up for
families. I was there for three weeks and then my wife and son
came from and eventually we were all put in one room
but in order to do that that displaced four other people that
were unable to stay because I was in a men's room and they put
my son in the room with me which in turn put me on the floor
because we were so short of beds. So when they finally put my
wife in the room with me that displaced four people basically
because four men couldn't use those other two beds. so I would
say Just from having been there and personal experience, there
is a definite need for something separate for families where
people can feel comfortable and live as a family unit
basically because it is very difficult to have your son to
watch television or do anything he has to do when you have
psychotics z,/nning around. They are very uncomfortable around
children. My kid cannot laugh, talk, cry or do anything
because no matter what he did basically he was getting on
· people's nerves. I am thankful for that service that they do
have the shelter because without it I would still be probably
homeless which I got an apartment a month ago so I am very
lucky and I got a job here in Iowa City and I tend to stay
here. But other than that, the SalvationArmy has been like my
mainstay once I looked for shelter and without them I would be
lost basically. All of my furniture came from them, my clothes
came from them, I get food from them, I receive phone calls
there, I eat, I worship down there. I just want to thank the
City for both places. As far as shelter goes, I think
something more needs to be done as far as programs.and things
to help people and families. Thank you.
Rosemary Friedrich/ I am a faculty member in the College of Nursing
and I have a specialty in Psychiatric Nursing and I have
basically cared for the severely mentally ill for more than 20
years as a faculty member. As I read the City Steps report
there were several places in which they mention the severely
mentally ill that I appreciate and they were both under
Housing. Both in terms of identifying the need for
transitional housing and the need for some kind of permanent
supportive housing. So, I thought that was a real plus.
However, a lot of severely mentally ill people are not
homeless. They are in real danger of becoming homeless if they
do not have an appropriate combination of housing and
services. Specifically a significant number of severely
mentally ill are really untouched treatment or
by
rehabilitation if they are very very ill. And specifically
those with schizophrenia are the most ill of the severely
mentally ill. I would like to refer the text book written by
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcrlptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#7 page 9
Dr. Andresson and Dr. Black that was published in 1990 in
which they looked at the outcome studies for people with
schizophrenia. And what the identified is that 42-43% of
people with schizophrenia have what they call a bad outcome.
That is they are constantly in need of intermittent
hospitalization and have very much social impairment. It says
they are unable to function very well independently or at a
very high level. These severely impaired people, especially
those with schizophrenia have a great deal of trouble living
independently even if that is the ideal goal of a lot of
health care providers and others but they suffer tremendously
when they are put into places by themselves and are socially
isolated. And for this reason I think that in this report that
although the severely mentally ill was identified under
homeless, I think it needs to be given broader attention. I
think that the severely mentally ill in Iowa City should be
given consideration for supportive, permanent group housing
and not just for those who are homeless. So that would be my
primary recommendation.
Kubby/ So you are saying that within the areas where we talked
about transitional supportive housing, that we should make
sure that we give special attention to people with severe
mental illness?
Friedrich/ Yes, especiallywhat I am really advocating is for those
who are the most ill I think need permanent group housing with
24 hour supervision and support to prevent them from becoming
homeless and top prevent them from roaming the streets and
being extremely ill without care. So I am really pin pointing
the groups settings.
Horow/ Rosemary, I would like to ask you in your-in view of the
literature, this obviously, this whole situation began back in
the 60's when we changed from the institutional support
system. I would really like to ask you whether or not the
literature is beginning to reflect rethinking of this?
Friedrich/ The overall trend has been from deinstitutionalization
to living independently and what has been forgotten really in
the last decade is the array of housing that is needed in
between. And a few people in the literature are beginning to
raise the question and use words as the forgotten population
and those are who are forgotten some are in the middle with
this ideal movement towards living independently. It is not
that there very heavily but it is beginning to show up.
Horow/ What does that say though in terms of a city or a county or
a state taking this on as obviously for funding but taking it
on' more for the structure and the support system that is
Thl. represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of ~e Iowa Ctty council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
$7 page 10
needed? This isn't Just something that a facility solves. It
is an array of support systems. Is any state, to your
knowledge, making more progress than others that our advisory
committees could look towards for guidance?
Friedrich/ Well, I just happen to have been named the co-chair of
the Housing and Long Term Network for the National Alliance
For the Mentally Ill and going to our national meeting in a
couple of weeks and one of our goals is to identify models of
care in this area. So what we are going to begin to do is look
at different states especially throughout the United States
and see where are the models of care that are beginning to
address this need.
Horow/ I would ask you to look very carefully at the make .up of the
funding whether this is intertwined with various levels of
government. Whether it is public private or however because
this issue is going to get more expensive. Anybody have any
other questions? Thank you.
Jim Swaim/ 1024 Woodlawn and I am also the Director of UAY. Pretty
soon we are going to get wise to how these P/Z meetings go and
we will come in for the public comment to share input. I
wanted to commend a group that developed the plan and it is
concise and very easy to read and I have to admit that
originally I had intended to come because I was concerned
about low priority for a couple of things-Crime Prevention and
the Youth Center. But in looking through the plan I can
empathize with the agony that they must have gone through and
I really can't argue with what they have established as
priorities even though it hurts a little bit that Youth Center
or some of the things that I would advocate are low. I want to
at least ask a couple of questions. one is that since this is
a five year plan that takes us to the year 2000, as conditions
change I understand that the action plan will be looked at
every year. But can priorities on this thing shift in coming
years and is there an input process every year that does that.
Then in general I would like to at least share a couple
comments about a Youth Center, just in terms of how it is
worded'in this plan and one is while UAY and Youth Homes both
have service centers in which young people and their families
are recipients of services and to some extent the Youth Center
here allows young people to come in and hang out and we have
a variety of activities, we have for several years talked with
the council about the need for perhaps a center that is run by
young people that is more of a social gathering place that
they could have. And I Just want to make sure that that is
included at some future point in the definitions of a youth
center'be because while we as adults define what we currently
do as a youth center, I am not sure that the young people
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F011795
#7 page
would define it that way. Secondly, in the discussion about,
I am on Page 17 at the top of the page, Part B., continued
support for before and after school facilities for youth with
developmental disabilities. I would also like to encourage you
to consider before and after school facilities for all young
people and include in that at some point partnerships with
the schools. Again that has been part of the human services
strategic plan that you all did and well as the strategic plan
of the school district. But at least not limited to youth with
developmental disabilities but before and after school
facilities for all young people. As it is right now, at the
Junior'highs, the students basically have to leave at the end
of the day. They are not able to stay at the school and so I
Just encourage that. On priorities related to Crime
Prevention. Obviously I spoke earlier. I would encourage you
to consider as part of Crime Prevention not just police
programs but in fact the kinds of things that we are doing
that involves MECCA, Neighborhood Centers, Youth Homes, the
Iowa City Schools and the police and several other groups in
a partnership including Big Brother/Big Sister. That we need
to think of Crime Prevention in those terms. And so I would
encourage you to take a look at at least including some
reference to that type of program in addition to the citation
of DARE.
services. A~sdI lastly I do appreciate the notion of youth
said on the onset, I was thinking gee, I think
of it as a high priority and in looking through and being able
to read a very easy to read document, I can't really disagree
with that as long as I know that if things change dramatically
we have an opportunity to amend that.
Horow/ Anyone else care to address council? Declare the p.h.
closed.
Karr/ Couid we have a motion to accept correspondence?
Horow/ Moved by Throg, seconded by Pigott to accept correspondence.
Any discussion. All those in favor signify by saying aye
(ayes).
This represents only a.reasona~ly accurate transcription of the Iowa City counc{I monting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 11
(4) Animal Control Advisory Board - One vacancy for a three-year term
ending April 5, 1998. (Janice Becker's term ends.)
(5)
Mayor's Youth Employment Board - Two vacancies for three-year
terms ending April 15, 1998. (Terms of Dave Jacoby and Loren
Forbes end.)
These appointments will be made at the February 14, 1995, meeting of
the City Council.
ITEM NO. 9 - CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.
Consider an appointment to the Airport Commission for a si?year term
ending March 1, 2.001. (John Ockenfels'term ends.) ~.~.~
Action:
ITEM NO. 10 - CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION.
Consider an appointment to the Broadband Telecommunications
Commission for a three-year term ending March 13, 1998. (Trey
Stevens' term ends.)
Action:
ITEM NO. 11 - REPORT ON ITEMS FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY.
a. City Manager.
~9 Rage 1
ITEM NO. 9 - CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.
a. Consider an aRpointment to the Airport Com~ission for a
six-year term ending March 1, 2001. (John Ockenfels,
term ends.)
b. Consider an appointment to the Broadband Telecommunic~-
ticns Commission for a three-year term ending March 13,
1998. (Trey Stevens' term ends.)
Horow/ Moved by Lehman, seconded by Baker, Any discussion.
Kubby/ Could you explain why we are-
Horow/ We went out for another vote on the Airport Commission. This
Commission has all men on it. There is nothing wrong with men
but we really would like to have a gender balance and-
Baker/ Damn generous of you Sue.
Throg/ We should discuss this.
Pigott/ Whether there is something wrong with men?
Horow/ We don't need to discuss this at 11:15.
Pigott/ Something is wrong with men, what is it?
Horow/ There is a motion on the floor. Is there any further
discussion of any importance? All those signify by saying aye
(ayes). Great.
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F011795
#10 page i
ITEM NO. 10 - CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION.
Horow/ City council information.
Kubhy/ We are going to talk about this in a minute but I wanted to
remind people that sewer and water rates went up January i but
you won't get a new bill with those new rates until March 1.
If you thi~k that is going to be a problem for you, feel free
to send some money in early. We will be happy to accept it and
credit your bill. That is all I have.
Nov/
I want to remind people that our local state legislators will
be in town at a public forum on January 28, 9:30 AM, at the
Iowa City Public Library. Come and express your concerns.
Pigott/ We received-I noticed, I might say, an editorial KXIC
editorial, that talked about refrigerator magnets which were
mailed out by the Utilities Department and the editorial
mentioned that with the current uproar over rate increases it
was interesting that the department had spent money to
purchasing and mailing these magnets to utility customers and
the information on these magnets is readily available and that
we don't really need to do this because the information is in
phone books and that this sort of thing is really wasteful and
I just wanted to say I think it is a really good thing. I
think that the purpose of it was to spread information out. I
want to applaud the city staff for making an effort in this
way because having information about this has been something
that people complain about not having and so getting it out
there, getting the word out there is important and I think
that any efforts the city staff makes towards doing that
should be applauded and not denigrated. I want to thank the
city staff for going ahead and doing this. And I object to the
editorial. That is it.
Baker/ Yes, two quick things. 1- I was watching C-SPAN last week
and- I either watch this or C-SPAN, that is all I do. And they
were doing the promo on the C-SPAN bus. They drove around the
country doing public service and educational things and the
promo said that the C-SPAN bus will visits your community in
conjunction with the support of your local cable company. I
was wondering if you could just find out what is their
process-
Arkins/ You want a C-SPAN bus?
Baker/ Only if you watch it you know.
Pigott/ 'It is true. It travels around the country.
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F011795
#10 page 2
Atkins/ I don't watch these either. You want me to check on the C-
SPAN bus and see what opportunities they have to- Dale knows
about it.
Kubby/ What is the process-
Atkins/ Dale will know more about it.
Pigott/ Great idea.
Baker/ For those who know what the C-SPAN bus is, it is a good
idea.
Arkins/ We will find out.
Baker/ If you could get them involved and get them over here it
would be a good idea. Second thing is really a question. A
formal q~estion for Jim or Bruno. Are you all still going to
those meetings with student government?
Throg/ I had one 2-3 nights ago.
Baker/ I should have called you earlier because I had this thought
about-
Where is your mic?
Baker/ I am talking right into it. I was told my voice tends to
overpower the mi¢. The question is and I wonder if you think
it was appropriate to bring up the possibility of asking
student government leaders to help us get involved in this
crossing guard shortage that we have got. Some sort of student
help. I is easy money and flexible schedules and $10 a time.
Pigott/ I think it is a great idea. We can ask.
Baker/ Got to find some dependable people but it is good work and
a good way to get involved in the community.
Pigott/ Interestingly enough-
Baker/ The next time you are there just bring it up. That is all I
have.
Pigott/ In student government, the people that we do meet with,
expressed an interest in getting involved in participating in
the community and checking into the various opportunities.
That sounds like one of them that would be a natural.
Kubby/ Right, they talked about their volunteers list.
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F011795
#10 page 3
Baker/ I think that is great PR for student senate working with
community schools.
Throg/ To elaborate on that point Just a little bit. We met with
John and Gretchen Lobman who are the president and vice
president of that student association. They both leave office
at the end of the semester and someone else will be elected
near the end of the semester. So what they want to do and we
are totally supportive of is meeting with the new president
and vice.president but also having the new president and vice
president coming here and being introduce to the council so we
know collectively who they are.
Horow/ Mr. Arkins, had
I a q~/estion about the progress on the
safety issues surrounding the Burlington Street dam. I know
that you had a memo in here about that. Can you sort of update
us on where we are on that?
Atkins/ The first step was to convene the interested parties. Where
we don't own the bridge and to the best of knowledge. its
respon~ibility is IDOT. But Chuck Schmadeke, Director of
Public Works, convened the meeting which I know involved IDOT,
University, Johnson County, and representatives for your city.
And Just really in general kind of talked about part of the
safety features we could add to that bridge that might promote
some additional public safety and the one was a change in the
railing. That was intended for young people. The other was the
chain that they might consider putting underneath the bridge
with some sort of alarm system and those things are still in
some sort of a rough form. I mean they are talking about a
$200,000 exDenditure and who is going to share in those
expenses and whether they are even productive and whether they
are going to do us any good. I just don't have the answer to
that. I do know that Chuck has scheduled another meeting for
the end of the month. Hopefully we will know something.
Nov/
I have a question on the railing? Is it possible just to add
verticals or do you have to take out this railing and put in
a different one?
Atkins/ I just ~on't know, Naomi.
Kubby/ I recall Caroline Dierterle, after the latest incident at
the dam, saying she had some information about what other
communities or this one system-
Atkins/ That has already been sent off to Riverfront and Natural
Areas was going to look at it and I know that Chuck has a copy
of it also.
This represents only a reasonably accurate tmnscxiptlon of Ute Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
#10 page 4
Horow/ That was in their minutes.
Baker/ Have you contacted Caroline again?
Atkins/ I have not. I have asked Charlie Denney who had made the
original- I will check on that for you.
Horow/ The only other item I have was this afternoon it was my
pleasure to represent you at Regina's- sixth grade at Regina,
at their DARE graduation ceremony. This is the 5th year
anniversary of the DAREprogram and Regina was the first site
in the schools. So we had a very nice graduation ceremony. I
gave them all good comments.
Baker/ Did you see any fourth or second graders?
Horow/ No. I looked.
Kubby/ Just in general.
Horow/ No.
This represents only a raason~ly accurate t~ans~ptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of Janum¥ 17, 1995.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 12
b. City Attorney.
ITEM NO~ 12 -
ITEM NO. 13 -
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE POSITIONS IN THE WATER AND
TREASURY DIVISIONS.
Comment: The City Council has approved monthly billing for municipal
utilities. To accomplish this, the Public Works Department requests the
addition of 1.5 permanent full-time permanent positions as meter readers.
This addition along with the existing 0.5 permanent part-time position of
meter reader will result in two permanent full-time positions and will enable
monthly mater reading to proceed. The Finance Department also requests
the addition of a permanent full-time account clerk to process the monthly
billings. This item was deferred from the January 3, 199~, Council meeting.
Action=
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY STAFFTO NEGOTIATE AND
THE MAYOR TO SIGN BOTH PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY CONSTRUC-
TION EASEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FAIRVIEW AVENUE - HIGH
STREET STORM SEWER PROJECT.
Comment: The City of Iowa City must acquire both permanent and
temporary construction easements to facilitate the Fairview Ave. - High
Street Storm Sewer Project. This resolution authorizes City staff to negotiate
and the Mayor to sign these documents, including authorization of condemna-
tion if necessary. Every effort will be made ~o negotiate acceptable
agreements without resorting to condemnation. Prior to proceeding with
condemnation, staff will notify Council.
Action:
#11b page i
ITB~ NO. 11 - REPORT ON
ATTORNEY
b. City Attorney.
ITEI~ FROM THE CITY ~NAGER /~ CITY
Horow/ City Attorney.
Woito/ I agree with Bruno, I was glad to ~/~row away my Grinnell
College magnets on my refrigerator and have something new to
look at. I like the new utility magnets. Money well spent.
Horow/ Anything else.
Woito/ No.
This represents on~ = r~ason~b~ accurate ~anscrlp~on of thelowa Clty coun~lmee~ng of Jmtumy17,1995.
F011795
#12 page i
XTEMN0. X2 - CONSZDER ~ RES0~UTXON~ENDIN~ THE POSITZON~ ZN TNB
WATER ANDTRFu%SURY DZVZ~ZONB.
Horow/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Nov. Discussion.
Kubby/ If we want to go with monthly billing regardless of whether
the meter is actually read or not, we still need an account
clerk, correct?
Atkins/ We believe so.
Kubby/ So, are people in agreement that we want to do monthly
billing or is that something people are questioning at this
point.
Pigott/ I would be interested in the monthly billing.
Horow/ I would be.
Lehman/ So would I.
Nov/
I am still thinking on it. We may be able to offer some kind
of compromise. We may be able to offer an option or else let's
say ahyone who uses more'than X cubic feet or X thousand cubic
feet or however you want to word it will be billed monthly. It
won't be an option for those people. But it will be an option
for people who are lower users. And maybe we should do a
survey. Maybe we could put in a question along with the bill
and find out if there are people who want the option.
Kubby/ If there are at least for people who want monthly billing
and what we are really talking about is do we want or not want
an equivalent of a half time more person to do meter reading
and other educational programs and leak detection.
Horow/ I would like to find out whether there are four people who
want monthly billing?
Baker/ I was going to say, yeah, we Just got this note from Ed
Barker tonight about billing on a three month basis with a
coupon system and I was Just wanted to know if there is any-
Atkins/ And I disagree very much with it.
Pigott/ I don't know anything about it and I would like to hear
more about that.
Baker/ On the surface it seems interesting.
Pigott/ Sounds like an interesting idea-
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F011795
#12 page 2
Atkins/ Please keep in mind that I think it is just far too risky
for our customer. We are in the customer service business when
it comes to provision of water utility. And I think if you are
talking about reading a meter every three months I think it is
just entirely too risky.
Pigott/ What if.we did every two months?
Arkins/ We do that now. Stay the way we are.
Horow/ We have had our staff talk to the business about the concern
for leak, the concern for assisting the consumer through this
process. I tend to think that is a very valid point. I
appreciate input on this but I guess I don't-I have more
concern that we need people being monitored.
Baker/ I have no problem with the idea of us at least maintain our
present repeating schedule. But I was thinking more in terms
of the billing proposal. The bill going out. One bill going
out every three months with a coupon system and saving some
mailing and postage. If that was a feasible alternative as
billing goes.
Arkins/ Any alternative can be made feasible. I think over time,
Larry, I think a lot of folks grow accustom-they pay their
bills 'when they receive it and I try, in my own billing
habits, is that when I get the bill I pay it. Do I get it and
pay half of it and keep it a month and then pay another month.
I really think the notice process is pretty important to
successful billing.
Kubby/ We have such a transient community that that creates
difficulty even more so with billing with someone moving into
a new community i the middle of that bill.
Throg/ Is it possible to have an automatic payment?
Arkins/ We have SURE PAY now.
Nov/
Yeah, we do have an automatic payment. We could do a budget
system which'we discussed yesterday. Prorate over a period of
a year and that would save some reading time.
Pigoft/ What I like about the additional meter readers is the
efficiencies that it cause people and that is a very
attractive proposition to have a couple of people.
Kubby/ The thing about Ed's suggestion that was interesting is is
you can s~ill provide that kind of service and not need the
reader read the meter every month to get together 'some
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F011795
#12 page 3
information about how people can detect leaks on their own and
some of that.
Arkins/ We have many brochures and information that we put out
right now. We have got loads of those things. That is not a
new-
Horow/ My point on this although I appreciate where you are getting
or going to is I think that that is assuming that a majority
of people are going to take a responsibility for monitoring
their own problems and getting them fixed and we have had
quite an awful lot of people testifying that certainly in the
large apartments that they find that they aren't monitoring
them. This concerns me.
Nov/
We are all concerned about this. That is why I am saying we
should do monthly billing for large users such as the large
apartment building or we could say any multi unit dwelling
above X. I have Just q~/estion whether or not we need to do
this for everybody.
Atkins/ The large commercial and industrial-I know that we do some
monthly billing now. I don't know how extensive it is. I
suspect it probably is-
Don Yucuis/ It is suppose to be mainly the large users. It is over
300 accounts. The other night I said 200 and Diana said now it
is 300.
Nov/ Does it include large apartment buildings? Is it really just
industrial.
Dianna Donahue/ There may be a few accounts that are large
apartment complexes but there isn,t any reason why some of
those couldn't be changed to a monthly system. It is based
strictly on an account number right now.
Nov/ What is your cut off point-at what number of cubic feet do you
start billing monthly?
Donahue/ We don't. It is Just based basically on large commercial
and industrial users are always billed monthly. And if there
is an apartment complex and owner/manager that is requesting
they contact the Water Department, it is discussed and their
account number is changed to get it to a monthly system.
Throg/ I guess I would like to ask a question and it may have
already been answered somewhere in the material that we have
received. It has to do with comparing the costs of the risk of
a leak against the cost of hiring additional staff. In other
Thls represents only. reason,bly occurate tmnscrlpiJon of the iowa City council meetlng of January 17, 1996.
F011795
#12 page 4
words, if you multiply the risk of a leak times the cost of an
average leak, what is that worth. And compare that to a-it is
not hard to do.
Arkins/ Jim, you have got to remember, the cost of the leak is born
by an individual and that is ouch. The cost of the meter
reading is born bythe whole system and it is spread- My only
point is what we want to do is if someone has got a leak, we
want to get to them as quickly as we possibly can because I
mean that is just throwing money out the window and then-
Throg/ If the customer knows that the probability of a leak is .01
and the leak is going to cost $100 in a two month billing
period or whatever if it occurs, that turns out to be $10 or
$1.
Arkins/ Jim, i can only tell you-
Throg/ On average for any customer it is $1. SO you compare that $1
against the cost of hiring additional staff.
Atkins/ I suspect we could calculate that for you but I can just
tell you from experience the person that gets the bill, they
don't care about probability. They care about their water bill
is going to go through the roof and why I am pointing that
out-I mean, I feel strongly this is where we are clearly in
the customer service business in trying to serve those
customers effectively as we can and I think the monthly
reading does that. Personally I just ass%une have you direct us
to look at the larger accounts and leave the system the way it
is. I mean it has run fairly effectively right now and we can
at least every other month get to the folks that might have a
leak.
Kubby/ The advantage of that extra half time person is not just
leak detection and it is other customer service .like
consultation and education that, for me, is real important.
Arkins/ I want to be as helpful as possible because the rates are
going to be so dramatic.
Baker/ Steve, forgive me if you talked about this last night and I
zoned out and missed it in this discussion because I thinkwe
did it late last night. Do you have any sense-does the staff
have any sense of how much will you detect leaks? Have you
been able to determine how much leakage city wide has occurred
in a year or so, how many gallons have been lost?
Atkins/ We know that about 15% of the water that is pumped is
unbilled. 15% that we pump goes unbilled. We bill 85%. So the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of J~nuary 17, 1995.
F011795
#12 page 5
rest of the folks makeup the difference. I think Ed pointed
out that sanitary sewer issue. That is everywhere.
Baker/ I am trying to get a sense of this additional staff and the
monthly reading would, you could anticipate, saving the
consumers of Iowa City X amount of gallons.
Arkins/ I can go back and try to figure something for you.
Personally I envision the monthly reading as clearly the
customer service.
Baker/ And I don't want you to go back and do a lot of research
because I think the issue is simpler than that.
Arkins/ Theories of the probability of the thing, I don't know
enough about that to give you-
Horow/ Okay, there is a motion on the floor.
Nov/ One more question. What about doing a survey of our water
customers to find out if there are people who really think the
monthly billing is important to them?
Atkins/ If you are saying go to every 50th customer and send them
a survey letter and ask them to respond or something. Sure,
that is pretty easy. We can do that for you.
Baker/ I thought the primary attraction was the cash flow.
Atkins/ The'cash flow is better for the system but the attraction
to me is the customer service because the water and sewer
rates are going to be a bigger ticket item over the long pull
and I want to give the customer as much attention as we can
humanly possibly do and that means I am going to go out and I
am going to read those meters to make sure they are not
leaking.
Pigott/ Steve, tell me about-some people might say geez, you a~e
going to hire all these staff members and then you are going
to try to do a budget and hire a bunch of other police
officers and other things and you are not going to do that.
How can you afford to hire all of these people? Where is the
money coming from? Explain it to me.
Atkins/ The simplest terms is that
CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-13 SIDE 2
Atkins/ Police officers, Fire, P/R, Library are paid for by your
GeneralFund which is substantially supported by property tax.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transc,'fptlon of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1995.
F011795
~12 page 6
Water Utility is paid by your Water Utility. The cost of your
refuse pick up is paid for by the fees that you pay. Those are
self supporting funds. They do not affect the General Fund.
And, in fact, you can hire people, if that is the issue,
within Water, Sewer, and Refuse and Landfill and have no
bearing whatsoever upon the General Fund.
Kubby/ So, this equates to the amount of money we were talking
about in the first year equates to .85%?
Arkins/ It is less than 1%.
Kubby/ Of the revenue generated.
Lehman/ I don't think there is any question that we really need to
go to monthly billing. Whether that is the monthly reading or
a bi monthly reading and split in half, I thinkwe really have
to go to monthly billing particularly in view of the number of
rental units that we have. I thinkwe really need to authorize
if nothing more the personnel to accomplish this in Accounting
and if we care to look further and read meters above a certain
cubic foot usage monthly, and the others bi monthly, so be it.
But if we all agree or most of us agree that we have to bill
monthly, let's at least authorize the personnel to accommodate
that.
Nov/
And I go the other direction. I think it is more important to
have a permanent full time person in the Water Department
rather than the two part time temporarywhich is really a lack
of efficiency.
Horow/ Between the two of you, maybe we could come to a compromise
on this. There is a motion on the floor.
Baker/ Are they disagreeing?
Horow/ They are agreeing on different things.
Horow/ Let's see whether we can vote this up or down in which we
have a combination of both people. There is a motion on the
floor. We have had discussion. Roll call- Passes 5-2, Nov and
Throg voting no.
Nov/ Now that we have done that can we still explore the idea of
the survey?
Arkins/ These are all really on board. I thinkwe will be surveying
our customers probably on a number of issues. It can't hurt.
Kubby/ Why are we doing this?
This represents only a reasonably occurate t~enscrlption of the Iowa City cc, uncii toeing of Januar/17, 1999.
F011795
#12 page 7
Lehman/ We have authorized the hiring of 1.5 people. What is the
purpose of. the survey now?
Kubby/ That is my question.
Horow/ I guess you want the monthly billing to be larger.
Nov/ I really think it ought to apply to larger users.
Kubby/ And we may not need to account clerk that we just
authorized?
Nov/ If the smaller users say they really want monthly billing, I
think let's expand it. Let's do it. But I have some
reservations that those kinds of people don't want it so I am
asking for a survey.
Kubby/ Also the smaller users who may have a difficult time with
the proportion of the bill increase.
Horow/ Let's take a vote on this. Now four of us want a survey to
go out to find out about the number of people who want who
want a monthly billing.
Throg/ I see no reason for it now.
Horow/ I don't either. Okay. We are moving on-
This represents only o reasonably occurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 17, 1996.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 13
ITEM NO. 14-
ITEM NO. 15 -
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE
CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA
CiTY AND THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR A
FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION
PROGRAM PROJECT BRM-3715(5)-SN-52 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OR
REHABILITATION OF THE BROOKSIDE DRIVE BRIDGE WHICH SPANS THE
SOUTH BRANCH OF RALSTON CREEK.
Comment: This agreement will provide Federal-Aid Highway Bridge
Replacement and Rehabilitation Program funding in the amount of 80% of
construction costs or $850,000, whichever is less. Standard provisions for
Federal-Aid projects will apply to this project.
CONSIDER RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHOI~IZING THE
MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST CONTRACT FOR THE
IOWA RIVER FLOOD REPAIRS PROJECT.
Comment: The bid opening for this project was held January 11, 1995 and
the following bids were received:
Barker's, Inc.
Iowa City, Iowa $420,150.50
Midwest Excavating, Inc.
Coralville, Iowa $426,518.95
Peterson Contractors, Inc.
Reinbeck, Iowa 9439, 764.25
Tschiggfrie Excavating Co.
Dubuque, Iowa ~453,325.05
Cole Construction Co., Inc.
Keosaqua, Iowa 9459,427.86
James J. Manno Construction Co.
Ridgeway, Pennsylvania 9511,901.75
Taylor Construction, Inc.
New Vienna, Iowa $574,967.00
Wolf Construction, Inc.
Iowa City, Iowa 9579,786.00
Engineer's Estimate 9524,112.00
Public Works and Engineering recommend awarding this contract to Barker's,
Inc. of Iowa City, Iowa. Funding for this project will be provided as follows:
Soil Conservation Service - ~329,749.00; Federal Emergency Management
Agency - $46,947.00; City of Iowa City (General Fund) - 943,454.50.
Action: ~ ~.~d
#15 page
ITE~ NO. 15 -
CONSIDER R~80LUTION AW'ARDING CONTR~CT~q.NDAUTHORIZ-
XNQTHEI~¥OR TO ~IQN~ND T~ECIT¥ CLERK TO ATTEST
COlORACT FOR THE IOWA RIVER FLOOD REPAIRS PROJECT,
Horow/ (Reads agenda item)
Atkins/ Madam Mayor, may I offer before you read on. In the last
day or so I have done some checking further with FEMAand SCS
and found that some of their engineering estimates are less
than what we expected thereby increasing the city's share. I
would like to postpone this and maybe bring it back to you for
a quick one on the 23rd. They are estimating their type of
project was a dump truck with rocks dumped along the river
bank. As you remember our design was dramatically-we were not
on the same planet when it came to that.
Kubby/ We had meetings with them and talked to them about this.
Atkins/ I understand that.
Kubby/ And I have talked to those guys, too, myself. And they knew
what we were doing.
Arkins/ They want us to spend a lot more of our money than I would
like. I am still saying the project is worthwhile but I think
we need to know exactly what everybody is getting into. So,
may I have a deferral on this please and I will bring it back
to you.
Horow/ This is a deferral for two weeks.
Atkins/ Just if you would say deferral. I am sure it will be back
in two weeks, if we are up against it on the contract I can
plead with Marian for a special meeting on the 23rd.
Horow/ There is a motion by Throg, seconded by Kubby to defer this
until illdefinite. Any discussion. All those in favor signify
by saying aye (ayes).
This represent8 onW .m,on~ly accurate ~m$~p~on of thelowa Clty coun~lmee~ng of Janus'y17, 1995.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 14
ITEM NO. 16-
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION CERTIFYING UNPAID WATER, SLAVER, SOLID
WASTE AND RECYCLING CHARGES TO THE COUNTY FOR COLLECTION IN
THE SAME MANNER AS A PROPERTY TAX.
ITEM NO. 17-
Comment: This resolution authorizes the filing of a lien against properties for
delinquent water, sewer, solid waste and/or recycling services. On January
3, 1995, certified letters were mailed to each property owner listed in Exhibit
A notifying them of the date for the Council's consideration of the resolution.
After the resolution is moved for adoption, property owners should be
permitted to be heard concerning the unpaid charges.
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DECLARING AN OFFICIAL INTENT UNDER
TREASURY REGULATION 1.150-2 TO ISSUE DEBT TO REIMBURSE THE
CITY FOR CERTAIN ORIGINAL EXPENDITURES PAID IN CONNECTION WITH
SPECIFIED PROJECTS.
ITEM NO. 18 -
Comment: This Resolution declares official intent under Treasury Regulation
1.150-2 that the City of Iowa City will issue debt to reimburse itself for
expenditures paid out for construction related to connecting the North and
South Wastewater Plants and the South Site Soccer Fields. The total
estimated cost of connecting the two plants is $26,000,000, and $340,000
for the South Site Soccer Fields. The City reasonably expects to reimburse
itself no later than eighteen months after the actual expenses are made. The
following funds will advance $500,000 and will be reimbursed at the time
bonds are sold: Wastewater Operating Fund - $250,000 and Landfill
Replacement Reserve - $250,000.
Action:
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TITLE 14, CHAPTER 9,
ARTICLE A, ENTITLED "PARKING FACILITY IMPACT FEE" TO CORRECT THE
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NEAR SOUTHSIDE PARKING FACILITY
DISTRICT. (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Comment: The ordinance amending the Parking Facility Impact Fee
Ordinance to include commercial development contained a scrivener's error
in the legal description. This ordinance corrects that error.
Action:
#16 page 1
ITEM NO. 16 -
CONSIDER ~ RESOLUTION CERTIFYING UNPAID WATER,
S~W~P,~ SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING CHARGES TO THE
COUNTY FOR COLLECTION IN THE SAME MANNER /%S A
PROPERTY TA~.
Horow/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Nov. A~y discussion.
Kubby/ Yeah, I have some discussion. One of the people who use to
be on the list, who is not any more because they paid up
brought up something that I just want to make sure council, we
want to do it this way. And if I say anything wrong, interrupt
me. It was explained in the memo about the law change in July
and what happened before is that if there was a separately
metered-If a tenant of a property was separately metered the
account was in their name and the owner of the property has a
forwarding address they weren't responsible. We just ate it.
Now what happens is that even if they have a forwarding
address that they are responsible for it except the water bill
and the tax. Is that correct. And that is not dictated by
state law. That is permissible by state law. And so-
Woito/ It is not prohibited.
Kubby/ It is a may, not a shall. We don't have to do it this way
but it allows us to do it this way. I just want to make sure
we make a conscious decision when we do it the new way or not.
Horow/ That is very interesting. I had a different understanding of
that° This came up for the LGERC a number of months ago. The
Local Government Environmental Resource Council. This is
permissible-
Woito/ We use to follow it more Onerously. Now, administratively I
think it has been more of a hassle than it is worth, right.
Kubby/ Which way,the new way or the old way?
Woito/ The old way was more of a hassle in terms of recovering
money.
Kubby/ I guess why I am bringing this up is an issue of fairness.
Woito/ You can do it either way.
Kubby/ If the tenant has the bill in their name and they don't pay
it, the service was rendered, they are already paying a $25
greater deposit than the owner if they were an owner. So they
are already assumed to act differently. But now the owner is
being responsible that once the $100 deposit is eaten up for
Thlsrepre$on~ on~ araasonab~ accurate ~ans=Ipaon ~elowa City council mee~ng of Januar/17,1995.
F011796
#16 page 2
the- Why is the owner responsible when they didn't use the
service?
Horow/ Why should the rest of the city residence be responsible for
shoulder%ng that?
Pigott/ Spreads the burden.
Nov/ You are saying it is more than the deposit?
Kuhby/ If it is more than the deposit.
Pigott/ You shouldn,t put the burden on collecting for the city to
the owner of the property.
Kubby/ And neither groups of people, the owner or the collective us
use the service. I am not sure I feel strongly one way or the
other. I Just thought because this is brought to my attention
I should have an obligation to make sure we are
conscientiously doing what we are going to do.
Nov/ Monthly billings will take care of that now.
Kubby/ There was another portion to it, the owner is not
automatically sent a late notice unless they request it if
their tenants are not paying or clarify that.
Dianne Donehue/ It is stipulated in the State Code and from Senate
File 216 that says the owners must request notices in writing
but Linda has advised that we will send a notice if there is
a delinquency on the account.
Woito/ We will send notices.
Kuhby/ And we go through that process before we get to this
process.
Woito/ In all fairness you are right. If we are going to ding them
for the lien, we have to give them notice.
Lehman/ How much notice? How delinquent is the account before the
owner is notified?
Donohue/ S0 days after the bill has been- S0 days, we send a notice
to the tenant with a copy of that notice going to the owner of
the property.
Pigott/ That is quick.
Nov/ Good enough.
Thlsrepr.en~ on~ areasonabiy accur~e ~ans~lpfionof ~elowa Clty cou.~l mea~.gofJanuary17,1995.
F011795
#16 page 3
Donahue/ Then we do our lien process which is an annual process.
Woito/ So some of them have another 11 months.
Kubby/ The thing that this does is the way a property owner
protects themselves is to have the hill come to them and have
their rent include the bill but then the tenant doesn't see
the bill and they are not motivated to conserve water which is
something we have talked about wanting to promote. So there is
some cross-
Pigott/ Competing values here.
Woito/ But as the landlord gets a notice that there is a
delinquency, it certainly puts them on inquiry notice to check
up on whether the tenant in fact pays knowing full well that
the are going to have to pay it.
Kubby/ Can the owner then deduct that from the rental property
damage deposit?
Woito/ No.
Kubby/ No because it is in the tenants name.
Woito/ They could not do that.
Kubby/ I feel a little uncomfortable with this. I don't feel
strongly uncomfortable.
Horow/ Any other discussion. Roll call- (Yes).
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F011796
#17 page I
ITEM NO. 17 -
CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DEC~..%RING ~ OFFICIAL INTENT
UL'DF, R TRE~URY REGULATION 1o150-2 TO ISSUE DEBT TO
REIMBURHE THE CITY FOR CERTAIN ORIGINAL EXPENDI-
TURES PI%ID IN CON. eTlON WITH BPECIFIED PROJECTS.
Horow/ Moved by Nov, seconded by Baker. Discussion.
Throg/ So the reimbursement total is $500,000. I mean there other
figures involved here?
¥ucuis/ Correct.
Throg/ There is only one other question I have and that is the cost
of connecting the two plants is listed as $26 million. It was
$19 million last I knew. So what is being included in that
figure that wasn't? I am sure there is other stuff.
Don Yucuis/ I don't have the detail in front of me, Jim. I have-
Arkins/ If you would like, I can get you a memo outlining that.
Throg/ That would be fine. I am sure it is stuff that we have seen
before.
Kubby/ It does not in any way, by mentioning the costs, say that we
are going to do them via bonding. It doesn't commit us to-
Atkins/ This protects your interests if you choose. You may never
exercise this.
Throg/ This resolution does not commit us to a particular schedule
or a particular financing mechanism for the total sewage
stuff. It Just-
Arkins/ No, the eighteen months. I think that is an obligation we
have.
Yucuis/ Just for the $500,000. No, it does not obligate you to the
big projects.
Horow/ An~ other discussion. Roll call- (Yes). resolution has been
adopted.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of JanumT 17, 1995.
F011795
#18 page I
ITEM NO. 10 -
CONOlDER /%N ORDINANCB AMENDING THE TITLE 14, ~--aAP-
TER 9~ ARTICLE A~ ENTITLED "PARKING FACILITY IMPACT
FEB" TO COP. RECT THE ~E~%L DESCRIPTION OF THE NEAR
SOUTHBIDE P~/~KING FACILITY DISTRICT. (FIRST CONBID-
~TION)
H°r°w/(Reads agenda)
Pigott/ Scrivener's error.
NOV/ It iS, twice in one year? Amazing.
Horow/ I don't have any problem with scrivener.
Kubby/ No, your scrivener is fine. It is the scrivener we are
having trouble with.
Nov/ We have a careless scrivener as a city employee?
Horow/ This ordinance corrects that error.
Moved By Kubby, seconded by Nov. No further discussion.
Kubby/ Is there a way, I assume that there is some-you do it once
then you go back over it again to make sure? Is there
something else we need to do to-?
Woito/ When they come downto my office whatever the department who
is doing it, I always ask have you read it aloud with someone
els~. We don't repeat that process.
Kubby/ Is this a city employee? Not necessarily one person but-
Atkins/ There is a number of employees that would be involved in
something like this.
Kubby/ It is usually through Planning, the planning process.
Woito/ Or Engineering.
Lehman/ Just che6k in the Scrivener's Office, okay.
Horow/ Roll call-Passes with Lehman voting no.
Thls represents only · reasona~y oesumte transcdptlon of 1he Iowa City council meetlng of January 17, 1995.
F011795
Agenda
Iowa City City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 17, 1995
Page 15
ITEM NO. 19 -
95-
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE IOWA CITY BUILDING AND
PLUMBING CODES TO INCREASE THE OCCUPANT LOAD AT WHICH
SEPARATE RESTROOM FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH SEX FROM
FOUR (4) TO FIFTEEN (15). (PASS AND ADOPT)
Comment: At its September 12, 1994, meeting, the Board of Appeals
recommended that the City Council adopt these amendments to provide some
relief to small businesses struggling to comply with handicap accessibility
requirements. ADA does allow the use of unisex restrooms and does not set
a threshold for separate facilities. Current City Code requires separate
facilities for employees when the number of employees exceeds four and
separate facilities for all eating or drinking establishments. The occupant
level of 15 was derived from a model plumbing code, not adopted by Iowa
City: which is used in the northeastern states.
ITEM NO. 20 - ADJOURNMENT.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
OATE
TO:
FROM
RE:
January 13, 1995
City Council
City Manager
Nork Session Agenda and Meeting Schedule
January 16, 1995
I~RRTIN LIJll(ER
6:30 P.M.
6:30 P.M.
7:30 P.M.
7:45 P.M.
8:00 P.M.
8:30 P.M.
8:50 P.M.
9:05 P.M.
9:20 P.M.
January 17, 1995
7:30 P.M. -
January 23, 1995
6:00 'P.M. -
January24, 1995
4:30 P.M.
January 30, 1995
6:30 P.M.
6:45 P.M.
January31, 1995
7:30 P.M.
February 7, 1995
6:00 P.M.
Monday
KING, JR., HOLIDAY - CITY OFFICES CLOSED
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
TIMES APPROXI.~tRTE
Review zoning matters
New South Side Design Plan
City Steps
Parking Rate Increases
Water/Sewer/Refuse Monthly Billing
Adult Day Care
Council agenda, Council time, Council committee reports
Consider appointments to the Airport Commission and the
Broadband Telecommunications Commission
Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
Discuss FY96-98 Financial Plan
Tuesday
Monday
Tuesday
City Council Meeting with Johnson County Board of Supervisors
Separate agenda posted
City Conference Board Meeting - Council Chambers
Separate agenda posted
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers
City Council Work Session - Council Chambers
Discuss FY 96-98 Financial Plan
Monday
Tuesday
Tuesday