HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-09-11 Transcription#1 Page 1
ITEM NO. 1 STATEMENT
Lehman: Today our nation has experienced a tragedy of the proportions of
which we really can not comprehend. I don't believe that any of us
here tonight are here because we really want to be. So, I think that out
of respect for this tragedy that has occurred, if there is a motion on the
part of the council, I would entertain a motion to amend the agenda by
eliminating the public discussion portion and also the council time so
that we may get our work done and leave.
Champion: So moved.
O'Donnell: Second.
Lehman: Moved by Champion, seconded by O'Donnell. Discussion? Motion
carries. (all ayes)
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meeting of September 11, 2001.
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ITEM NO. 2 MAYOR'S PROCLAMATIONS
#2a. Sexual Assault Awareness Day
Lehman: (Reads proclamation).
Karr: Here to accept is Allison Oliver-Correll.
(Applause)
Oliver-Correll: I think, very briefly, I'd just like to say thank you to the City of Iowa
City on behalf of the Rape Victim Advocacy Program for signing this
proclamation. And, I think our agency, as well as many others who
bear witness to acts of trauma and violence on a daily basis, have felt
particularly stunned today in light of everything that has happened.
And this proclamation really speaks to this City's commitment to
addressing all forms of violence in our community and in our nation.
And, I thank you for your commitment to that.
Lehman: Thank you
(Applause)
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meeting of September 11, 2001.
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#2b. Constitution Week
Lehman: (Reads proclamation).
Karr: Here to accept is Vema Johnson
(Applause)
Johnson: Mr. Mayor and City Council Members, on behalf of pilgrim Chapter
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, we thank you
for taking the time to spend doing this proclamation for the citizens of
Iowa City. We especially like to promote understanding of the
Constitution and its content and especially on this day are grateful.
We have presented you with a poster for the week and the small,
pocket size copy of the Constitution which last year you commented
on how amazing it is, the size and all that it contains. And we thank
you.
Lehman: Thank you.
(Applause)
Lehman: I suspect while we are talking about constitution and citizenship I
should remind folks that the polls in the election for school board are
open until 8 o'clock tonight so if you haven't voted, there is still time
to get there.
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ITEM NO 3. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED.
Champdon: Move adoption.
Vanderheof: Seconded.
Lehman: Moved by Champion, seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion?
Kanner: I'd like to withdraw item e-17 for separate consideration.
Lehman: Other comments? Discussion?
Kanner: Yes, Steve, when are we going to be getting the police reports for
alcohol license renewals?
Atkins: We have started the information collection process and so for the
month of September when you get the report, as you would routinely
get on the bar checks, you will get a report for the month on the
convenience stores and things such as that. It's in the mail right now.
Kanner: And one other question. Can you give me the history of... this is in
regards to correspondence we have on a parking van... this is number
29, f-29. When was it decided that Rochester Avenue would go to
three lanes as opposed to two?
Atkins: When was it decided? I'm assuming, oh gosh, two, three years ago.
Lehman: I think it's more recent than that. We added the turn lanes...
Atkins: We added the turn lanes at the time as a test in the Regina area and
then with the reconstruction work that went on... I honestly don't recall
the time flame.
Kanner: I guess my point is it doesn't seem like there was a big problem with
that and, with traffic there, and it just seems it makes it more difficult
for bicyclists. Cars going faster. When you do have parking you tend
to have cars going slow. This correspondence is about no parking
because we have three lanes now instead of two and there is no room.
So it seems we are pushing a heavily bicycled road away from
bicyclists and I just don't think it's appropriate.
Lehman: Any other discussion? Roll call on the consent calendar as, I guess, it
was amended. We took one item out. Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. #3e(17) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE
SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR BROWNFIELD
REDEVELOPEMENT PROGRAM FUNDS TO THE IOWA
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (IDED)
FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING A BROWNFIELD
RECLAMATION PROJECT AND COMMITMENT BY THE
CITY OF IOWA CITY TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO
IMPLEMENT SAID PROJECT.
Lehman: Does someone want to propose item seventeen separately?
Kanner: So moved.
Pfab: Second.
Lehman: Moved by Kanner, seconded by Pfab. Discussion?
Kanner: This is in regards to an application for Brownfield reclamation, which
is land that's not environmentally safe and this is at 1200 S. Riverside.
I guess, my question is, we are talking about 500,000 grant we are
applying for. What would be the local funding that we would use to
match that?
Steve Nasby: At that address, we have been working on getting a special
appropriation from congress for the last couple of years to help us start
thinking about cleaning up that site once the streets department folks
move. And reclaiming that and hopefully turning it into private
property, maybe commercial or something. As far as our efforts in the
past, we have been looking at approximately $2 million charge for the
whole cleanup with the special appropriation for a million and then the
City have responsibility for about a million dollars. Our funds would
be recovered through the sale of the property for whatever we end up
selling if for so we were hoping that we would be breaking even with
this, at that point, and then using the federal money just as a grant.
This application to DED, these moneys became available last year at
the Iowa Economic Development, Department of Economic
Development. So what I am hoping to do with this application is
reduce the City' s liability or match exposure from a million to half a
million dollars and again, we would recover our funds through the sale
0fthe property in the future.
Karmer: And the plan is to put (not sure). Is that CI-I? Is that for public...
Nasby: It's public right now.
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Atkins: It's public now, Steve. That would be an issue...
Kanner: So you would have to rezone it and that would be part of it and the
plan is to sell it though probably for some industrial or commercial
use?
Atkins: I can't imagine any residential use. I would suspect it would be
something such as that.
Nasby: It's commercial on the other three comers.
Atkins: It is commercial on the comer. That's right.
Karmer: Thank you.
Lehman: Other discussion? Roll call. Motion carries.
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ITEM NO.7 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND
ESTIMATE OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE
WATER FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS BLOOMINGTON
STREET BOOSTER STATION PROJECT, ESTABLISHING
AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID,
DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT
FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT
OF BIDS.
Lehman: This is a public hearing. Public hearing is open. Estimated cost of this
project is $880,000. As with any sewer or water project, it will be
funded by water revenues. Public hearing is closed. Do we have a
motion?
Pfab: So moved.
Vanderhoef: Second.
Lehman: Moved by Pfab, seconded by Vanderhoef. Discussion? Motion
carries.
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ITEM NO. 8 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT AND
ESTIMATE OF COST FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE
JOHNSON STREET SANITARY SEWER PROJECT,
ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO
ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO
PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME
AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS.
Lehman: Public Hearing is open. This project estimated cost is $160,000 and
again will be funded by sewer revenues.
Pfab: I believe, also, this is going to keep an overflow of sanitary sewer
ending up in the Ralston Creek. Is that correct?
Atkins: That is correct.
Lehman: Public hearing is closed. Do we have a motion approving?
Vanderhoef: So moved.
Wilbum: Second.
Lehman: Motion by Vanderhoef, seconded by Wilbum. Discussion? Roll call.
Motion carries.
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ITEM NO. 9 PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT,
ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
HICKORY HILL PARK TRAIL PROJECT, ESTABLISHING
AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID,
DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH ADVERTISEMENT
FOR BIDS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT
OF BIDS.
#9a. Public Hearing
Lehman: Estimated cost is $443,000 which will be general obligation bonds.
Public heating is open.
Rosemary Randolph: Hi, my name is Rosemary Randolph and I'm a member of the
Johnson County Coalition for Persons with Disabilities. And we have
been working with the friends of Hickory Hill for the past year, as you
know, and thank you for the amount that you set aside for Hickory Hill
Park. We do have a few things that we would like to just have some
clarification on so that we might have a chance to go back with the
develop...the people...Dunbar / Jones and talk about some other
issues. So the first thing I want to know is a question. We were told
that it is possible to amend or add addendums once the proposal is
approved tonight. Is that accurate?
Lehman: I think that is always accurate.
Randolph: Okay. I'm new at this so...
Lehman: With the approval, I mean, as long as both the contractor and the City
agree, addendums and the price, I think you can always add on to a
contract.
Randolph: Okay. The specs were received on September 6th, and since we have
been working on this for a year it would have been nice to have a little
bit longer time to be able to go back to them and discuss some of these
things but we do want to bring them to your attention so as you
consider voting on this, you take them into consideration. One of the
things is the high priority area is the first area that they are going to be
working on to develop and it's going to be actually, what they consider
the lowest used space. And we don't understand how they determined
what was the lowest used area. It is also an area up by ACT, on the
very far portion, that was supposed to be off of the map and not... and
for further development at even a whole different time flame. And so
we are a little bit concerned that they are going to be starting in an area
that for quite some time now we have talked about we wouldn't even
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be going into. If they get the REAP, of course, then it will flip flop,
and they'll work on the primary areas where they consider the higher
traffic. The second consideration is they asked for a ten-foot trail
workspace corridor for heavy equipment to travel in and out and to
turn around and we are wanting to know why it is necessary to use
large heavy equipment for any aspect of this particular project.
Because, as we have worked through this, through the year, it has been
both in agreement on, from all of us, that this is a park of nature and
the reason for making it handicap accessible is so that anyone in any
kind of condition, whether it be in a wheelchair or elderly with a cane,
has close access to that particular environment. We have parks for
exercise, we have parks that are geared toward playground and this
one is definitely one of nature. To go in and... the full width is seven
feet, six foot for the trail with a half foot on each side and that will be
the finished portion. At some points there won't even be the half-foot
because it'll just be the grass so it will just blend. So to go and to
swipe through with a ten foot area feels pretty excessive to us.
Lehman: I strongly suspect that it isn't possible to put in a six foot trail without
taking a little space on each side. It may just be a mechanical sort of
thing but they have to have...
Randolph: They said it was to bring in heavy equipment and we had talked about
this before. It is possible to build even a three-foot trail. It's not going
to be done by bringing in a dump truck and dumping out the gravel.
It's probably going to have to be done with smaller equipment, which
we talked about. We talked about with Dunbar and Jones over this for
quite some time. We've had several meetings on this. So to find this
in the final specs was a little bit conceming to us.
Lehman: Have you talked to Terry about any of this?
Randolph: We've talked to Mike... I talked to Mike Stineman today and asked
for clarification. So that's where I'm getting this from. Another thing
was prefabricated bridges and the one at the Bloomington Street
entrance would be prefabricated and they want to use a crane to put it
in with. Now, there are going to be two more over from the First
Avenue entrance and those are going to be steel I-beams with wood
truces and they are going to be built on site. And so we were
wondering why, if two of them can be built on site then why do we
need a crane to come across that green space to put in that bridge? So
again, that was another thing that concerned us. And is it a possible to
amend? Those were the ones that stood out the most. There were a
few other things but I think we got those pretty well worked out. They
wanted to clear the trees up to eight feet and make a canopy and he
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said no that he would change that so that it would read that the
environment would stay in an appropriate fashion so as it didn't bar
traversing on the trail.
Vanderhoef: Is that prefab bridge that you are talking about, is that one of the
bridges that we reclaimed a few years ago?
Randolph: No, it's a new one. Bought from the company where you bought some
of your others around the community here.
Vanderhoef: Okay.
Lehman: I would like to say I'm sure for the rest of the Council, we appreciate
the work you have both done on this. There has been a tremendous
amount of effort put in on this.
Randolph: Well, we've all made a lot of new friends, too.
Lehman: No, no, that's a significant accomplishment. I don't know how council
wants to address these issues. My guess would be that these should be
drawn to the attention of Terry and the commission and they can deal
with these. There may be...They may have...And that why I asked if
(couldn't hear) was here. There may be reasons why some of these
that we have no...
Randolph: One reason that Mike Stineman... I'm sorry, that Mr. Stineman gave
was, you know, depending on where you live, if you live out west, you
know, they build trails, they build them in very precarious place and
they pack it in on a horse, I mean you know, and a pick. I mean they
do it in many ways. You go to St. Louis and they clear everything
back because they don't want too much cover, etc. You know,
depending on where you are at. Well, we talked about all this and he
feels that he's... they are afraid that the contractors will charge them
an arm and a leg if they can't just haul it in with a truck and dump it.
But, everyone knows up front whenever they bid, what this park is
about and what it needs to remain because it will soon be surrounded
on all sides by development. So, it's going to be a unique area within
itself as time goes by anyway.
Champion: Maybe we should defer this at least until we get some answers. I
mean, not defer it but...
Lehman: I believe, that we are authorizing this...
Randolph: Yeah, that's the other thing, it all got pushed to the end.
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Lehman: That's just getting the estimates and if the...Steve, is it possible for
these concerns to be at least...
Arkins: We sure have them recorded and I can take them to the folks fight
away. If you defer, the less likely it'll get...
Lehman: Started this year.
Atkins: ...any work will be undertaken this year. That's one and secondly,
more hand work you do the less trail you get. You have to understand
that they try to use, I'm sure, as much equipment as they possibly can
and that's just something you have to accept when you are doing these
types of projects.
Vanderhoef: But if we approve tonight, then what is in the contract that we are
approving allows them to do this. And this is the way they are going
to be bidding it, so...
Arkins: That's right.
Vanderhoef: it's...
Atkins: Unless we can put together a quick amendment.
Randolph: Could I say one more thing?
Lehman: Yes, please do.
Randolph: They wrote the REAP grant because they would like to use road oil,
which is a natural substance which will harden the surface. It can't be
applied unless it's above seventy degrees in the day and no lower than
sixty at night. So the areas they are going to be starting in are going to
be primitive and it's going to take, they are going to have to figure out
a way to get in there because it does say that they can't remove trees
to get in there. So, by the time the REAP grant comes around they'll
be flip flopping their priority and because they want to put the road oil
down, so they'll be working in areas were they are going to have to
use small equipment anyway. I mean that's just...
Lehman: My suspicion is this is a project that would possibly start this fall but
in no way would it be done until spring so the temperature would be
okay for the oil.
Randolph: Right.
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Pfab: I would say that I think your ideas are excellent. I support them one
hundred percent. And I think if we move here and jeopardize your
position, I would vote no. I mean that would wipe out your
suggestions. I would just vote no. So, if there is a way to preserve
what you have, and you said you have a limited amount of time to look
at it which always makes me a little nervous, and I think they are
excellent ideas and I think that if we can not accommodate, I would
vote no.
Kanner: Emie?
Lehman: Yes, Steven.
Kanner: I've got the bid statement here and it talks about general notes and I'm
wondering if this is enough protection. It refers to what you were
saying. In the construction access it does say construction equipment
will be limited to a ten foot construction corridor along the trail. Then
it goes on to say, in some sections of the trail, clearance between trees
is as little as six feet. Protect all existing trees including those within
the construction corridor unless marked to be removed. Then it goes
further, in point number six to say protect all trees. No trees will be
removed without being marked or flagged by the project landscape
architect. Do you think that gives us the protection we need? That the
landscape architect...review these?
Randolph: According to what Mike Stineman said here, is that the decision
whether trees should be removed or not would be decided during the
construction stage.
Kanner: By our landscape architect, I would assume.
Atkins: That's not an uncommon. In the field, they have to decide, they have
to have the ability to make those decisions on a regular (can't hear).
Randolph: But then they also... Part of it, it reads that no trees will be removed
during the construction of this project. We don't know quite what to
(can't hear) here.
Kanner: Well it says that ifthere's... Where a high density of tree roots or tree
roots greater than two inches in diameter are encounter the trail surface
will be raised to minimize damage to the tree root.
Randolph: Right. In other words they won't remove the tree root, they will raise
the trail.
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Champion: So the part... Steven, you think the part that's going to be wide, the
seven foot, or whatever you say it is, is going to be like just where
there is grass as stuff growing where there aren't trees so that could be
replanted?
Kanner: Well, I'm not sure. I think the ten foot that RoseMary is referring to is
meant to be allowed to grow back eventually. That, as she said, it's a
six foot trail with a half foot on either side so that' s seven feet and
those other three feet would, in theory, grow back. But RoseMary is
bringing up the point that that's too much damage. And, maybe we do
need a couple more weeks to look at that and give these folks a chance
to work with our Public Works Department and Ten'y some more on
this.
Champion: Does it say in there that those areas have to be replanted? Does it say
anything like that?
Randolph: Yeah, reclamation is due in every area but they're not supposed to be
bringing in cranes and heavy equipment. They're supposed to be
doing it...Okay, let's use the example, of you're going to add on to
your home and you're going to extend your basement as well. You
can't bring in heavy equipment and back into your neighbor's yard.
You have to bring in the equipment of the appropriate size to stay
within your confine and your limit. And so goes the trail.
Lehman: I believe that your vision of heavy equipment is not the same as theirs.
Randolph: No.
Lehman: No heavy equipment will ever get through a ten-foot corridor.
Randolph: They want to haul trucks back and forth with gravel.
Champion: Well, they'll have to.
Lehman: Well, let me just say...and we can do whatever the Council wants to
do. If we change the specifications and the contract comes in too high
there won't be a trail. It's pretty much that simple. We need to build
something that is affordable and does the least possible encroachment
in the park. My suspicion is, they tried to do this. If we want to make
it more stringent, and it comes in...you know this is $443,000 and this
is G.O. bonds. If that comes in at $550,000 my guess is that it would
probably not be approved. So, I guess it's ajudgement call on the part
of the Council.
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Pfab: I would say because of the softness in the economy, we got a good
chance of getting a reasonably good bid on this and with that I would
take a chance on it. To get it the way we want it and protect what we
need to protect.
O'Donnell: Irvin, I don't think costs are ever going to go down. Is there any way
we can move this forward and like correct any of the damage we are
doing? Is there any way we can do that?
Atkins: You can bid, close the hearing, send the project out for bid. Now,
when we receive the bids we have the authority to negotiate negotiable
terms and conditions.
Randolph: Yeah, that's all we want.
Lehman: That might be the best way to do it.
Atkins: I can't promise that that would work out and the contractor may call it
a day and we're finished. It's not uncommon, sort of nod you head
Andy and I'm okay, that we would negotiate reasonable amendments
to the low bidder. And I'm sure we can raise some of these issues.
Personally folks I would really like to see it get out to bid even if we
reject it later out of hand because it's too much, we've just waited so
long. Remember during the capital plan, we had to add a good bit of
money to get this done and I'd really like to see you get going with it.
I hope you understand...
Lehman: Well, is there anyone else from the public who would like to speak?
Randolph: Yeah. Thank you. That's what I'm wondering...
Lehman: Thank you very much.
Marilyn Belman: Hi, I'm Marilyn Belman from the Johnson County Coalition. I didn't
know RoseMary was going to speak. I wanted to thank you for letting
me speak. I wanted to tell you how much we have enjoyed working
with the City and with Terry and with Mike. And I want to sort of
thank some key members for how well I thought this had worked out.
There have been several people that have worked on the project, and
you know. The Iowa Law Clinic has helped with the survey that we
did to sort of find the popular support. Hickory Hill Park has
worked...and that's RoseMary and who is sitting beside her there, and
so you've got a lot a view points that are here. And, I think that it was
the Hickory Hill Park people that were very concerned about not
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getting any machines in there and I think that when we begin to work
together and trying to find common goals that was were we had a
conflict at first and that is why we came to the seven feet maximum.
And, so when they saw something that wasn't that, they freaked. And,
I think, RoseMary is probably representing that viewpoint. I wanted to
say that we found everybody very good to work with and I think very
accommodating. And I think that we wanted to thank you for this
experience because it seemed to me...In fact, we were joking at one of
our meetings about how this should be going...We should be going to
some conference and tell people that this is how a community should
work together. Because we have found the City and Tom Dunbar and
Mike Stineman who picked up ideas that RoseMary had dug out in her
research. Everybody sort of picked up on it and went with it. And so I
think that if this is a hurtle I hope that we can get by it because I think
that we had it worked it out. And I think that what Steve pointed out,
if that's the way it's going to be, that we can sort of point out that this
is what the contract implies is that we need to make sure that that
seven foot is what we had all agreed on. And I think, also, the idea of
big machines is what they're concerned about. Those are the two key
sticking factors. I think that both of us as a Coalition and the Friends
of Hickory Hill want to continue to be involved afterwards. Both of us
are going to be continued...continue to be concerned about how it
comes out. Us for accessibility and them for nature. And that was
something we both agreed were going to be the two goals. But, by and
large, I think that this is an excellent example of city government and
an advocacy group working together. Thank you.
Lehman: Thank you.
Vanderhoef: And thank you Marilyn for complementing our staff because
sometimes they don't get enough recognition from the public and this
is one time...
Belman: Oh, they've been wonderful. They set up walk throughs and set up
meetings and things. They've been great.
Randolph: Thank you.
Karmer: And...
Lehman: Let's take any more public input, please, and then we'll close the
hearing and have council discussion.
Corbin Sexton: My name is Corbin Sexton. I am with the Friends of Hickory Hill
Park. And this really has been a joint effort and if some of us our
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concerned at this point it's because so much time has gone into it.
And as RoseMary pointed out, the documents were received on
September 6th. This is one of thirty_seven pages that we would like to
review. It's not that we can't decipher this but that to do that in a
period of time given everything that has gone into it, has made us a
little concerned at this point, which is why we're here. So, if we can
come away from tonight with the understanding that we'll have a
chance to work out some of these details, that it won't be set in stone
exactly as it is written here...the six foot trails is what we all agreed on
with the half-foot on each side. You know there was plenty in
scanning it, in the brief time we had, that looked right, this is great,
this is what we were hoping for, but as the points have already made, I
won't go over them again, those are ones that we hope we will have a
chance to have input in. One of the concerns is a hold over from a
previous project. It's our understanding that when the cemetery was
expanded there were trees that were identified as trees that would be
saved and in fact, when the project was done, those trees were not
saved. So, we have some concems about reading in a document that,
you know, all trees will be saved. A great effort will be made. We
want to know what precautions will be taken so that that will be the
case when it's said and done. So again, it's been great chance to work
with different community members and we look forward to positive
outcome.
Pfab: I went back to the same incident that you did and the damage that was
done unnecessarily when that cemetery was put in and I just...I will
not be comfortable voting for something unless those are protected.
Trees can't holler if someone starts to cut them down.
Lehman: Is there any body else from the public that would like to speak to this?
Kanner: Corbin, though, could you just...Actually, could you just summarize
the points again real quickly that RoseMary and that you had about
your ConcelTL
Sexton: Sure. I might need a little help from RoseMary but...we are hoping to
minimize the use of massive equipment. Cranes, for instance. We are
hoping to reduce the clearance which is now set at eight feet wide.
Trimming the trees eight feet up...
Pfab: High.
Sexton: ...high, excuse me, that that would be brought down to seven feet. We
are questioning why a remote area of the park is...that in a meeting
that we all attended, well not everyone in this room but, everyone
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of September 11, 2001.
#9a Page 18
whose spoken, that a section in the north part of the park was
designated as an area that we weren't even going to go into and now, if
you look on the documents that are in the Clerks office that I assume
are in your packet, that, talking about this part right here down as
phase one so it went from something that all of us agreed wasn't going
to happen to being the first thing that's going to happen. So that's. . .
Kanner: Off the loop B, that is? The one going way up...
Sexton: Right. It's the single...The only one that kind of doesn't loop. It juts.
I don't know whether that would that be north.
Karmer: Yeah.
Lehman: Where does it go? Is that an access point that they need?
Sexton: If you were to go off the map here you would hit North Dodge. ACT
would be over here somewhere.
Lehman: But I mean...I guess my question is, do they need that as an access
point to construct the trail?
Sexton: That's a good question. It wasn't one...
Lehman: It may be that if they're not going to do the south end, and they want
to start construction, they have to have some access point and that may
be why, I don't know. I wish an engineer was here to answer some of
these questions. I have a feeling that most of these questions...
Atkins: I'm not sure it's engineering. I have to admit to you I'm taking by
surprise with these things because Terry didn't brief me that there was
any concem. After our briefing with you all a few weeks ago, I
thought we were ready to go. If we're not, we're not.
Matthews: If I may just offer a suggestion.
Lehman: Yes.
Matthews: If it aids you in your deliberations. The plans and specs could be bid
as alternates with these additional proposals so you could get some
idea as to those costs. If they are not...If you don't use that approach,
if it doesn't amount to a substantial change, they can be... the plans
can be changed through a change order if you go with the present
plans and specs.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of September 11, 2001.
#9a Page 19
Lehman: Well, is there anybody else from the public who would like to address
this issue?
Diane Kaufman: I'll be brief. My name is Diane Kaufman. I think there are two other
points I would like to raise. Much in the specs in this refer to a lot of
discretion on the part of the landscape architect but it isn't real clear if
that person will be on site. And, if you have done, been on a
construction site, had a little work done in your own home, you know.
There are day to day, moment to moment decisions that effect the
outcome and so it wasn't clear if that person is going to be there saying
no you can't cut that tree, that limbs okay, but that shrub's not. So,
that kind of attention is what the Coalition and the Friends worked so
hard for so long and came up with a plan that we are all happy with.
To have it fly away at this point when I think a few weeks of having a
chance to talk with the Dunbar / Jones and Terry, I think we could
this...make everyone happy. This could be a win, win, win situation.
For just a few weeks time. We just didn't have, you know, we are
being asked to put, in one week, without having a chance to really look
and discuss with the folks, something that we've put over a year in.
So, just, that would be my request.
O'Donnell: Why don't we delay this a couple weeks.
Pfab: I agree.
O'Donnell" Let's do it.
Pfab: Wait, is there someone else that wanted to speak?
Champion: Yeah.
O'Donnell: Well, I think that we've addressed it. If we delay it and we give
everyone an opportunity to ask questions.
Lehman: What we will do is I will take a motion to defer.
Pfab: I would...
Lehman: ...to continue the public hearing to the 251h of September.
O'Donnell: I would move we continue the public hearing to the 251h of
September.
Champion: Second.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of September 11, 2001.
#9a Page 20
Lehman: Moved by O'Donnell, seconded by Champion. All in favor.
(all ayes)
Atkins: I will have Terry arrange to contact everybody.
Lehman: Right. That will give us two weeks and then we will kind of take up
were we left off tonight.
Kanner: You might want...maybe, pass out some of these sheets on the specs.
If anyone' s interested.
Atkins: It sounds like they're going to change, however.
Lehman: Okay.
Karr: We have a motion to also defer the public...the resolution.
Wilbum: So moved.
Champion: Second.
Lehman: Wilburn, second by Champion to defer the resolution. All in favor?
Motion carries.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council
meeting of September 11, 2001.