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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-05 CorrespondenceAt around 8:30 the morning of 4 January 2002 Carloss Robinson was attempting to catch his puppy that was running around in the neighborhood. Carloss was in the area of a yard that held a rottweiler. The rottweiler jumped the fence and bit into the jacket and shirt that carloss was wearing tearing them from his body. Cafloss was attacked as he was walking away from the dog. The dog began to bite Carloss in the area of the arm and shoulder. Mr. John Bennett had been alerted to the situation by his wife and took immediate action! Mr. Bennett ran to Carloss and grabbed the upper and the lower jaws of the rottweiler forcing the rottweiler to release its hold on Carloss. The dog was able to escape from Mr. Bennett's hold and bite Mr. Bennett on his arm. Jotm Bennett had the presents of mind to yell for Carloss to run away and for someone to call 911. The owner of the rottweiler was able to take control of the dog. At that time John Bennett helped remove Carloss from the immediate area in case the rottweiler returned. He took Carloss to the front porch of Cafloss's home. At that time Police and fire units were arriving. Marian Karr From: Kathleen Janz [kathleen-janz@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 7:24 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: City Budget Dear Councilors, Neighborhood preservation and expanding/maintaining parks are the local issues I care most about. Neighborhoods and parks are also the areas I would like to see targeted for increased city funding. I am disappointed that you reduced the park department's funding by $200,000. I think we especially need Waterworks Park since it will be large enough to support "silent sports" like jogging, hiking, bird watching, canoeing, and (as of today) cross-country skiing. These are among our most popular and healthiest physical activities. Unlike many sports, they are also activities that can be done through-out our lifos. I would much prefer a reduction in funding downtown renewal to a reduction in funding parks. Sincerely, Kathy Janz Kathleen F. Janz, EdD Associate Professor, Department of Health, Leisure, and Sport Studies 130 FH, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 Phone: 319 335-9345 Fax: 319 335-6669 kathleen-janz@uiowa.edu http://www.uiowa.edu/~hlss/ Marian Karr From: KristieDVIP@cs.com Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 10:57 PM To: Kfdoser@cs.com; Goodmat@aol.com; wyoiowa@msn.com; jaleff@home.com; MPedde2@aol.com; Iplab@avalon.net; dfs001@yahoo.com; Pdwvpmsa@aor.com; Amgmadsen@aol.com; triples@netins.net; me4kids@another.com; rnsgilds@netins, net; jaron_v@hotmail.com; ALDABURESHI@aoI.com; Davidfranker@aol.com; cbergren@hotmail.com; council@iowa-city.org; Laurenreece67@aol.com; crkinkead@hotmair.com; auditor@co.jones, ia.us; tark2jim@mair.house.gov; nussleia@mail.house.gov; rgarringer@co.iowa.ia.us; pharney@co.johnson.ia.us; mlehman@co.johnson.ia.us; tneuzil@co.johnson.ia.us; president@whitehouse.gov; cedar-co.auditor@juno.com; trfltzgerald@hotmail.com; supervisors@co.iowa.ia.us; sstutsma@co.johnson.ia.us; cthompso@cojohnson.ia.us; susanmrandall@hotmail.com; ro_foege@legis.state.ia.us; ernie_lehman@iowa-city.org; jweihe@ci.coralville.ia.us; ross-wilburn@iowa-city.org; hherwig@ci.coralville.ia.us; djacoby@ci.coralville.ia.us; jfausett@ci.coralville.ia.us; tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov; dlundell@ci.coralville, ia.us; jschnake@ci.coralville.iaus; dee-vanderhoef@iowa-city.org; joe_bolkcom@legis.state.ia.us; connie- champion@iowa-city.org; andy_mckean@legis.state.iaus; mary_mascher@legis.state.ia.us; mark_shearer@legis.state.ia.us; phil_tyrrell@legis.state.ia.us; dan_boddicker@legis.state.ia.us; rep.boswell.ia03@mail.house.gov; supervisors@co.washington.ia.us; thomas_fiegen@legis.state.ia.us; vicki_lensing@le§is.state.ia.us; bryan_sievers@legis.state.ia.us; robert_dvorsky@legis.state.ia.us; rose.mary.pratt@igov.state.ia.us; gene_manternach@legis.state.ia.us; chuck_grassley@grassley.senate.gov Subject: An E-Mail Newsletter from the Domestic Violence Intervention Program In our ongoing efforts to inform our community about the impact of domestic violence, we would like to share the following information with you. Between 1111101--12131101 -DVIP received 361 crisis calls on our 24 hour hotline. -DVIP provided 1119 nights of safety in our shelter. -DVIP turned away 30 women, 2 men and 40 children seeking shelter. As we face continued funding losses, we believe it is important to put a "face" to the numbers. Think of 30 women, 2 men and 40 children you know--where will they turn? We appreciate your attention and concern in reading this E-Newsletter. If you have questions, please contact me at the listing below. If you would like to be removed from this E-Newsletter list, please reply to this email and type "remove" in the body of the message.. Thank you, 1/29/02 Page 2 of 2 Kristie Fortmann Doser Director of Community AdvocacyServices Domestic Violence Intervention Program P.O. Box 3170 Iowa City, Iowa 52244 319-351-1043 or 1-800-373-1043 Kristiedvip@cs.com 1/29/02 EideBaillyLL / Consultants · Certified Public Accountants ~A/.~' To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council City of Iowa City, Iowa We have audited the financial statements of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, for the year ended June 30, 2001, and have issued our report thereon dated November 16, 2001. Professional standards require that we provide you with the following information related to our audit. Our Responsibility Under Auditing Standards Generally Accepted in the United States of America and OMB Circular A-133 As stated in our engagement letter dated May 2, 2001, our responsibility, as described by professional standards, is to plan and perform our audit to obtain reasonable, but not absolute, assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. Because an audit is designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance and because we did not perform a detailed examination of all transactions, there is a risk that material errors, fraud, or illegal acts may exist and not be detected by us. In planning and performing our audit, we considered the City's internal control over financial reporting in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and not to provide assurance on the internal control over financial reporting. We also considered internal control over compliance with requirements that could have a direct and material effect on a major federal program in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on compliance and to test and report on internal control over compliance in accordance with OMB Circular A-133. As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the City's financial statements are free of material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts and grants, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those provisions was not an objective of our audit. Also, in accordance with OMB Circular A-133, we examined, on a test basis, evidence about the City's compliance with the types of compliance requirements described in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement applicable to each of its major federal programs for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the City's compliance with those requirements. While our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion, it does not provide a legal determination on the City's compliance with those requirements. Significant Accounting Policies Management has the responsibility for selection and use of appropriate accounting policies. In accordance with the terms of our engagement letter, we will advise management about the appropriateness of accounting policies and their application. The significant accounting policies used by the City of Iowa City, Iowa, are described in Note 1 to the financial statements. For the year ended June 30, 2001, the City adopted Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 33, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Nonexchange Transactions. This standard establishes accounting and financial reporting standards for nonexchange transactions involving capital or financial resources (for example, most taxes, grants, and private donations). The principal issue addressed in the standard is the timing of recognition of nonexchange transactions. We noted no transactions entered into by the City during the year that were both significant and unusual, and of which, under professional standards, we are required to inform you, or transactions for which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus. 3999 Pennsylvania Ave. ° Suite 100 · Dubuque, Iowa 52002-2639 ° 563.556.1790 ° Fax 563.557.7842 Olfices in Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota. Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota ° Equal Opportunity Employer To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council City of Iowa City, Iowa Page 2 Accounting Estimates Accounting estimates are an integral part of the financial statements prepared by management and are based on management's knowledge and experience about past and current events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to the financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ significantly from those expected. Audit Adjustments For purposes of this letter, professional standards define an audit adjustment as a proposed correction of the financial statements that, in our judgment, may not have been detected except through our auditing procedures. An audit adjustment may or may not indicate matters that could have a significant effect on the City's financial reporting process (that is, cause future financial statements to be materially misstated). The following audit adjustments, in our judgment, indicate matters that could have a significant effect on the City's financial reporting process. The City incorporated these audit adjustments into the financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2001. To record accounts receivable for utility services that had been billed but not yet collected at June 30, 2001 Water Fund $ 493,384 Wastewater Treatment Fund 737,672 Sanitation Fund 80,160 Adjustments to beginning retained eamings to record accounts receivable for utility services that had been billed but not yet collected at June 30, 2000 Water Fund $ 470,208 Wastewater Treatment Fund 679,253 Sanitation Fund 76,511 To record additional grant receivable in the Mass Transportation Fund $ 109,000 To correct for June 30, 2000, deferred revenue which had not been reversed out for the current year $ 414,856 To record contributions from developers as revenue rather than additions to contributed capital Water Fund $ 412,346 Wastewater Treatment Fund 757,646 To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council City of Iowa City, Iowa Page 3 Disagreements With Management For purposes of this letter, professional standards define a disagreement with management as a matter, whether or not resolved to our satisfaction, concerning a financial accounting, reporting, or auditing matter that could be significant to the financial statements or the auditor's report. We are pleased to report that no such disagreements arose during the course of our audit. Difficulties Encountered in Performing the Audit We encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management in performing and completing our audit. Other Comments We have included additional comments regarding the financial statements and operations. These comments are not a result of in-depth study of any specific areas but are based on observations made during the course of our audit. Our observations indicate that overall financial operations of the City continue to be conducted in an efficient and effective manner. This report, a public record by law, is intended solely for the information and use of the officials, employees, and citizens of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, and other parties to whom the City of Iowa City, Iowa, may report. This report is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. As always, we will be happy to discuss these or any other topics at your convenience. We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to you and your staff for the fine cooperation that we received during the course of the audit. We look forward to many years of continued service to the City of Iowa City, Iowa. Dubuque, Iowa November 16, 2001 CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2001 OTHER COMMENTS Mandatory Vacation Policy The City does not cun'ently have a policy requiring mandatory use of vacation by personnel in finance related positions. As a step to strengthen internal controls, we recommend that the City institute a policy requiring all personnel in finance related positions to take at least one week of their vacation at a time. While the employee is gone, someone else should perform their normal duties. GASB 34 The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has issued Statement 34, Basic Financial Statements - and Management's Discussion and Analysis - for State and Local Governments. This statement presents the most sweeping changes ever in financial reporting for local governments. When implemented it will create new information and will restructure much of the information that governments have presented in the past. The following are some of the major changes required by the statement: Management's discussion and analysis of the financial statements will be required supplementary information. The basic financial statements will now include additional entity-wide financial statements prepared on the accrual basis. The fund level statements will present "major funds" rather than having totals for each individual fund type. Since the fund level statements for governmental funds will continue to be presented on the modified accrual basis, a reconciliation to the entity-wide statements must be presented. Fixed assets and long-term debt, which had previously been reported in account groups separate from the funds, will now be reported within the funds in the entity-wide statements, and depreciation must be recorded on the fixed assets. Also, the fixed assets are to include infrastructure assets determined on a retroactive as well as prospective basis. Infrastructure assets must also be depreciated unless you choose to adopt the allowable modified approach described in the statement. Budget to actual comparisons will now be required supplemental information and must include information on the original adopted budget as well as the final adopted budget. There are many more changes that will be required to your financial reporting in order to comply with all of the provisions of Statement 34. We recommend that you familiarize yourselves with the statement and begin planning for the many changes that will be needed. The requirements of the statement are effective in three phases based on a government's total revenues (excluding extraordinary items) for the year ended June 30, 1999. Based on this inforn~ation, we believe the City of Iowa City is required to adopt the statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003. 01/22/02 08:32 9319 339 $725 TWAIN ELE~I~NTAR¥ Mark Twain School 1355 DeForest Avenue CI~ MANAGER'S OFFICE Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Stephen A. Auen, PhD. Phone (319)339-6864 Principal FAX (319)339-5725 Dear Mayor and Council Members: Thc Iowa City physical education teachers and the American Heart Association will agoin be sponsoring the eleventh annual Iowa City Community-Wide Jump Rope for Heart on Thursday, MarehT, 2002 The event will be held at the University of Iowa Recreation Buildin!: from 9:00-11:00 a.m .Last year students from sixteen elementary schools from the Iowa City Community Schools .participated in this fun and worthwhile event. They collected about $40,000 for the American Heart Association. Each participant is a member of a team of six students. Team members take turns jumping for two minute intervals. Throughot~: the morning music will be provided by Murphy Sound. A warm uF and cool down will be led by Leora Houghton of Dance of Iowa and the kids will be getting a great workout! We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to come and either observe, cheer on or jump .with us in this exciting event. W,i: look forward to seeing you at this great district wide event on Ma:' .'h 7, 2002. lump Rope For Heart Committee Irene Bowers, physical education teacher IOWA C1TY AREA J' CHAMBER OF 319.337.9637 32~ East Washington Street ~"~~ Fax 319.33&99~ Ro. Box COMMERCE Iowa City, IA 52244-2358 ~~ ScrOinfi l[~e communities of Joimson County www.iowctcityarea.com January 24, 2002 Iowa City City Council O-:iva:: -Il c/o Mayor Ernest Lehman ~ ~ 410 E. Washington Street -<' ~ :.'TI Iowa City, iA 52240 ~5 ~j:! ~::' .. Re: Municipal Utility ~ Dear Councilors: Members of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce have met with both officials from MidAmerican Energy Co. and with Bob Haug from Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities to discuss and study the concept of establishing a municipal utility in Iowa City and the need for signing a franchise agreement with MidAmerica. Our Board of Directors has approved and authorized me to submit this letter to you. These matters are extremely complex and are better left to the experts and to legal counsel. However, we believe that the two following suggested courses of action seem to be prudent and in the best interest of the general consumers and businesses in our area: 1. The City should consider setting some money aside in the budget to allocate to a preliminary financial feasibility study for the possibility of establishing a municipal utility in iowa City. The Council needs to weigh out what they think the chances of a favorable outcome are with the cost of this preliminary study. 2. The City should sign the currently offered 15 year franchise agreement with MidAmerica that offers an out clause after 8 years. Our suggestions are based upon the following thoughts: The cost of a limited initial study could provide some indications of the economic benefit of establishing a municipal utility and could hopeful give some initial indications as to whether the consumer could actually receive rate reductions as is hoped for. · The initial study could be used to decide whether there is any merit to go further with the process before spending a significant amount of money on a detail study. · MidAmerica has been a great corporate citizen for our area. In order to further that relationship and to guarantee that consumers and businesses continue to Mission: to advocate for a vibrant local ~onomy, provide olalaortunities and valuable services to our members and contribute to the quality of life in Johnson County. ,~ IOWA CITY  AREA - CHAMBER OF ~, 319.337.9637 325 East Washington Street ~~ lax 319,338.9958 PO. Box 2358 C O M M E RC E chambere,)ioWacityarea.com Iowa City, IA 5224~-2358~~ Serving the communit es of fohnson Count.~ ~mw.lowacltyarea.com receive the level of quality se~ice that they are accustomed to we believe that the franchise agreement should be signed subject to your legal co~sel approval. Signing a franchise agreement that has an 8 ye~ out clause will not h~per the feasibility of establishing a municipal utility. We believe that it would take an 8 year time frame to actually dete~ine the f~asibility of and to actually establish a municipal utility. We do not thi~ this time ~ame is a impedance to the study.. · If the study shows that it is likely that we c~ receive substantial savings on utility costs, it could provide a competitive factor for our area and would be a benefit to our existing businesses ~d in helping attract new business to our ~ea. The Council will have to weigh the ~aount of money b&ng spent on the study with the likelihood of a favorable discover. Given the complexity ~d ~nd~ental impact this issue has on our community, we encourage the council to proceed cautiously ~d with due diligence in their deliberations on these matters. Sincerely, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Pat Guard, President Mission: to advacate for a vibrant local ~conomy, provide o~portunities and valuable services to our membe~ and contribute to the quality of life in ]ohnson County. January 25, 2002 ~ ~ Iowa City City Council and City Manager % [~ ~ [~ ~ ~ ~ ~~lv J~N ~, ~ 7_00~ 410 East Wastx'mgton Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 I~1~ CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE Dear City Council and City Manager: [ am writing you today to encourage you to find a permanent place in the upcoming budget to finance a feasibility study for a municipally owned utility. I know that you have heard from scores of Iowa Cifians on this issue. Many local residents have already outlined the tremendous benefits a municipally owned utility can offer. You have heard how cities as diverse as Ames and Muscatine have benefited from this arrangement. While you have asked some good questions, your concerns have been addressed by knowledgeable, experienced experts in the field. People of all income levels and political persuasions are seeing the benefits of a municipally owned utility. The citizens of Iowa City realize that we have an opporttmity to positively impact the future of Iowa City for generations to come. Moving forward with a feasibility study will cost the City some money. I am extremely concerned about leaving the feasibility study out of the line item budget, and includ'mg it in the contingency pan of the budget. This study needs to be a priority, and we all know that contingency items are not a priority. If we experience the tough economic year that appears to be on the horizon, cont'mgency items will be the first things to go. This is not what the people want. It also makes things far too convezfient for opponents of a feasibility study. (Which, from what I have seen, is a small group that includes only MidAmerican executives and their friends.) You all know that a feasibility study makes good f'mancial sense. Spend some money this year, and save the city and its people millions in the long run. The citizens have spoken; a feasibility study is what they want. As the folks entrusted by the public to ensure a positive future for Iowa City, you have an obligation to do what is right. You know that this means a feasibility study. I hope you will acknowledge the will of the people and the good of the city, and include a feasibility study line item in the budget for next year. Sincerely, Rod Sullivan 2326 East Court Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245 January 15, 2002 Marian Karr From: Carol Spaziani [cspaz@inav.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 11:59 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city,org Subject: PPi Council letter.doc January 23, 2002 806 Westside Drive Iowa City, IA 52246 Iowa City City Council Civic Center Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Members of the City Council, On behalf of the Public Power Initiative for Iowa City (PPI-IC), we would like to thank you for the opportunity you afforded us on December 10 to present the case for a serious review of the City's energy needs and how they might be addressed through the establishment of a public power utility---either alone or in cooperation with other neighboring jurisdictions. We respectfully wish to bring the following points to your attention: 1. We hope you will decide to proceed with forming a citizen committee. As concerned citizens of Iowa City, we have spent many hours of our time researching this issue and providing you with experts and data on the subject. We continue to be available if you need our help. 2. We are aware that the FY2003 budget deliberations will occupy your time during January and February. We hope that you will consider setting aside funds sufficient to conduct a serious study for a city our size to evaluate the options available to us, prepare Iowa City for the future, and protect its citizens in light of the energy problems our nation faces. 3. Bob Haug, Executive Director of the Iowa Municipal Utilities Association (whom you heard on Dec. 10) has advised us that the American Public Power Association has Request for Proposal documents (RFP's) that can be used as models for soliciting proposals for the feasibility study. He can also provide you the one used by Emmetsburg. Mike May, his Association regulatory counsel, assisted in drafting the Emmetsburg RFP. He could be a valuable resource for Iowa City. He has over 25 years experience in regulatory law and is working closely with Emmetsburg and Everly on this issue. 1/23/02 January 15, 2002 Page 2 of 2 4. Jay Logel, General Manager, Muscatine Power and Water, 563-263-8933, jlogel~mpw, org, had offered to host a field trip/tour of the Muscatine facilities for the Council and/or staff should you be interested. He could not come on December 10, but said he would welcome tours at any time. Merlin Hove of Ames, whom you heard on the l0th, extended a similar invitation. Both Muscatine and Ames are examples of successful municipal utilities run effectively, providing net gains to the City tax base, while serving efficiently heavy industries, school districts, and a major university without an increase in electric rates since 1978. 5. We also urge you to consider seizing the leadership role in including our neighboring towns and other agencies (University, school district, etc.) in this discussion. Iowa City could provide the leadership to prepare for our energy future, foster regional cooperation, and achieve economies of scale for a feasibility study in which all can contribute. Thank you for considering our suggestions and being open to a serious consideration of this issue which will yield considerable relief for Iowa City's tax base in the future and prepare wisely for that future. Sincerely, Saul Mekies, Co-Chair (smekies~kirkwood,cc,ia,us, 887-3617) Carol Spaziani, Co-Chair Public Power Initiative for Iowa City (cspaz~inav,net, 338-6140) 1/23/02 Marian Karr From: Gould, Renee [renee-gould@uiowa.edu] Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 1:38 PM To: 'cou ncil@iowa-city.org' Subject: Thank you Council Members Vanderhoef, Pfab, Wilburn and Kanner! Dear Council Members Vanderhoef, Wilburn, Pfab, and Kanner, I would like to thank each one of you for your diligence in supporting the smoke-free restaurant ordinance. It truly puts Iowa City out front as a leader in clean indoor air as we are the first community in Iowa to pass a strong ordinance - one that is easy to understand and truly protects employees and patron from the toxins in cigarette smoke. Each one of you learned the facts and stood up for health! Thank you very much for your courage! As a result, beginning Harch 1, my family, friends and I will be eating at Iowa City restaurants that we otherwise could not. Thanks again! Sincerely, Renee Gould and family Iowa City Mr. Mayor, Council Members January 25, 2002 I'm A1 Achtner, and I am writing to you, not as a restaurant or bar owner, but as a citizen who appreciates diversity & the options & alternatives which result. I applaud the decision you collectively made earlier this week not to expand the scope of the new smoking ordinance. However, for the reasons which follow, I, and what I believe to be a "silent majority" of our reasonable neighbors, believe the existing ordinance should be relaxed in 2 critical ways. The measures I propose will not detract from the protections afforded non-smokers in any meaningful way, but will provide substantially increased freedom for those who chose to smoke. also discuss ways in which the ordinance can be improved for the benefit of those who choose not to smoke. Iowa City is a diverse community and it is this diversity and our tolerance for one another which makes us unique and attractive. Among other things, our diversity is reflected in our tastes in food & drink, entertainment, and other leisure activities. Those who work as waitstaff and bartenders in Iowa City are also diverse- they have not been turned out on a cookie-cutter assembly line- and they and the decisions they make, such as where they work, should be respected as the adults they are. My tastes in food, entertainment, and leisure activities- what I like to do and where I like to do it, are not homogenous- they vary with; the time and day of the week, who I'm with, the available artists, and, even the weather, To encourage and to provide for Iowa City,s diverse tastes, we need a wide range of alternatives, not simplistic "one size fits all" measures. With regard to the smoking issue, there are major differences between the late night dining experience and the noonhour, such as the desire for alcohol and entertainment, mixing with others, and not having to return to work or class. And while I,m sure that a detective, equipped with the latest technology, can go into a business and find evidence of smoking the night before, I and many others feel it is unreasonable for someone to complain that their lunchtime eating experience at the lower level of "The 126", for example, is disturbed by people having smoked upstairs the nite before. We need to provide for these differences in lunchtime vs. late night dining by adding an 8 PM Red Light/Green Light exemption. And there should also be a provision, on a case-by-case basis, for exemptions for separate rooms, such as at The Sanctuary, The Parthenon and others. I truly believe that the "silent majority" considers such measures to be reasonable. But I,m also concerned about those who don't smoke who want to stay clear of places which allow smoking. Why not also provide; that establishments which allow smoking will post a notice at their entrances that smoking is permitted on the premises, and that the Yellow Pages listing will specify smoking vs. non- smoking. And to make smoking venues more hospitable for everyone, why not mandate the use of ceiling fans? Finally, instead of trying to imitate California or Boston or wherever, let's take care of Iowa City in a manner which respects our traditions of diversity and tolerance. Let's find a reasonable set of measures & options which provide something for ALL of us who have chosen the Iowa City experience. Let the big cities imitate that! Thank You ~ 1413 Franklin Street Iowa City, IA 52240-2710 354 4834 voice/fax j Eldon & Linda Prybil ~ ~ 4890 Hwy. 6 S.E. ~ ~ Iowa City, IA. 52240 January 23, 2002 To the City Council Members: Thank you so much for spending your time considering the issues surrounding smoking in eating facilities. My husband and I are fortunate to be able to spend two months in California each year. Smoking is not allowed in any public building in the state. The issues of smoking are not dealt with except to notice workers standing around back doors, outside to smoke. Restaurateurs were concerned about the change to no smoking when it was put in place several years ago. They have found many advantages: 1. There is less cleaning cost and maintenance without damaging smoke, ashes, butts, and burn marks to deal with. 2. Their employees are healthier, thus using fewer sick days. Many staff have taken the opportunity to stop smoking themselves. 3. Patrons spend more time and money in restaurants because the food tastes better and smells are savored without smoke interfering. 4. Outside patios provide smoking areas in many restaurants, but surprisingly few people seem to want to smoke and eat. Please keep up the good work. The population of Iowa City it too well educated to ignore how helpful your stand is against no smoking. Your are really helping us all have a healthier life-style. Thank you very much. " 319-351-6210 ljpanderp@aol.com Marian Karr From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 10:11 AM To: 'lowell brandt' Cc: *City Council; Dale Helling; Steve Atkins Subject: RE: Brick Streets Mr. Brandt: This note is to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence to the City Council. They will accept it as part of their next Formal Agenda Consent Calendar. To help clarify, below you will find a response from the City Manager to previous inquires regarding this issue. This note is follow-up to your comments directed to the City Council. There is no proposal by the City Council to pave over brick streets. What they are considering is possibly deleting the $20,000 that is put aside annually to repair and refurbish brick streets. Although this would mean they will be left to their existing condition, there is no intent at this time to pave them over. Brick streets are costly to repair and of course there are a variety of opinions as to whether we should continue to repair them as is or look for some other combination of partial asphalt with brick intersections, etc. Hope this helps. Steve Atkins, City Manager Lisa Lisa Mollenhauer Administrative Assistant to the City Manager (319) 356-5010 ..... Original Message ..... From: lowell brandt [mailto:ldbrandt@avalon.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 7:45 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Brick Streets I'm a bit confused as to the status of brick streets in Iowa City. There have been some reports that there is a proposal to remove a repair item as it relates to the brick streets. There have also been rumors that the City may choose to asphalt over our few remaining brick streets. If any of these are true, I'd like to offer a counter argument. I am a resident of the Brown Street Historic District and the Northside Neighborhood. My wife and I were active supporters of the move to create an Historic District in our neighborhood. Though the Historic District designation relates to building and demolition permits, we would hope the City Council would understand that the reality goes far beyond that. We want to maintain as many outward appearances of an historic neighborhood as we can. The brick streets add important character to our neighborhood. They may not be the most comfortable to drive on but I wonder how many of our neighbors complain about that as opposed to people outside our neighborhood who choose to travel those streets. Rather than remove, or allow to deteriorate, the brick streets in our neighborhood, you should consider revealing them on streets like Summit. Remember that the City chose to install bricks as part of the Iowa Avenue rework. I assume their maintenance was considered in making that decision. They really add character to the streetscape, don't they? Your historic neighborhoods don't place a lot of fiscal demands upon the City and the property values (i.e., property taxes) hold up pretty well considering the cost of providing basic city services to those "close-in" properties. Please give us this small consideration and keep our brick streets, and keep them well. Thanks. Lowell Brandt 824 N. Gilbert St. 1 Iowa City, IA 52245 I Nli~e that a plan to bull4 20 'high-end luxu~' hou~ on a p~om[nent ~[dgetop n~ to H[cko~ H[II Park v[olat~ the No~hea~ D[~r[~ Plan an~ shoul~ NOT ~ apptov~ as p~q. ~e pa rk is a n imasa n~ pa bloc as~ - (or ma ny o~ us ~ is the ~ o(Io~ C~. Th~s plan woul~ ~m~n~sh the park ~o~w~. PROTECT THE PARK~ ~ ~~ ~ pr~ewin9 tBe [ntegrf~ o(Hic~ Hill Park ~o~ (uture generatfons. PL~SE DO NOTAPPROVE THESE P~NS AS NOW PROPOSEDI Year Cl y Co. wi . ' No~ Di~i~ Plan a~ s~ul4 NOT ~ a~ as p~. ~ ~rk {s an ~m~nt puHIc a~ - ~ many oFus tt is ~ ~ PROTECT~E PARK~ I CZTY o~ zo.A CZTY PL~SE ~ NOT APPRO~ ~ESE P~NS AS NOW PROPOSED~ Dear City Cou City, ~..~. ...... on a promJnenTr[~l~-next to Hick.~rY Hill Par-k--~olatcs the Northeast DIstrf~ Plan and should NOT be approved as proposed. The park Is an important pu bhc asset - FOr many of.us R is thc of'iowa City. This plan would diminisl~he o~.k (omver. PROTECTTHE PARK! I CZTY OF Z0klA CZTY i ~sG £- UAS. ZN~TaN I ask For you r support in protecting the pu b[i~'S ~nt~rest by prese~ng the integrity oFHickory Hill Park For future gcneqUons. PLEASE DO NOTAPPROVE THESE PLANS AS NOW PROP ! . r D~r City Co.r~lors olrlowa City, on a ~mt~nt ~i~ ~ ~ Hfc~ Hill ~ viola~ ~ · N~ D~'~ Plan a~ s~14 NOT ~ a~ ~s p~. ~ ~rk~s an i~n~ ~a~ - ~r many~us R Is~ ~ ~l~a Ci~. ~ls plan ~ld diminish the ~rk ~r. PRO~E PARK~ lczt~ e~ ze~ czt~ J I ask ~ ~ur ~ in ~ the~Nic s in~ ~ p~i~ t~ in~H~ o[Hi~ Hill Park ~ ~m ~o~. PL~SE ~ NOT APP~ ~ESE P~N5 AS NOW De~r City Co. ncllors of Iowa City, I believe that a plan to build 20 'high-end luxu~/hOu~ on a prominent ridgetop next to Hickory Hill Park violates the Northeast Dist.(ct Plan an4 should NOT be apptov~ as proposed. The park is an ~mporta'nt publ(¢ asset - ~r many of us ft is the best of'Iowa City. This plan would diminish the park forever. II TOt PR.OTECI' THE PARK.I / CITY or zouA CITY ~ q'Ll E. yA~rHINGTON )J ~ ToY& city ZA sa~.4~q0 'ldp I ask ~r your ~ppc,rt in pro~-c'dng ~he pu~c's pr~j ~ in'c~jrity of Hickory H Pa~k for Future ~nerauons. PLEASE: DC) NOTAPPROVE THESE PLANS ,~5 NOW PROPOSED! 61 ~" ~"b-'e-'~fr¢,"$o CI~ Coo Ity, . ~ i . p~omtnent ~fd~ ~o Hickory'--Hill Park ~'"~l~tes the No~ D~ri~ Plan a~ should NOT ~ a~ ~ p~. ~s ~n im~n~ punic a~ - ~r many of us R Is t~ ~ Ci~. ~is plan ~uld d~mintsh ~he p~k ~r. TO~ - ~ /CZTY COUNCZL'R~ ~ PRO~ ~E PARK~ ~cxtv o~ zou~ cztv ~ ask ~r ~ur ~ in p~J~ t~fc's ~ ~ ~ p~ng ~ fn~ o~H~c~ H~ll Park ~r ~um ~o~. ~ NOTAPP~OVE ~ESE P~5 AS NOW P~OPOS~ ~ Marian Karr From: Nancy Purington [npstudio@zeus,ia.net] Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 1:26 PM To: city council Cc: Mark Tade Subject: creative ideas about $$ Dear Mayor and Council Men and Women, I am also wondering how the City can create a balance of revenue to sustain its bouquet of culture. It is typical to cut the visual arts first. That culture appears to generate little, quantifiable matter and has the least ability, given its non-verbal handicap, to articulate it's value and needs. It is a tradition in the US to cut this out first. Our puritanical background insists that we do. But this is not a well thought out direction, it is just simple. And this is not a simple community. I believe that you must create a way for Iowa City to receive property taxes from all of the land inside of the city limits. This is an unfair burden for a city of this size to have to endure. Many other universities pay money in lieu of taxes to the community where they are planted. I realize that you may say that there are many other ways in which this university benefits our conm~unity. And I may reply that for each one of these benefits we still pay for it. Number one is the depressing percentage of bars in our downtown. When we choose public art to be installed during the City Plaza renovation I became aware of the enormous burden that we have to endure because we are dominated by an alcoholic culture. The artists whose works were originally chosen by the people, and by the committees of the PAAC, had to be morbidly altered or abandon. As the decisions were made and passed to the PAAC members to review, we became more and more aware that the 'instruments of wonder and delight', that we sought as symbols of our community's ideals, conflicted with the behavior of the "after hours culture". So, we ultimately selected the heavy, thug-proof art and asked the artists we choose to do things like 'make it higher so that they won't hang on it~ or reorganize the design so that they 'won't climb on it', etc. As a member of PAAC at the time that those decisions were made, I can only say that the experience was 'sobering'. No, I can also say that it was depressing. What can we do about this? The 'after hours culture~ drinks vast quantities of alcohol and performs thug-like, stupefied acts of a physical nature between the bar and their car. It is ironic that so much of our City's money is generated through the sales of alcohol, which is mainly sold to college students. Do we expect to make enough money from the sale of beer to counter balance the loss of property taxes that we do not receive from the university? What is wrong with this picture? Another group living here, and benefiting from the high quality of life that we experience in Iowa City, is the group of 'city dwellers~ residing just north of 1-80. The county line was originally designed to define where the bus stopped and the raising of livestock began. How can we redefine this city's boundaries? Those homes are city dwellings in sub-divisions, not just barnyards full of chickens or pastures full of cattle. The City of Iowa City bears an unfair burden in maintaining and supporting the reputation and reason that so many people desire to move here: a high quality of life. Who are real shareholders? Who profits? Can you design a way to help support this entire culture? The phrase, Local Option Sales Tax is being muttered again. Can you design referendum that can win this time? I do not believe we need to add taxes for more police and jails that provide even more service to the U in-so-far as cleaning the streets of drunken behavior as well as capturing and housing potentially lethal drivers. That is not what people want to support with an 'optional~ percentage of their $$. They want to invest in a positive direction, not a negative one. Please help us. I know that you know how to do this. That is why you decided to do this work and were elected to the task. Good luck to you and let me know if I can be of service. Respectfully Submitted, Nancy L. Purington Executive Director Arts Iowa City 2 Marian Karr From: Nancy Purington [npstudio@zeus.ia.net] Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 10:20 AM To: city council Subject: Chose, not Choose Please excuse the my application of the present when the past was being defined. Thank you, Nancy Purington ^ o, investment 325 E. Washing~n St., Sui~ 1~ for IOWA CITY AREA DEVELOPMENT icad~i~oci~o~.com fi~e- year in~est~nt eampa~ I~aCi~AreaD~elopment.org January 31, 2002 Ernie Lehman Mayor, City of Iowa City Civic Center 410 E. Washington St. Iowa CiW, Iowa 52240 Dear Mayor Lehman and members of the City Council: Thank you for your most recent investment of $12,500 in the Iowa City Area Development's "~r~teg/¢ Investment J~or $trat~gte Gromth" five-year campaign. Also, I want to thank you personally for the tremendous amount of time and energy that city staff members have devoted to economic development in our area. In the first six months of the ICAD campaign, we have assisted in attract/ng two new businesses to the area: Owens-Illinois and Plastic Products Corporation; and have helped Seabury & Smith and CIVC0 Medical develop expansion projects. These projects, along with Integrated DNA Technologies' expansion, have advanced the area's economy considerably, adding more than 400 new jobs and bringing more than $30 million in capital investment to the area economy. Investments from partners like you help grow the area's existing business base and strategically attract new companies and people to the area. ICAD is committed to keeping our investors informed and aware of our activities and accomplishments. Any suggestions to better communicate with you are welcome. Again, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to working for you and with you to grow the Iowa City area. Please don't hesitate to call should you have any questions or comments about ICAD or our activities. Sincerely, J6'e-l~, Premdent --I m Iowa City Area Development Group, Inc. C5 'MI ua -ICl JR/Is =-~- _~. Iowa Utilities Board ] MidAmerican Energy Company Rate Proceeding Del~artment of Contmerce Utilities Dirri~ion MidAmerican Energy Company RPU-01-5 RPU-01-3 On June 11, 2001, MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC) filed with the Board a proposed electric rate increase of $50,529,035, identified as Docket No. RPU-01-05. The proposed increase ranges from 0% to 9.9%, based on the location and type of customer. The proposed increase was filed in response to the Office of Consumer Advocate's (OCA) March 14, 2001 request for a $77,002,803 reduction in MEC's electric rates, docketed by the Board as _RPU_-01-03_, On July 2, 2001, the OCA and MEC filed a ioint petition requesting suspension of the procedural schedule in RPU-01-03. The OCA and MEC also requested the Board docket RPU-01-05 as a formal proceeding but that no procedural schedule be set. This petition was granted by ~ard Ode[ on July 9, 2001. On July 13, 2001, a joint settlement agreement was filed that, if approved, would resolve all outstanding issues. A time schedule for deciding on the settlement has not been set. The settlement calls for electric rates to remain at current levels through December 31, 2005. However, after December 1, 2002, MEC and OCA may jointly file for revenue neutral rate changes that would improve rate design or bring rates closer to the cost of service. These changes would be revenue neutral to MEC but could bring increases to individual customers or customer classes. During the period covered by the settlement, MEC would be allowed to earn up to a 12% return on equity (ROE). If MEC were to earn an annual ROE of more than 12%, but less than 14%, MEC would retain one-half of the higher earnings. The remaining one-half share for customers would be used to help reduce future customer rate levels by offsetting certain costs (Allowances for Funds Used During Construction) of future MEC generation plant investments. If ROE were to exceed 14%, the amounts between 12% and 14% ROE would be split as discussed above; for amounts over 14%, the share retained, by MEC would decline to one-sixth, and the share used to reduce future customer rate levels would increase to five-sixths. The settlement agreement filed by MEC and the OCA is currently being reviewed by the Iowa Utilities Board. The settlement previsions discussed above have not been approved by the Iowa Utilities Board. Written comments about this rate proceeding were received from customers through August 10, 2001. All wdtten comments will be reviewed and included in the case file. http://www.state.ia.us/govemment/com/util/rpu015.htm 12/29/01 [] T-C/W CCMr'L.-,.'~¥ .~, RES [] NONiRES [] O-C [~S.-C&R IOWA UNIFORJ'vi CITATION AND COMPLAINT [] HIS [;~ NON-HIS - ARMED D yE$'~ NO tow^ c,vv PO.CE ' EPARVME.V/ 8'5;, ,2.' D City of: · In the Cram at 417 8. CLINTON STREET, JOHNSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE - ' Defendant. Last First Middle ^ddresg ZO7 City ~da State~Zip~ SS~L~ qq9 ~ ~ State DL Class ~ DL End ~ DL Rest. ~ DOB ~o~lZJ IqTRaCe~lSeX o Ht Wt. %eundersi=nedstat=s~atonovabout ~1/~1 { .t ~1~ EAM ~M defendant did unlawfully: Mo. Day Yr. O~rate Motor Vehicle~oat (describe) CMV ~Yes ~No H~MatPlac. Req. ~Yes ~No USDOT~ Upon a public Nghway at ~&UlSO& ~ ~- Located in ~e county and state aforesaid and did then~nd ther~ commit the/T~lowing offense: OTr~c ~ Navigation ~ Snowmobil~ATV ~Fish-Game ~Parks OScheduledVioWine $ /~O ~ ~ ~ Road Construction Zone ~ ~ Non-Scheduled Violation Surcharge~ ~ Court Appem unce Required (805.10j Cou, Cos~ 14-- ~ Reason: ~Pd. ~ P.D. ($1000) Accident . ~ Fatal Accident ~ Civil Damage Assessment Code Local Ord. I cc~fy under preceding =' Court Date: If you must appear in court or if you choose to app=ar to answer a charge ~ ' ' ~ which does not re~re an appearance reuort to tile above na~d court on: [_~aBerkl~ ,Oe~Oistri~ ~[ O~ at 0g AM E PM ~ the 8ta~ of I~ in and f~ J~n~n ~o.~ Day Yr. ~pl~ ~ ~ ~ Origi~ ~RS) [ [own and is punishable as an a~gravated ~sdemeanor "'"~O~e~,'l~fi~ "":":'~" ~ oflhe~byswe~mld affi= thattheinfolmanon provided by me on fills citation ts t,'ue und:, pgnaltyprovldi.k fahe info,=ation. '" ~$~~ 2. pomseoap~nsadcottasad e dpace, or w compyw ~ ~ ~* ~ ~ ~ ~ ' top of the ~ven¢ aide of n=o citation. ~ ~ ~e [ogowing applies to silnple misom.eanors only: , [0O[~ 8E~L~ , 3 I hereby give my unaecmed ap~arance bond in the alnount of -- dollars and enter my written ,~~,~_~ appearance. I ~tgme ~al if I l~il [o appear in per ..... by counsel to defend ag311lst lhe off ...... harged ,, ~,, in this citation, ~e court is authorized to enter a conwcdon and render jtldglnmlt against me {ol the Save the Dates April 27th , 2002 Iowa City, Iowa The fourth statewide "Strengthening and Valuing Latina/o Communities in Iowa" Conference. The Latino/a Conference, as it is commonly called, is an opportunity to explore the changing demographics and dynamics of the Latina/o community in Iowa and the responsiveness of policy makers, business leaders and community-based organizations, to the fastest growing population in Iowa. According to the 2000 census Iowans Latino/a population has grown 153% in the last 10 years. However, this new population is still untapped and underserved. The conference will emphasize "culture" as a strength that eon be used to improve services to the Latino/a community (ideally one of providing optimum support to both the newcomers and the established persons of Latina/o origin). It will also provide access to and networking opportunities for Latino/a leaders who live and work in the state of Iowa. Registration for the conference will allow participants to attend a combination of three events. The Latina/o Leadership Awards Brunch, the main conference, the youth conference and the post conference reception. For more information or to request a registration packet contact John-Paul Chaisson- Cardenas at 319-335-4935 or iohn-chaisson~tiowc~ edu . Feature Events The 2"~ Storewide Latino Leadership Awards Brunch: Initiated by the Governor's Commission on Latino Affairs to profile Iowa's outstanding Latino/a Leaders. The keynote speaker at the second statewide Latino/a Leaders awards brunch will be Anthony D. Romero. Anthony D. Romero has been selected by the National Board of the 81-year-old American Civil Liberties Union to become the institution's sixth executive director. He will become the first Latino to take the helm of the nation's preeminent civil liberties organization when he starts his new position in September 2001. An attorney with a history of public interest activism, Romero currently serves as the Director of Human Rights and International Cooperation at ~be Ford Foundation, where he led the program through a period of extraordinary growth. Wansforming it into Ford's largest and most dynamic grant making unit Last year, Romere channeled approximately $90 million in grants to address issues related to civil rights, human rights and peace. Under his leadership, the Foundation launched groundbreaking gram making initiatives to address issues including affirmative action, voting rights and redistricting immigrants' rights, women's rights, reproductive freedom and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. 4th''Strengthening and Valuing Latinado Communities in Iowa" Conference: Initiated by the University of Iowa School of Social Work this years conference will feature a keynote by Lorraine Gutierrez: Lorraine Gutierrez, Ph.D. a dynamic speaker and scholar has a joint appointment with the School of Social Work and Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan and is a faculty associate in American Culture. Winner of the 2000 Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award her teaching focuses on multicoltural and conununity organization practice. She brings to her teaching over twenty years of social work practice and research in multiethnic communities in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit and Seattle. She was recently selected as the Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan, recognition of her excellence in undergraduate education. Her research fecuses on multicultural issues in communities and organizations. Current projects include identifying methods for mulficultural organizational development and community practice, defining multioxltural education for social work practice, and identifying the linkages between gender ideology and attitudes toward social justice. She has published over thirty articles, chapters or books on topics such as empowerment, mulficultural practice, and women of color. The main conference will also feature over 20 workshops on topics like: Economic Development, Racial Profiling, Accessing Legislators, Civil Rights, Latino/a Identity Development, Language Appropriate Services, Immigration, Reaching Latino/ Communities and Education. In addition, the conference will feature a day-long Immigration Resource Center (Which will provide information and answer basic questions about immigration) and a closing reception featuring Latino Music and the work of Jos6 Guadalupe Posada. The dramatic prints of the noted Mexican artist Jos6 Guadalupe Posada will be exhibited at the University of Iowa Museum of Art from March 17 through May 5, 2002. Various themes of late 19t~ and early 20th century Mexican current events and culture can be seen in the*over 50 prints in "My Mexico." Posada's prints for penny newspapers and broadsides illuminate the realities of Mexican life of that time, and commemorate occasions such as political events, crimes, disasters, miracles, popular culture, and the glorification of heroes. Reflecting the values of the working classes, Posada's prints were often mean to elicit moral condemnation, while celebrating characteristics of human nature. The 2"d Youth Development Conference: This concurrent event is designed to provide self-enhancing growth opportunities Iowa's youth. The event will feature special artists and workshops targeted towards high school age youth. Conference Tentative Schedule 8:00 to 10:00 Registration 8:30 to 4:00 Lafino Expo. (Exhibitor Display Areas) 9:00 to 9:50 Early Bird Workshops 10:00 to 12:00 Conference Starts - Latino Leadership Awards Branch (Music) Keynoteby: Anthony 1). Romero 12:15 to 1:45 Workshops 2:00 to 3: 30 Workshops 3:45 to 5:00 Keynote by Loraine Gutitrrez (Music) 5:00 to 8:00 Reception featuring music and the art of Jose Guadalupe Posada EMERSON POINT LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 319 EAST WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE 111 P.O. BOX 1226 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52244 319-338-7600 FAX 319-337-2430 January 29, 2002 Mayor Ernie Lehman City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 RE: Site Plan Approval for Emerson Point Dear Mr. Lehman, We respectfully request that the second and third readings of the request to approve the revised site plan for the Emerson Point affordable assisted living project be combined and held during either council work sessions or special council meetings during the month of March. The Iowa Finance Authority anticipates announcing the 2002 Low Income Housing Tax Credit awards April 3, 2002. We would like to be able to demonstrate to the Iowa Finance Authority by this date that the project is ready to proceed. Additionally, we specifically request that the second and third readings be held at either work sessions or during special meetings since the March 19, 2002 meeting has been cancelled. Thank you for your consideration of our request. If you have any questions, or if there is anything we can do to help expedite this process, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely yours, EMERSON POINT LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Robert P. Burns, Manager Burns & Burns, L.C., General Partner cc: Bob Miklo, City of Iowa City Planning and Community Development