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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-02-01 Bd Comm minutesMINUTES APPROVED IOWA CITY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT DECEMBER 8, 2004 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL-IOWA CITY, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Alexander, Denis Keitel, Karen Leigh, Vincent Maurer, Michael Wright MEMBERS ABSENT: NONE STAFF PRESENT: Robert Miklo, Sarah Holecek OTHERS PRESENT: Viles Velton, Greg Schrock, Drew Dillman, Ron Kramer, John Nolan, Paul Campo, Dick Brown, Nestor Lobodiak, Dick Larew CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Keitel called the meeting to order at 5:03 PM. CONSIDERATION OF THE NOVEMBER 10, 2004 BOARD MINUTES MOTION: Maurer moved to approve the minutes from November 10, 2004. Wright seconded the motion. Motion passed 5:0, SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS: EXC04-00022 Reconsideration of an application submitted by Verizon Wireless for a special exception to permit installation of a telecommunication tower site for property located in the Interim Development Single Family Residential (I-DRS) zone at 637 Foster Road. Miklo said that at the last meeting the Board failed to approve the application with a vote of 2 to 2. He added that in the meantime the applicant had provided further information regarding the lighting, which was a concern for some Board members. Miklo said that the height of the tower would also be reduced from 150 feet to 130 feet. Miklo said that communication towers and satellite devices are permitted by special exception in the ID- RS zone, provided the distance of the tower from the property line is equal to or greater than its height above grade. He mentioned that the tower is proposed to be located behind the storage garages for golf carts on the Elks Club property at 637 Foster Road, approximately 400' from the Foster Road right-of-way and 1,500' from the Iowa River. The base of the tower will be obscured by the trees in the area. He said that according to the applicant, the proposed tower will have capacity for three additional wireless providers. The applicant has provided an affidavit that Verizon Wireless has a policy of allowing co- location on their towers. Co-location, while increasing the height of the tower, minimizes the number of future towers that will be necessary to serve the area. Miklo continued the staff report saying that the special exception must be in accordance to the general standards. Miklo said that the specific proposed exception should not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. He mentioned that the setback requirement is meant to address safety concerns if the tower were to fall. These types of towers, he said, are designed to fold in on themselves if they become unstable. Miklo added that under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) preempts local government on regulating radio frequency emissions of telecommunications facilities. Because the FCC regulates radio frequency emissions, a local government may not deny a request to construct a facility based on perceptions that the tower may harm the health of area residents. Miklo stated that the proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He said that while the tower will be visible from residential properties, it would not impede their use or their further development. Miklo continued by saying that the establishment of the specific proposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. He added that the tower will not affect development or Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes December 8, 2004 Page 2 redevelopment of other area properties. He said that adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and/or necessary facilities have been provided. Miklo said that adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. He added that the applicant notes the site will generate two to four vehicle trips per month per carrier. He mentioned that the existing access to Foster Road will be used, and would not contribute to congestion on area public streets. Miklo said that except for the specific regulations and standards applicable to the exception being considered, the specific exception, in all other respects, conforms to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is located. He mentioned that the use of communication tower should not conflict with other permitted uses in the Interim Development zone. Miklo said that the proposed use should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan of the City. He said that the proposed communication tower does not conflict with the use of the property as private open space as designated by the Comprehensive Plan. Miklo said the Comprehensive Plan supports the development of communication technologies within the City. Miklo said that the main impact of the tower is visual. He said that the top of the tower will be visible from properties in the neighborhood and properties on the other side of the Iowa River. He mentioned that the applicant has provided justification for a tower in the area based on wireless service demand, and they stated that the tower will have enough area for four carriers, thus minimizing the chance that additional towers will locate in the area in the future. Miklo said that staff recommends that EXC04-00022 a special exception to permit installation of a telecommunications tower site for property located in the Interim Development Single-Family Residential (I-DRS) zone at 637 Foster Road be approved. Maurer excused himself because he is a member of the Elks Club. Public Hearing Opened Viles Velton, 8500 W. 110~ Street, Suite 300 Overland Park, KS, said that after the October meeting, and after hearing the concerns of persons involved, Verizon Wireless has decided to reduce the height of the tower from150 feet to 130 feet. With regard to the lightning he said that lightning will not be necessary. Gre,q Schrock, 821 Normandy Drive, said that he lives across the street from where the site is planned. He said that he took a few pictures in the morning, and the skyline is gorgeous, and the tower will be sticking up in the middle of all that. He said that there are other areas further back were the tower could be placed. He added that the picture that was shown of where the tower will be placed is taken from the side where the trees are the tallest. He said that they are being told that they will not see much of the tower when in fact they will see a lot of the tower. Schrock mentioned that at the last meeting it was said that the foliage will cover most of the tower. He added that there is no foliage at the moment. He said that it would be better to locate the tower in a different place. Drew Dillman, 845 Normandy Drive, said that his house faces directly at the tower. He said that he appreciates the changes that have been made, and they are entirely positive. He said that he hoped that it was mentioned in assurance in writing that they will not add lights to the tower. He said that he would prefer not to have the tower at all, but if they have to have it, they would prefer that it be moved further back from the river along the freeway. He said that he wanted to express the appreciation for the changes made. Ron Kramer, 1135 Pleasant Valley, said that he is one of the trustees of the Elks Club. He said that there are 600 members that use the club. He mentioned that they worked with Verizon to place the tower in a place that is least obtrusive for everybody. He added that if they were to move it further north the tower will intrude in the golf course itself. John Nolan, said that he is one of the trustees of the Elks Club. He said that Verizon will confer a major benefit for the recipients of the tower signal, and that is the best place to put it to serve the University of Iowa community. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes December 8, 2004 Page 3 Paul Campo, 1201 Walnut Street, Kansas City, said that he would like to read some exhibits that he would like to be clear for the record. He mentioned: the Staff Report dated October 13 with attachment 1 to 4, the minutes from the October 13, and November 10th meetings, the letter from Federal Airways and Airspace dated October 15 2004, the letter from Trevor Wood dated November 1st, the email from Trevor Wood dated December 1st 2004, the email from Brice Pufahl dated November 9th 2004, the memorandum from John Yapp dated December 1st 2004, and the photo simulation picture both at 130 feet and 150 feet. He said that if the email from Brice Pufahl is reviewed, he talks about the capacity issue that drives the tower. Calls are being made and they do not go through because towers have just a certain capacity. Public Hearing Closed MOTION: Wright moved to approve the special exception £XC04-00022 a special exception to permit installation of a telecommunications tower site for property located in the Interim Development Single-Family Residential (ID-RS) zone at 637 Foster Road subject to maximum height of 130 feet and no lightning. Leigh seconded the motion. Keitel said that he voted previously in favor of the motion. He added that knowing that there would be no required lightning makes him more in favor of this. He said that he is in favor of expanding the technological capabilities of Wireless communications. He said that will vote in favor. Alexander said that she voted against when the issue first came up. She mentioned that she is pleased to see the changes. She said that no one will be happy to have a tower in their neighborhood, and as much as she resists, she recognizes that is a part of the century, and she would vote in favor. Leigh said that she also voted against at the last meeting. She said that she was concerned about lightning. She said that she is very pleased with the changes made. She added that it meets both the general and specific standards, and will vote in favor of the application. Wright would vote in favor of the application. He said that he believes that it meets the general and specific standards required for a special exception. Motion passed with a vote of 4-0. Maurer rejoined the meeting. EXC04-00027 Discussion of an application submitted by First Presbyterian Church for a special exception to permit a 60' by 80' paved extension of their current parking lot for the property in the Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5) Zone at 2701 Rochester Avenue. Miklo said that the First Presbyterian Church was built in 1974 when this property was zoned R1A, Single Family Residence Zone. Churches were a permitted use in the R1A zone. In 1983, he said, as part of a citywide rezoning, the City rezoned this property to RS-5, Low Density Single-Family. Religious institutions require a special exception in the RS-5 zone. He added that any extension of the existing church on this property requires approval of a special exception. Miklo mentioned that the applicant is requesting a special exception to enlarge the parking area, to provide an additional of 14 parking spaces. He added that this came to the City's attention when a nearby resident complained about work being done on the property and wondered what it was for. Miklo mentioned that there are some specific standards in the Zoning Ordinance regarding religious institutions. He said that it is required that religious institutions have access to a collector or an arterial street and that religious institutions in the RS-5 zone are required to have a minimum lot area of 40,000 square feet and buildings must be setback of 2 feet for every one-foot of building height. Miklo said that the existing church and the proposed parking lot meet all of these requirements. He said that because this would be a new parking area, the regulations for off-street parking and loading would apply. The section requires that parking areas be hard-surfaced, provides dimensions for parking aisles and spaces, and references screening and parking lot tree requirements. Miklo said that the portion of the parking area within fifty feet of the residential lot shall be screened from view according to Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes December 8, 2004 Page 4 the screening section of the City Code. The section states that a planting screen of pyramidal arbor vitae may be used, or other evergreen varieties may be used if approved by and spaced according to the City Forester. Miklo added that the planting bed must be separated from the parking area by a curb or barrier such that sand and saltwater runoff would not damage the screening. Miklo mentioned that the applicant has submitted a site plan that shows compliance with the City's screening and parking lot tree standards. Evergreen shrubs are proposed around the perimeter of the area, and along the existing access drive to rear garage. He said that two parking lot trees are proposed, one at north and one at the south end of the parking area. Miklo said that in addition to the specific requirements for religious institutions, there are the general standards that have to be met for a special exception. He said that the specific proposed exception should not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. He mentioned that in staffs view the expansion of this religious institution to include additional parking will have minimal effect on public health, safety, comfort or welfare. He added that the parking area will produce slightly more storm water runoff due to the impervious surface being added, however, the existing drainage patterns are not proposed to change. Miklo stated that the proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He mentioned that the proposed parking area is an expansion of an already existing area and with the landscaping around the parking area, property values should not be affected. Miklo continued by saying that the establishment of the specific proposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. He said that the proposed paved parking area will not affect development of surrounding properties. Next he said that adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and/or necessary facilities have been or are being provided. Miklo said that all are existing. Miklo said that adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. He mentioned that existing driveways are in place to serve the existing church. Miklo said that except for the specific regulations and standards applicable to the exception being considered, the specific exception, in all other respects, conforms to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is located. He said that with implementation of the site plan dated December Ist 2004, including the landscaping and tree requirements, all other City Codes would be met. Next, Miklo said that the proposed use should.be consistent with the short-range Comprehensive Plan of the City. He said that the Northeast District Plan identifies this area as appropriate for institutional uses, which would include religious institutions. Staff recommends that EXC04-00027 , an application submitted by First Presbyterian Church for a special exception to permit a 60' by 80' paved extension of their current parking lot for the property in the Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5) Zone at 2701 Rochester Avenue be approved, subject to conformance with parking area site plan dated December 1st, 2004. Public Hearin,q Opened Dick Brown, 2905 Saddle Club Road, said that they did not realize that they needed a permit to expand the existing parking lot. He said that they applied for the exception to increase the parking lot. He added that on Sunday mornings people have to park on the streets, and would prefer to have their own parking lot. He said that a couple of letters complain about the application, and they are the same people that complain about parking on street. Brown says that the light in the parking lot has been there till 1975 and no one complained about it until now. He said that they would do whatever it is necessary to comply with City requirements. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes December 8, 2004 Page 5 Keitel asked if the land is generally sloping toward the southwest. Brown said that nothing drains to the east, but towards the west. Wright asked if the southwest part of the proposed parking lot would be adequately protected from erosion. Brown said that if it required to do something more to stop the erosion than they would have to do it, to protect themselves and surrounding properties. Maurer asked if the land further west is still the property of the church. Brown replied that is just grass and it is the property of the church. Wright asked if the playground equipment belongs to the church. Brown said that it belongs to the daycare center that works out of the church. Nester Lobodiak, 229 Green Mountain Drive, said that he would break his concerns down into two areas, procedural and substantive. He mentioned that procedural aspect, in October he was awakened by construction equipment which started earth moving illegally without benefit of the required special exception. He said that he called the City and got a stop work order issued. The church, as he said, filed application for special exception by mail on approximately November 12th. He added that the next day he was personally at the City Hall meeting with John Yapp. They went over the application which was deficient, without conforming to the Zoning chapter. Lobodiak mentioned that he filed an opposition letter on December 2nd showing that there was no effort to comply with the Zoning chapter by the church. He added that in the previous night he found out that the church mailed a site plan the day before he filed the opposition. He said that he was prepared to discuss about how the application does not comply with the City requirements, however, he found out the night before that the church added materials to the application, and did not have time to file any opposition to that matter. Regarding the substantive nature he said that there is a portion of the parking area that would not be screened, and it would directly affect his house. He said that the south-east corner should be screened and it is not. He said that it is not screened because they put a driveway in an area which is currently only grass. He said that he is not happy with the plan and he had only 22 hours to consider it. He said that it is not screened; it does not tell that in fact they will plant arbor vitae, and the planting bed must be separated from the parking area by a curb or barrier such that sand and saltwater runoff would not damage the screening. He said that he does not believe that the site conforms to the site. He said that the application should be tabled to wait for input from neighbors which did not have the revised site plan. Brown said that the driveway that goes to the garage will never be paved. Holecek said that it is traditionally practiced that when the applicant is notified that the application is deficient it will augment the application, and the revised application and site plan presented in front of the Board is what the Board should consider. She said that the persons do have notice, and the right to be heard on the evidence, so she does not believe that it is deficient from this point of view. Dick Larew, said that he is a neighbor and also a member of the church. He said that he was out of the country, and did not know that the church would be expanding the parking lot. He said that he came home and got a note that the City had sent. He said that he has been in construction for many years. He said that he went back to the code and found information readily available from the website, which is a big improvement over the years. He said that he was concerned about some details, and he got the answers from the new plan. He said that he would urge the board to approve the application. MOTION: Maurer moved that EXC04-00027, an application submitted by First Presbyterian Church for a special exception to permit a 60' by 80' paved extension of their current parking lot for the property in the Low Density Single-Family Residential (RS-5) Zone at 2701 Rochester Avenue be approved, subject to conformance with parking area site plan dated December Ist, 2004. Alexander seconded the motion. Maurer amended the motion to add that the screening requirements are met and extend as far south as the garage. Alexander seconded the motion. Alexander said that she would vote in favor. She said that the application does comply with the requirements for a special exception for religious institutions; the site plan is in compliance with the city Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes December 8, 2004 Page 6 screening and parking lot tree standards. Alexander added that it will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare, the proposed exception would not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. The establishment of the specific proposed exception would not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located, adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and/or necessary facilities have been or are being provided. Adequate measures would be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. She mentioned that adequate utilities, drainage and access are in place to serve the existing church. Alexander said that the proposed use is consistent with the short-range Comprehensive Plan of the City. Wright said that he would vote in favor. He said that he had some concerns in terms of water run off. He added that it meets the general and specific standards. Keitel said that he would vote in favor for the reasons already stated. He said that as a professional engineer he is not concerned about the stormwater numbers presented from the City engineer. Maurer said that he would vote in favor for the reasons already stated. Leigh said that she would vote in favor for the reasons already stated. Motion passed 5-0. APL04-00004: Miklo reported the appeal was withdrawn. OTHER: The next meeting of the Board will be on January 12th 2005. Miklo presented a certificate for Keitel's 5 years of service in the board. Holecek reminded the Board that they have to use the general and specific standards as basis for their decisions, to show the logic of their conclusions. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:15 PM. Board Chairperson Board Secretary Minutes submitted by Bogdana Rus s:/pcdlminuteslboa120041boa12-OS-O4.doc Board of Adjustment Attendance Record 2004 reriTl Name Expires 01/14 02/11 03/10 04/14 05/12 06/09 07/14 08/11 09/08 10/13 11/10 12/08 Carol Alexander 01/01/08 NM X X X NM X X X NM X O/E X Dennis Keitel 01/01/05 NM X X X NM X O X NM X X X Karen Leigh 01/01/07 NM X X X NM X X X NM X X X Vincent Maurer 01/01/06 NM O X O/E NM X X X NM X O/E X Michael Wright 01/01/09 NM X X X NM X X X NM X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting ..... Not a Member MINUTES APPROVED HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DECEMBER 9, 2004 - 7:00 P.M. EMMA HARVAT HALL - CIVIC CENTER MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Gunn, Michael Maharry, Justin Pardekooper, Jim Ponto, Tim Weitzel MEMBERS ABSENT: James Enloe, Mark McCallum, Amy Smothers, Jann Weismiller STAFF PRESENT: Shelley McCafferty OTHERS PRESENT: Michael Brennan, Helen Burford, Jim Harris, Edward Left, Emily Left, Lisa Left, John Shaw, Regina Bailey CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Maharry called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION: Certificates of Appropriateness. 701 Oakland Avenue. McCafferty stated that this is an application for a certificate of appropriateness for a project at 701 Oakland Avenue. She said this is a non-contributing property in the Longfellow Historic District. McCafferty said the owners submitted an insurance claim, because their aluminum siding was damaged by hail, and they have finally settled with their insurance company to reside the house with fiber cement board. She said the house was originally done in stucco, which was damaged when the aluminum siding was applied, so it really is not feasible to repair the stucco. Edward Left said the five-inch fiber cement board is fine with him. He said the project will significantly improve the appearance of the house. Ponto asked if the chimney would be boxed in, and Edward Left confirmed this. Gunn asked if the cornerboards and trimboards would stay in place, as much as possible. Edward Left said that all of the trim will be fiber cement board, and the window trim would look like the wood. Gunn asked about the finish for the closing in of the chimney. Edward Left said he assumed it would be fiber cement board. Gunn said that he would prefer something with a stucco finish boxed in but just a smooth finish of some kind. McCafferty said there is available a fiber cement board with a stucco texture that comes in panels. Gunn suggested using that for the chimney, because then it looks a little bit like masonry. Edward Left said that made sense, and he would be fine with that. MOTION: Weitzel moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the siding at 70'1 Oakland Avenue, including the alteration of the chimney box to use something with a stucco finish or fiber cement board with a stucco texture. Gunn seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. 8 Bella Vista. McCafferty said this application includes a number of projects for this house. She said the house is a Prairie School style home with Classical Revival influence, and the app[icant proposes changes to the front of the house. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 9, 2004 Page 2 McCafferty said the existing house has a crumbling patio in the front and also has brick infill where double French doors were replaced. She said the house has an entry canopy, which is very likely not original, as it does not really quite fit the house. McCafferty said the owner proposes to replace the front canopy and also construct a new front patio that would extend the entire width of the house and therefore cover up some basement windows. She said the owner also would like to remove the infill brick and replace it with a French door and sidelights. McCafferty said there would be some site work for concrete steps. She stated that John Shaw is the architect for the project. Harris said he saw an article about a house that is exactly like his in Cedar Rapids, which gave him ideas as to what to do with his house. He said the house in Cedar Rapids had a 12-foot masonry original deck on the front. Harris said the patio deck would be consistent with those on the house in Cedar Rapids. Shaw said the entry canopy would be fairly close to the one on the Cedar Rapids house but would obviously need to be modified to fit this house. Gunn asked what color brick would be used. Shaw said he intended to ask for a submittal at the time and select the closest match. McCafferty noted that there is a local supplier of historic brick and gave the contact information to Shaw. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the projects at 8 Bella Vista, as proposed. Weitzel seconded the motion. Maharry said this appears to fit the guidelines and would blend in nicely with the structure that is already there. Weitzel said the guidelines are very unclear on these kinds of porches, because there are not a lot of these in Iowa City. He said this porch has clearly become a maintenance issue, and for preservation of the main structure, something has to be done with it. Weitzel said the proposal to add drainage is a good idea, and the windows can't really be seen from any elevation. He said the existing design of the porch is not historically significant in and of itself so much that it couldn't be altered. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. GILBERT-LINN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT. Maharry said there was not enough support at City Council to approve the district as proposed. He said that because it is a planning and zoning matter, it will move to a joint meeting between the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission for further discussion. Maharry said after that the issue would either be approved, denied, or sent back to the Historic Preservation Commission for revision. Maharry said he thought the City Council seemed hesitant to approve the district in the face of documented opposition by majority property owners. He said there were very passionate arguments encouraging approval on the basis that it would be good for the City. Maharry said that not enough City Council members agreed that the property owners' rights should be superseded by this becoming a local district. He said a supermajority vote, six of seven members, was required for approval. Maharry said there was not a lot of support for defeating this, even from those who were not in favor. He said he felt people wanted to have the district sent back to the Commission for revision rather than having it voted down outright. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 9, 2004 Page 3 2005 WORK PLAN: Maharry stated that the Commission reviewed its past year's progress as well as projects for next year at its annual work session meeting. He asked members to review the work plan for amendments or adjustments before it is turned in to City Council. Maharry said the Commission will place finding financial incentives for the upcoming year on its priority list. Burford said the State has been lobbied to put money into its fiscal year budget for State tax credits. She said, however, that nothing has been done to change the process in order to streamline the paperwork. Burford added that the State is currently writing a homesteading act for historic homes to give some type of homesteading tax credit. She said this has not yet been proposed to the legislature. McCafferty stated that she would like to see local incentives for which the City could set its own parameters, including not requiring the high threshold of a substantial rehabilitation. She said there are some mechanisms by which local incentives could be done, one of which would be the area revitalization district. McCafferty said she would do more exploration on the incentives issue. She said that Dubuque provides several incentives and said she would do research into those local tax incentives. McCafferty added that the TARP Program is available for those meeting the income guidelines. She said the advantage to the TARP Program would be that a homeowner would not have to comply with the HUD regulations. McCafferty said that next year staff will work on the Central Planning District, and preservation will be a significant part of that plan. She said the Commission may want to add it into the work plan as something that the Commission will wish to have involvement with. Maharry asked McCafferty, should she have time before her employment with the City ends, to collect evidence for increasing the amount of staff time to be allocated to historic preservation, possibly using comparisons to what other cities do. He noted that the amount of properties covered by Commission review has increased by 30% since McCafferty became the planner for the Commission. MOTION: Weitzel moved to approve the 2005 Work Plan, with the addition of Commission involvement in preparing the Central Planning District as a work plan item. Ponto seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. MINUTES: NOVEMBER 10, 2004. MOTION: Weitzel moved to approve the minutes of the November 10, 2004 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, as written. Ponto seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0. DISCUSSION AND INFORMATION: 2005 HRDP Grant. McCafferty said the Commission may want to apply for an HRDP grant to update the Preservation Plan, as much of the survey and evaluation work has been done. She said, however, that the grant request is due January 18th. McCafferty said that Richard Carlson would be willing to assist in the grant writing, and Maharry and Weitzel also volunteered to help with writing the grant. McCafferty stated that this is a matching grant so that City Council approval would be needed. Iowa Cultural Community Grant. McCafferty said the State suggested applying for this grant to get additional staff to work on educational issues. Maharry noted that this grant application is due in March. Preserve America Communities Application. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 9, 2004 Page 4 McCaffe~ty said that she had not been able to review the requirements for this grant yet. Maharry said he was not certain that there are any benefits from this grant. He said one criteria of this is a private/public collaboration project that was done within the last three years. McCafferty said the Englert might qualify, and Maharry said that 925 Washington Street also might qualify. Maharry noted that the deadline for this grant occurs every quarter. Save America's Treasures. McCafferty said she included this article for Commission information. Letter from State Historical Society of Iowa. McCafferty said this is the official letter regarding the two historic districts that have been approved by the State. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte. s:lpcd/minutes/hpc~2004HPCminuteslhpc12-O9-O4.doc Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 9, 2004 Page 5 Historic Preservation Commission Attendance Record 2004 TelTn Name Expires 2/12 2/26 3/11 4/8 4/22 5/13 5/27 6/10 6/14 7/8 7/22 8/10 8/26 9/2 9/9 9/23 10/14 11/10 11/18 12/09 A. Smothers 3/29/05 X O/E X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X O J. Enloe 3/29/06 O/E X X X O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O M. Gunn 3/29/07 O/E O/E X O/E O/E X X X X O X X X X X O X X X X M. Maharry 3/29/05 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X M. McCallum 3/29/06 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X O J Pardekooper 3/29/06 ............................................................................ J. Ponto 3/29/07 X X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X O/E O/E X X X P. Sueppel 3/29/06 O/E O/E X X X X X X O X O .................................... J Weissmiller 3/29/06 ........................................................ O X O/E O/E O O T. Weitzel 3/29/05 X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X O X J. Zimmer 3/29/07 ............ O/E O/E O/E X O/E X O O X X O O O ................ Key: X Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting ..... Not a Member MINUTES APPROVED CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2005 - 3:30 PM HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL Members Present: Ke¥in Warner, Andy Chappell, Karen Knbby, Penny Davidscn (on speakerphone), Naomi Novick, Vicki Lensing, Nate Green, Lynn Rowat, and William Sueppel, Chair Staff Present: Marian Karr, Eleanor Dilkes CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Sueppel called the meeting to order at 3:35 PM. APPROVE MINUTES MOTION: Kubby moved to accept the minutes of December 8, 2004, as written; seconded by Chappell. Motion carried 9 to 0. MOTION: KUbby moved to accept the minutes of December 13, 2004, as written; seconded by Novick. Motion carried 9 to 0. PUBLIC COMMENT None. REVIEW CHARTER Sueppel asked if any of the members had anything new they wanted to share. Hearing nothing new, the members decided to discuss the four main issues that they have left. The first issue, how the mayor is elected, was discussed. Novick stated that she feels they have a good system now, and she likes that the mayor is part of the City Council and gets to discuss and vote as a member of the Council. Davidsen stated that she feels the election of the mayor should stay as it is, and that the mayor could be a district representative, if the Commission chooses to go to "true districts." Kubby stated that she has re-read the Charter many times, as well as talked to others, and she is still in favor of going to a directly elected mayor. Chappell stated that he also supports the idea ora directly elected mayor. Green stated that he originally was of the opinion that if our system is working well that it should not be changed, but he feels there should be more "openness" to the process. Werner stated that he likes the system as it is now, and he feels the "first among equals" is best. Rowat stated that he feels that all voters have, in a sense, had a chance to vote for who is going to be the mayor, by electing the Council members. Lensing stated that she and Rowat were in the same group at the last public hearing, and that what he stated is basically what their group felt: that if the responsibilities of the mayor are not going to change, then leave the election of the mayor as is. She, therefore, agrees that they should keep the system as is. The discussion then turned to a term limit for the mayor, and Novick stated that people have been suggesting Charter Review Commission January 6, 2005 Page 2 a limit of four years. Sueppel ended the discussion by stating that he also feels the system works as it is, and does not want to change at this time. Lensing noted that she would like the Commission to let the Council know that they would like to see this process done in as open and public of a manner as possible. Dilkes noted that in the past this process was done by secret ballot, but that process was stopped and now the Council member's vote must be public. MOTION: Novick moved to "TA" Section 2.06 A, B and C--Mayor, as written; seconded by Rowat. Motion carried 6 to 3 (Green, Chappell, and Kubby voting the negative). The discussion then turned to term limits for the mayor. Lensing stated that she has not changed her mind on this, but noted that members of her group at the last public hearing did bring this up. She wants to acknowledge that some people have concerns about this and want term limits, but that as a Commission, she felt they had decided not to address this area. Novick stated that quite a few people feel that four years should be the limit. MOTION: Novick moved that the mayor, who is selected from among the Council members, hold office for no more than four years (two terms). No second. Motion dies. Section 2.02 Division into council districts - Kubby stated that she would favor keeping the 4 at-large, 3 district seats. Novick stated that the original idea behind this was to make sure that representation was evenly distributed throughout the city. She noted that in past Charter Review Commissions, the idea of having 5 districts was discussed, in order to spread the representation around. MOTION: Kubby moved to "TA" Section 2.02 Division into council districts as written; seconded by Chappell. Motion carried 9 to 0. Sueppel then turned the discussion to the "method of selecting district councilpersons. Kubby stated that the question then that had them hesitating was: if they had true districts and the majority of council felt that one of the district members was the best person to be mayor, and had four or more votes to be mayor, what does that mean - is it a good thing or not? She stated that she then tried to find some examples of this situation, and does not feel that they would have a problem with it locally. Davidsen agreed with Kubby's statement. Chappell noted that he has spoken in favor of the mayor being directly elected by the people, and that since that idea was voted down, he feels the system should stay as it is. The concept of voters being disenfranchised was discussed at some length, with members giving their opinions. (TAPE ENDS) MOTION: Section 2.01--Composition and 3.03--Regular city election - Kubby moved to create language in the Charter to have the districts be true districts; seconded by Chappell. Motion failed, 8 to 1, with Kubby voting in the positive, and the remaining eight members voting in the negative. Charter Review Commission January 6, 2005 Page 3 MOTION: Lensing moved to "TA" Section 2.01 and 3.03 as written; seconded by Green. Motion carried 8 to 1; Knbby voting in the negative. MOTION: Kubby moved to "TA" the entire Charter as amended by previous action of the Commission (as reflected in the red-line version dated 11/3/04 and one additional change in Section 2.05); seconded by Rowat. Motion carried 9 to 0. MOTION: Kubby moved to authorize Dilkes to make grammatical changes as deemed necessary in the final redline version of the Charter; Novick seconded. Motion carried 9 to 0. REQUEST FOR VIDEO ON DEMAND (VOD) INFORMATION Karr explained to the members that this is a request that was in their December packet, where the local government channel wanted to know if the Charter Commission was interested in designating anyone on the Commission to do an interactive program with their Infovision program. This issue had been put off during December due to the public session that was being planned and held. Kubby suggested that they look into this from more of an educational tool perspective. Karr will contact staff and ask they inform Chair Sueppel of options. PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL Sueppel opened the discussion by asking who is going to prepare the presentation for the City Council; what is it exactly that this person should prepare; and do they want to include recommendations to the Council as to whether they should adopt the recommendations by ordinance, or submit it to a vote of the people, and if they do this by ordinance, does the Commission favor one ordinance, or perhaps more than one as some are strictly grammatical changes, and others are things that people might want to take issue with. Dilkes stated that her tentative opinion is that if the Council ~vere to adopt every change made in one ordinance, objectors could still, within 30 days, ask to have a section of the ordinance be submitted to voters. Dilkes further stated she would need to look at the issue in more detail. Sueppel noted that Chappell had given the members a copy of an article from the County News regarding San Francisco using ranked voting. The discussion then turned to what the presentation would entail. Chappell stated that he believes they need two documents to present to the Council. One would be the "nuts and bolts" changes that the Commission is proposing, and the second document would be narrative-type of report, further explaining the changes and issues that the Commission has brought up. He feels that the first document, the "nuts and bolts", should be done by staff (Karr & Dilkes), and the second document should be done by one of the members. He further suggested that a Commission member do a draft, and then the Commission as a whole wold review. Charter Review Commission January 6, 2005 Page 4 Kubby noted the following issues that have been raised by the Commission members during their review: the police/fire chief being approved by Council and appointed by the City Manager; restrictions on referendum; desire to have a citizen's guide for the Charter; and the time-frame that was presented by staff. Sueppel suggested they review the minutes from their meetings thus far, and pull the main discussion topics from there. Chappell stated that he feels they should pick someone on the Commission to start a preliminary draft of this presentation. Novick suggested that Chappell do this, and members agreed. It was decided that Kubby would work with him, as well, on this draft. Dilkes asked for clarification on what she and Karr are to do, which is an explanation of the actual changes that are being made, and not issues that the Commission merely discussed. She said they would include items such as the staff time-line as it will help to clarify the changes. Sueppel asked when this Commission ends, and Karr noted approximately May 4, 2005. She further stated that the Commission's "work is done" when they present their proposal to Council, but that does not mean that they won't be asked for further information or review. Karr then asked for clarification of the January 14th meeting agenda. Items to be addressed are: review public hearing of January 13, and review final reports by Dilkes/Karr and Chappell/Kubby. It was further decided that Chappell and Kubby would have their version of the presentation to Karr by 10:00 AM on Thursday, January 13. Dilkes ended the discussion by asking the members if they wanted to set a public hearing for the Council on the Charter Commission's recommendations, and whether to give them to the voters or do this by ordinance. Majority agreed to present recommendations only, and not request setting of a hearing. OLD BUSINESS None. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Rowat moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Green. Meeting adjourned at 5:13 PM. Minutes FINAL Iowa City Airport Commission December 9, 2004 Iowa City Airport Terminal Members Present: Randy Hartwig, John Staley, Dan Clay, Carl Williams, Michelle Robnett Members Absent: None Staff Present: Sue Dulek, Jeff Davidson Others Present: David Hughes, Harry Wolf, Dean Thornberry, Jay Hoenck, Rick Mascari, Dennis Gordon Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:50 PM Recommendations to Council: None Approval of Minutes: Mr. Williams moved and Mr. Clay seconded motion to accept minutes from November meeting. Motion carried 3-0 with Staley and Robnett being absent. Ms. Robnett arrived. Public Discussion- Items not on the Agenda: Mr. Thornberry addressed the Commission to present information about the Air Lift LifeLine Pilots organization and to request permission to post information on the Terminal bulletin board. Unfinished Items for Discussion / Action: None Items for Discussion / Action: A. Runway 7/25 Project - Earth Tech: Mr. Hughes presented some preliminary information pertaining to the options available on the width of the runway extension. B. A.I.P Grant - Mr. Hughes presented the completed A.I.P. pre-application that was filed with the DOT in November. Mr. Hughes went over the projects the Commission and FAA foresee for the next five year period and longer range. Specifically, near term is continuing the 7/25 extension project. Additionally, the need to upgrade the north hanger taxi way was agreed. C. Aviation Commerce Park - Mr. Wolf from Iowa Realty was present and indicated there should be one "serious" offer for the Commission to consider before or by the next Commission meeting. Mr. Williams asked if there was a written offer on lot/lots. Mr. Wolf responded that there is a document that has not been signed by either party but that we are very close to a verbal agreement and that both parties are in agreement xvith the economics and are looking into applicable covenants. Mr. Mascari asked if Iowa Realty were doing any advertising of the property. Mr. Wolf indicated that whereas the listings had been made inactive pending the resolution of the current sale under discussion, there is not any active marketing. If the sale currently under discussion should go through there may be a need to re- examine the pricing, and land use of the remaining lots. Mr. Mascari told the Commission that every year that passes costs the Commission $80,000 in lost benefits and urged the Commission to be aggressive in marketing the land. Mr. Staley arrived. D. Strategic Plan - Mr. Davidson had a first draft of the Commission's Strategic Plan which the Commission went over in detail to correct / amend facts and agree on specific wording. E. Airport Budget - Commission reviewed budget and how year to date figures compare to budgeted amounts. Specific accounts were questioned to find out specific information about. F. Airport Management - There was a resolution to extend the contract with Snyder & Associates. Moved by Mr. Staley, seconded by Mr. Clay. Resolution passed 5-0 on a roll call vote. Mr. Clay discussed the possible use of a student intern and the discussion with University of Dubuque on duties and responsibilities. The issue of moving the Airport Manager's office to terminal in conjunction with the possible internships was also discussed. The Commission authorized Mr. Clay to interview applicants. G. Obstruction Mitigation Project / Stanley Consultants - Mr. Hartwig discussed some of the trees (obstructions) that are in the process of being mitigated. H. Airport Park - Mr. Hartwig discussed the reply from the FAA concerning what is needed to proceed with installing a terminal viewing area. It may be desirable to include these tasks in with other grant applications. The availability of a DOT grant for security items will be explored. Chairperson's Report: The Chair asked members to consider any personal goals for the upcoming year and present at January's meeting. Commission Members Reports: There were none. Administrative Report: None Set Next Meeting: Next meeting set for January 13, 2005 Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 8:45PM Final/Approved MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION DECEMBER 21, 2004 ROOM G09/8-SENIOR CENTER Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 2:00 PM. Members Present: Jo Hensch, Jay Honohan, Betty Kelly, Sarah Maiers, Charity Rowley and Nancy Wombacher. Members absent: Lori Benz Staff Present: Michelle Buhman, Linda Kopping, Susan Rogusky and Julie Seal. Others Present: Eve Casserly and Dorothy Scandurra Recommendations to Council: None. Approval of Minutes: Motion: To approve the minutes from the November 16, 2004 meeting as distributed. Motion carried on a vote of a 6-0. Kelly/Hensch PUBLIC DISCUSSION Scandurra, representing the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, thanked the Commission for reviving the Advisory Committees. COMMISSION ASSIGNMENTS Honohan will attend the next Board of Supervisors meeting. Rowley will attend the January City Council meeting and write the report from this meeting (December 21, 2004) for the web. Kopping will not be available for the regularly scheduled January 2005 meeting and requested that the Commission consider rescheduling that meeting. Motion: To reschedule the January Commission meeting from Tuesday Jan. 18 to Monday January 24, 2005 from 2 PM to 4 PM. Kelly/Rowley Motion carried on a vote of 6-0. AFTERNOON USE OF THE ASSEMBLY ROOM- Kopping Kopping met with Eve Casserly, Bob Welsh, Diane Flemming, David Purdy, and Craig Buhman to discuss issues surrounding the timing of afternoon meetings and programs sponsored by the Johnson County Task Force on Aging and the AARP that are held in the Assembly Room. They also discussed the timing of afternoon programs sponsored by the Center that are supported by the Task Force and AARP. Kopping noted that the AARP and Task Force schedule their meetings to begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room. They feel a 1:30 p.m. start time encourages attendance and participation of participants in the nutrition program because diners can go directly from lunch to the meeting. In addition, Cassedy noted that the 1:30 p.m. start time Final/Approved accommodates residents of Oaknoll who catch Oaknoll's final bus of the day at 3 p.m. and others who may be reluctant to drive after dark. Kopping further explained that depending upon the type of program and whether or not it is to be televised, the set-up for Task Force and AARP programs can take anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes. Historically Assembly Room set-ups that begin prior to 1:30 disrupt the routine cleaning of the Assembly Room that is done by the nutrition staff after each noon meal. This is unsanitary and unsightly and places an additional cleaning demand on the Center's maintenance staff. Moreover, moving equipment and limited attempts to clean the area can be disruptive to people who are trying to enjoy their noon meal. 'Kopping reported that the group plans to continue meeting and that she is optimistic that the group will come up with a reasonable compromise that will satisfy everyone involved. Rowley suggested that the Senior Center staff consider providing additional programming to entertain people between the time lunch ends and programs which are scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM. PARKING ISSUES - Honohan Honohan reported that staff and Commission have received numerous complaints related to a lack of available parking in the Tower Place Parking Ramp. As early as 9 a.m. people are waiting for extended periods to access the ramp. Many people have reported that when the parking ramp is full they simply turn around and go home. Discussion focused on the total number of permits sold for the ramp and the implementation of a daily maximum parking fee at Tower Place. Arguably, the daily maximum parking fee encourages long-term parking. Kopping indicated that the members of the Participant Advisory Committee are also quite concerned with the parking situation. In addition, because so many people have reported problems finding a parking space for morning activities, she has asked the parking department to discontinue the practice of holding 50 spaces back until 10 a.m. This will be tried on a trial basis to see if it improves the situation. It was decided to form a committee, consisting of Honohan, Kelly, Kopping, and a member of the Participant Advisory Committee, to meet with Joe Fowler, Director of Parking and Transit, and discuss the parking situation and possible solutions. SENIOR CENTER UPDATE- Operations- Kopping Staff is working on finalizing the insurance claim on the water-damaged area of the building. The Participant Advisory Committee met and would like to amend their by-laws in order to accommodate a larger number of participants. The following people have volunteered to be on this committee: John Conner, Ken Fearing, Stan Aldinger, Sally Jablonski, Dawn Rogers, Rae Blanchard and Irene Bowers. Motion: To accept the membership of the Participant Advisory Committee as reported. Motion carried on a vote of 6-0. Rowley/Kelly Final/Approved Kopping will provide the Commission with a draft copy of the revisions at the January Commission meeting for review and approval. Programs - Seal Seal invited everyone to attend the Senior Center Curriculum Committee brain storming session scheduled for Friday January 7, 2005. Seal distributed a copy of programs scheduled for January. For a complete listing of programs see the Winter Program Guide. Volunteers - Rogusky Rogusky reported that the holiday dance, which was held in November, was a very successful and brought many new people to the Center. Staff and volunteers from the Gift Shop participated in the Coralville Holiday Bazaar. Sales at the bazaar generated $185.50 in revenue. Rogusky reported that $1,335 worth of merchandise has been sold during the Gift Shop's pre-holiday sale. She reminded the Commission that all sales revenue in excess of the amount owed to the consignor is credited to the operational budget. Rogusky distributed copies of a December 11,2004 article from the Iowa City Press Citizen that featured the Gift Shop. Rogusky reported that several of the activity and volunteer groups were very active during the month of December. The performance groups offered the public a total of six holiday concerts. With assistance from the City cable network, channel 4, two of these programs were broadcast live. Similarly, Senior Center Television (SCTV) filmed twelve Center sponsored programs and assisted in the production of the two live broadcasts. Membership Fundraising Report- Buhman Buhman reported that the Center currently has 874 registered members and has collected $15,387 in membership dues since July 1, 2004. ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2005 - Maiers The nominating committee reported that the current officers all agreed to serve for another year. In accordance with this Maiers presented the following slate of officers: Honohan as Chair, Kelly as Vice-Chair and Rowley as Secretary. Motion: To accept the slate of officers as proposed. Motion carried on a vote of 6- 0. Hensch/Wombacher OVERVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF SERVICES AND STRATEGIC PLAN- Honohan Staff and Commissioners reviewed and discussed the participation counts used in evaluating services and room use of the Center. Final/Approved Honohan noted that between 2001 and 2004, total number of visits increased by 17.9% for programming, 2% for activities, 17% for classes and 18% for meetings. The overall number of visits for Center sponsored programs increased by approximately 15%. In reviewing the goals from 2001 to 2004 it appears that the only place the Center has not been able to achieve it's goals is in increasing the weekend and evening activities. However, it was noted that the staff has expanded use of the exercise equipment room for members as well as implemented a successful after hours band class which meets weekly during the fall and spring semesters. The commission will continue to review the evaluation materials and will discuss this subject further at the January meeting. Motion: To adjourn. Motion carried on a vote of 6-0. Kelly/VVombacher. Final/Approved Senior Center Commission Attendance Record Year 2004 Name Term 1/20 2/17 3/16 4/20 4/30 5/10 6/22 7/20 8/17 9/21 Expires Lori Benz 12/31/05 X X O/E X X X X X X X Jo Hensch 12/31/06 X X X X X X X X O/E X Jay Honohan 12/31/04 X X X X X X X X X X Betty Kelly 12/31/04 X X X X X X X X O/E X Sarah Maier 12/31/06 X X X X X O/E X X X O/E Charity Rowley 12/31/05 X X X X X X X X X X Nancy 12/31/06 O/E O/E X X X X X X X X Wombacher Name Term 10/16 11/16 12/21 Expires Lori Benz 12/31/05 X X O/E Jo Hensch 12/31/06 X X X ,Jay Honohan 12/31/04 O/E X X Betty Kelly 12/31/04 X X X Sarah Maier 12/31/06 X X X Charity Rowley 12/31/05 X O/E X Nancy Wombacher 12/31/06 X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E= Absent/Excused NM = No meeting -- = Not a member APPROVED IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MINUTES November 25f 2004 MEMBERS PRESENT: Lisa Beckmann, David Shorr, Paul Retish, Jim McCue; Geoff Wilming; Bev Witwer MEMBERS ABSENT: Elizabeth Cummings; Billie Townsend; Valerie Garr STAFF MEMBERS: Heather L. Shank GUESTS: Annie Tucker 1. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 7:09 p.m. 2. GUEST: Annie Tucker is part of the team that put together the video, "White Privilege 101." When the team learned that the Commission was putting together a movie project, the team wondered if the Commission would be interested in their video. The team includes Tucker, Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., the person responsible for the "White Privilege" conference, Adam Burke, an instructor and producer at PATV and Valerie Garr, a Commissioner and employee of the University of Iowa. Tucker brought the Commission a copy of the video. Tucker said that Eddie Moore read an article entitled, "White Privilege" by P.D. Macintosh. Racism is the systemic disenfranchising of a people. When that happens there is a systemic advantage for Caucasians. Most of the time Caucasians are unaware of the privileges that they have as a result of this system. With Moore's recognition of the lack of awareness, he put together his conference. The first year in 2000, the conference was held at Cornell College. The 6th conference will be held in Pella this spring. Moore wanted to have a video that could be shown in any room in which this conversation about white privilege could take place. Tucker also wanted this conversation to take place. Separately she was working on a video as part of her Masters in "Conflict Resolution." When she met Moore, he asked her be a part of the "White Privilege" project. The team wanted a lot of different people to discuss their experiences and for two years they interviewed presenters and participants at the conference. After interviewing 100 people and accumulating 30 hours worth of tape, they applied for and received a grant from Humanities Iowa for $7,000. In the end, most of the money was used to transcribe the footage so the four-team members could highlight different things and put the video together. The video is under an hour. Beckmann said that the Commission had discussed showing the videos and following with a discussion between the audience members and the facilitators or persons that speak "expertly" on the subject of the film. Beckmann asked Tucker whether there would be someone from her team that would be willing to take on this role. Tucker said that she believed one or more of their team would like to be involved in the facilitator role. Shank asked Tucker whether the video could air on the government channel? Tucker said that it has already been shown on PATV so there wouldn't be a problem. Beckmann said that she would like to have some of the Commissioners review the video. Tucker said that would be fine and Witwer volunteered to view it first, after Thanksgiving. Beckmann said she would like three Commissioners to see it. Beckmann said that they had considered" Bang, Bang Your Dead," "Lets Get Real," and the film about Fred Phelps, "God Hates Fags." Garr has already contacted persons at the U of I to see if they wanted to show it there. The U of I is considering showing it in January or February and Tucker didn't want the Commission to be surprised by this. 3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: Beckmann asked for a motion to approve the minutes. MOTION: McCue made a motion to approve the September minutes and Retish seconded the motion. MOTION: Approved unanimously. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: No 5 NEW BUSINESS: RESIGNATION: Beckmann announced that Elizabeth Cummings was not reapplying to be on the Commission because when she originally applied, she was of the impression that her role was going to be different than what it turned out to be. Cummings thought she would have more of a jury type role. Therefore, Cummings thought her efforts would be better used somewhere else. Shank said that she received an e-mail prior to the meeting indicating she would like to help revise the Human Rights pamphlet so that it reflects the changed role of the Commissioners. Shank said that Cummings could not attend the meeting because of a family emergency. Witwer indicated she had reapplied and Beckmann noted that the Commission would have two new Commissioners for the term commencing in January. Shank indicated the deadline for applying was December 1. Appointments are scheduled for the December 7th Council meeting. Retish said that he is deeply concerned about the continuity on the Commission. There has been a very high turnover. Shank said that the persons that resigned did not attend a lot of meetings because of travel. Retish said that he knows what his schedule is so he is surprised when people apply knowing that their jobs will not allow them to fulfill their obligations to the Commission. McCue added that he understood Cummings reason for leaving. It was also McCue's impression when he applied, that he would be making decisions in cases. McCue started at the time the law was being revised so that the Commissioners would have more of an educational role rather than a quasi-judicial role early in the process. Retish said that there should be a short accurate description of the role of the Commission attached to the application. VIDEO SERIES: Beckmann indicated that the "White Privilege" video sounded good and the high school student that made the video regarding Phelps has not gotten back to her. She believes the new college freshman may have a number of reasons for not being interested in showing his video at a Commission public forum. Beckmann indicated that she believed the Commission should go forward with the three videos, including "White Privilege." Beckmann suggested that the Commission should decide the sequence. Witwer said that "Let's Get Real" should be shown in February so it will coincide with the program later that month at Kirkwood. McCue said that the program should be run from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. The first two movies are in the Recreation Center and the third movie will be shown in the Public Library. Retish said that he was going to be out of the country for the March 8 video. Witwer suggested moving "Bang, Bang, You're Dead" to January and showing the "White Privilege" video on March 8. Retish indicated that it would work better for him if the schedule was changed in that way. Beckmann asked the Commissioners to attend at least two of the three movies. ARAB HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: Shank said that the Commission has co-sponsored this program for the last several years and this year it is scheduled for January 18. Generally the Commission attends rather than doing anything for the program. Shank said that one of the speakers is Dr. Steve Howard from Amnesty International. The e-mail that Shank received does not mention where the program will take place but she assumes it will be in the IMU again. Beckmann asked that this be added to the agenda again next month. 6. OLD BUSINESS: Diabetes Banquet - Witwer indicated that she and Shank attended. She said that there was a film about a diabetic camp that teaches kids of all ages and all walks of life how to live life as a diabetic. They all learn how to take care of themselves, give themselves shots and feel comfortable with their situation. The head of the camp was there and Witwer said that she was very committed. People from all over the United States come to Iowa to attend the camp. Witwer said the program was excellent and Shank said that vendors provided with a great deal of information on diabetes. Rachel Simmons author of Odd Girl OuC The Hidden Culture of A,q,qression in Girls - Witwer indicated that she had spoken with Marian Coleman and ten tickets of the fifteen tickets are to be given to Marian Coleman to be distributed to teachers. United Action for Youth will receive two tickets. Witwer has been in touch with Regina and was given the name of Beth Globokar, the sponsor of Regina's student counsel and a Social Studies teacher. Globokar has not contacted Witwer yet. Witwer said that Amy Melson is the U of I Professor of School Counseling and Witwer would like to advertise this event with her so that new teachers would be aware of the program. Retish asked about the Alternative School and Stephanie Phillips. Wilming said that Pat Meyer is the person to contact at the Neighborhood Centers. Shorr said that perhaps the focus should be on schools themselves since that is the setting the Commission is most concerned about and it is the teachers and the leadership that should be most involved. He doesn't think it would be as important to extend the tickets to other entities. Witwer said that UAY has a counseling component so they are probably dealing with this subject. Wilming said that the Broadway Neighborhood Center, at the time he worked thero, had something similar via a young women's group. He thinks the Neighborhood Center has the potential to be a good target group. According to Shank, Meyer borrowed the video, "Let's Get Real" and showed it at Pheasant Ridge and Broadway. Witwer said that she just wanted there to be an awareness of the program at Kirkwood. Shank also added that she needed to know the number of Commissioners that wanted to attend Simmon's presentation. Retish said that in only talking about bullying as it relates to girls, it will be a one-dimensional discussion. If the Commission is sponsoring the program and the subject is bullying, It should be discussed in a broad rather than singular sense. Shorr said that he sees this program fitting in because the Commission is taking advantage of an event that is happening nearby and is using it as a device to find persons that are interested in the topic and would be interested in volunteering their time. McCue also said that if the program were only about boys, the audience would take away a view, they may have already held, that bullying is basically something that boys engage in. McCue said he did not feel anyone would be deluded by a program focusing on girls or deluded into thinking that this is the only problem there is. Shank said that girls' bullying other girls or boys has not really been discussed very much in American society. Witwer added that the subject has been basically taboo. Shorr said that the real work is the activity the Commission wants teachers, administrators, staff and parents to engage in at the schools. Witwer said that Simmons mentions in her book that the level of ignorance as to girl's aggression or the failure to see the problem, is quite extraordinary among parents, teachers, and caring adults. "It is really hidden." Witwer said that it has been kept invisible because of the belief that, "Girls must be nice!" Shank said that the video, "Let's Get Real," is really broad in that it encompasses bullying done by both genders against both genders. Youth Awards: The agenda indicated that a letter was sent to Marian Coleman, nomination forms were taken to Southeast, UAY, Willowwind, e-mailed to all of the teachers and staff at Regina, and e- mailed to the School Board, DPO's, etc. Beckmann said that the Commission needed to go farther by contacting two schools. Shorr - Horace Mann & Herbert Hoover; Retish - Roosevelt & West High, Mayor's Youth & Hills; Witwer - City High & Lemme & Lucas; Wilming - Horn, Lincoln, Longfellow & Kirkwood; McCue - Shimek, Twain & Regina; Beckmann - Webber, Northwest Jr. High & Coralville Central, Kirkwood & Wickam. Beckmann also indicated she would contact the boy scouts and girl scouts. Housinq & Scattered Sites: Beckmann indicated that she drafted a letter to the City Council about the housing situation. She also spoke with Dale Helling, the Asst. City Manager, about the Commission's questions. Helling told Beckmann that a Scattered Site committee had been developed to address similar questions to those raised by the Commission. Helling did not at all discourage Beckmann from sending the letter, he just thought she might want to wait until the committee provides their report. Retish said that based on the minutes of the Scattered Site committee, it appears the topic of a preponderance of Iow-income housing and persons of color, in one section of town has not been raised. The minutes talk about the kind of plans there have been or will be regarding the development of housing. The committee members have spoken to a great many realtors, housing developers, etc. Retish thought the Commission was looking for something different, i.e., why this is happening in the Southeast portion of the City as opposed to what land is cheaper. There seems to be a belief system that the Southeast portion of town is where this housing should be. Beckmann asked whether she thought it would do any good to talk to someone on the committee. Retish would like the committee to address the core issue and he added that when the "Music on Broadway" program was held in September, there was quite a large police presence during the entire event. Retish wondered why that happened. He wonders whether there is a sociological reason at the core, "if you have trouble, put all of your trouble in one corner where it is easier to control." Sociological studies have shown that this is frequently the tact that is taken. Retish would like the committee to address this issue. McCue said that he would like to invite someone from the committee to the Commission meeting to talk about the Commission's concerns. Beckmann said that she thought Retish and McCue should go to the committee's meeting and address the entire group. McCue said he would be willing to do this. Retish read from the 1st set of minutes from the committee that there was a letter from the Iowa City Community School District, two resolutions and two memorandums in the packet. Retish indicated that Commission members did not receive these materials. He thinks those documents might be helpful to understand the goal of the committee. Retish believes Scattered Site might refer only to assisted housing but there are all sorts of issues such as race, economics, etc. that should be discussed. Beckmann said that the letter could be sent back to the Council but Retish said that he doesn't have a problem going to the committee or waiting until the committee's report is released. Shank said she would contact Mr. Hayek and talk to him about members of the Commission being on the agenda and/or whether the committee was still meeting. Housing Forum: Shorr said that he was sorry he hasn't gotten farther on this project. He said that February is the month that the event will occur. The event is going to be a place where people can come and get good solid information particularly grounded in the law, since that is the Commission's own particular mandate. Shorr said that he has talked with Shank regarding some key resources and he will work on the availability of the people and then the availability of venue. Witwer said that the Commission already has the 8th and the 20th booked, so February is going to be busy but she knows that Shorr has to choose a date that will work for his project. Buildin.q Blocks for Employment: Retish said that the Education Commission along with other groups participated and the program was "outstanding." It was a great evening with people getting information on how to apply for position and put together a resume, etc. Retish was very heartened when two of his graduate students told him that they actually helped someone put together a resume. The students had a good experience and the gentleman they assisted walked away with something tangible. There was a quite a spectrum of people that showed up in terms of age, race & educational background. Short said it was "great," and Wilming offered that he enjoyed it "immensely." Wilming thought the turnout was wonderful and the participation was great. A number of people left with something tangible and Wilming left with the impression that the people that came for assistance really wanted to get back on their feet and get working. Wilming said that he thinks it would be great if any day of the week a person could walk into a place and get assistance of this kind. Retish said that Wilming made a great point. He thinks that it would be extraordinary if the Chamber of Commerce would agree to help with this. 7 Reports of Commissioners - Wilming: said that he is the only private businessperson on the Commission and he knows that business people could bring a lot to the Commission. He also wanted to offer some names for the breakfast speaker: (1) Diana Fritz Cates: She is on the U of l Human Rights Committee; (2) Pat Meyer from the Neighborhood Centers and (3) Tom Harkin. McCue: just finished coordinating housing for the homeless at a church for the week. Eight local churches are each committed to a week at a time for the next five months. They are willing to provide shelter for people that meet the criteria, they have to be sober, etc., and the Shelter House has to be full. In the week that Jim was coordinating, there were a considerable number of people that needed shelter and the church was full to capacity every night. Beckmann: noted that Waterloo and Burlington are considering adding sexual orientation to their ordinances. Shank said that she thought Ottumwa was considering it as well. Beckmann said that the Commission sent out a letter to all of the other commissions urging them to consider adding sexual orientation to their ordinance and she thought maybe the correspondence had an effect. 8. Readinq Cases 9. Adjournment: 8:40 p.m. Board or Commission: Human Rights ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2004 (Meetin Date) TERM 1/27 2/24 3/23 4/27 5/25 6/22 7/27 8/2~ 9/28 10/26 11/23 12/28 NAME EXP. Lisa 1/1/07 X X X X X X X X X NM X NM Beckman NQ NQ Paul Retish 1/1/07 X X X 0 0 X X X X NM X NM NQ NQ Geoff 1/1/07 X X X X X O X X O NM X NM Wilming NQ NQ Valerie Garr 1/1/05 X 0 0 0 X X O X O NM O NM NQ NQ David Shorr 1/1/06 0 X X X X 0 O X X NM X NM NQ NQ James 1/1/06 X X X X 0 X X X X NM X NM McCue NQ NQ Billie 1/1/06 X X X X X X X X X NM O NM Townsend NQ NQ Bev Witwer 1/1/05 X X NM X NM NQ NQ Elizabeth 1/1/05 X X NM O NM Cummings NQ NQ KEY: X = Present NMNQ - No meeting, no quorum O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting .... Not a Member MINUTES APPROVED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 18, 2004 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL Members Present: Lori Bears, William Greazel, Matthew Hayek, Brian Richman, Jerry Anthony, Jayne Sandier Members Absent: Erin Barnes, Mark Edwards, Rita Marcus Staff Present: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long Public Present: Charlotte Walker, Dave Dolan, Sandy Pickup Recommendation to Council ~ MOTION: Greazel moved to recommend the CITY STEPS document, with the changes voted on, correct any typographical/minor errors, and forward to Council as written. Sandier seconded the motion. Motion carries: 6-0. CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chairperson Hayek called the meeting to order at 6:35 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 21, 2004 Bears said that there is a mistake on the second page, second paragraph from bottom, instead of Bloomington Garden it should be Blooming Garden. Motion: Anthony moved to approve the October 2'1, 2004 minutes. Greazel seconded. Motion passed 6-0. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA Hightshoe handed out a letter from the Chairperson of the Iowa City Charter Review Commission. The letter requests input on such issues as the election of mayor and district representation. Hightshoe stated all City commissions would be provided this letter in an effort to solicit greater public input. The meetings are open to the public. Hightshoe added that the Iowa City Community School District entered a CDBG agreement with the City regarding the Family Resource Center. SCATTERED SITE POLICY UPDATE Hayek said that the scattered site policy task force has been meeting on a biweekly basis for more than six months. He added that they took a lot of information from various groups and City staff. He mentioned that they are at the point of deliberating information. He said that they boiled down the task to four steps. First, he said they have to define concentrated assisted housing. Second, based on the definition they would have to determine if there are any concentrations in Iowa City. Third, if there are concentrations, are the effects good or bad. The last step would be, if the impacts were bad what are some possible solutions that the City should consider. He mentioned that at this point, they are still at step one. Hayek said that they hope to wrap up soon and present some findings to City Council. Sandier asked how would that impact the deliberation for the allocation process. Hayek answered that at best the task force will forward recommendations to the City in late January, and the Council will have to deliberate and decide what they want to do. He mentioned that he doesn't believe that there will be any new policy that will affect the next round. Richman asked if there is no policy in place, can it still be in the application materials. Hayek mentioned that that is an issue that will be discussed under a separate, upcoming agenda item. PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PROPOSED 2006-2010 CONSOLIDATED PLAN- RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Walker asked what impact the commission has on the writing of CITY STEPS. Hayek answered that every five years a Consolidated Plan is required. (The City calls the Consolidated Plan, CITY STEPS.) He said that most of the commission members are appointed for three-year terms. For many, this is their Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes November 18, 2004 Page 2 first experience with the process. He said the commission reviews the plan, drafted by staff, listens and solicits public input and recommends changes/revisions to Council. Walker said that her first point is that someone has overlooked communicating with senior citizens, who are a target group in CITY STEPS. She said that senior citizens are mentioned all through CITY STEPS, but althou~]h 250 invitations went out to the community, their senior group did not hear a thing. She said invitations should be sent directly to various senior organizations. Walker said that one thing that could be handled easily is transportation for senior citizens. She said that in Cedar Rapids, there is a program that provides a weekly grocery trip to senior citizens. She added that as people get older, they get weaker. They just cannot go on the bus and carry groceries by themselves. She said that in Cedar Rapids, there is a weekly bus that takes senior citizens to a grocery store, allows a certain amount of time, and then the bus returns them and helps them to unload their groceries. She added that if Cedar Rapids can do it, why can't Iowa City? She said that she brought up this issue for the past four years to various departments and organizations, but no action has been taken. Walker said that in Iowa City there is a five-dollar charge to order groceries and a five-dollar delivery fee to have a store do the shopping for you. This is very expensive for Iow-income seniors. She said that the situation is insensitive, and could be easily solved. Walker said that there are older, but ineligible seniors (60 to 62 years old) who do not qualify for subsidized housing because of their age. Some have a hard time surviving. She said that there are several vacancies at elderly subsidized housing complexes. These vacancies could be used to help the persons that need help, but they are ineligible. She also added that people with mental disabilities are not accepted in the housing facility unless they are in a wheelchair. She said that there are many persons that could use the housing, but can't get in even though there are vacancies. Walker mentioned that the City should allow the placement of mobile homes because several Iow-income persons could be served. She said that so few are served when building hundred thousand-dollar houses. She added that we are only serving higher income households because Iow-income persons cannot afford a house even if given free because of the utilities, maintenance, insurance and taxes. She said that there is a two-year waiting list, and most can not wait that tong. She added that we could help our Iow-income people by providing them a starting point, a place to live, a mobile home, or some type of affordable housing. Greazel asked if there would be people in homes that would need assistance with grocery shopping. Walker answered that the reason for her stating that there should be a bus providing grocery rides to persons living in the apartment complexes is because the service has to start somewhere. She added that people would want to go shopping in all days of the week, but by having a bus, you would determine a day and time for the trip, and all interested persons would sign-up. Dave Dolan said usually that's the argument used. If we give it to you, then we will have to provide trips to everyone. This provides an excuse to not do it at all. He added that another situation is that if the City doesn't determine that a situation is 100% workable, they will not work with a situation that is 60 or 70% workable. He said that when busses are mentioned, if you are not disabled or have a signed paper from your doctor, you can not ride the SEATS bus. He said that even though you are old, and the service is for elderly and persons with disabilities, old persons can only ride the SEATS bus if they can prove that they are disabled. Dolan said that old people are not only having trouble riding the bus, but it is also hard for most of them to carry their groceries back to their homes. Hayek said that some of the recommendations refer directly to CITY STEPS, while others should be subject to an application so that the appropriate City department would look at it. Hightshoe said that transportation is a high priority within CITY STEPS; however, for CDBG funds it is typical that a group representing elderly would have to submit an application for this particular service (senior transportation for grocery shopping). Dave said that he is confused as he thought the Housing and Community Development Commission should be an interested group. Hayek said that the commission is an interested group regarding senior citizens, as well as in other groups. Hayek mentioned that they fund money to the elderly every year, but are constrained because of the Iow amount of money available. Hayek added that CITY STEPS refers to the problems mentioned (transportation) as a high priority. He Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes November 18, 2004 Page 3 added that CITY STEPS does not mention this type of program specifically, but this is an example that should be specifically brought up to certain City departments or in terms of an application to the commission. Walker said that Iow-income people would have no opportunity for making a grant proposal because they do not know how to write a grant or have the funds or required items to apply. She said that SEATS could pull in for four trips a month, one day a week. She said that busses come to her complex to take only one person when they could have a much higher number on the bus. She added that there are very old people that are still driving, even though they shouldn't but have no other way to get groceries, as they can't ride SEATS. Hayek said that these are impodant issues and staff should get in contact with Walker and determine what is the best way to address this situation. Sandy Pickup said that we can't have a healthy community without all the things coming together. Pickup said that even if you have a home, and do not have food, you would not be self sufficient, or if you have a home and do not have heat, you will still not be self-sufficient. Hayek asked if Pickup considers that there should be a greater emphasis on job training and living wage issues in CITY STEPS. Pickup said that there are a number of job committing organizations that try to get their clients minimum wage jobs, and she wonders what their success in doing that is. She questioned if providing job training should be for better paying jobs that are readily available and needed in the community. Hayek asked if there are any policies on wages that need to be paid to employees of applicants to whom the commission awards money. Hightshoe said that there is no federal policy, and each community can set its own rules. Hightshoe said that the State has a program called the Community Economic Betterment Account. Businesses apply competitively for these funds which can be in the form of Iow interest loans or grants. To be eligible for these State funds, the applicant must provide jobs that pay over a certain amount. Hightshoe thought the per hour minimum rate was approximately $12.59. Anthony said that the commission should look to the affordable housing needs in the City compared to the amount of federal funds that will be received. He suggested more progressive policies. He mentioned that other cities have used creative methods to increase funding for affordable housing such as a 1% food and beverage tax implemented in Miami. Anthony said that when looking at the issues, and looking at the need, the amount of money needed to address the issues is high regarding to the Iow amount actually received. Anthony said that there are many things that can be done. For example, he said that many cities have a linked deposit program. For example, the City will invest their funds with local banks that do well with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). He said that the City needs to look at demand versus the supply of affordable housing. He said that the City has to be more proactive. Greazel said that people are in need of housing, and that the City should open their policies to manufactured housing. He said that we could have more people living in decent homes if we were to allow the placement of manufactured homes. Anthony said that it is very good quality housing. Greazel said that it is safe, affordable, and energy efficient. Anthony mentioned that in many cases the structure of manufactured houses is stronger than the regular built ones. He added that in Florida, after the hurricane, most of the houses left in place were actually manufactured houses. Long asked if by manufactured housing they refer to mobile homes. Anthony said that he does not refer to mobile homes. Anthony said that this might not be the right time to discuss the issue, but they could send a message to the City saying that this is a long standing issue, and there are alternatives out there, and there are many other cities that have taken progressive steps to solve the issue. Sandier said that they should incorporate manufactured/modular homes into CITY STEPS so that organizations will see it as an option. She said that a clear definition should be provided for manufactured and mobile homes, and if one is acceptable, and one is not, then it has to be shown why, and make it clear. Sandier said that manufactured homes are starting to be expensive. Greazel said that people do not use manufactured housing because they want to save money, but because they can have a house in a shorter time. MOTION: Sandier made a motion that under Public Service needs, senior services be elevated to a high priority need level. Bears seconded the motion. Motion passed 6:0. Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes November 18, 2004 Page 4 Commission asked what were some of the major issues identified from the public meetings. Hightshoe mentioned that she heard several comments about daycare, transportation and vocational training. She said there were comments such as it is important to locate childcare facilities by educational and/or employment centers. This allows households to make only one trip to work or school and daycare such as a daycare site at or near the Iowa City Kirkwood campus. MOTION: Greazel made a motion that Commercial-Industrial Rehabilitation to go from medium to Iow. Sandier seconded the motion. Motion passed 6:0. MOTION: Anthony made a motion to move childcare centers under public facilities needs from medium to high. Greazel.seconded the motion. Motion passed 6:0. Sandier asked why fair housing was moved to high. Hightshoe answered that she was not certain, however the last fair housing study was done in the early 1990s and will most likely need to be updated in the near future. Sandier asked if regardless of how it is rated, if the study would still be done. Hightshoe answered that she thought it would. Anthony asked who would do the study. Hightshoe answered that the City would hire a consulting firm to do so with the help of the human rights department. Hightshoe stated that fair housing may include more than just a fair housing study, it could include projects that address NIMBYism in our community and other such matters. Referring to the last graphic from the FY06 Applicant Guide, Richman asked if the staff could present the percentages from the existing CITY STEPS. Long said that tenant based rent assistance was 2.2% and in the draft it would now be 9.33%, the Acq/Rehab and/or new construction rental housing was 18.5%, and the draft reduces it to 11.67%. Homeownership assistance was 2%, and it is now raised to 18.67%, owner occupied housing rehabilitation was 19%, and now it is 5.33%, public facilities was 14.8%, and it was raised to 21.33%, public services was 9%, and now it is 8%, economic development was 8.7%, and now it is 8%, and administration was 15.3%, and now it is 15.37%. Richman said that there were a couple of categories that had dramatic changes. He said that homeownership went from 2% to 18.67%, and owner occupied housing rehabilitation went from 19% to 5.33%. Richman asked what was the assessment that caused such dramatic changes. Hightshoe said that the City allocates $200,000 a year for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation. She added that $200,000 each year for five years is quite a bit more than $400,000. She believes that this might be an error. Hayek asked if the percentages are drawn from past spending, or past goals. Long answered that the percentages that he presented are from goals. Sandier said that there is a possibility that the numbers referring to homeownership assistance and those for owner-occupied housing were reversed mistakenly. Sandier said that if the numbers are reversed, owner-occupied housing was $1,491,000 going to $1,400,000, and homeownership assistance was $149,000 going to $400,000. MOTION: Sandier moved that homeownership assistance be reduced to 5.33%, and the owner- occupied housing be increased to '18.67%. Bears seconded the motion. Sandier said that she believes that the numbers were reversed, and she doesn't want to make the final allocation of what the percentages should be. Richman asked how the percentages were generated. Hightshoe said that it is based on public input. Greazel asked what would be an example of home- ownership assistance. Hightshoe said that it could be down payment assistance or construction of homes for homeownership such as the recent Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship and Habitat for Humanity owner-occupied projects. (The homes are not used for rental.) Anthony asked if a Iow-income person that would like to buy a house could apply for that type of Support. Hightshoe answered down payment assistance is an eligible activity. Richman asked if $200,000 a year is automatically allocated. Hightshoe answered that $200,000 is allocated to owner-occupied housing rehabilitation administered by our Housing Rehab. Department. There is a current waiting list for this program. The City used to have a down payment assistance program, but not anymore. Sandier mentioned that there are other possibilities to get help for down payment that are available to the public. Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes November 18, 2004 Page 5 Richman asked what is the average loan that a person applying will get for home-ownership assistance (rehab. project). Hightshoe stated that most projects are less than $25,000 (due to lead requirements). The monthly payment is based on the household's income. All housing costs can not exceed 30% of the household's income, including the loan. MOTION: Sandier moved to amend her motion so that staff review the chart, verify the numbers, and explain to the commission if there are any mistakes. Anthony seconded. Greazel said that what he would like to see in the chart is what was spent last year to compare it to what is planned to be done in the next years. Sandier said that the spreadsheet is done for 5 years, and that it will not contain information about each individual year, but for the five years as a whole. Sandier removed her motion and asked the staff for clarifications. Richman suggested removing the chart completely from the application guideline. MOTION: Richman moved to remove the chart from the application packet. Greazel seconded the motion. Richman withdrew his motion. Will discuss under next agenda item. MOTION: Greazel moved to recommend the CITY STEPS document, with the changes voted on, correct any typographical/minor errors, and forward to Council as written. Sandier seconded the motion. Sandier said that she wants to be sure that it could be amended at any time and a new recommendation sent to Council. Hightshoe stated that yes; the CITY STEPs document can be reviewed and amended at any time based on Council approval. Sandier stated if the homeownership numbers were not a mistake, they will address the policy shift at a later date with possible new recommendations to Council. Motion carries: 6-0. DISCUSS AND REVIEW FY06 CDBG/HOME FUNDING PROCESS TIMELINE Hightshoe said that the new timeline includes 2 applicant workshops. Hightshoe also stated that some commission members had expressed an interest in consolidating the two March meetings into one. Anthony asked how the process was in the past. Hightshoe replied that there were two meetings; the first meeting reviewed application scores and discussed large differences of scores on various applications. The second meeting is reserved for project funding and allocation recommendations. Sandier said that she would like to have separate meetings and be able to think about it for another week before having to make a decision. Greazei said that for the persons who have not been through the allocation process it is pretty confusing, and they will need to be educated about how things are going to work. Hayek said that it would be a great idea to do some education for new members in January. Hightshoe stated she will put it on the January agenda. Hightshoe said that they plan to strongly encourage both new and old applicants to attend the meetings. Sandier asked if they could require applicants to attend one workshop. Hightshoe answered that the commission could do that. She added that if it is a requirement, then any last minute application would be denied. In previous years, the commission has recommended funding for a few last minute applications. Anthony said that maybe the commission could add two points in the scoring sheet for attending the workshop. APPROVE FY06 CDBG/HOME APPLICATION MATERIALS Hightshoe said staff added the applicant workshop dates in the applicant guide. Sandier said that maybe it should be mentioned in the guideline that the commission will allocate points for participating in workshops. Referring to page 9, question 18 from Non-housing Application Guidelines, Sandier said that "this project" should be capitalized in order to be strongly emphasized. Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes November 18, 2004 Page 6 Hayek asked if there is a way for staff to send back applications for corrections. Hightshoe added it could be done, but most applications are received the day it is due. Hightshoe said that there could be a one- week period to ask for corrections and clarifications, however we would most likely have to change our schedule to reflect an additional week. Richman proposed that on the ranking sheet, Section V. Capacity/History, questions number 2 and 3 be reduced to a possible 4 points, and add an additional question regarding workshop attendance. Applicants would receive 2 points if yes, 0 if no. Anthony said that it is really hard for a commission member to determine if a budget is justified, and that he trusted the staff to determine this. He added that if the budget is not justified the application should not be presented for ranking. Anthony mentioned that Hightshoe and Long have more experience and can easily determine whether the budget is justified or not. Anthony proposed to have a two-stage process. The first step would be staff review for recommendation and budget evaluation. If the budget is not justified then there is no step two for that application. Step two would be the actual ranking of the projects by the commission. Sandier said that she would like to have the staff review the applications and determine if they are justified applications. Hayek said that maybe staff should only give their opinion regarding their application/budget without necessarily taking the application out of the process. MOTION: Richman made a motion that on the ranking sheet, Section V. Capacity/History, questions 2 and 3 be reduced to a possible 4 points each, and an additional question for workshop attendance included. 2 points if yes, 0 if no. Staff will also remove the last page of the application that includes the chart. Sandier seconded the motion. Motion carries 6:0. Hayek said regarding concentrations that he would like to see a note that the commission will consider potential impacts in elementary school districts. MOTION: Richman made a motion to leave the first sentence of option one from the FY06 Applicant Guide, and take everything else out. Greazel seconded the motion. Motion passed 6:0. Richman asked if the applications are distributed electronically. Hightshoe replied applicants can obtain a hard copy, a word document on disk, or download the electronic version from the City's website. Richman mentioned there should be a clear distinction between the guide and the application itself. Removing the term guidelines from the actual application could do this. MOTION: Greazel moved to approve the guidelines as discussed. Bears seconded the motion. Motion passed 6:0. MONITORING REPORTS Eagles' Flight- Hannah's Blessing Child Care Beam said that she spoke with the director of the program. She said that it is going well, but that the numbers are going down. They've been getting calls about them offering infant care, which they do not offer now. They've been putting flyers up to present the services that they offer. Greater Iowa City Housinq Fellowship- Lonqfellow Manor Sandier said that they are working on the units, and everything is going all right. Nei,qhborhood Centers of Johnson County- Plannin~ Beam said that they spent their funds. Compeer- Operational Expenses Housing and Community Development Commission Minutes November 16, 2004 Page 7 Hayek said that he talked with the new director. He said that it is going well. He said that the new director is also the president of NAMI. Compeer is now housed at NAMI, which reduces their cost, as they no longer have to pay rent. Hayek mentioned that they are doing a lot of fundraising and education, and are up to 14 volunteers. Greater Iowa City Housinq Fellowship- Affordable Renting Anthony said that they got $623,000 from City HOME funds. They are building 17 units. They spent about 70% of their funds. He mentioned that they constructed duplexes and townhouses that are scheduled to be finished by 2005. He said that the apartment complex is scheduled to be done by April 2005. MOTION: Sandier made a motion to adjourn. Anthony seconded the motion. Motion carries 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:22 PM. Minutes submitted by Bogdana Rus s:/pcd/minutes/hcdc/2004/hcdcl 1-18-04.doc Housing & Community Development Commission Attendance Record 2004 TerlTl Name Expires 01/15 02/18 02/19 03/11 03/18 04/15 05/20 06/17 07/15 08/19 09/29 10/21 11/18 12/16 Jerry Anthony 09/01/05 X X X X X X X O/E X NM X O/E X Erin Barnes 09/01/06 X O X X X X X X X NM X O/E O/E Lori Bears 09/01/07 X O X X X X X X X NM X X X John Deeth 09/01/04 X X X X X O/E O X O NM ............ Mark Edwards 09/01/05 O X X X X O O O/E O NM X X O William Greazel 09/01/06 X X X X X X O X O NM X X X Matthew Hayek 09/01/07 X X X X X X X X X NM X X X Michelle Mackel 09/01/06 × X X X X X X O/E X NM ............ Jayne Sandier 09/01/05 O O X X X O X X X NM X O/E X Brian Richman 09/01/07 ........................................ X X X Rita Marcus 09/01/06 ................................................ O/E Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E - Absent/Excused NM ~ No Meeting ..... Not a Member