HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-01-25 Bd Comm minutes4b 7
YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION
Friday, December 10, 2010- 5:10 PM
HARVART HALL, CITY HALL
FINAL
Members Present: Luan Heywood, Zach Wahls, Alexandra Tamerius, Jerry Gao, Caroline Van Voorhis
Members Absent: Matt Lincoln
Staff Present: Marian Karr, Ross Wilburn (arrived 5:20)
Others Present: Sam Fosse, Leah Murray
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 5:10 PM. Heywood chaired the meeting.
MINUTES:
Wahls motioned to approve the November 14 minutes. Tamerius seconded the motion. The motion
carried unanimously, 5/0.
UPDATE ON VACANCIES:
City Clerk Karr stated the Commission currently has just one vacancy, Tate. Karr noted Council had
made three appointments on December 7th: Caroline Van Voorhis (At-Large) who begins her term
immediately; and Sam Fosse (City High) and Leah Murray (West) who begin January 15`. Van Voorhis,
Fosse, and Murray were present and introduced themselves to the Commission.
BUDGET UPDATE:
City Clerk noted the history of the budget requests included in the packet per Commission request. After
discussion the Commission decided to request $3,250 for the FY12 as follows:
Forums - $500
Website & Advertising - $250
Empowerment Grants - $2,000
Recognition Grants - $500
Moved by Tamerius, seconded by Gao, to approve the request. The motion carried unanimously, 5/0.
Gao volunteered to prepare the "Explanation of funding requests for fiscal year 2011-2012" for review by
the Commission at the January meeting; and then on to the City Council later in January.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS:
^ Grant Programming Subcommittee -Tamerius abstained from the meeting due to a conflict of
interest. Wahls summarized the application request from GLOW, and recommended funding of
the remaining available budget of $898. Wahls motioned to approve the grant of $898, which was
seconded by Gao. The motion passed unanimously, 4/0 with Tamerius abstaining.
Tamerius returned to the meeting.
The Commission then reviewed the draft grant information. Wahls noted a typo on the
"Frequently Asked Questions" page, noting that the response to "How many grants are awarded?"
should show "two" projects and not "three".
The thank you note from Regina was noted. In response to questions, Karr noted that she had
received no receipts from the Regina Christmas Basket project which was committed $1,000.
^ Website and Advertisements - No updates.
YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION
December 10, 2010
Page 2 of 3
Youth Recognition Grant - Wahls reported that 13 applications had been received from Regina
and noted that he had visited with a teacher from Northwest Jr. High and that she hadn't heard
anything about it. He suggested that in future years the materials be distributed to the teachers
directly rather than counselors. Gao noted that Matt (Lincoln) did a great job with making
announcements every day at school, and the advantage of being in the same building. Wilburn
noted that the district has recently created a new position "community liaison /communications
director", and this type of thing would go straight to that person. Karr noted nothing replaces a
personal follow up. Commission Members suggested a question be added asking about
individual activities; and also review a change in the essay leadership question itself.
Karr noted that 3non-residents and 1 late one were not distributed for consideration. Individual
Members expressed their views on the individual applicants. Wahls and Heywood shared their
top choices as outgoing members. Wahls suggested the recipients be presented their awards at a
Council meeting. Wilburn suggested an alternative might be to invite the Council or Mayor to a
Commission meeting. A letter will have to be prepared for the applicants as well as the ones
selected. A decision will be made at the January Commission meeting.
Heywood stated she was uncomfortable with the $250 amount being too much; Wahls suggested
a bond be given instead of a cash award. Wilburn asked that the City Attorney's office be
contacted if the suggestion for a bond is pursued. The Commission agreed to discuss the matter
further after completion of this year's process.
CITY COUNCIL UPDATE:
Wilburn reported that the new City Manager started on December 1 and a public reception was well
attended on December 9; City Council will receive budget proposals by the end of the year and that the
budget is available on the City website; and presented Certificates of Appreciation to outgoing
Commission Members Heywood and Wahls.
MEETING SCHEDULE:
The Commission set a date for the next meeting, Sunday, January 9, at 4:00 PM.
Wahls motioned to adjourn, which was seconded by Tamerius. The motion to adjourn passed
unanimously, 5/0, 6:10 PM.
Minutes submitted by Karr.
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4b 2
MINUTES APPROVED
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010 - 6:30 PM
EMMA HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrew Chappell, Scott Dragoo, Charlie Drum, Jarrod Gatlin,
Holly Jane Hart, Michael McKay
MEMBERS ABSENT: Rebecca McMurray, Rachel Zimmermann Smith
STAFF PRESENT: Steve Long, Tracy Hightshoe, Doug Ongie, David Purdy
OTHERS PRESENT: Dion Williams, Ferman Milster, Roger Lusala, Bill Reagan, Keith
Johnk, Jason Varner, Sharon Asari, Mark Patton, Jim Swaim,
Charlie Eastham, Steve Noack, Ron Berg, Dr. Therese Kelller,
Joyce Eland, Suellen Novotny, Glenn Siders, Steve Gordon,
Yolanda Spears, Mike Moran, Jason Havel, Maryann Dennis,
Becci Reedus, Sue Freeman, Brian Loring, John Shaw, Sherri
Zastrow, Sandy Pickup, Eugene Spaziani, Crissy Caganelli, Ron
Schieffer
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL:
None.
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Michael McKay at 6:30 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
STAFF/COMMISSION COMMENT:
None.
DISCUSSION REGARDING FY11 SPECIAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) ALLOCATION REQUESTS:
DISCUSS FY11 CDBG APPLICATIONS:
McKay thanked the applicants for the time and effort they had put into the application process
and for their efforts on behalf of the community. He noted that the applications are for
approximately six times more than the available funding, so every application cannot be fully
funded. McKay explained the rating and evaluation process the Commission would be using as
a guide, emphasizing that the Commission would ultimately use their best judgment in sorting
out the allocations. He noted that the City Council would have the ultimate decision as to which
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 2 of 14
applications are funded and in what amounts; the Commission merely makes recommendations
to the City Council.
McKay stated that the Commission has about $2.6 million to allocate in this special allocation
process; in the weeks immediately following, the Commission will begin the process of
allocating approximately $1.5 million in regular entitlement funds. McKay said that the
Commission would need to make these funding decisions based on the criteria set with the
overriding consideration of what is important to the community. McKay noted that the
Commission was selected to represent across-section of the community, and that it was as
such that the City Council valued their opinions and input. He said that in addition to the
specific criteria that have been outlined, Commissioners will need to draw on their professional
and life experiences within the community to guide their decisions.
McKay stated that an applicant had recently contacted the Planning Department in order to get
personal contact information for someone on the Commission. McKay said that while such an
action was legal it was not, in his opinion, right. McKay suggested that the Commission come
up with policy to guide such interactions during allocation periods. McKay proposed that the
City formally adopt a policy that states that personal information such as a-mail addresses will
not be given out to agencies or individuals that are applying for funds from the City; any member
contacted by an applicant wishing to influence that member on allocation decisions must report
that to the Chair. Hightshoe said that our legal department had advised that because the
Commission is an advisory body rather than a judicial body, the City may be required to provide
contact information when requested. She said that the policy issue is more a question of what
the Commission wishes to do about such contacts. There are three main options: 1) advise the
applicant that the topic can only be discussed in open meeting, 2) discuss the issue with the
applicant but then disclose those discussions to the commission or 3) do nothing. Drum said his
preference was to have a policy where specific applications were not discussed outside the
meetings. He said he did not mind talking in general terms about what the Commission did as a
body, but thought the Commission should not be talking about specific applications with the
applicant outside of the open meetings.
Chappell asked if Legal had an issue with the Commission discussing such a policy when it was
not on the agenda. Hightshoe said that a policy or a consensus might pertain only to the
specific applications currently before the Commission if it was discussed as a part of this
agenda item. She said the Commission would have to discuss the matter as a separate agenda
item if it wished to apply a policy across the board. Chappell said that as part of these
proceedings, he could certainly agree that discussions on these applications will take place
publicly and ex pane contacts will be disclosed. He said that he was not comfortable discussing
a more general policy unless it was a separate agenda item. He added that he was
uncomfortable with the idea of the Commission taking it upon itself to limit the contact
information that the City could provide. He said that such a directive should come from the City,
as there are relatively complex public records/information laws at play. Chappell said that he
was happy to state for the record that he has no interest in being contacted about these
applications outside of the meeting, and will not discuss specific applications if he is contacted.
McKay said that the Commission could table the matter for now and bring it up as a later
meeting as an agenda item. McKay suggested proceeding with the discussion of applications in
the order they appeared in the materials prepared by staff.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE3of14
Public Facilities:
Hightshoe noted that staff had identified concerns for several applicants and notified the
applicants about those issues. Applicants were provided the same memo as commission
members. She said the Commission was not required to ask every applicant about every
concern identified by staff, nor was it required to ask questions only about concerns identified by
staff.
The Arc of Southeast Iowa:
McKay noted that the correct HUD classification for The Arc is as a handicap center, which
adjusts its priority level from high to medium
Bill Regan, 2620 Muscatine Avenue, Director of the Arc of Southeast Iowa, said The Arc had
three bids for every component of the comprehensive facility project. He said that they also
have design and specifications for future bids.
Iowa City -Parks/Recreation:
McKay suggested that the proposed splash pad is relatively close to the splash pad at Wetherby
Park, and asked if it would not be better to have it somewhere else.
Mike Moran, 220 South Gilbert Street, Parks Director, said that while the proposed site is close
to Wetherby, it does meet CDBG requirements for serving an area of lower-income residents.
He said that the new site does not require children in the area near the proposed site to cross
Sycamore Street in order to play at a splash pad. He said that there was also the possibility of
locating the splash pad at the Chadek property off of Friendship Street, but that it was still a bit
of an unknown quantity, whereas Fair Meadows is an established park.
Chappell asked if the Commission's recommendations could include conditions on where the
splash pad was located and Hightshoe replied that they could.
Drum asked Moran how well Wetherby Park's splash pad had been received. Moran said it was
very well received and used both by neighbors and members of the larger community.
Chappell asked if the City had done the appraisal relatively recently, and Moran replied that it
had been within the last six weeks. Moran said that there have been four meetings with the
Chadeks regarding their property. The appraisal amounts and the asking price are far apart at
the present time, and negotiations are underway to get them closer together.
Iowa City -Public Works:
McKay asked if there were any questions from the Commission on the sidewalk installation
project. Hightshoe said that there was someone present from Engineering to represent the
project. Chappell asked how much of the project was funded by the 2011 Capital Improvements
plan (CIP). Jason Havel replied that there was CIP funding, but that his understanding was that
additional funding was needed for the entire trail section along Highway 1. Drum said that he
had noticed that the cost per person had been left off of the application, and Hightshoe said that
with an area-benefit such as sidewalks and trails that does not really apply as technically
everyone in the census tract benefits. Havel was asked if the side streets included in the project
were residential or commercial properties, and he replied that they were primarily residential.
Chappell asked if it was fair to ask why sidewalks had not been required to be put in a long time
ago. Havel said that it was most likely that at the time the properties were built it was not a City
requirement. Hart said it was her understanding that there was some prohibition on CDBG
funding for sidewalks and street repairs. Hightshoe said that funding of public infrastructure
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 4 of 14
such as streets sewer and sidewalks can be funded by CDBG so long as it is in a qualifying low-
to-moderate income area based on the most recent Census. Chappell asked if there was any
idea of what the percentage of renter-occupied versus owner-occupied was for that area. Long
estimated that 60% of the homes to be owner-occupied and 40% renter-occupied. Drum said
that in his opinion there are a lot of people walking on the street in that area.
Community Mental Health:
McKay noted that staff had raised a good question in asking how many clients served by the
agency have mobility impairments. The applicant said that they did not have the numbers at
this point, but would seek to provide them. He noted that if just one person was being denied
access to the building due to a disability then the law is being broken. He said that at the very
least, it is safe to say that the percentage of clients served that have mobility issues is at least
consistent with the general population. He said that while they technically meet the
requirements of the ADA currently, their current accommodations are just not functional. The
applicant explained that demographic data on mobility impairments is not actually kept by the
agency, as it is difficult to catalog: people who are morbidly obese can be considered mobility
impaired, as can people who rely on scooters but can walk, or those whose mobility is affected
by medications. The applicant said that there is a scheduling issue for people with mobility
impairments because only one room in the office can accommodate them. Generally, if there
are mobility issues involved, doctors have to meet with clients in the one building that is
accessible regardless of where the doctor's actual office is located.
The Crisis Center:
Becci Reedus, 1121 Gilbert Court, Executive ,Director, said that the Crisis Center is moving
toward aclient-choice distribution of their grocery items, a system which will be greatly
enhanced by this project. Reedus said that part of the idea behind this system is to allow clients
to better accommodate special dietary needs. Reedus said there was only one bid because the
project is rather specialized; the other project has four viable bids. Chappell asked if the Crisis
Center had a preferred prioritization for its projects. Reedus said that there really was not
because they all really need to be done. She said there are two parts to the floor project that
are necessary to switch to the client-choice system to remove potential tripping hazards;
however, the warehouse area is less critical than the client area. She said that the roof project
is unavoidable. McKay asked if the floor was a safety issue, and Reedus said that it could be.
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic -Facility Rehab:
McKay noted that the City had asked two organizations to apply for this funding round, one of
which was the Free Medical Clinic. McKay asked staff if asking someone to apply had any
deeper meaning or indication for funding. Hightshoe said that it did not. She said the City is
encouraging revitalization of the Towncrest area due to disinvestment and increased vacancy
rates in recent years. Hightshoe said that the City hired a consultant to draft a design plan for
this area that includes both new construction and facade improvements. The City is also
pursuing an Urban Renewal area where improvements must comply with the new design
standards for city financial incentives. She said that the architect had picked a couple of
existing buildings to demonstrate what the facade could look like under this design plan. Free
Medical Clinic was one of the buildings. As there was already a design plan available, staff
encouraged Free Medical Clinic to apply. She said that there was no guarantee of funding
signified by the applicant being asked to apply. Drum asked if the City's efforts included any
funding for revitalization. Hightshoe said there would likely be incentives in the form of Tax
Increment Financing (TIF) and other incentives. Some of the incentives would only be available
for for-profits (tax paying entities). Chappell asked how firm the plan is at this point. Hightshoe
said that City Council has not yet adopted it; it will go through the Planning and Zoning approval
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 5 of 14
process sometime this month. Chappell asked if it was correct that the Commission would not
know if City Council was willing to adopt this particular design until after they had voted on
allocations. Long said he believed that the Council would know before their vote (the Urban
Renewal Plan goes to Council in December). Chappell noted that the City will have some role
in the redevelopment in terms of streetscapes, sidewalks and lighting for the area. Chappell
asked how committed the City is to doing its part for those common areas of Towncrest. Long
said that the City Council had allocated $1 million over atwo-year period for improvements to
that area. Hightshoe said that the hope is that developer interest in the redevelopment will spur
private investments such as the facade improvements. Long said that beginning next spring
and summer public improvements to the area will be more visibly evident. Such improvements
might include: realignment of interior streets; lighting, and signage.
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity:
McKay said he wanted to make sure he understood this project correctly. He asked if it was
correct that Habitat was seeking to build a building in which they would actually build houses
and then move them to lots they had acquired in the area.
Mark Patton, 2401 Scott Boulevard, spoke on behalf of Habitat for Humanity. He explained that
the funding request is for the acquisition of a building in the industrial park, and the expansion of
that building by approximately 6,000 square feet. This would allow Habitat to complete
construction of houses during the winter months.
Patton said that the school district discontinued its Student Build program due to funding cuts,
and is currently regrouping to see about ways to reinstate that. He said that Kirkwood is also
looking for ways to bring their building program to Iowa City. The new Habitat facility would be
the anchor for that program. Chappell asked if the program would be one in which parts of the
home would be built and then assembled on the site where the home would actually be located.
Patton said that there were two basic ways to do modular homes: 1) assemble the entire home
off-site and then move it, or 2) move the pieces of the home and then assemble them on-site.
Patton said that single-story structures can be moved fairly easily around the community. He
said that the goal is to have construction on a year-round basis.
Habitat is also moving toward doing more remodeling, repairs and rehabbing of homes, with the
goal of keeping current homeowners in their .homes. He said that staff needs to be retrained to
build ramps and other things that would accommodate keeping the elderly and disabled in their
own homes. Patton said that the facility would serve as a training center as well as an indoor
construction facility. Chappell asked if Habitat anticipated providing training opportunities to the
homeowners themselves, and Patton said that was part of the plans. He clarified that Habitat
would not actually go out and do repair work for a homeowner that was over 80% of the median
income.
A Commissioner asked if there were bridges in Iowa City that would accommodate moving
modular homes from the east side of town to the west side of town. Patton said that they were
more concerned about the height and width of bridges when it came to moving homes, but that
he had spoken with engineering and he believed that it would be possible to accommodate a
move from the east side to the west side in some instances.
Jaron Varner:
Jaron Varner, 3234 Friendship Street, introduced himself as vice-president and CEO of
Renaissance Remedial Services. He said the company provides remedial services for at-risk
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 6 of 14
youth. Chappell asked where the company was currently located, and Varner said that the
company is currently located in Cedar Rapids and is hoping to locate in the Iowa City area as it
receives a lot of referrals from Johnson County. Drum asked if the company would be closing
the Cedar Rapids office if it relocated to Iowa City. Varner said he would like to keep both
facilities open. McKay asked how many clients they were currently serving. Varner said this
was the company's first fiscal year, so it is currently serving about ten clients. Drum asked if
they had all been referred by Johnson County and Varner replied that they had been.
Chappell asked how Renaissance Remedial Services is organized. Varner said it is afor-profit
corporation that accepts Medicaid and Title 19. McKay noted that Renaissance had not
submitted any supporting documents from other agencies and asked Varner if he could provide
those. Varner said that he had removed those documents at the last minute because he was
trying to stay within the page limit requirements, but he would be happy to get those to the
Commission. Hightshoe asked if McKay was asking for general letters of support or letters
specifying a willingness to partner with Renaissance in the Iowa City location. McKay said he
was trying to determine if an unknown entity had the capacity to manage $1.7 million in federal
funds, and who would be supporting them and referring clients to them. McKay said he was just
looking for understanding as to how this would work.
Varner said that CITY STEPS says that community centers and childcare centers are of high
priority. He said that the CEO of Kids Inc., a Cedar Rapids-based childcare facility with a
number of locations, will basically oversee the construction and staffing of the childcare facility.
Varner said that with 5,000 square feet the facility could serve approximately 100 kids; the goal
would be to charge about $100 per kid per week for low-income families. Varner noted that a
lack of affordable childcare was cited in CITY STEPS as a contributing factor to poverty. McKay
said that there are other agencies in the city that are providing these kinds of services already.
He asked Varner what makes his agency different, and how will he ensure that services are not
simply being duplicated. Varner said that his organization really wants to provide a safe place
for after school programming, and for community stewardship and academic leadership. McKay
asked what Varner's organization would do differently than Mayor's Youth Empowerment
Program (MYEP) or Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (NCJC). Varner said that his
agency actually receives referrals from NCJC. He said that he has no desire to duplicate
already existing services; the services they will provide will be ones for which a need in the
community has already been demonstrated. He said that he would also prefer to hire
individuals with a history in and understanding of the community.
Drum asked how the program is currently being funded. Varner said that he is currently putting
his own money up as investment, and seeking. multiple funding sources through a number of
grant applications. Drum asked if the Renaissance Center would be receptive to partial funding.
Varner said that they would be overjoyed with. any funding amount. He said that he really feels
there is a need for these services for at-risk youth, and that CITY STEPS also demonstrates a
need for these services.
Chappell asked where the $450,000 acquisition fee comes from. Varner said that the figure
was based on the asking price of the building. Varner was asked if his agency had partnered
with other community agencies before, and he replied that in the past they had partnered with
the Iowa City Police Department, United Action for Youth (UAY) and MYEP. He noted that
Renaissance had no desire to overshadow existing organizations; rather, the desire is to fill in
the gaps in services. Varner was asked if he could provide letters of support from other
agencies in the community and he said that he would be happy to provide them.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 7 of 14
It was noted that taking on a building that had been vacant for four years was a large
undertaking. The applicant stated that the location was rather ideal, in that there was good
access to parking and it is very accessible by bus.
McKay said that he still had some concerns about the viability of the project. He said he would
like to see letters from the agencies Varner had mentioned expressing why these services were
needed, how these agencies had worked with Renaissance in the past and how they expect to
work with them in the future. Varner said he would be happy to provide that documentation.
Chappell asked what the $1 million for remodeling was based on, as it seemed like a nice round
number. The applicant explained that extensive mold mitigation had to be done on the building
and all of the finishes needed to be replaced. The estimate is based on the idea that about
$50/square foot would make the building habitable, and an additional $30/ square foot would
replace the windows, allow for tuck-pointing and take care of the retaining wall in back of the
building. He said that $600,000 was the estimate for getting the building cleaned up and
operational, but all of the electrical and mechanical systems need to be replaced as well, which
accounts for the other $500,000-$600,000.
Long noted that the allocation meeting would be taking place eight days from this meeting, so
the applicant should submit the letters of support as soon as possible.
Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP):
Roger Lusala, 407 Highland Court, spoke on behalf of MYEP. Chappell asked if MYEP had an
understanding with the owner if they could purchase for the appraised price rather than the
asking price. Lusala said that the owner was. amenable to that plan.
Drum said that the last time he was in the building MYEP was doing some serious work on it.
He asked Lusala how that was coming along. Lusala said that the outside of the building was
completely done and looks great. He said that the outside appearance has revitalized the area
as a whole. Drum and Lusala discussed a number of items inside the building that still needed
to be completed. McKay asked what the completion of the upstairs of the building would do for
the agency in terms of the number of people served. Lusala explained that some space
downstairs that should go to services is currently being used as office space. McKay asked if
Lusala had specific numbers in terms of employees that could be hired or clients served as a
result of these improvements, and Lusala gave a rough estimate.
Chappell asked if MYEP paid property taxes on their property. Lusala said that they are to pay
property taxes for two years before an exemption can be applied for. Lusala said that they do
expect to be fully exempted from property taxes once they become eligible.
McKay asked who helped MYEP with their estimates and construction numbers. Lusala said
that they have a contractor they have been working with who provided estimates.
MECCA:
Ron Berg, 430 Southgate Avenue, spoke on behalf of MECCA. Chappell asked how MECCA
came up with their numbers for the rehab and Berg replied that the numbers were best-guess
estimates and that no contractors had submitted bids yet. McKay asked how old the building
was and Berg responded that MECCA had moved there in about 1984. Since that time they
have replaced the roof, the windows, the siding and the heating and cooling systems in the
building.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 8 of 14
Chappell asked if MECCA had a prioritization of projects in the event that partial funding was
awarded. MECCA said that they do surveys with clients about their reactions to the facilities and
MECCA's priority list is based partially on that.
McKay asked how the improvements would benefit the community in terms of number of clients
served or number of people employed by MECCA. Berg said that healthcare reform is going to
move the treatment system to one that is driven more by client-choice. He said that the bottom-
line is that the building is tired out and needs some work done to it.
McKay asked if the carpeting was the original carpeting for the building. Berg said that it was
not original; CDBG funding had replaced it several years ago. However, maintenance of
carpeting is an issue. McKay asked if the ceilings and walls and lighting were all original and
Berg said that they are.
Berg was asked how much funding would be needed to update just the waiting room. He said
that his understanding is that if the waiting room is remodeled the rest of the building will need
to be brought up to fire code, which will involve replacing the sprinkler system, so the cost would
be about $175,000.
Neighborhood Center of Johnson County (NCJC):
Chappell noted that the purchase of the property was not scheduled until August of 2011.
Chappell asked where the $375,000 figure came from and the applicant said it was the sale
price of the property. Chappell asked if the property had been appraised and the applicant said
that it had not been appraised yet, though several of NCJC board members had some expertise
in that area and thought the building would appraise for that price. The applicant explained that
the current facility primarily serves youth and preschool-aged children. He said that they have
been searching for space for adult programming for quite some time. Chappell asked if this
project would be possible to do with only partial funding, and the applicant said that he did not
think it would be.
Reach For Your Potential (RFYP):
The applicant clarified that the cost per person was based on serving 100 people. He explained
that a large percentage of their funding comes from Medicaid and that recently the agency's
income took a hit because of changes in the Medicaid system. The adult daycare is funded by
Title 19, and currently the space used for it is being rented. The CDBG funding would give
RFYP the opportunity to expand the adult daycare to double its current capacity. Additionally,
RFYP has approximately 25 homes in which it provides residential services to individuals. The
building improvements would provide space for socialization and recreational activities to
RFYP's residential residents as well; this means that around 235 clients would benefit from
these improvements. RFYP has been asked by Johnson County to include Brain Injured (BI)
individuals to its list of categories it will serve, so filling the new capacity is not expected to be an
issue.
Drum asked how the project could be funded if the full funding request was not granted. The
applicant said that a loan would be applied for which would result in about $50,000 a year in
additional costs. Drum asked if other agencies in town provided similar services and the
applicant replied that Pathways provides adult daycare. Drum noted that the population is
aging.
McKay asked what partial funding would mean for the whole project. The applicant said that
significant changes would result.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 9 of 14
Successful Living:
McKay noted that this was one of the applicants that the City had asked to apply as it is in the
Towncrest area that is being looked at for redevelopment.
Steve Noack, 2406 Towncrest Drive, spoke on behalf of Successful Living. McKay asked
Noack if he liked the design that the consultant had come up with for his building. He said that
he had been at the redevelopment meetings and had found some of the designs put forth to be
a little bit "out there," but that the final design is a nice blend of some of the proposals.
Chappell asked about the budget. Noack said that the budgeting had been tricky and that some
of the estimates had looked a little high. Noack said that while Successful Living would like to
see the project happen, a lot of it will be depend on the City's interpretation of the final
guidelines that are issued for the area. He gave the example of the window height that was
recommended. Towncrest windows tend to be set high, but the guidelines called for lower
windows; those kinds of changes tend to be quite costly as they require interior as well as
exterior treatments.
Hightshoe asked what percent of the building Successful Living needed for its operations.
Noack said that Successful Living occupies over 75% of the top level, and 50% of the lower
level. Hightshoe noted that HCDC could only fund the portions of the building that are actually
occupied by Successful Living. Noack said there was a good chance that a larger percentage
of the building would be used by their agency in the future.
Systems Unlimited:
The applicant explained that they are not requesting the full project budget from HCDC; rather,
they are asking for funds to purchase the land. He said they would like to have the facility fully
functional within three years. Part of the issue is that Systems is growing so fast that the
agency has doubled in size in the last three years; he said that there are 38 family therapists
working out of building built four years ago that was intended to house 17. Systems has
contracts with all of the Iowa City schools as well as the College Green School District. The
applicant explained that the only thing that was holding Systems back was a lack of staff and a
lack of space. Bricks and mortar projects and facility projects are very difficult to fund within the
regular funding streams, he said.
McKay questioned their capital campaign due to problems with the last campaign done by the
agency. Will this campaign be successful enough to fund a new building on the CDBG
purchased lot? The applicant said that there are plans in place for significant marketing
strategies that should help increase support. He said that Systems has learned from its past
mistakes.
Visiting Nurses Association (VNA):
Chappell asked if the $500,000 figure was based on the square footage required by VNA and
the cost per square foot. Suellen Novotny, 2953 Sierra Court, Executive Director, said that the
cost is figured at about $121 per square foot times 5,000 square feet; she said that costs for
new construction can range much higher.
McKay asked what this project will do for the community in terms of number of people served or
employed. The VNA presently provides home care and community services. With the purchase
of a new building, the VNA plans to put in four exam rooms, and collaborate with the College of
Nursing to see more low-income patients. Novotny said that the recently enacted healthcare
reforms could result in more people being enrolled in Medicaid and having problems locating
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 10 of 14
primary care providers. At the end of this year, VNA will have served about 5,600 people. In
2014, scheduled changes to state and federal healthcare programs may result in a larger
number of local clients using nurse practitioners for their primary care.
HOUSING:
Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP):
McKay asked Hightshoe to give arun-through of the project. Hightshoe said that the proposed
acquisition is for one building that will have multiple uses. Hightshoe said the property would
have eight residential apartments and eight commercial spaces with tenants in them. Hightshoe
said that CDBG funds can be used for the acquisition of a mixed use building; however, a
national objective must be fulfilled to do so. In this case, 51 % of the units would have to be
marketed to low-income residents. Hightshoe said that the CDBG funds must be limited to only
the residential units.
Drum asked about the cost per bedroom. The applicant said that was because the cost of the
entire building, including the residential portions, was included in the calculation. She noted that
if the agency was able to build their own facility they would be able to shift money that currently
goes toward property taxes toward client services. Hightshoe noted that if aCDBG-funded
project dislocates a renter, then relocation expenses must be paid by the agency, and need to
be factored into the budget.
McKay said that he appreciates staff's observation that this project seems to be a shift in focus
for DVIP and results in their being responsible for something they might not have managed
before. He asked if they were confident in their abilities to enter the world of rentals. The
applicant explained that the property is currently being managed by a property manager and it is
their intention to retain that property manager. She said they have had some great successes
with similar types of projects, but this will be new territory.
McKay asked what impact this project would have on employment. The applicant said that one
full-time position will be shifted to this project.
Isis Investments, LLC:
Yolanda Spears, spoke on behalf of Isis Investments. She said that the project will rely not just
on CDBG funding, but also with cooperation of lenders, and Section 8 rental assistance. She
said the idea is helping families make home ownership and quality rentals affordable. Spears
said that Isis is confident that they will be able to help the families that need it.
Hightshoe noted that even when teens get Section 8 vouchers, they often have a hard time
finding a landlord that will rent to them. Hightshoe clarified that her question for the applicant
was whether this rent would be affordable without a Section 8 voucher. Spears said that they
do rent to families that do not have Section 8 vouchers, and that they definitely take into account
during the interview process whether a family can successfully afford the rent. Spears said that
Isis is hoping for loan forgiveness to be an aspect of their program.
Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP):
Lusala said that the goal is to keep the rent as low as possible. He said that they are trying to
get a truly accessible, full zero-entry home. He said that the lots in question are perfectly
designed to allow for zero-entry.
MBHG, LLC:
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 11 of 14
McKay asked what the applicant had in mind in terms of accessibility. The applicant said that all
of the homes are single level homes with zero-step entries, widened doorways and handicap
accessible restrooms. Hightshoe noted that the homes are in Saddlebrook. The City
recommended 15 homes in this subdivision for the Single Family New Construction Program.
Long stated partial funding of this project was a possibility.
Shelter House- Rental Housing:
Long noted that the new Shelter House had received its Conditional Occupancy Permit.
Chrissy Canganelli, 429 Southgate Avenue, said that when the project came before the
Commission last year, the budget had been at approximately $400,000. She said that
approximately $200,000 in CDBG funds were awarded. Hightshoe explained that rehab on the
project had been delayed due to CDBG funding regulations. McKay asked if it was the wisest
move to go ahead with a second project when the applicant had not yet progressed very deeply
into the first one. Canganelli said they felt confident about the programs they were putting in
place and have invaluable partnerships that provide guidance and support. McKay asked if
there would be a second set of staff or if the same staff would man both homes. Canganelli
said that the same staff would oversee both homes. She said that a .75 staff member would be
added to their overall programs.
Successful Living:
McKay noted that Successful Living seemed to do a good job of offering housing at below the
fair market rent. Noack said that the original home was granted to Successful Living which
allows them to keep their expenses there very low, though they have also not been able to put
much money into the place. Noack said that a lot of clients have little to no income when they
first come to Successful Living. He said they, are pleased to offer these people a place to live
while they transition and until they are able to get hooked up with services. Noack said that
Successful Living's main purpose is to provide supportive services to people with mental health
issues. Noack said that the rents at the other Successful Living facilities are not quite as low as
at this one. He said the house is a tired little house that was tired when Successful Living first
got it. The floors are sagging, the heating system is outdated, and there are a number of other
issues with the home, Noack said.
The Housing Fellowship:
Maryann Dennis, 322 East 2"d Street, spoke on behalf of The Housing Fellowship. Drum asked
about the ability of the project to proceed with partial funding, and Dennis said that it could.
Dennis said that the goal is for the housing to be affordable for residents who are not receiving
Section 8.
United Action for Youth:
McKay asked what the difference is between this project and the kind that Isis had proposed.
Jim Swaim, Executive Director, said that his agency works with teen parents and the idea
behind their project is to provide supportive transitional housing for teen moms that could stay in
the program for 18-21 months. Upon completion of the program, the clients would then go on to
find permanent housing -something along the lines of what Isis is proposing. He said that each
of the teen moms would have a transitional living plan when they entered the program and
would receive services for education and employment to steer them in the direction of economic
self-sufficiency.
Drum asked if this was alife-skills program and the applicant said that each of the teen moms
would be assigned a case manager that would do some household management/life-skills
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 12 of 14
training, as well as extensive parenting-skills training. The program has a partnership with
Mercy Hospital in which a nurse practitioner provides well-baby and pre-natal care. Swaim
explained that no rent is charged at the facility, rather there is a program fee, the bulk of which
is refunded to the client upon completion of the program. The applicant was asked how
maintenance and utilities were paid for and Swaim replied that those costs were funded by their
grant. He did note that the grant under which the program operates does not allow the
accumulation of reserves, which is something that he is working on with his Board. Hightshoe
asked if a small rent could be charged. Swaim said that it was possible, but that it was
something that would involve coordination with the City and investigation into federal guidelines.
He said that other transitional programs do charge rent; the program fee of approximately $100
per month that is charged to the client is actually refunded back to them upon completion of the
program.
McKay asked if the goal was to have six to eight units attached. The applicant said that the
number of units depended on what buildings were available for sale and on the ability to staff it.
He said amulti-unit facility was desired because of staffing concerns, but also for convenience
and the built-in support that the teen moms could provide to one another. He said that they
currently have one cluster site on Iowa Avenue, and they would like to get three or four
scattered sites elsewhere. He said that they would be happy to wait to select sites until the City
Council has determined its revisions to the guidelines for where affordable housing should be
located. In regard to partial funding, the applicant said that they probably would not go forward
if.they did not receive funding for at least four units. Chappell asked if they would ideally like to
locate near their other site. Swaim said that was not necessarily the goal; he said that many of
the teen moms attend Kirkwood or other east-side schools, and that a number of them have
taken advantage of job opportunities on the east side. He said the main thing was ensuring that
the moms were able to take advantage of the educational opportunities available to them;
something that could be difficult to do from the far west side of town because of transportation
issues.
Wetherby Condos South LLC:
Chappell asked if the proposed affordability period could be extended for this project. The
applicant said it could potentially be extended from seven years to eight to ten years, but
probably not 15 or 20 years. The applicant said that about $160,000 of home improvements
have been made to the property in the last 12 to 18 months, and no lead based paint issues
have been found. McKay asked for a brief summary of what the applicant was hoping to
accomplish with the project. The applicant said that this is a two pronged program. He said that
what they are trying to do is make some significant interior and exterior improvements to the
complex to change the reality of what is happening in that neighborhood. He said that the
building is a condominium association of roughly 20 to 25 owners. He said that in order to
accomplish what they wish to in the area, they need asuper-majority of the condo association
and have control of 84 units. The first order of business is to gain control of the association so
that they can impose what they believe to be the proper rules, regulations, and improvements
that need to be done. He said that he anticipates that the increase in fees and assessments
that will be imposed once control is secured will result in the majority of the remaining condo
owners selling out to them in the future.
He said that the ultimate goal is to have 100% ownership; however, as HACAP owns nine units
he is not sure that will happen. He said that they have had great success in accomplishing
these goals in other condominium associations, and have virtually eliminated police calls to that
area. McKay asked what the correlation was between home improvements and decreased
crime rates. The applicant said that asuper-majority allows strict condo rules that lead to
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
PAGE 13 of 14
decreased crime. He said that the new police substation has also assisted in reducing crime in
the area in the last several weeks. The applicant said that the $1.2 million funding allocation will
be used to leverage financing from private lenders; he noted that lenders are less than thrilled to
invest in that area of town and the less one has to borrow from them the better. He said that he
has pretty much been assured that with a $1.2 million grant from the City he will be able to
secure financing for everything outlined in the application. The applicant said that one of the
difficulties is that sometimes the CDBG money comes with restrictions that make it so that it is
cheaper in the long run just to secure private financing. He said that for this particular project
that is not the case, as he does not think private financing can be secured for the entire amount.
Chappell said he understood the desire for full control of the homeowners' association;
however, he asked if the applicant had attempted to form a coalition of existing homeowners.
The applicant said that he has attempted to deal with the current homeowners and they cannot
reach agreement. Long asked if the values /assessments have changed over time and the
applicant said they have decreased. Hightshoe said that the City advocates good property
management regardless of the income range of the tenant. She noted that the applicant is
making the argument that great property management can make a difference in a
neighborhood. The applicant said that right now interest rates are very good, and that he is
looking at long-term investment and maintaining ownership of the property for the long-term.
The applicant said he was open to studying the options available from CDBG for financing
terms, as he was generally unfamiliar with them. Chappell explained that a deferred payment
loan would mean that no payments were made unless and until the property was sold; the more
confident the applicant was in the idea that the property would not be sold, the more confident
he could be that he would never make a payment. The applicant said that they would wind up
with somewhere around $5.8 million in debt on this project and he was not sure they wanted
anymore liability hanging over them.
ADJOURNMENT:
Hightshoe asked that Commissioners submit their ranking sheets and preliminary allocation
sheets to her by Monday at noon.
Drum moved to adjourn.
Hart seconded.
The motion was approved 6-0 (McMurray and Zimmermann Smith absent).
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4b 3
MINUTES APPROVED
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010 - 6:30 PM
EMMA HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrew Chappell, Scott Dragoo, Charlie Drum, Jarrod Gatlin,
Holly Jane Hart, Michael McKay, Rebecca McMurray, Rachel
Zimmermann Smith
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Steve Long, Tracy Hightshoe, Doug Ongie, David Purdy
OTHERS PRESENT: Ron Schieffer, Bill Reagan, Roger Lusala, Kim Downes, Suellen
Novotny, Henri Harper, Dion Williams, Senator Bob Dvorsky,
Stephen Trefz, Mark Patton, Glenn Siders, Beth Ritter Ruback,
Sandy Pickup, Brian Loring, Sue Freeman, Steve Noack, Jaron
Varner, Eugene Spaziani, Mike Moran, Ron Knoche, Yolanda
Spears and Maryann Dennis.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL:
The Commission voted 8-0 to recommend approval of the following FY11 Special
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Allocation Requests:
City of Iowa City, Parks and Recreation -Park Acquisition: $280,000
• Crisis Center -Facility Rehabilitation: $50,000
• Free Medical Clinic -Facility Rehabilitation: $175,000
Habitat for Humanity -Acquisition: $295,000
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County -Acquisition: $395,000
• Visiting Nurse Association -Acquisition: $200,000
Isis Investments LLC -Rental Housing: $230,000
• Shelter House -Rental Rehabilitation: $75,000
Wetherby Condos South LLC -Rental Housing: $900,000
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairperson Andrew Chappell at 6:30 p.m. Chappell
noted that not all Commissioners were present at the time the meeting was called to order, but
said that additional attendees were expected. (McKay and Murray expected to arrive shortly.)
APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 21, 2010 MINUTES:
Zimmermann Smith moved to approve the minutes.
Gatlin seconded.
A vote was taken and the motion was approved 6-0 (McKay, McMurray absent at time of
vote).
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 2 of 15
Hart said that she wasn't able to review the minutes and asked how she could address the issue
if she found something "alarming" in them. Chappell suggested that if Hart had concerns she
could bring them up during the Staff/Commission comment period at the next meeting; that
would put her concerns on the record.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
STAFF/COMMISSION COMMENT:
Hightshoe noted that Shelter House has been issued a Certificate of Occupancy for its new
facility. She said that Shelter House will be hosting an open house December 2, 2010, from
9:30 to 10:30. All members of the Housing and Community Development Commission are
invited.
Chappell suggested moving the Monitoring Reports up as the next agenda item. There were no
objections.
MONITORING REPORTS:
DV/P -Facility Rehab. (Zimmermann Smith)
Zimmermann Smith said that the handicap accessible ramp surrounding the shelter has been
replaced and will be complete once the steel railing has been fabricated and installed. She said
that DVIP will be finished with their project once that is done.
Free Medical Clinic -Operations 8 Facility Rehab. (Zimmermann Smith)
Zimmermann Smith said that the HVAC project should be finished by the end of the week. The
facility has four new high-efficiency furnaces and two new condenser units for their air
conditioning. Zimmermann Smith said that Sandy Pickup, Director of the Free Medical Clinic,
had expressed gratitude to the Commission for the funding as it had prevented the staff from
freezing all this winter. Pickup also said that the pharmacy is always busy and the facility is
lucky to have a pharmacy assistant that is very good with paperwork. Pickup reported that they
are awaiting the outcome of the most recent CDBG funding round before proceeding with
projects for any remaining funds.
FY10 Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County -Facility Rehab. (Dragoo)
Dragoo reported that the back porch and deck are complete and looked very nice. He said that
it was already getting a lot of use when he saw it. He said that it allows for lockable storage
space.
DISCUSS HCDC COMMISSION MEMBER CONTACT WITH APPLICANTS DURING THE
ALLOCATION PROCESS:
Chappell noted that McKay had brought up this issue at the previous HCDC meeting. Chappell
said that McKay had originally offered a proposal on limiting such contact, but that Chappell was
uncertain if the discussion on the matter had satisfied McKay's concerns or not. Chappell said
that what he thinks is most important is that Commission members receive information about
individual applications in public forums. Chappell said that he is not sure that a specific policy is
necessary as long as all Commissioners share that understanding. Chappell asked if anyone
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 3 of 15
felt strongly about being able to have ex pane communications with applicants, and no one
responded. Chappell suggested that if McKay had more to add on the subject, the agenda item
could be returned to after McKay arrived at the meeting.
Hightshoe suggested moving on to new business until the other Commissioners arrived.
NEW BUSINESS:
DISCUSS AND REVIEW FY12 CDBG/HOME FUNDING PROCESS TIMELINE
REVIEW AND APPROVE FY12 CDBG/HOME APPLICATION MATERIALS
Hightshoe said that ideally staff would have gotten the application materials to Commissioners
the previous week, but because some of the materials deal with the City Council's policy on site
location for affordable housing there was a delay. Hightshoe noted that all allocation amounts
were listed as "To Be Determined;" staff anticipates the same entitlement amount as last year,
however, because of the various infusions of program income staff does not yet know how
much funding will be carried over to FY12. Hightshoe said that updated budget information will
be provided to Commissioners as it becomes available.
Hightshoe said the Applicant Guide remained nearly the same as the prior year's guide;
however, all references to site location have been deleted. The original language encouraged
scattered site housing throughout the city. Hightshoe said that City Council will be discussing
this issue again in January or February. Hightshoe noted that applicants for FY12 funding will
be subject to any City Council policies set regarding site location.
Hightshoe stated that the plan is to put all applications online. Applicants will have to submit
their applications online to be considered. She said that the City's ITS department is working
on the applications. Chappell asked if the supporting materials still had to be delivered or
mailed and Hightshoe said that will be changing. Long said that it will become a completely
online submission process. This will limit wh~t,applicants may submit.
Hightshoe said that the Housing Application had been slightly modified. She said that a pro
forma was needed for both rental and rental rehab applications and she had added language to
clarify that. Additionally, the requirement for Census Tract information and elementary
attendance area were removed from question #19, as the City Council policy is as yet
undetermined regarding site location of affordable housing. Hightshoe said she was interested
in Commissioner input on whether or not the volunteer labor or in-kind contributions should be
included in the project budget, as it increased the overall cost of the project. Chappell asked if
the change had already been made in Public Facilities and Public Services, and Hightshoe
clarified that the change would make the calculation consistent across categories. The
volunteer labor question will remain, but it will not be included in the budget that would increase
the cost per person or per bedroom.
Hightshoe noted that formerly there were five points that were awarded to projects in the areas
encouraged by the City Council. She asked what the Commission wished to do with those
points and if they wished to redistribute them. Chappell asked if points could just be awarded
based on a project's promotion of scattered housing, instead of specifically tying it to the City
Council map; the points would be awarded on a scale of 1 to 5.
Hightshoe said that it was possible to put the application on the December agenda if the
Commission had not had sufficient time to review it prior to this meeting. Chappell said that
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 4 of 15
although he would have preferred to have the application prior to the night of the vote, he was
comfortable moving forward.
Zimmermann Smith moved to approve FY12 CDBG/HOME application materials as edited
and per Commission discussions.
Drum seconded.
A vote was taken and the motion carried 7-0 (McKay present, McMurray absent at the
time of vote).
DISCUSSION REGARDING FY11 SPECIAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) ALLOCATION REQUESTS:
DISCUSS FY11 CDBG APPLICATIONS:
(McMurray arrives.) Hightshoe noted that the additional documentation requested of applicants
by the Commission was included in Commissioner packets. Those documents include: a
revised pro forma from Mayor's Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP), assessment information
on the three condos from the Wetherby project, and letters of support for Jaron Varner's
application. Chappell asked if the revised pro forma raised any concerns for staff. Hightshoe
said the only concern was that the project does not cash flow until year five (revenues do not
cover expenses until year five). She said that the concern was whether or not MYEP could
make up that operational deficit during those years.
McKay noted that the Commission exists to make the best recommendations they can, and that
City Council will make the final allocations and decisions. He noted that agencies will also be
able to apply for the next round of funding some time after the first of the year. McKay said that
it should be noted that the City Council sets funding priorities. He said that each Commissioner
should be comfortable stating their reasons why a project should or should not receive funding
and remember that changing one's mind based on new information can be a healthy thing.
McKay suggested that the Commission first identify projects that had no support or limited
support and determine if they can be eliminated from consideration. McKay said that the
Commission can then consider the applications that had nearly unanimous support and pencil in
earmarks for those projects. After that, the Commission can move to those projects that need
more in depth discussion and hashing out before finalizing numbers. He noted that
Commissioners do not need to feel tied to their rankings.
PUBLIC FACILITIES:
Jaron Varner -Acquisition:
McKay noted that Varner had been supported only by Gatlin and asked if he cared to comment
on the application. Gatlin said that he had set his allocations on Friday with the hopes that he
would receive the requested documentation from Varner over the weekend or on Monday at the
latest. He said that the fact that Varner had not submitted the documentation until today made
him less likely to support the project.
McKay said that he did not see any letters of recommendation from the local entities the
Commission had suggested to Varner. He recommended an allocation of $0. The Commission
indicated agreement with that recommendation.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 5 of 15
City of Iowa City, Public Works -Sidewalk Installation:
McKay noted that the sidewalk repair and installation project had no indication of support from
the Commission. He asked if there was anyone that had changed their mind from the previous
week. Long offered a clarification. He said that the trail that runs along the highway is already
in the CIP budget, but the sidewalks that connect Benton Street to the trail are not in the budget.
McKay asked if that meant that the trail would get done regardless of HCDC funding. Chappell
said that it would get done eventually. Long explained that the sidewalks may not get done. No
one indicated that their support had changed.
Successful Living- Exterior Rehabilitation:
McKay said that his objection to this particular project is that it is a rental property; it is not even
owned by the agency requesting funding. He said that he did not know if that was an
appropriate objection or if staff had more information on the City's stance on that. Long said
that the funding could be in the form of a loan, though only the portion of the property that
benefits low-income households could be funded. Chappell noted that staff did ask Successful
Living to submit the application, which he assumes they would not have done if it was
inappropriate to fund the project. Chappell said that he did not recommend funding. He said it
is clear to him that there is a priority from the City Council to have a sort of "model building" in
the Towncrest area to showcase redevelopment there. He said that his support went to the
other site because that entire building was eligible for renovation whereas this was only partially
eligible for funds. He said he recommended full funding for the other project. Zimmermann
Smith said she felt like this project was not as far along in the planning stages as the other
project in the Towncrest area.
Hightshoe said that staff suggested that Successful Living apply for funds to upgrade the
northern facade, visible from CVS pharmacy. She said that it was possible for HCDC to fund
only the northern facade if they chose to. Chappell asked if there was any opposition to fully
funding the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic project. McKay said that he had not done so initially,
but that he thought he could be persuaded based on Chappell's rationale. Chappell said that he
was reticent himself at the last meeting; he said it was the clear indication from City Council that
they are serious and ready to move forward with redevelopment in the area that changed his
thinking. Drum said that he did not really understand initially why the City would want HCDC to
fund renovations to the fronts of these buildings. He said that he had misread it as something
that would be funded with or without CDBG funding. Hightshoe clarified that the Free Medical
Clinic would have to come up with money for any facade improvements on its own.
Zimmermann Smith said that she would be in favor of leaving the Free Medical Clinic on the
table, but that she was not yet comfortable saying that she would fully fund it. She suggested
proceeding as planned, and taking Successful Living off the table as no one had funded it.
Systems Unlimited -Acquisition:
McKay noted that Systems Unlimited had received no Commission support and asked if anyone
objected to taking it off the table preliminarily.. Chappell noted that he would like the option of
revisiting it because depending on how the allocations break out he may want to suggest partial
funding of the project. He said that his concern with the Systems application was that it was just
for the land acquisition and did not include any plans for how the building would be funded.
Zimmermann Smith noted that they may not be able to do anything with partial funding. Long
noted that if the Commission had partial funding or other questions for the applicants, there
were representatives present for each application. McKay said that he believed that question
had been asked at the last meeting. Zimmermann Smith said that the application states that
they cannot proceed with partial funding.
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NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 6 of 15
The Commission invited comments from the Systems representative. Dion Williams, 2533 Scott
Boulevard, spoke on behalf of Systems Unlimited and said that he believed that their application
stated that they would accept partial funding. Williams said that his Board has stated that if they
are able to get partial funding from CDBG then they will agree to the land acquisition. He said
that they do not require or expect full funding of the acquisition. Drum asked what the decision
was exactly. Williams said that Systems is trying to buy the seven acre parcel adjacent to their
current site in hope of building a service campus over the next 15 years that delivers multiple
services out of multiple buildings. He said their current building was built four years ago and is
at capacity, leaving them no room to grow. Drum said that partial funding of the project only
takes it to the next decision point and the next Board; Zimmermann Smith said she agrees with
that sentiment. McKay asked if the Commission was still funding the project at the zero-level
and Chappell said that was fine preliminarily if there was the option of revisiting the matter.
MBHG, LLC -Homeownership:
McKay said that this project had received $0 funding from all Commissioners and asked if
anyone had changed their minds. Chappell said that he did not think it was a bad project, he
just did not think it really jumped out at him. General agreement was reached to preliminarily
not fund the project.
United Action for Youth -Rental Housing:
No one had funded this project. Hart said she was curious as to why this project was not
supported. Chappell said that this project seemed to him very similar to the project proposed by
Isis, but the Isis project seemed more feasible because it was less expensive and Isis has a lot
more experience in the rental business. Zimmermann Smith said that the same population was
targeted by both projects.
Isis Investments LLC -Rental Housing:
Drum suggested fully funding Isis. Chappell and Zimmermann Smith said they were
comfortable with that.
McKay noted that this was the only project with near consensus funding levels, and asked if the
Commission would prefer to proceed by working its way down the list systematically. Chappell
said he wanted to talk about the Wetherby project because he had a big chunk allocated to it
and he would like to discuss it with Commissioners. McKay said that would be fine.
Wetherby Condos South LLC -Rental Housing:
Chappell said that when he read the application he was initially very indifferent about the
project. He said that what bothered him was the idea of giving Southgate $1 million. After he
looked at the project more closely and at what Southgate wished to do in the area, and as he
listened to the discussions last week and about what Southgate had accomplished in the
Cedarwood area, he began to feel more supportive of funding. Chappell said he had
recommended funding half of the allocation request, and said he did not know if that would be
workable for Southgate. Chappell said that there is a huge private commitment required for this
a project, somewhere in the area of $4 to 5 million. He said that if Southgate is half as
successful with this project as they were with the former Cedarwood site, he thinks there is a
unique opportunity to make agame-changing difference in that area of town. Chappell said that
when he reviewed applications he was looking to find things that were unique: things that might
not normally be applied for, things that were special opportunities. He said that this application
represented cone-time deal to him, something that could provide a chance to make some big
changes in an area that really needed them..
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 7 of 15
McMurray said she had allocated $500,000 because she had felt the same way. She said that
the whole area needs reinvestment.
Drum said that the large commitment of private funding made him think that the addition of
CDBG dollars will probably make no difference in whether that project goes ahead or not.
Chappell said that he agreed that it might not make a difference with whether or not the project
goes ahead, but it will likely make a difference in whether the rents are affordable. Chappell
said that if the project moves ahead without any funding then it will move ahead on a scaled-
back basis and at a slower rate. Chappell said that the guarantee of affordability was important
to him. Hightshoe said that Southgate did apply a few years back in the hopes of moving to
homeownership, but was unable to proceed with the project. Staff was asked if there had been
any further discussions with Southgate regarding the allocation being in the form of a loan, and
Hightshoe said that staff has not been in negotiations with them. Hightshoe said that there were
a number of ways to structure the allocation that could be written into the recommendation.
Chappell asked if the Commission could do at least a conditional occupancy loan, which he
understood to mean that the allocation would be a grant until or unless the property is sold, at
which point the funds must be repaid. Chappell said that it sounds as though Southgate intends
to add this property to their portfolio and manage it into the foreseeable future, so he did not
think that such a structure would be problematic. It was pointed out that the pro forma indicates
that there will be an ability to begin repaying the money within a few years. McKay said that his
understanding of the prior week's discussions was that a loan would not be possible for
Southgate unless the entire allocation request was funded. He asked Glenn Siders of
Southgate Development to comment. Siders stated that the allocation request was for $1.2
million. He said that as the allocation amount decreases, so does the likelihood of getting all of
the necessary private financing for the project. Siders said that it would be more difficult to get
financing with a $1 million allocation as opposed to a $1.2 million allocation, and would become
quite difficult with an allocation of $500,000. McKay said this had been his hesitation in funding
the project; if the allocation amount was not sufficient for financing then the Commission would
have unnecessarily tied up funding that could have been allocated elsewhere. Chappell asked
Siders if a funding level of $600,000 would be sufficient to secure financing. Siders said he did
not think that would be sufficient. Chappell asked if there were any Commission members that
would consider funding at a significantly higher level than $600,000. Zimmermann Smith said
that she had funded the project at $900,000. She said that in the past year Southgate has been
an increasingly involved corporate citizen in that area, giving the police department space for a
substation and helping out the Neighborhood Center. She said they had been investing in a
neighborhood that really needs investment and they also pay property taxes in the area.
Zimmermann Smith said that she also fully funded the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson
County (NCJC) project, as she thinks investing in that area of town is a positive step in the right
direction. Drum said that he agreed with the idea of investing in that neighborhood, but was
concerned that the Commission had a limited amount of money to allocate and $900,000 was a
sizable chunk of it. Zimmermann Smith said that she did not think that some of the other
projects had the same kind of tax advantages for the city. She said that in a regular funding
cycle Southgate would never get that big of a chunk of money, and this special allocation
process is the only realistic chance to fund this project at that level. Chappell asked Siders how
many units would remain affordable under this project. Siders said that Southgate is indicating
that a minimum of 65 units would remain affordable. Chappell said that he felt like a guarantee
that 65 of the units would remain affordable was a pretty good indication that the other units
would also be close to the affordable range. Siders said that it was possible that more than 65
units would remain affordable; it depended on how many units they were able to acquire. Drum
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 8 of 15
asked what the probability of Southgate acquiring the 48 units was. Siders said that the
probability was very good that they could acquire 24 (they currently own 60 in the 108 unit
complex) relatively quickly. He said that HACAP owns nine units and he does not believe those
would be acquirable in the near future. Hart said that she had had similar thoughts about the
project as Zimmermann Smith in that this was probably the only time that HCDC could fund this
project. She said that the fact that Southgate can pay property taxes is a bonus, but is in no
way a contingency for her. Hart said she could fund as high as $900,000. Chappell said he
could as well.
McKay said that he was not convinced that was a good idea. Dragoo asked where the numbers
on median income came from, and whether the 80% figure was current or if it was projected for
after the project's completion. Siders said that he did not know the current income levels of the
residents. Zimmermann Smith asked if the Commission could make a recommendation to City
Council that was contingent on the developer and Council sitting down and negotiating payback
arrangements. She said she would support that if it would make others more comfortable with
the allocation. Chappell said that there is another funding round coming up in two months if
nothing can be worked out this round. Gatlin said he would not be able to support $900,000
unless it was in the form of a loan that would be paid back at some point. Drum said that
allocating such a large amount of money to this project would make it the main funding priority
for this round. Chappell said that there had some discussion about supporting one or two
bigger projects if they allowed for innovative funding that could not happen during a normal
funding cycle. Zimmermann Smith said that a couple of the applicants had been funded quite
well in the last round of funding. McKay said that he supported redevelopment in that area but
he was not sure that this much money should be allocated to the project. He said that if the
idea was that this project would be a long-term investment in Southgate's investment portfolio
then he did not understand the feasibility of the project. He said that he did not know how the
rents could be anything but targeted to low-to-moderate income in that area of town, and that
CDBG money was not necessarily required to keep those rents low. McKay said that to his
mind the goal of the project is not to lock in low rents but to make the project a good investment,
which should be a matter for the private sector.
Zimmermann Smith said that she thought the application made it clear that Southgate was
making a public pledge to improve that area, and asking for public help to do so. McKay said
that he just was not convinced that the City should be putting up money to bolster a private
investment. Chappell said that there will be a whole lot of money that will be allocated to
projects that are not likely to pay taxes and that are not likely to be related to private
businesses. He said that he had the same reaction as McKay initially, but that upon
consideration he had decided that the cost was worth the gain. He said he just did not see the
opportunity coming around again. Chappell noted that there were five Commissioners who
would support a preliminary allocation of $900,000 to the project with a conditional occupancy
loan or some other payback arrangement. Hart asked if it was correct that this project would go
forward with or without an HCDC allocation. Chappell said that his understanding was that in
order to gain control of the condominium association and direct that improvements be made
Southgate needs to acquire units to have a "super majority." Chappell said that his impression
is that Southgate does intend to do something with this project regardless of funding, but that it
might be much slower and significantly scaled back and would have no guarantee of
affordability. McKay said he just did not understand why the Commission has to allocate these
funds to guarantee affordability of these units; the market will dictate that. Zimmermann Smith
said that she disagreed; Southgate could go in and spend $5 million of their own money and
charge as much as they want for the units. McKay said that it did not sound like that was really
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
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PAGE 9 of 15
an option due to financing limitations. Chappell said that the best way to guarantee affordability
is to not rehab the property at all.
Hightshoe said that staff had discussed this property earlier in the day and had agreed that
good property management was the key to the success of a project like this. She said that she
understands the hesitancy to allocate funds to afor-profit development company, but noted that
the City really was trying to develop partnerships with public and private, for-profit and not-for-
profit entities. She said that there are property managers that do not check rental histories,
complete criminal background checks, maintain the property, or have items such as crime
addendums in their leases. A good property manager does these things and by ensuring good
property management it helps to ensure that large complexes such as this are good places to
live. She said that while staff was not making any funding recommendations, they did see that
aspect of the project as a bonus for the community.
Chappell asked if the Commission could move forward with a preliminary figure of $900,000
supported by five Commissioners, and then return to the subject if anyone changed their mind
or wanted to address the matter again. Dragoo asked McKay and Drum how long they believed
the area would remain affordable if Southgate went ahead with the project on their own. McKay
said that he did not know, but he did know what was going on in the market and what was
available and he did not think that Southgate would change the formula for success that they
have relied on thus far. McMurray said that she felt like the Commission had held similar
discussions last year regarding whether or not.Dolphin would remain affordable with or without
CDBG funding. She asked if Commissioners; felt this was a similar situation. Zimmermann
Smith said that she thought it was much different, and Chappell agreed. Zimmermann Smith
said that Southgate was along-time business in the community with a proven track record of
success. She said the fact that Southgate is putting up money of its own also makes a
difference. Drum said that the private financing is of importance to him. He said that he
believed that everyone could agree that all of the projects before the Commission were in some
way worthy of funding. Drum said that hearing what staff had to say about the project was
useful. Dragoo said that he wants to be sold on the project and the idea of a loan makes it
easier to swallow, but that $900,000 is still a lot of money. Zimmermann Smith asked if the
Commission could agree to just pencil the figure in and move on with the process, revisiting it as
needed; the Commission indicated agreement with that plan.
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County -Acquisition:
Gatlin noted that this project had a number of Commissioners that had supported full funding.
McMurray said that she had funded it low, but would be happy to fully fund it if the Commission
went that direction. Hart said she would be open to increasing her funding allocation. McKay
said that he advocated full funding for this project. He said that in many ways the operation had
shifted largely to a daycare facility and there were many other adult-related needs that needed
to be addressed. He said that having public access to computers to allow people to
successfully apply for jobs and increase computer skills is a vital need in that neighborhood.
Chappell said that he had not recommended any funding for the project, though he had not had
a problem with it. He said that he had simply recommended full funding for other projects and
had not had enough to allocate to NCJC, and would be happy to allocate as a consensus
wished. The Commission indicated a consensus to fully fund the project.
Habitat for Humanity -Acquisition:
Chappell said that he was very excited about this project because it seemed to be the most
unique and innovative; McMurray and Drum agreed. Hart and Zimmermann Smith indicated
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 10 of 15
that they had been impressed by the level of partnerships within the community that the project
had garnered. A consensus to fully fund this project was indicated.
City of Iowa City, Parks & Recreation - Park/Splash Pad:
Chappell said that he had fully funded this project, but that his support is conditioned upon the
splash pad being at a different site. Hightshae asked if Chappell wanted the splash pad at the
Chadek property rather than Fair Meadows. Several Commissioners noted that the Chadek
property had not been sold to the City. Chappell said that the idea that a park could be created
whole-cloth from the Chadek property and that an additional splash pad could be installed there
would be a great opportunity for the City. Chappell said that he was not that supportive of
funding the splash pad at the other site as it seemed odd to have two splash pads so close to
one another and it would be nice to spread them around. Zimmermann Smith said that she too
had fully funded the project but that she also had funded it conditional to the Chadek site. Drum
said that the ability to acquire the Chadek property was still uncertain. Chappell said that if the
City cannot acquire it then there will be more money next round. Dragoo asked if the
Commission really wanted to fund another splash pad after having just funded one. He said
there were so many other things they could do with the money, and the splash pad could always
be returned to at another time.
Chappell said he did want to fund another splash pad; he would like to see as many as four of
them in different parts of the city as they are wildly popular. Hart said that she remembered
initially thinking that the funding of the first splash pad was a misuse of money, as there were so
many other places that money could have gone. She said she would like to wait and see how
well funded some of the other projects that serve more dire or basic needs in the community
turn out to be before lending support to the splash pad. She said that she would be willing to
come back to it and consider funding it later. McKay said that he was also one who leaned
toward projects that focused on health, safety, job creation, and supportive services. He said he
sees this project as being more on the fringe of filling those needs. Zimmermann Smith said
that she agreed but that a lot of the public comments the Commission has received concern
recreation and things that families can do together. She said that she felt this was a good
opportunity to fund this kind of project. McKay said that was true, but that this was snot ayear-
round facility. Chappell said he disagreed with McKay because he believed it was a true quality
of life issue. He said that the splash pad would not take up the whole park, so the park would
be there year-round and public space was still being created in an area that could use it.
Chappell said that the City almost never gets the chance to create in-fill parks and that this is a
unique opportunity. Chappell said that the impact that recreational opportunities can have on
health, safety and welfare cannot be underestimated.
Gatlin said that he could be persuaded to fund the splash pad, but then he would not fund
Wetherby at all. Gatlin said that spending $1.4 million on Wetherby and a splash pad did not sit
well with him at all. He said that he had not funded either of them when he made his
allocations. Dragoo said that he understands that the current splash pad is great and is
popular, and he understands that Wetherby is going to be a great improvement to the facade of
the area; however, $1.4 million is just too much for him to spend in those two areas.
Zimmermann Smith asked if the splash pad was something that could be partially funded.
Moran said that the top priority would be the acquisition, and then the splash pad. Chappell
asked what percentage of the park would be taken up by the splash pad. Moran said that less
than a quarter of the available land would be used for a splash pad. Chappell noted that there
would then be some year-round recreation on that site. McMurray pointed out that the
Wetherby splash pad had been paid for in part through fundraising. Zimmermann Smith
suggested funding the purchase of the Chadek property this round and then Parks and
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 11 of 15
Recreation could come back in another funding cycle to apply for splash pad funding. McKay
said that he could support funding the land acquisition. Zimmermann Smith asked if people
would be agreeable to penciling in $280,000 for the acquisition of the Chadek property. The
Commission indicated a general consensus for doing so. Chappell asked if the City had ever
looked into flooding splash pads in the winter and using them for ice skating. Moran said that
they had done that in the past but there were safety concerns and operational concerns that
prohibited it as a general practice.
Arc of Southeast Iowa -Facility Rehabilitation:
McKay asked if Dragoo had a particular rationale for his allocation to this project. Dragoo said
that he had no particular reason other than trying to help as many people as possible with the
money. He said that he would definitely be willing to allocate something to the project.
McMurray indicated support for some level of funding. Dragoo asked if this was categorized as
a medium or high priority project, and Chappell said that it was a medium priority. Dragoo said
that was probably his rationale for his funding. level. Chappell said he was in favor of funding
the project. Hart said she would like to hear about several other projects before committing to
funding for this project. She said she had funded VNA, MECCA, the Crisis Center and
Community Mental Health and would like to know what others thoughts on those projects were.
Chappell said that funding was getting low enough that if there were projects that people felt
strongly about, they should speak up about them now.
Shelter House -Rental Rehabilitation:
McKay said that he thought the Shelter House rental rehabilitation project should be looked at.
Zimmermann Smith said that there seemed to be a consensus to fund that at $75,000.
Visiting Nurses Association -Acquisition:
McMurray said that she really liked this project. She said that while there was some duplication
of the type of services offered by the Free Medical Clinic, there was a need for these services in
the community. Zimmermann Smith said that she thought it was a good idea for a project, but
she did not feel like the planning for it was at a concrete enough stage to allocate that amount of
funding. Chappell said that he had no concerns about the project or the organization; he had
simply run out of money. He said that if this project comes back before him he will likely support
it. Dragoo said that it is difficult for him to justify the $1.2 million allocated to Wetherby and the
Chadek property when there are so many other worthy projects that could be funded.
Zimmermann Smith said that the same can be said of any funding cycle; there are always
worthy projects left unfunded. Dragoo said that the issue for him was that very few projects had
been funded at all. He said that allocating so .much money to so few projects just does not sit
well with him. McMurray asked Gatlin about his $500,000 allocation to the VNA. Gatlin said
that he looked at projects that provided safety, security and services to the community. McKay
said that he felt this project was a proactive way of dealing with the waves of uninsured people
that are seeking medical attention. He said there are 10,000 uninsured individuals in Johnson
County right now and depending on how healthcare reform shakes out there may be more in the
near future. McKay asked Novotny if there was a lesser amount that could keep the project
alive. Chappell said that his only concern about the project was that there was no site.
Zimmermann Smith said she would be willing to fund the project at $200,000-$210,000. McKay
said that he would be comfortable with that allocation amount to move the project forward.
Novotny said that they are actually negotiating for sites presently. Dragoo said he would like to
see that partnership with the University come to fruition.
Crisis Center -Facility Rehabilitation and Free Medical Clinic -Facility Rehabilitation:
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NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 12 of 15
McKay asked if there were any other projects that had not been discussed that Commissioners
had strong feelings about. Hart said she would like to discuss the Community Mental Health
Center and the Crisis Center, as those were both accessibility issues. She noted that there was
always a need for more affordable rental housing so she was glad to see that as a focus this
funding round. Zimmermann Smith asked how much money was left if the Free Medical Clinic
project was funded. Long said that $50,000 would be left. Dragoo said that he feels strongly
about funding the Crisis Center for at least $50,000. Zimmermann Smith asked if anyone felt
strongly about not funding the Crisis Center at $50,000, and there were no objections. Chappell
asked if a decision on the funding for the Free Medical Clinic had been made yet. Zimmermann
Smith she believed a consensus had been reached to fund that at $175,000.
Chappell asked Long to quickly recap what had been allocated.
The allocations were as follows:
City of Iowa City, Parks and Recreation -Park Acquisition: $280,000
Crisis Center -Facility Rehabilitation: $50,000
Free Medical Clinic -Facility Rehabilitation: $175,000
Habitat for Humanity -Acquisition: $295,000
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County -Acquisition: $395,000
Visiting Nurse Association -Acquisition: $200,000
ISIS Investments LLC -Rental Housing: $20,000
Shelter House -Rental Rehabilitation: $75,000
Wetherby Condos South LLC -Rental Housing: $900,000
McKay suggested discussions return to Wetherby. Hart asked what would be funded with the
money if the Wetherby allocation were reduced or eliminated. Gatlin said that he would fund
The Housing Fellowship. Hart said she would also fund The Housing Fellowship, as well as
Community Mental Health. McMurray said she would like to see the Visiting Nurse Association
and The Housing Fellowship funded.
Zimmermann Smith asked for clarification on whether there were limits on the amount of funding
that can be allocated to public facilities in a regular funding cycle, because if there were, the
Commission might want to focus on public faclities this round. Gatlin asked staff how many
projects they honestly felt they could handle. Hightshoe stated the City had a unique
opportunity to make a great impact with these funds. Hightshoe stated, in her opinion, fewer
projects that make a large impact is a good way to go with a one time funding opportunity.
Hightshoe said she does not mind funding fewer applicants because the FY12 funding process
comes right on the heels of this process. Zimmermann Smith said that the Commission has
seen The Housing Fellowship apply before and will see them apply again, but she did not know
if the Wetherby project could realistically be funded at any other time. Dragoo noted that
Zimmermann Smith had mentioned the corporate citizenship of Southgate as a motivation for
funding them; he said that The Housing Fellowship also had a relationship with the City as a
good non-profit citizen and had worked with the City for years.
Hightshoe noted that the Public Facilities allocations will move forward in January 2011.
However, because the City Council has not yet formulated its site location policy, the Housing
projects will have to wait until City Council formalizes its policy.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
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Chappell said that he is supportive of the work The Housing Fellowship does, and that he
expects that they will be back in two months with another application and that they will quite
likely receive some level of funding for it. Chappell said that he feels Wetherby was a different
and unique opportunity, and that was something that weighed heavily on his mind in making his
recommendations. He said it is easier for him to make a stretch on Wetherby and the splash
pad because this kind of opportunity will not come around again. Zimmermann Smith said she
likes the current breakdown of the allocations because there is a big impact made by the
projects funded. Gatlin said he cannot support Wetherby if The Housing Fellowship is left
unfunded. Drum said he is likewise inclined toward The Housing Fellowship rental project than
the Wetherby project. Zimmermann Smith said that the Wetherby project is also a rental
project. Gatlin said that he is just more comfortable giving The Housing Fellowship $465,000
than he is giving Wetherby $900,000, even knowing that Wetherby will one day be repaid.
Chappell noted that the Wetherby project will also pay taxes. Drum said that he did not want
the ability to pay taxes to be a condition of funding. Chappell said he was not looking at that
exclusively; he was just noting that there were any number of funded projects that would not be
paying any taxes. Zimmermann Smith noted that Isis was the only other tax-paying entity to be
funded.
Dragoo said that he supported neither Wetherby nor The Housing Fellowship; he had found the
total per unit cost to be too high for The Housing Fellowship project. Zimmermann Smith said
that this was money that would not be available again and she wanted to see it go for something
unique. Chappell said that Wetherby could not be funded at $900,000 in two months when the
next funding cycle came around because that would take the whole funding allocation.
Zimmermann Smith said that if the City does not invest in the project it will not have any input as
to whether or not the units are affordable. Chappell asked if there was a coalition of the willing
on the matter. Drum said that The Housing Fellowship cost per bedroom is $49,000 whereas
the Wetherby project has a cost of $5,000 per bedroom. Hart said she was persuadable either
way. She said that she had liked the Wetherby project as a one-shot deal to do something
worthwhile; on the other hand, there are a number of other worthy projects. Dragoo said that he
could be persuaded to fund Wetherby, though he preferred to fund Public Facilities. McMurray
said she was fine with the current breakdown. Drum said that there appeared to be a majority
willing to fund Wetherby at $900,000. McKay said that he could live with it as this did represent
a one-time chance, which was what the Commission had hoped to do from the get go. He said
there had been good discussion on the matter. McKay said that he did think there would be
another opportunity to fund some of the projects in two months.
Dragoo asked if they could discuss terms of the Wetherby financing with staff. Hightshoe said
that is usually worked out with the assistance of the Legal Department. Long said that if the
Commission was comfortable they could suggest terms. Zimmermann Smith said that staff was
aware of the Commission's wishes regarding the repayment of the funds. Hightshoe said that
there will be negotiations with the applicant and then recommended terms will go to the City
Council for approval.
Long recommended that the Commission provide a justification memo to the City Council
regarding the funding recommendations they were making. Zimmermann Smith, Dragoo and
Gatlin offered to create the justification memo.
Chappell noted that there were no projects he felt unworthy of funding; there simply is never
enough money to go around. Zimmermann Smith noted that there were also a few that had
received substantial funding in the last round, and would likely receive additional funding in the
next one.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
PAGE 14 of 15
Chappell moved to accept the funding recommendations per discussions.
Zimmermann Smith seconded.
The motion carried 8-0.
ADJOURNMENT:
Dragoo moved to adjourn.
Drum seconded.
The motion was approved 8-0.
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FINAL/APPROVED
POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD -
MINUTES -December 14, 2010 4b 4
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Donald King called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Melissa Jensen, Peter Jochimsen, Royceann Porter, Joseph Treloar
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Staff Catherine Pugh (5:38) and Kellie Tuttle
OTHERS PRESENT: Captain Wyss of the ICPD; Caroline Dieterle public
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
Accept PCRB Community Forum Summary
INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBER
King introduced Melissa Jensen.
CONSENT
CALENDAR Motion by Porter and seconded by Jochimsen to adopt the consent calendar as
presented or amended.
• Minutes of the meeting on 11/01/10
• Minutes of the meeting on 11/09/10
• ICPD Use of Force Report -May 2010
• ICPD Use of Force Report -June 2010
• ICPD Department Memo #10-29 (May-June Use of Force Review)
• ICPD Use of Force Report -July 2010
• ICPD Use of Force Report -August 2010
• ICPD Department Memo #10-35 (July-Aug Use of Force Review)
• ICPD Memo -Quarterly Summary Report (Quarter 3) - IAIR/PCRB, 2010
• ICPD P.A.U.L.A. Report -October 2010
• ICPD Public Notice
• ICPD 14th Annual Police Citizen's Police Academy
Motion carried, 5/0.
OLD BUSINESS Community Forum -Members reviewed the draft of the forum summary
prepared by Treloar and Jochimsen and made minor changes. Jochimsen
suggested at the next forum that the Board explain in more detail the process the
Board goes through in reviewing complaints and the information collected by the
investigators that the Board reviews. He also thought it would be helpful for the
public to know that many of the interactions that police have with the public when
a stop is made have audio and video of the incident.
Motion by Porter, seconded by Jochimsen to approve the amended draft and
forward to Council.
Motion carried, 5/0.
PCRB
December 14, 2010
Page 2
NEW BUSINESS The Board requested that the Comprehensive Review of PCRB Ordinance, By-
laws, SOP's be added back onto the agenda for January.
Treloar expressed interest in attending the Citizens Police Academy and asked if
forms are available.
Treloar referenced the Use of Force reports and when there is a call for an
injured deer if the police department has a call list of people to come claim it for
processing. Wyss stated that the department used to have a list but he was
uncertain if the Joint Emergency Communications Center kept a list or not. Wyss
said he would try and find out.
PUBLIC
DISCUSSION Dieterle thanked the Board for holding the forum. Jochimsen asked if she
thought there was a way to have better attendance. She thought that working
with the neighborhood organization and having childcare provided would
increase attendance. Dieterle also informed that Board that they should be
receiving a letter from some members of the ACLU regarding the forum and their
suggestions.
BOARD
INFORMATION None.
STAFF
INFORMATION Tuttle informed the Board that Council had scheduled a budget work session
addressing the FY12 budget in January. In the past the Board has not scheduled
a time to address Council. PCRB has a limited budget (approx. $3,700) in which
the majority is reserved for legal counsel.
EXECUTIVE
SESSION Not needed.
TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE and FUTURE AGENDAS (subject to change)
• January 11, 2011, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm
• February 8, 2011, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm
• March 8, 2011, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm
• April 12, 2011, 5:30 PM, Lobby Conference Rm
ADJOURNMENT Motion for adjournment by Porter, seconded by Jensen.
Motion carried, 5/0. Meeting adjourned at 5:58 P.M.
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POLICE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD
A Board of the City of Iowa City
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City IA 52240-1826
(319)356-5041
December 14, 2010
Iowa City City Council
City of Iowa City
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA 52240
Re: November 9, 2010 Police Citizen Review Board Community Forum
To Whom It May Concern:
The Police Citizens Review Community Forum was held at The Spot on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at
7:00 p.m. Board Members Present: Treloar, Jochimsen, Porter. Board Members Absent: King. Staff
Members Present: Pugh, Tuttle. There were a total of 12 persons in attendance, exclusive of Board
members and the event was taped for rebroadcast on City Channel 4.
Treloar introduced the Board, and read the PCRB brochure which is handed out with complaint forms.
A motion was made by Porter and seconded by Jochimsen to "Accept Correspondence and/or
Documents." The motion passed.
Treloar noted that the Board had received one article of correspondence and read the following a-mail,
but excluded the a-mail address of the sender of the a-mail:
In light of the fact that it's likely that the students will vote in large numbers to allow those
under 21 to be in the bars after 10:00 P.M., and in light of that fact that bar owners suggested
that a better way to handle the problem is to conduct more regular sting operations, will the
police department conduct frequent sting operations on all of the bars. As a citizen I hope so. I
hope that the youth and the bar owners all get the message Iowa City's going to enforce the
law, and if you're drinking you're going to get arrested. If you're serving persons illegally you're
going to get shut down.
Treloar said that the Board did speak with a representative from the Police Department and they were
told that it was the Police Departments policy to make checks on all bars in Iowa City. They make more
frequent checks on bars where there are problems. All bars, however, are checked as this establishes
good working relationships between the bars and the police and maintains security for bar owners as
well as the public.
Peter Hanson asked what the time commitment was to Board members of the PCRB. He also inquired
about statistics such as how many complaints the Board received last year, and of those complaints,
how many were sustained and not sustained. Treloar responded that the Board meets monthly and
more often when necessary. He said that meetings can be as short as half an hour and have gone as
long as three hours. Treloar was asked how much the board was paid by an audience member. He
responded that it was a voluntary position without pay.
Jochimsen responded to Hanson's question by referring to an article in the Press-Citizen which said that
the Board had received four complaints in fiscal year 2010, nine in fiscal year 2009, six in fiscal year
2008, and four in 2007.
Hanson asked if most complaints were rejected or not. He questioned if people would start asking
themselves what the point of making a complaint was since so few were sustained.
Jochimsen spoke to how there are often several allegations in a complaint and it is not the case that
they are all "simply a yeah or a nay". Jochimsen spoke to how some complaints result in having
educational aspects for officers involved. No tally has been compiled of the number sustained or not
sustained.
Caroline Dieterle commented how since the Board has been formed there has been an improvement.
Dieterle said that is was not so much a case of how many complaints were sustained or not sustained
but the fact that the Board existed was beneficial. Dieterle said that the Police Chief had told her at one
point that because of Board, the force was better for us being there. Dieterle thanked the Board for
their work.
Henry Harper commented that he worked with youth in Iowa City and wanted to commend the Police
Department for their being more willing to work with youth, rather than just file charges against them.
He hoped that it could be part of the process that when the police do well the Board could reflect on
this too, rather than just on complaints.
Sue Freeman commented on the structure of the complaint process. Freeman expressed concern that
some people would not want to meet with the Police Chief as part of the complaint process. Freeman
felt people may feel intimidated by this and be hesitant to want to file a complaint. Freeman was also
concerned about people with poor literacy skills being able to make complaints. Freeman wondered if a
citizen could make a complaint to someone other than the police department. Treloar told her that
citizens could make a complaint directly to the PCRB and that it would still go through the same process.
Freeman questioned the process of reviewing complaints.
Pugh pointed out that the Board does not determine the way a complaint is reviewed and that that is
determined in the city ordinance. Pugh also spoke to how other boards function independently and
differently than the Iowa City Board. Pugh commented how the police do everything they can to try and
make meeting with complainants from the community comfortable and non-confrontational. Pugh also
spoke to how the police want to investigate complaints to make sure that if there are problems, they are
solved.
Treloar spoke to the moving of the forum from City Hall into the community to make it a less
intimidating environment.
lochimsen commented on how every use of force is recorded and sent to the Board for review and that
these records are very open. Jochimsen said that the whole citizenry is protected by this process.
Dieterle asked for clarification that a person could file their compliant directly with the Board and would
not have to also file it with the police department. Dieterle wondered if this could be better
communicated to the people who go to the police department first.
Pugh pointed out that when a person goes to the police department to complain, that they are handed
both forms. One from the police and one from the PCRB. Dieterle said that this was a good change.
Hanson asked if a person witnessed inappropriate behavior by a police officer and they filed a
complaint, if they would have to meet with the Chief or a supervisor or someone from the police
department. Would they have to be interrogated or interviewed.
Pugh responded that there would be additional investigation into the complaint and that a witness
would be asked about what they witnessed either by phone, or in person.
Hansen thought that the unevenness of power could be intimidating for the complainant.
Pugh pointed out that an investigation needed to be done into the allegation of misconduct, questions
would need to be asked and information collected.
Hansen wondered if a written query could be submitted to the witness. Pugh said that had never been
suggested before and so she did not know how to respond.
Treloar spoke to how a complainant could seek assistance from a friend or clergy person by someone
with literacy issues and that this was in the brochure. The intent was to make sure that literacy issues
did not keep someone from being able to file a complaint. Hansen thought people should be made
aware that they could bring someone with them to assist them in an interview with police so they would
not feel so intimidated. Treloar suggested that the Board look into doing this.
Dieterle had a question on how discretionary enforcement of laws was decided. Specifically, the
example of jay walking was listed, or the presence of a "groper" who atone time was practicing in an
area of the City. The enforcement is one encouraged by the City Manager, to whom the Chief of Police
reports, who instructs the Police as to where, when, and to what degree enforcement if carried out. It
was pointed out the Board has other duties other that dealing with complaints. The Board serves as a
buffer to make recommendations tothe Department concerning Police policies, procedures, and
general orders to make them easily understood by the citizens. Pugh spoke to how the Board reviews
and comments on SOPS and general orders.
Treloar said that the Board was always enlisting the public's assistance. The police policies are all posted
on line and the public is welcome and encouraged to come to Board meetings with concerns or
comments they may have.
Dieterle wondered if there was information available to the public about when the police responded to
a call such as having a disorderly house, and only issued a warning. Jochimsen said that this information
must be available as the radio stations get it.
Treloar gave closing comments about how the police department took several measures to be
transparent and monitor their officers, how this is the only Police Citizen's Review Board in the state and
that the community should be commended for this.
There being no further questions, it was moved by Jochimsen, seconded by Porter, to adjourn, at
7:45P.M. The motion passed unanimously, 3-0.
The PCRB is available to discuss any of the foregoing, should the City Council wish.
Sincerely,
IL-l
a ~ / r2 /C)CL ,~
Joe Treloar, Vice Chair
Police Citizens Review Board
cc: Chief Sam Hargadine, tCPD
4b 5
MINUTES APPROVED
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
DECEMBER 9, 2010
LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM
MEMBERS PRESENT: Kent Ackerson, Esther Baker, Thomas Baldridge, Andrew Litton, David
McMahon, Pam Michaud, Ginalie Swaim, Dana Thomann, Alicia Trimble, Frank
Wagner
MEMBERS ABSENT: William Downing
STAFF PRESENT: Christina Kuecker
OTHERS PRESENT: Scott Cray, Richard Holmes
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action)
None.
CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Trimble called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA:
There was none.
CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS:
Paul Helen Building -.207-15 East Washington Street.
Kuecker said this is an application for a window replacement for the Paul-Helen Building. She said the
owner would like to replace the windows in the building with historically accurate aluminum painted
windows. Kuecker said the storefronts and doors would not be included.
Kuecker stated that a lot of the upper story windows that are wood look like historic windows, but they are
not the original windows. She said that the nomination form for the National Register says that the original
windows were likely metal and were likely replaced in the 1980s.
Kuecker said the owners would like to reuse metal windows that replicate the windows that are shown in
the historic photographs. She said that when a photograph detail cannot be made out, the owners will
use the existing windows as a guide, which are very similar to the style guide.
Kuecker said the guidelines recommend removing non-historic alterations to a building and replacing
them with historically appropriate materials. She added that the guidelines state that metal windows are
not allowed unless they are original to the building. Kuecker said that because the applicant has provided
evidence that the original windows were metal and the proposed windows will match the historic windows,
staff believes it is appropriate and qualifies for the exception to the guidelines.
Kuecker said staff believes that the window replacement will have minimal impact on the historic integrity
and is recommending approval. She said that some members in the Planning Department recall that this
building may have received tax credits when it was restored in the 1980s and want to make sure that if
there is any statute of limitations that this will not cause any problems. Kuecker said therefore she has
forwarded this on to the State Historic Preservation Office for review, but she has not yet heard from that
office.
Kuecker said staff recommends approval as presented with the conditions that there is determination of
the State Historic Preservation Office level of review, and approval, if necessary; and that the new
windows retain the details, proportion, size, sash width, trim, and overall appearance of the historic
windows. She added that there are several historic photographs in the Commission's packet, as well as
the National Register nomination form.
Historic Preservation Commission
December 9, 2010
Page 2
Cray said he only wanted to clarify that it is really all of the second and third floor windows that are kind of
shot. He said they are not opening and closing properly, many of them have broken mechanisms, and the
ones on the front have a lot of rotted wood.
Cray said the photographs don't show it, but there are windows on the side facing the pedestrian mall that
were put in after the adjacent building was torn down. He said they don't know how old those are, but
they are definitely bronze-colored metal windows, as are the ones that face the alley. Cray said, they are
planning to replace all of these windows over some period of time, not necessarily all in the same year.
Baldridge asked what is wrong with the metal windows on the west. Cray said that Marv's Glass and
Knebel Windows have been out for numerous service calls, because the windows don't open or close
properly. He said the window companies have basically said that the mechanism is shot, parts are
unavailable, and there is nothing more they can do. Cray said they have basically stated that whoever
owned the building at the time bought the lowest-cost windows possible. He said they now want to
replace them with something that looks right considering the historic nature of the building and something
that is a quality window and hopefully pick up a little energy efficiency in the process.
Michaud asked if the new windows would be double paned glass. Cray confirmed this.
Swaim said that on the second floor, it seems like each square is equal to the next one and the top is
narrower. Cray said that both the bottom and the middle sections open, but the upper piece is a fixed
piece of glass; it does not open He said that it is the whole casing that will have to come out and have a
new casing put in a new window. Cray said the intent would be to put in exactly what is there now with an
upper and lower portion that open and a fixed top portion, kind of a transom piece, that does not open.
Baldridge asked if that is true on both the second and third floors. Cray said that is true of both the
second and third floors in the front. He said that the very top section, roughly 25% of the height of the
window, does not open.
Baldridge asked if this was going to be painted aluminum. Cray responded that he would think it would be
a dark brown color, as the storefronts are all that dark bronze color. He said that is what is on the side
and the back now. Cray said that they would replicate that, unless they are instructed otherwise, to match
the storefronts' colors.
Kuecker said that Marv's Glass had indicated that the windows would have a dark finish. She was not
certain if he said they would be painted. Baldridge said that aluminum really does not like to hold paint.
Kuecker said that maybe Marv's was saying they are paintable but have a finish on them.
Baldridge asked if the Commission needs to specify anything about the surface finish in terms of its
approval. Wagner said he would say yes, because the appearance of the thing was a dark window frame.
Kuecker said the owner has indicated that the window frames would be dark, but the Commission could
make that a condition of its approval. She said the application states that the windows will be painted
black. Kuecker stated that whether that is a painting or a finish, Staff doesn't really care one way or the
other.
Baldridge said that for the betterment of the building, it would be advisable to have something that will
last. Cray agreed and said that he does not want to do this again in his lifetime.
MOTION: Baldridge moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the application for the
Paul-Helen Building at 207-15 East Washington Street as presented in the application, with the
following conditions: that the new windows retain the details, proportion, size, sash width, trim,
and overall appearance of the historic windows, meaning that they will be dark; and determination
of the State Historic Preservation Office level of review, and approval, if necessary, prior to the
issuance of the building permit. McMahon seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of
10-0 (Downing absent).
Swaim said there was some concern that dark might be too vague of a term.
Historic Preservation Commission
December 9, 2010
Page 3
AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION: Baker moved to amend the motion to include a specification
that the new windows be either black or dark brown. Swaim seconded the amendment. The
amendment carried on a vote of 10-0 (Downing absent).
AMENDED MAIN MOTION: The motion as amended carried on a vote of 10-0 (Downing absent).
Consideration of Pre-Approved Item.
Ramps. Kuecker said that at its last meeting, the ,Commission considered a temporary ramp, and it was
suggested that it be made apre-approved item. She said staff is therefore recommending approving new,
temporary ramp construction as apre-approved item eligible for a Minor Review if the following conditions
are met: the new ramp is constructed without footings in order to emphasize the temporary nature of the
ramp and to facilitate removal after the ramp is no longer needed; the ramp being removed once it is no
longer needed; the ramp being placed on a side or rear door if possible.
Swaim asked how temporary is being defined. Kuecker said that the nature of the structure having no
footings would make it a temporary ramp. She said it would depend on the need of the person living
there, but a temporary ramp would have no footings.
Swaim asked if that means the ramp is removed when the person with the need for it no longer lives in
the house and by what kind of process is that being monitored. Kuecker replied that only three temporary
ramps have been installed; she said it is something she will just have to keep track of.
Trimble said the Commission is not requiring that the homeowner demonstrate proof of a need for a
ramp. Ackerson said that it is somewhat subjective.
Baldridge asked if it would be beneficial to include language regarding whether there is a change in the
situation or the inhabitants. Kuecker said the ramps that have been installed have either been rental
ramps or loaned to the users, so that is another reason the ramps will be removed. Michaud said that
may not always be the case. She suggested including language in the motion to call for a review at
certain time intervals.
Trimble said that it would be like any another Code violation if the ramp was there, but the owners or
occupants weren't there anymore. She said that otherwise the Commission will be renewing someone's
ramp every few years.
Ackerson said the fact that this is being discussed as a' temporary ramp says to him that it is coming out.
He said that if the Commission does not have the mechanism to make certain the ramp comes out, it
should not start talking about a temporary ramp that is not.
Ackerson said that the ramp the Commission considered at its last meeting was a kind of pre-built
structure consisting of a couple of sections that will just come out when no longer needed. Baker added
that the nature of the ramp, in that it does not have footings, makes it something that a person is not
going to want to keep there unless he or she needs it. She said that if someone is permanently
handicapped and is going to need a ramp for more than a year or two, he would want to construct a ramp
that has footings and will have to come before the Commission for approval.
MOTION: Baker moved to approve new temporary ramp construction as apre-approved item
eligible for a Minor Review if the following conditions are met: the new ramp is constructed
without footings in order to emphasize the temporary nature of the ramp and to facilitate removal
after the ramp is no longer needed; the ramp being removed once it is no longer needed; and the
ramp being placed on a side or rear door if possible. McMahon seconded the motion. The motion
carried on a vote of 10-0 (Downing absent).
UPDATE ON CITY HIGH CUPOLA.
Kuecker said the Commission's packet includes the letter that the Chair and staff wrote to the State
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) as well as~ the response from SHPO and the school district
Historic Preservation Commission
December 9, 2010
Page 4
superintendent. She said that apparently the cellular antennae are coming down, because they were not
constructed as approved.
Baker asked what would happen with the chunks of wood that are missing. Kuecker said they will be
replaced. She said that as she understands it, if AT&T doesn't do it, the School District will contract for
the replacement and charge AT&T for it.
CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR NOVEMBER 10. 2010:
Thomann said that the meeting was not in Harvat Hall so that the location should be corrected.
MOTION: McMahon moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's November
10, 2010 meeting, as amended. Ackerson seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0
(Downing absent).
OTHER:
There was none.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte
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MINUTES
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
November 16, 2010
LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL
APPROVED
4b(6)
Members Present: Dianne Day, Martha Lubaroff, Howard Cowen, Harry Olmstead,
Connie Goeb, Dell Briggs, Wangui Gathua.
Members Absent: Corey Stoglin, Yolanda Spears.
Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council action): No.
CALL TO ORDER
Briggs called the meeting to order at 18:02.
PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: No.
CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE October 19, 2010 MEETING:
Day, moved to approve.
Olmstead seconded.
The motion passed 5-0. (Cowen 8< Gathua not present for the vote)
DECEMBER MEETING
Commissioners decided to keep the meeting date for December 21st. Bowers will notify in advance if the
meeting will lack a quorum.
HUMAN RIGHTS BREAKFAST REPORT
Briggs commented on how well the Breakfast went this year. Goeb added that all the honorees were well
deserving of the recognition.
SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES
Day (Gathua, Goeb) reported that the Community Dialogues training will be held in December with kickoff
planned for January. Lubaroff (Spears, Olmstead) reported that the bullying program will be planned for early in
2011 when the new Commissioners have been seated. Briggs (Cowen, Stoglin) will contact Stoglin through
email to see what if any plans he has for any programs.
REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS
Olmstead reported on a Community Mental Health and Disability Services Forum being held on November 23rd
at the County Building. Day reported the City Council plans to discuss Sanctuary City at a January work
session. Gathua has been offered and accepted a position in South Dakota. Day and Goeb attended the
Harvesting Dignity Program and felt it was informative. Goeb attended a program entitled Islamphobia and
thought it was well attended.
ADJOURNMENT
Olmstead moved to adjourn.
Briggs seconded.
The motion passed 7-0 at 18:32
Human Rights Commission
November 16, 2010
Page 2
Human Rights Commission
ATTENDANCE RECORD
2010
IMeetina Date)
NAME TERM
EXP.
1/19
2/16
3/16
4/20
5/18
6/15
7/20
8/17
9/21
10/19
11/16
12/21
Dell Briggs 1/1/11 X X O/E X X X X O/E X O/E X
Yolanda
Spears 1/1/11 X O/E X X O/E O/E X O/E X X O/E
Corey
Stoglin 1/1/11 O/E O/E X O/E X O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E O/E
Dianne Day 1/1/12 X X X O/E X X O/E X X X X
Wangui
Gathua 1/1/12 X O/E O/E X X X X X X O/E X
Martha
Lubaroff 1/1/12 X X X X X O/E X X X X X
Howard
Cowen 1/1/13 X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X
Constance
Goeb 1/1/13 X O/E X X X X X X X X X
Fernando
Mena-
Carrasco 1/1/13 X X O/E X X X O/E R R R R R
Harry
Olmstead
(8-1-2010) 1/1/13 - - - - - - - X X X X
KEY:
X = Present
O = Absent
O/E = Absent/Excused
NM = No meeting/No Quorum
R =Resigned
- = Not a Member