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Home My WebLink About2015-01-20 TranscriptionJanuary 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 1 Council Present: Botchway, Dickens, Dobyns, Hayek, Mims, Payne, Throgmorton Staff Present: Fruin, Andrew, Hart, Buhman, Bramel, Dilkes, Knoche, Kopping, Karr, Dulek, Havel, Davidson, Yapp, Panos, Boothroy, Bockenstedt, Hightshoe Others Present: McCarthy (UISG) Questions from Council re: Agenda Items: Hayek/ Why don't we get started. It's 5:00. Welcome, everyone, to the January 20, 2015, work session. First order of business is questions concerning agenda items. ITEM 3d(2) WADE STREET WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT — RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CITY CLERK TO ATTEST A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE WADE STREET WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT. Karr/ Mr. Mayor, I'd like to note that Item, um, 3e ... I'm sorry, 3d(2), the Wade Street awarding of contract. We're going to defer from the Consent Calendar until February 91n Hayek/ All right. I'll read it to (both talking) Karr/ Yes! Hayek/ ... accommodate that. ITEM 3d(5) RISE FUNDS FOR PROPOSED NORTHGATE DRIVE EXTENSION — RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CITY OF IOWA CITY'S APPLICATION FOR RISE FUNDS FOR THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF NORTHGATE DRIVE FROM ITS CURRENT TERMINUS NORTH TO THE CITY OF IOWA CITY CORPORATE LIMIT. Dilkes/ And Item 3d(5) you've got an amendment to that. Essentially it's the ... the REAP grant for the Northgate Drive extension. Um, the plan was als... also to include an east -west intersecting street in that application and so it's just been ... the resolution's just been amended to reflect that. Hayek/ Okay. Throgmorton/ So I'd like to ask a question about 3d(5), the one that Eleanor was just referring to. Hayek/ Sure! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 2 Throgmorton/ I ... I don't ... maybe Ron's the person to respond, I don't know. Uh, Kent. Is Kent here? Yeah. Or John, yeah. Somebody! Uh, anyhow, I ... I don't recall seeing, uh, anything in the past three years about... constructing roads within Northgate community, uh... uh... Commercial Park. So, as best I can tell it's the first time I've encountered this. Okay. Uh, so ... why's the City paying for this road? Yapp/ (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...to pay for it. Yapp/ The City would ... let me bring up an image ... uh... Throgmorton/ In other words, isn't it a private road? I mean I ... I don't quite ... I don't understand what kind of road (both talking) Yapp/ It would be a public street. Uh, the City would not be paying for any of it. Uh, but the City would be ... uh, applying for grant funds to help pay for it. The developer, uh, would pay for the remainder of the road. Throgmorton/ So... Yapp/ And it ultimately it would be dedicated as a public street for City maintenance. Throgmorton/ All right. So, refresh my memory, John, because it's, uh, full of too much stuff (laughs) but, uh... when ... whenever there's a ... a development that some private land owner is doing and there're roads within the development, when does the City pay for or get money to pay for a road within that development, and when does the private land owner pay for the road? What's... Yapp/ Typically... typically the private landowner does, uh, pay for the infrastructure, uh, in a development. Uh, there are instances, uh... two of them which come to mind are with the, uh... new industrial park on 420th Street, where the City paid the entirety of that infrastructure. Now that is a... a City -owned property. Uh, Camp Cardinal Boulevard, uh, connecting, uh, Melrose Avenue to Highway 6 in Coralville, that was a joint project with Iowa City, uh, Coralville, and Southgate Development, all funding different... all funding portions of that road. Uh, so the ... there have been instances where there have been cost-sharing for infrastructure. Throgmorton/ Okay. In this instance, why should the City be paying for that road, or getting money from the State and directing that money to... Yapp/ Yeah, and that ... that's, it would be applying for money from the State to help fund the road. Uh, State funds and developer funds would fund the road. Uh, I think the rationale is that, uh, this is a commercial area, which opens up a new area, uh, of the city for commercial and, uh, and more ... more jobs and an expanded commercial park. The other example where the City recently applied for and received a RISE fund is for Moss Ridge This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 3 Road. Uh, to provide, uh, access to the Moss Ridge Office Park on the west side of Highway 1 from this property. Throgmorton/ Okay. Thanks! Yapp/ You're welcome. Any other questions while I'm ... while I'm here? Thank you.. Hayek/ Thanks, John! ITEM 7. SYCAMORE STREET - CITY LIMITS TO SOUTH GILBERT STREET, PHASE 1— APPROVING PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SYCAMORE STREET - CITY LIMITS TO SOUTH GILBERT STREET, PHASE 1 PROJECT, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH NOTICE TO BIDDERS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS. Payne/ I have a question for Ron Knoche on #7. Great old roundabout question! (laughs) You were ready for this, right? Throgmorton/ You remember that song, `Roundabout?' Payne/ From the 70s? Throgmorton/ From the 70s, yeah. (laughter) Hayek/ Uh, yes! (several talking and laughing) Exactly! I didn't know how to answer that one! Yes, it was Yes! Payne/ I actually remember it too! (laughter) I guess I'm older than you! (several talking and laughing) Not quite! Okay, so here's my question. Knoche/ Okay! Payne/ What is the purpose of a roundabout? Why a roundabout rather than a traffic sig... a stop sign or a ... light? Knoche/ The ... the purpose of the roundabout is to ... it actually is more efficient than a signal is. Um... Payne/ So it keeps traffic flowing. Knoche/ It keeps traffic flowing, correct. Payne/ So if it keeps traffic flowing, how is this beneficial near a school where we need to get kids across the street and how are kids gonna cross the street? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 4 Knoche/ All right, um, so ... so, the ... where it's beneficial at is ... is with the divider islands. It creates a point where ... where if, so this ... this is looking from, we're look ... the bottom is the north. The south is ... is up on this end, all right? So we're looking down the street. So the 8 -foot walk'll, you know, run down the ... the west side, which the school sits right here. All right? So if a ... if a, if a child is walking down, or is in the subdivision over here and wants to ... or wants to cross across, they can ... the divider island will actually create less distance for them to have to cross, a step at a time. Payne/ But theoretically, the ... if there was a lot of traffic, they may ... wait a long time to get across the street, cause it's never gonna stop! Knoche/ I ... with ... the ... the platooning effect I don't think is ... is going to be ... is significant here, plus the fact that, you know, there... there's still ... this is also ... traffic calming, so it's going to slow the traffic down. Payne/ Right, but it's ... always flows! If there is traffic, it's always moving! There's nothing to get them to stop! Other than some kid running out in the street. Knoche/ Well I ... (laughs) I ... I don't ... I don't think that ... with the traffic volumes that we're looking at here, it...it isn't going to be a constant flow ... as you're envisioning it. Payne/ So the school isn't going to have events where people are going ... coming back north into town and somebody's gonna wanna walk home at the same time? Knoche/ That ... I'm not saying that. I mean, it's no different than crossing any arterial street. You're still ... you're still gonna have ... I mean cause even... even... even on your arterial streets, not every intersection has a signal. So you still have crossings that ... that you know pedestrians are taking, um, without a controlled situation. Dickens/ Is there any plans for a lighted, you know, a light crossing for pedestrians (both talking) Knoche/ At ... at this time there's not on this ... on this piece, but as ... as traffic volumes, you know, if... if they do increase to the point where we would have to look at that, we would. Dobyns/ Ron, could you show me again where a pedestrian in this relevant case a school-age chill ... child would cross to go from the right to the left? I mean (mumbled) go from the left to the right. (both talking) Knoche/ What we ... so ... so there's... there's a divider islands here, so they could cross here. There's also, just off the page, there's a divider island where the trail extension is. Dobyns/ So it seems to me as I'm looking at it, uh, at the 7:00 position, a car moving, um, in a counterclockwise flow would be egressing from the traffic circle, unimpeded by a stop sign, which is the reason it's there, and so would a pedestrian crossing there, um, I guess it's like a ... it's not a stop sign crosswalk. They know they're not going to stop. The This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 5 pedestrian would have to know the traffic is not necessarily going to stop. Now, I know on some of our city streets we have crosswalks that say `according to State law, you cannot ... you have to stop if there is a pedestrian.' I assume the same thing would be relevant here, there'd be a similar ... I mean, if a pedestrian (several talking) Payne/ ... sense to do that in a roundabout! Dobyns/ I'm getting there! I'm getting there! (laughter) Payne/ Oh, okay! Dobyns/ (both talking) It's just ... I just never want to look like I'm agreeing with you! (laughter) Um ... so as you cross there, um, there'll be unimpeded traffic flow, for the pedestrian to be aware of... from what I can see from that. Knoche/ Correct. Dobyns/ So, in theory, that's concerning. Do we have any traffic engineering facts to support that my theory is false? (laughter) Yapp/ One thing I can add, the ... the benefit of roundabouts for pedestrians, I don't think this will directly answer your question, Rick, but uh... two benefits. One, pedestrians are only crossing one lane of traffic at a time. Throgmorton/ It's a ... an 11 -foot wide lane at...at those ... (several talking) ...where the dividers are and where the crosswalks are. Each of those lanes is just 11 -feet wide? Knoche/ (both talking) Yeah, so... Yapp/ Yeah, 11 -feet wide. So you're crossing one lane of traffic at a time, and only have to look ... in one direction at a time. Then they reach the refuge island. Then they look for the opposing lane of traffic. The other benefit is that most pedestrian collisions are at signalized intersection are due to cars turning right on red. Uh, they turn right on red. The vehicle driver's looking to their left, for a gap in traffic, they're not looking for the pedestrian to their right. Uh, a roundabout eliminates that conflict. Throgmorton/ Especially if your kid's on a bicycle. (mumbled) might be a (both talking) Payne/ It does, until you have another street going east and west there! I mean, you ... you still have to then cross that street! I mean right now we only have a north -south street, but once you have McCollister Boulevard in there and you have another street going east and west, you ... that, I mean, yes, how are they gonna ... I mean, there's always going to be in- coming traffic that you have to cross! Yapp/ There ... there is, uh, but they would only be crossing one lane at a time. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 6 Payne/ That doesn't sell me! Throgmorton/ I ... I have two, two related questions. Uh, one has to do with experience elsewhere. Roundabouts are not new. They've been used all over the country now. So ... are we not aware of other situations where children are walking to school and having to cross at roundabouts? Yapp/ The local example is at the intersection of Forever Green Road and 12th Avenue in North Liberty. Uh, in front of that, uh, junior high school. Throgmorton/ Had there been any reported difficulties or, uh, associated with that roundabout? Yapp/ Not that I am aware of. Payne/ But there probably aren't ... well, I guess to the south there are subdivisions, and there's only three streets there, not four. One of them is the school entrance. I don't think it's exactly the same. Hayek/ I don't know, there's several elementaries up and down there in addition to the junior high. (both talking) Dobyns/ Yeah, there's an elementary school there and there would be ... well, that's helpful, because that's a ... that's a real-life example in our community, of an elementary school that is close to a roundabout, so... Payne/ It's an awful intersection though. Have you driven through it? Throgmorton/ So, John, I want to ask a ... a related question. (people talking in background) Has the School District been consulted on ... on this particular roundabout at this ... for this particular school, and would they have plans to have, uh, crosswalk guards and so on, at this intersection, as ... as they do at other lighted intersections? Yapp/ The second part of your question I can answer. Uh, I'll defer to Ron for the first part. Uh, the School District does not provide crossing guards. Uh, the City provides crossing guards. Um... Hayek/ On our nickel! Yapp/ That is ... that is ... that is correct. We have discussed with the School District providing crossing guards, but uh, to date, they do not. Uh, for the first part of your question, Ron! Knoche/ We ... we have shown the plans to the School District, as ... as they've been developing their site, and ... and we haven't had any concerns come up in regards to the roundabouts. Throgmorton/ Well they haven't talked to Michelle! (laughs) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 7 Knoche/ Right, yeah, correct! Throgmorton/ I think Michelle's raising a completely legitimate question. We don't want to have a child hit by a car down there because roundabouts are new for kids in Iowa City, right, so we need to ... move into it a little bit cautiously, it seems to me. Payne/ And ... and even if...I mean, the idea in the roundabout is to keep traffic flowing. So, okay, a kid wants to cross and the car decides `it's a pedestrian, I'm going to let him cross,' and the person behind him rear ends him because the idea is to keep flowing! Botchway/ But, Michelle, that happens at traffic signals, as well. I mean, that ... that still occurs. I mean, in the event where he was talking about (both talking) Payne/ But ... but there are ... you know you're going to stop at a stop sign. You don't roll through a stop sign when there's a pedestrian crossing the street. This one is ... I mean, the idea in a roundabout is not to stop! Botchway/ I, I mean ... I ... being from other areas and being in roundabouts, I mean ... you can stop. I mean, at times ... I don't know! I guess I ... I'm maybe not on the side, um, that you're speaking on because I've stopped before on a roundabout and it's just... Payne/ And there's no car behind you, otherwise you would have got rear ended! (laughs) Botchway/ Well I mean you still have to pay attention to your driving. You can't... Payne/ I don't ... (laughter and several talking) ...but you can't control the person behind you's foot on the brake! (laughter) Botchway/ Yeah I mean I guess ... and the reason why I brought up the traffic signals cause like I can see a situation, and again, it's not school situation but it's... University school, when you're coming down Clinton, you take that right onto Burlington, I mean, that could be the same situation where ... if you're not paying attention, you could rear end somebody because you're not paying attention to those people that are walking! Payne/ Absolutely! Botchway/ And that happens to me... Payne/ Uh huh. Botchway/ ...well which person do I want to say I am? (laughter) I'm paying attention to the pedestrian and somebody behind me is not paying attention to me (laughs) and you just have to...you'd have to stop, and so I guess ... I guess from my standpoint, I mean, we could ... I guess from, to end this conversation, we could find out ... talk to North Liberty and find out where ... you know, whether or not there's been any incidents or traffic situations and ... and go from there. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 8 Knoche/ I mean I think the intent was ... with building the roundabouts with this construction was ... was to make it, you know, have some more traffic calming in ... in the design, and also allow for pedestrians to cross, because if we're gonna... if... if we're... if we're looking to wait for a signalized intersection for pedestrians to actually be able to cross the street, it ... it's gonna ... we're gonna be waiting quite a while! You know, so ... and this... this was a way for us to ... to build into this project the traffic calming to help the ... the pedestrians to cross from one side of the street to the other. Payne/ So why aren't we putting traffic ... uh, roundabouts at every intersection on Highland for traffic calming? That would calm traffic on Highland! Knoche/ It ... it would. One of the concerns with Highland is ... I mean, it...it also, we have ... we have the room to build `em here, right? I mean with Highland it ... we ... we don't have the room within the current right-of-way to ... to build roundabouts. Payne/ You could build one like there is on College and Summit. Throgmorton/ That (several talking) Mims/ ...buses can't get around! (laughter) Knoche/ Those would be traffic circles, not roundabouts! (laughter) Hayek/ Well I would ... I would suggest ... I mean I ... I tend to defer to the expertise of staff on ...on issues like this, and um ... I'm okay with this. Payne/ I'm not! I'm votin' no! Hayek/ Okay. Payne/ (laughs) So we can end it there! (laughter) Throgmorton/ Well I ... I do have a suggestion, and that is ... in the first few weeks ... of school, when this first goes into operation, that we monitor it. Have somebody present and observing how it's working and how kids are gettin' across the street. Dobyns/ You could have a three-week crossing guard for training purposes. Knoche/ And I... and I think the other ... the other part of that is, I think we're gonna have ... I think the School District needs to determine how they're going to use the school, if it's going to be a neighborhood school initially or if it's going to be a swing school, as they're doing ... you know, if they're going to bus kids here. So that ... that'll affect, you know, this ... this street also. If it's a matter of just busing kids to this location, we can observe it but we're probably not going to, you know, see any issues, um, but as ... it does become a neighborhood school, we'll have to keep monitoring the situation. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 9 Hayek/ Thanks, Ron! Knoche/ Thanks! Payne/ Thank you very much. Throgmorton/ Is it ... is there anything else you're ... you can tell us about this particular, um, design, you know, for the street? And... and are you going to do it during the formal meeting? Knoche/ I ... I can if you would like me to. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I think that'd be good. Anybody object to that? Doing it during the formal meeting? Knoche/ Great, thank you. Council Appointments: Hayek/ Thank you. Other agenda items? Hearing none ... let's move on to Council appointments. A handful on the Historic Preservation Commission. Mims/ They really were all reappointments, weren't they, and there was no other applicants? Throgmorton/ Yeah, and one... Hayek/ Yeah. Mims/ They're all good people. I ... I am concerned that we're getting people into their fourth and fifth terms, urn ... but we don't have anybody else applying. So... Hayek/ Yeah, I ... I agree. Um, the ... uh, and same ... same on the Airport, although I think Minnetta's on... Mims/ She's only on her second, yeah! (both talking) She's finishing her first. Hayek/ (both talking) ...her second. Mims/ Right! Hayek/ But as to HPC, yeah, we've got... Mims/ Somebody'll be starting their fifth, somebody I think is starting their fourth, and I'm not sure about the other one. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 10 Payne/ Yep! Hayek/ So ... but, you know, we do not have a policy... Mims/ Right! Hayek/ ...um, so unless we changed our policy, I don't have a problem reappointing. Throgmorton/ Yeah, in general as I've said before I don't think we should reappoint for more than two full terms, or you know, appoint somebody to more than two full terms, but we only have ... we have three applicants and I have a great deal of respect for what they've been doing on the Historic Preservation Commission. So I don't have the objection to these particular reappointments, but it would really be good if we could recruit some... other people, uh... for that commission. Mims/ Yep! Payne/ And we have lots of open commission spots so ... just get people to apply. Mims/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ Move to Jefferson Street (laughs) (both talking) Hayek/ ...you know, we've got a big historic preservation issue on tonight's agenda and we have a paucity of applicants for our commission. Mims/ Yep! Dobyns/ We don't need to de -populate that commission by ... not moving them forward. Mims/ Right. Hayek/ Yeah, so ... anyway, all right. We'll, uh, put these people up. Uh, next item is, uh, discussion of the Ad Hoc final report for the Senior Services... Throgmorton/ And we already agreed about Minnetta? Hayek/ Oh, I'm sorry! Yeah, I just assumed (laughs) since I brought her up, I thought we'd already... yeah, so Minnetta is up on ... on the Airport Commission, 13a. (several talking) She's done a very good job. Throgmorton/ Yeah, and what Chris ... Chris Lawrence, is that the other applicant? Seems like a, yeah, seems like a really fine applicant, but I can't see compelling reasons not to reappoint (several talking) Hayek/ Well, and I think we've ... have we ... is there still the gender requirement (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 11 Mims/ Yeah, I think we did. (several talking) Yeah, so it's a female gender requirement. Dobyns/ Who calls these people up when they haven't ... is that you, Marian? Or... Karr/ We, um, have a... a letter that we send each... each applicant and we'll certainly add a note here on the gender balance, and then also note that we'll keep it active and in our files for a 90 -day application period. We also include, um, other vacancies that are up so that they may choose to apply for another board or commission. Dobyns/ Soften the blow! Hayek/ Good! Mims/ Okay. Hayek/ Okay! Next item is Senior Services Committee. I think we'll turn it over to staff. We're ... or Joe, I'm not sure who (both talking) Karr/ I think the Chair is here to present it. Hayek/ (both talking) ... Chair, Mr. Joseph Younker. Discuss Senior Services Ad Hoc Final Report: Younker/ Mayor Hayek, Council Members, appreciate your time tonight. Uh, I know you've had an opportunity to review the report. If you'd like I could provide you with a brief overview and discuss our process. Uh, if you have specific questions we can certainly just, uh, jump right in ... into those, whatever Council prefers. Hayek/ Why don't you give us the highlights of the report. Younker/ First I'd like to thank the other Committee Members, uh, the Committee met for, uh, nearly 20 meetings over the course of six months. Uh, the Members were engaged, they were active. We had lively discussions during meetings. Uh, we toured the Center. We solicited input from over 14 agencies and organizations, um, multiple City departments and we had extensive public comment. So I really do thank, uh, the other Members for all their work on the Committee. Uh, as you know we were charged with three tasks. The first to evaluate, uh, the Senior Center. Uh, the second to assess, uh, and provide ... the ... the needs of the senior community and provide recommendations regarding the use of financial and physical resources, and the third to identify obstacles, uh, that folks might face in trying to access senior services. Uh, to help us with the first charge, the Committee appointed a subcommittee, uh, consisting of, uh, Bern -Klug, Honohan, and Weber. Uh, the Committee, uh, completed an evaluation of the Senior Center. Uh, that evaluation's attached to our report as Exhibit C, uh, and that report then was adap ... adopted by the Committee as a whole. What ... what the Committee found is ... is This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 12 that what the Center does well is promote active aging. It does this by partnering with various organizations like VNA, uh, SHIP, ARP, and others to provide services, uh, targeted to address the specific needs of seniors. Uh, it also does this, it also promotes active aging, uh, through programming designed to engage the mind, maintain the body, and expand the social networks of seniors. The Center is distinguished in that it's the only accredited senior center in the state, and it accomplishes all this with a very lean, uh, dedicated staff, and a very significant volunteer pool. Uh, oper... uh, opportunities for improvement, however, do exist. Uh, although it's important, uh, to be sensitive to the needs of low income seniors, uh, the fee structure should be, uh, revisited. Uh, currently, uh, membership fee structure is $33 for a single Iowa City resident, $20 for a second household member, $80 for a Johnson County resident, and $96 for non -Johnson County residents, and the Committee feels that it's time to re-evaluate that fee structure. Uh, we also feel that it ... funding, other funding opportunities at the Center should be evaluated, and I'll talk about that a little bit more in Charge 2, uh, but that could, uh, perhaps be looking into ... uh... uh, rental opportunities, uh, things like that to try to ... to try to increase revenue that the Center is able to bring in on its own. Uh, another area for opportunity is diversity. Uh, diversity of all types. Uh, economic, uh, racial, uh, ethnic, all ... all diversity. Uh, Center has taken steps to increase, uh, the diverse nature of its members over the years. Uh, those efforts should be, uh, continued and ... and reassessed so that, uh, the diversity of the Center's membership can be increased. Regarding Charge 2, recommendations for financial and ... and physical resources. Uh, first Committee tried to get a sense of what the physical resources are. Uh, we spent considerable time trying to understand the existing and expected budget concerns, uh, re ... we reviewed the Center's budget. Uh, Aid to Agency programs, CDBG programs. Uh, we received, uh, reports on the impact of the property tax reform, and so we spent a lot of meeting time just trying to understand what our ... the resources that are available. Uh, then we tried to get a sense of the needs of the senior community. As I mentioned, we reached out to, uh, 14 organizations or agencies. Uh, it's important to note though that our method in trying to ... to figure out what the needs of the senior community, uh, what those needs are, it was not scientific. In the limited amount of time that we had, we tried to just get a broad sense of...of who was out there providing services to seniors and what do they do. So I think it's important to note that if, uh, Council wants more detailed information, it might be, uh, necessary to, uh, employ a more scientific survey methodology than we ... than we were able to in our short amount of time. Uh, broad findings, uh, none of ... none of which are surprising. The broad findings are that the senior population will grow in size and diversity as time goes on. Uh, the demand for programs will increase, especially programs that promote overall wellness and independence. And, of course, funding is a significant concern. Uh, so the recommendations then, on the ... on the use of resources fall into three main categories. Uh, the City and the Center, one, the City and the Center should work on goals to identify and utilize revenue sources. Um, there was significant discussion, uh, at the Committee level regarding, uh, what this means and how this goal could be achieved. Uh, and so I ... you know, the ... there's a recognition that funding sources need to be increased. Uh, I know that, uh, that the Center has taken steps to address that issue. Uh, but that is, uh, that was a concern for the Committee. Uh, and I... again, it might be necessary to ... to look at some other, uh, revenues that have not been utilized in the past, such as, uh, rentals, uh, things like that. Uh, also, uh, looking to more This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 13 funding, uh, at the county levels and from other municipalities that, uh, whose constituents use the Senior Center. Uh, second, there's an opportunity it seems to ... to perhaps increase the partnerships with other agencies that provide services to seniors. Uh, and that should be explored in more do ... those ... those opportunities should be explored in more detail. And then third, uh, the Committee felt that it was important for the Senior Center to stay in its current location. Uh, for several reasons, but I think primarily the Center is able to accomplish what it does, uh, in large part due to the, uh, volunteer pool. A lot of those volunteers are associated with the University, and there was discussion about if the Center were to move, would that volunteer pool still be available. Uh, Charge 3, identifying obstacles. Uh, again, these fall into ... in four main categories. One, uh, transportation. The Committee feels that this is a significant issue for certain segments of the senior population. Uh, this is due in part to the SEATS funding, uh, and the ... and the SEATS service. Uh, it's an issue though that should be addressed in more detail and wasn't something that we were able, I don't think, to adequately, uh, address in the time that we had. Uh, gaps in services, and... and... these ...these take a form, take a couple of different forms. Uh, but it will be important to identify gaps and identify issues of collaboration. Uh, again, we didn't have the time, uh, to ... provide a detailed analysis of the services that are out there and identify the gaps. Uh, that'd perhaps be part of a more detailed survey. Uh, housing is another obstacle. Uh, there's a ... a perceived lack of affordable housing downtown for low and middle income seniors. And then finally, I... a lack of vision for how to make Iowa City age - friendly. Uh, and this would include increasing awareness of the multi -generational programs at the Center, uh, making known the fact the Center is not just for folks, uh, 50, 55, 60 and older, uh, but there are many multi -generational opportunities that the Center provides. And then 2, uh, something that was called to the, uh, Committee's attention late in the process, uh, the World Health Organization has an age -friendly cities program, and that might be a resource that the City would want to take a look at, uh, for some other, uh, for some additional resources on how to help define a vision for an age - friendly city. That's the ... that's the 30 -second summary of...of our six months! (laughter) Hayek/ Thanks, Joe! Um ... well let me initially thank you and ... and Members of the Commission, um, but especially you for, uh, what you, uh, were able to accomplish, and Marian, uh, Karr, our City Clerk, who played a very important role. I think this was a... reading the minutes, I think, uh, it's fair to say there was some, um, unproductive, uh... uh... dialogue and ... and whatnot, uh, and ... and a difficult situation, uh, to ... to cope with, and I think you guys did a very good job of keeping... keeping the conversation, uh, productive and ... and with a view toward coming back to us with ... with this report. So I ... I want to thank you before we even get into this conversation. Marian, I know you've played a huge and outsize role and ... and, what's that? And ... and (mumbled) I know! Yeah, I know, and Geoff won't let me call him out, but (laughter and several talking) Younker/ We really would not have been able to accomplish what we did without the help of...of Marian and Geoff both, I mean, I know we had probably a couple meetings where we set a record for number of motions made, and Marian was able to keep us on track, uh, procedurally (laughter and several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 14 Hayek/ Yeah! Yeah! Younker/ ...so there's some award she deserves for that. I'm not sure what it is! Hayek/ So, yeah, I don't ... I found that pretty unfortunate, uh, and regrettable, but you dealt with it well. So, um ... if there are questions for Joe, uh, certainly ask them. Um, we want to ... I think, and I don't think we're going to make hard decisions as a Council tonight, just like when we got the report from the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee. We discussed it. I think we gave ... we gave staff some general direction and I would anticipate us giving staff some general direction to follow up on the report and come back to us with ... with action items at a future date. Throgmorton/ So, Matt, I think I'd like to say a few words that are not inconsistent with what you just said, but just for the record. Uh, I tracked the Committee's work very carefully, you know, read all the minutes for six months and there's a lot of stuff and ... and I, like Matt, I want to thank the Committee Members, you, Jay, and ... and everybody else, for committing the time and effort, uh, involved. Uh, while tracking the Committee's work, I was deeply impressed by the ... by the passionate commitment of the Center's members, and ... and how that ... how that commitment was ... was displayed toward the Center. There's clearly sort of an emotional bond involved there. I was very impressed by that. The Center clearly performs a valuable and valued, uh, service for its members. Uh, that seemed to be very clear. That said, my sense was that the Committee had a great deal of difficulty in responding to the Council's second charge, the one about, uh, making recommendations about how the City should use current financial and physical resources to meet the needs of Iowa City seniors. Not just the people served by the Center. Uh, so ... I just acknowledge that difficulty. It seemed to me to be very clear as I was reading the, uh, the minutes that that was the case. Uh, I think (mumbled) make a suggestion here. If we really want to get a handle on how City resources might be used more effectively and efficiently, while respecting the value of the Center, we probably need to hire a consultant. We need to hire somebody who can come in and not ... not do a scientific study, but do some sophisticated research. Uh, in ... into all these inter- connections among the various agencies that provide services to seniors. It clearly is a very big kind of complicated network. Uh, and ... I mean, y'all tried very hard to get a handle on that, but it seemed like a pretty big and daunting task. So, I'm not pushing that really hard. It's just... that... that's the way it came across to me. Mims/ I mean, I would agree, Jim, somebody ... if we want to ... (coughing, unable to hear speaker) the most efficient use of our money and ... and figure out how we prioritize the use of that money, not only efficiency but prioritizing, um, and maybe it's different than the way it's being done now. Maybe it's the same. Um ... I would agree, the time that the Committee had and with their volunteer time, and certainly appreciate it, there are ... I don't know, there was a list of 20 different agencies or more (laughs) that ... that you folks visited and got information from and they've got different funding sources and different restrictions on what they do, and trying to figure out how ... you know, how we can mesh, you know, our funding with those various service providers and ... are there some of those This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 15 that overlap that we could encourage to ... collaborate more than they do. Um, that's always a concern for me as we look at money for various social service programs in the community, is making sure that they are working as efficiently and not duplicating each other. Um, and so I think whether it means bringing in a consultant, um, I mean, I would concur with Matt. At this point, I mean, I think you know moving that forward to staff and saying this ... this is something we feel we need more information on. Tell us how you think the best way is to get it. Do we spend the money and ... and bring in a consultant? Are there people who do this who've done it in other cities who can ... kind of give us some help? I mean, I'm not enamored with the idea of spending a ton of money on a consultant (several talking) but at the same time ... we ... we need a better....we need better information, I think, to make good decisions. Payne/ And ... I think that goes on to something that I had been thinking about that ... I don't think you guys talked about. I read your meeting minutes, like all of us probably did... Mims/ Yeah. Payne/ ...um, but other models, and this probably goes to staff, is what are udder ... other models for senior... centers and senior services in other towns in Iowa, in other towns across the U.S. I mean, are there other models too that we could look at that could give us some insight into ... not that we are changing. We're just exploring what else is out there. Mims/ Right. Fruin/ You want me to jump in on that and respond to that? Uh, we ... we had a little bit of conversation about that but we ... fair to say that, um, I don't think the Committee had the time to really ... dig deep into organizational models and any type of analysis on what might, uh, or might not work here. Um, we did ... we did look at it. We forwarded the Committee, um, a ... a couple of documents. Um ... we looked at some other Iowa City's and how they funded senior services, and it's, um, as you can imagine, it's all across the board. Um, some cities have senior center operations like us. Uh, others foc... focus more on social services. Um, in some areas the county government may play a larger role in senior services. Um, so there's any number of different, um, situations, and it's really hard to do comparisons, um, in just what's Iowa City doing versus Davenport versus Cedar Rapids, cause we don't fully understand all the other players in that community that contribute to senior services, and we don't understand the private or the social service side. Uh, looking across the country, um, there was a report from the, um, National Institute of Senior Centers, uh, that talked about different models, um, that the, uh... uh, are ... are in, uh, play throughout the country and ... you know, it's not a case of there being one or two different models, or even three or four. There's, uh, a couple of, um, models each with dozens of hybrids, um, that communities adopt to meet their own needs. So, in some cases, um, senior centers are fully funded by a city or governmental agency. In others they're, um, more of a non-profit base and the city supports, uh, the ...the center with a ... with a contribution, and um, you know, across that whole spectrum, you can kind of pick any percent you want in terms of what does the city contribute, and there's probably a senior center out there that ... that hits that target. So we saw some This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 16 maybe that were, um, you know much higher than ours. We're about 75% subsidy and there's others that may get nothing or ... or very little, uh, from the cities. So, hard to say, you know, uh, pinpoint just a couple of different models. Throgmorton/ Geoff, uh, listening to you makes me want to say something. I ... I don't ... I personally don't want to do anything that would undermine our Senior Center. I think it provides an important, valuable, and valued service. Uh, that said, I think we should be looking ... find some way to look more carefully into how we can, um, im... improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole range, the whole network of... of, uh... agencies, etc., that provide services to seniors in the city. That that's the part that became really, really complicated. Uh, that's what I would hope we would be able to do. Dickens/ Do you have (several talking, noises on mic) any timeline for ... looking at H, the obstacles of making Iowa City age -friendly. I know we have such a high population of younger people, and then we do have an increasing age group. I just moved into that older, little older age group (several talking and laughing) and uh (laughs) and how... how does that affect us when we're looking at... at, like the World Health Organization approach to it. I think we're a little ... I don't know that there's many cities quite like us. I'm sure there is, you know, with colleges, but we have such a ... a large younger population, plus an older population, that ... how that affects us and what timeline you see of putting a committee together to research that. Younker/ Yeah, no that's a good question. We did include some assess... Census data, uh, in the report, but we did not really look at, you know, what would be an appropriate or responsible timeline to ... to further address some of those issues. And I guess maybe just to back up briefly, uh, you know, kind of a threshold issue to your point. Uh, that the Committee struggled with is what is a senior service too, you know. Some of these agencies, the ... the target, uh, group are ... are seniors — Elder Services, um, some of these groups providing services to seniors happens, uh, but it's not necessarily the target group, so that's .... it was difficult for the Committee. I think that's part of the reason it was difficult to look at other funding models that other cities have other ... other models for structuring a senior center, because it's just difficult to ... to define those terms and define those services. That ... that's, the Committee struggled with that. Botchway/ This is a question that I ... I frequently ask myself when I think about my time as Chair on the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee, but um, looking back, again, what everybody said, through the minutes and everything, um ... was the charge too large as far as ... I mean, if you had just focused on evaluating the Senior Center, period, do you think that that would have been ... more efficient and, um ... just provided a better focus? I ... I, and the only reason I bring (mumbled) I'm not trying to be critical. I just bring it up from a standpoint of, when we were looking at the Police and Transportation, it was a lot! I mean if we had just focused on Transportation, there might have been ... I know Marian might have, you know, spent less time, you know, running around with us and everything else, and so ... and we could have put better recommendations forth in that sense. Did you feel any... any way towards that? I mean I know... and the reason why I say that as well is because I was very interested, not necessarily in the Senior Center because, you know, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 17 just visiting there and hearing and talking to people about it, does a phenomenal job and I think everybody agrees with that, but I was interested in the ... the other services provided throughout Iowa City, and how they play in with the Senior Center and whether or not, I think you brought it up as well, um, whether or not there's gap in services within the Senior Center that other services could provide and, you know, gel or whatever the case may be. Younker/ You know I... it... it was a broad charge and it was a lot for the Committee, uh, accomplishing those three tasks, to try to ... to try to complete in six months. Um, and we enjoyed our time together (laughter) uh... we ... we did enjoy our time together, but ... but that was probably, uh, long enough for the process. The ... the thing though is I think it is necessary to look at each one of those three parts together. Um, so I'm not sure what the best approach is. I don't know, uh, you know, six months is a long... was... was a significant commitment for the volunteer Committee Members to ... to contribute, urn on the other hand though I don't know that you can really look at these three charges in a vacuum. I think it's necessary to have all three pieces at the same time. So ... uh... Mims/ I think what it says ... I think that's a really good point, Joe. I ... that's what I looked at is ... is we did that initial charge, that these all have so much inter -play that you can't necessarily look at one. It probably did overload the Committee and that's why we don't necessarily have the depth of analysis that maybe we would like, but to me what it does is it gives the Council and then whatever we sent back to staff a really good starting point in terms of what they've been able to pull together and now where do we need to start drilling down in the different areas to, you know, get more information and, you know, whether it's in surveys or a consultant or, you know, whatever, so that we can figure out what changes we do or don't need to make going forward. Hayek/ So I ... I think Jim's, uh, points are very well taken, uh, Senior Center is a ... treasured piece of our ... array of services here locally and ... and, um, and ... and will continue to be. Um ... uh, but this ... this larger issue (coughing, unable to hear speaker) services to seniors, and ... and whether we are adequately, um, meeting those obligations, beyond the Senior Center but... throughout the community and ... and um, and the inter -play with the various non -profits who play, uh, a role in this, that's the rub, and... and I think, you know, what I take away from this is ... and ... and I'm sensing that came ... came through the process and we ... we heard it from staff during the ... the CIP, uh, budget is ... you know, I ... the ... the level of support, General Fund support, I just don't think is sustainable long-term. I mean, FYI 6's budget has `em at almost 77%. Um ... of...of support from... from our... from our General Fund. I ... I don't view that as sustainable long-term. Um, and I don't think that's good for ... the City, I don't think that's good for the Center, and I don't think it's good for our ability to meet ... the broader needs throughout the community. How we get there, of course, is ... is the difficult task, but ...um, I would like us to ... be moving in a direction, and ... and you know, without any decisions tonight, but ... but a broad instruction to staff to look at that issue of sustainability. Um, and ... and again, we got into that a little bit during the CIP. Uh, and ... and staff was, uh, I think appropriately talking about that, uh, when ... when we met I guess ... I guess it was that Saturday. Um ... so, and ... and, you know, the smallest of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 18 examples is the membership fee! You know? Um, I remember... when we did our budget process looking up the Parks and Rec fees and ... and I can get a swimming pass, uh, at, uh, the Rec Center and it, you know, for one person ... for an Iowa City resident to get a year-long pass, just to go swimming, is almost $200, which is six -fold the annual fee to be a member of the ... of the Senior Center, which has an array of services and things you can take advantage of... and my mother is a... a member. She loves it. Uh, and ... and she can pay a lot more than $33, and I don't know if that alone solves the problem. I doubt it does! But, um ... these are things I think we need staff to look at. Mims/ I would agree. Fruin/ Well... what... what I would suggest is that, um, we take a .... similar approach to that we did with the ... the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee and, um ... the difference being I don't sense that there's a... a real strong urgency to get back to the Council in a couple of months say. What I would like to do is, um, have our office work with ... with Linda and her staff and really drill down into this report and, um, develop a road map, you know, for the future and ... I don't know what that's going to be. I don't know if at the end of the day we think a consultant maybe is necessary, um, but we can go down that path, uh, we can explore different, um, different models and whether those would be more sustainable, uh... uh, for the City and the Center going forward. Um, but honestly since... since the Ad Hoc concluded its work, um, late last year, uh, we just haven't done much with it at a staff level. We prepared the budget, um... Mims/ Been busy? Fruin/ (laughter) Yeah! Going forward, uh, you know, the Senior Center budget was prepared, not necessarily with these recommendations in mind. It was kind of a status quo budget. I think if we could spend, um ... uh, the next several months working together, we can... we can develop a ... a pretty good set of recommendations for Council, and um ... you know, maybe we return, um, at, uh, at budget time next year and... and we spend a little bit more time with the Senior Center budget. We explain what that road map is. That will give us time to ... to look at all sorts of different things. As Linda mentioned on, uh, during your Saturday work session, she's already engaged a ... fundraising, um ... uh, consultant, uh, we have a, I guess, we have an engagement this time, but we've started some discussions. Those things are going to take time to really evaluate, so ... un... unless there's a greater sense of urgency, I think that's what I would like to do. Botchway/ The only question I have is ... one of the things that was talked about in the report and during the budget session was increasing the fees. Is that going to wait until ... next budget session or are we going to do something about that right now? Fruin/ You know, I would say, um, I'm not sure that we would do it with this budget session, only because we've got, um, you know, just a ... another month or two before the budget has to be published and ... and um, those are discussions that, uh, Linda and her staff and the Commission will ... will need to have internally and then with the members themselves. That's a ... um, that can be a very, uh, tough political thing within the Senior This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 19 Center itself. So I wouldn't ... I don't think there's the financial pressure right here, right now to ... to make, uh, that decision. But clearly, I think we've got the message from both the Ad Hoc and... and maybe the conversation tonight that we need to take a good hard look at those for next year. Hayek/ You know and I would agree. We're so close to ... final enactment of our budget. It would not be fair or... or prudent for us to do anything rash, but if we're talking about a ... a serious move toward ... more sustainable, uh, arrangement, um, you know, whether it's using the Parks and Rec... model that we've used elsewhere or ... or whatever it looks like. You know, this would ... this needs to be deliberate and thoughtful and probably layered in over a period of time and ... I think we just need to ha ... have staff look at this. And come back to us ... but... Mims/ I would agree. Dobyns/ Before we end there were a couple things I wanted to say that were really important to me. Um (noises on mic) two things that were really important to me that I just ... I wanted to say is that I wanted to thank the group. It's important to have people who care, uh, enough about these things as I do, and I really appreciated, you know, being with a group of people that cared about senior services. I thought that was great. The other thing I wanted to mention it was yet another body that I had to survive with two people with law school training. (laughter) So... Younker/ That's probably why the minutes were so long! (laughs) Dobyns/ Thank you, Joe, and everybody! Hayek/ Well ... so there's ... you guys did a ... a remarkable job I thought of...of putting together, uh, information on ... on disparate but connected issues, and I think what this gives us is... the impetus we need, we ... we requested, or the ability I guess we requested to ... to look into this, uh, on a deeper level, and ... and I hope you won't view this as a ... uh, as an exercise in futility. I think ... I think actually quite the opposite. I think it...it...it is allowing us to, uh, go through this, um, issue more deliberately and with the benefit of your research and ... and the input you solicited from the community. Uh, it's eye- opening to me, and um, I think it will be to the Council and... and staff as we go forward. So ... it's not easy. I've... Kingsley and I've served on, in fact chaired ad hoc committees. Now you've done it. Uh... uh, it's hard and um... Dickens/ So you're saying he should run for Council? (several talking and laughing) Hayek/ You should run for Council! (laughter) Thanks for taking (several talking) Payne/ That's where I thought you were goin' ! (laughter) Hayek/ We're working on Joe! (laughter) Um, so, but thank you, uh... on behalf of the City for... for your service. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 20 Mims/ Yeah! Younker/ Thank you. Mims/ Everybody on the Council. (mumbled) Joint Meeting Agenda Items (I 11 of 1/8 Info Packet): Hayek/ Okay! Well ... why don't we ... move on. Next meeting is the joint meeting agenda items. Again we have got a meeting next Monday, I believe, here in City Hall. Mims/ Uh huh. Hayek/ Uh, with the, uh... area local governments. And the issue, uh, that's back before everyone is the School District letter that went out to the area jurisdictions last fall regarding housing issues. Um, I think we also need to decide whether to add anything to the agenda, uh... my sense is that we probably shouldn't. I think this one issue alone is... pretty meaty, but ... I'm open to ... your thoughts on that. Throgmorton/ Dur ... during our, uh, January 13th equity discussion, there ... there was ... there were some thoughts that came up, uh, and I ... I really don't remember the ... them precisely. I think, uh, what I'm referring to is, uh, suggestions about, um ... (unable to hear person responding from audience) Uh, yeah, about having ... or encouraging other cities to create CPRBs. Uh, right, that ... that was the one thing, yeah. Hayek/ So the ... so the question is, do we ... do we raise that at next week's meeting. I mean, I... I think we should encourage. I think we should ... push for ... for an expansion. Botchway/ I ... I was actually thinking about that, Matt, and ... I was being optimistic and pessimistic. Optimistic we do have a long discussion about, uh, affordable housing and, um, the ICCSD letter, but pessimistic, maybe the conversation, everybody just goes around, says what they're doing and ... then we leave it at that, and in that case we would have enough time to ... mention it or talk about it, um, in some type of way, shape, or form. I don't see any harm in putting it in the agenda as something that we can move towards. Again, if the conversation doesn't get to that point, I don't think we should then say, you know, um, okay, well we're almost up. Let's, you know, throw this in. I think you can just you know be (mumbled) to the next conversation or the next meeting. Um, but ... I do think there's some... interest to ... to put that out there, and then on the flip side I wanted to mention as well, or not flip side but I also wanted to mention... again being pessimistic, assuming that there's not going to be ... urn ... that much interest maybe from the other cities regarding affordable housing, do we say, you know, something as a Council, urn ... a little more, I don't want to say forceful. Just ... I guess more formal and saying that we would appreciate if...and I don't know how these city things work. Um, we would appreciate it if everybody would seriously take a look at it, or come to ... I think we've taken a good step. I wou... I'm interested to see what other cities have. In the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 21 event that other cities haven't, I ... I just ... I just think that's a problem, and so I don't know if that's something I can personally talk about, and that's fine. Hayek/ Yeah. Botchway/ But um, I didn't know if as a city we could have something saying, you know, we are doing this, and we would like to see other municipalities take the same steps, the same initiative to do something as well. Throgmorton/ I ... I'd like to toss two cents worth in here. Uh, I understand that people affiliated with the Affordable Homes Coalition have been meeting with people in the other cities. Uh, you know, trying to ... sus `em out about where they stand on affordable housing and what they might be willing to do and... and that kind of thing, uh, and I've heard indirectly that they've made progress, maybe considerable progress, with regard to some of the cities. So ... maybe we can w ... take advantage of...of the work they are doing. Which is, you know, I think it's helping us move forward regionally. Hayek/ Uh huh. Throgmorton/ Can't be much more precise than that cause I don't really know details in and out about who they've talked to and ... what kind of progress (both talking) Karr/ Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to report out on some of the, um, this invitation for agenda items went out to all of the invitees last week and I just wanted to report out on the few that I've heard from because it ... I believe it might answer and address some of the issues you've already raised. Um (clears throat) for instance, the School District had two items, one was labeled as an update from North Liberty on the sewer status. The other one was a ... an agenda item, um, and they labeled it, um, Iowa City School District letter to elected officials, report out, and they put in parentheses, "And list on the agenda each municipality." So under that ICCSD letter and the facilitation that the Mayor will do on the overall Iowa City response, the suggestion from the School District was to le ... list each community on the agenda so that they expectation well ahead of time was that each community would report out. Given that, that would take some period of time and would be lengthy, and perhaps the rest of the agenda as noted could be listed as `updates' ...much more, uh... um, concise and short, and it could include your items, but it would also then be up to the individual... attendees how long they wanted to go with the updates. But separate out the rather lengthy main topic from the other ones, um, and that might be a ... something you'd want to consider. Mims/ I ... I think I would be of the ... thought that we leave the CPRB issue off this agenda. Because I think it's a very important conversation, and I think it can take some time to really ... you know, explain why we feel this way and the benefit that we feel that we have seen in Iowa City, from ... from having it. Dickens/ Do you think we should approach some of these other cities personally? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 22 Mims/ That might also be a good idea, some personal contact, before it shows up on that agenda. And ... quite frankly, I also don't want to do anything that diminishes the importance of this housing issue. Hayek/ Yeah. Mims/ Um, I think we need ... to make use of this opportunity, um, and ... and I think as Matt and Tom have said previously, we've had discussions with School Administration about... really the leverage that they have, and I think we need to do some strategizing before this meeting in terms of...pushing that out a little bit at this joint meeting. Throgmorton/ If... if we do as you recommend, uh, Susan, would it be agreeable that right now we decide that at our forthcoming, at the next joint cities meeting, we bring the CPRB up? Hayek/ Uh, I'm ... I'm fine with that, and what I would suggest is that we give it a broader umbrella or ... ru... rubric, you know, equity issues or something like that, because CPRB's, you know, but one of several things that I, you know, human rights, uh... Mims/ Coordinator. Hayek/ Coordinating and ... and ... and commissions and staffing, and you know, that ... that's another issue, and ... and they're all under the same thing, same umbrella. Um, I like separating them so that there's some serious focus by the collective... jurisdictions on that issue and I ... this ... this issue next week is so important... Mims/ Yeah. Hayek/ ...and let's not forget, the ... the School's role, and this is one of the things I'll be saying is that, you know, it is important to take up these housing issues. They are long-term solutions. There's a short-term, immediate issue in terms of socioeconomic bounce be... between the schools that we cannot ignore. Um, I'd like discussion on that at that meeting. Mims/ Yeah. Botchway/ I like that idea. At least having, I mean, if that's the case in having a joint meeting specifically focusing on those issues from a broader regional standpoint. I will say though... going back to Susan's point, I ... I guess I was not saying as well what you just said, how to strategize, not only talking to the Iowa City Community School District, and I ... I don't know if we can add that agenda item. I mean, they've listed all the municipalities, but it might be important to list them as well, or add that on there so they can speak about possibly what they plan on doing in regards to that, to kind of get to your point, cause I think that's ... I think that's an important message that ... other cities probably need to hear. Um, but then going back to strategizing how we can ... I hate the word ... use the word leverage, but how we can ... figure out ways of...possibly getting the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 23 other cities on board. Before that ... I mean, I know we have ... how many days? I know less than a week now but ... if we could, you know (both talking) Hayek/ On ... on which? On the current issue (several talking) or on the... Botchway/ On the curr... sorry! On the current issue, on the affordable housing issue (several talking) Yeah! Um, I think it's gonna, I mean, I ... I think we need to use that time, uh, or use this time at least we have to do that, because I think, and again, I'm ... I'm making assumptions. So if everybody comes back and it's wonderful, then there's nothing we needed to talk about, but ... assuming that there's not, I think we need to ... uh, we need to take a hard look at, you know, I don't know and I was ... you know, I've been running this in my mind from the standpoint of...you know, these other cities will eventually get bigger. I mean, North Liberty is, you know, one of the cities that, again, it's the second fastest city in the state growing. I mean, you can't ... and then from a big brother or a big sister standpoint, I mean, we need to strategize as far as, you know, hey we're ... coming in here, helping to mentor/coach and tell you that, and again, I know the politics are in play as well, but... Mims/ Uh huh. Botchway/ ...helping to mentor/coach you on, you know, some of the issues that ... we face and, um, possibly could have fixed in the beginning of how our city kind of grew, um, to its number and how large it is and so, again, I don't know how to do that, and I don't know whether or not staff has, you know, expertise in how to do that. I know, again, we're playing the political game a little big too, but... Hayek/ Yeah. Botchway/ ...I guess I'm ... from a standpoint that, and similar to when we have the LOST discussion, I'm going to be very adamant that other cities step up. Um, I think I, I mean, I mentioned it during the ... was it the joint meeting last time? Um, asking everybody to do, um, 10% towards, uh, local option sales tax and ... nobody really said anything, but I think this is a little bit different because, you know, um, they have a little more time to discuss it and tease it out, and ... and do something about this. Hayek/ I think in ... I ... I don't disagree. I ... I, but I think in these ... in these group dynamics, the more scattered shot approach you take... the... the... easier it is for other jurisdictions to sort of ignore it conversationally and move on. Um ... I think a relentless attention to our har... our highest priority issues is ... is most effective, cause we're starting to get some private sector, non-profit traction, right? Um ... and the School District, you know, put this issue on the table for conversation, and we've got a chance to ... and ... and you know, we're doing some ... we've done some serious things which we'll report ... which I'll report out (both talking) Dickens/ ...Crossing... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 24 Hayek/ Yeah, well and going back 10 years! You know? We responded to the initial School District communique from 2003/2004. Um, so we can ... we've got a lot to talk about in terms of what we've done, and what we've recently done, and what we're anticipating doing. We've got something to talk about and ... so I think it's ... I think it's good to focus relentless pressure on that issue. Payne/ Well and I think that's a good idea for the School District to be listed as one of those people to report out. They just rescinded the Diversity Policy and ... (both talking) Mims/ So what are they going to do? Payne/ What are they going to do? And that's part of the whole picture too! Hayek/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ Yeah, that's true! So, w ... with, I agree with Michelle on that. Uh, with regard to the Affordable Homes Coalition, they are meeting this coming Friday, and I have been going to their meetings. So I will sit there and I'll listen and ... and uh... and be able to hear wh... what they're trying to do with regard to other cities and will be able to communicate what I hear back to you all. Hayek/ Yeah. Okay. Okay, thank you for that. Botchway/ Wait, so are we going to add that (noises on mic) Hayek/ Do you want to add... do we need to add like another sub part for... School District, socioeconomic balance? Mims/ I think ... yeah, I think if you list them and maybe list... Hayek/ Put it back on them? Karr/ So we've got the ICCSD letter, affordable housing response, whatever, and then you've got the breakdown, which includes the ICCSD. Mims/ And I would put next to their name... Hayek/ Does it include the ICCSD on the breakdown that we received (both talking) Karr/ Well that's what I just heard the suggestion to be. (several talking Mims/ I would ... I would, yeah, I would include them on the breakdown and maybe next to their name say ... re ... you know... Dickens/ ....future plans for your Diversity Policy or... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 25 Mims/ Yeah, yeah, something to that effect. You know... Hayek/ I would just maybe put `socioeconomic balance.' Mims/ Yeah! Hayek/ Leave it broad. Mims/ Yeah. Hayek/ The much -maligned policy... Payne/ (both talking) ... are talking about anyway (coughing, unable to hear any speakers) Hayek/ ...titled... Mims/ Yeah. Hayek/ ...is about socioeconomic balance. That's what it comes down to. Mims/ Yeah. Hayek/ That's a good point. Mims/ Then it's clear what we want. Karr/ Just do at this point then just some general updates from each community, at the end as a ... as a, not as agenda items per se, but just allow that one agenda item. Mims/ Yeah, just put updates. Karr/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ Uh, I ... I fear, uh, what you suggest might, uh, Matt, might be too vague. Uh, cause the agenda item currently is that the School District calls out the individual... Karr/ ICCSD letter to area jurisdictions regarding housing issues. Throgmorton/ Which is about housing! Right? What we want to know from the District is, what are they gonna do in place of the Diversity Policy? So if...if we're not clear enough, they won't know what we want `em to be talking about! And ... we'll get some ... with all due respect, some gobbledygook in response. You know? Which we're all pretty good at! Hayek/ (several talking) El... Eleanor was going to say something. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 26 Dilkes/ Oh I was just going to suggest a separate ... an item after the ... the responses by the cities to the letter, then ICCSD, um ... f iture plan to achieve socioeconomic balance or something to that affect. Throgmorton/ And ... (both talking) I'd say short-term socioeconomic balance or short ... socio- economic balance... Payne/ In the short-term! Throgmorton/ In the short -run. Something like that, cause ... cause housing's longer term. Their policies are shorter term. Hayek/ All right, we ... we're beating this topic ... this title to death, but how bout just `diversity policy/socioeconomic balance?' Dilkes/ Perfect! Hayek/ Okay? So they'll know... Dilkes/ As a separate item! Hayek/ As a separate item (several responding) Payne/ I actually think they should go first! Hayek/ Could be a dash, could be a semi -colon. (laughter) Go nuts! Payne/ Yeah, whatever! (laughter) Dilkes/ Do you want different colors (several laughing and talking) Hayek/ All right! Thank you. Uh, Info Packet discussions; there are two. January 8 and January 15tH Information Packet Discussion: Throgmorton/ I ... I have a question about January 15th, and it concerns, of course, a piece of correspondence. Hayek/ All right. Throgmorton/ So it's just ... just a question and actually a request of the staff. So anyhow, I'm referring to Item #10 on the ... on the, uh, the ... the 15th. The January 15th Info Packet. It's an email from Mark Signs. Hayek/ Uh huh. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 27 Throgmorton/ Uh, and he presents some pretty large numbers about land values, especially with regard to 316 Madison Street. So I ... Jeff, I don't know if you've had a chance to look at the letter, and I ... I'm not saying you really need to deal with it right now, but he... basically says they... purchased that property at $6.5 million per acre. And ... I'm wondering if that number is accurate, and if it is, wow! This says something about land values, increasing land values in this ... in the area south of Burlington Street. So I'm just ... I need some verification. Dobyns/ Jim, can ... can you tell me where we are? Throgmorton/ (several responding) Hayek/ ...on the 151H Dobyns/ Okay. Davidson/ Yeah, what I can tell you, Jim, is that we know what they paid for the property. Uh, and on a per acre basis, that's probably in the ballpark. Although I could not verify it. Um, we did look at six or seven, five or six at least, comparables in that section of Riverfront Crossings, um, and... determined that the ... the price that they paid was reasonable, and not something that was an unduly high amount that then brought into question us basically compensating them through the TIF agreement. So we have determined, as part of the National Development Council's research that the, uh, price that they paid for the property, although a big number, is, uh, a market price based on comparable sales in the area. Throgmorton/ The comparables, are those post form based code... comparables? Davidson/ Uh, no, some of them would be ... in fact all of them would ... I think all of them would be prior, but at least most of them. Mims/ I was going to ask that question too. How recent they were (several talking) Davidson/ ...they were... Payne/ ...which means the form based code didn't increase the value. Throgmorton/ Well, if... if, unless it... you know, depends on when they were developed. If... if it's like a month before the form based code was adopted and people were seeing that the code was going to be adopted, you know, that's... Dilkes/ ...but remember the plan came out significantly earlier than the form based code itself and (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, but the plan ... doesn't call for the density specified (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 28 Davidson/ ...wouldn't have necessarily pre -dated the plan, the Master Plan. Dilkes/ No, but it had, I mean, it's fairly specific in a lot of respects. Throgmorton/ Well, yeah, so anyhow I'm just observing that that ... this is a pretty high land value. Davidson/ Yes! Payne/ And it was exactly what you and I were kind of talking about... Throgmorton/ Uh huh! Payne/ ...a few weeks ago is it's ... could be the owner that's... Throgmorton/ Yeah, yeah! Payne/ ...making, that is the ... making the money, not necessarily the developer. Throgmorton/ Yeah. Yeah. Botchway/ Uh, going back to IP8, just a general comment on, um, the Equity Report/just a work session. Um... Hayek/ Wait a second, are you on ... January 8th? Or are you on January 15th? Botchway/ January 8th Hayek/ January 8th. Which ... uh... Botchway/ Just the ... IP7 through 9. Hayek/ Okay, yep! Botchway/ It's more, I guess... should I wait until Council time to talk about it? Um, it's more just for kind of general comments after the discussion. I think ... and again, it was our first time doing it, but ... in the future we might need to be clear or more clear or whatever on how ... the conversation was going to go, cause I think a lot of people expected ... I can't say a lot of people. I think some people expected that we were taking people's comments, and we were going to deliberate on those comments, and then make some type of recommendation to staff. I think if we decide to do it again, I think ... it doesn't necessarily have to be about this issue. We could do it regard multiple issues. We might just need to be clear that, you know, we were ... there primarily, obviously to listen, but also to make ... uh, a recommendation to staff as far as how we felt about the Iowa City Equity Report and the recommend ... I mean the recommendations from staff, the Iowa This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 29 City Equity Report, and everything else. I don't ... I think you did that, Matt, but I just think that ... we just needed to provide more emphasis or something. I mean, I don't know what that something is right now, but I guess that was the ... that was the comments I heard afterwards and the next ... the, and then days after that, just that we ... there was a different expectation, that's all. (several talking) Mims/ ...I think sometimes when you do something like that the first time, you're always going to have issues, and I think we didn't know exactly how it all was going to flow either, and so ... I mean, I think what we kept trying to say that night is, this is the first step. This is the first conversation and ... you know, if...you know, assuming that we start doing some, you know, more outreach and things like that, then you know that will ... will help, but... Botchway/ ...for example if we'd doing listening posts, these are just listening posts. We're going to have to take this back to the entire Council. Mims/ Uh huh. Botchway/ To even discuss on. I think, I mean, that assumption is if we go out in these listening posts and we'd be able to make any type of determination at that time. I just think we need to make sure that's the message... clear as can be going across. That's all! Hayek/ Yeah, no I don't disagree, but I will say that... some huge percentage of the communication we received in advance of our meeting asked us to take up the recommendations that ... you and Jim had provided. Um, and ... and that ... that's what we did and we also had the staff recommendations, which also reacted to ... to your pieces. So ... um ... I ... I just think we need to have multiple meetings to ... to accomplish that. Dobyns/ I think one of the difficulties is that sometimes they just don't know how we work! Botchway/ Right, and I think that's (both talking) Dobyns/ ...I guess it took me a while to figure out how we work (laughter) Uh, we say stuff and the City staff sits there and listens to us, and all of a sudden something takes form a few weeks or months later. Um ... that's really, uh, invisible ... to someone who's a novice sitting in the audience. Hayek/ And I think a... a number of people came in who had not read anything and were unaware that there were action plans for the Police Department and for the City as a whole, and all these other things, and cities and councils operate ... by documents. That's how we memorialize what we've discussed and where we're headed, and it's ha ... that's a connection we have to continue to try to make to ... to educate the public as to what we've done and where we're headed, and it is on paper, and that's hard to communicate... in a ... in a setting like this (noises on mic) Botchway/ And for the time that was allotted, as well (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 30 Hayek/ Right. Right. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I think it was an interesting hybrid, a good experiment, and I'm glad we did it. Uh... a learning experience... for both, most of the people in the audience and for us. Cause ... you know, cause we were hearing stuff and having to respond to it in present... in the present and also was I ... I found it really quite fascinating to be sitting around this table... talking to one another as if we're in a work session with 50 people watching us and listening to what we were saying, very carefully. (laughs) That's a pretty interesting experience and... and uh, I think pretty valuable on the whole. Payne/ I have a question about, um ... I think it's IP I 1 on the 15th packet. It's on page 119, if you're looking at the number 119 of 307. It says `Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Presented to City of Iowa City, Iowa,' and it says June 30, 2013. Should it be a 2014... certificate? Botchway/ Which one? Payne/ It's on ... the 15th packet. Botchway/ Right. Payne/ Page 119 (laughter) Bockenstedt/ (unable to hear, away from mic) Payne/ (laughing) You were multi -tasking! Hayek/ Well, we ... we've just found fraud in our city, uh... report and... Bockenstedt/ Oh gosh, don't use that word! (laughter) Dickens/ That scares (several talking and laughing) Payne/ You probably can't tell without looking at your... Hayek/ It's a GFOA... certificate (several talking) Dilkes/ It says the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. Payne/ ...but our fiscal year just ended for... 14, didn't it? Dilkes/ Our ... our, the fiscal year that just ended... Payne/ In June! Dilkes/ ...June 30, 2014. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 31 Payne/ Was 2014! Bockenstedt/ Right. Payne/ And this says 13. Hayek/ Let's give the guy a chance to answer here. Bockenstedt/ I'll take a look at it and see. Payne/ Okay! I'll show it to you when we go... Bockenstedt/ Okay! Fruin/ I ... I think the cover page is maybe wrong. If you look at the... Payne/ The date is ... the correct date is (both talking) Fruin/ ...like two pages in, at the top, it has the June 30, 2014. We've won it for 29 years in a row. They probably just got a little sloppy and (laughter) forgot to change the date there! Bockenstedt/ I'll look at that page. Hayek/ Scratch it out and give us ... (several talking) (noises on mic) Fruin/ Kudos for that catch though! (several laughing and talking) Dickens/ That was a good roundabout. Throgmorton/ Makes Dennis too anxious! (several talking and laughing) Hayek/ Yeah! Yeah! (laughter) NSA, uh, scrubbers probably picked up on that. Okay, sounds like we've exhausted the Info Packets. Uh, Council time is next. Council Time Discussion: Botchway/ So, going back to the work session, I really liked how we were able to, and again, I sit through... Tuesdays are now my like sitting, listen to the public from obviously two different standpoints. And, I really liked how we responded to ... people that came up, and I think that we can definitely, or we should definitely, add that to ... um, our regular session. I don't think it should be, you know ... going back and forth. I think it can be a situation where, um ... if they're able to, and again, I ... this is where I'm gonna ... I'm gonna rely on y'all and also staff, but, uh, it could be a quick answer, um, I mean, I remember the gentleman ... uh, that came up about taxicabs that had some quick questions. I don't know if they were ... I don't know if they were necessarily quick, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 32 but ... there could have been some response where ... we will get back to you, or something along those lines to at least address somebody as they're addressing us. I mean, again, it doesn't have to be a back and forth, but ... you know, and even if you're the only person that says it mat ... doesn't matter to me, but if somebody's coming up and saying, you know I have these concerns about the City process, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Um, we can say at least that we will get back to this person, or please ... write some information down so we can get back to `em. Payne/ This is items that aren't on the agenda. So we can't really have a dialogue about items that aren't on the agenda in public session, can we ... according to Roberts Rules? Mims/ Well no I don't think ... I don't think Kingsley was saying getting into a dialogue with `em, but at least... Botchway/ Acknowledging. Mims/ ...kind of acknowledge their concern and simply say, you know, depending on the item, you know, we'll have staff get back to you, which Matt does sometimes anyways (several talking) Hayek/ ...I don't universally do that, but we do typically ... if someone comes up and says I've got a complaint about... a bus stop, uh.. . Mims/ ...or he'll ask Geoff, yeah. Hayek/ ... we ... I try to say, you know, staff, could you make sure you get back to this person. Botchway/ I was thinking more from a universal standpoint. Fruin/ We don't do a good job always verbalizing it, but you know, we're taking notes and our staff's taking notes out there and ... and we do follow up on those issues that, urn ... are less, um, you know, political. They're ... if they're not taking policy positions, if they have a... a complaint that we can follow up on or something, we do that. Uh, we should do a better job maybe as staff at verbalizing that during the meeting. Botchway/ (mumbled) ...you point to Geoff and Geoff says I got it, I'm writing it down. I think it's ... I just think it's important because, you know, one, I mean ... I don't know if any of y'all got up before you got on Council, it's ... it's scary. I mean (several responding) um, to do it, and I think ... you know, you say your piece, and you could be angry, mad, sad, or whatever and then you just kind of walk away. You don't know if anybody's heard what you're saying, or you don't even know the process in which anything can happen, and so literally I could see a situation... again, using the taxicab as an example cause that's the only one I can remember, the guy asked these questions. You might say, you know, this isn't necessarily the format to an ... answer all these questions, but I'm sure Marian, uh, can get back to you if you can leave her some more information about blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Done. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 33 Throgmorton/ I want to agree completely with Kingsley. I think it would be very helpful if... if Matt could say something like, uh, thank you, we hear what you're saying, Geoff s been writing down notes. Somebody from the staff will get back in touch with you. I think that would have a ... a much better effect on the audience in the room and anybody who's watching on TV. Hayek/ I'll ... I'll do that, I mean, I... I've always done it to some extent, and I... and I'll pay a little closer attention to it, but there are also people who are going to get up and just... rant about X, Y, Z issue... Throgmorton/ Yeah! Hayek/ ... and ... and, you know, I'm not sure I would, in that case, say, `And we'll get back to you on how crazy the thing you're saying to us is, or how wrong you are' (laughs) you know, some ... some people just get up to complain and... and ... if...ifthey're totally misinformed or there's something we think we can do to help direct `em in a ... to the right place to figure out a solution to the problem, I think we should do that. Botchway/ But I think if ... I think if we come out ... I don't necessarily whether you said that at the beginning of the public session, but I think if you come out and say that. Like if you have specific question, we'll try to find you an answer for your ... while you come up here, but if, I mean, but obviously leaving out the fact that if somebody just comes up and rants about how they hate Iowa City or ... that the Council isn't doing anything, you can't really respond to that, or there's ... or you can respond to it personally I guess, but there's no other mechanism to do that, but I think it'll least ... for those people that have specific questions or just are coming to us and saying, you know, this is a concern. I mean, using the other lady that came up in talking about, um, her houses or whatever the case may be. She was griping about the different, um, houses that were in disarray, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We could have, and I think she already knew that, but we could say, you know, hey ... follow up with, um, the Housing Development staff or whatever, whatever, whatever, and then ended like that, but I agree (both talking) Hayek/ I think we did on that one. I think we actually had staff ...that was (both talking) that was, that's a good example of a tang ... of a tangible, identifiable issue brought to our attention. That we've got the ability to look into. Dobyns/ Yeah, Kingsley, can I back up and clarify. So this is ... you're talking about in the body of a work session. Throgmorton/ No, this is public discussion. Period. Dobyns/ Public session. Okay. (several talking) Botchway/ I was just using (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 34 Dobyns/ Oh, okay! All right! Botchway/ ... example as... (both talking) Dobyns/ Okay. (mumbled) ... saying well we're not really set up here to have this sort of back and forth is... so you're trying to change that narrative. Okay. Botchway/ I mean, Matt's (both talking) Payne/ A lot of times people do expect a back and forth, you know, they come up here and expect an answer. So saying that somebody'll get back to you with an answer would... Dobyns/ Well and sometimes Tom jumps in too, or Geoff, and just says, yeah we'll look into that, and every... everyone's chilled out. Okay, cool. (several talking) Botchway/ I guess the reason I'm bringing it up is to put some type of expectation that we would do that ... I mean, we ... you could, I mean you could res ... I mean you could respond every single time, just with the people that, you know, say things like, you know, Iowa City should be destroyed. I don't ... (mumbled) actually happened, but I'm just making something up. You just say ... I don't ... I don't know. Matt, you're ... (laughs) Hayek/ I hear ya! I'll ... I'll (several talking) Dobyns/ I'd recommend if we did that, that it be sort of like an executive privilege. I think the Mayor or the City Manager, um ... at the time, have the ability to sit there and say that, or else it becomes a little chaotic. Botchway/ No, I definitely agree, I just think it should be consistent. If we do it for one, we should do it for all in some type of way, shape, or form. That's all. And I ... yeah (mumbled) how you would respond to somebody who's saying, you know, some... super -hero stuff and somebody who's asking a specific question about Iowa City and its policies. Dobyns/ Yeah. Hayek/ Got it! Payne/ Thank you for your comments! (laughter and several talking) Mims/ Yeah, and I mean Matt ... Matt's been very consistent about doing that for everybody. So it's you know thank you for your comments, and ... but I agree with what Kingsley's saying, and Matt and I have had this conversation a bit too. How ... you know, how can you take those comments that the Mayor makes and tailor it maybe a little bit more to make people feel that they are heard and that we will do what we can to address their concerns. Other than ones who just come and say we're absolutely crazy and doing nothing and ... (several talking) ...thank you for your comments. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 35 Botchway/ ... give us some credit, I mean, I ... I mean, we've seen multiple times where staff has gotten back. Unfortunately on TV and the public that's here, they just assume that people say stuff and then (several talking) and that's just not fair for our City staff that then spends the time to go through that information and get back to people. Dobyns/ But maybe ... I'm sorry if I'm not understanding but ... let's say someone comes up and they have a, uh, in the public session, they have a substantive comment, uh, versus someone who comes up and have ones that is kind of diffuse and vacuous. Um ... I would like to have ... the Mayor and the City Manager .... I mean, and I've seen both of them, but permanently I watch Tom and Geoff, where someone sits there and talks a lot and finally ... you know, Tom or Geoff will rescue us. And they'll say, we'll have City staff look at that. But they don't say that for everybody! I mean, I think the public, as us, have to be held to some standard of elegance. (both talking) Botchway/ I agree! Dobyns/ ... stand up there, and... and so everybody should be treated the same. Really? Um... Botchway/ Well if we don't decide to do it, then there has to be some ... uh, information at the beginning of the meeting to let people know that ... if you have specific complaint or question, and you get up before Council, we can ... we'll try to respond to it by letting you know who can, you know, handle it whatever, whatever, but if it's, you know, just a long drawn out thing like you're talking about, I think then we, you know, make it clear that we ... I don't know! I mean, I'm just ... I'm more interested in people that have substantive comments, and getting those questions at least answered, and acknowledging staff's work, when I don't think it is. Hayek/ I ... I don't disagree, but there are people who come to us sometimes very regularly and say, you know, I've got these six things to complain about and they use up their five minutes and it's the same things where they vary them up a little bit and ... they're not looking for answers so much as ... time in front of the camera and a chance to ... to vent, um, and so I thi... I'll ... we just need to distinguish between the people who are ser... just there more to vent than anything else, and the others who are seeking information or need answers that we can provide that would... clarify a situation for them. Why isn't such and such being dealt with on this street (both talking) Botchway/ I agree, but you have to be careful ... I mean, and I say `you' cause I'm putting this all on you! You'll have to be careful in how you do that, simply because... people that normally get up and know that ... and have a specific question and can gather their thoughts in a way that, you know, makes sense to us where we can, you know, tease out what they're trying to say. Um, you know... are able to do that. Others might not, others might ... you know, I remember ... I can't remember the lady that sits here cause she hasn't been here for (several responding) but she doesn't have, I mean, at times it can be all over the place, but at times she can give specific points, and so how do you, you know, gauge what we respond to and what we don't respond to. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 36 Dickens/ ...she asked for like ... the, uh... bus station, or the... Hayek/ Bus stop! Dickens/ ...bus stop. She'll ask for a specific (several talking) otherwise she's just... generalizing a lot of things, and ... and we generally respond to `em in that way. We'll say we'll have staff look into it. If she asks a specific question. Hayek/ Yeah. Dickens/ The other gentleman that comes and complaining about Moen's buildings all the time. He's just ranting and raving. He doesn't really come for any real questions. And you thank him for his comments and ... if there was a question that he wanted, we would respond to it. Botchway/ So yeah maybe then ... then it would be, yeah. So that would be discretionary. Dickens/ I'm trying to give examples between two people that come all the time. Dobyns/ And one is occasionally rewarded with a comment (mumbled) staff that (mumbled) and the other one is never rewarded. (laughter) Hayek/ All right. Throgmorton/ Matt, of what I hear is ... uh, us sort of giving you freedom, you know, to ... to respond more flexibly. Hayek/ I hear ya. Throgmorton/ That's what I hear. Botchway/ Giving you more power. I don't know if that's an increase in pay or not! (several talking) Hayek/ Let's power through the ... yes, Dennis? Bockenstedt/ (mumbled) or shall I, um, I went and look at it and that was a copy of this year's financial report, and in that you present the certification from the prior year's report ... if you earned it. So that certificate was for the prior year, because you haven't earned the certificate for the current year yet. Payne/ Okay! Bockenstedt/ Cause it hasn't been permitted (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 37 Payne/ I probably asked the same question last year! (laughter) Bockenstedt/ So you ... so you always present the certificate from the year before in the current report. Payne/ Okay. I'll not remember that, uh, next year if I'm still here. Hayek/ You probably will. Dobyns/ Thank you for your comment! (laughter) Hayek/ We'll have the Finance Department get back to you, buddy! (laughter) Uh, I want to just ... we've, Susan and I and staff have talked a little bit about, um, bringing before Council, and this is really more our pending work session topics, so maybe I should have waited for that, but ... um, this ... this issue of nuisance properties and the expectations about especially the exterior of rental ... I just want to make sure we're ... we're doing, we're getting there, and I'll follow up with Geoff a ... about that but ... so that it comes back to us during 2015, um ... other Council time items? Karr/ Can we talk about the KXIC radio show? Hayek/ Sure! Why don't we move on to (mumbled) meeting schedules here. Throgmorton/ I'd be happy to do it either tomorrow or the following Wednesday or the following Wednesday. Karr/ Um, Kingsley is tomorrow. Throgmorton/ Okay. Botchway/ Well hold up! Karr/ You're not tomorrow? Botchway/ I am but... Throgmorton/ Oh, I can't do it tomorrow! Forget... forget about tomorrow. Sorry! Karr/ So Kingsley's tomorrow. (several talking) Payne/ Tomorrow is the 21St. (several talking) Dickens/ I'll do February 4t" Karr/ February 4th ... is Dickens. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 38 Throgmorton/ So I can do the 28th Karr/ January 28tH Throgmorton/ Yeah. Karr/ Throgmorton. Okay. Throgmorton/ And we're doing it at 8:00 A.M., even though it's recorded. Karr/ That's correct. Mims/ I can do the 11th Karr/ 11 th, Susan. Mims/ Yep. Hayek/ What else do you need? Karr/ 18" and 25tH. Hayek/ Of? Karr/ February! Hayek/ February? (several talking) Payne/ (mumbled) Hayek/ I can probably do the... Mims/ I mean I can do more. Hayek/ ...I can do the ... do we have a Council on the 17th? No we don't. Karr/ No. Hayek/ I could do the 18th Karr/ 18tH, Matt. February 25tH Payne/ Would you rather go to Nebraska? (several talking) Karr/ 25th (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 39 Dickens/ I didn't do any the last time, so... Botchway/ I can do two, cause I didn't do ... I didn't do any for the entire election period! So ... (several talking) Karr/ So January 21s' and February 25th is Kingsley. Botchway/ Yep! Karr/ I'll put something in this week's packet. Throgmorton/ Kingsley 24/7! Dickens/ I just need to do one in March so we can get our bet ready for the Cubs/White Socks with (mumbled) (laughter) Throgmorton/ Terms of Council time, it was great to see Susan and Kingsley at the Grant Wood event, the event at Grant Wood yesterday. Mims/ You must have made it after I left then! Throgmorton/ Yeah. Botchway/ It was... Mims/ Figured you had a busy day! Hayek/ I went to the event at the, uh, on ... on campus at the Old ... Old Capitol. It was decent! There was pretty good attendance. After the Unity March. Throgmorton/ Well there were ... at Grant Wood, I don't know, 150 people or... Mims/ Probably! Throgmorton/ ... something like that. I don't know. Botchway/ There was a good number of people! (several talking and laughing) Yeah, if anybody has any way of ... he was, his tooth was coming in. I couldn't figure out why he ... my son I'm talking about, uh, I couldn't figure out (both talking) Hayek/ Council time or ... is this in meetings? (laughter) Botchway/ No, both! Uh, I couldn't figure out why he was crying but that was ... that was the reason why. Yeah, so... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 40 Throgmorton/ ...too much award, yeah. (both talking) Not too many awards. Payne/ Okay, that was your point. Got it! (mumbled) Pending Work Session Topics: Hayek/ Okay! We got plenty of meetings. Pending work session topics. Fruin/ If I could mention on the pending work session topics. After we, um, published this, uh, we came to the conclusion that we're probably not going to be ready to come, uh, to you with the Gateway project right now. So ... um, we're going to regroup and ... figure out which of the pending topics, um, will be ready, but it won't be Gateway. Mims/ Okay. (several talking) Payne/ And that's for next time, right, the 9th? Fruin/ That's for the 91h, correct. Throgmorton/ Monday the 9th, right? Karr/ yes. Payne/ Right! Hayek/ Okay. Throgmorton/ Half of us will forget! (laughs) Upcoming Events/Council Invitations: Hayek/ Upcoming events. All right! Payne/ Well we have MPOJC... next ... Wednesday, not this ... not tomorrow, a week from tomorrow. Hayek/ Don't look at me! That's one of my perks! Payne/ That you don't have to go! (laughs) I'm just thinking of things. Hayek/ I've got something to talk to you about, Susan, about a ... Rotary ... (both talking) Mims/ Okay! Um, tomorrow night there's a Riverfront Crossing planning meeting, uh... is that at Terry Trueblood? Okay! Starts at 5:30, presentation at 6:00. Fruirl/ That's the 28tH This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015. January 20, 2015 Iowa City City Council Work Session Page 41 Mims/ Oh, I'm sorry, 28tH Dickens/ Week from Wednesday. Mims/ I'm just a week ahead! Payne/ Yes, and that is the same day as the MPOJC (both talking) Mims/ That's right! That's right! Overlaps there. Dickens/ Which is where? Payne/ It says Iowa City, and then the same night we have a Johnson County Emergency Management Commission meeting, if anybody cares. That's ... one of my perks! (laughter) Dobyns/ Thank you! Mims/ All right! Hayek/ Okay. Good meeting. We'll come back at 7:00! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of January 20, 2015.