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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-09-06 TranscriptionSeptember 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 1 of 38 Council: Bailey, Champion, Elliott, Lehman, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn UISG Rep: Schreiber Staff: Atkins, Boothroy, Craig, Dilkes, Franklin, Helling, Karr, Mansfield, Nasby, O'Malley, Rocca Tapes: 05-50, Side 2; 05-54, Side 1 Budget Review Atkins: You should have received the August 23rd memo. This is intended to be an informal discussion. What I'd like to do is just either one end or the other...shout them out...record what ideas you have with respect to giving us direction for the preparation of the upcoming budget...knowing that we're not going to get it all done today. Unless I hear absolute outrage, sort of any idea that you want to put up there is okay. With that, I need to hear from you individually so we can record this. Any ideas? Wilbum: Just a question related to public safety? Where are we at in terms of the communications center? Atkins: ( can't hear ) processed, surveys are being undertaken...(unclear) will be back in town this month, so it's moving along. Wilbum: But at this point we haven't allocated or designated any money? Atkins: No. Other than to pay for the study. We've done that and we have sent a note to the County. They have not paid us yet but I'm not worried about that. We know where they are. Vanderhoefi What do we have in the way of estimates on costs even if the City were to go it alone? Atkins: On what? Vanderhoef: The communications center. Atkins: We estimated early on, and these are very, very rough, Dee, so don't hold me to it, but we estimated that we were probably going to be approaching a million dollars worth of new investment into technology for the dispatch center. Vanderhoef: So then I would put on the public safety certainly a piece of that funding in place knowing that we would probably spread it out over three years .... I think is probably a good bit, so I'm talking...uuhhhh...at least three hundred and fifty thousand...uuhhhh...to start the process. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 2 of 38 Atkins: Staging the expense over a number of years is generally our practice. Vanderhoefi Yeah. Atkins: And we would do that...there will need to be money identified in the upcoming budget to accommodate the dispatch center and the technological improvements. Setting aside the administrative issues of whether we're going to share it, whatever, that's almost a for sure in the budget. Champion: And we would bond for that money? Atkins: I don't know that yet, Connie, I'd rather...rather than you hold me to that, we did end the year...our cash balances at the end of this year came in better than we thought. As we project out over what other things you might add to the budget I'd like to have some flexibility in that. Generally we could. O'Donnell: I've not read anything about the County getting involved in this. Atkins: The County is part of our committee and has been an active participant. I don't sense anything but positives from them. Andy is saying yes. O'Donnell: I'm not reading any of that in the paper. Atkins: I don't think there has been much press coverage on the thing. Andy did a brief update for me the other day that wasn't anything particularly detailed. I suspect that the next time they come around we could arrange for a memo in the packet which would precipitate getting a story for you. Okay? That's what we'll do. Champion: I don~t think this will come to a total head and be totally organized until the County makes a decision on what they're going to do about our criminal justice campus, which I think will be an important part of that, I think. Atkins: The County does have...the criminal justice campus...does that mean jail? They've have got to deal with that. Champion: Among other things. Atkins: I understand that. One of the things that they will have to deal with is 'do they want to have a dispatch center, do they want to create a backup dispatch center while we do the primary one, etc. I don't know the answers to those things yet. Geo-Com, the public safety consultants that we hired, will hopefully give us some of those answers. Vanderhoef: Something else under public safety that I would like and I'm...it's partly public safety but it's partly across the board City-wide. I still would like a plan put in This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 3 of 38 place for new hires and what our priorities are for the new hires. So, if we're projecting that we can have two new hires this year and two next year and three the following year, whatever, how do we want those prioritized...because certainly the community is asking for the new fire station and we all recognize the need for new firefighters to get them up and running if, when the station I should say, is built. Bailey: So, should this item be put in the personnel for general government sort of issues? Vanderhoef: Both places. Because one of my priorities for those will be public safety. Bailey: Specifically that sounds like firefighters rather than police officers? Vanderhoef: Uh-hum. Champion: What are we doing now as far as that actual building goes, Steve? We have the land, is that correct? Atkins: One second, Connie. We own the land on the south corner of Dodge and Scott. That's ours. We have done a site plan, we have their preliminary elevations, we have the footprint and the land. We do not have it designed to the point to bid, but we have taken it that far. In fact, we just had the sketches done. You can stop by the office and I can show them to you, if you'd like. We've moved along to the point of...I need your go-ahead to say 'build' and then we have to arrange financing for the thing. Champion: What about...we talked about one time about their being an ambulance cubicle...whatever you call it...that would... Atkins: Yes. It would be a lot easier, Connie, if I just show you. Andy is running to get those. We have taken this about as far as we can. Now, we could spend the money to do the construction drawings and actually be ready to bid it. Roll it up and put it on the shelf. As you know the big issue on this has been staffing. That has not changed. Bailey: That's what I want to ask, but I should ask it when Andy comes back, because it's a little bit more a non-specific question...it's more creative approaches. So, it seems like it will always be a challenge. Staffing is always going to be our challenge about this. Are there...I'11 just use the word creative approaches that we could look at to get to the staffing of the station, if we can build it, and the community understands we can build it, and I believe the community feels quite safe. I mean, the response time is concerning, but I feel the community feels quite safely of a really good fire department and they've done a lot of preventative sorts of things. I don't want to make it seem like we have this emergency situation on our hands, but what are the creative approaches that we can do? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 4 of 38 Atkins: I've heard that word enough times to tell you, and I've been here long enough, that we are a property-tax based community. We have exhausted every levy that is available to us by state law. Bailey: I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about the other end. Atkins: Like what? Help me out. Bailey: Well, at one time, I think it was a couple of years ago, we talked about...and this was not a solution...but it was an idea that you could actually rotate staff through and actually it would mean that we would only ever have three stations...but, I'm not talking about that sort of thing, but are there other options that we haven't looked at? Atkins: No, that staffing as well as financing. Bailey: Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about the financing end of it. I'm talking about the staffing or getting to it sooner in a creative way. Atkins: We have traditionally approached our fire service in somewhat of a traditional fashion. Does that mean that there are other options? Yeah. Do we get the coverage and the personnel that we'd like to have? I can't really answer that for you. Could we look at some options? Absolutely. Bailey: Andy, are other communities doing different things? I mean, I'm not up to speed necessarily on fire station staffing. Rocca: Probably one sweeping difference that you'd find from our community to others would be fire-based EMS. Where the fire departments are staffing transport EMS - ambulances, in essence. That's going on frequently where we're seeing fire departments in Mason City, Muscatine, and other communities actually taking over what were hospital-based ambulance services to fire-based ambulance services. But, you still have to have that presence of individuals at a certain level in order to assure adequate response 24/7. That is one alternative that the fire service has embraced in the Midwest and across the nation. O'Donnell: How many people at each station, Andy? Rocca: At a station? Currently we're utilizing three-person companies. Atkins: We can come back and get a lot more specific. Are there any other issues? Elliott: The only thing I would add...obviously I'm interested in approaching this as time-efficiently as possible. I would like to more than just talk about the station. I would like the Council to set up a time-table that we're going to add X number of positions each year until we get to the required number of positions.., because This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 5 of 38 we keep saying 'Well, as soon as we can afford the positions.' I think the Council has to say 'We're starting a plan, this is the target date, we will have sufficient staff.' Bailey: On the other end of that then, I think the Council really has to recognize that when we put in new developments that we are outgoing our capabilities to service those new developments and what's our limit, what's our capacity? I think we need to take a hard look at that. I know that growth means additional property tax revenue, but clearly it's not getting us to where some of you feel comfortable with the public safety issue. So, I think that bears consideration as we do our zoning items because they are directly related. Vanderhoef: It's the chicken and the egg, though. If you want money for new hires then you need tax base to do that. Bailey: But residential development doesn't keep up with the kind of infrastructure that we need. Vanderhoefi Oh, okay, real specific, residential. Bailey: Well, that's what I'm talking about. That's where people become concerned about response time. If your house is here and you've got this distance between you and emergency services. Elliott: Regenia, you're saying that before we approve a development, we have not yet had a category...does this development meet the safety requirements for our City... and you're saying that there might be a possibility that we might have to say to a developer, 'No'. Bailey: I'm just presenting that as a question. Do we reach capacity for infrastructure? Elliott: No, I think it's a point well made. Lehman: The only thing that I think we have to recognize is the north side fire station.., some of the most critical areas are commercial. Where you get that north commercial and obviously the development there does pay its way when it comes to City services. The other thing, Bob, I think you're going to have to remember is that if we establish a time table for staffing the fire station, we're also going to have to decide what things we're willing to give up, because... Elliott: Absolutely. Lehman: And I think that it's easy to say, 'Give us nine new positions in the fire department over a four-year period.' The hard thing is if we take two people out of Parks and Recreation and take two out of Police and we take two out of Public This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 6 of 38 Works and one out of the garbage department. Council is going to have to make that decision. Elliott: But I think we have just seen a weekend where we saw Councils and government entities not willing to make those hard decisions that involve safety and we've seen an unbelievable repercussion from that and I think the Council has a strong responsibility to address those decisions. Bailey: I want to ask one kind of naive question. This is directed to Andy. Are there people in this world who are both police and fire fighters? Atkins: The answer is 'Yes, there are.' Bailey: Can we find some of them? (Laughter) Rocca: There are but I don't know that it's worked out as well as one might think. There have been a number of studies done and the two jobs, if you will, are dramatically opposing or different. So, to put them together, it's not been without problem. Bailey: Okay, but would there be any benefit at some level of cross training or...I don't know, you're the expert. Rocca: We could certainly look at it. Like I say, experience has shown that it has not been a positive benefit. Bailey: But you could make it work, I'm sure. (Laughter) O'Donnell: Andy, broken down by calls like the fire station off Melrose. Do we know the number of calls that gets in any given year? Rocca: Specifically, I don't have that available. I can tell you the total number of calls that we are running annually, which is about thirty-five hundred. O'Donnell: But not broken down by station? Rocca: I can get that figure for you, but 60% of those calls would be EMS. I don't think it's a third...it may be more like a quarter of those calls would be at Station 2 on Emerald and Melrose. That's approximately. I can get you the exact numbers. O'Donnell: Thank you. Atkins: Anything else, any other ideas? Wiburn: Whenever we get information about this, this would be fine to hear to, I was thinking in terms of Regenia's comments about creativeness and creativity. It might be helpful to hear from Andy at some point in the future, with some of our This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 7 of 38 surrounding... I'm thinking in terms of the metropolitan area in terms of prevention or training in which cost-sharing with some of our neighboring communities.., something that we could go and start, through JCCOG, whittling away at some of our neighbors in terms of...you know maybe there's things in terms of inspection, training.., where cost-sharing...so it's a little broader than a fourth-fire station but it's related to personnel and that type of thing. O'Donnell: We have the 28E agreements. Wilburn: I know we have the 28E agreements and there's the mutual aid thing but pushing it a little bit further than that.., seeing how we can... Bailey: I think we just have to ask what's possible. Even if it seems, on the surface, that it might be immediately apparent, and then we can set it aside and we can all say 'Looked at that'. Because I think we're going to have to be creative. Elliott: Regenia, I couldn't agree more. I think we have to talk about some things that on that may, on the surface, sound stupid, so that we can at least eliminate that. I think we're going to have to talk about increased personnel in the police department also. I think we need to get very inventive as a governing body on how we spend our money and how we protect our citizens. Wilbum: I think we should move to another area since our hour is coming to a close. Elliott: Pardon, me? Wilburn: Maybe we should move onto another category since we've got about thirty-five minutes left. Bailey: That's smart. O'Donnell: This is a good category. Bailey: He knows that Bob and I ran over on our previous meeting, so we're heading in that direction on this one, too. O'Donnell: I agree with a lot of the things that have been said about the bottom line is that we need the fourth fire station and we do need to staff it. Atkins: I hear the idea of increasing police. The budget cut we had two years ago, we lost four police officers and two fire fighters. Champion: Two or three? Atkins: Two positions. So we're down six. Anything else from public safety? Remember, that's also patrol, crossing guards, communications... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 8 of 38 Bailey: What are grants under this category? Atkins: I copied it out of the budget and forgot to wipe that one out. Bailey: Fair enough. Atkins: Housing inspection, I think with your recent decisions you're in pretty good shape on that for the near term. Deer management? We're doing an RFP this year,' which we have not done in the past. We're going out for proposals. Vanderhoef: The other thing that I would still like...uuhhh...to look at is an annual contribution for the processing of the meat with CDBG funds. I think this is a great service to our community and folks that really depend on our food banks, our meal preparation, and so forth. We did it once and I could see doing is annually. Atkins: We don't have to decide on that now. When we finish all the categories, we'll go back through, line-out what you're - O'Donnell: We're going to have to look, too, Steve, is something other than hiring sharp- shooters. Cedar Rapids is looking at right now, deer hunting as well as sharp- shooting. Bow-hunting, rather. I think that is something that we need to consider as a control method. Elliott: The State would like us to consider that also. Atkins: Yeah, they would. Champion: Why? O'Donnell: Because it's effective. Atkins: They believe it is. Bailey: I thought we had this discussion? Lehman: We did. Atkins: It doesn't mean we're not going to have it again. We are going out for RFP for sharp-shooting. You can add bow-hunting to it if... O'Donnell: Are we looking at local sharp-shooters as well, are we not? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 9 of 38 Atkins: Yeah, the idea of the proposal, Mike, is to find out who is out there. We've had other people contact us about being a bidder and that's the idea of putting it out now. We're close to wrapping that up. It's Dale's project. Schreiber: Where does late-night transportation fit into all of this stuff?. Because I think that's an issue of public safety when out towards the east campus where there are a number of sorority houses. For one example, and also like we've talked about before, like the Lodge, keeping people off the roads if they've been drinking. O'Donnell: Are you talking about increasing bus routes? Schreiber: Yes. Bailey: That links to something Connie said last time about the parking garages. Atkins: We're not proposing to run a cab service on a regular basis for a specific need and that is folks who may be intoxicated. Schreiber: Or just people who have been downtown and don't feel safe walking home alone, even if, whether or not they've been drinking. Atkins: Okay, I think that's public safety. Champion: I think we should probably make a little thing that says CAMBUS. Atkins: How small? Champion: Pretty small, because they're not real cooperative about that. Elliott: For instance, the night safety for pedestrians, that's something that I think we need to see what the University wants to join with us in doing. Atkins: That's an idea. Record it and there may be options on how we can choose to deal with it. Anybody else with public safety stuff'?. Champion: Oh, never mind. I was going to bring up the alleys...but never mind. Atkins: Anything else? We'll be able to come back to these. Vanderhoefi We won't? Atkins: I said we WILL come back to these. O'Donnell: How about getting people across Highway 6 down by Sycamore? Champion: We've got some walk signs now. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 10 of 38 Atkins: We've got walk signs and count-down timers there. O'Donnell: Have we had any reports on that? Elliott: I had a neighbor who works with a number of truckers and I've heard both truckers and drivers of residential vehicles say they find that very helpful. Atkins: I've not had a complaint about the count-down timers. We used to get them on a pretty regular basis and I've not had any in some time. I don't know about the rest of you. Bailey: I've heard good things about the ones on Burlington Street certainly. Elliott: These are the ones on Highway 6 that I was talking about. Atkins: Yes, that's what I'm saying. We used to get a pretty regular...they'd get hung up out there and it gets a little nerve-racking standing in the middle of there. Elliott: This was one instance where the person said 'Be sure to tell the Council that they did a good thing.' We get far too few people saying we did something right. Atkins: That bike path along there...we really got a lot of positives out of that. Anything else for public safety? Okay, we can come back. How about your thoughts on public works? Now, public works is streets, traffic, engineering, forestry, public transit, energy. Wilbum: In terms of energy conservation .... I know...I'm recalling periodically you got some kind of report on conservation efforts, but as the budget comes up and I'm thinking in terms of the cost of energy, if there's any systems or policies that would involve costs beyond what you're authorized to put forth. Could you give us a report or let us know? I don't know for example if our fleets of vehicles use any particular type of fuel and... Atkins: I think we can all admit about ten years ago that ten or fifteen years ago this was really a hot topic. We had someone who devoted a good bit of time to it. The cost of fuel did not leap. Now that it's leaping, I'm suspecting that I was going to figure, during the budget process, we're going to have to address this issue. Particularly just the cost of fueling our transit system. I think that's worthwhile. Exactly what we're going to do...I don't know but I understand your point. Vanderhoef.' Along that same energy conservation, could we have an update on the wind energy? Things that I've been reading recently is the cost of the generation of wind energy has decreased considerably and we have a new plant that is building them. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 11 of 38 Atkins: Yeah, right here in Cedar Rapids. Vanderhoefi ...in Cedar Rapids, and I would really like to, particularly at the sewer plant, where we can use all the energy we can produce offone windmill would be used up on site. Atkins: Let's make that generalized, a lot of operations... Vanderhoefi I remember that old study that the one out by the landfill isn't as good because we're too far from the grid...but we have the option of methane now if we can move that into gas. It is gas but not the right one to move the vehicles. Atkins: Yes, it is. Elliott: Regenia, you're talking about innovation, I think we need to look at the mass transit system and see.., because as you talked about expanding beyond what public safety can do, I think we're expanding to where is our mass transit system being used cost effectively. Bailey: I think there is an opportunity here and I'm sure transit is taking advantage of it... and that is that people will be more interested in driving something else besides their own vehicles because of gas prices, so I think we need to seize that opportunity. Atkins: We have a rather unique set of circumstances that are going to be dropped in our lap like the mass transit. First you have a new source of income and that's from the Court Street Transportation Center and how to use those monies. Secondly, there's a federal program that found its way into the transportation bill that is going to provide us with additional federal monies. Now, the extent of that we have to calculate it but we may be approaching a half million dollars a year. If that were to happen, it's a five-year appropriation. Do you design the system in anticipation that in five years you have to go through it again, is the system worth a complete relook at how we go about it, routes, etc.? Let's clean the table and take a chance about starting over? I don't know yet but I really think this is going to be a year for us to spend some time on mass transit. We have traditionally gone through the route review, gone through all the gyrations and then we don't do anything. Champion: Right. Elliott: The only thing now is that with gas at $3.00 per gallon, are we looking at will it be worthwhile to get a VW van on some routes. Atkins: That's a question...this budget year...this should be one of your biggest issues. Champion: Can we put that under regional? This represents only a reasonably accurate ~'anscription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 12 of 38 Bailey: There is authorizing legislation for an area even of this size to have a regional transit authority. I think that we need to .... I know that people say that this has been looked at before but I think that... Champion: It's never been looked at, Regenia, it's been brought up. Bailey: Okay. I think we need to really consider this because there are areas where our community members work that aren't necessarily within our City and we need to provide some options and use that metro agenda umbrella to move forward on that. O'Donnell: You know, that's really a great idea but you need cooperation from surrounding communities and that's where we hit a stumbling block every time. Lehman: Yeah, but one time we'll try it and we won't. Champion: It should be brought up at JCCOG though. Bailey: Well, not just brought up but some substantive time to really discuss and begin to talk about the feasibility of it because I think we too off-handedly dismiss things. Atkins: You don't have a choice. This is going to be an issue for you because there is an expectation on the part of the feds...the problem is that do you alter the system dramatically preparing for a new future based upon the feds money? That's where you get nervous, but it does require a serious look. Vanderhoefi Isn't it the time to look at our policy with the fuel prices as they are and know timelines of when this might change for the better or could even get worse? Atkins: We all know that we run routes that we should not be running. Vanderhoef: We should not be running and that's a tough one to do but that's a policy that this Council has never been able to garner four votes to change. Atkins: I'm just going to generalize about that. That's going to be a big issue. Anything else? Vanderhoef: We can't afford to keep running bus routes that have almost zero riders. Bailey: I'll shut up for now because I'll be talking about this for sure. Atkins: We're all going to have a crack at it. Vanderhoef: Well, I think it's nationwide. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 13 of 38 Bailey: There's got to be some best practices that we can look it. Atkins: Anything else? O'Donnell: Steve, Paratransit is on there also, right? That's going to show up and we need to...how much longer do we have on our contract? Champion: Not long enough. Atkins: Three years, starting the third year of five years. O'Donnell: And we negotiated that contract and we're living with $3.00 a gallon gas? Atkins: There is an escalator charge in there. They've not exercised that. There is a escalator clause for fuel. O'Donnell: To what degree, I'm sure there is a limit on there. Atkins: There is some sort of a cap and then they send you back to the table to renegotiate but they have the ability to pass along some of those costs. Champion: I don't know if this fits under this but maybe we talked at some time briefly and I don't know what you've done about it but City pick up for trash .... commercial pick up. Elliott: Businesses, apartments... Bailey: As long as we're putting that down we should think about recycling because we're never going to hit the recycling numbers that we want until we involve the rental housing and the large complexes in our community. Schreiber: What are the reasons that there aren't recycling programs at the dorms and the large rental buildings? Atkins: Oh, you shouldn't ask that...because the student representative dropped the ball a number of years ago. We tried and tried and tried...I mean seriously, Jeremy, we worked with a student group and they promised everything and then it just completely fell apart. Apartment buildings are an absolute...they're sitting there just waiting for us...but they're all private haulers and then you have to change the behavior of the tenants and that's regardless of if they're students...that's just apartments in general. You have to change the behavior of the tenants because they're not encouraged to recycle. Folks in mobile home parks, same thing. That's completely different. O'Donnell: Do they all have cardboard recycling? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 14 of 38 Atkins: No, I don't think they do anything. My daughter lives in a mobile home park and it's all.., everything is in the trash. Lehman: How does Cedar Rapids get along with their ordinance that prohibits cardboard? Atkins: I don't know. Vanderhoef: Very well, the last report that I saw out of the ECICOG. Lehman: They had a rough start, I know. Vanderhoef: They did do some fining, as I recall. Lehman: That's worth checking out. Champion: The only...I mean...you're not going to get apartments to recycle until you set limits on how much trash they can have. Lehman: That's right. Atkins: The original debate when we first went to recycling...that was a very serious element to the thing. 'I'm going to limit what you can put out there.' The problem was is that it's one of our better customer services.., if people bring it to the curb we get rid of it for them and then we were going to become owners in the sense that you can only bring so much to the curb and now you have to find other options. We do pretty well as a community but this whole agenda could be broadened dramatically. There's not doubt that the apartments in particular. Elliott: For the apartments we need either a carrot or a stick or probably both. When you go down to the recycling center, I'm always amazed at how well Iowa City...there are always multiple cars there...people putting trash in respective bins. O'Donnell: I think most apartments, if you had separate receptacles, I think they'd be used to. Maybe that should be a requirement. Bailey: A lot of people grow up with recycling and then you hit your first apartment it's net available, so I think it makes a lot of sense. Atkins: Well, with the alleys we found out that if we got tough that it worked out. Although the locks are necessarily working. O'Donnell: If we required a cardboard receptacle...not everybody would use it, but many would. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 15 of 38 Atkins: The trouble when you have massive use of a particular container.., somebody puts all the cardboard in, the next guy comes in and throws in his garbage...the whole thing is contaminated and you pitch it. Champion: Or pizza boxes with pizza still in it. Atkins: It's no good any more. The other thing is zoning code. Because you have a certain number of parking spaces required for apartments, you have to take out parking spaces in order to put these dumpsters and therefore it puts them out of compliance with parking. I don't make this up. O'Donnell: A lot of them though, Steve, have three and four dumpsters. One of those could be cardboard. Bailey: And the plastic. O'Donnell: One, instead of three times a week pick it up four times a week. Atkins: Then you're becoming restrictive, very restrictive. If that's what you want to do. Schreiber: That parking thing is the reason that I have a dent in the back of my car because somebody thought it was a good idea to keep a dumpster in the middle of a parking lot. Atkins: That's not a good idea. Any other public works stuff?. Bailey: I have some specific street...I mean so specific... Atkins: You want to name streets? Bailey: Yeah, I'm naming names here. Atkins: Before you name names, is there any other generalized areas that you can think of?. We can come back to it. Bailey: We got a letter in a council packet in July talking about Dewey Street repairs. Atkins: Okay, I don't remember that one. Bailey: I've got the letter because I remember making a note. Atkins: Is that a repair? Bailey: It is repair...and I think some of it is brick and that's part of the challenge. Atkins: Is it up near the entrance to the cemetery? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 16 of 38 Bailey: It is. Atkins: We were at one time planning to do some'thing with that brick street and they came out of the woodwork and decided that they liked the brick street and didn't want anything to change. Bailey: I think what the letter is about is repairing the brick. Lehman: I think the City's position last time was that we can't afford to repair it and instead we'll overlay it and they didn't want the overlay. Champion: Oh no, we have a repair fund for brick streets. Lehman: Not for whole blocks. Bailey: Well, this is specifically about pot holes so perhaps... Lehman: Brick holes. Bailey: Brick holes, correct. Then, Gilbert Street between Brown and Kimball is not up to urban street standards. The west side doesn't have curbs. I know a lot of people don't use that street but I use that portion. You know Brown Street...go west on Brown, turn right on Gilbert and take it down to Kimball to access Dubuque Road. It's really bad. Atkins: It's really bad. Champion: It's dangerous. Atkins: It's a bad street, to give you a history of it, ! remember early in my career proposing that that street be overlaid and then went and hid. Folks like the way it was because it keeps traffic off of it. You will meet with a tussle. That street is in desperate need of repair. Bailey: Damages my car. And then College Street in front of Trinity Church. The streetscape on the public right of way...the parking...it's eroding. You know where I'm talking about? Right in front of Trinity Church? There's a big mud puddle between the side walk and the street if it rains and it's probably going to damage those street trees which really make a nice street. Wilbum: It's in the public way. Champion: Which street? Trinity Church? The Episcopalian Church? Lehman: Oh, yes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 17 of 38 Bailey: It's Trinity Episcopalian. It's in the public right of way. Vanderhoefi The grassy area? Bailey: Well, it's not grass any more. Atkins: I will send somebody out for an assessment and we'll get some ideas of what we can and can't do for some of these things. Bailey: We talked about doing some more pedestrian things along Riverside Drive...and I dc see a lot more people walking...a lot more people than I have ever seen walking along that. O'Donnell: I bring up occasionally the turn signal that I think we should have on Dubuque and Church. You can wait there forever to turn. That's how these curbs get damaged, people run over them. Bailey: That's why you sneak in off Kimball. O'Donnell: You can sit there and three or four lights will change and you never get to turn. If it's 8:00am in the morning or 5:00pm at night, you're there forever. Champion: Turn the block before. O'Donnell: I don't want to. Lehman: Ri'de your bike. (Laughter) Vanderhoefi You guys are talking about little places. We got notice from the FAA that the funding for the runway at the airport is being delayed on us. So, a priority of mine still is to get Mormon Trek open and also to continue the Mormon Trek piece across the river. Another one that has come up recently, which will be a headache...in fact, I had some folks really get after me the other day about this one because they remember when the original one came up on Benton Street... 'When are we going to get the rebuild on Benton Street?' I know we've done... Atkins: Benton, by Roosevelt? The hill? Vanderhoefi The hill and all of that. Champion: What needs to be done with Benton Street? Vanderhoefi It needs to be widened and it has no curbs left on it. We can't overlay it again because the curbs are totally gone and in several places...we've done some repairs by Sunset Street, but the rest of it...the sewer and water underneath it This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 18 of 38 needs to be replaced. It's a massive project. When we delayed it in probably 1997 or 1998, part of it was that we were going to get an alternative way to move the traffic from the west side of Iowa City and keep them off of Benton somewhat and that's when we widen the rest of Mormon Trek and look at how long that has been in. We took it all the way down to Highway 1. Champion: You're putting talking about it...we're not widening it. Atkins: Benton Street pretty shortly will reach a point where it has to be rebuilt. That means dig it out. We can not overlay it any more with asphalt. It has to come out. When you rebuild the street...if you're going to widen it, that's the time that you should be doing that. That was the debate. Lehman: Steve, as I remember that debate, and I think we had come up with a three lane version by the time we had decided to resurface it, but isn't that going to be pretty much determined by how long we can live with the sewer and water lines that are presently in place? Atkins: Yes, that's part of it. Lehman: Now, there was a block of it done... Vanderhoefi Up by Sunset. Lehman: Yeah, between George and Sunset. That was one the worst blocks. That was a new water main put in and resurfaced. That is significantly better today than it was in 1997 as far as smoothness of the road but I don't know... Atkins: Well, we when we did the overlay, it satisfied the neighborhood very much be:ause there was a smooth riding surface. Lehman: At that time there was some conversation about the condition of the sewer and water lines but there doesn't seem to have been a lot of problems there except for that one block that has been replaced. Atkins: Emie, I remember the conversation, I just can't remember what we did. If we inspected it and said it would be okay or... Vanderhoefi As I recall, I think Rick said we've got probably another - Lehman: Five to seven years. Vanderhoef: And we said fine, we'll get Mormon Trek built so that we can divert traffic off of Benton Street and we can go in and do it... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 19 of 38 Bailey: I don't see you diverting anything to Mormon Trek. I don't get that diversion that you would use Mormon Trek. Vanderhoef: If you are in signalized traffic, some going one way and you wait and some going the other way and you wait, you might well go down Mormon Trek and hit Highway 1 and come in to town from the south. Lehman: The chances are that you'd still use Benton Street and then call your council- person and complain bitterly because the street is being tom up and even though you yelled the loudest that it needed to be replaced...all of a sudden you find it to be pretty passable and why did you tear it up? Elliott: I think we're planning an overall theme on public safety and public works and as we go into community...the Council needs to bite the bullet on some things coming up. We can't just do the popular things. Atkins: Any other things for this category? I don't think you want to move to a new category. We can wrap this one up and we can pick up the next category at the next meeting. Anything else? Champion: I think we should talk about Benton Street some more (tape ends) Tape 05-54 (Side A) O'Donnell: How about Church and Dubuque Street? (Laughter) Vanderhoef: Oh, Michael. Bailey: I think you're the only one who has problems turning there, Mike. O'Donnell: I'm probably the only one that ever tums there. Vanderhoef: They see you coming. Atkins: Anything else on this one? Public Works? Bailey: Just forestry. With this drought condition, I was just wondering about the condition of our trees. Can we get some kind of level of report because that's a concern to me. Atkins: Yeah, generally speaking, Terry is...he may get called for Katrina. He did this one other time for Hurricane Frederick and went down and helped a lot of folks. Many of the trees have just gone dormant. Elliott: As has the grass. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 20 of 38 Atkins: As has the grass in particular. I can get an update on it. Champion: Trees are pretty durable. Atkins: Any others for this one? Okay, we'll pick this up at the next meeting. We're ready for the regular agenda. Want to take a five minute agenda to get us situated? BREAK Planning & Zoning Items Lehman: You're up. Item A CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY REZONING APPROXIMATELY 92 ACRES FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT RESIDENTIAL (ID-RS) ZONE TO LOW DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY - SENSITIVE AREAS OVERLAY (OSA-5) ZONE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED WEST OF KENNEDY PARKWAY AND EAST OF CAMP CARDINAL ROAD (REZ03-00019) (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Franklin: The first one is second consideration on the Cardinal Ridge rezoning. The comment should change. I'll change that for the next time because we have resolved that the sewers will be extended to the south versus the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation. Bailey: Karin, can you speak up? Franklin: Pardon me? Bailey: I'm having a hard time hearing you for some reason. I'll turn my microphone down maybe? Franklin: Is that like turning the radio down when you're looking for a house on a street? Item B CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY REZONING APPROXIMATELY 2.19 ACRES FROM INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL (CI-1) ZONE AND MEDIUM DENSITY SINGLE -FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (RS-8) ZONE TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (CC-2) ZONE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED BETWEEN NORTH DODGE STREET AND DODGE STREET COURT, EAST OF CONKLIN LANE (REZ05-00003). (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Franklin: Second consideration on an ordinance conditionally zoning property up on North Dodge Street Court. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 21 of 38 Item C CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE REZONING APPROXIMATELY 3.16 ACRES FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (ID-RS) ZONE TO LOW DENSITY SINGLE-FAMILY (RS-5) ZONE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED EAST OF HIGHWAY 218 AND SOUTH OF MELROSE AVENUE. (REZ05-00008). (PASS AND ADOPT) Item D CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY PLAT OF GALWAY HILLS SUBDIVISION, PART IV, IOWA CITY, IOWA (SUB05-00012). Franklin: C is pass and adopt on the rezoning for the Galway Hills Part IV. You also have the plat which is on for Galway Hills Part IV. This is over on the west side. This is ready to go with a recommendation for approval. Item E CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT OF MWD DAVIS ADDITION, A PORTION OF WHICH INCLUDES A RESUBDIVISION OF LOTS 13-17 OF RH DAVIS SUBDIVISION, AND A PORTION OF OLDE OAK LANE IN RH DAVIS SUBDIVISION, IOWA CITY, IOWA (SUB05-00009) (DEFERRED FROM 7/19, 8/2 AND 8/16) Franklin: Item E is a resolution approving the final plat of MWD Davis addition. This is the subdivision that will include the new Menards building at the northeast quadrant of 218 and Highway 1. We had been holding this a number of meetings because we didn't have construction plans. The construction plans and legal papers are in an are okay so this is ready to go. Item F CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT OF OLDE TOWNE VILLAGE, IOWA CITY, IOWA (SUB05-00016) (DEFERRED FROM 8/16) Franklin: Then the last one - Champion: I'm sorry, where is that at? I can't place it? Franklin: MWD? Uhhmm...it's on the west side of 218, north side of Highway 1 at Naples Avenue. Okay? The final one is a final plat for Olde Towne Village. This will be a forty-nine lot, thirty-three acre subdivision for ten commercial lots and thirty- nine residential lots. You have seen this before as it's gone through the zoning process. One thing that I do want to point out to you is that the...well, this piece right here...that's the Zajicek property. That is not included in this. That is still zoned RS-5. So, we'll need to be doing something there for anything to change there. Okay, that's it. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 22 of 38 Lehman: Thank you. Franklin: You're welcome. Zoning Code Schedule Lehman: Okay, the next item is the zoning code schedule. Franklin: Yeah, the commission per your memo, Emie, to the Council, earlier, about having work sessions with the commission. What is being proposed is that on the 19th at your work session, there would be an hour set aside for presentation of the code. It would be primarily by Bob Brooks and Karen Howard. Karen has been the project planner on this and is the most intimately familiar with the code. Then on the 26th, that there would be a discussion of the residential zones. That would be a 6:30-8:30 meeting. Lehman: No, that's a meeting with Planning and Zoning Commission and staff and Council, which is obviously public but input only from those three bodies. Franklin: Correct, that's my understanding. Then the third meeting was to focus on the commercial and industrial zones and then other miscellaneous sections of the code. Elliott: What's the date on that? Franklin: The third one? That's the one that's kind of up in the air. Karr: That was my memo that suggested some dates in it. Lehman: Could we do it on Monday or Tuesday, the 26th or the 27th.9 Franklin: Yeah. Champion: Are you talking about September or October? Lehman: September. Monday and Tuesday. Champion: What's the date again? Franklin: 26th and 27th. Champion: That's fine with me. Franklin: What time? Lehman: 6:30 until we get through. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 23 of 38 Vanderhoef: Oh man. Lehman: I'm sure at least a couple of hours. Champion: The 26th and 27th of September. Franklin: It would be very desirable to have the whole Council. Lehman: Yes. Vanderhoef: I'm having trouble reading my own calendar. The only thing I would say about having them two nights in a row is that if we're asking for more information or something from the Monday night thing, then there's not a lot of time to bring it back or for us to do more investigation. Lehman: Except, I think that these are two different...one night will be limited to discussions to changes to residential and the second night will be commercial. My guess is that there's going to be a lot of things we're going to want comments back on but I think it would at least give us an opportunity to get through those two. Franklin: This was to get you started. I think you, Ernie, mentioned that you have two work sessions with the commission. The first one, the 19th presentation was to just be presentation to you. As much as possible. I mean, we don't want to stifle discussion at all. But this is a big project...so it's best if you can sit back at least for one meeting and just kind of absorb as much as possible of what Bob and Karen would be going through with you and then on the 26th it would be more discussion and back and forth and you would have already had an introduction to some of the residential principles or concepts that are in there. Then likewise on the 27th the commercial and industrial and everything else that goes in the pot. We anticipated that you might want to have more meetings, too. Lehman: I don't think we're going to know until that Monday or Tuesday. We may need more meetings. Bailey: We'll have a copy of this this week, right? Franklin: Yes, this week. Karr: No earlier than this Thursday the 8th and possibly not until the 15th was the last I had heard. Bailey: I would like it by the 8th. Franklin: It's just a matter of making all the changes that came out of P&Z. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 24 of 38 Bailey: I understand and I certainly want it with the changes. Franklin: One thing we could definitely get to you right away is the matrix of the suggested changes. Bailey: I think Karen gave that to me, actually. Franklin: But I don't know if everybody on the Council does. Lehman: I don't have it. Franklin: Maybe we'll send that out for sure this week because then you can take that and see what the issues were that were raised by the public, how it was responded to by the commission...because you've had that other big brown thing to... Lehman: Could we get that in hard copy? Franklin: Yes. Lehman: I'd like that. Karr: We had planned on that. Franklin: It's an 1 lx17 format so I'm not sure how it's going to show up on your screen anyway. The ease of reading it would be quite difficult. Vanderhoef: I would really appreciate when we get the new one that it come in a binder, a notebook. Kan': A three ring or note bound? Vanderhoefi Rather than bound on the edge. Franklin: You'd like it in a three ring binder? Vanderhoef: Well, when I make notes to go with certain things, being able to slide my notes and public comments and so forth in with the issue makes it much more convenient for me. I don't know whether it does for anyone else. Bailey: I'm a compulsive post-it note user. Franklin: I don't know why we can't... Bailey: I'd rather have a bound one. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 25 of 38 Franklin: Preference would be three-ring binder, the changes highlighted, etc. Champion: That would be fabulous! Franklin: It won't happen. (Laughter) Karr: Three ring or bound? Franklin: None of you object to a three-ring binder, do you? Okay. Thank you. Karr: DO you wish to set aside any other dates? That was part of the reason we brought calendars. Vanderhoef: I think we should. Kart: These are the dates that Karin eluded to that the joint meetings with P&Z and their presentations. Is there any interest on the part of Council to set aside other dates before they fill up? I know for those candidates the forums will be starting as well. It's easier to cancel them than it is to schedule them. Bailey: Could we do a daytime meeting? Karr: If you wish for Planning and Zoning members to be here, it's hard for them. It's not impossible, but that was mentioned...I know Bob Brooks said it was challenging for a number of them to get away. Now, if you just want a representative, they're very, very flexible. O'Donnell: I don't know why we couldn't, at work sessions, come in an hour early...like 5:30 and spend an hour. Champion: Or off Tuesdays. Bailey: But I would like to book them because I have people scheduling fall sessions...so I would like to schedule if you want to block off time. I don't object to that. I'd like to get it on the calendar so I don't schedule anything else. O'Doimell: Why don't we look first as off-Monday or off-Tuesdays? Franklin: Is this for meetings beyond the 26th and 27th? Bailey: Yes. Vanderhoefi October 10. Karr: Is the day before the primary, alright. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 ' City Council Work Session Page 26 of 38 Vanderhoef: How does that effect .... (siren in the back ground...laughter) Karr: So the 10th.9 6:30-8:30...is that what we want to do? Champion: What's our next off week? Karr: The next off week would be...now there is nothing on the 11th. I assume on primary night you do not want to meet. The next off one would be the 24th and 25th and Ross is gone the 25th. Champion: I'm gone the 24th. October you're talking about? I'm not available the 22nd, 23rd, or 24th of October. O'Donnell: Are you going to be gone the 25th of September also? Champion: No. Vanderhoef: I'm gone the rest of the week. Karr: Right. So then the next off week you have is...November 7th. Bailey: The day before election day. Champion: I'm around then. Elliott: Are there no days...we're just looking at off Mondays and Tuesdays...are there some days other than those offMondays and Tuesdays? Kart: According to the schedule of absences that I have...you have the 5th, 6th, 7th, ! 2th, and 14th. Other than that, there are no other days, no...of October. Lehman: 5th, 6th, 7th, and what? Karr: 12th, 13th, and 14th. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of both weeks. So far you've set up one meeting. Vanderhoefi Okay, the 7th of November. Champion: Oh, that's fine. Vanderhoef: Mike, you okay with it? O'Donnell: I'm just peachy with it. Lehman: I jast wonder, if we're going to have those two meetings... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 27 of 38 Champion: We don't have to use these meetings... Lehman: No, we don't...but I also think that we need set...at some point we're going to need an opportunity for the public and there are several groups in the public that are going to really want to be involved in this and I don't think, perhaps, it's appropriate for us to set special meetings with individual groups of people because there are a zillion groups out there and we're never going to get them ali...but we need to be able to set a public hearing process where if we need to have.., and I think public hearings should not be at Council meetings...they should be special meetings where we address only the code. It may take two or three of those to be continued and continued and continued...but these people have got to have an opportunity and my guess is that at some point... Karr: Do you wish to use the October 10...you had talked about, in your memo, Ernie, setting a special meeting at the next meeting on the 20th. Do you want to use October l0th as the special public hearing night? Bailey: That's the day before the election and people who are interested in this will also probably be doing other things. I would think...and I would think that we would want...I don't know. Karr: Okay, what about 5, 6, or 7? Champion: What days of the week are those? Karr: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Lehman: We have council on Monday and Tuesday. I would...Thursday...does that work for folks? The 6th? Bailey: It doesn't work for me. Karr: It does not? Bailey: The 5th works for me. Lehman: I can make it work. Karr: The 5th? Okay, do you want then the public hearing set for that night, the 5th? Or do you want to move your discussion? Vanderhoefi Don't we figure two meetings for Council before we do public hearing? Champion: We have them. The 26th and 27th. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 28 of 38 Dilkes: I think the idea is that you'll get familiarized on the 19th, 26th, and 27th. Then you will have your public hearing and get input from members of the public. Then, throughout that public heating and consideration process the Council will talk about what changes, if any, it wants to make. Lehman: Do we want to set the public heating for the 5th of October? Karr: 6:30 or 7:00? Lehman: Iflt's a formal meeting, then 7:00 o'clock. Karr: We're going to have special formal one item agenda and that's public hearing. Champion: Right. Bailey: I think the sooner we can get that information out to people, the better...because it's an unusual Council night. Karr: We'll do that at the next agenda...we'll set it. Lehman: Are there specific groups of folks that we need to be very sure are notified...other than just have something in the paper? Champion: I think that's a mistake, Ernie. Franklin: We have an extensive list. Champion: Then people will say 'You didn't notify us'. I think we make it clear to the public that this is going to be a public hearing and hopefully we can do it before the next Council meeting. Could it be on tomorrow night's agenda? Karr: This is tonight. (Laughter) Lehman: Karin was about to say something. Bailey: She said that they have an extensive mailing list. I suggest that we use every means possible including crawlers on local stations, whatever. Champion: I agree. Maybe you can send out an informal note to those people. Lehman: Tk. at gets the process started and from that point on... Kart: We'll have a special formal on October 5th and then we'll set aside October l0th and November 7th. Then we'll go from there. Your October l0th and November 7th could be special formals if you wanted to continue the public hearing. That's entirely up to you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 29 of 38 Vanderhoef: I'm sorry, you lost me on the 7th. Lehman: NSvember 7th. That would be a continuation of the public heating. Karr: It may be a work session... Council can determine what you want to do with those dates now that you've reserved them. It could be a work session among yourselves or it could be another joint meeting between with P&Z or it could be a formal. Champion: Now, I wouldn't mind having a work session in between the two public hearings so we can discuss what we've heard. Karr: We're just reserving the dates. Regenia, you wanted to bring up a couple of dates? Bailey: Yes, I did. I would like our work session on October 31st to be earlier or prior to November 1st. O'Donnell: Not earlier than tonight? Bailey: No, earlier... October 31 st... earlier than the standard time because it's Halloween. O'Donnell: Are you going trick-or-treating, or what? Bailey: No, it's really an important thing in our neighborhood and I want to be home for it. Champion: That's a Monday night? So we could combine the two on Tuesday. Bailey: I'm willing to combine the two on Tuesday... if others are willing. O'Donnell: It gets dark early. Bailey: I thought some of you might also want to be... Vanderhoefi To start earlier means that you'll miss the little ones that come out. Bailey: We could start in the afternoon... Karr: You could do it in the morning and do it at 8:00-10:00am. Bailey: We could do it at 7:00am...that's Bob's favorite time for meetings. Lehman: We could do it at four in the afternoon. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 30 of 38 Karr: Yes, you could start at 4:00pm in the afternoon on Tuesday... Lehman: Work session and formal both on Tuesday. Bailey: I just thought it might also be important to others. Champion: I'm glad you mentioned it...I haven't looked that far ahead. I have to be home for trick-or-treaters. Lehman: Is it okay for Council to meet early on Tuesday and have the work session followed by the regular meeting? Karr: Regenia wanted to mention setting aside for a legislative meeting. Bailey: Thank you, Marian! We should probably schedule something or set aside something before January for our legislative meeting. That was there preference last year and we didn't quite make it. We're looking at...you suggested a date, Marian, I'm not sure...a couple of dates in December. Karr: Dee, you had mentioned that you had a potential conflict in December so you had talked about meeting the 5th and 6th or move it to the 12th or 13th and just have one meeting. Vanderhoef: NLC starts the 6th and I need to fly out on the 5th. Champion: We usually just have one meeting in December anyway? Karr: Do you want to move the 5th and 6th and the 19th and 20th into the 12th and 13th? Champion: Yes. Lehman: For the time being. We may have to have more meetings... Karr: We can always... Lehman: 12th and 13th are now council meetings. Karr: Then the question is whether or not you want to meet on a Saturday and that leaves you...Dee will be gone Saturday the l0th, SO it's either the 3rd or the 17th of December. Elliott: For our legislative? Is that a Saturday? Bailey: I can't meet on the morning of the 3rd but I could on the afternoon. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 31 of 38 Lehman: Is there a strategic advantage to being closer to the start of the session? Is the 17th better than the 3rd? Bailey: No, I think they did ask us for something before the start of the session. I don't know. Vanderhoef: If they're putting together any kind of a bill to address a proposal, the more time they have the better, so I would...the 3rd would be a lot better. Bailey: In the afternoon, I can't meeting in the morning. Vanderhoef: Can we do lunch like we did last time? Karr: Can you make lunch? Bailey: Yes, I think so. My meeting goes until 11:30. Karr: Noon on 12/37 O'Donnell: That's a Saturday, right? Karr: Yes, that's a Saturday. Bailey: Let's just hope the legislators can come. Karr: The sooner we can get to them, the better. Bailey: So we'll need to have a meeting to talk about our priorities. Karr: You'd have to do that... Bailey: We talked about making our legislative priorities this year in a resolution so there was more public visibility of what our priorities were. Karr: You'd have to do that November 14th to make an agreement to have the resolution on the one meeting in December. Well, that won't make it if you do it the 3rd. It will have to be the special meeting on the 31st that moved to the 1st is now going to have to have the items on it so you can vote the 15th. Vanderhoef: Cutting out that work meeting and just doing a quickie like today cuts us out of our schedule of all the things this Council wants to address. None of that... Karr: Maybe earlier in the day on Monday or Tuesday and allow for a block of time. Lehman: There is no reason why we couldn't meet at 2:00pm in the afternoon until 5:00pm and then come back at 7:00pm. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 32 of 38 Karr: You could also do it at 2:00pm on Monday and not have to come back. Bailey: I don't care either. I always schedule being in town Council days so whatever works for those who have fixed schedules. Champion: I'm flexible on that date. Bailey: Ross, what about you? Wilbum: It depends on which day we're talking about. Bailey: If we talk about Monday the 31 st of October as an afternoon meeting...probably go until an afternoon meeting on the 1st. Wilbum: That would be fine. Bailey: So an afternoon on the 31st? Karr: So we're looking at 2:00-5:00pm on the 31st. Wilbum: 31 st, right? Bailey: Yes. Karr: Right. O'Dormell: Once again, you are going to write all these down. Karr: Yes. Bailey: So what did we decide about legislative priorities? Karr: 12/3 at noon. Bailey: But we have to discuss them at work sessions. Karr: They'll be discussed at 10/31 from 2-5pm... and then it will be on to ratify the resolution on the 15th. Bailey: Thanks. Lehman: Okay. We've done enough scheduling for now. Okay. Agenda items. AGENDA ITEMS This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 33 of 38 Item #10 CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 3, ENTITLED "CITY FINANCES, TAXATION AND FEES" CHAPTER 4, ENTITLED "SCHEDULE OF FEES, RATES, CHARGES, BONDS, FINE AND PENALTIES," SECTION 8, ENTITLED "PARKING VIOLATIONS," TITLE 9, ENTITLED "MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC," CHAPTER 4, ENTITLED "PARKING REGULATIONS," SECTION 10, ENTITLED "PARKING FOR LOADING AND UNDLOADING" AND SECTION 14, ENTITLED "ENFORCEMENT," AND ADDING NEW SECTION 15 ENTITLED "LIBRARY PARKING" TO INCREASE AVAILABILTY OF PARKING FOR LIBRARY PATRONS, TO ESTABLISH FINES FOR LIBRARY PARKING VIOLATIONS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF LOADING ZONE VIOLATIONS. (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Champion: I just want to bring up one thing since I see Susan here. I did use the book drop off five-minute parking lot this afternoon, but when I walked by the five-minute drop off spot on my way to the library for a meeting, there was a person parked in there who was not retuming books to the library. They had been there for a long time. Lehman: Did you spray paint their car? Champion: If I had a can of spray paint, I would have. I think this is a valuable ordinance to keep that space free because when I used it this afternoon to drop off a book a person waited behind me while I got out...so it's being really well used and it's very handy. O'Donnell: Who have we given the authority to write tickets? Champion: Anybody in the library, can't they? Craig: We have designated ticket writers with officer numbers. Lehman: Designated ticket writers. Champion: So I think this is a very valuable ordinance and we should be happy with it. Item #7 APPROVING PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DUPLEX HOME UNDER THE AFFORDABLE DREAM HOME OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS. Elliott: Item 7, it says that since 1998, 44 home-ownership opportunities have been created ICH. How many homes does Iowa City own at this time? Atkins: Public housing units? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 34 of 38 Elliott: How many homes on the roll and how many of them are homes to be purchased by residents? Atkins: Doug can come to the microphone, but theoretically they can purchase any of the units we own? Elliott: There was one time that we had something like 107 and we were recently down to 93 or so. Atkins: I'd say something like 90. Boothroy: I believe we've sold twenty, out of the 107. Elliott: Oi~ay. O'Donnell: So we're down below that, to 87? Boothroy: Right around that. Elliott: Do we expect that number to decrease? Vanderhoef: No, we increased it. We added ten units out the on the Peninsula. Boothroy: But those are not public housing units. There's a distinction to be made. The only ones that.., as far as the public housing tenant to owner program where the tenants are living in the house and we sell it to them, that comes out of that particular pool that you're talking about. It's the Council's decision as to how far, what number you sell. Years ago, I qualified all107 units to be sold with approval from HUD...so we can continue to sell until we decide that there's a point where you may want to keep some in terms of having proper maintenance and make sense financially... Elliott: But at the present time that number will continue to decrease until... Boothroy: We're continuing to sell and at some point we'll be coming back to you saying... 'We've evaluated this, do you want to keep it at 66 where we started a few years ago before...or do you want to keep it at 70 or whatever benchmark you want. Vanderhoefi While you're up there...this may be nit-picky but I like to look at housing plans and floor plans and I can't understand why we would put the patio and the deck that is only accessible through someone's bedroom and not accessible to the kitchen. Boothroy: These units are tandem, back to back, and you've got to have windows in the bedroom, so you have to locate the bedrooms on the sides of the structures. You can't have any windows on the back where a patio might normally be so I spent a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 35 of 38 lot of time trying to come up with a plan that would fit the lot as well as provide some opportunity for open space and when you get into...I just didn't find a plan like you're suggesting. You end up having to end up having to have a long narrow type of structure, which is what we've got here, and when you do that...you don't have a lot of flexibility. IfI could widen that out then I could accomplish a lot more but those lots are pie shaped, they're very narrow at the front and in order to fit that house on there, the house that is sitting on...the p~rtion that is sitting on the City street side only has a single car garage because of the width of the lot whereas on the private lot side we took advantage of the width, also because there is no parking on that private drive, we put a two-car garage...I know what you're saying. I don't like the idea any more...I don't think it's optimal, but I couldn't come up with a different floor plan. Vanderhoef: I would like to suggest since you've got a kitchen without a window and you've got both bathrooms without a window...to investigate these little tube natural skylight things. I have two of them in my house. One is in an interior bathroom and one is in a family room. They provide a whole lot of natural light and they're about 150 dollars out at Menards. Boothroy: That's a good idea. ! didn't think of that. I thought of skylights but they're more expensive and they're a maintenance issue...but no question about it a home with sky lighting in an interior bathroom that doesn't have windows makes all the difference in the world. I've seen them and have one of my own so ! know what y0'u're talking about. There's a lot of other good features about the plan, it's just the configuration of the lot makes it tough. Vanderhoefi I know the egress windows have to be there, but the living area is just pretty dark and cramped in there. Boothroy: One of the things that I did do to try to open that up a little bit is the living and dining area thru to...I'd have to get the plans out but right around the kitchen is vaulted and if you look at the elevation around the front of the plan, in order to give it a cottage feeling but I also put in a window in that vaulted area so that I could bring in some light into that. It is a smaller space but I think that by opening it up that way it not only has the maneuverability for somebody that might be in a wheelchair but you also make that space feel bigger and lighter, so...I think that will filter into the living room so that's why that is in there. Vanderhoef: Light is important, too, to the seeing-impaired in some way shape or form trying to navigate around. Boothroy: We have four-foot hallways coming off of that vaulted area, too, so I think it will feel pretty open but the point about the bathrooms...if it's going to be any place that it's going to feel dark in that place will be the bathrooms... Vanderhoef: And the kitchen. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 36 of 38 Boothroy: And some of the kitchen, yeah. Any other questions about those plans? Item #3e(2) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING A CONSENSUAL DUAL AGENCY ADDENDUM TO TIlE LISTING AGREEMENT FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE AT TItE COURT STREET TRANSPORTATION CENTER WITH NAI IOWA REALTY COMMERCIAL. Elliott: I have a question...I think, Steve, on Item 2 on the Consent Calendar the consensual dual-agency addendum for the listing and that's so the agent can act for both the City and the prospective tenant. It seems like a conflict of interest as if you had an attorney representing both the buyer and the seller. Has it worked in the past with no problems? Bailey: Realtors do that. Dilkes: Realtors do that a lot. Atkins: I assumed it was a reasonably standard practice. Dilkes: Realtors do it a lot...whether you think that's a conflict or not I guess that opinion varies...but they do do it a lot. I don't think it's contrary to their professional obligations...but when they do it they want this agency form to be signed so it's disclosed to the buyer and the seller that they're representing both. Elliott: Okay. If it's alright with them... Item 17 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION CONCERNING MEDIACOM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION'S 2005 UPDATING OF RATES FOR BASIC CABLE SERVICES. (DEFERRED FROM 8/16) Bailey: Item 17. Mediacom sale. When we talked about this was deferred because there was an $11.95 charge for customers in August. How is that going to be resolved? Helling: As soon as it was brought to the their attention, they went back and made the changes. They're going to do a refund. There was a mistake...but it's all taken care. Lehman: Any other agenda items? Item #3e(1) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE DEDICATION OF OUTLOT A, RUPPERT HILLS, AN ADDITION TO THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, FOR PUBLIC PARK PURPOSES. Vanderhoef: Question...under the consent calendar E1...the acceptance of the outlot at Rupert Hills. Is this in addition to the Benton Street Park or is this a new piece? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 37 of 38 Dilkes: No, it's a...hold on a minute...it's the same park...it's just that the dedication was held up and I think we've been awaiting the deed from the developers. Vanderhoefi Oohh...I was hoping we were getting more...but I had a feeling. Dilkes: No, we're not getting any more. Item 15 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING LOCAL FUNDING FOR LOPAREX INC. RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACT AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND SUBMIT ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION TO THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND\OR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. Item 16 CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC BETTERMENT ACCOUNT (CEBA) FUNDS TO ASSIST LOPAREX INC. Atkins: Ernie, Steve's here also for (can't hear)...if you have any questions so they can... Bailey: Should we just go through them? Atkins: Steve, we're going to have to get this drawn to a close pretty quick because we have a special meeting, an executive session that we have to go in, but, Steve...if you would...Council, the Economic Development earlier this afternoon is making a recommendation to Council that we approve an application for the Economic Development for Loparex with certain conditions...and those conditions, Steve, are... Nasby: The request was for $75,000 in a grant...the Economic Development Committee discussed that and decided they would recommend that it would be in the form of a three-year forgivable loan and then during the term, the 36 months, our money would be secured through an agreement with the company and we'd either have a new CZ or corporate guarantee or some other type of security for that. The City m/)ney will help leverage state funds and also the High Quality Jobs Program. That's a new program that the State is doing. We're actually going to be the second application that the State is entertaining for that.., so they're going to actually hold this up as a model to others so we feel pretty good about that.., so I think we've had some favorable recommendations from the State so far...their board meeting will be the 15th of September. Bailey: We decided to do it contingent upon State funding. Nasby: That's something that you can add to the resolution tonight...that it's contingent on...and I think we should be specific and say State Funding or CEBA or High Quality Jobs Program. I think we would want to say contingent on CEBA This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session. September 6, 2005 City Council Work Session Page 38 of 38 funding because that's the established State program and that's what we're matching. Lehman: Some time between now and 7:00pm we need to write that down so we can make the amendment. Nasby: I've got it. Wilburn: What was the final recommendation on the source of the local match? Lehman: We will decide that later depending upon how it meets the qualifications for CDBG funding. It will either be CDBG funding or from the Council's Economic Development Fund, one or the other...but we don't know how that would fall out. Nasby: We would have to survey the employees that were handed those jobs and find out what those income levels are. Wilburn: What is the source of that Economic Development Fund? Is that general fund or... Bailey: It's general funds that we set aside. Nasby: It's from Steve's checkbook. Council Time Lehman: Okay...we're going to save Council Time for Council Time later this evening. Kart: Ernie, we can't do it...it's not until 6:30. Lehman: Oh, we can't do it until 6:30...alright, fine, any other agenda items? Council Time? Champion: We can save Council Time? Lehman: Well, we can start our... Atkins: Ernie, remind the Council that my report is going to be moved up. Lehman: Steve's report, after we do the Consent Calendar and prior to accepting public comment, there will be a short report from the City Manager, tonight. Aktins: It's on Hurricane Katrina issues to get you updated. Lehman: Let's retire to our dinners and return at 6:30 to start our special meeting and then come back and finish the rest. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the September 6, 2005 Iowa City Council Work Session.