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ITEM 2. STUDENT CITIZENSHIP AWARDS — Regina Elementary
Hayek: Would the students from Regina please come forward! Hey, guys, how ya doin'?
You excited that spring break is over and you're back in school? (several talking)
Okay! (laughter) Not really! Well I'm Mayor Hayek and this is your City
Council behind you. Have you ever been down to City Hall? (several talking)
Well ... there's a first time for everything and we're glad you're here, and what we
do at the beginning of our City Council meetings through the school year is invite
the elementary students, uh, who are nominated by their schools in Iowa City to
come down to, uh, a City Council meeting, um, and uh, talk to us, and we see you
each have your little piece of paper, so that's the first step, and um, and ... and we
have an award from you and we'd love to hear a little bit about what you're up to!
So I'll just hand the mic to you, sir!
Schomer: All right! Hello, my name is Mark Schomer and I'm a sixth grader at Regina
Elementary. I believe I got this award because I always try to live my life
according to the golden rule. At Regina we also believe that character counts. So
we spend lots of time on caring, faith, respect, fairness, citizenship, and trustworth
...trustworthiness and responsibility. And I just want to thank you, everyone who
helped nominate me for this award. (applause)
DeCoster: Hello, my name is Charlotte DeCoster and I am very honored to be receiving this
award and thankful that my teachers nominated me. Citizenship and leadership
are important characteristics that are emphasized and valued at Regina
Elementary, and I am pleased to know that I demonstrate them well. I try to teach
younger kids to stay fit by competing 5k's and l Ok's to raise money for the
school. I think it is important that people are happy and I try to be enthusiastic to
make others happy as well. School is something that I enjoy and it is fun to learn
new things so that I can use that knowledge to help myself and others in life. I
believe I am a har ... very hard worker and I try to accomplish things. Therefore, I
try to be a good role model to others to teach them to push themselves and be
good people. Thank you. (applause)
Daniel: Hi, my name is Casey Daniel and I am also a sixth grader at Regina Elementary.
I try my hardest to get good grades. I always do my best, and I volunteer for
several things, including alter serving at my church for mass. I'm the third of five
boys in my family and I always love to help them and the rest of my family
around the house. These are a few reasons why I believe I was chosen to stand up
here today. I would like to thank my teachers for nominating me for this award.
(applause)
Hayek: Well those are all fantastic and, uh, I'm not surprised that your ... your teachers
and ... and classmates would nominate you for this award. You guys are leaders
and that's why you're here, and, uh, leaders are what we get from the elementary
schools and ... and you're an example for everybody in your school and for ... for
around... around the whole community. Uh, Council Member, uh, Dickens here
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is ... is from a big Regina family and ... and maybe someday one of you will grow
up and take his spot when we put him out to pasture (laughter) We have a
Citizenship Award for you and I'm going to read it in a ... in a second, but I also
want to thank your parents and your teachers and the other people in your lives
who ... who play important roles in ... in what you do. Obviously you're doing
great and it's a testament to what they do. So, what we have for you is a
Citizenship Award and it reads as follows. For his or her outstanding qualities of
leadership within Regina Elementary, as well as the community, and for his or her
sense of responsibility and helpfulness to others, we recognize you as an
Outstanding Student Citizen. Your community is proud of you. Presented by the
Iowa City City Council, March 2014. Charlotte, Casey (mumbled) let me shake
your hands and congratulate you. (several talking) You're welcome to stick
around or you can go home and do homework (laughter) Either one! Thanks so
much! (applause)
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ITEM 3d(4) DOWNTOWN STREETSCAPE PLAN ADOPTION — RESOLUTION
ADOPTING THE IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN AND PEDESTRIAN MALL
STREETSCAPE PLAN.
Hayek: So now we'll take up Item 3d(4) separately.
Mims: Move adoption of 3d(4).
Dickens: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Mims, uh, seconded by ... Dickens. Discussion? For the public's
information, this regards the resolution adopting the Iowa City Downtown and
Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan. Jim!
Throgmorton: Yeah, Matt, I ... I asked to have this pulled, mainly because it's a pretty important
endeavor that we're, uh, getting ready to embark on, and because Geoff gave us
such an outstanding presentation during our last work session, I guess, about this
particular topic, and I also participated on the Committee. At the time I praised
Geoff for the great job he did in marshalling or, you know, guiding our work and
working ... and getting the consultant to do such a good job, but I was hoping that
Geoff might be able to say just a couple words, not a lot, a ... about, uh, the core of
the plan, you know, and about how we got to the point where we are right now.
Fruin: Yeah, sure, um ... well as we talked about at the last work session, what this plan
really attempts to do is... is provide a... a blueprint for the next 10 to 15 years.
It ... it, uh, attempts to ensure that our capital investments are made in a
coordinated fashion, um, and that uh ... uh, they're all tied together and that our
priorities are ... are appropriately, um ... uh ... uh, guiding, um, our actions. Uh, so
the ... the plan has numerous aspects to it. It ... it, uh, evaluates the underground,
uh, utilities. It looks at the, uh, typical site furnishings. Uh, benches and lights
and that sort of thing. But also looks at the ... how people move and ... and utilize
the public spaces. Urn ... without going too much in ... into detail on ... on the
specific components, what we're looking at, um, getting started on right away is
the pedestrian mall project. Uh, so there's a ... a variety of, uh, other smaller
venues, but the...the majority of our focus in 2014's going to be moving from this
master plan, uh, vision, uh, to a design, uh, phase for the pedestrian mall, and our
hope there is really to address some of the, uh, deferred maintenance in the ped
mall, but also to, um ... uh, create a environment that ... that better meets the needs
of the...the people and the businesses down there today.
Throgmorton: Great, thanks, and ... and it can't and won't all be accomplished at once, right?
It's too much so we ... we can only do it incrementally, kind of step -by -step (both
talking) and we have to take other factors into account as we move along, right?
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Fruin: Yeah, you're absolutely right, um, you know, the, um, the plan ... we'll try to be
opportunistic as we implement this. So we'll look at those, uh ... um, you know,
uh, kind of high priority items and try to fit that into the capital schedule. But
understand that they have to compete for the same funds that other projects do
throughout the entire, uh, city and we'll ... we'll vet that through the traditional
budget process. Um, but we're ... what this plan also does is it puts us in a
position to, um ... move forward and again, in a coordinated fashion. If there's
significant private development, um ... uh, taking place, we can make sure that the
public space adjacent to the private redevelopment area, um, is uh ... is ... is put in
at the same time to limit disruption. Um, Jim, you're right. This isn't, uh,
something we don't expect to accomplish everything in there, um ... the ... the plan
would be, uh, tens of millions of dollars, uh, to implement everything at once, and
that's simply not feasible. It's just a ... um, I guess a road map and, uh, again,
we'll try to be opportunistic in selecting which areas to move forward on.
Throgmorton: Great. Thanks, Geoff. Thanks, Matt.
Payne: I did ... I did have one question, and since I wasn't at the work session; and this is
a guide. It doesn't mean that everything's going to happen exactly like it is in the
plan, and Council will get the opportunity to review specific items before they're
...put in place.
Fruin: Um, absolutely. Um ... especially the ... the significant items, and we talked about
two -way conversions of streets, uh, large capital projects such as the ... the ped
mall, uh, refresher that we'll be moving forward on. We'll ab ... we'll absolutely
come back to you. There are some small components of the plan, uh, that don't
necessarily require us to come back to you, um, you could, you know, an example
of that might be a... a bike shelter that we put in. Um, staff would have the
authority at the expense level to ... to pursue that administratively, and typically
we'll just use our judgment and, um, whether to pursue that or ... or come to you
and seek, um, you know, formal approval.
Botchway: And, Matt, before you move on, I do have two quick points, um, well I guess
three in the sense, you know, obviously kind of reiterating Ji ... Jim's comments
about, you know, thanking City staff. Seems like a wonderful plan, I mean,
everything was, um, well thought out. I know there's obviously decisions to
come later on. Um, but again, you know ... the plan is, uh, is ... seems very sound.
Um, but I think there's still other areas, again, talking to community members
about, you know, what is the plan for other areas of Iowa City, and I know we're
looking towards that, um, but you know, just making it ... talking about it as a
reminder that, you know, we're putting a lot of focus and emphasis on this area,
and I know it's important for the vitality of Iowa City and other things, but um,
you know, community members are also talking about, you know, they might not
get downtown, and so what other plans are we looking at, um, for other areas of
Iowa City, especially you know the southeast side and Sycamore Mall and... as
such. Uh, the third thing, and I think you brought this up at the last work session,
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I thought that was a really good point, um, was, you know, it's great to ... to make
the downtown area nice. It's great to invite people to come down there, but what
are we going to have available for people when they come down there. You
know, currently, um, downtown's great. A lot of people come there, but still, you
know, we need to look at incorporating all, you know ... Iowa City people to come
down there, and you know, do it in different ways. You know, graduating scales
— you have your nice restaurants, you have your ... you have your restaurants for,
you know, reasonable, more affordable, uh, families to come down, you know,
make it so everybody is participating in the downtown experience, and so I just
wanted to make those two comments, but again, you know, I applaud all the work
that was put into the downtown streetscape plan and uh, just ... can't say enough
about it.
Hayek: Further discussion? Roll call, please. Passes 7 -0.
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ITEM 4. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA)
Hayek: This is the opportunity at each City Council meeting for members of the public to
address the Council, uh, if...on items that are not on the agenda. So if there's
something that you would like to talk to us about that is not on the agenda, I invite
you to come forward. Uh, we ask that you sign in, also verbally give us your
name, and then keep your comments to five minutes or less.
Gravitt: (speaking away from mic) My name is Mary Gravitt and I live in the Towncrest
section of Iowa City, and I'm here about something that was promised about the
new Aldi's. We were supposed to get a bus shelter, and so far there's no bus
shelter down at the new Aldi's, and Council had agreed on that. Transportation
had agreed on that. And the bus shelter is not there! And the second thing I want
to talk about, I got up Wednesday and I found slu... sewer sludge coming out of
the drain. It's a common drain between my apartment and the next apartment,
and this black sludge is coming out of the drain. I called my landlord and I said,
um, can you send somebody out here to look at this problem cause we always
complaining about that drain. He says, well, okay. So he didn't come out. So I
called back Thursday. I'll send somebody to look at it. Call Friday. I'll
somebody to look at it, and in the meantime, it has that guttery, sludgy odor. It
has that methane odor and it's laying in the pipe. So Friday I called down to
License Inspection. License Inspections told me to call back Tuesday. I said but
it might rain in... on the weekend and that sludge will back up into... into the two
apartments because that had happened before, but we were lucky. The drain was
so stopped up water or sludge couldn't get out, so all... rainwater came back into
my apartment and the apartment next door. Now if you look at what I handed you
I'll tell you why I can't get any service. I live at Wayne and Arthur, and by the
way, this map is incorrect because there is no Wayne Street in Iowa City. It's
Wayne Avenue. Arthur and Wayne, and it's the ... it's a twin to this house. I
guess that's #20 or whatever is there. I think that's a zero. It's the twin to this,
uh, apartment house. It's managed by the same people. Now on the Arthur
Street, water is undermining the apartment. So it's a slab, so that the apartment
that's on my left, which would be #5, water is coming under it because the dirt
that was backed up against the house has washed down and the black ... I think the
house was built in the 1950s. Supposed to be some black, uh, waterproofing, and
that's peeling off. So, my main problem is, I call License and Inspection. And I
spoke ... and the person wasn't there the first time, and I called ... and so the other
person was good enough to tell me to call back. So I called and she said yes, Bob
will take care of it. I talked to Bob and he's telling me Tuesday and I'm telling
him sewer sludge. Now I know it's sewer sudge ... sludge because it's black and
it's grainy. It's not sand! Cause no sand went down there. Salt down there, now
with sludge coming up! Now I know that's a health problem, and he can't tell
me, so to ... to call him back Tuesday! Somebody has to persuade License and
Inspection to do their job! Now, they always like to blame slum atmosphere on
tenants. No, I'm blaming it on License and Inspections because I'm lodging my
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complaint, and you can't even come out and look. I said if you can't come out
and look, give Keystone a call. No, no, wait until Tuesday, and I just did not like
that. Now like what Mr. Kingsley, uh, Brockway rather. Am I pronouncing your
name? Said about the downtown area. You know the Senior Center is part of
downtown, and the reason that it's downtown, it's in the center of the city. The
city is not that big. Everybody comes downtown to make transportation because
that's where the exchange is. So to attack the Senior City ... pardon me, the Senior
Center for not being diverse is very wrong. Because most people don't
understand what diversity is. Diversity is being what you want to be, because all
the George Wallace's and all the George (mumbled) are dead. Nobody said,
`Nigger, you can't come in here!' So segregation is over. So to attack the Center
and have everybody upset because we aren't diverse and we gotta worry about
frail people, we got the Visiting Nurse service to worry about frail people, and
unless you're going to pay for additional so ... social workers and pay extra rent, to
rent out the places. Now ... and ... and another thing, I thought I woke up in a
dream world. The weather was so bad I wasn't paying any attention to SEATS,
and it's no SEATS Sunday service! And another reason I didn't notice cause I
don't go to church!
Hayek: Miss Gravitt, you're gonna have to finish up. You're (both talking)
Gravitt: Okay, and I'm ... I'm telling you ... that water undermining my ... my place, I want
License Inspection to come out and look at it! Because I know that it's against
the law to do that and I ... and the final thing about that SEATS, 25 -cent charge on
my electric bill every month can go to SEATS, cause the people can't even ... old
people can't visit ... afford the visit. Low - income people, who can pay $4.00 a day
to come downtown in a SEATS bus, frail or no frail? Thank you!
Hayek: Thank you for your comments.
Van Horne: Hi, my name's Amanda Van Horne and I am speaking as an authorized
representative of Trinity Episcopal Church. Um, I want to call your attention to a
memo from Geoff Fruin that is in your packet for tonight's information, um, on
the topic of, um, storage for homeless individuals or other individuals who might
need it, um, in the downtown area. The memo addresses the fact that the City put
out a call for responses from the community to partner with the City. The City
would offer to provide things perhaps like start-up fees or um, some on -going
logistical support, um, to put in place some sort of storage facility for individuals
who need it in the downtown area. Um, and they reported that nobody, say for
Trinity Episcopal Church, responded. Trinity responded saying that we felt like
this was an important service that needed to be provided to our community,
particularly in light of the ordinances that the City Council passed prohibiting
people from having significant personal belongings with them on the pedestrian
mall. So we feel like it's very important. It's an appropriate, um, follow- through
to that ordinance. You all said that you would, um, follow that ordinance up with,
um, storage facilities in the downtown area. The City staff says in their memo
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that they do not feel that the City should pursue that at the ... this time because of
the logistical issues associated with, um, providing storage, and there are
significant logistical issues. I don't want to downplay that. There's safety issues.
There's what do you do with the stuff, how long can people store it, what can be
stored, how do you handle contraband — that sort of things. Um, that puts the City
actually in ... a particularly advantageous position to be the ` storer' of people's
things, um, for them. There are spaces near the downtown located, um, next to
the Robert A. Lee Rec Center, um, that would be appropriate spaces for
something like this. They're well lit. They're close to a desk that's staffed
regularly. They could be publicly accessible, at any time of day or night, 24 -hour
access. Um ... what's missing is the lockers and the City support for staffing.
Trinity responded to the proposal by saying we did not think we had the physical
space, um, to actually put lockers on our property. We looked at it carefully. We
looked at the grade of the land. We looked at what our indoor and outdoor spaces
were like, taking into account that we have a historic property and we can't just
affix things willy -nilly to the outside of our property. Um, and we felt like we
couldn't house physical storage space, but that we would be interested in
engaging in a long -term conversation with the City or with other partners, um,
within the community to provide this service. And so I know that you all get a
very thick packet every week, um, I take the time to look through it on a regular
basis, and I just want you to note that that memo is there. I want to remind you of
the fact that you said when you passed this ordinance that one of the follow -up
actions that the City would take would be providing storage for individuals who
need it, close to the downtown, recognizing that places like Shelter House are too
far away to provide real support for the kinds of services that these people need,
and recognizing that the Rec Center lockers are too small and not regularly
accessible to provide the kind of services that these people need. And so I want
you to re ... recall that you said that and then potentially consider following up,
um, with the City staff and continuing to pursue that as a question. Thank you so
much.
Hayek: Thank you for your comments. Okay, we will move on to Item 5 (both talking)
Karr: Can we have a motion to accept correspondence from Miss Gravitt, please?
Mims: So moved.
Payne: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by Payne. Discussion? All those in favor say aye.
Opposed say nay. Motion carries 7 -0.
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ITEM 5. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS.
ITEM 5c EXPANSION / ENLARGEMENT DRINKING
ESTABLISHMENT — ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 14: ZONING
CODE CHANGING THE DEFINITION OF "ENLARGEMENT/
EXPANSION" SO THAT, FOR A NONCONFORMING DRINKING
ESTABLISHMENT, AN ALTERATION OR ADDITION TO A
COMMERCIAL KITCHEN THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN AN
INCREASE IN THE ALLOWABLE OCCUPANCY LOAD WILL NOT BE
CONSIDERED AN ENLARGEMENT/EXPANSION OF THE USE. (FIRST
CONSIDERATION)
1. PUBLIC HEARING
Hayek: This is a public hearing. The public hearing is open. (bangs gavel)
Miklo: Bob Miklo from the Department of Neighborhood and Development Services.
We'd just like to give a quick overview of the ordinance. Um, our zoning code
does not allow drinking establishments, or essentially bars, to expand in the
downtown area if they're within 500 feet of an existing, uh, or another, uh,
drinking establishment. The Clinton Street Social Club wishes to expand their
kitchen, uh, to provide better food service for the restaurant aspect of their
business. Uh, however, the business is considered, in addition to being a full -
service restaurant, a drinking establishment because they, um, they serve alconhol
... alcohol and are open after... after midnight. Therefore, under the current, uh,
zoning code, an expansion would not be permitted. Uh, in this particular case, the
proposed expansion of the kitchen would not result in any increase in occupancy,
or the number of persons that could be served by the ... by the drinking
establishment. But it would allow, uh, for better, uh, better customer service for
the restaurant aspect of the business. So, uh, staff believes that the expansion of
the kitchen would not be counter to the intent of the original ordinance, uh,
requiring spacing, uh ... uh, between drinking establishments. Uh, therefore we
are recommending, uh, amending the definition of enlargement and expansion to
allow expansion of commercial kitchens that do not increase occupancy load as
detailed in the ordinance before you. Be happy to try to answer any questions you
have about it.
Hayek: Questions for Bob? Okay. Thank you. Is there anyone from the audience?
Bramel: Mayor Hayek, Council Members, uh, Alec Bramel, City Council Liaison. Uh, I
just wanted to stand up and say a few things. I ... I, after looking through the, uh,
code and whatnot, and looking through the changes, I think this is a ... uh, a very
good thing that we're doing here, um, allowing, urn ... uh, bars that are non-
conforming to expand their kitchens without penalizing them or ... or not allowing
to do ... to do so, prior to this, um, I think that's a great, uh, way to move forward
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and definitely, uh (mumbled) closer to, um, becoming more conformed, even
though with the 500 -foot rule that they will not. But nonetheless, I think this is a
good, uh, ordinance. I think, um, good move forward with it. So...
Hayek: Thanks, Alec! Anyone else? Public hearing is closed. (bangs gavel)
2. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE
Dobyns: Move first consideration.
Dickens: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Dobyns, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Roll call, please. First
consideration passes 7 -0.
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ITEM 5g WINDSOR WEST, PART THREE — RESOLUTION
APPROVING FINAL PLAT (SUB13- 00025)
Mims: Move deferral to April 1St
Payne: Second.
Hayek: Motion to defer Item 5g to April I" from Mims, seconded by Payne. Discussion?
Again, this has to do with a lack of, uh, legal paperwork as I understand it. All
those in favor say aye. Opposed say nay. Motion carries 7 -0. 5g will be taken up
on April 1 St
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ITEM 5h WESTWINDS SECOND ADDITION — RESOLUTION
APPROVING FINAL PLAT. (SUB13- 00021)
Mims: Move, uh, deferral to April 1St of (both talking) Item 5h.
Dobyns: Second.
Hayek: Moved by, uh, Mims, seconded by (laughter) Dickens.
Dickens: That was Dobyns!
Hayek: Or Dobyns, who has a basketball game to watch apparently (laughter) to defer
until, uh, April 1 St. Again, uh, this has to do with legal paperwork not being
completely ready. Further discussion? All those in favor say aye. Opposed say
nay. Motion carries 7 -0.
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ITEM 7. ENTERTAINMENT VENUE EXCEPTION TO THE UNDER 21
ORDINANCE - ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 4, ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES, CHAPTER 5, PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS,
SECTION 8, PERSONS UNDER THE LEGAL AGE IN LICENSED OR
PERMITTED ESTABLISHMENTS, SUBSECTION B, TO CLARIFY THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR ISSUANCE OF AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE;
AND TITLE 4, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, CHAPTER 1, DEFINITIONS,
SECTION 1, DEFINITIONS OF WORDS AND TERMS TO CLARIFY
THE DEFINITION OF A "PERFORMER" UNDER THE ORDINANCE.
(FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Karr: Mr. Mayor, I'd like to note the addition that has been slightly revised. The
subsection b to clarify the requirements for issuance of all exception certificates,
not just entertainment venues.
Hayek: Got it!
Mims: Move first consideration.
Payne: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by Payne. Discussion?
Temple: My name is Brad Temple. I ... I'm a representative of the Summit in Iowa City.
Uh, I actually brought ... (mumbled) not sure if this was included in your packet of
information or not. (mumbled) there's enough for the Council Members.
Hayek: Go ahead!
Temple: Uh, so this letter is a letter from a attorney to, uh, to Eric Goers, Assistant City
Attorney, um, if you take a minute to read the letter, it kind of explains where
we've been at, uh, now for a few weeks. Urn ... and a couple weeks ago here, uh,
just before March 131h (clears throat) we approached the City, picking up an
entertainment exemption, uh, list of requirements for entertainment exemption,
uh, from the City Clerk's office. Uh, we set forth in looking and checking on all
those with, uh, everything at Summit, and uh actually meet all of those
requirements. Uh, on March 13th, our lawyer contacted Eric Goers asking for a
ruling, um... and gave him... (mumbled) him with other cases that have upheld our
position. Uh, in the beginning of the week of March 17th, our lawyer again
contacted Eric Goers asking again for a ruling. Uh, without giving him a ruling,
Eric Goers told our lawyer that he would rather fight in court after denying
Summit than to grant the exemption and fight to take it away. It is now March
25th, and we've still not heard anything from Eric Goers or anyone from the City.
Uh ... I have two small questions regarding the exemption, um, one was ... uh, is
there any other applications currently pending, uh, our lawyer requested this
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information and has never been responded to. Uh, and secondly is, who is
keeping track of all the entertainment venues numbers of shows per year, and if
they are within the restrictions. Um ... a couple other things that I would like to
point out, uh, is me and my business partner bought the Summit a couple years
ago, uh, I did not know who anyone else was that had ever owned the Summit or
worked at the Summit before. Uh, we've worked... started very, very hard in the
last couple years to be a good member of the community, uh, I've never turned
anyone down for a donation. Monday nights I give the entire upstair space to the
24/7 Christian group from the University of Iowa, free of charge, uh, to hold a
mass upstairs. Uh, we've tried, like I said, we've tried our hardest to be a good
member of this community. Uh ... we hold one of the lower PAULA ratios of the
city, for the bars, uh, while being one of the biggest occupancies. Uh, we have
had .... also had more police visits in our venue than mostly any other enter...
venue in the city that holds an entertainment license. Um, and some of these
places actually have worse PAULA ratios than we do. Uh ... the only thing that
seems to be... impeding any of these progress, or process, uh, from what we're
hearing from Eric Goers is he is saying ... he's citing that we have two sale to
minor violations. Uh, currently the Summit has one sale to minor violation. Uh,
we've been issued one ticket, uh, and after checking with the State here last week
and again yesterday, uh, the State only has us for one sale to a minor violation as
well. Um ... while we will not sit here and try to deny anything, there is a girl that
had worked for the Summit that is currently in the process of, uh, currently in a
court process, uh, for a sale to minor, as well. That girl has hired a lawyer and
she's also pled not guilty, uh, and plans on fighting this case. Um, if this is ... if
this is the reason that we have been either upheld or den... somewhat denied of
this exemption, uh, you know I would just, in this reference I would ask where
our due process is in this case. Um ... just wrapping everything up. First of all
before I say anything else I'd like to thank you guys for your time. Um, I would
like to also give you my word that I will always try to be a good community
member of this community. I enjoy living in Iowa City, um ... I spend my money
locally here in Iowa City, uh, and I will always be here to answer any of your
questions if you ever do have any questions for me. Um ... to wrap this up, I just
did want to say that it seems to me, uh, at the end of the day, that the City or the
City government or officials are picking the winners and losers, and I don't see
that as a responsibility of the government.
Hayek: Thank you for your comments. Is there anyone else from the audience who
would like to address us on this item? (noise on mic) Discussion?
Throgmorton: Uh, he asked two specific questions, uh, can we answer those questions?
Hayek: Well maybe ... maybe the more appropriate thing would be to direct staff to get
answers to those questions, um...
Dilkes: I can answer one of `em.
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Hayek: Or maybe we can answer `em (both talking)
Dilkes: Um, the, urn ... I think he referenced that his lawyer had requested information and
hadn't received it yet. That was an open records' request that was made to the
Clerk's office, I believe, this afternoon. Urn ... and I ... I can't answer the second
question, um, off the top of my head, but we certainly can give you the
information.
Hayek: Why don't we just make sure that we get an answer to those two questions, um, at
the earliest possible opportunity.
Dilkes: Because we will be asking you to collapse this on April 1St
Hayek: Okay. Can we get that information within the next few days?
Dilkes: Sure (several talking)
Hayek: All right. Thank you! Further discussion?
Mims: Well and I ... I guess my comment at this point would be, I think we need to make
sure that we, as we're voting on this, there's... there's two separate issues here.
One is, the approval of...the ordinance that's in front of us. And the second is, an
administrative process that's in place in terms of approval or denial of an
exemption, and so regardless of what anybody is thinking or concerns or lack of
concerns about the administrative process, that is separate from the ordinance
itself.
Hayek: Yeah, I concur. Item 7 is a policy matter, uh...
Mims: Right! And I'm totally supportive of the policy. Urn ... I obviously want to make
sure that all of our businesses are treated fairly and equally and if we have
individual concerns on that then we need to make sure we talk to staff.
Botchway: With that question though can we get, um, I guess some background as far as how
we handle those situations, kind of to your point. I mean I guess the one question
is who's, you know, who's keeping track, but then also you know the entire like
what is the, I guess the process of it all.
Dilkes: Sure.
Hayek: Maybe do a memo to the Council; throw it in the packet.
Botchway: Yeah.
Hayek: Thank you. Further discussion? Roll call, please. Passes 7 -0.
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Karr: Motion to accept correspondence.
Payne: So moved.
Dickens: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Payne, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? All those in favor say aye.
Opposed say nay. Motion carries 7 -0.
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ITEM 10. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION.
Hayek: Why don't we start down on your end, Kingsley.
Botchway: Uh ... I can't remember what City Council information's about, but one thing I did
want to mention (laughter)
Mims: Anything you want to (several talking and laughing)
Botchway: All right! Um... (several talking)
Hayek: There's no obligation!
Botchway: One thing I did want to mention, uh, I know we had talked about it. I can't
remember if it was ... however long ago. It feels like we've had a long time
between meetings, but ... um, just so I'm clear when we're talking about the Senior
Center... Senior Center, um... Commission or the Ad Hoc that's coming together,
it's going to look at a comprehensive look at all of...
Mims: Senior services (both talking)
Botchway: ...yeah, senior services throughout the community. I've gotten a couple calls and
um, just comments about we're just going to be looking at the Senior Center, and
I just want to make sure it's clear that we're looking at everything, uh, in the
(several talking) yeah, the senior services. That's why I wanted to mention. I
guess that's my City Council information.
Throgmorton: ... I had the same conversation on the phone today. Yeah.
Botchway: Okay. All right.
Throgmorton: Matt, I'd like to mention two things, uh, one is something I forgot to mention with
regard to the Consent Calendar.
Hayek: Uh huh.
Throgmorton: Uh, and that is that we set April 15th as the date for a public hearing concerning
the possible adoption of the form -based code for the Riverfront Crossings district.
It's a pretty important shift and ... and so I want anybody who's interested in such
matters to ... to know that we set April 15th as the date for that. The other thing I
wanted to mention has to do with the University of Iowa and its Public Policy
Center. Beginning on the evening of Tuesday, April 8th, the Policy Center will be
conducting a series of four `what if public forums. In these forums the Policy
Center researchers will examine different hypothetical scenarios and their
possible consequences. The first one on April 8th will be `what if the price of gas
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were $10.00 a gallon in two to five years. It's a pretty fascinating topic and
especially, you know, in relationship to what we were just talking about a few
minutes ago in our work session having to do with the Gateway, but uh, the
forums will be ... will take place in Room A of the Public Library, starting at 7:00
P.M., going until 8:30. So I strongly encourage anybody who's interested in the
future of this city to pop in for that particular conversation.
Mims: Glad you mentioned that, Jim, cause I'd seen that and they've got some
interesting topics, um, coming up that I think community could be very engaged
in. Um, other than that, just as the weather is some day getting warmer, um, and
we have ... we do have more light in the evening, just reminding that there's more
bi ... (laughs) I'm an optimist, um, there's always more pedestrians and more
bicyclists out there, and encouraging everybody, uh, whether you're driving a
vehicle, motorized vehicle or a bicycle or walking, uh, just to be extra careful and
especially until the City has a chance to get out and get all the streets cleaned
from all the sand this winter, um, encourage the bicyclists to be careful cause it
can be slippery in places! But we'll get there!
Dickens: I was, uh, lucky enough to just return last night from Dublin, Ireland and uh,
which is our sister city as far as the, uh, UNESCO City of Literatures, and uh,
very impressive. Got to see the book of Celts and uh ... uh, Trinity College
Library itself is ... is pretty phenomenal and uh, most important thing is I visited
the pubs where these greater writers were and found that their inspirations were...
were warranted and uh, did meet a young gentleman from Ashapaj on. I was
talking to him outside our hotel and said I was from Iowa and he says he had a
friend that went to the University of Iowa Law School. So they're very familiar
all over the world with the University of Iowa, so uh, I was very impressed by the
fact that ... no matter where you go, Iowa is known.
Payne: Um, I just want to mention that, uh ... the Iowa Culture Corridor has an app you
can get for your i -Pad or your Android, and it tells you, uh, events that are
happening in and around the area, and one of them that's on there for tomorrow is
Top Chef Downtown Iowa City. It starts at 5:00 if anybody's interested!
Hayek: Nothing? (laughter)
Throgmorton: I was wondering what those eyebrows were all about (laughter)
Hayek: Yeah! Several items quickly. Number one, congrats to the West High boys'
basketball team, uh, number two. Congrats to the Iowa Writers' Workshop for
the shout -out on Girls, and urn ... which was amazing, uh, and I happened to flip
on the TV right at that moment when the ... when she gets into the Writers'
Workshop. That was pretty cool, and number three, um, Mission Creek Music
Festival is coming up. I highly encourage, especially this young audience out in
the audience to check out the Mission Creek Music Festival. Uh, starts April 2 °d;
goes through April 7th. It's in a variety of venues downtown. It is remarkable.
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And lastly, um, want to remind our public that if you care about the school
system, there is a redistricting meeting this Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at
Southeast Junior High, and in particular if, uh, you have children or will have
children attending, uh, Hills, Lemme, Longfellow, Twain, uh, Weber, Wood, or
the new south elementary, uh, you are encouraged to go and speak up at this
meeting and ... and make your opinions heard, and I encourage the public to do so.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of March 25, 2014.