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2012-02-16 Info Packet
1 = 1 III &L CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org February 16, 2012 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule FEBRUARY 21 WORK SESSION IP2 Work Session Agenda — February 21, 2012 IP3 Email from City Manager: Contract for animal control services (Johnson County) IP4 FY2012 —13 Strategic Plan Status Report, February 2012 IP5 Pending City Council Work Session Topics IP6 Memo from City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show IP7 Memo from City Clerk: Proposed Meeting Schedule, April through August, 2012 MISCELLANEOUS IP8 Copy of email and letter from City Manager: Denial of Occupy Iowa City Permit Application for College Green Park IP9 Memo from Planning & Zoning Commission Chair: Work Program IP10 Memo from Asst. City Attorney: Payday Lending Restrictions IP11 Memo from Fire Chief: National Incident Management System IP12 Memo from Transportation Services Dir. & Iowa City Police Dept. Capt.: Transit Interchange Activity IP13 Copy of letter from Traffic Engineering Planner: Traffic Calming on Teg Drive IP14 Copy of letter from Parks & Recreation Dir.: Normandy Drive Restoration Project IP15 Copy of notification letter from MediaCom: Channel Changes IP16 News from Northside Newsletter — Winter 2012 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule [posted on 2/23/12] DRAFT MINUTES IP17 Planning & Zoning Commission —February 2, 2012 IP18 Senior Center Commission —January 19, 2012 � = 1 .�����i CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org February 16, 2012 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule FEBRUARY 21 WORK SESSION IP2 Work Session Agen \en ry 21, 2012 IP3 Email from City Manact for animal control s rvices (Johnson County) IP4 FY2012 — 13 Strategs Report, February 12 IP5 Pending City Councion Topics IP6 Memo from City Cler'o Show IP7 Memo from City Cler M eting Schedu , April through August, 2012 MISCELLANEOUS IP8 Copy of email and letter from City Manager: Denial of Occupy Iowa City Permit Application for College Green Park IP9 Memo from Planning & Zoning Commission C 'r: Work Program IP10 Memo from Asst. City Attorney: Payday Len ing estrictions IP11 Memo from Fire Chief: National Incident anagem nt System IP12 Memo from Transportation Services Dir. Iowa City P lice Dept. Capt.: Transit Interchange Activity IP13 Copy of letter from Traffic Engineering lanner: Traffic Ca ming on Teg Drive IP14 Copy of letter from Parks & Recreatio Dir.: Normandy Driv Restoration Project IP15 Copy of notification letter from Medi Com: Channel Changes IP16 News from Northside Newslette — Winter 2012 MINUTES IP17 Planning & Zoning Commis on— February 2, 2012 IP18 Senior Center Commissio — January 19, 2012 r =`, .7.94 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule �P1 �� February 16, 2012 CITY OF IOWA CITY Date Time Meeting Location Monday, February 20, 2012 Presidents' Day - City Offices Closed Tuesday, February 21, 2012 S:OOPM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, February 21, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 06, 2012 3:OOPM City Conference Board Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 06, 2012 5.30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 06, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 20, 2012 5:30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 20, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Wednesday, March 21, 2012 4:30PM Joint Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 1 r i IP2 2q CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgov.org City Council Work Session Agenda February 21, 2012 - 5:OOPM City Hall - Emma J. Harvat Hall 410 E Washington Street ■ Red Light / Automated Traffic Enforcement [Agenda item # 19] ■ Animal Control Services Update [IP # 3] ■ Council's FY2012 -13 Strategic Plan [IP # 4] ■ Neighborhood Stabilization [Agenda items # 7b, 7c, 7d] ■ Council Appointments ■ Agenda Items ■ Information Packet Discussion [February 2, 9,16] ■ Council Time ■ Pending Work Session Topics [IP # 5] ■ Meeting Schedule [IP # 7] ■ Upcoming Community Events /Council Invitations Tom Markus From: Tom Markus Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 4:00 PM To: 'Andy Johnson'; Misha Goodman; Matthew J. Hayek (mhayek @hhbmlaw.com) Subject: RE: Contract for animal control services IP3 This matter will be discussed by council at their next meeting on February 21 after which we will let you know of their response. From: Andy Johnson [ mailto :ajohnson @co.johnson.ia.us] Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 12:56 PM To: Tom Markus; Misha Goodman; Matthew J. Hayek (mhayek @hhbmlaw.com) Subject: Contract for animal control services Tom, Misha and Matt, As you know, the City of Iowa City has asked area local governments to respond to the proposal regarding animal sheltering services by March 1. On October 27`h, the Board sent a letter to Chief Hargadine in which the Supervisors indicated that the County was not interested in agreeing to the terms proposed in the Chief's prior letter, but that the Board was willing to negotiate a new contract with the City. The Board is not clear whether there is any flexibility in the terms that the City will consider for providing animal services for the County. If there is, the Board would like to have a meeting with officials from Iowa City who would be authorized to discuss acceptable terms with the County. In order to attempt to comply with the March 1St deadline, the Board would be available to meet at any of the following times next week: Tuesday, February 21— 7:30 or 8:00 AM Wednesday, February 22 — Any time 8:00 AM — 6:00 PM (prior to 2:00 PM if possible, but we will make any time prior to 6:00 PM work) Thursday, February 23 — Any time after 1:00 PM Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Andy Johnson Executive Assistant Johnson County Board of Supervisors 913 S. Dubuque Street, Suite 201 Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -4207 Phone: 319 - 356 -6000 Fax: 319- 356 -6036 Email: ajohnson(a),co.iohnson.ia.us Background: Iowa City engaged the University of Iowa's Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) for facilitation services related to the FY 2012 -13 Strategic Plan. The strategic planning process involved multiple steps, including gathering input from the general public, front line City staff, department directors and the City Council. The process was initiated in the spring of 2011 and was completed with two City Council work sessions taking place on November 291h and December 5th of 2011. The strategic planning process focused on the following areas: 1. Issues, Concerns, Trends and Opportunities 2. On -Going or Committed Projects 3. Significant and New Projects, Programs, Policies and Initiatives 4. Organizational Effectiveness The FY 2012 -13 Strategic Plan is an outline illustrating the primary areas of focus in the current year. Numerous additional projects, initiatives and policy matters that are not mentioned in this document will be carried out or addressed throughout the year as appropriate. The priorities in the FY 2012 -13 Strategic Plan are intended to be fluid and may change over time as determined appropriate by the City Council. Established Priorities: The FY 2012 -13 Strategic Plan established the prevailing organizational focus as the following: 1. Economic and Community Development 2. Development of the Downtown and Near Downtown Areas 3. Neighborhood Stabilization 4. A Strong and Sustainable Financial Foundation 5. Coordinated Communication and Customer Service Orientation In addition to acknowledging numerous on -going or committed projects (See Appendix A), the City Council identified the following new projects and initiatives that fall within the above - mentioned focus areas: • Actively work with the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) on a joint strategy to maintain and build upon the success of schools in established neighborhoods while ensuring new elementary schools are planned as integral and sustainable components of neighborhoods (Neighborhood Stabilization) • Develop an economic development strategy for targeted commercial properties outside of the previously noted downtown and near downtown districts (Economic and Community Development) • Conduct a comprehensive organizational assessment focusing on communication strategies and the organizational customer service culture (Coordinated Communication and Customer Service Orientation) The City Council also discussed a number of topics related to organizational effectiveness. Many of these issues will be fully examined through the above - mentioned organizational assessment. In addition, the City Council has also directed the staff to undertake a succession planning process and to become more strategic and engaged in working with our State and Federal representatives. Status Report: The City Manager's Office is coordinating various actions that contribute to successful outcomes in each of the identified focus areas. This Status Report explains each of the following issue areas, names a primary staff contact, defines the anticipated steps needed to achieve the desired outcomes, and presents a timeline for completion of specifically outlined projects. The report also includes pertinent activities or projects identified by staff that Council may wish to consider in future budget processes. Lastly, the report contains a summary of the ongoing or committed projects that Council discussed at its strategic planning work sessions. This summary includes project descriptions, status updates and pending Council decision points. W lid O CL (1) cic N N 41 N •O �a C u c c m a 0 u t.7 X00 O 41 L m N N � ri O N LL LL w 4-J !C 0 O N O O cam m H O V ^C a� O A V w � c% U 0 v C V C, O 'a a) � a) t ± O 'O Y V 3 O E C o c Q co 0 3 E to L N a O a) 41 a > O O N O O.. o �- L O U f0 N Q L OA 7 C on of - 4- -Fu 3 -a Vf 'a a) Y 0 O 0 a) n. d LL x L 0 -0 f0 v, L N M U W- CO E m O N > L �n a a) O a) 3 -C 0 v� u = > o -0 �o O U t o C 00 Q to Co 0 U C C OL O N f9 O O U O to C N o O_ O Q a) N U E O 3> T "' +- 3� v d° E c L p +�+ a) 00 0 C O L (n L Q U U f0 Q N -0 f0 0 C a+ M t OD u UA u ° a, +1 E C'3 (L6 0 C m f0 O O a c C v a v 1 >LA U u C 3 0 v E C E o *' a 0 4 ca Ln c oo c a 0 c C> Q o ,r ra c 0 to N N a0 N + 'E Q. 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Action Plan: The City Council has indicated a strong desire to promote private investment in established commercial areas and strategic green -field sites that have previously been targeted for new development. The areas that will be focused on in the coming year include, but are not limited to: • Towncrest • Sycamore Mall and First Avenue • Highway 6 / Highway 1 • 420th Street Industrial Park • Moss Green and Northgate Each of these areas have different needs and varied market potentials. In the coming year staff will be focusing on specific projects in each of these locations. Additionally, staff will be looking more generalized strategies that could help facilitate economic development investments throughout the community. Towncrest This area has been the focus of planning efforts over the last several years. In the coming year, staff will work to facilitate redevelopment of several key properties and also begin work on a streetscape project that will improve the function and aesthetic of the area. These initial projects are intended to serve as a catalyst for future investment in this business corridor. Sycamore Mall and First Avenue With the pending departure of Von Maur, staff is actively working with the private owners of the Sycamore Mall on a new strategy for the property. The loss of the anchor tenant presents a great challenge, but also a unique opportunity to reinvent the commercial space. Staff has been encouraged after some initial conversations with the property owners and will certainly work closely with the owners in the next several months. Staff is also preparing for two significant capital projects in this retail corridor. These street improvement projects will aim to promote better traffic flow in this often congested region. Highway 6/ Highway 1 This area remains a viable commercial corridor, in large part because of the high traffic counts. One of the primary efforts that staff will be focusing in the coming months is a plan for the City -owned Public Works and Transit property. As the City transitions its municipal operations to the S. Gilbert Street location, new prime development space will become marketable. Staff is currently working on environmental reviews and is planning to prepare a draft RFP for the property in late 2011. The City still has operations on the site, and as a result any development will likely need to be phased in until such time that all operations can be relocated. During the budget preparation process for FY 2014, staff will be looking at options to expedite the transfer of all operations to the S. Gilbert Street campus. 420th Street Industrial Park The City has invested considerable money in infrastructure development that will help this property achieve a shovel ready status for prospective industrial enterprises. In the coming year the public capital projects should be substantially completed. ICAD and City staff continues to receive inquiries about the property. It is expected that interest will continue to grow as the economy rebounds and capital projects are completed. As inquiries about the property increase, staff will be assisting ICAD with the necessary evaluations. Moss Green and Northgate The Moss Green area is one with great potential due to its location off of 1 -80. However, there are significant infrastructure improvements that are necessary to accommodate the planned growth. Staff is actively working with Pearson and the Moss Green owners on potential access arrangements that could allow for a phased development approach to this property. The Northgate corporate park is continuing to experience build out. Staff will be working with that property owner to assist with prospective businesses. In addition to the more location specific actions listed above, staff will be focusing on broader polices and projects that can influence economic development throughout the community. Examples of such efforts will include: • Closer collaboration with ICAD, including helping launch their planned co- working project in Iowa City • Investigation of additional co- working projects with private or non - profit entities • Review of CDBG programs and policies that facilitate economic development activity • Continued analysis of zoning and other policies that may be unnecessarily restricting specific development projects • Analysis of potential future capital investments that could facilitate private investment • Streamlining of the internal economic development processes within the City • Investigating the cost /benefit of a retail analysis and recruitment consultant Creating a healthy economic development environment through appropriate land use policies, incentive programs, stakeholder relationships and strategic capital investments is a continuing priority for City staff. Focus on these broader economic development issues will help maximize the private investment that results from the more targeted strategies in the specific areas that Council has identified with this goal. M.,. Progress to Date: Staff is working diligently on the above targeted and more general approaches to economic development. As the year progresses staff expects that specific updates will be able to be provided in subsequent strategic plan updates. Future Budget Considerations: A number of the programs and investment decisions that staff will be analyzing will require budgetary support. At this time there are no specific recommendations that will require a budget adjustment or future allocation of funds. Any future recommendations that have a budgetary impact will be detailed in subsequent reports. M FY 2012 -13 City Council Strategic Plan Priority: Development of the Downtown and Near Downtown Areas Staff Contact: Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning and Community Development Goal: It is the City's goal to promote growth of the Downtown and Near Downtown areas in a manner that builds upon the existing vibrancy of the region, serves persons of all ages and backgrounds, and complements the surrounding neighborhoods and University community. Action Plan: For this goal the staff will be focusing on three distinct geographic areas including Downtown Iowa City, the Northside Marketplace and Riverfront Crossings. Each of these areas requires individual, yet coordinated, development strategies. In the coming year staff will work to build on the policies and projects that the City has recently undertaken in a manner that will leverage further private investment in these core central areas of the community. Downtown Iowa City The successful formation of the SSMID presents a unique opportunity to bring together property owners, businesses, the University of Iowa and Iowa City. With a better coordinated vision and additional resources from all stakeholders, there will be tremendous opportunities for desired progress. City staff will remain integrally involved with the SSMID and will offer needed support throughout this first year and beyond. In conjunction with the SSMID, the City will be actively looking for ways to build upon the success of special events that successfully bring visitors to the Downtown. Festivals and other special events are a critical component to the success of the area and there needs to be a continual effort to improve and expand the scope of such activities. In 2007 and 2011, the City partnered on two separate market analyses related to Downtown Iowa City. The Marketek and Divaris studies both highlighted the market potential for the area. It is now incumbent upon staff, in partnership with our stakeholders, to pursue policies and projects that will help more fully realize the unrealized potential of the central business district. Staff is currently preparing for two significant capital projects that will directly impact the Downtown region. The conversion of Washington Street from one -way to two -way traffic will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and advance the marketability of this important retail corridor. The downtown maintenance project will improve the physical condition of the infrastructure and streetscape. Staff will be working closely with the SSMID to prioritize potential projects with an eye toward making the area more attractive and inviting for patrons. Additionally, staff will evaluate other potential public improvement projects for the region that may be included in future budget proposals to the City Council. There are a number of existing projects that are in various stages of development that will have a positive impact on downtown. The University's announcement of the Voxman -Clapp building location at the corner of Clinton and Burlington is tremendously positive. That project will require careful coordination between the City and University on infrastructure improvements and traffic management. Staff is currently planning to market the 'John Wilson building property on the eastern edge of the Downtown. This property has great potential to attract significant private investment and add to the vibrancy of the entire district. ICAD's effort to establish a co- working space in Downtown as well as the ongoing renovation of the former Vito's space will help to infuse new activity in the coming year. The recent fire at the Bruegger's and Van Patten House properties also presents unique redevelopment opportunities. Staff will be working to assist in the successful completion of these projects, as well as several other potential downtown projects that are currently being contemplated by various property owners and developers. Lastly, staff will be investigating ways to facilitate new private investment in the area. Among the items that staff will be looking at include land use policies and regulations, as well as potential new grant and /or loan programs to assist in the rehabilitation of exterior and /or interior spaces of existing buildings. Such programs would aim to increase the marketability of properties and also increase the amount of usable space within the district's existing building stock. Riverfront Crossings The Riverfront Crossing area, located immediately south of Downtown, is intended to serve as a pedestrian orientated mixed -use neighborhood. Extensive planning for this area has been undertaken. Staff is working with consultants on zoning code changes that will be necessary to achieve the established vision for that area. Such changes will be presented to the Council in the coming months. Similarly, staff will be forwarding Council recommendations to create a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district on the Riverside Drive area, which anchors the western edge of the district. Staff also expects to recommend that Council expand the City / University urban renewal area south to encompass a greater portion of the Riverfront Crossings area. Several critical capital projects are currently underway in the Riverfront Crossing area. The multi -use parking facility with an accompanying mixed -use development, as well as the decommissioning of the north wastewater plant will both help facilitate future private investment in the region. Additionally, staff continues to advocate for a passenger rail connection to Chicago with an eventual station location in the Riverfront Crossings area. Establishing rail service would be an incredible boost to the community and would directly impact the marketability of the Riverfront Crossings area. In the coming year staff will focus on finishing up the planning, regulatory and financial incentive policies as well as commencing work on the initial capital projects. These actions will help lay the groundwork for future private investment. Additionally, staff will focus on private projects already in some stage of development, such as the proposed Riverside Drive hotel project. Evaluation of future public capital projects that could help speed the development of the area will be considered with the FY 2013 -14 budget submittal to Council. Northside Marketplace This area recently benefited from streetscape improvements that advanced the aesthetics and improved pedestrian and bicycle accommodations. This area will be included in many of the staff analyses that are described in the neighborhood stabilization goal. Similarly, the efforts to investigate ways to facilitate new private investment that were described in the Downtown section of this goal will be broad enough 10 MMMM to encompass the Northside Marketplace. Other potential public investments, such as the expansion of the Literary Walk into the Northside Marketplace will be considered for the FY 2014 budget. Progress to Date: Staff is actively pursuing each of the above discussed topics and expects to report on progress in subsequent strategic plan updates. Plans for the capital initiatives, including the Washington Street conversion and the downtown maintenance project are being developed. Input from the SSMID will be sought on these and other relevant projects or policy issues in the coming months. The recently formed SSMID is currently finishing their strategic planning efforts, which will provide a foundation to build upon in the coming year. Future Budget Considerations: A number of the programs and investment decisions that staff will be analyzing will require budgetary support. At this time there are no specific recommendations that will require a budget adjustment or future allocation of funds. Any future recommendations that have a budgetary impact will be detailed in subsequent reports. 11 FY 2012 -13 City Council Strategic Plan Priority: Neighborhood Stabilization Staff Contact: Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning and Community Development Geoff Fruin, Assistant to the City Manager Goal: The City aims to invest in and deliver core services to neighborhoods in a manner that enhances overall stability and maintains the intended character while facilitating new opportunities to improve the quality of life. Action Plan: The Council has indicated a strong desire to stabilize the neighborhoods surrounding the city core. An effective stabilization strategy requires a review and analysis of the City's policies, programs, communications and capital investment decisions that directly shape and influence a neighborhood's character and livelihood. Such a strategy should recognize the importance of maintaining a neighborhood's character while also creating an environment that facilitates complementary development opportunities. In the coming year staff will focus on the central planning district neighborhoods, however many aspects of the neighborhood stabilization review will have implications throughout the community. In order to achieve Council's goal, staff will be focusing on the elements illustrated by the following radial diagram that influence strong neighborhoods: Updated Planning Documents Open Stakeholder Communication Land Use Regulations Neighborhood Stabilization Nuisance Mitigation Public Infrastructure and Open Space Private Building Stock 12 Land Use Regulations Land use policies directly influence the manner in which neighborhoods develop. Therefore it is critical that staff analyze the policies and code provisions that govern land use in the neighborhoods that Council seeks to stabilize. Throughout the year staff will be reviewing the following aspects of the land use regulations that govern the central neighborhoods. o Appropriate densities provided by zoning classifications o Permitted uses within the zoning classifications o Permitted number of unrelated habitants per unit o Permitted number /mix of bedrooms per unit /structure • Parking requirements • Open space requirements • Appropriateness of additional historic or conservation districts • Potential density bonuses for desirable development characteristics and /or targeted locations Public Infrastructure and Open Space Public infrastructure and open space plays a critical role in neighborhoods. Well maintained and appropriately planned infrastructure and open space can directly influence a neighborhood's character and can further attract private investment that sustains neighborhoods over the long- term. Over the next year staff will be evaluating the adequacy of planned public investments in the following areas: o Street maintenance (including concrete and brick) o Utilities o Sidewalks • Alleys • Signage and pavement markings • Traffic calming provisions • Street trees and plantings o Parkland amenities Private Building Stock Facilitating private investment in the existing building stock can reinvigorate neighborhoods while reducing undesirable redevelopment pressures or the spread of blighted conditions. The city has several programs that aim to encourage investment in the residential building stock of neighborhoods. Those include: o UniverCity o General Rehabilitation Improvement Program (GRIP) o Housing Authority down payment assistance program Staff will be evaluating the effectiveness of these programs, as well as their funding levels to ensure they are having the intended impact in the core neighborhoods. In addition, staff will be 13 MOM researching other programs that aim to accomplish increased investment in the private building stock, including residential improvement districts and single - family infill programs. Nuisance Mitigation Stable neighborhoods benefit from actions that effectively reduce or eliminate habitual sources of nuisances and quickly address incidents creating sporadic nuisances. Effective nuisance mitigation strategies can improve the livability of neighborhoods and remove barriers to desired private investment. In reviewing our nuisance mitigation strategy in the core neighborhoods staff will consider the following: • Policies or programs that reduce the number of non - conforming uses and rooming houses • Amortization of non - conforming uses • Nuisance ordinances that can trigger the loss of non - conforming status • Creation of a City "non- conforming use buyout program" to strategically reduce such uses in critical areas of neighborhoods • Requirement that duplexes are 'leased as licensed' o Evaluation of the existing effectiveness of the rental permit sanction provision of the code • Review of City over - occupancy fines for residential properties • Review of Police Department policies on nuisance enforcement in neighborhoods • Review of the existing trash, debris and litter ordinance • Exploration of further potential collaboration with the University of Iowa Open Stakeholder Communication Any effective neighborhood stabilization strategy must include open dialogue and exchanges of ideas with stakeholder groups. Staff believes it will be essential to involve the both neighborhood representatives and members of the development community in all neighborhood stabilization discussions. Additionally, it may be appropriate to conduct more comprehensive stakeholder surveys. Similarly, staff will be evaluating mechanisms that can more effectively solicit stakeholder feedback on a continual basis. This includes evaluation of the optional "Good Neighbor Policy ", as well enhanced electronic communication channels through website improvements and /or Smartphone applications. Neighborhood schools also have a role in neighborhood stabilization efforts. Thus communicating and actively working with the ICCSD will be an important to part of the overall stabilization strategy. Staff will be seeking to establish two -way communication mechanisms with the ICCSD that promote increased coordination in school and neighborhood planning. Updated Planning Documents Ultimately, the success of neighborhoods also depends on well- conceived planning documents that guide staff and elected officials in future decisions. To this end, staff has initiated processes 14 MWOM that will seek public input on the City's Comprehensive Plan and Central District Plan. Furthermore, staff is reviewing neighborhood scale plans in other communities that may be appropriate to initiate in select Iowa City neighborhoods. Progress to Date: Staff is working diligently on a number of the above - mentioned topics. It is expected that a number of recommendations will be formulated throughout the year. Tracking of the reviews and recommendations will be included in future status report updates to the Council. Staff will also update the Council on the progress of planned activities and improvements that are schedule to be carried -out in the coming year. Examples of such items include street repairs, UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership Program and the General Rehabilitation Improvement Program (GRIP), and parkland improvements. At this time, staff has initiated discussions with neighbors who remain eager to participate in this process. Similarly, staff has briefly discussed this strategic plan goal with developers that participate in the regular roundtable meetings at City Hall. Further dialogue with these stakeholder groups and the ICCSD will be pursued as staff progresses in its work in this area. Although most of the items listed above require more review and analysis, staff is prepared to move forward with select changes to land use regulations concerning the acceptable number of bedrooms in zoning classification, number of unrelated occupants in zoning classifications, and parking requirements for multiple family structures. This item is being presented on the February 21, 2012 agenda. Future Budget Considerations: A number of the programs and investment decisions that staff will be analyzing will require budgetary support. At this time there are no specific recommendations that will require a budget adjustment or future allocation of funds. Any future recommendations that have a budgetary impact will be detailed in subsequent reports. 15 NoMWE FY 2012 -13 City Council Strategic Plan Priority: A Strong and Sustainable Financial Foundation Staff Contact: Kevin O'Malley, Finance Director Goal: The City aims to create a strong and sustainable financial foundation that will provide needed stability and flexibility while utilizing taxpayer dollars in the most efficient and responsible manner. Action Plan: In order to achieve this Strategic Plan goal, the City is focusing in two primary areas. First, staff will be recommending to Council several new financial policies that will provide a greater level of financial stability. Secondly, staff will continue to enhance the level of financial analysis presented to the public so that our elected officials will have a greater informational foundation on which to base future decisions. This includes a continued emphasis to improve the Financial Plan document and ultimately achieve the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2013 -14 fiscal year. Staff is currently revising or creating the following financial policies: • Purchasing Policies and Procedures • Target Fund Balances • Debt Service Coverage Levels • General Fund Contingency Level • Annual review of rates, user charges and fines It is anticipated that the purchasing policy and budget adjustment process will be presented to the Council in the spring of 2012. The remaining items will be incorporated into the presentation of the proposed Fiscal Year 2013 -14 budget document. Throughout the year staff will be working to improve the financial analysis presented to the Council and general public. Furthermore, staff is continuing efforts to make the annual financial plan more readable and user friendly. Among the top priorities in this area include: • Refinement of individual department narratives, including performance and comparative metrics • Introduction of a ten -year financial trend analysis section in the Financial Plan • Expanded detail of line -item expenditures in the budget document Through enhanced information, greater transparency and well rooted financial policies, the City can create a strong and sustainable financial foundation that will provide needed stability and flexibility while utilizing taxpayer dollars in the most efficient and responsible manner. 16 Progress to Date: Staff is working on all of the issues noted above. It is expected that a revised purchasing policy and budget amendment process will be presented to the Council in the spring of 2012. Other changes will be presented with the proposed Fiscal Year 2013 -14 budget document. Future Budget Considerations: None at this time 17 NNOMM FY 2012 -13 City Council Strategic Plan Priority: Coordinated Communication and Customer Service Orientation Staff Contact: Geoff Fruin, Assistant to the City Manager Goal: The City strives to be a high- functioning, customer service orientated organization that actively supports and engages stakeholders through clear, open and innovative communication methods. Action Plan: The City Manager's Office is conducting a comprehensive organizational assessment focusing on communication strategies and the organizational customer service culture. The assessment is targeting the following issue areas: 1. Communications a. Internal L Review of interdepartmental communication methods ii. Identification of barriers to effective internal communication (e.g. technology) b. External L Assessment of unification in City communication to various audiences ii. Review of effectiveness of current communication methods (e.g. website, advertisements, direct mail, etc.) iii. Identification of emerging communication methods and barriers to effective usage iv. Initiate a website redesign process v. Consider any needed changes to the branding of the City and /or activities, amenities or services (e.g. use of logos) 2. Customer Service Orientation a. Transactional Processes L identification of all transaction- orientated public services ii. Assessment of process efficiency, accessibility, and convenience iii. Barriers to efficiency (technology, information sharing, training, policies, etc.) b. Organizational Culture L Assessment of policies and programs aimed to recognize and encourage outstanding customer service ii. Identification of mechanisms to facilitate and encourage ideas for customer service enhancement iii. Opportunities for skill enhancements, cross - training and promotion of increased awareness pertaining to other city services or programs W., It is anticipated that the assessment will conclude with a report on the findings. It will also include highlight any changes that were initiated during the assessment as well as identify recommendations that may need to be approved by Council or that will need to be incorporated into the FY 2013 -14 budget. The report is expected to be ready in the fall or winter of 2012. Progress to Date: As a first step in the process, the City Manager's office will be working to create a centralized communication structure for the organization. Currently, operating departments each handle their own external communications. A centralized communication approach will ideally lead to a better coordinated and more effective communication with our various external stakeholders, including residents, businesses and the media. One of the first major priorities for the organization will be to initiate a redesign of the City website. A major known barrier to internal communications lies in the City's decentralized and dated computer system. The City is currently reviewing software proposals that would allow for more centralized approach with information sharing advantages. Such a system would also allow for the automating of several processes within the organization, and would result in easier access to information and ultimately better informed decision- making. Implementation of such a system will likely need to be phased in over several years. Staff expects to bring Council a formal recommendation on this matter in the spring of 2012. Future Budget Considerations: Both the website redesign and new internal computer software platform will require significant expenditures. Such budget implications will be presented to Council at a later date when specific recommendations are formulated by staff. FY 2012 -13 City Council Strategic Plan Priority: Organizational Effectiveness Staff Contact: Tom Markus, City Manager Goal: The City shall proactively look toward the future to ensure that services are continually able to be delivered at high levels and that relationships with external stakeholders are strong and productive. Action Plan: The City Manager's office is focusing on two key areas in order to meet City Council expectations. First, staff is conducting a succession plan for the organization. This effort is being jointly led by staff from the City Manager's Office and Human Resources. The succession plan process includes analyzing the staffing of each department and identifying management and highly skilled positions that are likely to experience turnover during the next five years. Additionally, the plan will identify key challenges and /or opportunities presented by the anticipated staff turnover. Such examples may include the loss of highly technical or specialized skills, and general institutional knowledge. The plan will identify strategies that to better prepare the organization for the anticipated turnover in key positions. Secondly, the City Manager is actively working to build relationships and establish more effective lines of communication with our Federal and State elected representatives. As Federal and State lawmakers consider legislation and appropriations that impacts our community, it is increasingly important that Iowa City has a strong voice in Des Moines and Washington D.C. With a focus on the adopted 2012 Legislative Priorities, the City Manager is working with our elected officials, lobbyist and membership organizations to make certain that the City's perspective is fully understood and considered at all levels of government. Similarly, the City is continually identifying key projects that may align with Federal and /or State initiatives. This will allow the City to more proactively leverage local funds and progress with flood mitigation, economic, public safety and other key local projects. Progress to Date: Staff is currently developing phase one of the succession plan. This phase includes an internal analysis of positions with a focus on those that have a high probability of turnover due to retirement or other known circumstances in the next five years. Phase two of this project involves developing a strategy to better prepare the organization for the anticipated turnover. The targeted completion for the succession plan is early summer of 2012. The City Council has adopted its legislative priorities for 2012 and has authorized the hiring of Davis Brown for lobbying services at the State level. Staff is working with Davis Brown, the Metro Coalition and the Iowa League of Cities to ensure that the City's position is being presented effectively. Staff continues to seek State and Federal opportunities for local projects. Below is a listing of state and federal grants secured since the adoption of the strategic plan: "ARAM • The Iowa Economic Development Authority announced a fourth round of funding for the Single Family New Construction (SFNC) Program, thus extending this program into 2012 -13. Iowa City is eligible to receive $1,390,227, which will allow for approximately 32 new homes for this program aimed at rebuilding the housing stock after the 2008 flood. To date, Iowa City has assisted with 93 new housing units with another 15 to be completed by March of 2012. After this latest round of funding is spent, Iowa City will have assisted with approximately 140 new housing units since the 2008 flood. • Iowa City was awarded a 6% increase, or $639,218, in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the 2012 -13 fiscal year. The increase is especially positive news, given that most other communities across the country received a 10% or larger reduction in funding. The long -term CDBG funding trend is still negative as the current allocation is approximately 33% below that of ten years ago. • Iowa City's allocation for the federal HOME program, which focuses on affordable housing, was reduced to $381,851, or a 36% reduction from last year. This cut is consistent with cuts from other cities across the country. In the last ten years the City's annual HOME funding has been reduced by 47 %. Future Budget Considerations: None at this time 21 a-J L- 0 Q N DC N Z3 cv U N O i a X n- Q O o Q O_ CL co U C to U t1A N N N m C*4 l N Ln r1i 2f 0 k / 0\0 # - 4� / /U :3U / 7 0 « CL g = ƒ 2\ f kƒ 0 a # E # 2 /' / ~nL2±05 $ / / CL _ $ C: \ E $ ° m S E u. 3_# o— o� c/ c d S S E% E® (D CL e o w E\ $/ 5 0 E o$% 7® / u E m k 2\ E u/ E 3± z 2 / / 2 f 5 b w o E t E : f 2 '\ , 2 f § � ® / / / / \ 2 2 bn (_ -0 CL > mCL 7 e o 3 / 2 ) :) / / o / E — a E o �_ m e e 2§ 2 k % w f / 3 m q/ e — �/ c c �cu / /t��fJ / /E \ / 3# g m d \ ƒ� e E� t E.2 kk / /k)ƒ§ / %� \j ƒ/ P e> m Ln _ m u «/ u ._ -0 \ 3 m R 2 \ Ln t 2 iii n N N 'O c "O *' U, Q 4- oa c -0 O 3 m •L C O :N .t ai r �i� �� +� •L N V) 4J lC a) N 7 N C Q- i = -_ +1 3 h fE N u 3 O L a N L co d .. N N L V U 0 fC 4a.+ CL U N 'O c Lv .V c Q •F N C Ni c a) �+ U'. 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O N O > O O O >, U a� II � U E E O O .0 U m 'O 'O C c to YO LL E ca O U c O O U W II LL d.0 � c w O Y m m � ea �� IP5 _w-wAMW4� CITY OF IOWA CITY PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS February 16, 2012 Pending Topics to be Scheduled 1. Discussion of the Request to Rename Broadway Street 2. Follow -up Presentation on the Disposition or Relocation of Public Housing Units 3. Continuation of the Discussion to Consider Consolidation or Structural Changes to City Boards and Commissions fz� r ^•'I_,;.® CITY 4F IOWA CITY iPs MEMORANDUM Date: February 15, 2012 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Re: KXIC Radio Show KXIC offers a City show at 9:00 AM every Wednesday morning. In the past Council has volunteered for dates, and staff filled in as necessary. Please take a look at your calendars and come prepared to help fill in the schedule at your work session on February 21: February 29 March 7 March 14 March 21 — Rick Dobyns March 28 April 4 April 11 Future commitments: May 16 - Rick Dobyns July 18 September 19 November 21 U:radioshowasking.doc -- �I r CITY OF IOWA CITY IP7 MEMORANDUM Date: February 15, 2012 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Re: Proposed Meeting Schedule, April through August, 2012 Attached is a proposed meeting schedule based on the current resolution establishing regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, and input received from individual Council Members regarding their schedules. Please review the schedule and come prepared to suggest changes at Tuesday's work session. Calendar for April- August 2012, April July Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 1 2 0 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 31 May Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Q 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 429 30 31 July Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 X 5 6 7 8 9 & 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Q 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 31 30 May Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Q 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 429 30 31 August Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 (0) 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 30 June Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4(D 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 February 13, 2012 Occupy Iowa City PO Box 2777 Iowa City, IA 52244 -2777 Dear Occupy Iowa City, ► r 1 - - �� IP8 At��"�i CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Strect Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 (319) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgov.org Enclosed is the City's denial of your application dated February 6, 2012 for a continuation of your existing public assembly permit at College Green Park. Also enclosed is a more detailed statement on the reasoning behind the permit denial. The application did not contain specific contact information for your group. Therefore, this correspondence is being mailed to the post office box the City has on file and will also be emailed to previous contacts that we believe may still be associated with your organization. The City respectfully requests that future permit applications and correspondence include a single point of contact so that effective communication channels can be established and maintained. As you are aware, your existing permit will expire on February 29, 2012. The City respectfully requests that you remove all personal property and belongings no later than 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, 2012. The City intends to begin repairs to the turf at College Green Park on March 1, 2012, weather permitting. Any personal property remaining at the park will be removed so that the necessary repairs can commence. As communicated in previous correspondence, the City stands willing to assist your group in finding a more suitable location for your meetings. Should you wish to explore this option please contact the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department at your convenience. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. Sincerely, Thomas Markus City Manager City of Iowa City IM CITY OF IOWA CITY AP'PLICATI®N FOR PARADE /PUBLIC ASSEMBLY PERMIT (Note: A permit is not required unless the group using the streets, City Plaza, or the sidewalk has more than 25 people or unless the group using a park has more than 100 people.) If a parade or public assembly will be in on the sidewalks and /or streets and /or City Plaza, return the completed application to City Manager's Office, 410 E. Washington Street. Tel: 356 -5010. If a parade or public assembly solely will be in a park, return the completed application to Parks & Recreation Dept., 220 S. Gilbert Street, Tel: 356 -5110. 5. TYPE OF EVENT: (circle one) Parade Public Assembly 6, DATE OF EVENT: :! %a _ Start Time: I Y00 _(9 pm End Time: am /pm 7. EXPECTED NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: 8. EVENT LOCATION: { ) City Plaza - circle one of the following: Mini Park Fountain Multiple locations Area Area (include a map) { ) City Street or Sidewalk Name of streets) or sidewalk(s) and include a map {A Park 4 J'Pe� Name of rk. Note: Park shelters, ball fields and other facilities must be reserved separately by contacting the Park & /Recreation Dept. at 3-566 -5110. Contact Person: Uri ���/ "`� �/ �� "ice ti 2 �� �\Z Name and contact Informatiofi of &rson to be/pAsent sent at event and who will serve as the contact person(s) for the applicant at the proposed parade or public assembly. 9. List and describe all mechanical or electronic equipment to be used, Including sound amplification, and state where it will be located: 10. State the number and type of any motor vet� Icle�s or other forms of transportation to be used incl ding bicycles y- � y h; r t, � S aY++1 10 k- v( <A ltl%1 �, J ' /I aY,� %�•�� rrNi.��r ,3 11. State the number and type of any animals to be used 1. APPLICANT'S NAME: lc. ✓,at CEMAIL ADDRESS 2, APPLICANT'S ADDRESS:(' ST T 6rP Ph-)L P ►� ` SCI ; _ �� �"� �� yU CITY STATE ZIP 3, PHONE NUMBER: 4. EVENT NAME: 5. TYPE OF EVENT: (circle one) Parade Public Assembly 6, DATE OF EVENT: :! %a _ Start Time: I Y00 _(9 pm End Time: am /pm 7. EXPECTED NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: 8. EVENT LOCATION: { ) City Plaza - circle one of the following: Mini Park Fountain Multiple locations Area Area (include a map) { ) City Street or Sidewalk Name of streets) or sidewalk(s) and include a map {A Park 4 J'Pe� Name of rk. Note: Park shelters, ball fields and other facilities must be reserved separately by contacting the Park & /Recreation Dept. at 3-566 -5110. Contact Person: Uri ���/ "`� �/ �� "ice ti 2 �� �\Z Name and contact Informatiofi of &rson to be/pAsent sent at event and who will serve as the contact person(s) for the applicant at the proposed parade or public assembly. 9. List and describe all mechanical or electronic equipment to be used, Including sound amplification, and state where it will be located: 10. State the number and type of any motor vet� Icle�s or other forms of transportation to be used incl ding bicycles y- � y h; r t, � S aY++1 10 k- v( <A ltl%1 �, J ' /I aY,� %�•�� rrNi.��r ,3 11. State the number and type of any animals to be used 12. Will extra trash receptacles be needed? Yes— No_C If yes, how many 13. Proposal to monitor the event, Including the names of any person not employed by the City who will be responsible for setting up, cleaning up, or m i taining order and whether the police department will be needed to assist in maintaining order 14. Proposal for cleanup C/T/ 5 QhJ ,r,; // � e mrt��T��i��e�y by 6yccwi z _UWu l- r 15. Is water connection requested? Yes _A No If yes, explain AS 4yeti e?" Y 01efhl 16. Is electricity requested? Yes No X If yes, explain 17. Describe any items to be sold or distributed rf�ewdj If the applicant Is not an individual, the person signing this application acknowledges that he or she has the authority to act on behalf of the group that is requesting the permit. Signatu (e Applicant INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT ) &/ a.dfd, Dat6 If insurance Is required, the applicant agrees to: pay on behalf of the City all sums which the City shall be obligated to pay by reason of any liability Imposed upon the City for damages of any kind resulting from use of public property and the public right of way, whether sustained by any person or person, caused by accident or otherwise and shall defend at its own expense and on behalf of the City any claim against the City arising out of the use of public property and the public right of way. (non- University of Iowa events only) For University of Iowa Events, the applicant agrees to the following: "The University agrees to be responsible for all claims and damages that directly result from the negligent acts or omissions of the University, its employees, or agents to the extent permitted by Iowa Code Chapter 669. Pursuant to Chapter 669, the University shall be responsible for payment of the City's liability insurance deductible not to exceed $500,000.00, for claims arising from the University's use and occupancy of the leased premises hereunder provided, however, the University shall not be responsible for any claim, including payment of the City's liability insurance deductible for any claim, to the extent it results from the City's negligence. Pursuant to Chapter 669, the University agrees to provide a defense for any and all claims or actions brought as a direct result of the University's negligent acts or omissions. The parties expressly agree that such defense, if any, shall be provided by the State of Iowa Office of the Attorney General unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties and the Office of the Attorney General." If insurance is required, the applicant agrees to provide the certificate of insurance to the City by the last working day prior to the event. (For additional information on insurance, see "Parade and Public Assemblies Information Sheet. ") Signature of Applicant Date Mgrlspecialusepermits"rade info sheet doc 2 7/21/2009 APPEAL RIGHTS Any party aggrieved by the City Manager's or designee's decision below to grant or deny a permit under this Chapter may appeal the determination to the City Council if, within five (5) working days after the decision, the party flies a written notice of appeal with the City Clerk. In such event, a hearing shall be held by the City Council no later than its next regularly scheduled meeting, assuming the appeal is filed in time to allow notice of said appeal in accordance with Chapter 21 of the Iowa Code. FOR CITY USE ONLY: NOTICE OF DECISION GRANTING OR DENYING THE APPLICATION The application is approved. The application is denied because ,$*.t. Gi jg�� /,eo/ 02-13- 12 Ci Manager or Designee Date Mgrlspecialusepermitstparade info sheet.doc 3 7/21/2009 CITY OF IOWA CITY Reasons for Denial of the Occupy Iowa City Application for Public Assembly Permit dated 2/6/2012 The continued presence of Occupy Iowa City will unreasonably interfere with the public's use and enjoyment of the park and is not compatible with the normal public activity at the park. a. The effective usable space of the park would be considerably reduced. b. The presence interferes with the public's use of the park amenities. c. The damage to the park and undue health and safety hazards, as detailed below, interfere with the public's use and enjoyment of the park. 2. Occupy Iowa City's presence under the existing permit has resulted in significant damage to the turf at the park. Repairs will necessitate the temporary closure (estimated at 30 -60 days) of the 'camping areas' for sodding and /or reseeding. 3. The Occupy Iowa City presence under the existing permit has created undue health, safety and sanitation hazards at the park. 4. During the existing permit period there has been a disproportionate use of Police Department resources. Such resources include calls for service and self- initiated Police Officer visits to address activity incompatible with park use, including intoxicated individuals, suspicious activity /persons, fights and disturbances, assaults, and theft. 5. The conditions outlined in items 2 through 4 above demonstrate a lack of ability to effectively monitor the public assembly in a manner that sufficiently protects public health and safety. 6. Occupy Iowa City did not meet conditions of their existing permit including the failure to routinely move tents, the repeated attachment of personal items to park fixtures, and the failure to remove trash and debris in a timely manner. 7. Occupy Iowa City is not a legal entity capable of providing indemnity and insurance coverage to the City. Damage to the park and unsanitary conditions resulting from the lengthy presence under the existing permit demonstrate a strong need for such indemnity and insurance. Marian Karr From: Adam Bentley Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 11:54 AM To: maurojheck @yahoo.com; livingforhimtom @gmail.com; 'stephen.hoffelt @gmail.com' Subject: Occupy- Permit Application Attachments: Occupy- Permit (2- 13- 12).pdf Dear Occupy Iowa City: The City is contacting you via the email addresses the City has had contact with in the past. The original letter and permit application will be sent to the P.O. Box originally provided by Occupy Iowa City. The attached document provides the response to the public assembly permit dated 2/6/12. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the City Manager's Office. Thank you, Adam Bentley Adam Bentley I City Manager's Office I City of Iowa City W319-356-5010 I x°319- 356 -5009 I -adam- bentley @iowa - city.org www.icgov.org THE CITY OF IOWA CITY DENIES THE OCCUPY IOWA CITY PUBLIC ASSEMBLY PERMIT FOR COLLEGE GREEN PARK The City of Iowa City has denied the public assembly permit application submitted on February 6`h, 2012 by the Occupy Iowa City group. Enclosed is the correspondence pertaining to the permit denial action. Any questions on this topic should be directed to Tom Markus, City Manager, at (319) 356 -5010. r t ^•!Iwmr, CITY OF IOWA CITY 1P9 ���� E u M 1ViaR AND Date: February 16, 2012 To: City Council From: Ann Freerks, Chair - Planning and Zoning Commission Re: Work Program Annually the Planning and Zoning Commission reviews our work program and makes recommendations to the City Council regarding priorities. The City Council has recently assigned staff and the Commission several study items so we believe that this is a good time to review the work program and the order in which these items should be addressed. It should be noted that some of these items, such as the Comprehensive Plan update, will require multiple stages that will take several months to complete. So even though they are a high priority, items that are lower on the list may actually be completed and recommended on to the Council sooner than these more extensive projects. At our January 19 meeting, by a unanimous vote the Commission recommended the work program be prioritized as follows: 1. Comprehensive Plan Update 2. Complete Riverfront Crossings Plan 3. Review of CB -10 zone requirements including setbacks and height limits. 4. Draft Urban Mixes Use Zone for Riverfront Crossings, Towncrest and other areas 5. Review RM -44 Zone and neighborhood stabilization issues 6. Revise nonconforming situations regulations to create a trigger point for bringing properties into compliance with site development standards based on the value of the improvements being made to the property 7. Add bonus provisions for CB -10 Zone to allow FAR to exceed 10 8. Review woodland buffer requirements 9. Review Comprehensive Plan land use map for properties on Governor Street north of Happy Hollow Park 10. Draft entryway overlay zone or standards for properties at the major entrances to the City of Iowa City 11. Research prohibiting or limiting residential development in the flood hazard area 12. Review Comprehensive Plan land use map for Roosevelt School. If you would like further details regarding the Commission's discussion please refer to the January 19, Planning and Zoning Commission minutes. r CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM DATE: 2/14/2012 TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: SUSAN DULEK, ASST. CITY ATTORNEY RE: PAYDAY LENDING RESTRICTIONS IP70 At the City Council meeting on January 24, representatives of the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement requested that the City restrict the "proliferation of payday lending institutions in Iowa City." The City Attorney has asked that I provide you with a brief overview of a city's authority with respect to these businesses. Chapter 533D of the Iowa Code governs what is usually referred to as payday lending. The term used in state law is "delayed deposit services business" and is defined as a person /business that for a fee does either of the following: 1. Accepts a check dated subsequent to the date it was written; 2. Accepts a check dated on the date it was written and holds the check for a period of time prior to deposit or presentment pursuant to an agreement with, or any representation made to, the maker of the check whether express or implied. The term payday loan reflects that the transaction described above is often a short term loan that comes due on payday. By way of a simple illustration, a person is paid on the Vt and the 15th day of the month. On the 6th day of the month, the person goes to a delayed deposit services business and writes a check dated the 15th day of the month for $100 and pays a fee of $5. The business provides the person with $100 in cash. The business does not clear the $100 check until the 15th day of the month. Hence, it is a loan payable on payday. State law requires this type of business to obtain a license from the state in order to operate. State law also governs the fees (e.g., interest) that may be charged as well as the maximum amount of the loan, the number of loans to a particular person, and the term of the loan. Thus, the City does not have the home rule authority to regulate either the nature of the business or the rate of interest. In terms of regulating payday lending, municipalities are limited to restricting these businesses by means of zoning. If Council finds health, safety, and /or welfare issues with respect to their number, location, or density, the City could impose zoning restrictions, such as a minimum spacing requirements adopted for liquor establishments. Cc: Eleanor M. Dilkes, City Attorney Thomas M. Markus, City Manager Geoff Fruin, Assistant to City Manager Marian K. Karr, City Clerk DATE: February 9, 2012 TO: City Council FROM: Andrew J. Rocca, Fire Chief RE: National Incident Management System 1 02-16-12 IN I CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 (3 19) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgov.org At the request of City Manager Tom Markus, I am informing you of a training requirement that must be completed in order for the City of Iowa City to remain NIMS compliant. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) -5, Management of Domestic Incidents, directs the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent national approach for federal, state, tribal, and local governments, the private sector, and non - governmental organizations (NGO) to work together to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. HSPD -5 directs Federal agencies to adopt NIMS and encourages adoption of NIMS by all other stakeholders— state, tribal, and local governments, private sector organizations, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and NGOs involved in emergency management. In addition the adoption and implementation of NIMS by state, tribal, and local organizations is a condition for receiving Federal preparedness assistance through grants contracts and other activities as stated in HSPD -5. The following required courses are designed to provide you with baseline knowledge, as they introduce basic NIMS and Incident Command System (ICS) concepts and provide the foundation for higher -level Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and ICS - related training. The courses are available online and a link is included for your use. IS -700a NIMS, an Introduction: This course introduces the NIMS concept. NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private sector, and non - governmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents. http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is700a.as p ICS -100b Introduction to the Incident Command System: This course introduces ICS and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. It describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the system. It also explains the relationship between ICS and NIMS. http: / /training.fema.gov /emiweb /is /is100b.asp Upon completion of these courses, submit your certificates of completion to City Manager Markus. Please complete these courses by June 1, 2012. Do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance. cc: Tom Markus, City Manager /ajr Contact Information: Agency POC Address City Day Phone Cell Phone Citv of Iowa Citv Elected Officials /Administration Geoff Fruin- Assistant to the City Manager 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 319 - 356 -5013 319 - 333 -4823 NIMS Training Position ICS 100 IS 700 ICS 200 Tom Markus City Manager 1 1 Geoff Fruin Assistant to the City Manager 1 1 Marian Karr City Clerk 1 1 Matt Hayek Mayor (At- Large) Susan Mims Mayor Pro Tern (At- Large) Rick Dobyns Council Member (District A) Connie Champion Council Member (District B) Jim Throgmorton Council Member (District C) 1 1 Terry Dickens Council Member (At- Large) Michelle Payne Council Member (At- Large) Total 4 3 1 r CITY OF IOWA CITY -- IP12 MEMORANDUM Date: February 16, 2012 To: Tom Markus, City Manager Geoff Fruin, Assistant to the City Manager From: Chris O'Brien, Director of Transportation Services Captain Rick Wyss, Iowa City Police Department Re: Transit Interchange Activity Introduction: Over the past few months, a lot of attention has been focused on the transit interchange located on Washington Street between Clinton Street and Capitol Street. Several complaints had been generated related to the behavior, language and activities of juveniles in this area. In addition, some fights had taken place amongst several juveniles, raising concerns that needed to be addressed. To a lesser extent, this issue has been raised in the past and we have addressed individual events as they occurred. Many of the concerns centered on behavior that took place inside the Old Capitol Town Center. Multiple meetings have taken place with the management team from the Old Capitol Town Center, the University of Iowa, ICCSD and City staff to work towards a solution to the concerns of juvenile activity in the area. Transit Activity: Juveniles arrive in the transit interchange primarily from three routes, the Court Hill(City High to downtown), Plaenview(West High to downtown) and Mall(Tate to downtown) routes. After 3:OOPM, peak service begins resulting in headways of 30 minutes for the majority of Iowa City Transit Routes. There are many opportunities for bus service from bus stops near schools to different neighborhoods directly or within 15 minutes of reaching the interchange. Below are departure times and direction of routes departing within 15 minutes of the arrival of the Court Hill(3:45PM arrival), Plaenview(4:OOPM arrival) and Mall(3:30PM arrival): 3:45PM Manville Heights Lakeside Plaenview Rochester Court Hill 4:OOPM Broadway Mall North Dodge Oakcrest Seventh Avenue Towncrest Westwinds 4:15PM Manville Heights Lakeside Plaenview Rochester Court Hill In addition, City High is also serviced by the Eastside Loop Route which circulates the east side of Iowa City with stops located near City High, Regina and Southeast Junior High. This route also services Rochester Ave, East Court Street(east of Scott Blvd), Windsor Ridge, Windsor West, Scott Blvd(Muscatine Ave to HWY 6), Lakeside Dr and Sycamore Mall. Transit is currently evaluating the pick- up times for the Eastside Loop to see if any adjustments can be made to provide better service to these areas. This includes working with the ICCSD to check on release times and make any adjustments necessary to accommodate changes. Transit staff has been actively riding the Court Hill, Lakeside, Plaenview and Mall routes to address behaviors on the bus so that they do not spill over into the transit interchange. Recent events have resulted in only a handful of juveniles being removed from the bus. In all of these situations, the juvenile was permitted to ride the following day. Transit supervisory staff has also maintained a presence in the transit interchange to observe activity at the bus stop. These efforts have had positive results and have been well received by our customers. February 16, 2012 Page 2 Transit staff is in the process of a system wide evaluation to determine ways to provide improved service to our users. As a part of that process we will continue to work with ICCSD to ensure that our bus stops and timings in the areas adjacent to these schools are a viable option for those students and staff who utilize public transit. ICPD Activity: Recent events have also led to an escalation in activity by ICPD in the transit interchange, Old Capitol Town Center and on transit buses. This has included increased resources being dedicated to foot patrols and vehicle patrols in and around the Old Capitol Town Center. During this time, ICPD would interact with many of the juveniles, educating them on proper behavior, filing criminal charges when appropriate and addressing questions raised by the juveniles. ICPD personnel have met with Old Capitol Town Center Administration and maintained ongoing dialogues with security personnel. Uniformed and plain clothed officers have ridden buses and patrolled the bus stop area adjacent to the Old Capitol Town Center. Officers have reached out to community program representatives to inform them of a zero tolerance initiative and to ask for assistance in addressing the concerns and preventing future incidents. They have also been very proactive in providing information to the media throughout this process. When incidents occur within Transit buses or facilities, staff calls ICPD for assistance or after viewing video, contact ICCSD representatives to assist in identifying the juvenile that caused the incident. Transit supervisory staff would then follow up with the individual with any corrective action necessary. Both ICPD and ICCSD have been very responsive when asked to assist. Any incidents that occur inside the Old Capitol Town Center are called in directly to ICPD. Results: The collaborative efforts of ICPD, ICCSD, community leaders, Old Capitol Town Center and Transit staff have led to a positive change. These efforts will be ongoing in order to better communicate amongst the groups the concerns that arise as well as efforts being made to address them. Overall, behavior has improved, incidents and complaints have decreased and congestion in the mall area has improved. We continue to monitor the situation in this area, and are prepared to respond should any incidents occur. The presence of transit supervisory staff and ICPD is still ongoing at this time. February 8th, 2012 Residents of Teg Drive, Woodberry Court, Buchanan Court, and Aburdeen Court Re: Traffic calming on Teg Drive Dear Resident: f "' - I P13 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgov.org During January, as part of the traffic calming evaluation process requested by Teg Drive area residents, we surveyed neighborhood households to determine the level of support for the installation of speed humps on Teg Drive between Woodbury Court and Aburdeen Court. Survey results indicate that 58% of responding households support the installation of additional speed humps on Teg Drive while 42% are not in favor. The survey response rate was 68 %. The City Council adopted criteria for the traffic calming program requires at least 60% of households to be in favor of traffic calming to proceed, therefore the request for speed humps will not be forwarded to the City Council at this time. The neighborhood becomes eligible to re- petition for traffic calming after one year. The City will be installing "Check Your Speed — 25 mph" signs in the area during the warm weather months to help remind drivers of the speed limit. These signs are rotated throughout the community on an annual basis. As always, you can also request targeted police enforcement and use of the radar speed trailer by calling the routine police business line at 356- 5275. If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached at darian- naale- aamma-iowa- city.orq or 356 -5254. Si erely, Da ' n agle -Gamm Traffic Engineering Planner cc: Tom Markus, City Manager Geoff Fruin, Assistant to the City Manager Jeff Davidson; Planning and Community Development Director John Yapp; Transportation Planner Rick Fosse; Public Works Director Ron Knoche; City Engineer Bud Stockman; Streets Superintendent John Sobaski; Assistant Streets Superintendent Jason Havel; Engineer Rick Wyss, Police Marcia Bollinger; Neighborhood Services Coordinator ti 1('( '()6' MAN- %I ratfc S tudio, Traffic Calrnirr< .1'e� C)r - Sef�)t1 I� ^SLIVW',, respon,c 1ett<;r.docx IP14 CITY OF IOWA [CITY City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation 220 S. Gilbert Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Dear Park View Terrace Resident, After meeting with residents of PVT last summer and getting input regarding what improvements you would like to see in your neighborhood, we are ready to show you the proposed plans developed by our landscape architect consultant. We will be available at an Open House on Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 6:00 -7:30 PM at the Ashton House, 820 Park Road. Please feel free to stop by during that time to see the proposal and provide your input. In order for you to review the plans before the meeting a website has been set up and can be accessed via the cities website at: www.icgov.org/PR/NormandvDriveRestorationProi ct The Iowa City City Council has given preliminary approval in its budget for the Normandy Drive Restoration Project to begin this summer. It will be a two stage project over the next two years. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me. Thank you. Sincerely, Michael Moran Director, Parks and Recreation 319 - 356 -5104 Mike-Moran@iowa-city.org NOTE* - The Ashton House, where this meeting will be held, has been purchased by the City and will become available to the public to hold events, receptions, small conferences, etc. Mediacom February 10, 2012 Ms. Marian Karr City Clerk 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 Subject: Channel Changes Dear Ms. Karr, 7_110 12 FED 15 1'i i Due to recent system upgrades in your area Mediacom is pleased to announce the launching of the below listed channels on the digital and HD Movies & Music packages: Hallmark Movie Channel Channel 292 Hallmark Movie Channel HD HD Channel 785 These changes will occur on or about March 12, 2012. If there are any questions please contact me at 319 - 268 -5033 or e-mail Igrasslev @mediacomcc.com . Sincerely: Lee Grassley Sr. Manager, Government Relations Mediacom Communications Corporation 4010 Alexandra Drive Waterloo, IA 50702 -6118 319 - 232 -8800 Fax 319 - 232 -7841 iL INS • • winter • IP16 4} • e, 2012 NEWS FROM NORTHSIDE NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION * IOWA CITY, IOWA North Market Square Renovation Update IF YOU HAVE BEEN WONDERING When North Market Square will celebrate its Grand Re- Opening, the answer is most likely in June 2012. Until then, the renovation work will be completed in several phases. The first phase, which included the grading and paving work as well as lawn restoration, was completed at the end of October 2011. More recently, Iowa City's Parks and Recreation Depart- ment installed the benches and trash receptacles; tire, belt and tot swings; and two basketball hoops. The ornamental site lighting should be installed by February 2012. In Spring 2012, additional play equipment (two small spinners, a spring toy, and a double "Gyro - Twister" Spinner) will be installed in the play area. A small sand play area with a perimeter wood seat wall will be installed in the lawn area north of the tot swings. The most prominent park feature, a 24 foot - wide pavilion (see illustration), will be installed adjacent to the central plaza by the end of May 2012. Also in May, Northside neighborhood volunteers will plant native and ornamental perennials in the mulched beds found in the southwest quadrant. Project Green and the City's PIN Grant Program (continues on page 2) Preserving & Enhancing the Northside and College Green Neighborhoods RESIDENTS OF THE NORTHSIDE and College Green neighborhoods met with City Manager Tom Markus and City of Iowa City staff on December 12, 2011 to discuss issues of concern in the two neighborhoods. Late last year, the City Council identified neighborhood stabilization as one of the five most important issues on which the City Council must focus in the next two years. The purpose of the meeting with the City Manager was to help identify public policy goals that would stabilize and enhance the Northside and College Green neighborhoods. These goals include: • Promoting a balance of owner - occupancy/ long -term renters vs. short -term renters • Renovating the neighborhood schools • Mitigating the traffic impacts of 40 +years of infill housing and suburban development (for example, traffic calming on the residential streets, controlling speed on the arterials) • Improving open space opportunities (for example, renovating neighborhood parks and providing usable outdoor space in new infill development) (continues on page 2) NEWS FROM NORTFISIDE WINTER 2012 i o Year Anniversary Approaches -Support Horace Mann Elementary School As OUR BEAUTIFUL elementary school approaches loo years in 2017, it needs your help. It's as simple as dining out. When you have supper at the Bluebird Diner, the second Tuesday of each month, just mention Horace Mann Elementary to your server, and the restaurant will generously donate io% of the price of your meal to the school. Thanks Bluebird! Thanks to the energetic Parent &Teacher Organization (PTO), Horace Mann School is raising funds to purchase SMART Boards for each of the school's class- rooms. SMART Boards are inter- active whiteboard screens, which allow instructors to write & erase, show lesson plans, and interact with graphic informa- tion. The Mann PTO is diligently N M S P Update (continued) Horace Mann Elementary School, photo by Julie Staub raising 815 x to meet this goal. If you would like to contribute to the SMART Board fund or know of a business that would like to make a charitable, tax deductible have graciously funded the perennial plants. If you wish to help with the planting, please contact John Thomas at johnfredericthomas @gmail.com. Newsletter Ideas Anyone? WE WOULD love to hear your suggestions for future neighborhood fundraising events, community gatherings, or articles for the next issue of News from Northside in Summer 2012. Please send suggestions to Shari DeGraw, at sharondegraw @yahoo.com. donation, please contact Sabrina Alberhasky at alberhasky.sabrina @iccsd.k 12.ia.us or Chris Welu- Reynolds at welu- reynolds. christ @iccsd.k 12.ia.us. Preserving Neighborhoods (continued) Promoting a diversity of life -cycle housing (for example, families, working professionals, "empty nesters," elderly) at various levels of affordability Promoting high - quality living environments with infill development (for example, provid- ing usable open space; improving the design review /approval process for new development; and promoting innovative housing) The meeting was a productive first step in initiat- ing a dialog between residents and City staff. Future meetings will be held in the coming months to assess progress in developing policies, programs and projects aimed at achieving these goals. If Northsiders are interested in further information, please contact John Thomas at johnfredericthomas@gmail.com. Want to stay up to date on Northside news? Join the NNA email list by contacting Sarah Clark at northsideneigborhoodic @gmail.com. NEWS FROM NORTHSIDE NODO EATERY FILLS LOCAL NICHE F O R O V E R A Y E A R, Bryan Asklof has been serving fresh coffee, sandwiches, and carryout at the corner of North Dodge and Church Streets. Hot sandwiches, such as the grilled ham & mozzarella with mango relish or corned beef with swiss & pastrami, topped with delicious NODO cole slaw are made to order. For breakfast to go, try the egg sandwich and fresh Cafe del Sol coffee. Take out or delivery: www.nodoiowacity.com. NNA Profiles JOHN THOMAS (Coordinator) moved to the Northside from San Francisco in November 2009 (by train no less!). His professional background in landscape architecture was almost immediately put to use in a series of neighborhood discus- sions over the design of North Market Square, the historic park adjacent to Horace Mann Elementary School. Nothing about Iowa City has pleased him more than his friendships and acquaintances with Northside neighbors, including their pets. He looks forward to future conversations about pre- serving and enhancing the Northside's charm and sense of community. SARAH CLARK (Recorder/Email List Coordinator) returned to Iowa City in 2oo9 after the expiration of the statute of limitations. She spent the interven- ing years as a smart - mouthed secretary for a public sector union in San Francisco. She loves the Northside and is thrilled to have such terrific neighbors. She looks forward to maintaining the association's reputation as a scrappy and effective advocate for the Northside. WINTER 2012 Iowa City PIN Grants OVER THE YEARS, the Northside Neighborhood Association has applied for public improvement grants through the Program for Improving Neigh- borhoods, or PIN grant program. These funds are made available through the City of Iowa City's office of Neighborhood Services. Last year, the NNA was awarded $4,200 for an ornamental perennial planting in North Market Square Park, scheduled for Spring 2012. The maximum grant request is $5,000. Grant applications are due March 9, 2012. We are considering a Little Libraries project similar to the one developed in the Longfellow neighborhood. If you have ideas on grant requests, please contact John Thomas or Sarah Clark at northsideneighborhoodic @gmail.com as soon as possible. CLAIRE SPONSLER (Webpage Coordinator) is an east coast, big city transplant who fell hard for the Northside's urban energy, mix of renters and home owners, parks that are perfect for small -dog walking, and terrific local shops and restaurants. She fears she has become a bit of a bore boasting about its amazing 97% "Walker's Paradise" walkability score (www.walkscore. com) . JUDITH PAS c O E (Coordinator Pro Tem) teaches eighteenth- and nineteenth - century literature in the English Department at the University of Iowa. She lives with her family on Fairchild Street. KAREN LEIGH (Treasurer) S H A R I D E G R AW (Newsletter Coordinator) finds Iowa City to be the ideal place for literature, letter- press printing, and tending to two young children in a turn -of -the- century home. ALLIE GNADE (Newsletter Coordinator) recently moved into the Northside Neighborhood. She appreciates the outdoors and works as an editor of the New Pioneer Co -op's Catalyst. Special thanks to Julie Staub, photographer and Northside Neighborhood resident. The image of Horace Mann Elementary School is part of Julie's 365 day project, which can be viewed at www.juliestaubphoto.com. NEWS FROM NORTHSIDE Energy Efficiency Loan Opportunity from the City THE CITY Of Iowa City is again offering the Energy Efficiency Program for income eligible homeown- ers in Iowa City with sufficient equity in the home to secure the low interest loan. Through this pro- gram, households can apply for up to $4,000 with a minimum Of $300. Eligible costs for the Energy Efficiency Program are limited to costs associated with the replacement or upgrade of heating and furnace systems, as well as, costs for window replacement, insulating and weatherproofing the home. The income guidelines established by HUD are as follows: Household Size 50% 80% I person $27,750 $44,350 2 persons 31,700 50,700 3 persons 35,650 57,050 4 persons 39,600 63,350 5 persons 42,800 68,450 6 persons 45,950 73,500 'S6 NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER 5o9 Brown Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245 L WINTER 2012 Loan payments are determined on a case -by -case basis on the ability of a homeowner to make an additional monthly payment, but ensuring that total housing debt does not exceed 30% of gross income. Conditional Occupancy Loans, another option are repaid when the property is sold or rented. A mort- gage will be placed on the property to secure the City's interest. For more information, or to fill out an application, visit www.icgovorg /housingrehab and click on the Energy Efficiency Program file or contact Liz Osborne at liz- osborne @iowa - city.org (319- 356 -5246) from 8am— I pm or Jeff Vanatter jeff- vanatter @iowa - city.org (319 - 356 -5128) from Ipm— Spm.The program runs through March 1, 2012. Your neighborhood newsletter is produced by your neighborhood association.The Office of Neighborhood Services of the City of Iowa City prints and mails the newsletter but is not responsible for the quality or the content, although newsletters must meet the approved Neighborhood Newsletter Guidelines. This newslet- ter has been sent to all residents in the Northside neighborhood. PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Iowa City, Iowa Permit No. 155 r # _ -4 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule "�` m 'i February 23, 2012 CITY OF IOWA CITY Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday, March 06, 2012 3:OOPM City Conference Board Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 06, 2012 5.3013M Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 06, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 20, 2012 5:30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 20, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Wednesday, March 21, 2012 4:30PM Joint Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, April 03, 2012 5.30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, April 03, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, April 17, 2012 5.3013M Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, April 17, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, May 01, 2012 5.30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, May 01, 2012 7:0013M Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5.3013M Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Monday, May 28, 2012 Memorial Day - City Offices Closed Tuesday, June 05, 2012 5.303M Work Session Meeting Emma 1. Harvat Hall Tuesday, June 05, 2012 7:0013M Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, June 19, 2012 5.30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, June 19, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Wednesday, July 04, 2012 Independence Day - City Offices Closed Tuesday, July 10, 2012 5.3013M Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, July 10, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, July 31, 2012 5.3013M Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, July 31, 2012 7:0013M Regular Formal Meeting a Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, August 21, 2012 5.30PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, August 21, 2012 7:OOPM Regular Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall IN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION PRELIMINARY FEBRUARY 2, 2012 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Stewart Dyer, Charlie Eastham, Ann Freerks, Elizabeth Koppes, Tim Weitzel, Paula Swygard, John Thomas MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Bob Miklo, Sarah Greenwood Hektoen, Karen Howard OTHERS PRESENT: None RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: The Commission voted 7 -0 to recommend approval of amendments to Title 14, Zoning, Article 4E, Nonconforming Situations, that would simplify the process for regulating nonconforming development, such as parking areas, screening, landscaping, outdoor lighting, and similar as alterations are made to a property. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. Freerks said that she had received a phone call that week from a Mr. Pattshull, who owns property behind the synagogue. He had some ideas and wanted to know what would be a good time to talk about them. Freerks indicated that there is public discussion time at the beginning of every Planning and Zoning meeting. She also told him that he could contact staff or talk to the developer. She told him that if he has ideas, it's better to get them out early because it's much more difficult to do things later. ZONING CODE ITEM: Discussion of amendments to Title 14, Zoning, Article 4E, Nonconforming Situations, that would simplify the process for regulating nonconforming development, such as parking areas, screening, landscaping, outdoor lighting, and similar as alterations are made to a property. Howard explained that nonconforming situations are created when the zoning designation of a property changes or when the zoning regulations themselves change such that an existing lawfully established use, structure, lot or site elements no longer comply with the zoning regulations. In this case we are focusing on nonconforming development, meaning an element of development such as a parking area, loading area, outdoor lighting, signage, landscaping, Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 2 of 10 screening, or similar site element that does not conform to the Code due to a change in the zone or in the regulations. Because there were few standards regarding site development prior to 2005, there are a number of nonconforming properties in the city's older commercial areas. She explained that the intent of this portion of the zoning code is to bring these elements into compliance over time, but allow some flexibility to address site constraints on existing developed properties. Howard explained that currently the triggers for bringing sites into compliance are when a new use is proposed on a property with buildings that have been vacant for over a year, the entire property has to be brought into compliance with the site development standards. The second trigger is if there is a change from one land use to a different land use. The final trigger is if someone expands a building or use on a property, they are required to bring certain site elements into compliance. Eastham asked for an explanation of a new use for properties that have been vacant over a year and a change of use. Howard explained that even if the same type of use moves into a building that has been vacant over a year, it's still considered a new use due to the amount of time it has been vacant. A change of use could be a florist shop changing to a restaurant, for example, and the building is not vacant for any period of time. Howard said that these triggers aren't quite working the way that had been intended. There are still situations where small changes trigger site development improvements that are so costly as to discourage the reuse or improvements to existing commercial properties. In some cases, it may be easier for a business to simply move to a new location rather than makes changes on an older site, which may create an incentive for sprawl on the edge of town and vacant areas in the center of the city. Freerks asked if the discussion is solely about commercial properties and if the site development amendments applied to all zones. Howard affirmed that it did apply to all zones, but because commercial properties are more likely to have exterior site elements such as large parking areas, extensive exterior lighting, outdoor storage and display areas, that the vast majority of the noncompliant cases are commercial properties. Howard said because these triggers weren't working as hoped, they have looked at other zoning ordinances to find out what other mechanisms they can use. Staff is recommending a new mechanism where site improvements would be triggered whenever physical improvements are made to buildings on a site. If the cost of the alterations exceeds $25,000 or if the value of alterations is 35% or greater than the assessed value of all improvements on the site, noncompliant site development would need to be brought into compliance with current standards, but only up to a cap not to exceed 10% of the value of the proposed alterations. These changes would not be cumulative, so every time a there were improvements to or expansions to a building or buildings on a site, more of the noncompliant site elements would be brought into compliance. This will have the effect of spreading out the costs of bringing these elements into compliance and also making sure that the costs of site improvements is reasonable and proportional to the improvements that the owner is making to the buildings on the site. Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 3 of 10 Thomas asked about a shopping center scenario and if the property owner would be responsible for bringing the site development up to standard in the case of a large parking lot or it the individual tenants within the building would be responsible. Howard explained that it would be up to the property owner to decide whether to make their tenants help pay for the improvements. She cited a case where a retail tenant had moved out of Sycamore Mall and an office tenant moved in. Very few alterations were done in the space, yet that new use would require any non - compliant screening around the entirety of Sycamore Mall to be brought into compliance, which would be a significant one -time cost. Freerks asked what kind of work had been done in that case. Howard explained that the City is making improvements to Lower Muscatine Drive, so making site improvements to the mall property are on hold until the City project is completed. She said that a number of properties have been caught in a similar situation as Sycamore Mall, but also noted that a lot of improvements had also been made to properties around town since 2005 and these improvements have been beneficial to the properties and to the general function and aesthetics along some of our older commercial streets. Eastham asked for more explanation about the choice of trigger amounts and the cap. Howard said she had chosen these amounts as a model from an existing zoning ordinance. In this case the model that was used was the Portland, Oregon zoning code. Freerks asked whose burden it is to provide the dollar amount assessment for the improvements. Howard explained that when someone applies for a building permit, they have to estimate the value of the improvements they are making. As for the value of the property, this would just be based on the assessed value according to the Iowa City Assessor. Freerks wanted to know if the City would need to review the estimate of the improvement costs. Howard said that building permit fees are already to some extent based on the value of the improvements being made and that the Building Department is used to reviewing these values to make sure they are reasonable and truthful. Thomas asked if there would have to be some evaluation of the cap as well. Howard explained that it is the responsibility of the applicant to document that the cost of the required site development or permits will be greater than 10% of the value of the proposed alterations. She noted that the City Housing Inspectors are knowledgeable about the costs of improvements. Thomas sees a potential conflict of interest with the person paying for the improvements also estimating their value but sees it as less of a problem as long as the City has the ability to verify the accuracy of the cap. Freerks questioned why the applicability sections under 14 -5E -7 and 14 -5E -8 have been deleted. Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 4 of 10 Howard explained that the purpose of striking these particular provisions were just to eliminate redundancy within the zoning code. There is another section at the beginning of that chapter of the zoning ordinance where these applicability items are listed as well. In other words, these are not substantive changes to the content of the ordinance, but merely eliminating redundant and unnecessary language. Swygard asked for an explanation of why the priorities are listed in the order they are in 14 -4E- 8. Howard said that the City received the most complaints about there being nothing in the Code prior to 2005 regarding screening parking lots and vehicular use areas from the street and the sidewalk such that cars were sometimes parked and extending over the public sidewalk. Lack of standards in these areas created an unpleasant and sometimes unsafe pedestrian experience, and the City thought it was important to put standards into place. So, these types of standards were placed at the top of the priority list, so would be the first things to be improved over time. Miklo stated that when the Commission reviewed this a few years ago, it also identified this as a priority. Howard said she thought the order was basically a judgment call. The City does have the discretion to re -order those priorities if a particular situation merits it and every property would be different. Swygard asked how staff would evaluate the outdoor lighting standard in order to move it up on the list. Howard replied that perhaps if staff knew there had been a lot of complaints about noncompliant lighting they could change the order or priority so that the lighting could be addressed earlier. Swygard said she was thinking of a situation at Paul's Discount on Highway 1, which has come before the Commission in the past. There are proposals to improve and expand this development and the site is noncompliant with a lot of these site development elements, such as screening and lighting. She noted that the exterior lighting if not shielded or properly placed on the property can be very intrusive to neighboring properties, particularly if close to residential areas. Eastham agreed and said he would be interested in moving the standard of outdoor lighting up the list to at least the third priority, if not higher. Howard said this is a general order of priority but there is the ability to adjust that based on the needs of the site. She added that if Paul's, for example, were buying new light fixture, they have to be compliant. If you are building a new parking lot or redoing it, everything has to be built to current standards. Eastham reiterated that he thought outdoor lighting standards should be put higher on the list. Ordering the priority list in this way would give the Housing and Inspection Department more authority in telling an owner to meet the outdoor lighting standards before doing anything else. He asked if the term "development standards" is well defined in the Code and if there would be any reason for adding a 10th development standard in case the current list of 9 standards misses something that's in the Code now or will be in the future. Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 5 of 10 Freerks said the Code is a document that has frequent changes, and a change could be made for future standards that arise. Howard stated that outdoor lighting could certainly be moved up in the priority list. She also said she thought that all contingencies had been well covered already in the Code, but a catch- all provision could be added per Eastham's request. Freerks opened the public hearing. There were no public comments related to this item. Freerks closed the public hearing. Freerks asked for a motion to approve. Weitzel moved to approve amendments to Title 14, Zoning, Article 4E, Nonconforming Situations, that would simplify the process for regulating nonconforming development, such as parking areas, screening, landscaping, outdoor lighting, and similar as alterations are made to a property. Koppes seconded. Freerks invited discussion. Eastham moved to move (9) on the priority list — Outdoor lighting standards — to position (3) and reorder the other items in sequence as follows: 14 -4E -8 Regulation of Nonconforming Development 2.b. (1) Screening of existing parking, loading, vehicular use areas, and outdoor storage and display areas along street -side lot lines according to the applicable screening standard. Setback requirements may be modified to address site constraints; (2) Screening of existing parking, loading, vehicular use areas, and outdoor storage and display areas from the Iowa River or from any Parks and Open Space Use, including trails, according to the applicable screening standard. Setback requirements may be modified to address site constraints; (3) Outdoor lighting standards; (4) Bicycle parking requirements; (5) Street and residential tree requirements; (6) Design, layout, landscaping, and tree requirements within parking areas; (7) Pedestrian circulation standards; (8) Screening of existing parking, loading, vehicular use areas, and outdoor storage and display areas along side or rear lot lines. Setback requirements may be modified to address site constraints; (9) Access management standards. Compliance with these standards may be moved up in the priority list, at the discretion of the City, to address traffic safety concerns. Swygard seconded. Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 6 of 10 Thomas said he assumed the outdoor lighting standard was so low was because of the expense involved. However, he said if there's existing lighting with a glare problem that shouldn't be that expensive to correct. Howard referred them to 14 -4E -8, Nonconforming Outdoor Lighting that states that any existing light fixture that is nonconforming with regard to how the fixture is aimed must be brought immediately into compliance if it is possible to re -aim the existing fixture. Thomas stated that it was also possible to install shields without even redirecting the light. Howard said the second item in the 14 -4E -8, Nonconforming Outdoor Lighting refers to that issue and agreed that existing lighting fixtures can sometimes be retrofitted with better shielding. A vote was taken and the motion carried 7 -0. Eastham asked about Number 3 under Section A., Demolished or Destroyed Site, and wants to know if these changes would be applicable to correcting the property at the corner of Benton and West Riverside Drive. If the owner of that property decides to re- establish a filling station use there with the same building, would these provisions require compliance with the change to the code. Howard stated that it would depend on the amount of money the owner is putting in to improving the site. She noted that the paragraph Eastham had referred to related to if they tore down the buildings or if they were destroyed in some way. Freerks noted that there was a typo on line 7 on page three of the staff memo. Dyer asked if a commercial building were damaged 50% by a tornado, would they be improving the property or bringing it back to value and what would trigger what. Howard said that would be getting into the "nonconforming structure" portion of the code, which is a separate issue from the topic being discussed at the current meeting. She noted that there is a trigger for bringing a building into compliance based on the percentage of the building loss. Number 3, Section A. is saying that if an owner cleared a site for whatever reason, just like a new site, the owner would need to make everything compliant. Dyer asked if there was a percentage of damage sustained that would preclude rebuilding. Freerks wanted to know what the percentages were. Miklo stated that in the current Code it is 75% Thomas said he applauds the City for having these standards to bring sites into compliance. He said he thinks they are important. However, he said he got the sense that there is a devaluation of them in some way that is implicit in that they are considered a burden on site development when in fact they are important. These standards for site development are in the Code and they are there for a reason. He stated he thought they were in some ways as important as bringing a building into compliance. He said he might personally have some argument with the way they are prioritized, as in the extent of them as they might pertain to a shopping center where you are required to bring into compliance with respect to screening the entire parking lot. At the same Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 7 of 10 time, he said that other aspects of bringing the site into compliance with respect to planting trees in a large parking lot, for example, are extremely important, as is lighting. Thomas asked if there was a way of value engineering bringing a site into compliance so that the costs are not so great, or of extending the time period, ways of reducing the burden for bringing the site into compliance short of making this kind of proposal. He said he was concerned because this proposal may mean that there will never be a sufficient trigger to change. Howard said the last time they made some changes to the Code the standards were that certain things would have to be brought into compliance and the rest of the things would never have to be brought into compliance. She said she thought that this is a better approach because it's more incremental and even those things at the end of the list would eventually be brought into compliance. These new standards were put in the Code because they are important, but at the same time there's the desire to make it easier for businesses when they are trying to decide whether or not to stay where they are or move to a new site. Thomas asked if this could be handled through the Board of Adjustment (BOA) or staff review. He said it was hard for him to envision every circumstance in which this comes up and that there might be a way of intelligently applying that list of items. Howard said this would all be triggered by the building permit and the site planning process so it's an administrative process through staff. When the plans come in, staff would first list the things that are non - compliant. There's then an assessment done at the site. There would be an assessment of the improvement being made to the buildings. It would be staff's recommendation not to put additional reviews on the BOA's docket. These are fairly clear and objective standards so there is no need for a separate review body to review each application for improvements to a property. It may have the effect of increasing the time it takes to make fairly minor improvements to a property. Freerks said she thought the proposed changes to the ordinance are worth trying and if there needed to be additional changes or tweaks the Commission could revisit this issue again in the future. Eastham said he thought this was an attempt to try to balance noncompliance and relatively modest sized commercial developments against noncompliance in much larger developments. Thomas said he thought this is an economic hardship issue, and if there isn't an economic hardship, then he would like to see a more rigorous application of bringing a site into compliance. He said he doesn't know how to bring into the process the question of economic hardship. Howard said that would be a question of how complicated you would want to make the process. Determining economic hardship by assessing an applicant's business and investment decisions would quite possibly create hard feelings about the City being heavy- handed in its regulations, and it would be difficult to judge what an economic hardship would be for any owner. Owners would be reticent to provide information proving economic hardship because it could then potentially become a public document. Thomas stated that the City thinks site development compliance is important enough that it requires it for new development. Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 8 of 10 Freerks reiterated that she is open to coming back to this in a couple of years and reassessing how it's working. She knows the issue has been a problem for a number of business owners and that the Code is not working the way it is now written. Eastham said by requiring new development to meet the current site development standards it provides an example and perhaps an incentive for other owners who want to do redevelopment to compare and decide they need to invest some money in improving their site. Howard clarified that this proposal would not prevent any owner from improving their property whenever they want to. Thomas said that in his research about the way other cities handled this issue, Portland has two scenarios, the second scenario being paying for the improvements over a longer period. Howard said Portland's scenarios were based on their system of regulating property and were a balancing of the nonconforming situations on the property itself. Portland also has a different system of land use regulation, so it's hard to compare to Iowa City. The intent was to use the relevant portion of their ordinance as a model, not to propose a wholesale change to the way Iowa City addresses these issues. Thomas said he has concerns about this, but he said it's less problematic if it can be revisited in time so they can see if it's reducing the onerousness of meeting the standards while at the same time moving toward the goal of achieving compliance and achieving a balance between the two. Howard said there were other mechanisms to improve commercial areas besides just the zoning rules, for example, if it's an area that's been targeted for revitalization or if it's in the Comprehensive Plan, the City Council can make improvements to a whole corridor using capital improvement funds or other economic incentive tools. The Zoning Code is just one tool. Thomas asked if the City was in compliance with all these site development standards. Howard stated that the City probably was not compliant in all cases. Thomas urged that the City set a standard if they are requiring it of others. Howard explained that should the City make an improvement that would trigger requirements, they would have to come into compliance as well. Eastham said he thought that Thomas's idea was not a bad idea to make to the City Council in a year when there are more funds available. Thomas said he thinks planting trees has many advantages like storm water management and temperature management in the summer in this climate. He said he thinks many aspects of the site development code are extremely important and that the City should be emphasizing compliance with regard to certain aspects. He admitted that he is struggling with the list because some of them are quite expensive and have benefit than others. Miklo said that if this is approved by Council, it could be tracked over the course of the next two years and then report on the building enforcement observations over that time and evaluate whether it's working or not. Planning and Zoning Commission February 2, 2012 - Formal Page 9 of 10 Freerks asked if there was any more discussion. Seeing none a vote was taken. Motion was approved unanimously. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: January 19,2012: Koppes moved to approve the minutes with corrections. Dyer seconded. The motion carried 7 -0. OTHER: Update on Comprehensive Plan Meeting at West High School on February 1 and at SE Junior High on February 91n Miklo reported that at the first Comprehensive Plan Update meeting held February 1 at West High. He reminded the Commission that another meeting is scheduled for February 9 at SE Junior High and they are all welcome to attend. Eastham asked for an update on the application for rezoning at 821 E. Jefferson St. Greenwood - Hektoen said the Council didn't consider it because it had been deferred. ADJOURNMENT: Weitzel moved to adjourn. Eastham seconded. The meeting was adjourned on a 7 -0 vote. Z O U) U) O V Z Z N Z_ Z Z Q J CL D O C) W it W N U `- Z Q N D Z W I- F- Q E 0 -0d o z =� U p� C X C N W } X Q u u n W2 OOz } w Y mill wommi ME ■ oil I loll E 0 -0d o z =� U p� C X C N W } X Q u u n W2 OOz } w Y Preliminary Minutes January 2012 MINUTES SENIOR CENTER COMMISSION JANUARY 19, 2012 ROOM 209, IOWA CITY /JOHNSON COUNTY SENIOR CENTER Members Present: Jay Honohan, Daniel Benton, Rose Hanson, Chuck Felling, Michael Lensing Members Absent: Sara Maiers Staff Present: Linda Kopping, Kristin Kromray Others Present: None RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 4:00 PM. Honohan chaired the meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM DECEDMER 15, 2011 MEETING: Motion: To accept the minutes from the December 15, 2011 meeting. Motion carried on a vote of 5/0. Lensing /Benton. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. COMMISSION ASSIGNMENTS: Honohan will attend a City Council meeting on January 24th. No commission member is available to attend a Board of Supervisors meeting this month. STEERING COUNCIL REPORT: Felling reported that Mary Lou Henley is joining the Steering Council as a replacement for Paula Vaughn who has moved. Felling reported that Louis De Grazia suggested that the Center do some classes or forums related to aging topics such as downsizing your home, dealing with chronic pain, moving into assisted living and other pertinent topics. IP18 Preliminary Minutes January 2012 Kopping reported that a letter is being sent out to the membership regarding the budget meetings that are occurring at the Senior Center in February to discuss various ways to raise revenue. Felling inquired about the temporary sign. Kromray reported that the she is working with Old Capitol Screen Printers to order a temporary vinyl sign to put over the existing blank limestone sign. REPORT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Felling reported that the nominating committee proposed the following officers for 2012: Honohan, chair; Lensing, vice chair; Maeirs, secretary. ELECTION OF 2012 OFFICERS: Motion: To accept the slate of proposed officers proposed by the nominating committee for 2012. Motion carried on a vote of 5/0. Benton /Hanson. BUDGET UPDATE: Kopping reported that she had presented to the City Council about the Senior Center Budget. Honohan reported on an annual basis he, as a representative of the Commission, and Kopping have gone to the City Council to speak with them about the budget. Because Kopping has already talked with the Council, he would like to send a letter reinforcing Kopping's remarks to them instead. A copy of the letter is attached to these minutes. Motion: To submit a budget letter written by Honohan to the City Council. Motion carried on a vote of 5/0. Benton /Hanson. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW: Kopping reported that she is working on finishing the operational handbook, working on the accreditation process with the NCOA, and finishing the spring program guide. COMMISSION DISCUSSION: Honohan inquired about the amount of funding that the Board of Supervisors is providing this year. The Board has provided $17,500 the past two quarters this fiscal year. Preliminary Minutes January 2012 ADJOURNMENT: Motion: To Adjourn. Motion carried on a vote of 5/0. Lensing /Felling. Cl) N N r- : O N cu C6 C W L- IL O .y N .E 0 V d L �y s Y. d N C = N •G1+ C) ca >- O N N r LL) r r 00 r O r O N 0) CO r co m r ti r CC) ti r LO m r LO r co CO r N X X X i X X r O _ N N M M N r- LL1 Co Co M co co M M E N N N N N N N L r r r r r r r CA Y C C CT C O C to O C O O Cp C L to L- N N N C :2 O J (� m U- = 0 p O L N E c U co z I a U w -3 1 5 N N L X 01 E W N E fQ " -0 -0 cn O O a_ Q Q Z Z II II II II W � II X O O Z T N Y V� TCenter IOWA CITY /JOHNSON COUNTY SENIOR CENTER January 19, 2012 The Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Iowa City, Iowa 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 In re: Senior Center Commission Budget Report Dear Mayor Hayek and Council Members: On behalf of the Senior Center Commission, I wish to thank the City Council and the administration for the support that the Senior Center has received. Since you have already heard from Linda Kopping and recognizing that the budget process involves a great deal of time and effort on your behalf, I have decided to submit this letter instead of appearing in person. Even though it is difficult for a lawyer, I will try and be brief. I hope that the Council will approve the budget submitted by the administration for the coming fiscal year. The goal of the Center is to attract active, older members of the Iowa City/Johnson County community and to promote optimal aging. Since we commenced membership fees in 2003 the number of participants has increased from approximately 750 members to over 1500 members who range in age from 50 to 100 years, Members and participants share in the cost of operating the Center through a variety of participant cost sharing programs. Currently the Commission is working with the participant based Senior Center Steering Council to generate additional operational revenue by expanding existing participant cost sharing programs, or identify new ones. For instance, the Commission has discussed increasing the membership and parking fees, as well as a variety of fundraising activities. Available at the Center are a large variety of exercise opportunities, classes, and performance groups for the members and for the several hundred non - members who participate in programs that do not require membership. I believe both the increase in participants and the enrollment in the classes and performance groups indicate that the Center is meeting its goals The budget proposed will allow the Center to continue to be a magnet for active older adults and an asset to downtown Iowa City. On behalf of the Commission, I again thank you and ask for the approval of the proposed budget. Very truly yours, J H ohan, Chair nior enter Commission PP0IA0T!':G OPTIMAL AG I:G FGR jOHNSON 28 SOUTH LINN STREET, IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 • 319-356-5220 • WWW.ICGOV.ORG/SENIOR