HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-04-20 TranscriptionPage 1
Transit Announcement
Lehman/At the May 4th meeting we are going to do something a little unusual, there will
be a public heating about the Transit system, the proposed changes to bus routes
and we will have that public hearing immediately after the Item 3, Item 4,
immediately after the consent calendar we will let that go for no longer than one
hour. But this will give the folks who ride the bus an opportunity to come down
and speak to the council without having to wait until it would appear later on the
agenda so, May 4th meeting, we'll have a public hearing.
Kubby/Excuse me, isn't that May 18th?
Karr/That' s.
Lehman/Is it the 18th?
Norton/Yes.
Kubby/Yes, that's what was out in the memo.
Lehman/I'm sorry, May 18th, all right.
Kubby/And then if there are a lot of people who still want to speak we'll continue that.
Lehman/We'll continue that, that's right.
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meeting of April 20, 1999.
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ITEM 2. OUTSTANDING STUDENT CITIZENSHIP AWARDS. (Weber
Elementary)
Lehman/This is from Weber School, if you guys would like to step up here. If you
would like to give us your name and then read your nomination.
Anant Handa/Anant Handa, my name is Anant Handa, thank you for selecting for this
award, I feel very honored. My family is also very proud of me. When my
teacher first told me I had eamed this award I was very happy. Some of the ways
I've contributed to my school and community are: I've been an active writer for
the Weber Works for two years. I'm also Safety Patrol captain. My job is to see
if my classmates are on duty and doing their job. I also keep all the other students
safe. I'm a conflict manager to, I help solve conflicts at school. I've played on
the Club West basketball team for a year, I've been on the Iowa City Kickers for
10 seasons. I've been a boy scout for three years also. And I would just like to
thank you again for this award. Thank you.
Travis
Meade/I'm Travis Meade. Hi, I thank you for inviting me here. I'm Travis
Meade, a 6th grader at Weber Elementary. I'm an active community in the Weber
community and try to set a good example for other members of our community. I
have been involved in various activities at Weber. I was one of the first tellers at
Weber bank when it opened four years ago. I was a teller for two years and then I
was on the Board of Directors. I'm a pupil helper for the special education class,
I help the students with various skills like volleyball, jogging, or kickball. I play
the trombone in 6th grade band and I am a safety patrol. I was involved in Club
West Basketball, Club West Wrestling and I played on the youth basketball team.
I was a member of the Weber Hospice Road Race team. I have been an active
participant in Jump Rope for Heart the last three years and I have been an alter
server at my church.
Lehman/I think there was a third student that wasn't able to be here tonight and I think
your here tonight to read that for her and would you give her name.
Trayis
Meade/I will accept, I will be accepting the award on Laura Smith's behalf. I
would like to thank you for choosing me for this award. It is an honor for my
family and me. I leamed the values of good citizenship from my family and from
school. I'm involved in student council as a student council officer, I help
organize different service projects. I'm also a captain of the school safety patrol.
I'm responsible for 60 students and also safety of all Weber students. I am in the
Rights of Magazine editor, I edit stories, cartoons, and poems for this publication.
Outside of school I'm involved in the Iowa City Girls Choir and piano lessons. In
all these activities that I do I try to pull all the Weber (can't hear) together
suggest responsibility, compassion, honesty, giving, perseverance, self-discipline
and respect.
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meeting of April 20, 1999.
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Lehman/Well I have certificates for each of you, you wouldn't happen to know a lady by
the name of Jan Grenko that works at Weber, would you? When you see her ask
her if she knows the mayor, she's one of my favorite people. Isn't that awful?
Well as you, and and also the young lady that's not here, you earned these awards
and I think that you should be very very proud of them, I'm sure your parents are
and we don't, we do this fun, we do enjoy it, but it's very significant and it's
meaningful and I hope you really appreciate what it does mean. I'll read what it
says on the awards and I'll give it to you. (Reads Proclamation).
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meeting of April 20, 1999.
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ITEM NO. 3b. MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS-
Iowa City's 160th Birthday-May 4
Lehman/The first one is a birthday proclamation. (Reads proclamation). Therefore, I
Ernest W. Lehman, Mayor of the City of Iowa City Iowa, do hereby proclaim,
May 4, 1999 as Iowa City's 160th Birthday and urge our citizens to remember the
rich heritage of our community.
Karr/Here to accept is Melvin Dvorsky. Would you like to come here and use the mid
down here please. Thank you.
Melvin Dvorsky/I am most honored this evening to be here on the behalf of the citizens
of Iowa City to receive this proclamation in honor of our 160th anniversary of the
founding of Iowa City and I want to commend our city clerk Marian Karr for her
hard work and leadership and helping to prepare this proclamation, I think we all
should be proud of Marian for the excellent job she is doing as our city clerk and I
thank you members of the city council, Karen Kubby, Connie Champion, Mike
O'Donnell, Ernie Lehman, Dee Vanderhoef, and Dee Norton, Steve Atkins, and
Dale Hellings, I thank you all very much.
Champion/Thank you.
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ITEM NO. 3c. Census 2000
Lehman/(Reads proclamation). Therefore, I Emest W. Lehman, Mayor of the city of
Iowa City Iowa do hereby proclaim Census 2000 as a top priority for all elected
and appointed officials and support the new Census 2000 committee in their effort
to encourage the community to place an emphasis on partnering with the U. S.
Census Bureau in achieving an accurate and complete count in Census 2000.
Karr/Here to accept is Chris Nolte ~'om the Regional Census Bureau.
Chris Nolte/Honorable Mayor and council members it's a pleasure to be here this
evening and I appreciate this oppommity. I told the mayor I would limit my
remarks to 30 minutes, I, he said he would do it even better.
Lehman/I assured him that was quick.
Nolte/
Unfortunately I did not bring the state capital back with me from Des Moines
today but we certainly do appreciate the place that Iowa City has played in the
history of our great state. Speaking just briefly about Census 2000, what does it
really mean, power and money. The Mayor very aptly noted in 1989, we had six
representatives in the U. S. Congress. After the 1990 Census, we now have five.
The Iowa League of Municipalities has estimated that each person missed in the
state of Iowa is $250.00 that that community loses. I was at the Complete Count
Committee meeting recently held in Cedar Rapids, and they figure they lost about
400 people in the lost count. If we take that 400 people and we take $250.00 per
each person, and take that over 10 years, that's a million dollars in funding that
they lost over the 10 years. We're all dedicated to a complete count. I am the
Govemment Parmership Specialist, I will work with Marian, with Steve, Dale,
whoever, we want to help Iowa City have a complete count. To catch those folks
who are what we call historically undercounted, the hard to enumerate. Those
people of color, of different nationalities, of different origins, to do what we can
to count every single person to make sure, because people count, that they are
indeed counted. Thank you, have a great evening, and I look forward to working
with you.
Champion/Thank you.
Lehman/Thank you.
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ITEM NO 3a. Iowa City Dandelion Week - May 2-9
Lehman/Our third proclamation I think is very timely, should be of interest to most of
you. (Reads proclamation). Therefore, I Emie W. Lehman, Mayor of the City of
Iowa City Iowa do hereby proclaim the week preceding Mother' s Day, May 2-9
1999 to be Iowa City Dandelion Week.
Karr/Here to accept is Rock & Jan Williams.
Champion/I can vouch for that, I have lots of Dandelion's in my yard and I also have
gold finches.
Rock Williams/This needs to be. (approaches City Attorney and whispers question)
Kubby/It's a legal question.
O'Donnell/Something secretive about Dandelions.
Lehman/More to this than meets the eye.
Rock Williams/Actually nobody stopped me at the door to see what was in this.
O'Donnell/Too late now.
Williams/This is Iowa City, thank heavens where we don't have to worry so much about
that. Thank you very much Honorable Mayor, members of the council for
entertaining such frivolity this evening, I know there' s a lot of important work
coming ahead. We did want to do this by we, I'm going to include my wife cause
she hasn't divorced me because of it. Because a dandelion really is a pretty little
flower, it's also a hell of a weed, when you don't want it someplace. And I have
dug dandelions out of places where I didn't want them but some years ago it came
to my attention that a great propoRRion of the amount of herbicides used which
may arguably bother our water tables, or drinking supply, in which definitely
cause an increase in the rate of doaglimphoma????? in the yards of people who do
spray their own yards. In any case, the dandelions seem to be one of the targets of
using these herbicides as well as crabgrass and a few other things. And well t hey
don't, they work, but you have to put so much herbicide on the lawn that some
people say that they can smell it when their walking past, I don't know if anybody
else has experienced that. Anyway, what we do is not say that you can't have
dandelions in your lawns, you can't route out the dandelions out of your lawns,
but just point out that the dandelion has a lot of good aspects to it, fun aspects. I
even found this dandelion fabric at a fabric store. And somebody sent me this
dandelion shiRR, dandelion seeds, full sun, part shade, spreads rapidly, required
little care, oh well, did anybody know that. I have here, I had to check with the
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city attorney to make sure I'm not going to cause anybody especially me get in
trouble. I have here two jars of walla, dandelion jelly.
Champion/Oh wow.
Kubby/And I assume there of dandelions.
Williams/Some little and some big, and I'm going to give two big ones to the Mayor and
First lady I encountered. Now I guarantee you this will not cause dandelions to
grow in your kitchen, or in your yard, homogenized fast dressed imported ~'om a
state I once lived in. And it probably has probably has more (can't hear) and
apple in it than it does dandelion but, it taste good, it really is made with the
nectar ~'om dandelion blossoms.
Champion/Well I've never had any.
Williams/You've never dandelion blossoms, if you ate any of the green parts you
weren't happy, if you ate just little by little of the petals, (can't hear).
Lehman/Thank you very much.
Williams/Thank you very much.
Lehman/I should point out that this is no way to be considered endorsement by the
council for young children to pick dandelions for their mothers on Mother's Day,
I think that's fine if they want to do it but we don't, we're not recommending that.
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meeting of April 20, 1999.
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ITEM NO. 5. PUBLIC DISCUSSION (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA) [UNTIL
8:00 PM.I
Lehman/If you would like to address the council, please step up to the podium, sign your
name, and repeat your name and you make speak to the council.
Jeanette Ockenfels/I'm Jeanette Ockenfels form Capitol House, we've been having a
problem with the cars. When I go across they don't bother me, when I go the
other way they practically, I had two taxi cabs practically running me down and
the light was red, they don't give me a chance to get across and I've heard about
two people that got hit by wheelchairs, one got knocked out and broke a hip one
time.
Lehman/Is this crossing Burlington Street?
0ckenfels/Yes.
Lehman/OK.
Norton/At what point.
Kubby/At Dubuque Street.
Lehman/On Dubuque Street right next to Holiday.
Ockenfels/Right next to Holiday Inn.
Lehman/Right.
Ockenfels/When I go across I have to push the button three times before I can get across
because there are so many cars. And I don't get a chance to get across but I want
to thank the city for having their program on TV, I watch it cause I don't come
here cause I'm not able to come and I really enjoy your speeches and stuff that
you have on TV. Thank you and have a good night.
Lehman/We'll check that timing on that light, I know that was a problem at one time but
we'll check it.
Karr/Mr. Mayor Jeanette also furnished us a petition on the matter if you'd like to accept
that as correspondence.
Vanderhoef/So moved.
Kubby/Second.
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Lehman/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Kubby, all in favor. Motion carried. All
ayes.
Kubby/JeaneRe was saying.
Norton/The point there Emie you remember at point we had, we had considered the
possibility of some median strips and mining lanes in the middle of Burlington
Street with some trees to make it more attractive but the price was beyond us at
that point but that would have made it easier if we had even a small median there
would be a little island for somebody to get across halfway wouldn't have to
make the whole trip, it is a difficult situation, I hope eventually we'll do that.
Lehman/I think your right but if I remember right the median didn't extend into the
intersections, they were back from the intersections.
Norton/Well no, there was a little taming lane there, there was.
Lehman/Well there's a tuming lane now.
Norton/Yea, but the median came up pretty close.
Lehman/Yea. OK.
Ockenfels/I've got another thing to say. I've got two artificial knees and I sure can't run
across, I'm afraid I'll fall.
Champion/Is it cars going through the green lights or is it cars turning right or left?
Ockenfels/Well they don't give me enough time, there's so many cars coming from you
know where they park.
Lehman/Right.
Champion/Right.
Ockenfels/They don't give me enough time to get across so I just when there's so much
cars I just push it twice and when it's clear I go across cause that's the only
chance I've got to keep from getting hurt.
O'Donnell/So the light's too short.
Ockenfels/Right.
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Lehman/We'll check it.
Norton/18 seconds.
Kubby/Jeanette was saying that going north, yea going noah across Burlington going to
downtown from home, was easier than going home so we should also double
check that the lights are the same time. I don't know why they wouldn't be but
just to double check them.
Lehman/Can't imagine.
Kubby/And I know we've increased the length of time but maybe we need to just push it
up a little.
Ockenfels/Thank you I appreciate that.
Kubby/Thank you Jeannette for doing that.
John Jones/I saw some other names on the list and I thought people might want to come
speak but I don't know if they have already. My name's John Jones. And
unfortunately Dean Thomberry's not here, but I went and printed up some stuff on
the Internet about the DARE Program. Just very quickly there was a study done,
this is 1998 story, study done from the University of Illinois. DARE, Kids in the
suburbs who were exposed to the DARE program, actually had significantly
higher levels of drug use than suburban kids who did not go to DARE program.
Professor Lloyd Johnston of University of Michigan, you know thousands and
thousands around the country have been exposed to DARE, if DARE's suppose to
be effective on a national basis then drug use especially marijuana even alcohol
and tobacco should have gone down but of course their going up so DARE's has
no effect. There's an article in the joumal's social problems academic joumal by
Wysong and Aniskiewriz and they said that the significantly higher portion of
students exposed to DARE used hallucinogen's that don't and of course there's no
lasting influence on students behavior from DARE's programs. There was
another study done in Kentucky students between 1987 and 1992 found no
different in the use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, alcohol, marijuana between
DARE and non-DARE kids. Of course another sad aspect about DARE it tells
kinds that you can say NO, but they also have the understanding that if you use
any drug at all it's bad and of course their parents use alcohol, caffeine, tobacco
all the time and so there suppose to somehow think that their parents are bad, yet
not bad, and we don't know about that. But the worse part about DARE is that it,
one of it's founders, one of the people who advised the federal government, or
excuse me at this point it was the government of California cause it started in Los
Angeles. And the federal government when they decided to adopt DARE said
that the program should be entirely scrapped and redeveloped so I think the city
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should not give accommodations to DARE officers for those grounds. But I came
of course to talk about the conscience of our police officers in our city because
we have from the Daily Iowan again, of course, reports about the last couple
weekends of arrests and last weekend it was only 32 alcohol possession and the
weekend before that it was 62 possession citations, or arrests or what have you.
And so I was thinking either we have a serious alcohol problem without youth or
we don't. And if we have a serious problem then the city needs to do something's
and one thing that occurred to me was forfeiture so I looked up the Iowa code on
Forfeiture and obviously if the city moved and demanded such from a judge or
magistrate I imagine they could close down bars that the police frequent so often
like the Airliner, or the Fieldhouse or what have you. I mean at least know where
the kids are going to drink. But it's apparently it's not a problem, cause their not
standing out in front and they wait until there kids go in and then they give them
a ticket. So I thought under the theme of "It takes a thief to catch a thief' I guess
we have a bunch of police officers who were youth offenders in order to catch
youth offenders. And I don't really see in any purpose in that because again if it's
a real problem that these kids are using alcohol then we should have some
ramifications, like higher crime rate, or more violence or something like this.
And if we had all those things god for bid then we would want to stop these
youth from drinking so we would post police in front of the bars, is obviously an
option, and I don't know why the chief police isn't here. But moreover we could
just simply seize the bars or ask the magistrate to seize the bars. So if the city
really wants to do something about crime per say or this alcohol problem I think
we should either post police out in front of the bars and/or just close down the
bars and there might be a little bit of opposition to that but probably not too much.
So thank you.
Kubby/Would you leave with us the DARE research?
Jones/Oh yea, I've got all of it. Sure Sure. I'll do that.
Kubby/And just give it to the city clerk, that would be great. I'd like to move to accept
that correspondence.
Lehn'tan/Moved by Kubby.
Norton/Second.
Lehman/Second Norton, all in favor. All ayes, motion carried.
Carol deProsse/Hi, my name is Carol deProsse and I'm from Lone Tree. I would like to
say that I didn't come to speak on the subject on DARE but I have read several
articles about really the failure of the DARE program and I think that it's really
difficult when we don't want our children to be drinking and we don't want them
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to be using drags that we hope something that we keep putting money into is
working and in reality when we all look around us we know that some proportion
of our youth are drinking and using drugs and that the DARE program really isn't
doing anything. And that maybe our money could be spent better elsewhere so I
would just like to second the remarks of the speaker before me. What I actually
came to speak about was a memorandum from the city manager, not a you know
memo, that I read about in the paper, and then went down and got a copy of. And
it was about the Capital Project proposals/Property Tax. And I just had. I have a
lot of questions but I have one question to the city manager. If the citizens should
initiate a petition drive to compel the council to have a vote on the expansion of a
library, how would affect some of the decisions that this council would have to
look at and undertake with regard to the two options that you laid out in your
memo?
Steve Atkins/It wouldn't change anything.
deProsse/So if citizens authorized a referendum to spend up to 15 million dollars worth
of bonds to expand the library, then what's the time table after that referendum
would be supposed it was approved that the 60 percent of the citizens who voted
yes then what would be the time table that the city council would have to take to
look at it's capital improvements project, it's debt levy and the obligations against
it, etc. so that the construction for the library could begin?
Atkins/I don't know, I'd have to read the law on that, I don't know that.
deProsse/Does anybody know?
Eleanor Dilkes/It's my understanding in based on conversations that we've had with our
bond council that although the citizens can petition to put that on the ballot the
final say would be the council.
Lehman/Carol we are meeting.
deProsse/So even under citizen initiative there you can not, I'm not saying that the city
council isn't, I'm just wondering, it wasn't mentioned as an option in the memo
and it certainly something that would arise and so I think the point is to address
the possible arising of it before.
Lehman/No, your exactly right.
deProsse/You know it makes sense.
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Lehman/We've set a meeting where we're going to discuss nothing but that memo as it
regards to the library, senior center, other things because we have to know how
we would handle that and we are going to.
deProsse/OK.
Lehman/A whole meeting for that along.
deProsse/Is that going to come before you meet with the library on May 17th?
Lehman/Yes.
Norton/Yes.
deProsse/OK.
Lehman/May 15th.
Norton/May 5.
Karr/The 5th.
Lehman/5th I'm sorry.
deProsse/OK.
Lehman/May 5th.
deProsse/Can.
Lehman/It's the only item that will be on the agenda.
Norton/A week from tomorrow.
deProsse/OK. I try to read the paper as closely as I can but in this very special case
could I just ask someone to call me it's now free to call Lone Tree and let me
know that when that meeting's going to be. My number is 6.
Lehman/It's May 5.
Kubby/May 5.
deProsse/Oh it's May 5, Oh, I'm very sorry, I miss, at what time?
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Kubby/8:00 here.
Lehman/8 in the moming.
deProsse/In the moming.
Lehman/Yes.
Kubby/Yea.
O'DonnelF That's the same thing I said, in the moming.
deProsse/Yea, I bet. Well anyway I'll try to be here. Thanks very much.
Lehman/You bet.
Kubby/(can't hear) I want to make sure I understood you right, if, these are all "if's," I
want to make sure people understand that. If the council was not interested in
putting a ballot a referendum for an expansion of a library and the citizens
petitioned for it and the electorate voted yes, the council could still say no?
Norton/No.
Dilkes/No, no.
Kubby/OK I misunderstood.
Dilkes/The petition does not require an election.
Kubby/I thought if the council said no to the petition I thought it went to the ballot.
Dilkes/No.
Norton/No.
Kubby/No, that's not correct.
Dilkes/It's different than our initiative and referendum procedure.
Kubby/Thank you.
Beryl C. Gillespie/My name is Beryl Gillespie and I originally thought this was a
meeting about the raise in the utilities as of every year.
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Lehman/That does come up later in the agenda.
Gillespie/Should I wait until then?
Lehman/That probably would be better.
Gillespie/Cause it seems to be kind of an add off of collection of materials.
Lehman/Well, that is on the agenda.
Kubby/That's what public discussion is for, for items that aren't on the agenda, so it does
have a scoot around.
Gillespie/I'm sorry, there was no set up here to know exactly the timing of the agenda.
Lehman/Well we don't know the timing. We know when we start and that's all we know
for sure.
Kubby/So please stick around for that.
Norton/Yes, there will be a chance, yea.
Lehman/Actually it is Item 15 which is going to come towards the end of the meeting. Is
there any other public discussion?
Karr/Mr. Mayor, 15 is the delinquent water.
Norton/It's water, #8.
Lehman/I'm sorry.
Karr/Eight is the public hearing.
Lehman/Thank you Madan.
O'Donnell/It won't be so long then.
Lehman/Eight, it's closer, your right.
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ITEM NO. 6.c PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
Public hearing on a resolution adopting and incorporating the Northeast
District Plan into the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan (continued from
March 30 and April 6).
Lehman/Public hearing is open.
Cole Chase/Hi, I'm Cole Chase and I'm representing the Home builder's Association.
Many of you weren't able to make it to the planning work session that we had
staff, members of the P & Z and several of our elected officials as well. And I just
wanted to give you an update on where that, on how that's proceeding. The home
builders are reviewing the document, we're going to provide comments and
suggestions for areas we think might be approved. And as we discussed I believe
should have those to you in the next 15 days. We would ask that you continue
discussion on this.
Lehman/We have decided to continue to May 18. We decided that last night, we will
wait until we get the comments from the home builders.
Chase/Thank you.
Vanderhoef/Cole, I would just like to say that we specifically kept it at three councilors
so it would not be an official meeting so there were some of us that stayed home
because of that.
Chase/
I understood that, I just kind of wanted to let everyone know where we are and
I'm going to also do the same for the P & Z. I wasn't able to make it to last
weeks meeting because of another obligation but we will also inform P & Z as to
what has occurred as well. Thank you.
Lehman/Very good. Anyone else wish to speak to the Northeast District Plan?
Karr/Motion to accept correspondence.
Norton/So moved.
Vanderhoef/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Norton, seconded by Vanderhoef. All in favor. Motion carries.
Kubby/Move to continue the public heating to May 18.
Lehman/Moved by Kubby.
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Norton/Second.
Lehman/Seconded by Norton to continue the public hearing to May 18. Discussion.
Lehman/I think it's important that the public realizes that council is very concemed that
we have a good plan, we would like to hear from everyone and I think after the
May 18 meeting or perhaps before that council will sit down and discuss the kinds
of objections that have come up to this on this plan. And we hope we have it
really really down pat before we pass it so the hearing will be continued to May
18 but it won't necessarily end there. All in favor of continuing the heating,
heating is continued to May 18.
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ITEM NO. 6d. Public Heating On An Ordinance Amending City Code Subsections
14-5h, Site Plan Review, And 14-6s, Performance Standards, Regarding
Light Standards.
Lehman/Public hearing is open. Is there some. OK.
Dave Woodruff/As you may or may not know.
Lehman/Would you state your name first.
Woodruff/My name is David Woodruff.
Lehman/OK.
Woodruff/As you may or may not know, actually (can't hear) I need to go over those.
Rizzally?? 6 - 50 foot high poles holding together about 28 separate lights have
been installed on the City High tennis courts and this is sort of been a joint project
between the city and City High. If you all have a handout I might be able to, I
think the first page, maybe two handouts, the first page is the agreement between
the city of Iowa City and the Iowa City Community School District for the
lighting and joint use of the City High's tennis courts. I'll wait till you get that.
And that's signed October 30, 1998. According to this agreement, the lights need
to be on till 10:00 PM seven days a week, seven months out of the year. And the
lights generate about 3 million lumens and my home is about, my property is
about 30 feet ~'om the tennis courts and my home is about 60 feet from the tennis
courts and there are many other people like me who are close to the tennis courts
and I think if you extended it to 300 feet there would probably would be about 20
homes that were in that distance to the tennis courts. And I mention the 300 feet
because it's part of your city of Iowa City memorandum regarding the proposed
lighting standards. I have to read a letter from one person who can't be here and
then I guess I just wanted to sort of lay a little bit of the facts and figures out and
then I'd like to read a letter by Robert Olick who 's my next door neighbor who
couldn't be here tonight.
(Reads letter from Bob Olick)
Good evening, Members of the Council, my name is Robert Olick, and I am here
tonight with a number of my neighbors to voice our support for the city light
regulations and standards you are now considering. I am one of the nearly 40
people who signed a petition this past February objecting to the installation of
lights on the Iowa city High School tennis courts and that petition I think is the
2nd page of one of your handouts with the 40 signatures.
Lehman/Right.
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#6d Page 19
Champion/We have it.
Woodruff/We know what light pollution is. These lights do not merely touch upon our
property line; they intrude into and indeed through our home. Like other
members of the community who find light from neighboring businesses a trespass
and a nuisance, we are directly and negatively impacted by light pollution. In
fact, the power, glare and height of the tennis light far exceeds that of the business
locations the city has identified that would not meet the proposed standards.
From personal observation, the tennis court lights are brighter than the new car
parking lot lights of several auto dealers in the area. Our situation involves an
even more serious nuisance and a more offensive and outrageous invasion of
privacy.
But I am not here to plead our case before you. We continue to believe
that the school board can and should resolve this situation, though the board's
recent retreat into silence is inexcusable.
I do want, however, to identify three points of connection which have
wider implications for the issues before you and which warrant your consideration
and action.
First, I urge you to extend the regulations to set standards for public, not
just private, properties. If this is on the Council's agenda already, as I believe it is
- please make it a high priority. Failure to do so sends a disturbing message:
Private business has a responsibility not to pollute; but public property - and
public officials - are free to create light pollution and trespass upon their
neighbors without restraint. How can the city set standards for private businesses
while exempting itself from these very same standards?
Second, and related, as you know the city has contributed $10,000 to the
lights project at City High, and is under contract to share the ongoing expenses for
use of the tennis courts. The city's participation in this project should have gone
through a Special Exception approval process before the Board of Adjustment. It
did not, perhaps because City High is not designated a public recreation facility.
But this leads to the following question the Council should consider and answer:
Can the director of Parks and Recreation subvert a lawful public process by
striking a private deal to use city tax dollars to turn school grounds into evening
recreation facilities for the public? Failure to reign in such unbridled discretion
allows the same offenses to be committed again, and endangers public trust.
Finally, there is apparently some question as to whether the lighting
standards wil be applied retroactively. They should be - and the reason is simple.
To "grandfather in" existing lighting not in compliance with the new standards
gives free license to engage in continuing trespass and continuing nuisance. It
does nothing to redress the harm done - and that will continue to be done - to
directly affected residents and the larger community. We do not say to the
polluter - "it's okay that you have polluted our air, water, homes and community.
We'll live with the consequences, just don't doit again." We require that the
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#6d Page 20
polluter clean up the mess. Modifying lights is an easy fix - an easy clean up -
and would make a significant, positive impact on the Iowa City community.
I thank you for your consideration of these remarks, and urge the Council
to move forward in its efforts to improve the quality of life for all in Iowa City,
including those who make their homes near public lands and facilities.
Submitted by Robert S. Olick
Woodruff/Well contrary to this letter, I guess I am here to plead our case before the city
council.
Lehman/Before you plead our case further. I guess I want a point of clarification. Can
the city of Iowa City enforce lighting standards on another govemmental entity
naming the school board?
Dilkes/I think that' s an issue, that involves I think a pretty delicate balancing of interest
that is on the P & Z's pending list to take a look at that issue.
Lehman/Oh, it's on their list?
Dilkes/As I understand it yes.
Lehman/Oh.
Kubby/And it's not just about lighting.
Dilkes/And it's not just about lighting it's just about regulation of another public entity
in general.
Lehman/This is a priority for us.
Dilkes/The opinion from our office has been that is not impossible but we have to take a
good look at it.
Kubby/It's on the Planning & Zoning work plan but it's on the bottom of the list.
Woodruff/No doubt. Right. But actually that doesn't really matter because you are sort
of in a joint, well I'll get to that as we go through. Personally I just wanted to talk
about some of the people who have signed the petition, the 40 people, many of
which live very close the City High tennis courts. Many of them are retired, some
have lost spouses and they live on fixed incomes so it's not easy for them to just
get up and move. My wife and I were not able to buy our first house until we
were in our early 40's, now we're in our mid 40's, don't have enough money to
buy another one and probably will lose 10-20 thousand dollars in value of our
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#6d Page 21
own property because of the constant use of the lights. So I'll just go over, there
are 28, I'm sorry, there are 6 - 50 foot high poles combined they contain 28 lights
which each light is a 1000 or 1500 watts. Each light generates between 80,000
and 140,000 lumens and taken together that's about 3 million lumens for all of
them. They are not hooded, they are not, I'm sorry, and I'm almost certain that
one more than one foot candle goes into our homes so they violate that part of
your ordinance. And so they I mean completely violate all of the ordinances.
(End of 99-45 Side 2)
Woodruff/And they greatly go above the limited limitation of only one foot candle spill
onto other people's property. I'm kind of curious, I don't maybe is it Mr. Yapp
that was working on this noise ordinance in secret and was sort of going to
surprise you guys with it on the 20 something on November?
Lehman/No, no, this is something we asked them to do probably a year ago.
Woodruff/Oh, that's interesting, so I mean here I have Mr. Atkins signature on this 10-
30-98. I assume, did you know that they were considering the lighting ordinance?
Atkins/Yes.
Woodruff/When you signed this. Did you know anything about City High and who lives
by it or anything by it, did you know how much light would be produced, did you
have any facts or figures?
Lehman/David, you know this is done, and we're very concerned about this and we are
send a copy of the ordinance to the school district.
Woodruff/Yea, I think you got to hear me, you know, this is, you guys are unloading a
big burden on us and I think you need to hear me out.
Lehman/Well go ahead, but your going to have to wind it up.
Woodruff/So that's what I would like to know is did you have any thought or
consideration to the people who live within 50 to 70 feet of the tennis courts as to
how that would impact us and is it so important to have a few extra hours of
public tennis play at a court that is so intimately connected to the residents around
it. Did you give any consideration to that whatsoever?
Atkins/I gave consideration to the best of my knowledge. I'm getting cross-examined
here folks.
Lehman/I don't think you have to.
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Atkins/I can tell you what I did.
Lehman/No. I don't think it's appropriate that you raise.
Woodruff/The reason I'm making this statement is because right now the school and you
to some extent have basically been saying the lights are up, what can we do about
them now? Well if you take that stance basically you are rewarding Mr. Atkins
for either being incompetent and not knowing what the effect would be on the
adjacent dwellings or and I looked this up, deceitful.
Champion/I might be able to clarify.
Woodruff/Which is defined by the dictionary as "concealing of truth in order to mislead
or trick."
Champion/May I just say something?
Woodruff/Yea.
Champion/If this had been a city project, that we were in charge of, we would have
followed our good neighbor policy and you would have been called in to discuss
it.
Woodruff/So what's the difference?
Champion/I don't think it's ever entered Mr. Atldns' mind that the school district
wouldn't have done the same thing.
Woodruff/Mr. Atkins' is paid $117,000 a year, and I think that his mind should be able
to figure these things out.
Champion/(Can't hear).
Kubby/I don't have a problem this kind of discussion cause that, I mean.
O'Donnell/I do.
Kubby/We are accountable to you as a citizen is.
Woodruff/Well yea I mean I'm trying to say if you take.
Kubby/I think talk about this is good.
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Woodruff/Yea, your going to reward Mr. Atkins for I would either label it as
incompetent or deceitful behavior by saying well the lights are up, nothing we can
do about it, now tough luck. And if you take that attitude I think that's the kind of
behavior your rewarding and your telling your city administrator, if you think
there might be a problem just don't tell the people, do the project. We found out
that the lights were going up when the workmen started putting the lights up and
not before. So I think that's important, I'm trying to make an important point.
That about I think, so it doesn't matter now if the city has jurisdiction over the
school or not, I think what the city should do is withdraw from the contract, just to
tell City High that the lights need not be used for public play. They can use them,
you can tell them they can use them all they want for students at City High but
that they should not be used by the public, and I say this why, all Spring, Summer
and Fall tonight included. I will go home to my house every day and if I want to
sit on my deck yard and try to enjoy a sunset and let the quiet of dusk descend I
will not ever be able to do that all Spring, Summer or Fall, every night those lights
will be on. Their, like I said very close to my property line and many others
property line. We really can't even have the windows open, we have to have the
windows draped pulled, several layers of drapes pulled over the windows to
prevent the light from coming into our house. If we don't keep the window
closed the curtains won't stay closed enough they'll blow in the breeze and the
light will come in. I don't think that is an appropriate use, your having a very
detrimental affect on our property values and on the enjoyment of our property for
a very very small benefit to the public. I mean the people who are going to pay
for the light are us through the loss and property values that it's going to have on
us. And I would like to know, are you willing to do that, and if not what are you
willing to do? I sir, this is not exactly a statement, I would like a response now.
Lehman/I can tell you we are pursuing this, we talked about last night. How we pursue
it, how we resolve I think we really probably don't know fight now. But we are
pursuing it, I mean your the only person whose been offended by this obviously.
We have heard from a lot of folks, it's been in the newspaper.
Woodruff/Yea, I've. I also want to tell you especially I mean in there is, part of your
handout there is a, a meeting was held between the City of Iowa City, I think this
was about the third or fourth page. The City of Iowa City and the city school,
City High School, we had a meeting with some of the neighbors in August of
1996 and at that time, 34 out of 70 households who responded to a survey found
the noise from City High to be annoying and so did you know about this? I mean
putting the lights up and extending tennis play until 10:00 is not going to help the
noise problem. I mean this is.
Atkins/I live near City High sir, I'm familiar with the noise.
Woodruff/Excuse me.
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Atkins/I live near City High, I'm familiar with it.
Woodruff/You don't live near me.
Atkins/No sir I don't.
Woodruff/And you don't live near the tennis courts.
Atkins/No I don't.
Woodruff/And I think, if you live on the north side of City High your completely
immune from all of this, if you live on First Avenue, you live on Third Avenue,
you live on Dunlap Court, you live on Fourth Avenue, those are the people who
are getting it. I mean you said that, John Balmer said that, everybody says we live
close to City High, we know the problems. Well you don't live where we live.
Cause if you did the lights wouldn't have gone up. If any of you lived where we
live the city would have never gave them $10,000 for this project. And I would
like to ask that we be considered as you would consider yourself. And so your
going to pursue it, that doesn't tell me very much.
Lehman/I don't know exactly how we can pursue it, but you can.
Woodruff/Why don't you just withdraw from the agreement and tell them that's no, they
need not have lights on for the public.
Lehman/Well I don't even know if that's legal, obviously I can't.
Woodruff/That's legal, they can keep your $10,000, you can just tell them that's OK,
you don't need to have the lights on for the public.
Lehman/Well I don't know that that's correct legal advice and we certainly wouldn't
(can't hear).
Woodruff/I don't, there's nothing legal about it.
Dilkes/Not necessarily no.
Woodruff/Don't have them on for the public.
Kubby/I guess David I'd like to see a different kind of resolution. Because I think it
could be a good partnership and I think the problem we've had is that we made
the assumption that there would be a public process there, that there would be the
same kind of process that we've been evolving over the years to make sure, we
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meeting of April 20, 1999.
#6d Page 25
communicate with people on the from end of these kinds of projects. And we're
still leaming about that process and I think we made the assumption that the
school district would do that and that that wasn't correct in this instance. And so I
still think it's a good partnership, where instead of the city building more tennis
courts and lighting them, maybe to a more reasonable level and the school district
doing that same thing. Why can't we work together so I guess we made a
resolution cause really our pursuing it, my understanding from last nights meeting
was that we're going to send them a copy of our lighting proposed lighting
performance standards.
Woodruff/Period and that's.
Kubby/And I agree with you that that's maybe not sufficient. I but I, Connie was saying
last night that the school district, and you may have a different perspective on this
is, looking at with the person who sold them the lights, what can they do to shield,
the question I would want to ask as a neighbor who's also very light sensitive
because I live near HyVee and Walgreens. Can the pole's light the court so that
people can have use of it without having that trespass, can the pole' s be shortened,
can the lights be reduced, do you really need that many bulbs, do you need that
many poles, how can they be shielded So? If those questions are being asked and
pursued at the school district I would, I could see the city having a role, because
we do have money although didn't come through here so we weren't really aware
of this until neighbors perceived a problem. That we could help make sure those
questions get answered by just doing follow-up, because in essence we are a
neighbor, because the city is a neighbor. And so why couldn't we ask those kinds
of questions to make sure that they keep on getting information and seeing how
satisfactory the answers are and if their not satisfactory then figuring out what our,
what are our options that would be positive options so that you can enjoy your
property, people could play tennis and hopefully that will happen.
Woodruff/Well I I.
Kubby/I hope that there could be, and I would like to see, I guess the continuing my
individual answer to your question, what could we do? Is that we could be a
major, a more major player in this conversation than sending the ordinance, that
we do some follow-up questions and just make sure the ball keeps rolling so that
the lights can (can't hear).
Champion/The only reason I disagree with you Karen is I know the school district is
working on this and I think you have to let that evolve and then if nothing
happens then I think it's up to more of us to step in. But I think they are working
on it so we should back off and let them see if they can find a solution.
Norton/I don't want to back off.
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#6d Page 26
Woodruff/Why is it your party to it?
Champion/We'll we're not backing off, what I mean their working on it.
Woodruff/You've donated $10,000 towards it, why should the city, why should you let
the school take care of the problem? Why, I don't see why you can't be.
Champion/It's their property for one thing.
Woodruff/OK, well then just tell them just null your agreement then, if you have
absolutely no control. The reason the school put up the lights supposedly is so
that the city, so that City High students studying tennis will have more time to
play during the Spring primarily. That's the only use they want to make of those
lights. They don't want to make any other use of those lights. The reason their
going to make other uses of them is that they have an agreement with you. I'm
just asking you to say you do not need to do that.
Champion/That is a possibility of course.
Woodruff/It's a possibility.
Norton/I think we should do everything. I really think we should, it's an intolerable
situation.
Champion/Well it is, it's terrible. I would be.
Norton/We just have to do everything we legally can to correct this situation, it just
cannot be allowed to exist that period.
O'Donnell/I agree with you Dee but there's a process we.
Norton/I understand but in the meantime these people are suffering and I just want this
stopped and get in gear and do everything we can.
Woodruff/NATO is &opping the bombs on KOgOVOian's are being massacred and
what their going to do is their going to try to keep track of whose massacring who
so that after the massacre they can bring them to trial. Well that's sort of what
your telling me is well we'll let the lights be on and maybe in a few months or a
few years we'll figure out something to do. And I mean we're and I'm going
home tonight and that's what I'm going to see and that's what I'm going to hear.
And I just you know your going to work on it and I appreciate what you said
Karen but I think I would like a little bit more commitment. And what's going to
be done?
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Kubby/OK, a specific thing we could do is just keep track of where the school district in
their process so that we know when their done cause otherwise we 're, I mean we
may know through you or from the neighborhood, but if we can just be in
communication with the school district, find out what is their current time flame
for figuring this out, let us be informed of their time frame so we can do follow-
up.
Champion/Well don't we have a meeting coming up?
Lehman/Are they going to be at our meeting Thursday?
Norton/Yea, we brought it up.
Lehman/We have a meeting, a joint meeting on Thursday with.
Norton/Here.
Lehman/The board is suppose to be in attendance I will assure you we will bring this up.
Woodruff/Can we attend that meeting.
Karr/It's at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. The item itself is not on the agenda.
Norton/But we'll bring it up under other business then.
Lehman/We'll bring it up.
Norton/But it seems to me we brought it up the last time we met with them.
Champion/Yea.
Norton/I remember asking Jerry about it.
Lehman/No, but I think Karen's point is very good, they've said their going to look, I
think we need to know where they are.
Norton/0K.
Lehman/In the process (can't hear).
Norton/0K, but let's, I say let's put on a little pressure.
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#6d Page 28
Woodruff/Well I have invited Ms. Mires to my house twice and I write it, invited all the
school board members to my house and I want to extend an invitation to you, you
can come any night, any time, and you can see the effect of the lights for yourself.
I'm sure that there is no other tennis court or any other athletic facility that
belongs to the city that is lighted at night and is this close as these tennis courts
are to a residential district.
Champion/Oh, I think that's absolutely true.
Woodruff/And I think it was an inappropriate expenditure of $10,000 and so I guess we
will patiently await the actions you may take but I think that if the basically,
solving the problem is going to cost money. And the school doesn't have a lot of
money and so it's going to cost money, if you don't want to pay the money for
fixing the problem then all you need to draw is withdraw from the agreement. Let
the City High have your $10,000, say it was a mistake, the cost is too high to the
people who live near the courts and you don't need to leave the lights on, that's a
very simple and inexpensive way out of this problem.
Champion/Is that possible Steve that we could do even temporarily, ask them not to tum
those lights on until the problem is resolved, like can we do that as a (can't hear) I
think that's a good idea.
Atkins/You can ask them to do anything.
Woodruff/Well thank you.
Champion/As a temporary solution.
Dilkes/I'm not sure the assumption be, and I haven't talked to the school board about it,
but the assumption that simply as you say withdrawing from the agreement takes
care of the problem. All this does is gives us, gives the public those people within
our jurisdiction the fight to use these courts at other times, but if we would
withdraw that, that doesn't mean they can't have the lights on it.
Champion/Right.
0'Donnell/Exactly.
Dilkes/At other times that would be inconvenient to you as well.
Woodruff/(Can't hear) We have been told by the high school that they only wanted to
use the lights for the students who are studying tennis. That's the only use they
want to make of them.
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Kubby/But it doesn't hurt to ask.
Champion/For temporarily.
Kubby/I mean ifthat's what we can do at this point in time just to say "when the tennis
team is done with their practice to have the lights tumed off', until this is
resolved.
Woodruff/That would be, I would, that would be, I would think that is the nicest thing
that anybody has ever said because the school board has basically been
unresponsive.
Champion/I don't see why we can't do that and.
Lehman/Well we'll talk about it.
Dilkes/You can ask but you need, you need to do more than say we want them off, you
need to get their cooperation as well, that's why I'm saying just withdrawing from
our agreement is not going to do it.
Champion/No, that's not what we're suggesting.
O'Donnell/It's all their decision.
Vanderhoef/Karen are you making the assumption that it was only the team, I thought I
heard David say that he was that the school district was doing this for the tennis
students, which is in the Spring there are PE classes and so forth for tennis and
practice.
Kubby/But their not after dark.
Vanderhoef/But the practice time for the students.
Champion/Well their not objecting to that.
Vanderhoef/So it would like a.
Woodruff/No, the students can use the courts anytime they want, they can use it (can't
hear).
Kubby/Just about the lights, I'm not talking about the.
Vanderhoef/It would be during the school time that school is in session.
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Kubby/But the lights would not be on at time and I'm.
Vanderhoef/Yes they could be.
Kubby/That's not what I'm.
Dilkes/I just want to make sure it's very clear that this agreement gives us no control
over when the school district chooses to mm on it's lights.
Champion/We know that.
Norton/I think we try to find a way. I think we try to find a way. If that means
reconsidering our notion about grandfathering these lights, I don't see any reason
why we should leave a monstrous obstruction sit. Let's see what we can do.
Lehman/I think that we can probably, I can't image that we can't talk the school board.
And we're going to see them soon.
Champion/We're going to see them.
Woodruff/OK, I really appreciate that, we've been working on this now for about five
months and haven't made much progress, I hope you will give them some
encouragement to try to solve this problem. Otherwise you'll see me again.
Thank you very much.
Kubby/That's how the system works well.
Lori Benz/I'm Lori Benz, I live at 2012 Dunlap Court. Rob Olick and Dave Woodruff
are neighbors about three houses away from me. And I'd like to both comment on
your proposed ordinance, your amendment as well as amplify some of the
comments that were made here this evening and answer questions that you might
have them because I have been part of the neighborhood process in speaking to
the school board and following up what they propose to do. But I do want to read
this statement first. I support the proposed amendment of cun'ent lighting
standards in order to control both current and future light pollution. In particular
the recent expansion of businesses into areas that border residential
neighborhoods has added to the proliferation of lighting that often invades and
disrupts home based activities. These including sleeping, evening outdoors
enjoyment of one's property, and light reflection into areas of the home. I support
the proposed amendment to the city ordinance that would limit illumination to one
foot candles at the property boundaries. Require cutoff shields for lights greater
than 2,000 lumens and require that light fixtures in and within 300 feet of a
residential zone be mounted no higher than 25 feet. These are positive first steps
in controlling light trespass, but additional steps are needed if all residents of this
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#6d Page 31
city are to receive the same benefit of the ordinance. I'm proposing that the
ordinance apply to publicly zoned property adjacent to or across from a residential
neighborhood where the lighting on public property is placed within 50 feet of the
residential property boundary. This would address issues of safety as well as light
trespass. For example, the 50 foot light poles on City High tennis courts are
approximately 40 feet from the boundary of the Robert Olick property on Dunlap
Court. If these poles should be toppled in a storm they could potentially strike the
Olick home and power lines on the property. The tennis court lights not only far
exceed the proposed pole limits but also contribute substantially to light pollution
in the neighborhood. As Dave mentioned there are 28 lights of 1,000 watts each
which amounts to 105,000 lumens per light for a total emission of 2,940,000
lumens total when their tumed on and they are all tamed on at the same time. It's
particularly disturbing to know that the City of Iowa City contributed $10,000
dollars to this project which if compared to other public or private or public
lighting situations in Iowa City maybe one of the most serious light polluters. It
has also been distressing to neighborhood residents that neither the city nor the
school district provided timely notice to residents to allow them to comment on
the project prior to the light installation. Without the inclusion of public property
and current lighting situations in the ordinance there's nothing to prevent this
scenario from being repeated in other parts of the city. I'm requesting that this
council asks the Planning and Zoning Commission to place the issue of public
lighting trespass on the agenda of their next meeting for discussion and
recommendation and I also request that the council review it's allocation of
$10,000 to the City High Tennis Court lighting in consideration of the significant
adverse affect on the neighborhoods quality of life. And it has made quite a
difference. I live as I said about three houses from Dave, I know longer have to
turn my porch light on at night because it can illuminate the porch ~'om that
distance. So, the impact is pretty substantial and it just bothers me that you are
discussing a proposed lighting ordinance that I support but you have also
contributed to a lighting situation that is polluting significantly and this is a
dilemma that I would like to ask you to address and resolve. Thank you.
Lehman/Thank you.
LeRoy Knight/Hello my name's LeRoy Knight and I live on the West side of Iowa City.
I want to tell these people I feet very sorry for them I wouldn't be living there for
anything in the world. But I understand the board has nothing to do with that,
there's not much you guys can do.
Lehman/I'm not sure that's true.
Knight/Well I hope there is something, but at this point there doesn't seem like there's
about any much you can do about that. I do want to say that I was watching the
news and heard about this one candle light from businesses. And thought to
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myself you know, I lived out in Coralville in the Lantern Park area for quite some
time and I sort of liked that cause the HyVee lights drifted over and you could
walk at night and it was sort of nice and I grew up in the country so it was dark at
night in the country and that bugged me for a while but I got used to it. And
there's something the city's got to look at and I'm not saying millions of candle
power is needed. But to go back to some of these businesses which now I hear
that your thinking about maybe going back and making these businesses change
would not be a good thing. In our neighborhood at night my wife can't walk
cause it's too dark and she has some eye problems. And granted I wouldn't want
a 1,000 candle power powering into our window. But some of these businesses,
and I'm not a business owner I have none of that but we drive around a little at
night, and if I'm going to go into a business I'd like the parking lot lit, if it comes
to a fact that I can't walk down the street next to a parking lot and feel safe
because it's dark, I'm going to have a problem with that and I'd much rather have
a little bit more light coming from a parking lot than have to have the city put up
thousands more light poles in town and pay for that expense.
Lehman/LeRoy when we talked about this last night we turned off the lights off in the
chambers, give us a one foot candle so we had some idea of what it was. I could
read the material on this paper with one foot candle. So it, the one foot candle on
the property line would not, I mean you, there still would be light and we have I
believe that this would not grandfathered in, only when lights are changed.
Knight/I know but somebody mentioned.
Norton/I said they ought to rethink it because there are some situations that I think are
pretty obnoxious.
Knight/So, that's my thoughts. Thank you.
Lehman/All right, thank you.
O'Dounell/Thank you.
Jan Williams/Hi, my name is Jan Williams and I also thank the mayor for the
proclamation and did not join Rock because I wanted him to get all the credit for
the dandelion and to tell you that he has a wonderful way of making ~m out of
something that really is kind of serious when you think of the commercials, look
at the herbicide commercials and see who the villain is, it's the dandelion. But
that's not what I was here to address. This is totally a reporting of something that
I heard on NPR, it's probably in your lighting standards but I felt compelled to
bring it up, that astronomers are concemed about light pollution and that there are
ways of creating lighting that reduces it and the manufacturer of it, and it's
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#6d Page 33
probably in your lighting standards but I just wanted to make a plug for that.
Thank you.
Lehman/Thank you.
Kubby/And there are a couple different standards that do force new lighting to be
downcast and not come up above the light fixture to go down which is also
economical for the people who are doing the lighting. Your not lighting more than
you need for safety issues.
Lehman/And that' s in the ordinance.
Kubby And that's in the ordinance.
Lehman/Right.
Feather Lacey/I'm Feather Lacey from 307 3rd Avenue, Iowa City and I have a couple
comments I'd like to reiterate the problem with City High lights and I know
you've heard enough about that so I won't spend a long time on that. But also I
guess I'm a little confused and I have problems with my neighborhood lights
shining directly into my house and into my windows in the past and I noticed here
it says one of the articles I read the current city standards and it goes on and it
says the source of the light should be shielded and located so the source is not
visible from the adjacent property. I would just like to put in since I haven't
studied this obviously that I hope it's already in your ordinance and if it's not I
would like to see that stressed, I would like this ordinance to cover if at all
possible residential to commercial and in addition to public properties. OK. And
it's a great idea. Thank you.
Kubby/It doesn't currently cover residential lights.
Norton/Is that about neighbors lights you mean, yea, a big yard light or something?
Kubby/Right, a neighbors porch light or something. It does not, Eleanor is that fight?
Franklin/The proposal does not cover single family residential, it covers regulations on
multifamily residential. And protections for single-family residential and
multifamily residential properties. But the controls are basically on multifamily,
commercial and industrial.
Kubby/And the current performance standards are the same, or do not include residential.
Franklin/The current performance standards control only commercial and industrial
development.
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Norton/So, somebody could have a humongus yard light that's pretty obnoxious to the
neighbor.
Franklin/A single-family residence could have a field light and it would not be controlled
at this point.
Lehman/Anyone else care to speak to the ordinance?
Woodruff/I'll be very brief, you might be interested, there' s the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America you can get at it on the web. They publish standards
for all kinds of things. I think one thing they recommend is .5 foot candles for
parking lights at night so I mean I'm just telling you this because you might be
able to find you some information them that will help you decide on your
ordinance.
Kubby/Mr. Mayor could we decide (can't hear) after that joint meeting that we
communicate what we've heard or what we plan to do to the neighbors so they
know, I'm not going to be at the joint meeting, I'm going to be out of town so,
Lehman/Well I think that.
Kubby/Even if a call from you or somebody to let them know what the flavor of the
conversation was if there.
Lehman/Or.
Kubby/Kind of a resolution.
Lehman/Or if they choose to attend that meeting, there might not be a chance for public
input but that meeting is at 4:00 on Thursday at the Johnson County Fairgrounds
and the public would be invited to observe.
Kubby/This would be under the category of other agenda items so it would be at the very
end. But there's always good munchies at those meetings.
Lehman/Is there any discussion from council?
Norton/We've already had a fair amount, I think, there are to many things we've got to
look at it still I think yea.
Lehman/Well are we proposing the public hearing?
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Kubby/I guess I would suggest that we continue the public heating in case there are, we
want to.
Lehman/We need a motion.
Kubby/I move to continue the public hearing to whatever the next date is, May 4.
Vanderhoef/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Kubby, seconded by VanderhoeE Discussion. All in favor. Motion
carries. The heating will be resumed on May 4.
Kubby/Thank you for coming.
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ITEM 6.g. (1) Annexation Of Approximately 10.3 Acres Of Property Located East
Of Benton Boulevard At Washington Street. (ANN99-0002)
Lehman/Public hearing is open.
Larry Schnittjer/I'm Larry Schnittjer from MMS Consultants I'm hear to answer any
questions you may have about this annexation and think most of the discussion is
going to be about the next item so I'll wait to open that one up.
Lehman/Are there questions for Larry regarding the annexation item?
Kubby/We wanted some clarification as what kind of collapsing we're collapsing, and
there was a question about whether that was due to a factor that had to do with
construction costs and/or?
Schnittjer/Can I interrupt you a minute? That will not occur because the condition
zoning agreement have not been completed so we're going to continue the hearing
tonight and hopefully we'll be able to vote and or close the public hearing next
meeting and vote that time and.
Dilkes/Yea, I think that's information you don't know but that developed in that because
we don't have the signed CZA yet, we're going to be, we're going to close the
public hearing on this side.
Lehman/Right.
Dilkes/And the next item we're going to continue the public hearing.
Kubby/And is it because there's no problem with the agreement on the CZA it's just a
matter of finding people to get the appropriate signatures.
Schnittjer/There was a problem with some information they got included in it that wasn't
suppose to be there.
Kubby/OK.
Lehman/Well that will be clad fled by the next meeting.
Kubby/Thank you.
Lehman/OK. Public hearing is closed. (Reads part of 6h(1).)
Dilkes/We need to go back to 6g(2).
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Vanderhoef/A resolution.
Dilkes/We need to defer that resolution.
Kubby/Move to defer the resolution g(2).
O'Donnell/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Kubby, seconded by O'Donnell to May 4.
Dilkes/May 4.
Lehman/All in favor. It passes.
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ITEM
6h(1). Conditionally Changing The Zoning Designation Of
Approximately 14.83 Acres Located East Of Scott Boulevard At Washington
Street From Medium Density Single Family Residential (Rs-8), Low Density
Multi-Family Residential (Rm-14) And County Suburban Residential (Rs)
To Planned Development Housing Overlay (OPDH-8; 8.37 Acres), Low
Density Single-Family Residential (Rs-5; 5.63 Acres), And Low Density
Multi-Family Residential (Rm-12; .83 Acres), And A Request For A
Preliminary OPDH Plan To Allow 74 Dwelling Units On 8.16 Acres. (Rez99-
0004)
Karin Franklin/I just wanted to point out for the public that the number in terms of the
units has changed ~'om 72 to 74, this is a consequence of when looking at the
building footprint that there was enough space there to make 2 units larger or add
an additional two units, one in each building, and we had some discussion of that
last night at the work session. The determination's been made by the City
Attorney's office that this is not a substantive change which would require it to go
back to the Planning and Zoning Commission. And so if the council after hearing
the public heating is amenable to that the applicant would like to have this be 74
dwelling units as you read. Thank you.
Vanderhoef/Last night Larry I asked about the number of units that would hold a double
occupancy versus a single. Could you give me those figures?
Larry Schnittjer/I don't have an accurate breakdown on the number of one bedroom and
two bedroom units but there are quite a few, is it about half and half or.
man in background/(can't hear).
Schnittjer/60 percent one bedroom and 40 percent two bedroom and there's no
requirement that a single bedroom be for a single person.
Vanderhoef/Yea, thank you.
Lehman/Well and also we'll be continuing this hearing so if that is different than a 60-40
you can let us know May 4.
Schnittjer/Yea.
Vanderhoef/Thank you.
Schnittjer/We have some colored illustrations here if the council would like to see them
now or would you rather wait till a couple weeks?
Lehman/I think it would be better that we do that all at once unless council.
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Norton/Yea, let's see them, I'd like to.
Lehman/Oh, council would you like to see them?
Norton/Or do you want to do it later?
Lehman/We'll see them later.
Norton/I'm sorry if we're going to see them later that's enough.
Lehman/Well we're going to continue the public hearing.
Norton/That's fine if we're going to see them next time.
Lehman/We're going to go through a.
Schnittjer/To save the time.
Kubby/I hope to belabor this but if people see them now they might have some
comments positive or negative to come to the continued public hearing.
Norton/Yea, he's brought them already, let's see them.
Kubby/See them now would logically work.
Norton/I was the one that was asking for pictures so I should want to see them.
Schnittjer/I'll show it to the council first and then.
Champion/Oh, that's great.
Schmttjer/This is the easterly elevation (walked away from mic).
(End of 99-48 Side 1)
Schnittjer/(walked away from mic) Looking at it from the east, it's (can't hear) looking
at it looking down the hill fi'om the (can't hear) just holds it up on top. The
westerly elevation is similar except it does not have this small roof line here. And
it does not have an anchor in this location.
Norton/Maybe because it has a big pond out in front.
Champion/Looks nice.
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O'Donnell/It's excellent.
Champion/It really is nice, it's broken up nicely.
Vanderhoef/One of the things that I hadn't caught until Larry told me afterwards last
night was that this building is dropped down into the hillside by 16 feet, is that
what you said?
Schnittjer/The lower level of this building will be 14-16 feet lower than the existing
houses in the higher elevation.
Vanderhoef/But decreases the total height appearance.
Schnittjer/From that side.
Vanderhoef/As your driving along Scott Boulevard.
Champion/But it's only three stories. My house is three story.
Schnittjer/Are there any other questions?
Norton/Well I have a question, but if for you or Karin, I'm sure this will come up when
the thing is platted I suppose than now, but I'm curious about the street plan that
when Washington Street comes out and curves, does it curve into Scott Park
Drive is that the concept? In other words Scott Park connects with Hummingbird
doesn't it? With a bend in it?
Franklin/No, the way the plan is Washington Street would curve around to the south.
Norton/To the south.
Franklin/And Hummingbird Lane would "T" into Washington Street just east of the
development project that you just seen an illustration of.
Norton/It would "T" and so there would not make a very good continuation, other words
you'd came down Hummingbird you'd have a, would not be a good cut-through
in other words.
Franklin/If you came down Hummingbird you would have to stop and ram. And if you
were coming north on Washington off of Court, you would need to make a turn to
go up Hummingbird?
Norton/So Washington will terminate at Court basically?
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Franklin/Yes.
Norton/OK.
Schnittj er/(away from mic)/Well would it be there or would it terminate at Scott
Boulevard ends, Scott Park Drive will terminate.
Franklin/Well one or the other, what the name is.
Norton/OK. We'll have another of those cases with name change.
Franklin/We'll have a name change.
O'Donnell/Or lose it.
Lehman/Do we have a motion to continue the public heating to May 47
Kubby/We still have some public to hear.
Lehman/Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't see. I'm sorry.
Peter Fisher/Yea since I'm here I'd just as soon speak tonight. My name is Peter Fisher,
and I live at 3722 Hummingbird Lane. I'm here sort of informally representing
the homeowners who live on Hummingbird Lane and are probably most directly
affected by this project, most, closest proximity. We don't have, we've met with
the developer with talking to planning staff etc. and we don't have any objections
to the rezoning or the annexation or the project itself. I have to confess we were a
little taken back by the size of it, and I guess personally I think that something of
that scale has a particular obligation to be attractive because it has the potential to
dominate that area and I think we're very pleased with the work that the developer
and the staff and the zoning commission did in redesigning the building to
something that is quite attractive and certainly far more attractive than at least the
first sketches we saw. I would like to say one thing and that is that from our
perspective it would have been preferable that the area between us and this
apartment development or elderly housing development were formally platted on
this proposal and that we're considering it all of the piece there is just this narrow
strip of RS-5 between the 72 unit apartment building, it's fairly high density
obviously, and 5 homes that are very low density particularly by city standards, of
course we're in the county so we've got one-acre lots and our support of the
proposal of course because we are taking on faith that that buffer strip will in fact
be developed in the way that it's shown on the plan recognizing that it's not an
official plat and that it's only a concept. We've been assured by the current
developer that in fact when they do plat it or if they do plat it soon that' s what it
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would look like, of course we have no assurance that that current developer is in
fact the one who will be developing that property so I just wanted to go on record
saying that the plat does come in and look a whole different. There will be some
unhappy campers out there at Hummingbird Lane so. Thank you.
Kubby/With that comment, are there, we talked a little bit about this last night but are
there any reasonable or legal ways to create (can't hear) assurance?
Franklin/The tool would be the conditional zoning agreement because we are changing
the zoning now as it comes into the city from a county designation to an RS-5 but
when you put conditions on a zoning the condition should be a consequence of
that zoning. And to say that if your going to zone this property RS-5 it should
have larger minimum lot widths than is required by the zone which is 60 feet and
what's shown on the plat that Peter's referring to are 80 feet. It's very difficult to
rationalize why you need in that situation the 80 feet versus the 60 feet. Although
I would imagine that the neighborhood might be able to make an argument. But it
takes you to the point of saying well shouldn't we then just require for all RS-5 80
foot minimal widths if that is what is appropriate when you zone something RS-5.
Kubby/But couldn't you make the argument because this is an OPDH and because of
what's around it that in this particular instance that those lots are the buffer that
that is why this particular rezoning creates the need for those larger lots?
Franklin/And that the 20 feet is going to make a significant difference between 60 and 80
feet is going to make a significant difference in terms of the effectiveness of that
buffer. I don't know, I think it's a weak, it's a weak statement. It then comes
down to who is going to challenge it?
Norton/Karin is that what' s shown on the map that came out with the staff study that
was done March 18, is that what's shown 80 foot lots along there?
Franklin/Yes. I think they've been 80 all along.
Norton/All along so yea.
Franklin/Yea.
Norton/As compared to the acre across the way I see them. You have to make some kind
of a transition argument yea.
Franklin/Well I mean it's something that you know we run into as we're coming up
against property that's been developed in the county where it's developed at one
acre lot sizes and it's a question of"can the 60 foot lots or the 80 foot lots do they,
which one provides the better buffer." And I don't know.
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Norton/For transition yea.
Franklin/Yea.
Lehman/Karin who owns that strip that we're talking about.
Franklin/Either Bruce Glasgow or Plum Grove Acres.
Lehman/OK, so the developer wishing to build the housing development here does not
own that property?
Franklin/Yea. The elderly housing development.
Lehman/Right.
Franklin/Is being purchased by Mr. Mazzota or his company.
Lehman/Right, but that does not include, what is pictured as 80 foot lots.
Franklin/That is correct, that's correct.
Lehman/OK. If it were we could ask that that be part of the layout of the plat in
approving it.
Kubby/Well that will be the layout of the plat.
Norton/(can't hear).
Franklin/It will be yea, basically at this point we're looking at rezoning of property and
annexation and the next step is the plat.
Kubby/So the expectation is out there by the city, by planning and zoning, by the
developer and by the neighbors that they will be 80 but.
Franklin/Yea.
Norton/But if it comes in with 60 we're going to be in a tough spot to say no.
Kubby/So we won't have any legal standing to change that.
Lehman/Right
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Franklin/Our ability to require the 80 foot lots then I think would be less strong than
what we have right now.
Kubby/Can you say that again?
Franklin/We're in, sorry, that was kind of backwards. We're in the strongest position
right now to place a requirement like that on it. I'm questioning a little bit what
the terms of the conditions are and maybe it's a much more esoteric argument
than we need to have if everybody's in agreement.
Kubby/It just doesn't provide the protection if something happens with the agreement
because.
Lehman/Or if the property' s sold.
Kubby/Mr. Mazzota and his company may not have control over that part of it
eventually.
Franklin/Mr. Mazzota and his company will not have control over it. It will be under the
control of Plum Grove Acres or Bruce Glasgow, I don't know, he owns some of
the property as an individual. So when Mr. Mazzota buys the piece to put on the
housing for the elderly. That is all he will buy.
Kubby/So CZA's only work when the city and the developer can come to an agreement
and they both to agree with that. If we're both already saying this is acceptable,
why not.
Franklin/I think it's probably not outside the realm of litigation that a developer who
signed a conditional zoning agreement could come back against the city and argue
that it was signed under duress.
Norton/Oh, you mean like (can't hear).
Franklin/I don't know. I think we need to be careful with our conditional zoning
agreement's, that the conditions are related to the zoning that we are considering.
That's what the state law enables.
Dilkes/Yea, I think Karin has stated the legal standard correctly and certainly once an
agreement is reached and we put in our agreements that everybody agrees that
theirs the appropriate nexus between the requirement that's being opposed,
imposed and the public needs created by the rezoning. And I think it would be
difficult for a developer once having agreed to that to challenge that. The, but I
do think you cannot just say in a conditional zoning agreement were going to put
in place any kind of requirement we want to because the state law does require
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#6h Page 45
that their be that nexus??? so. And certainly if we were not willing to, I think the
challenge would come more likely if we were insisting on a sort of tentative
condition that the developer was not willing to agree to.
Norton/Well there are two kind of issues here, because in some sense you have a high
density on Lot 68, and presumably you would go to a moderate density and then
you would go to a comer density that would be one way of looking at it would be
are you for higher density along that strip rather than smaller lots, and then
coming from the other way your going from large lots to quote rather small lots so
I would suggest you want to make them larger. So it's kind of a tricky balance
we're running here.
Schnittjer/I don't want to belabor this any labor but I think this, this is kind of a
convoluted application and it involves three processes, you've got the annexation
of a portion of this ground, and the part that was already in the city. We've got the
proposed used on lot 68 which is one of three lots in a portion of this piece of
ground. And then we're rezoning the balance of the park that we're annexing that
we're not subdividing at this point in time so what it amotmts to is that this lot 68
which is the Arbor Development or whatever it wants to be called and that
particular project stands on it's own as far as density, we're not really borrowing
any density from the rest of the project. Everything is completely independent.
As Mr. Fisher stated, it has been the intent of the developer for several years
we've been working on concept plans for this area to have larger lots and the only
thing that could change that is if somebody else acquires this property because of
certain conditions that currently exist and then it might happen but I don't see
that. I don't want to be standing here when Mr. Fisher comes up behind me next
time around.
Kubby/I hope that's powerful enough.
Schnittjer/So I will be arguing along with this thing to whoever decides to develop it.
Champion/Well I think it a lot to your credit that you were able to appease the neighbors
and to come up with a design that pleased everybody and so I hope you continue
to do that.
Kubby/So, one of the reasons we were talking about having this collapsing tonight was a
deadline for some tax credits. Has that deadline been extended? Is there need to
be, one suggestion I made last night. If the city needed to write a letter saying this
process is continuing please grant the extension so you don't lose that funding so
that this, I want to to remain an affordable senior project.
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#6h Page 46
Dilkes/Let me interject, Karin correct me if I'm wrong but I think that issue is sort of
mute at this point because we are continuing the public hearing and we're
deferring first reading of the ordinance because the CZA is not signed.
Lehman/Right. Right.
Kubby/Right but if he loses, if the tax credits are lost while we defer and we could be
helpful in extending the time frame so that they aren't lost. Maybe I don't
understand what we're doing.
Dilkes/Well I don't think we're double collapsing anymore.
Kubby/Right, but we're extending the time frame and one of the reasons for the original
request to double collapse was the time frame for the tax credits. We're not
double collapsing anymore but our time frame is still extended.
Dilkes/Well, and if you, yes, certainly if you want that information.
Kubby/Is that an issue?
MazzottaJ No.
Champion/Appropriate answer.
Norton/You debated several non-issues.
Lehman/That much ado about nothing. Do we have a motion to continue the public
hearing and the ordinance until May 4.
Norton/So moved.
O'Donnell/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Norton, seconded by O'Donnell. All in favor.
Kubby/Move that we defer the first consideration indefinitely.
Vanderhoef/Second.
Lehman/I thought we did that. OK. Moved by Kubby, second by Vanderhoefthat we
defer the.
Dilkes/We don't want an indefinite deferral.
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Lehman/Pardon.
Kubby/Do we need a date?
Lehman/Same as the public heating.
Vanderhoef/May 4.
Dilkes/Let's defer till May 4. Excuse.
Lehman/Do we need to vote on? I thought we do.
consideration say Aye. Carries.
All in favor of deferring the first
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#7 Page 48
ITEM NO. 7. PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE FY00 ANNUAL ACTION
PLAN, INCLUDING THE FY00 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM (HOME) BUDGET, FOR IOWA CITY.
Lehman/Hearing is open.
Ruth Baker/It might be simpler instead of pulling the sticky off. My name is Ruth
Baker. I live at 515 W. Benton Street. And I wanted to take just a minute here as
contact person for the Miller Orchard Neighborhood Association. I want to take
this opportunity to publicly thank the Housing and Community Development
Commission for their recommendation to City Council to fund the acquisition of
park land for our neighborhood. There were many applications for funding this
year and we appreciate the commission' s recognition of the importance of green
space in our area. At a neighborhood meeting on April 15 we formed a committee
of eight people to ~mction as our neighborhood parks committee. I would like the
city council to know how enthusiastic we are and how much we look forward to
the thought of working with parks and recreation department to help in the
planning for this very positive project for our neighborhood. One of the members
of our committee, Esther Otto who has lived in her home on Benton Street for 53
years has already taken it upon herself to visit every park in the city in order to
gather ideas and see what might work and might not be beneficial to our specific
park. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of the commission's
recommendations.
Lehman/Thank you.
Champion/It's always nice to have people like you come and talk to us.
Judy Gerlitz/I'm Judy Gerlitz, I chair the board of Old Brick. And part of the reason
I'm here is just to say Hello, Thank You and to put to rest some questions that
came up when the grant came up. I've talked to Dee about them. As many of you
may know, Old Brick is the second oldest public building we have in Iowa City.
And I'm pleased to announce that architectural studies have showed that Old
Brick is structurally sound. That doesn't mean it doesn't need work as it enters
it's second century of existence. It's almost 140 years old, of course it needs
work. But Old Brick has gone to the members of the community and had an
envisioning session and tried to figure out what was the best use for the building
as we go into the 21 st century. And we really want to affirm that we see the vital
part of that vision is to provide a gathering place for this whole community. I
think in the past we hope by just having the building, the community would come.
Some have, some haven't. So we've started looking into getting funds so we can
have a program director who can actually go out and market it to the community
so more things can happen. And we hope that by revitalizing the whole
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auditorium it will be more attractive for the community to use. But I kind of got
ahead of myself here. I just wanted to tell you we've hired Kevin Monson as our
architect, he's in the process of putting together concepts and plans. We feel that
it might take a million dollars to really make the building beautiful, wonderful but
we think that will be done in small phases probably. The first priority is to stay,
you know help the outside of the building, tuck pointing, those kinds of things.
And then the second one is to redo the auditorium so that it is more attractive to
the community to use. But a vital part of these priorities is to make that second
floor auditorium available to all people of Iowa City. We need an accessible
elevator in it. People have gone up that stairs, and has reported on their back
sides, they've been carried up, they've been scared for life going up the stair lif~
that doesn't work and never has. So we really think it's vital to the life of that
building that we get an accessible elevator in there. The elevator where it's
planned would be fight down the hall from independent living. Their ecstatic that
they would have an elevator that they could get to the whole building. And
another part is the Agope??? Cafe which feeds the homeless, that only feeds the
homeless that can walk up the stairs. We hope that the funds we've received will
make Old Brick a vital active gathering place for the entire community as we go
into the next century. Thank you.
Lehman/Dee did you have any questions you answered on Old Brick?
Vanderhoef/I have gotten my answers on all of those thank you.
Lehman/OK, that's fine. Other comments from the public.
Kubby/I would like to ask a question of the committee.
Lehman/Yes, please do.
Kubby/And that will help me in my deliberations? And it's kind of the perpetual
discussion about the institute for social and economic development and my
question has to do with kind of the, (can't hear) for the public the request from
this organization for economic development project was $34,000 and the
committee recommended $25,000. With part of the reasoning being that the cost
per client seemed pretty high compared to other economic development programs.
And a couple of years ago, I can't remember how many it was but we requested a
couple of things of ISED, one was that they go out and look for other funding
sources which from information from them it seems like they have attempted to
do that and not been successful at getting funding sources for this particular group
of people that they've been successful at getting other funding sources for other
kinds of programs for rural Iowans, or some other category. That is not this
program. And the other one was that we felt that they needed to do some more
monitoring of their clients aRer they graduated from the program to provide
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support after they started their business and that takes people power which raises
the cost per client and so I'm trying to work through this kind of conflict that
we've kind of requested they provide this additional program which costs to do
but then we kind of dock them on points because their cost per client is higher.
And so I'm wondered if that conversation, that history is known if that
conversation had taken place to help me figure out how we deal with this.
Vanderhoef/No one wants to take the question on.
Kubby/When we get to the important program, it's our only economic development one
that made it through the process for internal and external review.
Maurice Head/I think that it was a request, for them to do some follow-up, in terms of
how effective is the program. Are the program going through the program, what
happens then, after they go through the process, in order for them to apply for
future funding we need to know, or the commission needs to know that the
program is effective and that there is some benefits. This may derive from
allocate the money originally. You know the commission has supported this
particular project for a number of years, probably 4-5 years in a row. And one of
the concerns was for them to, as you mentioned, to go out and try to find some
additional funding sources and as we request from all agencies to do that. That's
something that they have not, you know been as successful in doing. And in
tracking the program for the last four years, it appears to that their costs to provide
the same service has escalated each year and a lot of that I don't think is
necessarily tied to the fact that the commission asked them to do some additional
monitoring to let them know and to show some I guess some responsibility in
terms of is this program being effective.
Kubby/So the concem was not so much the cost per client that that cost per client is
increasing your (can't hear).
Head/That's right, the costs of the service increase incrementally each year. And in
some cases the number of people being served was decreasing as costs were
increasing.
Kubby/One of the questions I had was with not getting the full allocations, but, I guess
what is the expectation of the committee with decreased, without giving them the
full amount asked for. Will they be expected to serve the same number of clients
as in their application or serve more people?
Gretchen Schmuch/Prorate it.
Head/Prorate it, yea.
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Kubby/So their expectation is not to serve the same number of people but a prorated
amount to their costs of client. Thank you.
Head/Right, sure.
Norton/I wanted to.
Lehman/Any, yea, go ahead.
Norton/See ifthere's any other public.
Lehman/Go ahead Dee.
Norton/Well, I don't know who might respond to this but any one you, any one of
several of you. I really think the committee's done a terrific job as usual and
juggling all of the factors that are involved in trying to make decisions with
resources that won't cover all the legitimate and needy requests but three of them
have to do with facility rehabilitation that are extremely important I'm sure to
these programs, Salvation Army, the Community Mental Health Center, and you
might include the free lunch program in that, Lord knows they deserve a stove for
what their doing with the little money. And the other programs, all of them are
good but I'm worded about in the long range I see in prim the HUD may be
looking at a 50-80 percent cuts over the ensuing years if things go the way they
may go in Congress. I think the house proposing 50 percent cuts in the Senate,
over 80 percent over a period of years. And these are continuing needs, these
facilities, these continuing needs that I get worded how, and we know the house is
going to need a new roof or a facility is going to need a new stove or whatever.
So I'm trying to figure out if all the agencies involved here, these agencies serve
people beyond Iowa City I think the Mideastern Community Mental Health
Center, for example, I just want to be certain that and I've spoken to Steve about
this that as we move along next year that we look very carefully at everybody got
their shoulders to the wheel here. Their profiting from this because the city is
trying to stretch it's resources both in aid agencies and our funding from the feds
here, but we're going to probably need help from other sources in addition
particularly on those continuing facilities need. I don't, there not going to change
anything, I think you've done a wonderful job but I just worry about the future.
Lehman/Do you want to comment?
Vanderhoef/One of the. To follow-up on that comment. I'm pleased when I see these
agencies move forward and get their own facilities. However, once they have
their own facility I see it as a business practice to budget within that practice for
these facility needs that you know will come along. As Dee said a roof, or a
stove, or what have you and unless the board of those agencies continue to
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institute a business practice of putting some dollars away for those projects at
some point in time if the money disappears here, how are you going to keep those
buildings up? So I'd like to see more planning for their properties now to keep
them in good repair and I understand that that may well decrease the amount of
services that might happen at that time. However, if the building isn't safe, the
services can't happen there anyway so whether you do it now or later it's going to
be a real serious problem in the future. So I too have questions about this, and we
talked about it last night a little bit to see whether we needed to have a discussion
with the commission and see where we are going along those lines.
Lehman/I hear what your saying, however, I'm not at all sure that the community
development commission can tell one of the agencies that is applying how they
should budget for their roof and whatever. It's kind of a two-head source, if they
save the money to do the repair work then suddenly they don't need the funding.
So I mean their kind of in trouble one way or the other. I think it is something
that we should discuss with the commission prior to the next funding.
Norton/Yea, well particularly when your looking at, they do always look at multiple
sources of support now I think.
Bob Jackson/Can I just comment a moment? I'm Bob Jackson, the Executive Director
of Mideastern Iowa Community Mental Health Center, one of the projects that
have been approved and I wanted to thank both the committee for approving us
and your review and oversight as well. Just a couple of brief comments, I really
do appreciate both Dee and both Dee' s comments, there' s just a profound and
radical change occurring with human services generally and health care
specifically that I can address. If you take University Hospital as an example, the
Community Mental Health Center is going through on a smaller scale the very
wrenching experience that a place like University Hospital or Mercy Hospital is
going through. And private non-profits specifically are going through a
wrenching change. Clearly, historically, the emphasis for private non-profits was
on the public side that we were more public entities, and in our case we received
block grant dollars on an annual basis and we would build into those block grant
dollars ifroof's had to be repaired, painting had to be done. The system locally
has moved into a fee for services system with a tremendous emphasis put on our
being like a profit entity. So whereas it used to be you could have some dollars in
your budget for refurbishing that had to be done but if you had dollars lef~ over at
the end of the year and you went into the next budget hearing you might be asked
why do you need dollars, you have some dollars in reserve. If you emphasize the
private side, you have to have dollars particularly in health care in reserve and
simultaneously people are a little less willing to pay for services, or as many
services as there once were made available. So our board of directors and many
others are having to deal with creating capital funds and of moving dollars from
operations into a capitol fund because we know in two years, three years, five
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years we're going to be faced with the same dilemma's we have now. And on the
other hand people don't want to pay for that, they just want to pay for services.
So it is a tremendous tremendous bind and I appreciate the awareness of that and
there has to be some recognition of that bind and we're in a tremendous period of
transition and your sensitivity to our having capitol needs while simultaneously
trying to provide services to more people with fewer dollars is greatly appreciated
so I would just end by thanking the committee again for specifically for the
Mental Health Center but but also these many other projects too. Thank you.
Lehman/Are there others who wish to speak? Public hearing is closed. But I know I
speak for the council thanking the Community Development Commission for
their efforts. This is a very very difficult job and I think we appreciate very much
the effort and the concem that went into your recommendations so just thank you
from the council.
Karr/Motion to accept correspondence.
Vanderhoef/So moved.
O'Donnell/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by O'Donnell to accept correspondence.
Motion carries. Are we to take action this tonight? OK.
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ITEM
NO. 8. PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 3
ENTITLED "CITY FINANCES, TAXATION & FEES," CHAPTER 4
ENTITLED "SCHEDULE OF FEES, RATES, CHARGES, BONDS, FINES
AND PENALTIES" OF THE CITY CODE TO INCREASE OR CHANGE
THE RATES FOR FEES AND CHARGES FOR POTABLE WATER USE
AND SERVICE, WASTE WATER TREATMENT, AND SOLID WASTE
CHARGES.
Lehman/Public heating is open.
Don Yucuis/I'd like to make a few comments if you don't mind. Water fees are
proposed to increase 15 percent, sewer fees are proposed to increase 10 percent
and the solid waste refuse fee is proposed to decrease by 55 cents a month from
$11.55 down to $11.00 per month. The water and sewer fee increases are needed
to pay for the operating cost in current and future debt payments and bond issues
funding the project costs related to the new water plant and expansion of the waste
water treatment facility. The increase is also maintained the city council policy of
accumulating 20 percent cash to pay a portion of the project cost. The impact,
projected impact to the average residential user is approximately a $6.00 per
month increase. It's about a 9.4 percent increase on their current fee. That's 800
cubic feet per month. The monthly minimum, if your a minimum user using 100
cubic feet or less would go up approximately $1.00. And the discount if these
rates are improved, we have a discount program for low income qualified persons
and that would increase about $.50 cents a month. The proposed, or the
recommended effective date for these increases is August 1, 1999. And this is just
the public heating on it.
Kubby/So Don, we have one more year projected increase for water rates or this big
capital project?
Yucuis/Correct, the future rate increases after this one is one more for water of 10
percent, which would be approximately a year from August, August of 2000. And
then sewer were projecting, two more increases both of those being 5 percent.
And unless things radically change we're hoping those would be it for a while.
Kubby/So just kind of help the public see that there is a light at the end of this tunnel
here.
Champion/I have some problems with it period because our bids have come back so
much higher than projection. How is that going to affect future water rate? And
seriously how can you say that's all we're going to have to raise them when our
the bids are coming in so high. And then I have problems because property taxes
are going to go up because we're talking about more capital improvements,
people's property taxes are going to go up because the state roll back is going to
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#8 Page 55
be to our benefit. People's property taxes are going to up because people's houses
are all being reevaluated and I look at people at moderate income. I know there's
lots of help for low income and high income it doesn't make a lot of difference
what my water bill is. But I have a real problem with all these increases and fees,
and what happens if we don't increase the fees, is that prolonged the time for the
water plant is done? And what's wrong with that?
Kubby/Those are really policy decisions.
Atkins/Yea, that' s.
(All talking)
Yucuis/Big time policy decision.
Kubby/And looking at other property rate increases in terms of capital improvements
those are our decisions as well, those are a result of our decision.
Champion/I know that. I know that.
Kubby/So maybe we should have cut, maybe we should cut that.
Norton/I agree Connie, we've been trying to stretch them out for years.
Atkins/Connie, we've reached the point where you know, we're about, we've invested
significantly obviously in water and sewer systems and we've reached a point
where we'll be bidding the water prob, the water plant, the biggest piece of the
project latter part of this year, first part of next year. And so we will have a major
financial commitment and without the rate increases then it's time out on
everything.
Kubby/And that's why.
Atkins/We simply couldn't proceed.
Kubby/Those updates are so appreciated because it helps us know where are we
compared to our projected amount that we were accumulating in our projected
amount that we're spending and where we are with those rate increases and so
continuing those updates will be appreciated to keep us.
Atkins/And we intend to do that.
Kubby/Able to make those assessments.
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Arkins/Yea, and Connie we would probably have to go back and completely reconfigure
the water and sewer rates. I know there's been debate over the 20 percent cash
policy, but that was a very deliberate decision and it's built in.
Champion/Well my question is not that that is a bad decision.
Arkins/Oh.
Champion/I mean that's a good decision. My question is what happens if we don't do a
rate increase, does that just prolong the things get done?
Norton/Yea. That would basically mean we wouldn't cash as fast, we wouldn't have as
much cash to put down.
Champion/Well you would have to wait to do.
Arkins/Yes.
Champion/A project.
Atkins/Sewer I don't think you can wait on.
Kubby/No, because we have federal mandates.
Atkins/Absolutely.
Champion/I'm not interested in the sewer fees.
Arkins/OK.
Norton/Connie, the one other feature though that we did get what your asking. Because
last year we didn't make an increase that had been projected because of changes
in timing in the project, didn't we skip one year of increase that or slide one year?
Kubby/Very little.
Lehman/It was very very small.
Norton/Well there wasn't any change at all as I.
Lehman/Yea there was but very very small though.
Vanderhoef/.4 percent or something like that.
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Norton/But it was negligible change last year.
Lehman/And that was because of lower bids.
Norton/And that was because of lower bids Connie and because of some stretch out so
in some way we're back on target this year, there was a break last year so at least
you can take some retroactive pleasure or something like that.
Lehman/I've never heard that before.
Vanderhoef/It was .4 percent increase last year so.
Kubby/I wanted to remind people that one of the things in this project we added was a
water education position at the water plant so and this person can help you with
ideas on how to conserve water in your own home and so you can call our water
education person Carol Sweeting, and she's very very helpful.
Lehman/And I think it's important to point out that the rate increases on water were a
deliberate on the part of the council made I believe was made December of 1993.
I think that was the decision to move forward with the present plans for the sewer
and water plant. Those rates have been projected from that time and we have
except for last year, when we really didn't have any increases, we projected these
increases every year and we're really exactly where we said we would be in 1993.
Yucuis/We're either at it or slightly lower.
Lehman/Or slightly lower. Well we would be lower.
Vanderhoef/But in 1996 is when the policy went in for the 20 percent accumulation
when that came on.
Atkins/(can't hear).
Vanderhoef/Later so it did escalate the.
Lehman/It did escalate the rates.
Norton/Oh, I thought that was in already.
Atkins/I think it may have been a little earlier.
(All talking).
Norton/We had to reaffirm it, we may have reaffirmed it that it was end.
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Lehman/But the decision to move forward with the project was made in December 1993.
Kubby/It was at the very beginning of the water rate increase.
Vanderhoef/Yea, but it was reaffirmed in 1996 (can't hear) then.
Norton/What really hurts on top of this is the things we're talking about last night that
we're going to face the storm water problem so, we're no sooner going to get this
beast swallowed and we're going to face the storm water issue.
Atkins/Well I don't think there's any doubt that utility rates are driven by an agenda
created by state and federal government, and you simply have to accept that.
Champion/I don't like it.
Lehman/None of us like it.
Kubby/Well wait a minute, but the public health environmental initiatives I have no
problem with the intent.
Atkins/Absolutely, the spirit of the law, I just, so I'm not misunderstood, the spirit of the
law makes a great deal of sense but you have to understand the agenda. We don't
build a utility project with any consequence without the blessing of the DNR, or
the UPA or some, I mean they say yes, that's OK, that will meet our particular
standards.
Vanderhoef/And as the standards change we have to change with those standards and
those standards always seem to cost us dollars.
Champion/I'm not objecting to the standards either, I'm objecting to the water rate
increase.
Vanderhoef/We want our water and less price.
Norton/Just stop bathing Connie there you go.
Champion/I'm not complaining about my water bill. How do you know I bath?
Lehman/Let's put it this way Connie, we'd know if you didn't. Other comments on the
water rates. Public heating is closed.
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ITEM NO. 9. PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CONVEYANCE OF 2750 IRVING
AVENUE.
Dilkes/Mr. Mayor.
Lehman/Yes.
Dilkes/This public hearing will need to be continued, the original buyer things didn't
work out so we're still waiting to find out the mount of the second mortgage.
Lehman/So we open it and continue it.
Dilkes/Yes.
Lehman/Public hearing is open. Do we have a motion to continue?
Vanderhoef/Move to continue to what date or do we have a date?
Lehman/Do we have a date Eleanor?
O'Donnell/Indefinitely.
Dilkes/May 4.
Lehman/May 4.
Vanderhoef/May 4.
Lehman/Moved by Vanderhoef.
O'Donnell/Second.
Lehman/Seconded by O'Donnell to continue to May 4. All in favor. Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. 10. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING THAT GENERAL
PROPERTY TAXES LEVIED AND COLLECTED EACH YEAR ON ALL
PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN THE NORTHGATE CORPORATE
PARK URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT AREA, IN THE CITY OF IOWA
CITY, COUNTY OF JOHNSON, STATE OF IOWA, BY AND FOR THE
BENEFIT OF THE STATE OF IOWA, CITY OF IOWA CITY, COUNTY
OF JOHNSON, IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND
OTHER TAXING DISTRICTS, BE PAID TO A SPECIAL FUND FOR
PAYMENT OR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON LOANS, MONIES
ADVANCED TO AND INDEBTEDNESS, INCLUDING BONDS ISSUED
OR TO BE ISSUED, INCURRED BY SAID CITY IN CONNECTION
WITH SAID URBAN RENEWAL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
(SECOND CONSIDERATION).
Vanderhoef/Move second consideration.
Norton/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Norton. Discussion. Roll call. I'm sorry.
Norton/That's all right, I just wanted to remind council and the public that this is just
enabling legislation, nothing's been granted, but I do want to call your attention to
my colleagues to a piece on a recent national Cities Nation's Weekly, a little,
about this kind of tax increment financing and sub.
(End of Tape 99-48 Side 2)
Norton/Category.
Kubby/Is that from (can't hear).
Norton/Yea.
Kubby/Would you cc that to us for the next packet?
Norton/Yea, OK.
Kubby/Thanks.
Norton/Pardon me let me read the title "Public Subsidies To Firms Fail 'Bang For Buck
Test' Study Finds."
Vanderhoef/I think we didn't vote.
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Lehman/I'm sorry. All in favor.
Karr/No, roll call.
Lehman/No, wait a minute.
Vanderhoef/Second consideration.
Karr/Second consideration.
Lehman/Second consideration. Roll call. All ayes. Now we'll do #11.
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ITEM NO. 12. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AMENDING FEES AND TIMED
DURATION FOR SOUND EQUIPMENT PERMITS.
Vanderhoef/Move adoption of the resolution.
Kubby/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by Kubby.
Norton/(can't hear).
Lehman/This is a resolution to eliminate the charges for permits that we have been
charging for use of the pedestrian mall primarily isn't it Steve.
Atkins/The sound component's of it.
Lehman/Sound, right.
Vanderhoef/The sound affects.
Lehman/And I think over a considerable period of time the amount of revenue generated
by the permit has been extremely small relative to the hassle required in trying to
get to and it's recommended by the person whose been putting up with this hassle
that we eliminate this requirement.
Atkins/Well said.
Lehman/Is there any further discussion?
Kubby/This is streamlining of local government.
Lehman/OK. Roll call. Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. 13. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND MIP LESSEE, L. P.
CONCERNING THE DOWNTOWN STREETSCAPE PHASE 2
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
Norton/Move adoption of resolution.
Vanderhoeff Second.
Lehman/Moved by Norton, seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion. Do we have
somebody who could speak to this, we did talk about this last night but this
apparently involves work that we are doing in conjunction with or affecting the
(can't hear) downtown.
Atkins/That's correct.
Lehman/We are doing work on some of their property for which they will pay.
Atkins/Yes.
Champion/Right.
Dilkes/I could.
Atkins/I'm sorry go ahead.
Dilkes/I talked to David today and told him I could address it.
Lehman/Would you please.
Dilkes/Briefly, he didn't have to sit here through the meeting. Essentially what this
agreement does is it allows us to work on Holiday Inn property as we need to to
do the downtown improvements as well as to make the improvements to their
outside cafe, or outdoor seating area at their cost.
Norton/I think it's really important to know that the effort's we're making to enhance the
downtown, the public part, at least and pardon me if lead from some impedance
from the Holiday Inn to improve their, what aren't they putting in 4 million or
something into this.
Lehman/That includes interior work.
Norton/Interior I understand but it's a considerable investment at various aspects
including the lower level.
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Lehman/Well they have been sold, the new owner.
Champion/(can't hear).
Norton/I think that, but when a new owner looks at it and sees that the city's doing
something it must an impedance to help them to decide to proceed.
Kubby/And this is a way for both of us to have it be consistent, to look and they got a
better deal and a good relationship.
Norton/And the same thing happens with respect to the mall. We're in the same
somewhat similar situation where we're coordinating activities public and private,
and I'm really all for it, it's good.
Dilkes/I did neglect to mention this as Karen pointed out, that the improvements to the
outdoor service areas of course will be consistent with the rest of the
improvements (can't hear).
Vanderhoef/And I like the added hit in the contract that for less than 115 days they get a
bonus and more than 115 days they pay us.
Kubby/I like that.
Vanderhoef/I think this is as good public policy when it affects so many other people in
the needed area.
Dilkes/Your talking about the contract term that's attached as an exhibit to this
agreement?
Lehman/Right.
Vanderhoef/Yes.
Lehman/Other discussion. Roll call. Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. 14. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $9,200,000
WATER REVENUE BONDS.
Lehman/We got the bids today I believe. A low bidder was Dain Roscher with a bid of
4.9919 percent which I think is an attractive bid would you like to comment on
that?
Don Yucuis/Well I wanted to comment on a couple of things. This bond issue is going
to be paying for some more water projects. Site work at the new water plant, site
work at the peninsula, some new water mains, collector wells, sand pit pump
station, Iowa River Dam improvements, engineering, and also issuance cost. The
debt is a 25 year debt, repayment, it's approximately a level debt each year, close
to the $650,000 dollars per year. The interest rate I believe is favorable. This is
the first time we've issued revenue bonds for the water system. We've
traditionally issued general obligation debt and had the water system repay that
debt over time. So we received a rating from Moody's on this bond issue and it's
the same rating we received on our sewer bonds, an A2 rating, and I was pleased
with that. Since this is the first time we've done that. Just a couple comments
from Moody's on their rating, they've assigned an A2 rating, stable outlook to
city's water revenue bonds, the bonds are secured by the water system that
revenues. The fact that their supporting their rating an outlook includes sound
financial operations, manageable but increasing amount of debt in healthy
underlying service area for the economy. Moody's believes the system financial
results will continue to be positive given the city's strong overall financial
management as evidence by the multi-year operating and capital planning,
conservative budgeting and management willingness to adjust water system rates
is necessary. So I think, I think that was favorable on the city's part to receive
that good of a rating the first time we've gone out for these types of bonds. The
interest rates on the bonds is very favorable I think, I was real pleased with the
results we got on that bond issue and our financial advisors and myself
recommend that we approve that bid to Dain Roscher 4.9919 percent.
Lehman/Do we have a motion to approve?
Norton/So moved.
Vanderhoef/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Norton, seconded by Vanderhoef. Further discussion. Roll call.
Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. 15. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION CERTIFYING UNPAID WATER,
WASTEWATER, SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING CHARGES,
INCLUDING FEES AND PENALTIES, TO JOHNSON COUNTY FOR
COLLECTION IN THE SAME MANNER AS A PROPERTY TAX.
Lehman/Essentially this places liens on properties that utilities have not been paid I
believe. And we received a corrected list tonight if anybody had time or was
interested in looking through that. And not that I'm suggesting that we look
through that now.
O'Donnell/No.
Norton/Well we've done this every year right?
Atkins/Yes.
Lehman/Yes. This is a standard procedure, just places liens on the property. Roll call.
Did we get a motion? Well let's get a motion.
Vanderhoef] So moved.
O'Donnell/Second.
Lehman/Moved by Vanderhoef, seconded by O'Donnell. Roll call. Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. 16. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND
AUTHORIZING MAYOR TO SIGN AND CITY CLERK TO ATTEST
CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KIWANIS PARK
DEVELOPMENT AND TY'N CAE STORMWATER PROJECT.
Lehman/Engineer's estimate on this was $268,300 the low bid was $374,178.60 which
is.
Atkins/Ernie, who, that was the high bid, read down.
Lehman/I'm sorry. Your fight there in reverse.
Atkins/It's in reverse order.
Lehman/Peterson Contractors, Reinbeck Iowa, $338,477 which is again quite a bit less
than the estimate.
Atkins/No.
Vanderhoef/No.
Arkins/Quite a bit more than the estimate.
Vanderhoef/Still more than the estimate.
Norton/More than the estimate.
Vanderhoef/The estimate was raised to $280,600.
Lehman/Right.
Kubby/We're still a couple.
Lehman/But still it's $50,000.
Atkins/Terry's here to discuss with you I think this is not unlike what we went through,
sort of getting, getting to the point kind of where we're getting bummed about
these things.
Kubby/If we know that that' s the economic climate then we need to have our engineer' s
revamp (can't hear) for estimation.
Atkins/Absolutely Karen, that' s one of the instructions.
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Vanderhoeff They did that on a couple of them already on water.
Kubby/And it may have been this estimate was done, because I know this project has
been deferred three times.
Atkins/Almost three years, yea.
Kubby/So that may be part of it as well.
Atkins/We do recommend proceeding, we've made a commitment to that neighborhood,
bidding climate that we have been to really committed to those folks to get this
done.
Lehman/Does anyone have questions of Terry, he's here. This is, Karen's right this
project has been on the books for a long long time and this I think would kind of
finish enable the park to be kind of finished so it can be used I believe.
Norton/They've even planned a gathering out there haven't they, haven't they planned a
gathering in the near future? Kind of kick off the cleaning up, getting ready for
the.
Atkins/Yes they have.
Vanderhoef/Yes.
Norton/They live by you Terry.
Terry Trueblood/Yes they have.
Lehman/Can we have a motion to accept this bid?
O'Donnell/So moved.
Vanderhoef/Second.
Lehman/Moved by O'Donnell, seconded by Vanderhoef. Is there ~krther discussion?
Roll call. Motion carries
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ITEM NO. 17. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF
IOWA CITY TO JOIN IN CERTAIN LITIGATION AND AUTHORIZING
THE MAYOR TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT.
Lehman/Eleanor would you explain that please.
Dilkes/You should have in the material you got tonight the actual resolution and the
agreement attached. I'I1 explain briefly what this litigation is about. The
resolution authorizes the city to join as a plaintiff in a lawsuit pending in Des
Moines county Iowa, brought by Lee and Madison Counties against Blue
Cross/Blue Shield as well as to enter into an agreement for representation with the
attorney's who are currently prosecuting that action, Richard Bell in Mt. Pleasant
and a law firm in Minneapolis. The city believes that it has claims that are similar
to the counties that filed this lawsuit as well as the 72 governmental entities on
which the original class action was brought, it is anticipated that a large number of
these entities will now join as direct plaintiff like the city is choosing to do. Like
the city, these govemmental agencies that has alleged had self-insured health
plans for their employees during the years 1987 to 1995 and hired Blue Cross to
act as a third party administrator of those plans. In it's role as an administrator
Blue Cross/Blue Shield was responsible for paying but not insuring the medical
claims of the cities employees and was reimbursed by the city for those paid
claims and in addition was paid an administrative fee for it's services. In essence
it is claimed in this lawsuit that Blue Cross negotiated discounts with health care
proriders and paid the claims at discounted rates but charged the governmental
entities the full undiscounted charges. And further, of course, it's alleged that
such practice was in violation of a number of Blue Cross' legal obligations.
Under the agreement with the earlier noted attorney' s if the city is successful the
attomey's will receive 1/3 rd of the city's recovery in addition the agreement
provides that the attorney's will advance the cost of the litigation which can be
significant, things like Discovery, deposition costs, travel costs, telephone costs,
those kinds of things. If the action is successful they will be repaid for those
costs. There is potential for a significant recovery by the city, we have had some
preliminary estimates by from the attorney's, I prefer not to get into the details of
that presently because Discovery is just getting started in and we don't want to
prejudice our position.
Kubby/Thank you for that bit of information.
Lehman/Is there a motion to approve the resolution?
Norton/So moved.
Kubby/Second.
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Lehman/Moved by Norton, seconded by Kubby. Further discussion. Roll call. Motion
carries.
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ITEM NO. 20. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION
Kubby/I'll go first. This question is kind of ironic in terms of the discussion I had with
Steve a couple days and you know in watching the television this aftemoon and
seeing the horri~c events in Colorado in a place where people thought nothing
like that could happen. I think we think in our community that nothing like that
could happen but you just never know and so I had a conversation with Steve two
days ago just about, what is our emergency system for disaster like that, whether
it's a natural disaster or horrific event like that to make sure our communication
lines, we just don't have a plan on paper that's stuck in the drawer but that it's
always alive and the communication lines are open and, and like what at this point
what do we have?
Norton/We have Jim to come in right? We should have Jim comment, your on that
committee on now aren't you? On the emergency management committee and
they presumably have a plan.
Kubby/Yea but when a thing like that happens you have the fire department, you have
the police department, you have public officials, we have a major role to play in
kind of event like that.
Atkins/I keep in my desk and also a card in my wallet, and we were chuckling about that,
it's time of disaster sort of a "things to do" list. I think that most of you know that
a good bit of judgment is exercised, I won't spent the evening explaining all the
details to you but, for example, the evening of the Shaw shooting, one of the first
things I did was early that moming get on the phone with each of you to let you
know there was an unfortunate circumstance with respect to timing, that the Labor
Day weekend coming up and we were going to have and with respect we were
accommodating the press under those circumstances and probably shouldn't have,
we should have gone sooner. Other circumstances, for example, wind storms and
that sort of damage. The damaging kind of natural disasters we have a call out
system that brings our people in vimtally immediately, that' s without any of my
doing. And depending on the time of day one of the first things that I do is
convene the folks that we know were going to have to have to begin the process of
cleanup and shortly thereafter we have a process that kicks in where it continues.
The time of the June 29, I think the first two days we were meeting every 4-6
hours, where you going, what's happening, how to set up and as you get into the
3rd or 4th day it drops to once a day and so forth. I think the thing I've sensed on
the part of the council is that the phone call is not sufficient. I think you need a
little more than that. And I'm not real sure exactly how the circumstances are, I
mean if, if the creeks rising and things have to be done we don't get to you please
forgive us we'll take care of that. But there are circumstances I think like a
natural disaster where it comes in, it's done, we begin the process. I have, we will
find ways to convene you. Emie knows I think on the 291h I did call him to tell
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him that I think it's wise for us to make a commitment to clean up and he
confirmed that and so there's some kind of things a general discussion about those
sons of issues I'd be happy to entertain that with you. That's generally how it is.
Kubby/I think the instinct of making sure the press is a part of community
communication is a really good one and an important lesson learned and I hope
that will continue to be part of our response.
Atkins/Yes. Yes.
Norton/Well I'd, when I was on the Emergency Management Commission or our
representative there, and Mike now is. I had thought it would be wise for us to be
a little bit more aware of exactly what mechanisms are, whose in charge, that is
how does the city relate to the county, how does the sheriff relate to the police
chief, how do we relate to Coralville, who is ordering what? All that kind of
thing, whose going to round up the generators if that's necessary, whose going to
get the bulldozers together, where are all the bulldozers, where are all the
generators? And the hospital is involved, and Mid-America and people like that
are involved. Even Palo is involved for example. So there is quite a large
network that's ready but I don't know how we go about understanding that
network.
Atkins/I'm not sure you can, ever since the guy showed up with the generator from
Green Bay Wisconsin and I didn't ask, all I know was we had a generator that was
brought in, somebody knew somebody knew somebody knew somebody knew
somebody and most of your department, in fact all your department directors that
would be involved in these circumstances have contacts, lists, folks they go to,
Jim and is folks over at the county, we rely on as a resource. I don't mean this to
come out on duly harsh, but bi-candidly the department director of this
organization is likely not to follow Jim, their going to, and I don't mean that.
Norton/But somebody's got to run the communication.
Atkins/Yea, and he does that and does that well. The department directors will listen to
what I have to say because their going to believe that I have direct contact with
you all.
Kubby/Come to you and down through (can't hear).
Atkins/Absolutely, absolutely.
O'Donnell/This county is very well organized.
Norton/Yea, they are.
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Atkins/It is and that's to Jim's credit, I think Jim does not try to step in and run it.
Norton/No, I understand that, but the communication's question is one that always
interests me, for example, if real communications are really out in many ways,
you've got to rely on the emergency and I want to be sure that that's under
control, where is headquarters, where are you for example?
Atkins/Well our headquarters, when it comes to communication, it's right out of our
dispatch center because we have generated power there. During the windstorm,
for example, we were able to find the Mid-American person that was in charge of
the field work and to the credit of a couple of our folks who said why don't you
come down here and set up office. So we brought him in here, sat him down, got
him a phone, got everything going for him. Well having that first available was
immense resource for us getting things cleaned up a whole heck of a lot faster.
Now, I just (can't hear) gander with you, some of it's seeded events, you make
the decision on the spot.
Kubby/But I think it's important the community know that we have these lines of
communication that are open, we have these options, that we have a skeletal plan
but have to be (can't hear) molded to the specific (can't hear).
Norton/Well they even, they've gone through drills you know for West High and other
places that are going to house people, the Red Cross, is involved in that whole
business of temporary relocation's. But a lot of this was developed under nuclear
warfare possibilities but.
Kubby/(can't hear).
Norton/Much of it's relevant in a heavy-duty flood or a tornado or something in that.
Atkins/We're putting together a Y2K plan now and there will be a group of city
employees at least the plan right now the night of the 31st we'll convene at the
Rec. Center so if were OK.
O'Donnell/Big New Years Eve Party.
Atkins/Wait for the clock to go and see if everything continues to work, we believe
everything will work but you know.
Norton/I think somewhere I have a little slip I picked up a little one or two pages that I
picked up at one of the League of Cities meetings. And it was very interesting, do
you know how your city will operate in an emergency? Well it was kind of a quiz
you know, your down not knowing much of anything it turns out and it makes you
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kind of nervous then I'm not so sure whether I want to know everything but I'll
get a copy and give it to you, you'll be intrigued to see it.
Vanderhoef/And some of that is for cities that do not have city managers.
Atkins/Yes indeed.
Vanderhoef/And so the the responsibility and leadership coordination (can't hear).
Kubby/Well thank you for the discussion, I think it's kind of important to have.
Atkins/Well I think mentioned Karen in some PM magazine you all I think get a copy of
that and I had not read it at the time and that's my professional association that
prepares that magazine.
Norton/Especially when there's good stuff.
Kubby/So, on a lighter note. Spring has sprung and there are tons of activities in this
community going on and I want to promote a few of them. It's Earth Week and
we all should be celebrating that. So happy Earth Day everybody, (can't hear).
There are only two more events left in Earth Week that I know about, both are
sponsored by the University of Iowa Environmental Coalition. One is by David
Osterberg, past Iowa State Legislature in the House of Representatives from Mt.
Vemon. Iowa Public Policy and Global Climate change and that will happen
Wednesday April 21, which is tomorrow at 7:30 in Room 166 of the Iowa
Memorial Union. And then on Thursday April 22, from noon to six there will be
a dram circle petition driving from the Old Capitol on the Pentacrest, it's an Earth
Day gathering. All events are free and open to the public. Spring time also means
that the Iowa City Farmers Market is open again and I'm very excited. So from
the beginning of May to the end of October on Wednesday's from 5:30 to 7:30
and Saturday's from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM the market will be open at Chauncy
Swan Parking Ramp in the covered area. A lot of times there also music in the
evening Wednesday nights. It's a great place to locally grown food, some
organic, some not, it's a great way to support your local farmer.
Champion/Especially home made bread.
Kubby/And lots of real goodies, and bread and plants, lot of prairie plants too. Project
Green Garden Fair is going to be coming up on Saturday, May 8, from 9-11:30 at
Carver Hawkeye Arena, that's always a wonderful place to get native plants as
well. May 1 st is May Day, another great Spring celebration and the labor
community will be celebrating that through an event sponsored by the labor party
on May 1 at 2:00 PM in Shelter 11 at City Park. Bring a covered dish if you
want, bring some song books and sing and hang out. And then the next day May
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2, this is something I'm very excited about, the Local Currency Committee of the
Iowa City Green party and friends are going to have a picnic I think at Happy
Hollow to kind of unveil the local currency and they were very much trying to
time local currency being available with the farmers market because traditionally
in the 40 cities across the country that have local currency farmers markets are
one place where people use local currency to create a real viable local economy
that kind of circulates among ourselves and helps keep our money at home. So
I'm very excited about that. One last thing I wanted to reiterate information about
our Transit proposed changes to the Transit System. There's going to be kind of a
public informational meeting so people can ask questions and really look closely
at maps of our current routes and our proposed changes and give comments and
that will be Thursday May 6 in the public library in room A, from 3:45 to 5:45
PM, those comments will then be compiled and given to City Council and we'll
be holding a public hearing on May 18, meeting starts at 7:00. As Ernie stated
earlier we agreed to have that public hearing last for an hour and be continued if
necessary and be at the front end of the meeting so people can make sure they can
get a bus home, so I thank you for that accommodation, I think it's real important
for transit riders for that. And that's all.
Vanderhoef/Is that all?
Kubby/An active community.
Champion/Am I next?
Lehman/Your next Connie.
Champion/I had a very interesting experience a week ago Saturday, not this last Saturday
but the week before. And as I got a call from police about 1:00 AM, and knocked
out a window at my business had been broken and so I went downtown and
appreciated the call. It was an incredible experience to me because I have never
been downtown at 1 or 1:30 in the moming before. It was like being in the
middle of a football game and when I don't know what's his name got up and said
there were 65 arrests that weekend, that was the weekend he was talking about.
And it was really amazing to me how many intoxicated people were downtown
and I think it was a real experience for me, the students were here talking about
how the police relate to them and I've never had a bad experience with the police
and I've been treated very well all the time I've been in Iowa City. And I could
see why maybe the police get a bad rap, because your really dealing with a very
unruly crowd. And so I wanted to comment that our police if they haven't been
criticized more, after being downtown that night. I also would, pretty naive about
trash and stuff downtown cause that's a major concem of mine. I was downtown
till probably 3:30 in the morning so it was after the bars closed and there were lots
of young people filling out onto the streets, a lot of them carrying plastic glasses
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and food from the fast food places, and other places downtown trashed and being
thrown down indiscriminately and nobody picking it up and I really got to
thinking that somehow I would like and I don't know if it's the City Council's
position to do anything about it, whether I should talk to the Downtown
Association but it seems to me as a downtown merchant that we have to assume
some responsibility for cleaning up this mess. And I've mentioned to a few other
people downtown today and their totally willing to think about some way they can
help do it. There are those of us downtown who sweep our sidewalks and some of
us even sweep part of the street, but there are a lot of people downtown that do
nothing, and a lot of the people who pick up nothing are the people who are
providing a lot of the trash that's being spilled out into the public areas. And so
I'm wondering if the Council's ever talked about this, like a, kind of a sub tax on
businesses or surcharge or.
Dilkes/We've tried.
Arkins/Oh yea.
Champion/Have you talked about that?
Kubby/We tried having a SMIDY's.
Atkins/SMIDY's, Self-supporting Municipal Improvement District.
Kubby/Which means the certain area outlined would be taxed and that money would be
earmarked and spent in that area.
Atkins/Just for that area.
Kubby/And people downtown said no way. But if you'd like to ask about it again, I
mean cause it makes sense.
Champion/Well I think I'm going to approach this to the Downtown Association.
Kubby/That's great.
Champion/Cause I mean it really was I really am glad my window was broken. Because
I leamed a lot in that two hours I was downtown.
Norton/Connie, you should take an occasion to ride with the police, start about 10:00 at
dispatch and then go out and ride.
Kubby/11-3.
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Vanderhoef/Ride 11 to 3.
Norton/It is quite an experience and it brings up the question that was alluded to tonight
whether we are doing what we can with respect to action against particular places,
establishments that have a record. We've talked about that I don't know where it
is on our agenda but some places that may have a heavy record perhaps some
sanctions ought to be involved, it might help in a small way.
Dilkes/My office is taking a look at the what ramifications or what actions we can take
against a liquor license for alcohol violations and members of my staff met with
RJ today so that memo should be coming to you the next couple of weeks.
Champion/Well are you going to stink but I was really amazed at the (can't hear)
downtown.
Vanderhoef/Then you see what we've got Terry still sitting here listening to all of this
and it's his downtown parks group that get down there early early morning to pick
it up and get started on all that and it's still you know we have times people tum
around and say they were down after lunch and it looks terrible and we know that
Terry's crews have already been down there and cleaned up from the night before
so trash in general is a big problem in the downtown area.
Champion/So if everybody agrees I think I will ask to have some time in a Downtown
Association meeting. Is that crazy or am I just?
Norton/No, then.
Kubby/I think that's a great idea.
Norton/They'll say your lecturing to the choir probably.
Lehman/Well I'm not sure that's.
Champion/No, I 'm not so sure, I know but they might just approach other business
different people and how as a business community can maybe attack some of this
problem that there must be some way we can help the city keep that clean. You
couldn't have enough city crews to dean up that mess I saw. There's no way,
you'd have to send every, it would be like the spring clean up every day.
Kubby/And it may be that people still aren't interested in that SMID's thing but maybe
some voluntary thing that the Downtown Association organizes, except what does
happen there is the people, not everybody has to participate who will benefit from
it, and that' the beauty of the SMID's that every property owner contributes where
as the Downtown Association it tends to be the people who are already doing
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more than there fair share of the work to contribute to keeping downtown clean
that would participate.
Champion/Well I won't be grouchy and (can't hear) downtown.
Kubby/Thanks for taking that on.
Champion/I'm going to, I really, it was very very rude awakening. But I do want to say
that I appreciate the police department calling me because my alarm system
happened to be off that weekend and it was very nice that they got right on it,
somebody from a bar saw it happen and called the police which I thought was
nice, I have no idea who it was but I appreciate that and the good help I had from
the business in town I had boarded up and had my window replaced by Saturday
morning, I mean Monday moming before I got to work. And it was just horsing
around, I mean it wasn't deliberately broken. It wasn't a vandalism it was just
kids horsing around. (can't hear) so that really had to be horsing around. They
were horses.
Lehman/Michael.
O'Donnell/Well I attended a Y2K meeting the other night and the reaction from Y2K
ranges from denial to panic. And I encourage everybody to attend one of these
because it's informative.
Champion/I'm in denial.
O'Donnell/What's that?
Champion/I'm in denial.
O'Donnell/Are you in denial? You and I are together. But I'm going to bring Jim
McKinley to one of our meetings to explain what we talked about earlier, we are
ready, or we're prepared making steps. I also wanted to say that Crisis Center is
having a fund-raiser in about, it starts April 23rd at 5:00 in the morning. This will
go to.
Norton/What's that?
O'Donnell/Saturday the 241h, 5:00 Friday and it's sponsored by the HyVee and KCJJ.
Norton/5: 00.
O'Donnell/5:00 in the morning.
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Lehman/This is a fund-raiser, no, no.
O'Donnell/No, no, no, this is two separate things Dee. 5:00 AM Friday morning to 5:00
PM Saturday, this is call in and their intention is to raise $5,000 and 5,000 lbs. in
food which I think is outstanding and the breakfast is going to be May 2 at St.
Wenceslaus Church 8:00 to 1:00. And I will be flipping pancakes, doing
something and I know probably everybody else on the council will be involved in
that.
Lehman/. I will too.
Champion/So will I.
Norton/Do we need to set up shifts?
Lehman/Yes, you need to call, I called and.
O'Donnell/You call and make a shift.
Kubby/No, it's not a problem cause it's a social thing for us to have more than three
people there.
Champion/But you have to call and schedule a time.
Norton/But your hand is bumed red after a couple hours your.
O'DonnelY And I'm scheduled to for pancakes.
Vanderhoef/And after you've flipped your arm comes off.
O'DonnelY My relief. That's all, and Connie were you wondering why there were only
32 arrests?
Champion/No there were 65 that Saturday.
O'Donnell/Oh 65.
Champion/Yea, that was 32 last weekend, the weekend I was downtown there was 65.
Vanderhoef/No, it's not all of that Emie.
Lehman/I hope not or we'll have another break.
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Vanderhoef/I'm going to have another positive for the police department. Erik Lippold
received the State Commissioners Special Award for traffic safety and it has to do
with what we've been talking about and it was in 1998 he had 111 drunk driving
an'ests which is important to keep people off of the street for the safety and
welfare of our citizens so thank you Erik. We've spoke about it earlier and I'll
just reiterate the Willow Creek cleanup and Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration is
April 25 from 10-2 at Willow Creek Park so go on down and help clean up and
have some fun times.
Kubby/They usually bring those big yellow boots so if you don't have boots there
supplied so you can walk on the moon.
Vanderhoef/One more reminder, Deer Management Meeting is tomorrow night at 6:30
PM fight here in council chambers so come if you can.
Lehman/And bring your deer.
Vanderhoef/Oh, this is a little further out in the planning but the ADA parade will again
be sponsored by the Everet Connor Center and that will be on July 241h they will,
they are looking for floats and parade participants and sponsors so call the Everet
Connor Center if you wish to participate.
Kubby/I think that we should.
Norton/The council did it last year.
Vanderhoef/Spend the $25.00 (can't hear) for entry fee for float for that.
Norton/But we ought to put, we ought to have a decent sign, I remember we really had a
tacky sign, we were pretty grim looking.
Champion/Pretty tacky.
Norton/I made the thing by hand.
Vanderhoef/I smiled all the way through that parade.
Kubby/So would people be interested in being an entry? I'll be there.
Lehman/I' 11 be there.
Champion/I'll be there.
Vanderhoef/I'll be there.
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O'Donnell/I'll be there.
Kubby/Let me give the paperwork to Dee or whoever.
Norton/We might want a proper banner maybe a horse drawn buggy or something I don't
know.
Kubby/Well we should think about parades because we have the 4th of July parade as
well and we really we've talked about it for years trying to figure out something
rather than just waving or tiding a bike or whatever we do.
(All talking)
Norton/I pushed somebody down the street in Coralville didn't I?
O'Donnell/Conhie would probably fall off the.
Vanderhoef/That was different, you and I went out, we were the only two that.
Norton/I had to push her in a.
Vanderhoef/No, we pushed your wife.
Norton/Pushed my, that's tight in a.
Vanderhoef/You and I did the pushing the wheel chair for 100 blocks.
Norton/It wasn't a wheel chair she was in a lazy boy.
Lehman/Lazy boy.
Atkins/You told me you were pushing him.
Vanderhoef/Well we were both huffing and puffing when we got done, let's put it that
way.
Norton/I only have one Emie, to add to this long list of meeting, PCRB is having a
public forum. I think a week ~'om tomorrow night at the Broadway Center. I don't
know that the, whether the, I think anybody is welcome to come to hear that but I
think it's particularly focused on the folks in that neighborhood to have a chance
to express themselves. And I think others are welcome, I think (can't hear) going
to be on board to talk about issues.
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Lehman/Good.
Vanderhoef/He's going to explain the swat. program so that might be good information
for all of the community.
Lehman/You have one more thing.
O'DonnelF Yea, one more thing. Karen mentioned earlier the weather is getting nice and
people are getting outside. About three weeks I was going down Park Road and
there were three deer in the center of the road. Last Saturday evening I was going
up the hill on Park Road and there were a pair of roller blades with a roller blader
attached. Coming fight down the center of the road.
Kubby/I can say deer (can't hear). Their getting really sophisticated.
O'Donnell/There's a litter of deer. But these roller blades are coming right down the
center of the street. And you go downtown the bicycles are out, the skateboards
are out, the roller blades and I just want to caution to people to do this
responsibly.
Kubby/Which brings up the issue of the civic center lot, will be that opened up for
skateboarding this year?
Arkins/We're not real sure.
Kubby/What's the issue?
Atkins/The issue is we need a staging area for the project and we're talking to those folks
and trying to see if we can work with them. As of right now.
Kubby/Will you let us know when that's figured out one way or another just.
Atkins/I'll check on that.
Norton/Roller bladers still have work over here don't they?
Kubby/They can play hockey.
Atkins/Oh yea.
Norton/Top of the ramp don't they?
Lehman/All fight I've got a couple things. Are there four people who would like to
discuss the no parking policy so that we can just put it on a work session? I don't
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#20 Page 83
think it would be a problem but is there four people who would like to redo that?
All right Steve would you make a note to put that on?
Atkins/Yea.
Lehman/Thursday night there is the Citizen's Police Academy graduation in Coralville
Public Library at 7:00, I'm going to be there, if anybody would like to attend, I
think that should be fairly interesting. Thursday we are filming public facilities
from a helicopter. We'll be doing the new water plant, the old water plant, the
property owned by the city. That helicopter may be available for council people
who would like to view the Northeast District, now we talked at the last council
meeting about meeting out there. I'm not positive about this but I think it would
be, sometime probably around noon and it would also be available for looking at
the peninsula.
Kubby/On Friday.
Norton/Thursday or Friday did you?
Lehman/Thursday. Anyway if folks are interested and Steve I mentioned this to Lisa
this aftemoon and we'd have to call tomorrow to find out to make sure it would
work. I think it might work but I would believe that if if Chuck Schmadeke or
Rick could be along to point out, I would certainly encourage council to take
along the Northeast District Plan so they could point out the ridges and whatever
and how it relates to the plan. If anybody's interested.
Champion/(can't hear) helicopter.
O'Donnell/I will walk the land.
Champion/No, I'm not getting in any helicopter.
Lehman/I won't Mike isn't.
Vanderhoef/I will.
Norton/I will.
Lehman/But if interested call Lisa tomorrow and she'll let you know whether or not it's
going to be possible and if so what time.
Atkins/Sometime after noon, because we have it reserved for the moming for the.
Norton/Well we'd have it till 4:00 don't we?
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Lehman/And then I have a little handout, I've never had a handout. Do you have to
receive this have a vote?
Karr/What is it?
Lehman/This is, I asked Steve for this, over the years and this goes back to 1986 but this
is a list of the companies that have requested assistance from the city of Iowa City
and from the state for economic development and the first one I think was a 1993
CEBA project, National Computer Systems. You can see the building investment
was $9,775,000 machinery and equipment another 4.5 million, number of persons
employed over 1,000. And that 1,000 people at 1787 averaged hourly wages
$37,169,000 million dollars per year in this economy from the NCS expansion.
Moore Business Forms in 94 invested about $700,00 in building, half a million in
equipment, there payrolls increased by $9,634,000 a year and this has nothing to
do with the taxes their paying. Oral B labs which is and that's an unbelievable, the
investment of the building almost 6 million dollars, machinery and equipment,
almost 58 million dollars, the number of people employed 756 and that's another
24 million dollars into the Iowa City economy. The last one was National
Computer System which is now in progress I think we have been very judicious in
helping these folks out and I think the remms have been remarkably good. Take
them and look them over and you'll also note that there are a number of projects
that did not get funded, they didn't receive federal or state funds or whatever, of
the ones that were funded that's the results so. Steve.
Atkins/Nothing sir.
Lehman/Do we have a motion to adjoum?
O'Donnell/So moved.
Kubby/Second.
Lehman/Moved by O'Donnell, seconded by Karen. All in favor. Meeting is adjourned.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of April 20, 1999.