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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-03-01 Transcription #2 Page 1 ITEM 2 PROCLAMATIONS a. Special Olympics Month - March 2005 Lehman: (reads proclamation) Kart: Here to accept the proclamation is Joyce Rossie, and Iowa City Special Olympians. Rossie: Hi, I'm Joyce Rossie. I serve on several committees and also the Games' Committee. March 18 and 19 is our mid-winter tournament that's held here in Iowa City. Our City Council is one of the best in the State of Iowa. Other cities have proclamations for a day, or even possibly a week. Ours is for the entire month of March. Thank you very much. Our mid- winter tournament brings over a thousand Special Olympic athletes from across the State of Iowa. They participate in basketball, basketball skills, cheerleading, gymnastics, and power lifting. Once the athletes arrive in Iowa City, they have no further expenses. They're all paid through our fund raising events. We have two major events - one is the Steve Alford Golf Tournament, and we have a new program this year; it's called "sponsor an athlete." Our committee would like to thank Coach Alford and also our major sponsors, who are L. L. Pelling, General Mills, and Hills Bank. Area businesses throughout the community are also very important to us, and have helped to make this event possible. I'd like to introduce many Special Olympian athletes and coaches that we have here this evening. I don't think we've ever quite had this...Steve Smith, Brad Flyrm, Charles Lee, Marvin Hunter, Herb Ohrt, Mary Kay Eckerman, Greg Krotz, Mary Ruth Arensdorf, Brent Rugseger; Chuck Seydel, Traci Long, Eric Weldon, Kevin Baldwin, Dave Chapman, Chris Roberts, Andrew Hooten, Justin Webert, Ted Isham, Leslie Kennenbeck, Jennifer Foster, and their Coach is Mike Lightbody. We have John Meskimen who has been our coach forever and ever, and he has athletes here of Tim Butner, Colin Majerus, Derek Hotka, and Jared Countryman. I think we should give all of our Special Olympic athletes a great hand. (applause) Champion: Congratulations! Lehman: Thank you, folks. O'Donnell: Good job! (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #2 Page 2 ITEM 2 PROCLAMATIONS b. American Red Cross Month - March 2005 Lehman: (reads proclamation) Karr: Here to accept the proclamation is Grant Wood Area Chapter board member, Jerry Rose. Rose: Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, City Council. I appreciate the proclamation. I'm proud to represent about 1,200 of your fellow residents from about seven counties in eastern Iowa, and I just want to give you a couple numbers to associate with what you just read. Over 400 eastern Iowans were helped by Disaster Relief that we provided last year. We had over 5,000 units of blood delivered through eastern Iowa last year, and we accomplished a number of other things, which I'm not going to go into because it would take too long, but a couple of them are noteworthy. One, over $450,000 was (can't hear) through the Grant Wood chapter to the Tsunami Relief Fund; an amazing amount; and of that, about $1,800 was from the Weber School kids alone. So, there has been continuing and active support for the Red Cross, and we want you to know how much we appreciate that. This is National Red Cross Month, and we are starting a "heroes campaign" that kicked off today. You may see some local businesses or other agencies that are participating, and we hope that you'll support them, and also if you are willing to do so, we have big discounts on CPR training on Saturday, and I'll leave a brochure or flyer about this out at the back of the room. Again, thank you very much for your attention and time. Appreciate it. (applause) Lehman: We have to clear the doorway in the back to keep the fire folks happy, so you'll need to move up along this wall. There's plenty of room up here, but the doorways have to be kept clear. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #2 Page 3 ITEM 2 PROCLAMATIONS c. International Women's Month - March 2005 Lehman: (reads proclamation) Karr: Here to accept the proclamation is Katharina Mendoza and Made Sage. (applause) Sage: We're very proud to accept this proclamation, and in twenty years that I've lived here, I have been so pleased to see the diversity of the area grow, and how wealthy we've become culturally. It is interesting to note, that the Iowa City area, in particular, has some very fine citizens that are of Arab-American descent, or from Persia. We have students from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Palastine, and to honor their culture in this way is very gracious, and we thank you for it. (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #3 Page 4 ITEM 3 OUTSTANDING STUDENT CITIZENSHIP AWARD - Regina Elementary Lehman: If the young folks from Regina would come forward, please. We've been doing this for a lot of years, and this is probably one of the most special times on our agenda. It's a time when I see lots of parents who are very, very proud of their young folks, and us grandparents are even more proud. I think it's particularly important to listen to what these kids have to say, and I always find it interesting to think about how many of us could actually say what they say, and be honest about it. I'd like each of you to give your name and why you've been nominated. Buatti: Good evening. I am Philip Buatti. I am 11-years-old, a 6th grader, and attend Regina Elementary School. I am honored to be here as an outstanding student representative of Regina Elementary. In school, I participate in Student Council. We are currently preparing for our pre- school Easter egg hunt. I'm sure it's going to be a "hopping good time." I also enjoy participating in the "talented and gifted" program. Projects like dissecting frogs, sharks, and squid are great for digestion, right after lunch. (laughter) In my parish community, St. Mary's, I am an alter server. By assisting, I help spread the word of God and help mass be easier for the priests, at least I like to think so. I also play many musical instruments. I have played piano since I was four. This year, I was in the Iowa Music Testing Association piano competition. I have participated in many IMTA competitions before. I received first alternate this year. In our 6th grade band, I play trombone. For fun, I play guitar. This school year, I had one of the leading roles in our Christmas play. I also play many sports. My favorites are tennis and football. At home, I help my family. My parents need all the help they can get with my three younger brothers causing constant havoc. (laughter) I try to be a great role model for them. My usual chores include walking my dog, Leo, and taking out the garbage and recycling. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for many people. I want to thank my brothers for improving my tolerance and for being there to lift my spirit. I would like to thank my teacher for nominating me for this. I want to thank my parents for raising the bar. Lastly, I want to thank my friends and classmates for always being there to cheer me up, and thank you Iowa City for recognizing me here tonight. (applause) Lincoln: Hi. Good evening, my name is Matt Lincoln. I am a 6th grade student in Mrs. Boland's class at Regina Elementary. My parents are Brett and Katie Lincoln. I have participated in many activities this year. I try to balance everything with school so that I can maintain my good grades. I was elected President of our Student Council this year. I spend a lot of my recess time assisting Sister Mary Francis, our Student Cotmcil Coordinator, in planning different fundraisers and service projects. I have This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #3 Page 5 worked on several fundraisers this year, including the Tsunami Relief Fund, where we as a school raised over $1,000. I helped to collect five hundred pounds of food for the Crisis Center, as well as helped to collect more than $1,600 from the Box Tops for Education Program, where the proceeds benefit Regina. I have helped with the holiday sales where I helped put together gift packages to be sold as a way to raise money for our Student Council Fund. When I'm not preparing for Student Council meetings, a group of Student Council members and I clean our school chapel. We call ourselves the "angel dusters." I am a 6th grade ambassador, where I'm used to giving tours to new families at Regina, and to incoming kindergartners and parents. I was a part of this year's kindergarten roundup. I am a recess dude where I have been trained by our school counselor, Miss McDonald, to assist the recess staff with the younger students in helping them solve conflicts on the playground. Other activities that I am involved with are band, where I play the euphonium. I was in this year's 6th grade Christmas musical. I am an alter server at St. Patrick's Church. Outside of school, I have been involved with the Hawkeye Taekwondo program for the past six years, where I have achieved my black belt. I find great satisfaction at class when I get to help instruct the other students. Throughout these past six years, I have learned the five tenets of Taekwondo, which are: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit. I try to incorporate all five of these tenets into my daily life at school, at home, in the church, and in the community. Thank you. (applause) Lehman: I'm really tired after that one. (laughter) Symmonds: Hello; my name is Vicki Symmonds, and I'm a 6th grader, and I'm here to accept this Outstanding Citizenship Award on the behalf of Regina Elementary School. At my parish, I am an alter server, watch kids in the nursery, and do liturgical dancing. I am also an alter server occasionally at Regina. For Peer Services I have a 3rd grade buddy and many friends. I am also very involved in band. I help out with my family, most of all. Since my mother passed away, fifteen months ago, I have to help my sister and father. I do regular chores like cleaning my room and doing laundry, but I also cook and clean. I am grateful to my teacher for nominating me for this award, and would like to thank the City Council for this presentation. Thank you. (applause) Lehman: You know, I've always, I have granddaughters just about your age, identical twins, and there's nothing I'd rather do than give them these awards, but they don't live here. Now Marian and I are trying to figure out some way of doing that, but we haven't got that figured out yet. What these awards state (reads award); and I have two of them here, Philip and Vicki. We have a Mayor in the crowd tonight, who's also a grandfather. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #3 Page 6 Tim Brandt is this young man's grandpa, and he's going to do what I've always wanted to do. He's going to give this to his grandson. (applause) Brant: Let me just say that over thirty years ago, I used to give out a lot of proclamations; make a lot of awards; but none of them make me as happy and as proud (can't understand). (applause) Lehman: Is that special or what? Thank you! O'Donnell: Good job. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #4 Page 7 ITEM 4 SPECIAL PRESENTATION -- Iowa City Kickers Karr: Here to make the presentation is Duncan Woodward, the current President. Woodward: Good evening. As noted, I'm Duncan Woodward, President of the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Club, and I'm here to continue what's becoming a tradition of cooperation between the City of Iowa City, the Parks and Rec Department, and the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Club. As you know, that relationship, over the last ten years or so, has resulted in the creation and continuing upgrade of our wonderful soccer park, which is such a great asset to the community. On that note, I'm here this evening and I'm very pleased to present to you on behalf of the Iowa City Kickers, this check for $10,000 for the continuing upgrade of the soccer park. (applause) Champion: Great! Lehman: These folks have contributed $388,000 to the City. Let's give them a big hand! (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #5 Page 8 ITEM 5 STATE OF THE CITY MESSAGE Lehman: We are required to do this by Charter, aren't we? Atkins: Yes. Lehman: (reads State of City message) (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #7 Page 9 ITEM 7 COMMUNITY COMMENT Lehman: If you wish to address the Council, please sign in; give your name and limit your comments to five minutes or less. Merrill: Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council, my name is Christopher Merrill. I'm the Director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. I've come here tonight with Bill Decker, the interim Vice President for Research, to propose that Iowa City become the fifth city to join the North American Network of Cities of Asylum. This is the organization that provides safe haven for writers who are living at risk, who are living in oppressed conditions from around the world. David Skorton and I came before you three and a half years ago to begin this discussion, and we'd like to think that we have brought it to a place where we can have a more substantive kind of discussion. If you'll remember, three and a half years ago we were working under the egis of the International Parliament of Writers, a Paris-based organization which was keen to add Iowa City to its roster of North American cities. That organization has since been supplanted by the Network, which is run out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and they are determined to make Iowa City the center of writing in this country, the next part of their Cities of Asylum. We're very much hoping that you will take this up at your earliest convenience in a working session, and we're here to answer any questions about what this might mean. The big change between our discussion three and a half years ago and today, you'll remember at the time, we were a little uncertain about how we might make this partnership, building on the notion of a joint partnership. We would like to say now that the University of Iowa will become the financial agent; will take full financial responsibility for the City of Asylum, providing the money for the writer at risk, although we do hope that we can enlist as much support from the City, from local service organizations, from individuals, from churches, the mosque, the synagogue - from as many people who can have a stake in the writer's welfare as possible, but we think now that the financial onus will be on the University, and so I hope that you will consider this at your first opportunity. Decker: Good evening; my name is Bill Decker. I'm serving as interim Vice President for Research, as Chris said. One of the privileges of my job is the opportunity to work with Chris. I expect that most of you know of the International Writing Program and the fine array of writers we're able to bring to campus every fall for a period of time, and to provide opportunity for intellectual stimulation. I'm here today to let you know that this proposal that Chris brings forward has been discussed by President Skorton and the cabinet, of which I am a member, that serves him. We're in full agreement that this should come before you and we stand ready to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #7 Page l0 assist you in any way we can, and in a working session if there are questions or issues that you wish to (can't hear). Lehman: Bill, this is more political support than anything else; is that correct? Decker: Yes. Lehman: Do you have information that you are going to leave with us? Merrill: I'm going to bring you each a proposal. We're actually looking from the City just for the designation. As I said, the University will take financial responsibility for the writer at risk, and again, it will be a case that 'as long as we have money to bring a writer here, we will bring such a writer to campus, but if we don't have the money, then we won't be doing that. Vanderhoef: How many others are there in the United States? Merrill: There are four other cities. The cities are Santa Fe, New Mexico; Pittsburgh; Ithaca, New York; and Las Vegas, and Ithaca has provided an interesting model for us. The former president, Hunter Rawlings, has established a very interesting partnership, town partnership, whereby the writer at risk actually comes to teach at Ithaca. They use that writer in whatever capacity they can, and that's one of the models we're exploring here, although we don't want to be bound to that. The thing that's most interesting to us, working with the Network in Las Vegas, is that their support, we think, is crucial. They will identify the writer, they will get the writer out of the dangerous circumstances that they're in, and they've also committed themselves to helping us raise money for this, and to that end they've already earmarked $10,000 to get the ball rolling. Vanderhoef: Thank you. Lehman: Steve, can we get that on a work session? Atkins: Yeah. Wilburn: Move to accept correspondence. Vanderhoe~ Second. Lehman: All in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Show: Good evening, Paul Show, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 183. I represent approximately 550 City of Iowa City, City of Coralville, and Johnson County employees, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #7 Page 11 and this memo, this City of Iowa City memo came into my possession last week. It's dated January 6, 2005, and it's something called the Iowa City State Legislative Delegation from City Council and it's regarding legislative issues, and I would like to address your attention to number five, labor contracts, which is one of your proposals. Basically, this advocates a change in Chapter 20, which is the bargaining law that all public employees and the State of Iowa bargain under, or public employees. Two quick points here: I don't think this is a proposal that should be coming from this City Council, especially from a town that is, has such a large number of public employees. This was in the Press- Citizen last wee: we have the University of Iowa with 17,000 public employees; University Hospitals with another 7,000; the Iowa City Community Schools was 1,600; the V.A. Hospital, federal public employees, 1,300. The next six employers total probably employ only 7,000 - (can't hear), your Oakdale Security Facility; City of Iowa City workers; Coralville workers; Johnson County workers; and federal workers. This is a town that has depended on the labor of public employees and their paychecks, and it would seem out of place for this Council to make a suggestion that would change the Chapter 20 that these people need to bargain under. The second part of this, of my discussion tonight, is on the context of this. You're asking that public employees, for purposes of bargaining, be compared with the private sector. In its wisdom thirty years ago, when Chapter 20 was enacted, the legislature indicated that for purposes of bargaining, comparison would be with other public employers, and this seems reasonable because public employees operate in the public interest, and private industry operates for a profit. There are checks and balances in Chapter 20, which address these issues to give an even playing field between management and labor. There are, but there are just too many differences between the private sector and the public sector to make those comparisons, and just, you know, profit sharing, stock options, trips to Cancun that people, that corporations give their people or trips t other exotic places. We don't get any of those. So, I would ask that, respectfully ask, that when the delegation goes to Des Moines that you drop number five from... Lehman: We dropped it last night. Show: Oh you did? Well, thank you very much. Appreciate that. Robnett: Hello, I'm Michelle Robnett, and I'm one of the Iowa City Airport Commissioners, and I wanted to come tonight to just bring you up to date on some of the things that we're doing at the Airport, and to introduce you first to two of our Airport interns from the University of Dubuque. Tonight I have with me Mike Tharp and Elizabeth Freiburger, who are This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #7 Page 12 working at the University of Dubuque as Aviation Management students. I'll let Mike just say hello to you first. Tharp: Mr. Mayor, Council members, good evening. Freiburger: Good evening. I'm Elizabeth Freiburger, and I just wanted to kind of let you know one of the big changes that Mike and I have worked on was moving the airport manager's office into the terminal building. That was a big step for us, along with other projects, and we look forward to working with you, and the Commission, and the community on making a better airport. Champion: Welcome to Iowa City! Fryberger: Thank you. Robnett: They've done a great job. Having been invited back onto the Commission, I can say that in the last six months, more has been accomplished during that time period than the two years I was on it. Wanted to let you know, also, in addition to the terminal building office which they personally painted, cleaned, and hauled all of the equipment themselves, they even offered to shovel snow. We have looked at the draft of the Wal-Mart proposal. We know that's before you, and we're actually considering then whether or not to rezone adjacent properties, depending on your decision. Thank you very much. Champion: We're glad to have you back. Lehman: Yes. Vanderhoef: Yes, thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #8 Page 13 PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS ITEM 8d AMENDING THE ZONING CODE, SECTION 14-6-0 SIGN REGULATIONS, TO PERMIT ELECTRONIC CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS IN THE COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (CC-2), HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL (CH-l) AND INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL (CI-1) ZONES. 1) Public Hearing Lehman: Public hearing is open. Reinhold: Good evening. My name is Randy Reinhold. I'm with Hills Bank and Trust Company, and we'd like to let you know that we strongly support the changes to the current sign ordinance that would allow electronic message centers in the City of Iowa City. We'd like to thank Planning and Zoning for their support, and unanimous recommendation for the changes to the sign ordinance to allow message centers, and we encourage your support in rewriting the entire ordinance to allow the message centers in Iowa City. We believe that the clean, crisp appearance of the message centers are much more appealing than changeable copy signs that we utilize today, in many markets, and it also eliminates the need for somebody to stand out there with a pole and put letters up in bad weather days and windy days, and have them blow down the street. Utilizing a PC inside the office just makes it a lot easier on our staff to change those signs. We currently have twelve offices in nine eastern Iowa communities; four of those offices have message centers. We have one in Cedar Rapids, a small one up in Lisbon, one in Marion, and one in North Liberty, and we've seen some dramatic results from using those signs to bring customers in and get messages out, including public service messages to the community. We have plans to install a similar sign at our Mt. Vernon office and obviously we'd like to install signs at our three Iowa City offices, as well as the office that we have in Coralville. With the proposed ordinance that Planning and Zoning has presented to you for approval, they've made some recommendations in there. One of those is the total sign face for the message center, which is 40% of the total. We don't have any arguments with that. They also have a recommendation for limitations on animation, and the frequency of changing the message center to once per hour, and we feel that those might be a little bit unreasonable and we're willing to work with the City on defining that as they rewrite the ordinance. We are aware that there are some concerns about electronic message centers and the safety of having those on public streets and highways. It's our understanding in talking with the sign companies and experts, and doing our own research, that there really are a lack of studies, or the documentation to support the safety concerns that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #8 Page 14 they do increase traffic accidents due to distraction. So, we have a hard time believing that that should be a restriction on the message centers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States Department of Transportation, and the Iowa Department of Transportation all encourage the use of electronic message centers for highway traffic, for the traffic safety warning systems that you see along the interstates, as well as the use of the Amber Alerts (TAPE ENDS) ...a hazard with those signs they would have recognized it early, and pulled those warning systems down. The message centers are much more visible, from hundreds of feet away as opposed to the closer you approach a dangerous or busy intersection. We actually believe that the electronic signs would be safer than the changeable copy signs because of the visibility. Banking, like many other industries, is very competitive, and the market that we operate in makes it necessary for us to be able to change our message quickly, the information that we provide, and frequently. The message centers are one of the many tools that we can use to accomplish our marketing goals, and have proven effective in other communities where we do have those. In closing, again, we ask that you support rewriting the sign ordinance, allowing the use of the message centers in Iowa City, and take into consideration our desire to be able to use those message centers to their full, to the full extent of their capabilities. Thank you. Lehman: Thank you, Randy. Anyone else wish to speak to the issue? Public heating is closed. Do we have a motion? 2) Consider an Ordinance O'Donnell: Move first consideration. Elliott: Second. Lehman: Moved by O'D0nnell; seconded by Elliott. Discussion? Roll call. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #9 Page 15 ITEM 9 AMENDING TITLE 14 ENTITLED "UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE," CHAPTER 3, "CITY UTILITIES," ARTICLE G, "STORMWATER COLLECTION, DISCHARGE AND RUNOFF," TO CREATE AN ILLICIT DISCHARGE AND CONNECTION STORMWATER ORDINANCE. a) Public Hearing Lehman: Public hearing is open. Public heating is closed. Do we have a motion? b) Consider an Ordinance Bailey: Move consideration. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: Moved by Bailey; seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? This is actually creating an illicit ordinance by a mandate from the government, I believe. Vanderhoef: Yes, this is a huge federal mandate that is very expensive, and it will show up as a line item in the budget. It was there a year ago; it's there again; and it's not going to stop. They just keep making more rules for us. Lehman: Let's vote on this illicit ordinance. Champion: Would we go to federal prison if we voted it down? Lehman: I don't know, but we didn't do it so we don't have to worry (laughter). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #10 Page 16 ITEM 10 APPROVING THE IOWA CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY'S STREAMLINED 5-YEAR PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 1005- 2009 AND STREAMLINED ANNUAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005. a) Public Hearing Lehman: Public hearing is open. Public heating is closed. Do we have a motion? b) Consider a Resolution Bailey: Move the resolution. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: Moved by Bailey; seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Wilbum: Steve, did you want to say anything, or...you don't have to. Rackis: Well, just, the only thing I really wanted to point out with the annual plan was really the new initiative that we took in presenting Housing Authority information to the MATS 2005 training the joint law enforcement training, from January five weeks through February. It started off just basically us trying to highlight was is myth, what is reality regarding the housing program. However, what it's developed into is a potential information exchange where one of the hardest things that we have to prove in terms of enforcing our program are unauthorized persons. While the police are always out on the street, they're interacting with the public; they're at the houses; they don't necessarily always issue a citation or make an arrest, but they can be our eyes and ears out there, and certainly we have information for them regarding current addresses, former addresses, potential addresses that people are moving, so we're really exploring this information exchange to try to work together in terms of monitoring the integrity of our program and helping the officers on the street. So that's the one thing I just wanted to point out, and it's been a very beneficial partnership for just the couple months we've been exploring it. Lehman: Thank you. Roll call. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #11 Page 17 ITEM 11 TO ADOPT THE IOWA CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY'S AMENDED HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (HCV) ADMINIS- TRATIVE PLAN. a) Public Hearing Lehman: Public hearing is open. Public hearing is closed. b) Consider a Resolution Champion: Move the resolution. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: Moved by Champion; seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Vanderhoef: I'd just like to point out to the public that there are some good statistics that Mr. Rackis has put together. They are in a very concise form. If you go to the web site and look at the agenda packet, you will find those. They answer many questions that I was personally asked as I campaigned for re- election recently, and I think it behooves you to go and read the four or five pages that are in this, and get some of your answers. Lehman: I have had a request .... we've voted, have we not? Roll call, and then we'll do what...a recess has been requested so we will take a ten minute break. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 18 ITEM 12 APPROVING A PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND PRICE PROPERTIES FOR APPROXIMATELY 21.76 ACRES OF PROPERTY LYING WITH- IN LOTS 10 THROUGH 17 OF NORTH AIRPORT DEVELOP- MENT SUBDIVISION AND LOTS 2 THROUGH 4 OF NORTH AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT SUBDIVISION - PART TWO, AND THE DISPOSITION OF SAID PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE THEREWITH. a) Public Hearing Lehman: Public hearing is open. Steve, would you like to give us a little background on this proposal. Atkins: Sure. I'd like to start off, Ernie, with just a little background on the policy, the history of the policy with respect to the Aviation Commerce Park. A number of you will recollect that this has had a good bit of discussion with the Airport Commission and the City Council, and this policy, as we developed it over the years, applies to the sale of this property, or really any property that were to be sold in Aviation Commerce Park. An initial concern by the Council was the reduction of the Airport subsidy from the General Funds, and a second policy concern was the growth of our industrial/commercial tax base. With the adoption of the master plan by the FAA for our Airport, there was every indication that the north/south runway would be closing, which had the effect of creating, in effect, excess land, which would be considered for potential development. That'd be on the north end of the runway; as well as on the south end. There's approximately eighteen acres. It does require extensive fill, but also would be available for development. We created what has a number of names, but today is the Aviation Commerce Park, and the City Council authorized roadway, water, sewer, and other related capital investment to the tune of approximately $1.9 million in building the road through the Aviation Commerce Park. An appraisal of the property was done, following its subdivision, and the price for the properties were established. These prices, again by policy, were set at market rate. That is the position the City took is that we do not wish to create any unfair competition for other property owners of similarly situated property, that is privately held, and in effect, we were choosing not to undercut the market. A policy was also set on the proceeds of the sale, and in priority order, that any sale of property would be applied initially for the payment of the capital debt, that is for the roadway, water, sewer construction. That the second position would be the payoff of debt from the internal loans, that is where the City Council has advanced money to the Airport for the construction of hangars, and then thirdly, an improvement reserve which could be used for matching funds for This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 19 investments at the Airport, investments in the Airport, and interest income would accrue to the Airport, again, further attempting to reduce the operating subsidy. What you have in front of you this evening is a real estate purchase agreement for 21.7 acres from Price Properties, who represents Wal-Mart. I won't get into the lengthy purchase agreement. I'll defer to Eleanor on the legalities, but the basics of the offer is $3.13 million for the 21.7 acres. If that land were to be sold individually, those various parcels, it would amount to $3.058 million. Substantially, we have a full-price offer. Relocation and reconstruction of Ruppert Road is done at Wal-Mart expense. An additional turn lane at Ruppert and Highway 1 at Wal-Mart expense. A $100,000 cash contribution to the City, whereby if there are other off-site improvements, and this is paid whether we have them or not, now or in the future would be paid. There is a change in some of the restrictive covenants. They were analyzed by our staff, and we do not believe they dramatically affect future marketing of the property, and there are no formal or informal subsidies provided to this project. It's a straightforward real estate purchase. Any questions? Lehman: Thank you. Atkins: Yeah. Lehman: Anyone wish to speak to this? Carsner: My name is Tom Carsner and I think that we're all glad that the sale would bring $3.1 million to the City, but I'm afraid that with some consideration that's money that's going to prove to be an illusion. I think there will be far greater costs that, of bringing Super Wal-Mart into town, may not necessarily show up in the City budget, and in the fine compartments that are listed there, but it will show up throughout the community in a variety of ways. I'm not going to take a lot of time to recite the different sins of Wal-Mart throughout the years, and the different legal cases that they're involved in, but I do want to focus on something that other cities have done to help recoup some of those costs that a big-box store, and specifically Wal-Mart, have brought to their communities, and it's called mitigation clauses, which is a way to add something to a contract that would allow the community to recover some of those costs that studies have shown across the country come with bringing Wal-Mart to town, and in this instance, bringing a Super Wal- Mart to town. The City of Los Angeles has done the biggest study that I'm aware of, and as you recall, the City of Los...Wal-Mart ended up not coming to the City of Los Angeles, but they did begin an impact assessment analysis of Wal-Mart, and again, going into the many different points of problems that Wal-Mart has brought to other communities, and I want to stress, before I get into the one point I wanted to talk about, this is This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 20 the only opportunity we as citizens have to have any leverage over Wal- Mart. This, you know, once we sell the land to them, the zoning is, you know, pretty much a clean sale. This is the only chance we have to put any pressure on Wal-Mart, and it comes through you - through the City Council. The one point that I wanted to talk about is Wal-Mart's health care plans. Less than 50% of their employees are covered by their plan. For a full time employee, you aren't covered at all for the first six months; for a part-time employee, it takes two years to be covered by the plan; and in a business such as Wal-Mart, there's a high turnover, so those six month and two year thresholds are sometimes hard to reach. A part-time employee can never buy health care insurance for their other family members, and relative to their pay, the premiums are expensive; the co- pays are expensive; and the deductibles are relatively high. I think by any measure, Wal-Mart has not met the mark of being a good corporate citizen when it comes to the health care plan specifically for their employees. So what I would propose as something for you to consider, as one element of the mitigation clause, to add to this contract, is to have Wal-Mart deposit a payment to the Free Medical Clinic. That's where the people are going to show up. You can name a figure .... $100,000 let's say. Have Wal-Mart deposit a payment to the University Hospital; to Mercy Hospital; to the V.A. Medical Center - people are going to show up in their emergency rooms. When they don't have coverage, that's where they're going to show up, and it's going to cost us all. Like I said, it's not necessarily going to show up through the City budget, but you're our only recourse tonight. So, I ask you to consider what other cities have done in adding a mitigation clause to the contract to help recoup some of the costs that we know are coming. Thank you. Lehman: Thank you, Tom. (applause) Soglin: Hi, I'm Becky Soglin. I live here in Iowa City, and I'd like to follow up some of what Tom has been saying; not that we prepared our remarks together, but, urn, I think it would be irresponsible of the Council to move ahead on this without having an economic impact study of this super center. I would find it hard to believe that this center would...that this center would simply grow based on market, or, earn its keep based on market growth. I think it would significantly draw customers away from existing retailers, including ones who are local to our community. How would retailers like Paul's Discount, Hy-Vee's, Cub Foods, survive along that Highway 6 corridor? You have developers who are making an effort to strengthen Sycamore Mall, to strengthen Pepperwood Place. How are they going to compete with a super center like this? We have right here in Iowa an expert, Kenneth Stone, who's an emeritus professor at Iowa State University, who studied extensively the impacts of places like Wal-Mart, and specifically Wal-Mart. Perhaps he's still available in his free time to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page21 do some kind of study. Wal-Marts do bring an increase in market shares, about 3%, in a study he did in 1993, but then over time the effects are disastrous on the local communities. As one example, they saw a decrease of 44% in the sales of men's and boy's apparel in communities. A more recent study by Rutger's in November 2004 shows that also Wal-Mart Super Centers have more disadvantages than advantages, undermining the local grocers, and while Wal-Mart may pay higher property taxes than some smaller retailers, again, the lower wages mean less income from those workers, and less purchasing power from those workers. As Tom was saying, there's probably going to be a net loss in the long run. I had some information prepared on wages, and I think Tom has touched on some of that. In all, I think a Wal-Mart Super Center would cost us all. I don't see the evidence that it could do anything good in our community when there's already one located less than ten miles away. Last year, February 2004, Representative George Miller of California issued a report that indicates strongly that we all pay a price for Wal-Mart. They represent the lowest common denominator in the treatment of working people, and while we need affordable shopping for people of all income levels, and we need jobs for people of all abilities and backgrounds, I think that the cost to all of us as workers and citizens by allowing a super center here, would in no way out-weigh the savings we would get as shoppers. So, again, 'I think it's imperative that there be an independent economic impact study that really looks at what the cost and what the possible benefits of a super center would be. Thank you. (applause) Lehman: Thank you. Carberry: Good evening. My name is Mike Carberry, and I moved back to Iowa City eight years ago, mostly for quality of life issues. Iowa City has a unique blend of culture, arts, music, University and sports makes it a great place to live. I grew up here. I wanted to come back and raise a family here. I did not move back here for big-box super stores. Iowa City is known as the Athens of the Midwest. They don't call Coralville the Athens of the Midwest; they don't call Des Moines or Cedar Rapids the Athens of the Midwest. It's right here in river city. This is a gmat place to live. I want to keep it that way. Wal-Mart Super Store deal is not so super in so many ways. People have already mentioned a few of those. I'd just like to mention a few other things: their history of anti-union activities, union busting, etc.; 85% of their goods are actually produced overseas, when they promote their Made in the USA label and most of those products are made by children; their treatment of women and minorities is well renowned; lack of affordable health care, Tom already mentioned; and a few other things that the people who follow me will get to. Now, Austin, Texas, which is a town Iowa City is often compared to, had a campaign. It was called "Keep Austin Weird." It was about This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 22 promoting local shopping, locally owned shops and restaurants, etc., etc. I believe that Iowa City should promote a similar program, about thinking globally, shopping locally. We could call it something like "Keep Iowa City Cool," and in summary, I just think that we need to rollback Wal- Mart. Take a look at this deal a little closer, and I ask you to have the intestinal fortitude to vote no on the purchase agreement with Wal-Mart and its super store. (applause) Lehman: Thank you. Gerhard: I'm Bill Gerhard. I live in Iowa City. I'm also a business representative for a laborer's union in Iowa here. I've represented construction workers for over twenty-five years, and I wanted to bring to your attention something that happened when they built the Wal-Mart, Super Wal-Mart in Coralville, in hopes that maybe we can prevent that same thing from happening here. They hired a contractor from Arkansas to do the masonry work. The INS came down one day with two agents, and arrested two of the workers there. Meanwhile, the other twenty-five saw what happened and took off running across Interstate 80, got lost in the fields in Coralville. Two weeks later they sent a dozen INS agents down from Cedar Rapids, and they arrested fifteen undocumented workers. Now, the sad part of the whole thing was they interviewed the documented workers who had finished a Wal-Mart job in Colorado. They hadn't gotten paid for that job. They were told if they came to Coralville to work on this one, they'd get paid for both jobs at the end of that. Now, obviously they got deported and they probably didn't get paid for any of their work at all. So, it would be my suggestion, or my hope, that we would get some assurances from Wal-Mart that they would use local contractors and hire local tradesmen to build their building. Thank you. (applause) Lehman: Thank you. Fulton: We, the youth of Iowa City... Lehman: You need to give us your name. Fulton: Oh, sorry, I'm Becca Fulton. Heywood: I'm Luan Heywood. Grueskin: I'm Zoe Grueskin. Halter: And I'm Kendra Halter. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page23 Fulton: We, the youth of Iowa City, have come to you today to tell you that we do not want any expansion of'the Wal-Mart in our community. We feel that approving this purchase agreement would have highly detrimental effect to our community, and furthermore, of the world. There are many ways how your decision today affects our lives, and here are a few. Heywood: As you probably already know, it is estimated that there are 246,000,000 child laborers around the world. Wal-Mart has been shown to subcontract out to companies that use child labor. We, as the children of Iowa City, do not want to buy the lives of fellow children, and we ask our City Council not to collaborate with companies that harbor this terrible kind of behavior. Grueskin: We understand that you may think that the expansion of the Highway 1 Wal-Mart is a positive addition to Iowa City's economy, but we'd like you to consider some of the reasons why we find this to be terribly untrue, after all, around 200 towns nationally have refused to allow Wal-Mart to affect their homes. There's obviously a huge negative factor to this store. Although Wal-Mart does create jobs and allow people to purchase cheap goods, it destroys local businesses. Halter: In one study, it was found that for every two jobs that were created by Wal-Mart, three were taken away from the local economy. Is this what we want? Is this how we want our economy to become just another statistic? With another Wal-Mart, it will take away from sparsely economic region of downtown. When businesses in downtown close, it leaves room for increased venues selling alcohol, and a higher number of alcoholic venues that will contribute to the already rising underage drinking, and the problematic student substance abuse. Fulton: Wal-Mart's wages are so low that it costs thousands of tax payer's dollars per employee in subsidies just for the cost of basic survival, and many employees are forced to depend on public services. Expanding Wal-Mart would only hurt us. I hope that you, as the representation and protectors of Iowa City, realize this and make your decision for the benefit of us. Thank you for your time. (applause) Lehman: Thank you. Flack: I'm John Flack. I moved away from here seventeen years ago, and happened to land in Rogers, Arkansas. My wife worked in a grocery store down there and Wal-Mart, before they had the super centers, bought that grocery store. Three years later, they were operating their super centers. They only bought that store to get their feet wet in the grocery department. I am strongly opposed, very strongly opposed, to having a Wal-Mart right This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 24 next door. I think it's a let down on the City. I think we need to honor the businesses that are here today, have been here for years, and have supported the City of Iowa City. They're doing a better job than Wal- Mart will ever do. Wal-Mart, well I knew Sam personally, Sam Walton. I went to church with his wife, Helen Walton, terrific lady, but I can't say that for her kids. Her daughter wrecked her car when she was drunk, and she tried to tell the officer, "Do you know who I am?" He said, "I know bloomin' well who you are, and you're getting a ticket anyway." His son, he went, I went to the shareholder's meeting, because my wife had a few shares when they owned the store, and the first words out of his son's mouth when he got to the podium was "we're going to break all the small businesses in the country," and he's working at it. If you do a job for them, like say their parking lot, you may get paid six months later, if you're lucky. They're not a very reputable company, as far as I'm concerned. I disapprove of them going in there wholeheartedly. Thank you. (applause) Lehman: Thank you. Dancing: I'm Dede Dancing from Iowa City, and I just think it's wonderful that all of these voices are here in favor of our community and against Wal-Mart, and I am just echoing really their strong sentiments. The report that one woman referred to earlier, the Congressional report, is a 21-page report that I suppose I should have copied for all of you to look at. I read that online before I came, but I only have the one copy. I'm happy to leave it here for you. It's got the bibliography and everything. Basically, in conclusion, the report says, "Wal-Mart success has meant downward pressures on wages and benefits, rampant violations of basic workers' rights, and threats to the standard of living in communities across the country. The success of a business need not come at the expense of workers and their families. Such shortsighted profit-making strategies ultimately undermine our economy." And so I just want to express my hope that you will all, as the gentleman before me said, stand up for us, and with us, and find ways to help Iowa City's residents make a decent living. My, the statistics in this report say that Wal-Mart employees average for a family of three, their average wages are under the poverty line. So, you know, housing subsidies, food stamps, all kinds of services that our wonderful community offers. I'm sure appreciated by people who work at Wal-Mart, and still I'd like to see them working for local entrepreneurs who are invested in their workers, and in Iowa City continuing to be the wonderful community that it is, and maybe if you do foster those locally owned, smaller businesses, do what you can to help them, then the people who are working for Wal-Mart will be able to see that they can get other kinds of jobs in this community, and Wal-Mart will just have to leave town. (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 25 Lehman: Thank you. Kangus: Good evening, I'm Lenni Kangus. I'm a new resident, relatively, to Iowa City, but an old time Midwesterner, a former Foreign Service officer; moved here in October. My reaction is similar to many others. I think I worry about the impact of Wal-Mart's price cutting on our established real, retailers...particularly Cub Foods and Hy-Vee and John's Market. These are tax paying, good employers, and do we want to kill them with bringing in the big ugly box into our neighborhood? I don't think so. Bill Moyers, PBS Now news program, about a year ago reported that Wal- Mart's own personnel offices actively encouraged employees to seek public assistance, including health care and food stamps. The economists at the University of California and Berkley Institute estimate that in the year 2002 California tax payers subsidized, and that word is subsidized, $20.5 million worth of medical care for Wal-Mart employees. Now, do you think Mercy Hospital and the University of Iowa Hospitals are ready to do the same thing? I don't think they should be asked to. There are already two Wal-Mart's in the neighborhood, as everybody knows. Coralville has a super center, which is not only on the same planet, but it's only about three or four miles away, and it's a question do we really need another big box right next door, near the airport? I doubt it, and lastly I would like us to collectively reflect on what kind of city center and downtown image we want to project for Iowa City. Do we want wall-to- wall bars and saloons and no normal retail? Or, do we want to abandon our city center to corporate giants, who play the famous Parker Brother's game, Monopoly, for keeps? As a previous commentator remarked, big boxes are really ugly, and finally I would say, wake up Iowa City, as a well known and liked First Lady said, "Just say no!" Thank you. (applause) Witwer: Good evening, I'm Bev Witwer, and I do serve on the Human Rights Commission here, but tonight I'm speaking as myself. Very concerned with human rights, and have been involved in a number of projects with the University of Iowa Human Rights Center. I hope, I sent Regenia a letter, and she said she copied it for you so that you have access to that, and in that letter I talked about a very moving experience at the Students Against Sweatshop meeting one evening, when I met a woman from Bangladesh, two women from Bangladesh, who do work for a subcontractor of Wal-Mart. They were quite sure, as they came to us, that if Americans knew the kinds of hours that they had to work, and the kinds of conditions that they worked in, that we would not buy things at Wal- Mart, and I would like to believe that that is very true. And the conditions that they described are described in my letter, so I will not go into that. There is more evidence, however, "Toys of Misery" is an article by This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 26 Charles Kemnigan, in which he talks about the Chinese women workers. Most of them teenagers, working sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, and having to...mostly creating toys for Wal-Mart, and the evidence in here is very clear. In both Bangladesh and in China, the Wal-Mart subcontractors are breaking the laws of these countries. Both of these countries have laws against this kinds of practices that are talked about in China in these Wal-Mart subcontractors, and as well as in Bangladesh. In China, they're supposed to have an eight-hour day. They're supposed to have a five-day workweek. Those things are in the law, but that's not the way Wal-Mart works. I think it's ironic this evening that this is, that you have proclaimed this International Women's Month. A lot of these issues I see from a woman's perspective because many of the people who work, creating toys and creating clothes for Wal-Mart, are women. By the age of thirty or thirty-five, they are worn out and they're put out on the street. They are no longer hired any more, and they're replaced by teenagers that will do the work that they want them to do. I wanted to refer you to this ' book that Kevin Bales wrote. It's called "Disposable People, New Slavery in the Global Economy." In the way these women are treated, we see slave-like conditions. I do not think we wish to be associated with a company that says 'that's not our problem.' We want to have a Wal-Mart that would take responsibility for the conditions that their subcontractors have, for the laws in the countries where they are making Wal-Mart products, and I refer you to this book because I think it gives a global perspective of some of the very saddest things that are happening in our world, and the biggest corporation in the world, Wal-Mart, is leading the way towards this kind of behavior. From my perspective, these, the Cost of having Wal-Mart expand here is, it's too high a human price to pay. Lehman: You need to wrap it up, Bev. Witwer: Yes, thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to talk. Lehman: Thank you. (applause) Klein: Hello, I'm Garry Klein, and I think some of you may have seen a letter that ended up in the Press-Citizen that I wrote, but I'm actually...there's two things I've come to say. One is that I really have thought a lot about this decision that's being made and after considering what the Council has in front of it tonight, I now realize that this, that what happens tonight is not just about whether or not we sell land to Wal-Mart. Let's face it, Wal- Mart already owns land in Iowa City. There's a Wal-Mart here already. First, many people they see the big box retailer as fulfilling a need for them, and for the City, of course, we can see the immediate benefit of money that comes into the coffers to pay off other expenses that we're not, that we'd like to retire some debt on. So, what is this really about then, if This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page27 it's...and it really is about the limits of our city government to make decisions that are in the long-term public good, and let me use an example because I feel like it's important to kind of set the stage a little bit here. I was looking at an old ad from a Toronto newspaper from 1912. Why, don't ask me, but I was. And there's a wonderful illustration of a housing project that is being built in, and this is the quote from the ad: "Within walking distance to all the factories." And there's a picture of a father putting down a house in the middle of about nine factories, and mom and the daughter are standing next to dad and they're looking real...they have a lot of anticipation working here. Also, you see smoke billowing out of the smokestacks. Now, knowing what we now know about development, we probably wouldn't want to put a lot of housing in the middle of intensive industrial district. We wouldn't want to do that, and we would say we've learned from history that it's not in the long-term public good to do that because of serious illness, because of safety issues, those kinds of things, but we have to ask some questions, and as you probably know, I love asking questions, and I've heard some answers. I have a couple specific questions I'd like to ask later on, but at this point, the questions I really want to ask are the long-term public good being served by selling this City-owned piece of land. I mean, to whose benefit is it when we're selling it to, in the words of the CEO of Wal-Mart, their goal is to be... "We would like to be everywhere we're not." Okay? That covers a lot of ground. They could be everywhere. Is that to our City and to our county's benefit, and how does it serve our communities business owners, small business, I know some of you are small business owners, or former small business owners, and let's face it, people's life blood and their work has been in our community. They've chosen to come and stay in this community, and work in this community. So, why would we want to take their home office away from them? How does it serve the generation of younger Iowans who are looking for opportunities everywhere but here? To bring in Wal-Mart doesn't make sense. How does Super Wal-Mart add value to our community, that also adds to our community's identity? Let's face it, Wal-Mart is everywhere, and if you've been on one Wal-Mart, you've been to them all, or you've been to a mall, depending on the case. Lehman: You need to wrap it up. Klein: I will. So, what we have to do is wake up to the realization that the big box...that we don't have just a big box problem here. What we have is a need for our city to think outside the big box. We need to encourage economic development that comes from our strengths, not our weaknesses, like intellectual industry, powered by the immense brain trust that we have in Iowa City. We need entrepreneurship that capitalizes on the fertile training grounds that the U of I and Kirkwood offer. We need to use our money to seed artists in our cultural district. We need to think This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 28 about legacies that aren't measured by set-backs on properties, or posthumous statues, but we need to...but like our city parks, our schools, and our historic preservation districts, we need a place for future generations to enjoy and for it, for our development to be part of our identity and pride, and finally, President Skorton from the U of I has called this our, has called it the year of"engagement" at the U of I. So, how can the City, the neighborhoods, the Chamber of Commerce, the University, the students, work together to engage in the single most important issue that this city will ever face, and that is taking care of itself. So, I challenge the... Lehman: Thanks, Garry. Folks, we have to limit the comments. We only have so much time and we try to limit about five minutes. We're going to go about another ten minutes and then we're going to close the public hearing. So, I hate to stop anybody because I know it's very important, but in respect for the other folks, please limit your comments. Ross: Hi, my name is Brandon Ross, and I've, first of all I want to say that I love Iowa City, and I love it so much that I ran for Council twice against some of you very fine Councilors up there, and for those of you who are in the present body of the Council know, a lot of what I run for and a lot what I stand for really has to do with a lot about what tonight is about, and people have already spoken to so many of the issues. There's no reason to repeat them and I do want to keep the time short. But, I feel like that with Wal- Mart, you know, some people might even mention architectural integrity of our city, which if you look at Wal-Mart, it is every place. It is a big box, and what do you want to leave? Garry just mentioned legacy. I think for each and every Councilor up here who wants to protect the City, yeah, in the long-term, who wants to give something to their children, whose children want to respect where they come from, I want to offer something up that is respectable, not only in the ways of doing good business, but also in the way it helps the community. Anybody here who fought to save the Englert Theatre would not, I can't see how you could possibly support the Wal-Mart in this case because every effort that went into protecting our downtown and to protecting our businesses that are so particular to Iowa City, that make Iowa City its great place that it really is, that's part of it. There's many other parts: the University, and. other things that are in this town. I'm originally from Boston, but I've been here for many, many years now, and Boston is a great city, but Iowa City, I find, is a wonderful place. My family has been here since 1940. My wife went to City High School, and I have a four-year-old daughter, and so I ask you tonight (TAPE ENDS). You cannot take a long-term economic look at this and think about some of the things that already many people tonight have already talked about. I don't see how that can hurt. We already have experience with Wal-Mart, and over the past decades, as you know, and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page29 some of you have been up here for decades, or even centenniums...Mayor Lehman, I don't know how long you've been ...(laughter). So you already know that there is a lot of language already about how Wal-Mart that we have has impacted our downtown. So we have experience in this, and so I ask of each and every one of you up here at the Council to please take a stand and be active; have a backbone, and do something for us in this and don't just lie down for what might seem to be an immediate good. Look at the long-term, and please give it time. Thank you so much. (applause) Sanders: Hi, my name's Gary Sanders, and for any of you Wal-Mart shoppers out there who are tuning in in between Cipowich's last show, or whatever is on right now, I want to assure you, don't worry. This is a done deal. We will have the Super Wal-Mart in Iowa City. Relax. Go back to your show. It's not a problem, okay? And obviously, and I'm totally serious, and obviously, Wal-Mart we have all these people against it. I don't know where the people are who are for it because there has to be some people for it in this town. It's the largest corporation in the country. Super centers jammed, the one out there is jammed. So obviously a lot of people in this town shop there. They're just not here tonight. The interesting thing, and I was really hoping some business people would be here, especially business students, business professors, because Wal-Mart is the new arc-type of the late twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty- first century in terms of business. Just as in the late nineteenth century, the robber barons, who were the head of the steel companies and so forth, the Carnegie's, the Rockefeller's, especially one guy named Jay Gould who quite brilliantly in asking and answering how he was possibly going to be able to fight off the unions back then, said very simply, "I can hire half of the working class to kill the other half." Today they're just a little more sophisticated. The CEO and the Board of Wal-Mart and so forth, they just say, "Well, we can hire half of the working class to work in these places; get the other half of the working class to shop in these places; and the heck with everybody." The working class that can't afford anything is just cut out of the deal. It's just a little more sophisticated. They have lower wages, we've heard about that; they're anti-union, we've heard about that; they're anti-women employees, we've heard about that; they're even anti-child labor within their stores, not even talking about the corporations overseas. Federal lawsuits on all these levels are going on. Destroying small towns, businesses, and so on; we haven't heard anything about, and I'm really sorry we haven't heard anybody from P&G here tonight, or Target or Sears. Why do you think these places are merging? Read your Wall Street Journals. They're terrified of Wal-Mart; that's what's driving everything. We will have people from Sears, Target, and Proctor and Gamble out of work, or transferred because of Wal-Mart; now maybe not this particular Wal-Mart, but Wal-Mart. That's what's This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 30 happening. Not just to the small people, managers and so on, at these big corporations. And just like sixteen years ago when this was also on the table, and by the way, some of you remember I was the co-chair of the citizens group that opposed it. Yes, Steve, does it seem like sixteen years ago to you? No. Doesn't to me either, and we had a referendum on it, and just like sixteen years ago, I'm sure that what we're going to hear in response tonight, in the future months, is from you folks that it isn't your business to decide what kind of company comes here, as long as the company is in compliance with zoning laws and so on. I heard that sixteen years ago. We'll hear it again, rest assured, and like sixteen years ago, I counter that it is your business to not simply just okay this expansion and so forth, but to look at what kind of company it is, and the very sad thing to me is that so many of you grew up here and were bom and raised here, and you do not understand what is here. Again, ifI could harken back to the Wall Street Journal, which five years ago had a full- page story about Iowa City, what a great town this is. Do you think they were talking about because of Wal-Mart's? Of course not. This is the Wall Street Journal that goes all over the world to important business people. They understand what's unique here. Lehman: It's time. Sanders: All right, thank you. Champion: Do you remember what that vote was? Sanders: Five to two, do you want me to tell you who voted that way? (laughter) Lehman: No, no... Sanders: Well, we got the 4,000 signatures to get on the ballot, and it was maybe 55% to 45%. Champion: Wow, it was close. Sanders: Yes, and I do remember the five, it was a five to two vote on the Council back then, and anyway, in a very strange way, very parenthetically, I know this is going to be a reach for many of you, this reminds me of when I lived in Hilo, Hawaii, and people, the locals there could not see what was there. It was people from out of town who moved there that said we don't want to have this kind of degradation of the place. We want to protect it, and that, as I said, makes me even sadder of those of you on the Council, and in the community, who are locals here. And as I said, I'm sure you're going to okay the project. Again, rest assured, and the reason is... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 31 Lehman: Gary, you know you're stopping somebody else from speaking. Sanders: I thought I was the last. Lehman: Oh, you're last. Okay, fine. (laughter) Sanders: And the reason, by the way, folks, that they are going to okay it... Lehman: (laughter) You aren't last, but you're going to be if you don't finish up. Sanders: Oh, I tried to be last. The reason they are going to okay it, and I'm sorry to say it, is that you folks aren't their constituents. Now, in some... Lehman: Gary, really, please... Sanders: No, no, let me just finish, that this is a political solution. Lehman: I know, but you know the rules. Sanders: Okay, political solution, only one of them is going to vote on this is up, is going to be nmning for re-election, and Connie will be re-elected no matter what, and so I say to you, what's our recourse? And I will simply say, if I may quote the Italian organizer of the 1930's, Antonio Gromshe, "Pessimism of the mind, yes they are going to do this, but we have to have optimism of the will," and therefore, I invite all of you to come to the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, Saturday at noon to talk about our recourse. Lehman: Thank you, Gary. Sanders: If I could just finish one last point, unfortunately we will not be able to do what we did sixteen years ago. In my discussion with the City Attorney, she has told me we cannot fight this on a zoning issue so we will have to find another issue. Thank you very much. (applause) Dolgos: Hi, good evening. I'll be brief. As a business owner, a small business owner, in Iowa City, I am mortified by the prospect of an expansion of Wal-Mart because statistics prove that they decimate small businesses everywhere they go. Also, their profits go pretty much to Arkansas and only Arkansas, and some of the family lives in Missouri. They don't, they aren't going to come back to Iowa, not like small businesses that keeps your money grounded here, and in this time of financial insecurity it's a good idea to know that your dollars are going to stay local. A magazine called "The Multi-national Monitor" has published a report by a representative, Representative George Miller, from California, that was This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 32 put out last year that details the public costs of one Wal-Mart store that employs two hundred people. $36,000 a year for free and reduced lunches; $42,000 a year for Section 8 housing assistance; $i25,000 a year for federal tax credits and deductions for low-income families; $100,000 a year for additional Title I educational expenses; $108,000 a year for state children's health insurance program. That's a 200-employee store costing $420,750 a year to the state that it resides in. So, if that's not corporate welfare, I don't know what is. So, in the interest of small business, I hope you will show us how much you value us and not let this project get through. Thanks. (applause) Karr: Could I have your name, please? Dolgos: My name is Kris Dolgos. Lehman: Okay, we're going to do one more and then we're going to take a break and come back with the Council's... Bovbjerg: My name is Ann Bovbjerg. I live in Iowa City. I'd like to underscore some things that have been said tonight, and some things that have been implied. What's before you tonight is a fairly innocuous land purchase, but as the people have said, that's, it's more than that. It might be less than that, as well, but I have an assumption, and I don't usually make assumptions, but I have an assumption that tonight you can vote either in favor or against. I assume that you have that choice. So I'm going to operate on that assumption. And as an economic deal here, like most economic things, it's on the one hand and on the other hand. I can understand the City's wanting to get non-productive land off the City's liability roles and the money that it could bring in, but if you vote yes, you're locking the City into a particular course of action that you probably won't be able to change, and it's not just one vote or seven votes tonight on this piece of property, it's tomorrow and next year and ten years and the county and all the other counties around us. So, a yes vote on this is going to lock you into some consequences that are going to be very, very serious for a lot of, many people, especially people. If you vote no, then you have not locked yourself into something and you can come back to this property again. You can come back to this particular buyer again. So, I urge you, very carefully...I know you've looked at information and you've listened to people here, and you've read, and you've listened to us who have spoken to some of you separately. I would like you to consider very, very carefully whether you vote yes or no, and I'd like you especially to think of how you will explain your vote tomorrow to someone who agrees with you, and how you will explain your vote to someone who doesn't agree with you, and how especially you will explain This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 33 your vote to the most important person, and that is the person in the mirror. Thank you. Thank you for your time. (applause) Lehman: Thank you. Public hearing is closed. Karr: Motion to accept correspondence. Vanderhoefi So moved. O'Donnell: Second. Lehman: All in favor? Motion carries. We will resume at ten after. (BREAK) b) Consider a Resolution Lehman: Moved by Elliott; seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Champion: Well, maybe I'll be first because I think I'm very confused at this point. A week ago I would have voted for this immediately, not thinking about the repercussions because it's an immediate relief for the City budget and the Airport. It's an immediate relief, and you know once Wal-Mart is there, the other land around that airport will sell and develop, and we will finally be free of subsidizing the Airport, and the taxpayers will be free of it. I have, I do...I have some concerns. I voted against Wal-Mart in the referendum, whatever...how many years ago it was, not because I'm afraid of competition, because frankly, they're not competition to me. They're not going to affect my business one way or the other. I saw the incredible affect on human services, especially Shelter House, when the Coral Ridge Mall came here. A lot of people making livings that they can't support themselves on. My husband works at(can't hear) free medical clinic, and the impact it's had on that, and although twelve hours ago I was going to vote no, two hours ago I was going to vote yes, I'm going to vote no. (applause and loud cheering) Lehman: We really, really don't need that. Next? Anybody else? Bailey: I'm going to be joining Connie and voting no. (applause) Lehman: Folks, please, please. Bailey: I'm very supportive of economic development, but as I said to somebody on the break, we need more corporations like the one we'll be discussing later in the agenda, like Lear Corporation that pays living wages, that support their employees with health insurance; and that have good worker and management relations in the Iowa City plant, and the impact on This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page34 human services is a cost that we don't have the measurement for, but we are all certain of, and I just can't, in thinking of the long-term best interest of the City, which is something that I do when I make these votes up here, it's not in the long-term best interest of the City. Yes, I would love to see us reduce the airport subsidy from the General Fund, but we can do better as a community, and we have to do better. (applause) Elliott: It seems to me that it was just a couple of weeks ago when I said 'I'm going to disappoint some of the people, many of the people in the chambers tonight'. I'll be voting yes. I have a particular perspective, when the competitive aspect of this is pulled up, I grew up working in a neighborhood grocery store, and I saw what happened to our store when Benner's moved in, Benner Food Store. When I moved to Iowa City, I saw what happened with Seaton's Food Store at Muscatine and Court. I saw Stubbs Food Store at Muscatine and Burlington. I saw Watt's a little further up when Randall's moved in, and those people went out. When Hy-Vee expanded, Randall's left. This is the sort of thing that's been going on for ever and ever, and will continue doing that. I don't think we control that sort of thing. It's going to happen. We'll have a Wal-Mart, and pretty soon something else will come in and Wal-Mart won't make it. That argument doesn't hold water for me. It's been going on and will continue to go on. People mentioned Hy-Vee and Cub Foods, and they ran out the little grocery stores. So now why are we worrying about Hy- Vee and Cub Foods? They'll take care of themselves. I think the legalities will deal with illegalities as they're always dealt with, and I will be voting in favor of this. Wilbum: I will be supporting this, as well, tonight. I...looking at this, trying to take into consideration some lasting impressions, I made a commitment to growing the commercial and industrial tax base. It does have an impact on our budget and, you know, the big book of things that we want to accomplish for the City, and the big list of things that we aren't able to accomplish because of the limitations put out on how we get money and income for the City. The community's made a decision two or three times that it doesn't support the only other option available to the City, and that's local option sales tax, and we're not here to debate that tonight, but I made a commitment to grow the commercial and industrial tax base. When we do have businesses come to us and ask for tax breaks, and in this case they're not getting a tax break, we do take considerations of the number of jobs created, wages, those other, and other types of things that are a benefit for employees. I guess in those other ways I look at trying to capitalize on our economic development policies and how they enhance, and when we try and recruit different places, when we try to put those different pieces together, for services, for business services that we want for the community. It's interesting, Mr. Sanders pointed out some of our This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 35 larger businesses who are in the community who he pointed out may or may not be impacted by the growth of Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart is here currently, that decision was made before. It's interesting that their not here tonight, or some of the grocery stores, that they' re not here tonight, and you know, maybe they can comment to you, if you know some folks that are there, as to why they're not here, but perhaps one of those reasons is perhaps not to the extent some of the things that you refer to in your, in the surveys you've talked to that, talked about, in terms of those other types of impacts and choices, perhaps they're not certain if they could, to the level that they would meet some of those requirements, in terms of wages, in terms of where they get their product from. I don't know; this is just speculation, but it's an interesting observation that they're not here. Otherwise, I encourage you all, the gentleman pointed out the shopping local campaign. That's something that does exist, it happens every year. Someone pointed out supporting some efforts that we have tried to do; Sycamore Mall, I pointed out last holiday season that if we all do a little bit to shop at some of those places, to support. In that particular year, most of my gifts during the holidays I bought at Sycamore Mall. Thank you all for coming down. You had an opportunity to educate your point of view to those who are listening and not shopping at Wal-Mart tonight, right now as we speak, or watching whatever show, and that's an argument that will continue to be made to the population, to think about where it is you're shopping, and encourage folks to shop local. Otherwise I'll let others speak. Lehman: Thank you, Ross. You know, in my opinion, there probably is very, very few communities in Iowa or anyplace else, that wouldn't have been better off if Wal-Mart didn't come in, and I certainly do not advocate what they do, but any sort of harm caused to a community is miniscule in comparison to cities and governments telling businesses where they can and cannot locate. That is a much greater harm. If we tell Wal-Mart no today, then it will be Hy-Vee tomorrow, and somebody else the next day. · That is going down a street that I'm not willing to go down, and this is not an issue of economic development. This is not an issue of a lot of things, to me, other than the free market must determine what occurs. If this were a piece of private property, Scott Six, my guess is this discussion wouldn't even be taking place, but it's easier because we own the property. Although I find it very, very difficult to come up with a reason why when you get a regular priced offer for a piece of property, why that property would be sold to one party and not another. I mean, I have a real issue with that. I will support this, but I do it on a philosophical basis because I absolutely do not believe it is the purview of government to tell businesses which ones can go where and why. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page36 O'Donnell: Well, I agree with what Ernie said, and I too will be supporting this. This community decided a number of years ago that Wal-Mart should come to our community. They would not be expanding if people weren't using Wal-Mart, shopping there. In my mind, this is an expansion of an existing business. A community lives and dies on growth, and this Council, as a whole, made a commitment to grow our tax base, to pay for the things that we all feel valuable. So, I will be supporting this. Vanderhoef: I too will be supporting this. I think it is one of those cases where we have a piece of land to sell. I agree with Ernie that we shouldn't be choosing who we put on that land, in this case. I find it very important for us to pay off our debt and to build our tax base, which has been our policy for a number of years, and certainly as our revenues from other sources keep drying up, the tax base is the only place where we have to grow at this point in time. I think Ross alluded to a one cent sales tax, which I am fairly assured that this group would not choose to support either, for a variety of reasons. I won't debate that one right now. I find that our Airport is an economic engine to our city, and we need to get it out from underneath its debt. I think we can have expanded retail in this town, and recognizing that we all want goods and services, and that it's important for us to move on with the market of what's happening in our world. So, I'll support this. Elliot: Ernie, could I have one more comment? Lehman: One more, yes. I'm sorry, go ahead, you both do. Elliott: To the adults who have spoken tonight, some of you, as you know, are people to whom I have gone for advice, and I value that, but you know that you've won some persuasive arguments and lost some persuasive arguments. To the students who are here, I really appreciate the fact that you took your time and you stated how you felt, and the fact that the Council has not agreed with you does not diminish anything from the job you've done tonight. You are to be commended for jumping into the fray and you're going to win one of these. So, I just wanted to thank you for what you've done tonight. (applause) Bailey: I just want to make a connection to some of the issues that will come up later this year, that we will be discussing. We have a lot of concern about how we accommodate low-income families and housing, and in our education system in this community, and I think that we also need to have a concern about employers who come into the community and employers that contribute to this growth of this working, of this class of working poor, and I think that there is a connection here, and I just suggest that that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #12 Page 37 is something we need to think about and consider as we have future discussions. These are related. Lehman: Thank you, Regenia. (applause) Roll call. Motion carries five to two; Bailey and Champion voting in the negative. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #15 Page38 ITEM 15 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING FUNDING FOR LEAR CORPORATION RELATED TO PUBLIC IMPROVE- MENTS AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACT AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND SUBMIT ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION TO THE IOWA DEPART- MENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND/OR U.S. DEPART- MENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. Bailey: Move the resolution. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: Moved by Bailey; seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Wilburn: Is this the one I have a conflict with or sixteen? Atkins: Sixteen, I thought. Yeah, sixteen, correct? Wilburn: I do have a conflict? This was item sixteen last night, wasn't it? I'm confused. I have a conflict of interest with this item; it involves the use of Community Development Block Grant funds and I work for an organization that is a recipient of those funds and cannot participate in the decision or deliberations. Lehman: Do we have any discussion? It's a great project; they're tremendous corporate citizens, and I'm pleased to be able. Bailey: And living wages. Lehman: Among other things. All right, roll call. Motion carries. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #16 Page39 ITEM 16 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE IOWA DEPART- MENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC BETTERMENT ACCOUNT (CEBA) FUNDS TO ASSIST THE LEAR CORPORATION. Champion: Move adoption. Bailey: Second. Lehman: Moved by Champion; seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Elliott: I think, again, I just think that these votes are being cast rather enthusiastically tonight. Lehman: I would agree. O'Donnell: Absolutely. Lehman: Roll call. Motion carries. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #17 Page 40 ITEM 17 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY APPROVING THE APPLICATION OF LEAR CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING BENEFITS UNDER 2003 IOWA ACTS, HOUSE FILE 677, THE NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM (NCIP). Vanderhoef: Move the resolution. O'Donnell: Second. Lehman: Moved by Vanderhoef; seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Champion: Could I just get a little explanation about it? Lehman: Absolutely. Champion: I meant to ask on the agenda stuff last night but I forgot. I didn't quite understand what this program is. Can you tell me about it? Nasby: The New Capital Investment Program is a program that the State enacted in 2003. We were the first ones to use it in the State of Iowa. We actually used it for the United Natural Foods project. In this case, it's being used for research and development credits that Lear is able to apply for. They've developed some processes out at their plant here, and they're able to recapture those in the form of tax credits. Champion: It's not a grant, it's a tax credit? Nasby: It is a tax credit that would go to Lear from the State of Iowa. Champion: Thanks. I didn't have any problems with it. I just didn't quite understand it. Lehman: Thank you, Steve. Roll call. Motion carries. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #18 Page 41 ITEM 18 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING TItE ANNUAL BUDGET EXCLUDING HUMAN SERVICES AID TO AGENCIES FOR TIlE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2006. O'Donnell: Move the resolution. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: Moved by O'Donnell; seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Champion: Well, I think it's important to let people know that our next work session we will be dispersing the human services aid to agencies, and the, also, community events. Lehman: Roll call. Motion carries. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #19 Page 42 ITEM 19 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR HUMAN SERVICES AID TO AGENCIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2006. Vanderhoefi Move the resolution. Bailey: Second. Lehman: Moved by Vanderhoef; seconded by Bailey. Discussion? Roll call. Wilbum: I have to abstain due to a conflict of interest. Lehman: Motion carries. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #20 Page 43 ITEM 20 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINANCIAL PLAN FOR THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, FOR FISCAL YEARS 2006 THROUGH 2008 AND THE MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2009. Vanderhoef: Move the resolution. Champion: Second. Lehman: Moved by Vanderhoef; seconded by Champion. Discussion? Vanderhoef: I'll just comment on this, that we're one of the few cities in Iowa that does do a long-term multi-year capital improvement program, and put it in place and look at how we're going to finance it. We certainly have some good projects on the offing, and certainly we'd like to do more, but considering that we are always aware of keeping our triple A, bond rating, this is important to have this plan in place so that we are keeping in line and that our bond, bonding companies recognize that we do follow our plan. Lehman: Roll call. Motion carries. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #21 Page 44 ITEM 21 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $7,020,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERIES 2005A. Lehman: The low bid on that was from, where is it from? JP Morgan Securities, and the interest rate is 3.5708, which s very good. Do we have a motion for that effect? Champion: Moved. O'Donnell: Second. Lehman: Moved by Champion; seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Roll call. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #23 Page 45 ITEM 23 COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS Lehman: At last night's work session, the Council chose the following... Champion: Ernie, excuse me; can I ask you to pull out C and do it separately? Lehman: Okay. We, okay, we'll do the Civil Service Commission, Bill Cook; Parks and Recreation Commission, Jerry Raaz; Telecommunications Commission, Gary Hagen .- do we have a motion to approve those? Elliott: So moved. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: We have a motion and a second. All in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Historic Preservation Commission, we chose three people at-large: Mike Mahary and Michael Brennan; Longfellow District, Jim Weitzel. Or Tim, I'm sorry. Do we have a motion to approve those? Elliott: So moved. Vanderhoef: Second. Lehman: Elliott; second by O'Donnell. Discussion on that one? I think maybe on this one we should have...well, all in favor say "aye." Opposed? The motion carries four to three. The three no's were Champion, Wilbum, and Bailey. Karr: And, Mr. Mayor, just to clarify, the items A, B, and F - A we will re- advertise; and F you're going to accept the recommendation of the Deer Task Force for the appointment? Lehman: I'm sorry, that's correct. Karr: Okay. Well, we... Lehman: We were going to re-advertise. Karr: And E re-advertise, the second one. Lehman: Right. Elliott: The Deer Task...that's a specified occupation for that, isn't it? Karr: Yes it is, it's biologist/scientist position. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #26 Page 46 ITEM 26 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION. Lehman: Regenia, would you like to be first? Bailey: I have nothing tonight. Lehman: I see. Wilbum: I have nothing. Vanderhoefi Likewise. Lehman: Okay. Mike? O'Donnell: Absolutely nothing. Lehman: Connie? Champion: Let's go home. Elliott: I had something, wouldn't ya know (laughter). I've known and called friends two people who I think are two heroes, and we buried one of them today. Richard Allan Stephens of Washington, Iowa, fought a battle for fifty-three years, and it was a battle that most people couldn't fight for a day, and he died Friday; we buried him today; he was an honest to God hero. Lehman: Thank you. I have one item. As I think most, all of the Council is well aware, and much of the community is aware that we have, we're in the process of finishing up the re-write of a comprehensive zoning ordinance. This is really far-reaching, extremely complicated; it's going to take a fair amount of time to get through. I think there's probably close to three years in its development, but to help the public in understanding what this ordinance is all about, there will be a public .review on March 3rd, here in the Civic Center, from 7 to 8:00, and I think these are going to be presentations by the City staff explaining it. This is not, I believe, a period for public discussion, but more a matter of presentation. There will be two open house sessions, Thursday March l0th, from 3 to 7:00 at the Iowa City Public Library, Room A; Saturday, March 12th from 10 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon, at City Hall, and it's really, I think, important for folks who have an interest in this code, which is, I mean, there's some significant re-writes that.., stop in, get the information; it'll make you more informed when it gets to Planning and Zoning Commission and they have their public hearings. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005. #26 Page 47 O'Donnell: Our Mayor's going on a vacation tomorrow. I want to wish you a good time and wear a hat, it's hot out there. Lehman: I will. O'Donnell: Also remind the Council that we do have a meeting Friday, right here. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council meeting of March 1, 2005.