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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-12-12 Info Packet= i �Am.We IN _N CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 12, 2013 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule DECEMBER 17 WORK SESSION IP2 Work Session Agenda IP3 Pending Work Session Topics I134 Memo from the City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show MISCELLANEOUS IP5 Email article from Council Member Throgmorton: Affordable Housing a National Crisis IP6 Copy of email from Chief Financial Officer / School Board of Education Secretary to City Manager: Master Facility Plan Overview (Iowa City Community School District) IP7 Letter from City Manager to Justin Doyle, 4 Zero 4: City Property Adjacent to Robert A. Lee Recreation Center IP8 Email from City Manager: Milken Institute Annual Best Performing Cities IP9 Article form City Manager: Detroit ruling reverberates with pension funds around country I1310 Iowa City Downtown District Press Release: Newly Renovated Historic Buildings Opens in the Iowa City Downtown District IP11 Iowa City Police Department Bar Check Report— November 2013 IP12 Civil Service Entrance Examination: Maintenance Worker I —Parking Letter from Mayor Hayek to Mayor Faucett, Coralville: Acknowledgement of Service [Distributed Late Handouts 12/1713] Email from City Manager: Haunted Highway Airdate [Distributed Late Handouts 12/1713] News Release City Update: Towncrest redevelopment moves forward [Distributed Late Handouts 12/1713] DRAFT MINUTES IP13 Housing and Community Development Commission: November 21 IP14 Human Rights Commission: November 19 1 -r - �mwI"I CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 12, 2013 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule DECEMBER 17 WORK SESSION IP2 Work Session IP3 Pending Work Ses %Cle Topics IP4 Memo from the City KXIC Radio Show MISCELLANEOUS IP5 Email article from Council Memb Throg IP6 Copy of email from Chief Financia Offi Manager: Master Facility Plan Ove ' w IP7 Letter from City Manager to Justin Doyle, Recreation Center IP8 Email from City Manager: Milken Institute IP9 Article form City Manager: Detroit ruling IP10 Iowa City Downtown District Press Rel as( the Iowa City Downtown District IP11 Iowa City Police Department B Check IP12 Civil Service Entrance Examin ion: Main morton: Afforda le Housing a National Crisis cer / School oard of Education Secretary to City (Iowa Cl Community School District) Zero City Property Adjacent to Robert A. Lee �(n al Best Performing Cities ,erbe tes with pension funds around country Newly R ovated Historic Buildings Opens in Report — Nove er 2013 tenance Worker I — arking DRAFT MINUTES IP13 Housing and Commu ty Development Commission: November 2 IP14 Human Rights Com ission: November 19 l 1_ i �,�, pMAP City C( IT CITY OF IOWA CITY Date Time Tuesday, December 17, 2013 5:00 PM 7:00 PM Saturday, January 4, 2014 8AM -5PM IN )uncil Tentative Meeting Schedule Subject to change December 12, 2013 Meeting Location Special Formal / Ex. Session Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session Meeting Formal Meeting 4 !� i' r4r tii i i��1i1'=A3r.aYxl Spec. Formal (Organizational Mtg.) Emma J. Harvat Hall Special BUDGET Work Session Meeting resentat Monday, January 6, 2014 1:00- 7:0013M Special BUDGET Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall (CIP presentations) Tuesday, January 7, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, January 14, 2014 5:00 PM Special BUDGET Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, January 21, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, January 27, 2014 4:30 PM Joint Meeting /Work Session TBA / Coralville Tuesday, February 4, 2014 5:00 PM City Conference Board Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session Meeting 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, February 18, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, March 4, 2014 5:00 PM City Conference Board Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session Meeting 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, March 25, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Tuesday, April 1, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, April 15, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, May 6, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, May 20, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, June 3, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, June 17, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, July 1, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, July 15, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 5, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 19, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, September 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, September 16, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, October 7, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 4, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM i Formal Meeting Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM yp Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 16 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall r ` P12211 3 ';,_ CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 (319) 356 -5000 (3 19) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgoy.org Special Formal / Executive Session 5:00 PM - separate agenda posted City Council Work Session Agenda December 17, 2013 Following 5:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 410 E. Washington Street • Questions from Council re Agenda Items • Continued discussion of the sidewalk repair program • Discussion of Strategic Plan 2014 [ #3a(1)] • Information Packet Discussion [December 5, 12] • Council Time ■ Meeting Schedule ■ Pending Work Session Topics [IP # 4 of 12/12 Info Packet] ■ Upcoming Community Events /Council Invitations Lff�iil, � r AL ".*JtV;W - NI. - •gas._ CITY OF IOWA CITY PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS December 11, 2013 January 7, 2014 1. Continue the discussion on the Gateway Project design parameters 2. Annual update presentation from the Iowa City Area Development Group Pending Topics to be Scheduled 1. Discuss community business attraction and anti- piracy compact 2. Discuss Gilbert/Highland/Kirkwood neighborhood concerns 3. Review the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families report entitled, "City Leadership to Promote Black Male Achievement" (originally distributed in the 5/16/2013 Information Packet) 4. Discuss recycling opportunities for multi - family housing (UISG letter in 10/1/2013 packet) 5. Discuss Council's neighborhood planning and development expectations near the new elementary school locations =, CITY OF IOWA CITY 12-12-13 MEMORANDUM IN Date: December 11, 2013 To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Re: KXIC Radio Show KXIC offers a City show at 9:00 AM every Wednesday morning. In the past Council has volunteered for dates, and staff filled in as necessary. Please take a look at your calendars and come prepared to help fill in the schedule at your work session on December 17: December 18 — Champion December 25 — Holiday January 1 - Holiday January 8 — Hayek January 15 — January 22 — January 29 - Dobyns Future commitments: March 19 - Dobyns April 30 - Dobyns June 18 - Dobyns U:radioshowasking.doc Subject: FW: {Coalition for Racial Justice} Affordable Housing a National Crisis From: jthrogmo @yahoo.com [mailto:jthrogmo @ yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 1:08 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: Fwd: {Coalition for Racial Justice} Affordable Housing a National Crisis Hi Marian. Please share this with the Council in our next Info Packet. Thank you. Jim Subject: {Coalition for Racial Justice} Affordable Housing a National Crisis Daniel Rosenbaum for The New York Times Violeta Torres of Washington makes her rent only by letting an acquaintance sleep on a mattress in the living room. By ANNIE LOWREY Published: December 9, 2013 WASHINGTON — Violeta Torres cannot afford her apartment. Ms. Torres, a 54- year -old nanny, pays $828 a month for a rundown one - bedroom that she keeps spotlessly clean, making the rent only by letting an acquaintance sleep on a mattress in the living room for about $400 a month. But her one - bedroom happens to be in the booming Columbia Heights area here, where such an apartment, once renovated, would easily command twice the price. Her landlords have been trying to drive the tenants out of the building, she explained in Spanish. The broken fire alarms go off in the middle of the night. The common areas are filthy, and the apartments have been infested by rats, bedbugs and cockroaches. In March, Ms. Torres said, the landlords tried to raise the rent. Like her neighbors, most of them also immigrants from El Salvador, she has simply ignored the demand for an additional $261 a month. "I don't have the money," she said. Ms. Torres struggles to stay and cannot afford to leave. She makes about $1,000 a month caring for two toddlers. She sends $250 to her mother, who recently emerged from a diabetic coma and needs insulin. And $100 goes to her mother's caretaker. After rent, that leaves just $200 or $250 for her. Today, millions of poor Americans are caught in a similar trap, with the collapse of the housing boom helping stoke a severe shortage of affordable apartments. Demand for rental units has surged, with credit standards tight and many families unable to scrape together enough for a down payment for buying a home. At the same time, supply has declined, with homebuilders and landlords often targeting the upper end of the market. "We are in the midst of the worst rental affordability crisis that this country has known," Shaun Donovan, the secretary of housing and urban development, said at a conference here on Monday. And the less income a household has, the harder the sting. "These are the people with the fewest financial resources," said Sheila Crowley, the president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a research and advocacy group based in Washington. "These are the people in danger of becoming homeless." The problem is national, and particularly acute among the working poor. The number of renters with very low incomes — less than 30 percent of the local median income, or about $19,000 nationally — surged by 3 million to 11.8 million between 2001 and 2011, according to a report released Monday by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. But the number of affordable rentals available to those households held steady at about 7 million. And by 2011, about 2.6 million of those rentals were occupied by higher- income households. As a result, the share of renters paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing jumped to 50 percent in 2010 from 38 percent in 2000. For renters with incomes of less than $15,000 a year, 83 percent pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent. Many of the worst shortages are in major cities with healthy local economies, like Seattle, San Francisco, New York and Washington. "We've seen a huge loss of affordable housing stock," said Jenny Reed, the policy director at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. "We have lost 50 percent of our low -cost units over the past 10 years, and at the same time, the number of high -cost apartments, the ones going for more than $1,500 a month, more than tripled." The squeeze comes both from supply and demand. Even as the housing market has started to turn around, the number of renting households has continued to climb — by a million in 2011 alone, the biggest annual increase in three decades. Many Americans have lost their mortgaged homes and chosen to rent. Others were unable to obtain financing for a purchase, because of a loss of income or tighter credit standards. In many markets, investors have rushed to meet the new demand by building new multifamily housing units or by buying up foreclosed homes and renting them out. But that has not translated into a surge of new units available to low- income renters. "Builders always are aiming at that higher end," said Jed Kolko, the chief economist at Trulia. "And eventually, as those new units age, they trickle down to lower- income borrowers." But not now. With demand surging, inventories are shrinking, vacancy rates are falling and rents are rising at the low end. The long -term federal budget cuts known as sequestration are only adding to the problem, hitting housing programs especially hard. Many local housing authorities, which rely on federal funds, have stopped rolling over vouchers, leaving even more families on waiting lists, to fend for themselves in rental markets where prices keep rising. "I can't emphasize enough how draconian these cuts have been on the backs of the poorest folks in the country," said Sunia Zaterman of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. In some cases, the shortage of affordable rentals for the poor has meant an increased number of homeless people and families. That often means churning through housing options, spending a few days with friends, a few weeks with relatives, a few months in short-term rentals. More often, housing advocates said, it means workers living in aging and often substandard housing, like Ms. Torres's crowded apartment. The Latino Economic Development Center, which is helping Ms. Torres and her neighbors fight the rent increase, said it had heard increased complaints about mold, flooding, delayed maintenance repairs and other issues from low- income rentals. It also means hundreds of thousands of poor Americans are paying far more for housing than they can really afford, squeezing out spending on other priorities. The Harvard study found that many low- income renters cut back most on food and transportation. "If you're putting 60, 70, 80 percent of a small income into housing, then obviously you have less to spend on everything else you need," said Ms. Crowley of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. "There's a squeeze on basic necessities. You end up making very hard choices. Am I going to fill a prescription, or do my kids get a birthday cake? Do I give up my car ?" To help with her housing costs, Ms. Torres has considered taking on a third roommate, and is eagerly searching for a second job. Washington, like many other cities, has tried to tackle the problems with local government funds and regulations intended to protect low- income renters against eviction or undue rental increases. Recently, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced a new $100 million campaign to increase affordable housing in the city. Even more ambitiously, Bill de Blasio, the incoming mayor of New York, has put forward a plan to build or preserve about 200,000 affordable units. But housing advocates described such campaigns as too little, too late, given the powerful economic forces at work and the cutbacks at the federal level. "Are these cities going to be places that poor people can live ?" asked Elizabeth Falcon, the campaign organizer for the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, a local housing advocacy group. "I think government investment is the only way that significant numbers of people are going to able to stay," she said. "And right now we are not seeing government at any level commit enough to help a significant number of people." Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting. From: Tom Markus Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 11:12 AM To: Marian Karr Cc: Geoff Fruin; Rick Fosse; Ron Knoche; Eleanor M. Dilkes; Jeff Davidson; Dennis Bockenstedt Subject: FW: MFP plan Attachments: Plan overview.pdf Please place in info packet. From: Craig Hansel [mailto:Hansel .Craig @iowacityschools.org] Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 11:08 AM To: Ryan Heiar; Kelly Hayworth; Tom Markus Subject: MFP plan The school board approved this 10 year facility plan at their meeting last night. If you have questions please let me know. Craig Craig Hansel, Ph.D. - Chief Financial Officer/Board of Education Secretary Iowa City Community School District - Office: 319.688.1000 ext. 2531 Fax: 319.688.1009 - Email: Hansel.Craijzgiccsd.kl2.ia.us Educational Services Center: 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245 -9589 NOTICE: All email communications to and from the District's email server are archived in accordance with District policy and procedures. This email communication, including attachments, contains information which may be confidential and /or legally privileged, and may otherwise be exempt from disclosure under applicable law. The information is intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, please reply to the sender indicating that fact and delete the copy you received. In addition, if you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, any unauthorized retention, copying, disclosure, distribution, or other use of the information is strictly prohibited. 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City HSPhase2 North HS Ph. 3 Su Wickham Kirkwood Fa Wickham Kirkwood Wi Kirkwood Sp Lemme Kirkw Su Lemme Kirkwood Fa Lemme Wi Lemme Sp Lemme Su Lemme Horn K.ch..e City HS Phase City HS Phase North HS Phase North HS Phase North HS Phase Horn K.ch..e Wood Horn K.ch..e Wood 2022 Horn Horn n. --.�.i K.ch..e Wood Wood TREC TREC North HIS Phase North HS Phase Horn K.ch..e TREC K.ch..e TREC 2023 Garner u-- .i TREC Garner K.ch..e Rorlarg TREC Fa K.ch..d Borlaug Tate I F.1 I Wi K.ch..d I 1wil 1 � t CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER Thomas M. Markus City Manager tom-markus@iowa-city.org 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 356 -5010 Fax: (319) 356 -5009 December 11, 2013 Justin C. Doyle BY E -MAIL AND U.S. MAIL 4 Zero 4, L.L.C. 1717 Ingersoll Ave., Suite 111 Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Re: City Property Adjacent to Robert A. Lee Recreation Center Dear Justin, Thank -you for your letter of December 2. As you know, City staff has responded positively to your concept for development of the city property adjacent to the Recreation Center. While there are many details to address we are anxious to resume our discussions with 4 Zero 4 and New Pioneer Co -op in the event that the Co -op membership authorizes the Board to pursue an alternative site in Iowa City. We would also at that time review the concept with the City Council's Economic Development Committee. Of course, the terms of any purchase agreement must ultimately be approved by the City Council. I would suggest that we schedule a meeting as soon as we know the outcome of the New Pioneer vote. We look forward to working with you on this project. Very truly yours, Tholydas M. Markus City Manager Cc: City Council From: Tom Markus Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 1:22 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: FW: Just out from Milken Institute: Annual Best - Performing Cities Ranking - see how your metro fared We moved up from 16 to 15. Please copy the summary of small cities and any corresponding info to next info packet. From: Ross DeVol (rdevol @milkeninstitute.org) [mailto:rdevol @milkeninstitute.org] Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 11:08 AM To: Tom Markus Subject: Just out from Milken Institute: Annual Best - Performing Cities Ranking - see how your metro fared Dear Mr. Markus: We have just released our annual ranking, "Best- Performing Cities 2013: Where America's Jobs are Created and Sustained." We hope you will take a look at the interactive site to see how your metro area did: www.best- cities.org. You can download a copy of the report, see a dynamic map that depicts how cities performed, read about the highlights of the report, see slides about the top - performing large and small metros, and learn our methodology. This report underscores the Milken Institute's mission to help create jobs by alerting policy makers and local leaders to the factors that data prove work for the long term. Our press release is below. Please let me know if you have any questions. Sincere regards, Ross C. DeVol Chief Research Officer The Milken Institute For immediate release December 5, 2013 Milken Institute's annual review of U.S. Best - Performing Cities: a tale of tech — and energy Austin reclaims the top spot; growth in D.C. cools LOS ANGELES — The Milken Institute's annual "Best- Performing Cities" index shows that technology and energy are the biggest forces behind America's booming cities. Austin, Texas, reclaimed the No. l spot based on a booming technology sector. Similarly, the rest of the top five all enjoy thriving tech sectors: Provo, Utah (second, up from seventh last year); San Francisco (third, up from 36th); San Jose (fourth, down from first) and Salt Lake City (fifth, up from sixth). "Some of the leading tech metros were successful despite being high -cost, high - regulation locations," says Ross DeVol, chief research officer of the Milken Institute and one of the report's authors. "Cities like San Francisco, San Jose and Cambridge, Mass., have developed R &D facilities and other infrastructure so it's easier to innovate there." Other cities in the top tier reflect how the surging U.S. energy sector is lighting up local economies. The shale oil and gas boom thrust nine metros into the Top 25, including Houston, San Antonio and Corpus Christi in Texas, as well as Bakersfield, Calif. In North Dakota, oil production has increased by more than 400 percent from 2007 to 2012, helping place both Fargo and Bismarck in the Top 5 small cities. In contrast, the Washington, D.C., area plummeted from fifth to 45th, marking the first time since 2008 that the capital hasn't made the Top 25. "Washington's recent hothouse growth, fueled by stimulus spending, finally started to cool in 2013," says DeVol. Among the report's findings: Within the top 25 metros, the Lone Star State claimed seven spots; Colorado and California notched four each. Columbia, Mo., was the Best - Performing Small City. Biggest gainers include Hagerstown- Martinsburg, Md. -W.V. (70th, up 100 slots); Tulsa, Okla., (42nd, up from 118th), and Phoenix, (66th, up from 122nd). "Job creation is the key measure of long -term economic vitality of America's urban areas," says DeVol. "Many of our financial and social challenges can best be addressed by developing local strategies to foster high - quality jobs, and our Best - Performing Cities are showing the way." "Best- Performing Cities" shows where jobs are being created and sustained in metros across the U.S. The index includes measures of job, wage and technology performance to rank the nation's 200 large metropolitan areas and 179 smaller metros. Unlike other "best places" rankings, it does not use quality -of -life metrics, such as commute times or housing costs. In the Institute's index, employment growth is weighted most heavily due to its critical importance to community vitality. Wage and salary growth measures the quality of jobs created and sustained. Data for all metros is available on the interactive "Best- Performing Cities" website, where you may also download the report: http: //best - cities.org. Join the Twitter conversation at #bpcfor2013. For more information or to interview authors Ross C. DeVol, Minoli Ratnatunga, and Armen Bedroussian, please contact: Conrad Kiechel, Director of Communications (310) 570 -4668 ckiechel e,milkeninstitute.org About the Milken Institute A nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, the Milken Institute believes in the power of capital markets to solve urgent social and economic challenges. Its mission is to improve lives around the world by advancing innovative economic and policy solutions that create jobs, widen access to capital and enhance health. www.milkeninstitute.org @milkeninstitute Detroit ruling reverberates with pension funds around country - Pensions & Investments Page 1 oC 3 Article from City Manager PensionsAvestments This copy is for your personal, non - commercial use only. Reproductions and distribution of this news story are strictly prohibited. View reprint options Order a reprint article now Detroit ruling reverberates with pension funds around country Once 'bulletproof public pension benefit is now at risk of being cut By: Kevin Olsen Published: December 9, 2013 The Detroit bankruptcy ruling on Dec. 3 has turned into the "new shot heard round the world" for both pension plan participants and municipalities saddled with pension debt and trying to stay afloat. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Steven W. Rhodes last week accepted the city's petition enabling it to seek protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. bankruptcy code, and ruled Detroit may legally reduce public pension benefits, despite protection of public pensions under Michigan's constitution. Mr. Rhodes' ruling — which came on the same day Illinois passed a wide- ranging pension reform bill for its state - administered plans — is reverberating throughout the country for cities grappling with bankruptcy or pension problems, from Chicago to San Bernardino and Stockton in California. Michigan, Illinois and California all have stipulations in their state constitutions that retirement plans should not be impaired or diminished, but that did not protect the pension benefits in Detroit. "Under the Michigan Constitution, municipal pension rights are contract rights. Therefore, because the State of Michigan authorized the filing of this case, municipal pension rights in Michigan can be impaired in this bankruptcy case, just like any other contract rights," according to a summary of Mr. Rhodes' ruling cited in a court news release. "The biggest ramification is adjusting to the legal uncertainty that has been created from the certainty that pension benefits are bullet proof," said Karol Denniston, municipal bankruptcy expert and San Francisco -based partner at law firm Schiff Hardin LLP. She added the ruling is noteworthy because it is the first time it has been said in a bankruptcy court that public pensions can be impaired. "There is now a credible case that the table has been reset," Ms. Denniston said. "There could be a direct or immediate possibility compared to a hypothetical" impairment to benefits. Unions and retiree groups in both Detroit and Illinois have vowed to appeal the ruling and legislation, respectively. Illinois' pension reform is designed to save the state $16o billion over the next 30 years by making changes to state plans that include reducing cost -of- living adjustments, increasing retirement ages and capping pensionable salaries. The reform measure, which was signed by Gov. Pat Quinn on Dec. 5, is expected to be tied up in the courts for at least a year. Meanwhile, the Detroit decision has a "better than 5o% chance" of being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, said Frank Shafroth, director of the Center for State and Local Government Leadership at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. http: //W ww.piontine.coml article / 20131209 /PRINT13120999661detroit- ruling- reverberates... 12/12/2013 Detroit ruling reverberates with pension funds around country - Pensions & Investments Page 2 of 3 George Mason University's Frank Shafroth: "Everyone understands the rules of the world changed on Tuesday... It was the new shot heard round the world." the plan city officials submit early next year Mr. Rhodes' ruling means public employee union leaders need to face a new reality, Mr. Shafroth said. The historic stance of some union leaders that they did not need to negotiate regarding pensions because of the constitutional protection is no longer safe, he added. "You can't do that (refuse to negotiate), effective 1 p.m. Tuesday (Dec. 3)," Mr. Shafroth said. "Everyone understands the rules of the world changed on Tuesday ... It was the new shot heard round the world." Unions now have a huge stake in states or municipalities balancing their budgets because pension benefits might not be guaranteed anymore, Mr. Shafroth said. Ms. Denniston said the ruling should result in a shift in negotiating strategies for unions in that they would be more likely to participate in talks. Sarah Wetmore, vice president and research director at The Civic Federation, an independent government research organization in Chicago, agreed unions need to participate in pension reform talks, as they did for recently passed reform for the $420 million Chicago Park Employees' Annuity & Benefit Fund. "Labor is an important participant in pension reform negotiations," Ms. Wetmore said. "What happened in Detroit is definitely an added incentive for all parties to work together to ensure that the pensions are sustainable for employees, retirees and taxpayers." Road map for others Sharon Almonrode, a pension fund litigation attorney and partner at The Miller Law Firm PC in Rochester, Mich., said Mr. Rhodes might also need to consider whether Detroit inadvertently becomes a road map for other municipalities when reviewing "I'm curious to know what will happen with the appeals, because the (6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals) is historically one of the friendliest jurisdictions and has a strong history of favoring the protection of retiree obligations," Ms. Almonrode said. "Now, obviously, contracts get set aside in bankruptcy, but there's also going to be strong debate about whether the pension rights are contract rights." Up next on the chopping block could be pension guarantees for employees in San Bernardino and Stockton, Calif., where both cities have been declared eligible for bankruptcy. San Bernardino officials have been locked in a battle over pension contributions with the $277.3 billion California Public Employees' Retirement System, Sacramento, while Stockton has continued to make its payments to the state system after negotiating new deals with workers. In his ruling, Mr. Rhodes said any plan put together by Kevyn Orr, Detroit's state - appointed emergency manager, needs to be "fair and reasonable" to be approved. Mr. Shafroth took that to mean the pension plans will not receive equal cuts to other creditors that are in a better position to take a loss. Mr. Shafroth added all creditors in California municipal bankruptcy cases are watching Detroit closely. If the criteria are to be "fair and reasonable," it's going to take an "interesting dictionary to find a definition for this" if creditors get pennies on the dollars while pension benefits are fully paid, Mr. Shafroth said. CaIPERS officials have said the state constitution does not allow http: / /www.pionline.conil articlel 2Ol3l2O9 lPRINT13120999661detroit - ruling- reverberates... 12/12/2013 Detroit ruling reverberates with pension funds around country - Pensions & Investments Page 3 of 3 for benefits to be diminished, just as Michigan and Illinois' constitutions say. "The judge's decision on Tuesday was a different earthquake and there's going to be a lot of moving and shaking at CalPERS and in Sacramento," Mr. Shafroth said. Can't ignore ruling In San Bernardino's case, Ms. Denniston said, "I don't think the court can really ignore (the ruling). This is a federal bankruptcy judge ruling pensions can be impaired in bankruptcy cases. Other judges would have to take that into consideration." The decision could help improve bankruptcy outcomes for bondholders. Stockton negotiated pension changes with employees outside of bankruptcy court, but Ms. Denniston said city creditor Franklin Templeton has a stronger argument for better payment terms for bondholders now about what is "fair and equitable" since a bankruptcy judge has said pensions can be impaired. The proposed exit plan has Franklin Templeton receiving less than i cent on the dollar for its $35 million in bonds. In Illinois, lawmakers took about 18 months to pass pension reform for the state, which has the worst credit rating and funded pension plans in the country. But Chicago is in a similarly dire position and needs state legislation to reform its pension plans. Mayor Rahm Emanuel applauded the state for passing reform, but called on the Legislature last week to now address Chicago's situation. "The pension crisis is not truly solved until relief is brought to Chicago and all of the other local governments across our state that are standing on the brink of a fiscal cliff because of our pension liabilities," Mr. Emanuel said in a statement. "Without providing the same relief to local governments, we know that taxpayers, employees, and the future of our state and local economies will remain at risk." The Civic Foundation's Ms. Wetmore said legislators wanted to complete state pension reform before moving on to the city. "The fact that the logjam is broken could be seen as a sense of optimism for Chicago pension funds," she added. Under state law governing city pension funds, Chicago's annual pension contributions will increase $590 million, raising total contributions to $1.4 billion in 2015, almost 3o% of the city's operating budget after mandatory interest payments. Only one of the four pension funds the city contributes to directly is more than 38% funded: the $1.4 billion Laborers' Annuity & Benefit Fund is 57.7% funded. Chicago does not have the authority to contribute more without state legislation. "The city absolutely needs pension reform," Ms. Wetmore said. "They don't have the money and there's no possible tax increase big enough to fund this." Original Story Link: http: / /www.pionline.com /article /201312og /PRINT /312099966 /detroit - ruling- reverberates -with- pension- funds- around - country- once - bullet- proof - public - pension- benefit -is- now -at- risk -of -being -cut This copy is for your personal, non - commercial use only. Reproductions and distribution of this news story are strictly prohibited. To order presentation -ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers and /or request permission to use the article in full or partial format please contact our Reprint Sales Manager at 732-723-0569• View reprint options Order a reprint article now Copyright © 2013 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy I Terms & Conditions http: / /www.pionline.coml article / 20131209 /PRINT /3120999661detroit- ruling- reverberates... 12/12/2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE �Ml Newly Renovated Historic Building Opens in the Iowa City Downtown District The " Grossix" Building Opens to the Public Monday December 16. National retail tenant and residential lofts revealed. IOWA CITY- (December 9, 2013) — Historic preservation in Downtown Iowa City just received a boost from property owner Vera Gross this month in what has been a wave of recent downtown redevelopment projects. Gross has been renovating the 1860s building at 30 S. Clinton Street for the past year and there has been much speculation as to the future for the last remaining vacant space along the two -block stretch of Clinton Street. The public is invited by Gross and the Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) to an Open House on Monday, December 16th from 4pm to 7pm to see the final reveal of the interior space of the first floor retail, second and third story loft apartments, and rooftop deck. The retail space is partially renovated awaiting a buildout designed by the incoming tenant. Details about the new national retail tenant headquartered in Ankeny, IA and New York City will be provided at the Open House. The two residential units are now available for leasing. "The space is just beautiful and I really wanted to showcase what historic preservation coupled with hard work and patience can look like for others to see. The results are two amazing living spaces and a fantastic new retail business that will compliment the growing cluster of men's and women's clothing and accessories Downtown." The ICDD has been partnering with the City of Iowa City to help support the preservation of the Downtown's building stock as a primary asset in a larger economic development strategy. "There are a number of properties Downtown that are underutilized and have similar potential as the Grossix Building. Our goal is to help bring these buildings back to light for professional office or other collaborative uses," said Nancy Bird, Executive Director of the Iowa City Downtown District. The project received financial assistance from the City of Iowa City to support the fagade renovation and sprinkler system. The new retail tenant takes possession of the first floor space February 1 st, with a Grand Opening anticipated in Spring of 2014. The building has been in Gross's family for nearly 30 years as Gilda Imports, formerly operated by her mother. The project received an award from the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission for historically appropriate commercial rehabilitation. "It is so gratifying to have such wonderful support from the community to help make all of this possible," stated Gross. The Iowa City Downtown District is a 501(c)6 non - profit organization that provides a leadership directive for the District mission and serves as a mechanism to more efficiently implement District -wide marketing, programs, events and projects to the benefit of all businesses within it, the University of Iowa, community members, and the region at large. Since its inception in 2012, the Downtown District continues to forge an exciting and deliberate path forward towards cultural vibrancy, resiliency, and sustainability in Downtown Iowa City. NOTE: Graphics are available upon request. Contacts for more information include: Vera Gross, Grossix LLC, vmgross @yahoo.com or 865- 441 -6782 available for interviews T -F 1 -3 p.m. Nancy Bird Executive Director of ICDD, nancy@downtowniowacity.com or 319 -354- 0863 available for interviews M -F 9 -11 a.m. Wendy Ford, City of Iowa City Economic Development Office, wendy -ford _iowa- cit .or or 319 - 356 -5248 available for interviews upon request. C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Business Name Occupancy (occupancy loads last updated Oct 2008) = University of Iowa Monthiv Totals Bar Checks Under2l PAULA Prev 12 Month Totals Bar Checks Under2l PAULA Under2l PAULA Ratio Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) (Prev 12 Mo) 2 Dogs Pub 120 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Airliner 223 5 0 1 112 4 22 0.0357143 0.1964286 Airliner 223 9 0 3 112 4 22 0.0357143 0.1964286 American Legion 140 0 0 0 2 _0 0 0 0 Atlas World Grill 165 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Baroncini— 0 0 0 Basta 176 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 Blackstone— 297 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 Blue Moose— 436 9 0 0 153 15 4 0.0980392 0.0261438 Blue Moose— 436 2 0 0 153 15 4 0.0980392 0.0261438 Bluebird Diner 82 0 0 0 Bob's Your Uncle 260 0 0 0 Bo -James 200 2 0 0 118 8 1 0.0677966 0.0084746 Bo -James 200 5 0 0 118 8 1 0.0677966 0.0084746 Bread Garden Market & Bakery ^ 0 0 0 Brix 0 0 0 Brothers Bar & Grill, [It's] 556 17 1 4 400 72 61 0.18 0.1525 Brothers Bar & Grill, [It's] 556 ' `13 6 2 400 72 61 0.18 0.1525 Brown Bottle, [The]— 289 0 0 0 Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar- 189 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 Cactus Mexican Grill 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Caliente Night Club 498 2 0 0 31 0 0 0 0 Carl & Ernie's Pub & Grill 92 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 0 Carlos O'Kelly's— 299 0 " 0 0 Chili Yummy Yummy Chili 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Chipotle Mexican Grill 119 0 0 0 Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 1 of 6 V F C C C C C E C C C C E C C C C C C E C C C C C C C Business Name Occupancy (occupancy loads last updated Oct 2008) = University of Iowa Monthlv Totals Bar Under2l PAULA Checks Prev 12 Month Totals Bar Under2l PAULA Checks Under 21 �, �9AIf A Ratio Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) (Prev 12 Mo) Clarion Highlander Hotel 0 0 0 Clinton St Social Club 1 0 0 21 0 0 0 0 Club Car, [The] 56 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 Coach's Corner 160 1 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 Colonial Lanes— 502 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Dave's Foxhead Tavern 87 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 DC's 120 7 1 0 326 88 17 0.2699387 0.0521472 DC's 120 13 2 0 326 88 17 0.2699387 0.0521472 Deadwood, [The] 218 1 0 0 49 0 0 0 0 Deadwood, [The] 218 5 0 0 49 0 0 0 0 Devotay— 45 0 0 0 Donnelly's Pub 49 0 0 0 26 0 0 0 0 Dublin Underground, [The] 57 2 0 0 33 0 0 0 0 Eagle's, [Fraternal Order of] 315 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 El Banditos 25 0 0 0 El Cactus Mexican Cuisine 0 0 0 El Dorado Mexican Restaurant 104 0 0 0 El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant 161 0 0 0 Elks #590, [BPO] 205 0 0 0 Englert Theatre- 838 0 0 0 IFieldhouse 178 6 0 0 245 50 3 0.2040816 0.0122449 IFieldhouse 178 6 0 0 245 50 3 0.2040816 0.0122449 First Avenue Club— 280 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 Formosa Asian Cuisine- 149 0 0 0 Gabes— 261 3 0 0 36 1 0 0.0277778 0 (George's Buffet 75 -1 0 0 7 ' 0 0 0 0 Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 2 of 6 C C C C C C C C C C P C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Business Name Occupancy (occupancy loads last updated Oct 2008) = University of Iowa Monthly Totals Bar Checks Under2l PAULA Prev 12 Month Totals Bar Checks Under2l PAULA Under2l PA�J Ratio Ratio (Prev 12 MO) (Prev 12 Mo) Givanni's— 158 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 Godfather's Pizza— 170 0 0 D Graze— 49 0 0 0 Grizzly's South Side Pub 265 _ 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 Hilltop Lounge, [The] 90 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 Howling Dogs Bistro 0 0 0 IC Ugly's 72 1 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 India Cafe 100 0 0 0 Iron Hawk— 3 0 0 47 2 12 0.0425532 0.2553191 Iron Hawk— 2 0 0 47 2 12 0.0425532 0.2553191 Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack 71 0 0 0 Jobsite 120 0 0 0 12 1 0 - 0.0833333 0 Joe's Place 281 3 0 0 161 3 2 0.0186335 0.0124224 IJoe's Place 281 7 0 0 161 3 2 0.0186335 0.0124224 Joseph's Steak House— 226 0 0 0 Linn Street Cafe 80 0 0 0 Los Portales 161 0 0 0 Martini's 200 3 0 0 222 29 5 0.1306306 0.0225225 Martini's 200 5 0 0 222 29 5 0.1306306 0.0225225 Masala 46 0 0 0 Mekong Restaurant— 89 0 0 0 Micky's— 98 1 0 0 108 0 2 0 0.0185185 Micky's— 98 3 0 0 108 0 2 0 0.0185185 Mill Restaurant, [The]- 325 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 Moose, [Loyal Order of] 476 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Motley Cow Cafe— 82 0 0 0 Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 3 of 6 0 2 Business Name Occupancy (occupancy loads last updated Oct 2008) 0= University of Iowa ❑ Noodles & Company - Prev 12 Month Checks Under2l ❑Okoboji Grill- 222 F-1 Old Capitol Brew Works 294 ❑One- Twenty -Six 105 ❑Orchard Green Restaurant— 200 ❑Oyama Sushi Japanese Restaurant 87 ❑ Pagliai's Pizza— 113 ❑ Panchero's (Clinton St)— 62 ❑ Panchero's Grill (Riverside Dr)— 95 W Pints 180 ❑ Pints 180 ❑ Pit Smokehouse- 40 F-1 Pizza Hut— 116 ❑ Players 114 ❑,/ Quinton's Bar & Deli 149 ❑ Rice Village ❑Ridge Pub 0 ❑ Riverside Theatre— 118 ❑Saloon 120 ❑Sam's Pizza— 174 ❑Sanctuary Restaurant, [The] 132 ❑ Shakespeare's 90 ❑ Sheraton ❑Short's Burger& Shine- 56 ❑Short's Burger Eastside 0 Sports Column 400 Monthlv Totals Bar Checks Under21 PAULA Prev 12 Month Checks Under2l 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 205 14 3 0 0 205 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0 '' 4 15 1 0 0 13 0 0 0 0' 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 _ 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 245- 56 Totals PAULA 0 0 0 I 7 7 2 0 0 4 0 0 Under 21 Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) 0 0 0 0.0682927 0.0682927 3.75 0 PAULA Ratio (Prev 12 Mo) 0 0 0.0341463 0.0341463 0.5 0 0 0 0 0.8 0 0 22 1 0..2285714 0.0897959 Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 4 of 6 F C C C C E C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Business Name Occupancy (occupancy loads last updated Oct 2008) = University of Iowa Monthlv Totals Bar Checks Under2l PAULA Prev 12 Month Totals Bar Under2l PAULA Checks Under2l PAULA t Ratio Ratio (Prev 12 MO) (Prev 12 Mo) Sports Column 400 9 0 0 245 56 22 0.2285714 0.0897959 Studio 13 206 2' 0 0 129 3 0 0.0232558 0 Studio 13 206 2 0 0 129 3 0 0.0232558 0 Summit. [The] 736 4 1 0 221 26 40 0.1176471 0.1809955 Summit. [The] 736 12 1 5 221 26 40 0.1176471 0.1809955 Sushi Popo 84 0 0 0 Szechuan House 0 0 0 Takanami Restaurant- 148 0 0 0 Taqueria Acapulco 0 0 0 TCB 250 3 0 0 109 5 0 0.0458716 0 TCB 250 3 0 0 109 5 0 0.0458716 0 Thai Flavors 60 0 ` 0 0 Thai Spice 91 0 0 0 Times Club @ Prairie Lights 60 0 0 0 Trumpet Blossom Cafe 94 0 0 0 Union Bar 854 4 0 0 239 45 54 0.1882845 0.2259414 Union Bar 854 16 0 0 239 45 54 0.1882845 0.2259414 VFW Post #3949 197 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Vine Tavern, [The] 170 3 1 0 62 7 8 0.1129032 0.1290323 Vine Tavern, [The] 170 2 0 0 62 7 8 0.1129032 0.1290323 Wig & Pen Pizza Pub- 154 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Yacht Club, [Iowa City]- 206 _ 1 0 0 53 0 0 0 0 Yacht Club, [Iowa City]- 206 4 0 0 53 0 0 0 0 Yen Ching 0 0 0 Z'Mariks Noodle House 47 0 0 0 Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 5 of 6 42 j Till * includes outdoor seating area exception to 21 ordinance Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 6 of 6 C) --# u -< c�') ' .r.� ti ru Monday, December 09, 2013 Page 6 of 6 r i IP12 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356 -5000 (319) 356 -5009 FAX www.icgov.org December 10, 2013 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker I — Parking Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker I — Parking. Joshua Bartruff Ramiro Ortiz IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Lyra )N. IN ckerson, Chair � r "m►r `t 'rwaa��Eurk CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org CITY COUNCIL Matthew J. Hayek Mayor Susan Mims Mayor Pro Tern Connie Champion Terry Dickens Rick Dobyns Michelle Payne Jim Throgmorton council @iowa - city.org 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 356 -5041 Fax: (319) 356 -5497 COPY December 10, 2013 Mayor Jim Fausett 1512 7th Street P. O. Box 5127 Coralville, IA 52241 Dear Mayor Fausett, "�`'i We recently received an invitation to the reception honoring your service to Coralville. Unfortunately Iowa City has its formal council meeting that evening and we are unable to attend. On behalf of the City of Iowa City I want to thank you for a half century of service, including 18 years as Mayor and another 18 years on the Coralville City Council. Few people have dedicated more to their community than you. We wish you well as you depart City Hall. Congratulations, Jim! Sincerely, Matthew J. Hayek Mayor cc: Iowa City City Council Marian Karr From: Marian Karr Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 3:08 PM Subject: Haunted Highway Airdate Please see the information below regarding episode featuring the Oakland Cemetery Black Angel to be broadcast on the Sy -FY channel next Wednesday. From: Tom Markus Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 12:23 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: FW: Haunted Highway Airdate Please share with council. From: Mike Moran Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 8:24 AM To: *All Department Heads Subject: FW: Haunted Highway Airdate FYI meant to get this out earlier to you! FYI mm From: Patrick Powell [mailto :patrickdpowell @gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 12:22 AM Subject: Haunted Highway Airdate Hello there! I hope this email finds you well and you've had a great year! I wanted to let you know that the episode of Haunted Highway featuring the case of the Black Angel will be airing - Wednesday, December 18th at 9pm EST. Please check your local listings as certain cable providers may move the time up an hour. I apologize for the short notice, but the network recently reorganized the episode order and I was just made aware of the new airdate. I have not seen a final cut of the episode and, as with any television show, there is always a chance that certain interviews and segments were cut from the final broadcast due to time constraints. Thank you again for all of your time and assistance with the filming this past Winter. Please enjoy the show and have a great holiday season! - Patrick Powell Marian Karr From: City of Iowa City <webmaster @iowa - city.org> Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 3:12 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: CITY UPDATE: Towncrest redevelopment moves forward The two new Towncrest buildings, third space is still available for sale or lease [ view hi -res image ) CITY UPDATE: Towncrest redevelopment moves forward Issued by: Communications Office Mailing List(s): Classes, Programs 8 Events - Construction & Street Closures - General City News Originally Posted 12/1312013 3:12:03 PM i. Contact: Tracy Hightshoe Contact Phone: (319) 356-5244 and Eye Associates of Iowa City P.C. A Five years ago, City of Iowa City planners held a series of meetings with residents, business owners, and property owners from the Towncrest area to talk about what they envisioned for the future of their neighborhood and business district. Construction of a Hy -Vee, Walgreen's, and a small shopping area in the neighborhood years prior signaled an interest in the area, but an additional spark was required to spur continued growth and improvement in an area that has been largely defined by an older complex of medical - related offices, businesses, and services. Today, Towncrest, the area of Iowa City located near the intersection of Muscatine Avenue and First Avenue, is clearly in the process of change. The vision that residents and businesses had for their future was put to paper and then put to plan by the Urban Planning, Economic Development, and Community Development divisions of the City's Planning and Community Development Department. An urban renewal plan to revitalize the area was developed, which includes a streetscape plan that brings a new look and vitality to the area, a set of design standards for new and existing buildings that rejuvenates the area's appearance, and a financial incentives package that helps property owners or investors fund their projects and spur interest and development in this east -side business district. To date, the City has invested around $1.75 million in the area through various sources such as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), the Towncrest Catalyst Fund Program, and utility revenues. Financial incentives including grants and low- or no- interest loans continue to be available from the City for developers, prospective and current business owners, and tenants to help fund construction, reconstruction, faA §ade improvements, and new businesses. As the five -year mark draws to a close, the first new construction project undertaken as part of the Towncrest urban renewal effort -- two new medical buildings offering approximately 14,500 sq. ft. of space -- is nearing completion. Designed by Neumann Monson Architects and built by Mike Hodge, Dave Hodge, and Kevin Digmann of MDK Development, LLC, the buildings are located at the intersection of Muscatine Avenue and William Street, where a Sinclair gas station and an ACT storage building were once located. Two long -term Towncrest area businesses, Eye Associates of Iowa City P.C. and Towncrest Dental, have purchased space in the new buildings, and a third 2,000 sq. ft. space is still available for sale or lease. Eye Associates held a grand opening this week, and on Monday, December 16, will celebrate with a ribbon - cutting ceremony at its new location at 1018 William Street. The event will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. and the public is invited to attend. In 2013, Eye Associates marked 76 years in business in the Iowa City area, offering vision and eye care as well as eyewear, contacts, and other services. Towncrest Dental, located at 1008 William Street, moved into its new space on December 2. While the new building is no larger than their old location on Arthur Street, it is laid out more efficiently, allowing the dental office to add two additional dental chairs. The business is considering hosting an open house in January, although final plans have not been announced. Other projects that indicate that Towncrest is in a transitional phase include renovations to older existing buildings located in the medical complex: a new faA §ade for the Free Medical Clinic, and exterior and interior renovations to the Hospice of Iowa City building. Both organizations received financial assistance from the City for their projects. Yet another indicator is the purchase by the City of the former Kerr -McGee gas station on the southwest corner of First Avenue and Muscatine Avenue, which the City has offered for sale to the public. A $500,000 streetscape project along William Street, which is centrally located in the Towncrest medical plaza, also got underway this year. The project features street replacements, new sidewalks on both sides of William Street, a brick - paver crosswalk, implementation of on- street perpendicular parking, benches, lighting, new landscaping with trees and shrubs, bike racks, trash receptacles, and other amenities. Construction has resulted in some street, lane, and sidewalk closures in the area, but beginning Monday, December 16, barricades on Muscatine Avenue will be removed and both lanes will be open to traffic. Vehicles will be able to turn north on to William Street from Muscatine Avenue to access the new facilities, but the south lane of William Street will continue to be closed. Drivers will need to use the access drive located behind the new Towncrest buildings on the east side to return to Muscatine Avenue. The sidewalk along Muscatine Avenue and the sidewalks on both sides of William Street will also be opened on Monday, although temporary sidewalk modifications will be in place throughout the winter on William Street to accommodate the crosswalk project that is yet to be installed. Street lights on the east side of William Street are in, but will not be in place on the west side of the street until next year. Work on the streetscape project, which will also include the installation of a new seven -foot tall stainless steel gateway arch and cast stone entrance sign, will resume in the spring. For more information, visit www.icgov.org /towncrest or contact Tracy Hightshoe, Community Development Planner, at 319/356 -5244 or tracv- hiahtshoe(o)iowa- citv.org. View this article on the ICGov Web Site: http: / /www.icgov.org /apps /news / ?newslD =9292 This media release was sent to: marian- Karr @iowa - city.org Do not reply directly to this e-mail! It is produced from an automated system, and is not monitored for replies. If you have a question or comment about this information, please contact the individual(s) listed in the release. • Unsubscribe or edit your subscription details. • Visit our iobs page for employment opportunities. • View more news from the City of Iowa Citv. IP13 LM MINUTES PRELIMINARY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 21, 2013 — 6:30 PM DALE HELLING CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle Bacon Curry, Andrew Chappell, Cheryll Clamon, David Hacker, Jim Jacobson, Peter Matthes, Dottie Persson, Rachel Zimmerman Smith MEMBERS ABSENT: Christine Ralston STAFF PRESENT: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Rackis (ICHA) OTHERS PRESENT: John Sewell, Maryann Dennis, Bob Welsh, Jerry Anthony, Andrew Sanchez, Tiffini McClair, Kasey Befeler RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: No recommendations. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chair Andrew Chappell. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 17, 2013 MINUTES: Clamon moved to approve. Zimmerman Smith seconded. A vote was taken and the motion carried 8 -0. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. STAFF /COMMISSION COMMENT: Commission members introduced themselves to new Commission member Peter Matthes. Hightshoe said she attended the Visiting Nurses Association's Open House. She said VNA used CDBG funds to acquire the lot for their new office building. It is a nice facility and a partnership with the Uofl College of Nursing. Hightshoe instructed the three new Commission members on the details of monitoring reports. Presentation by the University of Iowa Public Policy Center (PPC) on the Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (www.icgov.org /actionplan) • Opportunity for Commission and Public to Comment HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 21, 2013 PAGE 2 of 6 Jerry Anthony of PPC gave a presentation on the draft study. He listed and explained the key six features of the study: segregation maps, segregation indices, a discussion of the Iowa City Affordable Housing Model, restrictive covenants, service of assisted and unassisted renters and bank lending data. Anthony said some of the census data is conflicting so if they can't reconcile it, they don't use it in the report. He said that the bank lending data shows that some banks are denying certain classes at a higher rate than others, but cautioned the Commission about jumping to conclusions, as the credit histories and credit scores are unknown. He said he has had difficulty getting certain data about Section Eight Vouchers and residency preference from the Iowa City Housing Authority. Anthony requested the addresses of Section 8 tenants. Anthony said he looks forward to public and Commission comment, and then in the near future, the PPC will draw up recommendations and the final report will come back to the Commission. Chappell opened the meeting for public discussion. Bob Welsh of Iowa City said the one weak spot in Iowa City is the lack of accessible, affordable housing. He said he was concerned about the finding that some banks are denying certain classes at a higher rate than others and hopes that if it's because of racial reasons, that they be referred to the Human Rights Commission. He also asked if the Primary Reference Category on page 42 is a broad category or is there a preference within that. He said he is most concerned about a study from 2007 titled Affordable Housing Market Analysis of the Iowa City Metro Area that stated "there is an absence of developable land zoned for multifamily housing and available purchase in Iowa City. The scattered site policy and the Affordable Housing Location Map have made development of new assisted rental housing seemingly even more difficult." He asked if Anthony agrees or disagrees with that statement and what are the recommendations. Maryann Dennis, Executive Director of The Housing Fellowship, said in regard to fair housing access in the community, she agrees with the concerns described on page 28 of the report. She said the Affordable Housing Location Map is really specific for rental, and it has been a barrier to the development of scattered site affordable rental homes. She cited two rental homes the Fellowship owns on Hotz Avenue and Elizabeth Street and said this is a great neighborhood for low -wage working families, but the City will not use their federal funds to financially assist the Housing Fellowship to develop additional rental housing near these homes and other neighborhoods marked in the study. She said the study explains that land prices are high in areas where the City is trying to redirect affordable housing. HOME funds restrict the rents, so that means the Fellowship as a developer would have difficulty getting the project to have adequate cash flow. Dennis said she feels that there isn't the political will for inclusionary zoning, but she's glad to see that it is yet again a recommendation in this study, as it has been year after year in other housing studies. She stated that Iowa City is required to further fair housing and fair housing planning and to take appropriate actions to overcome the effects of any identified impediments, and she looks forward to seeing what actions are taken by the City. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 21, 2013 PAGE 3 of 6 Steve Rackis, Administrator for the Iowa City Housing Authority, answered Welsh's first question by saying that the Housing Authority does use local preferences and went on to explain what they comprise. Rackis said that HUD issued a memorandum in 2010 that distinguished between what they felt was public and private information as it related to the Housing Choice Voucher Program. He said the City Attorney Sue Dulek reviewed that document and communicated to Anthony this week that in her opinion, the addresses of Section 8 tenants were confidential. Rackis said he met with students from the PPC in May and provided all the information they requested. He said they had no other requests for information until this week. All prior information that was readily available was provided. The study was due in August and the ICHA provided all the information requested during that May visit. He said the information requested this past week that required more labor- intensive staff time was not provided due to budget cuts in his department and his judgment that he had work that was of a higher priority than creating custom reports about who was on the Housing Authority's waiting list by preference category. He said the data he had on the waiting list was the data he reported in his 2013 Annual Report, and it was simply the primary preference category. Bacon Curry asked what information the primary preference category provides. Rackis said it's the break -down of elderly, disabled, families with children and racial characteristics. Zimmermann Smith asked what is missing from the study because the PPC doesn't have the information about the vouchers. Anthony said his instinct is that people who have housing choice vouchers live in disperse locations and he wants data to validate this. He said that the City wants both affordable housing and housing choice vouchers scattered throughout the city. Zimmermann Smith asked when the preference is established. Rackis replied that applicants apply and include their location of residency. They get placed on the appropriate waiting list. If they move to the jurisdiction after they apply and contact the City, their place on the waiting list changes as now a resident. If they were on the waiting list as a resident and notify the ICHA they moved out of the jurisdiction, they are moved to the appropriate preference category. The ICHA accepts their word concerning residency while in the applicant status. Proof of residency is not required until they are eligible to receive a voucher. The preference categories are constantly in flux based on demographics and people moving in and out of the community. Clamon asked if Anthony's charge was to do a study on the city only. Anthony said for some of the categories the data given to them, for example the Housing Authority, includes the entire area of their jurisdiction, not just the City. Zimmermann Smith stated the comments about the Affordable Housing Location Model were only received by a few affordable housing providers. They should be balanced by comments from the broader community. There was a community reason why the model was adopted and those comments should be included. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 21, 2013 PAGE 4 of 6 Chappell said on page 28 the three most common concerns listed is misleading in that they could be construed as comments from the community in general rather than simply from the three people Anthony talked to. He said that another concern is that this section of the study is talking about affordable housing when the study is actually meant to address fair housing. To his understanding, the study is identify the impediments to fair housing, not affordable housing. Anthony said in this draft they are presenting the information they received from community members and when they write up their recommendations they will clarify that. Persson said she would appreciate having an appendix listing the abbreviations used in the report. Dennis said that Families with Children is a protected class under the Fair Housing Law and she thinks there has been a disparate impact on families with children in this community. She said she thinks the City has created policies based on the receiving of Federal funds that have resulted in an impediment to fair housing for families with children. Jacobsen said in some charts it would be helpful to have the numbers as well as the percentages listed. Chappell asked if they could include a citation on page 4 where impediments are defined. Anthony said that is directly taken from the HUD Fair Planning Guide. Chappell talked about the term Population Segregation and whether that is appropriate language to use. He also asked what the map showing the population segregation in Iowa City would look like if there was no segregation. Anthony said this is the first time doing this map for Iowa City so this will be the benchmark for going forward. He said population segregation is always calculated in percentage terms. Anthony said there will always be some population segregation because of choice rather than due to constraints, and it would be impossible to map choice versus constraints. New Business Discuss and Review FY15 CDBG /HOME Funding Process Timeline Review and Approve FY15 CDBG /HOME Application Materials Discuss and Review FY15 Aid to Agency Funding Process & Timeline Zimmerman Smith moved to approve the CDBG /HOME application materials. Persson seconded. The motion carried 8 -0. Hightshoe explained how the Aid to Agency Funding process works. The Commission discussed the application form that is used. The FY15 application materials, almost identical to FY14, were approved. Hightshoe stated the commission will get paper copies of the applications unless they request it is not needed. Hightshoe cautioned that the budget may be different as Congress has not adopted a budget yet. The amounts identified in the Applicant Guide are staff's best estimates at this time and are subject to change. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 21, 2013 PAGE 5 of 6 Monitoring Reports FY14 MECCA — Aid to Agencies (Chappell) • FY14 Neighborhood Centers of JC — Aid to Agencies (Chappell) • FY13 Neighborhood Centers of JC — Facility Rehab. (Bacon Curry) FY12 Mayor's Youth — Rental Housing (Bacon Curry) The reports will be deferred until the December HCDC meeting. ADJOURNMENT: Persson moved to adjourn. Clamon seconded. Motion to adjourn carried 8 -0. z O U) O U H z W 2 CL O J W w O z Z) M ON U U� N U`w0 z m 00< =za z O N O U z Wo a R 00 U W j�� 0 W W N Z N T Z � N = z w Oa U 0 z 'a V Z T X X X X X X X X T 0 LU 0 X X x 0 0 x X x T x x o' X x o x x W O LO x x X o x x x 0 0 o x x o o x x X X x X X X x 0 x X X X X X X x X x X n X X X X X 0 1 X X X T x x X w O W O x x x W O X X X 0 x X X X LU T o o X X x 0 x 0 x X X T a IT LO IT M M LO (O M V W W LO LO ui O O O O O O O O O O O O O W H 0) 0) W 0) 0) 0) 0) 0) W 0) 0) 0) W J J W 2 U_ W Z O I- 0 Z U W W N OC Q Q Q } UJ W U U t/1 R a OC Q 0 0 Z v Z J a J O O U Z w W O = 0 m cn = Z N z W W W O U a Q W C7 Y 1= 0 1- 0 W V1 JQ _ U Z m 0 0 0 0 cQ7 z z a Q NoC N ` N W Q) c N W y N a<Qz II II II II w, M x00 Minutes Human Rights Commission November 19, 2013 — 6 P.M. Helling Conference Room DRAFT M Members Present: Harry Olmstead, Orville Townsend Sr., Paul Retish, Joe Coulter, Shams Ghoneim, Andrea Cohen, Diane Finnerty, Not Present: Jewell Amos, Kim Hanrahan. Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers. Others Present: Jim Throgmorton, Yaohui Chen, Misty Rebik. Recommendations to Council: The Iowa City Human Rights Commission finds the City of Iowa City Citizen's Survey 2013 to be of questionable validity and in need of inclusion of all community constituents. The Commission recommends the Council not use it all. If used, it should not be used as the sole input for guiding strategic planning. The Commission encourages the Council to rely upon other types of documents that members of the community have brought forth such as the Ad Hoc Diversity Recommendations, the Racial Equity in Iowa City and Johnson County Report of the Iowa City Coalition for Racial Justice and the Immigrant Voices Project Materials. Call to Order: Chair Townsend called the meeting to order at 18:00. Consideration of the Minutes of the October 15, 2013: Coulter moved, seconded by Finnerty. 6 -0 ( Ghoneim not present). Public Comment: Council member Jim Throgmorton addressed the concerns of international undergraduate students at the University from China. Throgmorton asked the Commission to establish a subcommittee to meet with representatives of the Chinese Students & Scholars Association. Yaohui Chen spoke on the experience many Chinese students have both on campus and in the community. He would like to work with the Commission to establish relationships between community members and students new to this area. Chen also spoke on the cultural adjustments many international students make when they come to Iowa City. It was suggested that the City have a liaison for persons new to this country. Olmstead moved, seconded by Finnerty. Motion passed 7 -0. The Commission will establish a subcommittee to work more closely with the Chinese Students & Scholars Association. Olmstead and Cohen volunteered to serve on the subcommittee. Meeting Business Ecological Human Rights Professor of Law Burns Weston discussed advocacy for environmental concerns and human rights. Professor Weston presented a covenant that he co- authored. He requested that the Commission support the implementation of the concepts of this covenant to the Iowa City Council. Commissioners wished to take time to study the materials and discuss in December. Motion by Townsend, second by Coulter. Motion passed 6 -0. (Finnerty abstained). Agenda item December. 2013 Resident Survey Commissioners reported that the survey does not address the needs of all in the community. For example, the survey did not address affordable housing, paratransit or Sunday service. Other concerns about the report were that it is of questionable validity. The survey is not diverse and the survey did not poll persons who are homeless. Motion to Council by Coulter seconded by Olmstead. Motion passed 7 -0. (See recommendation to Council page one) Mirage The Commission elected not to participate in this event. Motion by Finnerty seconded by Coulter. Motion passed 7 -0. Structure of Human Rights Commission Olmstead is concerned that the Commission is too small to be fully active in the community. Coulter moved that the Human Rights Commission be expanded in its membership to 11 and to have a student liaison, Olmstead seconded. Motion failed 2 -3. (Finnerty, Cohen abstained). Item to be discussed at December meeting. Motion Coulter, seconded by Ghoneim. Motion passed 7 -0. Agenda Item December. Updates & Reports: Cultural Diversity Day No Report. Proclamations Coulter accepted the proclamation for Native American Heritage Month on behalf of the Commission. Human Rights Breakfast The 2013 event was very successful. Finnerty presented an award to Olmstead in thanks for his hard work and time in taking all the pictures for the 1 Have a Dream Campaign. Misty Rebik updated on the status of discussions between Sheraton and The Center for Worker Justice. Rebik asked that the Commission not hold a Breakfast in the future at a place that violates individuals' civil rights. Finnerty moved, Olmstead seconded. Motion passed 8 -0. Finnerty will draft the letter to the Sheraton on behalf of the Commission. Conference on Racial Justice & Disproportionate Minority Incarceration Commissioners gave their opinions on the Conference and offered suggestions. The Commission is supportive of sponsoring a similar type event on a yearly basis. Ghoneim moved and Olmstead seconded. Motion passed 7 -0. - Ghoneim no longer present- Education Subcommittee The Iowa City Community School District plans to hold school on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday this item will be discussed at the December meeting. Agenda Item December. Immigrant Subcommittee No report. 2 Building Communities The Commission would like to create a pamphlet that would outline the rules and protocol of the Housing Authority. Bowers will follow up with Steve Rackis to see if the Housing Authority already has such a pamphlet. Townsend moved to request permission to communicate with the Housing Authority to see if it would be willing to put a pamphlet together, and if not, then the Commission would. Townsend moved, Coulter seconded. Motion passed 6 -0. ( Ghoneim not present) University of Iowa Center for Human Rights Olmstead and Ghoneim will attend the next meeting. Building Blocks, Resume Training Retish reported low attendance at the two resume trainings held at the Iowa City Public Library and Shelter House. Due to this, Retish suggests returning to the traditional job fair. Commission Finnerty requested to place a proposal for a Racial Justice Round Table on the December agenda. Finnerty moved, Coulter seconded. Agenda Item December. Olmstead discussed a radio interview that he and Townsend participated in. Retish reported that he is worried about school redistricting. Staff Bowers updated Commissioners on the status of the City Hall remodel. Adjournment: 20:25 Next Regular Meeting — December 17, 2013 3 Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2012/2013 (Meeting Datel NAME TERM EXP. 12/18/ 12 1/15/ 13 1/28 /13 2/19/ 13 3/19/ 13 4/16 /13 5/21 113 6/18/ 13 7/16/ 13 8/20/ 13 9/17/ 13 10/15/ 13 11/19/ 13 Diane Finnerty 1/1454 X O/E X X X O/E X X X X X O/E X Orville Townsend, Sr. 1/1/14 X X X X x X X X X X X X X Paul Retish 1/1/14 - - - - - - - - - - - X X Dan Tallon 1/1/14 X X X X O/E X X X O/E R R R R Kim Hanrahan 111115 X X X X X O/E X X X X X X O/E Shams Ghoneim 111115 X O/E O/E X X X O/E X O/E X X X X Jessie Harper 111115 X X X X X R R R R R R R R Jewell Amos 111115 - - - - - - - - X X X X O/E Katie Anthony 1/1/16 - X X X X X R R R R R R R Joe D. Coulter 1/1/16 - X X X X X X X O/E X X X X Harry Olmstead 1/1/16 X X X X X X X X X X X X X Andrea Cohen 1/1/16 - - - - - - - - - O/E X X X Connie Goeb 1/1/13 X - - - - - - - - - - - - Howard Cowen 1/1/13 O/E - - - - - - - - - - - - David B. Brown 1/1/14 R R R R R R R R R R R R R Henri Harper 1/1/14 R R R R R R R R R R R R R KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting -- = No longer a member R = Resignation