HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-04-18 TranscriptionApril 18, 2011 City Council Regular Work Session Page 1
Council Present:
Bailey, Champion, Dickens, Hayek, Mims, Wright, Wilburn (arrived at
5:35 P.M.)
Staff Present: Markus, Helling, Davidson, Dilkes, Karr, Fosse, O'Brien, O'Malley,
Morris, Boothroy, Wyss, Moran, Grier, Ream, Goodman, Hargadine,
Mansfield
Others Present: Higgins, UISG
Planning and Zoning Matters:
Hayek/ Okay, why don't we get started with tonight's work session. Welcome to everyone, uh,
in the audience. First, uh, bullet point is Planning and Zoning items e, f, and g (noises on
mic).
ITEM 5. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
e) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING PRELIMINARY AND
FINAL PLAT OF EPS FIRST ADDITION (A SUBDIVISION OF A
PORTION OF LOT 19, HIGHLANDER DEVELOPMENT FIRST
ADDITION), IOWA CITY, IOWA. (DEFERRED FROM 3/22 AND 4/5)
f) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT OF
TERRA VERDE, IOWA CITY, IOWA. (SUB11-00004)
g) CONSIDER A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY AND
FINAL PLAT OF MACKINAW VILLAGE PART 3, IOWA CITY, IOWA.
(SUB 10-00014/SUB 10-00015)
Davidson/ Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'm Jeff Davidson, the Director of Planning and Community
Development for the City. We have three plats, uh, this evening. Uh, the first one is one
that should be familiar to you. It is the...uh, Highlander First Addition, uh, we're
basically creating a new lot, uh, for Eye Physicians and Surgeons, uh, the applicant. And
we have been through this one before. Is there anything you would like me to go back
through or highlight? It's just been deferred a couple of meetings. My understanding,
Eleanor, is that it is ready now, or have we heard back? We believe it is ready. So, we're
creating one new lot, um, for a potential building site. Is there anything more you'd like
me to go through on this one? Okay. Uh, the second one is also a project that you have
seen. You have approved the preliminary plat. This is the final plat of Terra Verde
Subdivision. Just to refresh your memory, it is at the intersection of Muscatine Avenue
and Scott Boulevard, uh, here's Ralston Creek, Scott Park is here, and you will recall, this
is what the subdivision looks like, uh, there are three multi-family lots here...I don't
remember if we...nope, um, if you remember there was a specific arrangement of
buildings on these three multi-family lots, and the parking was one thing that we, um,
considered very carefully because of the lack of other opportunities, other than Terrence
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Lane here, um...and then the remainder of the subdivision here was single-family lots,
and eventually Terrence Lane would be extended back down to Muscatine Avenue.
There are three private residences, one here, one here, and one here, uh, we did negotiate
with the, uh, applicant to have the sidewalk on the north side of Muscatine Avenue
extended from Scott Boulevard...this is the only piece that the subdivider had...actually
had an obligation to construct, but we negotiated and were able to get them to extend it
over to the existing sidewalk here at Juniper Drive. Uh, there's a couple of outlots, one
provides access over to Scott Boulevard sidewalk. Another one down to an outlot here
that is adjacent to the creek. It could provide, uh, access for persons in the subdivision to
the creek, uh, and there is not a bridge over the creek, but eventually there could be, to tie
in with the Court Hill Trail, uh, that you see here on the other side of the creek. So, any,
uh, questions or comments about this subdivision? You're being asked to approve the
final plat, which will set where the lot lines occur and allow lots to be sold.
Hayek/ Jeff, I'11...I'll recuse myself tomorrow night on this. Someone in my office did some
work on this so...
Davidson/ Okay.
Hayek/ ...be sure to do that.
Davidson/ Sounds good, Mr. Mayor! Uh, the final project, the...you have not seen, and this is
both the preliminary and...well, I take that back. You...you kind of saw it, those of you
who were here three years ago might have seen it. Uh, this is a preliminary and final plat
of Mackinaw Village, Part 3, uh, and in fact it is a slight re-platting of Part 3. Um...this
is an application from Craig Haesemeyer, uh, a preliminary and final plat. It is a 13-lot
subdivision, including 12 lots with townhomes, and one with amulti-family building. It
is 7.89 acres. You can see here where it's located, to orient you...uh, the principle access
is via Foster Road, uh, there's a collector street here, Mackinaw Drive, uh, Interstate 80 is
at the top, uh, of the page here. Um...and as I mentioned, this was a, uh, a...in 2004, uh,
this area was, uh, zoned and platted OPD-5, um, and the...the final plats of Part 1 and of
Part 2, which were 84 of 115 lots, uh, were completed; however, the final plat for Part 3,
which is what you have before you, uh, this evening has expired and needs to be, uh,
replatted. Uh, the slight complication in this, and you may recall we've had a couple of
these, is that in 2008, uh, we modified some subdivision regulations, and so there's
always a question with a replatting of can you, basically, make the new regulations fit in,
and the...the principle ones that seem to come up, and they come up with this one, are
the...the local street width, uh, size, which went from 50-feet to 60-feet, and the sidewalk
size, which went from 4-feet wide to 5-feet wide, and what we have worked out with the
developer, and has been approved by the, uh, Planning and Zoning Commission is that
the...the streets which are already partially constructed should be finished according to
the old requirements, um, there are a host of things that can cause confusion when you
change, uh, a dimensional requirement like that in the middle of a street. Uh, so we are
going to allow those to be completed, the ones that have been started, uh, the one
exception is Algonquin Road here, which will be a collector street. You can see it
stubbed at the top of the subdivision here. Eventually will extend into the property to the
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north, uh, and I don't think I brought...no, I didn't, um, there is a...a large...the overall
concept for this area is that Laura Drive, which is at the very eastern portion of the
Peninsula, will eventually extend through what we anticipate this happening when the,
uh, the trailer park and the, um, Ahren property, which has been for sale for some time, is
subdivided, uh, then Laura Drive will be extended through it, and we want it to hook up
with Mackinaw subdivision, and so we've got a number of stubbed streets. You can see
Flint Drive...actually this one kind of shows it! Here's Flint Drive, uh...Laura Drive
would come through somewhere in this area here, and eventually hook in with Flint
Drive. Algonquin Road would also come up and intersect it. So because Algonquin
Road is...is more of a collector-type street, at least it's a higher functional class than
Arch Rock Road or Mission Point Road. These are the two roads here that are partially
constructed. You can see with the other subdivision, those will be allowed to be
completed over to Algonquin Road, uh, with the old subdivision standards. However,
Algonquin at Mission Point Road...right here at this intersection, will transition then to
the wider, slightly wider, street and slightly wider sidewalk, so that we can get those new,
uh, dimensional requirements established in the remainder of the area to the north.
Um...otherwise we feel, as we did in 2004, that this subdivision does a good job of
complying with the sensitive areas ordinance and taking the steep slopes and those sorts
of things, the wooded areas, into consideration, uh, clustering, uh, a lot of the higher
density development into this area, and then leaving some of the other, uh, portions open.
Um, so we believe it continues to...to do a good job with that. Uh, the open space
requirement has been taken care of in the prior additions, and the water main extension
fee is addressed in the legal papers. So, uh, we are recommending, and the Planning and
Zoning Commission is recommending approval. Any questions? Okay, thank you!
Agenda Items:
Hayek/ Okay. Agenda items.
ITEM 6. AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE
OF NOT TO EXCEED $7,640,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL
LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2011
ITEM 7. AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE
OF NOT TO EXCEED $540,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL
LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2011
ITEM 8. AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE
OF NOT TO EXCEED $210,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL
LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2011
ITEM 9. AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE
OF NOT TO EXCEED $410,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL
LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2011
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ITEM 10. AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUANCE
OF NOT TO EXCEED $12,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION
REFUNDING CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2011C
ITEM 11. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $7,925,000
GENERAL OBLIGATION CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2011A
ITEM 12. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $820,000 GENERAL
OBLIGATION CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, TAXABLE SERIES 2011B
ITEM 13. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION DIRECTING SALE OF $
GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING CAPITAL LOAN NOTES,
SERIES 2011C
Mims/ I just have kind of a general question on 10 through 13, they're all, uh, sales of...of bonds
and stuff. Just curious on the different numbers and what they, um, I'm assuming
number 10 is refunding, we're going to get a lower interest rates?
Markus/ Yes.
Mims/ And I just didn't know why they were broken up the way they were. It might be helpful
for the public, as well. (noise on mic)
O'Malley/ Council, uh, please excuse my cold and voice, uh, those first categorizations are bond,
uh, council categorizations based on State law. The essential purpose and the general
corporate purpose, uh, I've differentiated cause the general corporate purpose, sometimes
has a, um, an election, referendum attached to it. After 10 days or 30 days, I'm not sure
which. Um, and then the normal ones are the last three.
Mims/ Thanks, Kevin.
O'Malley/ You're welcome!
ITEM 18. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN
AND CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONDITIONAL ADDENDUM TO
LEASE AGREEMENT WITH HOWLING DOGS, INC. FOR
ASSIGNMENT AND AMENDMENT OF THE GROUNDS FOR DESSERT
COFFEE HOUSE, INC. (dba FAIR GROUNDS) LEASE OF COURT
STREET TRANSPORTATION CENTER SPACE
Hayek/ I've got a, um, brief question of 18...Item 18, which is that lease... on the Transportation
Center? Hey, Chris! My question is simply related to, uh, just the terms. Are these, um,
are these consistent with what the old lease had, is this, uh, basically what the market
bears these days?
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O'Brien/ Yeah, I think it has to do with the market. The lease, if it had been renewed, was a
five-year term, um, so what we did is we broke it up into, um, being it's a new owner of
an older business. So, uh, there's some new things they're trying, so we went with atwo-
year term to start, followed by another two-year, and then we wanted to escalate the...the
rent at that point, so we went to two three-year terms after that. Uh, for four terms, up to
ten years. So normally we would have run five, but in the negotiation we ended up
at...uh, a breakup of these, from five to two/two/three/three. Uh, for the four terms.
Hayek/ Okay. Okay. That answers my question.
O'Brien/ 1 should say, our starting point was five/five, is where we started, from the City's point,
and then that's where it ended up, so...
ITEM 3. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED
g) Correspondence
3. Lily Henderson: Student concern
Higgins/ I would like to discuss one item from the correspondence, um, the letter entitled
"Student concern," by Lily Henderson, and it talked about, um, the..the fine, which we
discussed at the last meeting, and I think that it illustrates, um, that there is still confusion
with regard to the entertainment venue, um...when a...when a bar is...is given the
opportunity to have an entertainment venue for aone-night thing, um, I think that it
would be a good idea to require them in the permit process or the application process,
um, to...to post a temporary signage for that night, um, I know that for the 21-ordinance
they're required to have a 10:00 P.M., you know, at all times, but I'm thinking if...I think
it'd be possible to require them to just post something in the front to help...you know, to
help educate these people, when they're going in the door, to remind them right when
they get to this...
Champion/ I can't find that letter. Was that the one they left like two or three minutes after
midnight? (several talking)
Higgins/ Yeah, 12:03. And I remember, uh, at the last, uh, session I...I said that UISU would,
um actively...publicize this information, but I think that if it is right in their face, um,
when they enter the entertainment venue that they'd be more apt to remember. And if I
remember correctly, I think that the entertainment venues are usually just for one night.
Is that right?
Karr/ Mr. Mayor? We do give post... signs to post for special venue, but now what did you want
the sign to say?
Higgins/ Just...just the time that they must be out (both talking)
Karr/ It does say that!
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Higgins/ Okay! Thank you.
Karr/ Uh-huh.
Higgins/ Well, never mind! (laughter)
Bailey/ Part of it might be where it's posted.
Karr/ It might (both talking)
Bailey/ You're suggesting putting it where they're paying cover or something, yeah.
Higgins/ Is there any regulation to where it's supposed to be?
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Karr/ I'd have to look at that. I know we provide the sign, and it probably says at the entrance,
but I'd have to look at that. I'd have to report back tomorrow night. But I know that's
the, again, the intention is that it be properly posted so that individuals would know that
it's a change in status.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Higgins/ Thank you.
Hayek/ Anything else on the agenda? Going once, going twice...all right. Commercial vending,
Melrose.
Commercial Vending -Melrose Avenue area (IP2):
Boothroy/ Well, I'm here tonight as you can imagine to talk about, um, commercial vending,
regulating commercial vending on Melrose Avenue. If we could just take a few minutes
for me to, uh, step through the memorandum that was in the Council's packet, to kind of
put the discussion into context, and for the record for tonight's meeting. One of the
things that I point out, uh, at the very beginning of the memorandum is that from an
enforcement point of view, I've identified two issues. One issue is whether or not we
enforce the existing RS-5 regulations which would, uh, prohibit, uh, commercial vending
in the Melrose Avenue area, or whether or not we would amend the, uh, zoning
requirement regulations to provide for a...a temporary use designed for, uh, football
game day commercial vending, uh, and...and it would only be suitable for this particular,
uh, area of the community. Uh, I also point out, uh, that this discussion, uh, from an
enforcement perspective is not about tailgating, uh...I've defined it as...tailgating as
being an informal get together with friends, uh...uh, and tailgate parking would not be
part of the enforcement, uh, that we're talking about tonight. So, it's focusing solely on
the commercial, uh, business aspects of what's occurring, uh, in the Melrose
neighborhood area on game day. Some background about this, uh, I mentioned that, uh,
this area is zoned RS-5. I think it's, uh, you should know that that's the most restrictive,
uh, single-family zoning, uh, in the community. Uh, it is, uh, it allows little other uses
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within that zone, except for daycare and churches. So it's very restrictive. Uh, this area
has been zoned, uh, single-family for many decades, uh....and so it's been recognized by
the City in various comprehensive planning efforts, as well as the zoning code, that, uh,
as a neighborhood that has single-family characteristics and it is also...had been
identified in your 2008, uh, historic, uh, preservation plan, which most of you were, uh,
involved with in terms of approving, as...as a neighborhood that...that, uh, is deserving
possibly of being, uh, designated as a local historic district. It's already, uh, got
recognition at, uh, in the National, uh, Register as a historic place, and uh, the goal of that
particular plan was to adopt local regulations to protect and preserve the character of that
particular neighborhood, uh, and so that's the...that's the backdrop of the regulations and
the planning and...and all of that, that goes into thinking about this particular
neighborhood. Now, uh, how did we get to this point in time. If... if you will recall that,
uh, last fall, uh, there were a number of situations that occurred that, uh, I was involved
with. Council wasn't directly involved with, but I was involved with, that...that dealt
with, uh, commercial vending, impact on the neighborhood, and uh, at that time, uh, there
was correspondence with the Council that...that we would bring this back to you, uh, to
talk about in terms of where we go...uh, in terms of going forward. The incidents are
mentioned in the memorandum, uh, one was the relocation of the, uh, Magic Bus, which
was...which was very controversial to the neighborhood, mostly it was the University
Height's neighborhood, doesn't...didn't affect that much of the Melrose Avenue area.
And, that was...that was turned down. I turned that particular application down, uh,
because of the neighborhood compatibility issues, uh, and where the Magic Bus had
previously been located, uh, was the site that the Stadium Club was looking to occupy as
a commercial, uh, activity, uh, they...they had applied, or...or were, I can't remember if
they applied, but they were thinking of applying for an alcohol permit. I guess they did
apply for an alcohol permit, uh, which...which, um...I was involved in having that
denied, as well as there was some zoning violations that we later litigated, in terms of, uh,
commercial parking, uh, permitted improvements in the backyard, the entire back area of
that particular site was...was paved, uh, 19 parking spaces were stripped and numbered,
and they had leases with, uh, people at the University for parking. That's not exactly
commercial vending, but it's a commercial activity, within asingle-family neighborhood,
uh, and speaks to this whole pressure of...of commercial activity, uh, that the
neighborhood feels that they're threatened, um, by. Then that was just before, uh, the,
uh...the football season started, and then...then, uh, after the Ohio State game, uh, I
received a telephone call on Monday morning, uh...uh, first thing in the morning, slightly
before 8:00, from Mid America, and they indicated that there had been a serious incident
with regard to the puncturing of a gas line, uh, in that particular area and that it was
significant enough, uh, issue that had they discovered it, uh, before the game started, the
game would have been, uh, cancelled. Uh, and the area evacuated. Now, that's a serious,
as you can imagine, that's a very serious, uh, possibil...has serious implications. If...if in
fact there had been, uh, any kind of...of, uh, explosion or...or it could have been
catastrophic. So, the...that and then we look at some things that happened, uh, in terms
of, uh, acquisition in the area, as I point out in the memorandum, there was...there was
property acquisition that more than doubled the value of the property, uh, I know that in
conversations with the people that purchased the property, uh, the primary, uh, reason
that they spent $500,000 for $179,000 parcel, uh, with a duplex on it was because of the
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commercial potential of that particular property, and they also were interested in... in and
talked to me about, uh, coming to the Council for commercial zoning. So there was that
kind of commercial ratcheting up of interest, uh, in the area, and I'm not saying that there
hasn't been that in the past, but all of these things sort of came together to say that we
could no longer tolerate, uh, the situation as had been the case, uh, over the...over the
last, uh, couple decades with regard to, uh, what was happening in the...in the area. The
intensification of the commercial uses, uh, and... excuse me, and the life safety, uh,
situation, uh, needed to have, uh, needed to be addressed, and that's what this
memorandum is...is talking about. So, now we're about four months out, and we need to
talk about how we're going to go forward with regard to the enforcement, uh, in this area.
Uh...I met with some other staff persons, police, fire, uh, etc., to talk about, um, how to
move forward with this enforcement, and we looked at the...the situation in terms of the
zoning, and in terms of the, uh, historic plan, and in terms of...of what that all means and
about the livability of the neighborhood and...and Housing Inspection Services, one of its
primary goals or responsibilities is ~to...to enforce, uh, the code so that neighborhoods are
maintained as livable, uh, that...that we enforce the historic district; we enforce
preservation; and...and it's our responsibility to...to do the best job we can in that
particular area. So as we looked at this, we determined that the most important way to, or
the highest value in this discussion was not so much about the commercial vending, uh,
but it was about, uh, protecting the neighborhood, protecting its livability, and...and we
decided that the best recommendation, uh, would be to enforce the zoning ordinance
which...which would prohibit the commercial vending. I also put together, recognizing
that we may not all agree, I put together, uh, the temporary use, uh, permitting process, as
I think it should work...if...if we're going to go in that direction. And...and what I'm
trying to do there is if the Council decides they want to amend the ordinance with
temporary use permits, I don't want this opening up the door to, uh, temporary
commercial uses in...in all residential, uh, areas of the community. I...I'm concerned
about any kind of precedence, so we narrow...we want to narrowly define that to only
apply to this particular area for game day activities, uh, on a temporary basis. We want to
make sure that if we are going to allow temporary uses in this area that permitted
improvements are not going to be, uh, come about as a result of that. We want to...we
want to make sure, uh, that, uh, these are, in my opinion, non-alcohol events, uh, and not,
uh, you know, selling alcohol for consumption in the area, uh, and that was an issue that
did come up with the Stadium Club, in terms of...of citing them and having the County
pursue litigation for bootlegging, uh, last season, and that trial still hasn't...hasn't
occurred as of yet. Uh, we want to make sure that...that, uh, life safety issues are
addressed for the people that are attending these commercial events. We do not know at
this point, uh, the cook tents, whether or not it would...by cook tents, they're...they're
using tents where they have open flame, uh, underneath, uh, tent material. We don't
know whether that's flame-retardant material. We don't know if they have fire
extinguishers in there. Uh, we know...we don't know whether the devices that they're
using to...to cook or heat the tents or whatever are properly installed, uh, there are things
that we need to look at, and if you look through those performance standards, I indicate in
there that...that cook tents, for example, uh, should be approved by the Fire Department
so that we make sure that those are being properly, uh...uh, designed and...and used, uh,
so not to, uh, not to create a...a situation, uh, that...that...that, uh, that is harmful for the
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people that are...that are in the area. Health permits, uh, setbacks from the right-of--way
so that the sidewalk isn't being encroached on. Uh, those are the things that we're
looking at with regard to those, um, particular, uh, performance standards. My opinion
on that, on the performance standards, is...is that I look at these performance standards, if
we don't prohibit the commercial uses in the neighborhood as...as we have
recommended, I believe that the performance standards must be designed such that they
protect the neighborhood to the greatest extent possible, as well as protect those people
that are...are, uh, at those, uh, venues, uh, to buy product, uh...from the businesses in
that particular area. So, um, if you decide to go down that road with regard to, uh, how
we're going to go forward in regulating this area, uh, that detail would be, uh, discussed
as we develop those standards, cause this will have to be referred back to the Planning
and Zoning Commission for their recommendation, because it is an amendment to the
zoning code, and then it would come back to the Council for your consideration. Uh, the
other thing I...I point out in the memorandum is that...that, uh, enforcement, uh,
is...through a permitting process, will be more expensive, uh, because we'll be working
on Saturdays, and it'll be...there'll be additional costs as a result of...of that particular
effort, and uh, and so we would look at establishing, uh, permitting fee to, uh, cover, uh,
the cost of our enforcement efforts, uh, for those game day, uh, inspections that we would
do to make sure that...that people are in compliance. Uh, as with everything when you
have new rules, uh, the first few years, that's a training process where people are learning
what the parameters are, learning to understand what they can and can't do, and
then...then as...as time goes on, uh, people get a little comfort with it and...and
can...and it becomes more self-enforcing and stuff like that. The other thing I wanted to
mention about this...about the performance standards, cause I think it's important to this
whole discussion of why, and one of the reasons we recommended to, uh, to prohibit
commercial, is that the commercial vending is...is bleeding into the neighborhood, uh...
uh, there are, uh, vendors that are...and commercial activities that are occurring deeper
into the neighborhood. Uh, we know that on Melrose Court, for example, uh, during the
last season, uh, the property was leased for, uh, tailgating, uh, and I don't know what
other activities to a bar out of Solon so I...from the neighborhood's perspective, when
they see people investing in the neighborhood, uh, at a higher, very higher rate, to convert
the property and put improvements that are more commercial in nature, and they see
houses that are...that are rental, but are also now being leased out solely for the purposes
of...of...of a commercial activity, uh, I think they're rightfully concerned that the
ratcheting up of the commercial in this area is having...is, they're under attack from that
in terms of whether or not they can keep their neighborhood, keep and preserve that
particular neighborhood, uh, going forward. I think that, you know, in...at the end of the
day, and at the end of my memorandum, I indicated that...that how you...how you think
of the neighborhood, uh, can define its future, and as we think about this, um, we need to
keep that in mind. So, I guess I'll open up that...this up for discussion. Mr. Mayor.
Hayek/ Anyone, uh...want to jump in on this?
Champion/ We11 I'm (both talking) happy to (laughter).
Hayek/ Our resident wallflower! (laughter)
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Champion/ For...I think it's incredible what you said about the gas leak, that they would have
stopped the game and evacuated the area, but it wasn't important enough to evacuate the
area after they found it, because the game had started.
Boothroy/ It was...we were lucky, Connie, because it...as they found out, it's that the stake
actually sealed the main. Had it not been sealed by the...by the size of the stake, we
might have had a different, uh, might have had a catastrophe!
Champion/ I think that can be addressed easily by not allowing stakes, like when we put a tent
downtown and we have weights on the legs. We don't pound them into the sidewalk.
Um, you know, my...my problem with this is, is that this is a neighborhood that's been
across from Kinnick Stadium for 80 years...is how old the stadium is? Uh, nobody's
lived there for 80 years, I don't think, so they knew when they bought their property that
that was across the street from the stadium. It reminds me of the time when I was on the
School Board, and people from the high schools were complaining of the grade school
that too many kids were walking by their house too early in the morning, I mean, this is
the kind of thing that's been there for a long, long time and I think it's part...the football
games are a carnival, let's face it! A lot of people go over there who aren't...who don't
have tickets. Um, it's...it's fun to walk down Melrose and see all those vendors and talk
to them and pick up a few things, um...I'm not willing to talk about this at all, except for
the fact that I would be willing to say you can't use stakes, cause I can see you can pound
into other...you can pound into other things. I think...the other thing that bothers me
about this, they want the zoning code enforced, or you want the zoning code enforced, or
whoever wants it enforced, but they only want it partially enforced! They still want to
have their commercial property for parking that they charge for, so you've got to say,
ahh, well I want to make...still make money on football Saturdays, but I don't want
anybody else to! So if this Council votes to enforce the zoning code, I think it ought to
be totally enforced. I mean, I'm not going to support it at all.
Mims/ I would agree with Connie, um, I was... surprised about, you know, a few weeks ago it
had come to my attention that...people at the University had gotten the idea that the
Council was trying to ban the vendors and I called Tom and asked him about it, and got
some feedback and called them back and assured them that, no, that was not, you know,
was not the intent, and then I turn around and get this memo two or three weeks later, and
that's the recommendation of staff, and um, I was surprised and disturbed to see it. Um,
from my perspective, uh, I would concur with what Connie has said. In addition to that,
we are a Big Ten university town. And athletics, whether you like them or not, are very,
very important to this community financially. And...just as we want the University to be
a good neighbor to us, we need to be a good neighbor to the University. And, to...I just
looked...not that it influences my decisions at all, but it was just interesting to see how
thick a packet of emails we had when we walked in here tonight, and I haven't read all of
`em, but the vast majority at least are saying, are you people crazy? And I have to agree
with `em! Um, the safety issue, I agree, we need to address that and it sounds like that
could be probably pretty easily addressed, with weights so that they're not driving stakes.
Um, there's no way I will support banning vendors. I think that's a big part of the
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atmosphere of a Big Ten university football game day, and I think that...that's just vitally
important, and I think to do something like that sends a terrible message...message to the
University in terms of how much we value them in this community. Um, I'm also
concerned about the idea of permitting, um...you know, you've talked, Doug, about, you
know, it would be expensive with all, you know, sending people out on Saturdays and
stuff. We're talking in a lot of cases, you know, some vendors who maybe are making
big bucks, but you've probably got a lot who are not making huge money, and what kind
of a... of a permit fee, uh, you know, is that going to be? Um, I also agree with what
Connie said - I can't see a distinction commercially between people selling spots in their
yard and somebody setting up a turkey leg stand, I mean, it still is out to make money.
That is commercial, and I can't see enforcing one, um, and not the other. What I would
like to see us consider, um, and I think this was kind of thrown out way back, uh, last fall
when we were talking about some of this, is possibly considering some kind of a
commercial enterprise zone, something that would make it legal on home football game
days to have commercial activity, and...and I would agree with some performance issues,
I mean, maybe addressing, you know, the...not putting stakes in the ground, uh, maybe
addressing port-a-potties and some cleanup issues, but I personally think a lot of these
performance standards are...are much too onerous for the situation, and again, like
Connie said, people knew that stadium was there when they moved in. You just have to
accept certain things when you're going to move close to that kind of a venue.
Wright/ I could accept the argument that the stadium has been there for 80 years, but this has
been ratcheting up over the past few years. I think we've seen plenty of evidence of that.
Uh...talking to neighbors in that area...several years ago this was a concern that this
was...was starting to grow. Um...I don't favor an outright ban, but I think we do need to
step in and do something to...tighten some controls on the vendors. Um, it has gotten out
of hand. It, as we've just heard, is now starting to drive deeper into the neighborhood.
Some kind of controls need to be in place. Um...I mean, whatever we come up with,
even if it's just an enterprise zone, it's probably going to have to go to the Planning and
Zoning Commission for, uh, some serious study and review. But this is a fragile
neighborhood. This is a neighborhood that is by our own Comprehensive Plan that we
need to pay some attention to, uh, whether via the local historic district. It has been
nominated already as a national historic district, um...and where it is only a few
weekends a year, you know, five or six weekends a year...that can be pretty significant to
your quality of life! Uh, for...off and on for several months. So I think there's...we
need to find some kind of middle ground here, where we can get some kind of controls
over the vendors. I don't think an outright ban is going to work. But, whether it is
through a permitting process or an enterprise zone with some kind of restrictions,
although at that point I don't know how you can avoid some sort of permitting to make
sure everybody's lined up behind your regulations. Um...some...we need to step in and
do something here. We've been winking a blind eye at this for years and years, uh, pretty
bright light shone on it last summer, and then we started...this is where that whole
conversation got started.
Bailey/ Yeah, I...this isn't a very different conversation than we have so often. We're looking
for some...I think we need to balance some of these interests. Yes, they're in the shadow
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of the stadium, but nobody in the shadow of anything should have to put up with, um, the
kind of trash, for example. Those kinds of things...and, it's probably less the vendors
and more the people who are participating and consuming and...and the game day
activities, and I think we need to address that. I mean, the same quality of life is
important for everybody who lives in the community, and so how can we maintain this
positive sort of, um, we do, I mean, Big Ten sports, great, fun, festival...great, um,
financial benefit to our community, but we also have a neighborhood there. So how can
we balance those interests? One of the questions that I have, and maybe somebody
knows the answer to this, is, you know, the stadium has this beautiful plaza. Used to be
tennis courts, and they have this beautiful concrete plaza. What do they use that for?
Champion/ The one right on the corner?
Bailey/ Well, yeah. It's right across the street on Melrose, I mean...
Wright/ Doesn't the University have some property where this could go?
Bailey/ I mean, and it's a beautiful space, I mean, aren't there vendors there?
Mims/I don't think they have any vendors on their property.
Dickens/ Don't they have Iowa Game Day in that area, some...
Boothroy/ They have a contract with a single vendor for food, uh, and I think also for
(mumbled). I think in talking to the University, um, I think...I don't know if both
vendors are, uh...
Bailey/ Restricted?
Boothroy/ Uh, they have a contract until 2016, but I'm not sure if it's for both or just for the
food.
Markus/ Which may be exclusive.
Bailey/ Yeah, yeah, of course.
Boothroy/ At this point maybe...I have, yeah, I don't know the...
Bailey/ Although, and you know, I think that that would add to the nice atmosphere, if more of
the vendors were on that, I mean, it's a beautiful space. It's a beautiful public space.
They've done a great job with the renovation. So I would be interested in looking for
something that would...would balance interests, address some of the trash concerns, I
mean, all of these...it looks like all of these listed are...are commercial enterprises, so I
don't...I think they probably do okay on game days. Um...to be able to pay for some
kind of permitting process, but...I'm certainly interested in pursuing something...address
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some of the neighborhood concerns, while maintaining a relation, you know, the
traditional atmosphere over there.
Wilburn/ Just in, um...in reflecting on this, it's, um...a big thing that weighs on my mind is...uh,
as you were saying, Connie, folks...it's pretty hard to ignore that there's a stadium there
if you're purchasing a property over there. Um...and as I look at this, um...you know,
Doug, in your memo, you know, you and the folks in committee point out, and as you
have mentioned, Regenia, you know just some of the commercial activities that have, uh,
out of the ordinary created some issues that...that, uh...we're being asked to address, or
whether it's Council or Police or...or whomever it might be, uh, to...how do we go about
addressing those, and so a question that I have, um, you know, some of these recent
activities that have come up, what are the things that have presented a problem for us to
resolve with existing regulation, uh, for example, this is not related to commercial
vending, but if someone...I hate to be graphic, but...the camera's rolling, but if someone
is public...publicly urinating over there, there is a charge for that. Police can respond to
that, if they're able to see someone, if (mumbled). So, um...you know, something that's
brought up like the, well, the puncturing of the gas line and...and them trying to set up
some permanent type of structures, or leaving...trying to leave permanent, uh, or at least
during the season, tent pegs exposed out there, those type of things, uh, can you walk
through the things that staff has been unable to respond with existing things, and then
following that...what are some things that, uh, you know, you mentioned some litigation
that's out there. Um, and we've got some commercial, newer commercial vendors trying
to assert rights that they don't really have under our zoning code, um, do we create
potential problems for ourselves in...in the courts, if we do try to address these things,
and we're brought to court and the defense is, well, they don't enforce their building,
zoning codes. Can you walk us through some of that?
Boothroy/ Well, with the...first of all the (mumbled) did come up with the litigation of the
Stadium Club, and...and, uh, they were asserting that they had some grandfather status
and...and, um, we of course didn't, uh, was sort of the opposite, and the courts agreed
with the City, that it's an illegal act. I mean, you cannot get rights based on an illegal act.
So...so, anything that's occurring there has been, uh, without approval by the City
and...and uh, and as we look...go forward to it, go forward with this, uh...uh, essentially
it's a privilege to have the opportunity to...to conduct a business on an ongoing basis in a
residential neighborhood. That's essentially, you know, what we're talking about, and
that's where the permitting process, I think, becomes really important. Uh, right now in
the zoning code, uh, we don't really...I don't think really have a very good way of...of
allowing for those who want to allow ongoing commercial vending in this area. We
don't really have a...a path or a good way to allow that, as an exception to the rule. Uh,
so to say that, well, we're just not going to do anything, uh, doesn't work from an
enforcement point of view because...because we need to do something to deal with the
law. We need to do something that...that clarifies, uh, for the vendors, as well as for the
City, as well as for the neighborhood, that...that this is...this is the way you can do it,
and this is the way you can do it correctly, okay, as opposed to doing it illegally or uh,
under the, you know, without notice or whatever you want to say, uh, in that situation.
So that's why it's important to...to come up with a permitting process and...and come up
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with this temporary use permit. The other thing that that's (several talking) just a second.
The other thing I think is important about that is... is that we have not, I don't want to
establish a precedent. Uh, if you say...I...I can see the argument, and we...we do have
people ask to do commercial vending in other residential neighborhoods, and we've
always turned them down in these RS-5 areas, and I don't want to see a situation come up
where, you know, if it becomes a slippery slope like, well, we can do it here because it's
a special circumstance. Well, then pretty soon, uh, maybe it becomes a special
circumstance someplace else, and I think we have to...I think if we narrowly define, uh,
that opportunity for...for vending, then we don't...then we don't open the door for...for
this issue to pop up another...in other neighborhoods.
Wilburn/ So, what I'm gathering from the first part of what you're saying, and correct me if I'm
wrong, is that one way to, uh, help make enforcement of whatever guidelines easier, and
reduce misunderstandings about arbitrary...you can do this but you can't do this...
Boothroy/ And what the rules are.
Wilburn/ ...that if you lay out, here's how you can...that's a proactive way to try to do that, and
even what I hear some Council Members saying, uh, Connie, you threw out the idea of
we can't...you can't drive a stake into the ground. That is a form of regulation. Or is
that something we can do now, or it requires (both talking)
Boothroy/ ...there is no right to do any commercial vending there now.
Wilburn/ Okay. So...
Boothroy/Nobody has a right to do that, and I think what we're trying to decide tonight is, is
whether we, uh, enforce the existing code...to enforce that issue, or whether we create a
right, uh, through a temporary use permitting process, by which they get a privilege to
operate for six or seven, uh, home games, as long as, uh, they don't put a tent, uh, stake in
the ground; as long as the cook tents have a fire extinguisher in `em so that...and they're
under flammable materials. I mean, cooking with an open flame under a non, under a
tent that's possibly flammable is a dangerous situation! It should be regulated.
Hayek/ Do we, um, we have vendors who cook elsewhere, whether it's Farmers Market, street
fairs, you know, that sort of thing. What kind of permitting do we have in place for
those...
Boothroy/ I'm not involved with the Farmers Market. I don't...Dale maybe can answer that.
I...I don't know if they cook...they're over here, so I don't know that they're even
cooking under a tent.
Hayek/ Okay, but...well, I know, I mean, some...some of the, at least one of the vendors who's
there on Game Day Saturdays, I know, cooks at other events, whether it's Arts Festival or
what have you, and I would be curious to know what we, uh, what we do by way of
regulation with...with those commercial vendors in other settings.
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Boothroy/ Well I know we require health permits, and we don't require any health permits over,
uh, in the Melrose area so...that's one...that's...
Dilkes/ We have an ordinance that governs the Farmers Market, and we have a set of fairly
lengthy rules that govern the Farmers Market.
Boothroy/ Yeah, so I don't...I don't...and we don't...I mean, the City doesn't...since we don't
do any permitting, we don't know what...how compliance is being, uh, accommodated in
some of these areas, like health permits and so forth.
Hayek/ If the members of the media could just scoot back a little bit. We need to be able to
communicate (several talking) up there. Thank you.
Bailey/ I don't want to go too far adrift on this, if you will allow me to, but you mentioned that
there have been other interests in commercial vending in other neighborhoods, and I'm
curious about that. Why, and under what circumstances?
Boothroy/ I can't answer that, I mean, Jann is here. She could answer that question for you, I
believe, but...but I don't have that information.
Bailey/ Well, and the reason I ask is because decades and decades ago, I mean, zoning codes
were based upon the complete separation of, you know, residential from commercial,
and...and we...we've gone a different direction, because we're incorporating a little bit
of commercial with our residential. We know that neighborhood commercial is
beneficial, and...you know, sometimes change is okay, and sometimes change is
warranted, and...and that made me very curious that there's been other interests in this
kind of activity on particular days in other neighborhoods. What's driving this, and...and
maybe it's something that isn't horrible to encourage, if...if it's appropriately done, just
as I feel like we could do it appropriately here. I...I don't think it's out of the question
to...to look at the way we're been doing things and say...does it still serve us.
Boothroy/ Here's the concern though...is that if the commercial vending begins to lead to
permanent improvement, will it change the character of the neighborhood...
Bailey/ I understand that! And we could regulate that.
Boothroy/ ...and then that's where we...well, but I think in this discussion, if we don't have
clear rules with regard to what the standards are, I'm concerned that...that that gets away
from us.
Bailey/ Here's the challenge. It's never been a question of having clear rules. I think it's always
been a question of having clear enforcement of those rules. I mean, and I think that we
can develop clear rules. We...we usually do, it's just a question of how we choose, um,
to enforce those, and if we adhere to those, and I'm confident that if that is our desire, we
can develop some clear rules that address, you know, concerns, but also open up the
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possibility...you know, does this old approach still serve our community, I mean, if there
are people interested in doing things in neighborhoods that add vitality and interest in a
festival atmosphere occasionally in different neighborhoods, um...neighborhoods are
places where people live and want to have activity and are, you know, we need to
encourage their vibrancy. They're not just a place that should be, you know, that is
maintained because they're quiet and peaceful and all orderly, I mean, neighborhoods
have to have life to actually be valid to a community. So, I...I think we should explore
what that possibility is that can balance those interests, and I'm, like I said, interested in
the other areas of the community that this might...
Wilburn/ Your notion that, uh, there...over time has been some more blending of residential,
commercial, uh, where some things make sense, um...is, uh...uh, well, it's the truth. It's
an interesting one. It's also, um...perhaps some greater care should have been taken
years ago as...as that occurred over time. Um...
Bailey/ Well, here certainly! I mean, yeah, I mean, not (both talking)
Wilburn/ ...and I'm, uh, certainly, um...enjoy, um, Big Ten athletics and the environment and
that's part of alumni relations and people fondly remember about Iowa City,
um...however, I think if looking at how to reasonably provide an ability to help address
situations that come up, um, and some have been changing, and again, you...I guess
maybe I'm looking at maybe a degree of regulation. One extreme is, you know...I mean,
you're probably looking at, I know you're a common sense person, Connie, and you're
looking at...well, it makes common sense. In fact you mentioned been downtown, you
don't drive, you know, you don't drive the tent pegs in. You (both talking) you...you
weight them down, and so (several talking) uh, in my mind, um, the issue is how can we,
uh, try and, um, from this point on, proactively let people know, here's what you can do,
um, and...uh, and try and get away from any misunderstandings, arbitrary enforcement
related to, uh, also, um, even though the courts have taken the position there is no, um,
it's illegal so etc., etc., but uh, you know, well, just look at some of the excitement and
drama that occurred when, uh, some folks do come and something is different, or they're
trying to assert some type of (mumbled), you know, and the media shows up and there's
emails going back and forth. Let's just, you know, we've got the example of how we can
thoughtfully try and make it so everybody understands what the rules are. You yourself,
Matt, brought up the Farmers Market, and we've got some things with the, uh, that
approach makes sense to me, um...I don't, uh, I don't suspect...or I just speak for
myself, uh, again, because of the history and, um, knowledge of the area that you area
purchasing in, I don't know for me that it's going to be as detailed a list of regulations
and guidelines (both talking)
Champion/ ...more levelheaded than I am! Um (both talking) Do you have any ideas of how we
can regulate what's going on over there without a whole bunch of rigmarole and all this
stuff of...port-a-potty, what's aport-a-potty on the sidewalk? You know, do we have any
ideas in your head that would help calm things down over there, but not stop what's
happening. You know what I'm saying?
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Wilburn/ I' d have to give it some... some more... some more thought, I mean, like, um, Susan
was saying, you know, we knew something was going to be coming ahead and then, you
know, we got, um, as we should get memos, you know, don't get me wrong there. Uh,
but that's the time for us to kind of put our thinking caps on, collect some information on
some ideas of what that...I mean, a starting point might be taking a look at how...what
regulations we have for the, uh, the Summer of the Arts, the Farmers Market, that might
be a place to start, and then think how those things might...might apply, because I, you
know, I think, um...um...you know, I mean, staff has given some ideas, we can pull in
those other examples, and go from there, I'm thinking, because um...um...one of the, uh,
especially in my, with my other hat in my new job, people are, um, it's very helpful if
people know going into a situation, here's what I can do, as opposed to trying to chase
people down, uh, and you end up with, uh, some arbitrary enforcement of here's what
you can do, what you can't do, uh, you know, those type of things.
Boothroy/ (several talking) those are suggestions as to how, to proceed with performance
standards. I assume that, if we're going to the Planning and Zoning Commission, and
getting the input from vendors as well as from the neighborhood, that stuff all sorts itself
out, and...and one of the issues that...that came across at the neighborhood meeting of
course is the public urination that occurs, uh, in the...in the neighborhood, uh, and how
to...if you have more port-a-potties out, you're going to have more opportunities not
to...to have that problem occur, and so how do you get there, and one thought was, you
know, that the food vendors would be providing some of those port-a-potties. Uh, I
should also mention, uh, that today somebody stopped in who's anon-profit that...that,
because of this discussion and his concern about the neighborhood, was suggesting that
their non-profit group would...would put out, uh, some additional trash containers, as
well as recycling bins in the neighborhood, and provide for, uh, pickup of that stuff, and I
think that's...that'sthe positive to come out of this discussion, because uh, by having this
discussion about the stress that the neighborhood's in and the stress...with all the stuff
that's going on, uh, somebody has, you know, because we're talking about, has come up
with an idea of how maybe to address some of these issues, and the thought being is if
you have more trash containers out, uh, along the street and more recycling, then uh,
people will take that opportunity to use them. They'll be more accountable, and maybe
that'll improve...the effect of that may improve the behavior because they're doing what
they're supposed to be doing. Most people, I don't think, I mean, if they were in a city
park they wouldn't be throwing this stuff out on the side...sidewalk or in the park area,
and I think because they don't have a place to put it, they take the opportunity to...it's not
a good opportunity, but they take it to throw it away. So I think that's...that's something
moving forward. It has nothing really to do with commercial vendors so much, but it's
an outcome of this discussion, and I think that, uh, I hope comes to fruition for...for the
neighborhood.
Dickens/ I' d like to see it...I don't know if I want to see it left alone, because I don't think we
can just leave it alone, because of what...what happened with the Stadium Club kind of
opened up everything. I'm willing to talk a little bit about...having some limits, but I
don't like having it too restricted as far as getting the permit and...and all the things that
are required for that, when a lot of the other areas are not being that restrictive. It is an
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area that has been... for as long as I can remember walking over there as a kid, there was
always something on Melrose happening. There was always commercial there,
and...profit is not a dirty word if it's used properly. And uh, I think that these...they can
co-exist with the neighborhood if we do it properly. I would be willing to look at some
of the permitting, but I don't want it to be so over restrictive that these people that want
to provide a service to all these people cannot make a profit.
Hayek/ You know the spectrum of choices we face is...is wide as you can imagine, you know,
ranging from doing nothing, which I don't favor, and I think you can, you know, you can
certainly argue that people who move to the neighborhood moved to the problem, but that
doesn't mean they have no say in this matter, and...and it's clear that we have a
neighborhood association that feels strongly about the issue. Um...at the other end of the
spectrum, uh, you know, we...we get rid of all of it, which L..I'm not in support of. I
think that's an extreme move at this time, uh, and so that leaves us with something in the
middle, some form of regulation to try to balance the interests of the...of the
neighborhood with...with the tradition, uh, in that area, and that keeps bringing me back
to, um, what our practice is with respect to commercial vending elsewhere in the city.
I'm not aware of any commercial vending that we allow, other than in that area, that isn't
permitted in some fashion. So, and I think the best example is probably Jazz Fest or Arts
Fest. You've got, uh, a wonderful carnival-like atmosphere along Iowa Avenue with lots
of food vendors and other, you know, other vendors, uh, and...and I am sure that there is
some regulation in place for that, and I think that's where we would want to start, cause if
we're going to be consistent about this, let's look at what we're already doing, determine
whether, uh, it's too onerous to...to apply, uh, in this area, and...and go from there.
(several talking)
Bailey/ Well it just makes sense because some of these vendors, I mean, it would give
consistency across the community, and some of these vendors are in both places and if I
invest in these...to be at this event ,then I've invested in, you know, and it just applies to
both places. It would just, that consistency would make sense from a business
perspective. I know what's expected of me, regulation wise, in this community if I'm
serving food outside.
Wilburn/ But I think, and I agree, Matt, those existing regulations are in place to start. I think
then you have to look at how does this apply in this setting. For example, uh, I noticed
(mumbled) one of the suggested ideas was no amplification. Well, the implication being
noise is (mumbled) what...how does that...juxtapose that with thousands of people in a
stadium where there's an amplified system...um, then again, um, you know, in some of
our neighborhood parks where they have some gatherings, they're allowed some
amplification systems there, but then you don't have, you know, tens of thousands of
people at Wetherby Park, so I think taking a look at what's in place and then how
might...what makes sense in this particular environment...
Champion/ I am willing to look at that.
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Bailey/ But when it comes to food safety issues and sort of safety issues, I think that there's a
consistency that could be maintained, um, but you're right, I mean, there are some
setting-specific things, I mean, perhaps more trash receptacles or...or somebody has to be
responsible for that. I did get the same calls from the non-profit interested in doing that,
and I think it's a nice opportunity, um (both talking)
Wilburn/ ...it's interesting again how things over...evolve over time. There's a whole industry
around, uh, trash (both talking)
Bailey/ Absolutely! I think it's entrepreneurial!
Hayek/ Now this begs the question, how much of what we're...how much of these complaints
are...are truly, uh, attributable to the vendors and the activity with that, as opposed to the
tens of thousands of people.
Boothroy/ (several talking) Well I think...I think that it's from the trash, and this is a little bit to
the side of it. You're exactly right. I mean, one of the things that the neighborhood
complained about was...was, uh, people...meat on a stick, these sticks with meat,
are...are thrown in neighborhood which are dangerous to pets, uh, the other thing is
turkey bones, uh, discarded in the neighborhood. So, and so they have some connection
between that and the vendors. I don't think that the trash from the vendors is a huge part
of this discussion, but L..but it is...there is some of that that is occurring. I think their
issue with the vendors is...is, uh, the feeling that the neighborhood is taking on the
perspective that it's a...a business or a commercial area, not a residential area, and
they're concerned about the long-term effect of that on the...on the residential character
of the neighborhood. Um, I...I would just point out that I think this thing about picking
up the trash is a great idea, and I hope that goes forward. Uh, when I was at the
neighborhood meeting, people weren't complaining about the noise from the stadium.
People weren't complaining about the congestion. People weren't complaining about the
crowds. What they're complaining about was the disrespect in terms of throwing trash in
their yard, uh, destroying shrubbery, uh, damage to their property, uh, public urination,
uh, people walking into their homes, uh, unannounced, uh, drunk...in a drunken state,
and one woman pointed out that when... she caught two young men walking out of her
garage with her barbeque grill for their...for their tailgate event. That's what they didn't
buy into, and that's what's happening in the neighborhood, and so I think that, you know,
you can talk about moving to the neighborhood, but you have to also understand that the
behavior level has, I think from their perspective, changed. It's deteriorated. It's
not... and so I think with regard to, if we can get some volunteers in there dealing with the
trash and that kind of stuff, maybe we can elevate, uh, the behavior of people in the
neighborhood so that it doesn't become their dumping ground as they...as they tailgate
and go to the...go to the football games.
Wright/ Yeah, I think one important element, and Ross, you just touched on this, is the context,
the context here of a neighborhood is very different than a vending when we have Iowa
Avenue.
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Bailey/ But it's a place to start.
Wright/ But it is a place to start, exactly. Uh and you know I'm sure we have caps on the
number of vendors that can be (both talking) downtown. You didn't talk about caps on
the number of vendors in this area, but...I think when we come up with some common
ground that's going to work.
Bailey/ I also think that we should, um...confirm with the University, their contract on that plaza
is exclusive.
Boothroy/ Well, one of the...uh, is it Meyers...Jane, I was...Jean, but it's Jane, uh, indicated to
me that, and she's in charge I think of the contract. She said it was 2016 so I'm pretty
sure that that's (both talking)
Bailey/ Food and uh...
Boothroy/ There's two different contracts and I...
Bailey/ All right!
Boothroy/ But it's for a period of time.
Bailey/ Yeah.
Higgins/ I do have a couple questions. Um, I agree with I think most of the Council's sentiments
tonight. I think that, uh, the Council does have a responsibility to balance the needs of
the neighborhood with the needs of the University and the alumni, and especially I'm in
favor of port-a-potties, you know, more receptacles for trash, banning stakes, um, my
question is that has the increased enforcement that took place this last year with open
containers, um, alleviated any of these concerns about the, uh, the brazen behavior of
some (mumbled)
Boothroy/ I...I don't, I'm not involved in that. I don't know, uh, I just don't know the answer to
your question.
Higgins/ Uh, I mean, my intuition would be that it would have a positive effect, um, I think
that...and my other question was, somebody said something about an enterprise zone, or
free enterprise zone?
Mims/ Yeah, it had come up before, kind of as a suggestion. I don't know exactly how it would
work, but I mean...
Higgins/ Can someone speak to that or...
Mims/ I mean, I don't know. Eleanor, have...is it something you've ever looked at or...I mean.
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Dilkes/ I mean, I think either with a zone or with a permitting process, that the key here is
establishing the rules that are going to apply in that situation, and there's going to be, uh,
an enforcement effort required with...regardless of how you do it. I don't see those two
options as particularly, uh, different.
Higgins/ Well I was just concerned that...I didn't think that, you know, I wasn't thrilled with any
of the three options. Um, I do think that there needs to be enforcement, but I agree with a
lot of the Councilors tonight that I think overenforcement would really have a detrimental
effect on the (mumbled)
Mims/ I, I mean, I think we can move forward and find, hopefully some...some ways that we can
do this, to address particularly the safety issues, um...I still have to say, philosophically I
have a hard time, uh, distinguishing the commercial aspect of the vendors versus the
people parking cars in their yards. Now, don't get me wrong! I don't want...I don't
want anything to do with permitting or controlling or restricting people parking (both
talking)
Bailey/ Or some of that money?
Mims/ I'll take the money! (laughter) No, but no, my point is, I still philosophically the
difference between them, and so...um...again, Idon't want to control that. I don't, if
people want to do that in their own yard, that's...but again, when you look at the city and
what we're going to control and what we're going to permit and what we're not going to
permit, they're both commercial activities.
Champion/ Yeah, because I can't just park a bunch of cars in my yard (several talking)
Bailey/ ...consuming food...
Hayek/ One...one is low impact to the extent it involves putting cars on grass. The other
involves flames and tent stakes and...and uh, the basic food, health issues that cities are
required to...to regulate, and which we do, and I...it just seems to me that, I mean, our
hand was forced on this, I mean, this was pushed over the edge and that's why, and,
Doug, you said, in fact you said last year, we'll be having to look at this in...in the
coming year. Um, but that's why I want to look at how we...if it's appropriate for us to
regulate a food vendor at an event that brings 30,000 people into a fairly crowded area
on...on Iowa Avenue, and it seems to me appro...it seems to me appropriate to...to have
the same concerns as it relates to essentially the same activity in an area that has afar-
greaterpopulation, um, does that mean we adopt this, uh, I suspect not. I suspect this
goes beyond the requirements we have in place for the people who do Jazz Fest, but
that's where I would start. Look at that, and...and then determine whether it...it is
onerous for what we're talking about.
Bailey/ And then look at the neighborhood context, and... (both talking)
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Wilburn/ Which is important because not only just neighborhood, but I mean look at how many,
whether it's Big Ten or other major sports venues and how they originally were placed
and designed, you know, it's not...I suspect it's not...
Dilkes/ There is a...there's a pretty crucial difference between those two things though. One is a
regulation of public right-of--way. Uh, the other is the regulation of what people can do
with their private property. Um, I don't have any problem, I mean, we can write rules, I
think, that are clear, and the whole problem here is the rules aren't clear and you've got
to write rules for people who won't use their common sense, and push the envelope, but
there are differences between those two.
Hayek/ Is there no encroachment on the right-of--way?
Bailey/ Are these all on public property...private property?
Markus/ They're supposed to all be on private property, set back from the sidewalk. Yeah, so
they're supposed to be on private property.
Bailey/ And...
Boothroy/ These are...these are leased spaces from the private property owner to the vendor, uh,
I don't know that any of the vendors actually...very many of them own any of the
property. I think mostly it's leased from...from the owners of the property.
Hayek/ That's a fair distinction, if they are in fact outside of the right-of--way. (several talking)
Dilkes/ They're outside of the right-of--way.
Boothroy/ You know, they're mostly outside of the right-of--way. The tent stakes would be in the
right-of--way because, you know, but they're essentially outside of the right-of--way.
Dilkes/ Frankly if they were all in the right-of--way the City could choose how it...how it chose
to regulate that right-of--way and could approach it as a...like we do with the Arts Fest,
but.. .
Boothroy/ If we're going to have something in place by next fall, you know, we need to move
forward with it and...and to be consistent, as you mentioned I guess, Matt, is...the
consistency in the ordinances that any time we allow this kind of activity in any other
neighborhood, uh, whether it be for, uh, Ace Rental or Ace Hardware, where they have a
temporary use permit for their garden center in the...on the northside neighborhood, uh,
everybody gets a temporary use permit. Uh, what I'm suggesting in this case is...is some
additional, uh, specific standards that give clear direction in the future for... for
enforcement in terms of when they issue these...these temporary use permits. I'm also
hearing that you want to balance that as much as possible so that we're not being overly
restrictive, but at the same time, we're addressing the health, safety needs and maybe, I
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don't know, I didn't hear this, but maybe we want to limit the vendors to the Melrose
Avenue street area, as opposed to allowing them anywhere within the neighborhood.
Champion/ Oh right, right!
Boothroy/ Uh...(noise on mic) and I...I guess all I'm looking for from you tonight is direction. I
think I got the message that, um, you don't want the (several talking and laughing) I think
I got that. Maybe...maybe if you could take another turn around so I can make sure I'm
clear on that but... so we're not going to go cold turkey! Uh, if you will, but we are going
to...we are, but you want...I'm sorry, but we are going to...you want to proceed with the
permitting process that...that, the best way to do this, I think, is to, when we go to
Planning and Zoning Commission, I'm going to have to work with some of the vendors
to get some ideas as to, uh, what the, uh, what their difficulties are with some of the
standards, and then...then come back to the Council with detailed recommendations, in
terms of...of what it's going to look like, cause we're not going to resolve this tonight, in
terms of...of, uh, what that setback's going to be or whether they gotta have a fire
extinguisher in every tent, you know, that's...that's an issue that we're going to have to
work on.
Hayek/ We should...uh, try to give you some direction to the point you just raised, what about
areas south of Melrose?
Boothroy/ I...I've...I recommended in here that...that we not allow them to...to come into the
neighborhood...into the neighborhood. My position with the Magic Bus was...was that
it was not compatible to have a commercial vending of that nature set up in the middle of
a residential area where there...it's one thing to have it across from the stadium. It's one
thing to have it on an arterial street. It's one thing to have it in a place where you have
adequate access, but if you bring that into the neighborhood, I think you raise a number
of different issues that I don't think are compatible. And...
Wright/ I think you want to limit it to Melrose Avenue only.
Champion/ I'm even willing to limit it to Melrose Avenue.
Hayek/ (mumbled) (several responding)
Boothroy/ That's where it is primarily now, and it's just trying to grow a little bit, so I think we
need to...okay.
Champion/ Did we decide whether to permit or (several talking)
Boothroy/ Well, we have to...we have to have something because right now they're not allowed
by right, so to make it legal, we're going to have to have some kind of permitting process,
but you're going to have the final say as to what those standards are. And you'll have the
final say...as to what the permit, whether we're going to charge a fee or not. Right now
the fee for a temporary use permit is $75.00.
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Bailey/ Per...per use? So that would be per game?
Boothroy/ No, that's...that's per season. (several responding) So that wouldn't cover our costs,
but it...that's what it is.
Hayek/ Yeah, but as we get into this, I want to know whether in an analogous situations, the fee
we charge covers our cost for that. I mean...
Boothroy/ Most temporary use, and we'll talk more...most though like garden centers and some
of these other things that we do, uh, you know, there really isn't that, uh, it's not as
complicated. Uh, it's a commercial zone. Uh, and one...what we do is once we make
sure that the required parking there is in place and the signage is proper, it...year after
year it becomes sort of self-enforcing, and so the permit fee actually goes down to I think,
what, 50 bucks maybe in subsequent years. So it's really not very, uh, labor intensive.
The difference here would be, uh, I think initially is to make sure that...that the people
vending on Melrose Avenue all have permits, so that you don't have people coming into
the area that aren't following the rules, and so there'd be some more inspections.
Karr/ Mr. Mayor, I think the biggest distinction there is, once the temporary use, like a garden
center is up, it's up for the season, these are up and down every week.
Boothroy/ Right.
Karr/ And that's a big distinction.
Bailey/ And so you anticipate inspecting every week?
Boothroy/ No, I...I would expect at the beginning of the season, until we get people trained, and
then it would be, uh, our, in our group, we think the police department should be able to
handle, uh, they're out there. If they see people vending without a permit, uh, they
should be able to give...bring it to our attention and then we can follow up on Monday.
Hayek/ What's...what's the most analogous private property temporary use permit scenario we
can look at, to...to have a comparison to this? I mean, if...if...
Boothroy/ (both talking) ...maybe Jann Ream can come up, cause she issues almost all the
permits, and I...she sees every one of them and I don't, so...do you all know Jann Ream?
(several responding)
Ream/ Um, I think maybe the most analogous might be the Regenia Fun Festival. Um, it's...a
long weekend. I think it's three nights. It's in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Um, they, um...have a lot of varied activities at it. Um, so that's the one I could
think...cause quite honestly, other than that...all...all of the temporary use permits we
issue are issued in commercial zones. For use that isn't normally allowed in that
commercial zone for a particular reason.
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Hayek/ Okay.
Higgins/ So do temporary use permits, they don't require any change in the zoning?
Boothroy/ Right.
Ream/ That's correct.
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Boothroy/ It's just...it's just temporary with no permitted changes, uh, and that's...that's kind of
the...uh, we...they came about in the 90s and...and we've used it pretty successfully
since then.
Higgins/ And then you can designate that the Friday before and then the night of...
Ream/ Right, the...the ordinance as it's written now allows us to apply certain conditions...to
the permit, that are deemed reasonable. Um...
Champion/ Is that difficult to obtain?
Ream/ Pardon?
Champion/ It's not difficult to obtain, I mean, I've done it. It's easy, and my daughter has. You
have to follow some rules.
Hayek/ Okay. Do you have the direction...
Boothroy/ I think, uh, what I see is I'm going to put together some information for the Planning
and Zoning Commission for an amendment to the zoning code, and we'll be back as soon
as possible and I'll, uh, make contact with some vendors to get some feedback in terms of
what kinds of...of performance standards, their expertise because they have a lot of
experience in setting up and tearing down, and uh, we'll have that discussion and come
back to you and...and um, you'll have a chance to evaluate it. So...Planning and Zoning
is next. Is that...fair?
Hayek/ (mumbled)
Mims/ I guess just one last thing would be...I think mostly as we've talked tonight we've talked
about people who are actually set up, like with tents and stuff. I mean, you've also got
the people who are just walking around, you know, with a cardboard box oft-shirts or
whatever it is. Um...I don't know what you want to do, but I just throw it out there, till
we get to some point that's...
Hayek/ And the University has...complained to me several times...
Boothroy/ And me as well!
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Hayek/ ...talk to you about the mobile vendors.
Boothroy/ Particularly the ones with language that...is offensive. (several talking) We need to
talk about that. I'm not sure what...what the solution is. Uh, it maybe that, uh, if they
don't have a permit, they...the police can...can deal with that issue. Um, I'll talk to the
Police Captain; we'll talk in more detail about that.
Hayek/ Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about the issue or if it's really a problem but...but they
have (several talking)
Wright/ ...probably ought to be addressed (several talking)
Boothroy/ I know that...that the person who's involved in enforcing the trademark and that stuff
monitors that over there. He was telling me the other day that he tends to...the ones with
the...the, uh, Iowa F-City, which I don't get frankly, but uh, that particular shirt (several
talking) I don't have...that particular t-shirt (several talking and laughing) uh...sorry, I
guess that is a great t-shirt, but uh...(laughter) uh, he was telling me that he would...he
would corral them, chase `em down towards the, uh, to the...to the bridge and Ron Fort
would be on the other side and confiscate the t-shirts so, so there (laughter) there was an
enforcement process, uh, in University Heights to get rid of those t-shirts, but I think...I
think there's some things that we can do, cause if they're confiscating them then maybe
there's something that can be done...can be done, so...
Hayek/ Although I think those, to be fair, are the trademarked ones that they can actually (several
talking) about. The vendors who avoid trademark (both talking)
Boothroy/ What is the trademark on that?
Hayek/ Oh you know, like a...like (several talking) yeah, but...and they're unhappy about those
ones too. They have no (several talking) right, exactly!
Boothroy/ And my understanding is, he'll be there to help us enforce too because he's always
there.
Hayek/ Okay. Um...anything else for Doug?
Champion/ I just have a question. Are we really ready to go to Planning and Zoning with this, or
do we want him to bring back something else (mumbled)
Mims/ Well, that's kind of my question too, Connie, are we...
Boothroy/ Well, it...I guess the question is how much... it seems like the, I don't know it's up to
you, but...it...typically Planning and Zoning does the...the, uh, research and all of that
kind of groundwork, and then you get the final product to say `yea' or `nay' on. We
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typically, my experience is, we don't do all of that work at the Council level, just have
P&Z change it and then come back again. And the other thing is that...
Champion/ Okay, all right.
Boothroy/ ...getting started I think is important because I'm going to need to get input and try to
get to P&Z as quickly as possible.
Champion/ That's fine!
Wright/ I think that's the right thing.
Bailey/ I think it's the right (mumbled)
Hayek/ But, let's fast-track this to the extent we can...
Boothroy/ I, oh I'm going to get it to P&Z at their next meeting, uh, the first meeting in May...if
possible.
Hayek/ Okay. Well thanks for your work on this, and...(several talking). Thank you, Jann.
Boothroy/ Thank you!
Hayek/ Okay, we' 11 take afive-minute break and, uh, come back. (BREAK)
New Animal Shelter:
Hayek/ Why don't we start back up again, and the next item I believe is Animal Shelter.
Wyss/ Rick Wyss with the Iowa City Police Department, and uh, we're here tonight (mumbled)
the January Council meeting for additional information on the Animal Shelter. We have
some staff that will be giving some presentations, hopefully answer a lot of your
questions. Uh, the current status at the Animal Shelter is that we are still waitin~ for the
archeological study to be completed. It is due to be done, I believe it's April 29t . Um,
FEMA has allocated funding to reimburse the City of Iowa City for the relocation and
(mumbled) construction of the animal control facility. The reimbursement is limited to
the same size and basically the same materials as the previous shelter. The problems that
we're seeing, or that we anticipate, is the old shelter was insufficient in size to, uh,
maintain our current operations, and a lot of the materials that were used to construct that
facility are no longer recommended (mumbled) facility, and (mumbled) architect, or the
architect for the City of Iowa City, is Kumi Morris (mumbled) will be giving some
information on the design and the, uh, construction of the Animal Shelter. Liz Ford from,
who's, uh, the liaison for the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation will be presenting
information on the, uh, Foundation's fundraising, uh, efforts and their cap...upcoming
capital campaign. We'll also have, uh, Misha Goodman from the Animal Services.
She's a supervisor for Animal Services, who can respond to questions regarding
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operations of the Shelter. And Deb Mansfield from Finance can, uh, address particular
questions, or any specific questions, regarding the, uh, financing of the project, and with
that, I'll turn it over to Kumi Morris.
Morris/ Thanks. I'm here to talk about the, um, architecture of animal shelters, um, specifically
why does the new shelter need to be different from the flooded, or even the temporary
shelter. And, why do animal shelters cost so much to build, which is probably going to
be your biggest question here. So, um, what is the architectural design intent of an
animal shelter. Um, there are three answers to this, first is to meet the state law, uh, State
of Iowa licensing requirements; and to have appropriate designed shelter for humans to
use it, and for the animals who pass through it. Um, the former shelter, um, was
originally a... a concrete, um, block garage on the north waste water site. Um, it became
a shelter in 1967. It was about a 60- by 28-square-foot, um, garage, and um, it was
enlarged in 1988 to about double the size. Why does the new shelter need to be different.
Architecturally the answer lies in three components. Um, capacity, materials, and
functions. First I'll start with the first component which is capacity. Architecturally
when we define capacity for an animal shelter, these are the factors that determine the
size of the shelter. Um, the appropriate number of housing units; the appropriate
separation of...in spaces and functions; staffing for programming and services; staff
training; average length of stay; and a total number of reclaims, adoptions, transfers,
releases, and other outcomes. In reviewing the flooded facility on Kirkwood Drive, um,
the former facility had already been facing capacity issues prior to the flood, and that's
something that I think that...I really wanted to make clear here. Um, in 2007, staff were
asked to look at expansion possibilities on the site. Um, we had hired N&W at the time,
they're a consulting engineer, to give us the most cost-effective options. The site had
physical limitations for expansion. Um, if you take a look at the, um, bottom left-hand
corner you can see that there's a rail, um, the railroad, um, to the south, Clinton Street,
um, to the...to the west, Kirkwood Avenue to the north, and the creek, which is...just
right in here, um, to the east. Um, also the existing parking lot was already constrained,
and so...the only option at the time was to look at designing for building up. Um, back in
2007, N&W based their study on capacity and future growth. Um, we asked them to look
at a 20-plus year plan into the future. Um, the consultant at that time gave us four
options. Um, which at that time included, um, remodeling of the existing facility and
variations of additions of a second-story structure. Um, the four options ranged between
$2.7 million to $3.2 million, and the square foot recommendations, um, also ranged
between 19,900 square feet to 25,149 square feet. Another reason that, um, new shelters
need to be designed differently in terms of capacity, um, is that our FEMA assessment
does not allow the City to include areas outside of the flooded facility that were used as
part of the Animal Shelter, in terms of programming. Um, such as the neighboring
properties that were exclusively utilized and maintained for the Animal Shelter. Um, if
you take a look at the image in the slide here, um, here's the Animal Shelter, and there's
a trail that, um, led to, um, an area to the south of the, um, of the north waste water
treatment plant. It was about, um, 1.61 acres, um, and that land is not reflected in
their... in their counts. They're only looking at the footprint of the former facility. Um,
further, um, areas in the north waste water plant, um, that the Shelter and the Friends of
the Animal Center Foundation used for programming, training, and storage is also not
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included. (noise on mic) The Friends of the Center Foundation played a critical role in
the daily operations of the Animal Shelter, for removing dogs, for...for walks, for kennel
cleaning, to organizing and training volunteers, to foster programs and training animals.
Um, Liz Ford is here, and she'll be talking about that a little bit more later. Uh, the
Shelter Foundation, um, used a total of about 1,088 square feet in the, um, in the north
waste water plant and that's not also included within the FEMA numbers, in their account
at this time. Our current codes and standards also influence our capacities and decisions.
Um, there are two documents that are mainly, um, reference for constructing an animal
shelter. Um, the two documents are, the first is the chapter 67 of the State of Iowa
Animal Welfare Code. Um...um, presently there are only 18 states in the country that,
um, that have adopted, um, animal welfare codes, and most are agricultural states. Um,
the code is fairly general in terms of its language about architecture, but does have fairly
specific information in terms of separation of animals and the typology of those
separations. Um...um, the reason that this code is critical is that it, um, influences, or
affects our ability to be a licensed shelter. So if we don't follow the code, um, we're not
able to be licensed, and so it's critical that we follow that. The second, um, guideline that
is referenced is the, um, guidelines for standards of care in animal shelters. Um, this is
the document that was written by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. Um, it's a
fairly, um...new document, um, it's one that's referenced, um, now by, um, by shelter
designers. Um, I know that the State of California is looking at adopting this as part of
their code requirements for shelter designs. Um, and architecturally, it's very helpful in
terms that it's very, very specific. Gives, um, very, um, specific definitions in terms of
how much space per animal, um, in terms of safety and um, and...containment. In order
to meet our licensing requirements, we must, um, have a number of sections of the code
that we must follow in regard to capacity and design. Um, the, for example, layout and
design, from healthiest, um, closest to public entry to the most contagious at the back.
Um, to types of enclosures, um, surfaces and drainage, um, heating, ventilations, and air
quality needs to be followed, as well as, um, there's definitions for sound control,
sanitation and disease control, and um, lastly human and animal health. Our former, uh,
shelter had challenges in meeting these standards. Um, with every renovation and system
modification, such as new HVAC-systems, um, these codes were addressed. However,
the separation of animals, sound attenuation, and specifically HVAC were constant issues
in the former shelter. Um, specifically due to capacity issues. Um, our temporary facility
off of Sand Road presently, um, does not currently meet the requirements within the state
code. Um, small and costly modifications have been made at that site, um...the state
licensing board has granted a temporary waiver to, um, to the City as we seek a more
permanent solution for our facility. To address the codes and standards in our future
facility, the City has made a decision to consult with an architecture firm that specializes
specifically in animal shelter design. Uh, we didn't want to have the same design issues
that we have with our former facility. The City wanted to direct, um, directly address
current and future capacity needs, and further we wanted to review our specific
programming needs and find efficiencies in design. Um, we wanted a firm that had direct
experience in animal shelter designs. So we sent out an RFQ, um, nationally, um... and,
uh, we wanted them to look at the feas...feasibility study and preliminary design. So
looking at our...our community specifically in terms of, um, we have a great amount of
transient... a transient nature in terms of our community with the University and, um,
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there are different times of year where we have greater animal relinquishing situations
than others, and so we wanted to look at those types of things for them, in terms of its
design. Um, also we wanted a document at the end that we could hand over to a local,
um, architecture and engineering firm and say design it this way, with these, um,
materials and to our specific building code. There are about...um, eight to twelve firms
nationally that, um, that specialize in animal shelter design. Um, Jackson and Ryan, um,
was selected; um, you can see Martha saying here in the image, um, she's a principal in
the firm and she was awarded the AIA Fellow for her work in animal shelter designs.
Um, Jackson and Ryan has designed over 300 shelters and animal care facilities. And,
um, from a Jackson and Ryan feasibility and programming study, we received a large and
detailed document, um, that reviewed our community and our animal intake, and
recommended a shelter ranging to 18,000 square feet. We also asked, um, Jackson and
Ryan to look at the programming plan that was confined to a shelter, um, for the FEMA
square footage of 7,000 square feet, which was the former, um, our former, um, flooded
site was confined to that, um, square foot limitation. Um, they proposed possible
programming plans, um, but to meet our capacity needs appropriately, um, there were
always phased additions that had to be planned in with that. Um, if you, um, and earlier
when I talked about, um, in 2007, N&W had looked at, uh, looking at capacity at that
time and they had proposed a building from 19,000 to 25,000 square feet. So...a second
component of why the new shelter needs to be different are in the materials. Um, by our
codes and standards, animal shelters have very specific material needs to operate well and
to keep the public and volunteers and staff and animals safe. In regard to materials, there
are five elements in arch...in the architectural design. Um, without proper materials a
great deal...we will have a great deal of issues in terms of maintenance and cleaning.
And, um, most of the elements have a high up-front cost, but are durable and have
a...have longevity. And...and in the long run will be less maintenance and less
replacement, and thus less costly in the long run. Um, the images that I'm going to be
showing you are, um, from before the flooded facility, um, animals are extremely hard
on, um, on our buildings. Um...see here...um...these elements are a major...in terms of
the materials that I'll be talking about tonight, um, these are, um, it's a major factor in
why the square footage cost to construct a shelter are so high, ranging from about $220 to
$300 a square foot for shelter spaces. Um, slide here reveals, um, the average cost of
square foot of, um, shelters that were designed, um, in Iowa, or are proposed to be
designed. You can see the square foot cost ranges, um, Cedar Rapids appears fairly high,
but we believe that that also might include the land cost. So in addressing materials, um,
the first element is lighting. Um, all shelter lighting should be gasketed, water-proof, and
vandal-proof, um, the state code also addresses that ample lighting and natural lighting
shall be provided, from sunrise to sunset hours, to all detained animals. Um, there are
three levels of lighting that we need to design for, um, one is the cleaning level; the
visitor level, which is like a retail level; and then nighttime, um, level, nighttime lighting
level. Um, the main purpose of a shelter is to adopt out their animals to the public, and so
like any retail space, you need to be able to see a display. Thus, glass, abundant
windows, and water-proof lighting is a costly part of the program. The second of the
five-material elements are the drains and water use. Um...um, you must invest into a
system that can handle dirt, grime, hair balls, vomit, urine, and constant use of sanitizing
chemicals.
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Champion/ Sounds like my kitchen! (laughter)
Morris/ Nothing less than 6-inch pipes are req...um, are required, most buildings have about fl-
inch sanitary pipes. Um, stainless steel, um, rather than galvanized drain components are
recommended due to the chemicals and urine. Um, individual drains versus trenched
drains for odor and disease control, um, are also recommended. If you look at the center
image, um, originally in our shelter we had trenched drains, um, there were a lot of issues
with, uh, water backing up...backing up, and animals drinking the water, and so, um, so
what we...what you see is, um, drains in nearly all locations in the shelter that are, um,
that are interior, um, drains, individual drains. If you look at the picture on your, um, on
your right, you can see a drain that's even in the, uh, the food storage area, or one of the
many uses of that space. And, um, they should even be in the lobby location. So when
you look at all that piping, throughout the facility, it becomes very, very costly in terms
of, um, plumbing, um, plumbing requirements. Um, lastly with water use, um, the code
requires hand-washing stations between animal areas, um, hand sanitizers are not an
effective, um, means of disease control, in terms of animal shelters. Um, and also, um,
they must have separate cleaning areas, um, for things such as litter boxes from food
bowls. So if you look at the image on your left, you'll see, um, separate sinks for those
uses, and that should be throughout, um, the animal shelter spaces. The third material,
um, in terms of design for animal shelter design is in the flooring. Um, floors must be
able to handle chewing, scratching paws, hot water, corrosive chemicals, urine, and be
resistant to mold and not track bacteria. Um, the recommendation is to use a...a
methacrylate flooring. Um, it's placed over a concrete sub-floor, um, this material holds
water from penetrating into the floors. It's not porous like concrete, or a the with grout.
It doesn't let bacteria settle in. Um, further, it's forgiving if you have cracks in your sub-
floor, um, and the fact that it's fairly flexible. Um, it's different from epoxy, as it doesn't
crack or transfer through the surface, so you, um, you're less likely to have bacteria
settling into the...onto the surface. Um, it can also co...be coved up, um, to the
recommended 16-inches. What they recommend is that, um, you have a flooring system
that can be coved up to 16 inches, and it...because it's the area that's from, um, the, um,
90-degree space that traps bacteria, and so something that's easy to clean and doesn't
trap, um, and is easy to keep sanitary. Um, further, it's, uh, slip-resistant, which is
necessary with wet floors with the constant wash-downs, and...however, it's the most
expensive installation costs, but lost...lasts the longest and is easiest to maintain and most
durable. The fourth material consideration is in the acoustics. Um, one of the challenges
of the animal shelter design is trying to reduce acoustics in a wet environment. Um, most
of the sound attenuation material that's out there is not suited for wet environments. Um,
and animal shelters have a lot of hard reflective surfaces, basically so that you can keep
`em clean. Um, a water-proof acoustical plaster is the common industry standard. Um, it
is hand-troweled onto walls and ceilings, and can deal with constant humidity, heat, and
direct moisture. Um, Pyrock, which is one brand, you can see this image of the, uh, Los
Angeles Animal Care Center, you can see the...if you look at the soffits and the ceiling,
um...um, is...is typical application, um, the acoustical plaster absorbs sound and reduces
the echoes and noises from reflective surfaces, such as barking, you know, something that
we have a lot of in shelters. Um, it also has a ceramic membrane, so when it's cured, it
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deflects mold, or bacteria from growing on the surface. In our former animal shelter, um,
we had a great deal of issues with the ceilings and moisture. Um, we had a Gypsum
ceiling, drywall, which is a common brand name, and um, we had issues with moisture,
um humidity, um, ceilings, um, having cracking and so it just...it's a constant issue in
terms of, um, mold and...and moisture. Um, another recommendation in terms of
controlling acoustics is to have vestibule spaces between, um, animal areas to animal area
and also from those animal areas to public areas, to reduce sound from traveling between
spaces. And lastly, an acoustical design is recommended to have floating soffits to
capture sound between spaces so they don't transfer from room to room. So these are all
architectural elements that add to, um, to the design, but also add to the cost. Lastly, the
clean air affect, um, Air Act, affects the material and, um, architectural design, more
specifically the mechanical design of shelters. Maintaining indoor air quality is a
complicated affair in an animal shelter, um, mainly because of animal hair, um, animals
and humans get sick when there's poor control of heating and cooling systems. Most of
my time in City facilities, I shouldn't say most but a large percentage of my time is spent
dealing with the HVAC systems, whether it's here at City Hall or in any other facility.
At the...at the former Animal Shelter, it was the majority of my time. Um, it was a major
part of their CIP expenses, um, we ended up having to replace many of their systems a
number of times over the...over the ten years I had been there when that was, um, in
operation. Um, we had changed out their, um, filtering systems to add more baffling
because the system would shut down from the animal hair, um, and mostly because the
type of system that is necessary for an animal shelter has really high up-front costs, and
so we were trying to balance our CIP budget with what we had to...what we could really
afford, um, so there was a lot of maintenance within the system. Um, and animal shelter
designs, it's recommended, excuse me, the Human Society recommends about 12 to 15
air exchanges, um, and the National Veterinary, um, Building Design Standards currently
recommends up, even up to 20. Um, in comparison in a hospital patient room, um, that's
about six air exchanges. In a typical office, it's about four to six, and so there's a lot of
air that's being pushed through. Um, there's also, uh, it's also important to have a
separation of zones. When I'm talking about zones, I'm talking about thermostats, um,
basically you want as many spaces and separations as you can get, um, the worst case
scenario is what we had in our former shelter, which was only...we had about two zones
and separation. Um, and we have a space that has multiple wash-downs and a need for it
to dry quickly, and um, it was fairly difficult to maintain with only two zones. Um,
further, um, it's also recommended that you have multiple, um, pressurization zones, um,
that are required to keep disease and odor from spreading. Um, for example, you want
positive pressure in the spay and neuter, um, rooms to keep contaminants out, and then
you want negative pressure in the kennel areas to draw air in, and to exhaust it through a
contained system. Um, the worst is to have minimal zones that pushes air from one area
to the next, causing spread of disease and viruses. Um, for better HVAC control, it's
recommended that cat kennel areas have multiple, um, there are multiple and in smaller
groups, such as five areas with ten cats versus one area with 50 cats, um, it's easier for
the HVAC system to be handled if you can do that type of separation. And, um, and it
also reduces disease spreading in smaller colonies. Further, um, due to the amount of
animal hair, um, systems are necessary, and again, that's an expensive up-front
cost, but it does help reduce the, um, the maintenance of the system in the long run. So
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when I'm talking about an HVAC system here, I'm not talking about the comfort of
animals, but um, keeping spaces sanitary and dry, um, as I said with two and three wash-
downs daily, and vast variations in terms of temperature and humidity, uh, in our climate,
um, the space...and the space that also has public visitors, um, a well designed HVAC
system is critical. So I've spent some time talking about capacity and materials, and the
last component of, um, to answer why the new shelter needs to be different is in how
shelters now function. The main mission of an animal shelter is to protect the public and
the animals, and to adopt appropriate animals back out to the public. So, if the public
enters a shelter and it's noisy, and it stinks, and they can't hear themselves think, they're
out of there! Um...um, when you enter a shelter, it must bright, clean, odor-free, and
well-designed, so that the public can...it's easily self-directed. Um, in terms of a
large...in terms of the function, there's a large public and volunteer piece to animal
shelter design. The entry must be separate to handle fractious animals, and individuals
and families with children coming in to adopt animals, and if you look at the image in
the, uh, bottom left-hand corner, that's a...the holiday image of our, the Animal Shelter
lobby, um, and as you can see, um, it's just one big space that everyone enters into,
whether you're bringing in an aggressive animal or you're adopting out, um, a dog or
getting a license, you're, you know, all of that is happening in that same space. What's
recommended in terms of function (mumbled) those types of things are...are separated
out, um...basically for public safety. The feel of the facility must be well, also be well-
designed to keep (mumbled) on animals that are available, and separate out those that are
not, and will not be, um, further in terms of function, it's a place of business, and much of
the design literature, um, discusses something called a retail trick. Animals behind glass
are psychologically more desirable, so glimpses of animals from the lobby are critical in
terms of function and design. Further, as a place of business, when people are stopping
in to get their license renewed or the Dog Park fee, they must always be aware
(mumbled) shelter, and that there are animals available for adoption. Like separation of
animals and lobbies, um, and the lobby, the state licensure also requires various
separations in the space to handle different functions. So if you take a look at the
slide...the slide, the licensing req...also requires that we have separation from intake,
which talked about in terms of animals coming in, to examination. Separation of holding
areas, adoption areas, uh, 10% of the space for animals, uh, diagnosed with disease must
be isolated, and separated out and on-hold, um, treatment areas, food storage, laundry,
clinical services such as spaying and neutering, which is part, also part of the state
licensing code, and euthanasia. Outside of the functions, the code also requires
separation of animals by the healthiest from the sickest. So you have the healthiest at the
front, and the sick...also, furthest to the back; weaned puppies and kittens from adults;
males from females; aggressive from all other animals; nursing mothers from young and
all others; and also...we also need to provide a space for large impounds, and our shelter
it occurs at least once a year, um, we...impounds from dog fighting, from hoarding of
animals, um, and even abandoned chickens in residential neighborhoods. (laughter)
Bailey/ Shelter! Focus! (laughter)
Hayek/ Inside joke, Tom! It's before you showed up! (laughter)
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April 18, 2011 City Council Regular Work Session Page 34
Markus/ Chickens?
Bailey/ Shelter!
Morris/ Um, we have a proposed site that has been, um, that's under review by FEMA presently.
Um, it's under an archeological study. Um, pending the archeological phase one study
review, and FEMA's response, our next step is to take the information from Jackson and
Ryan, um, architect's programming and feasibility study, and what I'm showing here is
basically a, um, a programming plan that puts spaces adjacent to one another. It's
designed for an imaginary, rectangular site. I don't think we will get so lucky to have a
rectangular site, but if we do, this would be perfect! The, um...the...um...we have...we
would like to take the, this next step in terms of the...putting out an RFQ, um, for local
design services for, to design and, um, to create design and development documents and
this will help us with three things. Um, first it will help us with schematic design that
will help the Foundation with their fundraising assessment study, um, that's their next
step. Um, it'll also allow the City to start, um, building, um, start our building and design
and cost responsibility discussion with FEMA, which we're still under review. And then,
the last thing is that it will help, um, us design...our design development is to look at the
smartest way and most cost-effective way to build the facility, um, to come up with both
phase design and afull-scale design that, so that we're undoing as least as possible if we
have to have a phased design, and finally, um, it will help us evaluate and plan our
architecturally the threshold for the biggest bang for our buck in our first costs. Um, and
I've also included a timeline, um, the general timeline, there's a lot of caveats in here,
pending what FEMA comes back with in terms of response and some times, but um, and
you have something within your packets, attached to the memo, that's much more
detailed. But, um, if all goes well, and we're able to move this...we're hoping that, um,
we will be able to have complete construction by, um, 2013, November of 2013. So next
I'll let Liz Ford talk about the Foundation.
Hayek/ Hi, Liz!
Ford/ Can I get the...hi...lights? How do I dim the lights? Thank you! Okay, great. Um, thank
you very much for allowing me to come tonight and speak to Council on behalf of the
Friends of the Animal Center Foundation, um, which I'll refer to as FACF tonight. Um,
my name is Liz Ford, and I'm the former Executive Director for the FACF. Um, to my
left is Kim Litton, she's the new Executive Director, on the job for three weeks (laughter)
so um...my...I left the Foundation in January to work full-time at the Animal Center, and
the Foundation asked me to stay on as a liaison, um, for the Animal Center to the FACF,
um, to keep them informed of, uh, happenings and goings, so...um, hope to be a part of
the program with the new shelter going forward! My goal tonight is to, um, give you a
little bit of information about FACF really quickly, and um, some of the benefits that
we've brought to the Animal Center, and um, the potential for the future. So, FACF's
mission is to raise funds to support and expand the animal care services of the Iowa City
Animal Care and Adoption Center. We seek health, comfort, freedom from fear, and a
loving guardian for all companion animals. Um...FACF was established in 1999, um, we
are currently aseven-member, volunteer board of directors, and our Executive Director is
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a part-time position. We have a healthy donor database currently of 7,763. Um, we have
a strong history of donor stewardship, um, excellent fundraising track record, um, we've
raised over half a million dollars since June of 2008. Um, and we work to fund programs
and services that result in a positive impact on animals and people in the community.
Um, our intention was never to replace the Animal Center, or be a separate entity. We
really exist to enhance, um, and to supplement the areas where the City budget wouldn't
be able to cover, um, and areas that we can really make an impact on animal lives and the
people that...that care about them! Uh, the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation
supports many different programs. Um...the volunteer and foster care program, in 2007,
uh, the Foundation provided funding for a person to manage those programs, all of the
programs that we fund. So, um, that is currently...actually it's, we have a new person
starting in that position that will be in place in a couple of weeks, and they're apart-time
per...person. They provide all the oversight for our volunteer, foster care program.
Um...and...um...the other thing that...some of the other things that we provide funding
for are medical care for animals, animals that otherwise might be euthanized in the
shelter. So, um, these are animals that are injured, maybe hit by a car, um, ill, like dogs
with heartworm disease um...we also provide anim...animal nutrition. The City has a
budget for food for the animals, um, but there are certainly animals that have special
needs with kinds of...with different kinds of food and the need for a higher quality food,
uh, for animals that are under a lot of stress in an animal shelter. So we've been able to
provide funding for that. Again, it's not really meant to replace the budget. We wouldn't
be able to do it without that money in the City's budget, but we can supplement it and do
things that are better for the animals. Um, animal enrichment is something that provides,
um, for health and welfare, mentally, and for the animals that live in the shelter. So,
providing them things like the volunteer program, um, to get them out of their kennels,
and get them out of their cages. Um, different, um, toys and different types of
enrichment that, um, we provide the materials for and we teach volunteers how to run the
program, and um, they make, uh, makes a better place for the animals to live while
they're at the shelter waiting for a home. Uh, adoption promotion and mobile adoption,
that's something that's been really critically important, um, since the flood when we were
forced out to the Fairgrounds and then five miles outside of town. Mobile adoption has
really become critical, so um, getting out in the community and, um, bringing animals to,
back into Iowa City, uh, so people can meet them. And, uh, having successful adoptions
there. Humane education and service learning, um, we have done, um, a lot with this
program and we really hope to do more. Um, humane education reduces abandonment,
reduces, um, dog fights, teaches responsible pet care to both youth and adults, um,
increases reclaims, increases adoptions, increases awareness, really brings more people
out to the shelter, more people get involved with the shelter, more money comes into the
shelter, um, for the Foundation programs. Uh...and, uh, community outreach programs,
uh, pet...pet first aid, which we te...teach to citizens so they can take care of their pet's,
um, most responsible way. Um, `friendly paws' is a community outreach program that
we started where we train volunteers to take, um, approved shelter animals into assisted
living communities for people who can't own pets anymore, um, so it just provides them
with a little, you know, one-on-one, uh, stress-reducing pet time. Um... spay and neuter
assistance programs, these are, um, doing amazing things to reduce the pet
overpopulation problem, so reducing animals that end up coming into the shelter that are
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homeless and then put a strain on...on the shelter. Um, this...for us, this is, um, spay
days that we hold periodically throughout the year, or a regular, um, assistance program
for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford that surgery for their animal. Um,
our dog training program provides, um, it's another form of enrichment, specific to the
dogs at the shelter, so it provides, um training for dogs that are at the shelter to help
improve their chances of adoption and help keep them, um, keep their stress level down
and...and improve their behavior at the shelter. Takes volunteers and trains them how to
be, um, good advocates for dogs, and dog training and positive reinforcement, and
humane care of animals. Um, and provides a voucher system for adopters when they take
a dog home from the shelter, um, which helps increase the dog and owner bond, and
keeps the dog in the home longer. Um...micro-chipping clinics are something that we do
to help reunite pets more quickly. So animals that are come into the shelter that are
micro-chipped can much more quickly go home, which again that, you know, lessens the
amount of time that they're at the shelter, putting a strain on services there. Um, and
reunites them with their family much quicker too. Facility enhancements are something
that we have done for a long time, and um, some of the things that we have done with the
facility on Kirkwood, um, we did put a roof over the dog kennels there, the outdoor dog
kennels, so that the dogs could spend more time outside with getting fresh air, when it
was, um, not nice outside. Uh, small mammal enclosure, in the front lobby area, um,
some of the pictures that you saw earlier of the front lobby where animals were housed
when the public came in, um, we provided a separate kind of housing for small mammals,
like rabbits and things like that so they didn't have to live in the same area as, uh, cats
and dogs, which might consider them prey. That would be stressful! (laughter) Um...
Champion/ That would be stressful!
Ford/ ...yeah, we did...we did provide, uh, fencing for the outdoor exercise, um, dog training
and exercise area, um, and um...a number of different facility, smaller facility items like
kennels and housing. In 2007 when there was talk of expanding the old shelter, um, the
Foundation was ready to start a fundraising campaign at that time. So, um, of all those
different programs that...that we are, have been able to, uh, fund and help the Animal
Center operate there's a lot of value added, um, volunteer hours in 2010, uh, 11,482.75,
and I'm sure that one volunteer probably was, put that .75 in there forme! Um...and if
you translate that into, um, full-time employees, you're looking at over five full-time
employees, which that's...I mean, that's an amazing contribution the volunteers have
done for the Animal Center. Um, currently we have 282 active volunteers. Um, these
volunteers help in nearly all areas of the facility: cleaning, animal care, even helping
respond to mass impounds, um, helping the public in general, just, I mean, just about
every area in the Animal Center the volunteers have been helping with. Uh...the foster
care program that we have, um, last year saved 182 animals. These are animals that
would otherwise probably have to be euthanized. They're too young or too sick to be at
the shelter in a stressful environment, and so they were able to go into...into private
homes and, um, and grow up and get strong enough to be adopted. Um, Animal Center
and FACF events, people love the Animal Center and they always want to come out
there, and they love our "holiday with the hounds" event, and the adopt-a-thon we do in
the summer, and the various other events that we do. So we've been able to do, um,
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provide funding and volunteers to make those things happen! Um, education outreach,
um, this is a program where we, um, either have students or, um, youth or adults come
out to the shelter, or we go to them, and teach them a variety of things, from responsible
animal care, um, dog bite prevention, um...career...careers with animals and different
things like that. Um, mobile adoption events, last year we held 35 mobile adoption
events. Um, we micro-chipped 112 animals, um, spayed and neutered 145, and trained
66 dogs! And I think that, um, the Iowa City Animal Center and FACF have an
incredible community buy-in, which is definitely evidenced by all of those numbers that
you saw in 2010. Um, the people that volunteer, foster, donate, and respond to the needs
of the Animal Center, and in 2007 when we did have a...there was a hoarding case in,
um, in the county and we had to take in, uh, 56 dogs and some other animals. We had
this huge response from the community and we had almost $18,000 in donations, just in
monetary donations. That didn't include all the supplies and things that we had.
Um...during the flood we had a huge response from the community to come out and
help...help the animals, volunteers and money and supplies. Um...and you know, I can
even think of a really small example that happened yesterday, um, when for some reason
we're getting lots of puppies in right now, and so I called the radio station and I said,
"Would you mind just making a simple announcement that the Animal Center could use
some donated puppy food," and um, in 24-hours we filled the bin in the front lobby with
puppy food! So the community, the community responds to the needs, obviously! Um,
so the future facility needs from FACF's perspective, um, space for people; orientations;
training volunteers; training foster parents; um, community education, both the youth and
adult; um, service learning. We've done a number of things with, um, Kirkwood
Community College, University of Iowa, um, Coe College, Mt. Mercy, um, with regards
to service learning. Um, our outreach programs, including tours, um, University of
Illinois has come through with a tour of 50 people, um, that's just one example of tours
that we have every year. And we need the space to make these things happen, um, to
make them happen effectively, efficiency, and also safely for those people. Uh, the
people...one of the other (mumbled) that need space are the adopters. Um, they need
room to meet the animals, um, and doing it outside or, um, in a bathroom is...is not the
best place, um, to have that be done, so...um, and we need space for donors and
sponsors. Um, donors, for donation drop-off, I mean, if anyone has come into our front
lobby on a...on a busy Saturday, sometimes you can't get a door all the way open
because of the donations up there. Um, but donors and sponsors want to come to the
Center, and they would want to...they want to see what their money's going towards, and
they want to see the animals that they're helping. So, um, space for people, um, from our
perspective means, um, a place where they can come or they want to come that's well-lit
and that's welcoming. Um, space for animals, um, just to, you know, Kumi's already
talked about some of the, um, codes that are required, separating sick, unweaned, and
stressed animals, and those codes are in place for an important reason, um...and from our
perspective, because we seek, you know, health and freedom from fear and comfort, um,
that kind of space for animals to the Foundation means, um, separating sick because they
don't feel good, and they don't need to be in a room full of parking dogs, um, separating
unweaned because, I mean, they're...they're too young and you don't want to pass on
disease to them. Um, separating stressed animals to, um, so that people don't get hurt,
and to help alleviate the stress on the animals. Um, space for animals also means, um,
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some place to spay and neuter animals. Um, that's clean, and a place where animals can
recover from spay/neuter surgery, instead of having to recover underneath the surgery
table. Um...reducing overpopulation through spay/neuter program, you know, just helps
take the burden off the shelter as well. Um, while, um...we like to try to, um, minimize
euthanasia, the Foundation realizes that, um, euthanasia is, um, a responsible part of...of
any animal shelter, and...but we also realize that, um, euthanasia should not be done to
one animal in front of other animals. Um, psychologically animals know that another
animal is dying in the room, and that's not healthy. Um, so space for euthanasia. Um,
areas that provide enrichment and keep the animals mentally healthy, off-leash training
area, um, for dogs, um, access to the outdoors, um, things like that, um, that would
provide enrichment for the animals. And then for capacity for growth. We've done, you
know, so many amazing things, the Foundation and the Animal Center together to, um,
benefit animals and... and people in the community, but I think there's more to be done.
Um...the demand is still higher than what we can provide, um, given the facility, um,
limitations that we have now in the temporary facility, and certainly what we had on
Kirkwood, um...more programs, um, means more community involvement, which means
more money, um, and it just keeps making the place better for the community. Um, some
ideas that we had thought about for a capacity for growth would be an expanded food
bank, such as Meals on Wheels, for those, um, who can't leave their home to go get food
for their animal. Their animal ends up coming to the animal shelter, um...and you know,
being in intake. Um, possibly we could avoid that if, um, we could just get food to them.
Um, a help line, which reduces burden on the shelter, as well. Um, room rental for things
like birthdays and weddings, believe it or not people get married in animal shelters!
(laugher) Animal people are weird! (laughter) Um...uh, you know, grooming, and
grooming area, where you could rent out, you know, wash...bring...bring your dog in
and wash your own dog in the tub for the day. So, uh, retail space is something that we
haven't really been able to do in our (mumbled) so these are things that, you know, could
certainly help the community. When you adopt your dog you can get everything you
need. Um, but could help the Animal Center itself, as well. So, our goal at the
Foundation is support the...to support the City of Iowa City's efforts to build a new
animal center facility that will meet the needs of the people and the animals in our
community now, and in the future. Um...support for the new facility, um...a new facility
has been a part of FACF's mission since 1999. I was looking through the old minutes,
um, from when...before we'd even received our 501(c)(3) status, and there was talk of
building a better facility for the animals in the community of Iowa City. Um, since 2008,
we've spent, um, over $26,000 on facility improvements. We're...we are invested in the
facility, and so are our donors. They want to make it a better place for the animals. Um,
community supporters have already designated $194,589.38 in donations for a new
facility. Recently that was upped $50.00 from the 4-H group that came in last weekend,
and they said they...we want you to spend it on the new facility. So...um, in a
commitment to maximize potential donations, FACF hired a fundraising consulting firm,
the Renaissance Group Incorporated, um, they are out of Des Moines. Um, successful
fundraising history with the City of Iowa City. They worked on the Scanlon Gym
project. They've worked on campaigns ranging from $1 to $15 million, um, they
consistently raise within 10% of the funding determined in the feasibility testing that they
do. They've worked in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Marion, Solon, North Liberty, and a
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variety of other places around, um, in Iowa. And, um, one of the other reasons why we
picked them is they successfully raised $12 million for the Animal Rescue League in Des
Moines, so they've already worked specifically on a capital campaign for an animal
shelter. Our next steps, um, determine funding avenues that will challenge the
communities. Get out there and educate the community on the needs of the Animal
Center; discuss future plans for the facility; test the capacity and willingness of our
constituency to support the project; conduct capital campaign to fund the project; and
what we need to get started, um, we do need the finalized site, um, we would...we need
an architect's schematic design and site plan. Um, project budget, and we would like the
City Council's endorsement for the project, providing viability and credibility to our
endeavors. We want to test our best effort now. We can revise later if necessary, but it's
much more efficient to build what we need at one time if possible. Um, if people believe
a project has strong leadership, and is possible, they're more willing to support it
financially. And, I'd like to thank you for your patience and diligence during the
evolution of this project. I'd like to invite you all to come out to the Animal Center and
visit us, and I'm going to turn it over to Rick. (talking away from mic)
Wyss/ I don't have much else to add, other than, uh, open it up for questions at this point. As I
said before, uh, Misha Goodman, if you have any specific questions about the, uh, shelter
operations, she could respond to that and Deb Mansfield has specific information about
the FEMA reimbursement.
Markus/ Rick, why don't you, uh, repeat what you're asking the Council to do at the next step.
Wyss/ I'll try! (laughter) Yeah, the FEMA process is fairly complicated, and the next step, what
we have now is move forward with the schematic design, and what we'd like to do is
design it with the...um...best facility that we can in mind. At least have the schematic
plans for a facility that meets what the consultant recommended for, uh, space and
utilization. From that we also...we recognize that there are some, uh, parts of this facility
are just must-haves for your basic operations, and there are some nice-to-haves, and then
we can separate those out. Recognizing the limitations of the...the finances, we can start
with at least the basic minimum, uh, requirements that we need for continual operation,
or at least the basic operations, and then based on the capital campaign, the results of that,
uh, expand upon that.
Champion/ Well I have a little more understanding why it costs so much. It does seem like a lot
of money to me! But, the explanation from Kumi was pretty...pretty good. Uh, I
certainly endorse a new animal shelter. It has no business being way out there on Sand
Road where people can't get there and, or don't want to drive that far, and I think it must
decrease the availability, uh, for adoption. Um...I think we had a great animal shelter
before. Not physically, but I mean it's just so well run and animals are really well taken
care o£ Um, one of my questions is, I like the idea of the retail space in it! I think that
could be quite productive, if people could buy their products for their animals right there,
uh, when they adopt the animal or could go back and help support the shelter. Uh,
what...when you talk about all these sections for intake, output people, watchers, kids,
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education, uh, what kind of staff would that require to handle all those new...new things,
new things?
Goodman/ Well, you know, I've asked for additional staff for forever.
Champion/ I know!
Goodman/ But that doesn't mean I get it!
Champion/ You and Parks!
Goodman/ Um, you know, we rely on our volunteers greatly, and we wouldn't be able to do a lot
of what we do without them. And so, we have no plan for...for additional staff.
Certainly I will continue to ask, because I always do, but um...we would cover some of
the areas with volunteers, um...it would depend on...on how the areas were set up, but
primarily it's for public safety. Um, when...when we have one area where you're...
you're trying to do business and a dog comes in that doesn't like children and there's a
child there, it's...it's dangerous, or a second dog comes in, or a raccoon in a cage
or...you know there are a variety of different scenarios that I can...that I can give you
that happen all the time, but um, it's of concern to us.
Champion/ Well I can see where that would be...um, the other question I have, I'm certainly
going to endorse this project. I...I think it belongs...it should be in Iowa City. Um...
we...you house all the animals in the county, is that correct?
Goodman/ That's correct.
Champion/ I mean, not cows, but... do you do cows?
Goodman/You'd be surprised! (laughter)
Champion/ I know you...
Goodman/ We have housed livestock, yes.
Champion/ You have?
Goodman/ We don't house it usually. Small livestock, on site; larger livestock, we have rescue
people who house it for us, or farm folks who house it for us, temporarily.
Champion/ Have these other communities, uh, been enticed to maybe give a donation to the
building of this new structure?
Goodman/ Um, we haven't had, uh, any formal discussions with any of the communities with
regard to, uh, the facility itself, and the project itself. It doesn't mean those can't happen,
uh, whether or not there would be support, um, I'd be somewhat surprised.
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Champion/ I would be too!
Bailey/ Wel1...I certainly think those conversations should happen as far as the capital campaign,
I mean, um, when we do projects for Vision Iowa, there's certainly an expectation of that,
and I...I think that you can couch it in the same way, so it's a county benefit. I had a
question for Liz regarding the feasibility study. Or, I mean, maybe you can answer this
(mumbled). This three to five month, what's your timeframe? You've already hired a
firm, so where are they at in the process?
Ford/ The three to five months will start, um, once we have a finalized site, the schematic design,
um, site plan and budget.
Bailey/ Okay, so you're not doing any prelim discussions with your major donors.
Ford/ We have not discussed anything with major donors at this point. Um, what we have done
is talk to some of the initial task force members, um, but we don't have the...the answers
to their questions -where's it going to be, what's it going to look like, um, so we're
waiting for some of those an...those answers before we press on. However, we do have a
pretty good start to, uh, a casebook, and our last discussions with the Renaissance Group,
we talked about three to five months, um, their anticipation was because of all the work
we've done so far, it would probably be, um, closer to three months. So...
Bailey/ Okay. Can we build something like the Animal Rescue? It's a nice facility!
Ford/ It's a...it's a really nice facility (laughter). I don't think we need anything that big,
but...but I think (both talking) something that nice, for our community in Iowa City,
yeah.
Hayek/ So...so, I mean, let's start talking about numbers here. We've got a $4 million request;
we've got $2.2 million in the bag, and a gap of 1.8 to get to nirvana. Um...I mean, are
there discussions with your group as to that gap?
Ford/ There are discussions and um, we've talked about, um...the capital campaign, the test...the
testing $2 million plus $500,000 for an endowment. And, that's a, um...that's a very
realistic figure from their perspective, uh, and their, you know, fundraising, um, you
know, their expertise. So...
Bailey/ I think it's doable! I mean, I think your target's...
Ford/ I mean, they even said if you want to test $3 million, we can do that too.
Dickens/ Is the facility going to be `green'? You know, geothermal, or have they...got that far
along?
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Goodman/ That's certainly something we've discussed, uh, and that, um, certainly Kumi and her
folks would get more involved in that. There's a price tag, from what I understand...
Bailey/ Would you test that?
Goodman/ ...that goes with that.
Bailey/ I think that...that should be part of your feasibility testing, if that appeals to donors and
it's likely to appeal to that donor profile.
Ford/ No, I agree with that, Regenia, yes.
Champion/ I mean, the geothermal system was donated to the new shelter for people. The
people shelter.
Goodman/ Yeah, for animal shelters there are a variety of different things you can do. You can
reuse water, you know, there are different things that are possibilities.
Hayek/ Is the 700 in GO funding...in the budget now or is that a pending...
Markus/ You recall I think we made that last end, you know, once the donations were made then
that would follow. So it's a subsequent year, uh, donation (both talking)
Hayek/ If it's in an out-year, we'd have to move it up?
Markus/ I think it's another year out, as I recall.
Mims/ I was just curious on a couple of issues, um, in looking at one of the pages where it
showed, uh, comparisons within the state of Iowa. Um, and...and Kumi, maybe you
(noise on mic) but with Cedar Rapids you commented that you thought their cost per
square foot which was $411 possibly included land. If you take them out as an outlier,
um, Iowa City's is the highest and other than Council Bluffs, who comes in at 240, we're
quite a bit higher than everybody else, and if these are projected or fairly new facilities,
why...why are numbers coming in so much higher per square foot?
Wright/ I thought of the same thing! (several talking away from mic)
Ford/ These were the numbers that...Misha had called the different communities to find out what
their square footage costs were, um, what I know is that, let's see, in Cedar Rapids there's
actually two facilities. There's also a private facility. We're not sure of where the 411
comes from. If that's actually includes land or not. I'm presuming that it has some,
because of the...because of how high it is.
Markus/ Where did our number come from?
Ford/ Our number came from Jackson and Ryan.
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Goodman/ And it came in at 250. Uh, I will mention that Cedar Bend, uh, which is built, um,
and is...it came in at 206, uh, they are having to redo all of their, uh, payback systems.
Um, they initially had gotten a quote from one of the, uh, sheltering architectural firms
nationally. They thought the quote was too high. They went with a local architect. The
systems don't work, and they're redoing them now. So they don't know what their final
cost is going to end up being in the end.
Bailey/ Despite standards, would there be some materials differences in...in some of these
potentially (both talking)
Ford/ It's possible. I just don't...I don't know the facilities very well.
Goodman/ I can tell you they're all brick and mortar buildings. That's as much as I know about
their material, the materials that they used. In other words, they're not...they're not, uh,
wood or...or uh, old building (both talking)
Bailey/ ...Kumi was talking about in...in the interior, the acoustical...
Goodman/ Certainly in the Des Moines' facility, you're going to get those things. Um, a good
number of those.
Hayek/ In the terms of... size, you know, looking at that list, you know, Council Bluffs and Sioux
City have, uh, especially Council Bluffs, considerably more animal intake volume, yet
smaller proposed or completed square footage. Um...
Goodman/ Yeah, you know, it'll depend on who did their plan for them, but, um, Council Bluffs
is a, uh, is a city on a border, as is, uh, Dubuque, so they have contract agreements with
cities that are outside of their state sometimes. I know both of them do. Um there are
also additional facilities, uh, at least in the Council Bluffs area there is one other facility,
a Human Society that exists. Uh, Dubuque, there is not, but I don't know what is over
the border, uh, from Dubuque in terms of additional facilities. Why, um, you will find in
some of these cases if you look at, um, as an example, the Ft. Dodge facility. The
original size was 2,000 square feet. They had animals...they were really having a hard
time with their state licensing. They had animals stacked up to the ceiling, and were in
real trouble. Um, so...
Markus/ I don't know that that's the question though.
Goodman/ I think he's asking why our size compared to their...to that size, in terms of the
animals? Um, some of them may not have the programming that we have. I can't tell
you exactly because I don't know all that they do, uh, some have animal control, uh...
um, as part of their function, and some do not.
Markus/ But...but does that explain why in Council Bluffs' case they have almost a 3-to-1
animal intake, um, to Iowa City, and their square footage, uh...
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Bailey/ Is less.
Markus/ ...is, well...yeah (mumbled) yeah, it's much less.
Goodman/ No, it doesn't. L ..I cannot tell you why they chose to build, you know, it might have
been financial reasons or otherwise. I don't know. In terms of animal intake, as you can
see Iowa City is fairly low compared to some of the other communities. Um... and part
of that, uh, we think is our transient community here. Uh, there are a lot of folks who
can't own animals here, but it's also that we do a really good job in keeping as many
animals out of the facility as we possibly can.
Hayek/ To some extent if...if the...if the last 50% of the funding is private, and we have fewer
concerns as a city as to the size of the capital expenditure, of the structure itself, except as
it relates to ongoing expenses for operations, whether it's staffing or just maintenance.
So, you know, I assume the bigger the facility the more we can assume we're going to
pay over time, all things equal, cause we have more to be paying. Maybe that's not
correct.
Ford/ I guess one of the things to consider is that the smaller the facility we build, the higher
square footage costs, because you still need all the, you know, HVC issues. You still
need to have all the drains. The high costs are in the kennels, I mean, with the stainless
steel enclosures and all those types of things. So the smaller the facility, that square foot
cost will rise. In terms of, um, one of the things that...with a larger facility, it doesn't
necessarily mean more maintenance. Um, one of the things that we're considering is,
you know, having um, possible training areas, um, other types of operational areas that,
um, that were not part of the...that we had in the former facility and adjacent space, but
not necessarily within the actual footprint of the former facility.
Goodman/ I think also, um, a new facility, obviously, would be, uh, put together more efficiently
than...than the flooded facility was. We, uh, we expended a lot of money on a variety of
different things, from, uh, water usage, air conditioning, and a variety of things that just
didn't work quite right.
Ford/ You know, an example of that is something called guillotine doors. It's a terrible name,
when you consider a shelter (laughter) but in the kennel spaces, if you design a shelter
now to today's standards, you...every kennel would have a guillotine door, and so that
means you can move animals from one space with a door to a separate space, and clean
them separately, rather than taking the animals out and removing them, you know,
outside of the facility, which is what we used to do at the...at the former shelter. Either
you would have to have the volunteers come in, that's why we needed all those
volunteers. Basically to take the animals out, to take them for walks so that the...um,
individual spaces can be cleaned, whereas in, if you can design it efficiently, yes, it might
require more space, but it will be easier to clean and require less staff time and less
volunteer effort to do that.
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Hayek/ I guess my biggest concern going forward is...is operational, is the annual operational
expense to the City for this, because the trend is not bright, uh, citywide and here we are
talking about a sub, you know, a substantial, uh, development, uh, an important one -one
that's needed, but that's...that'styhere things are going to be difficult for us. Um (both
talking)
Dickens/ With no help from the other communities.
Hayek/ ...yeah, and my next point was, you know, I...this is yet another...uh, burden that the,
that Iowa City will shoulder for the general region, um, I mean, there's not a particular
reason there has to be a shelter run by this city as opposed to, you know, another entity,
as long as you've got the coverage for the region. We have historically done it, you
know, we're going to do it now, but I' 11 be interested to make... in seeing, uh, whether the
municipalities that are benefitted by this service are...are paying an equitable share...to
defray costs.
Goodman/ And...and as I've explained to you before, we do have some 28E agreements now,
uh, we are working on others, diligently, uh, we meet with North Liberty on the 20th, uh,
with regard to theirs, and...and theirs is pretty important right now. Their population
growth was huge. So, um...
Hayek/ But will it be based on, ultimately those will have to be based on the operational
expenses with a new facility.
Goodman/ Exactly!
Hayek/ Yeah. Okay.
Champion/ The problem is if we back out of taking control for the animal shelter from the area,
people will just dump their animals in Iowa City, instead of doing something else with
them. I don't think we can, you know, I just...I think that's a big problem.
Mims/ No, but we want to get money out of (both talking)
Champion/ Oh, no, I agree! (laughter) No!
Wright/ I don't think anybody's talking, seriously talking about backing out (laughter)
Champion/ Oh!
Wright/ ...commitment to the animal shelter.
Mims/ No.
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Goodman/ I think that, you know, Liz talked about revenue base, um, things. They're very
important in animal sheltering nowadays. Um, the...the types of buying products when
you come to a doc...or just coming to the facility to buy the products you need...
Champion/ There is profit in retail.
Goodman/ They're very popular, and...and they do very well. Uh, other things like renting
space or having, you know, doggie birthday parties, I mean, people are doing these
things, and I know it sounds funny, uh, but when you...you know, Mike Moran was here
earlier, and they have birthday parties over in the...in the room at the Rec Center, you
know, I've had a birthday party there for my child. It's an empty room! You know, you
gotta bring your own stuff. There's nothing particularly exciting about the Rec Center
room to have a birthday party in. You come to the animal shelter, it's a totally different
thing, so I think we could do well with those types of things as well. If we were looking
at those spaces, and um, again, those are the...the things that we don't need to initiate the
operations. Those are extras.
Wright/ I don't know, but I'm going to make a guess that some of these other facilities have
lower costs per square footage may have...those may have cut some corners in some of
the materials that we're talking about. I mean, you're giving some examples of some
pretty high-end materials that are going to wear...wear well in the long run, and actually
result in lower maintenance.
Ford/ And hopefully long-term, um, less costs in the long run.
Wright/ Yeah.
Hayek/ Okay. Well, what...what else do we need to provide so you walk out of here with, uh
(several talking) (noises on mic)
Bailey/ Hi.
Mansfield/ Hi. Okay, um, so where we are with FEMA is...once the archeological is approved,
then they'll actually give us approval for the site. They've...they've done their
environmental review. Archeological, we can only cross our fingers, cause if that doesn't
work...we have a really different story. Um...the next moves by Council, we will have
to submit an improved project request to FEMA, and that, in order to submit an improved
project request to them, we need the schematic done. Um...we have to be fairly detailed
in what we ask them approval for. So, if we want to build a 16,000 square foot building,
we submit an improved project request to them and say we would like to build a 16,000
square foot, and we award a contract and break it out according to...their cost sharing is
for 7,000 square feet. And...as we go through the design phase, um, Kumi will work
very diligently, I'm sure, for any code requirements. So it's negotiable with FEMA if we
have codes and standards that are required, they'll commit into those areas. Where we're
increasing our, or building to increase our capacity, that's a local cost. So in terms of
what we need from Council, it is a schematic, and with the aware...awareness that you'll
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go for an improved project request for...to FEMA, at some point. Our due date with
FEMA is May of 2012, and if you look at the calendar in there, we don't think there's
any way we can possibly meet May of 2012 in design right now...based on where we are
in the approval system. So we'll have to request an additional extension from them.
Hayek/ Okay.
Mansfield/ Does that...
Wright/ So you want our endorsement of the general (several talking)
Mansfield/ ...the concept to go out...
Wright/ The concept as you have it right now.
Mansfield/ ...to go out for the...to go out for the larger scope of design, that then can be broken
into logical breaks.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Markus/ The thought was that we should get the total design, and then based on the level of
funding, make some natural breaks in the building, in terms of what we can expect for
total funding.
Bailey/ Yeah.
Markus/ But you might as well get the whole thing, you know, be schematically put together up
front. Based on the (several talking)
Bailey/ Good. Let's do it!
Mansfield/ Thank you.
Hayek/ Thanks all of you! (several talking)
Goodman/ Thank you!
Hayek/ Okay.
Markus/ Just...just one other comment. You know there's $700,000 that we're putting on the
table, and none of the others, you know, the other 28E's are really coming to the table
with anything at this point. So I think they do need to be solicited, and we' 11 work with
the Foundation on that, in terms of the government themselves, uh, providing funding,
not just residents in those other jurisdictions.
Bailey/ Yeah, yeah! I think that...I would have that expectation.
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Wright/ It would be good to get the entities to pony up!
Bailey/ Right!
Hayek/ Yeah, I mean, as things get tighter and tighter, we as a community cannot continue to be
the one to handle the human services, the animal services, and all the other things that the
core city has...core cities historically fund, uh...you know, without active participation
from everyone who's benefitted. (mumbled) Thank you, Misha. Thanks, everyone else!
Okay, let's uh...wrap this up. We have two info packets, one is from April 7th
Information Packets:
Mims/ I had a question, um...let's see. I don't know if there's anybody here that can answer it.
This is one the building permit information. It was on page 28, and it...um...Arlington
Development, it said something about four middle units, public funding, and just saw
that wording and it just...I didn't...
Karr/ Which packet are you in, Susan?
Mims/ Uh, 7!
Karr/ Thank you.
Mims/ It's IP6.
Bailey/ And which page of this, I mean, I know you said 28.
Mims/ Well, I might, yeah, but mine's electronic, so I...
Bailey/ So the second page within or...
Mims/ Just a second, I didn't have it pulled up. I apologize.
Hayek/ There you go, uh, third page.
Bailey/ I see it.
Markus/ There's a number of places throughout this that has public funds.
Bailey/ Page 4.
Mims/Does it? Okay, I just happened to catch that one.
Markus/Yeah, there's...there's other locations, and I think those are units that, um...that through
our different programs, expanding the number of housing that we may be processing,
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for...for rental housing in some of these locations. You'll see it in the Peninsula
development.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Markus/ Um...I think (several talking) I think I just signed some (several talking)
Mims/ I don't know.
Markus/ There's CDBG (several talking) ...but we'll verify that for you.
Mims/ Okay, all right. Thank you. I just...didn't happen to catch it anywhere else. I caught it
on that one. Yeah, now I see it some other places too. The ones above, duplexes
(mumbled) okay.
Hayek/ Anything else on the April 7th? (several talking)
Bailey/ I have a question, and I guess maybe this has happened before and I just wasn't aware of
it is, I see that the Senior Center got this, um, grant from Johnson County. Sometimes
grant approval comes through Council. Sometimes...it apparently doesn't, I mean,
through the departments? Because I know usually we ratify every grant acceptance
contract, and this one is just an information one.
Mims/ But this one's been in place for a while, isn't it, and they're talking about `terminating' so
they can renegotiate, I mean...
Bailey/ Well I assume it's...
Markus/ That's the Library!
Bailey/ I assume it's the, uh...(several talking) I assume that this is similar to when the County
used to provide, you know, funding for the Senior Center. And I assume that this is the
program (both talking)
Markus/ Yes it is!
Bailey/ But typically, I mean, when we...I mean like when Parks and Rec gets a grant, for
example, I mean...at what level do we see them and at what level don't we? That's, I
guess that's my question. Is it a dollar amount?
Helling/ Uh, $70,000 is what...
Bailey/ No, is there a dollar amount at which we do not...it just...
Markus/ The difference between maybe the administration signing off on it, or (both talking)
bringing it to a Council agenda is the question that's being asked.
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Dilkes/ In this case, I don't think there's ever been a request for a grant agreement before.
(several talking)
Bailey/ Ah.
Dilkes/ The funding has simply been provided.
Bailey/ Oh, okay.
Markus/ (mumbled) application; they determined how much they're going to supply in funding
and then make the award to us.
Bailey/ Because there's a grant agreement, I mean...I know it puts a department on the hook for
certain performance measures, and...and therefore, it puts the City, and therefore us, if
there.. .
Dilkes/ No, the grant agreement, if there is one, will come to the City Council.
Bailey/ Oh, okay.
Dilkes/ Yes.
Bailey/ All right. Thank you. That's what I was not clear on. Thank you.
Hayek/ Why do we have to apply for grants? For this?
Bailey/ I think they started doing it that way.
Helling/ It's the same funding that you've received...well, Ithink it's going from $75,000 to
$70,000, but it's...
Dilkes/ It's not a...it's not a grant! Like you think of grants. It's...(several talking) it's a
(several talking) yes!
Bailey/ Okay.
Markus/ I think that...I think...I think the Councilors issue is (both talking)
Hayek/ ... application... okay.
Markus/ It says agreement though, Johnson County Economic Development Quality of Life.
Eleanor, in the packet it's actually got an agreement with signature blocked.
Bailey/ I mean, there are...yeah.
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Dilkes/ I know it has...I know that's what the letter from Johnson County said, and they want an
agreement signed. That's not the way it's been done in the past. If we do sign an
agreement, you will see it.
Bailey/ That's...that was one...okay. Thank you.
Hayek/ Okay. April 14th packet, anything on that?
Mims/ I just saw on IP10, um, the email, uh, related to the Farmers Market moving downtown. I
thought there were a lot of really good ideas in that, um, counterproposal Iguess it was
called, in terms of...maybe taking it slow and looking at some, uh, some smaller steps
and ways of cooperation that could benefit both the Farmers Market and downtown
business, Downtown Association, and really kind of taking a strategic look long-term at
what's the purpose and who's going to benefit and how, versus making some quick
decision (mumbled) ya or nay of moving the Farmers Market. So I thought there were a
lot of good ideas in there that I hope will be considered.
Markus/ We...we set it up so that a decision really wouldn't be made until next year, and...and
there's actually, there's some compromised positions that are actually out there being
floated around that kind of takes the Chauncey Swan...um, benders and kind of leaves
them in place, but then kind of pulls out of that venue crosses into the downtown and
circles back, okay, and... and the only problem I had with this is, besides the fact that it
probably could have been submitted for academic credit, um, it just seemed like it was a
little (several talking) almost too intense from my standpoint, and...and I think if we
could get leadership from both perspectives in a room together, I think we could actually
reach some consensus. They...they've gone to, uh, talk to the Parks Commission
and...and apparently only one person showed up from the retailers, and you know, they
had all the vendors from the other side, so...I think there needs to be a balanced
discussion. I think there's ways to do this, that don't have to offend either party, and that
they could do some trials to get this done, but it...it, my problem with what was
presented was, is the fact that it's going to take a long time to do many of the things that
they're suggesting, and you know, I'm a believer, if you can get people in the same room
and really just hash things out that there's opportunities to do that. There was problems
fraught with Iowa Avenue, just like there is...just leaving it where it currently is. And I
think that there's ways to blend the two and make something work for the benefit of
everybody.
Mims/ I think...I think that's a great idea. If we can get people together to talk and do something
that'll work for everybody, that's what I'd like to see.
Bailey/ Well, I love seeing the Sunday market idea, because Sundays are typically not an active
downtown time. Always.
Markus/ And there're not active normally Farmers Markets, so you may draw from entirely
different areas, versus (both talking)
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Bailey/ ...really, really fun, I mean, it could (both talking) Sunday morning, downtown...
Mims/ I just thought they had a wide variety of ideas that some are probably very plausible and
others are not, but at least to get some discussion going.
Champion/ I read the letter too, whatever that whole long thing was, but...I think it's, um...I
think in the past, this decision's been made by the vendors, and I guess that irritates me.
mean, they're not in control of the Farmers Market. And, they are actually! (laughter) I
mean, we're in control...I'm not saying we should move it. Don't misunderstand me!
But I don't think the Farmers Market should be controlled by the vendors. I think where
the City puts the Farmers Market is where the vendors are going to go.
Markus/ The only...the only thing I would say to you is I agree that vendors have had a large
stake in this, but the other thing that's happened is the vendors customers have weighed
in on behalf...
Champion/ Oh, I know! I know. (both talking)
Bailey/ Very committed to the vendors. (both talking)
Champion/ I know, I know! But that's because it's...this has come up before. I mean, actually
if I had my say, we' d put it in City Park. And we' d... we would open up the whole City
Park. We'd have art and food and, um, you know, everything. We would have
everything there (several talking) flea market! (several talking and laughing)
Hayek/ But we've got what, 60 some vendors on a waiting list, even to get (both talking)
Markus/ ...it's up to 90 now. So...
Bailey/ ...the best Farmers Market in the state, and whatever that looks like, get people in the
room and decide what it is. It's ridiculous that a...a city so committed to local food
doesn't have the best one in the state. (several talking)
Markus/ Well, the compromise that's kind of waiting for the right opportunity to be presented,
and I'll just expose it, is to run it up, um... Washington, across Gilbert, and then down
Linn and then back again into that open area so that you circle the...the, um, the parking
deck, but you also pull it into the downtown area, right off of the mall area, and...
Bailey/ Right by the Library on Saturday mornings would be perfect.
Markus/ So...I...I think that's going to get out there at some point and maybe have a chance.
Mims/ Yeah, hopefully if we can just get something that works for everybody, if possible!
(laughter)
Bailey/ We can do that!
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Hayek/ Anything else on April 14th? Okay. Council time?
Council Time:
Dickens/ I just want to thank Tom and...and uh, the Parks department on working on changing
the trail out in the Scott Park. It made some people very happy that we were able to reach
a compromise and not have to rip up trees and cost was (several talking) it was, uh, I did
meet with them out there and I did walk the area. I'm still picking out some burrs out of
walking through there, but...I'm...I am glad that it all worked out.
Hayek/ Any other Council time? Budget?
Budget:
Hayek/ Pending work session issues?
Pending Work Session Issues:
Hayek/ Upcoming events, Council invites?
Upcomin;; Events/Council Invites:
Hayek/ Meeting schedule? (several talking) Everybody's punchy; let's go home! (laughter)
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work session of April 18, 2011.