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Home My WebLink About2013-02-28 Info PacketI' CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org February 28, 2013 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule MARCH 5 CITY CONFERENCE BOARD MEETING IP2 Agenda and Meeting Packet MARCH 5 WORK SESSION IP3 Work Session Agenda IP4 Memo from PCD Dir. and Community Development Coordinator: Workforce Housing IP5 Pending Work Session Topics MISCELLANEOUS IP6 Memo form City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show IP7 Memo from MPOJC Executive Dir.: Follow -up evaluation of `Yield to Pedestrian' signs on Market and Jefferson Streets IP8 Copy of letter from Mayors of Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty to Johnson County Board of Supervisors regarding SEATS para- transit contract discussions DRAFT MINUTES IP9 Human Rights Commission: January 28 IP10 Human Rights Commission: February 19 02=28 =T3 1_ 11 now City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IN '� February 28, 2013 � �M"4 t `r'a.ti._ CITY OF IOWA CITY Subject to change Date Time Meeting Location Ii) i ' t°I I g ii f "4 �(,��'i ��t �Gti Tuesday, March 5, 2013 5:00 PM City Conference Board Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 5, 2013 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 19, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, March 19, 2013 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, April 9, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, April 23, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall ' Tuesday, May 14, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma 1. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, June 4, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, June 18, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 3 Tuesday, July 23, 2013 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall OFFICE OF THE IOWA CITY ASSESSOR.IP2 JOHNSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING DENNIS BALDRIDGE ASSESSOR BRAD COMDR DIiPUI Y MARTIN BURKH: DEPUTY February 27, 2013 Dear Conference Board Member: The meeting of the Iowa City Conference Board for the public hearing on the Iowa City Assessor's FY 2014 budget is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 5:00 P.M. at the Iowa City City Hall. Enclosed for your review before the meeting are: 1. The Agenda. 2. A copy of the February 5, 2013 minutes. 3. A copy of the FYI3Budget Amendment. 4. A copy of the FY14 Itemized Budget, 5. A copy of one Board of Review application. If you have any questions about the budget please feel free to phone me at the office at 356 -6066 or at my home at 688 -2661. Sincerely, ly.�!ivvrtc� 1-e-- Dennis Baldridge 0 Iowa City Assessor 913 SOUTH DUBUQUE STREET • IOWA CITY IOWA 52240 TELEPHONE 319- 356 -6066 February 27, 2013 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Iowa City Conference Board Agenda The Iowa City Assessor's Conference Board will meet at 5:00 P.M. Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at the Iowa City City Hall, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City. The purpose of this meeting is to hold a public hearing on the Iowa City Assessor's proposed budget for FY 2014. AGENDA: 1. Call meeting to order by the Chairperson. 2. Roll call by taxing body. 3. Act on minutes of February 5, 2013 Conference Board meeting. 4. Public Hearing on FY13 Budget Amendment. 5. Adopt FY13 Budget Amendment. 6. Public Hearing on FY14 Budget. 7. Adopt FY14 Budget. 8. Assessor Evaluation Committee membership. 9. Appoint Examining Board member. 10. Discuss Board of Review appointments. 11. Date of next Conference Board meeting. 12. Other business. 13. Adjournment. Dennis J. Baldridge Clerk, Iowa City Conference Board IOWA CITY CONFERENCE BOARD MINUTES February 5, 2013 Iowa City Conference Board: February 5, 2013, at 5:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers at the Iowa City City Hall, Mayor Matt Hayek presiding. Iowa City Council Members Present: Champion, Dickens, Dobyns, Hayek, Mims, Payne and Throgmorton. Johnson County Supervisors Present: Harney, Neuzil and Sullivan. Iowa City School Board Members Present: Cook and McGinness. Others Present: Burkle, Comer, Markus, Fruin, Dilkes, and Karr. Digital Recording: February 5, 2013. Chair Matt Hayek called the meeting to order and Clerk Dennis Baldridge called roll and stated that a quorum was present. The City ( Throgmorton) moved to accept the minutes of the last Conference Board meeting, July 10, 2012, the County (Harney) seconded and the motion carried unanimously 3/0. City Assessor Baldridge presented a proposed budget amendment to the current budget combining the Assessment Expense Fund and the Special Appraisers Fund. The Iowa Legislature passed legislation to combine the two funds and eliminate the Special Appraisers Fund. The County (Sullivan) moved to approve the budget amendment for publication and set a public hearing on the amendment for March 5, 2013 at 5:00 PM. The City (Champion) seconded and the motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Matt Hayek presented an Assessor's Evaluation Committee report and recognized committee chairperson Janelle Rettig for her work on the report. Hayek stated that the evaluation was very positive and commended the City Assessor's Office for its high ranking in several statistical categories. Iowa City Assessor Dennis Baldridge presented his FY '14 Assessment Expense Fund budget. The increases are $9,980 for a 2.25 percent cost -of- living increase in salaries, $8,770 for merit/step increases, $1,857 for an increase in FICA, $3,398 for an increase in IPERS, $3,700 for an increase in health insurance, $5,000 for an increase in leave contingency, $600 for an increase in Board of Review salaries, $8,550 for an increase in data processing services, $1,000 for an increase in software maintenance and $3,000 for an increase to the auto replacement fund. The increases are offset by a $4,500 decrease in postage, an alternate year expense, $3,000 for a decrease in printing, also an alternate year expense and a $7,878 decrease to appraisal service. The City (Champion) moved to approve the budget for publication. The motion was seconded by the Schools (Cook) and passed unanimously 3/0. The City (Dobyns) moved to set the public hearing for March 5, 2013 at 5:00 P.M. at the Iowa City City Hall, the County (Harney) seconded and the motion carried unanimously 3/0. It was moved by Susan Mims of the City and seconded by Rod Sullivan of the County to re- appoint Dennis Baldridge to a six year term as the Iowa City Assessor beginning January 1, 2014. The motion carried unanimously. Vacancies on the Iowa City Assessor's Board of Review and Examining Board will be appointed at the March 5, 2013 Conference Board meeting. There being no other business, it was moved by the City (Payne) and seconded by the Schools (Cook) to adjourn at 5:17 P.M. Motion carried unanimously, 3/0. Dennis Baldridge Clerk, Iowa City Conference Board Form 653A Miscellaneous (revised 1999) Iowa Department of Management NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING -- AMENDMENT OF CURRENT BUDGET The Iowa City Assessor's Conference Board of Iowa City, Iowa of Johnson County, Iowa (Board) (Municipality) will meet at: The Iowa City Civic Center, 410 Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa (Place of Meeting) on —March 5,_ 2013 , at 5:00 pm. for the purpose of amending the current Iowa City Assessor's (Date) (Hour) (Municipality) budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013 , by increasing expenditures in the following funds: Assessment Expense Fund from $ 798,571 to $ 822,449 and decreasing the Special Appraisers Fund from $ 23.878 to $ 0 Fund from $ to $ Reasons for increases: House File 524 combined the Special Appraisers Fund with the Assessment Expense Fund for fiscal year 2012 -2013 The increase in expenditures set out above will be met from increased receipts and /or cash balances not budgeted or considered in the current budget. There will be no increase in taxes to be paid in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. Any residents or taxpayers will be heard for or against the proposed amendment at the time and place specified above. A detailed statement of: additional receipts (other than taxes), cash balances on hand at the close of the preceding fiscal year, and proposed disbursements, both past and anticipated, will be available at the hearing. Dennis Baldridge (Clerk, Secretary) INSTRUCTIONS The above form of notice may be reset to include one or more funds and must be lawfully published not less than 10 nor more than 20 days before the hearing. After the hearing the Board shall adopt the amendment as finally determined and their action shall be made a matter of record. For detailed information, see chapter 24, Code of Iowa. RECORD OF HEARING AND DETERMINATION ON THE AMENDMENT TO BUDGET The Iowa City Assessor's Conference Board of Iowa City, Iowa (Board) (Municipality) of Johnson County, Iowa lawfully met on March 5, , at 5:00 p. m. at the place and time set in the public notice for the purpose of amending the current Iowa City Assessor's budget for the fiscal year ending (Municipality) June 30, 2013 . The Board reviewed the affidavit of publication and then directed it be placed on file with the County Auditor. Upon taking up the proposed amendment was considered and residents and taxpayers were heard for or against the amendment. Thereafter, and after hearing all residents and all taxpayers to be heard, the Board took up the amendment to the budget for final consideration and determined that said budgeted expenditures be amended as follows: Assessment Expense Fund from $ 798.571 to $ 822.449 Special Appraisers Fund from $ 28,878 to $ 0 Fund from CERTIFICATION The Assessor was thereupon directed to adjust the records accordingly, and to certify a copy of the proceedings to the County Auditor and (Clerk, Secretary) to the Department of Management, to be attached to the original budget for record. I hereby certify the above to be a true and correct copy of the proceedings of the Iowa City Assessor's Conference Board relating (Board) to the consideration of an amendment of the original budget adopted on March 6 20 12 (and subsequently amended on Dated this _5th_ day of March 2013 Dennis Baldridge (Clerk) ITEMIZED BUDGET - ASSESSMENT EXPENSE FUND 36,188 EMPLOYEE EXPENDITURES FY 2013 EMPLOYER SHARE: IPERS FY 2014 INCREASE SALARIES Current 112,300 Proposed 3.29% CITY ASSESSOR 94,970 $ 99,010 4.25% CHIEF DEPUTY ASSESSOR 80,520 $ 82,330 2.25% DEPUTY ASSESSOR 75,800 $ 77,510 2.26% REAL ESTATE /GIS SPECIALIST 51,920 $ 53,090 2.25% APPRAISER (NEW CONSTRUCTION) 45,410 $ 46,430 2.25% OFFICE MANAGER 46,590 $ 47,640 2.25% APPRAISER (REAPPRAISAL) 47,760 $ 48,840 2.26% MERIT INCREASES(FY2013 INCL IN SALARIES ABOVE) (6000) $ 6,870 3.94% SUBTOTAL $442,970 9,000 $461,720 4.23% EMPLOYEE BENEFITS EMPLOYER SHARE: FICA 36,188 38,045 5.13% EMPLOYER SHARE: IPERS 41,013 44,411 8.28% HEALTH INSURANCE 112,300 116,000 3.29% SUBTOTAL 189,501 198,456 4.73% TOTAL EMPLOYEE COST $632,471 $660,176 4.38% ER EXPENDITURES 4,000 1,000 - 75.00% LEAVE CONTINGENCY $15,000 $20,000 33.33% BOARDS 3,400 3,400 0.00% BOARD OF REVIEW 15,000 15,600 4.00% BOARD OF REVIEW EXPENSES 200 200 0.00% CONFERENCE BOARD 0 0 0.00% EXAMINING BOARD 30 30 0.00% SUBTOTAL $15,230 $15,830 3.94% OFFICE EXPENSES MILEAGE & AUTO 4,500 4,500 0.00% OFFICE SUPPLIES 3,500 3,500 0.00% POSTAGE 6,000 1,500 - 75.00% TELEPHONE 1,300 1,300 0.00% PUBLICATIONS & SUBSCRIPTIONS 700 700 0.00% PRINTING 4,000 1,000 - 75.00% INSURANCE 4,200 4,200 0.00% EQUIPMENT PURCHASE 3,400 3,400 0.00% EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE 200 200 0.00% UNEMPLOYMENT 2,000 2,000 0.00% DATA PROCESSING SERVICES 15,000 23,550 57.00% SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 20,000 21,000 5.00% BONDS & WORKER'S COMPENSATION 1,500 1,500 0.00% AUTO REPLACEMENT 6,000 9,000 50.00% COMPUTER REPLACEMENT 2,500 2,500 0.00% SUBTOTAL $74,800 $79,850 6.75% PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES SCHOOLS & CONFERENCES 12,000 12,000 0.00% DUES 2,000 2,000 0.00% SUBTOTAL $14,000 $14,000 0.00% TECHNICAL SERVICES LEGAL FEES & EXPERT WITNESSES 52,000 52,000 0.00% AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 10,000 10,000 0.00% APPRAISAL SERVICE 8,878 1,000 - 88.74% SUBTOTAL $70,878 $63,000 - 11.11% TOTAL OTHER EXPENDITURES $189,908 $192,680 1.46% TOTAL ASSMT EXPENSE FUND BUDGET $822,379 $852,856 3.71% UNENCUMBERED BALANCE $112,998 $83,112 - 26.45% TO BE RAISED BY TAXATION $709,381 $769,744 8.51% MAXIMUM LEVY ALLOWED MAXIMUM ASSESSMENT EXPENSE FUND 2,975,085,246 X.000675 IPERS & FICA FUNDS UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION & TORT LIABILITY MAXIMUM ALLOWED WITHOUT STATE APPROVAL MAXIMUM EMERGENCY FUND (requires State Appeal Board approval) 2,975,085,246 X.00027 MAXIMUM THAT COULD BE RAISED BY TAXATION FOR FY 2013 $2,008,182 $82,456 $4,000 $2,094,638 $803,273 $2,897,911 FY PRIOR YEARS LEVIES AND RATES ASSESSMENT EXPENSE FUND SPECIAL APPRAISERS FUND AMOUNT LEVIED LEVY RATE AMOUNT LEVIED LEVY RATE TOTAL LEVY 1996 -97 319,513 0.2045 17,000 0.01088 0.21538 1997 -98 318,270 0.19946 52,834 0.03311 0.23257 1998 -99 318,699 0.19269 184,357 0.11146 0.30415 1999 -00 341,910 0.19784 352,508 0.20398 0.40182 2000 -01 359,341 0.19823 180,293 0.09946 0.29769 2001 -02 396,829 0.20636 6,442 0.00335 0.20971 2002 -03 403,136 0.20694 4,426 0.00227 0.20921 2003 -04 412,379 0.20818 10,051 0.00507 0.21325 2004 -05 470,398 0.22926 15,728 0.00767 0.23693 2005 -06 472,050 0.22525 25,995 0.01240 0.23765 2006 -07 529,702 0.23164 0 0 0.23164 2007 -08 603,916 0.25868 4,792 0.00205 0.26073 2008 -09 611,955 0.24917 1,540 0.00063 0.24980 2009 -10 600,013 0.23848 0 0 0.23848 2010 -11 621,785 0.23147 8,730 0.00325 0.23472 2011 -12 680,786 0.24538 2,608 0.00094 0.24632 2012 -13 700,997 0.24164 8,384 0.00289 0.24453 2013 -14 769,744 0.25873 N/A N/A 0.25873 NOTICE THE CITY CONFERENCE BOARD IS CONSIDERING APPOINTMENT TO THE FOLLOWING BOARD: BOARD OF REVIEW One vacancy — Six -Year Term January 1, 2013 — December 31, 2018 One vacancy — Unexpired Term Effective Upon Appointment.— December 31, 2014 It is the duty of members of the Board of Review to equalize assessments by raising or lowering the individual assessments of real property, including new buildings, personal property or monies and credits made by the Assessor; to add to the assessed rolls any taxable property which has been omitted by the Assessor. Members of the Board of Review shall be residents of the Assessor's jurisdiction. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 20, 2013. The City of Iowa City encourages diversity in the appointment of citizens to boards and commissions. Persons interested in being considered should contact the City Clerk at City Hall, 410 E. Washington Street. Application forms are available from the Clerk's office upon request or on the City website at www.icgov.org. Questions about the Iowa City Board of Review should be directed to Dennis Baldridge at 356 -6066. Spouses and relatives of City Council Members and members of comparable County Boards and Commissions are not eligible for appointment to City Boards and Commissions. This includes: spouse, child, mother, father, mother- in- law, father- in- law, brother, sister, brother- in- law, sister- in- law, step- father, step- mother, step- child, aunt, or uncle. (Resolution 85 -354) Males: 2 Females: 1 Announcement Date: December 17, 2012 Application Deadline: January 16, 2013; February 20, 2013 Elected by City Conference Board After 03/17/2013 (3 mo from the announcement date) City Conference Board may appoint any qualified applicant without regard to gender. BOARD OF REVIEW Two Vacancies (1) Six Year Term, January 1, 2013 — December 31, 2018 Term expires for David Hintze (1) Unexpired term, effective upon appointment - December 31, 2014 Haywood Belle resigned Gender Balance Requirement: 1 Female, 1 None (1) Six Year Term, January 1, 2013 — December 31, 2018 David Hintze rx-1 1528 Somerset Lane (1) Unexpired term, effective upon appointment - December 31 2014 No applications as of Wednesday, February 20, 2013 El Denotes applicant completed the Confidential page of the application. City of Iowa City ,/advisory Board /Commission /Committee &� Y 'Vication Form CITY OF IOWA CITY THIS APPLICATION IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT AND AS SUCH CAN BE REPRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED FOR THE PUBLIC, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LAST PAGE MARKED "CONFIDENTIAL." THIS APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THREE MONTHS ONLY AND AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED FOR ANY VACANCY DURING THAT TIME. Advisory Board /Commission /Committee Name 19yezod o- Peyl010 Term d X oo-- Youth Advisory Commission (shall not be more than 18 years of age at the time of application) Name of Iowa City High School or high school equivalent: Signature of parentiguardian: NAME acy I'd J-4/j 2 e- HOME ADDRESS /.SW JiMei 5-e-t ` i1 h e Is your home address (listed above) within the corporate limits of Iowa City? � Yes No How long have you been a resident of Iowa City? _ 11W veAes' Gender: Male Female OCCUPATION e�ieed EMPLOYER PHONE NUMBER: HOME 311- 347- S-d'73 BUSINESS Al 14 EXPERIENCE AND /OR ACTIVITIES WHICH YOU FEEL QUALIFY YOU FOR THIS POSITTQN: T 5�ty� �yl�reN 3S" vNHS /H /��/ �rr�ct ti c, l,'v/ dr�� 7Zrlr'�i%,y l� =i✓�r /. /J`! rI1 / .r / 1H i► �✓ Gl h � `� LT lt�,f /. , _, • ,' -' � .. , ' J 1 YVVIIJHI IA TVUr% i RIVVYYLGLll7G VP 1HibHUyh7VRf BOARD ei &e bee,, ^, v -Ae &V � la ye-^ NS SG X c xk (�yj lief i•/ 1-1 k:714 -/ / vrFy a/! e /Ar t-, P/zf,��r / WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS CAN YOU MAKE TO THIS ADVISORY BOARD (REASON FOR APPLYING)? 61J d 1 c.Y `°C /S r "G►1f GtNQ Y-i1.1 H �4 n LIST POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: See page 1 for information regarding Conflict of Interest N14 IF YOU ARE NOT SELECTED, DO YOU WANT TO BE NOTIFIED? R Yes r] No DO YOU CURRENTLY SERVE ON ANOTHER IOWA CITY BOARD OR COMMISSION? []Yes NK' No (It has been Council policy not to permit an Individual to serve on two Boards or Commissions at the same time.) Misrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause for removal of an appointee. If you fail / answer all the questions, Council may not consider your application. General Application June 2012 Page 2 of 7 BOARD, COMMISSION AND COMMITTEES BUSINESS LISTING r , CITY Or IOWA CITY Name of City ��^ Board /Commission /Committee Leo A N ) dlo e vie w Date's �1 Name W:J 14. Section 362.5 of the Code of Iowa generally prohibits, with certain important exceptions, a member of a city Board or Commission from having an interest in a city contract. A copy of Section 362.5 is attached (see page 7). List all businesses in which you, your spouse /domestic partner, or parent if Youth Advisory Commission applicant, have an ownership interest (for example, sole proprietor, partner, 5% or more of corporation's stockholdings). Please Indicate if there are none. NOTE: A new form must be completed if the above information changes or an ownership interest is acquired in an additional business. r+ Applicant Signafu Signature of parent/guardian (Youth Advisory (%ommission only): Address /S'd�' Misrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause for removal of an appointee. If you fail to answer all the questions, Council may not consider your application. General Application June 2012 Page 3 of 7 BUSINESS NAME BUSINESS ADDRESS r4 ( 9.119LVk Deek, 6 ue' XA, J'"za'V/ W 4 Gv r Uw n rl A ai n a% h,( rr� 5 - <� NOTE: A new form must be completed if the above information changes or an ownership interest is acquired in an additional business. r+ Applicant Signafu Signature of parent/guardian (Youth Advisory (%ommission only): Address /S'd�' Misrepresentations on this application will constitute just cause for removal of an appointee. If you fail to answer all the questions, Council may not consider your application. General Application June 2012 Page 3 of 7 IP3 r w � rr�twr CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240 -1826 (319) 3S6 -S000 (319) 3S6 -S009 FAX www. Icgov. org CITY CONFERENCE BOARD (Separate Agenda Posted) March 5, 2013 5:00 PM Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 410 E. Washington Street City Council Work Session Agenda March 5, 2013 Following City Conference Board Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 410 E. Washington Street ■ Questions from Council re Agenda Items ■ Ashton House project Special Formal / Executive Session 5:45 PM — separate agenda posted • Workforce housing examples and parameters [IP # 4] • Information Packet Discussion [February 21, 28] • Pending Work Session Topics [IP # 5] • Meeting Schedule • Council Time ■ Upcoming Community Events /Council Invitations CITY OF IOWA CITY_ MEMORANDUM Date: February 27, 2013 To: City Manager From: Jeff Davidson, Director, Department of Planning and Community Development Steve Long, Community Development Coordinator Re: March 5 City Council Work Session discussion of workforce housing We recently had the opportunity to tour two workforce housing projects in Des Moines. Our intent was to better familiarize ourselves with the character of workforce housing in a downtown setting. The buildings we toured were completed by the Des Moines developer that is a partner on the SoBu Lofts project on South Dubuque Street. Because of discussion that has occurred recently regarding the City providing financial incentives for workforce housing in the downtown area, we decided to expand the information we gathered in Des Moines into a presentation for the City Council. At the March 5 work session we will review with Council photographs of the buildings in Des Moines, which will hopefully provide a better feel for the workforce housing that we would like to see introduced on a greater scale in downtown Iowa City and Riverfront Crossings. Workforce housing can be defined as for -rent or for -sale housing for middle income residents. The income range for workforce housing is typically expressed as a percentage of the area median income. There have been many housing projects developed in Iowa City which fall under the definition of workforce housing, but none downtown or in Riverfront Crossings except for 18 units in the Park at 201 building and the Grandview building at Court/Linn. This is a specific type of housing which we would like to see introduced in downtown and Riverfront Crossings on a broader scale. It may be necessary for the City to provide financial subsidy, at least until the first successful projects are established and financial institutions become more comfortable with mixed -use projects that include workforce housing. How we define workforce housing is a topic which we would like to discuss with you at the March 5 work session. The recently issued RFP for the College /Gilbert redevelopment site stated a goal to create workforce housing which is available to households in the 80% to 150% of area median income range, which equates as follows: One person household annual income Two person household annual income 80% of Median $42,750 $48,850 150% of median $80,250 $91,650 It has been suggested that having the upper limit of our workforce housing definition at 150% of median income may be higher than necessary for City subsidy. It may be that the private market can provide housing at that level without public subsidy. We are suggesting for future workforce housing projects in downtown and Riverfront Crossings that request financial subsidy, the City establish a requirement for units priced at the 60% to 120% of area median income level. That would equate to income levels as follows: February 27, 2013 Page 2 One person household annual income Two person household annual income 60% of Median $32,100 $36,660 120% of median $64,200 $73,320 Let's plan on reviewing the Des Moines projects at the March 5 work session, and attempt to reach consensus on how we are going to define workforce housing. We are looking for general concurrence so that staff and developers know the City Council's expectation for future projects; there is no action required on the formal meeting agenda. Council may wish to reserve the flexibility to adopt particular standards for specific projects on a case -by -case basis, rather than a rigid one - size - fits -all standard. cc: Geoff Fruin Tracy Hightshoe IP5 CITY OF IOWA CITY PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS February 27, 2013 March 19, 2013 1. Strategic Plan Update — Neighborhood Stabilization Pending Tonics to be Scheduled 1. Discuss concept of a community business attraction and anti- piracy compact 2. Continue the discussion on the sale or dispersion of public housing units. 3. Discuss potential procedures and /or policies related to requests for habitable private spaces constructed over public right -of -way 4. Presentation on Gateway project design options (April or May 2013) 5. Report from the Diversity Committee (tentatively scheduled for April 9) 6. Discuss residential waste container storage ordinance 7. Discuss large assembly event permit fees CITY OF IOWA CITY iPs ��' MEMORANDUM Date: February 26, 2013 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr City Clerk l� Re: KXIC Radio Show At your February 19 work session meeting Council Members agreed to the following schedule: February 27 - Dickens March 6 - Payne March 13 - Hayek March 20 - Dobyns March 27 - Champion April 3 - Mims April 10 - Dickens Future commitments: May 8 - Dobyns June 19 - Dobyns August 14 - Dobyns U: radiosh owappts.doc IP7 Date: February 26, 2013 To: City Manager From: John Yapp, Executive Director MPU�A Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County Re: Follow -up evaluation of 'Yield to Pedestrian' signs on Market and Jefferson Streets Introduction This memorandum is provided in response to an inquiry by a resident; the City Council requested a follow -up evaluation of "State Law Yield to Pedestrian" signs on Market and Jefferson Streets at Linn Street in the Northside Marketplace commercial area. The signs were installed in August 2011 following public requests. Staff installed the signs after confirming the locations easily exceeded the pedestrian volume threshold of forty pedestrians during peak hours and gaps in traffic fewer than one every thirty seconds, as well as speed limit, number of lanes, collision history, and presence of destinations for pedestrians. Analysis Rates of Yielding to Pedestrians — Prior to installation, our peak -hour observations found approximately 5 percent of motorists yielded to pedestrians waiting at the curb; since the signs were installed the rate of yielding has increased six -fold to approximately 32 percent. This is important as it indicates the signs are helping to better redistribute the wait time amongst all users of the intersection reducing the burden placed on pedestrians. As a result, some business owners have told us that the area feels more pedestrian friendly for customers. As with other installations of these signs on Market, Jefferson, Melrose, and Madison Streets, concerns arise that the intersections will be more dangerous for pedestrians because of the potential for one lane of traffic to yield and the other(s) not. Our observational data indicates that pedestrians initiate crossing when at least one lane yields but look first and continue into the second lane of traffic after traffic yields there as well. Pedestrians do not appear to assume every car will yield — probably because 68 percent of vehicles still do not yield. Vehicle Speed — Staff also evaluated the average speeds of vehicles. Before the installation of the signs, the 85"'- percentile speed on Jefferson Street was 30.2 mph; after installation the speeds dropped to 28.5 mph. We do not have recorded speeds on Market Street before the sign installation, but speeds are now 26.1 mph — likely a reduction. During observations, approximately 8 percent of vehicles slowed even when pedestrians were not present, which is positive from a safety and motorist awareness perspective. S: \JCCOG \TRANS \Bike and Ped Planning\ Projects\ Studies \Intersection \Crosswalks \YTP Sign Study \Linn & Market—Linn & Jeff - Jun 12 \Follow -up Eval to Council_final.docx Collisions — Staff also considered whether the new signage increased collision rates — especially rear end collisions from motorists not expecting vehicles in front to slow down /stop. Collision rates at these two intersections were relatively low before and remain low after the sign installation. Jefferson Street/Linn Street had two collisions in one year before and two collisions in one year after installation. The Market Street/Linn Street intersection had three collisions before and four collisions after the signs were installed — a normal variation for an intersection with such low collision rates. From a review of the collision reports, none of the collisions appear to be caused by conflicts with pedestrians or confusion resulting from the new signage. Intersection Volumes — During our observations, the number of pedestrians during the morning, noon, and evening peak hours totaled 297 pedestrians at Jefferson /Linn and 224 pedestrians at Market/Linn on an average day. These pedestrian crossings have much higher use during downtown and Northside Marketplace events. The Iowa DOT counted an average of 7,600 vehicles on Market Street at Linn Street in 2010, before the signs were installed. In 2012, our staff counted an average of 7,295 vehicles on Market Street and 5,604 vehicles on Jefferson Street. (We do not have traffic counts at Jefferson /Linn before the signs were installed.) Discussion of Solution The three options to consider moving forward include removing the Yield to Pedestrian signs, keeping the signs, or installing all -way stop signs at the intersections. Both intersections have been evaluated for all -way stop control based on traffic volumes on Market and Jefferson. The vehicular traffic volume criteria for all -way stop installation was met at both intersections, however the collision, speed, and combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume warrants were not met, therefore all -way stop control was not recommended. If the intersections were converted to all -way stops, the amount of delay experienced by motorists would increase. Although this change would further reduce the wait time for pedestrians — because every car would wait for them — the automobiles would have to stop even when pedestrians were not present. Staff does not recommend this approach because it would increase vehicular congestion and vehicle emissions, and cost motorists time due to delay. Based on our analysis of traffic circulation changes following the installation of "State Law Yield to Pedestrian" signs at these two locations, staff found yielding rates increased significantly from 5 percent to 32 percent, decreasing wait time and delay for pedestrians. There is no data to suggest that the corridors have become less safe, and the signs have reduced traffic speeds modestly. Recommendation While we have heard concerns about the effectiveness of signs, they make commercial district more pedestrian friendly without placing an undue burden on motorists or cyclists. Staff recommends the signs be retained. Feel free to contact Kris or Darian if you have any questions or concerns. They can be reached by phone at 356 -5230 or via email at Kristopher- Ackerson(d-)Iowa- Citv.orq and Darian- Nagle- Gammi February 22, 2013 IP8 1 r 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY Members of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors Johnson County Administration Building 913 S Dubuque Street, Suite 201 Iowa City, IA 52240 Honorable Members of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors: As Mayors of the three largest incorporated cities in Johnson County, we are writing to express our unified views of the ongoing SEATS para- transit contract discussions. We also wish to articulate a broader approach to funding for services that are regional in nature. Finally, we want to reiterate our desire to carry out intergovernmental matters cooperatively in a civil and productive fashion that will yield the most efficient and responsible services for our citizens. We would be remiss if we did not begin by acknowledging the excellent para- transit service that Johnson County provides with the SEATS program. We applaud the hardworking SEATS staff for consistently providing an efficient, reliable and customer - focused service. We believe the SEATS program exemplifies the increased and improved service that a regional approach to local government can provide to our citizens. The SEATS program receives funding from a variety of sources, including user fees, contracted amounts from Iowa City and Coralville (including funds paid by North Liberty), and property taxes through Johnson County's general levy. In recent years, the portion of the SEATS budget paid through Johnson County's general levy has increased more rapidly than the contracted contributions from the cities and the user fees. This trend has understandably prompted the Board of Supervisors to review the funding structure of this service. After conducting its review, the Board notified the cities of its intention to phase out its 'subsidy' of the service (referring to the property tax monies collected through the County's general levy) provided to the residents of Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty. The 'subsidy' that the County refers to includes a significant percentage of funds (approximately 73% in FY 2012) that the County collects from residents of our communities. Therefore, we respectfully take issue with this characterization. The fact is the citizens paying for this service do not distinguish between the tax collection mechanism or the government entity that levies the tax. We appreciate the County's desire to ensure that rural populations are not contributing to services that are limited to residents of [1] our communities. However, claiming that Johnson County is subsidizing service to the cities to the degree that has been publicly communicated illustrates a perspective on the issue that we believe is too narrow. The County's perspective treats the issue as separate bodies of government and fails to account for overlapping jurisdictional realities. We believe that viewing items through the lens of taxpayers, not governmental entities, will result in equitably structured solutions. In recent months, members of the Board of Supervisors have likened their position on SEATS to the animal shelter discussion from 2012. We agree that some parallels exist, namely the goal of equitable funding structures for the populations receiving the service. However, the key difference between the two issues is the fact that the animal shelter is a regional service provided by a city that lacks the ability to tax outside its municipal boundaries. Iowa City cannot tax users of the animal shelter who reside in Coralville, North Liberty or rural Johnson County. Given this fact, it was necessary to develop a funding structure based on equitable contributions from the governmental entities representing populations outside of Iowa City. Some cities evaluated the funding proposal and decided to pursue other options or not provide the service to their residents. Those decisions were made in the best interest of the citizens of those communities. As a result, Iowa City residents will not be required to fund services for populations that choose not to participate. This process illustrated how regional services provided by a single city can be structured to provide other jurisdictions the option of participating in an equitable fashion or pursuing alternative services that meet their needs or financial constraints. In contrast, Johnson County is the regional service provider for SEATS and has taxing authority over the entire population of the county, both urban and rural. When discussing how to fund regional services provided by Johnson County, the source of the tax dollars collected by the county cannot be ignored. In fact, funding discussions should take into account the source of taxes. This will ensure that residents of all communities will contribute an equitable share, irrespective of the tax mechanism or the governmental entity that levies the tax. As previously stated, Johnson County is a regional entity that has taxing authority over multiple local government jurisdictions. In most cases (however importantly not in the case of SEATS) the services are equally accessible and responsive to the needs of all populations (i.e. Health Department, County Attorney, Recorder's Office, etc.). In these cases the County can tailor appropriate funding structures for the entire county, including urban and rural populations. The few exceptions, such as SEATS, apply when there are defined populations that can access a particular service and there are multiple funding sources of revenue including user fees and individual city contract payments. In these cases, the County and cities should work together to ensure that the defined populations are paying an equitable share for those services. Johnson County is not under a federal mandate to provide para- transit service to our communities. That obligation falls directly on us. We understand this and will react accordingly to any budget decisions you make regarding this regional service. The Board of Supervisors appears intent on phasing out funding for SEATS services for its taxpaying constituents in our communities. However, it is also apparent that the [2j County plans to collect the same level of taxes. This means that the tax rate used to determine county taxes paid by residents of our communities will remain largely unchanged, while those taxes that were previously collected for SEATS will be diverted to other needs as the County deems appropriate. At the same time, the cities will fill the gap by taxing or charging those same residents. We hope to preserve the level of service provided, but it is possible that residents will see some decrease in service and /or pay higher user fees, as a result of the significant reduction in Johnson County's funding of the SEATS service. We hope in the near future to sit down as elected officials and discuss this important issue in a manner that will produce the most efficient and equitable service for all residents. All parties need to commit to conducting such discussions in a civil manner, avoiding the harmful discord to date. Such discord will unnecessarily fuel confusion, misinformation and fear of service elimination that has unfortunately caused needless stress on populations that critically depend on para- transit services for access to basic life needs. The cities stand ready to meet with the Board of Supervisors to listen to your viewpoints and discuss our outlook in more detail. For the last several months our staffs met regularly to evaluate para- transit financials and service level alternatives. We are now at a point where this discussion moves to a policy arena suitable for the elected bodies. Our respective communities have chosen elected representatives to meet with you to finalize funding arrangements for the future of SEATS. We hope that the funding decision you have made for FY 2014 is still negotiable. Regardless of your position on FY 2014, we certainly need to reach an understanding on the remaining years of the contract that are still to be negotiated. Thank you for your service to the residents of our communities and the broader Johnson County population. We anticipate being present at your upcoming budget public hearing to further discuss this issue. Sincerely, Matt Hayek Mayor, City of Iowa City Am Fausett Mayor, City of Coralville [3] Tom Salm Mayor, City of North Liberty IP9 Minutes Human Rights Commission January 28, 2013 — 6 P.M. Emma Harvat Hall Members Present: Members Excused: Staff Present: Others Present: PRELIMINARY Orville Townsend Sr., Jessie Harper, Kim Hanrahan, Dan Tallon, Joe Coulter, Katie Anthony, Diane Finnerty. Shams Ghoneim, Harry Olmstead. Stefanie Bowers Jeff Cox (Present for discussion on Proposed Revised Justice Center Plan) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Human Rights Commission meeting of January 28, 2013. Recommendations to Council: None. Call to Order: Chair Townsend called the meeting to order at 18:02. Proposed Diversity Policy of the Board of Education for the Iowa City Community School District Townsend: First agenda item. Proposed diversity policy of the Board of Education for the Iowa City Community School District. Before commissioners speak, is there is anyone in the public that would like to address, make remarks on this topic? Okay, if not, why don't we open it up for discussion from the commissioners, Joe was this something you brought up? Coulter: Yes. I believe I did. It seemed to me that the underlying issues that led to a lot of controversy about seen in our packets, you know expression of concerns on part of the council and others and I am referring to the apparent inadequacies with regard to the schools in our eastern part of Iowa City, southeastern, that have disproportionate numbers of, at least as evidenced by the free and subsidized school lunch program, a pretty substantial group of people with some socioeconomic issues. This also seems to correlate rather strongly related to the racial and ethnic minority composition of those same neighborhoods and that seemed to me to be a human rights issue. They, I'm not or wouldn't suggest at this time any particular course of action or position I would take on any of the pending referenda or other things out there, but it did seem to me that this commission, given the basis of the issue, and that's the inequities in our school and possibly our housing and some other things, but that should be something that is, at least, on our radar screens, in that we should have some discussions about it. If we need additional data, I think we should seek that out and then, depending on what we could arrive at, some sort of - 1 - recommendation, or at least an expression of concern on the part of this committee about the need to address this issue in our community. Hanrahan: I would be in 100% support of that statement. I think that it is a human rights issue. I think until all of our students have equal opportunities to education and that education is, matches the highest level that the students are offered in our community, I think it is Townsend: Other comments? Okay. I agree, there are inequities within the district that should be addressed. I guess, my concern, is that it is so broad. You know, there are a lot of things going and it is very broad. Do we deal with everything or, you know, do we deal with specifics, or do we deal with, you know, any individual in the district who feels that they are being treated unfairly can basically, you know, file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. So, what vehicle do we use to address this, I guess, is my question. Coulter: One possible course of action for this committee might be to stress the need for the school district, the city, this commission and the people of Iowa City to address this and develop a stronger, more credible plan to address this. After we, the others involved in the decision making have gotten all the information that they need. I was, this reflects some of my own ignorance. I was not aware really of the existence of one of our high schools in Iowa City. I thought we had three high schools, City, West and Regina. But we have Elizabeth Tate High School. I went to that website, I could not find anything out about it. Most of the links are nonfunctional. I don't know how many students there are, I don't know what the purpose of it is. It's a mystery to me. I do know where it's located. It's located right where we are talking about and Mr. Harper, I think alertly noticed that there may be some issues there. But it's hard for me to understand to address the problem that doesn't take into consideration the schools that are involved. Nowhere in the plan are there any specifics about where and what would be done. I am rather disappointed that the plan uses language and redefines minorities as people of low socioeconomic status and uses _ not in the context that I am ordinarily, for most of us I think, consider diversity as racial and ethnic diversity. They have redefined that term apparently, although they don't say this in the policy that they mean by diversity, diversity of socioeconomic status. Well, and that minority means that those under free or subsidized school lunch program, i.e., low socioeconomic. That's worrisome, when the meanings of words get changed and when there is a lack of specifics in details which some of you know about and are concerned about but, you know, I think there are others who are more knowledgeable about this part of our community and where some of these problems are than I am. Townsend: Any comments? Tallon: I want to know what exact, what exactly you think are the problems and I wrote down that I heard you say, one is that it doesn't take into account Elizabeth Tate High School, and the second was redefining of minority. Coulter: It doesn't take any school into its policy. Tallon: It doesn't take any specific school? -2- Coulter: Nope. Tallon: Okay. And that minority is socioeconomic diversity. Are there other specifics that you can think of that are issues? Coulter: Well, I think there are a lot of questions. I think a lot of them have been raised in newspaper articles and articles by Matt Hayek and others, not speaking on behalf of the City Council, but as individuals, that yes I think there is quite a list of things. Tallon: What do you think they are? Because I want to have like, I think if we are going to have an opinion as a commission on anything, we should have a list of what we, or anyone, considers a problem with the policy so we, so we can actually have an opinion about the problems, instead of talking about the diversity plan. Coulter: I am a little hesitant as an advisory body, which I take the Human Rights Commission to be, to try to micromanage another school district or city government . On the other hand, I think it would not be inappropriate for us to express our concern that an effective and specific plan be developed to identify the problem and the potential solution and how these will be measured and monitored so that we know whether or not these problems have been or are being dealt with. Hanrahan: And I think just... Coulter: Rather drilling down and coming up with. Hanrahan: I have two points, one is the school board has already voted two times and have voted for this policy. They have one more vote that comes up, so I'm not quite sure we'll be able to influence any of the, any of what's in the current policy. The other thing that I'd like to always make clear is, this is policy, it's not implementation. So, once the policy is passed, it will be put forth to Murley and the Administration to come up with a way that this plan, policy is implemented. Coulter: Then I have a question there. Would this policy be adopted if the referendum which is to go on the 5th is not passed? What happens to the policy? It's not clear to me. Does anybody know? Bowers: I think the school board will vote on February 5th, which I believe is the same day as the vote, so it occurs all on the same day. Hanrahan: It's two separate. Coulter: But if the RPS _ the vote, , that's two components, the RPS and the policy. If that vote is not in the minority vote, what happens to the policy? Bowers: And that's a question I think that would be forthcoming. I think that it will be determined sometime after February 5th, in my opinion. -3- Townsend: I mentioned earlier that, you know, at this point everything seems to be so broad and I guess that is what's tying my hands. I would feel more comfortable letting them do what they're going to do and put something in place and then look at that and see if it is adequate and, if it's not, then basically take a look at what do we feel is missing and what do we feel needs to be added adequately address, you know, the needs that they are trying to focus on. Harper: We kind of know a little bit of what they're trying to, what they're trying to achieve. I do agree with the idea of offering some, you know, some words of encouragement or saying that we are concerned about the facts that have not been considered and the numerous things that have been said at different meetings here, you know, over at City Council. I also agree with at this point in time they are moving forward and although they are going to implement these things, I think it is important though as a commission that we express and, you know, make sure that they are aware, you know, that we are viewing the issue and that we will be, you know, not making a threat, but you know, making sure that we are staying true to human rights commission as far as what is going on, because this is a human rights issue here. That would be kind of the direction I would take with this issue. Townsend: Would it be possible for you and Joe maybe to get together and put something together in terms of the concerns that we need to make known so that, we as a commission, can look at them and basically send a recommendation forward. Harper: Yes, I would be willing. Townsend: Joe would you be willing to do this? Coulter: I mean, I could have something. Jesse and I could sit down after this meeting and have a statement. Townsend: I would, you know, kind of leave that to you and Jesse. Harper: I guess what he's asking is to the commission, when would you, are you trying to say when would they like to have it or? Townsend: The vote is February 5th, right. I mean, yeah, so we definitely to get it as quickly as possible so that, you know, we can, you know, get it together and, you know, send it out. Harper: Now will this be anonymous or is this going to be specifically like, I mean... Coulter: No, it should be on behalf of the commission. Harper: Okay, that's. Townsend: Basically just want you guys to take a look at what they're, you know, proposing, and you know, if it is something that you feel that's really good but needs to be added on to it, stress that. If it is something that you feel, you know, it's not going to adequately address, begin -4- to address what's going on, then you know, point that out and make some suggestions as to what would be a better approach to take, you know, and then get that email, you know, to Stefanie and myself and we will get it to the rest of the commission to take a look at it and get something drafted and, you know, get it out. Stefanie was there. Bowers: There would need to be another meeting for the commission to look over things, Hanrahan: That's a huge undertaking. Are you suggesting that they look at the policy and edit the policy to fit kind of what we are hoping? Coulter: I don't think Jesse and I are thinking that detailed of level. I think our initial deal ought to reflect the whole of the commission's thoughts. I think we're talking about one sentence or two at the most. Harper: Socially. Coulter: That would be very broad and say that the Human Rights Commission, something along the line wishes to express its concern and interest in the issue raised in regard to the income health and housing disparity that has led to this proposal policy, in that we wish to assist and encourage the city and school district and the community to address the important human rights issues. That would be it. Tallon: I have a fear of broadness just as a general rule, because if we send something that's overly broad to anyone, it's going to, I feel, is going to fall into the background of everything everyone else has sent and everyone else has said. So I think that we should, if we're going to as a commission say anything, we should say something to the effect, we as the Iowa City Human Rights Commission are concerned about and then list several specific things that we think, maybe we don't have to necessarily suggest how they should be right, but I think that we should suggest what we feel is wrong and then add another sentence, we encourage you to. Well not address these, but consider this aspect for whatever specific issue you think is the, and I really think we should pick three of the most pressing issues that we really, just so we can be effective as possible. I think if we give a recommendation that specifically targets certain areas and encourage you to consider something else about those areas that we think would get them along to the right path; I think that's how we become effective. But if we send a broad statement that we feel strongly about this and that's it, we aren't going to, we're not going to make them consider anything new, they're just going to put it in the pile and go on with whatever they feel they have already chosen to do. So, I think the more specific we can be, the more effective we are and, I don't really like to not be effective. Hanrahan: Because I hear what you're saying Joe, but I kind of separate the issues, because that's almost a city planning issue and I do think at some point it would be great if we came down with some kind of statement about how we feel about city planning and concentrate on low income housing and how all of that leads to what the school district is attempting to deal with. But just in terms of the diversity policy itself, I'm actual support the diversity policy. I think we have been looking for three years since the last redistricting that the city, school district attempted to do. We've tried to address some of these issues and I have faith once the implementation -5- component is developed, that that would be a time where, with public input, we can tweak and maybe change some of what we think may not be completely appropriate. Townsend: I think one of the things you might look at, I thing somebody mentioned earlier that they redefine diversity and, if that's the case, is the way that they've done it advantageous for the students or is it disadvantageous and, if it's disadvantageous, then let's point out, you know, the negative impact it can take and make recommendation. But I would agree with Dan in terms of having, you know, guys coming up with some specifics that we can submit. Tallon: From what I can tell, the specifics are and I think that they are actually really good specifics are, what you said is that they don't take into account specific schools. I think even more importantly, I think that they definition of minority could be an area that we cited as a concern and then our encouragement could be consider what the actual diversity is, not just looking. If concerning socioeconomic status actually diversifies the schools, then I think that is fine but, if it doesn't, and this goes into the measurements that you were talking about, the measurements and monitoring that you mentioned, if considering socioeconomic diversity actually changes the real diversity and equalizes the diversity, then it's a good thing and, if it doesn't, it doesn't. So that's why I agree with you about looking into the implementation as a part. Because we are really not going to change what's going to happen. I don't think we're going to change what's going to happen. I think it's going to happen how they want it to. And if we want to be effective, then we should make recommendations about its implementation. Townsend: Another thing that I noticed is, is there is mention of free and reduced lunches, you know, in terms of part of the guidelines to identify with diversity. I'm sure that the economic, you know, status of an individual may play into it, but I don't see that as being... Coulter: That's the way the policy is written, those are not my words... Townsend: Yeah, but what I'm saying, what I'm saying is, I don't see that as being a very strong indicator of diversity in terms of, you know, trying to improve the system and eliminate some of the shortcomings that students are having to deal with you. So, you know, that might be something that we can mention also. Finnerty: I would say that I also kind of support having three bullet points in that approach and if we could use language, maybe something, put the language around racial equity in there. I think oftentimes, of course, we all know in the community that social class and equity and racial inequity gets used as proxy for each other and we would want to differentiate and have a bullet be about that we also encouraged continued focus on racial equity. I think it goes along with the redefinition of diversity. Thank you for allowing me to participate. Harper: Would it be, since, you know, as commissioners here and not only as commissioners but as other people in the community have, are plain confused about this policy. A lot of people just don't understand, you know, what they are trying to accomplish and, you know, what exactly is going on. Would it be possible to get it, you know, a sum or you know, an idea of what they're actually trying to focus on for this policy? Is some of the things they are attempting to hit on. I mean, they cover some things here, but you know, it's just not... WE Coulter: The public statements, they're saying they're waiting for the consultants that they have out here. Townsend: Okay. Coulter: To assess, I think they're looking at the physical infrastructure of the schools specifically before they come up with any specifics. Hanrahan: In school capacities? Coulter: The other thing is the way that plan is written, one way to meet the plan's numerical goal in terms of percentages, would be, and this has been raised by others, but one way would just to be shipping the poor kids out across the city, they don't attend their neighborhood schools. They have to attend schools over . How's that going to go? Hanrahan: Well, I think a lot of people jump to that, but again that is part of the implementation and there have been other suggestions about ways to do it without busing and it could potentially be busing rich kids to the poor neighborhoods. I mean that's also been a point that has come up. Coulter: Oh, that'll. Hanrahan: Because they have, well, I'm just saying that these things have been thrown around in public. Coulter: Yeah, you could have magnet schools and all of that, but there are no specifics in the present proposal and there is no guarantee or promises made. Hanrahan: Right. And I think again that is implementation. Harper: So it sounds like we're in a position where until they decide to do this, we don't know what they're going to do, or know what will happen, which seems problematic. So I mean in our bulletins, you know, would we suggest that a fair something to say or voice that, you know, it's come to the point until where until this is implemented, no one knows what the outcome will be? Townsend: I think we've got two possibilities. The first possibility is, you know, we can look at what they're proposing and then like we've ask you and Joe to put something together so that we can send that. Then that's basically, you know, offering the cement before it's poured. But the other possibility is once they get this together, then we've got specifics. We can look at that and then, you know, come to what we agree with or what we think needs improved and then we can make recommendations on all those, so we've got two places, you know, make recommendations. Tallon: And of the two, I think the only place that we have any chance to be effective is in the implementation because I think they've already decided that they're going to do this that should be our goal. Our goal should be to make this one of our recurring agenda items that we have a -7- discussion with and act when we see fit and, if not, if it's going well, I don't necessarily think that the socioeconomic status of equal, that might achieve their goal. They might have already looked into it and thought, if we do this, this will achieve our goal. If that's what they, and that's a good goal, then I don't see a problem with it. I just think monitoring the implementation and making recommendations this is where we're effective. Finnerty: Do we know, I don't even know if this is even possible and I'm not as learned on this as I need to be, but the implementation team, is there any usefulness in us requesting to have representative on that implementation team? I also don't remember what the actual outcome is, is it educational equity or just diversity? Coulter: Socioeconomic. Finnerty: Right. But the educational outcomes of those students. Coulter: There's nothing in the plan about that. Tallon: It states that the policy is for greater diversity and enhanced learning that will be the result of following the diversity policy. Finnerty: So how enhanced learning is defined I think is an interesting question. Around graduation rates, you know retention rates, participation in AP classes rates. You know, all those kind of indicators. So I would push on the learning outcomes thing too. Because, as we know, diversity just means diversity. It doesn't mean improved educational outcomes. But my first point was, the implementation team. Hanrahan: As I understand it, it will be a process. I don't know if they're going to develop a team or Murley will just handle that and then come back to the board, you know, with a proposal and then it will be revised based on school board discussions. Coulter: If the vote is negative, and they don't establish this new RPS, the whole thing is out. Okay? Or potentially, I don't know. It's not clear what the outcome would be if the vote is against the RPS and policy. Finnerty: If the commission goes the route of writing that letter, we do have some data from that racial equity report that we're working on that looks at things like suspension rate, AP participation rate, participation in both, we don't have the behavioral rooms, learning and disability rooms. So we've got all those kind of indicators that we could throw a couple of those in too, to say we are also troubled by the educational outcomes for certain groups of students, or something like that. I don't know, but we could throw some of those in. Coulter: No, there is data there. Harper: Also when we talk about the implementation team or it's implementation, one of things that I think about, what's going to happen, you know, the children that are not necessarily from these areas or that teachers are not necessarily ready or able to handle that. What will happen to that and is this something that we could possibly bring up or are these thoughts more like a personal thing on my behalf and maybe should not be addressed or, I'm just curious, at the commission level. Because those are some things that I think about when I'm in that specific situation. You know, like some of the kids that I work with when I'm over at this side, if they're there and they don't have FRC or the counseling or behavior intervention, you know, what will happen? Will those kids just automatically be sent home? And then kind of boosts up the hike of kids not being in school, which then goes to the educational piece. You know, like those are all questions that I, you know, again, those are deeper in the policy but I just don't see them being addressed. Townsend: But I think that's, you know, you are knowledgeable of the system. You know, you have access to the system, so I think maybe a way to approach that is to look at what they are proposing and look at each part of it and see where your concerns would fit in and whether or not it adequately addressed your concerns. Coulter: The policy does not go into that. Townsend: Okay, but what I'm saying is to look at it and if it doesn't address your concerns, then that could be pointed out and make a recommendation that, you know, make changes that will bring it more in line. You know, I've looked at the policy and, you know, they seem to deal with everything with numbers, with percentages, you know, that concerns me. You know, it's sort of like, I saw a lot of percentages but I didn't see any specifics addressing issues that our students are dealing with and then giving indications what they intend to do with it. So, that kind of bothered me, but that is pretty typical of, you know, academia. Bowers: Before, you begin, Jessie will you define the FRC? Harper: Family Resource Center. Tallon: So I also think what Diane and Joe mentioned about the, what do we mean by enhanced learning and how to monitor the outcomes are two important issues that should probably be included. Because if the goal is just to diversify, like you just said, what does that mean for the schools? Does that mean better learning? Higher graduation rates? So I think that should be one of our concerns that we list down. Coulter: That's not the way they define diversity in their policy. Townsend: And then, you know, if we feel it needs to be defined differently, now is the time to point it out. You know, so, in order to tie this up, we've got Jesse and Joe, going to put together for the commission. Diane would you like to be a part of that. Finnerty: I would love to be a part of that. Townsend: Okay. Finnerty: Even if it's email communication. Townsend: So why don't the three of you basically start communicating, putting something together. Also, we're on the clock. So the meeting is when, February 5th, and we need to have something in before then, I'm assuming. Bowers: Well, I mean it matters. I guess prior to this, there was kind of two different things going on. There was one whether the commission was going to wait until implementation or whether they were going to try address something ahead of time. So, I guess that needs to be figured out and then go from there. Coulter: Can I also ask that Stefanie join our small group in trying to draft this statement by the commission. I really value her professional expertise in this. Townsend: We're on the clock. Is there anyway once you come up with something, can we approve it with what you come up with or do we have to meet again. Bowers: No, you would have to meet to approve it, yes. Finnerty: Electronic vote? Bowers: No, because that's a meeting and the public has to be able to participate in a meeting and so, if you're doing it over email, that's a problem. Tallon: Could it be something that the three people draft, sign and send in and then we vote to approve it at the next regular meeting? Bowers: No. The three people on the commission could submit materials on behalf of themselves. Tallon: That's what I mean ..., ... Bowers: Okay. Tallon: Submit on behalf of themselves and then... Finnerty: As members of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission? Tallon: So, I don't know if it's worth meeting Finnerty: The three of us undersigned, members of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission? Coulter: Right. There's only two ways to do this. If you're going to meet February 5th. One would be call another meeting, which I'm not sure with the public notification that we could do that. The other would be to adjourn this for a brief break and let us draft something and bring it back to... -10- Townsend: That seems like it would be hasty and I'm concerned about the quality of what we would come up with. How do the rest of... Coulter: That's the only way we're going to have anything out by the 5th. Finnerty: And I would have to excuse myself from that process because we have a short time line here. I would be okay with doing it with three members who also happen to be Iowa City Human Right Commission members. Tallon: I support the three. I don't know if meeting again would be necessary. I support the three people who draft it, signing it as themselves as citizens, sending it in and then we-could consider the language and endorse it as a commission after the vote to further encourage the school district to implement it properly, but I don't think that adjourning will get us anything of high quality and I don't think meeting again will be worth the time. Townsend: We have a very tight timeframe, February 5th. Bowers: It's a Tuesday. A week from tomorrow. Tallon: I think it will have the same impact as three people from the Commission, who happen to be Human Rights commissioners as it would be from the duly voted upon. Bowers: And the next commission meeting just for reference would be the 19th. Coulter: _ being on the Human Rights or speaking Townsend: You could do it as concerned citizen status. Tallon: I think for what it is going to get us, meeting again just to prove the language of something that is likely going to have zero influence wouldn't be worth it, where we should really focus is what Kim is talking about the implementation of it, so. Hanrahan: I'm sorry Joe, what would you not want to be a part of? Coulter: The lady suggesting that we submit this as a letter to the editor or something. Hanrahan: As a private citizen you mean? Coulter: That's awkward to be a publicly identified member of a commission which should be discussing this and taking ad hoc action. Hanarahan: What if you shared with us your proposal and we were all in agreement? Coulter: That cannot come from the commission unless it is voted on in a formal meeting. -11- Townsend: I think we have a situation where our enemy is the clock. The school board is meeting in February. So it kind of looks like us as opposed to overreacting and doing something that is going to be not as effective. Seems like maybe we've lost the opportunity to be proactive and maybe we need to back and focus on seeing what they come up and then basically we, as a commission, you know, take a look at that then and focus on responding and making recommendations to specifics. Hanrahan: next meeting we could also discuss some of these same issues and just have it as policy is implemented these are some of the Human Rights Commission's concerns. Harper: At this point, you know, I agree with Orville about how the time is really just not working with us and we do not want to put forth something that is questionable or 100% to our best of knowledge and capability, so, you know, I would agree, you know, focusing on the implementation of that diversity policy at this time. Townsend: When is our next meeting? Bowers: The 19th. Townsend: Okay, so can we, you know, you can kind of go on and get your concerns together and share with the rest of the commissioners and then make this an agenda item for our next meeting. Tallon: Then we benefit from the ability to know what was approved, what wasn't. Initial community reaction. Townsend: Does that sound like a plan? Tallon: I move that we place the Iowa City School District diversity policy on the agenda for the February 19th meeting. Townsend: It has been moved? Coulter: I second. Motion passed 7 -0. Coulter: I would like to make an additional motion. I would hope you put down that the Iowa City Human Rights Commission has concerns about the implications of the Iowa City Community School District's diversity policy, especially as it regards educational equity outcome. Townsend: We'll kind of use that as like our foundation focus point for addressing... Coulter: Making that as a motion that that be part of our... -12- Bowers: Joe, can you do me a favor and say that one more time. Coulter: Yes. Bowers: Thank you. Coulter: The Iowa City Human Rights Commission has concerns about the implications of the Iowa City Community School District's diversity policy, especially in regards to educational equity outcomes. Tallon: I would second that as a good summary, but we discussed it. Finnerty: I would have a friendly, I think it's an interesting tactic. Also concern about the redefining of diversity. If we're going to do it, we might as well put the other things we talked about, the redefining of diversity to. I don't know if they address racial equity or if they were just saying diversity socioeconomic status. Tallon: From my understanding from the school board minutes here, just 100% whether or not you're on price reduced lunches. Finnerty: So, I would support the tactic and I would want the language to state the other things that were concerns expressed, which were redefining of diversity as exclusive of other forms besides socioeconomic status, the elimination of language regarding racial equity, and the lack of attention to educational outcomes. Does that capture what we're talking about? Tallon: It's your motion. Coulter: I would accept it. Can you articulate that? Finnerty: Concern about the redefining of diversity to be exclusively focused on socioeconomic status in the district, the lack of acknowledgement of distinct areas affecting racial equity... Coulter: Say racial /ethnic... Finnerty: Racial /ethnic equity, and the lack of identification of educational outcomes as measures of success. Coulter: I did say in the original sentence, especially as it regards educational equity. Finnerty: Okay. Tallon: How about saying educational and racial equity outcomes. Finnerty: Outcomes, yeah. Coulter: Racial /ethnic. -13- Finnerty: Then we go on, and you know, our letter would have gone on to say, here is the equity outcomes we look at it, but we don't need to do that for this statement. Townsend: Do we have a motion for the amendment? Coulter: I ask that Stefanie read it back. Bowers: It will be in the minutes. Coulter: I'll be comfortable with your understanding? Townsend: Yes. So, the motion for the amendment? I'll second. Have a second for that? Tallon: Yes. Amended Motion passes 7 -0. Finnerty: Thanks Joe. (Finnerty no longer present) Proposed Revised Justice Center Plan Townsend: Our next agenda item proposed revised justice center plan. Before the commissioners speak, I want to open it up to the public and see if anyone would like to speak on this topic from the public. Okay. Open it up for discussion. Joe, I think this is you. Coulter: Well, this again I think is pretty clearly a human rights issue, that we have in the state, as well as nationally, a disproportionate number of racial and ethnic minorities and, in particular, the African- American and black populations that are incarcerated in this country, in this county and in this city. There are those who I think we have to be sensitive to that the construction and resources in the millions of dollars, over $40 million going to enhance our jail and court system capacity is not a good way to deal with what I believe is the core issue and that's the disproportionate number of people or the individuals who are being incarcerated in this country, in this county and in this city. Tallon: I would begin this personally by asking with the diversity policy, that we consider what we think are the problems with it and from what you just said, I am following this issue via the racial inequity with regards to incarcerations seems to be the most important, and the price obviously is a very similar price to the November ballot issue. So, I think those are clearly two of the larger issues. But is there anything else that anyone thinks is an issue, would be my question that I pose. Coulter: We do have a little less pressing timeline... -14- Tallon: Yes. Coulter: On this particular thing in terms of how we might do it. I think we might want to take a look at some of the implications that this thing has, what some of the concerns of the community, especially racial /ethnic, the young people, the socioeconomic group, and the students who would be impacted, or potentially could be impacted by this initiative to create the justice center. Townsend: I'm wondering if the proposed revised justice center plan is something we as a commission should be dealing with. Obviously there are some problems with, you know, the incarceration rate and how it negatively impacts minorities, but at the same time, the city council has already appointed the ad hoc committee to address law enforcement and transportation, so that's something already in play. I have knocked this around and for some reason, I keep coming back with, you know, this is an issue that the voters, we're talking about voting to get the center built and that's something that basically, you know, the voters, the citizens of Iowa City will make that decision. So, I'm. Coulter: I've spoken once Townsend: So, I guess I'm just wondering if this is something that we, you know, we should be dealing with. Coulter: Well, I've raised it because it clearly seems to be a human rights issue. Townsend: You mention Joe that you expressed your concerns on about what you've been hearing from the public. Can you share some of that with us? Some of those things you've been hearing. Coulter: Yeah. I've had people say why isn't the Diversity Committee or Human Rights Committee dealing with these things? I mean, what are you all suppose to be doing? Of course, I can't, you know. Anthony: Are they looking for? Coulter: I have to agree, yes that these are human rights issues, and yes they are important, and yes I am concerned, but that's why I suggested that we put it on the agenda. Anthony: I was just wondering what they were looking for. When they bring up to you, what are they looking for? I mean, what's the outcome? What specific goal? Coulter: Well, you know, in the whole scheme of city government, you, of course, would go to the City Council and many people have. When regards to this, we are advisory to the City Council. We have an agenda which includes human rights, this is clearly human rights here and it's, you know, painful though it may be, I somehow feel like the commission can hardly avoid at least discussing it and expressing at least concern, if not, I don't know, be advisable to take a position on the possible outcome of the proposal or anything. -15- Tallon: I'm somewhere between you Joe and you Orville. I look at the jail issue and I don't necessarily think the jail or the justice center itself is a human rights issue, but I look at the underlying problems and the two that you mention would be is the racial equity and the possible student impact I think would both be two that we could consider. So I think we should consider the justice issue in that light and discuss, and since we are only an advisory committee to the city council and not to the county government, I think we should take on the racial equity and that's why I agree with you if you're already taking that on in your other committee, that that maybe should be what we off of. Coulter: The other committees _ is very narrow and has to do with law enforcement and transportation system and we will be developing our recommendations and will go out of existence as of March 1. And so, it's gone. Tallon: Well, and that's a good time. I mean we have four months, I think that that recommendation can be where from your, because both of you serve on that committee, right? Coulter: Yes. Tallon: Because I think that is where we can step off as human rights from that recommendation and continue it on. Townsend: And I mean, I can understand where you're coming from Joe, because, you're right. You know, it's like the problem is the individuals being placed in jail, is it necessary to place an individual in jail for blinking an eye or, you know, the disproportionate who has been put in jail. So, if you build a larger jail, it just means that, you know, it will expand, but the same thing about that though is the ad hoc committee is basically dealing with that, so maybe a compromise would be. The ad hoc committee is close to getting our recommendations to the city council together. What we might do is, as commissions, wait until those recommendations are submitted and then take a look at those and, if it is not satisfying, then basically, you know, make our recommendations as to how they can be improved. Does that sound like a... Coulter: Yeah, yeah. I would only modify that and point out for the other members that the ad hoc diversity committee cannot, will not be able to say anything about the justice center, which is the topic we are about right now. Townsend: But we will be focusing on some of the, some of the procedures that have, that are leading to the large number of incarcerations. Tallon: And I understand that the ad hoc committee that the justice center doesn't fit within their charge, but I think that the, like I said, that the justice center itself isn't a human rights issue, it's the underlying aspect, in this case, racial equity in incarceration, which would fall under their law enforcement charge directly and I think that's why we should see what they come up with. You guys only have another month, to see, where within that timeframe and frankly, I don't know if we should have an opinion on the justice center itself since it's a referendum issue, that I think we should focus more on the underlying racial equity with incarceration. -16- Townsend: I think the biggest problem I have with the justice center is that we're talking about a structure. If you make the structure bigger, then the inadequacies and the, you know, inappropriate procedures will just basically put more people in the structure. So, the citizens are going to vote on the structure. Tallon: Yes. Townsend: So, let's try to separate the justice center and keep the focus on the procedures, law enforcement procedures that need to be addressed. Tallon: And that is an agenda item on your ad hoc committee, right? Townsend: We're getting close to putting our recommendations together. Tallon: And when, will they be done by the February 19th meeting, do you think, because that it's right before the end of your charge? Townsend: Yes, we may have something. Coulter: We might have something. Tallon: So, I think if that does exist, I would like to, the ad hoc committee is already and agenda item, correct? So, I think that's... Coulter: Our underlying problem is not going to go away, which is a referendum or anything. This is something that this commission needs to regularly address what is recognized out there and maybe it's just because I'm an academic and in public _ stuff, but where is the discussion about prevention? You know, if we've got a problem with something, that's like trading sick people. It's always better to prevent people from getting sick and I look at the justice center and the responses to society's concerns, is building a jail and court. That's not prevention. Hanrahan: prevention. Coulter: Where's the program to try to get at and rectifying the underlying causes. Townsend: But that's what the ad hoc committee is doing, what's been appointed to take a look at law enforcement in terms of, what other practices, you know, what is the culture? And what needs to be done to improve it. So. Tallon: I personally think we already have the structure going forward that we need on this issue. I think that the ad hoc committee will be making the recommendations fairly soon and hopefully by February 19th, we already have it on the agenda, we can consider those and also discuss how we are going to take those recommendations and continue the ad hoc committee's work after, especially with two of the most active people that I know anyway, already on the Human Rights Commission, we can discuss how we want to turn that it in to this issue and I think if it becomes a major issue, that would be cool. -17- Hanrahan: I _ that as well. Disproportionate confinement has been around for decades and it has to do with discretionary judgment and police force training and it can be very complicated and involved. I too would hope to hear what your proposals are from the ad hoc committee and potentially continue with this through the Human Rights Commission. Bowers: And I just want to add since all of the commissioners here weren't on the commission several years ago, but the commission has done programming on disproportionality as it relates to African- Americans throughout the State of Iowa. They have also done programming as it relates to the high number of school detentions and expulsions with African- American kids here in the school district. And I think the commission is probably one of the first in the community actually back in 2007, is when they did the first one. And I want to say the next, I mean they did followup things, but then the next well attended forum was probably 2009 maybe, so just to give you that history, this isn't something that the commission hasn't looked at, discussed, or dealt with. Tallon: Could, if any of the existing material is available, could you add that to the next packet. Not necessarily as an agenda item, just so we could all review. Bowers: The only thing I would have is flyers from those events. Bowers: There has been programming on that, so it's something that the commission is just looking at or dealing with. Townsend: When the commission did that, do you feel that it was beneficial? Bowers: It was probably two of the most well attended programs. When you deal with race, when you look at equality, and things of that nature, there tends to be an interest in the community and people do come out to those events. They're obviously important issues to discuss, but also it's a nice way to invite the community to kind of have these difficult discussions which don't often happen in other venues. Townsend: One of the things that is surfacing, you know, that's really negatively impacting our minority communities, is the lack of education. So what we might consider doing is, as a commission, automatically build into the commission's agenda to do certain things each year so that we can get that knowledge out there. Tallon: Stefanie, my question would be, would the ad hoc, the agenda item for the ad hoc committee report be sufficient to discuss how to move forward with those recommendations and any educational opportunities. Bowers: Yes. And for those newest members, I think Joe you know this, but the ad hoc committee was based upon at last a partial recommendation from the Human Rights Commission. And so, that was looking at inequality as it related to what was, you know, the concern being that people of color were getting arrested or being treated differently with respect to certain city services. -18- Townsend: So we already have the agenda item set for our next meeting, so, do you feel there is any need for additional discussion at this time? Bowers: I don't know. Did you have something to say? Bowers: And if you could just say your name so I can mark it down. Jeff Cox: My name is Jeff Cox. I'm a history professor. I would just like to say a few things about the justice center. I've been involved with these issues of what I regard as over incarceration problem for 20 years. I was treasurer of the Alternatives to a New Jail campaign back in 2000. I was, as president of the faculty senate, set up a special committee to look into the over incarceration of students in the community, which is really how I got interested in this. You know, we have a disproportionate arrest rate of students in this community, of young people generally I think, but it shows up because we keep stats on students. Depending on how you count it, it is 17% of our BA students have a criminal record when they get their degree. This is way of whack. Others say 12 %. The University, I mean keeps telling me we don't arrest students. The University's best estimate is that 500 of our 19,000 undergraduates spend at least one night in jail per year. That means over the last 10 years, thousands of undergraduates have come here to get an education and have ended up in jail, as their experience of Iowa City. The Sports Illustrated only two years ago listed the University of Iowa Athletic Department as the second most criminal athletic department in the nation. Is this because our student athletes are criminal? I'm on the Presidential Committee on Athletics and I can tell you they are not disproportionately criminal. What we have is a disproportionate arrest rate on our Iowa City police force, which is, I believe is a serious humans right issue for our young people who grow up in this community. Now, we have had two successful campaigns to defeat an expansion of incarceration in Iowa City. The 2000 campaign and then the most recent jail bond issue. What's changed between those two campaigns, was the growth of an African- American, largely working class African- American population in Iowa City and that changed the character of the debate. Finally when the jail committee wrote out its proposals in the spring, there was no mention of race at all. They just said population growth, we've got to have more beds. Well, incarcerations rates are not a function of population growth. They are the function of policing policy. If it were just a matter of population growth, the United States wouldn't be the largest prison. We have 5% of the world's population, 25% of the prisoners. It's policing policy that matters. And one of the things that we did in this no campaign, late I have to say, is bring up the issue of The New Jim Crow. A lot of people in Iowa City know Michelle Alexander's book, the New Jim Crow. I think it was like the book that everybody was supposed to read one year and everyone started wringing their hands, saying isn't this horrible, 12% of African- Americans in America, 45% in prison. Well to and behold, 5% of the population or maybe 6, depending on you count them in Iowa City, 40% of the inmates in the jail. So the proposal to build a new jail is a proposal to make things worse, to make the new Jim Crow worse. And that's why I am here to encourage you to take a stand on this May 5th bond issue. I've told people all along that I would support a new jail if it met current needs, which is 150 beds a night, which is what we need. We need to build a jail to meet our current needs and figure out a way to incarcerate fewer people, not more people. We need a plan in place before we approve any expansion, because any expansion of the jail is simply going to make the new Jim Crow worse in Iowa City. You know, people kind of -19- make fun of us for this slogan, if we build it, they will fill it, but I think it's true. And all you have to do is look at the soaring arrest rates in this town. Between 2009 to 2011 the Johnson County Drug Task Force doubled its drug arrest, doubled it. The population didn't double. They put resources into this in this drug arrests. Now, there are other issues besides just jail beds in this new jail. Lonny Pulkrabek says we can expand treatment and education programs. Well, I've looked into these treatment and education programs. They're not treatment and education programs. They are alternative forms of punishment, that's what they are. Two hundred eighty - one people since summer of 2010 have been arrested for possession of marijuana and put into a drug education program. This drug education program is designed to force them to show remorse for something that's legal in Washington and Colorado and it's not too surprising that about 30% of them fail or unsuccessful, either they're unwilling to show remorse or they fail a urine test. Marijuana stays in, some of you may, much longer than more serious drugs and longer than alcohol. They put more people into these alleged diversion programs for marijuana possession than they do for all alcohol arrests put together, 202 have been put in there for alcohol, which can make yourself a danger to yourself and others. Two hundred eighty -one for first offense marijuana possession. Second offense, you're not eligible for this. What does it get you if you succeed, you don't get a conviction on your record, but the arrest stays. The arrest stays. Iowa City Police is harvesting our young people on marijuana arrest charges and those things stay on your record until you go into the _, I mean the nursing home. There you got a drug arrest for life. And believe me, employers, graduate schools, professional organizations all ask you not about your convictions; they ask you about your arrests. The law school here asks you about your arrests. They even ask about juvenile arrests, which are suppose to be confidential, right? The new jail proposal proposes to expand these education programs, which in fact are punishment programs and they are going to result not only in more African- Americans, but more young people generally being incarcerated and also being put into these education programs. Now, I'm addressing you as a body of the Iowa City City Council, which is really your, this is a city body, not a county wide body, because the people down at the county always say, oh well, it's all, everybody says it's somebody else's fault. And don't talk to us, talk to the Iowa City Police. They can talk to the Iowa City Police, but I would really encourage you to take a look at ways in which the policies of Iowa City are making problems of racial discrimination in this community worse. One is the high arrest rates, which is leading to bond issues. The other is trolling of young people for marijuana possession basically, they say we don't arrest people for marijuana possession, but they do. The other is the curfew. That curfew, I've never, I don't think there is anything about it that wasn't racist. Iowa City is one of the few communities in Iowa that didn't have a curfew because we're liberals here, until we had a significant number of African- American young people in town, and then all of a sudden, then all of the liberals are saying, "we've got to have a curfew." Now, what are the effects of this? One of the effects of it are more than half of the juveniles in secured detention, that is up in Cedar Rapids in jail, are African- American. I thought it was half, but somebody told me the other day, oh no, that's an underestimate. We're getting policies promote disproportionate minority contact because of the policing policies of Iowa City. And this may seem like a minor matter to you, but it doesn't to me. I grew up in the segregated south where there were signs everywhere telling black people where to sit, where to stand. I still talk of my father, who was a small town doctor. I've still got his colored waiting room sign; I tried to find it to bring it down here. I show it to class sometimes. Here's what it used to be like. All of sudden I go over to the Old Capitol Mall and there's a big sign that says stand 10 feet back from the glass doors. Ever since I've lived in -20- Iowa City, mostly white people have been standing behind the glass doors, waiting for the bus. Now all of a sudden, you have a significant number of African- American young people standing around down there with complaints about their behavior and a big apartheid -like sign goes up, stand behind the sign. I went by there during the break, it's a multiracial group of people that were inconvenienced now, but over the break I went back and there were 10 black teenagers standing behind the sign with a white security guard standing at the end, right? Wait a minute. This is what we're doing to the old racial issues in this town. So, I hope that you will speak up to the City Council on these issues. Whatever has been done on education and disproportionate minority contact obviously hasn't worked. Otherwise, we wouldn't have 40% incarceration. Before we expand the jail, we need a plan, we need a plan. The city needs a plan to reduce minority incarceration, not good intentions. So, I hope you will recommend to the city that they, unlike last time, that they oppose this until we get a plan in place. Thank you. Tallon: Actually, I have a question. Jeff Cox: Sure. Tallon: My question from you. You mentioned that you had two campaigns previously on this issue, are those going to become campaigns for the future? Or for this next referendum on this issue. Jeff Cox: Probably. I mean until we have some kind of. I mean we need to incarcerate fewer people, not more. Tallon: And my second question is, you mentioned a lot of numbers and you mentioned that you led a faculty senate review. Did those produce reports? Jeff Cox: Yeah. I'll send you one. Tallon: Could you send. Jeff Cox: It's called "The Hidden Cost of College." Tallon: Could you send them to Stefanie? Jeff Cox: Sure. Tallon: So they are correspondence. Jeff Cox. Yep. Bowers: I'll get you my contact information. Jeff Cox: Yes, No, I'll be glad too. I mean this was 2003, and it was a faculty senate report on students. I will say since then, there are so many issues here and there is so much misinformation, Chuck Green's empire, the Department of Public Safety, has doubled its budget -21- and now they used to have 10% of the intake into the jail, now they have 25% more. They have 12.5 %. The University administration, I really don't want to get into this, but this is a city, I mean, they've cut 60 ten -year to tenured classroom teachers while doubling the budget of the police and increasing the intake into the county jail from the Department of Public Safety by 25 %. So, here's an issue for the University as well. I mean, this thing is coming out from all sorts of directions from over incarceration and of minority African- American contact and, so I just encourage you to speak out on this. It's time for people to take a stand. Townsend: Jeff, I had a question. When you first started speaking, you indicated that 17% of UI students at UI basically by the time they get their BA have a criminal record. Jeff Cox: Have an arrest record. Townsend: Arrest record, okay. Now, did you ever break down on that in terms of them how many were minorities? Jeff Cox: No absolutely don't. Nor do I know what the minority figures on the athletic department. I tell you on the 17 %, there have been two different studies here by the Gazette and, one of them showed 17% and the other showed 12 %. Whether that's a downward trend, since the 12% will last, I don't know, but it's too high. Townsend: Another question and I'm not sure about this, but this is just hypothetically off my head, is it possible that a large part of the large arrests is a result that's money - making, budgetary advantages because once you're arrested, a lot of these arrests lead to having to participate in programs and things like that, those programs generate income. Is that possibly? Jeff Cox: I don't know. I am really very reluctant to say that is about money. I think that the people who are doing the arrests think they are helping people by getting. I don't think they're bad people with bad motives, but the fact is they're not helping people. They're hurting people and they're being hurt disproportionately in Johnson County. It's hard to grow up in this town without having an encounter with the police. Ask any parent at City High and they'll tell you that and nothing seems to affect the City Council's support for this. And I supported 21 only age thing, unlike a lot of my liberal friends because I thought maybe it would get people out of the downtown bars and out into drinking at home where they are less likely arrested, but so far that doesn't seem to have helped very much. But we need to do some serious thinking about ways to stop getting people into the criminal justice system in the first place and I think there are things we can do. This is not like the weather. The people down at the courthouse and the jail people they say, how many people we arrest, there is nothing you can do about it, doesn't matter how big a jail is, we're just going to keep arresting the same number of people. I don't believe that at all. I think we can do things, once we are committed to it. Tallon: My last thought for you is, you mentioned that you thought the 10 feet issue was a minor issue, but I think it is something that I have noticed as a student at the University when I started when you could just, I don't take the bus very often, but I walk through the Old Capitol and you could always stand wherever you wanted to and now you walk in, well it's not always necessary, -22- usually it's a mixed population, everyone 10 feet from the door, just standing patiently, it's kind of a weird scene, so I think that it's an important issue that if you make. Jeff Cox: I think, you know, if I were African- American, I mean I'm white, right, so I don't know how it looks. But I as a white southerner, I know that sign just slapped me in the face when I saw it. I thought that is really not right and what kind of message are we sending and, so I don't know how important it is to arresting somebody, I just bring that up for your _. Thanks for listening to me. I usually speak the usual 50 minutes the professors speak. Offsite Students and Academic Achievement Iowa City Community School District Townsend: Okay, next on the agenda, offsite students and academic achievements, Iowa City Community School District. Jessie? Harper: Yes, just looking at their responses here, one thing that kind of popped out to me right away is the general language that was used to describe the situation, you know, with the very first question, you know, historically less than 10 students per year, was that, you know, what does that mean? Like is that before it was this many, before. I just don't know. It seems like we're speaking very general when it comes to these questions. It also seems that this is prepared. This is something that has been brought to the attention of the Iowa City Community School District before and they have a pretty set way of handling the issue by reading over the policy, especially when you go into the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, that's one thing, you know, when, I won't say, not necessarily trying to answer the question, but when you're trying to go around, you tend to use things like this. Rather than me offering or saying what I viewed as the problem with his response, I would just like to take the role of offering maybe suggestions on what could possibly happen until there is more information that can be provided, because I just don't like to put things out there without having all the facts and, before I move to the suggestions of things that can, you know, possibly help, when you talk, I talk about the general questions here, so when it says that the District's curriculum is by certified teachers, is that what makes the whole city's school district an accredited district? Or, again, what does that mean? And then there is also the part where it says, there is usually not a large number of juniors or seniors in the offset programs because they are usually back into the high school. What happens to these children that have never been addressed as possibly ACT ready children and then come back their junior or senior year, it just seems like that is an automatic door of well you waited a little bit too long, maybe you placement courses, trade schools. When I was just reading those, I felt, I figured that, you know, everything was very general and I will offer that if there needs to be specific questions, that maybe we could think of those and I can definitely think of specific questions, but again, I don't want this to seem like I am being or the commission is trying to attack at all. I would like for this to be viewed as we want to offer suggestions, we want to work with the school district to address this issue because it has been brought to our attention. It has been identified in past issues that when you bring up this type of issue, it just does not work out well for either the individual or people involved in the situation. So, again, you know one of my suggestions would be rather than addressing or pointing fingers, what about working with the school as far as the ACT prompts. What is the actual goal and what is the road for students when they come to the high school as far as getting them ready for ACT. Is there a set curriculum or a set path that they have. What roads to the teachers and counselors have in -23- preparing the youth for ACTs and what does that look like? Yeah, so that's where, what I'm kind of thinking. Tallon: Jessie, when I was reading this, I was wondering how many students go to Tate? Because it mentioned only 10 or less. Which is from this too low to even report the scores. How many students go to Tate? Harper: As previously stated, we can't even give that information, because when we go to Tate's website, that information is not provided to us. I'm pretty sure we could find that information, but for anyone that is just concerned about this issue and wanted to bring stats or conclusions, they would not be able to do that because they don't have the specific stats in the beginning. Hanrahan: It's about 120. Tallon: About 120? So. Coulter: Jessie, I really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Because it, I feel like, "where have I been ?" when you brought this up. I don't, try to find out, where's Tate? What's this? You know, I hadn't heard of it, I didn't know what it was. I still don't know what it is. You sure won't find out from their website. Harper: It's an alternative school. Tallon: So I think that... Coulter: What's an alternative school? Is it high school? It said Elizabeth Tate High School. Hanrahan: It is a high school. Coulter: But then they had some, did have some stuff up on the menu for elementary school, so, it. How do they get into it? Is it a magnet school? Hanrahan: No, it's an alternative high school. Hanrahan: I talked to Ann Browning who is the principal. Jessie, this would be my personal, what I would say it is for folks who having academic challenges and barriers in the mainstream high schools, so that they have more opportunity for adjusted scheduling. I work with teen parents so the hours are 9 to 2:20 everyday without any study halls or breaks, so, it's a closed campus after noon so that students don't leave the rest of the day. They also have the Phoenix program there and that is what they offer at Kirkwood Learning Center, so it's a high school completion program that you do on the computer. So, in talking to Ann Browning, she, this was just earlier this week, that's the principal, she explained that most of the students by the time they were transferred to Tate, they didn't, already at that point they did not have the basic classes that they needed to take an ACT or to go the four year college route, chemistry, second language, and that kind of thing. -24- Townsend: Awhile back, Tate was an alternative school that the kids who were disruptive in the class or they were academic issues and things like where the kid basically couldn't function in the class and needed special attention. Tate is where they would send these students, but I just realized here a little while ago they've got multiple, many more programs now. You know, the Phoenix program at Tate. I just like to know how many programs do they have? And what is the purpose of each program, you know? Harper: I think you know, and this is another thing that I identify, which is originally when I brought up the idea of, you know, the kids not being academically ready for ACTs and also being ready for the ACTs and also the equivalent to the classes that they were taking, making sure that once they do come back to the high school that they are where they should be. Another one of the programs that was actually being challenged and thought of as, even if they are taking this program, when they're going out for a job or applying for a college, that it is not being measured up the same way as a GED or any other type of education. So, does anyone else happen to know about that? Or is that something, you know, anyone has addressed? As, like if the children are taking this Phoenix program, are they still eligible to, you know, apply to a college or, how exactly does that work? Because it just doesn't seem that... Hanrahan: If you complete your high school equivalency using the Phoenix program, you only can go into community college. Harper: Okay. Tallon: So if you have a high school equivalency, you can't go to a four year. Hanrahan: That's to my understanding. I am certainly not... Harper: Well, see the issue that I keep coming up with is that the problem is that the African- American population is being steered or geared towards that route versus you can take the ACT, you have the options. Here are some services that the high school will offer you to prepare. That's what I keep coming to when we talk about this issue, though. Tallon: An accurate statement of the problem you think that needs to be addressed is that the goal isn't the same at this school as other schools. The goal isn't to take the ACT and go to college. The goal is to get your Phoenix degree, would that be an accurate depiction? Harper: Hmm. Again, I wouldn't say that I like the idea or I would just stick with the children, the African- American students are being directed in that direction versus ACT is an option for you. Are you taking the necessary courses? Are you receiving tutor? Are you preparing? And I know it comes back to a personal accountability at some point, but at some level the school or, you know, teachers or counselors are somewhat accountable for what is happening. Townsend: Another issue that we need to look at is, the alternative schools and all of their programs they have. I would hope that the primary focus is still education, you know, quality education. I know that realistically the kids have behavior problems, some learning problems and in things like this, you know, they may not be able to keep up or function in the regular -25- program, but I am hoping that education is still the focus so that because of what program you put the child in, the student is still encouraged to achieve the maximum to their ability. Tallon: What can we do? Harper: Well, that's, you know, one of my recommendations was thinking about has there been other surrounding areas that have suffered from low numbers of African- Americans taking the ACT and feeling competent enough to take the ACTs. Have there been any programs or any resources that they have implemented in the area to decrease that issue? Also, when we talk about, when he says the building administrations so they can review the situation, and the bottom part, what does that mean? Also, if someone believes that they have been discriminated against, they can contact their building administrator and/or my office to discuss the district's grievance procedures. So, I guess what is that? You know, if a parent does address the issue of my son was, you know, never addressed as far as the ACTs, but he has another friend that is taking these courses, what does that look like? What is the next step? Is that something we could be helping with the process? Could we be looking at other sources to help the school administrators with addressing this issue? Tallon: Personally, I'm interested, I would like to know if there is anyway to get more numbers and compare that, not just the ones at Tate, but also to the city high schools, the two public schools. Coulter: You can get an of what the public school enrollments are by race, ethnicity, grade level, gender, and school buildings. And that would be the State Department of Education. I did an analysis of that for the Board of Regents. I never published it, nor did they ever publicize it. tell you, guess how many ninth graders, African- Americans three years later graduate? From high school? Yeah? Hanrahan: Forty percent. Coulter: You're close. Yeah, it's between 40 and 50 %. Tallon: That graduate or they don't? Coulter: They never graduate and then I was able to track this through my contact at ACT to find out how many take the ACT. Out of that _, it's like less than 10 percent. I know they exist because they are ninth graders. You can track this by year. Even though the population is growing because of in migration, not out migration, those losses are actually worse than what I found in the record. Tallon: What I think is that we should consider what we, our next step as a commission, I think the next step personally is getting those numbers that you mentioned. Coulter: We can get them. Tallon: And considering those numbers. -26- Harper: I would just like to, I do agree, but I think that we should put this on agenda. Coulter: Oh yea. We need to look at this. Harper: But yeah, I definitely agree with starting out, you know, with the stats, because although there are tons of personal stories, again, if you read the final paragraph, as you are aware, if there are specific incidences of students that believe that above is occurring, then we encouraged them. So it seems like without the statistics, they have heard this situation before from personal situations. Tallon: I think we can, if we get the numbers, and identify it is an inequity, we can present it with our thoughts on the diversity policy as here is one the inequities that should be addressed by the diversity policy. How does your diversity policy address ACT... Townsend: You know, we can make this an agenda item but you know, could you maybe have, give us somebody to give us insight what we need to be looking at. Coulter: I think that the first thing we should probably go ahead and ask the school to give us the data. If they seem unwilling, again, this probably ought stuff, our very talented and excellent staff person, but she should probably do the ask and if she's somehow , I'll get you the data. It's public record. Harper: And again, I would just like to emphasize along with the data that we are gathering, I would strongly encourage us to have a work with approach versus point fingers or this is what's happening, I strongly, to look at some services and to talk with the school if they are willing, you know, to address the issue. I want them to view us as we are concerned about the issue because we know we can help with it versus, you know, just pointing. Townsend: I agree. I think our approach can be, once we get information, you know, numbers can be deceiving. People working with the situation have different things they have to deal with, so we can take this is what we see, but can you help us to understand exactly why these things are happening, you know. Hanrahan: And if it is just a systemic problem. Tallon: I like this issue. I think it is an issue that we can be, we can make difference on, at a minimum, pointing to the school district and something that is already drowned out by a bunch of other things. Harper: Not to mention that, but as of right now there are new programs and new programs that are willing to offer what this is _ as far as ACT prepping. Getting youth ready that have traditionally been looked over. So it's now only we're bringing the issue up, we're bringing the issue up in the light of, hey, this does not need to remain an issue. There are programs here now that are helping, you know, to deal with this. So, you know, this is not the time to, whoa, we're -27- trying to hide this or make this into something bigger, but there is help out there and this does not need to continue happening because there's help. Hanrahan: Will those numbers cite building specific. Coulter: Oh yeah, you bet. I was amazed. I'm sorry, just to throw in a little anecdote. I was looking at this statewide and there was a little town down in southwestern Iowa, not even close to Omaha or Council Bluffs and all these African- Americans there. They're in _. Townsend: So we need a motion. Harper: I would like to move to add offsite students and academic achievement of Iowa City Community School District to our agenda. Tallon: I second. Bowers: Just to make it clear, the February 19th agenda? Harper: Yes. Bowers: Okay, just so that I request the correct information, you want the data from individual high schools as it relates to the total number of students who are there in the 9th grade and then... Coulter: They have the data, we want it by year and why don't we begin in 2000, by year, by race, by gender, by grade level, and we also want to know the number of graduates because that is a slightly different database. Townsend: I think also, what I would like to get information from the district on is, what criteria they use to place students in the various programs. Bowers: When you say the various programs, you mean the offsite programs? Townsend: Like Tate, the Phoenix program, and things like. What is the criterion basically is used to make a decision to put a student in those programs. Tallon: I would like to make a request that if, you don't mind Joe, that once she has the information, if she could send it out and you could maybe prepare a small summary of it. Or Jessie. Somebody, so we don't take up the whole commission time looking at the numbers and working on a summary, if somebody could write an analysis or a quick summary of what the numbers mean and what we should be looking for. Coulter: I think Stefanie can get the data. It's going to come in a raw form and I had to move a lot of stuff into excel sheets. I don't know what, I'm sure the data is there, but what form it is, it -28- may need some work, but Stefanie can sent that to all of us and those of us who want to work on it, will work on it. Harper: We're asking for kind of a summary of kind of what we're looking at. Tallon: I don't think all seven of us need to look at all the raw numbers and... Coulter: Oh okay. Tallon: I just picked you out because you are a professor, so ... I try to give professor. Tallon: Okay, then we have... Bowers: By year starting in 2000, by race, by gender, by grade level and you want the number of graduates? Coulter: For every school in the Iowa City School District. Coulter: Might as well get the whole thing. Just as soon as you start digging into this, oh where this? You know. Bowers: No, no, I just want to make sure I understand. Okay, so you want starting in the year 2000 by race, by gender, grade level and for every school in Iowa City. Coulter: K through 12. Bowers: Yes, okay. Coulter: And ungraded. There'll be a category of ungraded, that's where you find most of the minorities. They don't even put them in grades until the ninth grade and then they dump it, so that's why they dump it right out of school. Next Regular Meeting — February 19, 2013 at 18:00. Motion to Adjourn 19:43. -29- Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD 2013 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/15 1/28 2119 3/19 4/16 5/21 6/18 7116 8/20 9/17 10/1 5 11/1 9 12/17 Diane Finnerty 1/1/14 O/E X Orville Townsend, Sr. 1/1/14 X X Dan Tallon (Appointed 7/31/12) 1/1114 X X Kim Hanrahan 1/1/15 X X Shams Ghoneim 1/1/15 O/E O/E Jessie Harper (Appointed 615/12) 1/1/15 X X Katie Anthony 1/1/16 X X Joe D. Coulter 1/1/16 X X Harry Olmstead 1/1116 X O/E KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting/No Quorum R = Resigned - = Not a Member -30- Page 1 of 23 Minutes PRELIMINARY Human Rights Commission February 19, 2013 – 6 P.M. Helling Conference Room Members Present: Harry Olmstead, Orville Townsend Sr., Kim Hanrahan, Jessie Harper, Dan Tallon, Joe Coulter, Katie Anthony, Shams Ghoneim, Diane Finnerty. Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers Others Present: Jeff Cox This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Human Rights Commission meeting of February 19, 2013. Recommendations to Council: Yes. "To maintain the SEATS service %2 price fare as part of our commitment to the disabled and elderly communities of Iowa City." Call to Order: Chair Townsend called the meeting to order at 18:03. Consideration of the Minutes of the January 15, 2013 Meeting: Olmstead moved to approve minutes, seconded by Coulter. Motion passed. 8 -0. (Finnerty abstained —has not read the minutes) Public Comment of Items Not on the Agenda: IP10 Jeff Cox: I'm basically here to request, I know you can't discuss it tonight, but that you put on the agenda for the next meeting a proposal to pass a resolution opposing the construction of the new jail. I spoke to you at last meeting, and I know most of you know the basic facts of this basic information on this. I will say that this is an issue that I've been concerned with more than 20 years. I first got involved with and looking at the effects of over arrest and over incarceration on our students because I'm a professor. When I was president of the Faculty Senate we had a report out called the hidden cost of college about the effects of going to school in Iowa City, unlike some other places where we have up to 17% of our undergraduates graduating with an arrest record, and go out into the world with that on their resume. But my particular concern tonight is with the issue of race. I mean I think most of you are aware of Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow, in which she claims, and I think quite rightly that segregation is being imposed on this country with the disproportionate incarceration rates of African - Americans, which are nationally about 12% of the population is African- American, about 45% of those incarcerated. A lot of people think this is something that happened somewhere else, but it's happening here with 7% of the population and 40% of those in jail being African- American. This I think is just part of a broader trend in this community in terms of the way we're dealing with racial issues, which have just completely taken over local politics. The whole school election was about race last month. We've dealt with this issue by policing people, by arresting people, by telling people where to stand at bus stops, by subjecting them to curfews and . Most of these segregation policies come straight from the city of Iowa City. It is the city government that's responsible for the curfew, bus signs, and for an arrest rate that is increasing more rapidly than the growth of the population. The arrest rate in this town is an issue of policy, not an increase in crime or population growth. I'll just give one example. The Johnson County drug task force between 2009 and 2011 increased their arrest from 300 to 600. This bears no relationship Page 2 of 23 to increasing _ activity in this community. It's a policing policy. The high risk policy is a policing policy. I've told Janet and Lonnie for several years that I would support a new jail if they would build one that would meet our current needs, which are 150 people a night. That's what we need that would meet our current needs, but they insist on growth. The effects of growth are going to be to incarcerate more African- Americans, make the new Jim Crow worse in this community, right here in this community. So I think that we should oppose the construction of a new jail until one thing happens. That is the city of Iowa City comes up with a plan to reduce the disproportionate minority arrest rates. OT: So you are requesting that we put it on our next agenda? Cox: Yes. OT: Since it's not on the agenda we really can't give... Cox: I understand. I'm just asking you to put it on the agenda. OT: I think you have some very good points and could you basically share those in writing with Stefanie so that we will be able to have discussion at our next meeting. Cox: Yes. JC: Orville would you be prepared for me to make a motion ? Would that be appropriate? OT: Yes that'd be appropriate. JC: I move that the Justice Center and the issue of incarceration rates and jail be on the next agenda of our next meeting. OT: The motion should read at Jeff's request. Cox: I can supply you with far more statistics that you want. OT: information will be able to discuss it at our next meeting. SB: You can forward it to me if you still have my contact information. KH: Is it appropriate that we get his email address so that we can discuss with him personally or what are the rules around that? I just have questions. SB: Yes that's fine. KH: What is your email address? JC: JeffreyLCoxl@gmail.com. I think this is an important issue and so I appreciate you considering it, thanks. Coulter moved to place on the agenda, seconded by Tallon. Motion passed. 8 -0. (Olmstead abstained - -no reason given for abstaining) Page 3 of 23 New Business: Elections SB: You just need to elect for the Vice Chair and I'll volunteer myself for Secretary. OT: For Vice Chair do we have any nominations? HO: I'll nominate myself. JC: I'll second that. OT: Any other nominations? Harry has accepted the Chair and I think we're to the point where we vote on it. Am I correct? SB: Do you want to amend your motion and include me as Secretary and that would avoid having to do it twice. JC: Sure. I'll amend my motion to include our Secretary. OT: Okay so the motion for Harry as the Vice Chair and Stefanie as Secretary. All those in favor? Olmstead moved to elect as Vice Chair with Bowers as Secretary, seconded by Coulter. Motion passed 9 -0. UNA Night of 1000 Dinners SB: There are three a -mails received just to give a rundown of the event. It is being held on Thursday, March 7"' as Orville stated. It's being held at the Old Brick, and it's an international dinner that includes a speaker, music and silent auction. The theme this year is Iowa City and the United Nations in celebration of International Women's Day. The speaker will be Professor Durham and she will be discussing the Lolita Effect, co- sponsorships are $100 per organization, which would entitle the Commission to one ticket, one complimentary ticket for a Commissioner to attend the event. OT: Are asking for a donation Stephanie? SB: A co- sponsorship is how they worded it. OT: Have we done anything with them in the past? SB: Yes. Last year the Commission did give a donation or co- sponsor this event. About $750 to date that the Commission has used in co- sponsorships or donations. OT: Do you remember how much we gave last year? SB: I don't believe this number is any higher than it would've been last year. OT: Discussion? DT: Do you know how many more co- sponsorships we will have this year? Page 4 of 23 SB: I have no idea. HO: I move that we sponsor the event. JC: Second. OT: Do we need an amount? HO: I think organization right? SB: Correct. HO: For $100. OT: It's been moved that we sponsor, give a sponsorship of $100, is there a second? SG: I'll second it. SB: Joe had actually seconded that or not? JC: Yes. SB: Harry made the motion and Joe seconded. Olmstead moved to co- sponsor at $100, seconded by Coulter. Motion passed. 9 -0. SB: Is anybody interested in that one ticket March 70'9 I don't know that they gave a time for the actual event. I know in the past I want to say it started at 6:00, but I can confir-m that. OT: Do we know who the speaker is? SB: It's a Professor Durham. I believe they said she was in the Women's Sexuality, the Department of Gender, Women's Sexuality Studies. I still don't see a time of the actual event starting at 6 or 7 PM timeframe, but I can get that information. DT: Does it matter that we missed the deadline for co- sponsorship? SB: Actually they extended it and the last email it says February 21St, so it kind of got extended over time. KH: I would be interested in going. SB: Okay. I'll get you the time then and send that out. Proclamations for 2013 SB: This was the first meeting in January. We were discussing, it would have been the January 15th meeting, and there was a discussion about putting this item on the agenda to see what if any Page 5 of 23 proclamations the Commission wanted to do in the future. Certainly at tonight's meeting you don't need to necessarily select for the rest of the year, but obviously for the next few months would be helpful. What I included in the packet is a list of some of the more well -known monthly observances that are recognized; with the first being what Jessie will do tonight, the Black History Month proclamation. OT: Are there any actions that we need to take on this? SB: I would say only if the Commission would want to do a proclamation for National Women's History Month, which is in March. If they want to do one for Days of Remembrance, which is April/May time frame, and then the Asian Pacific American Heritage which is May. I would say just the turnaround on getting it to the mayor; it would be helpful for staff to know when the Commission would like to present proclamations, at least for the next few months. OT: Discussion? SG: Question I guess, has there been any other topics historically for proclamations SB: There are additional ones; I know the Commission has done one in December for Universal Human Rights, which is celebrated in December. That is the only additional one that I'm familiar with, in addition to Fair Housing. The Fair Housing Proclamation is in April of each year. It's not on the list that I found, but those are the two that would not be on the list that the Commission has done in the past. DT: I was just wondering if more than one organization can do a proclamation or not? SB: I'm guessing that one gets read, but both probably get signed if the mayor accepts them both. I find for time purposes that they probably don't read both of them if they're dealing with the same topic. DT: The Realtor Association has done Fair Housing in April in the past, so I didn't know if that was something we would do as well. SB: You know I think it just matters, I mean if that's something that you would like to defer to them that's certainly fine. DF: I was just going to add that I know that we've done things in honor of Pride Month _proclamation in June, and we've done the Pride Rally and ceremony and all that kind of stuff. SB: I don't think there's been a proclamation submitted by the Human Rights Commission, but I'm guessing that there's probably somebody for the community that does submit one. DF: If we wanted to do that it would be in June. SB: Thank you. SG: So here's a question. Anything that we can start or hasn't been on this list like something... SB: This list is just a list so I don't mean to imply by this list that this is a list of proclamations the Commission has done. Just so everybody understands that. The commission has done: Black Page 6 of 23 History Month, Universal Human Rights Month, Fair Housing, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. SG: I guess I'm thinking of and I don't know how appropriate or not to consider would be something addressing violence against women and children. Can it be somehow included in women's, but when is equality, that's just a different topic. DF: April is Sexual Assault Survivor's Month. KH: So if we were interested in doing a proclamation for each month is that saturating it by any means? SB: I think that's up for the Commission to determine. KH: I know that, but then I'm saying so then how do you pick and choose? OT: That would just be up to us. JC: National Women's History Month is coming, that at this meeting that we, I would move that the Commission do proclamations for National Women's History Month, the Days of Remembrance and those two, and that this be an agenda item on future meetings. DF: I'd be fine with us doing something on a monthly basis and kind of just honoring communities in our community. Part of me is also kind of like where is the . I'm not sure the purpose a proclamation serves, and if it is simply an acknowledgment I think that's powerful, but it'd be nice if we had kind of a template proclamation, and if we can think about why do we think a proclamation is important to keep those principles in all of them. I think part of it is just recognition of the diversity in the community. We honor that and these proclamations indicate that, but I'd want to make sure that we are inclusive and very intentional about what SG: Something addressing immigrants. DF: If we then we have a member of that community assist with maybe a Commissioner representing it to the Council, that we think really intentionally about what do we care about in these proclamations. HO: Stefanie is possible that with these proclamations press releases can go out because the newspaper hasn't covered in the past when we do a proclamation. I'm wondering if press release may get some attention to it or add attention to it. I'll second Joe's motion. SB: We can try. HO: I'll second Joe's motion. OT: Joe for the ones that you indicated? JC: Yes that we do proclamations and I read it and have our press releases. Can we do these two that are immediately coming up in March, National Women's History Month and Days of Remembrance, which is in April and that we revisit this list ? OT: Okay the motion has been seconded. Page 7 of 23 KH: Can I put in an amendment and also include the Sexual Assault Survivor's and Violence Against Women's Month because that is in April/May as well. DT: Could we make the Days of Remembrance the May, and then just have one for each of those three months so we don't have more than one a month? OT: Okay clarification on the friendly amendments. SB: So the Day of Remembrance would be switched to May, and then April for Sexual Survivor's Month. Do I have that correct Diane the sexual survivors? DF: Yes. SB: That would be April. DF: What day Holocaust Remembrance Day falls DT: Okay its Sunday April 70' and Monday April 8th. SG: So which one are we going to do? DT: Well I don't think we necessarily have to do everyone every year. OT: We could vote that we've got coming up and we have a motion and a friendly amendment to handle that. So if we vote on that and then have this as an agenda item, and then the next we will outline what we want to do for the rest of the year. Does that sound like a game plan? SG: What's in March? SB: National Women's History would be March. SG: Okay and then April is? SB: Sexual Assault Survivor's Month, and then May would be Days of Remembrance. DF: I would actually recommend, even though there's two in April, that we stay with Holocaust Remembrance Day is in April, and that's really the pinnacle of kind of like a lot of the activities that we take, but we just have two in April. DT: When are the City Council meetings in March, in April? SB: In March they are the 50' and the 191h, and in April they are the 9th and the 23rd. DT: So could we put the Days of Remembrance actually on March 191h so that it predates the meeting because otherwise it would be past the date since April 7th is the... Is that a bad idea? HO: Somebody would have to agree to go to the Council meeting for the proclamation. KA: The last one? I mean it would be like the last meeting in March? Page 8 of 23 SB: It would be the same meeting date as this Commission which is the 190'. KA: I'll do it, that's fine. SB: And then what about for the 5th then for the Women's History? Does anybody want to, what happens if nobody is there to accept; it's not read at the formal meeting and the mayor just signs it. That's the difference between somebody being there and somebody not being there, and of course I always have to mention this disclaimer that they are the mayor's proclamations and so technically he could always decline a request to do one. I haven't seen that and I'm definitely not saying that that is going to occur, but just want everybody to know that. KH: What was the date of that one? SB: It would be the March 50i, which would be a Tuesday. Katie is doing the 190'. KH: I can do March 5h. SB: Thank you. OT: So we have a motion and we have a friendly amendment so we have the assignments. Motion passed (9 -0) SEATS HO: I asked this to be put on the agenda for two reasons. The city staff is recommending to the City Council that in the upcoming budget that the half fares for the disabled and elderly in our community be eliminated, and the half fares account for 90% of the rides that Seats users use. Those are people that live at or below the poverty level, and I feel it's very discriminatory in one sense, and I think again disenfranchising a group of people in our community that are suffering already financially and don't need to have any more suffering. The other thing is that they are also recommending elimination of Sunday service, which they don't have to provide. They only have to provide it during the fixed route times. They do have to provide a paratransit system in the community because we have fixed route systems, and federal laws says if you have fixed route systems you have to have a paratransit system. But only have to stop during the times the fixed route system operates, and we have those Sunday services with fixed route because Sunday for paratransit has been kind of a gift in kind so to speak. I'd like us to take and send a message over to the City Commission that we urge them not to eliminate the half fares. DT: So you want to focus on the half fares and not necessarily the Sunday service? HO: Well we could do both. DT: If you had to pick one you though you would....? HO: The half fares. DT: Is more important? KH: How much does it cost? Page 9 of 23 HO: For a half fare its $1.00 one way or $2 roundtrip versus $4 for full fare. DT: And fixed route services are still $1 per way correct? HO: Right. DT: I agree with you. HO: The cost savings to the city if they eliminated the half fares are $120,000. KA: Is that also eliminating Sunday or just the...? HO: No, that's just for the half fare. They didn't come up with a figure for Sunday service. DT: Is that just the city's portion or is that.... DT: In order to eliminate the half fare would the city and the county have to agree? HO: No. The county is already agreed $100,000 in their budget, and that only will go down now because the budget , it can't go up. The other thing to make you aware of is the average cost of a ride in the city is $16 and some cents per one -way, so half fares they're only paying a dollar, and a full fare is $2. The city is absorbing $14 or $15. DT: Do city and county split it completely or does some of the money also come from like the federal and state transportation money? HO: My understanding is that there is no federal or state transportation money. KH: And the county is phasing out of...? HO: The county is going to take a phase out of subsidizing, what they're calling subsidy to the city of Coralville and the City of Iowa City. This year they're giving Iowa City $100,000 and next year it will be $50,000 and in 2016 it will be zero. OT: It sounds like a half fare of SEATS is quite a bit less than any other mode of transportation that would be available. Is that correct? HO: No. It's equal to a fixed route. It's the same as an average person on the street would pay going on a fixed route. OT: I was just thinking as opposed to them eliminating it would be more advantageous to encourage them to consider increasing the fare? Would that be feasible? HO: The fare was just increased this last year. So I doubt they want to increase it again, it was July of last year was increased. DT: But this is basically increased on most of the customers? HO: Yes. The half fare used to be $.50 and they increased it to $1. The full fare was $1 and they increased that to $2. Page 10 of 23 DT: But you said 90% of the people that ride it qualify for the half fare? HO: Yes. DT: So elimination of the half fare is just a fare increase basically. OT: Would it be better for the individuals riding SEATS if they were to increase it again as opposed to eliminating it? HO: I'm sorry I don't understand your question. OT: I guess what I'm saying is I hear you saying that they just increased the fare up to $1, $.50 to $1, but now you're talking about eliminating the service? HO: Well now they eliminate half fares which means that it would go from $1 to and $2 for one -way. DT: What is the cutoff for qualifying for half fare, is it just the federal poverty line or? HO: Well the application is in your packet and they asked for you to be either on Medicaid or food stamp program, family investment program or supplemental security income. DT: So it's a fairly high bar to meet, you have to be pretty dependent on okay. Yes I'm supportive. Personally I think transportation should be free, but I think the half fares would be. I mean I don't see why somebody that was disabled needs to pay more than _ somebody else to ride a transit system. I mean it's a little more difficult for them to get to a traditional bus stop so. HO: Could you put that in a form of a motion? I'd rather not because I've been personally involved in this for some time now. KH: I'm just curious. So is Coralville or University Heights involved in what's happening with SEATS at all? HO: Yes. Coralville the figures for them from the county this year is $50,000 and next year is $25,000, and the third year will be zero. University Heights I'm not sure how that is handled with the county, that hasn't come up. Coralville charges, they don't have a half fare in Coralville for those riders that come out of Coralville. They pay full fare. DT: I would move that, should it be in the form of just a recommendation to the council or what would you like? HO: I think in form of a recommendation to council. DT: I would move that we recommend that the city maintain the half fare price as part of our commitment to the disabled and elderly community of Iowa City. KA: Second. OT: Any discussion? DT: I think it falls within a more traditional view of the Commission to support the rights of people to live, but I also think that these people rely on it. I mean you need transportation around the city Page 11 of 23 to get to work, to be a part of the economy, to be a part of the... go to the hospital. Putting it into just the view of just the hospital if we increase the price of transportation that's a cost of going to the hospital, we're increasing the price to these people of getting to the places they need to go for medical care or just to be a part of Iowa City. So I think it's very important. OT: We have a motion and we have a second. Roll call. Motion passed 9 -0. Old Business: Youth Awards (Tallon no longer present) OT: Youth Award on May 15f. SB: Just a friendly reminder to get it on the calendar. KH: When do we start marketing? SB: I'm hoping that first full week in March because I believe March I" falls on Friday, so that first full week in March. JC: I have a query as we move into these old business agenda items. I did not see, and maybe there isn't supposed to be, but any minutes or anything about meeting where we discuss these? SB: Sure the meeting minutes actually are still in draft form and I have to go through them one more time. The hope was to have them for today, but they're just in a raw form. Iowa City Community School District's Diversity Policy (Harper not present) JC: Well I think this is good continuing the issue. I don't think it's past this at all. The school district has gotten themselves into quite a situation, but with respect to the state and the federal government that regulates the free and subsidized school lunch. I had hoped to have some more information and I think we ought to go ahead and try to get this information, that more particularly is even finer grain than the information that we've gotten here about enrollment. Enrollment by race, ethnicity, gender just by schools in Iowa City. either from census tracks or again the state may or may not provide this because you have to, if you get too fine a grain or get down too close you run the risk of identifying people. So there may be restrictions on whether we can get it, but what I'm talking about is I'd like to get the free and subsidized school lunch data by school. I think what you're going to find is what I've already seen in some preliminary maps that the school board was using, that racial ethnic minority enrollment — subsidized school lunches are in the same place. The only real issue about getting it is that if you start getting down to single _ schools for example, well I'll use a real example. If we got say Lincoln School, which has very few minorities and very few federal, that maybe only a handful of people like six people. That data should not be disseminated because it is too easy to identify who those individuals are. So either the State Board of Education or anyone else is going to, should not make that available. OT: That sounds like the reply that I received or the Commission received in regards to the other schools ACT scores. They're saying that the numbers were so low that they couldn't release them because they'd run the risk of identifying. Page 12 of 23 JC: You always have to, or I think we always should try to obtain as much good data as we possibly can to make decisions and discussions based on facts. But that is one of the limitations is when you get into race, ethnicity, social economic status and so forth, those ... OT: Is there any way around the issue because that honestly seems like something... JC: It can be, the way to get around it is to aggregate it. If you get into say an individual school district that is so low that you run the risk then you just combine it, say the two adjacent or three adjacent school districts. OT: The thing that concerns me and it also amazes me is that this policy has been discussed on several levels and it's been approved. But there is no indication... JC: _ school district, it has not been approved by the state. OT: I know but I'm trying to district, but it was approved and there is no clear indication as to, you know where it's going. I mean it just came up and identified some areas that might you know give some indication of what to work for, but it amazes me that they haven't been required to give more specifics. JC: Actually the letter from the state says you're going to have to come up with a different plan. KH: The lawyer for the school district is saying that, that they can SG: The language with the Iowa City Press Citizen Board has been in a closed meeting with the officials from the school district. The language was the issue of concern because they used minority in a way that means only social economics. JC: diversity. SG: Exactly, but they've been using it as a key for why they want redistricting and you know distributing students across the district. So you don't have 100% say, it's not of course 100 %, but the majority would be of one has children that do qualify for lunch assistance or they have issues, whether it's learning issues or what have you. So all they've tried to do is to distribute it all over the district so they are not concentrated. Like Roosevelt for example had a very high number of students who are considered low economic _. Right get their free lunches, so that was the main concern at least would be the discussion with the school district that they're using minority, but minority doesn't mean that. I thought that was very confusing and vague, and also really wrong. OT: So if they're trying to create or develop a better balance. SG: Exactly, across the schools. OT: Then that would be very nice in an ideal world, but to achieve that balance they're going to have to impact the students that , transportation and things like child care, and kids that can walk to school. Now they'll have to have parental presence, so I mean... SG: It's a very controversial issue because many of the students say from one specific group or another I mean economically. Impacted students want to stay in their own neighborhoods. They don't want to be bussed away, and that will and so that's an issue that I don't know how they can resolve it. They're trying to get equity, economic equity, but not diversity. Page 13 of 23 OT: Obviously this is a very interesting topic. I guess what we probably need to do is is there anything specifically that we have concerns about. SG: Language. OT: Do we want to take any specific action on it so you know. JC: I think this is going to be a continuous thing and I agree with you Orville, but I think we should take a step. These will be a series of steps as this issue evolves. It's still very fluid. OT: Would it be appropriate Stefanie for us as a Commission to express concern to the school district and request that they give us some indications of the impact that it's going to have on students involved, and what actions they plan to take to like transportation and things like that. Is this something we should be getting involved in? SB: I think part of that question is probably so you know as of today it might be a little quick to ask for that information when I think its forthcoming is my understanding even from the articles that are in the packet. OT: Can I make a suggestion? DF: The thing that I would say is when I got calls from School Board members after the Human Rights Commission made its statement, and what I've heard from why aren't we all sitting down and talking in the sense of some of these things are explainable and some are not, those are good ideas. I'm wondering if there might be something we can do proposing a joint meeting to an Iowa City Human Rights Commission and the Iowa City School Board. For me it's about racial equity, it's about redefining of language. So what we do on social economics I think has a lot to do with our City Council it's done in the terms of housing policies. So I think it implicates our city in lots of ways, but I'm wondering if we might want to do a roundtable discussion versus kind of throwing letters back and forth. JC: Well and I think this might compliment the need that I think we have of obtaining more data, getting it directly from... OT: I guess you know mistake and I agree with you Diane, but I was just thinking when it comes time to figure out what is our role in this whole thing. I guess now that I think about it maybe our role is to not over react, but to wait until something comes out and we have a document that we can look at, and then let's look at that document and see how we feel about the rights of students and whether they have been compromised or we can get a better picture of maybe how we should react once we have something. JC: I agree with you and I think that's ultimately what is forthcoming, but even before that I think that we could either invite or however would be appropriate to express this is to sit down and have a face to face meeting between the Human Rights Commission and the School Board about this issue because we're concerned as a Commission about what may be some issues. We're in need of information and rather than waiting until ... let's begin some discussions. Is that not what you're suggesting? DF: Yes. I think what happens now I remember I was quoted in the paper as something like let's focus on educational outcomes or . So I started getting the calls from the _ and like you Page 14 of 23 have no idea about educational outcomes, and there's going to be . Why didn't you sit down and talk with us and .... and it's like hey great. So I'd almost like to say we'd love to sit down and talk with you. OT: Well you know and I HO: I was just wondering Stefanie if we have a sort of meeting like that, do we have to announce to the public as well correct? I wonder if we might not be better off having representatives of the Commission, three representatives from the Commission meet with school board members. DF: So not a quorum so that... HO: Right. SB: It would have to be on both sides because they would have an open meetings too. So it would have to be like a subcommittee of the School Board also. JC: I think that would be good. DF: Representatives of both .... SG: But then afterwards, after the two sides and those represented from both groups meet we're going to have to talk about it here and that's public. JC: That's alright. OT: That is something basically we have to respect the that we get from them, but I think we can handle that. I think the most important thing is that we have a comprehension of what's going on, and in all fairness to them so that we're not making assumptions and things. Once we get that information then we can decide you know with Stefanie's guidance what would be the appropriate way to handle it. DF: I'd make a proposal that the three of us who are interested in making that kind of a meeting that we volunteer and then that group is a subcommittee and then bring the proposal back here for what they believe will be the Human Rights Commission stance and or actions. HO: I second that. DF: action SG: I'm thinking that before our three representatives go and meet with them, is that we actually as a Commission articulate the questions that we would ask, as a group. Why are we meeting? I mean you can go three and three and without an agenda, without any focus that may not be very clear. JC: Well it may be that we need to have more than one meeting because are they trying to, so little information coming up with the right questions. We may need to a little hard to do. OT: What we could do is I think Diane had a good recommendation, that we have a committee of three that we appoint, the Commission appoints, that will basically coordinate this in terms of getting together with the school district. That committee can basically get the questions that they Page 15 of 23 feel; whatever you feel you need to do you can communicate with us and get feedback. But I think the committee would pretty much coordinate it and get it set up. Is that what you're saying Diane? DF: And the people can see... JC: Can you put that in a form of a motion? SG: So you don't think we should have all of us together articulate these questions and then have these questions taken by the three members? OT: Yeah I'm not saying we shouldn't do that. What I'm saying is once the committee gets together, if the committee wants feedback from the rest of the committee you can request that from us and we'll give you that information in terms of questions that need to be presented. Are you saying you want feedback from the whole Commission? SG: No. What I'm saying is the Commission as a group discuss what are the questions we need answered. Then the three member Commissioners would take these questions to the meeting with the board. JC: It might be premature however to try to make these questions if the absence of any dialogue. I would like to have some more information from the School Board, and then bring it back to this Commission, and then based on that information this group then articulate what the issues and the questions they want answered. I'm agreeing with you, but I'm just saying it's a preliminary step; at least I'm so much in the dark as to what may or may not be going on here. KH: I think it's also an opportunity to gather more information for clarification. For instance, you know the red flag one is that what about all these students are being bussed? Well we're already bussing 40% of our students in the school district. So I mean some of it is just understanding more about how they've come to make some of the choices that they've made, and gathering more information and then bringing it back to the Commission. Maybe then there will be some specific questions. JC: I think we wouldn't waste time and get right to the point. DF: I propose that Iowa City Human Rights Commission send a delegation. Well first we need to approach the Iowa City, I propose that the Iowa City Human Rights Commission approaches the Iowa City Community School District Board and ask that if a subcommittee comprised of three members of ours and about three of there's could meet to help the Commission better understand the diversity policy so that we can determine future actions if needed. OT: Okay so it's been seconded, vote. Do we need Jessie's vote? OT: So now we just need to get our subcommittee together. DF: I would volunteer. JC: I would volunteer. HO: I'd like to see Jessie on the committee. Page 16 of 23 OT: Let's wait because the politics of it you know, let's wait and see how he feels about it. SB: Technically there could probably be four because five is a quorum. So three is fine and that's how the motion was, but if you wanted to have like an alternate or something, then you could have four. I think the school board is seven members, so they wouldn't have the same luxury. You might want to do three on three just so that there's not overrepresentation. OT: I'll serve as the alternate and when Jessie comes if he wants to do it I'm an alternate, and if he doesn't then I'll probably take the slot. Finnerty moved for the Commission to form a delegation comprised of three Commissioners to meet with members of the School Board and then come back to the Commission with recommendations concerning the diversity policy, seconded by Coulter. Motion passed. 7 -0. (Harper and Tallon not present for vote.) Offsite Classrooms and Academic Achievement in Iowa City Community School District JC: That's Jessie. OT: Why don't we come back to that. SB: And the proclamation too because that's why he's presently not here. Updates/Reports: African American History Month Proclamation JC: That's what Jessie is doing. Immigrant Subcommittee Municipal Identification KH: I don't have any current updates for those Commissioners who may have missed what was decided at January's meeting. Gloria and I will be representatives of the Human Rights attend some of the more solid meetings like the roundtable meetings and anything Robin or anyone has so instead of pulling those leaders and inviting them to join another meeting. We will be available similar to a listening post concept where we would just be there as representatives of the Commission, and any questions or concerns back to the . We have not so OT: Okay how about the identification? SB: There's a memo in the packet that was from Geoff to the City Council. I highlighted it and I can certainly read it. Staff will be directing the first recommendation related to municipal identification cards to the Ad hoc Diversity Committee, which has briefly discussed this issue. Therefore we recommend that the City Council wait for the final report. It's right after the statistics. DF: I've seen the draft of the Diversity Committee's report. Was this ID one of the recommendations that came out of it? I don't think so. Page 17 of 23 SB: This was dated January 20 but. DF: There's been a draft of the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee's report and I don't remember the municipal ID was one of the recommendations that came out of that report. JC: Well no, wait a minute. It must be, that issue must be included in our report that we will be reading tomorrow. DF: Okay. So the draft I saw is what I don't remember if it was or not so. JC: It's not in the draft. DF: May I express that the Diversity Committee meeting some members that we recommend that it is in there. JC: It's mandatory that it be in there yes. OT: Well when are they planning .... JC: If you take a look at our Ad Hoc then you will actually see it in the minutes in all the stuff that was put in there. Our recommendations, which were together at tomorrow's meeting include a requirement to make a recommendation or to second the recommendation in regard to the municipal ID. OT: I must have missed that. JC: Well its right here. OT: I guess basically there is quite a few things that we've talked about, but those things have just been topics. Tomorrow we're working on final recommendations now, so I guess the issues we need to make sure that this is one of the final recommendations. JC: It's on our to do list I promise. SB: Then just to finish up this memo. As to the signage it says that staff will be evaluating the recommendations throughout 2013 and will consider such changes as part of the anticipated city hall front lobby remodel, and as public information documents are produced. DF: Were there other recommendations besides the municipal ID? I don't remember exactly. KH: There were signage. JC: Yes there are. SB: In the December packet and I can resend that, but it actually went to certain departments. DF: I remember reading them, but I guess since we've only gotten a response from the city on two of the items. Is that accurate? KH: Right. Page 18 of 23 JC: What the city did was defer them and waiting the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee. DF: Just the municipal ID question was deferred to the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee. JC: But there's another one. OT: I think what's going on is the Ad Hoc Committee as I see it is we've been meeting. We have two committees, transportation and law enforcement, and the subcommittees have been working together, and then we at the last meeting we started discussing you know finalizing our recommendations. Then tomorrow we will continue doing that and so a lot of things have been floating around. I think what it comes down to is tomorrow it's an open meeting, and I think we're going to be finalizing the recommendations tomorrow. So this is one that definitely, if I'm hearing right, you feel needs to be and if it's not there already it needs to be included. DF: Yes and I was thinking, and this is why . Let's say there were five proposals that came out of the Immigration Subcommittee, and what I see is addressing is two of the five. SB: I think the recommendation said other additional languages as needed. DF: I'm not speaking of anything I know because I thought the report said there's the ID, signage and there's this and this. KH: We asked that each of them be considered independently, so what she's saying is that they were only responding to two recommendations. DF: So what I don't have is the recommendations in front of me. I thought there were more than two, and hearing the city respond to signage and municipal ID, which I think is great. I'm wondering what's happened if there were other recommendations in the Immigration Subcommittee's report. Who will be reviewing the other recommendations? KH: Well one was staff training, that staff be trained on a language line, and .... SB: So you're talking about the content in the? OT: I think what the problem that we run into is that we've been given a lot of materials and a lot of recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee. The problem that we run into is we have to keep our major focus on what our charge is and that's transportation, law enforcement. Some of the things basically can fit directly into what our charge is, and I think what we're thinking about doing is having a separate section of materials that aren't directly involved with our responsibility, but we will be recommending to the City Council. SB: She's referring to the Human Rights Commission subcommittee on immigration. DF: It's less for me that with the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee is going to do, it's more for me about how have the City Council members received our recommendations. They've delegated two of them, which is great and I applaud that. One was delegated to the Ad Hoc Committee and one was delegated to the staffing. I'm wondering what's happened, have the remaining recommendations of this Commission subcommittee been... Page 19 of 23 SB: I'll check on that. I understand what you're saying. I'm not sure how this filtered down so I'm not sure if the memo was Geoff sending the memo out as staff or if he was directed to from the Council. So that's, I understand what you're asking, so that's just more information that I'll have to get. You're talking about the Immigration Subcommittee's report? They were numbered and there might have been confusion, but I'll follow up on that so. OT: Okay now we need to back up. (Jessie Harper returns) We have a subcommittee to communicate with the school district about the Diversity Policy, and you were selected for that committee. Are you interested in being on the subcommittee? JH: Yes. OT: Then we have the African American History Month proclamation. JH: Yes that's what I just OT: Moving back Offsite Classrooms and Academic Achievement, I think that was yours. JH: The best thing I can say right now is I need more time to look at the data that we have. Along with what has been provided to us and then also just some general stats. But would it be okay or acceptable for Commissioners to talk with each other about it? SB: The problem is if you get into too many and then you have a meeting that needs to be public. So as long as you're four or under you're okay. That's the issue, and that would include email too so don't, if you send an email to eight Commissioners that's going to pose a problem so four is the magic number. JH: Okay thank you. Building Communities OT: We had our meeting at the library and had a decent turnout. We explained to the individuals participating what we were trying to do and answered their questions. We informed them that if they were willing and interested in continuing that we would be basically scheduling another meeting in the near future. What I've done Stefanie is we've sent emails to our young black professionals working in the district, in the area of Iowa City, and we asked them to give us feedback on what they felt were the top five issues that needed to be addressed. When we get all that information we will compile that, and then we'll be calling another meeting of the whole group to see how many are interested in going the distance with us, and then we'll share that with them and see how they feel we ought to proceed. That's where we are to date with that committee. I was pretty pleased with the meeting, how about you Jess? JH: Yes I think the meeting went well. The turnout was good and individuals were up to what we were discussing. A lot of people signed up and were interested in the topic and want to see the community grow in Iowa City. University of Iowa Center for Human Rights OT: I wish I could report more. A press release is coming out this week to give the information on what's going on, but we're very pleased with what Provost Butler has offered. I can say that the Page 20 of 23 Law School is going to be involved with it, and that's about all I can say at this time. We just don't want to upstage Provost Butler. Reports of Commissioners (Finnerty not present) SG: I don't know if this is something that we can address or not, but we'll talk about it anyway. I was approached by, well I'm on the ACLU Iowa as you know for the directors, and we're working hard on issues of shackling and restraints of pregnant inmates. That's a hot topic right now. We're trying to get it into law rather than just administrative rules. So I don't know, I mean in my humble opinion this is a human rights issue, and I don't know how we can get involved or if it is appropriate at all. I think this is just outrageous what's happening. HO: Is this being done at the jail or at the prison? SG: Both, jails and prisons. It is left up the staff and department of corrections to make these decisions. I think it's just outrageous and I think we need to put pressure on the state and locally too to have this stopped. I personally today wrote an email to Senator Dvorsky, who is the one apparently sort of taking his very cautious time making a final decision regarding that's already in place. I called and left him a message too, but I think this is something we should consider addressing. JC: Do you have involvement with the state department in regard to this? SG: No. JC: I would recommend that you do because I'm on one of their Commissions, and we had that concern with Native American affairs. We regularly discuss treatment of native prisoners and their ability to practice their spiritual... possession of feathers and. Again it's a very similar kind of thing where there is not, it's often left to the discretion of the and there are abuses there. I would recommend that in addition to whatever we might want to participate that you avail yourself. JH: I would just like to express that I am very proud to be on the Commission, and I'm very excited in the direction that we are going as the new year approaches, new items, excited to get some work done. OT: Any other comments from Commissioners? HO: I have an article that appeared in the UI Alumni magazine for education about David Brown who is one of our former Commissioners, so I thought I'd share it. JC: I've passed around these inserts with some information I've pulled off of enrollment reports that Stefanie provided us with. I would just point out that if we become interested in things like the school diversity policy, that there have been some real changes here. If you look at the African American enrollment. Well first look at the five year enrollment, its declined by 700 and something, that the Black African American enrollment is more than doubled. The Hispanic Latino has quadrupled, and over here on the far right in the lower line where it says MLP and PI, that's the new designation. You're allowed because all of this is self - designation, MLP stands for multi- racial and PI stands for Pacific Islander. I just combined those two, but on the sheets those are actually treated separately. Page 21 of 23 JH: I was wondering what is a multi - racial what is? JC: It's self - identification. I could easily you know I'm _ American Indian, but I'm white. Well when I self - identify I always do American Indian, but I could just as easily and justifiably or you could say you're white. It's self - identification — that's what it is, and you don't have to have a card or nothing. If you say you're multi - racial that's one of the things you could do. Reports of Staff SB: I just want to mention some programing that staff is working on. One is one that has been growing for a long time, and another is a newer one. On April 2nd there will be a Learn Over Lunch at the Iowa City Public Library, meeting room A. It will be a program that's entitled US Department of State Hometown Diplomats. So there's actually a person who currently works for the Department of State and he's currently in South Africa, but his hometown is Iowa City so he's coming back to talk more about what he does and about what the Department of State does. That will be April 2"d and from 12:00 -1:00, bring your own lunch. The date hasn't been determined for this spring, but for the newer Commissioners usually or generally the Commission sponsors a job fair twice a year, and it is a job fair that is designed for people who are unemployed or underemployed, so it's not your university job fair. People may have GED's, spotty work histories, a history of incarceration. It's an opportunity to match job seekers with potential employers. Before the economy declined at our height we were looking at 45 employers at the job fair. Over the last few years 25 is a good number since we don't see the high number anymore. The types of jobs have also changed. A lot more temporary agencies come now, and a lot of places not offering, I don't like to say permanent job placements because any employer would tell you they have no permanent jobs. You know temp work versus somebody actually being hired for a long duration at will. That will be coming up in April probably towards the end of April, and so we are currently having planning meetings for that and trying to get employers lined up. HO: Where will that be this year? SB: Eastdale Plaza and the employers pay a registration fee, which covers the renting of the tables and chairs and advertising and things like that. It's a very well - attended event and we try to do help with resumes. You know talking to an employer and what questions to ask. How to explain a spotty job history or explain a criminal record, things of that nature. OT: I have a couple of questions in the packet here; new organization at the U of I. Since they are a new organization and they reached out to us, would it be appropriate to extend an invitation for them to maybe have a representative attend one of our meetings or how do we want to address this email? I think we should do something. SB: I think that's what they were looking for. I invited them to this meeting because there are you know opportunities to speak of items not on the agenda. I'm not sure; I think they kind of were looking for more of an invitation. I can certainly ask them to come, and it still doesn't necessarily have to be an agenda item. Somebody can speak for five minutes under the bylaws on something that is not on the agenda. The problem with that process is you really couldn't engage them in conversation. So if you thought you want to engage or have a discussion, then it's probably better to place them on the actual agenda. OT: I guess another approach is you know it would be appropriate that if they wanted us to, you know one of our representatives attend one of their meetings? Would that be appropriate? Page 22 of 23 SB: Yes and I can do that too. How this came I gave a presentation to the University Human Rights class. One of the students was a member of this organization and that's kind of how they became familiar with the Human Rights Commission and wanted to reach out to the Commission. OT: One of the goals for this year is to have short meetings, so if no one has anything. HO: I move we adjourn JC: Second. OT: All those in favor ... Motion passed (7 -0). (Finnerty, Tallon absent) Adjournment: 19:31. Next Regular Meeting — March 19, 2013 at 18:00. Page 23 of 23 Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD 2013 /Mon +inn Ilts4n\ NAME TERM EXP. 1/15 1/28 2/19 3/19 4/16 5/21 6/18 7/16 8/20 9/17 10/1 5 11/1 9 12117 Diane Finnerty 1/1/14 O/E X X Orville Townsend, Sr. 1/1/14 X X X Dan Tallon (Appointed 7/31/12) 1/1/14 X X X Kim Hanrahan 111/15 X X X Shams Ghoneim 111/15 O/E O/E X Jessie Harper (Appointed 6/5/12) 1/1115 X X X Katie Anthony 1/1/16 X X X Joe D. Coulter 1/1/16 X X X Harry Olmstead 1/1/16 X O/E X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting/No Quorum R = Resigned - = Not a Member