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ITEM 2. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED.
Mims: Move adoption.
Payne: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by Payne. Discussion? Uh, note there are a couple of
additions, uh, for the Lindemann six, uh, Lindemann Subdivision, Part 6, platting.
Want to bring that to people's attention. Any discussion on Item 2? Roll call,
please. Passes 6 -0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.
Page 2
ITEM 4. WORK SESSION - MOTION TO RECESS THE FORMAL MEETING
AND ENTER INTO A WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS THE LOCAL
OPTION SALES TAX PROPOSAL.
Mims: So moved.
Throgmorton: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by ... Throgmorton. Discussion? All those in favor
say aye. Opposed say nay. Motion carries. So we will now recess the formal
meeting and commence our, um, work session and there is one item today, uh,
which is discussion of the local option sales tax recommendation, uh, which for
your information, uh, has updated information at IP5 in the June 12th Info Packet,
and also Item 5 of the June 30th, uh, formal agenda. So ... let's take up from, uh,
where we were ... where we left off last time, Tom.
(see Work Session transcript)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.
Page 3
ITEM 5. LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX (LOST) - RESOLUTION REQUESTING
SUBMISSION OF THE QUESTION OF THE IMPOSITION OF A LOCAL
SALES AND SERVICES TAX TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE
INCORPORATED AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF JOHNSON
COUNTY.
Hayek: We are now starting up, uh, reconvening the formal meeting and before you make
your motion, uh, Susan, Jim wanted to make a motion with respect to Item 5,
which is the...
Karr: We have to have it on the floor first, don't we?
Throgmorton: Oh, right!
Hayek: That's fine. Then let ... let me read it. (reads Item 5)
Dickens: Move the resolution.
Payne: Second.
Botchway: Second.
Hayek: Well wait a second! (laughter) Wait a second. Let's slow down. Jim wants to
make a motion to defer, which he understands we will...
Dilkes: Okay, we need the motion that you all are going to make to put it on the floor, and
then he can make his motion to (both talking)
Karr: So moved by Dickens, seconded by ... (several talking)
Hayek: Susan is going to read the motion (laughter) uh, cause we got some clarification
language (mumbled) believe will be a set of percentages that all can support, and
we'll find out!
Botchway: Do I still get the second? (laughter and several talking)
Dilkes: You go ahead and make your motion, and then... (several talking) and then, yeah!
Let's just get something on the floor! (several talking)
Mims: Okay! (laughter) Um, I move the resolution with the following changes, uh, 50%
for property tax relief, 40% for maintenance, repair, construction, and
reconstruction of public streets, trails, and associated infrastructure, and 10 %, uh,
for programs and initiatives that increase affordable housing. The ... the only
change in the language is adding `trails' to clean up an issue and changing the
percentages from 50 to 40.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.
Page 4
Botchway: This is just a ... go ahead! Sorry! This is just a motion for that particular thing,
right? Okay. Second! (several talking and laughing)
Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Before we start a discussion I believe
Jim wants to make a motion to defer...
Dilkes: That's fine!
Throgmorton: Yeah, I'd like to ... I move that we defer action on this resolution to our July 15th
meeting.
Botchway: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Throgmorton, seconded by Botchway to defer until July 15tH
Discussion?
Throgmorton: Uh, I make this motion, as you all know from our work session, because in... it's
my belief that, uh, holding this meeting and make ... taking this action, uh, on a
Monday afternoon, and it turns out ... we didn't plan it this way, it turns out during
a big storm, um, will actually make it more difficult to, uh, gain the kind of
approval from voters that we'd like to see in the coming election. Uh, so, um, I
think it would be better to give voters, Iowa City voters, at least a couple weeks to
see what ... uh, what we're officially proposing tonight, or that ... what we would
officially propose ... uh, give them a chance to think about it, uh, give them a
chance to respond in whatever way they want to respond, and then we would vote
two weeks from now.
Hayek: I will not be supporting the motion for the reasons ... I stated at our ... at our work
session. I think, uh, we need to strike now.
Mims: And likewise, I think whether voters support or don't support this is going to be
the education that's coming out in the next few months.
Payne: I agree.
Hayek: Further discussion? All those in favor say aye.
Throgmorton: Oh, aye! Sorry, forgot what motion we're on. (both talking)
Hayek: Opposed say nay. (several responding) Okay, so it, uh, fails 1 -6. So now it is on
the floor. Any further discussion?
Throgmorton: I'd like to ask a clarifying question of Susan. Uh, and it relates to our work
session discussion. Uh, with regard to the, um, the ... the 40% going into roads,
etc. You used the word `infrastructure.'
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.
Page 5
Mims: Uh huh.
Throgmorton: Uh, and during our discussion, our work session discussion, uh, we talked about
public right -of -way. I'm not asking you to change the language. I just want some
clarification here. Uh, so do I understand correctly that by infrastructure you
don't mean ... water and sewer lines, but you do mean ... um ... anything within the
public right -of -way, which means... sidewalks, uh ... uh, trees within the public
right -of -way, uh, ADA ramps, or ramps, um ... the streets themselves, and so on.
Mims: Right! Cause we have a separate revenue source for the water and sewer.
Throgmorton: Okay.
Mims: Those are enterprise funds that we use.
Throgmorton: And ... I ... I guess I'd like to say that from ... it's my understanding that that, um,
committing that, uh, 40% toward ... the purpose, uh, you described would, uh, help
us, uh, significantly enhance the, uh, the public realm, if you will. Significantly
enhance our existing neighborhoods, take care of some, uh, some past, uh, repair
and maintenance problems that clearly need attention, and would help make our
city vastly more, well not vastly. Just more attractive, more appealing, uh, to
uh ... to potential residents and ... and businesses.
Mims: I would hope so, and our current residents and businesses. And just ... to, for the
benefit of the rest of the Council, the clarification on adding trails in that second,
uh, bullet with the 40% now was because we realized that in one of the
`whereases' it included trails. Our side ... our wide sidewalks along roads, we also
call trails, and would come within the associated infrastructure, but if we did
chose to put a trail say through a park or something, um, that would not be a
public street infrastructure, so we just wanted to make sure we were consistent
between the whereases and the actual language. So that was the reason for the
change.
Throgmorton: I don't know, maybe others want to say something. What was that (noise in
background) Oh, Steve! (laughter)
Hayek: Strangest cell phone I've ever heard, Steve! (laughter)
Markus: Legal counsel intervened! (laughter)
Throgmorton: I ... I'd like to say something about the 10 %, as well. Uh, what's the title for it?
In the...
Mims: Uh, programs and initiatives that increase affordable housing.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.
Page 6
Throgmorton: Yeah, thank you. Um, during ... for anybody who might be watching, uh, we're on
TV, right? During the work session I suggested that some additional funds be
shifted to this particular category, not so much for affordable housing but for
restoring half -fares for SEATS users, our paratransit users. Uh, and for
significantly increasing social services through the Aid to Agencies process.
Primarily because it was my sense that we need to ... uh ... um, clearly, uh, direct
some funds towards people in the lower 40% of the income bracket. Because
we're using sales taxes ... we would be using sales taxes to generate the revenues,
and because they tend to be inherently regressive. Uh, had other ideas as well, uh,
I'm not going to repeat them here. Uh, given the whole balance of things, uh,
especially shifting 10% out of property tax, um ... uh, relief and into the ... that
second category is something that makes me go along with this. I will support it.
As you know I find it to be a very difficult vote. I'll probably go (mumbled) meet
various people who don't like my vote, but that's all right! Uh, so uh, I appreciate
your, uh ... uh, negotiation on particular elements of this, uh, referendum, or
proposed referendum.
Botchway: I had a ... two things! One, or I don't know about the first thing. The first thing
was regarding the ... the 10 years. Everybody was okay with the amount of time
that was associated with it.
Hayek: Yeah we didn't (both talking)
Botchway: ...we didn't talk about...
Hayek: We talked about it on the 17th, but not today. You're correct.
Botchway: Okay.
Hayek: Well, go ahead and make your point.
Botchway: Well, no, I just wanted to make sure that everybody else, cause you know (both
talking)
Hayek: And that's a request of the County.
Dilkes: Correct.
Hayek: The County.
Botchway: Okay, they did. That's why I wanted to make sure, because understanding that
the County...
Dilkes: When this gets to the County, then they (several talking) have discretion to...
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.
Page 7
Botchway: that's where I wanted to make sure that we ... and I knew that we were obviously
on top of it. Just wanted to make sure! Um, the other thing being, um, is
everybody okay with the last bit of language — programs or whatever toward
affordable housing? I know I briefly talked about it being ... that being such a
tough selling point with a lot of people in the community because, again, people
have the affordable housing, Section 8. Is there any thoughts on possibly, or any
desire to change that to healthy neighborhoods or... something along those lines?
Obviously going towards affordable housing, and not to try to put a mask over it,
but ... again, I'm just ... I worry about the potential... people not (both talking)
Dilkes: We talked about ... about that a little, that concern at the staff level, and um... one
of the things that we talked about is that ... we don't have the ability to enlarge the
Section 8 program. I mean, it's...
Botchway: Okay.
Dilkes: Section 8 vouchers are determined by the federal government, and ... and seems to
me that can be part of our education piece.
Botchway: That's fine. I just wanted to make sure.
Mims: That's what I was going to say, I think we ... with all of this, we have a huge
educational process in front of us and um, that will be a part of it, definitely.
Botchway: Okay. Cool!
Hayek: Okay, I think people have discussed this at length. I'm ... I'm pleased with how
this is wrapping up, um, and I think we have a... a remarkable opportunity to, uh,
pursue a number of community objectives, um, and, uh ... I'm pleased to see this
come together and we have a lot of work in front of us! So ... any further
discussion? Roll call, please. Passes 7 -0.
Mims: Move to adjourn!
Payne: Second.
Hayek: Moved by Mims, seconded by Payne
Opposed say nay. The ayes have it.
(bangs gavel)
. Discussion? All those in favor say aye.
We are adjourned! Have a good afternoon!
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of June 30, 2014.