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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-02-08 TranscriptionFebruary 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 1 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session 5:30 PM Council: Lehman, Champion, Kubby, Norton, O'Donnell, Thornberry ,Vanderhoef. Staff: Atkins, Helling, Karr, Dilkes, Kopping, Rogusky, Davidson. Additional staff after Senior Center discussion: Schoon, Winstead, Schmadeke, Yucuis. Senior Center Commission: Teni Miller, Jay Honohan, Chevalier Monsanto. Tapes: 99-22, side 2; 99-23, all; 99-24 A complete transcription is available in the City Clerk's office. Joint Meetin~ with Senior Center Commission 99-22 S2 Lehman/We are going to be discussing with the Senior Center Commission space requirements .... Ten-i/...We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to present our request for the additional 8,000 square feet of space in the parking facility .... I think you will see... the space definitely could be well used by the Senior Center .... I want to start out thanking you all... open to input... regards to the ramp... make sure we have adequate parking for .... All of our participants .... Working to come up with a number of spaces ....We would like to talk about the kind of space in the ramp... kind of use. As we have evaluated the space in the Senior Center... clear to us that there are certain areas that are very crowded .... Request for space for Senior Dining .... A lot of other requests for space... quite crowded... One that is quite popular is SCTV .... Space that they use is very crowded... the computer room .... Various studios... As well as the Elderly Services Agency .... They have a lot of people come through their offices .... My understanding is they didn't apply for a grant for additional personnel... because they don't have the space available to use those people ..... It is stifling their growth... Lack of space also stifles growth of the Senior Center programming. In the future we only see that these programs are going to become more popular .... Baby boomers... as they get older... space requirements... increase... more crowded .... By having the available space in the ramp, we feel that we could invite more full participation by the seniors. We have taken a good look at the space. We have come up with some options of how we would be able to use that space .... We would like to talk about some of those things with you .... Work towards the feasibility of this plan. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 2 Thornberry/What does the Senior Center have to do with elderly housing? Elderly Services? Miller/Elderly Services is an agency in the Center. They have six staff members... RSVP... they deal with a lot of volunteers .... Case management... provide services for various elderly and individuals in the community. Kubby/They do chore services and shared housing. Thornberry/ Miller/They are on the second floor of the Senior Center, they have an office there. Vanderhoef/ Miller/Let me pass around some of this information. It will give you some detail about the space .... Norton/ ....How often a week would you say the main room is used in the evening .... ? Miller/There is at least one activity group that uses it in the evening. Norton/What about the big room downstairs? .... Miller/That room is used quite a lot ....other groups that use that room as well. Norton/Senior Citizens .... In terms of overall space ....Heavy utilization in other hours and weekends .... Give some thought .... Is multiple use of some of that space a function of maintenance help? Miller/Yes it is. Norton/ Miller/That is certainly one of the issues in the assembly room currently .... We have New Horizons Band... 80 participants .... Senior Dining .... Program in the afternoon... That is a room that takes a lot of maintenance when there is more than one thing going on. Norton/Personnel question gets related to the space question .... Jay Honohan/Part of our proposal here on the ramp if we got that space .... Might help some of that problem. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 3 Miller/The last two things that were passed out include the floor plan of the Senior Center Honohan/(Refers to scale drawing) ..... Let me talk about what we have projected for the ramp .... There may be some flaws in it .... I tried to use the scale... The architect told me... only 7700 square feet in this area, not 8,000 that we originally thought ....I measured it out 3-4 times... We were considering the layout that you see here ....We would be moving the computer room... craft... VNA... We would be providing a second meeting room ..... Proposing a door at the south end of the elevator shaft there to provide security... meeting room could be used by the public... without allowing people to roam through the Senior Center .... Skywalk. Miller/One of the concerns with opening the Senior Center to groups .... Assembly room... becomes difficult to have any control around the security .... New locks on the building. If we were going to enable this facility to be used after hours, we certainly want to make sure there are enough controls on the security. Honohan/We have some peculiar concems, the halls are eight foot .... A chart showing basically the measurements .... This shows the square footage that we came up with and that we proposed for these different things and each agency .... All have increased space as a result of this proposal. They would all have more space than they currently have .... Everybody thinks they need more space .... More room. However, if we are going to use these rooms to their fullest extent... we are going to need more space... Increase the computer room... VNA wants to offer more services .... We need more space for the Senior Center TV. I would like to go to this, the current Senior Center floor plan. Thomberry/VNA... would they be having an office in there? .... Monsanto/They have an office and also do like foot stuff.... Shots .... Visiting Nurse comes down .... Thornberry/Visiting Nurses... big office on Hwy 1 .... Honohan/It is a clinic .... Kubby/What is the craft? .... Monsanto/Potters... and a rock shop that they do ceramics and polished rocks .... All in one shop .... Got too small. Vanderhoef/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 4 Honohan/If you look at the floor plan. If we got this space and if we could move these agencies, what we would do .... GO6 .... that would be given to Senior Dining .... GO2 is the present ARP site... moving them up to 192 square feet in the proposed ramp. GO2 would then go to Senior Dining .... Two additional spaces. The fitness room has been too small... GO3... making the fitness room expand in that fitness area and add two showers and dressing rooms. Thomberry/What is the difference between fitness room and exercise room? Monsanto/Fitness room .... Aerobics and stuff like that. The exercise room they have exercise .... Kubby/Other way around .... Monsanto/ Miller/That certainly an area have grown .... Population ... become much more interested in fitness .... We see this as an area we would like to expand. Monsanto/ Norton/I want them to get more fitness by walking up from the Chauncey Swan parking ramp... or to the library .... Monsanto/What do you do... arthritic knee .... ? Norton/ Monsanto/I have an exercycle .... I can use that .... I have had to walk up several times... It is a hard job. I have another thing .... You have to go across one of the busiest street... Gilbert Street .... I lost my father the same way .... He was 96 years old. It is a hazard getting up there. Honohan/The main floor we are proposing no changes at this time .... Mezzanine, we are proposing no changes. Go to the second floor and 201... proposing that as a classroom .... Great need for .... Have some of these classes... often offered at Senior Center. Room 209... going to ESA and what we would do is ... expand them... to 209 .... Have both of those .... We would have to work with architects... We felt that you needed to see some of the things that we were thinking about for this space .... We can really use that space for these kind of things. That meeting room... important aspect .... We could have simultaneous programs ..... We feel very strongly .... That this is an excellent opporttmity for the Senior Center .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 5 Kubby/In terms of the current space... no revamping .... Miller/ Kubby/ Lehman/Steve, obviously this impacts .... What it is going to cost us in way of construction, maintenance, operations .... Heating and cooling. Atkins/(Refers to flipchart). What I did was attempt to estimate the cost of the project and I can give you some of my suggestions with respect to the overall policy implications .... This is strictly the dollars .... 8,000 square feet at $125 a square foot .... finished space .... That will give you some idea of the capital costs and then the walkway was $150 .... Walkway attaching the parking garage and the Senior Center. The other things for you to think about with respect to cost... operation... maintenance... janitorial... staff costs .... Not real sure of.... For the existing building is about 25,000 square feet. Just under 25,000 square feet. With this proposed budget we would have two fulltime maintenance people .... Flipchart: Senior Ctr/Garage 8000 @ $125.00 Walkway O/M/Staff $1,000,000 150,000 1,150,000 ? 700,000 450,000 ? Atkins/Things... for you to consider is that by law you can sale up to $700,000 of GO debt without requirement for a referendum .... You would need to amend that 10/10/10 policy we worked on the other day if you want to add $700,000 worth of debt .... Bottom line... current cash... internal loan for the difference .... Going to be a General Fund commitment for the payback .... Adding to your debt load regardless of what you would do... You will have a staffing commitment which is also a General Fund .... If you are going to be adding staff and particularly this, you are going to have to go back into the current budget proposals that you have and eliminate something .... Lehman/Do you have any numbers about the potential tax revenue would be on that if it were sold as condominiums? Atkins/If it has a $1 million value ....$13,000 per year. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 6 Dilkes/Remember that is a cost figure, not a value figure... It would be lower than that. Then the rehab of the other space within the building, I am just not familiar with that yet. Thomberry/How much lower from $13,0007 Lehman/ .... significant amount. Kubby/Our initial reaction to 8,000 was... I think there is some sentiment to look at the possibility of some space and- If there were a skywalk, there would be two ways into the space .... What are the possibilities for splitting that space up .... ? 4,000 square feet to the Senior Center .... enter that space through the walkway .... Thornberry/... You would have to have another way out of that area .... You are going to need to cut a hallway off the rest of the space to the clock tower .... Lehman/ Thornberry/You got that space to the fight of the clock tower... still have to make the walkway through the area for them to get to that exit area .... Kubby/Many of us had a reaction that this is just too much ..... when we are looking at all of our other obligations for capital and operations at the city... That if we had the impetus to do some of it, how workable is that? ..... Use part of the space .... Thornberry/ Norton/ Thornberry/You have this space to the fight of the clock tower upstairs (refers to plan) ..... This is the space to the fight of the clock tower .... Space... give them half of it... The other part... Have to leave room for a hallway .... (All talking). Norton/How big are the classrooms? .... (Refers to plans). (All talking-referring to plans). Thornberry/ Lehman/If we were to .... probably isn't feasible... 8,000 square feet ....I don't' see support for that ....I would assume most of these numbers would be decreased This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 7 50% .... Walkway stays the same .... $650,000 of construction costs to do the walkway and 4,000 feet up above. Honohan/We are talking money here. One other thing... Iowa City is trying to uplift its image .... Trying to get your business back in. This is a big drawing card .... Visit our Senior Center, it keeps people in town. Norton/...survey from two years ago. That still worries me .... And still... back of my head because 43% of the people you surveyed had been there and only once a year. I would like to see it more popular than it is .... Honohan/It is growing all of the time. Norton/ Honohan/It has gotten different... new programs... changed programs around more .... Made it a lot more popular .... Aerobics class .... Whole passle of them in there having a ball .... Made it in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Champion/What other ways are there to get space in the Senior Center? Honohan/As far as we can tell, none .... You can't go up... east... west... south. This is the only opportunity that we see for the Senior Center to expand .... Only direction and we are not asking for the ground floor... asking only for the second floor .... I guess I am still arguing for the 8,000 square feet .... I think you are trying to upgrade the downtown .... We think the Senior Center is a very viable commodity for the downtown .... Ecumenical Towers .... Elderly facilities, residential areas... We think it is very important to have the Senior Center remain downtown and a lot of the people that frequent the Senior Center feel that same way .... With this expansion, we can accommodate more people and do a lot more things. Cost is important .... I would be happy to submit a referendum on the GO bonds for $1.2 million. I feel confident it would pass and we could explore some other fund drives to help... Look at ... my sketch... We can cut this in half... You could just take our south part .... And we could have that security door that I am talking about... I prefer the whole thing .... That meeting room... another valuable asset to the community .... This is a valuable asset .... I for one would have no problem with a bond issue, a GO .... Champion/Have you ever talked about moving the Senior Dining kitchen out of there? .... Kubby/It is also an important draw for the Senior Center. Champion/Move it out of the building... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 8 Vanderhoef/...they take more meals out .... Thomberry/Most of the meals are catered. Miller/We have talked so much about how to get additional space .... Champion/Think about that ..... My experience on the school board. We don't have a kitchen in every school. They take them there. Honohan/ Champion/...It could be in another building .... Thornberry/Catering is a possibility. Kubby/ Miller/What does the Senior Dining pay? That is a part of the 28E agreement .... Although they currently use more space than they were originally allocated .... Kubby/If we moved the space .... County is paying a certain percentage .... Honohan/I just wonder where you are going to put it...? Champion/I am talking about moving the kitchen out of the building .... You bring it in just like a caterer does. They don't fix food where they are serving it. Honohan/This is going to increase the cost of the meals... bringing food in. Thornberry/You are saying that more than 50% of the meals are catered out anyway. Honohan/ Thornberry/ Vanderhoef/What other funding mechanisms other than a bond issue? Are there grants .... CDGB?...Fundraising?... Honohan/I have only been at this a month... A foundation .... That was received very favorably .... Also mentioned... like a Mercer Park Recreation Building drive .... Lehman/If the sales tax were to pass .... there is ...not allocated cash .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 9 Norton/Food service might want to reconsider .... Honohan/ .... another thing... independent agency .... It is a political thing, too .... We have even discussed about that 20% not being fight .... Maybe we need the city and the county to renegotiate that .... Miller/County were to benefit from additional space .... Vanderhoef/ Honohan/ Kubby/I wonder if Heritage Agency on Aging has any grant money? .... Lehman/What else do we need to hear from the Commission tonight? I think there are some questions... For example, we don't know staffing .... Average utility costs .... Front money... ongoing cost of operation, we have to have some idea of what we are talking about .... Dining .... occupies 1600 square feet... looking at. Kubby/The other thing that would be helpful for me is the last 3 -4 years what our capital- our maintenance. I know we have done a lot of big maintenance projects... to know what that total has been so we know what our recent investment has been to the current building. For the roof, the HVAC and all of that stuff.... Lehman/You also have to look long term .... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 99-23 SIDE 1 Lehman/We pretty much are saying that building, that operation, that facility is going to stay where it is and is that a good decision long term? I don't know. Norton/You mean in terms of just the physical capabilities of the building? .... Seniors... not acting the same way they did .... Little hard to know. Kubby/ Miller/That is why programs change at the Senior Center... It is well utilized. Norton/We got one down the street at the library .... We got three TV studios... We have to look at that collection. Lehman/Are there other questions that council has? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 10 Miller/Is there any other additional information that we can provide? Kubby/Just an inkling from the county that there might be interest... what kind of contribution might they be willing to make in terms of up front capital costs and increased ongoing costs .... ? 28E agreement ..... Lehman/If we work out the details... I think the county would need to be a player. Have you talked to the county at all? Miller/No. Lehman/We haven't either. Vanderhoef/Other thing... just mention to some of the supervisors, they should really be looking at their parking. They are asking for dedicated parking for their workers, and if this is what they are wanting, what are they willing to pay for their spaces if they want them .... Miller/Certainly the 28E agreement doesn't speak about parking at all ..... Kubby/Seems like we will need to get some of this stuff back and then have another discussion among ourselves. Norton/ESA .... A lot of their people .... A lot of traffic they have? Not just serving people who are at the Center .... Honohan/Also ARP .... Thornberry/ ....JCCOG .... once a month... for two hours .... Norton/ Thornberry/It is used for a lot of different things that room. That is a good room .... Honohan/It would be really good to have another one about that size ..... Lehman/...Thank you .... And when you talk to the county, will you get back to us. Please drop us a note and let us know the conversation .... I think we need to be coordinated. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 11 Review Zonine Items 99-23 S1 a. Consider an ordinance changin~ the zoning designation of 21.26 acres located on the east side of Naples Avenue from Intensive Commercial (CI-1) to Sensitive Areas Overlay Zone-Intensive Commercial (OSA-CI-1). (Second consideration) Davidson/Item a. is a repeat .... b. Consider a resolution approving a final plat of Boyd's Fashionable Acres, an 11.51 acre, 16-Lot residential subdivision located on the south side of Rochester Avenue, east of Post road, and west of Mt. Vernon Road. (SUB98-0030) Davidson/Boyd's Fashionable Acres final plat. Eleanor .... Still are waiting on some items from them. Recommend you defer it again tomorrow .... Norton/I had a question on that first one .... I want to clarify something. Was Area B... was it in fact graded before P/Z considered it? Davidson/I believe that was in Item a ..... It had been before P/Z .... That was due to putting the road in and some sewer work. Norton/That includes A and B? Davidson/I don't recall how much was done in B. Lehman/No. Kubby/Karen specifically said there was sedimentation but there was no grading. Norton/How did the Sensitive Areas Ordinance bear on Area B? Did it limit what they could do there at all?... Davidson/My understanding, Dee, is the distinction that was made between B and Area C was that Area B had already been extensively altered and Area C had not been and was in more of a natural state and should not be altered. Kubby/We were told that B was not graded. Those are two different things. Lehman/We specifically asked about it and it had not been graded. And we were also told that P/Z knew that as well ..... Norton/They knew it at the time .... The Sensitive Areas Ordinance in some sense really says don't mess with Ravine C. What does it say vis-a-vis B? Kubby/I think it allows judgement and that is why they have the overlay so you can make those judgements. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 12 Lehman/ Davidson/ c. Consider a response to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors regarding a request by the Board to resolve a rezoning issue in Area B of the Johnson County/Iowa City Fringe Area Agreement. Davidson/You have not seen and Mike and Emie may want to contribute to this .... You and Karin met with the County. Lehman/This is the Milder property .... From Karin's perspective this was a fairly minor sort of thing ....She didn't feel we had a real problem with it... We met with them last Thursday ....What we are asking them to do is insure that the other 18 acres are retained as agriculture ground .... By subdivision agreement... There can be a change only by approval of the Board of Supervisors .... That property cannot be subdivided into more residential uses without their approval... Our concern is that we don't gobble up a lot of agricultural land and it doesn't agree with our Fringe Agreement. Davidson/To be consistent with the Fringe Area Agreement would require RS-10 zoning here .... Because of the configuration... impossible to do .... What is being proposed is this 18 1.2 acre parcel will be designated with the agricultural zoning but there will be some caveat that it will be maintained for agricultural use and not be further subdivided. Lehman/... Subdivision agreement... with the land... cannot be subdivided into residential without the approval of the Board of Supervisors. Kubby/...Would it come to us for comment? Lehman/ Davidson/Possibly for comment but because it is outside of the two mile area .... The cotmty ahs essentially indicated that they concur with our thinking .... O'Donnell/They have brought them into compliance now. Davidson/The Health Dept. has signed off.... O'DonnelF Lehman/This will take care of the situation .... Champion/It was awful .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 13 Davidson/House got built for another member of the family, it was never occupied by another member of the family. Now they want to split if off and sale it .... O'Donnell/ (All talking). Vanderhoef/They still own another 20 acres noah of what you see there on the westside. Kubby/It still leaves two concerns .... Where does this leave the language of the Fringe Area that we are willing to make agreements like this when it is against the language of the Fringe Area .... And the second concern... This is a message to people in the county that you can not follow the rules and you get rewarded .... You get to make money... from breaking the rules .... O'Donnell/ Lehman/The alternative was we do something that is mutually acceptable to the city and to the county ....What we have is something that our Planning folks feel is legitimate ....No negative impact on the Fringe Area .... It is a reasonable way to do it .... Kubby/Maybe we can keep track of these deviations... help guide us when we revamp the Fringe Area Agreement .... Lehman/The whole idea... there may be situations where we find our Fringe Area Agreement is not written to do exactly what we want it to do .... That agreement gets updated this June ..... Davidson/Started in June. Lehman/ Davidson/So we will send the letter. Lehman/I think we will ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 14 Review Aeenda Items 99-23 S1 1 .Kubby/There is another thing... about zoning stuff. That is the letter to Ron Vogel and a response... to his concerns... Maybe looking at how institutions that are other governmental bodies do affect neighborhoods .... Norton/Schools and churches .... Kubby/I don't know the work plan in my head... I think it is an important thing... different school sites ....And churches wanting to expand, it is warranted to look at that. Vanderhoef/Unless there is interest by the school district... it is sort of a mute point unless we can have some sort of joint agreement on how these things might happen .... For us to put it on our staff... informal conversation with the school district to see if they would be interested in looking at these things. Kubby/ .... put some barriers or restrictions on how they are use to doing things in our community .... Go in...continued neighborhood concems .... Public institutions... I guess I want to go in with a stronger feeling... some issues ....We seriously want you to sit down and talk with us .... Norton/I don't know how big the problem is .... Two cases recently of churches in neighborhoods and pretty substantial impact... Might be worth looking at. Davidson/There is a little bit of a difference here in that a church in a residential zone required Board of Adjustment action for any expansion .... Different from a public school or University .... There are ways to affect the zoning controls or the equivalent of zoning controls/land use controls on those entities but it is not an easy thing to do... Set it up ....I think... If it is something that you wish to prioritize, you should do that .... Norton/Ask Karin to take a look to see what the work schedule looks like, see where this might fit. Kubby/ Lehman/I can certainly see where some problems might come up .... Kind of nice to have an agreement with the schools, really. Norton/Have some kind of more formal arrangement than we have now. Lehman/I think it is worth looking at. Vanderhoef/ ....arterial street in front of a school .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 15 Kubby/Other issues are nuisances .... noise, lighting .... Vanderhoef/ O'Donnell/I think it make sense to have an agreement. Lehman/ Kubby/A response we got from the school district at the joint meeting was there was nothing we could do .... Not an appropriate answer .... Lehman/Also agreed that they didn't handle it well. They told us at the meeting .... nature of the thing was rushed .... Davidson/What will ultimately happen here is we will bring the whole priority list back to and then let you prioritize it .... Some point we can bring it to you. Lehman/...If there is a way for us informally to meet with some folks from the school board to determine their level of interest .... Davidson/Do you want this on the next joint meeting? Lehman/I just think they want to be good neighbors .... (All talking). Davidson/I think it is Iowa City's meeting next time .... We will find out whose meeting. Lehman/...Put it on the agenda. I think it is a good idea. 2. Champion/I want to talk a little bit about the parking restrictions on Tower Court. Kubby/Maybe we could take that out for separate discussion tomorrow night from the Consent Calendar. Thornberry/I would like to take that out of the Consent Calendar also .... Norton/Be sure we have the basic data right .... Vanderhoef/...at about 54% want it to happen .... Champion/Not a very big majority. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 16 Vanderhoef/ 3. Champion/We need to discuss that Saddlebrook thing again. Lehman/I don't know when it comes up the next time. O'Donnell/We are going to have a separate meeting with P/Z. Kubby/We are meeting with P/Z. Dilkes/On Lake Calvin, you have a separate meeting set up with P/Z on that .... Atkins/22nd. O'Donnell/22nd, 4:30 PM. Champion/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 17 Northgate Corporate Park TIF Request 99-23 S1 Schoon/On your agenda tomorrow evening you have an item that would start the process of establishing an Urban Renewal area out at Northgate Corporate Park .... Southgate Development... interest in having Tax Increment Financing (TIF) available at that site for qualifying projects .... 1992 the city council established an Urban Renewal Plan for 3-4 of the lots... for specific project. That plan was very specific for the project that was before the council. That project did not go ahead... A few years later rescinded the plan... What is before you is a very general plan... very similar to the Scott Six Industrial Park Plan .... Designated an Urban Renewal area under Urban Renewal law .... We consider it an economic development area .... Targeting for specific commercial and industrial uses. What this does .... establish or adopt the TIF Ordinance .... When we have a specific project... meets our economic development guidelines .... That we can move more quickly with that project .... The time schedule attached .... What this does is ... We would be ready to address an economic development project more quickly. Lehman/If we do this... each project will be dealt with specifically?... It must qualify on its own merits in order to receive any special consideration from the city? Schoon/Correct. Lehman/...This is an enabling sort of thing to speed up the process should we find a project that we feel we would like to participate? Schoon/Yes. Kubby/ ....Because there are site improvements that are public infrastructure ....Open ended as to what those could be. Schoon/Correct. Kubby/...then by money that goes to private site improvements or to individual businesses would be a case by case basis? Schoon/The public improvements could also be project specific .... There may be a project that comes along that we may need to extend that road .... It may be tied with a specific project. Vanderhoef/ Schoon/ Norton/In other words you could put in the piping and so forth right up to the structure? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 18 Champion/No. Norton/When you say private site development? Schoon/That could be any site development issues. That could be the private line that runs fm the public water line to the building .... Vanderhoef/The company could choose what specific things they wanted to use their TIF for that was on site. Does this work like Scott Six? ....Don't start the time clock running on the TIF until the first one? Schoon/Correct, then there is a 20 year limit. Vanderhoef/ Kubby/There is a section in here... certain conditions exist which effectively hinder development .... Is that because other similar zoning in the immediate area have TIF? Would you outline what the hindrance is to development? Norton/Are the land prices too high? Schoon/ Kubby/I am on page 95 of our packet .... Other provisions necessary to meet state and local requirements .... Norton/I have the same question .... Schoon/That is listing- In terms of certain circumstances, I guess we would find it as outlined in the plan, the conditions in terms of making a site attractive is and competing with other similarly zoned projects or development in the area .... We find in order to make a site competitive, that you at least have to say that it is available...determine case by case whether we want to provide the assistance for a particular project .... That is the circumstance under which we would suggest designating an Urban Renewal area. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/And having the TIF in place makes the place competitive on a time line .... Norton/Couldn't there be other things? .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 19 Schoon/Issue with that is if there is a similarly zoned piece of property with lower priced land also offering TIF, the land price is still a competitive issue that needs to be addressed. Norton/The land price bothers me .... Vanderhoef/There are some trade offs .... Look at location .... If you can get the TIF... you could well afford to have a higher priced piece of land .... Norton/Is that the reason it has not developed? .....How many years has it be sitting there? .... Thomberry/We would all be guessing as to why it didn't go. Norton/Strikes me as kind of strange that we now have to TIF it ..... Doesn't seem right to me. Vanderhoef/... some sentiment in the state legislature to do some changes in the TIF... Norton/ Vanderhoeff Champion/If we do the TIF, it is not guaranteeing them .... It may help... Vanderhoef/...I think this is a legitimate request and we should go forward with it. Norton/But it begins to take it away from other taxing bodies .... Lehman/ Kubby/I had a legal question for Eleanor .... Finding of Necessity. Could you explain what that means and what a yes vote for tomorrow night for the p.h.? Does that mean that if I vote yes for the p.h ..... Does that mean that unless there are objections, I would want to go forward? Dilkes/I don't advise David on this. Our bond counsel does. Schoon/You have reasonable cause to believe that it could be designated an Urban Renewal area .... It doesn't commit you to the end of the process vote being to actually then designate it an urban renewal area. Kubby/Seeing these words, a resolution determining the necessity. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 20 Lehman/We did the same thing on that block south of Burlington. I was really .... The wording was such that I had a problem with it. Kubby/But you are telling me if I vote yes on this resolution tomorrow night, then I am not committing myself to anything as an individual vote? Schoon/Correct but that you believe that there is a reason to designate it an economic development area. If none of you believe that it is reasonable to designate .... Then you wouldn't vote for it ..... Kubby/Will you explain to me what designating an urban renewal area does under Iowa law? Schoon/It can do a number of things and you have to outline those in your plan. What is outlined in our plan is what we will use the Urban Renewal law for .... Kubby/Does that mean I have to agree with the plan to vote yes to set the p.h.? .... Dilkes/I think a resolution of necessity is basically what it says. It is you are resolving that there is a need for the plan as it is outlined. Norton/...you can always vote down particular proposals .... Kubby/The other thing that is outlined in the plan is the Developers Agreement and we don't have that. What does that entail? Schoon/That will come a little later in the process ..... Kubby/What kinds of things would be in that agreement? Schoon/ .... It will probably just restate a lot of what is already in the plan... We don't have a lot of specifics at this point .... Mainly restate the commitment between the city and the developer in terms of how TIF will be used in this area. Norton/Can you identify for me other particular sites .... That are in this comparable situation and have TIF already set up? Schoon/Oakdale Research Park .... West Branch there is a TIF district ....Coral Ridge Mall. Davidson/(Can't hear). Norton/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 21 Lehman/ Schoon/In the past... looked at establishing Urban Renewal Plans for specific projects .... We decided .... A little different approach.. having some of this in place versus doing it project by project... Have that project before us. It just helps us in terms of the time line. Kubby/...Would we ever say we are going to do these public improvements that benefit the whole TIF area? .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 22 HyVee Request for Amendment of the CN-1 Zone 99-23 S1 Lehman/HyVee request. Davidson/You have a letter in your packet from David Bailie .... This is regarding the CN-1 Zone... at intersection of First and Rochester and the conversion of the old HyVee store into a Drugtown... Could not establish a pharmacy drive-up window in that zone. That zone is very specific... with respect to such an auto oriented use .... There was an allowance made some years ago for financial institutions .... In town. What has been requested... We do not have this project on any work list... Find out if this is something you want us to put on our work list .... They do understand there is about a four month process before they would actually have the approval to put a window in .... Three month legislative process...one month process at the Board of Adjustment. Lehman/Why does it take them four months? Davidson/I believe state law establishes the process that has to be followed for a zoning change. Dilkes/It is a state law requirement .... Davidson/Board of Adjustment meets once a month. O'Dounell/We should put this on .... Kubby/ .... this is ... specific kind of zone .... To be places of business that primarily serve people in that area .... Trying to encourage people to walk it .... Davidson/This discussion will occur during that legislative process if you want us to go ahead with this. Lehman/Do we feel that picking up your prescriptions could be a viable use in a neighborhood commercial center .... ? Davidson/ Lehman/ Davidson/The fast food thing is controlled by the fact that fast food restaurants are not permitted in neighborhood commercial .... Intended to be a more pedestrian oriented type zone. Lehman/Do we agree that we should send this back, they should look at it and come back to us? Fine, thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 23 O'Donnell/ Kubby/ Davidson/Certain grocery stores... Fareway... on west side... dimensional requirements .... Exclusive to that zone... middle of the neighborhood. (All talking). Champion/If it is so easy to change the zoning for the HyVee Drugtown... why is it so hard to get a parking lot for Oaknoll? .... (All talking). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 24 Phase II Downtown Streetscape Improvements 99-23 S1 Atkins/Rob is coming to the microphone .... We have a plan and spec heating tomorrow night. The cost estimates are higher than your policy position... trying to bring down some of those downtown project costs. DRW... prepared this information for us... We have some trouble with their estimating... I wanted to make sure that you were fully aware of some of the problems and some of the possibilities .... Phased plan .... Rob will be working with .... Winstead/Refresh your memory.. Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III of Downtown Streetscape Improvements .... (Refers to Overhead). Phase I is the pink color... It is all done... Phase II is the project that is before us now. It is the blue... bigger than last year's project. Phase III is the outer streets, orange color... show that in FY2001. The upside of this years project is that the plans and specs .... A nice of project... continuation... Involves... new lights, benches... limestone planters .... Also includes the new water feature... Downside is BRW's estimates show .... Improvements are going to be significantly be exceeding our original cost estimate. We have spent a lot of time looking at those cost estimates and why we are at where we are at... One of things... budget differences is our choice for the limestone over concrete ....$130,000 to $150,000 choice that we made .... Another thing... electrical system ....Come to find out ....poorer condition ....Appears to be an across the board underestimate what these improvements are going to cost us. Kubby/Do we know what the electrical increase adds up to? Winstead/BRW has presented all kinds of numbers .... I would say it is probably in the same neighborhood as the limestone choice. CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 99-23 SIDE 2 Kubby/Part of me says it was our decision to do the limestone... not cut back on the project... Maybe we need to ask if we wanted to cut $300,000... how do we cut $300,0007 What would have to come out of Phase II to cut $300,0007 Norton/We went through that before. Vanderhoef/Phase I was a very very small piece of it .... Now I have real hesitation that this is not going to be very accurate numbers again .... Kubby/ Winstead/The budget difference... comparison between their current cost estimate .... We have since found out they neglected a significant amount of brickwork... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 25 Now their estimate is $2.2 million... comparison of that number to their original cost estimate at the time we adopted the streetscape plan. Vanderhoef/Does that number reflect the added limestone .... Winstead/Part of the difference is attributable to the limestone which includes the limestone we actually put in in Phase I and then using the Phase I prices towards our quantity in Phase II. It includes all of the limestone? Kubby/ Lehman/When we looked at this originally... we were not willing to cut back the limestone .... Vanderhoef/We said cut it back and put this limestone in .... The budget figure is way beyond. Thomberry/...Some of the council members did not see the need for limestone. Kubby/You are correct. You are against the limestone. Lehman/...We have limestone and we are going to have more limestone. Thornberry/Maybe we have more than three phases. Norton/I think we have to look at how to stretch it out. Thornberry/More than three phases .... not do some until we can .... Kubby/Are you saying there is nothing you would want to cut? Thornberry/I would. Kubby/ Thornberry/I think we need the upgrade lighting. Norton/Lighting is not going to be quite as dense. Thornberry/... Lehman/I think we already limestone .... Thornberry/How far have we gotten? What percentage of the planters have been done? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 26 Winstead/All the planters in the Ped Mall are the areas we are looking at limestoning .... It might be 30-40% .... Lehman/Is it possible to bid this project as we are looking at it and then have one or two alternatives .... Deleting the Clinton portion of it .... or deleting the Linn Street section .... ? Do it at the level we have decided to do it .... Phase it .... ? Can we bid it that way? Winstead/Yes and we have looked at that .... what portion of this estimate Clinton Street would encompass... $240,000 for the Clinton Street work .... We thought Linn Street would be in that same neighborhood. Lehman/Roughly $1/2 million if you phased .... Wainstead/The real world numbers... be able to tell better .... Present those to you with better numbers. Champion/...What happens with our Iowa Avenue project? Vanderhoef/It gets moved back. Champion/ Kubby/Disadvantage of cutting in smaller pieces is that downtown is disrupted for five years instead of 2 - 3 years. Lehman/The disruption that occurred during Phase I was so minimal... Champion/ .... Pedestrian Mall.. the dust and stuff was ferocious. Lehman/ Norton/Given the possibilities... there is going to be some disruption down on Linn... Maybe Linn is the one to hold off on .... Lehman/ Winstead/Our recommendations would be to put this thing out to bid... come back to you with those figures .... Add some wording to the resolution tomorrow night that we would make part of this bidding process taking out Clinton or Linn or both .... We can make some decisions once we get the real numbers. Vanderhoef/I would take Linn out before I would take Clinton out. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 27 Kubby/ Norton/ Vanderhoef/I am more anxious to get the Burlington Street part than I am Linn Street .... Our through traffic... invitation into the downtown district .... Norton/ Lehman/We will put it out to bid with a couple of options... get the total package and then we will decide .... Clinton and Linn being Linn that could be deferred .... Important for me to get those options so we would know how much extra it is going to cost us ....Easier to bite the bullet up front than it is to do them separately... Kubby/ Champion/...might have to cut this back a little bit. Norton/ Vanderhoef/We don't have to accept the bid. Lehman/Got a way of doing it .... phasing .... Norton/ Champion/I don't remember the contractor who did Phase I. I have never seen anybody as efficient... they worked until midnight .... Cleaning sidewalks .... Lehman/ Winstead/One final thing, the council meeting on March 9 has been moved to March 2. We had to move our letting date up to March 1 for this project. We are going to try and be ready on March 2 .... Any irregularities ....We might not be ready on March 2... Lehman/We can have a special meeting .... [Council Break] This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 28 PCRB Misc. 99-23 S2 Lehman/Is there anything we need to ask Eleanor? .... Questions that she should be here to answer. She has little ones at home .... Dilkes/Marian has brought it to my attention that in your Info Packet is a one page sheet called Topics of Discussion the PCRB put together. That is not the agenda that they have given us for the 11th. That is a work in progress for them. It was meant to be attached to their minutes. Karr/And you will find that missing from the agenda minutes. It says attached... We will correct that in your next CP that you pick up. Norton/ Karr/It is going to be a joint meeting to be facilitated with any discussion by both. Dilkes/I think the topics that are on that topic list are things ....We have not been far off the mark in terms of what they want to talk about. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 29 Budget Discussion 99-23 S2 Atkins/Laying in front of you .... revised capital projects list ....We summarized your decisions on capital projects and then your bond position is listed there and it explains in more precise numbers the 10-10-10. It doesn't work out quite 10-10- 10. In total financing over the four year period is $36 million, not $40-. .... We have not gone over the capital projects that are funded other than GO debt... We can pick that up in the meeting on Thursday .... I can either pose questions to you... There are some things that I need to know from you for budget purposes. Lehman/Why don't you ask us what you need to know and we will go from there. Atkins/Historic Preservation Survey, $20,000. If that is a yes ....proposed that we take that from the contingency account. Norton/Okay. Champion/Yeah. Atkins/That is a go ....I saw at least a half dozen heads nod favorably. Human Service Agencies, plus $7,000 over what was in the budget. Thornberry/No. Norton/Yeah. Kubby/Yeah .... Atkins/Same with the contingency ..... Thornberry/ Vanderhoef/ Atkins/Okay, that is done. I am just going to amend the contingency .... Kubby/ Lehman/Do those one by one. Vanderhoef/From the CDB grant moneys... Jazzfest has made a request for second year for funding .... They were funded with $1,000 of grant money .... They have been funded for $1,500 for this year .... Arts Fest has been funded from CDB... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 30 $1,076 .... Iowa Games... funded with $1,500. Iowa City Road Races .... We didn't fund them last year. CDB is funding them with $2,000. Kubby/Those moneys are specifically for advertising... Vanderhoef/Promotion .... Norton/...punishes them from another source .... Vanderhoef/ Lehman/It is a good point... We don't always know... how many places that are looking .... Norton/We encourage them to get money elsewhere and if they are successful, I don't want to necessarily punish them .... Criterion... The bike race, anybody heard anything fm them? Lehman/No. Atkins/ Lehman/Let' s do the Jazzfest first ....They requested $10,000 .... Norton/They are doing great things. Champion/ Norton/They got $7,640 last year. Atkins/We budgeted the same as last year. Norton/I tried to think of ones we have been ignoring... 4t" of July .... Kubby/Not if it is fireworks .... Thornberry/I suggested last year.. combine it with Coralville... O'Donnell/I would like to fund the fireworks, too. Norton/ Champion/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 31 Norton/ Lehman/...willing to accept the recommendation and leave everything the same as last year .... I have no problem with that. Kubby/I think the Jazzlest should go up... Arts Fest is trying to grow .... Arkins/Jazzlest... they are going to try to move it up ... start earlier .... Norton/Reinforce both of those .... Vanderhoef/I would like to add .... Lehman/Jazzlest. Arkins/Is at $7,460 .... Norton/$8,500. Thornberry/Leave it alone .... There is four to leave it. Norton/Okay. Lehman/ Atkins/Okay, Jazz Festival remains at $7,460. Champion/...$7,500. Atkins/$7,500 yes. Norton/ Lehman/Arts Fest. Atkins/Is at $6,000. They want $10,000. Norton/$7,500 .... Atkins/I don't think they make money. Thomberry/ Vanderhoef/I could go $6,500 for Arts Fest. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 32 O'Donnell/$6,500. Lehman/All fight, $6,500 .... Atkins/ Lehman/Friday Night Concert Series .... Asking $6,250 .... All fight, that is a go. Heritage Trees. They got $4-.... Leave it alone. Historical Society. Atkins/ Vanderhoef/I would give them $45- Norton/They do good work. Thornberry/ Lehman/$4,500 is what we have there. Atkins/So we added .... Vanderhoef/Downtown Association. Thomberry/They didn't ask for an increase. Kubby/ (All talking). Lehman/We will deal with that on an individual basis if that comes back up. Atkins/The $250-? Vanderhoef/Is anyone interested in adding? Champion/If we are going to fund lighting downtown... ought to have a regular budgeted amount. Norton/...didn't we give them $6,000 .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 33 Lehman/They own the lights now .... Thornberry/I suggested that each individual business buy their own. O'Donnell/ Norton/We still had some trees that weren't lighted. Lehman/Electrical outlets ..... I think... I wouldn't include them .... We bought lights last year .... We helped buy lights .... (All talking). Lehman/The maintenance is pretty much done by the folks .... Kubby/ Lehman/City folks do not replace lights in those trees and never had .... I never heard from them .... Norton/ Champion/What do you envision with the 4th of July money7 Norton/... significant event .... O'Donnell/I like that idea. Norton/I think it ought to be a good one .... Champion/I love fireworks. O'Donnell/I am into fireworks. Norton/ Lehman/Jaytees have done it for years and years .... donations... If we want to put something together .... That is going to take some leg work. Kubby/We contribute to the 4t" of July... police officers... trash pick up .... Getting people from Jazzlest ....It is taking away From neighborhoods... We very much contribute to 4th July .... Norton/We can deal with these when they come up. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 34 O'Donnell/Pretty soon people will be going to Tipton for fireworks. Norton/ Lehman/If something comes up, we will talk about it. (All talking). Atkins/ Lehman/We were approached by .... Asst. Fire Marshall .... Kubby/ Norton/I don't know where to start .... Kubby/Start at the beginning of your memo. Norton/Sergeant to coordinate training. I met with R. J. about the six new officers .... articulate plan ....Show up downtown .... I think he is going to have a beat downtown .... Leave the officers alone and go to the sergeant. Atkins/Adding a sergeant to coordinate training and to keep records .... Thumbnail... If we are going to have a position, we prefer a command position that is a sergeant .... An element of this position is is the Cpt. For Administrative Services substantially oversees the training activities...2-1so is very responsible for many of the PCRN investigations. I would like to remove the training responsibility from the Cpt. And fix it with the sergeant .... 3-It is a very high profile. We were very much criticized about some of our training activities... Fire Department... has a fulltime training officer ..... Vanderhoef/I had a conversation with R. J. also about it ....also talked about this officer who is half-time fight now doing the accreditation ....I was thinking in terms of when that officer comes off of accreditation... half-time officer that could possibly be a start on training .... My thinking on training officer... some trainings we will not be able to do locally. We do have officers that leave the city... getting training... We have no figures to show us... end up with more officers on the beat .... Lehman/...quality as opposed to a quantity issue? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 35 Atkins/Good bit of both .... Police Cpt... priority given... prefer having Tommy do PCRB investigations and doing them thoroughly ..... I thought the very high profile nature of training... would make this something .... Kubby/For both police and fire we are making hug investments in physical structures .... In personnel .... Not sure I am willing to make all of those investments in the three and five year budget .... I think it is going to be difficult... having General Fund take the full responsibility of those six new officers .... Champion/I cannot believe how few policemen we actually have... a lot of stuff going On. O'Donnell/We are asking the police now to be downtown... imperative to have this officer .... Champion/ Kubby/For county and city, violent crime has gone down. Thornberry/Talk to the guy they found under the bridge the other day. Norton/Would much prefer to have the officers on the street .... We have worded about training... Thornberry/I want more officers better trained. Champion/Violent may be down .... Power of non-violent crimes has got to be increasing. My house has been robbed four times .... Norton/...You got to try to find some places where there is a reduction .... Parks... considerable need... I hate to second guess Steve and R. J .... Atkins/What I would like... What you might want to do is finish your discussion, get a feel for this one and move to the next one .... I think Dee's memo is helpful... things... worth debating... We do need a wrap up session that says this is in... out... Lehman/As far as the sergeant is concerned, I think we are going to have a discussion with PCRB... With the laws the way they are... seems to me... best offense is a good defense... We need men and women trained as well as we can possibly train them .... Top notch, very professional... commitment to quality .... I think you can't get too much training .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 36 Thornberry/ .... They are going to have a complaint, I don't care how well he is trained .... You got to have the police presence out there ....I think we have got that could be better. Lehman/ Kubby/...One of the things that I suggested is that we make a policy decision for this budget year whether or not we want to leave some headroom for expanded library... then we have to come up with some way to cut some of the proposed new personnel .... Answer that bigger question .... Vanderhoef/ .... If it doesn't work out with the sales tax, we are certainly going to have two years or three years before something can happen in a very large way to meet the library and cultural center .... Thornberry/I don't think you are talking library and cultural center without a sales tax. Lehman/To be put on a ballot. Vanderhoef/It would be two or three years .... attrition... decrease in officers .... Kubby/Political improbability in a growing community that we are going to decrease the number of officers .... Other things too .... Year where we know the rollback is at a level that gives us more money .... For me now is the year to be very cautious and conservative .... Because that position may not be there in a year or two or three .... We don't have to spend all of that is what I am suggesting. Norton/Might consider .... Just move on four of the officers now .... Probably is not going to be able to fill six before next Christmas in any case .... Thornberry/Summer is coming up .... Vanderhoef/...If you get a brand new officer... talking 26 weeks .... Kubby/...if a majority says we want the six new officers and we want the training officer, maybe a personnel cut from the proposed budget... comes from another area. Norton/ ....contingency... Kubby/I just want to make sure... best defense now. Give ourselves the most flexible of maneuverability .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 37 O'Donnell/ .... talking about quality of the Police Department... You want the best well trained people on the streets .... Lehman/I think we should address your concem about if the sales tax is not passed .... Bond issue for the library .... Norton/ Lehman/If the sales tax fails, I would be amazed if a bond issue for the library would pass quicker than two years ....gives council an opportunity to address the cost of operating that library. Kubby/We still don't have to spend that $300,000 headroom .... Lehman/ Norton/ Thornberry/I would like to propose getting the trainee and six officers .... Norton/Then leave it where it is. Lehman/All fight, fire- Norton/Nobody wants to respond to my question about DARE .... It needs another look. Vanderhoef/ Kubby/That would be a way to get another officer on the street or turn that officer into the training officer. The school has a substance abuse curriculum that was very successful .... O'Donnell/ Norton/ CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 99-24 SIDE 1 Norton/There is going to be some federal help in the police area .... Kubby/Can't compromise on public safety .... (all talking). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 38 Lehman/Fire. Atkins/On the asst. fire marshall is a new service .... something we had not been doing... It is 1/3 supported, not half. It is $22,000 in income ....Net to the budget is $40,000. It is an inspector .... Norton/Does he work with HIS? Atkins/He would do some work with HIS. It is primarily getting into our commercial businesses .... Newer and higher level of inspection service and the income to be generated is $22,000. Norton/ O 'Donnell/ Atkins/Understand that it could grow if you are willing to pass the fees by resolution .... Important thing is it is a new service. Lehman/I hear some passes on this one. Thornberry/I will pass. Lehman/Pass, pass, pass. Dee, that is a goner. Kubby/In an ideal world I think this is a great position because it is a safety thing but not at this point in our financial picture. Thomberry/When we have increased the regulations .... Atkins/Several ways to look at this. We will have to reduce our income by $22,000 but you net out $40,000 .... I will kind of keep tabs on it for you. (All talking). Lehman/ Atkins/Dee is suggesting that the fire fighters are added in later years .... Yes, you can do that .... When the doors open on the new station, we must have nine people ready to go or the station would be shut down part time. Norton/What is our timing for opening the doors? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 39 Atkins/We had it for completion in 03 .... You need to at least give some though to do I want to move that project up .... Kubby/ Champion/ Lehman/Much of that is going to be determined by the building of the street, weather, construction schedule .... Atkins/You gave the tentative in your capital plan that it is a go project ....Fire Station Community Service Center theme .... Thornberry/...ambulance service .... Atkins/We will build in the capacity to add that bay ....You still have the First Avenue, Captain Irish, Scott Blvd. package of services ....Once you adopt that Northeast Plan ....If you put that roadway system in, it is going to go a whole heck of a lot quicker ....That just opens the place up ....We need to settle in... Understand your policy position on Captain Irish and First Avenue .... I would want to rethink relocating that fire station ....There is a need for just general response time ..... Budget balancing issue .... Norton/ Vanderhoef/Do we need to be putting in this budget in an earlier time frame the cost of purchasing the location? Atkins/We have that in that capital budget .... propose... Use either current cash to buy the land. I would like to talk to some large property owners out there about donation .... One large employer .... Adopt a reimbursement resolution .... Project plan is going along. Champion/I thought we made it pretty clear about what we are going to do about First Avenue and Captain Irish .... Atkins/You have made the policy position but you still have a hearing and plan to adopt .... Lehman/How is the Inspection Services? Norton/Steve, what is that is that $343-? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 40 Atkins/...page 74 .... Where you have property tax under HIS Administration, $232-. Then you have HIS at $111-. Adding those together .... HIS Administration is just that. There those three employees .... If you read over on Inspection Services, that is the amount of property tax that we put- The remainder or about half is paid for by rental fees .... I want you to note in there, if you read the property tax in 98 where it says $72,000 and it has gone up dramatically. That is the development regulation specialist sensitive areas person. We assigned that person there... That does not generate income, that position. An additional 30K was requested for building inspection plus $33- in Housing .... There is really noting dramatically new in either one of those .... No new employees in Building Inspection and Housing ....The reason it has gone up is general salary adjustment and other cost increases ..... (All talking). Atkins/Page 74, $30,000 requested for Building. Personal services, just general increase .... Expenditures .... Proposed... $406, 077. Kubby/...what were they asking for that they weren't granted in the proposed budget? Atkins/Nothing. Yucuis/Just 100% of all of the people plus there is 27 pay periods. (All talking). Atkins/There is an extra pay period in there just this year .... Norton/How are we doing .... We hear .... people have to wait so long for an inspection... Are we responding? Atkins/I have had those complaints virtually disappear .... Thomberry/...I have had some very good comments... Atkins/We have a couple of new folks down there... salary adjustments... nothing different in there other than new people. Thomberry/Dee... on your last line there .... Was that a $3.00 increase? Or 30K? Norton/I do think getting inspections done promptly .... Champion/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 41 Atkins/They requested 100% and I back it off. Norton/ Kubby/ Atkins/It is risk...If we were to go to 97% in the General Fund, that is adding a $600,000 expense item without an offsetting revenue .... That pushes your expenses up .... Vanderhoef/We don't have much choice... Lehman/We budgeted last year 97%? Atkins/About 98%. Lehman/What was our actual cost? Yucuis/We were probably closer to 96% .... Lehman/We are going to drop down from 96 to 93. Atkins/We are taking a greater risk this year... I will maintain some vacancies a little bit longer .... Kubby/That number, 94%, is not our real percentage there .... Why isn't that where we should be ....I am uncomfortable going below where we have been .... Either jobs don't get done or people have to work part of someone else' s job .....that is city service .... Thornberry/How far can you go down... you don't know .... Vanderhoef/ Kubby/ Atkins/No one is right or wrong, it is a level of risk ....I cannot argue... Our turn-over is close to 6% .... Thornberry/With all of the things people should be getting more done .... That is what all these labor saving devices are suppose to be for ..... It is true... You can get more done in less time than ever before... Doing so much more... Lehman/...Steve is telling us... he has a certain degree of comfort with 93% .... 94% .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 42 Atkins/I try to evaluate... factors... rollback... cash position... tumover... There were initiatives that you would like to see us take .... If you don't want to do some of those things .... And we are taking advantage of federal grant money. Norton/Let's risk it. Lehman/I am willing .... Atkins/ Lehman/If you are telling me that you can run the city on 94% of the budgeted allocation for employees .... My position is the 94% is actually the 100% ..... Atkins/I believe we can .... I am not going to enter into a pattem of behavior that is going to punish our employees. Norton/ Atkins/ Champion/(Can't hear) .... We are talking about taking a chance on $190,000. I can go with that. Atkins/Library. The plan is to switch to in-house maintenance seems wise... I think we are pretty straight with that one .... Norton/They asked for a lot more, didn't they? .... Atkins/I have to go back through that one .... Their only request for new personnel was granted .... It is also that 100%-94% thing. It changes that number dramatically .... Because they have almost 40 full time people. Norton/But they go people to do in-house maintenance? Atkins/Yes. Senior Center. There are some policy issues in there. Thornberry/ Kubby/They are saying with that additional half time person, they can deal with more room changes. Atkins/And we proposed that. We took out temporary, added in the half time, they now have two full time maintenance people. Their request was a little bunged up, we have got it all straight now .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 43 Norton/I understand that is a real problem for use of that space ..... Atkins/Yes. The Senior Center goes from 5.5 to 6 full time people .... Then we reduce their temporary. Thornberry/ Kubby/ .... policy about how you use the Assembly Room. They are fairly restrictive .... Part of the rationale was maintenance .... Ask them to review their policy .... Norton/...always hurting for space of that size in the evening. Looks kind of weird to see a big building vacant. Thornberry/I would like to see them cleaning up messes... I want to see it used. Vanderhoef/Why don't they move some of their craft classes to evenings? Norton/Their survey... people don't use it much after 3:00 ..... That building out to be used nights and more often than it is ....We need to find a way to make that happen ..... Atkins/They did get the additional half time position .... Kubby/Can we then ask Linda to ask the Senior Center Commission or whoever makes that policy to- Thornberry/Probably not fight away... got some other decision to make about the Senior Center .... Lehman/ Kubby/To change the policy about the Assembly Room .... In July... To re-think that. To re-think the Assembly Room use policy about who? Arkins/Did you hear that Don, about the Senior Center. Norton/Making that thing really more active .... Champion/ Norton/ ....The world is changing folks ....Kind of hard to figure out what to do. Vanderhoef/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 44 Atkins/We said an hour... Norton/Parks and Rec I want to talk about. Atkins/Parks and Rec... going to generate the most discussion from you. O'Donnell/Did we okay $100,000 for planting down there? In the peninsula? Atkins/ O'Donnell/Do you think that a little bit absurd fight now? Why don't we set out a smorgasbord for all the deer fight now? Atkins/We proposed $500- The Parks and Rec folks thought it should be some more. You all reduced it by $400- to $100-. Exactly what the $100- is going to be spent on... rely on Terry and the Commission... plantings... other things .... Norton/It takes three to five years for prairie grass .... Vanderhoef/Until we have our deer herd under control .... Kubby/... What was the mix... Should we begin the park development with something else? .... Norton/Things that ought to be started or they are not going to be ready. Thornberry/Maybe Parks and Rec have some other ideas .... Atkins/We do have an extensive trail system planned for it .... You have got one of the best pieces of property imaginable. Open the thing up... let folks enjoy it. Norton/... try to get started. Lehman/ O'Donnell/I thought it was specifically for plantings down there and I don't want to do that. Atkins/I just don't know, Mike. Lehman/$100,000 will seed an awful lot of ground .... Kubby/Prairie grass seed is very extensive .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 45 (All talking). Lehman/We really did go through the CIP ..... I don't see the planting... Talking about personnel. Kubby/ Atkins/Let me spend a couple of minutes on Parks and Recreation. Think about it. One of the things I really like to see you do is send back to your commission some sort of request on a policy review of the general maintenance of our parks and particularly our trails... There may be circumstances... inventory land and sit on it and not develop it... Just wait .... Other thing is the trails... We get folks... expect us to have trails plowed... We may have to say... just don't plow trails... Appropriate role for your commission to put together some sort of a policy position. A second point. We built into the budget a maintenance worker and a clerk typist at ScanIon... half of that will be covered with fees. The real need is maintenance workers .... We are raising our hourly rate for our temporary employees rather substantially this year. We just simply couldn't compete .... $8.50 an hour .... Bottom line, there policy on maintenance is going to have a bearing upon the natural areas position .... We are going to inventory and own that natural areas kinds of land. How do we go about making sure that it is put together productively. Champion/$8.50? Atkins/And we are having trouble keeping people. Norton/How are they going to manage right now without some more maintenance? Atkins/...interest in funding some additional maintenance folks .... You may make some trade-offs .... If you are going to have a maintenance worker... A policy review would help you all make some of those decisions. Norton/ Lehman/...like to have another person in there .... Kubby/ Vanderhoef/Just the added acreage that we have. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 46 Atkins/Just flat out acres of ground that have to be maintained .... Thomberry/Upper Hickory Hill .... O'Donnell/ Norton/ Kubby/Parks maintenance, full time. Lehman/You got one. Atkins/I am going to put this up here. It is something you want to add7 Vanderhoef/yes. Thomberry/That is on the add side. (All talking). Thornberry/Fire is $40- down, Parks is $40-. .... (All talking). Norton/What about Planning? They didn't get much, did they? Atkins/No. Norton/ Kubby/I think in the next couple of years .... conservation districts .... Neighborhood protection .... Going to need attention and time .... Take some staff time. Arkins/That department .... More boards and commissions .... Btmehes of folks...big demands on her time .... I told her .... While I was generally supportive of Public Art conceptually, it was her choice... committee... very participatory process to get this done .... She chose to do it this way. I just have trouble with a director staffing a committee .... Historic Preservation is just pure volume. Norton/Neighborhood meetings... lots of staff time. Atkins/Planning... busy bunch of folks. Just have to watch .... We need to have folks to do it. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 47 Vanderhoef/Our policy... what services we are trying to provide for our constituency .... It comes back around that we need help .... How you reconcile into the budget... Maybe you need to look at the committees .... Norton/ Vanderhoef/ Norton/The service to neighborhoods is part of our policy .... More participation... comes at considerable cost .... Considerable preparation. Vanderhoef/...PCRB .... Atkins/PCRB... certainly far more expensive than we anticipated. Marian's time, city attorney's time ....This budget has $4,500 for stenographer for our Police Department .... There is a lot of... substantially more expensive ....End up costing... Vanderhoef/ Kubby/In a certain sense... Fire marshall was good because it is talking about a new service. Here is a service that is a growing need... the half time position for Historic Preservation .... I think we should do it and it is not in the budget .... If we add a half time ....I am willing to look again to see what else could I think of to cut. Champion/Put it up there .... Kubby/Whatever is not the public art part. Yucuis/It is a half time request. Atkins/There was a request for one full time position, half public art, half Historic Preservation. That is your call .... Norton/Half for everything however they want to slice it. Kubby/...we direct what it is for ....Know it is a growing need .... Atkins/Am I writing anything down? Kubby/Thomberry/No. O'Donnell/No. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 48 Lehman/I guess I am not ready to do that right yet .... Vanderhoef/I am not ready to put it on yet. Atkins/Can we review our codes with regard to affordability for 20K? That is the number they gave me .... Norton/ Atkins/Didn't we think that some of this could be charged to CDBG7 .... Hold that question. There maybe CDBG money .... Kubby/ Arkins/Hopefully, our CDBG money has not declined over the years .... Norton/Public Works. Arkins/Public Works, the st. engineer and engineering technician appear to be in the budget. They are to be a 100% funded by the CIP. They are not shown in the budget and they should have been .... I would say to you .... we are going to go back and revisit that one. I would like the approval of the positions but I am not so sure we are going to fill them just yet because of the changes you did in capital projects. Thornberry/ Norton/Streets. Atkins/They got a person... all Road Use Tax money .... Traffic Engineering, half time clerk, half time engineer ....Student intems ....We use them a lot .... Norton/They are getting half of each. Atkins/Let me look it up .... Vanderhoef/ Atkins/This is a reassignment of personnel, the 3.75 and 4.15. That we were moving some folks around and reassigning them to the proper category. That is new new. Just charge them against the account .... We have a clerk typist in Solid Waste... that has been removed. We increased the clerk typist in Streets .... Charge her This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 49 time against this particular budget ....The new people are listed on that- Summary sheet .... Yucuis/Page 47 is the new positions. Atkins/Aid to Agencies we took care of. Treasury Service charges .... Postage has gone up big time .... Norton/...What about the Airport? Are they getting a half time person over two years? Atkins/They have a half time, we will go another quarter and then another quarter .... Can they come up with ways to raise more money?... We don't have landing fees .... (All talking). Atkins/Cable, additional half time. That was done mid-year .... Norton/ Atkins/Computer Information Services .... I can't argue. Kubby/Really isn't the fight name, Web Master .... Three aspects to the job .... Having someone focusing on training is incredibly important .... Norton/ Yucuis/The programmer analyst was increased mid-year to help out with conversion of HIS software, half time to full time. Kubby/ Yucuis/The half time clerk position is replacing a temporary position .... (All talking). O'Donnell/Special support has some credibility .... Holiday lights, 4th Of July, Winter Festival .... Norton/Maybe they will come up later .... Atkins/ (All talking). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 50 Flipchart: Survey +$20,000 A to A +$ 7,000 Art Group +$ 1,000 Parks Maint 40,000 Budget Amendments Fire +$40,000 This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 51 Meeting Schedule Discussion 99-24 S1 1. (Meeting schedule discussion). Atkins/I need somebody in the afternoon to have lunch with the kids... I have prepared a trivia list .... Then 1: 15 you convene the budget. Thornberry/12:00 to 1:00 with the kids; 1:15 Chamber for budget and then 5:00 to 7:00 with PCRB .... Thursday, February 18 is Community Employee Service Awards .... 9:00 AM ..... (All talking). Norton/V.A .... Valentines .... Vanderhoef/Sunday is also the train ride .... 10:30 to 12:00 .... Norton/I will do the VA... I will call you .... O'Donnell/I might go. Council Agenda/Council Time 99-24 S1 1. Kubby/We got an email from Pete Weyer... have something on Channel 4 about our water and wastewater project .... Pictures... Atkins/ Kubby/Just having our information .... On Channel 4 .... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 99-24 SIDE 2 Kubby/Interview our water and wastewater people. Arkins/ 2. Norton/Do we have any degrees of freedom with respect to action on license for liquor renewals?... How many underage incidents they have .... Feels kind of odd to not pay attention to evidence in front of us. Karr/Let me pull out some stuff...pull it together for you ....Does require some different regulations locally .... 3. Champion/...nobody enforces the capacity of bars downtown. Lehman/Yes, they do. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899 February 8, 1999 Council Work Session Page 52 Kubby/ Lehman/I checked on it .... Atkins/Our folks are pretty good about that. Karr/Police and Fire both. 4. Norton/Is anybody going to this thing Thursday night...electric rates? Atkins/That is to be cable cast .... 5. Norton/Concerned... Community Development getting rid of their affordable homes? Kubby/It is because of income guidelines. Atkins/Going to have to rethink it .... Kubby/Want people to have enough income to sustain maintenance... but low enough that they need assistance .... 6. Kubby/Thinking about the line... going through... soil was so wet... Can we do back to that engineer? Is there any liability there? Vanderhoef/I asked that. Atkins/I don't think there is ....Bought... a much longer life .... Vanderhoef/ Norton/ 7. Kubby/Is anyone besides Dee and I going to the National League7 We have missed the deadline already for early registration. Norton/ .... Atkins/Very productive .... Kubby/You need to get it soon to Madan .... Adjourned: 9:20 PM This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of February 8, 1999 WS020899