HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-02-23 State of CityCITY OF I0 WA CITY
Mayor Ernest W. Lehman
State of the City Message
February 23, 1999
Iowa City is frequently mentioned in public polls or surveys as one of the most desirable
cities in the United States in which to live. At least one recent survey placed us at the very
top. There are many reasons why our community enjoys this distinction. As your city
government officials, we must continually search for ways to not only preserve our
existing attributes but also to create new initiatives for keeping this city among the most
desirable communities.
One of the most visible projects we are undertaking is also one which has received a great
deal of positive public comment. The first phase of our downtown streetscape
improvements was completed last fall and provides a visual preview of what the pedestrian
plaza and surrounding downtown area will look like when the entire project is completed.
The Central Business District has always been a strong focal point for Iowa City and this
project can only serve to strengthen its viability. We remain committed to making
downtown attractive and vibrant, a place where we can all go to enjoy Iowa City life.
Downtown Iowa City has historically served as a place where townspeople and the
University of Iowa community have come together for a variety of purposes. In this vein,
our downtown improvements contribute to a larger effort at which I believe we have been
very successful in recent years, specifically, that of maintaining a positive relationship with
the University of Iowa. I do not recall a time when that relationship has been better that it
is today. We are currently involved in many joint and cooperative endeavors serving the
interest of the city and the campus community. The pedestrian bridge over Highway 6 in
the north campus area, the planned Iowa Avenue streetscape project, and the Stepping Up
project which aims to discourage irresponsible and potentially deadly abuse of alcohol are
just a few examples. The University of Iowa and the City of Iowa City can enjoy greater
successes when we recognize that we complement one another. Capitalizing on the assets
and resources we can offer to one another, we are better able to grow and complement
each other.
Iowa City remains financially sound and healthy. We retain our Aaa (Triple A) bond rating
which allows us to issue general obligation bonds at the lowest possible interest rate. Our
budget is balanced and our operating reserve is sufficient to meet our cash flow needs.
Revenue projections include sufficient funding for continuing our current service levels. Our
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decision to place the 1% local option sales tax before the voters was not arrived at lightly.
During the course of our extensive discussions we identified certain 'capital projects as well
as service enhancements and financial considerations which the sales tax revenue could
support, and a majority of Council agreed to place the referendum before the electorate.
We have created a policy regarding the expenditure of that revenue and it has been widely
circulated in the community. The citizens of Johnson County will make the final decision.
There are various means by which we attempt to elicit more involvement on the part of
citizens in the operation of City government. A highly significant one involves the
neighborhood informational meetings that our staff facilitates prior to and during
construction of various capital projects. We have received many complementary remarks
from citizens who live or work in or near these project areas, citing the cooperative efforts
by staff to keep neighbors informed and to listen to their concerns and suggestions.
Council members often attend these meetings.
The District planning we do as part' of our comprehensive planning is another example of
how we attempt to facilitate citizen involvement. This also seems to be working well. We
have completed one District plan and three are in process. A total of four will be completed
by the Spring of 2000. Each involves a series of neighborhood meetings structured to hear
citizens' concerns and suggestions, to identify future needs for district neighborhoods, and
to explore objectivies by which neighborhood needs and priorities can be met within the
context of the larger community. The result is a comprehensive plan, which hopefully
reflects not only the principles and strategies of good neighborhood planning, but also the
needs and priorities of the citizens who reside or work in each neighborhood, within the
framework of the total community,
Capital projects account for a significant portion of our annual expenditures. We have
recently completed our discussions of the Capital Improvements Program projected over
the next five years. By far the most significant and most costly of these are the upgrades
to our source water, water treatment and distribution system and to our .wastewater
treatment and collection system. We are replacing our antiquated water treatment plant
and related infrastructure with a system which will meet or exceed federal and state
standards for drinking water and enhance water distribution throughout the City. Our
primary raw water source will be from wells rather than from the Iowa River. Our
wastewater projects seem to have been nearly ongoing over the past 15 to 20 years as we
have responded to a series of progressively stricter federal mandates and standards as well
as funding policy changes. The latter has resulted in nearly total local funding for
wastewater facilities which originally were to have been built with significant federal and
state capital assistance.
There is no confusion, however, about how our current projects will be paid for. Federal
and state assistance is gone and local user fees must cover 100% of the cost to complete
the Water and Wastewater programs as currently planned. Fortunately, several component
projects have come in substantially under budget and this provides some hope that the
final cost will be less than anticipated. Any savings we can realize will directly affect the
water and wastewater rates we must charge in the future. Council continues to consider
and approve all plans, specifications and contract awards for these projects and we will
closely monitor them to assure that our citizen customers receive the maximum benefit for
each dollar spent.
I have merely tried to highlight a few of the many things we are currently doing to address the
needs of our community, both shod and long term. There have been significant changes in the
way local government operates over the past two decades, and surely there are more to come.
Citizens expect to have more input and involvement in decision-making, particularly regarding
those issues or public projects which most directly affect them. Local officials, both elected and
appointed, are expected to be more directly accountable and are subject to a greater degree of
public scrutiny. In shod, you want us to do a better job and you challenge us to deliver. While
we as Council must still make the tough calls, sometimes with our constituents clearly divided
on an issue, I believe our decisions are better because citizens are more involved, making clear
to us your expectations and holding all of us accountable.
I have said many times that Iowa City's most valuable resource is its people. As citizens, we do
not always agree, and individual expectations do vary from time to time on many issues. The
important thing is that we function as a community, disagreeing where we must yet coming
together in the overall best interest of the community. I think we continue to do a pretty good job
of this in Iowa City.
So how would I represent the State of the City today? I believe we're doing quite well. If you
lend any credence at all to the polls and surveys, we are one of the very best.
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