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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-07-14 Info Packet CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org July 14, 2005 I JULY 18 WORK SESSION ITEMS IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agendas IP2 Memorandum from the Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development: First Avenue Railroad Grade Separation Project IP3 Memorandum from the Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development: Traffic on East Court Street between Summit Street and Muscatine Avenue IP4 Memorandum from JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner: Re-survey of Oakcrest Street [Reference agenda item 2f7] Update of Capital Improvements Program FY 2005-2009 [Presented by Public Works Director at 7/18 Work Session] Rocky Shore Drive Pedestrian Bridge Presentation [by City Engineer at 7/18 Work Session] MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS IP5 Memorandum from Shaun Bradbury, Special Projects, to the Public Works Director: Iowa City Water Treatment Plant Architectural Precast Panel Rework Agreement IP6 Memorandum from Fire Marshal Jensen to Chief Rocca: Fire Prevention Advisory Committee IP7 Memorandum from the Fire Chief to the City Manager: Response Times - Northeast Iowa City IP8 Memorandum from the Director of Planning and Community Development: Zoning Code Process Update IP9 Johnson County Paratransit Advisory Board [submitted by Council Member Vanderhoef] IP10 Iowa League of Cities - Guidance Knowledge & Advocacy [submitted by Council Member VanderhoefJ IPll Memorandum from the JCCOG Solid Waste Management Planner to the City Manager: Curbside recycling survey results IP12 Letter from Phillip E. Jones to former Police Chief Winkelhake: Summary of Student Citations and Arrests in Iowa City 2004-2005 July 14, 2005 Information Packet Icontinuedl 2 IP13 Memorandum from the Senior Center Coordinator: Senior Center Membership Survey Spring 2005 IP14 Police Department Monthly Liquor License (OFF PREMISE SALES) Report April 2005 IP15 Police Department Monthly Liquor License (OFF PREMISE SALES) Report May 2005 IP16 Agenda: Economic Development Committee July 19, 2005 PRELIMINARY/DRAFT MINUTES I IP17 Board of Adjustment: June 8, 2005 IP18 Historic Preservation Commission: June 30, 2005 IP19 Senior Center Commission: June 21, 2005 IP20 Housing and Community Development Commission: June 30, 2005 IP21 Public Art Advisory Committee: July 7, 2005 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org July 14, 2005 JULY 18 WORK SESSION ITEMS IP1 Council Meetings ~d Session Agendas IP2 Memorandum from t Assistant Director of Planning and Communiiy Development: First Avenue Railroad Separation Project IP3 Memorandum from the ~istant Director of Planning and Comm/unity Development: Traffic on East Court Street Summit Street and Muscatine/Avenue IP4 Memorandum from Traffic Engineering Planner: //Re-survey of Oakcrest Street [Reference agenc CELLANEOUS IT /IS IP5 Memorandum from Shaun )ury, Special Pro to the Public Works Director: Iowa City Water Treatment ~itectural Panel Rework Agreement IP6 Memorandum from Fire Marst Jensen Chief Rocca: Fire Prevention Advisory Committee IP7 Memorandum from the Fire Chief t¢ Manager: Response Times - Northeast Iowa City IP8 Memorandum from the Director qning and Community Development: Zoning Code Process Update IP9 Johnson County Paratransi ¥ .mitted by Council Member Vanderhoef] Iowa League of Cities -/~uidance Knov .~dge & Advocacy [submitted by Council Member IP10 Vanderhoet] / ~ Memorandum from/{he JCCOG Solid V~ stye Management Planner to the City Manager: IPll Curbside recycle! survey results ~ IP12 Letter from Ph, i~ip E. Jones to former ! )lice Chief Winkelhake: Summary of Student Citations anfArrests in Iowa City 2004-2005. IP13 Memorandu/m from the Senior Center Coordinator: Senior Center Membership Survey Spring 2005 IP14 Police Department Monthly Liquor License (OFF PREMISE SALES) Report April 2005 IP15 Police Department Monthly Liquor License (OFF PREMISE SALES) Report May 2005 July 14, 2005 Information Packet (continuedI 2 IP16 Agenda: Economic Development Committee July 19, 2005 PRELIMINARY/DRAFT MINUTEI IP17 Board of Ad ~ent: June 8, 2005 IP18 Historic Commission: June 30, 2005 IP19 Senior CenterComr~ )n: June 21, 2005 IP20 Housing and )ment Commis June 30, 2005 IP21 PublicArt Advisory July 7, 2005 .~.~__~_~L..~=~r~__ City Council Meeting Schedule and C,T~ OF ~OWA C,T~ Work Session Agendas ~,,~, ~3, 2002 www.icgov.org s ss o. I , MONDAY, JULY 18 EmmaJ. HarvatHall 6:30p Council WOrk Session · Planning and Zoning Items · Council Appointments · Update Public Works Projects · Proposed Iowa River/Peninsula Bridge · First Avenue Railroad Grade Separation Project · Traffic on East Court Street between Summit St. and Muscatine Ave. · Re-survey of Oakcrest Street [reference agenda item 2f7] · Council Time · Agenda Items · Schedule of Future Pending Items · TUESDAY, JULY 19 Emma J. Ha/vat Hall 7:00P Regular Formal Council Meeting TENTATIVE FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS I · MONDAY, AUGUST 1 ' Emma J. Ha/vat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session · TUESDAY, AUGUST 2 Emma J. Ha/vat Hall 7:00p Regular Formal Council Meeting · MONDAY, AUGUST 15 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session · TUESDAY, AUGUST 16 Emma J. Ha/vat Hall 7:00p Regular Formal Council Meeting · MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Emma J. Ha/vat Hall Labor Day - City Offices Closed · TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 Emma J. Harvat Hall TBD Special Council Work Session Regular Formal Council Meeting · MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Emma J. Ha/vat Hall 6:30p Council Work Session · TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00p Regular Formal Council Meeting Date: July 13, 2005 To: City Council _.._._, _./,.,/. From: Jeff Davidson, Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development Re: July 18, 2005 work session discussion: First Avenue railroad grade separation project At last winter's CIP budget discussion we briefly outlined the First Avenue railroad grade separation study which was underway at that time. The purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of separating the railroad grade from the grade of First Avenue. The final report has been completed and a copy enclosed in your July 18 work session packet. The purpose of our discussion at the July 18 work session is to familiarize you with the project and see if there is concurrence with the JCCOG Transportation Planning Division prepanng a grant application to the Iowa DOT Clean Air Attainment Program this fall. This is the same grant program that we received funds from for the railroad interchange relocation project, and the traffic signal interconnection project. This grant program awards funding based on the reduction of various types of pollutants, and we feel that the First Avenue railroad grade separation project is a good candidate. At our July 18 discussion we will only be discussing the general concept of the project. There has been no detailed design done yet, but the study has researched the project in enough detail to determine its feasibility. The study evaluated taking First Avenue over the railroad and taking the railroad over First Avenue. It was determined that taking the railroad over First Avenue is the preferable alternative. The principal disadvantages to taking First Avenue over the railroad are the private property impacts in the vicinity, the steep grades that would result for First Avenue, the elimination of driveway accesses to several businesses in the area, and safety concerns of pedestrians cutting underneath the First Avenue bridge across the railroad tracks. Additional positive impacts to taking the railroad over First Avenue include taking advantage of the 12-foot drop in the vertical grade of First Avenue south of the railroad, the ease of raising the railroad line compared to lowering it, the lessened impact to private property in the area, and the ability to accommodate existing driveway locations. The railroad over First Avenue alternative can also be constructed while keeping First Avenue open to traffic. This is an important consideration in that there is a lack of detour routes for First Avenue. The principal benefit of the grade separation project is to reduce delay to the traveling public on First Avenue, as well as reduce delays to Fire Station #3 and improve the safety of school children attending Southeast Junior High. The estimated construction cost of the project is expensive, approximately $5.9 million, including a 15% contingency. However, the report also assigns a dollar value to the public in terms of lost time, wasted fuel, and additional air pollution, and has determined that over the 75-year life of the railroad bridge, the yearly cost to the public in lost time if it were not built is $31,000,000. As stated previously, the study which has been completed at this time is a general concept plan, and does not include detailed design parameters. We will attempt to answer general questions about the project at the July 18 work session. Please indicate if there is concurrence from a majority of the City Council to proceed with a grant application to the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program so that we can begin acquiring funding for the project. cc: Steve Atkins Karin Franklin Rick Fosse RoB Knoche mg r/agd/jd- 1stave-railroad.doc Grade Separation Study Iowa City, IA CONSULTING ENGINEERS 506 E. College Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 History .................................................................................................................................. 1 Iowa Interstate Railroad ....................................................................................................... 1 Parameters ............................................................................................................................ 2 Utilities ................................................................................................................................. 2 Cost to the Public ................................................................................................................. 3 Existing Site Conditions ...................................................................................................... 3 Alternatives .......................................................................................................................... 4 Roadway Over Railroad ....................................................................................................... 4 Railroad Over the Roadway ................................................................................................. 5 Summary and Conclusion .................................................................................................... 7 APPENDICES Appendix A - At Grade Cost to the public in Dollars and Pollution Appendix B Roadway Over Railroad Plan and Profile Cost Estimate Appendix C -- Railroad Over Roadway Plan and Profile Cost Estimate Staging Appendix D - Low Profile Railroad Bridge INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of grade separating the intersection of First Avenue in Iowa City, Iowa and the Iowa Interstate Railroad. Southeast Iowa City has seen significant growth in recent years. First Avenue serves as a major north-south arterial connecting U.S. Highway 6 and the Sycamore Mall area to the south with the residential area to the north. Railroads are experiencing a yearly 10 percent increase in use due to rising energy costs and the general increase of shipped products. Approximately one-third of the freight hauled in the United States is by train. This method is safe, efficient and reliable, and, reduces congestion and pollution on our highways. Vehicular traffic has also seen a considerable increase. Currently, there are 20,400 vehicles per day and that number is expected to climb to over 28,000 in ten years. Since both modes of transportation are increasing in volume, this intersection is becoming congested and traffic delays are becoming more frequent and longer. HISTORY The railroad was built in 1855 as the Missouri - Mississippi Railroad. Approximately 15 years later, it was acquired by the Rock Island Railroad. However, when the ~ Rock Island Railroad went bankrupt in the 1980's, a group of investors, who used the railroad, formed the Heartland Rail Corp to purchase the rights from the court. Today, the line is operated by the Iowa Interstate Railroad. First Avenue was originally built by Johnson County and crossed the railroad with a bridge. The bridge was typical of early bridges over the railroad, trestles with very steep approach slopes. These bridges were not designed for today's vehicle weights and any remaining bridges are posted for very Iow load carrying capacities. The alignment of the roadway followed Mall Drive on the south side. In the early 1960's the bridge was removed and replaced with a grade crossing. IOWA INTERSTATE RAILROAD The Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) operates the former Rock Island Railroad line between Chicago and Omaha. This track is owned by Heartland Rail Corporation, which was formed in June 1983 to preserve rail service in this corridor. IAIS is headquartered in Cedar Rapids. The railroad operates 643 miles of track from Chicago to Omaha through the Quad Cities, Iowa City and Des Moines, as well as several branch lines. Intermodal service is provided at Chicago, Council Bluffs, Newton and West Liberty. The IAIS operations in Iowa include 432 miles. Employees of the railroad total 176, with 136 located in Iowa. The main products handled by the IAIS include farm products, food products, transportation equipment, waste and scrap products, and metals. FIGURE 1 - IOWA INTERSTATE RAILROAD ROUTE PARAMETERS Grade separations have certain geometric requirements depending upon which facility is crossed. In addition, the City of Iowa City and the Iowa Department of Transportation have basic guidelines for arterial streets that are based on AASHTO guidelines. A summary of the key parameters is shown in table 1. TABLE 1 - SUMMARY OF GEOMETRIC GUIDELINES Parameter R.R. over Roadwa}' Roadwa}' over R.R. Vertical Clearance 16.5' 23.0' Structure Depth 5.0' 4.0' Lateral Clearance Bridge foundation must be 10' clear Bridge foundation must be 12' clear with from back of curb crash wall or 25' without crash wall Length of Bridge -90' - 150' Width of Bridge 22' 80' Maximum Grade 1% max. R.R. grade 8% max. roadway grade  2 UTILITIES There are a number of utilities in this area. The following is a summary of the major utilities in the area. · MCI-Worldcom - A fiber optic line, which runs in the railroad ROW, parallel to the railroad. The line consists of 144 fibers in an 18-conduit pipe buried 5 feet below the ground. This utility is not located in public ROW so there will be a $200,000 cost associated with relocating this utility. · City Sanitary Sewer - On the south side of the tracks there is a 66-inch sanitary sewer that is buried 14 to 20 feet below the surface. Since this utility is so deep it will not be a factor. · City Water Crossing the railroad, running north-south is a 16-inch watermain. This utility will have to be relocated and the cost is included in the project cost estimates. · Mid-American - There are 13,200-volt overhead distribution lines running east- west along Mall Drive and north-south along First Avenue. In addition, there is a 161,000-volt overhead transmission line running along the railroad. This line will cost approximately $50,000 to move. · Mid-American - Crossing the railroad is an 8-inch gas line. This utility will have to be relocated for this project. · Storm water from the site is currently accommodated by a 3'x6' culvert that runs under and perpendicular to First Avenue. This system need to be supplemented with a storm water lift station that would carry the additional storm water created by this project to the east. The cost for this lift station and piping are included in the cost estimates. These utilities can be accommodated in a grade separation. However, the MCI fiber optic line will have a significant cost for the relocation. COST TO THE PUBLIC Whenever traffic is delayed there is cost to the public in lost time, wasted fuel and additional air pollution. Trains create significant delays and leave vehicles standing still for 10 to 15 minutes. Based on observed back-ups and traffic counts we estimate the yearly cost to the public in lost time to be $413,000 per year, which, over a 75-year life of a bridge is over $31,000,000. A detailed calculation is included in Appendix A. Iowa City Fire Station No. 3 is located near the intersection of First Avenue and Lower Muscatine Road and serves the east Iowa City area north of the tracks. When trains are blocking the tracks fire equipment must take the Summit Street detour adding several minutes to their response time. ~ 3 Motor vehicles emit several types of pollutants, a couple of which actually increase when a vehicle is idling. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions increase when fuel is not efficiently burned such as when a vehicle is idling. The air pollution generated by the grade crossing is as follows: Pollutant yearly Over 75 years Carbon Monoxide (CO) 9,928 kg 744,600 kg Volatile Organic Hydrocarbons (VOC) 1,033 kg 77,475 kg Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) 672 kg 50,400 kg These costs in air pollution are computed and summarized in Appendix A. EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS The railroad crosses the roadway at a skew angle of approximately 28 degrees. The railroad has a 100-foot wide right-of-way that takes precedence over the roadway right- of-way which has a width of 80 feet. The railroad has one track crossing First Avenue but within 300 feet of either side of the roadway there is a rail turnout to the south. The existing First Avenue roadway is 44 feet wide and carries 4 lanes of traffic. In additional there are 4 foot wide sidewalks on each side of the roadway. ALTERNATIVES There are two ways to grade separate these facilities; take the roadway over the railroad or take the railroad over the roadway. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages as outlined in the Parameters section above. Basically, this is a study in geometry, keeping in mind the limitations of the parameters. The majority of grade separations feature the roadway going over the railroad. This is primarily due to the difference in maximum grades allowed for railroads (1 percent) versus roadway (8 percent). However, this site has geometry that makes both methods feasible. There are some unique features and constraints of the existing terrain of this site: · The railroad is a high point at First Avenue, sloping down 0.40 percent in each direction. · The roadway slopes down from north to south. Between Bradford Street and the railroad there is a 15-foot drop. South from the railroad, over the next 600 feet, there is a drop of 14 feet. · Mall Drive intersects First Avenue 250 feet south of the railroad. This must be accommodated with any change of grade of First Avenue. · There are no driveways on the north side of the tracks except South East Junior High. This will allow a significant change of grade without having to rebuild significant portions of private driveways. · On the south side of the tracks the first driveways are over 200 feet south of the tracks.  4 ALTERNATE A - ROADWAY OVER RAILROAD The majority of road-train grade separations feature the roadway over the railroad. However, at this site there is not enough length on the south approach to accommodate the 23 feet of clearance that the railroad needs. Since the railroad grade is a high point at the crossing it would be very feasible to lower the railroad. The amount that the railroad can be lowered is limited by the maximum grade of 1 percent and the drainage of the area adjacent to the railroad. It would be feasible to lower the railroad 8 feet at First Avenue and slope up in each direction. As shown in Table 1, the railroad requires 23 feet of vertical clearance and with structure depth of approximately 4 feet the total grade separation required is 27 feet. Since 8 feet of this distance can be gained by lowering the railroad, the remaining 19 feet must be obtained by raising the roadway. Since the grade raises approximately 11 feet in the first 500 feet north of the bridge, the slope required to reach the top over the railroad is fairly easy with a 5 percent slope. However, since the existing roadway drops away to the south, even with the maximum 8 percent slope, it will take 700 feet before the slope reaches the existing slope. In addition, the new roadway would still be 15 feet higher than the existing grade at Mall Drive. Raising Mall drive to meet this would require taking of property on both sides of the street and would affect the Four Seasons Car Wash and Sueppel's Flowes, Inc. As with vehicular traffic now having to go up over the bridge, pedestrian traffic has to go up over the bridge as well. Most pedestrians will do this; however, some may want to take the shortest route. In this case, it is across the railroad tracks and this can be very dangerous. Plan and profile sheets are shown in Appendix B for this alternative. They show graphically what was discussed in the preceding paragraph. The high fills for the bridge approach would eliminate access to the Car Wash, Florist and the north access to the Goodwill properties. This alternative would require steep grades, and significant property acquisition. For these reasons, we do not recommend the roadway bridge over the railroad. Estimated construction cost of this alternative including engineering and a 15% contingency is $5,844,000 plus the cost of property acquisition. ~ 5 ALTERNATE B - RAILROAD OVER THE ROADWAY This alternative can take advantage of the 12-foot drop in vertical grade in the 400 feet south of the railroad crossing. By moving this hill to the north side of the railroad crossing, 10 feet of the required 21-foot vertical difference can be gained while still maintaining slope to the south for drainage. This will lower the roadway 10 feet in the vicinity of the railroad. To make up the vertical difference, the railroad will have to be raised approximately 11 feet. Raising a railroad line is easier than lowering it. Lowering a rail line requires the removal of the track and ties; the grade to be excavated and then put back. Raising a set of tracks can be accomplished by placing new ballast rock between the rails and then using a machine to lift the rail, including the ties, and compacting the new ballast. Repeating this procedure can raise the tracks several feet without taking the railroad out of service. In order to span the roadway, sidewalks and have a skew of 28 degrees, the railroad bridge requires a span of 90 feet. Railroad loads are very large mad require a substantial bridge. Yet, it is critical that the bridge be as thin a possible to keep the raise in the railroad grade to a minimum. The first few feet of change in grade of the railroad are fairly economical but each additional foot vertically adds 200 feet horizontally. At a height of 11 feet, each additional foot of rise costs nearly $200,000 so it is important to keep the structure as thin as possible. We had a similar problem requiring a thin structure on the railroad bridge over Momaon Trek Boulevard in west Iowa City, which was solved using a unique box structure. A summary of this bridge is shown in Appendix D. We proppse a similar type of bridge for this location. Since the roadway will be lowered, there will need to be retaining walls on tlu:ee comers of the intersection. The exception being the northwest comer, where the yard of Southeast Junior High School can be graded to meet the lower roadway. The other three comers will require walls that are 10 feet high near the bridge and reduce in height away from the bridge. There are many aesthetically pleasing ways to build these walls, including incorporating a public art project. Although construction easement will be required, there will be no significant property acquisition required. ~ 6 The driveway to Southeast Junior High School would need to be rerouted as shown on the plan and profile. Mall Drive would need to be lowered approximately 3.5 feet at the intersection with First Avenue. The first driveway on Mall Drive is over 110 feet east of the intersection so this change should be able to be accomplished in this distance. There are multiple driveways into Goodwill and Brennaman's on the west side. First Avenue will be 5 feet lower at Goodwill's north most driveway and 1 foot lower at Brennaman's driveway. A Plan and Profile of this alterative is shown in Appendix C. Constructability must be investigated for this alterative to be viable. Closing the road to traffic would require a detour for the 20,400 vehicles per day that use this crossing. The four-mile detour would cost $17,136 per day (based on $0.21/mile) and if the construction took 10 months it would have a public cost of $5.1 million dollars. This could be mitigated if the project was built under staged construction. Since the railroad must be built in stages and does not have a detour option, doing roadway construction in stages is only logical. A scenario for staging the construction is shown in Appendix C. The estimated construction cost for this alternative, including engineering and a 15% contingency is $ 5,917,000. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS As vehicle and rail traffic in this area increase, the problems associated with blockage of the grade crossing will increase as well. We have discovered that there is a high cost to the public in terms of time and pollution maintaining a grade crossing at this location. We have studied the two possibilities, roadway over railroad and railroad over roadway and found that the roadway over the railroad would be difficult to construct and the final product would be at the limits of acceptable roadway grades and site distance vertical curves. However, the railroad over the roadway is feasible without significant property acquisition. ~ 7 APPENDIX A AT GRADE COST TO PUBLIC IN DOLLARS AND POLLUTION This Appendix shows the cost to the public of the existing grade crossing. COST TO THE PUBLIC IN DOLLARS Travel time is one o£ the largest transport costs and travel time savings are often the greatest potential benefit o£ transport improvements. Travel time costs and the benefits of travel time savings vary widely depending on factors such as type of trip, traveler and travel condition. Various studies ~,: have investigated the value businesses and consumers place on travel time and travel time savings, based on economic costs and willingness to pay for faster travel options. Below are some factors affecting travel time costs values. · Commercial vehicle costs include drivers' wages & overhead costs + vehicle costs + costs for the value of freight (particularly perishables). · Personal travel time is usually estimated at one-quarter to one-half of prevailing wage rates. Per-minute time costs tend to increase for longer commutes (more than about 20 minutes). · Travel time costs tend to be higher for driving under congested conditions, and for passengers under uncomfortable conditions. · Travel time costs tend to be particularly high for unexpected delays. · Some travel time has a low cost or positive value because people enjoy the experience, for example, for a pleasant drive or recreational train trip. · Under pleasant conditions, walking and cycling can have positive value, but under unpleasant or insecure conditions (for example, walking along a busy highway or waiting for a bus in an area that seems dirty and unsafe), time spent walking, cycling and waiting for transit has costs two or three times higher than time spent traveling. · Travel time costs tend to increase with income, and tend to be lo~ver for children and people who are retired or unemployed (or, put differently, people with full-time jobs tend to have more demands on their time, and so tend to be willing to pay more for travel time savings.) There is a great deal of information published regarding the rate to use when estimating the value of traveling time. Most base the rate on 50 to 60 percent of average wages. Several publications indicate the rate to be in the range of $12.50 to $14.00 per hour for personnel vehicles and $30.00 to $50.00 per hour for commercial vehicles. Cost Estimate Constants2 Constant Value Vehicle Occupancy 25 person/vehicle Average Cost of Time $13.00 per person per hour Commercial Vehicle Operating Cost $35.00 per vehicle per hour Vehicle Mix 95% passenger & 5% commercial Daily Traffic Volume 20,400vpd (2004), 28,000vpd (2014) Rail Traffic 2 trains per day In order to determine the number of vehicles that are delayed by a train at this location we observed the back-up distance that occurred during the delay. Generally, we found for the near peak time of day, that the vehicles backed up approximately 800 feet north and south with an additional backup of approximately 400 feet on Mall Drive. During the off-peak train the distances were about 2/3 this distance. Based on 25 feet per vehicle we can compute: FIRST AVENUE 25' per vehicle = 32 vehicles per lane 800' per lane MALL DRIVE 25' per vehicle = 16 vehicles per lane 400' per lane Totaling vehicles for the four lanes on First Avenue plus one lane on Mall Drive FIRST AVENUE 32 vehicles per lane x 4 lanes = 128 vehicles~ MALL DRIVE ~ 144 Vehicles 16 vehicles per lane x 1 lane ' 16 vehicles/ To further validate this number, we can look at the peak hour volume of 2,040 vph (10% of ADT). Reducing this to a 10 minute period yields 340 vehicles. This indicates that if a train arrives at peak time, on average 196 vehicles do not wait for the train but rather seek other routes around the blockage. It would be conservative to assume that if a train arrives slightly off peak then the number taking the detour would be 75% or 147 vehicles. Summit Street is a 4 mile detour but there is a bridge over the railroad. Scott Boulevard is a 3 mile detour and there is no bridge. The second train delays about 2/3 the amount of vehicles as during peak hours. That is, 96 vehicles. The total number of vehicles per day affected by train travel is 240. If the average delay time is 15 minutes (a train delay of 10 min plus 5 rain to clear the traffic) the total time of delay is: 240 vehicles per day x 15 minutes per vehicle = 60 hours per day 2 Appendix A The cost can be computed in the following manner: Delay Cost: PASSENGER VEHICLES 98.4% x 60 hfs day x 1.25 veh occupancy x $13.00 cost of time per hr = $959/day - $350,181/yr COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 1.6% x 60 hfs per day x $35 cost of timer per hour = $50.00/day = $18,396 / yr Total Delay Cost is $368,577 / year Detour Cost: 147 vehicles x 4 mi. x $0.21 per mile = $123.48/day ~ $45,070/yr Finally, assuming a 75-year life for the structure, the life time delay cost is: $413,647 / yr x 75 yrs = $31,023,525 This is a conservative estimate of the savings to the public over the life to the facility. Please note that this does not take into account the anticipated increase in traffic on First Avenue. COST TO THE PUBLIC IN AIR POLLUTION Motor vehicles produce various harmful air emissions, as summarized in Table Al. Some impacts are local, therefore more importance is placed on where emissions occur and their damaging affects; while others are regional or global, and so where they are released is less important. Emission Description Sources Harmful Effects Carbon monoxide A toxic gas which undermines Engine Human health, Climate (CO) blood's ability to carry oxygen, change Volatile organic A variety of organic compounds Fuel Human health, ozone hydrocarbons (VOCs). that form aerosols, production precursor. and engines. Nitrogen oxides Various compounds. Some are Engine Human health, ozone (NOx) toxic, all contribute to ozone, precursor, ecological damages. 3 Appendix A The project life was computed using a cost weighted average of the life expectancies listed on page 61 of"AASHTO - Geometric Design of Highways and Streets", 1990 and section C2.5.5 of"AASHTO - LRFD Bridge Design Specifications", 1994. The calculation is as follows: Component Life Weight7 Weighted Life Bridge 75 44% 33 Grading 100 31% 31 Base Course & Drainage 50 14% 7 Surfacing 20 11% 2.2 100% 73.2 The emission reduction calculations show this portion of the project will reduce emissions as follows: Cost Effectiveness Pollutant RedUction Based on total Project cost CO 9,928 kg/yr $6.71/kg/yr VOC (HC) 1,033 kg/yr $64.53/kg/yr Nox 672 k~/yr $99.21/kg/yr (The above are based upon 75-year project life) 4 Appendix A EMISSION REDUCTION CALCULATION rac~s CO VOC (HC) NOx Detour Length (net) 4 mi (see attached map) Current ADT Crossing Tracks 20,400 vpd (see attached traffic count plan) R.R. Crossing volume 2 trains/day Average train crossing time 15 min. Time intersection closed 30 min/day (trains/day x ave. delay) % of time intersection closed 3% (based on a 18 hr. traffic day) ADT stopped per day 240 vpd Estimated no. taking detour 147 vpd Daily extra miles per day 588 mi. Emission Factor (25mph) 25.99 g/mi 2.44 g/mi 2.76 g/mi (Table 5) Emission Factor x extra miles per 15.2 kg 1.43 kg 1.62 kg day Estimated no. waiting for train 240 (see above) Vehicle Minutes of Delay (VMD) 1,200 (5.0 ave. min.) Emission Factor for Idling 10.02 g/min 1.17 g/min 0.18 g/min Vehicles (0mph) (MOBILE 5A, 1990, provided by Dan Whieler from FHWA, Kansas City, 816-276-2750) Emission Factor x VMD 12.0 kg 1.40 kg 0.22 kg Total Emissions Reduction 9,928 1,033 672 (kg/year) References: 1. FHWA, "Departmental Guidance For the Valuation of Travel Time in Economic Analysis", FHWA, 1997 2. "2004 Urban Mobility Study", Texas Transportation Institute, 2004 5 Appendix A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE FIRST AVENUE OVER RAILROAD UNIT EXTENDED ITEM UNIT QUANTITY COST COST MOBILIZATION L.S. $200,000 RAILROAD BALLAST TON 14000 $18.00 $252,000 TIES EACH 2200 $65.00 $143,000 EXCAVATION CY 26000 $5.00 $130,000 SHEETING SF 12000 $20.00 $240,000 RAIL TLF 3400 $33.00 $112,200 ROADWAY BRIDGE EACH 1 $1,320,000.00 $1,320,000 PAVEMENT S.Y. 9500 $35.00 $332 500 SIDEWALK SY 2100 $25.00 $52 500 REMOVAL OF PAVEMENT SY 9500 $5.00 $47 500 SITE RESTORATION LS $50 000 FILL CY 16500 $12.00 $198 000 STORM SEWER LF 1000 $35.00 $35 000 INTAKES & MANHOLES EACH 8 $2,500.00 $20 000 CONCRETE FOR RETAINING WALLS C.Y. 800.00 $400.00 $320 000 STORM WATER LIFT STATION CONCRETE PIT LS 1 $30,000.00 $30,000 PUMPS LF 2 $30,000.00 $60,000 ELECTRICAL LS 1 $50,000.00 $50,000 PIPING LF 2500 $50.00 $125,000 UTILITIES WATER MAIN LF 750.00 $75.00 $56,250 WATER CONNECTIONS & HYDRANTS LS $11,250 MCI FIBER OPTIC LS $200,000 MIDAMERICAN ENERGY LS $50,000 STAGING TEMPORARY RAIL CROSSING (GRADE CHANGE) EACH 1 $400,000.00 $400,000 SHEETING SF 7600 $18.00 $136,800 TRAFFIC CONTROL LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000 TEMPORARY RR BRIDGE EACH 1 $0 TEMPORARY BARRIER RAILS LF $20.00 $0 $4,647,000 $697,O5O $5,344,050 ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT $500,000 ESTIMATE OF TOTAL ESTIMATE $5,844,050 PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE RAILROAD OVER FIRST AVENUE UNIT EXTENDED ITEM UNIT QUANTITY COST COST MOBILIZATION L.S. $200,000 RAILROAD RAILROAD BRIDGE EACH 1 $1,I00,000.00 $1,100,000 BALLAST TON 48000 $18.00 $864,000 TIES EACH 4900 $65.00 $318,500 RAIL TLF 3800 $33.00 $125,400 ROADWAY PAVEMENT S.Y. 7300 $35.00 $255,500 SIDEWALK SY 1500 $25.00 $37,500 REMOVAL OF PAVEMENT SY 8500 $5.00 $42,500 SITE RESTORATION LS $50,000 EXCAVATION CY 16500 $12.00 $198,000 RAILINGS FOR WALLS LF 1200 $100.00 $120,000 CONCRETE FOR RETAINING WALLS C.Y. 550.00 $400.00 $220,000 STORM WATER LiFT STATION CONCRETE PIT LS 1 $30,000.00 $30,000 PUMPS LF 2 $30,000.00 $60,000 ELECTRICAL LS 1 $50,000.00 $50,000 PIPING LF 2500 $50.00 $125,000 UTILITIES WATER MAIN LF 750.00 $75.00 $56,250 WATER CONNECTIONS & HYDRANTS LS $11,250 MCI FIBER OPTIC LS $200,000 MIDAMERICAN ENERGY LS $50,000 STAGING TEMPORARY RAIL CROSSING EACH 1 $150,000.00 $150,000 SHEETING SF 7600 $20.00 $152,000 TRAFFIC CONTROL LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000 TEMPORARY RR BRIDGE EACH 1 $200,000.00 $200,000 TEMPORARY BARRIER RAILS LF 1000 $20.00 $20,000 $4,710,900 CONTINGENCY (15%) $706,635 CONSTRUCTION TOTAL $5,417,535 ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT $500,000 ESTIMATE OF TOTAL ESTIMATE $5,917,535 APPENDIX D LOW PROFILE RAILROAD BRIDGE DESIGN iNTRODUCTION Steel Bridges Throughout history bridges have been .used to extend roadways and railways across bodies of water and diverse obstacles. In bridge building various materials are used- among the most common are timber, concrete and structural steel. While timber and concrete are good substances for building bridges of any type, size or for any purpose, for railroad bridges, the option of choice is steel. This hard, durable and strong metal is readily available and can be fabricated rather economically. Nevertheless, over the past few years the cost of labor has increased dramatically. This factor lead us to pursue different options resulting in the design of a cost efficient bridge demanding the least amount of manual labor possible during construction. In the past we have designed unique low-profile steel box girder bridges adapted for the job site, with pleasing aesthetics and allowing necessary clearance for traffic. Figure 1: Conventional Through Plate Girder Cross Section ThroUgh Plate Girder Bridges Many of the railroad bridges over roadways in the United States today are through-plate girder bridges similar to the one shown in Figure 1: Through-plate girder bridges have been used for railroads in areas where the clearance below the bridge was of concern. Another element considered when working with bridges and with respect to sufficient clearance is grade. Does the bridge design provide the grade separation necessary to obtain the desired clearance? Raising the railroad grade is very expensive since raising the railroad tracks would require thousands of feet of grade work in each direction from the bridge to accommodate the maximum slope requirements. However, this design allows for the rails to be low in relation to the bottom of the plate girders to attain the desired clearance. These deep exterior girders are required to support the heavy railroad loads and meet the deflection criteria. The cross section shown in Figure 1 illustrates a conventional through plate girder bridge which was not a feasible option since it required the use of large amounts of steel that needed to be manually fabricated and assembled. As stated earlier, steel fabrication is very economical provided automatic welding processes can be used; however, the process of fabricating and assembling required by the Figure 1 design is very labor intensive. Stiffeners are required every couple of feet to provide internal support to the compression flange. Additionally, a floor beam is required every three feet for railroad load transfer to the main girders. A steel ballast pan is then set on these crossbeams to form a trough, which will hold all the ballast, ties, and rail. This system requires many pieces and multiple connections all of which are very labor intensive. STEEL BOX GIRDER DESIGN Recently, we designed a steel box girder bridge to span 100 feet over a roadway. A cross section of the bridge is shown Figure 2: 22'-2" 1'-10" 1' 10" )RAIN 1 1'[2" ~l!2xB4 SPLICE Figure 21 Steel Box Girder Cross Section 2 Appendix D The box girder consists of three cells with steel bottom and web plates composite with a folded concrete deck. The folded deck forms the trough for the railroad ballast. Expensive diaphragm fabrication is avoided due to the inherent torsional stability of the box section. The proposed bridge was successfully built at a substantial savings over the traditional through-girder bridge. The cross section had a depth between bottom of girder and top of rails of 5'-4" which made this a low-profile bridge. The steel "tub" was fabricated in two sections 100' long joined with a splice at the center as seen in Figure 2. The box girder design utilizes the concrete deck as a compression member which makes efficient use of the concrete compression strength. To further streamline the design, the box girder used a concrete diaphragm rather than steel diaphragm at midspan and at the supports. The concrete deck inherently forms a trough for the ballast to be placed. Deck drains where placed on each side to drain to one abutment. After this was completed, the railroad ties and rails where placed in the ballast. Design Requirements The bridge superstructure was designed to meet AREMA specifications and had many design components taken into account. The following is a list of some of the major design criteria: · Stress in box steel: the steel stresses were taken to be less than 0.55Fy. · Live load deflection criteria: L/640 deflection limit, which is 1.875 inches for a 100 foot span. The materials chosen to resist the loads and construct the box were: · Steel Plates: ASTM A709, Grade 50 · Concrete deck: Minimum concrete compression stress of 5,000 psi. Both of these materials are readily available in the area where this bridge was constructed. Stress Analysis The stress of the steel was computed by using the moment of inertia method and calculating the bending stress of the box girder with the following interaction equation: 3 Appendix D Mldl-Y M2dl'Y MLL'Y Ix 3 Ix I Ix 1 Equation 1: Mla~ Moment due to dead load on steel section, M2d~ = Moment due to dead load on composite section, M,L= Moment due to live load plus impact, I×~= Moment of inertia of composite section, Is- Moment of inertia of steel section, Ix3= Moment of inertia of composite section with K=3 for creep. The live load plus impact consisted of E80 loading, as per AREMA, which is applied to the composite section. TABLE 1 The dead loads are a combination of the concrete and steel D.L. #1 k/ft 4.52 which are applied to the steel section, and ballast, and rail D.L. #2 k4ft 1.98 which are applied to the composite section with a k value of Mo, #1 ft-k 5650 3 to account for creep in the concrete deck. The total stress in the box girder steel was 15.66 ksi (see table 1) which is MD, #2 ft-k 2475 much less than the allowable stress of 27.5 ksi. ME, ft-k 12892 M~up ft-k 4009 I~ in4 165228 Deflection Analysis I(; in4 656578 The steel design was governed by the live load deflection Ss ina 15062 criteria of L/640 as required by AREMA. The live load Sc ins 20837 deflection had to be less than 1.875 inches for the 100-foot fs DL #1 ksi 4.5 span. f~ DL #2 ksi 1.43 The bottom plate thickness and the thickness of the upper f~ LL ksi 7.42 concrete flanges over the exterior webs were the variables fs IMP ksi 2.31 used to obtain the required stiffness. The lower concrete f, TOTAL ksi 15.66 flange was too close to the neutral axis to be very effective f~ RANGE ksi 9.73 so its thickness was held at 8 inches. These variables could be adjusted without substantially affecting the depth of the Sr k/in 9.8 structure between the top of rail and bottom of girder. The REACTION (ONE BEARING} k I 569 final dimensions were 2 inches for the bottom plate and 12 Dead load #1 consists of the steel and inches for the upper concrete flanges. The live load concrete selfweight. deflection was verified by STAAD. Dead load #2 consists of the ballast and rail selfwei~ht. 4 Appendix D Compression Flange Analysis The upper concrete flanges were designed as concrete columns, fully supported. The longitudinal steel in the flanges were computed using the following equation: *Po := 0.80qb'[0.S5'fc'(Ag - As) + As'fy~ Equation 2: Concrete Compression Strength The concrete deck utilized the inherent compression capacity of concrete. A subsequent review of all the above equations was completed by performing a finite element analysis of the superstructure. Computer simulations were preformed by STAAD using a 3-D model of the bridge. As expected, the stress in the steel was greatest at midspan as shown in Figure 3: Area of Maximum Stress Figure 3: Steel Stress The geometry of this design requires the live load to be applied over the shorter (interior) webs. This, plus the fact that there is a significant difference in web heights, and thus stiffness, caused some concern as to the ability of the exterior webs to pick up the load. A STAAD analysis confirmed the exterior webs ability to pick up the load and vanished any concerns that had surfaced. Since the deflection at the bottom of the box was nearly the same at the interior web as at the exterior web it was concluded the torsional stiffness of the box was adequately transferring the load (see Figure 4). Figure 4: Mid Span Deflection 5 Appendix D STAAD also showed an unanticipated stress in the center of the concrete deck. This section near the middle of the span in the sidewalk areas required additional transverse reinforcing steel to compensate for this transverse stress. The higher stress in the sidewalk near midspan is shown in Figure 5. Area of Maximum Stress Figure 5: Concrete Stress Box Webs and Diaphragms To further simplify fabrication, the idea of steel diaphragms was discarded and concrete diaphragms were used instead. These concrete diaphragms are attached to the steel box by standard shear studs welded to the steel plate and connected to the concrete slab with stirmp reinforcing. The steel webs were sized to meet the thickness requirements of AREMA without stiffeners. The exterior webs are 1.25 inches and the interior webs are 3A inches thick. Although this meant more steel than standard transversely stiffened webs, significant savings were realized in the simplicity of the fabrication. 6 Appendix D ECONOMY The estimated savings using this low profile box was approximately $1,000,000. Currently, the average cost per pound of fabricated and erected steel is this region is $1.57. The cost for this bridge was $1.07 per pound. Although the web steel added some additional pounds, the 1/3 savings in the unit cost effectively compensated for the additional weight. The cost of the basic 100-foot span bridge was $960,000 with an additional $ 315,000 spent on aesthetics items such as limestone, lighting and decorative railing. A temporary shoo-fly added and additional $520,000 bringing the total construction cost to $1,795,000. ADVANTAGES OF THE BOX GIRDER SYSTEM The box girder design utilizes the concrete deck as a compression member, which makes efficient use of the concrete compression strength. Also, the folded deck allows the lowest possible railway to roadway difference and enables clearance requirements to be met. To follow are photographs (Figure 6 through 10) that show certain phases of the construction process: Figure 6: Placement of Steel Girders Figure 7: Bottom Girder Assembly Figure 8: Placement of Deck Reinforcing Figure 9: Poured Concrete Deck 7 Appendix D Figure 10: Placement of Rails Figure 11: Open for Business The time needed to construct the bridge was accelerated by eliminating the need for any field welding. The steel beams were brought to the site in two separate pieces, spliced together, set in place and then ready to have the concrete deck formed. As seen in figure 9, the deck forms a nice trough for the ballast and rails, which worked to provide a smooth transition across the bridge. AESTHETICS Some fundamentals on what aesthetically pleasing bridges have in common are: · they are simple (fewer individual members) · girders are relatively thin (large span to depth ratios) · the lines in the structure are continuous The box girder design eliminates the need for all interior bracing members of a through plate girder bridge. This keeps the design looking simple, clean and appealing. The typical railroad bridge appears to be bulky from the roadway below due to the large plate girders on each side of the tracks. The box girder design decreases the depth of the structure thus making the bridge more attractive. Finally, the box girder design has two continuous lines running the length of the bridge. The top line is the concrete slab and the bottom the actual steel girder. Using two lines is more aesthetically pleasing since the appearance of two thin lines is more appealing than one thick line. Completing its appeal is fiber optic lighting running next to the bridge girders which accentuates this bridge and adds a line of interest at the steel/concrete interface. The limestone veneer applied to the columns of the abutments enhances its beauty while virtually see thru rail keeps the bridge looking slender. These features along with special landscaping make the bridge a useful yet aesthetically pleasing structure fulfilling its purpose and existing in harmony with the distinctive surroundings of a unique town full of architectural virtues. 8 Appendix D Figure 12: Elevation Of Bridge CONCLUSIONS The steel box girder design offers an economical low profile between the rails and the bottom of the girder as needed in most railway over roadway applications. While the price of producing steel has not risen in recent years the increased cost of labor has caused the expense of fabricating steel bridges to rise significantly. This box girder design minimizes the fabrication costs while maintaining all design requirements. Overall it produces a clean, aesthetically pleasing, and cost effective bridge. REFERENCES 1. American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA), 2000, "Manual For Rail~,vay Engineering." 9 Appendix D Date: July 13, 2005 To: Mayor and City Council From: Jeff Davidson, Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development Re: June 7, 2005 petition from the Longfellow Neighborhood Association concerning traffic on east Court Street between Summit Street and Muscatine Avenue This information is provided in response to the petition you received from residents of Court Street between Summit Street and Muscatine Avenue. They reported concerns regarding "increasingly heavy, fast, and careless traffic" on this portion of East Court Street. They asked you to consider six specific alternatives for slowing down traffic and quieting the street. I have attached a copy of the petition for your reference. Several of the neighborhood's requests suggest traffic calming features which would be introduced to this section of Court Street. Accordingly, we initiated a traffic study, which is the first step of the City's adopted traffic calming program. As occurred when we investigated this same issue five years ago, the results of our study show that this section of Court Street is not eligible for the traffic calming program because it has a traffic volume of over 3,000 vehicles per day. To be more specific, our traffic count showed volume between 3,400 and 3,500 vehicles per day on Court Street between Oakland Avenue and Summit Street. The reason for the 3,000 vehicle per day threshold for the traffic calming program is that traffic calming features are not appropriate on higher-volume streets, and can result in a whole new set of problems for the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the experience in other communities when traffic calming features have been placed on higher volume roads include irritated motorists honking horns, driving through yards, yelling obscenities, speeding between traffic calming features, and generally expressing their irritation. I have attached a copy of the letter Mayor Lehman sent to the neighborhood five years ago when this matter was under consideration. There is also an issue with traffic diversion with such a high volume of traffic. Traffic diversion onto adjacent residential streets is always a concern with traffic calming, and one that we monitor when evaluating traffic calming projects. The neighborhood has stated a desire to direct traffic from Court Street to Burlington Street. However, for traffic westbound on Court Street desiring to go south on Summit Street, Center Avenue and Sheridan Avenue would likely receive diverted traffic. Because of the neighborhood's concern about safety, we checked the crash history on this segment of Court Street. There was one reported crash in the 3 ½ year period January 2002 through May 2005. It was a broadside crash With no injuries at the intersection of Court and Clark. A motorist was cited for failure to yield at a stop sign. I would like to specifically address the six items requested by the Longfellow Neighborhood Association in their petition. Because of the recorded traffic count, unless directed otherwise by you, we will not pursue the following traffic calming measures which have been suggested: · closing the street to through traffic by erecting a barricade similar to the Lexington Avenue barricade; or · installing devices such as speed humps, chicanes, or traffic circles. Longfellow Neighborhood Association Traffic Petition (Court St. btwn. Summit & Muscatine) July 13, 2005 Page 2 The following items were also presented in the neighborhood's petition: · Restrict truck and commercial vehicle use. The traffic data we collected does not show an inordinate amount of large trucks or commercial vehicles; around 2%, which is typical. You may, by ordinance, enact an embargo on large vehicles. This has been done on Kirkwood Avenue and First Avenue. It requires periodic police enforcement to be effective. · Lower the speed limit to the school zone speed limit and enforce the lower speed limit. The ordinance establishing the 20 mph school zone speed limit states that it shall be in effect only on the main street in front of each school. This does not include Court Street. The school zone speed limit is not effective in that it is violated by 95-99% of motorists. · Remove the turn lanes at Muscatine Avenue. I assume this request is related to making it less convenient for people to turn onto Court Street from Muscatine Avenue. This strategy would have delay and congestion impacts for the Court Street/Muscatine Avenue intersection. It is true that Court Street, Sheridan Avenue, and Seventh Avenue in the Longfellow Neighborhood experience higher than average cut-through traffic. This is because of a lack of routes across the railroad tracks. Motorists cut through the Longfellow Neighborhood on these streets in order to get to Summit Street and across the railroad tracks. · Return Court Street to its original brick surface. This is a somewhat expensive option, but one that you have available to you. It should not be used if the desire is to decrease noise on Court Street. A brick street is significantly noisier than a paved street. st effective su estion we have to offer s to have the Police Department conduct The mo gg th · periodic speed enforcement on this portion of Court Street. Our study showed the 85 percenble speed (statistically the speed of a "safe and reasonable" motorist) on Court Street to range from 30 to 33 mph. This is typical for a neighborhood collector street in Iowa City. It is usually the case that the small percentage of vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 10 mph are what causes the biggest concern in the neighborhood. With our traffic data we can isolate the times of day when the highest percentage of vehicles are traveling in excess of 35 mph on Court Street, and target enforcement during these times. Periodic speed enforcement by the police department has been shown to have a positive effect on reducing vehicle speeds. However, there should not be the expectation that a police officer would be present constantly on Court Street. Let me know how you would like to proceed, and if you would like any additional information. Attachments cc: Steve Atkins, City Manager Marcia Klingaman, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Matt Johnson, Acting Chief of Police Jim Hayes, Longfellow Neighborhood Association jccogtp/mem/Iongfellow traffic.doc JCCOG Location: cou~ st.. Summit-Muscatine 2005 Traffic Count Program Date recorded: -du~_~=Z~5~ Requested by: ~ 85%: 30 mph 85%: 32.5 mph f,682 ~ 1,668 85~: 32.8 mph 8~: 33.5 mph ~ ~ Numbers shown indicate 24-hour ~ average daily traffic Data. recorded.by NC97 HI-STAR If there are any questions, contact the JCCOG Transportation Planning Division at 356-5235. ~,, June 19, 2000 ~--~, I~1~ Ms. Jennifer Glass 1133 E. Court Street ~,1~ Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: Your letter of May 15, 2000 pertaining to traffic concerns on East Court Street Dear Ms. Glass: After receiving your letter of May 15, the City Council discussed your suggested modifications to the neighborhood traffic calming program at our work session on June 12. After discussion, we decided not to modify the provision that streets with a traffic volume over 3,000 vehicles per day should not be eligible for the traffic calming program. While we understand your concerns, we are also concerned about the safety problems which would result from attempting to calm traffic on streets with such high traffic volume. We do not believe traffic calming features are safe on higher volume streets, and also believe they could result in a whole new set of problems for your neighborhood: irritated motorists honking horns, driving through yards, speeding between the traffic calming features, and generally expressing their irritation. Unfortunately this has been the experience of other communities that have tried traffic calming on higher traffic volume streets. Our experience with attempting to calm traffic on Highland Avenue which has a traffic volume slightly under 3,000 vehicles per day was not favorable and resulted in the traffic calming features being removed after a two-week trial period. Our traffic engineering planner informs me that there have been other streets evaluated for the traffic calming program that have been found ineligible because of the 3,000 vehicle per day traffic count provision. If there are specific days of the week and times of day when you feel traffic problems are especially acute on East Court Street, we can have the police department conduct spot enforcement during those times. A regular program of spot police enforcement has been shown to be effective in reducing aggressive motorist behavior. Let us know if you would like to pursue this option. Sinc/~J~ Ernest W. kehman Mayor cc: City Council City Manager Acting Traffic Engineering Planner ~---~' Police Department rngr~ltr~glass doc 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 Hayes Lorenzen Lawyers James E Hayes Karen A. Lorenzen* Iulia C. Albul June 7,2005 Mr. Jeff Davidson City of Iowa City 410 E Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Jeff: At a meeting of the Longfellow Neighborhood Association, Connie Champion suggested that you get a copy of the enclosed Petition which was filed with the City Clerk on Monday, June 6, 2005. Undoubtedly this document will get into your hands at some time, but I wanted to follow up on Connie's recommendation. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. With kindest personal regards, I am Sincerely,  mes 'P. Hayes dPH/cag Enclosures Suite 580 Plaza Centre One 125 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240-5678 Phone: 319 887 3688 Fax: 319 887 3687 jhayes@hlplc, com klorenzen@hlplc.com ialbul@hlplc.com * Also admitted in Florida PETITION TO: The City Council of Iowa City FROM: The Residents and Property Owners of Court Street between Summit Street and Muscatine Avenue We are very concerned about the increasingly heavy, fast and careless traffic on our street which is taking a toll on the safety, peace and quiet of our lovely neighborhood. Our beautiful street is part of the Longfellow Historic District. Upwards of 4,000 cars, vans and trucks use this section of Court Street each day. Drivers "gun" their cars and trucks up and down our street making it unsafe for our children, for pedestrians crossing the street and for those entering or exiting their cars parked on the north side of Court Street. Many school children use and cross this street. The noise of these vehicles speeding from stop sign to stop sign is a distraction in our homes. Court Street seems to have become a "bypass" for cars and trucks wanting to avoid Burlington Street. We believe that you as our City leaders have an obligation to protect us, our children, families and .friends from these dangers and from the intrusion upon the peace and quiet of our homes. We ask that you consider various alternatives for slowing the traffic and for quieting the street so as to retain the family atmosphere of our historical neighborhood, including but not limited to the following examples: 1. Close the street to through traffic such as the City did at Lexington Street, or restrict access to the street; 2. Restrict truck/commercial use; 3. Lower the speed limit to school zone speed limit and enforce the lower speed limit; 4. Remove the turn lane(s) at Muscatine Avenue; 5. Install quieting devices such as speed bumps, chicanes and turnabouts; 6. Return Court Street to its original brick surface. This would enhance the beauty of our street in this historic district, and likely would deter speeders and "bypassers' as well. We attach to this petition our personal letters of support for the action we are requesting, as well as letters from neighbors of the Longfellow Historic District. rq arne lgna ure Address Telephone Number Name Si /Jj6> Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name (/ ~-~gnature Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Name Signrature Address Telephone Number Name Si ure Address ~- o~o Tdephone Number Signa~-ure '~ Address $ ~ ~- 3'7 7~ Telephone Number Address Telephone Number Name Z_Signature /t~- ~ Cb~,.o._-r .~r: Address 33g-~77 ! Telephone Number Name Signature lie'.P-. E~_ Co,~_-,- ~.-r. Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name ~/ Signature Telephone Number A re .- ,~i¢~ ~c/~/ Telephone Number / Name S[g~at~lre ~ T~-iepl~or~e Number S~gnature J,~'~ ~. do~t- 5~-. Address Telephone Numb~- Name Signature l/S"'7 ~"-. ~,z~z- 5',. - Address ~--eTr_ g.t~ 7 ~,~ Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name l lZ. O ~ Address (.3 ! 9 ) Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number N~m~' - ~ignature Address -~'~/ - 7/~ o Telephone Number Name c/ Signature Address ~3 2~ 6003 Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name s[g~atm*e 117 Address Telephone Number Name ~-) Si It"lq ~, ~--oor°r ~', Address Telephone Number Name Sfi~nature Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number Name Signature Address Telephone Number COLLEGE OF  LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES THE Division of Performing Arts LINIVERSITY Department of Dance OF IOWA ,~4 Halsey Hall Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1000 319-335-2228 Fax 319-335-3246 June 3, 2005 City Council Members Iowa City Dear Members of the City Council, I am ~Titing on behalf of myself, my husband David Bullwinkle, our son Noah (3 years), and our unborn son (due June 10, 2005), to express our grave concern about the heavy traffic on Court Street. We live at 1152 E. Court Street, on the section of Court Street west of Muscatine and East of Summit Street. We have lived at this address for one year, and even over this short time, we have witnessed something profoundly troubling. Our residential street has become a thoroughfare for conm~ercial and private vehicles. During the day, beginning at 5 AM until 6 PM, truck after truck, often semis and tractor-trailers, seem to use our street as a shortcut, rather than take Burlington Street as they should. You can only imagine the noise and disruption this causes -- enormous vehicles, traveling over the speed limit, carrying tons of freight or hauling other vehicles in trailers behind. Consider the danger that these trucks pose my young son, and the other children on our block, who play on the sidewalk in front of our houses. This is not even to mention the radical increase of overall traffic on our street, vans, trucks, cars and motorcycles that pass our house every day and through the night, the drivers of which typically do not observe the 25 MPH speed limit. These drivers risk the safety of all of us, especially our children, as they "gun" their cars between stop signs, and compromise the serenity of our beautiful neighborhood, one of the jewels of Iowa City. Our neighbor, Jim Hayes, has helped the residents of our street draft a petition, which I have helped to circulate. The petition makes additional points than the ones I have made above, emphasizing above all that this increase in traffic causes a hazard to other children in the neighborhood, many of whom must cross our street to get to Longfellow School. It also summm'izes the effect this traffic has on or everyday lives - "taking a toll on the safety, peace and quiet of our lovely neighborhood," which as you know, is part of the Longfellow Historic District. There is an evident irony here - a designated historic, and strongly residential district, that has been recognized by the city as such, has now become a commercial and vehicle thoroughfare. We beseech you to consider this as you read our proposal outlining the changes we seek. Thank you very much for your consideration. Please contact me if you have any questions (337-0521). Res_pectfully, · Assistant Professor May 31, 2005 To: Iowa City Council Planning and Zoning Commission I write today as a resident of 1133 E. Court St. to ask that you consider traffic calming measures for East Court St. between Summit St. and Muscatine Ave. As the entrance to the recently designated Longfellow I-Iistodc District, it is vital that the tranquility and safety of the neighborhood be preserved. We the residents are concerned about the increasing amount of truck traffic and fast moving vehicles on our street. Particularly during peak periods in the early morning and late afternoon (3:00 to 5:00), cars use the street as an easy shortcut to City High and Burlington St., often traveling well in excess of the speed limit. I believe that a few simple measures might change this situation dramatically, as it did on nearby College Street when traffic calming circles were introduced. A traffic circle at the intersection of Court and Clark Streets would be both visually appealing, relatively cheap to install, and would prevent cars from speeding down the incline of Court St. heading east. A traffic circle to augment the existing stop sign at Court and Oakland St. would prevent cars from running the stop sign, as some currently do. An installed bike lane would narrow the street and encourage alternative transportation. Even just eliminating the solid yellow line in the middle of the road and allowing parking on the south side of the street would force cars to slow down. It seems clear that cars use Court St. west of Muscatine because they believe it will be faster than using the nearby arterial, Burlington St., which is only one block north. Anything that slows traffic will probably curtail it as well. I am particularly concerned about rumors that this section of Court St. will be upgraded to an arterial rather than protected as the gateway to an important downtown historic district. Our neighborhood residents petitioned once before to calm traffic on Court Street in 1997. At that time, residents were assured that the 18t Avenue extension would reduce traffic on Court Street after it was completed. Whatever reduction that occurred must have been short lived - I have noticed no decline in traffic volume or speed since the extensi°n opened. Many cities have successfully used traffic calming devices, especially traffic circles, to protect historic districts and neighborhood safety. We believe there is no better location to continue this strategy in Iowa City than Court Street west of Muscatine. Keeping our downtown neighborhoods safe and pedestrian friendly will be vital not just to property values in Iowa City, but the quality and desirability of our east side public schools. The flight of families to the "North Corridor" is aided and abetted by our lack of action to avoid the traffic, noise, and pollution of close-in neighborhoods. I thank you for your attention to this matter, and look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Jennifer Glass 1133 East Court St. Date: June 1, 2005 To: The City Council of Iowa City From: J. Steven and Bonnie L. Mclnt~ 1118 E. Court Street Re: Excessive traffic, excessive speed on E. Court Street We are writing to express our concern over the increased traffic and the speed at which that traffic flows On the stretch of East Court Street between South Summit Street and Muscatine Avenue. Living on the north side of Court St. and observing this traffic for the four years we've lived here we have grown increasingly worried that only an accident will call attention to the problem. We join our neighbors in supporting proactive measures to correct this problem and prevent accidents. We are especially aware of the excessive amounts oftraffc on this neighborhood street, which is not intended as an arterial traffic conduit, during the commute times around 7-9 AM and 5-7 PM on weekdays. Our ten-year-old son isn't even allowed to walk the very short three blocks to school by himself because of the amount and speed of the traffic during these times. Five families with children have moved to the north side of this stretch of Court St. in the past four years, which implores us to act. We are also specifically concerned about commercial tracks that barrel down the street regularly and often at disturbing speeds. If we can be of assistance as you explore the possible solutions outlined in our neighborhood petition, please do not hesitate to contact us at 341-3590. Thank you for your consideration. June 1, 2005 To the Iowa City City Council: We made our home on the 1100 block of Court Street more than 20 years ago. We loved the peace and quiet of Court Street, the beautiful individual homes that surrounded ours, and the family feel of the neighborhood. Since our arrival on Court Street a slow and disturbing change has taken place that affects the look, mood, and safety of the neighborhood. We used to enjoy sleeping in a bedrom facing Cort Street. No more. We have moved to a much quieter back bedroom. We used to enjoy entertaining on our front porch. No more. It is now apparent that many of the good people of Iowa City chose Court Street over Burlington Street as their east-west route of choice. In doing so they have made a calm neighborhood, safe for children, into a loud thoroughfare, busy with traffic, often speeding, at virtually any hour of the day. In their hurry to be on their way, drivers honor the stop sign at Oakland with a brief slowdown or, more alarming, not at all. In this historic district of Iowa City, the loud and persistant traffic can be a serious annoyance. For parents of three-year-olds on tricycles this increase in speeding traffic can be truly terrifying. Many of the residents of this stretch of Court Street find their peaceful street, turned into a throughway, to be unacceptable. The City could easily discourage the short cut that drivers headed east on Burlington take by turning right on red at Summit Street then onto Court so they can take another right on red onto Muscatine or zoom east through the intersection up Court. By deleting the right oh red option at Burlington and Summit, drivers would be discouraged from taking that short cut on the Longfellow section of Court Street. Another option would be simply to close off Court Street at Muscatine. Either way, eastbound traffic could be channelled to Muscatine on Burlington, not Court. The stop sign at Oakland and Court could simply be observed by the local constabulary from the nearby alley. As our home is at this intersection, we know that many a ticket will be written. Sincerely, Ellen Heywood and Paul Ingram 1178 East Court Street Iowa City, IA 52240 337-6003 · C.R.B. Certified Residential Broker Sales · Residential · G.R.I. Graduate Realtors Institute Appraisals · A.R.A. Accredited Rural Appraiser Farm Management · M.S.A. Master Senior Appraiser Farm Sales May 2. 2005 Iowa City Council Members 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 RE: East Court Street Traffic Dear Council Members: Many of us who reside on Court Street are extremely concerned about the volume of traffic that we have incurred the past couple of years. We are requesting that you give every consideration to a remedy(les) on that issue as soon as it is feasible and possible to make some of the alterations we feel are necessary. In my opinion, the following items deserve the most and immediate attention. l) Elimination or prevention of truck traffic of any measurable size, including construction vehicles, backhoes, low-boys, gravel/rock trucks, and other machinery laden truck vehicles. 2) Reduction and enforcement of the speed limit through this residential area is very much needed. There is a lot of abuse that goes on in the area in regard to speed and abuse of the stop sign at the corner of Court and Oakland. 3) It seems that there could be a turn-abouts or speed slowing islands placed on this street between Summit and Muscatine Streets. which would serve as an aid in slowing down the traffic. I realize that is a snowplow issue, but I am sure that they could be sized such that passage for the snowplows could be accommodated. Quite frankly we have not had much need to snowplow in the past several years. Your cooperation in considering these requests is very much appreciated. Sincerely,~ ~~ Robert C. Crane, ARA. CGA & MSA President, Crane & Associates, Inc. Resident at 1154 E. Court Street, Iowa City, Iowa 916 Maiden Lane Iowa City, Iowa 52240 (319) 354-41 O0 fax (319) 358-2134 07-14-05 OF IOWA CITYI ,P4 Date: July 13, 2005 To: City Council ~,1~ From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner' Re: Re-survey of neighborhood residents regarding removing NO PARKING 8 AM - 5 PM MON - FRI signs on the south side of Oakcrest Street between Sunset Street and George Street At the June 20, 2005 City Council work session, you directed staff to re-survey residents of Oakcrest Street to determine if a clear majority wanted to remove NO PARKING 8 AM - 5 PM MON - FRI signs on the south side of the street between Sunset Street and George Street. The original survey done in March indicated 59% of the households responding were in favor of removing the signs. You requested that the neighborhood meet and work out a compromise with grater approval. A greater consensus of the residents of the neighborhood was unable to be reached. The follow-up survey was sent to 23 households in June. The response was 9 votes in favor of removing the signs and 6 votes opposed. This results in a 60% majority. Two survey cards were returned by the postmaster due to vacant residences and were not included in the survey results. As stated in the previous memo, the Transit Department would prefer to leave the parking as-is. The bus operates all day on this route and transit operators feel the street would be congested with parking allowed on one side of the street during the day. Traffic Engineering staff does not have a position regarding removing the signs. As stated prior to the December 2003 survey, we do not feel there would be a significant safety issue if vehicles were parked on one side of Oakcrest Street during the day. An item has been placed on the July 19 Consent Calendar for your consideration. If you do not wish to approve the change removing the signs, you will want to take it off the Consent Calendar and vote on it separately. We do not intend to consider any requests to re-survey the neighborhood again regarding parking on the south side of Oakcrest Street between Sunset Street and George Street for at least one year. Let me know if you have any questions. cc: City Manager JCCOG Executive Director Director of Parking and Transit mgda gd/aw-oa kcrest-res urvey.doc City of Iowa City Capital Improvements Program FY 2005-2009 July 5, 2005 2005 Construction Season 1. South Grand Avenue Improvements - Melrose Avenue to Grand Avenue · This is a $400,000 project that was awarded to Metro Pavers. · This is a joint project between Iowa City and the University. · The project is being built in conjunction with the new field house parking ramp. · This will be built following the recommendations of the Grand Avenue Study. · The project will be complete in the Fall of 2005. 2. Melrose Avenue and Grand Avenue Improvements · This is a $390,000 project. · The first phase of the project was awarded to Ali-American Concrete. · This project will be constructed in the late Summer of 2005. · This will be built following the recommendations of the Grand Avenue Study. This will create a one -way Iccp system. 3. Dubuque Street and Foster Road Intersection Improvements · This is a $2.0 million project that was awarded to Metro Pavers. · This project will reconstruct the 1600 feet of pavement on Dubuque Street and 1100 feet of pavement on Foster Road. The project will signalize the intersection. · This project is a proactive response to the future growth of the area west of Dubuque Street. · This project will be complete in the Fall of 2005. 4, North Dodge Street Improvements - Governor Street to Interstate 80 · This is a $7.0 million project that will begin Spring of 2005. · The contract was awarded to Metro Pavers. · This is a joint project between Iowa DOT and Iowa City. · This project will reconstruct North Dodge to a three-lane cross section from Governor Street to Scott Boulevard and a four-lane cross section from Scott Boulevard to Interstate 80. Governor Street between Dodge and Kimball will also be reconstructed. · The Prairie Du Chein intersection and South 1-80 interchange will be signalized. · The water main will be reconstructed along the corridor. A new sanitary sewer main will be built from ACT Circle to Scott Boulevard. · During construction, traffic will be maintained. · This project should be completed in the Fall of 2006. 5. Mormon Trek Boulevard Extension - Highway 1 to Highway 921 · This is a $9.3 million project. · The first phase contract was awarded to Metro Pavers. This contra,ct is $2.95 million. · The first phase will build Mormon Trek from Highway 1 to the west Airport property line. It also will build sanitary sewer to the WB Development on the west side of Highway 218. · The first phase is complete. · The second phase will begin in the Summer of 2005. · The second phase will build a box culvert on the west side of the airport property. · The second phase is a $400,000 project that has been awarded to McCulley Culvert. · The future phases will build a box culvert under Old Highway 218 and construct the street to its terminus at Old Highway 218. · This depends on working with the Airport and the University of Iowa. · This project will open to development over 400 acres of land. 6. Camp Cardinal Road Improvements · This is a $6.5 million that will be bid in April of 2005. · This is a joint project between Southgate Development, Coralville and Iowa City. · This project will construct a new arterial connection, mainly on a new alignment. The arterial will connect the Deer Creek Road intersection with Melrose Avenue in Iowa City to 22n~ Avenue in Coralville. · This project is scheduled to be complete in the Summer of 2006. 7. Iowa River Power Dam Project · This is a joint project with the City of Coralville. · This is a $1.7 million project that was awarded to Schmidt Construction. · The project will renovate the dam to maintain a river level to allow for the Iowa City Water Plant to draw raw water from the Iowa River, if necessary. · The project will install a pedestrian bridge on top of the dam and over the emergency spillway. The bridge will also be used for staging emergency personnel when necessary. · The project should be done in the Summer of 2005. · The completion of the project has been delayed by high river levels. 8. Grant Wood Gymnasium · Iowa City is contributing $460,000 for additional space in the gym for community recreation activities. 9. Court Street Transportation Center · This is an $12.8 million dollar multi modal transportation center project. · Grey Hound to open July 15th · Day Care to open July 25th · Parking to open in August. 10.Water Works Park I Butler House Trails · This is a $122,000 project that was awarded to Metro Pavers.' · This project will trails at the park, which include accessible walkways to the historic Butler House, a concrete pad for the small "amphitheater" and will finish the hard-surface trails. · The project should be complete in the Summer of 2005. 11.Asphalt Resurfacing Project ....· This is a $586,000 project that was awarded to L. L. Pelling. · The project will overlay various streets. It will also overlay some City Parks parking lets. · This project will be complete in the Summer of 2005 12. Peninsula Parkland Entry Road and Parking Lot · This project is estimated to be $70,000. · This project will be constructed with the 2005 Asphalt Resurfacing Project. · The project will be complete in the Summer of 2005. · This project will provide access to the Peninsula Park and access to the Iowa River Power Dam Trail. 13. Meadow Street Bridge Replacement · This is a $750,000 project that was awarded to Iowa Bridge and Culvert. · This project will replace the current bridge that is embargoed to 6 tons. · This project will include storm sewer to eliminate a detention basin on Dover Street. · The project will also have a trail component that as a minimum will buy the additional trail easements necessary to construct the Court-Hill Sewer. · This project is scheduled to be complete in the Fall of 2005. 14. Missing Link Trail · This is a $200,000 project. · This project will be constructed in the Summer of 2005. · This trail will connect the Iowa River Corridor Trail to the Water Works Park. · The trail will go under Interstate 80 Iowa River Bridge. · This is being built jointly with the Mackinaw Village Subdivision. 15. 2005 Traffic Signalization Project · This is a $350,000 project. · This project will be constructed in the late Summer of 2005. · The intersection of Cameron Way/Walden Square and Mormon Trek Boulevard will be signalized. · The intersection of Court Street and Scott Boulevard will be signalized and widened. 2006 Construction Year and Beyond 16. South Gilbert Street and Sand Road Improvements · This is a $4.3 million project that will be bid in the Summer of 2004. · It is a joint project between Johnson County and Iowa City. · The project will reconstruct South Gilbert Street and Sand Road from Napoleon Lane south to Sycamore Street to an urban cross section. From Sycamore Street south to 480th Street, the road will be reconstructed to a rural cross section. Paved shoulders will be constructed to accommodate bicycle traffic. · This project will be bid Fall of 2005 · South Gilbert Street and Sand Road will be closed from Napoleon Lane to Sycamore Street in the Spring of 2006. · This project will be complete Fall of 2006. 17. Fire Station #4 · Council has only given approval to purchase the property. · The location will be at the corner of Dodge Street, Scott Boulevard and Dubuque Road. · The site will be used as a borrow area for the Dodge Street Project. This will allow for the site work to be partially completed.. · The construction cost of the fire station is $1.5 million. 18. Highway 6'Improvements - Lakeside to 420th Street · This is a $2.0 million project that will be bid in the Fall of 2005. · It is a joint project with the Iowa DOT. · The project will be constructed in the Summer of 2006. · It will widen Highway 6 to a three lane cross section. · It will also make intersection improvements at Heinz Road and Scott Boulevard. · Intersection improvements at Industrial Park Road and 420th Street are also being evaluated. 19.FY06 Landfill Cell Construction · This is a $2.3 million project that will be bid in the Summer of 2005. · This will be the fifth cell in the West half of the landfill. · This cell is expected to last 8 years. 20. McCollister Boulevard · This project will construct a street from the intersection of Mormon Trek Boulevard and Old Highway 218 to Gilbert Street. · The project will include a bridge over the iowa River. · The project is estimated to be $6.25 million. · The City is trying to obtain a federal earmark for a portion of the funding. · This project is proposed for construction in Spring of 2008. 21. Sycamore Street Improvements - Burns Street to the City Limits · This project is estimated to be $2.0 million. · The project is proposed for construction in the Summer of 2008. · The City has hired a firm to establish the alignment and profile for the street. 22. Gilbert Street / Highway 6: Dual Left Turn Lanes · This project is estimated to be $3.5 million. · The project is proposed for construction in the Summer of 2008. · The project will include dual left turn lanes on Gilbert Street. 23.Water Works Prairie Park Development · This project is estimated to be $200,000. · The project is proposed for construction in the Summer of 2007 and 2008. · The plans include park shelters, fishing pier, nature trails through the wooded areas and improvements to the kayak and canoe launch area. 24. McCollister Boulevard Alignment Study · This project is also known as the South Arterial. · This study will narrow down the location of McColiister Boulevard from Gilbert Street to Highway 6. · The alignment corridor will be preserved as the area develops. City of Iowa Ci[y Capital Improvements Program July 18, 2005 South Grand Avenue · $4oo,ooo · Joint Project with Uofl ~ · Result of the Grand Avenue Study Melrose Ave & Grand Ave · $390,000 · Joint Project with the U of l · Result of the Grand Avenue Study Dubuque Street/Foster Road Intersection Improvements · $2,000,000 · Paving and Signalization Project Landscaping of Projects Often work jointly with Project Green · Melrose Avenue · Highway 6 · Dubuque Street Corridor North Dodge/Hwy 1 Improvements · $7 000 000 · Joint Project with IDOT · Will require two construction seasons Fire Station #4 Using soil from this site to construct Dodge Street Project Meadow Street Bridge · $650,000 · $391,000 Fed Grant · Fall Completion · Includes grading, wall and railing for Court Hill Trail Public Works Activities Summer 2OO4 Burlington Street Bridge rails designed to let flood water pass over the bridge. Mormon Trek Blvd Extension · $9,300,000 total project cost from Hwy 1 to Old Hwy 218 · $4oo,ooo Box Culvert constructed this year. The Mormon Trek Project is Coordinating with the Airport Runway Extension Project McCollister Boulevard Mormon Trek Blvd will become McCollister Blvd east of Old 218 McCollister Boulevard · East of the Iowa River in Sand Hill Estates Subdivision McCollister Blvd will eventually link with Scott Blvd Camp Cardinal Road · $6,500,000 · Joint Project with Coralville and Southcjate · Will link Melrose Ave to Hwy 6 Asphalt Resurfacing Program °$586,000 Total Project · $ ~ ~ 3, ooo Parks Maintenance .$57,000 Peninsula Access Crack Sealing Program Crack Sealing Program Iowa River Power Dam Project · $1,700,000 · Joint Project with Coralville · Will link the Peninsula and the Iowa River ~ Corridor Trail ~'~ ~ '~'~ with First Ave Grant Wood Gymnasium · $460,000 · Designed to accommodate community ~ recreation activities · Also working on a Mercer Park Ball Diamond to be City High's Home Field Court Street Transportation Center Court Street Transportation Center South Gilbert St./Sand Road · $4,300,000 · Joint Project with Johnson County · Reconstruct Sand Road from Napoleon Lane to 480th Street Hwy 6 - Lakeside to 420th · $2,000,000 · Joint Project with the IDOT · Improve access and safety by adding turn lanes Summary of Joint Projects · IowaDOT ~~ · University of Iowa ~ · Johnson County · Coralville · Iowa City Community School District Questions? ROCKY SHORE DRIVE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE LOCATION STUDY LOCATION TRAIL MAP ! paved shoulders.,~ ~ Pedestrian I ' Bridge River ~ · ~ Corridor Trail D ! W ~'- ALTERNATE 1 PHOTO ALTERNATE 2 PHOTO Date: July 13, 2005 To: Rick Fosse, Public Works Director From: Shaun Bradbury, Special Projects Re.' Iowa City Water Treatment Plant Architectural Precast Panel Rework Agreement On the 18th day of January 2005 the City approved a resolution (05-37) to enter into a rework agreement with Knutson Construction Services Inc. for the repair work deemed necessary by the City at the Water Treatment Plant. The rework will include removal and replacement of a number of existing architectural precast concrete panels with new panels and proper mounting systems. The rework also includes selective demolition, small portions of steel fabrication and erection, concrete restoration, concrete unit masonry, metal-framed curtain wall work, architectural finishes, electrical, and mechanical work. Over the past 6 months the major sub contracts have been awarded. The design, submittal and review process has almost been completed and panel production is due to start next month. This project is scheduled to be completed by December 2005. IP6 IOWA CITY FIRE. D PARTM NT "Serving with Pride and Professionalism Since ! 872" MEMORANDUM FROM: Fire Marshal Jensen SUBJECT: Fire Prevention Advisory Committee DATE: 7/7/05 This memo is to suggest a new forum for fire prevention public input. My idea is to create a regular face- to-face meeting for customers of the fire prevention bureau to bring matters of fire code enforcement and code issues directly to the fire marshal and/or fire inspector. Customers of the fire prevention bureau include: fire sprinkler contractors, fire alarm contractors, property managers, business owners, industrial health and safety officials, architects, engineers, and others. We could refer to the meetings as fire prevention advisory committee meetings. The agenda as I see it would tend to be fairly relaxed providing ample time for open exchange. Communication would be immediate and everyone would hear the same thing. The meetings would allow us to hear about issues that are important to our customers; They would also give us a venue to communicate fire department concerns and direction. I firmly believe the meetings would be invaluable when it's time to consider new codes and amendments for local adoption. The first meeting could be scheduled to coincide with the appointment and introduction of our new inspector. Coffee and goodies could be provided at what I project to be an early morning one-hour meeting. The fire department training center provides a perfect venue with ample parking and classroom space. I suggest we schedule three or four one-hour monthly meetings and see how that goes. I'll look forward to your comments on what I project to be a valuable adjunct to the administration and management of the fire prevention bureau. Iowa City Fire Department "Serving with Pride and Professionalism Since 1872" DATE: July 12, 2005 TO: Stephen J. Atkins, City Manager FROM: Andrew J. Rocca, Fire Chief 0,~ RE: Response Times - Northeast Iowa City Attached to this memorandum is response time data and information as requested by City Councilor Bob Elliott. The data reflects response times for emergency incidents in the northeast part of the city. Response time is calculated from the time a 9-1-1 call is received in the Communications Center to the time the first fire unit arrives on the scene of an emergency incident. Also included is a map of estimated emergency response times and department goals for emergency response. Please forward this information to the City Council for their collective review. AJR/bdm Attachments FIRE DEPARTMENT ,' 4/0 E. Washi,gum Street" Iowa City, IA 52240 Phoebe: (319) 356 5260 FAX: (319) 356-5263 ww~v. iq~il, org Office of the Fire Chief Office of the Fire Marshal Battalion Chief~ Fire Training HazMat Public Edacation Fire Atlmitzi~tr~tio~ Fi;t' Prevc~titm Bttrt'rttt Slatio~ ] Sttltiott ] Slatit~ 2 Statiotl 3 1319) 356-5256 (319) 356-5257 (319) 356-5262 (319) 356 5258 (319) 356-5266 t319) 356 5265 Iowa City Fire Department Response Times - Northeast Iowa City Date Incident No. Alarm Time Location Arrival Time Nature of Call Response Time 1. June 30, 2005 05-1701 13:21:16 2790 N. Dodge St. 13:28:05 EMS call 6:49 2. June 18, 2005 05-1595 14:00:12 1558 Prairie du Chien Rd. 14:06:55 Vehicle accident 6:43 3. June 15, 2005 05-1567 15:02:28 1406 Dubuque Rd. 15:10:38 Medical assist 8:10 4. June 14, 2005 05-1560 20:01:53 2216 N. Dodge St. 20:10:09 Medical assist 8:16 5. June 13, 2005 05-1540 00:46:01 1131 St. Clements St. 00:53:40 Medical assist 7:39 6. June 12, 2005 05-1536 16:21:10 N. Dodge & 1-80 16:30:38 Vehicle accident 9:28 7. June 3, 2005 05-1461 23:50:12 W 1-80 245 MM 00:00:04 Vehicle accident 9:52 8. May22, 2005 05-1343 16:36:06 2790N. Dodge St. 16:44:17 Trashfire 8:11 9. April 29, 2005 05-1128 23:31:58 East 1-80 23:44:09 Steam, other 12:11 10. April 25, 2005 05-1099 14:34:33 2510 N. Dodge St. 14:41:56 EMS call 7:23 *Overall Average Response Time: 8.49 Minutes *Dispatch notified to arrival at scene. FIRE SUPPRESSION 1. Goal: Respond to fire emergencies as efficiently and effectively as possible. Objectives: A. Process emergency calls for service within 60 seconds 90 percent of the time. B. Achieve a turnout time of 60 seconds or less 90 percent of the time. C. Achieve arrival time of the first company capable of initial fire attack/rescue within 6 minutes or less 90 percent of the time. D. Achieve arrival of balance of initial full assignment, which would allow interior firefighting operations, within 10 minutes 90 percent of the time. E. Combine Operational Guideline Nos. 003 and 006 - Response to Alarms and Standard Response to Emergencies (commercial, industrial, and unsprinklered occupancies) by March 31, 2005. F. Identify and secure agreements for additional foam resources by March 31, 2005. 2. Goal: Maintain fire apparatus and equipment according to NFPA Standard 1901 and the Insurance Services Office requirements and implement new technologies as they become available. Obiectives: A. Annually review and bring into compliance equipment carried on all apparatus. B. Provide for annual pump, ladder, and hose testing. C. Ensure all required preventive maintenance on apparatus and equipment is completed annually, or as required. D. Annually attend apparatus and equipment trade shows to review new technologies. E. Establish a guideline to be used in research and development of new/replacement products and methods by March 31, 2005. F. Annually review and update vehicle replacement schedule. G. Research NFPA compliance of reserve apparatus standard by December 31, 2005. -1- 2005 FIRE SUPPRESSION Cont'd. 3. Goal: Establish a draft standard of cover (SOC) for fire suppression utilizing RHA VE data or an equivalent risk hazard data analysis process. Objectives: A. Write SOC for moderate fire risks by July 1, 2005. B. Write SOC for high fire risks by December 31, 2005. 4. Goal: Monitor and evaluate federal funding prograrns. Objectives: A. Write federal legislators requesting funds for staffing and equipment as needed. B. Periodically monitor legislative updates from fire service organizations such as the IAFC, IAFF, and the IFA. -2- 200> TECHNICAL RESCUE 1. Goal: Respond to technical rescue emergencies as efJTciently and effectively as possible. Obiectives: A. Process emergency calls for service within 60 seconds 90 percent of the time. B. Achieve a turnout time of 60 seconds or less 90 percent of the time. C. Achieve arrival time of the first company for size-up of the rescue within 6 minutes or less 90 percent of the time. D. Assemble additional companies for technical rescue capable of initiating a rescue within 10 minutes 90 percent of the time. E. Safely complete rescue/extrication to ensure delivery of patient to a definitive care facility within one hour. F. Review and/or implement an operational guideline for roadway operations procedures by July 1, 2005. G. Monitor and participate in state, regional, and national homeland security activities as related to regional response teams such as USAR. H. Write SOC for Technical Rescue by December 31, 2005. 2. Goal: Expand the scope of technical rescue program. Objectives: A. Investigate the feasibility of a structural collapse program at the operations level no later than July 1, 2005. B. Utilizing the feasibility study, investigate support for a regional dive-rescue team by December 31, 2005. 3. Goal: Establish a special operations unit. Objectives: A. Define the scope of a special operations team by March 31, 2005. B. Identify team members by July 1, 2005. C. Establish an implementation plan (including SOPs) by December 31, 2005. -3- 2005 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Goal: Provide a hazardous materials mitigation response designed to protect the community from the hazards associated with uncontrolled releases of hazardous and toxic materials. Objectives: A. Process emergency calls for service within 60 seconds 90 percent of the time. B. Achieve a turnout time of 60 seconds or less 90 percent of the time. C. Achieve an arrival time of the first company capable of investigating a haz-mat release within 6 minutes 90 percent of the time. D. Monitor and participate in state, regional, and national activities as related to homeland security Preparedness. E. Conduct a formal review of the haz-mat program and response procedures, for adequacy and effectiveness by December 31, 2005. F. Annually update the hazard analysis (Annex P) for the Johnson County Multi-Hazard Plan. 2005 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 1. Goal: Respond to emergency medical calls as efficiently and effectively as possible. Objectives: A. Process emergency calls for service within 60 seconds 90 percent of the time. B. Achieve a turnout time of 60 seconds or less 90 percent of the time. C. Achieve an arrival time of the first company capable of providing basic life support and automatic external defibrillation within 6 minutes 90 percent of the time. D. Conduct at least quarterly quality assurance reviews for Emergency Medical Dispatch program. E. Write SOC for EMS by December 31, 2005. F. Review current operational guidelines and combine with structural collapse for appropriate procedures for urban search and rescue, disasters, or civil disturbances by July 1, 2005. 2. Goal: Maintain current EMS equipment and implement new technologies, as they become available. Obiectives: A. Perform preventive maintenance on equipment as required. B. Annually attend equipment trade shows to review new technologies. C. Annually, prior to October 1st, recommend new and replacement equipment and technologies utilizing department approved research and development guideline, taking into account budget constraints. D. Maintain annual service contracts for preventive maintenance on emergency medical equipment. -5- 2005 Date: July 13, 2005 To: City Manager and City Council.~ ~/~_ _/~ ~/¢~ ~- '~'~'"'~' From: Karin Franklin, Director, PC~_...~ Re: Zoning Code Process Update The Planning & Zoning Commission held their second public hearing on the proposed Zoning Code on June 27th. Although much of the comment was the same as that of the first hearing, a couple of new items for Commission consideration came out. The Commission is scheduled to consider Zoning map amendments at their July 21st and August 4th meetings. It is then anticipated that the Commission will vote on the Code proposal and map amendments at their formal meeting of August 18th. This would mean the entire proposal,as recommended by the Commission, would be available to the Council for your September 5th meeting. As always, if major issues arise during this process, the Commission may choose to spend more time on its consideration before making their recommendation. It is our understanding that when the Council receives the Commission's recommendation you wish to schedule at least two work sessions with the Commission and staff to go over the proposal. At some subsequent time you would set the public hearing on the ordinance text and map. As a reminder, only those areas of the city subject to a map change would be under the moratorium precipitated by the setting of the hearing. Cc Bob Miklo Karen Howard Planning & Zoning Commission From Council Member Vanderhoef Johnson County Paratransit Advisory Board ~ I I Minutes April 29, 2005 Goodwill Industries Plant, 1401 First Ave., Iowa City Present: Members: Lynn Stamus, Dee Vanderhoef, Ex-Officio:Nancy Snider Overstreet, Marc Rahe, Goodwill Industries, William Gorman, Systems Unlimited Others:Tom Brase, SEATS Director, Misty Lee, SEATS Billing Supervisor., Tanya Webber, Counselor-in- Training, Goodwill 1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 11:02 by Lynn Stamus, Assistant Chairperson 2. Director's Report: · a. Performance Review Reports: The Director passed out the 2005 and 2004 trip reports and the End of the Year Trip Report for 2004. The 2005 report shows that SEATS has an increase of 2000 to 3000 trips this year bringing the total trips performed to over 90,000. The reports distributed also show cost per revenue hour, cost per revenue mile, cost per trip and trips per hour. The director noted that trips per revenue hour have gone up for the last five years. The present concern is to maintain customer service and quality of service in spite of the increases. The computer system helps by increasing efficiency. Discussion: Vanderhoef: asked about the fluctuation in revenue miles: the reports show a decrease in certain months. The director noted that a decrease can be caused by an increase in benefits, fuel costs and employee cost of living and merit increases. The decrease in February may in part be caused by it being a shorter month. Gorman noted that the report for 2005 showed more consistency than 2004. b. The director introduced the new Billing Supervisor for SEATS, Misty Lee. c. Customer Comment Report: Customer comments are staying somewhat consistent in number: 83 in FY03, 65 in FY04 and almost to 65 this year. The reports are a valuable tool for SEATS to get things straightened out. There is no definite trend in the comments. d. Report on Cancels and Denials, No shows: SEATS has, on occasion, had denials due to capacity but they are rural and not ADA rides. The Paratransit service also has a refusal option for riders who do not accept the ride reservation time they are given with in an hour before to an hour after the time requested. The fact that this year shows no refusals and no denials speaks well to the ability to work things out with the riders. Discussion: Samek asked how the computer system records the fide information, ie. Refusals, cancels, etc., which was explained by the Director. Another question asked by the committee was what the distinction between clients and passengers is. Brase explained that passengers could be drivers in training (riders that are not certified clients). In the three quarters shown on the report, 11 out of 68091 riders were classified as passengers. e. Advisory Board vacancy: Brase said that the Board of Supervisors has gotten an application for the vacancy left by Armentris Johnson's resignation from the Advisory Board. The name of the applicant is Valerie Scher, a SEATS rider with good qualifications and references. Comments: The applicant got a good reference from Rahe and the committee was in favor of the applicant. Stamus moved to elect Valerie Scher to the Paratransit Advisory Board, Overstreet seconded the motion. Motion carded unanimously. Discussion of no-shows: Stamus asked about the number of no shows from Iowa City. Brase offered the following explanation: some may be missed rides that are excused because of appointment delays at the hospitals or doctors offices. SEATS also sends out letters to riders who repeatedly miss rides and, in a few cases, one week suspensions have been imposed. After a brief explanation of the no-show policy, Vanderhoef asked if the policy needs to be reviewed. Brase noted that capacity is not noticeably effected by missed fides. It was also noted that group homes need to cancel fides one hour before the ride even though more than one person may be riding from that residence. Riders need also to be reminded that the return trips need to be cancelled as well. It was decided to put together a review of the missed ride policy for riders, staff and care givers. Vanderhoef and Stamus discussed the need to educate staff in doctor's offices to consider the rider's schedule. The chair requested that the Director put together a piece on educating residential staff on the topic of missed rides. It was requested to be printed on colored paper. Stamus asked if it could be printed in Braille. The director said we would provide it if requested. A request was made for the SEATS phone numbers on magnets that had been available a few years ago. Gorman requested that a reminder about cancels when people go to summer camp or other summer activity be sent to residential staff. 3. Chairperson's Report: An update: the Transit bill still has not gone through. The conference committee has still not been appointed. The Chair's guess is that it will not be done by the end of the Fiscal year and will need another extension. The Chair has been notified that at the Federal level they have been recognizing transit intensive small cities. There are only twelve of them and Iowa City is one. The cities included are all in one of two categories: either as a city with a university or a community with a high elderly population. Iowa City fits into both of these categories. The problem with the movement of the transit bill is that the Senate majority leader has not put it on the docket. It has not yet been brought out of committee. 4. Old Business Approval of the minutes of the last meeting: Motion to approve by Gorman, seconded by Stamus. Motion carried unanimously. Update on SEATS location/facility: The Chair does know that both Iowa City and Coralville are interested in this. The Chair handed the discussion over to Brase. The Director contacted Carousel Ford about their old building but has not received a response. He has also been in touch with Leach's office and thinks that a lot of the delay is from waiting on the transit bill. Vanderhoef said that Davidson, Coordinator of JCCOG, has been working on this issue and is waiting to hear if there will be earmark funds available before doing a feasibility study for building the facility. The director showed a rendering of the facility design. He said that the board is also waiting to see if we get federal funding for the project. The Chair noted the competition for funds among different local transportation needs such as a new transit center in Coralville and the Momsan Trek bridge extension. The Iowa City Bus Center will serve not only city busing but interstate busing as well. The Transit Center has gone up fast and will be opening in July. The opening ceremony may be held offuntil September when Vanderhoefwill be hosting the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Steering and Advocacy Committee. The Chair reviewed the plans for hosting the advocacy committee. Senator Grassly, Leach and Harken have been alerted to this meeting. 5. New Business Vanderhoef: JCCOG has recently done its work schedule for the staff for this coming year. 6. Open Discussion: Stamus asked who the people are that make up the Transportation Committee. Vanderhoef explained that committee members, like her, are all elected city officials. The State League helps to appoint members to this committee. 7. Set date of next meeting: The date of the next meeting was set at June 17th Note: The date was changed to July 8th 8. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:53. FY' '05 Trips & Op Stats Fiscal Year 2005 -- Trips Jul-04 Audi.04 Sep-04 Oct-04 Nov-04 Dec-04 Jan-05 Feb-05 Mar-05 Apr-05 May-05 Jun-051 Total CV 842 829 821 857 853 886 847 819 879 851 889 9031 10276 lC 4892 5157 4901 5218 4802 4680 5012 5195 5721 5281 5020 5221 I 61100 MH DD 731- 499 493 686 670 668 770 636 742 754 741 803 8193 PATHWAYS 458 478 447 438 403 352 360 360 397 485 536 5~350 5244 RURAL 540 769 721 484 464 469 347 448 528 423 421 6059 UH 42 26 22 26 20 27 26 23 27 28 25 26 318 Total 7505 7758 7405 7709 7212 7082 7362 7481 8294 7822 7632 7928 91190 Expenses $106,868.56 $105,038.10 $112,478.01 $146,331.32 $118,989.73 $ 105,802.32 $110,717.93 $108,057.15 $111,822.76 $ 133,773.97 $103,627.71 $103,211.60 $1,366,719.16 Rev, Hours 2134 2737.58 2136.23 2177.15 2074.75 2190.77 2151.95 2106.88 2394.17 2217.67 2191.7 2283.6 $ 26,796.22 Rev. Miles 24969 25893.7 23797.4 24285.8 23277.4 24804.8 23258.2 21204.3 26277.9 24873.7 24879.8 26062.1 $ 293,584.20 Costs/Rev. Hour $ 50.08 $ 38.37 $ 52.65 $ 67.21 $ 57,35 $ 48.29 $ 51.45 $ 51.29 $ 46.71 $ 60,32 $ 47.28 $ 45.20 $ 51.00 Costs/Rev. Mile $ 4.28 $ 4,06 $ 4.73 $ 6.03 $ 5.11 $ 4.27 $ 4.76 $ 5.10 $ 4.26 $ 5.38 $ 4.17 $ 3.96 $ 4.66 Costs/Trip $ 14.24 $ 13.54 $ 15.19 $ 18.98 $ 16.50 $ 14.94 $ 15.04 $ 14.44 $ 13.48 $ 17.10 $ 13.58 $ 13.02 $ 14.99 Trips / Rev. Hour 3.52 2.83 3.47 3.54 3.48 3.23 3.42 3.55 3.46 3.53 3.48 3.47 3.40 Trips per Agency FY '05 % Total Trips per Agency 7% 0% ~6% 9% 67% Page 1 S:~,dmin\StafflPerformance Measures\PeffSummary FY'05 Submitted by Council Member Vanderhoef IPIO Guidance Knowledge & Advocacy The Iowa League of Cities serves the cities in Iowa, large and small. ~, i~1 i it1~ Iowa League of Cities IOWA 317 Sixth Avenue, Suite 800 IOWA ~s ~oin~s,,~ ~o~o~ LEAGUE Phone (515) 244.7282 LEAGUE Fax (51§) 244.0740 of CITIES Email: mailbox@iowaleague.org _of CITIES www. iowaleague.org Serving Iowa's municipalities since 1898 What does the League do? How to contact the League The Iowa League of Cities is an Iowa League of Cities association of more than 870 cities in 317 Sixth Avenue, Suite 800 Iowa, large and small. A resource for cityDes Moines, Iowa 50309 officials for answers to city government Phone (515) 244.7282 questions. An advocate for cities on stateFax (515) 244.0740 and federal issues. A sponsor of affiliated programs providing municipal services. . .......... The League is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www.iowaleague.org Our history: The Iowa League of Cities has been serving as a key resource for municipalities since 1898, when a small group of city officials gathered in Marshalltown to exchange ideas on how to strengthen and improve local government in Iowa. Those officials had a vision. They recog- nized that by joining together as one voice, all cities would benefit - then, now, and in the future. Today, the League continues to encourage dynamic local leadership by providing various services to city officials and representing the interests of municipalities before Iowa's General Assembly. The League is governed by an Executive Board of officials, balanced by geo- graphic region and city size. Approximately 76 percent of Iowans live ~j~~j~~j~ ~' ¥~.'~ i ncities and depend on local offi cials to ~= make sound decisions for their communi- ties. Those officials depend on the League for the advocacy, information and training that support their community and improve the quality of life for Iowans. Guidance Knowledge The League shares knowledge. The League publishes a monthly magazine, Cityscape, that is distributed to all member cities as a benefit of membership.  ~ Each issue contains news i and articles of interest to municipal officials. The League provides guidance. ' - The League's educational seminars, on subjects Other regular League publica- ~ like municipal leadership or budgets, attract tions include Special Reports, a hundreds of city officials each year. biennial Directory of city offi- cials, a biennial Iowa Municipal The League offers Salary and Fringe Benefits specific training for report, and other various inform- small cities, safety ative materials. committees, municipal attorneys, newly elect- ed officials and city The League also provides a clerks and managers, research and referral service, Additionally, topical answering inquiries on a broad workshops keep municipal officials informed range of municipal issues. The about current issues of interest. League staff will get the answers you need or find someone who can. Advocacy Affiliated Programs The League is a resource for insurance and investment needs. Over the years, the League has served as a catalyst to bring cities together, resuJting in a whole that is much greater then the sum of its parts. As needs arose, the League created and now sponsors or manages programs that provide cost-effective, quality services to member cities. "~0~"ICI~U~E~rc~S~S~C~0~ The Iowa Municipalities ~C~ Workers' Compensation Association (IMWCA) pro- The League leads advocacy efforts, rides affordable, stable cov- One of the primary functions of the League is erage for municipal employees in Iowa. This self- to unify cities and speak as the voice for city funded risk pooling program is owned, controlled government in Iowa. Each legislative session, and operated by and for the benefit of the pool's the League staff works with city officials to edu- 475 members. cate state legislators about the needs of the 2.15 million Iowans who live in cities. Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP) is a joint self-insurance pool that offers liability and property cov- erage to Iowa's local governments. ICAP is owned by its members and offers customized coverage to municipalities at a stable cost. nvestment Trust IPAIT) offers a simple safe alternative for investment and Legislative policy statement of principles: cash management of public The Iowa League of Cities strongly supports the funds. Because IPAIT was created by local officials concept and practice of Home Rule and will for use by local officials, investors are assured that work to protect the ability of cities to efficiently safety of principal is of primary importance. and effectively provide services as directed by citizens. The League adamantly opposes any Drug and Alcohol statutory or constitutional measures that erode Testing Alliance (DATA) provides the stability of municipal constituents to govern services that assist local govern- themselves, especially state or federal mandates ment employers in complying with that impose financial commitments on cities federally mandated drug and without full reimbursement, alcohol testing requirements. Iowa League of Cities 3 ! 7 Sixth Avenue, Suite 800 Des Moines, IA 50309 All League members are eligible to take advantage of these Phone (515) 244.7282 affiliated program services. To learn more about any of these Fax (515) 244.0740 Email: mailbox@iowaleague.org programs, contact the League office at ('515) 244-7282. To: Steve Atkins ...~,,/? From: Brad Neumanrf?'J'CCOG Solid Waste Management Planner Re: Curbside recycling survey results Our survey of residential curbside recycling users has been completed. The survey was sent to 1,000 residents in Iowa City asking questions regarding the current recycling collection system and possible changes to the program. Specifically, residents were asked if they would be interested in a co-mingled collection program for recycling. Currently, the City requires that all items, including #1-#7 plastics, metal cans, newsprint, mixed paper, magazines, and cardboard be separated into paper bags before being placed in the recycle bin. Co-mingled recycling would allow residents to place all items into the recycle bin without having to separate each item into bags. We had 405 people reply to the five questions on the survey (40% response rate). The results were as follows: 1. How often do you use the curbside recycling program? every week 70% twice a month 13% once a month 6% not at all 11% The survey indicates that 70% of residents use the program on a weekly basis while 11% don't use the program at all. The survey also indicated, through the written comment section, that most of those residents not using the curbside program opt to take their recycling to a drop site. They indicated that it is more convenient for them and there are more items accepted at the City Carton drop site. It reflects positively on our program that 89% of residents use the program at least once per month. 2, Are you satisfied with the overall service? Yes 78% Somewhat 16% No 6% According to the survey, 94% of residents are satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the collection program as it is. Many of the written comments stated that it is not hard work to separate recyclables although having to come up with paper bags is a hassle. A 78% satisfactory rate says a lot' about the City employees that work the routes and answer questions about the program on a daily basis. Curbside Recycling Survey Results July 7, 2005 Page 2 3. You are presently required to sort your recyclables first and bag them separately within your bin. How do you feel about this requirement? a) Don't mind sorting 57% b) Dislike sorting but still recycle 28% c) Really dislike sorting and don't recycle because of that 6% d) No strong opinion 9% Nearly two-thirds of the residents don't mind sorting their recyclables. Only 6% of the residents don't recycle because of the sorting requirements. 4. Would you begin to recycle or increase your participation if you didn't have to sort the material in your recycle bin? Yes 26% No 12% No change 62 % A quarter of the respondents said they would begin to recycle or increase their participation if they were allowed to co-mingle. Most would not change their habits. *5. Would you be willing to accept an approximate $1 increase per month for the convenience of not sorting your recyclables? Yes 42% No 58% Written Comments Written comments were encouraged on the survey. There were three main areas covered in the comments received. The first and most common comment was residents wanting to recycle glass at the curb again. Many would be willing to pay an additional $1 each month if the City picked up glass. Another consistent response was in regard to the recycling bins and lids blowing away and having to get another bin. The third most frequent comment was regarding the convenient use of the drop sites at City Carton instead of using the curbside collection program, Many felt that this worked better for them than the curbside collection program. Analysis The survey results indicate that most people are satisfied with the current program and would not likely increase their participation if the City implemented a co-mingled system of collection. There was not overwhelming support for increased rates for a co-mingled program. However, a 2002 study showed Iowa City's "capture rate" at only 59%. This means that Iowa City is collecting only 59% of what is recyclable in the waste stream. Other cities using a co-mingled collection system had capture rates as high as 67-77%. This indicates that we have a lot of material in the waste stream being landfilled that we need to target for recycling. The down side is the increase in cost that comes with a co-mingled collection system, which could be as much as an additional $1 per month. Curbside Recycling Survey Results July 7, 2005 Page 3 City Carton is looking into ways to increase the amount of recylable material that goes to their Cedar Rapids facility. This facility is equipped to sort material, unlike their Iowa City facility, Changing over to a co-mingled system would require our material to be shipped to Cedar Rapids. How best to get the material to Cedar Rapids would need to be determined. I don't believe it is feasible at this time for the City to invest in a facility for shipping material to Cedar Rapids. Working with City Carton would be a better option, Recommendations Based on the survey results, my recommendations would include the following: · Continue the current curbside recylcling collection system, since the survey results support the current program. As you have seen, the survey results do not indicate an overwhelming endorsement to change to a co-mingled collection system; at least not in the short term. The City also needs time to work out the collection equipment and labor changes associated with getting material to Cedar Rapids. Continue to plan for an eventual change to co-mingled recycling collection. The reason I would recommend the City continue to pursue the co-mingled collection option is due to the amount of recyclables still in the waste stream. I am concerned that our recycling tonnages will begin to fall if we do not make an effort to improve on the existing program, to a program that is more user-friendly. · Investigate the bigger picture as it relates to co-mingled recycling. Co-mingled recycling creates opportunities for multi-family dwellings and small businesses. Co-mingled recyclables are much easier and cheaper to collect than sorted materials. Let me know how you want to proceed. cc: Jeff Davidson Rick Fosse Rodney Walls Dave Elias Jccogsw/memos/surveyresults.doc OF lO~/A om~ o~ ~ vi~ ~e~t ~r Student Servk~,~_~ ~nd Dean of Students July 1, 2005 R.L Winkelhake ~' ~~ J~ Mr. Iowa City Police Depaxtment Civic Center ~ O6~ 0[7~r..g~ Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Chief Winkelhake: Please find enclosed a one-page summary of student citations and arrests in Iowa City for the 2004-05 academic year (8/1/04-5/24/05) broken down by crime categories. My office was able to produce this data thanks to the assistance of your department, which provided arrest information. You have requested the crime summary totals in the past and disclosed the information to your shift supervisors. Feel free to share the enclosure with appropriate staff members. If you have questions about the statistics, please call Tom Baker, the Associate Dean of Students, at 335-3557. I thank you and your staff for assisting the Office of the Vice President for Student Services in our efforts to measure Iowa City crime trends affecting students. That the vast majority of the alcohol-related charges filed against students took place on non-University property demonstrates the continuing importance of the Stepping Up Coalition. I appreciate your keeping the University of Iowa Depm:huent of Public Safety informed of any major problems your department encounters in regard to criminal matters affecting the university community. Sincerely, Vice President for Student Services and Dean of Students Enclosure (one page) cc: ~/Steve Atkins, City Manager Chuck Green, University Police Mary Khowassah, Student Health Services Steve Parrott, University Relations David Skorton, President 249 iowa Memorial Onion Iowa City, Iowa S2242-1317 319-335-3557 F~x 319-335-3SS9 vp-student-se~ice~u[owa.ed u STUDENT CITATIONS & ARRESTS IN IOWA CITY (BY UI POLICE & IOWA CITY POLICE DEP'T) ACADEMIC YEAR (August 1 through May 20) 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 1999-00 No. of Students Charged* 1441 2009 1709 1231 1353 1481 No. Charged Two Or More Dates 162 275 207 142 147 173 No. Charged Previous Year N/A N/A N/A 137 215 287 *Charged with one or more non-traffic criminal offenses in Iowa City 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 ~2001-02 2000-01 1999-00 Charqes by 3urisdiction Iowa City Police Dep°t 1561 2197 1862 1217 1504 1539 Univ. Public Safety Dep't 582 673 395 515 375 497 % Charged by DPS 27% 23% 18% 30% 20% 24% 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02' 2000-01 1999-00 Specific Charqes Sexual Abuse 1 1 2 1 0 2 Assault 28 29 26 27 26 22 Their 32 16 49 37 41 69 Drug Possession~ 80 99 60 76 88 64 Drug Trafficking 8 9 8 4 14 7 Drug Paraphernalia 51 53 32 28 N/A N/A OWI 141 164 132 137 188 120 Public Intoxication 424 376 360 374 329 431 Under-Age Drinking 779 1472 1134 584 616 724 Fake ID Card 170 134 84 74 113 97 Open Container 35 36 18 15 19 29 Disorderly House 102 103 101 112 165 130 Under 19 in Bar Aiter 10pm 70 104 N/A N/A N/A N/A Prepared by the Office of the Vice President for Student Services Revised June 29, 2005 Printed July 5, 2005 Senior Center Memorandum To: City Council From: Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator Re: 2005 Membership Survey Date: July 11,2005 In the Spring of 2005 the members of the Center's Participant Advisory Committee developed and implemented a membership survey. A copy of this survey and the results are attached to this memorandum. Information from the membership survey will be considered in conjunction with focus group findings during the Center's strategic planning session scheduled for August. The focus groups, which are being conducted by members of the staff and Senior Center Commission, are comprised of community members who are non-participants at the Center. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I can be reached at 356-5225 or Linda-Kopping(o~iowa-city.org. Senior Center Membership Survey Spring 2005 Questionnaire Developed and Approved by the Members of the Senior Center Participant Advisory Committee: Sally Jablonski, Survey Rae Blanchard Sub-Committee Facilitator Dawn Rogers Irene Bowers John Conner, Survey Sub- Ken Fearing Committee Member Stan Aldinger Responses compiled by Michelle Buhman, Senior Clerk Typist Summary of findings prepared by Linda Kopping Senior Center Coordinator 24 June 2005 Introduction In the spring of 2005, the members of the Participant Advisory Committee developed, tested and approved the membership survey reported on in this document. Eight hundred ninety (890) surveys were mailed to individual members and a total of 372 (or 42%) were returned. The purpose of this survey was to: 1. Identify effective promotional 6. Identify the extent to which techniques, members perceive that 2. Identify original participation participation in Senior Center programs improves their quality incentives, of life. 3. Identify incentives that contribute to ongoing participation. 7. Explore how original perceptions of the Center matched what they 4. Identify desired changes or found when they actually visited. improvements. 8. Identify perceived strengths a.nd 5. Measure participant satisfaction, weaknesses of the Center's programming and services. This document includes three sections. The first section presents a copy of the survey. The second section is a summary of the findings for each question. The third section is a comprehensive presentation of the information provided by respondents for each survey question. Two methods were used to summarize the survey results. Initially all the information was recorded and analyzed using SurveyPro 3.0 software. While SurveyPro can analyze forced choice responses and present them in a convenient and comprehensible format, it does not analyze responses to open ended questions. It simply groups responses to each question and lists them in the order in which they are entered in to the software program. In order to summarize the open-ended responses, the information was reviewed, evaluated, organized and tallied in accordance with common themes. For instance, in response to the question, Complete the following sentence: I would visit the Senior Center more often if...responses such as more science, calligraphy, more literature, more afternoon programming, and summer line dance were all included under the heading Programming changes reflecting personal interest or availability. Membership Survey Spring 2005 Membership Survey How did you first learn about the Center? Check only one. [] Newspaper article or advertisement [] Radio program or announcement [] Magazine advertisement [] Senior Center web site [] Post Program Guide or newsletter [] Attended a public presentation about [] A friend the Senior Center [] Other: What made you decide to come to the Senior Center the first time? Check all that apply. I~1 A friend invited me I~ Wanted to meet new I~1 Wanted to volunteer [] Interest in a class, people [] Wantedto keep my program, celebration or [] Interested in using the mind and body active activity group exercise equipment [] Other: In what ways do you benefit personally from your participation at the Senior Center? Check all that apply. I have: [] Made new friends [] Become involved with others in an []Leamed new information or skills activity I enjoy [] Studied something in which I was [] Had a lot of fun interested [] Enjoyed noon meals ~1 Used the exercise equipment [] Received legal, insurance or tax advice [] Used the computer lab [] Received some type of medical care or I~1 Found volunteer opportunities information [~1 Other: How often have you come to the Senior Center during the past year? [] Everyday [] Weekly [] Monthly [] 2-3 times a week I~ Every other week I~ Other: To what extent do you agree with the statement: My participation at the Senior Center has improved the quality of my life. [] Strongly Agree E] Agree [] Neutral [] Disagree [] Strongly Disagree OVER How important is the Senior Center to you? ~ Very Important IZ]I Little Importance I~ Neutral [] Somewhat Important ' [] Not Needed How satisfied are you with the services provided by the Senior Center?. [] Very satisfied ~ Neutral [] Very dissatisfied [~ Somewhat satisfied I~ Somewhat dissatisfied Complete the following sentence: I would visit the Senior Center more often if... When you came to the Senior Center the first time what, if anything, surprised you? What do you like best about the Senior Center?. What do you like least about the Senior Center? What changes or improvements could be made at the Senior Center that would make it more enjoyable for you? Comprehensive Presentation of Survey Results QI: How did you first learn about the Center? Check only one. How did you first learn about the Center? Check only one. A friend 150 40.3% ~ Newspaper article or 82 ! 22.0% ~ advertisement Post Program Guide or 24 6.5% ~ newsletter Attended a public presentation 8 2.2% about the Senior Center Daughter 6 1.6% don't remember 4 1.1% Walked in 4 1.1% A relative 3 0.8% Radio I~rogram or 2 0.5% announcement Don't recall 2 0.5% Don't remember 2 0.5% Live in ET 2 0.5% son 2 0.5% Wife 2 .0.5% Magazine advertisement 1 0.3% Other 78 21.0% ~ Totals 372 100.0% Mean -- Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 How did you first learn about the Center? Check only one. · Involved in the planning stages so was looking forward to the opening. · We asked - Moved from New York State · It has been so long I cannot remember · My husband · Went to the opening and tours and was really impressed. · My daughter sent me "The Center' program guide before I moved here in June 2004 · Grew up in Iowa City and just knew about it · Family members · I had known about it for years but have been watching for the computer class. · Ochs Painting class · Previous employee · NHB Concert at 1st National Bank · Long ago when it first opened · When the Post Office was converted in a Senior Center · I've known about the Senior Center from its beginning - probably something in the newspaper at that time · We have followed newspaper stories about Center development · Many years ago when it was in the "Mansion" · On our own · Letter asking for help with the Holiday Bazaar · Involved in planning group to establish it in the '70s · at 1st Christian Church · Sought out volunteer opportunity · our son · aware of it for a long time · Reseamh as a local teacher and researched resources · Joined VOE · Line in Iowa City, pass it frequently · Wife served on governing board · Was here when it came into existence · When it started I wasn't old enought but it recieved excellent newspaper coverage. · Knew it years ago. · I expected a City as progressive as Iowa City to have a Senior Center. · general knowledge, We had friends who helped start it. · Observed the center downtown and went in. · When I moved here in 1984. · during a visit to ET · Went looking for a Senior Center when I moved here. · my wife and I attended in the early 1980% · so long ago I don't remember · Received a tour Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 · Younger family member lived in Iowa City knew of it so when I moved here I visited the center to see the possiblities · My son found it in the phone book · Checked out the Senior Center when I first moved to town · Always knew about the center, invited to a focus group which made me decide to participate. · I wanted to be in the New Horizons Band · Walking by it · worked for City at Center inception · Aware of it from the beginning · I already knew about it · We were living here when it was built · Past participation · A colleague on the commission · on a committee to plan the establishment of the Senior Center · Volunteered in Independence · I have been attending since it strarted · My friends and I watched the paper when it was being built, rebuilt · I was on the committee at its inception · Parents · Learned about it many years ago when worked at VNA · Living in Iowa City I was aware of it from the beginning · RSVP · We live in Iowa City · Mother in law · general knowledge of community resources · I work at the Center · was selevted to be on Task Force about the Center · Parent · When I moved into E. T. · already knew about it · I've lived here forever · It was 7 years ago. It was there so I investigated · several friends invited me to sing, play pool and bridge · Article in UI Education Dept. Newsletter in 1995 · Did a project from the nurses office Q2: What made you decide to come to the Senior Center the first time? Check all that apply. What made you decide to come to the Senior Center lhe first time? Check all that apply. Interest in a class, program, 253 68.6% ~ celebration or activity group Wanted to keep my mind 110 29.8% ~ and body active A friend invited me 85 23.0% ~ Wanted to meet new people 67 18.2% ~ Wanted to volunteer 47 12.7% [] Interested in using the 39 10.6% [] exercise equipment New Horizons Band 4 1.1% I cannot remember 2 0,5% Meals 2 0.5% rna 21 0.5% A relatice invited me I 0.3% access to noon meal 1 0.3% Band I 0,3% Band and classes 1 -0.3% Bands and Literature I 0.3% programs Other 53 14.4% ~ Totals 369 n/a Mean _ Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 What made you decide to come to the Senior Center the first time? Check all that apply. · To eat lunch · I just moved into ET and wanted to take advantage of what the Center offered. I joined the first week I was here. · Street party · NHB · Band · Joined wife · Wife · When it opened · I wanted to see what the Senior Center was, my first visit was to eat lunch · Wanted to see what the cetner was like · Came for Sunday dinner · To Ion9 ago to remember · Work responsibilities with public library required liaison · I am interested in the trips the Senior Center has to offer · A relatice invited me · Bands and Literature programs · Shoppin9 at the gift shop · Dinin9 area · Chorus · wated to have a hot balanced meal at noon · 9ood food! · to sin9 with VOE · Have not come to the Senior Center · Wanted to learn what it was all about · Wanted a place devoted to older people and their special needs. · New Horizons Band which started 10 years ago. · New to the community and wanted to connect with people. · Read about it in the P. C. · SCTV · access to noon meal · Potery, pool, trips, other · invited to teach a class · teach a class · eat lunch · Wanted to get acquanted with activities there. · Wanted to see what it was like · Went on a Senior Center bus trip · Joined Jo Co Task Force on Aging · dinin9 · Interest in a lecture · Wanted to continue ot promote the center in the community · Massa§e · my wife now deceased sang in VOE Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 · First brought my clients to the Center · I taught a class on investments · I started an arthritics exercise program that I trained my students to then lead. Now that I'm retired see above. · I work at the center · Just moved here · travel · tO play pool · invitation to have an art exhibit · E.T. told me about S. C. · wanted to see what was doing · Yoga class · Band and classes · Daughter insisted I go Q3: In what ways do you benefit personally from your participation at the senior Center? Check al... In what ways do you benefit personally from your participation at the Senior Center? Check all that apply. I have: ~O~(~ ~t~t~~ ~ P~fits Made new friends 249 67.8% ~ Become involved with others 205 55.9% ~ in an activity I enjoy Learned new information or 198 54.0% ~ skills Studied something in which I 187 51.0% ~ was interested Had a lot of fun 148 40.3% ~ Found volunteer 971 26.4% ~ opportunities Enjoyed noon meals 93 25.3% ~ Used the exercise equipment 70 19.1% ~ Received some type of 68 18.5% ~ medical care or information Used the computer lab 55 15.0% ~ Received legal, insurance or 48 13.1% [] tax advice Exercise programs 2 0.5% VNA 2 0.5% A nice place, I have enjoyed 1 0.3% some entertainment Aging Studies committee I 0.3% Other 40 10.9% [] Totals 367 ' n/a Mean _ Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 In what ways do you benefit personally from your participation at the Senior Center? Check all that apply. I have: · Chorus, Band · Play bridge · We know we will benefit once we are both retired and can use it · Made a heckava lot of music · Band · Found a job · Aging Studies committee · Blood pressure check · A nice place, I have enjoyed some entertainment · enjoyed exhibits and slide lectures · RSPA Meetings · Resource for my parents · I attend art shows and occasionally a presentation · And the piano at noon! · The Band is wonderful · noon meal was terrible · Attended the state fair last year, have not started to use the center yet. · Started to learn to post new registrations on computer in 1989 · Meal need new contract ° Dances · Enjoyed "sample" performances which prompted me to attend regular performance · Still love pool · Enjoyed volunteering at the Center · enjoy music programs · Yoga · Enjoyed music programs · stayed connected to older adult population and developments in that area · Massage regularly · I am a member of the band · Participate in New Horizons Band · I just joined, hope to use the exercise room · Exercise and yoga · Haven't been able to get there. Am plenty busy volunteering at my church, TOPS, my family and in my home. · have been blesses be seeing people I referred to the Center become blessed in many ways, including marriage! · Retired teachers group · travel · Merril's piano at noon is wonderful! · borrowed books · will take course this year · attended exercise class with Ken from the UI · financial information Q4: How often have you come to the Senior Center during the past year? How often have you come to the Senior Center during the past year? 2-3 times a week 132 35.5% Weekly 71 19.1% Monthly 41 11.0% [] Every other week 31 8.3% [] Eve,/day 17 4.6% 3-4 times a week 4 ~ 1.1% occasionally 4 1.1% 1 -2 times per week 2 0.5% 4 times a week 2 0:5% 6 times 2 0.5% Rarely 2 0.5% whenever there is a 2 0.5% program of interest 1-2 times per year 1 0.3% 1-3 times a week I 0.3% 10 times I 0.3% Other 59 15.9% Totals 372 100.0% Mean Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 How often have you come to the Senior Center during the past year? · Health problems have prevented my attendance · Not often as I'm still working · 5-6 times a week · Have not started the class yet · Seldom right now · Just for the class, hope to check out other features · 5 times a week · About 6 times in 2004 · 4-5 times a week · some months several times, maybe skip a month · Do not attend, just support it for the future · come monthly unless I have a class then weekly · Periodically · Occasionally several times a day · Less than monthly · 4 times a year, except when I go to a class · Mom and Dad have been ill · Never · Weekly during a class- otherwise less than monthly · In spurts, weekly for a while then not for a couple months, then back again · Never in the past year · Weekly for yoga class and occasionally to exercise. · Not often unless I am taking a class. · at the present time I only attend classes and forums · less and less · I don't · very few times since I am involved with other activities · Only for computer classes · 3-5 times weekly · 1-3 times a week · vaies from week to week · not on a regular basis · Very seldom. I know the center is there and i have the option to become more involved. I consider it important to the community · 10 times · Not at all · moving back to lC in 04, not many times since I have health problems · 4 times · as often as I felt well enough and had a ride so I would not have to walk far · Every Sunday · 2 or 3 times in past year -2 · Almost never · Can't come now, handicapped and homebound · Just joined Membership Survey Results Spring/Summer 2005 .3 · Haven't gotten there yet · Haven't retired or had a need to come yet · 3 times · 1-2 times per year · several times a year · 2 times · Husband goes twice or 3-4 times weekly, I go less but am so apprieciative of the varied activities · 2 or 3 times · 5or6times · to use the equipment when weather outside is not fit · when in town · I haven't been there since the Red Hat Style show · off and on · although I keep my membership I haven't used the facilites much this year · Husband died so I have been gone for a while Q5: To what extent do you agree with the statement: My participation at the Senior Center has imp... To what extent do you agree with the statement: My participation at the Senior Center has improved the quality of my life. Strongly Agree 120 33.1% ~ Agree 193 53.3% ~ Neutral 45 12.4% [] Disagree 2 0.6% Strongly Disagree 2 0.6% Totals 362 100.0% Mean 4.18 Q6: How important is the Senior Center to you? How important is the Senior Center to you? Very Important 192 51,8% Somewhat Implant 138 37.2% L~fle Imbalance 16 4.3% Not N~ded 7 1.9% Neural 18 4.9% To~ls 371 1~.0% Mean 4.29 Q7: How satisfied are you with the services provided by the Senior Center? How satisfied are you with the services provided by the Senior Center? Counts ~nts Per~t~ 0 t00 Very satisfied 252 69,0% ~ Somewhat satisfied 75 20.5% ~ Neutral 30 8.2% ~ Somewhat dissatisfied 5 1.4%, Very dissatisfied 3 0.8% Totals 365 100.0% Mean 1.44 Q8: Complete the following sentence: I would visit the Senior Center more often if... Complete the following sentence: I would visit the Senior Center more often if... I had more time 48 18.0% ~1 I had more free time. 8 I 3.0% I lived closer 5 1.9% I didn't have so many other activities 3 1.1% taking my time already come everyday 2 0.7% had more free time 2 0.7% had my own transportation 2 0.7%, )arking problems 2 0.7% he food was better 2 0.7% 1- The computers held the full I 0.4% screen of things I look up like they do at the Iowa City Library (computers slow at times) 2- The library area was more private and people played cards elsewhere. 1. I were not employed full-time 2. 1 0.4% Weekend hours were extended a pool with water aerobics was 1 0.4% available [Continuing table]_ Complete the following sentence: I would visit the Senior Center more often if... additional courses were offered. Ray I 0.4% Heffner's courses are excellent advancing age limits my energy 1 0.4% All activities were free and all groups 1 0.4% serving seniors could use the building. Other 187 70.0% ~ Totals 267 n/a Mean - Question 8 QO8 Heal[h Permitted There were more pool players ~ h3d mere free time. More parking was available I had more time I being to 3 other bddge dubs, I visit my daughters and grandchildren. Setter. easier parking I had my own transportation I had more time the meals were better I lived closer the food was better · we weren't so busy with other things I lived closer , --: There were more classes and I was interested in. parking was easier and I felt better Just have to take the time to check out the things offered · All activities were free and all groups serving seniors could use the building. I am satisfied with the number of times I go to the Center Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 1 of 14 QO8 more interesting classes and field trips were held. More or equal emphasis on 55 to 65 crowd I had more energy and time If I were able to get out more. 1 am now living at a assited living place I had more free Ume. there.were more educational programs offered I had more time I didn't have so many other activities taking my time I had more time -'1 had more time · - -I had more free time. therewere more computer training I had. more time I were well I visit a lot now the-food was better I had more free time. I had more lime Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 2 of 14 QO8 At this time the Senior Center is fine for the activities I enjoy I had no other oppodunities to meet people or participate in activities I enjoy I had more time -! had more time -Long term parking was available on the street 1 didn't have so many other activities taking my time parking were more convenient I was able ~ wil! visit more often once I move into Capitol House when I get older M7 apartment complex had fewer activities; there are too many that I don't want to miss the weather and my schedule permits - -I had more free time. Open in the evenings I r~ad more free time. transportation was available at the dght time 1 could eat more things it was in a different location. I do not care for the downtown location or paying for parking All depends on the programming, my interests ......... ~'~ ...... Page 3 of 14 Thursday; June 02, 2005 QO8 "~'~a,,J~'t so busy with other activities that are also important to me volunteers and how much they did at the Center ---,l"ha~ more time ~ealth were better 'W"frad more time ~ more time to enroll in classes, if foreign language classes were offered, there was a coffee shop environment in which to meet friends or have non senior center meetings · -4::d~-not visit the center except to bring my father 5 days a week. I teach at the UI so I.~am busy --"lhece~re more ~ps that I would enjoy going to, especially Branson ~ not so busy '~,,~-~.ved closer to Iowa City --y,a~had more classes _ my husband and I had two cam and if I stopped doing other activities I enjoy very much. { ~i".,~.d in Iowa City. I ddve 25 miles to attend functions ...ht~z~'t involved volunteering in Solon Senior Dining and volunteering IocaIly. ;~5c. ~cSsfies my needs -M~.~Lmore time ,_. · H.~L more time ..A-had more time had more time 't know '--~'t involved with other activities Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 4 of 14 QO8 had more time had more time . I Jived in Iowa City Some of the morning offedngs were in the aftemoon. Parking is a problem for me, too hard to find my car if I park in the ramp I had more time I were retired I had a better chance ~o get into the computer program or the center had upper body.exercise equipment. If wasn't only me coming had.more time Lived~doser. I do not ddve had more time therewas a class I~at interested me. I had more time my spouse was refired and found an activity to her interest The library was open weekends. (weekends are often the most lonely time for seniors) the good programs continue to be offered so I can pick and choose and parking is made easier. I didn't have so many other activities taking my time I knew someone there or had a friend to go with for the first few times. Thursday, Jutte 02, 2005 QO8 I could get around physically. I broke my pelvic bone last October and have been in rehab. I plan on returning to the center at least weekly. offered the bridge class again. I had less other interests, less responsibilities at home. my capabilities were more previlent. I l~ad more time I had more time I needed it it were open in the evening. There were more hours in the day I had more time I didn't work part lime and if I lived closer time and health permitted I would want to do more activites 1- The computers held the full screen of things I look up like they do at the Iowa City Library (computers slow at times) 2- The library area was more pdvate and people played cards elsewhere. I felt the need. I am a person whi is a busy as I care to be; this involves reading, Lion's Club, genealogy, and lots of rest. the parking was more convenient and free, if there were more afternoon craft classes and clubs like gardening etc. I lived closer. I live in Coralville and have to take the bus or Seats. If I had more lime. There have been some educational sessions I wanted to attend but my schedule did not allow. Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 6 of 14 Q08 There were classes offered in something athat interesed me and given at a time when I was free to attend. I had more time There were more frae classes to attend or ability to swim. I didn't have activities not related to the center. I had-more time More classes were offered in art history or history in general. the hours for the computer classes varied at more convient hours. it was~not so expensive to ride the bus I found another dass of interest that did not conflict with my current schedule i had more time I didn't have other things I was interested in. like everything about it, but other activities limit my time. I had-more time .my schedule allowed. better parking was available. I have difficulty walking yep/far. Often the only parking is on the top level of the ramp. ONce the elevator didn't function and we had to walk up and down 5 flights. ~- I could drive a I had more time we weren't travelling quite a bit each fall. I usually take at least one semester class from Ray Heffner but fall trips and a family medical problem in the new year made it impossible my husband would retire and we could enjoy the center's activities together. there were more, greater vadety of dasses being taught. Thursday, Jutte 02, 2005 QO8 - my hea~th permitted it. _ I was interested in a class "something of interest comes up. My interests elsewhere take much of my time. more physically active clubs and outings had a friend to exercise with and do "things" with. I had more time I had more time there were more peop!e my age there. (50-60) I had more time parking wasn't such a problem in the mornings and if it catered to younger "senior" crowd advandng age limits my energy I was older already come everyday I had more free time. I lived closer maybe Saturday is the computer lab was open already come everyday location were elsewhere. No steps to entry. Parking without paying for meter, s, more convient location there were more literature classes more classes interested me. the aciivities i enjoy were available on Sat. and Sun. and open until 7PM workdays Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 8 of 14 QO8 the parking was easier. The ramp has been full when I wanted to attend an afterhour program as long as literature classes are offered mom new horizons band programs, more writing classes or programs, more theater excerpts or drama programs, possibly populate movies or videos, other music programs -.recto of my fdends came here had mom time · ; I was 10 years younger · more classes of interest were offered parking were not an expense or as expensive and more available, if there were other classes I was interested in -- noon meals were better than I could cook Exercise room wes open later on weekdays and more hours on weekends there was more exercise equipment and it was open later and longer hours oo the weekends there was a weight machine in the exercise room more course on literture, history, music and science available I had more lime Parking was not such a hassle parking problems 1~ didn't have other commitments --a pool with water aerobics was available Your calendar was readable at a glace as before the whole format changed. It is very difficult to research the editions to locate event's time and date. I had more time ~..~,~ ~ ........ '~'~'~' .... Page 9 of 14 Thursday, June 02, 2005 QO8 I didn't go away 3 months in the winter and one in the summer I had more time my other commitments and activities were less meaningful or became "too much" for me I had more time I had more time I had more time parking was less lhan it is If I didn't have to work. Soon I will be retitred and then I will be at the center more. parking problems There were more classes I was interested in One thing needed is a bulletin board that patrons may use to place announcements, forget that it may not look beautiful I had more free time. parking was better and more accessible Transportation weren't such a problem Classes I was interested in (like foreign language e. g. Italian) were taught more classes were available 1. I were not employed full-time 2. Weekend houm were extended the parking was easier I was not employed full time they charged the same for all people I had more time Thursday, June 02, 2005 - '~*~ ~"~ ,~,~ '~:,.~.~-,'~--,.,~'~:~sm~,,~.~-o,~z~,.~=~:,*,.tm~'~.~-~ Page 10 of 14 QO8 it was in the center of the City of Iowa City. I realize that this is not possible as a very well appointed center is already available I was not so old (I am 97 and 9et meals on wheels 4 days a week and volunteer on Firdays) it were open evenings and weekend I wasn't busy with other things maxed out now I wasn't so busy with other interests and activities parking was always available wasn't getting a divorce, was married almost 32 years. good outside lectures from the University lectured or conducted classes I could find a easier parking space I had more free time I had my own transportation the noon meal has more vegetarin meals and more vegtables and fruits, Skip the deserts and replace with homemade cookies I wasn't so busy doing other things so many of the classes of interest to me weren't on Wednesday ~' I weren't already busy with other pursuits I would only do it! programs were of greater interest to me. the parking was better there were more late afternoon classes Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 11 of 14 Qo8 I lived closer does not apply Changes won't affect my attendance. I'm just not here much. I think it's great for others but not for me. my health improved an aerobics class was offers after work, 5-7PM, exercise equipment opne later, 9-10 PM I took more classes I were not working and had spare time. my husband didn't keep me so busy at home. If my husband made more money I could hire a house keeper. ,, I was retired there was a golf practice net spanish for beginners only, slow pace, sewing machine use (even for small fee by hour) would be cheaper than maintaining my old sewer at home, calligraphy class there were more days in lhe week parking was more available If the meals were better in quantity. ~. parking was easier the staff was open to new opportunities. This particularly involves the Senior Center Coordinator. I needed more activities which we don't due to age infirmities I lived deser Page 12 of 14 Qo8 I could find the time and there were more classes I could take too busy right now I had more time I had more time could handle it physically I didn't play golf in the summer I had more time I had more time better meals food was improved more meals wore served It would nol be possible to visit moro often my health problems permitted me. I would love to be there everTday. When my husband and I joined the center in 1990 we were involved with everything. I've had to slow down I had more time it were easier to park parking were easier additional courses were offered. Ray Heffner's courses are excellent I needed it to make more fdends, but I don't need it for that at Ibis time. had more free time had more time had more time weren't so busy with my 1st sculpture show I had the time. I already spend 4-6 hours a week at the center Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 13 of 14 Qo8 I COuld park conveniently. Maybe get a couple of scooter for members to use between the ramp and meeting room. If one is available a member could use it going one way and someone else the other way more things were in the afternoon and not the morning I has a drivers license and still owned a car to ddve my husband would join me I could get into the senior sttenght class. It was full and I gave up my surgery permitted me to go I didn't have to do laundry and occasionally cook and clean at home I wasn't working I could get interested in some of the activities offered I had more time line dancing was offered in the summer the meals were better and there were more choices in the meals Thursday, June 02, 2005 Page 14 afl4 Q9: When you came to the Senior Center the first time what, if anything, surprised you? When you came to the Senior Center the first time what, if anything, surprised you? · Wide range of opportunities · The nunmber and variety of activities; the lack of an adjacent ground level parking lot. · It's been too long ago to remember · the number of classes and activities · the number of services available · It was 24 years ago and the dinning room was full and a long line waiting to be served · How complete it was. · The size of the building · That it was so extensive and well kept and offered such a vadety of programs. It puts the Senior Center in New York City to shame. · Friendly accepting people. · size of the building · the friendliness · The halls were extremely crowded. Don't know why, I never seen that again. · The variety of programs available and the caliber of people who attended · how much is available · variety of learning oppodunities · lack of activity. Poor spaces in lower level · how congenial and helpful everyone is. · The many services offered · the range of activities/oppodunities offered · Too long ago · How receptive the Center pomonnel Were · How well it has been adapted from Post Office to place centered on serving seniors · All good · the breadth of the activities and the variety of people using the facility · All the activities available and the friendly people there · card playing · Dedication of volunteers, City Funding, physical structor, great maintance of building by staff · What a nice facility, the many and vaded programs that were mostly free! Good meals at a Iow cost · nothing · The general congeniality and camaraderie of fellow users of the services ' · Open airy feeling · Size of building and the range of activities · the different activities · nothing · diversity of activities · The extensive variety of facilites, e.g. exercise, pool, art · The organization of it, all the services offered to seniors · There was no afternoon help in the lobby · the space, variety of activities · Friendly people althoogh the class I wanted didn't begin · The first visit I wasn't surprised but since I then I realize what a good facility we have that a lot of other town's don't have · the amount of usable space in the Old PO building · Excellent facilities · pleasantly surprised · Friends who greet you with a smile · size of building- scope of activities · the facility - its spacious entry way, high coilings and entry way lounge and coffee nook · The variety of programs available and the caliber of people who attended · I found the visit interesting but not surprising · How well I fit in and the very interesting and intelligent people I met ·varity · the number of programs and services offered at such a high quality · the number of programs and classes offered and the opportunities for involvement · All the volunteers and how much they did at the Center · the number of classes and activities ,. · Too long ago to remember · All the activity · the beautifully done restoration of the Old Post Office · the nice reading area on 1st floor · How handsome the lobby was with its odginal decor, simple lines, black upholstery and no purple or patterned carpet. · The up to date equipment, cleaniness and availability of rooms for various activities · how much there was offered. The friendliness of the place · How efficient and helpful employees were; the cleanliness · How well the organization fits the old PO Building · Friendliness o.f employees · the number of participants · How friendly the staff was, how many activities were taking place, how easy it was to meet people · Spaciousness the number of activities · The activities going on and the number of people doing different things; the TV operation; the Eldercraft shop · How clean! · The number of people attending various events; just a few for Travelogues, excessive amount for fasion show rather than a medium sized group for all · The way the former Post Office had been converted to a community building · How many people were involved ' number of services -- · There was a feeling of it being a closed community i nothing, Very nice Services · The vitality of the people using the senior center and the responsiveness of the staff · How nice it was and how friendly the atmosphere is. · size, programs · Huge variety of activites both long term intest groups and short term and single events. · number of activites, lots of participants, good "buzz" in the building · the beauty of the building · It is not just for poor people!' · The rudeness of Senior Dining person.('rhe person incharge, this was 15 years ago) We did not come for a while until someone explained what to do. · How much effort it took to find a parking place. I was impressed by the quality of the facilities, very nice. · The friendliness of the people there. · Changes fro rathe old post office · nothing · The size of hie building, the cheerful personnel, the hospitality at the "coffee center". · How fdendly most people were- esp. ones who are employed there. · The variety of activities ,, the interesting, energetic, intelligent people. · The friendliness and range of programs · How well everything is coordinated · the variety of programs and classes available · the decore and arrangement, the variety of activites offered · How much was going on during the time I was there. · How big it was and nicely arranged with activities · Desk personnels helpfulness · I can't say I was surprised. Impressed is a better word, and pleased. · The building itself and the lack of personal welcome. Except for the activity I joined, I felt it was stepping into a void, activity of mystery, a hush hush society of life on another plane. There seemed to be no link to the staff or other padicipants. The newsletter let me know there were other people but I met them only by chance. · This was in 1986. I was impressed with the quality of the building but especially the quality and quantity of classes, programs. · The overall size and number of rooms. · How old people were. · The architectual beauty of the building. · the building itself; from post office to senior center. · How attractive it was and the friendliness of the staff. · multiple offerings. · Welcoming attitude. · The choice of programs and classes available. · It is hard to recall first impression after 20 years but the number and vadety of classes and activites have always impressed me. · the range of different activities. · How friendly everyone is. · the building was so large and nice · I was impressed with the modem comfodable facilities in such an old building. · number of seniors taking advantage of the program · All very clean, nice people, and seeing old friends. · 1. the quality of the classes I attended, 2. easy access from parking ramp 3. friendliness of people at noon meal. · number of people I know. · The quality of the facility · The friendliness of the people · TV Studio · the wide range of classes and activities. · the quality of some of the intructors. · the number of active people. The vadety of things to do, the variety of classes to attend · the extent of classes offered. · It is very well suited for our needs. · I attended the flint open house and was very impressed with the facility and opportunitites offered to seniors. · The friendliness of the staff. · lack of members · The computer set-up, pool tables and video' studio ..... ~organizafion · the vadety of programs · don't know · the beautiful facility and variety of offerings · I started coming in 1984, don't remember being surprised, just pleased and wishing I could do more things that were available. · How many activities are offered · I cannot remember · the different people · How extensive the offerings are. · how nice everyone is · I was rudely told by a member that I couldn't park in lot as it was AARP meeting day. I merely wanted to get info about the center. I didn't leave but went inside. The individual began beating on my vehicle with hand and cane. · the lovely building and the friendly staff · people in class · There were so many thinks to do that I enjoy and there was no membership fee. · I had used the building when it was a Post Office and the changes made surprised me. · variety of opportunities available and the number of people using the facility · to long ago · size and scope of activities · how big the building was and the vareity of programs · How active the people were and how many activities were available, of course there are many more now · How "young and vital" the members are · How many and varied activities there are · How friendly everyone was · How extensive the programs were · No welcome! Always need a friend to sit with. There needs to be a welcome committee to new arrivals. Cooks make each of us feel welcome · How well kept the building and facilities were maintained · I thought "what a wonderful set-up for seniros!" · the number of people there · the friendliness and comfort · the beautiful building · the size · the facilitate and programs · It is very nice · vadety of programs · How well organized everything is · Beautiful building, yariety of activities · the number of activites available · the many things to do! · How they had remodeled the old P.O. · That no one said "hello" or explained anything · Evertything was enjoyable · friendly people · Not surprised but appreciated the friendliness of the receptionist · 1. The physical size of building, 2. the bustling activities and the many padicipants · all the activities available · How big and well equipped it is. · very beautiful building, the fdendly seniors and staff · the vast scope of programs · no none spoke at any time and didn't other times I came · good reading materials, mags, newspapers, books in library · How well the old Post Office building had been put ot use, I have only lived here 4 years and realize the senior apparlments are so important to the senior public. · everything · how everyone leaves at 3:30 · the building is very nice · how nice it is · the size - ~- How 'rude ~me of the'elderly were'to m~. Tellir~g whatl cchJld do ~ind not do. · can't remember · How welcome I felt · the variety of activities · how nice everything was · how old most people were. At 57 there weren't many others in their 50's. I think its getting more age diverse now. · Very pleasant, clean and adequate · the spaciousness of the facilities and their attractiveness · Enjoyed the old PO · How many things there were to do and learn · how busy it was · noting · How warm the building is kept in the winter and how costly it must be. · Came for a flu shot · the activities and the gift shop · It looked like the Old Post Office · library · How difficult to park in the ramp next to the center, thought access would be simpler. · the range of interests of the seniors and to same extent their capabilities · the friendliness and cleanliness, attractive and accessible building. · the number of older frail people · felt like a place for learning and not a place for seniors to keep "busy" · nothing · How well the space in the old POst Office was utilized and how nicely it was decorated and how very clean it was and is today · spaces available and the curtious staff · I don't remember · The amount of space in the building that is not used at any given time and the amount of square floor area and general assembly area that is unusable given the volume of the building. · fdeodly staff, vaded activities · all the activities · a very pleasant building, well cared for · the people were friendly and concerned · the number of activities and programs · the amount of services offered · the vadety of oppedunities available · nice building · the extensiveness of the activities · How fdendly everyone seemed to be and what a lovely building · It was what I expected, nice · the friendliness of everyone, especially the custodian · the beautiful building, the lovely people at the Host Guide desk, who gave us the "grand tour" and all the fdendly people we met. · my friend was on the reception desk · How many things are offered · the number of people there and the number of classes and activities · How the building was transformed from the Old Post Office · how friendly everyone was · the amount of activities available · variety of activites and programs · the loveliness of the seniors I met. ,, the facilities and the cadng staff · There were lots of programs but not many people participating, there were lots of treats after events · the friendly atmosphere and vocal capability of numerous members of the VOE · newsletter is excellent, trips, entertainment, great speaker, luncheon meals are great · how well maintained it was, not dreary at all · how shy a lot of people were · nothing · number of people who come · the talent ~- Q10: What do you like best about the Senior Center? What do you like best about the Senior Center?. · Pool Room · The various activities offered and the meal program offered for those who participate and don't have to prepare meals for themselves. · the friendliness of the people and the number of activities offered. · the many classes. Good Parking at a good rate · the parking space they provide for us at Iow cost per year. The friendly staff, the craft shop the beautiful lobby and free health check in nursing dept. · Library, Elder Services, Meals, nurses · the friendly approach to my problem · It's openness and hospitality and the vadety of activities and programs offered. · The oppodunity to take interested courses. · The Band! · The people · people I have met · variety of programs and oppodunities offered · staff · Teaching opportunities · The opportunity to meet people of mutual interest and the general camaraderie · Friendly staff and volunteers · a nice well-kept building · classes · location · the many things that are available · The ease of access · classes and public lectures · the new decor and the fdendty staff, esp. Susan · programming · variety of programs and opportunities offered · location and parking availability · Seeking to serve more people- inc,[easing serve orientation, case in point, the key card early entry, good move. 2 Variety of programs. 3. Staff is increasingly helpful · Convenience · Ray Heffeer's class and New Hodzoes Band · the people and activities · It is a place for seniors to go · friendliness · Oppudunity to continue pursuing interests · The building allows many high quality activities to take place in one-good-roomy place · massages · Friendships made, creative oppodunites enhanced satisfaction in learning and doing. · Bookworms, Red Hat, voices of experience · Arkwork on display · Hub of activities and site of learning · Hard to say, has so many classes. Band. strength training and open studio art groups · people and activities · I believe it is good for the community to have a Senior Center · classes · how pleasant and helpful the staff is · a place to join fdends in activites · That it is in the "old" post office and that they kept the beautiful woodwork and stairway · classes · reading materials, special performances · all the programs and activities it provides · Classes, Ochs Oil · Two things: the music programs and the way the center prov des mea s for the e dedy both on wheels and at th~ ~t~-r: · location · Friendly people · people · Bridge and people who attend the library · openness · I personally come only occasionally but I want to suppod it because I sense it meets social needs of many · Tai Chi · the people and the great building and location. How smad of you to be in the center of town! · everything · the varieties of activities offered · classes; programs · Susan · The vadous activities offered · a feeling of being at home. friendly staff, New Horizons Band concerts, quilters group · Lessons, dancing · classes · I enjoy the band conceals and singing groups · Opportunity to read the Wall Street Journal ' · the activities · a place for people who need compainlenship · My exercise class and the skywalk. Also, the new sign-in system is excellent · The range of activities; the interesting, vaded classes offered; you offer more than just physical activities · Friendliness, patience of computer instructors · the opportunities to learn without the pressure of tests, grades etc. · Socializing; library · building and location · location and friendliness · The people · VOE, exercise mom and friendly staff · Prof Heffner's class · travelogues · People I have m~t and the exemise classes · the interesting programs · The friendliness of the staff and the people who gather there · We are allowed to use it · It is always there if I need it and new offerings all the time. · Seeing all the activities; flower garden in front of building · The great staff, very involved and caring · number of services · Some emphasis on core of body · e, verything offered · friendliness · the exercise room · availability, helpful informaiton, classes, parking, political forums · interesting people who are willing to try new activities, learn new things. · classes · the people in my classes · Courtesy · The vaded programs since we're not all alike. The staffs availability if in need of help. The dining room, most of the time. · The people I meet at programs and classes. · The wide variety of classes and lectures · The Gift Shop, the whole place is very clean and organized. · seeing friends · meals and friendliness of staff members. · Calendar of events and activites and the use of newsletter and sc'tv and channel 5 to advedise it. · all activities and programs · exercise How helpful the staff are and friendly. · Pleasant staff, always accomadating. Cl~n and attractive rooms. · Band and chorus and the people in them. · F-can-~i[~v~T~'ih-~r-e-~d-~'~Pu~c~ia~'-~i'l~-~-R~'~b~s B~nd V(~¢:~ ~t-hing m~_~[iravel show~; ...... and massages! · That it exists- it serves an important function in the community- there is such a vadety of activites offered that everyone should find something they like. · various programs that are of interst, fun things to do, noon meals, many friendly people, presentations about different subjects · variety of activites · oppodunity to learn · It is. · cozy and pleasant, lots of activites central in town · Respect each and every person, questions answered, directed to person to assist · The availablity and great variety of programs and events. After visiting such centers in other communities I realize the advantages of this center. · varied activities- something for nearly everyone, the building itseff is very regal, important, solid, downtown and beautiful. · The welcome and openness it's "ours" and we are made to feel we can get involved, be accepted and I observed good attitudes from these elderly with special needs. · Classes and exercise programs ·Ttie helpful staff, exspecially those at the public desk. the daily printed activity announcements are very informative. · Many things, the relaxed atmosphere, the VOE and listening to the band · Band · Still love the friendliness of the staff. I feel at home there. Love all the offedngs and classes, etc. The skywalk makes it possible for me to park conveniently and get into the Center easily. · Opportunity to volunteer and make things for sale in the gift shop. · camaraderie exhibited by everyone there. · the vadety of activities and quality of those teaching classes. · Friendliness of staff · the helpful staff · It is fulfulling to see the many people use the center for health and other "senior" needs. · Fdendly people and recreation · everything · My Yoga Class! · camaraderie- "Center spidt" · Quilting and fdends · the meals and the library. I enjoy reading. · The friendliness at the desks in the common rooms, etc. · classes and interest groups · The informational programs on topics seniors are dealing with, such as the recent program on selling your home. Aisc enjoy interesting slide shows. Also Medical programs. · the companionship that it provides and Meryl Sparks playing the piano · It helps seniors · SCTV · The chance to take classes and attend programs of interest · art appreciation classes · learning opportunities · friendly people, convenient easy parking. · seeing old friends · classes · forums, medical intervention program was outstanding. · the facilities · exercise room and reading materials · The people · the concept of having a place to have fun · the availability of affordable massage therapy · my yoga class · fellowship and meals · a place for the New Horizons Band · The wide vadety of programs and services · the talented and intelligent instructors andparticipants · the variety and quality of offerings. · ClaSSeS · sociability · musical activites I participate in · the public lectures and programs and art exhibits · Friends, books available · Dedication of the staff, extensive activity list and programs, facilities to be proud of as a community. · variety of classes and programs, friendly staff · lunch and pool · Most of the staff is very friendly. · literature classes ' Heffners class · Friends I have made there: · the programs and classes offered · accessability and cleanliness · classes · classes of interest, literature, are. Julie does a fine job with programming and it is appreciated · There is always something to do if you want. If you don't you can just read or watch TV · activities with agreeable people in a pleasent setting, beautiful building, good teachers, leaders of activities · Band; the actual building facilities are pleasant · my participation in the band. Also the art displays · It is a beautiful building and the staff is so friendly · the oppodunities to learn · Heffners class · Heffner's class · everyone dresses the best they can. · Friendliness of staff, especially M and C Buhman, cleanliness of building · It is a wonderful gather place offering many valuable activities. It is wonderful to see that Iowa City places a priodty on this kind of community · Atmosphere · coursed and meeting new people · the many, many vaded programs · Our representive or senator or there peele come and talk to us. Meeting people, the gift shop, learning classes, meals · The pass card, the library, oppurtunities and warm "espedally to me" from all the staff · friendly people · a class I've been interested in for a long time. The instructed is very knowledgeable and patient · Quality of Heffner's class and his leadership · the people are friendly and I lilke to sit and visit. Also the Band · seniors · the availability of programs when I need them. The friendliness of everyone made me feel warm and fuzzy · The people · Helen Chadima is an inspiring gentle talented communicator and teacher · the vadety of programs it sponsors. The forums in the public interest it provides, the services to the seniors now and in the future · yoga and exercise classes · the people · very professional workers, very polite and helpful · the friendly atmosphere · convenience · vadety of choices to spend time. · the vadety of activities · the bddge games, hiking and dancing and library · New Horizons Band, Voices of Experience, Eldercraff Shop · everything · programs offered · Friendliness · the friendliness of everyone · people · the vadety of opportunities that am available · All the programs and classes offered, th~'friendly smiles make a person feel most welcomed · welcome · b~in-~-~t~eru~,, exercise rEem · Its cleanliness. I feel the dining room are could be more decorated for mealtime. What else is that room used for?. · everythig before I got so old to go as often · good staff, good facilities · this it is downtown · convenient location · the class I take · the classes · the many things to do and participate in · the staff and maintenance crew, also some of the eldedy people. · Ray Heffner's class other similay type classes as Ken Gavrell's and lectures by Loren Horton, travel shows and information about other countries, opera review, free tickets to ICCT · the meal · location* convenient for me. · there is a place to be with people your own age · friendly and something for everyeone · the people; staff and visiting seniors · music programs · Responsiveness of the staff · Many activities go on all the time. do not interfere with eachother and parking is easy · It takes care of most seniors hobbies and needs · opportunity of socializing · people and activities · the people and the meals · classes · staff · the classes · Central location, historic building, courteous staff and volunteers · variety of programs · friendly staff and teachers · the vadety of classes · offerings and convenience of location (parking especially easy) · the many activities available to all sods of people · It's a place you can go and just hang out without any pressure or stress · everything, comunity sense · camaraderie · the friendliness of the staff · location and various services available to senior citizens · The programs and meals it offers · staff · The opportunity of people to meet other people. · friends · we are 100% happy about everything · all the acitivies · close to ET · the volunteers and the helpful staff · I like that it's centered in downtown Iowa City and not stuck outside the City. Makes seniors more inclusive in life of the City · the variety of educationals oppedunies · exercise equipment, tdps and classes · the people · access to a clean rest room · being able to take a class I'm interested in · the chorus · cborus · the music · people coming together · art show, merrill playing the piano, musical programs, reading · the people · the amazing array of activities and Julie, Susan, Michel!e and Craig · pleasant surroundings and staff · Senib-r D~i~gg · Heffner's class and painting classes · volunteer Opportunities · It is easy to get to for me. Oh yes, I like to go to the gift shop and look and shop · the friendliness of the people · free choice events · friendly and helpful staff · that is it open when I need to exercise and convenient location · the Voices of Experience · the people I meet there · That it functions, fulfills a need for many people and it will be there in the future · classes · mutual interest in numerous subjects o nice and friendly people · Its mission · music during meals · I like the atmosphere, the friendly faces and the proximity to the Cottage for coffee · library · Elderberry Cafe · meals and concerts · classes · the VOE program 011: What do you like least about the Senior Center? What do you like least about the Senior Center?. · Parking · nothing · nothing · nothing · nothing · not enough staff · Very disappointed with the meals. They are not well cooked and not even that nutritious since the vegetable are so over cooked. I gave up coming to the lunch, · Too hot in the assembly room much of the time. · nothing · not many visitors to the gift shop · Parking · Parking · Parking ramp is sometimes full · The parking problem. We should be allotted sufficient parking. Wasn't that a selling point in its construction? · to soon to have an opinion · at times its unfriendly nature · Parking · lack of interesting things to do · The noon meals · the new newspaper format- suggest go back to the old version · The dues on top of the NHB costs, which are already significant, and having to move tables and chairs before and after rehearsal · nothing · nothing · Lack of performance facility · no Saturday, Sunday and evening programs · I cannot think of anything except maybe a membership fee. I am afraid that it may keep some people away · Food is not as good as it was when Mike was here. · hustle and hurry-up between events and.classes (Not a severe, though) · Ritual card "swipe" at entrance · I~o~thing .................................................................... · no complaints · The S.C. should be a part of the community. There is a lack of outreach by the staff. There is a lack of community-wide activities sponsored by the SC. · the elevator · nothing · nothing · my wages · location · having to use parking ramps · the painting room is too small · the availablitiy of parking. The ramps are fairly close but fairly expensive · Parking · Getting lost in the parking ramp · Parking · nothing * the fact that the city gives prime parking spaces near the entrance to the center to businesses, most of the time they are empty while members with mobility problems park far away · noon meal · Seniors no longer run things like they used to · location · nothing · not enough people use its offerings · The C section of the Wall Street Journal is not there most of the time. · grim faces · the pitiful plants. (Used to be the mural but now I can almost always ignore it, I am also grateful the killer deorderizers in the rest rooms disappeared) · Parking. The garage is very confusing compared to capitol center and others. · nothing · Annual dues, but I know they are necessary · nothing · Nothing! People are helpful, courteous and fun · the food · sometimes it is hard to find parking in the ramp. For these who have trouble walking it is a long way from the ramp to the dining hall · Often parking is a problem, depends on time of day · nothing · It seems like most of the people are elder than me and married couples make up much of the attendees. I have met more people with interests similar to mine at Oaknoll than at the Senior Center. · The quality of the meals could be improved · nothing · the library is weak · In the question of local politics, sometimes one groups policies have been allowed to prevail. For instance the opening or closing of first avenue, this was real .crappy. · the distance from my home. · Sometimes the personnel are not too friendly. · people who whine a lot about every little thing about the center program · for old and disabled - parking not enough handicap spaces, walking through garage, skywalk helps, walk to the elevator and back · But also cold and aloof on occasion · The people who complain but do nothing to better the situation. · Finding and paying for parking. · I haven't found anything I dislike around the Center. · It is not closer to my house. · food or lunch · nothing · Sometimes it is hard to find a parking place in the ramp. · noon meals · nothing. · nothing · nothing · lack of parking spaces although the ramp arragnement is the best we have had so far. · 1~i~ was sorte~TnT~ifficu tl~To Jir~ i~'fhe~m-p~- · never found a TV to watch cable news programs is there a TV anywhere? · the building is daunting, formal, difficult to manipulate (stairs, slow elevator, separate floors, downtown, unfriendly parking) and somewhat hostile in feeling. It is also the opposite, see last answer. · I have observed some attutudes beween staff which seem adversarial and unhappy. It took a while to get some understanding about who should assist with the computer lab. This seems to be resolved and it is so wonderful to be able to use it and have assistance when neccessary and someone seems to care. · nothing · The lobby blinds are usually down and make the lobby rather cheerless. · nothing · The elevator doesn't always work properly and makes me nervous when I get on or off, especially if the door starts to close on me or if it doesn't open when we reach our floor. · Overcooked food and no pool · That more people don't use the center. · nothing · nothing · Concern about diminishing support from public funds which may make the center a "club" rather than a "public school for seniors" Some former members have told me they no long afford the classes which charge fees · the front steps · we elders like to bicker, I gave up on bridge. · Some audience members are rather rude about interrupting the program presenters and talk too much. · The occasional times (2) when it was difficult to gel in the Tower Place ramp. It was more annoying because I paid for a Senior Center parking permit for the whole year. · swiping the membership card · the fact more people don't take advantage of all it has to offer. · Certian people answering questions directed to the teacher. I think that was rude. · The elevator has its own unique personality - the door shuts abruptly and doesn't quit closing. · lack of physical activities for recreation · parking · more time to participate · I wish it had some weekend activities and the food is not very appealing. · don't know · Last time I tried a trip (trips and tours) it was cancelled due to not enough signing up. It took about 3 mos and I had to call Ainsworth to get my refund. I haven't tried another trip again. · no free parking · nothing · not so handy to get in and out of when I've had trouble walking · nothing · See answer to first question, availablitiy isn't good. · finding a parking space · nothing · That it's closed on holidays and weekends when those who live alone need companionship the most · nothing · the quality of the noon meals has declined · 1. Parking is occasionally limited 2. Higher fees for county residents · nothing · do not like the chairs in the dining room, very uncomfortable · Nothing · Parking. That you have to of to the center to register for a class. You used to be able to register by phone, why has that changed? · some senior meals are not what i prefer · Tower parking sometimes full · nothing · no pool · The Post, without a doubt · I think it is wonderful · parking, lack of snack/coffee bar, lack of financial inf6rmation · nothing · I can't think of anything. The staff is alw~){s helpful and polite · parking · cost is a little high for man~/retirees~ .................................. · nothing · The dining is a disgrace! The way people are used to deliever the meals and the diet is very poor · The fact that my class, open studio, has been demoted from class to a back-page affer thought at "activity" · Parking · parking · nothing · Computer classes are always full. Difficult to enroll · limited weekend hours · charging different rates according to where people live is discriminatory · made me feel unwanted, cold, unfriendly · over cooked veggies on some menus · Not enough parking at teh Senior Center door in garage. I have a bad back and can not walk far without help · the idea that its for the very old · the meals. I haven't eatten at the senior center in some time. · location. Parking is always a concern · no down side for me. · sometimes can't get in the parking ramp · parking arrangement, ramp · High fees for exercise classes and yoga · parking · the fact that it is downtown and 1 don't drive uptown anymore · food not hot when served and sometime overcooked · How the downstairs women's bathroom smells · everything is ok · the presenter of financial maintenance · sometimes meals · located in such a busy area - parking is sometimes a problem · Elevator door is a serious accident waiting to happen. Priority must be given to replacing with "photo-sensitive" closing device to open automatically if someone is caught. · need signs to locate elevatot when in lower level · When I brought my mom to play cards the person (woman) in charge, I guess, was bossy, unfriendly and not welcoming and friendly. We never came back! (not an employee just another woman playing cards) · The design of the building isn't very efficient or user friendly but its better than moving to a less conveient location · That it is not self supporting. I think leadership should work on endowment program. People who are able to financially support the Center should be encouraged to do so. · not many younger seniors · nothing · location · The Coordinator does not work with members of the Senior Center. Decisions made by the coordinator and commission are made without adequate input from the members · nothing · the meals could be more healthy, more rice, less gravy, love it, isn't too healthy · not enought evening activities and classes · parking, though I realize that's been accommodated. Parking meters should be mixed. · the elevator, only one and paola don't seem to operate it propedy · uptown parking and not very convenient buses · new piano in dinning room · grand piano · nothing · nothing · I've sat here for at least ten minutes but I cannot think of a thing. Years ago'the staff (Betty Miesil anyway) hated showing the premises with Senior Dining and there were some ugly moments. I'm glad there is peace between you. · parking · the membership fee- perhaps one paid position could be eliminated · people sleeping in the lobby · previous parking problems during the winter months · It is hard to park even with the new ramp. I liked having the bus at the other ramp and getting a ride to the door · morning events. I am not a morning person · nothin9 · I would like more classes in strength building, pilates offered in the morning ........ · dishes the meals were served on · The elevator · sometimes seems cliquey · some unfriendly fellow members · gossip · poor transportation available Q12: What changes or improvements could be made at the Senior Center that would make it more enjo... What changes or improvements could be made at the Senior Center that would make it more enjoyable for you? · Unaware of what could be done for improvements as haven't participated much due to work. · more parking available , nothing · Playing the piano too loud when we are eating. · nothing · Better food. · Contunue to develop diversity in programs. More Surveys such as this should identify interests. Continue to offer a variety of physical fitness classes, more medical related topics, more concerts · nothing · All members paid the same dues, you need to be a member to use the Senior Center · More classes and lectures. There are volunteers to teach, but Ihey may not know about the opportunities, I didn't · say to all groups if you have something of interest to seniors, let us know. We will find you a space, help you with set-up and help you promote your event. Use other locations such as the Rec center · Keep the Retired Teachers Teaching · do a study of other centers in like population areas- offer quality classes. · It's fine · lighter noon meal · Better lighting in Ochs painting room · Keep up good work and programming · Too much info here · nothing · more morning coffees, afternoon teas, light evening buffet, use communuty catering services (Co-op, Cottage, Hy Vee) More programs about nutrition, obesity · More Senior Center parking spots · It is ok now; just keep it going without too many deletions in the future. · a little more time for the activity and a little less time getting ready, take care of details, etc. (A more relaxed way of enjoying the music for which I come and in which I padake) · I'm happy with it as it is · no changes · The S.C. staff and commission could be more responsive to the members and could better communicate with the members when controversial decisions are made. · Year round the main room is too warm for band rehearsals · nothing · Keep a weeks worth of the Wall Street Journal handy · Painting room is c~owded, do others use/he equipment in that room? · nothing -~loing-fine · more craft projects · Have more events/classes in remore location, provide more refernce materials, tax booklets, health information · Don't change! Don't relocate! · nothing · Offer trips that are more "action oriented" maybe hiking trip to NE IA or a bike ~rip tp the Katy Trail in Missouri; cross country ski trip. Younger members are less interested in casino trips · I like it the way it is - Younger padicipants might have other needs or wishes · nothing · meeting rooms available for informal non-senior center committees, a coffee shop, someone to demonstrate use of exercise equipment · I think the Senior Center is a very nice place for the eldedy, especially the widows who are lel~ alone. It is a very nice place for people to enjoy various activities that the Center bas to offer. · Furnish rods and stands to hold newspapers together and provide daily storage for them · No "musty" odor downstairs - but not if it is covered up with something sweet. Do we have dampness somewhere that is not really obvious? · More signs in garage and senior center. What floor to take to garage, location of enterance of ramp to center, signs in center to garage. More signs, more places ·More parking in the ramp. I realize it is owned by the city. Don't like the "full" sign. · nothing · to find people · nothing · Put more chairs a long the hall on the second floor to make it easier to find a place to rest. · nothing · How about a program geared to newly retired or those between 55-65. Suggestions: "Inventing the mst of your life" book discussion; floral design; pet care discussion; latest ideas, research on health · Have seen some other centers and we really top them all. Don't change for me. · Ping Pong rather than billiards · HAve a get acquanted for newcomers, make new fdends senior age. I feel alone and need to go more, I am new in town. · If we are to enjoy the vitality of discourse, make sure all sides are presented. Also, discourse keeps the place vital. · maybe more programs? · I am sorry this isn't more help, but as I get older I'm sure I will participate more. · Friendly staff · a single stop connection where seniors can find out about basic services such as housing, eldedy services, health care needs. · My only involvement has been playing in the New Horizons Band. I know very little about other acfivites there and don't have time anyway. ·More parking on side in front and close to skywalk for handicapped. · committees with clout, capable of action. · I just need more personal time to take advantage of more things. I remember a dear old man complaining about missing buttons, and small mending jobs they couldn't do, maybe volunteers could help. · Could have more/better computers (using equipment and software) and more classes on technology (altough you do have some good ones already) · Nothing. · I think you are'doing a great job. I just started to use the Center and hope to use it a lot more. · Parking and access for handicap drop off and pick-up so ddver can leave car for a few minutes. · nothing · nothing · I belong to give financial support only. · improve your food service · nothing, keep up the good work. · Perhapes an online computer lab open to all members. · Lower the fees for classes, TV area, private library · Volunteers to post flyers about our unique craft and gift shop. Bdghtly colored door and window signs listing gift shop hours. 1. libraries, Pauls, Crowded closet, Salvation Army store, Hy~Vee etc. · Perpetual snack bar with gut-retting yummy foods like donuts, cookies, crackers, drinks (pop, coffee, tea, chocolate etc.) Pop available in dining room, "not so many starches" more afternoon activities (hiking, crafts, films, games other than cards) more relationship with downtown business (tours, coupons, discounts, special services in exchange for volunteer help?]CThere seems to be some coved anger tilting about- anger about __"how things are run", the staff, the Board (somewhat dictatorial?) or something. Things seem pratt7 well run to me, but I'm an outsider- or so it feels. - .... · Food - fewer carbs at one meal or more green salads. · None right now, my available time to attend is limited. · nothing · It would be nice if the tables and chairs didn't need to be moved for the band set-up and takedown. · More visibility of the Eldercraft shop. · More free classes in a greater variety of subjects. Healthier food, not so overcooked but I understand that may not be possible with institutional cooking. · Something needs to be done to the elevator so the door won't close on people getting on or off. Some people have had their arms caught. · More vareity of classes offered. · more cards · It would be helpful if members were provided a floor plan that identifies all the rooms. · More activities with college students such as John Cross' poetry class, working with wills, writing poetry. · make the entrance on Linn Street more accessible, including being able to enter at either door. · I'd like to see some activities geared to more vigorous people with lots of stamina, expample outdoor nature hikes. · It would be nice if the City would designate the parking ramp level connected to the center by the walk way as Senior Center parking to anyone with a membership · Open in the evenings · offer more art appreciation classes · Having classes end at 3PM so people using the Oaknoll bus can do so. · parking is difficult. · Overall, none. I feel it is a great service for the eldedy of the community. I am pleased it is available even if I am picky with my usage. · improved elevator. · You could contact the City of Albuquerque New Mexico for one the their activity catalogs. They have at least 3 to 4 very good centers sponsors by the City. Start a fishing club, a nature club, make visits to Iowa sites, use vans rather than buses. · easier parking, AA meetings, Dads · evening classes · I wish the center were more of a community center. Now, I think, one goes there for a specific activity but not just to hang out with friends. Not to eat with fdends. One seems to have to have something specific to do ro attend to feel comfortable spending time there. · getting more members and users of the center. · cater to the younger senior · There appears to be an inadequate number of handicapped parking spots near the skywalk enteranco. Why are all the "reserved" spots next to the skywalk? Aren't these working people capable of walking the extra steps to take the elevator and leave the whole area next to the skywalk available for seniors! · more free classes · just keep scheduling activities such as the garden club · Need to see persons involved around more. Not hiding in their rooms! · I like the large pdnt lists of what's going on. How does one know when, where to see programs filmed? · nothing. I have been coming almost 8 years and I am past 92 now. · Street enterance, building with offices on 2nd floor and rest of rooms on street enterance. Bus service from West side of town to the Center with half hour service · nothing · Open the center on holidays, Sat. and Sun, and until 7PM weekdays and make all rooms available, pool, computer and library · I'm happy now! · No changes nexessary, I am happy the way it is. · see above and possibly more health related activities or programs · more interaction with other city, county agencies. For example, tours of park, senior programs at recreation building, busing for minor sporting events at tho UI. · earlier registration for classes, now too small a "window" · more comfortable temperature in community room, usually too warm · I enjoy it all · Put more comfortable chairs in the dining room · I think it is tine the way it is! · Parking should be reserved for the Cent~' on the level of the entrance to the crossover. Now so many spaces on that level are reserved for a law firm that it is often difficult if not impossible to find a space and sometimes the whole ramp is filled. There used to be a reserved area for the Center at Chauncey Swan ramp. Could that be done in the Tower ramp? Go back to more frequent newsletters- announcement events come out so far in the future it is hard to keep track of them as their date approaches. · activities geared to people under 60 years old. · We are so lucky to have the finest Senior Center in a several state area right here in Iowa City · Satisfied with program · I have been to more than 20 senior center in Iowa and our warmth and opportunities exceed them all · I think the $25 fee is unfair · swimming pool with water aerobics in not so deep water for nonswimmer · It seems less and less run by the seniors themselves. Professionals seem to be running everything without understanding needs of slower paced "senior". What ever happened to the get acquainted coffees? · nothing · Better information on senior programs and services. More visibility of director · There is something for everyone to do and be involved with. Your reach out to all classifications of human beings, keep up the good work! · A bigger room for Ochs painting class · nothing · attract a younger group of seniors · some reserved parking spaces for the center · better parking · ~ have to get to know it better before I can make a judgement. · Parking · nothing · The whole dining situation is almost indentical to the modee operandi of a prison system! Paid employees are needed instead of volunteers. Plus many other changes need in the dining area. · Open to all Johnson County seniors regardless of ability to pay. · If there were more bridge players it would be nice. · easier parking · since I walk with a walker would like parking next to the building. · More classes and lectures on art and literature. · 1. Change the name ASAP? No "Senior" in change. Dissenting member will acclimate. 2. Question: Is it feasible to change physical location? parking is difficult and seem too large for present number of participants · Increased weekend access · 1. same rate for all participants 2. get dd of the welfare stigma 3. decrease political activities i.e. those seeking office forum, AARP etc. 4. people who monopolize an activity · More spaces designated for our parking. More control of air condition in the card room. It blows so strong and so cold we need a coat or heavy sweater to keep our teeth from chattering. Maybe we could be in middle room at the location or up by elevator where the traffic could be less intrussive and NC better controlled. · I enjoy it on y I am getting too old to enjoy much or even try things new · more programming for middle-aged people. · I am glad we have the senior center and plan on using it more in the future · better parking · good as is · reserved parking in the ramp. I realize this would be at a cost · open on Saturday, pool room, extend the hours during the week. · If I could find easier parking · easier parking · find more people to play bridge · I like bingo now and then, plus the talented singers and piano players who liven up the noon hours · I am hoping for a sewing class. Dianne Day would be a terrific teacher · An additional 1 or 2 handicap parldng places at the entrance to the center in the garage · more financial support · better parking spaces · I enjoy it the way it is. · Again, modify the elevator door. I personally use the stairs, but have observed others barely escaping injury. · Pmbally nothing would make it more useful for me. I think it's great for the community and wonderful addition to Iowa City but it's not especially useful to me. I think it should continue much as it is, I am glad to support it. It's just not something I or my wife feel a need for. · When I feel ok I'd like someone to accompany me. · Easier parking · Better access for p,a, rking. Can't access fF0m every level, mo instructions in the ramp on how to get in to center. People don t seem to be friendly or welcominq. I even thought of volunteering to be a hostess · Find a way to get more seniors involved. It is my impression your are trying very hard to do this. · Will have to wait and see after I'm albe to spend more time there. It is my hope that ali people from well to do to very poor feel welcomed and that somehow people who are homebound are provided a way to get there. · Induce my friends to come to the Center · Just keep doing what you are doing! · I would have better access on weekends · nothing · The Coordinator and Commission should learn to work with the members. Some of the staff make premises .without adequate authority and the process of how to get things done is not well defined. When a new event is proposed, the Coordinator does not get involved in discussions and makes final decisions without headng the debate- this leads to disappiontment and unnecessary stress. A space usage assessment should be done. · nothing · nothing · more evening programs and activities · Even more classes and lecturesJ · better meals · better meals · a pool! · nothing · The only problem has been parking but I haven't had to stare and wait at the "full" sign for several months now and am grateful. I realize there are other parking garages but because of my knee it is painful to walk. ,, Just keep up the good array of programs and activities · easier access, easier parking. That ramp is a nightmare. It truly deters me from wanting to come to the center · I like all the classes and don't think it needs improving · yellow paint on the edges of the steps out front · addional exercise equipment · Mix it up, create opportunities to meet people at activites and cla~sses. Make the calendar more available. Run it in the Press Citizen by week. Emphasize special events. Have it on the same page and column at least once a week, maybe even every day · add more afternoon events, maybe the same event in the morning and afternoon · Many of my acquaintances believe it is a very class place to meet and associate together in social and community activities thereby enjoy retirement and helping others · Parking passes that we good for a year, not just Jan to Jan. As I leave for the summer and retum I'd like to purchase a parking pass · An internet coffee shop with Seattle coffee and reggie wraps from Taste on Melrose · to have a senior van or bus Iowa City Police Department C,i~,~,~ t,,b' Monthly liquor ~icense (OFF PREMISE SALES) Report ~ril 2005 Year 2005 Monthly Total I I Year to Date Totals Arrest/Visit Business Name A I ~ ~ I ~ YTO AAJAXXX LIQUOR STORE 1 0 1 0 0 ~,LDI INC. 1 0 0 BIG KAMART-HOLLYWOOD BLVD. 2 ~ ~ 0 0 CUB FOODS 1 ~ 2 0 0 DAN'S SHORT STOP CORP I : 0 0 DELIMART-E. BENTON DELIMART-MORMON TREK 1 1 0 0 3 ~ 0 0 DELIMART-HWY 1 3 ~ 0 0 DELIMART-LWR MUSCATINE 1 0 0 DRUGTOWN I i 0 0 EL PASO MEXICAN STORE FAREWAY STORES Commerce 1 ~ 2 0 0 FAREWAY STORES Westwinds 1 0 0 2 ; ~ 0 0 GASBY'S- S. GILBERT GASBY'S 5AST-2303 MUSCAT. 1 --~---; 0 0 1 o o GOOSETOWN 2 ~ ----~----i 0 0 HANDIMART-DUBUQUE ST. 1 0 0 HANDIMART-N. DODGE -lAN DIMART-WILLOWCREEK I ~ 0 0 -IARTIG DRUG-MORMON TREK 1 ~ 0 0 HAWKEYE CON ST-COMMERCE 1 ~ 0 0 HAWKEY CON ST-KIRKWOOD 2 0 0 HY-VEE-N. DODGE 2 0 0 HY-VEE-S. 1ST AVE I 3 0 0 1 o o HY-VEE GAS 1 ~ 0 0 HY-VEE-WATERFRONT 1 0 0 JOHN'S GROCERY INC 3 0 0 KUM & GO-GILBERT/BURLI. KUM & GO-MORMON TREK 1 0 0 KUM & GO- S. RIVERSIDE 3 ~ 0 0 KUM & GO- W. BURLINGTON 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 L&M MIGHTY SHOP INC 2 0 0 LIQUOUR HOUSE 1 0 0 MINI MART 1 0 0 NEW PIONEER COOP 1 0 0 NORTH DODGE ESPRESS ON THE GO CONV. STORE INC 1 0 0 ~ ~ o o OSCO DRUG I 0 0 Parth MINI MART- 2153 ACT CR PETRO-N-PROVISIONS 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 SUBURBAN AMOCO ~ 0 0 SUBURBAN AMOCO-KEOKUK 1 0 0 T&M MINI MART I 0 0 TOBACCO OUTLET PLUS-S. RIV. TOTAL 5g 0 0 Column A is the number of times a license holder is visited specifically checking for underage sales. Solumn B is the number of people charged with possession under the legal age. Note, this is not the total number of chargess. IP15 Monthly liquor license (OFF PREMISE SALES) Report 2005 Year 2005 Monthly Total I I Year to Date Totals Arrest/Visit Business Name AI ~ ]_AI ~ YTD AAJAXXX LIQUOR STORE 2 0 ALDI INC. 0 0 BIG KAMART-HOLLYWOOD BLVD. ~ [ 0 0 CUB FOODS ~ ~' 0 0 DAN'S SHORT STOP CORP 1 ~ 0 0 DELIMART-E. BENTON 2 0 0 DELIMART-MORMON TREK 0 0 DELIMART-HWY 1 0 0 :DELIMART-LWR MUSCATINE : : 6 0 )RUGTOWN 1 0 0 ;L PASO MEXICAN STORE : 0 0 FAREWAY STORES Commerce --: 0 0 FAREWAY STORES Westwinds ; 0 0 GASBY'S-S. GILBERT 0 0 GASBY'S EAST-2303 MUSCAT. 1 ~ 0 0 GOOSETOWN 1 0 0 HANDIMART-DUBUQUE ST. -- 0 0 -tANDIMART-N. DODGE 0 0 HANDIMART-WILLOWCREEK -- 0 0 HARTIG DRUG-MORMON TREK 0 0 HAWKEYE CON ST-COMMERCE ~ 0 0 HAWKEY CON ST-KIRKWOOD ~ 0 0 -IY-VEE-N. DODGE -- ~ 0 0 HY-VEE-S. 1ST AVE 1 ~ 0 0 -IY-VEE GAS ~ 0 0 -IY-VEE-WATERFRONT ~ 0 0 JOHN'S GROCERY INC ~ 0 0 KLM & GO-GILBERT/BURLI. ~ 0 0 KLM & GO-MORMON TREK -- 0 0 KLM & GO- S. RIVERSIDE ~ 0 0 KLM & GO- W. BURLINGTON 1 ~ 0 0 L&M MIGHTY SHOP INC ~ 0 0 LIQUOUR HOUSE ~ 0 0 MINI MART ~ 0 0 ',lEW PIONEER COOP -- 0 0 NORTH DODGE ESPRESS ~ 0 0 ON THE GO CONV. STORE INC 1 0 0 OSCO DRUG I T 0 0 Parth MINI MART- 2153 ACT CR ~ 0 0 PETRO-N-PROVISIONS 0 0 SUBURBAN AMOCO ~ 0 0 SUBURBAN AMOCO-KEOKUK 1 ~ 0 0 T&M MINI MART 0 0 TOBACCO OUTLET PLUS-S. RIV. 1 0 0 TOTAL 10 ~' :. 0 0 Column A is the number of times a license holder is visited specifically checking for underage sales. Solumn B is the number of people charged with possession under the legal age. Note, this is not the total number of chargess. AGENDA City of Iowa City City Council Economic Development Committee Tuesday, July 19, 2005 9:00 a.m. City Hall Lobby Conference Room 410 East Washington Street 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Minutes - June 21, 2005 3. Business Visit Update 4. Discussion of Future Issues 5. Staff Update on Economic Development Activities 6. Set Next Meeting Date 7. Adjournment MIN UTES P RE LI M INARY CITY COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TUESDAY, JUNE 2t, 2005, t t :00 A.M. LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL Members Present: Ernie Lehman, Bob Elliot, Regenia Bailey Members Absent: None Staff Present: Steve Nasby Visitors: CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Lehman called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Elliot moved to accept the minutes as written. Bailey seconded. Motion passed 3-0. DISCUSSION AND SCHEDULING OF BUSINESS VISITS Nasby said that the previous Council Economic Development Committee had wanted to start a business visit program as a means to build and enhance the relationships between the City and the private sector. He noted that ICAD does synchronicity visits, which is a list of prepared questions to gather data and note trends. The business visits made by the City Council and staff are designed to be less formal. Lehman noted the committee is asking the businesses to grade its (the City's) progress, and the response in the past has been very positive. Elliot said he would like the businesses to take the lead, but also to have an agreed-upon area of interest, so that the committee members have similar approaches to the visits. There may be certain questions all of the businesses are asked. For example, if there are any things the businesses would like to change, and whether it would be beneficial to have meetings between City Staff and/or Council and representatives of the commercial interests in the city. Bailey said her understanding from Lehman's explanation is that these meetings are regular check-in visits similar to what occurs regularly with non-profit organizations, so the approach and topics are individually tailored to each group. Lehman agreed, but added that in the past the committee has tried to gather information about how things could be improved, particularly with businesses that have done work such as improvements and construction. Feedback is needed on their perceptions about how the city staff addresses their needs. He added that the businesses have been fairly open and candid in past meetings. Elliot said there can be different perceptions between citizen commissions and staff. For example, from his previous work with ACT in their expansion, there were very negative comments regarding Planning and Zoning, and but very positive help from staff. Lehman said in that instance there was a rough point regarding the planned location of the street, which was moved after ACT had planned around its first location. At first there was no dialogue or discussion, but then negotiations opened up later and resolved the issue positively for all parties. Elliot said that as Bailey has noted in the past, there is interest in the process, how well the different parties work together. Lehman said it is a public relations activity. Bailey asked Nasby if he attends the meetings. Nasby said he went to all the meetings last time, which helps build relationships with staff, and facilitates a point of contact. Bailey and Elliot agreed that it gives contact and visibility to the staff, though it takes up a lot of time. Lehman suggested sharing the visits with some of the Council members, because of the nature of the visits. He said it is important for all of the Council members to understand what these visits are about. Also, since they are public relations meetings and Nasby will be involved, it might be beneficial for more Council members to be involved. Elliot asked if Lehman is suggesting Council people also do visits. Lehman said yes. City Council Economic Development Committee Minutes June 21, 2005 Page 2 Elliott noted that there are a lot of contacts for the three people on the Council Economic Development Committee to cover. Lehman said three people have done it in the past, but it would be good for the Council members to hear what the committee members hear. Elliot agreed, and suggested having the committee members get together for a debriefing. Lehman suggested that staff take notes on the comments received, and then could do a synopsis, both on strong points and those that need improvement. Elliot said he agrees that it would be good to involve Council members who would like to do it, and those who do not wish to be involved would not be required to make visits. Bailey said the committee should do the bulk of the visits, but the Council members could be invited to be involved. Bailey asked what the criteria were to get on the list. Nasby said the cutoff was the number of employees. Bailey asked if there are smaller businesses that are growing that should be on the list. Nasby said that last time, the committee started with the large-employer list, then moved to other tiers, completing about 100 visits in all. Elliot asked how the meetings were set up. Nasby said last time he set up the meetings based on dates designated by the committee members. He sent out letters and followed up with phone calls to set the meeting dates and times. Elliot asked if meeting with city staff should be addressed. Bailey said that Nasby will be present, and having a staff point person provided who people can go to with questions or concerns should be sufficient. Lehman agreed, and added that a council contact should be given as well. That should be fine as long as there are no major issues of concern. Elliot asked if the meetings will be taped, and whether Nasby will be taking notes. Nasby said they will not be taped, and he will take a small number of notes, specifically relating to concerns with the city and things that need to be addressed. Elliot said that the more the meetings seem recorded, the more reticent the feedback might be. Nasby said it is a conversation about how to provide better services. The committee members reviewed the list of businesses and chose who would contact each company. Lehman will do City Carton, Four Oaks, General Mills, Heartland Express, the School District, Menard's, McComas-Lacina, The University of Iowa, and Wal-Mart. He suggested including Joe Raso in the exit interview with General Mills. Bailey will do Buckle Down, CEC, Hills Bank, Press Citizen, Iowa Interstate Railroad, Loparex, Noel- Levitz, Oral B, Proctor & Gamble, and UI Hospitals. Elliot will do ACT, Bankers Advertising, Fresh Foods Concepts, Iowa State Bank, Mercy Hospital, NCS, Oaknoll, and United Natural Food. Council members will be invited to visit Cub Foods, Goodwill, Hy-Vee, Knutson, Lear, MCI, Moore, Seabury & Smith, MECCA, Quality Inn, Sheraton, USPS, US Bank, and Worley. Nasby said he would send out letters to the companies, then call to follow up and get some possible dates for the meetings. Then he will contact the committee members. He would like to stad the meetings after July 15. Bailey said she would be on vacation August 3-12. Lehman said he would probably be gone the first 10 days of August. DISCUSSION OF FUTURE ISSUES Nasby said some interest has been expressed about a discussion regarding the movement of freight in Iowa City. For example, Lear has 90 semis going in and out per day, and that is only one company, so there are a lot of trucks moving in and out of the industrial parks. He added that there is also rail traffic, but not at the level of the vehicle traffic. Elliot asked if the issue was specifically freight, or traffic in and out of their facilities, including cars. Nasby said the issue was brought up under freight (including railroad cars), but could also be the beer trucks downtown. Lehman said trucks are different than cars. Bailey said there is a difference between industries, with companies like ACT who have a lot of car traffic having similar concerns. Elliot noted that some companies like P&G have both types of traffic. Nasby asked if there is interest in having a larger meeting to talk about the issue. Bailey asked what the question or issue is. Nasby said movement of freight, whether or not there are problems with it, and if so, City Council Economic Development Committee Minutes June 21,2005 Page 3 what are they and how can those issues be resolved. Bailey suggested seeing if that concern is raised in the business visits. Lehman agreed that could be included in discussion with companies in the industrial parks. Lehman added that he does not think the downtown deliveries issue falls under the purview of this committee. Bailey said that Council should address downtown delivery issues should. Elliot said that discussion should include input from the merchants. Nasby confirmed that the freight question will be postponed until after the business visits. Nasby said the other issue is wireless Internet (wi-fi). He said that the Library had been offering wireless Internet within their building, but recently antennas were added so that the signal reaches the pedestrian mall as well. Currently this type of internet service is being promoted by the James Gang and cultural corridor groups, but there is interest among private providers as well. The question is how to facilitate allowing these groups to provide service. Bailey said the committee should start talking about telecommunications infrastructure and future needs with the businesses during the visits. She said this is fundamental economic development infrastructure. Nasby noted there is a growing need for this type of data capacity. Elliot said it should be investigated, but caution is needed because technology improves and changes so much. He added that he is interested in having wireless access in various places downtown, perhaps the pedestrian mall and the Pentacrest. Bailey suggested all the parks. Nasby said that from an economic standpoint, the issue could be addressed in the business visits, but it will also be a policy question at some point. Bailey said that some education would be needed for the members of the committee, so that everyone is on the same page. The discussion can begin in the visits, but perhaps at the larger meeting a presentation could be given about telecommunications technology, and implications for policy makers. Lehman agreed. Elliot noted he heard different views on the question of wi-fi depending on who he talked to. Nasby said one difference would be between monitoring the system versus simply installing the equipment. Elliot agreed that educating the committee members would be beneficial. Elliot said he spoke to Lisa Spellman and Jeff Koenig about the increasing number of consulting companies. He said creating a point of contact for these companies would be beneficial, to loosely organize them. Lehman asked for clarification. Elliot suggested meeting with the known consulting companies after doing the first round of business visits, to learn about their concerns and suggestions, and help coordinate them. Lehman asked what would be coordinated. Elliot said to let them know who in the city to contact, especially if they are new to the area. Lehman asked where consultants fit into ICAD. Nasby said he thought they would fall into the realm of retail business. Bailey suggested partnering with the Chamber of Commerce, to give a networking opportunity that is geared toward small businesses and consultants. Nasby said the Chamber was working in this area with the SEED initiative. Bailey said networking is a vital component for small business. Lehman agreed that could be facilitated. Bailey said the host would present information resources and answer questions. Elliot and Lehman agreed. Elliot said he would like to meet more frequently. Nasby suggested planning to meet once per month, and meetings could be cancelled if nothing is pending. STAFF UPDATE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES Nasby said the CEBA deal with Lear is almost done. The state is finalizing the agreement with them. He noted that the City's agreement is signed. Also, TIF rebate checks were given out a week ago. Graham Packaging, Seabury-Smith and Sycamore Mall were the ones that went out. Elliot asked if the rebate is the required process, rather than not having the companies pay the taxes. Nasby said that there are options on using TIF, but for property tax rebates this is the way it is set up in state law. If the companies did not pay, that would be a tax exemption rather than a rebate, which would City Council Economic Development Committee Minutes June 21, 2005 Page 4 fall under a different section of the Iowa Code. Lehman said the process allows use of the city's numbers, so there is no dispute about how the totals are figured. Nasby noted that the process in place works well. Nasby said that the brochure sample in the packets was for companies that wish to locate in Iowa City, to give out when people inquire about locations, available land, or other information. He said that discussions with the ICAD office are planned to get the same information on the web as well. Elliot asked about the availability of all the listed properties. Nasby said the information is about the current owners, whether or not they have plans to develop the land. Nasby said there are three brochures, the 1-80 Office Park, included in the packets, plus the southeast industrial park by Scott Boulevard and the Mormon Trek extension by the airport. Bailey agreed that it would be very useful to put it on the web. Nasby said that he is working with a couple retailers and a manufacturing company that are looking to expand or locate in Iowa City. Nasby noted the advertisement for the CDBG loan program ran, a copy of which was included in the packets. Bailey asked if there was any response. Nasby said he has had a couple phone calls and expects applications. Bailey asked if there would be participation in the Diversity Network started by some people from Rockwell-Collins. Nasby said he was not aware of the event. Bailey said there will be a meeting, and said she will gather more information. SET NEXT MEETING DATE Next meeting was set for 9:00 a.m. for Tuesday, July 19. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting was iadjourned. s:/pcd/minutes/ecodev/2OOS/edc06-21-05,doc City Council Economic Development Committee Minutes June 21,2005 Page 5 Council Economic Development Committee Attendance Record 2005 Term Name Expires 02/01 02/17 3/17 3/31 06/21 00/00 00/00 Regenia Bailey 01/02/08 x x x x X Bob Elliott 01/02/08 x x x x X Ernest Lehman 01/02/06 x x x x X Key: X = Present O -- Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM -- No Meeting ..... Not a Member International Economic Development Council Page 1 of 2 Register for IEDC's Online Consultant Database Welcome, Guest ~ Register online today! Market your consulting firm to thousands of economic development professionals...for less than a dollar a day. 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If Donaldson & Associates had contacts or branch offices in other parts of the country, each additional listing would further market their services to individuals searching these particular states. Contact If you have questions or would like more information regarding the Consultant Database, please contact Crystal Davis via email at ~davi~@i~dc~n!ing,org. Back to top Privacy Bo!icy I T~rrns of.u~ I Coptaqt © 2005 International Economic Development Council http://www.iedconline.org/?p=Consultant_Registration 7/12/2005 MINUTES DRAFT IOWA CITY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT JUNE 8, 2005 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL-IOWA CITY, CITY HALL IP17 MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Alexander, Michael Wright, Ned Wood, Karen Leigh, Vincent Maurer, MEMBERS ABSENT: NONE STAFF PRESENT: Robert Miklo, Sarah Holecek OTHERS PRESENT: Gayle King Zeithamel, Joseph Altenhoff, Harry Wolf, Garry Sanders CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Maurer called the meeting to order at 5:03pm. CONSIDERATION OF THE MAY 11,2005 BOARD MINUTES Wright said that under the third paragraph under the first special exception instead of "where it is crossed by the railroad", it should be "where it crosses the railroad". MOTION: Wright moved to approve the minutes from May 11, 2005. Wood seconded the motion. Motion passed 5:0. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS: EXC05-00009 Discussion of an application submitted by Doc's Standard Inc. for a special exception to permit a used car lot on property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone at 801 South Riverside Drive. Miklo said that the application has been withdrawn by the applicant. EXC05-00010 Discussion of an application submitted by Paul Kalb for a special exception to allow reduction of the required 20 foot rear yard to 5.4 feet to allow an addition to an existing single-family house located in the Medium Density Single Family Residential (RS-8) zone at 1012 Hudson Avenue. Before presenting the staff report Miklo showed pictures with the location of the property, illustrations with the existing house and the proposed changes. Miklo said that the applicant would like to make some structural improvements to his rental property. He would like to put a 57-square-foot addition on the rear of the house and in doing so square off the rear fa(;ade and fix some structural problems with the roof. He mentioned that the required rear yard in the RS-8zone is 20-feet. However, the existing house is located 5'4" from the rear property line, making it a nonconforming structure. He said that according to the Iowa City Zoning Code, a nonconforming structure may be enlarged, provided the enlargement does not increase the nonconformity. Miklo said that the applicant would like to square off the northeast corner of the home by adding a small addition. Since the addition would be located in the required rear yard, it would be an enlargement of a nonconformity and would not be allowed unless a special exception is granted to reduce the rear yard to 5 feet. Miklo stated that the special exception could be granted when the applicant demonstrates that there is a peculiar situation and a practical difficulty in complying with the requirements of the chapter. Miklo added that the staff considers that there is a practical difficulty and a peculiar situation in the current application. Miklo said that the peculiar situation is that the existing home is set back approximately 78 feet from the front property line, considerably further from the street than the other homes along the frontage. Regarding the practical difficulty of the property, Miklo said that the existing house is in need of repairs. He added that over the years a number of changes have been made to the home resulting in varying Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes June 8, 2005 Page 2 rooflines and a cobbled together appearance. He said that the current owner would like to square off the rear facade and make a more uniform roofline and in the process fix some structural problems. Miklo said that besides the specific standards there are seven general standards that need to be considered. He said that the specific proposed exception would not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or welfare. Miklo said that in staff's opinion the proposed reduction will not be detrimental or endanger the public, but should be an improvement. He mentioned that the proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He said that the addition is small and would result in a structural and aesthetic improvement to the existing home. The property abuts the rear yard of triangular lot that faces Douglas Court. He mentioned that sufficient yard space exists between the properties to afford each owner some privacy. In addition, he said that a six-foot tall privacy fence separates the two properties and limits views between the abutting yards. Miklo continued by saying that the establishment of the specific proposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. He said that the proposed addition would improve the aesthetics of the home as viewed from neighboring properties. Miklo said that adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. He said that the proposed exception will not result in a change to vehicular access. Next, Miklo said that the proposed would be consistent with the shod-range Comprehensive Plan of the City. He said that the Comprehensive Plan identifies this neighborhood as an area where efforts should be made to improve the housing stock. Staff recommends that EXC05-00010an application submitted by Paul Kalb for a special exception to allow reduction of the required 20 foot rear yard to 5.4 feet to allow an addition to an existing single-family house located in the Medium Density Single Family Residential (RS-8) zone at 1012 Hudson Avenue be approved. Public Hearing Opened Gayle Kin.q Zeithamel, 429 Douglass Court, said that she is the property owner that would be most affected by the proposed changes. She said that the property at 1012 Hudson Avenue has been in disrepair for 27 years since she moved onto her property. She mentioned that they do not rent and she does not plan on moving. She added that the property at 1012 Hudson Avenue had always looked the same. She brought pictures to support her argument. She added that the structure of the house had not been kept up; the general maintenance has not been kept up either. She said that she installed a wood fence in order to obstruct vision. She said that any addition would only magnify the existing situation. Zeithamel said that she would be concerned about the roof, the general structure and repair before this time, and not having an addition put on to add to the length of the building. She said that the building intrudes on her property, to the aesthetics of her property and the usage of the backyard. She said the house currently is imposing on her property because it sits so close to the properly line. She said she would not want to see it enlarged any more. She said that she has had to invest in the privacy fence and planting of trees to try to gain some privacy for her property. She mentioned that she would like to see the structure repaired and brought into compliance with zoning rather than given any special privileges. She asked if there is a drawing showing what the new additions would look like. Public Hearing Closed Leigh asked if the property has passed the rental inspection. Miklo answered that he is not sure but assumes that the property had passed previous inspections. He said that his understanding was that the applicant wanted to make improvements to the house because he had trouble renting it in its current state. Leigh asked if a drawing of the addition was submitted with the application. Miklo said that it had not been. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes June 8, 2005 Page 3 Maurer asked if the design of the addition was within the purview of the Board. Miklo said that with a special exception the Board could place restrictions on the design of a building since it was granting waivers from specific zoning requirements. Miklo said that if the Board felt it needed further information from the applicant, it could defer this request to the next meeting to allow the applicant to respond. MOTION: Wright moved that EXC05-00010 00010an application submitted by Paul Kalb for a special exception to allow reduction of the required 20 foot rear yard to 5.4 feet to allow an addition to an existing single-family house located in the Medium Density Single Family Residential (RS-8) zone at 1012 Hudson Avenue be deferred to the July 13 meeting. Alexander seconded the motion. Wright stated he would vote to defer because he the Board needed to see the plans for the building to determine if it would be an improvement over the current situation. Motion passed 5:0. EXC05-00011 Discussion of an application submitted by Jehovah's Witnesses Iowa City for a special exception for a religious institution on property located in the Community Office (CO-1) zone at 2923 Northgate Drive. Miklo sad that there are no specific criteria listed in the zoning code for religious institutions located in the CO-1 zone, but the applicant must demonstrate that the general standards are met. Miklo said that the specific proposed exception should not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. He added that there is adequate space on the proposed property for the proposed use and the associated parking, and staff finds that the proposed exception will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. Miklo stated that the proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. Miklo continued by saying that the establishment of the specific proposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. He mentioned that the properties along Northgate Drive are all at least 1 acre in size, including the subject property proposed for a religious institution. As such, there is sufficient site area to separate the activities on the proposed property from other properties in the vicinity. There should be little impact, if any, on surrounding properties. Miklo said that the peak hours would be on weekends and in the evenings, so traffic to the site should be minimal during regular business hours. He added that here might be some occasional overlap between the peak hours of use for the proposed church and the Preucil School of Music located across the street from the subject property. However he said, the traffic volume along Northgate Drive is not high for its design and that it has sufficient capacity to handle traffic from the proposed use and other uses in the area. Miklo said that adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. He said that a 70-foot wide pedestrian parkway easement is required along Northgate Drive as a part of the development, and plans foe the parkway are included with the application. Miklo said that except for the specific regulations and standards applicable to the exception being considered, the specific exception, in all other respects, conforms to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is located. Miklo said that the proposed special exception is for the use of the site only. The applicant will still be required to meet all other City Code requirements. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes June 8, 2005 Page 4 Miklo said that the proposed use should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan of the City. Miklo said that the Comprehensive Plan identifies this area for office development and that a religious institution would be compatible with office uses. He said that the proposed use and anticipated traffic for the proposed religious institution will be compatible with other uses permitted in this area as long as the site is designed in a manner that complies with the City's zoning and site plan review standards. Miklo said that staff recommends that £XO05-00011 an application submitted by Jehovah's Witnesses Iowa City for a special exception for a religious institution on property located in the Community Office (CO-'I) zone at 2923 Northgate Drive be approved. Public Hearing Opened NONE Public Hearing Closed MOTION: Leigh moved that EXC05-00011 an application submitted by Jehovah's Witnesses Iowa City for a special exception for a religious institution on property located in the Community Office (CO-I) zone at 2923 Northgate Drive be approved. Alexander seconded the motion. Alexander would vote in favor of the motion. She said she does not believe that it would be detrimental or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. She said that appears to be adequate space on the property for the proposed use. She mentioned that it would not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood because of the sufficient area that separates the properties. Alexander said that for the same reasons it should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property. She added that it would not have a negative effect on traffic, and the proposed use would be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Maurer would vote in favor of the application. He said that all the standards have been met. Wright would also vote in favor. He said that the seven general standards are met. Leigh would vote in favor for the reasons already Stated. Wood would vote in favor for the reasons already stated. Motion passed 5:0. EXC05-00012 Discussion of an application submitted by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for a special exception for a gas station and a drive thru pharmacy on property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone on Ruppert Road. Miklo said that recently the City Council agreed to sell a portion of the Aviation Commerce Park to a Wal- Mart Stores Inc., who would construct a Wal-Mart Supercenter on the west 21.86 acres. The property is currently going through a rezoning process to change from Intensive Commercial, C1-1 zone to Community Commercial CC-2. Should the property be rezoned to CC-2, general retail uses would be permitted on the property. Miklo said that Wal-Mart Stores is proposing a drive-through pharmacy and gas station on the property, which are common at other Wal-Mart Supercenter locations. Auto-and-truck oriented uses, including drive-through facilities and gas stations, are required to receive special exception approval to be permitted in the CC-2 zone. Miklo noted that there are three issues raised by drive-through pharmacies: how well the drive-through area is separated from surrounding pedestrian and vehicular use areas, whether there is enough vehicle queue storage area, and compatibility of the drive-through area with adjacent land uses. He said that the proposed drive-through pharmacy consists of two lanes located at the northwest corner of he proposed store. Traffic accessing the drive-through pharmacy is separated from the main parking Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes June 8, 2005 Page 5 lot, and entering traffic will not be inhibited by any stop or yield signs, and will not cross pedestrian use areas. Traffic exiting the drive-through pharmacy will cross a pedestrian access to the store, however it appears visibility would be adequate, and traffic exiting the drive-through pharmacy will be traveling at a Iow rate of speed and staff did not anticipate that there would be pedestrian and vehicular conflicts. Miklo noted that the Wal-Mart drive-through pharmacy would have more than enough queuing area for waiting vehicles, and due to its location the line of vehicles will not impact any public street. He also mentioned that the drive-through pharmacy should be compatible with surrounding properties, which include other commercial uses and the Iowa City Municipal Airport. Miklo mentioned that the specific proposed exception should not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. He said that auto-and-truck oriented uses are not uncommon in this commercial corridor. The drive-through pharmacy is separated from other pedestrian and vehicular use areas. The access points for the gas station would be appropriately separated from the nearest intersection. He mentioned that the gas station would not be in the runway protection zone of the airport, and that there are no neighboring residential uses that would be affected by the gas station traffic. Miklo stated that the proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He mentioned that adjacent developed properties are commercial, and many are high- traffic-generating businesses. He added that appropriate commercial development has the potential to increase values of the general area. Miklo continued by saying that the establishment of the specific proposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. He said that the auto-and-truck oriented uses should be compatible with and generally accessory to the larger retail Supercenter proposed for the property. He added that the appropriate infrastructure will be designed as part of the subdivision and public improvements on the property. Miklo said that adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. Staff recommends the special exception for the auto-and-truck oriented uses on the property, as proposed, be approved subject to a subdivision of the property being approved that reflects the appropriate infrastructure. He added that adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. He mentioned that the drive-through pharmacy would be located so that queuing traffic will not impact public streets. The gas station is proposed at the intersection of two public streets. The driveways would be separated from the intersection by approximately 120 and 180 feet respectively, which is appropriate spacing for a collector street such as this. Traffic turning onto and out of the gas station will not affect Highway 1, the main arterial street serving the area. Miklo said that except for the specific regulations and standards applicable to the exception being considered, the specific exception, in all other respects, conforms to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is located. Provided a subdivision of the property is approved that includes appropriate transportation and utility infrastructure, as approved by the City, the auto-and-truck oriented uses as proposed should conform to City standards. Next, Miklo said that the'proposed use should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan of the City. He added tha~: the Comprehensive Plan reflects Retail/ Community Commercial development for this property, and the proposed uses would be consistent with a large traffic-generating business proposed for the area. Staff recommends that £XC05-00012 an application submitted by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for a special exception for a gas station and a drive thru pharmacy on property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone on Ruppert Road be approved subject to a subdivision of the property reflecting infrastructure providing appropriate access to the uses as proposed. Iowa City Board of A~ustment Minutes June 8,2005 Page 6 Public Hearing Opened Joseph Altenhoff, 1475 South Perryville Road, Rockford IL, said that they are filling the application to try to keep the project moving forward if the other elements of the project would move forward as well. He said that due to limited construction season they would like to start the construction as early as possible. Regarding to the access to the gas station, he said that they would like to have most of the exiting traffic coming from east driveway. He mentioned that for the drive-through pharmacy they proposed enough space for 8 cars to wait in line. Harry Wolf, Iowa City, said that he represents the City, the seller of the property, and would answer any questions from the Board. Garry Sanders asked what was the deadline for submitting the application. Miklo answered that typically the application should be submitted four weeks prior the meeting. Sanders said that it disturbs him that Wal-Mart could not wait for the first public input on the zoning for the project, or the very first comment, or vote by the elected officials, because the construction season is short, and City Council will run up on this. He strongly objects for the matter to be decided at this point, and he proposes it to be deferred, due to the fact that nothing was decided by the Council. He said that he does not understand how could a decision be made based on a possible rezoning that had not been concluded yet. He asked if this is the best we could do with the public land. He said that there is a lawsuit filed against Wal-Mart every 6 minutes. He added that the Board should decide what would be the right thing in this case. He said that at the minimum the Board should defer until the rezoning for the entire parcel has been done. Public Hearing Closed MOTION: Alexander moved that EXC05-00012 an application submitted by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for a special exception for a gas station and a drive through pharmacy on property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone on Ruppert Road be approved subject to a subdivision of the property reflecting infrastructure providing appropriate access to the uses as proposed. Wood seconded the motion. Wright would vote in favor of the application. However, he said that it was difficult to separate the fact that the Board is looking just at a pharmacy and a gas station, and not at the store as a whole. Holecek said that the Board is deciding on the auto-and-truck oriented portion of the business. He said that assuming that the zoning would go through; he said that the specific proposed exception should not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. The proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He mentioned that adjacent developed properties are commercial, and many are high-traffic-generating businesses the establishment of the specific proposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. Maurer would vote in favor. He said that all 7 standards have been met. Alexander would also vote in favor. She said that the use of public land is not in the Board's jurisdiction. She added that she based her vote on the reasons already stated. Wood would vote in favor of the motion. He said that it meets the general standards. Leigh would vote in favor of the motion for the reasons already stated. She added that the Board's review is limited to the special exception question and not the rezoning. Motion passed 5:0. Iowa City Board of A~ustment Minutes June 8,2005 Page 7 OTHER: MOTION: Alexander made a motion to adjourn to executive session to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation pursuant to Iowa Code 21.5(1)(c). Wright seconded the motion. Motion passed 5:0. The meeting adjourned at 6:20 PM. Chairperson Maurer reopened the meeting at 6:58PM. MOTION: Alexander made a motion to direct the City Attorney's Office to appeal the decision of the Iowa District Court in and for Johnson County in case nos. CVCV064983 and CVCV065060. Leigh seconded the motion. Motion passed 4:1 with Maurer against the motion. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT INFORMATION NONE ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM. Minutes submitted by Bogdana Rus. s:lpcdlminutes/BOA/2OO5106-O8-O5.doc MINUTES DRAFT E HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2005- 7:00 P.M. EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Gunn, Mark McCallum, Justin Pardekooper, Jim Ponto, Jan Weissmiller, Tim Weitzel MEMBERS ABSENT: Michael Brennan, Richard Carlson, James Enloe STAFF PRESENT: Sunil Terdalkar OTHERS PRESENT: Helen Burford, Kurt Dyer, Kaiser (This refers to the gentleman representing Kaiser Construction; he never gave his name), Michael Maharry, Richard Wayne CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Weitzel called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION: Certificates of Appropriateness. 503 Melrose Avenue. Weitzel stated that the Commission would defer this item, as requested by the applicant. 946 Iowa Avenue. Terdalkar said that this house is a contributing structure in a conservation district. He said the proposal is to remove the asphalt shingles used for siding and replace them with vinyl siding and to also use'aluminum for ihe window trim. Kaiser said that he represents Jim Buxton, the owner of the house, and said that Kurt Dyer, who was also present at the meeting, is Buxton's maintenance foreman. Kaiser said this house is on the corner of Iowa Avenue and Evans. He said that it is an eyesore. Kaiser said that the three dormers on the house already have vinyl siding and aluminum soffit, fascia, and gutters, as does the whole upper part of the house. He said he would like to remove the asphalt from the bottom two-story section, insulate it, and put vinyl siding on it. Kaiser said that fiber cement board would cost him about two and one-half times the cost, between material and labor, of his proposal. Weitzel said that it is a common mandate from the Secretary of the Interior Standards on down to not use vinyl siding. He stated that fiber cement board does allow a house to breathe, whereas vinyl siding collects moisture, contributes to rotting of the structure, and tends to become brittle. Kaiser said that is true if you use cheap materials. Weitzel responded that all vinyl eventually becomes hard and brittle. He said that the longest lasting vinyl siding will last 50 years, and, as far as he knows, fiber cement board will last over 100 years. Kaiser said he is looking at it from the viewpoint of the cost to his customer. He said that Buxton has invested money and is trying to improve the house, and he cannot see why the owner should be required to spend $22,000 instead of $9,000. Weitzel said the Commission is charged by City Council and by ordinance to look at the historic nature of properties, to preserve neighborhoods, and to preserve the quality of those structures, and that has a lot to do with whether the Commission will allow vinyl siding. Kaiser said the whole top of the building is already covered with synthetic siding. He said he was at the meeting probably to be turned down so that he could appeal his request to someone else. Kaiser said that vinyl siding is now treated to reflect the ultraviolet light so that it does not become brittle. He said that it comes in 25-foot panels so that there are fewer seams, and it is the only product on the market that has a double lifetime warranty. Maharry asked Kaiser if this is warranted against the rotten wood on the inside of the frame of the house when the moisture sticks inside. Kaiser said that the insulation that he puts on it is breathable. He said that good quality vinyl siding has weep holes in it so Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 30, 2005 Page 2 that any moisture will drain out of it. Maharry asked Kaiser if he warranties the house or just the plastic. Kaiser said he warranties the product. Weitzel said that because this property is in a conservation district, the applicant can go to the Board of Appeals if this is denied by the Commission. He said the latitude of the Board of Appeals is to determine if the Commission's decision was arbitrary and capricious. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 946 Iowa Avenue, as proposed. McCallum seconded the motion. Gunn said that this discussion regarding siding has been going on for a long time in Iowa City. He said that when the Commission began looking at the guidelines, which took a couple of years to develop, about seven years ago, these issues were discussed over and over at many meetings. Gunn said the guidelines were then written and adopted by the City Council to disallow vinyl siding for contributing structures in conservation districts. He said that in the five years since adoption, it has never been approved on a house, and he will vote against this. Gunn said this is clearly against the guidelines, and he did not think there was a choice. Ponto said that the directive comes down from the Secretary of the Interior Standards, and in this case, it is pretty straightforward. Weissmiller said that if the owner wanted to restore the house in a more expensive way, perhaps the whole block could be brought back such that one wouldn't necessarily have to rent the house to the people with the least money. She said that in the end, it might actually be worth restoring well. Weissmiller said that as the population ages and people drive less, especially with the price of gas going up, then they will want to live close in, which would make it a good investment to restore this house well. Weitzel said the Commission does not have a problem with vinyl siding for new construction but can't approve it for historic properties. The motion failed on a vote of 0-6. 14 North Johnson Street. Terdalkar stated that this is a contributing structure in the College Hill Conservation District. He said the proposal is to install a double hung window on the garage, using aluminum trim for the wood windows and doors and using aluminum siding for the garage, and replacement of the soffit with aluminum soffit. Dyer said that the house has vinyl siding on it currently. He stated that the house has 28 windows, and 19 of them are wrapped with metal. Dyer said that he also wants to replace two windows in the garage with double hung windows. Weitzel asked about the condition of the current window. Dyer said that it is not decayed, but he would like to get some ventilation in there, because the current window does not have a movable sash. Dyer said the window would be the same size as the current window. He said he would like to use a single-pane wood sash, double hung window. Weitzel said the materials are consistent with the guidelines. He said that the other thing the Commission looks at is style. He referred to a sample provided by Terdalkar of a historically authentic divided light window that is available as a replacement sash. Weitzel said that the swinging door is probably original and asked Dyer what he plans to do with that. Dyer said he would leave it as it is. Kaiser said that he would side up to the edge of the frame and cap the casing. Kaiser said that the house already has 35 to 36 squares of vinyl siding on it. He said it would perhaps take eight square maximum to do the garage, and he would just like to match the house. MOTION: Gunn moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the proposed project at 14 North Johnson Street. Ponto seconded the motion. Gunn said that the guidelines are very clear about wrapping the trim and putting on the siding. He said the Commission is not at liberty to say it will enforce them now but is not going to enforce them next time or vice versa. Gunn said that the window, however, is not a problem. Historic Prese~ation Commission Minutes June 30,2005 Page 3 The motion failed on a vote of 0-6. Regarding the sash, Ponto said he was in favor of having some ventilation up there, as long as it looks basically the same, and it is going to be the same size. He said the existing window is broken into four, so that it would be nice to have a double hung and then uprights in there. MOTION: McCallum moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for replacing the sash with two over two barnstyle, wood double hung windows with a movable sash. Ponto seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. Gunn suggested that if the applicant wants to appeal the Commission's decision regarding siding, he might want to do some research. He said the appeal isn't about whether or not the Board agrees with the siding decision, it is about whether the Commission's decision was arbitrary or capricious, which is a pretty difficult standard. 328 Governor Street. Dyer said this proposal involves finishing the attic. He said he needs to put a small dormer out for headroom for the stairway. Dyer said that the dormer would be below the chimney. Terdalkar said that this building is a contributing structure in the Lucas Governor Street conservation District. He said the request is for the construction of a dormer with double hung windows. Dyer said he would like to replace all of the windows in the attic and put an egress window in the dormer out the back. He said that the dormer is about four feet down from the chimney and would probably have about a 6:12 roof. Dyer said it would only extend out two feet. Weitzel asked Dyer if he would change the roof pitch from the first group coming up into a new pitch or continue the same line. Dyer said this would tie into it, and he would not be changing any of the roofline. Weitzel asked Dyer how flexible he is on the design of the dormer. Dyer said that whatever design the Commission recommends would be okay. Weitzel asked Terdalkar if he could come up with an appropriate plan. Gunn said that what is lacking here is a proportional overhang and fascia. Dyer said he could have an architect draw up some plans. Gunn said that Dyer would have to build it with rafters anyway to extend out, so this is about details, not anything major. Pardekooper said this sounds doable, but the Commission needs to see some plans on it. Weitzel said the Commission could give a consensus as to whether or not this is allowed as an idea but would probably ask for further study and design to make it structurally sound and as historically accurate as possible. The consensus of the Commission was to allow the addition of a dormer to this house. Weitzel asked Dyer to work with staff or an architect or contractor of his choice for technical assistance with the design. Dyer said he would also like to replace the windows up there with the same size double hung windows. Weitzel asked if the windows had fixed sashes and if Dyer wanted to add ventilation, and Dyer confirmed this. MOTION: Gunn moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 328 South Governor Street, as submitted, with the stipulation that the overhang, trim, and fascia of the dormer be compatible with the existing building, with the dormer to be drawn or approved by staff. Dyer said that the current windows have the boards separating the windows. Weitzel said the Commission would want to see replacement windows that match what is on the house right now. He said that on this age of house, the Commission would probably prefer to see very even rectangles such as two over two or one over one. Weitzel said that the house currently has the Queen Anne windows. Gunn said there are lots of simple double hung windows on the house, and he would not have a problem with a simple double hung window in the dormer. Weitzel said that as simple of a double hung as Dyer can get is probably what he will really want. Dyer said that the egress window is a rollout window. He said Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 30, 2005 Page 4 that it is just one pane, but he can get a divider for it. He said that he would get whatever the Commission wants. Weitzel said the Commission wants what will look good and help maintain the value of the home. AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION: Gunn moved to amend the motion to include a single light egress window with a horizontal dividing bar to make it appear like a double hung window, for the dormer. Ponto seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. 422 Brown Street. Terdalkar said that this house is a contributing structure in the Brown Street Historic District. He stated that the application is for the installation of new windows and a replacement window. Wayne, the owner of the house, said that he was available to answer questions from the Commission. He said that the design of the proposed window is a casement window. Wayne said that he looked at the international, residential egress requirements. He said he learned that the minimum egress size for a double hung window would be, in rough opening, 66 high by 38 wide, but a casement would be 48 high and 30 wide. Wayne said that there is a small window there now, and this would be a much larger intrusion. Wayne said that this is supposed to be an egress window. He said that the clear opening height of the double hung is 26 inches for the minimum sized 66 by 38 rough opening, but for the casement, it is 42 inches. Wayne said that if he had to get out of a window fast, he would much rather get out of a vertical space. He said that because of the appropriateness of the casement window to the purpose, which is egress, the casement window would be the choice. Wayne said that the casement window would also be a smaller intrusion, and also, the casement opens out so that it will bring in a breeze. Wayne said he therefore thought the casement would be a safer egress window. He said this is for an enclosed porch on the main part of the house. Wayne said that the windows in the front are not double hung but are just two windows, one on top of the other and are of leaded glass. He said that the windows in the front don't correspond to any specific architectural style. Wayne said that the house was built in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Weitzel said that even if the Gaslight Village itself is significant, supposing that it is, then the Commission would still want to look at the context and character of that and would want the new windows to match that context. He said that it can be a historic structure without being an architecturally significant one. Weitzel asked if HIS is requiring a window here, and Wayne confirmed this. McCallum said that visually it would be more appealing to have an opening on this porch, versus a blank wall. He said that casement- style windows are made with a bar in the middle to make them look like double hung windows. Gunn asked if the egress window would be on only one side of the porch. Wayne said there would be an egress window on each side for each bedroom. Gunn asked if it would be possible to put a double hung, of a similar size as those on the front, on each side. He said there would then be six windows that are fairly consistent with the decorative one in the middle. Weitzel said that would architecturally balance out the front fa(;ade. Gunn said that there are two paired windows on the front. He said that if Wayne just installed a single one of the same size on each side, maybe set back the same distance from the corner, then there would be some continuity to the porch. Wayne said that a legal egress window with a double hung design would only give a vertical opening of 26 inches, but the casement would give 42 inches, which he thought would be easier to egress from. Weitzel said there is a precedent of what is on the front so that matching that would be the best bet. Wayne said then that where he wanted to put a casement egress, the Commission would like to see him put a double hung egress window matching in size as closely as possible what is on the front. He said that this sounds reasonable. Weitzel said that he thought the Commission could probably approve that. Wayne said that the window to be put in the house would be a double hung window in the kitchen, to give it ventilation and light. He said that the top of the window would be level with the top of the big window that is there now, and it would be a double hung window. Weitzel said that typically the Commission would like to match the size and style of the window that is already there. Wayne said that there is no room for something like that and Weitzel agreed. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 30,2005 Page 5 Weitzel said that the Commission would look for some way to put the window in there that will be sympathetic to the structure and will make a balance. Gunn suggested wideninig the existing opening out a little and putting in a pair of double hung windows of the same height. Wayne said that in the inside of the house there is an original archway that he would like to keep. He stated that it would have to be removed to enlarge the present window and make a double window. Weitzel said that a double window can be installed with a wall in between. He said that often a window is located next to a wall and another window next to that, but the spacing is maintained outside to look like a row or pair of windows, while in fact in the intervening space between the windows is actually a full wall. Ponto said that from the outside he would like the idea of the window matching, but from the inside it would be too big and too Iow. Wayne said that he agreed. He said that is why he is trying to maintain the proportions and make it a double hung with matching trim on the inside but just smaller. Wayne said that it has to be above the stove. Weitzel said that the house has been heavily altered, and if it has any significance, it will be under criterion b, not under architectural significance. He said that the Commission will want to maintain the feel of the place through that period of significance. Weitzel said it wouldn't have to be exact but should be something with that character and feel. Wayne suggested something smaller, with the top still matching the top of the existing large window but a little bit more discreet yet in the same style. MOTION: Gunn moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the installation of three windows on the house at 422 Brown Street: two double hung windows to reasonably match the size and trim of the windows on the front porch for the sides of the porch and a double hung window of the same style that exists on the original house to go beside the existing large window with the top of the window at the same level and at least six inches of the original siding visible on either side of the window. Weitzel said that the Commission would want to see the sill with the ears on it, and all of the trim should match the existing but just be on a smaller scale. Ponto seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. 619 North Johnson Street. Terdalkar said that this is a contributing structure in the Brown Street Historic District. He stated that the proposal is for the demolition of the wood porch stairs and the reconstruction of the stairs with concrete, installation of a wood railing, and the removal of the wood decking on the porch to be replaced with a concrete slab. Terdalkar said that since the application was submitted, he has talked to the applicant, and the applicant is willing to replace everything with wood. He added that no design has been proposed for the railing yet. Weitzel stated that this is a very wide set of stairs. He said that if the applicant will have to build a railing, the Commission could specify that it match the balustrade or be of a simple black pipe design. Gunn said that there is some unusual architecture in this district so that the house could have been built just like this. Terdalkar said that the survey states that the integrated porch was original. Weitzel said it is a simplified Queen Anne so that asymmetry is to be expected. Gunn said it appears to be a fairly straightforward project of adding the balustrade as required by code and running it or a pipe rail down the side of the stairs. He said that doing it all in concrete would be against the guidelines. Gunn suggested that the applicant come back before the Commission with more complete plans. MOTION: Ponto moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the concept plan for the project at 619 North Johnson Street and to require that the final plans be approved by staff and the chair. McCallum seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. MINUTES: Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 30, 2005 Page 6 June 9, 2005. Weitzel said that on page four in the reference to Mitch Behr, it should include his title of Assistant City Attorney. Ponto stated that on page one in the last paragraph, the first sentence in the motion should read, "...a black pipe hand rail..." He said that on page three, in the second paragraph from the bottom, it should read, "Ponto asked about the status of the Commission pursuing a reduction of the fee..." MOTION: Ponto moved to approve the June 9, 2005 minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission, as revised. Gunn seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6-0. OTHER: Maharry said that when vinyl burns, it produces cyanide. He stated that one has 15 minutes from when he breathes in cyanide to get the antidote before he dies. Weitzel said that statistically most people die before the smoke gets to them in a vinyl fire. He stated that he is currently working on an article regarding vinyl siding that will eventually be on the website. Ponto distributed a press release that the University put out for the old Hydraulics Lab, which discussed the building being named as a national historic landmark. Maharry said that the building was named through the National Hydraulics Association, not through the National Park Service. Weitzel stated that he and Terdalkar attended a conference in Mason City and heard some great economic incentive talks, although some of it was geared toward revitalization of a vacant downtown. He said that he and Terdalkar would write up a memo summarizing the points of the conference. Weitzel said the Commission has a potential first demolition by neglect coming up at 404 Summit Street. He said that HIS has approached Terdalkar about necessary changes to make the building safe. Weitzel said that the Commission needs to get a firm procedure set up with HIS so that if HIS is going to do something like this, they need to talk to the Commission before telling the owner what to do to the building so that the Commission can review it first. He said the Commission also needs to be thinking about these things so that if the Commission sees something like that, it can act on it and not wait for HIS to do it. Terdalkar said that this arose after a complaint by a neighbor. He said that HIS prefers not to act on its own. Weitzel said the Commission will need to approve exterior changes. Terdalkar said that the property owner has been given information regarding the need for the Commission's approval. Weitzel said that the homeowner will need to apply for exterior repairs, and the Commission will need to act expediently to help the homeowner get this done in a reasonable time frame. Weitzel said that he and Terdalkar took an architectural tour of Mason City. He showed an example of a granite plaque stating what the house is known for and what the style of the structure is, in the sidewalk in front of the house. Weitzel said he and Terdalkar considered putting these in the neighborhoods through the Public Art Program and discussed approaching neighborhoods that are interested in having their key and landmark structures identified with a plaque in the sidewalk. Terdalkar said that if the district name is listed on the plaque and then the boundaries are later changed, that could be a problem with the idea. Weitzel said the Commission needs to get the Design Review Subcommittee going in order to speed up the approval process. He said the Subcommittee would hold informal meetings to iron out details of the applications. Weitzel said that there are currently three members of the subcommittee: Carlson, Gunn, and himself. Gunn said that the ordinance and by-laws are in effect to utilize the subcommittee. Pardekooper said that he would also be interested in serving on the subcommittee. Weitzel said that there is an August deadline for CLG grant applications. He said one possible project for the Commission would be to hire a consultant to look for economic incentives in town and how to establish them locally. Weitzel said that another possibility would be to hire someone to do the neighborhood brochures on the website. He said that someone would have to volunteer to write the grant in the next month if the Commission wants to apply for it. Weitzel said that Kerry McGrath discussed the historic site preservation grant with him. Weitzel said that would be a way to get 50% funding to work on the Montgomery-Butler House. He said that McGrath Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 30, 2005 Page 7 would get back to him on the current significance of that house, since the porch has been lost and the roof is in bad shape. Weitz. el said that this was the last day to submit historic preservation award nominations. He stated that Commission members could nominate a building, a contractor, an outstanding person, or outstanding agency or organization. Weitzel said to inform Burford regarding any nominations. Weitzel said that McCallum wanted to reopen discussion of an incentive zoning proposal for addition to the new zoning code rewrite. M¢Callum distributed copies of his proposal to Commission members. He stated that the Planning and Zoning Commission is currently getting feedback on its rewrite of the zoning code. McCallum said he looked at different models and came across the Des Moines, Iowa model, from which he took his particular proposal. He said that he is asking for consideration of this idea and, if there is strong enough support, a vote up or down. McCallum said that Des Moines is doing a much more aggressive job with zoning incentives. He said that he proposes this for the multi-family zones only that are either historic districts or conservation districts. McCallum said these areas are primarily rental properties, and the model discusses an owner/occupied live-work model. McCallum said he did not include the residential office zone, because a lot of the proposed changes are already allowed in that zone. He said that this would enhance the area. McCallum said that a lot of landlords opposed the Commission on the North Linn/Gilbert Street District. He said that something like this in place might be helpful in alleviating property owners' concerns that their rights are always being taken away, as this gives them a different option. McCallum said that he is looking for feedback on this proposal. Weitzel said that he discussed this with Bob Miklo, Senior Planner, who felt that the Commission had already reviewed this with staff, and the Commission said that it was not going to propose any changes to the new zoning code. Weitzel asked if Karen Howard had seen the draft proposal. McCallum said that he had just sent her the Des Moines model so far. Weitzel said Howard informed him that the special exceptions applied to any zone and will encompass any kind of dimensional requirements and changes in the new code. McCallum said the other reason for putting this together in a package and having it endorsed by the Commission is for the Commission to say that it is open and that this is a unique area and to try to identify it as such. Weitzel said that the City does not allow a lot of this in the residential areas right now. McCallum said this would only be for multi-family areas and said that there could be a review process for appropriateness of the uses. McCallum said that this is really what the Planning Department has been advocating for one area of town, the Peninsula. He added that one would have to live in the property to do any of these activities. Burford said that this is a very creative community, and it is encouraging to allow people to own their own home businesses. She said her only question is how some of things would work in terms of the building code. McCallum said that other standards would still apply. Maharry asked if alterations to historic buildings would be allowed. He stated that a lot of buildings would potentially require handicapped ramps. Weitzel said that parking restrictions would also have an effect on what could be done in various zones. Weitzel stated that the Commission will need to decide if it wants to take this up as a cause. Gunn said that he would be willing to look it over and discuss it at the next meeting on July 14th. Ponto said that he likes the idea of a converting a big rooming house back to a single family home with a business. Burford said that this would make more structures eligible for federal tax credits because of the commercial nature of the uses. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 30, 2005 Page 8 Weitzel suggested that McCallum also discuss this with the neighborhood associations of the areas he is targeting to get their support. Gunn said that would essentially be College Green and College Hill. McCallum said that in the meantime, he would submit this to the Planning and Zoning Commission under his name. McCallum said that, at his request, the Planning and Zoning Commission changed the language in the amendment to the new zoning code regarding historic structures. He said that for properties on the National Register and local landmarks, giving flexibility for special uses on those specific types of properties, the Planning and Zoning Commission lowered the standard quite significantly by changing the wording "is necessary" to "will help." McCallum said that will give the Board of Adjustment more flexibility in interpreting whether something should go forward or not. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:19 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte s:/pcd/rninutes/HPC/2005H PCminutes/hpc06-30-05.doc Historic Preservation Commission Attendance Record 2005 Name Expires 1/8 1/13 2/10 2/15 3/10 4/14 4/28 5/12 5/26 6/2 6/9 6/30 M. Brennan 3/29/08 .................... X X X X X X O R. Carlson 3/29/07 ........ X X X X X X O/E X X O J. Enioe 3/29/06 X X X O O X X O O O O/E O/E M. Gunn 3/29/07 O/E X O/E O/E X X X X X X O/E X M. Maharry 3/29/08 X X X X X X X .................... M. McCallum 3/29/06 X X X X X X O X X X X X J. Pardekooper 3/29/07 O/E X X O O O/E O O O O O X J. Ponto 3/29/07 X X X X X X X X O/E O/E X X A. Smothers 3/29/05 O/E O/E X X X ............................ J. Weissmiller 3/29/06 O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E X X X T. Weitzel 3/29/08 O/E O/E X X X O/E X X X X X X Key: X = Present O - Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting ..... Not a Member --DRAFT MINUTES- IP19 JUNE 2005 MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 ROOM G09/8 - SENIOR CENTER Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 2:05 PM. Members Present: Lod Benz, Jo Hensch, Jay Honohan, Betty Kelly, Sarah Maiers, Charity Rowley and Nancy Wombacher Members absent: None Staff Present: Michelle Buhman, Linda Kopping, Julie Seal, Susan Rogusky and Mark McCusker Others Present: Lynn Campbell and Lee McGovern Recommendations to Council: None. Approval of Minutes: Motion: To approve the minutes from the May 18, 2005 meeting as distributed. Motion carried on a vote of a 7-0. Rowley/Maiers PUBLIC DISCUSSION Lee McGovern, representing the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, expressed support for installing permanent wiring and other improvements to the sound and recording systems in the Assembly Room. COMMISSION ASSIGNMENTS Kelly volunteered to write the web article from today's meeting and report to the City Council at their June 7th meeting. Honohan volunteered to report to the Board of Supervisors on today's meeting sometime during the next month Rowley volunteered to write the web article for the July Commission meeting. REPORT ON ORGANIZING THE MEETING AND COLLECTING DATA FOR UPDATING THE STRATEGIC PLAN- KOPPING Commission and staff are finishing up their focus groups and have been submitting their results. Once everything is turned in, Kopping will compile and distribute the information. Kopping is in the process of summarizing the results from the membership survey. She hopes to have this done within the next week and then distribute both the summary as well as the raw data to the Participant Advisory Committee and Commission. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE USE OF SENIOR CENTER EQUIPMENT BY NON SENIOR CENTER AGENCIES OR GROUPS- Kopping Benz, Honohan, Rowley, Kopping and Buhman met to discuss whether or not to charge outside groups for use of Senior Center equipment. The committee was in agreement not to charge an hourly rate for use of equipment. However, committee members --DRAFT MINUTES- JUNE 2005 believe a security deposit should be required for outside groups interested in using expensive equipment such as the liquid crystal projector and laptop computer. Kopping reported that a policy statement has not be written yet because she is waiting to see how this information can be incorporated in to the room rental agreement produced with the new software. She will prepare the policy and get the committee's approval of the written document as soon as possible. VOLUTEER RECOGNITION UPDATE- Buhman Buhman reported that the Volunteer Recognition event will be held on June 29, 2005. This year's program will be a breakfast, featuring live entertainment and a gift for each person in attendance. Volunteer response to the invitation has been very good. When asked, all members of the Commission indicated they planned to attend and would be available to work at the breakfast. PARKING COMMITTEE UPDATE- Honohan Honohan reported that the Parking Committee is scheduled to meet with parking division management regarding the parking issues faced by Senior Center members. 28E UDATE - Honohan No report available. COMMITTEE REPORT ON STAFFING REQUIREMENTS FOR EVENING AND WEEKEND PROGRAMMING - Maiers Maiers and Hensh met with Senior Center staff to discuss options addressing the issue of providing appropriate levels of staffing for evening and weekend programs. The committee (Maiers, Hensh, Wombacher) plans to meet again and discuss the issue further prior to making a recommendation to the entire Commission. REPORT ON THE ELEANOR HUGHES ESTATE - Honohan Honohan reported that portion of the Eleanor Hughes Estate that is designated for the Senior Center is estimated at $272,687.47. The Commission will need to think about how this money should be used and how to honor her memory. SENIOR CENTER UPDATE Operations- Kopping Kopping reported that the staff attended a week long training session for the new scheduling/membership software. It is hoped that the new software will assist in facilitating the production of the program guide, room scheduling, participation counts and class registration. Kopping stated that that this software product was originally purchased by the Parks and Recreation department. Parks and Recreation agreed to allow the Center to purchase add-on licenses to their program. Due to the fact that add-on licenses represent a fraction of the full program price, this generated a considerable cost savings for the Center. Programs - Seal Seal provided the a list of programs planned for July 2005. For a complete list of programs scheduled for July and August, see the 2005 Summer Program Guide. --DRAFT MINUTES- JUNE 2005 Vo/unteers - Rogusky- McCusker McCusker and University of Iowa Associate Professor John Winet, have been working together to produce web-based promotional materials and to bring Senior Center Television shows to the internet. Professor Winet has included Senior Center Television in grant applications that have generated revenue used to purchase new equipment for the group. In addition, for the past two years he has organized numerous student practicums at the Center. Rogusky reported on plans for the Center's booth at the Johnson County Fair and asked Commissioners to volunteer to work a shift at the Fair during the last week of July. A sign-up sheet was circulated. Rogusky announced that the Senior Center is collaborating with other area senior service agencies to provide a series of programs called Care for the Caregiver. The series will run during the evening hours and will be featured in the fall program lineup. Memberships and Fundraising Report- Buhman Buhman reported 933 current Senior Center members and $20,003 raised in membership dues. COMMISSION DISCUSSION: Motion: To adjourn. Motion carried on a vote of 7-0. Rowley/Kelly. --DRAFT MINUTES- JUNE 2005 Senior Center Commission Attendance Record Year 2005 Name Term 1/24 2/15 3/15 4/26 5/18 6/21 Expires Lori Benz 12/31/05 O/E X O/E X X X Jo .Hensch 12/31/06 X X X X X X Jay Honohan 12/31/07 X X X X X X Betty Kelly 12/31/07 X O/E O/E X X X Sarah Maier 12/31/06 X X X X X X Charity Rowley 12/31/05 X X X X X X Nancy Wombacher 12/31/06 X O/E X X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E= Absent/Excused NM = No meeting -- = Not a member MINUTES PRELIMINARY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OLD BRICK, 26 E. MARKET STREET, IOWA CITY THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2005 Members Present: Jerry Anthony, Lori Bears, William Greazel, Matthew Hayek, Michael Shaw Members Absent: Mark Edwards, Rita Marcus, Brian Richman, Jayne Sandier Staff Present: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long, Steve Nasby Public Present: Charlie Eastham, Patti Santangelo CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chairperson Hayek called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM MAY 19, 2005 Motion: Greazel moved to approve the minutes as submitted. Bears seconded the motion. Motion passed 5:0. NEW BUSINESS Review of allocation process- subcommittee report Greazel said that the subcommittee has met twice. He added that their primary goal is to give the applicants an indication of priorities for the year that the committee identifies. He stated CITY STEPS is too vague, so the committee suggests the Commission identify annual priorities. He said that they hope that the committee would come to an agreement on priorities and give applicants an idea of what they plan to fund or focus on that year. Greazel mentioned that in their upcoming meetings they will ask some of the applicants to present their frustration on the application process. The committee would like to get some feedback and input from the applicants to plan for next year's allocation cycle. He said that the subcommittee would report their findings and determine if that's how the Commission wants to proceed. He added that every year there is less money to allocate, so accordingly, the committee would need to focus and determine its priorities, and allocate based on those identified priorities. He said that the meetings were very productive. Greazel added that Hightshoe was present at the last meeting to give some input. He said that there were good discussions about the process and how to make it easier and more transparent. Bears said that she considers applicant training very important and that she hopes that they would still require it. Hayek asked if there would be discussions regarding the scoring and ranking process. Greazel said that they discussed the scoring and ranking process. He said that one of the recommendations might be that the scoring would need to be changed to reflect the annual priorities. The scoring would then be changed each year to reflect any changes. Shaw asked if the recommendations would be made at the next meeting. Greazel said that there would be further input at the next meeting and the final recommendations presented at a later time. Hannah's Blessing Childcare Center Update Long said that CDBG funds were used to acquire property for Hannah's Blessing Child Care. Earlier this year they ceased operation and the property was deeded back to the City. He stated the City initially was working with realtors to sell the property, however a non-profit approached the City about leasing the facility for continued use as a child care center. Long said that the City is looking for ways to recapture as much funds as possible. He said that leasing was not their first option, but a way to recapture some of the money. Bears asked that if Hannah's Bleasing ceased operation shouldn't that money go back to the City. Long said that if the City sold the property, the money would go to the City up to the amount of the lien against the property. However, if the sale is less than the amount owed to the City, Hannah's Blessing would continue to owe the City the difference. Upcoming HCDC Appointments Hightshoe said that Sandier, Edward, and Anthony's terms expire September 1,2005. OLD BUSINESS Nasby said that the Council approved the investment policies for FY2006. He stated the Council considered all the waivers, decided upon a policy and will not accept any waivers. Anthony asked if the policy had been discussed in the HCDC meetings. Nasby said that it had not been discussed by HCDC. Nasby said that the Council initiated the conversation due to a lot of waiver requests for FY06 projects. He added that rather than going through them separately, the Council decided to undergo a policy review and make policy changes. MONITORING REPORTS Eagles Flight Youth Program Bears would give her report at the next meeting. Long said that they are going through a reorganization phase. He added that they did spend almost all their money ICCSD Wood Family Resource Center Hayek said that he received an email saying that only $31,000 had been requested to date, but they are ready to submit a request for another $45,000 for construction expenses. He said the foundation is almost complete. He added the school district is installing a geothermal field for the heating/cooling of the new addition. Shaw said that they have done a lot of structural work. Greazel said that there are a lot of schools in the area that have geothermal fields which provide long term savings. Shaw mentioned that the school district plans on installing geothermal fields in all new buildings for the energy cost savings. Adjournment Hayek said that there would be no meeting in July. MOTION: Anthony moved to adjourn. Greazel seconded the motion. Motion passed: 5-0. The meeting adjourned at 6:27. Minutes submitted by Bogdana Rus. s:lpcd/rn~nutes/HCDCl2OO5106-30-O5.doc Housing & Community Development Commission Attendance Record 2005 TerlT1 Name Expires 01/20 02/17 03/10 03/17 04/21 05/19 06/30 00/00 00/00 00/00 00/00 00/00 Jerry Anthony 09/01/05 X X X X X X X Erin Barnes 09/01/06 X X X X ............ Lori Bears 09/01/07 X X X X X X X Mark Edwards 09/01/05 X O/E X O O X O William Greazel 09/01/06 O/E X O X X X X Matthew Itayek 09/01/07 X X X X X O X Rita Marcus 09/01/06 O/E X X X O O O/E Brian Richman 09/01/07 X X X O/E X X O/E Jayne Sandier 09/01/05 O/E X X X X X O/E Michael Shaw 09/01/06 .................... X X Key: X -- Present O = Absent O/E -- Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting ..... Not a Member MINUTES P RE LI M I NARY IOWA CITY PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE ~ THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2005, 3:30 P.M. IIP21 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL Members Present: Charles Felling, Rick Fosse, James Hemsley, Mark Seabold, Terry Trueblood, Emily Carter Walsh Members Absent: Emily Martin Staff Present: Karin Franklin, Marcia Klingaman Visitors: Beth Koppes Call to Order Seabold called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. Public discussion of any item not on the agenda No items were presented for discussion by the committee members. Consideration of the Minutes of May 5, 2005 Meeting Trueblood gave a correction for the minutes at Kicker's Park, that there are six mini soccer fields for younger age groups, six medium fields, and five full-sized soccer fields. MOTION: Helmsley moved to accept the minutes as amended. Fosse seconded, and the motion was passed unanimously. Updates Iowa Sculptors Showcase Seabold reported that the showcase dedication went well, except for the weather. He said he heard good feedback regarding the public art promotional installation, which gave very good exposure. There were many positive comments about the sculpture as well. Klingaman distributed updated public art brochures and programs from the dedication ceremony. Seabold said he plans to display the promotional kiosk in different locations, along with additional brochures, to generate interest in and knowledge about public art. Peninsula Sculptors Showcase Klingaman reported that installation of the sculpture by Seth Godard along to the trail to the pedestrian bridge across the dam had to be postponed because the dam project has not been completed because of high water, impacting the adjacent projects. She spoke to Seth about alternate locations, and he chose Willow Creek Park. It will be set near the trail by the northwest corner in a grove of trees, visible from Benton Street. The pad is poured, and Godard plans to install the wire frame within the week. The concrete will be poured on site. Once it is all done she will take some pictures. Klingaman noted that Godard also had two sculptures selected for "Sculptures on Second" in Cedar Rapids. Review of slides for potential Art in Parks commission The committee members viewed slides and selected several with pieces or themes that seemed appropriate for parks. Klingaman said that since the photos are several years 0Id, the individual pieces might no longer be available. Franklin arrived at this point. Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes July 7, 2005 Page 2 Selection of park site for Art in Park proiect for FY06 Klingaman suggested going through the slides again to see if any are suited to a particular park on the list. Martin noted that Willow Creek Park would soon have Godard's sculpture, and asked if that park should be removed from the list. Helmsley asked if all the artists displayed in the slides are local. Klingaman said no. Seabold agreed that Willow Creek could be removed from consideration. Martin suggested deciding which park is most suitable for a piece, based on the slides. Fosse asked how much funding is available for this project. Franklin said $35K. Fosse asked if the committee should pick a park to give priority, or pick a particular piece. Seabold suggested all committee members explain which parks they would choose first to receive a piece. He said his two top choices are the Sycamore Greenway because of the setting, and Kicker's Soccer Park because of its visibility. Martin agreed with those two choices. Seabold added that Hunter's Run would be a good choice for spreading art throughout the city, and that City Park already has several points of interest. Fosse also agreed with those choices. Helmsley said he chose Kicker's first because of the visibility, and the Greenway second. Felling agreed that either the Greenway or Kicker's are good choices, and said he has no strong feeling about either one. Trueblood said that the Greenway is a nice area, though it would likely have the least visibility. Martin inquired whether there would be more development in the any of the areas. Trueblood said there is no more planned development for Hunter's Run in the near future. The north end of Kicker's will be made more park-like with a shelter, but it will be intended to accommodate the soccer people rather than be a destination park. He added that Kicker's is high traffic, but at limited times, especially the spring and fall. He said that Upper City Park would have the greatest visibility. Fosse suggested that Hunter's Run would be visible from Highway 218. Trueblood said the piece would have to be big enough, and would still offer limited visibility from the highway. Seabold said a piece there might be hard to find if people wanted to see it up close, because of the location of the park. Trueblood said he has no favorite parks, though he suggested that the boo,k tornado piece could be placed by the library. Then "Ties That Bind" could be located at Kicker's, along with several other small pieces, because Ties is small. Seabold said it seemed that the Greenway and Kicker's are the parks the committee members would like to focus on, and suggested reviewing the slides again with those two locations in mind. The committee members viewed the slides again, and designated possible locations for each piece or style. Klingaman organized the slides into different categories. Seabold asked for the tally of slides in each category. Klingaman said there are 11 for the Greenway, 9 for Kicker's, and 8 suited for both locations. Seabold asked ii the next step should be to cal~ the artists to see if they are interested or if any of the pieces are still available. Martin suggested sending a description of the project or locations to the artists, to see if they have anything that would fit. Franklin agreed that the settings should be described, then the artists could express interest and make suggestions. Her office will send out letters to the selected artists. Discussion of Neighborhood art proiects Wetherby Friends & Neighbors NA Klingaman explained that Koppes is the coordinator for the Wetherby Friends and Neighbors Association. Koppes distributed copies of a letter summarizing the ideas and schedule for the public art project. She reported that she held a meeting at her house recently to discuss possible neighborhood art projects. Interest narrowed down to a project in Wetherby Park. Suggestions included a nontraditional and decorative weathervane, a new artistic railing for the shelter, a mural for the shelter ceiling, along with a plaque with in[ormation about Isaac Wetherby in the shelter if possible. Fosse and Martin agreed those are all good ideas. Martin added that enhancement of the shelter would be good. Felling liked the idea of including neighborhood information and history in the plaque. Klingaman Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes July 7, 2005 Page 3 said that the next step would be for the committee to give the okay to proceed with contacting artists. Seabold said that the neighborhood association is free to proceed. Seaboid asked if the committee needs to formally send a recommendation or forward the letter. Franklin said no. Melrose NA Franklin reported that the association would like to do historic markers similar to the ones in Longfellow, to be designed by Will Thompson. Each marker will cost approximately $935.00, and there will be 8 to 10 markers, leading to an initial estimate of approximately $9K. She noted that amount is Iow compared to other neighborhoods, and added that the association is also looking into possible projects for Brookland Park. However, at this time the focus is on the markers. She said she is concerned that the association would like to install the markers along Melrose Avenue, which may increase the installation cost due to removal of bricks to get to the concrete below. Seabold asked if there would be a problem with game traffic in the area. Martin noted that the markers would have to be sturdier because of the area, and asked if they would be bolted to the bricks. Franklin said the bricks would be removed, then holes drilled into the concrete below where the markers would be set, then the bricks would be replaced. She does not anticipate that complication would stop the project. Fosse asked if the markers would comply with clear zone requirements. Franklin agreed that that consideration might lead to changes in location. Fosse added that the conditions for the federal reconstruction grant needed to be considered, which includes a ten-foot clear zone. Klingaman suggested orienting the markers differently, perhaps parallel to the street. Seabold suggested placing the markers only in historically significant locations, rather than as a line along the street. Franklin said that there are no revenue issues for this project, and the plan was to do installation during this fiscal year. Felling asked if the artist would be able to work directly with Franklin's office to ensure compliance with the placement requirements. Franklin said yes. Fosse said that the markers would be difficult to place, regardless of the orientation. Klingaman asked if placing on private property could be considered. Franklin said it is possible, though more complicated, since covenants to maintain the piece would be needed. Franklin asked if there were any other concerns from the committee about pursuing the project, apart from the issues already discussed. No concerns were expressed by committee members. Trueblood said a master plan would be developed for Brooklyn Park, so some ideas might be generated for public art to be incorporated into the park. Benton Hill Entryway Franklin reported that the project is progressing. Installation is now planned for the week of August 1, to accommodate the park dedication on August 6 at 4:00 p.m. She said the event would have food and music. Klingaman said the ceremony would probably begin at 4:30. Committee time/Other business Franklin asked if the revolving artist venue will remain in Willow Creek Park, or if only Godard's piece would be put there, and suggested having more discussion on that topic at a later date. She asked whether purchasing Godard's piece was discussed. Klingaman said no, but that the piece would likely be destroyed during any attempt to remove it. She told Godard that at the end of the display year, the committee would decide whether or not to keep the sculpture. If not, he would be required to remove it. Adiournment There being no further business to come before the committee, Walsh moved to adjourn and Fosse seconded. The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m. s:lpcdlr~nuteslPublicAW2OO5107-O7-O5.doc Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2005 TerlTl Name Expires 1/06 2/02 3/02 4/07 5/05 7/07 8/04 9/01 10/06 11/03 12/01 Emily Carter Walsh 01/01/08 CW X O X X X Charles Felling 01/01/06 CW X X X O/E X James Hemsley 01/01/06 CW O/E X X X X Emily Martin 01/01/08 CW X O/E O/E X O/E Mark Seabold 01/01/07 CW X X X X X Rick Fosse CW O/E X X X X Terry Trueblood CW O/E X X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting CW = Cancelled due to Weather ..... Not a Member