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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-12-11 CorrespondenceMarian Karr From: Nelson, Gayle [gayle-nelson@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 11:22 AM To: 'council@iowa-city.org' Subject: Vote YES today Gayle Nelson, M.S., R.N.C. Staff Nurse II Student Health Service The University of Iowa 4189 WL Iowa City, IA 52242-1100 319-335-8362 12-tt-0t Marian Karr 3g(2) From: HOWARD HORAN [hhoran@email,rnsn,com] Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 6:45 AM To: councH@iowa-city.org Subject: Peninsula Project Dear Friends, We are very interested in the Peninsula Project. This plan will allow me to join my business (H Horan Studio) with my home. My portrait studio is consistent with the types of businesses contemplated for the live-work units. In our business plan for the Peninsuala we will NOT be offering photofinishing - no chemicals or machines. Marti & I feel that the live-work idea is great for us. Our housing needs are modest (we are empty-nesters) and I hate yard work. Our interest is strong and our abilities are consistent with the timeline of the project. We urge you to continue to support the Peninsula Project at every possible opportunity. We will wait and watch with interest. Sincerely, Howard & Marti Horan 2407 Crestview mjhhoran@msn.com (Individual envelopes addressed to Council) December 3, 2001 To whom it should concern: It is so comforting to know that the ICPD is cracking down on seat belt violations, public intoxication among students, skateboard riding on the Ped Mall and other heinous crimes that plague our city and make it unsafe for its citizens. We definitely need more police to stamp out these types of crimes once and for all.... YEAH, RIGHT!!! Two weeks ago I was stopped for a seatbelt violation. Does the law require seatbelts? Yes. Was I wearing my seatbelt? No. Did I immediately fasten it when I saw the approaching police car? Yes. Was I violating any other traffic laws? No. We all know that seatbelts save lives. But was Officer Huff protecting my life when he made a U-turn across four lanes of traffic to slap me with a $47.50 fine or was he just teaching me a lesson about police powers and making a few bucks for the city coffers.'? You judge. I've lived in the Iowa City area for almost 30 years and have watched with increasing dismay how the ICPD runs roughshod over the good, law-abiding students and natives of this city. The ICPD's "take-no-prisoners" attitude -- experienced by many friends ~- is absolutely unwarranted. As one of those friends put it when I told him of my run-in with Officer Huff: "The job of the ICPD isn't to serve and protect, it is to monitor and harass." Sincerely disgusted, ~ City of: ~ ~ Dj~7}a~{~s~/ ~ ' First Middle Address ~* DLCIass (' DLEnd 4,[,,)~c'z DLRest. Dora' ,.:' If'r77~ ~ace/~ ', Sex ~t.r Theunde~signedstalesthatonora~ut///:~('1~; [ ~ o. Da Yr. O~rale Motor VehicleSoat (descd~), CMV DYes BNo HazMatPlac. Req. DYes UNo 7 USDOT~ ") .¢" '1 ~; (,' , D Non-Scheduicd Violation Surcharge $ · .' B Courl Apl~urance Required (805.10). Do Court Costs $ /'y .- ..... ~P.~. ~P.D,($1~)Accidenl ' DATA CODE ~"' F~Adm, Code - IOrd~ ' In ~ , /.'j . ~ !i,'/.z., ~op of ~he mve~ side or' the clution. .~ From: Stewar~, Jan [jan-stewart@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 11:49 AM To: 'council@iowa-city.org'; 'Lisa-Mollenhauer@iowa-city.org' Subject: Fareway and 1 st Avenue Opinion To City Council Members, Just want to state my opinion to you all as the issues are very important to the East side of Iowa City where I reside. Please allow Fareway to build at Scott and Hwy 6. We are in desperate need of addition choices in grocery shopping on the east side. I do not see where the presence of a grocery store will hinder industrial development, nor do I feel that "families in their vans" will be at risk from the truck traffic in the area. Please release your tight controls on businesses so they stop moving to Coralville! And deciding not to open 1st Avenue to traffic for 1 year is ridiculous. We built the road because the majority voted in support of it. There is no purpose in keeping it closed for an additional year. Every morning I watch the traffic jam at Regina, and am convinced that the traffic congestion could be improved by giving people a choice to drive 1st Avenue. I also think kids at Regina would be much safer. We are forced to drive 4 additional miles every time we want to travel to the 1-80 and Hwy 1 intersection, which is a waste of time and resources. I think you should make access to our beautiful new Sycamore Mall and to the new medical buildings on the east side both easier and safer for the people in this community. Thank you for your hard work. Jan Stewart 528 Scott Park Drive Iowa City, Iowa 52245 338-2396 From: John Westefeld [jwestef@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu] Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2001 4:28 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Dear Members of the City Council: Today I received word that I had been appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission. I want to thank each of you for this opportunity, and I look forward to serving. Best wishes for a good holiday season and in the year ahead. John Westefeld HAYEK, HAYEK, BROWN & MORELAND, L.L.P. ATTORNEYS AT LAW WILL J. HAYEK {1896~198;) BREMER BUILDING AREA CODE 319 JOHN W. HAYEK IZ~OVs EAST WASHINGTON STREET TELEPHONE 337-9G06 C. PETER HAYEK FAX 338-7376 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-,3976 DAVID E, BROWN JOSI[,PH T. MORELAND MATTHEW J. HAYEK* · ^L.o ^o.,..o ,. ,L~,.o,. November 30, 2001 Iowa City City Council Civic Center 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 Re: Southgate Development Company, Inc. vs. City of Iowa City (Johnson County No. LACV061752) Dear Members of the City Council: Enclosed for your review and information are copies of the joint pretrial statement, defendant's memorandum brief, and trial brief filed by plaintiff Southgate Development Company, Inc. in connection with the certiorari case which proceeded to hearing before Judge Amanda Potterfield on November 27, 2001. At the hearing, it was obvious that Judge Potterfield had read the file and relevant portions of the certified record; based upon the questions which he posed to the attorneys during the hearing, it also appeared that she had identified and understood the relevant legal issues involved in this rezoning matter. Following the submission of legal arguments at the hearing, Judge Potterfield informed the attorneys that she would file a ruling in this case as soon as possible, perhaps as early as next week. I shall notify you as soon as we receive that ruling. Sincerely yours, DEB:ms Enclosure cc: Karin Franklin (w/enc.) Io~ ' ~ ' ~ ] Marian Karr I 12-11-01 . 3g(8) From: CaroW DeProsse [cdeprosse@earthlink.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 1904 12:56 AM To: jcnews@yahoogroups.com; icprogs@yahoogroups.com; iagp- johnsoncounty@yahoogroups.com; Steve_Atkins@iowa-city.org; Marian_Karr@iowa-city.org; Connie_Champion@iowa-city.org; Ross_Wilburn@iowa-city.org; Dee_Vanderhoef@iowa- city.org; Ernie_Lehman@iowa-city.org; Jim Fausett; Harry Herwig; John Weihe; Diana Lundell; Dave Jacoby; Jean Schnake Subject: [jcnews] Keep Learning or Remain a Troglodyte "Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition" Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org David Borden, Executive Director, borden@drcnet.org Economic Realities http://www.drcnet.org/wol/213.html#economicrealities Often, divergent intellectual pathways can lead to similar conclusions, and drug policy reform is an excellent example of this. There may be no other issue that draws together such diverse advocates, representing such wide ranging, sometimes starkly opposing viewpoints. Several years ago, I was part of a team that helped organize the drug policy track for a justice reform conference held in Springfield, a mid-size city in western Massachusetts. One of the panelists there was Dr. Jeffrey Miron, an economist at Boston University and a true, free-market libertarian. In a journal article published a short time later, Miron discussed drug prohibition and its economics, in which he pointed out among other things -- in contrast with the prevailing view of drug use as a drain on society -- that in strict economic terms, money spent by consumers on drugs is a benefit, not a cost. Miron wasn't advocating that people use drugs -- nor that they don't -- but merely explaining a concept to help others think through the issue more clearly. Though I accepted Miron's observation in that spirit, my initial reaction was that this is not our strongest argument {politically at least) for drug legalization. Money spent by consumers on drugs might help to employ people and aid the economy on that end of the equation. But on the other end, drug use, while not universally evil as many believe, does indeed cause serious harm to some. There were, in my opinion, much stronger, certainly more palatable reasons to be for legalization than the economic benefits of the drug trade. In the intervening years, I've concluded that Miron's argument is more compelling than I originally thought. It's easy to dismiss the economic benefits of an industry when you already have a job. But for many in our nation's poorest neighborhoods -- or in the world's poorest regions -- drug growing or distributing or selling is the only work available. The ripple effects from that may be even more important. At a conference in New Jersey a few years ago, Imani Woods, a notable in the harm reduction movement, described a chain of events she'd observed on a corridor of a once busy Harlem avenue. The neighborhood, in addition to all its storefronts, had a substantial drug scene -- the "open-air drug market," as it's often called. Eventually, the city conducted a "sweep," clearing the drug market 1 off of that neighborhood's sidewalks, or at least eliminating that glaring form of it. But the neighborhood didn't let out a sigh of relief, at least not for long. It turned out that for all the pathologies associated with the illicit, open-air drug trade, the influx of people and cash that it brought was a cornerstone of the local economy, without which the rest would become unsustainable. Over the months following the sweep, store after store shut down for block after block, leaving a desolate stretch of blighted urban cityscape. The unintended consequences of a drug war operation serve as an indicator of some of the challenges that may be faced in the immediate years after legalization is enacted. Earlier this week, I spoke with an economic justice activist in Philadelphia, with whom I shared my view of the impact of drug prohibition on our poorest communities. By creating a massive criminal underground, I argued, prohibition fuels violence and disorder, particularly in the inner cities, and these conditions drive away business and make every other method of addressing poverty far more difficult. Legalization could reduce the violence and open up greater possibilities for economic development, better schools, etc. He agreed, but pointed out a problem given where we are at now. Large numbers of people are dependent on the drug trade in its current form for their only source of employment. If drugs were legalized tomorrow, the resulting unemployment would cause massive economic turmoil. As damaging as prohibition is to poor communities, then, how we make the transition to a post- prohibition system is also an issue of great importance. Drug trade participants understand this. According to Valerie Vande Panne, a drug reform activist and former East Harlem resident, the neighborhood drug dealers were not in favor of legalization; they understood very well that legalization would put them out of business, and that was a greater threat to them than the risk of incarceration. Across the continent in rural British Columbia, organizers with the province's Marijuana Party report that many marijuana growers are less than enthusiastic about the party's efforts to enact marijuana legalization, for the same reason. All of the above would also apply if the drug trade were erased, not through legalization, but by a cessation of use. As damaging as drug use can sometimes be, the economic consequences for society could be catastrophic, if the drug warriors were to suddenly succeed in their implausible goal of eradicating drugs -- as legitimately problematic as drug addiction and its attendant consequences can be. But if drug sales, and therefore drug users and dealers, play that important a part in our economy, do they deserve to be so demonized as government and society currently do? Economic laws are not so easily repealed as are laws of Congress, the views of congressional drug warriors notwithstanding; cracking down on drug users or sellers has no hope of stopping the overwhelming economic force of human habit. Those who participate in the drug scene, in whatever capacity, cannot simply be removed from society, as for better or worse, we are all interdependent and interlinked in a web of social and economic activity. We marginalize and persecute members of society, and ignore their fundamental economic realities, at our cost and peril. Proposed New Medical Marijuana Initiative Would Create State- Controlled Medical Marijuana Distribution System http://www.drcnet.org/wol/213.html#newinitiative Americans for Medical Rights (AMR), the organization that fielded successful medical marijuana initiative campaigns in several states, including California, is taking aim at the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA} crackdown on medical marijuana in the states with a proposed initiative to set up a state- controlled distribution network. A successful initiative would almost certainly result in a Supreme Court showdown over states' vs. federal rights. "Through the actions of Attorney General Ashcroft, the federal government is trying to thwart the will of the voters in California and other states," said AMR's Gina Palencar. "We are looking at doing an initiative in response to the federal government's recent actions in California, the raids and the closing of the cannabis distribution center," she told DRCNet. Saying that last summer's Supreme Court ruling in the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Co-op case, which held that state medical marijuana laws provided no defense against federal prosecution, had frightened legislators and led to an impasse at state houses, Palencar said it was time to look again at the initiative process. "We are looking at the possibility of an initiative in 2002 in Arizona, Oregon or Washington," she said. "That would give the voters the opportunity to decide if the state government should have a role in distribution." But although California has been the scene of the most recent federal enforcement activity against medical marijuana distribution, AMR has pretty much ruled out another initiative there as too expensive, said Palencar. "California would require more time and more resources," she said. "It is the largest state, and that makes any campaign more expensive. We don't think medical marijuana patients can afford to wait." That's fine with Dale Gieringer, head of California NORML /http://www.canorml.org), who told DRCNet that while he generally opposed any new medical marijuana initiatives in California, he would support AMR's effort. "We don't need any new initiatives in California," he said, "but I do support AMR'S idea of having another challenge to the feds with a state distribution system that would raise constitutional issues that would have to be decided by the Supreme Court," Gieringer said. "We don't need that here in California; a state distribution system would be much more restrictive that what we currently have with the de facto club system that is still out there. But if they went to a state like Arizona, where there is a nominal medical marijuana law that is so restrictive it's never been used, that could be useful." For Gieringer, the courts hold more promise than the chance of a sudden burst of enlightenment within the federal government. "We're certainly not getting any progress out of the Bush administration," he said. "The courts are the only place we can Palencar, too, is looking to the courts. "There is an impasse because of federal policy," she said. "Ultimately this is a battle that will be played out between the states and the federal government in the courts." But it is also a matter of public opinion and political will, she added. "If we pass one of these initiatives, it will be time to see what the federal government is made of," said Palencar. "How far will they go to enforce their laws? Under this scenario, they would have to get injunctions against states or state officials. We don't think they are willing to do that, but there is no turning back. We can only engage the feds." According to AMR's Palencar, the group is studying two models for 3 an initiative. In the first model, states would petition the federal government for marijuana from its farm in Mississippi. "We think, however, that the feds would likely ignore or deny any such request, so we are falling back on a model of having the state do the actual cultivation in a secure location and distribute the medicine to qualified patients." While Palencar and A/MR would like to formally announce the new initiative, it isn't yet a done deal. "We are definitely planning an initiative, but it will depend on polling and public opinion research, so we can't say where yet, and we can't say absolutely that it will happen. Look for an announcement in February," Palencar added. Feds Lose "Crack House" Case Against Florida Rave Club Owners http://www.drcnet.org/wol/213.html#clublavela The Justice Department's campaign to use federal crack house laws against rave club owners took a serious hit this week when jurors in federal court in Florida declined to convict two Panama City Beach club owners targeted by state and federal law enforcement officials. Club La Vela bills itself as the nation's largest nightclub, with the multi-tiered playpen accommodating thousands of people. In addition to holding numerous raves, it is a significant live music and performance space, having hosted such events as the VANS Warped Tour, the Skoal ROAR tour, World Championship Wrestling and even the Bay Watch Talent Search. Brothers and co-owners CEO Patrick Pfeffer, 31, and general manager Thorsten Pfeffer, 30, were charged with conspiring to use the club, or allow it to be used, for the use and distribution of drugs. If convicted, they faced up to 20 years in prison, fines and the possible forfeiture of the club. But after six weeks of testimony, it took the jury only 75 minutes to come back with "not guilty" verdicts on all counts. Coming after a New Orleans crack house prosecution that ended with a whimper instead of a bang -- federal prosecutors settled for a consent agreement wherein the club owners banned glow sticks and similar items, and even that settlement was blocked as an appeal winds through the courts -- the decision in the La Vela case strikes a major blow against federal prosecutors hoping to use the tactic in their war on the rave culture, which in their minds is indistinguishably linked with ecstasy use. The nightclub, opened in 1996, quickly drew the attention of local authorities, and undercover officers sent into the club reported repeated drug use and sales. In 1997, it gained the dubious distinction of being the first club raided under Florida's new Anti-Rave law. The 1999 "Operation Heat Rave," unleashed by the Florida Office of Drug Control and the state's sheriffs, spotlighted La Vela, and in April 2000, local law enforcement officials raided the club with great fanfare, but found no drugs. That didn't stop Bay County Sheriff Guy Tunnell from using a post- raid press conference to demonize the Pfeffer brothers and the club as a place to groom drug consumers. Tunnell pointed to the presence of underage patrons (there legally) and a "lackadaisical" attitude toward drug use that, he said, made it likely that young people would be exposed to drugs. "They were raising them to come back and buy their drugs later," he claimed. He also attempted to tar the brothers with numerous drugs seized over the course of a three-year investigation centering on La Vela, but failed to provide any link between the drug seizures and the Pfeffers. (Neither did prosecutors during the trial. The Sheriff's Department refuses to comment on those claims now.) 4 Despite Tunnell's show for the reporters, state charges against the brothers fizzled. But the reds picked up the ball, and in June 2000 a federal grand jury indicted the club and the brothers under the federal crack house statute, a heavy-handed weapon crafted during the late-1980's drug hysteria designed to go after property-owners actively involved in ongoing drug sales. The indictment marked only the second time US Attorneys had sought to use the crack house law against rave clubs, and while law enforcement officials in Austin had been making similar threatening noises, the disappointing State Theater case in New Orleans and the La Vela fiasco may quiet them down. During the trial, federal prosecutors and their witnesses painted a lurid portrait of orgiastic excess and open drug use. Assistant US Attorney Greg Miller told the jurors the club was little more than "what could only be described as a full-service drug shop." He also accused the club of promoting raves, which he described as parties that promote and enhance drug use, citing "chill out" rooms, where overheated patrons could cool off, as evidence. And while various undercover police, club patrons and employees testified that drug use did occur at the club, Miller was reduced to waving around glow sticks as he failed to provide any evidence that the Pfeffer brothers conspired to engage in drug sales at the club or negligently allowed them to take place. While defense attorneys conceded that drugs were present at times and even admitted that Patrick Pfeffer had a personal fondness for ecstasy, jurors were apparently swayed by some hard numbers. La Vela attorney Todd Foster told the jury that the club grossed $2.5 million in alcohol sales and $3.2 million from cover charges in last year. "That's where they're making their money," he said in his opening argument. In his closing argument, Prosecutor Miller told the jurors he had only to show that the Pfeffers had entered into some sort of agreement to use the club to distribute drugs, not that they had profited from drug sales. "At the end of this case," he said, "I'm going to ask you to return a verdict that is consistent with the evidence, consistent with the truth and consistent with justice." Much to Miller's chagrin, they did just that. Rave Wars Come to Austin: Cops Threaten Club Owners, Promoters, Negotiations Under Way http://www.drcnet.org/wol/213.html#austinravewars Austin has long had a reputation as a live music capital, and in recent years it has also become a powerhouse in the rave and electronic music scene. But a letter sent to local club owners and promoters by Austin police commander Robert Dahtstrom put the city's vibrant music scene on notice that law enforcement's war on Ecstasy was poised to impose some significant collateral damage. Directed to such Austin music institutions as the Backyard, La Zona Rosa and the Austin Music Hall, as well as the nightclubs Texture and Element, and promoter Coy West of 626 Soul Productions, the letter warned that clubs and promoters who hold raves would face a triple-whammy of scrutiny from the Austin police, the Drug Enforcement Administration {DEA) and the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC), a legendarily crusty bunch of good o1' boys who enforce the state's liquor laws. "We have gotten intelligence that points to a RAVE being nothing more than a haven for drug dealers and drug use," wrote Dahlstrom, who heads the Austin Police Department's Organized Crime Unit. "If the owner of the business or the promoter of the event 5 continues to allow this type of behavior, appropriate charges will be filed on those responsible." "There's been a real increase in ecstasy in the last six months or year," Dahlstrom told DRCNet. "We've been making lots of arrests, a lot of it coming from Houston, and the rave scene has blatant dealers all over the place. "Hell," he drawled, "I've been to rock concerts where there's drugs and we'll make arrests there, but we've been to raves where there's people lined up 30 deep to buy their dope. That's the difference. I want to see no more blatant drug use like we've seen at all the raves we've gone to," he said. No one that DRCNet interviewed denied that ecstasy use occurs at raves, but club owners and promoters see a threat to livelihoods as well as to the rave culture in general. According to the Austin Chronicle, an alternative weekly, Noah Balch of Ark Entertainment has already been squeezed. It happened 75 miles down the road in San Antonio, when San Antonio police and the TABC pressured Sunset Station, the huge venue where Balch had massives (great big raves) scheduled in September and October. "They told us, 'We don't like raves in San Antonio, and that's all there is to it,"' Balch told the Chronicle, adding that San Antonio police specifically threatened club owners with the federal crack house law if the show was not canceled. "I ended up losing $30,000 that night," he said. "We still had to pay for Bad Boy Bill, the fliers, lighting crews -- all the stuff that suddenly wasn't going to be happening." Balch's attorney, Buck McKinnon, told the Chronicle, "If you can read that crack house statute and see how it ought to apply to a rave, i'd like you to explain it to me. It's just the most tortured reading that you could possibly imagine. The primary purpose of a rave is to put on a concert, not to provide a place for people to come do drugs, and frankly I don't see how you can even get there from here." McKinnon's view notwithstanding, Balch's San Antonio experience, along with back-channel rumblings from the TABC, and the letter, were enough for the Austin Music Hall, the city's largest club, to drop raves. "We've probably done a hundred or so rave events in the past six or seven years," said Shay Jones, the club's manager. "Our first inkling of trouble was when the Austin police told us we couldn't hire off-duty officers for security anymore. Then when we heard about one of our main promoters, Noah Balch of Ark Entertainment, getting harassed in San Antonio, we investigated through our TABC connections," Jones told DRCNet. "They told us in no uncertain terms that we'd be lunatics if we went ahead with rave events. "I got the distinct impression this was coming from higher up," he said. Then the letter arrived. "It's the DEA and local law enforcement, basically saying if you have an arrest at your event, we'll shut you down for a TABC violation," said Jones. "With the threat of a death penalty for an arrest, we can't take that chance. We're not booking raves. Funny though, we had 2,500 people drinking and smoking pot at a Tesla show -- that's not a problem." The Austin electronica industry is not just complaining, however. Led by local old-school performer and promoter Coy West of 626 Soul Production, promoters, performers, and club owners have formed the Austin Nightlife Coalition to attempt to find workable solutions. "Here in Austin, we have tons of talented performers, multiple record labels and some of the best djs in the country," West told DRCNet. "The crackdown has prevented promoters from promoting, performers from performing. Local clubs and promoters 6 are taking the hit, but they're not the only ones. Local record stores, late night restaurants, taxis who profit off the clubbets, this is having an economic impact," he said. The coalition has held one meeting with law enforcement officials, West said, and there are plans for another. "The police have been relatively open-minded," said West. "We went in with about 40 music professionals and discussed our concerns, and although we're not exactly on the same page as law enforcement, I'm optimistic we can reach some sort of solution. I mean, the DEA wants some sort of grand coalition to 'fight ecstasy use,' but we are more interested in the welfare of the electronic music industry in town." Conmmander Dahlstrom inadvertantly echoed West's point. "The purpose of the meeting was to make it where they would get rid of the drugs," said Dahlstrom. "I think it was very positive. We're meeting with a smaller group from the coalition to come up with guidelines to help promoters keep better control and have better security," he said. The Music Hall's Jones is willing to give the meetings a chance. "Thanks to Coy's hard work, we've got an organized front now, and maybe we can come up with some rules to make the shows less frightening for the cops," he said. "We have a long history of doing events, and we think the police and the fire department will respect that. We'll see how far Coy's proactive approach gets us and take it from there. But you can't tell people they can't come listen to music because ecstasy might show up." So far, organized resistance to the anti-rave campaign has been limited to the Austin Nightlife Coalition, which represents the interests of the industry, not the ecstasy users who populate its shows. West likes it that way. "We're trying to avoid being tagged with the electronica equals ecstasy label," he said. "In fact, I kind of resent the assumption. We're avoiding the DanceSafe approach where they hand out drug information. We're taking the industry approach." And where are the candy kids? West doesn't know what they're up to, but he did say that the local contingent of the rave nation was invited to a public meeting being scheduled for late January. In the meantime, West and others are working to fend off the feds and the local law. "The DEA is behind this," West said. "They made it clear they're picking on raves, and their local agent has been hyping it to the local media, undoing much of the community education and relations work we've been trying to do." "The rave scene is easy to pick on," West said. "That's because a lot of promoters haven't protected themselves by holding responsible events. It's also because a lot of people in the scene don't know their rights, don't know how to coordinate a community effort to defend themselves." Maybe that will change as their culture comes under concerted attack. Western Australia Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession, Approves Heroin Trials, Rejects Safe Injecting Rooms http://www.drcnet.org/wol/213.html#westernaustralia The Labor government of Western Australia Premier Geoff Gallop announced a sea change in the state's approach to drugs this week. Delivering its long-awaited response to the state's Community Drug Summit held in August, the government announced it was accepting 44 out of 45 recom/nendations, including the decriminalization of 7 possession and consumption of small amounts of marijuana and prescription heroin trials. The drug sumit had been a key election pledge of the Gallop government. The government rejected a recommendation for safe injection rooms, arguing that the state did not have heroin users in sufficient concentrations to make the sites cost-effective. "Drug use is spread throughout the conununity," said Gallop. "We don't have the same extent of the problem that they get in Victoria and New South Wales," he explained. And the heroin prescription trials will not happen as long as Prime Minister John Howard is around. He will be around for awhile. Howard, an avowed foe of such harm reduction measures, was elected to a new term earlier this month, running largely on an anti-immigrant platform. "The fact of the matter is the federal government needs to give its endorsement and John Howard has made it clear he is not going to allow any heroin trials in Australia," said Gallop as he announced the new policies. "The notion of the heroin trials should be part of our armory, and we should keep it on the agenda, but the fact of the matter is we in Western Australia can't do it." Under the state's new marijuana policy, people caught with up to two plants or less than 25 grams will face only civil penalties, such as fines, and will not enter the criminal justice system. Western Australia will join South Australia, which decriminalized in 1987, and Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland in the last four years have also instituted ticketing instead of arresting marijuana offenders caught with less than 50 grams. The community drug summit recommendations also called for increased emphasis on prevention and treatment. The government responded with a 10% increase in the drug budget and the establishment of a new Drug and Alcohol Office within the state health department. Higher Education Act Reform Campaign Gains New Endorsements http://www.drcnet.org/wol/213.html#newendorsements The campaign to repeal the Higher Education Act drug provision scored two more student government endorsements this week -- Loyola University in Chicago and De Anza College in California's Silicon Valley -- bringing the number of new student government endorsements this semester to nine and the total number to 81. Please visit http://www.raiseyourvoice.com to write to Congress and find out how to get involved with the campaign. Congress needs to hear from you so they know that people care about this issue; that is what will keep supportive members focused on keeping it on the Congressional agenda. Please also call your US Representative to speak your mind with even greater impact. You can use the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or visit http://www.house.gov to look up their contact info yourself. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ........................ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ........................ > See What You've Been Missing! Amazing Wireless Video Camera. Click here http://us.click.yahoo.com/75YKVC/7.PDAA/ySSFAA/kjOolB/TM To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: jcnews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 9 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: November 26, 2001 To: City Clerk From: Beth Pfohl, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~2 Re: Item for December 11, 2001 City Council Meeting: Installation of two public parking meters on the west side of the Senior Center As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(17), two on-street angle parking spaces on the west side of the Senior Center wilI be convened to public meters with a 60-minute meter term. Comment: These two spaces were designated as Ecumenical Towers visitor parking during the construction of Tower Place. Ecumenical Towers has since moved into their new parking area in Tower Place, and the spaces are being converted back to public-metered parking. Indexbc\memos\l -3BP.doc ,< r-- FT1 City of Iowa City M MORANDUM Date: December4, 2001 To: City Clerk From: Beth Pfohl, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner ~ RE: Item for December 11, 2001 City Council Meeting: Installation of two TOW AWAY ZONE signs on the north side of the 100 block of Iowa Avenue As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10), two R7-type TOW AWAY ZONE signs will be installed on the north side of the 100 block of Iowa Avenue. Comment: The signs have already been installed under the City Manager's emergency authority. They have been placed below the current signs at this location indicating NO PARKING BETWEEN SIGNS. This action is being taken to allow the Police Department to tow vehicles parking illegally in the University's construction driveway. Jccogtp',memos\agitm12-11~31 doc Page 1 of 1 Ma,ia. Ka. ('o) From: LE99ers'123@aol.com Sent: Thursday, December 06, 200'13:25 PM To: council@iowa-city.or9 Subject: Franchise renewal Dear Council members: I hope you will 9ive serious consideration to the request that you only renew MidAmerica's franchise for four years. We need to take a serious look at other options and consider the possibility of public power. With many new developments in energy possible, we do not want to lock ourselves in for '15 more years without takin9 a serious look at the alternatives. From what I have read, most municipally owned utilities provide power at a cheaper rate that for-profit companies. We own our own water service and bus service. There is no reason we should not consider public power, too. Lolly Eggers '108 Potomac Dr. Iowa City, IA 338-8963 leg~lers'123@aol.com 12/6/0 1 Marjan Karr From: Marian Karr Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 8:05 AM To: 'c. kemph' Subject: RE: 21 Only Bar Issue I will distribute this request to Council at their meeting this evening. Feel free to contact individual Council Members at their home or business. Addresses and phone numbers are listed on the City's website www.iowa-city.org. Marian K. Karr City Clerk ..... Original Message ..... From: c. kemph [mailto:ckemph@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu] Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2001 9:38 PM To: Iowa City City Council Subject: 21 Only Bar Issue Dear Council Members, My name is Carilyn Kemph. I am a senior at the University of Iowa. I am currently writing an article about the 21-only bar issue for a Journalistic Reporting class that I am taking. I think it would make my article that much better to have a quote from one, or many of you regarding your feelings about the issue; what stance you take and why. Any correspondence would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Carilyn Dear City Council Members: I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Ci~ans. Dear City Council Members: I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Citians. Sincerely, Dear City Council Members: I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa C!ty~s future .energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include ~n open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Ci~ans. Since~ ~PZ~r-~ !~ Leslie B. Marshall 256 Magowan Ave. -Tlq -~K8,70b~i' Iowa City, IA 52246 Dear City Council Members: d I encourage you to thoUghtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewingthe franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for Just 4 mor~ years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iewa Citians. Sincerely, ~ i Dear City Council Members: I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years, I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open conunity conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Citians. Sincer~.__~ Dear City Council Members: I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Ci~ans. Sincerely, Dear City Council Members: ,I encourage you,to thoughtfully' consider Iowa'Ci~'s future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for lust 4more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Gtians. Sincerely, Dear City Council Members: I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Citians. Sincerely, Dear City ~uncil Members: I enco.uFage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy oplions through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an opencommunity conversation that considers the erergy needs of all Iowa Citians. Sincerely, "" (01'~ Ct~u~/~ iC;t~'"522,4...e Dear City Council Members: 1[ e~c0,u~a..ge you to,'~oughlfully consider I0Wa C!ty's fUtU~ energy. options byrenewing the' franCliiSe license for MidAmerican Energy for Just 4 more yearS, I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through a energy study that would consider the feasibility of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the erergy needs of all iowa Citians. Sincerely, .,,- Marjan Karr From: Phil Klein [phil-klein@uiowa.edu] Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 2:01 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: support public power Dear City Council members--- I encourage you to thoughtfully consider Iowa City's future energy options by renewing the franchise license for MidAmerican Energy for just 4 more years. I further encourage you to review Iowa City's energy options through an energy study that would consider the feasibility Of public power. This study should include an open community conversation that considers the energy needs of all Iowa Citians. Sincerely, Phil Klein (an Iowa City worker) and family Parent Teacher OrE, anlzation ;521/do th Dodge Iowa (~/tg, Iowa E224E JUlia Mc~alI~ John Kram~r Joe. Haywa~ Tim Holmart P~/d~ht Viee-Pr~ideht ~ee~efa~ ~2~-1226 2~-1994 ~1-1079 9~7-6177 December 1 I, 2001 TO: City Council, Iowa City. Horace Mann School would like to see a school speed zone of 20 mph posted on Church St. Having our school located at Highway i presents many sat~ty challenges; and reducing the speed of cross traffic would benefit the children arriving and departing the school. To clarify, the main entrance to the school is on Church Street, the Dodge Street entrance having been closed due to building remodeling decades ago. It has also been brought to my attention that only one speed limit sign is posted on Church St. As so many people unthmiliar with Iowa City use this arterial street it might be helpful to have some additional signs in this area. I hope that you will agree that providing for our children's sat~ty should be a priority. Sincerely ~anne McNallev ~5~ 2001-2002 PTO President IJome and _qohool...Bulld|n~, (~ommunitg To~,ethe~.i HORACE MANN ELEMENTARY 521 North Dodge Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245 Phone 319-688-1145 FAX 319-339-5724 http://www. iowa-city.kl 2.ia.us/Schools/Mann/Mann.html Stephanie Heitman, Principal December 11, 2001 Dear Members of the Iowa City Council, Iowa City As the principal of Horace Mann School, I would like to see a school speed zone of 20 mph posted on Church Street. Having our school located at Highway 1 presents many safety challenges; and reducing the speed of cross traffic would benefit the children arrivin to and departing from the school. To clarify, the main entrance to the school is on Church ~treet, the Dodge Street entrance has been closed due to building remodeling decades ago. It has also been brought to my attention that only one speed limit sign is posted on Church Street. As so many people unfamiliar with Iowa City use this arterial street, it would be helpful to have some additional signage in this area alerting drivers of the speed limit. I hope that you will agree that providing for our children's safety should be priority and support the requests above. Sincerely, Stephanie Heitman, Principal of Horace Mann Elementary Horace Mann Elementary, a diverse community of life-long learners. POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD MINUTES - NOVEMBER 27, 2001 CALL TO ORDER Chair John Stratton called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ATTENDANCE Board members present: Bill Hoeft, Loren Horton, Bev Smith (7:10 P.M.), John Stratton and John Watson. Staff present: Legal Counsel Catherine Pugh, PCRB staff Kellie Tuttle. BOARD INFORMATION Chair John Stratton shared with the Board his discussion with Captain Tom Widmer regarding the invitation to MATS training. There will be 30 minutes set aside for the Board each week where there will be a 5-10 minute presentation from the Board and then the rest of the time will be for questions from the Police Department. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Request a 30-day extension, to January 30, 2002, to complete its Public Report on #01-02 in order to request an interview/meeting with complainant and in light of the holiday schedule. EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion by Horton and seconded by Watson to adjourn into Executive Session. Motion carried, 4/0, Smith absent. Board adjourned to executive session at 7:05 P.M. Board Member Bev Smith arrived at 7:10 P.M. REGULAR SESSION Returned to open session at 8:30 P.M. The Board directed staff to send a letter to the Chief of Police regarding his report on complaint 01-02. as outlined in executive session. Motion by Watson and seconded by Smith to review the Chief's report on PCRB Complaint #01-02 at level 8-8- 7(B)(1 )(b), interview/meet with complainant and 8-8- 7(B)(1 )(e), performance by board of its own additional investigation, in accordance with the Ordinance. Motion carried, 4/1, Horton voting "no". DRAFT Motion by Horton and seconded by Hoeft to request from the City Council a 30-day extension of time on PCRB Complaint #01-02 in order to request an interview/meeting with the complainant and also in light of the holiday schedule. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by Watson and seconded by Horton. Motion carried, 5/0, all members present. Meeting adjourned at 8:40 P.M. 2