Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-03-21 TranscriptionMarch 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 1 of 30 March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session 6:30 PM' Council: Bailey, Elliott, Lehman, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilbum Staff: Atkins, Dilkes, Franklin, Helling, Karr, Neumann, Severson, O'Malley Tape: 05-21 PLANNING & ZONING Lehman: Let's go. Planning and Zoning. A.) APPROVING THE ANNEXATION OF APPROXIMATELY 62.03 ACRES OF TERRITORY LOCATED NORTH OF HIGHWAY 1, WEST OF HIGHWAY 218 AND EAST OF KITTY LEE ROAD (ANN04-00001) Franklin: The first item is public heating on the annexation of approximately 62 acres at the northwest intersection of 218 and Highway 1 West. We have had a request from the applicant to defer this to the April 5th meeting. B.) CONDITIONALLY CHANGING THE ZONING DESIGNATION FROM COUNTY CC-2, COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (APPROXIMATELY 16.05 ACRES), CI-COMMER(JIAL (APPROXIMATELY 20.22 ACRES), CO-l, OFFICE APPROXIMATELY 10.92 ACRES) AND RR-1, RURAL RESIDENTIAL (APPROXIMATELY ACRES), FOR PROPERTY LOCATED NORTH OF HIGHWAY 218 AND EAST OF KITTY LEE ROAD (REZ04-00030) Franklin: Associated with it is Item B, which is the zoning of that property and there is a rather complex conditional zoning agreement that goes with this Ithat has been amended after reconsideration of the item by the Planning and Zoning Commission last Thursday. There is a memorandum to you from John Yapp, which explains exactly where the conditions are right now as those recommendations have come out of the Planning and Zoning Commission. I would expect that you will be receiving tomorrow night some input from the applicants debating some of those conditions. They have requested deferral, so deferral of the... I would open the public hearing, Ernie, and then continue it on both the annexation and the rezoning. Lehman: Okay. Franklin: I think we can talk about the specifics of it then at your April 4 meeting because by then we should have something from the applicant as to how they're going to respond to the conditions of the Commission. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 2 of 30 Lehman: This represents, I assume....this is a response to the letter that Tom Gilman to the staff?. Franklin: Yes, yes it is. It was a meeting with the Commission, they went through each of the Points and resolved how they wished to recommend it to you. C.) VACATING UNIMPROVED DANE ROAD, NORTH OF MORMON TREK BOULEVARD (VAC05-00001) Franklin: Item C is the vacation of an unimproved portion of Dane Road. This is a clean-up after the Mormon Trek Project. There has been a request for you to expedite consideration of this. Upon vacation the property will go to the owners to the East and the West because this is an easement that came in from :the County. D.) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE 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. (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Franklin: Item D is second consideration on the electronic changeable copy signs. Elliott: Can we expedite this? Franklin: You certainly can. O'Donnell: I think it's a good idea. Vanderhoefi On that, I would like, if Council is in agreement, to have some more work done in the next few months and then have it come back to us in... say AhguSt and what the possibilities are for animation and a little more on how and why the copy change is only such a long period of time. Franklin: An hour. Once every hour it can be changed, under this ordinance. Vanderhoef: Oh, I was thinking once a day. But I'd little more coming back from what's being in other places and what kind of animations there are that don't get in the way of the drivers being involved. Franklin: If there is a majority of Council that wishes to do this now, we certainly will do it. Lehman: Has anybody asked us for this yet? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 3 of 30 Vanderhoef: Yes. Franklin: Yes, some sign companies that have come before the Planning and Zoning Commission. Nothing for anything specific, just generally speaking. Vanderhoef: That was a comment at the public hearing. I didn't want to get into it at that point. I think we can go ahead with what we've got right now, then l~ake a look at this when we have more time. Bailey: Current businesses or just sign companies broadly? Franklin: Sign companies broadly. That's fine if there is a majority that want ~o do that. We certainly will do it. One thing I will point out to you is that now that we have a draft of the zoning code done, our next job is to get the subdivision regulations redone and we're working on those. It's going to be another majior work effort - not as big as the zoning code...but in terms of priority of work items;...if the electronic signs is an important thing for you, yes, we'll do it. Bailey: I think this gets at what we need right now. If you don't have specific businesses coming forward with specific sort of issues, I think that we don'~ need to insert this into the work plan at this point. Vanderhoef: Not in to this one...but in to the work plan. Is that what you said? Bailey: No. Not right now, not this summer. Elliott: I would agree with Dee with the exception that if you think that would add a burden to you, on the other hand, if someone requests or a business requests, then I think we need to jump. Lehman: We would if we got a request. Franklin: It's entirely up to the Council what your priorities are. I'm just telling you that one of the major work items that we have right now is the subdixfisiolq regulations. If you want this to take priority, we certainly will do it. Lehman: I think our biggest priority is the zoning code and the subdivision work. Bailey: I agree. Lehman: When you get through and you have nothing to do, will you let US know? (Laughter) Franklin: I'm right on that. Bailey: Do let us know if a request comes up. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 4 of 30 Franklin: Absolutely. In the Planning and Zoning Commission, I know some members of the Planning and Zoning Commission have some strong feelingsi about this to and wish to pursue it and they may also come back and say they wanl to put it higher up in the priorities. Lehman: Thank you. ADDITION TO AGENDA Karr: Mr. Mayor, before the next item, I'd just like to note in front of you, iwe're going to be adding an announcement of vacancy to your meeting tomolxow evening. We had a resignation of the Housing and Community Development Commission for one vacancy for an unexpired term. We'll just go ahead and add ithat as 17-A tomorrow evening. Lehman: Okay. Vanderhoef: Who resigned? Karr: Erin Barnes, he's moving to Des Moines. Wilburn: His term ends September 1st. Lehman: Okay. DOWNTOWN ALLEYS AND CLEAN tiP Atkins: What I have up here is the same as what is ~n your packet. Ive ¢laced at your seats, a map of what we call the CB-10 zone downtown. I'll be Working from that. ~'he yellow lines represent all the public alleys that are within i~ that CB-10, or downtown district. I also gave you a copy of a number ofph0tog~aphs that were taken randomly of downtown alleys. What I put in your packei is something a little bit different than what I normally do. It's....rather than just a detailed memorandum preparing a recommendation to you. I wanted to just tOke a few minutes and sort of just walk through so I think we're all, when We're done, and we deal with the recommendation, have an understanding of what th~ circumstances are. I'm not going to tell you anything particularl~ profound. All you need to do is walk through downtown and see what you have to Isee. I convened a group of staff, six or eight of us, and we came to the!conClusion that the single most important issues, with respect to our downtown fille~s, were cleanliness and ultimately the appearance. We have made a number!of efforts earlier on...at one time we postponed action while the DTA was Putt!ng together a project and that didn't go anywhere...I've sent letters to haulers, i've ~ent letters to business folks and still we experience the lose-blowing trash, inatter~tion to dumpsters that are overflowing, and generally the misuse of our ialleys. I would This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 5 of 30 remind you that those alleys are public right of way and that we ravel traditionally taken reasonably strong positions with respect to the use of that public right of way. This is a circumstance which clearly has gotten away from us, Whereby the alleys are turning into dumping grounds. There is no coordinated effort with respect to pick up and in general no real effort, in my judgment, !o cl.~an up behind the businesses. If that mess was in the front, we would find tt at truly intolerable. The location of the dumpsters in the alleys, in accordanc with our fire code, would be contrary to our fire code. Practically speaking, tX ose dumpsters should be ten feet away from the building, six feet from a vindow, eight feet from a door...bottom line is the fire code is virtually ur~enfc rceable in an alley. If you were to bring those dumpers actually away from th~ building you would make the alleys unusable. Fire is aware of that. They particip ited in the discussion. We have about one-hundred dumpsters in the area tllat I i~ave shown you on your maps. The storm drains are becoming choked with debris and we have a new challenge in that that's contrary to the Clean Water Act..~vVhereby what goes in that storm drain finds it's way to the rivers and thereby We have an obligation under federal law to regulate that. To date, as I pointed out, we have contacted haulers, businesses, we've spent more money in the sense Of steam cleaning, clearly we have continued our investment on our down!ow~h with respect to the business frontage, and yet all the alleys that remain open tO view are clearly unsightly. What are the causes of the problems? One, it's a conslrained area. There's just too much going and too small of a space and It's unmgul~tted. Truck deliveries, storage, overhead electrical wire distribution, emergency ~ccesses...all of those things are within this area. We have determined that, asa cqmmunity, this is the location for a business to dispose of it's waste and in many instances it's where the waste is being stored before it's being picked up. Each buginess now decides the waste disposal services they would like from a private hauler. There is not significant City regulation. How they go about it ~s dumpsters4 There are three types. Garbage, cardboard and grease. I am not aware of any 4ther recyclable types ofdumpsters. Who does the work? There are sever~ or eight haulers that provide for the garbage and cardboard removal and there's another kind of haulers that provide the grease removal. You're familiar ~itt~ that for restaurants. No coordination, virtually no interference on our part. II's at the convenience of each business but there is one common attribute. It sithat all the businesses use the public right of way without permission and in our l judgment collectively pose a health safety, unsightly, and fire hazard problem, i So what do we think we can do? Well, we need a goal or some kind of directionl It was the conclusion of the group that if we dealt with the cleanliness issue, parking and as well as the fire, which we're not trying to forget or set aside, could likely be dealt with if it was better coordinated...the pick up in the downtown. We [are proposing that the businesses continue to be allowed to use the aileyi for waste disposal but we fix the responsibility with the people using that publlc right of way, just like we would anyone else with the responsibility. ThO City would provide the space, that is the alley; the hauler removes the space,! that's a private business; and the business can use the space, which is the storage or the spot where waste is created for disposal. Parking is important and w~ have some This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 6 of 30 ideas, but we'd rather set that aside for the moment and move on:to h ~w can we clean up these alleys. Currently, this is what we do currently. We h~.ve a late- night, early in the morning Thursday sweep. We do not vacuumi. Ith. performed by our Department of Public Works. I think it's very important that !~ou understand that sweeping because what the sweeping does is go dow ~ the alley and push everything aside. Well, when it's pushed aside, it goes iund ~rneath the dumpsters and the next day when things dry out, it just blows back o ~t again. We steam clean three times per year and costs us about $10,000 to do that. We do occasional surface maintenance. I was reminded that most ofth0se ,lleys were put in, in the Urban Renewal Days, and they're about thirty-years old Just to give you an idea...if you were to take up one of those alleys and recoristru :t it in today's dollars, it would be about $125,000 for each section of a!ley. The dumpsters are unregulated and the backs of the properties are clearly not maintained by the business owner. We're suggesting or having tO de ~1 with a possible expanded City role. In our judgment, what we do currently floes not work. We could create a downtown district, contract for a waste hauler, we decide who gets a dumpster, we decide where their placed, we d~cid, what's billed. We are not proposing that, unless the suggestions we are abo' ~t to give you are not successful. That's what we do today. Here's what we sugges :. We would like to increase the frequency of cleaning the alleys. Now, I've sugg~ ~sted five days a week. If we can get the proper equipment, for example a ivac~ turn, as well as sweeping, and we can control the dumpsters...five days may just too much, I just don't know...but we do need to do more than we're doing right n4 ~w. All of the dumpsters, those that are owned by the haulers would be licenser and inspected and they must have a locking mechanism. This is particul~ ~r critical for not only waste control but also minimize the fire hazards. Just a~ anlexample, we do about eight or ten calls a year for dumpster fires in the downtown' and as you know it's very simple to toss a cigarette into one as you're walking by, particularly when the lid is up. A business would still be able to pick their haule? of choice. We would establish regulations for time of day and frequency. We Would expect the businesses to take responsibility for cleaning up behind theiriproI ~erties and in order to bring some focus, we would propose that we create some so 't ora downtown waste collection district. Now what remains unresoB[ed x ~ith these suggestions is recycling. We do have some. You know as a City pr,'.ctice, we practice voluntary recycling. I don't want to forget about it but Ii thir k we have to be practical about it, at least initially. There will be a new cost t9 thc City. The $100,000, we believe, is high because we may have to buy equipmet.t, there will be some need for some staffing...but until we can get in and do the a, :tual planning of exactly what we'd like do to...so I figured we'd estimate high. We could bill the businesses and the property owners or we could use a combihatk n of the storm water fees, the road use tax, and the general fund. We will bei recommending the latter for the time being. There will be a need fo~ a series of new ordinances in order to allow us to remove some of these nuisanCes and one suggestion we have, just for thought process, do we want to initiiate 5ome sort of an alley improvement program, that is painting and cleanup ofthoseiproperties. I don't know need to tell you what the pitfalls are, you know what we'll experience. : This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 7 of 30 We're recommending to you that under those selected improvements that we proceed with those, if that's your wishes. That's where we are toi:la' Lehman: Steve, we have an ordinance now that requires dumpsters to be locke d. Atkins: Yes, we do. Lehman: So, I guess what I think I hear you saying is that we would start Cnfo :cing ordinances that we presently have in place? Atkins: We have some on the books. I think frequency of pick-up is another If we create a district, we can being applying certain rules and regulations o~ free ~ency of pick-up. Lehman: But if we lock the dumpster... Atkins: If we lock the dumpsters, we believe that will be a major accomplish ment. And it also will have a significant impact on the frequency ofpi~k-up. Lehman: Atkins: It will be a significant impact on the frequency of pick-up, haulers, ~sers...there's going to be a lot of people who will not like the locking mechanism. Bailey: But we already have an ordinance in place? Atkins: Yes. Bailey: Let's enforce what we have in place. Atkins: Yes. Lehman: If we enforce the locking of the dumpsters, which means this debris Is not going to be piled three feet high on Friday morning and Saturday morning,[ we should eliminate a significant amount of stuff that is blowing in those alley~ right now. O'Donnell: I don't think that's right, Ernie. You can lock the dumpsters, butiwh~n it's full they still stack on top of it. Atkins: That has to stop. I Lehman: But then that's their dumpster and they've got a problem. O'Donnell: So they'd have to get a more frequent pick-up. Lehman: Or get another dumpster. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 8 of 30 Atkins: It's a more frequent pick-up. I remain convinced that if we can get i~ there more frequently...the same with our clean-up. If we can get in on a regul~at basis, I don't think we need to go five days, but I do think we need to go more ofi~n than once a week. Lehman: But cleaning the alleys is such an impossible task...with all ofth~se ~]umpsters lined up....unless you moved the dumpsters to sweep, you really~likq you said, just push the stuff under the dumpsters, the wind comes up and it blows it back into the alley. Atkins: Well, if there's general interest...this is not in your packet. I'll gi~,e y >u a copy. We would suggest that dumpsters become regulated. That they l~av¢ a license or permit. There will be some sort of a tag. They have to be inspected, they have to be painted, they have to cleaned...all of those things have to be done if you want to use the public right of way as a spot for disposal. The requiriltg o 'locks is going to be cumbersome. I'm not the haulers. All the haulers dc~ is r ~ove it out. It's the people who live in the buildings and work in the buildings th~ tt are making the mess. I think that we will...ifwe increase the frequency oftlle C: ty-sponsored clean-up, steam cleaning, and vacuuming, we're going to be way ahe ad. I think that we should require a minimum p~ck-up. Three times a weeki I d(,fit know. Each hauler would be given the same set of rules and regulationS, so they than quote whatever price they want to a business...we're not trying t9 pul a hauler out of business. It would become a set of rules. If you're going to u~e t~ public alley for a waste disposal spot, here's the rules you've got to play by. Vanderhoef: Okay, you say we've got some recycle or at least a cardboard... Atkins: Right. Vanderhoef: And that's for everyone? Atkins: No. Those are individual. Every dumpster down there is virtually a: ;igned to a business. What we would do if we licensed it...I'm thinking of those little plastic pouches...you'll put a permit in, when it was inspected, who did !t, fe paid, etc. and right the business name on it. Vanderhoef: Ahhhh....tell us a little bit about what is being provided for the UPsta people...we know are first-floor businesses but we've got small busir esses and apartments. Atkins: You've got mixed uses in there, Dee, and that' s a real problem, ilf y. ~u look at this proposal, that's getting not only at the business operation but als0 th~: residential. If you're going to put something in the dumpster, you've got to l~ag just like you do with your trash at home. One of the problems we have is that a. ampster, in an alley, or property that is of mixed use, a shoe-store, a restaurant, ,'nd apartments up above, you have to go down...I'm assuming they don'l provide This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 9 of 30 collection within the building, they would have to go down, unlock it, throw it, close it back up, lock it up. Unless the owner of the building or the b~ tsiness can come up with another option. But that mixed use is clearly the pmbk m. Lehman: But that's the property owner's problem, that's not ours. Atkins: The property owner provides space. Lehman: He also, even in multi-family operations, or whatever, they must pro~ ide trash removal, so if we're going to rent apartments downtown, we're going :o have to provide for the removal of that trash. Atkins: And you can do it by regulation. Lehman: Right. Atkins: And that's what we're looking at. Lehman: It might also be a lot simpler if the dumpsters were licensed, permittet to the haulers, instead of the users - Atkins: That's the plan. Lehman: So you don't have to talk to anyone who is using the dumpsters, you cnly have to permit it and inspect it with the hauler. ~ Atkins: The idea is that the hauler is responsible for the dumpster. Now, if th: hauler has to paint it, clean it, etc. - then that has to be figured into whateve~ the charge the particular... Lehman: Right. Atkins: We're not trying to...if this doesn't work, then we need to go to one h: ~ler and write a contract...but we're not prepared to do that or recommendithat Vanderhoef: Okay, but by a building with mix use, everybody has a key to that dui npster. That goes back on the...if it's unlocked, that goes back on the property !owr er/manager. Atkins: If we were to send an inspector down the alley and there is a dumper :hat is unlocked, it's going to have a permit on it and it's going to say that it l~elongs to someone. First thing we'll do is inform the hauler and the next tl~ing 'ye do is inform the business that it's unlocked. Vanderhoef: But the business is the owner or the property manager of the whale b~ filding, of all the people in it. All the business. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council WOrk Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 10 of 30 Atkins: Correct, so somebody on sight has to manage it for them. / / Lehman: Easiest way is to make the hauler responsible. You either take care pfthe dumpster the way you have to or I won't haul your trash and I'll iake my dumpster away. l! Atkins: The hauler....well, when we went through all of this, we were u~ablqto fix the responsibility. The hauler can get a permit. A hauler has to license lfis truck and has to get CDL's for their drivers. This a very common part of their business. The person making the mess is the business not the hauler. The haul er's job is to just get it out of there. If a two-cubic yard dumpster won't cut iti th.e ~ the business has to go get a three or another one, whatever the circumstances Imtg ~t be. Vanderhoef: Or daily pick-up. Atkins: Well, I think we need to regulate pick-up as well, Dee. There must [ e a minimum of X number of days of pick-up. We haven t gone ~nto that deta!l un :il we know where you want to go. The frequency of pick-up is truly... Vanderhoef: And it depends upon the types of businesses in the building. Elliott: This is a great starting point. I'd like to have a task force going. The bar advisory board has already asked to be a part of this. I'd like to have a ta~k fo 'ce with the haulers, the Downtown Association, and all of them sit at a table and come up with their observations on what you have put together here and See i:'there is anything they'd change or recommend with the understanding that if that task force doesn't come up with a very workable plan then the City will j~ [st go ahead and do it unilaterally. I would also like to not confine this just tO the alleys. I was down for the gallery walk and our streets and sidewalks were in lerd ~le condition. I think also that it seems we're talking about the City playing a largel role, financing this, etc. I think the businesses should have a part of the fi riding to take care of this. Atkins: Well, their hauling rates are going to go up. Bailey: I would add that to an unresolved issue downtown. I think you're ri~ ht. It's not only the back of the businesses that are a challenge, it's the front of tl ~e businesses that are also a mess. The sidewalks aren't well maintained, snow isn t regularly shoveled, they're not regularly swept...I think that's another issue I ti link we need to address because it's not only the alleys that are causing a problem downtown. Atkins: You need to tell me how big you want to make this. Right now i'm ~lealing with alleys. We'll continue to do the best we can with the frontage and if ~ou want to expand it, that's okay... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 11 of 30 Bailey: What ordinances do we have on the books for downtown? We have requirement that dumpsters downtown have to be locked? Atkins: We do now, we can do that. Bailey: We do have one? Atkins: We have that. We can do that. Bailey: What about enforcement of that? What have we done with that? Atkins: We have not done anything with it? Bailey: Why? Atkins: It's never been an issue. Lehman: It's always been an issue, we've just never done anything about it. Atkins: We've tried over the years any number of arm-twisting. Bottom line ?olks, we're going to make people unhappy. Bailey: To me, that's a starting place as we work through this issue is start en ?orcing the ordinances that we have on the books, front and back, that would pro: note downtown clean up, that businesses have to maintain the area in fron' of their buildings as well as have a locked dumpster. What else do we have c n the books? Atkins:Not much else. Vanderhoefi The parking, is that...what about parking in the alley? Atkins: Those businesses need those alleys for the pick-up and drop-off. O'Donnell: You know, part of this, Steve, and I've talked to a couple of haulers i; the accessibility to the alley. We've got parking in these alleys down the re. In my mind, the alley should be for delivery and trash pick-up only. Period Atkins: I'm okay with that, Mike, but as Ernie...as an owner of a business do' rntown, we need to decide when we're going to allow them to pick up, too. That s part of this frequency business. You may pick up trash in the alleys, in that ,dist~ ict, between midnight and five a.m. Get them out of there and so the alley is then ~reserved for normal commerce. Bailey: Except we have people living down there. Atkins: We do that now, however. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council.. .W°rk Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 12 of 30 Lehman: I think that most haulers do get down there prior to seven o'clock in tl te morning, but if they all did then there wouldn't be an issue. If they were all in nd out of there by seven o'clock then there aren't issues. Bailey: And is this a current requirement? Elliott: This afternoon, I was walking up, I came from the City parking lot al d I walked up the alley that is between I guess, College and Iowa...no...whatever street that is...it's behind the Senior Center. It's between the Senior Center and he Cottage Bakery. Bailey: Gabe's alley. In between Washington and Iowa. Atkins: Oh, Gabe's alley. Elliott: Behind Gabe's, it was very clean. It looked like someone had been o :there. Atkins: You know who did that? Joe did. Because I said to him...'I want yo~ to sweep this alley from one end to other. I want to know how long it cost, ho' much gas burned, etc.' That's why it was so clean, because we did it. Elliott: I was amazed, it looked quite nice. Atkins: It can be done. In fact, one of the alleys....if you buy in to this, I'm g* ng to assign the alley to Joe's operation because we sweep the parking raml Ds at two and three in the morning. We'd bring the same sweeper down, do the alk y, and then back in to the ramp. That's why it was so clean. Elliott: I guess I'd just really like this to be an effort by all of those folks whr. have an interest in it. The Downtown Association, the bar advisory group...I think I talked with some of the student government administrators...they're in favm of being a part of that. Bailey: We should give them something to respond to though, not just a free for all. Elliott: No, but we have a great start. Atkins: I would prefer to put together a proposal and if you want to call all ti ~, folks together and have them pick a way at it, let them. Lehman: I think they need something to talk about though. I think the bar ow] :rs, as I have been told, have indicated some interest in this... Atkins: They're going to ask you, how much is it going to cost. I don't know have the answers to those things. Unless you tell me to do it and if you tell m to do it, then we'll do a specific proposal for you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 13 of 30 Lehman: But I think the bar owners and the restaurants are the largest single offenders. I do think that we need to address, for example, locking the dumpsters. If we're going to license the dumpsters, require them to be painted, be maint, ined in a certain fashion, and be permitted. If we decide these things and get l hem in place, that's the time to bring in those folks and say, 'Okay guys, pick it ape rt'. O'Donnell: Can you regulate...when the dumpsters full, Ernie, and it's locked, th ~n they start stacking on top of the dumpster. Lehman: They have a problem, then. They need to get another dumpster. O'Donnell: That's what I'm saying, that's what needs to be regulated. Vanderhoef: We need an ordinance that says that they will be cited for stacking o~ top. Bailey: It seems to me that we need to enforce some of the ordinances that ~: already have. We can create ordinances all day long, but if we're not going t enforce them... Vanderhoef: But if we're going to be down there to see whether they're locked or: >t, we'll certainly see at the same time whether it's stacked on top. Atkins: It's going to be pretty easy if we do more frequent pick-up. All we n sed to do is tell the person that is assigned to the clean up to make a note of that ,)ne. Vanderhoef: Would you take a look at possible costs differential if we had require d a pick-up on Saturday and Sunday mornings? Atkins: If you were to accept this plan, the work crew would likely be Thurs lay, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Vanderhoef: Because it has weekend involved. Atkins: In the warm weather, you know, Sundays are a reasonably busy time downtown. I would want to get that pick-up for Saturday out of there. Elliott: That's why I'd like to expand it to the sidewalks also. I have heard s~ many people, especially during football season, people are visiting, they g(, downtown for brunch on Sunday morning and that's perhaps the worst time on hose sidewalks. Atkins: The bottom line is that the property owner doesn't do it. We have st me very responsible property owners that do do it, but there are others that si] nply will not sweep in front of their walks. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council ~ork Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 14 of 30 Bailey: Well, I think they're sweeping it into the gutter which is causing son e... Atkins: And that's the cigarette butt which goes flying off... Bailey: Right, and I think that's what's causing some of our problems with te storm water. Vanderhoef: There's another piece of it on the timeliness of it, Bob, for clean up nd it has to do with the time a business opens. Typically, we have certain busim sses that are open until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. at night - they don't open up again, mar y of them, until much later in the day...versus the person who opens up at 9:00~ an or 8:30 and those kind of things and it gets real spotty. Sunday morning... I nean, for instance, we open up at noon. We go out at that point. Atkins: All of that can be accommodated. Lehman: You know, a lot of what we see blowing around the streets is comin~: out of the alley. If we can address the alley issue, which I think is a separate is sue, I think we need to address streets and sidewalks as well, but I think that a lo of that stuff blows out of the alleys. Dilkes: I think one of the problems we've had with enforcement of our curre it ordinances is that it places responsibility on the owner or operator of the building and it's difficult sometimes to know who is responsible for what particular d ~mpster. We don't place responsibility on the hauler. I think you're going to have to have some kind of permitting system, like Steve talked about, so we ~an i, lentify, so it's clear who is responsible for each dmnpster and that we don t ha~ e, so the current ordinances have been pretty difficult. There was talk about ¢nforcing our current ordinances and I don't think that's going to work. Atkins: The guy that cuts my hair is downtown, but the owner of the buildini,~ is Florida. He never sees him. He sort of, in absentia, is responsible for the bu[ ding. He's got apartments in there and wonders how it's going to affect him. T. get a haircut you have to sit and listen to the barber. Lehman: You can't do much of anything until you permit the dumpsters and :ense them. Atkins: We have got to do that. I don't think there is any way around that. am convinced that once we start permitting and the prices start to go u[ I've got to believe that businesses are going to get together and say, 'Hey, wait ~ minute, why can't we just use one?' or 'Why do I need a two-yard dumpster' Why can't I have one of those big bins? They're far more attractive, etc.' Wilbum: Excuse me for interrupting, but I think a critical piece to drive all th~: is to say, 'Here is what we're looking at doing', to give people something to r, ~spond to, something tangible, and that helps us communicate that something i~, going to be This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 15 of 30 done. You pointed out that the front isn't...the front is somewhat re gulated and the alleys are not regulated, but the mess ends up blowing around th pedestrian mall. We put all that staff time and our decision to do the storm wat, ' fee and we've got a huge surface down there that we have to address. Elliott: I really like pursuing this and at the appropriate time get a group inw ved in putting these together and have them react to it. Bailey: We're going to have to have a sense of cost burden though. We're g >ing to have to have a sense of who's bearing what cost. Elliott: I think the City has a part of it. Atkins: Our strategy, Bob, going in to this thing was 'How can we improve t ne circumstances and situation with minimal City involvement?'. Now there are times when the government has to step up and say 'We clearly have ~ role in this' and our role is regulating...we would not tolerate this on the public r[ght away in front of your house. We just simply would not do that. What's the C ifference just because it's an alley and out of the way? I think we simply have to t ~11 ourselves, 'If you're going to use the public right of way for the purpose of was te disposal, you're going to have to play by certain rules'. The haulers can do th fir things, they can cost all these things out, that's very much up to them. The taulers aren't the bad guys in this. All they're doing is moving it out. Vanderhoef: Okay, so we plow, we clean, and vacuum. What about the alley ov¢ 'lay for the street surface and those things? Atkins: It would seem to me that we, in doing this, will expose that problem. There are a number of those alleys that are going to need an overlay. I don't thi~ k there is any doubt about that. Vanderhoefi Is that our responsibility? Atkins: Yes it is, it's a public right of way. But I think...not unlike our .... li~ :e you've got tomorrow night on your asphalt surfacing, we start staging it and do )ne a year and such as that. The nice thing about the one over next to Tower PI ace and how slick and clean it was, it's a concrete alley and it's brand new and it' easy to maintain. Lehman: So what do you need from us? Atkins: Can I do that? Lehman: I don't know how else you can do it? O'Donnell: I think it's good. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 16 of 30 Atkins: You understand there will be some new ordinances...and we...it's not like we're doing this in a vacuum. We've consulted people and asked 'What do you think about this?' and 'What do you think about that?'. We haven't done a whole survey of downtown. Bailey: I know this isn't technically clean-up but it's use of alleys. I think we also need to address parking in the alleys and deliveries in some way. Atkins: We have to get permission to install the signs on the buildings because they're built right to the alley. It's an interesting dilemma. I think we can minimize some of the parking. I'm assuming - can we pass a tow-away zone in an alley, a public right of way? Lehman: We have a tow-away zone right now. They may not tow them, but it says right on the sign, 'No Parking, Tow-Away Zone'. Elliott: Except we would allow deliveries of course. Atkins: Delivery is different than tow-away - er, parking. Bailey: I don't mean parking your car with flashers on for two hours. That's not what I'm talking about. Vanderhoefi On the regulating of the dumpsters - the license part of it - we can put in that we want all dumpsters emptied between these hours and those kinds of things. Atkins: Yes. If we regulate the dumpsters themselves physically, Dee, I think you're going to want them painted neatly, look clean, steam cleaned periodically, locked in, and some sort of identification on the thing. As far as creating a waste- collection district, then you pass the regulations such as 'All waste must be removed between the hours of X and X and only on these days.' There are ways to get at it. It is public right of way and as far as I understand, you are entitled to regulate the use of that public right of way. Dilkes: There will probably be a provision for enforcement and probably a revision for revocation of the permit. Obviously if you don't comply with the permit terms then you don't keep your permit. O'Donnell: I think I would add one more to this, Steve. I'd put that boxes or bags must not be stacked on top of the dumpster. Atkins: That's fine with me. Lehman: Well, all rubbish must be in a locked container. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 17 of 30 Atkins: We require people to put their trash in a bag and twist tie it when they throw it away at home, why wouldn't we have the same thing? One of the biggest complaints is that this happens. Somebody is dumping a trash container and of course it misses... Lehman: Or it's already two feet above the top of the dumpster when they dump it. Vanderhoef: Or they can't reach the top. Wilbum: Aren't you allowed to stack one on top of your garbage can? Atkins: Yes, in residential you can. The importance of the district is rules and regulations. Here is how we're going to manage waste collection. Private businesses can still do it, but then each hauler has the same set of rules. They can price their services anyway they want but they know they're going to pay a fee for that dumpster and that it's going to be inspected periodically. O'Donnell: Doesn't it seem though, Steve, that if we require that everything is inside the dumpster, inside a locked dumpster, that we're going to eliminate quite a bit of our blowing trash? Atkins: I'm convinced of that, yes, and the folks at the Fire Department like that as well. Lehman: · Most of the merchants would like that, too. Bailey: Do we have the staff capacity to inspect on a regular basis? Atkins: No, we'll have to put together a program for that and that will have to be figured into the fees. Lehman: My suspicion, Steve, is that if we institute this, that a complaint basis will work wonderfully well. Atkins: I would think so. Lehman: Most folks downtown are very unhappy with the alleys. Vanderhoef: While we're looking at times of day on pick-up of trash, I'd like to make sure that we think about times then for deliveries. Atkins: Yes. Vanderhoefi Or by days or whatever. Atkins: The delivery is kind of simple. The truck drives up, guy jumps off, takes it in and jumps back on. Waste truck pulls in, he has to get out, hook up the machine, hit This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 18 of 30 the button, drop it, -- I mean there's all kinds of motion that occurs in this confined space and I would think any way that we can minimize the amount of traffic in there, that is parking, it's got to be a lot easier for those folks to get in and maybe even justify 'Look, I know your guy has to get out of the truck and unlock it, that's part of the deal, but if we can get you in and out and at a time you're not competing with someone else, hopefully that would speed up the process.' Elliott: I would say let's move forward, but have something where the entities involved can get together... Atkins: I want to prepare a program, bring it to you, you bless it and then if you want to have hearings or whatever, that's up to you. We'll send it out to everybody. Lehman: I think we have an agreement for you to proceed. Atkins: I'm going to do it. Thank you. AI,I,OCATIONS FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS Lehman: The next item is allocations for community events. I think we got a hand-out tonight. Steve, you prepared this? The allocations for community events? Atkins: That is from the budget. To give you an idea, we have $34,502 in the budget, under the FY06 Request. That's how much we budgeted and those were the requests from folks. Bailey: I'd like to clarify the Jazz Festival. Atkins: They requested that and I did not show a contingency. ' Wilburn: Does that include their advance? Lehman: The advance that we gave them? Atkins: No, it does not. This would...they would ask that you forgive that. Remember the letter that we got? We gave them one-thousand dollars and also advanced them three-thousand: If you were to hold to that, that number would be $3,075 and not $6,075. They're asking that that be forgiven. We have sufficient funds within the $34,502, unless you make some other changes somewhere. Elliott: Does this involve the Arts Committee funding? Atkins: No, that's different. The Arts Committee is up under Arts Festival with the $7,000. It's a separate thing. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 19 of 30 Elliott: I never understood why the Arts Committee is limited to visual arts. Atkins: The Arts Festival does a lot... Elliott: But the Jazz Festival is strictly music. Atkins: But the Arts Fest is also...the folks that are on that work with the University...there's a number of theatrical performances, etc. Now there are thoughts of trying to coordinate all of those a little bit better. The only real wrinkle in any of these is how you want to deal with Jazz Fest. Lehman: Are we going to have an issue, essentially, they had a $6,000 budget last year...so essentially we gave them $10,0007 Atkins: Yes, you did. Lehman: And everybody else got just... Atkins: Remember the circumstances though, too. Lehman: I remember the circumstances. (Long Pause) Well, what do you think, folks? Bailey: I think it's good. I don't have a problem recommending it. Lehman: We have one okay, do we have two, three, four? Okay. Atkins: Go with the Community Events as outlined. Lehman: Yes. ALLOCATIONS FOR (HUMAN SERVICE) AID TO AGENCIES Lehman: Human Services? Wilburn: I have to excuse myself from this conversation due to a conflict of interest. I work for an organization that is in this. Elliott: This is the memo from Dee and Regenia? Bailey: Yes, what page is it on? Got it. Lehman: This is a recommendation from Dee and Regenia. Vanderhoefi There are two new people, two new agencies funded in this to fill out what I think Regenia and I both saw as uncovered services within the ones that normally fund. That is the 4-C's to do a large amount of training for child care providers and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 20 of 30 there doesn't seem anybody else that is working on that and licensed providers are certainly needed in our community. Lehman: On this Youth PreEmployment Job Training...it doesn't show that they even made a request. Is that correct? Vanderhoef: That has been an ongoing grant that we have done. Lehman: So they don't make a request for the money. Vanderhoef: No. Lehman: I think you guys did a really wonderful job. O'Donnell: I do to. I'm ready to go as it is. Elliott: How does this interrelate with the recommendations we'll be getting Housing Community Development? Bailey: It's in-line with the City STEP priorities this year... Elliott: They're coming in with other monies for other things? Bailey: But also using City STEP priorities. Vanderhoef: $105,000 of this total here, Bob, is what the Council earmarked off the top of CDBG monies for agencies. The remainder of it, the over $300,000 is general funds. Elliott: I think they'll come in with recommendations (unclear) Lehman: I don't know the numbers but it's a lot of money. Atkins: Oh, that's CDBG though, Bob, they're okay on that. Elliott: This looks like super work on this. Lehman: I think we're very appreciative of the work that Regenia and Dee did, honestly. Vanderhoefi Thank you. It was nice to have Regenia to work with. Bailey: It was interesting work. Lehman: Challenging. Vanderhoefi It's really good to have a techno-person who can put together spreadsheets for me. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 21 of 30 Bailey: I gave her a spreadsheet. (Laughter) Vanderhoefi She does all this wonderful stuffbesides thinking well. SCHEDULING FUTURE PENDING ITEMS Lehman: Alright. The next one is scheduling of future pending items. I don't know where... Kart: It's behind your work session minutes in your agenda. It's attached to the February 28th work session. There was some discussion about possibly identifying two or three each time and that's how we schedule future items. Lehman: Okay, we can scratch Downtown Alleys for the time being, we've discussed that. Allocations for Human Services is done. The Fire Inspector...I think we better move that up. The Housing Inspector being increased... Atkins: You have to consider that sort of with the Housing Inspector...and I think there may be a role since this was intended to be 50% Housing Inspection and 50% of following up with housing complaints, we may want to consider incorporating a little bit of that into the alleys. There may be some way to help fund that. I'll get that back to you. Lehman: Do we agree that this is one we should - Atkins: This is one of the inspectors for the alleys - Elliott: The one that Andy wants? Vanderhoef: The Fire Inspector, the one we talked about at budget time. O'Donnell: There is some kind of grant available for that... I think two years. Lehman: So that one moves up the list. Atkins: I'm sorry, Ernie, what did you say? Lehman: The Fire Inspector... Atkins: Move that up. Lehman: Yeah. That one moves up the list. What do we want to put on the immediate - oh, we are going to be receiving the Scattered Site Housing Report in the next packet, is that correct? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 22 of 30 Atkins: I think so. They've released their recommendations. Bailey: They're holding a public hearing on March 28. Lehman: We don't want to touch it until after the public hearing. Dilkes: I think they're holding a public hearing on March 28th. I don't think their recommendations come before that, do they? Lehman: One of the things that we need to thinking about...the evaluations that will be held on May 6th. That's just a little over a month away. If we have any particular method of evaluation that anyone has in mind, they need to get that to Council, preferably by the next meeting in April, so that everybody is on the same sheet of music. Bailey: Sounds good. Vanderhoef: One of the things I would like to move up on the list...this is talking here about the restroom and festival stage here...but when we talked at budget time, we were talking about these small projects and I did notice in the Parks & Recreation minutes that they had acknowledged this restroom and festival stage and so forth. I think we need to get going on that if we're going to start doing some of these small projects and look for some fund raisers. Atkins: We're having the sketches prepared for the restroom/festival stage. In fact, we have that, we're about to send it back because we got the price tag .... so we're going to kind of rework that. The railroad overpass...sketches are also being prepare for that. I just need to check and see where those are. Then the small projects as you're pointing out and the donations and naming and so forth. Vanderhoef: Yeah, that's the one I think we need to get the fundraising and naming rights and that moving... Atkins: I can check with Terry tomorrow tosee where he is on that. Lehman: Steve, there's a couple of items on this work session items that I think are more a matter of just receiving memos from you. One being the Northside Fire Station and one being the Peninsula Project. Atkins: All of those are in some form of preparation right now. Bailey: Can we connect this downtown loading zone discussion with our downtown discussion, generally? Atkins: That would make sense. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 23 of 30 Vanderhoefi Yeah, there's a loading zone in the middle of Dubuque Street. I'll say it for Connie. Although they're doing it more and more on Iowa Avenue, too. You might have the folks watch because they're doing it more and more often on Iowa Avenue, now. Atkins: Parking in the middle of the street? Vanderhoefi Yep. Lehman: Now the items that I have checked that will probably appear at the next work session are the Fire Inspector, the inspections for the Police Department, the use of private donations and fundraising, annual evaluations - if anyone has any criteria they would like us to use - Atkins: And hopefully you'll give me a little latitude on those? Bailey: Are you talking about the affiliate fund as well? Vanderhoef: No. Atkins: Just a little latitude in case I get a report back that it's not an item that needs to get back to you? Lehman: Oh yeah, but I mean, the fire station...when you have it, you have it. I think the Peninsula Report, I don't think that would be too hard to come up with. Atkins: No, that one can be prepared. That's simply researching building permits. Vanderhoef: And I would expect the Community Foundation to come to us as soon as it's ready to come. Bailey: We should get going on that. Atkins: I think that I sent Eleanor that the Iowa City Community Foundation thing. Dilkes: Yeah, and I've got it and I still have...I need to know...I think the Council needs to give us direction on what it is that you want that endowment fund to do. I think it's going to be hard to draft those documents until that question is answered. Lehman: That is on the next work session. You can kind of guide us through that, Eleanor, what you need from us at the next work session. Elliott: Ernie, just peripherally...Steve, were you going to talk with us at some point about the recruiting, evaluating, and selecting process for the Police Chief?. I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 24 of 30 think we'd like to have a conversation about the City's law enforcement priorities and the qualities and qualifications you' re looking for, that sort of thing? Atkins: I need to get the blessing of the Civil Service Commission. I am meeting with them tomorrow morning at 8:15. Once I've met with them and they're on board for the general process...I intend to have an informal work session where you can toss ideas at me. Lehman: Yeah, I think that would be well at the next work session, if you would just guide us through the process. Atkins: I'll know more by then. Lehman: ! think we'll have more than we can get done at the next work session. Bailey: Yes, it's going to be a long session. AGENDA ITEMS Lehman: Agenda items. 3G (13) LETTER FROM UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PARENTS ASSOCIATION Elliott: I have just a few...fortunately or unfortunately. One is on the consent calendar. We received a letter from the current association requesting Council representative at a meeting. How are we going to respond to that? I think it would be good for Council representation to be there. It appears that they are looking for one or two people? Vanderhoef: They've had the Mayor, they've had the City Manager, now they are inviting Council and that date was... Elliott: The date is April 23 from 11:30am-12:30pm. I will go. I don't need to, but I will. Vanderhoef: Likewise. Lehman: I think it would be a good idea to have two or three people there. I went the last time. It was a very nice meeting and I enjoyed meeting with those folks. Vanderhoefi Since Bob and I have been working with the student government... Bailey: I think that's a good idea. Vanderhoef: ...and certainly....we can take three without having a conflict. O'Donnell: I'll go. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 25 of 30 Elliott: I'm sorry, Mike, but they have certain standards so you may not be allowed. (Laughter) Elliott: Can I just go on? Lehman: Please do. ITEM 13. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE AN APARTMENT BUILDING FROM GREATER IOWA CITY HOUSING FELLOWSHIP (GICHF) AND TO ASSIST GICHF IN THE FINANCING OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE PENINSULA. Elliott: Item//13. I have said I would not be in favor of that except that is was a project that was approved during the time of the previous Council, but again is that going to be for the disabled or changed? Atkins: Nothing has changed. We needed to work the resolution for financing. Nothing of consequence from the last time. Elliott: It just seems way out of place, way out there to put elderly and disabled. ITEM 14. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING AN ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE OF UNPAID MOWING, CLEAN-UP OF PROPERTY, SNOW REMOVAL, SIDEWALK REPAIR, AND STOP BOX REPAIR CHARGES AND DIRECTING THE CLERK TO CERTIFY THE SAME TO THE JOHNSON COUNTY TREASURER FOR COLLECTION IN THE SAME MANNER AS PROPERTY TAXES. Elliott: Item 14. Vanderhoef: Where are you? Elliott: Item 14. Vanderhoef: Of what? O'Donnell: The agenda. Elliott: In the process of collecting payments when City work is necessitated, when either a residence or a commercial area does not do the cleaning or for safety reasons...is there no way that we can speed up that process? I'm one that is always complaining that I think our City is overregulated, but here it certainly seems a pity that we have to go through this time-consuming process... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 26 of 30 Atkins: We go through time-consuming processes, Bob. Dilkes: Some of that is dictated by the State Code. ITEM 16. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF A STUDENT LIAISON TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY. Elliott: Item 16, the student liaison, I presume we'll talk about that. Lehman: It's an agenda item. Elliott: I think it would be good to express ourselves tonight because I certainly at this point am in favor of that. Bailey: I thought we expressed ourselves last time. O'Donnell: We did. Elliott: More expression? O'Donnell: I still am in favor of it. Any time that you can improve communication with that large of a entity in the city and the City, I think it's a good thing. Vanderhoef: Well, I thought it was interesting that 24% of the students voted in this election recently for their new president of the student senate. 7,000 voters and I start looking at other constituency groups that we have in the city, such as the Chamber of Commerce, with over 500 businesses and representing 25,000 workers in that...or we might look at the labor unions...and I don't have the numbers on that...but those are large constituency groups that might choose also to sit at the table with us and be able to speak at Council meetings. O'Donnell: None of those groups are giving credits for doing that. (Laughter) This isn't set in concrete folks. We're talking about a one-year probationary period. Vanderhoef: You're talking about a sunset. The sunset means that it's one year and if it's not renewed. Dilkes: There is no sunset clause in this current resolution. Vanderhoef: But one year means one year which means sunset. O'Donnell: We can review this any time. Bailey: Don't you think we should do this tomorrow when people will have the benefit of watching this on TV? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 27 of 30 Vanderhoefi They tell us our meetings are getting boring. Elliott: Those are all continuing entities. The uniqueness of the studeht liaison is the fact that the students are here by the thousands. It is certainly the single-most important industry in this state and obviously the most important to Iowa City and the students are here usually no more than three years, maybe even four, and they really don't have a reasonable opportunity to be elected to the Council. As a matter of fact, last time at the campaign, we had an excellent representative of the student body, but the main recognition wasn't there. So for that reason, I would be in favor of this. If need be, I'll say it tomorrow night. However this vote goes, I think it's important to know that those people, who perhaps might vote against this, are not voting against closer relations with the students. They simply would see it another and what they think would be a better way. So I hope the students understand, whether this passes or not, this Council, I think, is certainly interested in closer communications and working relationship with the students. Lehman: First of all, I was rather pleased by the interest shown by the students in working with City government. I think anytime we have folks who offer to speak and become involved, we should be very happy to see them. I only have one issue and with me it's a rather serious issue. I have no problem with working with students at a work session and having them as a part of a work session. I have, I think, significant issues with ex-officio people sitting with the officially elected folks at Tuesday night formal meetings. Those are formal meetings and I think formal meetings that duly elected people and employees of the Council are serving up there. At work sessions, where we honestly get most of our work done, we deal with a lot of folks informally. I do have an issue with someone who is not elected sitting with the Council at formal meetings. Anyway, other discussions? Bailey: Since we're discussing it...it occurred to me today when I was preparing for a presentation on grant writing, one of the things that I say to grant writers is 'the absence of the your project is not a reason for your project, it's not compelling, it's circular reason.' That's how I find this proposal. There are other conduits for interaction, certainly well-established, well-used by other groups in town.., so the absence of the student representative, ex-officio on Council is not a compelling reason to have one. I think that's how this proposal has struck me all along. As I understand it, student government has a liaison to the Council, but I've never met the person who is required to attend every meeting. If that system isn't working, maybe fixing that first before we expand other systems might be the approach in my mind. Lehman: Other agenda items? ITEM 13. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST AN AMENDMENT TO THE This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 28 of 30 AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE AN APARTMENT BUILDING FROM GREATER IOWA CITY HOUSING FELLOWSHIP (GICHF) AND TO ASSIST GICHF IN THE FINANCING OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE PENINSULA. Vanderhoef: Just a little housekeeping issue, I think. On Item 13, the resolution says nine units and the memo...it seems that there was a change at one point in time that we went to ten units. Can we change that number? Atkins: Thank you. Lehman: Give me the way it's written in the copy. Alright. Dilkes: Dee, I think it says nine because it's referring to the original agreement. There is an increase to ten, but when it's referring to nine, it's referring to the original agreement, so that's accurate. Vanderhoefi If we're accepting the project, do we need to say that we're accepting... Dilkes: There's an amendment that changes it to ten, but the resolution says that there was an agreement whereas that agreement provided for the purchase of a nine-unit building, whereas a ten-unit building has been constructed, so I think that's appropriate. Vanderhoef: Okay. ITEM 8. AMENDING TITLE 3, ENTITLED "CITY FINANCES, TAXATION & FEES," CHAPTER 4, ENTITLED "SCHEDULE OF FEES, RATES, CHARGES, BONDS, FINES AND PENALTIES," SECTION 3-4-5, ENTITLED "SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL," OF THE CITY CODE TO INCREASE OR CHANGE CERTAIN SOLID WASTE CHARGES. Bailey: On Item 8, this is the change in rates for the solid waste collection. To just comment from some of the phone calls I've gotten, I think I've talked to you about this Steve. I think we're losing money on residential customers who regularly exceed the two-can limit. I think we should be doing something about enforcing that as well. I mean, it's another way that that particular budget area is bringing in the revenues that it can. Have we ever discussed the recycling program for multi-dwellings over four units? Atkins: Have we ever? Yeah. We were unable to get anything to work. We had a student group, about three years ago, that was really gung-ho but then it collapsed. Lehman: Steve, does Cedar Rapids separate their waste? Atkins: Yes, they pay to have it separated. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 29 of 30 Lehman: Right, we collect everything and separate everything. Atkins: We separate at the curb. Lehman: We only do that for residential. We do nothing for commercial or multi-family and multi-family is probably as much as residential. Bailey: We should be looking at something. Vanderhoef: What about the multiple units. They don't recycle at all so when we go through this kind of alley clean up and programming and so forth, if we really want to make a dent on landfill and the number of units, we need more recycling. Lehman: But my question...are you familiar with how Cedar Rapids does it? Atkins: No. Lehman: I'd kind of like to know. Atkins: Cedar Rapids puts it in all at once and then they pay to have it separated. Lehman: Right and they have a procedure where paper and cardboard can be removed very easily, metal can be move easily, and apparently the amount of waste that is manually handled is very, very small and that comes from all users. Vanderhoef: Isn't it your understanding that Linn County is all private haulers but the City is City pick-up and then they do...they do household once-a-year for large items...and they do recycling... I think at the curb. Wilbum: I don't remember them doing the curbside sorting. Lehman: That's an issue that I'd like to find out because I was told that they hand separate everything. Bailey: Another question I got regarding solid waste is that we've never done a Clean-Up Day or an Amnesty Day. Atkins: Well, we do Amnesty for move-in, move-out. Vanderhoefi Week long. Atkins: Landlords just get overwhelmed. Bailey: Right, but we don't have a park it on the curb, we'll pick it up for free... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. March 21, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 30 of 30 Atkins: The history has been that we've provide the service year round. If you want something picked up, call us, tell us where it is, we'll pick it up from the curb. Bailey: It's the 'free' part that was the call. Atkins: Well, it's not free. Lehman: When we talk about the way Cedar Rapids handles their recycling, can we also find out what happened on their Amnesty Day? Atkins: I've been through a number of Amnesty Days... Bailey: My answer can be...we have concerns... Lehman: Other items about which we are concerned that appear on the agenda? COUNCIL TIME Lehman: Okay. Moving along. We have no appointments to consider tonight. Do we have anything for Council time - which I think we just exhausted? Bailey: I passed out this walk invitation. The luncheon is tomorrow at Brown Deer -just FYI. Lehman: Okay, if nothing else, we're adjourned. Vanderhoef: Oh. Lehman: Oh, we have something else. Vanderhoef: I have one. We have newly elected Mark Kresowik and Lauren McCarthy to the University Student Government and I would like to congratulate them and send them a letter and congratulate them. Elliott: And our thanks to the current administration. They have been so enjoyable and impressive to work with. We have one of them here tonight. Wilbum: I think the inauguration is April 2nd at Richey Ballroom. Bailey: I was planning to attend that. Are others? Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the March 21, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session.