HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-04-17 Transcription
April 17,2006
April 17, 2006
Council:
Staff:
City Council Work Session
Page I
City Council Work Session
6:30 PM
Bailey, Champion, Correia, Elliott, O'Donnell, Vanderhoef, Wilburn
Atkins, Boothroy, Davidson, Dilkes, Franklin, Helling, Karr, Long, Miklo,
Raclos
TAPES: 06-36 Side I and 2; 06-37 Side I and 2; 06-38 Side I
Storm Update
Wilburn:
Karr:
Wilburn:
Karr:
Wilburn:
Atkins:
Wilburn:
Karin, before you get started, I just want to touch base with the Council to see
how we want to handle this. I know that several folks want to have some type of
update on where we're at with the storm damage and recovery.
I had posted that as the first item.
Ok.
Ijust didn't make copies of all the handouts.
Ok. All right. You may not have seen, but that was a change that went out. So I
guess Steve, we'll go ahead. And as Steve comes up, just want to thank
everybody for all the support and work. I hope and am glad that nobody - I
didn't hear that anybody here had any damage, direct damage, but I'm just glad
that everybody's ok. It was, in my opinion, just a fantastic coming together of
different groups and things going. You know, you get your plans laid, and then
the catastrophe happens and there's a little scurrying about, but in my opinion,
things went just very well in terms of the response, in terms of safety. The work
crews, Mid-America, Salvation Army, American Red Cross - it was just a great
team effort. There's going to be some inconvenience for folks as we continue the
recovery process and we find out if we're going to get the presidential
designation as a disaster. But in the meantime, as we make that transition, you
know, I think just, job well done from the person on the street all the way up to
the top, so good job, Steve.
Thank you. Good. Well first of all, no injuries to any city employees, so
everybody got through the thing with no damage to life and limb. Just, I can give
you sort of a little bit of a time line of how these things work. I think most folks,
certainly know I was when I was watching it at home, was very surprised when it
went from thunder storm warnings, thunder storms, then ratcheted up, virtually
immediately it seemed, to tornadoes in the area. Our process and we have a
number of protocols that did not require any decision on my part, Dale's part, or
the department director - it's virtually automatic. When the calls reach a certain
point, I have a call, the call-back process begins, we initiate mutual aid, the
police department held over, the watch that was on at that time, and that's all
occurring at the 9:00 PM time. You'll have to help me, but I, we rousted Ross
about 11:30?
Mmhmm.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
Atkins:
(laughter)
Atkins:
City Council Work Session
Page 2
Needed a signature from the mayor for a declaration whereby we could get the
National Guard. In fact, a number of them had already showed up and in fact had
volunteered. Where we are today, we had this map, this map was prepared by
Rick's staff, and it generally shows the path of the storm. In effect, we had our
first, and we're not quite sure whether it was an actual touch down or not, but
there's enough property damage to know that something dropped out of the sky
to tear the roof off of something. And as you can see the path, it was, from the
Weather Service we understand that's a fairly typical path of southwest to
northeast. I'll go over quickly. What our intent was, on Saturday, a number of
members of staff, Ross also, a good bit of his day was involved in meeting with
the folks from FEMA, laying out for them, and we had already begun to prepare
ourselves for that. We had photographs of all of our damage. This is public
damage only. This is what's owned by the public, and these numbers are very
rough estimates - in some instances we were able to get a structural engineer to
confirm the actual cost or the estimated cost. Court Street Transportation Center,
a number of damage with respect to glass, some, you know those wires that you
see at the top, those safety wires that are embedded in concrete? Several of them
were getting pulled out - that was the force of the wind that did that. Old Capital
parking ramp - we just got that back open,'I believe late yesterday if not early
today. And the primary problem there was the windows. There's just no glass left
in any of the towers. Public Library had a variety of roof damage. Senior
Center, pedestrian bridge - some minor damage at Senior Center. That's a rather
high estimate, but it's a very old building, and when we make our estimates, we
have to estimate on replacement value, because you'll notice the Recreation
Center, getting an idea of where it may not look all that bad. There were 43
separate penetrations of the roof from debris circulating within the tornado. The
rooffor the Recreation Center is about $300,00.00, and we're expecting that the
roof will have to be replaced. Pool is being drained today, simply because it's
full of glass. The Wilson building on (can't hear) - there was sort of mixed
feelings about that.
I have to tell you that during the course of the evening, Connie's cute little
building was mentioned several times. But it is replacement value, and just today
we took the, we removed the cars from the top of Chamber lot because we
believe that there may have been some structural damage to the building. Wilson
building lost part of the roof; that's the replacement value we figure for that
square footage. Now, that doesn't mean you're going to get funded for all of
these things, but this is. Quite frankly, the FEMA folks, I know they got a bad
rap for Katrina, but storms and things of this nature, they're very good at, and
they're very good at making observations and saying "you should apply for that,
and no, we're unlikely to fund something else," so they're very good to work
with. And then you can see the rest ofthe pattern on out of town, as far as the
subdivision where I live, there were a number of homes that had some hunks
taken out of the roof, and that was the pattern. Where we are right now, sort of
the biggest problem is traffic signals. We've got a number repaired. We just
simply didn't have an inventory enough of our own to repair everything, so parts
have been ordered. As soon as they're in, Burlington in particular, will be a high
priority, but generally you can get around town satisfactorily now.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
Champion:
Atkins:
(laughter)
Atkins:
City Council Work Session
Page 3
People have been very courteous of each other.
Yes. Yeah. Couple of other things. We have had a number of calls about some
fly-by-night outfits - roofing contractors, tree removal. There's really not a lot
you can do other than, we did put out a press release, and we're hoping that it's
covered, ask for references. Make sure before you commit. We don't license
these folks; you know, I encourage you to use your own community as resources,
but there are folks who are coming in, making certain offers to remove trees and
do other debris removal. Summary - Fire has returned to normal staffing. One of
the more common calls that we get now is a gas leak. The night of the storm
there was a great deal of that - you could smell that. Now as homes are getting
checked out, the Fire Dept. and the HIS folks have to confirm that there isn't any.
The communication with Mid-American was excellent during the whole process.
Police Dept. is still on 12-hour shifts, traffic control being our most difficult.
National Guard is now gone. Transit, the buses are running, we're getting close
to being on normal schedule. Some of the curbside debris makes it a little
difficult to do some stops and pickups. Parking, all the ramps are in use.
Generally they're in pretty good order with respect to the glass damage. We
boarded up the windows and as soon as we can get at it we'll get the windows
replaced. The Rec Center reopened today. I told you about the pool. There has
been reasonably extensive damage. Apparently the wind got up in the, up .
between the roof and the ceiling, some of the meeting rooms, pushed stuff out.
Traffic engineering, that's a big deal, that's our traffic signals. We expect a crew
from Cedar Falls tomorrow to help us on reinstallation. Streets are out and about.
I think those of you who may have come down Rochester this morning into
work, if you go back out today, you'll be very surprised. We've cleaned virtually
all of the tree debris. Problem we have with the curb now is the construction
debris, and it's very difficult to handle. It has sharp edges, and what we're doing,
our regular refuse routes are on schedule. We're holding those folks over after
they've made their dump at the dump, back to the street. Our streets crews are
out picking up. They'll be doing literally 12-hour shifts. With construction debris
and things of that nature you really can't work them at night, it's just too risky.
But it is moving along well. Parks, we'll begin trying to save some of our
existing trees, doing assessment of just how bad they are. Are they damaged?
Problem is our recreation program for summer is about ready to kick off, ball
fields are not being prepared. This is the week that we would be doing that - the
season kicks off next week. So, careful on a grounder or, whatever.
Landfill will be operating from 7:00 - 7:00 through Wednesday. A couple of our
public housing projects had damage, on Hudson and Douglas; those will be taken
care of. Finance Dept. is taking the lead with respect to FEMA and getting all
the paperwork. We have done this before, so we have some familiarity with it.
There are no guarantees. There's a threshold number that has to be met - we
don't meet it, we, we're on our own. Volunteers, we get lots of requests for
volunteers, and we encourage folks to help your neighbor. One ofthe things
that's troublesome is that folks will, and its unintentional, construction debris and
tree debris, once it is commingled, forget it, you can't pull it apart, and we're
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April I7, 2006.
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April 17, 2006
City Council Work Session
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using a sort of big claw or grappling, just picking it up or dropping it, and it will
have to go in the landfill, because we can't separate it. You know, a lot of folks
have done that. That's about it. The overall strategy had been a return to
normalcy. As soon as we can get people back to running their normal routines,
things are going to be a lot better for everybody, and that's where we are right
now.
Elliott: Any, any estimate from local or FEMA as to what the private loss?
Atkins: Not yet.
Elliott: Not even a rough figure?
Atkins: No. That's a whole separate process, Bob. In fact, when we were meeting with
FEMA Saturday, doing what we had to do, there was a whole private component
ofthis emergency management. Remember, in something such as this, FEMA
makes a, and I think rightfully so, many of the losses are insured, and they will
work to make up the difference, but most of these are insured losses. It's just a
matter of getting the workers to get things repaired. Anyone else?
Vanderhoef: I was just going to say that I had communication from the city of Rochester, MN
who offered to send crews down and equipment down to help the city, so.
Atkins: We, you know, you feel badly telling them no, but quite frankly, I know our
folks, and they have shown the willingness to do the time that has to be put in on
this and they know the streets, they will move just that much faster, and they can
pretty much work unsupervised. Send em out, there's your crew, and when your
full, you know what you have to do.
Wilburn: Plus we had folks from Coralville and North Liberty offering.
Atkins: Oh yeah. No, it's, lots offolks stepped up, the mutual aid really saved us a great
deal, because that night there was, gas leak calls, they were parking and running
to the next call.
Elliott: I assume at some time you will get together, maybe you and Ross will get
together with the Sheriff's office and Sam and Andy and you and others and see
is there anything at all that we can learn?
Atkins: Yes. We always do debriefing, you always learn something from one of these.
Elliott: I think, that's right, it's a learning process, but I know early on, I forget who else
was with me, but we were in your office a couple of years ago and asked you
about the emergency plan, and I was personally very proud of Iowa City, its
people and its government.
Atkins: Our folks know what to do and they are strongly encouraged to take initiative.
Wilburn: You know, again, there's just going to be some confusion. And I mean, you
mentioned help your neighbors and a lot of folks are doing that, and there were a
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April!7, 2006.
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April 17, 2006
City Council Work Session
Page 5
few incidents of ok, Mid-American is in here, there's a gas leak, Police Dept.
aren't going to let you get over to help your neighbors until it's safe to do so.
Atkins: Well, one of the things that I want you to keep in mind there is a great deal of
damage you can't see. For example, the Union Bar has extensive damage and
you can't really see it. The Rec Center, with, once you tear a hole in the
membrane on the top ofthe roof, you can patch it, but it's simply never going to
be the way it should be. The same thing with the Senior Center. This building,
we had a few penetrations into the roof and some of the HV AC problems.
Bailey: So, our staff I think did a great job, and as you mentioned, some of them are still
on 12-hour shifts. What happens when they go off the 12-hour shifts to recover?
Because this is not only physically exhausting, it's emotionally exhausting.
Atkins: Generally speaking, what we try to do is that we do have a rest strategy, and our
big concern, for example, after so many 12-hour days, we're concerned of people
that have to use chain-saws for example. That's, we have to be careful with that.
This is going to go a little bit slower I think, than something that we might have
experienced, because that construction debris just requires a little more delicate
handling. I mean, you can pick up a piece of wood and throw it into the back of
the truck, but you have to watch, it's not like grabbing tree limbs and putting
them in a chipper. Folks have volunteered chippers, but once it gets intertwined
with metal, it's easier to just throw it on the back of a truck and get rid of it.
Anything else, folks?
Elliott: When we were out Friday morning looking at things, it was terribly emotional,
when you went down to say, St. Pat's Church. But beside that, the apartment
that's for elderly and disabled persons, noticed that the wood had simply
penetrated the concrete structure, external structure just as if it were a knife into
butter, which shows you the force, but I did talk with a person who has an
apartment there, and they said that apparently no one was injured, even though
the windows were broken and the glass all over, but we were unfortunate to, it
was almost a miracle that no one was seriously injured.
Atkins: There are all sorts of stories. Over at Court Street, Dale and I were walking, it
was Thursday night, was the Sinclair sign from Riverside Drive, picked it up,
took it over, and dropped it, and I think you see those kinds of incidences. We
have an understanding that cars were scooped off the top of a parking garage and
dropped on the street. I understand that there's lots of stories out there, but
everybody, I think, our citizenry responded, they were smart. The sirens worked,
they were timely, I just think the thing that surprised me was how fast it moved
up from thunderstorms to tornadoes. And they've told us there were 5 or 6 - I'm
assuming each time it drops down they count that as one tornado.
Vanderhoef: One of the places I'd really like to congratulate for their help, and I hope they'll
get recognized for the 10,000 hours, is all the students that went to the Union and
volunteered, and for two solid days the Alpha Chi Omega house has had nothing
but a stream of young people who are carrying dressers and everything out of that
house, just constantly. Nice, nice young people just worked so hard, you know,
you wanted to give them a party at the end, and you had nothing to party with.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17, 2006
Atkins:
(laughter)
Vanderhoef:
Baeth:
O'Donnell:
Vanderhoef:
Correia:
Elliott:
Correia:
Atkins:
Correia:
Wilburn:
Atkins:
Wilburn:
Correia:
Atkins:
Wilburn:
Correia:
City Council Work Session
Page 6
You never have to encourage them to have a party.
Oh, well I told them we ought to party.
And I did want to mention to Council, in case you're not aware, student
government is collecting supplies for people without a home, or any sort of
toiletries, anything, so if anybody' s wondering how they can help out, they can
come to the IMU and donate there in the basement, in the UISG office, and also
we have cots set up, if people still need a roof over their head.
Great.
Good.
Steve, oh.
Go ahead - I've talked plenty.
Well, I just have a question about the process with FEMA, so once they
determine if we meet the threshold, so let's just say best-case scenario in terms of
FEMA, that we meet the threshold, that will provide financial assistance to both
public and/or private?
That's our concern right now. Yeah. No, it'll be and/or, yes it'll be and/or
private. They have a whole separate mechanism set up for that. I'm not, just
familiar enough with the private setup.
Ok.
I spoke with Dennis Moffatt, the FEMA guy, after you all had left, and he and
Patrick, from Homeland Security?
Pat Hall, Homeland Security.
Pat, yeah. They had mentioned, they crunch all the numbers and they collect all
that data. Pat, from Iowa Homeland Security, is going to put all of that in his
narrative to the Governor's office, and once the Governor makes the
recommendation, FEMA sets up as site here, and all of those other processes
kind of kick in and assessments are done.
So then FEMA pretty much, what you're saying is, FEMA sets up shop.
Yes they do.
Yeah.
So then stuff runs directly through, ok.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17,2006
Atkins:
Wilburn:
Atkins:
Correia:
Atkins:
Elliott:
O'Donnell:
Atkins:
(laughter)
O'Donnell:
Atkins:
City Council Work Session
Page 7
On Saturday, what FEMA did was they came in with maybe half a dozen of their
agents. And we would team up with them, and it was by jurisdiction, and so our
FEMA guy, Ted, and Ron Knocke and Kumi Morris, we had a list and we took
him out and we showed him all the major points, and ifhe needs to confirm it.
We had to our good fortune it photographed ahead of time, so we gave him all of
that, put all of the dollar figures together, and then they started adding them all
up. Then they go back to Kansas City. It could be, he said, up to 30 days before
we get any kind of - again, they're very familiar with these things, obviously, it's
the business they're in. These sort of circuit storms clean up quickly, and I think
anybody that's been around town see it cleans up very quickly, because it's
isolated, and we can get at it right away and throw a lot of resources at it. Any
my impression is that they would hopefully get us a decision very quickly, but
that the President has to ultimately declare it a disaster.
They also mentioned that it was a good idea to, for individuals or businesses to
document, take pictures, you know, so that you have that.
Any advice we could give to the private sector is photograph everything that you
can. It just helps the claims process. They are not out to beat us out of anything. I
mean, the FEMA folks are really good to work with.
So is there any way we could get more information out to all those property
owners and people affected about where we're at, what they can expect, if we
find out one scenario happens, or, you know what I'm saying? Just so that people
have the information as they're planning.
Sure, we'll see what we can do, yeah, we can do it. Yeah.
Tomorrow, tomorrow night I'll try to remember to say something, but two
entities that previously have come under some criticism I thought performed
especially splendidly Thursday night. That's Channel 18 with Brad Man, who
was on - I went to bed at a quarter to 2:00 and he was still going strong, and what
he was doing was, I thought, commendable and worthwhile. KCn did an
outstanding job.
You know, one of the most incredible things that I heard, and I know attorneys
lead a charmed life, but the.
Eleanor is wondering what you just said.
The building on the comer of Court and Clinton that had the roof ripped off,
there was an attorney on the second floor at that time, and I guess he just got
down on the floor but survived that. Incredible, incredibly fortunate to be alive.
The issue of the flying debris, I never really had an appreciation for until you felt
where things once were and where they end up, you know, and that thing is
swirling, and glass, it just goes by and blows the glass out of the window.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
City Council Work Session
Page 8
Bailey: The metal flying around.
O'Donnell: It's amazing.
Vanderhoef: We had a 10 penny nail that had pierced about half way through one of our cars
sitting out front of the house. Sticking out there like somebody had
Wilburn: Hammered it in.
Atkins: Anything else, folks?
Wilburn: Just one final note for the Council and for you Steve. The Homeland Security and
the FEMA folks were very complimentary of the entire response, from the person
on the street with the chainsaw to the you know, Kumi and Rick handling the
financial, in terms of the documentation, they said very professional, and so, you
know, great job. And I want to thank in particular the City Clerk who had to
come down with the seal of the City to get things rolling there.
Atkins: All right. That's it. Thank you.
Wilburn: No she wasn't in her jammies. When she showed up.
Correia: Because she had spent the two hours before here in that shelter with me and a
whole lot of other people.
(can't hear)
Planning and Zoning Items
Wilburn:
Karin.
a) CONSIDER A MOTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR
MAY 2 ON AN ORDINANCE VACATING THE ALLEY LOCATED
NORTH OF BENTON STREET BETWEEN CLINTON STREET
AND DUBUQUE STREET. (VAC06-00001)
Franklin:
Ok. First item is to set a public hearing for May 2nd on an ordinance vacating the
alley north of Benton between Clinton and Dubuque Street. This is being
requested by the County for their Human Services Building.
b) CONDITIONALLY REZONING APPROXIMATELY 1.51 ACRES
OF PROPERTY LOCATED ON KOUNTRY LANE SE EAST OF
SYCAMORE STREET FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT-MULTI-
FAMILY (ID-RM) TO LOW DENSITY MULTI-FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL ZONE (RM-12). (REZ06-00003)
Franklin:
Item B is a carryover from our last meeting. This was the one in which we did
not have the conditional zoning agreement at the time. It is now in, signed,
sealed, delivered and ready to go.
Correia:
And this is that we want to expedite this? Is that?
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April I?, 2006
City Council Work Session
Page 9
Franklin:
Yeah, the request is that you close the public hearing and then expedite one of
your considerations so you would.
Karr:
It doesn't matter whether it's this time or the next time.
Bailey:
Just so we remember?
Karr:
Yeah.
c) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE REZONING APPROXIMATELY
ONE (1) ACRE FROM LOW DENSITY SINGLE-FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL ZONE (RS-5) TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT
OVERLAY ZONE (OPD-5) WITH A SENSITIVE AREAS
DEVELOPMENT PLAN, FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED ON
DUBUQUE ROAD AND NORTH DODGE STREET (REZ06-
00004). (SECOND CONSIDERATION)
Franklin:
Item C is second consideration on the rezoning at Dubuque Road and North
Dodge Street for the 5-unit townhouse.
d) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE REZONING A 1.80 ACRE
PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1803/1835 BOYRUM STREET FROM
INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL (CI-1) TO COMMUNITY
COMMERCIAL (CC-2). (REZ06-00005) (SECOND
CONSIDERATION)
Franklin:
Item D is second consideration on Boyrum Street for the Hy-Vee.
e) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING A CONDITIONAL
ZONING AGREEMENT TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR
A 30 FOOT LANDSCAPE SETBACK FROM HIGHWAY 1 FOR A
.63 ACRE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 809-817 HIGHWAY 1
WEST. (PASS AND ADOPT)
Franklin:
Item E is pass and adopt for the elimination for the 30- foot landscape setback for
Autohaus.
f) CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING
ORDINANCE BY AMENDING THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT
HOUSING (OPD-12) PLAN FOR SILVERCREST PART 3 ON
12.17 ACRES LOCATED AT AMERICAN LEGION ROAD AND
SCOTT BOULEVARD. (REZ05-00026/SUB05-00019) (SECOND
CONSIDERATION)
Franklin: Item F, second consideration on the rezoning for Silvercrest, and they had
requested expedited consideration.
Vanderhoef: As did Item C?
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April I?, 2006.
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April 17,2006
City Council Work Session
Page 10
Franklin: As did C. Yes, so there's two there, C and
Vanderhoef: F
Franklin: F for you to do for expedited consideration at this next meeting, so it would
ultimately be pass and adopt.
Franklin:
Franklin:
Elliott:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
(laughter)
Bailey:
g) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY
PLAT OF SILVERCREST, COMMUNITY PART 3, IOWA CITY,
IOWA. (SUB05-00019)
Ok. Item G is the preliminary plat for Silvercrest, which is just implementing that
development plan that is in the previous item.
h) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY
AND FINAL PLAT OF SCHNOEBELEN SUBDIVISION, IOWA
CITY, IOWA. (SUB06-00004)
Item H is a new one for you, and this is approving the preliminary and final plat
of the Schnoebelen subdivision. This is the subdivision on Hummingbird Lane,
in east Iowa City. It's bound by Hummingbird Lane and Lower West Branch
Road. It's a simple 4-lot subdivision. This is the property that was previously
owned by the Hoyles. There was one, well no; there wasn't a house on this
property at all. The lots that are being created are comparable to the lots that are
on the east side of Hummingbird Lane which exists there. The legal papers and
construction plans for this are complete, and so it is recommended for approval.
That's it.
Where is the controversy tonight?
I don't think we're having it tonight.
Oh, golly, you just jinxed us.
I don't want to stay 'til eleven, but here we go.
South!!ate Develooment Presentation of the "Crossin!!"
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Ok. Southgate Development Presentation on the "Crossing."
Ok. We're going to do something technological here which hopefully it works.
Glenn can handle it, I'm sure.
Well, not if I turned off the computer.
By the way, Glenn, good job weather spotting there.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17,2006.
April 17, 2006
City Council Work Session
Page II
Elliott:
Yes. I heard a familiar voice.
Franklin:
Stand by. Technical difficulties.
Wilburn:
Does Glenn tell a good joke, Karin?
Siders:
No me, not me - even my (can't hear) knows I don't tell jokes.
Franklin:
Do you want to give an intro, Glenn?
Siders:
We're having difficulty.
(laughter)
Siders: Be back with you in a second.
Franklin: Why isn't it here? There we go. Ok. Thank you Steve. Don't go far!
O'Donnell: How long do they have for this?
Vanderhoef: You in a hurry?
O'Donnell: Maybe.
Champion: This is why I don't have any technology at my house.
Bailey: TV is technology.
Champion: Oh is it? I didn't have that either.
Morrow: While we're waiting for this to come up, I'm Terry Morrow, of the Southgate
Development Company; everybody knows Glenn Siders. We're going to talk
about a project that we've been working on, actually for some time.
Wilburn: Can you pull the microphone over closer to you?
Morrow: Yeah. We're going to talk about the Crossing, formerly known as the Clear
Creek Project. Anyone know how to get out of this one and then back into?
Bailey: Hit 'escape'. Go to 'my computer'.
Morrow: There we go.
Wilburn: Golden.
Morrow: I'm sorry?
Wilburn: You're golden.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17, 2006
Morrow:
Champion:
Morrow:
Champion:
Morrow:
City Council Work Session
Page 12
Ready to go. The Crossing - I don't know how many members were on Council
a couple years ago when we originally came to you with a plan for the entire
Clear Creek area. It's about 400 acres on the west side of[owa City. Let me kind
of talk about what we're going to talk about tonight and then we're going to
answer some questions. First we're going to talk about kind of the area that this
plan covers. This is actually the new concept. The original concept that we came
to you with was quite a bit different than this. Than we're going to talk about
what we've done in the planning process from the point in time that we originally
came to you 'til now. We're going to talk about the original master plan and the
memorandum of understanding that some of you were on Council at that point in
time when we talked about it, and also to P & Z at that point in time, and then
we're going to review the current plan and then we're just going to answer
questions. First of all, the area covered by the plan is basically about 400 acres
bounded by Highway 218. Melrose Avenue to the south, 965 will eventually fly
over the northwest corner of the site. Just to give you some perspective, the
Walnut Ridge subdivision is there to the east, Cardinal Ridge is the subdivision
that you've seen in Planning and Zoning that's going to have lots available in
June, and then the rest of the property. Basically the street to this point is up to
the southern edge of the property. You've got part of the boulevard going
through. Also it comes down to the northeast edge of the property.
Just to give me some perspective on this, because I'm not good with maps. Is that
below Cardinal Ridge, is that where we had the business with the (can't hear)?
Yes.
Ok, I know where we're at. Ok.
As far as the planning process, we wanted to start with, I guess, given our
constraints, we wanted to start with kind of a clean slate. We knew what some of
the constraints were from the standpoint oftopography. We knew where Camp
Cardinal, where Camp Cardinal Boulevard was going to be, we knew where
Highway 965 would eventually come over. We had a general alignment for
Kennedy Parkway, we had an idea where Coralville would be, versus Iowa City,
and going with those constraints, we then went to Brian Clark & Associates out
of Des Moines, and basically said if you were going to plan this area, with all of
these constraints, tell us how you would plan it. I guess we didn't want to come
in with old ideas. We wanted to do what was best for the property. As part of
that process they then came to us, Southgate. We sat down with them, I don't
know, 3-4 meetings and just kind of threw things against the wall and
brainstormed. At that point we came up with a plan that we thought was a good
plan, and Brian Clark and his team then came to both the city of Coralville and
the city of Iowa City to get their input, just from a preliminary standpoint, and
from there, that's kind of where we came up with our master plan. The current
plan is based on basically the elements that I've talked about, the constraints that
I've talked about, the location of Camp Cardinal Boulevard; we already knew
where that was going to be. Kennedy Parkway, we had a general idea where that
was going to be. We knew that there was a proposed school site that we needed
to work around. The other thing that we needed to take into consideration is the
topography of the area. If anybody's been in this area they understand what I'm
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17, 2006
City Council Work Session
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talking about. There's lots of ravines, lots of trees, it's a beautiful piece of
property, a lot of character. We also wanted to maximize the use of the
developable areas because there are so many areas that we don't see as
developable, because of topography. Also, we wanted to consider where the
market was now versus where it was then and where we thought the market was
going, where we thought the needs were. These are basically the constraints that
we started with on the property. You've got 218, Camp Cardinal Boulevard, that
alignment had already been decided. Kennedy Parkway, we knew would run
along the ridgeline, splitting both Coralville and Iowa City. Cardinal Ridge,
which is the development in yellow over here, had already been planned, or a
portion of it. Other constraints, we wanted to deal with the noisy traffic along
218, but we also wanted to retain some sightlines for some commercial
development. Also, basically, we wanted to deal with the traffic that runs on Deer
Creek Road, that comes from the quarry. The current status now is we've got a
master plan that we're comfortable with. We've already gone to the city of
Coralville to get their input; we're now corning to you for your input. And we're
also at this time working on some kind of preliminary marketing in the area to
get an idea of what kind of interest there is going to be in the residential areas,
the commercial areas, just to kind of see what's different out there, and where we
think we'll be when this is, I guess, ready for people to start occupying, where we
think the market's going to be. Once we get those ideas of marketing a little bit
better, we will corne to the city ofIowa City and the city of Coralville with actual
planning and zoning for individual areas within this plan. We're going to go back
and talk about the 2001 master plan. Originally, when we talked about that plan,
it was about 462 acres, basically we put in this whole property plus this portion.
When we carne to you originally with the plan there was a breakdown of
basically commercial versus residential. We didn't break it down any more than
that, at that point in time, since everything was so kind of in flux, and we weren't
sure what the traffic patterns were going to be. The commercial areas were
primarily around 218, around where Highway 265 is going to fly over 218. There
was an octabout off to that area which we saw the commercial areas being in, and
then also we saw commercial areas in the center part ofthe site, close to the
Melrose Avenue, where you corne up to the property. The residential density at
that point in time was averaged at 8 units per acre. It would have given you a
total residential density of about 2800 units on 352 acres. We saw the higher
density being closer to 218 and some of the commercial areas. The maximum
residential density at that point in time that was in that memorandum of
understanding was 20 units per acre. The 2006 plan, which we've got up here,
basically is 430 acres. The only difference is, we've taken out this portion. We do
not own that portion, which is the reason that we took it out.
(laughter)
Franklin:
Good idea.
Morrow:
Approximate breakdown ofthat 430 acres, we've got 80 acres in commercial,
175 in terms of residential, different levels of density, residential. Right away, to
include interior roads, Kennedy Parkway, Camp Cardinal and 965, about 60
acres, and then, because of topography, there's about 115 acres of open space.
Just a comparison of where we were at in 200 I and where we are today,
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remember, in 2001 the only difference was it was either residential or it was
commercial; we didn't really have any other breakdown. Basically we had 110
acres of commercial and other ~ 352 acres, 24% commercial, 76% other. This
2006 plan is about 80 acres of commercial, and then all the rest is lumped
together, so residential, open space right away is about 350 acres. So we lost a
little bit of commercial as far as the percentage, but we stayed pretty close to
where we were. The 2006 plan, a lot of the differences that you see from the
2001 plan, the octabout is kind of, used to be located right at the center of the
site. We've moved it closer to Camp Cardinal Boulevard since that is an arterial.
We thought it, better access closer to Camp Cardinal would be better. We still
got.
Vanderhoef: Terry, could you use the pointer and use that map? It's easier to see.
Morrow: Ah, yeah.
Karr: Just push the little button and there you go.
Morrow: Ok.
Wilburn: You have to hold it down.
Morrow: Ok. Sorry. We saw that the commercial areas to the south are still here. The
octabout area was kind of right here, we've kind of moved it over a little bit.
Elliott: What's an octabout?
Morrow: The original plan showed, I don't know how to explain it.
Siders: The octabout what's we originally had planned, Bob. (can't hear) a roundabout,
only extremely larger, and the concept with the octabout was you could flow
traffic around a developed area, so the interior of that octabout was about 15
acres in size, and you would actually have business and residences inside that
octabout. We've now gone more, primarily because of the contractor, more to a
roundabout, or just.
Elliott: So in other words, traffic-blocking or vehicle traffic. You want it to go circularly.
Siders: Yeah. This is a traffic barrier, so to speak. The octabout had a road system that
went around the outside, but also had one that went through the center of it. But
most of traffic, business traffic would have flowed around the outside, just less
confusing.
Elliott: Sorry.
Morrow: Again, we've got commercial areas around 965 eventually. Residential kind of
filling in. We see development coming from this area. As I said this is the
Cardinal Ridge development, which will actually have lots available in June this
year. The sewer comes from this direction and this direction. This is Kennedy
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meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17,2006
Siders:
Morrow:
Siders:
City Council Work Session
Page 15
Parkway. Basically up here you're looking at Coralville and down here you are
looking at Iowa City.
Maybe just to help you defme it a little, the lighter yellow areas and larger ones
are basically single-family lots. This area, these areas are what we call a medium
density residential area, and this area and this area is a little higher density
residential area as it's laid out. It's important to keep in mind this is kind of a
work-in-process document. We're considering flip-flopping some of these as our
marketing is indicating to us, as we get into some of the design with sewering,
that sort of thing. But essentially, the density should remain about the same,just
be moved around.
But because of the amount of green space, you'll see that the areas are more
clustered in nature. We're trying to keep more of the green space, more of the
character that's already there.
One of the things that we had an interest in, and Brian Clark has an interest in,
these black lines are basically the bottoms of your ravines. We'd like to utilize
that as a trail system, interconnect this entire development. We want to kind of
give you the sense that you're going into a community, even though it's really
large. So we see these as interconnecting links that will allow pedestrian traffic to
flow throughout this development. We have integrated some; there's a city trail
that gives some help in this area. We've talked with Coralville to bring their new
trails system in, we will integrate with those trails systems, and this might be
more of a private system just for that community. Again, we're just capitalizing
on the terrain and the resources that are there.
(cut off - end of tape)
Wilburn:
Morrow:
Siders:
Wilburn:
Elliott:
Morrow:
Siders:
Elliott:
Siders:
(can't hear) an interest in that, is that a concept?
Actually, their going to actually acquire that site. Now, ifthe school system
chooses not to build there, there is basically in the agreement ways that they can
basically sell it back.
I can remember where that falls at.
Thank you.
Is there a period of years they have to do something and if not, then it reverts
back?
No, there is not.
There is not.
They have purchased it, period.
The school system has indicated that this will be one of the next elementary
schools being built. It's going to depend on when these rooftops get built. The
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meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17, 2006
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Page 16
Cardinal Ridge infrastructnre that's going in, right now the school systems feel
that those students can't be accommodated with their existing school traffic. But
as this, start getting west of Cardinal Ridge, and starts to fill in with rooftops, I
don't know, then I don't know if they know what the threshold is. That's when
you'll see the school site there. They are very, very interested in keeping this as a
school site. I'd be quite surprised if they ever let that go.
Vanderhoef: Can you tell me a little bit about the commercial area that's up in that northwest
comer, and the traffic pattern - does it have to come from Coralville, or does it
have to get on?
Morrow: It can be accessed by Kennedy Parkway, and then accessed also by 965.
Siders: That north/south flank is 965 extended. That's actually the alignment that you all
had agreed upon with the County and the city of Coralville, so that's your 965
alignment.
Vanderhoef: Ok. Yeah. Before the fly-over.
Morrow: Yeah. The fly-over is right here.
Siders: The fly-over will actually probably just take place where that intersection is
shown, a little bit southwest of that. And that commercial area we see as kind of
being a mixed-use area, or not as you would think a retail/commercial but more
of a light industrial type - warehousing, office park, that type of a commercial
use.
Morrow: Office park.
Champion: Are the two roads coming together to help that?
Siders: Yeah.
Bailey: In the previous plan there was a lot of discussion about roads, bike paths, bike
lanes; is that still incorporated in this plan?
Morrow: In the development of Camp Cardinal, here it is (can't hear)
Siders: Camp Cardinal Boulevard has a bike lane and a trail that parallels Camp
Cardinal Boulevard. As we get in with our plan, actually start planning this area,
we'll incorporate those in both Coralville and Iowa City.
Bailey: Ok.
Correia: Not being involved in the original plan,
Siders: I'm sorry?
Correia: I said, I'm probably the only Council member that wasn't involved in the
original. So, 1just have a question - so the yellow are the single-family
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17,2006
Siders:
Correia:
Siders:
Morrow:
Correia:
Morrow:
Correia:
Morrow:
Siders:
Morrow:
Correia:
Morrow:
Siders:
Elliott:
Siders:
City Council Work Session
Page 17
Yes, yes.
So when you talk about the medium and higher density, are you going to do a
mixture of townhouses, condos, what?
Yes.
Yes.
All owner-occupied? Will there be commercial apartments?
I would say they won't be all owner-occupied. There will be some apartments in
this town center area that we see, maybe some mixed-use, maybe some
commercial on the bottom, some residential on the top.
So commercial residential on the top? In terms of rentals.
In kind of this town center area?
In the town center area.
And then predominately, I think at this point we see more condominiums more
owner occupied than we see apartments, but I think (can't hear).
So are you targeting as you're designing the actual housing units, sort of a
targeted cost price, I mean a range from?
What we're trying to do is get a mixture of different price points.
I don't think we've quite gotten to that level yet. What we're currently working
on as we go through this plan is the design element. We're looking at how we,
we want to be very involved with the architecture and the design of structures as
they go in there, so we're working with Brian developing some standards to
which we can abide by and the consumer knows what's going on. I'm sure there
will be talks with the city as we progress through this entire development. But to
say that we're looking at a specific unit that's going to be in a specific price
range, we haven't gotten to that plateau quite yet.
But you want a range of considerable median-priced?
We'd like a mixed use, Bob. Obviously, we know what we're doing out here in
(can't hear), because we have that platted, and we know where the market is with
that. That's also relative to how this gets planned. This most likely is the next
area that gets planned, that comes into Iowa City and Coralville. We're currently
working with our engineer and the city engineer on extending the sewer that
Connie just mentioned. Extending this sewer on west that will service pretty
much this entire area for Iowa City. Then obviously a break point to the north
comes from the city sewer system and we have had conversations about how to
get that sewer to this point also. So things are starting to unfold as we develop.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17, 2006
Wilburn:
Siders:
Morrow:
Siders:
Morrow:
Siders:
Elliott:
Siders:
Bailey:
Champion:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Champion:
Siders:
Champion:
Morrow:
Champion:
Bailey:
City Council Work Session
Page 18
IfI remember correctly, Amy, Bob and Regenia, because this was such a large
area and Southgate wanted to corne with the City that it was really starting with
big, general concepts.
Yeah. The plan that you saw that was approved in the memorandum of
understanding was simply some oranges and purple I think - didn't show much
of roads or anything, didn't show open space, just had Rand C - residential and
commercial, didn't get broken down any farther than that. This obviously has
refined that. Maybe for a little bit of history, the majority of this property used to
be in the city ofIowa City, everything north of Kennedy Parkway was severed by
Iowa City and annexed by the city of Coralville.
This portion over here.
It's just over a 28E agreement that you had with Coralville.
This portion over here was actually in Johnson County.
This was in Johnson County and was annexed in and severed, as it was annexed
inappropriately in the municipality at that time.
What's the, excuse me?
If you don't have a copy of that number, we can get you one.
Karin referenced it in her memo, so.
What are you talking about, next June? I think you've got a lot of topography
problems, I can't pronounce that word.
You just did.
You did.
You did a very good job.
Have you thought about smaller lots with smaller houses, as part of that mix,
rather than duplexes and townhouses, for that customer that can't afford a
$400,000.00 house? Have you talked about that at all?
Yes, we have.
Oh, good. Ok.
We want to try and hit as many markets as we can.
No, I'm just asking if you've considered it.
So, the concept for the commercial
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17,2006
Morrow:
Bailey:
Morrow:
Siders:
Elliott:
Morrow:
Elliott:
Siders:
Elliott:
Morrow:
Siders;
Elliott:
Correia:
City Council Work Session
Page 19
In this area.
In that area, what's that commercial, what kind of commercial are you thinking
of, like neighborhood cormnercial?
(can't hear) convenience
Primarily similar to a neighborhood, commercial. This area to the south would
not be that way. For example we kind of developed that area as a possible
hotel/motel site or an office complex, this site may be more dining/restaurant!
commercial office, different type of professional atmosphere. This one,
neighborhood residential. We haven't given a lot of thought - as you get west of
this point here, we haven't given a lot of consideration to what happens there,
because we don't see the infrastructure coming to this area until 965 comes down
into that area, and that's a few years, probably.
That goes with what my question was going to be. What's your approximate time
frame?
For the entire development?
Yeah. I presume you're starting east and then you're going to be moving.
We're doing part arrangement. There's a good chance, we're doing parts I and 2
of Cardinal Ridge which is about east of right here, this next plat, part 3 is here,
but when we do that we're going to bring the sewer to this point. At that time
we'll consider going on with the sewer, to open up all ofthis area and make it a
marketing area. But, the scheduled opening date, the completion date of this is
July 28, and I think Kelly will see that that date happens, because he wants to
bring the RAGBRAI people up Camp-Cardinal Boulevard when they access
Coralville, because it's just a gorgeous route for those people to take. And I
encourage anybody that hasn't seen this, even though the pavement isn't there,
it's just a beautiful area. Well, this comes in mid-summer. We're getting a lot of
interest just from people driving down the avenue and seeing signs and seeing
this construction and asking what's going on. So there's a lot of interest in
development, so I think, there's a lot of areas, there's this area here, this area here
I think you can see developed in the next 2,3,4 years.
So this is more of a 5 - 6 year plan as opposed to a 10 - 15 year plan?
I would say 10 -15 for the whole area.
Yeah, the whole area maybe even 20, but east of Camp Cardinal Boulevard,
you're probably closer to 5 - 10.
Ok.
And have you considered having a certain percentage using the universal design,
thinking about, you know, we're going to have a large increase in population in
the 65 and older?
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Siders:
Correia:
Morrow:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Correia:
City Council Work Session
Page 20
We have not.
So, I wonder if that might be something to consider?
From the marketing standpoint we are talking with (can't hear)
Other questions? Ok, thank you.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Historic Preservation Plan
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Elliott:
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Svendsen:
Who's going to, ah, historic preservation presentation? Karin, how large a
presentation is this?
You probably want to take a break.
I'm just asking.
Before you take your break, however, I would like to make one point, on the
school site, just to point out that you, the City, the City of Coralville and the
school district all are purchasing this collaboratively to ensure that there's a
school on this site. So there's city money in this as well as from the City of
Coralville.
Ok. Let's take 10.
10?
Yep, be back at 20 minutes to 8:00.
Ok. I asked Marlys Svendsen to come tonight to give you just kind of an update
on what we're doing with the historic preservation plan before we go out for
neighborhood meetings.
Good evening. As Karin said, I'm Marlys Svendsen. I'm no longer a resident of
Iowa, but I consider Iowa City my home in many respects, so I was very moved
when I heard last Thursday morning about the tragedy here, and, Friday morning,
I should say. It was very sad, and I remembered 7 years ago when I experienced a
tornado on our property, and I remember that I was in the midst of preparing a
proposal for the city of Iowa City on a project, and they were kind enough to
extend the deadline several weeks. We ended up cutting trees a little longer than
that; nevertheless, I appreciated the support, and I think what you are doing for
your community is really fine right now. The Historic Preservation Plan update
is what I'm here to talk about this evening. Back in 1991 - 1992, we spent about
10 months, that is we, the community and myself and another consultant member
of the team, putting together a roadmap for doing preservation work in the future.
It ended up in multiple volumes that I understand are still being distributed here
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April 17,2006
City Council Work Session
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in the community, and I've been very pleased so far in doing the update ofthat
plan to see just how much progress there has been to date. And I thought I'd
provide for you a little bit of a summary of what was in that plan and where
we're headed in the future. The Historic Preservation Plan itself was adopted in
1992 and incorporated into the comprehensive plan. It was building on work that
had begun here in the 1970s and 1980s. Actually, it was building on work that
happened with urban renewal, and went from there. One of those buildings, the
College Block building was one of those that was damaged in the tornado, so
everything comes around. The plan had ten major goals and accompanying
objectives, and they covered the following categories: identification and
evaluation of potential historic buildings and neighborhoods scattered throughout
the community; ideas for protection; economic incentives; technical assistance;
education and private support; governmental partnerships; the University of
Iowa; heritage tourism; a regular review and evaluation process; and strategies
for twelve separate neighborhoods in Iowa City. Each of those goals had
probably 6 -10 objectives that we tried to layout in a measurable fashion. We
projected them out over a period of about 7 or 8 years, how long we thought it
would take to accomplish them, and, as I said, we've now reviewed many of
them and these are some of the results. The City has provided a, completed a
phase survey and evaluation program for nearly all of the older neighborhoods
that we identified in that original plan, including the downtown. Hundreds of
buildings have been surveyed, photographed, researched. Some ofthose are in
the neighborhoods that were damaged. Those neighborhoods are literally all over
the community, north, east, south and a smaller area on the west side. There has
been an initiation of nominations to the National Register for a number of new
districts as well as individual landmarks. There have been a total of 8 that have
been listed since 1992. Prior to 1992 in the 20 years there had been 3, so the
Historic Preservation Commission which has championed these efforts really has
undergone quite a few. So that's a total of 10 in place in the year 2006. Since
1992 the districts have included the Brown Street neighborhood, the Moffatt
Cottage area, the East College Street area, the College Green area, the
Longfellow neighborhood, Jefferson Street, and the Gilbert and Lynn Street area
as well as an amendment to the Brown Street area. The last one that was done,
most recently, was the Melrose Historic District. So those are all new districts
that have been done since 1992 and listed on the National Register. There has
also been a designation of new districts under the local historic preservation
ordinance, and you all know the difference between that. The National Register
has nothing to do with providing protection locally. Protection locally comes
from your own ordinance. There has been a total of 4 new districts listed as
historic districts since 1992, bringing the total to 6, and they include to date
Summit Street, Woodlawn, Brown Street, Longfellow, College Green, and a
portion of Longfellow now also includes the Moffatt Cottage area. Since 1992
the historic preservation ordinance has been expanded to allow the designation of
individual landmarks, and a total of 41 landmarks have been listed since 1996.
To also establish provisions for conservation districts the first community in the
state to do that, and there have been a total of 4 listed since 1996, including the
Governor/Lucas area, the Clark Street area, Dearborn Street and the College Hill
neighborhood. There has been a co-sponsorship of the annual Historic
Preservation Awards, literally dozens of projects have been awarded since 1992.
Publications have been approved and published, completed reviews of
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17,2006
City Council Work Session
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certificates of appropriateness, probably the thing you hear about the most in
your jobs as Council members. Prior to 1991, between 1985 and 1991, there were
a total of 96 certificates of appropriateness reviewed by the Historic Preservation
Commission, and frankly, only a handful of those were undertaken with private
money. Since then, from 1993 - 2005,279 have been approved. I haven't gotten
a dollar value on that, but I think we're probably in the hundreds ofthousands of
dollars of investments that has been made in those historic districts in that time
frame. Another project completed was the Montgomery Butler House study that
was done in 2001. There's been a historic preservation website established, a
sensitive areas ordinance has been established to protect and provide some
direction for prehistoric and historic archaeological resources, and there's been
literally successful rehabilitation projects throughout the community. I've tried to
make an estimate so far, and I think we can easily say there's more than 300
residential and commercial rehabilitation projects, some really significant ones,
including the Park House Apartments, Carnegie Library, post-fire restoration of
Old Capitol, Englert Theatre. None of those had even been foreseen as
possibilities in 1992. So, what's next? Well, we're going back to where we
started, and that's at the community level, the neighborhood level. We had a
series of meetings to gather information and input back in 199
(tape 06-36 side 2 stopped/problem tape)
Svendson:
(can't hear) The one for the Northside neighborhood is going to be held this
Wednesday evening beginning at 6:30. I have Horace Mann School, the one for
the Longfellow neighborhood and other neighborhoods surrounding it to the
south will be on Thursday evening, also at 6:30, at the Longfellow School. We
have two more scheduled in May, one on May 23'" will be held here in this hall,
space, on the morning of May 23'" we're going to get local business owners up
bright and early that morning, invite them out for donuts and coffee and talk
about the downtown. Then, on May 25th, we'll have another evening session for
the Westside at St. Thomas More Church, and we will be inviting folks from
Manville Heights, the Melrose Neighborhood, and we'll probably extend an
invitation, for information purposed only, to the folks from University Heights to
come and listen to hear what's involved in historic preservation. Then we'll be
doing a series of interviews with literally dozens of people here in town involved
in both sides of preservation issues, people who have gone through the review
process, most of whom have been pretty pleased with the process, but we're also
going to talk to others who maybe haven't been so pleased, to find out what we
can do better, how we can make the ordinance work more efficiently. The
ordinance itself will be reviewed by probably the premier consultant firm doing
ordinance development, Clarion & Associates. They have offices around the
country. At the time they were involved with the Iowa City Plan back in 1991-
1992, they had only one office, in Chicago. Now we'll be working with the
people out of their Denver office, and so they will be here to talk with folks as
well as look at how the Preservation Commission is working, making sure that
everything is in a good position for defense, should litigation ever occur, god
forbid, and make sure that the ordinance is serving the community as it should.
We'll be evaluating, continuing to evaluate what's been accomplished, see where
there are omissions, and taking input from these neighborhood meetings and
getting it back into place. Then the Historic Preservation Commission will be
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meeting of April 17, 2006.
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April 17,2006
Bailey:
Svendsen:
Bailey:
Svendsen:
Bailey:
Svendson:
Wilburn:
Correia:
City Council Work Session
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reviewing the draft; we'll be sharing that draft with the Planning and Zoning
Conunission under the direction of the Historic Preservation Commission chair
Tim Whitesell who is here this evening. If you don't know Tim, Tim is one of
those people that I as a consultant am always glad to see present in the
community. Someone who has leadership, some skills, and good communication
with his fellow commissioners. So those people will be involved, and then we'll
bring it back to you and ask for you to incorporate it once again into the
comprehensive plan. So that's what is coming up. We hope to get all of this done
by the end of the year. Any questions?
How were the notices for the meetings sent?
We used your neighborhood association system. In some cases, principally that
was true, email notification, but in some cases we left that up to neighborhoods to
distribute manually if they wished. When we get to the Westside meeting I know
in May, some of those will be hand-delivered to make sure that everybody finds
out about them. We also did a press release and I did an interview with the Iowa
City Press Citizen. I have to tell you however though, I suspect we may be
having a little competition with the interest of other people right now. Some of
the neighborhoods as you well know are in the midst of recovery and the last
thing those people are thinking about right now is planning for the future, so,
other than what goes beyond their lot line. So we may need to do some further
addressing of issues later on this sununer and into the fall on a neighborhood
basis to capture people's input one more time.
And for the downtown meeting?
The downtown meeting, we haven't sent out the notices yet. I'll be working this
week while I'm here to firm up an invitation list. Ideally, in a community I like to
work with a downtown association. We've informed the Chamber of Commerce
what we're up to and communicated with the Downtown Association executive
director what's coming up, and we basically want to invite those folks to come
and ask whatever questions they might have, talk to them about what's going on
in other downtowns, share with them some of the economic incentives that have
been put in place in other communities and finally secure from them any
thoughts or ideas that would make preservation of their downtown easier.
Thank you.
Any other questions? Ok, thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Near Southside Plan
Wilburn:
Near Southside.
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April 17,2006
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Atkins:
O'Donnell:
Correia:
Franklin:
City Council Work Session
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Yeah, and just before we get to that, I guess I would like to say that you know,
sometimes historic preservation presents us with some challenges, but preserving
those historic structures really adds to the character of this conununity and is one
of the things that makes it an attractive place and is good for our economic
development, so I'd like you to think of it in that context also. Ok. Near
Southside Plan. It looks like we're doing a lot of history tonight, because this also
was a plan that was adopted in 1992, but we're trying to bring you guys up to
speed who were not on the Council at that time, because some of these plans are
ongoing, as we had looked to the future back then, we look to the future now. In
'92 we adopted this plan. It's a 20-block area that's south of Burlington Street.
The purpose of the plan, why we did it in '92, was to look at how we provided
for the expansion of downtown. Downtown has certain limitations in terms of
where it can go. Obviously it can't go west because of the river, north, we run
into the University and residential areas of the north side, to the east we have
other residential neighborhoods, and so the logical place to go for expansion of
the downtown was south. The idea was to extend the downtown south and also to
establish a high-density residential area that abutted the downtown. Now this is a
copy of the land use plan that is in the Near Southside redevelopment plan, and
this was back when we did everything by hand, we didn't do anything on
computers, so it looks a little primitive, my apologies for that. Just to give you a
sense of what was proposed here. The idea was that downtown would extend
from Burlington Street down to Court Street. The conunercial area would also
continue to run along Gilbert. In this area, where there are existing civic uses, the
Court House, the Federal Building, the School District Administration Building,
and then what we called the Federal lot here, was to be a civic center, not a Civic
Center, but a civic center.
Is that where the ice skating rink was supposed to be, or?
Precisely. And then this area here we're looking at high-density residential
neighborhood, and then this was to be another commercial area, Dubuque Street
area, that was going to serve this conunercial area that was proposed. So this was
adopted as a land use plan. In '95 we commissioned a design plan to visualize
what the whole area would look like, and this is the booklet that was the design
plan, and this shows an image of, visually what we wanted it to look like. Now,
can you see, I don't know what this looks like to you all?
A blob.
All I know is it's green.
And brown.
Ok. Well, we had to scan a piece from this document because we don't have the
originals of it any more, but bear with me here. Again, we're looking at the civic
plaza here and redevelopment here for conunercial. This is Hieronymous Square,
this block. Right now, the transportation center is in this part of the block. We
had a proposed parking ramp down here. This is the parking lot for St. Pat's
Church, and we spent quite a bit of time attempting to negotiate a parking
structure there, which was not successful. That's when we jumped over to Tower
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April 17, 2006
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Elliott:
Franklin:
Champion:
Franklin:
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Place on Iowa Avenue, then got the ITA funding for the Livable Cities Grant for
the Court Street Transportation Center and built over here. Implementation of
this whole thing was done with adopting a number of different ordinances - the
CB-5 zone, the PRM zone were both adopted to carry out this particular plan, and
that occurred in the '90s. We also adopted a parking facility impact fee district in
which impact fees for parking would be collected in this area in order to pay for
public parking facilities and, in exchange for that, the developers didn't have to
put all of the parking that would normally be required on site. It was a trade-off
to try to get intense development in this area and not have that space be used for
parking. We also enable tax abatement, tax increment financing. As I said, we
built the Court Street Transportation Center, that was to be a catalyst for
development of the particular block that the Transportation Center is in. And
currently we're working on a median concept for Burlington Street, and this was
all envisioned in the Southside plan. There's your ice skating rink, Ross.
Yeah.
That's the civic plaza. The reason that we're bringing this to you again, now, is
because with construction of the Court Street Transportation Center there is
interest in redevelopment in what we call block 102, that same block. In a week
or so that block will be a little bit clearer than it is right now, because with the
storm Rebel Plaza is going to be going down, as will the building in which
Shants? Shantz hair salon and the liquor place, that building also will be going
down. So we'll have redevelopment potential there. Tom Bender, with what is
happening on his property, there will be redevelopment on that corner. I know
that, Bob, you now are on the committee, the jail committee, I'll call it, the jail
committee?
Something like that.
That the county, the school district, the city all have interests in that federal lot,
which is this area right here. I'll go back to the map. This block just south of the
court house. So, as you have conversations, as you see redevelopment projects, as
you have conversations about what could be happening in this area of the city,
that you keep this plan in mind. Hopefully, with this federal lot piece of property,
we own three properties in this block that we acquired with the parking facility
impact fees. The idea being that we would, on that block, construct another
parking facility with mixed uses and have this civic plaza, which doesn't have to
be a skating rink, I mean, it can be just whatever, but that was a concept so
people could start dreaming about it. That's kind of what I wanted to present to
you, so you would have a sense of it. I've got copies of these plans, if you want
them. You will get them when we have redevelopment projects come before you;
that is, I will include those in the packet at such time as we have any
redevelopment projects come before you so that you have it in your head.
Karin, was there ever any talk, as this plan was moving forward and changing,
about another hotel?
That is always a possibility. There had been people who were very interested in
having a hotel as part of the block 102 project. That's still conceivable.
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Champion: Especially with the destruction of some of those buildings, I just can't tell.
Franklin: I think probably it will be a mixed use of whatever happens there, that that
wouldn't be totally hotel space.
Champion: Well, that's fine, I mean, that's just my thought, I'm not going to build a hotel.
Bailey: Oh, shoot. I was looking forward to it.
Franklin: Really?
Correia: Karin, what, on that, block 102, who owns that?
Franklin: Right now, Rebel Plaza is owned by the Clark's, and then the remainder of the
west side of the block is owned by the Hieronymous family. The north part ofthe
block, which is not in the transportation center, we own the ground, the gravel
parking lot there, and the small building on the comer is owned by Wes Bosch.
. Wilburn: The Mod Pot building.
Franklin: The Mod Pot building, yeah. And the vision of this plan is that will all redevelop
to much more intense use.
Elliott: This can't be easy, because I'm certainly aware that, from say the court house
over to the school board office, there's a mix of interest by the County, by the
federal government, by the City, by the University, and I presume you have to be
touching base with all those entities, at least periodically.
Franklin: Yes. And because you all have involvement in these various committees too,
that's one reason why I wanted you to be fully aware of this. If you want to, if
this Council wishes to think differently about this area, you certainly can. What is
in place now is this adopted plan, and if there is an interest in looking at
something differently than what it envisions, than we probably should devote
some time to it?
Vanderhoef: I.
Franklin: As far as. Go ahead, Dee.
Vanderhoef: I would be interested in having an updated map of what has been done at this
point, and I'd also like to put it in with what the University has on their plan for
that area, if we can. So, there are, in my mind, there are some impact things with
the Recreation Building going down in that immediate vicinity and there plans
for a parking ramp that they were going to develop along the river there where
we vacated a number of streets for them to consolidate land.
Franklin: This shows what the University had in mind when we did this, in '95, and this is
a parking ramp. This is the site of the Recreation Center, so the University's
plans have changed since that time. My understanding is that the master plan will
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April 17, 2006
City Council Work Session
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be coming out sometime this summer. I have an executive summary of the master
plan, but not the complete University master plan, so that would be an important
part of folding it into whatever happens here.
Bailey: So, this original plan, and then what you see happening, I'm just interested in
public sort of, off the tax roll spaces. Are those expanding in the area, or are
they?
Franklin: The only place where there's a likely, where there's a possible expansion with
this concept is in the private property, well, save three, along Capitol Street now.
This is owned by the federal government. It's the parking lot.
Bailey: The Fed lot.
Franklin: The Fed lot. And then there are a number of houses that are along Capitol. We
own two here and one I think right next to it. The remainder are all privately
owned. The concepts that have been talked about have been that of a swap
between the County and the GSA and the school district, such that the old Sabin
School would be taken down. This would become a parking lot, and then this
property would be available for the jail. What I have tried to inteIject into this
conversation at various times, as a consequence of this plan being in place, is that
instead of taking down the Savan School for a parking lot there, that we
incorporate within this block, this block right here, parking, the jail, the
possibility of administrative offices. I mean, we have done mixed developments
before - Tower Place, Court Street Transportation - in which, within a parking
facility, we have other functions and investigate whether that is possible to make
that work.
Vanderhoef: Something that I see that has sort of changed from what the original vision was is
the Gilbert Street strip, in that there was a lot more commercial envisioned along
that strip that was more like a neighborhood center, with services down in there,
and now we have considerably more living units in the new apartment buildings.
So, as we get further south there, I don't know where, I'm throwing this out just
as an idea, is there a need for a little neighborhood commercial kind of area some
place?
Franklin: That was in the plan, and I think it is still conceivable, was envisioned in this area
where, I don't even know if Tofu Hut is still there.
Bailey: Yeah, it is.
Franklin: It's where PATV was.
Bailey: It still is.
Franklin: Or is public access.
Correia: Public access.
Elliott: By the railroad tracks there?
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Franklin: Yeah.
Bailey: Dubuque, Mary's Glass.
Franklin: So Prentiss is here and then this is South Dubuque Street right here, and then that
would be that kind of commercial area that would serve the residential in here.
This along Gilbert Street is zoned CB-5. That's a commercial with residential
above, and all of Jim Clark's buildings that are going in rigbt now on that side of
Gilbert Street will have commercial on the ground floor. The one that is farthest
south is right up to the sidewalk with the commercial space, so that's developing.
Vanderhoef: The other thing that isn't truly in the District, but impacts the District, is the
traffic flow that is just south of the railroad tracks in this new government plan
down there, and how that.
Franklin: The County plan?
Vanderhoef: Pardon me?
Franklin: The County plan, you mean?
Vanderhoef: Mmhmm. And no, we're not planning it for them, but it impacts this area and I
think we need to have the map large enough so we can see how this all interfaces
with what is being envisioned down there on their property.
Davidson: I think you'll recall, Dee, that at the time we were developing this plan in the
'90s, the County had a more spread out, they had bought the property that is now
where the alternative school is on Mall Drive and some other things. They have
since that time, of course, gone to this campus idea south of the railroad tracks
and so now that we have a much better idea of what's going to be down there, we
can incorporate that. We have had some informal discussions about the traffic
patterns that may result down there with their campus idea, possibly reorienting
the arterial street system througb there with Kirkwood and Benton, but it's still
kind of just in the discussion phase right now, but we are at least addressing it.
With respect to this plan, I think it's important that everyone understand that
there are definite edges, railroad tracks, river, and then two arterial streets that
provide the edges to this neighborhood. And dealing with those arterial street
edges, Karyn showed you the picture of the median that we're developing for
Burlington Street that's supposed to facilitate the north/south pedestrian travel
between the two sides here, I mean, that's one of the ways. We haven't totally
given up on the idea of some overhead things potentially. We've left room in the
transportation center that we just built to accommodate an over-Burlington
extension if we ever want to do that. But initially, we like seeing those
connections down on the ground, and we're going to try and work out some
things to try and make Burlington not quite the barrier it's perceived to be rigbt
now.
Champion: How did that? Oh sorry, go ahead.
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April 17, 2006
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Franklin:
Wilburn:
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Ijust, my understanding was that this was kind ofa update presentation and I'm
just looking, we have several other items and if we're, are you wanting some
direction in terms of whether or not we want to retool things?
No.
I don't want to, ok.
No. Don't need anything tonight.
Ok.
Can I get a copy? You said you had copies?
Yes.
And if folks want to take a look at that plan and do some individual
brainstorming, maybe you can come back to, request another work session for the
purpose of different concept. Thank you, Karyn.
Lexinl!ton Avenue - Gate
Wilburn:
(laughter)
Wilburn:
Davidson:
Wilburn:
(laughter)
Davidson:
O'Donnell:
Lexington Avenue Gate.
Well, while they put that out there, there was some interest by some Council
members in study and/or possibly study without the gate, and maybe you can, my
recollection in the past, maybe you can update us on this, was that a past Council
had debated this, the gate went up, it was kind of an understanding, ongoing, that
the gate would go up in the spring, come down when we get to the winter time,
and that was kind of an expectation in the neighborhood. Now, certainly this
Council can choose to change that, but maybe you can let us know if you've
received a request from the neighborhood to restudy, are you doing a new study?
We have not received a formal request from the neighborhood association. There
have been a couple of individuals, I think motivated by not only the barricade, I
like to use the term barricade, because it really is a barricade. Gate implies that it
opens up periodically and people can go through. I mean, it really doesn't - we
put it up, we take it down, it's a barricade.
It says gate here, so I'm just reading.
At any rate.
Did you say you have or have not received a request.
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April 17,2006
Davidson:
Correia:
Davidson:
Correia:
Davidson:
Champion:
Davidson:
O'Donnell:
Davidson:
O'Donnell:
City Council Work Session
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No. We have received comments and I think most of it has been correspondence
that went to Council from people motivated, I think, by the combination of
barricade and the University's plans to tear down what has most recently been
the International Center and build a new College of Public Health. And we are
prepared to work with the University in the development of that. I can tell you
they don't know exactly what they're going to be doing quite yet. They're in the
middle of just the very preliminary planning, they have said they are going to
keep us up to speed and JCCOG Transportation Planning Division has an item in
our work program for '07 that begins on July I" to study the traffic impacts of
that, and the impact on particularly Ferson Street, which is the street that leads
down to that area. The neighborhood's understanding right now, and I guess I
should call that the Lexington Avenue neighborhood's understanding right now
is that when the snow plows get put on in the fall, the barricade will come out.
When they get taken off in the spring, which they just did recently, the last
couple of weeks, that the barricade will go back in. It's basically a 3-season
barricade, and that was, as Ross indicated, a decision that this body made based
on a lot of discussion of what we could possibly do there. We've surveyed the
neighborhood three times - the initial time, when the barricade went in, a one
year follow-up, which is our traffic calming policy, and then last year, a couple
of individuals in the neighborhood indicated that they felt there had been enough
turnover in the neighborhood, that they asked for a re-survey, which Council
agreed to. In each ofthose three surveys there has been an increasing percentage,
which culminated this last year in 77% of the Lexington Avenue neighborhood
being in favor ofthe 3-season barricade, so it's been increasing in popularity
since we put it in.
Is it all of Lexington Avenue, or is it between park and river?
Between the river and the park.
So not the.
Not the part between south of Riverside.
Have you done traffic studies on the surrounding streets compared to what they
were before we put up the barrier?
We did one study 2 or 3 years ago to look at diversion, because diversion onto
adj acent streets is a concern of ours always with any traffic calming item. What
the study showed was that there had been some diversion, but it had not elevated
traffic levels on Lee, Magowan or Ferson to levels that were inappropriate for a
local residential street.
Jeff, you said 77% now in favor of it?
The most recent one.
What was it the first one?
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Davidson: I'm guessing now, Mike, it was around 60% the first time, in the mid-60s, and
then 77 is the most recent one.
Vanderhoef: But the neighborhood, the calls I've received have been from people not living,
one from a person who has always been against it that lives on Lexington. The
others are people who are concerned about safety vehicles getting to their
properties, but they are not allowed to be surveyed, because they are technically
in that neighborhood. And so it's a combination of traffic on their street and
safety concerns, and when the barrier went in, certainly our police, or our fire
department did not recommend it. They did not want it.
Bailey: What other methods of traffic calming were examined on Lexington?
Davidson: Oh, the standard ones we look at: traffic circles, speed humps, and I think we
may have even looked at chicanes at the time.
Elliott: Oh god.
Davidson: At the time we were still studying chicanes. But with the topography there, we
didn't really feel that we could do any, we were kind of at our wit's end, we
didn't really feel like we could do anything safely, short of. What we've done is
make it into two cul-de-sacs.
Bailey: Right.
Correia: So the, I have this memo that you had sent out to the Council in '01, December.
Davidson: That was the update.
Correia: The update, ok, an update in '01.
Davidson: I think that was to do with, whoever asked about the study of the diverging
traffic.
Correia: Right. Ok, so just looking at, in the first traffic study of Lexington to see if it was
appropriate for traffic calming, looking at the volume and the speed, so the
volume then was 200, wait a second, well, it doesn't seem like it was over 500
cars a day.
Davidson: No, it was not, our study did not show a terrible problem in terms of speed or
volume.
Correia: Ok. So then, and then, so that, right, it said 85 percentile speed, this was the year
later, reduced from 25. So what does 85 percentile speed mean?
Davidson: That's the statistically considered the speed of a safe and reasonable motorist.
85% of the traffic is going that speed or slower.
Correia: Ok. So 85% were going 25.
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Davidson: And I can tell you, Amy, that the concerns of the neighborhood that led to this
whole discussion occurring was based on those outliers, the top 15%, the reckless
drivers that are primarily the concern all the neighborhoods always have when
we investigate these traffic problems. It's that top 15% of reckless drivers.
Correia: Sure. So, would we say because ofthe landscape of that street that those reckless
drivers are more dangerous than drivers going above speeds on Magowan or
Ferson?
Davidson: Well, to be clear, there was not a danger in terms ofa high crash rate or
something like that. It was not shown to be particularly dangerous. I mean
Council was responding to the concerns of the neighborhoods of that small
percentage of speeding vehicles that occurred with some routine.
Wilburn: And some Council members, myself included, it was because of the topography
that we were willing to go that much.
Davidson: Topography definitely led us to the strategy of the barricade.
Wilburn: Right.
O'Donnell: Like most topography it's no sidewalks in there (can't hear) evidently, there had
been 2 or 3 cars that had been catapulted across Park Road, that's the information
that we had.
Vanderhoef: And the.
Correia: Recently, or then?
O'Donnell: Then.
Wilburn: Can't be recently, cause it's.
Bailey: There's a barricade there.
Correia: Well, when you say catapulting over Park Road, I mean, Lexington, the dip is in
the middle.
O'Donnell: Park Road.
Correia: Right.
Vanderhoef: The other thing that was offered to them at that time was you know, there were
concerns over quote the bicycles and the tricycles and so forth and they were not
interested themselves in building sidewalks, which is their responsibility, not the
City's, to build sidewalks for them.
Correia: How much does it cost to do the barricade every year?
Davidson: It's not a significant expense. No, the police department bills it into their budget.
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O'Donnell: It's, is it not a breakaway?
Davidson: No, it's not a breakaway.
O'Donnell: I understood that it could be pushed down for the fire department to get through
there.
Davidson: No. It could, the fire department has a key, it's called a Knox Lock, they can
open it if they need to. For the fire department, it's a gate.
Elliott: It's a gate. This seems to be almost a bizarre extension of a small neighborhood
on a street having control of the street and ignoring the needs and preferences of
everyone else who uses the street, and I certainly would be interested in at least
looking very seriously at eliminating the barricade.
Bailey: Is there any way to physically change this into an actual cul-de-sac, four season?
Davidson: Sure you could, but, I think.
Bailey: We have a cul-de-sac for all practical purposes.
Davidson: Yeah, it would be possible, in fact, we even looked at that to make it
permanently, but the neighborhood wasn't interested in that, at least several years
ago they weren't. I mean, they felt it was important that in the winter it be open
from both ends.
Correia: So what's to stop Ferson and Magowan from asking for a traffic study and
having 70% of their, and above of the their residents wanting.
Davidson: They are eligible for the traffic-calming program.
Correia: Right. But what I'm saying is, is that, based on the criteria that this street didn't
necessarily meet the vehicles and the speed, which are sort of the two
components.
Davidson: You just have to meet one.
Correia: Right. So I mean, they didn't meet either one of those, they didn't have the
volume?
Davidson: Is that what that says there? Cause I don't honestly recall anymore? They didn't
meet either one so Council essentially made a special case?
Correia: Right, well that
Vanderhoef: We changed criteria since then, too.
Correia: Oh.
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Davidson:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Champion:
Davidson:
Bailey:
Davidson:
Elliott:
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I'm sorry, it's going to be ancient history, and I don't recall exactly (can't hear)
It seems like perennial history actually, because.
Dee is right - we did change some of the criteria, and Ijust said Council was
willing to make that special consideration based on that, that there's no question
about that. If there's 4 people who want to change or resurvey, or whatever, that
can happen. I don't really, I mean, I see where you're going with the facts and
figures. I'm just, I'm being up front saying we made a special exception,
consideration based on what some of us felt was important from the
neighborhood. There's no question about tbat. If there's 4 people who'd like to
change that, say so now, what it is you'd like to do, do you want it to come
down? I think if that's going to happen, it's important to give the people who do
live on that particular portion of the street to give them notice so they're aware of
what's going on.
Well, it's clear tbat the people on Lexington want the barricade. The people I've
mostly heard from live on other streets and they're concerned witb the impact,
the traffic diversion, which I think is fair. I remember tbis came up when I first
came on council and I supported the barricade because we didn't really hear
those concerns from other neighbors, but now, with this Public Health Building
going up eventually, I think that they're seeing that traffic could increase on tbeir
streets because Lexington has for all practical purposes become this cul-de-sac or
private street, and I think that tbat's a legitimate concern, that we all wish that we
had no traffic in front of our houses.
So are you wanting to wait until the University decides what they indeed are
doing, or are you wanting to do something?
So what study is underway now?
Nothing.
Just for the University? No, they're trying to figure out in terms oftbe College of
Public Health, how big it's going to be, they're, I believe they at least plan to
take down the new part oftbe existing building. There's an older part, in fact, but
they don't know if that's going to come down. I mean, they're very early.
And so they're very early in also deciding about what number of parking spaces
and where tbey' II ask staff to park?
Right.
It seems to me that, and I'd be interested if this is what you would recommend, it
might be well for us to, at the very least, table this for a while until we determine
what is going to happen in the neighborhood. But I would very much like for us
to seriously address this, because it is, at the very least, controversial, if not
perhaps even unfair, but at the same time I would like to address why there are
no sidewalks tbere.
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Bailey: Well, and some neighbors, I've talked to one or two people who would be willing
to put in sidewalks on Lexington, but, I mean, a sidewalk that doesn't connect to
another sidewalk seems silly, so it would probably take the whole street.
Elliott: Philosophically, it never seemed fair to me that those people who have sidewalks
are required to repair their sidewalks, and those people who don't have
sidewalks, we say that's ok.
Champion: The other, the complaints that I've had are from people who live on surrounding
streets, they feel there has been an increase in traffic, and they don't have
sidewalks either, so, you know, so in some ways you're right. I mean, it's the
same thing we dealt with on the subdivision where there aren't sidewalks.
Bailey: Walden Ridge, or whatever it's called, or Walnut Ridge.
Champion: Walnut Ridge.
Davidson: Ferson and Magowan and Lee, Lee has a sidewalk continuously on one side, it
doesn't on the other. Magowan and Ferson generally have sidewalks, it may be
some little small pieces.
Correia: They do on one side and not the other, or something, I think.
Davidson: Some small pieces I think are missing, but.
Champion: Everybody has small children. I mean, I doubt there is a neighborhood that
doesn't have small children, and I personally don't view that as a reason for
traffic calming, because I have lots of small children and we always have done
busy streets, and I don't think it takes a busy street. It takes one car, one, so you
better teach that kid to respect every single automobile, not fifty of them, one. So
I don't buy that argument, because I mean, kids learn at a very early age that they
can't go into the street, but I'm concerned that people are feeling that this
neighborhood. I voted for it, by the way, and it doesn't mean I'm against it now,
but there is a sense of fairness, like I'm bothered by it, that people think
Lexington is being this privileged neighborhood to have a private street, and
maybe they are.
Elliott: Connie, I'm frightened because you and I are agreeing on this.
Wilburn: Bob threw out the suggestion
Vanderhoef: And it doesn't surprise you at all that I have never supported this barrier, because
of safety reasons, public safety reasons, for the entire community, and to have a
private street that changes the traffic pattern and does the diversion is not the way
a democracy works.
Wilburn: So Bob threw out the suggestion of tabling it until there is a more concrete
understanding of what the University is going to do. Is that what folks are
wanting to do, or is someone wanting to throw out a tangible suggestion as to
where we can go?
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Elliott: When, are we talking about six months? Are we talking about a month?
Bailey: Two years.
Elliott: Two years?
Davidson: You know, I hate to speak for the University.
Elliott: Right.
Vanderhoef: It hasn't been funded yet.
Davidson: It has not been funded yet, no.
Vanderhoef: Is it in the 5-year plan?
Davidson: I mean, my impression is they are serious about doing something, Bob, exactly
how long they are going to take I just can't tell you now.
Elliott: I know.
Correia: Has there been, again, this memo from '01 did find that there were slight
increases in traffic, but maybe not significant increases - Lee Street said 13%
increase with a decrease in volume, speed, sorry. Has there been any other?
Davidson: We haven't done any follow-up studies since then.
Correia: Any follow-up of those same streets?
Davidson: I think the important thing there, Amy, is that we were trying to show that yes,
there had been a 13% increase and I think they were maybe even smaller than
that on the other ones, you've got it right there. The bottom line was that they we
consider 500 vehicles per day or less to be appropriate volume and it was below
that.
Correia: Still below that.
Bailey: And that's from 2001 was the last survey.
Correia: Yeah, yeah.
Vanderhoef: It's time for another one.
Bailey: I think we should do surveys on surrounding streets to see what the volume is.
Davidson: Just starting the new count program. We can work that in.
Vanderhoef: And one of the things that we took into account when we did that before is we
did it in the fall, after the University students came back.
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Davidson: Yeah, I think fall is the time to do it, so we'll just put it in the program for this
fall.
Elliott: And you can report back to us, how does that sound Ross?
Davidson: Maybe by then we'll have a better idea of what the University's plans are as well.
O'Donnell: Sounds fair.
Wilburn: Sounds good.
Elliott: At this point I'd like to have a time when people can come in and talk with us
about why they feel it would be inappropriate for us to change it, but I'm in favor
of eliminating it now unless I hear some logical reason why it shouldn't be, and
there may be.
Wilburn: Know what to do?
Davidson: Know what to do.
Wilburn: Ok.
Bailey: Thanks.
Champion: I'm willing to talk about eliminating, but let's do another traffic study first.
Elliott: Good.
Vanderhoef: So it will stay up this summer and when it comes down in the fall it may stay
down then.
Champion: I hope.
Bailey: I think we should put sidewalks in.
Vanderhoef: I, yeah. I think it would be wise to notify the folks that live there that we're
thinking about this, and if they are serious about needing sidewalks, they might
want to do them this construction season.
Correia: Can we mandate sidewalks?
Davidson: Does (can't hear) any correspondence with the Lexington Avenue neighborhood?
Vanderhoef: I think we should notify them that we are considering it, we're going to do a
recount in the fall, and they've (can't hear) construction season now.
Davidson: You want us to ask them about the sidewalk?
Elliott: I think that's fair.
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Vanderhoef: I do too.
Correia: Can the season mandate sidewalks.
Davidson: As an assessment project, I guess you can.
Atkins: That requires unanimous vote usually, for special assessments.
Correia: Oh.
Atkins: 6 out of 7.
Correia: So we can do it.
(laughter)
Bailey:
I think you should mention sidewalks, somehow.
Davidson:
Ok, we'll fit that in. And we'll copy you so you know what's going on.
Wilburn:
Thank you.
Elliott:
Thanks.
Late Nil!ht Shuttle Bus
Wilburn: Late night shuttle bus.
Karr: I just wanted to note that Austin is here this evening because Jeremy is ill, but
Jeremy did send an email that's before you this evening and that Austin will be
presenting to you, but Jeremy wanted you to know that he really, really, really
wanted to be here.
Baeth: I don't think you want him here. He's under quarantine.
Vanderhoef: Mumps.
Baeth: Yeah.
Champion: Oh.
Vanderhoef: No that's not funny, I don't mean.
Baeth: And he has been working on this, this has been almost his entire project, so I'm
afraid I'm not going to be able to give you the depth of information that he'd be
able to, but I can answer some questions. Some of the concerns that we had, from
the input that we've gotten, one was that we are required by law that when we
open up a new route, a new time for city buses to run, that we also have to
provide a paratransit service. And we have talked with Cambus, and through a
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partnership, they feel that they could provide that paratransit service for City
residents as well, so that there would be no additional costs for this route.
Correia: Can we? Does that meet the guidelines?
Vanderhoef: Guidelines?
Atkins: I (can't hear) have to think about that.
Vanderhoef: Did Jeff get out of here already?
Atkins: Cambus would substitute for seats?
Baeth: Yes that was the proposal, yes.
Atkins: So Cambus would have to go.
Bailey: There bionic bus, right?
Correia: Right.
Baeth: Right
Atkins: Out to Tudor Drive or something like that, and it's clear across town.
Baeth: That, and that's where we got the thought, because during that time.
Karr: The little bus.
Atkins: Yeab, I don't know what they're planning to use.
Correia: Well, they have a paralransit, the bionic bus
Baeth: And their, the need for it is so low during those hours that they feel they could
serve the rest of the City as well.
Atkins: I would agree with Austin that everything, as a staffer we talked about it, we
don't expect a huge demand, but it must be available.
Baeth: Right.
Correia: So if the City had a 28E agreement with the University to provide paratransit
during these hours of our extended operation, could that or would that meet the
federal transit guidelines?
Dilkes: We'd have to look at them. I mean, this is the first that I've heard this proposal.
Correia: Right, so we could look at it and see, so that.
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Wilburn:
We'd also probably need the letter from the University saying that they would, I
mean, I'm not doubting that what you heard, but it's something.
Correia:
Well, ifit's a 28E agreement that would spell it out, wouldn't it?
Wilburn:
I know but.
O'Donnell:
The difference is the buses have a route system, and paratransit starts here and
goes anywhere.
(tape ends)
Correia: University students that live all over the City.
Baeth: Bionic bus goes everywhere.
O'Donnell: I know it's used occasionally for paratransit, but I didn't, it's not.
Bailey: Is there paratransit?
Atkins: Mike, it's a question for Mike and Dee, who both have been on the committee.
What is, what if it goes to Coralville? Is it the origination point for the seats?
Vanderhoef: I don't know what the Coralville 28E agreement says. I can't help you with that.
Atkins: Ok.
Vanderhoef: But, I wonder if any of this has been explored from the opposite side, in that it
would be a University service and perhaps the City would help support
University to provide that.
Correia: To expand their routes into that.
Vanderhoef: For, for that late night.
Bailey: For some residential routes for late night.
Vanderhoef: For the student
Champion: And we wouldn't be tied into all those rules and regulations.
Bailey: Yeah, we could (can't hear)
Vanderhoef: We could do a contract ofa set number of dollars. They've already got
paratransit running, they've got a night supervisor there, because they've got
someone there. I'd like to have some conversation thinking about who would be
managing it.
Atkins: Is the suggestion just switch roles?
Bailey: Mmhmm.
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Elliott: I think at the very least the respective costs of doing it, because it seems to me
from what I've heard that the costs are more than was initially estimated, and I
think the cost appears to me right now to be the big stumbling block.
Correia: It that, is part of the
Vanderhoef: And the costs are different over there. Excuse me.
Correia: Right. Is the significant increase from when we first were looking at this due to
the seats, paratransit? I mean I think there's a couple of other things, supervisor
Bailey: Supervisor
Atkins: No, supervisor and seats were the two things, Amy, and seats was a surprise.
When you step back and think about it it makes sense that we have to provide
service when we're providing our own service.
Bailey: So can we look at it from that?
Atkins: Sure.
Wilburn: Can you have Joe get a hold of Cambus, is that?
Atkins; Is that Brian?
Vanderhoef: Brian McClatchey?
Champion; I think this really would be a nice thing to have, and I'd like to find a way to do
it.
Bailey; Yeah, I would too.
Elliott; I think the Council is interested conceptually. We want to know if we can do it
legally and financially.
Atkins; Sure, I'll do that. Kind of switch the roles.
Bailey: Yeah, and see their dollar amount.
Baeth; Right, and I assure you that is something student government's been trying to do
for years. Cambus is not necessarily known to be very flexible and obviously,
like everyone, they're on a very limited budget. One thing I'm interested in is, I
know that the City bus system gets some federal funding, correct?
Vanderhoef: So does Cambus.
Bailey: So does Cambus. They do.
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Vanderhoef: They share it right up front. So does Coralville, the three of them split the dollars
that come here and every time you talk to the state and the federals, they want to
know why we don't have a combined system.
Correia: And this memo from Joe doesn't break out the costs. It doesn't say how much
having the paratransit online will cost, it just has the.
Atkins: Yeah, I forget how I got that.
Vanderhoef: It's drivers.
Atkins: I assume from Tom Brace.
Baeth: I believe that estimate was without paratransit.
Correia: Oh, that was without? Oh.
Atkins: The cost of the service was 75 and change if! recall.
Correia: Oh, so that doesn't include that cost?
Baeth: However, we were envisioning charging a fare for this as well, which would
offset the costs.
Correia: So this last paragraph that says the combined operating cost which above
mentions seats, you don't think that includes the seats? The memo IF3.
Baeth: You know, I don't know the answer to that.
Correia: Right, that's just what I'm wondering.
Wilburn: Stephen, when we ran over that, I thought you said it didn't, but.
Atkins: Somebody ask me the question again.
Correia: Well, it says, the last paragraph says the combined operating cost, and above it
says seats would be required to provide service during the same hours, so I'm
just wondering the combined costs includes seats.
Dilkes: Includes seats. It says in the introduction to that paragraph I made the following
assumptions, one of which would include.
Correia: Oh, ok, so it would be in there.
Atkins: It would include it.
O'Donnell: Ok.
Bailey: So I would assume, yeah.
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Atkins:
Correia:
Champion:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Atkins:
Bailey:
Atkins:
Baeth:
Bailey:
Atkins:
Champion:
Atkins:
(all talk)
Correia:
Bailey:
Baeth:
Atkins:
Vanderhoef:
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So 75 does include it.
So I'd like to see what part of that would be seats if we could do the 28E and the
University do it, and what a fare would bring for revenue to get the costs down
too.
That might be the answer, too.
Right.
So Steve is going to have Joe follow up, ok.
Yes, we'll have. Basically the same concept just switching the provider and
thereby the funding.
Right. And also looking if Cambus can legally provide the paratransit aspect, and
what the paratransit aspect, what the financial breakout is.
Right. I got you.
And as far as funding goes, we are looking at ways, through University grants we
have set aside for safety, and we'll know, hopefully within the next month,
whether we were awarded any money to go towards this bus route.
Ok.
Just one little bit of confusion, then. Cambus is not equipped to take fares, are
they?
(can't hear)
Yeah, but that doesn't.
I know, that's what I was, right, that's what I think be a drawback would be for
costs, that you couldn't have the revenue.
What, money back?
I think I have a bucket.
Ok. We'll figure that out.
One fare box could be paid off fairly fast.
Housinl! Policv Discussion
Wilburn:
Ok, housing policy discussion. Amy, you going to finish this?
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April 17, 2006
Correia:
Wilburn:
Correia:
Atkins:
Elliott:
Atkins:
Correia:
Bailey:
Correia:
Wilburn:
Elliott:
Champion:
Elliott:
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Steve, do you want to come up, since you, add Steve to the table.
As we get into this, I don't know about Council, but we're not going to conclude
whatever it is we're going to do with tonight's discussion on this, just for the
public that's present here. So there'll be, we'll have as many discussions as we
need to allot for this.
Yeah, I fhink when we first started talking about, in our strategic planning,
discussing housing, that it's going to take several discussions, fleshing out the
issues, maybe bringing other folks to the table to have discussions with us,
participating in other venues in the community around housing, so Steve and I
met to set out this initial sort of dialogue agenda really thinking about maybe at
the outset, setting aside saying we're going to talk 30 minutes or 45 minutes this
one time and then stop and pick it up at a later time. So I don't know ifthere's a
sense from folks that we want to look at the clock, set it for a certain amount of
time to start this discussion.
The bottom line is we don't want you to feel stampeded. We'd rather, hey,
there's a lot of work that went into getting us here, let's make sure it gets a good
hearing.
You're talking about scattered site and you're talking about basically rental
assistance?
No.
No, I think what.
There's an outline.
Yeah, if we look at the outline in the packet, so it starts at 1P4. Ok. So that we, I
think the hope, and from our goal planning session that we wanted as a Council
to look at housing comprehensively and so that. One piece of that would be
assisted housing, the role of the community, the role of the Council, but that
generally there are other issues related to affordable housing as presented at the
League of Cities meeting looking at folks at 80% of the area median income and
below, what are the needs of the community, how does that address our
community welfare economic development, all of those things.
Why don't we go to, excuse me, why don't we go 'tiI9:l5 max with this and see
where we're at?
My only thought is I don't, maybe no one else agrees with me, but to me, there's
a significant difference between rental housing assistance and affordable housing.
There is.
And I, even in the report from the scattered site, it seems to be intermingled and I
think we need to talk about one or the other and not both simultaneously.
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April ! 7, 2006
Correia:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Elliott:
Wilburn:
Elliott:
Correia:
Wilburn:
Correia:
Vanderhoef:
Correia:
Vanderhoef:
Champion:
Correia:
Elliott:
Vanderhoef:
Wilburn:
Champion:
City Council Work Session
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Well I think.
Can we just.
Can you walk us through?
And maybe I'm alone on that.
Can we start with this? And then, if we need to make adjustments then we'll do
that.
Fine.
Ok. In the packet there were supporting documents for you to look at as we were
starting this discussion and really what we want, how we wanted to start is just a
reaffirming that the City, our City, the City Council, has a role and involvement
in housing policy. Thinking about the role to assist the people in need, to assist
just persons along the continuum that we want to support in the community that
support economic development and that there's a role, and it might look different
in terms of what policies and initiatives we have depending on points along that
continuum, whether it be assisted housing on one part of the continuum versus
affordable home-ownership, workforce housing, melding economic development
and housing initiatives.
So you're just saying acknowledging we have a role, whatever we agree on that.
Right, so, there's a role, there is a role, that we're not going to say City Council,
the city ofIowa City has no part to play in housing, is that sort of a?
Has what?
Versus saying this City doesn't have any part to play in affordable housing, or
housing policy along a continuum. Is that something we can generally reaffirm?
Ok. I think we've got two things happening here. Policy is one thing and funding
is another thing, and whether if a policy is adopted that looks at funding to make
the policy happen.
I don't think we're discussing policy, I think we're saying do we have a role?
Yeah, do we have a role in policy, whether it is policy that includes funding or
policy that doesn't include funding, but that there is a role for this City
government in responding to housing policy.
Yes.
That's ok.
Yeah.
Yes.
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April 17,2006
Elliott:
Bailey:
O'Donnell:
Correia:
Wilburn:
Correia:
Elliott:
Correia:
Elliott:
Atkins:
Champion:
Elliott:
Atkins:
Elliott:
Atkins:
Elliott:
Correia:
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Short answer, yes I think.
Yes.
Yes.
Ok.
Off to a great start.
Ok. All right. Number two. Do we agree that the City will continue to serve as
administrative agent of federal and state housing funds and related programs, so
what this refers to is Iowa City housing authority programs, the dollars, 100%
fund, the voucher program, public housing, the CDBG and HOME program that
supports initiatives of the city like the housing rehab program as well as grants
and loans that we make out into the community, that we will accept those dollars
and work with those organizations in the community?
I would say yes, but I would certainly be open to, if there is another process or
procedure of doing it that would make more sense, I would be happy to re-
evaluate at any time, but at the present time.
Sure, right.
Yes.
When we say administrative agent, even if we've contracted for someone, we're
still the agent to accomplish, the goal does not change, the way we have achieved
the goal for us could be somewhat different. But I'm saying that general
satisfaction is we have a housing authority staff, we have a HIS department, we
do those things routinely as a part of the public services that this government
provides.
Right.
Yeah, as it stands now.
That is, we're embellishing that role, where we actually take an active part as an
agent.
You'd have to explain to me the difference between how we act now and how we
would act differently as an agent.
As an agent we assume administrative responsibility for the receipt and
distribution of moneys.
Do we not do that now?
That's what he's saying.
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April 17,2006
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Atkins: That's the point, that's exactly what I'm saying, Mike, is that we are reaffirming
that we act as that agent, that we aren't intending to distribute that agent
responsibility to Johnson County, to metropolitan or, yeah. I'm not suggesting
that.
Vanderhoef: There are communities in other states that put together a consortia of different
governments, so sort of like putting a bunch of 28Es together and making a
single organization and everybody pays into that organization.
Correia: And there are communities like that, structures like that in Iowa, that serve multi-
county, that are non-profit.
O'Donnell: But that's not what this is saying, this says we will continue. I agree with that.
Correia: Right, right.
Elliott: I think this Council, I would, if anything would change it would be long after
I'm offthe Council, but I think we always ought to be open to options that would
provide better, more effective, more efficient service. I don't want this to be
locked in stone.
Vanderhoef: No, that would just be policy at that time.
Atkins: No. I mean you need 4 votes and everything could change.
Elliott: Yep.
Atkins: Yeah, I understand. But again, the important point of this little exercise is the
reaffirmation, because that's the foundation of the policy discussion that's about
to occur after we've all said we're all aboard, do what we've been doing. Are
there other ways to do it? Sure, but the goal doesn't change if the methodology
changes. We're not discussing methodology right now; we're just reaffirming
what the City does.
Wilburn: Well, and that's important to do, because whenever any issue related to housing
comes up, different segments of the community do not support some of these
things and so, just as a starting point.
Bailey: Considered affirmed and let's go on.
Correia: Ok. So something that Steve and I talked about was this idea that housing policy
as it effects income targeting at 80% of area median income and below has not
worked or has not met what the demand is, so just.
Elliott: I would not say it has not worked. The report I read said that one out of every 14
or 15 rental assistance units in this city - let's see, one out of every 14 or 15
rental units in this city has rental assistance. I would say that's a very strong
showing.
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April 17, 2006
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Are we talking about housing without assistance, that's what this line says,
housing policy.
Just the private sector.
Just the private sector.
But I wouldn't say it hasn't worked because it is working. One out of every 14 or
IS, and that's probably a lot lower, because that doesn't include Section 8.
Oh no, no.
It says without subsidy.
Without voucher.
Where do you get that information, Bob, I just need to know, I have not heard.
From the report.
I mean, the scattered site report says that 4.4 % of all rental units in the, housing
units in the City are, that's what the fair share matrix has that percentage, so
4.4%.
Well, ifhe's looking it up
It says that there are 15,000 rental units in the City, and something like 1050 of
those get rental assistance, so that means one out of every 14 or IS.
Well, except that, those are, Steve Rackis is here, those are Iowa City Housing
Authority vouchers and those are not, you're talking about the housing vouchers?
Ijust read it, I'm not sure - oh yeah, as a mere 1150 of the approximately 15000
rental units in Iowa City are assisted, that's a heck of a high proportion, one out
of every 14 or IS. That would not am I correct, include many Section 8 assisted
livings because the City has no knowledge of those. So I would not say it hasn't
worked.
I wouldn't say we have no knowledge of it. Let me try another approach on this.
Except those assisted units are public sector.
We desperately are trying to avoid this very specific.
I know, yeah, well, those 1500 units are assisted units, so those are public, that's
the public sector responding to the need. And what we are saying is that there is
greater need than what those units and the idea of the private sector producing the
units without assistance.
I'm not understanding what, Amy, I'm not seeing what you mean here.
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April 17, 2006
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Yep. Ok.
Housing policy that's strictly private sector has not worked. While demand
exists, housing (can't here) without subsidy. So what are you saying, what's the
answer to that?
We haven't produced enough houses that exist without subsidy.
I know, but are you saying we produce more housing?
No, I'm not necessarily saying that we produce more housing.
I think
Go ahead
The housing market
The invisible hand isn't working.
is very quick to produce $400,000.00 units, cause it's a high profit issue, etc. The
housing market isn't prepared to build $120,000.00 units in the same, what am I
trying to describe?
Can I try?
Thanks, Eleanor.
It's a pure supply and demand issue. That for whatever reason, no assessment of
blame here or fault or responsibility, there are not enough rental units that meet
the demand of people who need affordable rental units, however you define that.
And I don't think we're only talking about rental, I think we're also including
home ownership.
You know.
We're saying housing product, of which one is rental.
Housing product.
It's just, there's not enough outlhere.
There's not enough to meet the need.
I agree with everything you say, but I am not going to agree that it hasn't worked.
I think our process that we have used is working very well.
Ok, how about ifit's not?
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April I?, 2006
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You're talking about housing that has a subsidy; we're talking about housing that
doesn't have any subsidy.
How do you know it hasn't worked?
Ok, you know what, I'm going to, how about this. I don't think we necessarily
meant hasn't worked.
That's too strong a word.
I think we are, really mean to say hasn't met the demand.
Is that better?
Oh yeah.
(all talk - can't hear)
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Ok, then that's what we're going to say, that's all we mean.
I have a question.
Well, I think
But I would not say that meeting the demand is what we want to do. If you're
saying meeting the demand is our goal, then I would not be in favor of that,
because the demand is, we would need 3 - 4,000 more units to meet the demand.
So you are saying that every teacher that teaches in the Iowa City school district
should not be able to live in Iowa City? Is that what you are saying? Every entry-
level teacher that teaches here should not be able to live here?
Policemen or firemen.
Right. Or daycare provider.
Oh yes.
Because that's what I've been looking at, I've been looking at income levels
lately, and it strikes me that a lot of these, I mean, I looked in the salary section
of the Press Citizen because they've got it online, it goes down to $20,000.00 and
I looked at some teachers' salaries, and a lot of those people are between barely
50% of median and certainly not 80% of median, and it just struck me that we are
dealing with your basic, the people you want living in your community.
Assistant professors are not paid very much.
Right.
Right.
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April 17, 2006
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And so some way, shape or form, folks that are at that income level and are
working, there is not enough supply of what they're needing to stay here.
Right. And I was asking what Bob meant, so he's saying that we shouldn't try to
meet that demand if they wanted to live in the community in which they work,
then you would say that we shouldn't meet that demand.
And I think, Ijust want to say one thing, I think Bob, when we're talking about
housing policy what we're not, what we're not necessarily going to say is the
City is now going to invest all of the money to meet that demand, but that there
may be other ways of working with the private sector, getting investment of
private dollars, other types of housing policy that the City could enter into or be
involved with that could help meet that demand that isn't necessarily going to
involve public dollars. .
They could be smaller houses.
There could be lots of ways.
I do want to give Bob the chance to clarify.
And I want to answer.
Conceptually, then, you are saying that these people who may want to live in the
community should not have the opportunity to live there.
No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that to meet the total demand should not
be our goal, because we can not do that.
Who is we? Who is we?
We.
The Council, the community?
The City.
The community?
See, what I want to get at is having a place to live, to own, owning your own
home is not a right. That's the American dream, and it is not up to the City to
ensure that everyone who works here has the right to own his or her own home.
So I'm saying we should work towards that goal-I'm very much in favor of
working. I'm not prepared to say it hasn't worked, and I don't want to say that to
meet the demand is our goal. We want to work toward a goal of providing as
much of those living facilities as possible.
So I think if we just reframe this statement here, and correct me ifI'm wrong,
this is a fair way to state what the intent here is. The intent is here is the condition
in the City - the condition of the City is that there is not enough supply if you're
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April I?, 2006
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not at a certain income level. The hope is that, in some way, shape or form, that
can, we can increase the supply, we being the community, not necessarily the
public sector, not all the private sector, that's all.
Increase the supply. But if we set our goal as meeting the demand, then that's
totally inappropriate. Increase the supply, as you said.
I'm not saying the City, yeah. There's a hope that the market, whatever that
market is, can have a greater supply of housing available.
Absolutely.
I think that the supply of affordable housing is inadequate to meet the demand.
Yeah. That's a fair statement of the condition.
Hey we can't argue with that.
Ok.
We're going through a reaffirming process.
So what did we just affirm? Did we agree that there's not enough supply to meet
demand?
That's right.
But we haven't affirmed that some of us are interested in meeting that demand
and having a more engaged community.
Now you've gone to policy. All we're doing is reaffirming.
So we'll just cross out that part.
Doing the base, the foundation.
How we get there is another issue.
And we're also talking about both affordable housing and rental assistance.
I think that what we're saying is that the continuum of affordable housing
includes assistance, and I don't even, let's take out assistance for a second. It
includes folks that are not making enough money that they need assistance for
stability that they are able to work towards making more money and growing the
stability oftheir family so that they don't need assistance. And I'm just going to
jump out of one second and say that we have programs in the City that are
helping folks do that, that they are on assistance, they are working in these
programs, and that over time they gain self-sufficiency and they buy their own
home and so that we have part of the City programs and our City policy of
supporting folks that are in need of rental assistance who then move into home
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April 17,2006
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ownership and are paying property taxes and that that's an important piece of the
whole thing.
Good. I affirm.
Ok.
Whatever.
Well, it's not, I mean we can giggle a little bit, but part of going into this was can
we at least agree what the issues and conditions are and that's what affirmation
IS.
What we're trying to accomplish.
What the solutions are will follow.
I think number 3 could simply be said there's not enough affordable housing.
That's what Eleanor said.
That's what we just
Yeah.
The supply doesn't meet the demand.
(can't hear)
Ok. All right. And so number 4 is awareness, that housing policy is interwoven
and part of City economic development policy. It is part of initiatives to grow the
tax base, that there's an element of job development.
So does this one say that given the activity that the City does provide that those
dollars do circulate through the community, whether it's someone who's, is that
what this gets at?
It does that, but I look at this in a little more simple way. We have an economic
development policy. That policy is heavily weighted toward tax base, because
we're property tax based, but within the very nature of that policy is job
development. If someone gets ajob, they're well on their way to being able to
provide without subsidy what their family needs. It seems to me that if we're
going to have an economic development policy that it encourages basic central
employment at a certain wage rate, do we not have a similar obligation that there
are housing opportunities, educate the kids, in other words, economic
development policy allows someone to be a complete and total part of the
community, and housing is one piece, but you can't go out. We have
communities that pursue economic development policy without regard to wages,
housing and all of the other issues that are associated with bringing new
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17, 2006
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employees to the community. I'm saying our policy is broader than that. We look
at it comprehensively.
So we use our economic development policy and dollars and tax increment
financing with the intent to bring higher paying jobs so people can afford to live
here.
Yeah.
If they have, if we demand those higher paying jobs as part of our economic
development policy, then those workers ought to be able (can't hear).
They ought to be able to have the same chance as the guy that's got a
$400,000.00 house that's been recruited. I'm recruiting 50 workers to build,
make models, well, they should be able to get a home, educate their kids, do all
the same things that everyone else does.
This is where affordable housing has, is much more greatly impacts our
economic development than does rental assistance.
Just keep, the point is, housing is a critical component to a community's
successful economy; if we want a successful economy, we've got to deal with the
issue of housing.
As you said with everything else.
With everything else.
That's part of the quality community.
Yeah, yeah.
You're on a roll.
Did I get reaffirmed?
Yes.
(can't hear)
Ok. So then, moving ahead, and we've sort of already addressed this, who are we
trying to help? So we have the income guidelines and there are past the fare for
the scattered site housing. What? So there's both, I think everybody received the
handout from the Housing Trust Fund from last week.
Yeah, I don't have it with me, though.
But it's in here also, so I'mjust saying that we inserted this in here and there is
the median income table and then Steve also included, which has the family of
four at 100%. So, understanding for a family of four a median income,
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription ofthe Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
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$72,000.00,80% of that is $58, 50% of that is $36, 30% of that is $21, and these
are the HUD guidelines. Well, the median income is not HUD, that's just, you
know.
That's what we are.
That's just data about the status in Iowa City. Ok, where is your?
Where is it? What are you looking for?
Steve, the
It's right after
Right after?
Right after the housing trust fund.
Oh, the listing of salaries?
Yeah.
Oh, ok, so we have the starting salaries, and this includes the one-person
household and the four-person household, so you're getting a sense of the wages.
This was to give you a simple feel for the type of incomes that you're talking
about. I mean, it not only effects economic development. When you think of a
family of four, an unusual size family, median income $70,000.00 a year.
But this chart is somewhat misleading in that how many of these families are
going to have one wage earner?
But we shouldn't require two wage earners to have a house, we shouldn't require
some kind of.
That's not an issue.
You don't require it, but the fact is, most families are going to have two wage
earners.
Well and this is median.
But that speaks to the issue that in order to live it's, you virtually have to have.
That speaks to reality.
That's the real world, and that's exactly right. That's the real world. If you
double some of these, mom and dad both working with two kids, they're still not
at $70,000.00.
Right.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription oftbe Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17, 2006
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You'll have, I mean, this data is a four-person household. Generally in a four
person household you're going to have two adults, not always, because there are,
but, that will include two income families in that, in those.
You really have two wage earners?
Oh yeah.
Ok.
I mean, I think it's important that we talk about what this four-person household
is. It could be a single parent with three children and we have a lot of single
parents in this country right now. So it's not necessarily two people who are both
working.
Absolutely.
Right. It's not necessarily, but it's also not, there are going to be families in Iowa
City that have two working people that are making in, they're both working low
wage jobs or they're working part time work, or they're working seasonal jobs or
they have sick children and don't have sick time and get laid off, I mean, there's
lots of scenarios of.
80% of median, $58.1, would require a job of almost $30.00 an hour. Look at
that, so when I think economic development policy, there's not a whole lot of
$30 an hour rates.
All I'm saying is these are indicators.
Absolutely.
This is not fact. These are indicators.
I don't understand what you mean by this is not fact.
Just as, for instance, you take, let's say you take an ACT or a SAT, the score you
get on it is an indicator of your educational development. It is not a fact of your
educational development. These data are indicators of areas in which we should
be very much aware and pointing our programs and policies to them, but they
should not be taken as fact.
Ok, by concluding that we're ok. We should be where we're pointing our policy.
Yes.
Right, that's what we're saying, this is where we're pointing our, ok. Ok. So
that's who we're trying to help.
Got it, got it.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
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Well, and I look at some of the figures of folks who come to the food bank in the
County last year. It was roughly 4500 households there were roughly 12,000
people in those households, and 98-99% of them were in this 80% or less group.
So, roughly, 60% of them are working, over half have children in the homes,
maybe roughly, this is very rough 20-25% single female household, roughly 30-
40% have some kind of disability in the household, so that's kind of the group
you're talking about.
(can't hear) What does the average daycare worker make? Does anybody have
any idea?
About, between, starting wages I think at $6.50 - 7.50 an hour.
This may be a second job (can't hear)
Some people.
Try, try. Some people try.
Ok. So we've tried to list out who our partners are. The City is not doing this all
on our own. So we have inserted the Housing Authority annual report. Other
partners, and this is where if you all have other
If you can think of others, tell us, yeah.
Right. So we have Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Housing Trust Fund
of Johnson County, the CDBG Home in that division of the City, Housing
Fellowship, private developers, the Homeless Overflow, the consultation of
religious communities, Shelter House, other governments, I think we can include
governmental bodies like JCCOG, ECICOG and human service agencies.
I think the important, and if you think of any others let us know, the important
thing here is that in virtually every one of those we have some kind of policy.
Some where, some way we have a relationship with these folks, whether it be
through funding, whether it be through arm twisting, cajoling on trying to get
something done, virtually every one of these has some policy relationship with
respect to the City Council, and they may ultimately become a means by which
to fulfill, but if you look at that, just in your mind reexamine what our policy is.
You know, the homeless council on the churches, and while we have some
homeless policies, a couple of years ago they decided in the winter time they
would, we provided minimum funding. That's the kind of thing that I started
looking for when Amy and I were putting this together. A reminder, remind you
that there's a lot more players out there.
Do you not want to mention any of our private partners in our banks in
particular?
No, fine, I agree.
And the other human service one that I don't see here is Goodwill.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
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Ok, I said human services, that was inclusive.
Were you going to put that in? That's ok.
I do like the banks because the banks have been very helpful.
Yep.
Yeah.
Financial institutions.
Financial institutions. Very good.
That's better, because we have credit unions and.
Absolutely.
We don't have to list them out. But within those human services also, include
like Systems Unlimited, I mean, those that supported housing.
Yeah.
But again the real important thing is that we do have a lot of players, and that
they do help us and we help them.
Community Foundation.
Ok. It's approaching 9:15, and this is the part where it starts to address the
recommendations from the scattered site housing taskforce. I have a letter that [' d
like to distribute from Maryann Dennis.
And in my packet, page 4 of 8, which started the recommendations from the
scattered site housing taskforce was missing, and [ don't know if that was the
case with others?
Oh, yeah.
Because their recommendations begin there, so.
And also, it goes from 7 to 7.
I didn't even look at it because [have myoId copy.
It got somewhere on the way. It's the October 11th memo.
Yeah.
Right.
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meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
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Atkins: That I've been told that you have, if not, we'll get you extra copies.
Bailey: I have it, and I figured most people have another copy of it.
Correia: And I wonder if this is something that Council would be interested in? You
know, the scattered site housing taskforce made a presentation so that was
October 11, or whatever, the meeting was after that.
Atkins: That's the date ofthe recommendation, October 11th.
Correia: So they presented at a work session, and I wondered if, I know that there are
various interested parties in the community interested in these recommendations
who I know would like to speak directly to the Council on their perspectives on
the recommendations on what their priorities might be, if that's something
Council might be interested in holding. I suppose it's not a public hearing, per se,
but just a public comment.
Champion: We talked about that Amy, and I do think we (can't hear) what do you call it, we
were going to have a town meeting?
Bailey: A town meeting. So there are people in the community interested in speaking
specifically to like #3, I want to come and talk to you about the #3. I think that
would be interesting.
Elliott: I think at whatever point we discuss the recommendations of the taskforce, I
would certainly like Matt Hayek to sit in with us. Not as a presenter, but to sit
down at the table with us.
Correia: And I just wonder if it makes sense to have it during a Council meeting where
then it's also televised so this is a public comment on this?
Bailey: I think that would be good.
Correia: And anybody can be, that way Matt can be there to make his
Wilburn: Well, did we want to have it be a part of a regular Council meeting or just set up
a special meeting and televise it?
Bailey: Special, special meeting, televised.
Vanderhoef: And I'd much appreciate having it in the round table.
O'Donnell: Yeah.
Elliott: Yes.
Vanderhoef: I do not want it up there, and if that gives us problem with television, I don't
have a problem with having television, but it won't be our usual great quality
when we do it in the round table situation.
Elliott: I agree. That's why I said I want Matt to be able to sit down with us.
This represents only a reasonable accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
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April 17, 2006
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Correia:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Atkins:
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Can we do it at the library?
I think that works very well for roundtable.
Well, and I think that's a more, an easier public space.
And the acoustics are quite good in there, that you don't need a huge amount.
But would it be, I'd like it to be like a Council meeting, that we're all a Council,
are present, is that?
The only thing, Marian, how hard is it to set up the audio? Is it really worth it,
can we just kind of expand this? I hate to put people to a lot of trouble.
Well, I'm comfortable sitting up there, I mean, I think that's fine.
I'm not going to sit up there.
I'm not either. When I can't (can't hear)
Well just tell them what we want. We're the boss.
Going to be a long evening. Those are more comfortable chairs.
No long table. Just, we want to be at roundtable, and set it up.
Yeah.
And we could do it in here.
The important thing is that you want to have a meeting before you go through
these recommendations?
And I guess, I want an opportunity for public comment, not so that we're
hearing, I mean I guess we could have it be more or less interactive as we would
want, but I just, it's an opportunity for people to come before us, give us their
perspectives, opinions, and then.
When we heard these recommendations we heard from Matt and we heard from
Jerry Anthony and the rest of the scattered site taskforce. We didn't hear from
people in the community who necessarily had responses or other ideas with these
recommendations, and I think that might be a good next step.
So you hear the public's reaction from the recommendations to use that to inform
our discussion of where we go.
Yes.
If that's the case, we do need to find a way to distribute this information much
more broadly than we have done to date.
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meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
Bailey:
Correia:
Atkins:
Champion:
Atkins:
Champion:
Atkins:
Wilburn:
Atkins:
Champion:
Bailey:
Champion:
Elliott:
Bailey:
Atkins:
Champion:
Atkins:
Champion:
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Yes.
Right.
We had anticipated at least initially that you were going to go through them, do
some sifting and sorting. No, I understand that, but you want to add this town
meeting prior to a formal sit-down.
You know, I see this (can't hear) we need to go through these (can't hear) we
may not even know one thing we're going to do at that point, but I think we need
to discuss it at least, that we can do. We don't know enough about it to do it, and
then people know what we've talked about at least, and then they can, and then
we can do, maybe we do 4 or 5 recommendations at each meeting, I don't know
but.
Let me suggest a course of action.
Yeah.
At the next meeting you would intend to be a review ofthese, even if it's just to
understand them, nothing, while simultaneously.
What does this mean?
What's it mean. Simultaneously, we'll start putting together this town meeting
thing that we're talking about, and that will come at least, if not within the next
two weeks, some time, let's say in May, and that's when you'll have the forum to
have folks come and talk to you.
Right.
But I don't think any of these recommendations should be off the table while
they're talking.
Oh no, no.
No no.
Ok, right. I mean, I don't think we should say oh forget it, we're not going to.
Ijust feel strongly that we really owe scattered site housing taskforce an answer
to their proposals, that is in the matter of policy at least. They spent so much time
preparing these things for us.
Well, yeah.
So next meeting we would go through these, or start going through these.
We don't even have to agree with them.
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April 17, 2006
Atkins:
Bailey:
Atkins:
Bailey:
Correia:
Bailey:
Elliott:
Atkins:
Elliott;
Bailey;
Atkins:
Elliott:
Champion;
Bailey:
Correia;
Atkins;
Correia:
Atkins:
Wilburn;
Bailey;
Atkins:
Wilburn:
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No, I'm just saying you know there's no agreement.
And gain a better understanding of these, ok.
And simultaneously you kicked it to us and Amy and I will work out the format.
Can we schedule enough time though that we get through them?
Well we'll start at the next time that that's where we'll start.
Right, but I mean it would, I would really rather marathon it if that's what it takes
to get through all of them.
I would agree. I'd rather go through the report.
You're better off reviewing all of the recommendations at one time.
Yes.
I agree.
Because then you can weigh them against each other.
Now, would other people like to have Matt here for that one?
No.
No.
No.
It's a public meeting (can't hear)
Nor for part of the discussion, I think that the Council needs to discuss.
Personally, I think scattered site's done their job. Here's our work.
And then at the town meeting, any of the members ofthat.
They can be aware of it.
We know that certain members of the taskforce have strong opinions. They
should be entitled.
I know we hope to make it through those
(tape ends - cut off)
Correia;
Will this be on our next work session?
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Atkins:
I will put this on, yeah.
Council Appoiutmeuts
Wilburn: We do have a Council appointment. Was it HCDC?
Bailey: Holly, I'd like Holly Hart.
Karr: Historic Preservation.
Bailey: Esther Baker, right. Yes, or no?
Correia: But Esther, I have a question about.
Wilburn: For Historic Preservation? Is that the one you were talking about?
Correia: Oh. Are we at Historic Preservation? Oh.
Wilburn: Ok.
Vanderhoef: For Historic Preservation and HCDC, I would like to see.
Wilburn: Could we not talk about - I have a conflict with HCDC, so we need to talk about
Historic Preservation please.
Elliott: That's only one app., right?
Wilburn: Yep.
Elliott: Not much to talk about.
Wilburn: I have a conflict of interest with appointments to Housing and Community
Development, so I will back out of this discussion.
Bailey: Ok. So, let's.
Vanderhoef: Ok, and I would like to look at Kristopher
Elliott: Cronin.
Dilkes: Can we, I'm really having a hard time hearing you.
Karr: You're all mumbley.
Vanderhoef: Ah, maybe it's because I'm sinking away here.
Bailey: Ok, Dee said Kristopher. Are there other suggestions?
Elliott: Yes.
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Correia: I just have a question, Holly Hart, on her application it said that she's on the
boards of Uptown Bill's.
Vanderhoef: And that's a conflict.
Dilkes: That's going to be a problem. Our opinion with respects to conflicts on HCDC,
and it's noted on the application, is that if you are affiliated, and that means being
a board member with an applicant for funding you shouldn't be voting on any
applications that are competing with your entity, so.
Champion: But she could resign from the board.
Correia: Yeah I think that if she, because Extend the Dream, so that was my, there was a
couple of questions I had. Is Extend the Dream foundation, which applies for the
money, does that have a separate board from Uptown Bill's? Does anybody
know that? Steve, do you know that?
Vanderhoef: The affiliation is pretty darn close there.
Correia: And is that affiliation too close for a conflict.
Vanderhoef: That would be your question.
Champion: (can't hear)
Vanderhoef: And then she's also advisory committee for Music's.
Bailey: Music's Feast. I don't know that they've ever applied for funding.
Correia: Who?
Bailey: Music's Feast.
Vanderhoef: I think they did, I'm not sure, they have, yeah.
Correia: Did they receive? Well, whatever.
Vanderhoef: They didn't receive, but they have applied.
ElIiott: Well, I say again, I'm interested in Christopher. I talked with him and I liked
what I heard.
Vanderhoef: Mmhmm.
Bailey: So do we have 4 for Christopher?
ElIiott: One, two, three.
Bailey: I see three.
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Elliott: Need a fourth.
Champion: I don't, the only problem I have is this is such a broad-based commission and it's
a very important commission, and he's only been in Iowa City for 6 months, and
I thought two of the applicants have been here such a short time, how can they
have any understanding of the community?
Correia: And he doesn't have a background in any time of affordable housing.
Vanderhoef: That's why I would choose him, is that we need some balance on the
commission, and this person has a lot of business education and dollars and how
to leverage dollars and that kind of stuff, so it doesn't matter whether you are
leveraging dollars to buy your car or whether it's a house.
Bailey: Well we also need some gender balance on this commission, I might point out.
It's become predominately men, and, I mean addressing some of the issues some
gender balance would probably be beneficial.
Correia: Right.
O'Donnell: So Kristopher only has three?
Bailey: Yes.
Vanderhoef: Well then, we're three-three.
O'Donnell: (can't hear) the next one.
Correia: So if Holly Hart says she would resign from the Uptown Bill's board, then would
that, or is there a time frame?
Dilkes: No, she can resign from the Uptown Bill's board.
Karr: The other option you can do is re-advertise. Throw it back out there for 30 days,
let Holly determine what she wants to do, take any new applications - I mean,
that's just another option.
Bailey: I did speak with Holly, she's very interested in this, because she has this very
long history with Iowa City,
Champion: Long history.
Bailey: And I think her work on the radio station has also promoted some of her interest
in this, so ifthere is some way that she wouldn't have the conflict, I would be
interested in seeing that.
Champion: Well, will she have a fourth vote if she resigns from the commission? I don't
want her to resign from her commission if we're not going to have four votes.
Correia: Resign from the board, yeah.
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meeting of April 17, 2006.
April 17,2006
Champion:
Bailey:
Elliott:
Correia:
Elliott:
Bailey:
Correia:
Bailey:
Elliott:
Bailey:
Elliott:
Bailey:
Correia:
Bailey:
Champion:
Correia:
Elliott:
Correia:
Bailey:
Karr:
Vanderhoef:
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Right, the board, right.
Well, it could be a point where we could offer it to her if she resigns, can we do
that? With the understanding that we would ask her to resign from Uptown
Bill's?
I would not be willing to go on record on that.
What did you say, Bob?
I said I would not be willing to go on record as saying if she resigns she's got my
vote.
No, my suggestion was we would appoint with the understanding that if Holly
took the appointment, that she would need
It's contingent upon.
It's contingent upon her resolving the conflict of interest, which we have
indicated is the resignation from Uptown Bill's.
No, I just think there are better, there are people that I would rather have on
there, one would be someone more in business area.
Well, we have three for Kristopher and we have three for Holly.
How about that.
I think we are going to have to re-advertise.
What's the makeup right now of HCDC in terms of?
6 men, I woman.
6 male, I female.
Ok, but also in terms of their professional background?
I think that would be helpful for me to know.
Does Steve know, off the top of his head?
Just go around the table, right? You have to go around the table at a microphone.
Steve, you're going to have to, yeah. You do have in your packet their names.
We've got one man, ok, we've got two men that are up, their terms expire 9/1.
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Correia: Couldn't we just let him go through the names and tell us what their backgrounds
are, Dee?
Karr: Can ljust note, you might note you've got other applicants.
O'Donnell: I don't think we need to know that. We need to know what the numbers are, how
many men, how many women.
Bailey: Well, Bob
Correia: Bob wanted to know background.
Bailey: Bob indicated that he was interested in appointing somebody who had more
business background.
Correia: We don't know what we have.
O'Donnell: (can't hear) appointing this person with a business background, no one (can't
hear).
Correia: Well, I'm interested in knowing what the backgrounds are of the current
members.
O'Donnell: I'm not.
Correia: Are there two other people?
Bailey: Steve, go ahead. Yes.
Long: Should we just go down the list, and names?
Elliott: Where is?
Bailey: I'm not seeing the list.
Vanderhoef: Just at the front.
Champion: Right before the application.
Karr: It's right after the armouncement of.
Elliott: There we go, there we go.
Bailey: Oh, got it.
Correia: I looked at the wrong one too, actually.
Dilkes: Now remember Lori Bears and Yolanda Spears are no longer there.
Bailey: Right.
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April 17, 2006
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Long:
So we will have another opening, did you receive that resignation, Karin? Ok.
Well, let's start at the top with Brian. He's, has a background, moved here from
Los Angeles for the Writer's Workshop, when he was in LA he was a financial
analyst.
O'Donnell:
What kind of car does he have? Go ahead. I was kidding.
(laughter)
Long: No. Jerry Anthony, who is here this evening, urban planning professor, Kelly
Mellecker is an undergraduate, Matt Hayek.
Vanderhoef: In what?
Bailey: I think she's in social work, if! recall.
Vanderhoef: That's what I'm thinking too.
Karr You say it like it's a bad thing.
Correia: I know, like it's a thing, Dee, with offense.
(laughter)
Vanderhoef: Not intended. Sorry.
Bailey: Matt is an attorney, Michael Shaw?
Long: Matt is an attorney, yes. Michael Shaw.
Elliott: Architect, isn't he?
Long: Well that's John.
Champion: That's John.
Elliott: Oh that's John.
Long: Michael is with the
Bailey: Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Long: Domestic Violence, right. Thomas Niblock is a student, I believe he's a senior in
political science.
Baeth: He's ajunior right now.
Long: Junior? Ok.
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Bailey:
Is it poli sci?
Baeth:
I don't know, actually, I don't think he is.
(laughter)
Bailey: He's a student, he's a student. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Long: He's been very active, so has Kelly, the two students have been very active. Bill
Greazel, County Auditor, and that's it.
Elliott: Well, I say again there is a need for more business, and I'm disappointed. When I
was on there we had, I know we had a financial institution person who was very
beneficial in a number of discussions regarding what could be done and what
couldn't.
Bailey: Well, regardless of our interests tonight, it looks like we're re-advertising, is that
the? Do we have four who will agree to that?
Champion: Yeah.
Vanderhoef: That's fine.
Bailey: All right.
Long: ['ll work on their bios.
Elliott: And there's going to be a second position.
Long: Yeah.
Elliott: That will be open very soon.
Bailey: I'd like to see a tap dance number from them next time.
Atkins: And Steve, Bill Greazel is the County Assessor.
Bailey: Assessor.
Long: Oh, Assessor. Auditor, Assessor.
(laughter)
Elliott:
I will point out that it there is a fourth that will go for Christopher, you will have
another opening coming up very soon.
Champion:
We could tell you the same thing.
Bailey:
Yes.
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O'Donnell:
Well, let's move on then.
Elliott:
Let's move.
Bailey:
Please, take it back Ross. Take them back.
Elliott:
Thanks, Steve.
Wilburn:
I lost my, Steve messed it up.
Al!enda Items
Item 4F (5) Correspondence: John Moreland: Mediacom Service
Bailey: We're on agenda items.
Wilburn: Agenda items.
Bailey: I have a question about 4f(5). It's the letter about Mediacom
Correia: Oh, yes, I also had a question about that.
Helling: Yeah, we're following up on that, I don't have any conclusions for you at this
point, but we definitely will have.
Bailey: What's Mediacom's requirement to expand into? I mean, I know that there is,
when there are so many rooftops, they have a requirement to.
Helling: There's a density requirements, and basically there's one issue that's brought up
here and then there is sort of a wider spread allegation. We just need to follow up
and look at the ordinance and see how this particular development, how many
units are there and so forth. But we definitely want them to get in the ground
when the other utilities are in the ground, and apparently that's not happening
here.
Bailey: Ok. And so you'll just let us know. Thanks.
Wilburn: Next item.
Bailey: That's all I had.
Elliott: I don't think we've got many questions about the items today.
Item 4f(13). Homelessness
Correia: I, regarding the letters on homeless issues, is there any update on where that
Shelter House court case is?
Champion: No. We haven't heard anything.
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Correia:
Right, but I mean, do we know at all when it's going to be heard? Is there
anything we can?
Dilkes:
No, it hasn't been, it's been submitted but it hasn't been scheduled for oral
argument yet.
Correia:
Ok.
Wilburn:
Ok. I'm going to assume no one wants Council time?
Council Time
Bailey: I do.
Champion: I want Council time. Because I think we need to bring this up to you (can't hear)
Elliott: You assumed wrong.
Wilburn: Go ahead. I.
Vanderhoef: I'm going to keep my mouth shut.
Champion: It's going to be short, but remember I was assigned by Ernie to the jail taskforce,
and Marian said I was assigned by the Council. I mean, I did finish the jail
taskforce. My past two positions with the jail were really County appointments,
so I fulfilled my obligation to the City and the County. Now I'm done. I'm bored
with it. Now Elliott loves it, so I would like, I mean, I don't need your permission
to leave, I'm just telling you I am leaving.
(laughter)
Champion: And I kind of informally told the Board of Supervisors that, but then I got
appointed to the Mental Health thing, and I kind of liked that, but (can't hear).
But now, another time Ernie appointed me to the Juvenile Justice.
Correia: Youth Development Policy Board.
Champion: Youth Development Policy Board, which I did for 4 years and then I left that and
was not, I don't think anyone was re-appointed, think they can't (can't hear).
Now they still have me on that list and they want to get back together and
reactivate. I'd like to be on that if it's ok with everybody.
Wilburn: The Youth Development?
Champion: Yes, I'd like to go back to that.
Vanderhoef: Juvenile justice?
Champion: Justice Coordinating Committee, whatever it's called.
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Correia: Policy Board.
Bailey: It's fine with me.
Vanderhoef: I am leaving the jail.
Correia: Get out of jaiL
Bailey: We'll give you your get out of jail card free.
Champion: I've been on it for a long time, but I did fulfill my Council obligation, my last
two committees have been through the County and not through the (can't hear).
Wilburn: Are they wanting us to appoint you to that, or can you just serve as part of your,
being a good person to?
Champion: I think it needs a Council appointment?
Wilburn: Does it? Ok.
Champion: They want a Council representative.
Correia: The Juvenile Justice, is that what you're talking about now?
Wilburn: Our County Attorney and City Clerk, City Attorney and City Clerk are looking at
me. Ok. We'll sort it out.
Champion: I've been meaning to bring that up for several weeks. Ok. Done.
Wilburn: Ok. Regenia.
Bailey: What I have in on May I" is the going away reception for David Skorton and
Robin Davisson, and we also have a work session, and I assume that there would
be Council members who want to attend the farewell reception, and the brief
program starts at 6:30, the very same time we are supposed to be starting a work
session, so is there any interest in starting late.
Correia: Starting late?
Elliott: Combine?
Bailey: We can combine or start our work session at 7:30.
Vanderhoef: 7:30.
Champion: Oh, yeah that would be all right.
Bailey: So can we just come over here after the reception?
Wilburn: So move the Monday work session to 7:30.
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Bailey: Is that ok with everybody?
Elliott: And what date is that, Regenia?
Bailey: It's May 1 ", I'm assuming you guys got your invitation.
Elliott: From 6:30 - 7:30.
Wilburn: Got that, Marian?
Karr: Starting our work session at 7 :30 on the I".
Vanderhoef: There was an invitation in the packet that was addressed to Ross but then it was
printed in the packet.
Karr: I did that Dee because you all got individual invitations and Ijust used the
mayor's as your sample one, if you all got them, then I uses the mayor's in the
packet. If it were just Ross's you would not see it in the packet.
Elliott: You remember Ross what it was you were invited to?
Wilburn: I've (can't hear)
Bailey: If anybody has a way of handling invitation management, I would, besides an
administrative assistant, I would love to know.
Champion: Just don't go.
Bailey: Yeah, but do you RSVP?
Correia: I have, just while she's looking for that, just to remind everybody that tomorrow
that Youth Advisory Commission will be here at 6:45 to.
Wilburn: No tornadoes this time.
Correia: Right. To meet you all.
Bailey: Will they really come back to this building?
Correia: We should come back, we are just, if you don't know, the Youth Advisory
Commission was meeting in Eleanor's conference room last Thursday, when we
had to go to the tornado shelter. But anyway, they're looking forward to meeting
you all and then they will be accepting the proclamation tomorrow night on
National Youth Service Days and then they'll introduce themselves to the
viewing audience after they accept.
O'Donnell: Good.
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April 17, 2006
Karr:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
Correia:
Bailey:
Wilburn:
Bailey:
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And we did stress to the Youth Advisory Board that it will just be a social
reception, no business, because we didn't post it.
What is this invitation?
The invitation is for this CEO Breakfast Roundtable Healthcare CEO on Friday,
April2Sth.
Oh, I already RSVP'd.
Anyone else Council time? Just as a FYI, I've had communications with the
Attorney General's office ofIowa. They have a crisis response team to do
community debriefings, then a consultation with business support and they may
be interested in having this team come in just to debrief the people who, students
who experienced the tornado, and I've been talking to a couple of folks about
doing the same for the community. It doesn't costthe City anything, it's just a
resource that's out there to, kind of help, prevent, stave away any long-term
problem.
I think that's a really good idea.
Would that be available to City staff as well, it might?
I think that would be a really, really good idea.
Yeah. So I'll keep you posted as to when that happens. All right.
Thanks.
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