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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-07-19 CorrespondenceSTEVE ATKINS These are the seven copies I promised you. If there are members of the council who feel comfortable using the web the report is now on line at: http:llwww, heritageaaa.orglissueslSuccessful%20Aging.pdf The other way to access the document is at http://www, heritageaaa.org and clicking on What's New you could then give copies to members of you staff such as Karen Franklin. Bob Welsh Successful Aging in Johnson County: A Market Analysis Prepared by the Consortium on Successful Aging June, 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The market analysis of opportunities for successful aging in Johnson County could not have been completed without the kind support provided by the Heritage Area Agency on Aging, the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center, Johnson County Public Health, the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, the University of Iowa College of Public Health, and the University of Iowa Center on Aging. In addition, we also would like to express our appreciation to Steve Atkins, Linda Kopping, Elizabeth Selk, Carol Thompson, Ralph Wilmoth, and Connie Benton-Wolfe for their help in creating the vision to guide this research. A number of students from the University of Iowa made critical contributions to this effort. Erin Heiden, Anne Kissick, Julie Wagner, Lora Washington, Sara Hill, Andrea Harmon, Scott Kallemeyn, Sanjana Raghavan, and Poonam Bhakta are commended for providing valuable assistance. Members of the Johnson County Consortium for Successful Aging include: Eve Casserly from Johnson County AARP, Sher Hawn from Johnson County Public Health, Beverly Jones from the Consultation of Religious Communities, Brian Kaskie from the University of Iowa, Jeude Landhauser from the Heritage Area Agency on Aging, Mike McKay from Systems Unlimited, Inc., Suellen Novotny from The Visiting Nurse Asso- clarion, David Purdy from Elder Services Incorporated, Susan Rogusky from the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center, Rod Sullivan from the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Linda Severson from the Johnson County Council of Governments, and Bob Welsh from the Johnson County Task Force on Aging. Inquiries about this report should be addressed to: Bob Welsh Johnson County Task Force on Aging welshbob@aol.com The Johnson County Consortium on Successful Aging resolved that local community efforts are critical to providing opportunities for older residents to age successfully. Communities help to provide health and supportive services, accessible and affordable housing options, opportunities to age successfully, and facilitate transportation and mobility. The Consortium conducted a market analysis of the opportunities to age successfully in Johnson County. The objectives of this analysis were to compile information that will help prepare the county to meet the challenges and opportunities of population aging, and to identify specific issues that warrant further attention. In particular, the Consortium conducted a detailed demographic portrait of older adults in Johnson County; compiled an inventory of the programs, services and policies that targeted older adults; determined how well the needs and preferences of older adults were being met; and proposed four recommendations that will make Johnson County an even friendlier place for older adults. The market analysis revealed that it is hard to describe the typical older person who lives in Johnson County. There is a mix of married couples, widows and widowers, and persons who have never been married. Women outnumber men, but this does not become so apparent until after the age of 80. Some people are in good health, others are not doing so well. In short, there are more than 8,300 individuals in Johnson County who happen to be over the age of 65. iii The market analysis of programs, services, and policies pertaining to older adults suggested that Johnson County stands apart as a great place for seniors. This community provides an abundant supply of programs and services that can help older adults age successfully. One of the most notable features is the abundance of healthcare services and providers. There are few reaSons to think that older persons cannot receive health care when needed, cannot remain at home as long as possible and cannot successfully navigate the challenges presented by age-related changes in health status. The housing supply in Johnson County also appears to be well- suited for the majority of older adults, and may help many older adults to age-in-place. Moreover, Johnson County offers ample opportunity for older adults to engage in a number of different activities. Such a breadth and depth of opportunities for older adults to age successfully supports the conclusion that Johnson County is a friendly place for older adults. While this market analysis constituted a critical step forward in defining exactly how Johnson County is a friendly place for older adults, the work fell short on two points. First, the analysis did not investigate several important, perhaps more subtle, issues. Second, the analysis provided no specific responses to questions that concern how the county will meet the needs of a growing aging population that also is becoming increasingly diverse. The analysis did not reveal how Johnson County can become an even friendlier place for older adults. iv The Consortium on Successful Aging resolved that the larger community must work together to make Johnson County an even friendlier place for seniors, and the Consortium would like to make the following four recommendations: 1. Request the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the cities, the Chamber of Commerce, and public and private organizations to: a ) Adopt resolutions to be a senior-friendly community. b ) Ask their departments/committees to recommend ways their entity could be more senior-friendly. c ) Appoint representatives of all generations to their boards and committees 2. Use the four follow-up studies (Health and Supportive Services, Transportation, Housing, Successful Aging) being completed by the Consortium to Identify best practices and viable responses. a ) Define specific needs of seniors in Johnson County. b ) Identify best practices ands viable responses. c ) Obtain the support that will allow stakeholders to address the needs. 3. Create a high-quality independent, current and comprehensive repository of programs, services and polices that pertain to older adults in Johnson County. I 4. Recruit through a collaborative effort a professional staff person (i.e. aging specialist ) to implement the recommendations just presented. I v I THE DEMOGRAPHIC IMPERATIVE Americans are living longer than ever before. Children who are born today can expect to live for an average of 78 years, members of the baby boom generation should expect to live at least another 30 years, and many persons who just entered their eighth decade of life should expect to enter their ninth. As individuals live longer, the population of older adults grows larger. The current population of older Americans is twice what it was in 1960, and it is expected to double again over the next 25 years. The age wave will become most apparent between 2010 and 2020 as the baby boomers reach and surpass the age of 65. By the middle of the 21st century, older adults will outnumber children and youth for the first time in U.S. history. Number of people age 6.5 and over, by age group, selected years 1900-2000 and projected 2010-2050 Millions 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 I Note: Data for 2010-2050 are projections of the population. Projected Reference population: These data refer to the resident population. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and Projections, 1 The aging population already has established itself across the state of Iowa. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 561,000 Iowans are over 60 years old and this group constitutes nearly 20% of the state population. Only Florida, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have a higher proportion of older citizens. In regard to the oldest old, Iowa ranks second and barely trails North Dakota in the percentage of citizens over the age of 85. Moreover, Iowa's aging population is projected to increase by more than 55% over the next 20 years. By 2025, the number of older Iowans could reach almost 786,000 and represent more than I out of every 4 citizens. Percentage of the population age 65 and older, by state, 2000 Researchers, program planners, and public policy makers have been anticipating these issues for some time now, and in many ways, the state of Iowa is ahead of the curve in planning and implementing responses to the challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing number of older citizens. However, many of these efforts have been directed toward older' Iowans in general and have occurred on a state-wide basis. Less attention has been directed to the various challenges and opportunities faced by local communities. This is somewhat problematic because population aging has spread unevenly across the state. On one hand, older adults already represent more than 25% of the residents in some of Iowa's rural and least counties. On the other the absolute most populated hand, growth of the older population has been greatest in more urban areas such as Des Moines, Dubuque, and Iowa City where the older adult population still represents a smaller percentage of the total population. This irregular dispersion has different implications for each community; local planning and policy efforts should acknowledge and respond to these substantive differences among older Iowans. Persons who older in the rural communities where they are different get grew up from those who have stayed in or re-located to more urban areas. Percentage of households with o/der adults by county, 2000 Data Classes I~.L 22.3 27.[ The Johnson County Task Force on Agin§ resolved that local community planning efforts are critical to providing opportunities for older residents to age successfully. Communities that provide affordable housing, supportive programs and services, encourage civic engagement, and facilitate mobility, correspond with a population that will remain independent, well functioning and involved in community affairs. Following on this, the Task Force recruited a consortium of local members of the aging network to conduct a formal market analysis of the opportunities to age successfully in Johnson County. The objectives of this analysis were to compile information that will help prepare program administrators, service providers, and policy makers to meet the challenges and opportunities of population aging, and to identify specific issues that warrant further evaluation. The results of this initial analysis have been compiled in the remainder of this report. JOHNSON COUNTY IS A FRIENDLY PLACE FOR SENIORS In some respects, the work completed by the Johnson County Consortium on Successful Aging was easy. Instead of starting from scratch or staring at a blank canvas, the Consortium already knew that Johnson County was well-recognized as being a friendly place for persons in general and seniors in particular. There are several indicators that support this assertion. Johnson County has been widely cited as a friendly place to live no matter what a person's age. For example, over the past three years American Demographics rated the Coralville-lowa City area in the top 10 of "U p and Coming" places to live. Expansion Management magazine ranked -- Iowa City third in terms of" l ivability. FORBES magazine ranked Iowa City, the largest city in Johnson County, as one of the "Best Small Places for Bus~ness and Careers. Kap/ans ranked the University of Iowa as one of the best values in university education. The Milken Institute recognized that Johnson County hosts one of the best small metro economies. Men's Jouma! listed the area as an attractive, healthy and safe place to live. Organic Sty/e ranked Iowa City as the healthiest community in the mid-west. Outside magazine listed Iowa City as a top ten college town. P/anet Outranked Iowa City as one of the top twenty locations for same-sex couples. Sper/ing's rated Iowa City among the least stressful places to live. USA Today named Iowa City as one of the "Best Educated Cities." Utne Reader selected Iowa City as one of America's "Most -- Enlightened Towns. i]i~.~_1 .ll. lr~.~l,iII'~lowAcrr~' ~',~e,~ e I Agreat place to grow old Guest Opinion ~ '-' -'press-¢mzefl.eom~ Sate rday 3une 4,2005 More pertinent here, AARP rated Iowa City as one of the 15 best place~ tO retire. Business kY~ek cited Iowa City as a top retirement spot. The HON Foundation ranked ~owa City as one of the healthiest cities in America. Seniors Place said the county was a great retirement spot. The kVall Street Journalfeatured Iowa City as an exemplary place to retire. The Consortium agreed that these basic indicators support the notion that Johnson County already has succeeded in responding to the challenges and opportunities brought by the growing older adult population. In fact, using a grading system recently established by the AARP Livable Communities project, the Consortium rated Johnson County well above average on ten indicators identified as critical components of a livable community for aging individuals. The 15 Best P~aces to Reinvent Your Life By Grace Lichtenstein, Elaine Ro~bin_.s: a~nd_Mic~,l_Du_.p~i~ Fayetteville, Arkansas San Diego, California Loveland/Fort Collins, Colorado Gainesville, Florida Sarasota, Florida IOWA CITY, IOWA Portsmouth, New Hampshire Santa Fe, New Mexico Asheville, North Carolina Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina Ashland, Oregon Charleston, South Carolina San Antonio, Texas Bellingham, Washington Spokane, Washington These basic indicators have not gone unnoticed and may help explain why Johnson County experienced the second largest growth among older residents across Iowa's 99 counties between 1990 and 2000. Arguably, because Johnson County already is considered to be a friendly place for older adults, many individuals are choosing to stay in Johnson County as they reach their retirement years. Others may see Johnson County as an attractive retirement community and are relocating here upon retirement. Others with long-term health care needs are moving to Johnson CountY to be with their adult children and/or be in close proximity to the assorted health care options. Another feature that Growth in Older Population: 1990-2000 may make Johnson County an appealing retirement destination is the lack of a large population. While the recent increase among older adults has been substantial I~ S-~c~e~¢-~ of $.0% or Mcre the county remains much Total 65+ Population by County less crowded than other, more urban areas where ~ooo0 40000 . - many older adults live such 3oooo as Des Moines in Polk 2oooo-~ 10000 -- County and Cedar Rapids in o , ~ [-] [-I Linn County. co~' ooO~ °o~' ~ ooo~' oo°~ oo°~' ooo~ coo~' coo~ Still, upon further consideration, the Consortium resolved that a more in-depth examination of the market pertaining to successful aging in Johnson County was necessary. After all, many of these ratings and indicators rely on gross measures such as the average level of education among the population or the number of hospital beds per capita. The measures really do not provide any indication of how well the county does in addressing more nuanced issues such as providing accessible and affordable housing options for older adults who have acquired some health problem or physical disability. The ratings provide no indications as to the effectiveness of community support programs in meeting the needs of the poorest and most isolated older adults. The ratings provide no evaluations of the adequacy of local policies that promote work and volunteer opportunities that meet the needs and preferences of older adults. All of these are considered to be critical features among those communities that are most likely to promote successful aging. The Consortium also resolved that contemporary ratings provide no real indication of how well Johnson County will hold up under the increasing pressure brought about by the growing population of older adults. The Consortium did not really know what structures should be supported by the county, which directions should be pursued, and why certain choices should be avoided as the aging population grows. If Johnson County is to remain a friendly place or if the county aspires to become an even friendlier place for older adults, then more specific information needed to be collected and analyzed. RESEARCH WITH A PURPOSE IN MIND Besides trying to improve the opportunities for older adults in Johnson County to age successfully (defined by a lack of impairment associated with disease and disability, a desired amount of social, spiritual and intellectual engagement, and a sense of security concerning financial, housing and other matters), the Consortium acknowledged that older adults can be a significant asset to the county. Promoting opportunities for successful aging can have a positive impact on Johnson County in general. Any effort to make Johnson County an even friendlier place for seniors will also make Johnson County an even friendlier place for everyone. On a basic level, older adults possess a significant amount of wealth, and make valuable contributions to local economies and to the social capital of the communities in which they live. For example, active and healthy older adults increase the consumption of goods and services. Employers benefit from older adults who bring a lifetime of experience, reliability and flexibility to part-time and seasonal positions. Non-profit organizations benefit from experienced senior volunteers who enhance program and service delivery, and mitigate staffing shortages. In conducting this market analysis, the Consortium made three other assumptions. The first was to embrace the diversity of older individuals. It is already known that older adults differ from each other along several dimensions. Vision and hearing, physical strength and appearance, and intellectual ability are some of the more obvious distinguishing characteristics but older adults also differ in terms of labor force participation, housing needs, consumption patterns, and use of professional healthcare services. Some older persons are independently wealthy and draw income from a number of sources such as pensions, investment returns, and salaries. Other older persons receive nothing more than a monthly Social Security check. The Consortium considered these differences in conducting the market analysis. Beyond incorporating individual differences, the Consortium also assumed that the market analysis must anticipate change. The current group of older adults does not necessarily provide an accurate reflection of what the older population of Johnson County will look like in the next 10 to 20 years as the baby boomers reach and surpass their 65th birthdays. 10 If the baby boomers actually change the definitions of retirement and set new standards for growing old, will Johnson County really be prepared? What exactly is the county doing to anticipate how the baby boomers will change the definitions and standards of retirement? The Consortium assumed that what worked to make Johnson County so attractive to the current group of older adults may not necessarily work for the coming generation of older adults. The analysis attempted to anticipate the changing preferences and needs of older adults. Finally, the Consortium assumed that the plan must be developed so that it can be implemented within the specific context of Johnson County. To accomplish this, the Consortium did not rely exclusively on national or state statistics to reach conclusions about what should be done for older adults living in Johnson County. Instead, the Consortium made substantial effort to collect data from individuals and organizations a within Johnson County. This deliberate approach to study the people and programs of Johnson County lent a certain increased amount of credibility to the market analysis. The Consortium also made a considerable effort to involve as many local officials, community leaders, organization directors, and older citizens as possible in the study process. These individuals provided insights that helped define research findings, identify viable alternatives, and shape practical recommendations. STUDY METHOD This study consisted of a cross-sectional examination of the market structures involving programs and services for older adults in Johnson County. In particular, the market analysis was organized around four constructs that have been identified as critical components to creating a desirable community environment for older adults. These constructs reflect: ( a ) health and supportive services, ( b ) housing, (c) successful aging opportunities, and ( d ) transportation and mobility. Information about these constructs was collected from five sources: ( a ) the 2000 US Census of the Population; ( b ) a survey completed by 1,068 older adults living in Johnson County; ( c ) a survey completed by more than 100 program administrators and service providers, (d) public information about programs and services as presented in brochures, handouts, reports and web-sites; and (e) key informant interviews. The remainder of this report is organized into four parts. First, a detailed demographic portrait of older adults in Johnson County was created, and this portrait paid particular attention to individual diversity and future population growth. Second, an inventory of the programs, services and policies that targeted older adults was compiled. Third, an analytic discussion concerning how well the needs and preferences of older adults were being met was conducted. Last, a set of conclusions and recommendations to make Johnson County an even friendlier place for older adults is presented. All individuals who participated in this study process were informed about the goals and objectives, guaranteed that all personal information would remain anonymous, and told they had the right to recall or amend any information that was provided to the Consortium. 12 OLDER ADULTS IN JOHNSON COUNTY According to the US Census, Johnson County is home for 8,373 persons over the age of 65. Among Iowa's 99 counties, Johnson County ranks eighth in the size of the older population, and second in the population growth among persons 65 and older that occurred between 1990 and 2000. In the next 10 years, the visibility of the aging population in Johnson County should become more apparent. The projected growth rate for older adults residing in the county is 55.2% for the next 20 years. Assuming life expectancy and migration trends remain constant, there may be as many as 12,000 older adults living in Johnson County by 2020. However, given the relatively Iow median age of the county, older adults will continue to represent less than 10% of the total population. Popu/ation Projections 65+: 2000-2025 13247 14000 11769 12000 10292 10000 8373 8729 9511 J~--~ 8000 5688 6381 5347 6000 4849 5006 6207 4000 4620 5414 2000 3524 3728 4174 0 Females 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 Males 13 Geographic Distribution According to the Census, 4,375 or 52% of Johnson County's older adults live within the city limits of Iowa City, the county seat. Slightly more than 830 older adults (10% of the county population) live in Coralville, and 218 and 210 older persons live in North Liberty and Solon, respectively. Hills, Lone Tree and University Heights are home for 100 to 200 older adults, and less than 100 older adults live in Oxford, Shueyville, Swisher, Tiffin and the border town of West Branch. What is notable about some of the smaller, more rural communities like Hills and Solon is the comparatively higher concentration of older citizens (>15% of total population ). In fact, slightly more than 1,900 ( 23% ) older persons live in non-incorporated or rural areas of Johnson County. City Population Population [[ I~] 55 to 64 65 + Swishe~ ~ ~Shue',,~lle Coralville 769 836 ~ Solon 55 110 Iowa City 3247 4375 Lone Tree 84 155 I~ Tiffin North Liberty 193 218 Oxford 72 82 University Shueyville 17 20 Hei~thts Iowe C/tV' so~o. 78 240 JOHNSON Swisher 77 66 Hills~ Tiffin 53 65 Hts 81 124 h.~ Lot~e Tree 14 Gender and Marital Status Women make up 59% of the OlderPopulationbyGender and that percentage increases 2500 2~0 significantly as people age. Women ~5~ represent 65% of all adults over e0 ~.o ~ ~ , years old, and 72% of adults over o age 85. Aging in Johnson County is ~*~ ,~*~ ,~*~ ,~ ,~*~ * a women' s issue. Fu~her, Johnson County differs from the rest of the State of Iowa by having a higher number of married and widowed individuals as opposed to divorced or individuals who have never been married. The significantly higher number of widows correlates with the increasing number of women in the higher age brackets. In all, 64% of older adults in Johnson County are married, 23% are widowed, and the remainder are divorced or single. Race and Ethnici~ The racial composition of the aging population in Johnson County is striking for its homogeneity. Nearly 98% of the older adult population is Caucasian. The number of African, Asian, Hispanic, and individuals from other races amounts to approximately 200. Among these, Asian- Americans are the largest group consisting of 97 individuals. It is unlikely that racial diversity will increase substantially over the next 10 years as the composition of the baby boomers in Johnson County is 95% Caucasian. By way of comparison, racial minorities already represent up to 15% of the aging population in states such as California and Hawaii. Health Status In Johnson County, 1 out of every 4 older adults reported that their health status is good or excellent. A little more than 1 out of every 2 said their health status is fair. The remainder reported they are in poor health. According to the US Census, nearly 3,000 community residing older adults ( 37% ) reported having at least one disability; 17% had one disability while another 20% reported having two or more. The rates were slightly higher among women and 151 individuals with a disability also lived in poverty. More specifically, 1,016 community dwelling older adults reported having a sensory disability, 1,280 reported having a disability that limited their ability to go outside the home, 689 had a disability that limited their capacity for self-care. Mental disability affected 732 older community residents. 65+ Population ~th Disability 1,347 4,991 / (17%) i~ Q Total population (63%) ( I disability ~ 2 disabilities ~ 1,532 ~ (20%) 16 i '[;/ Health Services Used by Seniors Percentage "~ ~,~,,1~ Primary Care Visit 92% i Specialist Visit 72% ,~ Overnight Hospital Stay 15% I '~ Emergency Room Visit 14% ._., Support Services Visit 6% 1 In terms of healthcare use, 92% of the survey respondents reported that they saw a general physician at least once in the past year, and 72% had visited a medical specialist at least once in the last 12 months. Also, 15% reported that they had an overnight hospital stay in the past year and 14% used an emergency service. In addition, 6% of the survey respondents used supportive services. The majority of survey respondents indicated that the supply of health providers and hospital services was very important. The majority of respondents also indicated that the availability of health information and home health services was very important. Two out of three respondents indicated they wanted to learn more about health and long-term care. More than 95% agreed that there were plenty of affordable health services in Johnson County. However, only 2/3 of the survey respondents commented on the affordability of home and long-term care services. Among these, nearly 1/3 suggested that there were not enough affordable long-term care service options. Housing Nearly 95% of the older adults in Johnson County reside in a household. Among these, 66% (N=5,150) reside in a family household and the remainder live in a non-family household. The majority of family households consist of a married couple with no children living at home. The majority of non-family households consist of persons who have no surviving spouse or who never married. The overwhelming majority of non-family households consist of women who live alone (N= 1,947 ). Three out of every four households are located in a single family home, and only 10% of these homeowners pay a monthly mortgage that exceeds 35% of their income. In contrast, 30% of those older adults living in an apartment pay more than 35% of their monthly income for rent. Altogether, 7 out of 10 older adults make no monthly housing payments but 4% of persons receive some assistance from family or government programs. Of all the households in Johnson County, 13% have at least one member who is over the age of 65. There are 253 grandparents (who are not necessarily over the age of 65) who are primary caregivers for grandchildren. Current Housing Situation for Older Adults Other Condo 5% 9% Apartment ALF ~ 2% SNF 1% 77% 18 less than 450 older adults live in some type of residential Slightly care facility. Less than 100 older adults live within some sort of group quarters. The majority of Johnson County senior residents say that they are very satisfied with their current housing situations. Only 4% reported that they were not satisfied with their current living situation. Slightly more than 76% own their home and prefer this living arrangement over the other options available. Over 90% of seniors who responded to the survey felt that Johnson County is a desirable place to live, and stated they had no plans to move in the next year. Among those who reported that they may move, 2 out of every 3 said they were going to stay in Johnson County. However, only 55% responded to a question concerning the affordability of housing options in Johnson County. Among those, only 1 out of 5 said there was a sufficient supply of affordable housing options. While home modification are critical to helping persons age in place, only 2 of every 10 persons had significantly modified their home. These modifications largely involved installing shower bars. Few older adults grab reported doing anything else such as : installing ramps, installing accessible cooking and cleaning appliances, or adding other safety devices. Education Johnson County ' s population over the age of 65 is well-educated compared to the rest of the state. More than 80% of Johnson County ' s older adults have earned a high school diploma or more. In contrast, slightly more than 70% of the state' s older population have received a high school diploma or have gone beyond a 12th grade education. As many as 1 out of every 5 older adults in Johnson County has an advanced professional or graduate degree. According to the survey responses, over 1/3 of the seniors in Johnson County felt that education was important to them, and 2/3 said they would be willing to pay to participate in educational activities. In addition, 87% of the survey respondents thought there was an ample supply of educational opportunities. However, less than 10% reported that they actually participated in an educational program in the past year. Economic Well-Being Older adults in Johnson County differ from the rest of the state in terms of economic well-being. Median household income for persons between the ages of 65 and 74 is $38,500, and slightly less than $29,000 for persons over 75. Only 3.5% of the older population is living in poverty compared to the state average of 8%. There are slightly more than 1,000 older adults who were defined as being "near poor." In contrast, 12.5% of older adults in Johnson County have an annual income greater than $50,000 compared to a state average of 7.5%. 20 Employment and Volunteer Activity Nearly 18% of older adults in Johnson County remain in the labor force, which is higher than the rest of Iowa. The Census data indicated that only 38 older individuals reported they were unemployed and looking for work. The remainder of the older population described themselves as not working or retired. The survey confirmed these findings. The overwhelming majority of survey respondents considered themselves to be retired, and only 17% reported that they currently were being paid to work. Of these, 34% worked full time. The survey responses also showed that men were much more likely to work women. Slightly more than than one of every two older adults agreed with the statement that there was ample opportunity to find work in Johnson County. In regard to volunteer activity, 80% reported there was ample opportunity to engage in volunteer and other civic activities. than 40% of the Slightly more survey respondents indicated that they had volunteered at least once in the past month. However, the majority of these volunteers were engaged less than 5 hours per week. 21 Transportation and Mobility According to the survey responses, approximately 92% of the older adults in Johnson County relY on private vehicles for their transportation needs, and 86% of these reported that they were able to drive themselves. Among this group, 70% reported that they drove daily. Less than 5% of the survey respondents indicated they had difficulty making it to health- care appointments or driving to the store for groceries. By and large, the majority of older adults were happy with their abilitY to get around the county. Nine out of every ten older adults can walk up to 50 feet without any problem; 1 out of every 2 exercise for 30 minutes at least four days each week. Still, almost 15% of the survey respondents indicated they found that walking around their neighborhood was difficult or unsafe. 22 What happens to a person as he or she grows older largely depends on individual characteristics. If a person is wealthy, well- educated, and has been free from disease and disability, it is more likely that he will age successfully. If a person is open to novel ex- periences and actively seeks out new opportunities, then she is less likely to be limited by the prescribed norms of what it means to be old. Beyond this, the community in which one lives can have a significant impact on the aging experience. A community that offers geriatric specialty services may contribute to an individual living a longer, healthier life. A community that offers real and affordable housing choices may help an older individual conserve wealth and maintain the highest possible quality of life. A community that offers educational and financial planning assistance may help an individual understand changes in Medicare and Medicaid programs, and avoid making ill-advised investments. Having safe and secure hiking trails and sidewalks promotes physical activity and an individual ' s sense of independence. In the remainder of this section, the market supply of health and social services, housing, successful aging opportunities, and transportation services are documented. This review is not meant to be an exhaustive inventory or a list of all available programs and services. This review is meant to assess the market structures that currently are in place across Johnson County. 23 Health and Social Services Most older adults living in Johnson County are in good physical and mental condition and have little need for intensive health and social services. Still, as persons grow older, they may face a greater number of diseases and disabilities, and generally end up using a greater amount of health and social services than younger persons. The availability of health and social services is highly valued by older adults. Johnson County offers a wide variety of health and social services. These services include inpatient hospital care, outpatient care, preventive health services, allied health services such as dental and mental health, pharmaceutical and medical equipment supply services, end-of-life programs, home health and supportive services, residential long-term care, and home and community-based long-term care. Inpatient Hospitals There are three major hospitals in Johnson County which provide a total of 1,080 inpatient beds, suggesting that there is at least one hospital bed for every eight persons over the age of 65. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) is a tertiary care, teaching hospital with over 200 specialty practices and 772 inpatient beds. The hospital is ranked highly by the US News and H/orld Repod annual survey and is well-recognized as a leading academic medical center. Nearly 150 UIHC physicians have been recognized as among the Best Doctors in America. The hospital also serves as the primary clinical site for the University of Iowa Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Public Health. These colleges also have been ranked highly and are well- regarded across the country. 24 i University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Mercy Hospital of Iowa City is a community hospital that has provided care since 1873. Mercy is defined as an acute care community hospital and regional referral center for southeast Iowa with 234 inpatient beds, 16 of which are skilled nursing beds. The hospital offers a full range of medical services that cover 28 different specialty areas. Mercy Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center ( VAMC ) in Iowa City is a tertiary health care center and teaching .. hospital with 93 inpatient beds. The Iowa City VAMC offers a range of specialty services to the veterans across southeast Iowa. The VAMC has 40 medicine/ neurology beds, 28 surgery beds, 10 intensive care beds, and 15 psychiatry Iowa CityVeteran'sHospital beds. 25 Outpat/ent CI/nics Two of the hospitals feature geriatric assessment and special care clinics. The assessment clinics at UIHC are open 24 hours a week and the VA clinic is open for 16. The clinics accommodate older patients by appointment or physician referral. Their services include a complete clinical assessment covering nutrition, mobility, mental health, pain and sensory functions. The costs of these assessments usually are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other insurance programs. Outside of the hospitals, there are a number of outpatient health clinics and physician practices. Altogether there are 180 community-based primary care physicians in Johnson County (e.g., family physicians, internal medicine) and 11 of these are certified in geriatric care. In addition, there are 2,380 registered nurses in the county. In terms of the per capita supply of healthcare professionals, Johnson County ranks first among Iowa's 99 counties. The Iowa City Free Medical Clinic provides quality outpatient health care to residents of Johnson County. Services are available to uninsured and underinsured individuals who may not have access to care due to economic reasons, confidentiality, or other factors. In the previous year, the clinic served nearly 60 persons over the age of 65. Johnson County Public Health, the Visiting Nurse Association, the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic offer preventive screenings for such health problems as high blood pressure, and depression at the Iowa City- Johnson County Senior Center, community centers, and some faith-based organizations. 26 All/ed Health Services The county also leads the state in the supply of dentists. In addition, the UIHC - College of Dentistry offers a geriatric dentistry service that accommodates special needs patients such as those with dementia and provides care on ~: an adjusted fee schedule. The College also provides a mobile geriatric dental program that offers care to residents in long-term care facilities in Johnson County and the four surrounding counties. Johnson County provides a variety of mental health services for older adults and their families. These include support groups counseling and services. Help-lines, safe return programs and educational programs are available for persons with dementia and their caregivers. UIHC offers a Behavioral Health Senior Care Service that provides inpatient and outpatient care as well as outreach to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Community Mental Health Center of Mid-Eastern Iowa served more than 90 older adults in the past year and has staff dedicated to providing care at home to qualified persons. older The Mid-Eastern Iowa Council on Chemical Abuse (MECCA) served 13 older adults in the past year. Johnson County also has a number of physical, rehabilitative and recreational therapy services to help older adults being discharged from a hospital or when they experience increased amount of physical disability. The use of pharmaceutical medications is common among older adults, and the average 75- year-old uses at least five different prescriptions simultaneously. Johnson County leads the state with a total of 252 practicing pharmacists. Moreover, there are at least two professional prescription drug counseling programs. There also are three local Senior Health Insurance Information Programs sponsors in Johnson County which provide free information to older adults about Medicare in general and the prescription drug benefit program in particular, Medicare supplemental insurance, long-term care insurance, and the Iowa Medicaid program. In addition to medication, older adults sometimes need medical equipment like oxygen tanks and walkers. Outside of the three hospitals, Johnson County features three stores that specialize in providing medical equipment. Specialized end-of-life care also is becoming more commonplace as the aging population grows. The UIHC offers holistic end-of-life services within a dedicated palliative care unit. There are two community-based hospice programs in Johnson County that offer direct patient care and support groups. 28 Home and Community-Based Care Support and social services play a critical role in maintaining a person ' s health and also help those with a persistent disabling condition such as Alzheimer's disease. Still, as discussed in the previous section, many older adults are unaware of the variety of supportive and social service options that are available to them. Case management and geriatric assessment clinics play a key role in evaluating an individual' s needs and providing basic education about the different service options that are available in Johnson County. Case management provides entry into the healthcare system, links people to a full range of supportive and social services including home health care, nutrition programs, homemaker and chore assistance, emergency response, and transportation. Elder Services, Inc. takes the lead role in coordinating home and community based service delivery among 18 local agencies in Johnson County. Over 400 frail older adults were served in case management last year. These agencies are linked through a formal agreement administered by the Heritage Area Agency on Aging Case Management for the Frail Elderly Program. ESI served an additional 1600 people through their congregate and home delivered meals, chore, friendly visitor, and care- giver counseling programs. The geriatric assessment center at the UIHC Family Care Center conducts formal evaluations. AIzheimer ' s disease and are dementia evaluations conducted by UIHC Department of Neurology. There are several programs which provide == health and supportive services to older persons at home in Johnson County. These home health and supportive care services provide individuals post-hospital care as well as long-term care. They help with administering medical treatment, maintaining medical equipment, and providing assistance with routine chores. There are seven agencies within Johnson County that provide these services. The Visiting Nurse Association and Mercy Home Health serve the largest number of Medicare patients. For example, VNA served more than 500 older adults in the past year. Home health services also can be paid for by the older individuals and their families. There also are a number of community-based health and social service programs in Johnson County. For example, adult day health care programs are designed to assist individuals who are experiencing significant physical and mental disabilities, but prefer to remain at home as long as possible. Adult day health care may keep persons from having to enter some sort of residential long-term care facility. There are three adult day health care programs in Johnson County. Pathways provided targeted care to 40 older adults last year, Systems Unlimited, Inc. provides care to older persons within the context of providing day care to all ~ns with disabilities. The other :~rograms serve older adults as part of a larger population group. 30 Finally, Johnson County offers an array of health promotion, prevention and holistic services. Johnson County Public Health ( JCPH ) along with the Visiting Nurse Association offer older adult physical fitness assessments, and breast and cervical cancer early detection programs at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center and other locations. The WlSEW©MAN Program, provided by the JCPH and VNA, is a heart disease risk reduction program for Iow income older women. Several additional health promotion and prevention programs are offered through the hospitals and outpatient health clinics. The Holistic Healthcare Network of Eastern Iowa includes practitioners that offer acupuncture, chiropractics, feng shui, homeopathy, massage therapy, and yoga. UIHC Department of Internal Medicine has a staff expert in complementary and alternative medicine. Health Services in Johnson County Location of services Inpatient hospitals University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Mercy Medical Center, Iowa City, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Outpatient Clinics Geriatric Assessment Clinics, Free Medical Clinic, Johnson County Public Health, Visiting Nurse Association, Local Community Centers and Churches Allied Health Services College of Dentistry, UI Behavioral Health Senior Care Service, County Community Mental Health Center, Mid-East Iowa Council on Chemical Abuse, Prescription Drug Counseling Program, Senior Health Insurance Information, Durable Medical Equipment, Parish Nurses Palliative Care Units and Hospice Home and Community Based Services Case Management, Geriatric Assessment, Heritage Agency on Aging, Home Health, Adult Day Health Care Programs, Preventive and Holistic Healthcare 31 Housing The overwhelming majority of older adults would prefer to stay in their homes for as long as possible. Many older adults consider their homes a valued possession which adds to their quality of life. Following this, affordable and accessible housing options are critical to making Johnson County a friendly place for older adults. There are a variety of housing options for older adults in Johnson County. As discussed in the previous section, the majority of older adults live at home in a single family dwelling or in an apartment. Most are satisfied with their housing situation, and only 4% require assistance with meeting their housing costs. There are federal and state programs that provide assistance in the form of subsidized housing programs and rent support. In Johnson County individuals with Iow-incomes and who are over the age of 62 can receive rent reimbursement and funding for home repairs; those over 65 can re- ceive rental vouchers. Also, home owners that meet income criteria can receive property tax assistance through the Johnson County Treasurer's office. In addition, the Age & Income program assists Iow income property owners, who are over the age of 65, by providing a "suspend tax" benefit in which a lien is taken against the property, to be paid at time of death or when property is sold. The City of Iowa City Rehabilitation Program offers Iow interest loans to seniors to make home modifications and repairs. There are 534 rental assistance units targeted for older adults, and an additional 131 older households received rental Subsidized Housing in Johnson County assistance vouchers. 32 For those older adults not living at home or in an apartment, there are a number of residential options. There is one continuing care retirement community (CCRC) that provides the full range of housing options for retired adults, from independent living through nursing home care. There are six assisted living programs with 299 beds. Two of these programs are designated dementia special care programs with a total of 88 beds. Slightly less than 30% of the assisted living beds have been designated as affordable as opposed to being available at'market rate. ' There are eight nursing facilities in Johnson County which offer a total of 578 beds for those requiring medical assistance or continuing care. There is one residential care facility that provides high-intensity skilled nursing services with 114 beds and one hospital based skilled nursing unit with 16 beds. As mentioned, a number of home modification programs are available to older adults who are over 65 years old. In addition, the county also has several housing contractors who could potentially complete home modifications. Universal designs are now featured as part of some housing developments located in Iowa City. House with accessibility ramp Successful Aging The process of growing old encompasses continued development and new experiences, as well as the various changes in health status and functional ability. Successful aging begins with the pursuit of optimal wellness, and specifically involves the: (a) the absence or management of disease and disability, (b) the maintenance of intellectual and physical functions, and (c) engagement in meaningful activities. Aging successfully entails continued growth and development, and developing the capacity to respond optimally to the inevitable challenges of growing old. Leisure, physical, spiritual, and educational activities provide several benefits for older adults. These activities can replace work roles, expand on pre-retirement skills and interests, assist in maintaining a positive self- concept, self-reliance and independence, and promote overall well-being. In addition, participating in leisure, spiritual, and educational activities can help older adults deal more effectively with stressful life events through shared companionship, reduced feelings of loneliness, and increased ability to cope with significant life changes. Fibre Components o£ Success~tl A~ing 34 Leisure Opportunities A wide array of cultural and recreational programs are available across Johnson County. The University hosts several national touring dance, music and theater productions. Iowa City and Coralville have established several community theater groups, and offer several venues for music festivals and individual performances. Johnson County is home to the Lake Macbride water recreation area that feeds into the Iowa River. Besides aquatic recreation, the lake offers birding, camping, fishing, and a fossil gorge. There are ten golf courses and more than 20 fitness facilities, in addition to numerous University of Iowa and community recreation facilities. The Coralville Recreational Center, Elder Service Incorporated, the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center, the Lone Tree Community Center, the North Liberty Community Center, and the Solon Senior Center provide a broad array of services and activities targeting older adults. Some examples include fitness classes, swimming and water aerobics, meals, transportation services, craft and social activities, support groups, and intergenerational programming. 35 Health Promotion Opportunities Smoking cessation classes and individual counseling are offered by Johnson County Public Health, UIHC, Mercy Hospital, and the Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Individualized exercise counseling is offered by Johnson County Public Health, the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center and at several of the locations mentioned previously. Nutrition education programs are provided by the three local hospitals, Johnson County Extension, the VNA, Elder Services Inc., and JCPH. It t The Iowa City/Johnson CounO/ Senior Center Educational Opportunities A variety of formal educational programs are designed for older adults in Johnson County. The Senior Center and the Senior College operated by the University of Iowa Alumni Association offer several lectures and classes to seniors across the county. Many community-based agencies and organizations also offer educational programs for older adults. These programs are provided throughout the county at senior centers, meal sites, hospitals, community centers, churches, and libraries. The University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College also offer a diverse set of lectures and course offerings that may be of interest to older adults. While these courses are not aimed at a particular age group, older adults can easily enroll. 36 Fa/th-Based Organizations Johnson County is recognized nationally for its religious diversity. The Consultation of Religious Communities is composed of 28 different faith-based groups that share a long history of meeting local needs. Most notably, thirteen congregations joined together to build and manage an 81 unit apartment complex for older and disabled persons in Iowa City called Ecumenical Towers. The Towers located next to the Iowa are City/ Johnson County Senior Center. Some of the faith-based organizations have special ministries for seniors including parish nurses, preparation for end-of-life, and home visitations for frail seniors. Some parishes provide hearing assistance devices and large print books during services and other programs. All of the organizations offer volunteer and service opportunities for older adults. I Crisis Center Supportive Services There are several other programs and services that can help older adults age successfully. The Iowa Legal Aid society provides legal counsel to older persons with lower incomes. The Iowa City Crisis Center provides emergency assistance to older persons. There are six senior dining sites across Johnson County that serve over 350 individuals daily. 37 ~mployment Opportunities Some older adults are interested in pursuing a second career or wish to be employed part-time. Successful aging also has been tied to labor- force engagement. Aging persons who continue to work (or who find a second career) are less likely to experience financial hardships and require public assistance. Older persons who engage in meaningful work also experience increased levels of satisfaction. Their labor force participation also provides benefits to the local economy. There are over 2,600 businesses in Johnson County and more than 62,000 employees. As indicated, 17% of the aging population is employed and less than 40 older adults actively are looking for work. However, not all older adults think there are appropriate employment opportunities available to them. Entry or reentry into the labor force may be difficult for some older adults without some sort of training, skill development or other type of assistance. There are four job training sites across Johnson County that provide seniors with employment training and placement assistance. The Hawkeye Area Community Action Program administers a Senior Community Service Employment Program and provides subsidized job training and work experiences for qualified older adults. There also is a Workforce Development office in Iowa City and two temporary employment agencies. 38 Volunteer Opportunities Many older adults who age successfully also engage in - volunteer activities. There are four::., volunteer programs which focus on providing opportunities for older adults. These include the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and Friendly Visitors Program which are operated by Elder Services Incorporated. A Foster Grandparent Program is administered by Handi- Care. Johnson County also hosts a sCORE program ( Service Corps for Retired Executives ) that enlists retired older adults as counselors for small business owners. The local hospitals also have large volunteer programs that are coordinated by staff directors. There are a number of other organizations that provide volunteer opportunities to older adults. For example, older adults have been recruited by local elementary schools to assist children outside of class. Seniors make up a substantial portion of the volunteer pool at the Johnson County Visitor's Center, local museums, and the home delivered meals operated by Elder Services Incorporated programs through the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center. In addition, local churches and civic organizations provide a range of volunteer opportunities for older adults. The roles range from providing hands-on assistance to working as program support staff or administrators. The Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center linked more than 500 older adults to volunteer opportunities in the past year. 3@ Transportation and Mobility Transportation and mobility are critical to the physical, social, and psychological well-being of older persons. Physical health depends on access to medical facilities, health promotion programs, and other social services. The ability to maintain an active social life also depends on an individual's accessibility to family, friends, recreational and cultural activities. Important elements of psychological health are enhanced by mobility, affecting whether a person can maintain freedom from isolation and the ability to choose a range of activities. Older persons rely heavily on private vehicles for their transportation needs. Iowa AARP offers a safe driver course for older adults who wish to sharpen their safe driving skills. Rural residents who are older, disabled, or poor, appear to be more dependent on public or supportive transportation services. Overall, both urban and rural older women are less likely to rely on a private vehicle, and more likely to use public transportation, than are older men. JOHNSON COLr, dTY ~T~ w g 4O Transportation services in Johnson County vary greatly. Transportation operated by public agencies or supported by public funds are the most widely available options. These include Coralville Transit, Iowa City Transit, University of Iowa Cambus, and three private cab companies and shuttle services. The county also operates a specialized transportation service through the SEATS program. In addition, incidental transportation programs also are available. These programs provide transportation services that are "incidental" to the agency ' s main purpose. For example, churches, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes provide some transportation services to those in need. Many older adults have no trouble walking 50 feet or more, and consider walking to be a primary form of exercise. Kent Park and Iowa City Parks include more than 20 miles of walking/biking trails. There is also a biking/walking trail that covers a large part of Johnson County. The Coralville Reservoir features a Veteran's trail that is safe and accessible. Indoor walking opportunities~ exist at the University of Iowa, North Liberty Center, the Coralville Recreation and the Iowa Recreation Center, City Center. Downtown Iowa City and Coralville feature cut curbs, timed crossing lights and protected pedestrian walkways. Health Services Inpatient Hospitals Outpatient Clinics Allied Health Services Home and Community Based Care Single Family Homes Apartments Continuing Care Retirement Community Subsidized Housing Assisted Living Facility Nursing Facilities Successful Aging Health Promotion Opportunities Employment Opportunities Educational Opportunities Volunteer Opportunities Faith-Based Organizations Supportive Services · ~n and Mobility Independent Driving Assisted Driving Driver Education programs Para Transit Public Transit 42 Who is the typical older adult living in Johnson County?. It is hard to describe the typical older person who lives in Johnson County. There is a mix of married couples, widows and widowers, and persons who have never been married. Women outnumber men, but this does not become so apparent until after the age of 80. Older adults in Johnson County are well-educated comparatively, but some seniors have not gone beyond a high school education. While the poverty rate in Johnson County is below average, some older adults are challenged to meet the costs of healthcare. Many more may be concerned that they do not have sufficient resources to afford potential long-term care costs. One out of five older adults, especially men, continues to work and as many as two out of every five serve as volunteers. Most older adults live in their own homes and want to stay there as long as possible, but there are others who live in apartments or residential facilities and are challenged to make their monthly payments. Some persons have been here most of their lives, while others have identified Johnson County as a retirement des- tination and recently relocated. Most seniors are in good health but one out of every five persons has some trouble with a com- mon activity like getting dressed or taking a bath. While there is not any sort of typical older adult in Johnson County, there are clusters or groups of older adults. There are the well-educated, wealthy couples who live in their own homes. There are several widowed women who live alone at home or in an apartment. There is a group of older adults who are not as well-educated, not as wealthy, not as healthy, and live in subsidized housing. There are men who continue to work as long as they can, others work part-time because they need the income There are others who have resigned from the workplace altogether and have engaged in leisure and volunteer activities. Such market segmentation may be useful to policy planners and program developers, but the more important point to embrace is that the older adult population is quite diverse. The older adult population in Johnson County is more integrated than older adult populations living in places like Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; Palm Springs, California; Sarasota, Flodda, or other popular retirement destinations. Altematively, the aging population in Johnson County is not like those found in rural parts of Iowa and other great plains states. As the population continues to grow older, Johnson County should expect that the aging population will become even more diverse. The current group of older adults may become more frail and may face greater financial need. The racial and ethnic composition gradually will become more varied. As baby boomers age, family structures and housing arrangements will feature a greater number of 'step ' relationships and co-habitation between parents and their adult children, some of whom may be over the age of 65. A greater number of older adults may participate in education and volunteer activities. The use of assistive technology (e.g., motorized wheelchairs ) will become more commonplace. 44 In some sense, the aging population in Johnson County consists of 8,373 individuals and the future population may consist of more than 12,000 individuals who happen to be over the age of 65. 45 What exactly makes Johnson County such a friendly place for seniors? The market analysis of programs, services, and policies pertaining to older adults suggests that Johnson County stands apart as a great place for seniors. This community provides an abundant supply of programs and services that can help older adults age successfully. One of the most notable features is the abundant availability of healthcare services and providers. There is at least 1 inpatient hospital bed for every 8 older adults. There is a range of allied health services including geriatric dentistry clinics and pharmaceutical benefits management programs. There also are case management and home health services available throughout the county. There is at least one 1 physician for every 10 older adults, and 1 registered nurse for every 4 older adults. In short, there are few reasons to think that older persons cannot receive health care when needed, cannot remain at home as long as possible and cannot successfully navigate the challenges presented by age-related changes in health and financial status. The housing supply in Johnson County also appears to be well- suited for the majority of older adults. Most older adults live in single family homes and own them outright, and many of the seniors in Johnson County report that they are happy with their housing situation and are not planning to move. There also are options for subsidized housing and residential care. There is an ample supply of intermediate and skilled nursing care beds; there are assisted living facilities and a continuing care retirement community. Altogether, the housing stock of Johnson County helps many older adults to age-in-place rather than relocate to another community. The variety of housing options also may have attracted older adults who have relocated to Johnson County from other locations. 46 Johnson County ample opportunity engage offers for older adults to in a number of different activities. The University of Iowa, the Iowa City Senior Center, Kirkwood Community College and other programs provide a range of educational opportunities. There are year-round recreational options including water sports, golf, tennis, hiking and biking trails, and indoor athletic facilities. Johnson County also provides an ample supply of popular and high quality arts and entertainment. Older adults have the op- tion to wide of faith-based organizations, and Johnson County join a range appears to provide older adults with a sufficient amount of work and volunteer experiences. Such a breadth and depth of opportunities to engage in activities significantly adds to the notion that Johnson County is a friendly place for older adults. Transportation and mobility does not pose a problem to the majority of older residents of Johnson County. Most older adults continue to drive, and there is a of public and para-transit options available for those range who need assistance. In addition, there are plenty of walking paths and trails, and the downtowns of Iowa City and Coralville feature cut curbs, highly visible crosswalk signals, and protected crosswalks for safe pedestrian traffic. What can be done to make Johnson County an even friendlier place? While this market analysis constitutes a critical step forward in defining exactly how Johnson County constitutes a friendly place for older adults, the work falls short on two points. First, the analysis did not investigate several important, perhaps more subtle, issues. Second, the analysis provides no specific responses to questions that concern how the county will meet the needs of a growing aging population that also is becoming increasingly diverse. The analysis does not reveal how Johnson County can become an even friendlier place for older adults. For example, neither UIHC or Mercy Hospital has a geriatric inpatient unit. While the UI College of Nursing provides a specialty training program in geriatric care, the College of Medicine does not. This raises an important question: Just because our healthcare providers have a great deal of experience treating seniors, does that mean they have been trained formally to offer the latest, evidence-based approaches to geriatric care? One way to assure that our seniors are receiving the best care possible would be to increase the supply of providers who have licensed or certified training in geriatrics. As the aging population grows and diversifies and Johnson County aspires to become an even friendlier place for seniors, the lack of such targeted geriatric health services and training efforts may become a more significant issue. Further, the initial assessment did not provide enough information to determine if programs and services actually met individual demand. Are the number of adult day health care centers suffident? Do we really have enough geriatric mental health providers? Do the persons who schedule health care appointments also insure that older adults have adequate transportation support? 48 The analysis did not provide any qualitative insight into how well the County meets the emerging preferences that older adults have concerning home and community-based care and holistic end-of-life care. How well does Johnson County really address the health of the whole individual and his or her family? How well does the County facilitate persons being able to live and die at home with minimal pain, surrounded by family and loved ones? In regard to housing options, the market analysis did not ascertain the adequacy and affordability of housing options like assisted living. Are enough new homes being built with universal design features to help older adults who may experience an increasing level of disability and still want to remain at home as long as possible? Moreover, the analysis did not determine why the abundant supply of housing contractors in Johnson County did not correspond with having a greater number of older adults complete the sorts of home modifications ( e .g., installing shower grab bars, moving laundry to the common floor ) that would allow them to remain at home as long as possible. The analysis also did not evaluate the adequacy of connecting people to services. If older adults are to remain at home, then some efforts must be made to connect them to the programs and services that will allow them to do so (e.g., meal programs, exercise programs, health education seminars, etc ). Of all the older persons who currently live at home alone, how many are actually connected to the programs and services that will help them to navigate successfully the challenges of growing older? 49 The number of older adults who actually benefit from activities remains unclear. Are the education, arts and entertainment programs affordable to all older adults? Are they accessible to ~ose older adults in nursing facilities? Do the persons in the rural parts of Johnson County engage in these activities as easily as those who live closer to the cities and towns? Another important question concerns whether or not all older adults are provided opportunities to work and volunteer. Do widowed women who have financial needs also have realistic opportunities to work? What programs make use of volunteers for more than a few hours? The initial analysis also did not resolve if having a car and being able to drive one's self is the same thing as being able to come and go whenever the need arises. Do older adults avoid getting out because they find parking too difficult or the road lighting to be inadequate? The analysis did not determine if the para-transit services are meeting the particular needs of older adults who could no longer drive or who live in the rural areas. Are the public transportation routes designed to make it easy for older adults to access in terms of time and location of pick-ups? Last, the analysis did not determine exactly how older adults are providing value to the greater community of Johnson County. How does addressing the needs of older adults and providing them opportunities to age successfully correspond with increasing economic and social capital for other programs, services and population groups? After all, any effort to make Johnson County an even friendlier place for older adults should not be done in isolation. In meeting the needs of older adults and providing more opportunities to age successfullY, the County should become an even friendlier place for everyone else. 50 This market analysis represents the first and only effort to document thoroughly the opportunities for successful aging in Johnson County. The Consortium agreed that the market analysis established that Johnson County is indeed a great place for older adults. The analysis revealed that the aging population is growing and becoming increasingly diverse, and older adults in Johnson County are provided numerous opportunities to age successfully. Yet the analysis suggested that many persons are not familiar with the range of programs and services that are available. The Consortium also that local administrators, agreed many program service providers and policy makers are not familiar with the varied needs and preferences of older residents, and are not necessarily prepared to address the changing needs and preferences that will be brought forth when the baby boomers reach and surpass their 65th birthdays. The Consortium resolved that the market analysis did not go far enough to determine how exactly the county can meet the needs and preferences of the increasingly diverse population of older adults that will be living in and moving to .the county over the next 10 years. The Consortium particularly is concerned that as the current group of older adults continues to age, there will be increasing demands for more affordable options to age successfully. There also will be challenges to meet the growing number of older adults who choose to live in the rural parts of the county. 51 In fact, the Consortium has initiated four studies that address these more specific concerns. One study focuses on the provision of health and social services, a second considers the adequacy and affordability of housing options, a third study examines the viability of opportunities for all residents to participate in activities that correspond with. successful aging, and the fourth study considers how transportation services could be improved to meet the needs and preferences of older adults. Finally, the Consortium agreed that these efforts to make Johnson County an even friendlier place for older adults must be embraced by a larger audience. County policy makers and planners must make a formal effort to incorporate the preferences and needs of older adults in more generally targeted activities. For example, program planners and policy makers could assure that housing developments are zoned in a manner that provides older adults realistic opportunities to age in place. Private and non-profit planning boards also should consider the interests of older adults more formally. This sort of commitment will assure that new construction such as recreation facilities, the convention center, and Kinnick Stadium incorporates the needs of older residents in Johnson County. Such an integrated approach may prevent costly mistakes such as not designing facilities in accordance with federal and state disability and discrimination laws. More important, this sort of integration of aging interests will make Johnson County an even friendlier place for seniors, and thus, increase the wealth of the county in terms of economic and social capital. 52 The Consortium on Successful Aging resolved that the larger R community must work together to make Johnson County an even friendlier place for seniors, and the Consortium would like to make the following four recommendations: C O 1. Request that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the cities, the Chamber of Commerce and public and private M organizations: M a ) Adopt resolutions to be a senior-friendly community. b ) Ask their departments/committees to recommend ways their entity could be more senior-friendly. N c ) Appoint representatives of all generations to their boards and committees D A 2. Use the four follow-up studies (Health and Supportive Services, Transportation, Housing, Successful Aging ) being completed by T the Consortium to Identify best practices and viable responses. I a ) Define specific needs of seniors in Johnson County. O b ) Identify best practices ands viable responses. c ) Obtain the support that will allow stakeholders to N address the needs. S 53 3. Create a high-quality independent, current and comprehensive repository of programs/services/polices that pertain to older adults in Johnson County. Such information should be used to: a ) Help current residents prepare for and navigate their Retirement years; b ) Market Johnson County to persons who are considering relocating; c ) Inform program administrators, service providers and policy makers about the diversity of older adults living in Johnson County, the current market supply of programs and services, and the changing needs and preferences of older adults. 4. Recruit, through a collaborative effort, a professional staff person (i.e. aging specialist ) who will advise and support the efforts of governmental units as well as private and non-profit organization to implement the recommendations just presented. The aging specialist also should be charged to identify and develop novel efforts that will make Johnson County en even friendlier place for seniors. 54 SELECTED REFERENCES AARP. (2 003 ). Staying ahead of the curve. Washington DC: Author. Administration on Aging (2004) Senior Community Service Employment Program Available online: http:llwww.aoa.govlproflaoaprogl olderworkers/olderworkers _pf.asp R Baltes, P & Baltes, B. ( 1 991 ). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: Optimization and compensation. Successfu/Ag/ng. Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press. i Baltes, P. & Carstensen, L. (1996 ). The process of successful aging. Ageing and Society, 16, 3, 397-422. R Bassuk, S., Glass, T., & Berkman, L. ( 1999). Social Disengagement and Incidence of Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Elderly Persons. Anna/s of /ntema/ Medicine, 131( 3 ), 165-173. N Bradley, D. ( 1999 ). A reasons to rise each morning: The meaning of C volunteering in the lives of older adults. Generations, 23( 4 ), 45-51. Buck, Traci. New Book Touts Ashland as "Top 100" Vacation Spot. S Ash/and Da//y Tidings. Retrieved 5/9/2005 from h ttp :l lmtmeadows, comlashland_ o regon.asp Caves, R. ( 1 987 ). American industry: Structure, conduct, performance ( 6th Edition ) Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Civic Ventures (2002). The NewFace of Retirement. San Francisco, CA: Author. Experience Corps (2 004 ). http:llwww, experiencecorps.org/ 55 Fleisher, B. & kneiser, T. (1984). Labor Economics: Theory, Evidence and Policy ( 3rd edition ). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Glass, T., de Leon, C., Marottoli, R., and Berkman, L. ( 1999 ). Population Based Study of Social and Productive Activities as Predictors of Survival Among Elderly Americans British Medica/ Journa/, 379, 7'208, 478-483. Grimm, Matthew. Democritic Marking & Culture: The Cloning of Austin, TX. American Demographics, Jul/Aug 2004; 26,6; Discovery pg 42. Havinghurst, R. ( 1961 ) SuccessfUl Aging. The Geronto/ogist, f, 1, 11-17. Herzog, R. & House., J. 1991 ). Productive activities and aging welt. Generations, 1,~(1 ), 49-55. How Does Your City Rank When it Comes to Health Care? Survey ranks U.S. metropolises for cost and quality of services. (March 2003). Expansion Management Magazine. Retrieved 5/5/2005 from http:llwww.hon.chlNewsl HSN/512296.html. How to Retire. (July 20, 1998 ). Businessweek Online. Iowa City, Iowa: Best in the Midwest. (September/October 2003). Organic $ly/e pg 95. Iowa City Makes a List: Rankings show area ' s strengths. (April 28, 2005 ). iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City Ranks in the Top Three Nationally for Livability. (June 2004 ). Expansion Management Magazine. 56 Kettler, Bill. Ashland Earns High Marks as Retirement Spot. The Mai/Tribune f998, Medford, Oregon. Retrieved 5/9/2005 from http://mtmeadows.com/ ashland _o regon.asp. Khaw, K. ( 1 997 ). Healthy Aging. British Medical Journal, 315, 7115, 1090-1096. Leach, James, A. ( April 16, 2000 ) Iowa 2010 in the News: Iowa can grow as the ' e d ucation ' state. The Des Moines Register. Miles, Guy, PhD. Best P/aces to Retire: The Interior Low/ands, The Midwest Farm Belt. Retirement Havens. Retrieved 5/5/2005 from http:llwww.seniors-place.comlretirementhavenslFarmBeltlndex.html Moen, P. ( 2 003 . Midcourse. Contemporary Geronto/ogy, 9, 3, 87-94. Morris, R.& Caro, F. ( 1995 ). The y°ung-old, productive aging and public policy. Generations, 19( 3 ), 32-38. Reed, D., Satariano, W.A., Gildengorin, G., McMahon, K., Fleshman, R., & Schneider, E. ( 1995). Health and functioning among the elderly of Marin County, California: A glimpse of the future. Journal of Geronto/ogy, 50, M61-M69. Robbins, E., Lichtenstein, G.., Dupuis, M. ( May-June 2003 ). The 15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life. AARP the Magazine. Rogan, Helen. (January 21, 2005 ). Healthy Cities. USA TODAY. corn City Guides. Retrieved 5/5/2005 http:llwww.usatoday.comlcommunitylchat_0312003-09-16- rogan.htm 57 Rowe, J. & Kahn, R. ( 1998 ). SuccessfulAging. New York: Pantheon Books. Seeman, T. (2001). Optimizing trajectories of aging in the 21st century: Can we promote more successful aging? Berkeley, CA: UCOP. Senior Corps (2004) http:llwww.seniorcorps.orgl Starr, J., Dreary, I., & Macintyre, S. (2003). Associations with successful ageing in the healthy old people in Edinburgh cohort: Being well, fit and healthy. Aging Clinical and experimental Research, 15 (4), 336-342. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics ( 2 004 ). Volunteer Participation Rates. IOn-line]. Available: (http://www.b~s.gov). United States Bureau of the Census (2000). Census of Un~ted States Popu/at/on: 2000. Washington DC: Author. Weinberg, Steve. Back to School: Yes it ' s cold and out of the way. But retirees are warming to the college town of lowa City' (March 19, 2001 ) The Wa//Street Journa/, p R16. 58 Selected Program and Service Web Sites Health and Social Services UIHC http://www.uihealthcare.com/uihospitalsandclinics/ Mercy, Iowa City http://vvww.mercyic.org/ VAMC http://www.visn23.med .va.gov/Service-Areas/IowaCity-VAM C.asp Iowa City Free Medical Clinic http://www.freemedicalclinic.org/ Johnson County Public Health http://www.johnson-county.com/publichealth/index.shtml Visiting Nurses Association http://www.vnaic.org/ Iowa City-Johnson County Senior Center http://www.icgov.org/senior/defa ult.asp UIHC - College of Dentistry http://www.dentistry.uiowa.ed u/index.htm Behavioral Health Senior Care Service, UIHC http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/uibehavioralhealth/index.html Johnson County Community Mental Health Center http://communitymentalhealthcenter.org/index.html Mid-Eastern Iowa Council on Chemical Abuse http://vvww.meccaservices.com/ Senior Health Insurance Information Programs http://www.shiip.state.ia.us/ Geriatric Assessment Clinic http://www.medicine.uiowa.ed u/igec/ Elder Services Incorporated http://elderservicesiowa.com/ind ex.html 59 Heritage Area Agency on Aging http://www.heritag eaaa.org/index.html UIHC Family Care Center http:llwww.uihealthcare.comldeptsluifamilycarelindex.html UIHC Department of Neurology http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/med/neurol°gY/ Mercy Home Health http:llwww.mercyic.orglServiceslhome_health.cfm Systems Unlimited http:l/www.sui.orgl Pathways Adult Daycare http:l/www.abbefamily.orglpathwaysl Home safe program http :llwww.homesafeia.orgl Housing Iowa City Housing Authority http:llwww.icgovlhousinglauthoritylindex.asp Johnson County Treasurer's office http:llwww.johnson-county.comltreasurerlindex.shtml Successful Aging Lake MacBride water recreation area http:llwww.north-liberty.comlrecreationlmacbride.htm Coralville Recreational Center http:llwww.coralville.orglreccenter.asp North Liberty Community Center http :llwww.northlibertyiowa.orglrecl Senior College, University of Iowa Alumni Association http://www.iowalum.com/srcollege/ Kirkwood Community College http :llwww. ki rkwood, cc. ia. us/ 60 Consultation of Religious Communities http://www.avalon.net/-fbcic/mission.html Iowa Legal Aid society http://www.iowalegalaid.org/aboutJindex.cfm?pagename--homepage Iowa City Crisis Center http:llwww.johnsoncountycrisiscenter.orgl Iowa City Workforce Development Center http://www.iowaworkforce.org/region I 0/iowacity.htm Retired Seniors Volunteer Program http:llelderservicesiowa.comlRSVP.html Foster Grandparent Program - Handicare Inc http:llwww.handicareinc.comlFosterGrandparentPrograml Service Corps for Retired Executives (SCORE) http://www.score,org/index.html Johnson County Visitor's Center http://www.icccvb.org/about.asp Transportation and Mobility AARP Driver safety programs http:llwww.aarp.orglfamiliesldriver_safetyl Coralville Transit http://www.coralville.org/transit.htm Iowa City Transit http:llwww, icgov.org/transportation.htm SEATS program http://www.johnson-county.com/seats/index.shtml Kent Park http://www.johnson-county.com/conservation/publicUse/ kent_park.shtml 61 IOWA CITY' RANDUM Date: July 6, 2005 To: City Clerk .., ir' From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for July 19, 2005 City Council meeting: Installation of parking meters, D301S, D303S, D305S, D307S, D309S, D311S, D313S, D315S, D317S, D319S, with a meter term of 1 hour; $0.40/hour, and one handicap meter D321S with a meter term of 5 hours; $0.40/hr on the west side of the 300 block of South Dubuque Street As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(17), Install parking meters, D301S, D303S, D305S, D307S, D309S, D311S, D313S, D315S, D317S, D319S, with a meter term of 1 hour; $0.40/hour, and one handicap meter D321S with a meter term of 5 hours; $0.40/hr on the west side of the 300 block of South Dubuque Street Comment: This action is being taken at the request of the Parking Division due to the completion of the Court Street Transportation Center. Mgr/agditms/aw-dubuquest (CSTC) meters.doc Date: July 6, 2005 To: City Clerk ,,~ ~ t~ From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for July 19, 2005 City Council meeting: Installation of GREYHOUND BUS PARKING ONLY TOW AWAY ZONE signs in the 100 block of Court Street on the north side between the alley and S. Dubuque Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(19), Install two GREYHOUND BUS PARKING ONLY TOW AWAY ZONE signs in the 100 block of Court Street on the north side between the alley and S. Dubuque Street. Comment: This action is being taken at the request Greyhound to accommodate the new bus station in the Court Street Transportation Center. Mgr/agd/aw-greyhound.doc ! O W A C I T Y RANDUM Date: July 11,2005 To: City Clerk From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner (~ Re: Item for July 19, 2005 City Council meeting: Removal of parking meter CO127E in the 100 block of Court Street. Installation of cab station located in the 100 block of Court Street. Removal of three cab stations in the 400 block of College Street. Installation of parking meters C407E and C409E, with a meter term of 2 hours; $0.40/hour on the south side and C410E, with a meter term of 2 hours; $0.40/hour on the north side of the 400 block of College Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(17) and 9-1-3A(19), removal of parking meter CO127E in the 100 block of Court Street. Installation of cab station located in the 100 block of Court Street. Removal of three cab stations in the 400 block of College Street. Installation of parking meters C407E and C409E, with a meter term of 2 hours; $0.40/hour on the south side and C410E, with a meter term of 2 hours; $0.40/hour on the north side of the 400 block of College Street. Comment: This action is being taken at the request of the Yellow Cab taxi company and approved by the Director of Parking and Transit. This is being done in conjunction with the completion of the Court Street Transportation Center. The annual fee for a cab station outside the central business district is $720 per year. jccogt p/mem/action-YellowCab .doc IOW,q CITY RANDUM Date: July 11,2005 To: City Clerk From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for July 19, 2005 City Council meeting: Removal of parking meter CO125E in the 100 block of Court Street. Installation of cab station located in the 100 block of Court Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(17) and 9-1-3A(19), removal of parking meter CO125E in the 100 block of Court Street. Installation of cab station located in the 100 block of Court Street. Comment: This action is being taken at the request of the Black and Gold taxi company and approved by the Director of Parking and Transit. This is being done in conjunction with the completion of the Court Street Transportation Center. The annual fee for a cab station outside the central business district is $720 per year jccogtp/mern/action-BlackGold.doc Date: July 8, 2005 To: City Clerk From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~ Re: item for July 19, 2005 City Council meeting: Installation of NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on the east side of the 300 block of Dubuque Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10), Install NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on the east side of the 300 block of Dubuque Street between Burlington Street and Court Street Comment: This action is being taken at the request of the Parking Division due to the completion of the Court Street Transportation Center. Mgr/agd/aw-300 blkdubuqe,doc Date: July 11, 2005 To: City Clerk .,,f' From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for July 19, 2005 City Council meeting: Installation of an Iowa City Transit bus stop on the north side of the 100 block of Court Street in front of the Court Street Transportation Center As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(19), install an Iowa City Transit bus stop on the north side of the 100 block of Court Street in front of the Court Street Transportation Center Comment: This action is being taken at the request of Iowa City Transit to provide a bus stop for patrons using the Court Street Transportation Center. jccogtp/mem/action- 100Court.doc Date: July 13, 2005 To: City Clerk From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for July 19, 2005 City Council Meeting: Removal of NO PARKING 8 A.M. - 5 P.M. MON-FRI signs on the south side of Oakcrest Street between Sunset Street and George Street As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10), remove NO PARKING 8 A.M. - 5 P.M. MON-FRI signs on the south side of Oakcrest Street between Sunset Street and George Street Comment: The action is being taken based on a survey of the residents on Oakcrest Street. Of the surveys returned, 60% of households are in favor of removing the NO PARKING 8 A.M. - 5 P.M. MON- FRI signs. If approved, this will rescind an action approved in September 2003 installing the signs. jccogtplrnemlaw-removeOakcrest.doc Dear City Council Members, My name is Wilawan Rosse, I live on 1218 Oakcrest Street together with my two children. I'm writing to you to make sure that my vote will be included in the Oakcrest street parking survey. I sent my card indicating that I do NOT want the signs to be removed. On July 12 when I called Ms. Williams I realized that although I sent my card before the end of June, Ms. Williams did not receive it and therefore did not include my vote in the count. Ms. Williams said that since it's past the July 11 deadline I should write to you directly to request that you add my vote to the count. Thank you very much, Wilawan Rosse Resident of 1218 Oakcrest Street Marian Karr From: Evan Fales [evan-fales@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 4:44 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: daytime parking, 1200-1330 block of Oakcrest St. Dear Councilmembers: This is to inform you that I voted to restore daytime parking to my block of Oakcrest St. because I failed to understand that the vote was for completely unrestricted parking, rather than for the compromise position arrived at by block residents. Subsequent to the block meeting, Mr. Bob Jett came around with a petition and gathered signatures. It was not made clear to me by him that he was *not* collecting signatures in support of the compromise, but in support of no restricted parking. I believe that this collection of signatures was harmful to a congenial solution to the problem, and was done in a misleading way. Yours truly, Evan Fales 1215 Oakcrest St. Page 1 of 2 Marian Karr From: EINAT SNIR [AMNON11@MSN.COM] Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 12:32 AM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Parking on Oakcrest Street Dear City Council members, Two months ago, following a survey that showed that our block (Oakcrest, between Sunset and George) is split over whether or not to remove the "No parking 8:00 - 5:00" signs, we organized a neighborhood meeting. All the participants expressed their needs and views and people came to realize that since the number of households that feel strongly about removing the signs is similar to the number that feel strongly about keeping them, it would make more sense to come up with a compromise, rather than keep on trying to influence the few households that don't have a strong feeling either way to support your side. All the participants agreed on a compromise of"No parking 10:00am to 4:00pm Mon-Fri" (Including Mr. Jett who said that he doesn't like it but if it's o.k. with everyone else it's fine with him too). At the end of the meeting we asked everyone to discuss this proposed compromise with the rest of their household so we could go door to door two days later and collect signatures. We stressed, especially to the students that are living with roommates, to please come talk to us if their roommates do not agree to the compromise so we can re- open the discussion and see what can be done. When we collected signatures, everyone signed in favor of the compromise except for Mr. Jett. We submitted the proposed compromise to the city along with a letter that discusses the reasons for not removing the signs completely and the advantages of changing them. A few days later Mr. Jett had talked to the people who originally wanted to remove the signs completely and convinced them to withdraw their signatures from the compromise. Behind our backs and without bringing it to an open discussion Mr. Jett had them sign a document stating that they regret signing the compromise. We would like to stress in the strongest way possible that we do not appreciate Mr. Jett's act. We believe the way to handle such a situation is through open discussion, especially when such a process already started, and not through going behind people's backs and trying to achieve your goals while disregarding the needs of those who think differently. On 5/3/05 you decided that the signs will remain as is. Shortly after that Mr. Jett organized a new petition to remove the signs and a new survey was conducted only three months from the previous one. We hope that the council will send a clear message to the neighborhood and to the city by voting down this new petition. Nothing has changed in the neighborhood in the last three months and the factual basis to the previous decision remains valid. Hopefully the students will learn a lesson and in the future will prefer open discussion. Thank you for your consideration, Einat Snir and Amnon Kohen Residents of Oakcrest Street *** eSafe scanned this email for malicious content *** 7/14/2005 Marian Karr From: O'Neill, Peggy [peggy-oneill@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 5:14 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Re: Parking limitations on Oakcrest st. Hello, My name is Peggy O'Neill and I am a Home owner on Oakcrest St. in Iowa City. Recently I received a survey in the mail regarding the parking signs limiting parking from 8 A.M. through 5 P.M.. This is the third survey regarding these restrictions in a one and a half year period. I feel I should let you know that this is a great disappointment to me that this is such a reoccurring issue due to the disruption of one resident. I also am disappointed in the city government who has made a decision and continually over short time periods keep coming back to this. I believe it is a waste of tax payers time and money if you reverse the decision now as the signs must have cost something as well as the labor. Please just leave the signs where they currently are, if there are agenda items needed for the council meetings, looking at some of the yard care on that'street that has been reported many times during the past nine years without action or response could be added to the agenda. I apologize for sending this via e-mail, if I could leave my job to attend the meeting I would be there. It is unfortunate that one neighbor makes such a nuisance and is able to get by with this by the ability to continually annoy people. Sincerely, Peggy O'Neill 1220 Oak crest ST Iowa City, Iowa 52246 This e-mail (including attachments} is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, then delete it. Thank you. Marian Karr From: Jann Ream Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 1:38 PM To: 'car_let_ta@yahoo.com' Cc: *City Council; Norm Cate; Tim Hennes Subject: mold Carletta - There are no specific mold policies in Iowa City. If our rental inspectors receive a complaint about mold in their unit, the inspector advises them to notify their manager/owner in writing of the problem and allow that person 7 days to rectify the problem. If mold is observed on a rental licensing inspection, the manager/owner is cited to thoroughly clean and, if necessary, repaint affected areas. If mold appears to be significant and widespread, the owner/manager must find the source of moisture infiltration, correct that problem, then proceed with cleaning, the extent of which is dependent upon severity. There are no state or EPA interior air quality standards regarding mold to enforce. As an informal policy, we use guidelines recognized by the State of New York to help inform tenants and landlords about mold problems. In terms of new construction, mold has not been a problem. Any mold problem that might be occurring before a house is closed in or carpet laid is an issue between the homeowner and the builder. You could contact the Iowa City Homebuilders Association (hbaofic@cs.com) to see if they have information on mold during new construction. If you have further questions, please contact me at 319-356-5120. Jann Ream - Code Enforcement Assistant - City of Iowa City Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: carletta edwards [mailto:car_let_ta@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 11:12 AH To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Hold policies you may have Dear Council members, I would like to have any copies of policies you (Iowa city/corralville, Iowa) may have concerning mold removal or discovery. Do you have a policy of how to handle mold during construction before a house is closed in, or after a house is closed in but before carpet etc is completed or after a house is occupied? Please send if possible old or any new policies you may have to 201 N. walnut C4 W. Liberty 52776. Thank-you as I am very interested in what cities have on their books in Iowa concerning mold. Thank you. Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Ris,~lrie_s ..Sjga up fgr. Fantasy F~otball Marian Karr From: JEAN COLLINS [steve4kat2004@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, July 04, 2005 4:17 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: All day bus pass Iowa City Council, 7/3/05 In February of 2005 I conducted a survey with the 36 city bus drivers. The content of the survey was, what is the leading cause of conflict with the passengers? And what suggestions would you offer to reduce or eliminate these conflicts? I recieived 21 responses to the survey. The leading cause of conflict with those who responded was our transfer policy here at transit. It is somewhat confusing for some of our passengers. The two leading solutions suggested were 1) Charge for the transfer and let the passenger to use it on any route they choose with a time limit. 2) Give the transfer to the passenger for free and let the use it on any route they choose with a time limit. I met with Ron Logsden and submited the results of my survey with Ron. He agreed that our transfer policy could be confusing and had caused problems between drivers and passenger. Ron informed me that he and Joe Fowler were working on an all day bus pass that we would charge $1.50 for. They were planning to submit this proposal to the City Council. Although this proposal is not what the drivers suggested, we feel that it is a step in the right direction. As Chief Steward I am writing City Council in support of this all day bus pass for the price of $1.50. I have encouraged all the other 35 drivers at transit to do the same. We respectfully request that the City Council approve this proposal when it is presented to you. Thank you Steven G. Miller Chief Steward Local 183 Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour 7/5/2005 Marian Karr From: Kathryn Johansen Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 9:40 AM To: 'Eric Anderson' Cc: *City Council Subject: RE: Documentary Film shooting in Iowa City Hello Eric, Please visit our webs te at www. ic.qov.org Click on the blue link for Departments and select City Council. Here you will find the names, addresses and phone numbers of our City Council representatives so that you may contact them directly. Thank you for writing, Eric. Best of luck with your project. Sincerely, Kathi Johansen Administrative Assistant to the City Manager From: Eric Anderson [mailto:filmmakers@redwhiteandbluemovie.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 9:24 AM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Documentary Film shooting in Iowa City My wife and I are filmmakers making a documentary entitled "Red, White & Blue: A Tale of Two Americas" (http://~vww.redwhiteandbluemovie.com) and we'll be in Iowa City on July 16-17 filming. One of the threads of our film is examining the local governments and elected officials. Could you help us get in contact with some local officials who'd be willing to be interviewed for our film? Please look over the website and let us know if you'd be interested. Sincerely, Eric Anderson http://www.redwhiteandb!uemoyie.com 7/5/2005 Marian Karr From: Dale Helling Sent: Friday, July 08, 2005 1:54 PM To: 'thomas.saterriel@act.org' Cc: *City Council; Jann Ream Subject: FW: Checking on sidewalk issues Dear Mr. Saterfiel, I have referred your request for an update on the property at 1228 Muscatine Ave. to the Department of Housing and Inspection Services (HIS). They investigate and follow up on all complaints reqarding encumbered sidewalks, etc. You should get a response in a day or two. Complaints of~this nature are handled administratively and any follow up can be done more expeditiously if you address your concerns directly to HIS staff at 356-5120, or you can go to the City website at www.icgov.org and click on "Online Services" in the left-hand column. It will direct you through the process of filing a complaint electronically. I hope this information is helpful. Please don't hesitate to contact me at 356-5013 if you have further questions or if you need further information. Dale Helling Assistant City Manager cc. City Council Jann Ream, Code Enforcement Assistant ..... Original Message ..... From: thomas.saterfiel@act.org [mailto:thomas.saterfiel@act.org] Sent: Friday, July 08, 2005 10:28 AM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Checking on sidewalk issues I wanted to follow up on a report I shared with you about three weeks ago. At that time I noted two problems, one on Dewy Street and one at 1228 Muscatine. The Dewy StreeE property was cleared from the sidewalk within a week but no action has been taken at 1228 Muscatine. Can you update me on where this issue is in your process? Tom Saterfiel Message ~ Marian Karr From: Kathryn Johansen Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 11:46 AM To: 'Long, Michael' Cc: *City Council; 'hibbs@mchsi.com' Subject: RE: The former Coldren Opera House Dear Michael: There are some dealers I can recommend pertaining to Iowa City ephemera; hopefully they will have something relating to the Coldren Opera House (SE corner of Clinton and College Streets). I know that the Iowa City Antique Mall (319-354- 1822) has a lot of lC postcards. You might also try calling A&A Coins & Antiques at 319-338-1424. Mr. Bob Hibbs (hibbs(~,mchsi.com) may have some information as well. Bob's phone number is 319-338-3175. Lastly, E-bay may be an option for you. Best of luck with your search, Michael. Thank you for writing. Sincerely, Kathi Johansen Administrative Assistant to the City Manager From: Long, Michael [mailto:mlong@lnpnews.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 11:37 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: The former Coldren Opera House Dear Council Members, As a staff writer and editor for the morning paper here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I'm well aware that no one knows the heart of a municipality as well as its leaders, which is why I am contacting you all with a request for help. My first anniversary is coming up (the paper anniversary), and I'm looking for a piece of ephemera from the former Coldren Opera House in Iowa City to give to my dear wife, whose last name is Coldren. Ideally I'm in the market for an opera poster, but anything would do - a program, an advertisement, even a postcard. I'm betting at least one of you knows someone in the city who could track down such a piece of antiquity. If you could put me in touch with such a person, I would be extremely grateful. Thank you for taking the time to consider my request. Sincerely, Michael Long Talmage, Pa. 7/7/2005 July 8, 2005 1018 N. Summit St. Iowa City, IA 52245 Mayor and City Council City Hall 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Members of the City Council: As you may be aware portions of Dewey Street in the northeast portion of Iowa City are brick and through the years this street has become uneven with dips, bumps and potholes. This driving experience can only be compared to a donkey cart tour of rural Mexico. The street department has, on occasion, filled portions of Dewey with black asphalt. This temporary repair is just that temporary and usually does not last through one winter. It has also been noted that the curbing areas are cracked, crumbling and in need of repair. Grass and weeds are growing through the cement drainage areas. Dewey Street has been used quite frequently in recent years as interest in the historical areas and cemeteries has grown. Tour buses occasionally park at the entrance of Oakland cemetery which is technically the end of Brown Street. This portion, which is also brick, could also use a little repair as it has two large potholes. Additionally, because the North Dodge Street construction has caused delays, many drivers have been utilizing Dewey and North Summit Street to avoid lines and traffic jams. Because of the situation noted above, I am requesting that the City Council place Dewey Street on the capital project list of repairs as soon as possible so that this brick street may be completely renovated. Sincerely, Diana Baculis Marian Karr From: Ron Knoche Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 9:11 AM To: 'l.vining@mchsi.com' Cc: Kathryn Johansen; *City Council Subject: RE: Traffic light at intersection of Cameron Way and Mormon Trek Ms. Vining: The 2005 Traffic Signalization Project is currently out for bid. This project will signalize the Cameron Way and Mormon Trek Boulevard intersection and the Scott Boulevard and Court Street intersection. The late start date for the project is August 1 and the contractor will have 40 working days to complete the work. The work should be complete by the end of September. Thank you for your interest in this project. If you would like further information, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Ronald R. Knoche, PE City Engineer City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Phone: (319) 356-5138 Fax: (319) 356-5007 Email: ron-knoche@iowa-city.org From: Lynn [mailto:l.vining@mchsi.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 4:14 PM To: cou ncil@iowa -city.org Subject: Traffic light at intersection of Cameron Way and Mormon Trek Dear Council Members, I had contacted the city planning/traffic engineer last fall to request information regarding accidents at the Walden Square/Cameron Way/Mormon Trek intersection. I was in the midst of preparing a petition for a stop light and crosswalk at this intersection when I was told by the City planning/traffic engineer in December that a stop light was approved by the city council, based on this intersection meeting the necessary criteria. She said that it would be installed this summer and I want to check on the status of this. Can you let me know the planned completion date of this? I truly hope this will be completed soon, and prior to the start of the school year for the safety of many teenagers who need to cross to attend West High. Sincerely, Lynn Vining 763 Elliott Ct Iowa Ciity, IA 52246 Phone 354-0775 7/13/2005 --:¢ [ L.{ ,Page, 1 of 2 Marian Karr From: Lynn [I.vining@mchsi.com] Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 5:34 PM To: 'Ron Knoche' Cc: 'Kathryn Johansen'; '*City Council' Subject: RE: Traffic light at intersection of Cameron Way and Mormon Trek Thanks for the information and I will look forward to having this done. Lynn From: Ron Knoche [mailto:Ron-Knoche@iowa-city.org] Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 8:11 AM To: 'l.vining@mchsi.com' Cc: Kathryn Johansen; *City Council Subject: RE: Traffic light at intersection of Cameron Way and Hormon Trek Ms. Vining: The 2005 Traffic Signalization Project is currently out for bid. This project will signalize the Cameron Way and Mormon Trek Boulevard intersection and the Scott Boulevard and Court Street intersection. The late start date for the project is August 1 and the contractor will have 40 working days to complete the work. The work should be complete by the end of September. Thank you for your interest in this project. If you would like further information, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Ronald R. Knoche, PE City Engineer City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Phone: (319) 356-5138 Fax: (319) 356-5007 Email: ron-knoche@iowa-city.org From: Lynn [mailto:l.vining@mchsi.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 4:14 PH To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Traffic light at intersection of Cameron Way and Mormon Trek Dear Council Members, I had contacted the city planning/traffic engineer last fall to request information regarding accidents at the Walden Square/Cameron Way/Mormon Trek intersection. I was in the midst of preparing a petition for a stop light and crosswalk at this intersection when I was told by the City planning/traffic engineer in December that a stop light was approved by the city council, based on this intersection meeting the necessary criteria. She said that it would be installed this summer and I want to check on the status of this. Can you let me know the planned completion date of this? I truly hope this will be completed soon, and prior to the start of the school year for the safety of many teenagers who need to cross to attend West High.. 7/15/2005 Page 2 of 2 Sincerely, Lynn Vining 763 Elliott Ct Iowa Ciity, IA 52246 Phone 354-0775 7/15/2005 TIME East bound Cars ... Vans ... SUV's ~. Trucks.. west bound Cars .~. Vans .~ ,/~.~) 6:00-7:00 26 13 4 3 6 51 19 5 7:00-8:00 128 70 22 12 24 139 66 21 8:00-9:00 97 51 21 15 10 134 68 18 10:00-11:0, 84 48 11 13 12 113 58 25 11:00-12:0, 77 40 11 13 13 91 46 13 12:00-1:00 85 43 12 15 15 100 55 16 1:00-2:00 101 48 11 22 20 124 59 21 2:00-3:00 86 47 12 12 15 113 63 12 3:00-4:00 134 73 20 18 23 178 108 24 4:00-5:00 191 118 19 27 27 158 86 26 5: 00-6:00 197 125 18 29 25 131 90 17 6:00-7:00 85 43 16 13 13 89 49 19 7:00-8:00 75 55 6 5 9 78 53 8 8:00-9:00 43 27 5 4 7 43 27 5 9:00-10:00 43 27 6 7 3 29 23 2 SUV's.~ Trucks~ total ~ 9 18 77 20 32 267 26 22 231 16 14 197 16 16 168 9 20 185 24 20 225 15 23 199 22 24 312 23 23 349 14 10 328 13 8 174 12 5 153 7 4 86 3 1 72 3023 Date: July 13, 2005 To: City Council /'l, ,z/j/7 From: Eleanor M. Dilkes, City Attorney Re: Initiative Petition Re: Medical Marijuana Use On your agenda for July 19 is a review of the Clerk's certificate of insufficiency regarding the initiative petition proposing a policy for medical marijuana and paraphernalia possession prosecutions. Marian Karr's memo explains the process she filed in checking the petitions against the voter roles. In essence, of the 4,275 signatures presented by either original or supplemental petition, only 2,235 could be verified as registered voters. The Charter requires a minimum of 2,500 signatures of registered voters. Section 7.04B of the Charter provides that the petitioner may request that the Council "review the certificate" and "rule upon the sufficiency of the petition." In the past, all initiatives and referendums have been certified as sufficient. Thus, we do not have a protocol for Council review of a certificate of insufficiency. In my opinion, because the Charter requires Council to review "the certificate" rather than the petitions, Council review of the actual petitions (signatures) is not intended. I believe Council need only review the certificate in light of information provided by the Clerk, any comments by the petitioner, and the language of the Charter. If, under the language of the Charter, the certificate of insufficiency demonstrates that the requirements of the Charter for an initiative petition were not met, the Council must approve the certificate and rule that the petition is insufficient. For clarification, I'd like to comment on a couple matters. First, following the Clerk's certificate of insufficiency, I met with the petitioner and his attorney, Chad Thomas, discussing both procedural and substantive aspects of the initiative. Mr. Pappas shared with me that his strategy on the first petition submitted was simply to secure 2,500 signatures so as to meet the requirement of the Charter that the original petition must have 2,500 signatures on its face. Thus, when Mr. Pappas notes in his July 11 letter to Council that "petitioners were given absolutely no restrictions on signers based on their being qualified electors, or even Iowa City residents," he was, I believe, referring to his strategy as opposed to any direction he received from the City Clerk. Second, as you know, the Charter was amended this year to require that the initial petition with the minimum number of signatures be filed at least 110 days prior to the State ballot deadline in order to allow sufficient time for the Clerk's certification, supplementation of the petition if insufficient, and consideration by the City Council prior to the ballot deadline. I do not believe this change contributed to the insufficiency of the petition, as previous initiative efforts have been successful with a much shorter time for collection of signatures. In this case, the initial petition was filed 15 days after the affidavit commencing the initiative was filed, and the supplemental petition was filed 41 days after the initial petition. In a 1997 initiative involving First Avenue, the initial petition was filed 7 days after the affidavit and the supplemental petition was filed 3 days after the initial petition. The supplemental petition was sufficient. Finally, Mr. Pappas' letter of July 11 to Council expresses concern that the percentage of valid signatures on the supplemental petition was lower than that on the initial petition despite "poorer tactics used to gather signatures during" the initial collection. While any number of factors may have contributed to this, many duplicate signatures were found in the second group of signatures, a factor that wasn't present with the first submission. July 13, 2005 Page 2 Please call me if you have any questions. cc: Marian Karr, City Clerk Stephen J. Atkins, City Manager Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager Sarah Holecek, Assistant City Attorney eleanor/mem/marijuana-petition.doc DATE: July 13, 2005 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk ~k~z'lc2 RE: Initiative Petition re: Medical marijuana use On April 27, 2005, I met with George Pappas on the procedures for filing an initiative petition in accordance with City Charter. At that meeting I outlined the requirements, deadlines, and procedures that he would need to follow, as well as the process my office would follow. Specifically, we discussed the requirement that those signing be registered voters and the benefit of the signer including a birth date in cases where there has been a change of address. A copy of the attached Exhibit A dated 4-24-00 review procedure was provided to Mr. Pappas. On April 28, 2005, Mr. Papas filed an "Affidavit to Commence Initiative or Referendum Proceedings". As noted in a memo dated May 2, 2005 from City Atty. Dilkes and myself, pursuant to our City Charter an initiative petition must be filed with the City Clerk at one filing and must contain on its face at least 2,500 signatures of registered Iowa City voters. Mr. Pappas' deadline for filing Petitions containing 2,500 signatures with the City Clerk ~vas May 13. On May 13, Mr. Pappas filed a petition, which on its face, contained 2,500. A list of all registered voters was ordered from the Johnson County Commissioner of Elections office. The verification process as outlined in the attached Exhibit A was followed. On May 31, the attached (Exhibit B) "Certificate of Insufficiency" was mailed to Mr. Pappas by registered mail. Additionally I spoke with Mr. Pappas by phone. I met with Mr. Pappas on Tuesday, June 7, and explained that if he wished to amend the original petition and submit additional signatures the City Charter provides for the filing of a "Notice of Intent to Amend" within 2 days of receipt of the Certificate of Insufficiency. Additional signatures must then be filed within 15 days of receipt of the certificate and verified in the same manner as the original submission. Mr. Pappas filed a "Notice of Intent to Amend" on June 8 and submitted a supplemental petition on the deadline date of June 23. On its face the supplemental petition contained 1,417 signatures exceeding the shortage of 979 required to meet the 2,500 total. The same verification process outlined in Exhibit A was followed. A "Certificate Of Insufficiency" (Exhibit C) was mailed to Mr. Pappas by registered mail on July 8. I met with Mr. Pappas that morning and delivered a copy of the Certificate to him during our meeting. A total of 137 staff hours was spent on verifying the original and supplemental petition. Initiative Petition re: Medical marijuana use July 12, 2005 Page 2 To summarize, the following are reasons why, in accordance with the attached procedure, signatures were found to be invalid: · 1.Signatures were illegible 2. The name was not on the voter rolls 3. The address did not match the name and there was no birth date 4. The signature was a duplicate, i.e. the person had already signed the petition In accordance with 7.04(B) within two days after receiving a copy of the certificate, the petitioner may file with the City Clerk a request that it be reviewed by the Council. A request was filed on July 11 and is attached as Exhibit D. Attachments U:marij uanapetition705.doc PROCEDURES FOR INITIATIVE PETITION FILING 5-05 · Accept if "on its face" signatures reach required total. (tally number indicated on affidavits); and meets the deadline (110 days before general election) · Order voter list (active and non-active) from Auditor's office, including address and birthdate · Verify each affidavit to the voter list to ensure each circulator was a qualified elector · Discount all out of town addresses unless: There is a birthdate that can verify the person is still registered in IC · All other verification follows 4-24-00 procedures attached. 4-2,4-00 If the name and address match, count it. (Birthdate is optional) If the name and address differ but there is a birthdate that can be verified with the voter rolls, count it. (Had situations where the petition address is outside of IC but WITH the birthdate able to verify. Appears individual moved outside of IC but did not change their address and is still a registered voter here.) If the name and address differ, and there is no birthdate given, cross it off. An "x" next to the name of the petition means it counts. For each "x" on the petition there should be an "x" on the voter roll. (This allows for a check for duplicate signatures.) Duplicate signatures are indicated on the petition by crossing off a name and "dup" in the margin. Shortened or abbreviated names are counted if the address and/or birthdate matches the voter rolls. (i.e. Kathy for Kathleen, etc.) If birthdate was incorrect but names and address match, count it as birthdate is optional. Illegible names or questions leave blank and Marian will make final determination. 410 East Washington Slreet Iowa City, Iowa 52240-i826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov, o rg CERTIFICATE OF INSUFFICIENCY STATE OF IOWA ) ) SS COLrNTY OF JOHNSON ) I, Marian K,. Kart, City Clerk, do hereby certify that I have examined the petition submitted by George Pappas on April 28, 2005, which proposed ~ policy for medical marijuana and paraphernalia possession prosecutions, and I find that it is insufficient for thc following reasons: 1. Of the 2,858 signatures submitted on petitions filed w/th the City Clerk, no petition contained the full text of the measure proposed as required by 7.03(B) of the Home Rule Charter; and 2. If the proposed measure is attached, the valid signature total would be 1,521 (short 979 of the required 2,500) Pursuant to Section 7.04(A) of the Charter a copy of this certificate shall be sent by registered mail to the petitioner. The petitioner may file a notice of intention to amend his petition w/thin two days (2) days after receiving a copy of th/s certificate. Petitioner may file a supplementary petition upon additional papers within fifteen (15) days after receiving a copy of this certificate. The petition may only be amended once for lack of the required number &valid signatures. Supplementary petitions shall comply with the requirements of Subsections B & C of Section 7.03, Home Rule Charter of the City of Iowa City, and within fifteen (15) days after it is filed, the City Clerk shall complete a certificate as to the sufficiency of the petition as amended. Witness my hand this 3 ln day of May, 2005. IgIar/a~. Karr, City Clerk Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me by Marian K. Karr this 31st day of May, 2005. O Nota"fS~blie in and hr Johns~'~ County, Iowa 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org CERTIFICATE OF INSUFFICIENCY STATE OF IOWA COUNTY OF JOHNSON I, Marian K. Kart, City Clerk, do hereby certify that I have examined the supplemental petition submitted by George Pappas on June 23, 2005, which proposed a policy for medical marijuana and paraphernalia possession prosecutions, and I find that it is insufficient for the following reasons: 1. Of the 1,417 signatures submitted on supplemental petitions filed with the City Clerk, the valid signature total was 714 (short of the 979 required to make the total 2,500) 2. The number of valid signatures on the original and supplemental petition combined was 2,235 (short the required 2,500) Pursuant to Section 7.04(A) of the Charter a copy of this certificate shall be sent by registered mail to the petitioner. In accordance with 7.0403) you may, within two days after receiving a copy of such certificate, file with the City Clerk a request that it be reviewed by the Council. Witness my hand this 8th day of July, 2005. ~City Clerk ~"2'~z4'4"/ Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me by Marian K. Karr this 8th day of July, 2005. Nota~l~blic in and fo) Johnson County, Iowa July 11, 2005 Progressive Approach George Pappas 532 South Dubuque St. Apt. 8 Iowa City, IA 52240 REQUEST FOR COUNCIL TO REVIEW CERTIFICATE Dear Iowa City Council Members: On behalf of Progressive Approach, a community based organization, I, George D. Pappas, request that the city review the certificate of insufficiency which was provided to Progressive Approach in regards to our attempt to place a medical cannabis initiative on the Iowa City ballot in accordance with Section 7.04(B), Procedure after Filing, of the Iowa City Charter. Based on signature gathering tactics which were implemented, we feel that the validity percentage of qualified Iowa City voters was significantly lower than expected. During the first phase of our signature gathering effort, our goal was to obtain as many names as possible in a short period of time. Petitioners were given absolutely no restrictions on signers based on their being qualified electors or even Iowa City residents. They were told to collect signatures from every willing individual. Using this strategy we obtained a validity percentage of approximately 55 percent. The second phase of our effort focused on gathering only Iowa City qualified electors, as defined by the Iowa City Charter. Only those registered to vote, and only permanent Iowa City residents were allowed to sign the second wave of petitions. Using this strategy we obtained a validity percentage of approximately 50 percent, or 5 percent lower than the first phase. We are concerned that the validity percentage of our second signature collecting effort did not reflect the improvement of strategies, but rather decreased despite significantly poorer tactics used to gather signatures during our first effort. Please take this into consideration upon a making a decision to review the certificate. Thank you. Respectfully,~._~ George D. Pappas