HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-11-20 Transcription November 20, 2000 Special Work Session Page 1
November 20, 2000 Special Work Session 7:00 PM
Council: Lehman, Champion, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn, Pfab, Kanner
Staff: Atkins, Helling, Karr, Dilkes, Franklin, O'Malley, Boothroy, Williams, Davidson,
Craig, Nasby, Shera
TAPES: 00-103, SIDE TWO; 00-106, SIDE ONE
PLANNING AND ZONING
A. PUBLIC HEAR1NG ON AN ORDNANCE VACATING THE NORTHERNMOST
60 FEET OF THE DEAD-END ALLEY ALONG THE WEST PROPERTY
LINE OF 405 SOUTH SUMMIT STREET (VAC00-0001)
JeffDavidson/405 South Summit Street, this was approved by the Planning & Zoning
Commission in May and P & Z required a survey to be done of the area which
took a while to do and so that' s why your just getting it now. The applicant
applied for vacation of an 80 x 20 foot parcel which you see there with the arrow,
we asked that that be modified to allow this driveway right here out to Governor
Street to continued to be used so modify to a 60 x 20 foot parcel. There has been
an arrangement worked out for the conveyance of this after your final reading
which would be 10 feet to each property owner, the property owner on the east lot
20 has indicated that she just wishes to add it to her back yard and the property
owner on the west will use it for parking for the building that is there. And then
the driveway there with Lot 1 will continue be used for access to the area.
Lehman/OK.
Davidson/And then we'll have the conveyance then after your immediately after your final
reading of this.
Pfab/Who ends up with the property then?
Davidson/The adjacent property owners will purchase it from the city.
Pfab/Which is yet to be negotiated?
Davidson/It has been negotiated out, you're required to vacate it first, after the vacation
then we have the conveyance which is when it gets sold to the adjacent property
owners and that will be on the agenda of your final reading the following item.
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Pfab/So at this point we do not know what the city is going to get out of it?
Davidson/I believe that's correct isn't it.
Lehman/No but we have to vote on it when it comes up.
Davidson/The determination of the price of the conveyance of the alley has that been
worked out yet or not?
Dilkes/Yea I think your policy is we start with the assessed value of the neighboring
properties.
Davidson/OK.
Pfab/As so in other words has the deal been cut with?
Dilkes/On price? Not that I'm aware of.
Davidson/Yea my understanding is the deal has been cut so to speak to have the property
divided, half to each property owner. The price will be based as Eleanor has said
but I can't tell you what the number is because I don't know if that has been
worked out yet but that is how it will be worked out.
Pfab/So at this point you understand there is no agreed price.
Davidson/That is correct.
Champion/But we already have a thing in place of how it's determined so discuss it plenty
times.
Lehman/We cut the deal when we vote on it.
Champion/Right.
Davidson/Yea that' s standard practice your probably right.
Pfab/No that' s when I went through that I was kind of wondering.
Davidson/Yea and certainly Mr. Mayor you all approve what that price is.
Lehman/OK.
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Champion/Right.
Dilkes/What would happen is if you couldn't make a deal on the price you wouldn't
vacate.
Pfab/That' s the part I wanted to know.
Davidson/Next item?
Lehman/Yes.
Davidson/Anything else on the alley?
B. CONSIDER AN ORDNANCE AMENDING AN APPROVED OPDH-12 PLAN TO
ALLOW A 40-UNIT ASSISTED LIVING BUILDING ON 2.87 ACRES
LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SCOTT BOULEVARD AND
AMERICAN LEGION ROAD (REZ00-00020) (SECOND CONSIDERATION)
Davidson/The next item is the Silvercrest Assisted Living Alzheimer's facility, second
consideration any discussion of this one?
Vanderhoef/That' s the one they want collapsed?
Lehman/Yes, yea they want it.
Davidson/There is no opposition at the hearing, they have requested you to consolidate
the second and third reading.
Kanner/Are there any extenuating circumstances?
Davidson/No there have been some comments made just informally by the adjacent
property owner but they did not come to the hearing and express any of those.
Kanner/No extenuating circumstances as to why they want the.
Davidson/So they can keep going.
Kanner/Process beyond the.
Davidson/You have a letter in your packet Steven and I haven't heard anything besides
that.
Kanner/Besides that I'm asking just to clarify.
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Davidson/No.
Kanner/Because I am opposed to that unless there is some extenuating circumstances.
Davidson/I don't believe there is any circumstance other than the letter you received.
Kanner/OK thank you.
C. CONSIDER AN ORDNANCE AMENDING THE ZONING CHAPTER BY
CHANGING THE ZONING DESIGNATION FROM LOW-DENSITY MULTI-
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (RM-12) AND NEIGHBORHOOD
CONSERVATION RESIDENTIAL (RNC-20) TO MEDIUM-DENSITY
SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (RS-8) AND NEIGHBORHOOD
CONSERVATION RE SIDENTIAL (RNC - 12) FOR FOUR PROPERTIE S ON
THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE 900 BLOCK OF IOWA AVENUE, 17
PROPERTIES ON THE 900 AND 100 BLOCKS OF WASHINGTON STREET,
10 PROPERTIES ON THE 100 AND 200 BLOCKS OF SOUTH SUMMIT
STREET, FOUR PROPERTIES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE 100 AND 100
BLOCKS OF GOVERNOR STREET, THREE PROPERTIES ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE 1000 BLOCKS OF MUSCATINE AVENUE, AND FIVE
PROPERTIES ON THE 900 AND 1000 BLOCKS OF COLLEGE STREET.
(PASS AND ADOPT)
Davidson/Let's see Item C then is the College Hill area neighborhood, the rezoning, this
is a pass and adopt. Any discussion?
D. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE NON-CONFORMING USE
PROVISIONS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION RESIDENTIAL,
RNC-12 ZONE, TO MAKE IT CLEAR ANY EXISTING CONFORMING
MULTI-FAMILY USE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE CONFORMING UNDER
THE RNC-12 ZONE (PASS AND ADOPT)
Davidson/Item D is pass and adopt on the provisions of the neighborhood conservation
residential zone. Any discussion of that?
E. CONSIDER A LETTER TO THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS RECOMMENDING DENIAL OF A REZONING OF 125.43
ACRES LOCATED WITHIN FRINGE AREA C EAST OF DANE ROAD AND
WEST AND SOUTH OF THE LAKERIDGE MOBILE HOME PART FROM
COUNTY A1 RURAL AND RS SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL TO COUNTY
RMH MANUFACTURED HOUSING RESIDENTIAL (CZ0027)
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Davidson/Item E then is consider a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors
ecommending denial of the Lakeridge rezoning. At your November 7 meeting you
discussed this and the applicant and the applicant' s attorney did request your
deferral so that we could continue to work on an arrangement that was satisfactory
to both parties, we have not heard a word either from the applicant or the
applicant's attorney since that time so Karin asked me to recommend to you that
you get it off your agenda and vote to send the letter recommending denial.
Lehman/I think we said that two weeks ago that we would.
Davidson/And we feel that we can continue to work with Mr. Downer and the Wolf s and
(can't hear).
Champion/It was the letter (can't hear).
Davidson/Right. Are there any provisions, details of this you want to go through or?
Lehman/No point in it.
Davidson/OK.
F. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE IOWA CITY/JOHNSON
COUNTY FRINGE AREA POLICY AGREEMENT TO REVISE THE LAND
USE MAP.
Davidson/The final item then is Item F resolution amending the Iowa City/Johnson
County fringe area policy agreement to revise the land use map. I thought we'd
start with the easy part here the part we agree on. One of the requests that the
County has made is that this area right in here the commercial area right there,
that' s the area where Miller Monument is and Capitol Implement. Why that keeps
doing that I don't know and then the area right here which is residential in
character, we agree with the county' s request that the fringe area agreement reflect
the uses that are there so that' s not an issue. The area that is an issue is the
interchange of, the thing was left on all afternoon, maybe that' s why it's flipping
out like this. Is there a pointer Eleanor, it seems to be when I touch the screen it
does that.
Champion/I think it's trying to speed the meeting up.
(Can't hear).
Davidson/The area here around the Hoover Highway interchange with 1-80 is a matter of
contention between the county and the city. And by the way I did want to clarify
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the beginning of this item if you please could all be aware that this has nothing to
do with JCCOG and I am here as Assistant Planning Director tonight to present
the city' s position, this has absolutely nothing to do with JCCOG so if you could
remember I'm wearing that hat tonight. Anyway getting back to the issue then the
County would like to see the entire area that you see reflected here with the cross
hatched area be shown as commercial in the fringe area agreement. And this
includes, I believe you received a memorandum from RJ what' s your title, the
Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator for the County which has this map
attached to it which shows the two parcels that are basically the issue between the
County and the City, and the issue here is how much is enough. The County has
made a case which is outlined in RJ's memorandum to you that to fulfill their
comprehensive plan there needs to be enough commercially zoned area in the
County for that and the issue is really coming down to how much is an adequate
amount. These two parcels right here on either side of Hoover Highway this is the
Eyman property here or what' s the county would like to see added and what Iowa
City staff recommendation and Planning & Zoning Commission recommendations
do not have included. It did go to the County Board of Supervisors without this
area included and they have sent it back to us requesting that you consider having
this area added. You also have a memorandum from Karin.
Pfab/Is that a sewage problem there?
Davidson/Well one of the county' s contentions is that because of the sewage treatment
area that Mr. Eyman has established there that there is infrastructure in place to
provide services to this area and that is one of the reasons they are advocating the
addition of this acreage into the fringe area agreement reflected as commercial.
You have a memorandum from Karin dated October 30 which basically states the
city' s case of why we feel without this acreage included there is enough
commercially area reflected as commercial in the fringe area agreement without it.
You have one of the things Karin has given you to try and make the city' s case is
this map showing the acreage of commercial developments in the Iowa City area
and basically it comes down to the feeling that the 168 acres that is reflected here
currently is an adequate amount of commercial development. You have had the
concerns outlined to you about the possible creep of commercial development,
strip commercial type activity out Hoover Highway and you've seen the county's
response to that, they don't feel that that is a legitimate concern. We are
concerned about the whole issue of where you draw the line, if this is allowed to
be shown as commercial then what about the next guy and the next guy that is
something that is a concern of ours. The acreage without this area that the county
has requested be included is 178 acres of undeveloped commercial property at this
interchange and with this acreage it is 233 I believe those are the numbers in
Karin's memorandum to you.
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Vanderhoef/Did they ever come up with the figure that was asked for a?
Davidson/Pardon me Dee could staa?
Vanderhoef/Did they ever come up with the figure that they were asked for at the P & Z
meeting of how much undeveloped commercial land they have at other
interchanges and around the county?
Davidson/I don't know if there were actual numbers, Rick is nodding yes back there.
John Yapp did give me also these two diagrams, this one showing the 1-80 and
Tiffin interchange, the two interchanges west of here and the unincorporated
county, the Tiffin interchange, and the Oxford interchange also have commercial
zoning at those interchanges. You see here the M-1 on the noah side of the Tiffin
interchange is built out, I believe most of the remaining commercial area the 139
acres is not developed and then at the Oxford interchange, most of the Oxford
interchange is developed, you see 88.5 acres there so that was provided just so you
could see what was happening at the adjacent.
Vanderhoef/(can't hear). How much is left at Oxford?
Davidson/Oh I'm sorry I misspoke, the total is 141 with the exception of the recently
zone CP-2 area of 48 acres all of the other commercially zoned areas have been
built out, so everything has been built out here except for approximately 48 acres.
O'Donnell/Jeff could you go back to that last map?
Davidson/Yes. I also misspoke on this one I said 139 acres it's 176 acres total, that's the
total of the commercial and the M-zoning as well.
Vanderhoef/And you subtract 32 off of that so you've still got 144 acres left to be
developed.
O'Donnell/The last map you show that 16.5 acres.
Vanderhoef/So if we had the 178 at Hoover Highway without the new addition plus 144
at Tiffin plus another 48 at Oxford and then other commercial development areas
available in the small I think they call them villages in there letter where they're
trying to encourage commercial, there' s an awful lot of commercial land available
in the county.
Davidson/Well that issue of how much is enough is really the issue.
Lehman/Well and that' s what we'll talk about tomorrow night.
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Vanderhoef/Yep okay.
Kanner/Jeff.
Davidson/Yes Steve.
Kanner/In the Planning & Zoning minutes that we got today from their November 2nd
meeting Mr. Moore was presenting his points, one of the points that he said is that
the 77 acres on the far east at the Hoover Highway was not desirable for
development because it is not currently accessible by paved roads. Could you give
your assessment about that?
Davidson/Karin did talk to me about that Steven and apparently.
Kanner/Maybe go to the map?
Davidson/Yea, apparently there was some thought given to not including and RJ and Rick
if I totally screw this up please let me know because I was not at the meeting.
There was some thought given and I believe it was a proposal by county staff that
this area be taken out and not shown as commercial kind of as a deal for them
adding this area in here for the reasons that you said because it was felt that the
infrastructure is much better in this area than it is in this area for having
commercial development occur. But Karin indicated to me that that really didn't
go any further and isn't part of what you're being asked to act on tonight
modifying that in other words.
Kanner/So there' s no likelihood of any deal of trading that or making a tradeoff?
Davidson/That is something that was proposed I guess by county staff but not taken any
further.
Champion/Well I would be willing to take that trade off because I feel like a development
this side of the interstate is being encroached into Iowa City and I'd like to see that
commercial development within the city limits so.
Davidson/I think one of, Connie ifI could just interject, one of, I think Karin's feelings
was that I mean this area is immediately adjacent to the interchange.
Champion/Right.
Davidson/And this area this is the interstate right here but I think the feeling was on the
part of city staff was that it's not as immediately adjacent and visible from the
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interstate as this area and I think it was almost a question the infrastructure issue
aside that perhaps it was appropriate to have this area included in the commercial
development.
Vanderhoef/And there' s already commercial over there.
Davidson/Sharpless is over there and the county has shops from Sharpless.
Kanner/Can you show where those are, the Sharpless and the?
Lehman/Right there.
Davidson/That' s Sharpless and the County shop is right there, is that right? Down lower
Rick says, oh down in there.
RJ Moore/Right above you there, right there, that' s the County shop.
Davidson/That's the county shop.
Moore/To your right or noah, or east, that yellow is a residential (can't hear). Down and
to your right.
Davidson/Down and to your right.
Rick Dvorak/Keep going and down, that' s Sharpless Auction.
Davidson/That' s Sharpless, I thought we were trying to find the County shop sorry.
Lehman/We're having trouble finding the County shop.
Davidson/Yea no that's Sharpless, the County shop is to the noah there.
O'Donnell/The 16.85 acres there, as you stand on the highway and look in the red line on
the left is high wire intention lines aren't they? Highway power lines?
Lehman/Right.
O'Donnell/And you've got commercial behind it, you've got commercial to the right and
access off the road, I really don't see why we would object to that being
commercial and I would carry that farther, I believe if a plan were sent to us at any
given point in time I think we'd be hard pressed to not okay it in it's setting.
Pfab/Well what about south of the road also?
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Lehman/We should we've already.
O'Donnell/You know where do you draw the line? Do you draw it straight or do you
draw it at an angle like that? What other uses are for that 16.85 acres?
Lehman/Raising mink, we're going to talk about this.
O'Donnell/Raising mink did you say?
Lehman/We're going to talk about this tomorrow night, you have to remember that if we
do not concur with the Planning & Zoning Commission that we will have a joint
meeting with them.
Pfab/Okay I think that's good.
Lehman/This is, their recommendation is consistent with the one that we passed the last
time and if we choose to add this commercial we would then be required to have a
meeting with them, a joint meeting and then we of course do as we please.
Champion/Let them choose to.
Pfab/If we choose not to?
Lehman/If we choose to concur with their recommendation we pass it and move along, if
we choose not to concur with the city staff, in other words, this is not the staff' s
recommendation, this is the county' s.
Pfab/No this is what they want to deny, the city wants.
Davidson/The resolution that you have on tomorrow' s agenda will approve what the
county would like to see and what you are not being recommended to approve by
city staff.
Lehman/Right.
Davidson/So approve the resolution tomorrow night if you agree with the county, defeat
it if you are opposed and the letter will go to the board.
Lehman/Well except that we cannot, if we don't deny it, we really have to, I think
Marian, if we choose to disagree with the Planning & Zoning Commission we
would defer it until we meet with the Planning & Zoning Commission.
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Karr/That's correct.
Lehman/So we would not, if we choose not to deny it, we will defer it and meet with
them and then.
Karr/You should not act on it.
Lehman/Right.
Champion/So are there four people who are willing to go along with the County?
Lehman/We're going to find out tomorrow night.
Pfab/This is a work session.
Lehman/All right.
Champion/If we could just vote it would save a lot of time.
Lehman/That's true, is that it for P & Z?
Davidson/That is it.
AGENDA ITEMS
Atkins/Ernie I have a correction on the consent calendar.
Lehman/Okay.
Atkins/Under Item d on setting public hearings, Highway 6 corridor improvements, we
failed to put the dates in there, that's for December 19, a plans and spec hearing,
and the First Avenue extension public hearing is January 9.
Lehman/OK.
Atkins/Okay, thank you.
Kanner/But what was the first one?
Atkins/December 19 Steven, Highway 6 corridor improvements, that would be Item d( 1 )
under setting public hearings.
Kanner/December 19.
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Lehman/Right.
Atkins/Yes. And then the First Avenue is January 9.
Kanner/That was what we got in our packet right?
Karr/That's correct, there is no change from the packet.
Atkins/Oh then I got something different in my packet.
Karr/No the agenda failed to mention it, the resolution included it.
Atkins/The resolution is okay, the agenda was wrong.
Pfab/It was anemic.
Atkins/Thank you, that's it.
Lehman/Other agenda items.
Kanner/Yea in correspondence, not correspondence, Consent calendar, start with b(9)
Parks and Rec., looking, eventually we'll be getting asked in capital improvements
it looks like for seating, permanent seating for the City park stage and theater there
that I guess my concern that I'm bringing up now is to see ifthere's an interest in
that apparently there's a clause that says other theater groups can not use that
area, there' s certain restrictions right now besides Riverside and I don't just
understand why that' s in there and if we're going to think about putting more
money into that I want to see if we can look into talking about modifying that
clause.
Champion/Was that (can't hear).
Vanderhoef/Usually they'd bring that to us for a work session to show us what they're
planning so we'd have an opportunity.
Atkins/If I can comment on it for you all. The folks at Riverside Theater approached us
not to long ago about putting in seating, they had a successful first year and they
were going to pursue a fundraising, the cost of the project is about $200,000 and
they want to have us pay half of it. The difficulty of it is they want the decision
today because they want to start their fundraising tomorrow and we're right in the
midst of capital project planning as you know, I mean I think that' s something you
might choose to agree or not agree to early on in the budgeting process but there
are still some things I have to find out for you on that project but they're going to
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want it done sooner than later so that' s just sort of a heads up and I think you can
expect to hear from them. Secondly that agreement Steven does give them certain
rights and I don't have it front of me obviously don't have it front of me and I
think it was for a period of three years but we still have fairly broad latitude to run
other programming out there but I will get a copy of that agreement so you folks
can see that.
Lehman/And I think it's for three months out of the year June, July, August.
Atkins/Yea but they had, what they were concerned about is we would go out and
promote that theater for like events directly in competition with them, we agreed
not to do that and I believe it was for three years but I will.
Kanner/If you can get the, if it's for three years I can handle that I just, (can't hear) it's
only three months, that' s the major part of the season and I think that' s a
significant part and we're putting so much money, I hate to see other local groups
not be able to use that.
Vanderhoef/Well the local' s (can't hear).
Kanner/Well local or maybe some professional, I hate to see it empty there because of
some clause.
Lehman/Eleanor.
Dilkes/My recollection is that the thinking.
Atkins/Thank you.
Dilkes/And there was a lot of discussion at the time about that restriction and I think
Riverside' s thinking was which I believe the Council came around to finally was
that it was important in order to establish the reputation of that theater that it be
limited to that professional theater company for a period of time to establish the
reputation. I mean that's my recollection.
Atkins/I think that's right, because the Council at the time debated that (can't hear) to
make sure that it was not going to include others.
Lehman/That recollection is correct except the agreement between Riverside Theater was
entered into with the Parks and Recreation Commission and we suggested that
they.
Dilkes/That's right.
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Lehman/Make the arrangement with the Commission and the Council frankly stayed out
of it.
Dilkes/I believe that's right, you left it to the Commission to operate that.
Atkins/I'll get a copy and distribute it to you all.
Pfab/I have a lot bigger concern that is the water table or water level that' s in that.
Atkins/Those are things they have to decide Irvin that' s correct.
Pfab/Well I mean can that be tiled or pumped out or something?
Atkins/No money has been spent on architectural engineers, I couldn't tell you sir.
Pfab/But it' s just like tiling a piece of farmland.
Atkins/I understand.
Pfab/And that shouldn't be that difficult if it's sitting above the level of the river.
Atkins/I just don't have the answers to that.
Pfab/But until that problems solved I don't have any interest in getting anymore involved
with it.
Lehman/Well we're not even been asked for it.
Pfab/Yea I know but I'm just saying that I'm just putting a red flag.
Kanner/But it's something to think about those issues.
Lehman/Okay.
Vanderhoef/Number 8 I will have conflict of interest (can't hear).
Karr/I'm sorry Dee I can't, we can't.
Atkins/Couldn't hear.
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Vanderhoef/Oh I'm just giving him heads up, I'll have conflict of interest on Item number
8 and so just give me a chance to get out of here before he starts the public
hearing.
Lehman/Okay.
Kanner/Just let' s see, getting into the consent calendar, setting a public hearing, d(2) for
private property acquisition notice for First Avenue extension, this doesn't mean
we're planning to moving up the capital project is that true?
Atkins/Eleanor can help you with that.
Lehman/No.
Dilkes/But for the referendum we would have done this previously.
Kanner/Okay.
Kanner/And resolutions number f in the consent calendar, number 2 authorizing the City
Manager to apply for federal transit administration funds for the bus system. Steve
what does it mean to utilize disadvantage business enterprises as a priority for
that? How do we implement that in our policy?
Atkins/That's Dale (can't hear).
Kanner/Dale I'm sorry.
Helling/We have a contract compliance policy in place, we're actually on updating that
but it' s just written into the to the specs. or whatever so when we go out so people
know that we're looking for that. Eleanor you may want to speak to this a little
more but there it's no longer legal to establish quotas and those types of things so
about all we can do is encourage people to try to include the disadvantage or the
women and minority business enterprises in their projects.
Davidson/And we do use the states, the state has a list of current women and minority
enterprises that provide certain services that we either used to be a fuel supplier
that I know Cambus used and so we at least try and make initiatives where we can
if we know that there' s a supplier or something that our transit system is going to
be using.
Pfab/When we go out for bids do we make an extra effort to (can't hear).
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Davidson/Typically a statement like I'm most familiar with the near south side
transportation project because I've been working on that yea we state in there that
we encourage women and minority business enterprises to apply and be part of the
project.
Pfab/We say we encourage but what do we do proactively to locate it and connect with
those people?
Davidson/Like I said Irvin we try and keep track of the states list, the list that the state
DOT has for those types of persons and if we know of someone in the area we
would attempt to, we would attempt to have them on a bidders list so that they
were able to, you know we made sure that they were able to provide us bid for
services but Dale is correct that no longer have (can't hear).
Pfab/Right I know, I didn't say, I just said proactively contact them. Now are we starting
to do any bidding on our web sites?
Karr/No not at the present time.
Pfab/Is there a reason why we shouldn't?
Karr/We are looking at a number of issues related to our web site as well as expanding
the use at the present time.
Pfab/Right I mean I'm not saying that but I'm just saying, it seems to me that should
make sense.
Karr/We're, yes.
Pfab/That's it for me.
Kanner/Dale, so we're not allowed to set quotas but are we allowed to give let' s say
points for people who meet certain criteria at this advantage business?
Helling/Eleanor's thinking, I.
Dilkes/I think that would be tough to do, I think that would be suspect, I mean the court
rule, the recent court rulings are very restrictive in that respect. And so I think
what I think where the efforts are focused is in trying to get the information to
perspective bidders so that they're aware of it, just like we do in our employment
efforts trying to publish in certain places and get the word out.
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Vanderhoef/Would the other be almost a reverse discrimination if we tried to use a points
system?
Dilkes/Those are the types of claims that are made yes.
Lehman/OK. Any other agenda items?
Atkins/One Ernie to bring to your attention if your so interested there have been some
questions about the abandoned vacant building second reading, Doug is here and
he I know he needs to get out of here so if you want to ask him anything.
Lehman/Okay let' s, Doug and I visited about this very briefly and I think that we, Doug if
you, yea just kind of explain the word vacant bothers me, I mean I like the word
abandoned a whole lot better and I think from our conversations that basically we
would be only treating those buildings that are basically abandoned in this
ordinance.
Doug Boothroy/Right.
Lehman/Explain to the Council how this would work and how what one of the concerns
expressed to me and I know to the legal department as well and I mentioned to
you is public information regarding properties that were listed as vacant properties
according to this ordinance. How would this work?
Boothroy/Enforcement is primarily by complaint basis, that's how we're staffed, that's
the way we proceed, so in this case if we got complaints from neighbors
concerning an abandoned building we would go out and investigate, if it was in
fact abandoned then we would try to contact the owner and find out what' s going
on, if there was some resistance we would you know some of that criteria that
triggers registration would be taken into affect and we would ask it happen at such
time as it was required. The way we record this information is we do it by
property address so if your interested in knowing something about a particular
property anybody can come down to the Department of Housing Inspection
Services if they know the address, request the file, it's public information, we share
it, this particular ordinance doesn't do anything to impact that particular fact.
Everything that we get complaints on, every action that we take toward property,
inspections, it's all recorded in files and it's all available for the public if they want
to look at it. Somebody was concerned that if we were an enforcement action
about an abandoned building that people would know about it but I don't see, you
know we're looking at the benefits here and that' s I just don't think that' s a
significant issue I think the ordinance is more important than that particular
concern.
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Lehman/Didn't you also tell me if someone comes down and requests that information
that a copy of the person that requests the information is name is recorded?
Boothroy/Yes.
Lehman/So we know who requested information all right. Are there questions from the
Council on that?
Kanner/Not on that just more on the agenda.
Lehman/Okay.
Atkins/One other item Ernie Susan is here if you have a question on Library Manager.
Lehman/Oh yes we just as well do that now.
Atkins/Okay.
Wilburn/Item 17 1 think.
Lehman/Item 17.
Susan Craig/I understand there were some questions at the meeting a couple weeks ago
and I was having a party I'm sorry.
Lehman/Don't ever be sorry for having a party.
Vanderhoef/Parties are good. I had the question I think Susan how or why this came up
between budget time periods?
Craig/I tried to put some more information in the comment there, this change in this
position was first requested when we made the budget request to move from the
contract maintenance to hire our own staff. It was not done as part of the budget
process, the way we do reclassification requests has changed over the years and
there are some positions that for reclassification go through a staffing committee
to get approval. This was ultimately differently from that as the city was looking
at some positions to move, they looked at several positions as a category to move
from the bargaining unit into the management pay plan and this and I can't
remember where the other position was, the Assistant Superintendent of the
Landfill that got done two weeks ago were the two positions that my
understanding is a labor attorney said these are pretty clear cut just go ahead and
handle them this way is that right Dale?
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Helling/Yea I can shed a little more light on that, we have been in the process for some
time of looking at a variety of positions that because as your probably well aware
from time to time as operations grow some positions that are non bargaining unit
positions may evolve to the point where those people are doing supervisory duties
and their duties mainly are of the type that would preclude them from the
bargaining unit. We're looking at a number of those and we want to make sure we
looked at them all together as we worked through those, this one and the Assistant
Superintendent of the Landfill were two that came forth as really not a
reclassification of position but actually where we're adding an administrative
position because of very definable kinds of things that have occurred. And so once
we looked at those we decided that yes those could be handled this way rather
than as positions that maybe have evolved because this is, this position for instance
is in direct response to a something that was done very deliberately and
purposefully to actually terminate a contract for services, bring the services in
house, hire several new people to do those duties and they clearly need a
supervisor and that's a little bit different than a positions that has evolved over
time.
Pfab/What, when you move those two from bargaining positions is that the term you
used?
Helling/From the bargaining unit yea, it has to do with the duties that they do.
Pfab/Right, okay what does the total cost, how does the total cost change?
Helling/What we have to if we look at the administrative pay plan we have to plug them
in at the appropriate place and then we calculate the difference based on that.
Pfab/Could you tell, how difficult would it be to come with a report of those two changes
will do as far as total cost?
(All talking)
Helling/I think it's in there.
Pfab/I didn't see it.
Craig/And in fact this amount is calculated about providing about a 3 ~A percent actual
raise to the individual, the other money is to compensate that in the fact that in a
management position he will not receive over time pay and so his the over time he
has earned in recent years was averaged out and figured out so there is actually not
a total net gain of $3,400 into the budget because part of that has already been
budgeted as overtime for him.
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Lehman/Well it says most of the increased wages will be set off by a reduction of over
time.
Craig/Right.
Vanderhoef/And that was what wasn't in our information the first time.
Craig/Yes and I apologize for that.
Vanderhoef/And this makes more sense to me at this point but otherwise typically I do
appreciate have, looking at all my needs throughout the city for new employees for
new status at one time.
Lehman/This is reclassi~cation basically.
Vanderhoef/With that explanation I'm satisfied.
Craig/I call it a reclassification, we're looking at it a little different as Dale said because
it's just so clear cut that for these two positions that your sort of vacating a job
and creating a new job instead of taking a job and changing it.
Lehman/Right.
Helling/Technically it is not a reclassification it is creating an administrative position for
specific purposes, the fact that we then eliminate another position is you know
sometimes we would do that, sometimes we might not want to eliminate that other
position but generally speaking in a case like this that' s what we would do because
there is somebody in that other position who in affect is doing supervisory work
and they're not being recognized for it.
Lehman/OK.
Pfab/While we're on that at what, that went from a contracted position to an in house,
but before it went to a contracted position was that also in house?
Craig/No but we had contract cleaners from the time we opened the building in 1981.
Pfab/Okay.
Craig/We've used contract cleaners up until FY99.
Champion/Thanks.
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O'Donnell/Thank you. Crystal clear.
Lehman/Okay.
Kanner/I have a question about number 16 about the.
O'Donnell/Is that under consent calendar?
Pfab/No, page 11.
Kanner/Item number 16 Solid Waste Commission dissolving, this perhaps is for Eleanor,
if a staff advisory committee is formed is that a public meeting?
Dilkes/Not if that's appointed by the City Manager.
Kanner/And Steve for number 20 the agreement with Hancher for the performance at the
Senior Center, why do we have to do this? We've had stuff from UI before and.
Atkins/I don't know evidently this was some kind of an agreement that we had to enter
into before this could occur and I certainly it was no big deal Hancher.
Dilkes/Hancher is requiring it.
Atkins/Yea Hancher is requiring it so I figured okay.
Vanderhoef/Does it have to do with who has what kind of liabilities? That' s all I could
figure out when I started looking at it.
Atkins/I thought it was more, don't laugh, I thought it was more artistic protecting the
see you're going to laugh at me aren't you?
Lehman/No we would never laugh at you.
Dilkes/Let me get it in front of me and I can.
Atkins/But I did not think it was liability I thought it was just simply protecting the
interest of Hancher.
Kanner/It doesn't have to do with because they have unions for setting up, they have a
union contract.
Atkins/It could be.
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Kanner/That this is something that they say.
Atkins/Steven that I can't answer. The way it was explained to me Steven that' s not the
case.
Pfab/Could that be something that could we find that out by tomorrow?
Atkins/Sure, we could ask.
Lehman/Find out what?
Pfab/What this is about, a little more information or clarification is all.
Atkins/Okay we'll get that for you.
Lehman/Okay any other agenda items?
COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS
Lehman/The Board of Adjustment we have no applications, Board of Appeals.
Kanner/Charles Maas.
Lehman/Are we okay with that?
Vanderhoef/Fine.
Lehman/Housing and Community Development Commission one appointment to fill a
three year term and.
Champion/(can't hear) Rick Spooner has been on for a short time, wasn't he fulfilling an
unexpired term?
Vanderhoef/No he was on the Human Rights.
O'Donnell/Human Rights.
Lehman/He was on Human Rights.
Vanderhoef/I'm interested in Gretchen Holt, I've known her for quite a long time and she
has quite a varied background and I think she might bring something.
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O'Donnell/I like her too.
Vanderhoef/Very useful.
Kanner/Sandra Schutt has some experience too as housing specialist and Habitat for
Humanity person I think those two look like they have some good qualifications.
Gretchen and Sandra.
Lehman/Well do we have, we have Gretchen, how many would favor Gretchen?
Champion/I'd go with Gretchen.
Lehman/All right we have Gretchen for the Housing and Community Development
Commission. The Human Rights Commission, we have lots of folks.
Vanderhoef/Well for the one year, should we do it first?
Lehman/Let' s do the one year first.
Vanderhoef/I'd like to look at Ernie Cox, I've know this young man for some time, he
comes to our Council meetings and he's very quite, he never comes to the dais but
he's here because he's interested and I've been encouraging him to apply for a
Commission of some description and this is his first application.
O'Donnell/Sounds good.
Lehman/Do we have, I mean are there four people who would concur with Mr. Cox for
the one year?
O'Donnell/Sure.
Champion/I will.
Lehman/All right Mr. Cox is the one year and that' s. What' s his first name?
Vanderhoef/Ernie, can you remember that? Would you like me to say that one more
time?
Lehman/I just wanted to hear it said publicly.
Vanderhoef/Oh Ernie.
Lehman/All right the three year terms we need three appointments.
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O'Donnell/Lisa Beckman would be a good one.
Vanderhoef/I think so too, I was very impressed and she called.
Champion/I didn't get back to her but she did call.
Lehman/All right we have Lisa Beckman suggested.
Vanderhoef/Okay and Krishna Das I've heard some very good things about it, and I like
his resume with what he puts forth with broader look at the world, I think its.
Lehman/Das.
Vanderhoef/Das is the last name, you pronounce it.
Lehman/Krishna is that right?
Champion/Krishna
Vanderhoef/Krishna I think.
Lehman/Krishna I don't know.
Vanderhoef/But this would give more diversity on our Commission also.
Lehman/Well we have currently we have five males and two females now.
Vanderhoef/Currently we have what?
Lehman/I'm sorry I read the wrong one.
Vanderhoef/No we have 5 females.
Lehman/Four females and one male currently.
Vanderhoef/Yea so.
Lehman/Ernie is adding a male.
Champion/Right.
Vanderhoef/Lisa would add a female and Krishna.
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Champion/Would add a male.
Vanderhoef/Would be another male.
Champion/I also liked Paul Retish.
Vanderhoef/I do too.
Champion/Joan Jehle has done a good job but she' s (can't hear).
Pfab/I would be for Paul which he already.
Lehman/Well I would agree with you but if I was going to do it with one Heather would
be the Commission that I'd put her on, she's good.
Vanderhoef/The absences are the things that kind of turned me on, after two terms.
Lehman/Well we have three names.
(END OF TAPE 00-103 SIDE TWO)
Wilburn/Keri Neblett she' s been real active with some of the youth serving agencies in
town so I think she would have that perspective on some of the issues that younger
folks might face but also her work with the Women' s Resource Action center and
I believe also (can't hear) program would give her knowledge about other issues of
discrimination that persons from those groups, I would support her.
O'Donnell/Sounds good.
Vanderhoef/If we add.
Lehman/Steven.
Vanderhoef/So that' s four we're got on the table.
Kanner/I don't know if I'm pronouncing his name correctly Entrill Williams.
Lehman/Antrell
Kanner/Antrell Williams I think it's the perspective that' s needed, he mentions himself as
a young black man that has a unique perspective and I think that' s really needed in
this town to have that. And also Shelly Mackel-Wiederanders law student works
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with DVIP is interested in the education that the Human Rights Commission does.
I think those are two good people.
Lehman/This is a good group to draw from.
Vanderhoef/Good bunch of folks.
Lehman/It's too bad we can't do for all.
Vanderhoef/Shellie is just headed towards law school is that correct? If I remember her
application.
Wilburn/Sounds familiar.
Vanderhoef/For the August class.
Kanner/Is she for the August, there were a few law students in there and I don't think.
Vanderhoef/I think she was and I looked at her qualifications and she was very qualified,
that first year in law school and then trying to work with education programs, I
don't know.
Lehman/That' s a pretty big load.
Vanderhoef/That' s a pretty heavy load I guess is what I was thinking when I looked at
comparing some of the other.
Lehman/Well how many? Lisa Beckman was the first name suggested.
Pfab/That's fine.
Lehman/Are there four people that would go for Lisa Beckman?
O'Donnell/Absolutely.
Vanderhoef/Yes.
Lehman/All right Lisa Beckman has got one of the three year terms. How about Paul
Retish?
Pfab/Yes.
Lehman/Are there four people for Paul?
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Vanderhoef/OK.
Pfab/Yes.
Lehman/All right Paul Retish is, we need a third person for the three year.
Vanderhoef/I really would like Mr. Das, I think he'll.
Pfab/Who?
Vanderhoef/Das.
Lehman/Krishna Das. I assume Mr. Das is a student.
Vanderhoef/He is both teacher and student.
Lehman/Lives at Hawkeye Court.
Vanderhoef/At the University.
Champion/And Ross which one did you?
O'Donnell/Keri Neblett and I liked that idea.
Wilburn/Keri.
Champion/Keri Neblett.
O'Donnell/Yea, she seemed like she.
Pfab/I'd go along with Keri.
Champion/OK I'll support Keri.
Lehman/How many do we have for Keri?
O'Donnell/Everybody.
Lehman/Okay Keri Neblett is the third appointee. Okay Parks and Recreation
Commission we have two appointments.
Kanner/Who is the fourth one now?
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Champion/The fourth is Ernie Cox.
Lehman/Ernie Cox is for the one year, that was the first one.
Kanner/Okay Beckman, Neblett and who else?
Karr/Retish.
O'Donnell/Parks and Rec. I'd like to see Matt Pacha and Nancy Ostrognai. I work with
Nancy on the Seats Advisory Committee and she' s bright, she' s ambitious and I
think would give us a voice that' s needed on the Parks and Rec. as far as
accessibility (can't hear) with parks.
Pfab/I'd second that.
Wilburn/I'd agree with that.
Champion/I'd support both of those people.
Vanderhoef/Yes.
Kanner/Who was the first person?
Lehman/Matt Pacha.
O'Donnell/Matt Pacha and Nancy Oste. and I'm just butchering.
Pfab/Ostrognai.
O'Donnell/What is it Irvin?
Pfab/Ostrognai.
Lehman/I'll butcher it tomorrow night so just. All right are there four people for Matt
and Nancy?
O'Donnell/Yes.
Lehman/Public Art and Advisory Committee there were no applications. Senior Center
Commission we have Chevalier Monsanto and now I see that Charles Thayer has
also applied. Do we have.
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O'Donnell/Chevalier Monsanto.
Champion/Well he's only serve a partial term.
Vanderhoef/I think he should be reappointed.
Lehman/Are there four people who want to go with Chevalier?
Champion/Yes.
Lehman/All right.
Atkins/I think he also goes by Al so it will make it easier on you tomorrow night.
Lehman/At. I was going to say Mister. Okay Housing Rehabilitation.
Kanner/Don't we need another? Aren't there two?
Champion/One.
Karr/The Senior Center has two and you have two applicants.
Champion/I guess Charles.
Kanner/I think Charles.
Vanderhoef/Chuck there.
Kanner/He's been around for a while, veterinarian.
Vanderhoef/He's also been very sick and in the hospital.
Champion/Oh has he?
Vanderhoef/Yea I don't know when this application went in.
Kanner/Just in the last few days.
Lehman/I know there are only two applications and rather.
Champion/Filed November 17 so he must be okay.
O'Donnell/Shall we not appoint him?
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Lehman/Anybody interested in readvertise?
O'Donnell/Readvertise and see if we can't increase the pool.
Champion/No I think we should (can't hear).
Pfab/Is there an objection other than the fact that he was sick?
O'Donnell/No I just like to have more of a selection, two of them.
Pfab/Will the committee die?
O'Donnell/Not in danger of that.
Pfab/Well we had a precedent of that.
O'Donnell/No we have not.
O'Donnell/We advertised several times for that.
Vanderhoef/Well Chuck will resign if his health goes bad.
Pfab/There was a little bit of sarcasm in that.
O'Donnell/I understand that.
Lehman/Do you want to appoint Chuck Thayer?
Champion/I do.
Pfab/I do.
Lehman/We've got it.
O'Donnell/(can't hear).
Lehman/Okay Housing Rehabilitation Program. Do you want to take five before we go
to Housing?
Champion/I'm sorry Ms. Vanderhoef is going to leave, we can't go on without Dee.
Vanderhoef/I'm going to go down the hall.
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Lehman/So you've got five anyway.
BREAK
Lehman/We're ready.
Champion/You know I'd like to suggest.
Lehman/We're going to have, we have a suggestion coming her from.
Champion/That we do hold off on the Senior Center Commission (can't hear) that we get
two more applicants, I really think we should have more than two applicants for
those positions, are the four people that agree with me?
Vanderhoef/Yes.
O'Donnell/I agree with you.
Champion/I agree with me.
Wilburn/Sure.
Vanderhoef/Okay did you have that going?
Lehman/The Senior Center Commission will.
Karr/Well I have a lot of conversations going. Which one?
Vanderhoef/The Senior Center.
Lehman/Will readvertise.
Karr/Both positions?
Champion/Yes.
Pfab/Oh you leave the room and.
Kanner/What happened?
Pfab/Your support disappeared.
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Champion/I just suggested that we do postpone the Senior Center Commission and
reopen it for more applications and four people agreed.
Pfab/Well now is there assurance that they'll be here if they when we come back to do it
again?
Lehman/You know that' s one Commission you'd better grab them while you can. Okay
Steve your up.
Housim~ Rehab. Prol~. Districts and CDBG Allocations (1P6 of 11/9 pkt. and Agenda
#22)
Steve Nasby/Housing Rehab., in your packets for this council meeting there are a pair of
items, one is designating a revolving loan fund and the second one is designating
some areas for our Housing Rehab. program as priority areas. In your November
9 packets there was a housing condition study, I don't know if you have that
available to you it looked kind of something like this when you started, it was a
rather lengthy document that our division put together and Angela Williams whose
one of our associate planners put this together with one of the interns. We hadn't
done a housing conditions study since 1988 and let me back up just a little bit this
study it's called a wind chill study (can't hear).
Pfab/(can't hear).
Nasby/Yea it is and it is very descriptive because it does not view the interior condition of
the houses, only the exterior conditions as noted by an observer so that's why it's
deemed wind chill study and it looks at exterior conditions, such as roofs, paint,
sidings, chimneys, windows, doors that type of thing so the purpose of the study
really was to provide us with a snapshot of the current housing conditions in the
community and to identify areas that may be in need of some rehab. focus and like
I said the last study was done 1988 and they only surveyed 247 houses so it was a
very little survey at that. In the 2000 study we surveyed over 8300 households
and of those about 4650 were single family detached units which is about 50
percent ofwhat's in the whole community. Let me, the map you may recognize
the map I don't know if it came out in color on your computers or not these are
the 12 study areas that we looked at and what we did was we couldn't cover the
whole community nor did we feel it was necessary because a lot of the newer
developments wouldn't have deteriorated housing stock yet so what we did was
looked at three criteria, age of the housing stock, the level of home ownership
versus owners versus renters and then also income. We were able to pull by
census information which census tracks had predominant of low and modern
income households that our program would serve. This was not a perfect way for
doing it but it helped us narrow down the area and then the information that was
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provided in your council packets broke down each one of these areas and told you
how many housing units were in each one, and how many of the units were in
good fair condition. And I think the categories were excellent condition, which
were no deficiencies, good were where the unit was structurally sound but there
might be evidence of some surface wear where it might need repainting that type
of thing. Units in fair condition which showed significant exterior wear and maybe
some structural deficiencies and then poor condition which is a very deteriorated
house something like the foundation may be cracked or a wall is pulling away or
there' s water damage that we could see. So these were the areas that we looked
at and some of the highlights of the study show that overall of the 8,000 plus units
that we looked at that either 88 percent were in either excellent or good condition
and of those I believe that 84 percent were single families in good or excellent
condition and 93 percent were multi-family so there' s a little bit of discrepancy
between the single family multi-family part of that probably is due to our good
housing code enforcement. I think the condition of the single family stock has
improved due to us having housing rehab. program for 20 years so.
Pfab/Due to what?
Nasby/Us having a housing rehab. program for 20 years, we've probably assisted 4 or 500
households over the last 10 to 15 years fairly easily so. The survey did find
however that there are 571 homes that are need of major repairs and that's about
11 percent of all the single family housing units that were looked at and as you
remember major repairs were fairly significant structural deficiencies and then we
also had 3,096 units that needed minor repairs and that was more or less painting
and items like that that were minor surface wear so that' s kind of the survey in a
nut shell. Did anybody have any questions on the survey or any of the areas?
Vanderhoef/In what criteria did you use to decide on the areas to target then? Like
percents or?
Nasby/Yea, looking at, yea the second item is designating these areas and I wanted to do
is if your interested I've got the areas that we're asking to designate are areas 2,
4, 6, 7 and 12 and the way we picked those five areas we looked at the areas that
had the highest degree of houses that were either in poor or fair condition and then
we also looked at on another map that we have areas that had high concentrations
of lead paint and that' s something that the U. S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development is pressing upon us is to go out and address lead paint and 2,
4, 6 and 7 have probabilities somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of having lead
paint somewhere in the unit. Number 12 didn't have the highest degree of lead but
it did have the highest degree of housing rehab. needs so we felt like we she
include that. Irvin.
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Pfab/So basically when you did an overlay on these with the lead paint they pretty much
sorted themselves out.
Nasby/A lot of them match up yes, the lead paint is generally in the older parts of the
community, any homes pre 1940 there' s probably a 90 percent probability of it
having lead paint. Ifit's built before 1960 it's about an 80 percent probability and
anything after there to 1978 is about a 62 percent probability so obviously the
older areas of the community have the highest degree of lead somewhere in the
structure.
Lehman/Steve what you're really asking for is the revolving fund to be set up for about
$200,000 a year for 5 years.
Nasby/That' s another piece of this yea, the, what we want to do is designate some of
these areas and like I pointed these are the areas that were individual maps in your.
Champion/Can I ask a question please. Why are they concerned with lead paint on the
exterior of the house?
Nasby/Why are they what?
Champion/Why are they concerned with lead paint on the exterior?
Nasby/Because the lead paint can be disturbed, sanding, replacing windows, scraping of
the house and then it gets the lead particles in the air and it's hazard to the family
that lives there and can get into the dirt and so there' s lead paint anywhere in the
house. I believe.
Champion/How did we survive in our house for 30 years?
Lehman/You don't even look that old.
Kanner/Are you assuming that if there' s lead paint on the exterior there' s probably lead
paint on the interior also?
Nasby/That' s a fair assumption but we're pretty much depending on the age of the
structure to determine which ones have lead and which ones don't.
Kanner/Well I guess my point it' s not just the exterior that' s probably a problem it' s the
interior also we're assuming with the age that there' s going to be problems inside
and outside.
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Pfab/Yes and again like you said if the wind examination. Just go through the
neighborhood.
Nasby/So anyway we are asking the Council to designate those five areas that I had
showed you earlier (can't hear).
Pfab/Could you give those numbers again just?
Champion/2, 4, 6, 7, and 12.
Nasby/That' s correct, those are the areas and like I said those are the ones we identified
as the five neediest given the amount of rehab need and the probably of lead paint.
Pfab/I certainly have no trouble with that.
Nasby/Whereas I think I told you in the community as a whole about 11 percent of the
units had either poor or fair condition and these areas in the aggregate about 20
percent of them are fair or poor condition.
Lehman/And these homes will qualify based on income level of the owner to the property.
Not going to go in and fix somebody' s house that can afford to fix their own.
Nasby/Income level, no what this will do if we get the areas designated as it will allow
some flexibility in our program because right now it's a case by case by case where
every single home owner has to be 80 percent of the median income or below. If
we designate these areas HUD lets us do an area benefit which means a majority of
the people in the area that we designate have to be low mod. and in the aggregate
for the areas that we're asking about 68 percent of the homeowners in that area
are low mod.
Lehman/Oh that' s great.
Nasby/We would like to assist some of the other homeowners that may be a little bit over
that 80 percent threshold maybe with some other funding and that' s one of the
proposals is to maybe see if we can leverage some GO bond funding where we
might provide long term long term low interest loans to the homeowners who can
afford to pay it back and then maybe ifthere's a little bit of work that needs to be
done because of the lead factor we can make a small grant out of the federal
dollars to those and as an incentive to get the work done.
Vanderhoef/So tell me what are the guidelines that have to be met in rehabbing these
houses if they are deemed lead paint? I presume it's a lot more expensive process
to clean to do it in a safe manner?
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Nasby/It is, we will have to have lead certified contractors for one and that' s something
we're working on now to build capacity and it will add some cost to it which is
why we're finding some of the homeowners we're serving now is they're less
likely to take on the housing rehab. program for a project because they're going to
have to go for these extra costs and what we're hoping to do is apply for a lead
grant but we also may turn some of the CDBG dollars we have now into the small
grant that may cover some of those added costs so they won't be more dollars out
of pocket so it will be very similar to what they'd be doing now while stressing the
lead hazard that we're mandated to address.
Vanderhoef/So your saying that the possibility above and beyond the revolving fund that
we could apply, once we have these designated areas then we can apply for some
other grant moneys specific to lead paint.
Nasby/We can do that regardless of the designation of the areas but this would give us a
very good place to start. We could do it community wide but we want to start
with these areas that we've identified right now.
Vanderhoef/OK I know Cleveland and a couple of other larger cities have done some
really big lead paint.
Nasby/Yea right now I believe the only one in Iowa is Dubuque and they're on the I think
the third year of a lead grant of a three year lead grant and they're the only ones
right now.
Vanderhoef/And what kind of dollars are we looking at coming in those kinds of?.
Nasby/I believe the City of Dubuque had a grant, without having it in front of me, I
believe it was somewhere in the neighborhood of a million or a million one a year
over three years.
Vanderhoef/Okay.
Nasby/But they had a very large track they were taking on, they were also a pilot so they
were taking on additional responsibilities for training, contractors and doing some
of the things we're not going to be doing, that we'll just be taking on the lead
project.
Vanderhoef/And what does it take to get certified as a contractor to rehabilitate?
Nasby/We have a, we've sent our housing rehab. staff to the State Department of
Health' s training, they've gone through three days of training and testing are
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certified. For a contractor they can either send one person like a foreman or an
owner to that training and go through the whole three day workshop and then they
can come back and train their staff or we can have, we're going to have somebody
from the State come out here and give a one day 8 hour lead work safe work
practice session that will then let the employees go out and work on these projects
and have that certification.
Vanderhoef/That sounds like a good idea.
Nasby/Yea building this capacity is going to take us a little time but.
Vanderhoef/And do we have to pay, if we were to do a one day program would we be
paying the state for this training?
Nasby/That' s a good question, I don't know, I've talked to the Iowa Department of
Economic Department and the State Department of Health about doing an on-site
training, they've done one for their contractors, they did it in Des Moines where
the state put down the training, they also paid mileage, hotel and I believe the food
costs for the contractors to come to I believe it was in Ames to come to that
training. We want to do something similar here, every year we do have a
contractor workshop and we would hope to get maybe Rita Gergely or somebody
from the State Department of Health to come out and do that one day training.
How we're going to plant some incentives in there to get contractors to come
we're still thinking about but we may have to pay someone to come or have our
own staff do it, they're certified to do it but it's the time it would take for them to
prep., bring on all the materials and then there' s potential liability we're using your
staff to train the contractors so if they did something wrong they say well that' s
what you told me to do then we'd take on that liability, we're hoping to avoid that
by having the state come and do it.
Vanderhoef/And would the federal lead paint grant be available to use some of those
dollars for training?
Nasby/Quite possible yes, yea but these are regs. that went into affect September 15 and
we applied for a 6 month waiver and received it but we will have to start applying
the new standards by March so we probably will not be able to get that lead grant
submitted and anything back in that short of time, it's going to be a while, so right
now we're going to have to make do with the dollars that we have.
Kanner/Explain to me how we're going to set up this initial funding of the revolving loan
thought and how it would affect what' s available from our CDBG and home
money.
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Nasby/Okay let me move into the funding since there are some questions. What we
would like to do is change the housing rehab. program, right now it's just a
program account where we get allocated dollars out of the community
development block grant and home allocations, we go out and do the projects and
then we also have loans with the homeowners. And when those homeowners
repay we put the dollars back into the general rehab. project into the general
CDBG fund, like a non profit or for profit or someone else who uses those CDBG
dollars, they just recoup them and use them for their own uses. We want to do the
same thing with rehab. rehab. has about a 1.7 million dollar loan portfolio out there
and we want eventually would like to make the rehab. program self sufficient so
we want to be able to keep the program income coming in but at this point we
don't have enough dollars to do that so we've housing the Housing and
Community Development Commission to set aside dollars instead of us going back
and asking them for an allocation annually year after year after year we wanted to
kind of have a stable base of funding so we know what services we can offer, we
know what programs we're going to have available and it also gives us kind of a
bit of an advantage in applying for other funding because we say well we know
what we have next year versus well we won't know for six months. It's much
more difficult to try to raise those dollars and as far as what percent of it is we've
gotten I think over the last 5 years an average allocation of about $341,000 so the
$200,000 that we're asking plus our program income that we would retain is a
little bit less than we've been getting so it wouldn't be a big chunk out of the
dollars that are available, it would actually be a slight reduction.
Vanderhoef/When you talk of sometimes your saying, your calling it a loan fund, then
other times your talking about grant, now when I hear grant I'm thinking no
interest and when I hear loan I'm thinking interest at least some.
Nasby/Dee the majority of our money' s probably of what we loan out to the homeowners
probably 90 percent plus is in a direct loan, it's either a pay back loan or a
conditional occupancy loan which means they pay us off if they sell the house or
they move or something like that.
Vanderhoef/But with or without interest?
Nasby/They do have an interest charge on them and it's generally, I think the conditional
occupancy loans excuse me have a one time 5 percent charge, it's 5 percent of
what the loan amount was and then the payback loans have I believe we changed it
be 0. 1 percent for payments which is kind of in line with what the other CDBG and
home recipients have been getting. And then the grant, what we're hoping to do
with is making just a small portion of the rehab. project a grant to deal with those
added lead costs but the homeowners are reluctant to take on the additional work
they wouldn't normally do but because of the lead regs. they have to take that on.
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So like in one case we had someone who wanted to side their house versus
repainting it and it was $6,000 cheaper to do the residing and that would be fine
versus repainting the house and so they would choose putting siding on because it
was a historic district and things we had some problems about putting the siding
on. So how do we make that work to everyone's benefit? We're talking about
doing a small portion of the CDBG dollars or the lead grant if we apply for it and
receive it a small port of it as a grant so that we can recoup a majority of the
money' s but still yet provide the incentive for them to take care of the lead.
Champion/Well it sounds like a great program, and what you're doing with this program
to is preserving our older neighborhoods and the housing stock and allow the
affordable housing in this town in those neighborhoods. Not all of them are
affordable but a lot is (can't hear). I think like it sounds great.
Nasby/Well so far all of our houses we've assisted are under 80 percent median so yea it's
affordable house to them because they own it.
Vanderhoef/Okay then the question comes for me with housing in some of those areas
there' s a lot of rental housing in there, but the rental housing goes to low and
medium income families. Will the grants be available to a property owner who
rents?
Nasby/Right now our housing rehab. program is for homeowners only, we used to have a
rental rehab program and it was ending up about 6 or 7 years ago when I came due
to lack of interest by the property owners but they can also come in and apply for
any of our home dollars so if you have a landlord that own some properties and
wanted rehab. they do have an avenue to apply for some of those dollars but it
would be through the regular CDBG and home cycle instead of through the rehab.
program at this point but if it's something we want to expand on we sure could
discuss it.
Vanderhoef/Well I'm thinking specifically because of the lead because so many of those
homes are rented to families with small children which is the largest problem with
the lead and how do we encourage property owners to rehab. the lead part of their
properties?
Nasby/Yea and if we end up putting together a lead paint application that' s something we
sure could talk about including.
Vanderhoef/That one I would like to look at at that point.
Nasby/Okay.
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Lehman/Call it Operation Get the Lead Out.
Nasby/Get the lead out.
Champion/Thank you.
(All talking).
Nasby/Did anybody else have any questions? We're straightforward on this?
Vanderhoef/Yes, great idea.
Atkins/Steve before you sit down, Council do you know Angela? Angela is the planner
who's responsible for the project, she's waving at you.
Vanderhoef/And thank you Angela, great job.
Nasby/I anticipated having some questions so I could call her up here.
Atkins/Oh that' s all right.
(All talking).
Atkins/Angela makes you look good so she needs the credit.
Nasby/Thank you.
Lehman/Thank you.
Champion/Thank you.
COUNCIL TIME
Atkins/Ernie under Council time before you all get started one item I wanted to bring to
your attention. I received a call, Steve I want you to hang around a minute. An
inquiry from Kathryn, Kathleen Reinqest, HCDC chair and Irvin has asked for a
packet of the HCDC information that they traditionally get like for their minutes to
be sent to him, which is all public information but I want to bring it to your
attention because inevitably when one Council Member gets more information than
another council member it would be my intent unless you tell me otherwise that I
would send Irvin the packet of information or any of you and I would send it all to
the rest of you also unless we hear otherwise.
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Pfab/That would be a great idea, I'm not, it's not information that' s secret, it's, there' s
just so much in it.
Atkins/I understand Irvin, I just wanted to bring to the Council' s attention.
Pfab/That's fine, I think it's a great idea, I never thought of that because I didn't see
much many people having a great interest in that.
Atkins/Well my concern is, see my concern is I want the Council equally informed on
these issues and so, the tradition has been we have not done that.
Vanderhoef/What do you see that you're going to get from this packet?
O'Donnell/What's the benefit yea?
Pfab/Oh there's so much information in it that' s.
O'Donnell/But what?
Vanderhoef/But is it important for us at for making policy decisions? I guess that' s my
question.
Pfab/For my own information I felt that there' s so much background information in it that
I just felt that to make a decision I should be informed.
Vanderhoef/Like what I guess I'm still a little fuzzy on.
Pfab/Well okay what it's a million dollars where does it go and where do you arrive at
where does it go? And try to understand people call you and want to know what
about this what about that, well I just think the idea to try to be a council person is
to be as informed as you possibly can.
Kanner/I would applaud you for taking the initiative to do this and it's public information
and I don't think we have to let other Council Members know I think we're smart
enough to go and.
Atkins/I have a little trouble with not letting other Council Members know Steve that' s
Kanner/That' s public information, like you let every public person that requests
information we don't put it out there, this is public information and other Members
are welcome to request it too.
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Pfab/See a lot of times.
Atkins/I think we're picking a fight we don't mean to, I brought a request, I bring it to all
of your attention so that I'll send you all the same information.
Lehman/Right.
Atkins/So you're all equally informed.
Kanner/I don't want that information, I'll make a special request myself if I do I might I
intended the meetings last year, I thought it was worthwhile to hear what they
were saying and see the presentations.
Atkins/This is up to you guys.
Pfab/Without, when I'd go to a number of the meetings, and without the background
information you know you were sitting there.
O'Donnell/We're getting off the subject.
Lehman/The only point is when one Council person requests information Steve is telling
uS.
(All talking)
Lehman/All get the same information, that' s the only.
Atkins/So that' s my intent to send it to all of you.
Lehman/Unless if you don't want the information tell Steve so we don't you know waste
a lot of paper, if you're not going to read it, you don't want it that' s fine.
Atkins/Okay.
Karr/Okay so just to clarify then it's going to become part of the permanent record.
Atkins/Sure.
Karr/And on your CD's because if all said.
Champion/No I don't want it on my CD's.
Karr/Well I just want to clarify that. You can't all 7 get it and I not maintain it.
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Champion/Oh we're not all getting it.
Lehman/Wait a minute. What are you saying Marian?
Vanderhoef/It has to go on the CD.
Karr/I thought you had just agreed that you would all get it and if you were getting it I
need to keep a file copy because all 7 of you have that information and are privy.
Lehman/Wait a minute.
Champion/(can't hear) I don't want it on my computer.
O'Donnell/I don't want it on mine.
Lehman/Marian will this information be supplied on the CD?
Karr/If all 7 of you get it yes.
Lehman/If not it will be, if lrvin is the only one who wants it you'll do a hard copy?
Karr/Correct.
Lehman/All right. I don't choose to receive it.
Champion/I don't either.
O'Donnell/I don't either.
Champion/And Steven doesn't want it either.
Kanner/Well at this time but there' s other information that I want then from Committee' s
and so forth that they're getting.
Atkins/I'm not into that I'm just telling you I had a specific request that I brought to your
attention and if there' s another specific request I'll bring to you again.
Lehman/But I think that we, as long as I've been on Council, it's customary that when
one council person requests information the entire council receives if they want it.
Atkins/It's customary for me folks.
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Lehman/If they want that information.
Atkins/Yea.
Lehman/All right so Marian it probably isn't going to go on the CD. Okay.
Atkins/That's all I've got.
Lehman/Other Council time.
O'Donnell/Well just a quickie here, in the paper a couple weeks ago it may have been last
week there was an article on the editorial page about the Englert Theater and it
basically said now we have it now leave it alone and not another penny and in
another paper which I considered a very negative comment, and in another paper
we had a very positive comment about the leaf pick up we had in Iowa City and
it's just very refreshing to see a positive comment in a local newspaper about a city
function and I was pleased to see that.
Champion/Well it is an incredible program and it works very well.
O'Donnell/Yea it's really neat.
Champion/The thing I want to bring up and I think we ought to seriously consider is I
think the council should talk about a consider sending a letter to the, if we're all in
agreement, to Mary Sue Coleman that they rehabilitate and restore the football
field for several reasons. Number one if they move that football field to the west
side it will really damage Iowa City businesses I think because they'll tend to go to
Coralville. Secondly I think I've heard watching a football game yesterday that
commentators I wasn't watching it I was half listening, were commenting on the
fact that all the football fields in the NFL now, and all the baseball fields and all the
basketball all look alike except for the few older ones, this just happened to be an
older stadium yesterday and how pleasant and nice it was to have a stadium with
some character and I think it's to our, to this town economic well being that have
stadiums be maintained where it's at. I also think it's important that you have a
stadium with a lot of character I mean just aesthetically to me it's much more
pleasing than a new stadium so I think it's something you ought to think about but
I think it behooves us, a City Council interested in the economic well being of
Iowa City that have the stadium stay within the Iowa City center.
Lehman/I think they're looking at spending millions of dollars redoing the south end
zone.
Champion/And you think a new one is going to be cheap?
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Lehman/No, no, I don't think there's any thought whatsoever to a new one.
Champion/Oh no, but she' s getting pressured to move that stadium, I don't think that' s a
decision actually been made, I don't think so.
Kanner/I think it is worth discussing Connie it's a good point to bring up and to look at.
Vanderhoef/Well I don't disagree with you that.
Lehman/Oh I agree totally.
Vanderhoef/That we do need to keep it in the community and close to the campus, it's
not only for the City of Iowa City but it's also for the students where they can get
to it and participate. This is a nonalcoholic activity.
Champion/But a lot of people do walk to that stadium (can't hear).
Vanderhoef/Oh absolutely and the infrastructure that has to be put in if you move it
unbelievable.
Pfab/There was a letter in the packet about maybe a possibly a spring leaf pick up, does
that make any sense?
Atkins/No it doesn't, unfortunately Irvin we get that request every year and I would
prepare a letter for you, the simple explanation is the same crews that clean up the
sand, prepare curbs, do everything are the same people who pick up leaves, we
simply can't do both jobs. And I'll prepare a letter for you that explains it, the
other thing is that storm water management requirements are such that we've got
to get that sand off the street, it would be nice to have a spring time pickup but it's
the same people and we just can't do two things with the same people.
Pfab/I, it was just a question.
Atkins/I'll prepare a letter for you.
Vanderhoef/It's the pin oak leaves that are the problem.
Lehman/One thing Steve if we could have some time prior to the next meeting a list of the
money' s that the council allocated last year for public projects such as 4th of July.
Atkins/Community events, human service agencies, okay.
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Lehman/Memorandum, you know we had said last year it would be kind of nice to have a
commission of some sort and obviously it isn't going to work but I think prior to
receiving all these requests from the public that we at least know the amount of
money we spent last year, perhaps have a target to shoot at rather than taking one
after another after another, we say that last year we spent X amount of thousand
dollars and this year we anticipate spending whatever.
Wilburn/Give ourselves some frame of reference.
Lehman/No we haven't done that.
(All talking).
Vanderhoef/We do it at budget.
Lehman/Yea we do but we just take, but Jaycees come in and ask for $10,000 and we
give it to them, and somebody comes in and ask for this we give it to them, but if
we say this is the amount of money that we're going to spend and stay within our
own budget just like we do CDBG money.
Atkins/I'll prepare that for you.
Lehman/I mean just give us a target.
Vanderhoef/But the gram program is what it really is.
Atkins/That's all it is.
Vanderhoef/So if we've got this money dollars we want to set a time period you know
that we must have our requests by a certain time.
Lehman/All right guys we're out of here.
Atkins/Good night all.
Adjourned 8:35.
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