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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-06-13 Bd Comm Minutes PRELIMIN." IOWA CITY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ~.;~llbjeOtto provat THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2000 - 5:30 P.M. ,. CIVIC CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Jim Enloe, Mike Gunn, Sue Licht, Doris Malkmus, Pam Michaud, Mark Mills, Michaelanne Widness MEMBERS ABSENT: Richard Carlson, Peter Jochimsen STAFF PRESENT: Scott Kugler OTHERS PRESENT: Jason Von Ahsen, Charley Kapp, Doug Steinmetz, Shelley McCafferty; John Roffman, C.E. Hawtrey, John Beasley CALL TO ORDER: Vice-Chairperson Licht called the meeting to order at 5:39 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There were no items. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS REVIEWS: 720 N. VAN BUREN STREET: Kugler passed around photographs and explained that this was an application for a new porch stair rail to serve new steps that had been constructed. Kugler noted that the applicant is required to have a rail along one side of the stairs to meet code. The application requested a wooden rail similar to the railing along the porch. Kugler said he had called Licht about approving a Certificate of No Material Effect for this item. After reviewing the plans, they recommended that the applicant instead use a simple black metal rail without the vertical spindles. This approach would not hide the stepped stucco post detail along the stairs. A Cedificate of No Material Effect could have been issued for that type of rail. However, the applicant still liked the wood rail and therefore brought this before the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) for review. Jason Von Ahsen, 419 N. 4th Street, West Branch, Iowa, said he is the carpenter working for the homeowners. He said although the homeowners considered the iron rail, they liked the idea of matching the existing wood railing. He presented a sketch to the Commission and explained that the spacing between the balusters would match that on the house and the height would match code. Malkmus was concerned that the railing on the steps would be taller than the railing on the porch. Von Ahsen thought he would be able to construct the railing so that it is never higher than the porch rail. Licht asked whether the new wood railing was being constructed inside the stucco columns. Von Ahsen said the rail support would be along the stucco columns with approximately eight inches of space between the rail and the stucco where plants could be placed. The steps and railing would be painted white. Malkmus said she noticed that most houses from this era use only a simple pipe rail along the steps. Licht added that a photo they found from the early 1990s showed a simple metal rail. Von Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 5:30 p.m. -Page 2 Ahsen asked whether the iron railing was of historical significance. Commissioners did not know if iron pipe railing was original. Malkmus further explained that the HPC is not in favor of iron railings because other people in the neighborhood have them; rather, the goal is to restore the appearance of the house for its period of historical significance. If no railing existed originally, the iron railing is virtually invisible (visibly quiet) while allowing the homeowner to meet code. Gunn said the best choice would be no rail, but that would not meet code. Licht said it appears from old photographs and from the detailing on the stucco that no rail was in place originally. Gunn said the steel rail would be the best alternative choice and he would vote against a wood rail. Malkmus said that she would strongly discourage a wood rail, but would not vote to stop the homeowner because the proposed railing would not destroy the architectural features. MOTION: Gunn moved to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for 720 N. Van Buren Street that would include building a wood stair railing as submitted. Mills seconded the motion. The motion was denied by a vote of 3-4. (Gunn, Licht, Mills, Widness opposed) Kugler briefly explained the applicant's right to appeal this decision to the City Council. Because a rail is required by code, he suggested the HPC offer an alternative. MOTION: Gunn moved to approve the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for 720 N. Van Buren Street with the condition that a simple metal rail (painted black) be used instead of wood. Enloe seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 7-0. 1034 E. COLLEGE STREET: Kugler distributed photos for commissioners to review. He explained that this was an application for the removal of a small mudroom addition at the rear of the home to be replaced with a larger addition for a bathroom. The applicant also requested approval for a new deck and replacement of two windows with French doors. Charley Kapp, 823 Bowerr Street, stated that the requested work would not change the profile at the front of the house and the other changes were appropriate to the structure. Commissioners discussed how the new bathroom would be differentiated from the original house so people could determine the new work from the old. It was decided that the room could be set in rather than flush with the other walls. Kapp stated that there would be a hip roof sticking out even if the walls were flush; therefore, moving the walls in would not be necessary. Licht agreed that the only thing they would be changing is extending the existing room into the backyard. Malkmus was concerned about the double French doors changing the symmetry of the house and asked whether they would agree to a single French door and two windows on each side. Kapp said the homeowners wanted the double doors and he thought the deck would help. Gunn asked about trim around the windows and doors. Kapp said the windows will have trim and he is attempting to mimic the look that was there. Licht, Gunn, and Michaud expressed concern about the horizontal railing. Kapp said he has found the horizontal lines work well with the short beveled siding. Licht and Gunn said that they would like to see the deck slightly set in from the side of the house on both sides in order to preserve the original corners. Michaud said it would soften the look of the new structure. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 5:30 p.m. Page 3 MOTION: Widness moved to approve the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for 1034 E. College Street subject to the plans being changed to have the deck set in 4 inches from the corner on the east side and that the new siding on the addition be blended with the existing siding along the west wall. Enloe seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 7-0. 228 S. SUMMIT STREET: Kugler said the plans were available for commissioners to review. An application was submitted by the Summit Apartment Building Cooperative for alterations to the property, an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The project involves maintenance only, including the replacement of deteriorated lintels, repair of stucco, and the installation of expansion joints within the stucco surface. Dou.q Steinmetz, 4121 Timberview, Cedar Rapids, IA, said that he was the architect working on this project. He said the building was constructed in 1916 when architects did not understand how moisture moves through walls. Consequently, the lintels were deteriorating and pressing down on the windows below. They planned to replace the deteriorated steel lintels and the area of stucco in the decorative panel just below the parapet. In addition, they have a change of use with the building; therefore, the rusting fire escape can be removed. Gunn asked if all of the lintels on the building would need to be replaced. Steinmetz said they are choosing to work with a small area so they can understand the scope of the project. Mills asked if this would have an impact on the appearance of the building. Steinmetz said that they would alter the slant of the bricks in the decorative panel because water currently collects in that area. Kugler asked about the stucco recipe. Steinmetz said they would match what is there. Malkmus asked what the expansion joints would look like. Steinmetz referred her to a photograph included in the application. Licht asked about the ledge flashing detail. Steinmetz said they proposed using a dull stainless steel or terne-coat stainless steel to reduce the maintenance. However, with terne-coat, when the coating wears off, they would be left with plain stainless steel. Other materials, such as copper, have a washdown effect. Shelley McCaffertV, 228 S. Summit Street, said they wanted to minimize maintenance because the building is owned by a cooperative. Licht said the look of the flashing is a concern because there are so many horizontal ledges and the flashing would be seen at two levels. The lower level band of steel is more noticeable. Steinmetz said that by finishing a small area, they could review what it looks like. He believed it would never blend in but would become dirty and be less noticeable. He added that it is a necessary element. MOTION: Malkmus moved to approve the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for 228 S. Summit Street as submitted. Mills seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 7-0. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 5:30 p.m. Page 4 715 S. SUMMIT STREET: Kugler said the applicant wished to add a maintenance-free front porch rail along with matching balustrades on the second and third levels. A photo from 1907 was included in the application to show how the house originally looked. Iron rails had replaced the wood rails prior to the current resident's purchase of the home. John Roffman, 1314 Berry Drive, said he was the contractor and explained that he discussed using TREX for the new railing with the homeowner but the proposed product is superior. It is a plastic recycled product. He presented a sample of the rail for commissioners to examine. C.E. Hawtrey, 715 S. Summit Street, the homeowner, said that they recently trimmed the trees at the front of the house so all of the architectural detail of the second and third floors could be seen from the street. He said the sample square baluster was different from the original turned spindle but a turned spindle is available. He said he would go with whatever the Commission liked. Gunn said the square baluster would look more substantial than a turned spindle. However, he was concerned that the spindle was not as wide as what the Commission had agreed upon for its new guidelines. The tall spindles would look very thin. Gunn said the thin spindle is not historically accurate and the Commission has not approved an 1¼" spindle in the two years he has been on the Commission. Malkmus said the HPC's proposed guidelines state that you must be able to paint the materials. The accompanying literature stated that the proposed material could not be painted because paint will not adhere to the surface. Kugler cautioned that the guidelines had not yet been approved by the City Council, so any decisions should be based on the existing guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Malkmus commented that the Commission's intent is to also have some flexibility in approving new products. Licht said the material would look plastic when the sun hits the product at a certain angle, but might look like original wood from the street. Malkmus and other commissioners were concerned how the product would last over time and whether dirt would adhere to the railing over time. Licht was also concerned that if approved by the Commission, they would have to approve the product for other projects. If the product was not good, several properties could then be affected. In addition, the Commission does not currently allow vinyl siding. Enloe thought the HPC should be concerned about setting this kind of precedent because it may cause many more appeals. Hawtrey mentioned that it is an innovative product, and without trying new products, they would never have known about other products now commonly used. Michaud said she understands that they do need to find a way to use the plastics that are being recycled, but was also concerned about appearance after a number of years. Roffman said the material is similar to the plastic decking and outdoor furniture that use recycled materials. He thought there were bonding agents that could be used so it could be painted. However, this would defeat the purpose because the rail would no longer be maintenance free. Mills asked about the cost difference between a wooden rail and this product. Roffman said this product is more expensive but they are mainly concerned about maintenance. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, May 11, 2000- 5:30 p.m. Page 5 John BeasleV, 217 Green Mountain, the homeowner's son-in-law, said that the alternative product would be better than the existing iron railing. He said the HPC should not assume that his father-in-law would put up a wood railing if this were denied. Licht said that if the product was not approved, the Commission could not prevent the homeowner from keeping the iron railing, but that did not mean the HPC condoned it. Gunn noted that the standards are clear and do not have the fallback position of if you cannot make it original, do the best you can. Widness said the Commission cannot continue requiring diminishing natural resources for historic preservation and noted the HPC is interested in finding alternative materials that are less expensive for homeowners. She said the product looked better than she thought it would and suggested trying it out one time and having a moratorium on any further use of the material until they have had a chance to revisit the issue. Kugler said he did not like the idea of a moratorium, but if this were approved and the HPC's proposed guidelines were later approved by the Council, the HPC would not be able to approve this product again unless the guidelines were changed because of the }(reference to paintability. Malkmus said that she did not like the idea of slipping this in before the approval of the guidelines; if the Commission did not want to accept unpaintable materials, they should not. Michaud said the guidelines were written before they saw this product. Enloe said that the same argument used for this product has been used for vinyl siding, and the proposed guidelines do not accept vinyl siding. Hawtrey said he would take the risk of using the new product and intended to perform maintenance as required. Commissioners reviewed the guidelines at length, including whether the product is a compatible substitute material for wood. Malkmus said that she would agree the product is compatible if this product alone is used for the rail and no other wood rails are present on the house. MOTION: Malkmus moved that the Certificate of Appropriateness be approved for 715 S. Summit Street given that this is a visually compatible material and there are no other wood railings on the house. To achieve the appropriate aesthetic appearance, the spacing between the square spindles must be no more than 2" apart. Michaud seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 4-3. NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION - BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH, 411 S. GOVERNOR STREET: Kugler handed out comments from Carlson about this nomination. Guidelines state a religious property is not necessarily considered eligible unless it derives primary significance from architectural, artistic, or historical importance. Commissioners discussed this nomination and determined that the church is clearly historically important. The nomination form specifically addressed the criteria and why the church is significant. As the only historically black church in Iowa City, Licht said the HPC should think about nominating this building as a local landmark. MOTION: Mills moved to approve the National Register Nomination for Bethel A.M.E. Church, 411 S. Governor Street based on the property's historical importance. Malkmus seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 7-0. DISCUSSION OF AWARDS PROGRAM: Kugler reviewed responsibilities and handed out a copy of the program. Former commissioner Anderson had agreed to "MC" the program. Licht would present certificates to former Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 5:30 p.m. ..Page 6 commissioners. Mills agreed to help set up the audiovisual equipment. Widness agreed to take care of refreshments. Michaud was going to provide handouts to the public, if possible. Licht volunteered to send out thank you notes after the program. Malkmus was responsible for making sure the recipient of the Nowysz Historic Preservation Person of the Year Award was present at the program. (Michaud left at 8:20.) DISCUSSION OF GOVERNOR-LUCAS STREET CONSERVATION DISTRICT: Kugler reminded Mills that he (Mills) agreed to write a section on "what is a conservation district." Malkmus said that she would work on a couple of the guidelines. Kugler advised Malkmus that the City attorney's office is very leery of having a cap on the square footage and controlling demolition in conservation districts. Kugler said there may be other ways to discourage demolition. DISCUSSION OF DRAFT PHASE III ('GOOSETOWN) SURVEY REPORT There were no additional comments on the report. The Commission directed staff to forward comments submitted by Richard Carlson to the consultant. ELECTION OF OFFICERS MOTION: Widness moved to nominate Gunn for chairperson. Malkmus seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 6-0. Gunn clarified that he would have a limited amount of time to devote to the Commission and was mainly interested in historic districts and design review. He said any other duties would have to be completed by other commissioners. Licht said one way they have previously dealt with this was to make assignments to all commissioners. MOTION: Malkmus moved to nominate Licht for vice-chairperson. Widness seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 6-0. COMMISSION INFORMATION/DISCUSSION: Commission Time Gunn asked if the Commission wanted the HPC's guidelines to go forward with the recommendation that materials must be painted. Commissioners agreed that to resolve the incongruity of using the word "must" in a recommendation, they would need to amend the guideline and instead place "materials that cannot be painted" in the disallowed column. This would offer a more definitive guideline. Malkmus was concerned that such a guideline would limit the HPC from ever experimenting with a new material that could not be painted. Kugler said there is another clause that would allow the Commission to experiment if the situation warranted. Memo Kugler handed out a copy of a memo from staff about a potential archaeological site. If anything significant is found, the HPC will have the opportunity to consider the property for designation as Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 5:30 p.m. · Page 7 a historic landmark. The property is south of Napoleon Park where the owner is removing some buildings and wants to do extensive filling. May 15 Design Review Forum, Iowa City Public Library Kugler said the State Historical Society of Iowa was concerned that no commissioners from Iowa City would be attending the forum. Licht said that she would attend and others were encouraged to attend if possible. Letter requesting Statue Repair Assistance Kugler said the HPC received a letter from an individual requesting information about repairing a statue. Licht said she would respond. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION: Widness moved to adjourn the meeting. Enloe seconded the motion. The motion was carried by a vote of 6-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Minutes submitted by Wendy Larive. ppdadrn/min/hpc05-11-O0.doc PRELIMINARY IOWA CITY PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2000, 3:30 PM Subject to Approval CIVIC CENTER LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM MEMBERS PRESENT: Nancy Purington, Rick Fosse, Sandra Hudson, Stephen Perkins MEMBERS ABSENT: Emily Vermillion, Gary Nagle, Terry Trueblood STAFF PRESENT: Karin Franklin OTHERS PRESENT: None CALL TO ORDER Purington called the meeting to order at 3:40 P.M. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA None CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 6, 2000 MEETING Fosse made the motion to approve the minutes with a second by Hudson. The minutes were approved on a 4-0 vote. Purington asked to add one editorial comment for the record. She noted that Arts Iowa City sponsored the NEA grant. She said twenty-five years ago Arts Iowa City and the City of Iowa City sponsored a large grant to research the numbers and types of artists living in Johnson County. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 20, 2000 MEETING Purington noted one typo correction. Fosse made the motion to approve the minutes with a second by Hudson. The minutes were approved on a 4-0 vote. DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL ART COMPONENT FOR NEAR SOUTHSIDE TRANSPORTATION CENTER Franklin began by advising the group that they needed to start thinking about the project. The project is a facility that will be built by the city on the east half of the block between Burlington and Court Street, along Dubuque Street. In the structure will be parking, the inter-city bus terminals, taxi stand, bicycle parking, daycare center and approximately 27,000 square feet of commercial space. It is being built under a Livable Cities Grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which requires a mix of uses in the facility. The FTA has encouraged the use of art in these structures and will pay eighty-percent of the cost of the project. Twenty- percent of the public art budget will have to pay the additional cost. The total project budget is $12M. Hudson inquired about the outdoor component for the daycare. Franklin stated that the architects who are OPN out of Cedar Rapids have just been engaged and the design is in the beginning stages. HLM is doing the mechanical component of the project and Desmond Associates have been engaged as parking garage consultants. Franklin did note that a similar situation exists at the Uofl Hospitals with the play area on the top of the building. It is off grade and sub-terrain. She also said in Des Moines the multi-use play area is on top of the building. Iowa City Public A~ Adviso~ Commi~ee May 4,2000 Page 2 Franklin then went on to say that the issue for this committee is to determine how to have public art in this building. She said that there might be options for art other than the sculptures the group has been dealing with to date. She suggested glasswork, work in atriums, something built into the base of the building, tile work or lighting. Purington suggested that an eastern Iowa artist be considered for this opportunity. She said it would be an excellent opportunity for an artist from this area to interface with the architectural design team. Many calls request that an artist have experience working with architectural teams. Hudson asked if there would be enough talent in eastern Iowa to meet the need. Purington said there are many artists who simply do not respond to the calls. She suggested a special invitation to these artists for this project. Purington thought Tom Aprile may be an artist to be considered as he does two and three- dimensional work. Perkins suggested David Dunlap as an idea. His work is about creating environments. Fosse said that he liked the idea of utilizing lighting and architectural ornamentation. Purington liked the idea of using floor and tile patterns. Perkins thought wall tiles would be a nice concept as well. Hudson said she was intrigued with the floors as there will be a very large part of the population that is floor-oriented. Children generally relate to what is nearby and that is the floor. It is also good for adults. It is an expansive area and seldom gets covered up. Franklin inquired about the means of soliciting artists. She said she felt the call needed to be specific in regards to what the group wants. Purington suggested perhaps getting some slides from HLM from other projects to get some ideas for the art concepts. Perkins said that he viewed the artist who would work on this type of project as someone who would help create an environment. When someone walks in they would realize that they would be walking into something special. It would affect as many senses as possible. Purington said she felt someone would be needed who was comfortable in working with the transportation theme. It was agreed that the committee members would create a list of suggestions for potential artists and the medium. The group decided to focus on eastern Iowa artists, but to not limit it to the area at this point. They would address this issue at the next meeting. LONG-RANGE PLAN Franklin began by reminding the group that they had talked about looking at other areas besides the downtown for public art. She felt it would give the group some focus and continuity as membership changes over time. Perkins suggested an area near the fairgrounds. He thought an earthwork would work well in the area in the embankment and it could be seen both entering and leaving the city. Fosse had suggested some work along the trail system and Purington concurred. She said she thought something physical would be good such as gym equipment. Hudson asked if there is an art component to the peninsula project. Franklin said there was not and she did not think it would be one of the first areas to be addressed. Perkins said he felt community input would be a good idea. Franklin then noted that there are neighborhood associations and representatives from this committee could meet with the neighborhood associations. A request could be made to determine if the neighborhoods would like public art in their area. The association newsletters are another avenue that could be Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee May 4, 2000 Page 3 pursued to solicit input. Fosse said he liked the idea of neighborhood parks such as North Market Square. Perkins also suggested visiting artists could be used for public art projects. Fosse suggested commissioning a picnic shelter for future use. The group agreed to focus on the larger parks and then approach the neighborhood associations for public art options. Franklin suggested working with the associations to develop a plan for the future. Hudson said that this is an opportunity to work with them without a commitment, but rather sensing what is available potentially in the future. It could be a marketing tool to understand what the public is looking for. Franklin suggested a presentation should be made to the neighborhood council and then put something out in the newsletters. She also suggested putting something into City Insights. The committee felt this would be a good approach. Franklin said she would speak to the staff person to arrange a presentation. The committee also discussed focusing on the intersections of HWY 6 and Gilbert Street and the Park Road Bridge. Purington suggested utilizing the university students' work for rotating artwork in the Water Works Park. The committee liked this idea. IOWA AVENUE LITERARY WALK Franklin began by sharing with the committee the proposed contract with Gregg LeFevre. She is planning on getting the contract on the May 16, 2000, agenda for approval by the City Council. She asked members to review the contract and have any revisions to her by May 10. She said that this contract is formatted based on the one used for the fountain. She did make a change in the termination section. She added the sentence stating "further, the owner shall retain the right to terminate the agreement upon completion of the initial block face if the quality of the work performed does not meet the requirements of the owner." This would allow an out if the work is not acceptable. LeFevre will be doing the north side of Iowa Avenue between Linn and Gilbert. He will install it between September 15th and October 15th Of this year. The streetscape work will be done with the eight-foot band not being poured until the artist is ready. Next Spring the south side will be done on that block with the final two blocks being done next summer. Right now permission is being sought from the authors to use selected quotes. COMMITTEE TIME/OTHER BUSINESS Perkins announced that he would be resigning from the committee effective July Ist. He has taken a job in Green Bay, WI. and will be relocatin9. Purington asked Perkins to consider staying associated with the committee either in an official capacity or as a member of the public after his resignation to assist on the projects that the committee will be working on. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 4:55 PM. Minutes submitted by Le Ann Dunne-Tyson. ppddir/min/art5-4-00.doc MINUTES Agenda item 3A IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, - APRIL 27, 2000 5:00 PM - MEETING ROOM A Members Present: Linda Dellsperger, Mary McMurray, Shaner Magalh~es, Lisa Parker, Linda Prybil, Jesse Singerman Staff Present: Barbara Black, Maeve Clark, Susan Craig, Larry Eckholt, Debb Green, Heidi Lauritzen, Kara Logsden, Martha Lubaroff, Liz Nichols, Others: Tom Bleyhl, Student at UI, Fred Lucas, Press Citizen CALL TO ORDER: Vice President Parker called the meeting to order at 5.'00 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The regular minutes of March 28 and the special minutes of April 6, 2000 were approved after a motion by Dellsperger/Magalh~Ses UNFINISHED BUSINESS Building Project: Craig reviewed the special meeting discussion and the rationale for selling or renting retail space. With the financial information presented by the City Manager and a desire to maintain control of .non-library space for possible future growth the Board feels the space should be leased'. Since the consensus of the Board is to lease the space, Prybil questioned the brochure we have been giving out that includes a figure for a new building based on reducing the basic cost by fundraising and sale of retail space. The brochure was printed weeks ago and language will be changed if it is reprinted. The project cost figures is accurate. Once the Board decides to recommend leasing or selling a memo will be sent to City Council with a recommendation. This issue may be dealt with on May 15 and 16. Depending on the recommendation a resolution will be prepared and placed on the informal meeting agenda and then voted on at the formal meeting the next day. Singerman moved that the Board approve the recommendation of leasing rather than selling. Dellsperger seconded. All in favor said Aye. It was passed unanimously. Craig will send a memo from the Board. Singerman reported significant numbers of people coming by on her "office hour" day at the Library. She received many positive comments. The building display will be up in the lobby tomorrow so it will be ready for the next scheduled office hours. Craig will let the Board know when this item will be on Council agenda so that Board can attend. ICPL Board Meeting Minutes Agenda item 3A-2 April 27, 2000 NEW BUSINESS Election of Officers: The Nominating Committee presented a slate of officers. Martin, President, Parker, Vice President, McMurray, Secretary. Dellsperger moved acceptance. Singerman seconded. Motion was passed unanimously. Discussion Room Policy: This regularly scheduled review had little proposed change. There was a question about the. minimum charge of ~ 10 for damage to a room and did that need to be raised. Clark responded that it was not a problem. Dellsperger moved approval. Prybil seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Outreach Report: Report writteA by Debb Green and Kara Logscien since CAVS and Children's Room do the majority; of the outreach. However, outreach is very inclusive and involves many more staff than just those two departments. In the library world outreach is targeted for special needs popula_t!ons who need special services but for the purposes of the report all the ways the library provides service outside the building were included. Craig will answer questions however she is seeking some direction from the Board. She included information about a bookmobile and branches again, since if the Board wants changes or new initiatives carried out we will have to include it in the strategic plan. Any budgetary implicatic~ns would have to be included in FY02 since the budget for FY01 has been set. McMurray asked if there are particular outreach services that are better than others. What is the cost/benefits ratio? Craig said the overhead cost is high for outreach services because they are very personalized. They are hidden services and not very public. They are expensive services to deliver. Discussion followed: Dellsperger asked about a reading room or bookmobile and the, possibility of reducing other services to accommodate them. If we discontinued ali' the outreach services, we would gain enough staff time to handle a bookmobile or reading room branch. But that would directly affect people using outreach services now. There could be a tradeoff on programs such as children's programs. Perhaps a reading room staff person could have the responsibility of homebound services added to their job description? It could be done but the collection in a reading room is small so materials would come from the main library. What about alternatives to delivering homebound materials since postage is so high? We've looked at options although haven't found one that served our patrons any better. If we used volunteers, insurance would go up. Singerman thinks that we offer a lot of benefit for little cost. She asked if there was a service that people don't use; perhaps a collection that isn't used as much. Craig explained that we are trying to develop more accurate ways to measure the use of outreach collections. Craig does not know how our outreach compares to other libraries of our size. Our jail service is exceptional program due to special county funding and Craig doesn't know of any other county in Iowa that has as good jail service. A question about publicity regarding homebound patrons was raised in an attempt to highlight those services. There was an article this winter in The Window. There is interest in building on our outreach at the Broadway Center. It is in our strategic plan to increase programming for kids and taking programs out to outreach centers. It would not be as much preparation to duplicate a program that has already been prepared for ICPL. Singerman is anxious to build on what we are doing on the southeast side of Iowa City. Craig asked the Board what type of service they envisioned and how they would like to see it delivered. Possibilities could be asking for an increase in staff time to hold story hours once ICPL Board Meeting Minutes Agenda item 3A-3 April 27, 2000 a week at an outreach center. Or, a larger investment for a bookmobile to go out to the community centers. Dellsperger would prefer starting by asking for a 25 % time increase to a librarian's position to allow for more visibility in areas that might give us more benefit for our money. Craig cautions that the same dollars cannot do everything. A story time in a neighborhood center once a week will not satisfy the desires of people there who still want a branch. Singerman suggested that we decide what we want to achieve and then figure out how. Her primary objective would be to serve the people on the southeast side of town. A bookmobile might test the use of a very small collection to tell us how delivery of small collections might be utilized and where the use is greatest. Parker asked the Board how they feel about bookmobile vs. reading room. The earliest it could get funded is 2002 which means that it would have to be in our budget this November and be funded. How much do we currently spend on outreach'? The question of a need for expanded hours was raised. How does that need get balanced a~ainst new outreach initiatives? We will be doing a user survey this fall in which we will ask about our hours and whether they suit users. Craig would guess that more hours on Sunday would be desirable. Prybil asked about costs. She suggested that a bookmobile might ~llow us to provide some additional outreach services that could offset the expense of the mobile unit. In the first year we would be asking for 9200,000 dollars for start-up and operational costs. Parker is concerned about making a request at this time and diverting attention from building expansion. She would rather present a timeline and plan for outreach. A previously appointed subcommittee of Swaim, Magalh~es, McMurray and Dellsperger could develop such a plan and report back to the board with an idea of who might participate and how the planning process would proceed. Craig reminded the Board that we do not hear from advocates of special populations and what we have been hearing is a call for a branch library. Craig raised the question of who the Board would want on this task force? Someone from neighborhood centers, someone who represents children? Craig can have a concept .p. lan ready for May. Singerman made a motion stating that the Board adopts a position that they are interested in expanding and diversifying outreach services in order to improve access to library materials, services and programs. Magalh~es seconded. Motion was passed unanimously. Prybil complimented staff on the work they did on the report. A question was raised about The Library Channel. Logsden reported that all the public access channels are working on a survey about who watches access, and what they watch, in order to get some feedback. Information kiosk transactions are growing. The remote bookdrops are successful. Board asked if we had plans to add another. When we get to a point where it takes more than one trip a day, we will consider adding one. Board asked about volume at those sit~s. Lauritzen reported it amounted to about 10% of our checkins. STAFF REPORTS Innovative System: A report from Nichols on the Innovative Interfaces system one year later was in the packet. It included a reminder of what we can do presently and more features yet to come. Criminal Records check: After researching this process staff does not recommend it. Volunteers do not work unsupervised with children. City does not currently routinely do criminal records checks. ICPL Board Meeting Minutes Agenda item 3A-z~ April 27, 2000 Legislative News: Education Funding. As of meeting time there was no print copy of the bill that had just passed. Through a call to the State Library we learned that there was a $300,000 increase to Enrich Iowa funding. Craig feels that we will probably receive between $15,000 and 920,000 next year. The Internet filtering language has been changed; it does not mandate filters but requires that a local policy be written. DO Report. Eckholt distributed the report from the consultants. The consultant was at the Foundation Board meeting and presented the report. The consultant recommended a 83.5 million campaign; 81 .5 million for the building and 82 million for the endowment. Eckholt will ask Martin to appoint two trustees to join Prybil and Dellsperger who are on the Friends Foundation Board already to work with the Foundation during this process. Eckholt has a timeline that begins' almost [mmediately. In response from a question by Eckholt, the consultant feels that a 24-month campaign would be reasonable. Another area in which the Board could be helpful is developing policies relating to areas of the building in terms of donor recognition. Eckholt ?~3ported a good response rate to the mail survey. Thirty-seven personal interviews were conducted as well as a focus group. These are considered good numbers for a normal feasibility study. A suggestion was made that members of the boards have a type of fact sheet to enable them answer questions consistently. Eckholt reminded Board,that a very large pool of community leaders will be needed for our volunteer leadership in both the capital and referendum campaigns. Coordination has to happen between both boards. Two million dollars in an endowment could help us obtain our goals for outreach. A reminder mailing for the annual campaign did go out and gifts are coming in. We are just above our goal fbr the 'annual fund. ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MEMBERS Dellsperger remarked that the Foundation Board was told by the consultant that every board member needs to take responsibility for making a contribution. She extended that reminder to trustees. Fees for Hartsook will be funded from the campaign if they are retained. FINANCIAL REPORTS Nine-month reports. Gifts & Bequests: The only negative balance is salary for Development Office due to a transfer that had not been made. Receipts: Both receipts and expenditures are where they should be. Output Statistics: Craig has a question concerning the decrease in library cards issued and Lauritzen was looking into the possibility of some record-keeping problems. There has been some decline in reference questions, which is attributable to the Internet. We want to offer the capability of asking reference questions via the Internet. There was a question about the use of public computers. The half-hour machines are heavily used and people are cooperative about not monopolizing them when people are waiting. ICPL Board Meeting Minutes Agenda item 3A-5 April 27, 2000 Circulation is up .7%. DISBURSEMENTS VISA expenditures for April were reviewed. Disbursements for April were approved unanimously after a motion by Dellsperger/Singerman SET AGENDA ORDER FOR MAY MEETING Next month in Meeting Room A ADJOURNMENT: 6:45 PM POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES - May 23, 2000 CALL TO ORDER Chair J. Watson called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Board members present: L. Cohen, P. Farrant, P. Hoffey, J. Stratton and J. Watson. Staff present: Legal Counsel C. Pugh and PCRB Assistant S. Bauer. Captain T. Widmer was also in attendance. PCRB #99-09 Officer waived right to name-clearing hearing. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by J. Stratton and seconded by P. Farrant to adopt the Consent Calendar, as amended: a. Minutes of 5/9/00 meeting b. General Order - Civil Rights c. General Order - Alarm-Open Door Response d. ICPD Memorandum 00-28 (January & February use of Force Review) e. Copy of memo dated 5/18/00 from Steven Kanner to Stephen Arkins and copied to PCRB Chair Watson. f. Copy of memo dated 5/22/00 from Stephen Atkins to Steven Kanner and copied to Chair Watson. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL · Receive PCRB Public Report #99-09 · Request a 60-day extension, to August 1, 2000, to complete its Public Report on #99o10 in order to review additional information the Board is requesting from the Chief. NEW BUSINESS None OLD BUSINESS None PUBLIC DISCUSSION None MEETING SCHEDULE · Regular Meeting June 13, 2000 · Special Meeting June 27, 2000 (Watson will be absent) · Regular Meeting July 11, 2000 · Special Meeting July 25, 2000 · Regular Meeting August 8, 2000 J. Stratton will be absent the month of August. J. Watson will be absent the weeks of June 26, July 24 and July 31. S. Bauer will be absent the weeks of July 24 and July 31. Staff was directed to put the annual report on the next agenda. Due to Housing Authority need for use of the Lobby Conference Room, the PCRB meeting on June 13 will be held in the City Attorney's Conference Room. BOARD INFORMATION J. Watson was contacted by a Gazette reporter regarding race- based traffic stops. Watson reiterated that the Board wants to look at one full year's worth of information. STAFF INFORMATION None EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by P. Farrant to adjourn into Executive Session based on Section 21.5 (1)(a) of the Code of Iowa to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that government body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds, and 22.7(11 ) personal information in confidential personnel records of public bodies including but not limited to cities, boards of supervisors and school districts, and 22.7(5) police officer investigative reports, except where disclosure is authorized elsewhere in the Code; and 22.7(18) Communications not required by law, rule or procedure that are made to a government body or to any of its employees by identified persons outside of government, to the extent that the government body receiving those communications from such persons outside of government could reasonably believe that those persons would be discouraged from making them to that government body if they were available for general public examination. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Open session adjourned at 7:25 P.M. REGULAR SESSION Regular meeting resumed at 9:45 P.M. Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by P. Hoffey to approve PCRB Public Report on #99~09, as amended, and forward it to the City Council. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Motion by L. Cohen and seconded by P. Farrant to amend the level of review on PCRB #99o10, to include 8-8-7 B.l(e), performance by Board of its own additional investigation. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Motion by P. Farrant and seconded by J. Stratton to request from the City Council a 60-day extension of time on PCRB Complaint #99-10 in order to review additional information the Board is requesting from the Chief. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Staff was directed to prepare a letter to Chief Winkelhake requesting further information regarding PCRB #99-10. Motion by U Cohen and seconded by P. Farrant to review the Chief's Report on PCRB Complaint #00-01 at level 8-8-7 B.l(a), on the record with no additional investigation, in accordance with the Ordinance. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. The first draft of PCRB Public Reports #99-08 and #00-01 will be discussed at the next meeting. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by L. Cohen and seconded by P. Hoffey. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Meeting adjourned at 9:50 P.M. POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD A Board of the City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City IA 52240-1826 (319)356-5413 TO: City Council FROM: Police Citizens Review Board RE: Report of PCRB Complaint #99-09 DATE: May 23, 2000 CC: Complainant Stephen Atkins, City Manager R. J. Winkelhake, Chief of Police Officer(s) involved in Complaint This is the Report of the Police Citizens Review Board's (the "Board") review of the investigation of PCRB Complaint #99-09 (the "Complaint"). BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY Under the City Code of the City of Iowa City, Section 8-8-7 B, the Board's job is to review the Police Chief's Report ("Report") of his investigation of a complaint. The City Code requires the Board to apply a "reasonable basis" standard of review to the Report and to "give deference" to the Report "because of the Police Chief's...professional expertise." Section 8-8-7 B.2. While the City Code directs the Board to make "findings of fact," it also requires that the Board recommend that the Police Chief reverse or modify his findings only if these findings are "unsupported by substantial evidence," are "unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious," or are "contrary to a Police Department policy or practice or any Federal, State or local law." Sections 8-8-7B.2(a), (b), and (c). PCRB 99-09 Page BOARD'S PROCEDURE The Complaint was received at the office of the City Clerk on December 22, 1999. As required by Section 8-8-5 of the City Code, the Complaint was referred to the Police Chief for investigation. On January 6, 2000, the Board requested that the Chief provide a copy of the complete case file and any videotape regarding it, along with his report. The Chief's Report was received on March 21, 2000. When it met on March 28, the Board noted that the report had not been prepared in the usual format and that the case file and videotape had not been provided. On March 30, the Board sent a letter to the Chief noting that the report did not provide information as specified in the ordinance (8-8- 6 B. 1 and 2) and that the videotape and file had not been provided. The Board extended the deadline for receipt of a revised report and enclosures to April 17. The Board received the revised report, plus videotape and transcripts of interviews with the complainant and a Police Department supervisor on April 17. By memo dated April 20, the Board was advised that the accused officer's interview was compelled and that a transcript of it would not be released. A name-clearing hearing was scheduled for May 23, 2000, but the officer involved waived his right to appear. FINDINGS OF FACT In November 1999, in the early evening, Officer A was driving southbound in downtown Iowa City behind the complainant, a Black woman. The complainant made a left turn in a manner that required the officer to brake to avoid striking her car. He entered her license plate information into his MDT and continued to drive behind her as she circled around downtown because, as she later explained, she was looking for a parking space. During this time, he observed that, when she made a right turn, she failed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and protected by the 'walk' sign, and that PCRB 99-09 Page 2 she also made improper lane use. When the MDT returned information that the registration on her car was revoked in Massachusetts for lack of insurance, the officer stopped her. The complainant remained in her car while the officer waited for official confirmation of the information provided via the MDT. The videotape of the stop shows that the officer had several brief conversations with the complainant while she was seated in her car. After about 40 minutes, the officer decided that, given the long delay, he would allow the complainant to leave her car in a nearby municipal parking lot. However, immediately after informing her of this decision, he received official confirmation that her registration had been revoked by the state of Massachusetts, as of July 7, 1999, for lack of insurance. Having confirmed with his supervisor his plan to impound, the Officer told the complainant to get out of her car. The videotape shows that she complied immediately. CONCLUSION Allegation 1. The officer had no probable cause to make the stop. The officer reported that he first observed the complainant when, as he was driving behind her, she made a left turn that caused him to take evasive action to avoid striking her car. He subsequently saw her fail to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and make improper lane use. When he ran her license plate information in the MDT, he was informed that the registration on her car had been revoked because of lack of insurance. The Board finds that the Report's conclusion that the Officer had probable cause to make the stop is supported by sufficient evidence and is not unreasonable, arbitrary, or capricious. Allegation 1 of the Complaint is NOT SUSTAINED. Allegation 2. The officer detained and harassed the complainant because of her race and out of state residence. The Chief reports that the officer denied these alleged motivations for the stop. The interview with the complainant does not offer any compelling information to support these PCRB 99-09 Page 3 allegations. It does, however, clearly express her sense that as a minority woman in Iowa, she feels singled out: "Cumulatively, I just feel...Iowa is not friendly to me as a driver. I just try to get from one place to another and it's a problem." The Board finds that the Report's conclusion that the officer did not stop and detain the complainant because of her race and state of residence is supported by sufficient evidence and is not unreasonable, arbitrary, or capricious. Allegation 2 of the Complaint is NOT SUSTAINED. Allegation 3. The officer was rude and antagonistic during the stop. (Note: The Report states that the complainant did not make allegation 3 until her interview, but her written complaint twice mentions her perception that the officer was 'haranguing' her.) The videotape does not offer any evidence of extended interactions between the officer and the complainant or any sense of aggressive, antagonistic, or threatening 'body language' on the part of the officer. Unfortunately, there is no audio record of the stop. When the stop had extended well beyond the amount of time it would be expected to take, the officer decided to permit the complainant to leave her car in a nearby municipal parking lot. He reversed this decision almost immediately, as soon as the confirmation of revoked registration was transmitted to him. The Board reviewed the Police Department's written procedures entitled "Watch Training 00-39: Vehicle Impounds/Holds." It appears that the decision to impound the complainant's car, which the officer discussed and cleared with his supervisor during the course of the stop, was made in accordance with current Police Department policy, not in a selectively punitive manner. The officer told the complainant that she had committed a number of traffic violations; however, he did not cite her for any violations except driving with a revoked registration. The Board finds that the Report's conclusion that the officer was not rude and antagonistic to the Complainant during the stop is supported by PCRB 99-09 Page 4 sufficient evidence and is not unreasonable, arbitrary, or capricious. Allegation 3 of the Complaint is NOT SUSTAINED. COMMENTS Considering the lateness of the hour, the time of year, and the complainant's expressed concern that she was not dressed appropriately for a walk, the Board believes that it would be common courtesy to a citizen in this situation to offer her assistance in arranging transportation. The failure to do so is inconsistent with Section 208 of the Police Policy Manual. The stop lasted nearly an hour. The Board suggests that a review of department policy, procedure, and practice applicable when a simple traffic stop is of very long duration is warranted. The Board agrees that it is most desirable that officers verify that audio is functioning during such stops. In this case, since the complainant alleged that the officer had harangued her, the audio record would have been a valuable part of the case file. PCRB 99-09 Page 5 SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2000 MEMBERS PRESENT: Joanne Hora, Jay Honohan, Bill Kelly, Allan Monsanto, Chadty Rowley, Carol Thompson, Deborah Schoenfelder and Mary Kathryn Wallace MEMBERS ABSENT: Lori Benz STAFF PRESENT: Michelle Buhman, Linda Kopping, Susan Rogusky, and Julie Seal.' CALL TO ORDER Honohan called the meeting to order at 3:00. MINUTES Motion: To approve the March minutes as distributed. The motion carded on a vote of 8-0. PUBLIC DISCUSSION None PARKING FACILITY/SKYWALK STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE - Hora/Honohan The Committee met with members of the Board of Supervisors to ask that the $25,000 left to the Senior Dining program by the Joella Antes estate be donated to the skywalk fundraising effort. The Board denied the Committee's request. COUNCIL OF ELDERS- Rogusky Rogusky gave a bdef history of the Council of Elders. She noted that the group currently has only throe members and to date has been unsuccessful in their attempts to find a single individual willing to fill one of the nine Council vacandes. The group is neady defunct. Commissioners discussed the functions of the Council, ways in which the group might be re-invigorated, and alternative methods for gaining participant input if the Council were to disband. In an effort to revitalize interost in the group, the May meeting of the Council of Elders will follow a "speakeasy" format in which participants are invited to visit directly with Council members when there are no staff members or "authority figures" present. It is believed that this approach will encourage the froe and open exchange of ideas, suggestions, and opinions between participants and Council members. Hopefully it will generate more participant interest in the Council and make participation as a Council member more meaningful. USE OF SENIOR CENTER SPACE BY POLITICAL CANDIDATES AND OFFICE HOLDERS- Honohan A draft of the policy pertaining to candidates use of the Senior Center space was submitted to the City Attorney for review. MINUTES 2 SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2000 The Commission's request for information from AARP will be discussed at the May 16 Commission meeting. SENIOR CENTER UPDATE Operations- Kopping The fumiture project is neadng completion with only ,minor work in the coffee area and on the ground floor remaining. We are waiting for the installation of two sign-in counters at the Washington Street entrance, the completion of some minor modifications to the receptionist's desk, and the delivery of the last pieces of furniture for the coffee area. An alternative plan for use of the rooms on the second floor was presented. In order to retain room 205 as a classroom, staff suggested the computer lab (currently in 201) be moved to 209, SCTV (currently in 209) to 206-7, and the multipurpose office space (currently in 207) to 201. Motion: To approve moving the computer lab to room 209, SC'I'V to rooms 206 and 207, and the multipurpose office space to room 201. Motion carded on a vote of 8- 0. KellylHora The Accreditation Standing Committee will meet on Tuesday Apdl 25 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The plan for the meeting is to give a bdef overview of the accreditation process, review materials, and break into subcommittees where a plan of action for each group will be developed. Programs - Seal An update of May programming was presented. Volunteers - Rogusky An update of volunteer programs and opportunities was given. COUNCIL OF ELDERS - A report from the Council of Elders was given. CITY COUNCIL - Honohan A report of the City Council meeting was given. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - Schoenfelder A report of the Board of Supervisors meeting was given Motion: To adjourn. Motion carded on a vote of 8-0. RowleylMonsanto The meeting adjourned at 4:15.