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Home My WebLink About2000-01-18 CorrespondenceMarian Karr From: RDGrow@aol .com Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 11:29 AM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Suggestion Suggest that an arrangement be made with GoodWill Industries or some other such group to manage the return of recyclable cans and bottles to provide a central place or places to return these items since the grocery stores are reluctant to do this. It could be a help to these excellent non-profit groups and be a good way to manage the recycling and return problem. Roger D. Grow rdgrow@aol.com JAN MEMORANDUM To: Johnson County Board of Supervisors Iowa City Council CC: Steve Atkins, City Manager From: Terri Miller Chair, Outgoing Chair, Senior Center Commission 28 South Linn Street Subject: Senior Center Commission Appointments Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Date: January 7, 2000 (319) 356-5220 Fax (319) 356-5226 As outgoing chair of the Senior Center Commission, I am concerned about the appointment of Carol Thompson to the Commission by the Board of Supervisors. Carol is a competent person and my concerns do not reflect on Carol personally but on the problems that could be created by this appointment. As a member of the Senior Center Commission, Carol would be placed in the position of making recommendations on various financial and operational matters which would be subject to her approval as a member of the Board of Supervisors. She would be put in the position of serving two masters. It would be difficult for her as a member of the Commission to urge expenditures by the Board that might conflict with budget plans of the County or to make other operational decisions in an independent manner. This would mean either the Board or the Commission would not be receiving Carol' s undivided loyalty which is essential to both the Board and the Commission. Because of this concern, a member of the Commission with the help of County staff members attempted to search County records to determine the guidelines the County has established for membership in the Commission. Apparently, the Board has set no standards. I would urge the Board to adopt a set of criteria which specifies that elected officials may not be appointed to the Senior Center Commission. Iowa law, I have been informed, apparently would prohibit a member of the Board from serving on the Commission due to conflicting interests. The City of Iowa City also has a resolution (Resolution No. 85-354) stating that members of County Boards or Commissions are not eligible for appointment to Boards and Commissions of the City of Iowa City. It appears that the appointment of Carol Thompson is in direct contradiction to both of these policies. I would request that the Board of Supervisors reconsider the appointment of Carol Thompson to the Commission and instead appoint a resident of Johnson County who is not a member of the Board. If the Board of Supervisors believes this is not a conflict of interest, it might be wise to request the County Attorney to contact the Attomey General of the State of Iowa for an opinion. It is vital that persons serving on the Commission be able to make free unbiased decisions for the good of the Senior Center, for above all, a Commissioner is an advocate for the senior citizens of Johnson County, not for the reigning governmental body. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. e/~& E JAN 0 ? 2000 ~ ' December 24, 1999 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE LOCAL CONSERVATIVE CALLS FOR ATKIN'S REMOVAL JOHNSON COUNTY .......... I wish to make the following public statement, in regards to Iowa City Manager Steve Atkins, and his budget/capitol projects proposal which will raise taxes for Iowa City residents. Earlier this year I headed up a group that opposed Iowa City Manager Steve Atkin's failed local option sales tax proposal, a proposal that would have adversely affected all of Johnson County. The voters spoke out against more taxes in overwhelming fashion. A message was sent to Mr. Atkins that he should have heard loud and clear. That residents don't approve of a large wish list of projects that can't be paid for with existing funds. The city manager is obviously ignoring that message. With that in mind, I am now going to head up a movement calling for his ouster. The residents of Iowa City shouldn't have to put up with Mr. Atkin's self-centered, money-hungry agenda. He continues to push for an overly-aggressive capitol projects plan without regard for budgetary limits or more importantly, effects on residents. Property taxes are already high enough, but apparently Mr. Atkins wants even more of the resident's hard eamed money. According to Kevin O'Malley, city finance director, the pressure to provide services is increasing more rapidly than the city's ability to generate revenue. Well I'd say that's a big problem, but apparently Mr. Atkins approach is to call for more projects and higher taxes. That's not demonstrating fiscal responsibility. "We need to be more aggressive about our economic development." said Mr. Atkins in a statement made to the Press-Citizen. I have to ask citizens why Mr. Atkins didn't come to that realization years ago. Expanding your tax base is an excellent approach to capitol improvement, but Mr. Atkins has been very weak in this area. It seems to me that Mr. Atkins prefers to call for more taxes as an easy way out than to do what' s fight and more healthy for the community in the long term. Mr. Atkins does not do what is in the best interest of residents, the city manager does what the city manager wants to do. I appeal to the people of Iowa City, and ask them to review the record of Mr. Atkins - this "Manager" of the city has let it's residents down. Those that wish to help me in this fight against the city manager's agenda and i~Ieased~ taxes, call me at 341-9266. I welcome your help. :::. Sincere , ' (D :,5.:;..~ ',--:9, 4g(4) January 1 l, 2000 / Mayor Ernie Lehman ~ ~ / Civic Center 410 East Washington St. (a Iowa City, Iowa 52244 Dear Mayor Lehman, Have been meaning to write to you sooner to thank you for your efforts to provide added parking downtown. From reading the paper not all council members were in favor of any more parking of any type - I have friends and acquaintances who for various reasons feel this way also. What triggered me to write was your feeling about the city and the university being "baby sitters." It made me feel good that someone like you would feel this way also ! Best wishes, as you know you will not please all the people all the time or some of the people any of the time. But I just had to write to you to say thank you for undertaking this job. Peter J. H~irtford 2795 Echo Avenue N.W. Oxford, Iowa 52322 01-18-00 1 4g(5) 625 Whiting Avenue Iowa CitylA 52245 January 11, 2000 The City Council ~ JAN ~k i~ 2000 ,~, The Civic Center 41o E, washington StreetCITY MANAGER'S OFFICE Iowa City, IA. 52240 We live in an area bounded by Kimball Road and .Whiting Avenue where the deer have caused many problems. They cross both these streets during the day and night e.g.I.) a deer jumped from a walled terrace onto a car near our house. 2.) one deer was injuried by a car and died in our front yard. Deer have destroyed many plants and shrubs in our garden and have damaged the ecosystem in our wooded area (they ve damaged hemlocks and the seedlings of oaks and maples.). We have seen herds 15 to 18 deer in the field beyond our house. Deer carry the lyme disease tick We are interested in having sharpshooters cull the deer in our area. We request that the City ask the Iowa Legistature to modify the state shooting limitation of 200 yards from an occupied structure, so that qualified sharpshooters can move into our area. Should the state agree to this change, we would be happy to allow our wooded area be used for this purpose. It is an area of about 30x lO0 yards and is adjacent to the late Mr. Glasgow's property. Our house and another one adjoin our wooded area and they are both about 20 yards away. Sincerely Harold Schedl M.D. Naomi Schedl i' Iowa City, IA ~ J/~N $ ~ ~.OOO '~l~ 12 January, 2000 the city Council I~ !i~i~I~[~l~"$ OI:~- civic center 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 We live in an area bounded by Kimball Road and Whiting Avenue where the deer have caused many problems. They cross both these streets during the day and at night. 1.)A deer jumped from a walled terrace onto a car near our house. 2.) A deer was injured by a car and died in our front yard. deer have destroyed many plants and shrubs in our garden and have damaged the ecosystem in our wooded area. We have seen herds of 12 to 15 deer in the field beyond our house. Deer carry the lyme disease tick. We are interested in having sharpshooters cull the deer in our area. We request that the City Council ask the Iowa Legislature to modify the state shooting limitation of 200 yards from an occupied structure, so that sharpshooters can move into our area. Should the state agree to this change, we would be happy to allow our woodedarealo be used for this purpose. It is an area about 30x 100 yards and is next to the late Mr. Glasgows property. Only two house adjoin this area and they are about 20 yards away. Sincerely ..... , c_.c , ,',? Harold Schedl M.D. Naomi Schedl ·: '~' : 01-18~00 ~ ~ ~ {] ~' ~ ? 49(6) //,1~ JAN :!.2;'ZOO0 ,,~ ,. CI~ MANAGERS OFFICE~,//, ' ~ - ~ ~~. ~,~_C~ ~ ~~0, Marian Karr From: campion@act.org Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 9:48 AM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Deer Management 1700 East Rochester Avenue Iowa city, Iowa 53345 Home phone: 337-2067 Office phone: 337-1218 E-mail: campion®act.org January 10 1999 To the Members of the Council: On January 8 the Press-Citizen carried on its first page a story, "Deer kill winding down," that makes me hope the "kill" is winding down forever. When the plan was announced for "managing" deer by killing them, I heard Mr. DeNicola of White Buffalo Inc. assure the city council that the "management"--that is, his company's sharpshooting--would be conducted professionally and safely. However, the Press-Citizen reporter writes that Mr. DeNicola's marksmen were "working 20-hour days." After 12 hours or so, hunters are doing well if they can distinguish a real whitetail doe from a roebuck lawn ornament. Moreover, the reporter records that more than 100 deer were "killed in one night" by means of "driving by sites and shooting from a vehicle." Hired guns working overtime and drive-by shoorings in the night do not look like professional "wildlife management" and certainly don't sound safe. Mr. DeNicola suggests Iowa City apply his company's methods next year to areas like "Dubuque Street, Prairie du Chien and Hickory Hill Park." Before we all have to wear blaze orange to bring in the early morning paper and need to strap Kevlar vests on all our pets, I trust that our city--a generally humane place before this foray into sanctioned mayhem--will find a way of coexisting with deer peacefully. Quite a few reasonable alternatives for deer management were proposed to the council. I urge you to consider those plans that do not involve the dangers of deadly force. Sincerely, Dan Campion Marian Karr From: Irvin Pfab [ipfab@avalon.net] Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2000 12:22 PM To: campion@act.org; *City Council Subject: Re: Deer Management Dear Mr. Campion, I had some delays in getting my city email address to work for me so I'm asking you to please use my personal address to stay in touch with me. And please do. It will be at the end of this message. I appreciate all your concerns but I feel that today I must limit my response to just this part of your message. > Before we all have to wear blaze orange to bring in the early morning > paper and need to strap Kevlar vests on all our pets, I trust that our > city--a generally humane place before this foray into sanctioned > mayhem--will find a way of coexisting with deer peacefully. > > Quite a few reasonable alternatives for deer management were proposed > to the council. I urge you to consider those plans that do not > involve the dangers of deadly force. It appears that the killing of the deer is over for the present time. What can we do to prevent this happening again? I'm suggesting that you keep me informed as to what alternatives you believe would be the best for the city to pursue. I would really appreciate that. Thanks, Irvin Pfab ipfab@avalon.net P.O. Box 2446 Iowa City IA 52244 2446 319.351.4094 ..... Original Message ..... From: campion@act.org <campion@act.org> To: *City Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Date: Monday, January 10, 2000 9:47 AM Subject: Deer Management > 1700 East Rochester Avenue > Iowa city, Iowa 53345 > Home phone: 337-2067 Office phone: 337-1218 E-mail: > campion@act.org > > January 10 1999 > To the Members of the Council: > On January 8 the Press-Citizen carried on its first page a story, > "Deer kill winding down," that makes me hope the "kill" is winding > down forever. > When the plan was announced for "managing" deer by killing them, I > heard Mr. DeNicola of White Buffalo Inc. assure the city council that > the "management"--that is, his company's sharpshooting--would be > conducted professionally and safely. > However, the Press-Citizen reporter writes that Mr. DeNicola's > marksmen were "working 20-hour days." After 12 hours or so, hunters > are doing well if they can distinguish a real whitetail doe from a > roebuck lawn ornament. > Moreover, the reporter records that more than 100 deer were "killed in > one night" by means of "driving by sites and shooting from a vehicle." > Hired guns working overtime and drive-by shootings in the night do not > look like professional "wildlife management" and certainly don't sound > safe. > Mr. DeNicola suggests Iowa City apply his company's methods next year > to areas like "Dubuque Street, Prairie du Chien and Hickory Hill > Park." > Before we all have to wear blaze orange to bring in the early morning 1 > paper and need to strap Kevlar vests on all our pets, I trust that our > city--a generally humane place before this foray into sanctioned > mayhem--will find a way of coexisting with deer peacefully. > Quite a few reasonable alternatives for deer management were proposed > to the council. I urge you to consider those plans that do not > involve the dangers of deadly force. > Sincerely, > Dan Campion JAN 0 2000 January 2, 2000 CiTY MANAGER'S OFFICE Dear City Council Members, I am writing to you regarding the sharp-shooting of the deer on Foster Road. I live at 580 Foster Road Apt. A4 and have resided at this location for 5 years. Never before have I felt more unsafe than right now. I suffer from panic disorder and often have a difficult time leaving my home because my home is the only place I really feel secure. All day today I had to listen to gunshot after gunshot. I no longer have a place that I can feel safe. I am really afraid of the thought of strangers with guns lurking around where I live. I feel violated in my own neighborhood. I ask that you please revisit this issue at the next council meeting and consider the impact the councils past decision has had on the quality of my life and the life of my family who has to deal with the consequences. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Keri Neblett 580 Foster Road A4 Iowa City, IA 52245 326 Douglass St. ~ Iowa City, IA 52246 "'. JAN 0'3; Grit MANAG R'S L)FFICE Iowa City Council Civic Center 41 0 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Councilors: I am opposed to paying for the literary, entertainment, and recreational needs of members of this community. I am opposed to paying taxes so the welfare bums next door can occupy better quarters than my own. I am opposed to paying for an airport that benefits the University of Iowa Athletic Dept. and a handful of upscale people. According to the 12/26/99 Gazette, the Libertarian Party has come to life in Johnson County. I hope they whip your asses. Very truly yours, Robert G. Dostal Richard Dolezal ~, ~ [g 1111 Marcy Street ~ JAN 0 4 ~000 Iowa City, Iowa 52240-3330 December 28,1999 I ITY MANAIIER'S OFFIll[ To: CityCouncil Iowa City, IA Having spent a portion of my adult life advocating for rights and services for handicapped persons, I found my self in the fall of 1996, attending a series of public meetings conducted by the Iowa City Parks Department. The department was seeking public impute on how to proceed in the improvement of existing trails and the development of accessible trails for handicapped persons in Hickory Hill Park. Supporters of Hickory Hill Park attended these public hearings in large numbers and during one meeting the question was asked why this park had to be made handicapped accessible. Parks Director, Mr. Terry Trueblood, explained the park was grandfathered under the Americans with Disability Act and changes were not mandated. It was a voluntary project to improve trails and at the same time make this park accessible to all citizens. Upon hearing this information, supporters of the park stood one after the other, expressing their tree feelings toward disabled citizens. It followed a familiar theme heard many times before. "I support those less forumate, as lone as it does not affect my park." Each speaker was applauded and at the end, when a speaker made the blatant statement, "we do not want this park made handicapped accessible," most in attendance stood clapping and cheering. To the best of my knowledge this was the final meeting held on this subject. Three (3) years have passed and today, not one handicapped accessible trail has been developed in Hickory Hill Park. When questioned on this issue Mr. Trueblood stated, "Without public support, the project was placed on the back burner." Should the City Council dedicate all the remaining 36 acres of Gaulocher property as part of Hickory Hill Park, the size of this park will be increased by 62%. Including the storm water management land, the size will be approximately 186 acres. So why is a park of this size, restricted to a privileged few? Yes, the word is "restricted." All tax payers have a right to use a public park. When accessibility is limited, tax pay~s have the fight to expect it to be changed. Mr. Trueblood attempted to do this. In my opinion, when intolerance is expressed publicly by one group towards another, and the end results prevented accessibility restrictions fi'om being removed, discrimination occun'ed. Should the City Council vote to increase the size of this park without making it handicapped accessible, it will be making a statement that it supports discrimination and a "favored few" over the rights of all citizens. Will the 62% increase in park size, now require compliance with the Americans with Disability Act? Perhaps, but can the city afford to find out the hard way? The council should immediately direct the parks division to aggressively pursue this trail development. Amend the FY 2001 Parks and Recreation budget and provide the extra money needed for this project. To do other wise, could prove embarrassing to the city and costly to the tax payers. Who among you will stand-up for those who can not stand for them selves? All citizens have the right to use public property. This park is not the exclusive d m ' ~vored few. Citizen of Iowa City cc: U.S Department of justice Civil Rights Division Disability Rights Section PO Box 66738 Washington, D.C. 20035-6738 cc: Mr. Donald Grove Citizens Aid/Ombudsman 215 E. 7th Street Des Moines, Iowa 50319 JAN 8, 2000 'v NANAGf:ii ; OFFICE To the Iowa City Council: In his Press Citizen guest opinion of January 3rd, Richard Dolezal claims that at a public meeting, supporters of Hickory Hill Park expressed opposition to making the park handicapped accessible. I was at the meeting in question, but I have a very different recollection of the evening than Mr. Dolezal's divisive account. The meeting was intended to give the public a chance to respond to the trail plan commissioned by Parks and Recreation. Among the people present, there was overwhelming opposition to the plan offered by the landscape architect from Des Moines. Speakers were not against making the park accessible to people in wheelchairs; we were against the specific design that was proposed. The design called for destroying trees in order to construct eight-foot wide asphalt trails that bisect the park in straight lines and opened the park for thoroughfare use by bicyclists and rollerbladers. Speakers proposed alternatives that would form loops instead of straight-aways, that would have a lower impact on the park, and that would still meet both the letter and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. There had been previous meetings to allow public input concerning the trail plan. At all of these meetings the nearly uniform consensus was that Hickory Hill park is a natural area where individuals go for solitude and that the proposed trail system with its cut- through design would change this important characteristic of the park. Before we invite more bulldozers in to pave the park, we need to make sure that the accessible trails will genuinely meet the needs of the people for whom they are intended. We need to consult the people who actually use the park (and those in the disabled community who want to use it) rather than imposing from the outside a trail system that doesn't fit the topography of Hickory Hill nor the predominant ways that hundreds of people enjoy the park. Please take the time to read the enclosed Parks and Recreation minutes of the meeting that Mr. Dolezel inaccurately describes in his editorial. I have also enclosed the 1994 Parks and Recreation Guidelines for Hickory Hill. Sincerely, K~th~een J~nz 328 Reno 8fmef Iowa City, IA 52245 337-6735 PRELIMINARY M ZNT, rCSS Su ect to Approval PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION OCTOBER 9, 1997 MEMBERS PRESENT: Barbara Endel, Ken Fearing, Judith Klink, Bruce Maurer, Matt Pacha, Rex Pruess, Allen Stroh MEMBERS ABSENT: Kathy Wallace, Ross Wilburn STAFF PRESENT: Terry Trueblood, Mike Moran, Jim Wonick, Brad Neumann, Marilyn Kriz CONSULTANT: Greg Jones (Dunbar/Jones Partnership) GUESTS: Kathleen Janz, Bernie Knight, Dick Dolezal, James Huntington, Richard Hollis, George Gay, Judy Slezak, James Moxley, Bud Gode, Bennett Brown, Winston Barclay, Barb Laughlin, Jim Jacobson, William Buss, Aaron Kaalberg, Mary Brown, Nancy Seiberling, Patrick Elliott, Ann Haag, Dianne Kaufman, Susan Birrell, Sarajane Peterson, Larry Wilson, Mark Meyer, Tracy Stuhr, Randy Miller, Pat Ketcham, Allison Hamilton, Jane Bolgatz, Thomas Bannister, Derek Maurer, Karolyn Ramnani, Corbin Sexton, Tamara Campion, O.J. Rinner, Ben Lewis, Karen Kubby, Carl Klaus FORMAL ACTION TAKEN Moved by Klink, seconded by Pruess, to approve the September 10, 1997 minutes as written. Unanimous. OAKLAND CEMETERY EXPANSION Trueblood presented brief background information. Approximately three years ago discussions began on the need to expand the cemetery in order to accommodate future lot sales. With recent changes in use of cemetery land, there is approximately four years of lot sales remaining. A possibility of expanding to the east into Hickory Hill Park was brought to the commission. The commission sent a recommendation to the City Council that the cemetery not be expanded into the park. The City Council wanted further consideration. It was discovered 40 acres in Hickory Hill Park had been purchased by the city from the Gaulocher family for cemetery purposes. A former City Attorney's opinion was the City Council could dedicate this 40 acres as parkland. However, if Gaulocher family heirs expressed a desire to use the land for cemetery purposes, a legal problem could be the result. Family members were located and they expressed their opinion that at least part of the 40 acres should be used for cemetery purposes. The City Attorney then recommended that 10 acres of the parkland be used for cemetery purposes. A consultant was hired and directed to develop three plans: a) a plan that will accommodate lot sales for 30 years; b) a 10 acre plan; and c) a 40 acre mixed use plan intermingling park and cemetery. Also, the plans were to include non-traditional use of lots such as double burials, cremation gardens and mausoleums to maximize the area. Trueblood stated this was the first opportunity for the commission to view the consultant's preliminary conceptual plans. There will likely be two to three more meetings to discuss these plans before taking final action. The consultant, Greg Jones of Dunbar/Jones Partnership, presented the preliminary conceptual plans. He stated a site analysis was completed to determine how development of this area should occur, noted the site dictates the best place for development. Various maps were shown and explained. 1. A map depicting land acquisitions and development thereof from 1919. 2. A map showing the use of Gaulocher property for cemetery purposes in relationship to the property being used for park purposes. 3. A map detailing the physical characteristics of the 40 acre site such as slope and other aspects. He noted graves could not be built if the land is too steep and over a 20 percent grade without a lot of earth moving. 4. A map detailing the type of soils to determine if it can be built on for construction, roads, etc. He noted the soil is primarily loess, a wind deposited soil which did not create constraints for any construction for cemetery purposes. 5. A map detailing drainage areas. 6. A map detailing elevations - how much grade change there is top to bottom. He noted the highest point 766.4 feet and lowest is 676 feet, which equals 90 feet of grade change on the site. 7. A map detailing the dam on the adjacent site and 100 year flood storage requirement. He noted the need to stay away from these areas. 8. A map detailing vegetation. 9. A map detailing slope. He noted the slope needs to be less than 20 percent or it would entail substantial grading. 10. A composite map of all the previous maps. He pointed out the areas to avoid such as the 100 year flood area, areas above a 20 percent grade, and areas above a 10 to 20 percent grade with existing vegetation. He stated there was not a lot of area left on the site that would not require major things to be done in order to use it for cemetery purposes. 2 Based on the site, the 10 acre preliminary conceptual plan varies from 600 to 1,400 lots per acre and lot sizes range from estate lots to crypts to various methods of burying cremains. This allows for roads, vegetation masses, utilities and various other things. Based on selling 45 lots per year, he stated at 600 lots per acre, one acre would last 13.3 years/I,000 lots 22.2 years/I,400 lots 31.1 years. Using these projections, 10 acres would last 133 years, 220 years or 311 years respectively. The 30-year preliminary conceptual plan covers an area 1.35 acres in size and an area .72 acres in size, which would only use a small portion (approximately 2 acres) of the larger 40 acre site, currently used as parkland. The 40 acre mixed-use conceptual plan includes a trail on both the north and south side, with the cemetery using not quite 10 acres. Other trail loops could be phased in. Estate lots and mausoleums could utilize part of the area. Endel questioned whether the 45 lots per year estimatewas reasonable in light of the fact that Iowa City continues to grow. Trueblood stated staff did not have the expertise to project this, but there may be an industry standard which could be used to take this into consideration. With respect to the 10 acre plan, Stroh stated topography limited what could be done and it was impractical because all of the land is not contiguous to the cemetery. Jones noted topography is not a limitation in that the area could be graded, but not without a great deal of cost to the area. He indicated although it probably was not normal to have all of the land contiguous to the cemetery, it was not unlike a subdivision for houses. Carl Klaus stated he inferred from opening remarks with respect to the legal history that the city has no choice but to develop a portion of Hickory Hill Park as cemetery. Trueblood indicated the city might not have a choice. A person asked if the commission had discussed getting out of the cemetery business. Trueblood indicated that this has been discussed, but further stated the city will be in the cemetery for many years because the cemetery has to be maintained, rather it is a question as to whether there will be lots to sell. HICKORY HILL PARK TRAILS Trueblood presented brief background information. An additional 92 acres (stormwater management areas) were obtained and the trail system was expanded from First Avenue to the dam area. It was determined a master trails plan was needed in order to avoid putting trails throughout the park in a haphazard fashion as had been done in the past. A consultant was hired to develop a trail plan to include renovation and 3 expansion of the existing trail system, accessibility to persons with disabilities, and possibly a bicycle trail through the park. He noted~ the preliminary conceptual plan includes the possibility of one or two asphalt trails to make the park accessible to more people with a wide range of interests and abilities. Me noted if asphalt trails were constructed it would not entail cutting a 20 to 30 foot swath through the park as some people perceive. Greg Jones presented the preliminary conceptual plans. He stated a site analysis~ was also completed to determine how development of this area should occur, and various maps were shown and explained. On the various maps, he noted the south facing slopes where trails would stay open longer, a good site for a shelter; various vegetation; stormwater management areas and dam site; soils and relative elevation; archaeological sites; and trails analysis. There are 10,400 lineal feet of trails proposed to be abandoned due to steep slope and other factors. The preliminary conceptual plan sets out a north-south spine (6,500 feet/approximately 1.25 miles) and a east-west spine (4,960 feet/less than 1 mile) going all the way through the park. He stated within these trails there is some desire by people who do not want to walk the entire trail for some organized shorter routes. To provide this, small loop trails at each end or wherever appropriate are included, which vary in length from 1/4 to 1/2 mile. He indicated they also developed a mission statement, goals and elements for the trail system. The mission statement states to protect the cultural and environmental integrity of the resource while making Hickory Hill Park accessible to all citizens. The goals based on the mission statement are to establish an accessible trail system, protect existing resources, use the park as an outdoor classroom, and to provide opportunities for recreation. Some of the elements are to control pedestrian access into and through the park because some of the present problems are that the pedestrian access is less than controlled; sustain cultural and environmental integrity; concentrate activities in areas that can tolerate same; maintain diverse, healthy biota; recognize it as a park with utility uses; and develop education potential and neighborhood stewards program. He noted various elements of the site: protected areas which have limited access and low maintenance (no mowing, preservation, no paths, leaving fallen material for habitat); resource areas with passive use accessible to pedestrian and service or emergency vehicles; and moderate to low maintenance (no mowing, preservation although manipulated some, paths, removal of only the hazardous limbs with most left for habitat); community orientation areas with active use and access points to the system if possible, group activities and parking with moderate to high maintenance. He indicated on the map the various trails, surrounding areas, parking area, creek, and grassy areas. Pruess indicated he was pleased to see additional loop trails. With respect to the north-south spine, he asked how disruptive to the environment various trail surfaces would be; i.e., asphalt vs. crushed limestone, etc. Jones stated the biggest concern for a paved trail was not the trail itself, but getting equipment in. He noted if located and sited correctly, construction can be minimized. He stated a gravel trail is potentially easier to put in, but the same size earth moving equipment would still be needed and it would be higher maintenance. A mulch trail might be easier, with construction being similar, but even higher maintenance and generally not accessible. Stroh felt reclaiming the trails was important, stating it was not a viable option to turn our backs on the park saying it is wild and to leave it alone. With the high level of use, the erosion will only get worse. Jones noted the need to weigh the use with what the site can bear, and to maintain the trails that are maintainable and discourage the use of those that are environmentally a problem. By having an organized system the use of the marginal trails might be decreased. He indicated he was not sure the city could afford or want to jump into this plan and shut everything down that exists. He suggested a period of phasing, eliminating trails which are less desirable from a trail and maintenance point of view, shutting them down and returning them to their natural state first. This would establish a hierarchy ending up with some of these trails and new trails, resulting in a holistic system which is better for the site. Maurer asked what types of trail material are acceptable for wheelchair accessibility. Jones indicated it is far easier to have pavement, noting a well compacted gravel trail may also be acceptable but it requires a lot of maintenance to make sure wheelchairs or other persons with disabilities can use it. He noted every trail did not have to be accessible. Pruess asked how the consultant envisioned the use of the spine trails, and which trails would be open to bicyclists. Jones envisioned bicycle use only on the spine trails, with the loops being used for passive recreation, noting a mixed use trail needs to be ten feet wide. Pruess asked if he envisioned the spine trails being used as a means of transportation, with Jones indicating they could be for any use. He noted the need to determine who the users are, adding it was his feeling that it was not wise to preclude anybody. Trueblood noted there are other materials that are accessible, but either they are high cost and/or high maintenance; most practical are asphalt, concrete or compacted limestone. Klink asked what is looked at to determine the best sites for accessibility to the park. Jones indicated areas next to parking, with a gradient less than five percent on the trail. He stated at this point the entire spine system would be accessible. Trueblood asked if any of the loops were accessible, with Jones indicating they could be but were not intended to be on this plan. 5 Carl Klaus asked if he was correct in inferring that the conceptual plan for a master trail system in Hickory Hill Park was largely being considered to make the park accessible to disabled persons. Trueblood indicated it was one of the factors, but noted it was to make the park more accessible to all people. Klaus asked if he was correct in inferring the request for making it accessible to disabled persons has not arisen from a massive or even small expression of interest in the disabled community. Trueblood indicated there has not been a massive expression of interest, but the city is legally and morally obligated to provide access to this segment of the community. Klaus questioned the legal issue, noting the disabled person's law is drawn very flexible. Me indicated an individual he contacted noted the large portfolio of city parks and the obligation to have a majority of them accessible, but that everypark did not need to be. Klaus stated if a master trail was established and paved with asphalt there would in fact be no way to prevent multiple uses that might be against the designer's concept, asking how bicycles or roller blades could be prevented from using it. Trueblood indicated it would not be possible unless it was patrolled at all times, but if a hard surface trail is put in it would be done so they could use it. He also acknowledged some gray areas in the American with Disabilities Act. Trueblood indicated he had contacted an ADA expert who felt if the city were challenged on behalf of the disabled, in all likelihood the City would lose, especially in light of the fact that it is happening more and more often with renovation projects and new construction. Klaus stated it may be better then if nothing is done; therefore the city would not be obligated. Trueblood stated that his source indicated this might not be true; a public park could be treated as a recreation program, obligating the city to provide accessibility. Kathy Janz stated she felt ADA was a good idea. She indicated she worked with a district forester whose principal charge is to design trails, and indicated crushed limestone would be veryappropriate. It is indigenous to this area, it would be cheaper than asphalt and it could be stabilized. She noted she obtained from the National Center of Accessibility a list of 15 different ways to stabilize a trail without asphalting it, one-third of which are less expensive than asphalt and maintenance of which would not be much more than what is spent for soccer field maintenance, etc. This individual classified the park as a rustic park based on where it is located and the number of people who use it. She felt a 4 foot wide trail would be the most respectful way to move through the park instead of a 10 foot wide trail. Janz stated she contacted a local company to determine how much clearance they would need to put in an asphalt trail by hand, which would be the most ecological stable way. They would need a 12 foot clearance and it would cost approximately $80,000 after the trees are gone to lay the asphalt. She referred to the Hickory Hill Guidelines adopted by the Parks and Recreation Commission in 1994, and questioned whether the commission would not consider an 8 to 10 foot asphalt trail being a permanent structure in the park. Pacha indicated four of the present commissioners were on the commission in 1994 when the guidelines were adopted. With respect to installing any permanent structures, he noted 6 the key is "should be considered judiciously" and'"to obtain community input", and felt the commission was doing so. He emphasized this is a conceptual plan, this meeting is to obtain public input, which will be considered as well as ADA, cost issues and other issues before the commission determines the direction it considers appropriate. Jim Walters stated there is a policy prohibiting use of bicycles in Hickory Hill Park, which is difficult to enforce. The spine trail system is one that countermands this traditional restriction and will encourage the use of bicycles in the park. He felt it would make it more and more difficult to police the abuse of the park by bicyclists rather than minimizing the abuse. The plan opens up the entire length north to south and east to west, and at any time of the day and night bicyclists will have a justifiable reason to be there. He felt bicyclists going off the trail at any point will be considerably easier under this scenario than it is now, and the damage incurred in the park by bicyclists now will only multiply under this plan. An individual agreed that the only people who will use this trail will be bicyclists. She likened a person walking or in a wheelchair using this trail to that of canoeing, where there is a problem of transportation on the other end; they need to turn around and go back. An individual stated it should be acknowledged for the record that for many people in the community the attraction of Hickory Hill Park is that it is unlike other parks, and felt this plan would make Hickory Hill like other parks. He stated he has been a user of the park since the early 1970's and did not want it to be a park that is more accessible to bicyclists, in-line skaters and other uses that have plenty of places to go. He noted the park is the one place an individual can go and walk in solitude, with it being acknowledged that there is heavy use of the park which is a way of saying there are plenty of people in the community who want this kind of park instead of the park being proposed. He felt the plan provides the kind of accessibility that changes Hickory Hill Park from a rustic park into something else, removing the single rustic park that citizens have. Trueblood posed the question that if none of the trails were asphalted, and if the no bicycle rule remained in effect, how the plan would have such a detrimental impact. The individual stated he did not have a problem with redesigning the trail system in the park to deal with the environmental problems caused by the trails which were never really designed as trails, noting anyone who uses the park knows serious erosion is taking place. He stated the issue is with the kind of use that would be encouraged and the character of the park which would be changed by this particular plan. He felt the plan creates thoroughfares through the park connecting out of the park and they would encourage use that would fundamentally change the character of the park. An individual stated he uses Hickory Hill Park on a daily basis and noted he did not believe there are any trails existing to the north of an area he pointed out on the map. Trueblood stated there were no developed trails, with Stroh adding there were a lot of paths. The individual made a point that there are tremendous areas behind the Press 7 Citizen which show no evidence of use or any suggestion of a trail system, his point being why develop it. An individual asked if the commission was going to look into a 4-foot wide trail with a different material or was it going to continue on with the present plan. She felt it was important to make the trail accessible but that it did not need to be a thoroughfare. She suggested making a moderate loop accessible. Pruess asked if people were in favor of a north-south spine if bicycles were not allowed. He stated he envisioned people who live at one end and work at the other end utilizing the trail to get back and forth from work and enjoying it for a few minutes a day. The individual stated she did not think there needed to be a spine to enjoy the park for a few minutes. Pruess indicated there needed to be a way to get from one end of the park to the other, but from the comments made he felt this was not wanted. The individual felt most people using the park would use the loops. Pruess asked if there was any sense of someone living at one end using the trail to go to work or school. The individual stated she felt this was rare and that most people use the park just to get away for a little while. Stroh stated the plan is based on what the land allows, with the physical layout producing the cross spine. He noted the topography guides what can be done. An individual stated she was a regular user of the park who valued it for its rustic quality. She did not want to eliminate others from using it, but felt an asphalt trail would have an impact on the park and would change how she enjoyed it. With respect to making it accessible to the handicapped, she noted a close friend who had two hips replaced who commented that walking on asphalt for any length of time is very difficult. The individual noted asphalt may be a fine surface for wheeled vehicles but it did not take all disabilities into consideration. She felt the trail would be hazardous in the winter, especially to the disabled. She noted she formerly lived in a community with paved trails which were used by bicyclists, skaters, walkers, etc. and the people were very harried because of this mixed use. Larry Wilson stated he had been asked to make a couple comments on behalf of F.I.R.S.T. and the Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission. He stated F.I.R.S.T. promotes developing trails throughout Iowa City and Johnson County for multiple use purposes, and on the other hand the Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission wants to protect the environment. F.I.R.S.T. likes to see parks and trails interconnected, being able to go from one to the other, but also see the need to have areas protected for the environment and for other kinds of experiences. Both organizations feel Hickory Hill Park is a community wide resource. He stated they did not see anything about the conceptual plan that precludes this from happening, and think the basic concept promotes it. The spine trail is located where the land dictates, which will do less damage to the environment. They would rather not have the cemetery expanded but if it needs to be expanded for community need it should be done in a environmentally friendly way and not expanded into areas 20 percent above grade. They also feel the trail material should be as 8 soft as possible and urged consideration of a material that is more flexible such as compacted gravel. They could see a few areas asphalted but not the whole area. He stated conceptually the plan met the purpose of both organizations. An individual stated he was an avid mountain biker and was aghast at having bicycles in Hickory Hill Park. Me felt the park is already multi-use; i.e., bird watchers, walkers, nature study. He felt allowing bicycles would ruin the ambiance of the park and destroy the trails. With this plan he felt the wilderness was being taken out of the park and indicated that is what people love about it. It is unlike any other park in the city and people want it to stay the same and not destroyed. An individual reiterated this sentiment that people love Hickory Hill Park the way it is, the character and essence of it. She noted people in attendance were not saying they did not want to share the park, noting it is probably one of the most heavily used park aside from parks with sport fields. She stated strongly asphalt seemed empathetical to the whole concept, essence and soul of Hickory Hill Park. She referred to Ryerson's Woods which has wood chips on its handicap accessible area. She encouraged trail loops off the entrances to the park, where parking is located, and on existing trails and not creating new areas. She acknowledged that the erosion problem needs to be addressed but questioned why such a drastic design and whose idea was it. Trueblood stated the master trail plan idea was staff generated and nobody said to asphalt the entire trail. She asked if this plan was done that asphalt not be used. She also asked the commission to look at a smaller, less intrusive plan. (Staff noted that Ryerson's Woods does not have wood chips, but rather compacted limestone trails.) An individual stated he has used Hickory Hill Park for 25 years and appreciated efforts of those to do something for people less able to walk. He indicated he realized how difficult it is to maneuver a wheelchair onto a surface that is not extraordinarily smooth. He felt a 4-foot wide path as previously mentioned by someone would not be wide enough. He could envision a wheelchair user and someone coming around a corner on a bike or rollerblades and colliding. He stated it would be much better to put some handicapped trails near the roads where there is already parking, with the trails looping back to these areas. He felt a wheelchair user would not go from 7th Avenue to North Governor. Richard Hoppin stated he was confident ADA requirements and the interest in making the park accessible was appropriate to people who are disabled, and can be happily combined with the kind of use people think are important to preserve. He indicated he was discouraged with the idea that one should not worry about ADA lawsuits. He noted the normal problem with public participation in these important decisions and asked the planned sequence of these plans so interested people will have information at the appropriate time. Trueblood asked people in attendance to sign the attendance sheet and they would be notified of any other public hearings to discuss the Hickory Hill trail plan and/or cemetery expansion. With respect to the trails, he stated the planning 9 process is to take it back to the commission for further discussion to determine which direction they want to head. He noted all commission meetings are public meetings. He stated if this plan was adopted funding was not available at this time to complete it. If the city did an overall master redevelopment plan it would need to go through the Capital Improvement Program budget process and would most likely be phased in. Dick Dolezal stated he was an advocate for the cemetery, but also likes Hickory Hill Park and felt there was room for both. He agreed with suggestions to have small trail loops near parking areas and making them handicapped accessible. He did not favor a hard surface trail through the rest of the park. He felt if First Avenue was extended children riding bicycles to school would use it instead of a path through the park because it would be the closest way. Trueblood stated there are many ways to make the park accessible to the disabled and the main purpose of the spine concept was for people to be able to traverse the park, using it to go to school and work. He indicated the gray area is what percentage of the trail would have to be accessible. Pacha expressed appreciation to those in attendance for providing their input. RIVERFRONT AND NATURAL AREAS COMMISSION Fearing reported the majority of the meeting was spent reviewing the draft of the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan and prioritizing the commission's work program. PARKS AND RECREATION FOUNDATION Pacha reported the Mercer Park Gymnasium Fundraising Committee artended the City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 7, to announce the success of the fundraising campaign. To date, cash and pledges have been received in the amount of $411,160. Trueblood stated a large thank you ad would be placed in The Advertiser and the Press-Citizen listing alphabetically the people who contributed. Pacha noted a $100,000 gift had been received from the Scanlon Foundation and the name of the facility would be the James P. Scanlon Gymnasium. COMMISSION TIME Endel indicated she had been contacted by the same women's volleyball team who expressed frustration that they never receive the game schedule until sometime after the season has started. This places pressure on the managers in trying to contact each of their players to notify them when the games are. Moran stated the problem comes from holding a league open as long as possible to allow as many teams as possible into the leagues. Some teams are lax in getting signed up before the deadline, and staff has extended the deadline in order to get the six 10 teams needed for each league. Moran stated staff would try to have the game schedule available the night of the first game. Stroh indicated he would like to see the Hickory Hill trail plan on a future agenda. Klink stated she would like a brainstorming session, with Stroh suggesting that a list of questions be assembled to discuss and determine if feasible or not. Fearing indicated he was contacted by an elderly couple who walk in Hickory Hill Park who could no longer do so because the railroad tie steps near an entrance to the trail had been removed. Trueblood stated the railroad ties were most likely removed due to their deteriorated condition, and he would check with staff on their plans to reinstall new railroad ties. Fearing also noted he was contactedby an elderly person who had almost been hit by a bicyclist on the City Park trail, noting some bicyclists go at a high speed and it scares elderly people. Moved by Endel, seconded by Fearing, to adjourn. Unanimous. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m. PROPOSED GUIDELINES** Hickory Hilt Park was established and is to be preserved as a vaJuaJ~te naturaJ resource in the iowa City Park system. To that end, we are committed to protecting and maintaining the integrity of the park. Any activity which would endanger or threaten the vegetation, animsi life, or h_.a. bitat should be restricted. The decision to install any permanent structures In Hickory Hill Park should be considered Ifudtciously~ We encourage the adoption by community at~d private organizations of aJl parks in our system, and welcome community input on park development, regulation, and maintenance. J JAN 0 6 2000 1915 Fl..iga. Co. Iowa City, IA 52246 319.351.2212 or 319.398.5433 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE evAmoro,o®,o,.c, bamoros@kirkwood. cc. ia. us January 5,2000 Mayor Ernie Lehman Civic Center 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52244 Dear Mayor Lehman: As a concerned citizen of the Iowa City Community, I urge you, as my representative, to take a firm stand against underage alcohol consumption in this town. As evidenced by the police reports, the police are trying to do their jobs by nabbing underage violators. However, many more students are violating the law than are picked up; and, as reported via interviews with students, this is no deterrent to their frequenting the bars again and again. It is necessary for the City Council to act on behalf of the greater good of society. The following suggestions should be addressed by the Council: Rescinding the city ordinance of allowing underage persons into bars Supporting the police in their enforcement of the laws Enforcing fines against the bar owners Taking action against establishments that continually breach the law I fully support the efforts of the Stepping Up Coalition in its efforts to educate the students and the community about the alcohol problem that exists in our immediate midst. In addition, I'm in agreement that the City Council and citizens must halt the erosion of our youth by implementing policies that positively reinforce laws and ethical behavior. Sin erely y oroso Marian Karr M From: diggelfa@zues. ia. net Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 7:49 PM To: council@iowa-city.org; phillip-jones@uiowa.edu; pluggel@iowa-city.k-12.ia.us Subject: Underage Drinking As a parent of three children (son-freshman at Iowa, daughter-senior at City High, and daughter-6th grader at Hoover), I am VERY concerned with the problem of underage drinking and the enormous number of bars in this town. When my son was a freshman at City, he told me how easy it is in Iowa City for anyone to get alcohol who wants it. The past three years my two older children and I have been visiting many colleges and universities. Two things I was researching during the visits were the attitudes of the school and the town toward college/binge drinking. I also walked the areas near the schools to check out what businesses were available for the students to visit. I decided to do the same thing in downtown Iowa City. Well, Iowa City failed big time in the appearance of the downtown, the number of bars, and the lack of non-student types in the downtown. The appearance of downtown is getting better but we have lost the uniqueness of shopping that was there 12 years ago. I recommend the city, University of Iowa, and school district work together on this problem. Drinking is a problem in high school and the Univ. I do not want it to become one in the grade schools and junior high schools. Measures to take are: 1. The ICCSD must include a mandatory health course for each grade K-12. This course could be modeled after asset building programs in other school districts and would include education on drug and alcohol abuse. 2. The citizens of Iowa City must want a better downtown environment. Keeping the main library there helps promote the "family" atmosphere. Purchasing the "Englert" would provide the community with a performance auditorium. 3. It should be illegal for persons under the legal drinking age to be present in bars. 4. The Univ. of Iowa and Iowa City need to provide "things for all these students to do." The high schools could be social centers for the students on weekends as well as study centers during the week. The U of I resident halls could serve as a center of Univ. social life. The IMU needs to become a social center for U of I. I am hoping all of you can work together to get control of the drinkin~ issue. Oh, by the way, I have lived here for over 25 years and went to my first Iowa football game this year (my son is in the Marching Band). Great game, great band. I took my 6th grader and nephews (ages 6 and 8). I was not prepared for the big drinking scene and all the questions I got from them about all the people drinking (they just heard this was not the thing to do in D.A.R.E. and Here's Looking at You 2000) everywhere you went around the stadium. Guess they won't go again. We were there under a special ticket promo offered to the kids in the elementary schools. Thank you, Linda Diggelmann Marian Karr From: APTJPAGS@aol .com Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 2:41 PM To: council@ iowa-city. org Subject: underage drinking Dear Members of the Iowa City City Council; I am concerned about the underage drinking problem in Iowa City, and urge the city Council to examine the possibility of limiting access of "under 21" into drinking establishments (i.e., bars). Perhaps the measure of limiting access would help to slow the growth of new bars downtown, and produce other alternatives for the 18, 19 and 20 year old crowd. Mayor Lehman is correct, we cannot baby-sit young adults, but we CAN make some changes in our city policies that would be conducive to a more healthy environment for our young people. Thank you for your consideration, Polly S. Pagliai January 4th 2000 ~ In response to the article in the university newsletter. I have a son who is an early graduate of highschool. He to has become a binge drinker. My husband and I did not have any trouble with Todd at home. I to feel that there is to much temptation in Iowa City to drink. May I wonder why a seventeen year old can purchase alcohol? Why are they getting in the bars? It's Iowa law.? I am pleased that some have taken steps to help. I support the Stepping up program. If I can be of some help let me know. Could I also ask why the police of Iowa City chose to over look this bar issue? Would it help to inquire with them? Sincerely, Ken and Marlys Kulper 27194 372nd st. Garber, Iowa 52048 319-856-5215 ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ '~l ~ ~ MarlaB Karr M From: Ronald Ettinger [ronald-ettinger@uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 8:21 AM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: underage drinking Dear Council - This town needs more alternatives to drinking!! More recreational space is needed - so that the younger [incl. highschool students] and older- students can do both rollerskating and basketball etc instead of one or the other! This has been discussed for a decade but nothing happens! Now is the moment to commit to something or ICity will really lose out to the Coral Ridge Mall. Also could not space be found for the public access section of the library and the meeting areas so that the library could use the existing rooms A B etc for books? A branch library at Sycamore would certainly ease downtown parking] Some sort of housewares store is needed for the Old Cap Mall people do not only buy clothes! Not everyone wants to hike out along Hwy 6 to buy household items!! Could Tru Valu think of moving? It is pointless to think of any more parking changes till the Mall is filled! PS Snow removal by individual businesses needs to be more closely monitored - it is a major disincentive to coming downtown when sidewalks are like skating rinks. It is unthinkable to have the new parking lot next to the Ecumenical Towers without easy handicapped accessible for the Senior Center!! By the way, the senior population votes! PS The multicolored windows on the new green bridge are awful - now that Xmas is over could someone organise matching windows]!!! IC still needs a coffee shop where the Great Mid was but it needs to be cleaner and more upscale!! Hickory Hill needs to be protected - extensions to Scott Blvd would be preferable to any more development near 1st Ave!! Sincerely yours, Sonia Ettinger M. A. · ~- --oo /"/b- ~ ~ ' 7) ~.I,. ~ ~ , ~ ~ Cl~ MANAGER'S OFFICE ? p//~' ~ ACWN 3-3H ' ' ' '' Marian Karr M From: MargWink@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2000 6:17 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Underage Drinking Dear City Council Members, Please consider changing the laws to exclude minors from the Iowa City bars. I am the mother of a 21 year old and an eighteen year old, and I have always wondered why Iowa City allowed minors to go to bars. I am also a high school and junior high teacher who strongly believes that alcohol is the leading problem that our young people face. Please change the Iowa City law. Thank you for considering this. Sincerely, Margaret Winkler Marjan Karr From: Irvin Pfab Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 10:13 PM To: MargWink@aol.com; *City Council Subject: RE: Underage Drinking Margaret, First of all thanks for both your letter and your getting involved. Please stay in touch. In my mind, there is no question that this law needs to be looked at long and hard. I will have no trouble voting for a change but there are other interests that will encourage us to solve their problems at the same time. What can be done for those people who say that other social activities for them are limited? What will the owners and operators of the bars have to say? I believe it's time to discuss and then move on to vote to see if the votes are there to change. Irvin Pfab ipfab@avalon.net P.O. Box 2446 Iowa City IA 52244 2446 319.351.4094 ..... Original Message ..... From: MargWink@aol.com [mailto:MargWink@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2000 6:17 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Underage Drinking Dear City Council Members, Please consider changing the laws to exclude minors from the Iowa City bars. I am the mother of a 21 year old and an eighteen year old, and I have always wondered why Iowa City allowed minors to go to bars. I am also a high school and junior high teacher who strongly believes that alcohol is the leading problem that our young people face. Please change the Iowa City law. Thank you for considering this. Sincerely, Margaret Winkler Marian Karr M From: Amy Kolen [AMY-KOLEN@uiowa.edu] Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 7:56 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: city drinking ordinance Dear Members of the Council: As residents of Iowa City, we would like to add our voices to those who are advocating changing the city ordinance that allows patrons under age 21 into drinking establishments. The ordinance, as it stands now, is both murky and unreasonable. Letting 18, 19, and 20-year-olds into such establishments-- people of an age legally able to buy cigarettes, marry without parental consent, join the military, and vote--and then expecting them never to take a sip or two of a possibly alcoholic beverage as it's being passed from hand to hand is not reasonable. (Look at "Police Beat" in The Daily Iowan on a Monday morning. It's clear that the tickets for possession of alcohol are being issued at alarming rates.) If the drinking age is 21, then people under that age should not be allowed into drinking establishments. Period. Bar owners are taking advantage of underage patrons by serving them, and/or ignoring the underage drinking within the bars. The City of Iowa City is taking advantage of underage patrons by fining them $145.00 because City Council members have never attempted to ensure that the drinking ordinance is effectively enforced. Improvements our city officials might consider to make downtown entertainment offerings more diverse is another topic. The first step our community (which supposedly prides itself on being progressive and enlightened) can take is to limit access to drinking establishments to those age 21 and older. Sincerely, Amy and Michael Kolen Marian Karr From: Irvin Pfab Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2000 9:49 PM To: Amy Kolen; *City Council Subject: RE: city drinking ordinance Amy and Michael, I believe that the time has come that we must decide whether we want to enforce the law all the time or look at ways to change it so that it is workable. I have to tell you that this is how I see the problem. Now, how do we get to a solution? This will require us all to talk together so that we can come to common ground. Will it happen soon? I believe that that depends on how much work we are all willing to do with this question. Thank you so much for your post and please stay in touch, Irvin Pfab ipfab@avalon.net P.O. Box 2446 Iowa City IA 52244 2446 319.351.4094 ..... Original Message ..... From: Amy Kolen [mailto:AMY-KOLEN@uiowa.edu] Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 7:56 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: city drinking ordinance Dear Members of the Council: As residents of Iowa City, we would like to add our voices to those who are advocating changing the city ordinance that allows patrons under age 21 into drinking establishments. The ordinance, as it stands now, is both murky and unreasonable. Letting 18, 19, and 20-yearoolds into such establishments-- people of an age legally able to buy cigarettes, marry without parental consent, join the military, and vote--and then expecting them never to take a sip or two of a possibly alcoholic beverage as it's being passed from hand to hand is not reasonable. (Look at "Police Beat" in The Daily lowan on a Monday morning. It's clear that the tickets for possession of alcohol are being issued at alarming rates.) If the drinking age is 21, then people under that age should not be allowed into drinking establishments. Period. Bar owners are taking advantage of underage patrons by serving them, and/or ignoring the underage drinking within the bars. The City of Iowa City is taking advantage of underage t pa rons by fining them $145.00 because City Council members have never attempted to ensure that the drinking ordinance is effectively enforced. Improvements our city officials might consider to make downtown entertainment offerings more diverse is another topic. The first step our community (which supposedly prides itself on being progressive and enlightened) can take is to limit access to drinking establishments to those age 21 and older. Sincerely, Amy and Michael Kolen Hills Bank and Trust Company 319-338-1277 January 3, 2000 Iowa Ci~ Council c/o Ms. Ma~an Ka~ Ci~ Clerk ~::i Civic Center Iowa Ci~, Iowa 52240 ~: Sou~ Gilbea S~eet Traffic Situation Dear Ci~ Council Members: Congratulations m the new ci~ council members and ~e best to all ~e co~cil m ~e new ye~. We are ~i~ng to you regarding the on-going Uaffic problem on Sou~ Gilbea S~eet ~ ~ont of our ba~ located at 1401 S. Gilbe~. For ~e new council we ask that you consider some Uaffic measures that would help alleviate Uaffic congestion m o~ neighborhood and help m~e the uaffic flow move along quicker and safer. In the past we have offered suggestions that, we feel, would allow ~affic to be less congested. Some of · ose suggestions included the following: 1. Installhg a ~affic light at ~e comer of Sou~gate and S. Gilbea SUeets. 2. Not allow~g a fight mm on red at the Sou~gate light so there is a bre~ m ~e no~ bound uaffic. 3. Lengthening the ti~ng of ~e Glibeft S~eet no~ bound signal where ~e Uaffic is m~ng west onto Highway 6 an~or 4. Designing a dual mg lane at ~e Gilbe~ St.~ighway 6 intersection for no~ bound ~affic mmmg west s~ilar m what you did for south bo~d ~affic mm~g east at ~e intersection of ~verside Drive and Highway 6. 5. Consider not allowing a fight ~ on red for cars mm~g right from Highway 6 onto S. Gilbe~ SUeet sou~. As ~e new council p~oritizes ~affic issues for ~e co~g year, we ask you give consideration to review~g ~e ~affic problems in o~ neighborhood and work on solutions to these problems. We urge you to consider our suggestions. We would be happy to meet wi~ you or any of Ci~ staff to ~her this discussion. ~a~ you for your consideration ~d we look fo~ard to heamg ~om you soon. Dwight~gmiller ' eill~ President Vice President · 131 Main Street, Hills, Iowa 52235, 319-679-2291 · 1401 South Gilbert Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, 319-338-1277 · 1009 2nd Street, Coralville, Iowa 52241,319-351-8000 · Highway 965, North Liberty, Iowa 52317, 319-626-2381 · 132 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, 319-351-3337 IOWA " OLb gqJ'iP]] 20000, ;REA ANNUAL BUSINESS FAll C:H, BEI OF Hatch 74 - ZG, ZOQQ COH ERCE 3~2~ E. Washington Stree~ P.O. Box 2358 Iowa CI~, Iowa ~22~4. 319~37-9637 (tel) Memorandum s~-s~s-~s8 [r~x~ Chamber@lcarea.com [emall} Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 To: ~d~'ty Council Members, Iowa City City Council Members, Coralville City Council Members, North Liberty Area State Representatives Area State Senators Iowa City Community School District Board Members County Board of Supervisors From: Elected Officials Committee: Paul Heath, Small Business Development Center Loft Lensch, Brenton Bank Re: 2000 Business Fair Elected Officials Booth As in the past, a booth at the Business Fair has been reserved for our Ioca( and state officials. We would like to invite you to participate in this event. We are expecting over 7,000 attendcos this year. The fair will give you an opportunity to meet with your constituents. Representatives from Coralville, Iowa City. North Liberty, Johnson County, State Officials as well as the Iowa City Community School District Board will share the booth. Attached is a suggested schedule of two-hour time slots. Please call (335- 3742) or fax (353-2445) us with your schedules. If you have any questions, please let us know. You may reach Lori at 887-7407 or Paul at 335-3742. Thank you. ..~'~~~.t.41~ SBD~ , Sewing the Communities of Johnson County ~...~p~f~ ~ 'd LBL['oN ~NVE] NOIN3;~8 ~V6~:6 000~ '~t'uer Elected Officials Booth Schedule Your name: Your Office: Fax to: 353-2445 The hours of the Business Fair are: Friday, March 24 04:00 p.m. -- 7:30 p,m. Saturday, March 25 10:00 a.m. -- 4:00 p.m. Sunday, March 26 Noon -- 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 24 1, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. 2. Friday, March 24 1. 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. 2. Saturday, March 25 1. 10:00 a.m. -12:00 noon 2. 3. 4. Saturday, M~r~h 25 1. ' ....... 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m- 2. 3. 4. Saturday, March 25 1. ... 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. 2. 3. 4. Sunday, March 26 1. 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. 2. 3. 4. Sunday. Ma~h 26 1. ' ..... 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. 2. 3. 4. 8 'd [SLL'oN ~NV8 NOIN]~8 ~V6~:6 000~ '~['usr Housing & Community Development Commission 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 319-356-5230 Date: January 11, 2000 To: City Council From: Jayne Moraski, Chair Housing and Community Development Commission Re: Letter to the University of Iowa regarding Hawkeye Coud At its December 16 meeting the Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC) discussed the impact of the University of Iowa's recent decision to possibly eliminate the 750 affordable housing units at Hawkeye Court. The HCDC decided to voice their concern through a letter to Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Iowa. As you know, HCDC is an advisory board to the City Council. As such, a draft copy of the letter is attached for your review before it is sent to Mary Sue Coleman. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at 339-7904. ppdcdbg\ltr~hawkeye,doc Housing & Community Development Commission 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 319-356-5230 January 5, 2000 The University of Iowa recently announced it may no longer provide affordable housing at Hawkeye Court for married students or students with families and may tear down almost 750 affordable housing units in the Iowa City area. We urge the University to re-think this decision. In a section on "Barriers to Affordable Housing," Iowa City's Consolidated Plan states that "the large student population increases competition for affordable rental units." Each year, Iowa City's Housing and Community Development Commission struggles to allocate scant local, state, and federal funds to projects that only begin to rectify our affordable housing shortage. The loss of a major segment of the community's affordable rental housing would set our efforts back many years. On behalf of the City of Iowa City, Maxfield Research Incorporated has conducted an extensive study of the Iowa City area housing market. They recommended a development strategy to satisfy Iowa City's housing demand though 2010. Maxfield discusses demand for housing and strongly urges the University to develop additional housing for students, not tear down units. Building additional units would free-up some of the existing rental units occupied by students and ease the pressure on the local housing market, especially for low-income residents. A pro- active philosophy of providing housing has been successfully employed as a marketing tool for other universities, (e.g. the University of Northern Iowa). It is no surprise that this is an incredibly tight housing market. Vacancy in rental units within one mile of the main campus have been below one percent for at least the last five years (Cook Appraisal, Annual Rent Study, 1999). Maxfield recommends an additional 2,490 affordable rental units by 2010 to meet projected demand. Removing the Hawkeye Court units would increase the total rental units needed by more than 30%. To give a sense of the burden this places on the community, HCDC has been able to directly contribute to the development of fewer than 50 new units in each of the past two years, including both rental and for-sale units. The loss of Hawkeye Court is of even greater concern because these units are affordable to those households below 80 percent of the area median income. A final quote from the Maxfield study summarizes the importance of housing in a community. "The housing stock of a community - its growth, condition and the variety of housing available - impacts the community in many ways and provides the base for a healthy environment. Housing, not suprisingly, is related to a community's ability to attract employment. It is the primary building block of neighborhood and creates the base to support retail and services. The Iowa City Urban Area is expected to see strong continued growth in the foreseeable future, but the availability of a variety of housing options will play an important role in the area growth ." The University of Iowa has a responsibility to the community to provide housing options for students that attend the University. More and more major employers across the country are realizing and living up to this responsibility. We urge the University to reconsider their housing policies, seek innovative solutions to preserve or replace the Hawkeye Court apartments, and work in padnership with the community so that needed housing is available to all residents of Iowa City. Sincerely, Jayne Moraski, Chair ppdcdbg',ltr~hcdclet.doc City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: January 12, 2000 To: City Clerk From: Doug Ripley, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~ Re: Lane Usage Changes on North Dodge Street at Captain Irish Parkway As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Unless directed otherwise by the City Council, this action will occur on or shortly after January 27, 2000. Action Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(1) of the City Code, signage will be modified for northbound traffic indicating "Right Lane Ends. Merge Left" on N. Dodge Street just northeast of the intersection with Captain Irish Parkway. Comment This action is being taken after receiving numerous complaints from drivers that the existing situation with the left lane ending and merging right is awkward and not being complied with. The modifications will be in effect until the remainder of N. Dodge Street is improved, which is scheduled for 2003. The Iowa DOT must also concur with this action. jw/mem/dr-ndodge.doc Englert Theater Coalition JanuaW 18,2000 City Council of Iowa City Civic Center 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City IA 52240 Dear Mayor Lehman and Members of the Council: On behalf of the members of the Englert Theater Coalition, and the many people who contributed to the Englert Theater Fund and have expressed support for this project, we want to thank you for the Council's rapid response to addressing the challenges offered by this unique opportunity to transform the Englert Theater into a community events center. We know there are many questions to be answered and a great deal of work to be done before this happens. We realize that some people are uncomfortable with the speed with which action must be taken, but given the timeline facing all parties, this is what we have to deal with. If we all feel this project is worth the major effort needed to make it happen, we must act quickly, boldly and decisively. With this in mind, the Coalition offers this progress report on our activities in the past week. An expanded committee met on Saturday, Jan. 15 and will meet again later this week in order to put together a formal organization which will carry out the plans formulated in the months to come. The attached list names those who have been involved in this effort to date and the organizations they represent. This group continues to grow as we reach into the community for expertise and support. At Saturday's meeting, the group began to work on the four major issues facing us: Organization, fund raising, facilities and operations. Committees have been formed to address each area of concern. Organization: The process is underway to file articles of incorporation with the State of Iowa to create the not-for-profit corporation that will become the legal entity purchasing and operating the New Englert. This process will include obtaining 501 c.3 tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service, which takes several months. We envision an operating Board of Directors composed of representatives of participating community organizations, such as the Iowa City Community Theater, the Iowa City Jazz Festival, the Iowa Arts Festival, Arts Iowa City and Friends Of Historic Preservation, to name just a few, as well as individuals representing a diverse cross-section of the community. A second board--an advisory board on programming issues--will be instituted, bringing even more community input to the programming process. These boards will also help establish policies related to rental fees, ticket prices, etc. to ensure that the Englert is accessible to all aspects of the community. FUnd Raising: We are overwhelmed by the response to the two-week campaign we organized to raise the $50,000 "option to buy" agreement with Pohl Family Properties. The majority of these funds came unsolicited from individuals and local businesses. Gifts ranged from $5 to $10,000; many of these people said they will contribute more when the major campaign begins. Iowa City Community Theater, the Iowa City Jazz Festival and Friends of Historic Preservation each made significant gifts to this effort. We are in contact with several major foundation and corporate prospects. With the prospect of a $1.1 million capital campaign ahead of us, we are seeking professional fund raising advice. The Community Theater's commitment to this campaign includes a $20,000 allocation for fund raising costs. Also, State. Sen. Joe Bolkcom has offered his assistance to the Coalition if it decides to apply for a state Community Attraction and Development Program grant. Facilities: Our group is in contact with a theater consultant who will come in February to look over the facility and its relationship to potential users. We have had architectural assistance from the beginning from John Shaw. The Coralville firm of Shoemaker & Haaland Professional Engineers has stepped forward and offered to conduct a structural analysis of the building at no cost. We also are in contact with vendors to provide proposals for new stage lighting, sound equipment, stage rigging and equipment needs to bring live performances to the Englert. Restoring the Englert to its status as a live events center will preserve one of downtown Iowa City's most historic buildings. It will also provide a unique venue for the community--a community-controlled auditorium seating over 1,000 people. Most of the facilities in Iowa City are institutionally controlled- -the university, the school district, churches, etc. They can be booked by outside groups only after the institutions' needs are met. The New Englert will fill a huge gap in the available space in which community groups can stage their events. Operations: Our group has received information from Compass Facilities Management of Ames, Iowa--a professional firm which currently operates the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids, the Adler Theater in Davenport and other Midwest facilities. Tom Fesenmeyer of Iowa City, operations manager of the Paramount, attended our Saturday meeting and put us in contact with Steve Peters of Ames, president of Compass. Peters has agreed to meet with the Coalition next week to discuss how his firm can assist in putting together an operations plan for the Englert. The group has contacted several similar theater operations and expects to receive copies of their 1999 annual reports when they are available. Stan Miller, a partner with McGladrey-Pullen accounting firm, attended Saturday's meeting and offered his counsel in drafting a detailed business plans for the project. As you can see, we are working on a very fast pace on several fronts to answer the many questions the Council and others have raised about the viability of this project. We will keep you informed every step of the way. We realize this is not the ideal timeline and methodology for a project of this magnitude, but it is the hand we have been dealt. Given the outpouring of community support and expertise available in Iowa City, we remain tremendously confident that our dream will become a reality. We invite the City Council to join the community groups and citizens who are working toward the goal of transforming the Englert Theater into a major community asset we can all be proud of, perform in and enjoy. Sincerely, Tom Gelman On Behalf of the Englert Theater Coalition Jim Harris, Prairie lights Books Dick Summerwill, Iowa State Bank & Trust Co. Bob Hammel, Iowa City Community Theater Mark Ginsberg, M.C. Ginsberg's Daryl Woodson, The Sanctuary John Shaw, Architecht Larry Eckholt, Iowa City Public Library Tom Gelman, Attorney Stan Miller, CPA, McGladrey & Pullen Jeremy Faden, Friends of Historic Preservation David Parsons, Frohwein Supply Steve Grismore, Iowa City Jazz Festival David Pierce, Iowa City CommunityTheater Tom Fensenmeyer, IC resident, Compass Mgmnt.lnc-Paramount/Five Seasons Center Tom Scott, River Products and dozens of others through their donations and offers of future assistance ..... . ...... ~'~ -"""' '~= " ~ ~ > ~ ~ E. 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