Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-06-26 Correspondence'l' I'1 E~ The Arc of Johnson County ;26~i 1700 First Avenue S. Suite 16 · Iowa CiLy, IA 52240 ArC (319) 351-5017" FAX (319) 351-6837 Providing services to persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Junet9, 2001 ~./ ~ dUN g 0 ZOOl City Manager Arkins and the Iowa City City Cotmcil W hington S.,eet CITY MANAGER'S OFF'. Iowa City, iowa 52240 I am writing you today to discuss the funding plan for the proposed pedestrian tunnel between the Longfellow and Twain neighborhoods. We here at The Arc applaud the construction of this tunnel. It should greatly increase pedestrian safety in that area of Wwn; we know that it will positively impact several families with whom The Azc works. We are concerned howevex, that part of the l%nd inE for this tunnel is to come from the fund that is designated to create curb cuts throughout Iowa City. Iowa City is ahead of most cities as far as accessibility is con~,e.led, but we still have a tong way to go. Reducing the amotmt of money ava~able for curb cuts significantly limits the mobility of sehiors, people with disabilities, chtdren in stwllers, and numerous other Iowa Citians. A lack of curb cuts serves to keep these folks restricted to certain areas of town. We have heard the justification for the shifting of the money- "the ttmnel will he accessible." While this is true, it should be noted that ADA hw would have required the timnet to be accessible, anyway. With this in mind, we feel that the proposal to take money from cttrb cuts to pay for the tunnel should he ree×amined. Thank you for being a very accessible city. Please keep up the good work! Sincerely, Rod Sullivan Executive Director Arc of johnson County June 20, 2001 Rod Sullivan, Executive Director Arc of Johnson County 1700 First Avenue S Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mr. Sullivan: Thank you for your letter of June 19 regarding the Longfellow pedestrian tunnel. I appreciate your expression of concern and would like to take a moment to explain to you how the staff arrived at the financing recommendation for the bid/cost increases associated with this project. We did transfer monies from our current ADA curb cut budget in order to finance a portion of the tunnel project. This was done with the understanding that it would improve accessibility to all those in the neighborhood using the tunnel. I would expect that we would restore the curb cut budget to full funding in future years. We attempt to do a major curb cut program every other year in order to make it of sufficient size to attract more bidders and hopefully the associated cost savings. Our bid experience has shown this. We believe this should continue and, therefore, recommend the $10,000 in funding from the current curb cut budget. I believe I can speak for this Council and future Councils in indicating they have continued to support an aggressive and well-funded program of curb cut improvements throughout our community. I fully expect that to continue. Sincerely, cc: City Council mgr/Itrs/sullivan.doc 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET * IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 , (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 556-5009 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS X__ Mike Lehman, Chairperson ~:~;!~ ~ 'T] Pat Harney C2' -< TerrenceNeuzil ~ ~ ~ Sally Stutsman '-~ ~ Carol Thompson ~:K --r CJ > ;- June I5, 2001 Mayor Emie Lebanan and Ccunc. i! 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Steve McCann Iowa City Development Board 200 E. Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA, 50309 Dear Mayor Lehman and Mr. McCann: The County has had the opportunity to review the recent annexation request by the City of Iowa City. The area to be annexed is approximately 147 acres, which include three separate pamels. Plum Grove Acres has proposed to develop a 32-acre parcel into a mixed residential and commercial area. The Lindeman farm consists of approximately 95 acres, slated to be developed as single and multi-family residential. Another 16.32 acres to the east of Hummingbird Lane, and to the south of Lower West Branch Road are also to be annexed. In ge.neral, the Cgunty snppo~s the City's annexation proposal There are some concerns from County residents living in the Humingbird Lane/Lower West Branch Road area, that need to be addressed. Among these are the level(s) of city services that can be expected by these residents after the annexation has occurred. It would appear that the City intends to allow the residents to use their existing wells and wastewater systems for a period of up to twenty years before mandatory connection will be enforced. It also would seem likely that the city would not be providing infrastructure to the area for a period that may exceed three years. This begs the question of what additional services will these county residents be paying for? While these residents can apparently hook onto water in the relatively near future, wastewater connection is not possible for some time. The county would support a gradual phase-in of increased taxes over a minimum of 5 years as per state code; this would seem an appropriate and reasonable amount of time for these homeowners to obtain a full package of city services. 913 SOUTH DUBUQUE STREET, SUITE 201 , IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-4207 , PHONE: (319) 356-6000 , FAX: (319) 356-6036 Iowa City Annexations Page 2 Another concem the County has is with ownership of Lower West Branch Road. The County will be responsible for maintaining the road to the east of the Plum Grove site. A agreement should be established between the City and the County in order to share in the maintenance of the road costs on this portion of Lower West Branch Road. There are positives to this annexation request as well; the Iowa City Care Facility currently uses sewage Iagoons that appear to be failing and that would allow them to connect to city sewer in the future. This area is also within Iowa City's immediate growth boundary, and has been identified as such for some time. With increased pressure for residential and commercial development in this area, it would appear to be appropriate and consistent for Iowa City to annex these parcels. It is also consistent with their long range planning goals for development in this area. The Board of Supervisors has no objections to the approval of these annexation requests, with the understanding that the City of Iowa City will resolve the two aforementioned issues prior to granting approval. Michael Letunan Chairperson Johnson County Board of Supervisors cc: Steve Arkins, City Manager Iowa City Karin Franklin, Director of Planning and Community Development 602 EAST WASHINGTON IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 ~{ .a,~ (319)337-3813 DOors Of The'A~on Kodesh June 12, 2001 Mayor Ernie Lehman City of Iowa City Civic Center Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor Lehman: On behalf of the Board of Trustees of Agudas Achim Congregation I would like to thank the Iowa City Council for allowing Saturday parking on the west side of Johnson Street facing the congregation. This will allow easier access to our building on those Saturdays in which we have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah and will save me approaching Chief Winkelhake to request parking on those days. I also wish the Council to know that Jeff Davidson from Iowa City Planning was very helpful in getting this done. Sincerely, Rabbi Cc: JeffDavidson JEFFREY R. PORTMAN ALAN H. MUTNICK NINA WEINSTEIN KINERET ZABNER IRIS COHN RABBI PRESIDJENT ADMINISTRATOR PRINCIPAL YOLJTH DIRECTOR RENEE PESSIN LIZ $EFTOR TOM GELMAN BEVERLY IONES FIRST VICE PRESI DENT SECOND VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER SISTERH(3OD PRESIDEI~T MEMBER OF UNION OF AMERICAN H/BREW CONGREGATIONS & THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM MarianKarr 3g(4) [ From: SLWestcott@aol.com Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 2:18 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Smoking Issue I'm writing you again,on this issue, as I'm very opposed to you as a council involving yourselves in it. Our forefathers came to this country to escape taxation and government control Well, guess what? We are back to exactly what they fought for. You are overstepping your bounderies when it comes to interfering with the private business sector. How can you impose a non-smoking law to the private business owner when he is not breaking a law? Remember smoking is legal. We have excepted the non-smoking laws the Federal State, and local goverment have imposed on their building, as they own them and the public is required to do business in them. But you ,Federal and State do not own the private restaurants or bars and the public only goes to them because they want to not have to. You as a council were voted in to run our fair city and only impose rules and regulations to keep us going in the right direction. Not to make laws because a certain group of people don't like what other people do and want everything changed to their way of thinking. We are a free country and if they don't like one place of business because they allow smoking, then they certainly have the right to go to an establishment that doesn't allow it. Just like us smokers have a chose to choose where we want to go. This CAFE group scream that the restaurants and bars are public places. Well, of coarse they are. But that doesn't mean that CAFE or anyone else has a right to tell them how to run their business. As long as it is within the law. If you open this can of worms, believe me it won't stop here. You will have another group come along opposed to something and will want another law passed to please them. Once you establish the fact that you will not impose any laws on the private business man, these groups of people will go away. We are not a stupid society and we certainly don't need a group of people telling us what we need to do to save ourselves. Let us be our own judgement of our own lives. Thank you SL Westcott 6/11/01 Page 1 of 1 From: Judy Young [jyl 102@home.corn] Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 12:44 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: smoking in public restaurants City Council Members, I want to voice my backing of any ordinance that would prohibit smoking in public restaurants. Smoking is an insidious habit. I believe that if fewer and fewer places accepted smoking as tolerable, it it might make finding a place to smoke simply not worth the effort. In the meantime, the nonsmoking citizens will be able to choose to go to any restaurant and know that they will not have to breathe any second-hand smoke. Thank you for your consideration. 1 am a 5th/6th grade teacher here in Iowa City and I see how easily influenced our young people are by what they see. Let's show them a city that promotes health and longevity. Thank you, Judy Young 6/12/01 HAYEK~ HAYEKi B~OWN & ~ORELAND, L.L.P. ATTORNEY~ AT LAW FAX 338 7376 June 7, 2001 Mayor and City Council City of Iowa City Civic Center 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Mayor Lehman and members of the City Council: Within the last month, the City has undertaken a project to repave and improve Kimball Road. My wife and I have lived on Kimball Road for over 30 years and very much appreciate the City's efforts to maintain and improve the road. I did want to rake this opportunity to particularly thank Mr. Rick Fosse, the City Engineer, and Mr. Robb Dykstra of the City's Public Works Department for their work on this project. They both were very professional and courteous in their dealings with us and our neighbors in connection with the project. They make excellent representatives of the City of Iowa City. I wanted to write to you to express our appreciation for their work. Very truly yours, .-<r-- JWH:mve .. .~- ,Ji,,,, MERCY 2, 06 C 7( CLERK you. IOWA tCWA June 8, 2001 319 339 0300 phone Mayor Ernie Lehman and City Councilors City Council Office 410 East Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 RE: Letter from City Manager Stephen Atkins, dated May 31, 2001, requesting supporting evidence for a private parking area for Mercy Hospital in the City right-of- way on Bloomington St., Iowa City, Iowa Dear Mayor Lehman and City Councilors, This letter is in response to Mr. Atkins' letter noted above and to ask for your support of Mercy Hospital's request for seven (7) private parking spaces in the City public right-of- way on Bloomington St. As you are aware from my previous correspondence dated May 8, 2001, Mercy wishes to renovate and expand the Emergency Care and Maternal Child Units. This project is necessary to accommodate the growth in the number of patients treated at Mercy and to meet program requirements. However, it will eliminate 22 spaces in the Emergency Care Unit (ECU) parking lot. The ECU lot is the designated parking place for patients visiting the ECU; urgent care clinic; Breast Imaging Center: and mothers in labor. These patients, collectively, account tbr greater than 33.000 visits per year. Visits to the ECU, alone, have increased 12% since 1999. Each one of these patients has a need for immediate access to convenient parking. In order to provide convenient and accessible parking liar these patients, Mercy wishes to replace seven (7) of the 22 spaces to be eliminated, with no-fee, diagonal parking on Bloomington St. These spaces would be located near the ECU entrance and constructed to city standards. (A diagram is attached for your review.) No-fee, private parking is requested to ensure that these spaces are available lbr Mercy patients when they urgently or emergently need them. In other words, if these spaces are metered. and not restricted for patient use. anyone could park in them, and we fear that they would not available tbr patients. No-fee parking is also requested because we are concerned that if the spaces are metered, patients would frequently receive parking tickets. Even if the meter settings were quite generous. some patients are in too great of an emergency to search for change to plug a meter, or they wouldn't put enough money in the meter because it is very difficult to predict how long treatment might take. Receiving a parking ticket would only exacerbate stressful situations. Mr. Atkins also asked Mercy to clarify why we are requesting no-fee parking when we charge a fee in the Jefferson Street parking ramp. Although there is a fee to park in this ramp, which is located across the street from the hospital, we do not charge patients to park in the ECU parking lot. Thus flee parking would be consistent with our current practice. Please don't hesitate to call me at 339-3835 ifI can provide any more information. I understand that this request will be on the City Council' s June 25,2001 work session agenda. I will attend the work session in case questions arise at that time. Thank you in advance. I look forward to discussing this very important request with you to ensure that patients do not experience unnecessary delays in receiving care and treatment at Mercy. Sincerely, Lynn Whisler Vice President of Operations cc: Stephen J. Arkins Jeff Davidson Joe Fowler Darrell Lamb Steve Rohrbach L:\share\everyone\lwdl\aprow.doc BL~MIN6~TON STREET 6-12-01 Decor I.C. C,tZ Cou nc,'/~ We,, / oveoC ou, k- ~,? ~ ~,~. T. ~ / Hcrc ~re /~ -/-j'-e rS /vl c d / a M/rs. ,4ad,~ea Keec4 ," Dear enJohe,,,3 be!no] 1:he t:o, lf't'/t c:~ L,u{~ll a~ b¢inq in th-~ green ~-~>ra and Oo~ncJ ~h¢ o3, hew ~'chnlcol ~w{%h t vuould nc~ b~n aPat~ tO Work a qcxm~r~; but 1~gCOO ~ uoo,~ oK,but ) uu~%l~ t Co, vm-,c_','o,. I {-earned Ot Io-I; 06 '-the' Camerq ~rmg -theet O¢~b{/w Uqe ]~Ke pan Com{~o t-e~t-orr~clnt~ cxp(J hou. 3 fig do ~h~ Ador'r', wo,-S rea tl,t cod cxmd Shouaed/R1/"'he T-c~de wo~d% ,,m and Oh+. l reallv enjoyed -PAT V n ~ he nee r ('Cabre. 1o ~ -f.,h~)c e, tl -rh-e K~o% U,,,.;ho tO ex, p.er,ance th~9 c.~'rt eXffrCr~/w {UC_JF, L,,_9' Grid /carried O QcDd (-e,~on, I wou~drq douDt-tha, Adam and u/ou ~t~ be Se¢~ gt'dr'nGu,jb-{! uoorKine/or, gon~t o 4 {he r4op/-e UdhO WOr ~d c3,3:4h~lcu,fodac~.Thafi'IC Wu F~t'n~ Ohd P~ddm [ hope Jc-h~% {--e'-t--v-,..r jP'eujtm, J Web y~:eo~Tpl. e.. u, jv-x ~ d',, ct -r,'.4- <ge_.,'