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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-02-28 AgendaIOWA CiTY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REGULAR COUNCIL [V1EETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 1995 7:30 P.IV1. COUNCIL CHAIVIBERS, CIVIC CENTER 410 EAST WASHINGTON AGENDA IOWA CITY CITY COUNCIL REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING- FEBRUARY 28, 1995 7:30 P,IV{. COUNCIL CHAMBERS ITEIV{ NO. 1 - ITEIV] NO. 2 - ITENI NO. 3 - ITEM NO. 4- CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. Presentation of citizenship awards Elementary School: ITEM NO, 5 - to students of Horace Mann (1) Damian Lawrence (2) Rachel Goss (3) Erin Ponto (4) Arna Wilkinson STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS. IV]AYOR'S PROCLAIV]ATIONS, a. Fine Art and Fun Days- March 3-12, 1995. b, Children and Hospitals Week - March 19-25, 1995. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR AIVIENDED, Approval of Official Actions of the regular meeting of February 14, 1995, and the special meeting of February 21, 1995, as published, subject to corrections, as recommended by the City Clerk. b, Minutes of Boards and Commissions. (1) Housing Commission meeting of November 8, 1994. (2) Airport Commission meeting of January 10, 1995. (3) Broadband Telecommunications Commission meeting of January 30, 1995. (4) Board of Adjustment meeting of February 8, 1995. (5) Planning and Zoning Commission meeting of February 16, 1995. (6) Board of Appeals meeting of December 5, 1994. (7) Animal Control Advisory Board meeting of November 16, 1994. (8) Animal Control Advisory Board meeting of January 18, 1995. Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 2 c. Permit Motions as Recommended by the City Clerk. (1) Consider a motion approving a Class "B" Beer Permit for Benjamin Barrientes dba La Perlita Mexican Cafe, 327 E, Market St. (Renewal) (2) Consider a motion approving a Class "C" Beer Permit for Dell Mart Corporation, dba Dell Mart //2, 1920 Lower Muscatine Rd. (Renewal) (3) Consider a motion approving a refund of an unused portion of a Class "E" Beer Permit for American Drug Stores, Inc., dba Osco Drug Store//448, 201 S. Clinton St. (Renewal) d. Setting Public Hearings. (1) CONSIDER A IV10TION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MARCH 7, 1995, ON AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING REGULATIONS FOR SIDEWALK CAFES, Comment: See staff memo included in Council packet. (2) CONSIDER SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MARCH 7, 1995, ON AN ORDINANCE AI~IENDING TITLE 1, CHAPTER 9, SECTION 3, "ELECTION PRECINCTS" OF THE CITY CODE, TO AMEND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE VOTING PRECINCTS IN IOWA CITY TO INCLUDE PROPERTIES ANNEXED AND TO EXCLUDE PROPERTIES SEVERED SINCE 1993, Comment: The City of Iowa City has annexed five areas and severed one area since the voting precinct boundaries were amended in 1993. The proposed amendment would add the annexed areas to adjacent precincts and subtract the severed area from an existing precinct. Motions. (1) CONSIDER A IV]OTION TO APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS IN THE ANlOUNT OF $9,234,291,55 FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY 1 THROUGH JANUARY 31, 1995, AS RECOIVIMENDED BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR SUBJECT TO AUDIT, Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 3 f. Resolutions. (1) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A PARTIAL RELEASE AGREE- MENT CONCERNING THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT EASEIVIENT AGREEM,ENT FOR WILLOW CREEK SUBDIVISION, IOWA CITY, IOWA. Comment: The Subdivideds Agreement and Stormwater Manage- ment Easement Agreement for Willow Creek Subdivision obligate the Developer to construct a stormwater management facility. This obligation constitutes a lien and a cloud on the title to the lots in the Subdivision, The Developer has substantially completed the stormwater facility but a general release of the facilities is not yet appropriate. This Partial Release Agreement removes the cloud on the title to the lots in the subdivision while protecting the City by establishing an escrow fund which will be retained until the facility and further development which may impact the same are complet- ed. Correspondence Letter from Jeff McCullougit, member of the Charter Review Commission, submitting supplemental information. (2) Letter from Sally Crowe regarding proposed projects. (3) Letter regarding Lake Calvin from: (a) Stephen Bright (b) Carol Ann Marlow (4) Letter from Dan Berry and Gerry Ambrose regarding lighting, street and sidewalk in the 100 block of Iowa Avenue. (5) Memorandum from the Senior Center Commission regarding funding for additional staff. ITEiVI NO. (6) Letter from Ed Barker regarding water/wastewater issues. 6 - PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA). #5 Consent Calendar page ITEM NO. 5 - CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED. Horow/ Moved by Pigott, seconded by Nov. Any discussion. Nov/ I would like us to make clear that Iowa City has allowed sidewalk cafes for a number of years. We are now talking about new regulations, not about an innovative system. Horow/ Okay, any other discussion. Adoption as amended. This represents only 8 reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995, F022895 #6 page 1 ITEM NOo 6 - PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA). Horow/ These are for items not on the agenda. If you wish to address council about an item not on the agenda, we ask you to sign in, state your name, keep your comments to five minutes. Chris Randall/ And I just wanted to come here tonight and tell you all about it. I am a local producer for PATV and it is really an exciting thing for me to be able to do. You can see it on what is known as PATV, cable channel 2 and I want to just let you know why I am a strong supporter of PATV. First of all it gives me the chance and also other citizens a chance to produce and broadcast our own shows. So it is really a big thing. I happen to have a weekly show on local news and events and it shows once a week and if it weren't for PATV I wouldn't have this opportunity and neither would others in our community have the opportunity. The staff are great. They taught me everything I know about how to use a camcorder, how to set up microphones, lighting, you name it. So, the use of technology and equipment is a big part of what happens at PATV as far as educational opportunities. They assist us when needed and they are always there to help. They are always courteous and have a high level of expertise. The point I want to make tonight is that I understand the city and TCI have not come to franchise agreement as of yet. And this puts PATV into a big problem. They can't have a contract until you, the city, has an agreement with TCI. So, they have not had a contract for almost a year now. They have been getting a monthly check from TCI but there is always the possibility that these checks could stop because there is no contract. so, it could happen abruptly that there would be an end to funding for PATV. There is a big concern on the part of people such as myself who use their services. There is a concern on the part of the board of PATV. There is a concern on the part of staff of PATV about their future. About their future being as we now know it. So I am just here to encourage you to continue your support for PATV and to urge you to do everything you can to get TCI to come to an agreement with the city on the franchise and get a contract going with PATV. Thank you. Pigott/ Dale, is there a something as far as a little update, a short update you could perhaps give Chris to take back to-? Helling/ A short update. We hope we are getting closer to finalizing the agreement. There is an extension of the agreement that exists in the three party agreement between PATV and TCI and the city. In fact, I have in draft form now Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetrensc~iptima eflhelowaCit~council ~eefing of Febma~ 28,1995, F022895 #6 page 2 a letter to go to TCI indicating what their annual payment will be with the escalator for the next funding year which begins in April and as long as we are in the processing of negotiating we have agreed-TCI has agreed to maintain the funding for PATV at that level including the escalator that would apply. But you are right, until the franchise is renewed in its final form, the funding is not sewn down. The other thing that I think you probably all need to be aware if is if the funding is jeopardized for public access at all, our local access is more in jeopardy because some of the legislation before the federal legislature right now than it is from anything in our negotiations. So I think it is important that we keep an eye on that and contact our congressional representatives there, too. Kubby/ Do we have a time frame? What kind of-this is suppose to be a two year process and it is turning into a three year process. Helling/ It is a three year process turning into a four year process. Kubby/ So the end is near but do we have more- Helling/ We had a meeting scheduled for last week that we hoped would be the last meeting with TCI representatives. However, that meeting had to be cancelled because a number of people were ill. And that is rescheduled to the best of our knowledge now for the 9th of March. Throg/ Thanks, Chris. Horow~ Anyone else care to address council? Jim Clayton/ I am a resident of Iowa City and I own a business d.t. on the College Street Plaza. I am concerned about an item that was in the Consent Agenda about the sidewalk cafes you plan on discussing at a p.h. next week which I will be unable to attend. I am concerned that you, as a council and city staff, let people d.t. who own property and who run businesses, who rent stores, know what a remarkable change you propose in making in our d.t. I am not sure it is sufficient to depend upon the newspaper to do that job. I think we owe it to those people to write them a note and tell them that there is a p.h. about this. I have got a lot of questions myself. I would like to know how pedestrians are going to be able to negotiate the mall when the cafes are in place. Will they be able to walk Thisrepresents only areasonably eccuratetrenscription ofthelowa City council meeting of February 28,1995, F022895 #6 page 3 the entire length of a block next to the building looking in display window after another? Or will they have to play broken field running around tables and chairs? When the wind blows the napkins and the paper-who cleans it up? The people that own the sidewalk cafe, the city or nobody. Will all the restaurants and all the bars and all the coffee shops be allowed to be outside? What will be the criteria to determine who gets to go out and who doesn't? If you have a bar and you decide to add a hot dog, does that make you a restaurant and now you can go outside and serve food? How are you going to keep track of that? Will the tables and chairs and canopies be kept outside after the closing hours? Will they be moved in? Will the DR Committee approve the colors of the canopies or will we have one big Bud Lite advertisement d.t. in Iowa City? Who will clean up the other human waste products that are on our plaza each night? Who will prevent a patron who is underage from accepting a drink from someone who is sitting at a sidewalk care who is of age? Who prevents now an underage patron from getting a drink out the window at the Union Bar next to me or out of the Sports Column on Dubuque Street? Nobody that I know of because all you do is slide the screen back and pass the drink out and you are on your way. Will the sidewalk cafe be delineated with a barrier or with a rope? With some kind of outline as to where it is? Will we have enough police coverage to sort out which cafes music is too loud and which one is hassling the most passerbys? Right now my employees walk out of our store when they leave work and they go out to the middle of the plaza to walk to the east or to the west. If they walk next to the Union they have to listen to people who are either employees or customers sitting behind those screens making cat calls, making suggestive noises, and nasty comments. Who is going to pay attention to that? Will you allow other non-food businesses to use the plaza? I have to get a permit when I want to go out for sidewalk sale. Am I now going to be in the position where I can go out as long as I indemnify the city on any kind of a basis? Can I put a food cart outside? I mean what are the limitations that we are going to have on these things. When you read the paper and see the OMVI arrests, the underage drinking arrests, the open container arrests, it makes me wonder whether we need to do anything at all d.t. to increase and encourage the consumption of alcohol. Has anyone on the city staff talked to the University? They publish an annual report of local student criminal activity and they assemble this report with the aid of our Police Department. Has anybody looked to see what percentage of students at the University of Iowa are in difficulty with the University because of their Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City councilmeeting ofFebruary28,1995. F022895 #6 page 4 alcohol' related problems? Are you going to approve this because the Police Department needs more work for alcohol enforcement? I don't really think they are getting the job done right now. Are you going to have a fund to replace the windows that get broken down on College Street? We had five in February. All alcohol related. Will the city clean the plaza on Saturday and on Sunday? You don't work those days now. Those are the days when it is the biggest mess of all out there. I am not opposed to drinking but I am not going to ignore the problems it causes. I don't see restaurants clamoring to serve food on the plaza. I see them clamoring to serve food and alcohol. Alcohol seems to be the key. If someone would say well, we don't need alcohol out there I probably wouldn't be standing here quite so upset about it. Councilman Pigott wants to hear the tinkle of wine glasses on the plaza. That wonderful ambiance. Ah contraire Bruno, the only tinkling you are going to hear is some broken windows and that other secret tinkling in the quiet dark vestibule d.t. I have been in business in the Bermuda Triangle d.t. for 15 years. That is Vitos, the Union, the Field House. I am right in there. I have been there in the day time. I am there at night. I have been down there at 2:00 A~4 when the police called and say a drunk has been thrown through my front window. I have cleaned up vomit, urine, feces and garbage from my vestibule. Horow/ Jim, your time is up. Clayton/ I don't think we need anymore ambiance. Pigott/ Could I just say something for a second? Jim,. I think you raise a lot of good concerns. I count at least 12 down here and I think what we should do is get you a copy of the o~dinance as well as other business owners in the d.t. plaza area because I think some of them, at least, might be addressed by the draft ordinance. Most of them are. And I would also encourage you to talk with myself. I would be happy to talk with you to address any of the other concerns you might have once you look at that and say I just don't think those concerns-my concerns are addressed because I would be happy to do that and there is a committee of people that is also working on this and I think that your legitimate concerns should be answered as we approach this issue. I would be happy to speak with you. Kubby/ The other important part of other changes that we are looking at to our current sidewalk ¢afe regulations is that it This represents only a reasonably accurate trenscriptloa of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995, F022895 #6 page 5 comes to council. And so if abutting property owners or people who lease abutting property to where someone has applied to use the public r.o.w., council needs to address those concerns and has the ability to deny the license because of concerns from neighboring or anybody, actually. Can we make sure, Steve, that d.t. folks get whatever revised set of regulations that co~mmittee comes up with after our discussion tonight. I really think that most of the concerns are addressed except for the daily litter and the Saturday/Sunday clean up on the plaza. I don't remember us speaking about those issues but we have discussed I think all of the other ones. It doesn't mean you agree with what we come down with either. Horow/ Thank you. Anyone else care to address council on issues not on our agenda? Mike Rose/ I hope that this is the appropriate place for me to make my comments. A little bit of budget in here but there is more to it than that. So let me make my statement and hopefully it is the right time to speak to you. I have been a citizen of Iowa city for the last 27 years and over that period of time I have had many relatives or friends from around the country come and visit our great city and rave about what a wonderful place you live, Mike, and you are so lucky to be here and what a wonderfully safe city this seems to be and my wife and I have shared that perception until we became victims of an armed robbery at our home on an early Sunday evening last October. Incredibly the Iowa City Police Department apprehended the perpetrators in less than an hour. It was quite amazing that they were able to do that and that is not always the case and this can be exemplified by the situation this weekend at Happy Joes Pizza. I want to mention the fact that the Police were able to help us feel human when we were exposed to a very dehumanizing and terrifying situation. Every s~ngle police officer that we encountered, and there were many. I think up to ten officers who were assisting on this. They were so professional. We were so impressed with their dedication and their competency. I think it is worth mentioning at this point that recently the FBI released a study that points out that every citizen in this country now can expect an act of random violence against them sometime in their life time. This is the first time the FBI was ever able to make a statement like that. I would like to commend the council for accepting the Crime Bill grant for funding up. to 8 new officers. I think that is terrific. I hope that the climate in Washington allows us to go forth with that. And in conclusion., I just want to say that I implore you, the Thlsreproeonts only areaeonebly accuratetrans~lptlon ofthelowe City council meeting ufFeb~umy28,1995. F022895 #6 page 6' council, to give the utmost consideration to any and all budget requests from the Iowa City Police Department for the FY 1996 budget. They do a great job and should never be taken for granted. Thank you very much. Horow/ I think we could have taken that under p.h. but we are glad to hear it anyway. Anyone else care to address council that is not on the agenda? Not the p.h. for the budget or anything like that. Okay. Okay, declare the public discussion-the end of that. !0 This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 4 ITEM NO. 7 - PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS. Consider setting a public hearing fdr March 28, 1995, on an ordinance establishing the Moffitt Cottage Historic District for property located between Muscatine Avenue and Ralston Creek, north of Court Street. Comment: At its February 16, 1995, meeting the Planning and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 6-0, recommended approval of an ordinance designating the Moffitt Cottage Historic District as an Iowa City Historic District. The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation. Public hearing on an ordinancb conditionally amending the use regula- tions of approximately 13.09 acres located at 655 Meadow Street from RM-12, Low Density Multi-Family Residential, and RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential, to RS-8, Medium Density Single-Family Residential. (REZ94-0020) Comment: At its February 2, 1995, meeting, the Planning.and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 7-0, recommended approval of an application submitted by East Hill Subdivision, Inc. for a rezoning from RM-12 and RS-5 to RS-8, subject to three conditions. '[he Commission's recom- mendation is consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the staff report dated January 19, 1995. 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 j required to approve this rezoning. ,~'.,~ . Consider a resolution'a~p~4~t hWe final pl~t/o~ J&L~Su [~d.visi~n, a~ ~ acre, four lot commercial subdivision located on the south side of I Highway 1 West, west of Sunset Street. Comment: At its February 16, 1995, meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 7-0, recommended approval of the preliminary plat of the D&L Subdivision, subject to approval of the legal papers by the City Attorney's Office and construction plans by the Public Works Department prior to City Council consideration of the final plat. The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the staff recommenda- tion included in the staff report dated February 16, 1995. It is anticipat- ed that the legal papers and construction plans will be approved prior to the February 28 Council meeting. #7b page 1 ITEM NO. ?b. Public hearing on an ordinance conditionally amending the use regulations of approximately 13.09 acres looated at 655 Meadow Street from RM-12, Low Density Multi-Family Residential, and RS-5, Low Density Single-Family Residential, to RS-S, Medium Density Single-Family Residential. (REZ94-0020) Horow/ I declare the p.h. open. I would ask you to come, sign in, state your name and limit your comments to five minutes. I will remind you when your time is up. Kubby/ One thing that would be real helpful for me is when people are speaking is if you don't want us to change the zoning, what is being proposed. If you do want it to keep current zoning, if someone could speak to that it would be helpful. Nicholas Chmaruk/ This may take more than five minutes and so I do have notes from people. One lady- Horow/ We really can't do that. We have done this before and people are not exactly happy with that. If you could kind of try to compress it I would really appreciate it. Chmaruk/ Well this statement here. There are some people here that might provide me with their five minutes. So these people couldn't be here. Horow/ No, I can't do that. Chmaruk/ Okay, just people who are here. Horow/ I am not even wild about that. Okay. Did you say who you are? Chmaruk/ 909 Dover Street. To date, over 60% of the 77 property owners within 200 feet of the exterior boundary of the applied for rezoning site have submitted signed and notarized protests of rezoning with stated objections. There is no controversy in the community about what is good for the neighborhood. With over 60% of the property owners protesting the rezoning and I respectively add there will be more. I hope the city council respects these filed statements in opposition to rezoning the site. These objections cite traffic related and safety problems which currently exist and that would be exacerbated should rezoning occur and the developer's concept plan or whatever plan they come up with makes it through the subdivision planning stage. These objections address problems D This represents only e reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b page regarding traffic congestion, traffic volume, peak drive time traffic, children safety, congested curb side parking, streets not designed for this level of traffic, single point of access to the site. Added traffic, existing traffic and its behavior through traffic, clustered housing, dense population, emergency vehicle access and hilly blind sloping curves. Following the first meeting of the P/Z Commission January 19, addressing this application for rezoning, 6 proper.ty owners met and I was designated to be the advocate. I have provided you with a copy of the letter I circulated to property owners within 200 feet of the rezoning site. I have also provided you with a prepared statement read before the P/Z Commission February 2. I asked that the members of the city council please read each of them and also read the signed and notarized objection statements. Okay. Regarding the objection of t~affic. volume: The January 31 single day traffic count which took place three days after a major ice storm does not provide an accurate or reliable base line from which to project added traffic impact. City Traffic Engineering totals of 790 vehicles on Dover Street and 680 vehicles on Meadow Street does indicate more vehicular traffic on Diver Street than on Meadow Street. I have provided you with DOT's seasonal change statistics which over the past four years find between 21-27% increase in daily traffic due to seasonal traffic volume change. Okay. Dover Street without any additional traffic is already, by definition, over burden. Staff member Scott Kugler said at the February 2 P/Z meeting, "Dover Street is built to local street standards although it functions as a major collector. By adding even half of the projected 504 vehicular trips into and out of the proposed development site with the single access. The city guidelines for a local street recommended at 1,000 vehicular strips per day would be far exceeded. Mr. Kugler added, "that they may actually exceed ~his guideline a bit. But that is just a guideline and not a hard and fast requirement.,, If you were to check with Traffic engineering and the Police Department, you will find that there have been numerous, many calls from Dover Street residences concerning traffic problems. Okay. This is because Dover Street is a spine street connecting Friendship and Muscatine and is the only connection between Scott Blvd. amd First Avenue. The behavior of drive through traffic, using Dover Street as a short cut, presents problems for residents. CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-34 SIDE 2 A single access to the proposed development site. The history speaks towards itself. In 1983 when the new zoning code was ¥hls represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b page 3 adopted, the current zoning of the vast majority of the site, P~-12, allows for special exceptions for a cemetery. According to Mr. John Dane, "We always intended to develop it for cemetery use." RS-8 and RS-5 do not provide that special exception. Development on this site was denied between 1960 and 1974 because the local residents were worried about children walking to school with the added traffic according to Dr. Paul Langehough. Okay. Jay Honohan who was City Attorney between 1963 and 1974 confirmed this, "Application was denied involving Dean Jones' application to develop this property. In the 1981 Iowa Supreme Court case Oakes Construction Company versus the City of Iowa City, Iowa. The Supreme Court upheld the city's position of he necessity of secondary access to a 44 dwelling unit subdivision which just happens to be the 800 and 900 blocks of Dover Street where we live right now. Okay. testimony from city staff members outlined the following reasons why a single means of access to the proposed subdivision would be inadequate. 1-The ability of the overall street network in the vicinity to circulate traffic would be inadequate. 2-It would exacerbate existing traffic problems and negatively impact the adjacent neighborhood. 3-Emergency vehicle access would not be adequate and 4-Non-local traffic would be added to a street with an elementary school. These reasons Jeff Davidson cited in his October 12, '92 memo to the city council regarding re-evaluation of secondary access policy or what us residents on Dover Street and friendship Street are concerned about. Dover Street and Friendship Street cannot handle the anticipated traffic which will be generated should rezoning pass and subsequent development occurs on this site. In the memo Jeff Davidson concluded, "It is reco~mmended the city.'s policy on secondary access be based on the existing language in the comp plan but that there be more specific standards on when secondary access should be required." She page 3 of the memo for the staff checklist of criteria. You have that in your packet there. In a memo from Jeff Davidson to the city council on December 9, 1992 the P/Z Commission stopped short of including secondary access standards in subdivision regulations which would have brought them to the city council's attention. Instead, staff has been directed to use the standards as guidelines pr6viding latitude. A request due to-what the neighborhood is encountering with regard the issue of this application for rezoning andtentative concept plan by the developer to build 72 living units on the site should the rezoning pass. Okay. That the city council, before voting on the rezoning application, please review the city's secondary access policy and establish some kind of standard so neighborhood residents don't feel this subdivision is being Thisrepresents oqlyareasonablyaccuretetranscriptlon ofthelowa Clty coun~lmeetlngofFebruaw 28,1995. F022895 #7b page 4 railroaded down their throats. Guidelines simply mean that on the subject of secondary access, the city can do whatever it darn well pleases. Even Fire Chief Pumfrey sent a memo on August 5, 1992 to Jeff Davidson regarding re-evaluation of the City of Iowa City secondary access policy. The concept plan of the developer for the site shows a large cul de sac subdevelopment within a subdivision which Chief Pumphrey said in his memo, "Quite frequently conflicts with the ability of providing prompt emergency services thereby delaying he emergency response.,, And a copy of that memo is included in your packets. In the minutes of the P/Z commission, February 2, 1995 meeting, Commission member Jacobsen said that from purely a planning point of view it is better to have a development within the city than undergoing an annexation procedure. Development of an in city site should occur before land is annexed. Currently O~kland Cemetery is almost full. The city is in the process to annex two acres of Hickory Hill Park for cemetery expansion. Ever since I did my undergraduate curriculum at the University of Iowa in the later 1970's I have seen Hickory Hill Park encroached upon. Memory Gardens Incorporated has current zoning which allows for cemetery special exception to meet burial demands way into the future. Given the preponderance of objection evidence from those protesting rezoning it is evident that the current traffic related problems on both Dover and Friendship Streets are at their zenith. Citing section 409A of the Code of Iowa excepted in 1969 in the Iowa Law Review one quote, "Once an area of the city is developed the cost of change becomes prohibited and it becomes evident that a subdivided has cast the pattern for the future of the community." That occurred when our street, Oakes Subdivision, was built. The excerpt continued, "Since urbanization of raw land at the city's edge is now the most important development area, it is here that most significant public influence should be exerted." Shire and Hattery did the paving on Oakes Subdivision and the as built actual of Dover Street, Perry Court and Meadow Street and that shows some alarming facts. Meadow Street at the point of access, single access to the proposed subdivision is at a 9.6% grade as is the curb immediately adjacent to the access point. The inside radius of that curb is only 25 feet. The one and only access point to the concept plan 72 unit subdivision is dangerous, unsafe, extremely precarious and ill conceived. It is impossible to imagine 504 vehicles entering and existing through that one exit without having accidents waiting to happen. The application for rezoning is downzoning and I recognize that. Everything I have said in this statement recognizes the problems associated with that downzoning which This represents only areasonebly accuratetranscription oftllelowa City council meeting of Febmary28,1995. F022895 #7b page 5 is what these protests address. What happens with the downzoning and subsequent development is what we strongly protest because of the market impact, the negative impact it will. have on our community. We protest RS-8 for stated reasons. that does not mean that we welcome development at RM- 12. We do not and neither does P/Z staff. In the staff report of January 6, 1995 Scott Kugler said existing RM-12 zoning appears to be inappropriate for that site do to its limited access. As the objections to rezoning to RS-8 state We feel the same way Scott does but we feel that way about RS-8 also. I hope the city council will agree that rezoning to RS-8 is not quic~ fix to un-land lock the site. If the city council can provide a secondary access to the site that does not impact on us in a negative way as does the single access, th~n we have no beef. Nothing to protest or object to. But where the single access is and the nature and reality of our streets with traffic related problems as they currently exist-how can you expect us to bow down to such a plan. Thank you very much. Kubby/ Is there a residential zone that would be acceptable to the people that you are advocating for? Chmaruk/ RS-5 would drop the count from 504 to 455. Would that remedy the situation? Kubby/ But that would be acceptable to the neighborhood, at least those people that- Chmaruk/ I think a secondary access is probably the way to go. You know. If the secondary access was available, like I said, we have no beef. Throg/ Let's assume that no secondary access is available. I think Karen's question then is if no such access is available, would RS~5 be, if you will, be acceptable to the community? Chmaruk/ By definition, given the definition of what constitutes a local street or even a sub-collector, you know, we are looking at,when you project the seasonal changes in traffic flow, that ~ushes it way over 1,000 even with a- I mean, we are over 1,000 already with just in this one day test. Without adding 504 vehicles and the ~tajority are going to head out towards Muscatine Avenue. Then the question is if you put a stop light at Muscatine and Dover, just the same thing has happened in that S~preme Court case. People are going to go over by the school to make the short cut at peak drive time to avoid that stop sign to make and get access onto Muscatine. There is no This represents only a reasonably accura(e transcril~iion of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b page 6 easy answer. The history speaks for itself. Kubby/ So you are saying RS-5 would still be too dense. Chmaruk/ I am trying to be logical about this and it appears you are only dropping the count what by 49. You are in a precarious situation. P/Z is in a precarious situation. You know. but under the current zoning at least there is the special exception for cemetery lots and that has value. It maintains value. Horow/ Anyone else care to address council? Gene Kroeger/ With East Hill Subdivision. We are here for a rezoning which as I think you all understand is a downzoning. in consultation with the city staff we tried to meet all the city regulations and city traffic codes to make this subdivision conform to the uses that are currently existing in the Dover Street area. We have tried to meet the 500 unit traffic load per day. We have tried to meet all the qualifications of the existing area. It should, I think, be noted that everyone who purchases a home in the Dover Street area would have purchased it with this zone RM-12, the vast majority. It was zoned that way in 1983. So everybody had the right and the obligation to look at the zoning and see what it was and decide if they wanted to live there. It was zoned higher than that, I think RM-44, prior to that date. We want to try to conform to the area. We want to try to build units that are similar to the ones in that area and we are asking for rezoning based on those things and based on consultation with city staff. If you have any questions, I would be. happy to try to answer them at this point. Baker/ Why do you even want to downzone the property? Couldn't you do basically the same project with the current zoning? Kroeger/ We could, yes we could. We could have just submitted a plan. But we talked with th~ city staff and they wanted it to be consistent. Basically should I fail, should I run out of money, whatever and I sell it then the successors to me would have to live with that zoning and we did this based on consultation with the city's pro~essional staff. We weren't going to it- Throg/ Gone, can I restate that to make sure that I understand. Just put it in my own language. Right now the area is zoned primarily RM-12 with a small strip of RS-5, which is s.f. low Thisrepresents only oreasonoblyaccurMetranscrtptiou ofthelowa City council meeting of Fobmary 28,1995. F022895 #7b page 7 density development on the northern strip of the property. So with that current zoning you could, right now, if you chose to, develop that property, all the RM-12 property, in accord with the RS-8 provisions. You can do the duplexes just as you have proposed in your plat proposal except for the northern strip and that would have to be s.f. homes. Is that right? Kroegsr/ Correct. We could develop it if we chose to a to a level of ~17 units approximately. We could do all of this without downzoningo We did it after consultation with staff. We could have just represented a preliminary plat and do it. Throg/ All right, so it is your legal right to do that now. Can I ask Linda a question on that point? If they chose to submit a plat proposal or you know a proposal to plat the area and develop the area in accord with the current zoning, RM-12 and RS-5, what flexibility would the city have in responding to that? What in terms of deniability, denying the application? What flexibility would we have? Woito/ You would have the factors that the' gentleman before spoke about. That he was quoting out of Oakes Construction. That case dealt with subdivision and whether the city had authority to tell the developer they had to provide secondary access. That is something the city can do. If you were to look at it in a subdivision context, you would be able to answer all of these questions that people have now presented to you which are not exactly in the proper form now in terms of rezoning. But you would have flexibility to determine safety, traffic pattern, density, all the issues that are raised in terms of the platting process. Baker/ But you could also deny subdivision requests (can't hear) based on lack of secondary access? Woito/ Yes. Throg/ If we sought to completely deny development of the area because any additlonal traffic in our judgement would be dangerous. What does that lead to? Woito/ One more car. Is that what you are asking? If you added any additional cars to the area, would that be dangerous and therefore you could deny it? Throg/ I am trying to get to the takings issue. Where does it come into play and explain what that-? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b pag~ 8 · Woito/ I think what you ask is is it reasonable for the city to deny any development of the property based on one additional car or ten additional cars or 500. At some point between if you deny the property development for one additional car, that is a taking because you would leave it only for cemetery land and I think that is a drastic reduction. If you say well you can build X number of houses and you can allow 300 or 400 cars, then you are closer to being reasonable and not arbitrary. But it is a continuum and it is going to depend on the facts and how many development rights that we are taking away by reason of our regulations. Baker/ But in a subdivision process, not a rezoning, a subdivision plat approval, regardless of neighborhood objections would only be a four vote majority necessary. Woito/ That is correct. Kubby/ And we can say yes to a rezoning but no to a plat based upon secondary access? Woito/ Yes. That is exactly what happened in the Oakes construction. Kubby/ Then I guess I have a question for Gene about and I guess I don't need an answer tonight. But at what point does it become economically infeasible for you to develop? Are you at that point at 72? Could you go down to 44 and I guess I would like to know what the range is? Kroeger/ Based on what we are paying for the land. I come to the city, I ask the council-their professional staff. I mean, they are professionals in it. I try to be cooperative with the city and try to do what is right and try to do what is zoned. There is commercial on two sides. We are trying to do it right. We depend largely on the staff, They are-that is what we hire them for and they have the answers. Kubby/ I think this issue would come up whether you are at a rezoning or whether it is an issue of a plat at the same-It may not have been brought to our attention in the same manner but the same issue is there. Kroeger/ The issue of traffic was certainly brought up in staff report and if you read it they said it was adequate. Obviously more traffic always creates problems but- tO This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b page 9 Kubby/ At some point I would like to hear how flexible you would be and I guess I bring this up because part of the conditional zoning agreement states 70 to no more than 72 units and that might be a point of discussion among us which I might want to continue the p.h. in order to at least give us the option of discussions without that number. Kroeger/ We are flexible to go down from 117 to 72 and we are willing to do that and we are willing- Kubby/ Because there are some wonderful things about this. Having that flood plain dedicated to the city. Having a pedestrian access connecting to different pedestrian access sites. Those are wonderful things about the project. Kroeger/ We are from Iowa City. We are happy to do that. They are good things. I am all for that but we are trying to cooperate with everybody and all I can say again is we need to listen to the professional people. Nov/ I have one more access question. Have you tried to establish a southern access point? Kroeger/ You know, to the west of course is the cemetery which is obviously inappropriate. To the south is George Gay Funeral Home and if you have ever been there for a service it is overrun. It is mostly all paved. We haven't talked to him but I am sure that that is going to be very difficult. There is a AAA Travel and that is about it. I don't think it is feasible. It is certainly not feasible to build streets without lots. (Can't hear). Horow/ okay, any other questions? Thank you, Gene. care to address council? If there isn't anyone certainly- Anybody else else you can Throg/ While Sandy is signing in I think if Gene can still hear us out there, I think I would encourage him to at least have a conversation with Gay's Funeral Home to verify the point about secondary access to the south. Pigott/ Yeah, that would be really helpful. Throg/ Or to find out that maybe you are wrong. Thanks. Richard Rhodes/ I live at 2014 Rochester Avenue. One of the points about this proposal, concept plan, is completely right as Thisrepr~sents onlyereasonably accuratetranscription ofthalowa City council maetlng of February28,1995. F022895 #7b page 10 Karen Kubby stated is the dedication the city of the flood plain land along Ralston Creek. This allows the opportunity to develop a non-vehicular traffic way along the creek that will connect down into the new Eagles Commercial Center at Towncrest. But I really want to emphasize that these non- vehicular traffic ways are a vital essential integral part of development such as this and any development in Iowa City. I thus was a little bit disappointed in the conditional zoning agreement. It is very vague about the extent to which the developers will contribute to the development of the trail. You may think this is an inappropriate place to bring this up because this a platting matter but rezonings, I have been told numerous times at the P/Z Commission are the place where the city is most able to negotiate for concessions. Kubby/ Wouid you read that section? Rhodes/ The section is 3.c. in the conditional zoning agreement (reads section). Throg/ And what are you suggesting? Rhodes/ It is a very nice sentiment but it does not commit the developer to putting in a paved trail, a trail that connects to anything, a trail that has a compacted rock surface, anything along those lines. It is very vague at this point. There was a far more definitive statement in the conditional zoning agreement for Windsor Ridge that it would be a system that was acceptable to the city. That may be implied here but it is not stated. And I am just saying that this is a very important segment in getting a green way trail system along Ralston creek that will connect, partially connect, re$.idential areas. Indeed, there is a rational nexus here because this very residential area that is being proposed will prgbably have the greatest use of that trail and certainly that segment of the trail to get children to the school, off of vehicular traffic ways. To me these bicycle pedestrian trails are just as important to component of the transportation matrix as streets and paved sidewalks along streets. So I just wanted to bring your attention to this but .I do want to con,mend the developer for being willing to contribute and I do want to thank P/Z Commission for being w'illing to negotiate to include this concession within the conditional zoning agreement. Thank you very much. Pigott/ Thank you, Sandy. Thisrepresents only areasonablyaccurate transcription ofthelowaCitycoun~Jmeotlng of Feb~usry 28,1995. F022895 #7b page 11 Horow/ Anyone else care to address council? Baker/ Sue, before you close it, can I ask Bob Miklo- Woito/ You can't close it. We don't have a signed agreement anyway. Baker/ Bob, what is the staff's interpretation of the clause that Sandy just read? Miklo/ That at the time of ~ubdivision we will negotiate the developer's responsibility for the trail and the city's responsibility. When this was before P/Z, the P/Z Commission staff had recommended against actually putting in language regarding the trail at this time. The reason being we do not have an easement to the west of this property or to the east for the continuation of a trail. With this development we are going to get an easement for the trail over this property but it may be some time before we are able to continue that trail either to the east or the west and we thought it would be premature to put a trail in place not knowing where it is going to connect or where it is going to go. The language that is in the conditional zoning agreement was recommended by the P/Z Commission. Woito/ It could be a lot tighter. Pigott/ Is there willingness to work with that? Bob did I talk to you, somebody, about fire access to that street and whether there was concern at the Fire Department or elsewhere. Miklo/ At the time of the zoning review, the Fire Department did not have a comment about access. I will be able to visit with the Fire Marshall between now and the next meeting. Pigott/ That would be great. Miklo/ To have a more definitive answer. Pigott/ Thank you. Baker/ (Can't hear) explain what is the advantage of the city with (can't hear) leaving this as an RS-5? Miklo/ If it is left at an RM-12 zone and another property owner buys, they can come in a propose a multi family apartment complex with more than the 72 units that are proposed. At some point, I think, because. of lack of secondary access we would Thisrepresents only.areasonsblyaccuratstrsescrlptlon oftheloweCl~ council meetlngofFebme~ 28,1995, F022895 #7b page 12 have to tell a developer that it would be no more than whatever number of units that we felt that would be accessed in a safe manner and that is according to our current guidelines that is 500 vehicle trips per day or approximately 70 dwelling units which this application complies with. Anything above that we would have some concerns and leaving it RM-12 provides the opportunity for a developer to propose something above that and there are of course legal concerns when we deny a development. Baker/ If the present one was left in place, over that flood plain area? would we have control Miklo/ If there is not a rezoning, we would not have the opportunity to negotiate dedication of the trail area or the limitation on the number of units or that the building of the trail itself. Most developments on this site would fall under our Neighborhood Open Space requirements so there might be some land dedication for neighborhood open space. But with the rezoning we have more leeway to negotiate. Kubby/ Although, from what we discussed earlier, no matter what the zoning is because of the lack of secondary access we would have some ability to limit the number of units on that property. Miklo/ That is correct. Kubby/ So I understand the 500 cars on {he local street, the street that would be within that development. What level of responsibility, I guess this is a Planning and a legal question, do we have for how that impacts the local street connecting to a local street-whether or not it functioning as a minor arterial or designated as a local street? I mean at what point do we say can we legally say no more traffic onto that street that currently has X number of cars? Miklo/ I think that is a little more difficult and that the standards you refer to, 500 vehicle trips per day, is a standard we apply before secondary access is required. The number of local trips per day recommended in the comp plan for local street are approximately 1,000 vehicle per day. National standards are up to 1,500 vehicle trips per day. On a collector street it is 2,500 to 5,000. As we have indicated, this is designed as a local street but it is functioning as a collector street. Therefore, we felt that even though we would be exceeding the 1,000 vehicle trips per day on Dover Street This represents only s reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b page 13 if development occurs, that. it is less than what would be on a-coll%ctor street and although that is not ideal. it is close to the guidelines of 1,000 vehicle trips per day. Throg/ You know, Bob, it strikes me that something about that reasoning is a little bit ddd and I don't mean to be critical of you but if it is designed as a local street and functioning as a collector street, I think that is precisely the point the neighbors are making. That there is too much traffic on the street as it is now given its design ad their fear is and having walked there I think fear has considerable merit~ that another 500 cars onto an already over burdened local stree~ is too many. Miklo/ Actually there are not 1,000 vehicle trips per day. Throg/ 700 currently, I understand. Horow/ Is there anyone else from the audience that wishes to address council before council continues discussion? Throg/ I think I have a request, Sue, that just fits right in. If no one else wants to speak I think the lady who wanted to speak before despite the fact that Nick had taken some of her ti~e, should have a chance te speak. Horow/ I had said that to her. Throg/ Oh, I am sorry. Horow/ I thought she was going to speak. Yeah, that is okay. Kubby/ Sue, before we continue I request that- Horow/ We do have to continue. Suzanne Gurnett Streitz/ 847 Dover and I just wanted to bring up a couple of issues that have been brought up earlier but I just wanted to reiterate the fact that the traffic count that was taken was taken the day after the worse ice storm we had in Iowa City this year. And that road is very windy and steep and we avoid that part of Dover, actually Meadow street, on those days. It is also a through street to Mercer Park during the summer so traffic on that street gods up very much in the summer time. And so taking the count in I believe it was the end of January is not a very. accurate picture of what that street is like during the summer and what it could be like This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #7b page 14 du~ing a really bad weather time in the winter time. So I just wanted to point that out that I think to really get an accurate picture, a new traffic count should be done. Along with that I have some real concerns about children walking to school in that area. If traffic count goes up by what they say 500, the children need to cross over Meadow Street to get up to Robert Lucas School and that was a concern back when this subdivision was put together earlier and I think that is still an issue. The other point that I would like to make is that when we are talking about what is the maximum number of units and how many drives per day that person or trips that person makes from their home. We are already over the amount that that street should have on it. So let's just say 5 years from now if the area which will probably just grow in there in 240 acres that are being developed east of Iowa City and I think this area is just going to continue to become buslet because it is a through street up to Muscatine from Friendship in the area over there. if our traffic count went up to 2,000, they just keep using 500 as the limit in addition to whatever is already there and I think what we really need to look at is what is there already and what is the limit and they are saying that the limit is I believe 1,000. Is that correct for the guidelines. Let's say it is more accurate to say we are at 1,000 and I don't think that it is conceivable that we can put 500 cars confused accurate not sure still be on that road today. So I guess I am a little bit in that when the traffic counts are maybe not and there is a proposed limit on that street, I am how you can determine that 500 cars in addition would safe today. Thank you. Horow/ Anyone else? Karr/ Could we have a motion to accept correspondence? Horow/ Moved by Pigott, seconded by Kubby to accept correspondence. Any discussion. All those in favor signify by saying aye (ayes). Karen, you said you had three- Kubby/ I have a couple of things I want to ask staff to doo Two of them are Decause we are going to be continuing this anyway, to speak with the developer about how flexible that number is in terms of the number of units. 2-Is more specific language about the trails. Even if it is as vague but tighter than it is about eventually being acceptable to the city and the developer is at least now seemingly saying that that is agreeable. 3-I have heard a couple of different figures about what the grade of Dover is at the point around which the new Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetrenscrlption ofthelowa City council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995, F022895 #7b page 15 street would come into it and so I would like to hear a third number to see if it matches any of the other numbers I have heard. 4-The issue of would we want the Traffic Engineer to 4o another count within the next week or if that would make any difference. Throg/ I don't think it would do any good to take another count next week. The point that Suzanne was just making had to do with seasonal. Kubby/ Being the day after an ice storm and what the street is like now is very different. Throg/ Whatever number we end up with in the short run is going to be arguable. Her point is correct and it is just an arguable number. Kubby/ The fifth thing I would request from staff is some kind of accident and traffic report on Dover or at intersections with Dover in between Muscatine and Brookside. I don't know if that is the exact range that should be done but that would be interesting information. And I guess I have a 6th request for council that if you 5aren't already done so, drive or bike. Walking didn't give me the impact that actually driving my car around those curves with the slopes° I would find these arguments less thought provoking if it were a straight street. Horow/ Chair would entertain a motion to continue the p.h. to March 7. Moved by Pigott, seconded by Throg. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying aye (ayes). Thisrepresents only er~asonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City coun~l meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #7c page ITEM NO. ?C.. consider a resolution approving the final plat of D&L S~bdivision, a 6.41 acre, four lot commercial subdivision located on the south side of Highway 1 West, west of Sunset Street. Horow/ (Reads comment section of agenda #7¢.) Is that so? Woito/ No. Horow/ Okay. Chair would entertain a motion to defer this to March 7. Kubby/ I thought last night we-heard all those papers were in but not- Woito/ They were expected but they did not arrive from Davenport. Horow/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Nov. Any discussion? All those in favor signify by saying aye (ayes). Thisrepresents on yereasonablyeccurete ~enscriptlon ofthelowaCi~ councilmeeting of Februaw 28,1995. F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 5 (/5 ~ ~/ Consider a resolution approving the preliminary plat of Orchard View Estates, a 107 acre, 34 lot residential subdivision located partially in Fringe Area 4 in Johnson County south of Dingleberry Road NE, approximately 0.6 mile east of its intersection with Highway 1. Comment: At its February 16, 1995, meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 6-0, recommended approval of the preliminary plat of Orchard View Estates, a 107 acre, 34 lot residential subdivision, located within Fringe Area 4. The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the staff's recommendation contained in the staff report dated February 16, 1995. Action: Consider a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors recom- mending approval of the rezoning of a 0.73 acre property from A1, Rural, to RS, Suburban Residential for property located in Fringe Area 4 near the southeast corner of Newport Road and Prairie du Chien Road. Comment: At its February 16, 1995 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 6-0, recommended that the City Council forward a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors stating that since the site will be used for farm family purposes, the application is consistent with the Fringe Area Agreement and the City recommends approval. The Commission's recommendation is consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the staff report dated February 16, 1995. Action: Consider a resolutien apprg(,ing the preliminary Sedlacek 2nd Addition, a 3-1or residential subdivision located in Fringe Area 4 near the southeast corner of Newport Road and Prairie du Chien Road. and final plats of Comment: At its February 16, 1995 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission, by a vote of 6-0, recommended approval of the preliminary and final plat of Sedlacek 2nd Addition, an 18.19 acre, three lot subdivision located within Fringe Area 4, subject to the approval of CZ9503, a rezoning request for a portion of the property (see item e above), and subject to three corrections being made to the plat and/or legal papers prior to Council approval. The Commission's recommenda- tion is consistent with the staff recommendation contained in the staff report dated February 16, 1995. The plat and legal papers have been submitted and are being reviewed by staff. Act,on.. #7e page 1 ITEM NO. consider a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors recommending approval of the resorting of S 0.73 acre property from A1, Rural, to RS, Suburban Residential for property locatsd in Fringe Area 4 near the southeast corner of Newport Road and Prairie du Chien Road. Horow/ Moved by Nov, seconded by Throg. Discussion. Kubby/ This is really maybe a question about the plats. But if the- can the land then, because it is 18 acres for three lots, can they then be resubdivided and sold non-family dwelling purposes in the future? Miklo/ Any further subdivision of this property would require additional rezonings and subdivision approval by the city. Kubby/ Okay. Horow/ Any further discussion? Roll call- All those in favor signify by saying aye (ayes). I am assuming I don't have to go to the Board of Supervisors with this. Thisrepresents only areasonsblyaccuratetranscription ofthelowsCitycouncilmeetlngofFebmar¥28,1995. F022895 #7f page ITEM NO. 7fo Consider a resolution approving the preliminary and final plats of Sedlacek residential subdivision located in Fringe Area 4 near the sou2heast corner of Newport Road and Prairie du Chlen Road. Horow/ Moved by Pigott, seconded by Nov. Any discussion? Nov/ How are the legal papers? Woito/ They are reviewed and approved. Horow/ Okay, great. Any further discussion? Roll call- (yes). The resolution passed. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 6 ITEM NO. 8 - PUBLIC FlEARING ON PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE ROHRET ROAD RECONSTRUCTION, PHASE 2. Comment; Phase 2 of this project involves reconstruction of Rohret Road from Irving Weber School to Mormon Trek Boulevard. Construction includes new pavement, storm sewer, sidewalk, and landscaping. Estimate of cost for Phase 2 is 91,780,000.OO. Funding for this project will be provided by. 1994 General Obligation Bond proceeds and Road Use Tax funds. Action: ~__..,'.~ ITEIV1 NO. 9 - 45- %~ ITEIVI NO. 10 - CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORIV] OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROHRET ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, PHASE 2, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOIVlPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEIViENT FOR BIDS AND FIXING TliViE AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS AT 10:30 A.M. NIARCH 21, 1995. Comment: See above comment. Action: PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 1996 OPERATING BUDGET, FISCAL YEARS 1996 THROUGH 1998 THREE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN AND THE SEVEN-YEAR CAPITAL IIVlPROVENiENTS PROGRA[V1 (FY1995 THROUGH FY2001 ). Comment: City Council has reviewed the fiscal year (FY) 1996 Operating Budget, the FY1996 through 1998 three-year Financial Plan, and the seven- year Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The City Council will be reviewing and possibly reprio, ritizing the seven.year CIP.plan in April or May 1995. #8 page 1 ITEM NO. 8 - PUBLIC HEARIN~ ON PLANSt SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACTt AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE ROHRET ROAD RECONSTRUCTIONt PHASE 2. Horow/ I would ask you to keep your comments to five minutes and to state your name and write it in. Charles Lisle/ Rohret Road. For anybody that's not totally aware of what Rohret Road is, this is the road that now leads to the new Irving B. Weber School and it's being widened to accommodate that particular problem. Yesterday I spoke on the phone to Rob Winstead, who is the engineer who is in charge of this project. And he told me things that they'd initiated to · make the project go faster and these neat things such as fast curing concrete, six day weeks for the contractor, pay incentives for finishing early, pay deductions for finishing late, good things. But they don't quite follow the particular problem though that a lot of us have there. If you look at your map or any map you'll see that there's no access to roads during the phase 2A for families on the South side of Rohret. If you live between Irving B. Weber School and Duck Creek's Drive. That's 3 1/2 to four months of being isolated. My family and seven other families are going to be land locked for four months unless these initial plans are expanded and amended. Rob said that one of the things that they w=ie considering was making a parking lot for families at the Rohret end of the intersection of Pleasant Valley. That's a good road back here and that's a gravel road that leads right into Rohret. Making some sort of a parking lot for these eight to ten families with some sort of temporary planking across the road for people to carry their groceries and supplies. There's problems with that, and some of the problems we will have the way things stand right now, I'll just read you a list of some of these. Like mail delivery, what's the mailman supposed to do; newspaper delivery, give up reading the newspaper; garbage recycle and pickup, what on earth do you do with your garbage; UPS delivery; repair and maintenance people; building contractors; kids going to school; bad backs; weak hearts; and most importantly let's talk about things like fire, police, ambulance. Tonight I saw three rescue vehicles speeding on Rohret Road to the SW Estates. There's an ambulance, fire engine, police car. They'd never make it to any of our houses during phase 2A. So what happens if someone has a stroke or heart attack or gets electrocuted during phase 2A if you have the misfortune of living on the south side of the road. Would rescue take ten minutes longer? Thisrepresents only areasonebly accuratetmnscdption oftholowe Citycouncil meeting of Febmar¥ 28,1995. F022895 #8 page CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-35 SIDE 1 Charles Lisle/ We had people tuck pointing the building, a couple of people, and they had a big metal ladder and they hit a power line. And it knocked them down and they were turning blue, but this was a group that was prepared. It was within one minute they were giving mouth to mouth resuscitation. Within three minutes an ambulance was there and in ten minutes they were at the hospital. those people lived because things could be done rapidly. You can't do anything rapidly on the south side of Rohret unless something is done to make the situation better and there's some thoughts on that. You may have better ideas, but here's some ideas. What if there were a temporary 'road running east west on the south side of the road right im the, going along with what you're going to be tearing up anyway. not a magnificent road. This simply could be one lane. It could weave in and out of trees if it had to. Rob mentioned some concern about trees and maybe it could run all the way to that corn field that's between my house which is the last house on Rohret prior to the school and the- ~11 the up to Mayer Avenue. They built, replaced that fence with the farm land there, terrific fence. You could be on the south side of that if you could make an agreement with the landowner, and run this up there. And this would be a way for the people who are landlocked to get all the way to the ou(side world. And in case of emergency or fire or burglary or heart attack the rescue units could also come in. Another thought: what if there was a- you know Rob talked about putting a sort of temporary planking across that you could walk across, but what if you had a sort of temporary bridge, something wide enough and strong enough to support a car to connect, going across right to that Pleasant Valley extension right where he was talking about putting a parking lot. Kubby/ Charley, with that you would get to Pleasant Valley, go down the gravel, cross Rohret on the plank and then take that east- west temporary road or drive across? Lisle/' Yeah. That'd be the way. Kubby/ Or whatever to get through? Lisle/ ¥eah. But you've got people who have families with kids. We've got people who have little businesses. There's at least one family with a business. It's dead in the water if it's shut off for three months. But what really scares me worse than anything is fire, because there's no you know are you This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #8 page 3 going to run a bucket brigade across this little plank. You need something better. You're talking eight families in great hazard and I think, I think that's something that you probably can solve. Horow/ I think I'd like to have you work with the staff on this. I know that having gone through Kirkwood Avenue reconstruction over the past two summers, there is a way of getting these things accomplished. Trust me. It's a nuisance, but it's not going to get done- Lisle/ Yeah but if you're going to tear up the land anyway put'a road this wide through there. We can pull in each others driveways and let people pass. Horow/ Let's have you work with the staff on whatever. Lisle/ How would I initiate that? Horow/ Keep going through Mr. Winstead. As a matter uf fact his boss is back there if you really want to corner him. Rob's back there as well. They'll work with you on this. Lisle/ Okay. Sounds good. Horow/ Thank you for alerting us. Throg/ Susan. We might ask Steve to report back to us next meeting about how we're responding to this and dealing with the clear public safety issue. Horow/ The anxiety level on a street that's going to be reconstructed is high. Trust me. Having lived through it, but it works out. Lisle/ Yeah, but that interminable length. Horow/ Yeah. I know. Trust me. I lived through two years, two construction seasons of this. Nov/ We went through it once. Horow/ Yeah. Once there was. Nov/ He's talking about a distance that's greater than a block or half a block. This represents only e reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of Februsty 28, 1995, F022895 #8 page 4 Jim Bates/ Resident of Hunter's Run area. I would like to propose a slight'amendment to phase 2B of this project. As the plans are, as the plans stand now, for approximately four months the overpass over Interstate 2- or Highway 218 will be closed and all the residents of Hunter's Run and SW Estates will be forced to take a approximately five mile detour in order to get into the neighborhoods. And the point that I'd like to make is that for a good part of the phase 2B section from Duck Creek to Coll Drive is already paved road in excellent condition it's either the bridge or the concrete apron on either side of it and there's only about fifty yards or so of road that actually needs to be repaved and if the phase 2B could be modified so that part was paved first, and with the shortest possible delay, than the bridge could be opened and people could travel across the bridge and access Mormon Trek from Coll Drive. And that would cut the amount of time that people would have to make the five mile detour from four months down to a few weeks presumably. And many of the same concerns that were expressed by the previous speaker about fast access for emergency vehicles, not to mention during all this time, during this four months most of that school will be in session and all the school busses that need to go to Weber will be.making the same detour. And the intersection at Mayer Road and Highway 1 is an uncontrolled intersection and Highway 1 is a 55 mph speed limit at that intersection so there's also a safety factor if you're directing a lot of traffic out through that direction. So I don't know how practical it is but I would suggest it at least be considered. Kubby/ How practical is this suggestion? Fosse/ A good share of the portion of the existing paving that you were talking about will be taken out because we've got to lower the grade through there to lower the impact on the property south of Rohret Road there, so we will be reconstructing a good share of ~that. So that lengthens that stretch there. And we've equated this project to kind of like taking off a bandaid. You jerk it off, you get it done quick or you can split it up into a lot of pieces and then it takes a lot longer time and you know how that goes. It just gets stretched out and what is proposed for this summer is a full seasons worth as we envision it and if we break it up into additional phases, it very well could tail into summer of '96. And that's one thing we'd like to avoid if possible. Kubby/ But really just saying that it's fifty feet of concrete that will be laid isn't really true because we'll be taking up Thlsrepresentsonlyerensonablyaccuratetransc~ipfion ofthelowe CIW council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #8 page 5 parts of.this and replacing it after doing grading. Fosse/ Right. Kubby/ Did we have any reports of, I guess it'd be a question for the county, of problems that when we did the other part of Rohret Road at Highway 1 and Mayer Avenue? Atkins/ From the county? Kubby/ Um-huh. Atkins/ I don't recall any. Kubby/ I mean that wouldn,t be reported to the city, any kind of traffic accidents or problems there that would be reported to the sheriff. Woito/ Rob would be able to answer that. Kubby/ Did you hear of any traffic problems at the corner of mayer and Highway 1 on the first phase? Winstead/ There are none that I'm aware of. We proposed some improvements to that intersection because we knew that we would have an increased amount of traffic there. We made a written request to the DOT requesting temporary warning devices on Highway 1 to alert motorists to the fact that there's going to be more turning movements there. We got a written response back from the DOT denying our request. They based it upon the fact that they felt that there was adequate sight distance at that intersection and that there was a stop sign at Mayer Avenue at Highway 1. And therefore no further measures they felt should be implemented. Kubby/ Are there many more houses that will be affected and ~sing that detour than on the first phase, because this seems more developed? It might be worthwhile making that request again stating the difference in the number of calculated trips per household, because we're using the number of seven which to me sounds amazingly high, but that's what we use. Throg/ That's normal. Kubby/ Well I guess I'm not normal. Winstead/ My original request of- ThisrepreSents only areasonably accumtetranscflptlon ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting of February28,1995. F022895 #8 page 6 Kubby/ I shouldn't say that, should I. Winstead/ My original request to the DOT which was about a year ago, at that time, I believe we were making the request for both project. We. mentioned the fact that Hunter's Run subdivision would be part of that traffic that would be heading that way. So, we can make that request again. Kubby/ Could we do that so just so that we know we've done everything we can do to make that one intersection safe. And if they say no then at least we tried. Winstead/ Okay. Craig Kohl/ Rohret Road. Basically I have just one comment about this project and that being the sidewalk on the north side. Which is supposed to be eight feet wide. I think-that's sort of excessive. It's not exactly a standard size street throughout the rest of the city. One of the reasons why they said they wanted to keep that eight wide is to accommodate bicycle traffic. There's already five feet being provided on the southside and the north side of the street. I think that eighteen for bicycles is too much. And yes I'll admit it's through my front yard they want to put that eight feet. My primary concern there is preservation of trees that are already there. Other than the sidewalk being excessively wide, I have no particular complaints about it. The rest of it's just going to have to be worked through and put up with. Kubby/ I think we want the bike lanes and the wide sidewalks because we don't necessarily want to encourage elementary school aged children to ride in the street, but to be able to ride to school. Kohl/ Okay, I think that most of the elementary traffic that would be heading toward the school would be after the work traffic is already headed east. And it would be the same in the afternoon when they'd already be out of school by the time the work people would be coming home. Kubby/ I think that will change over time as the west end of Iowa City changes. Kohl/ But also it would be, the present road structure down there I think that most of the.residential areas are down below the hill and there would be access to Weber School from the lower levels rather than necessarily up on Rohret. Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscrlption'ofthelowaCltycouncilmeefing of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #8 page 7 Throg/ Thanks craig. Nov/ Is there anyone else who wants to speak on the Rohret Road addition? I declare the p.h. closed. Thlsrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting ofFnbruary28,1995. FO22895 #9 page 1 ITEM EO. 9 - CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVIN~ PLANSt SPECIFICA- TIONS~ FORM OF CONTRACT~ A~;D ESTIMATE OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROHRET ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT~ PHASE 2, ESTABLISHING i~/(OUNT OF BID SECU- RITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BIDt DIRECTING CITY OLERK TO PUELISHADVERTISE44ENT FOR BIDS AND PIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS AT 10:30 A.M. MAROH 21, 1995. Nov/ Moved by Baker, seconded by Pigott. Is there any discussion? Kubby/ I think staff got the clear message we want you to deal with better access for people on the south side of Rohret,-and we'll get an update in a week. Throg/ Looks like they're doing it right now, too. Kubby/ I think they fired into action. I love it. Nov/ They're going 'to have a little neighborhood engineering conference right here. I appreciate all the neighbors who came and brought this along to give us their ideas on this. Kubby/ And as far as Charley coming up with some specific alternatives, I think that's very helpful for us instead of just saying I need something, giving us some choices. Throg/ Yeah thanks. Nov/ Okay. Roll call- (yes). Thlsrepmsentsonlyaroasonablycccurate transcription ofthelowa Ciw coun~l meotlngofFabruaw 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 1 ITEM NO. 10 m PUBLIC HEARIN8 ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 1996 OPERATING BUDSET~ FISCAL YEA~S 1996 THROUGH 1998 THREE-YEAR FINANCIAL PL~uN AND THE SEVEN-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM (FY1995 THROUGH FY2001). Nov/ Declare the p.h. open. Harold Engen/ Senior Center Commission. I've been here a number of times. I represent a large delegation of seniors so it's my responsibility to at least come before you tonight and review the requests that we've been making. We've had letters to the editor. We've got articles. We've had promos on television. We've had a real involvement of seniors and I'll be perfectly frank with you. I almost resolved the fact that you would never grant the request that we've been making, because we request it so many times, so many different times for additional staff, because the numbers are increasing. And hopefully the numbers will continue to increase. What we're attempting to do is, a lady gave me this and I thought it was kind of neat, a bridge to a new community. Seniors coming in, it's a bridge to a new community and that's one of the very important things. I'd almost given up until I read the 1993 November Post and you've got a beautiful comment in there which I'd like to state. Baker/ Sounds like an election statement. Engen/ I don't consider you politicians. I consider you fellas citizen's who are doing a public service. Nov/ Thank you. Engen/ We asked the question, what do you think the city council can do to ensure that older people who move to Iowa City will continue to find our city responsive to their changing needs and concerns? Here's your answer. The city must maintain a high quality of life for all of its residents. For older people, safety and services must be specifically targeted. This is the one I like. The Senior Center Commission must be the eyes and the ears of the council and help it identify concerns before they become problems. That's what we do. We come to you with concerns hopefully to head off problems that are coming Upo That's what we're having right now with the numbers we have and the technical aspects of the Senior Center television and all of these different ones. Then I read would you support increased staff hours for the Senior Center to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #10 page 2 meet the quality and variety of opportunities at the center expressed by the growing number of older persons in the community. Once again I was very pleased to see that Naomi said, I would support increased staff hours at the Senior Center when funds are available. And Larry said, when funds are available, the Senior staff will be high priority for me. Ernie said, I would certainly support increasing staff hours at the Senior Center is as much as financially feasible. And Jim said, I'm using you first names to kind of be intimate here. When you talked about the number of volunteers performing most of the work, a lot of the work there, you may recall your statement. Given that fact I would still support modest increases in city support for the center. As a matter of fact I would rather support the Senior Center than build a new airport. That was an issue at the time. ThrQg/ Well, and I've done that too. Engen/ Yeah. I hope you enjoyed reading my memo to you. The memo that I said that I'd been reading the book The First Grade Class call The Boy Who Called Wolf. We are not crying wolf. We provided you with data and I still think you are citizens and I can believe your statements that you want to support and you will support when finances are available. I only hope the finances come pretty soon. And I really thank you for your help in the past. I have one nice thing to give you this evening. You know I always come with a gift. You remember I brought you other gifts. The Telegraph Herald in Dubuque did a two page article on the Senior Center. Let me quote a couple of things here. The Iowa City-Johnson County Senior Center in the city's former post office building, they give a picture of it there. A Dubuque group wants the center as the model for a senior center in Dubuque. It's another indication of the quality of our program and here's another one that I think you'll like. You might use this if they come and contact you. Iowa city Center for Seniors is the envy for the Dubuque group° I'm going to give you copies of that so you have them. And then someone else probably has a few statements to make. I thank you for your attention. Nov/ Thank you, Harold. Throg/ Those are good words to hear from Dubuque. Engen/ You bet. They are one of the only large cities that don't have a senior center. (can't hear) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription.of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #10 page 3 Carol Thompson/ Chair of Free Medical Clinic Board. We had a request for funding which I understand has made it to the final budget proposal and I want to thank you all for the careful consideration that you gave our request. Several of you visited the Clinic, you listened to our concerns and we felt that you very sincerely tried to understand the Clinic and our financial situation. out of 4,000 clinic visits almost last year, 2,500 of them told us they live in Iowa City. We feel we make an important contribution to the public health of this community and we really need this funding. I hope that you will approve our request in the final budget. Thank you. Pigott/ Thank you, Carol. Mary Kathryn Wallace/ Hello. I live in Johnson County and I am a new member of the Senior Center Commission appointed by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Earlier this evening we heard Mayor Horow. speak of the city's pride of accomplishments and we at the Senior Center also have feelings of pride of accomplishment as you have witnessed tonight by the record that has been brought before you. I am a new member to the co~unity. I am a returnee. I am semi-retired and chose this as a place to spend many of my later years and one of the reasons I chose this was because my husband had a PhD from here. But also the quality of life that I find and an attraction to me was the Senior Center. We want to expand on quality of life for all persons. I have for you several pages of the petition signed by seniors, over 100 signatures, giving their support in our request for additional funding so that we can serve the growing community of seniors in this area. In 1991 Johnson County census show that there was almost 17%- 16.9% increase in persons 55 and older. Picking up newspapers around the United States we know that the largest growth in population is in the older population and so a Center that serves that population, the need for quality services will only continue to grow. The Senior Center is a focal point for activities and services and we are very proud to say that it is a model center. We have gained national recognition. As a newcomer .I am quite astounded that this is done with so few staff to serve and the numbers of individuals who come and the high quality that is there. But I think we are at a break even point because the senior growth is there in the population. Before people retire their greatest concern is will I have enough money. But after they retire they make adjustments and their greatest concern is the meaningful use of time. And that isn't busy work. That is the meaningful use of time. As people age we become more of who we are. We become more Thisrepresents only arcasonably accurctetranscriptlon ofthelowa CJtycoun~lmecttngofFebrua~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page individualistic, We come a more diverse population. So all 61d people are not the same and you .can't have a program.that is going to meet the needs of the entire population. So we have many needs'for a diverse program for a diverse population. There at the Center are 600 individuals who want to be involved and we have a waiting list of over 300 who would like to be matched for an activity that is meaningful to them. You can't just walk in and take a number and say do this. You need to know the person, you need'to know their skills. You have to give them an opportunity to perhaps for the first time in their life develop a new part of themselves that will enrich their own'life and the~tgeerr com~munity. And all of this is possible at the Senior here. So, with our request f6r increase in staff we are hoping. to expand a program to meet needs and also to do further outreach for those individuals who cannot come to the Center. i thank you for your consideration and it doesn't .seem to difficult in that we all are aging and that we want a good high quality of life for each of us and so just put yourself there. Thank you~ Throg/ Welcome back to Johnson County. Wallace/ Thank you. I am happy. Jay Honohan/ Mayor Novick, members of the council, I am Jay Honohan. I think you all know that by now. I am not on any .board or commission. I am here to speak on the Senio~ Center. I believe you have a letter that I 'sent to the council. I would like to look at the Senior Center request from a couple of different standpoints than the facts and figures which you are all familiar with. I think that the Senior Center is important and the efforts of the city council should be important to reward people who have contributed to the community of Iowa City most of their lives. I think too often we neglect the older or-elder person. It is very hard to grow old in our society. We are not geared for older people. We are geared for the young. I can remember my mother· as she grew old. She is 91 now. But I can remember the trauma she had when her ungrateful son took away her automobile and said she c6uldn't drive anymore. She just bounced off a couple of parked cars. These things happen to older people. They need our support and I think the Senior Center is one way that we can support~ them and I would urge you to strongly consider changing the budget as I understand you are now proposing it to add the extra staff for the Senior Center. My second point about your budget. In a budget the size of Iowa City and I have some familiarity with budgets of the City of Iowa City Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratotranscrlption ofthelowa Ci~ council meeting of Fcbrua~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 5 having been here as Police Judge for two years working out of budget there and 11 years as City Attorney. I found that when you are talking about an amount like we are talking about for the Senior Center, you are really talking priorities. This is a very small amount of money compared to the total budget that this city has proposed for next year. I think that you could shift some priorities. That you could shift that small amount of money in perspective for the employees that they are asking for to the Senior Center from some of these other departments. I urge you to do that. I think you should I would hope bonsider not an elaborate but a simply cost benefit. ratio. Just think about the money that they are asking for and the people that it will benefit and in affect rewarding people that have contributed to the city and that now need our help in an age when they are not favored and the young are. Thank you. Terri Miller/ I am with the Senior Center Commission and I am hear tonight to speak on behalf of the Senior Center in support of their budget request for additiona]. staff. An item that I would just like to bring to your attention is the fact that one of these positions that we have asked for, one of the job duties that this person would have would be to look at some fund raising issues and activities for the Senior center. As we have learned in our past request for staff it is not easy to get additional staff and we know that there is always the finite budget. We have a certain amount of money to work with. We have certain places that it must go. We know that. We know there is a reality to that and so when we started looking at the fact that we really did need this additional person, we started to think about what ways do we need to become more independent. How can we ~tand on our own feet a little more and try to get moneys from other places besides the city. And when we looked at that issue, we decided that this person that we were going to ask for would need to take on some duties, some research activities to look into ways that we could raise more moneys. As you probably already know, some of our programs are funded by partnership relationships with certain companies in town, with some banks, that type of thing and so we have got some great programming and funding in this way and we certainly would like to'look at this more in the future. We feel that for us to be able to grow, for us to realize a lot of the dreams that we have in expanding the Center and in being able to reach more people that we are going to have to become a little ore independent and with your help in funding some additional staff, hopefully we can look in this direction and become a little more independent on our own. Thank ~ou. Thlsrepresentsonlyareasonablyaccuretetronscrlptlenofthelowa Ciw council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 6 Ron Vogel/ I'was looking at this budget and I notice that there is $30,000 budgeted for trails in the next year and zero the year before that and zero the year before that and I thought you just like to know where you stand among a few other cities in Iowa. I called up Davenport and Bettendorf because I used to live there. I don't know what the numbers are for other cities but Bettendorf for this coming year has $300,000 budgeted for trails. In the next seven years they have a total of $3.6 million budgeted for trails. In the last five years they have spent about $700,0~0 for trails. In Davenport, in the last five years, they have spent $1.2 million for trails. This year they have budgeted $200,000 for trails. These cities are made up of working people. They don't have a billion dollars worth of federal funds coming in like Iowa City does. Thanks. Pigott/ Steve, are those numbers-are those right for the last year? That was zero for the trail system? Atkins/ We have budgeted and I think Ron is looking at the inter- city bike trails you have in your seven year plan. We allocated $30,000 a year for inter-city bike trail. And the Iowa River Trail System we have $700,000 budgeted for the next three FYs and we also have a grant pending for the bridge and I don't recall what that number was. Kubby/ It was not just in one category. Atkins/ There is two categories, yeah. Plus, remember you do secure bike trails through the subdivision process. That was talked about tonight, too, and that is not calculated in here. Freida Shannon/ Hi. I am a member of the Senior Center Commission also and in the last few minutes and also in the last few weeks and in fact, the last few years, you have been bombarded with data about the staff ratio of staff and participants. Iowa city is the envy of many cities because of its vitality and growth and so is the same true for our Senior Center. Visitors and newcomers that come to our Center are always amazed at what we have to offer. It would seem that when such obvious growth, whether it is in the city or at the Senior Center that some kind of provisior: would be made to take care of this increase. My concern now is what kind of criteria does the Senior Center have to meet in order to secure additional staff? As.I have said, we have told you about the population increase of participants and have explained through a memo from Susan Rogusky, our volunteer specialist, of 'our philosophy of using mainly volunteers in the operation of the Thlsrepr~ents only areasonably accur~etranscrlption ofthelowa Cl~ councllmeefingofFebme~y28,1995. F022895 #10 p. age 7 Center. But it takes someone to train them. Many of you have come to our .programs and have seen by the large crowd how important it is for older citizens to participate in attehding our functions. Most of which are new, different, and quite appealing to senior citizens. It would seem that we are expected to continually operate with the same staff while the number of participants keep increasing. Some how this growth factor needs to be reckoned with. It will not go away but instead it will increase as time goes on. Thank you. Larry Eckholt/ I am president of the Board of Directors of the Iowa Arts Festival and first I would like to thank volunteers from the Senior center who a couple of weeks ago stamped all of our about 3,000 fund raising letters. And I appreciate that other support from the citizens of Iowa City. What I am about to say is a distillation of an article that I submitted to the Press Citizen in response to a couple of articles that have appeared recently including a one column long editorial about the city council's informal decision to give $5,000 grants to each of the Iowa Arts Festival, the Iowa City Jazz Festival and the Friday Night Concert Series that is sponsored by the DTA. And I want to commend the city council for directing a portion of the Hotel Motel Tax for this purpose. I am here to go on public record that contrary to the Press Citizen, the Iowa Arts Festival is not turning to the city council to bail our the Festival or to shift responsibility of funding of these festivals to public revenues. We have maintained for several years that the Hotel Motel Tax is an appropriate source of revenue to help support community wide events such as the Iowa Arts Festival that draw many visitors from out of town. We are not suggesting that you create a new category in your budget called to dependent festivals. We are simply and I have to quote this, we are not asking for bundles of ~ax money as was stated in yesterdays Press Citizen editorial. We are just asking for a small investment from public resources that can directly benefit the operating budget of the festival which goes for the most part of pay artists fees and also to create the kind of festival atmosphere that draws 40,000 to d.t. during the festival week. I realize that this is a one time allocation but look forward to working with staff and.council on how this concept might be fully realized in future years. But I want to thank you for the support that you have shown and hope that you stick with that commitment. Nov/ Larry, while you are here, do you want to say what you are doing in terms of fund raising for yourself? I mean for the festival, not personal. Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratotronscripfion of ~elowa CI~ councllmoofingofFebrua~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 8 Eckholt/ The other real misconoeption in the article was that this was the first year that we have ever started a comprehensive fund raising program for the Festival. The Festival exists because there has been a comprehensive fund raising effort. As I mentioned, we just sent a mailing to over 3,000 local citizens. In the past we have gotten more than $10,000 of our budget comes from small $10, $25, $50 contributions from individuals. All of the major events of the Festival are sponsored by major corporate sponsorship. $3,500 for each of those daily main events and we have with the exception of half of one sponsorship that we are still working on, we have lined up all the sponsorships for this summer's Festival. We get, this year we get $3,000 grant for the Iowa Arts Council. We missed the deadline and are not getting a Department of Cultural Affairs grant this year but for all practical purposes the usual fund raising is successful. We are right on schedule for this years budget and that this kind of support only shores up not only this year but gives us a little push into planning for the next years. Wendy Ford/ I am the director of the CVB for Iowa City and Coralville. And in light of the council's impending decision to reduce the funding formula to the CVB I would like to make a few comments. On behalf of the 1,800 employees of the tourism industry and the board of directors of the Iowa City/Coralville CVB, I would like to remind council of the mission of the CVB and that is to advance the economic welfare of the Iowa City/Coralville communities through the promotion of the communities as a tourist attraction, convention site and location for special events. And I think the operative word in that mission is promotion. This is the mission that the CVB board had in mind as it had developed its newest program for 1995. The community promotional funding program, a program that might have assisted ten organizations needing promotional funding assistance this coming year. Realizing the daunting task for divvying up limited funds, I am sure you are all very familiar with, the Bureau board had decided to cease its old grant program and refine it to better meet the needs of the city's continued flow of tax dollars. The mission of the Bureau, promotion of the community, and for the events needing assistance. Over the past ten years the Bureau has distributed nearly $50,000 and we were prepared to continue that tradition with an even better program this year. It is important for everyone to remember that the CVB is funded by a portion of the Hotel Motel Tax, not the property tax. Hotel tax is a very unique source of dollars that come in the hip pockets and purses and even piggy banks of the people that Thlsrepresents onlyareasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 9 stay over night in our hotels. Because we are the only tourism marketing organization for the community and we are funded by some of the very dollars that we help draw into the community, we feel strongly that the most effective use of those dollars is a reinvestment in continued marketing. The continued marketing and development for an already established $5.8 million Iowa City hotel business can be thought of as an engine that drives the continual benefits we see as increased business in the d.t. shopping areas, in the malls, in the restaurants, the supplier businesses and etc. The marketing of the Iowa City hotel businesses also eases the tax burden of our local residences. Because $.75 of every tax dollar collected stays in city coffers to fund our police patrol and parks, we can in a sense credit the CVB for easing over $300,000 of the cost of services and amenities we, as citizens, enjoy. It is imperative that we keep stoking the engine of tourism, promoting the area to outside visitors that spend as much money in our stores as they do in our hotels, if not more. To do this most effectively, we must use those brand new visitor generated hotel tax dollars and promote, promote, and promote. Our community is like a business, to sell it you need to CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-35 SIDE 2 To account for marketing visitor business. Just like it is hard to account for marketing the tooth paste business. I can tell you that you would be a lot less likely to buy Crest Tooth paste if it weren't advertised. CVB is the marketing staff for Iowa City just like Proctor and Gamble has a marketing staff for .its products..If you ask them today how much tooth paste did they sell because of their marketing efforts, they probably wouldn't know. But what they would say, is look at the bottom line, sales are up. We are exactly the same. Two things are at risk today. The city council cutting back on the funding formula for the bureau cuts away at the marketing potential we can give the city. That means the citizens of Iowa City are going to be shouldering more of the burden for the services and amenities that the Hotel Motel tax has provided in the past. And two, that our nearest co~petition for hotel guests is adding to their product. When there are more hotel rooms in the area and I am talking about Coralville, there is less demand for hotel rooms as a whole. prices will fall, tax collection becomes smaller and occupancy is spread out between the two communities. Finally t~e Bureau board of directors~ is asking the city not to reduce the formula funding for CVB and to consider now some joint long Thisrepresents onlyareasonablyac~ratetranscrlptlon oftholowa Ci~ council meeting of Fobma~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 10 range planning for the promotion of our community. If nothing else, the Bureau, the area festivals and everyone deserves to have the courtesy of some long range planning afforded themby the city. Thank you for your time. Throg/ Wendy, I would like to ask you a question and first to praise you for the quality of your presentation. It is persuasive. So the question is would you agree that events like the Jazz Festival and the Arts Festival and the Friday Night Concert Series provide important qualities that make up Iowa City so marketable? Ford/ Wholeheartedly. Throg/ So, we are choosing to direct some funds or proposing to direct some funds to festivals that make the place so marketable and make it something that you want to direct attention to. Ford/ And I understand where you are leading with that. I also know that we have one of the smallest advertising budgets of any CVB in the State of Iowa and there is a fine line that we tread in sacrificing the potential visitors that come and help generate hotel tax, $.75 on the dollar at least for the City of Iowa City and funding a quality of life event for the community. I don't know where that line. is. All I know is that when $10,000 say of what had been directed to the CVB in efforts to promote this community are redirected, something gives on the CVB's promotion ability and we just can't deal with that. We might look at it in terms of being less able to for example last summer run an ad in the Illinois Newspaper Association which is comprised of 140 local. Illinois newspapers that promote it. Not only the Thursday night in the park in Coralville but also the Friday Night Down Town Series that we had. We did that-on our own because they are %wo wonderful events that encourage extended stays if not entire weekends in our area and benefit all the communities here. That is the kind of thing that gets sacrificed. That prQmotion, that suggestion to somebody outside of our city limits to come into town and best scenario stay over night and put some dollars into our community and in worse scenario just make it better for everybody in town. It is a fine line. I don't know where the line is. I do know that we are opera%ing on a very limited advertising budget. ' 9 Throg/ May I ask a follow up question. As best you understand it, have we proposed to cut your CVB's budget relative to last Thlsrepresen~ only ereasonebly accuratetranscription ofthelowaCltycouncil meetlngofFebma~'28,1995. F02289~ #10 page year? Ford/ I think we are into semantics. I have given this- Pigott/ It is not any lower. We haven't reduced the amount of money to CVB. Throg/ Compared to last year. Ford/ You can look at this in two different ways. If you say that the CVB can have 25% of the Hotel Motel Tax that is collected although this year we are going to mandate that you spend $10,000 of it our way, then yes, I consider that a reduction in our ability to direct marketing for the commtunity. Pigott/ But if you look at it in terms of dollars it is not a reduction in dollars. Ford/ I don't think that you can be so certain in saying that because when you compromise your marketing ability you also compromise the other end, the numbers of people aren't going to be the same. So, you could end up with a flat Hotel Motel Tax line that comes in and that was part of the reason I made the point with Coralville's hotel motel product inventory is increasing practically daily and we are losing potential guests to the hotel room glut. So any time that happens there are more hotel rooms than there are demand for those prices fall. When the prices fall, the 7% is also lower. Nov/ We did not lower the dollar figure. Kubby/ There could be some affects because of inflation and cost of advertising. You can argue all of that stuff. Baker/ (Can't hear) You said the Iowa City's budget is smaller in relationship to other cities' budgets. Where are those cities budgets funded? The same source? Ford/ Yes, they are funded primarily from the Hotel Motel Tax and interestingly the City of Waterloo, unless they have changed in the last month, directs 100% of their Hotel Motel Tax to the CVB and mandates that 50% of that is granted out by the bureau with their funding criteria to area festivals and organizations. Baker/ So the other CVBs are funded the same way ours is? Is that what you are saying? Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription ofthelowa City coun~l meeting ofFebruary28,1996. F022895 #10 page 12 Ford/ Yes, there are some variations. Baker/ (Can't hear). Ford/ That is right. And if I could have one more second to just say in no way is the CVB staff or board of directors against the festivals or any of the events that- Kubby/ Is the Waterloo CVB mission statement different than because of that 50% of the money is for local festivals? Ford/ I would have to check on the exact wording but I don't know that any CVB mission differs greatly from this one. Perhaps they have a foundation that actually is the financial instrument for distributing the extra 50% of those taxes which might have a separate mission statement but which is linked with the CVB. Kubby/ Thanks. Ford/ Thank you. Kubby/ You know, since I have been on council this is the most people that have ever spoken at a budget hearing and I am really glad to see it. A couple of years ago we had three and last year we had five which is a huge increase. Jim Clayton/ I couldn't find the item I am objecting to in the budget but I know it is in here. We all spend tax dollars to support the Iowa City Area Development group under the direction of Martin Kelly. Mr. Kelly had some things to say in the Daily Iowan on the 15th that I was very interested in. He indicated that we should be directing the concern of d.t. Iowa City to making it a campus town because that is where the market is. We have, he said, 27,000-28,000 students and he thinks to succeed we have to cater to that student market. He also says that in his efforts to develop Iowa City he works to entice new corporations into town. He likes new businesses that are national chains because they provide more and better jobs and they pay more oddly enough too than our local stores do. He is dead wrong. Iowa City's d.t is not a campus town. I am only one of many businesses that see our peaks occur in business activity when the student are on hiatus. When they are out of town there is more room in town and there is more people shopping and more people spending money and so while some of the businesses might experience a down cycle when the students are gone, there are others of us that experience a Thisrepresents only araasonably accurate ~anscrlption of thelowe Citycouncil meeting of February28,1995. F022895 #10 page 13 definite up cycle. We need somebody in Mr. Kelly's position, funded by the city with I understand about $50,000 is what the city's tax payers share is of his budget, working to enhance the type of employers that we are trying to attract to Iowa City. We need to get people who can afford to set up a business here as an entrepreneur, higher local people that can pay them enough that they can afford to live here. We don't need another wire transfer system for the profits that leave town for the corporations that he is working to attract. The mayor said earlier in her State of the City Address that the council is committed to the d.t. and the development of it and you are showing that by developing the south side of the d.t. area. I was on a committee that worked with the city council people and some staff people about parking and transportation and signage. Let's take the money that we are going to give to Mr. Kelley's group and spend it on promoting something that we already have that is not going up at the present time. It is on the way down. There is empty space d.t. There are people moving out because the rents are too high. Rent is only too high when there is not enough business to help you pay the rent. I would pay double the rent that I am paying today if I could triple the business with traffic that would march down my street. The folks aren't there any more. Businesses don't like to say this but they are just not there and we need to do something to help grow this d.t. area back to where it was ten years ago. Ten years ago people knocked on my door to buy my lease. They wanted to pay me money to get me out of my store so they could pay rent to my landlord and open their business. That hasn't happened d.t in Iowa City in 10-12 years and it is not going to happen until we get those people back again and we can do it with promotion, we can do it with perception of what it is like to park and drive d.t., we can do it with signage, we could actually have a customer walk out of the parking lot at the Holiday Inn and stand there and see a map of d.t. Iowa City in front of him that shows him that if he walks through the hotel he is going to be right in the heart of the city instead of walking down the college street alley iooking for the mall or going the wrong way all together. We need to get our act together to promote what we have to make it better. Thanks. Throg/ I guess I would like to say I support most of what Jim said. I would like to reinforce it and encourage Jim to talk more with us about how to accomplish the objectives that you have pointed out. I guess I would also like to say that our effort to direct funds to the Jazz Festival, the Arts Festival and the Friday Night Concert Series are part of our effort to Thisrepresents only areasonably eccuratetranscrlptioll ofth~lowo City coun~l meeting of February28,1995. F022895 #10 page.14 promote the d.t.. As is our instructions to staff to improve the parking system, to make the parking ramps more attractive, more safe and so on and I think we are going to see some results coming out of that relatively soon. So, I agree with you and I think we are trying to do some things in that direction. Kubby/ I will pass on the list I received from you to other council members. Jay LeaVesseur/ 828 Pepper Drive. I am kind of here-I am back'to talk about the CVB funding and the proposed diversion of funds to the arts festivals and I am kind of here with mixed hearts. I happen to be the general manager of the Heartland 'Inn in Coralville and quite frankly the downsizing of the hotel business in Iowa City would probably do me good. But-I guess I want to address a couple of specific issues regarding the f~nding. First of all I know the concept has been brought up this really isn't a budget cut because in real mean dollars the total funding hasn't gone down. I think you may be making a serious error in your equation in that assumes you have flat tax revenue or an increased tax revenue coming in this year and you simply-I don't think you are going to. At the end of this month the Ironman will be back in operation and at the end of November the Hampton Inn, you will have 200 rooms at exit 242 in Coralville that you didn't have before and you are going to have a 60 room net increase in lodging capacity in Coralville with no corresponding increase in capacity in Iowa City. More specifically your #1 and #2 Hotel Motel Tax generator in Iowa City are the Holiday Inn and the Highlander and they are convention and conference centers. The Hampton Inn and the Ironman are targeted specifically at those two markets. They go-we don't make our budget competing against each other. I am an economy class hotel and my competition isn't comfort Inn, Fairfield Inn or Hampton Inn. My competition is the Holiday Inn and the Highlander because I can offer a reasonably affordable product or reasonable competitive product at a substantially discounted rate because I don't have a lot of the overhead. There is also been the issue brought up the fact that you can just reallocate your funds. The funds are tight and we all know that. You have made some very hard decisions the past couple of months specifically regarding revenue and you are going to have to make some more over the next couple of years and I know that $10,000 compared to hundreds of millions doesn't seem like a lot of money but when money is tight you don't lay off the best salesperson you have. Back in the fall of 1992 when the Thisrepresents only areason&bly accurate ttsnscriptlonof~olowaCl~ council meefiogofFebruary 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 15 inn keepers were generally protesting the increase of the motel tax from 5% to 7% there were a couple of statements made that to justify the increase and one of them was I believe I can attribute to City Manager Atkins but if I am wrong I apologize was that in a time of the property tax freeze in the State'of Iowa that it would be irresponsible of the city not to pursue any potential avenue of funding and revenue increase available to them and that was generally agreed to. The second argument was made was the fact that the CVB-At the time the innkeepers wanted you to increase the percentage of funding that was going to the CVB fairly dramatically and we used the argumentation that as a percentage of other communities that CVB and Iowa City was grossly under funded as a percentage of Hotel Motel Tax revenue and I believe that is still the case. And one of the arguments made was well, then they would benefit directly from the increased revenue because 25% of a bigger piece of pie is a bigger slice of pie for them. While we may be reallocating funds, their 25% in terms of real dollars and what you could do in terms of long term budgeting is being cut. Especially if I think you incorporate the very real chance that your tax revenue from Hotel Motel in Iowa City is going to go down. Until you get your suite property across from tile Holiday Inn, you are dealing with a shorter deck than everybody else and considering the fact that you need to staff the CVB with the ability to bring in conventions and conferences, not just leisure traffic or not just drive by traffic, you have to work to get to the Holiday Inn d.t. They need to be able to bring in conventions and conferences separate for the University. The University is going to bring some events. I live very nicely off a lot of business that the University brings in. Also the University doesn't contribute Hotel Motel tax revenue. With the CVB you are getting a sales person who is going out and not only making you at least affordable return. Their budget was under $250,000 and $1 million in revenue cam back in between the two communities this year..You are also dealing with somebody who specifically is giving your money back. If you give them $10,000 and they invest it, they can bring in about at a minimum $280,000 in economic activity and still have the $10,000 you originally gave them returned right back into city coffers. And unfortunately the festivals don't have that capacity. If you fell compelled to fund the festivals through Hotel Motel Tax, I would suggest that you not take it away from the branch teat is generating the revenue but take it from the other 75% that isn't bringing the money ba6k in and don't cut their budgets this year by $10,000 and free up the CVB to do the job that they want. The other point that I would like to bring up is Thisrepresents only areesonably accuratetranscrlptlon ofthelowaCitycouncllmeetlngofFebma~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page. 16 the fact that we can do a lot of things to varying degrees of effectiveness. yes, the CVB isn't going to go under if you take away the $10,000. The Arts Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Friday Night Concert Series are still going to bring in economic activity to the community. But when it comes to a concept of maximizing revenues, your best bet is to give the money back to the CVB and Wendy has given you lots of statistics that are very valid and actually are very conservative in terms of the reinvestment capacity that you get of the money coming back from the Hotel Motel.Tax. I just think we are shooting ourselves in the foot here when we reallocate that money and we take it away. The issue of whether or not the festival should be funded I thfnk is a completely separate one if the city should responsible for funding them. I think everybody agrees that they add to the definite quality of life and they do make it more marketable. As an innkeeper and a member of the CVB board of directors, quite frankly my goal may be more specific than the mission statement of the CVB. I think the economic activity phrase is a little vague. I think specifically that the goal of the CVB and I know that there are people on the board the vehemently disagree with me. But I think that the vision is to generate as much Hotel Motel Tax revenue as possible to decrease the tax load on the tax payers of Iowa City and Coralville. As a final plea, I would strongly encourage the council to look at some long term planning like Wendy has asked for. A five year commitment would be wonderful so that everybody knows where we are at. Right now, as a board member, I am really quite anxious about the fact that next year a lot of other groups may give you just as persuasive appeal. I think it is a same that we don't have the Criterium this year. But I don't know if the $2,500 should come out of the CVB's money next year and there is a lot of other very valid groups out there as well. The other thing I think is the long term approach will help because you have a pretty unique agency here. We are dealing with two cities and they are trying to please people on all sides of the perspective. And even though you may be friendly and sometimes not so friendly competitors, Coralville and Iowa City are competing and you are competing for tax dollars yet the CVB and the board of directors is responsible to both cities. We have to answer to both of them. The message we get fr.om Coralville is very distinct for the message we get from Iowa City. The message from Coralville is that the goal of CVB is to generate as much'Hotel Motel Tax revenue as possible to decrease the tax load and increase as much money to the general fund as possible. And that is some of our decisions have been made and unfortunately we find ourselves kind of in Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate tmnscrlptlen ofthelowa City council meeting of February 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 17 this pickle. So, you have a great sales person who are doing a good job. They can prove it. When money is tight you don't lay off your sales people. You don't eat your seed corn ahd you know, to a certain extent we are having a corn fest this year because we are taking acre of some of that and.I would encourage you to-if you have to allocate the money because I think they are valid organizations there. There are valid festivals, they do increase the quality of life. I ~ould say take the money out of the other 75% and don't cut their funds this year. Pigott/ Thanks for coming down. Sue Dulek/ I am currently the president of the board of directors in the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. I'm here along with other members of the board, staff, and residents to support the council's decision regarding accepting federal funding for community policing. We've been here before talking about community policing and we'll be here again. We feel very strongly about it. On behalf of the board, I wrote a letter at the end of January to council asking them, urging them to leverage the federal money. I was ecstatic when I picked up the Press-Citizen about a week after that, I think about the seventh or eighth of February, to realize that council did accept that money. The community policing is certainly essential. The board, we have monthly meetings. Part of our monthly board meetings includes reports from the residents. Inevitably we get stories especially on the Broadway Street area of activity, not all of which is legal. We feel strongly about community policing and last year we have a limited budget as a non-profi~ agency. We took $10,000 of our limited funds to hire an officer. We essentially paid for an officer to walk the beat out there. That's how strongly we feel about this. And I think that the city's has the responsibility. It's not the neighborhood center's responsibility to hire an officer. We do it because we feel that we should. But I think it's the community of Iowa City's responsibility to hire that officer. And I think by the council taking the vote agreeing to leverage those federal dollars, it affirms that belief that it is a community responsibility. And the vote to do that really enhances the quality of life. There's a couple three residents who are here who will tell you that directly. And the mayor in her opening remarks, and I applauded those, that she said, we will seek strategies to protect the quality of life our residents enjoy. And clearly bringing community policing to the Broadway Street's neighborhood, will enhance the quality of life. It's a great decision. The board applauds This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995. F022895 #10 page 18 you. I applaud you, and appreciate your time. Pigott/ Thank you for seeing it through, Sue. Sarai Lenoch/ I am a resident of Cedarwood Apartments on Broadway Street. I moved there almost a year ago and the first night that I was to stay in my brand new apartment I refused to. I saw activity going on outside of. my window that I did not agree with. I therefore took my newborn to my aunt's house and s%ayed there. I return during the day time but leave at night. When I found out that there was a foot patrol there I was totally ecstatic. The police officer was so kind to everyone who lived there. He talked to the children, handed out his cop cards, everybody thought that was kind of neat. I cannot express my gratitude towards the foot patrol enough. If it was not for them out patrolling the beats, I do not think that I would be living there right now. About two and a half months ago there were three shots fired outside of my apartment building, scared the living day lights out of me. I never heard gun shots before in my life. After the police came I thought why is the foot patrol only during the summer. What is wrong with the winter. A lot of activity goes on during the winter time also. Living on the ground floor I see a lot of activity going on. I can see whatever goes on in this complex because I am in the very back of it. Although I do not agree with most of it, I do keep my month quiet for fear of what will happen to either me or my son and I do not want either one of us to be a victim of a grazing bullet that was not suppose to be there. So I plead with the council to assure me and the residents of this complex that the foot patrol will go on and not be shut off for a year and then go back on again. I also feel that it should be year long and that it should not be just during the summer time. That is not when everything happens. It happens all year round. Thank you. Liz Hudson/ And I have also addressed the board many times or the council, sorry, many times about the Broadway Street about community policing. I have done it as a Broadway Street resident in public housing and as a board member and now I also support it as a resident out of public housing and also staff member of Neighborhood Centers. I would like to comment at this time that I feel that it would be damaging to ever stop the community policing in our neighborhood. Especially to stop and start and stop and start. I remember when it very first started what a change it had made and then stopped. How damaging it was and then to start again and how wonderful it was and you know, just to see it top again would be damaging Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription oftbelows Citycouncil meeting of Fsbms~ 28, 1995. F022895 #10 page 19 and We would see the results. I also had watched,. some pe6ple watch day time soap operas. I watch evening cups and the real stories of the highway patrolman and I also watched another program in regards to agencies and organizations starting programs just like Iowa City in regards to doing community policing and I noticed that the one way that a lot of these programs were recognized was because they were constant and they didn't work overnight, it took a lot of community help as well as city help, you know, in recognition and everyone needs to work together and the police officers as far as I know, most of them, live in Iowa City. They are part of our community as well besides employees. And we all need to work together and one of the things that Neighborhood Centers' of Johnson County also has done is provided a place for families in the neighborhood to come together as a neighborhood council and it keeps growing and whether it is a place for people to speak about their concerns with the crime or concerns of what we need to help our neighborhood and I think one of the most important things is to consider that you know, in this area is a large clump of low income housing. In my opinion, we need the help of the city, the city put the clump there and now we need the help to survive in this clump. And so, I would like to also thank for the consideration of the additional officers. I am hoping that the community policing will also continue. Pigott/ Could I just ask, for just a second, you have no plans to stop the community policing in that area right now, do you? I just have heard a couple of people worry that it would stop and start again and I just wanted you to- Kubby/ If we got the officers from the grant they are slated to be community policing and how we talked about it was each three officers would be targeted to one neighborhood so that there would be one full time equivalent at all times in community policing. Arkins/ R. J.- Pigott/ I just heard a couple people worry that they would stop it in that area. Atkins/ You may want to come to the microphone, R. J. Winklehake/ The emphasis that they are talking about was funded through a grant and we had something like $10,000 and with the neighborhood people that were there decided when they wanted Thisrepresents only areasonably eccuratstranscription ofthelowa CIW council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 20 the neighborhood police to be there to actual walk the patrol. Without that kind of funding where I qan put people on overtime, I have to rely on the people that I have on the street to be able to get down there. Sometimes I can't do that because of the other calls that they are handling. They are simply not down there. The times that we are talking about that they are referring to was on overtime. We had people sign up to go down there and walk whatever the hours were. That was for the most part all on overtime where I had to pay that. It is not people that I had on the street where I can assign them. We try to assign them through there. They still have to answer the other calls. They are not able to be down there all of the time. And I think- Pigott/ I see. Thanks. Kim Yaman/ I am a resident of the Pheasant Ridge neighborhood on the west side of Iowa City which is Iowa City's largest subsidized housing development. Now I am going to place myself geographically and date myself historically and let you know that from 1979 to 1982 I worked for the Human. Services Department of the Public Housin~ Authority of St. Paul, Minnesota and during that time we were fortunate to benefit from the allocation of federal funding to implement a community policing program in our largest housing developments and I am not going to argue that Iowa City's needs in terms of numbers of police responses to these communities is as great as large metropolitan like St. Paul. But, as we found and the Public Housing Authority, the situation that was being resolved by the implementation of community poiicing was not just a decrease in the number of responses that were being made by the police to crime and it wasn't simply a decrease in crime but it provided an opportunity to address situations and issues that resulted in crime and was a very- clearly preventiv~ measure and also enhanced community ownership of the area. You could walk around at any time of the night and day and no that you were safe and know that somebody knew where were the spots in .your neighborhood that things could occur and that people could meet and where maybe women weren't safe or your children weren't safe to be after dark. We saw the development of Crime Watch programs among the residents, increased participation in community council'meetings, and it also very important thing that we have neglected to mention so far is that this provided role models for youth who previously saw the police only in reaction to crisis, crime and violence. So we saw a decrease in crime, a decrease in situations that resblted in crime. We saw an increase in neighborliness and Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthelowe City council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 21 people watching out for each other and getting to know each other without that fear that something could happen between them and we also saw youths who participated in programs, like they would walk beats with the police officers or just to greet them daily on their rounds and some youths who actually participated in internships and went on to the police academy later. I also saw after the installation of a new presidential administration in the 1981 this program be dismantled and how destructive and detrimental this was, not just to these small communities of housing developments but to the entire community at large. And so I would really like to enjoin the council to not only to ~11ocate community police officers to the neighborhood of the Broadway Street area but to other areas as well and be always conscious of the preventive measures and the long term affects that something like this program can offer our larqer community. Thanks. Nov/ Is there anyone else here who would like to speak about the budget? Kubby/ Almost a 300% increase in comments. Pigott/ That is great. Karr/ Could I have a motion to accept correspondence? Pigott/ So moved to accept correspondence. Baker/ Is that the last speaker? Nov/ That is the way I understand it. Kerr/ I am sorry, was there a second. Throg/ Yes, I am sorry I did. I didn't speak loudly enough, sorry. Nov/ All right. Any discussion. All in favor say aye (ayes). Baker/ (Can't hear). Pleased that we had this kind of response (can't hear) Understandably concerned about some things. Most of them wanted some increases in our budget. Let me tell you who I am disappointed who is not here is that the council gets criticized either indirectly or implicitly by individuals and or organization that think that they have a better way to allo6ate our money. That have proposals that they think h~ve merit. If they are not down here in front of us proposing those tyings and asking us to respond to them directly face to Thlsrepresentsol~lyafeasonablyaccuratetranscription ofthelowaCltycouncil meeting of Febma~ 28,1995. F022895 #10 page 22 face. There may be ways that we can adjust the budget and maybe there are criticisms that could be had but I wish those people who profess to have those criticisms had been down here tonight to express them and taken the time and energy that these people took to be here tonight. So, there is still a chance that they could show up but I encourage that if you have suggestions on how we can save money- Throg/ You wouldn't be referring to an editorial that appeared in on~ of the local newspaper, would you? Baker/ Not a word. But that is only one expression of that sort of sentiment I would like us (can't hear). Nov/ Is there anyone in the audience that came to talk about a p.h.? on another matter? No, all right. The council is going to take a break. [BREAK] Don, all right, we have one more budget comment. Kubby/ I just wanted to let council know I assume we are voting on this in a week. Right. I will give you a week's notice that I am going to request that the HACAP and the Free Med Clinic items get taken out as a separate issue because I want %o abstain on those two things. One of those, the Free Med, I am on the board as an individual in the community and have been such since '86° The other one, HACAp, I am a representative of council on the board and I haven't really heard back from the attorney whether I need to or not but because I deal with budgets and I am there as the council but once I am there I am a board member and have board responsibilities of the whole agency. So I will be asking to take those out of the budget for a separate. Baker/ Karen, I understand the Free Medical Clinic connection. On the HACAP agency, as a council appointee you are also not just a representative of the council'to HACAP but you are part of the administration. Kubby/ I am part of the board like any other board member. the reason I got there was because I was appointed by council but I don't only serve my fbnction when it is an issue that has to deal with the City of Iowa City. I am there for all issues, budget, issues that happen in Linn County, etc. Thlsrepresents only nrensonably accurate trans=l~lonofthelowaCl~ council maetlngefFcbru=ry28, i995. F022895 #10 page 23 Baker/ But that is inherent in3whoever the council appoints to that position? Kubby/ Yes. And I believe the same is true for some other boards and Linda, at this point disagrees with me but I am worrying about things I am on and going to- Nov/ Linda will tell us whose board is going to create a conflict and who has to abstain. We will count on you to let us know. Woito/ Th~ Free Medical Clinic is really the only clear out one and Karen and I have discussed that. Kubby/ I would rather be conservative about that. Woito/ Tha~ is up to you. Thlsrepresent~ o~lyamasoJtablyaccurmetr&qscrlption ofthelowa CiW council me~ingofFebru~y28,'1995, F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 7 ITEi'VI NO, 11 - PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ISSUANCE OF $8,260,000 GENERAL OBLIGA- TION BONDS TO FINANCE THE COSTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION, RECON- STRUCTION AND REPAIRING OF STREET' IMPROVEMENTS; THE CON- STRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, EXTENSION, IMPROVEMENT AND EQUIPPING OF A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND SANITARY AND STORM SEWERS; THE RECONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF WATERWAYS, AND REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY, USEFUL FOR THE PROTECTION OR RECLAMATION OF PROPERTY SITUATED WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS FROM FLOODS OR HIGH WATERS AND THE RECON- STRUCTION, IMPROVEMENT AND REPAIR OF THE WATERWORKS. Comment: This public hearing is being held to receive public comment for or against the issuance of bonds. Wastewater projects total $2,000,000 and tentative!y include two lift stations and sanitary relief sewers. Water projects total $4,900,000 and tentatively include reimbursement for land acquisition and engineering fees. Other projects total 91,360,000 for street, storm sewer and bond issuance costs. Action: ITEM NO. 12 - ITEM NO, 13 ~ CONSIDER A RESOLUTION INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE AD. DI- __ l'10NAL ACTION FOR THE AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE OF $8,260,0- O0 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO PAY COSTS OF THE CONSTRUC- TION, RECONSTRUCTION AND REPAIRING OF STREET IMPROVEMENTS; THE CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, EXTENSION, IMPROVEMENT AND EQUIPPING OF A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND SANITARY AND STORM SEWERS; THE RECONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF WATERWAYS, AND REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY, USEFUL FOR THE PROTECTION OR RECLAMATION OF PROPERTY SITUATED WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS FROM FLOODS OR HIGH WATERS AND THE RECON- STRUCTION, IMPROVEMENT AND REPAIR OF THE WATERWORKS. Comment: This resolution allow~ the City to be reimbursed for the costs of these projects and approves proceeding with the bond issue. The actual sale of the bonds is tentatively scheduled for March 28, 1995. PUBLIC HEARING ON '[HE ISSUANCE OF ~240,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO FINANCE THE COSTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING OF SOCCER RECREATION FIELDS. C6mment: This public hearing is being held to receive public comment for or against the issuance of the bonds. Action: #12 page ITEM NO. 12 - CONSIDER A RESOLUTION INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION FOR THE AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE OF $8,260,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO ~AY COSTB OF THE CONSTRUCTIOn, RECONSTRUCTION AND REPAIRING OF STREET IMPROVEMENTS; THE CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, EXTENSION, IMPROVEMENT AND EQUIPPINS OF A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND SANITARY AND STORM SEWERS; THE RECONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF WATERWAYS~ AND REAL ~ PERSONAL PROPERTY, USEFUL FOR THE PROTECTION OR RECLAMATION OF PROPERTY SITUATED WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS FROM FLOODS OR HIGH WATERS AND THE RECONSTRUCTION, IMPROVEMENT AND REPAIR OF THE WATERWORKS. Nov/ Moved by Pigott, seconded by Baker. Is there any discussion? Kubby/ Don, why aren't we doing sewer projects with sewer bonds? Do we get a better deal on general obligation bonds? Yucuis/ Yes we do. By selling General Obligation bonds we get a better rate and we don't have to set aside moneys for a reserve for the debt service. The sewer fund does repay the debt on that but it is specifically from the user fees. Nov/ And this applies to the water funds also? Yucuis/ Correct. Kubby/ Thank you. Nov/ Any other discussion? Roll call- (yes). Okay. Thisrepresents only o reasonably eccur~etranscriptlon ofthelowa Cl~ council meafingofFebruary28,1995. F022895 ~/13 page 1 Nov/ Now, is there any council discussion. Throg/ I guess it is worth noting that in the past few months we have heard a few people objecting to the fact that the city is choosing to spend any money at all on the soccer fields given the fact that the referendum some time ago the public at large voted against a much larger expenditure of funds for the soccer field and various other things down there. So, I am just noting that people have said that in the past and yet there is no comments being made in the p.h. Kubby/ Although for me this is not just about soccer fields. It is also a neighborhood issue where a lot of the sites where we have current soccer fields are neighborhood parks. Others are city wide parks but there are a few neighborhood parks that have soccer fields in them. So what happens during soccer season is the whole community converges on this neighborhood and creates a lot of traffic congestion, safety concerns: extra noise and litter in the neighborhood. Not that soccer players litter but you just got people there and activity and that is just a natural response to a lot of humans coming together in one place. And so what this does is help relieve that pressure on the neighborhood parks and the quality of life in the neighborhood parks to these soccer fields. So, for me, it is a double duty expenditure. Thisrepresents only areason~b~ accuratetrenscdptlon oftholowa City council meettngofFebruary28,1995. F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 8 ITEM NO. 14 - CONSIDER A RESOLUTION INSTITUTING PROCEEDINGS TO TAKE ADDI- TIONAL ACTION FOR THE AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE OF $240,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO PAY COSTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING OF SOCCER RECREATION FIELDS. Comment: This resolution allows the City to be reimbursed for the costs of these projects and approves proceeding with the bond issue. The actual sale of the bonds is tentatively scheduled for March 28, 1995. ITEM NO. 15 - ANNOUNCEBqENT OF VACANCIES. a, Previously Announced Vacancies, (1) Board of Library Trustees - One vacancy for an unexpired term ending July 1, 1999. (Anne Hargraves resigned.) (3 males and 5 females presently on Board.) (2) Board of Appeals - One vacancy for a mechanical professional for an unexpired term ending December 31, 1998. (Dave W. Christine resigned.) (4 males and 2 females currently on Board.) (3) Housing Commission - Three vacancies for three-year terms ending May 1, 1998. (Terms of Roger Reilly, Benjamin Moore, and Jack McMahon end.) (2 males and 2 females presently on Commission.) (4) Planning and Zoning Commission -Two vacancies for five year terms ending May 1, 2000. (Terms of Kenneth Cooper and Ann Bovbjerg end.) (3 males and 2 females presently on Commission.) These appointments will be made at the March 7, 1995, meeting of the City Council. b. Current Vacancies. (1) Committee on Community Needs - One vacancy to fill an unex- pired term ending November 1, 1995. (Maryann Dennis resigned.) This appointment .will be made a'~ the April,1 I, 1995, meeting of the City Council. ~.4~ ~,,~(,~ ~j ~, F,,~,~i~ ~ ITEM NO. 16 - CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS. Consider an appointment to the Animal Control Advisory Board for a three-year term ending April 5, 1998. (Janice Becker's term ends.)(2 males and 2 females presently on Board.) Action; #16a page 1 NO. 15 - CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS° Consider an appointment to the Animal Control Advisory Board for a three-year term ending April 5, 1998. (Janice Becker's term ends.) (2 males and 2 females presently on Board.) CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 95-36 SIDE 1 Nov/ On the Animal Control Advisory Board and we have no applicants° Kubby/ We have two openings. So, if anybody out there is interested you would probably get it because no one has applied. Nov/ We have two openings? I thought it was one. It says one three year term ending April 5, 1998. So, if anybody is listening who would like to be on that. Please, send in an application. We will meet again next week. All right- Thisrepresents onlyereasonablyaccuratatranscHptlon ofthelowa Clty coun~lmeefing ~ Febru~/28,1995. F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, ~Lgg5 Page 8A ITEM NO. 166. - CITY COUNCIL IMFOR)IATION. REPORT ON ITE)(S FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY. ¢.~ City Manager. City Attorney. #16b page 1 ITEM NO. 16b - CITY COUNCIL INFOR~TION Nov/ City Council Information. Larry, do you want to start? Baker/ It is almost time for the top ten list. I have two quick things. Pigott/ You have your own top ten list? Okay. Baker/ These are just status questions. 0he is and I was going to raise this during the budget discussion but- When are we going to talk about sales tax again? Atkins/ Did we as a council- It is not that it is a difficult question. I was just trying to think about where we left it. Baker/ I just want to know if there is- Atkins/ Sales tax was discussed in conjunction with the water project. I think if there is any time it is likely to occur on the 29th because you wanted just some general information about it. On my list of agenda items for the future, I have not scheduled a specific discussion unless you want one. Nov/ We discussed it momentarily with the Johnson County Supervisors and they didn't seem interested and we discussed it this much with Coralville and they didn't seem interested. Baker/ I just want to know if there was a sense that the council itself had lost interest in it? Atkins/ I have done no substantive work on the thing. Again, it was tied to the water project. I am assuming you are- Baker/ The 29th, maybe we can just sort of- Atkins/ I have an open forum planned that evening for pretty much anything you want. Pigott/ Yeah, maybe that is the place to talk about it. Arkins/ Okay. Baker/ Second thing is I suppose I knew this all along but when Jim Clayton said d.t. plaza is not cleaned up Saturday and Sunday mornings is that literally true? Thisrepresents only areaeonably accmatetranscriptlon ofthelowaCitycouncil meeting of Februn~ 28,1995, F022895 #16b page 2 Atkins/ I am not sure of that. I know that we have them scheduled Monday through Friday. In the summer time I know that we have part time employees. It may be a seasonal thing. I'll find out. Throg/ That would be worth finding out and if we can do something about that. Pigott/ We also talked about maintaining the flower beds and also I know of one group that would be interested in doing some maintenance. Atkins/ Remember about 3-4 years ago the businesses were to adopt a bed. That lasted one year. Pigott/ Yeah, I know. But I thought there was some interest the last time we brought this up in doing that and I didn't know what- Throg/ I think in part Bruno is referring to EA which we know, since we are members of the board of directors, know would like to adopt a bed. So, if there is some procedures that EA should go through. Mark Smith, president of EA, should be- Atkins/ Great. I will talk to Mark. We will make arrangements. Throg/ You know, we had talked about the city council adopting a bed. Pigott/ Yeah, we did. We talked about ourselves. Throg/ That would be a kick. Kubby/ King size, queen size. Pigott/ Larry is a gardener. Larry knows how to do this. Atkins/ I will get back to you. Baker/ But we are getting clarification about what the clean up- Atkin$/ I will get the clean up scheduled for you, definitely. Pigott/ I have one thing. Speaking of EA, I mentioned earlier a couple weeks ago that EA has a yearly award, Environmentalist of the Year. And I think it is a really good way to express out appreciation for someone who has worked in the community Thisrepresents only areasoneblyaccuratetrnnscrlption ofthelowa CIW council meeting of February 28,1995. F022895 #16b page 3 in a quiet way to the benefit of our environment and what I didn't have the last time I talked about it was the date and time. The EA will present their Environmentalist of the Year Award Wednesday, April 5, 6:00 PM at a potluck supper at First Christian Church which is right next to Bruegger's Bagels right down town. And so I encourage everyone to come on out and see who that person is and applaud their good work and each of us can be environmentalists in our own ways as well during the next year. Throg/ I would like to bring up two points. One serious and the other not so serious. I'll will do the second first. I really enjoyed taking part in the Chambers Walk of the Stars Saturday as I think everyone else did. Steve, you were my successor if I remember rightly on Saturday. but more importantly I really enjoyed shooting hoops with my friend Joe Bolcum, Patrick Moreland and Bill. of the Press Citizen and teaching them how to drain three pointers and make sharp cuts to the basket. Kubby/ I watched. That was great. Atkins/ That is not what I heard. Pigott/ So Jim, is this by way of a proposal for a city county basketball game. Throg/ I think it is about time. Pigott/ I think there should be a grudge match and men-women teams included° We have some small forwards. Kubby/ That is how we should decide fringe area agreement. Throg! Karen and I had already decided that she would be our post person. Pigott/ Larry Baker has got a mean outside shot. Baker/ I am one on one with Charlie Duffy. Pigott/ Any day. Throg/ So maybe we should send them a letter inviting them to- The other point is a bit more serious and it has to do with the death penalty which is currently being considered by the Senate in the State of Iowa and I guess what I would like to 1'hisrepresents only area3onobly accurate transcription ofthelowa City council meeting of Februa~ 28, 1995. F022895 #16b page 4 do is.read a letter that three individual members of the city council are directing to our local senators and I would like to encourage members of the audience who are so inclined to write letters similar to this or do whatever they see as appropriate. In any event, the letter is brief and it says (reads letter). And it is signed byKaren Kubby, Bruno Pigott, and myself. So, I want to emphasize that it is signed by the three of us. It is not an action of the city council as a whole. Kubby/ Jim said it all. Thisrepresents only ereesoneblyaccuretetrenscrlptlon of theiowa City council mee~ng of February 28,1995, F022895 Agenda Iowa City City Council Regular Council Meeting February 28, 1995 Page 9 ITEiVl NO. 17 - CONSIDER A RESOLUTION CHANGING THE NAME OF RUSSELL STREET LOCATED IN HOLLYWOOD MANOR, PART 5, TO RUSSELL DRIVE. ITEM NO, 18 - Comment: The street has been identified as Russell Drive on city street signs, maps, telephone books, and the City Directory, Also, the same street located in Hollywood Addition, Part Two, and South Pointe Addition is platted as Russell Drive, The residents/property owners affected have been notified by letter of the pending street name change. Action: CONSIDER A RESOLUTION NAMING DEPOSITORIES. ITEIVi NO, 19 - Comment: This resolution updates the depository list for the name change of depository Mid-America Savings Bank to Homeland Savings Bank, FSB We are requesting a change in the investment limits on several of the depositories. We are recommending that First National Bank, Iowa State Bank and Hills Bank & Trust increase their investment limits to $12 million, $12 million and 815 million, respectively, and Hawkeye State Bank, Norwest Bank and the University of Iowa Community Credit Union to increase their investment limits to 81.5 million, 820 million and 85 million, respectively. Action: CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SECTIONS 2,068B (MAYOR), 2,08C AND 2.08E (APPOINTMENTS), 3,01A (NOMINATIONS), 6,01 (LIMITATIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS) AND 7.04D (PROCEDURE APTER FILING), AS RECOM- IV]ENDED BY THE CHARTER REVIEW COMM. (FIRST CONSIDERATION) IOWA CITY CHARTER, ITEM NO. 20 - Comment: A nine member Charter Review Commission was appointed by the City Council May 17, 1994. After review of the Charter, recommendations were made to the City Council on non-substantive changes to the Charter. A public hearing was held February 14, 1995, and no one appeared. The Commission and staff recommend adoption of this ordinance. Action: AD,JOURNMENT. D #18 page 1 ITEM NO. 18 - CONSIDER A RESOLUTION NAMING DEPOSITORIES. Nov/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Throg. Is there any discussion? Pigott/ Yeah, I just wondered if Steve, you or Don want to explain this seeming puzzle to people out in the audience who weren't here yesterday to hear why we are doing this, what is the purpose, why do we do these things? Yucuis/ Within our investment policy we have to designate the maximum amount of money that we want to invest in any one institution. It is just a spreading the risk. What this does is a formal resolution in that we have to abide by throughout the year where we don't exceed that amount of maximum in any one institution. We contacted all of the banks and savings and loans and credit unions in the area to see if they wanted to increase their maximums and most of them did. Throg/ so, instead of investing all of our funds in one local bank which would create obvious potential for conflicts of interests and whatever else, we are diversifying to all of the banks-? Yucuis/ Correct. Kubby/ We were doing that before but it is increasing- The only concern that I have is the bank that we are having the biggest increase with is not local bank. This doesn't mean that we are going to invest that much in any one bank but there are limits but I guess my preference would be put the bigger amount in the local banks to help support. That the money that the bank makes available to the community people, we can help supply that. Baker/ I thought our purpose was to get the most return? Arkins/ Safety, liquidity and yield is the three things. Kubby/ In my statement I am not necessarily saying make less money to live out that goal. But when there are choices and things are equal, I would rather invest- Nov/ I am sure that is what we would do. Kubby/ I personally would want, if it were within a certain range, would prefer to invest this public's money locally. I don't know what that range would be but I would mind not making as Thisrepresents only areasonably accuratetranscription oftholowa City council meeting of Februa~ 28,1995. F022895 #18 page 2 much as we could to invest locally. Nov/ Roll call- (yes). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 28, 1995, F022895 #19 page 1 ITEM CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDIN~ THE IOWA CITY CHARTERr SECTIONS 2.068B (M~YOR), 2.08C AND 2.08E (APPOINTMENTS) t 3.01A (NOMINATIONS), 6.01 (LIMITA- TIONS ON THEAMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS) AND 7.04D (PROCEDURE AFTER FILING), AS RECO~4ENDED BY THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMo (FIRST CONSIDERATION) Nov/ Moved by Kubby, seconded by Pigott. Baker/ Question. We have a letter here from Jeff McCullough. Are we going to address or talk about the issue or situation about the option of either __. our requirements or adopting or following through on the ~-~ction of establishing penalties? Is that going to be discussed? Kubby/ Well, if we vote for this ordinance it has the differing campaign laws than the state law in it, right? Karr/ This is silent on it. That is another issue and we recommended that we come back to you with a separate ordinance. This ordinance contains only the recommendations of the Commission. The Commission on that matter simply alerted you to the fact and asked council to pursue it. Kubby/ We had already directed staff to draft ordinance about enforcement. Karr/ Right. This ordinance does not contain that yet. Nov/ I am surprised that it said no one appeared because a couple of the Commission members did appear at the p.h. Karr/ I think we excluded council and Commission from citizenry at that time when we say no one appeared other than those two. Throg/ I guess I wanted to ask a question and I don't know how hard I want to push it particularly tonight. But anyhow. One of the issues-I think the most controversial issue that the Commission addressed was whether or not three members of the council should be elected by their districts and my recollection is that it was either a 6/3 or 5/4 vote on the council in favor of keeping things the way they are. So, I guess the question I want to ask and yet I don't want to deliberate it a lot tonight. The question I want to ask is whether any of you see any merit in us deliberating to some extent whether we think that the Charter should be changed to have district wide elections? That is the question. ThlsrsFasonts only areasonably accurate transcription ofthalowa City coun~lmeetlng of Februa~/28,1995. F022895 #19 page 2 Kubby/ Yeah, I am interested in talking about that issue some more because as someone who worked in municipal and for municipal elections before running my individual campaigns for council and doing voter education, this hybrid system we have is very confusing and I think some of the advantages of the hybrid system that our city is not big enough to actually have representation districts is changing. That we are growing big enough that maybe we are at a point that we could have four at large and three- I don't know how I really come down on it but I would like us to discuss the issue. I don't feel I have the facilities tonight. Active listening takes a lot of energy. And I would vote for this first consideration and hope we could have some more discussion before a third vote. Baker/ Even if we passed all of this we could still do something. Throg/ Apparently. Baker/ Jim, as long as we want to focus on that issue. An issue that, again, I am confused about (can't hear). It could be improved but I am not sure how. But I would be glad to talk about it. Pigott/ I would love to talk about it, too. Nov/ I am the only one who doesn't love to talk about it. It is really because it is kind of late. Pigott/ Not tonight I don't want to talk about it but I would like to in the future and maybe it is a process of more that just the consideration of this but over the next year or so. Throg/ I guess what I would think is if we do want and apparently we do want to at least discuss whether to have district wide elections. If we do that we should make sure the public knows about it so there is an opportunity to comment on that particular point. Woito/ Yes I agree. And upcoming elections. about, also you should do it before the next I mean, if that is what you are thinking Baker/ Of all the issues that the CRC looked at, that is the only one that I am not totally comfortable with the way result is. Throg/ That is the only reason I am drawing attention to it because it was a close vote on the CRC. Thisrepresents only areasonably accurate transcription ofthelowa Citycouncil meeting ofFebrua~28,1995. F022895 #19 page 3 Pigott/ I am not convinced that we need to settle it before we pass this. Woito/ No, no you don't. Pigott/ That we need to do it before this next election either. But I think that in the long term I think maybe it is wise to think about it and to do something about it. I don't know it is going to be solved. Baker/ So, the advantage of getting it resolved whether you are going to offer changes or not to get it for this election is- have a special election. Karr/ Can you clarify for me is the issue when you say district election, is it the primary process, the election process or district representation. Throg/ The election process. Kubby/ It could be any or all of those. Karr/ That is why- Pigott/ And that is the problem. Nov/ And some day we will talk about it. Obviously you have four people here who want to go into detail and discuss this issue and it is worth discussing. So- Baker/ Which is not to say I want to change it but I am quite willing to talk about it. Woito/ Information goes out to the candidates in-When do you send this stuff out. Karr/ (can't hear). Woito/ All I say is if you are going to try and do it before this next batch that you do it- Kubby/ Well, if it has to go on a ballot, I am not interested in paying for a special election. I prefer it on the ballot- Woito/ No, I am talking about information to the candidates. This will not go on the ballot unless someone challenged what you did. You have the authority to amend it yourselves. Thlsrepresentsonlyareasoneblyaccuratetranscriptton of ~elowaCl~ coun~lmeefingofFebrua~ 28,1995. F022895 #19 page 4 Karr/ So if you were going to amend it prior to the distribution of the election material, it could impact the representation or the election process in November. If however you are inclined to submit it to the voters as a ballot question, that would not impact the representation but it would certainly impact the ballot question at the November election. Baker/ That would be my inclination. Kubby/ But we could chose to put it on the ballot? Woito/ Yes. Baker/ If we agree on the changes. Nov/ This issue was on the ballot a few years ago. Pigott/ How many years ago was that, Naomi. Woito/ Four? Nov/ No, probably more than that. Maybe- Karr/ Probably the last Charter. Nov/ Probably the last Charter Review. Woito/ I think that is what John McD. or one of them said. Throg/ I guess I would like to make the following suggestion and that we consider the ordinance that is before us. That we vote on it. But that we also, I guess in our next meeting or perhaps the one after that, put on the agenda the question whether to change the election process for districts. Baker/ I don't know if we have to do it that soon. Arkins/ Work session item. Kubby/ Yes and I say after March to start talking about the new issue because we are doing something on the development things as an extra meeting in March. My little brain is getting tired. Nov/ Good point. Kubby/ We have been meeting a lot. Thisrepresents only amasonobly occurate transcdptlon ofthelowa City coundl meeting of Februa~ 28, 1995. F022895 #19 page 5 Baker/ Karen just reminded me about the last item under council agenda about that March 20th meeting on economic development. Don't decide but think about a different date. Arkins/ We will bring it back to you. Kubby/ The juggling of the calendars. Nov/ Roll call- (yes). Thisrepresents onlyarea$onablyaccuratetranscriptlon ofthelowa Cl~ councilmoefingofFebrua~ 28,1995. F022895 City of Iowa City. MEMORANDUM DATE: February 24, 1995 TO: City Council FROM: City Manager RE: Work Session Agenda and Meeting Schedule F~bruary 27, 1995 6:30 P.M. 7:00 P.M. 7:00 P.M. 7:30 P.M. 7:45 P.M. 8:00 P.M. 8:25 P.M, Monday City Conference Board Meeting - Council Chambers City Council Work Session - Council Chambers Review zoning matters Waterfront/Hy Vee Storm Sewer Sidewalk Cafes Council agenda, Council time, Council committee reports Consider appointment to the Animal Control Advlsory Board February 28, 1995 Tuesday 7:30 P,M. Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers March 6, 1995 6:30 P.M. - City Council Work Session - Council Chambers Monday March 7, 1995 Tuesday 7:30 P.M. - Special Cit½ Council Meeting - Council Chambers March 13, 1995 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION CANCELLED Monday March 14, 1995 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING CANCELLED Tuesday March 20, 1995 Monday 6:30 P.M. City Council Work Session- Council Chambers PENDING LIST Appointments to the Board of Library Trustees, Board of Appeals, Housing Commission, and Planning and Zoning Commission - March 7, 1995 Appointment to the Committee on Community Needs - April 11, 1995