HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-07-18 Info PacketCity Of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
DATE: Ouly 14, 1995
TO: City Council
FROM: City Manager
RE: Material in Information Packet
Memorandum from Nayor Horowitz regarding staff evaluations.
Copy of letter from Mayor Horowitz to the Mayor of University Heights
regarding a joint working session.
Memorandum from Council Member Throgmorton regarding water and sewer rate.
increase.
Memorandum from the
lines.
Copy of letter from
regarding the SEATS
Memorandum from the
housing.
City Manager regarding contract renewal for telephone ~/~/
the City Manager to Charles Duffy, Board of Supervisors,
contract.
Associate Planner regarding barriers to affordable o~/i.~
Memorandum from the Director of Public Works regarding construction
management services, water facility improvements
Memorandum from the City Attorney regarding update on department assignments.
Memorandum from the Historic Preservation Co~mission regarding broadcast ~/~
of Historic Preservation Awards.
Copy of letter from Moore Business Forms regarding recycling of waste at ~/~'~
the Iowa City facility.
Agenda 'for the July 13 meeting of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.
Agenda for the July 18, 1995 Informal meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
Memo from RiverfrOnt & Natural Area Comm. Chairperson regarding FIRST
presentation - Inter-Urban Greenway Concept Plan.
Memo from City Mgr. regarding absence from office. ~/
Memo from Council Member Novick regarding Water & Sewer Rates.
Article: The Sudden New Strength of Recycling ~,~
Memo from City Atty. regarding update on Quiet Title Action for Melrose
Ave. Bridge; City Limits Question.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
DATE: July 14, 1995
TO: City Council Members
FROM: Susan Horowitz, Mayor
RE: Staff Evaluations
As you know, the annual performance evaluations for the City Manager, City
Attorney and City Clerk are usually held in June before the beginning of
the new fiscal year. It is now mid-july, and we need to schedule time for
these ~valuations. It usually takes two evenings, and, therefore, I would
like to suggest these dates which are not our regular meeting dates:
August 16-17 or August 30-31.
Please let Marian know, preferably by Monday, July 17, which of these two
evenings are best for you.
July 14, 1995
CITY OF IOWA CITY
Donald Swanson, Mayor
University Heights City Council
138 Koser Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52246
Dear Don:
City Council members have asked that schedule with ybu a working session for our two
councils p. rimarily to discuss Melrose Avenue, but also to consider the various aspects of the
Neuzil tract. While this is obviously an open meeting, it is not seen as a public hearing, which
definitely would be set at later date.
What I would like to suggest for setting this meeting is for both of our groups to consider a
two-hour meeting on one of the following dates: August 21 (7-9 p.m.), August 28 (6:30-
8:30 p.m.), or September 5 (7-9 p.m.). Hopefully from these three dates we can get the
greatest number of Council members from our two cities. It may be that someone cannot
make any Of these, as you and I have talked-about, but we also realize that we will probably
have to have another meeting later on.
Please let me know of your choice and together we will confirm the date. If you can't reach
me at 354-4225, please Marian Karr, City Clerk, at 356-5041. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Susan M. Horowitz, Mayor
City of Iowa City
cc:. City Council --
City Manager
City Clerk
July 13, 1995
To: City Council Members
City Manager
City Attorney
From: Jim Throgmorton
Subject: Water and sewer rate increase
Tuesday night I verbally presented a proposal that I hoped would enable all of
us to agree on the next set of actions with regard t6 the water and sewer
projects. Though my motive (to defuse a politically-divisive issue) was good,
I can see in retrospect that I could have proceeded differently. Perhaps one of
these days before I depart from the Council I will learn how important it is to
discuss complicated proposals with each of you before our meetings. I know
that I felt I didn't have time to do that (or even to prepare a written version of
the proposal), but still...
In any event, here is my proposal.
1. Adopt the 20 percent cash option.
2. Agree, by formal resolution adopted at the same time as we approve the
20 percent cash option, to take the following actions:
a. To hire an independent consultant who has ample and well-
documented experience in devising innovative water or sewer rate
structures for growing communities;
b. To instruct that consultant to
1. devise (and assess the likely consequences of) a water rate
structure that gradually transforms (over of period of, say, five
years) from a declining block rate to a flat rate structure
without imposing an unfair burden on renters,
2. estimate the portions of the planned water and sewer
investment costs that are directly attributable to growth and
devise water and sewer impact fees and a Rate Reduction
Reserve Program that directs the resulting fees back to current
users;
3. State, by formal resolution adopted at the same time as we approve the
20 percent cash option, Council's intention to adopt a water impact fee
that recoups the monetizable costs of growth identified by the consultant.
Larry and I had a lengthy conversation after Tuesday meeting. That enabled
me to see that he (and perhaps others of you) believe that Council has akeady
agreed to do item 3. My concerns are that -- to the best of my recollection -
the agreement has not been formalized and that we have not yet received any
infox~nxation from staff that is equivalent to item 2.b.2 above'. I would also
expect the calculations (whether prepared by staff or by a consultant) to be
ql'IO
contestable. The best way for us to deal with that is to have a consultant
prepare the estimates, then have staff assess them.
The conversation with Larry (as well as during the Council meeting) also
enabled me to see that most Council members feel that the rate structure
question has already been resolved and that shifting to a flat rate is a bad idea.
It is true that Council voted the flat rate down, and that may well have been a
wise decision. However, the primary reason for voting it down was to avoid
unduly penalizing renters who live .in larger apartments. A consultant of the
kind described above would be able to devise a rate structure that takes those
legitimate concerns into account. Such a consultant would also be able to
quantify and monetize the arguments that we each have been making, hence
either show how we could shift to a different structure or else persuade me to
shut up on this point. Also, please note that I am not insisting that the
Council vote now to shift to a different rate structure. I am simply asking the
Council to obtain quality information that will help the next Council consider
whether to make any changes !n the current structure.
Larry also suggested that he was more interested in making rates more fair
with regard to a household's ability to pay rather than in terms of the amoun~
of water that it uses. I would be. quite happy (indeed eager) to have the
consultant consider ways in which we could accomplish Larry's objective.
Many of you also questioned the wisdom of hiring a consultant. Why not
rely on our staff? you asked. We have an outstanding staff. That's not the
issue. We always hire consultants to help staff when we need an
independent view (e.g., the cost savings study for the water system), or when
staff are ah'eady overburdened (e.g., the neighborhood sewerage
improvements).
I appreciate your consideration of these proposals, and I look forward to
hearing what you have to say. I trust I have not misstated Larry views (or any
other Councilor's views) on any of these topics. If I have, please accept my
apologies.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Dale: July 12, 1995
To: City Council
From: City Manager
Re:
Contract Renewal for Telephone Lines
Our Division of Purchasing has been nego!iating with U.S. West for the renewal of phone line
service to accommodate 322 City locations. The Centrex service provides City offices with many
abilities, including utilizing 4-digit dialing between offices/buildings. The Centrex service is at a
50% savings to the City versus using standard business lines - an annual cost savings of over
$60,000.
The current fixed 5-year contract will expire in August and we have entered into a new 5-year
fixed agreement at a 14% increase (2.8%/year) versus a 3-year contract which would have been
at a 21% increase. The Centrex service will accommodate the City's phone line needs for the
next five years at an annual cost of $67,000.
FY96 budgets were projected to accommodate the increase. U.S. West Centrex service is
approximately 43% of the overall $155,000 telecommunications budget for the City. The Division
of Purchasing monitors and negotiates contracts on an ongoing basis for long distance service,
service agreements, pay phones, phone book advertising and listings, etc.
CITY OF I0 WA CITY
July 12, 1995
Chades Duffy, Chair
Johnson County Board of Supervisors
P,O, Box 1350
Iowa City, IA 52244
Dear Chadie:
The City Council reviewed the SEATS contract at their regular work session on July 11. It
appears all is okay with the contract and this matter will be scheduled for a City Council vote
on Tuesday,' July 18.
During the Council discussion the issue of a review of paretransit service by users occurred.
The possibility of some type of a SEATS/paratransit advisory committee was resurrected.
Please give this matter some thought. My reading of the City Council is they would like to have
this group in place before too long in order to review paratransit services and in particular offer
advice to the County as woll as Iowa Ci!y and Coralville concerning paratransit service.
At this point I do not have any formal recommendations for either you or the City Council
concerning the committee structure other than I did sense a strong interest on the part of the
City Council to create such a committee. I will be in touch.
Sincerely,
Stephen J, Arkins
City Manager
cc: City Council '~
Joe Fowler
Kelly Hayworth
tp3-1
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date: $uly 13, 1995
To: City Council
From: Steve Long, Associate Planne~./
Re: Barriers to Affordable Housing
This is a short memo to let you know that the Community Development and the Urban Planning
Divisions have been meeting recently to discuss barriers to increasing the supply of affordable
rental and ovmer-occupied housing in Iowa City. Because the City has made a commitment to
provide safe, decent and affordable housing to all its residents, we decided that more research on
the barriers to achieving this goal, possible actions to overcome some of these barriers and the
role of government in these housing issues, would provide some answers to this continuing'
debate.
We are currendy interviewing local developers, landlords, land owners and staff in the Housing
and Inspection Services and Public Works Departments to get an idea of the perceived and/or
actual barriers to the productio~ of affordable housing.
We hope to complete this first portion of the study by September 30, 1995. The secbnd part of
the study will focus on the strategies to overcome the barriers to affordable housing.
We will also be researching similar sized University communities to determine if'their housing
conditions are similar to ours and if so, reviewing their strategies for providing affordable
housing.
Please review the enclosed outline to get an idea of the types of issues we will be discussing. Let
us know if there are other issues you had in mind. If you have any questions, feel fi'ee to call me
at 3564250.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
BARRIERS TO RI~NTAL AND OWNER OCCL~IgD
AFFORDABLE HOUSII~G
(V/orking Outhe)
GENERAL CITY CHARACTERISTICS AFfeCTING HOUSING'CO$'I'S
A- Pre~mc~ oft% Uuivers/ty of Iowa
l~perty tax isa'u~
C. Availability of vacant lots, dilapidated hourinS, etc.
REGULATORY
A- Comprehensive Plan
1. Suitably zoned vacant land
2. Infrastructuro needs
B. ZoninS~Subdivisinn Regulation~
2. Effect of development ordinances - eg Open Space Ordinance
Building and Housing Cedes, F~, and Charg~
1. Use o£Uniform BuildinS Codes by eon~ctom
2. Increase of water and sewer fees
PRIVATE SECTOR I~$UF.3
A. Cost of land
Ownerahip patterns of available land
C. Types of projects being built
D. Mobile home park rules - age of home allowed, etc...
FINANCING
Financial R~ources
1. Local o eg. land, dollar~
2.Sub~idiea needed/avuilablc
Competitive nature of funds
B. Involvement of local landers
COlVRVlUN1TY ATrlTU1)ES
A- Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY)
1. aestheti~ crime, ~afiic, noise
Homogeneous dcvalopment (versus mixed de~itie~)
C. IVii~,'.on~ptian~ - o~. dec 'lining propen'y valu~
f:~fl~gdo~
C ty of Iowa C ty
MEMORANDUM
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
RE:
July 13,1995
Steve Atkins
Chuck Schmadeke
Construction Management Services-
Water Facility Improvements
Public Works has negotiated an agreement between the City of Iowa City and Howard R.
Green Co. for Council approval on July 18, 1995. The agreement is for project management
services durin~ construction of the Water Facility Improvements.
The agreement is structured to coincide with the three phase project schedule informally
approved by the City Council. A consultant fee has been negotiated for each contract to be
let during the first phase with additional fees to be negotiated for Phases Two and Three. The
total project management fee for Phase One is $438,600.00.
Securing the services of an engineering consultant to manage the construction effort on a
project of this size and complexity is essential to insure a quality finished product.
Howard R. Green Company has provided engineering consultant services for the City on its
Water Supply, Treatment, Storage, and Distribution Facilities since 1990 and is fully qualified
to provide the project management services desired.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date:
To:
From:
Re:
July 10, 1995
City Manager, City Clerk, Assistant City Manager & All Departments and
Division Heads ~
Linda Newman Woito, City Attomini
Update on "Primary Attorney" Department and Area Assignments; Realignment
of Certain Areas
Anne Burnside, First Assistant City Attorney
-Personnel, Civil Service Commission
-Major litigation
-Fire Department
-Police Department
-Airport & Airport Commission
-Cable & Cable Commission
-Human Rights Commission, including human rights investigator
-Pension (Police and Fire)
-Labor relations (Unions/Personnel)
-Board of Adjustment
-Traffic Engineer
-Public Housing Authority (Personnel)
-Housing & Ihspection Services
Linda Newman Woito, City Attorney
-City Council
-City Clerk
-City Manager
-Assistant City Manager
-Public Works (Landfill, Wastewater Treatment, Streets, Water, Architect, Equipment)
-Engineering
-Economic Development
-Finance Department, Administration, Customer S~rvice, Accounting,
Risk Management, Purchasing
-Parks and Recreation
2
-Coordination of all litigation, including outside counsel
-Coordination of all land acquisition and CIP project legal needs
Sarah
Holecek, Land Use Attorney
-Plan & Zoning Commission
-Planning & Community Development Depa~ment {excluding Community Development)
-City Assessor/tax assessment appeals
-Historic Preservation
-Section 1983 and other litigation, as assigned
Beverly Ogren, Assistant City Attorney
-Property Acquisition/Engineering and Public Works
-Magistrdte's court
-Senior Center
-Community Development
-Library
-City Clerk/taxis
-City Plaza, First Amendment
-District court litigation, as assigned
-Housing Commission/CCN/merger
-Animal Control
cc: City Council
City Assessor
1owa City H!storic
Preser. va.tion
~ ~ MEMORANDI~ '~
410 E. Wa.hln~ton St.
Iowa City, Iovm 52240
Dote:
To:
From:
Re:
July 10, 1995
Drew Shaffer, Cable TV
Douglas S. Russell, Chair
Historic Preservation Commission
Cable TV Broadcast of the May 17 Historic Preservation Awards
Program.
The Historic Preservation Commission held its annual Historic Preservation Awards
Program on the evening of May 17, 1995. Once again, the City provided the staff and
equipment to record the program and air it on the government access cable TV channel in
subsequent weeks. The Commission appreciates the recognition and exposure that the
awards program receives as a result of the television broadcasts. Promoting the public
awareness of historic preservation is one of the Commission's main objectives, and the
annual awards program is one of the Commission's most effective tools toward meeting
this objective.
The Commission would also like to thank the Cable TV staff for the quality program that
was aired as a result of their work, A related project, a video that was produced
documenting the rehabilitation project that was undertaken at 420 East Jefferson Street,
should also be commended. The video received rave reviews from all three awards jurors,
who were excited that such a project was documented and presented to the public on
television. Once again, the Commission is very pleased with the positive message that is
being sent to the public regarding historic preservation in Iowa City and Johnson County.
If you have any questions regarding the awards program or historic preservation issues in
general, please feel free to call me at 351-5610 or the Commission's staff person, Scott
Kugler, at 356-5243.
JUL 1
David Schoon
Economic Development Coordinator
City of Iowa City
RE: Recycling of Waste at the Iowa City facility
Dear David:
William B. Noon
Financial Manager
iowa City Customer Service Center
1960 S. R~verside Drive
P.O. Box 4501
Iowa City, IA 62244-.4601
Ph. (319)351.3930 Ext. 1242
Fax (319)351-9004
During the Iowa City Council meeting in May, I was asked to provide the council with
information on our practice of recycling paper. Below reflect activities completed during
1994:
Total pounds of waste:
Total pounds of waste sold for recycling:
% of waste sold for recycling
Please convey this information to the council.
hesitate to contact me.
5,397,186
5,219,121
96.7%
If you have any furlher questions, do not
I appreciate your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Bill Noon
Financial Man.ager
Iowa City C.S.C.
cc: Bob Broadbear
all9
To: IOV~ CI1Y CLERg Fro-: Board of SupBr~sers ?-12-95 B:484a p. Z of 5
John.~an Count,'
Charles D. Duffy, Chairperson
Joe Bolkeom
Stephen P. Lacina
Don Sehr
Sally Stutsman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
July 13, 1995
FORMAL MEETING
1. Call to order 9:00 a.m.
Agenda
2. Action re: claims
Action re: informal and formal minutes of July 6th.
Action re: payroll authorizations.
Business from the County Auditor.
a) Action re:permits
b) Action re:reports
c) Action re:resolution
accounts.
d) Other
6-13-95-01,' accepting the 7-3-95 cash
6. Business from the Zoning Administrator.
a)
Final consideration to amend the legal description for Z9442 of Ron
Sweeting, described as being on Lot 2 of Trails End Subdivision,
located in the NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 22; Township 80 North;
Rangd 8 West of the 5th P.M. in Oxford Twp.
913 ,SOUTH DUBUQUE ST.
O
P.O. BOX 1350 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52244-1350
T~L: (319) 356-6000
To: I0~ CITY CLERK
Froe: Board of Supervisors 7-1Z-95 8:48aa . p. 3 o~ 5
Agenda 7-13-95
Page 2
b) Final consideration to amend the legal description for Lot 5 of Walton's
Subdivision Z9438 of Roy Walton. The parcel is located in the North
1/2 of the SW 1/4 of Section 34, Township 79 North, Range 6 West of
the 5th P.M. in Johnson County, Iowa.
c) Motion setting pubic hearing.
d) Other
7. 9:30 a.m. - Public Hearing on Zoning and Platting Applications:
a) First and Second consideration of the following Zoning application:
Application Z9521 of Terry Disterhoft, Oxford, requesting rezoning
of 1.32 acres from A1 Rural to RS Suburban Residential of certain
property described as being a part of Lot 2 of 8topko-Scheetz
Subdivision, Part Two, located in the NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of
Section 29; Township 80 North; Range 7 West of the 5th P.M. in
Johnson County, Iowa (This property is located in the SW comer of
the intersection of Copi Road NW and Half Moon Avenue NW in
Clear Creek Twp.).
b) DL~cussion/acfion re: the following Platting applicatiom:
Application S9364 of Florence Randall requesting preliminary and
final plat approval of Pine Circle Addition - Part Two, a subdivision
located in the SW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 9; Township 81
North; Range 7 West of the 5th P.M. in Johnson County, Iowa
(this is a Mot, 5.60 acre, residential and commercial subdivision
located on the north side of 140th Street NW, approximately 3/4 of
a mile east of the intersection of 140th Street NW and Highway 965
NW in Jefferson Twp.).
Application S9461A of Scott D. Oakes requesting preliminary and
final plat approval of Tree Farm Subdivision, a subdivision located
in the SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 13; Township 80 North;
Range 6 West of the 5th P.M. in Johnson County, Iowa (This is a
3-lot, 52.41 acre, residential subdivision, located on the east side of
Newport Road NE, approximately 1/2 mile south of the intersection
of Newport Road NE and Turkey Creek Road NE in Newport
Twp.).
Agenda 7-13-95
Page 3
To: IO~ CI1¥ CLERK From: Board of ~parvisors 7-~--95 O:~all . p. 4 of 5 l'il],
Application S9533 of Terry Disterhoft requesting preliminary and
final plat approval of Stopko-Disterhoft Subdivision, a subdivision
of Lots 1 & 2 of Stopko-Scheetz Subdivision located in the NW 1/4
of the 8W 1/4 of Section 29; Township 80 North; Range 7 West of
the 5th P.M. in Johr~on County, Iowa (This is a 24ot, 11.94 acre,
residential subdivision, located in the SW comer of the intersection
of Copi Road NW and Half Moon Avenue NW in Clear Creek
Application S9534 of Lyle Donohoe requesting preliminary and
final plat approval of Donoboe Fourth Subdivision (A
Resubdivision of Lot 2 of Donohoe Third Subdivision), a
subdivision located in the North 1/2 of Section 25; Township 79
North; Range 5 West of the 5th P.M. in Jotm.~on County, Iowa
(This is a 2-lot, 11.35 acre, residential and commercial subdivision,
located on the south side of Highway # 1 8W at its intersection with
Landon Avenue SW in Union Twp.).
Application S9541 of Barry Lehman requesting final plat approval
of George Lehman Subdivision, a subdivision located in the NW
1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 23; Township 79 North; Range 5 West
of the 5th P.M. in Johnson County, Iowa (This is a 4.-lot, 10.9 acre,
2-lot residential and 2-lot farmstead split subdivision, located on the
east side of White Oak Avenue BE, approximately 1/4 mile north of
its intersection with 420th Street SE in Scott Twp.).
Applicatioh S9543 of Alta Lenz Estate, signed by Leta McCabe,
requesting preliminary and final plat approval of Lenz's First
Subdivision, a subdivision located in the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of
Section 20; Township 78 North; Range 5 West of the 5th P.M. in
Johnson County, tom (this is a 1-1or, 5.65 acre, farmstead split,
located on the west side of Utah Avenue 8E, approximately 5/8
mile south of its intersection with 520th Street SE in Pleasant
Valley Twp.).
To: IO~ CITY CLERK Frol; Board
Agenda 7-13-95 Page 4
7. Application S9544 of William Boyd requesting preliminary and
final plat approval of Highland Heights Subdivision, Part Two, a
subdivision located in the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 19;
Township 80 North; Range $ West of the 5th P.M. in Johnson
County, Iowa (This is a 2-1ot residential and 1-outlot, 22.33 acre,
residential subdivision, located in the SE comer of the intersection
of Dingleberry Road NE and Highway 1 NE in Newport Twp.).
Application 89545 of William Young requesting preliminary and
final plat approval of Young's Second Subdivision, a subdivision
located in the NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 35; Township S1
North; Range 7 West of the 5th P.M. in Johnson County, Iowa
(This is a 1-lot, 3.00 acre, farmstead splih located on the west side
of Highway 965 NE, approximately 3/8 of a mile north of its
intersection with Swan Lake Road NE in Madison Twp.).
8. Business from the County AKomey.
a) Discussion/action re: three
Prevention Community Grant.
b) Report re: other items.
9. Business from the Board of Supervho.rs.
month extension of Juvenile Crime
a) Other
10. Adjourn to informal meeting.
a) Inquiries and repom from the public. -'~
b) Reports and inquires from the members of the Board of Supervisors.
c) Report from the County Attomey.
d) Ot er
11. Adjournment.
To: IOWA CITY CLERK From: Board or Supervisors 7-17-95 8:28am p,
Jmhns(m Coohilt'
Charles D. Duffy, Chairperson
Joe Bolkcom
Stephen P. Lacina
Don Schr
Sally Slutsman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
July 18, 1995
INFORMAL MEETING
1. Call to order 9:00 a.m.
Agenda
Review of the informal minutes of July 1 lth recessed to July 13th and the
formal minutes of July 13th.
Business from Jim Lane and Cindy Parsons, Committee Co-Chairs for
Bond Referendum re: bond referendum for the new elementary school in
Coralville/discussion.
4. Business from Kevin Doyle, Assistant Transportation Planner for
Johnson County Council of Governments.
a) Discussion re: S.E.A.T.S. contract between Johnson County and
University Heights.
b) Discussion re: Supplemental Service Agreement between Johnson
County, University Heights, and Old Capitol Cab Company.
c) Other
Business from Cheryl Whitney, Area Administrator for Department of
Human Services re: Maintenance Agreement for phone system for 911
North Governor Street/discussion.
913 SOUIH DUBUQUE ST.
P.O. BOX 1350 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52244-1350 TEL: (3193 356-6000
FAX: (3193356-6086
To: ][0~ CITY CLERK From: Board of' Supervisors ?-J.?-95 8:ZBam p. 3 of' 3
Agenda 7-18-95
Page 2
Business from the County Attorney.
a) Discussion re: job description for Legal Assistant position.
b) Other
7. Business from the Board of Supervisors.
a) Discussion re: agreement with Mid-Eastern Iowa Community Mental
Health Center.
b) Discussion re: agreement for library services with the Coralville Public
Library.
c) Discussion re: requesting state a transfer of $600.00 from Well Testing
funds to Well Abandonment funds.
d) Reports
e) Other
8. Discussion from the public.
9. Recess.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date: July 17, 1995
To: Mayor and City Council Members
From: Les Kuehl, Chairperson, Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission
Re:
Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission Review
FIRST Presentation - Inter-Urban Greenway Concept Plan
At the Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission's June meeting, the Friends of the Iowa River
Scenic Trails (FIRST) made a presentation on their Inter-Urban Greenway concept plan, At this
time, the Commission would like to (eport its recommendations regarding this plan to the Mayor
and City Council members.
We would like to applaud FIRST for taking the initiative for this study and presentation, which was
funded by FIRST. Their plan offers both a joining and an extension to the current and future trail
systems. The commission supports this plan and recommends that the City of Iowa City offer the
following assistance in the development of this trail system:
The use of staff to assist with trail layout and map preparation.
The funding for engineering layout and design.
The use of staff to assist in grant writing to obtain construction funds.
The design for this trail system will require comprehensive planning around wetlands, creek
mean. dere, and interaction with private property ownera, the University of Iowa, and the railroad
to mention a few. Beyond our current consideration and enthusiasm, we would like to continue
to work with FIRST and other sgencles involved in the development of these plans, and hope that
our recommendations might be considered.
CC:
Stephen Atkins
Charlie Denhey
Karin Franklin
Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission members
q 00
'ty 'ty ! '~
Cm of Iowa Cm ,~
DATE: July 17, 1995
TO: City Council
FROM: City Manager
RE: Out of Office
MEMORANDUM
I will be out of the office all day Thursday, July 20. I will return
at 10:00 P.M. Thursday.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date: July 15, 1995
To: City Council
From: Naomi Novick
Re: Water and Sewer Rates
If we want to think about a low-income discount on these rates, hero aro a couple of examples
used currontly for property taxes (roimbursed by the State) and for choro services (a grant from
the Iowa Department of Public Health). Property tax discounts aro available for incomes below
$14,000 per year for people 65 years old, surviving spouse 61 years old, or totally disabled at any
age.
Yearly Income:
$12,000 - $13,999
$10,000 - $11,999
$ 8,000 - $ 9,999
$ 7,000 - $ 7,999
$ 6,000 - $ 6,999
$ 0 - $ 5,999
25% reduction in property tax
35% roduction in property tax
50% reduction in property tax
70% reduction in property tax
85% reduction in property tax
100% reduction in property tax
If a family is in our rental assistance program, their utilities are subsidized along with rent. Do
we want to give a discount to a family on the waiting list?
· ·
I WISH TO APPLY FOR THE BUESIDIZED CHORE PROGP. AM. THE FOLLOWING INFOP~HATION IS
ACCURATE TO T~ BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE:
EIRTHDATE
TELEPHONE
ADDHESS _
MARITAL STATUS -- ~ARRIED SINGLE WIDO~D DIVORCED/SEPARATED
DO YOU -- RENT OR OWN? DO YOU LIVE ALONE? -- YES -- NO
IF ~O, WITH ~OM DO YOU LIVE? N~/4E RELATIONSHIP
WHO SHOULD BE NOTIFIED IN CASE OF AN A~CIDENT? NR/4E
ADDRESS TELEPHONE
RELATIONSHIP
WHO IS YOUR PHYSICIAN?
TELEPHONE
THE FEE FOR CHORE SERVICE IS DETEP~4INED BY ASSESSING INCOMM. TMM FEE INCREASES ONE
STEP FOR EACH $10,000 IN RESOURCES; THE FEE DEC~EA~ES ONE STEP FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL
DEPENDENT ON THE INCOMM. THE MAXI/4574 FEE FOR CHORE SERVICES IS $5.50. T~ FEE WILL
RF. ASSESSED ANNUALLY. NOTE: T~ FEE ~AY BE DE~ED ONE STEP FOR UNUSUAL EXPENSES,
E.G. UN~I~U~SED MMDICAL EXPENSES.
BE
~{AT IS YOUR INCOMM EACH MONT~{, INCLUDING ALL SOURCES OF INCOMM, E.G. W~GES, SOCIAL
SECURITY, PENSION, INTEREST, DIVIDENDS, R~TAL INCOMM~ ETC?
DO YOU HAVE RESOURCES OVER $10,000t INCLUDING STOCKS, BONDS, SAVINGSt IP. As, A~NUITIES,
ETC.? -- Y~E -~ NO IF YES, WHAT IS THE VALUE OF YOUR RESOURCES?
HO~ MA~Y ~NDIVIDUALS ARE DEPENDENT ON YOUR INCO~tE?
S2401+ $$~___~
$2201 - 2400 $5.00
$2001 - 2200 $4.50
$1801 - 2000 $4.00
$1601 - 1800 $3.50
$1401 - 1600 $3.00
S1101 - L400 $2.50
$1001 - 1200 $2.00
$ 801 - 1000 $1.S0
$ 601 - 800 $1.00
$ 0 - 600 $0.00
DO YOU HAVE U~SUSU/~L EXPENSES OR UN~.EI14BUP. SED MMDIC~L
EXPENSES? -- YES --.- NO PLEASE DESCRIBE
F CH AP ROV O
COoNDI A= ,
I AM UNABLE TO
I REQUEST CHORE SERVICHS PROVIDED BY ELDERLY SERVICES AGENCY.
ACCOMPLISH TH~ CEOHE WORK MYSELF BECAUSE OF
DATE
~ AGREE TO PAY iTfE A~OVE FEE PER HOUR FOR CH~P.E SERVICES A~ DETERMINED 8Y THE SLIDING
SC~J~E. r UNDERST~RD THIS MAY BE A REDUCED FEE,
STATE DEPART~NT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
/HOUR
POSSIBLE 'k~OUGH A GR~T FROM THE IOWA
DATE
CLIENT AGREES TO PAY $ ./HR VIA TELEPHONE DATE
CHORE ~/93
STAFF
SUBSIDIZED CHORE
A~SESSHENT FOP/~
PREPARED BY
REFERRING AGENCY=
VNA ~SA O'eR
CLIENT NA~
TELEPHONE
ADDP~SS
PACE CAUC~IAN BLAC~ ORIENTAL HISPANIC OTHER UNKROWN
ASSESS THE CLIENT'S ~ENTAL STATUS WITH THE FOLLOWING QT~STIONS=
A~SESS 'k~u~ CLIENT'S A~ILITY TO ACCOMPLISH 'l~ FOr'rOWING A~IVITIES OF DAILY LIVING:
5. ~SE; T~L~HON~
SHOPS FOR ~D ~0~ ~P
8. D~SSES, ~S~ ~ TOI~TS
9. GETS ~ P~S OUTSIDE ~NG
T~S ~I~TIONS ~ FO~OWS DI~
NO
DOES TH~ ~LIENT NEED ~L~ WITH CHORES (E.G. ~AWNMONING, SNOW fLF/4OVA~, SPECI~E~
CHO~S, ETC.)?
'NITH %~4AT SPECIFIC CHORES DOES TH~ CLIENT P, EQUF~T H~LP?
HOW O~N?
OTHER CO~U~ENTS
CHO~ 3/93
THF
SUDDEN
NEW STRENGTH
OF
by John E. Young
IT STARTED OUT AS A "DO-GOOD" ACTIVITY,
THEN EVOLVED INTO A NECESSARY BURDEN
FOR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS,
NOW, QUITE SUDDENLY, IT HAS BECOME
A REAL REVENUE-PRODUCER·
.-~ ecycling, one of the kcy strategies for alleviating
!i --'~'. the pressures of the human presence on natural
2_ "X~systems, has finally--and dramatically--arrived as
a mainstream industrial activity in North America.
It's irmtic that the breakthrough took so long. North
America---or at least the U.S. and Canadian part of it--is
where materials consumption is most profligate, and where
the impacts of that consumption (in pollution from land-
fills and incinerators, energy production for manufactur-
ing, and the spreading damage left by extractive industries)
are therefore most troublesome. Yet, for a quarter-century
after the first Earth Day, recycling advocates were forced to
spend much of their energy trying to make their case to
skeptical decisionmakers.
lu tile 1980s, re~.3'cling was still :een largely as a "do-
gond" activiD'. It was of little interest to fast-track bnsi-
heSS investors, who in those days were too busy pursuing
"high-tcch" ventures. The idea of founding a profitable
business on old newspapers and empty bottles did not fit
well with the ascendant [ifcsD'les of the era. Local gov-
erinhunts, many of which had to cope with rising landfill
costs, wcrc a bit more rosponsive, but still tended to
regard their new recycling programs as burdens.
Bnt now, suddenly, what was seen as a burden has
become a major asset, and those communitics that had
tile tbrcsight to set up solid recycling programs a few
years ago are beginning to rcap real rewards. Since early
1994, prices tbr nearly all commonly collected rec}'-
claNcs have skyrocketed. In San Francisco, for example,
recycling director Sharon Maves reports that the used
paper, plastic, and metals the city picks op from curbs is
bringing in "nnprcccdcntcd rcvcnuc"--allowing tile
ciD' to actually rcducc household assessments tbr waste
collection and recycling.
The ston.' is the same across the continent. Nest'
York City, which two },cars ago was paying S6 million
per year to gct rid ufits newsptint, now expects to earn
.$20-25 million ti'om selling the samc material over the
next 5'car, says recycling chief Bob Lange. Early in
1994, Madison, Wisconsin was paying 513 per toll to
thc processors who took its recyclables; by the cnd of
the year it was receMng ncarly $23 per ton. Madison
recycling coordinator George Dreckman calls his cin"s
program a "cash cow" that yicldcd the city S240,000 in
net rovenot (after processing costs, but not including
collcctiou costs) in thc first four months of 1994.
Such numbers arc making recycliog increasingly
attractive to many cig' wastc administrators. While even.'
city's economics are difii:rcnt--and some still have cheap
nmnicipal landfills with ycars of remaining capaciD'--
mauy wcll-rnn programs are collecting and marketing
marcrials at costs well below those of landfilling or bnrn-
ing waste. Madison now saves $40 for cvcn.' toll of
material it keeps out of its landfill by recycling. In
Seattle, the ciD,'s total cost of collecting and processing
rccydablcs li:11 from an average of $89 per ton in 1993
to S28 per ton by April 1995--abnut S77 per toil less
than what the ciD' pa.vs for disposal of what it can't recy-
clc. In Canada, a numbcr ofcommunitics inthc
proxYrice of Ontario are now caming profits of Cdn SS0
per toll or more on recycling, including collection, pro-
cussing, and capital costs, according to Atul Nanda, a
senior official in Metro Toronto's recycling program.
Where recycling is not succeeding, a close look
nlicn reveals poor managcmcnt. In Washington, D.C.,
for example, where ciD' officials moved in late April to
halt residential collection of rccyclablcs, municipal
administrators did not take into account the costs of
landfilling and incineration that the city avoided by
recycling. They fled funding for the ~ecyding pro-
gram to revenue from dumping by commercial
waste haulers at the city landfill, which meant that
the more trash was recycled, the less funding it
received. And finally, they failed to renegotiate
materials marketing contracts to take advantage of
rising prices.
Even some communities with a history of suc-
cessful recycling, such as Metro Toronto, have
not been in a position to benefit from improved
PRlC~ FOP, TwO GR~O -F.S OF USED P~smc, 1992-1995
6
5 HDPE ........
I
1992 1993 1994 1995
Times
markets, because they locked themselves into long-
term, fixed-rate contracts before materials prices
soared. William Ferretti, director of the New York
state Otlqcc of Recycling Market Development,
says municipal officials and waste haulers alike
need to "stop acting like garbagemen" and realize
that they are now in the business of selling com-
modities.
Ks rcccndy as 1993, North American markets for
many recovered materials were unreliable, prices
were low, and many communities were unsure about
tbeir long-term ability to sell the materials they col-
lected. Now some cities are moving to expand their
collection programs to take advantage of high prices
for recydabks. San Francisco, for instance, is doing
extensive public outreach in an attempt to recover
more rccyclables, and is expanding its program to
cover previously uncollected materials. The high
demand tbr recycled materials is allowing the city to
market even lower-grade materials that in previous
years might have been hard to sell.
THE BIG TURNAROUND
The most dramatic growth has occurred in
prices for used paper products. Between lan-
uary 1994 and March 1995, the average ~J.S.
price of old newsprint--which had hovered near or
below zero since mid-1991--rose 22-fold, accord-
ing to Recycling Times. The price of old corrugated
cardboard--used cardboard boxes--jumped five-
fold. In early May 1995, a ton of baled corrugated
cardboard that sold for $45 to $50 in 1991 or
1992 was commanding $230 to $250. Other
grades of paper saw smaller, but still substantial,
price increases. (See graphs for overall averages.)
Over the same period, used aluminum beverage
can prices doublcd, and recycled glass prices rose 80
percent. Prices of HDPE and PET--the two plastics
most commonly collected for recycling--went up by
260 percent and 160 percent, respectively.
What happened to cause these jumps? To some
degree, they are a result of international economic
developments. Sinmltaneous economic upturns in
Japan, North America, and Western Europe have dri-
ven up demand and prices for many commodities,
both primary and recycled. Increased aluminum
prices, for example, are largely the result of a January
1994 international agreement bcnvccn the major alu-
minum-producing nations to reduce their production.
Prices for both primai3, and recycled aluminum had
been depressed since 1991, when Russian smelters~
which formerly sold nearly all of their output within
the Soviet bloc--began selling large amounts of the
metal on already-alack Westem markets. Higher prices
for some plastics are related to poor crops of cotton in
several major grooving regious, which have driven
prices for the natural fiber to all-time highs and sent
clothing lnanufacturets hunting for substitutes. China
has been importing used plastic soft-drink bottles and
turning the polymer they contain into new synthetic
fibers for jackets and other garments.
But other factors are more basic and likely to last.
Demand for products with recycled content has
increased substantially ~vith the rise of government
and private procurement programs that give them
preference, and experience with recycled-content
products has removed much consumer apprehension
about their suitability for a variety of uses. Most
hnportant, large capital invesunents have resulted in a
dramatic expansion of industrial caparty for recycling.
North American industry, is %uying in" to recycling.
STRUCTURAL CHANGE
The paper industry is at the leading edge of this
change. Paper accounts for a larger share (38
percent) of U.S. munidpal solid waste than any
other material, and has received more market-devel-
opment attention from governments than other
materials. Such efforts are now beating fi-uit. The
Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the
amount of paper recovered from U.S. municipal
waste grew {?ore 13 milliou tons in 198S to 26 mil-
lion tons in 1993. During much of this period,
wastepaper prices lagged, as the amount collected
grew faster than the overall capacity of paper recy-
cling plants. In 1994, however, the tables turned dra-
matically. Recovered paper consumption is growing
more than twice as fast as total fiber consumption,
and mills are scrambling for used paper supplies.
Behind this situation, say many in the paper
industty, is a major change in the industry's stmc-
pare. Heavy investment by papermakers in building
new recycled-paper mills and retooling old plants to
take in recycled fiber has created a much more
matnre, stable market for used paper. While prices
will eventually decline again--as is to be expected to
some degree with any commodity in response to
mutual business fluctuations--obscrvers bclicec that
the tremeudous paper price crashes seen in previous
years are unlikely to recur. Dan Cotter, of Pacific
Forest, a major broker of both used paper and new
paper products, argues that recycled fiber has
becmue a "primarT" input for many paper manulhc-
turers, rather than a last-resort substitnte for virgin
pulp. As a result, recycled fiber shotfid experience
li,turc price ssvings no worse than those experienced
in virgin pulp markets, whereas until recently, recy-
cled-paper markets were far more volatile.
Recycling is revolutionizing the paper indusu3,.
Tile industry is actively moving to site its plants in
areas with untapped reserves of wastepaper, and
new paper mills are now being built in and near
cities, rather than in more rcmotc areas ncar large
forests. Weyerhaeuser, for example, is a major part-
ner in a large mill in Iowa--a state bcttcr-kuown
for corn than for forests--to take advantage of the
substantial amounts of wastepaper available from
midwestern cities. The industry is also moving to
recycle not just relatively low grades of paper--such
as newsprint and old corrugated cardboard--but
also oilice and coated papers, and is also making
higher-grade products from recycled fiber.
The North American paper industry is pouring
money into a resource it once resisted stubbornly.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA),
its main trade group, estimates that its members will
invest a total orS10 billiou in recyclhlg by the end of
the 1990s. They have set a goal of recycling or
reusing half of'all U.S. paper productiou by the year
2000. AFPA estimates that thc United States rccy-
cled 40.5 percent of the paper it used in 1994. More
than 80 percent of this was paper recovered from the
post-consumer ~vaste stream, while the remainder
was scrap from paper mills and printing plants.
So much new paper recycling capacity, has come
on-line that existing collection programs are barely
providing enough fiber to meet the demand. And
more is on the way: new plants with several million
tons of paper-recycling capacity are schedulcd to
open in 1995. As a restilt, recycled-papcr makers are
becoming vocal supporters of paper collection pro-
PPacEs FOR TwO GRADES OF SCRAP PAPER, 1992-1995
80
70
Cardboard
60 Nev~paper ~
50
~ 4o
~0
I0
[992 1~3 1994
Recycling Times
grams. One paper broker describes the indusu3, as
"panicked" about future supplies of recycled fiber
for the mills they have spent billions to build.
Wcycrhaeuser--a Fortune 500. company best-known
for its timber production--has invested so much in
recycling capacity that it is now offering cities 20-
year, guaranteed market-rate contracts to purchase
all the wastepaper they can collect. The company
took in 2 million tons ofwastcpapcr in 1994, and
expects to consume 3 million tons in 1995.
The paper-recycling situation has completely
reversed in just a few years. Before, paper companies
were reluctant to invest in recycling, because they
saw limited markets for recycled paper, and because
they feared that large-scale municipal paper collcc-
lion programs would not survive. Now, some indus-
try ofl]cials arc voicing caution about further invest-
ment in recycling capacity for the opposite reason--
because markets have grown so fast that they arc
worried about obtaining adequate supplies of sec-
ondary fiber. Ironically, governments now need to
15
reassure the companies trot about the sundval of the
collection programs, but about their commitment to
expand those programs over the long term.
TIlE GLUT THAT ¼tAS
----he reason that many governments embarked
, on market-development programs for rccy-
~- cled materials is that for much of the late
1980s and early 1990s, collection of recyclablcs
grew far faster than industrial capacity to absorb
them. Thousands of recycling collection programs
PriCES FOR SCRAP GLASS, 1992.1995
Io
1992 1993 1994 1995
~van:t Recycling Times
wcrc initiated in North Amctican communities in
the last decade. According to BioC¥cle magazine's
annual waste management survey, the number of
U.S. curbside pickup programs for recyclablcs grew
from 1,042 in 1988 to 6,678 in 1993. This growth,
and similar growth in drop-off and commercial-
waste recycling programs, led to an extraordinary
increase in the ore-all tonnage of recycled materials
collected, from some 16 million tons in thc United
States in 1985 to 45 million tons in 1993.
Not surprisingly, such rapid growth created a glut
of materials. The hundreds of communities all start-
ing up recycling programs at rite same time created a
structural problem in the recycling economy.
Collection programs can be implemented almost as
quickly as trucks can be purchased. The capacity to
turn the materials collected into new products, how-
ever, c,'m take years--and billions of dollars in capi-
tal invesunent--to build. Few communities devoted
the same energy to developing recycling industries
that they applied to their collection programs. But
the market-development efforts of a few influential
cities and states--and more recent actions by the
U.S. federal government--set the stage for 1994's
market turnaround.
The most obvious way to develop markets is to
ensure that a guaranteed minimum quantity of
goods with recycled content will bc purchased.
Governments are among the largest buyers of many
goods, and among the first prominent market-
development efforts were state laws requiring or
encouraging government procurement of products
with recycled content. Nearly all states now have
such laws, with widely vanting degrees of strin-
gency. In 1993, the U.S. federal government joined
in with an executive order requiring that the paper
it purchases have 20 percent recycled content by
1995 and 25 percent by 2000. The action immedi-
ately guaranteed a huge market for recycled paper,
since the federal government, at 300,000 tons per
year, is the ~vorld's largest buyer of paper.
States have ~so moved to ensure that large pri-
vate buyers of some commodities buy a minimum of
recycled material. The newsptint market has been
most notably affi:cted by such measures. Thirteen
states now have standards for minimum recycled
content of newsprint; 15 more have negotiated vol-
unta~, agreements with newspaper publishers to
increase their purchasing of recycled content.
According to New York's William Ferretti, the recy-
cled-content standards ~'br newsprint some states
enacted in the late 1980s--and the threat of stan-
dards in other states--were the ptimmT factors in the
newsprint markct's shift toward secondary fiber.
Then, as publishers got accustomed to using recycled
ncxvsprint, the5, tbund that it could perform as well as
virgin paper, and resistance to its use fell away.
FROM ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
/_~,s municipal solid waste officials have realized
that recycling can bca cheaper disposal
Z 5-method than landfilling or incincrstion, collec-
tion programs have taken off. Faced with market
problems, procurement and recycled-content require-
mcnts have bccn governments' first answer. But a few
states are now beginning to make a crucial tramition
from viewing recycling simply as an environmental
measure--a waste-disposal strategy--to seeing it simul-
taneously as an economic dcvdopment opportunity.
The most notable successes have comc when econom-
ic development offices begin to promote recycling.
New York state took the lead in this area in
1988 when it created the Office of Recycling
Market Devnlopmcnt within its Department of
Econocult Development. T[te office offers financ-
ing, technical assistance, and market information--
mid a Itelping hand throogh the regulator)' thick-
ets-to companies that use recycled materials.
Similar efforts are now underway in at least 18
other states, according to a 1994 BioQtcle survey.
Bringing in state, regional, and local economic
development officials to help promote recycling helps
such businesses get access toa wide variety of proven
tools: htdnstrial Development Bonds and other
financing mechanisms, special property-tax treat-
tuent, siting assistance, and expedited regulator),
action on permits, zoning, and related matters.
Twenty-sere,1 states now offer some form of tax
incentive fbr recycling. The Environmental Protec-
tion Agency has sopported these cfibrts by establish-
ing a "Jobs Through Recycling" project, which
offers grants for hiring Recycling Economic
Development Advocatcs in state economic develop-
mcnt offices, and has also helped establish Recycling
Business Assistance Centers in four states.
Cffifomia has bccotue the laborator)' for what is
probably the most extensive efibrt in North ^roefica
to develop recycling industries. The state has created
40 Recycling Market Development Zones, which are,
in effect, enterprise zones specifically targeted toward
recycling-based businesses. The state's Integrated
Wa~tc Management Board offers tcchnicff assistance
with fitumcing and tuarketing, ~utd local governments
also offer strong incentive packages designed to meet
their connnunifies' needs. The Board has approved
sotuc S12 million in loans tbr such enterprises, and is
currently considering $3 million morc. Board
ciffs--who scc the state financing as a bridge to
tuuch greater atuoutus of commerciff capitff---esti-
tuate that the zones have created 1,000 new jobs
since the program was established in 1989.
Dudrig the long market slump--when cities were
ofl~:ring a few dollars per ton to anyone who would
haul away their newsprint--extraordinarily cheap
secondat)' matetiffs helped lure entrepreneurs into
recycling-related businesses. In tile long ran, howev-
er, businesses don't need cheap raw materials so
tuoch as they need predictable prices for what they
buy and what they sell. In an effort to ffleviate the
uncertainty and unpredictabiliW of reo,.'clcd-materi-
als tuarkets, tile Recycling Advisory. Couodl (a pro-
grain of the National Recycling Coalition) has been
working with the Chicago Board of Trade, one of
the world's prenfier cotumodities markeu, to devel-
op a fortuff trading systctu for recTcled materiffs.
fianong the projcct's elements are the develop-
merit of product specifications that materials will
have to meet to be traded, the design oran electronic
trading system, development of dispute-resolution
procedures, and an effort to inform and involve
potential participants. The system initially will be
only a cash market, but the feasibility of futures mar-
kcts will be investigated. The system is being tested
this st, tamer, and trading in glass and some types of
plastic was expected to begin in September.
DOING GOOD... AND ,x,~XKING t~,4ONEY
During tile past year-and-a-half, it has
become clear that the recycling industry is
maturing. And while recycling is worth
doing for cnvirontucntal reasons, its success will
eventuffly be measured in dollars as well Recycling
is a bnsincss. Witether that business thrives will
eventually determine the success or failure of com-
tuutfit¥ recycling programs.
The broad environmental benefits of recycliqg--
especially, savings in natural resources ,and enerb~--
will only bc rcffizcd if manufacturers substitute used
matetiffs for a tuajor share of the virgin wood, utctals,
and plastics they now consume. For this to happen,
there tuust be a large, vigorous industrial sector
devoted to taking nscd materials, processing them, and
turning them into salable commodities. In North
America, that sector is clearly now dcvcloping on a
large scale, at least for some materials--and the envi-
rontucntff benefits, though hiddcn, are substantial.
The United States and Canada are now substituthlg
generally less-polluting rcq'ding facilities for virgin
materials industries that are often among the greatest
ofi~:ndcrs in ,air and water pollution, energy use, and
damage to ecosystems. The United States alone is now
saving about 1 cxajoule of energy--about 1 percent of
total U.S. energy use--each year by recycling munic-
ipff solid waste.
With recycling beginning to fall into place, it is
time for the next step. Within the limited urdverse of
tuunicipff solid waste (which is only a fraction of toral
U.S. waste production), growth in rec3,cLh~g appears
to be stabilizing the amount of garbage going to land-
fills and incinerators, which had been growing for
decades. Yet, U.S. waste generation is still increasing.
In the long rim, market tuechanisms need to be devel-
oped not just to htcrcase recycling, but to reduce the
quantity. of waste that wc generate in the first place.
Only then will a truly sustainable materials economy--
one that consumes a minimum ofs4rgin products and
recycles most of what it takes in--be achieved. -
Jolm E. Young is a senior researcher at the Worldwatch
Institute and coauthor of Slate of the Norm 1995.
4.
City of Iowa City
MEMORANDUM
Date: July 18, 1995
To: The Honorable Mayor Susan M. Horowitz and
Members of the City Council ~
From: Linda Newman Woito, City Attorney
Re: Update on Quiet Title Action for Melrose Avenue Bridge; City Limits Question
I have been receiving calls from the public concerning the quiet title action, which has been
authorized by the City Council. The court petition has been prepared and ready for court filing
for over a week; but only recently did I discover that the engineer who was supposedly
preparing the legal description for the quiet title petition was confused about "precisely what we
wanted" and simply dropped the matter. Denny Gannon and I will meet with Chris Steffen of
MMS Wednesday morning, so hopefully we can "get the ball rolling again." I cannot file the
quiet title petition until I get a proper legal description, so much of this will depend on MMS'
schedule.
Because I have been receiving inquiries from the public, I wanted to let you know the status
of this case.
cc: City Clerk
City Manager
Assistant City Manager
Denny Gannon, Engineering
Mary McChdsty, Legal Assistant