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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-12-02 TranscriptionDecember 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 1 Council Present: Botchway, Dickens, Dobyns, Hayek, Mims, Payne, Throgmorton Staff Present: Markus, Fruin, Dilkes, Karr, Howard, Hargadine, O'Brien, Frank, Hart, Dulek, Boothroy, Andrews, Bockenstedt, Yapp, Hennes, Fosse, Reichart, Bramel, Davidson, Ford, Hightshoe Others Absent: McCarthy (UISG) Questions from Council re: Aaenda Items: Hayek/ Okay, want to welcome everyone to the December 2, 2014, work session. We have a lot to cover, so let's try to be as efficient as possible. First bullet point is questions regarding agenda items. ITEM 3d(7) HEIGHT BONUS 316 MADISON — RESOLUTION APPROVING A HEIGHT BONUS FOR A PROPOSED BUILDING AT 316 MADISON STREET IN THE RIVERFRONT CROSSINGS — SOUTH DOWNTOWN (RFC -SD) ZONE (LEVEL II DESIGN REVIEW) Mims/ I had a question on, uh, 3d(7), 316 Madison and the height bonus. Is anything... will... will anything else necessarily come back to Council for approval ... on that? I mean, it's already been rezoned. It's... Howard/ It's already zoned Riverfront Crossings. As far as the height bonus goes, um, nothing will come back to you, but the ... I think they're asking for financial assistance. So there'll be other issues that they'll wanna talk with, with the Council. Mims/ But if they were not asking for financial assistance, would anything else come back to us? Howard/ Uh, no! Mims/ Okay. That's what I was thinking. Thank you! Throgmorton/ With regard to that agenda item, I ... I'd like to see it pulled from the Consent Calendar. Uh, so that, uh, we could ask questions. I know I had some questions to ask, in ... in the light of public, in the light of the public I mean. So ... uh, I ... I'd like to see it pulled from the Consent Calendar. (several talking) Hayek/ ...on that. On that item, um. ... um, among the, um ... materials are some representations that (several talking in background, difficult to hear speaker) a building like this would have professional management on-site, RAs or the equivalents of RAs, etc., and um, a question I will have is, you know... our approval, if we give it for, uh, a number of stories on top of the eight story limit, urn ... uh, would ... would be tied at least in part to something like that — professional management on-site. What kind of enforcement or teeth would the City have long-term? I mean, once the building's built, it's built, but if This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 2 they chose let's say three years hence to stop the professional management, you know, can you talk about that? How would that be? Howard/ Yeah. We've asked the ... the applicant if they would sign an agreement with the City, um, that would tie their rental permit, which is reviewed every two years to this professional management plan, and so that it would have ... we would have a chance to review and revise, um, ask them to revise if there are problems that occur over time, um, so that the management plan will be tied to the rental permit. Hayek/ Okay, so ... they build it; they enter into the agreement with us; they sell it; next owner doesn't want to do these things. Now we've got a somewhere between eight and 15 story, or nine and 15 story building. Do we have the ability to force that long-term, maintain that protection, if that's what we deem it to be? Dilkes/ I ... I think the plan is to ... to ... to do an agreement and record the agreement and make it ... make it run with the property. I think, I mean, we're starting ... I think in the future what we will probably want to do is to make the height bonus part of the rezoning, as it goes through, and tie it to the Conditional Zoning Agreement. Um ... and that would give us some additional leverage. Howard/ I mean, I think in general the height bonuses are intended to, um, try to achieve, um, with the student housing bonus anyway, um, some additional level of amenities and higher quality living environment for students, um, it's an incentive to do that now. While it may not be perfect in all ways, um, I think the general idea was to ... to try to give people the incentive to do those higher quality buildings, cause the general requirement — we don't have any ability to ask for any of these things otherwise, um, through the form -based code. Dobyns/ So an affirming vote tonight, um, doesn't ... uh, I'm concerned about the height itself. I mean, an affirming vote tonight from Council (mumbled) doesn't necessarily state that it's going to be 15 stories? Howard/ I think the (mumbled) they have building plans in for a 15 -story building. So that's what they're requesting the building height for. Um ... I guess if it's not granted (both talking) Dobyns/ I'm just wondering if this is a point of no return sort of vote. Markus/ In terms of the height, you're approving the height. Howard/ Right. The building hasn't gone through all of the building review and that sort of thing, um, but the ... as far as the form -based code review for the height bonus, we've looked at the approval criteria and have made a recommendation to you on the height. Markus/ This requires FAA approval, as well. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 3 Howard/ Yeah, and it also requires FAA approval, which I believe they applied for about a month ago. Botchway/ Why does it comes before us before it gets approval from the FAA? Howard/ So ... so any of these height bonuses have to be approved by the FAA if it ... if there's a certain ... if there's certain requirements of the Airport overlay that kick ... kicks in. Um, so that's just a given. Um ... the ... I think they wanted to get your approval of this so they could move forward with ... with getting their building further designed, um, and getting it ready to go for... for digging a foundation and getting the building constructed. Payne/ And even if we approve it tonight, if the FAA says no... Howard/ Right! Payne/ ...it's no! Howard/ It's no, yep! That's right. Mims/ What about (several talking) Botchway/ ...thought it was weird (mumbled) Howard/ So ... you haven't ... we haven't done a lot of de ... level two design review cases, um, recently. Um, we ... there's two levels of design review. One is just administrative, um, and the staff can approve up to two floors of bonus height through these provisions. Anything above that has to be through Council, as a level two design review. So in the past, other types of design review items have come to the Council for ... for your okay, basically, and you've reviewed the building designs according to whatever the approval criteria was for that request. Hayek/ But the ... go ahead, Jim! Throgmorton/ This is the first one coming to us through the form -based code. Howard/ That's right! Throgmorton/ Design level two I mean. Howard/ Right. That's right. Hayek/ And I thought for the discretionary ... extra floors that ... that there were management requirements. On ... 24-hour on-site, things of that nature. Howard/ Yes! That's right. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 4 Hayek/ So they ... they, this is not something they're throwing out there to ... to make it look more attractive to us. This is something they have to throw out there, under the code. Howard/ No! No there's no...no requirement for on-site management for student housing just through the form -based code. The form -based code just addresses the ... the building design and the placement of the building on the lot. So these are provisions that they are committing to above and beyond what would be required. If...if they don't ask for building height, they can do an eight -story building in this location of student housing, and they wouldn't have to do any of these amenities or on-site management. I mean, they may choose to do it anyway, but ... but they wouldn't be required by the form -based code to do so. Hayek/ Well I'm ... but I'm reviewing the memo which says for the extra floor approval... Howard/ Yes, for the bonus height approval they do have to do that, and so that's what they propose. Hayek/ And that's what I'm getting at. So for the extra floors, they have to show the on-site management and the... enforceable plan for on-site management and security, and 24- hour on-site, etc. Howard/ Right. Right, and they... Hayek/ That's in our code. Howard/ Yes. Hayek/ Okay. Howard/ According to... if they... if they're granted the bonus height, they would have to do those things. Hayek/ Okay! Howard/ And they have submitted a longer, um, management plan that was ... you know, many, many pages and you certainly have the right to look at that, but um, we just assumed it was a summary that they had submitted to us for the Council's review. Um, if you want to look at that more closely, we certainly could provide that. Hayek/ No, I ... I don't have interest in digging down that much, but I ... I, it just seems to me, you know, once ... if we approve the ... the extra height, you know, that... that's... that's irrevocable, unless you could figure out a way to lop off a building at the top that's not in compliance, which of course you can't, so we would want to make sure that these extra things in fact will occur and that we've got the ability to force that through the rental permit or otherwise... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 5 Howard/ Right. Hayek/ Two or 12 or 22 years from now. So... Payne/ And that's why we would record it, I would assume. So it goes with the property. Hayek/ Anyway... Dilkes/ Yeah. Hayek/ ... thanks, Karen. Dilkes/ We're gonna have to do it in the form of...of a deed restriction (coughing, unable to hear speaker) That's why, you know, in hindsight I think... again, this is the first one we've done on this, but I think it would al ... it would make some sense, and we haven't talked about this yet, to do it as part of the Conditional Zoning Agreement probably too. Dobyns/ So far this is the tallest building we have currently or planned, um, south of Burlington, uh, cause I'm thinking of the Midwest One building and I ... all the options for... Howard/ That's... that's correct. That's correct. Dobyns/ Um ... and maybe the guy ... the rest of you are comfortable with this height but I ... I'm trying to visualize what it looks like. I know it's slightly off the hill and it's a little bit lower, so 15 stories in this building might not be like 15 stories at the top of the hill, but when I start to think of approving these things I think of it in the context of the topography around it and other buildings. Um... and I understand that we have approved this, um, indirectly, um, through our height allowance, but um ... I ... it'd be nice (mumbled) picture of what this would look like at 15 stories on that site. Botchway/ Well are ... are we gonna get that? Um (noises on mic and several talking) Howard/ Um, I didn't... the... the developer has their architect here (mumbled) flew in from out of town, um, for the meeting tonight, and so they'd be available for... Hayek/ Okay (several talking) Howard/ ...for questions, um ... I guess... Dobyns/ Oh, but I thought we were voting on it tonight. That was why I was thinking... Howard/ Right. Botchway/ Oh well yeah (several talking) discuss it during that time. Dobyns/ And so we'll see it at public. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 6 Howard/ Just ... just a little bit of history in case we don't remember about why we put this in there. Dobyns/ Well I, yeah, I remember (both talking) Howard/ ...because in 2012 we did the neighborhood stabilization provision, where we ratcheted down the density formulas for multi -family and you directed us to put something in the code to incentivize student housing in the right location, away from the sensitive neighborhoods. Um, so that's kinda why in this ... and one of the things that staff looked at is that there's no better location for high density student housing than right here. It's directly across from the Wellness Center. It's away from any sensitive neighborhoods. It's actually away from downtown. Urn ... it's down the hill. It's surrounded by University buildings that have varying heights, um ... so it's not ... there's no real context there as far as something to be sensitive to, as far as a neighborhood context, um... so I guess that was our biggest, uh, factor that played into our thinking. Throgmorton/ So all these questions you're asking are ... are good ones, and they're important ones, which is precisely why I think we ought to discuss this in public because it's new! It's the first time we've done this. It's an important topic to discuss and if we do it in a work session, no one in the public will have a clue why we made the decision we did, and they will not understand the proposal that's before us. So ... we need to discuss it in public. Dilkes/ Well, let ... let's clarify what the Consent Calendar means though ... for a minute. The Consent Cal... something being on the Consent Calendar does not mean that you don't discuss it. Hayek/ Right. Dilkes/ Okay. You take one vote for all the items, but you could talk about an item on the Consent Calendar for two hours... Throgmorton/ Fair enough! Dilkes/ ...if you chose to. Throgmorton/ Fair enough! I still think we should discuss it separately, but thank you for the clarification. Hayek/ Well, it's been removed by Jim, uh, and so we'll take it up separate, and following the Consent Calendar vote. ITEM 3f(12) Amy Blessing; Linda and Craig Carney; Michael Chamberlain; Nora Boerner: Cottages This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 7 Throgmorton/ Matt, I think we should do the same for Item 3f(12), which is about the cottages on South Dubuque Street. Now it may be staff already has some thoughts about how to proceed with this and ... but otherwise... Hayek/ Well I don't know that you take action on correspondence, and so ... I think we need to talk about the cottages, but I don't think you remove ... I mean, you can't ... you can't reject the submission of a letter, which is really all that 3f(12) is. See what I'm saying? Throgmorton/ Well there's all the emails associated with it. There's the ... that second, uh, structural engineer's report. Hayek/ Oh I ... I'm aware of all of that, but... but... but those are ... those are communications (both talking) Throgmorton/ Okay! Hayek/ ...to us. It's not a resolution or any sort of action (coughing, unable to hear speaker) but I think we need to, during this work session... Throgmorton/ Okay, so... Hayek/ ...talk about that. Throgmorton/ ...let's get it on! Uh, I ... I imagine Matt and ... or, not Matt, uh... (laughs) Mitch x and others are paying attention to this cause it's ... it's an important topic that's gotten a lot of attention from members of the public. So I ... I think the simplest way to ask my question is with regard to, uh, the ... the cottages on South Dubuque Street. Let me see if I can get my notes before me so I can actually read them... wherever they are. Urn ... sorry! Uh... uh, we received, uh... um, no I'm sorry, Alicia Trimble from the ... from Friends of Historic Preservation sent an email to John Yapp this afternoon, conveying a second structural engineer's report, and... and we received copies of that, very late in the day, uh, so I guess my question is, can the staff ...well, and ... Alicia asked the staff to, um... uh, basically withdraw the ... the, um ... oh, god, I don't have my notes in front of me. Sorry! Gettin' very confused because I thought I could see this stuff easily. Uh... yeah, it says her ... her email says ... to John Yapp, based on the gs of st engineer Shana Duggan, the tenants of the three cottages, W' En e Suzi art , and Rob Burns, Board of Friends of Historic Preservation, an a members an th 547 people that are petitioning the City of Iowa City, as of 3:20 P.M. is day, ask that y u withdraw the Notice of Violation on the three cottages, and consider t' e violation cured. So I ... I guess my question is, what can or will the staff do in respon to that question? Markus/ John Yapp (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...that request? Sorry, I know (mumbled) track there. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. lc� December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 8 Yapp/ Uh, John Yapp, and yes I did receive that second structural engineer's report late this afternoon. I have not had a chance to do more than, uh, skim it. Uh... but it does come to a different conclusion than the first structural engineer report we received several weeks ago. Uh, as far as withdrawing the Notice of Violation, uh, we are obligated to take a conservative approach, because of the serious issues noted in the first engineer's report. Uh, I ... we are happy to work with the property owner and allow for more time for this to come to a resolution. G aV Dickens/ Mr. pl� Jas�'s letter was not... included. I ... forwarded it. Is it in this group? Throgmorton/ Yeah. Dickens/ Okay. Because, you know, I don't think we can do anything without him or his attorney here because that's ... he should be represented if we're going to be discussing this. So I don't think we can just throw it out there without him having notice. Markus/ What did ... what did your notice, um ... indicate to the property owner? Was... Yapp/ Uh, based on the... Markus/ ...of the City. Yapp/ Based on the first structural engineer's report, the notice was to vacate the properties and abate the violation. And abate can either be repair or demolition. Markus/ And whose discretion is that? Yapp/ That ... that is at the property owner's decision. Throgmorton/ Course I'm re ... uh, I was referring, uh, Terry, not ... not to any action that the owner might want to take on his own, given his rights. Dickens/ He is here now. So... Throgmorton/ Oh, okay! Uh, but I was referring to what our staff is doing. Dickens/ Right. Yeah, I just want to make sure that ... you know, we're always talking about being transparent and making sure (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, yeah. Yeah! Dickens/ ...everybody that's part of the issue is here. Dobyns/ John, who made the first and second engineering reports? Were those... Yapp/ I'm sorry, Rick? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 9 Dobyns/ ...who made the first and second engineer report about the structures? Those were companies independent (both talking) Yapp/ Uh, VJ Engineering was the first structural engineer report, and um ... Morningside... Dobyns/ Okay. Yapp/ ...Engineering, I believe ... I don't have it with me ... was the second report. Dobyns/ And they're independent of the ow... owner of the property? Yapp/ They are both independent, yes. Dobyns/ Did they state, did either one state that there was an ability to transport or move the structures to another site? Would they withstand that? Yapp/ I don't believe so, but I've not thoroughly read the second report. Dobyns/ Okay. Throgmorton/ The answer's no. Yeah. Dobyns/ I'm sorry, Jim? Hayek/ So I ... I think we need to be clear about a couple of things here. I mean, we ... I think we're talking about at least two different things here. One is ... a staff decision on, um... on an issue of property safety, for lack of a better word. Um, and I think we need to be careful, as a Council, about... countermanding or ... or ... or ... pushing staff to ... to undue a ... a decision that ... that is, as I understand it, within... within their authority, as to the notice itself. I think we need to tread lightly on that. The second issue, however, is... the request we have received to move forward with, um ... with ... with landmark designation. And that's part of the... slew of requests we've had. And I think we need to decide... what to do about all of this incoming communication on both sides. Throgmorton/ Yeah, yeah, good point! Just to be clear, I was trying to find out what the staff... can do and intends to do. I wasn't trying to say you must do so and so. Hayek/ Yeah, and I'm not ... I'm not suggesting that, but it ... I could see the conversation proceeding to that (both talking) if we're not careful. Throgmorton/ Yeah. So, with regard to landmark designation... what can we do? I mean, I read (laughs) I read your earlier report and I understand the thrust of it, which is that ... if, um, if we set a public hearing on landmark designation, then there's a 60...a 60 -day wait period where ... it can't be demolished, basically. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 10 Yapp/ That's correct. Throgmorton/ Yeah. But ... can we set a public hearing date tonight? I ... I suspect not. Hayek/ No. Throgmorton/ So what can we do? Hayek/ We can ... we can determine whether there are four Councilors who want to schedule a meeting at which we would decide whether to set a public hearing on landmark... on... on the pursuit of landmark (both talking) status. Yapp/ And you can't do it tonight because there's nothing on your agenda tonight. Throgmorton/ Right. Yeah, I understand. Hayek/ So ... I think that's the decision for ... for Council to make. Throgmorton/ Yeah. Okay. Dobyns/ Later. (several talking) At another meeting. Payne/ Well we have to decide whether we even want to do it. At another meeting. Hayek/ Right. No, we ... well we ... I think we'd need to ... we should dec... first of all, we can do nothing! Okay? Payne/ Right! Hayek/ There's no ... no, we don't have to do anything, but the request is for us to figure out ... is ... is to make a decision ... the request is for us to go all the way to a landmark designation. The most we could do tonight is to say we're taking no action or we're going to schedule a special meeting at which we would consider... starting the process, setting a public hearing, uh, to ... to start the process, to consider a landmark designation. Botchway/ So... Hayek/ We're just deciding, if we do anything, deciding whether to schedule a special meeting. Botchway/ Even if we were to decide to schedule a special meeting, what does that do in the meantime? And what does that ... I guess I'm still confused on ... now that you have this new structural report, what then happens? I mean, you didn't get a chance to look at it and so you're going to go back and ... then what happens? Yapp/ We would work with the property owner to abate the violation. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 11 Botchway/ Okay. Yapp/ And how the property owner chooses to abate the violation is up to the property owner. Botchway/ Okay. Throgmorton/ I ... I think we should discuss whether or not we want to pursue landmark designation. I know we can't do it tonight. I think we should schedule a time to discuss that. Hayek/ Well, we'd be scheduling a time to scus... to discuss whether we want to set a public hearing. Throgmorton/ Yes. Yes. Hayek/ Just ... to be clear. Throgmorton/ Yeah. Okay. Hayek/ And maybe ... it ... it's an important distinction! Throgmorton/ Yeah. Good. Hayek/ That's why I keep... Payne/ It's not setting the public hearing. It's discussing whether to. Throgmorton/ Right. Hayek/ Yeah. Yapp/ And just for your information, we have received an application for landmark designation, uh, for these ... these properties. Uh, just received it today. Uh, the normal course of events would be, we would schedule that for... for a hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission. Uh, their next meeting is on December 1 lth, which is next Thursday. Uh, after that it would be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a ... for discussion and a recommendation, and then be forwarded to City Council from there. That would be the normal course of events. Dilkes/ Just to add one more thing, we would also seek comments from the State Historic Preservation Office, cause the Council cannot move forward with any, uh, vote on... on the designation until you get comments from the State. Payne/ So if the application has already been made, why do we need to take any action? Why can't it just follow its normal course of action? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 12 Yapp/ Uh, the effect of the Council setting a public hearing earlier, rather than later, uh, it would cause us to not be able to issue the demolition permit. Markus/ There'd be a moratorium on permitting. Yapp/ A 60 -day moratorium. Payne/ Okay. So we would be skipping all that other stuff, the other pro ... part of the process, and going straight to the pub ... our public hearing. Yapp/ Uh, I wouldn't recommend actually holding the public ... if you choose to set a public hearing, uh, I wouldn't recommend holding it until after you anticipate getting the P&Z report, but the ... the act of setting the hearing, uh, for a later date triggers that moratorium. Dilkes/ You cannot hold the public hearing till you receive the reports from Historic Preservation, the State, and the Planning and Zoning Commission, but you can set the public hearing, which has the effect of a ... putting a 60 -day moratorium in place. Mims/ So as of right now, the property owner has requested a demolition permit, is that correct? Yapp/ That's correct. Mims/ And what is the typical... response time from the staff to... Yapp/ Uh... uh, seven-day what's called a posting period is required, seven working days. Uh, the properties were posted yesterday. Uh, so as of next Wednesday, a week from tomorrow, we could issue the demolition permit. Mims/ Thank you. Yapp/ And that posting serves as a public notice. Throgmorton/ So, if we were going to influence that, we'd have to set ... we'd have to hold our special meeting sometime prior to that date, would we not? In other words, we'd have to set a public hearing, before the building's torn down or before the permit to ... to demolish, the demolition permit is issued. Dilkes/ That's what you would want to do. The moratorium will go into effect even if the... even if the, um, permit has been issued, if at the time you set the public hearing there has not been substantial progress on the demolition. But obviously once there's a demolition permit issued... Throgmorton /Yeah. Dilkes/ ... that's ... not within the City's control. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 13 Payne/ Can we even have a meeting and get a public hearing scheduled before a week from tomorrow? Hayek/ No, no, you don't have (both talking) Dilkes/ It's not a... Hayek/ ... the ... the public hearing could be set at some date in the future, but as soon as it ... as it is set, i.e., our vote, that's when it would start — the moratorium would start. Payne/ So...we would have to have a meeting before next Wednesday, otherwise next Thursday they can tear it down. Mims/ Right. Throgmorton/ Right. Hayek/ I mean the hearing could be ... January, February, I don't know. Something like that. Dilkes/ We would... Payne/ How many days notice do you have to have to have a public meeting for us to set a public hearing? Dilkes/ 24 hours. Payne/ Okay. Botchway/ So I guess the question is, is whether or not we want to have the special meeting. Hayek/ Yeah. Botchway/ So, Jim (both talking) put that out there. I was in agreement. So ... there's a third? Hayek/ I am too, and let me tell you why. I ... I, urn ... I do not like the last minute nature of this. I do not like, um, this 11'' and a half hour, um, approach. Um ... uh... but there is so much (noise on mic) communication and I fear that the applicants, the property owner's voice hasn't been heard much either, uh, through this. Um ... I ... and I'm ... I'm not particularly inclined to ... to, well I don't know what I'm ... I'm ... I'll tell you this! I think the fair thing to do would be to schedule a ... a ... a special meeting to talk about this. We can't resolve the merits of it tonight, and we can't resolve the merits of whether to set a public hearing tonight! Throgmorton/ Right. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 14 Hayek/ But I ... I'm willing to do that. I ... it's going to ... it's going to bring on a even greater avalanche of...of pressure on both sides. I get it. Um, this is not how it should occur. Um, but this is what happens from time to time, and I ... I ... as ... as recently as 4:00 I don't think I was inclined to come down the way I am but I think to ... to ... to let the ... to let the community be heard and to give us a chance to review all the stuff, much of which has come in in the last hour or two and no one's even looked at. We should set this for a special meeting. Payne/ I think I ... I agree with you. It's the fair thing to do. To hear both sides. Botchway/ I guess I do have one question. Why the ... and I ... and I, I read this before and ... with everything else going on, why the specific nature of this process? I mean, we have a process put in place to deal with these particular issues, but then why the avalanche? I mean, that's where I see it a little unfair, and I don't ... I don't necessarily like that, because there is a process in place, and we are ... we are saying that we want to meddle, so to speak, in that process a little bit, um, and I'd be interested in hearing the other side if we did it the opposite way, but um, why the ... why the avalanche? I guess, why the... Yapp/ I can't speak for... Mims/ I think what it is... Yapp/ ...for the... Mims/ ...is you have, and this is ... this is nationally, it's everywhere. You have private property owners who pay their taxes, maintain their property, you know, do everything they want to do with their property, and they go to do something different with it that is legal, is following the rules and regulations. I think we see it with ... with Sycamore Woods tonight, as well, and you have people who do not want to see that change, for whatever reason. Because they feel something is historic, because ... they feel, you know, they don't want the trees cut down, and I'm not saying that their... feelings are not without merit. I don't mean that at all! But, they don't necessarily take any interest or ... or action to ... avoid having those things happen, as long as that current property owner isn't doing anything that upsets them, and the minute they see something that starts to upset them, then you get ... this groundswell of people saying, you know, please don't allow this to happen, and so that's where, you know, I think you have to look at what is, you know, what is the process and are property owners going through, what is the ... is the legal process to do what they want to do with their property. Botchway/ I guess the... again, just to be clear why I'm asking, you know, when you go out and you start talking about the particular process or trying to educate the public on the process, and then this happens, it just kind of throws it off, I mean, for me at least, and um, I mean... and I ... I do want to, you know, I do want to talk about it. I do want to discuss it, because I think there are good points, but um, it's just ... it's just interesting, a little disheartening about the (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 15 Hayek/ Well, you know, in some instances the owner does initiate the process. We did that with the Vine, and then there's the Hodge building on Linn and Market, and I can think of some other examples, and the ... the property owners sees it in his or her, its best interest to ... to pursue landmark designation. So you also have, you know, from the other end you have ... the garden-variety district, or conservation district, or ... or you know, geographic, you know, where there's a methodical approach to designating an area as historic to give it ... to give it protections. This situation falls outside of that, the property owner has not ... uh, determined it to be a good idea to pursue this, um, and is on the verge of getting a demo permit. There's been some drama. Totally diametrically opposed, uh, reports. Surprise, surprise! And ... uh... and ... and the City then gets put into the ... cross hairs of that. Um ... so ... yeah, it ... and ... and the better way to do this would be to identify buildings or areas, in advance, do this methodically, and not have this rush to the City Hall and to our email inboxes late in the game. But... Yapp/ Kingsley, how I would respond, if I can step back... a little bit from the issue. It's a... it's a classic issue of property rights and redevelopment, uh, desires, versus in this case, a desire for historic preservation. Uh... I think those are the two ... the two sides. Dickens/ Where does the liability fall now, because there's one report that these are dangerous, and then you got another report that says they're not, and the property owner is liable for those properties. Where does that put him in the meantime? Yapp/ I believe the property owner has ... carries the majority of the liability. Eleanor, would you concur? Dilkes/ I don't see that the City has significant liabril ... liability risk here. Dickens/ It's all (both talking) Dilkes/ And I think... the... the owner is likely conferring (both talking) with his own attorney about his liability issues. Dickens/ ... cause the eviction notices were based on the... (mumbled) whatever came (mumbled) Yapp/ I would note that the eviction start process which was done by the property owner, not by the City. There's been some misinformation that the City ordered an eviction. That's not true. Uh... the property owner started that process before we issued the Notice of Violation. Botchway/ So what does this do ... our discussion, our setting a meeting, what does that do for the eviction? That's totally separate from us? That's with regard to the property owner (both talking) Yapp/ ...that's between the property owner and his tenants. Botchway/ All right. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 16 Hayek/ Well listen we've got a packed work session. I ... I think we just need to decide — are there four people who think we should set a special meeting, and it would be in the next week. Throgmorton/ Well, we counted four. Michelle, you (both talking) Hayek/ Okay, your ... all right! Botchway/ Yeah! Hayek/ So we've got four. Um ... Marian, will you then ... try to figure something out? (laughter) Thank you! All right, other agenda items? ITEM 3f(2) Nicholas Colon: Body Cameras Throgmorton/ Can I bring up one more thing, uh, Matt? Uh, it has to do with, uh... uh, Item... Item ... uh, 3f(2), uh, which is an email from Nicholas Colon about body cameras. Uh, I just wanted to ask a ... a, I think a straightforward question of the Chief or, you know, aides. Uh, basically will the new technology that you looked at, Sam, will it, um, enable the cameras to be on perm ... body cameras to be on permanently, or will they still be controlled with some kind of on/off kind of capacity on the part of an officer? Hargadine/ It's like most electronics. It has an on/off switch. The, uh, some of the new technology that's not out yet, but some of it will activate automatically when the car lights activate or the car camera activates, it syncs up, but... presently where the technology is, there has to be a manual turn on. And, um ... you know, if it were on all the time, that's going to lead to storage issues, uh, if... if all 80 officers are turning in eight hours of video, that's massive amounts of storage space. Throgmorton/ Uh huh. Sure. Hargadine/ And that ... that costs dollars. Throgmorton/ I understand. Payne/ Can't be voice activated or something like that? Hargadine/ Some of them are, but ... uh, between the radio that's constantly going and the ... the constant talking, urn ... that just leads to ... you might as well leave it on. I mean, because there's always some kind of voice, um, going on. Markus/ So we will attempt to address part of that issue with policy, as well. Chief 11 be responsible for... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 17 Hargadine/ And there ... there may be times when, by policy, um, someone asks that we turn it off. You know, you may come into my house but I want you to turn the camera off, or there's something I want to tell you, but would you turn the camera off. There are those issues that we're wrestling with right now. Throgmorton/ Uh huh. Mims/ (several talking) Can you just clarify, cause I've had a question. I think I know the answer but just ... the media's here and get it out there. That when we ... uh, passed the resolution to revoke the previous resolution on the funding. What has that done in terms of the timeline of... of getting the cameras? Hargadine/ Probably sped it up. The previous vendor ... had a three-month shipping, um ... even ... even if we sign the contract, they weren't going to deliver for three months. Mims/ Okay. Hargadine/ And, um ... if we were ... if we go with the ... the vendor that I believe we're going to go with, we're still talking about sole source and negotiating several things, but uh, I suspect it's going to be quicker than ... the previous three-month period. Mims/ Okay. Thank you! Botchway/ So my question is, is this going to come back before us? Like as ... when you purchase, are we going to have another discussion on ... I don't know, policies and prac... I mean, it's a hot button issue and I mean regardless I think it's going to come up to us. Hargadine/ Policy I believe will ... we will forward that to you for your reference. I'll do that through the City Manager. Um, depending upon the dollar amount, it may not need to be legislated on. Botchway/ Well, and the reason why I'm asking is, for ... for that example, depending on the dollar amount it might not be something that we have action on, but in the event that we believe it's such a community need, um, that we think storage ... or getting more storage space or having a ... a discussion with IT about getting another server, whatever the case may be, um, that might require additional funding. Would that, you know, be in conjunction with the purchase or... Hargadine/ We've already moved towards doubling our storage space. That was a known going in. Botchway/ Okay. Hargadine/ That, uh... our, uh, our present storage, even if we didn't do body cams, we need more storage, but ... uh, obviously with body cams, uh, presently I think we're ... we're This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 18 looking at doubling. We're going to something like, uh... how many terabytes? Four terabytes and we're... we're... we're going into the like 16 terabytes. So (both talking) Markus/ Kingsley, I think we're sensitized to the public debate that's going on, not just here but across the country. Throgmorton/ Nationwide! Markus/ And we're looking at ... we're looking at how we develop policy to deal with, um, you know, making sure that ... that the cameras are on, the voice activation is on, when we are in those situations but the other part of this is, is it's a management issue from managing the data and retrieving the data, and being able to use it, um, for the intended purposes of, um, showing an event or showing an action. So, we are sensitive to that and I think previously the Chief and I discussed it and we probably made you aware that we would share the policies with you. Botchway/ Okay. Markus/ And quite frankly if you have an issue with the policy or a question about the policy, we're open to discussing that. So ... you'll ... you'll see that, but I think the limitations financially are such that, um, it may drop below a required, you know, a ... award but we can summarize what we're doing in a report to you so you know what that action is. Botchway/ That works! Hayek/ Any other agenda items? ITEM 5a MOSS RIDGE CAMPUS REZONING — REZONING APPROXIMATELY 51.03 ACRES FROM INTERIM DEVELOPMENT — RESEARCH PARK (ID -RP), RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PARK (RDP) AND PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY- HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL (OPD - C111) TO INTERIM DEVELOPMENT — RESEARCH PARK (ID -RP), RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PARK (RDP) AND PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY- HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL (OPD-CH1) LOCATED NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 1 AND A REVISION OF THE ASSOCIATED CONDITIONAL ZONING AGREEMENT. Payne/ I have a question on 5a, which is Moss Ridge. Can I ask a question on that? I think that's... Mims/ I don't think so. Hayek/ It's rezoning. I think we can only do it at the formal. Payne/ All right. I'll ask it at the formal then. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 19 ITEM 3f(6) Karla Tonella; Carolyn Beyer: Snow Removal at Thornberry Dog Park [staff response included) Mims/ Uh, just a quick question to staff on 3f(6). Are ... are we verifying that we are ... getting what we're paying for in terms of snow removal at the Thornberry Dog Park? Markus/ Yeah. The, um, Mike Moran is looking into that. Mims/ Okay. Markus/ And he's trying to make that verification. Mims/ Okay. Thank you. ITEM 3f(11) Fred Meyer: Support apartment recycling Hayek/ And briefly on 3f(11), which was this letter regarding recycling in apartment buildings. It's my understanding that this ... this issue is on hold for us while we see how other things develop. Fiberight and changing technology and ... and whatnot. Um ... I'm hearing concerns, and I share them, that we keep waiting on this issue and ... the, you know, the need for recycling in our multi -family units, especially with student populations, you know, is certainly not diminishing. It's only growing worse, and I wonder if we should be... Markus/ Yeah, we... Hayek/ ...talking about this sooner. Markus/ Actually I ... I think, you know, the original discussion about delaying for the roll out of Fiberight and seeing if that was moving ... in a timely way, and I think Rick is in the audience. Rick and I discussed this and ... uh, the fact of the matter is it's ... it's moving slower than we expected. So ... um, our hopes to ... to see some progress in that regard has probably started to cause us to think that we may have to look back into, uh, the multi- family recycling effort, and at least maybe move it in phases forward. So, we'll have that discussion again. Remember that we're also in a transition, uh, with the gentleman that just stepped to the mic (laughter) Um, he's going to be gone by the end of the month, and so we're in a personnel transition, not just with him but throughout that entire department and now you'll see in the budget process that we're looking at some transitions occurring, um, in, um, the solid waste area. So, we're kinda challenged, you know, with a reallocation of staff at the same time. So ... there ... there's a lot of changes that I think we all knew about in terms of succession planning with the staff and... unfortunately Public Works is the most, um ... impacted by a ... kind of a massive turnover in staff all at the same time, just because... they're at that stage of their careers and lives. So ... that's gonna cause us to... Hayek/ Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 20 Markus/ ...you know, that's more of a bump right now than I think waiting on, um, Fiberight's roll out. Botchway/ Just blame Rick! Hayek/ There's an awfully large grin on your face right now, Rick (laughter and several talking) Fosse/ Yes! (laughs) I'll just mention that we do have a meeting next week where staff is going to be discussing that ... that very issue... Hayek/ Okay. Fosse/ ...that you brought up, so we're looking at the ... and having some of the same thoughts that you are. Hayek/ Okay. Botchway/ Is there like a ... a cut ... bait moment, you know, is there like a ... is there some type of...deadline, arbitrary deadline, um ... three months, four months, six months, a year? Fosse/ We've not set that. Botchway/ Okay. Hayek/ Okay. Thanks, Rick! Fosse/ Thank you! ITEM 6. APPROVAL OF THE 2016-2020 CONSOLIDATED PLAN — RESOLUTION ADOPTING IOWA CITY'S 2016-2020 CONSOLIDATED PLAN, KNOWN AS CITY STEPS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT SAID PLAN, TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS AND ALL NECESSARY CERTIFICATIONS TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND DESIGNATING THE CITY MANAGER AS THE AUTHORIZED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN (a.k.a. CITY STEPS). Payne/ I have several questions on Item 6, which is City STEPS. Hayek/ (mumbled) Tracy! Hightshoe/ Hello! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 21 Payne/ You probably don't know the pages but the first one is the comparison of proposed priorities. It lists a draft of the 200...2016 to 20 priorities on one ... sheet, and ... on one side and then the other column is the 11 through 15 priorities. Hightshoe/ I'll pull it up for ya! Payne/ Yes, that's exactly the one! Okay, so I'm ... the way I interpreted this is ... the stuff on the right-hand side are ... are old priorities. The stuff on the left is going to be our new priorities. Hightshoe/ The ... the 2011-2015 is on the left. The draft ... 2016-2020 is on the right. Payne/ Not on mine! They're the opposite. Throgmorton/ Yeah, on mine they're opposite. Hightshoe/ Well ... the titles are on ... (laughter and several talking) It's ... look at the top of the (several talking) column and you'll see the ... the titles, which plan. So, the 2011-2015 are your existing priorities. Anything under the 2016-2020 are your proposed priorities. Hayek/ Your ... your columns are right. Up there it's reversed, but... Payne/ Okay! Hayek/ ...domestic violence, for example, is associated with the 2016 to 2020. Payne/ Okay, so transportation is not in ... the new priorities. Hightshoe/ No, it's not! Not when the consultant did the plan. We hired Mullin and Lonergan, a consulting firm out of Pennsylvania, but when we ... the Housing Community Development Commission met in November. You'll see that their recommendation was ... they wanted to include, um, transportation and employment training as priorities. Payne/ Okay. And ... I ... I thought that transportation probably sh... should be there, as many issues as we have talked about — SEATS and stuff like that. Um ... the other one was like in the employment training, financial skills, um, and life skills aren't in the new ones, but in the public facility section, it talks about, um ... low income, moderate income, large families. So is that stuff more included in there or did we just drop those items or... Hightshoe/ We dropped those items just because those are items that we didn't fund in 2011- 2015. Payne/ Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 22 Hightshoe/ We didn't specifically fund. That doesn't mean some of the agencies that we provide funding to don't encompass some of those items in the services that they provide. But we have not funded anything specifically just for those items. Payne/ Okay. Hightshoe/ And then the public facilities, when H ... the Housing Community Development Commission reviewed it, they're recommending that the same priorities that you recommend for public service be the same for public facility. Um, that was what would happen in the 2011-2014...15 plan, um, but the public facilities with that general, that means ... any public service provider that wants to make an improvement to their facility, as long as they serve low income, primarily low income folks, they'd be eligible. Um, we only have about 80, 90,000 bucks a year... Payne/ Okay. Hightshoe/ ...to spend on public facility, so what we were trying to do was focus and narrow that, of which priorities we were going to fund. Payne/ Okay! Um... Hightshoe/ Oh, and that being said... CDBG, 51 % of the beneficiaries have to be, um, what we consider low to moderate income, which is below 80% of median income. Just by the nature of the program. Payne/ Um ... thank you for that explanation. My next question is actually on page 413. I don't know if that helps you. It's ... talking about monthly rent, and it's ... it's doing the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment, and it's comparing it to minimum wage and how much somebody making minimum wage would have to work to ... in order to afford that. I don't know ... how this got put into here, but it's comparing a single -wage earner to a two-bedroom apartment. To me that's not an apples -to -apples comparison. Why does a single wage earner need a two-bedroom apartment? Hightshoe/ It could be they ... it's a single -wage per ... one person with a child. So then you'd get a two-bedroom apartment. Payne/ But it doesn't say that in here. It makes it sound like ... you're trying to exasperate the problem, rather than compare ... if I'm a single person, making a single wage, and I rent a one -bedroom apartment, would be a fairer comparison. So it makes it ... to me it exasperates the problems, which ... why wouldn't you have two wage earners then in a two-bedroom apartment, which would ... it's not going to fix the issue that you're trying to show here, but ... it ... it's not exasperating the problem so much. Hightshoe/ Yeah. When I read through the plan, most of it though is talking about small related households (mumbled) cost burden. I don't know exactly what page so I don't know the exact reference, but... a lot of the plan is talking about the cost burden of households, and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 23 a lot of that is small related households, which would get a two bedroom apartment. So, um, I can look into it. What page did you say? Payne/ Um, it's on page 413 at the very top. Mims/ So it'd be page 53 is what it says on the... Payne/ Oh page, yeah, it says 53 at the bottom! Thanks, Susan! Hightshoe/ I'd have to look at it and we could try to clarify. We just have to clarify and ask the consultant to go back and ... and look at a, to the comparison you're talking about. Payne/ Um ... this next one is probably more something that's ... it just stuck out to me as just flat out wrong. Um ... it's ... it's on page 66 on your report. It's called `Impediment, Racial, and Ethnic Concentrations Exist in Iowa City;' recommendation to overcome this impediment. And then it talks about adopting a land policy that would make housing options available at diverse locations. The very last sentence says, `This would create housing units for low and moderate income minority families at diverse locations in the city without using any public subsidies or taxes.' And I .... when you read the whole paragraph, I believe that ... that part at the end is absolutely incorrect. I don't think you're gonna do that without somebody asking for a subsidy. Or ... I mean you're just ... you're not gonna create that without somebody asking for a subsidy. So ... to me it's just a flat out incorrect statement. Throgmorton/ Depends on the policy, doesn't it? If it's inclusionary zoning, there's no subsidy involved. Payne/ We don't have one of those right now. Throgmorton/ I know, I know, so I ... I mean, we'd have to read the whole context, uh, but I think that ... that report, which comes from the impediments to fair housing, um, report, I think that ... was referring to a range of policies that could, uh, deal with that particular impediment. Payne/ And there are other parts in this ... in the City STEPS program that does talk about that is a possible solution. But it's not in this section. So I think that ... (both talking) inferring that is taking it out of context. Hightshoe/ In that same paragraph it does say that we ... that Iowa City consider adopting a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy, but that doesn't ... also doesn't mean if you put affordable units on the outskirts of town that necessarily... folks, minorities will live there, or... Payne/ Right. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 24 Hightshoe/ And to be honest ... I'm ... for our elderly housing, it's historically the majority of folks in elderly housing are white. So ... I mean I understand your point (both talking) Payne/ I mean ... I just read that and went ... this just stood out to me as just something that's ... not correct. So ... that's all I had. Thank you very much! Throgmorton/ Tracy, could I follow up on Item 6, with regard to one point? Uh, if I understand correctly, the Housing Community Development Commission recommended approval of the plan with three modifications. Hightshoe/ Uh huh. Throgmorton/ And then it also, uh, recommended that the preference under the economic development set-aside shall be for microenterprise assistance? Do I ... (both talking) Hightshoe/ ...there was comments at the meeting, um, that fagade improvements, to some of the Commission Members... didn't feel that was meeting the intent of the CDBG program. Throgmorton/ Right. Hightshoe/ But they realized like in areas like Towncrest or some of the urban renewal areas founded on slum and blight that need revitalization, but they were just submitting a ... or they're recommending a preference that if we use money in the economic development goes for microenterprise. Um, and they... if you see, if you read through the minutes they did say and if you're using money for fagade improvements, make sure it's, um, older buildings in need of (both talking) Throgmorton/ Right, I did see that. So what I was wondering is whether the plan reflects the recommendations, those three recommendations plus the one about microenterprise. Hightshoe/ No, you would have to vote to approve this plan with HCDC's recommendations. If you want to see that in the plan, you'd have to make that recommendation. Throgmorton/ Ah, so ... so, uh, how you ... how do you want to handle that, Matt? Hayek/ Well I... (laughter) Here's how I want to handle it. I want us to get on to some of our other work session items cause we've got so much to accomplish in ... the next 45 minutes. We ... you could bring up any amendments you want to make during the formal. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I (both talking) It helps to know that... Hayek/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ ...we're just ... we would otherwise just adopt the plan... Hightshoe/ Yes! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 25 Throgmorton/ ...unless we... Hightshoe/ If you want to incorporate you would make the motion that you would want to recommend this plan subject to, or app ... with HCDC's recommendations. Throgmorton/ Yeah, okay. Um, thank you. Hayek/ Yeah. Thanks, Tracy! Any other agenda items? Okay. Next up Court/Linn property. Need to select a preferred developer and Mr. Davidson's going to get us started! Selection of the preferred developer for the Court / Linn Property (IP #3 Info Packet of 11/25: Davidson/ And Miss Ford (both talking) I think you all know Wendy Ford, works with me in Economic Development. Uh, on ... what was it, November 17th. Uh, you heard the four finalist proposals in this room. Uh, and following that, I ... I think there was a little bit of surprise on all of our parts that, uh, some of the proposals had changed, uh, which I think, you know, just made it a little bit convoluted in terms of the original proposals that we'd all reviewed and then the proposals that were presented, and so, uh, at the Mayor's request, uh, Wendy actually did most of the heavy lifting on this, but you received the table in your, uh, packet of materials that, um, has ... has two columns of information for each of the four proposals, basically, and ... and Wendy... there's really no ... there was no interpretation here, okay? We drew the numbers directly out of the, either the propos... original proposal booklets or the materials that were handed out at the meeting, and for one of the proposals, the materials handed out at the meeting were very sparse and so we did have to follow up with that developer and get additional information, which we did. That's what you see reflected here. Um, I also just wanted to mention, uh, before your deliberation that I have heard from all of the proposers (laughs) since the 17th of November, and ... to no big surprise, um, they ... they wanted me to make sure it was communicated to you that ... they have a lot of flexibility (laughter) in terms of their proposals, which doesn't make your job any easier, but ... but certainly you should not spend a two-time ... uh, too much time, uh, splitting hairs on one having 876 dwelling units and another one having 900, because that is something that can be resolved in our negotiations with the preferred developer. Um, Mr. Sherman who presented the ... the Sherman proposal, uh, obviously recognized that he had a much smaller scale, uh, project, but he sent me all kinds of links to their higher density projects, to make sure you were aware that they have done a lot of high density projects. They would be happy to do that, if that was the Council's, uh, determination. So I ... I wanted to impart all of that to you. If there are any questions about the table, uh, we're happy to try and clarify that. If there's anything you want us to follow up on, uh, we're happy to do that, as well. Throgmorton/ Could I ask one question about the table? It just shows I'm a little slow on the... on the uptake. So ... uh, the ... the table distinguishes between what consolidated property tax levy and the annual TIF increment, or TIF levy? Uh, and it's displayed on the chart, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 26 and we don't have the chart up there, but... can you help me understand the difference between the two. Ford/ Sure. The consolidated tax levy is the, uh, the millage rate that you pay, that we all pay, for property taxes. Um, right now I believe it's about 30, uh... $38.53 per, uh, $1,000 of valuation. Those property taxes come in and then they're distributed to the City, the County, and the Schools. That's the 100% of our property tax bill. The TIF levy is a little bit lower than that at $29.79, and the reason it's lower is because the difference between the 38, uh, 53 and the 29.79, uh, accounts for the protected debt levy. So, and that is, uh, and that takes into account the debt for, uh, the School District, the City, and the County, so and it reserves any new taxes created by new projects to be, uh, to continue to flow to those taxing entities for the use in paying down their debt. Markus/ That's correct. That's why the County is looking at short-term debt instruments so that they protect their levy in terms of TIF districts. If you recall those discussions over the last few budget cycles. Payne/ So the difference between the 38.53 and the 29.73 is still going to the taxing entities... or any new taxes created. Davidson/ That's correct (several talking) Payne/ So only the 29.79 is what's going to pay off the TIF. Davidson/ Right. That's why when we do ... when we work with you on TIF projects we refer to the TIF increment, um, that's because it has the protected levy pulled out. Throgmorton/ Yeah. Thank you, I ... I thought that's what that was, but I wanted to make sure. Hayek/ So it's my understanding that this afternoon we got a communication from Core Campus on their offer on the dirt. Can you fill us... Davidson/ That's correct. Actually the City Manager took the... correspondence, so... Markus/ Yes, I received a phone call this afternoon, um, the gentleman, uh, I know does work with Core and indicated that Core has stepped up their offering, uh, in terms of the land acquisition from $4.5 million to $5 million, which is a $500,000 increment. Hayek/ So what do you ... what does staff need from us this evening? Um, we have four... applicants that were invited to town. Markus/ Well, I think what we had talked about previously was that, uh, we would prefer that you name two candidates and I've kind of been kicking around in my own head how, um, you would do that, whether you would initially designate a preferred and a second place, uh, position, or if you would just name two, and we negotiate with them, uh, deriving the best possible project we can get of the top two. I do think you want to keep two in the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 27 fold because I think it probably keeps, um ... keeps the process competitive and it keeps the process lively in terms of being able to encourage the best possible offer that we can get for the City, which should be our objective, especially with a City asset like this. Throgmorton/ Well I had some thoughts on that, which actually led in a similar direction. So I'll just toss out my thoughts and then others will have theirs, as well. Uh, when I look at the four projects, it seems to me that two of `em are virtually identical, uh, meaning CA Ventures and Hub at Iowa City. Hub at IC. Uh, but my own judgment, having heard the presentations, is that I ... I felt that the CA Ventures' project was stronger. So ... I ... I kinda move it up, uh, and then when I think about Mr. Sherman's, or Sherman Associates, uh, project, I think, um, the, uh, scale and program that he proposes is really appropriate for the site, but they request way too much money. So ... for me that ... moves it to a different category, which leaves me with Hanson's Court/Linn Lofts proposal. And I feel a bit uncomfortable about it because we really don't know the programmatic details. It's been... it's felt pretty fluid. Uh, but... one of the, for me, one of the really crucial issues is to diversify the ... the users, the residents, to diversify the residents of the area so that it is not entirely student oriented. And, to provide ways in which, uh, other, uh, residents could actually live there. Okay. Uh, and ... and use ... and use the neighborhood. So when I think about that, the, uh, the Court -Linn Lofts' proposal becomes ... much more (mumbled) much more interesting, especially in light of the way their financials are adjusted in the table that y'all put together. It's a great table, incidentally! Very ... very helpful. So, uh, and I worry that if we ... if we, uh, go fully the student oriented housing route, that that will undermine what this Council, and previous Councils, have explicitly said as a primary objective, which is to ... to diversify, uh, the ... the users of the downtown, to strengthen the downtown in ways that are not exclusively oriented toward students. And no offense, Evan, I'm not trying to be critical of students. It's ... it's all above diversifying the ... the downtown and ... and this particular neighborhood. So, what that leads me to conclude is that I'd like to see us consider more thoroughly, I don't know if that's exactly what you meant, CA Ventures and uh, Court - Linn Lofts. Dickens/ You're not going to believe this, but I agree with you wholeheartedly! (laughs) Payne/ And then I'm going to ask you both a question. Dickens/ Yes! Payne/ Is it worth $10 million? Dickens/ It's... Payne/ Because they're asking for a subsidy of $5 million and with the other one we're going to get $5 million. So to me that's a difference of $10 million. Throgmorton/ I think that's a great question, Michelle. Is it worth it? That's precisely the question. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 28 Dickens/ (mumbled) negotiated more. Markus/ Look there's a ... there's a ... there's a discussion that's gone on amongst the City staff and the City Council for some time, and it goes like this. Concentrating student housing in areas that are more walkable, and um, to the campus, and still having an impact, and... and a desirable one in my opinion because it creates walkable, uh, foot traffic in front of our business community, um, has a by-product, in my opinion, and that by-product is that it takes pressure off of neighborhoods that have probably heretofore had too much pressure from student housing on a much smaller scale. And so my view of this is a bit different than yours, and that is trying to move, um, student housing into higher -rise buildings with concentrations of it there where amenity packages can be applied, which has been done on campuses across the country, but an important by-product to me is getting the pressure off the residential neighborhoods that surround them, so that they can gentrify further into housing stock for our, uh, residential community. Throgmorton/ Well... Markus/ And I think that ... is more consistent with new urbanist approach of trying to get those neighborhoods to become more, um, stabile, which is consistent with our UniverCity Program! Throgmorton/ Yeah, I can assure you I thought about that a lot, as well, so ... yeah. Botchway/ So, you know ... and I think you now ... my ... my mind was, uh, I wouldn't say it was made up, but ... things haven't changed necessarily too much for me. I am very interested in the hotel, um, in that location. Um, I just ... I see the dollar signs, you know, and in light of a lot of the money that we'd be losing, um, I ... unless I can be convinced differently, it's very important, um ... to gain some of the revenue that I think that other cities take away, and I don't understand why, since this is an area where we have everything that people come to see, but they, you know, go hotel and do other stuff other places, um, and so from that standpoint, it kind of knocked off the Linn and Court. Granted I did want to see it, um, because I was interested in, you know, what the possibility it could be, but then it... again, it came back to location. Um, it came back to the fact that, you know, I ... I would agree with you, Tom. I mean, this is an interesting situation where we would be pulling students, and I ... I was literally just thinking of it in my mind, students that live, you know, south of, and maybe I'm wrong with my directional sense but ... um, you know, south of the, uh, the Rec Center where I see tons of students. I've heard tons of complaints from that neighborhood about students, and potentially, you know, lowering, uh, the rental price of those units. I mean, and I have now been, just so public knowledge, a ... a very avid shopper of house ... houses right now, rental and buying, and so (laughs) I am very, very aware of how much it costs to purchase a house right now (laughs) especially in particular neighborhoods, and you know, I mean ... from people I've talked to as well, I mean, it's ... people want to ... to move closer, but don't necessarily want to move directly into the Iowa City downtown limits, so to speak. So from ... for ... to make it quick, I mean, from what I saw and what I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 29 liked, I would honestly look at just the two ... the Hub and the Rise, and going back to what Tom said about, you know, picking two ... ha ... make `em have at it, you know? I mean maybe ... based on our discussion and based on, uh... um, our approval, they then decide to give us or offer us $7.5 million for the land. I think that's crazy, but ... that's up to them! Um, and I shouldn't say that's crazy. I think that's a great idea (laughter) but um, that's up to them, and so that's my two, and I mean I can go into more detail, I guess um, regarding analysis, but uh, again the hotel and the fact that it's ... it's right next to a lot of the bars. It's close, but I don't ... I don't want to take away from your point because I do think it's important to get... incorporate senior living downtown. I just don't believe it's at that location. I'd be interested in seeing it even more central to downtown, but just not at that location. Dickens/ Well you got some catty -corner from it at that Capitol Towers. Hayek/ Yeah. I ... I, that's true. I would, um, I would also go with ... with CA and ... Core, and ... and in that order. But, as to the other two, I mean, the ... the Court -Linn Loft one, I mean, they ... there was a shift I think sufficiently late in the game that ... what we got was incredibly fluid, to use your term, Jim, and I just ... it was under -developed, and I ... I'm not ... given that we have these other developed proposals, uh, highly detailed from, you know, very experienced, uh, developers. I ... I'm just not comfortable going down that road. Um, and that's how I ... I eliminated Court -Linn from my list. The... the... the Sherman proposal is interesting, but by my math, the ... the spread is $18.5 million. You know, not only do they want to pay zero for the land, but they need $13.5 in ... in subsidy. And ... and for an area that's surrounded by ... you know, largely student housing, I ... I just can't justify that, uh, from ... from the City coffers. I think Core and CA are both, um, you know, they're obviously experienced national firms. I had a better feeling about CA. I would rank them as my number one. Um, they're ... one thing caught my eye during the presentation, which is that they had a project... similar project in Ann Arbor. Law school buddy of mine just became the mayor of Ann Arbor, and so I contacted him and said, hey, tell me about this project and his report, uh, from staff was that CA was ... was goo ... the experience for the City of Ann Arbor was good. CA Ventures was responsive. Um, think they had some issues with their local contractor, but the City didn't attribute that to CA. So anyway, that was a ... an endorsement, I guess for what it's worth, from... from another source. Um ... and I like Tom's idea, you know, let's select a one and two and... see what we can get! Markus/ I ... I just want to mention one other thing too, and ... and when you're looking at it, there's significant differences in the four that remain, but ... there's a, you know, if there's $5 million in the acquisition, remember where the money came from. The mane ... the money came from the Parking system, and I think it was about 3. 1, Chris? So you have 3.1 of that 5 coming from the Parking system, which gets put back into the Parking system. The original intent was to use that property for parking facilities. So now they're actually providing parking facilities if you, you know, depending on which project you pick. But then we have a remainder, and ... my hope for the remainder is, we have some significant infrastructure, and we have some potential land acquisitions for This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 30 park, uh... uh, acquisition and improvements along the river. So, from my standpoint, having the ability to get money rather than pay money gives us some advantage to invest back into that district and... and kind of move the whole process along, because one of the things that our staff 11 tell you is, we think some of the aesthetic improvements that can be made in that development will encourage further development, and I believe that, as well. (coughing, difficult to hear speaker) Throgmorton/ Sorry, will encourage what? Markus/ Will encourage the development! Okay? I mean, quite frankly if you can... if you can take some of that space along the river, where we've always turned our back to it in the past and clean some of that stuff out of there, I think it makes the adjoining property much more dev... developable and... and attractive for development. Mims/ Well CA Ventures was at the top of my list. Um, of the two that were student ... most student focused, Core and CA Ventures, again, I think their presentation and some of their information, um, struck me as better. I find going with this ... I ... I agree with what Tom's saying (laughs) in terms of picking a second one. I find it hard because, um, I just ... I really felt that CA Ventures stood out over Core Campus, or Hub, and so there's... there's also a part of me that says, okay ... if somebody else really wants it, like Sherman, what can they really do dollar wise? I'm not interested in giving them an $18 million TIF ... by any stretch of the imagination. But, you know, if they're calling this afternoon saying, oh, well we ... we could really go a lot more dense than what we said we could ... if you really are negotiating head-to-head, what ... what would they really be willing to do for something that is different than student housing. So ... that's kinda why I was leaning toward Sherman as my second one. Um, I'm not interested in giving an $18 million TIF (laughs) That's why CA Ventures is my first. Throgmorton/ Su... Susan, with regard to, uh, the Sherman Associates, I'd like to say that I thought Mr. Sherman's response to my questions about his project, uh, were great. I mean, I kinda hit `em straight on with it, why should we give you a big TIF, uh... for your project when the others aren't asking a TIF at all, and I think his ... his response was spot- on. So, um, that certainly increased my confidence, absolutely, in ... in terms of whatever it is that he would develop, if we chose him ... and his company. Payne/ I agree with Susan and Matt — CA Ventures was at the top of my list. Um, I didn't come in here with a second one. I thought we were only going to pick one, so ... I mean, I think everybody has valid ideas for ... the second one, but I definitely am not in favor of...of, you know, when you look at the difference, giving a TIF, um, when you know the difference is either $18.5 million or a ... or $10 million. That just doesn't make se ... sense, dollars wise. Mims/ I agree! Just depends on what you can negotiate with `em, but ... I ... I agree, and... Payne/ And if you can't negotiate... the TIF totally away that they're asking for, then what's left is ... picking CA Ventures. So... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 31 Mims/ And another comment I would make to ... you know what Kingsley said and others have said, I'm totally supportive of the idea that we need diversity in terms of housing stock south of Burlington. Not just student housing. But ... I'm not convinced that this is ... is the place for it, and especially with the kind of TIF that the others are asking for. Payne/ Yeah, absolutely. I think when we first talked about this, we talked about we didn't want student housing here — we wanted something different here, and then when we, you know, when you see what you ... what you got... Mims/ Uh huh. Payne/ ...um, it... Mims/ There's a lot of other good locations down there for a variety of housing. Payne/ Right! Absolutely! Throgmorton/ But we do know it's not entirely about money. It's not entirely about the numbers on the chart. Right, so ... so it is in large part about ... who's in the neighborhood, who's using downtown. Payne/ It... it isn't entirely about money, but $10 million is a lot of money! Throgmorton/ I agree! Payne/ I mean, if it was ... you know, 50,000 in the whole scheme of things here it might be different, but $10 million is a lot of money. (several talking) Hayek/ So looks like we've clearly got a number one. CA Ventures. There's not... Dobyns/ CA Venture's is number one for me. Core Campus would be my number two. Hayek/ Okay. Botchway/ So I mean are we going to do ... since we have a clear number one, are we going to just do the preferred developer kind of scenario that you were talking about? Markus/ I ... I'm not sure I understand your question. Botchway/ I thought you said there ... we could either do it one of two ways. We could just throw out two or we'd have a preferred developer (both talking) Markus/ No, I ... I actually prefer that you give us two ... because I...I think that ... that gives us some ability to work the system in terms of refining their projects. You know, they're very conceptual at this point, even the dollars are conceptual, and ... and to get those This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 32 dollars, I think, to the point where they're not conceptual, it's good to have kind of a ... a push and pull. Payne/ If... if I (both talking) Botchway/ No, go ahead. Payne/ I was going to say, if I had to pick a number two, I would pick Core Campus because although I like Susan's ... I mean, I like Sherman a lot. I just don't think that, I mean, that's just ... the dollars are too far apart. I don't know that you could negotiate that TIF down to zero. It just doesn't make sense, to me, in my mind. Mims/ That would give us four with Core for second place, so... Botchway/ But ... I wanted to hear ... your input. Hayek/ Evan? McCarthy/ Oh sure (both talking) I'm glad that ... that the consensus seems to be the CA Ventures was the strongest. That was my conclusion too. Uh, I would support going with the Core Campus as the second proposal, just for that dialectic sort of thing that you mentioned — if we have them in competition then there's a greater chance of, uh, a stronger product, I guess, coming out at the end. But I also want to take this opportunity to mention that if we do want to prioritize getting students out of neighborhoods and sort of taking the pressure off, then this is great, but uh, for students like me, it's not necessarily affordable, and I think that we need to prioritize, especially in this district, affordable student housing, affordable housing of any type, if we really want to further taking pressure off neighborhoods and diversifying the downtown in general. Hayek/ Yep. Davidson/ Terry, were you going to make any remarks? I just had a couple of questions. Dickens/ Well I had mentioned that I was agreeing with Jim. It's CA Ventures and then, uh, I was looking at the Court Loft because of the ... the diversity of the, uh, affordable housing, um ... which the other ones, none of the other ones really put anything out there. Uh, elderly housing was ... was being pushed through there, as well. Uh, stronger retail in that area, as well. So, because there's not a lot south of Burlington. And if you want it to be walkable and sustainable, you want something that you can actually go right downstairs. Uh, I know they ... they mentioned they were working with some people that possibly could have businesses that the ... the residents could use there, so ... that's why I went with that, I said was ... it was different, uh, CA was by far my favorite, as far as their presentation, everything. The numbers looked great! But the intrigue of the Court Loft with the different, just the entire different, uh, presentation they had. I know they were a little bit rushed because we put them in last, cause they were not one of the original three This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 33 that our Committee had put together. So, I think if, you know, give them a little time to finalize their things, there ... there might be something interesting come out of that. Davidson/ So... so just to be clear, that we all understand the process here, and Tom, please weigh in if I'm not understanding correctly. We're basically going to go from four ... four to two, okay? Um, and ... and I think it has been expressed that there is kind of a number one and a number two, but we're going to treat them as two finalists, and ask them to sharpen their pencils, and if...if theoretically they both came back with their identical proposals and said, this is as good as we can do, CA would be the preferred developer and... and Core would be number two, but we are going to treat them as two finalists and give them one more opportunity to give us their best deal. Is that correct? Markus/ That's correct, and... and the only thing, and I probably didn't say this during my comments, but what I would also suggest you do, cause I've heard a couple little nuances here, um, is ... maybe you can give us your stress points, what you would like us to stress. Botchway/ Okay, that's what I was going to ask. Markus/ If... if in fact there is an affordable housing component that could be added, um, tell us that. Uh, if there is, urn ... you know, I think both of `em showed office space. I think, uh, one had hotel space. Only the one had hotel space, right? Mims/ Core came back with hotel space. Markus/ They did come back with that? Mims/ Yeah, 82,000 square feet. Markus/ So if...if you gave us some stress points, that could help us in the process of the negotiations. Throgmorton/ I understand. Here ... here's the complication with that. Those stress points, at least as you describe `em, would cost money. Markus/ It's all a negotiation. Mims/ And now's the time to get `em (both talking) Throgmorton/ But each ... each of those stress points kinda moves us more toward the other projects. I mean, that's... that's what I mean, so... Markus/ But ... but I ... I'm saying stress points without giving up the money. Botchway/ I mean ... I guess, I mean maybe I'm wrong, Tom, but for example, um, you know, I didn't necessarily like the parking structure, and correct me if I'm wrong, the ... you could see the parking structure with, um, the Hub, and I liked the fact that the parking structure This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 34 was underneath for CA Ventures. I mean, that would be something that I would stress. I don't know necessarily whether or not that changes the dollar amount for one or the other, but ... that (both talking) Markus/ I'll tell you what, what I would suggest you do is you get to the two, give us the preferred one of the two, and then you can email me with what your thoughts are, what ... what would really make it great for you after you guys have decided (both talking) Hayek/ We ... we do need to be careful with that. I mean we could easily come up with a Christmas list of things we all individually, or collectively, would like to see. Markus/ Limit it to two! (laughter) Davidson/ Is ... is it also perhaps, uh, fair to express a ground rule to both of the proposers that a TIF ask of zero is a requirement. Throgmorton/ I don't want to pay a TIF! Davidson/ I mean we can lard this thing up with anything you want, but at some point there's going to have to be financial compensation for those things. So shall that be a ground rule, zero TIF ask? (several responding) Okay. Mims/ And still pay us for the ... the land. Hayek/ (mumbled) but I ... I'm comfortable (several talking) staff ..I'm comfortable letting staff run with this. They've got a ... a... Markus/ It's all gotta come back to ya! Hayek/ It's all going to come back to us. Davidson/ Yeah, and one other thing that, Mr. Mayor, that ... that we do need to, I think, interject more, um ... more strongly at this stage is the form -based code, which is an adopted City Council document that expresses, supposedly, what you want to see architecturally and urban -design wise in that area, and I can tell you that for both of your two finalists, we need to work with them a little bit on that. There's going to have to be some modifications to their proposals for the form -based code, and we ... we've kind of laid off on that for now until you've expressed sort of generally what you want. Now that you've done that, we need to make sure that they're clear on what those urban design and architectural provisions are, and that ... and allow them to adjust their proposals. Throgmorton/ Yeah, makes sense. Uh, just ... just for my own clarification at least, urn ... who's the second choice? Mims/ Hub. Core Campus. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 35 Throgmorton/ Okay. Hayek/ There were ... there were ... I counted four people. (several talking) Throgmorton/ Just wanted to be clear about that. Hayek/ Um... okay! Thank you. Davidson/ Thank you. Throgmorton/ Thank you! Review of proposed taxi regulations (IP #4 Info Packet of 11/25): Hayek/ Now! It is 6:23 and ... we're just getting to the taxi regulations. What do we want to do here? We can ... we've still gotta get through Info Packets, which shouldn't be much, and ... but we're not going to get into anything substantive here. Throgmorton/ Yeah, we can't fully do that. Hayek/ Should we ... and we could have a long formal, as well. Um... Payne/ Can we move it to our next meeting? Markus/ Well we can move it to another meeting. Payne/ Or even ... we're having a special meeting in the next week, right? Can we move it to our special meeting? Karr/ You can do anything you want (several talking) Mims/ Depends on when that is and how much time people have. (several talking) Markus/ You're gonna hear a lot of testimony at (several talking) Payne/ On the taxi regulations (several talking) Hayek/ I ... I'd prefer ... if we move the taxi regulation discussion, I'd prefer to just move it to the next available work session... opening. Karr/ You mean the December 16th or whatever the regular scheduled meeting is? Hayek/ Yeah, that'd be... Karr/ Rather than the formal. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 36 Hayek/ ...my vote. Throgmorton/ Well, I have a concern about that. Uh... Hayek/ Which is? Throgmorton/ Well, my concern is this. I think we need to focus a ... um, a work session in the very, very near future on how we want to respond to diversity and equity issues. I don't think it would be wise at all for us to push that off for another month, two months, three months, four months, or whatever. I think we need to get on it. So ... I ... I was going to suggest that we deal with that at our next work session. So... Payne/ That needs to be on its own meeting, with nothing else on the agenda. Botchway/ I would agree, as well. Throgmorton/ I'm okay with that! Botchway/ Well I mean if we're gonna, sorry ... so I was going to propose it as well, but I have a couple of different things I want to talk about. So... Hayek/ On ... with respect to what? Botchway/ Well, with respect to what Jim was talking about and... also I wanted to talk about how we conduct our work sessions, as well, but... Hayek/ Well I think those are really Council time... Botchway/ Okay. Hayek/ ... items. I mean, we need (several talking) we need to decide, you know, what we're going to do on the taxi regulation issue. You know, do we get into five minutes of discussion or do we just punt entirely for another meeting. Payne/ I say we just move it. Hayek/ Is there anything staff wants to ... you know ... I suppose you're in for a dollar you're in for (laughter) Markus/ I think there's ... I think there's issues from the taxicab companies. There's issues from the internet-type companies, both ways, and I think this is kind of rolling out, you know, um, I was sent an article on the Des Moines' ordinance. And uh, they're being challenged, uh, by both sides. So maybe a little time, allow some of this to roll out to something that makes a little more sense, as we go along, cause I know staff is drilling down into some of the ordinances around the country that, you know, may have addressed some of these issues and ... and may have dealt with some of the problems. So, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 37 the other thing is, we didn't have this ... uh, determined as to when it would actually come back on the regular agenda at this point. It was pending this discussion, so... Botchway/ Well and I had a ton of questions too, I mean, is this ... is there a mechanism where I can just send questions or should we just wait until ... give some more time and wait until the next meeting? Markus/ If you have thoughts you want to share with us, just send 'ern ... send `em to me and I'll make sure the staff gets `em. Botchway/ Okay. Hayek/ Okay. So let's... reschedule the taxi discussion, for when? 16th? Karr/ For another regular work session. We'll take a look at the schedule and see. The only thing I'd like to say is that, our annual renewal time, uh... is May 1, and so we'd like to be able to give as much notice to the Council to have discussion and to the companies of any pending changes, but we can work with that. So that's kind of been our timeframe. Information Packet Discussion (November 20, 25): Hayek/ Okay. Well, our apologies to those who showed up expecting to hear taxi discussions but ... didn't happen. Okay. So, let's go to the Info Packets. There's one from November 20th. Botchway/ So ... in the November 20th packet, I had sent the ... the racial equity toolkit. I mean, I guess I can wait until we ... basically I'm on -board with what Jim was saying. I think we literally need, and this was somewhat in my email as well, a work session to strategize specific goals as it comes ... as we ... as we discuss trying to fix, or trying to deal with inequities or ... whatever in our ... in our city. I think we literally need, I mean, because I wasn't aware that we weren't going to have time to talk to Stefanie and go back and forth with her, because I mean I had... basically the email that I had sent, just questions or wanting to propose or suggest certain things that I ... I think is important that we get out. Um, I thought she did a wonderful job, and I thought it was a great presentation, as far as going through each part of the report, but I ... I literally think we need an opportunity to just talk about it and spit -ball some ideas, and come up with an actual plan. Hayek/ I understand that, but I ... you know, I ... we have about a dozen items on our pending work session list that, many of which have been there for quite a while. I ... I do want us to get to those, um ... and some are of critical importance as well — housing policies, School district issues, recycling, sensitive areas ordinance — I mean, I think to accomplish what you're talking about is ... is to add more meetings, which would be a Council decision. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 38 Throgmorton/ I ... I think what I said a few minutes ago, I think we need to schedule a ... in light of what Michelle said, a special work session in the very near future focusing on this particular topic. Payne/ When you say very near, can it be in 2015 or do you mean this month? Throgmorton/ Well, 2015's pretty close. And we have a lot to do, I under... totally understand that! Um... Payne/ I mean January's a really busy month for us (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...budget stuff right at the start of January (several talking) Um ... I don't know, maybe the ... I don't ... I don't know what the schedule is, but maybe the second week of January or something like that. Hayek/ Well that's high budget (several talking) Throgmorton/ High budget! Oh! It's like high mass or something! (several talking) Markus/ If you ... if you'd let us shoot for the month of February, I think we could work that out as a separate night in February. Throgmorton/ Early in February! Payne/ What did you say? Throgmorton/ Early in February! (laughter) I mean, you know, this ... let's look at this honestly, I mean, it's a huge issue! I mean not just here, but elsewhere! It's huge! So let's...let's acknowledge that ... that it is, and ... and therefore focus attention on it in a timely way. So we can't do everything at once! I totally get that. Payne/ I think February's... Hayek/ Yeah, I ... well I would say we ... I think we should get through what's going to be a very tough budget cycle, as it always is. It ... it's intense and then it's over. By some point in February or early March. Um ... I don't disagree, but I also say our... our climate change discussions, our... our... our sustainability discussions, our, you know, our housing, our school district discussions, we have lots of very critical decisions. Dickens/ And we'll be meeting with the County in the next week too and have probably some issues come out of that. Markus/ I mean, you know, part of this discussion too relates to the School District, and the School District has pushed back on the ... the cities now as to the location of housing determinations, and um ... it seems ... it seems to me that ... we're gonna reach out to the school administration and have that conversation, um, because I think those are long-term This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 39 issues, and quite frankly I think the diversity policy issue is still in play and still needs to be addressed, on a current issue, not a ... not on a long-term issue, which many of those housing issues are. So ... I'm concerned about ... about that part of it too. And that's... that's every bit a diversity issue. So there's other diversity issues that are going on at the same time. Plus we're doing this study right now to try and get those numbers, uh, back from the, uh, from the professor, and that's going to lead a part of the discussion, as well. Botchway/ My only issue with waiting until February is that ... we could possibly, or I could possibly suggest, and I'm specifically talking about the toolkit in the, uh, November 20th packet, that could have budget implications or could be a part of the budget process. I'm not sure whether or not that's true, and I guess I'm looking at you, Tom, whether or not that could be incorporated. Markus/ It could! Botchway/ But ... I would like to have that discussion before. I mean, I would be willing to get rid of the County meeting if that's the case. And... that's ... (several talking and laughing) Hayek/ Now that you're not there! (laughter) Botchway/ That was a good point though! Hayek/ Listen, I'm willing to do something. I, you know, roughly first quarter or something like that, but I ... I want to get to the budget and urn ... we ... we've got so many meetings planned and we've got a dozen items on our work session iss... issue, and you can always make decisions mid -year that have bub ... budget implications, and I mean the Council can always amend the ... the budget, at any time! In fact we do do amendments periodically to do catch-up with what staff is up to. Mims/ Let's look at February! Hayek/ So ... all right. Mims/ Does that work? Dickens/ Shoot for it! Payne/ Are we still on the... Hayek/ Yeah we are and we need to... Payne/ So...so we're not going to be able to talk about the... Senior Services Commission? Hayek/ No, and see we're going to need to look at that. And... obviously we can't take that up... tonight. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 40 Payne/ So what are we going to do with that? Mims/ Schedule it for the future discussion. Hayek/ Work session. Payne/ Okay. Dobyns/ Special meeting. Hayek/ Okay, anything on the 25th. Botchway/ So wait, are we going to schedule that for a special meeting, cause I had a lot of questions! Hayek/ Schedule what? Botchway/ The Senior ... okay! Mims/ Yeah! Botchway/ Just making sure. Payne/ A special meeting? Or a work... another work session? (several talking) Hayek/ I would work session it. Mims/ Yeah. Payne/ Okay. Dobyns/ I was being snarky! Payne/ Okay. I ... I thought... Karr/ Michelle, your question was on the ... the, I'm sorry, the Senor Services Committee report in the November 25th? Yeah, okay, I just didn't hear that. Payne/ Yep! Council Time: Hayek/ Okay! Council time! Botchway/ So basically ... I wanted to bring up ... I love this idea of feeling, you know, more or closer to the public, but ... you know, (mumbled) back to the presentation and what we This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 41 kind of previously talked about, right before the meeting, I wouldn't mind kicking it back there for a work session. Hayek/ That's funny, didn't you just say the same thing? Mims/ I said that. Payne/ Susan said it. I ... and I said I disagreed because we've had work session back there before, and it doesn't foster communication. A round table fosters communication. Throgmorton/ I ... I ... I agree with Michelle, completely! I ... I think a closer, more intimate face- to-face discussion is much better for ... for this kind of work stuff, and the more we spread out like that and look out there, the more formal it becomes. Uh, and ... (several talking) less we can talk to one another. Botchway/ It is formal, I mean, we are talking to staff. It's not like we're talking to the public. If the public was coming up here and involved in our work session process, I might have a different... Payne/ But that's... that's why it's ... that's why it's informal. Is that ... this is an informal setting, to be at a round table. Botchway/ I mean I'm just going to turn my chair, I mean, and I feel ... I feel the same way during a formal as I do during the informal. I might curb some of the... Payne/ Be ... before we did it like this, before I was on Council, they actually sat down there, at tables down there. It was an actual, you know, a square table down on the floor, but since we... Mims/ ...that was Monday nights (both talking) Payne/ Yeah, cause it was on a Monday night, instead of... (several talking) Botchway/ I think it ... saves time and I think is one of those situations where, for example, when we had Stefanie come and speak to us about the equity report. I could of...or we, I'll be selfish. I could have had another 20 minutes of questions that I didn't get a chance to talk about. Payne/ I think that happens at every sess... at every work session, that I always feel like I never got to ask all my questions because there just isn't time. I mean, it's the way it's... Hayek/ But I'm not sure where we sit (both talking) Mims/ ...makes any difference. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 42 Hayek/ ...your ability to ask questions or the restrictions on time. Mims/ Yeah. Botchway/ It does, cause... normally at about this time, you're saying, you know, we need to pack up and... Hayek/ Yeah, but people are going to ... the most we could maybe squeeze down to is maybe a 15 -minute break. People need a break before the formal. Um ... if your intention was to buy more time at the very end... Payne/ We need to start at 4:00 then! Hayek/ Yeah, and that ... I don't ... I don't think ... it may be a good idea to change the configuration of the tables, but I don't think that buys us realistically more than ... five minutes or thereabouts. Ten minutes, maybe, before the formal starts. And people need to use the restroom and... Payne/ Get somethin' to eat! Hayek/ Smoke a cigar! (laughter) Whatever else they do! (laughs) Botchway/ Like I said, I mean, it'd be ... going from my number one point: it'd be helpful for me, just from a, you know, talking to the speaker, trying to turn here, I mean, unless we're willing to switch seats, which I'm all for, as well, and to change chairs. Throgmorton/ Hey, Kingsley, you can sit over here. I'm serious. You can sit right here next time and I'll sit there. Botchway/ I also don't get the (several talking) I also will say then, that this is about, you know, being ... I think I have the exact same conversation over there. (mumbled) happy with you here, and if it's ... if we're trying to be serious about incorporating the public in the work session, then go down there. Payne/ No, that isn't, I mean, I think that's not the intent. It's ... it's our conversation. Botchway/ Well then I ... then I guess I still disagree and I don't understand why, I mean... Hayek/ Well why don't we do this. We're ... we're running out of time. This may be, you know, I'm kinda agnostic as to whether I sit here or up there. Um, I'm willing to talk about it but why don't we talk about it at our next work session. Botchway/ Oh gosh! (laughter) Hayek/ Well, or... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 43 Mims/ I don't think we have a majority that want to change, so let's just stay where we're at. (several talking) Meeting Schedule: Hayek/ Let me do one thing before we ... before we break. We ... so we've got the, and this is really under meeting time, or meeting schedules here. We've got a meeting on Thursday the 11th with the County ... at 7:30 here. It's a ... it's an hour long, and ... Andy Johnson sent over a list of...topics. Payne/ (mumbled) Hayek/ Yeah. Topics that the County wants to discuss. My impression is that he just ... people just rattled off a number of items and he added them to a list and then he sent them over here. So this is a draft agenda for our discussion with the County. Items A through G are verbatim what was on Andy Johnson's communication to us. I didn't feel comfortable removing anything. It's obviously... these... these are substantive, complex issues. I bet we couldn't resolve one of them within an hour, but I think if we engage in a general discussion with them, you know, we ... we, you know, the agenda reflects the list they sent over. Um, and at least we can ... it's a starting point. But if anyone wants to change or subtract, or add anything, we can certainly (both talking) Mims/ Yeah, I don't ... I don't think we should subtract. I would agree. Dickens/ ...get through `em all anyway so... Mims/ Right, we're not going to get through `em all, but ... I just don't think it looks good if we subtract from the list. Hayek/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ Agree! Hayek/ So if you're all right, this is what we'll... we'll... Payne/ Looks good! Hayek/ Okay. Karr/ We'll put a final one out on ... in Thursday's packet. Hayek/ Thank you. Um, any other Council time items? Botchway/ Uh, so maybe we ... this is something else we can put on our work session. Um, and I ... I don't know how we do this, but in the event that, so for example if we had talked about the cottages during the formal, I ... just remember there was maybe two meetings ago, or one meeting ago, where we had like a... a group of people that waited till the end. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 44 Is there any way we can move the item ... earlier in the work session? Not to say that (several talking) I can't remember... Throgmorton/ Move something tonight? Botchway/ Yeah, even if it's tonight, if there was ... I'll have to go back through the agenda, but move an important issue to the front, after ... right after our Consent, to make sure that people have the opportunity to, you know, be fresh when they come in here and talk about their points, and I'm also fresh and it's not like 8:00 where I'm hearing, you know, a litany of different things from, uh, public. I think it would ... I don't know, I think it would help. Hayek/ Yeah. We've talked about that from time to time. It's tough, because... somebody then (several talking) shifted to the back of the agenda and... Dickens/ That was the issue they came for. Hayek/ Yeah. Mims/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ But I ... I would agree with Kingsley. There's certain moments when, in my judgment at least, we should make that move because there's so many people who came for a particular reason and in the instances I can think of, they were low income people who needed public transportation, and in ... in that instance they had to leave, before we actually could get to the topic later on in the ... in the meeting. So I think there's some judgment (both talking) Hayek/ Yeah, yeah! (both talking) And I think we've tried on some of those issues, staff has tried to put `em on the front end if it's clear that that was going to be a challenge for people. I mean, we could in the middle of a meeting, I assume, re ... you know, move... shift around on the agenda. If, you know, you'd have to have a vote, all that stuff. Throgmorton/ Yeah. Just make a motion. Botchway/ Just make a motion ... okay! Karr/ Yep, it's a motion! Botchway/ Okay. I just ... okay. Pending Work Session Topics (IP #5 Info Packet of 11/25): Hayek/ Um, pending work session topics. Mims/ Too many! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014. December 2, 2014 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 45 Payne/ There's already too many. Let's move! Upcoming Community Events/Council Invitations: Hayek/ Twelve and counting. Upcoming events. I'll mention a couple of things at the formal. Okay. Throgmorton/ I'm gonna mention one thing really quickly. I don't know if Michelle's going to it, but we have a regional workforce investment board meeting on Thursday. (both talking) Payne/ ...not going to be able to... Throgmorton/ ...that's one I have to go to, but anyhow... Hayek/ Okay, thanks, Jim. Okay, let's break up and we'll come back in, uh, about 18 minutes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 2, 2014.