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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-11-01 CorrespondenceMarian Karr 4g(1) From: Mike Thayer <sickofspin @yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 3:34 PM To: Council Subject: College Green Park & Occupy Members of the council, Are you folks members of a council elected to represent an entire community, or are you merely facilitators of a select few? Why have rules on the books if you are not going to enforce them? College Green Park is being turned into a campground, where is your stance on that and is it consistent with the law? More importantly, is it consistent with how you are SUPPOSED to approach your job? Why are you exercising a double- standard with your lack of ordinance enforcement? Occupy can vocalize their point of view without violating the law. Are you really doing your job by looking the other way while they violate it? And since the violations though peaceful are escalating, what's next? How many lines are you willing to let them cross before you start doing your job as representative of ALL the residents of Iowa City? Mike Thayer Publisher, Coralville Courier www.coralvillecourier.com Facebook Twitter Marian Karr From: Joe Henderson <jhenderson.ic @g mail. com> Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 10:47 PM To: Council Subject: Occupy Iowa City Concerns Hello, I'm forwarding an email I sent to Parks /Rec a couple days ago regarding Occupy Iowa City protests; just trying to establish contact with one city official. Good evening, I'm writing to you with concerns I have regarding the Occupy Iowa City movement. I'm glad that after some time, a permit is finally in discussion. This event was not spontaneous to begin with -- nearly a month after the original Occupy movement began. However, to suggest a four month permit worries me. I went to the rally on the first evening, (and besides second -hand smoking a pack of cigarettes) I listened to their conversations on how to avoid police "brutality," and how they must be prepared to videotape any and all police interactions. It seemed the financial system was less of their concern than trying to play catch a cop. But I digress. I'm a firm believer in the US Constitution, and I'm well aware they have their first amendment rights to assemble. However, College Green Park (a favorite spot for my family for afternoon picnics) has turned into a communal camp ground. I have no desire to take my family to a park where people are sleeping in tents, might not have seen a shower in a few days, and are ignoring the city's "no smoking" policy. If they refuse to sign a permit, they must face consequences. Eviction seems suitable. I don't want yet another exception thought out. If I were to merely build a shed on my own property without a permit, I can imagine I'd be hit with a citation. As taxpayers, we should not be compelled to maintain a park for a group of citizens who hold such highly debatable views. Please feel free to email me with any questions. Thank you. Joe Henderson 520 Manor Dr Iowa City, IA 52246 (319)594 -1470 Marian Karr From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefox @mac.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 4:08 PM To: Council Subject: Copy of note to CM Mr. Markus: Up to this point I have been exceedingly happy with the way Iowa City governance, administration and police have handled the occupation of College Green Park. Please do not destroy this mood on the part of so many of us by denying them the right to build a shelter where they can warm up and get food when the cold weather hits. You and I probably don't have the fortitude to camp out they way these people do and I think we should appreciate their efforts rather than working to impede them. Thank you. Carol deProsse 1401 Burry Drive Iowa City, IA Member of the IC Council 1973 -79 Sent by iCloud This correspondence will become a public record. Marian Karr From: Marc Clark <marceids @yahoo.com> Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 8:52 AM To: Council Subject: Is "Occupy" your vision for our community's future When I heard you granted a 4 month permit to the dregs of society, I said to myself, I guess IC wants to keep potential responsible businesses and citizens from moving in while driving away responsible current businesses and residents. Anarchists, Unionists, Marxists and anti - Semites will be drawn in but that only means that you are hastening your demise because these sorts always destroy by hatred, drug abuse and irresponsibility. As for me and my family, I will stop using the UIHC hospital and clinics and no longer visit my favorite stores and restaurants in IC. I will learn to love Coralville and CR at least until they follow your suicidal example. � r � • wr ®�o� CITY OF IOWA CITY IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIO _ fr- HUMAN RIGHTS - A HUMAN ISSUE 410 L Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 (3 19) 356 -5022 (319) 887 -6213 (FAX) www.icgov.org /humanrights TO: CC: FROM DATE: RE: Mayor Matt Hayek Iowa City City Council Members 49(2) c� rU E� G'i "t7 _t ICHRC Immigration Subcommittee Members: Dianne Day, Harry Olmstead, Orville Townsend, and Diane Finnerty October 24, 2011 Follow -up on ICHRC Immigration Issues Recommendations We are writing to follow -up on our letter sent to you on October 4, 2011 to respectfully request a. response to our earlier request a vote on the specific items recommended in the "Issues of Immigration and Building Safe Communities for All" report submitted to Council on September 7, 2011 and discussed in a Joint Work Session on September 19, 2011. In our previous letter, we acknowledged that Council had decided to place another discussion of the report on the agenda for a Council Work Session on November 21, 2011. We requested in our previous letter to have the issues discussed before that time, to allow a vote on the recommendations yet this calendar year. We requested this given that multiple Commissioners and Councilors, who have been involved in this process for nearly two years now, will be rotating from their positions effective January 1, 2012. At this time, we reiterate our request that Council undertake a vote on each of the specific recommendations before the end of the calendar year. If Council believes that November 2151 is the best date to discuss the report at its Work Session, then we respectfully ask that Council communicate any questions it might have to the IC Human Rights Commission's Immigration Subcommittee before that time, to facilitate decisive conversation during the work session, rather than yet another cursory review of these matters. Specifically, the IC Human Rights Commission requests that: 1) Individual Council members submit questions regarding the specific recommendations of the Immigration Subcommittee Report to the IC Human Rights Commission subcommittee via Dianne Day, Chair, ICHRC, by Monday, November 14, 2011. We will then commit to conducting research in response to those questions and will bring requested information to the November 215' Work Session. 2) Following the Work Session on 11/21, that a vote of each Immigration Report recommendation be conducted at the Council's Special Formal Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. 3) As needed, that the remaining items be voted on during the final Council meeting of the calendar year on December 6, 2011. As we are sure you will agree, the question of whether Iowa City should adopt what was then called a "Sanctuary City" ordinance has been pondered long enough. Since the question was first introduced to the ICHRC in September 2009 and then to Council in October 2010, interested community members have patiently watched to see where City leaders stand on issues facing immigrants in our community. To facilitate thoughtful action, the ICHRC Immigration Subcommittee undertook an inclusive and deliberative process to bring reasonable and implementable recommendations to Council. We acknowledge that questions may exist about those recommendations and we are eager to provide Council with the information it needs to vote on each item. We see no valid reason for further delay of this issue. Although we believe that this is an historic moment in which we are each called to take an individual stance regarding broken federal immigration policies, we are not asking the City Council to take a unified stance on federal matters. As we have stated previously, we are simply asking you - as community leaders - to implement policies and practices at the local level that will allow our community to grow and thrive as a diverse and welcoming community. We believe our recommendations keep the City in compliance with federal laws, but also provide an avenue for communicating symbolically and practically regarding the importance of immigrants to our community. Several municipalities before us have taken these important steps, and we ask that you give sincere and courageous consideration to doing that here. Once again, we ask that you respond to Dianne Day, Chair, Iowa City Human Rights Commission, with your response to this request. Email: Da. wear e msn.com. Thank you. OA Cr+ W �[a M OA T 2C)11.1 1� We are so grateful for your contribution to the 2011 Air Race Classic. We had an unforgettable experience that would not have been possible without you. With thanks, Robin Torres Scanlan M e Orrick Classic 34 University of Oklahoma lilt 11-01-11 4g(3) '2C 65 A, Matt. Hayek City of Iowa City 410 E Washington St Iowa City, IA 52240 -0 __j 4 -77 Marian Karr I 4g(4) From: Dennis T. Donovan <dennis.t.donovan @g mail. com> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 2:05 PM To: Council Subject: New Fire Station Landscaping Dear City Council: Congratulations on the construction of the new Fire Station #4. I drove by the other day and it appears to be an architectural marvel. In my hometown our fire stations were very simple and practical as far as design and construction costs. I imagine few fire stations in the country are as unique in design as this one. I will not be surprised if it is entered into an architectural design contest and easily wins when compared to other cities' municipal buildings, especially in these times of budget cutbacks in other cities. The reason I am writing to you is in regard to the landscaping. I was really stunned at the sheer quantity of plants planted on the relatively small parcel. It appeared plantings were covering the entire lot, including above the stone wall. I couldn't even begin to count the number of perennials, and they were planted very intensively with little space in between. Can one of your staffers tell me what the final invoice was for this landscaping project? In addition to the landscaping cost, I am also wondering what is budgeted for the maintenance of what I can only assume to be is extremely valuable landscaping. Will the landscaping maintenance be done professionally by contract to protect the public investment in so many plants? Thanks for the information and for your public service. Denny Donovan Iowa City Marian Karr From: Andy Rocca Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 8:30 AM To: 'dennis.t.donovan @gmail.com' Cc: Tom Markus; *City Council Subject: RE: New Fire Station Landscaping Dear Mr. Donovan: I have been asked to respond to your landscape questions pertaining to Fire Station 4. The plants were selected by a landscape architect for ease of maintenance and a Bioswale component. The site landscape meets the City of Iowa City requirements for screening and /or separation of pedestrians from vehicular area, etc. The plant spacing is determined by the.plant type being used. The on- center spacing for all the new plantings is per nursery standards relative to mature plant size. In addition, plants in combination with mulch help reduce erosion and manage infiltration of storm water for the site — i.e. a component of Best Management Practices. The landscape was competitively bid under the General Contract [of the 13 bids, Corporate Contractors, Inc. was the lower than the highest submitted bid by 24 %], the scheduled value for the landscape which includes labor and installation by the original contract is $28,789.00.00- half is covered by a grant, $14,394.50 is the City's out of pocket costs for landscape planting material and labor. The intent of the overall landscape at the Fire Station 4 is based on the following two goals: 1. Present a model for private development using Best Management Practices using creative site planning to implement bio- retention cells (i.e. rain gardens) and use of plant species that are identified to be hardy within Iowa City USDA hardiness plant zone. 2. Introduce native species and /or species that provide seasonal interest and requires minimal maintenance over time. ALL new landscapes will require a higher level of maintenance during the establishment period. However, at the Fire Station site, the annual maintenance will diminish as the plant materials mature, i.e. due to the species that were selected for this site in order to meet the criteria for Best Management Practices - mature plants outcompete weeds, minimize the need for re- mulching beds, have lower watering requirements, etc. which is the goal for all public /municipal facilities. Future landscaping maintenance will be performed by Fire Department personnel. Hopefully, this correspondence addresses your questions. Please contact me should you have any additional questions. Best regards, Andrew J. Rocca, Fire Chief Iowa City Fire Department 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 356 -5256 mailto :andv- rocca(c)iowa- citv.orq www. icfd. org LEAD - EDUCATE -SERVE Marian Karr From: Tom Markus Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 4:53 PM To: 'Brian Brandsmeier'; Matt Hayek Cc: Marian Karr; Dale Helling; Adam Bentley; John Yapp Subject: RE: Sandusky Drive Will do! Feel free to contact John Yapp for further info. - - - -- Original Message---- - From: Brian Brandsmeier [ma i Ito: Bra ndsmeier .Brian @iccsd.kl2.ia.us] Sent: Monday, October 17, 20113:21 PM To: Tom Markus; Matt Hayek Cc: Marian Karr; Dale Helling; Adam Bentley Subject: RE: Sandusky Drive Thank you for your reply. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to be helpful. From: Tom Markus [Tom- Markus @iowa - city.org] Sent: Monday, October 17, 20118:40 AM To: Matt Hayek; Brian Brandsmeier Cc: Marian Karr; Dale Helling; Adam Bentley Subject: RE: Sandusky Drive Appropriate staff will look into this - - - -- Original Message---- - From: Matt Hayek Sent: Saturday, October 15, 20119:30 PM To: Brian Brandsmeier Cc: Tom Markus; Marian Karr Subject: RE: Sandusky Drive Mr. Brandsmeier, I 1 -01 Tr, 4g(5) Thank you for contacting us. Your street may be eligible for the city's traffic calming program depending on its traffic patterns. I am copying our city manager, Tom Markus, on this and will ask him to have appropriate city staff contact you about this matter. Regards, Matt Hayek From: Brian Brandsmeier [Bra ndsmeier .Brian @iccsd.kl2.ia.us] Sent: Friday, October 14, 20114:10 PM To: Susan Mims; Matt Hayek; Mike Wright; Regenia Bailey; Ross Wilburn Cc: Sara Klosterboer Subject: Sandusky Drive Dear Elected Officials, i Thank you for your public service. I deeply appreciate the work that you do. As a resident of Iowa City, I would like to request your attention to Sandusky Drive. I live on that street and have witnessed speeding on a daily basis - including cars, SUVs, and motorcycles. This is concerning to me since there are children that live on Sandusky, including my own 6 month son. The speeding on this street poses a danger to the residents who live here. I would like to ask that you consider putting up a stop sign or installing a speed -bump to ensure the safety of the residents who live on this street. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Brian Brandsmeier 916 Sandusky Drive Iowa City, IA 52240 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email communication, including attachments, contains information which may be confidential and /or legally privileged, and may otherwise be exempt from disclosure under applicable law. The information is intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, please reply to the sender indicating that fact and delete the copy you received. In addition, if you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, any unauthorized retention, copying, disclosure, distribution, or other use of the information is strictly prohibited. Thank you. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email communication, including attachments, contains information which may be confidential and /or legally privileged, and may otherwise be exempt from disclosure under applicable law. The information is intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, please reply to the sender indicating that fact and delete the copy you received. In addition, if you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, any unauthorized retention, copying, disclosure, distribution, or other use of the information is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Marian Karr 4g(6) From: Steussy, Bryan W <bryan- steussy @uiowa.edu> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 10:16 AM To: Council Subject: Court Street traffic measures I use the stretch of road in question for commuting by bike daily. I am concerned that the "traffic bulbs" will force the cars and bikes to share even less space and could lead to more collisions and without more light along the street could pose a hazard to bicyclists who may not see the curb jutting out at night. Perhaps the installation of a separate bike lane with a curb or enlarging the sidewalk to accommodate both bikes and pedestrians would accomplish the same goal of narrowing the road /slowing traffic? Please consider all the different modes of transportation in your decision. Thanks- Bryan Steussy Court Street resident This correspondence will become a public record. Notice: This UI Health Care e-mail (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510 -2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, then delete it. Thank you. Marian Karr From: Tom Markus Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 11:35 AM To: Marian Karr; Adam Bentley Cc: Matthew J. Hayek (mhayek @hhbmlaw.com) Subject: FW: Court Street speed barriers Attach to correspondence on agenda From: Kent Ralston Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 10:11 AM To: 'matthias.lilleg @gmail.com' Cc: Tom Markus; Jeff Davidson; John Yapp Subject: FW: Court Street speed barriers Mr. Lilleg - Thank you for your correspondence related to traffic calming on Court Street. The City's traffic calming program prescribes a set of procedures that staff adheres to when requests for traffic calming are made - I have attached a copy of the City's Traffic Calming Brochure for your reference. The City's traffic calming program is intended to provide a means by which residents of a residential street may petition the City for physical changes to their street where there is a measured traffic speed and /or volume issue. We had received a petition from residents of Court St between Summit St and Muscatine Ave, and the follow -up traffic study confirmed they have high traffic volumes (approx. 3,800 vehicles per day) and speeds (over 30 MPH) for a residential street. We held a neighborhood meeting, and curb bump -outs and chokers were one of the options identified which would slow down traffic. The all -way stop that you reference was installed many years ago to help children that walk to Longfellow Elementary School cross Court Street. Installing STOP signs is not part of the traffic calming program and no new stop signs will be installed as a means to slow traffic down. You are correct that Highland Avenue also took part in the City's traffic calming program many years ago. Chicanes (a series of staggered bulb -outs) were installed on Highland Street at the request of the neighborhood and were also removed at the request of the neighborhood. The traffic calming program requires that a 60% majority of abutting property owners responding to a survey be in favor of traffic calming for measures to be taken, but also requires a follow -up survey one year later where the traffic calming devices can be removed with a 60% majority. Our neighborhood survey of Court Street residents will not likely occur until later this winter / early spring. If the neighborhood survey shows 60% in favor of the proposal, the proposal will then be forwarded to the City Council for final approval /denial. You are of course welcome to attend that meeting. I will add you to the mailing list regarding this issue so you will receive information as it becomes available. Best Regards, Kent Ralston, AICP Assistant Transportation Planner Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 319.356.5253 www.iccog.org From: Matthias Lilleg [ mailto :matthias.lilleg @gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 11:21 PM To: Council Subject: re: Court Street speed barriers htt : / /www. ress- citizen. com / article / 20111016 /NEWSOI /310160004/Residents- ask - traffic - measures -Court- Street According to the Press Citizen article listed, the Iowa City Council has the final say on implementing potential speed barriers on a short section of Court St. As a lifelong citizen of Iowa City, I oppose this notion and my argument is threefold: 1. What evidence, if any, has been presented that there is a speeding issue on this stretch of road INDEPENDENT of local residents? Has the ICPD been contacted in any fashion? 2. A 4 -way stop already exists n that small stretch. (A ludicrous, meaningless 4 -way stop with one of the stops coming out of an alley, but there nonetheless.) 3. A similar plan was implemented on Highland Avenue years ago and was a disaster of a cash waste. Look it up. If any discussion is planned in open council regarding this issue, I would like to be made aware of it. I plan to attend. Thank you for your consideration. -Mr. Matthias Lilleg Marian Karr 4g(7) From: Dale Helling Sent: Friday, October 14, 2011 8:45 AM To: 'Bonnie Nolan' Cc: Council Subject: RE: SGB Holdings, LLC Ms. Nolan, The City of Iowa City has no licensing requirements for the activity you describe. Yours truly, Dale Helling Dale E. Helling Assistant City Manager (319) 356 -5013 dale- hellinq @iowa- city.org From: Bonnie Nolan [mailto:bnolan @sgbholdings.com] Sent: Thursday, October 13, 20116:49 PM To: Council Subject: SGB Holdings, LLC Council I am on a quest for licensing for SGB Holdings, LLC a precious metals and coin purchasing company.. I believe I was in touch about 3 weeks ago and somehow lost my grounds on the process. Is there a License requirement for buying (only) gold /silver and coins? If so, can you please direct me in the proper path to obtain it. We are hoping to have a complete Iowa run in November (because I know it is beautiful that time of year) and I have completed 3 out of 4 cities. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience to facilitate the process. Yo u rs, Bonnie Bonnie Nolan SGB Holdings,LLC 485 E 17th Street Suite 500 Costa Mesa, CA 92627 bnolan @sgbholdings.com (949) 722 -1149 x 8445 IT 110'; T 21 P1 1: tc t ;� tilbi;ayi 4g(8) 1354 Curtis Bridge Rd. NE Swisher, IA 52338 Oct. 20, 2011 Mayor Matt Hayek & Council 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor Hayek & Council, We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for the Community Event Funding grant of $200.00 given to the Iowa City Community String Orchestra on July 11, 2011. This generous, continuing support allows us to present two concerts per year to the Iowa City community. ICCSO is a non - profit 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the IRS. Contributions are tax deductible under Section 170 of the Code. With respect to your donation, we acknowledge that you have not received any consideration for your gift in either cash or kind. We invite you to attend our fall concert on Nov. 6, 2011, 3:00 p.m., at the Englert Theatre. The program features Scott Conklin and Miera Kim performing Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor and Mendelssohn's Octet for Strings in Eb major. Sincerely, ; tai�e Horak ICCSO Treasurer IOWA CITY'COMMUNITY STRING ORCHESTRA W W W.ICCOMMUNITYSTRIN GORCHESTRA. COM Celebrating 32 Yeary Marian Karr 4g(9) From: Mary Knudson <mary_knudson @msn.com> Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 2:46 PM To: Council; Bob Miklo; Marcia Bollinger; Tom Markus; Jeff Davidson; Steve Long; John Yapp Subject: FW: Hwy 1 Trail and Sidewalks Project - Miller Orchard Neighborhood Dear Members of the Iowa City Council and City of Iowa City Staff: I am writing in support of the Hwy 1 Trail along Orchard Street and Sidewalks Project along Hudson Avenue and Miller Street. I have lived in the neighborhood for 13 years, all of which I have worked to help improve the neighborhood. A few years ago, MONA developed and presented a neighborhood plan to the City Council. In this plan, we made putting sidewalks on Miller, Orchard, Hudson, and along Hwy 1 a priority and I am pleased to see that the City is considering putting sidewalks here. No sidewalks sit on Miller and Hudson, and on Orchard the sidewalk is incomplete. People, including children, have to walk in the street to get to Benton St. No sidewalk on Hwy 1 provides a barrier to residents from using businesses like Walmart, Jensen Eyecare, Fin and Feather - -to name a few businesses. It is dangerous to walk along Hwy 1 to get to these places. I should note that all of the sidewalks with the exception of the one on Hwy 1 should be kept at a smaller width. MONA is an old neighborhood, and wide sidewalks would disrupt the homes of the neighborhood. Finally, the development of the river area would benefit from a good network of sidewalks in this neighborhood. I encourage to the Council and City Staff to put in these planned sidewalks. Regards, Mary Knudson 725 West Benton St. Iowa City, IA Marian Karr From: Katherine Parker Bryden < katherinecparker @gmail.com> Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 1:52 PM To: Council; Josh Slattery Subject: Sidewalks for Miller, Hudson, and Orchard Dear City Council and Iowa City Civil Engineering Department, I would like to voice my support for sidewalks in the Miller Orchard neighborhood. I have been looking forward to them ever since the Neighborhood Improvement Plan identified it as a need and the City agreed to proceed with installation. I am reminded of how badly we need them when I walk to Paul's Discount from my house on Benton Street and have to struggle to push a stroller through long grass. And when I drive down Orchard, Miller, or Hudson Street and see a pedestrian in the narrow roadway, I feel that we cannot have these installed soon enough. As a mother, I don't like having to walk my kids in the street if I want to go down to Paul's or over to the strip mall on the other side of Hwy 6. As a dog- walker too (and there are quite a few regulars in the neighborhood), having sidewalks on narrow streets like Miller and Hudson makes a huge difference in our safety when we traverse those routes. Plus, there are so many elementary -aged kids who walk to school every day, and they are even more likely to stray into the street when weather is bad and the snow blocks people's front lawns as an option for traveling up and down the street. The lack of safe pedestrian access on these increasingly busy streets makes me very nervous, as it only takes a second of inattention on the part of a driver, or somebody speeding at dusk, for a walk to the store to become a tragedy. I also see installing sidewalks in residential areas as also an important part of a long -term move towards sustainability and making an environment which is safe, pleasant, and healthy for everyone in Iowa City. Having sidewalks invites people to walk, something we all need to do in a time when obesity is an epidemic. Sidewalks are important public health and safety amenities, and it will be very disappointing if they are not installed. Finally, please note that we don't need bike -path width sidewalks. The ADA minimum (is it 36 ", the same as for doors ?) would be plenty to ensure safe pedestrian accesss, and it would be better suited to the proportions of the streets and front yards anyway. But please do proceed with all due haste to install sidewalks and improve neighborhood walkability. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to ask any further questions. Katherine Parker Bryden 224 W. Benton St. Iowa City, IA 52246 319.466.9445 h 319.335.6871 w katherinecparker Agmail.com Marian Karr From: Paula Swygard <pswygard @g mail. com> Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 7:24 PM To: Council Cc: Tom Markus; Jeff Davidson; Bob Miklo; Steve Long; John Yapp; Marcia Bollinger Subject: Hwy 1 Trail and Sidewalks Project - Miller Orchard Neighborhood Memebers of the Iowa City City Council - I am writing to you again regarding the Hwy 1 Trail Project which includes sidewalks along Orchard Street, Hudson Avenue, and Miller Street. My previous email regarding installation of the sidewalks was dated October 6, 2011. I would like to encourage you to look at what is best for the Miller Orchard Neighborhood area as a whole and in conjunction with access to the University along with future Riverfront Crossings and Hwy 1 development in deciding whether or not to support sidewalks along Orchard, Hudson and Miller. I understand that some landlords who own quite a bit of property in the area and some home owners directly impacted by the project might be opposed to having sidewalks placed in the right of way adjacent to their property. I can certainly empathisize with the thought of having extra to shovel during the winter months; but while some winters in Iowa have very snowy periods, others can be relatively snow -free. However, the undesirable alternative is to continue having adults and children walk to and from work, school, city /school bus stops, and adjacent businesses either on the streets sharing the road with the heavy vehicular traffic (refer to September 2010 JCCOG transportation study of the Miller Orchard Neighborhood) or on people's uneven lawns year -round in all types of weather, making walking a dangerous and frustrating experience. To say that "no one" wants sidewalks is simply not true. (Refer to the March 12, 2009 neighborhood workshop goal of "completion of a neighbohood sidewalk network. ") Perhaps this visual will help encourage you to keep the best interests of the neighborhood as a whole in mind while deciding whether or not to proceed with the project. The photo below shows the path in the grass that many people use to walk along Orchard Street between Douglass Street south towards Hwy 1. I do also feel strongly that the proposed sidewalks, particularly those along Hudson, must be retrofitted for this older neighborhood so that the functionality of the homes is not affected by the newer sidewalk standards. The Miller Orchard Neighborhood needs improvements. Don't lose sight of the vision and neighborhood goal to create safety for pedestrians in this affordable neighborhood community where walking is a common daily occurrence. Paula Swygard 426 Douglass Street Iowa City, IA 5246 319 - 338 -1980 Marian Karr From: Ruth Baker <rebaccentz @msn.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:43 PM To: Council Subject: Sidewalks Project for the Miller Orchard Neighborhood To: Iowa City City Council From: Ruth Baker Date: October 26, 2011 Subject: Highway 1 Trail /Sidewalks Project in the Miller Orchard Neighborhood As a long -time resident of the Miller- Orchard neighborhood, I would like to encourage you to support the plans for sidewalks on Miller, Hudson, and Orchard Streets. Because of the close proximity to downtown, as well as to the many businesses along Highway 1, this is an ideal neighborhood to walk to these locations. However, we are long overdue for sidewalks to make this a safe journey. Over the years, vehicular and. pedestrian traffic has increased to the point that it is unsafe for pedestrians to walk along these streets. In the winter months, the only way to traverse these routes is to walk on the cleared streets because of the accumulation of snow. I am a school crossing guard and am particularly concerned for the safety of the children who must walk in the streets. We were pleased with the pre- design plans submitted by Shive -Hattery at our September neighborhood meeting. The one exception was the proposed width of the sidewalks. Although wider sidewalks are desirable when planning for newer developments, they are particularly intrusive for residents of older homes that were built when code setback requirements were minimal. I would hope you would take this fact into consideration and approve plans for narrow sidewalks that would provide the safety we need without adversely impacting our neighbors. We are looking forward to the development of the west riverfront area and I believe a good network of sidewalks is essential to tie in with these plans and benefit our neighborhood. Please let me know if you have questions or if there is anything I can do to encourage you to support the Highway 1 Trail land Sidewalk Project. Thank you for your time. Marian Karr From: letsknf@netscape.net Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 5:46 PM To: Council Subject: Re: Miller Orchard Neighborhood Sidewalks To all City Council members As a 20 -year resident of The Miller Orchard neighborhood, I want to let you know that I fully support plans to build sidewalks on Hudson and Orchard streets. Broad support for these projects was voiced over the past couple of years at every meeting I attended regarding plans for MONA, and the only negative concern I ever heard was that the proposed sidewalks might be built too wide for the size of the yards.. We need these for basic safety. I can tell you that every time I use these streets to walk from my home on Douglass street to The Benton Hill Park or to Paul's Discount, I take my life in my hands thru exposure to auto traffic. These sidewalks are long overdue. Please implement these plans ASAP. Sincerely, Lindsay Alan Park 401 Douglass St. Iowa City, IA 52246 (319) 248 -3199 .w //,, J (V) Marian Karr From: Chris Weckmann <cbychris @googlemail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 9:49 AM To: Council Subject: Miller- Orchard Neighborhood City Council, I am writing you to voice my support to the Miller- Orchard neighborhood sidewalk project. lama parent of two young children, I own a rental property in the neighborhood and I live in the neighborhood. I cannot imagine any reason not to improve pedestrian accessibility. The Miller- Orchard Neighborhood is primarily single family homes with lots of school age children and a park which should be complimented with friendly pedestrian routes. I often avoid driving on the Miller Avenue and Hudson Avenue because of the two sided parking and lack of sidewalks. Pedestrians are often walking in the street which is overcrowded already. It seems ridiculous that I cannot walk to Paul's which is one block from my home without walking in the street or through people's yards. The lack of sidewalks is a contributing factor to some disinvestment in the area especially for couples with children. As our society grows towards a "greener" way of thinking, many people are looking into investing in communities with trails and walkways for biking and easy access to surrounding destinations without driving. Please keep this in mind as the future of the neighborhood is considered. Chris & Michelle Weckmann 205 West Benton St 319 - 331 -3603 Marian Karr From: Matt Hartz <mhartz @newpi.coop> Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 4:19 PM To: Council Subject: New Pioneer Coop letter Attachments: NPC 10 -25 -11 letter to City Council.pdf Dear City Council: Please see the attached letter from New Pioneer Coop. Sincerely, Matt Hartz, General Manager 10) - t 1E R %#r t OP / 10/25/2011 City of Iowa City City Council 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 -1826 Dear City Council: I am writing this letter in reference to the recent public survey conducted by the Divaris consultant. Our concerns do not relate directly to the flaws with the survey's methodology, but rather with the focus on national chains, many of which duplicate product lines of our already existing locally owned business operators. New Pioneer Coop is a wholly locally owned and controlled business with over 25,000 members. All of our profits stay at the local level, unlike chain stores, and are invested back into our community. The same is true for our fellow local business owners. Our business currently has a need to expand our operation in downtown Iowa City and we are exploring options. We only ask that the City of Iowa City provide all of our locally owned businesses with the same consideration shown to national chains when considering economic development. Sincerely, Matt Hartz General Manager New Pioneer Food Co -op Administrative Offices 22 S. Linn St., Suite 2A • Iowa City, IA 52240 • p: (319) 248-6400 • f. (319) 338-7036 www.newpi.coop Marian Karr I 4g(11) _ From: Kristy Hartsgrove <kristy_hartsgrove @yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 11:15 AM To: Council Subject: Support for Riverside Theatre Dear Council Members, I just wanted to write in support of giving Riverside Theatre the 3 -year, 75,000 grant they are asking for. My name is Kristy Hartsgrove and I am a local theatre artist, and one of the reasons I have been able to put down roots in the town I love is Riverside Theatre. Riverside, along with the Old Creamery and Iowa Summer Rep, have created a local atmosphere in which it is possible to pursue a legitimate professional acting career. I am incredibly grateful to Riverside for creating the opportunities for locals to work professionally, as well as to see really fantastic productions featuring the work of actors, directors, and designers from all over the country. In addition to making it possible for locals to pursue professional careers in theatre, they also provide a lot of opportunities for local theatre students to get professional experience (they have internships and apprenticeships both during the Gilbert Street season and at the Shakespeare Festival). Additionally, they have invited Working Group Theatre (I am an artistic associate for this year) to be their resident company in order to help foster the growth of a new, up and coming theatre group. An investment in Riverside Theatre is not just limited to helping Riverside itself, because the theatre employs so many actors, designers, directors, board operators, box office people, and administrative staff. The theatre also gets its supplies locally, which supports local businesses, and its proximity to so many local restauraunts helps bolster them as well. In my opinion, helping Riverside Theatre will help the whole community. If the funding committee has any questions for me that would help them in making their decision, I would be happy to answer them! Thank you for reading my letter. Sincerely, Kristy Hartsgrove 232 S. Summit St, C -3 Iowa City, IA 52240