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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-07 TranscriptionPage 1 ITEM la. PROCLAMATIONS. ITEM 2a Democracy in the Workplace Day — April 8 Hayek: Do we have anyone here for the proclamation, Marian? Karr: No. Hayek: Okay, it's in the packet and I don't need to read it. Okay, item 2. Throgmorton: Can I ask a question about that? Hayek: Absolutely! Throgmorton: Does anybody know really what worldblu is? The organization? Worldblu certified organizations model how freedom and democracy ...etc. Karr: ICAD requested this be added. Hayek: Yea, it came from ICAD and I think it's blue zone related. Karr: I believe so, yes. Hayek: But to answer your specific questions, I don't know. Throgmorton: Certainly sounds good. Strange nobody knows anything about it. Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of April 7, 2014. Page 2 ITEM 2. ANIMAL CARE AND ADOPTION CENTER 2014 — RESOLUTION REJECTING BIDS RECEIVED ON MARCH 27, 2014 FOR THE ANIMAL CARE AND ADOPTION CENTER 2014 PROJECT Hayek: Item 2 has been revised. Resolution rejecting bids received on March 27, 2014 for the animal care and adoption center 2014 project. Mims: Move to reject the bids. Payne: Second. Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by Payne. Discussion? Is there anyone here form the audience that wishes to address us. Rathje: Good afternoon Mayor and Council. My name is Craig Rathje and I'm from a neighboring community Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I know sometimes when you read the paper and people kinda listen a little bit to what's being said out there before there's an actual meeting you already hear a lot about what's going to happen as far as there's been some news out there that the bids would be rejected and I can understand that because more than likely it going to have to come back to rebid because of the price. It's been quite a long time you know since this flood and people are out there busy but never the less I'd like to mention that you know with the Friends helping the Animal Shelter they're a big part of the people that are going to help contribute money in this building. Now to me it seems like it would be quite a disappointment with all the different functions that they run and the things they have done around the community in order to try raising the money in order to have a top notch twenty first animal shelter would come to no avail. So I would hope you would take this into consideration. Recently the Mayor had mentioned something about complementing the volunteers and how the Cities themselves are not able to do it alone. In this situation you see that the volunteers are out there willing to help make a difference with these animals. I sent a letter yesterday and I hope you all have had time to read it. And now I'd like to just read a little something, and once again thank you for your time. I appreciate your service. It is important all work the volunteers do. The Mayor had mentioned this and a lot of thanks goes out to these people because the City staff cannot do it alone. The volunteers work toward making necessary accomplishments toward their mission and their goals. We all know that animal care facilities take care of unwanted and abused animals. The service they provide is essential and necessary for the safety of the community. We all know when one is driven with compassion, humanity, and ethics we're able to turn a negative into a positive. This is what we need in today's world. We lead by example. Educating our children and grandchildren. Friends helping animals and other members of the community give much of themselves, unconditionally. Most importantly they raise money to accomplish their mission and their goals. Having a top notch twenty one twenty first century animal shelter or animal center where many of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of April 7, 2014. Page 3 these people work in the way to help the cause that is not only meaningful to them but also the animals. In everything I've said don't forget the social, cultural, and entertainment they bring to themselves and to the community. I hope you can find a way to make the original plans of the animal care center a reality. Thank you very much. Hayek: Thank you for your comments Mr. Rathje. Anyone else from the audience. Council discussion? Mims: Well, I think it's disappointing but I think we started anticipating that some of this was going to happen with our bids given the somewhat recovery of the economy and certainly all the building that is going on in the area. I would hope that when this comes back to us that the new plans and design would be such that would allow us to eventually implement the original scope and ideas in as cost efficient manner as possible. Whether that means you know adding on more space or different amenities that we can't necessarily afford at this time. Throgmorton: I would certainly agree with that, and I would also like to thank Mr. Rathje for coming. You probably don't know this but my dog Watson, and my two cats, Kitten and Callie, both come from the shelter. My neighbor Liz Ford is, I don't know, chair of the Board of Directors for the Animal Shelter. I am a total supporter of the shelter so I completely agree with you about the ambition of producing a high quality shelter for the animals and we'll do the best we can and we're all rally profoundly disappointed about the bids but it seems to be the market and we'll all do what we can. Hayek: There's a memo in the packet from staff, is there anything else we need to know before we vote? Markus: I don't think so. Unless you have questions. Throgmorton: And we're coming back sometime in May or whenever sometime in May. Markus: Once we get revised plans. Hayek: Any further discussion? Roll call, please. Passes 6 -0. Karr: Motion to accept correspondence. Payne: So moved. Dickens: Second Hayek: Moved by Payne, seconded by Dickens. All those in favor say "aye ". All ayes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of April 7, 2014. Page 4 ITEM 3. UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERSHIP — RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER RO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE IOWA INITIATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM. Hayek: Item 3 (reads item Payne: Move resolution. Dickens: Second. Hayek: Moved by Payne, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Throgmorton: I wonder if Tom or Geoff could elaborate a little bit. I think from my point of view very exciting to read the memo and I congratulate you totally for moving in this direction. One thing I am a little bit puzzled about has to do with the press release which focuses on at least according to the quote from Nick Benson who is the director for the institute or the initiative the quote focuses on marketing on what the City has been doing but my sense is that we'll be asking them to do substantial amount more or wider variety of work.... Markus: Yes, substantially more. I'll let Geoff walk you thru some of the programs we're talking about. Fruin: Yes, I've been working with Brenda Nations who has done lion's share of work on this. The way the application process works is that the City's propose anywhere from 30 -40 projects that we might be interested in working with the University on. What we try to do is try to understand what the University's curriculum is, who's involved, what departments are involved, what their interests are, and we tried to match up different projects associated with that. We have not yet sat down with the University do determine how we'll pare our list of 30 -40 some odd projects down to 10 or 15 so I don't know if the communication project itself will make it but certainly if there's people in the school of journalism or perhaps have a marketing interest that might be a natural alignment. If there is not interest from those groups we certainly we wouldn't go that route. But that is just one of about 30 or 40 projects that we have suggested. We should know within the next month what the University's interests are in terms of aligning. For the press release I think both sides, whether we were commenting or the University was commenting, we had to pick a couple of projects to talk about, and I would assume that if the University chose that project to talk about that may be one that they are interested in. We certainly in it too but it would be one of many. Throgmorton: Thanks Geoff Hayek: Further discussion? Roll call, please. Passes 6 -0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of April 7, 2014.