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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-12 Correspondence1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 s 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 John Doe [Attorneys' Business Address] [City, ST ZIP Code] [phone I fax] [email] IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR JOHNSON COUNTY All injured persons of any person by low- income Welfare assisted county or federal DOLLARS OR RECIPIENTS Plaintiff, vs. IOWA Case No.: [Number] CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT FOR TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR EACH INJURE PARTY N Any Financer of low —INCOME HOUSING,BANKS ° o w JOHNSON COUNTY HOUSING PROJECTS,H.U.D. o DONATERS OF ANY,.MOhIEY.S'��- Defendant I intend to contact all people like me who' have been attacked in any way such as the Mexican„ o came here "o because the welfare give by some "FOOL"-in government, who thought•that building a "SLUM " -in Iowa City Was a good idea. One Mexican is going to cost the city of Iowa City $500,000,00. The Blackman who was Caught burglarizing home in Johnson Gounty- should be- as many years as possible for each count. �' 4w "YOU" people should not be putting the rest of us in danger by importing criminal from out of state just so some of the "WHITE'S" can feel like there doing "GOD'S" work. "BULL "The Blackman said he did it to support his "DRUG" habit,Not because he couldn "t fmd a job,pay his "RENT , "FEED" his four kids. Only In support of Of the "MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL "who gave me a death threat "sent by a "MEXICAN" As a Iowan and Blakman' Who a product of this environment of IOWA A"'JOURNEYMAN CARPENTER- CRAFTSMAN" As the Blacks that from out of state are a product of there state "MURDER'S BANK ROBBER'S,CAB- ROBBER'S I,ME don't feel I can just stand -by and watch some one get "KILLED" in downtown Iowa City and not Cry "wolf' about. "WE" must stand together as men and fight this threat together as ONE. "VOTE NO ON NEW LOW -INCOME housing,You can say I told you to do IT" the Dated this [day] of [Month], [year]. CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT FOR TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR EACH INJURE PARTY - 1 V I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 r THE LIFE YOU SAVE MIGHT YOUR NEIGHBOR'S a A p, - ( /I a 3 �`��T r3�ss�ras TC4�)o� r- 52�4�- CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT FOR TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR EACH INJURE PARTY - 2 i 4 Marian Karr From: lucyapple@mediacombb.net Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 5:49 PM To: Council Subject: Gateway Project - Myers Attachments: FLOODPLAINS WORK TO PREVENT FLOODING.docx Please forward to the City Council at your earliest convenience. Thank you. Julie Myers 4f(2 10/15/13 Letter from Julie Myers - Gateway project October 15, 2013 Re: Gateway Project Dear City Council, FLOODPLAINS WORK TO PREVENT FLOODING Rivers use their riverbeds and riverbanks and especially their flood plains to successfully handle excess precipitation (rain, snow) whenever it exceeds the surrounding land's capacity for saturation. Rivers are unrivaled at removing excess precipitation safely and efficiently, actually preventing catastrophic damage (like erosion) to the land. Rivers are naturally- existing mechanisms, doing their work at no cost to the taxpayer. Floodplains are an essential part of this self - regulating system of land drainage and protection. They drastically reduce the destructive power of floods, by calming rivers that are handling a lot of water. Nevertheless, rivers are often viewed incorrectly as a source and cause of flooding, and their floodplains are undervalued. AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE: LIFTING THE BRIDGE RESTORES FLOODPLAIN, BUT RAISING THE ROAD CONSUMES FLOODPLAIN A low bridge that acts as a dam during high water events interferes with the river's ability to convey excess precipitation. Therefore, elevating the bridge enhances the river's ability to handle flooding. However, elevating a road located in the flood plain has the opposite effect. The more the road is raised, the more floodplain is lost. A higher road consumes space in the floodplain that the river would use to spread and slow precipitation. The more the road is raised, the more the river waters will be channelized, increasing their speed, depth and danger. 1 10/15/13 Letter from Julie Myers - Gateway project Dubuque Street is a man -made structure that exists in the Iowa River floodplain and impairs the river's ability to handle flooding. However, during extraordinary precipitation events, like the 2008 flood, the Iowa River is still able to overtop the road at its current level and release water into the remaining floodplain. Unlike the plan to elevate the Park Street Bridge, which is intended to prevent obstruction of the river, raising Dubuque Street is intended to preserve an uninterrupted traffic flow to and from the downtown. Because it consumes floodplain, raising the road should not be promoted as a flood control measure. By contrast, recent buyouts of homeowners in the floodplain, which the city undertook after the 2008 flooding, is a flood control measure, as it restored part of the Iowa River's floodplain. THE BURDEN OF ADDITIONAL CHANNELIZATION: CREEKS AND WETLANDS Like rivers, creeks work to convey water safely and help prevent severe damage to the land they flow through. There are five creeks flowing into the Iowa River from the east side of Dubuque Street, currently passing underneath it. The Environmental Assessment states that three of these creeks will be filled, realigned and channelized, i.e. shifted west and placed in underground culverts. This may further impair the river's ability to safely handle flooding. In addition, nearly an acre of wetlands will be lost to the project. Just an acre of wetlands can store 1 to 1.5 million gallons of water, making a not insignificant contribution to flood control. http: / /water.epa.gov /type /wetlands /upload /2006 08 11 wetlands fu n val.pdf As mitigation for wetlands lost, other wetlands within in Iowa City should be enhanced rather than buying river credits from somewhere else along the river. This would keep the value of this resource local. 2 10/15/13 Letter from Julie Myers - Gateway project THREE RECOMMENDATIONS Since flood mitigation projects should not interfere unduly with the work of rivers, structures built in the floodplain should be minimized. Therefore, I support raising Dubuque to 100 + 1 but no higher. Since removing man -made structures from the flood plain strengthens the river's capacity for flood control, I support raising the Park Street Bridge to 200 + 1 and at the same time using a thin bridge design requiring less road elevation. Keeping these levels at 100 + 1 and 200 + 1 saves millions that can be put toward a thinner bridge design, which is compatible with not raising Dubuque Street excessively. These modest elevations will also minimize negative impacts on Iowa City's Northside neighborhoods. I also recommend that during project design, creek channelization and wetlands loss be minimized, and any restoration or enhancement of wetlands be kept local. Thank you, Julie Myers 4f(3) FILED 2813 OCT 17 AM 8: 03 CITY CLERK IOWA CITY, IOWA 1354 Curtis Bridge Rd. NE Swisher, IA 52338 October 15, 2013 Mayor Matt Hayek and City Council 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor Hayek and Council Members, Thank you for the Community Event Funding grant of $400 awarded to the Iowa City Community String Orchestra and received July 29, 2013. Without this generous and continuing support, the orchestra would not be able to continue its tradition of presenting two free concerts a year to the Iowa City community plus a Children's Concert in June. Part of our tradition includes not only the free concerts, but we feature fine soloists and the works of living composers who reside in Iowa or have connections to Iowa. Our fall concert will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, at the Englert Theatre. The program features works by Iowa composers Philip Wharton and Jonathan Schwabe, as well as works by Henry Purcell and Leos Janacek. We cordially invite you to attend. ICCSO is a non - profit 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the IRS. Contributions are tax deductible under Section 170 of the Code. With respect to your donation, we acknowledge that you have not received any consideration for your gift in either cash or kind. Sincerely, 40--Pat-e 49'� Janice Horak ICCSO Treasurer IOWA CITY COMMUNITY STRING ORCHESTRA W W W .ICCOMMUNITYSTRINGORCHESTRA.COM (A&af" 34 Years Marian Karr From: Barb Bland <mebbjb @g mail. com> Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 4:26 PM To: Council Subject: Post Office move 4f(4) In view of the financial concerns of USPS it would seem prudent to make the move proposed to a smaller more efficient location. Also, it would seem that parking might be better at the Pepperwood location than the current one. Barbara Bland Marian Karr From: Mel Sunshine <melvin.sunshine @g mail. com> Sent: Friday, October 18, 20137:34 PM To: Council Subject: Post office Moving the only post office to the south side would be a hardship for many Iowa Citians. Many who don't drive will have to take two busses to get there. And I understand that the site is on the edge of "not the nicest area ". Perhaps many women and senior citizens will not be comfort able there. Why not a site in the area just south of Burlington which the city has talked about -- Riverfront Crossing. Still. Would be convenient for all those working downtown, For all university students and would require only one bus to get there. Sent from my iPad Marian Karr From: Albert and Jean Hood <aj hood @oaknoll. corn> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2013 9:16 AM To: Council Subject: post office location This correspondence will become a public record. I am writing to express my concern about the relocation of the Iowa City Post Office from the Clinton Street location. I have lived in Iowa City since 1965 and used both the downtown Iowa City location and the Coralville Office. We live in a metropolitan city with a University in our midst. We are proud of the population of our city and the number of international students that we have in our midst. Has anyone taken a census of who uses our post office? I've stood in line and have always seen many international students using the post office, getting help from the personnel, sending packages etc. they do not have cars, they walk to the post office. Many business people drop by to get their mail and do business. The post office is in a central location and there is always a long line of users! Aren't there some creative ways to use the space within the post office with cooperative cost sharing so that we can keep the downtown location? What would that building be used for? My vote would be to keep the post office downtown, cooperate in finding other users for the building to do cost sharing with the US Postal Service and support the people who frequent the post office. Jean Hood 1 Oaknoll Court Iowa City, Iowa 52246 (319) 466 3127 Marian Karr From: James Surratt <jamessurratt55 @msn.com> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2013 9:47 AM To: Council Subject: Post Office relocation In regards to the USPS selection of the two preferred Iowa City south -side locations for their proposed re- locations. Personally I don't have any objections as far as access to the post office. Both sites are accessible by auto, pedestrian, and wheelchair. The only hang -up I can see is the access by bus. Right now the south -side busses of Lakeside and Broadway are over - utilized and bursting at the seams. With the added passenger traffic of postal patrons, where are we going to put them? Sooner or later the council is going to have to address this problem. We don't need any more passengers on these two routes presently unless more service is provided. The entire transit system is in bad need of revision. But that's another issue we'll have to address later. The council will then have to give serious consideration to the proposals Chris O'Brien has prepared. Jim Surratt 133 Arabian Court Iowa City 52240 http: / /www.eckankar.org Marian Karr From: RJ Second <rj2nd @centurylink.net> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2013 10:06 AM To: Council Subject: Proposed Post Office Locations Council members: am a daily patron of the Main Post Office. The proposed new locations are horrible, the equivalent of spitting in the eye of the Iowa City community. Please do everything you can to keep the Post Office in its current location, or at least in the downtown area. Randall Jones PO Box 1967, Iowa City, IA 52244 Marian Karr From: Frank Iowa <frankiowa @yahoo.com> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2013 1:13 PM To: Council Subject: US Post Office There is no need to move the Iowa City Post Office and spend more taxpayer money. The chosen site in an out -of- the -way, location away from the central business district is wrong and unmindful of the elderly, those without cars and places it in a higher crime area. If the Post Office needs less room -- downsize in the present location and go into a partnership with the city /county to reconfigure the building for more courtroom space and save us from the expense of a courthouse addition. The Federal parking lot south of the courthouse could also be used to build a public /private Post Office /commercial building in line with the City plan of upgrading the area for an expanded downtown. Greg Schmidt 513 S. Van Buren St Marian Karr From: L Schreiber <Inschreiber @gmail.com> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 7:36 AM To: Council Subject: IC Post Office IC Council Members - Having a full- service Post Office in downtown is important, maybe even critical in terms of identity, to Iowa City. A Post Office is explicit to a town's historical origins - having a post office designation meant that a town was large enough (important enough) to have this service. Moving the Post Office out of the downtown will signal to many Iowa City residents that there is no longer a reason to visit downtown ... just go to a mall - related site where parking is abundant. If necessary, move the service south, within the Rivercrossing District, but not completely out of the downtown area. Coralville got on top of the Post Office's desire to move to its annex location, and was able to sway postal authorities to leave the service within walking distance. While I too appreciate the multi - service businesses that offer packaging and mailing, I have stopped using them in order to preserve our Post Office. I have found the wait time, which is usually no more than 10 minutes, tolerable. Many students utilize this service, and parking is abundant. I hope Council too will see the importance of the Post Office to Iowa City's downtown and will work to ensure that it finds a location / facility to fit its size needs. Regards - Linda Schreiber P. S. If the Post Office does relocate from its current building, that building can be adapted to expand Johnson County's Court House needs. Marian Karr From: jean robinson <jeanjar2008@g mail. com > Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 12:36 PM To: Council Subject: relocation of post office Hello, I was really hoping the post office would stay in the downtown area. I don't have a car and rely on the bus to get everywhere. Moving it to the south side will make a one to two hour trip for me to mail a package depending on how long I have to wait in line and wait for a bus. Currently I can just take the package to work with me and when I go downtown at noon, I can walk over to the post office in 10 minutes and mail it. It's very convenient. I need to check UPS and FedEx prices - it may be worth a few extra dollars to mail packages from my workplace. Thank you for your time and please consider how this impacts carless people like me. A central location makes travel time fairer for everyone. Jean Robinson 527 Ronalds St Iowa City, IA Marian Karr From: william.t.downing @gmail.com on behalf of WILLIAM DOWNING < wdowning @rohrbachassociates.com> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 2:22 PM To: Council Subject: Post Office Relocation Dear Mayor Hayek and City Council I'm writing regarding the US Post Office plan to relocate outside of our central business district. To the extent that the City of Iowa City can influence this decision, I urge the Council to request that the Post Office stay within our central business district (CBD). Relocation to a remote location will severely limit the accessibility of the Post Office to members of the public who depend on public transportation. It will also force the decision of those who use public transportation by choice, when convenient. Maintaining a sustainable, walk -able, and economically viable city requires our government services be within the CBD. Thank you for your work and attention to this issue. William Downing. Marian Karr From: diane demers <ddd_00 @yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 8:10 AM To: Council Subject: New Post Office Location As a citizen of Iowa City, I have been to the Pepperwood Plaza area and have not felt safe several times. In fact, I have been harrassed by people just trying to go into K -Mart, so badly, I had to call the police. If you build a new post office in that area, I will drop my post office box, and never go in there. would rather drive to Coralville's post office than feel unsafe going to the new one. Thank you for your willingness to hear opinions. Marian Karr From: jim waiters <jcmwalt @infion line. net> Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 12:45 PM To: Council Subject: Re: Closing the Clinton Street (downtown) Post Office To Whom It May Concern: First, I'd like to say that the USPO made a terrible mistake when they closed the downtown substation on Washington Street. This was a heavily used facility that took pressure off the main office on Clinton Street. It is rare that I was ever able to walk into either of these stations without having to wait in line for service - almost any hour of the day, and any day of the week. To leave us without a post office downtown, where there are so many, many businesses and where a huge component of University of Iowa students live (many without cars) will be another huge mistake. The proposal is to locate the new facility at Pepperwood Plaza or on Boyrum Street. Both of these locations are just a stone's throw from the Waterfront HyVee - which has its own postal substation. Why put a post office where there already is one? Please don't compound the mistake of closing the Washington Street substation: keep a downtown post office. Thank you. Jim Walters 1033 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 -5248 319 - 466 -1134 Marian Karr From: Holly Hart <hhart2 @mac.com> Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 10:45 PM To: Council Subject: Comments Regarding Proposed Post Office Relocation I hope the public comment period is still open. I was very dismayed to learn that the post office may be relocated away from downtown. For professional work and reasons of privacy, I use a post office box which I need to access at least several times a week. I have an injury/temporary disability and must walk or take a bus; car travel is extremely limited (and not supposed to happen at all). I chose a box at the Clinton Street post office on purpose, because it is within walking distance of my apartment. Moving the post office to the Broadway Center will make it impossible for me to get mail on any reasonable schedule: too far to walk in a decent time frame, and the bus takes at least two hours to run even a brief errand (plus, I'd have to pay $2 just to get mail). I would risk losing packages, as well, being unable to guarantee pick -up before the post office deadlines. Of course, a post office near the Broadway Center would be great for people who live in that area; but since the post office is down - sizing anyway, why not have two or more stations (or sub - stations) with one located in the downtown area? I'm sure I'm not the only person who will be adversely affected by this move. Holly Hart P O Box 2473 Iowa City, IA 52244 -2473 228 South Summit St, #C -6 Iowa City, IA 52240 Angela Kuhl Real Estate Specialist USPS Denver Region Dear Ms Kuhl, Have you ever visited Iowa City? What would suggest to you that a city that has a University population of 30,000, and the faculty and staff that are part of that University, would not need access to a Post Office? It is normal to have a line of 8 -16 people any time one goes to the Clinton St Post Office. It is near the city, the city offices, the police and the courthousel Why would this population be so discounted? It would be complete nonsense to move the Post Office to Pepperwood Plazal That area of town is already served by the Hy Vee grocery store which is less than half a mile away from the Plaza in question. The USPS seems to be on a suicidal trajectory- offering fewer services and then crying because it doesn't earn enough. Firstly 1 think it ought to be supported by the Federal government- this is the case in all other Western countries. Secondly, it is not expanding its services to include fax or other office services - as UPS offices do. One of the reduced services, which makes no sense, is the reduction in post box pickup in convenient locations. Many local boxes are collected at midday when in fact it would be perfectly easy for one or two vans to drive past a box late in the afternoon. 1 have long asked for a box in the Hwy 6 /Mormon Trek corner in Coralville but the same principle applies elsewhere. I might say that the plan to move the Coralville Post Office out to the annex which has been closed will be extremely inconvenientl Hence there will be a stronger need for late collection in boxes nearer to business areas. I think this Iowa City plan has NO sense and I strongly urge that the local and federal officials review this hopelessly artificial idea. The USPS could easily rent out the upper floors to the Courthouse across the street. They are desperate for space. I also gather that UPS contracts with the USPS for package delivery. What is wrong with the Post Office that it cannot offer that service efficiently so that it gains the prices charged? The City and the County need to think in terms of the people they serve and not allow this plan- from- afar to happen. Cc: Matt Hayek City Mayor Janelle Rettig Johnson County Ms. Sonia Ettinger 230 Magowan Ave. Iowa City, IA 52246 Ali4 wa CD n �� �3 CD Marian Karr From: Nancy Smith <nancyjsmith2 @gmail.com> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 5:59 PM To: Council Subject: Post Office Location Dear Council Members: Iowa City has always been a community that had prided itself on the quality of its services. I believe it is a mistake to downgrade our Postal Service by downsizing and relocating. The present location is convenient and pleasant. Whenever I go there to mail a package, it is always busy, but good service is provided. Why change a good thing for something lesser? Sincerely, Nancy Smith 609 Larch Lane Iowa City, Iowa Phone 338 -3332 Marian Karr From: Marian Karr Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 12:28 PM To: 'John Macatee' Cc: Council Subject: RE: request that all forums for city council candidates be posted on the City of Iowa City website 5 Dear Mr. Macatee, Thank you for your email concerning candidate forums. Information on forums will be available on the City Council election page starting today. New forum information will be posted as it is received in my office. Thank you for your comments. Marian K. Karr City Clerk From: John Macatee [mailto:jrmacatee @gmail.com] Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 1:21 PM To: Council; Marian Karr Subject, request that all forums for city council candidates be posted on the City of Iowa City website Dear Iowa City council members, I would like to go to all the forums for the Iowa City Council candidate forums. Why are these not clearly posted on your website http: / /www.ic og vorg/ ?id =1124? I can't find a listing of these forums even if I google "Iowa City Council candidate forums ". This is essential information that all citizens of Iowa City should be able to readily access. By contrast, all the ICCSD school board candidate forums were clearly posted on their home page before the recent school board election. And you also know that many critical issues facing the school district are directly related to the decisions made by the Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty city councils and administrators. One good example is the failure of all three cities over many years to create and sustain demographic equity in all areas of the ICCSD school district, e.g. through inclusive zoning. As a result, the ICCSD school board is trying with difficulty via the Diversity Policy to achieve demographic equity in our school district by balancing FRL numbers in all the separate school areas. There have been only infrequent and inadequate examples of efforts to create demographic equity in Iowa City, as inclusion of 25 subsidized housing units in the Peninsula Neighborhood. It is widely perceived that the present city council is biased toward supporting and subsidizing the downtown area of Iowa City instead of the surrounding neighborhoods. Why does Connie Champion not have an email address? How can she effectively represent the citizens of Iowa City if we cannot easily contact her? (I realize that her phone number and regular mailing address are listed on her web page http: / /www.ic og v.org / ?id= 1118). We all know that there is not enough Iowa City citizen participation in your council meetings and activities. Posting the forum dates and times would be a step toward this participation. Thank you. John Macatee 15 White Oak Place Iowa City, IA 52245 jrmacateeggmail.com cc: Iowa City Press - Citizen, the Daily Iowan, the Gazette Marian Karr From: Renee <rasueppel @g mail. com> Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 2:19 PM To: Council Subject: Evolving a City (from NPR's On Being) Dear IC Council Members: s� This is a great program, re: the evolution of a city. Something I would recommend for your listening /reading. The broad social science perspective of this research and interview helped me to better understand how 'community' works. What works? Where it works? And why? On Being: http://www.onbeing.org Thank you for serving the people of Iowa City. Sincerely, Renee A. Sueppel 5th generation Iowan Friend of Iowa Public Radio Rasuepnela smail.com 319- 400 -7362 4f(7) Hawkeye Chapter ACLU- Iowa October 24, 2013 City Council of Iowa City Iowa City, IA The Charter of Iowa City contains restrictions that complicate the process of proposing measures to the city council and having existing measures reconsidered. This is due to the distinction between "eligible electors" and "qualified electors." The former designation refers to those who are eligible to vote but have not registered; the latter refers to those who are registered to vote. Petitions for initiative and referendum may only contain the signatures of "qualified electors." The Hawkeye Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union — Iowa believes that this designation creates an artificial obstacle to securing the support necessary for an initiative or referendum. Residents of Iowa City who meet the requirements for voting have every right to have their views on significant issues known and to influence the important measures that are dealt with by initiative and referendum petitions. It is difficult enough to secure the signatures and verify that an individual lives in Iowa City; ensuring that she /he is a registered voter creates an additional hurdle. Since it is now possible to register the day of an election the distinction between residents who are registered and those who are not is not significant. The current process is problematic. It's almost guaranteed that the city will strike out a significant percentage of perfectly valid signatures based on a number of technicalities, including something as simple as illegible handwriting. In essence, the city is denying legitimate petitioners their vote in order to prevent some hypothetical fraud that is inconsequential anyway, since a petition is not the same as a law, but only a proposal before the city council or the voters. If the petition is misguided, frivolous or simply not worthy of citizens' attention, it simply will not be adopted by the council or the voters. There is no need to protect us from ourselves. At present challenges to an initiative or referendum petition are conducted by the City Clerk. We are in favor of requiring any individual who brings a challenge to prove that signatures are invalid.. The question of who may support an initiative or referendum petition is pertinent because of the threat of increased use of drones and traffic cameras. Although the City Council of Iowa City recently passed an ordinance that permitted the use of data obtained from traffic cameras only when a peace officer was present, the entire issue will be reconsidered in two years. The council could easily introduce a more intrusive form of surveillance that will threaten civil liberties. As long as the present limitation on signatures is in effect it will be more difficult to challenge this menace and to preserve the present limitation on the use of traffic cameras. We recommend the distinction between "eligible" and "qualified" electors be eliminated in the City Charter. as Robert D. Givens President, Board of Directors, Hawkeye Chapter, ACLU -Iowa ==- Aleksey Gurtovoy ACLU Vice - President, Board of Directors, Hawkeye Chapter, - Iowa N >18 L. cn �—< o N 4f(8) Marian Karr From: Laura A. <Imericks @smumn.edu> Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 2:57 PM To: Council Subject: Letter to Council RE:connection of Buckingham & Cumberland Lane Re: Development Items: SDB13- 00019: Discussion of an application submitted by Arlington LC for a preliminary plat of Windsor West Part 3. a 241ot, 12.38 acre residential subdlvlsion located at Buckingham Lane and Sherwood Drive, north of American Legion Road. Dear City Council Members: I am writing to ask that you consider an alternative option regarding the city's plan to approve a preliminary plat of Windsor West Part 3 submitted by Arlington LC. The current plat requests that Cumberland Lane and Buckingham Lane be connected, and in doing so, changes Cumberland Lane from its current cul -de -sac to a through street. As previously indicated, at the October 3 planning and zoning commission meeting, there are many residents on Cumberland Lane that would prefer that it remain a cul -de -sac. I understand that the city has commissioned it to be made a through street to satisfy an ordinance for emergency access. I humbly ask that the city consider connecting the streets with a city trail instead of a roadway. I understand the city engineers are still examining "technical corrections" that need to be made in order to connect the streets. Perhaps connecting the neighborhood with an extension of the currently established city trail would satisfy emergency access and alleviate any neighborhood tension, especially among those long- standing Cumberland Lane residents who feel misled to believe that Cumberland Lane would always be a cul -de -sac. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Laura Aschenbrenner of Cumberland Lane Marian Karr From: Rodney Walls Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 3:39 PM To: 'Carol deProsse:' Cc: Tom Markus; Rick Fosse; Council Subject: RE: Yard Waste Pickup Carol 4f(9 Thanks for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. To recap our discussion, I can see where you can easily mistake our yard waste truck for a garbage truck. They look almost identical. On your regular pickup day there are 3 separate City trucks that will travel down your street. One will be a recycling truck, one will be a fully automated refuse truck, and the last will be a semi - automated refuse truck that is utilized for yard waste collection. Although it may appear that they are empting the cans into a truck that has garbage in it there is actually no garbage in the truck, only yard waste. This includes compostable City of Iowa City yard waste bags which may resemble a bag of garbage. After your yard waste is collected curbside it is taken to the landfill to be composted. Thank you for meeting with me and allowing me the time to explain our program to you in person. If you have any more questions, please give me a call. Rodney Walls Assistant Superintendent of Solid Waste 319 - 356 -5180 - - - -- Original Message---- - From: Carol deProsse [mailto:lonetreefox @mac.com] Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 10:19 AM To: Council; Tom Markus Subject: Yard Waste Pickup Will the Council please inquire as to why, if it is illegal for me to put yard waste in with my regular garbage, it is acceptable for the collection people to toss two barrels of yard waste material in with the regular garbage? This happens almost every week and I don't understand why. All the yard waste I set out is perfectly compostable, but it winds up going to the landfill with my regular garbage. Thanks Carol deProsse 1401 Burry Drive Iowa City, IA 52246 -4513 This correspondence will become a public record. From: Marian Karr Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 3:58 PM To: 'ryanjay80 @gmail.com' Cc: Council Subject: RE: Group Ryan, The Public Library has a database for established clubs that might be of interest to you. There are many groups listed in the database that describe themselves as being of a social nature. Here is a link to the various categories of groups: http: / /www.icpl.org /associations/ If you check the box next to one, you will get a list of results of groups that label themselves as such. There will be a brief description of the group and the contact information. I would suggest starting with 'neighborhood /social' category and browsing through those. In addition you can look at EPIC (if are a young professional) or another group on the database that has similar interests and see if that group meets already. Otherwise the ICPL staff can assist you with other social network sites that provide a lot of networking blasts that might help you too. Welcome to Iowa City and I urge you to try the ICPL site, and let us know if you have other questions. Marian - - - -- Original Message---- - From: Ryan Jay [mailto:ryanjay80 @gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 10:40 AM To: Marian Karr Subject: Re: Group Morning, I wanted to start a group that meets a certain day of the week and meets at restaurants or different venues. This would be used for helping people get to know other people in the community. I am still new to the Iowa City area and find it hard to meet people when one is always working. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 29, 2013, at 10:33 AM, Marian Karr < Marian- Karr @iowa- city.org> wrote: > Good Morning Ryan, > I have been asked to follow up on your request. Could you please provide additional information on your idea so that I can properly follow up? > Marian K. Karr, MMC > City Clerk > - - - -- Original Message---- - > From: Ryan [mailto:ryanjay80 @gmail.com] > Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 12:18 PM > To: Council > Subject: Group > Good afternoon, > My name is Ryan Jay. I am new to the area. I was wondering if I could set up a meeting to run an idea pass you > I am in the process of starting something and just wanted to see if this is possible and how it would serve the local economy. > Look forward to speaking with you. > Ryan From: Kelly Mayo <kellyemayo @gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 12:18 PM To: Council Subject: Proposal for use of County Home Property Iowa City Iowa Attachments: To the Board of Supervisors.docx Attached please find an alternate plan for the use of the farm at the County Home property. This is by no means a business plan because of the scope of the project being proposed; however, I would be delighted to write a full plan for you over the winter. It is involved, and very aggressive, but I am a tremendous manager, a high energy personality with a deep and abiding love for all things horticultural and community based. I am sorry that the 4:30 deadline Oct. 31st caught me by surprise, but I was only informed that the property was coming up for bid on Tuesday of this week. It is my hope to begin this project as quickly as possible, and as always I am at your di al for questions comments, or spirited debate! Kelly Mayo 319 - 621 -2327 This correspondence will become a public record. To the Board of Supervisors, Johnson County, Iowa And City Council members, Iowa City, Iowa Friends, My name is Kelly Mayo, and I have an interest in the property under your jurisdiction at the County Home location in Iowa City, Iowa. I realize that you currently have the property out to bid for not for profit companies; however, I have another thought on the property which would put it squarely at the intersection of a public interest local food project, and a for profit entity. I have in mind an agro- tourism project to include large scale pick your own orchards, vineyards, and heirloom vegetables. These things paired with a county wide CSA bundled together with an aggressive growing project designed to provide high end, organic produce to public schools, and other public kitchens. This project will be multi focal and aggressive in diversity and ideally, will serve as a hub for other local farm producers. I would like to suggest that in lieu of rent, a percentage of all produce be used to provide farm- to- school produce, and a portion of the sales of secondary market products be used to constantly improve the farm itself and help lower the cost of entry to other farm producers. I have in mind installation of a commercial farm kitchen, so that product which cannot be immediately used can be canned, or otherwise processed into high end goods, i.e. apples become apple pie, tomatoes become tomato sauce and /or salsa etc. A portion of these secondary market goods could also go to farm- to- school projects, or be used as fund raising products for the schools themselves. Funds generated would also be used to construct greenhouses to enable year round in ground growing of produce for local schools. Salad greens, particularly spinach grow extraordinarily well in the winter, and are an excellent source of winter nutrition for students. Green houses would also be used to jump start in ground growing efforts for spring planting, and perhaps, growing of ornamentals for hanging basket, vegetable starts and liner for retail sales. For true organic farming, birds are used to manage bugs, weeds, and to passively fertilize all manner of crops, but are particularly well suited to being raised beneath orchard plantings (called silvioculture). Goats and pigs (on a very small scale) are also welcome additions to organic farming for their ability to add heat to compost, feed on excess or damaged produce, and are extremely good users of windfall apples etc, which cannot be used for general consumption without processing. I believe this farm is ideally suited to agro- tourism destination farming, and as such, the long term plan would include a small scale petting zoo, hay rides to pumpkin fields, Christmas tree fields, corn mazes, and other farm features. I would be delighted to submit a detailed business plan to you, such a plan would include any or all of the following. • Heirloom Vegetable, fruit, herb and ornamental production using intensive organic, and where practical permaculture methods. • Ancillary Benefits include: percentage of total product being used for Farm to School Produce Project. • Pick your Own produce farm which could greatly extend the spending power of persons in food - Benefit programs, while assuring great nutrition for them and their children. • Farm becomes and immediate Outdoor classroom providing hands on access to pick - your —own produce, apples, etc in a family friendly environment. • Heirlooms do not present the same public health concerns that GMOs present, in addition, careful seed saving is both possible, and is an effective way of cutting annual seed costs. Heirlooms also have away of building gardeners, as shared seeds, actually effectively share the diversity and uniqueness of our various cultures to extremely good effect. • Heirloom farms almost always (mine certainly have) pride themselves on their ability to showcase the world of flavor through the varieties of vegetables they grow. Last year my farm grew more than 53 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 9 varieties of carrots, eleven varieties of basil, 30 varieties of beans, 13 varieties of cucumbers and 41 varieties of peppers (just to name a few). • Heirlooms create lasting impressions and improve the palate of their eaters and generally generate a high level of satisfaction. • Noahs Ark style Orchard and Viniculture systems. This system has diversity incorporated into it's very fiber. Instead of relying on just a few varieties of trees or vines, and planting vast numbers, instead small numbers of trees (generally 20 or fewer) of any one variety of apple, peach, pear, quince, paw paw etc is selected. These selections become part of a horticultural tissue bank, • Planting for diversity rather than quantity means preserving heirloom varieties for future generations, and shielding an entire crop from catastrophic failure. Trees have numerous finishing times, so provide for an extra long picking /eating season. • Vineyards /orchards like this become instant sensations both as picking facilities, but as classrooms for agriculture, horticulture and botany students, because the varieties are close together enough to allow study of their differences effectively. • Limiting the quantity of any one variety of, say apple, builds in expectation and delight, particularly with locavores and the gourmet markets. • Christmas tree farm and pumpkin patch interplant project will create a generation of diverse growth and create a long season of returning customers and a perfect agro tourism destination. Hay rack rides can be used to showcase the glory of both horse drawn and antique tractor drawn wagons, and can generate a delightful experience for for tourists. • Pumpkin patches, and vegetable farms create great buzz, and can allow for a very large showcase of farm producer products to be put on display for public consumption. • Pumpkin patches are photo ops! And great family outings. Having one so close to the main population density of Iowa City and Johnson County is a great idea. • Christmas ornaments handmade by local artisans could be another draw to the farm, and a way of involving even more 'producers' in the activities there. • Greenhouses, are an important part of any farm which specializes in heirloom vegetable production, or which intends on providing year round access to farm produce. They also allow for growing of ornamentals. • Having the ability to grow year round is another important piece of the Local food security puzzle. • Schools need produce most in the parts of the year which are classically hardest to grow in. Spinach, lettuce, kale, radish, mustards, pac choi and other brassicas and cold weather crops do very well in greenhouse situations even in the dead of winter, and houses only have to be heated to 26 degrees. So even if produce such as tomatoes aren't available, other high nutrition options are. • Having the option of growing hanging baskets and other ornamentals which can be used for local beautification projects at low cost, sold to schools at cost for fund raising, or sold directly at retail to fund farm improvements exists. Ornamentals can actually be grown over existing inground crops and act as shade covers for them giving 2 crops in one space. Farm Compost site would be managed with waste from animals, leaves provided by farm trees and local public used to create high quality compost for use either on farm or for sale to the public to improve their own soil. Even a large scale compost facility can be managed on less than 2 acres, and can generate a huge output of exceptional soil. In farm areas, people often see manure spreaders at work in the field; however, modern methods call for using manure which has been composted for a minimum of 9 months instead. Fresh manure, has a very limited ability to act as a fertilizer, and its effectiveness wears off very quickly, often in less than a full season. Composting with other green and brown materials and adjusting the PH have been shown to increase the effectiveness up to 4 times, and the quality of the effect is far superior. • Composting is an ecologically responsible part of any farm operation, and enlisting public contribution to the facility encourages other responsible reccling habits. • Commerical Farm Kitchen. As mentioned before, the farm should provide a commercial kitchen which can be used to convert unused produce into other secondary market goods. Tomatoes made into sauce, beans and corn frozen for winter use, fruit into pies, jellies, jams and chutneysetc. • Farm kitchen can be rented out to other farm producers so that they have the benefit of a commercial kitchen without the cost. In this way we help the micro economy of the local farm and assure that their great goods have an opportunity to get to market. • Farm Market. I envision a farm market which operates year round in support of the pick your own model, but specifically for those who prefer the convenience of having fresh produce displayed as it would be in a grocery store. In addition to selling our own produce, we would support other local farms by selling their produce, and particularly their secondary market products and goods. Wool rugs, alpaca yarn, spun honey, spiced jerky, aged cheese are all great examples of local producer goods that could be sold through the farm store. • FSC (sometimes refered to as a CSA) but in this case I am talking about a true Farm Supported Community project, which sells subscriptions just like a CSA, but finds as many ways as possible of supporting he good works of the community through farming. • Plants grown for local schools fund raisers, firehouse fund drives, etc. • Farm to school produce. • Farm to community Kitchen initiatives • Pick and Grow out door class rooms. Classes hosted at the farm for viniculture, viticulture, beekeeping, floral design etc all add to the dynamic of the Farm Supported Community structure. • Farm to Fork Cafe, featuring on farm grown and locally sourced produce and farm goods. The commercial kitchen can double as a teaching kitchen for one on one classes, and for production projects which could also involve culinary students from local high schools, and colleges. • In the long run I would like to consider both a pasteurization and fermentation facility for wine, hard cider production also for rent to other local producers, and /or used as an educational facility for local high Schools or Colleges. • Creation of a small on farm bio diesel plant following the German model, where farms produce enough bio diesel each year to run all of their equipment without the expense of buying commercial diesel. • A property this size and this well placed deserves to be showcased. • A well managed CSA or FSA farm has the ability to provide 100% of the nutrition for @ 10 families per acre or about 400 people. A property this size could reasonable provide supplemental nutrition to several thousand people. In the event of a true energy crisis or a crisis of transportation, a farm like this could be depended upon to provide supplemental nutrition for an entire community if need be, particularly if it is allowed to create the kind of local farm producers network I intend to create. • In terms of long term economics, farms like this have the ability to demonstrate to farmers that things other than corn and soybeans can be grown to the betterment of their personal economics. If we can generate healthier farm economies locally, we cannot help but change the way agriculture is conducted in Iowa and, quite frankly, the world. I want to be a leader in this new economy, and I want to do it BEFORE dire times are upon us. I want to hope for the best, prepare for the worst and move ever forward. I make myself available at any time for questions, conversation, and spirited debate. Kelly Mayo 319 - 621 -2327 From: Marian Karr Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 10:53 AM To: 'Kelly Mayo' Cc: Council Subject: RE: Wording Change in Code governing Pedal Taxis ... Please Kelly, I have been asked to reply to your letter to Council regarding a possible wording change in the ordinance. In our previous conversations we discussed the current Code definitions of pedicab and taxicab as follows: PEDICAB: A vehicle propelled exclusively by human power through a belt, chain or gears, having two (2) or more wheels, furnished with a driver and carrying passengers for hire. It shall be equipped with properly functioning front and rear lights for nighttime operation, right and left rearview mirrors and right and left turn signals, and operates without a taximeter. TAXICAB: All vehicles furnished with a driver that carry passengers for hire within the city, including, but not limited to, taxicabs, pedicabs, horsedrawn vehicles, and airport shuttles. "Charter transportation" as defined in this section and a vehicle owned or operated by any governmental entity that provides public transportation are not taxicabs. In discussions with our City Attorney's office, we believe your proposal is not a pedicab under our present Code because it's not "powered exclusively by human power" and is a taxicab because it's a "vehicle." Vehicle is defined in both the state and City Code as a device to transport persons or property on the street/highway but does not include a device moved by human power. Under the present definitions this would require your company to be licensed as a taxicab and require a minimum of 4 vehicles. Council will receive this correspondence at the November 12th meeting, and may provide direction to staff on your request. Marian Marian K. Karr, MMC City Clerk (319) 356 -5041 From: Kelly Mayo [mailto:kellyemayo @gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 12:38 PM To: Council Subject: Wording Change in Code governing Pedal Taxis... Please Thank you for your consideration of this matter! Kelly Mayo Council Members, My name is Kelly Mayo, I am in the process of starting a pedal taxi business here in the Iowa City, Coralville Corridor area. I have found an amazing three wheeled pedicab, engineered in Germany, called a Velocab (please see attached photo). It is a street legal three wheeled bicycle (tricycle) that can carry 3 passengers and up to 800 pounds. In addition, it has an entirely electric rechargable lithium ion battery system it uses to power its LED lights, signals, and a small 'power assist' motor to help the driver move passengers up those really tough Iowa City area hills. This Tricycle is becoming a very familiar sight in many parts of Europe, Japan and Canada, and was the official shuttle vehicle of the most recent Olympic Games. Because of its ease of operation, versatility, rugged construction and the eye catching design, it is fast becoming the preferred pedicab in markets where they are common. At present there are fewer than 200 Velocabs in the US, and they are generally in large market areas such as Orlando, Houston, San Diego, Chicago and New York. I believe that Iowa City and the Coralville corridor, with their population density, student concentration, car to parking area ratio that is less than optimal (for drivers), and a general public with an active green consciousness, are ideal areas to test the viability of Velocab style pedal taxi businesses in small to mid sized markets, which are typically over looked and under - served by this type of technology and /or services. Currently, Iowa City Code defines 'ped ica bs' as vehicles which are powered 'exclusively by human power'. I would like to ask the Counsel to consider amending the existing code to include vehicles which have 'power assist' technology /motors. To clarify, the 'power assist motor' still requires that the driver actively pedal. It is not capable of, nor is it designed to, propel the vehicle independent of pedal power, it is merely a device which offsets the effort exerted into a lower gear to allow the driver to get farther with less effort. (It provides additional power in lower gears to help offset the extreme effort large hills and excess weight cause) The hills in places like Iowa City, or San Diego would be almost unmanageable without such a 'power assist motor'. Consider for a moment the effort required to climb the already daunting area hills on a standard bike. Now, consider attempting to do so with an additional 1100 pounds of weight behind you. The 'assist motors' convert the pedal efforts of the driver into significantly more kinetic energy making the hills much more manageable. In the future, with gas prices on the rise, and green consciousness issues becoming ever more important to the people, Velocabs and similar technology promise a bright future for transportation alternatives, not just as taxis, but as viable 'second car' alternatives, and public transportation ajuncts. We will be seeing more and more truly outstanding versions of these tricycles in the future. In addition to taxis, these tricycles are being engineered into small box truck like delivery vehicles (FedEx in Germany uses these vehicles in dense cities for small package delivery), small scale wheeled truck restaurants, and even refrigerated ice cream trucks. I know of six companies engineering really wonderful new bikes similar to the Velocab, some of the new designs are simply breath taking. One company in Canada is in early production of taxis which are entirely solar charged, they have redesigned the 'assist motor' to allow it to have up to an 80/20 power conversion. This means that it requires only 20% of the pedal energy required of an conventional pedal powered pedicab to move 100% of the vehicle. Their target operator? Senior Citizen Tour Guides! To move even large loads requires little more effort than walking. Making the change in the code opens the door for these green technologies and welcomes them into the local market. As anscillary benefits, Velocabs operate on a tips only fare basis, which means that they are available to do all manner of comminuty support services such as bringing groceries to the elderly or shut -ins, transporting children to school when parents cannot for medical or other reasons, provide safe rides home to persons in at risk situations, perhaps even bringing voters to polling places (:. In addition, they can provide valueable shuttle support services to sporting events, fares, carnivals and festivals, allowing people to park farther away. They provide great green sector employment opportunities for self starters, students, activity enthusiasts, and other persons with a knowledge of the local sights, sounds, history, and the 'in scene.' They can provide campus and park tours, courier services, and green delivery option to local businesses and restaurants. Since all drivers must pass a police background check, and have a valid chauffeur's license, Velocabs can also provide highly visible safe havens for lost, or displaced children. These tricycles are quite expensive, and this is the primary reason they are seen almost exclusively in the largest markets, where fares and marketing can reasonable be expected to offset the expense of the vehicles quickly. That said, I believe that under - served markets, such as Iowa City, are actually better markets for the bikes in the long run because the events, and population densities that they host, are naturally intertwined and proximate. I believe that a steady concentrated presence of Velocabs, over time, assures that they be well utilized, and that they become an accepted part of the local public transportation. These vehicles are unique enough to truly allow them to become an iconic part of the Iowa City scene. As Zero emission vehicles they enhance the image and the actual carbon health of the area and provide employment opportunities to a diverse group of people, provide unique green marketing platforms to both local businesses and big business wishing to market into the area. They can provide transportation services to an eclectic cross section of the local population, safe havens for children, and can provide important community support services. These and other'motor assisted' transportation vehicles are in their infancy, but engineering trends favor their design, ever growing environmental awareness assure their presence in the market, and economics, both our present economic crisis and the probability of peak oil concerns in the near term, make it a green transportation option which is very much in the communities self- interest. For all these reasons, I ask that you include the term ...'and power assist vehicles' in the code governing pedicabs. I thanks you for your time and attention, and timely consideration of this matter. Kelly Mayo future owner of: Velocity, a Taxi, Shuttle and Delivery Service Below please see examples of these marvelous pedal cabs. From: Michael Tilley <j michaelti I ley@g mail. com> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 3:14 PM To: Council; board @iccsd.k12.ia.us Subject: As Hoover Goes, So Goes Central Iowa City My family and I live in a small, affordable house on 1 st Avenue close to Hoover Elementary. We chose the location because we liked the proximity to downtown, Southeast Junior High and City High; but most importantly, we chose the location because of Hoover. It is a socioeconomically diverse school that provides an excellent education for all of its students. I believe that my experience is typical of many families in the Hoover triangle between First Avenue, Court Street, and Lower Muscatine, and the closure of Hoover as part of the 10- year building plan will deeply impact the neighborhood and all of Iowa City. This is not about property values or about my own interests — I am a renter and I can easily move within the district. In the event that Hoover closes, many of the young families I've spoken with have indicated a desire to move closer to other elementary schools, and they will be able to do so. What this is about is the relationship between an elementary school and the surrounding neighborhood, and the closure of Hoover will significantly change this relationship. Thinking long -term, what will happen to the Hoover triangle ten to twenty years after the closure of Hoover? Young families will abandon the area as soon as they are able. What was once a mixed community of people of various ages, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds will become a bastion of rental properties. We are already seeing this trend near the corner of Muscatine and Court, and what keeps it in check is Longfellow to the West and Hoover to the East. Closing Hoover will result in families like mine looking elsewhere to buy or rent. Our school district has worked to renovate and develop Mann Elementary in order to protect that neighborhood from becoming a plot of rentals, but the loss of Hoover could have a much greater impact on larger Iowa City community. Right now, residential areas surrounding City High are filled with families. City High will become a larger school, and if this is done by taking the land that Hoover currently occupies, then a much larger percentage of students will be driving to school because families will have abandoned the Hoover triangle. Each City High football game could easily end with students taking a short walk to a large college party a block away. In the normal course of their high school activities, our 14 and 15 -year old high school students will have easy access to college cultural life. Closing Hoover will change the Hoover triangle for the worse. It will see young families abandon the neighborhood and, as the resident population grows older, it will become a set of rental units for students. We were willing to stand up for the Mann neighborhood, so why won't we stand up for the Hoover triangle? If we don't oppose the closure of Hoover, aren't we really hurting City High and all of Iowa City? These questions have become more acute as the case for closing Hoover continues to erode. Contrary to what we were told, the phasing proposal shows that City High doesn't need Hoover's land to expand. Given the current proposal, it will only require a minimal level of creative thinking so that both can coexist, supporting one another in the process. The relatively minor costs of doing so are not ideal — for example, a small number of students driving to a close, but off - campus, practice field — but they would be more than offset by the greater number of kids who would be driving to school as the Hoover triangle deteriorates. And finally, it is looking more and more likely that we will need the elementary capacity at Hoover even after all of the construction of the 10 -year plan is completed. As the case for closing Hoover makes less and less sense, we need to speak up for Hoover just as we spoke up for Mann and for City High. Not doing so will harm all of Iowa City by hurting City High and undermining the city's goal of building up the core of Iowa City. Michael Tilley 415 S. First Ave Iowa City, IA 52245 J. Michael Tilley imichaeltilley@gmail.com (502) 532 -1835 From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Monday, November 04, 2013 10:17 AM To: 'jrmacatee @gmail.com' Cc: Council; Tom Markus Subject: RE: Question re difficulty sending an email to City of Iowa City administrators and Council members; email re banning plastic bags and styrofoam containers Attachments: 2012 -11 -29 Info Packet.pdf Mr. Macatee, I apologize for the difficulties you encountered trying to email the City Council and staff of the City Manager's Office. Upon receiving your email, we discovered the links to email addresses for the staff of the City Manager's Office were not functioning correctly. They have since been fixed and can be accessed by clicking on our names at the City Manager's Office webpage http: / /www.icgov.org / ?id =1504. You can contact the City Council as a group directly via the address council @iowa- city.org. Those emails are collected and distributed to each of the City Council members. You can also email members individually, as you did in your message below. I have attached some information that was distributed to the City Council in late 2012 regarding a plastic bag ban. Included are four memos on the issue that were distributed to the Council from 2008 -2012. Hopefully that information will help describe some of the issues surrounding such action. Again, please accept my apologies for the communication difficulties. If you have further troubles please feel free to contact me directly or you can also contact the City Clerk's Office at 356 -5043. Sincerely, Geoff Fruin Assistant to the City Manager I City of Iowa City, Iowa P: 319.356.5013 Web I Facebook ITwitter From: John Macatee [mailto:jrmacatee @gmail.com] Sent: Saturday, November 02, 2013 3:13 PM To: Terry Dickens; Rick Dobyns; Matt Hayek; Susan Mims; Michelle Payne; Jim Throgmorton Subject: Question re difficulty sending an email to City of Iowa City administrators and Council members; email re banning plastic bags and styrofoam containers Iowa City Administrators and City Council Members I am discouraged that I cannot send an email to the City Council members using the link council e,iowa- cit�org on the City of Iowa City website www.icgov.org called "How to Communicate with City Council Members" (partly copied below). Perhaps your webmaster can help me. How can Iowa City citizens participate in local government if we can't communicate with them? And why doesn't Connie Champion have an email address? It's like saying "I can't go anywhere because I don't have a car ". I will call her phone number and read the contents of this email. I also wanted to complain about the fact that your Iowa City Government administrators as City Manager Tom Markus or Assistant to the City Manager Geoff Fruin do not have email addresses that can be easily found on the City of Iowa City website. For example, the City Manager's Office web page http: / /www.ic og v.or ?id =1504. gives his phone number but not his email address When I click on his name on his web page Tom Markus I am unable to get to his personal web page which might have his email address. Just before the City Council forum sponsored by the environmental groups on 10/16/13, I tried but was unable to send the email copied below to the Iowa City Council members which asks "Why can't Iowa City ban plastic bags and styrofoam containers ? ". I will forward this email to the environmental groups which sponsored the forum. Thanks John Macatee 15 White Oak Place Iowa City, IA 52245 jrmacatee@gmail.com cell 319- 331 -1860 Xgov. org Home » City Council)) Contact the Council How to Communicate with City Council Members By Phone Council Members do not have set hours at the City Hall. Because of that, residents are welcome to call them at their listed phone number(s), or via a mail. By E -mail All correspondence addressed to the City Council becomes a permanent public record, and is archived by the City. To send an e -mail to Council, use the following link: councilga Iowa- city.org. The sender must include their full name. Unsigned correspondence will not be forwarded to the City Council. Address is optional. Email will be distributed to all seven Council Members on their next printed Formal Agenda Consent Calendar. However, if your email pertains to a current agenda item and was received after the agenda was printed but before the meeting, it will be distributed to Council Members prior to the meeting. If your correspondence is a cc to the Council, it will be included in their next Information Packet. What a great idea Why can't Iowa City do this? California City Bans Plastic Bags and Styrofoam Containershttp:/ / ecowatch .com /2013 /08 /21 /califomia -city- bans- plastic - bags = Styrofoam/ California City Bans Plastic Bags and Styrofoam Containers Laura Beans JAugust 21, 2013 9:17 am The El Cerrito, CA, city council voted last night to ban single -use plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam. The plastic bag ordinance applies to all stores except restaurants and certain charities, while the Styrofoam law affects restaurants and city vendors. Both bans take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Single -use plastic bags and food packaging, including Styrofoam, are two of the most common garbage items removed from California's beaches by Ocean Conservancy volunteers. Plastic bags are a direct threat to ocean wildlife, like the sea turtles that mistake them for edible jellyfish. One in three leatherback sea turtles studied had plastic in their stomachs, most often a plastic bag, according to an analysis of over 370 autopsies. A study by the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association found that plastic shopping bags alone make up as much as eight percent of the garbage that reaches the San Francisco Bay. "Nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute the ocean for hundreds of years," commented Weaver. Plastic bag bans have enjoyed tremendous success across California. El Cerrito is the eighty -first California local government to ban single -use plastic bags, joining San Francisco, San Jose, Richmond, Oakland and others. Together, these local governments represent nearly one in three Californians. More than 70 California cities and counties have banned Styrofoam food containers. Also: Why Plastic Bag Bans Are Being Fought By The Recycling Industry htti)://www.huffinp,toLipost.com/2013/08/18/plastic-bag-bans n 3769826.html Plastic Bag Ban http: / /www.huffin tg_onpost.com/tag//plastic -bag ban 4f(15) Monday, November 04, 2013 Dear City Council and City Manager, On August 9th, 2013, an Iowa City water main broke in front of Hands Jewelers on East Washington Street. This catastrophic event had a major affect on my business as well as many other local businesses. The problem I have is, the city attorney's office has not responded to any of our legitimate claims. As a small business, this incident was very detrimental to the continued operations of my business. As I indicated in my claim, time is of the essence. Now, over three months later, I have been informed that the city council will be presented with the decision of whether to pay these claims or not. I strongly urge you to pay these claims immediately, just as they should have been paid months ago. I thought I should give you a little background information about the August 9th incident. Early in the morning, the main water main broke in front of Hands Jewelers. Thousand of pounds of water were shooting out at an uncontrollable rate per minute. Thus, my basement was infiltrated with enormous amounts of water. This alone causing massive amounts of damage. As I needed to get my business open for operation, I started to think about cleanup. A city employee came into my business and handed over a claim form and said "the city is responsible so make sure you fill this out." I immediately contacted ServPro to get the cleanup process moving. This was just the beginning of a several -week long process of restoring my business. During the next two- weeks, the city had closed off Washington Street to fix the break. Several crews and loud noises all day long rendered all our outdoor cafes useless. The entire street appeared to be closed and this shifted people away from our block. All businesses were hurt due to this. I have always thought of Iowa City as a community that prides itself on having small businesses and working closely with them. This was a horrible incident and I trust in this city to take fault where it should. We are all awaiting your decision. Along with the local small businesses, several contractors have been waiting over three months to get paid. Thank you for your consideration and I hope you do what is right. Best regards, c_- Leah Cohen Bo -James Small business owner for 30 years 0 C) w' Cl) .. r N r �4 " -4 CITY OF IOWA CITY 4f(16) MEMORANDUM Date: October 15, 2013 To: City Clerk From: Kent Ralston; Acting Traffic Engineering Planner AN-- Re: Item for November 12, 2013 City Council meeting; Install YIELD signs at both the north and south intersections of Eagle Place and Camp Cardinal Road. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Action: Pursuant to Section 9 -1 -3A (5), Install (1) YIELD sign on Eagle Place at the north intersection of Camp Cardinal Road and (1) YIELD sign on Eagle Place at the south intersection of Camp Cardinal Road. Comment: This action is being taken to assign right -of -way for motorists at the north and south Eagle Place / Camp Cardinal Road intersections. Public improvements for Eagle Place were approved by the City Council at the October 1, 2013 meeting. CITY O F IOWA CITY 4f(17) MEMORANDUM Date: October 21 st, 2013 To: City Clerk From: Darian Nagle -Gamm, Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for November 12th, 2013 City Council meeting; Installation of NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on the east side of Heinz Road, south of Paddock Boulevard. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Action: Pursuant to Section 9- 1- 3A(10), Install NO PARKING ANYTIME signs on the east side of Heinz Road, south of Paddock Boulevard. Comment: This action is being taken to ensure that parking prohibitions on the new Heinz Road extension to the south of Paddock Boulevard are consistent with the rest of the Heinz Road (south of Highway 6). =0 '' o Awt CITY OF IOWA CITY 4f(Is) MEMORANDUM Date: October 31St, 2013 To: City Clerk From: Darian Nagle -Gamm, Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for November 12th, 2013 City Council meeting; Removal of two parking meters and installation of a NO PARKING CORNER TO HERE sign on the southeast corner of the intersection of Madison Street and Prentiss Street; Removal of two parking meters and installation of a BUS STOP on the southwest corner of the intersection of Prentiss Street and Capitol Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9 -1 -3A (17, 10); Remove meters P29W and P31 and install a NO PARKING CORNER TO HERE sign on the southeast corner of the intersection of Madison Street and Prentiss Street; Remove meter numbers PW3 and P5W and install a BUS STOP on the southwest corner of the intersection of Prentiss Street and Capitol Street. Comment: These actions are being taken at the request of the Transportation Services department to establish a bus stop on the southwest corner of Prentiss Street and Capitol Street, and to allow adequate room for bus turning movements at the intersection of Madison Street and Prentiss Street. This is to correct a previous council action that contained an error in intersection location. p w 4 .0 glow. rn w