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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-12-18 TranscriptionDecember 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 1 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session 6:40 PM Council: Lehman, Champion, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn, Pfab, Kanner Staff: Atkins, Helling, Karr, Dilkes, Franklin, Boothroy, Grosvenor TAPES: 00-106 SIDE TWO; 00-110 BOTH SIDES Lehman/The first item on the agenda is zoning items, if there is interest on the part of the council in changing the order of the agenda we can do that. I sense there is some interest in discussing the filming of the council meetings but that would require a motion to change the agenda order. Dilkes/You don't need a motion you can just. Lehman/We don't, okay we're going to council time next and then zoning matters, sorry Karin. Does anyone have anything for council time? COUNCIL TIME Kanner/Yes. Just a minute. You might want to go with someone else until I find it Ernie. Champion/Well I can always start but I think I've voiced myself on (can't hear) but on the behavior of Council Members when they don't oppose a decision of the whole Council and I just frankly that really does bother me on trying to not acceptable. I was one of the people who supported the filming of work sessions when we talked about it, however I am not in favor of it in this manner which I think goes against the majority of the Council and goes against a decision that was made by the group. I guess that' s all I have to say, I think I stated myself on this (can't hear). Vanderhoef/Well I'll add on to that Connie, the democratic process that we establish for ourselves has been always upheld by one voice, one vote and the majority rules. Filming of work meetings has been talked about several times this year and several times in previous years. There has never been a majority of the Council that chose to have the filming done at work meetings and to have it filmed by amateurs even goes further against exactly why I don't want Council work meetings filmed. The point being that we would always have the slow down or less than candid remarks because I see work meetings as a place for conversations for speculation meaning that we put out all sorts of ideas not because we're married to the ideas but we put the ideas out so we are sure we've looked at This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 2 everything that is out there on the table to have casual kind of filming or for listeners to only get sound bites, absolutely stifles conversation. I don't find that this is healthy, I don't find that it's as something that this Council has wanted and for two Councilors to bypass the majority of this Council' s decision not to film work meetings absolutely flies in the face of democracy. Wilburn/Well Connie I'm glad that you, as since you were someone who did support filming and I did not and I'm not going to get into the reasons tonight, the reasons that I did not but I think the big issue tonight is because Steven and Irvin decided to go ahead with this against the majority' s wishes. Since Connie since you were one who did want to do it but were in the minority and lost, I think that' s an important issue because there' s been other issues where I've been in the minority for example tonight we've got an issue about naming council chambers, I was one who was in favor of naming the Civic Center after the first female mayor Emma Harvat, there was not enough support but you did not see me the next day with a jackhammer out chiseling her name in the side of the building so you know I was going to sit on it and wait and see if there was some other opportunity, we've got another opportunity tonight and so again I just think that it's important for us to enter (can't hear) some sense of order so that we know regardless of what the majority of Council decides that there' s a clear understanding with the public as to what Council has decided and so that there' s understanding and knowledge that the rest of us on council if your on majority as to what someone who' s in the minority and lost a decision decides to do. Steven and Irvin we have no idea if your going to do this with this decision of an informal decision, I have no idea what future decisions your going to go out and in the name of City Council, in the name of the City of Iowa City what actions your going to go and do which might jeopardize the city' s position with some type of negotiation whether it be real estate or some matter of litigation and so with that I'll be quiet. O'Donnell/Well said, I was one who did not support the filming, I do not support it now. These work sessions are for open conversation, and I do not want that inhibited whatsoever. The majority of this Council has said they do not want these filmed, apparently it doesn't make any difference, but I believe if we were to vote right now it would be 6-1. Lehman/Do you have any response? Kanner/Well I'll come back to this at a later time. Lehman/No you won't we're talking about it during Council time and this is the only time we're talking about it. Kanner/Yea I had some other questions for Council time. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 3 Lehman/Well why don't we discuss this while we've. Kanner/I'd rather not right now Mr. Mayor, I have some other questions that I wanted to bring up that I thought are important. Lehman/Well I think the Council feels this is very important and now is the time we're going to be discussing this, now if you wish to comment I would appreciate you doing so when the rest of the Council is talking about it. Kanned Okay I had some other questions about other subjects so I'll hold off at this time. Lehman/Well let me just, my concern is not whether or not we film Council meetings, I think that's a much smaller issue, but I think there's a much larger issue here. And my concern is that there obviously is a very poor spirit of cooperation among the 7 of us and I believe a Council to be effective really needs to work as a team, your actions in this regard have indicated to me and I think perhaps to the rest of the council and certainly to the public that you really aren't interested in being part of that team. The thing that disturbs me the most is that basically we have a Council of 5 or 6 people because you have alienated yourself at this point with the rest of the council, I really question your ability to be effective and I think that's a shame because a number of people in this community voted for you, they have I think the right to feel that they're represented by someone and I feel your ability to represent those people has been jeopardized dramatically by this. Now you could have come to the Council at anytime since the first time we talked about this and suggested that we reconsider but you chose not to do that and to me the process is absolutely unacceptable. Maybe legal, maybe whatever, but it certainly is not, certainly does not endear you with the rest of the Council nor do I think with the public. Now if you wish to respond fine, if you don't wish to respond we'll continue with Council time but we are not coming back to that issue tonight. Okay any other Council time? Kanner/Yea I had a couple questions, Steven Atkins, this is probably a yearly thing, snow plow schedule. Have people usual, I'm sure we all get phone calls, why isn't my street plowed? So there are two things that I wanted to ask of you one could you give us a list of the priority, what order do we do the streets? And two there was some concern from a downtown person I was talking to and I have some concerns too about can we move the plowing of the downtown higher on that list and so that's the question I have for you the first question. Atkins/Okay, let me answer it probably a little more long winded than you expect. First of all you used the word schedule, there really isn't a schedule, when it snows, we sort of show up. I was listening to the news this evening and the weather report as This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 4 most of us try to catch was that we've had 17 inches of snow already in December when we normally average 6, that has some bearing upon snow removal operations. We have, the City is divided into 11 districts, each district has two personnel assigned, they work 12 hour shifts, we also call in personnel from our equipment division so they're available for changeover, hookup, fixing plows, doing whatever is necessary. We have in the City 275 miles of streets, but that' s really not an effective way to measure it because it's really 550 curve miles, you've got to go up, you've got to come back. Our priority on snow removal is the first priority is bus routes, and emergency routes to the hospital which is generally our busiest arterial streets. Second priority is arterial streets, selected collector streets, and those that have a very steep slope, third priority is basically everything else and residential. Now with respect to downtown, the timing is in fact I'm glad you asked this evening because I wanted to give you a little bit of information about downtown snow removal. We had a bad storm the first one out and we traditionally will take care of streets and thoroughfares and then the next night take care of downtown. What we're going to do is rearrange some of our personnel and we're going to try to get at the storm, get the streets open and go to downtown really immediately not wait for a lapse period in between time. Now it will be difficult because what we'll likely do is some of our trails, those that we have throughout town, we're going to use Parks and Recreation personnel to help with the downtown snow removal so we will change the priority. Now downtown snow removal is far more difficult, it involves removing automobiles, it involves plowing, and then in involves removing hauling. So it is a little more complex operation with some additional steps, but generally that' s how we go after a snow storm. Kanner/So there will be a little less work done on the trails in the parks you're saying. Atkins/Yes, not a little less, timing of it Steven is that we would traditionally have our Public Works crews do streets, thoroughfares, bridges, alleys, certain selected alleys, and our Parks and Recreation crew do a lot of the city owned sidewalks, city owned in the sense of those that are abutting city property through the parks, trail system, we will still go after sidewalks, things of that nature but we believe we can postpone the trails for at least a day or say and divert those resources to the downtown. We're going to try this for a couple, let's see what happens and see if we hear about it. Yes sir. Pfab/I have a question, I have a call from someone south of Highway 6 and their situation is that the streets have parking on one side. Atkins/Right. Pfab/So the snow and ice gets pushed to the side. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 5 Atkins/Right. Pfab/So is there a way of equalizing that or what can be done? Atkins/We have over the years and this long proceeds the time that I was here, many cities have emergency snow routes and actually sign them accordingly, and also put out a notice on alternate side parking, where we have permanent alternate side parking (can't hear) on our noah side. We have avoided doing that, you will see throughout town, the thoroughfares often clear but the parking is not, quite frankly forcing people to move their cars for the sake of it, we're not convinced to the efficiency of it, it does clear the streets faster and maybe it looks a little better but it's often at, it really adds some bad PR because we eventually, if your going to do that we have got to tow and towing car during a snow storm is not something that I would want to encourage, we do it differently. Lehman/Irvin I think too if you have cars parked on one side they don't plow all if they can take the snow goes to the curb side, the other half goes to the car parked side it doesn't all go against the cars, but it does make it pretty tough to get out. Atkins/It is difficult because you will, I mean clearly and particularly in some of our residential neighborhoods get your car off the street and put it in the driveway. I mean we really have to rely on folks to use their own good judgment. Lehman/Well it worked on Dover Street. Atkins/Yea it did, we had without trying to regulate that those folks did respond to us. Pfab/So you have a message for the people who are parking who have parking on one side of the street in a neighborhood what is the message? Atkins/The message is if your parked at the curb and the plow comes through or when the plow comes through the likelihood of your car being buffed in snow is very high. Pfab/One other thing and I wanted to make a comment on was the fact that there was snow loading being done in the downtown area, I happened to be fight in front of the Senior Center. Atkins/Yep. Pfab/I thought that, I mean the crew did an absolutely marvelous job, is that something that should normally it's done at night? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 6 Atkins/It is done at night and I'll tell you what happened. Pfab/My question is, it wasn't all bad that it was done in the day time. Atkins/You do get a different perspective on it, I mean coming to work early that morning and you do have to find a different route because of the windrow in the middle of the street. I understand our bigger auger as it was described to me sucked up a parking meter. Now in doing that the auger went down for several hours and it's just enough to cause that and that' s why we were taking care of it in the morning, normally that would have been done late at night. Lehman/What happened to the car? Atkins/No there's no cars, it was a parking meter apparently that caught up and messed up the mechanism, that' s why we have maintenance people on, they got the thing in, they got it fixed, got it back on but we lost time. Pfab/My point was is it waiting off several days, of course your working to move the schedule earlier, is it wrong to, or can you work during the day to load the windrow. Atkins/We prefer not doing that Irvin. Pfab/But it seemed like it was working well. Atkins/It did work well but generally we prefer doing it when we don't have any traffic from anyone. Wilburn/I guess the bottom line is always going to be a matter of the public trying to cooperate with city crews and not blocking sidewalks and cars and things like that and there' s going to be people who are not respectful of you know persons who need the sidewalk and. Lehman/Well the bottom line is. Atkins/There was and there was following the big storm that we had last week, there were a number of crosswalks that were blocked and that' s what we'd like to avoid, we're going to trying this and I'm hoping it will work better. Lehman/Snow presents inconvenience, no matter how well we do our job at the City cleaning up snow there's still a certain amount of inconvenience and that cannot be totally eliminated, we just try to make it as easy as we can. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 7 Atkins/Thank you for asking. Vanderhoef/Just to double check with our folks now that Tower Place is open except for the one piece that we still own, that comer of Linn and Iowa did not get cleared that piece of sidewalk. Atkins/Okay. Lehman/I'm not sure that that piece of sidewalk next to Tower Place is really even open, that's still construction, equipment's (can't hear). Vanderhoef/Well but there are businesses open there and. Lehman/Between the comer of the building but I don't think beyond. Vanderhoef/Not to the corner that's my point, from the one unsold piece out to the comer. Atkins/We have an extensive written policy your all with maps and charts and graphs and your all certainly welcome to see it. Vanderhoef/Well last year it wasn't open. Atkins/And it wasn't there. Vanderhoef/And this year it's there. Atkins/Okay, thank you. Kanner/Two other questions, one for and Kevin's not here is he? Atkins/I don't think he was coming tonight. Kanner/Well maybe you could answer it or we can answer it tomorrow. Well this first one actually is for Dale, in our 12-14 info. packet Item number 6, we had a memo from Drew Shaffer about a refund to cable TV subscribers saying we'll give about $2.83 a subscriber, a total of $52,000. But my question is it says also that the cable TV division has paid for all the expenses related to the continued efforts to resolve, are we getting any reimbursement in this settlement from them, for those expenses and what were those expenses approximately? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 8 Helling/Those expenses were between $20,000 and $25,000 total over the four year period roughly that we've been, this issue has been in the forefront between us and the cable company. The formulas that the Federal Communication Commission issued in terms of the limited rate regulation that we have over basic cable rates are very complicated and we really need an expert to work through those formulas to calculate the maximum permitted rates and so that we would have the correct figures to challenge the company. This dates back to their first calculation in 1996 after the latest federal legislation on rate regulation and the bottom line here is that it's taken this long to finally resolve this, there have been several appeals by first TCI and then AT&T is the new owner of the cable company and so it has taken a lot of time and effort but that first calculation impacts each subsequent calculation of a maximum permitted rate each annual calculation so we needed to follow through all that time, this finally resolves that, we knew it wasn't going to a substantial amount of money that the subscribers would receive back but yet we felt it necessary that we carry that issue through and I think we've been successful. Vanderhoef/Dale following up on that if I might since they quote "lost" and we were correct in our calculations and we have always had a legal specialist to help us with those kinds of things what kind of settlement could we get from AT&T our legal bills? Helling/Well this is not a litigated situation so we didn't, there aren't any legal fees that could be awarded, this was their final acceptance after I think two or three rulings by the FCC that this was going to go against them so to speak or that the FCC was looking at the City' s figures as being the correct figures so there isn't really any obligation on their part other than to make the rate rebate that they're talking about I don't know that there's any way that we could. Dilkes/Just generally speaking attorney's fees are not recoverable unless there is a statute that authorizes the recovery, for instance in civil fights actions you can recover attorney' s fees but attorney's fees in and of them self are not a claim that you can make unless there is specific authorization for that, I mean in this case I don't think that. Lehman/And these are not attomey's fees, these are just consulting fees. Dilkes/Yea consultant fees, extra witness fees. Vanderhoef/And it seems as though that this is one of those cases that went on for four years and I have no idea how much it cost us, however, it just doesn't seem that we should continue on with this kind of an arrangement that is there a way we can negotiate that? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 9 Helling/Well I don't know, I don't see any way at this point that we can do that. Keep in mind too. Pardon me. Vanderhoef/Can we do a new contract? Helling/When we do a new franchise agreement perhaps we could, keep in mind too the franchise fees that we receive are part of the reason why we receive those franchise fees is because we have an obligation as a franchising authority to enforce the franchise and I think there's some expectation that that's what those franchise fees go for as well as the other things we use them for so in this case we would be very hard pressed to make any successful claim that we should be reimbursed for our own consulting fees on the matter. Kanner/Yea so were saving $50,000 to subscribers but because the rate is lower as we said before subsequent rates will be a bit lower and we'll save that much money over following years. Helling/Well not exactly, the rebate only has to do with a couple of those years and there were a couple of years when the cable company actually charged a lower rate than what the maximum permitted rate would have been so I think fight now the current would fall within the category of even their figures but for a couple years during the time between 1996 and now they were charging a little higher than what the maximum permitted rate should have been, that' s why the refund at this time. The current rate probably falls within the maximum permitted rate calculated even if we would have used the cable company's figures all the way through. Pfab/I have a question. How long is their franchise, are they basically (can't hear)? Helling/It's a 10 year franchise, it will expire in February 2006. Lehman/Six more years. Helling/Five more years, a little over 5 years, we're about half way through. Pfab/Are we other looking at other alternatives on the kind of a record basis? Kanner/Might be a new world by then, as far as, there might not be cable. Helling/I think the, the thing that people are pushing for now and what the federal laws are supposed to encourage although I question whether they do is effective competition, which means not necessarily that you go to an alternate cable This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 10 company but simply you try to get more than one company to deliver the service to provide competition in the competition, however community's of this size there hasn't been a lot of success. Pfab/Is this something that the city should be seriously taking a look at with the new technology's and altemative methods? Helling/Well in fact we have put together some information and tried to identify over builders, basically company's that come in and are willing to build parallel systems to go into competition. We have put together some information and are attempting to identify some of them to let them know we're hear in case they're interested but thus far we have not really had anybody that's shown any great interest. Lehman/Irvin we also voted and authorized McLeod to put in a competing system what two years ago, three years ago and they chose not to do it but we did do it. Helling/Closer to three. Pfab/Well I guess this was reviewed not too long ago, what was the difference of rates where there was city owned facilities versus managed? It seemed like there was a substantial (can't hear). Helling/There are a very limited number of municipally owned systems, generally those are municipalities that own electric services and have the poles and things in place, in those areas yes the rates were a little lower. Pfab/A little. Helling/Well significantly lower. Pfab/All right I just wanted to clarify that. Kanner/One last question for you Steve, it has to do with the quarterly investment reports from our 12-7 info. packet number 12, item number 12. Atkins/I don't have that in from of me but okay. Kanner/And I had a question it listed that investment amount was down 93000 for operating funds, general obligation bond funds, and employee benefit reserve funds as compared to the previous year, and you would expect if we're spending more money this year than the previous year that investments would be up. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 11 Atkins/Investment amount was down, the total dollar amount. Kanned Investment amount was down, the bond reserve fund is up and this is compared to last year so each year I guess I would expect it to be up but perhaps you can explain why. Atkins/Yea not necessarily, it could be and I'd have to, not having it in front of me, the first things that comes to mind are cash flow, that's the end of our busiest season construction season where we pay out. That' s prior to the receipt of taxes, taxes come in in October, those are the two things that come to mind immediately from a cash flow perspective. I can check those for you easy enough. Kanner/And again this is compared to the previous year. Could it be that we put out a lot more money than was expected, the Englert a number of other things? Atkins/Englert, you know Englert would have some barring on it, Steven but i think more it's the number of capital projects that could be reaching conclusions, the payout of those capital projects, that seems to be more likely. Particularly it's near the end of the summer construction season, I mean that's my gut reaction on why it might be down this year as opposed to a previous year or vice versa, I think on any given year there's going to be some movement on the thing. We pool all of our investments, I mean we take water, sewer everything so that' s how we maximize our interest earnings on the thing so one could be way it, we could have some bond. Did you say the bond reserve number was up or down? Kanner/The bond reserve is up. Atkins/Okay, I'm trying to remember when we sold that last general obligation bond and we would have deposited that in the bond reserve account, of course we would have spent some of that out of there. Bond, when you sell bonds you have for a short period of time you look really good, because all of the money comes in all at once and gets deposited, then you start drawing it down and that number changes. Pfab/That brings up something else here. In one of the municipal magazines it talked about this something in New Hampshire that was selling their bonds on the Internet, you probably saw it, it indicated what kind of, how competitive it was for those bonds and I was wondering are we were missing something by, I was wanting to give them a call and ask them to try to figure out what their bonds sold for versus what ours sold for at that period of time because am I correct that the credit rating, we have the highest credit rating. Atkins/We have the highest credit rating yea. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 12 Pfab/So we could be (can't hear) anybody in the country. Atkins/We should be able to compete, not with anybody in the country that's. Pfab/I mean if everything is (can't hear). Atkins/Yea it depends on the size of the issue plus the time your in the market. I do know to answer specifically is that we've asked to have a report done just what the Internet might do for us with respect to future bond sells, I don't have that answer for you yet. Pfab/Is that, who are we asking to get the information? Atkins/We have Evans and Dodge is a financial consulting firm that we've used for our bond sales historically and they do these reports for us. Pfab/They also help us find bidders? Atkins/Oh sure, that' s their job. Pfab/They don't bid though. Atkins/No they don't, that's not their job. Pfab/All right, that' s just fine. Atkins/But I' 11 find out more about the bonds on the Intemet because it is something we're thinking about getting into. Kanner/And maybe if Kevin has any ideas off the top of why it's more this year than last year. Atkins/On your questions? Kanner/Yea, I'd appreciate it. Atkins/Oh sure, that was 9-30 was the date and what page on the. Kanner/It was item number 16 and 12-7. Atkins/The investment summary. Kanner/Yea. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 13 Atkins/We' 11 check that for you. Kanner/The (can't hear) packet. Atkins/Got it. Lehman/Anything else under council time? Karin zoning items. PLANNING AND ZONING 6A. CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JANUARY 9 ON A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, SOUTH DISTRICT PLAN, TO CHANGE THE LAND USE PLAN FOR THE AREA SOUTH OF NAPOLEON PARK AND WEST OF SOUTH GILBERT STREET FROM MULTI-FAMILY RESDENTIAL AND PUBLIC OPEN SPACE TO PUBLIC/INSTITUTIONAL (APPROXIMATELY 21 ACRES) AND COMMERCIAL (APPROXIMATELY 2 ACRES) AND TO DEPICT THE GENERAL LOCATION OF AN EAST-WEST ARTERIAL STREET, WHICH WILL CONNECT GILBERT STREET TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE IOWA RIVER. Franklin/The first few items are setting public hearings. Kanner/Karin, on the first one for the south district plan setting the public heating for that, I was reading the minutes from P & Z and one of the members asked that the notices be sent out to the neighborhood associations for their heating on this issue before it came to us. So I have two questions, was there any response from them and two will you be sending out notices again to the neighborhood associations for this hearing January 97 I think it might be a good idea. Franklin/First my recollection from again reading the Planning & Zoning Commission minutes as you would that there was no one who came and spoke about the south district plan from the neighborhood associations. We can send notices out again to the neighborhood associations with some ease because we have the association leadership one of whom is on the Planning & Zoning Commission, so that's easy. Kanner/Yea it mentioned three, the three south side associations. Franklin/Okay I'm thinking two but. Kanner/I forgot what the third one was. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 14 Franklin/Yea I don't know what the third one is. That one setting the public hearing for January 9 is on the South District Plan which is basically south of Highway 6 and east of the Iowa River and it's basically to change designations there from multi- family residential and open space to public institutional and commercial along Gilbert Street. B. CONSDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JANUARY 9 ON AN ORDINANCE CHANGING THE USE DESIGNATION FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (D-RM) TO COMMUNICATE COMMERCIAL (CC-2) FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 ACRES OF PROPERTY LOCATED WEST OF GILBERT STREET AND SOUTH OF NAPOLEON LANE (REZ00-00021 ). Franklin/In conjunction with that item is a public heating on January 9 also being set for rezoning of property ID-RM, that' s the interim development multi-family residential to community commercial just to community commercial for the two acres at what will be at some point the comer of Gilbert Street, Sand Road, and the arterial that would come across the river south of Napoleon Park and hit Gilbert Street. C. CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JANUARY 9 ON AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A REVISED SENSITIVE AREAS SITE PLAN FOR THE PENINSULA NEIGHBORHOOD, AN 82.1 ACRE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD CONTAINING LIP TO 400 DWELLING UNITS LOCATED AT THE WEST END OF FOSTER ROAD (REZ00-0022). Franklin/Item three is also setting a public heating for January 9, this is on the sensitive areas site plan for the Peninsula neighborhood. D. CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JANUARY 9 ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 14-6J-1 THE OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS, TO REQUIRE ONLY ONE OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE FOR SMALL ONE-BEDROOM SINGLE-FAMILY, TOWNHOUSE, AND DUPLEX DWELLINGS. Franklin/Item four or Item D is setting a public heating on an amendment to the parking requirements such that only one off street parking space will be required for small one bedroom single family townhouse and duplex dwellings. E. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE VACATING THE NORTHERNMOST 60 FEET OF THE DEAD-END ALLEY ALONG THE WEST PROPERTY LINE OF 405 SOUTH SUMMIT STREET (VAC00-0001) (FIRST CONSIDERATION). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 15 Franklin/Item E is a first consideration on the vacation of a portion of an alley west of Summit Street which you've already had your public hearing on. F. CONSDER 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 PARK FROM COUNTY A1 RURAL AND RS SUBURBAN RESDENTIAL TO COUNTY RMH MANUFACTURED HOUSING RESDENTIAL. (CZ0027) Franklin/Item F is the ever present rezoning of Lakeridge, a couple of things have transpired since I sent the memorandum to the council, I had an extensive conversation with Mr. Downer, attorney for Mr. Wolfe today, there had been some discussion on the possible withdrawal of this rezoning application, Mr. Wolfe has reconsidered that and does wish to keep it in play. I expect to receive shortly a counter proposal to our counter proposal with some particular's from Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Downer about this whole issue. Lehman/Are you saying we defer this to the 9th? Franklin/I think that probably that Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Downer will be here tomorrow night to request that you defer it to the 9th, that' s kind of up to you. Lehman/But negotiations are taking place as we speak? I mean you sent them a counter proposal and we're expecting a reply to that. Franklin/Yes but I don't know what the substance of that reply will be. Champion/I mean I don't know why we don't defer this indefinitely until we have something actually in hand instead of reading the (can't hear) for since July 18. Lehman/I think the deferrals have been the length of time of the deferrals have been at the request of the applicant if I'm not mistaken, isn't that right Karin? Franklin/That's right, yea. Lehman/I mean if the applicant would request indefinite we could do that but I think if he requests two weeks we do two weeks or whatever. Okay. G. CONSDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING A PRELIMINARY PLAT OF PRAIRIE VIEW ESTATES, PART FOUR, A 30.86 ACRES, 21-LOT RESDENTIAL This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 16 SUBDIVISION LOCATED WITHIN JOHNSON COUNTY NORTH OF 1-80, EAST OF PRAIRIE DU CHIEN ROAD. (SUB96-0006) Franklin/Item G is a preliminary plat for Prairie View Estates, this is north of Interstate 80 off of Kyle Drive east of Prairie Du Chien Road, I hope that looks better up there than it does down here. Not really. It sort of looks like a brain. Vanderhoef/Which one is Kyle Road? Franklin/Kyle is the entry drive offof Prairie Du Chien, the main road, oh wait I can do wait. Vanderhoef/So on the small map it's. Franklin/It's hear, I forgot I had this, okay this is Kyle right here. Kanner/And where's the other one Syril? Franklin/Okay Syril is this one right up here and gee I don't know who' s been on the Council when we first started this but Prairie View Estates has been around for a while and we've been trying to get this Syril street connection made for some time, a secondary access to this entire area. One of the problems with Syril Street connecting to Prairie Du Chien was the fact that Prairie Du Chien used to come down to a rather steep hill and curve right here and Syril hit right on the curve before Prairie Du Chien proceeded to the noah. This is the new alignment of Prairie Du Chien, that much debated road out to the county and this is basically the old right of way that will stay in place, the county has an agreement with Mr. Wageman and Mr. Oakes to basically they will close off what was the old alignment that came through here and the paving will be ripped up, there will be trees planted in here so there was no way that you can inadveaently come out and go this way. So one of the stipulations with this particular plat is that Syril Street in fact be improved to the standards of the rest of the streets in Prairie View Estates Part IV which these are paved streets, it's the full depth concrete that we have in the city, they do not have, I don't think they have the storm sewer that we have in the city. But basically these are streets that are not typically what you find in the suburban subdivisions so one of those stipulations is to pave the street, the other we've gotten the approval of the grading plan and the well and waste water treatment facilities. So this part of it is adding these lots in here, all around in here. These lots here are already existing. Pfab/Karin what streets are not in that are on this diagram, that are not paved? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 17 Franklin/The ones that are not, fight now this piece right here is not paved and anything in the proposed plat is not paved but everything else is. Pfab/Once those, we approve that, what else will be paved that is not paved now? Franklin/This piece right here, this actually is in chip seal and that will remain as is and then these will be paved here in that connection noah. Pfab/But they can't, there's no secondary egress by going north or? Franklin/Yea you go up here to go up to connect at Prairie Du Chien. Pfab/But follow that down until you get to the bend and then swing, keep going around the bend and then make the bend rather than go, turn to the left when your looking at it there, no to the fight I guess what your looking at. Lehman/Towards the cul de sac, there you go. Pfab/Are any of those going to be put in? Franklin/Those are all paved, those are in fight now, all of those are in. Pfab/Okay in other words by the time those lots are put in there will be two exits or two egresses. Franklin/Right that's why we're requiring this to be actually constructed. Pfab/I couldn't remember sitting in a couple Planning & Zoning, this is quite an interesting project I'll tell you. Franklin/Any other questions on that? Kanner/Yea, there were, from P & Z, I was reading from the 12-7 meeting, there was some concerns about water run off and cutting of trees and the resulting noise from the highway. I was wondering if you could elaborate on that, the Iowa City, our staff said county has no restrictions on these kind of matter, they don't have a sensitive areas ordinance like we do and so if we feel that they're taking away too much there's going to be excessive run off which some of the other people in the other parts of Prairie View are concemed about. What recourse do we have? We can say no to this because we don't like. Franklin/No you can't say no just because you don't like it. Your approval of subdivisions is govemed by the subdivision law that you have in place, the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 18 sensitive areas ordinance is a zoning provision, not a subdivision provision, so if a property has zoning which allows it to develop and your review in the county allows you to look at it in terms of what is in your subdivision law and we have nothing in our subdivision law which relates to the cutting down of trees, we have a storm water management ordinance which will apply here and we have language about the connection of streets, we have standards for the construction of streets, we have nothing about noise from the Interstate, that' s kind of a market decision. So you do not have complete discretion in approving plats, that discretion that you have is when you have a zoning decision. Of course this is in the so the zoning is with the county, so if a plat follows our rules then you cannot arbitrarily decide that you don't want to approve it. Kanner/What about the issue though of the water run off and cutting down trees would probably exasperate the problem. You feel it's adequately addressed the run off from this area into the other developed plats in there? Franklin/I have not looked at this in detail Steven but I would have to say that my staff has, I trust that they have gone through all of that and if you want to, Ann Bovbjerg is here from the Planning & Zoning Commission, I don't know what the level of discussion was at the Commission, if you want to speak to this at all in terms of the trees and the run off, if this was a concern of the Commission. You can come up. Lehman/Speak Ann you have to speak in the mic. Ann Bovbjerg/We did discuss and we felt it was well handled, if someone cuts a lot of trees on a neighbor property is affected then the neighbor has the obligation or the right to protest, I mean you are not suppose to alter your property so it hurts somebody else so that's the level (can't hear) and I think that your staff and we have put into place everything that we can and we have expressed our concern and the county reads our minutes as well. Franklin/Okay. Pfab/I have one other question if it's time, how far is the rare, the back lot line, rear lot line comes right of way to Interstate 80 a round numbers, I'm not asking for anything of size? Franklin/It looks like it's on it. Pfab/Okay so it's right up to the right of way. Franklin/Yes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 19 Pfab/So those people, if they, the trees are a great way to keep out the noise pollution so that' s a, maybe I'm more concerned that that be protected. Lehman/Well we don't do anything. Franklin/Well understand. Pfab/Yea I know, that' s my concern, I didn't say we could do anything about it. Franklin/The concern I believe from the existing property owner was this lot here Ann am I fight? That it was the property owner in this lot. These are not constructed yet so you know there would be trees taken out to make this road certainly, this doesn't necessarily mean that there' s going to be taken out here but then that' s also a decision that somebody comes and looks at these lots is to whether they are going to want to be in that close proximity to Interstate 80 now that's not to say that sometimes people make decisions in their best interest in the long run but they do have the prerogative of planting trees there on their property to shield them if need be. Pfab/Okay you just stated something, what road have to be? (END OF 00-106 SIDE TWO) Pfab/(can't hear) is a location above you on your screen, now what is to the fight, or as you look at it what is to the fight of that? Franklin/This is a farm. Pfab/Oh okay. Franklin/I mean it's just open land, I think it's currently being farmed, I believe it's owned by a church. Pfab/Okay. Kanner/North is agricultural RS, East is agricultural RS and West is residential RS. Lehman/Okay. Franklin/Any other questions? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 20 H. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY PLAT AND MANUFACTURED HOUSING SITE PLAN OF SADDLEBROOK ADDITION, PART 2, A 201.2 ACRE, 6-LOT RESIDENTIAL SUBDWISION AND 28-UNIT MANUFACTLIRED HOUSING SITE PLAN LOCATED AT THE SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF HEINZ ROAD. (SUB00-00015). Franklin/Okay the last item is the Saddlebrook addition and there is request to defer this to January 9th pending resolution of some details on the legal papers. I. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT AND MANUFACTURED HOUSING SITE PLAN OF SADDLEBROOK ADDITION, PART 2, A 77.65 ACRE, 5-LOT SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON HEINZ ROAD. (SUB00-00015) Karr/Is that H and I both? Franklin/Yes. Kanner/Is that H? Champion/Yes because I. Lehman/H and I. Franklin/H and I. Kanner/H and I. Lehman/Okay agenda items. Franklin/You're welcome. AGENDA ITEMS ITEM NO. 14. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE WASHINGTON STREET TRANSIT INTERCHANGE, PHASE II PROJECT. Atkins/Ernie I have one item, Item 14 on the bid for the transit interchange. Lehman/Yes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 21 Atkins/We are going to recommend rejection and rebid. Lehman/Okay. O'Donnell/What number was that Steve? Atkins/Number 14. I know we've waited a long time but the bids are just so high, we did discuss with the bidders some of the concerns, it seemed that we had too short a time flame for them to build it, and that if we can extend the time frame which doesn't get us the project any quicker but we think we can save some money on the long run on that so we'll recommend rejection and rebid. Kanner/You're still open for this year to get it done, or by the end of the summer? Atkins/If that was wood that' s what we're doing. Lehman/Okay other agenda items. ITEM NO. 15. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND THE ARTIST FOR T HE NORTH PADS OF THE DOWNTOWN PEDESTRIAN MALL AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST THE SAME. Vanderhoef/Yes Karin while your up there, on the Item 15 which is the art. Franklin/Yea. Vanderhoef/I'm a little confused on the page 160 they talk about who will do the installation and. Franklin/Could you give me the section number because I don't have your numbers? Vanderhoef/1.3-D. Franklin/Yea. Vanderhoef/And the owner shall also be responsible for providing the expenses and labor and equipment and all that stuff but then when we get over onto page 162. Lehman/Which is 2.1C. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 22 Vanderhoef/2.1C then were talking about under the fixed fees the artists responsibility, so I'm not clear who' s paying for what on the installation. Franklin/Okay the cities responsibility is to ensure that the pad is ready and the bolts are in place to accept the sculpture. We made a decision when we did the streetscape project not to put the bolts in the pads when we constructed them because we didn't know exactly what sculpture we were going to have and that these were going to be permanent installations so wait until we knew what we were going to put there and where the appropriate spot would be for the bolts. So the artist has to provide us a template that shows us exactly where the bolts should go in the pads and then we are going to put the necessary sleeves or bolts in the pad. So that' s our responsibility and that's our sole responsibility. The artists responsibility is to fabricate the sculpture, bring it to the site, install it, physically install it. Vanderhoef/That was the part I wasn't sure about. Franklin/Yea, yea. Vanderhoef/Okay thank you. ITEM NO. 12. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE IOWA AVENUE STREETSCAPE PHASE II PROJECT. Vanderhoef/Mr. Mayor, I have conflict of interest so I will be leaving on that item. ITEM NO. 9. PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HIGHWAY 6 CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, STP-U-3715 (615)--70-52, AND DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS. Vanderhoef/And then on Item 9. Pfab/What page are you on there? Vanderhoef/Item 9 is on page 10. Lehman/(can't hear). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 23 Vanderhoef/I'm just looking. We're talking about Broadway to the river for the Highway 6 project, are we doing that in two phases or three phases, the Highway 6 sewer and storm sewer and trail systems. Atkins/I don't know, I'll find out for you. Two or three phases. Vanderhoef/Because I was trying to figure out whether this was. Lehman/Storm sewer may only be from Broadway, I'm not sure the topography as you get further east may not require storm sewer, this is an open ditch. Vanderhoef/That I know but to do that whole thing we have more than one phase in there and I know we put in the CIP for three different years so I'm trying to figure out how we're breaking this up or what's happening. Atkins/This one stops at Broadway. Vanderhoef/Right and is this? Atkins/But we're going further out eastbound, yea those are also other phases to the project. Vanderhoef/So one will go. Atkins/Well we hope eventually to take it to Lakeside Drive. Vanderhoef/To Lakeside and then how about to Scott? Atkins/I don't think so. Lehman/We don't go that far. Atkins/Yea because it mix down. Kanner/This says it goes to Sycamore. Arkins/Yea. Kanner/You had said Broadway. Lehman/I think Sycamore is as far east as we have planned for now. Kanner/Right, right. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 24 Atkins/Oh this does yes I'm sorry I misspoke Steve. Vanderhoef/This plan says Broadway. Kanner/From the river to Sycamore. (All talking). Lehman/And the intersection of Sycamore and Highway 6 so. Kanner/I thought I saw something else. Atkins/You did. Vanderhoef/But they're saying the project from Broadway west of the Iowa River and. Atkins/What I'll do tomorrow is I'll have Rick draw a little map or something. Lehman/Okay. Vanderhoef/Okay. Atkins/Where a visual will make it, I'll hand it out to you tomorrow night. Wilburn/It would be nice someday to have the trail go all the way to Scott. Lehman/It will. Vanderhoef/That' s, it will at some point, when we can afford it. Lehman/Other agenda items. ITEM NO. 4(b)(2) IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES - NOVEMBER 16 Kanner/In the consent calendar number 4(b)(2) it's on page 30 it's the library 11-16 minutes. Two things, one the 7th grade sleep over sounded really neat, they should have an adult sleep over that sounds like it was fun what they had happened there. But also it mentioned that there was a bargaining resolution in regards to the temporary employees that was passed unanimously and it wasn't in there, I didn't see that. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 25 Helling/The. Kanner/Because they were discussing should they stick with the rest of the city and negotiate or should they have different perhaps present (can't hear). Helling/My understanding is that was they were talking about both issues but the resolution that they had on their agenda I believe Steven was the resolution that the both the Library Board and the Council acts on which relegates basically the bargaining to the city' s bargaining team for the library employees, but on behalf of the library the library employees are a separate bargaining unit. I think that' s the resolution they were talking about and that' s the one they had in front of them. I'm not aware that they did a specific resolution about any of the issues on the bargaining table, at least if they did it has not been passed onto us. Kanner/Because they were talking at the meeting about there' s been concern about temporary employees especially at the library there' s been some publicity about that. Helling/Right, correct. Kanner/And then they had a concern about that and it said they had a resolution but they didn't list the resolution here and. Helling/Yea I think that' s the resolution that gives the bargaining authority to the City' s bargaining team on behalf of the Library for their bargaining unit as well but we can check and make sure. Atkins/Was your question Steven to confirm that the Library Board took some sort of a position on these temporary, took a position on these temporary positions. Kanner/Well what is the resolution? It says Martin read the bargaining resolution allowed, it was, they moved the approval and is it the bargaining issue that we convert temporary positions? And the resolution was adopted unanimously, yea I'd appreciate that. ITEM NO. 19. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT WITH PAT MOORE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, D/B/A MOORE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME UNDER THE AFFORDABLE DREAM HOME OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM (1605 DICKENSON LANE). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 26 Vanderhoef/On Item 19, the affordable dream house we have a cost listed here excluding the land cost, is this one we're going to try and put in on lease land. Atkins/Doug's here, he'll take care of that. Lehman/This is not a land lease project (can't hear). Doug Boothroy/The lot was given to us from the Housing Commission, this is a lot that we got one lot and the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship took the other lot. Lehman/But the house will be sold with the lot. Boothroy/Correct. Lehman/There will not be a lease on this lot. Boothroy/That's correct. Vanderhoef/So the house will sell for more than the $129. Boothroy/No we'll sell it for exactly what we have in it, we don't make a profit on the sale of the house so whatever our expenses are, is what the price of the house will be. Kanner/So we're not figuring there' s a cost to the city for that land. Boothroy/Oh I see what your saying, I misunderstood what you were talking about the cost. The land would be included in the cost of the house. Lehman/Well what your saying is the cost of the house is $129,000 it will be sold something excess of that. Boothroy/That's right because the $17,000 or whatever the lot cost price was. Now I've also looked at changing doing a couple deducts on the house, we've decided to not sod the yard and a couple other things that will reduce that price by a few thousand dollars. Lehman/But this bid for $129,980 is the house only. Boothroy/That's right, it's about $99.00 a square foot is what that came to. Lehman/Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 27 ITEM NO. 4c(1)(i). RESOLUTION TO ISSUE REFUND FOR AN UNUSED PORTION OF A CIGARETTE PERMIT FOR PEARSON' S DRUG STORE, INC., DBA PEARSON' S DRUG STORE, 202 N. LINN ST. Kanner/I had a question in the consent calendar #C number 3, Pearson' s wants a refund from their cigarette permit is that? Karr/They're discontinuing. Kanner/That would mean that they don't want to sell cigarettes anymore right? Karr/ They' re discontinuing selling cigarettes right. Kanner/Okay, well I think that' s something to be applauded, I would imagine, interesting to read that I don't see that too often, anybody know why they made that decision? Karr/It was just a better use of space. Lehman/I would imagine that the merchants are not real good on cigarettes. Kanner/Just one more. Lehman/Okay. Anybody else have any agenda items? ITEM NO. 8. PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY CABLE TV DIVISION OFFICES PROJECT, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS. Kanner/Dale we're going to be voting on the construction of the City cable offices tomorrow, the public hearing to approve plan. Helling/Right approve plans and specs, fight, holding public heating to approve plans and specs correct. Kanner/And one of the funding sources and we've seen this in the news is that there's a pass through fund that' s approximately $125,000 that we're planning to use for that and there' s some question about whether or not PATV or some of the other access channels should have claim to some of that because there was some thought that it was originally going to be used for a joint facility. My question is where did the ofiginal decision come to set that aside for a joint facility, who This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 28 made that decision for that $25,000 a year that we keep accumulating and in your memo that said we're going to use it for a joint facility, who originally made that decision to set that aside? Helling/The, that was something that was talked about during the refranchise renewal and that was a recommendation from the Telecommunications Commission as part of the pass through revenue to look at funding the community programmer setting something aside for the possibility of a joint facility down the road and then also the allocations of some funds for immediate need to be accessed producer of the channel. So it's been anticipated as a possibility since the renewed franchise five years ago. Kanner/So have we heard any discussion from the current Telecommunication Commission about dispersal of this $125,0007 Helling/They discussed it at one of their meetings, either the last meeting or the one before, I'm sure you got those minutes, when we laid out to them that the funding sources we were proposing to fund the project and at that time their indication was they were in favor of moving ahead. Kanner/Was there a formal vote taken at? I don't recall those minutes. Helling/I don't recall if it was a formal vote or just by consensus. Kanner/If you could look that up and see if there was by tomorrow I would appreciate that. Helling/Sure, yea. Champion/Mr. Mayor I know we're not very far into the meeting but could we possibly have a break (can't hear)? Lehman/Well we can (can't hear) Steve do you have more agenda items? Kanner/No I'm done. Lehman/Okay well do you still want to take a break guys and come back in five minutes? Champion/Five minutes. Break Appointments This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 29 Lehman/Board of Adjustment, I think tonight we have two applications, or there are two applications for Board of Adjustment, Vince Maurer and Robin Davidson, do we have a recommendation for? Champion/I'd like to nominate Vince Maurer. O'Donnell/I'd second it. Vanderhoef/That's fine with me. Lehman/Are there four people who would concur with Vince Maurer? Vanderhoef/Yes. Kanner/I want to argue against it first because it was a very late application, second because the person said they had no knowledge of what the Board of, very little, what is your present knowledge of the Advisory Board? Very little from Vincent Maurer, and I think the other person Robin Davisson had quite a bit of experience in these issues, Northside Neighborhood Association, application was in plenty of time, it makes sense to me to go with Robin Davisson. Vanderhoef/However you can also look at that application for Vince Maurer and it talks about years of legal experience in there and Board Of Adjustment works on a true legal (can't hear). Lehman/Well I think we've got four people who would go with Vince Maurer so that was taken care of. Public Art Advisory Committee, we had no applications. The Senior Center Commission we need to appoint two people. O'Donnell/I'd like to nominate Deborah Perry Schoenfelder and Chavalier Monsanto. Vanderhoef/I think that' s a good idea, they both have served for just one two year term. Lehman/Are they both reappointees? Champion/Yes. Vanderhoef/Yes, they would both be reappointees. Champion/And I think we have a Commission that's really working well together and getting lots of things done. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 30 Lehman/They're also in the middle of that skywalk thing. Do we have? Kanner/I think that there's probably a need for new blood in there, we have a building that is empty for a lot of hours and I'd like to recommend Charlotte Walker for nomination, she seems like a real go getter, she' s active on the Council of Elders at this time and she's very concerned about the Senior Center, she's very concerned about low income people and all people that use that. I think she would be a great person along with Charles Thayer who's a long time resident of Iowa City, retired Veterinarian, volunteer at the Senior Center for many years and also Senior Dining and some other agencies there. O'Donnell/Was I seconded? Vanderhoef/Yes. Champion/Yes. Wilburn/I was going to speak up for, if you'll excuse me Mike. O'Donnell/Go ahead. Wilburn/I was going to, I think it would be important to keep some continuity. But I was also going to, so I would like to see one of the people continue on. I was, I thought it might be interesting to have Jeanne Georges on, she' s a manager of Capital House Apartments, it might be a different perspective and someone who's working, who access to a lot of seniors, so I'll throw that out there and see where we end up. Champion/Well I would agree with you that I think she also would be an excellent candidate, and I hope she' 11 apply again but it has been I mean kind of tradition but it doesn't have to be that people are appointed for two terms and but I think your point is well taken, and I'm still going to support the two that Mike. Pfab/I would probably against for some new blood there, there are four members that where there' s some continuity there. I think that the some new blood into the Senior Center, there's an a lot of(can't hear) I'd have to agree with Steve on that. Lehman/Okay, we've got Charlotte recommended, Deborah. Vanderhoef/But not seconded. Lehman/No, no, but I'm just going to, we're going to go through these. Deborah, Chavalier. Who did you say? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 31 O'Donnell/Deborah Schoenfelder. Lehman/Yea I. Wilburn/Georges. Lehman/Georges. All fight do we have four people first for Deb Schoenfelder? Vanderhoef/Yes. Champion/Yes. I mean. Lehman/All right well we need four but we've got four. All right how about Charlotte. All right we've got two. Georges. We've got one. Chavalier Monsanto. All fight we've got the four, Deb Schoenfelder and Chavalier Monsanto will be appointed. Kanner/Can we just do the vote for Thayer? Lehman/Oh I'm sorry, well we have, okay obviously we can't appoint three but are there four votes for Thayer? All right. Emma Barvat Recognition (CIP1 of 12-14 Info. Packet) Lehman/Emma Harvat Recognition, we have been approached and this is something that has been going on for some time and I think we're all very familiar with, we all now know who Emma Harvat was speaking only from myself I did not know who Emma Harvat until just this summer. And we were asked to do something to honor Emma Harvat and recognize her in a lasting sort of fashion. The original request, I don't know who, specific request but we were asked to rename the Civic Center and we chose at that time to say that probably wasn't really what we want to do. We have been approached now for naming the Council Chambers after Emma Harvat and I think tonight what I'd like to know is if there are four of us on the Council who would concur that that is a good idea and then charge those folks who have asked us to do this to come up with at least a concept of what they would like to do in the way of designing the Council Chambers as the Emma Harvat Council Chambers, Emma Harvat Hall or whatever they would chose to do. Are there four people who would like to pursue that? Pfab/Right before I would like to make just a comment here. That Emma Harvat Council Chamber, is there a possibility we could shorten that name like Hall versus Council Chamber? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 32 Lehman/I think I'd like to leave it with the committee who is making the recommendation to us. Pfab/Okay just to kick it out, I mean that's. Lehman/And I'm sure they will look at that but we need from them I think a. O'Donnell/Idea. Lehman/If we you know like we do with the streetscape plan, we come in with a concept plan, we look at it, we say yes and we pursue it, are we willing to do this with? Wilburn/I respect and I'm willing to give them some flexibility, I think it might be helpful if they can just hear from us at least some ideas or thoughts on, you know, I like the sound of Emma J. Harvat Hall, but there's some other things in the request about whether or not we'd be willing to accept $300.00 from the Women' s Foundation for some type of plaque. I think it might be helpful for them if they could just hear, if we have any strong feelings about any of the ideas that they suggested just so that they know they don't have to waste their time with something. O'Donnell/I like the hall too. Champion/I like that but. Lehman/Okay we've got a hall instead of a council chamber. Champion/Well I don't know if that works, I don't think it identifies it properly because it really is a Council Chamber is where we meet and I think hall refers, I think of a dance hall. Atkins/That dates us, that dates us. Champion/The only thing I do feel strongly about is I would want her full name used. Vanderhoef/Well I have no objections to the Emma Harvat being recognized, I still think we are remiss in not having a policy that says how and when we might name a civic structure or a piece of the structure whether it be the police department or whether it be some other place in the city. And for me I looked at a plaque on the front of the Civic Center tonight and I asked people around me do you know this person? And there' s a plaque out there and no one knows this person, now Emma Harvat's name and place in the history of Iowa City has remained over all of these what 80 years something like that to just take one specific thing without having a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 33 policy in place, does it mean if somebody comes to us and says we're going to name the new public works building something we're going to name the new recreation building something. I really think we need to think about this and put it together and I think Emma Harvat will still be named for the Civic Center but I would rather do it in an orderly fashion and have a policy in place that says it has to be someone that has been recognized over 40 years or 50 years kind of thing that really is a sustaining name and person that it's a true honor rather than just a spur of the moment let' s name this or let's name that. Pfab/I would offer a suggestion that if the plaque is a plaque put together that there be some sort of history to it that puts some meat on it so it just isn't a name thrown out. I mean I think there's, I think. Vanderhoef/Well I think is fine. Pfab/And I guess going back to your, I mean I was just saying that as kind of an instruction to the people who are working on this but as far as Dee you are suggesting that we appoint somebody or work on it or how can you take the concept that you have and put it into something that' s more concrete? Vanderhoef/Put it into a policy, I think it would take some brainstorming from all of us to put all of our ideas in there and maybe I'm all alone on this idea but I would like to give it a try. Pfab/I would support the concept of what your trying to do, I don't know if this is going to miss that but I think for the next time I think instead of saying well we'll pull one out of here, and maybe one out of here and one out of our pocket have some guidelines. Champion/How often does this come up? I mean I'd hate to write a policy, I mean it might not come up again for 20 years and I think we have enough ordinances and things to be written now that I understand where your coming from but I just don't see it as a frequent event. Vanderhoef/And I'm afraid that it will become a frequent event and then there will be something that will come up and then it will be like it's specific to that person again rather and if that person is still living it could be different in trying to handle it without a policy whereas in this case, this is a historical figure that has kept her place in the history of the city for past her time and that' s the big difference. Wilburn/Ernie let me ask you this question. Is there a, and I respect what your saying because I don't have that, because my thing along the lines with Connie, plus I'm looking at I think in terms of just giving an honor I think there' s also then enough This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 34 I think there' s been some significant input, energy or interest shown but let me ask you is there for a Mayor' s proclamations and things like that, is there a, I know there' s a procedure for people to request that but is there a policy or procedure in place where you deciding yes or no? Lehman/Yea, the policy is the Mayor will can make whatever proclamations he wants. I think from the practical standpoint there have been few that we have refused to do, there have been a couple that have been on the commercial nature that seemed to be more like commercial than proclamation and those we've chose not to do. But there really isn't a policy for proclamations. Wilburn/Okay, and I understand this is a room and it's a little, perhaps a little more permanent than some of the proclamations that come across but I'm looking in other terms of governmental bodies or groups that will bequeath some type of honor to somebody, I don't know it feels like it takes away the honor of it for me personally. Plus I think there' s something to, it somehow I suppose bureaucratizing this kind of takes away from the honor for me, for Dee it seems to personally maybe add some type of stature to what the once this person' s name has gone through this process, it increases stature and it doesn't do that, it's just a personal choice. Lehman/I think that this thing is sort of a spontaneity sort of thing, this is something that's propped up and because of the stature of this person and the significance within the community it seems only appropriate that we name, and I agree with that that we name. Wilburn/And also the significance of the anniversary of Women' s Rights of Vote, it just seems like it was a right time, historical type thing, I'm thinking I've got just another parallel and perhaps if you are in the majority and symbolic things may not have as much personal meaning as someone in the minority but I got a letter from the African American Heritage Foundation of Iowa and they have received a grant to create a poster containing all of Iowa' s current African American elected officials and you know I think that's, they're going to use it for an educational tool and I think that by doing this naming the Council Chambers Emma Harvat Hall, we and other groups the groups that have indicated interest in this can use it as a tool to educate to generate interest to generate that longevity to something like this and so that's why it has personal meaning to me, even though I'm not a woman that it can be used as a tool like that so anyway. Lehman/We have four people or more on the council who are interested in pursuing this, I think I heard at least, I think I heard that there some interest in naming it Hall rather than Council Chambers. I think I heard people say that it may be nice to use the entire name, I would like to give this back to the committee and let them come This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 35 up with a concept plan like we do with other things and offer the support of some staff folks. For example I think the for example the Public Art Advisory Committee might be interested in becoming a part of this if there' s a plaque or something that's involved. Wilburn/What about accepting the money that they've generated that? Lehman/We didn't ever turn down money ever. Wilburn/All fight, now they know that. Vanderhoef/Silly question. Lehman/Can we concur that we? O'Donnell/I think it's appropriate Ernie. Vanderhoef/Send it back to the committee. Lehman/All fight give it back to them with our blessing to proceed with it and we will look at what they propose. Pfab/Could I just have a one comment here? I would like to, I come in some where's between Dee and Ross here in the idea, I disagree with Ross in the fact that I think trying to sort out what type of criteria when (can't hear) come up here, I think that kind of made it less important and I think if we would have had a set of guidelines well that's it fine and move on. I think I would be supportive of that now I just, there was a difference of opinion I kind of came down the middle. Lehman/Dee I think if this is something that rears it's head with any frequency at all I would absolutely agree that we need some sort of guidelines but like Connie said this is the first time this has come up in a long long time and if it turns out to be something that we need to address then I think we probably should develop that. Wilburn/You can tell them I told you so and they'll say okay. Vanderhoef/Thank you. Lehman/For the time being Emma Harvat and now we're doing Family Self Sufficiency Update, who is going to do that? Family Self Sufficiency UOdate This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 36 Atkins/Maggie. Lehman/Maggie. Atkins/Maggie or Mary. Lehman/He was being generous, he usually tells people three. Maggie Grosvenor/(can't hear) ask him for anything. Lehman/Thank you. Maggie Grosvenor/(can't hear) Karr/Maggie I'm not picking any of you up, I mean. Lehman/Actually Marian what you weren't picking up you didn't need to. Maggie Grosvenor/She said she's not picking up, we're not here for any, we're not asking you to vote on anything, your not asking to decide anything, we're not giving you any heavy information, we're just here promoting some good news tonight, how about that, how about that, and we're going to do it in five minutes or less unless you have tons of questions okay. Anyway we're here to talk about the Family Self Sufficiency Program and first I'd like to introduce Mary Copper, she's our Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator, she' s been with us at the Housing Authority and has done a fantastic job. That' s one reason why we're here tonight to give you some of the good news. First thing on the agenda, brand new brochure, hot off the press, real proud of this, Mary started this and designed it, this is a brochure that we want to show you and I'm going to kind of format some of the information I want to give you off of this brochure because we hope to take this out to the community and tell a little bit more about what Family Self Sufficiency is. So I'm not going to read it but I'm going to give you a little bit more information. The first question here is you know what is the Family Self Sufficiency Program? Well it's actually a division of HUD, it's a program that HUD started about 10 years ago and it's one of the good news, one of the positive programs, before the home ownership programs or before Iowa City got those programs going I said this was probably one of the few positive programs that you could really talk about in terms of Housing Authority business. Because what it is is a program designed to help people get off of assistance, get off of public assistance and how do they do that? I think that's the, how does our program work? Well it's a voluntary program and that's Mary's job and she recruits people that are either on Section 8, receive Section 8 assistance, or in the Public Housing Program. Recruits them to sign a contract of participation to be in the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 37 Family Self Sufficiency Program, okay so they sign this, what's you know, what's the deal, what do they have to do? Well they have to have a plan for their life, and they have to have, want to set some goals and some objectives and whether it be training, education, employment, whatever and then that's Mary's job is to facilitate that, help them through that program. Pfab/I was going to ask you how desperate, jumping in here. Grosvenor/Please do. Pfab/What are the requirements for a person to be eligible for this? Just Section 8 or? Grosvenor/That's it. Pfab/Or being on assistance either one. Grosvenor/Either one. Mary Copper/(can't hear) Housing Authority and have motivation and a desire to. Lehman/You have to have a desire to speak in the mic. Copper/Just being a tenant in the Housing Authority makes you eligible and then having the motivation and desire to want to set goals to increase your earned income and build assets. Pfab/But I would just want to know at what point is in or out? And that's you have to be part of the Housing Authority program. Grosvenor/The one, we call it the carrot to the whole program, that tenants that sign up for this program and set some goals, and follow through and whatever, they have an opportunity to build an escrow savings account. That's the big deal, and how this works very simply when they come onto the program and whatever portion of rent they are paying at that time which is 30 percent of their adjusted income towards rent, if while they are going through their contract of participation with FSS if their income goes up well since your paying 30 percent of your adjusted income towards your rent, you know then your portion of the rent is going to go up, so what HUD does and what we do on behalf of HUD is match that in a savings account and hold that for the families until they complete their contract of participation. Pfab/So in other words what you're saying is you take the amount of rent that they that the (can't hear) dollars that they're rent increases, you take that amount put that in This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 38 a savings account for them, although their rent goes up you take that and put it in a savings account for them until the completion of. Grosvenor/We match it, they still pay their rent to their landlord or to us if it's Public Housing but we match that and stick it in a savings account. So that's kind of the general overview, do you want to know local statistics, that's the handout here, and I think the interesting statistics there are how many people we have signed up, if you go across that grid at the top you have the original number of mandated in that gray box, that' s a static number that will never change. That' s the initial HUD regulatory amount, if you go to the next column you can see that we've graduated 20 participants so far. HUD has a regulation that says you can decrease the mandated, that' s for the third column, but the important part is that currently we have 115 families, this is voluntary, there' s nothing requiring people to sign up for this, and so that' s a wonderful number. It might be interesting, it's not on here, well actually if you total up three of the columns, the total number of families helped through the Housing Authority has been 152 families. And I have given Mary a whole lot of credit with this program because we hired her about a year and a half ago and at that time we had 27 people signed up for FSS and so we've gone from 27 to 115 and she' s maintained that enrollment through her employment so that's a real success story. I think some of the other important statistics on this page you can see 63 percent of the families signed up have an escrow balance, and if you bump over to the other side, sources of income, you can see 90 percent are working families, they either have the 80 percent show that 80 percent of the 150 families are working families and then the second category 10 percent they have wages plus family investment money. Pfab/One other questions, on the City Council position here, where does the money come from that you (can't hear)? Grosvenor/It comes from HUD. Pfab/So it's not Iowa City's dollars at all. Grosvenor/No. And I think the other interesting characteristic there you can see from 99 to 2000 the increase in wage earners it went from 65 percent in 1999 up to 90 percent in year 2000 so I think that' s another interesting statistic. The next sheet is a case history, if you want to really know what it's like to work with some of the families that we help, I think the staggering of figures there are the child care cost, that 39 percent of their income goes towards child care and if you look down you know when they get into the summer months their child care is going to increase $280.00 a month so this is a working family, this is an actual case history of about a year and a half ago of a family that we had living in Public Housing. So without programs like Family Self Sufficiency, we're trying to help people This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 39 better themselves you know, get a better job, maybe even get a job, or get more hours depending on what their individual situations are, it shows you why that' s important because they aren't able to meet those costs. The last page are just some local projects that we've done in Iowa City. Part of what we want to do with this brochure is you know talk to the private market out there, we really want to work on some public/private partnerships, we've started to do that, like I said I'm trying to do this quickly but there are some programs highlighted there, we've worked with NCS, we've worked with, they designed a PEP, that' s the acronym, as a Personal Economic Planning course, they worked with ISCD, they worked with the local harvest group and there's some other groups that we're going to be working with and we hope to expand on this area of public partner, or private partnerships. That's close to five minutes, any questions? Lehman/Sounds like a great program. Champion/Wonderful program. O'Donnell/Thank you. Grosvenor/It is, it is. Pfab/I would make one comment, I had contacted both of these people and watching them work is absolutely amazing. Grosvenor/Thank you. Lehman/Thank you. Sidewalk Vaults Lehman/Sidewalk Vaults. Atkins/I guess that's me. Lehman/That's you. Atkins/It also will be quick. As you all know we have in downtown vaults under the street that open providing access to lower level buildings, businesses in downtown. We've discussed that particular issue off and on for some time, recent circumstances I think brought it to a head, we would like to contact the property owners and seek some sort of indemnification from them. We have some reasonably, I mean our ordinances are I think are generally satisfactory but as I understand it all, please correct me Eleanor, we do bear some liability if someone This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 40 were to tumble into one of those that was unsecured, unguarded, whatever. And the question is we'd like to begin sort of hitting the street and contacting property owners to seek that agreement. Now the difficulty is what if we're not, unable to secure that agreement. And I do not have the answer to that yet, but I do believe that the City has some interesting in protecting our interest as an organization institution but there's also a public interest on the thing. Pfab/I'm guessing, are you considering asking the city be to (can't hear) liability (can't hear)? Atkins/I'm not sure how it would work, I'd have to refer to Eleanor on that. Dilkes/We have standard, well you've seen them before we, you delegated this responsibility to the Director of Public Works, we have standard use of fight of way agreements that we use in a variety of situations you know somebody wants to put a fence in our right of way, somebody' s retaining way encroaches on our right of way, those kind of things, we typically as long as there's no interference with pedestrian traffic and there' s no other harm to the City, we typically let people use our right of way but subject to such an agreement which basically allows us to terminate that on short notice because we're not allowed by law to permanently give away or sell our fight of way. It also includes indemnification provisions, it includes insurance requirements, I can't remember if it specifically requires that we be named as an insured but it may. Those kinds of provisions and so those would be, it would be that type of agreement that we would be seeking from the people who are using our (can't hear). Lehman/Are you asking us for what? To pursue this or not. Atkins/Yes. Lehman/Okay. Are we interested in pursuing this? Pfab/I would encourage it but I would ask something else. Eleanor could you possibly at tomorrow nights meeting bring us a (can't hear) get it into our possession some type of agreement, model agreement that you use in other (can't hear). Dilkes/I could, you probably have a number of them on your computer because we've. Pfab/Could you help us identify them (can't hear). Dilkes/Sure. Vanderhoef/(can't hear). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 41 Lehman/This isn't on the agenda tomorrow night is it? Atkins/No. Pfab/No. Just a matter of getting information to us so, but I would encourage the pursuit. Lehman/Well I think that' s all were asking for is if we want to pursue this. Champion/Do we all have a conflict of interest? Lehman/I have a conflict of interest. Dilkes/Yea that was going to be, that was going to be my next question, are there. (All talking) Lehman/Excuse me, Eleanor, please go ahead. Dilkes/It was going to be my next question, are there people, are there those of you who have vaults, or use vaults, yea your probably not going to be able to participate in the decision making of the. Wilburn/Are you going to volunteer to? Atkins/If it gets down to approval of the thing? Lehman/Are there four affirmative votes? Dilkes/No, no, no, that's not the case, let me finish. Atkins/Okay. Dilkes/If somebody is not voting because of a conflict of interest the majority changes. Lehman/Right. Dilkes/If three of you are gone because of conflict of interest the majority is three. Lehman/There are four people who have an opportunity to indicate their preference, three to my left and one to my far fight is there a majority, are there three or more of those four who want to pursue this? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 42 (can't hear). Lehman/Go for it. Atkins/Thank you that' s all I needed. March Schedule Lehman/The March meeting schedule, Eleanor, or not Eleanor, Marian, I'm sorry. Karr/I believe that might have been changed somewhat, you have received in your packets tonight the schedule, when I wrote the memo early December we thought the National League of Cities meeting was March 6-10, it doesn't start until later in the week but I did want to bring to your attention at this time the fact it is scheduled, it's a packet, it's a pamphlet, National League of Cities pamphlet, you got it this evening. Kanner/This. Karr/No it's a flat half sheet glossy one, it starts later in the week but I did want to bring it to your attention, it starts on Friday so any of you were interested in going probably would be going Wednesday or Thursday. We have Council meeting scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of that week and that is the budgeted adoption. (END OF 00-100 SIDE ONE) Lehman/Where it is? Champion/No. Lehman/You don't need to worry about it Marian? Karr/Okay. Champion/Can I just ask a quick question before I forget? Lehman/You better do it quick. Champion/What's our first meeting in February? Karr/February 5 and 6th, first and third. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800 December 18, 2000 Special Work Session Page 43 Champion/Thank you, that's all I needed to know, the first and third. Karr/First and third Tuesday of each. Pfab/I guess what is the next meeting after January 4th? Karr/January 9th, 8th and 9th, you moved the 1 st and 2nd to the 8th and 9th. Atkins/And 15 - 16. Pfab/And then the next one. Karr/Is back on schedule the third Tuesday the 15-16. Pfab/Okay. Lehman/All right guys, this is history. See you tomorrow night. Adjourned 8:20 PM This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of December 18, 2000. WS121800