Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-11-03 Bd Comm minutesMINUTES BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1998 - 5:30 PM CIVIC CENTER LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM MEMBERS PRESENT: Cordell Jeppsen, Betty McKray, Steve Hoch. Cathy Weingeist. Jim Pusack STAFF PRESENT: Drew ShatTer, Dale Helling, Bob Hardy, Andy Matthews. Mike Brau OTHERS PRESENT: Beth Fisher. Rene Paine. Chris Randall. Andre Perry. Keri Stokstad RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL None. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Matthews reported that the ordinance changing the name of the Commission to the Telecommunications Commission has received one reading from the City Council. Discussions w'ith McLeod are continuing regarding the trigger mechanism for payment of telecornmunications support funds. Paine reported that the workshops are nearly full. The studio is undergoing enhancement with pass-through funds approved by the CTG and BTC. A grand opening of PATV's new facility will be in mid October. Paine and Board Member Andre Perry gave a presentation on PATV's budget and expenditures. ShatTer said he received a letter from TCI stating that the rebuild is complete for Iowa City. Shafi~r reported he is exploring ant interest in the possibility of a statewide CSPAN covering the state legislature. At least five states already do so. Shaffer will be contacting members of the Iowa League of Cities Telecommunications Task Force and others. The City Cable TV Office has been working on ways to generate new revenue streams for the cable TV Division budget given they'll be moving to their own facilities soon. including grants. underwriting guidelines, chargeback guidelines, chargebacks to Coralville and North Liberty for channel 4, and developing web pages for other departments. Meetings will be held with representatives of North Liberty and Coralville to discuss reimbursement of some of the overhead expenses of providing the government channel 4 to those communities. Pusack moved and Hoch seconded a motion to put an ad in the newspaper as a means to inform subscribers of the additional channels they should now be receiving and to locate any subscriber(s) not receiving them. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Hoch. seconded by McKray to approve the August 23~ 1998 minutes. The motion passed unanamously. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS Mc Krav reported that she has continued to attend the PATV Board meetings on behalf of the Commission. McKray invited other Commissioners to attend as well. SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. SENIOR CENTER REPORT IVlcKrav reported another part-time work-study student has been hired at the Senior Center. LIBRARY REPORT Fisher reported that this week is the American Library Association's Banned Book Week. Beginning Oct. 21 a series of Book Talk Lunches will be held. The first talk will be a celebrity book talk. but the celebrities attending are not yet known. LEGAL REPORT Matthews reported that the ordinance changing the name of the Commission to the Telecommunications Commission has received one reading from the City Council. Discussions with McLeod are continuing regarding the trigger mechanism for payment of telecommunications support funds. TCI REPORT Shafibr reported that Arlene Heck emailed him a message indicating that TCI is in the middle of their budgeting process and asked if there were any issues that would necessitate her attendance. Shaffer said he received a letter from TCI stating that the rebuild is complete for Iowa City as of August 26, 1998. PATV REPORT Paine reported that the workshops are nearly full. The studio is undergoing enhancement with pass-through funds approved by the CTG and BTC. A grand opening of PATV's new facility will be in mid October. Paine thanked the Commission for an opportunity to explain PATV's mission and how they utilize their funds. PATV's mandate, as outlined in their contract, is to provide citizens the tools. training, and access services. PATV's business is to provide media literacy and video training and to cablecast programs produced or provided by local citizens. The largest segments of PATV's budget, in order, are personnel, equipment maintenance. and equipment purchases. PATV's current expenditures are in alignment ,,vith the requirements of the current franchise agreement, their contract with the City of [o,,va City. and the Pertbrmance Guidelines approved by the BTC. PATV has exceeded their 1998 thndraising goal'as set/Bah in the Per/brmance Guidelines. PATV does not receive an.,,' ongoing subsidy ti'om the City. Paine introduced Andre Perry, PATV's treasurer. Perry presented several documents containing graphs and charts breaking out elements of PATV's budget. Perry explained that the start of the fiscal year was changed this year to January ! to correspond to the date that funding arrives ti'om TCI. Over the past three years payroll and benefits has accounted for over 70% of the budget. If production equipment and supplies are added. over 80% of the budget is consumed. This reflects the mission of PATV. Perry distributed the Community Programming Index. a report which collects data fi'om public access organizations fi'om around the country so access providers can compare their rates of service to other communities. The BTC will receive those quarterly reports. Perry said the vast majority of the budget goes tov~'ards the key components of the service provided by PATV. Weingeist asked why so much was spent on parking. Paine said parking was a benefit provided to staff. Paying tbr parking will not be necessary in the new facility. Weingeist inquired why Paine's salary was lower than in previous years. Paine said the figure provided may be due to the short fiscal year. Pusack asked about the $63,000 listed as equity. Perry said that reflects the fiends not vet spent tbr the year. PATV will earn about $2.200 in interest as a result of purchasing short-term CD's rather than merely putting the check received once a year in a checking or savings account. Pusack noted that the Performance Guidelines mentions that programming types or categories will be tracked. in part. to determine if certain segments of the community are under-represented and asked if those figures are available. Paine said the annual report contains an ad in which the programs are categorized. It~ tbr example. children's programs were under represented. then Paine might go to the schools or elsewhere and make a presentation or take other action to reach out to those groups. PATV's approach is to try to interest under represented groups to take the workshops and make use of PATV's services. Paine said there are various levels of involvement. Open Channel and PSAs are two ways that require a lower level of energy and commitment than taking the workshops and producing a program. PATV also offers group workshops to organizations that request them. Pusack asked if there was any follow-up to the outreach efforts and said that many organizations may find that the level of commitment of time and energy to take the workshops and produce a program is too high for them to do so. There are other models that could reduce that burden. PATV might provide a group with someone to produce a program tbr them, for example. Paine said that when she talks to a group that she leaves a list of ways that group can utilize the service. including Open Channel, PSAs, group workshops. Perry said PATV will also provide a list of volunteer producers the group could call for assistance. McKray noted that the staff-assisted series provides a means tbr production assistance. Pusack asked if PATV were provided more money how might it utilize those funds. Perry said that by increasing editing capacity that more programs could be produced. CABLE 'FV DIVISION REPORT Hardy reported that the Media Unit has hired several new people and is now thlly staffed. The Media Unit has been working on longer-term project videos. Requests fbr election coverage are expected to pick up. The Community Television Service completed ten programs last month. Curt Glasford. a University work-study student. has returned from summer vacation and is working with Stokstad. Stokstad has been working on a new logo and brochure and is exploring ways to reduce the paperwork and make it more efficient. lntbVision now lists the action taken by the City Council on each of the meeting agenda items. A new section dealing with sustainable agriculture has also been added. Preparations tbr a section dealing with the elections are being developed. Candidates l:br each office are given an opportunity to submit a statement. Election results will again be carried directly from the County Auditor's office which will permit Channel 4 to have result quicker than other television outlets. Shaffer reported he is exploring the possibility of a statewide CSPAN covering the state legislature. At least five states already do so. Shaffer will be contacting members of the Iowa League of Cities Telecommunications Task Force and others. Shaffer reported receiving eight complaints. Shaffer reported that he has been attending meetings of the Small Community Cable Network. a group of representatives of the smaller surrounding communities. Most of the communities are served by Galaxy Cablevision and while they do have local access channels, they often have difficulty in filling those channels with programming. The Division has been working on ways to add to their budget, including grants. underwriting guidelines. chargeback guidelines, and developing web pages for other departments. Meetings will be held with representatives of North Liberty and Coralville to discuss reimbursement of some of the overhead expenses of providing the government channel to those communities as well. TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORDINANCE Shatter re/~rred to the copy of the new state law regarding regulation of telecommunication providers and fees for the use of the public right-of-way in the meeting packet and noted that municipalities are prohibited from franchising telephone companies. Municipalities may recover certain management costs, but those costs are not delineated. Under the new law. the level of involvement of the Commission is more restrictive. The Commission may play an advocacy and educational role. but those areas need to be specifically defined. The City does not want to give the impression that it has legal authority to regulate telephone companies where it does not. Helling said the Coinmission does have a role to play in making recommendations to the City Council regarding policies and the City's communications with local legislators and organizations representing municipalities. The City did communicate with legislators and worked with the Iowa League of Cities during the past legislative session. SYSTEM REBUILD Shaffi:r distributed the letter from TCI stating that the rebuild was complete. Hoch said he had several contacts with TCI crews claiming to be installing cable after the rebuild ~as supposed to be complete. Hoch said there may be reason to believe that the system is not totally complete. Shaffer said he has discussed the need tbr the City's consultants to send out an engineer to determine if the system has been completed. Don Williams responded that it was not necessary in terms of the technical aspects. Williams does want to the Proof of Pertbrmance filings when available, however. In part, the City's decision to send an engineer comes down to spending $5.000 or trusting TCI. Pusack moved and Hoch seconded a motion to put an ad in the newspaper as a means to inform subscribers of the additional channels they should now be receiving and to locate any subscriber(s) not receiving them. The motion passed unanamously. ATT/TCI TRANSFER Shaf/~r reported that TCI recently submitted FCC Form 394 requesting a transfer of the franchise. Shaffer has been discussing with Rice. Willian~s options available to the City. TCI filed FCC Form 394 in only 25% of their systems as they contend the other franchise agreements do not require the filing. The City has 120 days to take any action. Helling said the request tbr transfer is not a license to extract concessions from ATT/TCI, but there are areas in which the City may request compliance. ADJOURNMENT Hoch moved and Pusack seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanamouslv. Adjournment at 6:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted. Cable TV Administrator MINUTES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1998 - 6:30 P.M. LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM - CITY CIVIC CENTER 15 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Denita Gadson, Rick House, Jayne Moraski, Kathleen Renquist, Gretchen Schmuch, Bill Stewart STAFF PRESENT: Maudce Head, Steve Long, Steve Nasby, Lisa Handsaker OTHERS PRESENT: David Sears, Michael Richards CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL Of THE JULY 16. 1998, MEETING MINUTES: Chairperson Schmuch called to the meeting order at 6:34 p.m. MOTION: Stewart moved to approve the July 16, 1998 minutes as submitted. Moraski seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 6-0. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR: MOTION: Stewart nominated Schmuch as the Commission Chairperson. Moraski seconded the motion. The motion carded by a vote of 6-0. MOTION: Renquist nominated Stewart as Commission Vice-Chair. Schmuch seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 6-0. PUBLIC/MEMBER DISCUSSION OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. Schmuch noted that Sears had not yet ardved, and suggested that the Commission discuss the next agenda item until he ardves. PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE HUD REQUIRED CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT (CAPER): Schmuch opened the public hearing. Nasby said that this document is basically HUD's attempt to consolidate three previous annual reports. He said page 7 has the Program Income Narrative that shows the number and type of outstanding loans. He said FY98 program income was about $150,000 and there has been $76,000 in pay-offs for FY99 already. He said the table on page 8 shows the project name, the priority need level, the number of persons/households served and the amount of CDBG funds expended. He said Section 4D lists the accomplishments of each organization, and gives breakdowns of income levels, the number of people served, demographics, number of female head of households, how much money was authorized, how much money was spent. Nasby said that a 30-day public comment period on the report started in August, and copies of the report were located at the City Clerk's office and the Public Library. He said over the last Housing and Community Development Commission September 17, 1998 Page 2 couple weeks staff had made some minor changes to the report. He asked the Commission for its recommendation for approval of the report, and then the report would be sent to the City Council for approval. If the Council approves the report it will go on to HUD. He said that this is a first shot, and the information in the report is what HUD required, however, it is not very user friendly. He said they would probably dress the report up with graphics, tables and an executive summary in the future so it will be easier to read. MOTION: Renquist moved to recommend approval of the HUD required Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, and send it to the City Council for approval. Stewart seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 6-0. Schmuch closed the public hearing. MONITORING REPORTS: DVIP - Furniture Project Moraski said that she just reported on the Furniture Project a few months ago, and would like to present again in a few months. Elderly Services Agency - Small Repair Program Gadson said that ESA served 29 adults during FY98. Of those adults receiving small repair assistance, all were low income with 10 at or below poverty. She said that 12 people they served were 75 years or older; 19 were female heads of households and 27 were disabled (of which one was under the age of 40). She said that ESA spent at total of $28,657.95 on repairs. As of August 1, 1998, ESA had enrolled 15 households in their Small Repair Program. She said that repairs have been completed on five or six of these already, and all enrolled are low-income eldedy persons, except for one person who has a disability. She said that Jean Mann would be meeting with her Board to propose a limit for the total number of dollars that could be put into mobile homes because she was concerned that they had quite a few "repeaters" returning again and again for repair funds. Renquist asked if the people were legitimate repeaters, and said she did not understand why that was a problem. Nasby said that Mann had some clients who live in rental properties that need building modifications, but they move each year. So ESA spends the money for the repairs, and then the client moves to another place and reapplies for the funds. He said that Mann asked about the possibility of putting a lifetime cap on the amount of funding an individual could use. HACAP - Transitional Housing Support Services House said he would do the report next month. SALVATION ARMY REQUEST FOR CONTINGENCY FUNDS (FOOD BANK): Schmuch thanked Sears for the information, and that she found it very helpful. Stewart said he thought that having a completed application was the appropriate way to do it. MOTION: Stewart moved to approve the Salvation Army's request for $8,550 in contingency funds for their food storage and distribution program. Moraski seconded the motion. Housing and Community Development Commission September 17, 1998 Page 3 Renquist said she thought it was a great use of these animals that have to be destroyed. Moraski said she assumed there was some sort of system to make sure that the animals with health problems are not used for food. Handsaker said the locker the City will use is fully certified, and will be working with the Department of Public Health to meet all the necessary guidelines. She said there is a state inspector that visits the locker regularly, and they also work with a local veterinarian. Long noted that the money would be coming out of the contingency funds, and staff would consider it an emergency and immediate need for their records. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0, with Schmuch abstaining. OLD BUSINESS: Community Development Celebration Long noted the poster advertising the CD celebration, which will take place on October 15, 1998, at 5 p.m. at the Crisis Center, and the guest speaker is Angie Lee, the University of Iowa Women's Basketball Coach. He said that Julia Reinbert from the Emergency Housing Project, the Crisis Center and Hills Bank have all been nominated for awards, and the Commission needs to choose the award recipients at this meeting. Renquist said that since Rembert is leaving, giving her an award would show appreciation for all the work that she has done for EHP and be a good going-away present. Schmuch said the Commission historically has given out two or three awards each year, and the celebration host usually gets an award because they have received a fairly large amount of money and it would be assumed that they were deemed a high priority. Renquist said it might be good to give an award to a business that supports this because they are setting a good community example for others to follow. Nasby said that the Commission has often given an award to a contractor-type, but he said they did not have any nominations this year. Renquist said the only one she could think of was Theresa Kopatich's husband for the Transitional Housing Project. Long said they received an award last year. Schmuch said the Commission gave an award to Briggs two years ago because they did all the work on the mobile homes. Nasby said that APEX received an award for their work on the Free Medical Clinic last year, and they are also doing the work on the Crisis Center this year. Long said that Mayor Lehman has agreed to attend the celebration to present the awards. MOTION: Moraski moved to present awards to Rembert, the Crisis Center and Hills Bank. Renquist seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5-0, with Stewart abstaining on the Hills Bank nomination. Long said the Cdsis Center project is moving along nicely, and they will be moving in October 1. He said that while they have not heard back from a lot of politicians about attending the event, there might be a few there because it is an election year. HCDC Response to the Council Regarding the Housing Market Analysis Stewart and Renquist said that they thought the response was good and to the point. Long noted that this copy is a draft from the Commission, and if anyone has comments let staff know. Moraski said she has read through the Housing Market Analysis, and she found it very useful in developing forecasts for the area. Housing and Community Development Commission September 17, 1998 Page 4 Heartland Candleworks Update Head said the letter from Clifton-Gunderson explains some of the problems Heartland experienced, and some of their recommendations. Long suggested waiting to discuss this item until Richards arrived because the Commission was ahead of their agenda schedule, and go on to the next item. Affordable Housing Funding Pool Update Head said the Affordable Housing Funding Pool was a recommendation in the Community Housing Forum Report, and staff is providing the information that the Commission initially approved in the guidelines. He said that staff has also included a copy of what the application will look like. He said they hope to present this information to the Council and discuss it with them on Monday, and hopefully the Council will approve the use of $150,000 that has already been budgeted as HOME match for the program, which would be the program's seed money. He said they hope to start the program in October. He said they would be returning to the Commission and making a regular CDBG application in the spring for the other $150,000 for the program. He said that he included the Commission's comments regarding the criteria in the guidelines. He noted that the program will target households at 60% and below median income, and an extra column was added to show the 60% of median income on the second page of the guidelines. Head said that this is basically the information that the Commission previously approved, and in addition has some of the broad, philosophical considerations as part of the CDBG/HOME process. The programs will be judged based on the need-benefit, private-public commitment, management capacity of the organization and the project's feasibility. He said they have also included the standard information regarding agreements with people that received CDBG and HOME funding. He said that they hope to get the applications out to developers, have the developers submit the information, have staff review the submitted information, and provide it in summary format with a recommendation to the Commission. At that point, the Commission will make a decision. He noted the time schedule included in the packet. Schmuch asked if there was anything about zoning included in the information. Head said it was included in the application. Moraski asked if someone who picked up an application packet would also receive the program criteria. Head said yes because the criteria are included in the guidelines, and an applicant would receive the guidelines as well. Stewart said he was a bit worried about the current interest rate of 5-7% because it seems kind of high. He suggested lowering it to 3-7%. Head said that might be better. Stewart asked if the Commission decided on a 10-year maximum term even though it was a 20-year proforma requested. Nasby said yes, that they wanted to see what would happen during the entire affordability period. Moraski asked if there were a way to tie the interest rate to something else so it would not be a permanent number. Nasby said that the interest rate could be changed before each round. Commission members decided to change the interest rate for the program to 3-7%. Nasby said he thought it was important to note that this is for gap financing, so all the other funding sources must be committed and secured, and they are not trying to circumvent the regular CDBG/HOME process because this is for things that occur outside the regular funding cycle. Head said that due to the short timeline, it is possible that they might not get any applications in the fall, but they should get some in June. Gadson noted a past meeting between City and University staff about the University's role in affordable housing in Iowa City, and asked if anything else had come from that. Head said in that meeting the University staff said they have other priorities, such as providing infrastructure to the affordable housing units they Housing and Community Development Commission September 17, 1998 Page 5 already have. Renquist said that they also said that there were some projects in the City that the University had staded seed money for, such as the River City Housing Collective and DVIP, and the idea was that the seed money would make the project be independent from the University at some point. Gadson said that in the guidelines it states that preference will be given to projects that develop housing with three or more bedrooms designed for families, and she did not think that the University was doing a very good job of addressing or acknowledging that. Heartland Candleworks Richards said that Headland experienced a major setback last year. He said that most of their business had been placed with one major national chain of stores for the first few years, and due to reorganization of their system the orders ran down to a slow tdckle. He said at that point Headland experienced a serious cash-flow crisis, were very understaffed and some of their back-up accounting procedures were not working properly. He said that was bad timing because that was when the audit was taking place. He said even though they withdrew their request for the CDBG loan, he wanted to bring the Commission up to date because Headland still has an active loan for about 11 more months from the City. He said since the audit had not been completed yet, Clifton-Gunderson had completed a list of recommendations. He said since Headland did not have adequate internal funds to hire a management team, a dedicated volunteer Advisory Board has come forward to work with Headland. He said the Board meets at Headland at 7 a.m. every Tuesday morning, and is comprised of Tom Getken, an accountant with Clifton-Gunderson, Katherine Kudh, a director of SBDC, Rose Renenkamp, who taught marketing at the University, and Herb Wilson, who has extensive manufacturing experience in Eastern Iowa. He said that is how they are implementing their changes. He said that Getken is coming to Headland next Monday to install the recommended accounting systems. He said that Aveda Corporation of Minneapolis, Minn., has selected Headland to be their candle manufacturer. He said they received their first purchase order two months ago, but had to adjust the formula to fit their scent oil, so production will stad on Monday. He said their opening order is $50,000, so that will help the cash flow, and Aveda has indicated that more orders will be following. Richards noted that Headland will not be dealing with just one major customer, and has been actively recruiting other customers. He said that Hy-Vee has included Headland in their Bi-Annual General Merchandise Internal Trade Show in October, which will showcase the product to all 200 Hy-Vee managers. He said they exped to add another 30-45 individual Hy-Vee stores as a result. Richards said he thought it looks like Headland is heading back toward stability and even growing some. He said their goal for a diversified customer base is to have no more than 10% of what they produce go to any one customer. He said a few years ago, one customer purchased 60% of Headland's products, and that is one of the reasons they had problems. Stewad said he thought the Advisory Board was a great team. Richards said he thought they were a gift. He said the team and some of the equipment Headland was able to acquire through the CDBG loan, were the most impodant things to get them turned around. Long asked who assembled the Advisory Board. Richards said King Hare, who is the director of the local SCORE branch, helped get the group together. Head asked if Headland would hire an accountant to address the financial management issues. Richards discussed the audit, and how some of their back up accounting systems failed. He said that Getken is coming into the office to make sure that all the systems are in place for the fiscal year starling October 1, 1998. He said they have not hired a full-time accountant yet, but Clifton-Gunderson and Getken are doing a search. He Housing and Community Development Commission September 17, 1998 Page 6 said they feel that Headland does not need a full-time accountant; a half-time bookkeeper is necessary to file the data because the most important thing was to have the accounting systems in place. He said that maintaining the information should be simple once the systems are in place. He said that the Advisory Board wants an annual auditing report, which would be available in September 1999. He said that they know if Heartland keeps growing, financing will not be available unless they can provide this type of information. He said that a bank is sponsoring the Comprehensive Small Business Administration Loan with Headland, and the meeting with the SBA is scheduled for September 25. He said that would take all of Headland's shod-term debt and spread it over a longer-term, and he would keep staff abreast of that situation. He said that he feels very positive about the direction Headland is going, and in hind sight the past year has done them a lot of good. Federal Home Loan Bank Update Nasby said that they received a $120,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank to be used with CDBG dollars for the Emergency Repair Program, the Exterior Repair Program and the Residential Accessibility Program. He said they have started advertising and have sent some mailings to neighborhoods. He said that Pam Barnes has a couple of projects on-line that they will close on tomorrow. He said they hope to assist at least 24 households with the extra funds. Head said they will also be assisting the Housing Authority with a Federal Home Loan Bank Application for their Tenant to Owner Program, and that application is due on October 15. He said they were planning to apply for funds themselves, but they will wait for the next funding cycle to do so. Schmuch asked if this funding would be relieving the current Housing Rehab waiting list. Nasby said in a way because it is specific to those three programs, so the money that would have normally gone for those three programs is free to go for other rehab. He said they hope to spend this money out in 12-18 months. He noted that this is leverage for CDBG funding. NEW BUSINESS: Brownfield Application Nasby said that "Brownfield" is an Environmental Protection Agency term that generally deals with parcels of land that are either contaminated or considered undevelopable or undesirable due to some environmental constraint. He said HUD called City staff in July to inform them of the Brownfield Economic Development Initiatives. He said there was $25 million available nationwide, and HUD said they would like to see some applications from Iowa. He said that the one parcel in Iowa City that came to mind was the old landfill site where the transit facility is located. He said the ground there is bumpy and that has to do with the 7-22 feet of garbage that has settled underneath, and some soil instability created because the garbage is deteriorating and creating methane gas. He said the transit facility has a methane abatement system, but it is not working the way it should so from time to time there is a build up of methane. So the two main problems with the land are the instability and the methane. Nasby said that the City hired consultants a couple of years ago to look at the area, and their suggestion was mining out the garbage, shipping it off to the current landfill and reillling the parcel with soil. He said the proposal submitted says they will haul in 168,000 cubic yards of soil, and basically squish the garbage down. Renquist said she did not think that it was a very good use of the soil. Long handed out the copies of the submitted proposal. Nasby said that they will try to reclaim the 9.3 acres on this corner, and noted that Wardway Plaza across the street is being developed and the recently developed Sturgis Corner area is across the highway. Stewart asked what they did with Sturgis Corner when it was developed. Long said that they Housing and Community Development Commission September 17, 1998 Page 7 hauled in soil, but broken concrete, asphalt and rubble was located there, not the garbage that is located in this parcel. Nasby said the engineers estimated the project around $2 million, and the original proposal to mine everything out was between $4-5 million. Nasby said that there were two applications submitted from Iowa and one from Missouri in the bur-state area, and he learned that Cedar Rapids withdrew their application. He said the award would be a $400,000 grant from the Brownfield Environmental Development Initiative, which would leverage a Section 108 loan from the federal CDBG pot that would be paid back over time once the parcel is developed and sold. Head said the Brownfield issue would come back before the Commission should the City be awarded the grant. Renquist asked if Wardway Plaza was going to be filled up with businesses. Nasby said they are doing well. Renquist asked when this area was used as a landfill. Nasby said between 1950-60. Stewart asked about the status of Riverview Place Apartments. Head said that they found another site that was already appropriately zoned. Long said they are just working out design issues with the owner. Schmuch noted the Annual Human Rights Commission Breakfast on Thursday, October 22, in the Iowa Memorial Union. She said they would like any award nominations in by the end of next week. Update of Community Housing Forum Recommendations Head handed out the memo that would be sent to the Council. He said that it is an update of the recommendations in the Community Housing Forum Report. He said the Community Link Deposit Program is one strategy that was recommended, and they had a group of graduate planning students do research on the strategy and they found through surveying that it may not be feasible right now because interest rates are so low. He said that the research pointed out that construction financing for builders and developers is not an obstacle. He said that major employers were expected to finance the project, but they do not purchase CDs as an investment option and their financial decisions are made at their corporate headquarters outside of the community. He said for those reasons they are requesting that the program be deferred until the interest rates are at higher levels. He then briefly described the rest of the programs on the memo. Long said that an RFQ was sent out for the peninsula project, and noted there is some information about it on the new website. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION: Moraski moved to adjourn the meeting. Stewart seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 6-0, and the meeting was adjourned at 7:43 p.m. Minutes submitted by Traci Wagner. ppdcdbg\rnin\hcdc9-17.doc MINUTES IOWA CITY BOARD OF APPEALS MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1998 - 4:30 P.M. LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, IOWA CITY CIVIC CENTER MEMBERS PRESENT: Anna Buss, Robert Carlson, Gary Haman, Wayne Maas (5:30 p.m.), John Roffman, Tom Werderitsch MEMBERS ABSENT: John Staska STAFF PRESENT: Ron Boose, Dennis Mitchell, Andy Roeca, Kathy Zuckweiler OTHERS PRESENT: Steve Patterson, Joseph Dolph, Mark Hall, Michael Camp, Cole Chase, Dennis Spencer 1. CAI ,I, TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 4:45 p.m. by Chairperson Carlson. 2. CONSIDERATION OF TI-W, MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 3, 1998 MEETING Roffman moved to approved the minutes of the August 3, 1998 meeting as submitted. Buss seconded. The motion carried unanimously 5-0. , HEAR APPEAL OF NOTICE OF HOUSING CODE VIOLATION FOR PROPERTY l ,OCATED AT 220 I,AFAYETI'F, STREET Boose said that this request was similar to others reviewed by the Board and concerns a building constructed with laundry facilities in the corridor and without a one-hour fire-resistive construction between the laundry facilities and dwelling units. Bcose said this design does not comply with the requirements of the Uniform Building Code in effect at the time the building was constructed. Boose acknowledged that during the plan review and inspection processes, staff made an error in failing to cite the location of the laundry facilities and said that current staff advocates correcting the problem since it poses a safety hazard. Boose distributed copies of the floor plans to the Board. Carlson asked if this building possessed any unique characteristics which would impact the location of the laundry facilities. Camp said that altering .the building to create a one-hour separation between the laundry facilities and the apartments would be costly, and argued that the issuance of a building permit and certificate of occupancy should suffice to certify the safety of the design. Roffinan said that he recalled some discussion by the Board at the last appeal of this type regarding an automatic fire door link that would provide the fire-resistive construction for the laundry facilities. Carlson said that a fire door could be installed that would remain open until a fire was detected and then the door would close. Carlson said that fire shutters which have a fusible link would provide the same fire protection and would not require the corridor space that an open door necessitates. Carlson said it is acknowledged that the City made a mistake, however the current situation is unsafe and a violation of the UBC. Carlson said that the Board cannot vary the UBC requirements to permit this situation. Buss asked Rocca how often fires occurred in laundry facilities. Roeca estimated that the Fire Department responds to 20 to 30 dryer fires per year. Camp asked if the fires are contained in the laundry area. Rocea said some fires spread to the venting system. Werderitsch reiterated that the Board cannot grant variances to the building code and suggested that Camp investigate the feasibility of installing a rolling fire shutter with a Iowa City Board of Appeals August 31, 1998 page two fusible link. Werderitsch moved to deny the appeal. Roffman seconded the motion. The motion carried 4- 1, with Buss opposed. IqEAR REQUF. ST FOR USE OF AI ,TERNATE MATERIALS OR METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION FOR A NEW STRUCTURE I,OCATED AT 3500 LOWER WEST BRANCH ROAD Boose said that the applicant requested permission to use fire dampers instead of smoke and fire dampers for protection of penetrations of a rated corridor in an assisted living facility classified as an I-2 occupancy. Patterson said that Eby Development was required by the Department of EIder Affairs to obtain a waiver from each locality permitting the use of fire dampers. Patterson referenced a letter from the Iowa State Fire Marshal who agreed with the proposed construction methods and provided specific details for fire protection. Patterson said that all HVAC units will be equipped with duct smoke detectors on the supply side of the systems, which will close off the vents in the event of a fire. Patterson said that all two-hour occupancy separation walls will have fire and smoke detectors with duct detectors. Roffman asked what had been done at Oaknoll. Boose said that Oaknoll did not have duct penetrations into the rated corridors, and therefore did not encounter this problem. Carlson read the exceptions listed in the Uniform Building Code section 713.10 and asked if the system serving the rated corridor also served other parts of the building. Patterson said this system served only the corridor and a separate system served the dwelling units. Carlson said that if the system serves only the corridor, smoke dampers would not be needed if smoke was already present in the corridor. Carlson said that in a closed system, if the return air collected smoke from the corridor, the only outlet for that smoke would be back into that corridor. Patterson reiterated that approval for this type of construction had been given by the State Fire Marshal and the Department of EIder Affairs. Carlson reread the exception to UBC 713.10 and said that he believed that the exception applied to this case since the system serving the corridor is closed and under passive conditions, there would not be passage of smoke to other parts of the building. Carlson moved to approve this request since the corridor system is closed and complies with the exception listed under UBC 713.10. Roffman seconded. Patterson asked if a fire and smoke damper would be required at any penetration of the two-hour occupancy separation. Carlson said that it would. The motion carded 6-0. CONTINUE PUBI,IC COMMENT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THF. 1997 UNIFORM BUII ,DING CODE Foundation wall reinforcement: Hall stated that the HomeBuilders Association did not disagree with the engineers' conclusions regarding foundation wall reinforcement with the variables they had used. Hall questioned the validity of the variables and said that the variables given to the engineers do not accurately reflect field conditions. Hall said that the source of his constemation was the assumption that the walls be constructed as retaining walls without consideration of the vertical load placed upon them by the building. Hall pointed out that the vertical load of the house increases the stability of the foundation walls and should lessen the amount of reinforcement needed. Hall presented a chart prepared for the International Building Code that gave foundation wall reinforcement values for different soil types. Hall noted the amount of time Iowa City Board of Appeals August 31, 1998 page three required for concrete to cure properly before the foundation could be backfilled and said that if the contractor uses accepted methods of construction the incidence of foundation failure was relatively low. Hall stated that, based on the low failure rate, the HomeBuilders Association did not believe that all contractors should be required to use the level of foundation wall reinforcement currently required by the City. Boose stated that the City had not given any variables to the engineers to use when formulating their recommendations. He said that the engineers had been given sample sets of plans and instructed to use the UBC to determine how much foundation wall reinforcement would be necessary. Hall said that the variables given in the UBC do not match those used by the engineers. Carlson stated that the engineers had developed the variables cited by Hall through their own research and work and that the Board did not know how the engineers have arrived at those variables. Carlson asked if Hall had spoken with any of the engineers regarding their assumptions. Hall said he had spoken with one engineer who said he had not considered designing the foundation walls as other than retaining walls and had not considered the vertical load placed on the foundation walls by the building. Carlson asked if these changes would alter the reinforcement requirements. Hall said that they would substantially reduce the quantity of reinforcement needed. Boose said that the definitions of foundation wails and retaining walls were similar in both the UBC and in the Intemational Building Code and both codes specified that if there was a difference in the quantity of fill of at least four feet from one side of the wall to the other then that wall was considered a retaining wall. Boose said that since basement walls are more than four feet underground, it is appropriate to design foundation walls as retaining walls. Hall said that designing the walls as retaining walls fails to consider the vertical load imposed by the building. Boose said the only direction given to the engineers in designing the walls was to use the UBC and the engineer's knowledge of local soil conditions and professional expertise to determine the quantity of reinforcement needed; no specification was provided as to whether to design foundation walls or retaining walls. Carlson said that the Board could consider two options: whether to approach the engineers and ask them to perform further review of the reinforcement requirements and incorporate the vertical load of the building into their calculations; or to adopt the chart presented by Hall that is to be included in the International Residential Code in 2000. Boose said that the International Residential Code would only apply to one- and two-family dwellings and additional standards would be needed for multi-family dwellings. Roffman asked if one of the engineers would come to the next Board meeting to discuss this issue. Carlson said he would ask the engineer to attend. Minimum Clearance above Window Wells Containing Rescue and Escape Windows: Boose said that staff recommends a minimum clearance of seven feet. Spencer said that he had met with Rocca at two of his properties to discuss the clearance needed. One of those properties featured a deck with a four-foot clearance from grade to the bottom of the beam and five feet from grade to the underside of the deck. This deck extended twelve feet out from the house. Spencer asked for approval for decks to extend up to twelve feet out from the house and have a minimum height clearance of four feet from grade to the lowest projection under the deck and have a minimum horizontal clearance to the side edge of the deck of no more than six feet. Spencer also said that these clearance measurements apply to windows that are out of the ground [as in a garden level], and not window wells. Hall said that the source of constemation with this issue concerned balancing the shrinking size of residential lots and the increasing need for basement Iowa City Board of Appeals August 31, 1998 page four sleeping rooms which require an egress window against the wish to provide economical outdoor space for the occupants to enjoy the home. Carlson asked for Rocca's input. Rocca said that in most cases, the City upholds the model code language which would prevent construction of any deck or porch above an egress window. Thus, Roeca said, discussion of a minimum clearance measurement necessitates a local amendment to the code, and staff feels that seven feet is a reasonable compromise. Roeca also said that fire typically travels upward and outward and construction of a deck or porch creates a barrier for smoke and inhibits dissipation of that smoke and presents a combustible structure above an escape and rescue window. Rocca pointed out that the deck may be a part of a second exit for the upper level and if it catches fire, it would eliminate that second exit. Roeca said that he did not favor reducing the clearance under the deck to less than seven feet because of the potential safety hazards. Werderitsch said that, under Rocca's proposal, houses similar to Spencer's could not have decks over egress windows since they would be unable to meet the minimum clearance requirement. Carlson said he was concerned about requiring seven feet minimum clearance since the only solution for homes like Spencer's would be to lower grade three feet and use frost-protected footings for the house. Carlson said this situation might actually be more dangerous since the window then sits in a hole. Roeca agreed that this was not an acceptable solution and said that the Fire Department prefers the sill height of the window. to be level with grade and not in a hole. Carlson asked Roeca if a lesser minimum clearance would be acceptable if the concern about the deck being combustible was removed. Roeca said he was hesitant to accept a lesser clearance because of safety concerns. Carlson said he had concerns about a clearance of four feet or less, but suggested five feet or five feet six inches as possible clearances. Spencer suggested redesigning the deck so that the beam does not extend below the bottom of the joist, which would provide a clear path to the window under the deck. Boose pointed out that the code prohibits any structure above a required egress window, and that staff's proposal of a seven-foot minimum clearance was an attempt at compromise. Boose said that staff proposed seven feet since that corresponded with the minimum ceiling height in an exit corridor. Carlson said that perhaps a more fire-resistive construction should be used for decking if combustion of the deck is a concem. After additional discussion of alternatives, Boose said that staff would like guidance from the Board as to what minimum clearance should be adopted as a local amendment to the UBC. Roffman suggested a minimum height to the underside of the deck of five feet, a maximum deck projection from the house of twelve feet, and a horizontal distance from the edge of the deck of three feet. Boose said that this situation does not include windows in wells, and applies only to windows whose sill height is at least equal to grade. Requirement for Natural Light in Habitable Rooms: Boose said the Intemational Residential Code includes an exception for natural light in habitable rooms when an approved mechanical ventilation system is provided and the artificial light provided is capable of producing an average illumination of six footcandles over the area of the room at a height of thirty inches above the floor. Bcose said this applies only to one- and two-family dwellings. Boose said that natural light may be omitted except where escape and rescue windows are required. Carlson asked about the requirements for ventilation. Boose replied that the mechanical ventilation system must be capable of supplying outdoor air to the room, however it is not required to run continuously. Boose offered to adapt the language of the International Residential Code to the UBC and write a local amendment incorporating the exceptions listed in the IRC. Iowa City Board of Appeals August 31, 1998 page five CONTINUE PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE 1997 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE Gas Piping Insta!!ers: Carlson asked if the Board wanted to continue with current policies. Boose said staff favored upholding current policies since all gas lines installed in Iowa City are inspected and pressure tested by City inspectors. Haman said that current policy seems to be adequate since City inspectors test each line before releasing the gas meter. Maas said he had concems about unlicensed contractors installing gas piping. Haman said that the inspection process by the City effectively ensured proper installation. Maas suggested requiring gas piping installers to pass a Block and Associates exam and become licensed as plumbers and electricians were required to do. Boose said he had spoken with Block and Associates about an exam for gas piping installers and a separate exam exists. Boose also noted that the plumbing exam includes a section on gas pipe installation, so any plumber who passed that exam would be licensed to install gas piping. Roffman asked if other municipalities required gas piping installers to be licensed. Boose said that most municipalities have plumbers install gas piping. Boose said there was some validity to licensing gas piping installers but questioned whether the level of inspection or enforcement would change and if it would not, whether licensing was necessary. Carlson moved to require gas piping be installed by a licensed contractor, whether a licensed plumber or a newly-li~:ensed gas piping installer. Maas seconded. Werderitsch asked if language should be included to direct all current unlicensed installers to take the exam by a certain date. Boose said he would include a sunset clause with the ordinance. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0. Experience Requirements for Licensing Exams: Carlson said that staff recommends two years experience prior to taking each licensing exam. Haman said that there may be a problem with reciprocating licenses with other jurisdictions. Boose said that he did not consider that a problem since plumbers may be required to wait to obtain a license in another jurisdiction which requires more experience, but upon completion of the experience requirement for that town, the plumber would be able to obtain a reciprocal license. Maas moved to require three years' experience prior to taking the journeyman's exam and two years as a journeyman prior to taking the master's exam. Roffman seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0. 7. OTHER BUSINESS Boose said that a temporary certificate of occupancy had been issued for the building at 130 Jefferson Street upon receipt of a letter from Jim Jacob certifying the structural compliance of the building. Boose announced his resignation from the City and said that another staff member would assist the Board until his successor was hired. The Board thanked Boose for his service. 8. ADJOURNMENT Roffman moved for adjournment at 6:48 p.m. Buss seconded the motion. approved and the meeting adjourned. Approve ~ Robert ~of Appeals Chair Date Minutes submitted by Kathy Zuckweiler The motion was unanimously IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MINUTES October 19, 1998 Meeting COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Tom Dickerson, Pat Harvey, Joan Jehle, Charles Major, Ann Shires, Diane Martin, Jan Warren COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Mettie Thomopulos, Art Vincent STAFF PRESENT: Heather Shank GUESTS PRESENT: Dorothy Paul; Chris Taylor; Lazara Pittman CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Harvey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Warren moved to approve the September minutes; Jehle seconded. All in favor; no opposed. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None. GUEST PRESENTATION: 1~ Guest: Dorothy Paul from the United Nations Association (Iowa Division) stated that she was interested in having as many sponsors as possible for Human Rights Day on December 10, 1998. The day represents the 50m anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A proclamation regarding this anniversary has been sent to the Mayor and he has agreed to sign it. Amnesty International, the Iowa City Foreign Relations Counsel and the Iowa City Federation of Labor have agreed to co-sponsor. Ms. Paul is trying to get a wide variety of groups to sponsor the program. The December 10, celebration will be kicked off with a speech by Bums Weston at the Foreign Relations Counsel. Then there will be a downlink in the ICN room at North Hall. The program at North Hall will be sponsored by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. The institute is doing 50 town meetings in 50 different cities that day. Only 20 people will be able to attend the North Hall meeting due to seating limitations. A musical and reading celebration for the public will be held on the evening of December 10 in meeting room A, B, & C of the Iowa City Public Library. Ms. Paul asked the Commission to co-sponsor this event. Ms. Harvey expressed her gratitude for bringing this event to the Commission's attention. Motion made by Diane Martin to endorse and co-sponsor and Joan Jehle seconded. All in favor; no opposed. Ms. Paul indicated the Commission could have a table for information at the event. Guest: Chris Taylor Chris Taylor, an employee of the Johnson County Department of Public Health, provides HIV prevention programs for targeted populations in Iowa City. Mr. Taylor came to the Commission in response to the beating death of Matthew Shepherd and the harassment of an individual in one of his programs. Both men were subject to the adverse behavior because of their sexual orientation. Human Rights Commission October, 1998 Minutes Page 2 Mr. Taylor indicated the issue of hate crimes has been brought to his attention before and after Matthew Shepherd. Mr. Taylor called Heather Shank and asked if the Commission would be interested in working on a project involving hate crimes. Mr. Taylor was invited to address the Commission regarding a hate crime fortun. Mr. Taylor suggested having professionals who could discuss the law and perhaps members of the police force who can advise people on how to protect themselves. Mr. Taylor envisions having many groups/agencies sponsoring this program. Shank mentioned she spoke with the Prosecutor's office regarding having someone instruct the public on the elements of a hate crime. Pat White was mentioned as a possible speaker. Shank also mentioned that at the recent Diverse-Cities Team Meeting a small group determined its goal would be to develop a Hate Crime Response Team. The team leader of this group is Faith Wilmot. Other members of this group included Chief Winkelhake and Chief Barry Bedford of the Coralville Police Department. Ms. Harvey expressed her delight that the Diverse-Cities Team could be involved in a project this qulcldy after the teams set their goals. Mr. Taylor indicated there were many agencies that were interested in this topic. Hate crimes also affect people other than gays and lesbians. Mr. Taylor was interested in setting the program up for November 17 in the library. Ms. Harvey indicated the program could be taped if it was held in the library. Mr. Taylor has not checked the library to see if it is available for the 1Th but he will do so soon. Ms. Warren asked Shank whether the Commission had any responsibility under the law after a hate crime was charged. Shank indicated the Commission could respond by writing letters of support to the individuals who were victims of a hate crime or letters to the editor but beyond that, the Commission did not have an enforcement role. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission also does not have a role in hate crimes beyond supporting the victims and denouncing the acts. Ms. Warren advised that the hate crime panel should include persons other than "official" people so it will be more accessible to the general public. Mr. Taylor provided his card to all of the Commission members. Ms. Harvey indicated the program would be something the Commission could endorse and work on with Mr. Taylor. Mr. Taylor reported that an event was happening at the same time as the Commission meeting that was organized in response to the death of Matthew Shepherd. An informal panel was planning on discussing Mr. Shepherd's death and how to prevent similar incidents. The Iowa City Human Rights Commission co-sponsored the event. 3ra Guest: Lazara Pittman, the new Human Rights Investigator, was introduced to the Commission by Chairperson Harvey. Ms. Pittman informed the Commission that she graduated from the University of Iowa law school in 1987. Prior to that, Ms. Pittman worked with an attorney in the immigration field for seven years. After law school, Ms. Pittman returned to Miami to practice law. Human Rights Commission October, 1998 Minutes Page 3 She worked with legal services and then entered into private practice. In 1997, Ms. Pittman retumed to Iowa City and started a position as an auditor at First National Bank. Ms. Pittman indicated that she has always wanted to focus on constitutional and discrimination law. OLD BUSINESS: Human Rights Breakfast update: Shank reported that 183 tickets have been sold so far. 177 were sold last year. The Union has been apprised of the number. The speakers have been delineated and the program is in the printing department. The awards are in Shank's office. Jim Anaya is the only person that will not be present to accept his award. Warren asked that the breakfast be placed back on the agenda for next month so the Commissioners can discuss the concems that were raised by Carolan at the last meeting. Shank indicated that nomination forms will be at everyone's place this year so persons can nominate all year long as opposed to in the last few months of the summer. Martin agreed to take tickets at the door. Jehle indicated the breakfast should be advertised in the fliers that go out with the water bill. Warren asked that pictures be taken of the award winners this year so that it can appear in the paper with notice that the Commission is taking nominations year round. Community Outreach: Warren tried to call Marian Coleman several times to see if anyone is doing an essay contest this year. Warren will continue to pursue this. Harvey asked that Community Outreach also be added to the agenda for next month so the Commission can continue the discussion. Warren said that the Commission's essay content could be put on hold until Joyce Carmen's plans for a similar event are over. Shank said that she.would call Carmen and see where she is on her plans. Warren also mentioned that the Commission could wait until next year. Harvey wants to keep abreast of Carmen's plans. Warren indicated she wanted to talk about the Diverse-Cities Team meeting that was held on October 13, 1998. Prior to the meeting, Shank had asked five different persons to lead five small groups. The groups included (1) Hate Crimes; (2) Town Meetings; (2) Education; (4) Business/Industry; (5) Small groups. At the meeting four instead of five small groups came together. Approximately 20 people attended and worked to identify a future contact person from their group and to develop short term and long term goals. Warren thought the goals were quite good. Charlie Eastham is going to be the team leader for the town meeting group. They are planning to have two town meetings before the 1 ~ of the year. This group also wants to do an annual diversity report card of area businesses. The hate crimes group wants to develop a hate crime response team. The Education group wants to meet with Madan Coleman to find out how the schools are dealing with diversity issues. The business/industry group wants to find out what good things are happening in the community vis-/t-vis diversity. Florence Babb is the leader of the education group while Dereck Hall is the leader of the business/industry group. Warren said that she is cautiously optimistic. Martin suggested the hate crime group plus the town meeting group could come together to help with the Hate Crime Public Forum. Warren is interested in engaging in public fontms relating to housing issues. Warren also indicated that she wanted the Diverse-Cities Team to address other issues in addition to race. The small groups are suppose to take the initiative to get started on their goals. Shank is going to send a letter to all of Human Rights Commission October, 1998 Minutes Page 4 the persons on the D-Team list regarding the recent meeting so others will get involved. New Business: None -(, Reports of Commissioners: Jehle reported that the next Citizen's Police Academy starts on February 4, 1999 through April 22, Thursday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The deadline to register is December 11, at 5:00 p.m. It costs $20.00. This covers refreshments and t-shirts. Jehle reports that the Academy is fun and education. Jehle reported that she attended the candle light vigil for Matthew Shepherd last Monday night. She spoke at the event. The Commission thanked Jehle for attending. Jehle indicated there were several elected officials at the event. Jehle asked the Commission to send a formal note to Karen Kubby and Dee Norton for attending. Minette Doderer and Dick Meyers attended the vigil and spoke of the State law. Joe Bolkum also attended. Jehle thought the Commission should also thank Janelle Rettig and Robin Butler for pulling the vigil together so quickly. Jehle mentioned at the vigil that for the past three years, the ICHRC has Waveled to Des Moines to ask the ICRC to discuss the issue of adding sexual orientation to the Iowa Civil Rights Act during the Commissions' fall retreat. Cedar Rapids recently had a public hearing on the issue in front of the Cedar Rapids Haman Rights Commission. Approximately 600 people came to the meeting. Warren and Jehle indicated a letter should come from the ICHRC to the CRHRC indicating the ICHRC's support for adding sexual orientation to their Ordinance. Tom Dickerson is writing an editorial on the Matthew Shepherd hate crime. The editorial will be in the paper on October 28, 1998. Dickerson said that the editorial could be placed in the packet. Harvey indicated Dickerson could add to the editorial the things the ICHRC was trying to do. Major went to see Eli Wiesel. He reported there was a large crowd and people had to sit in the lobby. He believed there were more than 4000 people. Major reported that General Pinochet had surgery in Britain and was arrested by the British at the request of Spain. Major also mentioned that a car was stopped and persons were passing a crucifix in the backseat. A police officer mistook the crucifix for a weapon. Shank reported there will be a PCRB public heating tomorrow night at the Newman Center. Warren indicated Dith Pran will be here next week. She encouraged everyone to see the movie, The Killing Fields. Rigoberta Menchu is also coming to speak. She will be here on November 12, 1998. Warren also reported there will be a conference on Critical Race Feminism - Legal Thought on November 5-6. On Nov. 4, WRAC is also hosting an event called, Put a Woman on the Ballot. There are a group of scholars who are trying to find a viable candidate to be the President, Vice President, or Chief of Staff in the history of the country. This group is putting together a list of the most viable female candidates for these positions. They have narrowed their list to 20. The purpose of the Human Rights Commission October, 1998 Minutes Page 5 meeting is to pick five from the 20. The list includes Elizabeth Dole and Hillary Clinton. It also includes persons who are not political figures. On Nov. 4, a person can go to WRAC to celebrate the passage of the ERA and vote for the five candidates. Tom Dickerson, Pat Harvey and Ann Shires' terms on the Commission will expire on January 1. None of them will reapply. An advertisement has been running in the Daily Iowan for two weeks. The posters concerning the vacancies were handed out. Warren said she wanted Shank to report at every meeting whether the Commissioners who do not attend the meeting called in prior to the absence. Warren wondered whether the City Council planned on doing something with the attendance information. Shank indicated the Council wanted to keep track. Harvey indicated the ICHRC has always stressed the importance of attendance. Jehle indicated that she remembered this was one of the reasons the by-laws were revised. Warren wants to make this a standard part of the meeting. Dickerson indicated that Shank usually does this. Harvey said that the information is written on the minutes. Warren said she wanted Shank to note excused or non-excused. Shank indicated she would do this. Status of Cases Case ~47 - These are two complaints from two different individuals against one respondent. There are six additional complainants against the respondent. The Commission does not have class action cases so each complainant has to file individually. The same Commission team will review all of the cases. One case was closed due to a successrid mediation, another was closed because the individual wanted to have it transferred to the ICRC. Adjourn: Motion by Martin, seconded by Jehle. Next Meeting: November 23, 1998 xgxxgxxxxo X 0 0 0 X X X X XO Z 0 I II (D (D ITl"r --I CD(D ~0 0 Z MINUTES IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING MEETING ROOM A THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 Agenda item 3A Members Present: Linda Dellsperger, Mark Martin, Lisa Parker, Jesse Singerman, Anne Spencer, Winston Barclay Staff Present: Maeve Clark, Susan Craig, Larry Eckholt, Debb Green, Heidi Lauritzen, Martha Lubaroff, Liz Nichols, Others: CAll TO ORDFR: President Singerman called the meeting to order at 5:05 pm Singerman welcomed new member Winston Barclay to the Board of Trustees. Board members introduced themselves. APPROVAL OF MINUTFS: A typographical error was noted. The word anatomically was corrected to automatically. Minutes were approved as corrected after a motion by Parker/Spencer. UNFINISHED BUSINFSS UI;)date on sales tax discussion. Craig distributed to the Board a memo from the City Manager with alternative language for the Sales Tax ballot proposition. Craig explained that at last night's Council meeting, there was still concern that some of the language could be misleading to voters. In particular, the description of the portion of the tax that would be designated for direct property tax relief and capital expenditures was not clear. The City Manager will put this back on Council discussion for the next informal discussion October 5. Craig will notify Board members of the time of the discussion. There continue to be discussions regarding the timing of the project although Craig feels at this time that the Council is not interested in further delay. NFVV RUSINESS FYO0 Budget Develol;)ment. Craig reviewed the timeline of the budget process as far as the City's deadlines are concerned. Tonight, Craig will review for Trustees the proposals from staff. Once Craig receives guidelines from the City, she will combine those guidelines with the proposed budget and have them ready for the special Board meeting on October 8. Personnel expenses will be affected by twenty-seven pay periods in FYO0 and not twenty-six. The City calculates the cost for employing permanent staff. The proposal includes costs for three (2.25FTE) new permanent staff in the Maintenance Department to replace contract cleaners. Craig walked Trustees through the spread sheet. A 13% increase in supplies is due to an increase in cleaning supplies associated with hiring our own maintenance staff. The 8000's are charges and services. Craig explained the increase in the OCLC which is a cataloging database. This was based on '98 expenses. An increase for postage reflects a new proposal for the WINDOW. ICPL BOARD OF TRUSTEES SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 PAGE 2 Agenda item 3A Under capital expenditures, there is a budget request to repair and fix bricks. Craig would also like to bring the computer and av replacement equipment funds up to about 950,000. The budget reflects a 4% increase, however Craig anticipates she may be off in personnel costs. Craig then reviewed the proposed project sheets. A discussion took place regarding the hourly wage scale. Craig had proposed an increase of 5% to bring the level of starting wages to a more competitive level. Currently we start hourly employees at 95.80/hour. Parker suggested raising it even more. Trustees recommended a 10% increase. The next project reviewed was the one designed to reward hourly paid staff for longevity. It was felt that a bonus could be an acceptable way to handle this. Craig's proposal would allow for a 9200 bonus after 3200 hours of work and then a $200 bonus every 1600 hours thereafter. The City is talking about bonus-type rewards for some of their temporary employees. Project sheet for permanent cleaning staff. Craig explained to the Board that working with the contract cleaners is not satisfactory. When bids were let in July of 1997 there was limited response. The first contractor lasted several months before being let go. The second, now in place, is acceptable, but barely so. There is a need for constant reminders and follow up when tasks are not completed or not done at all. Compared to other city buildings, our building is not as clean. Dellsperger suggested that perhaps one of the contract cleaners be here through the day to clean the building. Craig explained that we would then be supervising employees that were not ICPL staff. The proposal is to hire three people or 2.25 FTE. They would work a combination of shifts from early morning until after the building iS closed. Martin raised a concern about what could be accomplished during the day and how effective they would be while the library was open. He also had a concern about the ongoing expense for supplies and replacement of janitorial equipment. Part of the funding being asked for would be to upgrade the Building Manager's position so that he would be responsible for supervising, hiring, evaluating, etc. We would contract separately for furniture and carpet shampooing. Craig and Arensdorf feel that ten hours of janitorial cleaning available every day we're open would be reasonable and allow for proper cleaning of the building. The extra time would allow for illness, vacations, etc. Martin pointed out that the numbers of hours do not equal what we currently have with the contract cleaners. This project will cost ~22,000 over and above what we now pay for the contract cleaners. Craig compared her estimate of time to the seventeen hours/day at the Rec Center which includes locker rooms. Craig says we are not getting high quality cleaning help now and she and Arensdorf have little control over the situation because there is no competition in the marketplace. Cleaning a building that receives heavy use 359 days a year is a difficult undertaking for contract cleaners. Trustees supported the project however suggested that Craig increase the figures for supplies and cleaning equipment. A project sheet that described anticipated charges for the origination of ICN conferences in the new ICN meeting room was reviewed. There are administrative and educational training fees charged for the origination and each remote site. Currently there are no fees associated with the use of the library's meeting rooms. Craig anticipates looking at that when the room is up and running. The Meeting Room policy comes up for review in April and at that time the Board could decide to charge fees to defray this expense. This is an estimate of what it will cost to put on programs in this room if the Board does not choose to charge. The room will be up and ICPL BOARD OF TRUSTEES SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 PAGE 3 Agenda item 3A running by January, 1999. Moving up the review of that meeting room policy is not recommended by Craig since Barb Black, the Coordinator responsible for meeting rooms, is making a lateral transfer into the Technical Services Department. Martin suggested that it would be easier to begin with a policy that charges rather than institute charges later on. Singerman would prefer not holding off on reviewing the policy until the room is up and running. Parker would be in favor of discussing it before the room is open. The policy will be reviewed in December. WINDOW distribution project sheet: The amount of this project, at 95,000, is double what we spend now for postage for the newsletter. We would actively recruit subscribers to the library newsletter and mail to additional subscribers in an effort to grow the list that has been restrictive in the past due to distribution costs. The increased cost is due more to postage than printing. Some suggestions were made for distribution through the schools as an alternative to mailing. Craig stated that only 25% of the households have school age children. A question was raised about the patron database. The new software has more capabilities and could be a good source for subscribers. Targeting frequent users might be an appealing way to grow the list. Various ideas were brain stormed for alternative methods to distribute the WINDOW other than mailing. Eckholt will follow up. Technical Services furniture project sheet. Dellsperger asked about the meeting room furniture which was to be purchased with the funds raised at the Spelling Bee last April. Barclay asked whether ergonomic considerations were considered at the time furniture was purchased. Craig responded that we have worked with physical therapists if an employee reported a problem. Singerman asked if them was any more feedback or questions on the budget. Since the budget seemed straightforward the question was raised as to whether or not we need the special meeting on the 8th. Craig felt it was needed since she hadn't yet gotten the City guidelines. Request to support Hospice Road Race team. As one of the team co-captains, Clark asked for 9200 to cover the expense of refreshments the day of the race.. Dellsperger made the motion to approve the request. Parker seconded. All in favor. Motion carried. Labor Union contract. The last contract was for three years. Negotiations haven't taken place for some time. The present contract expires in June of 99. Parker moved that we enter into contract negotiations. Spencer seconded. All were in favor. Staff Rei;)orts The book drops are coming. There will be one on the West side at the vacant drive through lane at Mormon Trek UI Credit Union Drive up. The East side location will be at the pharmacy pick up drive- through at the new Hy-Vee on First avenue. Innovative Information Systems contract has been signed. A timeline is being worked on. Negotiations with the phone vendor are moving along. The vendor chosen is Digital Communications The federal e-rate discount process has been delayed although Nichols thought we might get reimbursed for some ongoing expenses but not initial purchase. ICPL BOARD OF TRUSTEES SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 PAGE 4 Agenda item 3A Development Office report: The BookEnd is up and running. Eckholt reported that it did ~ 1600 in business the first weekend. He said they need to average ~50.00 each open hour in order to break even. Trustees were reminded one last time that they could sign up for the Iowa Library Association conference. New furniture was purchased for the Children's Room. Two computer stations for Internet and multi-media access are being installed. The computers are funded from the Gates grant. Intellectual Freedom activities were described. Trustees were encouraged to attend, COMMITTI=F RFPORTS Building Committee has had two meetings. Singerman reported much interest on the part of the people who attended the four informational meetings hosted in several homes. She felt it was looking positive for the formation of a committee. Martin agreed with the assessment that progress was being made. They were making an effort to look for a balance in community leadership that represented different constituencies. DISBURSFMFNTS Review VISA expenditures. Approve disbursements for August. Dellsperger moved to approve disbursements. Seconded by Martin. All in favor. A special budget meeting is scheduled for on October 8, 1998. SFT AGFNDA ORDER FOR OCTOBFR MFFTING Approve FY00 budget ADJOURNMFNT: At 6:30 pm a motion was made to adjourn. Parker/Martin POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES - October 20, 1998 Lobby Conference Room CALL TO ORDER Chair L. Cohen called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE CONSENT CALENDAR Board members present: L. Cohen, P. Hoffey, M. Raymond, and J. Watson. Board member absent: Farrant. Staff present: Legal Counsel D. Russell and administrative assistant S. Bauer. Motion by.P. Hoffey and seconded by M. Raymond to adopt the Consent Calendar. Motion carried, 4/1, Farrant absent. Discussion followed regarding the 10/19/98 memorandum from the City Manager regarding time requirements. Motion by P. Hoffey and seconded by M. Raymond directing the Chair and staff to respond to Mr. Atkins recommending that the time requirements of the Police Department be addressed by the Department; the Board would support a reasonable request, but would oppose an open-ended timeframe. Motion carried, 4/1, Farrant absent. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL None COMMUNITY FORUM Board members continued their discussion regarding the community forum, to include: Distribution of notices Opening remarks and introduction of members by Chair · Board members shall participate when appropriate, asking questions and responding · Handouts at the forum shall include the ordinance, the new complaint form, the PCRB brochure, and the annual report · Agenda packet for the forum shall be distributed on October 26 · Legal counsel will be in attendance DATA COLLECTION ICPD TRAINING MANUAL (P. Farrant arrived 7:25 p.m.) Correspondence from Chief Winkelhake, dated October 13, 1998, regarding data collection on traffic stops, was discussed. It is of concern to the Board that that there is at least a perception in this community that stops are happening based on the age and race of people who are being subjected to them. The Board would like to develop some way of finding out whether this is happening. It was the consensus of the Board that it start a dialogue with the ICPD on the best approach to collect demographic data on stops that do not result in a citation or written warning. There was also concern about the lack of policy and guidelines on traffic stops. The Board chose to address the traffic stops separately from the SCAT/gang issues. As part of its ongoing review of the ICPD policies, procedures and practices, the Board proposed an issue- focused forum at the Broadway Neighborhood Center for an ICPD representative to present the policies and procedures regarding SCAT. The community could then decide whether the policies are acceptable or not. Motion by P. Farrant and seconded by J. Watson directing the Chair to send two invitations to the Chief (1) to meet with the board about traffic stops data at the Board's regular meeting on November 10 (at which time the Chief has also been invited to present the policies on building searches), and (2) to attend an issue-focused forum to discuss the SCAT procedures on December 1 or 15, 1998. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Motion by P. Hoffey and seconded by P. Farrant directing staff to request copies of the ICPD training manual. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. PUBLIC DISCUSSION None EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion by P. Hoffey and seconded by P. Farrant to adjourn into Executive Session based on Section 21.5(a) of the Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds, and 22.7(11 ) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Meeting adjourned at 8:10 P.M. Regular meeting resumed at 1 O: 12 P.M. MEETING SCHEDULE · Community Forum, October 27, 1998, 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting October 29, 1998, 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting November 3, 1998, 7:00 P.M. · Regular Meeting November 10, 1998, 7:00 P.M. · Special Meeting November 17, 1998, 7:00 P.M. BOARD INFORMATION The Board discussed PCRB media contacts on non- complaint issues. No consensus was formed. STAFF INFORMATION The PCRB Standard Operating Procedures will be discussed by the City Council at their meeting on November 17, 1998. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by P. Hoffey and seconded by P. Farrant. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Meeting adjourned at 10:33 P.M. MINUTES RIVERFRONT AND NATURAL AREAS COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1998 - 5:30 P.M. IOWA CITY CIVIC CENTER, LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM MEMBERS PRESENT: ALTERNATE: MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Cortney Daniels, Lori Goetsch, Gretchen Grimm, Richard Hoppin, Joe Kral, Lynn Rose, Dan Mascal, David Thayer, Larry Wilson OTHERS PRESENT: Ken Fearing (for Barb Endel) 1. CALL TO ORDER: Tom Riley Brad Neumann Julie Tallman Thayer called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. on Chairperson Daniels' behalf. Chairperson Daniels arrived at 6:40 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was no discussion. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 19, 1998, MEETING: Recommended changes to the minutes were as follows: correct the acronym ISTEA from IST on page 1; make minor changes to the last paragraph on page 1 to read "At this point, it appears as if the trail will be located on the north side of the creek and will join the trail that connects North Ridge Park to North Liberty. Approximately near King's Material, the trail will branch south across the creek and go through the University of Iowa recreation area and connect to the stoplight at West High..."; change the last sentence in the last paragraph on page 2 to read "Wilson discussed alternate routes: a possible trail on First Avenue, Coralville, a trail that follows the creek to the river, and in Iowa City, the former plans for a trail that was to connect with the Willow Creek Trail."; change the word "recreate" to "relate to" in the second to last paragraph on page 4; strike the last sentence of page 5 which begins, "Wilson compared the..."; and capitalize the word "REAP" on page 6. MOTION: Wilson moved to approve the minutes from the August 19, 1998 meeting with the above-listed changes. Fearing seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 10-0. COMMISSION DISCUSSION A. Discuss Sensitive Areas Ordinance Review. (Julie Tallman) Julie Tallman, Iowa City's Development Regulations Specialist, was present to discuss the Sensitive Areas Ordinance. Tallman asked what questions commission members might have. Wilson asked what percentage of the floodplain is undeveloped and developed. Neumann stated they are currently working on those figures. Wilson said he also questions why the development of small lots on the floodplain seem to be routinely approved as if they will not affect the floodplain. Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission September 16, 1998 Page 2 He questioned how a sedes of small lots filling in the floodplain could not have an impact on the floodway. Tallman said it has been determined by civil engineering that building up to the floodway is acceptable. When building occurs within the floodway, that is when the ability of that channel is affected. No building is approved in the floodway. Organizations such as FEMA make requirements for building in the floodplain that are insurance-related and have nothing to do with carrying floodwater. Neumann asked how the Corps of Engineers fits in. Tallman said the Corps and the DNR regulate navigable waters in the United States. They share responsibility for certain situations, such as regulating the building of a boat dock. She said the two agencies often cross paths. The Commission also had a question about a handout they received from the Corps of Engineers. Tallman said the members received an explanation of a nationwide process. Currently if 'a person is disturbing a wetland less than an acre in size, they can do so without a nationwide permit from the Corps of Engineers. However, there have been discussions about reducing the size of the wetland for which a permit is required. The city has the option of either following the Corps' standard or adopting a standard of their own which would require a permit for smaller areas of wetland, such as one-third of an acre. Currently the Sensitive Areas Ordinance specifies a wetland area of one acre or more. Wilson asked if the Corps would oversee or require a permit from a person who plans to disturb only one acre of a four-acre piece of wetland. Goetsch stated that as she understands it, a person could not disturb that one acre of the four acres. Tallman agreed it would probably be considered a four-acre piece of wetland and be regulated accordingly. Wilson said as he understood it from consultants he spoke with, a person would be allowed to develop a small piece of a wetland without mitigation if it was deemed that there wouldn't be any harm to the whole wetland. Tallman provided an example of when the Sensitive Areas Ordinance and Floodplain Management Ordinance come into play. Tallman had received a call about grading in an area that was considered a wetland. There was no grading permit in the records. After reviewing aerial photos and visiting the site, it was determined that the wetland was beginning to be filled before the Corps was given the authority to regulate wetlands. Therefore, more than 4 acres had already been filled in. Part of the area had never been designated for any type of use. Before any additional work is performed it will need, at the least, a wetlands designation and approval from the Corps. A developer will need a grading permit, wetland delineator, and sensitive areas plan. In addition, Tallman stated that an unsecured icehouse on the site also needs to be boarded up or destroyed. Wilson asked for the definition of what does not have to be flood-protected in the flood fringe. Tallman said structures must allow for a minimum number of openings to allow for the passage of flood waters and to ensure that the structure will not be carried away, causing damage to other structures. Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission September 16, 1998 Page 3 Tallman discussed how structures may be considered not in a floodplain if raised above the floodplain in some way. Mascal said the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denying the building of a retirement residence in the floodplain. This is what led to the idea of restricting the building of habitable structures in the floodplain. Goetsch said she thought it strange that a building would be allowed if raised above the floodplain even when a flood would restrict access. Feadng said he knows of an example of a new house in an area where canoes were needed in the last flood. On another point, Wilson said he thought there was an ordinance that if one part of the floodplain was filled, another compensating area would need to be excavated. Tallman said she was not aware of that type of issue in the ordinances they were discussing. A Corps permit is not needed to build in the floodplain. Tallman asked what questions the Commission is attempting to answer. Do the Commission's questions have to do with insurance, which is a FEMA issue; with the civil engineering of carrying water, which is a Corps issue; or with preserving wetlands and repairing an area. Neumann said the Planning and Zoning Commission asked the RNAC to review the Floodplain Ordinance. The RNAC is attempting to determine what is appropriate for the floodplain. One of the policies that has been discussed is the idea of restricting building in the floodplain to structures that are not inhabited. Daniels said the Commission has been discussing their view on the Sensitive Areas Ordinance and the Floodplain Ordinance because the Commission plans to make their recommendations for city policies. Once the Commission's views have been determined, they need to discuss how to present their views and how they can affect policy. Rose stated that historically, floodplain was regulated by FEMA, but FEMA only addresses development issues. She said the dilemma between the Floodplain Ordinance and the Sensitive Areas Ordinance is that the Floodplain Ordinance addresses development, the Sensitive Areas Ordinance addresses green space and they do not seem to meet. The ordinances that exist facilitate being able to develop in a certain area. The city is limited to operating through ordinances. Therefore, if the Commission intends to make a recommendation such as limiting the amount of development in the floodplain, they need to determine how their recommendation will fit into an ordinance. Daniels asked what the Commission should do with the information they've received. Originally asked to review the Flood Plain Ordinance, other issues have arisen that concern the Commission. Although the Commission cannot change an ordinance, they can influence policy. After further discussion, she suggested a committee be formed to review both ordinances side by side. This information Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission September 16, 1998 Page 4 could be used to argue or support the Commission's policy recommendations. Wilson agreed and said the committee could outline what is covered by each of the two ordinances as well as what's left over. Daniels said this is a difficult assignment for the Commission because they are not being asked for a recommendation on one particular thing. Wilson said the Commission may want to start out by thinking about what they would like the river to look like. Mascal agreed and said the Commission could then respond according to their vision. Daniels said she believes the Commission has a stronger idea of what the ordinances are about and how to make an impact on policy. She said this will be a long project and perhaps there could be a rotating committee to do the preliminary work. B. Discuss Floodplain Ordinance Recommendation Letter. This was discussed above. C. Update On Peninsula And Waterworks Park Planning. Neumann said another meeting has been scheduled on the second Waterworks Park concept on October 13, 1998. He said they had a fairly good plan but there were some concerns about the security aspect of parking around the plant and there were problems with too much vehicle traffic around the pond. There are also some other aspects about an amphitheater by the Butler House and the way irs graded. He has not heard anything on the Peninsula. Annual Review of RNAC Bylaws. Neumann said the Clerks office requested that each commission review its bylaws to make sure they are being followed. Daniels thought the bylaws looked fine. MOTION: Hoppin moved to approve the bylaws as they are written. Grimm seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 7-0. (Fearing had left'at 6:17. Goetsch left at 6:40. Rose left at 6:45.) 5. COMMISSION REPORTS: Report From JCCOG Regional Trails And Bicycling Committee Representative. (RTBC) Mascal attended an RTBC meeting on September 1. He said the meeting had followed the Clear Creek planning meeting. The University and the City are okay with what they have proposed; however the local farmers were concerned about the trail going up on the bluff as opposed to close to the creek. In the bluffs the Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission September 16, 1998 Page 5 , woodlands would be disturbed and some of the farmers are concerned about a decrease in property values because of the trail. Wilson said there had been a meeting on September 8. He said they decided to change the prime route of the path to go 'along the creek because a trail along the bluff would be more costly. In addition, the flatter route would allow greater access for walkers and bicyclists. The higher route could be a future loop. Mascal also said the Willow Creek/Mormon Trek Trail had an upcoming ribbon- cutting on Saturday, September 19. Mascal said he would attend. He stated they wanted to complete more of the trail and open it through Willow Creek, but because of some other construction it will have to be completed next spring. He said the Northridge Trail has a small stretch between North Liberty and the Oakdale campus for which there is funding but no construction schedule yet. North Liberty has their trail completed to the end of the city limits. This will meet with the trail through Oakdale which will then meet up with the trail leading by the mall. He stated all of the communities have been aggressive in making sure this happens. A challenge for them has been determining whether funding will come from the DNR or the DOT. Daniels asked that Hickory Hill be discussed at the next meeting. She also asked about the Snyder Creek wetland study for which there was a presentation. Neumann said the presentation was part of a department meeting. He said it hinges on cooperation with the property owners. Right now they are approaching property owners requesting to do soil borings (drilling). Neumann will update the Commission if there is anything they need to be involved with. Daniels said the Human Rights Commission sent letters to all Commission Chairpersons inviting Commission members to attend a breakfast and requesting nominations for the Human Rights awards. If anyone wishes to attend or wants to nominate an individual, Daniels said she could be contacted. B. Report From Parks And Recreation Commission Representative. No representative was in attendance. OTHER BUSINESS: Neumann said four terms are ending for representatives for the city, county, and parks and recreation. A notice will appear in the paper. Wilson said if anyone is leaving the Commission, the group should actively promote diversity. Daniels said she will continue to encourage a divetee pool of applicants. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION: Grimm moved to adjourn the meeting. Kral seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 7:09 p.m. ppdadmin\mins~rnac9-16.doc MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1998 11-03-98 4b(8) MEMBERS PRESENT Bebe Ballantyne, Teni Miller, Allan Monsanto, Kenneth Mobily, Deborah Schoenfelder, M. Kathryn Wallace, and Philip Zell MEMBERS ABSENT Joanne Hora STAFF PRESENT Linda Kopping, Julie Seal, Susan Rogusky and Michelle Buhman GUESTS PRESENT Rachel Perry and Lee McGovem CALL TO ORDER Wallace called the meeting to order at 3:05. MINUTES Motion: To approve August minutes as distributed. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. SchoenfelderlMonsanto. PUBLIC DISCUSSION None. VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION REVIEW-Ballantyne The Volunteer Recognition event was a success with approximately 170 volunteers in attendance. The amount spent on the event has yet to be determined. SENIOR CENTER UPDATE Operations - Kopping The HVAC project is neadng completion with a final walk through scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, 1998. Kopping plans to discuss the continuing air flow problems on the mezzanine level of the building with the engineer dudng the walk through. The Washington Street entrance is scheduled to be replaced. The new entrance will be made of anedized aluminum and feature a large centrally placed door. The Engineering Department is coordinating this project. The contract has been awarded to McComas- Lacina and, as soon as all the necessary parts ardve, the project will begin. McComas-Lacina installed center railings on both Linn Street entrances. The railings still need to be painted. MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1998 2 The roof has developed some new leaks; one above the Assembly Room and the other above the Elderly Services Agency office area. The roofers will be out to inspect the roof and make necessary repairs. Following their semi-annual review, Van Winkle-Jacob recommended repairs to the masonry, cap stones, and the northwest wall on the roof. The building is no longer under warranty and cost estimates from Van Winkle-Jacob Engineering range between $6750 to $7750. The Installation of door timers and ADA compliant hardware is complete. Kopping will be meeting with Steve Atkins, Joe Bolkom and Patrick VVhite on Thursday, September 17, to discuss the 28E Agreement and concerns related to Senior Dining. Kopping, Seal and Rogusky will present a Senior Center organizational review, focusing on issues confronting the Senior Center over the next three years to Steve Atkins later this month. Kopping and Buhman are working with Jeanne Somsky, Buyer II, and Iowa City Telephone Company to select a voicemail system appropriate for the Senior Center. The Senior Center has acquired four more portable radios to improve communication between staff members dudng an emergency. Staff members have been using the radios for day to day communication as well. Pro.Grams - Seal Events occurring in October were reviewed. Volunteers- Rogusky An update of volunteer programs and opportunities was given. COUNCIL OF ELDERS - McGovem A report from the Council of Elders was given. COMMISSION VISITS City Council - Zell No report available Board of Supervisors - Ballantyne A report of the Board of Supervisors meeting was given. MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1998 3 COMMISSION DISCUSSION Commissioners discussed recruiting individuals to fill upcoming vacancies on the Senior Center Commission. City Council appointments, Zell and Mobily indicated they do not plan on reapplying. One Johnson County appointment, held by Joanne Hora, will also expire at the end of the 1998. Hora has not indicated whether or not she will be reapplying. Wilma Conner, Vice-Chair of the Commission, died on Wednesday, September 2, 1998. Conner, a County appointment also needs to be replaced. Motion: To nominate Debra Schoenfelder as Vice Chair of the Commission for the balance of 1998. Motion carried on a vote of 7-0. MillerlBallantyne. CORRESPONDANCE - Kopping A letter from Tom Muller, which suggested moving the Senior Center to the vacant Randalls building was presented to the Commission. Commissioners discussed the pros and cons of relocation. Commission discussion will be summarized and submitted to Steve Atkins. Motion: To adjourn. Motion was carried on a vote of 6-0. Miller/Monsanto. The meeting was adjourned at 4:25.