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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-11-30 Correspondence' ~ ~ -su-~ u 3g(1) Marian Karr From: Ruth Smith [regjsmith@hotmail.com~ Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 7:08 PM To: Council Subject: Why I feel you need to rethink levee idea for Taft Speedway November 13, 2010 To The Council Members of Iowa City: Are the people so unimportant on Taft Speedway that the only idea for the flood is to drown us out, or make us sell something we have loved and lived in for a very long time;.in my life time and I can say for 66 ey ars! My grandparents owned this house; as a matter of fact my Grandfather Cerny and Fred Moore built the place in the 1930's. I spent most of summers here with grandma and grandpa Cerny. When my husband Guy Smith and I got married in 1962 we moved in and rented from my parents. We purchased the place in 1973. (Guy and I have lived here 48 years this pass September.) To read that you are now considering putting a levee to the North of us so if there is another flood you can protect the Idyllwild addition and force out or really damage us because we would not sell out is wrong. Is this democracy? We need to find a way to lessen the threat for all. not just a select group. We should start with Dam out flow. The Corp. of Engineers did a good job this summer and I would think this would help us all. This council may say " we feel this is the only way," What about the next council?. For example I cite the council that voted in the Idyllwild addition against Taft Speedway resident's protests and engineer's advice. Please reconsider your thoughts and look for a way we all can survive. Thank you for reading this and please re-look into this Ruth Scott Smith 11/14/2010 Page 1 of 2 Marian Karr From: JJWHITE (jjwhite499@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 11:32 AM To: Council Subject: Promises, Promises, Promises Dear Iowa City Council Members: Last night the council hired a person to over see all the new federal flood mitigation monies it will be receiving. "A substantial amount." It appears the council has already made its decision to accept this "substantial amount" of money. We were assured over and over again that the council was just making application for some of these monies and that nothing was definite and nothing was cast in concrete; that if and when the council got the grant monies we the citizens would be able to express our opinions. To use an old cliche, you put the cart before the horse. There should have been more discussion and debate on the grant application to raise Taft Speedway and No Name Street and all its ramifications long before it was every approved by the council. As I expressed publicly to you in a council meeting I knew it would be hard to turn down money once received no matter how wrong or how bad the initial decision. You people make you own messes and then we suffer. When I attended the meeting City Staff arranged to explain the scope of work to potential project engineers on the Dubuque Street and Park Bridge project I was told that there would be public input. Last night the council hired an engineering firm for these projects. I am sure this NEW engineering firm will be sent off "with STAFF instructions" (If it has not already been so instructed) to design the project using the STAFF"s initial instructions and guidelines and a few instructions and guidelines recently envisioned.. Again, putting the cart before the horse. Once designed on paper it will be hard to change and or correct. Once again we will be stuck with something CITY STAFF has come up with without any citizen input. When I attended this meeting with potential engineers of the Dubuque Street and Park Bridge Project I asked after the meeting what was going to be done with entrances/intersections to Kimball Road, Ridge Road, Bjaysville Lane, and Taft Speedway. City Staff did not know. I was told "there are no specifics and there would be plenty for time for citizen input." Yet the potential project engineers were told to allow the first floor of the Mayflower to have a view; to include public seating near the NE corner of the new Park Bridge for "fans to view and watch rowing team competitions"; and that the bridge design should blend in with the new Hancher Building. Those instructions sound rather specific to me. So why would not something as "minor" as intersections (needed or not?) be included in the "marching orders" to these potential engineering firms? How can you design something and plan for it IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH THESE FOUR INTERSECTIONS?! Maybe you do know what you are going to do with these intersections but what the "effected citizenry" does not know will not hurt them. Once again the proverbial "cart before the horse." Once again the "effected citizenry" gets the shaft. It does not have to be this way and the City Council should see that it is not. City Staff, with a smile on their faces, a joke to the side, and a wink in their eye give you the impression that it has to be done this way. City Staff makes way too many decisions for you. You people should be making the decisions and City Staff should be carrying out these decisions. Does a picture of a cart placed before the horse come to mind? I am sure this letter will be turned over to City Staff and I will be given another batch of lies. I am sick of talking to City Staff; I have doing that since 1992. (When I called and asked for information about the raising of Taft Speedway I got two totally different answers. One was a plan to elevate the entire street 8 to 15 feet. Another Staff person told me that it was only going to be raised from the Dubuque Intersection to the west about 500 feet. Who are we to believe? Who are we to trust? I think Council members need to have the City Clerk provide you with the information and minutes from 11/17/2010 Page 2 of 2 the original bad decision in 1992 to allow Idyllwild to be built in the first place; to see and review the minutes of the council meeting when the raising of Taft Speedway and No Name St was first (and only) presented to the council for approval. And I think the minutes of the January 29, 2009 meeting at the Water Treatment Plant on "flood mitigation options" should be presented to council members. I would caution the council members that this last report is some what slanted to the City Staffs viewpoint and that a number of bullets are redundant and almost silly at times in an attempt to slant the opinion of the reader. There are some good ideas in this document that the city staff dismisses without much rationale. Which brings me to the actual application that staff submitted to the state for funds to raise Taft Speedway and No Name Street. The City Clerk should provide all council members with the full copy of this application. I know that the council approved it but does the council ever see and read the final product they approved? I imagine the mayor signs it but does anyone on the council actually sit down and read this stuff? I can assure you that there are some errors in judgment and rational in this document. There as some gross "omissions" from the document that all of us know but which grant writers do not want to mention and/or include in an grant application. The grant writers know how to play this game and know (or should know) all the right phrases to say, the right "buzz words" to use, the right buttons to push but more importantly WHAT NOT TO SAY OR WHAT NOT TO BRING ATTENTION TO. Members of the City Council should make the effort to come out to Taft Speedway and No Name St and talk to the residents and see for yourself what damage is going to be done to our neighborhood. To see what we have done in the way of flood mitigation without federal funds, without state funds and without any city funds. The funds used on our projects came out of our pockets! Let's stop ~utting the cart before the horse and let's start to take charge as policy makers and not as policy implementers --that's what you have CITY STAFF for. Respectfully, James J. White 121 Taft Speedway St. Iowa City, Iowa 11/17/2010 ~~!~,i~; 2 3 ~Q10 2010 NOY 23 PM :4:41 ~D-Lh~7ZUt/L ~3, ,20/O ~lD East' f,~dsH~ti'G~T©~l S~~/~'E~T `~ ` ~~~ fc,rt~ ~ ~'l . ~d ~ . ~ . ,~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~` ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ..~~~ ~ ~ 2~ : ~~. -,~~ ~ ~~ JQ~~ ~ ~ .~ ~u~~ ~~Q ~~ ti ~9'~~ ~~J ~ '~~' i7 ~~vrL~1 ~ ~ f~ es~ ~,~-~~~ r_ r 0 ~~ ~~ yl'1a:~2t~ 2~~ /J ~ Z~K ~ , .~~ ~-~~ ~~. Iii JN `.T Cc~ ~' or ~~~ r ~ ~'~'~ S ~~~~ ~ ~.~~"z-~ r ~ ~j FEiY~l~ 51-(®~ ~p ~fcK cl E' ?"H`~ .~ i3 ~---, ~ m~ Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: LYDA BROWN [brownlyda235@gmail.comJ Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 7:56 AM To: Council Subject: flood mitigation To the city council, We support the flood mitigation levees to be built with recently received funding. William G. and Lyda Brown 31 Pentire Circle Iowa City, Ia. 11/23/2010 IDYLLWILD CONDIOMINIUPVI It31NNER'S ASSOCIATIIDN November 11, 2010 To City of Iowa City Council members: The 92 owners in idyllwlld would tike to take this opportunity to, thank the City Council members and the City Staff #or tirelessly moving forward for the monies to protect our community from future flooding. The news in late October that the City would receive funds to construct three levees, one designated for protecting idyllwlld, was great news and a great relief to all of us. As the City moves forward with the design and engineering for the project, i know our owners will continue to be involved in the discussion. Again, I want to thank you for the effort and time involved in obtaining this money for flood protection for the City and idyllwlld. Sincerely, Idytlwitd Condominiums Owner's Association ~~~~ " Safiy Cline, Association President N C7 0 O Z t~ N G 1--e ~ "O _ __ :; , rv N r; ® N W Page 1 of 1 3,~~~ ~ Marian Karr From: Sally Cline [clinesally@cs.com] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 4:03 PM To: Council Cc: mecrawford@aoLcom; tmchait@aol.com Subject: Idyllwild To City Council, Iowa City, Iowa: As this is Thanksgiving weekend, I find myself reflecting on how far Idyllwild has come since the floods of 2008. I am thankful for the help and aid the Federal, State and City was able to extend to the owners in Idyllwild. The news of funding for levees to protect Idyllwild is indeed good news. This will encourage owners to remain in their homes; it will encourage greater values in Idyllwild, and in turn will increase a greater tax base for the City of Iowa City. 20% of our operating budget goes just for flood insurance, and with a levee to protect our 92 units, that flood insurance may be drastically reduced. I strongly encourage the City Council to go forward with the plan to create the levees on Taft Speedway and No Name Road to protect Idyllwild from future flooding. Sally Cline Owner: 33 Trevose Place, Iowa City, Iowa 52245 319-331-0270 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: Newfjman@aol.com Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 9:36 PM To: Council Subject: Idyllwild flood levies It is extremely important to proceed with the flood levies around Idyllwild for which funding has been approved. We request that council approve promptly. Miriam Newman Owner of 11 Camborne Circle 11/23/2010 ~' ~ ('~ Marian Karr From: Joel Wilcox [jfwilcox@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 20104:04 PM To: Council Subject: Taft Speedway/Idyllwild flood mitigation project: correction Dear Council: Please allow me to correct two things in the email below, sent to the Council on Nov. 4, 2010: * I meant to say that my wife and I are neighborhood association "contacts" for the Peninsula Neighborhood * I did not mean by mentioning this that I was speaking in representation of any opinions other than my own Sincerely, Joel Wilcox 119 Taft Speedway St. On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 10:18 PM, Joel Wilcox <jfwilcoxQgmail.com> wrote: > Dear Iowa City Council: > Congratulations on the successful proposals which have brought funds > into the community for flood mitigation efforts. My wife, Cathy, and > I are neighborhood coordinators for the Peninsula neighborhood, which > in addition to the named area, includes Idyllwild and the Taft > Speedway St homes. Our family has a foot on both sides of Taft > Speedway because we live on the Taft Speedway side while my mother, > Betty Jo Wilcox, lives in Idyllwild. With vested interests in a > solution that is best for the entire neighborhood, we look forward to > participating in planning for a solution that will both protect > Idyllwild and preserve the beauty that draws people to both sides of > Taft Speedway to live. We hope that you will call on us and all of > our neighbors to participate in discussion. We are all deeply > invested in the outcome. > We were heartened to learn in discussion with Jeff Davidson, Director > of Planning and City Development, that all options are on the table > because the original proposal was disappointing to many of us in > proposing only an earthen levee. We know that other options were > considered that would be less invasive and life-changing to us and to > the environs, and one of those options has been adopted by the > University of Iowa for its flood protection strategy, namely, Hesco > barriers. I hope that since all options are on the table you will > consider adopting a neutral phrase for the project, like "flood > mitigation project" instead of a name that lumps the project in with > the other levee projects or creates the impression that an earthen > levee is the only, or even the default, option. > We look forward with great interest to learning about communication > and planning for this project and thank you in advance for the > opportunity to participate. > Yours respectfully, > Joel Wilcox > 119 Taft Speedway St. 1 Page 1 of 1 ~~~~~ Marian Karr From: Betty Jo Wilcox [bjwilcox813@gmail.comJ Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 8:40 AM To: Council Subject: Alternative to Idyllwild levee To the Iowa City Council: I am not in favor of a levee around Idyllwild. My son and his family live on the other side of Taft Speedway and the idea of their being on the river side of a levee sickens me. I would also feel very bad for my neighbors whose homes would be closest to a levee. I attended a program in January 2009 at which Rick Fosse presented several other options that could be used to provide protection for Idyllwild. I think that the City should fix Foster Road so that people can get in and out of the Peninsula that way and leave Taft Speedway alone. Mrs. Betty Jo Wilcox 35 Trevose Pl. 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: Joe G [quadhawk@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 9:26 AM To: Marian Karr Subject: Re: Taft Speedway Hello, This email is to show our support for raising Taft Speedway. The elevation change will certainly protect valuable real estate off Foster road as well as provide access for those living on the peninsula. Thank you for all your efforts in protecting our homes! Sincerely, Joseph D. Greathouse Quadhawk, Inc From: Marian Karr <Marian-Karr@iowa-city.org> To: Joe G <quadhawk@yahoo.com> Sent: Mon, November 29, 2010 9:10:01 AM Subject: RE: Taft Speedway Thank you for your correspondence. Council has established a policy that they do not accept correspondence that does not include the full name of the sender. I am unable to distribute this correspondence without that information. Please resubmit with a full name. Marian K. Karr, CMC/MMC City of Iowa City 319-356-5041 (Phone) 319-356-5497 (FAX) Population 62,380 From: Joe G [mailto:quadhawk@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 8:55 AM To: Council Subject: Taft Speedway Hello, This email is to show our support for raising Taft Speedway. The elevation change will certainly protect valuable real estate off Foster road as well as provide access for those living on the peninsula. Thank you for all your efforts in protecting our homes! Sincerely, Quadhawk, Inc 11 /29/2010 levees on Taft Speedway and No Name Road Marian Karr From: Philip Reisetter [reisetter@gwestoffice.netl Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 3:54 PM To: Council Cc: 'Sally Cline' Subject: levees on Taft Speedway and No Name Road Dear Council: Page 1 of 1 `~ ~~! ~ t ~ Please take all steps necessary to build levees on these two streets as soon as time permits. Levees will increase the flood protection in Idyllwild. That in turn would serve to make the area more desirable as a place to live. Such increased desirability would enhance property values. That in turn would serve to increase property taxes. I believe the tax base there is now about half of what is was before the flood. It would appear to be in the City's interest, as well as that of my family to build the levees. Sincerely Philip Reisetter 18 Idyllwild Court Iowa City, Iowa 52245 11 /24/2010 Page 1 of 1 ~~~~ Marian Karr From: Karen Lessner [kjlessner@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 4:51 PM To: Council Subject: Idyllwild levee I am the owner of the Idyllwild condominium located at 22 Trevose Place in Iowa City. This email is to inform you that I am very much in favor of building a levee around Idyllwild for flood protection of our property in the future. I appreciate and thank you for your efforts in the pursuit of funding for this levee. Sincerely, Karen Lessner 3305 Aruba Way Apt. 0-1 Coconut Creek, FL 33066 Phone: 954-971-8679 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 3 ~, ~ ~ Marian Karr From: Kurt Kimmerling [kurtkimmerling@msn.com] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 3:56 PM To: Council Subject: Idyllwild Flood Protect Measures As a resident of Idyllwild, I was delighted to learn the City had secured funds for future flood protection efforts along No Name Road and Taft Speedway. As someone who lived through the June 2008 experience, rebuilt my property, and remain a resident in Idyllwild I urge you to consider a permanent solution that meets the needs of the ninety-two Idyllwild property owners. Some facts I feel you need to be made aware of: 1. Because of the design and construction of our buildings, providing a permanent solution like lifting our buildings out of harm's way is not possible. 2. Many of Idyllwild's street are below the 100-year flood level. Flooding at levels less than 100-years may make our streets impassable for periods of time. Would the City require we evacuate under this scenario creating a burden on our residents? 3. In June of 2010, our Association commissioned a study with MMS Consultants to develop a written plan for monitoring Iowa River conditions and providing actions to be taken if flooding was imminent. Included was a plan to sandbag the various parts of Idyllwild based on various flood levels. What resulted was the realization that Idyllwild cannot be protected against all but what is called a 100-year flood, one that has a 1% chance of occurring each year. The Year 2008 flood, a so-called 500 year flood with a 0.2% chance of flooding, would require an estimated 523,500 sandbags! This quantity of bags couldn't possibly be filled and positioned without several weeks notice of flooding; something we don't think possible given today's forecasting tools. 4. The Year 2008 flood, as destructive as it was to Idyllwild, did not meet the over 50% damage hurdle used by FEMA for buyout consideration. Assuming our property can be protected by temporary solutions like sandbagging is impractical, permanent solutions like raising our buildings to safe elevations isn't possible, and we've demonstrated our condominium regime doesn't meet FEMA buyout criteria. The only solution to protect our 92 property owners, in my opinion, is some sort of permanent levee which would provide protection against all flooding up to and including that experienced in Year 2008. Kurt Kimmerling 33 Trevose Place Iowa City IA 52245 11 /29/2010 Flood protection for idyllwild Marian Karr From: Martha Monick [martha-monick@uiowa.edu] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 3:02 PM To: Council Cc: MECrawford@aol.com; Sally Cline Subject: Flood protection for idyllwild Dear City Council, Page 1 of 1 '' ~ ~' I write in support of a tart speedway/no name levee to protect the residents of Idyllwild from future flooding. The owners/residents of Idyllwild have worked hard to rebuild our homes and community. Another flood will leave us back where we were 2 years ago, homeless and scared about the future. Idyllwild has recovered with a lot of help from the city, county and federal governments, as well as agencies like the crisis center. Another flood would ruin all the good that has been done and leave the inhabitants of Idyllwild back where they were in June, 2008, needing significant help from the city and state. I hope that the council members will continue their support of the flood-impacted citizens of Iowa City. After generous support at the time of the flood, it is time for the city to complete the job by ensuring long term recovery of the idyllwild neighborhood with funds for a protective levee. Thank you for your attention. I would be happy to answer any questions, Martha and John Monick Martha M. Monick 35 Pentire Circle Iowa City, Iowa 52245 Phone: 319 354-4304 email: martha-monick@uiowa.edu 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 3~~i; Marian Karr From: Sally Cline [clinesally@cs.com] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 3:07 PM To: martha-monick@uiowa.edu; Council Cc: MECrawford@aol.com Subject: Re: Flood protection for idyllwild Thank you Marty and John Sally Cline Licensed to Sell Real Estate in the State of Iowa Iowa Realty Cellphone: 319-331-0270 Fax: 319-354-6432 -----Original Message----- From: Martha Monick <martha-monick@uiowa.edu> To: council@iowa-city.org Cc: MECrawford@aol.com <MECrawford@aol.com>; Sally Cline <clinesally@cs.com> Sent: Sun, Nov 28, 2010 3:02 pm Subject: Flood protection for idyllwild Dear City Council, I write in support of a taft speedway/no name levee to protect the residents of Idyllwild from future flooding. The owners/residents of Idyllwild have worked hard to rebuild our homes and community. Another flood will leave us back where we were 2 years ago, homeless and scared about the future. Idyllwild has recovered with a lot of help from the city, county and federal governments, as well as agencies like the crisis center. Another flood would ruin all the good that has been done and leave the inhabitants of Idyllwild back where they were in June, 2008, needing significant help from the city and state. I hope that the council members will continue their support of the flood-impacted citizens of Iowa City. After generous support at the time of the flood, it is time for the city to complete the job by ensuring long term recovery of the idyllwild neighborhood with funds for a protective levee. Thank you for your attention. I would be happy to answer any questions, Martha and John Monick Martha M. Monick 35 Pentire Circle Iowa City, Iowa 52245 Phone: 319 354-4304 email: martha-monick@uiowa.edu 11 /29/2010 Support for Flood Mitigation for Idyllwild Marian Karr From: Hartman, Jeanne [Jeanne.Hartman@finra.org] Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 7:06 PM To: Council Subject: Support for Flood Mitigation for Idyllwild This correspondence will become a public record. Dear City Manager and City Council Members, Page 1 of 1 ~~~ ,~ My name is Jeanne Hartman, and I am an Idyllwild homeowner. My address is 13 Camborne Circle, Iowa City, IA 52245. Our community has suffered both an emotional and financial loss since the flooding of 2008, and we are still trying to recover. In 1993, the developer and builder of Idyllwild were given approval, by the city, to proceed with filling-in pieces of the land -knowing that it sat on a 100 year flood plain. Please right this wrong. If history is any judge for the future, floods will come again, and when they do what will happen to the Idyllwild community -again? Please, we need your support. We need you to build the levee to protect our community. Thank you God bless and keep you safe ~arrrre ~arLmmr Confidentiality Notice: This email, including attachments, may include non-pu 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 3~~~~a ~. Marian Karr From: DALE SIMON [simondaler@msn.com] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 8:38 PM To: Council Subject: Taftspeedway Levee To Iowa City Council: I am writing in support of the levee on Taft Speedway and No Name road to protect the Idyllwild condominium complex. I believe it is the responsibility of the council to approve this levee. In 1990 the council on a vote of 5 to 2 approved allowing the developer to build the condominium complex after some controversy. After the flood of 2008 all of the residence on the south side of Taft Speedway were given the option of a buyout, however, none of the residence in the Idyllwild complex were provided that opportunity. There are 92 units in the Idyllwild complex and all have lost significant value due to the flooding. It is difficult if not impossible to sell our units under present conditions. A levee should improve this and restore some of the value in the properties. It would also be beneficial to the citizens up the hill in the Mackinaw Village and Peninsula areas as they would have access to their property in event of another flood. The improved property value should restore the tax basis and benefit the city. When I came to Iowa City in 1997 and was looking to purchase a condominium I had some reservation about the Idyllwild complex due to the closeness of the river, however, I was told there was nothing to be concerned about. The flood of 1993 had occurred and there was only minimal flooding in the area and that I didn't even need to consider purchasing flood insurance. In fact my lender, Fist National Bank at the time did not require that I purchase flood insurance and they had a 70% equity interest in the property. Had I been told the facts related to the planning and zoning committee and the city council concerns I would not have purchased the property. I think the developer should have been required to disclose this information. Thank you for your vote to build this levee. Dale Simon 46 Pentire Circle Iowa City, IA 52245 319-337-2674 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 ~~ Marian Karr From: Susie Pappas [susiepappas@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2010 6:15 PM To: Council Subject: Taft Speedway/No Name Road Levee To Members of the Iowa City City Council: I am writing in support of the plans to create a levee to protect the Idyllwild neighborhood from future flooding by increasing the height of Taft Speedway and No Name Road. My neighbors and I greatly appreciate the foresight and perseverance of the City to pursue the necessary funding and were ecstatic when we learned that Iowa City had been awarded a $g million CDBG grant for the flood mitigation work to protect our neighborhood. While all of us love our homes/neighborhood and, with help from the City, have invested the funds to rebuild and maintain our properties, many of us felt that we had been misled about the possibility of flooding in Idyllwild and wondered if we could ever again feel secure there, both physically and financially. The proposed levee will go a long way toward restoring our sense of security and hope for the future. I understand that this is not a "done deal" and significant work remains to be done to engineer and implement the plans. On this Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful to live in a city with such dedicated, hard-working, and intelligent public servants. The amount of progress made in the two years since the flood of zoo8 is impressive, and the future looks bright for our city and the Idyllwild neighborhood. Appreciatively, Susie Pappas 58 Pentire Circle Iowa City 338-o69z 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 3 ~ ~ ~ ~, Marian Karr From: MECrawford@aol.com Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 1:35 PM To: Council Subject: Taft Speedway/No Name Road Levee As homeowners in Idyllwild we are deeply appreciative that the City has pursued CDBG funding to build a levee on Taft Speedway and No Name Road. As you know, there are 92 homes in Idyllwild. We have come a long way since the flood through the work of our Idyllwild Homeowners Association. Yet, we remain unprotected from future floods. This levee would be a tremendous relief to all of us who decided this is where we prefer to live in Iowa City and rebuilt following the 2008 flood. We also want to comment on how cooperative and helpful your City staff have been assisting our Homeowners Association and individual Idyllwild homeowners as we have worked to restore our community and homes. You have very capable and professional people who care about, and work hard for our City. We look forward to working with you as you move forward with the design and engineering phase of this project. Thank you again for the work you are doing to protect the Idyllwild community. Mike and Ginger Crawford 54 Pentire Circle Iowa City, Iowa 52245 11 /29/2010 AOL Email Page 1 of 1 ~3 :~ s ~ ~..,~ Marian Karr From: BILLZAM@aol.com Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 3:40 PM To: Council Cc: billzam@aol.com Subject: Flood control-Taft Speedway/No Name leeve We have heard that funds have been received to construct Taft Speedway/ No Name levee to protect Idyllwild community from future flooding. This news, from late October, was good news for Idyllwild residents and especially for Bev and I. Being senior citizens, selling and moving from Idyllwild, at this time would not be an option considering a future flooding possibility and the effect on property value. Other owners, of course, have other reasons and priorities, all being valid. Protecting this community from future flooding with proposed levee, changes all this and gives great relief. We like living in Iowa City and Idyllwild with it's easy access to downtown, the bus service and highway availability and would desire to be here in the future. Our thanks to the City Council and City Staff for their work to date, effort and time it takes to obtain these funds for the levee and hope it all pays off, it is a needed improvement for Iowa City. Sincerely, Willis & Beverly Johansen 23 Camborne Cir Iowa City, la 52245 11 /29/2010 3~ IDYLLWILD DEVELOPMENT II, INC. 218 E Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 319-338-0354 November 29, 2010 Dear City Council: Since June of 2008, the community of Idyllwild has been dealing with the aftermath of the record flood that inundated this development. The effects of the flood have been overwhelming at times, as we have dealt with the myriad issues that continue to arise and challenge us. Many of the residents who lived there then no longer reside in Idyllwild. Some lost the investment in their home, as they were unable to rebuild and stay in the community. Some, like me, were companies that could not leave, but also could not get assistance from FEMA, due to the nature of our business. Of the homeowners who did choose to stay, and the investors who bought up units here, the financial effects have been ongoing and difficult. The Homeowners have paid one assessment after another to re-establish the community and the quality and beauty of the development that had been in place pre- flood. Our insurance has doubled, property values decreased, rented units have become the norm, and we are still dealing with a couple of abandoned units in our midst. The financial stake many of us have in Idyllwild now is a great deal higher than 3 years ago. Given the investment of the owners in the properties, and the commitment of the owners to the development, we feel very hopeful hearing about the new funding available for a levee to protect our properties. Indeed without such protection, property values will not likely rebound to the previous level, and the flood mitigation put into place upstream and by the cities of Iowa City and Coralville will likely have deleterious effects on Idyllwild. As Idyllwild Development II, Inc. owns 8 units at Idyllwild, and also land intended for the building of 3 additional 4-plex buildings, we have a great deal at stake here. A levee built on Taft Speedway and No Name Road would be instrumental in protecting the future development in the area, as well as the homes of those who already live there. As a City resident and an affected land owner, I am very supportive of utilizing the funding to protect Idyllwild from future catastrophic events like the 2008 flood. Thank you so much for your efforts in obtaining this funding. The protection of this area seems like a prudent step to take to preserve the assets of the city and the community. I look forward to assistir~n 0 any way as the discussions around this project begin. ~ c Sincerely yours, N Terri Miller Chait o _ r ~ _ President, Idyllwild Development II, Inc. ~ " _ ea •C' - ... r'- ^y - .... `- o ~~~ Page 1 of 3 Marian Karr From: Carole Seydel [clopey1@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 10:09 AM To: Council Subject: Taft Dubuque important Attachments: Letter -City Council -November 29.docx November 29, 2010 Members of the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa: ~ r~ (~~ I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed Levee on Taft Speedway. My husband and I have recently retired to our home at 125 Taft Speedway. While we understand the importance of protecting the properties in the Idyllwild neighborhood and ensuring access to the Peninsula Neighborhood during flood events, we are concerned that the proposal for creating a levee on Taft Speedway, as outlined in the recent Community Development Block Grant does not consider the impact on the homeowners on the south side of Taft Speedway. We have reviewed a number of documents to understand the increasing magnitude of the flood hazards that have resulted from the Idyllwild and Peninsula development projects. Because our family has owned the property on the south side of Taft Speedway for more than 100 years, we understand the attraction to the natural beauty of the river and the peninsula. Our children roamed the river banks, the cornfields, the golf course, and the beautiful oak woodlands on this stretch of the river. They also learned to respect the ebbs and flows of flood season by helping their grandparents clean out the old "summer cottage" after numerous floods. We do not resent sharing these natural wonders with the growing number of residents on the peninsula. We only hope that living on this land can instill the ame deep reverence and understanding of nature that is at the core of our family's value system. Through our review of the USGS Report of the 2008 Flood (Linhart & Eash, 2010); City of Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan 2010(City of Iowa City, 2010); Iowa City River Corridor Flood Protection Options for Parkview Terrace and Idyllwild Neighborhoods (Stanley Consultants, January 2009); and numerous articles and documents published by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (Skopec, 2010; Sand, 2008 &2010) we believe that we have a solid grasp on the social, economic, and scientific implications of the 100 year and 500 year flood events. With this understanding, we would like to propose the following alternatives: Abstain from the immediate mitigation project until all of the implications of the Taft Speedway Levee are understood. It appears that we have yet to do due diligence on the full impact of this project. According to the proposal submitted both the Iowa City River Corridor Flood Protection Options for Parkview Terrace and Idyllwild Neighborhoods (p. 11, Stanley Consultants, January 2009): "The current HEC-RAS model for the Iowa River through Iowa City was acquired from other ongoing projects. The model was compared with the current Flood Insurance Study (FIS) to verify the cross section locations with the flood insurance rate maps, the flows, and downstream boundary conditions. These items matched, but comparing the results with the FIS showed 11 /29/2010 Page 2 of 3 differences from the published results. The FIS does not contain enough information to rectify the model results at this time. Therefore, this is not the FEMA model used to develop the water surface profiles in the FIS, but another model developed from the FEMA cross section data. Due to the differences from the published results, the model was used to check the relative difference between existing conditions and project conditions. If an option moves forward into a design phase, the HEC-RAS model used to create the FIS should be acquired from the Federal Emergency Management Agency library.ln addition, the City of Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan 2010(City of Iowa City, 2010) states that the Cost Benefit Analysis required for Flood Mitigation projects is quite complicated and has yet to be completed for the structural projects identified in the Hazard mitigation plan: "Although the Benefit Cost Analysis system is a very useful tool, it is also very complex and requires very specific project information and elevations taken by licensed professionals. This type of data is expensive and time consuming to compile, and thus it was determined to be outside the scope of this document to determine whether the flood mitigation project ideas discussed in this document were feasible at very specific sites within the City. The expectation of grant programs for which the City qualifies by creating this plan is generally that this type of analysis will be completed when the City writes a grant application for a specific project, and this type of detailed project development is frequently an allowable cost in these programs. These grant programs are available after presidential disaster declarations in Iowa, and interested parties can contact the City after a disaster declaration to determine if programs are available to address their area of concern, and whether staff can determine that such a project would pass a benefit cost analysis. (P. 220, City of Iowa City, 2010) If the City determines that they must move forward on this project, we highly recommend that an alternative suggested in the Stanly Corporation report be considered. Of the six options proposed, the option to build a combination levee/floodway would have the least impact on the residents on the south side of Taft Speedway. This option states: "that the combination levee/floodwall "provides the same protection as nos. 2 and 3 above. It requires elevating a portion of Taft Speedway and all of No Name Road to the 500-year protection level, but the portion of Taft Speedway directly south of the condominiums remains at its current elevation. Either a permanent floodwall or a demountable floodwall would be constructed on the north side of the portion of Taft Speedway left unchanged. (p. 7, Stanely Concultants,2009) In summary, we oppose the current projec to build a levee on Taft Speedway. We recommend that the City of Iowa City do due difegence by understanding the full implications of a levee on the upstream and downstream portions of the Iowa River watershed. If, a levee is deemed safe, we would recommend a combination levee/floodwall that allows the residents of the south side of Taft Speedway full access to their property. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Carol Seydel 125 Taft Speedway Lyle Seydel 125 Taft Speedway 11/29/2010 Page 3 of 3 References: Buchmiller, R.C. & Eash, D.A. (2010) Floods of May and June 2008 in Iowa. http•//pubs us~s.~ov/of/2010/1096/pdf/OFR2010-1096.pdf (retrieved, 11/24/2008) City of Iowa City, (2010) City of Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan 2010. http•//www ic~ov orb/site/CMSv2/File/TEMPLARGE/Hazard Mitigation Plan.pdf (Retrieved, 11/24/2010) Sand, D.(2008) Coordinated Flood Mitigation and Infrastructure Protection Initiative. http•//www inhf orb/graphics/flood-coordinatedmiti~ationlnfrastructureiniative-12-2008.pdf (retrieved 11/24/2010) Sand, (2010) New Policies for the 'New Normal'. http•//www.inhf.or~/magazines/2010/fall/2010ma~fall- ima~es/INHF-Fa112010mag-floods-policy-web.pdf (retrieved 11/24/2010) Skopec, (2010) Iowa Floods: the "new normal'?http•//www.inhf.org/magazines/2010/fall/2010magfall- ima~es/INHF-Fa112010ma~-Flooding-Skopec-web.pdf (retrieved 11/24. 2010) Stanley Consultants, (2009 Iowa City River Corridor Flood Protection Options for Parkview Terrace and Idyllwild Neighborhoods http•//www icRov orR/site/CMSv2/file/tempArticles/IowaCityRiverCorridor 200901rfsopt.pdf (Retrieved 11/24/2010) 11 /29/2010 Levee to protect Idyllwild Neighborhood Page 1 of 1 ~~~i ~~ Marian Karr From: Fellows, Robert (robert-fellows@uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 3:12 PM To: Council Subject: Levee to protect Idyllwild Neighborhood To Members of the City of Iowa City City Council, As a resident owner of an Idyllwild condominium since 1998, I want to convey my extreme pleasure on learning in late October that a HUD grant of $15.7 million to support three Iowa City flood recovery projects included funds for construction of a 4200 ft. levee along Taft Speedway and No Name Road to protect the Idyllwild neighborhood from future floods. You may recall that from 1992, when the City approved the Submission to Horizontal Property Regime, to 2008 Idyllwild was considered to be above the floodplain, and we were not required or even encouraged to prepare for flooding or purchase flood insurance. Everything changed for us in a flash on June 12, 2008, ten days after I retired from the University, when our condominium flooded to a depth of 4.5 ft. The terrible disruption of our lives over the following year was something we would never want to go through again. Although we have been repeatedly warned and fully believe that the Iowa River will flood in the future to a similar or higher level than in June 2008, and that this could occur at any time, we decided to return to our condominium in Idyllwild after flood mitigation and rebuild was finished. We did this because we like our condominium, the neighborhood and the location close to downtown, family and friends, the University and UIHC very much. We hope that our property will regain its lost value and we will be able to remain here for many more years. The completion of the project to construct a levee along Taft Speedway and No Name Road, and the impact that this will have on quality of life and property value by preventing a recurrence of the 2008 disaster, is extremely important for our commitment to Idyllwild and our community. I strongly urge the City Council and city officials to proceed immediately and as rapidly as possible with planning and construction of the levee to protect Idyllwild before the next flood season is upon us. Sincerely, Robert E. Fellows 135 Pentire Circle Iowa City, IA 52245 11/29/2010 Page 1 of 1 ,~ ~ ' ) Marian Karr From: Mary Kathryn Wallace [mkatawall@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 2:41 PM To: Council Subject: FLOOD MITIGATION LEVEES Dear Members of the City Council of Iowa City, THANK YOU for continuing to be with us as we progress in our recovery from the 2008 flood. I'm very appreciative. My husband, Douglas, and I live in Idyllwild. In 2005 our motivation to move here was to make a smaller ecological footprint and to be within walking/bus distance of the downtown. As I stated immediately after the flood, when we purchased our home we were told we did not need and could not buy flood insurance. We believed. It was mainly through the Iowa Jump Start Program that we were able to see a path to financial recovery and to returning to our post-flood home. We are both grateful for that needed assistance. Now everyone in Idyllwild has the required flood insurance, yet I still feel vulnerable and at- risk for another flood. 1 strongly support your dedication to strengthening our safety through the funding you have secured to build the necessary flood mitigation levees. Please make sure they are built. Like others, I would not be living in Idyllwild if the project had not been approved by a previous City Council. Now, it seems to me, the best solution is to build levees which will protect Idyllwild up to and including another 500 year flood. Don't give up on us. Thanks for listening. Thanks for all you have done and for all you will do to make our community safer With good wishes, Mary Kathryn Wallace 45 Colwyn Court Iowa City, IA 52245 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 1 3.5 ~'J Marian Karr From: lois gerard [punchg@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 2:34 PM To: Council Subject: levee project We have lived on Taft Speedway since 1968. We are against any levee being build north of our home. We have many questions and concerns: Will we have access to our home at all times? Will our utilities be interrupted (sewer, electricity, water) and if so, how long? How much will this project devalue our proberty? Thank you for your time. Gerald W. and Lois M. Gerard 11 /29/2010 Page 1 of 2 ~1 Marian Karr From: JJWHITE [jjwhite499@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 7:37 PM To: Council Subject: Taft Speedway and No Name Street Dear City Council Members: I implore the council not to sign any agreement and/or contract to accept any monies for the raising of Taft Speedway and No Name Street. This has lawsuit written all over it. I question whether there was timely notice to the citizens of Iowa City as to this project; I question the speed in which this project was ramrodded through without citizen input and without 2 to 3 council meetings; I question why a request for a zoning variance requires a citizen of Iowa City to notify all neighbors within 200 feet of the property and such notice is for two or more weeks and placard signs are placed on the property notifying the neighbors of such a request. Yet, when the City does something like raise the level of two city streets and expects to spend 10 million dollars of taxpayer monies, there is no notice to the citizens in the effected area or to the city as a whole. A small legal notice is tucked away on some obscure page of the local newspaper for one day just a few days before action is to take place by the council. Earlier councils have concluded that condemnation of property to aid and assist developers in the development of projects would set a bad precedent and that future developers would come calling on future councils to condemn property, close off roads, reconfigure roads, build drainage basins, re-direct utilities across private property, etc. (See Council minutes from the meetings when the Idyllwild developers wanted the City to condemn the White-Seydel property after the developers were given approval to build Idyllwild.) In reality, to raise Taft Speedway and No Name Road would, in effect, be a condemnation of the properties on the south side of Taft Speedway. Mr. Hayek has raised the question as to the legality and/or precedent the City was taking by approving the raising of the Taft Speedway and No Name Road project as the only mitigation project designed to help a private developer and/or private developers. (There are (were?) 15 undeveloped lots in Idyllwild before the 2008 flood.) The project application claims to be an aid and an assist to developers including developers with property on top and west on the peninsula. There is no mention in the Taft Speedway No Name Drive project application about the 12 homes and three vacant lots that would be adversely effected by the completion of such a project. The application states that if Taft Speedway and No Name Road were raised that there would be no reason to evacuate the 90 plus residents of Idyllwild. There is no mention made of the homes and families on the south side of Taft Speedway. I guess these families would not have to be evacuated. Does the council really believe that even with Taft Speedway and No Name Street raised 8 to 15 feet that City "officials" would not call for Idyllwild to be evacuated if another 500 year flood should happen? Did any of you see what happened to the earthen levees at Lake Delhi in Delaware County, Iowa this past summer? Did any of you ever see the videos of what happened to the earthen dam/levee at Lake Delavan, Wisconsin a few years ago? There are other ways to provide for emergency vehicle protection of Idyllwild and the west end of the peninsula. The goals for the development of the top and west end of the peninsula can and should be accomplished by other means and methods than Raising Taft Speedway and No Name Street. When a citizen is issued a City building permit is not that citizen entitled to assume his/her home 11 /29/2010 Page 2 of 2 is going to be built in a safe place? Not a place made more unsafe, more insecure by the actions of the very City that issued the building permit? Isn't it rather ironic (tragic?) that the City that wanted to buy out all the Idyllwild homes is now the City that wants to protect it and save it? Isn't it rather ironic that the City that bought the "swamp land" where the old Englert Ice house was located in order to "keep it from developers and from being developed" is now the City trying to save and protect a Church that has already been linked to movement to higher ground to the north? Why wasn't the Church bought out before it was rebuilt? Why didn't the Church qualify for the same monies that bought out the Miller home on Taft Speedway? Please do not tell us that we will have time later for input and that signing an agreement or contract is just a formality. Nip this thing in the bud now (It should have never been applied for and I spoke to the council regarding this on the evening when the council approved such an application. As I predicted, it will just get harder and harder for the council to turn down the money; whether needed, warranted, legal, or not.) In 1992 a former City Council made a huge mistake; this mistake has been a thorn in the City's side and in the sides of many residents on the Peninsula. Please do not perpetuate and continue such a huge mistake. Vote No to signing any agreement or contract to accept any monies from Federal or State sources to Raise Taft Speedway and No Name Street. Respectfully, James J. White 121 Taft Speedway St. Iowa City, Iowa 52245 11/29/2010 3~ ~'~ N D Joel F. Wilcox p 119 Taft Speedway St. z ° ` -. Iowa City, Iowa 52245 0'`' v~.- 3 November 29, 2010 r tv City Council City of Iowa City Dear Iowa City Council: I live at 119 Taft Speedway St. My mother lives in Idyllwild. I am not against the Idyllwild Association's desire to protect their property, but I am against an earthen levee. Such a thing will ruin the essential aesthetic characteristics of the neighborhood on both sides of Taft Speedway. Furthermore, the methodology used to secure funding is disturbing and needs to be called out in order to put any effort on the question on a decent footing. Before doing anything else on the subject of flood mitigation for the Idyllwild Association, please read the July 2009 grant proposal. When you have done so, ask yourself whether a reader in Des Moines would have any idea, in reading and evaluating the merits of the proposal itself, that there are nine old, established homes on the waterfront that, if the proposal is enacted as written, would be consigned to the wet side of the levee. Next, ask whether a candid reader unfamiliar with Iowa City would believe the proposal was principally about protecting the Idyllwild Association or whether it is more about access into and, in effect, development of the Peninsula. The flaws in the July 2009 proposal are crystallized in the proposal's failure to acknowledge even the existence of the Taft Speedway neighborhood as well as how a levee would severely alter everyday life among the waterfront properties and the Idyllwild units closest to it. These are the things that can be done to make the project the right one for the greater Taft Speedway neighborhood: • Look at alternatives to a levee that will preserve the aesthetic and logistical environment and provide proven protection for Idyllwild as needed • Be certain that the project is really about flood protection for the Idyllwild Association, not about Peninsula development Please read on for specifics. The historic homes on Taft Speedway z 0 G ,~ a Taft Speedway is an old, established neighborhood. The residences rarely change ownership and several have passed through multiple generations. We have done the things that were required of us to protect ourselves. We have nearly all done some raising and flood-proofing of our homes - in many cases entirely at our own expense. My particular experience in 2008 is that, as disastrous as the flood of 2008 was for the greater Taft Speedway neighborhood and the broader community, my mitigation efforts in 1993-4 were vindicated and proved the concept that FEMA-promoted flood mitigation efforts work for residents in our circumstances. This is why it is so disturbing not even to be acknowledged in the proposal. On page 15 the question "the proposed grant program ... would have a disproportionate or unique negative impact on minority persons" is not checked, which means they simply ignored the fact that three Asians live with me at 119 Taft Speedway St. - my wife and two children. And it is further galling because the proposal was written in the transportation department. Taft Speedway St. is the unique way to and from our properties and to no other. Mention the road but not the people it essentially connects to the rest of the city and it becomes obvious that something is askew. Not that a levee 4vould affect Taft Speedway residents alone. It creates "haves" and "have-Hots" wig n the Idyllwild Association, as property and aesthetic values will be adversely affected by proximity tome proposed levee. o a C ' C W :, C~ O '. _ u Using the Suffering of Idyllwild to Improve Long-Term Development Prospects for the Peninsula x,,, ,, __ ,~, 3 :` o What is the aim of the proposal? If it were about flood mitigation for the Idyllwild Association, whys ~ bring the Peninsula into the proposal at all? As you review the proposal, see if you can disprove th~ hypothesis that the proposal exploits the suffering of Idyllwild to fund more diverse access into the Peninsula. When the object is really flood mitigation, the City does much better. In January 2009, Rick Fosse led a presentation on several different methodologies for flood mitigation for the entire Idyllwild, Taft Speedway, and Parkview Terrace areas that could be recommended on the basis of expert opinion. The supporting material for that presentation is here: http://www.icgov.org/site/CMSv2/file/tempArticles/IowaCityRiverCorridor_200901rfsopt.pdf Two temporary methodologies mentioned in the presentation are Hesco barriers and "demountable walls" -both proven technologies. The fact that there were alternatives to a levee made me suppose that no one would seriously propose a levee because of the profound changes it would cause to the landscape in an area where aesthetics is something ofthe essence. But I was naive. Near the end of July 2009, we got the first inkling of some sort of follow-up to the January 2009 meeting. It came in the form of a Legal Notice in the Press-Citizen! There was a call for public comment for a period of a week on a proposal to build an earthen levee under Taft Speedway. We received no letter from the City, even though we normally receive letters about minor zoning exceptions and more trivial issues. In early August, we all got letters from Dale Helling, saying that the City had proposed for funds that would put our homes on the wet side of a levee, and he included the information that the buyout program was still available! When I first read the proposal, I can only describe the effect as demeaning. I felt that our neighborhood was simply viewed as a throw-away. Then I was troubled by the complex of issues that the proposal tried to connect with each other while carefully ignoring Taft Speedway properties. Some examples: If keeping open a road into the Peninsula rivals the urgency of protecting the Idyllwild Association, why does the proposal work so hard to avoid the obvious notion that Foster Road simply needs to be raised to keep the Peninsula open during a flood? Is it to be believed that a road on top of an earthen levee during a flood would be preferred to Foster Road for emergency access to the Peninsula? How does one respond to the convoluted logic of the argument in the proposal that raising Foster Road would exacerbate the flooding in Idyllwild? I became more convinced that the proposal was about Peninsula development when the City is asked to "explain why the option selected is the best for long term benefit to the community," and the answer focuses on alternatives to raising Foster Road and not on alternatives considered for the protection of Idyllwild (i.e., the January 2009 report linked above) which is what the answer should have addressed. I have a problem with leveraging the wounds of Idyllwild to effect a strong development coup. I know what the people of the Idyllwild Association went through. I had my own private Idyllwild in 1993 and I suffered through 2008 with my mother. I consider the folks in Idyllwild, especially those who moved back in and love this area, to be treasured neighbors. If I lived in Idyllwild I would be grateful for the special relationship the association appears to enjoy with the City and I am sure I would be grateful to have the kind of advocacy the proposal appears to offer. But ultimately, this proposal is certainly not exclusively about what is good for Idyllwild but about what Idyllwild can be used to get in the interests of future development of the Peninsula. I could be wrong about intent, but I don't think I am wrong, at least, about the appearance of using the plight of Idyllwild to open up new routes into the Peninsula and possibly to find a way to marginalize and strangle to death the Taft speedway neighborhood. But let that go. It is time to address the real needs of the neighborhood - if and while it is still possible. Since the proposal was written and submitted, the University of Iowa has adopted Hesco barriers as integral to its flood strategy. That strategy was explored in January 2009 but not included in the July 2009 proposal, I can only assume because it was inconvenient to Peninsula development strategies. Why shouldn't the City work cooperatively with the University as a matter of greater efficiency for both entities to preserve the beauty of the waterway throughout the town? I can only speak for myself, but I believe that all of us on both sides of Taft Speedway could eventually be brought together to support a plan that provides temporary protection for Idyllwild as needed, so long as the aesthetic qualities of the neighborhood are preserved and we can get in and out of our properties as per the status quo. The Flood of 2008 was a 0.2% probable event. I completely understand the psychology and trauma of a flood, having been through two of them, but the greatest likelihood is that there will never be a repeat of the flood of 2008 in our lifetimes. That is not a call to do nothing, just a matter of keeping things in perspective and a plea to work together for the common benefit of residents on both sides of Taft Speedway. N O Sincerely, ~ z o _~ ~~ e,~ w o Joel Wilcox ~ ~~ 119 Taft Speedway St. ~ ' ~ N Page 1 of 1 ~ ,~ (+ r Marian Karr From: JOSEPH TOBIN [bjtobs@q.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 8:29 AM To: Council Subject: flood mitigation along Taft Speedway Dear Mayor Hayek, Iowa City Council Members, and Iowa City Manager, We are homeowners at 43 Trevose Place in the Idyllwild Subdivision. We are writing you today to ask you to please vote to go forward with building the levy along Taft Speedway and No Name Road. We understand that you will soon be raising Dubuque Street, Foster Road and the Park Road Bridge. Without the levy, we in the Idyllwild Subdivision will become more susceptible to future flooding and major property loss. Having gone through the devastating flood of 2008, and being a retired couple, we feel that another flood would be unbearable for us and our neighbors to handle. We appreciate your consideration in this matter. Respectfully, Joe and Barbara Tobin 43 Trevose Place Iowa City 354-9164 11 /30/2010 3 5 (' Marian Karr From: Mary Gantz [margantz@yahoo.com) Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 8:20 AM To: Council Cc: bruce-gantz@uiowa.edu Subject: Flood levee construction on Taft Speedway and No-Name Road This correspondence will become a public record. To the Council Members and City Manager: As property owners in the Idyllwild development in Iowa City, we urge your favorable consideration for the flood mitigation measures that include levee construction on Taft Speedway and No Name Road. Aside from protecting our personal property, the levee construction will also protect property worth thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the City of Iowa City. Construction of the levees seems like a win-win situation for all of us as well as for the City of Iowa City. We have many other favorable things to say about living in Idyllwild, but in essence, it also has to make monetary sense for such an investment to occur. We believe construction of the levees does make sense for all concerned. Thank you. Sincerely, Bruce and Mary Gantz Page 1 of 1 arian Karr ~~ ` 1 M From: fasteddieic@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 11:51 AM To: Council Subject: Taft Speedway/No Name Road Levee To Iowa City City Council: First of all, I would like to thank the Council and Staff on their work and efforts in order to obtain the monies for flood protection in Iowa City.. I realize it takes a tremendous amount of time and paper work in order to go through the process to get this accomplished. As an owner in Idlewild Condominiums it is obvious why I would urge you to vote in favor of this levee. From the business standpoint for the City, I would like to point out that with 92 units in the association, over the next 10 years it can easily be projected into approximately 4 million dollars in property tax revenues..There is still many skeptics in buying units at Idlewild due to the past disaster, which is quite understandable.. As time passes, and especially if the Council votes in favor of this levee, it can be foreseen that the property values of these homes will return to pre-flood values, which would also project in more property tax money to the City.. I appreciate your time and certainly encourage all of you to vote in favor of the Taft Speedway/No Name Levee.. Thanks, Edwin B. Warth Owner 48 Camborne Circle 11 /3 0/2010 `~~; : ~,~ ~ 1. ~ v i ~ 3 l ~f ~; Gi ...~~ ` _.r.- / ~" Gtr. ~ ~ ~U ~--~-~ l:L~' ,~ A j ~ ~~ ~,,~ J ~ r ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~U ~~=~-.-~ -~'-~ U~ ~'~y'' ' ~ ~, _.-- ~ ~l ~ ~ ~" ~~ ~~ e~~~ ~~."~ ~'~ 1~ ~."~ z_~~~ __ ~ -~ ~ jJ"'fJ Li.-~.~{_.. [~--~-mac.-t~'~ /~ ~ J'1i.~.~,~ ~~- ~'' ~ ~ ~J ` ' .~ //~,~ ~,, // ` ~~~` ~ ~ , .~~ ~ ~ ~Y / ~ c~ C ~ ~,i ~~~ t •,~~~ ~ s Grp-..~' ~~~- ' , f s,~i"~',~~ G! ~-~1 ~ G~'C.'f' , m ~? /, _ ~ ~. ~ -'~'' LAC- C..-~ ' , ,`~ .`-~`"'`__:t, ~;.-~--~ G~ y ~~ .~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ r ~~~ C ~ ~ f • /~/~y/''~ 2 ~ °- y a G~~~ TM'L ' , ' '~ , ~ ~ ~`~~ N 0 z .° N ~~ ~ ~ ~: ~~ - . k+aw/ Z ,r O ~T=~ f.. .~ H O 0 Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: MJDavidson@aol.com Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 5:13 PM To: Council Subject: We thank you This correspondence will become a public record. To the Iowa City Council: As a resident of the Idyflwild community, I want to thank you for building the levee between our homes and the Iowa River. After the flood of 2008, I rebuilt my home because I love living in Iowa City and in our community in particular. Sincerely, Jean Davidson, 42 Camborne Circle 11 /29/2010 3 3 Marian Karr From: Jeff Davidson Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 3:53 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: FW: Affordable housing Attachments: sights.pdf Marian, Jeff Haring asked that this be forwarded to the City Council. Thanks. JD From: Jeff Haring [mailto:haringjg@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 12:51 PM To: Jeff Davidson Subject: Affordable housing Jeff, Please add the following to your upcoming Council worksession packet re: affordable housing. I believe the City should consider the use of Eminent Domain to acquire a property, possibly ip ope~ the two suggested sights in the attached file. I believe this because purchasing currently vacant ro e likely towards the city fringes, is not likely to be very affordable, not likely to be well served by existing services and public transportation, and not likely to be well received by area residents. Therefore, I believe the property should best reside fairly close to downtown, and towards downtown is where the Council should focus it's efforts. Just one man's opinion, Jeff Haring 2916 Radcliffe Ave. Iowa City, IA 52245 11/16/2010 m - v ~, ry,. .` . L ~ to .a i~aiu ~ S ,3 uulw+u N S ~ i T ~ ' ,biiq _ [ ~ 1 9 O t. ~ h ~.A CUQ`A+: ~~ PI ~t y~c. 3r ~ ~ s ~ O ~ ~ ~ l gyp, et. y ~. ~ ~ ~~ P ~ ~ ~ ~ , JO .~ ~ ~ ivl I_,M. i6 twl92V ° ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ •rfi ~, ,S ; ~ ~~,~a~ a ~ .~~,r v (~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ a .s 3s~ a . ~ ~ is adwa N ~ _ +s aevoa N ~ ~"~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Cj~ .e ~,. -._-. ,~ ~ T ~~ ~~.,~ * r~ N ~ ~ V ~ ~; ~ ahrD S m 1S am1i3A.o:} S m ur. 1~ pWGnu`J It ~ y N ~5 An "cD N F4 (1 ~ ~ m X y. ~_ ~ .~ F~ ~ ~ ~ ...a~ 5: ~ Aa. _ ~ ; ,.v . vw~uoA S~-CCl`- ~ ~ ~ F x ~' ~ ~ ~ v' ~~..Qa,, ~ ; ~; ~ ~n .~: a~ ~ ~ ~, ~ R ~ ~ ~ .. ~ '~. a ,~,.~ _ tr ~- _ 2 ~ ^ a `~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 'a:~., ,,pro ~ ~ ~~~ v rn , ny J1S `pq * `ror~ J N itW ;P avc ~1 ~~ S ~ ~, .:~,,. ~ ~ (A F~' ~ ~ -` ~ ~ is ~enp'iy b, rn ar:V ~sIN Nis~S~e anN icaM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~, , f~ ~ ~ `` F.I.: ~_ur;t--~UaefiA y _ ss'~Matl ~r ~ r~ l~ "~a ~ Q11 C u „ +i ,,rv~nns t:I = ~i l~~ ~ ~~' _~L~ ~ i7 ~yyyfiePr~j _ W ~ J ~ ~ ar Ili ~ ..ai V ,. Vb _ ~ 'r* a T11 ~' ~., ~ 0..,y a ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~-,~ rr. ~ A ~ BpnS ~~~,.~ I 1~ ~O-c~~ X ~ ' ~ ^; n S ~ ~a :~w r_ ~, ^ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~- ~ ~ ~`~ ~- n~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ P G ~ ~ ~~ o ~~ ~ ~~ P ~ ~ 's9 t niter: 5 :L, a ~Pr.;;'~V 1` > _. L m ~ ~ ~~ ~ . euq~. h C /~ y e ~lllVA.. V S r -i r. ~ ~~. s ~ p c~ ~ ~ s"" f5 ~ _ - - ~~.,_~~, ~. ~_.~., _ ,t ~~~, w.a.~:~ ~ m is »,~}M1a~ 5 .a ~~~ __ "~ ~ ~ :G Lw *,; ~ ~ n ~sy v u,.- VNU=.gti0~ V',jM~Vw ~ \ / ~ IG :eel .. n ~~ ~ T t ? _ `~ 1 `J " ~ ~ ryR ~ ' \\\ ~ \\\\[[WW~~~~_ .0 ~iw'a .. any e~ ~ ~+ }~. r~a.4~T li eGa€3_. «..k oco~F.~Yp yn^~ ~ ~ _ ~. F II - ^v ~ ~- ~ ~ ~~~ 1y /A` a::y.u: ~ _ ~ ~ i1 ~M1'~. al'b II v \ ~ ~ ~ " , " ~~' swi{ ' S ~ ~ ~ ~~ 4, ~I. (Np ank'ist 5 an'14si k N let Atp an'o'R1 )~ ~,wVA,~~__"1111 ~ Jl ~ .A ~ ~i"' 3 .. s~ N I J ~ `~a.~ ~ ~ rve,~s ,y N ~ ~ a e, ,: ~ ~~ nc~. f, O ~ ,~ ~y ~ P s~ ss.e { 5.~ a r ,~ `~ ~ A ~ s sue" ~`~ '+4U 4 ey - wn.f:N ~.y n^ ~. fiU S i A ~ ~ n ~ ~ z cn ^ 1 U ~: ~; ~e f ~ . ~ ~ _. .a-, ., ~ , C 'ice. ~ ~ ~ Q ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~, ~, ~ ~~ 3 (4 Fami Kiche 817 Clark Street Iowa City, IA 52240 To all City Council Members: 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear City Council Members, 2010 NOY I 0 AM I I ~ 29 NOV 10 2010 _, ~,, I am typing this letter to you because I think that the 21 ordinance should be passed in Iowa City. Binge drinking and other forms of drinking contribute to crime, car accidents, mental disabilities and other disorders to newborns. Drinking on the UI campus has been a problem for many years. In 2006 there were 5 homicides, 7,700 violent crimes, 15,700 property crimes that were related to underage drinking and 30% of police incident reports included alcohol consumption. The University of Iowa is among the highest binge drinking at 69% compared to the national average of 44%. Also in 2005-2006 62% of students arrested on the UI campus or hospitalized after drinking alcohol at a downtown bar were under the age of 20 says the Alcohol Awareness Work Group. That shows how many underage drinkers there are and that the 21 ordinance would be a positive influence on downtown Iowa City. The 21 ordinance would help by reducing the amount of underage drinkers and binge drinking because a lot of binge drinkers are underage. Another concern about underage drinking is the cost. Underage drinking costs tax payers 600 million a year which is enough to fund six large school districts. If there were a 21 ordinance a lot of money would be saved each year that could be used for education or go to hospitals, etc. Also it could change the costs to bar owners, they would most likely be losing money because there would be less be people in the bars. Many people will be affected by the ordinance but it would be helping the good being of Iowa City. So I hope you take into consideration what I have said in this letter and that it helps you make your decision on whether to support the 21 ordinance. Thank you, _~--- 1 ~~ ~, ,~. Fami Kiche A concerned student at City High School N © Z _ O O Z G p ,n_ F--+ C O rv o _ ~ ~ 3 c.~ O AcTi~oN~ 3 5 activision.com 3100 Oczan Park Eowevard Santa Monica, California 904G5 Tel: 310.255.2000 Fax: 310.255.2100 November 16, 2010 NOV 19 2010 Mayor Matt Hayek 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 RE: Budcat Creations, Inc. Notice Pursuant to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and Iowa Layoff Notification Law Dear Mayor Hayek: We are writing to inform you that, Budcat Creations, Inc. ("Budcat"), located at 332 S. Linn Street, Suite 300, Iowa City, IA, 52240, is closing effective November 16, 2010. Some employees will be asked to continue working past November 16, 2010, to complete their current project, and that work is expected to be completed by January 15, 2011. The closing will affect the entire studio and is expected to be permanent. No bumping rights exist. None of the affected employees is represented by a union. A list of job titles affected by this closing, and the number of affected employees in each position, is attached as Exhibit A. This notice is being provided pursuant to the Federal WARN Act and Iowa Layoff Notification Act. If you want or need additional information, you may contact Ann Weiser, Activision Blizzard, Inc., 3100 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90405 or 310-255- 2116. Sincerely, Ann Weiser Chief Human Resources Officer IBC ISIONa activiSion.com 3100 Ocean ?ark Bo4~levard Santa t`Aonica. Ca~ifomia 90A0~ Tel: 310.255.2000 Fax: 310.255.2100 Exhibit A to Budcat Notice Job Classification Selected for Lavoff Animator 1 Associate Producer 1 Audio Engineer 1 Creative Director 1 Designer 3 Director, Human Resources 1 Director, Product Development 1 Director, Research 1 Graphic Artist 10 HR Assistant 1 IT Manager 1 IT Technician 1 Lead Artist 1 Lead Software Engineer 1 Lead Software Engineer 1 Office Coordinator 1 Office Manager 1 Producer 2 QA Lead 1 QA Tester 3 Senior Artist 1 Senior Software Engineer 2 Senior Software Engineer 1 Software Engineer 19 Studio Head 1 Technical Artist 1 _~ ~~.: '_. ._ ., NO V 19 201q <~~~~: c: _ , t~;;~ 11-30-10 3 6 • ~ Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd SE Iowa City, IA 52246-5881 Phone: 319-337-2145 FAX: 319-337-7864 smhansen(a~iastate.edu November 22, 2010 Dear Iowa City Council, I am writing this letter to show my support for amulti-use trail along S. Riverside Drive/Oak Crest Hill Rd. As you may know, Big Brothers Big Sisters has shared office space with Johnson County Extension for the past 36 years on the 4-H Fairgrounds at 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd. During my 9 years of employment with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I have traveled this route from my home on the east side of Iowa City via bicycle and automobile many, many times. This section of road remains very dangerous for non-automobile travelers due to the lack of paved shoulder and alternative route options. Besides the businesses, there are also many residents who live along this stretch of road. These residents do not have a wide selection of bus stops/public transportation options available to them throughout the day/week. A multi-use trail would help transport them in a much safer way than contending with automobile traffic traveling between 35 and 55 MPH. This trail would also be beneficial for the numerous public events at the Iowa City Airport and the 4-H Fairgrounds. People would be able to ride their bikes safely from Iowa City to the Johnson County Fair in the summer and not impede and/or risk serious injury by traveling on a 41ane road. Please consider this trail in your next budget session. Maybe there would be funding available through the transportation enhancement money available through JCCOG? If so, this would be a wonderful addition to our community to allow people to commute safely and enjoy the great activities on this side of town. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, SCOtt N 0 Scott Hansen c Executive Director Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County zo N G W t~ -p cu 3 o W c~ O C7D IOV+IA STATE UNI~fERSITY lhriversit}• ~xtensirm 3 7 Marian Karr From: DThornton9@aol.com [mailto:DThornton9@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 8:49 AM To: Council Subject: Article about Atlanta's public/low income housing improvements http~//www city-journal orq/2010/20 4 atlanta-public-housing.html To all: This is an article from the Manhattan City Journal on positive improvements and changes in the Atlanta, GA public housing program. Though their issues are certainly greater in number and intensity than ours, it might be useful to consider aspects of this approach in reforming and improving Iowa City/Johnson County public and low-income housing. The Booker T. Washington approach is especially interesting. Deborah Thornton 631 Scott Park Drive Iowa City, IA 52245 3 (8 Marian Karr From: Eleanor M. Dilkes Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 9:01 AM To: 'Amanda Stevens'; Dale Helling; Ross Wilburn; Regenia Bailey; Mike Wright; Susan Mims; Kevin O'Malley; Deb Mansfield; Leigh Lewis; Jim Steffen; Rick Wyss Cc: `City Council Subject: RE: concerning police reports aquirement Dear Ms. Stevens, Per the City's public records policy the charge for faxes is $2.50 per page. It is my understanding that KCJJ has for some time been receiving these reports by fax without charge. I have advised the police department to continue to provide the documents to KCJJ without charge until we are able to address this issue. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Eleanor M. Dilkes City Attorney City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52245 Email: eleanor-dilkes@iowa-city.org Phone: (319) 356-5030 Fax: (319) 356-5008 From: Amanda Stevens [mailto:astevens4098@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 12:08 PM To: Dale Helling; Ross Wilburn; Regenia Bailey; Mike Wright; Susan Mims; Eleanor M. Dilkes; Kevin O'Malley; Deb Mansfield; Leigh Lewis; Jim Steffen; Rick Wyss Subject: concerning police reports aquirement Hi I am concerned about the fact that there is now a $5 charge on getting public records per page. This is quite excessive and it is not the best way to get money to help pay for the faxes. A sutible price would be like $.10 a page or $2 for the whole entirety of the fax. Zephyer only charges $2 for any fax no matter the size. I heard this morning from a friend that you are now charging $5 a page. I am making a formal complaint to this since my business uses these reports from the records division for statistics on our research. Thank you Amanda E Stevens 11 /24/2010 3~Cg> Marian Karr From: Amy Schoon [amyschoon@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 11:58 AM To: Council Subject: Public record -- police reports I was so disappointed and disgusted to hear that the city is going to start charging the media a ridiculous amount of money per page for police reports. These are public records, and the citizens of Iowa City have a right to hear about what is going on in their neighborhoods. This makes it seem as though the city officials are trying to hide what goes on in the city, to manipulate the media into only covering what the city deems worthy of news coverage. I live in southeast Iowa City, and I appreciate hearing about what is going on in my neighborhood and what trends we need to watch out for. I also am curious to hear about the number of arrests on weekends for alcohol-related activity. If you think that if we don't know about it, it's not really happening...that's a rather sneaky, underhanded way to run a city. Every day 2'm a little more disgusted at what's been going on in my city. Makes me want to move to Coralville, a city that welcomes new businesses, encourages existing ones, supports its neighborhoods, and, as far as I've heard, isn't suggesting an exorbitant police report fee to try to control news coverage. I encourage you to rethink this unfair and potentially unlawful practice. Amy Schoon Lakeside Drive 1630 K~~~ RE: Police Department Handling/Process Fee of $5.00 per page Dear Mayor Hayek, City Attorney Dilkes and Chief Hargadine: ~ ~ ~ ~~ Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney Mayor Matthew Hayek Chief Sam Hargadine City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 I am requesting a copy of the following information pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 22, the public records law: On a daily basis, the Police Reports for the prior 24 hours available as of 9 a.m. These documents may be faxed to the KCJJ radio station at 319-354-1921 or someone will pick them up from the police department. Please let me know which is more cost effective. If there is a copying fee, please inform me in advance if the fee is more than 25 cents per page. Chapter 22.3 says that the fee shall not exceed the actual cost of providing the service. It is my understanding that the police department recently quoted ahandling/processing fee of $5.00 per page. This seems rather excessive as the number of pages this station typically receives would cost approximately $1,000 per week. It is difficult to understand how the actual cost of providing copies or faxing these documents could be that costly. I urge you to reconsider the cost of the handling/processing fee to a more reasonable amount such as $0.25 per page. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your attention to this matter. E,,,,, a Sin rely, 0 o -~c N . tO teve Soborof ' ' ~ `` ~ KCJJ Radio Z Nov ~~ ~o~a CC: Julie Pulkabek -~`~~~' ~`~' '~''~~~ Greg Masters, Wiley-Rein k~'l ~ / IG Tal 224 r~SB was 21 ljie C°~dlowa C~~' (319) 35~~o,m Boz 21 1242 Fes'` .a„ l @a°l. P~' (319) 35~~~om • k~.~ phone 1630k~1• www• 410 E. WASHINGTON IOWA CITY, IA 52240-1826 PH: 319-356-5275 FAX: 319-356-5449 November 30, 2010 Mr. Steve Soboroff KCJJ Radio P.O. Box 2118 Iowa City, IA 52244 Dear Mr. Soboroff: Yesterday I received your undated letter requesting the daily police dockets. Based on the email exchange between Sergeant Brotherton and Mr. Lang of KCJJ, a copy of which is enclosed, it is my understanding that this matter has been resolved. As explained in Sergeant Brotherton's email, the documents can be scanned and provided to you by email without charge. In response to your recent letter, however, if you prefer hard copies of the documents in accordance with the City's public records policy, the documents are 15 cents per page. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Sincerely, %~~ , Samuel E. Hargadine Chief of Police Encl. Cc: Mayor Hayek & City Council Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney Dale Helling, Interim City Manager Captain Rick Wyss Sergeant Denise Brotherton Jo Farnsworth, Records ~~~~ ~~~~ Page 1 of 1 ~~ Marian Karr From: Brian Boelk Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 2:43 PM To: 'johnfredericthomas@gmail.com' Cc: Council; Dale Helling; Rick Fosse; Ron Knoche Subject: Gilbert Street Streetscape Mr. Thomas, I thank you for your email to Council dated November 29th regarding the above referenced project. Due to the budget constraints, and costs associated with such work, it is safe to say that undergrounding the utilities will not be in the scope of this project. However, we will continue to look at incorporating these utility improvements to this and other corridors in the future. Thank you for your input and concern. Brian A. Boelk, P.E., CPESC Sr. Civil Engineer City of Iowa City Office: 319-356-5437 Cell: 319-400-1056 brian-boelk@iowa-city.org From: John Thomas [mailto:johnfredericthomas@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 10:37 AM To: Council Subject: Gilbert Street Streetscape Dear Council Members, If there are overhead utilities on the section of Gilbert Street that will be receiving the streetscape improvements, and ornamental street lighting is in the proposed scope, I hope the utilities will be be placed underground as part of the project. The Gilbert St. section north of Burlington still has wood poles/overhead wires, and they overwhelm the ornamental street lighting. Plus, the wood and light poles result in a cluttered effect. In my view, undergrounding utility lines should be a high priority on all our major streets, both for safety and aesthetic considerations. Sincerely, John Thomas 509 Brown Street