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Home My WebLink About2005-10-27 Info Packet CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET -,--~1&at- ~!~ OF IOW~ ~ITY www.icgov.org October 27, 2005 I OCTOBER 31 WORK SESSION ITEMS I IP1 Council Meetings and Work Session Agendas IP2 Memorandum from the City Manager: Transit Intensive Communities - additional funding IP3 Memorandum from the City Attorney: Youth Adviso~ Application Process IP4 Memorandum from the City Manager: Iowa League of Cities 2005 Priorities Momorandum from the City Clerk: Clarification of Lo~islativo mootin~s kotter from tho Mayor to ke~islators: Identify legislative prioritios for tho upcomin~ session IP7 Invitation: Legislative Forum - Key Local Government Issues for 2006 November 22, 2005 IP8 Memorandum from the City Clerk: Council Meetings for October 31 - December 2005 IP9 Memorandum from the City Clerk: Deputy City Clerk Julie Voparil ce~ification IP10 Adicle from: Affordable Housing Finance [submitted by the City Manager] IPll Adicle: Where You'll Live [submitted by the City Manager] IP12 Letter from Police Captain Johnson to Julie Todd: Response to Police complaint IP13 Letter from the Fire Chief to Dan LoTempio: Response to open burning concern IP14 Memorandum from the Director of Parking and Transit: Old Bus Depot IP15 Memorandum from the Director of Parking and Transit: Late Night Transit Se~ice IP16 Memorandum from the JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner: Traffic Calming project follow- up su~ey for the 400 block of 4t' Avenue and the 2000 block of A Street IP17 Letter from the JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner to Residents of the Walnut Ridge subdivision: Potential traffic calming on Kennedy Parkway IP18 Email from Douglas Elliott: Public Leadership Group Meeting November 1, 2005 October 27, 2005 Information Packet (continued! 2 IP19 Invitation: Iowa City/Coralville CVB Annual Luncheon & Report Friday, November 11, 2005 I PRELIMINARY/DRAFT MINUTES I IP20 Scattered Site Housing Task Force: October 3, 2005 IP21 Planning and Zoning Commission: October 6, 2005 IP22 Public Art Advisory Committee: October 6, 2005 IP23 Airport Commission: October 13, 2005 IP24 Telecommunications Commission: September 26, 2005 IP25 Human Rights Commission: September 27, 2005 IP26 Public Library: September 22, 2005 IP27 Historic Preservation Commission: October 13, 2005 IP28 Police Citizens Review Board: October 11, 2005 IP29 Board of Adjustment: October 12, 2005 ~ City Council Meeting Schedule and CITY OF IOWA CITY Work Session Agendas October26, 2006 www.icgov.org ~ MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 Emma J. Harvat Hall 2:00p- 5:00p Work Session (Special time) · Planning and Zoning Items Zoning Code · Transit Funding · Youth Advisory Application Process · Council Appointments · Agenda Items · Council Time · Discussion Items Establish legislative priorities TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00p Regular Formal Council Meeting TENTATIVE FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS I MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Emma J. Harvat Hall TBA Special Work session or Formal (zoning code) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:30p Regular Council Work Session · TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00p Regular Formal Council Meeting · WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Emma J. Harvat Hall l:00p-3:00p GeoComm Radio System Upgrade Joint Communications Center TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 Public Library 7:00p State League meeting with area legislators on Property Tax Legislation - Public Library · MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28* Emma J. Harvat Hall 4:30p-6:30p Local Legislators/option to December 3 · TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Emma J. Harvat Hall TBA Orientation 2005~2006 City Councils · SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3* Emma J. Ha/vat Hall TBA Local Legislators (option to November 28) (special start time TBA afternoon) *Date not confirmed Date: October 25, 2005 To: City Council From: City Manager Re.' Transit Intensive Communities - additional funding After several years of lobbying and study, the Federal Transit Administration has secured approval from Congress to increase transit funding for those small urban area transit-intensive communities with populations between 50,000 and 200,000. In addition, based upon a series of performance criteria Iowa City will be eligible for additional funding. At your work session on Monday, October 31, I will present to you an overview of the additional funding and an assessment of the implications and related financial issues associated with our transit system. Date: October 26, 2005 To: City Council /~..~ From: Eleanor M. Dilkes, City Attorney Re: Youth Advisory Commission - Application Process In the process of preparing the application for the Youth Advisory Commission, issues have arisen regarding the need to obtain age information due to the qualifications for membership on the Commission. As you know, four of the positions must be filled by persons between the ages of 15 and 17. While the Open Records Act provides a broad exception for personal information on students maintained by schools, this exception clearly does not apply to the City. We wanted to make you aware that the application will be a public record as it is likely that persons (e.g., parents) may have different sensitivities about the information being public. The application states that it is a public record so the youth applying will be on notice that the information is public record. In the event Council believes a parent should be involved in this decision we would need to require a parent or guardian's signature on the application. For several reasons we have decided not to ask for a birth date. The resolution establishing the Commission requires the age qualification to be met on the date of appointment. The date of appointment often changes. Therefore, we would recommend changing the qualification date to the date of the application's filing. Cc: City Manager City Clerk Assistant City Manager eleanor/mem/youthadvisoryboard.doc CITY OF IOWA CITY . ADVISORY BOARD/COMMISSION APPLICATION FORM Individunl$ serving on Boards/Commissions plsy an importsnt role in ndvising the Council on mstters of interest to our community and its future. Applicants must reside in Iowa City. After a vacancy has been announced, the Council reviews all applications during the work session. The appointment is made at the next formal Council meeting. Appointees serve as unpaid volunteers. This form may be filled out manually (please use a black ink pen), typewritten, or electronically (PDF). Return the application to City Clerk, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, Iowa. THIS APPLICATION IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT AND AS SUCH CAN BE REPRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED FOR THE PUBLIC, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LAST PAGE MARKED "CONFIDENTIAL." THIS APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THREE MONTHS ONLY AND AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED FOR ANY VACANCY DURING THAT TIME. ADVISORY BOARD/COMMISSION NAME TERM Youth Advisory Commission, please check: [] Age 15 to 17 (or) [] Age 18 to 21 (on the date of filing) NAME HOME ADDRESS ZIP Is your home address (listed above) within the corporate limits of Iowa City? [~] Yes [---] No How long have you been a resident of Iowa City? OCCUPATION EMPLOYER PHONE NUMBER: HOME BUSINESS EXPERIENCE AND/OR ACTIVITIES WHICH YOU FEEL QUALIFY YOU FOR THIS POSITION: WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ADVISORY BOARD? I M isrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause for removal of an appointee. If you fail to answer all the questions, Council may not consider your application. General Application October 2005 Page 1 of 7 WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN MAKE TO THIS ADVISORY BOARD (OR STATE REASON FOR APPLYING)? POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Please identify any potential conflicts between membership on the advisory board and your personal interests, including financial interests and your duties to an employer. In particular, if you are applying to be a member of a board or commission which makes recommendations to the City Council about the allocation of City funds, please list any present affiliations you have with agencies that apply for funding from the City. "Affiliation" includes being a board member or employee of the agency. Other types of affiliations must be examined on a case by case basis by the City Attorney's office. You should also know that Section 362.5 of the Code of Iowa generally prohibits, with certain important exceptions, a member of a city Board or Commission from having an interest in a city contract. A copy of Section 362.5 is attached (see page 6). If you are uncertain whether a potential conflict of interest exists or have questions about Section 362.5 of the Code of Iowa, please contact the City Attorney's office at 356-5030. IF YOU ARE NOT SELECTED, DO YOU WANT TO BE NOTIFIED? ~ YES I'~ NO SERVE ON ANOTHER IOWA CITY BOARD OR COMMISSION? E~YES E~ NO DO YOU CURRENTLY (It has been Council policy not to permit an individual to serve on two Boards or Commissions at the same time.) Misrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause for removal of an appointee. If you fail to answer all the questions, Council may not consider your application. General Application October 2005 Page 2 of 7 BOARD, COMMISSION, & COMMI'I-I'EES BUSINESS LISTING CITY OF IOW^ CITY Name of City Board/Commission Date Name Section 362.5 of the Code of Iowa generally prohibits, with certain important exceptions, a member of a city Board or Commission from having an interest in a city contract. A copy of Section 362.5 is attached (see page 6). List all businesses in which you or your spouse/domestic partner, or parent if applicant is a minor, have an ownership interest (for example, sole proprietor, partner, 5% or more of corporation's stockholdings). Please indicate if there are none. BUSINESS NAME BUSINESS ADDRESS NOTE: A new form must be completed if the above information changes or an ownership interest is acquired in an additional business. Signature Address I M isrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause for removal of an appointee. If you fail to answer all the questions, Council may not consider your application. General Application October 2005 Page 3 of 7 CONFIDENTIAL ] CITY OF IOW^ CITY To be viewed by City Council only and limited staff at Council discretion. Advisory Board/Commission Name: Name: Have you been convicted of a crime other than a simple traffic misdemeanor in the last ten (10) years? (conviction will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment) If yes, please explain and include the type of offense and the place and date of conviction. Will this conviction or the circumstances leading to the conviction affect your ability to perform the duties of a member of the Board or Commission? YES E~] NO E~ NOT APPLICABLE ~ Signature Date II Misrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause f°r rem°val °f an app°intee' I If you fail to answer all the questions, Goun¢il may not consider your application. General Application October 2005 Page 4 of 7 i_ CITY OF IOWA CITY Please retain this page for your files. It is very important the City Council has an opportunity to ask questions of each applicant. The City Council receives your application the Saturday prior to the appointment. We encourage you to contact Council Members before the appointment is made. Names and phone numbers are below. To e-mail all Council Members: council~iowa-city.org (All correspondence to Council is public record) MEMBERS TERM BEGINS TERM EXPIRES Regenia Bailey (District C) January 2 January 2 430 Church Street 52245 2004 2008 Res: 351-2068 Connie Champion (District B) January 2 January 2 430 S. Summit Street 52240 2002 2006 Res: 337-6608 Bob Elliott (At-Large) January 2 January 2 1108 Dover Street 5~240 2004 2008 Res: 351-4056 ~_~ Ernest W. Lehman (At-Large) Mayor January 2 January 2 902 Wylde Green Road 52246 2002 2006 Res: 338-7741 Mike O'Donnell (At-Large) January 2 January 2 901 W. Park Road 52246 2002 2006 Res: 354-8071 Dee Vanderhoef (At-Large) January 2 January 2 2403 Tudor Drive 52245 2004 2008 Res: 351-6872 (prefers mornings) Ross Wilburn (District A) Mayor Pro tern January 2 January 2 1917 Taylor Drive 52240 2004 2008 Res: 358-6374 General Application October 2005 Page 5 of 7 I Please retain this page for your files. I I 362.5 Interest in public contract prohibited - exceptions. When used in this section, "contract" means any claim, account, or demand against or agreement with a city, express or implied. A city officer or employee shall not have an interest, direct or indirect, in any contract or job of work or material or the profits thereof or services to be furnished or performed for the officer's or employee's city. A contract entered into in violation of this section is void. The provisions of this section do not apply to: 1. The payment of lawful compensation ora city officer or employee holding more than one city office or position, the holding of which is not incompatible with another public office or is not prohibited by law. 2. The designation ora bank or trust company as a depository, paying agent, or for investment of funds. 3. An employee of a bank or trust company, who serves as treasurer of a city. 4. Contracts made by a city, upon competitive bid in writing, publicly invited and opened. 5. Contracts in whic~ a city officer or employee has an interest solely by reason of employment, or a stock interest of the kind described in subsection 9, or both, if the contracts are made by competitive bid in writing, publicly invited and opened, or if the remuneration of employment will not be directly affected as a result of the contract and the duties of employment do not directly involve the procurement or preparation of any part of the contract. The competitive bid qualification of this subsection does not apply to a contract for professional services not customarily awarded by competitive bid. 6. The designation of an official newspaper. 7. A contract in which a city officer or employee has an interest if the contract was made before the time the officer or employee was elected or appointed, but the contract may not be renewed. 8. Contracts with volunteer fire fighters or civil defense volunteers. 9. A contract with a corporation in which a city officer or employee has an interest by reason of stockholdings when less than five percent of the outstanding stock of the corporation is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the officer or employee or the spouse or immediate family of such officer or employee. 10. Contracts not otEcrwise permitted by this section, for the purchase of goods or services by a city having a population of more than two thousand five hundred, which benefit a city officer or employee, if the purchast'¢: benefiting that officer or employee do not exceed a cumulative total purchase price of one thousand five hundred dollars in a fiscal year. 11. Contracts not otherwise permitted by this section for the purchase of goods or services by a city having a population of two thousand five hundred or less, which benefit a city officer or employee, if the purchases benefiting that officer or employee do not exceed a cumulative total purchase price of two thousand five hundred dollars in a fiscal year. 12. Franchise agreements between a city and a utility and contracts entered into by a city for the provision of essential city utility services. 13. A contract that is a bond, note, or other obligation of the city and the contract is not acquired directly from the city, but is acquired in a transaction with a third party who may or may not be the original underwriter, purchaser, or obligee of the contract. General Application October 2005 Page 6 of 7 I I Please retain this page for your files. I If you have questions or would like additional information regarding a Board or Commission, please call the staff contact or visit our web site at www.icgov.org Board & Commission Staff Contacts Robert Miklo, Sr Urban Planner 356-5240 - PCD Randy Hartwig, Airport Commission Chair 337-2101 - Airport Misha Goodman, Animal Shelter Supervisor 356-5295 - Animal Shelter Tim Hennes, Sr Building Inspector 356-5122 - HIS Sylvia Mejia, Personnel Administrator 356-5026 - Personnel Sunil Terdalkar, Urban Planner 356-5243 - PCD Steve Long, Community Development Planner 356-5250 - PCD Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator 356-5022 - Human Rights Susan Craig, Library Director 356-5200 - Library Terry Trueblood, Parks & Recreation Director 356-5110 - P&R Robert Miklo, Sr Urban Planner 356-5240 - PCD Kellie Tuttle or Marian Karr 356-5041 - City Clerk Karin Franklin, Planning & Community Development Director 356-5232 - PCD Dennis Baldridge 356-6066 Linda Kopping, Senior Center Coordinator 356-5225 - Senior Center Drew Shaffer, Cable'F~levision Administrator 356-5046 - Cable TV Marian Karr 356-5041 - City Clerk General Application October 2005 Page 7 of 7 Date: October 26, 2005 To: City Council From: City Manager Re: Iowa League of Cities 2005 Priorities Attached is a list of 2005 Iowa League of Cities Legislative Priorities. At Council request we have added a discussion item to your October 31 work session to allow Council time to identify 2006 issues, and have those issues adopted by resolution prior to the upcoming meeting with local legislators. I thought a review of 2005 priorities might assist you in your discussion. IOWA LEAGUE of CITIES p C: or :le ........ The League's mission is to keep cities moving forward through innovation, efficiencies, and collaboration. Doing so allows cities the ability to provide essential se~ices and quality of life programs and facilities. More than 77 percent of Iowans live within a city and the League and its members want to ensure that these citizens are safe and able to the enjoy life within their com- munity, regardless of its size. Small, medium or large, each city is unique and must be embraced. For while some city se~ices may va~, the hometown feel of an Iowa community will not. Members of the Iowa League of Cities adopted five legislative priorities for 2005 focusing on areas impo~ant to the future of their communities. These legislative priorities include compre- hensive components for prope~y tax reform, economic development, infrastructure investment, community safety, and representative government. All five priorities are aimed at achieving one common goal: Giving cities the oppo~unity to continue building on past accomplishments while paving the way into the future. Prope Reform I~riori~: Suppo~ a prope~y tax reform initiative that eliminates inequities caused by rollback; improves accountability to taxpayers; eliminates the impact on local govern- ments from state funding decisions regarding prope~ tax credits; allows cities to respond appropriately to local issues; broadens the prope~y tax base; and enables and protects revenue alternatives. Many factors have led to calls for comprehensive property tax ret:erin in Iowa, from the governor calling the system "broken" to proposed bills that failed to address significant problems in fine current system. The Iowa League of Cities and the Iowa State Association of Counties are proposing a comprehensive package of reforms designed to increase accountabilit)~ equi[)~ and stability in Iowa's tax svsten?. Highlights of the proposal include three areas of focus: 1) Assessment and Valuation; 2) Budgeting and Taxation; and 3) Constraints and Limitations. Assessment and Valuation Property needs to be valued so fine property owner pays an appropriate share of the tax burden. The property tax base should be broadened and the rollback formula eliminated. Under the proposal, the state would no longer pay over $100 million for the homestead credit, whidn has become too small to adequately help taxpay- ers. It would be replaced with a 50 percent homeowner's exemption worth between $10,000 and $150,000. Budgeting and Taxation Reforming tine property tax structure means improving accountability anqong all levels of government. Citizens will gain more understanding from improved budget forms and more information public hear- ings. They will also be able to monitor their cities' and counties' policies regarding target ending balances in certain funds. The state should fund any property tax credits it approves and any mandates it implements. Constraints and Limitations Restraints imposed on city and county budgets should be fundamentally changed. Under the proposal the $8.10 general fund levy limit for cities and the general basic and rural basic level for counties will be removed. In tlneir place, an inflationary property tax limitation will be imposed on those funds to directly limit the total amount of property taxes levied while still leaving local governments witln fiscal flexibility. This comprehensive tax reform would result in many property owners, especially commercial property owners, pay- ing less in property taxes. Alternative revenue sources can provide further reductions. For example, cities must keep the ability to collect a utility franchise fee, and the cap on the hotel/motel tax should be increased. Economic Development Infrastructur Priority: Protect and enhance economic develop- .....__ ment tools enabling cities to serve as economic engines for Iowa, including tax increment financ- ing and Vision Iowa funding. Iowa i~ increa~;in~ly competin~ on a ~h~bal scale for uconomic devel- opmunt opportLmiliex. ( itie~ are kuv parlnt'r5, j~rovidin~ iI-II-I'i1StFLIdLIFC~, ' financial incentives, and amenities to attract businesses and residents. Financing Tools Many cities rely on tax abate- ment and tax increment financing (TIF) to promote development. These Rood Use Tox Fund Distribution methods, along witln other local financing options, must be protected or enhanced, especially when state k Primo~ Rood Fund (IDOT) economic programs have fluctuated 47.5% or been funded insufficientl}c When changes are made to Iowa's property tax structure, protection must be provided for existing TIF projects and outstanding debt. Tax abatement programs allow housing or business projects to avoid payment of some or all of the new taxes generated by a proj- Cities ect for a specific period of time. In contrast, TIF deals only with the 20% Counties ' 32.5% new taxes created by a city or county project. This tax revenue can then be used for eligible activities within the TIF district. TIF is commonly used as required local match for federal or state assis- tance programs, including the Vision Iowa program. ~omm~lty ~ec~i~y Expand Vision Iowa S~ce Fiscal Year 2000, the Vision Iowa program has made more ~ PrioriW: Suppod legislofion than $200 million available to assist in funding an unprecedented ensurin~ odequole fundin~ for opportunity to construct major tourist attractions that have gained ~ community security, includin9 the attention of Iowans and vial- Iow enforcement, fire semite, ond emergency medicol tors. The Vision Iowa program se~ice. has successfully leveraged local private an'd,public investment in each project., Community safety is one of the most Most Vision Iowa h~nds essential services provided to citizens. have been committed, yet the Providing this service often takes the demand for them remains strong, majority of a city's general hind spending. This program has been successful Alone, a city's public safety may encompass in improving the quality of life Jn emergency medical services (EMS), a haz- ' Iowa, which is a major factor ardous materials response team, a drug businesses and people consider task force, search and rescue teams, and when choosing where to locate, bomb squads. In addition, today's public Plans should be made to appro- safety departments face additional costs priate additional funding to this associated with being the first line of program, defense for homeland security. Although some federal money has been made avail- The City of Dubuque utilized Vision lows funds 6uita the America's River Project which includes able, this type of preparedness places addi- the National Mississippi River Museum. t~e tional stress on an already tight public safe- the Grand Harbor ResoH ' ~ranaRiVerOentert~at;formS tY budget, nvestment Priority: Support legislation that protects and invests in Iowa's street and highway infrastructure through an equitable allocation of rev- enues between state, county and city government. Increase the $25,000 bid threshold for public improvements to ease administration costs incurred in small vertical infrastructure projects. Streel and hi~ghway infrastrL[ctL~re i~, e~entiai ti) en~uring the ~al'etv of citizens and the economic vitality of Iowa. Neither ot' these g~mI~ can be achieved LID]ess a c(mtinLa:d investment is made into b()th thu stale and local street and highway infraMructure. Citizen~ always want what is closest to them to be fixed first. Faced wifl~ a limited amount oF road use tax fund (RUTF) dollars, cities are ~orced to spend on new construction needs or fl~e maintenance and repair of existing infrastructure. After spend- ing RUTF mone)~ COnSh'LiCtJon needs must then come ou~ o~ the city's genera] fund or be borrowed via a loan that falls wffhin the city's debt capacity. Safety is paramount in terms of keeping a well-maintained infrastructure. Toda)~ many ]owans commute to and from work. They drive on highways and streets that are widely interconnected, so it is important that the infrastructure system be supported as a whole. Past legislation has encouraged cities and COLIn[]OS tO work together on the needs of streets and highways between their jurisdictions, and it is essential to continue this type of collaboration. · he public bid fiweshold was established to balance the ability o~ local government to spend taxpayers' money on public projects. Spending public money is a process where scrutiny is a necessity. Howeveg money fl~r projects of a certain scale can be managed well without the ~orma[ bid process. This priority's focas is ~o raise tt~e threshold for vertical infra- structure projects, such as sma]] community faci[ities costing ]ess than $] 00,000. Co~stmcfio~ prices have continued to rise while the public bid threshold has remained unchanged since ]980. Over the past few years, the ~eague bas worked with numerous interest groups - mainly municipalities and other ~ot-~or-profit o~ganizatio~s - to raise the threshold to a reasonable figure that will keep small, easily managed projects ~mm i~curring the costs associated with the public bid process. By raising the $25,000 fl~resho]d, some avoidable administration costs i~curred on sma]] projects will be eliminated. Cost to Outfit a Firefighter Helmet & Hood: $250 Self-contained breathing apparatus: 51200 Heat-reflective, fire-resistant coat: $500 Volunteer firefighter The majority of the fire departments in Iowa are pager: $250 made up of hard-working men and women who vol- unteer their time for their neighbors' safety. As their "Pass" alarm to monitor firefighter while deployed: .$250 time is stretched with other commitments, finding a sufficient amount of volunteers can be difficult for a municipal fire department. Adequate training for these individuals is critical not only to the citizens Heat-reflective, they serve, but for the volunteers themselves, fire-resistant pants: Balancing training costs and equipment needs can also be difficult. This is especially true for full-time fire departments that: face salary and benefit costs. The League is looking to ensure fl~at community Puncture-proof, heat- resistant boots: safety receives sufficient funding by both local and be e×t~austed TOTAL: $3200 ~,~!r~, on data f~Om L~L~C Representative Government Priority: Support representative democracy by protecting the ability of local and state elected officials to make decisions as expected by those who elected them; and oppose any new restrictions such as statutorily required referendums that result in the erosion of Home Rule authority. For nearly 150 years, Iowa has relied on a system of representative government that has provided essential services while preserving fiscal integrity. This system is embedded in Iowa's constituti6n, which was adopted in 1857 after several years of fiscal turmoil that threatened thecontinuity of public gervices. A proposal is under consideration that would abandon such a representative approach for certain significant public decisions. Last year, the Iowa General Assembly approved Senate Joint Resolution 2010. This resolution proposes to amend Iowa's constitution by requiring a referendum to ratify le§islation that increases total taxes and fees in any fiscal year by at least one percent of the state's general fund revenue. The proposal must be approved by the legislaturd a second time and then subsequently approved by a vote of the people. The League supports protection of the ability of elected offi- cials to make decisions for the benefit of the citizens who voted them into office. The proposed amendment would separate any decisions regarding public services from any decisions regarding the funding for those services. If the amendment were adopted, elected officials would be held accountable for providing services, but would be less accountable for funding them. It could cause a near paralysis of decision-making that would not serve Iowa well in the 21st century economy. There are also numerous unintended consequences. Of particular concern to the League is the erosion of Home Rule authority. It is likely that the proposed amendment would require statewide approval of legislation intended to provide local options. In essence, voters statewide would gain a virtual veto over local choices. The proposal would also estab- lish a substantial obstacle for tax reform. Finally, such an amendment would invite litiga- About the League's Priorities tion over interpretations and even calculations ................................................................................. of the fiscal impact on the state's general fund These yellow frames contain the revenue, exact priority language ratified by the Iowa League of Cities' The current government system in this state con- membership. The League's Legislative Policy Committee and the rains checks and balances that have worked well. Governmental Affairs staff surveyed the League's general mem- Iowa's elected officials, state and local, have estab- bership a~ the beginning of the priority development process and lished a track record of providing essential services developed the supporting material found in this document. If you effectively and efficiently while showing sensitivity have questions regarding the League's legislative priorities, please to the concerns of taxpayers, use the contact information below. League Board of Directors Lorrie Bennett, City Administrator, Mary Gross, Mayor, Holstein, (712) 368-4898 Jeff Pomeranz, City Manager, Humboldt, (515) 332-3435 Mark Jackson, City Administrator, West Des Moines, (515) 222-3610 Robert Blok, Council Member, Asbury, (563) 583-4436 Story City, (515) 733-2121 Dee Vanderhoef, Council Member, Nancy Carmichael, City Clerk/Treasurer, A.J. Johnson, City Administrator, Iowa City, (319) 356-50:10 Corning, (641) 322-4230 Muscatine, (563) 264-:1550 Chris Ward, City Manager, Carol Ann Diekema, Ci~/Coordinator, Walter Mclntosh, Mayor, West Liberty, (319) 627-2418 Monroe, (641) 259-3490 Lime Springs, (563) 566-4405 Peggy White, Council Member, Julie Egland, Council Member, Dan Nicholson, Council Member, Carroll, (712) 792-1000 Storm Lake, (712) 732-8000 Dubuque, (563) 589-4100 DATE: October 26, 2005 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk RE: Clarification of Legislative Meetings Please note the attendance at the meetings listed below will differ as will the agendas. I hope this information helps clarify attendance as well as diversity of agendas. Tuesday, November 22 (originally scheduled for November 9) City hosting League meeting with area Legislators on Property Tax Legislation (7:00 PM - Public Library) Monday, November 28 OR Saturday, December 3 City Meeting with local legislators (4:30-6:00 PM - Harvat Hall) afternoon TBA Tuesday, November 29 ECICOG Legislative Open House (4:00-6:00 PM - Coralville City Hall) Each meeting will be posted as a work session unless a decision is made by Council that less than four will be attending. U:1031memo.doc CiTY OF IOWA CITY SAME LETTER SENT TO: The Honorable Robert Dvorsky 410 East Washington Street The Honorable Joe Bolkcom Iowa City, Iowa §2240-182~ The Honorable Jim Hahn (319} :t56-50o0 (310} 356-500~) FAX The Honorable David Jacoby www. icgov, org The Honorable Jeff Kaufmann The Honorable Vicky Lensing The Honorable Mary Mascher October 19, 2005 Dear The City Council of Iowa City would like to meet with legislators prior to the start of the session to identify legislative priorities for the upcoming session. Council has set aside two optional dates and times. ~ Saturday, December 3, afternoon OR > Monday, November 28, 4:30-6:30 PM Please contact City Clerk Marian Kan' (marian-karr~iowa-city.org or 356-5041) on which date and time would be the most acceptable. The meeting will take place in Harvat Hall of City Hall, 410 East Washington Street. Council will be discussing agenda items at an upcoming work session, and an agenda prepared for the joint meeting based upon that discussion. I will forward an agenda to you with confirmation in the near future. Thank you for setting aside time to meet with us and we look forward to a short productive meeting. Sincerely, Ernest W. Lehman Mayor IP7 INVITATION Legislative Forum: Key Local Government Issues for 2006 Hosted by the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa League of Cities and Iowa State Association of Counties Tuesday, November 22, 2005 Iowa City Library, Room A 123 S Linn St, Iowa City 6:30 PM Reception 7:00 p.m, Program (to be televised) Your attendance is requested at a legislative forum to discuss property tax reform and other key local government issue with city and county officials from your district. The program will be broadcast via public television. Your RSVP allows us to prepare the room appropriately for the broadcast. Please RSVP by contacting Susan Judkins at the Iowa League of Cities at (515) 974-5312 by Tuesday, November 15. DATE: October 19, 2005 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk RE: Council Meetings for October 31 - December 2005 Monday, October 31 - Special work session (Special time 2:00-5:00 p.m.) Tuesday, November 1 - Regular formal Monday, November 7 - Special work session or formal (zoning code) Monday, November 14 - Regular work session Tuesday, November 15 - Regular formal Wednesday, November 16- GeoComm Radio System Upgrade (1:00-3:00 p.m. joint communications center) Tuesday, November 22- State League meeting with area legislators on Property Tax Legislation (7:00 p.m. Public Library) Monday, November 28*- Local Legislators (4:30-6:30 p.m./option to December 3) Tuesday, November 29- Orientation 2005/2006 City Councils Saturday, December 3*- Local Legislators (option to November 28) (special start time TBA afternoon) Monday, December 12 - Special Work Session Tuesday, December 13 - Special Formal ALL WORK SESSIONS BEGIN AT 6:30 P.M.; FORMAL MEETINGS AT 7:00 P.M. UNLESS DIFFERENT TIME NOTED * Date not confirmed Cc: Maintenance Cable TV Department Heads u:schedule05.doc IP9 RANDU DATE: October 25, 2005 TO: Mayor and City Council O FROM: Marian K. Karr ~,k'~~k'' RE: Deputy City Clerk Julie Voparil certification Recently Deputy City Clerk Julie Voparil completed the Iowa Municipal Clerks' Institute at Iowa State University. The Institute consists of three one-week long resident courses in Ames, and is designed to provide the educational credit needed toward certification by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). Last week Deputy City Clerk Julie Voparil was recognized, along with other graduates from this year's class, at the Iowa Municipal Finance Officer's Association conference in Des Moines. This accomplishment acknowledges Julie's commitment to our profession, continued education, and to our community. I would like to personally thank Julie, and the City, for their support of educational opportunities. Cc: Julie Vopafil, Deputy City Clerk IPIO Oon tent.s OCTOBER 2OO5 16 Hurricane Leaves Wreckage, Questions in Its Wake Hurricane Katrina did more than flood New Orleans - it destroyed hundreds of thousands of housing units across the Gulf Coast. Now, federal, state and local governments are working with apartment owners and managers to provide emergency housing and to come up with plans for supporting reconstruction. 24 FIIA Loans C, eI Faster, (hcape The Federal Housing Administration has updated its muhifamily loan programs ta make them faster and cheaper ta use. Also, will rising default rates deter investors from buying FHA mortgages? 26 Banks Offer Creative Solutions to Project Financing Two new projects show how flexible banks can be in financing affordable housing. Cover Story Oaley Leads Chicago Housing Renewal. Richard M. Daley, the Iong- ~ A panel of experts discuss their latest preservation deals and the serving mayor of Chicago, tied together a ?, emerging strategies for keeping projects affordable, number of city departments, streamlined ~4 Preservation has risen higher on the list of priorities of state housing development processes, and assembled a finance agencies in recent years, but developers in different states range of funding sources to enable the will find radically different approaches to enabling preservation of redevelopment of Chicago's public hous- affordable housing, lng stock, tn an exclusive interview, Daley talks about how and why he did it, and 35 Officials plan to recapitalize Sec. 515 projects, but advocates worry he urges the federal government to remain that thousands of projects will be left out of the new program, committed to helping cities create afford- ~6 Solid management and successful negotiations helped preserve able housing. (Photo by Anne Ryan) Coleridge Park, an aging Iow-income housing tax credit deal. 54 AHF Live Conference Preview AHF Live: The 2005 Tax Credit Developers' Summit, which takes place Oct. 24-26 in Chicago, will feature a keynote address by Shaun Donovan, commissioner of New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and a break-out session on ,/ housing families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Find out what else V this interactive conference has to offer. Plus, Chicago and Illinois Mixed-Income Housing Overlooks leaders share what their offices are doing for affordable housing. Iowa River. The first phase of a large 78 Rehab of Historic YWCA Delights Residents Iowa City redevelopment includes Not only did the rehab of the 1931 YWCA in Hamilton, Ohio, provide 17 affordable units that meet both much larger and nicer housing for its special-needs women, but it also New Urbanist and universal design stan- preserved many of the building's striking architectural details, dards and don't look different than the market-rate units around them. Washington Update ........................... 10 Coming in November FHA Lender Guide ............................ 25 Fannie Mae Lender Guide ....................... 27 · Special Focus: Capital Markets Tax-Exempt Bond Service Providers ................. 27 Outlook 2006 Ask Ruth .... 44 Regional News ......... 83 · Regional Report: Texas & People .................................... 87 South Central Coming Events .............................. 88 Professional Services Directory .................... 97 · Financing Guides: Tax-Exempt i Index of Advertisers .......................... 103 Bonds; State & Local Equity Funds · Affordable Housing Finance · October 2~05 1 New Urbanist housing revitalizing neighborhood By Genevieve Rajewski Iowa City', Iowa - Seventeen aflorclablc LmitS were com- Thc townhousc ;md duplex ~'cnt;d t~t~> l~,,~,'~c~ plclcd in june in thc tirsl phase of a ncighborlmod being gca~*cd toward tamilics. Each lowniiou>c lla> Ih~cc reshaped here on a bhflf overlooking thc Iowa River. As a sign and lwo-and-a-h',dt balln-ooms, while c;tch dt~plc:< ha, three of how much riley were needed, the developer projected that bedrooms and one all of thena would be leased by October. The New Urbanist Peninsula Neighborhood will one day Publioprivate partnership consist of 380 homes- 10% of which will be afl'ordablc- set Thc city awarded GICIt[: ~hc contra~t tt, dcx'clol> tl~c amid parks and tree-lined streets, affordable homes in thc tirs~ l)hasc, and thc In thc tirst phase, private, nonprofit developer Greater worked cXICllsivclv xklllt thc loxka CTitx Jl,>using Iowa City Housing Fcllowshi10 (GICHF) completed a 52.4 Ini]- (ICItA) to make file project pencil lion prczjec/ that buih a 10-unit apartmen~ building, three A general obligati,~n b,~nd issued bx ~hc ci~ rental townhouses and two rental duplexes. The apartments $657,000 loan at 35% [or 20 ?ars. C~ilx' I It)Nll5 ltmcls pro- are targeted to households earn- ing no more than 50% of the area median income (AMI), while the townhouse and duplex units are targeted to households earning no mOl'e than 80% of AMI. The affordable units were constructed amid mad<et-rate homes on a 195-acre infill parcel that the city bought using Community Development Block Grant relief funds it received after a 1993 flood. Thirty-five acres above thc flood plain will be developed as a mix of town- houses, single-family homes and other housing types - all unified by a similar historic design. The remaining 160 acres of wooded ravines and lowlands will become an ecological preserve. Designed using a modified version of the universal design vidcd a 1% loan cfi $¢52),40' -/, xxiflq itatct'cst-only payments code, [lac aparlmenl building is fully accessible for seniors and until thc balance is duc in 20 ycai's. I'hc projccl also ~cccivcd individuals with disabilities. It offc~'s five one bedroom units, a 575%190 HOME gt-an[ from thc sht~c /he largest stroh four two-bedroom units and one three-bedroom unit. award in fiscal year 2004. Whe housing authorityk waiting list shows a strong ICHA conti-ibuted $36G,807 in ccltti/y to l]qc project, and demand for one- and two-bedroom apartments that isn't being purchased thc apartment building {I'OU1 Gl(El IF to~' $874,gc)2 met in the community in terms of ne~v construction," said after' completion. GICFII:: conlilqucs Io OWll and Doug Boothmy, the cityk director of housing and inspection towI~housc and duplex units. services. With the sale, GICHF and the housing authority had to 72 Affordable Housing Finance · October 2005 decide how to best divide the prqjcctk debt. l(ilqA assumed d/d nol think that tlu~t wa~ $256,000 of the bond debt and $231,1(}3 of tl~c city tt()ME t ,,rt,.mtmlelv prt~ucl architccl %anla? J:uH xx~*. vu~v c'~' loan with its purchase. GICHI: retained 5401,000 ~t Ibc l)~,~xl :ll~x'c XXc c5>cnli;dl5' runqx.d tl~t unltantc on t]~ ~:*~clc'. ~ar)'alllq J)e)llqiS, cxcculJve dil'ec[o) oJ C~i(l II~ "~ il X~lS a lJlc lc;ir ()J the flu nuuc dcbl hCCallSC we rcccivc il IJllJ(' HtoI'c ICXCIIIk' A model of smart growth Merging New Urbanist and universal design N(' ,) ) 10~ d'% ~cw { rJxHIi51 (lcbi?dl ~khich JcalklrC5 VAlid The projectg use of public J'tmding carried signili<iml tiu[m (>[, ',l,c ulassic JOttZscJLlitl'e hlqtlC J~lttll(J HI hisl(qit llci~Jl dcsign challenges, horJmods "Aloout two years ago, the ttpl>cr Nlidwus( lhe city began recluiring "I'coplc son,c- that universal design timcscJon't Iii<cio hax'c features be used in ali atfordahlc hOttsIll,~ housing that is subsi- C]O(~T' hccausc it dizcd,"said Boothroy. like atlord',flqc The philosophy lng," said behind the change is "l-~tit these units final housing will retain into Ibc its value longer ii' it at thc}' I11cct thc 51u/lc least can bo adapted to design standards and accommodatc residents style of with limited mohilib( rhc unils ziiT i-ca]Iv "Housing lasts for attraclivu, alld il Inulp> a long period of time, mal<u our rcsidcnt> anti people 'u,c alld ~ mono inlc~rattcd in thc CI1COLIllICr other types L'OlllI/1LII1i/V" of difficuhies. [Wid~- l']lC ncigllbof out] universal design, hood's succts aru nar- all you have to do is The three-bedroom duplex rental units are geared toward families, rower than most ncx~ break a leg or an ankle SLtJ)LlFJ3an slrccts to learn just bow bard it is to get around your house," slow dc~xv]] t'al's, a]qd thc)' arc lined with sidewalks and trees explained Bootlwo}: encourage walt<lng. Meanwhile, cx'cryone in thc neighborhood "If you arc looking at thc house structurally. Ulqivcrsa[ will Inavc access to river views- not just thc -csidcnt, who put- design docsn'~ acid any significant cost if you phm it on tt}c chase homes ovcrlool<ing tine river. front side," he continued. "You al'c mostly looking al zero-step Peninsula Neighborhood residents will 10c only 10 rain- entrances, wider doorways and hallways, and reinforced utes away from Iowa CityM downtown shops and rcstau]-ants, walls." thc shady campus of tine University of Iowa with its highly However, incorporating universal design presented a rated mcdK'a] center, and shopl0ing aL the CoraMllc Malt. design - if not a financing - challenge. Nlcai/whilc, a pedestrian ant] hicycle bridge will connect "In New Urhanism, buildings tend to be closer to tine thc Peninsula Nciglnborhoodk lqaltll'e p]'eSCl'VC to lhc 105-acre street, and setbacks are smaller and there arc wide sidewalks. Cil5' Parl<. Tine parl< offers a/lnlctic fields and courts, a puhlic Because of this, one of tine design standards is final thc swimming pool, an outdoor lhealcr, picnic areas, flower gar entrances need lo he 30 inches higlncr lhan thc sidewall<," said clc,a~ and t laild['cn5 rides. Thc parl¢ also connects to Dennis. Iowa Ci/)' and tint' Llnivcrsily o[' Iowa CalIIII)US Vi;t thc %% used lmblic funding so xve had Io JlaVC 11o step hil<c patln and trail nctworl<. entrances, ~vhich meant thai mal<ing thc units 30 illchcs above Thc neiglnbor]moc M cxcm]31;/r}' j)[alllnilng alld design In;ts the ground required either a long ramp or stairs," sine COllLil% well it st~ucwidc rccoglliLiotl. Thc J000 }:rio]Ids et Iowa, a ued. "We were adamant that we we]'cn't going to 10uilcl a tslly statewicle organizat on tlnat promotes responsil)]c land usc, accessil01c apartment building tlnat you needed steps to get recently B;/llled fine Peninsula Neighl0orhood tine "Bes~ New into. Even if we could have put the entrance on the back, we Residential Development" for 2005. 74 Affordable Housing Finance · October 2005 If your idea of retirement is expanding your horizons, where better than in a college town? ASHLANO, OREi Adrienne Hanrner walks the trails on the outskirts of town; an elegant downtown home; a banner for the Shakespeare Festival come as a surprise. For a large number of we looked for vibrant college-centered Ashland, Ore. retirees, easy access to cultural events and communities that also offer at least some POP. 2o,7s5 educational opportunities has always of the important attributes of traditional TYPICAL THREE' been at least as important as year-round retirement havens, like a reasonable cost B ED ROOM sunshine and well-groomed golf courses, of living, lower-than-average taxes and HOUSE: $500K TWO-BEDROOM And a collegiate environment has even access to topnotch medical care. We CON DO: $350K CONTACT: more appeal in the new era of retirement, passed over some much beloved college Learning in Retirement in which it's increasingly important to towns in favor of relatively undiscovered (8oo-2s7-o577) continue expanding your skills and ones, not just because you'll have no knowledge base well beyond traditional problem thinking of the Madisons, O peos Year-round professional theater retirement age. Many universities have Boulders and Berkeleys yourselves but · CONS Relatively pricey housing responded by creating academic courses also because your retirement dollars will On a recent Tuesday morning, more than specifically for seniors. A decade ago, only tend to stretch further in less-well-known a dozen students took their seats for a few dozen colleges offered such pro- spots. After our initial research narrowed "Lifescript: Considering and Creating grams; today more than 300 institutions the field, we visited each town on the Dramatic Monologues," one of 36 classes do. Other schools allow seniors to audit shortlist to assess educational opportuni- offered this fall by Southern Oregon classes at little or no cost, fund commu- ties available to seniors, check out the University's Learning in Retirement nity programs for older folks and even local cultural and recreational high- (SOLIR) program. Too bad class is only build housing for them. lights, and most important, get the insider 90 minutes long, laments the instructor, That s the reason we focused tNs year s view from recent arrivals who'd already playwright and poet Dori Appel. "Just search for the Best Places to Retire on chosen to make these locales their retire- when we get warmed up, the bell will ring college towns. To come up with our list, ment home. Here are our favorites, and it'll be time for recess," she jokes. 13G N .... b ....05 Money Photographs by John Clark But who has time for recess? "There's the relatively expensive housing. The plants and locals alike. "We kept saying always so much going on here," says median home costs $349,000, and nice 'Why are people so nice here?'" says Marshall Umpleby, 72, a retired high houses downtown can run $500,000. But Dinny Bomberg, a retiree from Minneap- school English teacher who moved from relatively is the key term: Comparable olis. "We decided it's because life here is California five years ago. Today he's homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, pretty stress-free." Inexpensive housing taking a class called "Chess: Its Intrinsic where many new arrivals hail from, could and almost 300 days of sunshine a year Beauty" while his wife Mimi goes on a easily cost twice as much. don't hurt either. geological tour to nearby Mount Ashland. The advantages haven't gone unno- Seniors can take unlimited SOLIR classes Las Cruces, N.M. ticed: Las Cruces has boomed over the for $100 a semester and audit university ; ~ :~.~>5~,<~&;;;5:~?:;past 10 years. Still, prices have stayed POP 79,5oo classes for free. ' ~(A New houses in a southwestern TYP CAL THREE- ~5~,>:~- : ¢4r~- .,$ modest: I BEDROO~ I ~ faux adobe style start around $200,000, The Umplebys discovered Ashland HOUSE: SaooK while in town for the renowned Oregon ~ xwo-~ £ o,oo~ ] while existing stock usually costs less. [ CONDO: $14oK Shakespeare Festival, now in its 70th year, I ' co~ql'~ct: ~cademyI The town hasn't surrendered to sprawl. for Learning in i~ Decades of neglect have left the down- which puts on some 700 repertory per- I Retirement formances a year. Others are drawn by the t (5o5-5~2-7654) j ~ff~ town section looking haggard, but it's now scheduled for a face-lift that includes outdoors: a huge network of hiking trails O PROS Great weather and topography that you can access from downtown's restoration of a historic theater. Lithia Park, views of the surrounding hills ~ con s Limited restaurant scene NMSU is the center of most local and easy day trips to the Pacific Ocean, For folks who retire to Las Cruces, the entertainment, from gallery talks to Crater Lake or the Rogue River. city's obvious selling points-the breath- college football to a recent mariachi While Ashland Community Hospital is taking Organ Mountains, the New conference. Classes are available to a modest facility, with 70 doctors on staff, Mexico State University-sponsored seniors at a deep discount and end up Rogue Valley Medical Center in nearby cultural scene and two state-of-the-art costing about $130 a semester. Retired Medford is one of the largest in the region hospitals-are almost an afterthought, faculty members help run a wide-ranging and boasts a top cardiovascular unit. What makes Las Cruces special, they say, lecture series known as the Academy of If there's a downside to Ashland, it's is the genuine hospitality among trans- Learning in Retirement. LAS CRUCES Clouds drifting over the nearby Organ Mountains Recreation Area; Painted gates in the artsy Old Mesilla area 138 November =oo5 Money Map illustrations by Hannah Lee Iowa City, Iowa POP. ~2~220 TYPICAL THREE- BEDROOM HOUSE: $25oK TWO-BEDROOM CONDO: $~75K ! CONTACT: Senior College ' (8oo-469-z586) O PROS Cultural vibe, medical facilities · CONS Severe weather and high taxes Io~va City's roots as a ]iteraJ~ and eu]tural haven run so deep that they're literally embedded in the sidewalks: The city's lively downtown shopping district is home to Literary Walk, a series of bronze panels set in the pavement featuring quotations by the many well-known poets, novelists, journalists and play- on educational opportunities as well. For best medical care in the region, and the wrights who have called Iowa City home. $30, seniors can take a class at the Senior Big Ten sports teams dra~v fans of every Between the 12,000-piece collection at College, where retired professors teach age. The severe weather may be less of a the University of Iowa Museum of Art, an everything from philosophy to digital thrill, though many retirees say they love annual Jazz Festival, five live theaters, photography. There are also dozens of the four distinct seasons. State taxes-a readings (often by nationally renowned low- or no-cost classes, clubs and lectures hefty 9% top income tax bracket and 5% authors drawn by U of I's acclaimed at the 25,000-square-foot Senior Center sales tax-are on the high side, but the Writers' Workshop), dance recitals and next to the downtown pedestrian mall. overall low cost of living in the nation's concerts, "no one ever says they are bored Despite all the emphasis on the life of breadbasket easily makes up for it. here," says Jo Hensch, 68, who retired to the mind, the vibe is midwestern-friendly, Iowa City from South Carolina five years not snooty. "Everyone is warm and Brunswick, Mai ne ago with her husband Howard. welcoming," says Hensch. Proximity to For those who want to be more than the U of I offers more than just clubs and POP. aa,goo TYPICAL THREE- just observers, there are plenty of hands- classes; its hospital provides some of the BEDROOM HOUSE: $230K TWO-BEDROOM CONDO: Sa75k CONTACT: Bowdoin Friends (zo7-725-3253) O eROS Free classes, classically New England O CONS Above-average taxes, cold winters A classic New England fishingvillage that's also home to Bowdoin, a 207-year- old, top-ranking liberal arts college, Brunswick is picturesque but not iso- lated, bustling but not hectic. Indepen- dently owned restaurants, galleries and shops line "Maine Street," while the quiet coastline offers summer boating. Festi- vals, farmer's markets and, in winter, skating take place on The Mall, a village green complete with a trolley-car hot dog stand. A few miles down the road, a shopping center complex offers the necessary Wal-Mart and Starbucks. 140 November2oo5 Money ATHENS ~' - '~: Enjoying a drink downtown; Bob and Shirley Willoughby outside their home at the Georgia Club golf community. The Willoughbys chose Athens to be close to their children in Atlanta. Bob Morrison, 76, and his wife Nesta, Athens, Ga. Entertainment includes six local the- 71, chose to retire near Bob's alma mater aters, wine tastings in the botanical gar- because, having spent four decades in PO P. ao2,7oo dens and a music scene that both spawned TYPICAL THREE- teaching jobs around the world, the BE OROOM rock superstars REM and supports a couple wanted to remain in a learning .ous E: Sa85K community orchestra. Anyone over 62 can TWO-BEDROOM environment. They found it with CON oo: $25oK take classes at UGA for free. And Learning Bowdoin Friends, a group offering full CONTACT: Learning in Retirement, a local member-run non- in Retirement access to the college's lectures, concerts, (706-549-7350) profit, taps professors to teach classes. readings and sporting events. Annual O I~eOS Cultural scene, health care To folks arriving from any big-city membership costs just $55 a couple. And metro area, Athens is strikingly affordable. like all Brunswick locals, they can audit · cons Ga me-day traffic Modest homes start at less than $150,000, classes for free. As much as Bob and Shirley Willoughby and dinner for two at one of Athens' finer These perks come at a price. January wanted to retire near their kids in Atlanta, restaurants runs less than $50. in Brunswick chills to an average low they didn't want the hassles of a big city. "This is the best decision we ever made," of 12°F, and the town typically sees 70 They also knew that their children might says Bob, a retired Alcoa executive taking inches of snow each year. State income eventually move. So the Willoughbys an herbology class this term, who just saw taxes top out at a steep 8.5% and sales tax sought a town nearby that could stand on his first Bulldogs football game. Wqe'll be another 5%, but the cost of living-and its own, one with a vibrant cultural scene okay here even if our kids move." $ real estate-is significantly less than and a strong health-care system. Athens, in comparable New England college home to the University of Georgia, met vEzI)SACl~: cweisser@rnoneyraail.com hamlets. Good medical care is nearby: their requirements and then some. The FOR MORE BEST PLACES, GO TO The area has two hospitals, and Maine town of 102,700 lacks even a hint of mod- Medical Center, the state's premier ern urban sprawl. A pedestrian-friendly facility, is 30 minutes away in Portland. downtown lines the edge of campus. Two ~ Get reports and in-depth statistics "I think this town has everythingyou'd well-regarded hospitals are within five on more than ~,3oo towns a nd cities. want," says Bob. "And if it doesn't," he miles of the town center; three golf clubs ) USe our screening tools to sea rch for adds, "it's nearby." sit just beyond the perimeter, your best place. y 142 Novemberzoo5 Money Photographs by Ethan Hill CNN/Money: Best places to retire: Iowa City, IA snapshot Page 1 of 3 · ',-',u,, C' CNN/Money ?:,%1 PLACES TO RETIRE 2005 as. ,~,.'../~.,~ L~Searc~ rcr'=:e,~ ~a~s []'roa 10 lisu 'Top Stori No worry Iowa City, IA WaI-Ma. Population, town and surrounding area: 74,699 the offing Population, age 50+: 16,017 Population growth (since 1999), age 50+: 62.15% Gasoline Housing City Stats Best places Nearby places: dropoff averageI . · Cedar Rapids, IA Median home price $ $315,413 ! · Marion, IA ~ i Home price gain i ° Davenport, IA (2-5 year annual gain) 8.83% 14.87%i i" Bettendorf, IA Healthcare City Stats Best placesi i · Des Moines IA average l i · Urbandale, IA Doctors (Number in county) 117 1,267 · West Des Moines IA ~ ' Peoria, IL Hospitals 12 135~ (within 30 miles) i · Rockford, IL Financial City Stats Best [)laces ! · Verona, WI averagei Median household income (per year) $40,025 $68,092 1 Sales tax I (average for area) 5.00% 6.78% ~ By city name State income tax rate · (highest bracket) 8.98% n/a !'B~; ~t~i~ State income tax rate By category: (lowest bracket) 0.36%* n/a Search according to education, local economy, healthcare, and Auto insurance premiums $531 $855 more. (Average for the state) Retirement tax breaks from state (Favorable treatment of ,etiremer, income} no nla TOP TENS Community City Stats Best places', average i ¢: Most golf playe~d Median age 29 36 Most country club members Residents with college degree 26% 22% i ":: Best places! Growth in age 50+ population Quality of life City Stats average i " ............................ Air pollution index i Most people age 50+ ('100 is national average; lower is better) 86 90 i Most educated Property crime risk 96 78 (100 is national average: lower is better) Best places i Leisure and culture City Stats average i Movie theaters 6 27 http://money.cnn.com/best/bpretire/snapshots/39675.html 10/24/2005 CNN/Money: Best places to retire: Iowa City, IA snapshot Page 2 of 3 (within 15 miles) Restaurants 402 3,743 (within 15 miles) Golf courses 30 72 (public courses within 30 miles) Libraries 17 60 (within 15 miles) Museums $ 10 (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) Weather City Stats Best places average Annual precipitation (inches) $7.27 37.80 High temp in July ° F 87.50° 86.11 ° Low temp in Jan ° F 13.40° 26.61° 'tax credits, Average is based only on data for more than 1,300 cities in the Best Places database. Included are cities with population of more than 14.000 wi[h abovew average income, population growth and real estate appreciation dudng the past five years, The data represent the zip codes associated with the town name, The listed populations often include areas outside an incorporated nunic pality, For instance, the town of Vienca has a population of 14,900. but 61,700 residents have a Vienna postal address. If you believe the data on this page is inaccurate, please email us. ~':~'~:~' Information Powered by [ nbElsr, rl I°""°'r''L° Some data may be provided by Applied Geographic Solutions -advertiser links ehat'$ this?,,-, _Mort~a~e~ Loans - Get Four Free Easy approval. Get quotes from ~ lenders. Low-rate mortgage and... www.lendingleaders.com Mortgage Loans - LendingTree.com Fill out one simple form, receive up to four real mortgage loan... www.lendingtree,com Mortga_ci~_ Loan Rates Lock in today's rate on a mortgage loan at Home Finance of... www.homefinanceofa merica .corn M_~r~tgage Loans ~ ................ Find everything you need for your refinancing mortgage.,, iYOUR E-I~ www.nodownpaymentmortgagel01.com f" Best pi The Hot List More Real Estate i ¢' Real E Are you an extreme saver? The king of real estate's cashing out i ~ ¢' Retirer Checkup on your benefits Buying proJ~crty with family or friends Banks behaving badly I Good house, cheap house ~-- CREATE Y( iManage ak IName IState/Pr ~ Privacy Policy IAddress [Zip/Postal http://money.cnn.com/best/bpretire/snapshots/39675.html 10/24/2005 IP12 IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET, IOWA CITY. IA 52240 (319) 356-5275 FAX#(319)356-5449 "An Accredited Police Department" Mrs. Julie A. Todd (,3~j~ ... 921 Oakland Ave. .,~ Oakland, IA 51560 October 13, 2005 Dear Mrs. Todd, I was provided a copy of the letter you directed to Chief Sam Hargadine, dated 10-05- 05. In response to this letter an inquiry was conducted into the circumstances you described in your letter. The results of that inquiry revealed the following: Regarding the inconsistency between the date listed on the Iowa DOT form and the actual date- Our officer incorrectl.,¥ entered the date as the 18th. That officer's assigned watch started at 11 PM on the 18"'. The traffic stop with your daughter occurred after midnight so the date was actually the 19th. While this error is understandable, accuracy is important to us and I appreciate you pointing it out. You mentioned in your letter that your daughter had been turning right on a green light when she was stopped. What actually happened on this occasion was that your daughter made a left turn on a green light and in doing so, tumed into the path of an approaching vehicle, failing to yield to that vehicle. It turned out that the vehicle she turned in front of was a marked Iowa City Police squad car. A second police vehicle and officer, who was proximate to this intersection observed this driving action by your daughter and initiated a traffic stop. That officer's subsequent investigation revealed that your daughter had, in fact, been consuming alcohol and was under 21. Under Iowa law, persons under the age of 21 may not operate a motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration of .02 or more. Analysis of your daughter's blood alcohol indicated that her blood alcohol level was in excess of .02. The revocation period is set by state law. I would add that the officer involved in this case did not cite your daughter for the traffic violation nor was her vehicle impounded. You also expressed some concern that the passengers in your daughter's vehicle were released without arrest. Court decisions have ruled that persons who are passengers in a motor vehicle are not subject to arrest for public intoxication. I will add that, in the opinion of the officers present at the scene of the traffic stop involving your daughter, neither of her passengers appeared to be a danger to themselves or others and were released. The officer involved in the traffic stop with your daughter does not recall her making a request to make a phone call. It is this officer's usual practice and the recommendation of representatives of our County ^ttorneys's office that persons being processed for alcohol related offenses be allowed to make calls to their attomey or family members. Given this officer's positive history of activity in the detection of ddnking driver's and his familiarity with the different aspects of processing those drivers, it would be very unusual that he did not allow a call should such a request have been made. You also mentioned concern over your daughter being released without having been afforded the opportunity to secure transportation to her residence. While the officer involved does not have specific recollection of a discussion with your daughter related to this subject, it is his and other officers' usual practice to escort persons out of our facility. As this is done, it is typical that the use of a phone in our lobby is offered to those being released so that they may secure transportation themselves. It is also not unheard of for our officers to provide transportation to people should their own efforts at securing transportation fail. I hope this information is of value to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. Sincerely, C Matt Johnson Field Operations Commander Iowa City Police Department (319) 356-5440 cc: City Manager Steve Atkins Iowa City Fire Department "Serving with Pride and Professionalism Since 1872" October 17, 2005 Mr. Dan LoTempio 3029 E. Court St. Iowa City, IA 52245 Dear Mr. LoTempio: This letter is written as a follow-up to your recent inquiries regarding open burning. Today, Fire Marshal Roger Jensen and I met with City Manager Steve Atkins and City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes to discuss the issues pertaining to approved portable outdoor fireplaces. As a result of the meeting, it was concluded that City Council made a policy decision to allow the use of these devices provided that they are used in accordance with City Code. Recently, the Fire Department has conducted two investigations of open burning in your neighborhood and on both occasions the recreational fires were determined to be in compliance with the code. The City Council will need to reconsider their position on the use of portable outdoor fireplaces in order to change the current open burning regulations. Thank you for your patience in this matter. Sincerely, IOWA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT Andrew J. Rocca, Fire Chief / cc: ~/Stephen J. Atkins, City Manager Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney Sam Hargadine, Police Chief Roger Jensen, Fire Marshal FIRE DEPARTMENT · 410 E. Washington Street ~ lowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 356-5260 FAX: (319) 35645263 www. icfd. org Office of the Fire Chief Office of the Fire Marshal Battalion Chiefs Fire Training HazMat Public Education Fire Administration Fire Prevention Bureau Station I Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 (319) 356-5256 (319) 356-5257 (319) 356-5262 (319) 356-5258 (319) 356-5266 (319) 356-5265 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM To: Steve Atkins, City Manager From: Joe Fowler, Director Parking & Transit Reference: Old Bus Depot Wednesday October 5, 2005 Chris O'Brien and I met with Doug Boothroy, Tim Hennes, and Loren Brumm at the Old Bus Depot to evaluate the condition of the building. The following items were identified as in need of repair/replacement. The costs are estimates and are not based on contractor estimates. The building would require a new electrical hookup on the exterior, $2,000, the HVAC needs to be replaced $5,000, and replacement of the roof is estimated at $10,000. In addition there are cracks in the concrete block walls that day light shows through. Estimated total make ready cost before any interior renovations are started is $30,000. The building is a block building on a concrete slab. This would make it very difficult if not impossible to move. In addition, the majority of the metal squares, which are the maj or architectural feature of the building exterior, have been removed. 10- City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM October 5, 2005 To: Steve Atkins, City Manager From: Joe Fowler, Director Parking & Transit Reference: Late Night Transit Service The last Iowa City Transit buses leave downtown at 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday's last bus leaves at 6:30. Cambus continues to operate until 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Cambus operates two routes at this time that serve the campus area. Cambus previously operate a community wide service using van but has discontinued that service. Iowa City does offer Saturday overnight parking at no charge in Tower Place, Chauncey Swan, and the Court Street Transportation Center. Cc Ron Logsden, Transit Manager Date: October 14, 2005 To: City Council From: Anissa Williams, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~ Re: Traffic calming project follow-up survey for the 400 block of 4th Avenue and the 2000 block of A Street As part of the City Council approved Traffic Calming Program, one year after a traffic calming project has been implemented we are required to perform a follow up traffic study and re-survey of the neighborhood to see if they wish to have the traffic calming features remain in place. A year ago, speed humps were placed on the 400 block of 4th Avenue, and the 2000 block of A Street. We performed a traffic study in September 2005 and a re-survey was sent to the same 16 households who received the original survey. The traffic study performed one year after the speed humps were installed showed a reduction in 85th percentile speeds from between 24-31 mph to 20-24 mph. The speed limit is 25 mph. This demonstrates that the speed humps have been effective at reducing speeds on these streets. The neighborhood response was 11 in favor of leaving the speed humps in place and 4 opposed with 1 survey postcard not being returned. That is a 73% majority in favor. This is higher than the previous survey to have the devices installed last year. There is a clear majority in favor of retaining the speed humps. We will leave the speed humps in place as permanent traffic calming devices unless otherwise directed. cc: Steve Atkins Jeff Davidson Karin Franklin Rick Fosse Ron Knoche Marcia Klingaman jccogtp/mem/4~h-A-resurvey.doc IP17 October 13, 2005 Residents of the Walnut Ridge subdivision CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-I826 Re: Potential traffic calming on Kennedy Parkway (319) 3 s6-$000 (319) 356-5009 FAX Dear Resident: www. icgov.o rg In August, the Walnut Ridge Neighborhood Association, on behalf of residents in Walnut Ridge, requested that Kennedy Parkway be considered for the City's Traffic Calming Program. The City completed an evaluation and deemed the street qualifies for the program based on excessive speeds (more than 5 mph over the speed limit). A public meeting was held on October 4th to discuss the program and the available alternatives. At this meeting neighborhood residents decided that speed humps would be the best solution. Speed humps are not the same as speed bumps. Speed bumps are used to slow traffic in parking lots and must be driven over very slowly. Speed humps are 12 feet in length with a maximum height of 3 inches in the center as shown in the attached drawing. A speed hump is meant to be driven over at the speed limit (25 mph on Kennedy Parkway). The next step in the City's Traffic Calming Program evaluation is a survey of the affected neighborhood. The "neighborhood" is defined by the City Council as all residential dwelling units on property which is contiguous to Kennedy Parkway, as well as all residential dwellings on any street which must use Kennedy Parkway. This results in a survey of 81 affected properties. Residents on Acorn Court will not be included in the survey, as they will not be directly affected by the installation of speed humps on Kennedy Parkway. We provided the enclosed postage paid survey card so that you can indicate whether or not you are in favor of the proposed speed humps on Kennedy Parkway. The City's Traffic Calming Program is not intended to have the City impose unwanted traffic calming devices; it is intended to allow a neighborhood to determine if they wish to have traffic calming devices installed. The survey must indicate that at least 60% of neighborhood residents responding are in favor of the proposed traffic calming installation. Otherwise, the proposal will not be forwarded to the City Council for consideration. To clarify, each residence receives one vote, not each resident. If the proposal receives at least 60% approval from your neighborhood, it will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration. The City Council will make the final decision. Comments on the proposal from Iowa City Transit, the Fire Department, the Police Department, the Ambulance Service and the Department of Public Works will also be provided to the City Council. If approved by the City Council, we will install the speed humps in locations shown on the enclosed diagram next spring. Signs will also be installed warning motorists of the speed humps. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Please return your survey postcard no later than October 28, 2005. If you have any questions, I can be contacted at 356- 5254 or anissa-williams@iowa-city, org. Sincerely, Anissa Williams JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Attachments cc: City Council City Manager Karin Franklin Jeff Davidson Marcia Klingaman jccogtp/Itrs/kennedyprkway.doc October 2005 IP18 Marian Karr From: Gina Peters [ginapeters@ecicog.org] Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 11:48 AM To: William Voss; William Cooper; Tom Svoboda; ThomasC. Patterson; Terrence Neuzil; Tawnia Kakacek; SteveAtkins; Shelley Allison; Sharon Meyer; ScottGrabe; Sally Stutsman; Rozena McVey; Rod Sullivan; Rick Elliott; Randy H. Fouts; PriorityOne; Paula Freeman-Brown; Paul Pate; PatrickMurphy; Pat Harney; Nancy Beuter; Mike Sullivan; Mike Goldberg; Michael Lehman; MaryK Mitchell; Mark K Kresowik; Marian Karr; MaggieGrosvenor Mowery; Lu Barron; Linda Langston; LesBeck; Lee Clancey; Larry Dauenbaugh; KellyHayworth; Jc~hua Schamberger; John Nieland; JoHogarty; Jeff Davidson; Jane Tompkins; JamesHouser; J. Patrick White; IA Environmental Education Project; Howard R. Green; Hills; Gloria Jacobson; GlenPotter; "f"; Doug Kamberling; Doug; Don Saxton; Don Gray; Dee Vanderhoef; Dale Stanek; ConnieEvans; Casie Kadlec; Brian James; Becky Shoop; Arnold-Olson & Assoc.; Chad Subject: Leadership Group MEETING LOCATION CHANGED Importance: High November 1 Agenda.doc (24 KB) Dear Colleagues: It has been brought to my attention that many of you may be interested in attending a meeting regarding en.ergency management at Kirkwood Community College on November 1, which starts at 6:30 p.m. To facilitate your ability to attend both that meeting AND the ..,: . Leadership Group meeting, WE ARE CHANGING THE SITE FOR OUR 5:00 P.M. MEETING. THE LEADERSHIP GROUP WILL NOW MEET IN ROOMS 126A & B OF THE COMMUNITY TRAINING AND RESPONSE CENTER ON THE KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS IN CEDAR RAPIDS. In addition, a light dinner will be served. A revised agenda is attached. This is the facility where we met in April. Whether traveling from the north or south, attendees should enter the Kirkwood campus via the main North Entrance. This is the entrance at the lighted intersection on Kirkwood Boulevard. After entering the campus, take the first road on the left. A large parking lot will be on your left, and tennis courts are located on the right. The Community Training and Response Center is located on the right, north of the tennis courts. There is limited parking at the center; however, you may be better off to park in the lot mentioned earlier, across from the tennis courts, and take the short walk to the center. I look forward to seeing you on November 1. Douglas D. Elliott Executive Director ECICOG 108 Third Street SE Suite 300 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 (319) 365-9941, x22 voice) (319) 365-9981 (fax) www.ecicog.org *** eSafe scanned this email for malicious content *** *** IMPORTANT: Do not open attachments from unrecognized senders *** REVISED REVISED REVISED Agenda Public Leadership Group Community Training & Response Center Kirkwood Community College 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa Tuesday, November 1, 2005 INFORMAL MEETING Work Session 1. Call to order 5:00 p.m. 2. Welcome and Introductions Linda Langston, Chairperson - Linn County Board of Supervisors Sally Stutsman, Chairperson - Johnson County Board of Supervisors 3. Work Group Reports Regional Planning Transportation Intergovernmental Services Infrastructure 4. Legislative Forum Update 5. Future agenda items Government Consolidation 6. Next meeting date and location 7. Other 8. Adjournment IP19 Iowa City/Coralviile CI/B ANNUAL LUNCHEON & REPORT Location: Sheraton Iowa City Hotel 210 South Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA Date: Friday, November 11, 2005 ~ Time: 11:30 am - 1:15 pm Food/Cost:Lunch will be served. $25 / person or $190 for a table of 8 RSVP Please mail or fax RSVP by Nov. 9 ASAP: For more information, please contact Jennifer Howard at 337-6592. Please contact Marian for reserVations. IP20 MINUTES SCATTERED SITE HOUSING TASKFORCE OCTOBER 3, 2005 LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Anciaux, Jerry Anthony, Darlene Clausen, Matthew Hayek, Jan Left, Jan Peterson, Sally Stutsman, Joan Vandenberg STAFF PRESENT: Steve Nasby, Steve Rackis OTHERS PRESENT: Maryann Dennis, Charles Eastham, Tracy Falcomata CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Hayek called the hearing to order at 4:10 pm. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Anciaux asked if Axeen was contacted to ask for clarification of his statement at the March 28 Public Hearing, as noted in the minutes. Nasby and Hayek said not to their recollection. Several minor typographical edits were submitted for the minutes. MOTION: Anciaux moved to approve the April 25, 2005 Minutes as amended, and Stutsman seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0. DISCUSSION OF DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TASKFORCE TO CITY COUNCIL: Hayek said that the subcommittee consisting of Jerry, Joan and himself met several times and also meet with staff. Though there was some delay because of schedule conflicts with arranging meetings and data that needed to be gathered. Work was done on the revisions to the recommendations, which were discussed at that previous meeting, and on composing a narrative report to accompany the recommendations. New language was composed for several items, and the order of the recommendations was also changed per the taskforce's directions. The fair-share matrix was revised; the new matrix is a departure from previous matrices, and will be discussed later. Additions included an introduction explaining the process the taskforce followed leading to the final report, summarizations of salient trends, and a list of presenters and meeting dates. The fair share matrix and the updated map prepared by city staff will both accompany the report as well. He noted that all the taskforce members are encouraged to do a page supplemental memo if they feel that important information was omitted, as the subcommittee decided that a short and concise report would be the most effective. Hayek said that the City Council had indicated that it would like the taskforce to finish their report and staff had scheduled time on the October 17 work session so that the findings can be presented. If consensus cannot be reached on any points, he suggested putting it to a vote and then moving on. Stutsman asked if a minority report could be done. Hayek said yes, the idea being to employ some approach to resolve the issue or establish how the taskforce members stand on the issues. The next Council meeting is on October 17th or 18th, so the packet and any supplemental comments need to be submitted by October 12. Anthony asked if the taskforce received a memo from the Council requesting the taskforce complete its report. Hayek said no, the request was conveyed through city staff. Anthony suggested reviewing the recommendations quickly, since they are near completion. Anciaux asked which recommendations were tab!ed at the last meeting. Anthony said numbers 6 and 7. Anthony said that after reviewing and approving the recommendations, the taskforce then can move on to the matrix, and spend some time discussing it since it is different from previous versions. After that, the trends would be discussed. Hayek noted that some other recommendations needed to be reviewed, one with new language and the other for changes in relation to census tract 18. Recommendations 6 and 7 were tabled because of planned revisions to the matrix. MOTION: Anciaux moved to accept the edited recommendations as submitted. Stutsman seconded. Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 2 Stutsman asked who "it" is in recommendation number 7. Hayek said the City of Iowa City. Stutsman asked to change the document to make the reference more specific. Peterson asked what "providing additional funding" meant in the last sentence of recommendation number 6. Anciaux said it would be a subsidy to offset higher land values, to allow affordable or assisted housing to be built in more areas. He noted that it might be inappropriate to tell the Council what to do in regards to financial planning, so that part should be phrased as a recommendation. Peterson asked for clarification about who the providers of assisted housing are. For example, people can live wherever the vouchers are accepted, so the providers are not specific. Vandenberg suggested changing "providers" to "developers." Anthony agreed with clarifying the statement without providing specific agencies. Stutsman recommended leaving it as is, since "developers" is too specific, has certain connotations, and might exclude other groups. Clausen suggested using "program." Peterson said that might be just as confusing. There was general consensus with leaving the statement as already written. Hayek asked if there were any additional concerns or comments. Stutsman added that she liked the new language in recommendation number 6. Hayek said that recommendation number 5 is tied to the trends part of the report. The subcommittee had concerns with the inconsistency of focusing on block group data for some of the recommendations, and census tract data for others. Data is now available for emergency and transitional housing in block groups 18.1 and 18.2. He recommended breaking down the data for this recommendation also by block group. Vandenberg asked how the data breaks down. Hayek said that for transitional housing, 4.5 percent is located in 18.1 and 41 percent is located in 18.2. For emergency housing, zero percent is located in 18.1 and 69 percent is located in 18.2. He noted that if Shelter House moves to its intended location, 100 percent of emergency housing would be in 18.2. Peterson asked for confirmation that by changing the recommendation to say block group 18.2, and changing 45 percent to 41 percent, the statement would be consistent. Left agreed. There was general consensus for accepting the edit. Hayek said that he will use the same language, and he would make the appropriate changes to reflect the data by block group. Anciaux asked for confirmation that the information is not moving to the trends section. Hayek said no, it will not be moved. He added that it is referenced in trends, but cited in the recommendation. Hayek said that recommendation 9 has new language in the last two sentences. Peterson suggested adding "and remain" to the sentence about becoming self-sufficient. Anciaux asked if the city is expected to take on the additional funding if other areas are not able to help. There was general consensus that the city is not expected to provide funding on its own. Hayek added that recommendation number 4 says to enlist the aid of the other municipalities, the county, and the school district for collective action. Hayek asked if the proposed change is acceptable. There was general consensus for accepting the revision as written along with the additional edit suggested by Peterson. Hayek said that number 12 involves inclusionary zoning. Anthony suggested approving the other recommendations, and then discussing a change to inclusionary zoning in number 12 after that. MOTION: Anciaux amended his motion to accept all recommendations as revised, excluding recommendation 12. Stutsman seconded, and the motion passed on a vote of 8-0. Anthony proposed that recommendation 12 state that mandatory inclusionary zoning is necessary. A fundamental cause of concentration of certain types of housing is zoning restrictions. Every other course of action treats only the symptoms of the problem, rather than the root cause of concentrations of Iow- income housing in certain areas. Recommending a change from voluntary to mandatory inclusionary zoning would send a strong message about the importance of this point. Anthony said the reason he brings it up now is due in part to the recent debates about the new zoning code. He has done research on recent developments, and is concerned with some trends in housing development in the area. Most developers are already not meeting current zoning levels on larger lots. With the old zoning code, most development allows five units per acre, but developers are building only Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 3 three or four units. Voluntary inclusionary zoning would continue the status quo, rather than increasing affordable housing. Additionally, many subdivisions are putting restrictive, private covenants in place that contribute to restricting affordable housing over and above current zoning restrictions. He said that a strong message needs to be sent about the cause of the problem, or otherwise the problems will persist. The only difference will be which tracts are concentrated in the future. The City can reject this recommendation, but there is no guarantee that the other recommendations will be accepted either. Stutsman noted that recommending mandatory inclusionary zoning would be controversial. Anciaux asked to be recused from the discussion, due to a conflict of interest. Anciaux left at this point. Peterson asked what concerns there are with including mandatory inclusionary zoning, apart from potential controversy. Stutsman said it seems like people resist anything that is mandatory, preferring voluntary action instead. One concern is that the rest of the recommendations would be overshadowed by concerns about the mandatory aspect. Vandenberg asked if implementing inclusionary zoning would push development out of Iowa City. Anthony said no. When Iowa City initially adopted a zoning code and a master plan, years ago, developers during both debates said they would not continue to build in Iowa City because the restrictions were too harsh. However, development did not increase in Coralville or other areas after the restrictions were put in place. He noted that there are always benefits to having a zoning code and comprehensive plan that improve the quality of the area, and which offset the restrictions. If Iowa City did not have a zoning code and comprehensive plan to help shape its urban development, it would be no different from Coralville or North Liberty. Stutsman asked for clarification about the phrasing Anthony would like. Anthony said it would say the City should develop a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy for new housing developments, and then delete the second and third sentences. It is a costless Option for both the city and the citizens. Some additional planning by the developers would be needed for them to comply with it, but that could be offset by incentives. Stutsman suggested adding "with incentives" to the first sentence. Anthony agreed. Peterson asked for confirmation that the incentives would then be mandatory also. Stutsman said yes. Anthony noted that the details about the incentives would have to be determined later. He acknowledged that it is a radical recommendation. Clausen said it sounds good. Left said that Anthony should supply an explanation for this recommendation, similar to the one given to the taskforce members. Stutsman agreed that education is a key component. Peterson said her concern is that she does not know what the ramifications for this change might be, because she is not knowledgeable about the zoning code. Anthony said that in principle, it means that developers would be required to build a certain number of houses within every new development that are affordable to Iow and moderate income households, which is 0-80 percent area median income. This includes both rental and owner-occupied housing. If done well, these homes can be indistinguishable from the other houses. This is not new, but has been done successfully in other cities already. Hayek said he is open to proposing that the City investigate mandatory inclusionary zoning. However, making it mandatory could be controversial enough to distract from the rest of the document. Voluntary incentives could also work, and the City might turn to the mandatory zoning before trying voluntary ones. Anthony said that voluntary inclusionary zoning is already in place, and promises some incentives, but they have not worked thus far. He added that the City could also propose more effective incentives in response to this recommendation, instead of implementing mandatory inclusionary zoning. Peterson said that if there is controversy, the taskforce members can respond by saying they recommended it because this is important, and the current voluntary system is not working. Anthony said that if a few assisted or affordable housing units are built into every new development, they would naturally be scattered. He said that is the only sustainable fix to the problem of concentration. Stutsman said it would be very helpful if the other area communities were included. Anthony agreed that it should be a regional move, rather than local. Vandenberg said she does not feel knowledgeable enough to make this sort of judgment call. She would like it if all communities participated, otherwise this might push development away from Iowa City. Anthony said there was a similar debate when the smoking ban was discussed, for example, but that does not appear to be happening. The smoking ban has not kept people from eating in Iowa City; if there is something there they want. Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 4 Vandenberg noted that people are choosing to live in the neighborhoods that have restrictive covenants, so there appears to be an interest and demand in that market. Rackis said that referring to "city planner" in the paragraph is not accurate, since this is a discussion of a proposed policy, rather than implementation. The City Council sets policy, and staff is then responsible for implementing it. The taskforce members don't need to have expertise, because a general policy does not require great detail. Any policy would have to be tailored to the community when it is implemented. Hayek said whether the policy would work in Iowa City is something city staff should recommend to the Council. This recommendation would distract from the rest of the document. He suggested asking the city to explore inclusionary zoning. There was some material about inclusionary zoning included in the research material, but the taskforce did not spend a lot of time investigating it. He suggested putting it to a vote. Anthony said that the details would be worked out by city staff for all of the recommendations. Vandenberg suggested using the word "consider." Stutsman noted that this would be the time to take a firm stand. Peterson questioned that if inclusionary zoning is the ideal for the county, why it would not then be a good thing to implement in Iowa City. The Council does not have to accept this recommendation, or any of the other ones. Stutsman said it is the only strong statement that the taskforce can make. Peterson added that the other strong statement is in regards to placing no more emergency or transitional housing in block group 18.2. MOTION: Left moved to approve the revision to recommendation 12, that the City should develop a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy with incentives for new housing developments, deleting the second and third sentences, and leaving the last sentence as is. Clausen seconded. The motion passed on a vote of 6-1-1. Hayek voted against, with Anciaux recused. Anciaux returned at this time. Stutsman asked Hayek if he would be submitting a minority report regarding the motion. Hayek said yes. Anthony asked if dissenting notes would be submitted with the report. Hayek said yes, all the extra statements would be attached to the end of the report. Hayek moved the discussion to the matrix. Nasby distributed copies of the new matrix data, noting that though the data are all the same on the new one as on the one distributed in the packets, the new one has a label saying it includes rental and owner-occupied assisted units. He said that the census numbers by block group for Iowa City were obtained from the state data center; because there was some confusion in the block group numbers as some of the counts included both City and County blocks. The number of building permits show is the number of units permitted during calendar years 2000 through 2004, according to the Housing and Inspection Services Office. Nasby said the fair share over/under column compares the percentage of total housing in Iowa City in each block group with the percentage of assisted housing in the block group. If the percentages of the total housing units are equal to the percentage of assisted housing units, a block group would have its fair share. If not, it is classified as either over or under represented. He explained that the over/under column corresponds to the map that was included in the packet. The areas highlighted on the map are the ones that are underrepresented or lack assisted housing opportunities in correspondence with the matrix data. Stutsman asked if the benchmark of "over/under" and the definitions of the types of assisted units would be included. Nasby said he would add those definitions as footnotes on the matrix. Clausen said the new matrix makes determining the over and under represented areas very easy. Nasby said that the change to the data from the previous matrix is that owner-occupied assisted units were included. That increased the number of assisted units by 126 citywide. Anthony asked if the inclusion of owner-occupied units changed the map. Nasby said yes, the two changed block groups are 15.2 and 17.3, which are both over represented with the owner-occupied units. Peterson confirmed that the yellow areas of the map are under represented. Nasby says yes. Stutsman said that the map key should be explicit, explaining that the yellow areas are under represented, while the white areas are over represented. Nasby noted that the numbers in the matrix will be dynamic, and the Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 5 dilution rates will change every year. However, using the matrix will allow rapidly expanding block groups to be easily identified. Vandenberg asked how large the numbers in tract 105 would have to grow before it was not over represented. Nasby said that the percentage of all housing units would go up in that block group, while the other number (percent of units assisted vs. total units) would come down. Where they would meet is difficult to determine. Eastham said that by comparing to other tracts with similar percentages, 105 would have to double the number of units to reach that point. Hayek said that the subcommittee members were pleased to have data they are comfortable with, and that can be recalculated every year based on issued building permits. Peterson asked what Vandenberg's concerns were about tract 105. Vandenberg said it is an example of all the details that cannot be controlled for. The assisted housing there is for the elderly, which gives the neighborhood a different character. If elderly and disabled assisted housing were not included, the area would be very suitable for more assisted development for family housing. The good thing is that the taskforce is not saying assisted housing cannot be built there, just that it would not qualify for incentives. Peterson agreed that there had been a lot of discussion about the diverse impacts of the different types of assisted housing. MOTION: Anciaux moved to accept the revised matrix, and Stutsman seconded. Anthony said he has concerns about the new matrix, though it is acceptable in conjunction with the recommendation for a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy. Many highlighted areas will not allow rental units or affordably priced units because of current zoning. Also, the matrix does not take into account the potential for development of any area. With the inclusionary zoning, new development will include assisted units at least in the undeveloped parts of the highlighted areas of the map. Hayek said that zoning constraints are noted in the narrative portion of the matrix. Anthony said there was some discussion about whether to include owner-occupied units in the matrix, because previous matrix drafts accounted only for rental units. Rackis said that assisting with owner- occupied units basically involves assistance with getting a second mortgage to cover the total cost of the unit. It is essentially another loan, or down payment assistance. Second loans to cover down payments are becoming more commonly available through banks, but if it is done through the City, it is labeled as assisted. Vandenberg would like to emphasize in the summary that the type of assisted housing matters. Peterson agreed that is an issue of concern. She added that is addressed in the first bullet point, though it is not stated strongly. Hayek asked if that should be reworded. Anthony asked if public housing is included in the matrix. Rackis said yes, because they have fixed sites. The housing choice voucher program does not have fixed sites. Vandenberg suggested changing "public housing" to "housing choice voucher program." Vandenberg said assisted housing by type would be a different bullet point. Stutsman suggested putting what is meant by "type" in brackets. There was general consensus to accept the proposed edits. Hayek asked for feedback from Eastham regarding rental only versus rental and owner-occupied units in the matrix. Eastham said that it is practical to include only rental units in assisted unit numbers, and exclude owner-occupied. The question is whether or not the map reflects over represented units in a way that makes sense, in terms of what is occurring with current development. Also, there is no rationale for inclusion of owner-occupied units for assessing impacts of assisted housing. They have typically been considered in a different category from rental units. Dennis added that no families who have purchased homes through the Housing Fellowship qualify for free/reduced lunch. She is unsure of the current focus of the taskforce, whether it is on the issues raised by the school district, or on citywide assisted housing. If it is on citywide assisted housing, including elderly and disabled housing is beneficial because those households need services. Vandenberg said it is a citywide focus, which is why the elderly/disabled were included. Eastham said that it would be five years or so before 105 would support additional assisted housing, according to the current evaluation. In tract 105, 8 percent are assisted units, and all 75 of those units are in Regency Heights. He asked what the rationale is for not having the city support further assisted development near Regency Heights. Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 6 Peterson said she would like to have something in the summary noting that the evaluators need to look at the neighborhoods before making decisions, and that the matrix will not be perfect. Vandenberg asked if an inclusionary zoning policy was accepted, more assisted housing would go into tract 105 through that means. Hayek said they would be affordable units. Peterson said that the taskforce is not saying development cannot happen there; just that it would not be eligible for City support or incentives. Hayek said the question at hand is whether to include owner-occupied assisted housing unit numbers in the matrix. The denominator in the calculations includes owner-occupied. Stutsman asked if taking out the owner-occupied units presents an accurate picture of assisted housing in Iowa City. Peterson said that it would not be completely possible to create an accurate picture using a map and a matrix. Stutsman said that many factors go into decisions about where to build, and the matrix gives a limited snapshot of what assisted housing looks like in Iowa City. She would like to keep it as it is, including the owner- occupied. Peterson suggested adding a sentence on page six with the other bullets, encouraging the Council to bear in mind the other factors. Taskforce members together composed an additional sentence to be included in the paragraph, as follows: "However, the taskforce strongly feels that these are factors that need to be considered in any scattered site policy." MOTION: Anciaux amended his motion to accept the revised matrix, including the edits to the bullet points, with Stutsman as second. The motion passed on a vote of 7-1, with Anthony against. Hayek moved the discussion to the introduction section. Stutsman requested a change to her listed title. Hayek said that the roles listed were those people had when the taskforce formed. Peterson said it was written in past tense, so titles should be listed as they were when the taskforce formed. Several changes were submitted by other taskforce members. The taskforce began discussion of the trends section. Hayek said that he would make the necessary changes to trend 4 according to the edit to the pertinent recommendation. Peterson asked what "particularly susceptible" meant in the Second paragraph of trend number 1. Anciaux said it that other metropolitan areas are reducing services, so Iowa City is seeing an increase in demand. There is Iow unemployment, so people come here for jobs. Rackis said that the increase is not all tied to the housing waiting list for the local housing programs. Clausen said the trend explanation starts out saying that Iowa City is not unique, but then finishes with an explanation about how the City's situation really is unique. Peterson said she thinks the sentence expresses an inflammatory point of view on a divisive issue in the community. Hayek suggested taking out the word "particularly." Anciaux said he is interested in what Rackis was saying about people moving to Iowa City for job opportunities. Perhaps it should say "job opportunities and/or housing assistance." Rackis said he does not think a connection can be made that everyone who is accessing services in Iowa City is here because of the housing programs. 43 percent of the families on the waiting list do not live in Iowa City. The largest migration to Johnson County is from Linn County. Peterson asked what the last sentence in the paragraph adds to the explanation. Anciaux said he has concerns about the second-to-last sentence in the paragraph. Stutsman suggested deleting them both. Hayek said that it is important to point out that Iowa City is an attractive community because of Iow unemployment and available services, among other reasons. Peterson said the word "susceptible" implies something bad might happen to the community. Clausen suggested editing the second-to-last sentence. Anciaux recommended deleting it. Vandenberg noted there is ample access to medical facilities, convenience to the interstate, as well as the university. Petersonsaid she agrees, but when people discuss services, they typically mean human services. There is a perception that the fact that Iowa City offers human services is why there is a problem. Rackis said that discussion about why people come to Iowa City should be a separate trend. Hayek said it initially was which may explain some of the current confusion. Peterson said if the point is that people who need housing assistance also need other service, which is one thing. Stutsman said the point is to justify why the demand for housing assistance is on the rise. People are attracted to this community for a number of reasons. Rackis said that the inference is made Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 7 that the waiting list is bringing people to Iowa City, because the waiting list is discussed in the first part of the trend explanation. Hayek asked if job opportunities should be added to the point. Stutsman agreed. Dennis said that one reason why the demand for assisted housing is on the rise is because, with only 4.4 percent of all housing assisted, there simply isn't enough. People are not coming to Iowa City for cheap housing. Rackis said that stating the waiting list was zero in 2000 is inaccurate. There was a waiting list prior to receiving 200 additional vouchers into the program. The waiting list is also not necessarily a benchmark of need, because not everyone on the list will keep their contact information updated, nor will necessarily be qualified even when their names come up. Rackis said trend number I should be separated into two trend statements. Anciaux confirmed that what Rackis is saying is that people come to Iowa City for a variety of reasons, not necessarily because of the housing waiting list. Those reasons include economic opportunities. Hayek said that the second paragraph clarifies reasons for moving to Iowa City. Dennis said there is a widespread perception in the community that because human services are so available in Iowa City that people come to the community to take advantage of them, and that is what causes problems. Peterson agreed. Peterson suggested changing the sentence to make it more positivel "Iowa City is a particularly attractive place to live due to its broad array of services." Using the word "susceptible" is not the best tone. Rackis said having the trend divided would be more effective. Peterson said the trend is discussing the demand for housing assistance overall, not necessarily linked to the waiting list. People come to Iowa City for a variety of reasons, and cannot find affordable housing. Hayek suggested adding "low unemployment" to Peterson's proposed sentence. There was general consensus to add "job opportunities" instead. Anciaux asked Rackis if he still had concerns. Rackis said the trend explanation as it stood still had the potential to feed the myth that everyone on the houSing waiting list is living in Iowa City and currently accessing services. It also could feed into the myth that people are here because of the policies of major metropolitan areas. Stutsman said unless the statement is eliminated totally, it clearly states what the taskforce means, with the edits suggested by Peterson. Vandenberg said that the dual needs of housing assistance and other services are addressed in another section. Stutsman agreed with taking out the statement that many who seek housing assistance also need other services. Clausen confirmed that currently the revisions to the second paragraph of trend 1 are to leave the first two sentences as stated, remove the third sentence, and then revise the last sentence as proposed by Peterson. There was general consensus to accept the proposed edits. Stutsman asked why Coralville is included in trend number 2. Hayek said it is because Coralville shares these issues; their housing costs are on the rise. Dennis asked why households below 50 percent median income are referred to as "modest," when HUD refers to that level as "very Iow." Peterson asked what modest income is. Anthony said 80 to 100 percent median income. Peterson suggested changing it instead to "modest incomes." There was general consensus to accept the proposed edits. Hayek said that number 3 notes the limitations of the census data. No edits were suggested. No edits were suggested for number 4. For trend number 5, Vandenberg said that it should say Twain and Wood "may" be on the watch list in the last paragraph. There are two measures, and by one measure they are on the list, but the second measure has not been calculated yet. Hayek suggested putting "at risk" of being put on the watch list. Peterson agreed. Dennis asked whether Lincoln is compared with Twain for mobility because it is the lowest. Vandenberg said yes. Vandenberg distributed a chart with free/reduced lunch information, to be included as a reference with the report. Iowa City schools with changes are starred. She noted that the rate has decreased in some Iowa City schools. However, Lemme, Lucas, Twain, and Wood have increased. Anthony asked if information for the schools currently on the watch list could be included. Vandenberg said they are junior high and high schools. Rackis agreed, noting that those schools are fed by the elementary schools. Vandenberg said that they are on the watch list because of special education. Left said also for English as a second language learners. Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 8 Anthony suggested changing the statement to say that the taskforce could not examine the information. A link between the two points was not confirmed because the data was not available. There was general consensus to accept the proposed edit. Rackis said there is some concern with potential links between free/reduced lunch rates and assisted housing in some schools, specifically Wood and Twain. The question becomes why assisted housing is not a problem for other schools with the same percentages on the free/reduced chart. Vandenberg said it is saying that poverty and mobility is a challenge in education, and poses a greater challenge for some schools than others. Anciaux said both schools draw from census block 18.2. Vandenberg said the issue is that there is greater poverty in those two schools than others. Eastham said there is no clear evidence that links the poverty in those schools to assisted housing. There was general agreement with that statement. Clausen said that is why the statement was edited to say the information could not be examined. Eastham said the taskforce's purview is assisted housing, rather than poverty. Peterson noted that these are explanations of general trends in the community. Rackis said that listing only those two schools implies that poverty and mobility are problems only in those two schools, even though other schools have similar percentages. Hayek said the chart is included. Peterson agreed that these are used as examples. Hayek suggested including mobility data. Vandenberg said that is possible, but would be difficult. Dennis said that if assisted housing cannot be tied to poverty and mobility in the schools, perhaps it should not be included. Left said that it has to be included because of the original charge of the taskforce. Hayek said other things would have to be removed as well by that logic. This section is a discussion of trends the taskforce noticed, not the subject of specific policy recommendations. Dennis agreed that poverty and mobility is a large problem in education, but suggested that if more people could find housing they could afford, those problems could be alleviated. That would mean more assisted housing. Stutsman said the explanation says poverty and mobility are a challenge to the schools, not that it is caused by assisted housing. Eastham said that all schools that experience challenges from poverty and mobility should be included in the discussion, rather than just singling out Twain and Wood. Vandenberg said she would be willing to focus on Twain as an example, because it is always far above the other schools by any measure of needs assessment. The situation at Twain does have a lot to do with assisted housing, from HACAP, MECCA, and DVIP. Eastham said if that is the reason for the opinion that assisted housing has an impact on Twain and Wood, the statement should be explicit. The type of assisted housing should be specified. Stutsman said she would agree with focusing on Twain. Left also agreed. Hayek said the chart would be included so the numbers for all schools is included. Left said using an average would be better than choosing Lincoln. Vandenberg suggested adding a note that some free/reduced rates are decreasing. Peterson said it is important to keep in mind what is stated in the last sentence of the second paragraph. Stutsman asked to add a statement, referring readers to the chart. There was general consensus to accept the proposed edits. Stutsman said she would like to change the heading of number 6. Left said the heading for number 7 should be changed as well. The heading statement for number 6 was changed to, "Local service providers are faced with increasing demands." Several other edits were made to the explanation. There was general consensus to accept the proposed edits. Heading statement for trend 7 changed to, "The University of Iowa impacts local housing." Clausen said she would like to include the percentage of university students living off campus. The University is another group that the city needs to work with. Rackis said he has the percentage and the number. Hayek said he preferred including the number. Stutsman suggested including both. Anciaux noted that university students can augment their rent payments by having roommates with individual incomes, whereas families have fewer income options. In trends number 8, "Section 8" was changed to "housing choice voucher program." Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Minutes October 3, 2005 Page 9 MOTION: Left moved to accept the trends as amended, and Anciaux seconded. The motion passed on a vote of 8-0. Hayek said that all taskforce members are encouraged to submit dissenting opinions or additional thoughts for any part of the report. These should be submitted to Nasby in memo format by close of business on October 10. Nasby said they should be one page, in at least 11 point font. MOTION: Anciaux moved to accept the scattered site housing taskforce report to the City Council as amended and previously voted, and Peterson seconded. The motion passed on a vote of 7-1, with Anthony against. Stutsman and Left noted thanks to the subcommittee for their hard work putting together the report. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION: Left moved to adjourn, and Vandenberg seconded. The motion passed on a vote of 8-0, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. s:lpcdlminuteslScatteredSiteHousingTaskforce/2005110-03~)5.doc Scattered Site Housing Taskforce Attendance Record 2005 01/03 01/24 01/31 02/14 02/28 03/28 04/04 04/25 10/13 D. Anciaux X O/E X X X X X X X J. Anthony X X X X X X X X X D. Clausen X X O/E X X X X X X M. Hayek X X X X X X X X X J. Left X X X O/E X X O/E X X J. Peterson X X X X X X X X X S. Stutsman X X O/E O/E O/E X X X X VandenBerg X X X X X X X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting ..... Not a Member I '10-27-05 IP21 MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBER 6, 2005 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Anciaux, Bob Brooks, Ann Freerks, Beth Koppes, Dean Shannon, Terry Smith, Wally Plahutnik MEMBERS ABSENT: NONE STAFF PRESENT: Mitch Behr, Robert Miklo A. Callto Order Brooks called the meeting to order at 7:37. B. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda NONE C. Subdivision Items SUB05-00006 Discussion of an application submitted by Arlington Development for a final plat of Windsor Ridge Part 21 Subdivision, a two-lot, 10.66-acre residential subdivision located at East Court Street and Taft Avenue. Miklo said the preliminary plat of this plan was approved last year and the applicant is applying for a final plat. Miklo said the final plat is in order, and meets all specifications of the preliminary plat and Zoning and Subdivision regulations. He noted that the City Attorney and Public Works office are reviewing the legal papers and construction drawings and provided those are in order before the council reviews it then the application is set for approval. Public discussion opened NONE Public discussion closed MOTION: Anciaux moved that SUB05-00006 an application submitted by Arlington Development for a final plat of Windsor Ridge Part 21 Subdivision, a two-lot, 10.66-acre residential subdivision located at East Court Street and Taft Avenue be approved subject to the legal papers and construction drawings being approved by the City Attorney and Public Works office. Koppes seconded the motion. Motion carried with a vote of 7-0. SUB05-00024 Discussion of an application submitted by Third Street Partners for a final plat of Village Green Part XXIII, a 38-1ot, 19.32-acre residential subdivision on Wintergreen Drive. Miklo said the preliminary plat and OPDH plan were approved earlier in the year. Miklo said the final plat is in order, and meets all specifications of the preliminary plat and the Zoning and Subdivision regulations. Staff recommends approval subject to approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to council consideration. Freerks asked if there are any issues with maintenance and landscaping. Miklo said that it is addressed in the legal papers. The landscaping on the outlots must be put in prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy and there will be a homeowner association to provide long-term maintenance. Public discussion opened Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes October 6, 2005 Page 2 NONE Public discussion closed MOTION: Smith moved that SUB05-00024 an application submitted by Third Street Partners for a final plat of Village Green Part XXlII, a 38-1ot, 19.32-acre residential subdivision on Wintergreen Drive be approved subject to approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to council consideration. Freerks seconded the motion. Motion carried with a vote of 7-0. SUB05-00025 Discussion of an application submitted by Third Street Partners for a final plat of Village Green Part XXIV, a 38-1ot, 6.36- acre residential subdivision on Sterling Drive. Miklo said the preliminary plat of this plan was approved earlier in the year. Miklo said the final plat is in order, and meets all specifications of the preliminary plat and the Zoning and Subdivision regulations. Staff recommends approval subject to approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to council consideration. Brooks asked if they are going to develop it all as one development. Miklo said they will build the eastern part first, and then the western part. Smith asked what is the typical width of the smaller lots. Miklo said that they are 27-30 feet. Public discussion opened NONE Public discussion closed MOTION: Plahutnik moved that SUB05-00025 an application submitted by Third Street Partners for a final plat of Village Green Part XXlV, a 38-1ot, 6.36- acre residential subdivision on Sterling Drive be approved subject to approval of legal papers and construction drawings prior to council consideration. Koppes seconded the motion. Motion carried with a vote of 7-0. D. Consideration of the September 15, 2005 Meeting Minutes MOTION: Smith moved to approve the minutes as submitted. Koppes seconded the motion. Motion carried with a vote of 7-0. E. Other Item Miklo said that the Council has scheduled a work session in October 17 to talk about the code. He noted they will meet at 5PM and will provide supper. F. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:47PM. s:lpcdlminuteslp&zl2OO5110-O6-O5.doc Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission Attendance Record 2005 FORMAL MEETING Term Name Expires 1/6 1/20 2/3 2/17 3/3 3/17 4/7 4/21 5/$ 6/16 6/2? 7/6 7/21 8/4 8/15 9/1 9/15 10/6 D. Anciaux 05/06 X X X X X O/E X X X X O/E X X O/E O/E X X X B. Brooks 05/10 X X X X X X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X A. Freerks 05/08 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X E. Koppes 05/07 O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X W Plahutnik 05/10 ................................. X X X X O/E O/E X X O/E X D. Shannon 05/08 X X X O/E O/E X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X X T. Smith 05/06 ................................. X X X X X X O/E × X X INFORMAL MEETING Term Name Expires 1/3 2/14 2/28 3/14 4/4 4/18 5/2 6/13 7/18 8/1 8/15 8/29 9/12 D. Anciaux 05/06 CW X X O/E X X X X X O/E X X X B. Brooks 05/10 CW X X X X X X X X X X X X A. Freerks 05/08 CW X X X O/E X O/E X X X X O/E X E. Koppes 05/07 CW X X X O/E X X X X X X X X W Plahutnik 05/10 CW ..................... O/E X O/E O/E X X X D. Shannon 05/08 CW O/E O/E X X X X X X X X O O T. Smith 05/06 ............................. X X X X X X ] [ Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused N/M= No Meeting 5 IP22 MINUTES PRELIMINARY IOWA CITY PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2005, 3:30 P.M. LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL Members Present: Charles Felling, Rick Fosse, James Hemsley, Emily Martin, Mark Seabold, Terry Trueblood, Emily Carter-Walsh Staff Present: Karin Franklin, Marcia Klingaman Call to Order Seabold called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: By a vote of 7-0, the Committee recommended the Call to Artists for the Wetherby Park improvements submitted by the Wetherby Friends and Neighbors Neighborhood Association be approved. Public discussion of any item not on the agenda Felling asked if anyone attended the dedication for the new yard piece on Muscatine Ave. He said seeing the piece brought to mind other members of the community who have done similar projects in their yards. He suggested developing a program for the committee to recognize people who have added art to the community, with a sign or some other citation. It might encourage public art. Trueblood arrived at this point. Franklin said that Klein had proposed Art by the Yard at a previous meeting, which was somewhat similar. Seabold said that would have been an art walk, to homes of individuals who have art. Felling suggested adding that to the list of projects in progress. Franklin said it would be best to do it in the spring or fall, to take advantage of pleasant weather. Consideration of the Minutes of the September 1,2005 Meeting MOTION: Fosse moved to accept the minutes as submitted. Felling seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Presentation and discussion of Neighborhood Art proiects Wetherby Friends & Neighbors Carl to Artists Klingaman said she assisted with putting together the draft of the call for artists for Wetherby Friends and Neighbors. The call needs the approval of the committee before going before the Council. The call is much more specific about the themes the different components would have, and should lend itself to receiving proposals from artists for both aspects. Trueblood noted that the previous railing was not fragile, contrary to the description in the call. It should be made clear that the new one needs to be very strong. Franklin suggested removing the word "delicate." Trueblood said the previous railing was made of wood with metal joints attaching it to the structure. The replacement needs to be very durable. Franklin asked if the call should specify that the railing should be metal. Martin said unless the material is specified, all materials would be submitted as concepts. Trueblood said the railing should be attached strongly to the shelter as well. Klingaman asked if a project to paint the existing shelter would be feasible, in order to tie the different elements together. Trueblood said yes. Franklin confirmed that the call would specify the railing should be metal. Trueblood suggested stating that the previous railing was wood and repeatedly vandalized, to discourage any sort of wood proposals. Franklin asked if the selection meeting would be in December. Klingaman said the neighborhood association would select artists to interview by December, and would probably bring proposals to the committee in February. The time frame is about a month later than originally proposed, because of scheduling around the holidays. Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes October 6, 2005 Page 2 Seabold said that for the Benton Hill project, the committee was part of the process of selecting artists. He asked if that aspect is dependent on the neighborhood association's wishes. Klingaman said that the role of the association in the past has been to do the interviews. Franklin said that the Benton Hill project entailed a little different process because it was a PAAC project with inclusion of the Miller Orchard neighborhood, who did not want to work on a project independently. Klingaman asked for confirmation that the call needs to go before the Council next. Franklin said yes. Klingaman asked if a motion is needed. Franklin said yes, a motion is needed to accept the project and recommend that the Council approve it. MOTION: Trueblood moved to accept the proposed neighborhood association art project and recommend City Council approval. Fosse seconded, and the motion was passed unanimously. Melrose Neighborhood Association Klingaman said that preliminary locations for the markers have been selected for the Melrose Neighborhood project. Discussions about the location have begun with the city engineer to see if the markers can be placed in those locations. Research on the various buildings and sites is also being done. Franklin asked for confirmation that this project has not gone before Council yet. Klingaman said it has not. Franklin asked if the representative knows she needs to submit a proposal for approval. Klingaman said she would talk to her about it. Franklin said she is concerned about having a lot of work put into the project before the Council has approved it. Trueblood asked if there is a marker or other item planned for the park. Klingaman said not a marker, since there is very little information of historical significance about the park. It is possible that artwork will be put in the park, if there is extra funding available after the markers have been completed. The plan for this neighborhood project is still in progress. Discussion of sculptor's showcase in Peninsula Park or Willow Creek Park and of acquisition of Love is Stran.qe Franklin asked if the committee would like to continue with the rotating sculpture project for university students in the Lower Peninsula area, or move it to Willow Creek Park. Related to that is the request from Goddard for the city to acquire his finished piece, "Love is Strange." Klingaman distributed copies of a letter from Goddard Franklin said that Goddard has said in his letter that he would like the city to acquire the piece for $3K. The question is not necessarily about the money, but whether the committee would like to acquire the piece. Fosse asked for confirmation that durability had not been a consideration in the development of the piece. Franklin said yes, but that Goddard makes an argument in his letter that it will be more durable than expected. Seabold said the sculpture could be sealed to help protect it from decay, and he would recommend that if the city acquired the piece. Franklin noted that Goddard says there would be virtue in allowing the sculpture to decay for several years, and that it would be several years before serious damage occurred. Hemsley asked if $3K is reasonable. Felling said yes. Seabold said Goddard's sculpture turned out very well, and he is in favor of having the city acquire the piece. It is very different than other art around the city. Franklin said it could be sealed before the winter season if the Council agrees to acquire it. However, the Committee could also give the piece some time to see how well it will hold up. Fosse said that distress to the concrete would occur over the course of several years, not one winter. He added that once the rebar starts to rust, it will expand and eventually pop the concrete off of the bars, but that would take a number of years to happen as well. Franklin said that an acquisition would have to be recommended to the Council and receive approval. Hemsley asked if acquiring the piece would eliminate the possibility for future student projects. Franklin said no, though it might make it easier to move the display site back to the peninsula. She asked Fosse if progress has been made on the dam. Fosse said that work is progressing, and it should be done soon. Walsh asked what would happen to the piece were it not acquired. Franklin said Goddard would have to move it at the end of the display year, unless someone else purchased it. There is a plaque next to the piece indicating that it is for sale. Trueblood asked if there is a minimum amount of time it would be Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes October 6, 2005 Page 3 displayed, even if someone purchased it very soon. Klingaman said the contract specifies it will be displayed until May, and that Goddard would not be moving it,.but would destroy it. Hemsley asked if the committee could wait until the display year is over and then decide. Franklin said yes. Fosse noted that someone might also purchase it in the meantime. Hemsley asked if the committee wants it, or give someone else a chance to have it. Franklin said the question also is if the committee wants it sealed before winter sets in, if you want the piece. Trueblood asked if sealing the sculpture would need to be cleared with the artist. Franklin said yes, if the decision was made not to purchase it until next year. If the city buys it, the seal could be put on right away. However she did note the Visual Artists' Rights Act prevents changes to the piece without the artist's permission. Hemsley asked if that would prevent sealing it. Franklin said possibly, if part of the artistic vision for the piece was its deconstruction. That is why the artist would need to be consulted and brought on board with the plan. Seabold said he would like to see the piece deteriorate. Franklin said the committee also has the option to purchase the piece and allow it to deteriorate, with the understanding that after a period of time the asset would no longer exist. Fosse said if the committee members are content with the piece deteriorating, the purchase decision could be deferred for a year. Seabold noted the risk that the piece would no longer be available at that time. Martin asked whether there is a large risk of the piece being purchased. Franklin said it has not happened yet, though there have been offers for some pieces in the past. MOTION: Fosse moved to defer the decision to acquire "Love is Strange" until the end of the display year, and Hemsley seconded. Seabold said he is inclined to buy the piece now. It is a very nice piece and very different. Felling said it could be part of the art in the park plan. Franklin said that was mentioned in Goddard's letter, since the idea was to have several pieces in that wooded area. Trueblood said he is unsure whether the city should buy it. Felling asked if the committee would still want the piece if it were not designed to decompose. Hemsley said the committee should wait a year to acquire it. The pictures indicate it is a very beautiful piece, and interesting to look at. However, if someone in the private sector wants to purchase it, another piece could be commissioned from another student. Martin asked how much the honorarium is for this project. Franklin said $500. Walsh asked for confirmation that the honorarium was intended to cover installation. Franklin said yes, as well as the cost of materials. Hemsley said that the project has succeeded in its goal of giving a student artist a venue to put their work into a public space. Martin said she is inclined to wait to purchase the piece until next year. The piece is very nice and fits well in the location, but she is not sure she is inclined to keep it longer than a year. The committee is not obliged to purchase the piece in order to avoid having it destroyed. Walsh agreed. General consensus was to wait on acquisition of "Love is Strange". Franklin said that since the committee has decided not to buy at this time, nothing needs to be done at this point. The item will be put on the agenda in May or June, to see what the committee's opinion is at that time. She said the question still remains where to display future UI student showcase pieces. Hemsley asked what the installation time frame for this project was. Franklin said the piece is supposed to be displayed from June to May. The project was originally targeted for May completion, but was delayed this year due to issues with the bridge building. Hemsley asked if the park would be ready in 2006. Fosse said it should be. Seabold said he likes the location in the peninsula park. Walsh agreed that the peninsula location is good and has the space to accommodate a variety of styles. Franklin confirmed that the peninsula would continue to be the location for the rotating student sculpture showcase. Franklin asked if the call for artists for the student rotation sculpture showcase had been sent. Klingaman said no, it would be reviewed at the next meeting. Franklin said it would be similar to last year's call. Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee Minutes October 6, 2005 Page 4 Discussion of budget Franklin distributed budget summaries, and noted that the listed total is not completely accurate, as it should be reduced by $21,983.00. One expenditure during the fiscal year was not reflected in the information she pulled from the financial system. However, an additional $50K will be available in March 2006 when bonds are sold again. Fosse confirmed that the total revised balance would be approximately $130K. Trueblood asked if the money for Benton Hill had been transferred. Franklin said she did not see it in the information she had. Franklin said the encumbrances are for the rotating sculptures, art in the parks, and the neighborhood projects. The committee could opt to place art in both parks this year, as the council approved both calls for artists for the art in the park project. She said she would recommend against taking on any additional projects at this time. If any of the neighborhood projects lose momentum, then other projects could be examined again. Franklin indicated Councilor Dee Vanderhoef has expressed in a large piece in Mercer Park, though Franklin does not know what exactly she has in mind. Franklin said the committee is in good shape in terms of revenue and expenditure plans, showing that the committee is using the money that it is allocated. Committee time/Other business Franklin said that the annual report had been submitted. She said if there are projects that committee members think should be added or deleted, that discussion could be on next month's agenda. Seabold said he still plans to circulate the information kiosk he developed for the showcase dedication in June. Franklin said it might be good to survey the community to find out their thoughts on public art, especially since there are now more neighborhoods with public art. Seabold said a good resource for alternative funding might be some residents in Oak Knoll apartments. There is a strong art culture there, and some good personal collections. If there was an event, project, or piece that they would be interested in, he thinks they would get behind it fairly strongly. He said he would be willing to approach them. One idea is to do a showing of pieces from their personal collections. Fosse suggested having an art walk through the apartments. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the committee, Fosse moved to adjourn and Hemsley seconded. The meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m. s:lpcdlminuteslpubljc. Arti2OO5/artl 0-06-05.doc Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2005 Term Name Expires 1/06 2/02 3/02 4/07 5/05 7/07 9/01 10/06 11/03 12/01 0/00 Emily Carter Walsh 01/01/08 CW X O X X X O/E X Charles Felling 01/01/06 CW X X X O/E X X X James Hemsley 01/01/06 CW O/E X X X X O/E X Emily Martin 01/01/08 CW X O/E O/E X O/E X X Mark Seabold 01/01/07 CW X X X X X X X Rick Fosse CW O/E X X X X X X Terry Trueblood CW O/E X X X X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting CW = Cancelled due to Weather -O5 MINUTES DRAFT Iowa City Airport Commission October 13, 2005 Iowa City Airport Terminal - 5:45 PM Members Present: Randy Hartwig, Chair; Greg Fan-is; Howard Horan; Carl Williams, John Staley Staff Present: Sue Dulek, Michael Tharp Others Present: Dave Hughes, Earth Tech; Jack Young, Big Kids Toy Show; Ron Duffe DETERMINE QUORUM: Chairperson Hartwig called the meeting to order at 5:45 PM. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: Pay Grade/Job Description of "airport operations specialist" - Staley moved to recommend that the budget be amended to delete the full time manager position and add a new position of airport operations specialist, at pay grade level of 23 at 60% time; seconded by Farris. Motion carried 5 to 0 to recommend this to Council. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 8, 2005 MEETING: Chairperson Hartwig asked if there were any additions or changes to the above-named minutes. Hartwig noted that on the second page, under 2., it states, "She also noted that Taylor Construction, one of the bidders on this project who came in approximately $77,000, has..." is not referring to a bid of $77,000, but $77,000 more than the bid. Williams moved to accept the minutes of the September 8, 2005 meeting as amended; seconded by Farris. Motion passed 5-0. PUBLIC DISCUSSION: Jack Young addressed the Commission on behalf of the Big Kids Toy Show. He stated that they are hoping to have the 2006 show on May 19, 20, and 21. Young stated that they will be adding some activities at the 2006 show - they hope to have a dance on Saturday evening and to add more children's activities. He also stated that they are in the process of creating an ownership entity for the Toy Show, known as Family Foundations for Youth, to provide opportunity for teenagers to participate in summer camp activities they may not otherwise be able to take part in. The Commission agreed that the 2006 Toy Show planning sounds good. Ron Duffe reported that Hertz arrived about two weeks ago and they have hired a manager for t'ae Iowa City location. He stated that they plan to do some remodeling first, and get their staff trained and ready to go. Dulek reported that she has had communication with Hertz regarding the leasing situation. Hartwig explained to the newer members what the plans are for this lease arrangement. The discussion turned to signage and what type and size Hertz plans to use. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION: A. Runway 07 Project - Earth Tech 1. Update - Dave Hughes of Earth Tech reported to the Commission that they have received their permit from the D.N.R., and the contractor started work this week. Currently he is working on excavating, and construction of the box. Hughes stated they plan to have a fairly large work crew so the project should move fairly quickly. Hughes then stated that last week there was a meeting with the FAA, and that it was a very productive meeting. He stated there are a few "hurdles" 'they need to get past - involving costs - and that the first step will be a thorough obstruction ~ survey. Members asked various questions concerning this survey, stating that they thought this type of survey had already been taken care of. Hughes stated that they would start on this right away, if approved. 2. Consider a resolution approving a supplemental agreement for engineering services for a detailed obstruction survey on the approach ends. Hartwig moved to consider the resolution approving a supplemental agreement for engineering services for a detailed obstruction survey on the approach ends; seconded by Williams. Resolution No. A-05-24 passed on a roll call vote, 5-0. B. Iowa Department of Transportation--Consider a resolution accepting an IDOT grant for airfield signs. Hartwig noted that this is a grant they are eligible for as a result of completing an acceptable security plan. The grant is for approximately $3,600 and will be used to replace fencing. Horan moved to consider a resolution accepting an IDOT grant for airfield signs; seconded by Staley. Resolution No. A-05-25 passed on a roll call vote, 5-0. C. Aviation Commerce Park - Dulek noted that the members' packets contained a proposed City Council resolution and a proposed amendment to the Wal-Mart purchase agreement, extending the closing date to January 31, 2006. She noted that this item would be on the Council's agenda for October 18. D. Airport "Operations": Strategic Plan--Implementation; Budget; and Airport Management - 1. Update - Hartwig reported on the part-time management person that they intend to hire. He noted that Dan Clay has been working with Sylvia Mejia, the Personnel Administrator for the City, in preparing a job description and deciding a pay grade. The members discussed the draft job description and the two pay-grade levels that Personnel suggested. Hartwig noted that they could always revisit this position at a later date, if they see a need, and increase it to a full-time position. Dulek suggested the members add, "prepares the agenda packet" to the job description, as well. Members noted the importance of knowing now whether this position can become full-time in the future. The discussion turned to the need to amend the current Airport budget, which shows an item for "airport manager, grade 27," and add a new item, "airport operations specialist," with the new pay grade they decide on. (TAPE ENDS) 2. Pay Grade/Job Description of"airport operations specialist" - Staley moved to recommend the position of airport operations specialist at a pay grade level of 23 and 60% time; seconded by Farris. Motion carried 5 to 0 to recommend this to Council. Hartwig stated that he would rewrite the job description with the changes they discussed. Hartwig then discussed the Airport budgets for FY06 and 07, and several of the line items. Members then discussed what items need to be planned for, as far as maintenance, asphalt work, painting, etc. Hartwig noted that he and Farris met with a City engineer recently to get his opinion on what he felt the Airport needed to take care of in these areas. Hartwig also noted some of the increases that were made to the new budget. Hartwig also reported that the van the Airport no longer needed was able to be used by another department within the City. E. Airport Viewing Area - Hartwig stated that one of the FAA representatives who was here recently for a meeting did not see a problem with this once he saw the area himself. The members received a copy of a letter from Steve Atkins, City Manager, that was sent to the FAA to show the City's support for this viewing area. F. National Guard Lease - Consider a resolution approving a lease agreement with State of Iowa Armory Board for space to park motor vehicles - Hartwig reported to the members on the status of this lease, noting that once the lease has been executed, the Guard will pay back-rent dating to August 2004. The issue of insurance requirements will be waived, per Dulek. Horan moved to consider a resolution approving a lease agreement with State of Iowa Armory Board for space to park motor vehicles; seconded by Staley. Resolution No. A-05-26 passed on a roll call vote, 5-0. G. Annual Report to City Council - Hartwig shared with members what he and Clay have worked on to present to the City Council. H. Subcommittees' Reports - Discussion centered on "Facilities" and getting costs for the parking area in front of the terminal; costs for painting, furniture, etc. in the terminal; and upgrading to taxiways. All of the members agreed that they do need t~ prioritize these upgrades and, in order to do so, they need to get some actual~ costs. Farris stated that he plans to have some figures on these projects by the next meeting. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT: Hartwig and Tharp discussed the leasing and hangar situation, and Tharp noted that Hanger 3 will be leased soon, and that Hanger 12 is the other one open. Members asked about the waiting list for the newer hangars. Hartwig noted that when the FAA was here recently, they were able to go to the U of I hangar and see the simulator, as well as participate in it. Hartwig also noted that the Iowa City Area Development group would be meeting at the Airport conference room on October 20. Hartwig noted that the Commission needs to get back having someone attend the City Council meetings. COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: Williams updated the Commission on recent meeting concerning possible emergency training at the airport. Williams also announced his resignation due to increased work load at his job. Horan volunteered to be at City Council meetings as needed. STAFF REPORT: Tharp stated that last month the Commission asked him to put together an adtivity summary of the operations going on at the Airport. He stated that since he is there only three days per week, that leaves four days that he is unable to keep track. He did note a web site that has flight following where this type of information can be obtained, as well. He shared a graph that he had prepared, noting a range of 540 to 600 operations in the month of September. SET NEXT REGULAR MEETING FOR: November 10, 2005 at 5:45 P.M. ADJOURN: Meeting adjourned at 7:20 P.M. Airport Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2005 TERM 1/13 2/10 ~/16 ~ 3/10' 4/14 5/12 6/9 7/14 8/11 9/8 10/13 NAME EXP. Daniel Clay 3/1/08 O/E X X X X ...... O ......... Randy 3/1/09 X X X X X X X x X ~- X Hartwig Greg Farris 3/1/07 ..................... X X X X John Staley 3/1/06 X X X X X X X X O X X Carl 3/1/10 X X X X X X X O O X X Williams Howard 3/1/08 ..................... X X X X Horan KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting .... Not a Member MINUTES DRAFT IOWA CITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 - 5:30 P.M. CITY CABLE TV OFFICE, 10 S. LINN ST.-TOWER PLACE PARKING FACILITY MEMBERS PRESENT: Gary Hagen, Michael Christians, Saul Mekies, MEMBERS ABSENT: James Ehrmann, Bebe Ballantyne STAFF PRESENT: Drew Shaffer, Mike Brau, Dale Helling, Sue Dulek, Bob Hardy, JJ Starr OTHERS PRESENT: Josh Goding, Beth Fisher, Susan Rogusky RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL None at this time. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Goding reported that PATV is sponsoring a discussion following a screening of the film "Unconstitutional", which is being shown as part of the library's Intellectual Freedom Festival. The discussion will include two professors and the coordinator of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Workshops on Apple's DVD authoring software will be available in the near future. Fisher reported that the library will have 21 live shoots in the month of October. Among the programs are the International Writers Program, the Intellectual Freedom Festival, Community Reading Month, and the Project Green series. There will also be two candidate forums and a legislative forum. Hardy reported that the first of a series of five events featuring local artists called Community Spotlight was taped. The CTS has covered a number of city council candidate forums and several forums on the public power initiative. The Media Unit taped statements from city council candidates for the Video Voter Project and a program sponsored by the League of Women Voters. School Board election results were displayed on channel 5 from the County Auditor's office. City Council election results will also be covered. The next Avatar Project program will be on domestic violence. Shaffer reported there will a Town Hall Meeting Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. organized by Free Press. Two Federal Communications Commissioners, Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will attend. Citizens will be able to make comments on the local media, media ownership and local news coverage. Shaffer reported that he attended a conference in Washington DC and was able to meet with Senators Grassley and Harkin and Representative Leach and discuss proposed telecommunications legislation. One proposal, advocated by Verizon, would replace local franchises with a national franchise. Conventional wisdom is that some form of a national franchise will likely pass Congress sometime next year. There is debate on making the provisions retroactive, whether there should be a local franchise fee, if public, educational and government (PEG) channel funding will be continued, and whether consumer complaint reaolution will be taken away from city authority. Conference attendees emphasized the need to educate the public on the impact of the legislation. There is a possibility that Iowa City's cable TV franchise would be pre-empted. Helling, Shaffer and Mekies have been working on a letter to the City Council which suggests that they consider returning some of the $100,000 in franchise fees that have been used in recent years to supplement the general fund to enable the department to maintain the staffing and level of production in past years. Shaffer said that Mekies, Helling and he are drafting a letter to all the access channels asking them about their future plans. This will hopefully give the Commission feedback on what the school district perceives for the future of their channel. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Christians moved and Hagen seconded a motion to approve the July 25, 2005 minutes. The minutes were approved unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS Mekies reported that he attended the PATV Board meeting and commended the hard work and dedication of the board. SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSUMER ISSUES Shaffer referred to the quarterly complaint report in the meeting packets and said that during the last quarter the number of complaints were down. There were a number of complaints regarding the loss of basic tier channels to the expanded basic tier. MEDIACOM REPORT No representative was present. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA REPORT No representative was present. PATVREPORT Goding reported that PATV is sponsoring a discussion following a screening of the film "Unconstitutional", which is being shown as part of the library's Intellectual Freedom Festival. The discussion will include two professors and the coordinator of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. A tour of PATV's facilities was conducted for a group from Kindercampus. PATV is seeking a grant from the Community Technology Center Network, which deals with at-risk youth. PATV will be sending out postcards to local non-profit organizations offering to produce a public service announcement promoting their work. Workshops on Apple's DVD authoring software will be available in the near future. SENIOR CENTER REPORT Rogusky distributed the Senior Center TV (SCTV) schedule. SCTV has had equipment failures that has left them without any editing capacity. The City Cable TV Division will be loaning SCTV a computer to cover the gap until it is repaired. IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT No representative was present. LEGAL REPORT Dulek reported that she has been assigned to staff the Telecommunications Commission. LIBRARY REPORT Fisher reported that the library will have 21 live shoots in the month of October. Among the programs are the International Writers Program, the Intellectual Freedom Festival, Community Reading Month, and the Project Green series. There will also be two candidate forums and a legislative forum. KIRKWOOD REPORT No representative was present. MEDIA UNIT Hardy reported that the Community Television Service will be coveting the Johnson County Dog Park Paddle in which dogs are allowed to swim at the City Park swimming pool. The event will raise money for the park. The first of a series of five events featuring local artists called Community . Spotlight was taped. The CTS has covered a number of city council candidate forums and several forums on the public power initiative. The Media Unit taped statements from city council candidates for the Video Voter Project and a program sponsored by the League of Women Voters in which the same questions were asked of each candidate and the responses edited together. School Board election results were displayed on channel 5 from the County Auditor's office. City Council election results will also be covered. The next Avatar Project program will be on domestic violence. Efforts to get better audio in the Senior Center lunchroom have been initiated. CABLE TV ADMINISTRATOR REPORT Shaffer reported there will a Town Hall Meeting Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. organized by Free Press. Two Federal Communications Commissioners, Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will attend. Citizens will be able make comments on the local media, media ownership and local news coverage. Shaffer reported that he attended a conference in Washington DC and was able to meet with Senators Grassley and Harkin and Representative Leach and discuss proposed telecommunications legislation. One proposal, advocated by Verizon, would replace local franchises with a national franchise. Conventional wisdom is that some form of a national franchise will likely pass Congress sometime next year. There is debate on making the provisions retroactive, whether there should be a local franchise fee, if public, educational and government (PEG) channel funding will be continued, and whether cities can continue to resolve consumer complaints. Conference attendees emphasized the need to educate the public on the impact of the legislation. There is a possibility that Iowa City's cable TV franchise would be pre-empted. Verizon has worked at the state level to pass legislation that would free them of PEG requirements. Mediacom, unlike many other cable companies, is supportive of local franchises and PEG channels. Christian asked h°w the Commission could help educate the public on these matters. Shaffer said he hasn't had a chance to develop a strategy. There has been work done towards creating a local video program on the activities of the Cable TV Division and the local access channels. That offers one approach. Letters to the editor and guest editorials in the newspapers are also options. Mekies asked the Commissioners to think about how the Commission might be of assistance in these matters. Use of the City's web site and programs on the cable system would make the information available on an ongoing basis, which would be very beneficial. NEW 1NFOVISION DEMONSTRATION Shaffer introduced JJ Starr who is the principal designer of the new InfoVision system. Starr said that the new system is based on the Mac platform. One of the major developments is that users can now view Web pages that have been approved by city staff. Users are able to maneuver to web sites as if they had a mouse using the numbers on their touch-tone telephones. Image size can be increased and decreased as needed. Screen resolution has been greatly improved. Text is also available in computer-generated speech. Different voices and speeds are available. Video on demand services are available. The InfoVision site is also accessible via the web. Hardy said that the service will be promoted after the beta test is finished. Christianson asked if there would be an opportunity for the public to suggest web sites to be added to the system. Starr said that any link a user attempts to go to from an approved site is logged and added if acceptable. Mekies ~uggested sending out a press release to promote the new system's availability. CABLE TV BUDGET Shaffer said that the city budget is being discussed at this time. Helling, Shaffer and Mekies have been working on a letter to the City Council which suggests that Council consider returning some of the $100,000 in franchise fees that have been used in recent years to supplement the general fund to enable the department to maintain the level of staffing and production in past years. The letter will be included in the next meeting packet for Commission consideration. Mekies said that previously the franchise fee had been viewed as a user fee and thus used for the benefit of those who paid it, specifically, the subscribers. Mekies said that the letter also points out the relatively large reduction in the Cable TV Division's budget as compared to other City departments when the budget crisis occurred. SCHOOL CHANNEL Shaffer said that Mekies, Helling and he are drafting a letter to all the access channels asking them about their future plans. This will hopefully give the Commission feedback on what the school district perceives for the future of their channel. Mekies and Hagen noted that the Commission has discussed this for a number of months and while some improvements have been made, there are still many instances in which the programs have no sound or are unwatchable. Hardy and Hoyland worked on a memo forwarded to school administrators outlining equipment which would make improvements. Mekies said the Commission needs to act on this matter. Christianson said that given the nature of proposed federal legislation that would limit the number of access channels that the Commission may need to set some standards for access channels to strive towards. The Commission agreed to move forward with a letter to the school district. Helling noted that in the past the Commission has not been involved in making evaluative judgements and recommendations about the content and quality of the access channels, but that it is within their right to do so. Mekies said he would prefer the letter be sent to the School Board as it is the School Board meetings that frequently have technical problems and that effects the Board members. HISTORY OF ACCESS IN IOWA CITY Shaffer noted the history of access document in the meeting packet. Mekies suggested putting it on videotape. Shaffer said that parts of it, as well as information on proposed legislation and the future of the access channels might also be included. Shaffer said eventually the history of access in Iowa City will be on the City's access channel and the web. ADJOURNMENT Christians moved and Hagen seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Adjournment was at 6:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Drew Shaffer Cable TV Administrator TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 12 MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD 01/01/03 to CURRENT Meeting Date Kimbcr]¥ Saul Meikes Brett Castillo Terry Smith Jim Pusack Thrower 6/2/03 x x x x x 7/28/03 x x x x x 8/25/03 x x x x o/c 9/22/03 x x x x o/c 10/27/03 x x x x o/c 11/24/03 x x o/c x x 12/15/03 o/c o/c x x x 1/2/04 x o/c x x x 1/26/04 x x x x x 2/23/04 x o/c x o/c x 3/22/04 x x x x x 4/26/04 x x x x O/C 5/24/04 x x O/C x x 6/28/04 x x x o/c x 7/26/04 o/c x x x x 8/26/04 did not meet did not meet did not meet did not meet did not meet 9/27/04 X X X X X 10/25/04 X X 11/04 Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet Did not meet X X X X X 12/20/04 1/24/05 X X X X X 2/28/05 X X X X Gary Hagen 3/8/O5 X X X X 3/25/05 X O X X X 4/25/05 x o/c X X 5/23/05 X o x vacancy × James X x Bebe × Ehrmann Balantyne 6/27/05 X x X X × x Michael Chritians 7/25/05 O X X X 9/26/05 0 X X 0 x (X) = Present (O) = Absent (O/C) = Absent/Called (Excused) DRAFT MINUTES IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION EMMA HARVAT HALL 410 E. Washington Street Tuesday, September 27, 2005 MEMBERS PRESENT: Lisa Beckmann, Scott King, Sara Baird, Jim McCue, Bev Witwer, David Shorr, Billie Townsend. MEMBERS ABSENT: Paul Retish, GeoffWilming. STAFF MEMBERS: Dale Helling, Anne Burnside, Stefanie Bowers. 1. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 7:03 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Townsend noted page three was missing. Burnside provided the missing page. Motion to approve minutes as amended by McCue and seconded by Witwer. Motion passed unanimously. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None. 4. NEW BUSINESS: a. Introduction of Stefanie Bowers. Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator, introduced to Commissioners. b. Review and approve the draft of the Human Rights Commission Annual Report for FY 2005. Beckmann opened the discussion by asking Helling who the intended audience is for the document. Helling reported the City Council is the first recipient of this public document. Witwer expressed concern over the introductory paragraphs of the report. Witwer prefers the report to start with the "mission" of the Human Rights Commission and then the "role" of the Commissioners. Witwer would like the report to mention the various events/programs the Commission sponsors and co-sponsors. Witwer also felt the report failed to address the Commission's role in bringing a human rights perspective to the City Council on current issues in the community. McCue and Shorr concurred. Witwer, McCue, and Bowers will meet in the next few weeks and work on revising the current report. This topic will be included on the October 2005 agenda. c. Winter Projects. Townsend asked Commissioners to look over the sponsored list programs to deCide what programs/activities are truly things the Commission wants to continue to sponsor in the future. Beckmann concurred and added she wanted the Commissioners to do more than just show up for events but to actually participate. This topic will be included on the October 2005 agenda. Baird and King will serve on a subcommittee to plan the movie series. Baird mentioned The Lost Boys of Sudan as a possible movie selection. Follow-up on this matter should be placed on this Commission's agenda for October 2005. The Tenant Landlord Program with Eric Fisher is tentatively scheduled for February 2006. Beckmann and Shorr will head subcommittee to help plan this event. This topic will be included on the October 2005 agenda. King expressed an interest in working with the University of Iowa Human Rights Center and the International Women's Club to make materials to assist International Non Native Speakers coming into the school system. The materials would need to be written in several different languages. King is going to coordinate meeting with these different organizations. This is considered a long term project to be completed by the beginning of next school year (August 2006). This topic will be included on the October 2005 agenda. Witwer announced the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights started publishing a newsletter, witWer will request the Commission be added to the mailing list. The Center is also initiating a Peace Study Program and also trying to provide more international internships for students attending the University of Iowa. 5. OLD BUSINESS: a. Human Rights Breakfast. Beckmann stated the Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. sharp! Burnside said ticket sales are good; estimating 160 people will attend the event. The Press Citizen will be running an editorial discussing the Breakfast in Wednesday, September 28th 2005 edition. The Isabel Turner Award will be presented to University of Iowa College of Law Professor Barbara Schwartz who has worked primarily in the area of immigration. Schwartz has dedicated her career to helping people who traditionally do not have access to quality legal representation. Individual in a Service Organization Award will be presented to William Gorman, Executive Director of Systems Unlimited Inc. Gorman was instrumental in the State of Iowa instituting a Medicaid Waiver Program for mental health and mental retardation. Dr. William Olin will receive the International Award for his work with Operation Smile, an organization that corrects cleft palates in children. Lensing Funeral Home will receive the Business Award for the various services they provide to the community. Valerie Kemp, an Adult Correctional Officer for Johnson County, is receiving the Rich Graf Award for her dedication and commitment to her job. It is not too early to think about the keynote speaker for the 2006 Breakfast. This topic will be included on the October 2005 agenda. b. Building Blocks to Employment: Bowers reported this event is scheduled for October 24, 2005 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Iowa City Recreational Center in the meeting room (social hall). Participating employers are Mercy Hospital, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, ACT and Pearson PLC. Expected mm out for the event is 25-200 people. Things needed are: room partitions, table cloths, food/drinks, flyers, and copies of handouts. Bowers will provide press releases for the event. Help is needed with set up and clean up. Anyone who wants to help with setting up is asked to arrive at 4 p.m. Looking for volunteers to help with resumes and cover letters. Shorr volunteered to help with resumes and Townsend volunteered to help with set-up. Next planning meeting for Building Blocks will be October 10th at noon in Van Allen Hall, 7th Floor, Room 756. 6. READING CASES: Commissioners were provided with a case to read. 7. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Shorr reported on an effort to reform the UN with the creation of a new Human Rights Council that would serve as a new UN body to replace the existing Human Rights Commission. Shorr is currently working with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department, the Department of Corrections, and the State Chaplin in hopes of mobilizing volunteers to work within the local justice system. The goal is to have various programs in place which would include volunteers working with persons incarcerated. Townsend pointed out the inconsistencies in the treatment of people following the Katrina Hurricane versus that of the Rita Hurricane. Townsend feels this mistreatment is a human rights issue and pointed out the lack of coverage (media) given to the groups of Black men (Soul Teams) who manned the boats to assist others in reaching safety before the government came in to help. King reported his continuing disappointment with the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission's failure to sponsor a workshop against gay bullying--the bullying issue was turned down due to a procedural matter. University of Iowa President David Skorton is giving his keynote address on Wednesday, September. 28, 2005. The President is going to push for increased nationalization. This increase will not replace domestic diversity efforts. King expressed concern over the current way the Commission reviews cases. King suggested a paragraph that explains why no probable cause was found. Baird wants simpler case briefs i.e., sexual harassment, housing. McCue mentioned the availability of housing for those misplaced by Hurricane Katrina yet not available for local residents because local residents in need do not meet the criteria required for the assistance. 8. STATUS OF CASES: Burnside reported on one case in which no probable cause was found. In that case compliant filed against her employer based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 9. ADJOURNMENT: Approximately 8:34 p.m. Board or Commission: Human Rights ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2005 (Meeting Date) TERM NAME EXP. 1/25 2/22 3/22 4/26 5/24 6/21 7/26 8/17 8/23 9/27 10/25 11/22 12/27 Lisa Beckman 1/1/07 × X X YA O/E NMNQ X X x X Paul Retish 1/1/07 X X X YA O/E NMNQ X O x O/E Geoff Wilming 1/1/07 X X O/E YA X NMNQ X x O/E Sara Baird 1/1/05 X O/E X YA X NMNQ X X x X David Shorr 1/1/06 X X O/E YA X NMNQ × O/E o/e X James McCue 1/1/06 X X X YA X NMNQ X x X Billie Townsend 1/1/06 X X X YA X NMNQ X o X Bev Witwer 1/1/05 X X X YA O/E NMNQ X x X Scott King 1/1/05 X X X YA X NMNQ X X x X KEY: X = Present NMNQ - No meeting, no quorum O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused I 10-27-05 IP26 ( Iow_a _City _ Public Library Draft BOARD OF TRUSTEES Agenda item 3A Minutes 5:00 pm - September 22, 2005 2nd Floor Board Room David VanDusseldorp, President Linzee McCray, Vice President Thomas Dean William Korf Thomas Martin Meredith Rich-Chappell Pat Schnack, Secretary Leon Spies Tom Suter Members Present: Thomas Dean, Thomas Martin, Linzee McCray, Meredith Rich-Chappell, Pat Schnack, David VanDusseldorp, Members Absent: William Korf, Leon Spies, Tom Surer Staff Present: Barb Black, Susan Craig, Debb Green, Kara Logsden, Martha Lubaroff, Hal Penick Others: Craig Barnes, UI Journalism student Call meeting to Order VanDusseldorp called the meeting to order at 5:01 pm. Public Discussion None Approval of minutes Two typographical errors were noted. In addition, Dean wanted the minutes to expand on his comment about the Annual Report. Minutes were approved as corrected after a motion by Dean, seconded by Schnack. Motion carried 6-0. Unfinished Business University Hei.qhts/Hills Update. VanDusseldorp and Craig met with Hills City Council. The same offer was made to Hills as was made to University Heights, with the exception being that this contract would only be with Iowa City Public Library whereas University Heights will contract with both ICPL and Coralville Public Library. Craig explained that in each case, the library offered those communities the lower of two formulas. Hills wants to work with us to make it happen although they have concerns about their budget. They asked Craig to send them a draft contract. Craig learned officially that there is a library levy on the ballot for the upcoming University Heights Council election. The increase would go towards a contract for service. Craig hopes that by the January meeting we have a contract signed so that it can be in University Heights' FY07 budget. Leased Space Update Craig reported that there has been a flurry of new showings but no official offers. FY07 Budqet discussion Craig gave an overview of the usual calendar for budget development. The Board sees it tonight and after Board approval, it is due to the City tomorrow. Sometime in mid October the Finance Department sends department budgets to the City Manager, who then meets individually with Department Heads, before he makes decisions and sends the budget back to Finance. It is then presented to City Council in December. The biggest item to review tonight is the proposal for expanded library hours that is being recommended by staff. This is an initiative of the new strategic plan. We are asking for additional hours for permanent staff, additional hours for Maintenance, and pages. The entire proposal is about $38,000. FY07 request also includes more funds for supplies to cover building use and higher use in general. We asked for more supply money last year however maintenance supplies continue to increase. There was a question regarding the proposed library school intern for Adult Services and who would pay for that. Craig responded that this provides a person who can work on special projects, as well as provide backup for the Fiction Desk. We recruit interns from the UI Library School. Craig said she would reduce the amount budgeted in this draft for electricity after reviewing utility projections, but needs to increase a maintenance contract. A question was asked about how the City would deal with the request for expanded hours. Craig said she submits the entire budget with a separate piece that describes the expanded service level and what it costs. The City Manager may or may not include it in his recommendation. Council determines the budget, but they do not set library hours, the Library Board does. Dean raised the question of this proposal bringing us one service hour away from meeting the highest state standard for communities our size. Why not add four hours instead of three? Craig said the staff discussed this, but felt an extra hour on Sunday would make shifts so long we would have to schedule lunch breaks. Friday evenings are such an unknown, therefore staff recommend starting small and seeing what the use is. Martin asked if Craig thought this would increase the overall usage. Craig said that we have a very busy library but that usage will likely go up if hours are increased. This budget starts July 1 of next year. If extra hours funding is approved, Craig recommends that we begin at the start of the summer and cover the expenses for one month. Craig said there seems to be community interest in being open on Friday nights. VanDusseldorp would like to wait and see how this goes and felt that we could negotiate and make adjustments if necessary. Dean felt that overall the request does not seem any more than what might be considered a normal increase.in our budget considering inflation. Craig explained the request for additional substitute librarian hours in Children's Services. In order to keep the same level of service, we need to cover these hours. There were some questions regarding the technology requests. The Edifact software module will handle the additional data necessitated by ISBN numbers moving to 13 digits from 10. If we don't have this we will have to revert to some manual work that is currently automated. Airpac will be a new service to allow patrons to search the catalog and manage library accounts from anywhere with handheld devices. VanDusseldorp asked about the security cases for DVD's and CD's. A decision will be made before July of 2006 on whether we will recommend these. We are budgeting for two citywide issues of the newsletter instead of one. In response to a question about how we time these new issues, it was explained that one citywide issue called the Welcome Window would continue to come out in September. A second issue would be released in the summer to give people information about summer programs. McCray asked about why certain items are included in the NOBU budget and yet we submit it with the budget. Craig explained that when the Board approved NOBU budget in July, it did not go to the City at that time. We are obliged to include it with the budget request because the state requires it. Adjustments and amendments can be made after the fact. A motion was made by Dean to approve the FY07 budget request. Martin seconded. All in favor voted Aye. Motion passed 6-0. Staff Reports Departmental Reports: Adult Services, Circulation, Information Schnack appreciates the partnering that Information Services has been involved with. She wishes we could do more. Craig pointed out that there is a lot of staff time involved in partnerships. McCray was impressed that we had brochures translated into Spanish so quickly. She also liked reading about the training lab classes done by Clark. Development Office McCarthy reported on a 2-day marketing workshop she had been attending. This workshop was geared to libraries and the theme of using all opportunities as a marketing tool was stressed. Libraries are a valuable community service and should be promoted at every opportunity. She reported we got our first donation on-line. President's Report VanDusseldorp relayed a story to Trustees concerning the generosity of a man who was dismantling his display of Happy Meal toys and shared some with a small child. Announcements from Members McCray reported that she had seen the Grant Wood exhibit in Cedar Rapids and recommended it to all. Dean reported that he has been invited to do a book discussion on October 15 at the Burlington Public Library. The book is Aldo Leopold's A Sand County. Disbursements Review Visa Expenditures for August, 2005. Disbursements for August, 2005 were approved after a motion by Rich-Chappell, seconded by McCray. The motion carried 6-0. Set agenda order for October meeting. Report on Trustee workshop Policy reviews - Bulletin Board, Public Pamphlet Distribution, Displays Report on Iowa Library Association conference in Dubuque. Adjournment 6:00 pm Minutes taken and transcribed by Martha Lubaroff Board or Commission: ICPL Board of Trustees ATTENDANCE RECORD CALENDAR YEAR 2005 (Meetin Date) TERM 1/27/ 2/25/ 3/24/ 4/28/ 5/26/ 6/23/ 7/28/ 8/25~ 9/22/ NAME EXP. 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 Thomas 7/1/09 O/e x x x x O/e x x x Dean Kathy GlOer 7i!~05 x x x x x x Term expir ed Bill Korf 7/1/09 x x x x x x x x O/e Tom Martin x x x Linzee 7/1/09 x x x x O/e x O/e x x McCray Linda prybil 7/1]0~ 0/e : O1e ~x X x T~m exPir ' ed Meredith O/e x x Rich- Chappel Pat Schnack 7/1/07 x x x O/e O/e x O/e x x Leon Spies O/e x O/e Tom Suter 7/1/07 x x x x O/e x x x O Jim swaim 7/1~05 x O/e X x x ~m ed David Van 7/1/07 x x x x x O/e x x x Dusseldorp KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting - Not a Member iii I 10-27-05 IP27 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2005 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Brennan, Richard Carlson, Jim Enloe, Michael Gunn, Michael Maharry, Mark McCallum, James Ponto, Tim Weitzel MEMBERS ABSENT: Justin Pardekooper, Jan Weissmiller STAFF PRESENT: Sunil Terdalkar OTHERS PRESENT: Charley Kapp CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Weitzel called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Certificates of Appropriateness. 923 Dearborn. Terdalkar said that this application involves demolition of an existing deck and construction of a new addition at the back of the property. He said that the deck would be replaced with an addition of 12 feet by 12 feet. Terdalkar said the applicant intends to use materials that match the existing materials on the house, including wood windows, aluminum siding, and trim, and a wood railing for the rear entry stairs and the landing. Terdalkar said the property is a non-contributing structure in the Dearborn Street Conservation District. He said that it was built around 1947. Kapp, the contractor for this project, said the only difficulty may be the aluminum siding. He said that he would really like to use the siding that is on the main structure, because it would look exactly the same. Kapp said that in Section Five of the guidelines for additions, it refers to applying siding to a new addition that appears similar in size, shape, texture, and material to the existing siding on the historic building. He said that obviously this is not a historic building, but anything else would appear quite dissimilar. Weitzel asked when the deck was built. Kapp said that it was perhaps 15 or more years old. Weitzel said that there are two issues: approving the demolition of the deck structure and approving the addition. He added that this is clearly a deck and not a porch. Carlson said he had no problem with approving the demolition and added that it is clearly a later addition. MOTION: McCallum moved to approve the demolition of the deck at 923 Dearborn Street. Ponto seconded the motion. Maharry said the deck appears to be unsound. Weitzel agreed and said that it may have been built past the point of the historic period. The motion carried on a vote of 7-0. Regarding the addition, Enloe asked if it would be difficult to make the pitch look more consistent with the pitch of the existing roof. Kapp said it would not be too difficult, but he didn't want to get into the second floor window. Weitzel pointed out that the drawing was not an exact plan. Kapp said that he did the drawing by hand. Weitzel said that the windows line up and the eaves line up in the actual design. Kapp confirmed this. He said, however, that the pitch of the roof of the addition is shallower than the pitch of the roof of the house because of the attic. Weitzel said that they aren't always one for one, but they are harmonious. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 2 Weitzel said that the pitch as drawn looks too shallow. Kapp said that it is distinctly different. He said he wanted to make it as close as he could, but it felt like the closer he made it, since it wasn't the same, the more egregious it becomes. Weitzel said he worked on some sketches for this proposal. He said that if the eaves are dropped down to match the eaves on the house and the point of the roof is left about as proposed, it has a better look. Weitzel asked what the pitch of the existing roof of the house is and what the intended pitch of the new addition would be. Kapp said that the pitch of the house roof was probably about 6:12[ratio], and the proposed roof of the addition would be 3:12 [ratio]. Gunn asked if the addition would cover the door. Kapp said that it would. He said there was not a lot of choice. Kapp said there is a center window on the second floor that definitely gets closer to the roof than indicated. Maharry asked about the transition between the siding and foundation. Weitzel said it appears to be standard concrete block, and Kapp confirmed this. Weitzel said that this is a pretty late house. He said that unlike some non-contributing structures, this house always looked about like this. Weitzel said it is old enough to be a historic property, but stylistically and historically, there is nothing significant about the property. Carlson agreed that it would have been evaluated as non-contributing for whatever reason, probably because it was beyond the period when most buildings in the district were constructed. Maharry asked if the guidelines contain requirements for how the wood step railing would be done. Weitzel said those guidelines are not formalized, other than the fact that the railings should match the style of the house. McCallum asked what is proposed for the railing. Kapp said he would use spindles. Weitzel said that what is shown is what the Commission has approved for a lot of non-historic properties in conservation districts before: a simple balustrade. He asked if there would be a little bit more of a newel post at the end. Kapp confirmed this. Weitzel said that the guidelines recommend matching the porch balustrade or using a simple pipe rail, and there is no porch balustrade to match. Kapp said these are tough calls to make this look like it belongs there. Enloe said it.can't be faked to make it look historic, so the idea is to make it inoffensive. Weitzel said that if trying to match a style is taken out of the issue, then one is basically left with the idea of not using unpainted, treated wood and not using wrought iron, if the house didn't have it. Maharry asked about skirting underneath the small railing. Terdalkar said that it is not a requirement by code, and the Commission may choose to recommend it. Weitzel said that skirting is recommended, using a three to six-inch wood frame, with slats fastened to the back of the frame in a vertical or lattice pattern. Kapp said he did not have plans for skirting there and planned to leave it open. Gunn asked about the siding. Kapp said that it is aluminum double lap that is over something. He said that it is a 'J' trim up against it but is also a wrap over the casing. Weitzel stated that the Commission cannot do anything about removing the aluminum siding, but it is just a question of whether the Commission allows it on the addition or not. Ponto said that on the primary structure of a non-contributing property in a conservation district, synthetic siding is allowed. Weitzel pointed out that it is not allowed for additions, and Ponto agreed. Ponto pointed out that on page 17 in the guidelines [section 4.5] under exceptions, synthetic siding is allowed for non- contributing main structures in a conservation district. Weitzel said the question is that why it would not then be allowed for additions to non-contributing properties. Ponto said he felt that since the primary structure is sided with aluminum, he would be okay with the addition being that way also. Weitzel said the Commission needs to be careful, of course, because the next this could be cited this as a precedent in the future. Ponto agreed that the issue be considered with all related factors. Carlson said he is also a little concerned that if there is some other siding beneath the aluminum and someone wanted to remove it someday, there would be aluminum clad addition and a wood clapboard house. Terdalkar asked if the intent of having this particular section in the guidelines under new addition was to avoid such mismatch. Weitzel confirmed that is the intent. Kapp said that if someone decided to Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 3 take off the aluminum siding and restore the house, the addition would not be very difficult to retrofit to match the former siding. Weitzel agreed with Ponto that the exception is aimed especially toward houses that are non-contributing and also gives the Commission the latitude to allow the exception if it thinks the building is not going to be harmed in appearance by adding synthetic siding. Weitzel pointed out that there are some non- contributing buildings that are non-contributing to a lesser degree than others. Gunn asked, if this were a wood sided house, wouldn't the guidelines allow the addition to be synthetic siding, even for a primary structure with wood siding. Weitz. el said that is not written into the addition guidelines. He said that basically the guidelines say that not disallowed is using synthetic siding on an addition instead of the historic siding and under the exceptions, the Commission does not go back and allow that. Kapp said that above all, this is a situation where the structure is going to be less attractive by not having matching siding on the addition. He stated that making the siding the same is a pretty innocuous solution to the issue and the one that will look the least unpleasant. Maharry said he did not think that any of the changes discussed so far would have a huge impact on the visual appearance or structural integrity of the house. MOTION: Maharry moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the application for an addition to 923 Dearborn Street, as drawn, with the roof pitch to be as high as possible without interfering with the second floor window but not to exceed the roof pitch of the existing house. Enloe seconded the motion. Maharry said he did not have a strong opinion about skirting and so would not include it in the motion. Weitzel said he thought that the lack of skirting in this case actually seems to match what little style there is of the house. Carlson stated that the Commission should be clear on why it is approving the metal siding for the addition in this case, even though it is not permitted expressly in the guidelines. Ponto referred to page 26, the fourth bullet under disallowed. Carlson said that on page 25 under recommended for siding, it reads, "Applying siding to a new addition that appears similar in size, shape, texture, and material to the existing siding of the historic building." He said there is nothing under exceptions that discusses non- contributing buildings. Weitzel said there is a potential inconsistency with [section] 4.5: siding: exceptions in a conservation district for non-contributing properties and the guidelines for additions. Gunn said that on page 17, the guidelines expressly allow non-contributing structures in a conservation district to have synthetic siding, yet the Commission would argue that it cannot have synthetic siding on an addition. Enloe asked if it applies to an addition to a non-contributing or contributing structure. Weitzel said that is not specified. Enloe said that possibly the intent was for contributing structures. Weitzel, Ponto, and Gunn agreed. Weitzel said that he thought it was something that was just missed, and if it were rewritten, the Commission would consider changing it. He said the Commission might consider this a special exception but would want to make it clear that the Commission is not allowing it for all additions to non-contributing buildings. Carlson said the Commission should therefore state what exception this applies to. He said he did not assume that this was overlooked but thought it was that for any house or any building, the Commission would look at what the original building was sided in. Carlson said the Commission would not want to allow just anything on the addition if it wouldn't match what is on the original house. He said that whether or not the original house is covered by something else synthetic now, he has always thought that the addition should be built to match what is underneath the siding. Gunn said he thought that was absolutely what was intended for historic and contributing properties. He said that there was not previously a section for additions in the guidelines but said that in the last revision of the guidelines, the Commission pulled out everything that it thought applied. Gunn questioned whether Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 4 the Commission intended for non-contributing structures in conservation districts to have to match the original siding. Ponto said that if one didn't know what the original siding was, if wood was put on the addition at a different lap rate and then the owner took off the synthetic siding, it would not match. He said that if one knew what was underneath, that would be different. Carlson said he was assuming that what was underneath was known but said the Commission could reach a general consensus as to what it means and what could be allowed in the future. Enloe said that when the Commission considers revising its guidelines in the future, it should consider specifying the exceptions for contributing versus non-contributing structures. He said that he thinks it is an unrealistic expectation of non-contributing structures if they are allowed synthetic siding on the main structure already and the Commission recommends similar siding. Weitzel said the case could arise in which there would be a Victorian [influence] historic district where a very nice arts and crafts home would be [considered] non-contributing. He said that a lot of non- contributing exceptions could allow a nice architectural specimen to be degraded, so that the Commission has to be careful to consider that the non-contributing status does not make a structure a free-for-all. Terdalkar said it could be noted that such applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Weitzel said this house has little to no style and does not contribute anything in any specific way. He said it would not be detracting from the neighborhood. Weit,zel said this property is non-contributing but is not non-historic, because it was older than 50 years at the time the district was approved. Carlson said that in this particular case, for the reasons discussed, he would be willing to vote to approve this. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0. Kapp said he appreciated the work done by the Commission. 732 Grant Street. Weitzel stated that this application was withdrawn from consideration. MINUTES: SEPTEMBER 22, 2005. Weitzel said that on page three, in the first paragraph, in the third line, the words "world total large, which should be to large one over one" should be changed to "the words too large, which should be changed to large one over one." Carlson said that in the second to last line of that paragraph, the word "greeted" should be changed to "created." Weitzel said he had typographical corrections to submit. Weitzel said that on page three, in the third paragraph under other, 'it was Maharry who said he would like to see a more schematic organization, in the second line, and Weitzel made the comment about creating a workflow chart. Carlson said the motion near the bottom of page two should be rewritten. Enloe suggested the wording, "Enloe moved to consider that the drainage problem and inability to correct the problem because of existing driveway and property lines constitute justification for special exception, and the proposal as amended be accepted as submitted." Maharry said the sentence starting on page three and ending on page four should read, "Maharry said that if the Commission had too many stark examples of what it would approve and not approve, he would then be concerned that the Commission might appear to be like the design police." Carlson said that on page three, in the fifth paragraph under other, it should read, "Carlson said that if there is one application not meeting the' guidelines, the Commission spends all its mental energy on that project and passes through the subsequent ones too quickly." Carlson said he also had typographical corrections to submit. Gunn asked if the applications are put on the agenda in the order received, and Terdalkar confirmed this. Gunn suggested putting the less complex applications first and the more difficult ones toward the end of the agenda. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 5 MOTION: Maharry moved to approve the minutes of the September 22, 2005 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, as amended. Enloe seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0. OTHER: Weitzel said that three consultants applied to work on the Historic Preservation Plan. The proposals were distributed so that the members could read them. Weitzel said the Commission could make a decision at its next meeting. Carlson said the one other time he was present for approval of a proposal, which was the downtown survey, the decision was made by the consensus of the Commission. He said the Commission used the RFP and took into consideration good writing style and good research. Terdalkar said that he sent about 60 requests for the proposal, but received only three responses. He questioned whether that was enough of a choice. Gunn said if the Commission finds a proposal it likes, then it would not need to solicit more proposals. Regarding the discussion of the application process, Weitzel said that because the Design Review Subcommittee (DRS) does not have a third member, it is not functioning well. He said that until the problems are fixed, the DRS would not be utilized, at least not in the formal sense. Terdalkar said that subcommittee meetings have to be held as public meetings and need to be announced with due notice. Weitzel said that McCafferty met with applicants frequently in her office, and no one had a problem with that. Terdalkar said those were be pre-application staff meetings with the applicant. Enloe pointed out that decisions were not made at those meetings. Weitzel said that the DRS was not making decisions either but just giving advice. Brennan said that he thought the DRS was created by the City Council. Weitzel said he thought it was part of the Commission's by-laws. Carlson said that any individual members of the Commission could discuss a project with an applicant and give a recommendation. Weitzel said that is ex parte communication, and the staff must be notified before the beginning of the meeting about such communications. Brennan said there can't be a meeting by e-mail and then have those involved say it's not a meeting; it is still a meeting. Weitzel said the only problem with ex parte communication is that it needs to be disclosed. Enloe suggested just keeping the subcommittee review as ex parte communications and making full disclosure, as long as the subcommittee or its members are not making decisions. Terdalkar said that an issue with ex parte communication is if someone makes up his/her mind prior to the public hearing process. Gunn said that the subcommittee is either by ordinance or by by-laws, and if it formally meets, it has to have minutes. Terdalkar said that the minutes are kept, but they are not published as it is considered a work session. Weitzel said he did not see the establishment of the DRS in the ordinance. Brennan said it is not an ordinance, but he believed it was a resolution. Terdalkar read from the by-laws: "The Commission shall have the authority to establish a historic preservation design review subcommittee to review and make recommendations to the Commission regarding applications for certificates of appropriateness. Said subcommittee shall consist of three members of the Commission appointed annually by the Commission to serve one-year terms." Gunn said that elsewhere in City or State regulations, that kind of meeting requires minutes and notice. Carlson asked if e-mailing back and forth would constitute a meeting. Brennan did not know but said there is a point at which it would become a meeting. Weitzel said that he thinks all of the e-mails to Terdalkar become part of the public record at the point they.are received by the City. Enloe said the problem is the notification of a public meeting. Carlson suggested asking the City Attorney about the issue. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 6 Maharry said the intent is to streamline the process. Enloe suggested it was easier to do with ex parte communications, which don't require notification or publication. He said the subcommittee could be disbanded, and the three former members could meet informally. Gunn said that members can discuss issues, but when there is a subcommittee that formally makes a recommendation to the Commission, that becomes something else. He said that at one time, the staff and chair did a whole lot of reviewing of the applications without a subcommittee. Brennan said that the subcommittee seems analogous to a City Council work session. He said that substantive work is being done, but formal decisions are not made. Brennan said it is still a public meeting with public attendance and minutes kept. Weitzel said that at this point, it is not functionally possible to have a subcommittee. He said the greater the amount of time before the formal meeting equals an exponential amount of work with regard to the application, with little to no effect on the meeting of the full Commission. Maharry said that perhaps the answer is that the Commission should take at face value the subcommittee's recommendations and its well-reasoned arguments for the recommendations. Weitzel said that the Commission always has the right to overturn what the subcommittee has found as its conclusions. He said that the subcommittee cannot account for everyone's opinion and therefore cannot always get to a working solution in the subcommittee. Weitzel said the subcommittee tried different permutations of those who should be present at the meeting for information and discussion, but without success. He stated that it is the additions to structures that have resulted in the most discussion and controversy. Terdalkar said that to date, in this calendar year, there have been 79 applications for major review. He stated that in 2004, there were only 32 such applications and this increased number of applications has brought increased number of issues not experienced before. Maharry suggested giving the Chair and staff more leeway with some of the minor things. Enloe said that it could possibly be fixed with a change in scheduling, by moving the less difficult issues to the end of the meeting. Weitzel said there has also been a suggestion that the Commission produce style guides and how-to-build manuals. He said that the Commission could definitely do a guide for railings, which could go through as a no material change or a minor review. Weitzel suggested looking into changing the ordinance a little bit to allow that in historic districts. Maharry said that the DRS was supposed to help the Commission raise all the issues so that they are not reviewed all over again. Weitzel said that those things could be outlined in the staff report. Gunn said that he thought they have been to a fair extent. He said that what is not clear is how the Commission will interpret and enforce the guidelines, which is rarely easy. Terdalkar said, in the particular case discussed tonight, he considered all the three references about siding in three different sections. He said first reference about siding is in the Alterations section where the commission may consider exceptions for non-contributing structures. He said then in the sections for Additions, use of synthetic siding is disallowed on additions, however the guidelines recommend to use matching siding on historic buildings. Terdalkar said he had discussed the issue with senior planning staff and it was understood that the intent of these clauses was that the siding that matches the existing siding on the historic building may be allowed for the addition. Gunn said that there were so many more applications this year than the year before that the chance for problems has risen as well. Ponto agreed that there have been a lot of complex cases that have taken a lot of review. Gunn said that, per application, the Commission is spending a lot less time than six or eight years ago. He said he thought that if the more difficult applications were at the end of the agenda and the applicant is made aware that there are problems and the application might be delayed to the next meeting until specifics are resolved, then the process might be streamlined. Carlson said that the Commission has tended not to vote things down or wait for a better design but has generally tried to work things out in the meetings, however long it takes. He said that if the applicants are bringing such bad designs that they can't be resolved quickly, the Commission should probably vote them down and have them return. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 7 Maharry said that when the applicant proposes something that is clearly incompatible with the guidelines, the staff should tell them so that they are aware before they get before the Commission. Terdalkar said that he has had experiences of both types of applicants, but sometimes the applicants are unwilling to meet with him prior to the application or the meeting. Maharry suggested reporting all contact with the applicant as part of the staff report so that the Commission is aware of previous communications. Weitzel added that he would encourage Terdalkar to reject incomplete applications. Enloe asked what the ordinance says about scheduling a second meeting in the month. Weitzel said that the Commission has to hold a regular meeting the second Thursday of the month. He said that a second meeting may be called, but they are supposed to be held only to review certificates of appropriateness, according to the by-laws. Weitzel said that the Commission is not obliged to call a second meeting, however. Terdalkar said that since the number of applications is increasing, it would help if he had more time to review them. He said that the deadline for applications is on the Wednesday of prior week of the meeting, but the packet goes out two days later on Friday. Weitzel said that since the Commission sets the deadline, it can change it to an earlier date. Enloe said he believes the Commission should move the deadline to an earlier date. Terdalkar said this change would also give the applicant more time to respond. Enloe suggested moving the deadline up by two days, and Maharry said he did not feel that would be much of an inconvenience. Enloe said that the Commission could still accept simple applications past the deadline. MOTION: Enloe moved to change the deadline for the receipt of applications for certificates of appropriateness to the Monday of the week before the meeting, for a deadline of ten days before the meeting. McCallum seconded the motion. Terdalkar said that if the application document is done a little differently so that the applicant is required to fill out a checklist to confirm that the application is completed, that would also help. Gunn said he was in favor of the motion but said that he would probably follow with a motion that says that if staff chooses, an application could be accepted with less notice. Terdalkar said he has accommodated applications sometimes even on the day packet is mailed out when he was able to do so. Enloe agreed that it should be left to the discretion of staff to accept a late application that comes in clean, clear, and complete. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0. Terdalkar referred to a facsimile that the contractor for 415 Clark Street, Rob Phipps, had received from Andersen Windows stating that their vinyl windows are paintable and the contractor intends to use these windows on a recently reviewed project. Weitzel said that since this is such a major issue, he would like to see independent evidence of the claim. Terdalkar said that according to the facsimile the surface has to be scraped to apply paint. He said that there is, however, no guarantee that the paint will last for a long term period. Carlson said that the warranty on the vinyl may also be reduced by abrading it. Terdalkar said that it should be made clear that if paintability was the only criterion that was keeping the Commission from accepting vinyl. Gunn said that clad wood windows have been acceptable, because they had the right profile. He said that there are vinyl windows available that look like storm windows on a house. Gunn said they are flush top to bottom and don't even look like double hung windows. He said that if the windows look right and are paintable, it would be okay with him to allow them. Weitzel said that ultimately, the profile and the paintability of the windows need to be looked at by the Commission. Maharry suggested that the Commission begin accumulating evidence that the vinyl windows could be an acceptable alternative. Gunn said that the term "wood substitute" has been used throughout the guidelines for the express purpose of approving a new material. He said the guidelines allow a material in place of wood only if the Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 13, 2005 Page 8 substitute material retains the appearance and function of the original wood; and the substitute material must be durable, accept paint, and be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. Weitzel said that the material has to also be paintable in a full range of colors. He said that the Commission would need to see a sample of the material. Terdalkar distributed a drawing showing the dimensions for the dormer at 328 S. Governor. He said that he has used some information from actual dimensions provided by the applicant with visual references from the photographs to prepare the illustrations. Terdalkar said that the applicant was asked to mimic what was there on the eaves. He said he did not draw them and the sketch shows the profile of the dormer and how the window fits in. Weitzel said the Commission approved the application subject to the drawings produced by Terdalkar. The consensus of the Commission was that the drawing was acceptable. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte s: lpcdlminutes/hpc/2005HPCminutes/hpc10-13-O5, doc Historic Preservation Commission Attendance Record 2005 Teritl Name Expires 1/8 1/13 2/10 2/15 3/10 4/14 4/28 5/12 5/26 6/2 6/9 6/30 7/14 8/15 8/25 9/8 9/22 10/13 M. Brennan 3/29/08 ................ X X X X X X O O/E X X X X X R. Carlson 3/29/07 ...... X X X X X X O/E X X O X X X X X X J. Enloe 3/29/06 X X X O O X X O O O O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E X X X m. Gunn 3/29/07 O/E X O/E O/E X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X m. maharry 3/29/08 X X X X X X X ............... X X X X X X M. mcCallum 3/29/06 X X X X X X O X X X X X X X X X O/E X J. Pardekooper 3/29/07 O/E X X O O O/E O O O O O X X O O O O O J. Ponto 3/29/07 X X X X X X X X O/E O/E X X X X X X X X A. Smothers 3/29/05 O/E O/E X X X ....................................... J. Weissmiller 3/29/06 O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E X X X O/E X O/E O/E O O T. Weitzel 3/29/08 O/E O/E X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting ..... Not a Member DRAFT POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD I ~2~ MINUTES - OCTOBER 11, 2005 CALL TO ORDER: Chair Loren Horton called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Elizabeth Engel, Michael Larson, and Greg Roth MEMBERS ABSENT: Candy Barnhill STAFF PRESENT: Legal Counsel Catherine Pugh and Staff Kellie Tuttle present OTHERS PRESENT: Chief Sam Hargadine of the ICPD, Capt. Tom Widmer of the ICPD, Scott Kornblatt a UI student with a class in Journalistic Reporting & Writing, and Public, John Kirby (7:02pm). RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL None. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by Engel and seconded by Roth to adopt the consent calendar. · Minutes of the meeting on 09/13/05 · ICPD General Order #99-04 (Canine Operations) · ICPD General Order #99-05 (Use of Force) · ICPD Use of Force Report- August 2005 Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. REPORT FROM NOMINATING COMMITTEE Er~gel and Larson were appointed to the nominating committee at the September 13 meeting. Engel reported that the committee had met and would like to nominate Greg Roth for Chair and Candy Barnhill for Vice-Chair. CONSIDER MOTION TO FIX METHOD OF VOTING Motion by Engel, seconded by Larson to prescribe the method of voting by a voice vote and use majority vote for the basis for decision. Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. Horton asked if there were any nominations from the floor. Hearing none it was moved by Engel, seconded by Larson to close nominations for the office of Chair and Vice-Chair. Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICE OF CHAIRPERSON Greg Roth for Chairperson. Motion by Engel, seconded by Larson Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICE OF VICE-CHAIRPERSON '"' Candy Barnhill for Vice-Chairperson. Motion by Engel, seconded by Larson. Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. PCRB October 11,2005 Page 2 OLD BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS None. PUBLIC DISCUSSION John Kirby inquired about policies and procedures of the Iowa City Police Department and the Review Board. After stating concerns pertaining to an incident, Kirby was supplied a complaint form and notified by the Board that he would need to file it with the Clerks office in order for them to review it. BOARD INFORMATION Horton apologized for missing the meeting in September due to a previous commitment. STAFF INFORMATION None. EXECUTIVE SESSION Not needed. MEETING SCHEDULE · October 11,2005, 7:00 P.M., Lobby Conference Room · November 8, 2005, 7:00 P.M., Lobby Conference Room - CANCELLED · December 13, 2005, 7:00 P.M., Lobby Conference Room · January 10, 2006, 7:00 P.M., Lobby Conference Room The Board discussed canceling the November meeting due to the lack of bLisiness. Motion by Horton, seconded by Engel to cancel the November meeting due to a lack of Board business. Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by Horton and seconded by Larson. Motion carried, 4/0, Barnhill absent. Meeting adjourned at 7:24. POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2005 (Meetinl: Date) TERM 1/11 2/8 3/8 4/12 5/10 6/14 7/1~ 8/16~ 9/1'3 10/11 11/8 12/13 NAME EXP. Candy 9/1/07 NM X X NM X X NM X OrE O/E Barnhill Elizabeth 9/1/08 NM X X NM X X NM O/E X X Engel Loren 9/1/08 NM X X NM X X NM O/E O/E X Horton Greg Roth 9/1/09 NM X X NM X X NM X X X Roger 9/1/05 NM X X NM X O/E NM X .............................. Williams Michael 9/1/09 ........................ X X Larson KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting - Not a Member MINUTES PRELIMINARY IOWA CITY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT OCTOBER 12, 2005 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL - IOWA CITY, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Alexander, Vincent Maurer, Dennis Keitel, Karen Leigh, Michael Wright. STAFF PRESENT: Robert Miklo, Kdstopher Ackerson (Planning Intern), Sarah Holecek OTHERS PRES'~-NT: Dave Drea, Bruel Weins, Darren Spenler, Kathleen Nicholson CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Maurer called the meeting to order at 5:07. CONSIDERATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 MINUTES Wright said that on page 6 the address for Holly Hotchkiss is wrong. MOTION: Alexander moved to approve the minutes from July 14. Lei[Ih seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS: EXC05-00016 Discussion of an application submitted by David Drea for a special exception to reduce the front yard from 20 feet to 0 feet to allow paving a greater area than normally permitted in the Low Density Single-Family (RS-8) zone at 920 Webster Street/601 Walnut Street. Miklo said that the property contains two buildings, one of which is a duplex residence and the other a garage. He not~'d that since it is a corner lot, this property has two front yards---one on Webster Street and one on Walnut Street. Miklo said that the property is already nonconforming because the current setback is less than the 20-foot front yard setback required for the RS-8 zone. He said that the applicant recently paved the north-facing portion of his front yard along Walnut Street so that there is no green space between the curb and the property line. He noted that building inspectors discovered that the yard had been paved and notified the property owner of the violation. Miklo said that the applicant is seeking a special exception to allow a reduction in the front yard setback requirement from 20 feet to 0 feet in order to allow the paving of more than 50% of his yard to continue to exist. He noted that without the special exception the applicant will have to remove the portion of the paving that is located within 10 feet of the property line. He said that the area paved represents a total of 1040 square feet. The front yard area is 1409 square feet. Accordingly, 50% of the area is 709 square feet, so there is approximately 330 square feet above and beyond what is legally allowed to be paved. The provision allowing only 50% to be paved exists to allow open areas for landscaping and pervious surface to absorb storm water. It also assures visibility and safety for motorists. He noted that a special exception to modify yard requirements may be granted when the owner demonstrates the situation is peculiar to the property in question, there is practical difficulty in complying with the dimens;onal requirements of the zoning code, and the general standards for special exception can be met. ~ He said that the specific proposed special exception should not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or welfare. Staff finds that the proposed special exception will diminish opportunities for landscaping in this residential area of the city. Moreover, the paved area is likely to reduce visibility for vehicles turning onto Walnut Street from the alley, as it will allow parking on this property to occur closer to the intersection of the alley and Walnut Street. Miklo pointed out the location of a vision triangle on the display map and said that cars parked in this area would block view of vehicles on Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes October 12, 2005 Page 2 Walnut Street. Removal of at least the paving from the vision triangle would less the possibility of traffic conflicts. The specific proposed exception should not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. Miklo said that allowing for more than 50% of this front yard to be paved detracts from the residential appearance of the neighborhood and results in less pervious surface to absorb storm water. The specific p~oposed exception should not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property. Miklo said approval of special exception will result in the property having a substantial amount of paving, which conflicts with the character of the residential neighborhood. Adequate measures should be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. Miklo stated that the proposed paved area will likely result in parking within the front yard adjacent to Walnut Street and therefore reduces visibility for vehicular traffic. The specific proposed exception, in all other respects, should conform to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is to be located. He noted the property is non-conforming in terms of the building setback, but this is grandfathered and is considered legally non-conforming. The proposed special exception should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan of the City. Staff finds the plan in conflict with the Comprehensive Plan goal of preserving existing residential areas. Staff recommends that EXC05-00016 an application submitted by David Drea for a special exception to reduce the front yard from 20 feet to 0 feet to allow paving a greater area than normally permitted in the Low Density Single-Family (RS-5) zone at 920 Webster Street be denied. Maurer asked wi~ether the Board has anything to do with the issue of removing the pavement from the street. Miklo said that the Board has nothing to do with the removal of the pavement from the right of way which is city property. The City Engineer has determined that this paving must be removed. Alexander asked if the removal of the paving within the visual triangle would come close to the 50% requirement. Miklo said they would be pretty close, but that he did not have calculations. Wood asked if there is a driveway coming off on Walnut Street. Miklo said there is a driveway on that side that was installed with the paving. Wright asked whether the staff had discussed with the owners about the issue of vision triangle. Miklo said they did not cover that issue. Public Hearinq Opened David Drea, 601 Walnut Street, said that he created the paving due to the issue of runoff. He said that the yard looks like dirt. He noted he had a garden there at one time, and a flower box, but cars kept running them down and destroying them. Drea noted that they will not park in the vision triangle. He said that the reason for havirg the flower box there was so that no one would run into the house. Drea said that another issue fo~; paving was the parking issue; he wanted to provide more parking for the tenants of the duplex. Maurer asked how much traffic there is along the street, noting that the area does not look like a high traffic zone. Drea said there is a lot of traffic because people use the street as a shortcut to avoid all the stop signs on Kirkwood Avenue. Maurer asked where Drea would remove the paving if he was required to remove it. Drea said that he discussed sawing the paving to allow easy access if the City would ever need to work there. He noted that he would have a hard time growing the grass there again. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes October 12, 2005 Page 3 Wood asked for more detail of the idea of sawing the pavement. Drea said they would make cuts in the pavement to create blocks that would be easily removed. Wright asked if ~ey tend to park on the area paved. Drea said they did not park there. He said that a lot of drivers would cut the corner and drive onto the yard. Leigh asked if there was adequate parking prior to paving the area. Miklo said that the existing situation would not meet the parking requirements set by the code. Miklo said that a duplex is required to have four off-street parking spaces and that it appeared that there was one space in the garage and at four spaces in the driveway prior to the addition of more paving. Brad Weins, 921 Webster Street, said that he is a former tenant of 920 Webster Street. He said there is not enough on-street parking in the area. He said that Drea allowed him to park his own car on the driveway when he could not find a place on the street. He said that aesthetically it looks fine. He noted the road curves like an S, and if there were cars coming from both sides, one of them would have to be in the left lane to hit another, because they are al! suppose to stay on the right side of the road. He said he is in support of the application. Public Hearinq Closed MOTION: Alexander made a motion that EXC05-00016 an application submitted by David Drea for a special exception to reduce the front yard from 20 feet to 0 feet to allow paving a greater area than normally permitted in the Low Density Single-Family (RS-5) zone at 920 Webster Street be approved subject to removal of the paving of the vision triangle starting with the newly adding pavement. Wright seconded the motion. Alexander said that she drove by the property and understands the safety concern, the concern of being detrimental to or endangering the public health, safety, comfort or welfare. She said that she finds this to be a peculiar property, and understands the issues due to the curve. She said that since it would come close to meeting the 50% requirement of the code and the vision triangle is taken care of she will vote in favor of the motion. Wood will vote in favor of the motion. He said that there is a lot of paving for a residential area. He said that his vision was really blocked because there was a truck parked there, and the vision corner is a legitimate concern. Maurer would also vote in favor because it enhances the overall situation. He said that he would prefer to keep the entire pavement, but that is not allowed. Leigh would vot; in favor. She said she thought it was a massive amount of concrete for a residential area. She said tk.at it is a very unusual site. Wright would vote in favor. He said that the safety and ingress and egress issue were of concern to him. He noted that driving by the property he was lacking a visual cue that there was a curve in the road due to the amount of paving. He noted that he could envision how a parked car in the vision corner could be problematic for motorists. Motion passed 5:0. EXC05-00017 Discussion of an application submitted by TD Builders for a special exception to allow the expansion of an auto-and-truck-oriented use, a repair garage and car sales of up to 2 cars, and to reduce the required 20 foot front yard to 5 feet to allow parking spaces to be located within 50 feet of a residential zone for property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone at 1010 Orchard Street. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes October 12, 2005 Page 4 Kristopher Ackerson said that the owner of 1010 Orchard Street and the adjoining property to the south operates an automobile repair business on these properties, which are across the street from a Medium Density Single-Family (RS-8) zone. The CC-2 Zone permits auto- and truck-oriented uses by special exception, but provides no additional criteria or standards by which to review the location of such facilities. The requirement for a special exception was likely incorporated into the CC-2 regulations due to potential concerns regarding compatibility of the uses with adjacent properties, potential traffic and circulation problems, and aesthetic concerns with this type of use. Ackerson said ti~at since the residential zoning boundary runs along the centerline of Orchard Street, which has a 65-foot right-of-way, the requested special exception would allow parking within 37.5 feet of a residential zone. The applicant seeks to reduce the front yard setback by 15 feet (from 20 feet to 5 feet) for a parking lot because the wide right-of-way width combined with the shallow depth of the properties leaves few options other than parking in the front yard. Based on these circumstances it appears parking in within 50 feet of a residential zone may be necessary to prevent overflow parking issues. Concerns regarding the potential negative effects of allowing commercial parking near a residential zone should be addressed through screening requirements. He noted that the proposed addition will increase the floor area of the auto- and truck-oriented use to 4,795 sq. ft., which will require a total of 13 spaces, and further conversion of the warehouse to auto- oriented use would increase parking requirements to 15 spaces. The original site plan submitted by the Applicant does not provide adequate screening between the commercial use and nearby residences. Staff has prepared a concept plan showing how the property could be configured to comply with pertinent site plan and zoning regulations, including street trees and screening of the commercial use. Prior to receiving a building permit the applicant will need to demonstrate that the required number of parking spaces will be provided on the site. Talking about the general standards, Ackerson said that the specific exception will not be detrimental to or endanger the:public health, safety, comfort or general welfare. He said that pedestrian access is a key priority for residents of the Southwest District and staff recommends pedestrian walkways be provided. By providing a sidewalk the applicant will extend the planned sidewalk underway along this entire block. The specific proposed exception will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He said that the proposal reduction of the front yard to allow parking within 50 feet of a residential zone will have potential negative effects on the neighboring residences. To be consistent with neighboring properties and to reduce negative effects of the proposed exception, staff recommends that landscaping be provided. Establishment of the specific proposed exception will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property for uses permitted in the zone in which such property is located. Staff finds that this project will not impede further development or redevelopment of surrounding property provided adequate parking and landscaping are provided. Ackerson said that adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and/or necessary facilities have been or are being provided. Adequate public utilities are in place to serve the existing use of this property and the proposed expansion. Adequate meas, :res have been or will be taken to provide ingress or egress designed so as to minimize traffic congestio;~ on public streets. He noted that the special exception will not change the current number of ingress egress points, nor will it significantly affect congestion on Orchard Street. Except for the specific regulation and standards applicable to the exception being considered, in all other respects the specific proposed exception conforms to the applicable regulations or standards of the zone in which it is to be located. Ackerson noted that the Code states that commercial uses must be screened from view from residential areas located across the street. In addition to providing a buffer between the auto and truck oriented use and a residential neighborhood, the effect of this vegetated screen will be to visually separate the vehicle use area from pedestrian use area and will prevent parked cars from overhanging onto sidewalk areas. He noted that public sidewalks are required within the street right-of- way. These must be installed prior to issuance of an occupancy permit for the proposed expansion. Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes October 12, 2005 Page 5 The proposed L'se will be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan of the City, as amended. Ackerson said that to com.~51y with goals, in the area, set forth in the Southwest District Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, landscapirig should be incorporated in the design before the granting of a special exception. Staff recommends that EXC05-00017, an application submitted by TD Builders for a special exception to allow the expansion of an auto-and-truck-oriented use, a repair garage and car sales of up to 2 cars, and to reduce the required 20 foot front yard to 5 feet to allow parking spaces to be located within 50 feet of a residential zone for property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone at 1010 Orchard Street and the neighboring property to the South, be approved subject to a site plan that sufficiently screens the commercial use from neighboring residences, provides street trees along the right-of-way, provides a sidewalk and illustrates compliance with off-street parking requirements. Miklo said that he looked over the site plan submitted and that conceptually it seems to meet the requirements. However, before the building permit is issued city staff will have to determine that the plan is in compliance with the requirements. Public Hearinq Opened Darren Spenler, 3129 Deerfleld Drive, Swisher Iowa, said that the business had evolved over time. He noted that the owner want to improve the lot and make it more aesthetically pleasant. He noted that it is difficult to push ~he cars into the bay because the driveway is very tight. Spenler said that they would like to make it as ea :y for the clients as possible. Wood asked if they see any increase in the traffic due to the proposed changes. Spenler said they do not expect a traffic increase. Kathleen Nicholson, 3122 Maplewood Lane, said that she and her husband both own the company. She said that they have done numerous improvements to make the property look better. Nicholson said that they do not like having the customer park on the gravel, especially when it gets muddy. She noted that they paved up to 20 feet, and planned on paving a little bit at a time as they could afford to in order to get it all accomplished. She noted they put barrels up to help them understand the requirements for parking, and found that the door to the office opens out, limiting the amount of space available there and that pushing the vehicle in at an angle to get them through the bay was problematic. She asked if there is anything that can be done to avoid using so much space for sidewalk and landscaping. She noted that it would not affect anyone negatively, and would not make it aesthetically worse, but would affect the business they would do. Miklo said that the only way of reducing the right of way would be if the city would vacate a portion of the right of way to allow more private use. Alexander noted that deciding that would not be within the Boards' powers. Miklo s~id that through the special exception there will be a reduction of front yard from 20 feet to 5 feet to allow f¢~ parking spaces. Public Hearinq Closed MOTION: Leigh made a motion that EXC05-00017, an application submitted by TD Builders for a special exception to allow the expansion of an auto-and-truck-oriented use, a repair garage and car sales of up to 2 cars, and to reduce the required 20 foot front yard to $ feet to allow parking spaces to be located within $0 feet of a residential zone for property located in the Community Commercial (CC-2) zone at 10'10 Orchard Street and the neighboring property to the South, be approved subject to a site plan that sufficiently screens the commercial use from neighboring residences, provides street trees along the right-of-way, provides a sidewalk and illustrates compliance with off-street parking requirements. Wood seconded the motion. Wright would vote in favor of the special exception. He said that it meets all general standards. He said he appreciates that the site plan takes into account the issues of public health, safety and general welfare in terms of the sidewalk. He noted that it will not be injurious to the use of other properties in the immediate vicinity and will not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. He noted that there is a fairly attractive plan that should alleviate any aesthetic concerns regarding the work done on the property. He said that the proposal could have some negative impacts, however the Iowa City Board of Adjustment Minutes October 12, 2005 Page 6 screening solves that issue. The specific proposed exception would not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of the surrounding property. Adequate measures would be taken to provide ingress or egress designed to minimize traffic congestion on public streets. He said that the proposal conforms with all other regulations and requirements, and is in accordance with the Southwest District Plan and the Comprehensive Plan of Iowa City. Leigh would aisc~ vote in favor. She said that it meets the general standards. Maurer would vote in favor for the reasons already stated. Alexander would vote in favor for the reasons already stated. Wood will vote in favor for the reasons already stated. Motion passed 5-0. OTHER: Alexander announced that she will not be able to attend the November meeting. Miklo introduced Sarah Walz who will join the planning department, and will represent the staff for the Board of Adjustment meetings. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adj,~urned at 6:22PM. s:/pcd/minutes/boa/2005/lO- 12-05 doc Board of Adjustment Attendance Record 2005 TerlTl Name Expires 01/12 02/09 03/09 04/13 05/11 06/08 07/13 08/10 09/14 10/12 11/09 12/14 Carol Alexander 01/01/08 X X X NM X X X X X X Ned Wood 01/01/10 .... X X NM X X X O/E X X Karen Leigh 01/01/07 X O/E X NM X X X X X X Vincent Maurer 01/01/06 X O/E X NM X X X X X X Michael Wright 01/01/09 X X X NM X X X X X X Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM -- No Meeting ..... Not a Member